Feel The Ground Shake (Pokemon - Ground-type specialist)

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 1

Johto Region, Goldenrod City

Snowboarder Brad.

What a fucking joke.

Of all the NPC's in the wide open infinite universe for me to be unceremoniously isekai'd into...I got Snowboarder Brad. An absolute nobody Gym Trainer from the Generation II Pokémon games. Place of birth? Mahogany Town. Age? 25. Height? 6' even. Total Pokémon to his name? One. A Swinub he'd named 'Bubbles' when he was four.

More than two decades of life..squandered. Day after day spent lounging about. Eating chips on couches. Sleeping in until noon. Getting consistently dunked on by challengers to the Gym because Brad was -on top of being just plain unremarkable as a battler- too stupid to realize his aura was naturally aligned to Ground, not Ice.

Can you imagine that? To be a natural born aura user, to win that kind of lottery at birth…and then spend your days focusing on a type-energy that was nearly in direct opposition to it.

If there's only one thing I can praise him for in this head full of memories, it's the fumbles in the sheets he had with Lorelei when the two were teenagers. Of course - by way of being a teenage boy - he went and fucked that up too.

Truly, he was a moron in every way that mattered.

The good news..is that it's been sixteen months since Brad busted his head open on the icy slopes and I stepped in.

The ref raises his flag. "Aipom is unable to battle! The score is now 2-0! Gym Leader Whitney has one Pokémon remaining!"

Sandile's tail wiggles back and forth as he almost snickers at the downed foe. Shining white light begins to build over his form and with a massive burst a new reptile now stands in the ring. "Krok! Krokorok!"

Krokorok: Lv. 27
Nature: Impish
Potential: A-

'Hmm. Up one rank from B+. Expected, though I had hoped for better.' I was given one gift and one gift alone when I was so rudely pulled from my world and dropped into this one. The power to see potential. To look at a 'mon and instantly know how far it could push itself. To see what physical limits were imposed on it by its biology, by its genetics. To see a group of near identical Pokémon and instantly know which ones will never come close to Lv. 100 and which ones have the stuff to make it as an Elite.

It's not a perfect cheat. It can't see a Pokémon's Ability for one thing, and there's no instruction manual on the specifics of what the 'ranks' actually mean. In that avenue all I've got is data points. I've been in the crowd at enough tournaments to deduce the 'E' ranks level cap somewhere in the high 40's. C+ can at least go as high as 63. Last year's conference winner had an Electabuzz as their team's ace that showed me that.

I'm also fairly certain the rank at least somewhat affects growth speed but I've got no hard numbers to prove it.

As best I've been able to tell, the only way to increase a 'mon's rank, to 'raise the level cap' as it were from whatever it was born with, is via the process of evolution. One or -sometimes two- ranks is what I've found to be most typical, though I did once witness as high as four from a Kakuna.

Of course, an extreme on one end of the spectrum often implies an extreme on the other. Five months ago I had the privilege to view a Scyther become a Scizor and its potential didn't even budge from B-. Though admittedly, since that particular evolution is just a reshuffling of base stats perhaps I shouldn't count it.

The red light finishes sucking Aipom into the Pokéball and Whitney seems considerably annoyed. Her brow is furrowed while a thin frown is playing over her lips. I was warned ahead of time that she sometimes lets her emotions get the best of her during matches and my fielding of a foreign 'mon she wasn't familiar with probably didn't help things much.

She reaches behind her back, grabbing a Great Ball she hadn't intended for this match, and chucks it out with a wild spin. "We're down by two Bluebell! Let's show him what we're made of!"

From the amorphous white light a healthy pink bovine plops down to shake the stadium floor, bellowing out a thunderous "Moooooo!" as it stands to its full height.

I feel the urge to use the word 'bovine' because 'cow' doesn't quite emulate the feeling of how jacked this thing is. Truthfully I want to use the term 'bull' but since Miltank as a species is 100% female, that's not quite applicable either.

Miltank: Lv. 40
Nature: Hardy
Potential: D+

I feel my eyebrows knit together as I assess the new threat. My gut tells me this isn't the iconic 'Whitney's Miltank' that everyone who's familiar with Gen II knows about. Based on its age -and the few faded scars I can see- I'm more willing to bet this is an old family Pokémon. Perhaps one that once belonged to her father.

Regardless, what's got my focus is that this thing is way too high a level for a simple 'third-badge challenge'. This is more of a sixth or possibly even seventh-badge contender. Is this a test maybe? A challenge she wants to see me overcome? Or are the unkind rumors really true and she actually is just a poor loser? If it's the latter, then that's just unprofessional.

Down below my freshly evolved Krokorok openly scoffs at the opposition, folding his arms to himself and pointedly looking away. His nature has always made him a bit dismissive of others and right now he's riding the high of evolution plus two separate Moxie boosts. 'But that's not gonna be enough to bridge the gap here.'

The flag drops and Whitney's order is immediate. "Brick Break!"

'Tch. She's realized the Krookodile line is Dark-type'. "Protect!" I demand, no room for any of my 'mon's nonsense right now.

The hexagonal dome cracks under Miltank's glowing fist and I can feel Krokorok physically balk through our connection.

"Hit it again Miltank! One more shot!"

"Poison it!"

Thick nasty sludge expels from Krokorok's snout just as Miltank's arm comes sailing through the barrier. The Normal-type cries out as it takes the Toxic directly to its face but it's my boy who ends up far the worse off. The Super-effective Brick Break strikes him perfectly center mass and with that single blow he's sliding across the field completely down for the count.

"Krokorok is unable to battle! The score is now 2-1! Challenger Brad, please select your next Pokémon!"

I take a few seconds more than strictly necessary to draw Krokorok back into his Level Ball. I'm not overly dragging my feet about it but I'm not so honorable that I would miss the chance to let the Toxic soak into my opponent nice and proper.

"Good showing K.Rool." I mutter to the ball. "Though I hope you realize now that you've evolved, the kiddie gloves are coming off in training."

'I wonder if it was the evolution that tipped the scales and convinced Whitney to pull out this bruiser.' If so, then that's rather unlucky timing on Sandile's part. Going by canonical 'levels', 27 is a bit early for his species to make the change. In the Unovan games you can't even encounter any Krokorok below 29. Though of course -as this new world constantly reminds me- things are not so hard locked in their requirements here.

Not every Caterpie evolves at Lv. 7, not every Pidgey at 18. It is usually close to there though. I'd say a good rule of thumb is a plus or minus three type of deal. That covers at least 90% of the cases I've witnessed. If a 'mon gets farther than that past its evolution level and still hasn't undergone the process it's almost certainly because the Pokémon is deliberately choosing not to.

For a moment I'm tempted to reach for the second foreign Pokémon on my belt..though eventually I decide not to. Type-advantage by being a Ghost or not, he's a bit of a timid soul. Haven't really gotten him ready for competitive battling yet. Plus there's a chance this Miltank's ability is Scrappy which could end up spelling disaster. Instead I turn my head to the 'mon who's been hanging off my shoulder this entire time. A nasty little bugger who hates being in Pokéballs almost as much as Ash's Pikachu does. "You want in?"

Gligar: Lv. 52
Nature: Adamant
Potential: A

"Gligar!"

"Well get in there then. Let's demonstrate why you don't escalate against us."

"Gli! Gli!" My little scorpion-bat swoops into the arena just as the referee starts to look impatient. He darts his eyes between both contenders, raising the flag high...and then drops it!

"Taunt!/Heal Bell!" The two commands are simultaneous. An ethereal golden bell appears above Miltank, only for the cow to suddenly reel back as a thin layer of Dark shatters the device, dispersing the technique.

"Tut tut tut," I wiggle my finger at Whitney much in the same manner Gligar did to Miltank a moment ago. "None of that now. The Toxic stays." I chide at the girl, deliberately trying to needle her.

The young woman stomps her foot at being predicted. "How did-!"

"Agility." Truthfully the command is unnecessary. Vlad is well trained enough to spot opportunities to set up all on his own. He'd already been building the Psychic energy before I even got the word out.

Whitney sweeps her arm forward. "Lean into the aggression Miltank! Go for Body Slam!"

The Taunted animal takes two steps forward before launching itself into the air with an angry 'Mooo!', sailing across the field with far more speed than one would expect for something of its size. Momentum is mass times velocity and if that much weight were to crash into me..well it's easy to understand how the move can Paralyze.

The blue sheen of Agility around Gligar finishes its job and with that I now know the fight is effectively over.

'Speed is Miltank's second-best stat.'

The heifer attempts to body-check my flier only to sink through the afterimage of a Double Team.

'But it is also Gligar's.'

"Blind it! Then set the storm!"

The power behind the Mud-Slap is minuscule, but damage has never been the goal of that move. In fact, Vlad and I have worked on making the move actually weaker so long as it hits quick and goes exactly where we want it to go.

To its credit, the Miltank does try to block it -as does any living creature when something comes for its face- but the Normal-type only experiences partial success. Brown still slathers over its eyes and it cries out with a distressed 'Mooooo!'.

"Scrape it off Miltank!"

The Normal-type tries to, it even half-succeeds, but by that point Gligar has already thrown his claws out and the sand is starting to roil.

A proper Sandstorm, one worthy of a Tyranitar, takes over the field and Whitney starts to panic. "Water Pulse!"

'Oh?' That's not something I expected. On top of being good type coverage, it's a long-range option when Miltank as a species typically doesn't have any. Plus, if I recall correctly, in some of the video games Water Pulse can never miss, so sight isn't really needed. Not bad Whitney.

The only hiccup is..well, a Special Attacker Miltank is not.

"Water for Water Vlad. Let's win with some style."

Gligar sails through the dust cloud, his pincer shining with the bright blue of Crabhammer, and with it carves straight through the anemic Water attack.

"What!?" Whitney nearly screams. "Since when can Gligar learn-!"

Vlad finishes his journey down and swoops behind Miltank. With a devastating hammerblow to the back of the head the 100 base-power high critical-chance move slams the enemy ace straight into the dirt!

Immediately I can feel Gligar begin to shift gears, building up Ground energy within himself that rumbles and shakes along the aura connection we share, but I hold off on the order to unleash the 'quake. The most iconic of all Ground moves would end this right now...but I don't think it's needed.

Miltank struggles to push itself up as both the Toxic and Sandstorm chip it down. One buffeting from the outside while the other ravages from within. In the end...it just can't.

"That's enough Vlad." The sandstorm disperses and almost immediately the final flag of the match goes up.

"Miltank is unable to battle! Challenger Brad is the winner!"

There's a small smattering of applause. A few 'Boo!'s as well from Whitney's local fan club, but overall the match ends without any real ceremony. Not that much of a crowd is really expected at 2pm on a Tuesday. In both this life and the previous, I've never much liked events that have stadiums packed to the brim.

Whitney pouts a little as we reach the center of the arena and shake hands. "Mou! Your team's got some tough cookies. Nice read on the Heal Bell. Many trainers don't know about that move since Miltank's the only Pokémon in Johto who learns it." Whitney sighs. "Darn it, and I really thought Bluebell would be tough enough to see your secret Pokémon."

My head cocks. "Secret?"

Whitney smiles unashamedly. "Pryce let slip a complaint about you in our monthly Gym Leader call last week. Something about a new evolution you won't tell him about."

Ah. She's referring to Mamoswine. Bubbles the Mamoswine.

"Sorry, but he's not actually with me right now. He's up at a breeding reserve in Mahogany." And wasn't that a prank in and of itself? Pryce was determined to wring the secret to Piloswine's evolution from me..and I agreed to give it to him. For a price of course. No pun intended.

All the old man had to do was set up Bubbles in his Swinub breeding program and offer me my pick of the litter. As soon as I select a Swinub to take, he gets the secret. Pretty easy.

Of course, right after that deal was finalized I got on a boat and fucked off to a foreign region for about three months so I imagine he's a bit miffed at me. Now that I'm back in Johto though, I really should make the detour to stop by and see what new piglets he's got in stock. Brad's original Pokémon 'Bubbles' was a loyal enough creature, but even as a Mamoswine his potential doesn't seem to let him rise above Lv. 58 which just doesn't suit my long term purposes.

Plus the 'mon was nearly three decades old at this point and it's probably better just to start fresh.

The 'prank' part of the deal was that I had technically already given Pryce exactly what he asked for. Ancient Power was an Egg Move and as such all of Bubbles' progeny will be able to make the change. Now as to how Bubbles himself knew the move as a Swinub...well I don't rightly know. Brad's father caught the piglet in the wild so who knows what its family line was like.

"Aww, phooey." Whitney playfully whines at the info. "I guess I still got to see a new Pokémon though! And I even watched it evolve too! Which region is he from? Hoenn? I know it can't be Sinnoh with their borders closed."

"Unova actually."

Whitney gapes."Unov-Wait really?! How did you even get approved to go in? Isn't their immigration policy like suuuper strict?"

I let a small smile creep up. "I've always found that, if you grease the right palms, there's not a lot of places one can't get to in this world."

"Huh." Whitney mutters. "Well regardless, you've more than demonstrated enough to earn this." She brings her arm up and offers a small diamond shaped pin. "The Plain Badge!"

From there it seems the practiced ritual is just about over. I tuck the pin next to the other two inside my jacket, a few more small words are exchanged, and a commemorative photo is taken of me shaking Whitney's hand if I want to purchase it. After just a few minutes the next challenger is announced and I find myself checking out with a receptionist who hands over the modest bit of prize money my successful challenge has earned.

Stepping out of the Gym, I feel a restless shaking from my belt. A low grumbling emanating from the Moon Ball just above my right pocket. "Easy there Grundy," I soothe gently, brushing my fingers over the ball. "Easy there. That Miltank roused you from your nap didn't it?"

The Moon Ball vibrates.

"Relax. It was only Lv. 40." I continue under my breath. "Wouldn't even have been a warm-up for you. Besides, the goal right now is to earn badges, not kill our opponent in the ring. We're in the city right now. Have to act civilized."

There's another low grumble but eventually the ball does go still, choosing to accept that answer.

"Mt. Mortar's not terribly far." I offer as a compromise. "We can swing by there after Ecruteak. Maybe find something down in the lower levels for you and Ma Ma to let loose against."

With that promise made, I find it's time to continue exploring the city proper. Goldenrod is the center of Johto and wow does it show that. Restaurants, railways, businesses large and small, not to mention the iconic Radio Tower that scrapes up into the clouds. Bike shops, flower shops, Poké shops, and Casinos. Oh boy, the casinos.

In my past life I wasn't much of a drinker. I had no issues with drugs or women. But woah nelly was my Vice the Dice let me tell ya.

Fortunately -or unfortunately depending on your viewpoint- my priorities have shifted somewhat since then.

My feet take me past a crowd huddled around a store window where the day's news plays on multiple screens.'...and as such authorities are still searching for the missing ship. In other news, tensions continue to rise with the region of Kalos as ambassadors were seen walking out...'

This world is a death trap with a polite candy coating over the top. The moment I forget that and start confusing it for a children's cartoon is the day I end up in an early grave.

~I'm on the road to Viridian City!~ My ringtone sounds, getting me to fish the smartphone out and glance at the caller ID. ~We're on the road to Viridian Ci-click. "Hey Lori!" I smile into the phone. "That was fast. What's up?"

"Bradley," There's exasperation in her tone. "What is this video file you've sent me?"

"Aww, you didn't even watch it? I'm hurt Lori. It's obviously my match against Whitney. Score 3-1 in my favor by the way. She pulled out this older Miltank at the end that I'm pretty sure was her dad's. Took out poor K.Rool with a single hit. And my boy had just evolved too. He's gonna be in such a foul mood when he wakes up."

"That's wonderful Bradley, I'm glad you're finally taking things seriously," she sounds tired. Low on sleep. Poor girl. "But again, why did you send it to me?"

"Ooph. So cold. Am I not allowed to keep one of my oldest friends updated on my journey? Tsk tsk Lori. Being an Elite Four has really changed you."

"I wouldn't say we've really been friends since I left Mahogany Brad." There's a sigh from the other side. "Do you remember what we talked about last time you did this?"

I hummed, pretending to think about it. "Let's see, you wanted the secret to evolving Piloswine just like your grandpa Pryce did."

"Wha-No! That was an offhand- I meant right after that!" Aww. She still gets flustered. Cute.

"Ehh, something about inter-regional politics and being super busy with this Kalos situation and not to bother you during work and..I just kinda zoned out after that to be honest. Didn't seem that important." I say the words but it's all in a light and joking tone. Truthfully, I track Indigo's relations with the other regions very carefully. I just like hearing her get frustrated.

A breath through her nose. "And how about the time before 'that'?"
"Time before that," I rubbed my chin. "I asked you to dinner and you said 'Make it to the Silver Conference and we'll talk'."

"So if you remember that, then why do you keep blowing up my work number after every Gym Badge!"

I smirk into the phone. "Why do you keep calling?"

"I-! You-! It doesn't- That is-...I'm going back to work now."

"Bye Lori! Talk to you after I thrash Morty!"

After the empty dial tone 'beeps' twice in my ear I slip the phone away and chuckle warmly in my throat. Brad let an amazing woman slip away, but I'm willing to gamble I can reel her back in.

With pleasure now over with though...it does unfortunately mean it's time for business.

Schooling my features, I pull a second phone from my bag. This one considerably cheaper and much easier for me to toss if needs arise. Speed dial rings the single number programmed into it and with a 'click' I hear the other side pick up. "Third badge obtained. I'm available now. What's the job?"

"Well well, let me be the first to congratulate you then." Admin Petrel chuckles from the other side. "We've a lead on one of the items you've requested. Be at the Game Corner 1PM tomorrow for the details on how you can 'earn' it." With that the number disconnects and I slide the phone away.

Oh, and I'm doing a little contract work with Team Rocket on the side.

Did I not mention that earlier?

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 2

Goldenrod Game Corner, Underground

Held Items are a bit of a controversial topic in this world I've found. While one crowd whines and cries about good items leading to battles being 'pay-to-win', others cheer and sing praises at a Trainer who can use one to swing things around at a pivotal moment and seize a hard-earned victory.

Personally, I don't have terribly strong feelings about their legality one way or the other, but something that does frustrate me is how much more limited they seem to be here as compared to the game series.

Fan favorites such as Eviolite, Weakness Policy, Rocky Helmet, none of them seem to exist. At least not in Kanto or Johto. Didn't catch a whiff of them during my brief stint in Unova either. Leftovers is obviously gone, though oddly enough Black Sludge isn't. So if there's someone out there in Indigo who wants to set up a stall strategy using Muk or Tentacruel then more power to them I guess.

Focus Band exists, but not its far more useful cousin Focus Sash. I've seen a video of a Hoenn Trainer employing a Burn Orb on his Swellow but searching for Toxic Orb leads to zero results.

Assault Vest is real, which caught my interest for a little bit, but unfortunately they're rather prohibitively expensive. Not only that, at truly high levels of tournament play, you can't expect them to have a long shelf life. Even the high quality ones can only absorb so much Special Damage before they start getting reduced to rags.

If there is a singular item for the criers and whiners to point at as being 'pay-to-win', it's probably that one.

When I first started digging into the topic, I thought the most-common Held Item to appear at big events might be the humble Sitrus Berry. It's small, effective, and accessible to just about every class of Trainer. Seemed like a well-reasoned bet. Though to my surprise, Sitrus actually only came in at fourth place. The true gold medalist turned out to be -of all unexpected things- Normal Gem.

A one-time consumable that is typically used to turn a Hyper Beam into Hyper Beam if you catch my drift.

It's actually an impressive racket on the Pokémon League's part. Gems get manufactured en masse at government owned facilities and sold for healthy profit at basically every major tournament the League sponsors. Water Gems for Hydro Pump, Fire Gems for Fire Blast, Trainers will empty their wallets to make sure they have a fresh Gem to supply between rounds and hopefully keep their winning streak going.

Which leads me into what I think is the most important fact one needs to understand about Held Items in tournament play. According to current Indigo League rules, you are allowed one. The replenishment of single-use consumables is the only exception.

It's something you register when you're filling in the initial paperwork. 'My Blastoise is equipped with an Assault Vest' or 'I'm going to have my Clefairy hold a Sitrus Berry every round'. While audiences love a good surprise, tournament organizers don't. If you don't want to adhere to their rules, then they'll immediately clap back with 'Well you don't have to play in our tournament then either'.

A piece of me finds all that regulation restrictive. Stifling. You can't even do an item switch-up between rounds. Though another part of my brain -the strategic tryhard part- is excited by it. Knowing you only get one item means selecting the right one for the right Pokémon is all the more critical.

Which brings me to here.

I run my fingers along the tunnel wall, tracing the feel of it until I'm back at the entryway. "Well it's not the shoddiest work I've ever seen. How long did it take you to get this far? Three, four days?"

The head Rocket Grunt glowers. "Nine.'' He speaks behind gritted teeth, shooting a particularly nasty glare at a lower Grunt who wilts at the criticism. A Sandshrew whines piteously behind the man's leg while an angry Graveler moves to stand between the two, seemingly protecting the smaller man from the larger.

At the Head Grunt's side a Gloom cracks one malicious eye open causing the Graveler to stiffen..before it clutches its stone fists painfully tight.

I turn away from the byplay and go back to my inspection. 'Workplace politics have never interested me.' "Well regardless, I can understand why your bosses wanted an expert pulled in. All the starting work is done at least. Where does the tunnel need to go?"

The lead Grunt focuses up again. "There's a connecting basement underneath the Miracle Cycle Bike Shop. That's just about three blocks from here. Precautions have already been taken so no overly curious Psychic-types detect us underground. How long will it take you? End of the week?"

I resist the urge to scoff. "Please," I snap two balls off my belt and toss them out. "Who do you think your bosses hired? An amateur? Give me ten hours."

From the first beam of light comes K.Rool, my newly evolved Krokorok, named in reference to the infamous Donkey Kong villain and personal bane of my childhood gaming years. As a foreign 'mon he's regarded with some wariness by the four Rocket members in the room. Unfamiliar Pokémon always are.

Next to him though, the actual threat appears. Ma Ma. The queen mother bitch grizzly herself.

Ursaring: Lv. 58
Nature: Serious
Potential: A

The small cavern seems to shake as the mother bear roars upon her summoning. Two of the Rocket Grunts stumble backwards while the previously mentioned Gloom suddenly looks much less sure of its spot on the local totem pole.

Ursaring as a species has always been a long time favorite of mine. In one of the 'Shadow Pokémon' games I once did a playthrough exclusively using the two 'mons your character has at the start. Eevee and Teddiursa. So when a new evolution dropped in the spin-off Legends game, it suffices to say I was pretty stoked about it.

Recreating that evolution though…has been more challenging than once anticipated.

It's not even the full moon on a cloudless sky nonsense that's the issue. The lunar cycle is a pretty easy thing to chart. It's the item that's been the problem. The 'Peat Block'.

Defined as a brown deposit of organic soil, 'Peat' is formed by the partial decomposition of plant matter in the wet acidic conditions of a bog, fen or mire.

And that's really the kicker of it all isn't it? Bogs or Fens. Marshes or mires. Something Johto -Indigo as a whole really- just doesn't have. Our climate isn't right for it. There's a small swamp-like area in Kanto's Safari Zone but that's about as close as we get.

Every experiment to evolve so far has been a failure. Every pile of wet dirt inert as the next. My new theory is that there's something about the soil in Sinnoh, some organic compound or perhaps elemental mixture, that is necessary for jumpstarting the process.

Some time ago I had a fear, a niggling worry that -if Pokémon could evolve an evolution over time- then what is to say they can't lose an evolution in the same manner.

Hell, how can one be sure, I mean really really sure, that a Johtonian Ursaring can even evolve in the first place? What if there was a genetic component to the population that lived in ancient Sinnoh? What if the Ursaluna evolution itself is a regional variant. The Hoenn Linoone can't evolve into a pure-Normal brand of Obstagoon. At least not to anyone's knowledge.

The one hope that keeps the dream going, is that I think Ma Ma can feel it. Somewhere inside she can tell that the evolution is there. Dormantly lurking. Hibernating. Just waiting for the right conditions, the right catalyst, to rouse it from its long sleep.

With a snap of my fingers and a thrum of aura the two Pokémon jump into work, Ma Ma tearing into the rock wall with furious angry swipes, while K.Rool works as her assistant, focusing on keeping the entire endeavor stable.

The Grunt with the Sandshrew seems panicked at my approach. As though I'm going to bring everything down on our heads like this. 'Hmph. As if. Only amateurs cause cave-ins.'

From beneath my feet a sort of..pulse..travels along the walls of the bedrock as my Ground alignment gives me a snapshot of the earth around us. It's nothing as impressive as the advanced seismic sense of fictional characters like Toph Beifong, but it is a handy trick that I've spent months just getting to this level.

"I am of the earth..." I mutter as my eyes close, my focus on that acorn of a super power growing. "For the earth is all things..."

---

"My payment."

The Head Grunt looks as though he's sucking a lemon with how thin his lips are. He strikes me as the slimy type who would love to renege on any deal he can but even he can't deny results.

I promised him ten hours.

We got it done in eight and a half.

Granted, the passageway looks…well unfun is a way to put it. Not uniform or friendly to traverse if one needs to move large equipment about. That's why Vlad and K.Rool are currently going through it again, smoothing out the edges and making it more conducive for my employers. But as of right now it is functional. You can travel from the Game Corner to the Bike Shop in just a few minutes following this path.

"Tch," With a head jerk the Rocket member gestures for one of his lackeys to hand a box over to me and a satisfied smile takes over my lips as I crack it open.

Do you suppose it's an illusion that the inside seems to 'pulse' sometimes? A trick of the light? Staring directly at it, you can be sure it's a still object. No mysterious swirling energies to be seen. But then you move it out to your periphery and sure enough a flicker of something catches your attention, bringing your gaze directly back to it.

A Life Orb.

If normal Held Items are 'controversial' in the current climate then this one is damn near 'blacklisted'. It's not against regulations to use one. Nor to buy one from a private collector. What is illegal though, is to in any way be part of their manufacturing or to sell them retail to the public.

In-game, Life Orb's ability is as follows. When this item is held by a Pokémon, the damage from moves used by the holder is increased by 30%. However, the user loses 10% of their maximum HP every turn.

In this world...well I don't know if those numbers translate the same. I doubt it's such clean percentages. But the basic principle remains unchanged. Every attack the holder uses will be supercharged...at the low low cost of a physical backlash that can be dangerous if not treated with respect.

It is for that very reason that they are so heavily restricted in the first place. In the first major tournament after they had hit the market, an incident occurred in the quarter-finals. A Life Orb equipped Gyarados fought and fought and fought...until it dropped dead right there in the arena. Its Held Item having stolen its very heartbeat from it.

Less than 200 Life Orbs had been produced in Indigo before they were hurriedly pulled from the shelves. Only about three dozen had managed to be picked up by registered trainers before the recall. A few more were earmarked for use by the Rangers Association, and of course more than one or two managed to 'fall off a truck' and later reappear as part of high society auctions.

As for all the rest? Who knows? A PR statement from the League right after the incident states they were "being remanded back to the laboratory for 'further study'" or some such. And while I think there's a chance that was initially true, I've no doubt that a few more have managed to 'slip out the back' over the years.

In the end it doesn't really matter where Petrel got one. All that matters is a deal's a deal. It's mine now.

When I first played the Generation IV games, I didn't really care for this item. I was a little kid and having my Pokémon start dying to their own moves was more than a bit of a turn off. It was lame. Why should I equip this thing when I could just be healing with Leftovers instead?

A sigh passes in my throat. 'I almost miss being so naive. That innocent mindset of a 'casual' player. You just can't ever get it back once it's lost.'

What eventually brought me around to a love affair with this item is a certain Pokémon Ability. It's a rather uncommon one. Hidden you might even say. The only Pokémon in Kanto/Johto who even have a chance of possessing the skill are Tauros, Steelix, Krabby/Kingler, the Feraligator-line, and of course...Nidoking and Nidoqueen.

From within his Moon Ball, I can feel Grundy grumble in satisfaction.

That Abilities name is Sheer Force.

Much like Life Orb's effect in-game, Sheer Force also provides a 30% boost in power. Its negative trade-off is that it removes all secondary effects of the user's attacks. Fire moves can no longer Burn. Electric moves can no longer Paralyze. Chance to lower the opponent's stats? Sorry, it's zero percent now. And most importantly, Life Orb's downside of self-harming the wielder is completely, and utterly, neutralized.

And for those of you wondering? Yes. Those multipliers stack. A Sheer Force, Life Orb equipped Pokémon enters a battle with a 1.69x to his offense for doing nothing but stepping onto the field.

My ace's Moon Ball begins to vibrate even more intensely.

"Soon buddy." I soothe. "We'll find you a good fight. Just be patient."

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 3

Route 35, North of Goldenrod City

"Come on Marill! Get up and let's hit him with Bubblebeam!"

Marill: Lv. 18
Nature: Hasty
Potential: C-

The blue mouse Pokémon forces itself to rise, fighting past the scuff and dirt mark injuries on its belly that really indicate it should be staying down. "Mar! Marill!" He puffs himself up, "Mar!" The stream of cerulean bubbles that jet forth from the creature are impressive for a 'mon of its stature, but unlike the pressurized blasts you see from truly high-level Water moves, these just don't have the speed behind them to matter.

I sigh. "Dig, K.Rool." The desert croc is gone in a flash, only his tail and hind legs being seen for a second through the dust cloud. "And setup twice once you're down there!" I yell after the hole in the ground. "..this trainer has no tools to counter it." I mutter a bit morosely.

'Maybe if he hadn't wasted his Diglett earlier, but the kid didn't swap it out even when it was clearly fighting above its weight class.'

You know... in the games, there's enjoyment to be had in steamrolling over junior trainers. They're Exp bags. Yeah, sure, it can sometimes be annoying if you get caught in a Picknicker's or Bug Catcher's line of sight and they just "Have to battle you now!" when really you're just trying to get to the next route over, but there was still satisfaction in crushing a foe so completely.

I can feel K.Rool's anticipation as the Hone Claws sharpens his stats. His Dark nature instinctively pleased at the notion of subjugating yet another opponent.

'Now though, it's just boring. Where's the fun to be had in fights like this? Where's the challenge?'

The young man's eyes dart around the practice field, as though every patch of dirt could be a trap, before coming to a decision and throwing his hand out. "Defense Curl, Marill! We'll take the hit and then counter point blank with a Water Gun!"

"Power Trip."

The earth splits open behind the blue mouse as a snarling K.Rool emerges with an arm shining both white and violet. A protective sheen covers the Water-type as its Defense move activates but anyone with even loose knowledge of Pokémon math could tell you it won't be enough.

Power Trip. Move: Physical. Type: Dark. Base Power: 20. Effect: This move's base power increases for every boosted stat/stage the user possesses.

One Moxie boost for KO'ing the Diglett. Two Hone Claws, each upping both Attack and Accuracy.

Five increases to base power, combined with three stages up in Attack.

Even if one assumes half damage due to Marill's secret Fairy-typing, that's rather negated by the Pokémon being so deep in the 'yellow' already.

Plus, on top of it all, there's a 50% difference in their level versus ours.

In short?

The mouse never stood a chance.

"Marill!" It cries in distress, kicking up dirt and dust as it ragdolls across the field, tumbling over itself again and again, until it lands -firmly unconscious- at its trainer's feet.

"I…I lost?" The camper mutters in disbelief. His eyes wide and unseeing, as if unable to process that his starter was handled so thoroughly. "But..but we solo'd Falkner. I…I have a Gym Badge.."

"Gli! Gli! Gli! Gli!" Vlad snickers loudly from my shoulder. "Gli! Gli! Gli! Gli!"

K.Rool stands at centerfield, a smug grin firmly plastered on his face, taunting that he wants another challenger despite everyone present knowing this match was only a 2v2.

"Well that's that then I suppose." I announce, ordering Krokorok back to my side with a gesture. "What was the agreed amount? 240?" A fairly meager sum as far as Poké Dollars goes, it's not even enough to buy a Potion, but I suppose every bit matters.

"I..I haven't.." The young man begins to say, only for a third party to suddenly burst onto the scene.

"Ha Ha!" the newcomer -dressed as someone who works in a circus- heartily laughs with a swish of his cape. "I'll take on that debt! Double or nothing!" the performer takes a moment to juggle four Poké Balls about in his hands. "And on the subject of double," he launches two of the four balls out, letting a Voltorb and Magmar take to the field. "How about a proper doubles match while we're at it? Unless you don't think you have the coordination for it?"

Magmar: Lv. 24
Nature: Lax
Potential: B-

Voltorb: Lv. 19
Nature: Serious
Potential: D

I grunt a 'hmph' in my throat, trying to keep the smirk down. "Alright then. Back on the field K.Rool. It seems we're not done here yet."

---

North of Route 35 lies the Johto region's National Park. A lush, yet carefully groomed, municipal park that is...well, it's fine I suppose.

If flower beds and the sounds of chirping Sunkern in the morning are what relaxes you then I'm not gonna judge your journey, but it's just not quite my cup of tea.

The most exciting thing that goes on is three times a week, -Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday more specifically- the park is home to the Goldenrod City sponsored National Park Bug-Catching Contest.

Despite all the capitalized letters in its title though, it's really not as big a deal as it sounds.. Unofficially Saturdays have apparently become a 'kiddie league' where parents come out to let their six year olds catch Caterpies and Tuesdays get so little foot traffic that the prizes are never anything better than an Everstone or perhaps a three pack of Great Balls.

That leaves Thursday -which coincidentally happens to be today- as the one competition a week with real prize support behind it and enough competitors for the organizers to let Pokémon like Pinsir or Scyther out into the field.

Entry fee is admittedly pretty low at 500 Poké Dollars but…eh I'm just gonna pass. There's nothing really for me to gain from it.

What's the best scenario? I miraculously come in 1st against all these long-time regulars and get to walk away with this week's Grand Prize of a Sun Stone?

A Sun Stone of all things. How many Pokémon across all regions can that even be used on? Like five? Not to mention that the only two Indigo even has access to are Bellossom and Sunflora.

'If one had to make a list of fully evolved 'mon's who've never offered anything to the competitive scene, it'd be difficult to imagine something even lower than the Sunflower Pokémon.'

A slight digging in the earth attracts my notice and I smile at a Nincada that pokes its head out at me, vibrating its whisker-like antennas curiously at what it no doubt thought was the feeling of a fellow Ground-type.

"Sorry little guy," I kneel down to scratch under his chin with one finger. "No new Pokémon here. Just little old me."

Relations with Kalos may be shaky -which is putting things kindly-, and Sinnoh is hardcore xenophobic isolationist, but Hoenn is a long standing ally. Trade is regular. Inter-region passports are easy to get, and our respective Elite Four's regularly travel to the other for exhibition matches. It doesn't surprise me that some Gen III Bug's may have found their way here. I doubt any imported Volbeat or Illumise will ever make the leaderboard of this weekly contest but it doesn't change the fact that they are out here.

