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I Will Touch the Skies - A Pokemon Fanfiction (OC)

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Chapter 182
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    • CHAPTER 182

    Damn it, damn it, damn it.

    I had been staring at this text for twenty minutes, writing paragraphs worth of words and erasing them because I couldn't bring myself to press send. The worst part was that I had left my mother on read and that she'd started to type messages multiple times and just not sending them because of the little speech bubble, so I knew she was dying inside too. I just wanted to collapse into myself like a dying star.

    Didn't she know that you just didn't drop on people like this without warning? If we had had a better relationship, then maybe it'd be justified as a surprise, but most of our exchanges were just small talk via text when I reached a new city or was about to leave one. We didn't even call like I did with my dad, I hadn't heard her voice since I had been in Snowpoint. Meeting her today was the furthest thing from what I wanted. Did Dad even know that she was here? And meeting my grandmother? I knew her even less than my mom, and my first interaction with her back in Twinleaf was her calling my father a son of a bitch! No thank you!

    I might have forgiven my mother slightly before leaving Twinleaf, but now that the whole thing was resurfacing after I'd changed so much? I didn't care for a meeting at all, especially when I knew I'd blow up at her and start talking to her about things like debt or prices, something she wouldn't understand whatsoever. She had cheated on dad and lied to him until he'd find out. That deserved nothing but scorn from me. I took a deep breath and gripped my phone.

    Me

    Good morning, I'll have a lot on my plate during my stay in Veilstone, so I'm afraid we won't be able to meet. I'm a member of the League Trainer Internship Program, I have a lot of obligations to the Poketch Company, and I have a lot of things planned. My schedule is going to be packed for the foreseeable. Sorry, but maybe next time.

    My finger hovered over send until I forced myself to press the button. I technically wasn't lying. Sure, the LTIP didn't actually force me to do anything, and my obligations to the Poketch Company weren't that exigent at the moment, but I had just weaved the words in a way that'd make her think I was too busy to meet by listing a bunch of important stuff. Plus, from what I knew, my mom knew nothing about Pokemon battling, so it wasn't like she'd be able to tell.

    "I am busy," I snapped at my phone screen.

    And I was free from the burden of lies.

    There was no point in studying when I wouldn't retain any of the information I was watching, so I cleaned up my notes and decided I'd come back to it later. It was still early, but I didn't want to let my family train until it was the last thing I'd be doing outside. The less time I spent out and about with wiped-out Pokemon, the less risk I was under. I knew I had a League Trainer shadowing me, but even that wasn't enough. I wasn't leaving anything to chance.

    What I needed was to clear my head and just reset my mental. Just like what Bella had taught me. I took a deep breath and loosened my body. I needed to look at things from a detached, rational point of view. This wasn't happening to me. It was happening to someone else, and I was looking at her through a screen. Able to be as objective as possible no matter the answer.

    What did the girl want?

    To make it through this town with all of her friends safe and sound.

    What did the girl need to do to reach that point?

    She needed to grow stronger to keep what was hers safe by force, because running away was admitting that she was not a proper fairy—

    "What the hell…?" I muttered, slowly opening my eyes. All of a sudden, I was the girl again. Tired, ragged, and with no idea of what to do.

    I groaned, sitting on my bed and clenching at my hair. It wasn't working. Or it was, but not the way I wanted it to. I couldn't stop myself from thinking a certain way, and it hadn't bothered me when it had just been me, Bella, Night and my team, but I knew that it was abnormal now that I was back in human society. People were not possessions to be hoarded. Putting my head down while the League dealt with all of this was the smart thing to do.

    Maybe if clearing my head the way Bella had thought me wouldn't work, something else would. After all, I had a few hours to kill.

    ——

    "What the hell? A four-move limit? Talk about narrow-minded," I sighed as I tapped my Trainer ID against the machine's sensor.

    "I mean, there has to be a limit somewhere, right?" Emilia said. "If it was up to me, I'd do five, but four isn't bad."

    Emi and I were currently in the less-known Pokemon Game Arcade, which was a few blocks away from the Game Corner. It was a more… family-friendly establishment that didn't involve losing all of your money, but it was run by the same company. It was a bustling hub of activity with all kinds of games and obnoxiously loud music playing in the background. In the corner in the distance, a group of kids huddled over a Voltorb pinball machine. The main attraction was a row of Pokemon fighting games that had caught my attention. It was different than the one we were currently getting ready to play and less strategic. People picked a character Pokemon and could make them in different stages, and it was a pretty big hit, being sold on handheld consoles as well.

    "You're interested?" Emilia asked as she inserted her money into her own machine. She stood opposite of me and had to crane her neck for me to see her. "Pauline goes crazy for the game. She used to force me to play it."

    "I didn't know Pauline played games," I said.

    "Oh, she does. She's gotten banned from quite a few because of how toxic she gets. I never got into them though. What about you?"

    "Me neither," I shrugged.

    "So what made you decide to invite me out there?"

    The game began, and I was given a random team of six Pokemon, each with four moves. I led with a Raichu and Emilia led with a freaking Quagsire.

    "Just my luck," I sighed. "I got into a fight with Mira about stupid stuff, it's okay."

    I switched to my Torterra and somehow got hit by an Ice Beam. Why could she just do that? Things weren't fair with arbitrary turns!

    "You could tell me more too. I'm here to listen."

    "It wouldn't be right to involve—"

    "I want to be involved," Emilia said as she took down my Torterra by going faster than him somehow. "I'm tired of being a meek girl that has to be protected. Even Pauline won't tell me anything. I've come too far to be relegated to a damsel in distress."

    "You have," I acknowledged. Emilia knew about what happened in Solaceon, but she didn't know about the dangers that lurked in Veilstone or that she possibly had a League Trainer guarding her. I couldn't help but stare at any adult I saw in the arcade as the potential culprit.

    I explained everything to her all while she wiped the floor with me in this stupid game. She listened to me without a word, simply acquiescing with small grunts.

    "You aren't scared?" I asked.

    "I am. But I'm also okay. So the fight with Mira…?"

    "She blew up at me— well, I blew up at her first because of how reckless she's being. If I had to summarize it, it was like I stepped on her toes and she retaliated by going for my jugular. If you're going to go after Team Galactic, at least have a damn plan or something," I exhaled. "Another round?"

    "Sure thing," Emilia nodded.

    "I don't know, I think at the end of the day, we both made some good points, but I know that I was more in the right than she was. She's acting like she doesn't value her life because of how close to her goal she is."

    "Could it have been a cry for help?"

    "Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know, I think that all she's thinking about is reuniting with her uncle. She knows that she won't be able to bring him back, but I think she still wants a confrontation. I don't know if that's a battle or just a conversation."

    "She wants catharsis," Emilia added.

    "Exactly. And she doesn't care what she'll have to do to reach it. Some of her words stuck with me, though. Revenge."

    "Against Mars? That's a terrible idea, Grace."

    "Obviously. But I can't help but worry about what would happen if I was in front of her again. I know I'd have no chance to victory, but would I collapse and cry? Would I shut down emotionally? Or would I want revenge?"

    Of course, Emi still didn't know about me being half fairy beyond the title Bellatrix had given me, but I could still skirt around everything and just give her the dilemma without context.

    "Revenge doesn't exactly lead to anything good."

    "I fundamentally disagree."

    "You know what? Fair enough. Just don't go and become another Mira."

    "I said I wouldn't, so you don't have to worry about it. I just don't know how I'd react is all, and it kind of scares me."

    "So are you and her, uh, fighting, then?"

    "I don't know. I think so?" I contemplated. "I'll let her cool off and hope Maeve and Louis help her solve her problems."

    Replaying the argument in my head, I didn't really know what she had expected out of me by telling me that she'd gotten scolded by her League bodyguard if not me telling her to just stop. Since Kadabra had told her about my change due to fairy type energy, maybe she'd thought I'd be willing to help her in her search, or at least give her words of support. If that was the case, she'd clearly misread me. Under Shiftry's influence, that might have been the case, but that wasn't me any longer.

    Emilia finished off my Steelix with her Dragon Danced Garchomp, handily winning the battle again. I just couldn't work with arbitrary numbers like stats.

    "Another round?" I asked.

    It took me fifteen tries to beat her once, and that was because her randomly generated team had been really bad against mine, but by the Legendaries, did that win feel good. I turned quite a few heads by cheering like I'd just won the lottery, and Emilia laughed at the entire spectacle.

    "Why are you so sweaty? We were just playing a game," she chuckled.

    "It might have been a game to you, but that was the fight of my life," I joked. "On a more serious note, um, I've been keeping something from you."

    She raised an eyebrow. "Another secret regarding your fight?"

    "No, no, it's just that…"

    I sighed. How could I say this?

    "The way I think's been changed on a fundamental level by fairy type energy," I said.

    "D—did that Hatterene do that to you?"

    "No. My Togetic did without realizing it, and Cynthia stopped her from doing it for me," I explained.

    "What does that imply? Can it be fixed?"

    Her face fell right when she saw me flinch. This was why I hadn't wanted to tell anyone. The fact that they'd want to fix me just left a terrible taste in my mouth, but Mira had been right. I couldn't expect to know everything about all of my friends while keeping secrets of my own. It wouldn't be fair. All this time, I'd been enforcing an unequal pact without realizing it. First, I'd tell her, and then everyone else.

    But I wasn't the only one who had to sort out our dispute. She had to try too.

    "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that," Emilia said.

    "You did, and that's okay. It doesn't really happen to most people," I smiled thinly. "It makes me more abrasive, extremely protective, I hate unfairness and I think that people should pay for their actions. I don't want to be fixed, but I do need to figure out how to live with it. I like this side of me, Emi, but there are times when I need to catch myself and draw a line. I'm still trying to figure things out."

    Emilia paused for a few seconds to catch her breath.

    "Remember when you just caught your Turtonator? You vented to Cece a lot about… uh, prices. She told me a little bit when she talked about how worried she was for you. I thought that was just how you were."

    "Oh. Right," I said, shuffling along the floor.

    "Thank you for telling me, Grace. It means a lot."

    "Thanks for listening. And then you know, there's this entire thing with my mom suddenly appearing like some horror movie jump scare."

    "Your mom? What's she like?"

    "I don't really know, but let's talk about it over some more games. I need to let out some steam."

    "Are you letting out steam if I'm constantly beating you?"

    "Oh, Emi's got the trash talk now, hm? Let's try a game that doesn't arbitrarily restrict you to dumb stat and four moves and see how it goes."

    She beat me.

    In every. Single. Game.

    ——

    Unfortunately, my time with Emilia was cut short when I decided that it was time to go train, but hanging out with a friend had helped me out somewhat. I actually took a taxi to route 214's gate because of how terrified I was of suddenly running into my mother and grandmother. It would be unlikely in a large city like Veilstone, but I wasn't taking any chances. Hopefully, I'd be able to avoid her the entire time she was here.

    She had answered my text already, saying that it was a shame and to let her know if I had a spot in my schedule, and I said I would. Now that I was with my family again and had cleared my head with Emilia, I could focus enough to study Aura first, and then Zachary for tomorrow's battle. I still dreaded the next time I'd see Mira because there was a lot of unresolved tension there, but I knew it was only a matter of time.

    Aura was… well, this was just how I saw how it interacted in the videos, but it was a lot more fluid than I thought it could be. First of all, this didn't apply to me, but aura attacks and even Aura Sphere could hit true ghosts like Haunter. That poor trainer's reaction had been quite agitated.

    Secondly, although it could be stopped by attacks using pure Type Energy attacks like Thunderbolt or Flamethrower, it was a very inefficient way of doing so. You were better off either stopping it with physical objects like Princess' Ancient Power or Sweetheart's Rock Slide, otherwise chances are the aura attack would just slip through your attack like it wasn't even there unless there was a huge disparity in power. It could also shatter psychic barriers easier, although it wasn't foolproof, and Protect was still immune to it. Like ghost type attacks, moves like Aura Sphere couldn't be redirected using Psychic or Extrasensory either. Thankfully this was a battle for my fifth badge, so there weren't exactly advanced techniques that she would use against me. For Maylene, Aura was her main way of brute forcing past a tough opponent like an annoying psychic or ghost.

    Princess would be my main counter there. If I ever got into a Pokemon deficit during the battle, she'd be my ace to be able to catch back up. Using Dazzling Gleam on anything that gets near and then dealing with threats using Air Cutter or Moonblast would do well, but I'd still have to watch out. We'd only have Ancient Power for defense against Aura, so she'd have to stay low to the ground.

    Overall, I'd done good progress today, so I decided to move on to the rest of Zachary Gallagher's team after making rounds to make sure everyone was progressing okay on their moves or if they needed any help. Sweetheart was having issues trying to redirect herself mid-air, but I couldn't exactly help there. I had no idea what being in her body was like, so she'd have to figure it out alone— with moral support, of course. Angel and Honey were currently sparring against Sunshine, but he was easily handling both of them while still going somewhat easy and not using his body heat.

    "Ampharos, Vespiquen, Infernape, Donphan, Ferrothorn, Pidgeot, Gyarados…" I muttered. "Sheesh, these are tough. Sunshine, c'mere for a sec!"

    My voice caught the fire type's attention and caused his face to get hit by one of Angel's vines. He profusely apologized, rubbing Turtonator's cheek in an attempt to make the pain go away. Sunshine grunted and waved his vine away, letting him know that his 'weak' vines weren't even close to painful, but Tangrowth couldn't help himself. His vine around my ankle tightened anxiously.

    "It's alright Angel! It was just training!" I exclaimed.

    And yet he still felt like he'd done wrong by hitting him when I'd called down. Electabuzz scratched his head, wondering what to do until Pupitar quickly intervened with Princess and offered him some supportive words, after which he promptly joined in. I smiled as the grass type's vine loosened and I turned to Sunshine.

    "You could use some more tact. Anyway, I'm battling a big shot tomorrow, and his Pokemon look to be all around your strength. Surely that should be a battle of your caliber. Want to join? A six-on-six is a lot more fun."

    Sunshine pondered for a second, asking me why I was so happy to go into a battle that I had no chance of winning.

    "Because that's how I learn, goofball. So are you in or not? That Ferrothorn is going to be a pain without you to help out."

    The fire type agreed, with much less reluctance than I expected. It seemed that so long as he considered the battles worthy of him, he wouldn't mind helping out. Still, even with him, the playing field was far from even. I would have needed six Sunshines for me to stand a decent chance.

    "Cool. Don't forget to listen to what I say, though, or it'll go terribly."

    He rolled his eyes and strolled away to resume his training. He once again told Tangrowth that his vines didn't do anything to hurt and that even if they had it was just training.

    "By the way, can we talk about your old team soon? I'd like for everyone to learn more about them."

    This time, I could only see the faintest of nods. I smiled softly and returned to my planning.

    I excitedly tapped my feet against the ground. I had my six-on-six, but I needed to figure out what Pokemon he'd use against me. He had seven, after all. The fact that there was no way I'd make it through six of his Pokemon was everpresent, but I wanted to come at this like I'd do for any battle. Unfortunately for me, there wasn't any real way to tell which ones he'd use or even lead with, because I was pretty sure anything he had would just destroy anything I had unless I led with Sunshine, which wasn't my plan. Still, even though I'd lose, the true value of the battle was the advice he'd offer me afterward.

    Zachary's team was designed around two things: hard hitters and precise battlers.

    The hard hitters like Donphan, Gyarados, Pigdeot and Ampharos were the muscle that helped him deal with tough, bulky Pokemon while his other Pokemon were more focused on taking down trickier opponents. I noted that he had three flying types, meaning that maybe Honey would have a chance to shine here.

    I'd analyzed the two styles, but facing both would be troublesome. What that Vespiquen was capable of was truly mind-boggling and her control over attacks made Princess look like an amateur. She was his biggest problem, and I'd need Sunshine to hope to break her, because I knew that unlike with Pokemon like Ampharos or Donphan, all of my Pokemon would never be able to even touch her.

    Vespiquen wasn't his starter, but she sure was his strongest, at least in how annoying it was to battle. I was starting to realize that every trainer at a relatively high level had a Pokemon that defined— no, maybe defined wasn't the right word. A Pokemon that stood a step above the rest of their teams and was a crutch that their trainers could always rely on in any battle. Craig had his Salamence, Lucian had Alakazam, Aaron had his Drapion, Cynthia had Garchomp… it could technically be said that mine was Sunshine, but that was almost entirely off the work of another trainer. If I didn't count him, I didn't really have that. Angel or Buddy could theoretically count, but they weren't at that level. Even Cecilia didn't any longer, her team having caught up to Zweilous. I didn't exactly know why that was a common phenomenon, but for better or worse, I didn't have that just yet.

    Anyway, all of that to say that Vespiquen was awful to battle and I was looking forward to somehow figuring something out.

    The afternoon quickly went by and I took another taxi back to the Center. Part of me almost expected my mom to just be at the entrance to catch me. Finding out the Pokemon Center I stayed at wasn't at all difficult anymore, but luckily it seemed that she at least had her limits. Tomorrow was going to be packed… I wanted to get started on getting my Carry License too, which I'd go do before the battle itself because I knew my Pokemon would need to go to get healed right away.

    I was so excited I barely slept.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A
     
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    • Chapter 183
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    • CHAPTER 183

    The League was represented in most cities through the gyms and their leaders, but that did not mean that was their only presence. Almost every city had a few other government-owned buildings, including the one I was currently standing in front of. It wasn't that impressive— an apartment block nestled in between more apartments, but with a large League flag with its usually large stylized Pokeball and a few grizzled League Trainers standing guard. Needless to say, the troubles with Team Galactic had them on edge and they had me go through this entire process to allow me in. First, I handed them my ID and then was looked at by a towering Gardevoir. I couldn't help but notice her slight nod when she'd been done making sure I had no nefarious intentions. I dipped my head in return and was allowed in.

    The corridor was narrow but in pristine condition, as if it had just been cleaned. I walked on wood beautifully laid out in some kind of crisscross pattern that didn't even creak under my feet. There were five floors in total, but luckily the room I was looking for was right there. I stepped into the cold office and it retained much of the corridor's decoration, although the floor was tiled instead of wooden and paintings of locations of the Lily of the Valley island adorned the walls. I recognized one of the huge stadiums that I'd seen so many times on television along with the League Building itself, its architecture still ancient and reminiscent of many of the older buildings in Hearthome. A tired-looking government official lowered her glasses and stared at me. An older-looking trainer sat on one of the bright plastic chairs, nodding off as he browsed his phone— which surprisingly was a Retani Industries model. I couldn't help but cringe at the fact that I'd almost gotten scammed by them once.

    "Good morning," I said as I approached the woman behind the glass. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that it was made out of incredibly resistant materials. "I'm here for my Carry License!"

    "ID?" She simply asked.

    Having already shoved it back in my bag after entering, I restrained a sigh and dug for it again.

    "You don't have eight badges."

    "Oh, right. I'm in the LTIP, so I should be able to circumvent that," I said.

    "Oh. Just hold on a second."

    She peered over at my card again, this time paying a lot more attention. After typing in something her computer, she nodded.

    "Right, that checks out. Please sit on one of those chairs and wait for one of our examiners to call for you," she smiled.

    "Oh. Okay."

    She noticed my confusion and explained further. "Everyone's got different Pokemon, right? We just want to make sure we have someone that can make sure you're taking care of all of them correctly."

    "Thanks," I nodded.

    I went and sat on one of the uncomfortable chairs, anxiously looking at my phone for the time. I didn't really want to be late for my battle in three hours. My eyes drifted toward the older teen and I bit the inside of my cheek.

    "Hey— hey, how long have you been waiting here?" I whispered.

    "An hour and a half. Government stuff like this is always hilariously slow," he shrugged, keeping his eyes on his phone. It didn't look like he knew me, which was something I appreciated. "It might be quicker for you depending on your team, though. I've got a Glimmora, so it's taking a while to get someone here who knows how to take care of 'em."

    I raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know what that is."

    "Paldean. And they're only born in a few select caves in that region suitable for them. She's a headache to take care of."

    "So you're Paldean, then?" I asked, suddenly interested. I knew that he'd had a strange accent that wasn't from anywhere in Sinnoh, but I hadn't know where to place it.

    "No, I'm from Galar, actually. From Motostoke. I just traveled through Paldea for my second year. Funny thing is, I thought my Carry License from there would be valid, but Sinnoh is kind of backwards. Turns out I needed to get another license to technically be allowed to carry more than six Pokemon here. Same for my ID. A useless rule, if you ask me."

    He stared at the League employee to await her reaction, but she didn't even look in his direction. She was typing away at her keyboard and occasionally answered calls.

    "That does seem redundant," I said.

    "Yeah. It'd be okay if they just handed it to you after verifying that you had one from another region, but they want to make sure that I adhere to their specific guidelines. It's just a waste of time, but whatever. I was free today, and at least they give you a few months to get your documents sorted before the government starts breathing down your neck."

    I chewed on his words, but ended up agreeing. It wasn't often that I saw someone with an outside perspective on Sinnoh. Only Cecilia had offered me certain tidbits about Unova and the differences there, but at the end of the day, she'd started her trainer career here, so her expectations were only slightly less biased than mine. People tended to look at Kanto and Johto like relics of the past, but it was only now that I realized that other regions looked at Sinnoh the same way.

    I didn't feel too bad about it when the facts were all laid out in front of me. Denzel definitely would have fought back, though. I couldn't wait to see him again.

    I ended up only waiting an hour and bid the unnamed trainer that had kept me company goodbye. He'd reminded me that the world was a large place and got me thinking about what I'd do after this year was over. Do another round of the Circuit, or go somewhere else? I was sure the Poketch Company wouldn't mind some recognition abroad, and I had already vowed to battle through every region, but I didn't know if I wanted to try Sinnoh again at least once.

    Well, I had a few months to decide.

    The examiner was a gentle, thin-looking guy that was the antithesis of what you would think someone that worked at the League was, but not everyone was a trainer. He led me to a large courtyard behind the apartment building and after releasing a Probopass, no doubt for his protection, he began to read a document in his hand.

    "Grace Pastel…" he muttered as he flipped through a few pages. "Your file is clean, so that's good."

    "Clean?"

    "That means no incidents with your Pokemon, although there's a footnote there about your Turtonator. No incidents since you've caught him, though. The first thing we look at for these things is if your Pokemon are known to be aggressive or violent to others. If they had attacked humans or wounded other Pokemon beyond what's appropriate during a battle recently, your chances to pass would have been pretty slim. Oh, I'm Jack O'Hare, by the way."

    I sighed in relief. "Cool. Do you mind if I ask you questions about things? To report to my friends."

    "Sure. I enjoy talking about this job, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it," he smiled.

    "One of my friend's had a few accidents with her Haunter," I said. Even when feeling bitter about Mira, I couldn't help but look out. "But she's also in the LTIP like me. Does that mean she's screwed?"

    "Well, we typically look at a period of six months. If any incidents took place more recently, she'd have to show the examiner that her Haunter's turned a new leaf in a shorter time span, and that's usually not the case."

    "Okay. So will you just take a look at my Pokemon, now?"

    "Soon, soon," he said, holding out his hand. "Are you nervous?"

    "Just kind of impatient," I said, fidgeting in place. "I've got somewhere to be in two hours, so…"

    "Income is good too… a long-term sponsorship with the Poketch Company, so good security there."

    Right. If I hadn't had enough money, then there was no way I'd be able to feed or care for more than six Pokemon, especially when they tended to need more resources as they evolved.

    "Before we start, are there any of your Pokemon's quirks that I need to know? Aversion to being touched, hates loud voices, being stared at for too long… anything that would interfere in my examination?"

    "My Jellicent doesn't like being touched by strangers, but my Tangrowth likes touching strangers in a really intrusive way. My Pupitar gets excited or angry really easily, but she should be safe-ish. She just makes the floor shake a bunch," I listed. "My Electabuzz and Togetic are completely fine with anything, though."

    "Well, you've passed all preliminary screening," he smiled. "I'll be looking at your team now— one by one, please."

    I released Sunshine first, since I wanted to take care of the biggest hurdle first. I had warned him to be on his best behavior this morning and that he'd most likely be getting looked at by a stranger. The fire type shot me an annoyed look as soon as he materialized into the world, but he thankfully didn't injure or hurt the examiner in any way. Mr. O'Hare circled around him, and Sunshine thrashed his tail on the ground as he carefully analyzed the contents and condition of his shell.

    He also smelled it by taking a huge whiff. I knew he had to assess how healthy Turtonator was, but sulfur did not smell good.

    Satisfied with his shell, Mr. O'Hare moved on to his plastron, and then his face. I actually had to intervene and scold him for blowing a plume of smoke at the examiner's face when he attempted to shine a light down his snout. After a twenty-second-long coughing fit, he was well enough to speak again. Probopass surprisingly hadn't reacted at all, but I assumed that… he was used to a lot worse.

    "Your Turtonator's in good shape. The sulfur content on his shell's lacking, but that's almost always the case with trainer-owned Turtonator since they can't go replenish their contents by volcanos."

    "Is he going to run out?" I asked, feeling a slight surge of anxiety.

    "No, no, he isn't. They have a way of naturally creating sulfur, but they usually supplement that. You're alright," he said.

    I sighed in relief and released Buddy next. I wasn't actually sure of how he was going to assess a ghost. Sure, he still had a corporeal form and had been born from an egg, but he didn't need to eat and could recover from just about anything. The examiner stared into the water type's eyes for a good minute and then nodded.

    "I'm done. You can move on."

    "Already?"

    "Well, he didn't attempt to kill me right away," Mr. O'Hare chuckled. "That's mostly what we look at for ghosts. But I could tell that he was doing well with you from his calm demeanor and mostly his eyes. The eyes of a Jellicent are very expressive—"

    "I know, right?! He was actually feeling nervous about the entire thing because he didn't want to mess things up for me. Thanks Buddy!" I exclaimed, gently rubbing one of his tentacles.

    The water type rumbled, his eyes flashing with love before I recalled him. That had been underwhelming, but in a good way. I released Pupitar next, and since she'd just molted, she looked in pristine condition. Her blue-shaded cocoon glittered in the sun.

    "She's just molted?" He noticed.

    "Yeah. It was her first time."

    "Her first time? That's a large Pupitar you're going to have on your hands, then."

    The rock type excitedly yelled, jumping in place until I hurriedly stopped her with a shout. The last thing I wanted was for her to upturn this entire backyard or accidentally hurt the examiner.

    "How tall is she?"

    "I haven't measured since she evolved."

    Mr. O'Hare grabbed some measuring tape from his bag, and Sweetheart ended up clocking in at 4'10. She'd been 4'6 when she had evolved. I could almost feel her smugness radiating from here.

    "Four inches in one molt? She's probably going to end up at around 6'5 and then gain another foot during her evolution. That's going to be a big headache for you. Tyranitar eat a lot."

    "She'll be fine," I reassured. "I'll have enough money to feed her."

    "Sure, I don't doubt that. Just warning you so you're not caught off-guard," he said. "Her cocoon's in a good state. If she wasn't eating enough, it wouldn't have come out that pretty. Can you have her let out a bit of air for me?"

    "Sweetheart, you heard him. But don't fly anywhere!"

    The examiner held out a hand next to his ear as Pupitar excitedly let out a burst of the gas compressed inside of her.

    "Good sound," he nodded. "Your Pupitar's doing very well. The chambers inside the cocoon can sometimes get messed up after a molt if they don't eat enough, because they're supposed to grow larger each time."

    "Thank you," I smiled. I recalled Sweetheart and released my next Pokemon.

    Angel didn't immediately rub him, but his Probopass instead, feeling at the thick mustache under his red nose. The steel type was content to just let it happen but drew a line when Angel tried to grab at one of his turrets. He shot out some kind of low-powered ray attack that destroyed one of his vines. Tangrowth recoiled, his eyes rapidly blinking.

    "Sorry about that. Probopass' Mini-Noses are his most vulnerable spots. He doesn't like it when you touch them— even me."

    "No, no, Angel's just like that. I'm sorry," I said. "And I'm sorry to you too."

    Probopass let out a screech-like metallic sound. I hadn't been with him long enough to know his words, but I felt like he had accepted my apology.

    Mr. O'Hare grabbed one of Angel's vines and steadily pulled on it, squeezed it and attempted to cut it with a pair of scissors. It didn't even cut past half of the vine.

    "Good vine condition," he nodded.

    "He gets a lot of sun."

    Next, he looked at the red tips of Tangrowth's hands, noting that they were in good condition too. Angel easily passed his assessment.

    Honey's neck craned toward Mr. O'Hare as he placed a number of test leads on his fingers. mostly analyzed the amount of electricity he'd accumulated by using some kind of modified voltmeter and the number that came up was several tens of thousand of volts. I didn't see the exact number because of the sun shining on the screen.

    "Satisfactory, but it could be better. Are you using a battery to get him his electricity?"

    "A solar-powered one, yes. Uh, the model is… Lumina PowerCell. I've had it since he was an Elekid."

    "Get him a bigger one. Or a solar generator you can carry. It might have cut it when he was small, but he needs more and it'll be better for his growth. Sunyshore sells really high-quality ones if you swing by."

    "Will do. Thanks."

    He studied the sharpness of Honey's fangs and finished up his assessment. I finished with Princess, who was on her best behavior as always. He dug deep into her fur to see her skin and flashed that same bright light into her eyes. Everything was in order, but he did notice one thing.

    "The wings haven't seen much use, have they?"

    "Well, no, she uses her powers to fly, so…"

    "Get her started on that, just as a routine. The benefits will carry over when you get her a Shiny Stone," he said.

    Princess reflexively flapped her wings and huffed. She had clearly expected to get full marks, but it was really my fault, not hers. Mr. O'Hare finished writing his report on a clipboard he carried separate from my file he'd put back in his bag, had me sign on the bottom of the form and then clapped his hand when all was said and gone.

    "You qualify," he smiled. "Go back to talk to Rosie and give her your form— that's the girl at reception."

    I beamed. "Yes! Thank you!"

    I had expected to pass, but I still hadn't shaken the feeling of anxiety I'd had before the inspection. Now that I was done, it felt liberating. Finally, I could go past that annoying six Pokemon limit! If I had come across a cool psychic type before today, I would have been royally pissed.

    As I handed Rosie my form and watched her 3D print my Carry License, I began to wonder what my final number of Pokemon would be. Seven was a given, but did I want to go past that? I didn't know yet, but it was good to start thinking about these things early. I knew that Cynthia had ten Pokemon and every Gym Leader or Elite Four member had at least seven— with the exception of Lucian, who was content with his six psychics. Having a decent amount would keep your opponents guessing about which Pokemon you would bring into an official match, but more than that, I wanted my family to grow larger still.

    Yet, I had no plan beyond a psychic type. Maybe I'd let whatever caught my eye and agreed to come with me join my team beyond that seventh capture. It wasn't like any of my current Pokemon had been planned apart from Angel, so he was more the exception than the rule.

    "Congratulations. If you lose it, you'll have to come back here or any other League Offices and pay a 10,000 Pokedollars fee to get it renewed."

    I nodded silently. That wasn't a huge price, especially since only people with eight badges were supposed to be able to get this. By then, they didn't have to be rich, but 10,000 was a fee that almost everyone would be able to afford.

    "Good luck with your wait," I told the unnamed trainer.

    "Thank you. Have a good day."

    At this point, I knew I should have asked him for his name and that I'd been rude not to do so, but it would be too awkward to do it now. I exited the building as I checked the time again. There was an hour and twenty-three minutes left to my battle, but Zachary Gallagher had actually sent me a text asking to meet early to talk. Now normally, I would have done this no problem, but I decided to meet him in a public place so there could be no funny business. The words that we'd exchanged seemed genuine, but there could always be another Harry Rodriguez. Someone masquerading as a trainer to infiltrate the League.

    I also sent a text to the group chat telling them where I'd be and that they'd possibly have to come pick me up early. Since we were going to battle six-on-six, the plan had been to have one of them (preferably someone with a psychic type) walk me back to the Center. It'd only be a ten-minute walk since the arena we'd be battling at was the closest one available.

    I wanted as few risks as possible even with the League Trainer tailing me.

    I recalled Honey as I stepped into the… well in my rush to find any public setting, I had thought that it'd been a restaurant, but it was more like a food court. I could even see Arlyle's chain selling food at one of the stands. It was still morning, so I wasn't hungry and got to finding Zachary, but it took me a while to spot him. The dark-skinned teen waved at me from afar until I finally noticed it had been me he'd been looking at and not someone behind me.

    "Heyya," he said with a lazy wave. "Glad you could meet."

    He wore thick glasses that made his eyes look bigger than they actually were and sported a buzz cut that was no doubt useful for traveling. My hair got tangled in a lot of things.

    "Hi. Shouldn't we just battle now if you're free?" I asked. It didn't take much for me to notice the seven Pokeballs on his belt.

    "Aren't you eager? We'll go early if you want, but I had a few questions for you," he said before sipping on some sort of soft drink. "You said you're coming at this to improve, right? Is there a particular Pokemon you want me to not use?"

    "No, no, I don't want any special treatments or for you to give yourself handicaps. Actually, this is great! I can tell you that we can actually fight a six-vs-six instead of a five-vs-five. My Turtonator agreed."

    His eyes flashed with interest. "Ah. That makes this a lot more interesting," he said. "I'm good with that, then. Since you don't want any handicaps, I guess we can get going. I was going to ask you if you wanted to have unlimited switching or things like that."

    "How about three switches? That's pretty standard for a six-on-six."

    "Sure thing."

    He took the top off his drink, poured the rest of the contents into his mouth and loudly crunched on the ice cubes as we exited the food court. That had ended up being sort of a waste of time, but at least we were going to battle early for my troubles. I walked with Princess by my side and she eyed Zachary with a suspicious eye.

    "What do you expect coming into this?" I asked him.

    "Like my impression of you?"

    "Yes."

    "Well I didn't pay that much attention to you until news got out that you got into the LTIP. Congrats, by the way. Lots of trainers would want to be in that position."

    "Yeah…" I muttered. If he knew my circumstances, he wouldn't have said that.

    "I ended up watching your battle against Fantina and a few of those Solaceon tournament battles too. The event might have been ruined, but that only made 'em more popular. Wish I got to see that Turtonator in action, though. They say he's around the seven-badge level," he smirked. "I think you're talented. More than I was at this point in my journey, but you still lack a lot of things. I don't want to sound like a pretentious asshole, though. I'm sure I'll look back on myself in a year and think I was garbage. That's the universal Pokemon trainer experience right there."

    "A lot of things like? Actually, don't tell me yet. Tell me when we're done."

    "Fair enough. You really don't want any handicaps, huh?"

    "Of course not. That would defeat the entire point," I said. "Say, I actually do have one request, though. I don't care when you use her, but use your Vespiquen against me."

    "Vespi's the one that caught your attention? Most people talk about my Gyarados," he laughed.

    "Anyone worth their salt knows that Vespiquen's the true threat on your team," I said.

    "That's a fair assessment. Okay, I'll use her," he said.

    The words came easy to me, as they always did when I spoke to someone about Pokemon battling. Zachary Gallagher had begun his journey in Floaroma with a single Pidgey but quickly caught his Combee in the honey trees that littered the fields north of town. From there, he'd gotten five badges his first year and now stood at the cusp of getting his eighth. That meant he was a potential opponent I'd have to face at the Conference.

    "I've got my folks in Floaroma calling me every day and telling me how proud they are," he fondly said. "I can't let 'em down. Did you know there's never been a Floaroma native that made the top sixteen of the Conference?"

    "So that's your goal?"

    "Hell no. I'm gonna win the whole thing," he said. "But I'm not only doing it for them. I'm doing it for all of Floaroma— ah, there it is."

    We'd made it to the arena, which was obviously seeing a lot of use at this time of day. These weren't as large as the ones in Jubilife, but there was still plenty of space for us. Some poor Kadabra fixed up the barrier after a battle. I sure hoped that all of these League Kadabras were getting proper treatment when they weren't working. Pokemon didn't care to be paid in cash, but I at least wanted them to be able to study whatever they wanted in their free time. Being a barrier Kadabra was a thankless job.

    We took our positions opposite of each other with dozens of eyes staring at us. They'd no doubt turn into hundreds soon. We counted down to three and sent out our first Pokemon. Since he had three flying types, I decided to send Honey out first.

    His usual confidence evaporated and his hair stood on end when Zach released his Vespiquen.

    Buzzing. Constant buzzing somehow louder than my own thoughts echoed through the arena. Her exoskeleton appeared smooth, but upon closer look, it was glimmering slightly as if she was covered in a thin layer of honey at all times. More honey dripped from her six combs, but it did not fall to the ground. Vespiquen's gem shone as she manipulated the liquid to spin around her as if she was a water type weaving water, or somehow even better than that. She was the honey, and the honey was her. Things crawled all over her— and also infested her honey— not alive, but with purpose and answered to her every thought. They were shapeless, horrible minuscule things that were linked to her consciousness itself.

    My legs felt heavier as I stared into her piercing red eyes. There was this pressure that was pressing down on me, a weaker version of what Cynthia's Spiritomb had done to me, but it was there nonetheless and made it harder to focus. My mouth and eyes suddenly dried up and I blinked rapidly to moisten them. I was aware of my breathing, of my tongue in my mouth, of the continuous tingles running up and down my spine telling me that this Pokemon was dangerous.

    "You told me to use her, right? Well, here she is in all of her beauty."
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A
     
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    • Chapter 184 - Punching Up
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    • CHAPTER 184 - Punching Up

    Honey continuously spun around Vespiquen, and it would slowly build up until she wasn't even visible in battle. I only had two days to study her, so I knew only her moves and a few of her tactics, but none of that mattered when she didn't even fight with moves most of the time anyway. She was too skilled for what she did to be put in a box as rigid as that.

    I couldn't afford to stay still no matter how heavy my entire body felt. The longer I waited, the more we were at a disadvantage. Vespiquen excelled at prolonged fights and her survivability as a bug type was second to none.

    "Thunderbolt!" I yelled.

    Electabuzz whirred, his arms spinning around until electricity burst forward. Zachary didn't bother responding. Instead, honey coalesced in front of Vespiquen with a single thought from her. The Thunderbolt simply fizzled out inside of the liquid as the small screams of hundreds of… drones that infested her honey rang out throughout the arena. The center of the honey cooked, darkening until it turned to black sludge, but it was quickly replaced with fresh supply. Arceus, this thing was disturbing to fight.

    "E-Swift. Protect when it attacks you," I exhaled.

    A dozen electrically-charged stars appeared above Electabuzz, and he sent them forth with a grunt. If honey was enough to block electric type attacks, I wanted to check if Swift would break through. Vespiquen's gem shone, and honey packed itself so tightly together that the stars simply stopped and disappeared with a small explosion, as if they'd hit a brick wall.

    "Attack Order. Scatter," Zachary said.

    I bit my lip and immediately ordered Electabuzz to Protect. I knew what attack was coming, and it'd come so fast that nothing else would work.

    The solid honey exploded outward in thousands of pieces that glittered under the arena's harsh lights. Vespiquen screeched, and the fragments shed any extra weight, becoming sharpened spikes mid-air while the waste liquified again and returned to orbit her. The spikes whizzed directly toward Electabuzz, but the electric type didn't waste any time. The first shards broke against Protect, but Vespiquen kept them coming, simply opting to exhaust us until she could break through.

    Of course, I knew that was the most likely scenario. They would have been dumb to just stop attacking right away, which is why I'd had Electabuzz work on this ever since our battle at the Café Cabin for this in case we ever got overwhelmed again.

    "Discharge!" I yelled.

    Unlike the battle with Chase, this one was instant. As soon as the Protect fell, electricity burst out of Electabuzz. Vespiquen couldn't control honey itself, but she used the things that swarmed inside of it as building blocks to do whatever she wanted with it. The damage from Discharge fried all of them up and I ordered Electabuzz to get close. Keeping our distance was the safest play, but it wouldn't work in the long term so long as Vespiquen could use Defend Order so expertly.

    The electric type blurred forward, but he inexplicably began to slow around halfway through the arena. Honey that had scattered on the floor clung and solidified around his feet, forcing him to free himself using more bursts of electricity.

    "Attack Order. Scatter and delayed Pillar," he said.

    They were less, but they were still many. More fragments of honey sharpened and hurtled toward the electric type, but that wasn't what I was worried about. An enormous amalgamation of honey built up into a ball in front of Vespiquen and then elongated toward Electabuzz. With little time for Protect, he hastily threw himself to the right to dodge the massive attack. Sharp needles burst out of the pillar, some stabbing him in the leg while others liquified and crawled all over him, just overwhelming him with its sheer weight.

    "Don't panic! Discharge!" I hurriedly yelled.

    Electabuzz's eyes sharpened as he found my voice amidst the incessant buzzing and another wave of electricity surged out of him. The honey lost its life, but the pillar was still raring to go. There were too many shapeless drones inside of it to make it lose form, and Vespiquen constantly renewed its supply from her combs. More honey continued to slow, stab or simply block Electabuzz's way as he desperately struggled forward. Each time, a Discharge or a Protect would buy us a few seconds. Sometimes, I would order a Thunderbolt in hopes of catching the bug type off guard, but she was always ready to block any attacks. By the time Electabuzz made it ten feet away from Vespiquen, he was covered in a mixture of honey and blood from head to toe.

    His fist lit ablaze for a moment, burning away the liquid on his hand, and then he collapsed below her.

    I gulped as I recalled him with a small apology. I could have switched him out for someone else, but I needed to save them for when I would use Sunshine and I had really thought that we'd at least manage to get a few good Fire Punches in. I could have pulled on the dragon type here, but I wanted to try one last thing.

    I sent out Pupitar onto the field, and she announced her presence with a yell, seemingly unaffected by how disturbing Vespiquen was. The bug type ignored her outburst, content to keep pumping out as much honey as she needed.

    She would never run out.

    Being cautious would never work, and Zach's Vespiquen would shut us down no matter what we tried to do. We had to try something new.

    "Fly!" I yelled.

    Like a jet, Pupitar expunged some of the compressed air inside of her and flew toward Vespiquen quicker than they'd both expected. She had never fought in public since evolving, so I knew that I was catching him off-guard.

    "Defend Order. Layers."

    In an instant, ten thick walls of honey grouped up in front of Vespiquen and anchored themselves against the floor for structural support.

    I quickly yelled. "Iron Defen—"

    But she was already doing it. Her cocoon shimmered, becoming harder than steel as she easily destroyed every single wall in her way and rammed against Vespiquen's abdomen, crushing it and tearing it completely. Honey and things poured out of the huge, gaping wound as Vespiquen screeched in agony. Unable to stop herself, Sweetheart crashed against Kadabra's barrier, kicking up dirt and rocks.

    "Focus! Heal Order!"

    The drones grew more and more numerous, crawling out of her every orifice and building her body back. The honey solidified around her and plugged the huge hole as the dark drones sewed it all back together until the bug type was as good as new, albeit the portion of her abdomen that had just been healed appeared fragile and paler than the rest of her body.

    I felt a glimmer of hope bud inside of my chest. "Again!"

    "Fill those vents, Vespi."

    The bug type hissed as more honey dripped out of her comb. Pupitar took a few seconds to situate herself, but she was quick to get back in the air before the liquid could clog her vents. This time, there were no barriers to stop us. Pupitar flew forward and—

    "Toxic."

    The bug type angled her abdomen forward and a glob of poison splashed against Pupitar's shell. It would go away if the fight lasted long enough thanks to Shed Skin, but right now? The poison dripped inside of her cocoon and into her eyes. Pupitar missed Vespiquen by a large margin and honey slowly filled her vents, grounding her permanently. I'd been tunnel visioning so much on the honey that I hadn't expected him to do anything else.

    I recalled her before more damage could be done. I couldn't be stingy with my swaps. Not after what she'd done to Electabuzz.

    I exhaled as I wiped the sweat off my brow. She'd taken only a single hit and could regenerate herself plenty of times if she wasn't overwhelmed. I didn't have much of a choice any longer. I grabbed Sunshine's Pokeball and sent him out. The honey at his feet immediately burned as enormous flames ignited on his shell and he raised the temperature, leaving only squealing drones that he stepped on without remorse.

    This was our first real battle, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous.

    "There he is," Zachary grinned, his innocent face twisting with excitement. "Power Gem!"

    Turtonator was slow, so dodging her attacks was out of the question, but he was durable.

    "Shell Trap and Smokescreen!" I ordered in quick succession.

    Eight bright orbs appeared around Vespiquen. With a screech, the bug type sent the gems hurtling toward Turtonator. In a quick, smooth motion that I knew would surprise Zach, Sunshine spun around as his shell glowed with a sinister red, all while he continuously spat out huge quantities of smoke that soon surrounded his entire body.

    I didn't see the Power Gem hit him, but I heard them. Each created a subsequent explosion that spread the Smokescreen across our side of the arena.

    "Now Flamethrower!" I yelled.

    "Defend Order!"

    The stream of flames emerged from the smoke. Its speed took Vespiquen by surprise, but she didn't hesitate to clog its path with honey. The liquid caught on fire, first turning dark brown and then into a charred black as it crumbled and bubbled on the floor. The heat had an effect on Vespiquen, but she'd managed to block the attack. I clicked my tongue and ordered another one not to let them rest, and each Flamethrower came from another location through the smoke in order to not let them track us.

    Flamethrower was powerful, but it didn't have the extra oomph needed to break through that many layers of honey. If we tried to approach, then Vespiquen would no doubt hit us with Toxic, Power Gem or Air Slash. That left me with either Flash Cannon or Dragon Pulse, but I knew there was only one right answer—

    "Gust. Clear the smoke."

    I usually had a lot more time than this to think, especially with how quick I'd gotten at it. Vespiquen fanned her wings and the powerful Gust easily started to blow the Smokescreen high into the sky.

    "Dragon Pulse," I ordered.

    We needed to strike before it was all gone. The red-tinted Dragon Pulse broke through the remaining Smokescreen, and this time it easily broke through all of Vespiquen's hastily erected barriers. The bug type's arm's entire body was engulfed in the hot draconic energy and caught aflame, but a shout from Zachary got Vespiquen to extinguish the flames with Heal Order. It wasn't a pretty affair. Honey wasn't water, and it wasn't working that well, only slightly attenuating the flames.

    "Again!"

    "Defend Order. Encase yourself and stop his attacks!"

    I bit my lip as honey rose from the ground and surrounded the bug type into a solid circle, leaving only a few small holes at the top for her to breathe as her eyes flashed with a twinge of purple. The Dragon Pulse crashed against the barrier, causing it to melt, but the attack somehow began to sputter. Vespiquen emerged from her cocoon a burned mess, and her angered screeches angered me to no end.

    "What's happening?" I asked.

    Sunshine's roared with an untold amount of fury as he finally unclogged his nose with a huge Flamethrower. Even if the majority of honey simply cooked away the closer it got to him, the sheer amount that Vespiquen was using was enough to at least interrupt his attacks in short intervals.

    It had only afforded them a little respite, but the fact that I was struggling against a bug type with Turtonator didn't bode well.

    Vespiquen was a master of precision and control, but she wasn't very good as resisting fire. Just the flames having burned her barrier and getting near her had affected her. Zach yelled, and another set of gems zipped toward Turtonator, who angrily retaliated with a scorching Dragon Pulse that warped the air around it. His usually impenetrable scales peeled off everywhere Power Gem hit, and the honey was annoying him to no end. Still, she continuously healed herself from the burns even if Heal Order grew weaker each time.

    Something had been bothering me, however.

    Zachary hadn't ordered Toxic since using it against Pupitar when he could easily have used it to equalize the playing field. Now, he could have been holding back, but I had explicitly told him not to, so that theory didn't make any sense.

    A simple mistake, then? Tunnel vision? He could have switched already, but he clearly wanted his ace to take down Sunshine. Was it his ego? A self-imposed rule? I held out a hand in front of my face as another explosion from Shell Trap rocked the arena. This time, flaming bits of shell flew outward and penetrated deep inside of Vespiquen's abdomen. Was it a trap, then? Waiting to take me down with Destiny Bond? He hadn't called it out, and I hadn't noticed anything odd. Using the move took a lot of energy and it was impossible to miss. I couldn't afford to be indecisive!

    "Finish her off! Flash Canon! I yelled.

    Flash Cannon was weaker than Dragon Pulse, but it was also quicker to create. A thin line borne of metal cut across Vespiquen's entire body, causing her to quite literally bleed honey. Her wings sputtered as she slowly lowered herself to the ground and fainted with grace, bringing her arms together and slowly closing her eyes.

    Turtonator's eyes widened, and he roared in agony as a cold, purple flame consumed him. He thrashed around and slammed his shell with Iron Tail in an attempt to relieve himself, but nothing worked. I gasped in utter confusion. That was Destiny Bond, but when had he used it? I recalled Sunshine and clenched a fist around his warm Pokeball.

    "When?" I asked.

    "When I encased her in that ball of honey," he answered.

    "I didn't even notice anything. In your other battles, her entire body was surrounded by those same flames," I said.

    "No space for them in the shell," he said. "I'll send my next Pokemon since Vespi went down first."

    This was really bad. Okay, it had always been bad, but now I pretty much had zero counters to his Ferrothorn if he sent it out. I watched with bated breath, but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Ampharos emerge from in a flash of red. Arcs of electricity rose and fell as the Ampharos let out a very cute but threatening bleat, and it didn't stop there. They soon took over the entire field. It was an automatic Electric Terrain that didn't consume anywhere near as much energy to sustain and the electricity would jump at anything that it could, causing damage in the process.

    I knew that Sweetheart was our best shot at dealing with him. The Toxic was still running its course through her body, but she was finally starting to shed her outer layer of skin and would soon be rid of all of the poison. Arcs of electricity harmlessly washed over her.

    "Get close and ram him! Stomping Tantrum when you land!" I ordered.

    With a burst of speed, Pupitar blasted toward Ampharos. I knew from what I'd seen that it was slow and wouldn't be able to dodge something like this.

    "Cotton Spore and Guard."

    A single ball of cotton grew from Ampharos' gem, and then multiplied like cells undergoing mitosis, clinging tightly to the electric type's skin and then packing themselves as solidly as they could. Pupitar rammed into Ampharos with Iron Defense and he grunted in pain, but it hadn't done as much damage as I expected and some of the cotton clung to Sweetheart and grew on her too.

    The floor shook when she landed, harming Ampharos further, but Zachary didn't seem to care at all.

    "Thunder."

    I frowned, thinking that he'd be wasting a lot of energy for no reason, but Sweetheart wasn't their target. Thunder clapped with a deafening boom and electricity lashed out across the field, tearing it apart. Gashes opened, rocks flew off toward Kadabra's barrier and long ravines stretched across the arena. Some of the rocks didn't land, however. They clumsily floated across the field as electricity flashed in between them and kept them in the air.

    There was iron in those rocks. Not enough for him to exert full control, but enough for this.

    "Hit them," Zach said.

    Still surrounded by cotton, Pupitar struggled to clear her vents enough to fly. The smaller rocks didn't do much against her cocoon, but the large ones did have some effect. I knew that Zach's primary goal hadn't been to use magnetism to control rocks, however, but to destroy to field enough so that Pupitar wouldn't be able to navigate it with her air vents closed by cotton.

    Dodging wasn't an option any longer.

    "Stomping Tantrum!" I yelled again. "Make a hole!"

    "Cotton Guard below you and Dragon Pulse."

    The floor under Ampharos' feet split and shook and I expected him to fall down a chasm, but cotton somehow formed into a bridge linking two ends of the ravine and was solid enough for him to stand on. A turquoise stream of draconic energy washed over Pupitar, and she screamed out in pain. Ampharos' Dragon Pulse was extremely powerful, for something that wasn't a dragon. I bit my lip, wondering on if I should switch or not, but I had no choice. Pupitar was our best shot.

    "Rock Slide! Bury him!"

    I didn't care how much iron was in those rocks, Pupitar would send too many his way for him to simply use electromagnetism to avoid them. Sweetheart tore up dozens of rocks from below the ground and joined them to the current ones that were just sitting next to her. The Rock Slide rushed forward like a wave in the ocean.

    "Thunder!"

    Again, the electricity was so bright that it left blindspots in my eyes and it crashing against the enormous amount of rocks was so deafeningly loud that it caused me to cover my ears. When I opened my eyes, a large part of the Rock Slide had fizzled out into dust, broken apart or missed its target. The rocks that did reach Ampharos simply hit his Cotton Guard, and the electric type quickly retaliated with another Dragon Pulse, bringing Pupitar down.

    It wasn't just Vespiquen. Every one of Zachary's Pokemon was an unsurmountable mountain that I'd be lucky to even bring down, and I hadn't even forced him to switch with a massive type advantage.

    Jellicent and Togetic were out of the question here. I only had Tangrowth to deal with this. Things were looking down, but now that the terrain had been altered so much, there might have been a way for me to beat Ampharos. Angel's eyes widened at the devastated state of the arena. Chasms, ravines, massive holes and boulders littered the entire field. What we had that Ampharos didn't was maneuverability in this terrain.

    "Jump into that ravine!" I yelled.

    Tangrowth pushed himself with his vines, carefully lowering himself into the ditch with his vines, but a Dragon Pulse from Ampharos disintegrated the vines he used as support and he fell deep into the hole and out of view. That was fine, however. He was out of Ampharos' line of sight as well.

    "Sunny Day!" I yelled.

    In five seconds, a harsh, otherworldly light bore down the arena. Angel pulled himself out of the ditch and into the air, then landed on the ground and began to run toward Ampharos. Zachary ordered another Dragon Pulse that grazed the grass type, but before he could reach him and begin restraining him with vines, Zach used his first switch of the battle.

    Then I realized how he had been trapping me all along when he sent out his Infernape. The fire type perched himself on a tall, jagged rock and the flame on his head intensified as soon as he spotted Tangrowth.

    He hadn't switched out with Vespiquen, so I had thought that he'd be stubborn again— but wait, that wasn't even it.

    Ampharos destroying the arena, him only using simple attacks to stop Sunny Day instead of pulling another sophisticated technique out of his ass had all been bait. Infernape now had the power of the sun on his side and this destroyed field was the perfect environment for him.

    I hadn't felt like this since I had battled against Gardenia. And I never even had to consider someone planning that far ahead since my fight against her. I bit on my tongue and grinned.

    It wasn't just his Pokemon that were powerful. He was just really fucking skilled too.

    Not even wanting to risk this fight, I recalled Angel and swapped him out for Buddy. His water type attacks would be weakened, but he was our best bet. Without Tangrowth here to keep it up, the Sunny Day would fade in a few minutes, but Infernape would reign on the battlefield during that time. That meant that I had to stall for it to end.

    "Night Shade, and then into the floor!" I ordered.

    Before the shade was even halfway formed, Infernape opened his mouth and a massive Flamethrower destroyed it in the blink of an eye. The explosion rocked Buddy to his core and the sun slowed his regeneration. I hurriedly called for him to just liquefy and get under the floor.

    The water type quickly acquiesced, his misshapen form slipping into the many cracks on the floor left by the rampaging Ampharos.

    "I reckon you can give Blast Burn a try with the sun at your back," Zachary said.

    Infernape grinned, and I suddenly felt a chill. Fire overtook the fighting type's form as he punched the floor. Cracks of fire and molten rocks emerged in front of him as the air became sweltering, soon warping over the entire arena. Infernape yelled as enormous pillars of flames erupted from every single crack he had created and rose high into the air.

    Water type or not, Buddy wasn't going to resist that. Even if the Blast Burn hadn't spread throughout the entire arena, the ground was being heated up to the point of melting. He escaped from one of the cracks. At this point, he looked more like vapor than his usual self, but he was trying his best to Recover.

    Stalling was out, then.

    "Get close and Hex!" I yelled.

    The Water Sports sputtered and died out from the heat as Jellicent approached Infernape in a wide berth. He opted to pester him with Water Pulses as he went, but those were barely still liquid by the time it reached his opponent. It was the same issue we had with Sunshine, and unlike Vespiquen, we had neither incredible control over our respective liquid or the quantities needed to overwhelm the heat from both Infernape and Sunny Day. Infernape covered his face as the last remaining bits of Water Pulse hit him and then quickly jumped from his rock.

    "Thunder Punch!"

    Infernape was incredibly quick, jumping over rocks with unmatched agility. The fire type slid across the floor and front flipped over a chasm, climbed a small hill that had been erected and then jumped toward Jellicent as electricity sparked around his fist.

    I had thought that we'd been high enough in the sky for Infernape to only be able to hit us with ranged moves, but I was almost wrong. The Thunder Punch barely missed Jellicent, but Infernape's proximity allowed us to strike quickly with Water Pulse. The fire type grunted in pain, but he had barely suffered any damage. If only we'd started training Hydro Pump earlier…

    Infernape spat out another Flamethrower on his way down. Jellicent was constantly evaporating and losing enormous quantities of water that he couldn't regain all that quickly, especially when the two ponds had been utterly destroyed by Sunshine's heat and Ampharos destroying the arena.

    The sun was still shining, although slightly less.

    "Shadow Ball and keep your distance. If they hit us with Thunder Punch, it's over!" I ordered.

    Zach seemed content to keep hitting us with Flamethrowers. The problem was that our Shadow Balls were too slow at this height for them to hit an opponent as fast as Infernape while his attacks were quicker than Sunshine's and easily reached Jellicent. Luckily for us, the sun finally went down and Water Sport came back online.

    But even then, I was at an impasse.

    Infernape hid behind a boulder as another Shadow Ball crashed right where he'd been a second ago. He was threading the needle, but showed no signs of even tiring. Jellicent's body compressed as a powerful Water Sport shot him away from Flamethrower, now weakened by the lack of sun. We couldn't hit each other— but they would still eventually win. We couldn't approach out of fear of Infernape jumping up and hitting us with Thunder Punch, and he was too fast and nimble to outrun. We couldn't create a Night Shade or escape below ground either.

    I was just stuck, but Princess would probably fare a lot worse than this. At least Buddy had survivability against fire type attacks, and I wasn't willing to bet that she'd be able to stop Infernape's attacks with Psychic when the heat was so potent.

    Zachary was slowly winning and he knew it.

    I had to do something.

    "Get low," I said. "Whirpool to buy us time."

    In a second, Jellicent solidified, deactivated his levitation and fell limp toward the floor. Infernape's face split with a wild grin as he hopped one-handed over a massive rock like it was nothing and then leaped over a ravine on all fours. Buddy released a thin stream of water that quickly grew into a massive Whirlpool.

    "Ride it," Zachary said.

    Infernape jumped into the water, content to be carried by the current and then ignited with such intensity that the attack could only be Flare Blitz. The water ten feet around him simply evaporated and a burst of electricity overtook Infernape's fist.

    I hadn't expected him to do that, but we still bought enough time.

    "Now!" I yelled.

    A Night Shade emerged from below a chasm and hit Infernape with a weakened Water Pulse. The attack was too weak to send him flying, but caught the fire type so off-guard that the attack missed and crashed into the floor—

    And he used it to pivot like a spinning top and hit Jellicent with his feet instead. The electricity ransacked through the ghost type's body and he let out a loud booming scream as he quite literally cooked from the inside.

    There was only a pile of goo with two gleaming red eyes left. I bit my lip and recalled him. The leftover shade disintegrated, unraveling with a silent scream as the knots slowly untied themselves and the shade slipped back into nothingness.

    Well, it was up to Princess now. I released her and she immediately rose high into the air once she saw the state the arena was in. Her small Fairy Wind already settled into the arena and would continuously chip at Infernape.

    "Don't get close, he just took down Buddy with Thunder Punch," I warned. "Keep a barrier around yourself and Ancient Power. Spears. Make them spin."

    Fifteen spears rose from the ground already half-formed and with a vicious spin. One by one, they flew toward Infernape, who broke into a run as he nimbly made his way back toward our half of the arena. The first two spears crashed against the floor, but it didn't take long for Princess to adjust her pitch. The third and fourth spears missed as well, but each got closer to Infernape as he closed the distance between them.

    At the tenth spear, Togetic faked out Infernape by striking at his right to force him left and two other spears struck his leg and shoulder, still spinning to dig deeper. What I hadn't expected was for the fire type to simply pull the bloodied spears out of his body and chucked them at Togetic with incredible precision and strength. He surprised her so much that she almost got hit, but she quickly took back control right as the spear grazed her stomach. It did force her to abandon her last five, though.

    Zachary ordered a Flamethrower that washed over Princess' barrier but still burned her. Her thin fur caught on fire and she began to panic, falling toward the ground like a meteorite. Her pained shrieks broke my heart, but I had a plan.

    "Focus on my voice!" I yelled.

    Beyond the flames, Infernape's never-ending grunts, the noise of the ground and the loudness of my own thoughts, I heard a single yes.

    "Thunder Punch," Zachary said.

    I waited. Waited and waited for the last second.

    "Dazzling Gleam!"

    Pink Mist was sucked into Togetic's body and then burst outward in an explosion bright enough to rival Ampharos' Thunder. The shock wave from the explosion threw Infernape back into one of the ravines, and the Dazzling Gleam had also somehow extinguished the flames. Princess tiredly rose back from the ground and gathered another set of spears, but Infernape didn't emerge from his hiding place.

    What were they planning? Blast Burn could work, but was impossible without the sun at Infernape's current level. He didn't know Dig, so that was out too. Was he going to travel across that ravine and emerge from somewhere else to catch us by surprise?

    "Watch that ravine," I warned. "Stay sharp."

    Twenty seconds passed without a sound until Zachary called out for his Infernape. Twenty seconds was an eternity for nothing to be happening in battles. The fire type emerged from the exact same spot he'd gone down in with a Flamethrower already flying out of his mouth. They'd caught us off-guard again. The fire covered Togetic completely, but she freed herself with another Dazzling Gleam.

    Infernape had already closed half of the gap by the same the attack was done.

    "Finish her off, Thunder Punch."

    "Moonblast—"

    The fire type's fists hurled against Togetic's cheek, but a half-formed Moonblast hit him right in the chest. The bright, pink ball was full of impurities and small, but it was still Moonblast. The attack sent Infernape off, but my face fell when Infernape struggled back on his feet and Togetic did not. The flame on his head suddenly grew to a massive size, towering far in the sky as his eyes turned bloodshot. Infernape slammed his fists against the floor and yelled, demanding his next opponent.

    Blaze had just come into play.

    Tangrowth appeared in a flash of red and the battle immediately began again. Infernape had moved around a lot and gotten hit plenty, so his movements were sluggish. Angel rolled a massive boulder in front of him with Ancient Power to stop a Flamethrower and slowly surrounded himself with the attack in hopes of protecting himself from the flames.

    "Flare Blitz. Break through the rocks," Zachary said.

    "Bind your vines together and Spore attack!" I commanded.

    Vines tied themselves together into structures thicker than my torso and pushed back against Infernape as tons of spores coated the surroundings and caught on fire. The grass type slammed his vine against Infernape with a powerful Power Whip, but the flames took hold and quickly spread. Tangrowth detached it before it could reach his main body. The vines writhed against the ground as Infernape burned everything in his way and rammed into Tangrowth with everything he had.

    Angel rolled backwards, a quarter of his vines blackened and turned to ash, but Infernape struggled to keep going. He'd breathed in Poison, Sleep and Paralysis spores and they were no doubt having an effect now that he was so weakened.

    The fighting type screamed, pointing at Tangrowth and then gave him a thumbs up as his voice slowly faded.

    He was finally unconscious.

    "Good job," Zach praised as he recalled his fire type. He'd probably thought that Infernape could finish us off with Blaze.

    He sent out his Pidgeot next, but it was only a matter of time now. The bird was an absolutely massive specimen. Pidgeot large enough for their trainers to fit on them were rare, but this one was slightly larger than Maeve's Staraptor and I was confident that she'd be able to fit two of me.

    Zachary muttered something under his breath

    "Ancient Power!" I yelled.

    I knew that Zachary always used Pidgeot's superior sense of hearing to take his opponents by surprise, and I would go down fighting.

    Arcs of air broke against Tangrowth's rocks, but Pidgeot wasn't idle. She flew at a comfortable pace and was easy enough to track, but after her trainer whispered something, she suddenly sped up and spun around Tangrowth with incredible agility. It was like she could combine Talonflame's speed and Staraptor's maneuverability all at once.

    A Twister formed, and Angel was stuck in the middle. He attempted to launch a few rocks into the sky with Ancient Power, but he didn't have Togetic's control. Even his vines had better range than his psychic powers. The Twister overtook him, kicking up dirt, dust, and rocks.

    The end of the attack revealed his unconscious body. I took deep breaths as my heartbeat slowed and the tension in my body loosened. In the end, I'd taken down two Pokemon and slightly injured a third, but that was fighting with the type effectiveness at crucial moments…

    There was a long way to go, still, but Arceus, that had been fun.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A
     
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    • Chapter 185
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    • CHAPTER 185

    Angel's unconscious form disappeared into his Pokeball as trainers all around us clapped and cheered for the end of the battle. I hadn't put an estimate on how many Pokemon I believed I'd be able to take down, and even though I made a few glaring mistakes, I was happy about my performance. It took a bit for the crowd to clear, mostly because I had to answer some curious trainers' questions about the battle, and so did Zachary. He was one of the up-and-coming trainers despite not being a first-year, so he was still decently popular, and for good reason. He had just beaten me without breaking a sweat.

    I was already replaying the fight in my mind as I waited for him to come by, trying to figure out the less obvious mistakes that I'd made. Using Sunny Day and falling for that Destiny Bond trick were two. Another one was me not switching out Electabuzz right away at the start instead of trying to desperately land a Fire Punch, but what else was there?

    That was what Zachary was for. He motioned at me from afar to follow and then shoved both of his hands in his pocket. He wanted me to follow him outside, which did make sense. Giving advice in this crowded arena would be annoying no matter how much of Sweetheart's screams I was used to when studying. Given the fact that all of my Pokemon were down, I called out to him, asking him to wait for one of my friends. Zachary raised an eyebrow, clearly weirded out by my skittishness, but I told him it was a personal issue and he quickly shrugged. I didn't think he was Galactic, but I felt very naked without a friend or Pokemon to keep me safe.

    Maeve had been the closest, coming back from a light training session with Mira and Louis while they opted to stay, so she arrived first. Monferno huddled by her side, using his body temperature to keep her from her usual shivering.

    "Nice Monferno you've got there," Zach grinned.

    I'd only seen Zachary's Infernape in battle, but he was a lot more outgoing and… boisterous than Maeve's Monferno. The fire type shyly waved and shrunk slightly behind his trainer.

    "Uh, thank you," she said. "I'm Maeve."

    "Zach. Nice to meetcha."

    Maeve nodded. "By the way, I know this might be intrusive, but could I join you? I want to listen to the advice, even if it doesn't apply to me."

    "Sure thing. Why don't we get back to the Center, hand in our wounded 'Mons and head to the cafeteria? It should be rather empty this time of day," he said.

    Empty might have been overselling it. The Pokemon Center's cafeteria was never truly empty, but the tide of people sometimes rose or lowered. Right now, it was low tide, with plenty of empty tables and quiet corners for us to sit in. Hopefully I'd be able to get my team back after a single day. The more time I spent without them, the more anxious I felt. I also used the opportunity to swing by my room to grab my laptop to take notes, which Zachary found very amusing. Trainers were old-fashioned and usually didn't take notes, let alone on a laptop, but writing was a lot slower than typing.

    After picking up a cup and just filling it with ice cubes, he lazily sat on the chair with terrible posture and adjusted his glasses. "You ready?"

    "Yup," I said, turning to Maeve. She also nodded.

    "Now I'm gonna say before I start, don't take anything I say personally, alright? I'm just going to try to hammer a few points home and then move onto the positives," he warned. "Now, you're at that stage in your career where you can almost always figure out the correct way to respond to a threat. Your train of thought is scary fast, and you analyze the pros and cons on a whim while the battle's going on."