'That does remind me. We need to find time to detour to Hoenn at some point. Just a trip long enough to pick up a decent Baltoy. A teleporting Claydol would round out the team nicely. Numel also exists I suppose, but without access to its Mega, the idea of Camerupt just doesn't excite me. Swampert would be good…heh who am I kidding? It'd be amazing. But friendly relations or not, every region's pretty protective of their 'starter trios'. It'd never happen.'

"Hey you!"

I turn my head towards the shout and spot a young girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen in years of age, jogging her way up to me. "Yes?"

She finishes her sort of half-sprint and adopts a battle pose. "Are you the guy who beat that pompous idiot Irwin? The one that's always juggling and swishing around a big stupid blue cape?"

I stand, letting the Nincada bury away. "And if I am?"

A fire burns in her eyes. "I knew it! I was training for my rematch, but if you're the guy who thrashed him then that makes you my new goal post! What say you to a match, right here, right now? No items. No swaps. First to three knockouts is the winner!"

I smile. "Sure, I'm game."

"Yes!" she pumps her fist. "Let's show him what we got! Go Cubone!"

---

Route 36

I scowl at the back of my youngest team member.

I thought we were passed this.

He'd been doing well in our team exercises. His confidence was rising. Vlad wasn't a kind taskmaster by any measure, but I really thought that Gligar's tough love of putting him through the paces was succeeding in getting him to come out of his shell.

He'd leveled up more than a few times. He even had the courage to speak up and admonish K.Rool when he felt the Dark-type was being a little too aggressive in his dealing with opponents.

As I said, I thought we were past this.

"Shadow Punch." I ordered again.

The diminutive Ghost wavers in indecision. His hands wringing together nervously while his knob-like knees seem to almost shake beneath him. Meanwhile the wild Yanma across from us buzzes threateningly, warning violence should we come any closer.

"Simon!" I snap, shouting his name out as 'sea-moan', an homage to the man he's named after. "I said! Shadow Punch!"

The blue golem-like Pokémon glances back at me, his entire being radiating uncertainty, anxiety, though when he turns back to the Bug, his fist does flare with the purple smoke of Ghost energy.

Yanma snaps forward with a Quick Attack! "Gol! Gol!" Simon yelps in a panic, losing his grasp on the attack and kneeling into a ball with his head in his hands. The white streak slams into him center-mass…and then simply passes through as though it were empty space.

"Ya?" The Bug tilts its head, a bit confused as to what just happened. It doesn't let the feeling last though, choosing instead to reorient itself and simply switch targets. That is, focusing on me rather than the Ghost it missed.. "Yanma!"

I raise an unimpressed eyebrow at the dragonfly Pokémon zooming my way with harmful intent. It's certainly an aggressive little bugger. Pun somewhat intended. With an almost casualness to the action, Vlad drops down from my shoulder to intercept and KO's the Lv.12 Bug with a single bonk to its head.

"Ya.." Its eyes turn to swirls. "Yan..ma.." it exclaims weakly before drifting slightly to the left and passing out in the long grass.

I sigh. "Simon, come here."

The Golett doesn't move. He's standing in the center of the path with his head hanging low. He knows he's disappointed me, but more than that I think he's disappointed himself.

My voice softens. "Simon, it's okay buddy. Just come here." With slow trudging footsteps the Ghost/Ground type shuffles his way over to my legs, his face downcast the entire time. "Gol.." he whines, pressing up against my side once he gets there.

"It's alright buddy. You did fine." I whisper to the saddened Pokémon, rubbing my hand comfortingly along his head. "We'll keep working on it. You'll get 'em next time, okay?"

"Gol.." he nods along sadly.

Golett: Lv. 33
Nature: Timid
Potential: S

I've witnessed over a dozen tournaments. I've been in the crowd for expedition fights between real Elites. I've had at least two hundred trainer battles myself, and I must have seen thousands of Pokémon in the wild.

Out of every single one of them, Simon alone has had S rank potential. Until I encountered him, I legitimately thought 'A' was the top of the pyramid. 'S' was only something I playfully mused to myself about existing among the Legendaries. Even Lance's strongest Dragonite, whom I briefly put eyes on during a publicity stunt at last year's Silver Conference, doesn't crest beyond A+ territory.

'Level 33 already. He's outpacing K.Rool despite not even battling. I know I've theorized rank affects growth speed but that's more than a little outrageous.'

"Gli! Gli!" Vlad's call brings me out of my thoughts. I follow his gestured claw and see a veritable horde of Yanma buzzing from the treeline. Dozens if not hundreds of them.

They do not look pleased.

'Tch. And I thought Yanma were supposed to be rare around here… it must be a swarm. Damn it! Aren't they supposed to issue public warnings when stuff like this happens!'

"Vlad, go nuts! Sow chaos in their ranks until they back off!" I bark, something which my little hellbat throws himself into with devious glee. "Everyone else, we're on defense!" Three Pokéballs snap open from my belt. "Take down anything that gets close. Maximum prejudice!"

---

Route 37, Just South of Ecruteak City

Okay, surely there's a joke in here somewhere. There has to be.

This is essentially the only place in Johto where one can regularly find herds of Stantler. Sure, occasionally you'll see a lone male who has wandered away, striking out on its own in some other part of the region, but for the most part this is the place.

The only person currently here besides myself, is a lone psychic by the name of 'Nathan' who's doing some one on one training with his only Pokémon, a Girafarig.

Girafarig is a Normal/Psychic type, and until I think Gen VI with the introduction of Oranguru, it was the Normal/Psychic type. The only one in the Pokédex.

What is unknown to Nathan -who I want to say as an aside keeps trying to smugly impress me with his ability to levitate pebbles- is that not only do both Girafarig and Stantler have secret evolutions that the people of Johto are ignorant of, but Stantler even evolves into a Normal/Psychic type!

I'm watching this unevolved giraffe take down Stantler after Stantler, its trainer boasting about his "amazing" psychic talent all the while, and I just. Can't. Think. Of. A. Joke.

A sharp rustling at the forest's edge whirls me around, 'And that damn Sudowoodo is still stalking me!'. It's not even doing a good job of it! It's playing by red light/green light rules and just freezes in place whenever I put eyes on it.

"What! What do you want!" I shout at the Rock-type for what has to be the fourth time. "A battle? Do you want to be captured? Are you looking for a Berry handout, what!"

The 'mon stays perfectly silent. A devoted actor to its craft. Posing among the brush as if saying 'Silly human. There is no Pokémon here. I am a tree. Trees cannot answer you. Trees cannot even speak. And that is what I am. A tree. Perhaps were I not a tree, we might converse, maybe even share a dialogue. But alas, tis not to be. For I am now, and unfortunately always have been, just a tree.'

A hand runs over my face in exasperation. "...I swear to that damn llama god if you come into my tent while I'm sleeping then I'm gonna have Grundy chuck you across the nearest mountain."

The tree does not respond.

For it is a tree.

And trees cannot speak.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 4

Ecruteak City Gym

There are surprisingly few rules that Gyms have to abide by when it comes to accepting challengers and the issuing of Badges. Essentially, as long as one can submit a plan to the Pokémon League about what you wanna do, how you're going to do it, and you can convince the big wigs to sign off on it, then you're basically allowed carte blanche on running your own house.

Of course, that last requirement can sometimes be a little hard to get. If you submit plans that are a bit too out there as far as the norm goes, then you won't get that magical red stamp of approval and the League starts digging into your business in a way that no one really wants to deal with.

Gym Leader Morty is a bit more hands-off than most. He's somehow convinced the League to buy off that he doesn't actually have to be present for the first and second level Badge challenges, instead delegating that responsibility to one of his Gym Trainers, an old woman in her seventies named Edith. 'Whom might I say is very entertaining to watch.'

"Oooooo spirits be with me," the grandma chants, waving two candles about in an intricate display while her white cloak flutters from an invisible wind. "Ooooo spirits, Gastly I summon thee!"

A Lv. 13 Ghost floats up through the floor, smiling mischievously from center stage. "Gaaaas! Gaaaas!" The 'mon laughs outwardly, its ethereal voice stretching across the room.

The junior trainer at the other end of the arena audibly gulps. "Y-you're not gonna scare me!" the ten year old spouts with a false bluster. "W-we got this Natu! Start off with a Leer! Just like we practiced!"

"Ooooo a curse, a curse, a Curse upon thee!" Edith intones with a spindly finger outstretched, really diving into this channeler 'character' of hers. It's easy to see that the woman just loves this part of her job.

Gastly seems to get almost struck by the command, withering into something lesser. No doubt that'd be the cutting of his own HP. Meanwhile though, something about the Natu's shadow just changed. It's difficult to put into words. It's darker somehow. More foreboding. Ominous.

At my side, Simon watches the fight with rapt attention, even if he does seem to be fretting with worry over the challenger Natu's well-being. Other than the fellow members of his own species back in Unova, today will be the first time he'll be witnessing other Ghost-types in action. There are some abilities, such as the Curse we just saw, that I doubt he'll ever be able to use 'His temperament is just too kind for it. He doesn't have a malicious bone in his body.' , but I'm holding out hope he'll at least pick up something or other about his innate type-energy.

After a few minutes a Night Shade from the small bird manages to put the Gastly down, but when Edith pulls out her next 'mon -coincidentally a second Lv. 13 Gastly- it's the Psychic type who can no longer hold on. The Curse having finally taxed it too much.

A Lv. 11 Spearow is thrown out by the junior birdkeeper to close but… it just can't get there. Smog scores an early Poison against the Normal-type and from there the Ghost just plays keep away until the fight simply ends.

"Ooooo do not cry young one," Edith plays up her character as she comforts the child, moaning and intoning as she seemingly 'attunes' with the spirit realm. "I sense much potential in you! Yes..yeeesss. You will train. Traaaaain and overcome! Ooooooo!"

The boy stifles his tears. "Do you.." he wipes his eyes with his sleeve. "Do you really think I can? That I can get a Gym Badge?"

A tap on my shoulder has me turn my head to one of the staff, a bald man dressed as a purple-clad monk clutching a set of prayer beads. "Your match is up next sir. As a reminder, at the fourth badge level you will be facing three Gym trainers back to back, each of whom will be limited to one Pokémon. Only if you surpass all three challenges will you reserve a slot to face Leader Morty."

I pop my back as I stand up. "Yeah yeah, I read the rules." Simon instinctively reaches for my hand as it hangs by my side -much like a child would his parent- and I let him grasp it. "I don't suppose Morty's in house right now is he?"

The monk nods minutely. "He is not sir. He's continuing some personal research at the Burned Tower. However, our rules do allow for you to attempt this part of the challenge without him present."

"Very well. Let's get this show on the road."

---

Hahaha!

Oh my god. That's hilarious!

I approve! Yes! That's how you can weed out some scrubs!

The first Gym Trainer came at me with a Misdreavus. It was a perfectly fine 'mon for a fourth level challenge and we felled it without too much difficulty. It did attempt a little trap with Destiny Bond right at the end there but a trap's not a trap if you can see it coming.

The second Gym Trainer however, strolled straight up to the podium, didn't even offer a greeting, and with all the confidence in the world…tossed out a Shedinja.

A Shedinja wearing Safety Goggles.

'And now he's just standing there. Arms crossed and offering me the first move.'

For those not in the know, let me provide the briefest explanation. Shedinja is a Bug/Ghost Pokémon who just so happens to have the lowest HP stat in existence. To compensate for this, it was gifted the most overpowered, hax, busted, 'devs pls nerf this', ability to ever grace a 'mon on the face of the planet.

Wonder Guard.

An ability that states that all moves used on this Pokémon that aren't Super-Effective shall have no effect.

If you face a Shedinja and your roster just doesn't have a way to counter it…then you lose. It'll probably boost its stats with a few setup moves like Swords Dance and then proceed to sweep you. You'll be powerless to do anything about it.

As for the Safety Goggles, well that's just this man being a little cheeky. It's a Held Item that gives the wearer immunity to weather effects. I employed Sandstorm in the first fight and this trainer wants to see if I can get past him without using that little loophole in Shedinja's vulnerability.

'I appreciate that Morty's put an obstacle like this in his Gym's lineup. It's important that less experienced trainers learn that they have to be knowledgeable about all Pokémon, not just the ones on their own teams.'

Unfortunately for Mr. Gym Trainer over there, he has chosen the absolute worst opponent to try this tactic on.

You see, most Pokémon... don't actually have a lot of type coverage in their arsenals. Water Pokémon mostly learn Water moves. They might have an Ice move mixed in. Or maybe a Dark or a Fighting one. And of course just about everything has access to some of the more basic Normal attacks.

But for the most part? For the most part they just learn attacks belonging to their intrinsic types. You can reasonably expect a Grass/Poison type that you're facing off against to stick to Grass and Poison moves.

In this aspect, the Gligar/Gliscor family are freaks. Preternatural experts of type-energy manipulation. So long as it comes with the caveat of the move being used to bite or smash an opponent's face in, there's almost nothing they can't do.

You want Fighting? There's both Brick Break and Sky Uppercut in their pool. Poison more your speed? Would you prefer it in Sting, Tail, Jab, or Cross Poison variety? Steel? How does Metal Claw sound? You might even raise your Attack stat while you're at it.

Night Slash. X-Scissor. Crabhammer. All the elemental Fang attacks including the Psychic one. The list just goes on. The Gligar family has access to heavy damage dealing moves of every single Type on the chart with the three notable exceptions of Grass, Ghost, and Fairy. And frankly, I'm in the camp that believes that those are only still outstanding because no one's tried to teach any to a Gligar yet.

Speaking of which, if you can keep a secret, just between you and me?

We've been working on Power Whip.

Don't tell Prof. Oak.

"Up to you Vlad." I say with a grin. "Though I'd say pen it in with Rock Tomb and then an Acrobatics or Fire Fang if it tries to escape."

"Gligar!"

---

Ecruteak Dance Theater, Nighttime

I bring the small saucer to my lips and sip at the…well it's not sake, but it's definitely some type of rice-based alcohol. Either way, the warmth it puts in my throat is a welcome way to end the evening.

The third match had been a rather straightforward one. Haunter Vs Krokorok. The ability Levitate protected from a lot of our long distance options, though honestly on this particular matchup, up close and personal was the preferred method anyway. 'The physical Defense of the Gengar-line is one of the worst in the region. Their immunity to Normal and Fighting often leads to overconfidence.'

Even so though, there had been a chance right at the end there for it all to go sour.. Paralysis was inflicted by a Lick -which also happened to be a crit- and for a second I thought I was about to be the victim of good ol' classic RNG. Luckily though, K.Rool managed to push through and land a doubled base power Payback right after that managed to close things out.

I swirl my drink around in the dish. 'Sometimes, this stuff really does just come down to luck.'

Up on the stage the iconic 'Five Kimono Girls' are going through one of their routines. I haven't been paying too much attention to the plot but I believe the play's a tragedy. A classic 'doomed lovers never to be' type thing. There's some practical stage effects that I'd conservatively label as 'impressive' but the real work is coming from the girls' 'Eeveelutions' off screen.

Jolteon's Pin Missile combined with Flareon's Ember to indicate a manor being attacked by flaming arrows.

Umbreon's Moonlight and Vaporeon's Aurora Beam to create a winter night for the protagonist to weep at her window from.

Espeon doing the heavy work by psychically shifting one item here or another over there.

I smile into my drink. 'And those Hoenn Contest kiddies think they're all hot shit. I'd like to see them try and pull that 'grace and beauty' nonsense against competition like this.'

"Mind if I join you?"

I tilt my head back to see the local big boss himself gesturing at the cushion next to me. Morty is a blond man dressed in black and purples with an admittedly pretty sick scarf draped down over one side of his chest. His eyes are half-lidded, and while that's usually meant to represent desire or perhaps exhaustion, on the Ghost specialist it is more a sign that the man is supremely relaxed.

Just totally at zen with the world around him.

"Please, go ahead." I offer, pouring him a small drink myself from one of the spare dishes. "Come to scope out your next challenger?"

The man hums mildly. "Not really the words I'd use. Just wanted to pop my head in." The Gym Leader takes a seat and leans back on his hands. From within his shirt an unusually small Shuppet pokes its head out, "Shu? Shup shu?" The newborn Ghost peers my way, staring at me with wide innocent eyes…and then proceeds to blow a raspberry right at my face.

"Gah!" My arm goes up to shield and the Gym Leaders laughs in a manner too carefree. "Be nice," he gently chides to the 'mon, scratching the top of it's head with one finger and pushing it back down. "Miki seems to like you."

"Is that so?" I snark, wiping a few bits of spittle away from my cheek. "Could've fooled me."

The Gym Leader laughs again. "No, not Shuppet." His head gestures to the stage. "Up there. The one in the red."

Turning my head I look more closely at the Kimono Girl in question, the owner of Flareon if I'm not mistaken. It's pretty subtle…but yes. I suppose she does keep glancing this way. Inspecting the audience right where I'm sitting.

'Nice.' "Think I should do anything about it?"

"Up to you." Morty shrugs. "She burns pretty hot so don't expect anything to last. Goes through men like she's changing clothes. Some fellas like that level of passion though. Something about how a flame's only beautiful because it's fleeting."

'Hm.' I mull over the idea. "Nah. I prefer my women a bit more cold. It's so much more satisfying when you finally thaw them out, make your way past that stern veneer and see a side that's only reserved for you, wouldn't you say?"

For a while there's a bit of companionable silence. Just two dudes sitting comfortably in a dim room, watching pretty girls dance on stage while accompanying music plays in the background.

It was definitely a lot classier now than the times where that had happened back in my first world.

"I'm a little worried about our match tomorrow." I eventually admit after some time.

Morty doesn't outwardly react. "Don't think your team can cut it? My people said you did rather well today."

I shake my head. "It's not that. I'm more afraid -and I'm really sorry as this is about to sound pompous and arrogant as hell- I'm more afraid for the Gym's Pokémon." When Morty's eyebrows screw up I rush to continue, "My greatest weakness as a trainer right now is that my team is atrociously unbalanced. K.Rool, my Krokorok, is really the only one of my five right now who you'd label at about a 'fourth level' contender. And while he's great, -really he is- I'm pretty doubtful he could take on the entire team you'll be fielding."

My hand comes down to rest over Gligar's Pokéball, a home he only ever resides in while he's sleeping. "If K.Rool falls then I've got to go to Vlad. He's the only one I could say has my 100% trust for something like this. He's got all the control he'll ever need and in regards to power he's a 'mon I'd be comfortable taking to the Silver Conference right now. If I had to make a prediction for our match tomorrow, I'd say K.Rool takes it as far as he can and then Vlad brings it home."

Fingers move from Pokéball to Great Ball. "The problem begins if for some reason Vlad falters. Ma Ma, my Ursaring… she listens to me most of the time. She always listens when she's calm. But there have been moments. Times where her blood gets up or Guts activates when we weren't expecting it and.. And if that happens I'll be forced to withdraw her. If not it would only take one critical hit Night Slash to… to do something a trip to the Poké Center can't undo. Then finally there's my ace, Grundy. And no. Just no. He can't come out when you'll only be fielding fourth badge Pokémon. I can't allow that to happen. Ma Ma's got a temper issue, but Grundy, he likes violence. He loves it."

"Grundy?" He questions the name.

I grunt under my breath. "A little joke to myself. First saw him on a Monday. Caught him on a Tuesday. It..it would take too long to explain, don't worry about it."

The Gym Leader hums thoughtfully, digesting the information. "Has he always been that way? Outside of Dragon-types or certain species like Gyarados, that type of aggression is pretty uncommon."

"When I first encountered him a year ago he was goring a rival Nidorino. Used his heavier weight to get the belly exposed, pinned him down and then…" I trail off as the mental image paints itself.

Morty frowns, finally taking a sip of his own drink that I poured earlier. "Was it mating season? When Nidorino's enter their yearly rut, their hormone levels can sometimes-"

"He was only a Nidoran at the time." I cut him off, letting the implications of that statement hang in the air.
'I sometimes wonder if I bit off more than I could chew with him. It was just so shocking to see a real 'Alpha Pokémon'. They're more rare than shinies here. I had to catch it.'

"That's only four." Morty eventually notes. "Earlier you mentioned five. And on your belt I count six. Does that Net Ball not have anything in it?"

"No, that's.." I grimace, swallowing uncomfortably. "That's a Quagsire. I don't…I don't really want to talk about him right now. Suffice to say he can't be used for battling."

Morty raises an eyebrow. "Just 'a Quagsire'? No nickname like the others?"

"Just Quagsire." I confirm. "If you have to know, I'm sure you can find the incident in the League's database somewhere." I sigh tiredly. "Your Gym Leader permissions should have access to it."

The man thankfully lets the subject drop. "So then that just leaves your Golett then. The one I heard watched with you in the audience today. Why does he not count?"

"You know his species?" I ask.

"I share an online correspondence with Shauntal, one of the Elite Four over in Unova." Morty admits. "There's not many of us Ghost specialists out there. It's nice to speak to someone that.." he searches for the right words. "..isn't Agatha."

I lower my head to hide my smirk. 'You go Morty. Go for the 'qt goth gf'. I believe in you.' "Well regardless of how you know, using Simon is a non-starter. He's even stronger than K.Rool, but he has no confidence. I couldn't even get him to battle a wild Yanma a few days ago. He just tucked his head in and hid. I'm..honestly at a bit of a loss at what to do with him. He does fine when we team train. It's just when he's against someone unfamiliar that he…" I end the sentence short, going back to sipping at my drink.

Morty turns his head up toward the ceiling, seemingly looking at something no one else can see, and then chuckles just once. "You know, most trainers we see going through the Gym circuit have 'maybe one, sometimes two' issues that they need to work on with their teams. More so, that friction is usually caused by certain types not getting along. Fire and Water as a basic example. It's an odd thing to see a type specialist with a full roster of problems."

"Well gee," I snort, "Thanks for the words of confidence." I side-eye a mild glare at the man. "And it's not the full roster. I have no issues with Vlad and K.Rool." A single errant drop of alcohol hits the table as I empty the last of the tokkuri bottle into my dish. "..overly arrogant little shithead that the latter may be sometimes." I add under my breath.

Morty smiles at that, and chooses to climb back to his feet. "Don't worry about any of my team members tomorrow." his hand clasps my shoulder. "I use the same general group for both the fourth and fifth challenge level so they're likely a little tougher than you're imagining. We can handle an opponent getting a little rowdy if need be." His fingers tighten just slightly. "And use that Golett against my last Pokémon tomorrow." he almost orders. "I bet I can get the little guy what he needs."

 

[LordVishnu]

A/N: Meant to go back to my One Piece story after getting the first four chapters of this out, but for some reason this story is the only thing my fingers want to type right now.

---

Chapter 5

Ecruteak City Gym

"This will be a fourth Badge level challenge! Each Trainer will be limited to two switch outs and no Held Items are allowed. The challenger is permitted his full roster while Leader Morty will be restricted to four Pokémon!" The ref is going through his usual song and dance spiel but there's hardly a need for it. This match isn't happening in the main stadium room so we don't actually have any spectators. If I had to make a guess at the reason for the last second change-up, it's likely to do with whatever Morty's planning for Simon. 'Which I appreciate - really I do - but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me nervous.'

"Report if there are any questions!" The ref darts his eyes between us, pausing to see if either party speaks up. "Begin!"

"Haunter./ K.Rool!"

The two Pokémon hit the field at roughly the same time and I'm a bit surprised to see a near identical matchup to the one we ended with yesterday. This new Haunter I suppose is a little stronger at Lv. 28, vice the other day's 27, but that's basically a difference of semantics. Especially since that last fight was what pushed K.Rool over the line from 29 to 30. It's a two level difference in our favor either way.

Morty throws his hand out. "Icy Wind!"

'But that's certainly new!' "Get underground! Dig into Hone Claws!"

A deathly chill sweeps over the battlefield as the Haunter seems to tap into the cold energies of the very underworld itself. Blue streaks of energy converge on K.Rool and it is by the narrowest margins that they avoid clipping his tail as he burrows to avoid. 'A Speed drop this early would be devastating. We can't get hit by that!'

"Rain Dance."

Morty's call gets me to do a double take, even as the Ghost rapidly throws her hands up and begins to manipulate the very weather inside the room. A tiny sprinkle rapidly develops into a horrific deluge that -when combined with the lingering Icy Wind- starts coating the floor with a thin sheet of frost. 'What the- What the fuck kind of Haunter set is this?'

A thrum along our bond tells me K.Rool's done boosting and is moving towards the surface to pop out. 'The ice will slow his entrance too much!' "Snarl!" I order instead of my planned Crunch. It won't benefit from the Hone Claws Attack boost, but at least the bump in Accuracy will ensure it lands! Some damage is better than a complete whiff!

Krokorok's snout emerges from the earth and immediately as expected he hits resistance as he has to break through an ice layer. True to form though, he doesn't let it stop him from opening wide and spitting a glob of glowing Dark energy right at his opponent.

"Haze." Haunter makes no move to dodge as it fulfills the command, choosing to accept the Super-effective blow as the price it'll cost. The Ghost-type is struck back somewhat, though swoops into an aerial recovery a moment later without being too much worse for wear. 'Probably due to the Krookadile family's Special stats being rather meh. Not to mention Haunter's Special Defense is better than its Physical one.' Meanwhile, one more move that is rather atypical of a Ghost's wheelhouse comes into play as a dark fog spreads throughout the lower parts of the battlefield.

A fog that resets all stat changes to zero.

The Hone Claws boost is gone. The Special Attack drop that is free with every use of Snarl vanishes as well. And since the icy terrain is causing the Haze to linger…there's no point to setting up again.

'Shit. Even if we score a KO, this will still deny us our Moxie activation. It'll be gone as soon as we get it.' My brain runs at lightspeed, sorting through options for our next move. I need to end this quickly before Morty has this Haunter pull out any more shenanigans from its bag of tricks. Scary Face to drop its speed and then get in close? Wait, crap! The Haze negates that. Sandstorm? 'No. Would barely do anything with the ice coating the ground. What does Krokorok know that can-' "Swagger!" I nearly shout as the idea hits.

Haunter stumbles in the air as the confusion status overtakes it. Its Attack rises by two stages…and then subsequently falls back to normal as its own terrain setup takes away Swagger's downside. "Haunter! Focus up!" Morty barks. "Trap it in an Encore!"

"Now K.Rool! Get the Crunch!"

Confusion works a little differently here than it does in the games. It's a lot more straightforward of a thing. There's no 'dice roll' to see if a confused Pokémon will hurt itself -even if such things have happened in the past-, rather the status effect is just..disorientation. A temporary state where a Pokémon is..well..disoriented. There's really no better way to put it.

As such, Haunter here is just a bit too slow in responding to the Gym Leader's newest order. It takes a second to shake it's head clear and by then K.Rool's already cleared most of the jump with his teeth shining violet!

"Astonish!" Morty pivots at the last second.

A minor blow smacks K.Rool in the shoulder but it's nothing close enough to stopping the jaws closing around the Ghost's left side. The desert Pokémon drags his foe down to ground level and -still without a loosening of his grip– begins to thrash.

There will be no recovering off that one.

The first flag goes up. "Haunter is unable to battle! The first point goes to challenger Brad!"

A satisfied Morty beams his 'mon back into its Pokéball with a smile. "That was well thought with the Swagger. Many trainers don't bother with Normal moves against Ghost-types. They write them off wholesale."

I grin back, showing some teeth. "Type immunities mostly just apply to damaging moves. Status affect ones can still connect." I explain. "It's why Confuse Ray can still hit Normal types." My expression turns pondering. "Still though, that's quite the unusual Haunter you have there. It made me a bit nervous about what she was working towards."

Morty chuckles once. A self-deprecating little laugh. "She's what happens when you forget to Ghost-proof your TM Case. I admit, it's led to some unusual combinations. Though I can't help but think in hindsight we should've kept it more simple and just gone for Will-O-Wisp."

In a normal Gym match you typically wouldn't see this level of back and forth between rounds. Common practice dictates you save all the comments and feedback until after the post-fight handshake. It just 'makes for a better show' if you do it that way. No great pauses in the action.

'Mark it as another point in Morty's favor for him changing locations.' Private matches are a lot more enjoyable than having a crowd roaring and cheering in your ear the whole time.

The Gym Leader lightly tosses his second Pokéball up and down in his hand. "By the way, I confess I wasn't entirely forthcoming yesterday when we spoke of Unova." His face gains a little smirk. "Truth is, I've actually traveled there myself. It was only for a week's vacation a few months back but I still managed to come away with a souvenir."

With a casual lob his next Pokémon is deposited onto the field with a small burst of light and immediately my eyes narrow. It's male, that's obvious from its coloring, and its regal accoutrements do give it the look of a little princeling, but it's the eyes that have my focus. The empty eyes and soulless frown that tell me this isn't a 'mischievous' type of Ghost like the ones you can find in Johto. This is a drag you down into the cold dark depths type of spirit.

Frillish: Lv. 29
Nature: Quiet
Potential: C

"Lock it down with Sand Tomb!"

"Double Team, Frillish!"

A swirling vortex tries to build beneath the floating jellyfish, but due to the state of the floor that Haunter left behind, it's a bit too anemic to get the job done. Afterimages of the hadal Pokémon spread in a ring around the room that leaves K.Rool turning his head left and right looking for the real one.

By now the black Haze has at least started to die away and Morty's the first to capitalize on it. "Frillish, Acid Armor while he's still searching for you!"

While the Ghost and its duplicates all begin to shine with a silvery coat, I begin working on a different plan. 'Quite a lot of Ghosts have the ability Levitate.' Krokorok's brow raises as he feels me start funneling energy into our bond. 'Frillish isn't one of them.'

"K.Rool! Do the thing!"

With an almost devious glee to the gesture, Korokorok brings one foot up….and then slams it down.

Great chunks of stone are upended as the Earthquake tears the ground apart. The majority of the faux-Frillish fade away as their illusions collapse and the real one hiding among is flung skyward with a silent cry.

Morty leans forward at his railing, not having expected the move to have quite that much power behind it. "Recover!"

For a moment I doubt the Water/Ghost is even conscious enough to hear him..but I suppose that Acid Armor raised its Defenses juuuust enough to not get insta KO'd. A restorative glow takes over the Pokémon still falling to the earth and when it lands it's back to looking healthy.

Exhausted. But healthy.

A purple energy seems to snake along the ground to Krokorok's feet and I can feel my boy's confusion as it 'infects him', coming up through the earth and into his soles. 'Tch. Cursed Body. No more 'quakes until the Disable lifts. I suppose that's the risks we take though.' Still, it's not all bad. Now all of the ice has gone and the terrain is effectively back to what we started the match with.

"Let's set up the Sandstorm K.Rool! Now it's our turn to control the field!"

"Water Pulse!"

'Heh. Now this seems familiar.' I chuckle to myself, thinking how a nearly identical scenario appeared against Whitney. The major differences this time being -besides the Pokémon themselves- the upturned earth allows the weather move to take effect much more quickly, and the Water Pulse while much stronger due to STAB and stat factors, just isn't launched fast enough for me to be concerned.

"Protect, K.Rool!"

I can't actually see the croc clearly through all the sand, but I can feel him. And I can feel his smugness as the rings of dirtied sand-filled Water splash harmlessly against his protective dome.

"I withdraw Frillish." The Gym Leader suddenly intones, sucking the little blue 'mon back in with a red beam. "I see no reason to keep him out. That Earthquake swung the balance in your favor too much for us to continue."

I smirk. "And by withdrawing him you deny us our Moxie boost again don't you?"

Morty smiles back. "Well, I'm not supposed to make things too easy on you am I?" He launches his next Pokéball, putting a wild spin on it this time as opposed to the casual toss in of his other two. "Time to get serious. This will be your real test. Up and at 'em Gengar!"

One of the most iconic of Gen I Pokémon lands with a massive grin and for a moment I'm put off by just how big its mouth is. I mean…you see the pictures but it's another thing entirely to really be presented with something that's not only shorter than you but can also swallow you whole. "Gen! Gen!" The 'mon squints its eyes a little from all the blowing sand but eagerly hops back forth between its feet. "Gen! Gen!"

Gengar: Lv. 34
Nature: Rash
Potential: A

"Shadow Ball!" The Gengar hops up and a truly massive sphere of energy begins to coalesce before it.

'Don't gamble on the double Protect! Not sure if there's enough time for Dig!' "Shoot it down with Dark Pulse!"

Two spheres of energy, one purple, one black, both with reddish highlights, slam into each other in the middle and I brace myself for a mid-field explosion. Dark counters Ghost incredibly effectively but Gengar's Special Attack positively dwarfs Krokorok's.

Most of the Sandstorm is blown apart as artificial winds whip across the battlefield from the two attacks detonating against each other. My arm comes up to shield, but my eyes remain peeled, keeping focused through all the noise and clamor to try and track the.. 'It's already behind him!'

"K.Rool, Scary Face behind you now!"

"Sludge Bomb."

It's a trade-off of a much different kind this time, and I'm not so sure it was worth it. Gengar's monstrous Speed is now effectively cut in half -which is good, we needed that taken care of- but K.Rool's now ragdolling over the floor. The high-powered Poison move having so much momentum behind it that I can already tell is going to be a nasty bruise come morning.

'If that had managed to Poison him too then I'd be recalling him to his ball right now. God. And that was with his Ground type resist kicking in. No wonder Gengar's have stayed competitive for so long. They're absolute monsters.'

"Shadow Ball again Gengar! He's almost down!"

"Dig to avoid!" 'With the Speed drop we should be able to make it!'

My prediction proves true but I find myself biting my thumb as I think. K.Rool got away that time but it's obvious he's running out of gas. He's getting sluggish. If the ground hadn't already been busted up by the Earthquake I don't think it would have been possible.

I consider Vlad or perhaps Ma Ma to finish this out…and feel Krokorok's violent objection in my mind. He wants to go till he drops. His pride demands nothing less. "Assurance." I command. It won't get its power doubled from its effect but it's at least a move that's easier to land than Bite or Crunch.

"Sucker Punch it the moment it emerges Gengar."

"Gen! Gen!" it accedes, its fist glowing Dark as it watches the ground around it eagerly. There's a slight crumble in the rocks directly to the right of it and both Pokémon spring their attacks out. Gengar's hits first, his small hand smashing directly into Krokorok's cheek, sending the Ground-type skidding away while only getting a tiny nick from the Assurance for its trouble.

'Damn it K.Rool. Don't be prideful like this. You've already won two.' A feeling of 'No!' resounds along my psyche as the croc stubbornly gets back to his feet once more. He's limping, with one hand on his knee and breathing heavily, but he's still technically in this.

A purple energy snakes along the ground a second time to Disable the Assurance move K.Rool barely landed and this time I'm the one who's confused between the two of us. 'Cursed Body again? But that's not right, Gengar has..' The realization slams into me like a sledgehammer.

'Gengar only has Levitate in the early Generations! It was changed in the latter ones! And if it's triggering again then that means the first one has-' This time I don't just add my two cents of energy into the connection. I flood it with as much aura that I can push forth. "Earthquake!"

"KrokoROK!!" K.Rool shouts as he becomes the epicenter of a disaster area. The foundations themselves shake as Ground energy explodes outward in a seismic ring of power around the Pokémon. Both Morty and myself grip our respective railings as we struggle to stay upright and Gengar is..

Gengar is..

Gengar is out cold.

From basically full health to nothing in a single blow.

"Krok!" K.Rool disses to his opponent as he himself struggles to stay conscious. "Krok! Krok! Korkorok!" he asserts which is basically desert reptilian for 'Yeah! Get some! You think you hot shit?! You ain't hot shit! How you like that one!'

"Krokorok!" he calls one final time before closing his eyes and collapsing into the dirt right then and there.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 6

A lull has taken over the room. The ref is a little stunned -shellshocked more like- and Morty…Morty is staring at me. It's not a glare of accusation or anything like that but he suspects. Suspects that I did something. Something to let K.Rool perform well beyond the 'fourth level' Pokémon I openly described him as last night. I've no idea if he has any knowledge of aura, true, rumor, or otherwise. Heck, I doubt I could recognize another user if they were right in front of my face. Ground has many applications but sensing -outside of things actually buried in the earth- really can not be counted among them.

'Ugh' I start to feel a little wooziness in my gut. 'And there's the backlash.' My fingers tighten over the metal railing. I can't guarantee I won't fall on my ass should I let go. 'My spiritual muscle has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year..' Blrgh. Oh boy. There's the nausea. '..but damn there's nothing quite like the feeling of pushing it too hard.'

"G-Gengar and Krokorok are both unable to battle!" The ref finally gets his head straight. "The score is 3-1! Both trainers must now select their next Pokémon!"

"No." Morty calls, getting the referee to glance at him. "I've seen enough. He's demonstrated plenty for the Fog Badge already." The Gym leader inclines his head. "For the purposes of scorekeeping I've decided this match is already concluded. However," he raises his eyes to meet mine. "There's still something we need to take care of isn't there?"

I nod silently, fingers gliding over Simon's Pokéball on my belt.

"Thank you for refereeing Sam," Morty calls to his confused employee. "You can return to your desk. We won't require a ref for this next part."

The man seems puzzled...but also doesn't strike me as the type to question. With a simple incline of his head he bows out, leaving his central podium and exiting through a door on the room's far-side. "This is a 'mon I've been training up for my Elites." Morty gets my eyes back on him as he holds up a Dusk Ball. "She's not quite there yet, but she's definitely beyond the other Ghosts you've seen today. She's also a bit of a mother hen and probably the best choice I have for helping with your Golett's problem." His serious tone dips to something a little softer. "Don't worry," he speaks assuringly. "She won't hurt him for real."

I nod once more. "Let's go Simon!" My arm winds back. "It's all you on this one!"

"Amalia," Morty calls, lobbing the ball out. "Just like we discussed."

Simon emerges onto the half-destroyed field and it's immediately obvious his first thought is confusion as to what's going on. One of the most basic tricks of aura -so basic that many ordinary trainers do it subconsciously- is to project what's going on in the real world to your team members while they rest or reside in their Pokéballs. It's a fairly simple connection…which means it's fairly simple to blind it if an aura user who knows what they're doing wishes to do so.

Not that you would ever really want to do that most of the time but…needs must. I didn't want Golett getting a heads up about what's happening today.

On Morty's half of the field a Ghost made entirely of gray wrappings sways from side to side. Two large hands open and close in a slow rhythmic pattern and a single red eye glows ominously in the center of its head.

Dusclops: Lv. 49
Nature: Hardy
Potential: B-

"Gol! Gol!" Simon's used the context clues of his surroundings to figure out what's going and the panic is already setting in. He swivels in my direction, sees how far away I am up on a ledge, and then begins wildly looking around for other places to hide.

"Shadow Sneak." With a base Speed of 25, Dusclops is one of the slowest Pokémon out there except for babies fresh out of their eggs. That number means basically nothing though when dealing with the subject of Priority Moves. Dusclops sinks into a shadow on the floor and in all of a blink is already rising up at Golett's backside to tower over him.

"GOL!" Simon yelps and it is only then that Dusclops strikes. Having waited until she was seen first. It's a deliberately light hit, a Lv. 49 'mon could easily have struck way harder, but it's still enough to blow Simon ass over teakettle and have him go rolling in the dirt.

"Simon! Protect yourself! Iron Defense!" The Golett pushes himself up on shaky arms and hurriedly tries to obey the order. Boosting his shields with Defense Curl or Iron D are basically the only commands I can trust him to actually follow through with.

Morty doesn't seem impressed. "Spite."

Golett sags as his ability to further use defensive moves is drained away from him. Normally in the games, Spite is a relatively weak technique that only takes 2-5 PP of the last move used. Here, it's a little more powerful. Sucking away not just Iron Defense but also boosting moves similar to it. And thanks to the egregious level difference with this Dusclops, Spite takes it all.

"Simon!" I shout. "You can do this! Fight back with Shadow Punch!"

The Ground/Ghost type is now in full panic mode. Dipping into his ethereal side, he tries to become weightless and float away-

"Gravity"

-only to be forcibly brought low back onto the earth! He pushes himself back up, barely managing to overcome the oppressing energy, when a Future Sight slams home and knocks him across the field again.

My own personal worry starts to rise. 'I didn't even see when the Dusclops set that up.' "Simon! You can't run from this one! You have to fight!"

"Amalia, advance." The Dusclops makes slow lumbering footsteps towards its Unovan cousin, making grasping motions with those large hands as it gets closer. One of the two limbs begins to glow with the shadowy aura of Shadow Punch and I bite at my thumb nervously.

"Gol! Gol!" Simon continues to retreat, crawling backwards like a cornered animal until his back hits an upturned rock, courtesy of the jagged field.

"Dus…Dus…clops." The Ghost hovers over him, raising its fist high.

"Simon!"

"Gol!" The golem averts his eyes and throws his hands in front of him, building up a large swath of Ghost energy in a pattern I've never seen him use before. 'Wait a sec, that's Night Shade! When did he- he picked it up after just seeing one Natu use it yesterday?!'

Morty's made the realization too and he leans forward sharply. "Amalia! Dodge that!" There's urgency in his voice and to understand why you need only look at Dusclops' stat distribution. Absolutely monstrous Defenses with an itty bitty HP pool to make it balanced. Night Shade however ignores Defenses. It does true neutral damage equal to the caster's level. Never one point more, never one point less.

One could almost say that Night Shade was Super-effective against the Dusclops-line as a species.

"CLOPS!" Morty's Pokémon cries in alarm as it gets blasted back several feet, briefly sailing through the air before eventually skidding to a stop a good deal worse for wear.

"Gol..?" Simon mutters a little confused, a bit in disbelief that…that it worked. He climbs to his feet and stares at his open palms in..well I can't quite see the expression from this distance..but it might be in wonderment.

"Amalia." The Gym leader calls as his next move becomes obvious. "Imprison!" A Psychic thread connects the two combatants and with one clutching of the larger Ghost's hand a sort of lock slams into place., weighing down Golett for not the first time in the match.

Golett may now no longer use any moves that Dusclops herself knows. That list including, but not limited to: Astonish, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Confuse Ray, and of course..Night Shade.

"Amalia, advance again!" Morty orders. "Leech Life."

The grasping hands begin to approach once more, now glowing with the sickly parasitic glow of Bug-type energy. "Gol!" Simon thrusts his hands out, trying in vain to summon up Night Shade again. "Gol! Gol!" he cries as it refuses to work.

"Simon, you have other moves! Use Magnitude!"

His foot comes stomping down but it's a weak little thing. Magnitude 5 at best. The Dusclops with its Defense stats doesn't even stumble. "Hit it again Simon! You can do this!"

Golett scrunches his face up and stamps down harder. 'Magnitude 7!' This time Dusclops does stumble, just a little, and it lets the Leech Life drop from one hand so it can cast Disable instead.

Simon seems on the verge of tears as yet another ability is robbed from him. They're not tears of despair though! They're ones of frustration! "You still have options Simon! Your fists are as hard as iron remember!"

Dusclops is only a few seconds from him now.

"Even if you don't believe in yourself! You just have to believe in me! And I believe in you!"

With eyes screwed tightly shut, the little golem breaks into a dead sprint at his encroaching foe. "Goleeeeett!" His left fist glows with the crackling yellow of Thunderpunch while his right is enshrouded in the white-blue of Ice. "Golett! Gol!" His punches are wild, uncoordinated and sloppy. The Dusclops drops the Leech Life to block and does so as easily as a boxing coach wearing punch mitts. Just accepting and rebounding the blows with its oversized hands until the smaller Pokémon stops.

Only he doesn't stop.

He keeps punching.

Faster.

Small rings of air are erupting now from where fist meets palm and the Dusclops actually takes a step back.

Morty frowns. "Amalia? What are you doing?"

"Dus! Dusclops!" the Pokémon objects as it starts backpedaling for real. No longer putting on a show of blocking but truly legitimately defending itself from the onslaught.

"GOL-!" Simon's right pulls back wide for a haymaker and the Ice spreads up over his entire forearm! 'That's not Ice Punch!' My eyes go wide. 'That looks more like Hammer Arm! But his species can't learn Ice Ha-' "-ETT!" Simon swings his last blow forward, fully boosted by the Ability of his species-line, and shatters through the Dusclops' guard, not through a cheap trick of Night Shade math but with his own physical power.

While Morty's Ghost is unexpectedly knocked away for the second time of the fight, Golett sinks to his hands and knees, absolutely spent from exhaustion. His neck weakly cranes up to me.. and with a shaking, throbbing arm… gives me a thumbs up. "Golett.."

….

….

….

"Ha ha!" My hands shoot to my hair! "Simon!" Without even thinking about it I hop down into the field, race straight past the Dusclops casually dusting itself off, and scoop my boy up beneath his arms. "You did it Simon!"

"Gol! Gol!" he frets embarrassedly, clearly wanting to be put back down, but I'm not letting him have any of it! Instead I pull him tightly into a hug and swing him around like a kid, proud as I've ever been. "You did it!"

Off to the side, Morty inspects his own Pokémon, noting the unexpectedly high amounts of electrical and freeze burns on her hands. "Thanks for your hard work girl. Sorry it got a little rough at the end there."

The single glowing red orb folds into a happy eye-smile. "Dusclops!"

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 7

Ecruteak City, The Burned Tower

So this is the place huh?

I walk along the charred -yet somehow preserved- wooden floorboards. There's a flap of a Zubat's wings up in the rafters and the air has a slight pungent odor to it that tells me there's at least one Koffing lurking around here somewhere.

In the main game series this is the location where your playable character encounters the three Legendary Beasts for the first time. Also known as the 'Legendary Dogs' by some of the fanbase. Which as an aside has never made much sense to me considering they're all clearly designed off of cats. A lion, tiger, and leopard respectively.

I descend down a public ladder that leads into the basement. 'I'll concede that maybe there can be some confusion with Suicune. He does have some canine-like features. Maybe Entei too. But in what world could someone look at Raikou with its sabertooth teeth and somehow consider that a 'dog'?' I kick over a blackened rock and cast my eyes around the dimly lanterned room.

If this were a different tale I suppose this would be where the seed of some grand adventure would start for the Main Character. Maybe Ho-Oh flying overhead and letting a single feather drift down through the open ceiling. Perhaps some ancient writing etched onto a secret tablet in Unknown letters that in some way shape or form is related to Lugia or Celebi.

Heck, maybe that complete Suicune fanboy Eusine could show up and… I dunno… do something. He could at least make for some good Exp. 'Wait a minute. Is his name an anagram of Suicune?' I mentally rearrange the letters. 'No. He's missing the 'c'. And we need to change an 'e' into a 'u'. Still though... being only two letters off is a liiittle suspect. Enough that I'm willing to put money on the table that Eusine isn't his real name. Don't fanboy too hard kids. That shit's cringe as hell.'

Tapping the center of the stone floor with my boot, I send off a pulse of Ground energy to get a look beneath the surface. Any caverns? Hidden spaces? A secret basement only used by the monks who manage the place maybe?

…

…

Nope.

Just solid bedrock.

Not even a Sandshrew nest to accidentally wake up. 'That was a bad day. Mama Sandslash angry.'

"Alright guys, let's roll out of here." I communicate to the team. "We'll see if we can rustle up any good matches before lunch and then start heading east."

"Gli!" Vlad chirps inquisitively from my shoulder. "Gli! Gligar?"

I hum thoughtfully. "That is true. We did see a so-called 'Ace Trainer' mopping up some of the local competition outside. Might be fun." 'I think I vaguely recall his face from when I was in the crowd of a tournament a few months back too...yeah…now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure it's the same dude…tried to coast by on his Typhlosion and then got riggity wrekt when the rest of his team was hella underleveled.'

And based on the Skiploom and Granbull I saw him employing in a doubles battle when I walked past, it's an issue he still hasn't corrected.

"Gli! Gligar!" Vlad agrees, having gleaned an idea of what I was thinking.

I laugh. "Alright, fine fine." I begin ascending the ladder back up. "You've convinced me. Let's go see how we match up against a 'Circuit Pro', even if this one is a bit of a scrub."

---

Route 42

Johto tradition demands that one travels westward after obtaining the Fog Badge and finishing up with Ecruteak City. That way lies Route 38 and the path to Olivine and Cianwood. The "fifth and sixth" Gyms of Generation II.

It's a relatively noteworthy Route gameplay wise. Has some uncommon Pokémon in it such as Tauros and Farfetch'd -who, sidenote, both make excellent HM slaves in the older games- as well as some useful ones like Magnemite which a trainer might consider scooping up for their main team. Especially if one has knowledge of Magnezone. There's also Johto's largest Miltank farm and the biggest supplier of Moomoo Milk in the region. 'Both cheaper than Super Potions, and more nutritious for your Pokémon!'

To tradition I have to say, get bent.

I've got shit to do in this direction.

Besides, battling Pryce and Claire before Chuck and Jasmine won't even be my first deviation in the Gym circuit from the classic route everyone's familiar with.

Technically.

You see, back in Azalea Town...I have to confess that I didn't actually beat Bugsy. The reason for that being, that the young Bug-type enthusiast is a literal child at this point in the timeline that I find myself in. As in more so a child than he was in canon. 'Which was what? Twelve years old maybe? Fourteen if we're being generous? Insane that the League let that happen. To let an actual preteen be put in charge, prodigy or not.'

Instead my second Gym Badge was awarded by a different native son of Azalea Town. The Psychic-type specialist, and Lori's eventual successor in a few years, Will.

Now I know what you might be thinking. What? The Psychic guy with the dumb mask? Why would he be in charge of the Gym? The town is right next to Ilex Forest, it has to be Bug themed! Caterpie, Weedle, Pineco, Paras and Venonat, they're all right there!

To that I have to say, 'ho ho ho, not so fast, Psychic may not be the large stretch you think it is.' Azalea is also home to the famous Slowpoke Well and neighbors Union Cave. And what does Union Cave connect to? Why, the Ruins of Alph of course. Your one stop shop not just for the mysterious secrets of the Unknown but the Psychic bird Pokémon Natu as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure every Xatu Will has, originated from that local flock.

Moving in the other direction, the Ilex Forest has more to offer than just an infinite supply of Bug-types. There's also populations of Exeggcute if one knows where to look. And moving beyond the forest into Route 34 one can get access to both Abra and Drowzee.

Discounting Legendaries, that's basically 50% of all the Psychic species in Indigo covered right there.

So yeah, not really much of a stretch.

"No! Nidorina, get back up!"

Oh shoot. Caught myself daydreaming in the middle of a match. Gotta stop doing that.

Nidorina: Lv. 22
Nature: Sassy
Potential: E+

'Poké Maniac' Shane grits his teeth angrily. "It's not fair…it's not fair!" he begins to shout as his frustration starts to boil over. "I've been out here for weeks looking for a Moon Stone. Weeks! And we haven't found shit! If only we had…if we had this wouldn't be happening! It would be you who's losing!"

From the other half of the field Simon starts looking uncomfortable at the other trainers' breakdown. He's dropped his new battle pose and is now rubbing at his arm nervously, glancing between me and the downed Nidorina as he's not sure what to do.

Golett: Lv. 34
Nature: Docile
Potential: S

Leaving the subject of Simon's nature somehow changing for a different day, there is a part of me that does sympathize with Shane here. Knowing that an evolution item exists and you just can't seem to come across it…it's frustrating.

For Moon Stones it can be especially bad. There's not a lot of places they can form. You need the right type of mineral to be exposed to the right amount of moonlight for the right minimum amount of time and…it's just a pain. Plus, since four of the six species who can evolve from it are here in Indigo, the demand massively outstrips supply.

Then you get into things like purity, size, grade and natural effects that laboratory settings just can't replicate well and… I don't want to get into it. It's a whole monster of a subject.

So I understand Shane's feelings. Even if he is just being a whiner instead of searching for a solution.

'If you're really that desperate, why not just do some jobs for Team Rocket like I did? That's how I get into bed with them.' A few shady projects. Some unscrupulous contracts. I did the work required and soon enough I was the owner of a high quality stone that shined just like the moon in an empty night sky. 'Nidorino on a Wednesday. Moon Stone on a Thursday.'

Nidorina disappears into a beam of red light and her trainer glowers at me. "This isn't over! You hear me! I'm gonna rematch you someday and then you'll be the ones left in the dirt!" With an angry shout he twists on his heel and sprints away full speed in the direction of Mahogany Town…and I let him go. There was no agreed upon bet for the match. He was just looking to vent off some steam. 'No matter. His personal issues aren't my problem.'

My head turns up to the immense cliff face towering over the valley that is Route 42.

Mt. Mortar.

The bronze medalist for most dangerous place in Johto. It only loses out to Victory Road and Mt. Silver itself.

"Alright Grundy..." I murmur under my breath. "As promised."

---

Inside the Mountain, Lowest Floor

Nidoking laughs as the group of Machoke all try to dogpile him. There's one at each of his legs, another trying to circle his waist, and a fourth failing at getting the Alpha Pokémon into a headlock. With a large meaty hand he grabs one by the bicep, casually peels it off, and then flings it upside down into the nearest rock wall where the stone cracks and splinters from the impact.

Air Cutters from a Golbat up above rain down at Grundy's backside but the new king of the mountain just laughs them off, weathering the onslaught with only minor annoyance or by clutching one of the Machokes and using them as a… well not a human shield, but you get the idea.

Nidoking: Lv. 70
Nature: Bold
Potential: B

Of everyone I've recruited for my team, Grundy remains the only exception that I've made in regards to potential. Pokémon that are D and E rank? They're the chaff. The antithesis to 'cream of the crop'. Encountering 'mon's out in the wild, at least 50-60% of everything you're going to see will fall in one of those two categories. C's are a little more uncommon but they're not rare. B's a tad more so. When you wander into a new area and find some local 'boss' Pokémon who's running the show or has marked that area as its territory or some such, you can reasonably expect it to be at least a 'B'.

It's the 'A' ranks that you have to really search for. You remember the 1% encounter rates from the games? Think of that. Except now you're actually trudging out in the wilderness instead of just moving a character through a patch of grass over and over.

It's one of the reasons why finding Simon at 'S' was so monumental.

Vlad was found at A-rank when I caught him, as was Ma Ma. Obviously neither has evolved since I obtained them. K.Rool…I searched for a long time in that desert looking for an A-ranked Sandile. I think they might have been being killed off. Older males eliminating potential threats before they can grow up and evolve, that sort of thing. Which is not a nice mental image, but they're Dark-types who live in a desert. They're not meant to be nice.

Regardless, a B+ 'mon as part of a three-stage evolutionary line was probably just as good. Once K.Rool evolved from Sandile into Krokorok against Whitney he entered 'A' territory and has kept my streak going of only working with the best.

Which leaves Grundy as the exception. He was only a middle of the road C-rank Nidoran. 'For whatever that even means when you've been blessed with Alpha genes.'

Machops, Machokes, Geodudes, Gravelers, Golbats, Raticates, a Makuhita -'Oh, that's rare. That Fighting type shouldn't be here.'- they're all working together to try and stop the rampaging purple dinosaur that has suddenly found its way into their home. Grundy opens his mouth wide and sprays an Ice Beam at a ledge where two Graveler are harassing him with Rock Throw. In mere seconds the entire upper ridge has been transformed into a jagged deathtrap of misty blue-white crystals with his assailants no longer to be seen.

'Frankly I don't think my little 'cheat' is capable of reading him accurately.' I admit within my mind. Just another way in which the ability is limited. 'He's just too much bulkier, heavier, stronger than a typical Nidoking for me to believe anything else. Unless Alpha's are operating on their own separate scale which would mean...Nope. Not gonna think about that. We're gonna ignore 'that' terrifying notion.'

"Ki ki ki ki king! Ki ki ki ki king!" Grundy laughs as the resistance of the local mon's starts to waver, his voice a deep rumbling gravelly thing. Like a living mountain himself. "King! King!" he taunts to the leader of the Machokes, asking -nay daring- for them to come try again. That this is just starting to get fun for him.

Water erupts from the nearest underground pool and the biggest Seaking I've ever seen leaps dozens of feet into the air. "Seaking!" The fish Pokémon hits the zenith of its aerial arc and then begins homing in on Grundy like a missile, the point on its head shining green with the incredible power of Megahorn!

And with one Sheer Force boosted Thunderbolt, the Lv. 45 lord of the miniature lake is already unconscious. Its eyes whited out as thin lines of smoke waft from its electrically scorched body.

I sigh. "Ma Ma, could you go throw that back in the water please?"

"Ring!" she objects. "Ursa-ring!" which is easy to translate as 'Why do I have to do it? I didn't make that mess!' She eyes the overly large fish and licks her teeth instead. "Ursa…ring ring?" she proposes as an alternative.

"No, you're not eating it." I order with no nonsense in my voice. "We don't waste food like that. Most of it would go unused and besides, you've already had your berries, your Poké chow, and a whole Goldeen today. How many bites would you even get in before you're full? Now go toss it back. Please."

"Ursa..mmgh..ring, ursa" Ma Ma grumbles under her breath as she stomps forward. Pulling her leg back she delivers a swift -and almost contemptuous- kick into the Water-type's side, punting it back into the pool with a tremendous splash. "Ursaring." she then pouts, folding her arms together and taking a seat cross-legged on the rocky floor.

An angry Machop charges at her -due to us being clearly associated with Grundy- but she dismissively catches the wild 'mon by its head and then throws him in the water too.

'I swear,' I look between the sulking grizzly and the -for all intents and purposes- Pseudo Pseudo-Legendary that's still tearing the place up. 'Some days I really don't know why I bother.'

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 8

Mahogany Town

Ah. The smell of home.

Well, Brad's home at least. Though I think one of the few things he and I would agree on is how nice a cool temperate breeze feels. It's Autumn now and we're right in the middle of that transition between the hot and cold seasons. It always gets a little more chilly in Mahogany -for obvious reasons- and it's the perfect weather to break out a light jacket.

The town is relatively small, just like in the series. There's a reason it hasn't earned that 'city' designation yet despite its long history.. In fact, Azalea's near twice as big and it hasn't earned the privilege of that name change either. Of all the settlements on this half of Indigo, only New Bark Town is smaller. 'And we'll see how long that lasts. New Bark's population rises and rises every year whereas Mahogany…has been this way for a loooong time. I give it five years until she's back on the bottom.'

Old faces wave as I pass them by, chewing on the Oran Berry and chocolate of my Rage Candy Bar. There's the Martins who run a bakery. Mr. Takahashi, who owns the Poké Mart and Ms. Lila, who's Brad memory tells me used to babysit him when he was little.

My feet take me past the infamous 'souvenir shop' and…yep. It seems like they've finally moved in.

There's a young man sweeping the porch out front and though he looks about as cliché a shopkeep as one can be -white shirt, green apron, yellow broom- I recognize him as a Grunt from some of my Rocket dealings.

He pauses in his chore to meet my eye as I walk past…gives a silent nod of acknowledgement as men often do…and then drops his gaze down to go right back to his work.

'It certainly took them long enough to get that place operating.' After all, I helped lay its foundations months ago.

There's a rather large advertisement set up right next to the Poké Center. A big colorful booth with a League functionary manning it with a smile. Her dress suit is canary yellow and…oh snap! For real?

The League's hosting a mid-season tournament up at the Lake of Rage in a few days! How did I not see notices back when I was in Ecruteak or Goldenrod? Did I just miss them?

'Let's see here'. I step up to the booth to begin reading the details of the event proper. 'Matches will be 3v3, entree fee of 1,500 which could be worse…Holy crap! Prize pool of 250,000 Poké dollars split among Top 8 with additional items to be revealed later!' Now that's something that might be worth our time. Since this is being sponsored by the League as opposed to just a city or company you just know the prizes will be worth it.

'Competitors must have at least two Gym Badges but less than eight…aww sick! It's a tourney to see new up-and-comers. That'll keep the really high levelers out.' I feel a grin creeping up as I continue to read. 'Tournament will be five-rounds Swiss followed by a cut to Top 8 competitors. Nice!'

Of course the words don't actually say 'Swiss' here. It's 'Sevii' instead. My brain just likes to mentally replace it as it means the same thing here. Straight elimination-style tournaments have been falling out of favor ever since a new format hit the mainland from the Sevii Islands and was met with a roar of approval.

For those unfamiliar with the 'Swiss' system, well…they can look it up. I ain't got time to explain it to you. The important part is you can't get eliminated by just one bad match. A Ground specialist like me might obliterate a Fire themed trainer only to then get shredded by a heavy Grass team right after.

Does that mean the Grass trainer was the strongest of all three of us? No! It very well could have been the Fire guy. It's all just rock-paper-scissors but on a larger scale. The Sevii style minimizes this issue and provides a much better chance that when it's time to list the quarter-finalists, it's the eight most deserving of being there.

The one major downside is that it makes tournaments take longer. Usually whole days instead of just one, singular. Straight elimination tournaments may not always provide the "correct" winner, but they are certainly efficient at getting there.

Of course, if you go ask the copper counters over at the League then they wouldn't say this is a downside at all. More days to sell merchandise. More meals for stalls to sell food. More rounds for competitors to buy Gems. You remember the words I had on that particular subject don't you?

The woman in yellow offers me a clipboard and I scan down the list. 'Already over seventy people signed up huh? Well, nothing ventured…' I scribble my signature and hand over the 1,500.

I'm already looking forward to it.

---

Breeding Reserve, just outside Mahogany

"Bubbles, you big bastard!" I launch myself at the Mamoswine to start giving him scritches under his massive chin, something he croons into with a big eye-smile. "How you been doing big guy?"

I look around his icy throne at all the Piloswine lounging about a few feet lower than him. All female I notice. "Aww you big lug, as though I need to ask!" I move the scratches over to his ears, hidden underneath his fur. "You went and got yourself a harem while I've been away! You horny devil you!"

"Mamo!" he agrees, bumping his forehead against me happily. "Mamo!"

The old man clears his throat behind me, interrupting my very heartfelt reunion. "If you're just about finished..."

Gym Leader Pryce is a rather surly old man. A 'curmudgeon' to put a fancier word on it. He's been doing the job twice as long as I've been alive and he's just about as set in his ways as any geriatric senior citizen can get.

He is cold. Bad-tempered. Curt. And the living embodiment of the phrase 'these youngsters need to get off my lawn.'

I liked him immediately.

It's a shame there were years and years of him not liking Bradley in the way preventing us from getting along. 'I swear, you break the heart of one teenage granddaughter and all of a sudden you're persona non grata for the next decade. Technically it wasn't even me that did it! Actually… since we're on the subject, I wonder if that's the reason he kept Brad employed at the Gym so long? Someone he didn't like that he could give all the worst jobs to. Seems like the right amount of petty for him.'

"Alright, alright." I hop down from the ledge and dust my hands off of all the snow. "A deal's a deal. Show me what you got and the secret's yours. You'll have your own Mamoswines before the first winter storm hits."

"Hmph." The man grunts, turning away and walking towards the reserve's main compound, his walking stick clanking with each hard thump against the ice. "Not going to galavant off to cavort among foreigners again for a few months?"

I smile. He's trying to needle me. Get me to defend my actions. Plus there's that 'oh he's from a different generation' brand of old timer racism right there at the end too. Bonus points.

"Nope." I respond simply, keeping my grin nice and wide.

The seventy-four year old glances back at me, expecting more of a response than that, but then shakes his head and moves on with an irritated huff.

The nursery is a stark contrast from the frigid reserve outside, in the sense that the nursery is rather not stark at all. It's a warm colorful room filled with pinks and yellows, photos hang on the wall, and little squealing piglets squirm around as a staff member bottle feeds them. There's a mama Piloswine in the corner but it's clear that she's using this as a moment to rest. You might too given the chance if you were in her situation.

I give a good looksie over the eight or nine Swinub in the room. All Lv. 1 and freshly hatched. No, wait, one precocious little guy at Lv. 2. Good for him. There's not any real stinkers in this group potential-wise, but not really any winners either. The highest is a C+. And while that would end up somewhere in 'B' after two evolutions and make a better Mamoswine than Bubbles at his peak, we are trying to aim for a bit better.

"What else you got?"

Pryce subtly frowns. "Is there something wrong? These are all perfectly healthy."

I nod in agreement. "I know. I just want to see what else you got. Review my options."

"You said you wanted to start fresh," Pryce's eyes tighten. "These are as fresh as it gets. Barely a few days old."

"And I might come back to one of these." I reassure. "What do you have in the next group up? One's that don't need bottle feeding anymore."

With another of his signature 'old man grunts' the Gym Leader led me to an enclosure that connected to the outside via a little doggy door. A half and half type of shelter that let young Swinub experience the cold of outside and still be able to run back in to the safety of the 'den'.

And wouldn't you know it? They were all worse. D's and E's the lot of 'em! That's not only bad, it's statistically impressive! The data points I've gathered from wild Pokémon say there should've been at least one that was better.

"Mmm," My hand rubs at my chin as I make a look of thinking it over. "What else you got?"

---

"What else you got?"

---

"What else you got?"

---

"What else you got?"

---

"That's enough!" Pryce snaps after the fifth rejection. "Carolyn," he angrily turns to an aide. "Bring in Delilah! I'm too old to play games like this!"

The staff member goes wide eyed, clearly wanting to object, but seeing the unhappy glare of her boss she chooses to meekly bow her head instead.

'Delilah?' "You holdin' out on me old man?"

The Gym Leader turns to me, a sharp reprimand on his tongue, when his eyes zero in at my waist. The particular pose I'm in letting him see my roster of Pokéballs for the first time.

"Bradley," his voice turns hard. Colder than the harshest winter storm. "What is that thing still doing on your belt?"

My fingers brush over Quagsire's Net Ball, a habit I've picked up over the months to ensure...to ensure I haven't accidentally lost it. "Did you think I would just give it up?" I ask quietly. "That I would trust anyone else to carry it? Besides, the ball's in stasis mode. Medical suspended animation, just like a 'mon that's grievously injured and awaiting surgery. Until I unlock it, he'll never come out." 'Hold down, double-tap, hold down. Don't ever forget. Hold down, double-tap, hold down."

The Gym Leader scoffs derisively. "You should turn it over to the League immediately. Let them euthanize that poor creature."

"I feel like that would be a waste." I defend, zipping my jacket up to hide the ball's view. "Sometimes… you need an ace in the hole."

The wood of Pryce's cane creaks as his fingers squeeze down impossibly tight. "An ace against who exactly? You can't battle with it! Need I remind you Bradley, that it killed two people! Including its Trainer!"

My back freezes up as my expression darkens considerably. "I'm aware, Pryce." I lean in as I say his name. "And I'll remind you that if Vlad hadn't been there, I'd have been buried right there alongside them."

The Gym Leader starts to growl. "Fine! On your head be-"

"Here she is!" The aide bursts back into the room, a little piglet squirming in her grip, its tiny feet wiggling to get free. "Bradley, this is Delilah!" she speaks with pride, holding her arms out and offering to let me see her. "Delilah, say hello!"

"Nu…nu…" the baby 'mon squeaks softly.

I have seen three shinies total since my dimensional displacement sixteen months ago. Metapod, Remoraid, and Pidove. I know. A real stellar lineup if there's ever been one. The burnt orange Bug belonged to a young boy in Violet City. The purple Remoraid was in a public aquarium I visited in Goldenrod the day before I flew out of Johto and the slightly blue Pidove was part of a flock that flew overhead during my second month in Unova. 'Though I'm not actually 100% certain on the last one. It might've just been my mind playing tricks on me.'

So that makes this little lady here No. 4.

There's just one problem though…

Swinub: Lv. 5
Nature: Bashful
Potential: D-

I internally sigh, even if I do do my best to appear outwardly impressed. 'That's the same rating that Bubbles' had as a Swinub. She'd most likely hit the same wall he did. Like father, like daughter I guess.'

And, wait, sorry did I say only one issue? Apologies, I meant two. Though I'll openly admit the second reason is hella vain. It's not based on math or levels or my little cheat power. It's that..well..when you get right down to it…shiny Mamoswine is pretty ugly.

Shiny Swinub is a cute little melon bun. This little lady certainly is. She's an after dinner ice mint. I could tickle her tummy all day. And shiny Piloswine is positively gorgeous. A golden coat that glistens beautifully on a snowy day. I love it, even if some of the fanbase refers to it as 'Pilostraw' saying it's akin to a big bale of hay. Shiny Mamoswine though looks kind of like…like he needs to go to the vet. Book him for surgery now Doctor. We think his liver might be failing because that color is not good.

Of course, Pryce and Carolyn here have absolutely no way of knowing that. 'And if I refuse this one then Pryce might just straight up have an aneurysm.'

I hand the fidgeting Pokémon back to Carolyn and put on my best face of being conflicted. That I'm really really thinking about it. "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be back in five."

Pryce raises an eyebrow, still silently scowling from our talk, and Carolyn just seems relieved. Confused for sure, but relieved. As though she literally can't believe that I'm not jumping at this offer and is thanking the stars for it. Shiny Pokémon can go for hundreds of thousands at the right auction. Assuming you've got something more useful to sell than a Rattata.

'Which I suppose is a route we could take… but it would feel kind of shitty. Do I just tell Pryce that I'll come look again later? That doesn't seem smart. If I want a viable Pokémon for battle by the time the Conference rolls around in the spring, then I've got to get started now. Plus, every week more we delay is a risk Pryce figures out the secret of Ancient Power on his own. Then we don't get squat.' I wander outside to the feeding troughs, where the older juveniles are lined up and slopping up lunch, these ones having moved on to solid food vice mother's milk.