    "Those sound like positives to me," I said.

    "Well, hold on for a sec," he raised a finger. "The best examples of this was your Pupitar against Ampharos and your Jellicent and Togetic against Infernape. You knew that my Ampharos' biggest weakness was his lack of mobility, so you tried to bury him in a hole with Stomping Tantrum or under a fuck ton of rocks. With Infernape, you knew that the moment you got close to the ground, you'd lose, which is why you tried to keep your distance, either through flight or Whirpool."

    He paused, waiting to see if I was paying attention.

    "The problem with that is that you're operating through the worldview that you're better than everyone else at planning and reacting to threats, but you aren't, or at least you won't be for long. I will admit, there are plenty of times you caught me off-guard during the battle, but you always pick the most obvious way of responding to threats. That makes you predictable, Grace. It was obvious that you'd try to go after Ampharos' mobility with Pupitar and I knew it was coming, so I easily reacted to that and shut her down."

    What he was saying hurt a little, but I was too busy writing his every word to answer.

    "When you catch someone off-guard, that's a crucial opening to take advantage of. You saw it with that crazy flight trick with Pupitar. Didn't even know that was a thing," he laughed. "But the bottom line is, you're good at identifying problems and finding ways to fix them, just try to make that fix less obvious. It doesn't have to be every time, because that would be impossible, but try to think outside the box sometimes. Do some unique shit that only you would think of."

    "Got it," I agreed.

    "Next, you need to relax, okay?"

    This time, I scoffed. "Huh? Do you mean me being kind of nervous?"

    "Oh, no, being nervous is fine. Your battling pace, I mean. You're always going one hundred percent, you never stop and relax. You're always throwing out attacks even when you know for sure that they won't work. Your Jellicent did it against Infernape, your Electabuzz did it against Vespi. I'm interested in why?"

    "I thought I'd be able to catch you on the wrong foot," I shrugged. "Why is it a problem?"

    "Well, if your tempo's always at one hundred, I always know that an attack is coming soon and that I need to respond to it, right? I'm not telling you to spend time doing nothing, but it's okay to slow down and breathe sometimes. Your brain's at one hundred percent all the time. That makes you slip up, tunnel vision and do obvious mistakes that you really shouldn't be making like Sunny Day with Tangrowth. Now, because you're so used to attacking all the time, you panic when I simply slow down slightly, like when Infernape hid down that chasm for a bit and came out the same spot. Your Pokemon are used to your pace, so they panic too."

    "Ah. Yeah, I guess I do go a bit fast. I'm kind of obsessed with being proactive instead of reactive, and I like to keep up the pressure," I said.

    "I getcha, and I'm not saying that you need to do it like me. Being a fast-paced battler's perfectly fine. Just mix it up sometimes instead of always putting your foot on the gas. Recuperate, take a deep breath and look at the battle through a wider lens for just a little bit before you go back to going ham," he said.

    He chewed on a couple of ice cubes and kept going.

    "Now, getting back to your Pokemon. You asking them to constantly attack when the moves have a very little chance of landing makes them waste energy for no good reason. There's a difference between keeping up the pressure and having your Jellicent use Water Pulse over and over when the attack couldn't even get close to Infernape. You were using more energy than he was and instead of just waiting to figure out a surefire way of beating us, you opted to order your Jellicent to go low. Battles at a high level against peers… they're long and exhausting for the participants. Every ounce of energy counts."

    "Yeah," I muttered. "I guess that I really just never stop attacking."

    "Yeah. And again, I will reiterate, you don't have to do it like me, just keep it in mind. Everyone's got different styles, I was just giving you some general advice. Anyway, moving on, your face. I've heard you can read people, although I didn't see much of it here, but did you know you're also very easy to read? When you panicked, I knew. When you were thinking, I knew. When you thought one of my attacks or techniques was bullshit," he paused with a chuckle. "I also knew. You really hated that Destiny Bond trick, huh?"

    "I did…" I embarrassingly shrunk. I found it hard to focus on people when I was barely holding on by a thread during the battle. "Can you explain how that worked? My Turtonator's going to be pissed."

    "When we're done," he nodded. "Anyway, get some poker face going, because as it stands, you're very easy to read. Actually, it doesn't even need to be a poker face. Some people have a persona they put on or are just one thing all the time. That girl, Craig Goodwill's sister— what's her name?"

    "Lauren."

    "Lauren," he said. "Saw her battle some other good first year around here when I was hanging out. She's always unhinged when battling. That means that she's harder to read. Personally, I try to be relaxed at all times, but I still slip up sometimes. Just try to figure something that works for you."

    "Okay," I said.

    If I wanted to emulate one facet of myself during a battle, it was the way I'd been during my fight with Harry Rodriguez. The memories of that fight were still… hard for me, and I still occasionally woke up with nightmares, but the way I'd been? I would be unreadable if I could replicate that. Of course, that'd require me to emotionally detach and disassociate… which was something Bella had taught me. It'd be a lot harder to do when I wasn't alone in a quiet room with only the sound of my thoughts, though.

    "Doesn't matter much if you're rolling your opponents like you were at that tournament, but when you're battling opponents stronger than you or at your level, you tend to let your emotions show. Gotta work on that," he pointed at me. "Next up, your Pokemon."

    He saw me react and held out his hand.

    "Now hold on. I won't state the obvious and say that they were weaker than mine— except for that Turtonator. That's not the goal of this exercise and I'd be a dick to think that counts as advice. They'll catch up with time, but you aren't utilizing a lot of them to their full potential. Did you notice how I had my Ampharos destroy the arena with two Thunders and let your Pupitar use Stomping Tantrums for my Infernape?"

    "Yeah. I know what you're going to say. Your team fought like, well, a team and mine didn't. I've been trying to figure out more ways of doing that, and it's hard to focus on it when I'm losing horribly," I said.

    "You've gotta keep your head in the game no matter what. It helps if you don't go at 100% all the time like I told you. My battle with Maylene— well, it wasn't as one-sided as this one, but I was still on the backfoot the entire time. I've got three Pokemons capable of flying, and Infernape and Ferrothorn are good at navigating fucked up fields, so that's what I do most of the time. I destroy it completely and use that to my advantage. See, you've got plenty of destructive power already, but beginners— forgive me for using that term— tend to be too stingy with those powers. The arenas that they set up are more of a suggestion than anything, really. When you reach the sixth badge, it'll most likely end up being completely different than what it was at the start after every battle and both trainers almost always compete to change it to their advantage. Now, I don't know enough about your team to tell you what would work for you or what wouldn't, but know this: when someone's very clearly altering the field on purpose, try to at least stop them. Granted, with the power disparity here, it couldn't have worked that well."

    "No, no. I appreciate the advice, still," I smiled.

    "You won't have to worry about this for Maylene's fifth badge Pokemon, but Volkner's a master at working the field and turning it into hell for anything that doesn't resist electricity. Think what Ampharos did, but way worse."

    "Yeah… there's a reason why they said he could have potentially been in the Elite Four," Maeve chimed in the first time.

    "We're almost done now, but one last point," Zach said after chewing on some more ice cubes. "Damn, that hit the spot. Be less stringent with your swaps. They're a resource, but you've got to use them. You never see someone at a high level lose without having exhausted all of their options. You could have potentially lasted longer."

    "I should have switched out my Electabuzz," I acknowledged grimly. "Your Vespiquen's no joke."

    "She isn't," he said. "I do want to finish by saying that you're damn good. I thought I'd be able to use the gap in experience to take down Turtonator with Vespiquen but I had to use Destiny Bond. Speaking of, you wanted to know how it worked?"

    "I did. Beyond the obvious of causing a Pokemon to faint after taking down the user."

    "Ah, there are a lot more nuances to it than that. First, you actually could have noticed that I had Vespi use the move. We trained enough to conceal the flames with that trick, but you can never conceal the eyes. They shine purple."

    My eyes widened. So that was what that had been! It had been barely noticeable since Vespiquen had been encased in that ball of solidified honey.

    "We've trained to extend the length to a minute and thirty seconds or something along those lines, but when we first got the move, she could only keep the bond going for twenty seconds, which was kind of shit," he smiled. "It takes too much out of her to use twice in a row, so if you'd waited, you would have won."

    I scoffed. "Took a lot out of her? She was still damn near unbeatable!"

    "Well moving honey around is as easy as breathing for her, so that doesn't count. You've got to realize that taking a lot out of a Pokemon at Vespiquen's level doesn't mean that they're no longer threats."

    I chewed on his words. It was true that even Sunshine could easily beat my Pokemon one-on-one when wounded or tired, so I supposed that made sense.

    "Got any more questions for me?" He asked.

    "Hm… your Ampharos had some sort of proto-electric terrain running. Could my Electabuzz replicate that?"

    "Every electric type could do it, although some easier than others. Don't know much about the Electabuzz line," he said. "Ampharos might not look like it, but he's a monster. He does it by just releasing electricity through his feet and into the ground, but the amount needed…"

    We didn't have that kind of power yet, but Electabuzz didn't need to evolve for us to start working on it. For now though, I'd keep him building up his capacity by working on Thunder. The amount of destruction wrought by Ampharos left me salivating.

    "Thank you for the amazing advice," I said. "It was more than I could have hoped for."

    In fact, he'd been so thorough that I no longer felt like the Poketch Company was holding me back by restricting the number of public losses I could have. I'd written five pages of bullet points to further develop later when I got back up to my room.

    "No prob'. Always a pleasure helping out, and it's not like I don't benefit. I wanted to fight that Turtonator really badly and the publicity will make my sponsors happy. Gotta get that dough."

    "Yep," I sighed, thinking of how close I was to buying my Shiny Stone.

    After that, the TM floodgates would finally be opened, and I just couldn't wait. Zachary finished his… drink and got up.

    "I've gotta run, see you kids later," he waved as he left. "The battle was fun!"

    I ignored the fact that someone one year older than me called me a kid and closed my laptop with a satisfied sigh as I sunk into my chair. That had been damn satisfying. I could see what Cynthia had meant by how valuable punching up was now. There was a wisdom experience brought that no amount of hard work or talent would uncover unless someone actually beat it into your head.

    "What'd you think?" I asked.

    "He's pretty cool. Confident," Maeve shrugged. "Wish I'd been there to see that battle now."

    "Someone probably already uploaded a recording," I said, stretching my arms. "Man, that was good. Say, how're you doing? We haven't seen each other much."

    "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm mostly training, trying to push Monferno over the edge so he can evolve before Maylene… I'm gonna sign up with Louis in two days, but I don't know if we'll be able to get there. I've also been trying to find a fifth team member, but I've been coming up blank. I've had my four Pokemon for so long that I'm getting anxiety just making a choice."

    I stood up from my chair and patted her on the shoulder. "Pauline's had the same thing, except without your valid reasons. I think that you'll figure something out, but remember to take your time. It's okay to be stingy when you're going to be spending the rest of your life with your team," I mirrored Cynthia's words.

    "Thanks," she smiled. "I'll see you later? Maybe we can grab a bite tonight? Like you said, it's been a while."

    "Will, um, Mira be there?" I asked.

    "No, no, I was thinking just you, me, and Emilia," she said. "I know you guys are kind of fighting, but I've got Louis keeping an eye on her and that Chase guy seems to make her happy enough when they come across each other. I can tell when she's faking and when she isn't."

    "Still nothing with Justin, then?"

    "No, but there's… rumors. He apparently has six Pokemon now, but it's nothing concrete. One thing's for sure, he's going to battle Maylene soon and then dip. He wanted to get to Sunyshore as fast as possible, remember? We've got to find him before he leaves."

    "Agreed. Let's come up with something tomorrow. I'm going back to my room to study, you stay safe okay? Don't walk alone for too long. See you later for dinner? We can all meet in front of the Center at… 6:30 pm?"

    "Got it," she smiled. "Bye-bye."

    I took refuge in my room and vicariously consumed and developed my notes. I immediately regretted not having recorded what Zach had said, but he probably would have thought that would have taken things too far. I colored them, bolded and underlined the important bits and two hours later, I had everything I needed. Now I just needed to apply this to the next time I trained with my team. I doubted that they'd feel down. I had warned them that we were going into an unwinnable battle, but Sunshine would be furious about going down with Destiny Bond. That was nothing a few sweet words from Pupitar and burning a few cliffs to vent out his anger couldn't fix.

    Maybe I could make him laugh with a really bad joke too.

    It felt weird having none of them here with me. My room felt empty.

    I spent the hours waiting for 6:30, but my phone rang an hour before the meeting. The Poketch Company was calling.

    "They sure work fast," I whispered. They probably wanted to speak to me about today's battle. "Hello? Melody?"

    "Grace! My proposition got through the board!" She yelled. I could feel her excitement through the phone.

    "Wait, this isn't about my—"

    "We want to start you from zero, and we want for you to represent the link between Pokemon and Human society. You've got a knack for understanding them, right? And you can just walk through a route with hundreds of them following you, I mean, that's the kind of stuff that only happens in movies."

    "Yes," I said, my body tensing in anticipation. "But they'll probably only be that friendly in forests."

    "Don't sweat the details. We were thinking— and you can say no, but it would certainly help— we were thinking about having you do an interview next week about your experience through the route. It would be on national television…"

    I deflated like a balloon. "I got questioned enough, Melody."

    "We can vet the questions and we'll prepare you. They'll be real softballs, and there will be no live audience. Just you, the camera crew and the interviewer. You can go in-depth about wild Pokemon as individuals and focus on the positives of your experience. If we combine this with your talent at battles, we could strike a real gold mine."

    "Business-minded as always, aren't you?" I smiled.

    Arceus, this was fucking terrifying. Me on live television? And only a week to mentally prepare myself? But this was such a good opportunity to make people see wild Pokemon in a different light… sure, it wouldn't change things, but it would at least start a conversation.

    And I could start helping out Bellatrix and Night.

    It wasn't a promise.

    Not yet.

    "I'm in," I said.

    I may or may not have immediately regretted the words.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A
     
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    • Chapter 186
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    • CHAPTER 186

    "You are? That's great! I'm going to be flying into Veilstone tomorrow with our media team to get you prepped, then."

    "Wait, media team? Can't we— can't we do this over video like during the Solaceon tournament?"

    Melody chuckled. "Oh, Grace, this interview is going to be a much more involved process and we'll need to be there with you to ensure that you're as prepared as possible. Can we meet tomorrow at six?"

    I sighed as anxiety began to build up in my chest. I was a public figure now. There was no denying it, and I couldn't run away from that fact. It was going to be difficult, but I had the opportunity to use my public outreach for good and I wasn't going to ruin that. There was the possibility of me messing up, though. What if the interviewer asked a question that wasn't vetted to try to catch me off-guard? Melody had told me that controversy and drama was juicy and drove views, and Chase had spent enough time complaining about for-profit media to me to make me understand that if they could screw me over to make money, they probably would.

    "If tomorrow doesn't work, we can schedule it the next day. I know you're probably busy training for your battle against Maylene," Melody said.

    "Tomorrow works," I said. "Yeah, tomorrow's fine. What channel is this going to be with?"

    "SGNC. I'll send you the full details via email later, I've got to start packing since I'll most likely be staying here as long as you and I still have work to finish up here. Make sure to read them over, okay? And don't tell anyone, not even your friends!"

    "Wait, what? But they're the biggest—"

    She quickly hung up, leaving me with the chilling sound of silence. I had a feeling she wanted to drop the call as soon as possible so I wouldn't change my mind. SGNC, or Spectrum and the Global News Company was the biggest cable news network in Sinnoh with millions of viewers every night. They were the first damn channel on when you turned on your television in a Pokemon Center. The Poketch Company was… essentially gambling on my performance up there. We were joined at the hip, and if I fucked up it would reflect horribly on them. How the hell had Melody sold this to her bosses? She must have made me sound much better than I actually was.

    "Legendaries…" I muttered. Just another thing to add to my plate.

    At least there wouldn't be a live audience. Surely I could handle one interviewer. I'd managed with a dozen of them getting in my face after every battle at the Solaceon tournament.

    I wasn't feeling hungry anymore, but it would have been rude of me to cancel on my friends on such short notice. And having dinner with them did help keep my mind off things, especially with Emilia's wild contest stories. Apparently, some mean girls in Hearthome had promised to follow her here and had declared themselves her rivals. Not that she cared one bit about them. Maeve was a lot more talkative than usual too. I suspected that she was worrying a lot more about our circumstances than she let on and hanging out with friends was a good way to help. I couldn't help but realize that Emilia was kind of becoming this crutch that we were all able to lean on. She was just so… bright. I ended up telling Maeve about the changes I'd undergone because of fairy type energy, and she almost had the exact same reaction as Emilia. Thankfully I'd expected it this time, and Emi was there to help out.

    Two down. Now there was only Louis and Justin to go… not that Justin would care at the moment. I hoped it would help him relate because he too had been changed by type energy, but that was just me trying to keep my spirits up.

    Emilia asked to take selfies at the end of dinner to post online. She took pictures of our food and desserts too. She and Denzel were real socialites.

    —

    I woke up bright and early the next day, since I hoped to do a lot of things before Melody swooped in and carried me off to her media literacy dungeon. The first thing I did after breakfast was ask Nurse Joy if I could pick up my Pokemon yet, and I got a stern talking down to because Sunshine had been very difficult to work with.

    "I'm sorry, he usually isn't like that," I apologized. "He lost in what he'd consider an underhanded way, and he's very emotional."

    "Warn us next time, will you? He nearly burned millions worth of medical equipment when he woke up," she scolded. Nurse Joys were terrifying when they were angry. "Thankfully, the Blissey and Audino intervened instantly."

    I dipped my head. "Sorry again."

    I'd gotten Electabuzz, Turtonator and Pupitar back. Princess and Angel still needed to stay an extra day because of Infernape and Jellicent was just resting in his Pokeball. It wasn't ideal, but it'd do. I quickly headed out of the Center and back toward route 214. They had all fought hard, so they deserved a break if they wished, but I doubted that they'd take it. The sky wasn't as bright as the previous days and rain softly pattered against the ground. If Bella had been here, this would have been some great weather to sleep in. Nightstalker sometimes let the rain fall so I could hear the sounds while she kept us under a barrier all night.

    Honey, Sunshine and Sweetheart had three very distinct reactions when they saw me. Electabuzz dejectedly stared at the ground, disappointed in his performance against Vespiqueen. Pupitar screamed at me to ask if I'd seen her flying, which I obviously had, but she just wanted praise. Turtonator… hid his anger. It was still there, easy to see if you knew him well enough. The slightly uncomfortable heat leaking out of him despite the fact that he would never do it on purpose when I was this close. His eyes, slightly narrowed and his pupils thinned down to slits. The light smoke coming out of his snout and mouth with each exhale.

    It was a lot more contained than I had expected.

    "I heard you gave the Nurse Joys a tough time. You know that you shouldn't do that, right? They had nothing to do with your fight against Vespiqueen."

    The dragon's scales lost a little bit of their color at the mention of Nurse Joy, and I finally understood that they must have terrified him. Those Blissey and Audino might have looked innocent, but they were trained and bred by the League.

    "Just don't do it again, okay? I know it hurt your pride to lose in such a way, but we'll get our revenge. We just have to work harder," I smiled.

    He responded with a timid nod. He really wasn't being himself.

    "Just take a breather and relax today. The weather's not great, so that's a shame, but feel free to go off and sleep somewhere," I said. "Hey, Honey. You're not at fault for your performance, I am. I messed up my orders and failed to switch you out when things weren't working. I'm sorry."

    I patted him on the shoulder and he lit up slightly. He'd gotten a lot better at taking losses, but the fact that he hadn't even gotten one hit in against Vespiquen weighed on him. I told him he could take a break too, but he wanted to get back to training right away.

    "Keep building up your electrical capacity, then," I nodded. "I'll start looking for a bigger battery that can do the job until we get to Sunyshore when we get back. Sweetheart, you can do whatever you want to. The others are still in the Center."

    I crouched, petting the little spot between the spikes on her head.

    "You should probably check on Sunshine, though. I'd do it, but he wouldn't like it if it was me," I whispered.

    The rock type grunted and crawled toward where Sunshine had gone. I thought she'd do that the whole way, but after a loud hiss, she flew off and crashed in the distance. We definitely had to work on those landings. They had messed us up completely during the battle with Vespiqueen and allowed her to fill her vents to keep her grounded. Pupitar were slower than their Larvitar form and she would slow down further the more she grew, so it was high priority along with Iron Head. I wanted her to learn the move so she could better focus the steel type energy to deal more damage when she flew at things even if Iron Defense would work for now.

    Today, she was on break, though.

    I lifted the hood of my raincoat and thought back to the battle. Zachary had gone over most points, so I didn't need to have an autopsy like I usually did, but I still needed to look to the future. The most pressing part of his analysis was using my Pokemon as a unit beyond things like custom moves. As it stood, they were pretty bad at navigating destroyed fields, so that was off the table. Only Princess and Buddy would be able to, and that was because they could fly. I needed to find something with synergy, but the more I racked my brain for answers, the further away they seemed.

    The second urgent issue was my tempo, and that was something I could actually fix for my battle with Maylene by practicing against trainers. It didn't matter if they were worse or better than me so long as I could get it down. The sheer amount of psychological pressure Zachary had inflicted upon me by just having his Infernape wait in silence could not be understated and I was desperate to recreate it against other opponents. It would make their minds race and desperate to know what the hell I was planning, but I wouldn't even need to be planning anything. Granted, I doubted that Maylene would fall for those kinds of tricks, but the fact that attacking nonstop made me predictable and she wouldn't hesitate to shut me down right away.

    For that, though, I wanted to wait for Princess and Angel to get healed and to let the rest of my Pokemon just relax for the day. I spent the next two hours learning more about Mayelene's tactics since I had given a bit too much importance to Aura the last few days. Sure, it was a pain in the ass, but it wasn't the only thing they had going for them. I recalled my team when I was done and finally released Buddy so that he could accompany me back in town.

    I had a few stops to make. First was buying Honey his new battery. I swung by an electronics store and got him a bigger model. Unfortunately, solar batteries were kind of limited outside of Sunyshore because they specialized in solar energy, so I could only buy something with double the capacity. Honey would enjoy the gift nonetheless, but he deserved better.

    Second, it was finally time to get Sweetheart her… premium dirt. There were a lot of stores selling specialized food for different kinds of Pokemon. Aron, for example, had to supplement their diet with iron, as was the case for many steel types. Garbodor or Muk grew with trash or toxic materials, so many cities actually paid trainers with those Pokemon to clear out some of that waste. Only a few Pokemon ate dirt. The only one I knew of besides Pupitar were Mudbray and Mudsdale. I had looked up this store the day I had made it to Veilstone and it had excellent reviews. Now, I finally had time to go there.

    The building was rather empty, save for a man on his phone over the counter. Hundreds of packs of dirt were laid out on shelves, each with different names and contents. I didn't even know where to start. I thought that I would have been able to swing by and just grab one, but there were too many options for me to know what to pick. Plus, these looked way too big to fit in my bag. In fact, they were the size of my bag and looked to be even heavier than that. I placed a hand under one of them and gave it a tentative lift, and it was a lot heavier than it looked. As heavy as Sweetheart had been as a newborn. I wasn't confident I'd be able to carry one back at the Center.

    "Need any help?" The young man called out.

    "Yes, please," I said.

    He hopped over the counter and we both ignored the fact that he almost tripped and face-planted.

    "Are you looking to feed Pokemon or grow berries?" He asked.

    "You grow berries with this?"

    "How do you think all those berries get into those stores? We pack the soil with nutrients and sell those to the companies that grow them. That's the majority of our clients, along with amateur gardeners."

    "Cool. Well, I have a Pupitar to feed, actually—"

    "Ah, Pupitar. You don't hear that often," he said. "If you're looking to speed up the evolution process, we have… follow me."

    I followed him deeper into the store until we reached a row of untouched packets of dirt labeled BLEND. Yes, literally just blend.

    "This is what I tend to ship out for people that own Pupitar. It's mineral-rich soil with plenty of calcium, iron, and magnesium for her cocoon. Lots of good bacteria that'll help it break those down more efficiently and a neutral pH balance for optimal nutrient absorption. Now, for the costs… it'll be fifteen thousand per pack."

    My eyes balked at the price. She'd get through this one pack in a single day.

    "If you don't got enough money for it, I can't give it to you," he shrugged. "Those are our rates."

    "I have the money, but she eats a lot. I don't have the money to buy one of those per day."

    "Well, you can mix it in with her usual food if you really can't. She'll evolve slower, but it'll still speed up the overall process and you'll keep the benefits. Oh, and I assume you'll want to get it delivered?"

    "No, no, I've got someone that can carry it back to my Center," I waved. "I'll buy…"

    Since I had planned my savings around the salary from the Poketch Company and not the LTIP, I could use the money from the latter to buy this. Since it was February, I'd be getting paid soon, so I opted to buy two bags instead of one. Plus, next month, I'd be able to renegotiate my salary since three months would have passed from the time I'd signed with the Poketch Company, and I was hoping that they'd increase it. I had been a bit of a pain for them with what I'd done on route 215, but before that, I had basically been the model sponsee and listened to everything they'd said. And if the interview went well, that would basically guarantee my raise.

    "Thanks for doing business with us," he said as I paid. He carried the two packs of dirt on a flatbed trolley.

    I released Electabuzz and he picked up one pack in each arm with a heavy grunt. I tried to get one off of him, at least for a little bit, but he refused to hand it to me and said he could handle it. If Angel or Princess were here, they would have been able to help too. The others weren't built to carry stuff like this. Sunshine's arms weren't as long and dexterous as Honey's and he had no fingers to properly grip the bag.

    He might not have looked the part, but Electabuzz was strong. He was a Pokemon, after all, and even though he was panting by the time we'd made it back to the Center, he didn't struggle too much. He grinned, flexing his arms as he dropped the two packs inside of my room. I didn't know how much I was speeding up Pupitar's evolution, but I'd be able to tell depending on how quickly her next molt came. The examiner had said that she'd be ready to evolve by the time she grew to 6'5'', so there was a while to go still. I would also need to actually use it all before we left Veilstone because there was just no way I was willing to travel with this.

    Knowing Tyranitar's reputation, evolving even two weeks early could be crucial with Sweetheart's performance in the later gyms and the Conference. Bella had warned her about not getting violent and giving in to rage as they were known to when they evolved. Hydreigon were even worse. Hopefully it wouldn't come to a fight. I couldn't imagine Sweetheart trying to hurt any of us on purpose, but she might still do so on accident. The power she'd be able to wield would be completely alien to her, so it would take us a while to get her used to them, along with just walking around in such a huge body.

    There were also rumors of Tyranitar being truly impossible to command while they were mega evolved… but I was getting ahead of myself. Trainers capable of mega evolution were the exception, not the rule. I wasn't getting that any time soon, first because I didn't even need to look at the price to know that a Tyranitarite was expensive beyond anyone but the richest of trainers could afford and that I was way too weak to withstand the process. Craig, a fully grown man with years of experience was still wiped out every time he used it. I bet that I'd pass out immediately.

    That wouldn't stop me from daydreaming about leveling a small hill with her. I bet she'd enjoy that.

    I spent the rest of the afternoon alone and the anxiety slowly built up as six in the evening approached. I even refused an invite from Emilia back at the Pokemon Game Arcade. It was only when there were thirty minutes left that I remembered that Melody hadn't given me a place to meet her at, but a knock at my door forced me to relinquish all fantasies of her giving me an excuse not to show up.

    It was strange, how she'd been in Hearthome yesterday and was already here. Being a trainer and traveling everywhere had made me forget how small the world truly was when you could travel on a plane anywhere. You could go from one end of Sinnoh to the other in just a few hours while for me, it had taken months of grueling travel with both highs and lows. I wouldn't give it up for the entire world, but I had to admit that flight sure was convenient.

    "Grace! How are you?" She asked with bright eyes. She still looked the same as always, her dark hair tied into a bun and pronounced dimples when she smiled.

    "Great," I lurched.

    "Don't be so nervous, we aren't even doing the interview yet. Do you want to reschedule to tomorrow?"

    "No, no, I'm fine," I said. "Gotta do it. I owe you and others this."

    "You don't owe me."

    "I do. You got chewed out because of me and I could tell how bad it was affecting you and I said I'd pay you back. We can go."

    Her smile softened and she led me out of my room. "Thank you for doing this. I know it's hard for you, but it's a great leap forward. And look, the interviews after your battles weren't bad after the first few, right? It'll be the same here."

    "You kind of dropped that it'd be on Sinnoh's most watched channel and then hung up. That was a little rude," I said.

    "Sorry."

    We stepped off the elevator and Melody brought me to a car parked in front of the Pokemon Center.

    "Company owned," she smiled, turning to the driver. "Back to the Poketch Building, please."

    Right, they had a presence in every major city in Sinnoh, and I heard they wanted to get into Floaroma and Sandgem too.

    "Did you read what I sent you?" She asked.

    I nearly facepalmed.

    "You didn't," she added. "I'll just tell you here, then. You're going to be interviewed by Mallory Ryan at 9:00 pm. That's a prime timeslot with the most viewers, so you'll have a lot of eyes on you."

    Mallory Ryan. I knew that she was SGNC's most popular anchor, along with her co-host Patrick Cox. I remembered disliking them for how they covered the protests by stirring up controversy and drama when we were staying in Eterna city, so we were already starting off on the wrong foot.

    "Yeah," I dryly said.

    "We'll prepare you, don't worry. The team's waiting back at HQ. It's next week on Friday, so again, lots of eyes. We have nine days to get you ready, which is plenty of time. I'm not Craig's liaison and I wasn't in the position I am now when he first started working with us, but apparently he completely bungled his first interview."

    "That does not help," I said, clenching a fist around my seatbelt.

    "Oh, it doesn't? I thought it'd be good to show you that we all start somewhere. You're a decent interviewee with the training I already gave you back in Solaceon."

    "But this isn't the same, and you know it."

    "Yes. It's a lot more serious and high-key, I won't deny that."

    Silence settled in for a few seconds as I waited for her to continue, but she didn't. Maybe she wanted me to relax.

    "So it'll just be Mallory, then? Not her co-host?"

    "Yes, just one. Two would have been unfair for someone who's just dipping their toes in. Mallory can be… well, she's a little vicious when she's interviewing someone she clearly doesn't like, but the Poketch Company has a good relationship with her and a lot of our sponsored trainers have already gone on her show and none of them had problems."

    "Vicious how?"

    "Asking questions that weren't vetted, mostly. She's good at her job and can easily get under people's skin, but she found your interaction with the Rangers very interesting. She's a little bit of a Pokemon rights activist, you see. Shows up at anti-Parasect protests and such."

    "Anti-Parasect protests?"

    "People that think that Parasect shouldn't be allowed to be trained because the parasite takes over the brain when they evolve and they therefore can't give consent to being used in battle. She also hates it when cities expand… you should have seen what she said against the new port the League's planning to build in Solaceon."

    "I thought the news were supposed to be neutral," I said. "Not that I disagree with her."

    "Oh, please. News channels aren't neutral," she laughed. "Every channel's got their own agenda to push. It's just how things work."

    "I guess. Anything else to know about Mallory?"

    I was slightly more sure of myself now that I knew she and I shared some values, but I couldn't help but worry.

    "You got the gist of it. She's already sent the questions she wants to ask and our team is reviewing them right now and no doubt editing a bunch of them to send back."

    She continued to explain the process to me as we rode toward the Poketch Company building, and as it turned out, almost every one-on-one interview was conducted like this. I honestly believed that the questions were a surprise every time, but that did explain how so few people got tripped up on the news during an interview. The Poketch Company building here had the same, modern look that it had in Hearthome with its facade covered in clear glass windows which still made it look horribly out of place compared to the concrete-filled buildings that littered Veilstone, but the company didn't seem to care about fitting in. It hadn't in Hearthome, after all.

    As we both stepped inside of the building, my phone rang with news that made my heart swell with joy.

    "Can we move this to tomorrow?" I asked. "This is— this is urgent."

    "Is it? I mean, I guess we could, but…"

    I nodded and bit my lip anxiously. "Please. My girlfriend just made it to the city."

    The woman sighed, smiling at me. "Fine. Tomorrow at six, I'll come to pick you up. Go."

    I was already out before she finished her sentence.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T
     
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    • Chapter 187
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    • CHAPTER 187

    My legs felt light. Each step was easier than the last as I ran toward the gate to route 215. The warmth and happiness I felt overtook the frigid temperatures, spreading from my heart throughout my entire body. They were here! I was going to see Cecilia, Denzel, and Pauline again after so long. All of the guilt I felt toward dropping everything at the last minute for this was slowly washing off my skin the closer I got to the gate. There had never been any doubt.

    We'll be waiting at the gate, Cecilia had sent to the group chat.

    I yelled at a taxi before realizing the driver already had a client inside and continued to run. When I stopped for a red light, the fidgets came. Constant anticipation that I couldn't shake off no matter what, and it grew too large to ignore. The Ranger Station I had been questioned in passed me by in a flash, the sentiments of unfairness all but forgotten. I was so close.

    "Ah!"

    They were there, in the distance, tired but happy. Pauline tapped Cecilia on the shoulder and pointed toward me with a smug smile, and she and Denzel started to wave. Cecilia did not wave. She ran toward me with a limp, nearly tackling me to the ground in the process. She lifted me up into the air, spinning as we laughed for what seemed like an eternity. It was so silly— it had just been slightly under two weeks since I'd seen her, but I was happy beyond words. All the stress of the past few days didn't disappear, but it was lighter now. I knew I'd be able to shoulder more than what I'd been capable of just mere hours ago.

    "I missed you," she smiled.

    "Hmhm," I nodded, planting a kiss on the corner of her lip. "How was your time on the route? Did you meet, uh—"

    "Hatterene?" She asked. "Yes."

    "I'll explain soon," I said.

    Denzel and Pauline were here now, although they'd given us some space. I wrapped both of them into a big hug.

    "Gremlin! Leave it to you to get into some weird ass situations the moment you're off traveling on your own," Pauline said. "You owe us."

    "I'm sorry. I did manage to get you safe passage through the route."

    "That was a safe passage?" She trembled. "Arceus."

    "It wasn't bad," Denzel said. She side-eyed him. "Okay, it was pretty terrifying. How's Veilstone been treating so far, Grace?"

    "Stressful and annoying are two words I'd use. I've got a bunch of stuff and obligations… Mira's gone off the rails, Justin still hasn't spoken to us, it's just a lot. Was I the first one to arrive?"

    "You were. I didn't think you would run here," Pauline said. "Cece wanted to surprise you like you guys did when you got back to Eterna, but I was against recycling that joke."

    "It wasn't a joke," Cecilia said. " And you liked it! You were so happy that you cried."

    "I might have."

    "You did."

    "The real problem was that we had no idea where any of you were and there was no way to find out without seeming too suspicious," Denzel shrugged. "Anyway, everyone's going to show up here, so we can wait if you don't mind?"

    "I don't," I shook my head. In all my rush to get here, I hadn't even noticed everyone's messages. The others were all taking a car to get here— and Louis' old driver was at the wheel. The same one who had driven us to Mount Coronet all those months ago. Edward was his name, if I remembered correctly. "You guys won't believe what happened to me yesterday. I battled this guy with seven badges and his Pokemon were incredibly skilled…"

    As soon as I named Zachary, Denzel was already looking him up and he noticed that he was also in the LTIP, which was why he'd owned more than six Pokemon before having eight badges. He certainly had the skill and potential to make a great League Trainer, but given his ambitions, I had the inkling that he was mostly in it for the extra money. Pauline and Cecilia were more enthralled by my retelling of the battle, however. The latter seemed particularly interested in him having altered the field to his liking.

    To be quite honest, I wouldn't mind a battle against Cecilia or Denzel after I'd practiced the tips Zachary gave me. I kept those for myself, of course, despite feeling bad about it. We were friends, but we were also competitors. If they wanted to improve quickly, they'd have to punch up like I did. Louis' dark limousine arrived just as I was telling them about Chase's narrow loss to Lauren Goodwill.

    Emilia's reaction was similar to mine, and with good reason. Unlike me, she'd been apart from her girlfriend for an actually long time. She initiated a kiss, which caught Pauline by surprise and caused her to grin like an idiot. She'd truly come into her own. Denzel looked off to the side with an awkward smile, but then affectionately slapped Louis' back until the man nearly yelped.

    "I missed you, my man!" he grinned. "You look happier."

    "I am happier," Louis smiled. "Your teachings still carry me a long way during training and Gible's been getting closer to the rest of the team… save for Vulpix."

    The two launched into a conversation about the drama in their teams as Mira shot me a look.

    "Grace."

    "Mira," I responded.

    Our relationship was still icy, then. I hadn't been sure if she would keep going with this, but I certainly wasn't going to be the one to apologize first. I was slowly atoning by revealing my changes while she was still off doing Arceus knows what every night when Maeve or Louis couldn't keep an eye on her. Reckless, needless risk.

    Cecilia noticed my body tensing and grabbed my hand, but it was only for a moment. Mira soon turned toward the others, but she did not have her mask on today. She was more muted than usual and was content to listen in the background, only chiming in when someone addressed her directly.

    "Are there enough spots for all of us in the car?" I asked, leaning into the vehicle.

    "It's a limousine, Grace," Pauline snarked. "Obviously there is. Hop in."

    I nestled myself deep into the car and was surprised to see it teeming with alcohol. That was probably why they'd been slower than me to arrive when I'd been on foot, besides Edward having to pick up everyone. Unless the alcohol was always there? I didn't even know what kind of alcohol it was other than a few Champagne bottles I recognized because my friends drank way too much, especially when they were almost all underage! Louis served everyone a glass, although I didn't take one and opted for water. Mira also took water.

    "A toast to our reunion, however long it may last!" Louis cheered.

    "You didn't have to add that last part," Denzel said with a nervous chuckle.

    We all raised our glasses and began to drink, and the group divided into smaller conversations. Pauline, Emilia and Louis talked about organizing an impromptu party in one of our Pokemon Center rooms and who would go buy what. Emi had already taken charge of almost everything and the other two were mostly just agreeing with whatever she said. Mira sipped on her water in silence with Maeve there to keep her company and she was slowly cheering up. I hadn't known what had happened to her— probably another fruitless search.

    Meanwhile, Cece demanded for me to sit on her lap despite how awkward it made it for her to drink, and Denzel bantered with us while he drank.

    "...feels like you two haven't seen each other in years, not two weeks," he joked. "Talk about teenagers in love."

    "So what?" Cecilia huffed, tightening her hold on me. "You think it's easy, wait until you start dating someone."

    "Not happening. I'm living the single life this year and focusing on myself," he said, pausing shortly. "So, Grace. What the hell was with you and that Hatterene and that Decidueye?"

    "Right. What did she do to you guys?" I asked. I knew she'd probably been tough, but fair.

    "She sent wild Pokemon to follow us to see how we treated them, then followed us for two days until she talked to our Pokemon to see if we were treating them right, I think," she said. "But then she said that she knew you and to tell you that you had good friends."

    My lips twisted upward. Bella approved of them, then. That was good news.

    "She sought me out after I spent a night with a group of wild Pokemon…"

    I explained most of my journey with Bella, excluding things like her name or the legend that could explain my power to comprehend wild Pokemon. Other than that, I told them everything I'd said to the others, along with the hundreds of Pokemon walking me to the gate as a final goodbye. Needless to say, they were flabbergasted by the end of the story. They'd been so stunned that they hadn't interrupted me at all.

    And I included me being what Bellatrix would consider a halfling because of Togetic. Cece already knew, but Denzel didn't.

    "What the fuck," Denzel said after downing his glass. "What the hell. How does that— why didn't you tell me about the fairy stuff?"

    I shrunk down slightly. "I thought you'd find me weird or try to find a way to fix me," I sighed. "I know you're disappointed. Sorry."

    "I am," he said. "I thought we were best friends. We tell each other about stuff like this. At least I understand what you said about wanting to travel alone for a bit a lot better now. It came out of left field for me before, but I get it now."

    "Did you figure out everything you wanted, at least?" Cecilia asked.

    "I thought I did, but there's a lot left. I need to figure out a way to balance my two selves. I'm doing an okay job right now, I think."

    "I don't think that you're behaving any differently if that's any help," Denzel said. "I mean, the stuff you said. Obsession with prices and things like that, I thought that was just you being weird."

    I rolled my eyes. "It isn't weird. It's just different. Thank you for hearing me out, though."

    "Thanks for telling me."

    "So what did Hatterene say about your teams?" I asked.

    "She was tired with mine, I think," he grinned.

    "Oh, yeah, yours argue all the time, so that makes sense. She probably thought that they were constantly being too loud. I would have paid to see it!"

    But my question had primarily been directed at Cecilia and more precisely, her Scyther. His circumstances hadn't been that different than Bellatrix's, aside from the length of time they'd spent forced to fight against their will and violently trained by their respective trainers. Cecilia stayed silent for a while, so I turned toward her slightly and saw a wave of uncertainty pass on her face.

    "I didn't understand it very well, but I think that Scyther decided to stick around," she finally said.

    "He gave you a chance, then," I nodded. "Don't squander it, okay?"

    She blinked. "I won't."

    "Anyway, this entire thing somehow led to me having an interview scheduled at SGNC—"

    "Excuse me?!" Denzel yelled.

    He downed another glass.

    "Yeah, next week Friday. I was actually on my way to begin my training when you guys sent that text, so I'll have to go back tomorrow at six."

    "Do you know when it'll be over?" Cece asked. "I wanted to ask you out to dinner."

    "I'll probably eat there," I winced. "I owe Melody a lot and this is important, so I can't drop the ball again. Can we go the day after tomorrow?"

    "Sure."

    "Stop talking about dating plans and talk more about that interview! Arceus, I'm so jealous… argh," he groaned. "I'd give so much to be on that stage!"

    "If you could take my place, I'd let you."

    "You better take your training seriously! Don't waste your chance. People from all over Sinnoh will be watching," he sternly said.

    "Don't talk about work right now," I sighed. "This is only part of it. I've got a lot of things to do. Between the interview, training my team, preparing for Mayelene, and practicing the tricks Zach told me, my hands will be pretty full. You guys should get to work too."

    "Already started. I like this punching up idea. I've made a post, although I don't think it'll get as much traction as yours. I don't have much to lure them with. Trainers don't care about how many subscribers you have," he grumbled.

    "I'm interested in battling Lauren," Cecilia nodded. "You have her number, right?"

    "I did add her, but she doesn't like to do things like that according to Chase. She's more of an old-fashioned girl, like 'our eyes met, so we have to battle' or 'meet me at this spot for our fated battle,' so I think you'll have to find her."

    She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of course, it would be too easy otherwise. I also have to catch my sixth Pokemon soon… I was thinking of going to see some of Maylene's battles for some inspiration."

    "You want a fighting type?" Denzel asked.

    "Yes. I've narrowed down the list a little, but seeing them in action will make it easier."

    "There are a few fighting types near the mountain on route 214, but there aren't that many wild Pokemon there," I said. "I'll come with you to see Maylene battle if I have time."

    "Are we still on for our date? You said you'd be busy."

    "Are you kidding? I'm obviously on," I laughed. "You keep me updated on it, okay? And by the way, no joke, you guys should definitely study Maylene and what she does with aura. You didn't listen to me against Fantina, but this time it's true."

    "Aura? I thought only Lucario could do that," Cecilia said.

    "See? This is what I'm talking about!" I groaned.

    —

    Denzel was somehow already drunk by the time we got out of the car in front of the Pokemon Center. Despite how big he was, it turned out he'd been a lightweight all along. He leaned against Louis for support while the others filtered in the Center. My eyes scanned the entire street before I stepped out of the limousine, and Cecilia quickly took notice.

    "What's wrong? Are you scared about Team Galactic?" She worriedly asked. "I still haven't noticed any League Trainers. I wonder how they're tracking us."

    "No… my mother, which is arguably worse. Sorry, that was a bad joke."

    "Your mother?"

    "Yes. She's in here, and every time I get back to the Center, I get scared that she'll be waiting here waiting to jumpscare me like a cheap horror flick," I shuddered.

    "Is she that bad?"

    "Now? Not really. In the past? She was horrible," I said. "I don't feel like seeing her."

    I jumped as Cece linked her arm with mine and accompanied me into the Pokemon Center.

    "I won't ask what she's done. It must have been bad if you aren't even willing to see her," she said.

    "Cheated on my dad when I was a toddler," I whispered.

    Cecilia's face darkened. She'd only met my father once, but he'd made a big impression on her.

    "Ah. Yes, I understand why now."

    "Good thing that she wasn't here today either," I sighed in relief. After everyone had booked their rooms, we all stepped inside of the elevator and I tapped Emi's shoulder. "Is the party still happening? Denzel's ready to sleep already."

    "Who do you think I am?" she scoffed. "I won't let this fated reunion go to waste! You should all gather in… Louis' room!"

    "My room?" the blond man sighed. "I'm the one who has to clean up after."

    "What happened to your spunk, Louis? You used to be all about hosting parties! I won't hear any complaints. Chop chop! Get Denzel to his bed."

    "I can come…" Denzel groaned. "I can… ugh."

    "How can someone get this drunk on three little glasses of Champagne?" Pauline scoffed.

    "He didn't eat anything," Emi said.

    "I didn't eat anything either—"

    "Don't turn it into a competition," she rolled her eyes.

    After telling us to come to Louis' room in an hour, Emilia sent us all off. Needless to say, Cece joined me in my room.

    "Don't mind the two bags of dirt, the notes, the clay statues— that's Princess' art, don't step on it. Uh, yeah, I should probably clean some of this up. I would have if I knew you'd arrive today."

    "Don't worry about it," she smiled as she carefully stepped over a statue of one of the Nurse Joys downstairs. She dropped her bag on the floor. "Mind if I take a shower?"

    I sat on my bed and put my phone on silent. "Um, yeah. Go ahead."

    I fiddled in place as the soft sound of the shower filled my ears. She came out in a fresh set of clothes clearly meant to lounge in instead of travel. The wound on her leg had largely healed and was just a huge scar, and her stitches were slowly fading, getting absorbed into the skin. It was a mess of irregular, rough, dark scar tissue that stretched over her entire foreleg. I could slightly see the pattern of Krokorok's teeth. Small punctures in the skin that were the only pattern that made sense. I clenched a fist and felt rage bubble in my chest. She hadn't deserved this. Krokorok's trainer hadn't gotten off lightly. His entire life had collapsed and he'd have to go into rehabilitation and learn to live with feelings, but I still couldn't quash this trepidation in my heart. My jaw clenched.

    "Can I open a window?" Cece asked. Finally calming down, I nodded and she slid the window open. "Can we talk about… our goals for the future?"

    "How far in the future are we talking?"

    "After this year's Conference. Winning the tournament would be nice, but…" she trailed off.

    "Probably not happening," I nodded. "And if we did by some miracle, we aren't getting past the Elite Four. You came to that conclusion too?"

    "I did a bit ago during my time on route 215. It was a weird trip. I was aimless for a while with no goal in mind. Just traveling, having fun most of the time," she said before sighing. "I want to go to Unova and do the Circuit there. I want to become Unova's Champion."

    I stared at her as silence crept into the room. She kept staring straight outside the window, but I noticed the little glances she snuck me as she anxiously waited for my reaction. I didn't even know how to react, though. I hadn't expected this conversation at all. I nervously stared at my nails.

    "To beat your brother? You never really had an issue with him, didn't you?" I said. She wasn't like Lauren with Craig.

    "Beating Mark would just be a means to an end. I would do it even if it weren't him. The true goal is to slowly reform the system to make what happened with my father impossible in the first place. Corporations are too large to touch— and I realize how hypocritical that makes me sound. I mean, I did grow up with his money, but I didn't truly realize it until I understood that if Sinnoh wasn't holding him under house arrest, he'd be free back in Unova. The situation's even worse there than here."

    "And you want me to come?" I guessed.

    "I do. I already told you a few stories, but Unova is different from Sinnoh. Even if you only have to defeat eight of them, there are ten gym leaders, it's a bigger place than Sinnoh, there are a lot more people and trainers, death is a lot more frowned upon, and I think you'd enjoy it. But I don't want this to be some ultimatum or anything," she quickly said, shaking a hand. "I know Sinnoh's your home, and you might not want to spend time away. I mean, we're just kids, right? It'd be foolish to give up everything for… this. You have your dad, the Poketch Company and this would just be you and I. I doubt any of our friends would come."

    "I was thinking about what to do after this year came to an end, but I hadn't come to an answer yet. Can you give me the rest of the year to think?" I asked. "The real answer is I don't know yet."

    Cece exhaled and her shoulders loosened. It looked like she had expected me to say no.

    "That's okay."

    "But how's it going to work? Didn't you want Cynthia to help you find a Spiritomb?"

    "I'll have to figure it out. I also want to battle her too, despite knowing that I'd get crushed," she said, finally sitting next to me. Her fingers intertwined with mine as she placed another hand on my thigh and kissed my cheek.

    Cecilia was odd like that. She liked to put distance between us when a tough conversation came up in case I gave her an answer that'd hurt so that she'd feel less pain, but then she'd be all cuddly if I agreed with her because she'd need a way to express how relieved and happy she was.

    Not that I minded. I had expected us to get straight to this and even put my phone on silent so we wouldn't get interrupted.

    "Um… can you…" I whispered.

    Her kisses and touch were electric.

    —

    "Why are you two so late— you know what, don't answer that," Emilia groaned after one look at me.

    "Sorry," I giggled with Cece.

    "You don't look sorry. Come in," she smiled.

    The party was already well underway, although obviously Denzel wasn't there. Some pop song that I didn't know played in the background while Mira laughed in the corner as she forced Louis to do some silly dance that made him look like he was doing some kind of ancient ritual. Pauline filmed the whole affair, adding her snarky commentary.

    "Put more heart into it, or I'm sending it to the group chat!" She yelled.

    "I think he's going to pass out," Maeve warned.

    Louis took a few ragged breaths. "Everyone's looking anyway. I think I'm going to stop."

    He dropped on the ground, his chest rising and lowering with each breath. He looked like he'd just run a marathon. How long had they forced him to dance for?

    "Denzel's going to be furious about missing this," Emi smirked. "Pauline, it's your turn on the podium."

    "I can't, I'm tired from traveling."

    "Sounds like a convenient excuse," Cecilia smirked. The redhead glared at her. "Don't look at me, my leg is still messed up. I can't even walk properly yet."

    "I'm not dancing. Grace should dance."

    "Don't involve me in this—"

    Cecilia, traitor that she was pushed me forward.

    "I don't even like this song!" I pleaded.

    It was too late. I was doomed to Louis' fate. I spared him a look and finally understood what had pushed him this far.

    Peer pressure was hard to deal with, especially when everyone was so happy to be back together.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T
     
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    • Chapter 188
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    • CHAPTER 188

    My alarm woke me up at eight in the morning, and I was out and about right away. I wasn't exactly a morning person, but I had never struggled to wake up once I got on two feet and out of bed. Today was going to be packed (like most days in Veilstone so far), so I wanted to wake up as early as possible and take advantage of it even if we'd gone to sleep rather late. I could always fix my sleep schedule and catch up on my hours later.

    "Hnng…"

    "You're tired from traveling. Stay asleep, don't worry about me," I told Cecilia. "We can get you another key to the room when I come back later."

    "Fine… love you."

    I couldn't help but smile as I turned toward her. I got close to the bed to fix up the curtains, since a few rays of sunlight were shining on her face and bothering her, then I kissed her forehead. She put her arms around my neck and tried to keep me from leaving, so I planted a few more kisses on her lips. She was so cute when she was sleepy.

    I laughed. "I'll see you later, okay? I'll be out all day. I've got to do training, media stuff and such."

    "Be careful," she muttered.

    "I will. Want me to bring you breakfast? They're making bacon and eggs today."

    "I'll go down when I wake up," she whispered. "Can you get Slowking out of his Pokeball for me?"

    I turned to the belt she'd left on my desk.

    "Which one is it again?"

    "Third one from the left… wait, no, from the right."

    I nodded, releasing the tall psychic into the room. Slowking stared at his sleeping trainer and shot me a grateful look. She was already back to sleep now that I was out of her arms.

    "Hi. You can speak to me now, by the way," I whispered. "Hatterene helped me get over most of the pain from telepathy."

    Ah, he immediately said. That will make things much easier from now on.

    There was still a headache, but it was easily manageable. Slowking didn't know how to attenuate his voice like Bellatrix did, and it showed.

    It is my understanding that there is more to your relationship with Hatterene than meets the eye, he pondered, placing his hands behind his back. A mother-daughter like bond, if I had to guess. She was testing us to see if we were worthy of you. A self-centered and flawed way of thinking, in my humble opinion, but we all have our biases. Even I.

    I raised an eyebrow. Hatterene as a motherly figure? An interesting thought that I couldn't deny made me feel warmth, but I doubted she felt the same.

    "She's protective of me," I nodded. "Sorry if she gave you a hard time. Cece and Denzel told me about it."

    It was fine. She was very emotional and irrational, but I could visualize the situation from her point of view. I am interested, but I will not pry since I can tell it is a sensitive topic.

    "Thanks."

    And to you as well. Be safe on your travels, he said. He levitated Cecilia's phone and clumsily typed in her code with his single dull claw. I shall begin looking for psychic type masters capable of teaching me the process of shielding minds.

    I waved Slowking goodbye and exited my room. While telepathy was nice, I disliked the fact that unlike with Bella, there was simply no emotion in his tone. I'd honestly prefer to talk to him naturally if he didn't mind and fully learn all of his quirks, but I doubted that he'd like that. To be honest, there were plenty of my friends' Pokemon I wanted to talk to. Cecilia's Scyther was at the top of the list, but Zweilous was close. Denzel's entire team would probably be a riot, but I wanted to focus on Sylveon. Then, there was Mira's Kadabra. The psychic type had apparently been studying me, and I wouldn't mind hearing what he had to say. That one would have to wait until she apologized and we made up, though. Hopefully Denzel would be able to mend the bridge by talking to her. He was probably feeling terribly hungover right now.

    Actually, he wouldn't even be up. It was barely 8:30 am.

    Today was a training day, however, so none of that was on the table. I finally picked up Princess and Angel from the Pokemon Center and passed through the same rolling suburbs to get to route 214. I was going to take note of any fighting types that could be found here for Cecilia as well, although I knew that like most wild Pokemon on this route, they were all further south. Stumbling upon one here would be a miracle.

    I released my entire team, who cheered now that they were finally all reunited. Sweetheart doted on her sister, who actually landed on the ground to be showered in her screams of affection while Buddy didn't even complain about being treated like a helium balloon by Angel, who relentlessly pulled him up and down with a vine wrapped around one of his tentacles. He kept going with the charade until Honey tried to join in and grab a tentacle of his own, after which he just dissolved into water to slip past both of them and slithered toward Sunshine, who scoffed at his weakness. According to him, if Jellicent didn't want something done, he just needed to fight them off.

    Of course, that didn't stop him from being reluctantly touched by Tangrowth. Princess even greeted him with a slight smile, and he offered her a nod. They were getting closer slowly but surely.

    I directed them to train, although Princess and Angel could still take it easy. What I was interested in, however, was Vespiquen's performance against us. The way she had complete control over honey intrigued me, but the only Pokemon I had that excelled in control was Togetic.

    Excel might have been a big word. My standards had shifted completely since seeing Vespiquen battle, but she was still great at it. I was beginning to wonder if it couldn't be replicated, not with something like honey, but with the earth itself. A mastery of Ancient Power so complete that the ground would flow like water around her and change however she wished it to.

    An inspiring idea that could bring her to greater heights. The problem was that it'd be a lot wiser to focus on her fairy type attacks, along with Air Cutter, which she was going to work on today as well. We'd neglected her flying type the entire time, but it needed to catch up now that we were going to fight a fighting type specialist.

    I'd given controlling the field some thought last night in bed as well. Princess had the control to make whatever she wanted— she literally sculpted art every day, most recently a Nurse Joy, although she'd told me that she wanted to make Bella and Night soon. She'd created an enormous wall dividing the arena in two during the double battle with Chase and Cecilia, but that had nearly wiped her out. Angel had the raw power to screw up the field (even if that power was nowhere as close to Ampharos'), but none of the control. If I could combine those two somehow and make Princess turn the arena into something we could use after Angel would give her enough to work with…

    "Bingo," I grinned.

    An idea had struck me, now I had to practice it and make sure I wasn't in over my head. It wouldn't work against someone like Volkner or Crasher Wake, but it seemed perfect against Maylene. There were plenty of trainers that'd be willing to battle me back in Veilstone.

    —

    6:00 pm had come in a flash, and Melody had come to pick me up thirty minutes earlier. This time, there was no avoiding my responsibilities. I had also skirted around the fact that I'd gone against her word and told Cece and Denzel about the interview in a week's time, but I made sure to tell them not to spill. I trusted my two closest friends enough with the information.

    "Don't look so nervous," Melody said. We were the only two people in the elevator.

    "Oh, it's for completely different reasons this time. Pokemon stuff. I've been trying to make this new strategy work with Ancient Power, but it's a little tough."

    "Oh, the moment someone starts talking about battling, everything sounds like gibberish to me. I don't even know what Ancient Power is. Is that an ability?"

    My head whirled toward Melody and I shot her a look of pure disbelief.

    "You know what, never mind," I sighed.

    We walked out of the elevator and into… what I could only describe as a makeshift interview room. Two comfortable chairs sat opposite of each other with lights shining down both. There were microphones, individual equipment and a greenscreen behind all of this. A group of five people sat further in the room with a dozen empty coffee cups and notes everywhere.

    "We figured that simulating the environment the interview would take place in would work better for you," Melody said. "The real thing will look better and have a bunch of tech guys running around in front of you, but this is pretty one to one."

    "Thanks," I muttered. "They are…?"

    "Your training team that flew in with me," Melody explained. "From left to right, Gregory, Kenny, Julia, Sebastian and Rene. They were the ones that helped me train you for your Solaceon interviews and gave me pointers on what advice to give you."

    I nodded and waved at them, and they greeted me back. It was nice to put faces on the team behind Melody.

    "So how different is this going to be, then?" I asked.

    "We'll show you how some of Mallory's interviews have gone in the past, show you how to pose and carry yourself— remember the smiling point? That still applies," Melody said. "The interview's supposed to last ten to fifteen minutes and is very unlikely to go over. Cable TV's run like a tight ship. They keep to their schedule, otherwise they won't have enough time to run advertisements, and that's how the real money's made."

    "We'll be running mock interviews and guide you on how to answer each question," Rene said. "But before that, we've got a list of those questions that SGNC's sent us at Mallory's request, and we wanted to see what you thought of them."

    She handed me a piece of paper that I slowly scanned. The first questions were easy. She'd ask me about what convinced me to become a trainer, a few questions about my journey until she could naturally segway into what happened on route 215.

    There have been rumors that you can understand exactly what Pokemon say. Is this true, and could you prove it to us live on stage with one of ours?

    Arceus, I didn't even know there were rumors about that.

    "Don't want that one," I said, tapping at the question. "I can't do it right away and it'd be awkward to just say that, no? I feel like people would expect me to say yes."

    "That's fair," Melody smiled. "I would have said the same thing if I knew how quickly you learned to understand a Pokemon. Your instincts are getting better."

    "And that's a fascinating ability," Gregory added. "Have you been able to do it since you were a child or—"

    "Greg, you aren't interviewing her," Julia snapped. She looked the most tired out of everyone in the group. "Keep your questions for when you're not on the clock."

    I kept reading, nodding along. These were a lot less confrontational than I thought. Questions about my time with the wild Pokemon and if I could give them a few tidbits about some of them, more about how that link with Pokemon reflected on the relationship with my team… these were nice.

    Would you ever consider joining a Pokemon Rights protest in the future, seeing as how you stood up to the Rangers outside the gates?

    That one was trickier. I didn't exactly have an answer for it, since it really depended on what the protest was advocating for. I was leaning yes, but Melody convinced me to keep it in since the team would help me develop a proper, well-argued answer.

    You shared some emotional words with Hatterene and Decidueye before you left. There are many theories running around, but could you go more in-depth about your relationship with them?

    "How vague are my answers allowed to be?" I asked.

    "Too vague is bad. It makes you look weak and unsure of yourself," Melody said. "Like the protest one, we can help you—"

    "No, this is different. Scratch it off, then," I sighed. "If I can't be vague, I won't answer."

    That was the last question I'd had to deny, and they quickly sent the list back to Mallory via email so she could either adjust her list by adding different questions or pad her current ones, because yes, she was planning on using the interview's full runtime, so there was no hope of escaping by having it end early.

    Melody clapped her hands. "Let's start training you in the ones you've approved of so far! They might change slightly, but it'll still help. Sit in the chair and I'll act as Mallory…"

    I shambled back home exhausted that night, and I was supposed to come back tomorrow afternoon in order to get to my date in time.

    —

    "Arceus, my back hurts," I sighed.

    "How does your back hurt?" Emilia asked. "You trained for an interview. That should be pretty low on the physical side of things."

    "It's the chairs, Emi. Plastic chairs with terrible support. I swear, the chairs at the League Office where I got my Carry License were better."

    I was currently getting ready for my date with terrible results. I had no fancy clothes and only packed to travel. The only dinner date appropriate attire I maybe had was that dress Cecilia had bought me back in Hearthome, but it was way too cold to wear it even with a vest on and it wasn't formal. Emilia had joined me in my suffering.

    And to help me with my makeup and hair. Yeah, that was mostly why she was here. She was so good at it now thanks to her contests, but she was also excellent at fashion in general. I hoped that she'd be there to help me for every occasion like this, because she certainly made an excellent fashionista. I did have that Poketch Company event I was supposed to attend this summer.

    "This is terrible," I groaned. "I have nothing! I was so busy that I had no time to go shopping, I'm going to look like trash."

    The restaurant Cece had invited me to was a fancy one in the city's south, so that was basically code for dress well. I couldn't show up to this one in jeans. Well, I could, but that'd be disappointing for both her and myself.

    "Come on, now, it's not the end of the world. I can lend you something if you want."

    I turned toward her with Lilipup eyes. "You would?"

    "I'm only… what, two inches taller than you? Our bodies are pretty similar, so it'll work."

    She left and came back five minutes later with two huge suitcases.

    "I have a lot of things in here," she said, opening them. "Feel free to peruse and pick whatever you like."

    I hesitantly lifted a khaki skirt, which Emilia nearly slapped out of my hand with a horrified look.

    "Are you kidding me? That would look terrible on you."

    "What? I don't—"

    "Just leave it to me. Sit here."

    She motioned to the bed, and I followed her orders without hesitation. Emilia dug through the suitcase and pulled out a few options for me.

    "I wish we could have gotten these ironed," she groaned as she patted them down as best she could. "No time now."

    The girl hummed as she stared at what she had picked until she settled on a pink one shoulder dress that left a dangerous amount of collarbone exposed and that would reach down to my knees.

    "Pink and white go great on you," she continued, pulling out some white heels. Cece had said that she liked white on me. "Have you worn heels before?"

    "Uh, no."

    "Okay, we'll go with white flats then. Go put this on and I'll prepare the makeup and hair stuff. I should have a few hair bands hanging around. We're going with a low bun. Cece's going to love it, trust me."

    "I trust you with this more than I'd trust myself," I said, shuffling to the bathroom. "You know, speaking of Cece, it's the 27th in a few weeks. I was thinking of what to get her and I got a good idea, I think. Don't tell her this!"

    Getting in this dress was impossibly difficult, but I was somehow managing.

    "I won't tell. Spill."

    "Well, beyond the actual gift I was going to buy, I was wondering if you could record a small personalized message for her? I was going to ask everyone and ask you to edit it if you don't mind. I hope it's not too much work."

    "Oh, please. It's just adding a few clips together, it'll be done in five minutes," Emilia said.

    "You know… remember that letter she gave us before leaving for Mount Coronet?"

    "How could I forget?" Emilia said, her voice turning slightly grim.

    "Personalized messages for each of us. I wanted to spin the idea into something more positive. I think she'd like it."

    Her tone brightened, "That's a great idea. You're good at this gift stuff. Most people don't even know what to get until the last second and sometimes they even end up pulling the 'I'm your gift' card. Not that it doesn't work… it does, and frighteningly well."

    "By most people, do you mean Pauline?" I teased.

    "Yes. Yes, I meant Pauline."

    I laughed and realized that my body felt constricted every time I did so. According to Emi, that was just the pain of looking good. She said that I had 'potential' and should dress like this a lot more often, so I figured that was good news. I looked into the mirror and took a few breaths. My burns were in full view in the dress. Red, scarred tissue stretching down my neck, collar and arm. A smidge of it was visible on my lower thigh.

    "It's a lot of effort, though," I sighed.

    "Girls are badass when they look good."

    If I'd been drinking something, I would have spat it out. I hadn't expected such a direct statement from her, but I couldn't really disagree.

    "Stop fidgeting around and sit still," she said.

    I didn't know what she was doing to my face, but I nearly gasped in disbelief when I saw it.

    —

    Cecilia had really thought that she'd stop being nervous for dates by now, but she'd apparently been entirely wrong. Maybe it was because it had been a while since their last serious one. Sure, they'd knocked on people's doors in Solaceon, but it hadn't felt anywhere as official as this and she didn't want to disappoint. Training and focusing on Talonflame's flying type attacks yesterday had kept her mind off things, but now that the day had come, Cecilia found it impossible to focus on training, so she'd had Slowking run some drills with the others.

    It had gone… relatively alright. Talonflame didn't need the extra help nor the direction, but Zweilous and Golett certainly did. Meanwhile, she just let Scyther do his own thing whenever he wanted. The fact that he had chosen to stay with her had filled her with untold amounts of relief, but she knew it was just the first step. As Grace had said, this was a chance. She still needed to be better and atone for what she'd done, but Scyther refused to tell Slowking what he wanted her to do, so Cecilia was stuck trying to figure it out herself.

    She was no Grace. Figuring it out by just listening would be impossible, and she doubted that he'd speak to her girlfriend directly. She had directly contributed to him getting caught, after all.

    "Is this too much?" Cecilia asked, turning toward her friend. Pauline's eyes narrowed as she studied her. She was wearing the same long dull black dress that she'd worn for multiple parties that Emilia had thrown. "I feel like I should wear something more unique."

    The Pokemon Center's mirrors were so small that it was impossible to even look at herself properly. Even after all these months, she was used to much taller ones.

    "It's never too much. Dress killer and own it," Pauline said. "But hey, she'll definitely think you look hot in anything."

    "I'll wear something else," Cecilia sighed. "You know, her birthday's soon. I've got no idea of what to get her. It can't be something simple, but if I get her something too expensive she'll dislike it too. Can you help me?"

    Pauline smirked. "March 4th, right? And that sounds like her alright. She's probably thinking the same thing right now since your birthdays are close, so at least you've got that going for you."

    "I wouldn't want her to suffer my fate," she said as Pauline unzipped her dress. "Thank you. I was thinking of jewelry—"

    "Just get her a ring and ask her hand in marriage while you're at it," she sarcastically interrupted. "And you said not expensive."

    Cecilia stammered, "D—don't be silly. Obviously not a ring, but something like a necklace or a bracelet. Whatever, you're terrible at giving gift advice. You're the kind of person who'd say you were the gift."

    "Touché. Emi loves it though."

    Cecilia began to dig through the many clothes that Emilia had stored for her in her luggage and given back to her yesterday until she found something that caught her eye. She smiled as relief filled her.

    "I found something."

    "Then go get dressed already! You're taking way too long."