'Should I just go with that first C+ I saw? It's not the worst. Alternatively, I could just head Northeast to the Ice Path. Maybe look for a wild one that meets my requirements? Been a while since I've done that… Wait, fuuuuck! That wouldn't work. We need it to have the Egg Move. We got lucky that Bubbles' just happened to know it. Finding an 'A' or 'B' rank in the wild that also has the right parentage? I'd have better luck hunting for a second shiny.'

"Um, Mr. Bradley." Carolyn's voice appears behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.

'She's still holding Delilah.' "Yes, what is it?"

The aide seems nervous. "Your agreement with Leader Pryce is that you could take any Swinub right? So...it's true that you could pick Delilah here? And you'd be able to just take her? Just like that?"

My head tilts at her cagey tone. "I could, yes. Why?"

She casts a furtive glance around, seeing if any other reserve staff might be in earshot. "Follow me please." She fumbles with a ring full of keys as she power walks through the halls of the facility. "Delilah here was rejected by her mother due to her coloring. We had to separate her and bottle feed every meal, rather than just using formula to supplement."

The little piglet fidgets in her grip again. "I would be just heartbroken to see her go." The aide says almost tearfully. "It's been me and her, three times a day for weeks now." We reach a door to one of the rooms back closer to the nursery and she slides the key in.

Inside..there's a piglet who's got the worst case of the zoomies I think I've ever seen. Just hearing the door unlock has sent him into a happiness overdrive. "Swinub! Swinub! Swinub! Swi!" he presses up against a little barricade, wiggling his nose at the people who've hopefully come to play.

He is also huge.

It's not monstrously large. He's not an Alpha like Grundy. But let it be said that this is a big fuckin' pig.

"This is the Swinub Pryce is planning to train once you tell him the secret." Carolyn confesses guiltily. "I'm sure he'll be furious I showed you this…but if your agreement with him really is any Swinub…" she trails off, pulling the green pig in her arms a little closer to her.

I reach down into the child-proof cage and let the animal start sniffing and smelling all over my hand excitedly.

Swinub: Lv. 8
Nature: Jolly
Potential: A-

"Oh ho. I think I'm gonna call you… Junior."

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 9

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 1

Once upon a time, there were two Pokémon Trainers who lived in Violet City, named Eric and Ashley.

They were Rivals.

Ever since they were little and in diapers, Eric and Ashley would compete with each other to see who was the best. In school, Ashley did a little bit better than Eric. But in sports, Eric did a little bit better than Ashley.

It was a fierce competition.

One day, they challenged each other to go out into the wild and catch the strongest Pokémon they could find. Then, they would come back into town tomorrow and have a battle to see which one was better.

Ashley found a magnificent Bellsprout. Its head was golden and its leaves vibrant and green.

It was a good Bellsprout. A credit to its kind.

But Eric had found a good Pokémon too. A bright eyed and eager little Wooper. Its skin was smooth and its smile as big as the sun.

He caught it with a Net Ball.

---

Lake of Rage, North of Mahogany Town.

Oh man Pryce is pissed.

Like really pissed.

Allow me to briefly recount the ways.

He's pissed about me finding the Swinub he didn't want to offer. He's pissed that I told him that that's the one I wanted or no deal. He's not happy to find out the secret was Ancient Power this whole time and that I had already given him everything he needed. He's positively fuming that this means some of the adult Piloswine he employs in the Gym may not be able to evolve at all.

And to top it all off? He's just been informed by the League that they expect him to lead a panel of moderators for this tournament that's just north of his town. Please note. I didn't say they asked him. I said they expect him. He's been 'voluntold' that he's doing it.

So that's what? Five? I did say I was counting.

A slight whine of electrical feedback buzzes along the air. 'Bogden and Viktor, please report to Battle Field No. 6.' A woman's voice echoes through the loudspeaker. 'I repeat. Bogden and Viktor, please report to Battle Field No. 6. Your match will begin in 10 minutes.'

It's barely past breakfast and already the place is swarming. I joked before about 'missing the memo' and not seeing the posted notices that this event was happening, but now I'm no longer joking. It really seems like everyone knew this was happening except me.

There's a fleet of food trucks, some League sponsored, some private business. There's Berry vendors, Item sellers, and a stand where you can try your hand at making Pokéblocks. A carnival barker is on a little soapbox shouting that he's looking to trade a Primeape for a Seadra and there's a score of construction workers setting up energy barricades in the place the Top 8 are eventually going to duke it out.

I've been to tournaments before, I've said that way too much, but this particular event almost feels more like a state fair from back home. 'Like god damn, there's even a petting zoo for the kids. Sentrets, Hoppips, Poliwags, Zigzagoons and the like. They even have a pair of Eevees in there.'

When the League sponsors something, they don't fuck around.

"Bradley! Bradley over here!" a female voice shouts over the crowd, her arm waving high up in the air.

"Bradley, my man." a chill masculine one joins her. "Whazz up my dude?" he speaks, offering me a fist bump as I approach.

Clarissa and Ronald. Two other Gym Trainers who worked in Mahogany under Pryce. Or I suppose in their case, still do. I spoke to them both briefly before setting out on my journey after first waking up, though with Bradley's memories in my head it really does feel like I've known the two of them for years.

Ronald's a bit of a classic 'stoner' personality. Very laid back and 'take it easy' kind of guy. The difference between him and the Bradley of before is that Ron here can actually afford to be that way. He was the best battler in the Gym besides the old man himself, and he gets his work done quickly and efficiently.

'Like bruh it's just good time management.' A memory of him speaking to Brad hangs in the mind. 'The sooner I get this squared away, the sooner I can go back to mad chillaxing ya feel me?' The figment points his finger up like some wizened philosopher. 'The true lazy man works hard, that way he can go back to being lazy as soon as possible.'

Clarissa on the other hand is a bubbly, busy busy bee. Always looking for some new work to do. She's also a bit of a know-it-all Hermione Granger style. But she means well! When she brutally dissects everything an opponent did wrong post-battle after beating them, it really is because she earnestly wants them to do better next time.

"Hey guys. Long time no see." I complete the fist bump. "You both get done with your first matches yet?"

"You know it my dude." Ronald confirms, gesturing with a hand to indicate smooth sailing. "Dewgong cleaned 'em up easy peasy. No worries."

Clarissa sighs. "I lost." she admits dejectedly. "Who even uses a Corsola with Hustle anyway?" she crosses her arms in a huff. "Natural Cure is obviously the better Ability. Or if you're lucky enough to find one with Regenerator? Even better. How was I supposed to know my opponent was using a sub-optimal build?"

'Lyle and Bradley, please report to Battle Field No. 3.' The fairgrounds loudspeakers ring again. 'I repeat. Lyle and Bradley, please report to Battle Field No. 3. Your match will begin in 10 minutes.'

"Well, that's my cue." I pop off a two-finger salute at my forehead. "Wish me luck guys. We'll catch up later."

---

Slicked up red hair. Hot rod flames on both his pants and jacket. Crimson tinted sunglasses and an arrogant 'bad boy' attitude that's just begging for a punch in the face.

'Maybe I'm not Ground at all? I must secretly be Psychic.' I muse to myself as a joke. 'Did I not just talk about hypothetically fighting a Fire-specialist yesterday?'

"Sup' lamewad." Firebreather Lyle starts off with, tossing his first Pokéball up and down in his palm with a cocky smirk. "How many Badges you got anyway?"

I raise an eyebrow. 'Lamewad? What is this 5th grade? Dude, you're an adult. Actually…no. Just no. Don't engage.' "Four." I answer simply.

"Hah!" he stops playing with his ball and snaps it into his grip. "This'll be easy then. I'm at six! After I win this tournament I'm gonna roast that old fart Pryce and then make it all the way to the Conference!"

The referee buts in. "Trainers! Are you ready? In three…two…one…begin!"

"Ma Ma."/"Melt him down, Flareon!"

Flareon: Lv. 40
Nature: Mild
Potential: C

Ursaring: Lv. 58
Nature: Serious
Potential: A

"Scary Face, Ma Ma!" A ferocious glint shines in Ursaring's eye as soon as she hits the field. One that travels outward and seems to strike the Eeveelution like a physical force. To the 'mon's credit though, it does recover almost instantly, showing that if nothing else it's well trained.

"Ha! A status move!" Lyle mocks. "You're never gonna win like that! Flareon! Let's start cooking with a Fire Spin!"

"Flareon!" With a small shake and a rustle of its fur, tiny embers of light launch themselves from Flareon's oversized tail to seed the ground around the Normal-type. In all of a blink, a wall of Fire erupts around her, seemingly penning the she-bear inside.

"Just makin' sure you can't run..." I mutter under my breath, starting to feed a little trickle of energy to Ma Ma through our bond. Just a couple drops. It wouldn't do to exhaust ourselves so early in the day. "High Horsepower!"

Ursaring roars. A savage primal bellow that announces how uncaring she is of this supposed obstacle. With claws shining in brown-orange energy she bursts through the flames at high speed, absolutely unconcerned about the injuries it puts on her feet.

Based on Lyle's expression, we apparently weren't supposed to do that. "Force it to back down! Lava Plume!"

"Flare!" Fire begins to slosh in the fire fox's tiny mouth. It's less gaseous, less airy than normal fire. This is an attack with some mass behind it. "Flare!"

The molten slushy strikes Ma Ma right in the sternum.

She doesn't care.

The charging mountain bear smashes into the Fire-type with a weight nearly six times its own and…there's really not much more to say about that.

"Flareon is unable to battle! Trainer Lyle, please select your next Pokémon!"

Ma Ma flinches a little and then glances down at the golden ring on her torso. A paw lifts up to irritably touch a large red spot left by the Lava Plume and her fur bristles angrily. 'Oh? They managed to land a Burn…that's pretty unlucky.' My grin turns a little too villain-like. 'For them.'

There were a number of bear safety rhymes back on non-Pokémon earth. Probably the most widespread and well-known of which was 'If it's brown, lay down. If it's black, fight back. If it's white, say goodnight'. Which, by the way, is not foolproof advice. For one quick example of something wrong with it, black bears -the species- are very capable of having brown or cinnamon colored fur, but I digress.

Here on Poké-earth we have sayings about bears too.

"It's like we're trying to status an Ursaring here."- Ranger Association phrase meant to describe feelings of disapproval for a plan or event that is considered daft, poorly thought out, foolhardy, or just generally all around ill-conceived.

Ursaring can have one of two Abilities. Well, three if we count the Hidden one like what Grundy has, but those popping up are normally mathematically negligible so we're not gonna talk about that here.

Anyway. Two Abilities. Guts and Quick Feet. Both trigger upon the user being inflicted with a status ailment. The first boosts Attack. The second Speed. They even negate the physical stat cutting effects of Burn and Paralysis respectively.

It's considered a poor idea to status an Ursaring in the wild because 1). You probably shouldn't be somewhere where there are wild Ursaring in the first place and 2). You have no idea which Ability it will end up being and you might get caught unexpectedly off guard. If off guard was spelled 'm-a-u-l-e-d'.

Just to go on record though if you don't recall my conversation with Morty, Ma Ma has the first one.

"Trainer Lyle!" The referee speaks again. "You must select your next Pokémon or I will issue an official warning for slow play."

The Firebreather snaps from his stupor. "Houndoom! You're up!"

Houndoom: Lv. 42
Nature: Modest
Potential: A-

'Oh wow.' Color me impressed! Not just an A-ranker but it's also got one of the best natures for that species. More Special Attack, less Physical. That's a good Houndoom!

It's a real shame that that's not gonna matter.

"Dark Pulse!/Facade!" Lyle's eyebrows shoot to his hairline at the simultaneous orders. 'Oh ho! So he does have an idea of what's about to happen! Looks like there is a brain between those ears!'

"PROTECT!" he pivots immediately.

Facade. Technical Machine move No. 42. Move: Physical. Type: Normal. Base Power: 70. Effect: This move's Base Power is doubled if the user is Paralyzed, Burned, or Poisoned.

70 x 2 = 140.

140 x 1.5 (Guts Ability) = 210.

210 x 1.5 (STAB) = 315.

Now obviously I don't know if all that math is exactly the same here. There's not enough public data on Ability buffs or Same Type Attack Bonuses for me to be sure.

But the fact does remain…

This shit's about to hit harder than Explosion.

Between the sixteen level difference and the last second order change not giving Houndoom enough time, Ma Ma rips through the Protect like it's made of paper mache.

And with Physical Defense as its worst stat, that very good A-ranked Houndoom has no choice but to fold like a cheap suit.

Lyle starts to panic as he withdraws his ace. "Ninetales! Get some distance!" he orders, throwing out his last hope.

Ninetales: Lv. 37
Nature: Naive
Potential: B

The elegant fox Pokémon lands on the field with both deftness and grace. And then she's off! Sprinting along the edges of our circular arena like a spirit of the wind.

Meanwhile Ma Ma irritably paws at her Burn again.

'Hmm. Options.' We don't have a way to boost our Speed to catch this Ninetales. And without direct eye contact Scary Face won't work. Earthquake would be good here but that's something Ma Ma's still working on. She does have Bulldoze figured out, though unfortunately that's much lower range. Its power falls off pretty hard at a distance. If our opponent's smart he'll try to play keep away and just let the Burn wear us down.

'Which I think this Pokémon could do despite the lower level.' We could switch to Vlad? His skill set could clean this up pretty quick, though I am planning on leading with him in Round two. I'd rather he be as fresh as can be.

"Ma Ma," I intone, deciding on a course of action. "Go take a nap."

The grizzly immediately bends down to start tearing into the earth with Dig. She's not as quick in the technique as the actual Ground-types on my team -with K.Rool in particular being scary fast- but you'd be hard pressed to find any other Normal-types out in the world as proficient about it as her.

"Extrasensory!" The Ninetales drops out of its sprint and swivels in Ma Ma's direction with hackles up and eyes glowing blue. The Psychic-type move travels faster than a Fire one would and succeeds in nailing my Ursaring in the back while she's still above ground.

Ma Ma roars lightly in annoyance but then successfully disappears. Once she's deeper she lets her eyelids go shut and begins to Rest.

Something Lyle is very aware of. Only heaven knows how he was able to decode my incredibly cryptic intentions behind the phrase 'go take a nap'. "Ninetales!" He takes a step forward and swings his arm out. "Flamethrower quick! Fill that hole with fire while it sleeps!"

'And thus he unknowingly makes the worst possible choice.'

Fun fact: Ma Ma does know Sleep Talk but that's not a plan I like to go with. Too uncertain. Too risky. It's a gamble you should only make when you really have no other options. Instead we're going a little more meta today.

Since I'm not planning on using Grundy in this tournament, -because if I can't win without him, then I don't deserve the trophy- that frees up my one Held Item slot that I'm allowed to use for each Round. Of course, I didn't know about this event until the last minute, so my Item choice is rather last minute too.

I needed something quick, cheap, and effective.

So I went with the tried and true, infamous, and really-should-be-used-more-here-on-Poké-earth strat…of Resto Chesto.

Ursaring's paw snaps out of the ground to catch Ninetales by the throat the second the fox is above her makeshift den. The Fire-type tries to cough out its Flamethrower but with a bear's hand on its windpipe, it's a weak anemic little thing.

A rejuvenated and no longer Burned Ma Ma emerges from the earth, hefting Ninetales up high in its grip. She pulls her other arm back...

"I concede!" Lyle blurts out, getting both Ma Ma and me to pause. "I- I concede." he says again, sagging as the life seems to drain out of him.

Huh. Well I guess that's Round 1 done.

How about that?

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 10

Lake of Rage, North of Mahogany Town.

I bite into a hot dog as I watch a pair of trainers duke it out on screen. Beedrill vs. Qwilfish. The food area's equipped with several television feeds set up to watch the matches from a distance while spectators take time to shop or grab some lunch. Plus, since these preliminary bouts are being fought without the protective barriers like the ones you would expect from major arenas, it's probably just safer all around not to get too close anyway.

It helps the trainers focus too. Just you, your opponent, the referee, and maybe some family or close friends if they wanna spectate. No complete strangers making a raucous until Top 8 and the real action begins.

My eyes look up to the screen again. Both trainers have given up on using Poison moves to eke out an advantage and seem to be experimenting live on new strategies to try and close out the fight. I don't think either party has what it takes to go all the way but it's entertaining to watch nonetheless. 'I'd probably be able to predict the winner if I was there in person, but unfortunately my 'cheat' doesn't work through a camera feed. I have to see the Pokémon in person.'

I let my gaze flicker to the left where a different television displays Clarissa and her Jynx with things well in hand against a Golbat. She even seems a bit apologetic to her opponent about the blatant type advantages. Moving to the right I glimpse Ron who's in a rough situation. His Dewgong's looking like it's on its last legs -metaphorically- against a Meganium, which definitely signifies a trainer I'll need to watch out for. 'Seems both of them are about to be 1-1 records wise.'

I bite into the fairgrounds food again and turn my gaze up in thought. You know, despite the fact that Ma Ma swept him, Lyle was actually one of the better opponents that we've fought in a while. First impressions aside and all that. With Pokémon at or near the 40's I wouldn't be surprised if he does end up at the Conference in six months like he originally boasted. With both our teams a little stronger, it could make for a fun rematch.

An excited grin manages to sneak up on me. 'Signing up for this was definitely the right move.' I was doing my best not to appear overeager but now I'm getting a little bit of the jitters. Just sittin' around waiting for them to call my name again.

I hope my second round is as good as the first.

---

"Look…Sally right?" I try to keep my voice sympathetic. "Are you sure you want to keep doing this? It's alright if you want to…"

The young girl stomps her foot. "No! Wait, I mean- Yes! The rules say at least two Badges and I have two! I deserve to be here! Same as everyone else!"

"Wooo! Sally! Take him down!" A very supportive mother and father cheer from the sidelines. They've got custom pennants with their daughter's name emblazoned on it and are wearing shirts with a big photo of her and her team posing in victory. Oddish, Snubbull, Phanpy, and Chinchou. "You got this Sally!" Dad shouts between cupped hands. "Yeah! Kick his butt!" adds in Mom.

I feel Vlad's eyes glancing back at me from the field, awaiting instructions on how I want to play this. We already one-shotted the Oddish without really meaning to. I communicated silently with Vlad to make it a light hit…but apparently not light enough.

"Ginger, get in close and use Headbutt! We're gonna flinch him!"

"Snubbull! Snub!"

I put on my best face. Acting the part. "Vlad, use Metal Claw and deflect it! Protect yourself!" 'Gently please. Gently...' I do my best to silently urge through the bond. We can't share words or whole sentences. Just impressions. Emotions. Concepts of moves, things like that. That's usually enough to get the point across though.

The pink bullpup leaps up as it gets within range and Vlad gently slaps it away with a silver glowing limb. "Snubbull!" The dog Pokémon cries out as it goes sliding painfully through the dirt, clearly having been hit harder than we intended.

Even the unflappable Vlad seems confused.

'What in the- but why…Aw crap!' I wince, feeling the urge to slap myself upside the forehead. 'I forgot! Snubbull was one of the one's they revised into a Fairy-type. That was accidentally Super-effective!'

"Ginger, return!" Sally shouts, thrusting a Premier Ball forward. With an impressive bit of dexterity she pockets her second 'mon and switches out for a Lure Ball all in the same motion. "Current, it's all up to you!"

Chinchou: Lv. 23
Nature: Quirky
Potential: D

'Ohhhhh. 'Current'. Because it's both Water and Electric type. That's cute. I like that.' Vlad glances my way again, confused as to why little bits of affection leaked into the bond but I do my best to wave him off, indicating I'll explain later.

Sally's team composition here really isn't all that bad. She's even pretty talented for someone of her age.

But she's just not ready for events like this yet.

I hope her losses today won't discourage her too much. I'd really like to face her again in a few years.

---

'Uhhhh…what am I looking at here?'

I think my Round three opponent might be cosplaying.

Spiky anime hair? Check. Large cape at his back? Check. Tall leather boots? Check. The rest of his outfit a dark color aesthetic? Check check checkity check.

'Maybe it's a bit rude but I've got to ask…' "Kid, why are you dressed up like Lance?"

The fifteen year old stiffens before bristling up angrily. "I am not!"

My expression goes soft. "You…you really kind of are. I mean there's nothing wrong with it. Like, I admire the Champ too…"

Blood rushes to his face. "This is traditional Blackthorn Clan wear!" he asserts indignantly. "I'm Vince Blackthorn! Future Dragon master! Champion Lance is my cousin!"

My head tilts. "So you're Claire's younger brother?"

He growls. "No! She's my other cousin! The Blackthorn Clan isn't just a couple people you know! There's lots of us!"

"Okay okay," I show my hands in surrender. "Sheesh, my bad."

Our ref clears his throat. "Trainers, on my mark!" His hand goes up high…and then down ! "Fight!"

"Dratini!/K.Rool!"

Dratini: Lv. 28
Nature: Brave
Potential: B+

Krokorok: Lv. 32
Nature: Impish
Potential: A-

Relief washes over my system as I see the white & blue danger noodle manifest on the field. I was worried about starting with K.Rool and then running into someone else of Lyle's level, potentially forcing me into an immediate switch out. But a Dratini? He can handle a Dratini.

It's only if this 'Dragon master' in-training's next Pokémon is the evolved form that we might run into trouble.

"Start with Twister!"

"Sandstorm! Use their wind against them!"

A weak vortex of Dragon energy swirls around K.Rool, nicking his body in thin superficial cuts but my boy weathers them with only a slight tightening of the eyes. Meanwhile, having an opponent's move kick up dirt, dust, gravel and sand has allowed Krokorok to set up a roiling storm in record time.

An extra thick one too.

"Tch," Vince clicks his tongue. "Dratini, don't rely on sight! Target with Swift!"

'Looks like I'm not the only one who's loaded up on TM's.' "Move in and punish it with Payback!"

Confession time. I don't actually have a lot of experience dealing with Swift yet. It just hasn't come up. I don't know if it can still connect through Dig like it could in Generation I where it hit 100% absolutely always. 'Something to check on the Poké net later.' In the meantime, it shouldn't be too bad to accept a light hit in exchange for a heavy one.

"Wait for a chance and then use Chilling Water Dratini! Point blank!"

'Chilling Wa-? The hell? I don't think I know that one.'

Two cries come from within the storm. One distressed high pitched squeal of a baby Dragon and the grumbling pissed off curses of a crocodile.

Through our connection I feel a change in K.Rool. Between Moxie and Hone Claws we boost his Attack so often that I'm able to feel when the stat successfully goes up. Which means I can also feel when it goes down.

Now it's my turn to click the tongue. 'Oh. So it's like a Water version of Snarl? And it lowers Physical rather than Special? That's annoying. I'll need to add that one to the memory banks.'

But let it not be said that we don't have an answer to this. "Foul Play, K.Rool! Finish it off!" 'If our own Attack is lowered, we'll just use the opponents!'

"Slam! Don't go down without a fight!"

Spoiler alert. It went down without a fight.

Constant bits of chip damage from the weather and a double powered Payback was just too much for the little noodle. I'm sure as a Dragonair it'll be able to handle more punishment.

The Sandstorm starts to subside and Vince begrudgingly withdraws his 'mon once he can get eyes on it. A Great Ball is lobbed out with his second and I frown as it hits the field.

Charmeleon: Lv. 24
Nature: Hasty
Potential: C+

No, it's not the fact that this Pokémon is a bit lower level that upsets me. Nor the fact that it's not a Dragon. Nearly every Poké fan in existence is in agreement that the Charizard family gets a free pass on that one. What has my mouth turned down is that this Charmeleon is not at fighting full. He looks to be at a similar level of injury as Krokorok and my boy just took a previously unknown Water-move straight to his face. Actually, the Charmeleon might look a little bit worse.

After every round you get to make a trip to an aid station run by Nurse Joys in addition to having a few hours of recovery time. It just takes that long to cycle everyone through their matches, even with six of them going at a time. My second round fight against young Sally was just after lunch and this one here against Vince is actually one of the very last bouts of the day. It's nearly sundown.

'If this lizard's still lookin' like this even after the Nurse Joys were through with him then he must have had a rough fucking round two.'

More than that, it tells me Vince possibly doesn't have more than three Pokémon to use in this tournament. Yes, the matches are 3v3 but you're not limited to the same three round after round. I'd be perfectly allowed to send Simon out here despite employing both Ma Ma and Vlad earlier in the day.

"Respectfully," I look at my opponent. "Do you really want to send out a Pokémon in this condition?"

"Shut up!" the teenager snaps. "Charmeleon, Dragon Rage!"

Well geez. That's some real maturity right there. I'd sigh in exasperation if there was time for it. "Dig, K.Rool."

Blue and yellow flames eject from the red dinosaur's mouth and miss Krokorok by a mile. We've had some narrow dodges when using Dig in the past. Times where K.Rool barely makes it underground in time.

This wasn't one of those.

Typically when I have K.Rool go into Dig, we usually follow it up with Hone Claws or on the rare occasion Focus Energy. That's an Egg Move he happens to have that we don't often get to make use of. Right now though…I think I just want to go through with the attack.

"Charmeleon! Hide yourself in a Smokescreen!"

The Fire-type opens wide and begins belching acrid pitch black smoke over the battlefield. Something which gets me to raise an eyebrow.

'That…won't help you evade from Dig. Ground-types underground find you via vibration, not sight. Yeah, it obscures Charmeleon from me, but that's hardly good for much.'

This trainer was doing better with his Dratini. I think I may have overestimated him from that.

K.Rool bursts from the ground to Super-effectively nail Charmeleon in the stomach. "Chaaar!" the 'mon cries out, being forcibly ejected from his Smokescreen with a painful thump, landing belly down several yards away.

"Charmeleon!" Vince calls with gritted teeth. "I know it hurts but you can do this! You can! Get up and use Heat Wave!"

"Char… Char…" The lizard replies as it weakly tries to push its arms up.

I make eye contact with the ref, silently asking if he's really going to allow this.

Apparently he agrees with me. "I deem this Charmeleon unfit to continue battling!" he announces with a raised flag. "The score is 2-0 for Trainer Bradley. Mr. Blackthorn, please release your next Pokémon!"

'Oh ho? I'm just 'Trainer Bradley' but the kid gets 'Mr. Blackthorn'? Guess that Clan prestige really does count for something.'

Vince complies with the order and begrudgingly calls his 'mon back. "I'm sorry Charmeleon." he whispers to the ball. "It was wrong of me to push you." He takes a moment to calm himself. Breathing in deep and then following it with a long exhale.

When he finishes, his eyes snap open in a sharp gaze. Like those of a focused predator. 'I've seen Lance look the same way on TV. Is this a Blackthorn thing? Showing when you get serious?'

I ain't scared of you Dragon boy. Let's see what you got.

"Your Pokémon is strong." he compliments. "But my starter is stronger." he winds his arm back for a wide throw. "Let's go…Skarmory!"

A condor made of pure steel enters the arena with a high pitched screech. Its wings spread wide, revealing a series of aerodynamic red vanes sharper than any sword and a body where every part is a weapon. Tooth, talon, beak, and tail.

Skarmory: Lv. 47
Nature: Lonely
Potential: C-

'Woah, Nelly! That's certainly a level jump!' Inwardly I'm already running through options a mile a minute but on the outside I force a smirk out, playing it as though this newcomer isn't an issue. "Okay…I was willing to give you a pass on the future Charizard. But a Skarmory? Are you sure you're a Dragon trainer?"

Vince's face loses that sharp edge as that wasn't the reaction he was going for.

"Because it's alright if you aren't." I continue. "People say Lance is secretly a Flying-type trainer too. What with the Gyarados and Aerodactyl and all."

Knuckles pop as the teenager angrily balls his fist. "I! Am! Not! Lance!"

"K.Rool, return!" I snap up the Level Ball, having got the kid to successfully waste his first few seconds.

"Tch," he realized he's losing the initiative. "Skarmory! Take to the sky!"

"Vlad, the enemy's in the air!" I throw his Pokéball and like the true veteran he is, he tracks onto the threat immediately.

Gligar: Lv. 53
Nature: Adamant
Potential: A

The Steel-type hits his desired altitude and Vince sweeps his arm out. "Agility, Skarmory!"

I smile at the tactic. "Vlad. Same."

Vince glances at me, and then back to his ace. "Boost again!"

"Vlad." Gligar doesn't need me to complete the order. A second outline of Psychic power covers him, increasing the potency of the first.

"Tailwind!"

'Ooph. Can't do anything about that one.' "Swords Dance." That's enough of Speed. Let's boost other areas.

Vince growls. "Iron Defense!"

I almost burst out laughing. Is this really the game we're playing right now? Sure kid. I can do this all day. "Swords Dance again!" I reiterate, my hands spread wide in a 'what're you gonna do' fashion.

The young Blackthorn's apparently had enough. "Brave Bird!"

'Oh, that ain't good!' "Intercept it with Rock Tomb!"

Large rounded stones smash into the silver blur and they do manage to slow it.

Slightly.

But between the Tailwind and two uses of Agility, a single Speed drop just doesn't count for much.

Vlad hits the dirt hard as Skarmory pins him to the earth like a comet sent from space. A great dust cloud is kicked up and I have to raise an arm to shield my eyes.

'Damn. First time Vlad's been hit in a while outside of team training and it's a doozy. We're lucky that Defense is his best stat.'

Under other circumstances I might've tried to have him dodge with a Double Team like he did against Whitney. Against a Skarmory though that's a risky play. There's about a 50/50 shot that its Ability is Keen Eye and that doesn't just protect against Accuracy drops here like in the games. It also lets the user see through evasion tactics.

Still though, we can work with this. "Thunder Fang."

Vlad chomps down on the bird trying to keep him subdued, getting yellow sparks to angrily jump around his opponent's lower half. "Ground the electricity Skarmory! Then hammer him with Fury Attack!"

'Oh, so he knows that trick does he? I suppose it is getting more well known these days.' I think as I watch Skarmory dip its tail into the earth. 'No biggie. We can adapt.' "Switch to Fire Fang!"

The transition is almost seamless. Such is Vlad's expert level in type-energy manipulation that he doesn't even need to unlatch from Skarmory's foot. His fangs switch from shining yellow to blazing red in just a few blinks of the eye.

Skarmory screeches angrily as it strikes its beak repeatedly into Gligar's bony head, trying to get him to release the clamp on his leg. And although I can feel Vlad's health lowering, it just makes him latch on all the harder.

Vince gets nervous as his starter's leg begins to change color. The metal changing from a cool silver to angry and orange due to the prolonged contact with the heat. "Get him off Skarmory! Jump up and then use Drill Peck!"

"Swoop around it with Acrobatics!"

Following their orders to perfection, both Pokémon execute in record time. Skarmory getting off the ground and then bring his break down hard…and Vlad letting go to dodge around it with some fancy twists and turns.

"Metal Sound!" An ungodly piercing noise comes from the bird's throat, disorienting not just Vlad, but me and the ref as well. Thankfully, a silent message from me has Gligar smack the bird with a second -albeit hasty and half assed- Rock Tomb, effectively interrupting it.

"It's vulnerable!" Vince shouts. "Flash Cannon!"

White silvery energy builds in Skarmory's mouth as it rears back. With yet another screech the maelstrom of power unleashes itself upon the world….and does very little as Vlad gets up the Protect with time to spare.

My eyes dart between the two Pokémon. They're both moderately injured. And yet also both still have plenty of gas in the tank. I think Vlad will come out on top if we keep pushing this, but it might really mess him up for tomorrow.

'I need to do more than just win. I need to think about Day Two.'

With that in mind I should probably retire him for the night. Let someone else finish the Skarmory. Of course this Skarmory's still got a Defense and multiple Speed boosts up, which we're only countering due to our own use of two Agility and double Swords Dance.

Luckily, as I briefly alluded to during the scuffle with Dratini, when it comes to TM use I positively be fiendin'.

"Baton Pass."

"Shit! Pursuit!"

Vince tries to get one last bit of damage in but unfortunately it does really quite little. Pursuit's bonus damage may be triggered by moves like Volt Switch or U-Turn but Baton Pass gets around it. Vlad disappears in an orb of light and his replacement slams into the field in all her ferocious glory.

'As much as I would love to see what K.Rool or Simon could do with some Speed Boosts at their back, there's really only one smart choice here.'

"Ma Ma! Stone Edge!"

"Skarmory! Avoid!"

Great massive chunks of rock are lobbed in the air! Huge hulking things that Ma Ma would never be able to normally launch without a pair of Swords Dances in her system. The injured Steel/Flying type swerves around the first one, ducks beneath the second, veers to the left of the third, but the fourth nails it dead center!

The Pokémon begins to plummet and Vince lurches forward in a panic. "Roost!"

'Ohhh, you shouldn't have done that.'

Roost was a little bit better here than it was in the games. Which probably isn't balanced because it was already fairly competitive beforehand. It doesn't take away the protection of being Flying-type the turn it's used, nor does it make them land. It does however force the flier to be niiice and still though.

Perfect targets for a move that will pull them out of the sky."Smack Down!"

With all of Gligar's gifts empowering her, Ma Ma lands that bird. Returning it to the earth where all things should be.

Ground energy unconsciously suffuses through my system as I see the sight of a Flying-type -the natural antithesis of my aura- being brought low. Flying is representative of freedom. Of unburdenness. Of liberation even. Ground, however, is reality.

"Ma Ma. Bulldoze."

And that, as they say, is that.

---

Route 43, Between Lake of Rage and Mahogany

"So how'd you guys end up doing today?"

Clarissa sighs. "2-1. It's not bad but I'm thinking I might just drop. I wanted to put in a good showing for the Gym but some of these trainers are tough. My team and I are pooped. I don't know if we could handle a second day of this."

I hum thoughtfully. "It'll only be two fights instead of three though," I attempt to persuade her. "And if you win both, mathematically, you should still qualify for the quarter-finals."

"Yeah, I guess." she mutters. "But the matches in Day Two are always tougher. Everyone who ended today at 0-3 or 1-2 are usually gone, which just leaves trainers who've proven they aren't pushovers. The only way I think I can win is if I'm paired against teams as exhausted as I am."

"Hmm." I turn to Ron. "And you?"

He laughs. "Oh, I dropped out after lunch dude. That Meganium swept me my man. There was no coming back from that one. You'd think it had the ability Thick Fat or something by the way it brushed off my Ice."

"Ronald, Meganium can't have Thick Fat." Clarissa looks at him annoyed. "It's Ability is Overgrow or sometimes -very rarely- Leaf Guard."

Ron nods along, hands behind his head. "I know what the books say. I'm just talking."

A vibrating from my pocket gets my focus. It's not my cell phone, it's my other phone.

You know what I mean.

"You guys go on ahead," I stop walking and let the two of them get past me. "I've got to take a leak."

"Ugh, Bradley really?" Clarissa scrunches her face. "In the grass? There's a restroom at the Ranger station in just another mile or so. Can't you hold it?"

"Heyyy," Ron seems offended on my behalf. "When nature calls, nature calls. Ain't nothing a man can do about it." He gives me a nod. "Try to catch up when you're done my dude. We won't be far."

Moving off to the treeline, I give it a minute, maybe minute and a half, and then flip the phone open. A single button push dials the last number and I waste no time with greetings. "Yeah?"

"Ooo testy today aren't ya." Admin Petrel teases from the other side. "Well first, let me congratulate you on making Day Two. Watching you take down the young Blackthorn's Skarmory, well even I was inspired. Remind me never to try and fight you with Honchkrow."

I keep my tone light. "Hoh? So you're up here in Mahogany then? I noticed the souvenir shop seems to finally be up and running."

"Oh Bradley…Bradley Bradley Bradley." He says my name with a certain fondness. Ominous fondness but fondness all the same. "Do you not remember the day we met? I'm Rocket's Master of Disguise. I'm not just in the area, I was the referee in your last match. Now come to the souvenir shop. We've got some expansions we'd like your assistance on. In exchange for some of those foreign soil samples you requested of course.'

With a click the number goes dead and I slide the phone away with a sigh. "Yeah…because the last batch you guys got me from Sinnoh turned out to be such winners." I mutter a bit annoyed.

Well, sounds like I may not be getting a ton of sleep tonight.

At least tomorrow's matches don't start until 10.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 11

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 2

Ashley and Bellsprout won their first battle. But the very next day, Eric and Wooper won their second.

They were both close fights.

'Just a few battles isn't enough!' said Ashley. 'We should have a hundred! And whoever wins the most of those will definitely be the one who's best.'

'I agree!' said Eric. 'Wooper and I will spend one week getting stronger. And you and Bellsprout should get stronger too! Then, we can meet again right here, and find out once and for all, who is the best.'

Eric and Ashley's fights became famous among their friends. Every Saturday night people would gather around to watch them duel.

Time and time again they would battle. And time and time again the winner would change.

This competition was turning out to be tougher than Eric and Ashley had first thought!

One week, after coming back from a loss, Ashley showed up with a brand new Pokémon. A Weepinbell! Her Bellsprout had evolved!

Ashley and her Pokémon won handily that day. They celebrated with a big party. There was cake, and cookies, and lots of yummy treats!

But by the time the very next week rolled around, Eric's Pokémon had changed too!

His Wooper had become a Quagsire.

---

Mahogany Town, underneath the "Souvenir Shop"

I looked over the rock face with a frown. 'This one's gonna be trickier than usual. We'll have to go slow or the whole section may collapse.' Damn it. This job won't be as easy as the one in Goldenrod. I'm going to be here at least a week or two if the blueprints they showed me are any indication.

There are two Grunts and a Scientist acting as my escort. The Grunts I recognize from past work. 'Oily' and 'Unga Bunga' are my mental designation for the pair. 'Oily' got his name because he looks like a rat. A wet yet somehow also unwashed rat. I don't know what product he uses in his hair but he should clearly toss it out and just go with shampoo instead.

'Unga Bunga' is exactly what you're imagining. Huge. Bald. Jacked. The definition of big dull-witted muscle. I don't actually know what Pokémon he has on his belt. I think they might just be the standard Rattata and Zubat that Rocket members get when they sign up. Either way, when one pictures the hypothetical trainer who's too thickheaded to understand how the basic type matchups work, his is the face that comes to mind.

The Scientist is new. Not just to me, but to Team Rocket as well. Most of the expansion that Petrel is having me work on is actually going to be for this new fella's lab. His name is Connors, he's 32, has some sort of PhD in Pokémon status conditions, was recently fired from the League for 'unethical and immoral research practices' and the reason I know all of this is because the man won't shut the fuck up.

"Of course that leads into the next obvious question!" He continues to ramble on. "If a Pokémon can obtain immunity from a toxin due to repeated exposure, does that translate into resistance to Poison-energy across the board or just from the one move? Does mithridatism against a certain Gloom's PoisonPowder also shield from an Ivysaur's? What about other Poison-energy sources? The barbs of a Nidoran or secretions of a Tentacool? Results have proven positively fascinating!"

'You know, cards on the table, the topic he's going on about is actually somewhat interesting. If it was on a piece of paper I would read it. But god, listening to his voice is just so grating.'

"When subject 'Rattata sixteen' was dosed repeatedly with an Oddish's PoisonPowder until immunity was achieved, it also developed a noticeable resistance to both Grimer's Sludge and the fumes of a Koffing. However, when exposed to the Poison-energy of an Oddish imported from abroad, 'Rattata sixteen's physiology reacted as though it had no protection at all. From this fact we can deduce that different regional populations-"

I tune the man out as a trio of Grunts come strolling down the pathway, all fully engrossed in their own conversation. Two of them appear fairly generic but the third has hair that's been distractingly dyed bright flaming red.

"..telling you dude, they're nuts over there!" Red hair states emphatically, his hands gesticulating as he tells the story. "And their leader? Total whackadoo. Gave this speech about 'wiping away the impurities' and the crowd just loved it. Zealotry man, it's a hell of a drug."

"And they really just walk around in public like that?" Grunt #2 asks. "Full regalia? Suits, glasses, hair, the whole thing?"

"Hells yeah!" Red hair confirms. "And a lot of the citizens want to join 'em! It's almost like a state-approved cult. Even one of their Elite Four is a member! But listen! That's not even the most important shit I found out over there. They got these crazy ass stones right-"

The rest falls out of earshot as the trio move along and soon enough my ear is being filled with Dr. Connors jabbering away again.

"And so what if a few Pidgeys and Rattatas died! Nothing but rats-with-wings and rats-without-wings! They're as replaceable as replaceable gets! It's not as though I was trying to kill them. The goal of my work is for them to live. And 'Pidgey twenty-three' ohhh," his hand goes to his chest in academic remorse. "I had such high hopes for her! How was I supposed to know that a Seviper's venom would-"

My hand goes to the rock face again, pushing another pulse of Ground through it as I mentally plan the excavation. We might get a little of the groundwork started tonight -pun not intended- but I won't really be getting moving on this until the weekend's over. 'Those soil samples better be fucking worth it.'

---

Lake of Rage, North of Mahogany Town

"No disrespect sir, but aren't you a little old for this tournament?"

My round four opponent stands across from me in a brown business suit. A thick yet well-maintained silver mustache hangs over his upper lip and a formal trilby-style hat completes the ensemble. A near dead-ringer match for the classic 'Gentleman' trainer class from the early games. "How right you are young man." he responds politely, approaching to give me a handshake. "Carter." he introduces.

"Bradley." I respond, accepting the handshake and…a business card?

"To be honest I'm dreadfully embarrassed about the mixup." the man admits. "I'm on a bit of a personal trip from Hoenn you see. I was looking for a chance to stretch the ol' legs and blow off some steam when I encountered the sign up for this event. It sounded like a good spot of fun! It was only after yesterday's matches concluded that I realized it was designed for the young up-and-comers of Indigo. Quite the Dodrio's Egg on my face wouldn't you say?"

I pocket the card with a bit of a bemused expression. "They didn't let you know when you paid the entry fee?"

Carter huffs. "All the young woman at the counter asked was if I had at least two badges. Well I still have my old Badge case from Hoenn mind you, it lives right here in my breast pocket," He pats his coat. "And after that they just let me jot my name down. I'm not sure the madam even looked to see the Badges weren't local." He turns to the ref. "My deepest apologies for the time wasted, but I'm actually forfeiting this match and dropping from the event. Let young Bradley here take the win. I don't have time to stick around for a full two more days anyhow."

'Oh. Well that was easy.' "What are you doing over here on our side of the pond anyway?"

The gentleman removes his hat as the sun begins to beat down. "Well, as you saw from the card, my brothers and I are Pokémon breeders. Inherited the occupation from our dear old dad. Lately though, we've been trying to break into the TM business. I'm seeking a certain Pokémon to help us get started, but no one I speak to seems to know where to find it! I even sent a very polite missive to your League requesting information, but they didn't even bother with a courteous refusal. Just a complete stonewall!"

My head tilts. "What's the Pokémon? Not chasing down any Legends or myths are we?" I tease.

"Hardly." The man huffs again. "It's a curious little canine that goes by the name of Smeargle. Rumored to be able to replicate any move once it's seen it. The sticky wicket of it all though is that I've traveled every route from Blackthorn to Cianwood and I haven't even encountered a trainer who uses one! My brothers warned me it was known for being rare, but I think this elusive little nipper may truly have bested me."

A nostalgic smile sneaks its way to my face and I turn my face down to hide the chuckle. Just thinking of all the Smeargle strats that pervaded the online community back in my first life, one can't help but feel a little fondness.

'Oh Smeargle, you old rascal you. Lower base stats than a Ledyba and still managed to be one of the most problematic things you could see in an opponents lineup. I'll fight box art Legendaries and Mega-Rayquaza all day, but send out one little art doggo with a Focus Sash and Turn one Spore? Fuck ooooff my dude.' "It doesn't surprise me you missed them. I know where to find Smeargles though."

The man stiffens up, pausing in wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "Smeargles plural?" he asks.

"Smeargles plural." I confirm. 'There's a whole pack of 'em that lives near The Ruins of Alph. It's an annoying area to get to, -have to go through Union cave- but they're there.' I'm a tad embarrassed to admit I spent a little too long in that area while I was on my way to Azalea. I had some..let's call them 'foolish aspirations'..on picking up some easy Poké Fossils by smashing a few rocks open. Sadly, that seems to be one feature from the games that didn't translate over.

Carter perks up brightly…and then comedically slumps. "Truly the whims of Lady Fate are harsh indeed. At last, a lead in my search, but it only comes at the very eve of my journey. If I don't begin heading back towards Olivine by tomorrow morn, I dare say I'll miss my charter home. That's why I cannot stay for the whole tournament you see. My brothers are both capable men…but the business has suffered in my absence."

"No worries." I lean up against a convenient rock on the field. "I've got your card. It'll probably be a month or two before I can swing by the area I know, but when I do I can catch you a few of the Sketch Pokémon. More importantly," My grin turns predatory. "What can you offer me? You and your brothers are breeders right? I'm warning you, I only accept the best."

The Hoenn man puffs up. "And we only provide the best! Not like those dregs you'd find in the wild. Our business is one of pedigree! Carefully tracked genetic lines! Carefully cataloged heights and weights at certain age milestones! Why just in the S's we have Skitty, Slakoth, Spoink, Swablu-"

"Ground-types." I narrow his focus. "What do you have that's Ground?"

Carter suddenly looks unsure. "I can't give you a Marshtomp." he speaks quite seriously, if a bit regretfully. "There's regulations around anything related to our starter trio. And basically every Mudkip we hatch gets earmarked for Professor Birch's lab anyway. Even one's that we would note as 'below-average' by our in-house standards." He seems to turn his head up in thought. "I could offer you a Barboach?" he offers as a compromise. "A big healthy one that could turn into a nice and fat Whiscash. Very strong."

"Baltoy and Trapinch." I counter with. "That's what I'm looking for. Baltoy and Trapinch."

His mustache rustles in consternation. "Desert Pokémon, huh?" Two fingers tap at his chin. "Unfortunately that's one category we don't deal with… althooough never let it be said the breeder community isn't a tight knit bevy. I believe my brother James has a contact who could come up with something." He chortles to himself as an amusing thought strikes him. "Or as the young folk say these days, let's say I know a guy, who knows a guy."

I put forward my hand. "Shake on it?"

"A one for one trade?" he smiles. "Two Smeargles for two desert Pokémon? I do believe so, yes."

"I'll get you extra if you can prepare multiples for me to look at. Even with good genetics as you say, I can be a little particular." 'Understatement of the century there, but it's the most I can say to him at the moment.'

"My dear boy," Carter laughs at the implied challenge. "My business is to peddle Skitty's to spoiled little girls to use in their beauty contests. I believe I'm familiar with particular."

As the gentleman departs I feel the need to ask, "Hey Carter," I turn my head. "If we did have a battle, what Pokémon were you planning to field? And how far did you get in the Hoenn circuit anyway?"

The man grins a bit wistfully. "Well my Altaria seemed a bit much for this event. So I've been using Zangoose, Ludicolo, and Lairon. And I had seven Badges. Never could manage to squeeze out a win for number eight." He bids with his hat. "Until next time then."

'Damn. A Lairon goes down to us pretty easily. Four times weaknesses and all that. Zangoose could've been fun depending on its level. But a both Water and Grass-type Ludicolo? Shit, I think we just dodged a bullet on that one.'

And hey! Bright side of things! Free wins are kinda boring but this does keep us fully fresh for round five. Considering it'll probably my toughest fight to date, I may need to exploit every advantage I can get.

---

"No no no, don't you see?" The Ace Trainer across from me speaks again. "You're undefeated, I'm undefeated. We're both 4-0 right now. If we battle it out, one of our records becomes 4-1 and while that probably makes Top 8 anyway, it's safer just to draw. With four wins, one draw and zero losses, we're both guaranteed to make the cut. Besides, why take the risk of exhausting our teams right? Just save it all for tomorrow."

I take a glance towards the ref who audibly sighs. It seems he's encountered this type of talk before. "Though some feel it is unsporting towards the other competitors, that is in fact how the scoring works." he confirms. "Wins are worth three points, draws are one each, and losses count for zero."

"See!" Ace Trainer Alton grins in victory, perhaps a little too smugly for my taste. "So what do you say?" He extends his hand. "Call it a draw?"

You know, Clarissa warned me that Day Two was supposed to be rougher and yet I didn't send out a single Pokémon.

I feel kinda gypped.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 12

Lake of Rage, Quarterfinals, 2nd match

"OH! And what a stunning knockout!" a voice practically screams over the intercoms. "Despite the type advantage, Victoria's Kingler just can't handle the heat! She's down 1-2 now, with her back against the wall, what Pokémon will she send out next! Is this the end of her rising star?"

"Definitely a tough spot for her, Ted." his co-announcer Lewis chimes in, albeit much more lax. "Though I think she might surprise us yet. She's got a fire in her, that's for sure."

"She'll certainly need it if she hopes to match the flames of this Arcanine! What's this? She's made her choice...she winds it up…and OH! A Golduck takes the field! Will this second Water-type be able to bring it home?"
'You know, if nothing else, at least the announcers are having fun.' I spot a third figure trapped in the box. A certain Ice-type Gym Leader who's sourly watching the match without a word of commentary. 'Well, most of them.'

The first match is already done, with the second one about to wrap up here shortly. I'm slated for up next with my opponent being a portly mountain man named Russel. That's not me playing me with my words either. I mean he literally lives in the mountains south of Blackthorn City.

He is also, in effect, my mirror match.

All the Pokémon we each revealed during the preliminaries are listed next to our profiles up on a big electronic scoreboard. Between his five matches, Russel revealed a full roster, two-thirds of whom -in true Hiker fashion- are Ground-types.

Graveler, Sandslash, Machop, Marowak, an unruly Donphan that I don't think even I would want to mess with, and most amusingly of all…a male Ursaring.

I wouldn't say he's "me but worse" as that's quite rude…but I'll think it. I'll think it reeeaaal loudly.
"WHAT'S THIS! Could it BE?!" the announcer booms. "It is! Victoria and Golduck are popping their Water Gem! If you're in the first row folks, be wary of the splash zone, because this Surf may just be one to remember!"

"A smart move on her play, Ted." Lewis adds. "This Arcanine's already proven its got the speed to dodge more focused moves like Hydro Pump. The question is, how will Trainer Monique respond?"

"Arcanine! Burn Up! Let's blast straight through that wave!"

"Ar! Ar!"

As the heat in the stadium rises several notches I can't help but snort. 'Honestly, a Protect would have served just as fine. It's only the quarterfinals, is this really where you want to be pulling out the big guns?'

These matches aren't like the ones of the previous days. You'll get maybe two hours of recovery time between your first battle ending and the winner standing right there in the arena again for the semi's. Which isn't enough if you spent your first fight firing off Hyper Beams and Fire Blasts. Pokémon recoup their internal energy fairly quickly but not that quickly.

If your goal is to go for the gold you typically want to strike a healthy balance between saving your true heavy hitters for later while also not fielding 'mons so weak in the first round that you get knocked out straight off the bat.

Of course, if all you're after is just a halfway decent prize then 'blowing your load' early on and bullying your way into a Top 4 spot with your three best Pokémon is also something a person could do. That's not exactly a common strategy you'd see a trainer employ, too much pride and all that, but they could do it.

'Speaking of which.' My eyes drift over to the large clothed table that's been set up to the side. Do you recall back when I signed up, the advertisement read that in addition to a large prize pool of money there would also be additional items to be revealed 'later'?

It is now 'later'.

A King's Rock, a Thunderstone, a 10x pack of Max Potions, five random TMs, a Pokéball variety gift basket that has at least eleven or twelve types of balls in it, an extra 30,000 Poké Dollars in cash straight up, the Held Item Light Clay, and finally…a Sun Stone. 'Still as useless as when I saw it in Goldenrod.'

Disbursement of prizes is pretty simple. Eight prizes for eight contestants. The winner picks what they want first. The runner-up picks second. All the way down to eighth who gets the last thing left on the table. 'Personally, I'm hoping to go for the TMs. I'm willing to bet at least two of them are junk but who knows? There might be a diamond hidden in that rough. If I can't get that one though, my second pick would be…I dunno, the cash probably. Nothing wrong with staying flush.'

"Unbelievable! Do my eyes deceive me, that Double-Edge's recoil makes it a double knockout! With a score of 3-2 trainer Monique advances to the semi-finals! Let's give a round of applause for an OUT-standing battle!"

'And there's my cue.' Fifteen or so minutes to reset/clean up the field, an extra five or six to let all the audience members get back from the restroom or the concession stand and then, "Game time."

---

Russel strikes me as a pretty upbeat fellow despite the scraggly beard and roughworn demeanor. Real outdoorsman mixed with a 'world's best dad' type of vibes. A large green backpack is strapped tightly over his shoulders and four Pokéballs a piece are resting within the two arm straps.

Now I know what you're thinking regarding the math on that. So let me be as unequivocally clear about this as possible.

The six Pokémon carry limit? Not a thing.

6v6 is the highest you can get in tournament play. It's the format of the Silver Conference and six is the most you're allowed to bring towards a Gym battle or an Elite Four challenge. This is what is meant by the term 'full roster'. But there's no magical teleportation technology that whisks your captures away to "Bill's PC" or some stabling ranch or whatever just because you happened to catch a seventh or eighth Pokémon.

If you catch it, you're responsible for it. You don't get to foist feeding and caring for it off on some Nurse Joy or a Professor somewhere. If that sounds expensive, sounds like too many mouths to manage, then keep a smaller team. That's what most of the trainers in this world do.

In short, people often never going above six isn't due to some legal limit, but usually a financial one.

"Welcome back folks! For those of you just joining us via radio, my name is 'Call me Ted' Theodore and this is the Johto Mid-Season Summit! Hosted north of Mahogany this year at the absolutely B-E-A-utiful Lake of Rage! I'm joined today in the booth by my longtime partner Lewis and Mr. Ice-Cold, the 'Winter Trainer' himself, Gym Leader Pryce!"

There's an annoyed grunt over the speakers.

"Good introduction there Ted." Lewis takes over. "We're just about to get underway with the third match of the quarterfinals here and there's two faces down on the field of which we're not familiar. Care to tell us who our competitors are?"

"Ab-so-lutely! In the red half of the field we have a native son of Mahogany itself, a once-upon-a-time Gym Trainer who's finally out on his own journey, it's trainer Bradley!" A breath as he shifts over. "And in the blue half we have the jolly giant, some know him as the 'Doorman of Dark Cave', it's mountain man Russel!"

"Should be an exciting match Ted. Now correct me if I'm wrong here, but Bradley's a bit of an unexpected contender here in the Top 8 today. With only four Badges to his name, on paper he's less experienced than his opponents who each have six or seven is that right?"

"How right you are Lewis! Don't be fooled though, trainer Bradley managed to get through the preliminaries without the loss of a single Pokémon! Could it have been dumb luck or is there something more to this young man than meets our eye?"

I focus up, tuning the commentators out as the ref signals with his flags. Russel picks his first ball and I do the same. If I had to bet…I think he's gonna go with Machop. It's either use his only unevolved 'mon right here in the first round or don't use it today at all. Luckily I got a glimpse of the not-so-little guy on one of the video feeds during Day Two. It's got the Hidden Ability Steadfast, boosting its Speed any time it flinches.

Props to the man for finding a rare specimen like that, but it's not going to be terribly relevant against me.

The flag flies down and two Pokéballs fly out! Simon manifests on the field and immediately adopts the new battle stance he's come to favor. Sliding one foot back and holding his two fists up like a boxer. My little man still doesn't like to fight. He'd very much rather just be friends with everyone. He even gets noticeably uncomfortable if he starts to win too hard, as shown by that scrap against the Nidorina outside of Mt. Mortar.

But he will fight. It's something he's seemingly accepted that he has to do sometimes. Part of me feels bad about that. Like I destroyed some small bit of innocence left in the world. Another part tries to rationalize it away under the umbrella of 'we all have to grow up sometime' but I wonder if that's just my inner pessimist taking the wheel.

Golett: Lv. 34
Nature: Docile
Potential: S

On Russel's side there's a…well it's not a Machop. 'I've always been shit at predictions anyway.' But it's not exactly a 'mon that's got me concerned.

Sandslash: Lv. 34
Nature: Calm
Potential: E

'Heh. Been a while since we've had a fight where the levels match up.'

This may be off topic but, I do feel some modicum of pity for low potential Pokémon who get picked up by trainers. If my thoughts on rank affecting growth speed are true then they probably have to work their asses off just to keep up. Whereas if instead they had just remained out in the wild, they could have had a peaceful -albeit ordinary- life without all that struggle. 'Maybe someday I'll meet a 'Rock Lee' type who will blow my preconceived notions out of the water and I'll be subject to the receiving end of some righteous comeuppance. But until that happens…winning tournaments just isn't in the cards for Pokémon like this.'

There's a large amount of chatter among the crowd at Simon's appearance. Almost no one recognizes him for what he is. Even the bombastic overly-energetic announcer is shouting out the iconic line of 'WHO'S THAT POKÉMON?', though I'd put money on the table that that 'ignorance' is just a part of the character he's playing.

Russel doesn't recognize Golett, that's for sure. He's scanning it up and down trying to deduce it's typing.

If Vlad were out, this would be a beautiful opportunity to get a free setup move in while the enemy trainer's confused. Unfortunately Simon seems to have a rule about not going first. Another little compromise he's made inside his mind regarding this 'fighting' thing.

Golett's aren't terribly fast anyway, so I'll allow it.

For now.

Russel finally seems to shake it off. "Sandslash, Dig!"

'Ooph. And a major misplay right off the cuff!' "Simon! Magnitude!"

My opponent's eyes widen at his error. "Sandslash, reverse!" He tries to order but it's too late. "Gol!" Simon smashes down into the ground with one fist, sending a ring of Ground energy rumbling out under the arena.

There's a pained mewl from the Sandslash as it almost makes it back out but instead of celebrating the double-damage I click my tongue. 'Tch. Only Magnitude 6? With a better roll we could've cleaned this up in one shot.'

"Might not be a Rock-type then.." I catch Russel mouthing under his breath. "Defense Curl into a Rollout!" An injured Sandslash leaps from the same hole previously dug and immediately curls into a spiky brown ball.

'Hoh hoh? He was making a guess that Simon was Ghost/Rock?' Sorry friend, you were close but no dice. Do let me know if you find one though. "Iron Defense Simon! Then catch that Pokémon!"

"Gol!" A suped up Rollout begins tearing across the field, tearing up rocks and dust as it does so, and Simon bends his knees like a wrestler waiting for impact.

"Bounce up!" Sandslash goes airborne a few meters before the collision, going from a straightforward spiky brown death ball to now a falling one. Gotta get that gravity on your side you know?

"Simon! Coat your hands! Like we practiced!" Twin Ice Punches frost over Golett's palms at the last second and then its a small maelstrom of different energies as the meeting finally happens.

Ice is Super-effective on Ground. But Sandslash is currently covered in a layer of Curl enhanced Rock energy which is Super-effective on Ice. However, Rock is also not very effective against the Steel energy of Golett's Iron Defense nor the intrinsic Ground-type Simon is beneath it.

Who knows what'll happen?

"Gol.." Simon mutters as he takes a step back.

"You've got 150 lbs on him Simon! He's got the momentum, but you've got the weight! Just hold it!"

Sure enough, the spiky ball begins to slow and both me and Russel see the chance to move. "Mega Punch center mass!/ Sandslash, switch into Drill Run!"

Sandslash goes bouncing back like a punted pinball at the same time Simon goes sliding on his feet, one hand cradling the swirl on his stomach where Russel's Pokémon tried to dig in with its claws.

My little man is the first of the two to recover though.

"Simon! Night Shade! Finish it off long range!"

"Gol! Gol!" His hands jut forward, building up waves of ethereal Ghost-energy that travels outward just as Sandslash gets to his feet.

"Set up a Stealth Rock!"

Pointed stones take up position around the field even as the heavily beat Sandslash finally taps out. 'A little parting gift for my next Pokémon huh? Guess he knew Sandslash wasn't winning this one. The Magnitude at the beginning set him behind too much.'

Let's see. He won't use the Machop now, I'm certain that window is past. Graveler is likely out too considering what I've demonstrated. If he pulls out that bruiser of a Donphan I'll probably be forced to switch but considering that's his ace I think it's more likely he goes for- "Marowak! Time to pick up some slack!"

Marowak: Lv. 38
Nature: Impish
Potential: C-

"Bonemerang!"

I click my teeth. 'Damn! No wasting time eh?' "Sink into the earth to dodge! We need to get closer!"

Strictly speaking, this is a hella risky play, but I'm going to gamble that this Marowak can't punish us with Earthquake. It's one of the few Ground-types out there that can't naturally learn it and the TM for that one in particular is expensive. I'm talking go down to one kidney expensive. Trust me I would know. There's a reason the best Ma Ma has right now is Bulldoze.

Leaning into his Ghost-type, Simon sinks straight through the floor and the tossed club twirls straight through where he was just standing. The club that I'm just now realizing is unusually large for a Marowak.

'Aww fuck. I really have no idea how Thick Club works as a Held item in this world. It's such a niche thing I never looked into it!' Does it even count as a Held Item? What if you caught your Cubone/Marowak in the wild and it already had it? Would you even need or think to register it as your 'one' per round? Everyone already expects Marowak to be holding a bone.

The weapon boomerangs back into its owner's grip and Russel jumps into action. "Marowak, Focus Energy! Be ready for it!"

"Rise Simon! Recover with Drain Punch!" Golett phases through the ground in a way something only of his dual-type could and nails the Bone Keeper Pokémon right in the stomach! The enemy Ground-type gets launched back but for some reason Russel grins.

"Fling!"

Dark-type energy coats the heavy bone in Marowak's hand with a pitch black aura and it launches it like a throwing axe straight into Golett's face. Simon cries out from the direct high power Super-effective blow and goes ragdolling. Tumbling and sliding over the dirt before landing face-down almost all the way back to me. The bond floods with pain and distress and I can tell that hurt worse than anything Vlad's ever put him through.

Meanwhile the twirling bone reloads itself right back into Marowak's grip before she even hits the ground.

What. The. Fuck.

That's not how that move's supposed to work.

'Looks like another entry for the books on things that are different! And I can't even be sure if this is just a unique circumstance of combining Marowak with Fling or if it works that way every time!' I eye Simon in concern as he unsteadily pushes himself up. 'Shit. I think if we didn't have the Iron Defense up that would've knocked him straight out. It's lucky we connected the Drain Punch.'

"Bonemerang again! It's almost down!" With a shout of its name Marowak launches its weapon again, the item cutting through the air in wild circles.

'Time to gamble.' "Simon, use Astonish! Target the bone midair!" A smack of Ghost-energy, not terribly strong, but so fast it's near invisible to the human eye nicks the bulbous end, throwing the club just a bit off course.

"Charge in! Rollout to get there faster!" Simon tucks in, accelerating towards Marowak at a speed a bit quicker than his stubby legs would normally be able to take him.

"Detect! And then reload!" A spark of precognition gleams in the Ground-type's eye as Golett approaches. The wayward bone comes back on its return arc and embeds itself like an arrow in the earth a meter or two to Marowak's left.

"Maro!" The Pokémon sails over Simon, hopping past him like a game character over a barrel and goes for its signature item.

"Break now Simon!" Golett pops out of his ball and pivots. "Ice Hammer!"

Marowak's hand grips the club. "Brutal Swing!"

I do the math in my head as forces collide.

Ice Hammer, no STAB, power of 100. Plus 20% for Iron Fist and then doubled for Super-effective. End result: 240.

Brutal Swing, no STAB, power of 60. Doubled for Super-effective and then potentially doubled again for Thick Club. End result: 240.

A tie.

Only Marowak's base stats are a little bit better.

And Golett is way more hurt.

Simon, my beautiful little boy, manages to shoot me a thumbs up after he slides away…and then promptly passes out. Having done just about everything he could.

I raise my ball to recall him...when I notice the ref hasn't raised the flag yet.

His eyes, as well as everyone else's, are on Marowak. A massive freezer burn is spread over her left side and she's got her bone death gripped in her right, using it as a cane to stand.

'Ah, he's waiting to see if he needs to call it a double-knockout.'

Russel takes the decision away when he loudly sighs. "Man, Ghost types are rough to deal with." he mutters. "Difficult to be versatile when so many of our moves are Normal or Fighting. Hey ref," he gets louder. "I'm recalling Marowak. She's done."

The referee nods and two flags go up. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! The score is 1-2 in favor of the red corner! Both trainers, select your next Pokémon and release on my mark! Four…three…two…one…Mark!"

Twin identical columns of light. Twin thumps of paws hitting the arena floor and twin roars as Ma Ma and her male counterpart hit the field at the same time. A small barrage of Stealth Rocks hone in on my side but my girl doesn't even flinch. She takes the chip damage without a huff of annoyance or even a sign that she felt it.

Ursaring: Lv. 43
Nature: Naive
Potential: B

Ursaring: Lv. 58
Nature: Serious
Potential: A

'Ha! Now that's fuckin' funny. No Donphan huh? I know it's smart to want to keep your gold saved for later but when you're down cleanly 1-2, you don't send out your silver medalist. You got to play the best card you got.'

I'm about to issue the order for Ma Ma to tear this lesser bear a new one…when I notice something odd happening on the field.

Russel's Pokémon is seemingly having a full blown panic attack. Sweat is pouring down its face in rivulets and it's backpedaling away from the center.

From through the bond with Ma Ma I feel…familiarity…amusement...and ardor?

Oh ohhhhhh shit. I think these grizzlies know each other. What did the announcer say Russel's sometimes known as? The 'Doorman of Dark Cave'? 'That WAS the place where I caught her. But that's one hell of a coincidence though.'

More concerning than that, based on the feelings I'm getting from Ma Ma I think…oh boy…I think she…I think Ma Ma used to dominate this bear. If you can catch what I'm putting down. Please don't make me explain it.

Ma Ma grins with a mouth full of teeth and blows a kiss to the male Ursaring across the way who promptly…oh christ almighty…who promptly sits down on the field, faces away from her and hugs his own knees to his chest.

I...don't know how to handle this.

Russel argues with his own Ursaring for a moment. There's a lot of talking, pointing, and objecting from both but eventually he turns to the referee with his mouth in a thin line. "My Pokémon cannot fight this opponent. May I swap out for another?"

I almost speak up, saying I'm fine with it if he wants to do so but the ref shakes his head in a very firm negative. "My apologies. The rules are fairly ironclad on this. The moment you sent out your third Pokémon, your choice was locked in. To give you a chance to switch to a fourth, after seeing the selection Trainer Bradley made, would provide you with an unfair advantage."

Russel looks at me with resignation in his face.

"Uhh…Good Game?" I try weakly.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 13

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 3

Weeks turned to months turned to seasons turned to years.

Eric and Ashley went beyond their hundred battles. Every time they got close to figuring out a winner the tables would turn and the other one would start to stand on top.

The local Gym Leader encouraged Eric and Ashley to each go on a journey. To fight other trainers, to visit other places and catch other Pokémon! Why, Quagsire and Weepinbell were already each tough enough to fight the Gym's strongest battlers! And they would win too!

The Gym Leader said that they were both already 'the best'.

Eric and Ashley disagreed.

'There can only be one best'. Said both Eric and Ashley.

Besides, Ashley and Eric didn't want to compete against other trainers. They didn't want to bother with Badges or journeys or training other Pokémon.

Eric only had eyes for beating Ashley.

And Ashley only had eyes for beating Eric.

One night, there was a new person in the crowd watching their fight. Someone neither Ashley nor Eric recognized as being from Violet City.

He introduced himself as Bradley.

---

Lake of Rage, Semifinal Round

I am become error.

No seriously, I think I've goofed up.

I should have pulled Bubbles out of the reserve for a few days to give me one more viable team member for this tournament.

Yeah, the big boy's gotten fat and lazy. He's definitely out of shape. But he still would've been a Mamoswine. I could've used him.

Because if this keeps up then I'm gonna be straight cooked in regards to options going into the finals.

"Bullet Punch! / Brick Break!" Ma Ma and the Lv. 52 Scizor clash again, smashing into each other and both refusing to give an inch. To make matters worse the Steel/Bug Pokémon has both a beneficial Nature and I'm pretty certain the Ability Technician.

Ma Ma will not be getting out of this unscathed.

From across the field, Ace Trainer Alton -the same individual who convinced me to draw in round five- stands there cool as a cucumber. Not a worry in the world or a drip of sweat on his brow.

"Scizor! Break off and go into U-Turn!"

'Damn! If only the Ursaring family could learn Pursuit!' "Use the opening to Bulk Up!"

A speeding ball of Bug-energy smashes into Ma Ma even as her muscles swell, boosting both offense and defense. The Scizor disappears back into its cage and a new Pokémon dances onto the field, hopping back and forth, keeping itself loose.

Hitmontop: Lv. 46
Nature: Careful
Potential: B+

I work at my jaw. Fuck. Another contender we have to take seriously. Luckily Intimidate doesn't trigger but that doesn't tell me much. That Ability has a limitation in this world where it doesn't seem to work on opponents at least 10 levels higher. Of course, the absence of anything happening could also just mean this Fighting-type has Technician too which could be really bad.

"Triple Kick!"

"Ma Ma, Play Rough!"

Hitmontop flips over onto its head and begins accelerating across the field like a whirlwind, its form disappearing into just a spinning brown & blue vortex. Meanwhile Ma Ma preps another move she's been working on with…middling results.

Fairy-energy is ephemeral. It's nebulous. It's dreams and sparkles and fugitive fancy. Very different from working with Ground whose main characteristic is being firm. Ma Ma's tried her best to get the technique under her command but it's been slow baby steps to success rather than leaps.