    Cecilia stared at her phone and noticed that she had thirty minutes left, then ran into the bathroom. She still had to do her hair and makeup too… she'd be cutting it close.

    "How did your flying license thing go, by the way?" She asked.

    "They don't do same day appointments. Earliest I got was tomorrow," Pauline grumbled through the door. "Luckily they've got a guy with a Charizard there that can teach me, so it should be pretty quick."

    "What are you going to do after?"

    "I don't know. Stick with the group to Sunyshore, probably. Then fly off. It sucks, but I can't afford to waste time galavanting through Sinnoh."

    Cecilia nodded and made a vague sound of approval. Considering what Pauline had told her about desperately wanting to reach the Conference, her worries about time constraints made sense. Maeve would do the same, if she had to guess. The girl had already began her own training with Staraptor. The problem lay with Louis and Justin—

    She caught herself and grimaced. Justin's goal was no longer the Conference. Not this year. But Louis had no flier, and as it stood, he would never make it to eight badges in time. There was simply no way he'd get to Snowpoint and backtrack to Canalave without a flying type capable of traveling with a human, so Cecilia planned to get him alone in an attempt to convince him to either go out of his way to catch one as soon as possible or simply purchase one. He had until Pastoria to get one.

    Of course, Cecilia was worried about her own prospects, but she still had plenty of time for Golett to evolve.

    Heels were going to be tough with her leg, but she wasn't going to be walking for too long—

    "Holy crap. Your phone's ringing," Pauline said.

    "And you just snooped?" Cecilia scoffed. "Is it Grace? She's early."

    "It was upright, it's not my fault! And, no, it's not the gremlin. It's that bitch Amy. You didn't block her number?"

    Blood froze in her veins, not out of fear, but rage. Memories of that fated day at the hotel, Amy Saunier asking Cecilia to essentially resign to her fate and be a slave to her father's whims, and now she dared to call? To grovel at her feet and talk about how it wasn't her fault, perhaps. If she was lucky, they'd never see each other again. Cecilia wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop herself from releasing Zweilous and terrifying her. She'd gotten off free from any consequences because she wasn't a trainer, nor was she from Sinnoh and law enforcement probably believed that she'd been pressured to act like she had by Harvey and Clarence, or at least that was the narrative the news, her parents and lawyers had gone with. Last she'd heard, she was still in Eterna, although her parents had flown in to help her 'get through this', whatever that meant. Cecilia tended not to look at whatever concerned Amy, or she'd get the urge to destroy her television.

    "Do that for me, please," she answered cooly.

    "Got you. Want me to send something? Like, fuck you Amy, jump off a bridge, I hope your plane gets hit by some rogue flying type when you finally fly back to Kalos—"

    "No. Just block her. She doesn't even deserve to communicate with me any longer."

    "Hanging her off to dry? Cold as hell, I love it," she said. "Done. You won't be seeing her pop up again."

    "Thank you," Cecilia said, opening the door. "Zip up this dress for me?"

    Pauline paused, looking at her. "Arceus, Cece, I am so jealous of your skin."

    —

    I turned eyes as I walked downstairs and out of the Center. Each one of my steps felt constrained and difficult to make. Breathing was more demanding than usual, but I did have to admit that Emilia had done an excellent job. I pulled at the purse she'd given me and felt comfort at the sound of my Pokeballs jumping around the bag. Now that the time had come, I couldn't help but feel nervous.

    Cecilia was waiting for me next to Louis' driver, and her appearance left me speechless. Black stiletto heels elongated her legs and gave her a feeling of unmatched elegance. There was a small glitter, and it was only then that I noticed the diamond necklace around her neck. A black strapless dress that quite literally sparkled hugged her brown skin and bold red lipstick adorned her lips.

    She was— she was really fucking hot. I audibly gulped as I approached her. She'd gotten Louis to lend us his Arceus damned limousine.

    "Cece… You're—"

    "You're beautiful," she told me with a bright smile. "I still can't believe I'm dating you sometimes."

    "Ditto," I laughed. I almost slurred my words. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

    She helped me inside the car and followed suit.

    "Good evening, ladies. Where to?" Edward asked.

    "The Elegant Carver, please," she said.

    I hadn't been this giddy and happy in a long time.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 189
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    • CHAPTER 189

    I had never heard of the Elegant Carver until yesterday, but Cece told me that it was the best Steak House in Veilstone. Her father owned a vacation home here and often came to the city for business, and he would sometimes bring her and her mother here. I would have thought that this place would have been the subject of bad memories, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was empowered as we walked through the doors and onto the luxurious carpet, her limp having nearly disappeared in that brief moment. It was a protest, I realized. A way to tell herself that she had grown past this trauma and that she could laugh in the face of it with someone she loved.

    "Good evening," she smiled. "Reservation for two under the name of Obel."

    "Ah, Ms. Obel! It has been a while!" The host beamed. He was rather old, in his fifties, if I had to guess, and he sported a thick mustache. "And who's your lovely companion tonight?"

    "My girlfriend, Grace," she said, placing a hand around my waist. "It's her first time here."

    "I'm sure she'll enjoy it very much. We're the best Veilstone has to offer!" He bellowed.

    "Nice to meet you… um…"

    "Mr. Bahn," he said before motioning at a waiter with gusto. "Samuel here will take you to your table and attend to you tonight. Enjoy your evening, ladies."

    I nearly gasped in awe at how expensive everything in here looked. Emilia definitely had done me a solid by lending me this dress, because I actually felt like I belonged despite my massive burns turning heads. Crystal chandeliers cascaded their soft glow throughout the room, but it wasn't too bright, leaving the entire establishment dimly lit. Plush, velvet drapes adorned tall windows and there was even a long garnet carpet that snaked through the entire restaurant that people walked on to get to their tables. I saw a glimpse of a bar room further in, but that wasn't where we were going. A Hitmontop danced next to a pianist playing her song in the distance by spinning on his head and juggling knives in the air with his feet like it was nothing, but people didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, they began to clap just as the song finished, and Hitmontop got on his feet to bow with the pianist and the rest of the musicians. I was kind of jealous of her skill. The entire song had been flawless, but she'd been the one carrying the entire melody.

    The waiter pulled both of our chairs to let us sit and placed a dining napkin on our laps. Everything on the table looked so fancy I was scared of even touching it. Even the damn menu was impeccable. Samuel poured us a glass of water and said he'd be back soon to see if we were ready to take our order.

    "So? Do you like it?" Cecilia asked.

    "Do I like it? Cece, this is incredible," I laughed. "I've never seen anything like it! Oh man, everything in here smells so good—"

    I stopped when I heard her laugh.

    "Oh. Sorry, I'm not used to these kinds of places," I said.

    "Don't apologize. I like seeing you like this."

    "Like what?"

    "Carefree," she said after a short pause. The music resumed, and Hitmontop began to dance and juggle again. "This place holds a decent amount of memories for me. It's nice to go there with someone I actually like. Have a look at the course."

    I grabbed the menu. "It's a Steak House, so I gotta have steak— okay, what the hell is a tartare? Sounds Kalosian."

    "Not a tartare, just tartare. It's actually Alolan, believe it or not. A Kalosian explorer brought it back and popularized it in Kalos after renaming the dish, which is why it sounds that way. It's essentially salted raw meat, but this one has truffle oil, mustard..."

    Okay, I knew nothing that was on this appetizer list. Foie Gras? That was Kalosian gibberish to me. There was the Lobster Bisque, and Cecilia had already introduced me to the world of seafood when we'd been in Snowpoint, so I knew what I had to pick.

    "You're missing out on the tartare. It's A5 Grade beef," she said.

    "Oh, that's the best grade, right? I don't know… I think I'll stick with the lobster."

    We decided on a Tomahawk Steak for two as the main course, although I took a side of fries while she took asparagus, and I opted for some Lava Cake as a dessert while she decided to pick the Crème Brûlée. Since this was an official establishment, Cecilia couldn't buy alcohol this time, so we just asked for some soft drinks.

    "Lots of Kalosian stuff here," I mused.

    "Well, they don't call them the best at cooking for no reason," she smirked. "But yes, it is a Kalosian establishment. My mother used to only eat Unovan food until she was introduced to this place a few years ago."

    My eyes widened slightly. Cece had only talked about her mother to me once, and while she didn't share that vitriolic hatred she had for her father, she seemed to err on the side of dislike due to her mother simply watching her get abused by her father all these years, just like her brother did. In fact, I didn't even know her name.

    "Do you miss her sometimes?" I asked.

    "Not really. I miss what could have been, I suppose. If she'd had a little bit more backbone. Simply offering a few words of support after Clarence's outbursts would have been enough for me. Alas, she was terrified of him. Even more than I was."

    "But you're still her daughter. That's messed up," I shook my head. "Will you go see her? When you go back to Unova."

    "I haven't decided yet," she said, pursing her lips.

    "Can you tell me more about Unova? The happy memories you have of it instead of the bad, I mean," I asked. "If I'm going to go there, I'd like to know more about it. Not statistics or how it compares to Sinnoh, but how it makes you feel."

    Cecilia sipped on her drink, her eyes never leaving mine.

    "This might not make any sense," she started.

    "Come on, try it."

    "When Clarence said I'd be coming to Sinnoh to travel with strangers, I was actually a little relieved."

    "That makes sense, though. It would mean that you would spend less time with him."

    She nodded. "I was still a terrified, paranoid mess, of course. Remember when I slammed you against the wall in that bathroom stall?"

    I laughed. "You know, in retrospect, that was actually pretty hot—"

    "Stop it!" She giggled. "And yes, it was, but that's beside the point. Unbeknownst to Clarence, he was giving me the tools for me to escape. Pokemon, and ways to actually build friendships with people that weren't rotten to their core. At one point, I actually wanted to stick around in Sinnoh my entire life, but that always left a bad taste in my mouth… like I couldn't accept it. All of my friends and loved ones are here. You, Pauline and everyone else, you're my family. I mean it. Yet the pull I feel from Unova is almost impossible for me to ignore. I miss it too much."

    "A pull?"

    "It's just a connection I feel. Like it's my home, and that could never change. Despite it being where I suffered so many bad memories. Years of my life spent as a shadow of myself listening to my father's orders and being friends with a girl that was only there to control me, and yet I want to go back. How insane is that?"

    "It's not insane," I declared. "You have a sentimental bond with the place. Here, what's your favorite spot ever and why?"

    She immediately answered, "Castelia City without a doubt. Imagine a city four times larger than Jubilife with five times the amount of people. A melting pot of every ethnicity, occupation and way of life. It is the largest city in the world and I absolutely love how it looks at night. The lights are just amazing. I'd like to take you one day," Cecilia fondly said. Her eyes might have been staring in my direction, but she was looking elsewhere. At Castelia City in her mind's eye. "The view from Skyarrow Bridge at night is just unparalleled. You just see the whole city, and for a single instant, it's this— this living, breathing organism. You have to see it to believe it."

    "That was a beautiful way of putting it," I said. She was a lot more passionate about this than I thought. "Doesn't it get too crowded?"

    "Oh, it does, but that's part of the charm. Rush hour is almost unnavigable, both with a car and on your feet. It's like a sea of people, and everyone's flowing with the current. I managed to slip out of Clarence's hold on quite a few occasions while we were out of the car. I'd sneak off to an ice cream shop with— with Amy."

    "You don't have to talk about her," I said. "What else?"

    "The art exhibits were great too. The Gym Leader there is a bug type specialist called Burgh and he hosts a lot of them. It's kind of abstract, I mean, it has a lot to do with honey."

    "That seems terrifying to me after battling a Vespiquen," I sniggered. "Doesn't it get bad, though? I couldn't imagine running a city that size."

    "Gym Leaders in Unova are kind of hands-off in that stuff. I really mean it when I say that it's a lot more civilian-controlled than here, you know? They have a role, but a very small amount of power, so their position is essentially ceremonial. They each have a side job other than tending to gyms. Burgh's an artist, Skyla's a pilot, Elesa's a model and influencer…"

    "Denzel would like her," I said. "That's interesting. So they don't do anything, then?"

    "Not really, aside from battle and attending a few meetings. Gym trainers there have a bigger role in the gym challenge, but I forgot how it was exactly. It does probably get boring, which is why they do other things. Speaking of Elesa, Nimbasa's a ton of fun too! There are a ton of theme parks and stadiums to watch sports."

    "Sports like Pokemon battles?"

    "No, actual human sports. Like football and the like," she said. "Clarence would often buy some of his important business partners the best tickets to some of the games there. I wasn't the biggest fan, but the theme parks are great! I can't believe Sinnoh doesn't have a theme park! I mean, what are you guys even doing?!"

    "Sunyshore has a Ferris Wheel! I've been there once when I was younger!" I playfully protested. "And the Safari Zone is kind of a theme park."

    "Nonsense. And A single Ferris Wheel doesn't count," she rolled her eyes. "But seriously, it's like, everything in Sinnoh is just so serious all the time, it gets exhausting. Unova is just fun, even after everything I went through there. The beaches on Humilau…"

    "You told me about those, I remember!" I said. "There's a festival there every summer, right? With the dancing Ludicolo that you forgot evolved from Lombre."

    "Don't remind me about that," she shrunk. "There's also Undella Town for beaches, although that one's a lot more exclusive. Did you know Cynthia took a liking to the city when she visited Unova years ago? There were rumors that she wanted to buy a home there, but she never went through with it because people got nervous about a Champion vacationing in another region."

    "She could still do it when she retires," I said. "Unova does sound fun. I mean, I still feel the need to defend Sinnoh that you've so outrageously slandered—"

    "With justifiable cause."

    "—and honestly, you did come at a bad time. Everyone's on edge with Team Galactic, I promise it's not so doom and gloom all the time. I do like the sound of Unova, though. I can't imagine being able to go to the beach all year round. Even Pastoria gets too cold outside of summer."

    "That's because of the blasted weather here. Sinnoh's a cold hellscape! I want you to wear cute, summer clothes! I want to see you in a sundress and a hat while we're on a date at the beach! The point is, I want to see you dressed in less than a coat, for Arceus' sake. Your beauty's wasted here."

    I raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you forget about yesterday night?"

    "You know what I mean."

    "I do know. I like teasing you now that the roles are reversed for once, even if it doesn't work that well," I said. Our appetizers finally came and I licked my lips when I saw how juicy my lobster looked. "You know, you never vented that much about Sinnoh before. I didn't think you hated it that much."

    "That's because you make it genuinely fun and exciting every single day," she said nonchalantly. I suddenly blushed and nearly dropped my Lobster Cracker.

    Right, she'd just made my night without even trying. Classic Cecilia.

    "You're cute," she said with a smug smile as she leaned against her hand.

    "You just had to have the exact words that'd make me feel like the happiest girl in the world, didn't you?"

    "I do my best," she said, bowing slightly. "Here, taste a little bit."

    A piece of tartare hung on her fork, and I hesitantly ate the meat. It quite literally dissolved in my mouth and exploded with taste.

    "Wait… wait, this is really good!" I exclaimed.

    "I told you, you were missing out. We can ask the waiter for another one."

    My mouth was already stuffed with lobster by the time she called Samuel over, and she ordered for me. There was some sort of dipping sauce that I sure as hell didn't know, but it tasted damn good too. I did feel kind of bad for Cece, because she was eating like an Arceus damned princess while I was being, well, me.

    "I poured my heart out about Unova, so why don't you tell me your favorite aspects of Sinnoh?"

    I hummed, musing for a few seconds. I'd expected an answer to come up right away. I'd spent my entire life here, but I couldn't come up with anything other than I liked the people there. My dad, Bellatrix, Night, my friends… but the places? There wasn't exactly any attachment there other than Jubilife because it was my hometown. I couldn't go on a massive, passionate tangent about anything like Cece had done. I just came up empty.

    "I don't know," I shrugged. "I like the people."

    "That was kind of lackluster."

    "I know," I giggled. "My bad, I literally couldn't come up with anything."

    She left it at that. I knew that she was subtly trying to convince me to come with her, but I appreciated that she didn't push the matter too far and too quickly. I quickly finished my lobster and scarfed down the truffle tartare. Everything in this restaurant was so damn good.

    "By the way, I commented on how magnificent you looked tonight, but I didn't know you had that dress," she said. "It looks… very good on you."

    I could feel her eyes on me— not that I disliked that. It felt good, and it wasn't like I hadn't looked at her either.

    "You wouldn't believe how stressed out I was. Emilia helped me get ready and lent me her dress. She's so dependable now. Hearthome changed her a whole lot."

    Cecilia nodded. "Times change, and so do people."

    "Woah. Why'd you get all wise on me all of the sudden?"

    "Shut up," she joked. "Oh, the steak is here."

    And it was massive. There was a reason it was for two people. The waiter handed us smaller plates with our sides and divided the meat in a bunch of different cuts to make it easier for us.

    "Grace. Say 'ah.'"

    "But we have the same meal?" I said confusedly.

    "Come on."

    I opened my mouth and she fed me some steak. It was delicious, just like everything else in this place.

    "You just enjoy feeding me, don't you?"

    "Guilty as charged. I won't go overboard with it, don't worry. Oh, by the way, I've narrowed my fighting type choices further! I forgot to tell you, since you were so busy training for that thing. I went to see a couple of Maylene's higher-leveled gym battles today to see what the Pokemon would be able to do when I trained them up."

    Thing was code for the interview since there was no way we'd talk about it in public. If someone overheard and was overly curious, they'd probably think it was a secret technique for a battle. I was technically training for that too, so they wouldn't be wrong.

    "Spill!" I said.

    "Toxicroak, Mienshao or Hitmonlee are my three options. I think I'll catch whatever I come across first, since I genuinely have no preference."

    The conversation paused for a few seconds as the entire room applauded the musicians and Hitmontop.

    "I thought you'd go for something like Machamp, honestly."

    "Don't be silly. Notice a pattern in my team? I have three Pokemon that are good at overwhelming power and blowing things up, and two speedsters. I need one more speedster to complete the trifecta. If I manage to catch Spiritomb, I'll go for another speed-focused Pokemon again to keep things balanced."

    "Oh. Any reason why you're taking that approach? I'm actually curious."

    "It's just combining my two favorite types of Pokemon, there isn't exactly a grand strategy in it," she shrugged. "I've never been a precision-type battler, as you know."

    "I figured when I saw you battle Roark," I said.

    "You know, you've told me a few times that you watched my battle with Roark, but I've never actually seen yours."

    I nearly choked on my steak. "Please, do not watch it. It is so fucking embarrassing I will literally die."

    Cecilia responded with the most evil smirk I'd ever seen out of her. "Oh?"

    "Cece. No."

    She pulled out her phone and began to type. I nearly lunged at her, but I couldn't humiliate us by making a scene. That battle with Roark had been so terrible I'd nearly managed to wipe it from memory. The first fight I'd been truly proud of was my battle with Gardenia, but anything earlier than that was just awful to look at.

    "You were so damn cute," she laughed, turning the phone toward me. "Look at how fidgety you were! You couldn't even issue orders properly—"

    She quickly pulled the phone out of my reach. Damn her long, beautiful arms!

    "I hate you," I sighed.

    "I love you too. I wished I'd talked to you for more than two sentences back then. We could have gotten to know each other sooner, and in retrospect, that was embarrassing for me too."

    "What'd you say again? I forgot," I frowned. Cecilia shifted in her seat. "Oh, don't go silent on me now, it's only fair that I do it too… wait, wait, it's on the tip of my tongue— ah! You. What's your name?" I mimicked her. "And you said it all mysterious-like too!"

    She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, Legendaries."

    "You're lucky that I was already crushing on you, or I would have thought you were a weirdo. Actually, you are a weirdo, and I love you that way."

    "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Here, let me feed you again."

    "Sure thing."

    We somehow managed to finish the Tomahawk Steak, although we were both extremely full by then. I didn't think I'd have room for dessert, but we'd already ordered and I really wanted to taste something as cool sounding as Lava Cake.

    "I kind of wish that was me playing up there," I said, observing the pianist.

    "No time for lessons these days, hm?"

    "Not really, no. Also, don't say these days like I ever started. You only taught me once," I sighed. "Maybe I'll have time this summer. You know, I might just go to Unova—"

    Cecilia squealed and excitedly clapped her hands.

    "Calm down," I laughed. "I meant as a vacation. To feel things out a little and see if I like it. I'll have to ask the Poketch Company about it, but I don't think they'd mind some promotion abroad, so I'm sure we can work something out."

    "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

    "It's just a test!" I said. "And I'll have to stay in Sinnoh for a bit too, since there's a huge Poketch meeting I have to attend here at the end of the year."

    "I don't care, I have so many places to show you! And we won't be bound by the no flying on a plane rule during summer either, so we'll have all the time in the world! And we'll find you a teacher, of course."

    How was it that seeing someone else so happy fill my heart with such joy? I didn't even think that it was possible.

    I mimicked playing piano on the table until the Lava Cake arrived. Was I sort of disappointed that it was just a chocolate cake with some more liquid chocolate inside? Yes. Was it still amazing? Also yes. Of course, Cece wasted no time making me taste her dessert too, and I also had her have some of mine. When the bill finally arrived, she nearly snatched it out of the waiter's hand, much to his amusement.

    "I can—"

    "You can let me treat you," she spoke over me. "I invited you here, so I'll pay. When you invite me somewhere else, you can pay. How does that sound?"

    "That's fair," I nodded. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner."

    She placed a hand on mine and stared into my eyes. I didn't know if it was because I hadn't seen her in two weeks, but just her touch sent a jolt of electricity up my arm.

    "Want to get out of here?" She asked, slightly breathless.

    "Hmhm," I nodded.

    I stretched as I got up.

    "Man, I didn't say anything this entire evening but this dress is so tight. It's even worse now that I've eaten so much."

    "These heels are killing me," she added. "Louis' driver should be back by now, so I'll finally be able to take them off in the limousine."

    "You could have worn flats like me. With your leg…"

    "I'm fine," she smiled. "You could say I wanted to make a statement."

    She placed an arm around my waist as we left the restaurant, although we did slow-walk to finish the final song that we'd hear tonight. There was a dance floor, but I was a terrible dancer and there was no way I was going to embarrass myself up there.

    I blinked when we turned toward the entrance, and Cecilia did the same. Rage— more rage than I thought I was capable of feeling filled every cell of my being. I had never looked at someone and told myself that I hated them. Disliked, yes. Feared, also yes. But hatred? So intense that waves of heat washed over my body and I struggled to sit still. My jaw clenched and trembled and I barely contained myself. My entire body was so tense that it felt like a rubber band stretched to its maximum length and my vision blurred at the edges.

    Standing there was Amy Saunier and what I assumed were her parents coming here to enjoy a nice evening. Everyone froze aside from her parents, who just seemed extremely confused. Did they not know about the fucked up shit their daughter did? Or maybe they just didn't know how to react. I was the first to move, stepping in front of Cecilia and placing a hand inside of my purse.

    "Maman, Papa, you can go ahead," she said after swallowing.

    Her parents turned toward her, clearly wondering why the hell she wasn't speaking Kalosian. They began a heated debate which I didn't understand, but after a minute, they reluctantly agreed and went ahead.

    "Nice to see you again, snake," I snarled. "Enjoy your evening."

    "Cecilia— Cecilia, please. Give me another chance."

    I turned to my girlfriend, who simply shook her head in silence.

    "She doesn't want anything to do with you. You're lucky that's all you're getting—"

    "Grace. I've got it."

    I huffed. "Fine."

    "Could you wait for me up ahead? Edward's right there," she pointed forward. I was about to protest, but she spoke over me. "I know it might seem weird, but I need this, love. Please."

    "If you're sure," I sighed. "But the moment you need me, just gesture and I'll make her pay."

    I glared at Amy and bumped into her shoulder as I left.

    —

    Thank Arceus, Grace had left without a fight. She hadn't even blinked once when staring at the damn girl, and Cecilia almost thought that she'd pull out her Pokemon and attack her. It was like a switch had been flipped in a single second. She didn't want Grace to be seen hurting or berating someone in public, especially not when she had that massive interview next week.

    Cecilia studied Amy Saunier with an intense stare that clearly made her uncomfortable. The blond girl nervously shuffled for a few seconds, then finally yelled.

    "Why didn't you answer my call? I just wanted to apologize!"

    "Because your apology would mean nothing to me, Amy. Nothing."

    That was half a lie. Now that she was face to face with Amy, she knew it to be true, but the real reason had been that she'd been scared that she would somehow slip back into her clutches because of her manipulative words. Cecilia now knew that there was no chance in hell that was happening. Her anger was contained— focused. As if ice flowed through her veins to keep her sharp.

    "I still feel the need to say it. I'm sorry for everything I've done… I wasn't in my right mind, and I made mistakes that hurt you. You're— you were my best friend."

    Cecilia opted to ignore that final sentence. "So you're still going with that excuse then? Not taking any responsibility whatsoever? Playing the scared little girl?"

    "I was—"

    "You smiled at me when you told me to surrender in Eterna, Amy. You whispered my worst fear in my ear and smiled. You liked keeping me in a cage. I will never forget it," She said, her tone ice cold. "You put us all in danger while you were enjoying yourself."

    "I was just acting! Your father, he made me do all of it, and he got what he deserved! Just, please, don't abandon me. We've known each other nearly our entire lives."

    "And yet I feel nothing," Cecilia shrugged. "Are you done?"

    "I'll never stop trying to get you back," the girl sniffled. "You'll see reason eventually."

    Cecilia rolled her eyes and walked toward Edward, but Amy spoke up again.

    "So you're dating her, then? I heard about it," she sniffled again. "Didn't you see how she looked at me? She wanted to kill me."

    "Possibly," she said, feeling a pang of affection.

    Amy paused in disbelief. "That's just as fucked up as what I did!" She yelled. "She's just like me! So why?!"

    "Stop it."

    "I liked you too, you know?! I just didn't think you could avoid your fate, but I thought that maybe if you were put in a loveless marriage with Louis Bianchi, you'd still give me a chance on the side—"

    "I don't care. I don't want to see you anymore," Cecilia said. "There is nothing you could do that would make me forgive you, Amy, that's the truth. I'm with a girl I love very much, with friends I also love, and I don't want your toxic behavior anywhere near them."

    "I care about you—"

    "You don't. You care about the idea of me you have in your head. You didn't even ask about my mangled leg," she said. "Or how the fucked up things you did affected me and broke me in the long term. All you did was say how it wasn't your fault. Not that you caring would have changed anything. It might have shown me that you were improving as a person, but it wouldn't have changed what I said. I still would have wanted nothing to do with you."

    There was nothing left to be said. Amy was no trainer and her connections were both in two different forms of prison, so she posed no threat. Cecilia confidently strode toward Grace, her limp nearly gone again.

    "Are you okay? Did she give you a hard time? Do you want me to get in there and make her pay, because I—" Grace asked.

    "I love you."

    Cecilia smiled, grabbing her girlfriend and hugging her tightly. She silently reciprocated and they got in the limousine.

    Grace's face might have been full of lipstick by the time they got out at the Center.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 190
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    • CHAPTER 190

    The Game Corner was legal to all, both trainers and civilians, and the stories of how people came out of there rich overnight were always the loudest. Denzel adjusted his belt, twisting it around as he hummed. He didn't know how they kept their reputation so clean online and through word of mouth, but he also knew of the endless stories about people losing all of their life savings after a streak of terrible judgment and luck. Nobody forced them to play. Hell, there were even disclaimers all over the website that said to only gamble with what you could afford to lose, but just like saying smoking kills on cigarette advertisements, that didn't stop people from fucking up their lives.

    Denzel thought himself above such irresponsibilities until he began to study the games at the game corner. He clenched and unclenched a fist as he heard an excited knock on his door. Grace and Cecilia were currently on their date and would most likely be joined at the hip the entire time they were in Veilstone. Emilia and Pauline had helped them get ready, but they were catching up together and making up for lost time in the former's room— and he couldn't help but wonder why the hell it was so difficult to bear this time around when he'd been fine with it in Hearthome. Louis and Maeve were out training and had signed up for their gym battle against Maylene today. Justin was gone.

    Denzel stared at his hands and ran a finger over his palms. They were rough from traveling in the wild for so long. Tiny scars from cuts, calluses under his fingers, small marks from his nails that he'd gotten over the last months from clenching his damn fists too much. Denzel knew his list to be a flaw. A flaw that had held Sylvi back in fear because of how much he had obsessed with it, and yet he could not stop. Not when he was this close. He wanted to throw himself into work and distract himself from this petty sense of lacking that he felt. A Dratini would fit, it would fit so damn well.

    "You've got this," he told himself. "You're the fucking man."

    "Are you asleep? Open the door!"

    More knocks. Denzel had almost forgotten that she had been waiting, still. He stood up and cracked his fingers as he stepped toward the door. Mira was waiting for him there, her hands on her hips.

    "Finally. Damn, you look nervous. Are you alright?"

    "Obviously not. I'm terrified I'm about to throw everything I've made away because I won't be able to stop myself."

    "Are you ready, at least?" she asked.

    "Yeah. I've done as much as I could to prepare. I have some sort of plan, and I'll try to stop if I lose more than one hundred grand. What about you?" Denzel asked.

    "I'm putting it all on one spin."

    "What— what the fuck?" he scoffed. "Are you out of your mind?"

    "Not at all. I know the odds are ridiculously against me and it'll probably backfire, but could you imagine if it didn't?" She smirked. "Tonight, I'll dare to dream."

    "Remind me to never take any financial advice from you," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

    Mira was strange. There was a certain focus and intelligence behind her mindness, or at least that's what Denzel thought when he looked into her eyes. She wasn't as hyper as usual, which was also strange, but she looked fine other than that. He didn't exactly know how to approach her.

    "By the way, I'm going to have company tonight," she said. "I didn't want to, but it's out of my hands."

    "Who is it? A friend?"

    "No. It's Carlos," she said, pointing outside of the Pokemon Center.

    League Trainers were easy to spot. Their uniforms were absolutely iconic, with a mix of orange and brown that looked thick enough to stop a knife. Denzel nearly jumped when he got close enough to see the man's face. Half of it was completely molten, the deformation going down to his neck like he'd been dumped into a jar of Acid. Unlike Grace's red and malformed burns, his were deeper and the scar left him only with a layer of skin thin enough to see the muscle below. He was missing half of his hair and an eye as well, and Denzel could see down the dark cavity, a fact that made him want to lurch. One-eyed people usually wore an eyepatch, but this League Trainer didn't care about the stares he attracted. Scars were common, but they were almost never that horrible, because people usually died when they'd gotten hit with something that bad.

    "That's the League Trainer who was assigned to me," Mira shrugged. "He's started to actually show up and shadow me to stop me from doing reckless things. Carlos, meet Denzel."

    "Uh, good evening, I guess. Nice to meet you," Denzel said, opting to focus on the normal half of the man's face.

    Carlos' eye fixated on Denzel. "Likewise."

    "He's not very talkative, except when he yells at me," she said. "We're going to the Game Corner, Carlos. Surely that's allowed."

    "Go ahead. I'll follow."

    "Don't mind him, by the way. We can just talk normally," Mira said.

    They began their trek toward the center of the city, where the Game Corner was located. It would take them a while to get there on foot. All of Denzel's savings added up to 943,932 Pokedollars, an astronomical sum by his old standards. All of the donations from his streams, videos and the money from his sponsors had added up to this. He had enough for a Shiny Stone, and he would still do if he lost 100,000, which was his limit for the night.

    He needed five million flat for a Dratini. In other words, he needed to make slightly more than five times his current amount of money to win. Back in Hearthome, when he had come to a decision about getting a Dratini, Denzel had figured that he'd be able to play it safe. Bet a little amount at a time and slowly get to that sum, but he couldn't. Not unless he planned to spend the next month in Veilstone holed up in the Game Corner at all times of day and night. Denzel didn't want to win everything in one night like Mira did, but he certainly didn't want to spend more time in the Game Corner than out of it. He still had to train for Maylene, study the effects of Aura, challenge trainers more powerful than he was and make content.

    "How're things going anyway?" He asked, trying to distract himself. "Heard you were learning a bunch of different stuff like coding."

    "Making good progress, but it'd take me the entire year to make a Porygon," she shrugged. "It isn't like normal coding where you can just steal someone else's. You've got to make them unique, at least if you want them to have free will and be sentient."

    "I thought they were all sentient?"

    "Of course not. How do you think the government can pump out thousand of them at a time? They're still all trained to do different things— some Porygon protect against hacks while others keep your PC clear of viruses better than any antivirus could do. That's why making em is still expensive. I don't want a machine though, I want the real thing, which the Game Corner has."

    Denzel grunted with a nod. "I didn't know any of that. Interesting."

    "It's not just interesting, it's fascinating. My uncle used to talk to me all about them and how he was sure that something called Rotom existed that could do as much work as a thousand non-sentient Porygon combined. I still don't know if he was crazy or not."

    He slowed down slightly at the mention of Charon. Denzel wasn't exactly sure how the hell to approach the topic, so he veered away for now.

    "You know, I heard you and Grace are fighting," he said. "She wants to mend things, you know?"

    "She does? Damn, she really is nice," Mira snorted. "Has she given what I said some thought, at least?"

    "I don't even know what you fought about."

    "Ah. Never mind, then, ignore that. You know, I'll probably just apologize and that'll be that," Mira shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Then we can pretend it was nothing and that we were just being silly."

    "That bit of sarcasm wasn't lost on me."

    A heavy silence settled between the two of them. Damn, this was hard. Denzel didn't know how to even interact with her any longer, and the scarred man looming tall behind them didn't make things any easier. Being so close to her uncle really had done a number on her.

    "How are your romantic prospects?" She said. Denzel flinched at the question. "Come on, a question for a question."

    "I'm not in love with anyone."

    "Oh, sure you aren't. You can vent to me, you know? I might not look like it, but I'm trustworthy! I'm into Chasey, so I know what it feels like for things to be hopeless— not that your situation is anywhere as hopeless as mine. Yours is just awkward."

    "Wait, you actually like Chase? I thought that was a joke."

    Mira sighed. "We'd make a shit pair, wouldn't we? Do you want to know why?"

    The teenager nodded.

    "Because he's the only one who doesn't walk around eggshells when he talks to me. He speaks his mind, and he speaks it freely. The only ones I can get that from these days are my Pokemon and, well, Carlos over here."

    "Glad to be of service," the League Trainer said.

    "Thank you, Carlos. You're the best!" Mira cheered. "You'd be better if you let me go wherever I wanted, though."

    "You'll die."

    "I don't think I'd die. Get captured, probably, but I wouldn't die right away. The League is using me, Cecilia and Grace as bait, after all, so why not fulfill my role?" She said. "I think what worries you most, Carlos, is Charon sweet talking me into betraying the League. I have a Haunter that I recently figured out how to evolve and a Kadabra and Kirlia on the cusp of evolving too. I might only have four badges, but I wouldn't be that easy to deal with."

    Denzel's hair stood up, and for a moment— just a single moment, he felt like he was looking at a stranger, not a friend. It was gone just as fast as it came, but when Denzel turned toward Carlos, the man's terrifying face hadn't changed.

    "Where did you find out?" The League Trainer asked, his face completely still.

    "About Haunty's evolution?" She asked, turning around to walk backwards. "Cynthia, of course. Who else? We had a few conversations after the Darkest Day."

    "Ah," he grunted.

    "Don't worry, I won't actually do it or tell anyone. It was a lot more horrifying than I thought," she shivered. "I couldn't imagine doing that to anyone."

    Denzel was completely out of the loop, and he hated it. Cecilia had told him about how she'd spoken to Cynthia on multiple occasions in Solaceon, but she refused to tell him anything beyond the fact that they'd talked about Spiritomb. Grace had also apparently done so, although he knew nothing about that. To learn that Mira had as well? He supposed that made sense. All three of them were in the LTIP after all, but he couldn't imagine an evolution method that made even Mira pale. Denzel felt his nails slightly dig at his palm. To reveal such information to a trainer with four badges, Cynthia must have thought all three to be important in some way beyond them just being targets for Team Galactic.

    "Come on, don't look at me like that. I was just showing how ludicrous Carlos was being. I'd never join Team Galactic after they brainwashed my uncle. Not in a million years," she whispered with her jaw clenched.

    That statement made Denzel relax slightly, but he hated being out of the loop like this. It was as if he could only peek past a curtain, unable to see what was going on deeper inside of the house. He knew nothing, and Mira knew almost everything, or at least that's what it felt like.

    "Say, Mira," Denzel hesitantly began. "Grace told me that you used to snoop around, hoping to gather information about Team Galactic, but what is your plan?"

    "That was the original goal," Mira said after a short pause. "The goal now— or at least before Carlos started stalking me— was to get kidnapped in hopes of talking to Charon."

    Denzel's face fell. "You can't convince him to come back, Mira. Even if you did, the League—"

    "I know that, Denzel. I'm not stupid, despite what some people may think," she hissed. "I just have different priorities. I want to talk to him no matter what, and the contents of that conversation are very personal. Only Kirlia knows about it."

    "People don't think you're stupid," Denzel shook his head.

    "They do. Or wait, stupid is the wrong word. Unhinged, maybe? Carlos, what do you think?"

    "Unhinged is a good one," he nodded. "You give your own life no value."

    "I do, actually, which is very new for me. The problem is that this is more important to me. So long as I fulfill my goal, I don't care about the rest."

    Denzel saw the Game Corner's lights before he saw the actual building. Bright, neon blue and pink that attracted humans like moths to a flame. A large crown logo adorned the top of the building and was surrounded by the words GAME on one side and CORNER on the other. A tall Obstagoon loomed in front of the building, smelling and staring intently at anyone going in. Mira had asked Denzel to potentially use some 'fairy bullshit,' as she called it, to affect their luck, but they wouldn't have been the first people to think of that. Obstagoon here would find any Pokemon-related cheats and wouldn't let you in if he smelled anything wrong. The line was long, just like every night, so they got into the file. Denzel couldn't help but notice another, quicker VIP line that wealthy-looking people went through without Obstagoon there to stop them.

    "Mira, do you know how the hell do you get through there? I didn't find anything about it in my research."

    "I'm not sure, I couldn't really find anywhere to buy a VIP pass or anything of the sort when I went inside to check things out," she answered. "There's a VIP-only area downstairs though, so it definitely exists."

    Denzel's eyes narrowed. He was suspicious, but there wasn't much he could do except maybe ask around when he made it inside. After twenty minutes, they made it through the queue and Carlos said he'd wait for them outside. The Game Corner was carpeted in red as far as the eye could see with fancy lotuses etched onto the fiber. Legions of people that looked more like mindless drones constantly pressed a single button at the slot machines, barely blinking or moving as they watched their savings go down without a single reaction. Denzel never got the appeal of slots. Sure, the house always won no matter what game he'd play, but there was no way in hell he was going to leave it all to chance. Everything here was just so bright and golden. The soft sound of slot machines left his ears as they continued deeper. A large crown logo was etched into the center of the carpet where people lounged about in couches with drinks in their hands.

    In the back of the establishment was the service counter that let you exchange your Pokedollars for coins, the currency in this place, along with rewards.

    "Eyes on the prize," Mira whispered.

    Denzel's eyes snapped to where she was pointing, and he couldn't help but feel goosebumps when he looked at the large egg labeled DRATINI encased in transparent glass and sitting on a luxurious red pillow. There were more eggs in the back of the casino, and they were supposed to hatch any day now. He swore that he saw it shake. A bar hugged the reward and exchange counter closely, selling all kinds of drinks. The entire casino was designed to make money, Denzel noted. To make it to the service counter, they had to walk through every game, both Pokemon-themed and normal, and if someone ever wanted to grab a drink or go to the bathroom, they'd have to walk by the one place that let them exchange more coins.

    Just one more spin, Denzel mused. A saying that had no doubt ruined thousands of lives and would ruin a thousand more. The irony of the incredible amount of PSAs telling people to be safe with their money wasn't lost on Denzel as they strode toward the counter. 10,000 Pokedollars were worth 500 coins, so Denzel spent 100,000 to get 5000 coins. They were stored on an application on his Poketch, and he was surprised to see that he could even buy them on there. That was cruel.

    In total, he'd need 250,000 coins to get to the five million Pokedollars he needed for Dratini. Starting from 5000 was a pitiful sum, but the more coins he made, the more he'd be able to bet and win. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, he was hoping that his growth would be exponential, but he had no illusions. Denzel knew that this would be a long and grueling process.

    The teen nearly bumped into a Kadabra that curiously twirled his mustache at him. It was one of the many psychics that patrolled the Game Corner, making sure that absolutely no cheating was taking place.

    "Well, good luck to you," Mira clapped his back. "I'm off to spin. What are you going to do?"

    Denzel licked his lips, and his throat felt incredibly dry. Now that the moment was here, sweat dripped down his arms as he nervously clenched a fist. All of the games were rigged in the Game Corner's favor. Slots, Blackjack, Poker, Pokemon Roulette, Random Battle (that was way more biased than its equivalent at the arcade and almost impossible to win), Type Dice… he might win once or twice, but winning enough to reach five million Pokedollars? That was a pipe dream. There had once been a game called Voltorb Flip years ago, but it had closed a few days after opening because of how easy it was to win, and the casino actually started to lose money.

    But there was one thing Denzel was good at, and that was battling. The Game Corner had a second floor where people could place bets on future battles that would take place hours or days from now. It would be slower, but it would also be safer.

    "Upstairs," he finally answered.

    The two went their separate ways and Denzel climbed up the long set of stairs. Before even starting to bet, he wanted to ask around about this… VIP business. While downstairs was full of civilians, mostly older people, upstairs was full of young trainers as he was, hoping to make it big on bets from battling. He couldn't blame them. After all, he was doing the same thing they were, hoping to use his expertise to win money. The problem was that these battles were organized by the Game Corner and sometimes had… unlikely resolutions.

    Case in point, he heard a series of collective groans from trainers fixated on a giant television screen fixed to the wall. A Buizel had just somehow won against Grotle, and a lot of people had just lost money. These battles were rigged beyond a shadow of a doubt, but there was no way to really prove it. Denzel scanned the room until he found what he was looking for. A tall, brunette girl looking all smug when everyone else had lost their last bets.

    "Made a lot of money?" He asked her. Not a bad way to start a conversation. People liked to brag and talk about themselves, especially when they'd just proved their superiority over the rest of their peers.

    "You bet," she snorted as she stared at her phone. Denzel caught a glimpse of her number of coins. It was 146,402. "I knew the outcome of that battle was way too obvious and took a risk. Glad that it paid off."

    "You come to this place often?" He asked. "I'm new around here. Just made it to Veilstone."

    "Really? Where are you from?"

    "Twinleaf."

    "Holy shit! You're from the boonies?" She laughed. "Is it true that you have no running water there?"

    Denzel bore with her and entertained her questions for now. She had a lot of money, meaning that she frequented the Game Corner a lot. He'd asked her about it to keep the conversation going, of course. Denzel was good with people, and he needed to leverage his skill if he was going to get himself a Dratini.

    "I guess all that stuff they say about Twinleaf ain't true," she said. "I hope I wasn't insensitive or anything."

    "I don't blame you for thinking all that stuff," he waved a hand. "I've heard worse. You're okay. You look confident. You know your way around here, don't you?" He said with a bright smile. "What's your name?"

    "Ashley. Yours?"

    "Denzel Williams."

    "That rings a bell," she said. "I've heard your name somewhere."

    "Maybe."

    "Anyway, I do come here often. I've been here for a month, but I keep losing to Maylene. At first, I just wanted to pass the time, but I've gotten kind of hooked on this battle betting thing. I always bet a little at a time, but I win a lot more than I lose."

    "Interesting. Is there a trick to it?"

    "Why should I tell you?" She said. "What's in it for me?"

    "Well, you've already revealed that you bet on the underdog in a battle that looks obvious, like this one," he shrugged.

    "True, but it doesn't always work. The Game Corner mixes it up, or they wouldn't make any money."

    "Do you value badges?" He asked.

    "I mean, duh. I've got three, so I'm not doing too hot. I don't think I'll make the Conference this year."

    Denzel sighed internally. This was… annoying, but he could get something out of this. The problem was that he hated to use his fame to get what he wanted, but at this point, he was too determined to get Dratini to stop.

    "I have four badges and I'm on my way to five very soon," he said. "Look up my name."

    Ashley acquiesced, and the more she scrolled, the more red and embarrassed she got. She was nearly hyperventilating by the time she was done.

    "I am so sorry about all that stuff I said about Twinleaf," she hurriedly said. "I didn't mean any of it!"

    "I already said it was fine, don't worry. I can train up your team if you help me out here. I'm not asking for you to hold my hand or anything, but just introduce me to this place and the system. And also, I'd like to know if you've heard anything about the VIP area downstairs?"

    "Downstairs? Only the bigwigs go there, I don't know much about it. You won't find any trainers there," she said. "You can't buy your way in either. They're friends or partners with the owners, so you should just give up while you're ahead. There are rumors that auctions take place for rare Pokemon downstairs, but that's the extent of my knowledge."

    He didn't like the sound of that. If there's one thing Solaceon had taught him, it was to distrust closed-off societies like the Hunters or this one. He made a note to tell Carlos about it later, but he doubted the man would care.

    "Fine, I'll keep my nose out of it," he smiled. "But are we on for the deal? Train you up, you give me advice on this?"

    "You seem set on something. What's your goal?"

    "Dratini," he declared.

    "Me too!" She grinned. "I'm almost there."

    He already knew that from snooping, but he acted surprised nonetheless.

    "You knew that already, didn't you? You're terrible at acting."

    "Yeah, sorry. I might have looked at your phone earlier," he awkwardly said and scratched his head.

    "Okay, if you're going to help me beat Maylene… follow me."

    She pulled him by the wrist toward one of the unfrequented corners of the rooms. The large TV screen turned off and began displaying a timer. The next battle would be in an hour between two people called Ahmed and Sally using a Fearow against a Staravia. They probably took place at those intervals if he had to guess. That meant that there were twenty-four battles per day… yeah, there was the opportunity to make a lot, but also lose a lot. He needed to bet slowly, just like Ashley was doing.

    "There are no easy ways to know who's going to win each battle, but there are ways to be better at it. The key to winning is to know who is fighting, not the Pokemon they're using. Those all belong to the Game Corner. See, the guy with the Grotle, Kendrick, he has this tell when he's going in a battle that he's going to throw. To put it simply, he looks pissed. They say that it's a part of his persona, but there's a difference between acting pissed and being pissed, you feel me? That's why you've always got to wait until the last five minutes to place bets. That's when they show up on the screen."

    Denzel nodded, absorbing as much information as he could. Grace would be better at this than he'd be.

    "So the first step is to know the trainers. There are forty of them in total, but they never use the same Pokemon. Not all of them are as obvious as poor Kendrick, but when he's battling? That's when you know to go big and make money."

    "Does everyone know this?"

    "Not everyone. A few people," she whispered. "There have been trainers sacked in the past for being too obvious, so don't expect Kendrick to be here for long. You've got to squeeze everything out of him while you can."

    "When does he fight?"

    "Not every day. Like I said, there are a lot of trainers. I can share my notes about them, but I have more tips. Bullshit results tend to happen at night because that's when the Game Corner's at max capacity. During the day, a lot of the battles go as you'd expect, but that also means they're a lot more equal. No type advantages, and the Pokemon are close in strength. People tend to think that it's lower risk, but the risk is actually higher. It's easy when you know someone's going to throw the battle. Anyway, how much money do you have right now?"

    "Five thousand coins."

    "Okay, let me tell you about Ahmed and Sally. I don't know much about them, so it'd be better to look at the Pokemon they're using…"

    Denzel was glad he had someone to guide him, but as Ashley spoke, he began to wonder how she was stuck at three badges if she was so good at figuring out who would win in battles. It soon dawned on him that knowing was different than actually doing. No matter how much knowledge you had, it wasn't worth anything if you couldn't apply it in your own battles.

    Denzel would keep his end of the deal and make sure she beat Maylene.

    —

    In the end, he'd stayed for six battles. He and Ashley had both won four of those bets and lost two, and he was currently at 11,000 coins. Not bad for his first day, but he would need to start betting in larger numbers sooner rather than later. There was a limited supply of eggs, after all. Meanwhile, Ashley expected to get her Dratini in a day or two bar any catastrophic series of bets. She was close, but some days she lost more than she made, which was why she'd been hovering around 150,000 coins for the past week. Her team was small, but solid, with a Luxio, a Wingull and a Swadloon. He could definitely work with this. He bid his new friend goodbye and tried to look for Mira. He found her at the reward counter and waved, but what he saw made him freeze.

    Denzel nearly passed out when he saw the new Pokeball on Mira's belt.

    Sometimes, one spin with everything on the line was all it took, and unlike most people that got that lucky, she'd been smart enough to take the money and get the fuck out.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Cypha, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 191
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    • CHAPTER 191

    "See? She likes you!"

    Pauline stared at Emilia's Fennekin with a grimace. The small fire type's ears twitched as she rubbed up on her leg. Her fur was deceptively hot, but it was still a comfortable warmth. Fennekin was what could be considered cute, but Pauline didn't see the appeal in owning such a Pokemon. Where was the fierceness? That twinkle in her eye that was enough to understand that crossing her once would have dire consequences? Maybe it was because Fennekin was still a baby. She raised an eyebrow and turned toward Emilia.

    "Yeah, she does."

    "You're the first one she's approached willingly so far. She can't stand the others to the point of running away from them if they try to touch her. Although I guess she hasn't hung out with Grace or Cece yet."

    Fennekin let out a high-pitched bark and strutted toward Lycanroc, who began to lick her forehead.

    "Isn't it time for you to get to your first flying lesson, by the way? You don't want to be late," Emilia said.

    Pauline grabbed her Poketch and her eyes widened. She had five minutes to arrive! Where had the time gone?

    "Fuck. I'll see you later babe. You can show me more of those contest videos," Pauline said as she grabbed her backpack. "Don't get too bored while I'm gone!"

    "I'll live. I'll probably go see Denzel to ask him about the Game Corner. He went last night with Mira."

    Denzel's name made Pauline freeze for a split second, but Emilia didn't notice it, having already turned toward Fennekin and Lycanroc. All this time, she'd tried to bury the fact that she was in love with two people, and it had been easy when she'd only been with one of them at a time. Her mother had told her to try. To say something— anything, instead of just hoping for it to go away, but how to even begin? Sitting down with them was a good start, but what if the right way to approach this was to talk with one of them at a time? What if they thought her to be a freak? What if it unraveled all of their relationships?

    "What's wrong? You look nervous."

    Pauline's fingers quivered when Emilia cupped her cheek. It wasn't like her to be like this.

    "Emi. What do you think about Denzel?" She asked, her jaw tight.

    "What do you mean? I think he's a great friend. One of my best. Why?"

    I love him. And you. And it's fucking killing me inside.

    "No reason," she smirked. "See you later!"

    "You know that you saying 'no reason' like that just makes me sus—"

    Pauline closed the door and ran down the Pokemon Center stairs. It wasn't fair to either of them to treat them like this. Stringing Emilia along while she didn't know that Pauline looked at someone else the same way she looked at her. And then, to completely freak out at Denzel every time he befriended another girl…

    It was different with him. Pauline was already dating Emilia, and she didn't care about her getting close to others. Her coordinator friend Vincent had been proof enough, even if she still didn't trust him completely. But with Denzel? He was single. Free to date anyone he wanted, and that meant that she could potentially lose him. Just thinking about it angered her, and that anger was a great help to cover up the feeling of distress that Pauline felt whenever she heard him talk about messaging some of his fans online— and it was almost always a girl.

    Flight School was twenty minutes by foot from the Pokemon Center, so getting there in time would be impossible. She could have broken the law and flown on Charizard like she'd done plenty of times already to practice, but they'd never give her a license if they caught her. She bumped into an older-looking trainer as she ran across the street and felt his hand on her shoulder. She tried to yank it away, but he wasn't budging."

    "Hey. You bumped into me, shouldn't you apologi—"

    "I'm not in the mood for your fuckery. I have somewhere to be," she snapped.

    "Just a simple apology—"

    "I'm sorry you're so unaware of where you're going that you'd bump into me. Maybe get your eyes fixed," she said.

    He scoffed but let go of her. "You need help. You're fucking crazy."

    "It's people like you that make me crazy."

    She gave him the finger and kept running, shaking her head to dispel the doubt that crept up inside of her. She'd been a bitch just now for no reason, hadn't she? Taking her anger out on the world when she was too scared to have a conversation with someone, and for what? Pauline could have apologized. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again anyway, so why? Why was she so angry all the time?

    Pauline had grown. She had gotten better at being nice to people compared to how she'd been in the past, but she knew damn well she didn't behave normally. She wanted to keep her edge, she thought. To trust no one and to keep her tongue sharp like her mother had taught her to be. Yet, there was another reason. The stress of her damn complicated relationship was piling up, and Pauline knew that it was all going to burst out eventually.

    She had to speak to them both, and soon.

    "Fucking finally. Damn Flight School," she huffed.

    When Pauline had come here yesterday to sign up, there had been no huge yard to give students and teachers space to practice flying as she'd expected. Instead, it was just another nondescript building made out of bricks and concrete like the other thousand that littered Veilstone. Pauline wasn't much of an architect, but by the Legendaries, this city just looked boring. As it turned out, there were classes that she had to attend before practical lessons started. Five of them, where they'd go over the rules of flying and Sinnoh's different laws. When she turned the corner, someone she knew did the same thing. They both looked at each other with a deep frown, and Pauline felt a surge of displeasure by just being near him.

    "Chase fucking Karlson," she said. "What are you doing here? Do you even have a flying Pokemon?"

    "To get my license, why do you think?" he deadpanned. "Why are you here so late?"

    "I could ask you the same thing."

    "Yeah, I probably wouldn't care anyway," he shrugged as he entered the building.

    He didn't hold the door for her and it almost closed on her face. Well, luckily he'd be in another class. Thousands of trainers learned to fly every year, and they had to be divided into different classes to keep up with the demand. Pauline's smug smile slowly disappeared as they both climbed up the same stairs, turned down the same hallway and reached the same classroom.

    "What the hell?" Chase muttered. "Did you follow me here? First Mira, now you—"

    "The world doesn't revolve around you, so check that ego. It's an unfortunate coincidence, that's all."

    "Don't sit near me."

    "I won't. Why would you even think I'd sit near you?" She sighed exasperatedly. "We might have friends in common, but we're just acquaintances."

    "Acquaintances? I sure as hell am not acquainted with you—"

    "Just open the damn door, dipshit!" She fumed.

    Chase and Pauline entered the classroom, and twenty heads turned to them, including the teacher, who was tasked with getting them to know everything about the rules of flying before the official government-mandated written exam. Only after passing that would they be allowed to actually fly, which meant she had completely misunderstood what the teacher with the Charizard had said when they had spoken. An image was being projected onto the whiteboard labeled 'CITIES: DO'S AND DON'T'S'

    "Ah, our two final attendees have deigned to show up. Pauline King and Chase Karlson, I presume?" She said. "Sit."

    They both groaned when they saw that only two seats were free.

    Not only were they next to each other, they would also have to share a table.

    Chase glared at her, and she glared back. Was this piece of shit blaming her for this? Another word from the professor, this time more stringent, made them shuffle to their seats in defeat. She stared at them for another few seconds and scoffed when she saw that neither of them was taking out anything to take notes with. Chase leaned back against his chair and placed his feet on the table while Pauline dragged her seat further away. The professor muttered something under her breath and continued.

    "So, as I was saying, you aren't allowed to land outside cities' designated zones unless you are a member of the League, otherwise you will disrupt pedestrian and vehicular traffic. These zones are easy to see up in the sky, but they look like this—" She said, tapping the picture on her whiteboard. It looked like a Helipad, but with a Pokeball instead of an H. Pauline had seen a few in her life. "You can also land outside of city limits and go through the gate, and some Pokemon are not allowed to land inside of cities, even on the zones designated for landing. We'll get into the list at a later date. You must also maintain an altitude of at least one hundred feet at all times unless you plan to land, but you should preferably go higher."

    She clicked on a small remote and switched images.

    "Now, regarding speed limit, out in the wild, you can go as quick as your body allows, which tends to be around 53 meters per second or 120 miles an hour. Faster than that, and you go faster than terminal velocity. You start to feel pain and discomfort because air resistance pushes back and turbulence starts to really be felt. Go fast enough, and you will sustain permanent or lethal injury by potentially falling if you don't use a saddle. Even if you do, going faster is unwise. Of course, people have been known to push past that limit for extended periods of time. Champion Cynthia and her Garchomp is just one example, but you aren't professional fliers with decades of experience, you are children with bodies that are still growing. Do I make myself clear?"

    Grumbles ran through the classroom, and she continued.

    "In cities, there is an actual legal limit which is 30 miles per hour. Unlike in the wild, you cannot go over that speed no matter how experienced you are— unless again, you are a member of the League. Cities have a much higher density of fliers and going too fast makes collisions much more likely. I know these numbers can seem confusing, but you'll get a feel of what that feels like during practical lessons. For now, just write them down and commit them to memory. And if your Pokemon are skilled enough to dodge suddenly with tight maneuvers, the forces applied to your body will not feel pleasant and can potentially make you black out. For those of you who plan to ride without a saddle, that means falling to your death. Do not think that it can't happen to you, because I've seen it."

    She paused and switched slides again.

    "Now that we've gone over all of the rules—"

    Pauline winced at the fact that she'd missed almost everything. Maybe it'd be better to take notes after all. It wouldn't do good to flunk the exam, especially since she'd have to retake these classes again and they were each three hours long. Pauline just wanted to get her license to be done with this bullshit so that she could fly off wherever she wanted on Charizard's back. The few times she had done so had felt so freeing that she'd been compelled to smile and giggle like a little girl. She grabbed a notebook she'd hurriedly snatched while leaving, and Chase's eyes drifted toward her.

    '"—let me tell you about consequences. If you get caught breaking them— and yes, you will get caught. Rangers often fly on the routes and in the cities and ask you to stop routinely to ask for your license. I've seen plenty of trainers thinking that the odds of them being found out were so minuscule that they didn't listen to the rules. Some also died, but I've hammered on that point enough already. There is a zero-tolerance policy. This isn't like driving a car. There are no points that can be taken off your license. You break the rules once, you lose it. Understand? Then you have to wait five years to get another one. Now, let's go over Pokemon's body types and what that entails…"

    "Psssst."

    Pauline rolled her eyes and ignored the annoyance to her left.

    "Hey. Hey! Do you have a pen and paper?"

    "I don't."

    "You do! It's literally right there!" Chase exclaimed.

    "Do you have something to share with the class, you two?" The teacher asked with her arms crossed. She irritatingly tapped her foot against the ground.

    "I was just asking her for a piece of paper and a pen," he announced loudly to the class.

    Pauline clenched her teeth, ripped out a page from her notebook and handed Chase a pen. She would have looked like a bitch if she hadn't, and despite her bravado, Pauline didn't want to be known as one these days. The professor began speaking again and Pauline stewed in her anger as Chase offered her a smug 'thanks'.

    They'd been put in the same group, so she'd have to spend five classes with this prick until they went their separate ways for practical classes, and that was only if their fliers had a different body type. There was no way to know, since he wanted to be sooooo mysterious. Pauline clenched at her forehead and groaned.

    Five straight days of this. This week couldn't go by quickly enough.

    —

    Louis had never felt this nervous about a gym battle before. Roark and Gardenia had been him at his worst with no self-awareness. Back then, he thought himself to be the best first year. He chuckled at that. Now that he'd seen what his more-talented friends could do, it was almost comical that he'd ever thought that way.

    "Why're you laughing?" Maeve playfully said with her hands behind her back.

    "At my old self."

    "They say you haven't grown until you're able to make fun of how you used to be," she said. "You've changed for the better, Louis."

    Seeing the dichotomy between Maeve with the rest of the group and her when it was just them or her with Mira was something he was still getting used to. She was much more outgoing and outspoken with them than she was with the others. Maeve liked to let people speak and listen, but getting a word in was difficult when everyone had such strong characters. He felt the same, these days. He still thought them to be close friends, but he felt much more at home with Mira and Maeve despite how they'd basically hitched themselves onto him. Only Mira could stand up to how… socially powerful everyone else was. Even Emilia had grown leaps and bounds in that regard.

    Louis used to be like them. No longer.

    "Ready for more training?" He asked. They were in one of the many arenas in Veilstone, although this one was open-air.

    "So long as it's with you," she quietly said, twirling her hair.

    He raised an eyebrow at that. She'd been much more persistent about spending time alone these days, but Louis didn't make for a great training partner. Sure, they were close in strength, although Gible's recent evolution during training had propelled him a little bit further than she was. Monferno was still stuck in his second stage, but she hoped to evolve him before their gym battle with Maylene next Tuesday.

    "I am ready, then. Another four against four? Or do you want it to be a double battle today?"

    Strangely enough, Maeve sighed. "Four-on-four is fine. Still scared of getting Combee into her first real battle, huh? I've seen a video of Grace fighting a Vespiqueen and it's terrifying, let me tell you."

    "She's not ready," he said. "She's been through so much already after getting kicked out of her hive, I don't want her to get hurt."

    Maeve turned away from him and let out a strange squeal.

    "What's wrong? Are you alright? Did you swallow the wrong way? Something scary happen?"

    "Y—yeah, I'm good," she said, shaking her hand. "Just nervous about the gym battle."

    Louis nodded, paying her no mind and grabbed Vulpix's Pokeball. "Alright then. I'll go to the opposite side—"

    "Louis."

    He almost didn't recognize the voice. It was the same, but the tone and inflection was nothing like Louis had grown used to. Justin stood there, paler than he used to be. Some muscle had built on his lanky frame and he looked at Louis with… no, it wasn't contempt. It was just nothing. Emptiness. He was neither angry nor happy to see him after so long.

    "Justin," Louis stammered. It took a few seconds for him to get his composure back. He hadn't even heard him approach and neither had Maeve. His steps were so quiet. "How are you? It's been so long, we've all been trying to call you—"

    "Enough with the pleasantries. I have rebuilt myself, improved my team and I need to see how I currently stand up to you. We used to be of similar skill levels, you and I. I wonder if that's still the case."

    "Wait, don't you want to see the others?" Louis asked. "We're all worried sick about you."

    "Are we going to battle, or are you going to waste both of our times?"

    Louis flinched at the words. The worst part was that there was no animosity in them. Justin hadn't intended to hurt, he was just stating what he truly believed. He maintained eye contact until Louis felt forced to avert his eyes.

    "Only if you'll stay to speak with us after," he finally answered.

    "Fine, but only if you give me what I seek. Move, Maeve."

    The girl meekly nodded and stepped off the platform, leaving space for Justin while Louis went to the other end of the arena. He hadn't expected this at all, and he had no idea how to even react. Justin had been supposed to get better with time, but it was like he'd gotten worse. He needed to tell the others… no, he would battle him first and try to get him to talk with them willingly. An intervention would do nothing when he wasn't capable of feeling anything. In fact, it was more likely to push him away from them.

    "How does a six-on-six with three switches sound?" Justin yelled. Even when loud, his voice was unsettlingly calm.

    "I can't. The maximum I can do is a four-on-four," Louis answered.

    "Disappointing, but very well. Let us do two switches, then. I will send out my Pokemon first."

    Louis frowned when a Toxapex appeared on the battlefield. He knew that Justin had been rumored to have six Pokemon now, and there were stories of him relentlessly participating in battles day and night, but actually seeing one of his new teammates felt odd. Like he should have been there to see him get them. The poison type lifted two of its front legs, revealing the gleaming eyes and sharp teeth dripping with poison below. Louis sent out his Pawniard, hoping to take advantage of the poison immunity. He whetted his blades against themselves and grunted.

    To Louis, everything wagered on this fight. His friendship with Justin, the guilt he felt for not having been there when he needed it, how lonely it must have felt, hiding in a hole and drowning in dark type energy as everything that made you you dissolved and you slowly became a shell of your former self.

    He needed to win.

    "Toxic Spikes."

    "Metal Sound!" He yelled.

    Toxapex shook all of its front legs, and sharpened nails dripping with poison flew forward, littering his side of the field and floating slightly above the ground. Before the entire battlefield could be drowned in poisonous spikes, Pawniard scratched his blades against his torso, creating a sound so torturous that even Louis had to cover his ears. Toxapex felt the pain too, encasing its head in its twelve legs to protect itself from the sound.

    Justin did not react. Instead, he grabbed a Pokeball and switched, sending out an Arcanine instead. The majestic beast stood six and a half feet tall at the shoulder, and fire licked his fur as he stepped forward. Arcanine's eyes flashed with recognition when he saw Louis, but then they were replaced with what had been there in the first place. Louis was nowhere as good as Grace at understanding Pokemon, but anyone would recognize that expression. Tired, almost human eyes glazed over with something.

    Guilt. Unfathomable guilt that ate Arcanine up from the inside for failing Justin in his time of need. Unlike Toxapex, he had known what Justin was like before. He'd always been a loyal Pokemon first and foremost, and his guilt was soon overshadowed by duty.

    He would never fail Justin again, including in this battle.

    "Agility and Flame Wheel," Justin said.

    Arcanine blurred forward, his body encased in blue flames that warped the air around them. Louis barely managed to recall Pawniard in time, and Arcanine stopped in a single, graceful step before retreating back to Justin. Louis swallowed and sent out his Gabite, who roared in fury when some of the Toxic Spikes dug themselves against his tough scales. Louis had hoped for Gabite's tough hide to protect him from the poison, but it looked like he'd underestimated Toxapex.

    "Looks like you aren't too disappointing," Justin said. "Keep up Agility and Play Rough."

    Louis' eyes bulged, but he reacted.

    "Sand Tomb in front—"

    The ground in front of the dragon type liquified, forming a Sand Tomb that stretched across the arena like a fissure, but Arcanine easily jumped to the side. The battle was going too fast for him to track, and Arcanine quickly rammed into Gabite, his entire body swarming with pink dust. The ground type bellowed, but he did not go down. He dug his two claws into Arcanine's flesh, digging at his shoulders with a powerful Dragon Claw.

    "Bulldoze!" Louis screamed.

    "Crunch."

    Darkness spewed from the fire type's open mouth as he bit into Gabites neck, shaking his head and tearing some of his scales away. The floor under his feet shook and crumbled, opening a small chasm that the two Pokemon fell into. Gabite quickly recovered, angling himself forward and slamming head-first into Arcanine's hide, but the fire type did not stand still. He pawed and bit at him with Crunch and Play Rough with snarls that Louis had never heard.

    "Now, Sand Tomb! Bury him!"

    "Flame Wheel."

    The floor turned to mud, but Flames engulfed his body, still shining with an incredibly vibrant blue and burning Gabite's scales and solidifying the mud before he could sink further. Still, they were at an advantage. His feet were stuck in solid ground, and Gabite kept tearing away at Arcanine's flesh. His claws raked against his already-bloodied skin, tearing chunks of flesh, but the blood boiled and flames cauterized the wounds as soon as they'd formed. Things weren't as easy as Louis had hoped, but they had the upper hand—

    "Reversal."

    Gabite's eyes bulged as Arcanine slammed into him with unbelievable force. He flew out of the small hole and rolled onto the floor like a ragdoll.

    He didn't get up.

    Louis swallowed as he recalled his Gabite and sent out his Prinplup, who honked in pain from the Toxic Spikes that stabbed into his skin and began spreading their poison. Both he and Arcanine had been friends, once. They were each other's first Pokemon and embodied loyalty to their trainers. Louis had shared many conversations with Justin while they were out and about. Arcanine no longer shared that warmth, and Louis' eyes teared up as he looked at Justin. It was only now that it sunk in that they were no longer friends. He gripped at his shirt and felt a stabbing pain in his heart.

    It hurt.

    "Water Pulse!"     He snarled.