The end result right now is claws shining in Normal energy with perhaps a few bits of Fairy mixed in.

She gives as good as she's got, accepting multiple blows to strike back with what she can but it's clear she's no longer fresh from duking it out with Scizor.

"Take a breather Ma Ma!" I snap up her ball to return her. 'I need to force an opening for her to Rest! But I can't do it against a Hitmontop! Even with Chesto, we might end up taking a Close Combat to the face!' "Vlad, move in!"

"Gligar!" he announces, swooping into the field.

I sweep my arm out. "Acrobatics! Take him down in one shot!"

"Hitmontop, play defensive with Ice Spinner!"

"Hit! Hitmon!" The Fighting-type spins up again, turning into a wintery tornado that throws off ice crystals as it spirals.

"Vlad! Abort! Pull up high!" 'Ice Spinner? Fuck, I don't know that one either! How many times am I going to be punished for only having cursory knowledge of the Generations past VII? We can't get hit by a 4x effective move of unknown power! "Start setting up! Agility!"

"Baton Pass!" Alton orders. He's got no bonuses to gift but using BP is technically a little faster than just doing a normal switch out. 'This would've been a good fight to set up some entry hazards.'

Alton's third Pokémon enters play and immediately sticks its tongue out while raising its little yellow hands high. Storm clouds begin to gather overhead and I curse under my breath.

'Of fucking course. A Politoed with Drizzle. Where in the fuck did he get that?'

Politoed: Lv. 46
Nature: Quirky
Potential: B-

'And it's just as tough as the Hitmontop! There's no opening to use K.Rool in this fight! If I can't get it done with Vlad and Ma Ma then we're finished!'

Also, bonus points in the bad news category. There's a certain hierarchy to weather effects. I can't just call up a Sandstorm and make the rain go away. In this scenario, Wet beats Dry.

"Hydro Pump!" Alton practically roars and his frog wastes no time. With a deep breath its cheek sacs begin bloating up. Stretching to comical proportions.

Vlad signals he's done boosting. "Evade! Get Toxic when you can!"

"Quick Bursts Politoed!" Alton steps forward. "Shoot it down!"

Rather than one massive blast of blue, Politoed manages his water inventory in a way I've never encountered before. Spraying out smaller sniper shots, trying to clip one of Gligar's wings like a turret gunner against a plane.

Vlad is nothing if not an expert though. Completely unbothered by the rain he swerves and swishes. Even throwing in a Double-Team of his own accord after a near miss. "Gli!" Nasty purple sludge ejects from his tail as he flies by -and though Politoed intercepts it with a shot of Water- some of the malignant gunk still manages to splash Alton's Pokémon along it's upper torso.

"Hyper Voice!" Vlad's too close to do anything about this one. With a cacophonous croak, sound waves from Politoed slam into Gligar, sending him spinning out. "Follow with Weather Ball!"

A swirling blue orb shoots into the sky away from view and the hairs stick up on my neck. 'A delayed attack? That's not how Weath- Shit, he's gonna pincer us!' "Protect!"

"Hydro Pump! Full blast!" From within its gut a positively prodigious amount of Water sprays forth from Politoed, slamming into Gligar's protective dome and actually carting it away with Vlad trapped inside. The back of Vlad's barrier grinds against the safety field emanating from the League's equipment and I can feel my main man dig deep to hold the Protect firm.

Both moves die away, with Politoed actually breathing a little heavy from the effort put in and Gligar with sweat on his face. '!' I try to warn him but there's no time. The Super-effective Weather Ball slams down into the top of Vlad's head on its return trip and the scorpion-bat gets hammered into the mud.

'Their mistake.' I bolster Vlad with what aura I can through the link. 'Gligar can KO lesser opponents with Earthquake without ever leaving the sky. Now see what happens when you force him to the ground!'

"FISSURE!"

A lesson in Ground-type energy for the crowd at home. Magnitude, Earthquake, and Fissure are all really variations of the same move, just at different levels of skill. Magnitude is a move that Ground-types learn first. It's wild. It's a bit uncontrolled. Young Pokémon aren't the best at regulating their internal energy. When they send out a Magnitude sometimes they send out too much…or sometimes really not enough at all.

As they get better at it, those extremes on the end of the bell curve disappear. You stop seeing Magnitude 4 and 10. Then you stop seeing Magnitude 5 followed by 9. Eventually the move just 'evolves' you see. Magnitude becomes Earthquake. Consistent power, consistent range, consistent spread.

At least, this is what I've managed to observe in how young Ground-types develop. I can't speak on the subject of other 'mons who naturally get access to TM26.

Fissure is one more step forward. Maybe two. Take away the spread, take away some of the range. Take aaaaall that power and send it to One Spot.

It's harder to do than you're imagining.

It's probably why the accuracy is so shit in-game. Hell, Vlad's a god's damned prodigy and even he misses with it half the time.

Unless.

Unless he's got line of sight and those two pincers stuck straight in the ground.

"OH!" The announcer registers in my ears again. "IT'S A ONE-HIT KO!"

"Politoed is unable to battle! The score is 1-0!" The blue flag goes up. "Trainer Alton, please release your next Pokémon!"

I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding. 'Holy jeezus. One down.' There's a dull roar of the crowd cheering but honestly I can barely hear it over the heartbeat thundering in my ears.

Scizor reenters play and his owner doesn't dawdle. "It's low! Finish with Metal Claw!"

Without Politoed present, the rain is already starting to taper off. A note I'll have to remember about the real life differences between Drizzle and a proper Rain Dance. "Fire Fang! Hottest you got!"

I know it's pretty universally agreed upon that Scizor is better than Scyther. But in this moment I am thanking god that the evolution loses about forty points in Speed.

An exhausted Vlad springs himself at Scizor right as the metal bug gets in range. Glowing red fangs sink into his opponent near the same time the Technician Metal Claw gets him in the gut.

I have every faith in the world in Vlad…but I know that that's going to be his parting shot. Summoning up a Fissure after the direct hit he was struck with? I can't ask him for anything more.

This time it's the red flag raising high. "Gligar is unable to battle! The score is tied at 1-1! Trainer Bradley, please release your next Pokémon!"

'You did good buddy.' I do my best to tell the fallen warrior, returning him to the ball he rarely lives in. 'You did great.' Off on the field Scizor is cradling one of his arms where the metal is still sizzling. 'And you even got the Burn.'

Of course, Scizor has to go and ruin that by revealing a Lum Berry was hidden in the right claw, but at least we can say the one Held Item is out of the way.

"Ma Ma!" I deliberately throw the ball as far from the Scizor as possible. "This is our chance!" The tower of light manifests the queen grizzly onto the scene absent her usual characteristic roar. She's so quick about moving into Rest that to the untrained eye it looks like she came out already asleep.

"It's asleep! Use this chance to Swords Dance!"

"Ma Ma, use Yawn!"

Alton gets genuinely taken aback for the first time in the fight. "What?!" A wispy cloud of energy sweeps into Scizor's face right as its boosting move ends. "How did- Shit! They're using a Lum Berry too!"

'Well, no. But he's got the right idea.' "Stall tactics Ma Ma! Scary Face!"

"Close that distance NOW! Bullet Punch!"

Scizor explodes across the field, a stream of white power trailing at his back…and then he falls to half-speed as he crosses the center chalk line.

You know what comes next. It's obvious. We all know its name. One of the most popular competitive moves of all time. Say it with me. "Protect!"

Scizor's Bullet Punch is stopped cold by the barrier and Alton looks a bit panicked. "Hit it again! X-Scissor!"

"Catch its claws at the wrist!" Normally one wouldn't be able to pull that off. Only a viable option at a collision of coincidences such as this. 'Two Pokémon already in close quarters. The attacker at half-speed and its eyes starting to droop as Yawn finally does its job. You have to be ready for anything.'

The Bug-energy fades from Scizor's pincers as it loses the fight to stay awake and I grin. "Now piledrive it with Seismic Toss!"

"Ursa!" Brown arms circle the Steel-type at its waist. "RING!" And with an impressive twist Ma Ma embeds her enemy upside-down into the dirt, getting its legs to stick straight out of the ground like something from a cartoon.

Legs that begin to flail as that definitely woke it the fuck up.

"Finish with Bulldoze!" Ma Ma angrily stomps at the earth, pummeling the half-submerged Scizor again and again and again and again until Alton signals he's withdrawing the 'mon.

'Two down. Which only leaves-'

Hitmontop spins into the field and Alton steps forward angrily. "Close Combat! Hit it until it goes down!"

He's not the only one who can break out the big moves. "Thrash, Ma Ma! We need the STAB!"

Both Pokémon crash into each other and it's clear all strategy has been thrown out the window. There's no clever tricks or traps or anything hidden about what's going on.

This is just a straight up slugfest of two powerhouses beating the shit out of each other.

"We've beaten plenty of other Ursaring before." Alton speaks, sweat sliding down his brow, a manic grin in place.

I push what aura I can towards Ma Ma, not that it does much when she's not using a Ground move. A minor boost to Defense. 5% maybe. "Ma Ma's not other Ursaring."

Alton chuckles once at that. "Guess it's a good thing we did that draw after all."

A burst of displaced air sees Ma Ma ejected from the scuffle, getting thrown back to land on all fours like an actual bear. The scuffed and scraped Hitmontop drops to its hands and knees, panting like its just run a marathon.

The Thrash is still going.

Ursaring roars and charges in again, switching from four legs to two mid-stride. Absolutely refusing to give in.

"Reversal!"

I wish it were different. I wish I could say we had the grit and the stamina to take Super-effective move after Super-effective move and just push through it. We've got him beat by 12 levels. There's lots of wiggle room we have to work with.

But everyone has their breaking point. And Reversal gets stronger the lower the user's HP is.

"Ursaring is unable to battle! The score is 2-2! Trainer Bradley, release your final Pokémon!"

For all the heart pumping panic this match brought, with its fast-paced decisions, multiple switch outs, all the mistakes and successes from both parties, one might expect it to have a satisfactory ending. A climax appropriate for its significance. The first time ever that I've lost both Vlad and Ma Ma to a knockout.

But you'd be wrong.

The Hitmontop was so exhausted, so unbelievably done, that Krokorok cleaned him up easy. Dig into Hone Claws. Same as we've done so many times before. The difference in levels didn't matter. Alton's Pokémon could barely stand, let alone dodge.

Ma Ma lost the battle but she won us the war.

'But seriously…what the fuck am I supposed to do in the finals?'

At Bradley's belt, a Moon Ball rumbles lightly.

 

[Moran]

Bradley's Pokémon (as of Chapter 17) Some content contain spoilers. Read at your own risk​

On hand

VLAD / Gligar, Lv. 54

Gligar
Gender: Male
Ability: ????
Nature: Adamant
Potential: A
Met: Mountain range near Blackthorn City, JOHTO
Debut: Chapter 1
Known moves:

• Taunt
• Agility
• Swords Dance
• Mud-Slap
• Sandstorm
• Crabhammer
• Metal Claw
• Sand Attack
• Protect
• Thunder Fang
• Fire Fang
• Acrobatics
• Baton Pass
• Toxic
• Fissure
• (TM) Sunny Day

MA MA / Ursaring, Lv. 58

Ursaring
Gender: Female
Ability: Guts
Nature: Serious
Potential: A
Met: Dark Cave, JOHTO
Debut: Chapter 2
Known moves:

• Scary Face
• Rest
• High Horsepower
• Bulldoze
• Dig
• Smack Down
• Stone Edge
• (TM) Facade
• (TM) Brick Break
• (TM) Bulk Up
• Play Rough
• Yawn
• Protect
• Seismic Toss
• Thrash
• (TM) Trailblaze

GRUNDY / Alpha Nidoking, Lv. 70

Nidoran > Nidorino > Nidoking
Gender: Male
Ability: Sheer Force
Nature: Bold
Potential: C > ?? > B
Met: ????
Debut: Chapter 7
Known moves:

• (TM) Ice Beam
• (TM) Thunderbolt
• (TM) Flamethrower
• Sludge Wave
• (TM) Focus Blast
• (TM) Shadow Ball
• (TM) Brick Break
• Earth Power
• (TM) Iron Tail
• (TM) Roar
• Hyper Beam

K. ROOL / Krokorok, Lv. 34

Sandile > Krokorok
Gender: Male
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Impish
Potential: B+ > A-
Met: Desert Resort, UNOVA
Debut: Chapter 1
Known moves:

• Hone Claws
• Sandstorm
• Dig
• Crunch
• Protect
• Scary Face
• (TM) Dark Pulse
• Toxic
• Payback
• Sand Tomb
• Foul Play
• Power Trip
• Assurance
• Snarl
• Swagger
• Earthquake

SIMON / Golett, Lv. 36

Golett
Gender: Genderless (referred as male)
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Timid > Docile
Potential: S
Met: ???, UNOVA
Debut: Chapter 3
Known moves:

• Iron Defence
• Shadow Punch
• Night Shade
• Magnitude
• Thunder Punch
• Ice Punch
• Ice Hammer
• Dig
• Mega Punch
• Rollout
• Astonish
• Dynamic Punch

Quagsire, Lv. ??

Gender: Male
Ability: ????
Nature: ????
Potential: ????
Met: Violet City, JOHTO
Debut: Chapter 9 (flashback)
Known moves:

• Amnesia

BUBBLES JUNIOR / Swinub, Lv. 14

Swinub
Gender: Male
Ability: ????
Nature: Jolly
Potential: A-
Met: Given; Mahogany Town Breeding Reserve, JOHTO
Debut: Chapter 8
Known moves:

• Mud Slap
• Powdered Snow
• (TM) Dig

At Mahogany Town Breeding Reserve

BUBBLES / Mamoswine, Lv. 58 (Retired)

Swinub > Poliswine > Mamoswine
Gender: Male
Ability: ????
Nature: ????
Potential: D- > D? > C-
Met: Given; Mahogany Town, JOHTO
Debut: Chapter 8
Known moves:

• Ancient Power

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 14

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 4

Bradley was having some trouble with one of his Pokémon. An unusually large and most unruly Nidorino.

He asked Eric and Ashley for some help in training it. Nidorino was too rowdy to play with other Pokémon, but Bradley said Quagsire and Weepinbell looked 'strong enough' to help him out.

Eric and Ashley agreed.

Just because they didn't want to go on a journey, didn't mean they wouldn't help out someone in need!

Bradley and Nidorino stayed for many weeks. Quagsire and Weepinbell were pushed to be even stronger from sparring against the new foe!

And from his losses, Nidorino grew a little less unruly! A little more willing to listen.

It was a good few weeks! Positive for everyone involved.

In thanks for all their help, Bradley gave away a gift to each of his new friends.

Eric and Quagsire received a Muscle Band. A special Held Item that boosted physical power by up to 10%!

Eric said thank you to Bradley, but declined that he would use it. They wanted no tricks in proving he and Quagsire were the 'best'.

To Ashley and Weepinbell, he gave a Leaf Stone.

'I found this a few months ago.' Bradley said. 'It's no use much to me. But you can use it to evolve your Weepinbell!'

The next day, Victreebell and Quagsire's first battle was a disaster. Never before had Eric and Quagsire been defeated so badly.

---

Lake of Rage, Finals Match

'Well… I guess that's that then.'

"Krokorok is unable to battle! The score is 1-0 in favor of Ranger Madison!"

I cashed in a favor with Ron and Clarissa to send them running down to the reserve to try and pick up Bubbles for me right after the match with Alton. Theoretically it's a trip you can make in an hour if you hustle. Then one hour back, and maybe they could hand me my 'mon before the Finals got going.

They didn't make it.

Maybe there was a delay, or some sort of hiccup, or who knows what, but the reason is irrelevant. The end result is the same. They didn't make it.

Truth be told, it probably wouldn't have done any good though.

My opposing Mid-Season Finalist is basically a 'ringer'. She got her first six Badges over five years ago and then went on a half decade hiatus to work with the Rangers Association. That's why the announcer called her 'Ranger Madison' rather than 'Trainer'. It's a title you get to keep even after you retire. Like 'Senator', or 'Your Honor', shit like that.

Now she's returned to the circuit to finish out her set of eight and play as a major contender in this year's Conference.

Like fuck man, she's even got sponsors and shit.

Meganium: Lv. 55
Nature: Mild
Potential: A

I pulled out every trick I could with K.Rool. My boy worked hard trying to last in this uphill battle. We even managed to get one or two nice hits in. But against an opponent like this? A power disparity like this?

As the great Avon Barksdale once said, 'You've only got to fuck up once. Be a little slow…be a little late. Just once.'

And it's over.

The referee glances over a bit impatiently. "Trainer Bradley, your next Pokémon please."

My hand drifts towards the concede button on my podium. Simon's awake again, but he's not at 100%. Hell, even if he were, I can't send him out against a Meganium that's got more than 20 levels on him. He'd be a lamb before the slaughter.

For not the first time today the Moon Ball vibrates at my belt. This time more aggressively than previous. Grundy's awake. He wants to play…and lord the temptation is there to let him.

'Maybe..maybe it'll be okay.' I try to rationalize the decision. 'Madison's Pokémon seem pretty tough. They'd have to be to be part of the Rangers for five years. And this is the level we'll probably have to send him against in six months anyhow. Grundy's not holding the Life Orb right now so…yeah. It might be fine.'

"Trainer Bradley!" The judge has turned my way. "I am issuing you a warning for slow play. Select your next Pokémon or you will be penalized!"

From across the arena, Ranger Madison mouths something to one of her corporate hanger-ons in the front row and the two share a small laugh.

'Fuck it.'

I rip the ball out of its holder and chuck it onto the field. Savage carnivorous delight thrums along the bond and I begin reinforcing it immediately. Grasping onto it tightly like a thick chain leash. 'Not today.' I swear to myself. We will have no incidents today.

In every Pokémon Center of every town in Indigo there is at least one public use computer that can connect to the Poké Net. On that Poké Net, among other things, there is a public Pokédex for Trainers to peruse, read, and take notes from. A catalog of findings that have been published by various researchers, ranchers, rangers, and the Pokémon Professors over the years.

According to that database, the average Nidoking's height after fully grown is 1.6 meters with a weight of approximately 71 kilograms. If you would prefer those in imperial units, that's 5 ft 3''and 157 lbs respectively. Roughly speaking.

Grundy's height is just about a 250% jump on that. 4.2 meters when he stands at his straightest and isn't hunched over and looming. Maybe a centimeter or two smaller.

And I don't have the slightest fucking idea how much he weighs.

Nidoking: Lv. 70
Nature: Bold
Potential: B

"SKRREEEE-!"

People flinch in their seats as the miniature kaiju shrieks in battle fervor upon his entry. The referee and announcers box does too. He's a monster more fit for the ecosystem of Skull Island than the Pokémon world. His eyes squint a little from the Sunny Day Meganium still has set up from earlier, but beyond that he's ready to fucking rumble.

I can see it in Madison's face. The recognition. The panic. She was a Ranger. She's no doubt seen Alpha's before. Or at least read reports. Wild, untamed kings that brought destruction wherever they wandered. Carving out tiny fiefdoms, disrupting the natural environment until someone -or more usually a group of someones- brought them low.

Though unlike the primal, possibly frenzied specimens she's encountered in the past…this one's got training and a library of TMs at his back.

"SOLARBEAM!" she shouts. Meganium's petals explode with vibrancy. Gathering sun in record time due to their previous setup and with a jutting of its long neck, a ray of green and orange power erupts from the Johto Grass-starter, tearing across the field like a living cyclone!

Grundy and I both take a step forward in sync. Our mouths opening wide together at the same time. "Flamethrower!"

Do you mind if I make a confession real quick?

It's a little cringe to say it aloud but…. I've always wanted to see an 'anime beam struggle' in person.

Wouldn't that be cool? Two Sunny Day boosted streams of energy meeting in the middle, vying for dominance, first one's winning, then the other's winning, back and forth back and forth, it'd be sick.

I've always wanted to get that checked off the bucket list. Ever since I woke up in this world.

I'll just have to keep waiting on it though.

Because the Fire-energy in Grundy's Flamethrower ate through that Solarbeam like it wasn't even there.

"ENDURE!"

I cock my head a little to the side. 'No Protect? Not even Light Screen? You've got a Special Defensive Nature already, Light Screen wouldn't be the worst. But Endure?'

The flames clear, revealing a plant dinosaur that is scorched. Cartoonishly blackened in soot much in the same manner that Ash used to be burned by his Charizard. Only instead of being played for laughs as a gag, this Pokémon is hurt. Its leaves flutter as it goes into Synthesis without orders and a small bit of life does return into its colors.

And then it collapses.

There is not a whisper in the stadium. Absolutely everyone is hushed quiet.

Except Grundy. He seems to be laughing.

The Alpha strides forward of his own regard, approaching the downed Pokémon with a sadistic grin and I yank back on his chain! 'Hold Grundy! Hold!' I demand through the connection. 'God damnit! One move -one fucking move!- and I went too far already! Why didn't I go for Ice Beam! The Sunny Day more than made up for the lack of Life Orb.'

Grundy side-eyes me a bit from the yield order but obeys without making a fuss. He instead puts his energy into rhythmically stomping his foot on the stadium floor. A little hype routine we've cooked up that helps him keep his urges idle.

~Caught him on a Tuesday~ Stomp! Stomp! ~Nidorino on a Wednesday~ Stomp! Stomp!

I notice some movement in the crowd. Psychic-type Pokémon are being deployed throughout the stands. Mostly Drowzee and Hypno. One or two oddballs in the form of Espeon or Mr. Mime. An extra layer of protection should the safety equipment fail.

Though whether these 'mon belong to League security officers or private citizens I cannot say. Most likely a mix of mostly the former with a tiny splash of the latter.

Madison's next Pokémon enters the ring -after handing Meganium off to an aide- and there's an almost poetic nature in the choice. It's one of my favorites. There's no defensive tank I liked better back in the day. Another Pokémon that evolves from a Moon Stone.

Clefable: Lv. 54
Nature: Calm
Potential: A-

Instead of immediately attacking again, I try to temper my options. 'We can't use Sludge Wave. With Clefable's revision to Fairy-type we might actually legitimately kill it. What do we have that's not overkill? Something that's not STAB or Super-effective. Something that's enough to KO but nothing more. Focus Blast? No. Don't ever rely on "Focus Miss". Shadow Ball? That should be neutral damage right?'

Grundy begins charging up the Ghost-energy, having gleaned the very idea of the move from me as I settled on it. With his arms pulled down at his sides, purples and dark pinks begin to coalesce over his tongue, building up into a sphere that dwarfs the one Morty's Gengar used back in our Badge fight.

Meanwhile, Clefable -in true Clefable fashion-, is sparkling with the bright rainbow lights of Cosmic Power, raising both of its Defenses.

'Please go down in one hit. Grundy doesn't like it when things refuse to go down in one hit.' The globe of spectral power slams on top of the Fairy with enough power to shatter a Protect, sending out long whips of phantasmal energy as collateral damage from the detonation. The League's energy barriers flare yellow, keeping things contained to the field and when the dust clears there lies in the center of a crater…a broken Substitute.

'Ha! Clever girl. With enough power difference one can bust down a Protect. But to the best of my knowledge the only thing that beats Substitute is the Ability Infiltrator.' Sacrificing a quarter of one's HP can be considered a bargain if it means getting to stay in the game.

Both Grundy and I begin scanning for where the Clefable went. Despite Substitute using Normal-type energy to fuel it, the technique does have a little Psychic flair so to speak. It lets the user do a 'blink' when they set it up. An extremely short range teleport to get out of the way.

We both spot her at the same time. Taking refuge behind one of the upturned boulders that dot the battlefield. "Grundy, Brick Break! Smash through that rock!" 'What? Just because it isn't boosted by Sheer Force doesn't mean I wouldn't teach it to him. Brick Break's a good move. You gotta have options.'

Grundy's titanic fist pulverizes the stone, reducing it to sand and pebbles…but unfortunately misses the Clefable that -under instruction of Madison- nimbly dodges by dancing over Nidoking's arm.

My eyes narrow. 'Wasn't that Clefable about a foot taller a minute ago? OH SHI- We're about to get played by Minimize shenanigans!' "Grundy, Thunderbolt!"

Lightning glasses the ground in long streams, throwing off arcs as it tries to chase down the Fairy but this blocky pink blob's a fucking parkour artist. Clefable's aren't renowned for being dextrous but this one's doing goddamn full-body flips.

"Keep at it Oona!" Madison yells. "Boost again!"

Clefable gets off another Minimize in the middle of the lightning storm -reducing its size by a 1/3 again- and I decide to take the gloves off. "Grundy! Everywhere at once! Earth Power!"

Steam hisses from sudden vents all around the arena! As a Special move, Earth Power isn't like its Physical cousin Earthquake. Where 'quake has an epicenter that spreads out, Earth Power reaches down and then rips up!

'Upheaval' is the only true word for it. Everywhere a little vent had formed, pressure bubbles geyser to the surface in an explosion of magmatic rock, ruining the field, destroying every chalk line, every recognizable feature of the center ring. The League's energy field flares orange, triggering some sort of protocol that actually teleports the referee to higher ground.

I take note of it and then write it off. 'He would have been fine. Barriers didn't even go red.'

Meanwhile…Clefable's second Substitute pops.

I can't help the growl that escapes my throat. 'How the hell did she do that so fast! No build-up? Not even a verbal command! How long did they train that move?'

Grundy releases a furious snarl as well and I realize that it's not just my own anger I'm feeling. With my grip on the aura connection so tight, his frustration is my frustration. Our annoyance is synonymous with each others. Just as the bond can physically strengthen, it can also mentally pollute.

Nidoking charges into the wreckage of where the second Substitute broke, searching for the enemy. When Clefable pops around the corner, he takes a wild swing at her with Iron Tail.

Without orders.

"Grundy!" I stomp a foot forward, a sharp reprimand on my tongue…but when the Fairy masterfully dodges again and gets up another Cosmic Power I realize there have to be other priorities right now.

'It might be building to a Baton Pass! We need to reset them!' "Grundy, use Roar!" I scream. "Be ready for whatever comes out!"

The monstrous bellow that comes from Nidoking's throat is the only move in his arsenal that absolutely positively always hits. Only Pokémon with Soundproof can ignore it. Clefable flinches back and is forced from the field in a ball of light, taking all its Defensive and Evasion boosts away with it.

Meanwhile Grundy's frustration hits a fever pitch. He obeyed the order but he's livid that the prey escaped. It's inconceivable in his mind that he had to let them go. Even if only temporarily. And he decides on his own to vent that anger on Madison's next Pokémon.

I can feel his intention to Hyper Beam -Again! Without orders!- and I snap into sobriety. "Grundy! Grundy! Hold!"

Madison's final contender appears with a wobble. Its stubby little blue feet root it stationary in place and a blocky fingerless hand slaps its forehead in greeting where a red sash is tied firmly above its squinty eyeline.

My eyes widen in horror. 'No. Not a red sash.'

A Focus Band.

Wobbuffet: Lv. 50
Nature: Sassy
Potential: C+

"GRUNDY DON'T!"

"Wobba! Wobba Wobba!" The Psychic-type cries out in a panic as the most iconic of all iconic Pokémon moves sweeps over him, completely consuming him in a tunnel of light. The Hypno and Drowzee in the crowd all erect shields to reinforce the League's as the barrier threatens to fail, flashing bright red. Meanwhile, my knuckles are pale deathgrip white as I clench my railing hard enough to subconsciously dent it with aura.

'Please let it be down. Just let it be down! It's Focus Band, not Sash! There's only a chance it works. Only a chance! Only a 10%...15...20...shit I don't know! But it's only a chance!'

Grundy cuts off the stream of energy, seeming all too satisfied with himself and stands straight to look upon his work.

Madison's Pokémon is at one health. No, I can't see health bars. That's not a real thing. But you can not look upon this 'mon and not think 'One HP remaining.' At Wobbuffet's forehead the Held Item crumbles. Turns to literal actual dust in the wind, never to be used again.

'But it did its job...'

I watch in slow motion as the Wobbuffet slaps a hand to its forehead even as it falls. A final salute of farewell even though it just got here.

"Wobba!"

The Mirror Coat is faster than the eye can track. Grundy's whole upper body snaps back as the Psychic-move rebounds the damage onto him. Doubling every point he delivered and then some. His pupils disappear. His eyes completely whited out and with just a little breeze…the behemoth falls. Shaking the entire stadium as his back smacks into the floor.

'What just...' I can't even formulate the words. The audience erupts into cheers. Screaming and hollering at the action like zealous sport fans at a World Cup. The announcers are shouting something themselves over the intercom but I can't even hear them over my own thoughts. 'Grundy…Grundy lost?'

Madison withdraws her downed Wobbuffet and puts Clefable back in.

It's a little winded, but still completely battle ready. Other than the Substitutes, it doesn't even have any damage on it.

I have nothing to send against it.

Ha.

Hahaha.

'I lost.'

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 15

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 5

Quagsire pondered to himself as Eric slept. There had to be some way he could improve. Some way to best his rival now that she was a Victreebel.

His strength? No. He and Eric had been getting stronger all the time. That wasn't the problem.

His speed? No. People said he was the fastest Quagsire they'd ever seen but his rival always seemed to be on top in that category.

His defense? Maybe. Victreebel's new move Leaf Storm hurt. Grass-moves had always hurt. But nothing quite like this before.

Not even his move Amnesia was able to beat it. It made him feel like a Wooper being hit by Razor Leaf again for the first time.

'But maybe if Amnesia was better.' Quagsire thought. 'How can Eric and I ever be called the 'best', if my moves aren't the 'best' they could be as well?'

Quagsire got to work right away. Thinking on how it could be better. Practicing with his energy in the comfort of his Net Ball.

It was a success!

At the next battle, his new move boosted him like nothing ever before! Victreebel's Leaf Storm was easy to withstand now! Like a breeze in the wind!

'It's incredible.' Eric's friend Bradley even said. 'I've never seen anything like it.'

Quagsire beamed with pride at his invention. With this new move it was all but certain. It was only a matter of time before he and Eric would finally be named as 'the best'.

But not everything was good about Quagsire's new move.

Because that day marked the first time that Quagsire forgot.

---

Lake of Rage, Award Ceremony

Cameras flash and shutter as the Top 3 all stand on one of those novelty victory podiums. You know the ones. The kind where 1st place is elevated the highest, 3rd the lowest, and 2nd place is settled right there in the middle.

I've heard it once said that people who earn Bronze at the Olympics come away happier than those who take home Silver… and I suppose that's true enough. Alton is all grins and wide smiles from his spot below me. I'm not sure what math the League uses for tiebreakers -to determine who gets awarded 3rd and who gets 4th and so on- but evidently it ranks him better than the other trainer who lost in the Semi's against Madison.

We've already had the opportunity to pick our prizes of choice from the table. The pack of five random TMs is snuggled tightly under my arm though I haven't had the chance to unwrap them yet.

Alton went with the gift basket full of Pokéballs. Even from my position on the opposite side of the podium I can see its got some good variety in it. Dusk Balls, Luxury Balls, Ultra Balls, at least three or four of the types Kurt can make with Apricorns in Azalea Town, it's a good haul.

Madison is the one who surprised me though. The King's Rock was obviously the most scarce thing on the table. People just kind of assumed -myself included- that that's what the first place winner would end up choosing. Which frankly suited me fine as I've no use for the thing. Maybe if I was planning on doing some shenanigans with the Ability Skill Link, but I'm not.

Instead, oddly enough, she went straight for the Light Clay. A relatively weak Held Item that increases the duration of moves like Reflect and Light Screen. 'At least that's what it did in the games. Is it possible it does something 'more' over here on Poké earth and I just don't know it? Something to look up later for sure. See if the Net knows something.'

Highlights from each of the Top 8 matches are being replayed on a loop via the large electronic scoreboard overlooking the arena. I've seen the clip of Grundy getting KO'd by the Mirror Coat at least six times already…but I'm focused on other things. In particular, scoping out team members Madison employed in her quarterfinal and semifinal rounds and committing them to memory.

Beyond the three 'mons used against me, she also made showings with an Umbreon, a Forretress, and a rather young looking Croconaw. Probably around the same age as K.Rool.

'Two Johto starters and four bulky walls.' I'll have to remember that come Conference time.

The photo op section of the ceremony begins to wind down and the reporter's questions begin to fly. As the winner, it's unwritten protocol that they ask Madison things first. Ask her for comments, how she's feeling about her victory, what plans are next for her, why did she choose 'now' to leave the Rangers, etc, etc. I'm sure you can imagine it.

But I can see it in their eyes. Those soulless journalistic paparazzi eyes.

What they really want to know about is Grundy. Where'd he come from? How long have I had him? Do I have any concerns about blah blah blah blah blah. Once they're done with Ms. Ranger, they're turning those microphones straight to me.

They won't find me very cooperative.

My vocabulary is already shrinking down to two simple words.

'No Comment.'

---

I rub at the small silver snowflake imprinted on the hexagon, feeling the embossed design of the Badge between my fingers. "Why?"

Pryce grunts. One of those old man grunts where he's annoyed he has to explain it. "You take second in a major tournament and still feel the urge to ask? I have permission to grant the Glacier Badge to any trainer I choose for any reason I choose. So just take it and be off."

A tiny frown plays on my lips, thinking of all the time's Gym Leaders awarded Ash a Badge without ever testing him in a proper battle. "It still feels disingenuous."

"It's your fifth, not your eighth." The old man counters. "And just so we're clear, this is for your performance in the Semi's. For what I saw from your Gligar and Ursaring. Not for what I witnessed in the finals. That miserable showing after your Krokorok fainted almost had me change my mind."

My eyebrows narrow, a sharp retort building in my throat…but then I swallow it down. Getting aggressive rarely helps anything, and on some level… I know he's got a point.

"Good. At least you're aware of the issue. That's a start." Pryce replies, seeing my expression. "You're scared of your own Pokémon."

"I'm… I'm not scared for me." I try to clarify, though it sounds like a weak excuse in my ears. "I've had enough time with Grundy to know that I'm safe. It's my opponent's Pokémon that I worry for. It was one thing to roll the dice when he wasn't fully evolved, but now that he's a Nidoking…well, you saw what happened to the Meganium."

Pryce's face is neutral. "You did backtrack pretty hard once it went down."

"Well yeah, of course I did." I try to make him understand, my face turning somewhat pleading. "Can you imagine what could have happened if I had went for Fire Blast instead? Or if Grundy was wearing an Item to boost his power on top of the existing Sunny Day? What if the Meganium was just a little weaker? I thought she'd be able to handle it better. When I saw she couldn't, how close we had come to…" I trail off. "That's why I pulled back when the Clefable came out. I didn't want to risk anything too strong or Super-effective again."

The Gym Leader 'hmphs' unimpressed. "And you lost the match because of it."

My voice turns scathing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Should I just let myself get blacklisted instead? How on earth is that preferable? Wouldn't that be a fun headline in the news when I kill a Pokémon live in front of a family filled audience?" I loose a huff. "Besides, I couldn't have predicted the Wobbuffet."

Pryce stamps his cane. "The Wobbuffet wasn't the issue! Your own indecision was! You were indecisive at the start against the Clefable, leading to an opening for you to get set up on. An opening which your opponent then exploited to lead you around by the nose like a child! That was the first domino that led to your defeat. Break the first link in that chain of events and the rest doesn't happen."

'He doesn't get it.' My expression blankens, a growl being buried inside. 'He doesn't think Grundy would have actually killed Madison's team if given the chance. Not deep down anyway. He thinks I'm being overdramatic. That in some aspect, some way, that I'm exaggerating.' "What does it matter to you anyway old man? I don't work for your Gym anymore, remember?"

Evidently that wasn't a productive thing to say, as Pryce's demeanor immediately turns back into the cold wintery one of which Bradley's memories are much more familiar. The Ice specialist dismissively waves a hand -deciding I'm no longer worth speaking to- and turns away to stalk off, his cane clacking on the ground with every other step.

'Fine by me.' I spin on my heel myself. 'I've other things to do anyway.'

I make it all of ten steps away when I hear the curmudgeon begrudgingly call out my name. "Bradley."

Turning to face him, I see his expression is sour...but there's also something more hidden there. "I better see that Swinub again come Conference time. If you haven't trained it right, I'm taking it back. No excuses."

"Ha!" I bark out a single laugh. "Just you wait old man. By the time Vlad and I are through with him, you won't even recognize Junior. Just don't go keeling over in the next six months."

Pryce mouths the 'Junior' nickname and then shakes his head in disapproval. "And stop calling my granddaughter! She has more important things on her plate than calling me asking for updates on you!"

This time I smirk instead of laugh. 'Oh she does, does she?' "Not on your life, Pryce."

---

I set aside the first TM and struggle not to laugh at the irony.

Fucking 'Sunny Day' of all things. Goddamnit. Let it not be said that the universe doesn't have a sense of humor.

The funniest part is that it's not actually useless to me. Gligar should be compatible -as he is with so many things- and it would be a useful item to have in the toolbox. Sandstorm can't get going in the damp conditions of a Rain Dance but the Fire-styled Weather move can banish storm clouds no problem. 'Which I'm only now realizing is rather odd considering Water is supposed to beat Fire but hey, I don't make the rules here.'

Next time we face something like Alton's Politoed, we'll definitely have a better option for keeping the environment in our favor. 'Note to self: Test Sandstorm while Sunny Day is up. Would be curious to see how they combine. With dryness as a central theme for both of them, they might actually work symbiotically.'

The second TM is Charge Beam and….yep that does absolutely squat for me. My only Special Attacker right now is Grundy and even if he were compatible -which I'm pretty sure he isn't- then Sheer Force makes this move basically useless. A strictly worse Thunderbolt in both power and accuracy.

'Damn. If only this were Shock Wave.' Grundy could use that one and I've recently been thinking about how important it might be to have more moves that can't be cheesed by evasion tactics. Still, I suppose I could hang onto this TM for a little while rather than sell it back for cash. Maybe one day I'll get that Baltoy/Claydol and they can do something with it.

As a sidenote, let me tell you about the rules here on TMs in case you're wondering. Are they working on Generation V and up rules? The ones where TMs could be used again and again and again forever on as many Pokémon as you desire?

No. A resounding no. Even if companies have secretly cracked the technology to do it, there'd be no profit in it. It's the age old question of how are you supposed to have repeat customers if your product lasts forever? If your product can be passed around the room from one person to the next? There's only about 200 different TM moves in circulation. If they lasted forever then it wouldn't be that hard for someone to collect one of every kind and then setup a free depot somewhere.

'So does that mean TMs are 'one and done' like they were in Gen IV and down?' you may be asking. And the answer to that one is they used to be. You can still find the 'single charge' variants on the shelf if you look hard enough but those are getting so old that they're actually starting to degrade. Give it another decade or two and they'll all just be useless plastic disks not fit for anything.

These days the 'three charge' variant is what you see most often. Every use depletes the energy -the imprinted knowledge- present on the disk and once it's all used up...then it's all used up. You just toss it in the recycle bin. Maybe use it as a paperweight or something. Though I suppose all that information is true about the single-use ones as well.

The new and improved 'three-charge' model was released by Silph Co. some many years ago after an Elite Four at the time -the predecessor to Bruno- complained on the record about having to buy copies of 'TM17 Protect' at nine different times over his career. He managed to get a little movement going that actually got the main TM producers to change their money grubbing ways.

Don't feel too bad for the shareholders though.

They used the extra charges as an excuse to basically double the price.

Opening up the third I'm met with the Physical Water-type move Liquidation. 'Ah. I remember this. It has a chance to lower Defense right? Quagsire used to know this. Back from…before. He and Eric used to…well it's no matter anymore. Might be able to sell it off for a good price. It's arguably a little better than Waterfall. '

Ripping open the packaging of #4 reveals…holy shit! Trailblaze?! Hell YES! I've been looking for this one for what feels like forever! Goddamn, what a good hit! We can get Ma Ma working on this one right away. Not just more type coverage, but an actual way to boost her Speed rather than just slowing the opponent with Scary Face. And I think the Swinub-family is compatible too!

With over-excited hands I rip open the last mystery TM and find one of the most expensive on the market. A prize most anyone would be happy to have.

And also even more useless to me than the Charge Beam was.

TM48: Skill Swap.

'I mean don't get me wrong. Can be hi-larious in double-battles. Especially if you're working with a Slaking or Shedinja or something. But this move isn't my playstyle. Even If I do get that Claydol some day, I don't think this is a technique we'd break out all that often. Only the most niche, narrow situat-'

"I need to talk to you."

I recognize her voice before I look up and see her. How could I not after standing next to her for what seemed like an hour as the press circled us like vultures. "Is your Meganium alright?"

Ranger Madison stiffens, one arm holding the other as she wasn't expecting that to be the first question, before she looks away with a grimace. "The Nurse Joy says it'll be a few days. Maybe a week."

'That's not so bad if you're considering things on a human scale, but for a Pokémon it's the equivalent of saying they'll be laid up for a month. I've mentioned they recover their internal energy quickly. Needing an actual 'week' of rest time is…severe.'

"Well I'm glad she's alright." I say, for lack of anything better to offer. "Are you here about me destroying the Focus Band? I'm sorry. I can't give you one to replace it."

"No, that isn't-" She begins. "The tournament rules clearly state-" The ex-Ranger shakes herself as she realizes what she's saying. "Stop throwing me off! I need to talk to you about that Nidoking! What in the blue hell were you thinking giving an Evolution Stone to an Alpha Pokémon! Why would you even catch an Alpha in the first place!? Don't you know you're supposed to report any sightings to the Ranger's Association immediately! On the same day even!"

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes at her questioning. "Respectfully, how in the hell is that your business? Was my catching of Grundy as a Nidoran illegal?"

"Well no, not illegal per se," she starts.

"Then it's not your concern now is it?" I finish for her. "Now do you have anything else to ask, or did you just come over here for that?"

Madison's mouth is in a thin line. Her posture is stock rigid and her eyes are full of serious concern. "...you shouldn't have him." she eventually whispers out.

'Aaaaaand we're done.' I gather my things and get up to leave. "Nice meeting you Madison. See you again in six months."

She juts forward frantically. "I've lost friends to 'Cassie' okay?! I've had squad mates who've lost Pokémon to her! I know what Alpha's can do! Your Nidoking is a time bomb waiting to happen!"

I pause in my step to look back at her curiously, one eyebrow screwed up in confusion. I'll graciously choose to ignore her final sentence, but I have to ask, "Who the fuck is 'Cassie'?"

Madison stiffens again, though this time it's due to the fact she's having trouble believing the words that just came from my mouth. "Who is- How do you not-! There's been so many-! Urgh!" she puts a hand up to rub at her forehead. "Cassie is an absolute bitch. A monstrous Alpha Fearow that nests in the Silver Mountains and comes down every few years to find some poor soul to disembowel. The Rangers have been trying to pin her down for the last decade but we've never been successful. She only goes after solitary targets."

"Hmm." I hum a little glibly. "How about that?" I rub at Grundy's ball, talking to him despite the fact that I know he's still out cold. "What do you say buddy? Want to go hunting sometime? The Silver Mountains are no place for the youngins, but you and I could make a trip? We could call it a public service."

Later tonight I'd feel regret at some of my words. The insensitivity in their tone after she just admitted to losing people. But for the moment, her attitude is pissing me off, so I chose to return in kind.

'I never claimed to be a perfect man.'

Madison's fist clenches painfully tight at my casualness and she wheels off with a huff, her features positively boiling but choosing not to pursue 'reasoning' with me anymore.

Unlike my old employer, she didn't turn back around.

---

Unbeknownst to Bradley, Pryce, Madison, or really anyone at all involved in the Johto 'Mid-Season Summit', today's date marked a significant moment for the Pokémon world as a whole. Two events, -seemingly unrelated on the outside- who's ramifications were as wide as the sea was deep.

Though they wouldn't be felt abroad for quite some time.

Firstly, across the ocean in the barren, destitute, and crime-filled region of Orre, a handshake agreement was at long last finalized between the provincial government and the foreign mega-corporation Lysandre Labs. A promise that would surely see jobs, wealth, and other goods flow into a region which desperately needed them.

And secondly, a young protagonist in the making, a 'Hero-to-be' by the name of Michael who'd been fighting the good fight, toppling criminal bases one at a time…was quietly disposed of.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 16

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 6

He forgot the taste of Aspear Berries, which he had oh so loved to eat.

And the names of Eric's parents, who they still went to visit every Sunday night.

The faces of those he knew in passing, common witnesses to Eric and Ashley's battles, were hard to distinguish and really all just looked the same.

It would be another night before it dawned on him that something seemed missing. That incredible move he'd invented, the one that would surely see him be crowned 'the best', was suddenly out of his grasp.

So many years and moments, so many memories….were mostly just a vague feeling now.

He thought about waking Eric to talk about it.

But that concern too, simply slipped,

Out of his head.

---

Route 43, Between Lake of Rage and Mahogany

"Yeah, I mean no, it would've been cool to win but I'm not upset about it or anything." A wild Flaaffy pokes its head out of the grass as I walk by and I wave to it with a little smile. "No. I don't think so." I continue, pressing the phone into my ear. "It might be better this way. Less people bothering me since I was only the runner-up. More to the point, what's going on on your end? Still drowning in work?"

Lori sighs tiredly from the other end. "Some imbecile collapsed a portion of Rock Tunnel right outside Lavender Town Wednesday night. Lord only knows what divine inspiration bade them to have a Golem use Self-Destruct while in a confined space. The League's clearing rubble as best we can but the path is going to be down for a few weeks at the least."

I frown minutely into the phone. "Any deaths?"

A dry huff comes from the other side. "You mean besides the once-in-a-lifetime genius who caused the situation?" she asks blankly. "Thankfully no, which is a small miracle in and of itself. That isn't to say a few weren't trapped though." I can hear the squeak of a desk chair leaning backward. "God. Why did I ever want this job…"

I mentally picture her hands running down her face. A slight slumping in exhaustion as she vents and I offer a grin of commiseration in support. Not that she can actually see it. "Is Lance not taking charge of the situation?"

Lorelei audibly groans. "Champion Lance puts on a good public face. He handles the media, says all the right things to the press, but he doesn't actually do anything about problems like this. He leaves all that delegation type work to us. Getting emergency services out there, organizing rescue operations, informing the families of those who are still trapped-"

"What about the other Elite Four?" I interject. "I can't imagine Bruno's much help for organizing stuff, but the other two carry their weight yeah?"

"Koga does," she responds. "When you can actually find him. He's always disappearing…somewhere. And while Agatha's more than capable, she's completely apathetic for anything that doesn't involve the security of the region as a whole. Though honestly that suits me fine these days. Let her handle the negotiations with Elite Siebold and that cunt Malva. This thing with Kalos makes me want to tear my hair out."

I'm not quite sure where the tipping point was exactly. Conversation with Lori was still very much stilted when I called her up after defeating Whitney. Very formal uptight office-lady type of vibes. That got lessened a little bit after the fourth Gym Badge. Lessened a little bit more when I briefly called to let her know I was back in Mahogany and was participating in a tournament.

But this is the first time since I reestablished contact that she's metaphorically let her hair down. Done away with all that stuffy formality and begun talking like the Lorelei of Bradley's memories. That snarky lively redhead that's hidden beneath the cold veneer.

Goddamn am I looking forward to that dinner after the Conference.

"Well if you're tired of being the one who keeps getting stuck handling the admin, why not make a bid for the Championship yourself?" I playfully tease. "Ice beats Dragon doesn't it? More importantly it beats Flying, which is what Lance's team actually is."

"Oh sure. I'll just shoot off a few Ice Beams, go 6-0, and then prop my feet up on the big desk. Easy-peasy." she responds, her tone drenched in sarcasm.

"See! Now you're getting it!" I smile into the phone. "You could even get a Mamoswine first to catch him off guard. Did your grandpappy tell you? Surprise! The secret was Ancient Power the whole time."

"What?!" There's sounds of a chair flying back as someone jumps to their feet. "No he didn't tell me! Evolving from a specific move?! Bradley, do you even understand how rare that is?"

I do actually. Across all generations and all regions there's only 15 Pokémon who do it.

Though Poipole is an Ultra Beast from another dimension, so he probably shouldn't be counted in the list.

Nor should Eevee since really it's any Fairy-type move that leads to Sylveon and not one in specific.

Aaaaand I'm pretty sure Hisuian Qwilfish went extinct centuries ago so that's out too.

'So that leaves an even dozen huh? Actually, it even goes down to ten if we discount Mime Jr. and Bonsly as well. I don't think people really realize it's the move Mimic that lets them reach their adult forms. Their habit of imitating their parents or those around them is seen as natural behavior for any young child. Once they reach a certain mimicking proficiency, they simply evolve. It's viewed as a life cycle type of thing.'

"I know right?" I grin knowingly at her question. "Next time we meet in person, remind me to tell you how I figured it out. In the meantime, I'm considering making a big post about the evolution on the Net. Maybe see if some other trainers can explore with the Ancient Power move. Who knows what else it can evolve?"

'Well 'technically' I do. Tangela and Yanma. But truth bombing that knowledge online myself might raise too many flags. Let some other people get their fifteen minutes of fame. I ain't got time for that.' Besides, while it may be an uphill battle to fight against one, Tangrowth's always been a favorite. I'd like to see them around at some point. And though I've never personally used one, Yanmega's design is sick. 'Plus the first-stage dragonfly rather needs the help if we're being honest. As is, its Base Stats don't even reach 400.'

If those two can find their way into the Pokédex then all that should leave undiscovered for Indigo is Lickitung evolving into Lickilicky with Rollout, the Girafarig/Stantler duo that I believe I've mentioned in the past, oddly enough not Aipom/Ambipom -someone seems to have cracked the code on that one long before I got here-, and then the eternally disappointing…Dunsparce evolving into Dudunsparce via Hyper Drill.

'Big F in the chat when I saw that one revealed. RIP to Dunseraph, the coolest Fakemon out there.'

Besides our lord and savior Regitube of course.

"Anyways Lori, I've been meaning to ask-" A stirring along my psyche pauses me in my words. A distant feeling of grogginess paired with an incredibly subtle vibration from the Moon Ball at my hip.

Grundy's awake again.

"Actually…" My voice trails slightly. " I'm gonna have to call you back Lori." I spoke instead. "My problem child's finally up."

There's a mild protest from the other side and I'll probably lose points with her for hanging up halfway through a sentence, but I just don't have the time. This needs to be addressed now. While Grundy's still in those first few moments of waking. It's my best opportunity to make the lesson stick.

The white mountain of light coalesces into a Nidoking that's seemingly just gotten out of bed. One hand rubs at his face -as he's no doubt still sore- and with half open eyes he glances around at the route we're on in mild confusion.

"You lost."

The first words out of my mouth are filled with as much steel as I can put in them. A fact that seems to rouse the Alpha Pokémon from his half-awake state into focusing entirely on me.

When the words themselves -not just the tone- finally register I can see his expression begin to morph. The bafflement. The knee-jerk denial. The doubt that such a thing could be possible. And yet it must be. Because from his perspective, he was just in the ring not a half minute ago.

"And you know why right?" I continue now that I have his attention. "Because you didn't listen."

"King!" The living dinosaur snaps in objection, bending down low to put his face directly into mine. Close enough to where I can feel the heat of his breath. The exhale of his nostrils. "Nid! Nidoking! Nid!"

It's a staredown. One where if I relent even a little I'll lose so much more than just this one argument. "Yes, you did use every move I said." I addressed his point, even as my pupils never leave his own. "Even the Roar I know you hated. Every attack order you followed. You get that much credit at least." I admitted. "But then you decided to go off on your own plan didn't you? Did that unordered Hyper Beam feel good? To charge it up knowing you were going to obliterate whatever 'mon they dared to have challenge you next?"

There's a low growl in his throat. A warning not to 'push it'.

But I have to push it. That's the whole point.

"Big king of the mountain. Gonna put the opponent in their place. And now your first real debut is forever stained." My words are mocking, but their delivered tone is anything but. "As much as people will remember your strength, they will remember more how you were beaten. How one Wobbuffet and a Mirror Coat was all it took for the great Nidoking to fall."

"Nid! Nido Nid! King Nidoking Nid!"

"A rematch?" I almost upturn a smile. "We can't. They're gone, Grundy. Everyones dispersed. Tournament's over. Next time we're likely to see them is in six months. And that's assuming I even send you out. Given what you did this time, I'm not so sure I should."

"Nidoking! King Ni King?"

"You're goddamn right I could have you miss it." I push my face into his while one hand grabs at his chin. "What's the point of our partnership if you don't listen? What's the point of trying to show your strength to the world if all you do with it is get angry at the first setback and then stomp around like an animal? Like an oversized simple brained beast? Is that what you want people to view you as? You're a King aren't you? It's in your fucking name isn't it!" I roared at the 'mon, toeing the very line of our relationship.

Grundy's eyes narrow dangerously. "King…Nido Ni." he responds lowly. Like the deep rumbling of a dragon.

"Then show me you can act like it." My voice eases off the harshness as I let go of his chin. "You're my Ace for a reason. We're partners for a reason. We can both make it to the top...but we can't get there without the other."

The Alpha 'mon stares into me as I seemingly reach a stopping point. His breath is still close enough for me to feel. Hot clouds exhaling from his nostrils. One claw reaches up slowly -incredibly slowly-, and without ever breaking eye contact, not even so much as to blink…he taps the Moon Ball at my belt and returns himself.

Along the connection of our Bond, I can feel him mostly close off his own end. Shrinking it down to a little pin-point. The aura equivalent of someone hanging up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on their bedroom door.

I release a long breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. 'Well I'm not quite sure how to take that.' One hand rests atop the blue and yellow Ball almost subconsciously. 'Though I think it could have gone way worse.'

---

Mahogany Town, underneath the "Souvenir Shop"

The expansion project was in full swing now. Four days into the work and I can already say with certainty we're going to be stuck here at least another nine or ten. Might be able to cut that down some if I had more than two of my Pokémon working on it at a time, but I refuse to give up the few hours I've allotted for team training every day. We've created a workable rotation that, while it does leave us tired, is at least sustainable in the short term. We can survive this schedule for two weeks.

As a bonus, Petrel's assigned two Rocket Grunts under me to help with the manpower of this project so there's that as well. The one with the clumsy Rhyhorn and overly excitable Slugma isn't very useful, though each 'mon does fulfill a certain niche at my dig site. His partner in crime however, a younger Grunt who somehow possesses a Tyrogue of all things, is rather helpful though. The unevolved Fighting-type seems to have made it a competition in its mind to match Golett pound for pound in how much stone gets hauled away.

Though to be honest I'm not sure Simon even noticed.

He just seems happy to have made a new friend.

Vlad's on a break right now. Or at least a break from one job. His other is to start putting Junior through the paces. Converting all that 'zoomies' energy the baby piglet has into some productive work. There's not a ton of room to run through exercises down here, but thankfully not a ton is needed. A baby Pokémon practicing Powder Snow and Mud-Slap in the corner isn't going to hurt much.

The other one currently on break, set to relieve K.Rool in about 20 minutes, is Ma Ma. She's currently sitting on her haunches trying to run Fairy-energy through her claws to improve on her rather middling performance with Play Rough from back in the Semi-finals. I'm not sure she's made a ton of progress so far but…small steps, y'know?

I'm sure she'd rather be working on Earthquake, she's better with Ground-energy than Fairy, but that'll have to wait until we're out of here for the day and doing some real training in the evening.

"Krok!" A sharp curse has me looking leftward where an irritated K.Rool is rubbing at his jawline in mild discomfort. Considering this is about the seventh time it's happened in the last three days, I know it already to mean he's just cycled his energy in a way that caused him some pain.

"Hey!" I shout, getting him to jolt as he knows he's been caught. "You know the rules K.Rool. When we're working, we're working. You can train moves in half an hour. Focus up."

The Dark-type grumbles a little at the reprimand, gentle as it was, and moves back into digging at the earth, choosing instead to massage his jaw by 'chewing' at nothing a few times. Once I know he's not looking though I do allow a little smile to creep at my lips.

'The gaps between when he accidentally clips himself are getting longer. He's definitely figuring 'something' out. The cheeky little bugger.'

I'd outlined it pretty clear to him. Not in a mean way, I just didn't want him to get his hopes up high and then be disappointed if it doesn't work out. Both Fire Fang and Thunder Fang were Egg Moves for his species. So unless he's somehow got a Hippowdon or something in his family line, 'which I don't thiiiiink is true, but I guess who knows right?' then he shouldn't be able to learn them. The rules say it won't work.

You know what my boy then said to me after that?

He pointed to Simon and made a motion for 'Ice Hammer.' Followed by pointing to Vlad who'd been in the corner at the time working on 'Power Whip'.

Both moves that they "shouldn't" be able to learn and yet they did/were doing it anyway. Because they didn't care about any so called "rules".

He had Vlad demonstrate for him each of the Elemental Fangs, even the ones beyond Fire and Thunder, and then he was off to the races as they say.

I won't let him see it yet but…the truth is I've never been more proud.

Turning my head back to the rest of my workers I see Simon and Tyrogue standing before a massive boulder they've unearthed, an edifice that's separate from the rest of the rock wall. The ditzy Rhyhorn meanders up, crooning a question if they'd like him to smash into it but the Tyrogue waves him off with a determined look on his face.

A tiny grin sneaks up on me as the baby grappler Pokémon slides one foot back and adopts some sort of power stance. One that wouldn't be out of place in a kung-fu or martial arts anime. Aww, he's even doing that thing where he holds his non-striking hand in front of him, presenting his flat palm to his opponent, the 'great rock'.

"Ty-!" White and orange energy begins to build in the little guy's fist and I crack a smile. I'd say it's 'Rock Smash', there's definitely a joke or two there, but to be honest I think the move he's actually charging up is 'Mach Punch'. He's just holding it in for a moment to give it a little more 'oomph'. "-rogue!"

The baby Pokémon thrusts his punch forward and my eyebrows raise as a spiderweb of cracks zigzag all around the stone's front. Not enough to break the thing, it's many many times larger than he is -all of two feet tall and 45 pounds- but still that's pretty dang good for 'mon who's not even Lv. 20 yet. A very nice showing from the little guy!

Simon meanwhile looks at his new buddy, at the move he just used, and seems to puzzle over something in his head.

He gently shoos a huffing Tyrogue back a few steps and takes up the same battle pose his new buddy did. Or rather…he attempts to. Now, I adore my boy Simon as much as any parent, I really do, but the lad looks ridiculous. The knobby legs, the blocky arms, Golett as a species was not meant for anime fight poses. They just aren't limber enough for it.

"Gol-!" he starts his name just as Tyrogue did and his fist erupts with Fighting-energy. A dozen contained explosions all trying to burst free at once from within his hand and my eyes shoot open at the Dynamic Punch I swear he's even seen before. "-lett!"

The rock is not broken. The word 'broken' implies something is fixable. That there is something 'left' to fix. There is only pebbles, dust, and a Tyrogue's jaw hitting the floor.

Vlad angrily swoops in at Simon, viciously berating him for using such a volatile move at a worksite. Especially a worksite where we're purposely moving slowly so as to not cause accidents. And honestly, all of Gligar's points are correct. Simon should not have done that.

But I just can't stop laughing.

'Hahahahahaha,' A hand runs over my face. 'He figured out Dynamic Punch without even being told it exists in the first place.'

Fuckin' prodigies man, I swear to god.

---

Eleven Days Later, Same Location

Ma Ma sniffs at the sixth container and then shakes her head with a frown before moving on to the next. Number seven out of eighteen.

I meanwhile am still arms deep in number three, trying to at least maintain the facade that I care about -and am exceedingly pleased by- the worthless chalky dirt within.

'How?' I asked myself. 'How does he know?'

Did he hear something? Am I being spied on? Are Psychics involved? Did Rocket discover an Ursaluna overseas? Maybe just a reference to one? A fucking piece of cave art? What was it?

I've as many theories as my paranoid mind can conjure up but no direction to say which one had the odds of being most likely.

At my first request for soil samples all those moons ago, I sold some cock and bull story about 'Geology and Pedology being hobbies I sometimes dabbled in.' Honestly I think I did a pretty good job of it. Admin Petrel listened and then accepted my reasons for wanting foreign soil with all the feigned politeness and fake interest of a person conducting a business deal. In the whole talk, I hadn't even mentioned my team once.

A job was discussed, hands were shook, and only a few weeks later I was the proud owner of a few worthless pounds of dirt from Sinnoh. Some sandy, some silty, a little bit loamy, none of it useful for my purposes in trying to evolve Ma Ma.

Though I did let her sniff at the loam one just to be sure.

There should have been no clues to my intentions. No hints. I'd been careful goddamnit!

And yet somehow…somehow Petrel knows something. He's become privy to some piece of the puzzle.

It's not a few pounds of dirt this time, it's hundreds. Eighteen of those large plastic tubs one would use when moving house. All presented under the excuse that the job I completed was 'bigger' this time around and thus deserving of 'more'. He says I'm free to riffle through and take as much with me as I would like to.

If it was only that which was different this time, then I'd welcome it. In fact, I might even allow my hopes up and get ecstatic about it.

My worry comes in at that the variety this time has been sharply reduced. There's no silty or sandy specimens. Nothing like them. No, most everything here is dark, rich, and wet. Much much closer to the conditions I'm actually looking for in regards to Peat.

Could that be a coincidence? Possible. Though I doubt it. Especially when combined with the most damning fact of them all.

When I was escorted to this room and presented these tubs for my perusal, for me to 'inspect' and 'collect' whatever I'd like, Petrel openly invited me to release my Ursaring to have a better look.

So they -Team Rocket that is- could have a 'better understanding' of how to continue fostering our 'mutually beneficial' working relationship. Just to make sure they 'properly paid' for the services I have often provided.

All his words, not mine.

And so I ask myself again. How did he make the connection? What is it exactly that Team Rocket's learned?

An excited -and most unsubtle- Ma Ma nearly crashes into me to show off what she's found in tub #11. Her paw unfurls to reveal a grey shard of not-quite-stone, not-quite-dirt that's roughly half the size of a human finger. Far too little material to actually work with, but if it's got her instincts all up in a tizzy…

"Find something you like Ma Ma?" I asked with the best innocence I could. Still playing the part of the dirt hobbyist. I pick up the tiny chunk of material and run my fingers over it, getting a feel of its texture. "Huh. That is something unusual. I wonder what it's made of?" I inject some real curiosity in my voice, even going so far as to tilt my head before handing it back to her. "Put it to the side and see if you can find any more."

I'm pretty sure the jig is up but I'm trying here man!

You try acting dumb when a Rocket Admin is standing there watching you!

"You know Bradley," The man in question begins politely from the corner, that same fond yet ominous tone he always uses. "If there's any pieces in particular that are of interest to you, all you'd need do is speak up. It's never trouble for our contacts to go and get more." He approaches and gently places one gloved hand on my shoulder.

"We're always happy to accommodate our friends."

---

Training results: Two Week Timeskip

Junior (Swinub): Lv. 8 -> Lv. 13
-Learned Mud-Slap
-Learned Powder Snow.
-Learned TM Dig

K.Rool (Krokorok): Lv. 32 ->Lv. 34
-Made Progress on Thunder Fang
-Made Progress on Fire Fang

Simon (Golett): Lv. 34 -> Lv.36
-Learned Dynamic Punch

Vlad (Gligar): Lv. 53 -> Lv.54
-Learned TM Sunny Day
-Made Progress on Power Whip

Ma Ma (Ursaring): Lv. 58 -> (No Change)
-Learned TM Trailblaze
-Made Progress on Earthquake
-Made Progress on Play Rough

Grundy (Nidoking): Lv. 70 -> (No Change)
-No Move Changes

Quagsire: Lv. ?? -> (No Change)
-He sleeps, yet he does not dream.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 17

Route 44, East of Mahogany Town

"Aww, who's my good little man!"

"Swi! Swi!"

"That's right!" I kneel down to let Junior push himself into my hand. "It's you! You're the one!" Swinub wiggles himself back and forth, an endless ball of nuzzling zoomy energy. Baby Pokémon have always been susceptible to praise, but Junior seems to be a rather extreme case of it. It almost reminds me of owning a Golden Retriever again.

Swinub: Lv. 14
Nature: Jolly
Potential: A-

There's a sigh from Ace Trainer Cybil as she recalls her downed Mareep. Also a recent capture. Probably came from that same Route where I saw the Flaaffy the other day. "Well that went about as well as I expected..." she mutters a bit under her breath and I throw her a great look of thanks.

We didn't have to send out our two youngest to duke it out first. That was a request on my part. A bit of an unfair one since we both knew I was going into it with a type-advantage. Still though, she honored it like a good sport. Swinub now has his first win in a proper battle and her electric sheep has its first loss.

By Cybil's own admission, Mareep was starting to get a big head from all the Spearow and Poliwag she was having it bully around here.

"So," My impromptu travel buddy continues. "Now that that's done with, are we gonna battle for real or what?"

"Bell! Bellossom!" her companion chimes in from her shoulder. An impatient little cry that could almost be described as 'haughty'.

Bellossom: Lv. 30
Nature: Hasty
Potential: B

That's how Cybil and I met you see. Two trainers traveling the same Route, both with a Pokèmon perched on their shoulder -Vlad on mine, 'Maple' on hers- it only made sense to say hello.

"Yeah sure," I return Swinub back to his ball and let my hand rest atop Krokorok's. "On count of three then?"

Cybil grins viciously. "Who even needs to count?" her arm spins out. "Dance on the wind! Go, Butterfree!"

---

Ice Path, Under the Blackthorn Mountains

Ho-ly fuck is it cold in here!

Like goddamn, I'm even wearing three layers and everything!

A pair of Sneasel peek out from behind a crystal and seem to chitter to themselves. A Dark glint enters their eye and it's only an audible growl from Ma Ma that sends the duo scurrying away. Off to find a softer target to harass I imagine.

To be completely technical about it, this isn't the only route available when attempting to travel to Blackthorn City. There's a Flying service that'll take you over the mountains from Route 44, but they positively charge out the nose for it. In a way that's not even subtle about you being price gouged.

'I did it once a year ago. Not three or four weeks after I first got here. Never again. Those pricks aren't swindling me a second time. Never again.'

Alternatively, you could also choose to approach from the south. Go all the way down to Route 29 just outside New Bark Town and start climbing. An absolute slog uphill through Routes 46 and then 45. You could cut some of that out if you choose to shortcut through Dark Cave east of Violet City but…that's not exactly a pleasure trip either.

In addition to ruining your shoes with all the Zubat poop, it's also the location where I captured Ma Ma. And while that might mean I'm more protected than most from all the hostile critters who live there, that still leaves the fact that the place is an absolute nightmare to navigate.

As unimaginative as the name 'Dark Cave' is, it's certainly not an inappropriate descriptor.

A deep shiver passes through me as the chill seems to cut straight through my clothes. I think I might be experiencing the first wholly negative aspect of being an aura user. Or more specifically a Ground aligned one. The walls, the floor, the very air of this place is laced with Ice energy. So much so that Vlad demanded to go back in his ball after the first few minutes of it. Behavior that, if you've paid attention to how much I've said he prefers not being in there, is most unusual.

'This shit can't be natural.' I loose a hot breath into my hands and rub my palms together as we march, trying to get some warmth back into my fingers. 'Water and Grass are Super-effective against Ground too, but I've never had any problems going swimming. Never felt a thing from laying down in a meadow and taking a breather.'

So what makes this place different? Why is this place so charged with type-energy when other places are not? Is it an accumulation of centuries of Ice attacks never melting? Was this cave the home of a Regice in ancient times? There has to be some explanation. Aura hotspots -coldspots?- don't just come into being without a reason. There's always an origin.

Ma Ma's paw blocks my path as she suddenly tenses up. Her nose sniffs at the air twice and her teeth bare as something approaches.

"What is it girl? We got trouble inbound?"

….

….

….

"...nx…ynx…"

A gaggle of Jynx -four of them to be precise- all round the corner up ahead and seem to be engrossed in a deep conversation. "Jynx! Jy Jynx!" The second one from the left is telling some story, wild hand gestures and everything, whilst the other three are laughing it up like a group of gossiping housewives all out at brunch.

Ma Ma announces herself. A deep rumbling of the throat that anyone with good sense knows to steer clear of. At the sound the bevy of ladies all freeze up…and then slowly swivel in our direction with panicked eyes. When the queen grizzly then takes a threatening step forward the girls scatter. Flailing over themselves in their haste to get away as fast as -well not as humanly possible- but you get the idea.

The last one even faceplants for a moment. Tripping over a floor crystal in their hurry.

Despite my teeth chattering, I do manage to loose a chuckle at the scene. "Nice work Ma Ma. Though you don't need to be so aggressive to everyone that-"

A flipper touches my hand. "HOLY JEEZUZ!" I nearly spring out of my clothes as Ma Ma wheels around to attack. Her swipe -fully empowered and shining with Normal energy- travels down fast before pausing just inches before hitting the face of an innocent-looking Delibird that's staring up at us.

'How in the fuck- How did it sneak up on us!?'

"Deli?" The Ice/Flying type tilts his head past the claw, seemingly totally oblivious to the fact it almost just got maimed. "Deli!" He brings his bundled up tail to the forefront and begins rifling through it like a bag, seemingly looking for something in particular.

"Del!" The little two-foot Pokémon hops up to slap something into Ma Ma's paw, a bulbous purple thing covered in -Oh it's a Wiki Berry, that's kinda rare for Johto- , and for the first time since I've known her…my Ursaring seems unsure of how to proceed.