    "Dodge with Agility and Reversal again."

    The fire type blurred, albeit slower than before and easily avoided the ring of water. Louis' eyes narrowed as he attempted to track Arcanine, but he had no time to think. He could only react to what was happening.

    "Whirpool!"

    Prinplup honked, and gallons of water shot out of his small beak, swirling until it coalesced into a vortex. Arcanine stopped in his tracks, but Louis wasn't done.

    "Freeze it!"

    A thin ray of ice washed over the Whirpool, freezing the entire structure in a moment. It fell onto Arcanine, and it was heavy. Prinplup spat out a small Water Gun forward, then slid on his belly using the slick ground to go faster than he could run. He angled his head to the left and sent a final Water Pulse flying at Arcanine, finally fainting the beast.

    Justin recalled him before he could even fall, his face still expressionless and sent out his Audino. The normal type did not twirl as he used to, nor did he smile. He only stared, ready to do what needed to be done.

    "Simple Beam."

    Louis clicked his tongue as an almost transparent beam washed over Prinplup's body. It appeared harmless, but now, he couldn't rely on Torrent as he had hoped to. Louis waited for Justin to do something, but his old friend simply waited, and after all, why not? The poison was running its course. Prinplup had to act, not Audino.

    "Ice Beam!" Louis yelled.

    "Light Screen."

    Audino's eyes shone pink, and a thin barrier appeared around him. The ice made it through the Light Screen, but only after being severely weakened and barely hurting Audino.

    "Make a path and Drill Peck!" Louis ordered with a sweep of his arm.

    Again, Prinplup wetted the ground before him and slid, continuously providing himself with wet ground by keeping the Water Gun going. His beak slowly elongated and shone with a bright white, then he stood up and jumped as high as he could, twisting his body into a vicious spin.

    "Reflect."

    Prinplup slammed into the hastily erupted barrier, spinning and spinning until it cracked, but Justin did not stand idle.

    "Mega Punch."

    Audino's entire arm bulged, shining as bright as Prinplup's Drill Peck, and the moment Prinplup broke through the Reflect, he struck the water type's cheek right as he stabbed into his chest. Audino slid onto the wet floor while Prinplup flew backwards, landing on top of more Toxic Spikes. He struggled to get up, but Audino finished him off with a loud Disarming Voice that brought a harrowing feeling into Louis' heart.

    "You did well."

    He bit his lip and recalled Prinplup right as Justin ordered a Life Dew. The water Prinplup had sprayed onto the arena spun and coated Audino's skin, healing his wounds. As Louis sent out his Pawniard, Justin immediately recalled Audino and sent out his Krokorok. Louis felt terrible for the ground type. He looked the most affected of them all. After all, he had been the one to bury Justin underground during the Darkest Day. Louis didn't have many options. Both Vulpix and Pawniard wouldn't do well here, but he couldn't lose hope. What he did know was that Krokorok would bury and that Pawniard had no way to counter that, so he used his last swap of the battle and sent out Vulpix. The Toxic Spikes again poisoned her. Was there truly no easy way to counter them? A strange light began to bear down into the arena like a second sun, letting him know that Drought had been activated.

    He'd waited to use his Fire Stone, but Justin had not.

    They had a single opening, and he needed to make it count.

    "Confuse Ray!"

    A strange, otherworldly bulb of light appeared above Vulpix's forehead. It galivanted around the arena as if it had a mind of its own, but Vulpix focused and the Confuse Ray listened. It stopped zigzagging and began beelining for Krokorok.

    "Dig and finish her off," Justin said.

    The dark type didn't even move. He simply sunk into the floor with his arms crossed, and the Confuse Ray had been too slow. Their first opening was out, but there was still a way to force the ground type out. Vulpix had learned more fire moves, but what they had focused on was manipulating the flames themselves, tapping into the Vulpix's line talent for elemental control.

    "Burn the ground as hot as you can!" Louis yelled.

    Fire emerged from every inch of Vulpix's body and washed over the ground, warping the air around Vulpix. So long as they didn't let Krokorok get close, then he would be forced to surface to actually hit them with their usual Sand Tomb—

    Louis' face fell when the ground under Vulpix fractured and shook. No, it was more than the ground under Vulpix. The entire arena was shaking, and it threatened to collapse onto itself. This was too powerful to be Bulldoze. This was Earthquake.

    There was nothing they could do. Krokorok's range had apparently improved and he was nowhere to be found, even when Vulpix had worked so hard to make staying underground untenable. The fire type fainted when the attack finished, and Louis dejectedly sent out Pawniard, who was subject to the same fate. There was no secret trick, no evolution to save him.

    He'd lost, and it hadn't even been close.

    "Disappointing," Justin said. "But I'm still nowhere good enough for Victory Road."

    That was it. That was the extent of his words.

    "Wait, I battled you, so please stick around—"

    "No, you didn't give me what I needed," he said, not even bothering to look at him. "I thought someone I used to consider a rival would be better than this. Perhaps Pauline would be a better match…"

    Louis ran in an attempt to catch him but lost Justin in the crowded street. Just like that, he was gone.

    What in the world had just happened?

    He felt Maeve's hand on his shoulder.

    "You should call the others. At least— at least you know he's physically fine," she said, trying to offer him sympathy. "Do you want to go back to the Center? Get your Pokemon healed up and rest?"

    Louis dried his eyes with his forearm and took a shallow, shaky breath.

    "Yeah," he nodded.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal

    A/N: A refresher on the side characters' teams

    Grace: Togetic (F), Jellicent (M), Electabuzz (M), Tangrowth (M), Pupitar (F), Turtonator (M)

    Denzel: Sylveon (M), Roselia (F), Milotic (M), Lopunny (F), Froslass (F)

    Cecilia: Zweilous (M) Talonflame (F) Slowking (M) Scyther (M) Golett (Genderless/M)

    Pauline: Charizard (F), Gothorita (F), Rufflet (F), Vigoroth (M)

    Justin: Arcanine (M), Krokorok(M), Lombre (M), Audino(M), Toxapex (F), ???

    Louis: Gabite (M), Prinplup (M), Vulpix (F) Combee (F) Pawniard (M)

    Chase: Lucario (M) Houndoom (M) Zangoose (F) Vikavolt (M) Abomasnow (M) Sigilyph (F)

    Mira: Kadabra (M) Haunter (M) Magnezone (Genderless/M) Kirlia (F) Porygon (Genderless)

    Maeve: Monferno (M) Starmie (Genderless) Drapion (M) Staraptor (F)

    Emilia: Metang (M) Lyranroc (M) Ambipom (M) Fennekin (F)

    Lauren: Sceptile (M) Magmar (M) Aggron (M) Duosion (M) Seismitoad (F) Rhydon (M)
     
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    • Chapter 192
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    • CHAPTER 192

    Yesterday's date had been wonderful until it was ruined by that turncoat Amy. Or was she even a turncoat? She had subtly manipulated Cecilia her entire life, pushed her toward her father and told her it was her duty to be his pawn. No, she wasn't a turncoat. She'd been evil all along. I couldn't sleep last night, not even with Cecilia next to me. The fact that Amy was still running along and doing whatever she wanted brought a tremor of rage in my heart so immense that I couldn't help but imagine the worst when I closed my eyes. Fantasizing about revenge until I caught myself and relaxed slightly only to start all over again.

    I had better not see her alone, or I wouldn't be able to hold back. The consequences were clear to me, but I knew it wasn't enough.

    Hopefully she'd steer clear of my way.

    This time, Cecilia woke up before I did. She was going to be extremely busy today, with her mental training with Slowking and then preparing a way to tackle Maylene. I was the same, of course, but I already had a strategy prepared, now I simply had to learn to execute it. I'd used the sleepless night to focus more on what Zachary had told me about my face. I was too expressive, too easy to read, but could I not use that to my advantage? I'd already done so a little during the tournament when I tried to trigger my opponents using baby talk, but what I wanted went beyond that. Faking being surprised, scared, enraged or scheming, all while my mind was completely clear on the inside and I could put everything I had into winning.

    It would be easier said than done. I was barely managing to keep my face still after Zachary's advice, so I couldn't even begin to think to fake my expressions, let alone convincingly. I could do it if I focused enough and disassociated like Bellatrix had taught me, but doing that during a battle would be impossible. Or at least, I thought it was impossible. Cecilia was gone now, but I was still in my room, so I stepped inside of the bathroom and in front of the mirror.

    "Angry face… no, scared or surprised faces are easier," I muttered.

    I widened my eyes, raised my eyebrows and gasped with my mouth agape, and then giggled at how stupid I looked. That was possibly the least convincing surprised expression I'd ever made, but did it actually matter? Trainers stood far away from each other during official battles, and I doubted that anyone would actually notice that I was faking. Against most trainers I'd battle on the road, it would possibly work.

    But possibly wasn't what I was after. Against my friends, who knew me like the back of their hand? They'd see through me right away. Experienced trainers like Zach or Craig and Gym Leaders would also be difficult to fool, but if there was one person to test this tactic on, it would be Maylene. She was young, abrasive, rash and easy to anger. Kind of like Pauline, but with a strict code of justice instead of just disliking anything that went against her.

    "Sorry, Pauline," I chuckled as I smiled to myself. Smiling was easy enough to do, but could I convert that into something that I'd be able to use to taunt Maylene?

    Taunting her would be a double-edged sword. Candice was a master at it, but I wanted to employ a more… silent version of her craft. On one hand, Maylene would make more mistakes if I made her mad. On the other, she might start going after me hard like Candice had done with that Galarian Darmanitan.

    I'd definitely be able to beat that Darmanitan these days. In retrospect, it had probably been slightly stronger than a four-badge Pokemon, although its physical strength went far above that.

    I'd come far, but it was nowhere near where I wanted to be.

    "Time to go train before Melody calls me," I sighed.

    I quickly got dressed into some joggers, a hoodie and a coat, then I made my way out of the Center with Princess in my arms. She was feeling lazy today and being a baby because she'd begun using her wings like the inspector had told us when I was getting my license, and she'd been all dramatic about it. I supposed that it was also my fault because I was actually listening to her and carrying her. She nuzzled her head against my chin and dozed off. I was going to battle Maylene last because I didn't want Mallory to bring the battle up in any shape or form. I wasn't expecting to mess up too badly, especially now that I had a better grasp of Aura, but having the interview after the fight would just add another layer of stress I didn't need.

    That did also mean I had plenty of time to train.

    Once again, I trekked onto the hills of route 214 and released my Pokemon. We'd found a flat stretch of rocky land that would simulate Maylene's arena rather well, although it was kind of screwed up from yesterday's training session. Her gym's arena was similar to Roark's although with fewer terrain variations and no boulders to hide behind.

    A dozen stone pillars lay before me, each of a different thickness and height. The tallest reached up to twenty-five feet. Some were also crumpled, having collapsed under their own weight after having been built too tall. I released my entire team, and at this point training on route 214 was routine. They all knew what they had to work on, what they had to perfect and fix, but Angel and Princess stuck with me. The grass type poked at Togetic's fluttering wings, but she chastised him to get him to stop. He flinched, and his vines drooped as he began to sulk. They were the pillars' architects, and the key to my strategy against Maylene.

    "Play nice," I told Princess. "He's just curious. He's never seen you use them before."

    Princess' eyes softened, and she patted Angel's head with her tiny arms. She told him that she'd just been nervous about using her wings. We'd found that actually using them was not only good because it'd carry over when she evolved, but also because it could give her a small burst of speed to better dodge things. It seemed obvious in retrospect, but I'd never even considered it. Angel quickly cheered, and Princess begrudgingly let him touch her wings to his heart's content.

    I touched them too, of course. They were fluffy as hell, and her flustered reactions were cute.

    Right now, what we had was barely enough to be called a working plan. My strategy was meant to create a forest of stone pillars stretching at least thirty feet tall, if not more with their help. The first step was to have Angel raise the stumps. The bottom part of the pillars that Princess could then stretch high into the sky with her control. He'd do the heavy lifting, and she would do the fine-tuning. The problem was that raising so many was difficult even for her. The bottom parts had to be bigger than the top, or the towers would collapse in on themselves, but molding so many targets that quickly was impossibly difficult.

    But if.

    If     we mastered it, it would go a long ways to beating Maylene.

    First, it would be the perfect environment for Princess and Buddy to get lost in thanks to their ability to fly. Hiding behind pillars or inside of them in Jellicent's case would be perfect to confuse Maylene and her Pokemon. Not only that, but Togetic's control with her attacks would mean that she'd be able to easily have Ancient Power maneuver the field whenever we used the attack. I was planning on using mostly fairy, psychic and flying type moves, but an extra boost wouldn't hurt. Angel would be able to use his vines' long reach to fight better than her fighting types as well. It wouldn't affect Honey that much. Even if his range would be reduced, he was training to improve his reaction time with Discharge and Thunderbolt, along with their power. The one that would be hampered by this was Sweetheart. It would completely screw over her mobility and make her unable to use Stomping Tantrum.

    There were two ways to remedy this. The first was to use her first while the terrain was clear, and the second was to use her last, since I wouldn't care about collapsing the towers with Stomping Tantrum.

    The pillars could be destroyed with enough work, of course. Smash the base enough times, and they'd collapse. I'd proven as much with Angel's Power Whip and Honey's Cross Chop. The problem for Maylene was that there'd be way too many of them for her to spend time and energy on destroying them. If she did, well, that was ample time for my Pokemon to retaliate. Sweetheart flying at full speed into one of them with Iron Defense was enough to collapse one in one hit, but nothing at our level could pack that much of a punch. Some of her Pokemon like Machoke had moves like Rock Tomb they'd be able to use to rip rocks out of the pillars, but that move was specifically meant to counter flying types. If I'd been battling Roark, then I would have been worried, but from what I saw, her Pokemons' rock type moves were weak, they were terrible at being precise, and they were bad at hitting multiple targets at once. She'd focused on turning her Pokemon into experts at singling out and destroying an opponent if they got close, but this would hopefully screw her over.

    The only Pokemon I'd have to watch out for in this case was Lucario, whose aura-infused Bone Rush could cut through anything, but I had a contingency plan if she used it against me. The loss against Chase had been a blessing in that regard.

    "Angel, can you collapse these for me? And then, Princess, you smooth it out."

    Tangrowth's eyes shone with a pale blue, and the structures in front of us crumbled, kicking up huge amounts of dirt. Princess continued his work, crumpling it into dust and filling the cavities that had been left. It took a minute, but the ground was as good as new.

    Now, to ruin it all again while I practiced making my face do things I wasn't feeling.

    And hey, maybe it'd help for the interview with SGNC. I had to suffer Honey laughing at me the entire time.

    —

    Mira waited for me at the gate back to the city with her arms crossed. She was chatting up some ranger about the intricacies of his job and the amount of studying they needed to do to become a full-fledged ranger, but I didn't focus on what they were saying. Instead, my body tensed up and I prepared for another fight. The pink-haired girl lazily waved at me with a sheepish smile.

    I really didn't get her.

    "Hello?" I warily said.

    "Hi. How're you doing, Grace?"

    "How'd you know I was here?" I asked.

    "Sheesh, no need to be so aggressive. We all know that route 214's your spot. Everyone else would rather train in the city, but you do it in the wild. That's pretty cool."

    "Yeah. So what's up?"

    "I came to apologize, among other things," she shrugged. "I was a bit of a dick, and I heard you're going out of your way to reveal your fairy stuff. Honestly, I was kind of lonely. Maeve and Louis are stuck together like glue… ugh, they should just date already, but the poor guy's got a self-esteem issue and she's extremely obvious but too nervous to say anything, it's not great to look at."

    I felt a slight boost of confidence when I restrained my eyebrows from rising in surprise at the fact that Maeve apparently liked Louis. The training was slowly paying off.

    "Wouldn't you be the type of person to just reveal it out of nowhere?"

    "Yeah, I would, but I don't want to fuck what they have going. They're cute together, and she can slowly help him fix his issues. Anyway, I finished assessing my Porygon and Denzel's got a new friend from the Game Corner, so he won't hang out with me."

    This time, I couldn't hide my surprise. "You got it already?" I scoffed.

    "Lucky spin," she grinned. "Anyway, the point is, I had free time and I wanted to apologize. I mean, you were kind of hypocritical when I called you that, but I shouldn't have worded it that way, and you're working to fix it, so good on you, pal."

    "Right… I still have to tell Louis. I haven't seen him in a bit," I said. "But is that really it? You want something else, don't you?"

    Mira nodded. "Let's get out of here. Do you have free time to hang out?"

    "Two hours and some change," I hesitantly answered.

    I followed her out of the gate and into the city, and a man with a… melted face was looking right at us. I felt my burn scars tingle when I looked at him, but he kept his stare completely still.

    "That's Carlos, my League Trainer. He won't be talking," she explained. After a short pause where she collected her thoughts, she spoke again. "Grace. What do you think about letting my Kadabra get a good look at you?"

    "I thought he already looked at me. Isn't that why you knew about me?"

    "Yeah, but he never got close other than when we were robbing that place at the tournament," she said. "He had no time to properly study you then. I can pay you back somehow if you need it, I've got some money leftover from the spin."

    Why— why did she even think I'd need anything from her—

    And then it dawned on me. Fairies almost never did anything for free. That must have been what Kadabra told her, or her preconceived notions about me.

    "We're friends, despite what you think. I'll do it for free if it helps you, especially when you're doing dangerous stuff at night."

    She flinched and began to blink rapidly. All this time, she'd probably thought us to be acquaintances at best, despite pretending otherwise. We'd been at odds during our investigation in Solaceon, and even now we still disagreed on how to proceed with Team Galactic.

    Even then, I still liked her, and she had apologized to me.

    "Carlos would protect me anyway, he never leaves my side," she said. "But if you really want to, I appreciate it."

    "Where should we do it, then?"

    "My room," she said, her tone resolute.

    I had just given her something invaluable, and we both knew it.

    —

    Mira's Pokemon Center room was so clean and neatly arranged that it was almost as if she'd just booked it from the lobby downstairs. The bed was immaculately made and covered in fresh sheets. There was nothing on the bedside tables or the floor. Hell, even her bag was nowhere to be seen. If there hadn't been two laptops on the desk with some kind of moving code I didn't understand, it would have been as if no one had lived there for the past week. I was surprised to see Kirlia standing in the middle of the room, her legs so close together that they were almost like a single thin line. Her eyes were closed, but there was a soft glow behind her pupils and her two red horns were shining as well.

    "She's meditating to get ready to evolve," Mira explained. "Says my mental state's getting better."

    "It is?" I outrageously whispered.

    "No need to whisper, she can't hear us," she said. "And yes. I want to live, so that's an improvement."

    Arceus, the way she just said these heavy sentences like they were nothing…

    "But, my goal takes precedence. It'd be a bummer if I croaked, though. Kirlia knows about it, so she understands. Our values are similar."

    "I disapprove," I crossed my arms. "But I can't do anything about it, since I assume Carlos knows?"

    "He does," she waved a hand dismissively. "I tried to get him to join me, but he's loyal."

    The pink-haired girl grabbed her Pokeball and released Kadabra. The lean psychic's eyes narrowed when he saw me, and he levitated his spoon onto the desk.

    "Grace agreed to let you take a look at her," Mira said. She paused and then groaned. "Stop being so grumpy all the time. Also, she can handle telepathy these days, so feel free to add her to your link."

    Grace Pastel. I appreciate you coming here, he said. I have heard that you have tried to stop this foolish child from endangering herself, and for that, I thank you.

    "No problem," I said. His stare was somewhat unsettling. It was like he was looking at an object and not a living thing.

    "Get on with it and stop embarrassing me," Mira said.

    Whereas Slowking was Cece's attendant and Duosion was Lauren's finance manager and best friend, it seemed that Kadabra was just Mira's dad. It was funny in a way, how every one of my friends' psychic types took a different role.

    I am the only parental figure in your life. You are lucky your gamble paid off, or all of your savings would have vanished, he said, ignoring her groan. Now, you, Grace Pastel. Ah, yes…

    A slight layer of light washed over his eyes.

    Yes… I see it emanating from you. Every pore, brimming with fairy type energy. Fascinating. If only Mira had been affected by me as you had with your Togetic, we would be able to see eye-to-eye much easier, but alas. Kirlia and Haunter would have thrown a fit. Magnezone, though, he would have been okay with it so long as he could disagree with that ghost…

    Kadabra kept rambling as he studied me, so I opted to speak to Mira instead.

    "Does he see type energy?" I asked. "Never heard of a psychic that can do that."

    "He does. It took him months to develop, he's been doing it since he was an Abra and he can't maintain it for long, or his eyesight will go bad for the rest of the day," Mira said. "I don't think he cares at the moment, though. It's kind of useful in battle too, we've been practicing it a little."

    "Useful how?"

    "The more we progress, the more Pokemon act independently," she said. My mind flashed to Zachary and I nodded. "Seeing TE means that he's able to see his opponents' attacks before they actually strike. They've got to gather that energy first, right? Either in their mouths, on their fists, feet, over their entire body… Kadabra can see it in advance. It makes dodging with Teleport a whole lot easier."

    "Arceus," I exhaled.

    "He's pretty good, yes."

    I will attempt something. Tell me if you feel strange or pain and I will stop immediately, Kadabra said, grabbing his spoon with telekinesis.

    "Okay…?"

    The feeling was hard to describe. It was like something pulling from under my skin, begging to get out from any way it could, but it was stuck there. My entire body froze, I clenched my fists and every muscle contracted. It refused to leave me and screamed. It was a part of me. It was me. Kadabra stopped after a few seconds, and his spoon stopped bending.

    There is enough fairy type energy inside of you to sustain many Dazzling Gleams, Kadabra mused. But it cannot be pulled out forcefully.

    "Which is why people are stuck when they get influenced by a type too much," Mira nodded. "I told you I was right."

    "W—wait," I stammered, barely understanding. "What about Justin, then? The doctors said he'd go back to normal!"

    "Can't track him down. Kadabra would love to study him, but he's slippery. We'll find him eventually. I think that the problem with him is that he's absorbed so much dark type energy that some of it should theoretically not fit inside of his body and should be forced to leak out. I looked up some dark type specialists for research and none of them are as bad as he is. His personality shouldn't have been erased. Right, Kadabra? Hello?"

    Kadabra's eyes flashed with passion.

    My hypothesis was wrong all along, but then why... Humans came before Pokemon, but they have somehow been fundamentally changed by the type energy that they brought with them. Is it adaptation? Evolution on such a scale and this rapid was not seen in any other animals. They keep it locked inside themselves and are fundamentally changed by it, but why are they special? Why has no other species adapted this way and why have they all been hunted to extinction or reduced to mere cattle while humans thrived? Was it mere luck? Aura alone would not have been enough, especially in the early days. It is spread through blood, after all. They would have been wiped out in a generation. Don't tell me that—

    His words grew louder and louder until he stopped. His eyes widened, shining ever brighter.

    Then he smiled and laughed. Audibly. It was my first time hearing Kadabra's voice, and he sounded like a mix between a heavy smoker and an old grandpa. Kirlia stopped meditating and intently watched her fellow psychic as his laughter grew until he could barely breathe. Madness was in his eyes, his old, grizzled wise look all but gone. Tears streamed down his face and his spoon fell to the carpet with a soft thud. Kadabra kept cackling, hacking all the air out of his lungs for what felt like an eternity until he stared out the window and into the sky.

    He drew a breath, and he suddenly looked exhausted. As if he'd aged a decade or even more.

    I see it now. I have deciphered one of the key madnesses of the world and I shall now move on to the next. I am satisfied, Mira. I understand.

    The light spread from Kadabra's eyes and enveloped his entire body. He grew taller than I and thinner than a child. His spoon shook, resonated and somehow split into two halves and levitated into his glowing hands.

    An Alakazam stood before me.

    "What did you find out?" I quietly asked.

    That knowledge is mine and mine alone, he said. Suddenly he sounded a lot like Bellatrix hoarding her old stories like gold. I have reached enlightenment. I thank you, Grace Pastel. Without you, it would have been impossible.

    "So somehow, you trying to use a move by pulling energy out of my body made you realize something?"

    Do you take me for an amateur? It is not the act of pulling energy, but how the energy itself reacted to my attempt that made me attain this level of knowledge.

    "Atta boy," Mira smirked. "You ought to be able to start Teleporting me around now, no? Want to practice how far you can go?"

    I will get started right away while chewing on this newly attainted awareness, he said, disappearing in a single instant.

    "Thanks, Grace. You were a big help," Mira said, clapping my shoulder. "This stuff is gonna come in handy."

    "The real reason you wanted this wasn't to have an easier time beating Maylene," I realized. "It was to have an escape route in case you get taken by Team Galactic."

    "You're correct. Ah, man, I wish Alakazam would share his findings with me," she sighed. Kirlia rolled her eyes and went back to meditating without a word. "Anyway, that's crossed off the list. Porygon!"

    I blinked when polygons materialized out of one of her laptops. It was blurry at first, and then slowly grew in resolution, like I was looking at a video game instead of real life. The Porygon let out a little beep and floated toward Mira. Not wanting to let the opportunity go by like I had done with Alakazam, I grabbed my Pokedex and scanned it.

    "How's life inside of a computer? Wait, you can't even answer that."

    "Can't you have Kirlia translate?"

    "Nah, she doesn't speak normally. It's weird, but Kirlia and Kadabra can't understand her. I've been trying to get her better at hacking stuff and running simulations on my laptops."

    "Hacking? Why?"

    "Well, in the off-chance I get attacked and force whoever did that to take me there and I get out of that base alive, it'd be a shame if I didn't get any information out of it, no? Plans of attacks, locations of other bases… Porygon's sentient, so he can beat whatever bootleg Porygon that they have in there," she shrugged.

    "You've given this a lot more thought than I thought," I said, my throat dry.

    "I told you, didn't I? It'd be a bummer if I croaked. Things are slowly starting to line up, but first I've got to get Carlos off my back!"

    I understood now. Mira Compton wasn't insane, unhinged, or mad. She had a terrifyingly low amount of self-preservation, but she wasn't just throwing anything at the wall to see what stuck like I'd believed when I had blown up at her a few days ago.

    She was creating a plan. A reckless, suicidal one, but a plan nonetheless. Mira sat back at her computer and studied whatever it was that Porygon had done.

    "Thanks again! Feel free to go if you want. Looking forward to working with you when the time comes, Grace."

    It was the second time she'd said this, and it felt a lot more ominous now than it had before.

    "We'll see about that," I answered.

    —

    I told Carlos that Mira was preparing something on the way out, and he answered by saying that the League already knew and that he'd stop her from doing anything reckless. I couldn't help but feel anxious and think that she'd manage to slip out of their hold. Still, if the League couldn't stop her, nobody could, and I was glad that they were taking her so seriously that they had their League Trainer visibly shadowing her.

    Training with Melody was slowly getting better. I had to throw out a question that Mallory had sent back about my experience with Team Galactic at the power plant and my time during the Darkest Day. Those had nothing to do with the topic she wanted to speak to me about, but she had still tried to worm them in. Plus, the answers to the second were classified.

    A text from Denzel snapped me out of my thoughts.

    One, Justin had won a battle against Louis an hour ago and disappeared.

    Two, Lauren and Cecilia were about to battle.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 193
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    • CHAPTER 193

    Supposedly, Lauren had accosted Cecilia after finding her at her Pokemon Center and demanded to battle. She was staying at another one, but she wanted to battle her so badly that she'd waited until she got back from Slowking's mental shielding lessons. I loved to battle, but I knew I'd never be that obsessive about it. And she could also have just sent me a text! She'd probably wasted so much time waiting…

    I sighed. I was running, of course. I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world, and it'd help to see how the two had progressed in their absence. It would be presumptuous to think that only I had improved, and I'd gotten caught with my pants down too many times after not incorporating that knowledge into my battles.

    There was also the matter of Justin. Louis was waiting at the arena too now that he'd given his Pokemon to a Nurse Joy— in fact, everyone was waiting, except for Mira and Emilia, and it seemed that I was the only one that was late. I hurriedly typed a message as I ran begging for them to wait for my arrival, and I exhaled in relief when Denzel answered with an 'alright'.

    I managed to catch a taxi, but it was only then that I realized I hadn't even known where they were. I'd just been running toward the arena that Zachary and I had battled in. I profusely apologized to the driver and waited for Denzel to send me the address. Of course, he didn't waste any time in calling me an airhead, but I reminded him that he hadn't sent me the address in the first place.

    I arrived in ten minutes and gave the driver an extra tip to pay for his time. Thankfully, there was no large crowd yet. It didn't seem like people knew what was going on, and trainers were just battling as normal. Lauren was leaning far away against a wall and anxiously shifted in place. Denzel and Duosion were keeping her company, but it didn't look like she cared one bit for the former. My friends' heads turned toward me.

    "Sorry I'm late," I announced.

    "Grace!" Louis yelled. I hadn't seen him look so anguished since he'd separated from us before we left Eterna. "You have to speak to Justin. We need to— we need to stop him."

    "Calm down and breathe," I said. "He must be staying at a Pokemon Center. We can possibly find him that way like Lauren did. It's a bit stalker-ish, but it's for his own good."

    "His Pokemon were so sad…" he sighed. "I couldn't do anything. I was too weak."

    "You tried your best, Louis," Maeve said.

    "My best wasn't enough," he exclaimed. "What's the point in trying my best if it doesn't do anything? I have to do more. I have to go beyond. I have to stop him before he decides to leave Sunyshore."

    We all grimly nodded. Victory Road wasn't that far off.

    "I didn't know him that well, but clearly he felt something, right? He said he was disappointed," Maeve said, much to Louis' dismay. "Sorry."

    "Don't worry. You haven't done anything wrong, I'm just… it's me. Pauline, he said he was coming for you next."

    The redhead's tired eyes ignited with passion. "I'll show him."

    Louis spoke of Justin's new team. Apparently, he had an Arcanine and a Toxapex now. If he'd used a Fire Stone on Growlithe, odds were he'd used a Water Stone on Lombre too. That was a team to be reckoned with, even for me. If Pauline knew more, then maybe she'd be able to win. From his short interactions with Louis, it seemed that he knew himself that he was not ready for Victory Road, so at least I knew that he wouldn't go inside as soon as he reached the city.

    His Pokemon, though? They worried me as much as he did. Krokorok especially seemed to be carrying an incredible amount of guilt.

    I needed to speak to them. They were having the wrong reaction. Instead of enabling Justin, they needed to hold him back. Toxapex and the final member of his team hadn't known him before, so it wasn't their fault, but the rest of Justin's team were causing him to go further into the deep end. If they opposed him, he'd be forced to at least reconsider and talk to them.

    "Now, Cece," I said, turning toward my girlfriend. "Are you ready? Isn't Slowking tired from his lessons?"

    "They don't tire him," she shook her head. "We're still in the… theoretical stage of things, so he's ready to battle. This will be difficult, but I believe in myself."

    I smiled at her and nodded. "Good. I believe in you."

    I craned my neck toward Lauren and saw that she was getting closer with Denzel. She sported new headphones, which made me wonder if her old ones were broken.

    "A—are you ready?" She stammered. "I'm sorry if I'm being pushy, I just really want to do this. I need to let loose, you know?"

    She was still as quiet as always.

    "Sorry for the wait," Cecilia said. "I'm ready."

    "I can be the referee— just tell me what Pokemon you're sending out first. It's five-on-five and two switches, right? That's the usual setup for these."

    Lauren waited for Duosion to say something and then meekly nodded. While they were both talking to Denzel I tried to sneak a few words to the psychic type.

    "How's Lauren when she's alone with you?" I whispered.

    Duosion squirmed.

    Laulau's the same as always. She only changes in battle, he answered. He spoke twice as fast as other psychics and it was hard to keep track of whatever he said. I must be on, now.

    I nodded.

    The battle was about to begin.

    ——

    Cecilia calmly observed Lauren get in position as she wrapped her fingers around one of her Pokeballs. The girl twitched, and Duosion ran around in its goo, clearly speaking to her in some way. In just a few dozen seconds, her personality would change. Cecilia had only seen it a few times during the Solaceon tournament, but Lauren was a completely different beast in battle than out of it.

    What else did she know? Both of them prioritized power above all else, but Cecilia's was refined while Lauren's was wild. Untamed and out of control. Four of her Pokemon were stocky and incredibly difficult to take down, while Sceptile was as quick as Talonflame was in the air and Duosion's psychic powers no doubt rivaled Slowking's. Plus, there was that Expanding Force move to watch out for.

    Cecilia sighed and relaxed slightly. There was no use getting lost in thought, and she hadn't been one to get nervous before or during battles ever since she started to fight for herself. Yet she knew that this was going to be difficult— as difficult as the double battle in Hearthome, if she had to guess, but she had not been idle since then. Just like the rest of her friends, her Pokemon had improved by leaps and bounds. Denzel called out for them to send their first Pokemon and Cecilia sent out Slowking. He didn't look back at her, but a small gesture of his hand behind his back let her know that he was ready. Lauren's Duosion floated forward and trembled in his goo. A barrier around him shimmered briefly, then turned completely transparent.

    It would begin with a battle of psychics, then. Cecilia could have used one of her switches right away, but she really wanted to see the destruction that could be wrought by two competent psychics. Lauren adjusted her glasses and her innocent face turned into a mad grin.

    She was the same.

    "Water Cutter," Cecilia said.

    Water flowed from Slowking's opened mouth, but it did not immediately go for Duosion like Water Gun or Water Pulse would have. Instead, the psychic type's eyes shone, the water narrowed until it was as thin as a sheet of paper, and it exploded forward through the power of Psychic. Duosion's eyes lit up, and he reinforced his barrier, but the jet of water cut through it like butter and divided Duosion in half. The psychic whimpered for a few seconds and his body quickly reattached itself, but neither he nor Lauren had expected this.

    "Good. Good," Lauren smiled. "Get your head in the game, Sirris. Barriers aren't enough! Psyshock on the ground!"

    "Water Cutter again," Cecilia said.

    Small multicolored orbs appeared around Duosion and rammed against the floor. Debris flew everywhere, but it snapped in place with Duosion's Psychic. It was a clumsy thing, somewhat similar to Tangrowth's Ancient Power, if Cecilia had to guess. Slowking spat out another Water Cutter, but Duosion slammed the rocks against each other to block most of the attack. The pressurized water cut through, but was severely weakened when it reached the barrier.

    Duosion was unscathed.

    "Get closer and Shadow Ball!" Lauren yelled.

    Sirris squirmed at the order, but executed it without hesitation. Purple lights gathered around his mouth, but then it split into ten smaller orbs and flew toward Slowking at high speeds. The water type tried to sidestep, but eight Shadow Balls hit across his body, from his gut to his shoulder.

    "Again—"

    "Disable!" Cecilia ordered.

    Slowking's eyes flashed with a dull grey, and the nascent Shadow Balls winked out of existence. He slowly gathered water from the pond next to him, spun it around, and began to flood the arena with Surf. Duosion reached the middle of the battlefield, and Lauren swept her arm.

    "Expanding Force!"

    Cecilia's ears popped, and Duosion sucked in all of the air in the arena in an instant. Then, there was a blinding light and an explosion so loud that they began to ring. The light expanded, water evaporated and rocks were kicked up fifty feet into the sky. It ate away at everything in range until it fizzled out and died. A giant crater formed in the middle of the arena, dividing it in two and the remaining water slowly pooled inside of it.

    Cecilia sighed. There went the plan to flood the arena.

    "Confuse Ray, Sirris!" Lauren yelled with a childlike smile.

    An ominous ray of light formed in front of Duosion and beelined toward Slowking. Cecilia didn't know much about how the technique worked, but she knew it was incredibly hard to master. She couldn't afford to falter. If Slowking was confused, the battle would be over and she'd be forced to switch.

    "Blow it away," she ordered.

    Another jet of water, slower and thicker this time engulfed the Confuse Ray, but it had no effect. It was operating on entirely different rules. Slowking had no hope of outrunning it, so he quickly redirected Water Cutter to hit Duosion instead. The water cut through his barrier again, and the psychic type's control faltered, but the Confuse Ray sank into Slowking's chest. His eyes became blank— glazed over as if he had no idea what was going on, and she could hear faint whispers inside of her head. Pure madness, words without meaning and incoherent yelling relayed through her mind.

    Slowking spat out a Water Pulse, aiming at nothing in particular. Sirris excitedly jumped and began assaulting his mind with Psychic now that he'd gotten close enough to do so.

    There was no point in keeping this going. Cecilia recalled Slowking and sent out Scyther instead. Zweilous would have worked too, but she wanted to keep them for the heavyweight enemies that Scyther wouldn't be able to cut through. The bug type gave Cecilia her usual glare but turned toward the battle. There was no time to waste.

    "Agility, Focus Energy and Air Slash," Cecilia said without a breath.

    "Grab it with Psychic! Crumple it and grind it to dust!" Lauren grinned.

    Sirris' eyes shone, but Scyther was already gone. He blurred backward out of Duosion's range, gradually speeding up as his body loosened with Agility. He cut across the arena and sent arcs of air flying, and the psychic type's transparent barrier shimmered each time one of the Air Slashes hit. One hit alone wouldn't have been enough, but he was stacking them up now. Soon, the barrier would fall.

    "Psyshock! Pursue and trap him!"

    Fifteen orbs of light appeared around Duosion and exploded outward in every direction. Some converged toward Scyther while others tried to cut off his path. The flying type was beating his wings so quickly that they were impossible to see with the naked eye and he sped up more than Cecilia had seen him do before, but this took energy. It was a race. Who would hit who first?

    Scyther was slowly being cornered and forced to get closer.

    "They're baiting you to you get in Psychic range!" Cecilia warned.

    This time, he heeded her warnings. He stopped flying and landed on the floor with a loud thud. Scyther was quick in the air, but he was only slightly slower by foot. The bug type ran across the arena, making sure to jump above the massive, water-filled crater. One of the Psyshocks hit his leg and he faltered for a second, but he did not fall.

    Instead, he kept harassing Duosion from afar. On the twenty-second consecutive Air Slash, his barrier shattered and an arc of air split vertically this time instead of horizontally. Cecilia expected him to recover just as quickly, but it was slow. Sirris was simply standing there, both sides of him quaking in fear. Thin strands of goo and fluid linked the two sides together at a snail's pace. Scyther jumped at the opportunity and flew toward the frozen Duosion, slashing down the middle again with Fury Cutter.

    It dawned on Cecilia that if Duosion's two brains were separated, he would be severely weakened. Scyther's instincts had been faster than hers.

    A neon green light covered both of Scyther's blades, and he finished Duosion off with X-Scissor. He was a frail Pokemon, no doubt, so a few attacks had been all that was needed. Without a word, Lauren recalled Duosion and sent out her Magmar. It was as if she was so engrossed in the battle that she didn't even want to wait a single second to relax or think.

    "I don't like the look in Scyther's eyes, Mags," Lauren said. "Get in that crater and burn."

    The flames on Magmar's back flared and the ground under his feet burned. Cecilia's eyes bulged as the fire type leaped into the water-filled crater. Immediately, it began to evaporate into steam. Magmar was no doubt getting hurt by this, but Scyther couldn't really hit him either. He sent a few Air Slashes flying into the lake, but water was very good at weakening flying type attacks.

    A minute passed. Then two. Cecilia felt a pang of worry. Wasn't he drowning—

    Apparently not. She saw a stream of flames through the steam and figured that all the water was gone. Apart from Scyther's initial burns from the hot vapor, Cecilia didn't know what Lauren was planning. The water vapor would hamper Magmar's fire type attacks.

    It clicked when she switched and sent out her Seismitoard.

    "You're up, Prime. Set up Aqua Ring and finish that fucking Scyther," she said.

    "It's a slow Pokemon, attack from up close and overwhelm it!" Cecilia yelled.

    Scyther screeched, and he flew toward Seismitoad. A strange blue light emanated from the water type's body, then the air grew frigid and steam coalesced into a wall of water in front of her. Scyther veered to the left, using his many wings to maneuver around the ground type, but water gathered around her fist and shot out like a canon when she punched in the bug type's direction.

    The pressure punctured multiple holes in his exoskeleton, but he managed to fly away. Lauren was mindless destruction no longer, it seemed. Cecilia took a deep breath and pointed forward.

    "Air Slash!"

    "Use Uproar, Prime!" Lauren ordered.

    The toad opened her mouth and let out strange series of sounds. To Cecilia, they almost sounded pleasant, but Scyther was different. He screeched in agony, covering his earholes with his blades and desperately tried to escape Seismitoad's voice by flying as far as he could.

    "It won't stop until you make it," Cecilia bellowed, cupping her mouth with her hands. She had to yell three more times for Scyther to hear her voice. "Keep using Air Slash!"

    The bug type hissed, but he knew her to be correct.

    The blades of air cut across Prime's gut, but she didn't even bleed. The same eerie blue light swarmed around the wounds and healed them immediately. The steam was powering up Aqua Ring, Cecilia realized. Just like Rain Dance or being submerged in water would. Seismitoad did not stay idle either. She continued with her Uproar, sometimes mixing in a Water Pulse when she thought Scyther to be in too much pain to dodge. Cecilia really didn't want to use her last switch.

    Scyther would have to take a stand.

    "Scyther! Scyther!" She yelled. "Use X-Scissor and Focus Energy!"

    The bug type was in too much sensory pain to even give her a sign to let her know if he'd heard or not. The saving grace of this situation was that Lauren couldn't listen to what she was saying either, and she was content to let Seismitoad run wild.

    Scyther landed on the ground, pointing at Seismitoad with one of his scythes. The water type responded by giving him a lazy grin as she screamed. Cecilia noticed the small accumulation of energy around Scyther that made his wings flutter in anticipation. The bug type closed his eyes and took a deep, rattling breath.

    Then raced forward as he sliced Air Slash after Air Slash toward Seismitoad. He jumped over the crater and took flight, his blades brimming with bug type energy. Prime angled her head upward, and mud shot out of her mouth. Scyther avoided the vast majority, but a few clung to him like glue and made him slow. He was too committed to stop despite Cecilia's warnings, however, and he cut across Seismitoad's chest with X-Scissor while she hit him with her custom Water Punch. The water exploded in all directions at such high pressures that it penetrated Scyther's exoskeleton and Seismitoad's thick layers of fat.

    Scyther fell to the ground, and she drew a few tired breaths, finally ending her Uproar. Aqua Ring healed her, but it was slower now. It seemed that it was sustained by the Pokemon's energy.

    "Thank you," Cecilia said as she recalled the bug type.

    She sent out her Slowking once again. He'd be able to take full advantage of the steam. Free from his confusion, he assessed his new environment and smirked. From what Cecilia knew, Seismitoad had Swift Swim, not Water Absorb—

    "Muddy Water! Flood the field!" Lauren yelled.

    Cecilia's eyes narrowed as Seismitoad coughed up more water than she would have thought possible and also used the remaining liquid from her pond. At this point, the steam had cooled off enough and was slowly reverting back to a liquid as well, but she knew that the process was being sped up the same way Seismitoad had formed a wall of water to stop Scyther. It seemed like Prime had an ice type move of some sort.

    The water quickly overflowed the crater, filling it higher than Cecilia thought possible. Slowking formed a thin bubble around himself, and the dirty water reached up to his torso when Seismitoad stopped. Using Slack Off in this environment would be impossible.

    "It's going to be deceptively quick. Hold it back with Psychic when it comes and break its mind," Cecilia said.

    "Get close and rip him apart!" Lauren snarled.

    Seismitoad somehow swam through the torso-deep water, sliding across it like someone skating on a rink. Slowking moved a hand forward and attempted to disrupt her trajectory by creating artificial waves, but Prime was unabashed by the force. He tried Water Cutter next, but she just dove under the surface. There was a slight glow below the water— her fist.

    Slowking moved his hand and pointed it at Seismitoad. She crashed into the invisible force and struggled as the psychic ransacked her mind. The sheer force she'd applied forced Slowking to pull down his shield and the Muddy Water filled the empty space it had left. Seismitoad's dull, red eyes narrowed and she grunted in pain, but she would not take this lying down. Cecilia had expected for her to use Uproar, but she did not. It might not have sounded like it, but the move required focus. It was a song— a song with order. It was hard to use it under the constant strain of Psychic. Instead, Seismitoad's fist stopped glowing, and she belched a purple liquid. Slowking waved at it with his second hand and it flew off into the water, but Seismitoad didn't stop.

    She was poisoning the water.

    "Disable!" Cecilia yelled.

    Slowking's eyes flashed grey and—

    "Icy Wind!"

    Seismitoad didn't even bother for Disable to finish. Poison turned to cold, frigid air that froze the water, her and Slowking. They were both stuck inside of the thick sheet of ice, and Slowking shivered from the cold. Icicles had formed on the bottom of his mouth and his eyes were sealed shut. He'd stopped using Psychic.

    This was bad.

    "Get out with Drain Punch."

    Her fist shimmered below the ice with that same white glow it had under the water. The ice shattered around her, and she slowly climbed out of the hole with labored breaths. Slowking waved a hand, but the ground type rolled to the left, sliding across the ice. She clumsily stumbled to her feet and opened her mouth—

    "Focus on my voice, darling!" Cecilia yelled. "Apply force to your left!"

    The psychic moved his hand, and Seismitoad was once more put under the strain of countless mental attacks. Her mouth closed, but then shot open again as she sprayed Slowking in poison. The acid ate away at his flesh, and he couldn't even budge away from the ice encasing him up to his chest, but he didn't stop.

    "Finish it off! One last push!"

    "Keep freezing the damn floor," Lauren said.

    Cold wind rushed out from Seismitoad, not only from her mouth, but from every pore in her body. The small patch of ice they'd been stuck on spread through the entire arena, leaving them with solid, muddy ice. The ground type went down shortly after, and Lauren hungrily licked her lips.

    "I've never had a battle this tough with another first year apart from that Karlson kid," she said, grabbing another Pokeball. "Your group makes me feel alive!"

    A tall, hulking Aggron appeared on the ice. He took a tentative step forward, and the ice barely even cracked.

    "Good shit. Finish off that Slowking with Flash Cannon."

    Cecilia didn't bother switching. Slowking was too tired to continue the fight, and there was a limit to Slack Off's effectiveness. She would rather keep her last swap for another threat. Cecilia did notice that Aggron's Flash Cannon was rather weak, however, but it was enough to finish the water type off.

    There was only one option. All this time, she'd let Lauren take the initiative in reshaping the battlefield, but it was about time she did it as well. Talonflame appeared in a flash of red in the sky and screeched as she flapped her wings. Neither Zweilous or Golett would have worked well here. The former's attacks wouldn't have penetrated Aggron's armor, including Incinerate, and while the latter did have ground type attacks, Cecilia doubted that he'd do well because of the size difference.

    "Rock Tomb!"

    "Agility, don't stay in one spot for long," Cecilia said. "Then Fire Spin."

    Aggron yelled, ripping out chunks of rocks from under the ice. They flew toward Talonflame, who zipped past them without a problem. She was too quick to be hit by those. Cecilia had the advantage here, and she would work to keep it.

    "Fire Spin! Melt the ice!"

    The bird screeched and embers fell from her wings, slowly forming into a tornado as it landed on the ground. The ice began to melt under Aggron's feet, but Lauren was quick on the uptake.

    "Rock Slide! Build yourself a platform!"

    It was clumsy at best, but it would work. The rocks buried under the ice emerged, creating an island of boulders. Aggron didn't have great footing there, but it would work. All around him, water splashed and steam rose. The heat of the flames clearly made him uncomfortable, and he tried to stop Talonflame with another Flash Cannon. Needless to say, it didn't work.

    "You can stop," Cecilia said.

    They didn't want to turn all of the water into steam, after all, but that also meant that Heatwave was off the table. Aggron could also potentially brave the water, but he'd be slowed further and would still take some damage from the leftover type energy just as Magmar had.

    But Cecilia was still in a bind.

    Talonflame specialized in attacking from up close, and that would be suicide against a Pokemon as defensive as Aggron. And yet, she'd been the best option against the massive steel type. The goal here was to pressure Lauren into using her final switch—

    "Tailwind and start setting up Flame Charges," Cecilia said.

    —and hopefully she'd use something more manageable like Magmar or Rhydon. Rhydon was slightly more powerful than Aggron, but dumb, slow-witted, and didn't listen to what she said, so she'd be able to whittle him down at the very least. And worst-case scenario, she'd always be able to switch to counter whatever Lauren picked. The key was to get her to swap Pokemons first.

    Unfortunately, she didn't take the bait.

    "Heat Wave," Cecilia sighed. It looked like the island trap hadn't worked.

    "Stone Edge!"

    Here, her weakness shone through. Talonflame still required to fly in one spot to use the move at an effective level. She flapped her wings and the air became sweltering. Aggron's armor was too thick to simply melt, but he was clearly under a lot of strain. The water turned to steam as the steel type let out a clinking, metallic roar and stones rose in a straight line toward Talonflame. She stopped the attack and barrelled to the left, narrowly dodging a sharp edge that would have torn through her wing.

    This was too risky. One stone, and Talonflame was done and they weren't able to attack effectively. Fire Spin was too weak, but it was all they had.

    "Fire Spin!"

    The flames surrounded Aggron once more, slightly weakened by the steam like Heat Wave had been. The steel type grunted as the fire charred his metallic plates, but he did not waver. He ripped more Stone Edges from the ground, hoping to hit Talonflame. They only needed a hit, and Cecilia needed dozens. Talonflame spun, gathering flames all around her and dropping to the ground and caught herself at the last moment by opening her wingspan. She swooped past the ground as rocks followed close behind her. Aggron slammed a foot against the ground and another set of stones erupted from below, but Talonflame climbed in altitude and veered to the right.

    The flames she'd been gathering washed over Aggron's body, and only then did Lauren switch. Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief, but that was short-lived. Rhydon was her last choice of Pokemon, and she knew he wouldn't be easy to deal with. Tanlonflame could barely scratch Aggron, but him? The rock type wasted no time and began to chase after Talonflame in the sky without a word from Lauren. The same dilemma as before played out, except that there was truly no way to hurt Rhydon this time.

    Cecilia was ready. She recalled Talonflame and sent out Golett. His eyes lit up, his insides hummed and the robot came alive. Rhydon did not stop, but he ran into the now-empty crater and tripped down toward the center. Lauren still had no reaction.

    The rock type rolled down and crashed into the crater, but he got up as if nothing had happened and started climbing out the other side. Golett was slow and small, but he packed enough power to hit past Rhydon's bulk. His rocky exterior was tough, but it wasn't as resistant as Aggron's.

    "Shadow Ball," Cecilia said.

    "Take Down!"

    She hadn't expected him to get that close, nor for him to listen to her. Rhydon's charge suddenly sped up toward Golett, who did not move as a Shadow Ball gathered right in front of his head. The weak ghost type attack flew toward Rhydon, but the rock type barely grunted in response. It simply hit him in the chest and disappeared.

    "Iron Defense, quick! Then Stomping—"

    Rhydon was already there. Golett's body shimmered, and the rock type slammed his entire body weight into him. The sheer force behind the impact propelled him back, but Iron Defense had protected him from the worst of it. Golett casually stood up, each movement slow, but deliberate. For the first time in his life, he made an independent decision. Rhydon's charge hadn't stopped, only merely slowed by the unexpected resistance from Iron Defense. The golem quickly stood, his movements fluid and he slammed the floor with one of his feet in a single motion that was so smooth that Cecilia almost gasped. She would have ordered him to use the move regardless, but for him to have used it without her?

    The destruction Golett wrought was only second to Duosion's Expanding Force. Cracks formed in the ground and swallowed one of Rhydon's legs whole. The rock type snarled and angrily slammed a fist against the ground, worsening the shaking, but Lauren's voice snapped him back to reality.

    "Rock Blast and Stone Edge, Paragon! Stop him from attacking!"

    Using the same fist it had slammed the ground with, Rhydon angled his arm toward Golett and sent a series of rocks flying toward Golett at high velocity. They each slammed into him, breaking against his poor body, but the Stomping Tantrum continued. Rhydon fell deeper into a hole, and by now Cecilia's entire half of the arena was split with a single, large fissure. She'd missed this, she realized. Destroying things was just so much fun, and Lauren shared in her passion.

    It did not stop the Stone Edge from coming. It was faster and more precise this time, erupting from below's Golett feet. The attack staggered the ghost type and a stone lodged itself inside of him through the small hole in between his joints. The light in Golett's eyes flickered, but Cecilia yelled for him to continue.

    "Rock Climb!"

    A deep bellow emerged from below the ground. Each second, it grew louder until Rhydon jumped out of the fissure Golett had created, his claws shining white.

    "Grab him and use Horn Drill. He's slower than you," she smiled. "Won't be able to do shit."

    Cecilia's eyes narrowed. Did Lauren not know that Golett knew Hammer Arm? Rhydon followed her order, stomping toward Golett and clumsily snatching over his shoulder. He struggled to actually throw him. Golett was a lot heavier than he looked, but after a few barks from Lauren, he opted to just place him as high as he could to let gravity do the work for him.

    So much for never listening to Lauren. He'd completely changed since she last saw him in action at the tournament and now followed her every order. Cecilia's breaths had turned shallow and anxious, but she waited until the last possible moment to strike.

    "Hammer Arm," Cecilia said.

    Gravity would assist them as well. Rhydon's horn and Golett's fist shone with a brilliant white as they each hit each other. For a moment, it was as if they were both frozen there. A snapshot in time that would go on forever. It ended after what felt like an eternity with Rhydon's horn cut in half and Golett's fist and arm completely destroyed. The ground type landed next to Rhydon with a loud crash, creating a small crater on the ground, but their opponent immediately reacted.

    "Finish him with Stone Edge. Pin him!"

    "Scorching Sands!" Cece screamed.

    The floor under Rhydon's feet burned as it dissolved into sand, but he bore with the pain and slammed Golett under his feet. Cecilia winced as at least five different Stone Edges stabbed Golett's back. The life in his eyes disappeared and his rune flickered for a few seconds before turning off. She recalled him and bit her lip. Talonflame would be useless here, so she could only count on Zweilous.

    The two heads snarled at their opponent, who was already relatively close to them, and they immediately hit him with a combined Dragon Pulse right off the bat. The turquoise beam of draconic energy hit Rhydon like a truck, and the rock type could only cover his face in hopes of avoiding the worst of the damage. He was pushed back slightly and was only ten feet away from the fissure.

    His horn is shattered, so his horn moves are weakened, Cecilia thought. That means the biggest threat is Stone Edge.

    "Calm down and Stomping Tantrum," Cecilia exhaled.

    "Rock Blast. Keep moving forward," Lauren said.

    Zweilous tapped their feet on the ground, creating tremors that were weaker than Golett's, but they slowed Rhydon plenty. He brought a hand forward, sending out round rocks bigger than Cecilia's head hurtling toward Zweilous. Their scales protected them from most of the damage, but they were clearly after something. Cecilia couldn't let him get close.

    "Start stepping back. Dragon Pulse."

    Zweilous roared at the idea of retreat. Zerst's head thrashed around, but a sharp snap of her fingers brought him back under control. Rhydon bellowed and ran with a Take Down that made him impossible to stop.

    "Hammer Arm."

    Cecilia's eyes bulged. "Ice Fang! Sol, bite him in the leg!"

    She was so mentally tired, but she was no mere girl. She would spit in the face of adversity and fight until she won. Rhydon's fist slammed into Zweilous' body, but the two heads refused to go down. One bit him in the leg, spreading frost throughout his body while Zerst aimed for the attacking arm. Rhydon blared, but they didn't let go.

    "Zerst, keep biting. Sol, Dragon Pulse. Point blank."

    Rhydon's leg exploded in a flurry of turquoise and shards of rock. The Dragon Pulse exposed the dull, grey flesh below. Rhydon screamed, his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell back. Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew she was nowhere near done. Lauren grinned, seemingly happy with Rhydon's performance and sent out that damn Aggron.

    He was a true brick wall, and Cecilia couldn't switch to Talonflame any longer.

    "Incinerate, both of you," Cecilia said.

    The good thing about having a destroyed arena was that a Pokemon as slow as Aggron would take a while to get to them. Lauren simply ordered him forward. The two flames combined and burned, but the flame was still weak. A dull red instead of a vibrant blue or even a bright white as the most powerful fire types were able to produce. Aggron was too large to dodge, but he didn't take the attacks lying down. Hastily erected barriers with Rock Slide protected him from the worst of the flames, but it also slowed him.

    A minute and thirty seconds later, the steel type slid down the crater. Cecilia's eyes narrowed, and she opted to wait, much to Zweilous' anger. There was no harm in being cautious, but they were too headstrong to understand. Drool dripped out of Sol's mouth and Zerst tried to catch it with his tongue.

    Their heads snapped toward Aggron as soon as his head peaked out of the crater. He'd been slower to climb than Rhydon, and he was clumsy. An idea popped into her head.

    Cecilia swept her arm. "Dragon Pulse. Push him back!"

    Dragon Pulse wouldn't do much damage, but the impact would hopefully be enough to send him tumbling back into the crater—

    Her face fell when Aggron didn't even budge. He screamed with a metallic tint and retaliated with Flash Cannon now that he'd gotten close enough. The bright light peeled off a few of Zweilous' scales, and they instinctively combined an Incinerate that forced Aggron to keep moving. The only thing that stood in between them was the large ravine that had been formed by Golett's Stomping Tantrum.

    But then, Lauren's permanent grin widened.

    "Autotomize and jump!"

    Arceus fucking damn it, she'd withheld that attack the entire battle! Aggron began to shine and each one of his steps grew until he was light enough to jump over the chasm. He inhaled and leaped.

    Cecilia's willpower wavered for an instant, but she steeled herself.

    "Dragon Rush!"

    Zweilous foamed at the mouth and completely let loose. From this point on, they wouldn't hear anything she said and would just fight until they either fainted or their opponent did. Aggron landed across the ravine without difficulty, regaining his weight as soon as he did. Zweilous let loose and mighty roar and Zerst slammed his head against Aggron. A turquoise light shone after each impact, and the dragon kept hitting Aggron with no sense of self-preservation. The steel type felt the hits, grunting in pain after each one. He tried to grab at Zweilous' throats, but flames from Incinerate made them too hot to touch.

    Lauren screamed, "Iron Head, send him flying, Defiant!"

    Aggron lowered his head and slammed his full weight into Zweilous. His horns raked against Sol's throat, shredding an entire line of his scales away until he headbutted the dragon type again, this time sending him backwards a few feet. A rock shot out of the ground and hit Sol's head, interrupting another Incinerate as Aggron kept running forward. He was determined to end this.

    And so were they.

    Zweilous traded blows with Aggron, using their heads to hit him with Dragon Rush. The steel type was too well-armored to take down easily, but chinks in his armor were showing. Repeated hits to the legs and gut had cracked it. Cecilia snapped her fingers, hoping to get Zweilous out of their daze. They'd never succeeded, but maybe today…

    It didn't work. Aggron finished Zweilous off with another Iron Head. Almost half of their scales had been forcefully torn away and blood soaked the ones that remained.

    "You did well," Cecilia said. She sent out her Talonflame. "You're the last."

    There was a hint of surprise in the flying type's eyes, but it didn't linger.

    "Fire Spin."

    "Stone Edge!"

    Dodging Aggron's attacks was a lot easier now that he was barely standing on two feet. Talonflame easily navigated around the Stone Edge, releasing flames from her wings that fell onto Aggron's body. The steel type blinked with his tired pale blue eyes and finally collapsed. Lauren giggled as she sent out her Magmar.

    "Mags. You're the last," she mirrored Cecilia's words.

    Surprise flashed in his eyes, but that soon turned into a vicious, anticipating smile. Both of them weren't used to being told this while battling, and it showed. This was it. The final stretch.

    Cecilia clenched a fist. If she did not believe in herself, no one would. Victory would come. Magmar wasn't as slow as the others, but he was still confined to the ground. Still, she couldn't get complacent.

    "Tailwind and Acrobatics—"

    "Confuse Ray!" Lauren yelled.

    "Don't get close!" Cecilia corrected herself.

    The strange light that came out of Magmar's snout meandered more than Duosion's but if it got inside Talonflame, the battle was over. With the wind at her back, she easily circled around the arena, high in the sky until the light fizzled out and disappeared.

    "Figured that wouldn't work. Let's do this the old-fashioned way, then," Lauren licked her lips. "Burn everything up with Lava Plume."

    Cecilia and Talonflame frowned at the move. Flames flared around Magmar and lava erupted from every inch of his body. He kept burning with a twisted smile, filling the arena with noxious gases and fire. The ground under his feet melted and the air warped until Cecilia could only see a mirage. Staying far away and attacking with Heat Wave would do nothing. Magmar was fire. It would only tickle him and make him laugh. They had to get in close.

    All or nothing.

    "Agility and Aerial Ace!" Cecilia yelled.

    "That's what I'm talking about! Thunder Punch!"

    It was too late to go back now. Talonflame blurred forward, going so quickly that Magmar had no time to actually charge up his attack. She stabbed her beak as deep as she could, and Magmar grunted. The blood boiled before it could reach the ground. It was so hot that even Talonflame was getting uncomfortable.

    "Lava Plume again!"

    Before she could escape, a glob of lava landed on her wing. She screeched at the burn and it made her entire body tilt right. Magmar used that single second to spit out a blue Flamethrower that enveloped her entire body. Cecilia felt a tightening feeling around her chest, but she exhaled when Talonflame emerged from the flames— harmed and with cooled lava sticking to her wing. She desperately tried to get it off, but if she slowed for too long, another Flamethrower would no doubt reach her.

    "Fire Pillar!" Lauren said.

    Her eyes widened. Another custom move, no doubt. Magmar's twisted grin widened as he slammed a foot against the ground. Red, fiery cracks appeared in the ground, traveling until they got right below Talonflame before erupting into a colossal tower of flames. Talonflame's wing was hit— the same one that had the cooled lava was clinging onto. She hadn't been quick enough to dodge— no, it was because they hadn't known what to expect—

    Talonflame was a fire type, but she did not routinely bathe in flames as Magmar could. The attack hurt, and her wing cooked under the fire's strain. She closed her eyes as she fell, and Magmar's eyes twinkled with glee. Cecilia's will did not falter for a second.

    "You can do it," she whispered.

    The bird's eyes opened, and she extended her wings. Flames fell from her wings as she danced in the sky. It was as if she was one with the wind.

    "Acrobatics!" Cecilia yelled.

    This time, she would attack with her talons. Talonflame blurred as she flew toward Magmar. The wind whizzed past her wings, and she angled her clawed feet toward Magmar's face.

    "Smog!"

    The fire type coughed up a scorching, toxic fume.

    Talonflame breathed in. Her eyes widened and she froze.

    She drove her talons deep in Magmar's shoulder.

    His fist, clad in electricity, hit her chest.

    She convulsed at the contact until smoke emanated from her body.

    Cecilia's shoulders sagged. She had believed in victory until the final second. The girl wiped the sweat off her forehead and recalled Talonflame. Lauren said something, but she didn't hear it. She'd just lost for the first time.

    It was bound to happen at some point, after all. Yes. In fact, it was a miracle that it'd taken this long. Losing was a normal part of being a trainer, and as Grace would say, it helped you improve. Cynthia had told her as much. Tomorrow, she'd look at the footage and see what went wrong—

    ——

    I hadn't been the one battling, but I felt just as tired as Cecilia and Lauren looked. The sheer amount of destruction they both brought to the table was astonishing. Even though they both had four badges, it got pretty close to what Zachary was capable of. I dreaded what they'd be able to do when they got better. I shimmied across the crowd and went to see Cecilia. It was her first loss, so she'd probably be taking it hard. I knew I did.

    I broke through the crowd and froze when I saw her.

    She was crying.
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    • Chapter 194
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    • CHAPTER 194

    Tears streamed down Cecilia's face, and for a second I didn't know how to react. I'd expected her to be disappointed, but I hadn't known she'd cry. She sobbed and silently sniffled, and I hesitantly approached her, grabbing her arm before wrapping her into a tight hug. She buried her face in my shoulder and let out a few incomprehensible words.

    "It's okay," I gently said as I rubbed her back. "I know it hurts."

    I made out a single 'okay' out of the jumble of words she said, and she clumsily wiped her tears and sweat with an arm after our hug. The rest of the group joined me, although Denzel lagged behind because he'd been further away to be a referee. I caught a trainer filming the entire ordeal and I glared at him. He froze, taking a few steps back until Pauline began to berate him and insult him, his parents, his career… she really went above and beyond. He hadn't been the only one filming. Dozens of people were all too happy to capture the first time Cece had ever lost her composure in public. Denzel finally arrived, and everyone formed a circle around her to stop her from getting filmed while Lauren awkwardly waited a few feet in the distance.

    "You were great out there, Cecilia. You truly have nothing to be ashamed of," Louis said.

    "Great doesn't have enough oomph. She was badass, that's what!" Pauline huffed, having joined us. "You'll get her next time!"

    "Uhuh," she cried. She still couldn't form proper words yet.

    "Come on, Cece," Denzel said with a sad smile. "It was close."

    "It being close makes it worse," I explained. "This is basic stuff, Denzel."

    "Is it? My bad," he grimaced after Pauline elbowed his arm. "You… fought well. I mean, the amount of power and skill you put on display was incredible."

    "I ztill lozt!" Cecilia sobbed.

    "Let's just get your team to the Pokemon Center and you in a room for now," Maeve said.

    I turned toward Lauren, who had taken a few steps in our direction.

    "I—I'm sorry?" She said.

    "Not your fault," Denzel shook his head. "You both gave it your all, and that's that."

    "I still feel responsible… I was the one that asked her to battle out of the blue. Sirris would usually tell me what to do. Sorry if I'm being stupid or rude."

    "Why don't you tell Cecilia what you thought about the battle?" I asked.

    The raven-haired girl fidgeted for a few seconds, and then inhaled. "It was the most fun I've ever had. It made my blood pump unlike any other battle and it pushed me to my limit. You were an amazing opponent, Cecilia Obel."

    "...Thank you," she said.

    First losses were difficult, but seeing Cecilia like this was tough. Her eyes were red as we walked back to the Center and her breath occasionally quivered. Lauren refused to go back with us, but she did promise to actually text when she wanted something this time instead of just dropping out of nowhere. I was still hoping to battle her, and I'd gotten a lot of information from that battle that would prove invaluable in a potential fight. Duosion was severely weakened if you split his two brains, Aggron was terrible at fighting at range, Rhydon now listened to Lauren, but he was still as dumb as he used to be and something told me that he'd slip back into his old habits if I angered him enough. Magmar and Seismitoad were trickier, and I'd have to think for longer on how to counter them, and I hadn't seen her Sceptile in action yet. Maybe Chase would tell me about him.

    For now, though? I'd worry about Cecilia. The videos of the battles would always be here.

    She handed in her Pokemon and crashed into her bed without a word. Whereas I'd scream in my pillow at how unfair my loss was, she simply dejectedly stared at the ceiling. Our friends tried to cheer her up but slowly filtered out as time went on. Louis wanted to go look for Justin, and Maeve followed him with Pauline, since she was hoping to pin him down and 'talk him straight.' Denzel and I stayed, however. I sat next to her on the bed, but she didn't even dare to look at me. My best friend leaned back against the desk's chair with a troubled look on his face.

    "Hey. Cece," He asked.

    "What?" She sighed exasperatedly, her voice muffled through the mattress.

    "I won't tell you to stop sulking or anything," he said. "But you do know that you're a good trainer, right? One of the best first years."

    "I don't follow."

    "I'm saying that you've held yourself to an impossible standard and that even if you lost, that doesn't mean you're a bad trainer."

    She didn't answer.

    "Who would you even compare yourself to?" He continued. "Even Cynthia lost when she was going through the Circuit. Nobody's perfect."