"Urs?" A confused 'thank you?' rumbles over her lips and the Delibird tweets to himself with a satisfied chirp. Turning then to me, the Pokémon rummages through his white sack again 'Still can hardly believe it's actually his tail' and then proudly presents to me…a dusty grey rock.

"Oh, uhh…thanks I guess?" I manage to speak, accepting the item with a weak smile. 'Would it be weird to make a Charlie Brown reference?' "Do...do you want something from us in exchange?" I offer for lack of anything better to say. "I might have some Berries in my bag?"

"Del Del, Delibird." The festive Pokémon waves me off with a cheerful chirp. Smiling at us that such things don't matter. 'Ah ok then. I guess it really is just a gift.' Ma Ma and I watch a little dumbfounded as the strange bird tucks the opening of its bag under its arm and then begins to waddle off. A little spring in its step as it wanders back into the cavern.

"Ursa?" Ma Ma turns to me confused, holding the Wiki Berry out with a question of what she's supposed to do with it.

"Give it a bite I suppose." I eventually say. "Some Pokémon don't like their flavor. Not sweet enough. But, hey! At least you got something edible. All he gave me was this-" My words pause as something tweaks my senses about the item I'm holding.

A twinge of my aura.

Giving it a dust off, a few brushes of my gloved fingers, I can see the underside actually shines a bit in the light. The rock isn't…holding energy or anything. At least not in the conventional way. With things like evolution stones you can almost feel the power in your hand. This is slightly different.

I clean it up a little more and my eyes widen.

This isn't a rock.

Not a stone either.

This is a Razor Claw.

The Held Item used to evolve Sneasel into Weaville.

'Where in the hell-? Not even Lori's had the time to hunt down-?' "Hey! Where did you get-" I call out to the Delibird but it's far too late for that. The Christmas themed bird has already turned a corner and disappeared completely. No sign of it all among the glittering crystals that make up the cave.

'Did…did I just get visited by penguin Santa?'

What even is this world sometimes?

---

Blackthorn City

Oh sweet sunlight! The life giver! How I missed thee!

Would it be too much to drop and kiss the ground? That'd probably be too much right?

Shedding my winter gear, I take a moment just to bask in the sun's rays, feeling all that lingering chill of the Ice energy melt away.

I have two main goals while I'm here in Blackthorn. They could be done in either order though I think I might try and accomplish the second one first.

Goal #1: Defeat Clair and obtain the Rising Badge. Since it'll only be my sixth, we might get lucky and not even have to face her Kingdra. Though I'm confident my team can handle it even if we do.

Goal #2: Find a Razor Fang.

Not 'look' for one. Not 'keep my eyes open'. Not 'well I gave it the old college try' and then push it off for later. No. We are staying until it's done.

This mountain range is the singular habitat for Gligar in Indigo. There is literally nowhere else that they live. Fourteen months ago this is where I caught Vlad and back then we were both too inexperienced -too green- to go out exploring the entire area proper.

If that Delibird can randomly pick up a Razor Claw then I can find the Fang. The occurrence of one being present in the wild all but confirms the existence of the other.

I just have to find one.

And it doesn't matter to me if I have to scale every cliffside into the clouds to do it. Vlad has been working as the backbone of my party for over a year now. Training up the youngin's. Handling fights I couldn't trust to others. Having my back when things got dicey. I owe him that evolution.

Walking into town I find that the usually tranquil scenery is in a bit of an uproar at the moment. The Blackthorn I remember from a year ago was quiet. Serene almost. What one would expect from a settlement who's situated up in the mountains. Right now though there seems to be a ruckus. Whole crowds of trainers -both old and young- are crowding into the Pokémon Center, trying to push themselves to the front.

"Move it!/I wanna see!Get outta the way!/Shove off grandpa!/Please everyone! Settle down!"

Heh. I think that last one might be the Nurse Joy who's on duty. Poor girl. Making my way to the back of the crowd I grab the attention of a local who's doing his best to frantically peer over someone's head. "Hey man, what's all the commotion about? Someone fish up a shiny Dratini or something?"

He turns to me with a wide look. "Didn't you hear! Prof. Oak just published an article about some new Pokémon evolutions! They're saying it's related to that news about Piloswine from two weeks ago! It just hit the Net twenty minutes ago!"

I let the man go and raise an impressed eyebrow at the news. 'Hot damn. Already? Shit that was fast. I figured people would figure it out quick, but I didn't think it would be that quick. Make a mental note to never underestimate a Pokémon Professor I guess.' Mixing myself into the crowd, I stand around patiently waiting for the herd to thin a bit. Very slowly moving towards the front as individuals cycle in and out of the building.

'I wonder which one they figured out first? The Tangela or the Yanma? I'm curious to see if it was entirely Oak and his people or maybe someone else who put the pieces together?'

Getting a little closer to one of the Poké Net computers, I catch a brief glance of a picture and get an answer to my question. Two Tangrowth in the Celadon City Gym high-fiving each other with their eyes turned up in a smile. In front of the two bulky Grass-types is Gym Leader Erika and…some other woman who I can't say I'm familiar with. Probably one of her Gym Trainers or something.

Erika is beaming at the camera, joy and pride blooming across her features while her subordinate is… so embarrassed that it's kind of adorable to look at. Hands folded in front of her, posture all rigid and face so red you almost expect steam to issue from her ears. It's down right precious. Makes me want to reach through the screen just to tease her.

The person manning the terminal exits out of the screenshot and begins scrolling down through the article again. There's a flash of another photo, one with two trainers - one with long red-hair and the other blue - and I shake my head in a double-take. "Hey! Hey! Scroll back up!"

My voice doesn't reach them -not that I'm surprised what with everyone around us still jabbering on excitedly- and I start being a little more forceful in pushing my way to the front. I make it to just behind one of the three computers and soak in the text of the digital screen.

Pokémon Discovered to evolve from Ancient Power

-Piloswine -> Mamoswine (Credit: Gym Leader Pryce and Ex-Gym Trainer Bradley.)

-Yanma -> Yanmega (Credit: Bug Catcher brothers Chaz and Andrew.)

-Tangela -> Tangrowth (Credit: Gym Leader Erika and Poké Lass Bridget.)

-Arbok -> Adnokana (Credit: Poké Fan Club Members Jessidaia and Jackson.)

My mouth falls slightly open at the last line. "...what?" I whispered out.

Forcing my way through the remaining crowd I -more than a bit rudely- snatch hold of the mouse and furiously double-click the hyperlink next to the last entry in the list. Immediately the screen is overtaken by a photograph of Jessie, James, and Meowth -all poorly disguised per usual- standing sheepishly in front of a Poison/Dark type that all my cheater cheat mccheat face meta knowledge rather adamantly says shouldn't exist.

"...what?" I breathed again.

….

….

….

No seriously,

W h a t?

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 18

~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part 7

He's at a Pokémon Center.

…

…

Has he been sick?

…

…

That doesn't sound right. He thinks he'd know if he'd been ill.

…

…

'I'm sorry.' the Nurse Joy said. 'I just don't know what to make of it. Physically, he's perfectly fine.'

'Maybe he just needs a good battle!' the girl with the Victreebel spoke, pumping her fist. 'That'll get him out of his funk! Gah! I'm so hyped for the next rematch!'

Quagsire stared at the woman with a confused expression.

…

…

…what was her name?

…

…

'Actually', Quagsire looked around the room. 'Who were any of these people?'

---

Route 45, Blackthorn Mountains

'Okay. No biggie.' I scale the cliffside one step at a time, Vlad right behind me as he scans around for anything of note. 'So there's at least one Pokémon evolution out there you didn't know about. Not the end of the world…'

Vlad briefly sticks his face in a crevice, seems to dart his eyes around, but then shakes his head in the negative and moves on. 'Maybe they revisited the Ancient Power gimmick in a later generation?' I consider as an errant thought. 'Gens 10, 11, or 12 or some shit like that?'

I pause as the implications of that idea fully register. 'Well that's certainly not a comforting notion.' I already feel half prepared with my spotty knowledge of Generations 8 and 9. And there's no reason the developers would stop just because I'm not there to see it. If there's a whole slew of new Pokémon -or god forbid entire regions- out there that I've never heard of, then we really might be flying blind down the line.

My hands grasp a rough stone and I haul myself up over a ledge. 'Though then again,' A counter-argument begins to form. 'How do I even 'know' that this new evolution is actually legitimate in the first place? It's Jessie, James, and Meowth for god's sake. It could just be Jessie's Arbok in a fucking costume. Or maybe one of their Poké robots. I could picture the three of them running a scheme like that.' One would hope that Prof. Oak's accreditation process is stringent enough to catch things such as those -otherwise there might be frauds everywhere- but do I really know that it is? If Jessie and James can consistently fool law enforcement by just putting on some glasses and a couple of wigs then maybe they'd be able to pull a fast one over Samuel Oak too. Stranger things have certainly happened.

An ear piercing shriek stabs through the air from right above us. An ungodly screeching of metal on metal that has me wincing as a Wild Skarmory circles overhead and makes its displeasure known. It lands on a nearby outcropping and throws its red vane wings out in a threat display. A dual visual/audible warning to exit its 'territory' immediately.

Skarmory: Lv. 26
Nature: Brave
Potential: C

'Pfeh,' I scoff under my breath at the small threat trying to act all big and cast my eyes aside in annoyance. This isn't the first Wild 'mon that's chosen to impede us today. "Vlad," I call out and Gligar is at my side in an instant. "We're not wasting time going around. Remove him."

"Gligar!"

Something tells me this Skarmory won't last nearly as long as the one in the tournament did.

---

Hey there guys! Welcome to Bradley's Pro Trainer Tips and Pokémon Survival Guide for when you're out there trekking in the wilderness.

Today's Pro Tip is #6. 'If you're expecting to get into a big fight, just use boosting moves 'before' the encounter! There's no referees out in the wild, so cheating is perfectly a-ok!'

Wild Gligar often travel in troops of four or more, usually centered around a dominant male or female. They won't be fighting fair, so why should you?

"Strafing attacks! Hit them with Crabhammer!"

"Gli! Gli!" Vlad blitzes into the squad of rival Ground-types, not a one of them able to react in time in face of his Agility buffs. A shining blue claw slams center into the face of the biggest one -a Lv. 24 I idly note- and after that all cohesion from the enemy falls apart.

Scorpion-bats scatter as Vlad zips through their ranks sowing chaos. With a 30+ level difference all it takes is a single hammer blow and each of the opponents drop like a light. 'It is also I think cathartic for him. While Vlad didn't know these Gligar personally, they're probably similar in strength to the ones that he 'did'. There's nothing quite like going back to your roots to see just how far you've progressed.'

A pair of purple horns peeks over a nearby ridge and I barely have time to turn my head at the threat before it pounces. Quick Attack leaves a trail of white light in its wake as the Gligar neither Vlad or I saw streaks right towards me. Its pincers flare out, its mouth opens with fangs bared, "Gli-!"

And then crashes head first into Simon's Ice Punch as the little Ghost juts halfway out my shadow.

"Gol! Golett Gol!"

Ah. You're right Simon. That is a good segue back down into Pro Tip #4.

'If you can. Don't ever leave yourself unprotected.'

---

'Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck!'

I dive roll into an opening in the mountainside right before the Hyper Beam is unleashed, reducing the boulder I was hiding behind into atoms. I can feel Grundy's demand to be let out, to let him handle this, but I stamp it down with a 'No!'.

We're trying to climb this mountain, not bring the whole damn thing crumbling down on top of us! And a landslide is exactly what we'll get if I let two Pokémon of that power duke it out at this altitude!

The tiny cave rumbles as I feel the beast touch down somewhere outside. Dust and gravel are shaken loose from the ceiling and I catch sight of the monster's golden scales through the opening of our little hideyhole.

Dragonite: Lv. 79
Nature: Rash
Potential: A

The first thing that needs to be said is that this Dragon is old. Both eyes essentially blind from cataracts. Ancient wounds littering its torso with zig zag lines of scar tissue. Even one of those little antenna things the species has on its forehead is basically gone. Snipped two or three inches above the nub. 'How long has this thing been living up here?!'

Blackthorn City is home of the Dragon Den. Its name comes from the clan of Dragon Tamers who first settled the valley long ago. It wouldn't be a shock to me that a fully evolved 'mon would eventually leave that nest of Dratinis but I'm barely a day's hike from civilization. I only officially left the 'safety' of Route 45 a few hours ago. How has this thing been allowed to just roam free out here?!

There's a snort from outside, an exhale of air through massive nostrils, and then the sounds of takeoff. A weighty body pushing off into the air followed by a low 'crooning' emanating from the beast's throat.

Simon's head slowly rises from my shadow. "Gol?"

"Yeah buddy," I answer in a whisper, placing my hand on his head to help calm my breathing. "We'll stop here for the night. No more exploring today."

---

Heavy breaths assail me as I force myself to stop. "Alright guys…just…just gimme a second."

I'm not sure how high we are, but the air's definitely thinned a bit. Even while at rest I've noticed an uptick in number of breaths per minute. I'd say we're 'off the beaten path' by this point, but I'm pretty sure we passed that threshold two days ago.

Vlad patiently waits for me to get moving again, but I can see how much he's wishing to just push me along himself. He's jittery. He's picked up on something, some scent trail or other, that's got him all excited and abuzz.

At our rear Ma Ma continually scans the skies while K.Rool keeps lookout over the nearby ridges. As though any half buried boulder could secretly be an enemy Rock-type lying in wait.

"Ok…" I stretch up, my hands on my hips as I take a few large gulps with my head tilted back. "Onward."

---

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me."

Primeape: Lv. 36
Nature: Impish
Potential: D

Primeape: Lv. 39
Nature: Serious
Potential: C-

Primeape: Lv. 37
Nature: Hardy
Potential: D+

Ma Ma meets the rowdy hollering with a roar of her own and I nearly groan into my hands. 'Goddamnit! No! Don't escalate back!' The war pigs stamp their feet angrily at our gall for not immediately backing down. Small rocks begin to roll down the mountainside and I can feel both K.Rool and Vlad preparing boosting moves.

'Alright, I guess we're doing 'this' now!' "The Mankey-line isn't even supposed to live in these mountains!" I assert angrily, pointing at the leader of the band with an outstretched finger. "What the hell are you all even doing here?"

The one with the Impish nature hops off his perch with a howl! His arms coat themselves with the orange-white energy of Cross Chop and I begin barking orders to the team.

'This stupid shit better not count as my first Triple Battle.'

---

"Whoa…what is this place?"

Veins of bioluminescent blue stretch across the cavern walls, weaving a soft glowing tapestry that has me turning my lantern down to low. Are these plants? At this altitude? No…peering a little closer it looks a bit more like fungi of some kind. Well that makes even less sense. I'm certainly no mycologist but I thought fungus liked low to the ground, damp locations… and while yes, this cave is a bit less dry than the terrain outside, that doesn't really explain-

"Gli! Gligar, Gli!" Vlad calls to try and hurry me along. He's pulled ahead of the group and is waving his claw in a 'let's go!' motion.

'Evidently not everyone has an appreciation for the bizarre locales one can stumble upon in this world.' The brief distraction with the Primeapes notwithstanding, he's been growing more and more impatient as we draw closer to…whatever it is that he's picked up on.

A family of Dunsparce peer over a ledge to watch us go by and I keep my eyes peeled for signs of anything hostile. A place like this is exactly where one might have a close encounter of the big, mean, and ugly variety. We certainly don't need another incident like the one with the Dragonite. My eyes dart to a skittering shadow in the corner but it's gone before I can make it out. Something bug-like and low to the ground. I'd say a Kabuto…but really what are the odds of that being true? Maybe a Venipede? Though that's the wrong region entirely so that seems like an even farther stretch. Could a Nincada have made it up here? It definitely wasn't a Spinarak.

A pulse of aura through my feet provides a rough map of the nearby surroundings and I'll say this…at least this place doesn't have any real branching pathways. It's so far been a straight shot all the way through. Which now that I say that out loud seems a little suspect. Naturally formed environments are rarely so uniform.

There's a speck in the distance. A circle of white daylight that grows exceedingly larger as we draw closer to it. 'So it 'was' a tunnel, not just a cave.' Vlad already stands at the threshold, gazing past the exit and peering around at the- 'Holy crap…'

It's an oasis.

No, not a lush green secret shangri-la or anything so unbelievable.

But there's water pools. Some light vegetation. Even some scraggly Berry bushes belonging to a species I don't quite recognize. A pack of Phanpy run about as a mother Donphan watches over and there are dozens of Gligar swooping about the place. There's a Shuckle chilling atop a half-submerged stone in one of the pools and-holy jeezus! I nearly leap out of my skin at the massive Dragonair that's sleeping just around the corner that could have easily pounced us had it been awake. Her serpentine body is coiled around a small clutch of Pokémon Eggs and...yeah I think I'm just gonna give that one a wide berth.

A great smooth-faced slab rests in the center of the clearing and is adorned with drawings of stick figures and crude renditions of Pokémon etched into it. There's even some writings in large Unknown lettering scribbled at the base that seem to dictate some sort of story. Not that I can read any of it mind you. The individual Unknown shapes may correspond to the English Alphabet back on earth, but if you've got any idea what the engraver meant by the words 'NYHLDAR KOZI EMR ULA' then by all means, do let me know. Maybe an academic could translate it, but to me it's all ancient tribal gibberish.

The countless Gligar swarm over our position, though by some llama-god miracle they don't seem to actually be aggressive, merely curious. A rather sharp departure from the gang of them we encountered a few days back. Vlad chitters back and forth with a pair of males and I do my best to try and follow the conversation. The aura bond gives me a general idea of what Vlad is saying, but except for reading body language and tone I'm basically limited to guesswork on what he's actually being asked.

It's kind of like watching two humans conversing in a foreign film…but one of them has subtitles and the other doesn't.

There's a parting of the crowds from up ahead as a withered gray bat with large yellow eyes waddles worth. A younger member of her same species floats behind her,seemingly as a guard or escort of some kind and for a moment all I can think is…

'Damn..have Gliscor always been this large?'

I never watched the Gen IV anime. Heck, I never really watched any of Ash's adventures beyond the first few seasons. By the time he was traveling around Hoenn, I was older and had pretty much moved on from the show, only catching a glimpse of it here or there. I suppose the Pokédex entries with height and weight from the games could have clued me in, but that's stuff I only started paying attention to once I got here. It didn't really matter much before.

From ear tip to tail tip, an average Gligar is about three and a half feet. Vlad's maybe a tiny bit above the middle of that curve at 3' 8''. It's something we can probably chalk up to good nutrition. Each of the two Gliscor in front of me, both the elderly female and the brutish Lv. 48 behind her, each easily pass the two meter mark. I mean fuck, they're bigger than I am.

'If this works out, maybe we won't have to wait for Simon to evolve before we have a real flier to help us get around.'

"Gli…Gliscor," The matron rasps softly, cupping at Vlad's chin as if to say 'let me have a look at you.' Something which Vlad allows with a minimal amount of protest. After a moment though he shakes away from her grip and then points a claw out at the matriarch and the larger male behind her. "Gligar! Gligar Gli!"

A chorus of snickers all break out amongst the surrounding Gligar at Vlad's words and the younger male Gliscor even seems to scoff dismissively. "Gliscor! Glis Gli Glis!" An act which gets the older female to look at him chidingly, much in the way a mother might for an unruly son.

Vlad bristles slightly and narrows his eyes at the words. "Gligar! 'Gar Gar Gligar!" He confidently asserts, thumping his own chest twice before pointing a challenge the male's way.

The male Gliscor's brow twitches angrily and I feel that's my spot to step in. "Alright, alright," I get between the two before a real issue can ensue. "Enough of that now. We didn't stumble in here just to make trouble." I turn my attention to the elder. "My companion and I are seeking a Razor Fang and you two are the best lead we've gotten so far. Can you help us? I'll happily trade for it. I've got plenty of Berries I'd bet you've never tried before."

The female shakes her head in the negative at my offer. "Gliscor…Gli," she then gestures to Vlad and pantomimes…something about a test? A challenge of some kind?

'Ohhhh! It's one of those classic 'only for the worthy' type schticks.' An unworried grin takes over me at that. 'Well that's fine! Whatever it is, we'll take it down easy!'

"What do you say buddy?" I turn towards my most reliable team member. "You ready to chew up and spit down whatever they throw at us?"

"Gligar!"

---

Later that Week, Blackthorn City

The sliding doors open with an electronic hum. "Welcome to the Blackthorn City Gym." a teenage monotone greets from behind the counter. "How can I help-" The voice sputters indignantly. "You?!"

"Oh snap!" a shit-eating grin overtakes me. "How's it going Vince? They got you workin' the front desk huh? How'd you get stuck with that gig?"

The miniature-Lance glowers at me. "It's my punishment for not reaching Top 8 at the Mid-Season Summit. A certain level of expectation is attached to the Blackthorn name I'll have you know. It reflects badly when one of us doesn't make it past the preliminaries."

I try not to laugh at that. "Ah. Well my bad then. I can offer your starter a rematch against Vlad if you like," I spin the Pokéball in question atop my finger. "But I can promise you, it won't go nearly as well for you this time around."

Vince's scowl manages to deepen at what he thinks is an unkind joke. "We lost last time."

This time there's nothing I can do to keep the smile down.

"I know what I said."

---

A/N: Relax. Despite Bradley's musings at the beginning of this chapter, I am not going to employ OC Regions or start filling this fic with Fakemon. It's important that the character have these thoughts when encountering something new/unfamiliar, but it should not be taken as a foreshadowing of my plans.

 

[LordVishnu]

Chapter 19

Blackthorn City Gym

Goddamn, who pissed in her cornflakes?

"Hmph." Clair casts her eyes down at me from the raised platform, a not so subtle curl of disapproval on her lower lip. "So this is the trainer my little cousin lost to? The one who commands an Alpha, and yet now he comes to challenge the dragon's den at the sixth Badge level? Not the eighth, but the sixth?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." I match her disdain with heavy sarcasm. "Is that okay? I wasn't aware battling Blackthorn last was a requirement."

The Gym Leader thrusts her arm out, getting her cape to dramatically billow behind her. "It is tradition! It may not be a hardcoded rule, but we at Blackthorn pride ourselves as being the gatekeepers of the Pokémon League! The final barrier to seeing who is worthy and who is rabble! By choosing to come here before completing-"

"Uuuggghhh," I audibly groan and contemptuously roll my eyes at the grandstanding. "I swear if you start saying I've tweaked your pride as a Dragon Master by coming here 'early' then I'm going to lose it. If it offends you so much then just come at me as though I've got another two Badges under the belt. Makes no difference to me. Now how many of your Gym Trainers do I have to knock down before you and I step into the ring? Because frankly," I narrow my eyes at the blue-haired woman. "I've already made dinner plans. And I don't plan on being late."

Clair smirks approvingly for a half-second before she twists on her heel and begins to stalk off. "My subordinates need not waste their time with you." she calls over her shoulder. "Against an arrogant claim such as that, I shall be handling your challenge myself."

"Oh hell no," My eyebrow twitches as she leaves. "I did not just get called arrogant by a dragon fangirl in a cape."

Change of plans.

I was gonna follow the usual formula for a Gym Leader Battle. You know the one. We both start off small, have a little bit of a challenge, some back and forth between our weaker 'mons, and then whoever is forced to use their big guns first usually ends up losing.

After that it's 'smile for the camera', exchange a few words, and everyone moves on with their day.

But if that's the reception I get just from walking in here?

I'm going for the sweep.

---

"This will be a 6 vs 6 match at the highest Badge level! All Held Items have been removed and as always a trainer may concede at any time!" The referee's hand goes towards his boss. "Gym Leader Clair, are you ready?" The grinning woman tightens down her glove and gives a silent nod, causing the ref to then swing his arm my way. "Challenger Bradley, are you ready?"

The pre-battle jitters have me smirking. "Heh, ain't nothing to it but to do it."

Just so everyone's clear on the subject. I'm aware that Clair being so confrontational may potentially have just been bait. Yes, she's a rather haughty and imperious sort, -no surprises there- but she could have just been playing it up to get a rise out of me. Based on my placing at the Lake of Rage tournament, a sixth Badge fight is 'challenge' in name only and we both know it.

With that in mind, my throwing of the gauntlet here could be viewed by some as giving away a free and easy win. If Firebreather Lyle and Hiker Russel could each get a sixth Badge, I doubt I'd suffer any true difficulty.

But you know what? Fuck it. Theatrical persona or not, her attitude was pissing me off and I want no room for aspersions that my team and I don't deserve this Rising Badge.

The ref's flag swings down! "Begin!"

"Seadra, you know what to do! / Ma Ma, strut your stuff."

Seadra: Lv. 45
Nature: Naughty
Potential: C

Ursaring: Lv. 59
Nature: Serious
Potential: A

The blue seadragon Pokémon hits the field and immediately tenses up as a slight tinge of red and white steam builds around it. All telltale signs of the technique Focus Energy. A move which multiplies the chances of a Critical Hit occurring several times over. When used in tandem with the Pokémon Ability: Sniper, -which outside of as a rare Hidden Ability, is exclusive to the Horsea and Remoraid families here in Indigo- a trainer can create a Pokémon one-shot KO-ing machine that gets suped up bonus power Crits all day ev'ry day.

There was even a time where the strategy appeared in the competitive scene back home. The 'all-critical Kingdra' or 'Crit-dra' who combined Focus Energy with the Held Item Scope Lens to have a 100% Crit chance on every move used.

Ah…good memories.

Ma Ma's new Grass-type move Trailblaze smashes into the Water dragon as a full-body shoulder-tackle and I watch her Speed stat jump a stage as it connects.

We'll make today a good memory too.

Despite the only 50 base power behind the move, the Seadra goes flailing backwards from the sheer difference in levels present on the field. Never mind the Super-effective factor. Still, a Pokémon at the final Badge level -even a middle of the pack specimen like this- isn't one that would get rattled so easily.

Clair sweeps an arm out. "Seadra, focus up with Dragon Pulse!"

"Drop to all fours! Evade!"

A vortex of dark blue rings rips through the air onto Ma Ma's position and I'll admit that if not for the Speed boost, it might have managed to clip her. No such luck for the Dragon Master today though. I do my best to transmit the feeling of muscles swelling though the bond and Ma Ma throws back what feels like a grunt of acknowledgement.

The Fighting-energy of Bulk Up begins to build in her stomach as she gallops around the edges of the field and I smile as the first step of the plan is complete.

Yes, bears can gallop. Didn't you know that?

"Dance, Seadra! We'll match its Speed!"

"Now Ma Ma! Second verse!"

The Ursaring pivots into a stop just as the Dragon Dance begins and uses the momentary stillness to complete her Bulk Up. Once it's done she charges full tilt at the enemy as a sheen of Grass-energy builds around her again.

'Time to find out if she has the counter.' To the best of my knowledge, Seadra can't learn Haze. Well…there may have been a special event Horsea that had access to it in one generation but that's such an obscure corner case that I'm willing to dismiss it. It can get Clear Smog if you do some breeding shenanigans with a Gastrodon but considering how isolationist Sinnoh is here I think that's an even less likely card for Clair to pull out of her pocket.

In other words, I'm not worried about her negating my setup.

What I would do in her position is try to fire off a point-blank Toxic right as Ma Ma connects. The alternative Ability that Seadra can have besides Sniper is Poison Point so the virulent status move comes fairly easy to the sea dragon Pokémon as a species. If she does that, I'd either be forced into using Rest -leaving me vulnerable- or I'd have to forsake my boosts and switch Ma Ma out when she gets low after a few turns.

Anyways, as I said. That's what I would do.

Bet you 100 Poké Dollars that that isn't Clair's style though. If I had to guess, she seems more like the type to go for something like…

"Seadra, Outrage!"

I find myself mentally crossing fingers as the two Pokémon collide. Ma Ma's going to come out on top, I've no doubts about that, but it's a complete dice roll on how much of a parting gift Seadra's going to inflict before she goes down.

Focus Energy's one of those moves that's changed a lot over the game series' development. In the Gen I cartridges, the move was glitched and didn't actually work. Amusingly enough it actually made your Pokémon worse at dealing the extra damage. In Gen II it doubled your Crit chance from 1/16 up to 1/8. In Generations III, IV, and V, it was doubled again to 25%. And in VI onward it was buffed a third time to get that number up to 50%. Hence why the math on the 'Critical Kingdra' strategy worked in the first place.

From what I've witnessed in battles -and the small not-at-all comprehensive bit of testing K.Rool and I have done with the move-, here in this world it causes the Critical Hit chance to be somewhere between those Gen V and VI numbers. Less than half, more than a quarter.

There's a break in the action. One body goes falling back.

"Seadra is unable to battle!" The first flag of the match goes up and I see Ma Ma flex as the second use of Trailblaze gets her Speed up again. She took a bit of a hit but overall…it seems like we rolled favorably this time. Outrage is a powerful move but Seadra's far more of a Special Attacker than a Physical one. The Dragon Dance could have upped its threat level but our Bulk Up negated that rather nicely.

Speaking of which,

"Ma Ma, again!" I communicate the mental image of the Fighting-move the moment Clair's second 'mon starts to materialize and the she-bear begins to boost the instant the light dies away.

Dragonair: Lv. 44
Nature: Bashful
Potential: B-

"Dragon Rage!" A mix of blue and red flames stream out the mid-evolution's mouth while Ma Ma's still focused on boosting and I tilt my head at the move choice. Fixed damage moves aren't bad per se, especially not against someone who's +2 in Defense, but after a certain level point…they just don't feel super threatening anymore.

"Play Rough!"

Ma Ma roars her assent as she charges straight in with claws glowing a pale pink. Seemingly unbothered by the draconic fires splashing over her. Her mastery over Fairy-type energy hasn't improved a great deal since the tournament but it has improved some. Enough so that - between the 130 Base Attack stat, two Bulk Up's, and fifteen extra levels in the bank- this Dragon's about to have a 'Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'.

And Clair seems to know it too.

She sweeps an arm. "Thunder Wave! Halt its charge!"

'Too little, too late.' Dragonair cuts off its breath attack to emit a bright yellow ring from its horn -coincidentally one just slightly larger than the example on Ma Ma's fur- and then…well...I imagine that's just about the last conscious thought the blue danger noodle had for the day.

Yellow sparks dance over Ursaring's form as she pummels the lesser 'mon into the dirt over and over. Her Speed's been normalized -the halving effect of Paralysis thoroughly slashing what we gained from Trailblaze-, but the triggering of Guts has shot her Attack through the roof, driving Clair to signal a recall just for her own 'mon's safety.

'And that makes two.'

Shouts from the crowd grab my attention. Both positive and negative. There's the usual sort all in attendance of course. Those spectator types who like to hang around Gyms and fill the stands. But I also notice a distinct group of local Blackthorn Trainers near the front who are booing. Decrying Ma Ma's use of 'excessive force'.

The phrases 'no way', 'one hit', and 'cheating with Fairy moves' can also be heard, which all culminates in getting another eye roll from me.

I thought this place was the 'Dragon's Den'. Not kindergarten baby pre-school time.

At least my opponent herself seems unbothered by the violence. "I'll admit, you caught me a little surprised." She speaks offhandedly, a confident grin still in place. "I was sure you'd be leading with one of your Ground-types. Perhaps that little Ghost you showed off in the quarter-finals. Not your heaviest hitter besides the Alpha." Her eyes cast down towards Ma Ma for a second, smiling approvingly as the grizzly continues to ignore the golden sparks occasionally flashing over her.

"Still," Clair pulls out a Dive Ball as her third pick. "I'd say it's about time for a change-up, wouldn't you say? The Rising Badge isn't about having just one or two strong Pokémon. Your entire team needs to be up to the challenge!"

A mountain of white light announces Clair's next 'mon as it takes to the field with a world-shaking roar. A terrible angry thing that has me craning my neck up slightly to inspect the threat.

Did I describe Claire's previous 'mon as a 'blue danger noodle'? I apologize. That was me jumping the gun a little. That Dragonair was only about a third the size and a sixth the weight of this next Pokémon.

This is the actual danger noodle.

Gyarados: Lv. 50
Nature: Serious
Potential: E-

The Gym Leader punches forward. "Dragon Tail!"

Mental alarm bells begin to scream as the sea wurm begins to turn! "Stone Edge! Full Power!"

Despite the Paralysis slowing her, thick hefty boulders are ripped from the earth to go sailing towards Gyarados' crown. Were it another type of 'mon using the force switch-out move I might've tried dodging, even with the status effect in play. Against a tail of that size though, there's nowhere to dodge. Our only options are to either get underground -something Ma Ma is slower than the rest of my team at doing- or to put such a hurt on the beast that it gets knocked out of the move entirely.

Stone Edge: Base Power 100. Doubled for two Bulk-Ups, doubled for Super-effective, no STAB, but we get the same level of bonus by having Guts in play. That's gotta be what? 600? It should be plenty. Overkill even.

Gyarados roars as the rocks impact its face and neck but its momentum is simply too great to stop. The colossal fin slams into Ma Ma's side -getting the she-bear to grapple against it on instinct- but there's nothing she can do to stop its effects.

Ursaring returns to her ball against her will -losing her grip over her various stat boosts in the process- and is forced into being an effective non-choice for the rest of the match.

'Tch. We really are going to need to Rest immediately if I send her out again later. And without any Berry's to wake her, it would create the perfect chance for Clair to do some set up herself.'

How…annoying.

The thirty second timer for me to send out my replacement begins to click down and I shift my focus to the gargantuan sea snake before me. More specifically, I focus on its unusual 'Potential' rating and let my eyebrows knit together.

'Hmn. Well, how about that?' It's not every day I get a new piece of data for how my ability works. Before this fight I would have sworn up, down, and sideways that 'E' rank Pokémon level cap somewhere in the high 40's. I believe I even mentioned that way back when I was battling Whitney. More to the point, I was speaking with 'E+' in mind, not the even worse 'E-'.

Meaning that this can only be a Pokémon who has fought, scraped, and scrapped for every bit of strength it can get. Raging against its subpar genetics with fury, willpower and sheer fucking spite.

Damn Clair. After this fight's over I kinda want to hear the story of where you found this thing.

Twenty seconds left on the clock and I consider my options. Obviously Vlad is the best move. I can feel how eager he is to show off his new form. Or maybe that's just eagerness to get out of his ball again. He's agreed to be in there to not spoil the surprise, but once this fight's over he's going to be right there at my back as per usual.

'...hopefully not hanging off my shoulder though.' I belatedly realize. I don't think my arm could survive the weight.

Gyarados bellows in impatience as we hit fifteen seconds. His eyes are blazing and his breath heavy. Stuffed full of piss and vinegar or no, no one can take a Stone Edge like that to the dome and be completely fine.

'The big bastard must be hurtin' something awful.'

Which means this might be a unique opportunity to let someone else punch up. And I know exactly which member of the team loves a challenge like that.