    "I guess. I was just— just so close," she said, finally twisting her body to face us. She stared into my eyes, but immediately averted them. "I can't stop but replaying the battle in my mind and think: what if I'd done something different?"

    "That tends to happen," I smiled. "It's actually a good mindset. Helps you figure out your mistakes."

    "I shouldn't have sent out Slowking against Seismitoad," she sighed. "That was the biggest one. If I'd saved him, he could have worked wonders against Rhydon and Aggron. She might have used Sceptile to counter him, but I could have stopped it with Talonflame. I'm so stupid."

    "Mistakes are what makes us human," Denzel mused. "And to be honest, there isn't really a way to know if that would have worked for sure. You would have done this, Lauren would have done that… I try to live in the moment, you know?"

    "I disagree with that, but there isn't a point in arguing," I said. "We all deal with defeat differently."

    "I want a rematch. I want one right away," Cece grumbled. "This sucks."

    "It does," I smiled, grabbing her hand.

    "I thought I'd win until the last moment. I didn't doubt myself for an instant. I think that's what makes the loss so hard to swallow," she said. "Even when Talonflame went down, it took a few seconds to sink in."

    "I just wish you hadn't been recorded," I sighed. "People always jump at the newest, shiny controversy… it's not even a controversy."

    "I don't care about that at all," she said.

    "See? Good mentality," Denzel smiled. "Let's see if there's anything good on TV to cheer you up."

    "There isn't. I have a lot of thinking to do… about my team and how I work with them. I could have won with them as they currently are, I think, but there's a lot of progress to be done. Talonflame needs to get better at attacking from a distance, Slowking needs to get better at multitasking, I need to try to reproduce those few seconds of independence that Golett had during the battle, and I need to improve what Zweilous can do. Right now, he's got only a few tricks, and it's not cutting it. He's still far off from evolving, so I have to figure something out."

    "See? Now you're getting it. I know it sounds morbid, but if you hadn't lost, you wouldn't have been thinking about all of this."

    "What about Scyther?" Denzel asked.

    "I don't— it's not up to me to make him do things. He decides what to work on. I'm happy enough he listened to what I said during the battle."

    "You worked well together," I said, squeezing her hand. "He might be warming up to you."

    A sad smile stretched across her face. "I wouldn't go that far, but we're moving in the right direction. Let's just switch topics for now, talking about this just frustrates me."

    "Oh, I can talk about the Game Corner. I made a friend at the Casino called Ashley, and she sort of took me under her wing— or maybe I forced myself there? They've got some really fucked up system…"

    Denzel ranted about his Game Corner woes, and we listened. Cece was slowly getting better, and she lay her head down on my chest while I hugged her from behind. The battling betting system appeared simple, but was actually extremely convoluted. I still thought I'd be good at it though, from the way he explained it to us. I was glad that he at least looked to have a good amount of self-control on his spending and someone to guide him so he wouldn't just lose 100,000 Pokedollars in a single day.

    Eventually, even Denzel left, although he said he wanted to talk to me one-on-one when I was free. I paid it no mind, since I was focused on comforting Cecilia. Something about her reaction did bother me.

    "Hey," I whispered. "Beyond the obvious fact that losing hurts, is something wrong? Between us, I mean. You wouldn't even look at me."

    I felt her freeze in my arms.

    "You know I'm not disappointed in you whatsoever, right?" I asked. "I told you that you were great during the battle."

    "It's not about the battle, it's about the way I was after," she sighed. "Isn't it pathetic to see your rival cry uncontrollably after a loss?"

    "Come on, now," I said. "You're just being silly."

    "I guess."

    "When you beat me after our double battle, I spent hours ranting at myself and I screamed into a pillow," I revealed to her.

    "What? But you were so nice to me when it ended! You took— you took me to my room at the Center because I was so wiped out!"

    "I held it in, duh," I laughed. "It's like Denzel said, right? We're all human."

    "I still feel silly. I shouldn't have cried like that."

    "At least know that I don't mind whatsoever," I said. "Now sleep. I know you're tired. You were dozing off during Denzel's story."

    She chuckled. "The Game Corner doesn't really interest me."

    I waited until she fell asleep and left, making sure to close her door as softly as possible. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have done this and I would have stuck around longer, but I felt like what Denzel wanted to tell me was important. I'd known him for so long that I knew when he was being serious and when he just wanted to hang out. His room was one floor down, and he yelled that it was open when I knocked.

    I decided to ignore how potentially dangerous it was that he just left his door unlocked and stepped inside. A sudden chill creeped down my spine and I jumped out of my skin when Froslass made a noise behind me. The ice type giggled as she flickered all throughout the room.

    "Don't do that," Denzel said. "I told you it's fine when you do it to me, but not my friends."

    Froslass ignored him, content to mock me for getting scared. I could feel mischieviousness emanating from her, but I knew that it was just a harmless prank. Lopunny was lounging on the bed while reading a book, and upon closer look, I realized that she was learning how to read. It was one of those pre-school books that taught children what letters looked like and I assumed that Denzel helped her figure out what sound each one made. The normal type lazily waved at me and returned to her reading, but she used the opportunity to kick Roselia off the bed. She screeched at her, fuming in anger. I squinted at her and focused. She was feeling injustice and rage, but below all of that, there was a playfulness that they all shared.

    They were rude to each other, but it was all just a game.

    Milotic was happily sitting next to Sylveon, and the fairy type was licking his nose. He was the happiest of the group, and despite there being some jealousy from the others, it seemed that their relationships were all functional and loving. Sylveon blinked at me, tilted his head and nodded.

    I nodded back.

    "I'm gonna recall you guys, this is private," Denzel said.

    They all groaned and complained at that.

    "It won't take that long. And Lopunny, you've got to stop pushing people off the bed. It's not your bed, it's mine— why the hell are you kicking me?! I'm trying to help you!"

    Roselia stomped on his foot once more, for good measure. With a tired sigh, Denzel recalled his entire team.

    "I didn't know you were teaching Lopunny how to read," I amusingly said.

    "She wants a phone," he explained. "And she can't get one without knowing how to read. She's been learning for a few weeks."

    "A phone? What for?"

    "I don't know. But if she can read and write, it'll be a lot easier to communicate with her, and my team by extension," he smiled. "Anyway, sorry about Froslass. She's a little bit of a prankster."

    "I can tell. It was harmless, don't worry. You wanted to speak to me?"

    Denzel exhaled. "You'd better sit down for this."

    I frowned, but I listened.

    "I spoke to your mother. She called me earlier and asked about how you were doing."

    I scoffed. "What? How does she even have your number?!"

    "Grace, I've known her my entire life. We were neighbors," he said. "Obviously she has my number."

    Right. I'd been stupid to think that she'd just give up after one try. She'd moved back to Twinleaf into my grandmother's house when Denzel was still a toddler, so she'd seen him grow up all this time.

    "So? What did she tell you and what did you tell her?"

    "Well, she just asked about how you were, and how you had been after all the stuff in Solaceon. I told her you were doing well, but not much beyond that. I called you here to tell you to meet her."

    My eyes narrowed. "Why? You know what she did, right?"

    "I do know. Samantha told me about you when I was growing up a few times, you know? Not your name or anything like that, but that she had a daughter my age that she couldn't see because she messed up. She always kept the details vague, but you know, then I met you and figured it out."

    "And you still want me to see her?"

    He exhaled as he sat on his chair. "Do you think it's normal that a parent has to call their kid's friend to know what's going on with them? If they're alright after having gone through a traumatic event and almost died?"

    "I think that she should give me space."

    "She's given you plenty, right? I mean, sure, she asked to meet you, but other than that, she left you alone. All she does is text you and you answer once in a blue moon," he said before pausing. "Here's what I think, Grace. This isn't you— stop being a baby and let me finish."

    I realized I'd been glaring at him. "Sorry."

    "You were getting closer to your mother for a while. You spoke to her in Twinleaf and called her in Oreburgh. I don't think you realized how happy she was when you did that, Grace."

    Memories came back to me. My mother giving me advice before my gym battle with Roark and telling me to get a good night's sleep to make sure I minimized my mistakes.

    "I… I know."

    "Isn't the reason you started this journey in the first place because your dad wanted to make you reconnect with your mom?" Denzel pressed. "You said you would try to balance this fairy stuff with your human side, but I'll tell you right now, you wouldn't have done this before. The fact that you used to be closer with your mother is proof."

    "So what, then? You think I should meet her after what she's done to my dad? Do you know he's never dated anyone else after that because he has trust issues now? He just focused on work and me, and he made no time for himself. She screwed him up, Denzel. All because she couldn't keep it in her pants. It might have been more than a decade ago, but dad is still suffering because of her right now."

    "I know."

    "And you're telling me to meet her, still?" I shook my head. "Do you realize how— how messed up she is?"

    "Samantha's human, Grace. Humans make mistakes, some bigger than others," Denzel sighed. "I was like that, once. I never called my parents because they opposed my career choice until we got to Snowpoint and I realized that I could have died before making up with them. She knows she was in the wrong. She takes full responsibility and isn't making any excuses. All she wants to do is see her daughter grow up. And if the meeting goes badly and she's an asshole, then that can be on me and you can call me a moron."

    I chewed on his words in silence, but he continued.

    "She's a nice lady, you know? She'd let me sleep at her house whenever I had a fight with my mom and she's the one that helped me at first when I found Sylveon wounded in the wild. I was scared that my mom wouldn't take him in, so I brought him to her instead. She gave me some of the supplies she kept for your dad's Herdier. She managed to convince my parents to get me to keep him too."

    "Stop it," I said, my voice meek.

    He frowned at me and shrugged. "Fine. I won't try to force you to do anything, I just wanted to give you my two cents. Sorry if that came out of nowhere."

    "No. I'll— I'll try to do it," I said. "I was angry at her— I am still angry at her, and I thought I'd blow up at her."

    "You will?" He beamed.

    "Not today! I'll message her… I'll tell her tomorrow," I sighed.

    Most of what he had said made sense, but what had truly pushed me over the edge and changed my mind was that Denzel had reminded me that dad himself wanted us to reconnect. Even after everything she'd done to him, he was still that nice to her and wished her the best. I didn't know how he was that nice of a person, but despite my instincts telling me not to go, it made me want to at least try. And if he thought she'd paid enough, then she deserved a chance to redeem herself in my eyes.

    "I'll meet her," I said, my tone more resolute.

    "Thank you for listening to me. I thought that you might have stormed out the minute I brought her up."

    "Come on. You're my friend, I'd at least listen to what you have to say," I said, grabbing my phone. "Now to set up a meeting… I know I only want to see her, because there's no way in hell I'm giving my grandmother a chance. She called my dad a son of a bitch."

    "You know what, fair enough," he said, raising both of his hands. "Why don't you meet her at a restaurant or a bar or something."

    I pursed my lips. "No… I think I'll do a park, actually. That way I can introduce her to some of my Pokemon if things go well. She's only seen Princess before, and that was when she was a Togepi."

    "That's nice."

    "It's not just to be nice. It's also because I want to know what they think about her," I explained. "Aside from Sweetheart, they're all good judges of character and they can come at this from a neutral perspective. Plus, if she's rude to them, well…"

    I made a thumbs down, and he nodded. After typing out the entire text, address and time to get her to meet me, I finally got the courage to press send. She instantly answered, much to my surprise and agreed right away.

    As I stared at my phone and mused on her words, an alert rang out of the device. I didn't exactly know of the consequences this would have and how it had happened in the first place, but Cecilia's father had somehow broken out of his house arrest.

    Well, broken out was the wrong expression. He'd been kidnapped by Abel himself.
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    • Interlude - Rats
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    • INTERLUDE - RATS

    "Your move, Dan."

    The woman, who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, threw some dice on the table. They were old, with little ridges embedded in the wood and the digits almost lost to time, faded into the surface. She ended up getting two sixes, a five, a three, and two ones, meaning that she'd won again.

    "Bullshit," Abel spat. "You're fucking cheating."

    The Ditto's empty stare stayed the same, but her grin widened to an unnatural extent. Abel leaned back against his chair and put his feet on the table. The faint sound of an old police thriller played in the background, illuminating the dimmed living room he found himself in. All the windows of this apartment were closed, not letting any sun shine through. The few rays that did showed how dusty the air was, but Abel did not mind. He pulled out a cigarette and tried to light it, to no avail.

    "Shitty fucking lighter," he sighed.

    Smoking is bad for your lungs. I foresee a gruesome death from cancer in the future if you live that long, Xatu spoke into his mind with only her right eye open.

    "Way to sour the mood," Abel smirked. "How old will I be?"

    Unknown. I feel a death with no regrets, but I have been known to be inaccurate in the past when predicting far-flung future outcomes.

    "S'alright. I know you're trying your best."

    Your affection is appreciated, Abel.

    Abel was a slippery man. No matter what jam he found himself in, he usually always figured a way out and odds were he'd be richer by the end. This time, he'd found himself in quite a jam, however. League Trainers skulked through Veilstone's streets day and night with their psychic and dark types because of Arceus damned Team Galactic. Sure, they paid well and he worked with them frequently, but holy shit, could they be annoying, and they were batshit insane. Teleporting back to Unova was impossible. It was across the ocean and eleven hours by plane. Xatu was good, but no psychic type was powerful enough to Teleport that far without intermediate jumps, and good luck doing that across the ocean. People knew his face, so leaving the region by commercial airline was impossible as well. No other rich prick was crazy enough to get him a seat on one of their private jets, and though mind control was an option, the government had tightened security so much that those flights were checked too.

    Case in point, he was trapped in Sinnoh like a rat.

    But it wasn't like he'd considered leaving anyway. Not before he got one more word in with Clarence at the very least.

    Abel would get paid in full. It was less about practicality and more about making a point.

    He took in a deep breath, and the smell of musty air filled his nostrils as he heard someone step behind him.

    "Abel, dear? Are you hungry?"

    He turned toward the old woman flanked by Malamar. The dark type stared at him with a wicked grin. He took great pleasure in this, but Abel did not particularly do so. Most of the time, it was just work, but right now it was simply a way to stay hidden for a while.

    "No thanks, Grandma," Abel answered. "You go and rest, alright?"

    "Sure thing."

    Mind control was a funny thing. The closer Malamar stood to the subject, the more power he exerted over them. Around five thousand feet, and he would lose control completely. Still, it was important for him to play his part. If the controlled person was suddenly exposed to something unusual— say her quote on quote grandson was suddenly extremely rude to her and told her to get lost— then the shock might break her out of Malamar's spell, and controlling someone right after they'd just snapped back to reality was almost impossible. That was why Abel had to play his part, and why Clarence had wanted to keep his damn daughter away from her friends after the procedure, along with him wanting to keep up public appearances, of course.

    But mind control also took Malamar's focus. Hours spent keeping the subject completely still as he analyzed every inch of their brain, slowly worming his influence in every corner until they became his.

    "Stick around."

    Malamar nodded and slowly walked behind Abel. Unlike Xatu, he could not speak telepathically. It was a cruel twist of fate, that his dark typing interfered too much with the psychic waves he needed to form words. Xatu shot him a dirty look, but stayed silent. Dan's skin bubbled as she excitedly jumped up and down her chair.

    "It's about time we go see that damned rat," Abel declared. Xatu sighed, her right eye open while her left one once again remained closed. Malamar's two tentacles throbbed with excitement. "It's going to be tough. The fucker's under house arrest and guarded by at least fifty League Trainers, according to Zazza and Kecleon. A tough nut to crack, but we've dealt worse in Unova. He's low priority, and that means we can slip in."

    How had Zazza and Kecleon figured that out? Well, Abel had a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He turned toward his oldest companion and steeled himself.

    "Are you ready?"

    For once, Malamar's permanent grin faded and he only nodded.

    He knew when to take things seriously.

    "Xatu. What do you see?"

    Out of ten futures, you get caught by League forces in four, the psychic type immediately answered with her right eye shining and throbbing. In all of them, you indulge in excess hubris and fight instead of running away when you get caught and captured. It is too far for me to see clearly, but your end comes soon after. It is painful.

    "Memory extraction, no doubt. And the other six?"

    One where you slip through unmarred and undisturbed. Two where you manage to find a way in after fighting your way through, but I sense injury… I am unable to tell if it would be fatal. One where you are found out before getting in, but get to Clarence Obel's chamber regardless. Another two where you fight your way in, but you perish fighting. In all of them, your plan is kidnapping.

    "You're getting better. Kidnapping is the plan."

    There was only one future where he wouldn't get found out. That meant that nine times out of then, there would never be enough time to get Clarence to give him his money, especially if that rat stalled for time.

    Of course, you would. It is writ in the stars.

    "Don't get too reliant on your predictions, Xatu. You know that when you tell me the future, it is bound to change," Abel said.

    It had taken her days to figure this out. The longer she analyzed the future, the more accurate it would be, but not even Xatu was foolproof. She was wrong often, especially when there were as many variables as this, and relying on her too much would bring his doom. Nine times out of ten, however, he would rather know than go in blind.

    Alas, it is, Xatu said, finally opening her left eye.

    "Let's go, then," Abel smiled.

    He recalled all of his Pokemon but Ditto then released Zazza. The bipedal dark type grinned at him and bared her teeth. Her crimson hair was resplendent, even in this dim room and it flowed freely down her body. Abel felt at his ten Pokeballs for reassurance as Zoroark's form slowly changed. Strange panels of light flipped all around her, revealing her chosen human form. Ditto followed suit and did the same. They looked… somewhat similar. Dan changed into one of his child forms unknown by the League, becoming a little six-year-old boy with dark hair while Zazza became an adult woman with a striking resemblance.

    Ditto could only transform after touching a person or a Pokemon's DNA, which was why Abel stored at least fifty different strands of hair in zip locks inside of his bag. Zoroark, meanwhile, could become anything she wanted at will. She didn't even have to use someone as a model, in fact. She'd adapted her current transformation to mirror Ditto's so they would appear related.

    Dan let out a small gurgle of annoyance.

    "You'll go back to being a girl later, alright? We ran out of hair and the League knows all of your little girl forms."

    Ditto was a moody Pokemon. At times, she wanted to be a girl while at others she wanted to be a boy. She despised being in her original Ditto form or another Pokemon and spent almost all of her time as a human, which meant that she never fought. When he'd first gotten her, Abel always referred to her as a boy, which was why her name was Dan, but these days he called her whatever gender she felt like being that day after Xatu and Zoroark kept screaming in his ear about it for weeks. It did get confusing at times, especially when she changed her mind multiple times in a day.

    Unova's most wanted criminal walked out the door of an apartment he did not own and said goodbye to a grandmother that wasn't his. He had other hideouts, but the odds of the League knocking on an old woman's door was a lot lower, so he often lived in other people's homes, especially old people. She would wake up when they got far enough and would not remember anything about him. The brain was a funny little organ. Instead of having a hole of time, like she'd fallen asleep and woken up, it would try to fill in the gaps with things that didn't happen.

    He was in the clear.

    Abel cracked his neck. This was going to be tough, but all of his life he had gambled, and it had not failed him yet.

    —

    Veilstone wasn't as good of a city as Jubilife or Hearthome to get lost in, but it would do the trick. Abel had changed his haircut, grown out his facial hair, and wore sunglasses to hide his identity. Zazza had a bored look on her face, while Dan stared at the concrete city in awe, as he usually did. Clarence's mansion was in the city's south, where most rich people lived because it was away from the never-ending noise of Veilstone's industry and the polluted air that clung to the city. The further north you went, the more factories there were and the poorer people got.

    Clarence's mansion was still at least an hour and a half away by foot, but Teleporting there would be impossible. First, neither Xatu nor Hypno had ever been there because there was no way in hell Abel was going to have his only two Teleporters away from him. He had considered sending one and keeping the other, especially since Xatu could levitate, but he didn't want to take any risk. The League knew that he owned a Xatu, now. They'd be suspicious of any lurking around Clarence's mansion. Hypno, meanwhile, wasn't very good at Teleporting anywhere further than she could see.

    No. It would be best if they arrived on foot.

    Abel held tightly onto Zoroark's hand while she held onto Ditto's. It was funny, how inconspicuous 'couples' with a 'child' were to the average person. It was why he'd almost always had Dan in a child's form when they were out— well, that and she couldn't speak properly yet. She was a rather recent addition to his team and was still young. Zoroark, meanwhile, was one of his oldest and could speak perfectly when in human form despite hating the practice, so she usually stuck to grunts and barks unless the situation demanded for her to speak.

    "Aw, he's so cute!" A woman said, looking at Ditto. The normal type's smile immediately shrunk to a realistic proportion, but he was careful enough not to let any sounds slip. He'd already cost them information when he had infiltrated Cecilia Obel's room by getting too excited, and Abel had nipped that behavior in the bud. The woman's… husband shot Abel an apologetic look.

    "He really is!" Zoroark beamed. "He can be a little much sometimes, but he's a great kid."

    Dan frowned and hugged Abel's leg, feigning shyness like he'd taught him.

    "D'aww. How old is he?"

    "Honey, we should go," the man tried.

    "He's six," Abel said. His eyes narrowed when he saw a League Trainer missing half his face towering over some pink-haired kid with a Gardevoir. "And you'll have to excuse us, but we're a bit busy."

    He'd passed by multiple League Trainers on his way here, but that Gardevoir had looked right at him. He didn't like that one bit.

    They had no time for idle chit-chat, and the longer he stood still, the higher chance someone had of figuring out who he was. He sped up, ignoring the woman's complaints at her husband about trying for a child. The League knew Abel was in Veilstone due to his many jobs for Galactic, and they wouldn't hesitate to track him down. He'd be forced to Teleport again right away if he could even do that. The sheer amount of dark types the League had shoved in the city was hampering Xatu's long-range Teleportation, meaning that instead of whisking him away immediately, she'd have to concentrate on where to go for multiple seconds. A possible death sentence in the heat of battle. If she couldn't do it, then there was no way Hypno would be able to. While Malamar specialized in fighting and hypnosis, Xatu in Teleportation and predicting future outcomes, Hypno specialized in mental barriers instead.

    Hypno had met Charon's Hypno a few times, and she hated that little psychopath.

    When he was twenty minutes away from the mansion, Abel decided that it was time to spring to action. The blocky, artificial design of the city had bled away and led to winding streets and an ample amount of greenery, mostly through the form of gardens for the people that lived here. Some of them even had pools. Veilstone was relatively warm thanks to being a coastal city, but it was still February, so these were mostly empty, as was most of the street aside from the occasional person or car driving through.

    "Stick to the plan," Abel said, his face still staring straight ahead. "Dan, you're going back in your Pokeball."

    The normal type protested, unable to hide the angry burst of purple below her skin. Zoroark hissed and bumped her on the head, stopping her instantly and Abel thanked the dark type with a small nod. They couldn't be found out this early.

    "You can't fight. You'll only slow us down," he continued. "We'll be fine. The others will keep me safe, and we'll get our money. I'll buy you whatever you want when we're out of this hellhole."

    Ditto's skin returned to normal, and he returned to his Pokeball without objection. Abel fiddled through his Pokeballs, using the little scratches on the metal to discern which was which. He found Kecleon's Pokeball thanks to the particular spot of chipped paint near the top and released the normal type.

    His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he instantly changed to the sidewalk's grey color. Abel sat on a bench, content to let him out in the open thanks to his team's general secrecy. Only four of his Pokemon were known after so many years as a criminal, and if that wasn't a fucking proof of his talent, then nothing was.

    He sat on the closest bench on the sidewalk, pulled up one of his burner phones to appear busy and spoke to his two Pokemon.

    "Keep Kecleon hidden," Abel told Zoroark before turning to Kecleon. "Don't get too close to the mansion, or they might find you out regardless. Just make sure the number of guards is the same. If you aren't back in thirty minutes, I'll assume that you were caught and I'll come to try to save you."

    The woman grunted, all too happy not to have to speak, and Kecleon stayed quiet but slowly turned invisible. Arceus bless him, he was one of his biggest assets, but he worked best with Zazza thanks to her incredible control of the dark.

    Dark types were a psychic's biggest weakness. Whereas ghost types appeared as holes in the world to their senses, meaning that they could still easily be found with enough practice, dark types just weren't there. Completely unable to be found through any kind of psychic sense, even from Elite Four level trainers.

    He would know. After all, he'd escaped Caitlin once. Unova's psychic specialist of the Elite Four whose Musharna had warped and twisted her so much that she could battle and function while she slept. That had been a close one. Zoroark placed a hand on the invisible Kecleon's head, shrouding him in dark type energy and rendering him truly invisible, muffling the sound of his steps and breath along with the aforementioned immunity to being found by psychic types. Abel could only guess if the normal type had already begun to run toward the mansion. Still in her human form, Zoroark sat next to him, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

    He had to stop himself from smirking at her irritation. She didn't like it very much when they pretended to be a couple, and neither did he, but it was work.

    His entire adult life, Abel had walked a tightrope. Close call after close call, disasters barely working out in his favor and escaping through the skin of his teeth. All for a single goal.

    Money, and a cozy retirement to Alola for him and his team. They were the only proper region with no extradition laws, and also a hell of a tax haven. He wasn't about to move to Arceus damned Almia, Fiorre, or Oblivia. He'd heard of fellow criminals slipping through the tightly closed borders, but that life wasn't for him. What Abel wanted was to live on a yacht and drink away the rest of his years.

    He'd be happy dying of lung cancer if he could have a few decades of that.

    By his estimation, he'd been another five years of big jobs until he was ready. Parts of him regretted taking this path sometimes. Despite what they believed, trainers here were poor as sin despite all of their sponsors. Even that man Craig Goodwill was fucking poor compared to trainers of his level in Unova and Galar. The best ones there lived like Arceus damned kings. A single yacht? How about ten? How about a private island? More money than they could spend in a single life? That didn't count the Elite Four who were just as rich, and so were the Gym Leaders, despite them pretending to have jobs. The thought alone made him laugh.

    Yes. Maybe if he had taken the correct, legal path, then he would have been there already. But it was too late, now. Abel had made his choice at the young age of sixteen when his Inkay evolved and he was in too deep to stop. He would do whatever was needed— with a code of honor, of course. He was unlike those other criminals that he frequented at the start of his venture into this business. People would often tell him to just control people into giving him all of their money or other crude ideas, but Abel did not go after the innocent so long as he was not paid to do so. He was simply an enforcer. The executioner. He was the gun, and his employers pressed the trigger.

    Exactly fifteen minutes and thirty-six seconds later, Abel felt a touch on his knee. Kecleon had always been a punctual one. The normal type reappeared and quietly whispered a few words.

    "There are still fifty guards. Fifty-one, to be exact," Zoroark translated. "He had to wait until ten of them came out and switched posts with ten that were outside, but there may be more that he couldn't see. He also tells you that he is tired of doing so much of the scouting and wants to laze around in the sun as a reward."

    "Sorry, but you're the best at it," Abel said. "Rest up for now."

    He recalled Kecleon. Abel might have had ten Pokemon, but only five were actually capable of battling at a high level, while the other five were mostly used for utility. He knew he was weaker than a member of the Elite Four even though he could escape them with their tricks, but he reckoned that he'd be able to give a gym leader's true team a run for their money and even win against some of the less annoying ones in Unova.

    As for Sinnoh's Gym Leaders? Well, he didn't know much about them.

    "Time to go, Zazza," Abel said. "Would have killed to have a smoke, but it is what it is."

    "I'll go buy you another lighter when this is over if you don't tell Xatu," Zoroark said. "She'll scream my ears off."

    "She'll figure it out anyway with that left eye of hers."

    The left saw into the past, and the right saw into the future, Abel reminded himself. The more complicated the question was, the less reliable predictions would get, but her past perception was crystal clear. She was able to recall what a person had done their entire lives, if she was given enough time to study them thoroughly. That had been useful on many occasions in his career. One time, he had needed the code to the safe of some company's hedge fund manager swimming in cash, but since he'd needed to be in a meeting in an hour and a half, Malamar's mind control would have been too slow. Of course, that was before he'd owned a Klefki.

    "There it is."

    Clarence's vacation home was so beautiful that it was irritating. The exterior was adorned with high-quality stucco, exuding a sense of sturdiness and sophistication. Elaborate architectural details such as ornate columns that held up the entryway, intricate moldings, and decorative crevasses and bumps added a touch of regality to the structure as if he was fucking bragging, screaming about how rich he was at the top of his lungs. It was a home he wished he could live in. The garden was grand too. The expansive grounds were meticulously landscaped, with lush green lawns, vibrant flower beds, and perfectly manicured hedges. Tall, majestic trees line the perimeter, providing shade and an added touch of privacy. Hell, there was even an outdoor patio, and who could forget the massive pool right next to it?

    Even from afar, it seemed like it was inviting him inside. He was still far enough from the structure, but he knew that it wouldn't take long for some patrolling League Trainer to rear their heads as soon as he entered the massive gates to the property. He discreetly released Hypno, who blinked at him and gently rubbed her pendent with her fur.

    "Do me a favor and fix up that mental shield. It's been a while since you renewed it."

    Hypno rolled her eyes, and Abel's head suddenly felt very cold. No, his head was the wrong way of describing it. The inside of his head— his brain felt cold as psychic energy wormed itself through his skull and gently enveloped the organ. Then another layer. Then another. Five layers of mental shields later, Abel was ready.

    The more layers a psychic added to someone's brain, the more unstable the entire structure became, and if it collapsed… well, it wouldn't be pretty. Hypno was a professional at barriers, however, and she would be ready to get up to six soon.

    "Feel like you can Teleport me up to the right facade?" Abel asked, pointing slightly more than half a mile in the distance.

    He would have to be quick. Because like all dark types, Zoroark couldn't be teleported. This was the most sensitive part of the operation. If they were too slow…

    They'd get caught immediately.

    Hypno nodded.

    "Good."

    Abel recalled Zoroark, and before he could even blink, he was next to the mansion. The sound of a few talking League Trainers was to his left, probably on the front yard while he could hear the faint sound of a fountain to his right.

    Zoroark came out again right away and shrouded all three in darkness. Before Hypno felt too much strain, he recalled her as well. They'd practiced the motion so many times that it barely took half a second. Half a second for a psychic to have sensed them.

    Abel waited, his hand on Machamp's Pokeball, but none of them came.

    Step one was complete. Now, he needed to get inside. He hadn't teleported here by random. There was a large window that he could easily climb in, but it was obviously locked from the inside. That was nothing that they hadn't gotten past before.

    A Klefki appeared in front of Abel. The steel type's face was perfectly still, unable to change due to his internal structure, but he knew from the little jingle created by his ten keys that he was happy to see him. Abel did not even need to verify that Zoroark was keeping them quiet. He trusted in her skills too much for that.

    "Unlock the window," he immediately ordered. Smashing it or forcing it open might have been too loud even with the darkness' dampening effect, and if anyone walked past here, they'd known someone had broken in.

    It had been ten seconds since they'd gotten teleported here.

    No one could keep a door closed from Klefki, and a window counted as a door. The fairy type softly tapped one of his keys on the glass, and they all heard a clink. Abel quickly slid the window up and jumped into the mansion's interior. He was in one of the side rooms that flanked the foyer in the distance, and it appeared to function as some kind of pseudo-living room. There were couches all around a coffee table, along with a luscious carpet below them.

    Luckily for him, the majority of League Trainers were outside and not inside, but he'd still have to be careful. According to Kecleon, only forty-one were littering in the garden. That meant that he had to watch out for ten people and their Pokemon.

    He quickly got away from the door and the window. Once he got out of this room, there would be no more stopping. It was all or nothing.

    In nine futures out of ten, he was found out in some way, shape, or form.

    Abel usually wasn't nervous, but by Arceus, these kinds of jobs were the ones that made his fingers shake.

    "I fucking love gambling," he said, clenching a fist around Kecleon's Pokeball.

    They used the same trick, rendering him completely invisible to eyes and psychics as he scouted the inside of the mansion. Clarence was currently showering on the second floor while two League Trainers stood guard in front of his bathroom. Five others were in the foyer, one leaning next to the entrance and the other next to the stairs up. The other three were scattered along the rest of the vacation home, patrolling as they pleased and making rounds around the entire place.

    There was only one dark and one psychic in the mansion too, although it was possible that they had more that they simply hadn't released.

    Abel smiled as a bead of sweat dropped down his cheek as he recalleed Kecleon. He could exploit this. It would have been easier if Zoroark's small shroud didn't interfere with his psychic types so much, but he did have Malamar.

    He was borne both of dark and psychic. Unable to use Teleport, but still able to function in Zoroark's shroud. He released the psychic type, along with Machamp. The hulking mass of muscles was Abel's best physical fighter along with one other Pokemon. Even slippery people like him needed power to back them. In his line of work, fights were bound to break out.

    Abel whispered, "Insulate the room."

    Abel's eyesight grew blurry for a few seconds before returning to normal, and Zoroark could finally take a break. Keeping up such a strong and large veil and having shrouded Kecleon did a number on her, and her breaths had grown ragged.

    It took five minutes for the first League Trainer to enter the room. He was accompanied by a Kingler that crawled all along the wooden floor, scuttling as its eyes darted around the room independently from each other.

    The moment he stepped into the room, they struck. Malamar dragged the trainer toward him while Machamp and Zoroark worked together to knock out Kingler. The fighting type restrained it with his two upper arms while constantly hitting him with the other two, while Zoroark pushed a Focus Blast into its back.

    "Knock him out— never mind."

    The trainer was already asleep, thanks to Malamar's Hypnosis. He placed him on one of the couches and waited for another to come in.

    One by one, they all fell into his trap.

    —

    Once he'd dealt with the three patrolling League Trainers, more came to investigate. He managed to take down six in total before he decided to simply go out there and brute force things. It wouldn't be good if they got too cautious and called for help from the outside. Once Kecleon reported their position, he used Zoroark's shroud once more and went on the aggressive, taking down the last four trainers with Machamp, Malamar, and Shedinja. The bug type was his fastest Pokemon and could easily overwhelm all of his enemies, using Wonder Guard for protection. So long as Malamar kept the trainers from moving to release the rest of their teams and he had the numerical advantage, he would win.

    Abel left them where he'd met them. It would be too suspicious if the psychics outside sensed that all trainers had bunched up in a single room.

    He reveled in Clarence's look of horror once he stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still wet from his shower.

    "A—Abel—"

    "Yes," he tiredly said. "I told you I'd get paid."

    Clarence stared at the knocked-out League Trainer on the floor along with his Durant and audibly gulped.

    "I can't pay you, Abel. I'm stuck here, and you insist on getting paid in cash. The League would know if I retrieved the large sum you've asked."

    "Oh, I know. I'm asking you to contact someone from Unova to do it for you. It'll be quite easy. I have a burner phone with me, and all you have to do is tell them to fly out here with the cash and hand it to one of my associates. I know your bank accounts aren't being tracked in Unova."

    And Arceus, was carrying so much cash a pain in the ass. Abel had multiple safe houses he kept his money in, but he'd have to figure something out for when he managed to find a way back to Unova.

    Clarence's face scrunched up. "Fine. Who should I call?"

    "Oh, I don't know. Your wife, maybe? Or someone you trust with your damn bank account information, I don't really care. Just make sure they're trustworthy. By the way, we're leaving."

    "I don't know if they'll answer an unknown number—"

    Abel quickly clicked his tongue and clasped at the man's face tightly with a single hand.

    "Shut the hell up."

    His mind flashed back to what Xatu had said. Kidnapping. He was taking too long because rage was clouding his judgment. The original plan had been to just slip away with Clarence, leaving everyone with their lives because he didn't kill unless he was being paid exorbitant prices. This was just revenge. A one-man show that only involved him and Abel. He didn't feel like murdering a bunch of rookie trainers.

    He released his Xatu, much to Clarence's terror.

    "Xatu. Bring us back to base," Abel said, recalling his other Pokemon. His brain was on autopilot. He'd done this so many times that it was just as quick as breathing.

    Negative. Empty matter is currently swarming the building. I am unable to look into the future or the past, but it would be wise to assume that reinforcements are coming.

    Her voice was jittery and like static to his mind, but he could tell from looking into her eyes that she was worried.

    "Well, damn," he said, suddenly feeling very exhausted. "Knew it was too damn easy. They knew I was in there and were springing a trap. Let's see me get out of this bind, eh?"

    I would recommend running.

    "You ruin the fun in things," he irritatingly waved at her as he leaned against the wall. "Put on some clothes, Clarence."

    "What—"

    "Put on some damn clothes. I don't feel like seeing you naked for however long I'll have you with me."

    The older man very quickly scrambled into the bathroom and was so nervous he struggled to dress back up. Abel released four of his fighters and stared into their eyes.

    Malamar. Zoroark. Shedinja. Machamp.

    "Hypno and Xatu aren't going to be here because of this dark bullshit," he smiled thinly. The psychic wasn't great at battling, but having psychics to keep him protected was an advantage he'd be foolish not to use. "Machamp, you grab the old fool. Keep him alive and don't snap him like a twig."

    The fighting type licked his lips and grinned as he extended a limb, picking up Clarence and putting him over his right shoulder like a worn rag or a bag.

    "You're going too far, Abel. Men like you—"

    "There are no men like me. Only me," he raised a finger. "Shedinja, battling dark types is going to be tough for you, but you're quick enough to dodge most of what they throw at ya anyway. Don't get hit."

    The husk of the empty, decomposing shell stood completely still while his halo glimmered slightly. Putrid odor and noxious liquid oozed from his pinhole eyes, and he was pretty unsettling to look at for too long, even after having owned him all those years.

    "Malamar, your psychic attacks are going to be fucked for a little, but you're you. Brute force it and knock those trainers out," he said, taking a deep breath. "If that doesn't work, well… kill them. One good Dark Pulse should be enough."

    Malamar smirked and let out a little cooing sound. He always liked when they were in deep shit.

    "Zazza, you stick close to me and counter the attacks they throw. We know that they've made a perimeter around the building since we haven't gotten attacked yet. Or maybe they're on the first floor waiting. Either way, I'm letting Mimikyu out to play."

    Xatu and Machamp's faces fell, but they knew it was necessary.

    Abel released his last fighter.

    "Pika?"

    The sound of a Pikachu emerged from Mimikyu. It was so convincing that even Abel would have found himself hard-pressed to figure out the difference between a real cry and the fake one. Her tattered, ghostly cloak clung to her malformed body with childlike drawings of what a Pikachu should look like. The fabric, decayed and frayed, hung in disarray, exuding a cold air that made Abel shiver. Beneath the cloak, only fragments of a face dared to emerge. A pallid, withered visage, distorted and contorted, peered through the veil of darkness. Her two eyes, deep and cavernous voids that looked like drawn swirls onto a dark surface reflected an abyssal emptiness that deeply unsettled anyone who dared look at her. Jagged teeth jut out from its twisted maw below the costume that would consume anything that would approach.

    "We're fighting. Keep your head in the game. No unnecessary killing, not when we aren't getting paid."

    "Pika! Pikapi!"

    Abel recalled Xatu, then strode through the hallway and down the stairs.

    —

    "̶̧̢͖̭̩̙͓͎͓͇͕̥̭̣̬̀͊̏̋̓͆̽̊̍͂Pi̴̡̢̱͉̞͖̋̂̾̈̂̀̓̊̍̍k̸̰̬̩̻̪͖̱̹͗̈͋̏̅̀̽a̵̢̞͔̳̰͉͔͇̻̟͑͆c̷͎̦̏̉h̵̡̨̪̥̱̗͗̐̑̏̀͋͜͜͝ù̵̃!̴̺̟͊͌̃̊̃̓̾̔̏̇̎͗̕͝ ̷̧̦͖̱͕͙͗̐̀́͒̈́̀̏̉̀̌̀͜͝P̷̛̝̖̳̌̈́̍̌̄͂̈́̉̉̕͠͝͠i̴̡̤͕͖̬̼͋̉̔̾̒̇͛̆͐̓͠k̶͈̳̩̙̰͉̉̾͜͝ã̵̩̟̘̗͐́̍̀͋͝!̷̺̩̺̞̤̜̹̩̬̳̄̑̒̇̉́̉̓̕͜ͅ"

    Mimikyu tore through an Umbreon's flesh with a sharpened Shadow Claw, her cuteness from a few minutes ago all forgotten now that someone had knocked her mask down. Her cries were a distorted, rageful thing. Shadowy tears somehow streamed down her ragged cloak, the drawings having etched themselves on thereafter she had gotten hit. Malamar's eyes shone, his strong psychic abilities surprising the mass of League trainers and restraining them by lifting them in the sky. Malamar knew how to push through dark type bullshit thanks to understanding how it functioned.

    His Hypnosis quickly put five of them to sleep at once. An eerie light appeared above Shedinja and hovered right in front of a Persian's eyes. The normal type snarled at the Confuse Ray and began attacking its trainer, who screamed in pain as a Slash tore through her chest.

    In a way, fighting in melees like this was safer than not. You couldn't use flashy moves and tricks in battles without risking your own death or friendly-fire incidents, so they tended to be rather simple and restrained to normal, non-destructive moves.

    These League Trainers were recruits. Unrefined and unprepared. Their Pokemon were almost good enough to stand where he was, but they themselves were not. They were too green. Too unfocused. There was a world's difference between doing fancy tricks during training and doing it when your life was on the line.

    But that did not mean it was easy. A Hitmontop spun on its head and its kicks somehow easily countered his towering Machamp's strikes. The fighting type let a flurry of kicks fly focusing only on Machamp's knees, and he got down on one knee before a focused beam of poison hit him in the arm and melted off his skin. Now finished with her Umbreon, which now lay lifeless on the ground with its chest barely rising and lowering, Mimikyu's claw turned to a vibrant pink as she began to clobber Hitmontop with Play Rough. Zoroark's eyes shone as a Protect appeared around them, barely shielding Abel from a beam of frigid ice. A Glaceon's Ice Beam hit the barrier until it was exhausted, and she countered with Dark Pulse. The rings of void intertwined and slammed against its icy hide, leaving an opening for Malamar to put Glaceon to sleep.

    Abel's eyes darted around the garden. Only two dark types left now that Umbreon had fallen. That should be enough to Teleport away, but he needed to find an opening for it. He was currently holding his own, but he wasn't winning. The first wave had been relatively incompetent, but these new trainers knew what they were doing. He did not even flinch as Zoroark weakened a Centiskorch's Flamethrower with a Dark Pulse, leaving Malamar enough time to alter its path. He still winced at the heat and felt some of his skin burn.

    His eyes narrowed when he saw a Mismagius take down his Shedinja with a single Hex. It had tried to place him under an illusion multiple times, but Zoroark had quickly nullified it. Shedinja's husk now turned lifeless, its halo disappearing, but he recalled it before it hit the ground and released Xatu.

    "Start charging up a Teleport. On my go, you whisk us away," Abel whispered. Xatu was good, but she couldn't Teleport all of his Pokemon at once, especially when that Absol and Honchkrow were still leaking dark type energy like a motherfucker. The sky was not dark as he had heard it had been in Solaceon. The things that Shiftry had done couldn't be replicated, but it would still hurt her concentration. "Stay focused. No accidents."

    Of course, she answered, her voice distorted.

    The League Trainers redoubled their attacks now that they'd seen his Xatu, and Mimikyu was starting to get overwhelmed by sheer numbers. He bit his lip and recalled all of his Pokemon at once. Clarence fell onto the floor and yelped in pain, but in a flash, they were gone. Back at one of his hideouts, this time near the Game Corner.

    Abel, however, felt like his waist was hot. He touched it and realized it was bleeding. He'd gotten hit by something before Teleporting away—

    He fell to the floor and panted. His waist was on fire and he writhed in agony.

    "Looks like you were right about that damned injury, Xatu. Release Machamp for me," Abel said with ragged breaths.

    Clarence said nothing as Xatu levitated the Pokeball and released the wounded fighting type.

    "Machamp. Patch me up please."

    The fighting type grunted and got to work., ignoring the wounds she had taken in the battle.

    Let me remind you that you have a meeting with the lunatics in one hour and a thirty-seven minutes, Xatu's voice rang out.

    "Don't call them that. Only I call them that."

    Still, Abel internally sighed. He hadn't forgotten, but he did wish it could be tomorrow instead of today. He didn't want to come at them in a position of weakness, and coming wounded certainly was that. Sending Zoroark was technically a possibility. Her mind would just appear blank, as if he'd had a mental shield put up— and he would go in there with Hypno's shields. There was no way he'd ever meet with these crazies without protection. The problem was that Zazza would definitely mess up somewhere. She didn't know how to behave like he did.

    Abel winced as Machamp gently cleaned the deep cut on his side. He took off his shirt which was now soaked with his blood.

    "Yeah, I'll get there," he finally answered. "After a short break. I kicked the damn hornet's nest, so the streets are going to be crawling with League Trainers, and you got hit as well, so you should recover. Don't want to mess up Teleportation. One of the most gruesome ways to go."

    The man let out a few shallow breaths

    "Why, Abel?" Clarence sighed. His defeated tone felt like bliss to Abel. "Why go so far? You've endangered yourself and for what? Money? Do you think they'll let anyone have access to my bank accounts after this?"

    "Don't be stupid," he smiled. "I know that was the original plan, but you must have cash stored somewhere. Men like you are too paranoid not to have an off-ramp in case everything goes to shit and you need to flee somewhere."

    Clarence said nothing, but the weakness in his eyes betrayed him. Abel recalled Machamp to let him rest. He'd been hit hard by that poisonous attack and his knees were injured as well.

    "You're an open book. Call your wife, Clarence. If you don't, I'll just have to leave Malamar here to work on you. By the time I'm back from my meeting, you'll be under his complete control."

    "Very well… I will call my wife and get her to take the money, but it's the middle of the night in Unova, so she may not answer. where should I have it sent to?"

    "You'll send it nowhere," Abel said. "I have an associate in Unova that she can hand it to. Sung Chin-Ho. I'll call him first."

    Clarence winced at the name. Sung was another well-known Unovan criminal that Abel had worked with in the past. He was trustworthy, and he owed him a favor. People in this line of work knew not to cross others that had helped them before, but there was still a bit of doubt in Abel's heart. Right now, he was stranded in Sinnoh, and Sung might get a big head and take the money for himself. Unfortunately, he was the only one Abel trusted to be good enough to escape a potential trap. He grabbed his burner phone and dialed his colleague's number.

    "Come on, Sung," Abel muttered. "Answer."

    His body untensed when the rings stopped. Sung didn't speak, of course. It'd be stupid to speak first when an unknown number was calling.

    "Sung. It's Abel."

    "Well, well, well," he jeered. "The trapped rat himself. How's Sinnoh treating you? I hope you're enjoying your vacation in that uncivilized cesspool."

    "This is no time for jokes. I'm cashing in that favor now. I need you to pick up some money for me— cash. You'll need to stash it until I come back. "You'll pick it up on the outskirts of Castelia, 30 Stoneybrook Road."

    Sung paused. "What's in it for me, Abel? See, you've left quite a hole by leaving dear Unova. People are scrambling to fill it and enrich themselves. I carved out a good little niche in Castelia, and I'm making more money than ever," he said. "The longer you're stuck in the boonies, the better it is for me."

    "I saved you from getting caught, and this is how you repay me?" Abel hissed. "You're an honorless worm, Sung."

    "You know how it is, Abel. It's just business. I could have said yes and taken the money for myself, so consider the favor given."

    He sighed. "It is."

    Sung hung up, and Abel slammed a fist against the decrepit floor of his hideout. He'd been so close, and yet he was stuck.

    "I presume it didn't work out?" Clarence said.

    "It didn't. Don't think you're out of the woods," Abel muttered. "I'll think of something. I always do. For now, why don't you stew on your thoughts in silence."

    "Have you seen where your quest for revenge brought you, Abel? You are still stuck here with no way out. You are a maniac with no sense of self-preservation. What good is honor if it gets you killed?"

    "Don't get cocky now," Abel said, his expression growing dark. "And don't think I won't kill you because I spared… most of those League Trainers and their Pokemon. Business is business, but there are always accidents."

    That seemed to shut him up. It was about honor, but also principle. What good was a man who couldn't pay his bills and went back on his word? Now, he wasn't actually planning on killing him, but Clarence was too much of a wimp to think for one damn second.

    What about asking him for transport back to Unova? Xatu asked.

    Abel chuckled. "Come on. For all your precognition, you think too simply, Xatu—"

    Do not get smart with me, or I will leave little Dan in your permanent care. Do not think I cannot convince Zazza as well, she said, closing her left eye. The probability of her agreeing is high.

    Abel smirked. "You couldn't have figured that out in that little time, but okay, okay. Really, there is no way the Sinnohan government will let any private plane from Unova land without thoroughly checking the intentions of the pilot. It'd be a trap. I barely managed to scrape by against some rookies from the League."

    Very well. Rest, now, Abel. I shall analyze the probability of you dying in your meeting. It would be a shame if you did.

    "Come on, Xatu. Don't get soft on me, now."

    I will not allow you to perish. You will die old and miserable, but we will all be there with you. Now sleep. Your injury is worse than it looks.

    He did not fall asleep, but he did close his eyes.

    —

    The probability of your death at the meeting is at eleven percent and rising, Xatu finally said. We must make haste. Are you ready?

    Abel stared at Clarence Obel one last time. He was tightly bound, gagged and he'd triple-checked to see if it was tight enough. He considered letting one of his Pokemon stay back, but he felt vulnerable without all of them by his side. Plus, Shedinja was down for the count and Mimikyu and Machamp were wounded.

    He'd need all of them for his meeting.

    "Sure thing," he sighed. "Arceus, I fucking hate Team Galactic."

    After twenty seconds, he blinked, and he was somewhere else.

    Every time Abel met with Team Galactic, he found himself being less and less willing to work with them. They paid well and on time, but there was a reason he called them lunatics. Xatu Teleported him to one of the bases they always met in and Abel instinctively placed a hand on his Pokeballs. He didn't actually know where their main compound actually was and they didn't trust him enough to reveal that information despite them working together. This was a hangar of some sort next to an abandoned container terminal northeast of Veilstone that they had repurposed as one of their bases. It was grimy and dark, but it had all the space they needed for whatever it is they did in there. He hadn't seen most of it, only a few rooms. The one Xatu had brought him in looked more like an interrogation room than anything. A few steel chairs and a table. No windows, a dim hanging from the ceiling and a single steel door.

    In front of him stood three of Team Galactic's Commanders.

    The tallest one and only man called himself Saturn. His face twisted in displeasure as soon as he saw Abel appear. He was just as insane as Mars but in a very different way. It had taken Abel a while for him not to chuckle at that stupid fucking blue haircut. A Toxicroak hung by his side, clearly annoyed at this meeting.

    Mars, meanwhile, happily called out his name as soon as he appeared. Whereas Saturn was standing, glaring with his arms crossed and his face twisting in anger, Mars was sitting and giggling as she tapped her feet on the floor like a little child.

    "Abel! We heard about what you did, you're just so much fun all the time!" She cheered. "I wish I could do stuff as well! It's so boring these days, and Dusky's been getting hungry."

    Dusky. The ghost that was always by her side out of his Pokeball. Abel knew exactly where he was thanks to Xatu continuously feeding him information. He was right above her, as always. Abel had never actually seen the ghost, but he knew how threatening he was. Mars was unhinged, but again, in a different way than Saturn.

    Saturn gave no value to anything other than Team Galactic, including human life. To him, deaths were a statistic, and he despised Abel for his materialistic ways. If he could press a button that killed all of humanity, Abel had no doubt he'd press it so they wouldn't get in Team Galactic's way. They were like ants to him. He was Cyrus' closest Commander along with Charon, who wasn't here today.

    Mars, meanwhile, knew lives to be valuable, which made her all the more terrifying. She had bragged to Abel about her singling out a single member of their organization and mentally fucking with them for weeks just to see what would happen, only to start over again with a new one when they broke or she got bored, much to Saturn's displeasure, and she also dabbled in physical torture of League members they sometimes captured just because she found it fun. She liked studying human suffering and took great pleasure in the minute details while Saturn looked at the picture as a whole.

    Oh, and she was also fucking obsessed with Cyrus, Team Galactic's leader who Abel had never met.

    But there was one more commander with them. Jupiter.

    She was normal, oh, so normal, but that made her all the more horrifying for going along with this entire organization. Abel had talked with her the most, and sometimes he even forgot that she wasn't just an ordinary young woman. She had no Pokemon with her, it seemed. Charon was somewhat normal as well, but he walked a narrow path with a single goal in mind. Abel knew that look in his eye, but he did not know what the goal in question was.

    He hated working with them. Their goals weren't aligned at all, but they paid very well. No one else in Sinnoh would employ him, and he was stuck here, after all. He didn't care at all about them potentially taking over the government. In fact, he knew it to be impossible— Xatu had said as much. Even if they did, they'd have a rebellion on their hands and the other regions would intervene.

    They'd been virtually wiped out of eastern Sinnoh and were only able to conduct small-scale operations there, and they'd been reduced to hiding like rats in Veilstone. It was only a matter of time until the League brought the hammer down and destroyed their presence there entirely. Once they did, they'd be too weak to do anything else, so Abel wanted to milk them for all they were worth.

    Eleven percent chance of dying, Abel thought. That number was no doubt faulty, but there'd been no time to study multiple futures so they had to make do with what they had. He stood up straight, hiding his pained side as best he could. He had to come to this meeting from a position of strength.

    "Sorry I'm late," Abel finally said. "I was held up with something."

    "You kidnapped Clarence Obel," Jupiter said. "It's impossible to miss. I have to say, I'm impressed. I wouldn't have wanted you to die."

    "Appreciate that," he said. Before he could keep going, Saturn snarled.

    "You egotistic, sniveling worm! Now the League will double— no, triple their patrols! I thought we told you to stay put and await your next orders! You've gone against Team Galactic. If it were up to me, you'd be dead where you stood."

    "I am not subservient to you, Saturn. I have my own agenda and goals to accomplish, and I don't care if it means I have to step on your toes to get there."

    Mars laughed. "Good answer! I would have asked Dusky to kill you if you got boring and apologized," she smiled. "You're always entertaining, Abel, that's why I like you."

    "Now, now, let's all take a deep breath, okay?" Jupiter said, putting a hand on Saturn's shoulder. "The meeting was originally meant to give you a job, but we'd like it if you warned us before doing things like this. We're partners, right? It's only normal to warn each other."

    "That's a fair point," Abel said. "What's the job?"

    "Enough about jobs! Join Team Galactic already! You're nifty enough to be a Commander if you work hard and prove yourself," Mars demanded. Abel didn't miss the hungry look in her eye. She wanted him to be one of her toys, no doubt.

    "I'm afraid It'd be better to work toward getting back to Unova," Abel said.

    "Bummer," she pouted.

    "You are to try to find out the progress the League has made regarding our bases, you miscreant!" Saturn exclaimed.

    "That's awfully vague. These are usually a lot more precise."

    "Saturn's not explaining it correctly," Jupiter said. "As you know, we've set up multiple bases, but only a single one matters to us—"

    "The one I don't know about," Abel interrupted.

    She smirked. "Yes, that one. Not even all of Team Galactic's members are privy to its location, so no hard feelings, yes? It'd be good for us if the government attacked one of these bases we don't care about. It'd release the tension for a while and it might even fool them into thinking they got us for a few days."

    So they were buying time, then? What for? The longer they waited, the weaker they'd get, and hundreds or potentially thousands of their members would get caught in the raid. Abel didn't let the confusion show on his face.

    "I wanna fight…" Mars sighed.

    "So? Just send out some poor goon to confess and use them as bait. Doesn't seem like a job for me."

    "The primary goal is for you to track progress on the main base," she said. "We'd never be able to do that. It would also help to know if they already know about multiple of our bases and are just waiting to strike or not. There are preparations that would need to be sped up, in that case."

    "Fine," Abel grumbled. "But I want a higher rate. This is more dangerous than usual."

    Saturn clicked his tongue. "Look at you. You are a simpleton only driven by greed. There is no higher goal to your life, no passion, no love. How pathetic. You will die without having accomplished anything—"

    "Let's add five million to your payment, then," Jupiter nodded.

    Abel restrained a smirk. They really blew money away like they didn't care about what would happen in just a few months. He knew they were making money, but there was no way they were making that much.

    To learn about the League… well, he'd have to capture some League Trainer, get Malamar to control him and go from there. The problem was that the range meant that he'd need to be a few blocks away, and that was risky, but he'd figure something out.

    "Sounds good," Abel nodded. "Is that it?"

    "Yes. Thank you for cooperating," Jupiter said.

    Mars raised her hand like a kid in school. "Wait! Could you catch someone for me?"

    "Pay and I can do anything."

    "Grace Pastel—"

    "Absolutely not," Saturn shot her down. "Team Galactic will not allow you to play with a toy, especially one that's guarded by five Elite ACE trainers."

    "Five? Never mind, then," Abel said.

    "We wouldn't have paid you anyway," Jupiter shook her head. "She's been obsessed with this girl ever since Valley Windworks… it gets a bit much sometimes. Remember, Mars, Cyrus told us to stay put."

    "Fiiiine. It's a bummer. She's been getting a big head and having too much fun lately. I want to ruin that little face of hers. My knife's been itching to cut her open—"

    "I'll be off, then," Abel interrupted. "Next week, same time, correct?"

    Saturn and Jupiter nodded, and Xatu Teleported Abel back to his base—

    And then there was pain. Horrible, mind-bending pain.

    He felt something squeeze his entire body like a vice, and he was too out of it to see what happened to Xatu. It was as if someone was stabbing his bandaged wound. A few rays of light, a bolt of electricity fried her and she was soon being held up just like he was. Unlike him, however, she squirmed and struggled. He could see agony flash in her eyes and after thirty seconds, a ghostly form slipped out of her, leaving her unconscious.

    Had that been a Haunter?

    "Let him move his face," a woman— no, a girl's voice said.

    Finally, he could breathe properly again. He turned and saw a pink-haired girl sitting on Clarence's body. He looked terrified, but some pleasure slipped into his eyes. He was clearly happy to see Abel in this situation, and that enraged him even more. She had ungagged, but not untied Clarence, but he stayed silent anyway and tried to make himself as small as possible. A Gardevoir and an Alakazam stood by her side, their eyes shining as their combined force held him up in the air while a Magnezone floated close to the ceiling.

    He'd gone soft. Overconfident after his recent victory. He should never have Teleported back without one of his battlers out with him. Abel struggled some more and tried to move his arms, but nothing worked.

    "How the hell did you find this place?" He asked. The best thing to do in these situations was to buy time. People loved to talk, even when they shouldn't. He'd almost fallen victim to that with Clarence earlier. "What do you want?"

    "That's a secret, but you can call it a lucky break," the girl winked. "Now, I have a few questions regarding Team Galactic, Abel, and you will answer them. This big guy over here," she paused, slapping Clarence on the face more than what was necessary. "Told me you just came out of a meeting with 'em."

    "Who sent you?" Abel hissed. He remembered her face from earlier, along with the Gardevoir, but he couldn't place a name.

    "I sent myself. Now, I recommend you talk fast. I have a scary League Trainer called Carlos on my tail and I only managed to slip past him because he didn't know about Alakazam being able to Teleport me places, and it turns out I might have had a few more guards than I originally thought. You know what happens if they get here, don't you? You get caught and your brain goes kaboom a few hours later," she said, mimicking an explosion with her hands. "Now, me, I'll just get scolded, but I can take the credit for catching you and that'll smooth things over. Since I'm a nice gal and I don't give a crap about you. I'll let you go as long as you give me what I want."

    Abel bit his lip. She could have been lying, but he'd seen her with a League Trainer earlier today. All these years, he'd slipped past government authorities, rival criminals, gangs, a damn member of the Elite Four, and the one who finally did him in was a fucking kid because of his damn hubris. Judging by how slow Xatu went down to four of her Pokemon, he bet that he could have taken her with no problem if he could just get one of his battling Pokemon out of their Pokeballs. She was using the same trick he liked to do and he'd used on so many League Trainers earlier today.

    He pushed and struggled for another few seconds. His arms and hands didn't budge one inch.

    No matter how strong a trainer was, it didn't matter if you took their Pokeballs away.

    "Come on, now. Chop chop!" She yelled, clapping her hands. "And don't even think about lying. You're smart enough to know what Gardevoir are capable of."

    "What do you want to know?" He sighed.

    She answered with a sheepish grin. "Now that was easy, wasn't it?"
    NOTICE: No Chapter tomorrow, but this one's extra long.

    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Interlude - Trap
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    • INTERLUDE - TRAP

    Mira Compton lazily walked the streets of Veilstone with her hands behind her back as Carlos followed her. Her eyes darted around the entire street for any suspicious activity or anything out of the ordinary, but at this point, she knew her search would be fruitless. It was something to pass the time and that made her think that she was at least doing something instead of letting her goal slip past her.

    "What do you say, Carlos? How 'bout I buy you some late lunch? I bet you haven't eaten yet, and they got some good quesadillas down at the Food Court!"

    The gruff man stared at Mira, his face expressionless. She could never tell what he was thinking behind that one eye of his.

    "I already had lunch when you were at the Pokemon Center," he answered. "Feel free to go eat yourself. I will follow."

    "What if I just wanted to eat with you, Carlos? I want to study you a little—"

    Mira.

    Gardevoir's voice rang out in her mind. She'd evolved a few hours ago, around thirty minutes after Grace left for whatever it was she had to do. It was probably more training, if Mira had to guess. The fairy type was tall and shadowed her as much as Carlos did, and she was still getting used to how loud cities were for empaths like her. Gardevoir hadn't struggled as much as Mira thought she would, though, and she seemed to be having no problems whatsoever. She was sensitive to minute changes, but there was no pain or headaches. Right now, she was focusing on sensing individual emotions from random people.

    The good thing about having Gardevoir out was that they could pretend not to speak, even with Carlos here. She could basically read her thoughts, after all. Mira's face didn't change, but her thoughts did. She wondered what Gardevoir wanted.

    Do not turn around. There is a woman in front of me that is empty. She is traveling with a man and a child. The child thinks like a Pokemon and the man dons a mental shield, but I can still feel his emotions. Anxiety, excitement… he is going to do something illegal.

    Well damn, that sure as hell was convenient. As it stood, the man behind her could be doing anything, but it was a lead, and Mira hadn't had one since she arrived in Veilstone. On the off-chance that this was more than it seemed, she decided to follow him. Carlos wouldn't know, of course. In his eyes, Mira would just be walking around. Would Trace be enough to track him?

    It is. The man is hard to track and the woman is impossible, but the child is easy. Its emotions are loud. They are now one block away, you should start walking. Turn back, and then go right. Keep your distance.

    "Nevermind about lunch, Carlos. I'm not hungry," Mira said. "Let's keep going. Hey, do you want to hear about that time in school when I accidentally flooded my locker in apple juice…"

    Mira ranted to Carlos about whatever came to mind, but in reality, she was thinking. Originally, Gardevoir's Trace ability had been largely useless even though it was one of the rarer ones her line could get. It was useful to easily keep track of ghosts whenever they disappeared which was why Haunty hated playing hide and seek with her, but its range had been pitiful and impossible to make use of. Now that she'd evolved, she could apparently hone in on a single person and follow them for… well, they hadn't tested the range yet, but it was huge. Maybe it was because Gardevoir was an empath as well? That was her best guess for now, and Alakazam agreed with that hypothesis.

    Emotions do help, yes, Gardevoir said. The louder they are, the easier it is to keep track. The woman would have slipped past Alakazam and most psychics, but my skills are beyond his now.

    Mira mentally thanked Gardevoir for the assist, but told her to focus to not lose the group. She'd said that the woman was empty, and after Solaceon, Mira knew that it could only mean dark type. Things got even easier for Gardevoir when they left the dense city center and entered the suburbs, and Mira made sure to stay as far as her range allowed her without being too distant. At some point, the group of three stopped somewhere and so did they. Not that Mira could actually see them. They were still following from afar, further than they could be noticed.

    The child is gone, but the man is still there. It is impossible to know if the woman is here or not, she said. What shall we do now, my dear?

    My dear? Mira smirked and figured that was a fine nickname. Now, either the kid had somehow disappeared off the face of the earth, or he was a Pokemon as Gardevoir had said and had just gone back inside his Pokeball. The most obvious answer was that he was a Ditto. If he'd been a ghost, then Gardevoir would have known, but wasn't this too simple? It'd be too convenient if she was right.

    "I'm gonna rest on this bench, Carlos. We've been walking for an hour and a half." She said. The League Trainer responded with a curt nod. "Hear me out here, I have another story."

    Carlos didn't groan, nor did his face change, but Mira knew he was starting to get sick of her. He was a quiet man that enjoyed silence, but she needed to keep his mind occupied.

    "I used to like this guy a few years back. He used to be really rude to me, but he stopped when almost my entire family died in that car accident that I told you about. I was alone with my uncle and he started to go off the rails with his research, but he was the only friend I had. His name was Frank…"

    Ditto were an extremely rare species that were seldom found in the wild. They had been discovered a few decades back, originally in Kanto, and they revolutionized Pokemon medicine. Some theorized that they had actually been created by humans like Porygon or Claydol due to them appearing around the time Team Rocket got its start, and they were known to have dabbled in Pokemon experimentation. Regardless, Ditto were a blessing. Before their use in medicine, permanent maiming or even death was a lot more common in Pokemon Battles. Mira found the topic fascinating, but right now, she knew only one person who owned a Ditto.

    Abel.

    And the only reason they'd found him— or well, whatever dark type he owned was because Gardevoir had been practicing her empathy powers after having recently evolved. Talk about a stroke of good luck. What in the world was he doing here? His being in Veilstone was obvious, but why the hell was he just walking around? There was a goal to this excursion— Gardevoir had said as much.

    Clarence Obel's mansion is up ahead, Gardevoir said.

    Mira heart swelled with jubilation. There it was. A stroke of luck had led her to the closest she'd ever been at making meaningful progress. Abel worked with Team Galactic, and if she managed to catch him off-guard, then she'd be able to question him. The two problems was the danger and Carlos. First, Abel's Pokemon were a lot better than hers, and second, Carlos would never let her do what she wanted. Mira needed to shake him off, and she knew exactly how.

    So he's going to pay Clarence a visit, that much is obvious, Mira thought to herself. Odds are, he's going to Teleport out if he doesn't get captured first.

    Right now, Gardevoir needed to keep her senses focused entirely on him. Tracking Teleportation was impossible, but a Pokemon with Trace could do it if they were good enough. They'd been following Abel for an hour and a half, and she had gotten used to how he thought and felt even through his mental barrier. The details would be blurry, but it was possible. She theoretically could have sent Porygon to infiltrate whatever phone he used, but Mira didn't want to risk the poor thing's wellbeing. She was still just a little baby that didn't even know good from evil.

    Alakazam will not approve, Gardevoir said.

    He wouldn't if Mira was rash about this, but she wouldn't be. Not when her goal was at the tip of her fingers. So close she could almost taste it. They wouldn't confront him today, but if he was planning on taking Clarence somewhere, he'd either take him to Team Galactic's base or his own hideout. Then, all they'd need to do was track it down and sneak in another day when he was out. He had a Xatu, so it was possible that he'd sense them, but to him, they'd just be passersby. One of the thousands on the streets he saw every day.

    Around fifteen minutes later, Abel moved again. Mira followed and realized quickly that he'd also been sitting on a bench.

    He Teleported toward the mansion, Gardevoir declared. I cannot feel him any longer. He is probably about to break in.

    Mira mused for a few seconds. Was he really going to kidnap Clarence that easily? She couldn't exactly see what was going on from here. On one hand, Clarence Obel suffering was a welcome development. No parent should have done what he did to Cecilia, and even though they weren't particularly close, Mira did feel for what she had gone through. It'd be nice if he could be roughed up a little, at the very least.

    On the other, she couldn't really do nothing. Mira usually asked for forgiveness instead of permission, but her plan was going to get her found out eventually, and if the League discovered that she'd essentially known of the kidnapping beforehand and done nothing to stop it, she might get in more trouble than she could handle.

    There was a tightrope she could walk here, and that was to wait a few minutes. If she could get Abel into multiple fights— enough to wound his Pokemon or him, then she'd be able to take advantage of that weakness. She doubted that Abel had any potions left. No stores would let him buy any, and she hadn't heard of him breaking into any Poke Marts or robbing any trainers.

    That is wise. If Abel is weakened, Alakazam will approve begrudgingly, Gardevoir said. Your quick thinking is a thing of beauty.

    Mira internally thanked her, but then her eyes narrowed. If she waited too long, she'd cause— she'd cause the deaths of innocent League Trainers. But if she didn't wait, then odds were Abel was going to get caught and her lead was going to go up in flames.

    They are strangers, dear. You do not have to care about them, the fairy type said. Focus on yourself.

    And yet, if she didn't, was she really any better than Uncle Ernie?

    "...anyway, that's how my first crush told me to my face that I was annoying when I was eleven. It didn't really matter to me, though. It was just another slump. Oh, and by the way, Carlos. I have a confession," Mira said.

    "Hm?"

    "Abel is about to break into Clarence Obel's mansion."

    Carlos frowned at her.

    "Don't believe me? Why don't we go an check it out, then?" Mira asked with a tired smile.

    The League Trainer shot up, and then whistled louder than what Mira thought possible. Two League Trainers dropped from the sky, one on a Pidgeot and another on a Staraptor. There were more guards? Mira bit the inside of her lips and internally swore. This was going to get complicated, and fast.

    "Go check on Clarence Obel's mansion," Carlos said. He seemed to be the one in charge. "I will remain here and make sure she doesn't slip away."

    The two trainers— one man and a younger woman saluted and flew off.

    "Can I go check it out? Pretty please?" Mira asked.

    "Absolutely not."

    Barely a minute later, he received a message on his Poketch. The unmelted half of his face twisted into a grimace.

    "Looks like you were right, Mira. They're forming a perimeter in hopes of trapping him. I have a question for you, however," he said before pausing. "How did you know this?"

    Mira clenched her hands around the bench in order not to tremble. Carlos was terrifying when he wanted to be, and his way of peering over her made her wish she could just disappear. A cold feeling rushed down her spine as the ghost that always clung above his shoulder made its presence known. Gardevoir placed a hand on her arm and pulled her back, standing in between them.

    Do not pressure her, she said, adding Carlos to their mental link. We were following a man and weren't sure if it was him or not until we came to the conclusion that he owned a Ditto.

    "There you have it," Mira shrugged, regaining her composure.

    The mansion feels empty, as if it's slowly disappearing, Gardevoir said to only Mira. That must be the perimeter. They will attempt to stop him from Teleporting with dark types.

    Would that mess up with Trace? Damn it, she was so close and it was falling apart.

    It will, unless we get closer to the source. I sense fighting.

    "Hey, Carlos," Mira sighed. "You know, I'm sorry for everything. Genuinely. I know you hated being assigned to me and that I made you work a bunch by being out every day instead of… being a normal girl, I guess."

    "Hm?"

    Gardevoir knew how to Teleport, but they hadn't practiced it that much, unlike with Alakazam. Carlos would react before she released Alakazam, and even if they got Gardevoir to release him instead, they'd need a few seconds to get him up to speed. Restraining him was out of the question from a morality standpoint. He'd been good to her, all things considered. He might not have talked much, but he listened to Mira's rants, her rage after days of no progress.

    Her crying.

    Do not fret. I shall go there myself and Trace his path. Interference will make this jump a hassle, but I believe I can at least manage to get up to the mansion. I only need to be slightly closer…

    Before Mira knew it, Gardevoir was gone. Carlos grimaced, but he surprisingly didn't do anything. Was he taking pity on her? No, he wasn't the kind of man to do that. Maybe he still didn't know about Trace and thought Mira was lashing out like a child, but would ultimately realize nothing could be done.

    "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Mira," he said. "Eventually, you're going to get too close to the sun."

    "Maybe."

    "No. It is not a maybe, it is a certainty. Look at my face, kid. This is what happens when you're young and you think nothing can happen to you. That you're on top of the world."

    "How'd you get those, anyway?" Mira asked.

    "Does it matter how exactly? I got a big head and got hit, that's all you need to know."

    She paused. "I guess so."

    "I sympathize with your goal, Mira, but Sinnoh's safety takes priority."

    "Maybe I should just give up, then, huh?" She tiredly said. "Maybe nothing I've worked toward these last four years mattered. I was so close. So damn close."

    "Sometimes, you have to let go."

    "I'll think about—"

    Gardevoir appeared back at her side, and then she was somewhere else. It was only her fourth time Teleporting somewhere, but it felt as natural as breathing to her. Not that it was that difficult, since it was instant with no drawbacks unless the Pokemon that did so messed up and got you killed.

    "Where are we?" Mira asked, looking around. It only took a second for her to realize where she was. "Oh, wait, this is my room."

    Gardevoir had brought her back to the Pokemon Center that had been neatly arranged by Alakazam. Mira collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling. It seemed to be higher than ever.

    "That could have gotten me killed. What if I got Teleported inside of a wall?"

    I was confident I would succeed. I felt it, in fact. I would never let such a fate befall you.

    "Alakazam would be angry if he knew."

    He would, Gardevoir chuckled. Abel has fled the scene. I do not know where he is exactly, but I know the general direction. I believe that I can track him down, but you will have many League Trainers on your tail. I recommend releasing the rest of team to get them up to speed, dear.

    "Gotcha," she sniffled. "You do some damn good work, Gardevoir. It'd be too obvious, so I doubt my room's the first place they'll look, so we should have a few minutes, at least."

    Anything for you.

    Mira wiped away her tears. She'd been so close to giving up just then, and the thought alone made her want to burst into tears. She had worked too hard to throw it all away. Mira grabbed her Pokemon and released them. Haunter, Magnezone, Alakazam, and even little Porygon joined in. Mira sniffled, then took a deep breath.

    "We've got a lead on Team Galactic, and I have very little time to explain, so Gardevoir will take over for me."

    Haunter's tongue lolled out of his mouth and he licked his lips while Magnezone shot him an annoyed look and buzzed at Porygon. The normal type let out a cute beep and got on top of Magnezone's head.

    Alakazam shot the fairy type a suspicious look. It would be best if you could explain in a way that does not disappoint me.

    Settle down, Alakazam. You know I would not endanger her.

    We have different definitions of endangering. You feel things while I think like a rational being,     Alakazam said. Go ahead.

    We tracked down Abel using Trace, and he has Teleported somewhere with Clarence Obel. I can feel him around the Game Corner, but if I get closer, I know I will find his exact location.

    This is idiotic    —

    I am not finished. First of all, before he Teleported away, I felt a bright emotion coming from him. Pain. It is still radiating off from the east.

    Mira's expression twisted into a grin. Abel was wounded, and that meant they had a better chance to catch him off-guard.

    Second, his Pokemon were also hurt, although I do not know to what extent. There were so many emotions jumbled there that it was hard to tell, especially with how many dark type moves were thrown around, so this one is not a certainly, since I was only focusing on Abel and not them.

    "So we've got a chance, then," Mira nodded. "But wait, Alakazam. We aren't actually going to fight him. The goal for today is only to find his base. We won't actually go in so long as he's in there."

    The psychic sighed. If you aren't going in, then I am willing to help. You must promise me that this is as far as you will go.

    "I promise that I won't seek a fight I can't win," she said, her tone resolute. "I will not throw my life away."

    A hint of a smile flashed on Gardevoir's face. Haunter cackled, his ghostly form wrapping around Mira's arm as the poison harmlessly washed off of her. Magnezone's magnets twisted in agreement while Porygon's head bobbed up and down.

    Very well, Alakazam sighed.

    "Thank you. Can you Teleport me somewhere you've been, then?" Mira asked. "They might be downstairs."

    —

    The problem with having pink hair was that Mira stood out. She stood out a lot. She couldn't help but turn around every few seconds, expecting Carlos to be here and scold her into next Thursday. Fortunately for her, however, he was nowhere to be seen. Still, League Trainers were starting to get agitated, so it was only a matter of time until someone got their hands on her.

    I know it now. He is in here, somewhere on the upper floors, Gardevoir said.

    Mira breathed out a sigh of relief. It had taken almost an hour for her to pinpoint Abel's location.

    We can leave now, then? Alakazam said, twirling his mustache. We got what we needed.

    "Yeah. Yeah, we can go," she nodded. "Thank you for agreeing with this."

    Alakazam levitated one of his spoons out of his hand and ruffled her hair. I know how important this is to you, child. Just know that you are cared for. Even the ghost likes you.

    "Hey, Haunty's a nice fellow," she smiled. "You just dislike him because he wants to play all the time."

    His definition of play is skewed, Gardevoir said. Also, may I also… perhaps…

    Mira chuckled as the fairy type hesitantly lifted a hand.

    "Go ahead, goofball!" She exclaimed, angling her head forward. Gardevoir's soft hands gently patted her head, unlike Alakazam's rough handling.

    Did you see it, Alakazam?! I did it! I did it!

    Oh, Legendaries,     he rolled his eyes. Spare me your celebrations!

    "Come on, guys. Let's go apologize to Carlos before—"

    Mira stopped herself when Gardevoir placed a hand on her shoulder, her soft eyes having grown confused.

    Abel is gone. He is further away now— so far that I cannot sense him.

    "Wait, he's— he's gone?" Mira exclaimed. "Where the hell did he go? Another base, maybe? Did he know we were here somehow and escape?! He must have Teleported away."

    I couldn't feel any panic, just general anxiety before he left.

    "If he's gone…" Mira muttered. "Could we go and check it out?"

    Mira—

    "He's not here, Alakazam. We can at least see what's inside," she interrupted. "The only risk is if he Teleports back and catches us off-guard, but we'll be alert at all times."

    If it is what you wish.

    Mira bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

    She knew he disapproved, but it was what needed to be done. She could have called for help from her friends, and maybe some of them would have helped, but she didn't want to involve them in this. Not when their lives would be at stake.

    Plus, there was the possibility of them snitching too. No, it was best to do this alone.

    Abel's hideout was in a well-off apartment building, but when they entered, they realized that the inside looked decrepit and uninhabited. The ground was littered with dust, dirt, old newspapers, broken glass, and everything she could think of. For such a nasty-looking place to be near the Game Corner… well, it looked pretty from the outside, at the very least. Alakazam swore when he stepped on a shard, but apart from that, they kept going. Gardevoir directed them up the stairs and led them to a door in the deepest parts of the third floor.

    Could she feel anything in there?

    One man, she answered.

    Yes, one man is correct, Alakazam nodded.

    He is terrified. It is probably Clarence Obel, she said.

    It is definitely Clarence Obel, he corrected.

    Stop correcting me.

    "It's just Clarence, then," Mira muttered.

    They could go in, free him and hand him back to the League, along with studying whatever it was that Abel kept in his hideout. If she rescued Mr. Obel, then at least that'd make her actions a bit easier to swallow. She was already in too deep to stop. There was no way she'd be allowed to go anywhere with a psychic type out of their Pokeball after this, so the best course of action was to go inside. Mira released Magnezone and Haunter appeared behind her. Gardevoir held out her hand before she even gave the order and forced the door open. Splinters exploded forward with a loud crash and all three of them stepped into the room.

    Clarence was tightly bound on the dirtied floor. He shook like a madman when he saw her. She froze for a second, but the gears in her head began to spin.

    "I'm here with the League to save you, Mr. Obel!" She smiled, rushing to his side.

    What are you doing? Alakazam yelled in her head.

    She mentally asked Gardevoir to tell him just to roll with it for now. The teenager ungagged Clarence, who took a few deep breaths as tears, snot and spit streamed down his face.

    "Oh, thank the Legendaries! Untie me, please!" He yelled.

    "Wait, first I need to know where Abel is," she lifted a finger. "There is the possibility that you cooperated with him to escape, after all. You've worked together before."

    "As if I—"

    "Tell me, or you might share your friend Harvey Bianchi's fate. The prisons of the Lily of the Valley Island are pretty bad, I hear. It'd be a shame when you've been living in a mansion all this time."

    He froze, and then Mira knew she had him. A person as young as she working for the League wasn't unheard of, but it should have alerted him. She wasn't even in a League Trainer uniform. Clarence was too scared to think for even a second.

    "He said he had a meeting with Team Galactic! He Teleported away a few minutes ago with his Xatu, I don't know where it's taking place!"

    She had it. She fucking had it. After looking for a gateway to meeting her uncle for so long, she was no longer chasing after a dream. She was making it a reality.

    No! Not yet. Mira couldn't rest on her laurels, not when there was still information that she needed to gather before making sure that she could trap him here. She couldn't go into a fight she couldn't win without risking herself and her Pokemon.

    Ask him about his wounded Pokemon, Gardevoir asked.

    She had been about to. "Are his Pokemon hurt? I wasn't assigned to protecting your mansion, but apparently he was wounded before bringing you here. Is that true?"

    Your acting could use some work, she commented.

    Silence and let her focus, you damned fool! Alakazam yelled.

    "He got stabbed by something on the left side of his waist, and he was so hurt that he almost passed out. His Shedinja fainted, his Mimikyu and Machamp are seriously hurt. Malamar and that strange dark type he calls Zazza are the only ones that came out of that battle unscathed," Clarence rambled. "I don't know about the rest, but he didn't use them to fight!"

    "When he went to his meeting," Mira started. "Did he Teleport with one of his wounded Pokemon? For protection?"

    "No, just his Xatu."

    Mira's face twisted into a grin. Three wounded Pokemon, and two dark types that he couldn't Teleport back with. That was five Pokemon that were potentially taken out of the equation. If he hadn't gone to see Team Galactic with his wounded Pokemon, the odds of him coming back with them in a place he considered safe enough to dump Clarence in were—

    Extremely low, especially after a victory such as this one, Alakazam finished. Gardevoir has been feeding me on your thought process. You have learned well, but you are missing a key piece. Ask him about his Xatu's capabilities. It will be the only Pokemon he comes back with, and I already know that you want to trap him now that all of this information is confirmed.

    Mira's eyes widened at the fact that he was okay with that.

    Our chances of success are high. It is a battle you will win, especially when Abel is wounded. The constant pain will make him sloppy, Gardevoir said.

    That was true enough, she thought, before asking the psychic type to thank Alakazam again for her.

    "His Xatu," Mira said. "How good is it?"

    "Does it matter? You're a damned League Trainer! Just take him down and send him to the slammer!"

    "Answer me," she hissed.

    Haunter's cold breath brushed up against Clarence's face, and he recoiled in terror.

    "When I bought his services months ago… he told me that he only had five Pokemon capable of battling. He didn't say what they were, but now I know, and you should too. He used them all during the fight."

    "Okay."

    Mira sat on Clarence's body and slapped his face. He yelped.

    "Why— what are you doing—"

    She slapped him again, although her hits weren't very effective because of how physically weak she was. "That one was for your daughter. I'm in charge here, you prick. Shut up and watch. Gardevoir, when he Teleports back, you restrain him. Alakazam, you focus on Xatu. Haunter, choke her out so she can't concentrate on fighting back. Magnezone, you zap the shit out of her. Stay alert, he can be here any second. When we have him, I'll ask him questions about Team Galactic."

    The key was to pretend to give him a way out of this mess, along with the feeling of time constraints to pressure him. Abel was a man with principles, but he was a rational person at heart, just like she was. His honor would fly out the window if it was to save his own skin.

    "Say, Clarence. Why is it that you hate your daughter so much?"

    "Who even are you?! You aren't a League Trainer! Everything I did, I did for her own good—"

    "You aren't listening to me," she sighed. "I'm wondering if I should just leave you to Abel after all."

    Of course, she was lying, but his squirming and begging was music to her ears. Six minutes later, Abel appeared. Her entire team sprung to action, restraining him and knocking out his Xatu. She reasoned with him, gave him all the facts, and he was ready to cooperate.

    Just as she had predicted.

    "What do you want to know?" He sighed.

    She answered with a sheepish grin. "Now that was easy, wasn't it?"
    A/N: So yeah, the Trace ability is changed, as you can see. It's one of the nerfs to Teleport I thought about near the start of the story, along with dark types and a few other things. Sorry for ending the chapter at the exact same spot as last chapter, but I thought it was important to let you know how the hell Mira even got there in the first place and a little of how she thinks. Another tidbit about Ditto, in my headcannon, Giovanni wasn't Team Rocket's original leader and they created it as some sort of weapon but failed. It was only the first step in creating Mewto when Giovanni actually stepped up and took charge.

    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 195
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    • CHAPTER 195

    "Kidnapped? What do you mean, kidnapped?!" Denzel yelled.

    "What do you think it means? He was taken away by Abel," I said. Apparently, the League had set up some sort of alert system that was hooked up to people's phones, because Denzel got the message as well. There was a blurry picture of Abel battling in the middle of a garden along with an updated list of his Pokemon. "I don't exactly care, and I doubt Cece will, but the fact that he slipped past all those guards is concerning. What does that mean about our safety?"

    "Shouldn't we go see her?"

    "She's sleeping right now, but I guess we should wake her up," I nodded. "Arceus, can we have a single week of peace? All of her Pokemon are at the Center too, so it'd be better if she doesn't go out."

    Denzel got up and strode behind me, but just as I gripped the handle and opened the door, a woman stood in front of her door. The fact that she donned a League uniform meant that I didn't panic, but I still jumped at her appearance. Her eyes were completely white as if she had no pupils or irises, as was her hair. Veins throbbed at the edges of her eyes every time she blinked. Her skin was as pale as a sheet of paper, and I meant that. She was like a ghost.

    "Good evening. I am afraid you cannot get out," she smiled at me. "You are being placed under lockdown for your own safety."

    "What the hell— who even are you?!" Denzel yelled. "We need to check on our friend, this is important."

    "I was given the name Lou. I am assigned to guarding Grace Pastel," she explained. "Why don't we step inside so I can explain further?"

    "I need to get Cecilia," I said.

    "No. She is being guarded, so you have nothing to worry about."

    I clenched my fist and inhaled through clenched teeth. Calm down. Calm the hell down, I told myself. She's just doing her job and what's best for us. I opened my eyes, and my breath and heartbeat slowed. A soothing feeling enveloped me, and I was suddenly calmer than I'd been in hours.

    "Okay," I agreed. "If that's what's best."

    Lou let herself inside, but opted to stand in front of the door with her hands behind her back. She only had three Pokemon on her belt, but it was safe to assume that each of them were extremely powerful. I was still bothered by her eyes, however. Something about her felt wrong to me, as if I could somehow exert the gift of translation I held on her even though she was human. Or at least she looked human.

    "No need to stare at me like that," she said. "I was assigned to protect you. No harm will befall you while I'm present."

    "You said you'd explain," I said.

    "As you likely know by now, Clarence Obel has been kidnapped by Abel. The problem we have is that Mira Compton is missing as well. She was last seen with one of her guards, but her Gardevoir Teleported her away. Intriguingly, she was near the scene of the crime and had been tracking Abel as well. Did she tell you she would do that at any point?" Lou asked. "Do you know where she might have gone?"

    Denzel and I stared at each other and sighed.

    "No," I shook my head. "I saw her a while ago when I helped her Kadabra evolve, but then I was busy with some sponsorship obligations. She didn't tell me anything that I didn't tell Carlos— the League Trainer assigned to her."

    "Alright. It's my job to keep you here until things settle down. Cynthia herself told me not to let you out. There's a conversation she wants to have with you, Ms. Obel and Ms. Compton when she has the time later tonight when the latter is found."

    Again? I wouldn't mind talking to her, but I was certainly intrigued by what she wanted to say. We resigned to our fate and waited for the situation to clear.

    "Say, Lou," I probed. "Can I ask you something?"

    "So long as I am allowed to answer, I will."

    "You're special, aren't you?" I said. "There's something that feels odd about you, beyond your eyes. A power radiating off of you."

    The woman's blank eyes narrowed. "Perhaps."

    "Let's not piss off the incredibly powerful League Trainer, yeah Grace?" Denzel said after nervously chuckling.

    "I wasn't angered by it. Just surprised," she said. "But the intricacies of my being are of no concern to you."

    She wasn't lying. I knew it somehow.

    "Fair enough. Sorry for being pushy, I'm very sensitive to emotion. Something tells me you already knew about that, though."

    The white-haired woman only smirked.

    That settled it, then. The League knew something about my abilities, or at least part of it did. Now the question remained, how much did they know about it? More than Bellatrix did? If Cynthia was coming later, then she'd be the first one to know. Now, would she answer me? Now that was an entirely different matter. I appreciated her for her protection and insight, but I certainly didn't look at her with the rose-tinted glasses I used to.

    "I am so confused," Denzel stammered.

    "Sit down and be quiet," Lou said.

    Part of me considered the possibility of her being some ghost or a Ditto, but she wasn't a Pokemon. That, I was sure of. I decided to leave the matter to rest and browsed my phone instead. Everyone seemed to be safe, although there were no news from Justin. Even Chase had messaged me privately to say that Abel's strange dark type that was making rounds online looked like the ghost he'd encountered in that abandoned city, except it had black instead of white fur. Some people from Unova were logging onto our forums and calling it a Zoroark, and the name was catching on. It was apparently some rare dark type from there was had illusionist capabilities, but their extent wasn't known that well. The majority didn't even know they existed, including me.

    The minutes passed with us stuck here, unable to do anything.

    —

    Abel's neck squirmed until he exhausted himself, then clamored at Mira to hurry up with her questions. He didn't want her to waste any time, not when the League could be coming any minute. She'd stayed quiet for a few seconds to let him stew in his anxiety and then struck.

    "Where's the base you were just at?" Mira asked.

    "Near the abandoned docks up north. There's a huge group of eight hangars. They're in the sixth one, if I remember correctly."

    "Don't get smart with me," she frowned. "You know where it is. Don't do that wishy-washy stuff."

    "It is the sixth one," he repeated.

    He is not lying, Gardevoir brushed up against her mind.

    "Any other bases you know about?" Mira said, leaning against a palm. She had her phone out recording the entire conversation. "Give me the exact address for my pals at the League."

    Abel groaned. "This goes against my code…"

    Mira feigned sadness in the most obnoxious way she could. "Aw, that's too bad. Spill."

    He bit his lip, but gave her the name of three other addresses. She'd done her part, just as Cynthia had probably banked on. That damned woman was a master at using people, and Mira was the only one who wasn't blinded by her niceties, but she was fine with being used so long as their goals were aligned.

    "Didja meet anyone important there?" Mira asked. "Commanders, maybe? Someone called Charon?"

    "I only met Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. Charon wasn't there today," he said.

    "Well damn. Look at you, being all important and stuff," she said. "Any Pokemon that the League doesn't know about? Gimmie all the Pokemon you know."

    "They all have six Pokemon, but I don't know all of them. Jupiter has a Skuntank and a Tangrowth, Saturn has a Toxicroak and an Exploud. Since she likes to show off, Mars showed off her entire team to me. She had a Dusknoir, Clefable, Wigglytuf, Seviper, Ninetales and Bellossom. Charon has a Hypno and a Porygon, although I don't know which form of Porygon it is."

    "Porygon Z," she answered for him.

    He still used that same Hypno and Porygon, then. Mira knew that Uncle Ernie had those two Pokemon. He'd owned them before her mother died and he was pulled into Team Galactic's clutches. She'd already told Cynthia as well. Abel stared at her, clearly confused at the fact that she'd answered like she knew, but he didn't say anything. He was smart not to. He could have given away more than what was necessary, especially with Gardevoir here. His best bet was that some questions would slip past Mira.

    Wait, Mars owned a Bellossom?

    "Bellossom?!" Mira cackled. "This chick is too much, man. Are they planning an attack anytime soon? What was the meeting for?"

    This time, his face scrunched up beyond what she thought was possible. She was really making him infringe on his code.

    "Come on, kid."

    "Nu-uh. Tell me, or the League figures it out in an hour anyway."

    "They want to buy time for some reason. They wanted me to check how far the League progressed on finding their bases."

    "Interesting, interesting. Okay, I've done enough work. Let's dive into Charon. He ever talk to you about family?"

    "No. We only talked about work-related things."

    "Really? Not even about his little sister? He sure has grown cold," she muttered. "What are the odds that he'll be in one of the bases you mentioned?"

    "Zero."

    "Damn it," she hissed.

    There was no way she was letting this guy go. Even if she asked him to set up a meeting of some kind, he'd have no reason to actually do it, and it would no doubt be a trap. If Charon got arrested, Cynthia had promised her that she'd get a year with him. A year before the League took him away and murdered him. Of course, he'd be placed in a high security prison in the Lily of the Valley island, but she'd be free to visit him any time. To ask all the questions she wanted and finally talk.

    That had been the deal and why she was so content to be bait. Yet, Charon was still out of her reach.

    "Well, I did earn my LTIP paycheck, at the very least," she sighed. "You said you talked to Charon about work-related things. What are those?"

    "I don't fucking know, he's their tech guy, okay? He just rambles about stuff when they give me a job and I listen. Team Galactic doesn't tell me much about their plans."

    "Anything you notice about him that you could tell me?"

    "He has a goal, I don't know which one. Funny thing is, you two have the same look in your eyes. You're driven by a single thing, like you're a slave to it."

    "Oh? Are you trying to get a rise out of me? That's not that wise when you're just wasting time. Or maybe you realized that I'm not letting you go after all? Anyway, how'd you sneak into that mansion? Give me all of your tricks."

    He smirked.

    "Xatu!"

    In a second, they were gone.

    "What the actual fuck?!" She yelled. "That Xatu— That fucking Xatu was unconscious! How the hell did it wake up that fast?!"

    Mira tore at her hair, stood up and kicked the walls of Abel's hideout. Anything to vent out her rage until she could only draw upon ragged breaths. She felt a hand on her shoulder and calmed down. When she turned, Gardevoir looked anguished and Alakazam stared into her eyes apologetically. Even Haunter seemed distraught.

    I apologize, Mira, Alakazam said. It appears this slipped past me, but Xatu—

    Mira raised her hand at the psychic, causing him to stop. With how obvious it'd been in retrospect the answer came to her quickly, like a whisper in her ear. "Wait… wait, it's the fucking Early Bird ability! Arceus fucking damn it," she screamed before exhaling. Magnezone clicked at her and she placed a hand on his cold metallic skin. "It's not your fault. You knocked her out like I asked, I just got cocky. Fuck."

    Her lack of knowledge had fucked her over. If only she'd known more… asked herself if everything had been accounted for, then this wouldn't have happened.

    Mira turned toward Clarence Obel, who was still bound and silent. He was sweating like a pig.

    "It's your lucky day, Clarence," she sighed. "Looks like you're going home after all. It would have been nice if he took you with him, but I guess he didn't want to risk it."

    She sent everything she'd recorded to the League and stepped out of the apartment. Carlos and a slew of League Trainers were at the entrance, as if they were about to raid the entire place. The man's eye softened for a second, as if he was happy to see her.

    "You're in trouble," he gruffed.

    "I know," she said with her shoulders slumped. "I had him… I had him, but I fucked up and he escaped. I'm sorry."

    He patted her on the arm as he put her in cuffs.

    She'd expected screaming of some kind, but there was none. Of course, he was somewhat disappointed in her, which kind of hurt, but he couldn't deny that she'd put in some damn work. At the very least, they hadn't taken her Pokemon. Carlos led Mira to one of the buildings that ran the Carry License program, but instead of going where she'd gone to get her license, she was placed in some kind of basement with obnoxious bright lights and a one-way mirror. Jokes ran through her mind, like saying that it was funny that she was being interrogated now instead of doing the questioning, but this really wasn't the time for jokes.

    "I'll handle her," he told two of his colleagues. "You head out and patrol."

    They saluted, and once they walked out of the room, Carlos sat in front of Mira. His eye analyzed her as he gently rubbed his scarred tissue. Even though Mira was used to Carlos being quiet all the time, the silence weighted on her and was uncomfortable.

    "So?" She asked. "What's up?"

    Carlos took a deep breath. "I knew about Alakazam learning to Teleport you after Ms. Pastel told me about it when she left your room, but Gardevoir? I certainly didn't expect you to slip past me that easily."

    "I didn't even know she'd do that, to be honest," she said. "I didn't get what I wanted, so it was all for nothing."

    "Well, you did get us some good information, but that's beside the point. You've got to get your shit together, kid. Let us professionals deal with the problem."

    It was true that she could let the League do its job and still get what she wanted, but that wasn't how she wanted things to end. She wouldn't let a family matter be taken out of her hands, not when Charon was the only family member she had left.

    "It's not like what I say'll matter. I won't be able to do anything anymore," she said with a tired smile as she raised her handcuffed wrists. "No more sleuthing for me. I guess that means less work for you."

    Carlos leaned back against his chair. "It does."

    "I'd still take you out to lunch if I could. No tricks. You can finally tell me how you got these scars."

    "I'm afraid not. Why would I reward you when you did something wrong?" He said. "The League's gotten the message you sent us. Information about Team Galactic."

    "So are you going to raid those bases then?"

    "Confidential, but the answer's rather obvious," he said, rubbing his chin. "We need to ask you more questions about Charon."

    "I already told Cynthia everything,' she said. "Ask her."

    "You have? We haven't been told. Maybe she kept it to the LSS, then," he said. "The point still applies. What is his goal?"

    "She didn't tell you? What a horrible boss," she jeered.

    "The Champion must have had her reasons. Go ahead."

    "I told you about my parents dying in a car accident four years ago, right? Some drunk-driving moron killed them. They were on their way to pick me up from school. Uncle Ernie loved my mom. He babied her his entire life and stuff and they were close siblings even with the large age gap. I think he saw her more as a daughter, to be honest. My grandparents weren't very kind to them growing up, I think. After she died, he went off the deep end. He started drinking a lot and working every day without sleep. He wanted to bring her back— create a perfect copy of her with AI, sort of like a Porygon. The problem is that putting an entire human brain in a computer's hard, and how would he even configure her? The furthest he got was some chatbot that horrified me. The resemblance, the quips in the sentences, the humor, they were exactly like Mom's, it was seriously uncanny. He showed it to me after school with the biggest smile on his face. He never came to pick me up, so I was late every evening."

    Mira paused and sunk into her chair.

    "I called him out for it and he got angry— the angriest I'd ever seen him. After mom died, he'd just been this— this husk. Drifting away like a ghost. But then? There was a fire in him. He called me a bunch of names and said that being with me was too painful because I was like her. Then he left. Told me he'd gotten a new job at some organization called Team Galactic and that they could help him bring her back. I thought it was some dumb tech startup at first, but I got an idea of what they were when they started popping up in the news. I don't know how much progress he's made. I tried to ask Abel, but he didn't know either."

    "I see," Carlos nodded.

    "That's it? I pour my heart out and you say 'I see.' That's actually pretty funny, in a morbid kind of way," she smiled.

    "What else could I have said? I'm sorry?"

    "True."

    "Anyway, we want further insight on how you tracked Abel down."

    Mira explained the entire deal with Trace. It wasn't like the League didn't know about it, it was just that it was known as unreliable and her Gardevoir was really skilled with the ability somehow. Maybe because of all that time she'd spent perfecting her empathy with Mira as a Kirlia? That was her hypothesis anyway, but she was definitely wrong. Still, she told everything that came to mind to Carlos. The part that really made him freak out was the fact that she could run two conversations at once, one in her head with Gardevoir and one with him. Even when Mira told him that it was because he almost never spoke, he told her that it wasn't normal. People couldn't do that.

    "Thank you for cooperating," he said. "We will lead you back to your Pokemon Center room where you'll be locked down."

    "Aww, shucks. Putting me in the slammer already?"

    "All of your group is under lockdown until further notice, so it's not just you. Cynthia wants to meet you, Grace Pastel and Cecilia Obel tonight, so you'd best stay put. I'll be in your room to stop you from going off on your own again."

    "Okay. I'm assuming I can't have my Pokemon out?"

    "Not your psychics, no."

    Mira blinked.

    Alakazam and Gardevoir would be stuck in their Pokeballs for the foreseeable future because of her. She'd been the one that took charge, but they were the ones being punished because of her actions.

    "Let's go, then," she sighed.

    Her Pokeballs felt heavier.

    —

    The sun had set over Veilstone when Cecilia woke up.

    She screamed when she noticed someone standing in the darkened corner of her room.

    "Wow, wow, calm down… sheesh," the young man said. He was young— younger than she'd expected one to be. Maybe eighteen or nineteen? The one thing that drew her attention was his missing left hand. It'd been replaced by a mechanical one. "I'm a League Trainer! The name's Mason. I was assigned to keep you in your room until further notice. I didn't do anything, you're safe. I'm as nice as they come, I swear!"

    It took a few seconds for the words to register in her head.

    "Assigned to keep me in my room?" She asked with a hint of fear. "What happened when I was asleep?"

    "Your father was kidnapped by Abel, but they got him back a few minutes ago thanks to Mira Compton's help," he explained. "She went against orders, so she's been taken to one of our offices for some routine questioning, but she'll be back in a jiffy, so you don't have to worry 'bout her."

    The fact that her father had been kidnapped was… well, it had a strange effect on her. There was no worry for him, but she hadn't been elated either. Cecilia just wanted to shut him out of her life and never hear about him again, just like she'd done for Amy. Still, she would be lying if the fact that her father had had a terrible day didn't please her some.

    "What about the others?"

    "They're under lockdown, just like ya."

    "I'm going to see them," she said, striding toward the door.

    Mason slipped in front of her. "Woah, woah, calm down now. I said you're under lockdown. Orders from above, I'll get screwed if I let you out of here. Plus, your team's all screwed up from that battle today, right? I was watching, it was pretty entertaining—"

    "I said let me through."

    Cecilia tried to push past him, and he blinked, freezing for a few seconds before he extended his arm to block her path again. For an instant, he stared at her with a look of pure bewilderment and then cleared his throat.

    "Damn, you really didn't listen to a word I just said. I'm only a few years older than you, but kids these days…"

    "The situation's been solved, no? My father was retrieved, Mira's safe, so why can't I see my friends?"

    "Confidential."

    Cecilia didn't want to give up, despite the rational part of her brain screaming at her to. Her heart— her will was telling her to push past this trainer and do whatever the hell she wanted. In reality, though? She was powerless. With a sigh, she sat back on the bed and decided to text the others instead. She felt a smile creep up on her face when Grace flooded her inbox, and the others soon followed. She'd been particularly worried about Louis and Maeve because they'd still been outside when she went to sleep.

    "By the way, Cynthia's going to show up at some point to speak to you all, so stay put," Mason said. "Lucky you, eh? She's cool. Remembers my birthday, gets me a gift and everything. Plus, she's hot as hell. Pays dividends to be in ACE."

    Cecilia wrinkled her nose and decided to ignore Mason's infatuation. Cynthia wanted to speak to her again? She was always happy to speak with someone she looked up to. It was probably some more questioning if she had to guess. At this point, though, Cecilia didn't know anything about Abel or Clarence that the League didn't know, so they'd be stumped there.

    "You're in ACE?" Cecilia asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't really look like what she'd expected the famed organization looked like, but she couldn't judge a book by its cover.

    "Don't underestimate me 'cause I'm younger. I'm as skilled as they get! If you ignore all my other co-workers, of course," he chuckled to himself. "Guarding you's a pretty chill job, though, so I can't complain. Say, there ain't that many kids that'll just order people like me around. Why'd you do it?"

    "My friend Pauline would have done the same," she shrugged. "I just wanted to see my friends. I apologize if I was too pushy, especially when I could text them whenever I wanted."

    Mason rubbed the back of his neck with an uncomfortable look. "Fair enough."

    —

    My head turned toward Lou when her phone rang. It had made noise a couple of times beforehand, but every time, I checked to see if we were finally being let out. Denzel and I had been playing Pokemon Scrabble on his phone to pass the time while Lopunny read her book and Electabuzz struck up a conversation with her. She hadn't seemed too interested, though.

    "The lockdown is over," Lou announced. "Denzel Williams, you are free to go. Grace Pastel, I shall bring you to our office to speak with the Champion."

    My friend looked at me. "Well, good luck, I guess?"

    "Sorry if you're feeling left out. I'll tell you what this is about if she lets me," I said. "You go check on the others, alright? Pauline's probably pissed."

    "Definitely."

    I waved at him as I stepped out of the room. The Pokemon Center was fuller than I remembered, and the halls were crawling with trainers. The veins next to Lou's eyes bulged as she squinted, her sight never wavering. She was checking for something, but I didn't know what. Once we made it outside, she spoke to me.

    "You are titled," she said. "I feel it."

    "What are you?" I asked.

    "I told you, didn't I? That's none of your business," Lou said.

    "We aren't Teleporting?"

    "Yes, but not in front of all of these people."

    Her words confused me until we stepped into an empty alley and I was whisked away into an office. She hadn't used a Pokemon to do that. What in the world was going on? I knew about some clans in Kanto or Johto having human psychics with that power, but those were tightly held and passed down. No members ever had children with someone outside of their clan. Had Lou escaped somehow? Maybe there was one in Sinnoh I didn't know about. Still, that didn't explain the eyes or why she felt like something in between a human and a Pokemon to me. From what I could see, we were still in Veilstone, at least.

    "Don't expect me to explain," she said with a few tired breaths. "I can see it on your face. Enter the room."

    Cynthia's office was painted in a warm, earthy brown. The Champion, whose presence was as strong as always, sat on a large, red, fluffy-looking chair at her desk as she offered me a silent greeting. Stacks upon stacks on paper crowded her desk and Garchomp lazily slept behind her, taking up that entire space. Not that I wanted to approach the dragon anyway. Her snores sounded like deep, rumbling roars that would be enough to terrify most who had never met her.

    Cecilia beamed when she saw me, and I wrapped her into a tight hug. Mira sat in one of the chairs with her legs crossed. She looked pissed off. I wanted to speak with her, but now wasn't the time for that.

    "Sit."

    Cynthia was soft-spoken, but her words commanded authority. We all listened and waited for her to continue.

    "Not a lot of time has passed, but a lot has happened since we last spoke," she said with her usual smile. "I wanted to keep you three uninvolved with this mess, but I am afraid that door is closing fast. And it has nothing to do with your little escapade today, Mira."

    Cynthia had interrupted her before she even opened her mouth.

    The room grew blurry, and I recognized that it'd just been insulated by some psychic. Probably by one of the League Trainers outside. This was going to be confidential, then.

    "Professor Rowan and I have been hard at work, exchanging notes and piecing together information. It was fun, to get back into myths for once. I never have time for it, but this time, it was actually work," she said with a light laugh. "What do you say I start us off with a story about three children, not unlike you?"
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 196 - Turning Point III
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    • CHAPTER 196 - Turning Point III

    I knew where Cynthia was going as soon as she began to speak. She was going to tell us the same story Bellatrix had told me. I steeled myself and straightened my back. This felt important somehow. Something that I should be fully alert for.

    "Thousands of years ago," she began with a somber tone. "Three humans were given abilities by Legendaries known as Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf. These represent Emotion, Knowledge and Willpower respectively."

    I felt my palms moisten. I hadn't expected names that I had never heard before. She was being a lot more direct than Bellatrix had been.

    "The stories say that they were given a Plume, a Claw and a Fang that gave them those abilities. There are different versions of it as well. Stories change as they are passed down from generation to generation and are embellished beyond the truth. Some say that they spoke to those Legendaries and were tested before being given that power. Some say that they only had to travel to where they slumbered, while others say that it was a pure coincidence. The ranges of the powers in them vary. For example, for the child blessed by willpower, we have a story that says they were a good leader while in another, they could force someone to do whatever they wanted, akin to some kind of mind control."

    Cecilia's face scrunched up in disgust when Cynthia finished her sentence. Obviously, mind control was a sore point for her.

    "The only element they all share in common was that these gifts were always given to children. I, for one subscribe to the coincidence theory. I do not believe in chosen ones," she said with a smirk. "But I may be wrong. Grace, you can understand Pokemon and feel what they feel when you concentrate enough. When you do so, a mental barrier of incredible complexity is layered onto your brain."

    "You know this?" I muttered. "How?"

    "I paid Hatterene a visit after seeing how close you got with her. That was quite a show you put on near Veilstone's gates."

    "And she just told you?"

    "I forced it out of her. I have my ways of dealing with prickly fairies, and unlike her, I am willing to entertain being wrong."

    My blood ran cold at the words. I stared at my two friends who were frozen in place, unable to comprehend the scale of the information Cynthia was revealing to us.

    "I will pay her back at a later date," she continued. "Then it was a matter of putting her words to the test. Lou confirmed it for me. She was following you during your entire stay in Veilstone, and as it stands, nothing we have can replicate such a barrier. You are confirmed to be… well, I won't use chosen, but you have abilities that none others have. You visiting Lake Verity at the start of your journey lends credence to the 'visiting' theory, but this notion changed when we analyzed Mira after Carlos raised suspicions about how you thought. Incredible skill at multitasking, constant rants and somehow one-uping your Alakazam with knowledge you shouldn't have, learning at an inhuman pace like when you tried to learn to code from scratch, and most recently the fact that you can have multiple conversations at once."

    "W—what? Do I have some kind of shield too?" The girl asked. "This is fucking insane."

    "Yours was a little harder to test. One of our concealed psychic types peered into your mind during one of your conversations with your Alakazam when he was a Kadabra. It was when you took Carlos to the industrial sector up north a few days ago. If I recall, you were talking about Justin Gardner. You came up with theories for his condition that went beyond our doctors' understanding."

    "I was…"

    "You had the same thing. A mental barrier with hundreds, if not thousands of layers. Impossible to breech, just for that moment," Cynthia said. "But unlike Grace or Cecilia, you never went to Lake Acuity up north."

    "I didn't. I don't even know where the hell that is," she stammered, her face pale. "And I guess… like, correct answers come to me easily. Shit that I should have no business knowing or that should take way longer to figure out and I end up getting lucky because of it. It's not perfect, though. I let Abel escape."

    "Interesting indeed. So what does it mean, then?" Cynthia asked, rubbing her chin. "We will return to this soon. Cecilia."

    Cece jumped when her name was called.

    "You are different. When we saw that two children of the same group had these abilities, we started to scan every single one of you. Sorry to intrude into your heads, but it is the most surefire way we had of figuring this out. We started to look back on past interactions and wonder if how you behaved back then was because of that influence or if it was you. It was simply too much. See, this is where the coincidence theory loses some of its appeal. If it was a coincidence, the odds of these gifts going to Grace and Mira are astronomically low."

    "How am I different?" Cecilia asked after a long pause.

    "You do not have the mental barriers. You do not have the same abilities these two have regarding Willpower, or at least not as much as it should be if you were the one."

    Cecilia's shoulders sagged.

    "But there was a hint of them during your battle with Lauren Goodwill," Cynthia said. "That is not all. Chase Karlson also shares them, but his… progress is more advanced than yours, and neither of you share the extent of Grace's and Mira's capabilities. It's like the power has been split in half. The reason he isn't here is because we'll be talking about more than this, but I will get him up to speed when he decides to cooperate with us. Still, two people sharing the same blessing. That shouldn't have been the case according to the story, which is why I decided to abandon going along with old legends, as much as it pains me. Chosen ones, coincidences, traveling on location, who knows which one is correct? Or perhaps a mix? And words like Emotion, Willpower and Knowledge are horribly vague and can mean a wide array of things. We are operating on entirely different rules. We do not know how these Pokemon think, let alone how they'd go about choosing someone. Simply banking everything on stories won't do the trick. They are helpful, but not reliable, which is something Hatterene ought to learn."

    Now that.

    That upended my entire understanding— which wasn't much to begin with— but it turned my world upside down. Even if I hadn't believed Bella's story to be right, the fact that it was being espoused by both her and Cynthia meant that some form of it was true. My fingers trembled and I felt Cecilia grip my hand tightly.

    "What do you mean, Chase's progress is more advanced than hers? What is this, a race to figure out who'd be best at bearing this fucked up gift?" Mira asked. "Who's better at fulfilling the role?"

    "At embodying the concept of Willpower?" my girlfriend specified.

    "An interesting theory. I hadn't thought about that yet, but it would make some sense. There is no way to know if it's correct or not," Cynthia smiled. "Still, neither Chase nor Cecilia went to Lake Valor, so the same point applies."

    "If I'm the exception rather than the rule, could the fact that I visited Lake Verity be a coincidence?" I asked.

    "If they are Legendaries, their influence could stretch beyond the Lakes," Cecilia said, frowning.

    "We've considered it. Again, there's no real way to know."

    "So what's this about a Plume, a Claw and a Fang, then?" Mira asked.

    "As far as we know, these are a metaphor for your abilities. None of you received anything of the sort. Any questions? If not, I will move on to the next part of the story."

    "Can we tell this to our friends or not?" I said. "I'm feeling a rift form between us the more confidential information you ask us to keep, and I hate it. I want us all to be on the same page."

    "I don't think so."

    That wasn't a no. I still held out hope.

    "If this is a race, and I'm losing, what happens when I do? I didn't notice anything that different about me. I'm just the same as always," Cecilia said. "Maybe I tend not to give up anymore, but that's it."

    "You do not want to lose to Chase," Cynthia noticed. "I'm afraid we don't have an answer for you, but Mason brought something to my attention. You told him to get out of your way and he almost considered doing so. That's not the kind of person he is."

    Cecilia nodded tightly. The Champion looked at Mira, who was staring with wide eyes. Her entire world had just been fundamentally changed, and so had Cecilia's.

    "Now, let us move on. This part of the story, you will keep secret. It is about the three children being key to saving Sinnoh from calamity."

    Calamity. The word itself unsettled me and filled me with dread. How bad were we talking? I had thought that Team Galactic was an organization wanting to take over Sinnoh or wreak havoc because they disapproved of Cynthia, not for them to attempt to bring whatever the hell this calamity was supposed to be. The fact that Cynthia was referring to that same old story Bellatrix had meant that they wanted to mess with Legendaries.

    "You can't expect us to do something if the League itself can't do it," Mira quietly said.

    "Of course. I wasn't speaking in a matter of strength. Team Galactic is trying to… disturb these Legendaries in their rest to pursue further goals that I won't go into. Should this ever come to pass, we do not know how bad things will get. Are you familiar with the Legendary Birds and how they function?"

    "Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres," I nodded.

    "They embody the elements of electricity, ice and fire," The Champion said. "During the Great War, they sent dozens of avatars to end the fighting. Weakened versions of themselves to do their bidding. To us, it'd be like calling exterminators because of an ant infestation. There are multiple instances of trainers taking some down, but of course humanity was overwhelmed by sheer numbers. One or two, we could deal with, but dozens? We had to stop the war, and I am thankful for their intervention."

    "I remember Pauline's mother telling us about that," Cecilia said.

    Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Josephine? She's quite knowledgeable in geopolitics. Either way, some Legends can be subjugated and beaten. The stories say that Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf were controlled in some way, so that does not bode well for us. The evil forces trying to shape the world to their liking controlled them through artificial means while the three blessed children could fight off that influence and fully cooperate with them," she mused. "It was a battle of leverage. The three legendaries often changed hands and battled one another, with the key objective being not to let all three fall into one camp's hands."

    The Champion placed a hand on Garchomp's rough scales, petting her gently. Love emanated out of the dragon type.

    "If one or all of Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit ever came under Team Galactic's control, your job would be to do the same thing. To wrestle them away. That is something only you can do. Not any of us at the League. Not even me," Cynthia said, pausing slightly. "So you will have to forgive me for doing this, but you will be deeply involved in League affairs from now on. You cannot refuse. Chase Karlson will be told the same. We do not know how you would go about doing this either, but it should be... intrinsic."

    I swallowed, biting my lip. Visions of Mars dredged up at the edges of my memory and my palms began to sweat. My promise to Sunshine was now closer than ever, but I couldn't help but feel a trepidation in my heart. As if I was anticipating something, but also fear.

    Mira grinned. Her goal was no longer beyond her reach.

    Cecilia stared with a clenched fist. I wondered what she was thinking about.

    "Of course, you may still keep going in the Circuit if you so wish. I will not stop you from journeying, but seeing as how invaluable you are, the guard arrangement we had? It will be permanent and on the routes from now on as well," she added. "Just like before, you will not notice them. They have ways to being hidden unless someone forces them to show themselves."

    "Nice jab at me, but you can't deny I helped you a lot today," Mira crossed her arms.

    "You did. The raid on Team Galactic's auxiliary bases are being prepared as we speak, and I did expect you to pull something like this, just not to this extent. But continuing, when you have gathered your eight badges or decide that you are done with the Circuit, you will come to the Lily of the Valley island in advance. You will stay there all summer, including for the Conference, or until Team Galactic is dealt with in full."

    "Wait, I have obligations! I have my contract with the Poketch Company, I can't go back on my word," I exclaimed. "I still have four tournaments to participate in too, so I don't even think I'll have time."

    "One word from me and a little bit of pressure applied to the right people and that contract will be modified as I deem fit. Do not worry though, we have good reason to think that they will be forced out of hiding soon enough. They are losing, and only through an attack will they regain the initiative. Once they do, we can stamp them out once and for all. This is going to end sooner rather than later. I have no intentions of letting them ransack through Sinnoh for decades like Team Rocket did to Kanto and Johto."

    Mira raised a hand. "Cynthia. Have you considered the possibility of more people having these abilities? If Chase and Cecilia are sharing it, then it's possible that we share ours with some stranger as well. Or used to share. What if it wasn't just two, but hundreds of people."

    "We did consider it, but unless we plan to look into the minds of every single person in Sinnoh in hopes of catching them at the right moment, we have to make do with what we have. Somehow, four people in your group ended up being involved."

    "Still cool to think about though," she said with a child-like smile. "Anything else? I wanted to go eat out with Carlos and I have a lot to think about. Can I tell him this?"

    "We're almost done," Cynthia said. "And yes, you may tell him."

    "Shouldn't you help us train or something?" Cecilia asked. "If we're as important as you say, then it would make sense. There are potential ramifications with accusations of favoritism, but doesn't this take precedence?"

    "I do not care about favoritism at this point, but you won't be fighting anyone important in Team Galactic," Cynthia waved a hand. "And on the off-chance you do, your guards will bring you to safety. You are making excellent progress without help as it stands—"

    "Even so, we'd be making a lot more if you helped us," Mira interrupted her, raising her voice slightly.

    "Let me finish. I know the answer is not one you like, but I really do not have time to train you at the moment. Perhaps some Gym Leaders would be more amenable to the idea when the Gym Challenge dies down near the end of the year, but don't expect them to accept. I doubt they'd spend the little free time they get on tutoring people that don't work for their gyms."

    "Sounds like you all want whatever calamity is going to happen to happen," Mira said.

    Cynthia chuckled. "You couldn't be further from the truth. Let us speak and continue our conversation, then. The government will take care of the Commanders. The most you might have to see are grunts, but the ACEs will deal with it."

    "Can I come to one of the raids today?" Mira asked.

    "No."

    "Bummer."

    "Why would you even want that? You uncle won't be in those bases according to Abel's own words."

    "Because I want to destroy them for making him worse instead of better," she answered with a determined look. "For taking him away and ruining his life. Plus, you could use my Gardevoir's Trace. If she latches on to one of the Commanders, she'd be able to track them."

    "As I said, you will only be involved if our fortresses at the Lakes fall. Right now, we are winning slowly but surely. No risks have to be taken. I wanted to speak about the relationship between Abel and Team Galactic specifically. Due to him revealing all of that information about his employers, there is no doubt that a split will have taken place. Unfortunately for us, he will probably keep himself shrouded in dark energy to stop us from finding him with Trace, and there is also the possibility of him having fled the city, so we won't be seeing him any time soon. Another positive consequence from today's events."

    "What about Clarence?" Cecilia asked.

    "He'll be placed back under house arrest. He's asked to speak to you, actually."

    "Absolutely not."

    "I figured. Grace, you have an interview next week with Mallory from SGNC. She will probe into today's events. I've already told you multiple times, but do not speak about this. The same applies to all of you."

    "And our friends?" I asked.

    "Unfortunately, I've thought about it and I do not think it would be wise at the moment."

    "They're trustworthy. They wouldn't say anything," I tried.

    Cynthia studied a pen. "No risks will be taken. What if, they are taken hostage and their minds ransacked? No protection is foolproof. The less people know, the better."

    "I don't know how you manage it. To live with everything hidden," I said with a hint of sadness. She didn't react, and her smile didn't falter. "Fine. I won't say anything."

    "Good. I will now speak to you individually. Who wants to go first?"

    "I will go," Cecilia said.

    —

    Lying to children was not something Cynthia enjoyed, but how could she tell them that there was a risk of the world ending? No, better keep it vague with words like calamity for now. They would no doubt imagine something horrible, but they would not imagine the world winking out of existence in less than a second. Maylene was extremely strong mentally and she was still unsettled by the revelation and couldn't help but fear when she stopped being busy. The only Gym Leader who were still behaving as they had in private were Byron and Wake.

    If the Lake Legendaries got in Team Galactic's control for long enough… then it would be over. There were still the matters of how they were planning on doing so. The stories always spoke of bindings, either chains, shackles, rope, and many others, all sharing the color red. Cynthia had no idea of how to create or counter it beyond using Grace, Cecilia, Chase, and Mira. Then, there was the matter of where it would take place. The tales said Mount Coronet's summit, but…

    Cynthia had only been there once, and nothing up there made any sense. Time appeared to pass normally when you were there, but outside of the summit, it almost stood still. Teleporting in or out was impossible. It seemed to stretch on and on and on for longer than what was possible. Making it to the end of it had also been impossible, and she and her task force had been forced to turn back after running out of oxygen.

    They called it Spear Pillar.

    "So, Cecilia," Cynthia said, twirling a pen. "I am asking a lot out of you. Putting a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. What is it that you desire."

    The young girl stared right into the Champion's eyes.

    "So you are rewarding us with a gift, then."

    "As long as that gift is feasible. Do you want a TM? A Pokemon to fill out your ranks? Ask and it will be yours tonight."

    Cecilia pursed her lips. "I am thinking of a long-term gift, then. You said that I would never be able to handle Spiritomb unless I was as powerful as a member of the Elite Four. I ask you to bring me to one of their locations after my eighth badge regardless of how powerful I am. If I am blessed with Willpower as you say, then I should be able to resist their torment and pressure. I am confident I can handle it."

    Cynthia's smirk widened. Cecilia Obel shared the most similarities with her, it seemed. She'd been horribly unqualified when she had stumbled upon her Spiritomb down that well on route 209. Yet she'd caught them and raised them all the same. Cecilia hadn't even entertained the fact that she might lose her gift either. She was further along than she believed.

    "It will be dangerous. I can only promise you this after Team Galactic has been dealt with. I can't risk you dying to your own Pokemon."

    "I do not like it, but I'll take it," she nodded. "That is all I wanted. Thank you."

    Which one would she take her to? The one at the top floor of the Lost Tower was a no-go. Ruth and Mathilda would throw a fit. Perhaps the one on route 225 on the Battle Frontier, then. They were not as young, but it'd have to do.

    Grace Pastel came in next. Behind her eyes were a judge, a jury, and an executioner. Cynthia could feel her animosity from here, but alas, confidential information was confidential whether she liked it or not. The anger would fade in time, although it would take longer due to her leanings with the fae.

    "Grace. Seeing as I am forcing you into this, I will give you one gift. Anything that you desire that is possible for the League to procure. Say the word, and it is yours."

    "You don't have to feel indebted if it's to help Sinnoh as a whole," she said. "But if I had to pick, I guess I'd choose… do you know about that ancient civilization Chase Karlson discovered on route 210? Keep it clear of any archeologists or League Trainers. I want to find a Claydol or Baltoy and catch it."

    The Champion exhaled. Not even a Shiny Stone for her Togetic, or the method to evolve that Electabuzz of hers? She was going to get enough money soon, but they were all asking for incredibly dangerous things. Had they not heard what she just said? Their importance trumped even hers. They couldn't be replaced.

    Maybe they hadn't fully realized how bad of a calamity it would be yet.

    "You are aware of the ghost that lurks within?" Cynthia asked. "We haven't managed to catch or kill it yet. I've been too busy to go there and it's low on our priority list."

    "I'll deal with it, and I'll only go when I'm strong enough to handle it."

    From the reports Cynthia had heard, it was some ancient form of Zoroark that seemed to be powerful enough to take down an entire team of six seven badge-rated Pokemon, or maybe even eight. Something in between.

    "The danger's too high, I'm afraid. You'll have to wait until Team Galactic is either dealt with, or accept going down there with a team of at least five ACE trainers."

    "I'm content to wait for now. I don't have the time to backtrack yet anyway. I will see if something else catches my eye in the meantime."

    "Very well. Is that all?"

    "Lou. What is she? She resembles something between human and Pokemon to me. I can kind of tell what she feels."

    "The League created her in an effort to replicate the clans in Kanto and Johto," Cynthia said, deciding to stay low on detail. "She can teleport and has psychic powers, but they exhaust her quickly. I'm afraid I cannot explain further than that."

    Grace nodded and exited the room. Mira Compton entered with her hands in her back pockets as she studied the Champion.

    "I think I did everything you expected of me and more today, no?" She asked. "Sorry about letting Abel get away."

    Cynthia leaned against a fist. It was true that she'd expected Mira Compton's efforts to lead them toward Team Galactic, but she hadn't expected her to be this efficient at it. Gardevoir's Trace would be a great asset for the League to have, but she doubted the teenager wanted to work for her. Mira disliked Cynthia, that much was obvious, but she was content with her situation, especially when she'd given her something to chew on— the fact that she'd be slightly more involved with Team Galactic as a whole. Less than she would have liked, but more than expected nonetheless.

    Now that Grace, Mira and Cecilia's importance had been cemented, it was imperative for Cynthia to get them on her side. Maybe that was the wrong way of saying it. She needed them to be loyal, as the rest of the League was. That was the true purpose of these gifts. Of course, Chase Karlson would get one as well, along with a quick admission into the LTIP.

    "It's fine," she answered. "You did good, even though you were reckless. Needless to say, you will not be doing that again. I am giving you a gift. Anything you want."

    "I want to be able to let Alakazam and Gardevoir out of their Pokeballs," she immediately answered.

    "That is too simple. Consider it done, but surely there's something else that entices you."

    "Five years with my uncle instead of one when you capture him," Mira said. "I would have asked for him to be in prison for life, but I know you'd refuse that."

    "I can promise you five years," she nodded. "But there is the possibility that he dies in the crossfire. Many things happen during battles."

    Mira clenched a fist. "I don't care. It's what I want."

    Cynthia paused and felt guilt creep up.

    Damn her and her soft spot for children. "We may try to extend it to seven years. Perhaps up to ten, if he is cooperative," she said. "Nothing more, though."

    The pink-haired girl beamed. "Thank you."

    Soon, all three were gone. No doubt, they had much to talk about, both with themselves and their Pokemon. Grace Pastel had asked how Cynthia could live with keeping everything to herself. Secrets within secrets, each more horrifying than the last. The answer was her Pokemon. She confided in them and them only. Her head turned to Garchomp and she let out a soft sigh. With them, she could be herself. With them, she could stop pretending and appear weak.

    She would have gone insane without them.

    —

    "I didn't understand a word of what you just said. I ain't special because of some story, I'm me. Now for the reward, when are you going to give money to the Iron Islands?"

    Chase Karlson was tiring Cynthia out, and she thought that feat to be impossible. After all those words of how he could potentially have a supernatural ability and asking him what he wanted, what he asked for was more money for where he came from. He didn't even comprehend the scale of what was happening or how important he was.

    "I can't do it. The budget this year was already passed, and I don't control it anyway. The Directorate does."

    "Pass one of those emergency package thingies. You did it for Solaceon. I want better security for miners, better pay, better hours, better equipment, more vacation days— paid vacation days, mind you. I also want better-trained Rangers stationed all throughout the islands."

    Cynthia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I can't just press down on a lever and fix everything. I'd have to negotiate with companies, the local government, the workers themselves… and if I push for too much reform, then the mining companies will pack and leave. All of your people will lose their jobs and the Iron Island will fall into ruin."

    "Fix it, then."

    "You realize that this would take years of incremental progress, right?"

    "Man, you suck. You're a politician through and through. If you can't give me what I want, I don't want any reward, I'm out of here."

    Chase Karlson strode out of her office, insulting a League Trainer on the way.

    Maybe making him loyal to her would be more difficult than Cynthia thought. In a manner of speaking though, it had been nice to return to just politics after so long, even if it only had been for a few minutes. Arguments about policy was a nice change of pace that cleansed her palate after such a long day.

    Cynthia checked her watch and saw that it was two in the morning. It was time for the raids to take place. There had been no activity in all of the locations Abel had given, meaning that either he hadn't alerted Team Galactic, or they simply wanted them to fight to the last in tight corridors where they'd have the advantage.

    It would not matter with her there. A League Trainer Teleported her and Garchomp up to the docks up north, and the dragon type clawed the hangar's wall apart with a mighty roar.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 197
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    • CHAPTER 197

    Cynthia's story still echoed in my mind, and it was impossible to get out of my head as I walked out of the League offices with Cecilia and Mira in tow. They were thinking the same thing I was. A mixture of doubt, excitement, and fear marked their faces. The cold night air hit me harder than usual, and I shivered in my coat. A question rang the loudest, beyond the story, beyond the implications and dangers. Why this group in particular? There was no way we were better than the millions of people in Sinnoh. Even if Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie only picked children as Cynthia said, that was still a lot of people to beat. Me? Chosen? I refused to believe it. Just as I had told Bella, the notion was antithetical to my beliefs, but I couldn't deny that it wasn't random.

    "We should wait for Chase to meet Cynthia and speak, no?" Cecilia said, breaking the silence.

    "Nah. Chasey and conversations can wait," Mira said, stretching. "I'm hungry, and I've got to take Carlos out."

    "You'd think the Knowledge girl would want to brainstorm and learn more about this. Even I want to," I said.

    Mira smirked at me. "Come on, Grace. Even through all this gift bullcrap, I'm still me, and right now my stomach is rumbling. Plus, all we'd come up with is conjecture anyway, but I'm willing to entertain you tomorrow. See you gals later!"

    She waved at us and dashed away. This entire situation had certainly helped patch things up between us more than we already had, but I couldn't help but think she was being too carefree about things. It was like the situation had reversed, and I was the one who wanted to be active and think. Make up plausible scenarios, plan, anything to keep myself busy.

    "She has a point. I know I'm not as far along as you two, but our personalities won't change because of this," Cecilia said.

    "If she and I are as far as this gets, then you're right," I nodded. "This kind of ruins our plans for our summer vacation, huh?"

    Sadness flickered in her eyes. "It must be done, so I suppose it does. We have a duty we can't abandon. We could go later."

    "Sure, I'll check my schedule," I joked. She chuckled and the tension lowered slightly. Even if we wanted to go, it wasn't like the League would let us anyway, not when we were assets. Safety measures to use in case everything went to shit and the… calamity started. "What do you think this calamity is?"

    "Legendaries rampaging across the region always spells doom for humans," she shrugged. "Perhaps the damage could be contained, since Cynthia assumed that they were beatable, but the deaths and damage would still be staggering."

    I nodded. "Hmhm."

    I felt strangely calm at that notion. Of course, anxiety and fear reared their ugly heads, but there was no panic now that the shock of these revelations with Cynthia had passed.

    "I wish I knew more, though. You'd think they'd communicate to us through dreams or visions or something to tell us what to do if it comes to that," I sighed. "But nope, complete radio silence. Bummer."

    "It's never as easy as in the stories, isn't it?" She smiled as we turned a corner.

    "You know, I actually have a confession. Hatterene told me about this story when I was with her, although it was a lot less detailed and I didn't really believe it."

    "Anything Cynthia didn't add?"

    "Nope. It was a story her mother told her," I explained. "And she mostly focused on the Plume and emotions bit."

    The streets of Veilstone were dimly lit by streetlights and the ambient shine coming from the building. We continued walking in silence until we reached the Pokemon Center. Today had been such a long day. Training with my team, studying, media training, the battle with Cecilia, the kidnapping and now this. I just wanted to crash in my bed and sleep an entire day, but I knew that wasn't feasible, not when there was so much to talk about. We swung by the cafeteria to grab some food on the way upstairs.

    "Say, Cece," I said as we entered our room. "What's your opinion on being chosen? Do you think it holds any water?"

    "I honestly don't know. It would seem like the most obvious answer right now, but when has the most obvious answer been correct?" She said. "I don't really care how this happened. I'm focused on winning."

    "We don't even know if that's how it works."

    "True, but it's something to strive toward, along with badges," she exhaled as she plopped on the bed. "I have to say, I wish I knew the criteria for this. Do I need to lean into Willpower as a concept or do I need to stay true to myself? You'd think someone receiving a gift from the Pokemon embodying Willpower wouldn't have doubts."

    "I mean, you'd think the Pokemon embodying Willpower in the first place would know who to pick."

    She blinked a few times and then shot up. "Indecisiveness has nothing to do with Willpower."

    "Huh?"

    "Willpower is… it doesn't mean that you can't have doubts or that you're full of yourself all the time like Chase and Pauline are. It's something beyond that. A grander concept."

    "What is it to you? Willpower?" I asked.

    "It's… I don't have an answer yet," she said in a defeated tone. "I don't have the words to express it in a way that feels appropriate."

    "Fair enough. It is vaguer than Emotion and Knowledge, that's for sure."

    "But even those can be vague if you widen the scope enough. On another topic, I'm happy to finally understand why you were so good at understanding Pokemon."

    "Yeah, sorry for not saying anything sooner. I just didn't really believe it until today. I don't even think it's sunk in yet," I muttered. Suddenly, my eyes widened when a terrible conclusion popped into my head. "Wait, do we keep the powers when all of this is done? I don't want to lose that ability… I really don't."

    Would I even be able to function if I couldn't speak with my Pokemon like I could now? If I couldn't feel the emotions radiating off of each Pokemon, stranger or friend? I didn't think so.

    "Cynthia did skip that part of the story, or maybe there are no answers," she said. "This is uncharted territory. None of this has happened in thousands of years."

    I hugged a pillow and bit my lip. The possibility of me reverting back to… I hated to call it normal. This was my normal. How I'd been for months. If anything, the way I thought that the old me was a completely different person. It wasn't just abilities that had shaped me. My experiences had as well, but I couldn't deny that they were a part of me. It'd be like losing myself.

    "I've just got to hope for the best," I said, squeezing my pillow tighter.

    I'd have to tell my Pokemon about all of this tomorrow morning too. I couldn't tell the others, but I could at least tell them. I was sure Cecilia and Mira would confide in their teams as well.

    "If you had to describe Emotion, how would you do it?" Cecilia asked all of a sudden.

    "Hm…" I hummed. She'd been right. Thinking of the concept was easy enough, but putting it into words was a different beast entirely. After a minute or two, I came up with an answer. "It's the essence of human and Pokemon existence. Without emotions, we're nothing. Just a blank canvas with nothing to say and no story to tell. They're the color palette of the human mind, they guide our choices and they bring our stories to life. Of course, that's not to say that emotions are the same for you and me. They're subjective and differ from person to person. For someone, red might signify anger while for others it means excitement."

    "Wait, when you sense emotions, you see colors?"

    "No, no, it was just a dumb metaphor," I sighed with a slight smile. "What I mean to say is that they make us unique. Take humans, for example. Two billion of us on the entire planet in total, and not one person is the same as the other. No two people will feel the same happiness, fear, joy, or anger. They make you you and are unique to you alone, and I think that's a beautiful thing."

    "That was… well, now I see what I'm lacking," she said.

    "What? Come on, I spoke like some kid trying to be deep for no reason, it was kind of embarrassing," I laughed. "There's got to be more to it than that. I'm sure others would be able to describe it better."

    "But you spoke from the heart, and it felt really personal to you. You hesitated at the start, then once you got started, the words kept flowing until you were done. I wonder what Mira would say about Knowledge?"

    "She'd probably say she was too lazy to answer," I dismissed. "We've got to make sure to lock both her and Chase down tomorrow. I think it'd be good to travel together for a little bit when we're done with Veilstone."

    "Perhaps. I don't think Chase will agree. Not that I mind."

    "Stop seeing him as competition already, you guys are friends," I sighed. "Wait, why do I feel like I'm forgetting something—"

    I had almost forgotten the meeting with my mother tomorrow afternoon.

    —

    Cecilia left my room early the next morning since we all had a lot of things to do. Denzel and the others had called yesterday night to ask about the meeting with Cynthia, but we couldn't say anything. Still, rather than lie, we decided to say the truth and tell them that the information was classified instead of making up some half-truth. I could tell that Denzel and Pauline were starting to get irritated, and I couldn't blame them. I knew I would be angry if I was being left out like this. What was the point of not telling them anything when their association with us would get them involved anyway? They'd have to find out eventually. Cynthia was just so convinced that she was right all the time and it was slowly getting on my nerves. Yes, she was older, more experienced and had been through a lot more than us, but I would have liked it if she at least entertained our suggestions instead of shooting us down like she was speaking to children.

    "Then again, maybe she does know better," I whispered to myself.

    I wasn't going to go on route 214 to train today, but I did release my entire team in my room. A few of them eyed the window in surprise because almost a full day had passed since they'd been out. I usually didn't keep them in their Pokeballs that long, and it showed. Princess stared at me and hesitantly chirped. She already knew something was weighing on me. Even with Cecilia, Mira and Chase knowing, all of this responsibility felt heavy to bear. I greeted all of them with a hug— although Sunshine protested and pretended to push me off. I knew that he'd be able to do it without a problem if he really wanted to. Sweetheart clamored at him until he let me embrace him in full.

    "Thank you, sweetie," I told her with a bright smile. They'd only been out for a few seconds, but my day already felt brighter. "Yesterday was… busy for me. I did a lot of things after training. I went to that media thing you guys hate and then I saw Cece and Lauren battle."

    Pupitar shook in excitement, but then deflated when she realized she hadn't been there to see it. Electabuzz patted her on the head to comfort her. I started preparing their food as I talked. There would be no fancy cooked meal today. It was just something to keep myself busy.

    "Then Cecilia's dad was kidnapped by Abel—"

    All of them cheered except Turtonator. They had always liked her. Even Sweetheart wasn't jealous of her any longer. That had probably just been a phase.

    "—but long story short, Mira kind of saved him. Abel escaped too. Then I was asked to meet Cynthia."

    This time, I had Sunshine's attention. I explained the contents of the meeting to them, from the story, to my theories, to the fact that I was now instrumental to Sinnoh's safety and that I might have to contribute to taking down Team Galactic. Jellicent protested the loudest. He hated to see me in danger and demanded to meet Cynthia to chastise her. I smiled softly and rubbed one of his tentacles.

    "It's going to be okay."

    He swelled, his skin bubbled and he began to drip on the floor.

    "It's going to be okay," I said again. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

    If he could have cried, I knew he would have. The words struck a chord with him somehow, and he solidified his limb around my hand.

    "Don't cry. You're old, but despite what you think, you're still my baby. I hate it when you're sad," I told him. His red eyes flickered, but he nodded, so I turned to my entire family. "Come on, don't be gloomy. It'll be alright!"

    Angel's vine tightened around my ankle and Honey tiredly leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. Princess and Sunshine shot each other a knowing look that confused me. They'd gotten along since Solaceon had ended, but this was something more. A deal of some sort. Had they come to some sort of agreement while I hadn't been listening? If they hadn't told me, I wasn't going to pry.

    "We're going to spend a lot of time together today, and we won't be training!" I announced. I thought it'd be a nice break from how hard they were working, but only Buddy and Angel seemed to be pleased. Sweetheart and Honey were downright disappointed. "Yikes, tough crowd. We're meeting my mother later. Only Princess saw her once. You were so shy back then, remember? Back in Twinleaf?"

    Togetic nodded, but quickly told me to stop embarrassing her in front of the others.

    "No, no, you hid behind my leg, gripped my jeans and everything! Could you guys imagine her doing that now?"

    Electabuzz chuckled, and soon, more laughs followed. Turtonator surprisingly laughed the loudest, and unfortunately for Princess, there was no earth for her to throw at his face this time. There were her statues lying around, but she didn't want to waste her pretty art. I was happy I'd finally managed to break the tension, though. I knew they were still worried, but we couldn't let anxiety take over. We still had to live.

    Once I got food from downstairs, I spent the remaining time I had with my family and we just goofed off together. Angel played around with Sweetheart as best they could in the cramped room. Princess and Honey kept teasing Buddy about how he lost his composure earlier and I kept having to jump in to defend him. He was so embarrassed that he shrunk to the size of my fist and floated in the corner of the ceiling. Sunshine slept next to my bed and his gentle warmth enveloped me like a comfortable blanket.

    News of the raids of Team Galactic bases were slowly coming out. No Commanders had been found, but hundreds of grunts and other low-ranking members had been captured. Cynthia had participated in two of them.

    "Check it out," I said with a picture of Baltoy on my phone. "This is the next Pokemon I want to join us. Well, that or its evolution. It's an ancient Pokemon, kind of like Cecilia's Golett. What do you guys think?"

    Their reactions were kind of disappointing. Princess called Baltoy ugly, Sunshine and Sweetheart said that it looked weak and Honey said that they were weird. Only Angel seemed to find Baltoy cute.

    Jellicent was still too embarrassed to comment.

    I knew I could have asked for Electabuzz's evolution yesterday night, but I took a gamble. The plan was still to impress Volkner, and I felt more confident now that she'd said that they might agree to tutor us. I thought that Baltoy and Claydol were actually harder to access than Honey's method of evolution. If the ancient city was cleared by League Trainers, then I would have no idea where to look. According to the drawing Chase had seen, there would be some in the castle, or at least that's how I interpreted it. Closer to the king meant that they'd reside in his home, right?

    Steven Stone was the most prominent trainer to own a Claydol, but footage of his battles were as rare as Cynthia's, especially now that he was retired. He was still considered one of the strongest trainers in the world, and his team was Champion-level, but he'd retired to commit to his passion about rare rock, minerals and fossils full-time. Unfortunately for me, of the few videos I found, he only used his Claydol in two. It had used multiple Hyper Beams at once, increased gravity to ground the challenger's Swellow and flipped gravity to completely neutralize his Sceptile. I had no idea how I'd even begin to counter that.

    Despite me fawning over the use of multiple Hyper Beams at once through each eye, it wasn't actually the most offensive-minded Pokemon. It couldn't deal the damage that Steven's Armaldo, Aggron or Metagross could, but the amount of utility it had made it tricky, and I loved tricky Pokemon. It was able to draw out any fight and use psychic powers in ways I'd never even thought of before, from more mundane things like setting up barriers around the enemy to make their attacks blow up in their faces or grabbing their attacks and saving them for later use, to more ruthless methods like creating a psychic vacuum to completely extinguish all of the flames this other challenger had spent five minutes setting up in order to power up his fire type attacks. Yes, a vacuum around the entire arena. That poor Rapidash's flames went too. Togetic would never be able to replicate the way Claydol fought, that was for sure.

    "Guess I'm all in on this Claydol thing," I said. My eyes glazed over the time and I realized it was almost time to go. I went to shower and Electabuzz had laid me some clothes when I came back. I thanked him with a kiss on the cheek and finished getting ready. "Remember this, everyone. I'm coming at this from a biased point of view, so you're going to have to be a judge of character for me. Can I count on you?"

    They all agreed, although Sunshine didn't care much.

    "And you," I said to him. "Today's the day. Would you be ready tonight?"

    He blinked, but then he nodded.

    Today would be the day he told me about his old team. I recalled all of them and got going. I almost expected Lou to greet me at the door, but she was nowhere to be seen. I still had no idea how the hell these ACE trainers hid so damn well. I'd be interested in talking more with her, but she wanted nothing to do with me, as she'd shown multiple times yesterday. This was just a job for her, and that was fine.

    First, I had to do this and then find Mira and Chase. Cecilia was going to try to rope them into a meeting later. I couldn't deny that I wasn't really thinking about my mother right now. There was too much on my mind. That also meant that I wasn't nervous, or angry, so that was kind of a positive. We'd said that we would meet at a park in Veilstone's south. It took me a while to find her. It was the week-end and this place was packed with both people and Pokemon. She sat on a bench, a book in hand, but she somehow saw me through the crowd immediately. She stood up and excitedly jogged in my direction.

    She really did look like an older version of me. Dirty blonde hair, freckles and only slightly taller, but with blue eyes instead of green. Had it been difficult for dad too look at me— no. I couldn't think like that. I bit my lip, stopping any demands from coming. There was no point in asking why she had done it. She had already told me. It had just been her being a terrible, shitty human being. I was coming here in good faith and hoping to make amends or do anything to mend the bridge between us, but I knew there would be no way that we'd ever be as close or friendly as my father and I were.

    She didn't lunge to try to hug me, so that was appreciated. And I wouldn't have to see my grandmother either, thank Arceus. It would be just us today.

    "G—good morning. Or wait, it's the afternoon now. Thank you so much for agreeing to this, Grace," she said. "I thought you wouldn't."

    "You messaged Denzel, didn't you?" I asked. For some reason, my voice came out deeper than usual. I cleared my throat and continued. "He was the one that convinced me."

    My mother blinked.

    "He was? Wait, he told you about all of that…? Oh no. I really didn't mean to pry, I just wanted to know how you were doing," she rambled. "Did you feel pressured into meeting me? I'm sorry."

    To be honest, I had thought that she might have discretely probed Denzel about confronting me, but honestly?

    She might just have been genuine.

    And that scared me.
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    • Chapter 198
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    • CHAPTER 198

    "Well I kind of did feel pressured," I finally answered. She immediately tensed and pain flickered in her eyes. "But I don't regret it, I guess. It's fine."

    My mother's face relaxed with a sigh, and it was only now that I realized how easy she was to read. She was basically an open book, which was probably where I'd gotten it from? Or maybe it was a coincidence, I didn't know how genetics worked. There was an awkward silence between us as the hustle and bustle of the crowded park seeped into the background.

    "Look at you," she smiled. "You've grown since I saw you in Twinleaf."

    "Not really. I'm still 5'5," I said.

    "I meant that the way you look at things… it's like you're all grown-up," she said. "Should we go somewhere to speak? Somewhere with fewer people?"

    "Sure, I guess," I said.

    I didn't really feel anything except a vague sense of contempt, but I supposed that was better than rage. Plus, she was trying her best, or it looked like she was, so I decided to do the same.

    "So how did you even get here?" I asked, trying to make conversation. Anything was better than this awkward silence.

    "Your grandmother had some business in Veilstone. She's actually the co-owner of a toy store around here. She lived here when she was young, but she retired early. She still chimes in on business decisions from time to time."

    A toy store? That was certainly a strange niche, but kids did need their entertainment.

    "Now that Herdier was all recovered with the medicine you got him, he helped us get to Sandgem. It wasn't difficult, especially now that all these government agents are crawling around Twinleaf. They tend to keep the route clear. From there, we took a ferry to Veilstone. I couldn't let your grandma go alone, not with how old she's gotten."

    "Hm. Were you involved in it at all? In the business?"

    "Oh, no. I worked… well, when I lived in Jubilife, I worked in an accounting firm. I was an audit manager," she said. "When I left for Twinleaf, I just stopped working. I was lucky enough for your grandmother to support me financially so long as I helped around the house," she explained. "Doesn't sound too impressive, doesn't it?"

    "I mean, I don't know," I shrugged. "But why did you leave? Even after you betrayed dad, you could have stayed in Jubilife. I know you said that guilt was too much, but isn't that just running away from your mistakes? You left him to pick up the slack alone. I know how hard it is to take care of kids alone."

    Let alone when you couldn't put them inside of Pokeballs.

    My mother blinked. "I know. It's— there's— there's no excuse," she stammered. "Nothing I said would be enough. I'm sorry. To you and to Arthur."

    Her apology was appreciated, but it didn't really bring anything out of me. Every time I thought I was being too harsh on her, I remembered what she had done. Surely there was a middle ground I could reach?

    "You've gotten quite famous, haven't you?" She said. "I listen to people talk about you on the radio sometimes. I don't know much about battling, but it's entertaining."

    "The radio— never mind. Yeah, I guess I have. People are saying I'm one of the best first-years this Circuit."

    "I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm proud of you. I'm trying to— trying to not be too forward, but I had to say it."

    "Thanks," I said.

    "You've been through a lot too, haven't you?" She said, her stare lingering on my burns. "That horrible day at Solaceon."

    "It was tough. Hard to push past, but I think I'm fine now," I said. "Kind of."

    This conversation felt awkward, but it wasn't that bad. Certainly not as bad as I thought it'd be. We finally reached a more private part of the park, away from its central fountain and more at its edges.

    "Kind of?"

    "Well, it's tough to forget it happened," I said. And there was also the unsaid fact that I was a lot more important than I thought and that it'd paint a target on my back if Team Galactic ever figured it out. A bigger one than the one I currently had. "But it's okay. You learn to live with it."

    "I'm sorry I wasn't there," she said before pausing. "Which is my fault."

    "Why don't I introduce you to some of my Pokemon?" I asked. "You've only met Princess."

    She beamed. "Of course! I hear so much about them, it'd be great to actually see them in the flesh."

    I nodded, releasing Togetic first. Just like with my father in Hearthome, I didn't want to overwhelm her by releasing all of them at once. Princess had been shy before, but she'd really come into her own now. The flying type eyed my mother and nodded with a polite chirp. That was as basic of a greeting as you could get with her, but it could have been worse. My mother hesitantly approached her until she flew backwards, propelling herself with her wings for a quick burst of speed like we'd trained.

    "Nice to officially meet you. Last time, it was so busy in the house, I didn't have time to talk or anything," she slowly said. Princess let out a series of chirps.

    "She says likewise and that she'll be watching you today," I translated.

    "Ohh, you can understand her that well? Impressive."

    I turned and scanned the entire surroundings. The story and my importance had me on edge, so I didn't exactly want to say these things out loud even if I was getting a reputation for my understanding of Pokemon.

    "I can," I quietly said. "But don't go around repeating it. The attention's annoying."

    "My mouth is sealed," she nodded, mimicking zipping up her mouth. I was getting around the fact that she could be quite… quirky. Her body language was very extra, and she moved her hands around a lot when she spoke. "You never told me how you did get her. You left Twinleaf so quickly. You said there was danger at the Lake, and you were off to Sandgem. I had no idea that a few weeks later the League would come in and just take over. We aren't allowed to visit it anymore, which is a shame. It was quite calming."

    It was then that I realized that talking to someone that knew vastly less than you did was suffocating. It was uncomfortable and I found it hard not to squirm. Desperately wanting to change the topic, I moved on to how I'd gotten Princess and explained the story of how my Dad had won her egg by pure chance. Togetic nodded along to the tale. She was always happy when I told it to someone, and it seemed that some of Sunshine's pride was rubbing off on her.

    I didn't exactly know what was impressive about the story to her, but I wouldn't reign on her parade. Plus, she was cute like this.

    "Arthur did always like buying tickets to lotteries or raffles. He'd bring a bunch of stuff back home that we didn't need," she smiled.

    "Come on. Don't reminisce. Not when you… you caused the split," I quickly said.

    "Oh. You're right."

    She missed him, I realized. She would have to live with the consequences of her actions, which felt appropriate to me, but melancholic at the same time. It was difficult to explain. Maybe I missed what could have been, but would never be. Togetic rubbed her forehead against mine in an attempt to comfort me, and I caressed her cheek for a few seconds.

    "Anyway, that's Princess," I said. "I guess I'll have you meet the most troublesome first."

    When Turtonator came out of his Pokeball, I realized that it was the first time he was actually out in such a public place. Sure, we were at a secluded part of the park, but people and Pokemon came and went as they pleased. His eyes narrowed at the unexpected sudden noise and activity, but he settled down when I placed a hand on his leg.

    "Relax, big guy. Remember how I told you we'd be meeting my mother? This is her. Her name's Samantha."

    For her part, Samantha shrunk down and shook like a leaf under Sunshine's judgemental gaze. The dragon snorted and called her too weak to have given birth to me, which to be honest, I did find kind of funny.

    "What did he say?"

    "Well, he wasn't very nice," I told her. "But he's got a good heart. I caught him in Mount Coronet."

    "I heard about that on the radio… you came out with those," she said, looking at my burns. Turtonator, for his part, didn't look guilty at all, and I didn't expect him to. Princess chastised him and told him to apologize already.

    I ignored my mother's stare and continued. "They talked about that on the radio?"

    "I didn't use to listen to trainer stuff much. I mostly tuned in to see how you were doing," Samantha said. "It's this sort of back and forth thing between two guys that have been in the industry for a long time… a podcast, I think. They pick a few trainers to talk about for the day, but I only listen when you're in it. I gave the name to Casey and Ronald too, and they listen when they speak about Denzel."

    It took me a few seconds to place those names, but I remembered that they were Denzel's parents. I'd only seen them once, but he'd complained about them plenty. The complaints had stopped after Snowpoint, though.

    "Oh, that's pretty cool," I said. "I'd like the name of the program for him, I bet he'd like it."

    "Oh, sure. It's 'Poketracker: Spotlight on Future Champions'. They've got some online recordings too, but I'm not very good at all that internet stuff. Even your Grandmother's better at that than me," she laughed, waving a hand dismissively.

    I wrote down the name on my phone and thanked her while Sunshine kept commenting on how frail and weak my mother looked.

    "We're humans. We're all weak," I muttered.

    He snorted, agreeing heartily while Princess disagreed and called me the strongest human on the planet.

    "I'm sure Sweetheart would agree with that, but it's obviously wrong" I smiled, turning back to my mother. "Sorry, I kind of answer them on autopilot. Don't feel left out."

    "You're fine, I'm just content to look."

    "I guess Sweetheart can be next. She's kind of the family's baby," I explained. "Don't tell her that or she'll have a tantrum."

    I released Pupitar, who was getting so heavy that her mere presence created an indent in the dirt.

    "Don't move around too much, or you'll mess up the park," I quickly said. "This is my mother Samantha. I told you about her."

    The ground type let out a rattling, echoing scream that made her jump out of her skin.

    "She's greeting you. Sorry, she's just a loud girl, don't mind her," I said, petting her cocoon. Sweetheart protested and said she'd been quiet just now, but Princess chided her. "Listen to your sister and be a good girl."

    Sunshine breathed out warm air and said Pupitar should be allowed to be as loud as she want as an honorary dragon.

    "When did that even happen?!" I yelled. "You know what, never mind."

    The rock type preened at her draconic title, and Princess begged for me to release some of our more sensible family members before these two made her go crazy.

    "You call them sisters?" My mother noticed.

    "Oh yeah, all of my Pokemon are siblings," I explained. Turtonator groaned, refuting the notion. I patted him on the arm. "Except Sunshine, but I'll rope him in soon. It took me weeks to get him to accept the name, but in the end, he agreed."

    The fire type turned away from me, heating up the air slightly. I'd grown so accustomed to his tantrums that I hadn't realized how terrified my mother got again.

    "No, no, he's harmless. He wouldn't hurt me," I quickly said.

    I really did need to lower the tension. Angel was perfect for that. As usual, the big bundle of vine greeted all of us with touch, ignoring Turtonator's complaints, and then moved on to the new person in his sights. Luckily, I'd been ready for him.

    "No!" I yelled, holding out a hand.

    His vines froze in place. I wasn't about to let him make her that uncomfortable, especially because he had no self-control. He was as innocent as they came, but she would not see it that way. I gently grabbed one of his vines and placed it in my mother's hand, who hesitantly shook it like a hand.

    "He doesn't want to shake your hand, he wants to feel your skin," I said. "His name's Angel."

    "Hello…" she whispered. She waited for his greeting, but it never came. Instead, he rapidly blinked and his other vines writhed in place.

    "He doesn't speak, but he's very happy to meet you," I translated.

    "They talk about him a lot on the show," Samantha said.

    "Do they? Hear that, Angel? You're famous!"

    The grass type excitedly bobbed up and down.

    "What's with the vine around the ankle?" She asked.

    I stared down at my foot and saw that he'd already wrapped my ankle in a vine. "It's his thing. It reassures him when he can feel me. He doesn't trip me or anything, it doesn't bother me at all."

    Princess lay down on top of the grass type and lazily asked him to make her a blanket. Angel obliged her and wrapped a ton of vines over her, which made Sweetheart jealous. She yelled until Tangrowth also surrounded her in vines, although he couldn't lift her on the ground. She'd grown too much.

    I noticed that Samantha was staring with a curious look.

    "They're more comfortable than they look. They make for a really good bed in the wild," I said. "Do you want to give it a try?"

    "I'm okay," she said.

    Angel's vines drooped, but I comforted him with a hug and my mother apologized profusely. She was making it a bigger deal than it actually was, but I realized she probably thought she'd offend me if she made one of my Pokemon sad.

    "Don't worry, he's just a big softie," I said. "His mood changes quickly too, he'll be back on his feet in no time. Look."

    I released Jellicent, who didn't even have a second of respite before he was dragged around by three vines. Tangrowth shook him like a rag until he had his fill, and Buddy just stayed there and took it even though he could have slipped away.

    "Here, this is Buddy—"

    The water type's form constricted and expanded, loosened and tightened until Tangrowth was done with him.

    "You really went hard with him today, huh," I sighed. "Princess, I think this is because you kept lifting him with Extrasensory when he hadn't evolved yet. Now he's taking it out on others."

    It'd been meant as a joke, but Togetic took it seriously and fervently denied these allegations. Instead, she redirected the blame to Sunshine, which made absolutely no sense, but it was funny. The dragon type protested and said he had nothing to do with our childish antics.

    "Anyway, this is Buddy," I repeated. "He's a little reserved around people he doesn't know, but he's really nice."

    Now that he had some respite, the ghost type stared through my mother, judging her every movement. I had asked him to judge her character, and he always took his tasks seriously. I shot him a look to ask him what he thought at first glance.

    He said that he couldn't see any sinister intentions, but he needed more time to make a more detailed assessment.

    "He wants to watch you," I said. "Don't worry, he's harmless."

    "Do you say that about every single one?"

    "Yeah, they're all harmless."

    Compared to the potential they'd hopefully all reach in time? They definitely were. I finished with Electabuzz and introduced him as well. His normalcy was a welcomed change of pace for her, and they even shook hands. He was very serious. While he'd tried to prank my father with a jolt, there was none of that here— just polite introductions. I let all of them interact for a while, and I was content to just watch.

    To be honest, I was pretty sure I'd be able to just watch all of my Pokemon hang out forever. They were all so precious. Sunshine tried to brag about his accomplishments to my mother, who couldn't understand a word of what he said while I sometimes chimed in to translate. Angel and Sweetheart cheered him on, and Princess had fallen asleep on the grass type's head. Honey and Buddy observed Samantha, but the water type was the one that truly unsettled her. At least Electabuzz moved around and joined in on the conversation, but Jellicent was completely still. Only his eyes shimmered, changing intensity with each interaction.

    Finally, my mother said something that had no doubt been on her mind the entire time.

    "Could you… tell me some stories about your childhood, maybe? I know I don't have a right to ask."

    I sighed. "Yeah. Some, maybe. Just… some."

    —

    Meeting my mother hadn't been this cathartic experience. It hadn't been a disaster, nor had it been a long-awaited mending of the relationship. It had been awkward, there had been stumbles and I still didn't really think of her as family, but at the very least, things had gotten better. We were on a conversational basis now, and I wouldn't ghost her any longer. I even sent my dad a picture of us and he seemed overjoyed.

    He really was a good man.

    "I'm going now," she said. "It was very nice to see you again, Grace. Thank you for giving me a chance."

    "Thank Denzel, he convinced me," I said. I had recalled most of my Pokemon at this point, but Princess and Angel were still out. She was done with her nap and was just lazing around on his head. "It was… nice, yeah."

    "I don't want to be too forward, but let me know if you ever feel like doing this again. I'm leaving Veilstone in a week and a half, and I'm always open to meeting. Of course, I won't force anything if you want your space."

    "Yeah, I don't really know right now, but I'll tell you if I change my mind," I said. "Have a safe trip back—"

    A yell from Togetic alerted me. I turned toward her as I felt a vine wrap around my waist. An Abra had wandered behind me.

    An Abra.

    I flinched when a thick void surrounded the psychic and twenty spikes from Princess buried themselves in the darkness. Lou appeared before me, and it was only then that I realized that there had been four undercover League Trainers around me at all times. A couple with a Morpeko on the woman's lap stood up and ran toward me. I noticed the thin strands of blackness linking Morpeko to the submerged Abra. A man reading a news paper did the same, and a Honchkrow swooped from the sky the join his side, and one last woman landed on a Dragonite's back next to me.

    I only had time to focus on the Abra for less than a second, but my heightened senses told me one thing.

    His intentions had been nefarious.

    "Grace, what's going on—"

    Lou cut my mother off. "Ariel, Dick, you stay here and clean up. Serena, Maxwell, check the entire park to see if anything is out of order. This was an attack from Team Galactic."

    The four trainers saluted and dispersed. When the darkness dissipated from the Abra, it was unconscious… no, it was dead. It had been stabbed fifteen times with spikes longer than its entire body. One of them had hit him in the forehead directly and blood was seeping from the hole. The other fourteen was all packed together, running through his torso, shoulders, tail. One of his arms was barely hanging on. Lou closed her eyes and held out a hand toward it. Veins next to her eyes bulged and her eyes shone behind her eyelids.

    "It's dead," Lou confirmed. "I will Teleport you to the Pokemon Center, and you will be contained here until the threat has been dealt with."

    I swallowed. Dead?

    Just like that. One second it was alive and the next its life had been extinguished. And for what?

    The dichotomy of my reaction and my mother's couldn't be more pronounced. She'd collapsed and was crying while I was just… standing there. I felt shaken, but I'd been so desensitized to it at this point that I couldn't feel anything but anger for the people that had made Abra do this.

    "Thank you, Princess," I exhaled before turning to my mother. "I don't think it'd be good to meet. I'm… I attract danger. You're better off just leaving Veilstone early. It's not safe here."

    "Are you done? I shall Teleport you now. Recall your Pokemon," Lou said.

    I wasted no time listening to her, and in a flash, we were back at the Center. Lou leaned against the wall and entered a coughing fit. Her breaths were labored and she was clearly exhausted.

    "I will stay here with you until the situation is contained," she said again.

    "Can you give my mother guards during her stay here? And my grandmother too?" I asked. "Team Galactic's known to take hostages."

    "I will send the request to Cynthia immediately," she nodded, grabbing her phone.

    I sat on my bed and held out my hand.

    It was shaking.

    I clenched it around my phone and sent a message to the rest of the group about the attack and asked Mira, Chase and Cece to meet up specifically. The panic in the chat quickly subsided when they realized I was completely fine.

    "Why now?" I frowned.

    "The raid failed to capture all of Team Galactic's members. A few dozen of them escaped and are running free in the city," she explained. "We assume that Abra belonged to one of them, but nothing is set in stone. It could have been one from their main base that we do not know about. The only thing we are certain of is that it was a Team Galactic Pokemon and that it wanted to bring you somewhere. Odds are, we will not learn anything about it unless a trainer is found."

    It took an hour and a half for me to be cleared to go outside again, and in that time, I came to terms with the fact that Princess had taken a life. It hadn't been… necessary. It was a terrible thing, and she'd reacted emotionally.

    It was just such a waste. Arceus fucking damn it, I despised Team Galactic. How many Pokemon had been warped by their ideals?

    I couldn't blame Princess, even if I disapproved. She'd attacked first because not unlike me, Togetic could feel emanating emotions. It was one of the tips Cynthia had given me when we spoke in Solaceon. Not only had she also figured out that Abra wanted to harm me, but she was quicker than me in doing so.

    Could I hone my abilities in some way? They hadn't progressed in a while. I was just more aware of them now than I'd ever been.

    Even though I was now allowed to go out, I did not. Instead, I went straight to Mira's room and saw that they were already waiting for me there. She'd already read my text, Cecilia sighed in relief when she saw me and kissed me. After asking if I was fine about ten times, I began to speak.

    "As I said, I was attacked by an Abra belonging to Team Galactic on the way here. The ACE trainers took care of everything. It went by so quickly. One second, an Abra was behind me, and the next he was swarmed by dark type energy and stabbed by Togetic's Ancient Power," I explained, my eyes downcast. "My mother almost got caught in the crossfire."

    "Damn. Sorry about that," Chase said. "At least things went alright."

    Cecilia nodded. "Some of them escaped from the raid last night. They must have been one of the remaining stragglers," she said. I nodded and said that was Lou's theory too, but she raised a finger. "Wait, that doesn't actually make any sense."

    "Yes, because why waste a chance at running off into the routes and saving themselves instead of targeting Grace," Mira said, snapping a finger. "This was probably an order from above, no?"

    "Maybe," I muttered. "But they've got no idea I'm important. All they have is Mars' obsession with me."

    Maybe they had been pressured by her to capture me? It'd make sense, in a way. That Abra hadn't aimed to kill me and their Teleportation scheme didn't work since the ACE trainers had a tactic to counter it. They wanted to bring me somewhere, possibly in one of their remaining bases.

    "This is madness," Cecilia seethed with a clenched fist. "Instead of trying to save their own lives, they're stuck doing that crazy woman's bidding."

    "You know she can do a lot worse than the League can," Mira frowned. "I'd rather take a painful memory extraction with a slight chance of not being too damaged and a few decades in prison over whatever she has cooking."

    "Why not send Dusknoir after me herself?" I asked.

    "Her hands must be tied," she said. "None of the Commanders are moving in any way. Them waiting for something important would line up with what Abel told me. And you said she was obsessed with their leader, right? He's the only one she'd listen to, if that was the case. Maybe the other Commanders too?"

    "Hmhm," I nodded. I was still slightly shaken by the attack, but it was nice to see that the trainers Cynthia gave us were actually effective and that kidnapping by Teleport like they'd done at Valley Windworks wouldn't work here. The move was easy to counter if you knew to expect it. I just hoped the same level of care and security was afforded to the rest of our friends… and my mother. We knew they weren't above anything, not even taking hostages. Taking my mother sounded like some sick game Mars was capable of doing.

    "Let's talk about the Copperajah in the room, then," I said. The quicker I moved on from this topic, the better it'd be for my state of mind. I just wanted to think about something else. We all turned toward Chase.

    "Chase, you're rather silent," Cecilia said. "What was your meeting with Cynthia like? What did you think about the story and its implications?"

    "Been thinkin'" he said with his arms crossed. "You know, my gut reaction was to think it was a load of bullshit, but I guess there has to be a hint of truth to it. I don't particularly enjoy knowing I've got some people babysitting me."

    "A man after my own heart," Mira grinned. She sat cross-legged on the floor as she fiddled with her phone. Porygon sometimes entered and left the device. I expected some unwanted flirting next, but she stayed silent. Even she had her limits. "And?"

    "I mean, I don't know, to be honest. I hate the idea of some old Legend fucking with my head and using me to do its bidding. Why not just do it yourself, you lazy ass? Arceus," he exclaimed. "But hey, this calamity business doesn't sound so good, so I'll do my best. Sinnoh's my home. I won't let another one be destroyed."

    We all nodded at him, but Cecilia didn't notice the fact that he'd let slip that he'd already lost a home. I could tell Mira caught on due to her change in demeanor, but she said nothing. What Chase had said amounted to what I expected, although he had complained a lot less than I thought.

    "Good answer, Chasey. Now, I came up with something yesterday night while I was chewing on some damn good quesadillas," Mira said. "Cynthia's not telling us everything, that much is obvious. She was handwaving a lot of the end of the story. Calamity's a pretty vague word, don't you think?"

    "Calamity's pretty straightforward to me," Chase shrugged. "It's like, complete decimation. The entire region's gonna be destroyed."

    "Decimation doesn't mean what you think it means, Chasey," Mira mocked.

    "I thought the same," I said. "But it's not like we can force her to tell us if she doesn't want to."

    "You're right, which is why I tried looking up the same stories she talked about. Nothing came up. Like it was scrubbed from the internet entirely using mass-produced Porygon. Even my Porygon couldn't find anything," she said. The normal type beeped disappointedly from the phone. "Even the obscurest shit will have some results."

    "So what?" Cecilia scoffed. "It was scrubbed, obviously. Sinnoh's government isn't above censorship."

    Mira continued, "I'm just sayin', why scrub it? It's not like some rando online could correlate anything from the story. Until yesterday, would you have been able to make the connection between Cynthia's story and Team Galactic if she hadn't linked the two for us?"

    "No," she said.

    "And it's not the only story about Legendaries with apocalyptic vibes. I've found plenty that looked not to have been touched with similar implications."

    "So you're saying it was taken off so we couldn't find anything? Isn't that kind of extra," I asked with a frown.

    "You guys underestimate how controlling Cynthia is as a person because you've looked up to her since you were kids," Mira shook her head. "She wants everything to be just how she likes it."

    "I sure am not," Chase spat.

    "I mean, I figured the gifts were to keep us happy," I said. "But to go so far…"

    "It could mean that this calamity thing is a lot worse than it sounds," Cecilia said. The disappointment in her tone was easy to discern.

    "Three Legendaries that look to approximately have the power of one of the Legendary birds' avatars wouldn't amount to much, despite what you might think. If they got to a city, then there'd be hundreds of thousands of deaths, but that's not that much in the grand scheme of things," Mira explained. "Come on, don't look at me like that. It's true. Now, I could also be completely wrong, but luck's been on my side when deducing stuff these days."

    "When you're looking for an answer, what does it feel like?" Cecilia asked. "When we were at Acuity, it was like… this outside presence feeding us answers."

    "That's exactly it. As long as the answer's within my reach, I can kind of tell what it is. It's not a hundred percent reliable, though. It's got other effects on me too, as you know. I was actually planning on visiting the lake when swinging up north if the League lets me. Maybe it'll get us some answers."

    "Lake Valor's just south of here," Cecilia said, looking at Chase with hungry eyes. "Maybe we'd get guidance if we showed up."

    "What if Cynthia says no?" I asked. "The place is a fortress crawling with League Trainers. We certainly aren't sneaking in."

    "Then she'd be really stupid. Look, Cynthia thinks we're dumber than we actually are," Mira said. "Well, Chasey's pretty dumb."

    "Huh?!"

    "I meant it in a cute, endearing way, don't get all defensive. She wants to keep us happy. Here, do any of you play dating sims?"

    "I'm not much of a gamer," Cecilia said.

    "I'm not a nerd, so no," Chase said.

    "You played dating sims?" I scoffed.

    "You're asking the depressed girl with no friends if she played dating sims, Grace," Mira smiled. "Obviously I did. Anyway, in most dating sims, each love interest has like, a relationship value assigned to them that goes up and down depending on what text option you pick. That's how Cynthia sees people. She tries to keep them all happy, but she doesn't see us as independent people with our own needs and wants. She sees us as NPCs that'll react with a pre-determined line of text depending on what she says."

    Chase leaned against the wall. "I almost fell asleep just now."

    "What a convoluted metaphor…" Cecilia whispered.

    "It's a damn genius metaphor, that's what it is," she smugly said. "Don't think of her as this flawless human being. I'm the only one that sees her for what she is right now: a fucked up human that just happens to be the voice of authority in the region because she's a damn good trainer. To be honest, it's not like I'm not fucked up, but hey, I'm just saying it like I see it."

    "I've stopped doing that a while ago now," Cece shrugged. "I don't hate her like you both, though," she said, looking at Chase and her.

    "Come on, I don't hate her. She's just fake, and I dislike that," Mira said. "Woah, am I a hypocrite? Whatever. And I didn't mean she doesn't have Sinnoh's best interests at heart. Anyway, where I was going with this whole dating sim tangent was, she wants to keep our values in the positive. That means that she won't deny us too many times if we ask for reasonable shit. Visiting our corresponding lakes is certainly reasonable."

    "I'd have to backtrack or fly to mine," I muttered. "Lake Verity didn't have that much of an effect on me. I just felt… calm and at home, I guess. It was like a state of permanent bliss. I wonder what Willpower will do."

    "Maybe I'd be able to beat my personal best for pushups there," Chase grinned.

    "Okay, musclehead," Mira rolled her eyes before looking at me. I had to be the one to ask him?

    In retrospect, maybe I was the best suited for it. He was closest to me, after all, and he'd called me his closest friend before. It was still nerve-wracking because he'd denied me every time I had asked beforehand.

    "Chase. Cecilia, Mira and I were thinking about traveling to Sunyshore together and we were thinking about having you join us. Maybe Pastoria? Nothing's set in stone. We'll have to split at some point because Mira's last badge will be Candice."

    "I wanted to fly there," he said.

    "Come on, don't be like that. Join us," I said. "It'll be fun, and you'll get to visit Lake Valor with us because we're good at talking while you're abrasive almost all the time. Plus, it won't even take long to travel on foot and maybe you can bounce ideas off of Cece with the whole Willpower thing. To be honest, the entire point is to talk to each other and come up with answers about all this. Maybe learn some teamwork too? Get everyone to get better at working with each other?"

    "Eh. I have to wait a week and a half to battle Maylene because of that Lauren thing. Wouldn't want to hold y'all back."

    "I'm not even close to battling her either," I said. "Cece's going to sign up tomorrow and I don't even know about Mira."

    The pink-haired trainer shrugged. "Eh, I don't care much about badges or the Conference, but it's something that'll make my Pokemon stronger in preparation for our confrontation with Team Galactic. If it comes to that. Maybe I'll find some other Pokemon on my travels too."

    Chase groaned and scratched his head. "You guys seem annoying to travel with, but whatever. I guess I can do Sunyshore so long as you don't bother me."

    "Nice," I grinned. "I promise we won't annoy you."

    "Mira's crossing her fingers," Cecilia said.

    "Way to sell me out!"

    Now we'd have to tell the others soon too. No doubt they'd feel… left out, abandoned or worse, but they'd have each other. They could all combine into one large group if need be as well. I felt bad, but I thought it'd be for the best. Leaving them in the dark like this killed me.

    "Looks like we'll be spending a lot more time together from now on, then—" Cecilia started.

    Chase held out a hand and interrupted her. "Now hold on. I'm not going to start being stuck to you like glue. This is only for when we travel. I'm a busy man and Pauline's already annoying me in Flight School. Keeps getting on my fuckin' nerves."

    "I'll take what I can get," I said.

    "Anyone want to order pizza?" Mira asked. "I'm hungry and I'm craving pizza right now."

    "Ohhh, I can go for pizza," I yelled excitedly. The smile felt forced, but I kept it there for longer than what was natural. Anything to move on. "Pepperoni?"

    "I'll take a quatre-fromage," Cece said.

    "A whole one?" I asked incredulously.

    "We can share? Two pizzas are enough for four people, and if push comes to shove, I can give the rest to Zweilous."

    "Are you kidding me? That's unhealthy as hell…" Chase complained. "I'm out of here."

    "There's got to be healthy pizza. Just take one with a bunch of veggies and chicken on it or whatever," I said.

    "You can have one custom-made!" Mira added.

    "I'm not going to lie, I was just looking for an excuse to dip."

    "You don't have anything to do. Come on, stick around," I asked. "Please."

    Anything to move on.

    "...Fine."

    —

    Despite spending longer than I expected with the others, I hadn't forgotten about my words to Sunshine. I entered my room and released him and him alone. This was his story to tell, and he wanted us to be alone for it. He didn't lay down as he usually did. I'd gotten so used to him by now that I had almost forgotten how regal he could be when he wanted. Turtonator stared me down in silence, but I knew he was asking if I was ready.

    "You can start whenever you want," I said. "And feel free to stop if it gets too hard."

    I would tell him about the attack after, along with the entire family. This was his moment and his alone.

    Warm air streamed out of his snout as he began to tell me his story, not just of Kamaile's death, but how he lived.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Interlude - How He Lived
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    • INTERLUDE - How He Lived

    His entire life, he had only known the volcano. Up here was only the heat, the hunt, and fierce competition.

    Heat rose from Turtonator's shell and sulfur glimmered off of it, giving the cave a warm yellow hue. He lay completely still as he awaited prey, but none had come in three days. His shell was cracked, almost split into three different pieces, half of his scales had been peeled off and there was a gaping hole in his plastron. Turtonator had almost been mortally wounded after challenging a stronger member of his species further up the volcano after growing overconfident. The battle had barely lasted two minutes. Flames so powerful they glowed white had melted off his scales and they had fused to his flesh. Explosions so grand that the mere shockwave caused him to freeze in fear and that his opponent had used to propel himself up in the air and jump so high that it was like he was flying. Even through all of his agony, Turtonator cursed his weakness. When he recovered, he would challenge that Turtonator again, but for now? He needed to rest and recover. Down here, he did not have enough sulfur to strengthen his explosions, and competition with other Turtonator for the meager amount present was fierce. Life was hard, but it was all he had ever known since he'd been born. No parents had been here to raise him, so his experience shaped who he was, and who he would always be.

    And so, he stood still as he waited for an unsuspecting weakling to wander by and die by his explosion. He couldn't conceal himself well, but even Pokemon could make mistakes and slip. He had seen it many times before. After all, he had lived for slightly more than seventy years on this mountain, and he planned to live for centuries more. He would conquer this entire volcano and sit on his rightful throne at the summit. He would be the strongest and take what was rightfully his.

    Turtonator's eyes narrowed.

    Steps. There were multiple individuals… perhaps two. His tail flexed and he readied himself to strike. Something tensed in Turtonator's back as he activated his Shell Trap, and its red hue intensified.

    He barely had time to see what it was that he was targeting before everything exploded. He slammed his tail against his fractured shell and his body contracted. Turtonator nearly passed out from the pain— the strain from exploding his wounded shell. He heard another crack form and breathed out a stream of flames to distract himself from the pain.

    This would take months to heal, but he would starve if he did not eat.

    When the smoke, ash and sulfur lingering in the air cleared, a Pokemon covered in white and purple fur stood there unharmed, along with a human hiding behind the psychic barrier it had created. Turtonator knew of these Pokemon— Oranguru, they were called. It was covered in soot from head to toe. He had only heard of them, however. They did not usually venture up this volcano, and humans almost never went so high up.

    The human wore some sort of cloth over his face and studied Turtonator. He shared most humans' tanned skin, but this one was stockier than usual. The boy's eyes stopped when he glazed over his wounds.

    Every wild Pokemon knew that trainers were bad news. They were slippery and liked to use tricks to win instead of using their own strength. Turtonator snarled and gathered a Dragon Pulse inside of his snout, amassing as much energy as he could before letting it loose. The turquoise stream of energy was warped by the heat and dissipated in a single stroke of Oranguru's fan. Turtonator's eyes bulged as rage bubbled inside of him. More tricks!

    "Calm down! Calm the hell down!" The human yelled. "What in the Tapu's names happened to you?"

    Turtonator did not hesitate, but his next attack was also easily stopped. Such weaklings!

    "You look bad, my brother. I don't want any trouble, but I think I should heal you. I've got these," the human said, presenting some sort of strange metallic bottle. "It's a potion that'll get you all healed up. My name's Kamaile. Kamaile Nalanie. I don't want to hurt you, I'm just exploring the volcano."

    If Turtonator had been in any state of fight back, he would have, but he was barely conscious at this point. He had used the last ounce of energy and poured everything he had left into this attack, and he'd failed. He stumbled and nearly fell down on the ground.

    "Keep that shield on me, Oranguru," Kaimaile said.

    A cold feeling spread across Turtonator's wounds, and the pain soon faded. It did not disappear, and his scales did not regrow, nor did his shell mend, but at least he could rest easy. He'd been in so much pain these last few days, and now that it was gone only a sense of freedom remained.

    The dragon blinked a few times and fell asleep.

    —

    When Turtonator awoke, his first thought was surprise at the fact that he was still alive.

    Good evening, abrasive one.

    The fire type scrambled to his feet and saw that the human was sleeping. Kamaile, he had called himself. Oranguru stared at him with a look of amusement that annoyed him to no end.

    What do you want with me, coward? Turtonator snarled. I could burn you to smithereens right now. Turn you and your master, he said, spitting out that last word. To ash.

    Do it then,     Oranguru said, dipping his head. He was lazily fanning his face and barely paid any attention to him now that he was awake. It would be all for naught, since I am capable of protecting Kamaile from all harm. A simple spell will put you to sleep.

    So you were the one who put me to sleep?     He raged. You miserable—

    You collapsed from exhaustion. I recommend rest if you want to recover. Potions can only do so much.

    The fire type's eyes settled on Kamaile's sleeping form, and after deliberating with himself for a few seconds, he sat on the hot, rocky ground. They sat there in silence for at least thirty minutes, not trusting each other but content to live and let live. Turtonator considered leaving, but it pained him to admit that he was intrigued by this Oranguru. The human, he did not care about much. Kamaile was still asleep even after all of his commotion. The soot on his face had been washed off, but that could never be the case for long in the volcano. A fresh coat had fallen on his face and stuck to his sweat.

    Turtonator finally broke the silence. Why did he not wake when I yelled at you? Is there a problem with his head?

    He cannot sleep without my help,     he explained. Why do you care, abrasive one?

    I do not. If that is all, then, I will take my leave. Do not cross paths with me again, or you will die by my flames.

    Goodbye,     the psychic said with an annoying smile.

    Turtonator did not answer as he strode off.

    —

    Two days later, he encountered Kamaile again, this time higher up in the mountain. He had managed to eat and his wounds no longer hurt at all, but using Shell Trap in his state would be catastrophic, so his main method of fighting was hampered and there was nothing he could do about it. As he melted off a chunk of sulfur hanging to the ceiling and opened his mouth, letting the contents drip inside, Kamaile showed himself. Oranguru could barely contain a mocking laugh that he hid behind his fan. Despite being made of leaves, it didn't even burn.

    "You… you're that same Turtonator!" Kamaile yelled. "I recognize your wounds! How have you been doing? Do you need more potions? I'm almost out because I healed a bunch of Pokemon on the verge of death from different fights on the way here, but I have a few left."

    Tell your trainer that he should not speak to me so freely, Turtonator told Oranguru.

    The psychic translated and Kamaile… laughed.

    That hadn't been what he had expected. Far from it. Turtonator attacked them before storming off further up the mountain. Anything to get away from these two annoyances. Oranguru never struck back. He only defended, and for some reason, that angered him all the more.

    —

    A week later, Turtonator almost died.

    The Turtonator he had fought all those days ago had lost to another challenger and had traveled to the lower levels to heal his wounds. A fierce battle ensued. Now that he was injured, they were on a slightly more equal footing. His opponent's shell had been utterly destroyed and was unusable while his entire layer of scales had just disappeared. They exchanged blows for nearly thirty minutes until Turtonator won.

    He stood over the other's defeated corpse and roared in fury. The fact that someone had defeated what was an unsurmountable barrier for him enraged Turtonator to no end, and he wanted nothing more but the get stronger. More strength, more power, more. He would never have enough. He slammed a foot against his opponent's destroyed shell and let loose a Flamethrower toward the cave's ceiling.

    For at the essence of a dragon was a desire to hoard power and never let it go, even if he had to fight off the entire world to do so. Even if he had to fight Pokemon he had no chance of winning against. It was trial by fire, and he had been bathed in flames many times.

    The battle had left him nearly dead, bleeding from every orifice and barely conscious. The site of their fight had been scorched black and molten rock still remained, pooling in every hole and crater formed by the battle. Kamaile arrived hours later after it had all cooled off. Even this high in the volcano, Oranguru kept him shielded from the heat. Turtonator had never seen a psychic type capable of shielding someone from the elements this well.

    So many powerful opponents that he would never be able to beat.

    Perhaps dying wasn't so bad. Kamaile said something, but his voice was far away now. Turtonator felt peaceful as he began to let himself drift off to sleep, but the human pulled out one of those devices they called Pokeballs and tapped his forehead with it.

    His vision went dark for a few seconds as a feeling of free fall shook him, and he awoke in a completely new world. A mountainous field full of volcanos that seemed to stretch on and on with no end, except he was the only one there. What was this? The inside of a Pokeball? It seemed like the environment had been tailor-made for him and him alone.

    He was too wounded and tired to explore, but he felt at ease here— more than he'd been when outside, at the very least. He drifted off the sleep right where he stood.

    Another falling feeling jolted him awake as he was yanked out of the safety of the Pokeball— lights, humans with pink hair, Pokemon he had never seen flanking them, needles, voices, screams, orders. Everything here was new, and it was confusing. Turtonator flared up, but a strange Pokemon pricked him with a needle and he fell asleep again.

    The next time, he woke up for good. He was outside, on some sort of beach as he was released from his Pokeball. Everything had happened so fast that Turtonator had no idea how much time had passed or what was going on. His body was as good as new and even his shell was back together, although he still felt some strain when he moved. Kamaile Nalanie stood in front of him, not just with Oranguru but with the rest of his Pokemon. A Drampa, a Lurantis, a Mudsdale and a Mandibuzz. He had seen them all before at different stages of his life, but it was the Drampa that caught his eye. Their species were fierce rivals with Turtonator and often competed with each other when they crossed paths, even if it seldom happened unless a Turtonator was driven out or a Drampa was driven inside of a volcano.

    "You must be confused," Kamaile said. "I'm sorry, but I had to catch you to save your life. I was out of potions and they wouldn't have been enough anyway. Oranguru told me that you'd get yourself killed, but I didn't expect you to actually do that."

    Turtonator was dumbstruck. He'd been caught? Him? By a mere child, at that? The rest of the Pokemon silently observed, gauging his reaction.

    "I can bring you back to your volcano and release you if you want," he said. "I'd have to hurry because I want to get to this trial before I swing back to my home in Paniola, but I can do it right now. Just say the word, and I'll bring you back and release you, but I have another proposition. If you want, you can stick around too."

    Oranguru! Tell him that he shouldn't be so simple-minded! That's not how you recruit a Pokemon! Lurantis yelled, rubbing her sickle-shaped petals together.

    It worked for Drampa, Mandibuzz cawed. Why not for him?

    Drampa's a simpleton that can barely think for herself,     she said.

    Oranguru transmitted the message, and Kamaile scratched his head.

    "I mean, I don't see anything wrong in being honest. It'd be no hard feelings if you wanted to leave, but Oranguru's taken an interest in you and Drampa has too after I told everyone about our adventure. I don't really have a lofty goal or anything like that… I want to travel the world, really. Alola's too small for my liking, so we're leaving in a few months when the year ends. I don't know where yet, though."

    Turtonator blinked, his mouth agape as he stood in the soft sands. There was only the sound of the waves and the occasional flying type to keep him grounded. This was still like a dream to him. Like he was still asleep. Barely a few minutes ago— he'd been inside of the volcano. His home.

    And now he was being asked to join a human. Barely any time had passed from his point of view.

    If I can grow strong enough to conquer the volcano, I will join you for a time, he finally answered.

    Yikes. He's an edgelord, Mandibuzz sighed. Never mind, go back, I don't want him.

    Be a little more accommodating,     Oranguru said before relaying his message to Kamaile.

    "You want to conquer Wela?" He said, looking far off in the distance. Turtonator turned around and noticed the huge volcano. All of his life, he had lived here, but it looked so small now. "I'm not that much into fighting, but my Pokemon are pretty strong and are obsessed with battling. We can help you train up, if you want."

    That was certainly true if Oranguru's skills were anything to go off of. Turtonator accepted to join Kamaile's team.

    It would be the most consequential decision of his life.

    —

    Weeks later

    Turtonator heaved on the ground as Drampa stood triumphantly over him. The battle had been close. He'd dominated his fellow dragon until something inside of her snapped and she turned the battle around. Unlike most dragons, Drampa did not have scales. They had skin— tough skin, but skin nonetheless. It was charred and the cloud-like fur on her tail and arms was charred black. Kamaile worriedly fumbled through his bag and started to apply Burn Heals to her skin.

    Why do you fight like that, Turtonator? Oranguru asked. He'd been presiding over the fight. Kamaile hadn't lied when he said he wasn't interested in fighting. All of his Pokemon trained on their own, which Turtonator preferred, and they were the ones that were going through the trials, not him.

    Trials were… confusing. They'd participated in one around a week ago and won. It had been this entire process of living in a powerful Pokemon's land, seeking it out and convincing it to fight with a gift. These were called Totem Pokemon by the humans because they were larger than normal, but Turtonator knew there was more to them. Slowly but surely, over the years, they changed their environment to their liking. When he'd fought that Lurantis, he knew that it could have made swift work of them if it wanted to. It had just been a friendly fight to pass the time, and it was happy to cooperate with humans in exchange for them not encroaching on its territory and occasional offerings, both from trainers wanting to challenge it and the locals.

    The thought of someone playing with them like children had enraged Turtonator, but there was nothing he could have done. Lurantis had been too strong, and Kamaile's own Lurantis was still fawning over the damn thing like a love-struck child.

    What do you mean? He finally responded.

    I have assessed you these past few weeks and realized you are squandering your potential. You are quite possibly already the most powerful out of all of us, and yet you employ nothing but brute force.

    Might makes right,     he said. Tricks do not matter if you can blow past them with raw power.

    Even. I. Have. Trick,     Drampa slowly said. Safeguard. Extrasensory. Light Screen. Mist. All. Counter. You. I. Won.

    Bah! What truly countered me was that enraged state of yours during the second half. I had heard that Drampa were known to go insane in battles, and now I have seen it first-hand,     Turtonator spat. Next time, I will win.

    Mandibuzz landed on the beach and cooed when Kamaile petted her head. He enjoyed camping and sleeping on beaches whenever he could, and most Alolan islands were small enough for the beach to be a few hours away at most if the terrain was navigable enough. He could see what Kamaile called Ula Ula in the distance, which was Alola's largest island.

    "That was a good showing from you both. I didn't know you'd learned to master Dragon Pulse that much, Drampa," Kamaile praised.

    Simple. I. Copy. Turtonator.

    Oranguru translated, as he always did.

    "Still, that was really good. The next trial will be a walk in the park if you guys are this powerful. Only three more, and we have our seven. Mandibuzz, Lurantis wants to talk to you."

    The dark type nodded and flew off toward the woods. It had taken a while for Turtonator to understand that Kamaile let his Pokemon be truly independent. He had expected a trainer to keep him in a Pokeball for days until he was needed for a fight.

    You need to battle smarter, not dumber, Oranguru said, fanning his face. You have many tools at your disposal, do you not? Why stay focused on Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse?

    Because they work, that's why,     he hissed. Do not lecture me. I am a dragon, not a child.

    Dragon. Child. Same.

    You would insult your own kind? Traitor!     He spat.

    She is saying that your mind is too simple to be that of a dragon. She is essentially trash talking you, he smirked.

    What would you have me do, then, oh, smart one, the fire type said with sarcasm dry enough to fit in a desert. You talk so eloquently after all.

    You. Slow. Predictable. Movement. Rapid Spin.

    What about you? You can barely walk longer than twenty minutes!     He exclaimed.

    And yet she has tricks to counter that, Oranguru said. You do not. If you want to conquer that volcano, you will have to be smarter than that.

    Turtonator roared, spitting out a stream of flames high into the sky and demanded a rematch. Drampa agreed.

    He lost again.

    —

    The fifth trial was a major roadblock for all of them. They had opted to travel to Poni island because it was the only one Kamaile had never been to. The land was dominated by an enormous canyon flanked by two mountains that had been split down the middle, and it was where they currently resided. Their camp was protected from the sun that Oranguru and Kamaile complained so much about. Turtonator and the rest of the team enjoyed the heat very much, however. They had all been throwing their heads against that enormous Kommo-o. He was an exigent, unforgiving Pokemon, and if they won, they would be given one of its scales as proof, but they had lost and been chased away for the last three attempts.

    "I think we should keep trying," Kamaile smiled. "He's the toughest, so if we win against him, we'll win everything. It's not like there's a Conference or anything at the end of the year, so we can take our time. We won't be missing out on anything."

    That boy needs more backbone, Mudsdale said. He did not even attempt to direct us during the battle.

    You're being too harsh on him,     Lurantis chided. His passion lay in exploring. We cannot ask more of him other than letting us battle. We always knew Kommo-o would prove a tough opponent.

    "I appreciate that, Lurantis," he smiled, giving Oranguru a thumbs up. "Sorry, Mudsdale. I know you want more from me. In better news, look!"

    He pulled out a map of the world with a widening grin and pointed to a chain of island that Turtonator recognized as Alola. The isolated island chain stood in the middle of the ocean in between two large continents. The dragon couldn't read, and it was the first time he'd ever seen a map, but it was hard to miss the sense of wonder in Kamaile's eyes.

    "I bought this in secret yesterday while you guys were training. I had Oranguru bring me all the way back to Seafolk Village for it."

    So you knew? Traitor, Lurantis teased.

    Why spoil the surprise? Oranguru shrugged. You love those.

    I don't care, just let him finish about the map!     Mandibuzz screeched.

    "I'll hurry it up, then. I don't really know where to go, so I'm going to let you guys pick. Anywhere works as long as the region's safe enough. We don't want to go to Orre, at least not yet," he said, pointing to a patch of desert that must have been a hundred times the size of Alola combined.

    He pointed to each region and named it for them, giving them some of their characteristics, but he would let them have the final decision.

    Galar looks nice and flat. It would be ideal for me, Mudsdale said. Good land to graze as well. And I'm sure their mud is exquisite.

    Ew,     Lurantis grimaced.

    Shut up! Flat is boring! Mandibuzz squawked, flapping her wings. Pick something with some mountains, at the very least. There are some good ones everywhere, but Sinnoh has the tallest ones.

    Sinnoh. Cold. Not. Good.

    Personally, I think Kanto would prove a nice challenge,     Oranguru said. But I am more amenable than most. Anything goes. What about you, abrasive one?

    Turtonator snorted. Oranguru really liked the nickname and had never stopped using it, even now. His eyes darted throughout the map, but there was only one choice that had caught his eye.

    Johto. The land looks harsh, but it will make for good training. I am sure that after going through it, I will be ready to conquer Wela.

    It was still strange, to give his home a name. All of his life, he'd referred to it as the volcano. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, but Oranguru joined his side and quickly convinced a majority. Mandibuzz had gotten enamored with Mount Silver as quickly as she had with Mount Coronet, Drampa was content to follow Oranguru's vote and Mudsdale thought it would toughen up Kamaile.

    "It's settled then. We're going to Johto this summer!"

    Turtonator restrained a smile as the rest of the Pokemon cheered.

    This was… this was nice.

    —

    In the end, they never got past Kommo-o, but the numerous battles against the enormous beast got them plenty of experience for the coming trip. They would go via airplane— machines that Turtonator had sometimes seen fly over Wela when he walked the outside slopes of the volcano. Kamaile had said a prayer to each Tapu deity before leaving, and so had Oranguru. The rest silently watched as they did. Turtonator was too proud to pray to some god, even if he knew their existence to be real.

    He'd never seen them in person, but their interventions were a well-known fact to each Pokemon and human in the region, even if they hadn't shown themselves in almost a decade. It was customary for humans to pray and thank a Tapu when first stepping on their respective islands, but also when they would leave and not be back for a long time.

    Turtonator spent a long time inside of his Pokeball, but when he was ripped out of the comfortable embrace of his digital volcanos, what first hit him was how dry and dim Johto was. There was no constant sun to warm his scales, no pleasant humidity to cling to his snout. A part of him almost thought his flames would be weaker here than in Alola.

    The city they had landed in was apparently called Goldenrod, the largest city in the region. Kamaile was already giddy to start exploring the wilds, especially to get away from the stares people gave them. Alola was isolated from the rest of the world, so Pokemon like them weren't often seen outside of the islands. Mandibuzz was the odd one out here, but she enjoyed the attention, and so did Turtonator. In a few months, they'd take this region by storm. After all, this region had a system that the fire type had been a fan of ever since Kamaile had explained it to him. Badges that showcased your strength to the entire world. What else could he ask for?

    It took a few weeks for them to get settled in the region. Kamaile signed up for something they called the Gym Challenge, and they decided to fight a human female called Whitney as soon as they could. Kamaile wanted to run along and dash toward the Lake of Rage or Mount Mortar, but he knew that this was important to them. Compromise was key in their relationship.

    Turtonator had been wrong when he thought that it would take a few months to take the region by storm. They crushed her in their battle, going 4-0. Turtonator swept through her entire team by simply making it too hot for her normal types to stand next to him and had gotten them their first badge. Needless to say, they were disappointed, but the region didn't see it that way. They saw an Alolan and his Pokemon having the potential to go the distance.

    "Just two more hours and we can set up camp for tonight," Kamaile said.

    It was just him and Turtonator tonight. Not even Oranguru, who always shadowed him, was out of his Pokeball. This land was called route 36, and to Turtonator, it was a boring slope upward that was often broken up by a patch of woods. Meanwhile, Kamaile's eyes were sparkling. He looked at everything and gasped. A Sudowoodo masking itself as a tree caused him to laugh, and the rock type ran away in fear.

    "We're coming in on six months now, you know? Six months since you joined us. What do you think about us?"

    You are alright, he responded. Good, even. Our goals might not be aligned, but you help me grow stronger.

    Kamaile blinked at the answer. "I guess it's hard without Oranguru here," he laughed. "I expected a nod or a head shake."

    Turtonator nodded instead.

    "I've had them for years. I had no idea that you had to be fifteen to start this challenge stuff in other regions. There are no rules like that in Alola," he explained. "I hope you don't feel left out."

    Feeling left out when Oranguru harassed him about technique every day, Drampa and Mandibuzz taunted him to no end, Mudsdale kept criticizing his behavior and Lurantis talked his ear off about whatever beautiful tree she saw that day? That would be impossible. Still, he only shook his head. There was no point in talking when he wouldn't understand.

    "I know you think I just like to explore, but I want to do more than that. I want to see everything the world has to offer before I go," he grinned. "I'll even go to Orre when we get strong enough. Apparently, some stretches of desert there are so uninhabitable that even Pokemon steer clear. Doesn't that sound fascinating?"

    Fascinating, no, but if anything, it sounded like a nice challenge. Turtonator smiled when he imagined the battles ahead.

    "You're the only one that'd look excited over that," he chuckled. "That's a plan for the future though. I'm not going anywhere near there until I'm sure we're good enough."

    He paused as he crouched under a low-hanging tree branch. The route was getting loud the deeper they went as the cries of Wurmple filled their ears. Something glowed in the distance— a group of Volbeat following a single Illumise higher into the sky.

    "I'm glad you decided to join us. You know, I was trying to reach the top of the volcano when I found you, but I realized I would have died when I saw you standing over that other Turtonator…" he sighed. "We've got so far to go, still. Maybe I should start getting more involved in battles."

    Mudsdale would be over the moon if he heard something like this. For his part, Turtonator disliked being ordered around, but he'd be willing to put up with it if it meant he'd grow quicker. If there was a command he disliked, he could always ignore it.

    The fire type scared off a few aggressive Dustox with his bulk, and Kamaile finally released Oranguru for protection. A single Poison Sting could be deadly to a human if it stabbed them in the right place. They were such a fragile species that Turtonator wondered how they'd lasted this long. Kamaile released the entire team once he started setting up camp, and Turtonator drifted off the sleep in a corner.

    He awoke to a soft tap of Oranguru's fan.

    Follow me, abrasive one.

    Must you always bother me, Oranguru?

    The orangutan rolled his eyes. I've never seen a Pokemon as lazy as you.

    The dragon stood up and yawned, but he followed Oranguru and exited the grove. He already knew what the psychic wanted. It was another test. Another spar, like the hundreds they had before. Only Drampa came close to the number of battles they had.

    Try not to burn everything. I do not want to have to extinguish all those flames, he sighed. Ready?

    Yes.

    Turtonator flexed, heat bubbled under his scales and through his shell as the grass under his feet caught fire. Oranguru simply stared and waited for him to attack, but the slight glow in his eyes meant that he had activated Future Sight.

    Despite his lazy behavior, Oranguru was a ruthless fighter that even Drampa couldn't stand up to and Kamaile's oldest companion. Only Turtonator could hope to win against him, but he lost more often than not. He was improving, though, especially since the psychic had taught him to use his head in a fight and not rely on the same old tactics. The fire type stomped a fiery foot against the ground and a rock jutted out of the ground under Oranguru's feet. The normal type's Future Sight faltered for a second, and he immediately spat out a Flamethrower.

    Oranguru waved his fan, and an enormous wave of psychic energy disrupted the flames until they fizzled out, and another one of his tricks compelled Turtonator to use the move again. Instruct. A very annoying move that always got the better of him. Turtonator roared, and another stream of flames flew toward Oranguru, who flipped to the side and held out a hand. The terrain grew blurry, and the psychic suddenly got behind Turtonator in a single step.

    The dragon flared up and slapped his tail, activating a Shell Trap that had come faster than Oranguru expected. The explosion bruised him and his fur caught on fire, but he pushed through and began to assault Turtonator's mind. He snarled as his thoughts and actions grew unfocused and the temperature slowly lowered.

    In barely a minute, he'd been bested.

    Another win for me, Oranguru smiled. You did well this time, but you still do not know how to counter Trick Room.

    It's difficult to counter these annoying tricks,     he angrily said, his head still pounding.

    Why not take advantage of it? He asked. There are tales of Trick Rooms being able to only affect the user, but I am nowhere near that skilled yet. You never move during your battles. You only stand and attack. You have grown smarter, but you do not use your full potential.

    Hah! Don't get a big head just because you won,     Turtonator jeered. I have been winning more consistently and I am progressing quicker than you. Soon, I will surpass you.

    Perhaps. And yet, you still feel the need to be insecure about it,     he mocked. He easily pushed Turtonator away with another wave of his fan when the dragon tried to attack him for his words. What do you think of Johto, Turtonator?

    I am not too impressed so far, but surely stronger opponents will come.

    You better be alert, abrasive one. Tough times are coming ahead.

    Turtonator paused. You worry too much.

    I worry just the right amount,     he said, finally drowning out the flaming grass. Go back to sleep, if you wish.

    I will. Good night.

    Needless to say, sleeping with a dull headache wasn't enjoyable at all.

    —

    I wish we could battle Morty right now, Lurantis sighed.

    He wants to go to the Bell Tower, so that'll have to wait, Oranguru said.

    Ecruteak City was one of the oldest settlements in Johto along with Blackthorn, and it showed. The city wasn't arranged like the grids of Goldenrod, but a mishmash of different paths, alleys and twists. Buildings were built in the traditional Johto style, with low symmetrical roofs sloping gently downward. They were made of intricate, wooden frameworks that made each building different than the last. The streets were wider than they'd been in Goldenrod, and there were no cars here. People walked on foot, flew, or Teleported everywhere they needed to be.

    Not that Turtonator cared much. Kamaile just couldn't stop boasting about the city, and he was getting tired of it.

    The Bell Tower stood tall in the background, its frame surrounded by beautiful orange trees that seemed to be stuck in perpetual autumn. Dead leaves that somehow hadn't lost their color littered the ground, but there was a clear path that led them to the tower. There was also the Brass Tower, but that one was a burned-out husk. A shell of its former glory where ghosts lurked and struck at anyone who got near. No one but approved personnel and groundkeepers were allowed in, and Kamaile hadn't gotten permission to go despite begging for hours. He still took a picture from afar, however.

    After a lengthy queue, Kamaile was allowed on the property. He clasped his hands together and offered Ho-oh a prayer before entering, as did the rest of the tourists or people that wanted to enter the tower. This prayer was even more demanding than the usual one he did with the Tapus, however. He got on his knees on the outside stairway and bowed until his head nearly touched the floor.

    Pfft. Religion. What a waste of time, Turtonator rolled his eyes. Why worship some deity and lower yourself to such an extent?

    Religion. Good,     Drampa said. Larger. Than. Yourself. Comfortable.

    The dragon returned to praying and bowed her head, as did Mudsdale and Lurantis.

    She says that it is comfortable to believe in something larger than yourself, Oranguru translated. Ho-oh is an interesting Legendary, as Gods go. It does not hesitate to show itself to humans and sometimes perches on top of the tower for a few minutes. When it does, a human in Ecruteak is said to be blessed with eternal happiness and a long life. Wouldn't you pray for a chance at that?

    Meaningless stories,     Turtonator shrugged. The Legends are real, but they are selfish actors. We are nothing to them, and they would not hesitate to kill us all if they could. I do not see a need to pray to that. I will seize that power for myself and get as close to them as I could.

    That is like a child saying it will move a mountain,     Oranguru smirked.

    What about you, then? I do not see you praying.

    Oranguru closed his fan and pointed at Turtonator. Prayer is a personal thing. I do not see the need to prostrate myself. You view religion as evil, but it is not. It has been used for evil in the past, but it is just a crutch we can lean on. A promise for something more. A life after death.

    A life after death?     Turtonator frowned.

    In this region and Kanto, it is said that when humans or Pokemon die, they are judged for their actions by Ho-Oh. If you were a net positive in the world, you become one of its feathers and reincarnate when you are shed and fall to the ground. If you caused more evil than good, there is only oblivion that awaits you.

    Right. Now. You. Negative,     Drampa complained.

    My apologies, Drampa. We will let you finish your prayer in peace, Oranguru said.

    What is oblivion? Turtonator asked after everyone's prayers were finished. Is it a place?

    What were things like before you were born?     Oranguru asked with his usual smirk. To me, that is oblivion. Billions of years passed in an instant until you were born. Others think it is something else. The people of Blackthorn, for example, believe in hell. A place where you are judged for your sins for a set amount of years until you are released back into the world as a spirit. Ecruteak's sects thought that to be too depressing, I assume.

    Which one do you believe in?     he asked.

    That is private, abrasive one, he responded after a long pause.

    This hell business sounds bad, so I'll take oblivion, Lurantis said, breaking the tension. Drampa, will you be able to crawl all over those stairs?

    Silence. You. Annoying.

    Oblivion was more of a comfort for Turtonator than reincarnation was. He wanted his life to be special. For it to have meant something and for him to have achieved all of his goals in the few centuries he had. His species lived for around two to three hundred years, so there was plenty of time left. If he was reincarnated, then his life would have meant nothing. It would have just been another in a series of however many he had lived through so far. His life belonged to him and him only. He internally cursed at the Legends for playing games with things that did not belong to them.

    Turtonator was stunned as the entered the Bell Tower. Soft, ethereal light filtered through stained glass windows, casting vibrant hues of red, blue, and green onto the ancient stone walls. It was as if a dozen rainbows were shining through the building and were permanently etched into the structure itself. Towering statues of Ho-oh were arranged next to each wall and a giant central pillar rose into the next floor. A few bald Sages dressed in blue robes walked the halls to answer any questions people had. Visitors were only allowed to be on the first floor, but there was enough here to satiate Kamaile's hunger for exploring new places. Despite the amount of people and Pokemon that were packed inside of the tower, there was still a quiet reverence. People knew not to disturb the peace here.

    "What do you think?" Kamaile asked with a whisper.

    Turtonator's head swung away from the statue he'd been glaring at. Oranguru waved his fan, letting him know that he was here to translate.

    I think it is a waste of time, he answered. Even if he didn't respect this place, he was not insane enough to yell here. Not when he felt pressure for simply staring at Ho-oh's statues wrong. I could be training instead.

    Oranguru smiled and relayed his words.

    Kamaile smiled. "You might be old, but you still think like a child, Turtonator. You see competition where there is none. You do not have to fight everything."

    I do not fight. I simply disapprove.

    The man shrugged. "I think it's a waste. Even if you aren't religious, so many stories and legends have been packed into this place. We're in a building a Legendary sometimes roosts at. Do you realize the magnitude of that?"

    I… perhaps I was too quick to judge, he said. I envy Ho-oh's strength, that is all.

    Kamaile patted him on the arm. "You dream big. Ho-oh is capable of creating life itself through its sheer will. That's just… it makes me think of how small we are in the grand scheme of things. I know you hate that feeling."

    Exactly, he nodded. You can climb, climb, climb, but you will never reach the true top. Only something that feels like it. Alas, I am bound to mortal powers.

    "At least you're our strongest in terms of raw power. Soon, you'll overtake Oranguru for the number one spot," Kamaile said as his hand traced the outlines of one of the statues. He almost gasped at the touch, and a tear streamed from his face. "S—sorry. I'm just— just overwhelmed."

    Turtonator nodded as Oranguru rubbed his trainer's back. He'd known that he had liked to explore and that he'd prayed to the Tapus, but his fascination with Legendaries went beyond that.

    "My true goal is to meet a Legendary," he sniffled. "That's why I want to explore the world. I want to see one and learn what it feels like. I don't care if I'm vaporized afterward. I don't care if it's the last thing I do."

    And we will grow in strength to keep you from being vaporized, Oranguru said. I do not care how unlikely that feat is. We will do it.

    The entire team nodded, and Kamaile wiped away his tears.

    For the first time, Turtonator felt compelled by something larger than himself. A dream that went beyond strength or power. Something that mattered so much to someone that it could drive them to tears.

    He thought it was beautiful.

    —

    Months had passed, and they'd stalled out at the seventh gym. Both Clair and Patton— the late Pryce's successor— proved too much for them at this stage. Turtonator despised feeling so stuck, but they lacked something that would propel them to the eighth gym level, and despite racking their brains together for answers they didn't know what it was. Kamaile seemed content with their progress, however. He kept saying that six badges was a respectable number and that they'd do better next year. Of course, they weren't planning on staying in Johto. They had explored it all. The caves, Ilex Forest, the Whirl Islands, the Lake of Rage, the Ice Path… they'd seen everything there was to see except Mount Silver, which had proved too challenging. The Pokemon there were beyond what they were capable of. It was akin to the highest levels of Wela, but throughout the entire mountain. Needless to say, they had escaped, and thankfully with no casualties. Oranguru had Teleported them out.

    Kamaile despised Teleporting, even when it'd save time. He wanted to savor every single bit of the journey, which was why they were currently backtracking to Goldenrod instead of Teleporting there. For him, being able to travel anywhere instantly killed the magic of journeying places.

    Their next region had already been decided a day ago through the same system. They had voted and picked Sinnoh. Turtonator didn't like the sound of it one bit. He found Johto too cold already, and Sinnoh would be on another level. He had voted for Hoenn, given that the climate there was tropical and it had a volcano where he would have finally been able to feast on sulfur again. Alas, Lurantis had been charmed by Eterna Forest, Mudsdale by the marsh next to Pastoria, and Mandibuzz by Mount Coronet, leaving the rest of them with split votes.

    They spent that summer in Goldenrod building their strength by battling trainers or each other, and they had all huddled to watch the Conference at Indigo together. Some water type specialist had won, but lost to Koga. Turtonator wished he could bring about the destruction wrought by those Pokemon, but he was still far from being able to come close to that level of power.

    They landed in Jubilife the day after that battle. Even in summer, Sinnoh was cold, or at least Kamaile thought so. He wore long-sleeved shirts and another layer above that while the natives went around with short sleeves. When they swung by to Sandgem to visit, some people were even going to the beach. They all took great offense at what Sinnohans called a proper beach. This dreary piece of sand and cold, dull water were a sight for sore eyes. Mudsdale, for his part, wasn't even on the sand. He was too scared of getting his feet wet, which was surprising for a stoic Pokemon like him.

    Still, Drampa enjoyed soaking in the water.

    Try. Water. Cold. Feels Good, she said.

    "Absolutely not," Kamaile answered thanks to Oranguru. "You're all free to do whatever, but I'll guess no one else wants to try this beach. I'd rather die, honestly."

    A strange force pushed Turtonator forward, and a wave washed under his feet. He shivered at how cold the water was and turned, his eyes locking onto the culprit.

    "Nice one, Oranguru," Kamaile smirked. "Okay, don't look at me like that, I've got nothing to do with— no, don't attack him, this is a public beach! We don't want to hurt or disturb any locals!"

    The Flamethrower died in Turtonator's snout, and he left the water. Mandibuzz landed on Drampa's back and preened her feathers while Lurantis and Turtonator stood together.

    Excited for another fun year? She said, covering her mouth with a scythe. I have a good feeling about this one. I think we'll reach the Conference.

    And we will win it,     Turtonator nodded. Together.

    Look at you, getting all sentimental. How unlike you,     she giggled. I like it, though. You're better this way.

    Hah! If better means I have gone soft, then sure, if that is your criteria,     he snorted.

    We all love hardened Pokemon with softer sides. Just look at Mudsdale. When he lets it slip, it's very amusing, is it not? It's the same for you.

    When you put it like that,     he sighed. I see that perhaps you may be right.

    I've been talking to Oranguru about convincing Kamaile to get us a new member this year,     she said. Wouldn't a little baby be cute?! Lurantis squealed. She spun around, unable to contain her excitement. We can raise it all together. If it were up to me, we'd find it in Eterna Forest, but Drampa's being annoying about it and wants variety. No more grass types.

    Drampa's right. A water type would be good,     Turtonator nodded. You saw what that human did at the Conference a few months back. Raising a child is of no interest to me. We need a powerful member from the get-go that won't spend months playing catch up and wasting our time.

    Pfft. You say that, but I'm sure when you see it, you'll be completely enamored.

    In your dreams. Turtonator do not raise their children. They are thrown in danger from birth and only the strongest survive,     he smiled. That is how it should be. We have all lived so far because we are strong.

    He looked at the entire team and a feeling of pride swelled in his chest.

    Weren't you the one who almost died in Wela?

    The feeling disappeared, and Turtonator grimaced as he walked off.

    What? You can dish it out but you can't take it?! Lurantis teased.

    The dragon grunted. I'm going to sleep. Don't follow me or I'll glass this entire beach.

    Time passed, and the Circuit began. Roark, Byron, and Gardenia quickly fell.

    —

    "Finally, we're at the foot of the beast," Kamaile said. "The tallest mountain in the world."

    Mandibuzz excitedly screeched and flew in circles high overhead. This wasn't the first outpost they had been to, but they were all excited for the challenges ahead. Eterna Forest had proved disappointing, especially with how Turtonator was kept inside of his Pokeball almost the entire time there because Kamaile had been scared that he'd burn the entire thing down if he was let out. It was true that he might have sparred with Oranguru or Drampa, but the former had gotten so good at extinguishing fires at this point that Turtonator doubted it would have been an issue.

    Ugh. More caves, so annoying, Lurantis sighed. Oranguru, tell Kamaile that I want to rest.

    The grass type soon returned to her Pokeball, leaving only Turtonator, Oranguru and Mandibuzz out. They went deeper into the outpost. They turned quite a few heads here, and many had heard rumors about them. Turtonator basked in the attention. He stood tall and made his shell gleam in the sunlight.

    "We're probably going to spend a day here to resupply, rest and then go in," Kamaile explained. His eyes were still transfixed on the mountain. "Arceus, it's like I'm looking at a living thing. We'll stick around longer on the other side so Mandibuzz can go have fun on the cliffs for a few days."

    Knowing her, she'll bring back a lover, Oranguru laughed.

    "Those only last a few days too," he grinned. "Maybe one day, she'll settle for something long-term, but that's a long ways off. I'm gonna check in at the Center, so I'll let you out later, Turtonator. Chill out for a while."

    The fire type acquiesced, and darkness claimed him.

    —

    Nonsense! Turtonator screamed. Why shackle himself with two weaklings?! They'll only slow us down, and we won't be able to challenge ourselves if we keep to the safer parts of the cave!

    You know how Kamaile is,     Oranguru said. He's incapable of not helping people, and those kids will die if they go alone.

    That's not our problem. They can die for all I care,     he snarled. The weak die. That is the law of the world.

    And yet, was it not you who lived thanks to him?     The psychic mused. He helped you, just like he is helping them. Mount Coronet will always be there, but lives are precious.

    Turtonator huffed, turning away from Oranguru in an attempt to hit him with his tail. The normal type easily jumped over the appendage and laughed. That haughty laugh that Turtonator still disliked after two years spent with them. It was as if he was above everything.

    "Is your Pokemon alright, dude?" One of the humans asked. His name hadn't even registered in Turtonator's head. "He's glaring at me, I think."

    They had just entered Mount Coronet, and Kamaile was about to recall Turtonator for the time being. He had just shown up with these two at the last second and now they were going to waste an incredible opportunity for growth. The two strangers looked green. Young and innocent, but mostly terrified. They were not worth the trouble and would only hold them back.

    "Yeah, sorry. He's alright," Kamaile said. "Let me speak to him for a second. Oranguru, follow me."

    Kamaile motioned at Turtonator and got a few dozen feet away.

    "Oranguru, translate," he muttered through clenched teeth. Turtonator's eyes twitched. He'd never seen him this frustrated before. "Turtonator. I know this is tough for you, but these two… they needed help. They'll get themselves killed up here, and they were brave enough to ask for help. It takes guts to admit that you can't do something. More than you would know."

    Turtonator knew this had been a jab at him, but he ignored it.

    So? Again, I fail to understand how that is our problem. We didn't waste our time with this back in Johto.

    Kamaile's shoulders sagged. "You've got a good heart, Turtonator. Don't let your goal cloud your kindness. When people ask for help, I help. That's how I am, and you've known that. The world's a dark place, but good deeds can make a difference. I want to be a force for good."

    I disagree, the dragon said. But you are free to do what you wish. I am sincerely disappointed in your actions, Kamaile. I thought you to be able to stand on equal grounds with me, but you are not what I thought you were.

    The Alolan clenched a fist. "You don't mean that," he sighed. "Look, we'll talk later and sort out our difference, I'm sure we can find common ground. For now, we've got to get going."

    —

    A few days had passed, and Turtonator had come to a conclusion.

    Mount Coronet was boring if you did not stray off the beaten path. Apart from a few challenging Rhydon and a stray Onix, there had been nothing there to pose a challenge. Lurantis made quick work of all rock types before Turtonator could even have his fill. No one dared to attack them. Pokemon could usually tell they were terribly outmatched with a single look. The cave's ceiling stretched high enough for Mandibuzz to fry freely thanks to her eyes having adapted to living in the dark. Mudsdale and Drampa were too slow to be out while they traveled and were not well adapted to the uneven terrain.

    You grow restless, Oranguru noticed. Do you want a battle, abrasive one?

    You pose no threat to me any longer,     Turtonator said with a hint of nostalgia. I have learned all your tricks. I can counter them and win with my eyes closed.

    The psychic type nodded. And yet, I am the only one that can still get your blood pumping.

    There's no point. I will wait until we reach Fantina. Lurantis says that she is the strongest Gym Leader in this region. At least she will pose a challenge.

    How powerful are you now?     he asked. Compared to the Pokemon that lurk at Wela's summit?

    The dragon blinked. I do not know. I have never been that high, he said. I would say that I would make quick work of the Turtonator that beat me when you first found me.

    That strong, eh?     You progress the fastest out of all of us. Drampa is jealous.

    If she wasn't so lazy, she would keep up,     Turtonator snorted. Wela will be mine one day.

    When will you leave, then? When you are strong enough?

    Turtonator stared at Oranguru who scratched his ear with a foot.

    What? It is a good question to ask, he continued. Since you plan to conquer the volcano, you will not be with us forever.

    I am nowhere near powerful enough to even think about leaving,     he said. The thought hadn't crossed my mind.

    Oranguru smirked. Of course, it hasn't.

    Don't be so smug, you insolent fool. I know what you are thinking. That I have grown too attached to this group to ever leave. You could not be more wrong.

    The psychic waved a foot. Of course, of course. You're a big, strong, independent dragon who won't let bonds and friendships hold you back.

    I will have you know that—

    The dragon nearly bumped into Kamaile, who had stopped in his tracks. The other two humans whose names he had still not bothered to learn also stopped. A large group of strangely dressed humans— around fifteen of them were in front of them and seemed just as surprised to see them. A man with blue hair arranged like horns seemed to be their leader.

    "Uh, hello? Can we help you?" Kamaile asked.

    "Commander Saturn? I thought this was a trainer-free zone? Have we gotten lost?" One of them asked.

    "Silence," the Commander groaned. "We were going up… the theories are true. We are being kept away from Spear Pillar. Brute forcing our way through should be possible, but in a high-stakes situation where every minute counts… we will need the Lake Trio to allow us to navigate Mount Coronet. Anyway, grunts, kill them. Team Galactic can't be seen here."

    Kamaile gasped. "Wha—"

    Turtonator's heart sank when dozens of Pokemon appeared all at once. He barely had time to react when the first Golbat lunged at him at speeds faster than any of the wild ones that lived in the caves, but he roared and immediately fought back, burning the bat with a Flamethrower. Mandibuzz was engaged in fighting in the sky that Turtonator could only get a glimpse of every time an attack illuminated the cave's ceiling.

    Oranguru, keep—

    I am on it, he said, a barrier appearing around Kamaile. At the same time, he waved his fan and an Arbok and Diggersby fell to the ground. The snake writhed on the floor until it fell unconscious and the ground type clenched at his head with his huge ears and slammed itself against the ground to distract itself from the pain.

    "Stay back!" Kamaile told the two trainers as he released his entire team. He hadn't even realized they had already run off.

    Turtonator flared up in anger and the stone below his feet began to melt. These little rats hadn't even tried to help! He grunted in pain when something hit his shell, but activating a Shell Trap was second nature to him now. He blew up whatever it was and spat out a Flamethrower, slowly panning toward each trainer, but they had psychic types for protection.

    "Mandibuzz, Oranguru, Don't let them through!" Kamaile yelled.

    Turtunator roared. Even after all of this, he still wanted to protect those worms? The flying type battled with a pair of Golbat while Oranguru supported her with beams of psychic energy that she was immune to. Once they were all dealt with, Turtonator sprung to action.

    Mandibuzz! He yelled. Target the psychics!

    On it!

    The flying type dove close to the ground and little shards of darkness fell onto the trainers. The Commander sighed and released an Exploud, who yelled so loudly that Turtonator felt his entire body vibrate. The sound reverberated through the cave and dissolved the shards, but some of them bounced back toward Oranguru. Lurantis quickly jumped and slashed them, apart before they could reach Kamaile's barrier, her sickles glowing with a neon green. The Galactic grunts closest to Exploud fell to the ground with blank stares and blood seeping from their ears because of the loud screams.

    Mudsdale couldn't bring out his full potential without collapsing this section of the cave, but he still fought, ramming into any Pokemon that got close. He trampled over an Elektrike and crushed it until it was paste. Drampa struck from afar, but she was already in her berserk state. There were just too many of them to fight. Occasional orders came from Kamaile, who always kept an eye out for their blind spots, but they were making a majority of the decisions.

    A scream from Mandibuzz snapped him out of his battle-high and made him realize how beaten up he was. He labored for each breath, his shell was on the verge of splitting, and just standing hurt. He was growing weaker each minute, and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd been poisoned by something. Mandibuzz fell as a group of flying types swarmed around her. Oranguru tried his best to push them away, but he was too focused on keeping Kamaile protected. Thunderbolts, Flamethrowers, Water Pulses and more broke against his shield and each one was weakening it slowly but surely. He forwent his fan and simply punched a lunging Persian with a glowing fist.

    Mandibuzz cried out until she crashed on the ground, and Pokemon swarmed around her like famished animals. Kamaile tried to recall her, but there were too many of them blocking the Pokeball's homing system.

    I'm going! Turtonator yelled.

    He retracted into his shell and spun forward with Rapid Spin, grunting as a dozen attacks slammed against him. He spun into the group of Pokemon, burning them in the process, but he couldn't make the environment too hot. Not when Mandibuzz was—

    Mandibuzz was—

    She was dead. Her entire body a mess of broken bones, burns, missing feathers and a broken neck. She lay lifeless on the ground at Turtonator's feet, but he did not even have time to mourn or acknowledge Kamaile's cries. Another set attack, this time from a Toxicroak and a Grimmsnarl that had come out of Saturn's Pokeball. The fighting type was too quick for Turtonator's eyes to track, but he kept his distance to not get burned, opting to hit him with Mud and Sludge Bombs. Grimmsnarl was slow, but he was strong. The fairy type locked eyes with Turtonator with a sickening grin as his hands wrapped around his body and did not burn. He squeezed and Turtonator felt agony spread through his arm as his scales were crushed under Grimmsnarl's bulk.

    Another scream from Kamaile rang out.

    Turtonator was too terrified to turn back. Too scared to see who had fallen.

    Your fear is delicious, Grimmsnarl mocked. He licked his lips, revealing sharp fangs. That Drampa is dead. Oranguru is soon to follow—

    Something in Turtonator broke.

    Flames poured out of every crack in his scales and the ground under Grimmsnarl turned into molten rock and he sunk slightly into the magma. His feet burned as Turtonator engulfed him in white flames that illuminated the entire cave. Toxicroak blurred back and another Hyper Voice from Exploud shook him. Grimmsnarl closed his eyes and went limp, but Saturn recalled him. The dragon ran forward, determined to break against the psychic wall that kept them protected. He would burn it all. He would burn those that killed his comrades and he would make their deaths agonizing.

    Kamaile said something, but he did not listen.

    He slammed against their shields with all of his weight and he ignored the pain that prickled all over his body. Flames licked the barriers, and the grunts looked at him with a feeling of pure terror as the barriers began to burn.

    SNAP OUT OF IT!

    Oranguru spoke into Turtonator's mind and he turned back. It was just as that disgusting fairy had said. Drampa was dead, and Lurantis and Mudsdale were barely standing. The grass type had lost one of her arms and she struggled to breathe in the scorching environment he himself had created. Toxicroak and a multitude of other Pokemon had opted to focus on Kamaile and his weakened friends instead of him.

    They needed his help.

    He screamed, blowing up his shell on the grunts' faces before he began to run back. The sheer amount of pain was like someone had peeled his entire shell off. He didn't even want to look at what state it was in.

    Kamaile knows we cannot win this, Oranguru explained. His voice was clear, even through all the fighting. He wants to spare us. Place us in Pokeballs.

    Absolutely not,     Turtonator said as he bit down on a Purugly's neck and burned her entire head. It will be costly, but he can still be saved.

    He has made up his mind.

    Tell him to change his damn mind, then! Put him to sleep and let us finish these scum off! They might kill us anyway if we are left in our Pokeballs!

    I have tried. We were speaking throughout the entire battle. I can try to hypnotize him, but it will take focus. The barrier is barely holding on.

    It is the only choice    — he cried out when something cold hit him in the arm. He flexed and melted off the ice. Do it.

    Oranguru's barrier went down, exposing Kamaile to the elements. His skin burned and turned red under the immense amount of heat. The psychic's eyes turned pink as he waved his fan in front of his trainer.

    "Oranguru, no!" Kamaile yelled.

    Lurantis rushed toward him, but a beam from her Pokeball placed her to safety. He recalled Musdale next, who'd been on the verge of sinking into a mud pit and drowning because of how heavy he was.

    Turtonator felt like he was about to die, and just like that time in Wela mountain, he felt peaceful. If he gave up now, he'd no doubt drift off to sleep forever and join whatever afterlife it was that Kamaile believed in.

    He tore apart a Flaffy and burned her until she was ash, but when he turned back to Oranguru, the psychic stood over Kamaile's corpse, his body hunched over the man as he cradled him.

    What had happened?

    He was— he was gone? It was like he'd been stabbed in the back by something. Poison and blood dripped out of his wound.

    There had been no last words?

    Just… nothing?

    He was dead.

    Turtonator hadn't even seen how it happened.

    Still, they could not give up. The grunts were slowly retreating in batches of Teleport, and were recalling their Pokemon. The attacks would stop when they were all gone.

    Oranguru, snap out of it! Turtonator yelled. You—

    I cannot live without him. I have seen him grow from a child to a man. He is my entire life.

    The psychic's fan glimmered pink and his face twisted in rage. His lips and eyes twitched, he bared his teeth. For the first time since they had met, he was angry. The psychic type rushed toward Toxicroak, screaming until his voice broke and his lungs ran out of air. He waved his fan, creating a wave of psychic energy that rattled Toxicroak and lifted him into the air.

    I will break every single bone in your miserable little body.

    First was the two arms, then the legs. Turtonator tried his best to shield Oranguru from incoming attacks. The psychic went slow. Too slow, but he said nothing. Toxicroak deserved his wrath, but Oranguru had known Kamaile longer than any of them had. He would choose how his murderer went.

    Toxicroak was recalled into his Pokeball.

    Oranguru's face slowly turned toward Saturn. He had lost everything. Tears streamed from the corner of his glowing eyes and his lips quivered as he began to sob.

    "Kill that ape, Excadrill," Saturn raged, his face contorting. "He harmed Toxicroak."

    The ground under Oranguru collapsed. Turtonator slipped and fell into the hole and onto Oranguru. Something that must have been Excadrill tore through them both, its metallic claws digging inside of the psychic type's body until he lay completely still. Turtonator turned upright and his eyes widened when he realized the state Oranguru was in. Minced.

    He'd been minced. There was nothing left. A misshapen mass of fur, flesh and entrails that made Turtonator sick to his stomach. His precious fan had been cut into a thousand pieces.

    When Turtonator climbed up, everyone was gone.

    He stared around at the destruction that had been wrought. Drampa and Mandibuzz's corpses were still there. He hadn't managed to save even one of them alive. They were all gone, and he was the only one alive. The only one. Why him? Why hadn't he died? Why was he the only one that lived?

    One hour ago, he had everything.

    Now he had nothing.

    Nothing.

    Nothing.



    Nothing.





    Nothing.







    Nothing…











    Turtonator approached Kamaile's body and stared. He did not cry.

    He raged.

    His trainer and the nearby Pokemon's corpses caught ablaze until they were ash. His heartbeat was like thunderclaps in his ears. His pain, his grief, his sadness, all melted away and were replaced by anger. Each breath he took spewed flames and poison in the air. Turtonator's hands trembled as the air around him warped from the sheer amount of heat. Each step, burning away more of the ground and his bones grinding against each other. His vision was red and blurred at the edges. In that moment, reason and logic were cast aside, replaced by an unbridled fury that seemed to transcend his very essence. It was a visceral, all-consuming rage that defied words, an overwhelming force that threatened to consume and burn him entirely. He scanned the cave for anything alive that he could burn.

    Who was at fault?

    Humans. Trainers. Team Galactic.

    If Kamaile hadn't been stubborn. If he hadn't brought these two waste of lives to follow them, then they wouldn't have slowed them down by asking to rest so many times. They could have avoided Team Galactic entirely. Their weakness had killed him, Mandibuzz, Oranguru and Drampa. They had killed them.

    A primal roar tore from Turtonator's throat, a guttural expression of the sheer fury that consumed him. It was a sound of defiance, of unyielding determination to confront the source of his anger head-on. Every fiber of his being screamed for release— the cathartic release of violence and retribution.

    —

    He stayed there for days, guarding the remaining Pokeballs with his life. He did not dare release his comrades, not when they were on the verge of death and their safe refuge was the only thing keeping them in stasis.

    He attacked anything that dared approach, human or Pokemon. His lair had turned into a sea of ash and magma.

    Two days later, Rangers came. They tried to attack him, but failed. They took the Pokeballs instead.

    They were all gone now.

    He had nothing to protect.

    He walked for days, each one was harder than the last. Attacks from trainers came. No. They were not true trainers. They were children that wanted to play at being trainers. They deserved nothing but wrath. He burned, but his flames did not run out. He burned, but his wrath did not subside. He burned until there was nothing left.

    He burned, and he would burn until something killed him and he joined his comrades in death. He did not care about afterlives or reincarnation. He was just so exhausted.

    He rarely slept, but when he did, it brought dreams. Dreams of his travels. Of his friends. Dreams that made him wake up with a smile, only to reignite his rage when he realized it was all fake. Suddenly, something caught Turtonator's attention. He picked up the pace and took a deep, fiery breath.

    Voices, he had noticed. Steps. Multiple humans.

    He would kill them like he killed the others.

    He turned a corner and saw them. Five humans and their Pokemon.

    Turtonator walked across the rocky ground, each of his steps burning the floor. he turned away, pointing his shell at them, but he still kept his face angled toward them to attack. He slammed his red, jagged tail against the ground, and it bubbled, turning into molten rock. One girl stepped in front of her group. She was practically shaking in her shoes. He would make quick work of her and turn her to ash just like the others, and then he would destroy the rest of them. Psychic types and a fairy stepped in front of her, ready to divert his attacks no doubt. How unrefined. How weak. He would make quick work of them. The fairy reminded him of that Grimmsnarl. They were all the same. All the same.

    "Frillish," She exhaled with a trembling voice. Weakness. Disgusting. "Drench me."
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, Patrick, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Interlude - How He Lived II
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    • INTERLUDE - How He Lived II

    She'd caught him.

    Somehow, the child had convinced him and placed him in a Pokeball. Perhaps it was because he'd been on the brink of collapse, because she'd actually spoken to him about his circumstances instead of attacking or running away and that she'd clearly been holding back, or a combination of the two factors, but the human had captured him. She had introduced herself, but he had not registered her name. Turtonator lay in the familiar environment packed to the brim with volcanos constantly spewing ash high into the sky. It was the same, yet he couldn't help but notice the subtle differences in the environment. The particular glint of the lava, or the harshness of the sun in the sky. It was the same, and yet it was not.

    It was not his Pokeball.

    There was another reason for his agreement to work with her. The child had said that she would get him out of the cave safe from any Rangers, and that presented an opportunity to find his lost comrades. If Mudsdale and Lurantis had survived as he hoped, then the Rangers would still have their Pokeballs. But how could he communicate that with this annoyingly persistent human? Oranguru could have—

    Turtonator caught himself and choked up, but he did not cry. He would honor their sacrifices with his head held high. That is what they all deserved. Going down fighting in a glorious battle… that was the dream of all dragons, and yet it felt hollow now.

    He had had enough of fighting.

    Turtonator stayed there for hours stewing in his thoughts until a force snapped him back to the outside world. The girl was here, and Turtonator admired his work. The entire left side of her body was covered in bandages, no doubt due to how badly he'd burned her. Her Pokemon all stared at him in silence, although most glared. Turtonator simply stared back. The Electabuzz had a broken hand, the Tangrowth's vines were still almost entirely burned away, but the rest of her Pokemon were unfortunately fine. A Larvitar, Frillish and Togetic… what a sorry excuse for a team. He didn't like the look on that fairy's face. He was almost tempted to taunt her, but the annoying child spoke up.

    "Hey again," She said with a twinge of anxiety. "I wanted to help you with your wounds, and scan you with my Pokedex."

    Her words were so outrageous that he couldn't stop himself from snorting. Did she think he'd join this ragtag group of weaklings because she'd caught him? The physical pain he felt was but a fraction, a modicum of the emotional agony he felt every single second. The human was simply a means to an end. When the time came, he would ask her to release him, or he would kill her. The dragon turned away from her team. He saw that the fairy nearly spoke up, but her trainer stopped her with a gesture.

    "No?" She asked.

    What did she think he had meant? He hated stupid people like her. Turtonator flexed, raising the temperature around himself in an effort to scare her away. Maybe he would get some good sleep and escape into his dreams. Pokemon couldn't dream inside of Pokeballs. Surprisingly though, she still approached and sprayed his wounds with potions. Even the damn fairy used Wish, mending his broken shell somewhat. The Pokemon stared at him, expecting a thank you, but he just ignored her.

    "I'm going to scan you, okay?"

    She could do so if she wished. He was tired of her voice already. Turtonator stood in silence as the Pokedex softly spoke into the girl's right ear. The sooner this was done, the sooner she'd recall him again and they could stop wasting time. He ignored her amazed gasp as the device listed his moves. No doubt, she thought that she could just use him in battle to further her selfish goals.

    "So you're a guy. Erm, let me introduce you to the team. This over here is Princess. She was my first Pokemon—"

    No. He would not listen to her tirade. Turtonator walked off and lay down against the wall of the cave, shutting his eyes tightly. He was not here to make friends, he was here simply out of convenience.

    You scum, the Togetic spat. She saved you, and this is how you repay her—

    "Princess, stop," the girl interrupted. "Are you tired? Do you want to eat? I have food if you want."

    Couldn't this damned girl take a hint? Turtonator ignored her.

    "This is Buddy. He was my second, and he's kind of reserved, but he always means well. Sorry if he's glaring at you so much, he'll come around," She sighed before pointing to Electabuzz with her thumb. She winced at the simple movement. "That's Honey. He tends to be hyper, although he's mellowed out with age. Just a bit, though. I don't know if you enjoy battling, but if you do, Honey's your guy—"

    Turtonator had had enough. He glared at her with all the murderous intent he could muster, and she shrunk away. Instead of angering him further, she quickly finished the introduction, finally letting him have some peace of mind. He knew he won when she recalled him again with a pained look on her face. That would teach her to try to get close with him.

    Still, Turtonator wished he'd been allowed to dream again. To see his friends as much as he could before the memories grew blurry.

    They were all fading away.

    —

    The next time he was released, he was with the Nurse Joys. He gave them no trouble at all. He knew they wanted him no harm, and he was just focused on getting out of there. The next time he saw the girl, however, was somewhere completely different. They had left the mountain and now stood at the outskirt of the route, and a city that could only be Hearthome stood in the distance. Lurantis no doubt would have loved this sight. A twinge of worry crept up when he realized he'd completely skipped the Ranger's outpost, but it disappeared when he realized that she could just call them at any moment.

    "Hi," she hesitantly said. "I kept my promise. Got you out of the cave."

    And now, her job was over. Turtonator took a fiery step forward with a threatening growl. He was close enough to kill her now. It would just take a little push, and she would burn to smithereens without her Pokemon being able to do anything about it.

    So why was she not acting scared?

    "It's been a few days since you were out," she continued. "But if you show me that you aren't dangerous to people, I'll be able to keep you out more often. I'd like that."

    The dragon type didn't stop until he was mere inches from her face. It was the first time he'd taken a good look at her. Her eyes were weary beyond her years, but she still smiled at him. Why was she treating him this way after what he'd done to her? A ruse, perhaps. Maybe she believed that he would help in her battles if she was nice for long enough. Her Pokemon tried to intervene, but once again, she stopped them and kept them silent. Was she suicidal? He could kill her right now!

    "What's wrong? Not the reaction you were expecting?" She asked. "What did you think I'd do? Run away in fear? Collapse and cry, maybe? Order my team to attack? Badmouth you?"

    Such an insolent little worm! Turtonator spat out a Flamethrower—

    He blinked when only a weak Smokescreen came out of his snout.

    No… no, it would not be good to kill her. He could use her, still. His hate for trainers had almost gotten the better of him. Mudsdale and Lurantis were out there. He needed to cooperate with her, but if she refused, then he would finish her off. Only then.

    But he would still wait a little. It wasn't like his pride was stopping him from asking Pokemon that despised him for help. It was something else, buried deep inside of him that he did not want to acknowledge.

    The Frillish whispered something under his breath and spat out a Water Pulse. The water was harmless. It barely tickled the dragon, but it snapped him out of his thoughts. This was what he'd expected. Yes. So long as they raged at him for what he'd done to their trainer, then they would never get close.

    The last thing Turtonator had expected was for her to recall Frillish and apologize on his behalf. Not only that, she said that she'd forgiven him.

    "You're trying to be unbearable so that I release you. You could kill me, I suppose, but you're too honorable for that. I brought you out of the cave. I saved you. So you won't hurt or kill me. You'll just act like a child and hope that I grow tired of you. I will not."

    He'd had enough of her. She knew nothing of the pain he felt, yet she acted like she did and it angered him to no end. The fire type snarled, ignoring the truth behind her statement and he flared up until she was forced to whisk him back into his Pokeball.

    Good.

    —

    Turtonator restrained a groan when he was released in the exact same spot. It had only been a day, and the girl was trying again. She must have had a death wish.

    "Yeah, yeah, I know, you're a big, scary dragon," she mocked with her eyes closed.

    Turtonator's growling stopped when he noticed that she was alone. Not even the Togetic was here, and she was the only one with psychic powers on her team.

    "What? Surprised my team isn't here this time?"

    What the hell was she doing? He'd almost expected her to attack him again with her full team this time, and perhaps her other human comrades as well. The girl propositioned some food, and he swiped it away after threatening to kill her with a Flamethrower for good measure. She needed to be reminded what kind of partnership this was so she didn't get any ideas. Turtonator was famished and finished the kibble in a single second and then lay down in the grass a few dozen feet away from her.

    She sat there, doing nothing with him. They must have stayed around for nearly an hour doing nothing, yet Turtonator found it relaxing. The wind brushing up against his scales and the softness of the grass made this a good spot for napping. When he started to doze off, he spotted another human walking behind the girl.

    Turtonator shot up and fury bubbled in his snout in the form of a Flamethrower that threatened to burn this entire section of the route. The human fell and scrambled backward, stammering words that didn't make sense. Another coward, just like the ones who had abandoned Kamaile. Just like the ones who had caused his death—

    He fell into his Pokeball before he could kill him.

    —

    Many days had passed since Turtonator had pushed Frillish toward his evolution.

    It had been a pitiful process, to see the water type hold himself back so much. He'd convinced him by saying that he'd never be able to protect Grace Pastel if he kept his tantrum going, a point that had been terrible for him to bring up, but necessary nonetheless. The process had brought them somewhat closer, which the human appreciated greatly. He did not care what she felt, but Jellicent made for a nice occasional conversation.

    Despite Turtonator missing his past comrades so much, he could not bring himself to tell the human about them. No matter how far down within himself Turtonator dug, he could not figure out why. Time was of the essence, and he was wasting a lot of it. Who knew what the Rangers would do with them? Turtonator was not familiar with their protocol regarding deceased trainers' Pokemon, and it would be so easy to tell the human about them.

    For some reason, Grace Pastel was excellent at understanding her Pokemon, even without a psychic type. And yes, he had begrudgingly memorized her damned name, although the other humans that orbited around her mattered to him less than the dirt under his stomach. Turtonator shifted in the grass, adjusting his posture as he sat. He had considered keeping up with his training, but all of his motivation was gone. There was no point in growing stronger when they weren't here with him.

    It was late at night, and her Pokemon were doing anything they could to avoid him after she'd asked him for his diet. Jellicent floated high up in the sky, observing Hearthome while that horrible fairy had finally fallen asleep on Tangrowth's head with Grace Pastel sticking close by. Despite Togetic despising his guts and him disliking her, they hadn't even spoken a word. Turtonator was aware of the threats she kept making behind his back to the others, which further soured him on her. Only a coward would be too scared to tell it to his face. He lazily opened one eye when he heard Larvitar stride up to him. Electabuzz followed closely behind, not willing to let to rock type be near him alone.

    You're strong. How can I be big and strong like you? Larvitar asked.

    Turtonator prepared some witty retort, but he couldn't bring himself to chide her. She was just a baby, after all. He hadn't missed her awed stares every time Turtonator was out of his Pokeball. Lurantis would have enjoyed her company, but Turtonator thought that just tolerating her was enough.

    You train. You push yourself forward and you never give, because if you do, it will be the end of you, he said.

    The rock type stared at him like she'd been starstruck. That's so cool! I want to be like you one day! Can I touch your scales?

    No    —

    Larvitar placed a hand on Turtonator's leg, and the fire type flinched at the contact. No one had touched him in weeks. What was this reckless child doing… wait, she was… she looked quite nice while doing this. Lurantis would have called her cute.

    Woah! What in the world? I've never seen you like this! Electabuzz yelled. Was that a genuine smile just now?

    Silence,     Turtonator grunted. I was simply stretching the muscles on my face.

    The electric type laughed, slapping his stomach. That's probably the best excuse I've ever heard! I guess Sweetie's your weakness, then. Mom's gonna pick up on that really quickly.

    Turtonator turned toward Grace Pastel and winced when he saw her smiling directly at him. For some reason, she fashioned herself everyone's mother. Even Jellicent's, even if the ghost was reluctant to acknowledge it due to his age. This was completely alien to Turtonator. With Kamaile… well, they had been comrades whom he loved dearly, but he hadn't put himself in a familial position. These nicknames were unfamiliar as well.

    Honhon, you're annoying him, Larvitar hissed. Go be annoying somewhere else.

    Hey! Put some respect on your elders, young lady!     The electric type said. Next time you come begging to play, I won't be the one helping out!

    Whatever,     she said, still patting the scales. Angel will replace you. I don't need you anymore, Honhon. Soon I'll grow strong with Mister Turtonator's help and have my payback for every time you pranked me.

    Those were because I love you,     he said with a sheepish smile.

    Mister Turtonator! Who's in the right? Me or Honhon?

    The dragon stammered. I…

    He said I was in the right! Go away! You smell bad!

    Electabuzz sighed and ran off, much to Larvitar's pleasure. This dynamic was strange, to say the least, but they were all slowly growing nicer to him and talking to him at times. Even that strange Tangrowth had tried.

    Not that Turtonator cared.

    Togetic, however? She could not tolerate him, not after what he'd done to Grace Pastel. The scars would apparently be there forever, marring the left side of her body from her face to her leg.

    Say, Mister Turtonator! Tell me a story about how you got so strong!

    The fire type blinked, but glad— reluctantly accepted.

    He decided to tell her about his time at Wela instead of what came after, because talking about it would be far too painful an experience. Right now, he could only get by by ignoring his pain and hoping it would go away. The hole in his heart could not be filled by any new team. These people were temporary.

    He would not let himself grow close to anyone else ever again.

    Larvitar sported a huge grin throughout the entire story, and she was a lot more invested than he was. She shared his pain when he told her about times he had almost died to predators in his young age and shared his excitement when he took down a powerful enemy.

    You were right, Lurantis, Turtonator thought to himself. You knew me better than even I.

    Wait, wait, and you killed another Turtonator? You filled his insides with Dragon Pulse until he blew up?! That's so cool! Tell me more!

    Later that night, Grace Pastel took over and began to tell him about her travels.

    He did not ignore her, even if he acted like it.

    —

    Grace Pastel had won her fourth gym badge against Fantina recently and had taken them all to that park north of Hearthome she liked so much to celebrate. Turtonator didn't see the appeal. It had none of Alola's vibrant colors and he thought it was a waste of time, but they all seemed happy to be here. Electabuzz seemed rattled by something and had already been out when she had released them. She began a speech as Turtonator closed his eyes, lying down in the grass.

    "I came to this realization when we were back at Savika's cabin, but Sinnoh's just the start! I'm going to become the best trainer in the world, and to do that, I'll need to travel to different regions after I mop up Sinnoh. I'll have to figure out how to get enough free time to do it while being the Champion, but you catch my drift."

    The dragon's eyes bulged at her words, and he laughed at the sheer audacity of that declaration. Despite her having said it when she'd caught him, he hadn't expected it to be serious. It had been a vow fit for a dragon, and just as foolish. He had seen her train, and she was weak, as were her Pokemon. Inefficient, slow, barely starting to actually innovate and create something that was hers and not just rehashed from something she'd seen somewhere else. The only thing that she had going for her was her wits, but those were not enough to stand at the top. Oranguru easily outclassed her in that department and they had stalled out at the seventh gym in Johto. He ignored Togetic's glare and continued mocking her. The goal of traveling everywhere was… admirable, and actually achievable.

    "You think I can't do it, huh? Well, just you watch, because you've got front-row seats!" She boasted. "Anyway, it's nice out today, and we're already here, so I figured, why not stick around a lil'? Angel, feel free to take Sweetheart to the lake if you want. Princess, do you want to go too?"

    I must keep watch, she simply answered.

    They all ended up sticking around.

    Grace Pastel sat as she leaned on Jellicent's body and stroked the fairy's head as she recounted her travels. Turtonator did not care much, but it was something to pass the time and Larvitar seemed to enjoy it very much. She spoke of Floaroma, which was a nice little town that he'd already been to. Lurantis and Drampa had loved the flowers.

    "Then I… I got kidnapped," she said, her fingers trembling. "I got taken to the Power Plant by Team Galactic—"

    Turtonator's eyes snapped open and he felt a barely-closed wound in his chest reopen and bleed. Each subsequent breath grew quicker and rage-filled every fibre of his being, but a scream from Larvitar snapped him out of it. Ten spikes had been in the air, spinning as Togetic's eyes shone, and Tangrowth's vines had been erratically shaking.

    You would have needed far more than that to harm me, girl, Turtonator spat.

    I can always aim for the eyes, Togetic said, tilting her head. Or your snout, or that hole in your chest.

    "Stop threatening him," Grace hissed. "Turtonator, are you okay?"

    He appeared to be suffering from a panic attack, Jellicent said with a slight nod.

    "A panic attack? Do you need anything? Water? I don't really know the protocol for this…"

    Electabuzz scratched his head. Oh, crap… thank Arceus Sweetie was here to snap him out of it.

    At your service, Honhon!     The rock type yelled, puffing out her chest. I'm the best, especially compared to you!

    You're an annoying brat, that's what you are.

    Turtonator's heartbeat slowed down to its natural rate, and he realized how weak he'd been. A panic attack, from the mere mention of Team Galactic? Lurantis and Mudsdale would be ashamed to see him now.

    I am fine, he said. Jellicent, translate for me.

    "You're okay, I can understand you," Grace dismissed. "It's a little patchy, but I've figured some of it out. The more we practice, the better I'll get at it."

    What in the world…?

    "Freaky, right? I think it's cool, though."

    My mo— Grace is the coolest! Larvitar said. You should be friends with her and stop fighting with Princess.

    I am not fighting, baby sister. These are simply precautionary measures should the wyrm go rogue.

    Arceus, Turtonator was getting a headache.

    Let's talk privately, he told Grace. Tell me about this Team Galactic attack in more detail.

    What followed had been difficult for her to recount, but it had completely reframed Turtonator's frame of mind. He had thought of her as an annoying child with a few positive points, but now, he felt an instinctual need to protect. He did not consider her his trainer, but he did not want the girl who had been only helpful until now to be killed by Team Galactic.

    Not again.

    One of their Commanders, Mars, was after her.

    He didn't follow up with his entire story, skirting on most details like what his friends had been like, but he gave her enough context for her to know what had gone on. As the memories resurfaced, he couldn't help but rage against the trainers that had run away.

    These worms are the lowest of the low. No honor, no backbone! Just rats wanting to get off a sinking ship instead of trying to plug the holes, he roared.

    He'd been so loud that Grace's hair had flown back. She hadn't even blinked.

    "I'm sorry. I didn't know he'd died, but I thought… I'm sorry," she sighed, her eyes downcast. "I understand why you almost killed that trainer now—"

    A call from one of her nameless orbiters interrupted them, and her face fell.

    "I've got to go, we'll talk later."

    He was placed back into his Pokeball before he could protest.

    —

    "Morning, Sunshine," Grace said with a tired smile.

    Turtonator's gut reaction had been to lash out and burn the grass where he stood. He would not be called by another name. He was Turtonator, and he would always be. Tangrowth, who was the only Pokemon here, pulled her a few feet away, but she just laughed at his outburst and leaned to see the extent of the damage he had caused.

    She was treating him like the rest of her Pokemon— like a damn child.

    "Sorry, I just wanted to try it out. Damn, you did a number on the floor. People work to keep it flat and the grass mowed, you know."

    He grunted in dismissal and lay down on the burned grass patch.

    "Let's talk."

    What followed was an extremely irrelevant rant about what had happened to some child named Cecilia. She had to remind him of who she was, but then they finally got to the part that Turtonator actually cared about.

    What did their shared experiences with Team Galactic mean for their relationship?

    "I'm not asking to use you in battle. I'm asking you what your goal is. Surely you won't be content with just sticking around doing nothing for the rest of your life. That wouldn't fit your profile. Personally, I wouldn't mind. Sweetheart's taken a liking to you, and she'd hate to see you leave. The others are warming up to you— well, except Princess. And I'd like to get to know you too. You won't have to fight," she shrugged. "But your behavior's clearly changed since I told you everything. You're nicer now, but it's not out of pity. You want something."

    Something? For her quick wits, she was either deliberately obtuse or just stupid. He decided to stay silent to see which one it was. He wanted revenge. He wanted to tear Team Galactic apart, but more than that, he wanted to burn Saturn, and he wanted to do it slowly. To turn him to ash over the course of hours, savoring each minute where the man squirmed in place, unable to escape his wrath. He wanted to kill all of his Pokemon as well. They clearly reveled in his sick, evil ways.

    "I don't really know what you want," she exhaled. "I'm good, but I'm not psychic. I haven't… known you long enough to read you like that."

    Turtonator couldn't hide the disappointment from his face, and he decided to lay there, deciding to make her stew in the silence. Tangrowth motioned with his vines, but the fire type had no Arceus damn idea of what he was saying. He'd never seen a Pokemon incapable of speaking before. Different forms of speech like Drampa, yes, but to be utterly silent? The grass type was an enigma that he couldn't be bothered to solve.

    I want revenge, but I will not make you seek it out, he finally explained. But when the day comes and Mars comes for you again, Saturn will follow. When he does, I ask you to get out of the way and let me burn. If the opportunity falls upon your lap that lets you find Team Galactic, you will not run. You will fight. That is what I want from you. If you accept, then I may be willing to be more… cooperative in the subject of battles. Of course, I will not let you command me.

    The practice of trainers ordering him around was still completely alien to Turtonator, after all. Kamaile almost always stood there, letting them make their own decisions. It had taken a bit of back and forth to get her to understand fully, but she picked it up really quickly.

    She refused his offer.

    Disappointing, he simply said.

    She was the prey instead of the hunter. She was not ready to stand as his equal. Weakness.

    —

    They'd left Hearthome now.

    Turtonator took his usual sleeping position as Grace's team trained around him. His motivation was still gone. There was no drive, no passion to get stronger even for his quest for revenge. He just couldn't bring himself to train. All Turtonator wanted to do was sleep and observe Larvitar grow stronger.

    Did you see that, Mister Turtonator?! She screamed, waving her arms excitedly. Wasn't that Sandstorm awesome?!

    It had been ridiculously weak and unrefined.

    You're doing great, he smiled. You will fly past me in no time, little one.

    Tangrowth petted her on the head and she nuzzled against his vine. The grass type blinked at him and waved. Turtonator nodded in return. They seemed to share common ground in the fact that they wanted to care for this little child. The grass type attempted to pet him on the head as well, but he swatted his vine away, causing all of them to droop as he waddled away.

    You made Angel sad, she said. He's just trying to make friends with you.

    I do not care for friends, Larvitar. I am just here to pass the time until Team Galactic strikes.

    I think you should be nicer. Mom tells me that good girls are the strongest Pokemon in the entire world!     Larvitar exclaimed. I think that applies to good boys too, even though she never calls Honhon a good boy. Maybe it's because he sucks.

    She'd started calling Grace Pastel Mom recently, and Turtonator didn't know what to make of it. He didn't mind— not when all of them except the mute and the ghost did, but he found it to be an odd relationship. Hell, maybe Tangrowth used the term, but he just didn't know it.

    She's just trying to make you behave, he explained. You should be unruly. Dragon children fight each other all the time.

    What are you telling her?     Jellicent said, swooping in from the sky. Do not feed her lies.

    Budbud!     she greeted him, wriggling her arms.

    I do not lie, ghost. I was telling her about how proper children should behave.

    You were being a bad influence on her,     he said. Go off to your mother now, Larvitar. I must speak to Turtonator in private.

    The dragon sighed as the rock type waddled away.

    You have grown more attached to her than I thought, he noticed. How amusing.

    So what? Did you think someone like me couldn't have a softer side?     He asked, turning away. I have been embracing it more lately, that is all.

    I am sure Grace will be ecstatic,     he cheekily said. I have a question regarding your old life, Turtonator.

    I am not interested    —

    Your old teammates, to be exact. I do not know their exact fate, but you have not even tried to see how they were.

    Turtonator paused as he grimaced. In the distance, Grace was working with Electabuzz on some sort of fighting move for a tournament he didn't care about. The electric type beamed at the praise, and Larvitar demanded to be praised too.

    Needless to say, this is between us, he added. I will not tell anyone else.

    There is nothing to say.

    You are holding it in,     Jellicent said. Turtonator glared as the temperature rose a few degrees. What? You pressed my buttons to get me to evolve, I am only returning the favor.

    Turtonator do not evolve.

    It was a manner of speaking, and you knew it,     the ghost sighed. Why do you not ask Grace to see what happened to them? She would comply right away.

    For all Turtonator didn't feel like a part of this group, he couldn't deny that Jellicent was the only one he could have a proper conversation with and relate to. He had lost someone just like Turtonator had, and he was a proper adult. The rest of them were all children, and even though he had his doubt about that Tangrowth, he behaved like a child anyway.

    I am scared, ghost! he spat. Are you happy now?

    Scared of?

    This separation. It feels final. I cannot just waltz in and reconnect with them, not after I failed to protect Kamaile and Oranguru. This is my penance. This is what I deserve.

    Jellicent's head swelled. What a horribly self-centered way of viewing the world. Do you not think they are worried sick about you?

    I do not deserve their worry or their love. They are better off without me.

    You are a fool, Turtonator, but I know that changing a dragon's mind is a tall order. Just know that you are stupid and that they will hold you accountable.

    Bah! You know nothing,     he said. He waved an arm. Let me sleep. I grow tired of you.

    Jellicent returned to his training, but in truth, Turtonator enjoyed having someone to talk to.

    If only it hadn't been about something that still hurt.

    —

    Wyrm.

    Turtonator opened an eye and groaned. It looked like Togetic had finally decided to annoy him. Of course, she'd shot him hundreds of murderous glares in Solaceon alone, but at least she'd never spoken to him. They'd reached the town a few days ago, and Grace Pastel was fighting in numerous battles while running her team to the bone. Turtonator knew they were weak, but he couldn't help but notice their efforts.

    He stayed silent, not bothering to answer her. She would just hone in on something he'd said wrong and bother him, and he couldn't shoot her out of the sky like he'd wanted to so many times.

    Wyrm. Wyrm. Wyrm. Wyrm. Wyyyyyyyyrm—

    What do you want? He groaned.

    Mother has told me that I should make efforts to learn to tolerate you, she explained. I am making them now so that she and my siblings are happy.

    You don't have to pretend to like me,     he said. We can just ignore each other. Now go and let me sleep. I was having a great dream.

    I have to begrudgingly admit, you do not want to cause Mother any harm,     she continued, ignoring him. I apologize for the way I have treated you. You want to destroy Team Galactic, and that is also a goal I share. That said! You are still nothing to me, and I will not hesitate to strike you down should you get out of line.

    Whatever you say.

    Take me seriously, you miserable wyrm! You may be able to ignore me right now, but one day I will evolve and be just as strong as you!

    Turtonator yawned. Sure thing.

    Curse you! I'll tell Mother you were being mean to me!

    Turtonator blinked. Had those words come out of the same mouth? When he turned, he realized the fairy was teary-eyed.

    Right, she was also still a child. A fairy, but a child nonetheless. She flew off toward her mother and complained to her, but Grace Pastel only kissed her forehead and caressed her head. In truth, he'd detested her when they'd first met, but right now what he felt for her was mostly apathy. The hate had been one-sided for a long while, and she was turning a new leaf.

    Our Princess giving you trouble? Electabuzz panted. He'd overexerted himself due to training.

    What is it with you lot and coming out of nowhere to talk to me? Turtonator complained.

    Kamaile's team had been slower-paced than this, but they'd also been older. Children tended to be hyperactive and want to get involved in anything interesting, much to his annoyance. He missed the days when he'd be able to sleep for hours at a time without interruption.

    I wanna know you better, he smiled. Is there anything wrong with that?

    There's a time and place for everything. Right now, it is time to sleep.

    You sleep like fifteen hours per day. Anyway, sorry about Togetic. She's been wanting to apologize to you for a while now, but it's been awkward for her    —

    The electric type ducked, dodging a small pebble.

    He pointed at Togetic, who was now free from Grace's arms. Hey! Don't try to hit me!

    Silence, big brother! You're talking behind my back. Such treachery! I won't forgive you for this!

    Sweetie, help me out!     Electabuzz screamed as he jumped left.

    You're on your own, Honhon. I'm too busy being awesome, sorry, she said.

    She was making a crown of rocks for Tangrowth to place on her head.

    What do you think about this rock?

    Tangrowth waved a mass of vines and blinked slowly.

    Not sharp enough? True. I want to look threatening enough to make everyone freeze in fear. I can't do that with dull rocks.

    The grass type bobbed up and down in agreement.

    "Alright, alright, break it up," Grace clapped her hands with a smile. "You guys, this is supposed to be training."

    Why am I being scolded here? Electabuzz cried out. I'm innocent!

    "You've got a point there," she snapped her fingers. "Princess, apologize."

    I'm sorry, she grumbled. But he was speaking behind my back too!

    I was trying to help you!     The electric type yelled.

    Help me in a more obvious way! This is your fault! Only your fault!

    I finished my crown! Budbud, Mom, look!     Larvitar yelled. Tangrowth had placed it on her head for her.

    Grace gasped. "You look so pretty! You're shining!"

    That's a beautiful crown, Larvitar. Do you want to carry it back to the Center? Jellicent asked.

    Yeah!

    Turtonator tried not to slip into despair. This team was pure unmitigated chaos, and Grace Pastel thrived in it.

    Larvitar pressed on her crown too hard and crushed it on the way back.

    She cried for an hour straight.

    —

    "I'm going to ask you a favor. We can trade," Grace Pastel exhaled. "If things go south and our lives are in danger because they realize we're snooping around, I need you to help me. I also want to keep you as a backup for my battle against Harry. I'll try to beat him without you, but you'll be my fourth."

    Turtonator let out an amused snort. He would not be held on a leash just because they'd grown slightly closer. He did enjoy her gusto, however. She never relented, even when he'd tried to terrify her. It is what came after that caught his attention. A chance to take down Team Galactic if the opportunity ever presented himself. He knew from the way she was staring at him that she was forcing herself to say this, but he did not care.

    I will gladly accept, he said, touching her shoulder. She was owed at least this amount of respect. The girl jumped at the contact, but he ignored her.

    Revenge was his purpose. He would kill Saturn, and he would make it slow, but first he would kill his Pokemon in front of his eyes. He hadn't missed how they were the only thing the Commander cared for, having grimaced at Toxicroak's broken bones while ignoring the collateral damage he'd caused to his grunts. Satisfied, he sprawled across the grass with a grunt. The rest of her Pokemon were training, as always. He would be lying if he said he was not interested in their progress. They had already grown leaps and bounds from the time they had fought him in Mount Coronet.

    "Can I add one thing to the deal? Let me call you Sunshine."

    If you must, he muttered.

    "Hell yes!" She celebrated, pumping a fist. "I knew it'd grow on you!"

    Turtonator rolled his eyes. Children, he sighed. They grow so happy at the smallest of things.

    "Can you blame me? I've been wanting to call you that for weeks," she said, sitting down to lean against him. The feeling was new— unnatural. Kamaile had never been as physical as she was. "Sorry if I was too forward."

    It is true that I am not used to a human such as yourself, he said.

    Grace chuckled and leaned further back. She occasionally gave her Pokemon words of encouragement as they trained, but she was less involved than usual today, which Turtonator found strange. She usually made rounds, spoke with the others or gave them directions when they were struggling.

    You are nervous, he realized. Scared.

    "This conspiracy stuff's got me nervous, yeah, but I have to keep going. I know you hate it when I'm scared," she smiled. "When I look weak."

    I do not hate it, he said after a long pause. You do not let it get a hold of you and control your actions. I could not ask for more.

    She would not run away when the time came. That, Turtonator was sure of.

    "I think I love you now," she declared. "I think you're family."

    The dragon snorted. I have only known you for a few months.

    "I know. I'm not saying you view me as family, even though I hope we get there one day. I'm saying that I do."

    Despite me almost killing you?

    "You were hurt. It wasn't your fault. Even now, you're still hurting."

    Nonsense, he shook his head. He felt hollow, but the pain was gone unless he recalled old times. He was still grieving, but it was easier now. All he could do was take it a day at a time.

    "I hope you trust me enough to tell me about your past one day," she said. "I really hope so…"

    The dragon lay utterly still. She'd fallen asleep while speaking, which meant that she was horribly sleep deprived. He felt compelled to let her rest.

    —

    Darkness had overtaken the world, but they were not enough to subsume his wrath. The unending rage he felt for Harry Rodriguez and his Pokemon was on full display as his flames illuminated the dim world of Shiftry's domain. Torterra, Luxray and Crawdaunt had fallen.

    He felt the hot blood pump in his veins as the rush of fighting overtook him. His movements felt slow and sluggish. His muscle memory was all gone. He had foregone a small piece of his revenge to save Grace Pastel and her Pokemon and was locked in combat with a Weavile. She easily dodged all of his attacks no matter what he threw at her. The ice type bypassed him and ran toward Grace Pastel and her Pokemon, who already had been wounded, and a feeling of dread overtook him as Weavile tore Larvitar apart with Night Slash. Her young scales, peeling away and Weavile destroying the soft flesh below with her sharpened claws. Her screams of pain and her terrified eyes.

    Not again.

    Something clicked in Turtonator's brain, and he realized he had grown attached even after trying to push them away. He was terrified of loss. Of that sinking feeling that had taken a few seconds to register when he'd lost everything. He had thought that they would just be a vehicle for his revenge, and that thought had been enough to satiate a fraction of the rage he felt toward Saturn. But he'd been wrong. He didn't want to lose them.

    Not again!

    Turtonator roared and ran at Weavile faster than he had ever gone before.

    —

    He'd started training again.

    Grace was alone now, which he preferred. Turtonator thought Grace's friends were only holding her back. Kamaile had been content to be alone with his team, so why could she not be the same? The sun was setting and her and Electabuzz were currently cooking some horrible dish while Togetic was working on her sculptures and making him ugly as sin. Pupitar was learning to crawl on the floor and cursing at it for slowing her down so much while Jellicent soothed her. Tangrowth waddled toward him and rubbed his arm with a vine.

    What do you want, Tangrowth? He huffed, clearing his snout with hot smoke.

    Something… about doing something together? Turtonator always felt frustrated when attempting to communicate with the grass type alone.

    I'm going to need someone to translate, he said.

    Stupid wyrm, Togetic mocked from afar. Look into Angel's heart, and you will find your answer.

    Maybe you should stop speaking so vaguely and actually help, Togetic,     he spat. He calmed down when he realized that a child was getting a rise out of him.

    You're hurting my baby brother, she said, petting Angel on the head. The grass type hugged her with a dozen vines. What if I tell Sweetheart? She won't forgive you that easily.

    So you're resorting to blackmail now?     He asked. Damned fairies. She knew exactly what he cared about the most. What do you want?

    Despite his annoyance for Togetic, he couldn't deny that she had saved him from getting hit many times during their battles in Shiftry's domain. Turtonator knew that she cared for him somewhat, despite not being able to admit it. He couldn't say the feeling was mutual.

    You are sad, she said. Melancholic for something.

    And by the Legendaries, she took after her mother. Or did Grace take after her? Perhaps it was both.

    It is buried deep inside of you. You mourn your old family despite acting like you do not. A shame, really. I am sure Mother would be willing to hear you out. Venting is good for the heart.

    She's already asked me once, and I said no,     he answered. Feel free to tell Pupitar about what I've done.

    Call her Sweetheart or Sweetie already.

    What? No. A nickname is below her status. It will make her soft    —

    She told me she wanted you to call her by her given name, Togetic said, her wings fluttering. The others will not care, but she does. She immediately started calling you Sunsun, did she not? And she is under a lot of emotional distress over her new form. Not being able to move freely is difficult for her.

    Turtonator frustratingly waved an arm. Bah! Fine, if it is what she wants. I will never call you Princess, however. It is a name unbefitting of your murderous tendencies.

    Excuse me?

    Tangrowth's vines writhed as he anxiously grabbed Togetic and cradled her. She did not even blink as she stared at Turtonator. He let out a satisfied huff when he felt the bloodlust emanating from here. Next, she would threaten to kill him and—

    I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! She sobbed. Mommyyyy!

    Or… that.

    She was angry at him for five days after that.

    —

    The spars with Nightstalker reminded him of his old fights against Oranguru back in Alola. Turtonator flexed as he lit up the entire sealed-off area with flames, but Decidueye somehow spun around the flames as he rushed toward him, his enormous wingspan extended to its fullest extent. The fire type slammed a foot against the floor and a pillar of burning sand jumped at Nightstalker, clinging to his wings like a living thing. Turtonator grinned, feeling closer than he ever had to victory.

    Four arrows coated in ghostly energy emerged from the burning sand. Two of them buried themselves against his shadow while the other two penetrated his leg. The pain caused a lapse in his concentration, allowing Decidueye to slip away from the Scorching Sands. When he emerged, the blue flames of Brave Bird surrounded him. The grass type slammed against Turtonator's chest with so much force that it knocked all the air out of his lungs. Flames still clung to his plumage, but it was enough to finish him off.

    Even without Phantom Force, I win easily, Nightstalker said. Good effort.

    Spare me your pity,     Turtonator spat. He was familiar with this feeling. Lacking. Weakness. First, he'd seen Cynthia's Lucario and now this? There was a long way to go before he was strong enough for his revenge. Once he regained his former strength, he would be powerful enough to stand up to one of Saturn's Pokemon, but two would be pushing it. As it turned out, so much of his skill had been born through constant repetition, and training with Grace's Pokemon was not enough. Nightstalker offered exactly what he needed. I hate it when people pity me. It only serves to anger me.

    I meant what I said,     the bird shrugged. Bellatrix, you can pull down the barrier. We're done for the day.

    Another match,     he asked. Grace has potions, I can still keep going—

    Rest up. We will go at it again tomorrow, Decidueye said.

    Turtunator grunted as he stood up. It was difficult to counter Spirit Shackle when he was so large and slow, but he knew it was possible. If he'd been more reactive, he could have moved his body to take the arrows. It would have hurt, but he wouldn't have been pinned and unable to respond to Brave Bird.

    A pitiful showing, Hatterene said. The more you battle, the harder it is to look at you.

    Togetic sniggered behind her teacher and stuck out her tongue at him.

    I do not care about what you have to say, he responded, raising the temperature slightly.

    His relationship with Hatterene straddled the line between dislike and hatred. Powerful fairies like her reminded him of Grimmsnarl. Even after all these months, he hadn't forgotten that sickening look of pleasure on his face as Turtonator lost everything he held dear. Dragons could enjoy violence, but fairies enjoyed suffering, at least against foes that they believed deserved it. It was a disgusting way of thinking that he would never get used to.

    It costs nothing to not be rude, Jellicent told Hatterene. Your prejudice gets the better of you.

    I did notice that wyrms are not as bad as I believed,     she acknowledged. Very well, then. I apologize.

    Turtonator grunted and walked off, but Jellicent followed. He settled on a nice spot under a tree that looked mighty comfortable.

    Will you not get your legs healed? The water type asked.

    No. Stop bugging me and let me rest.

    Something bothers you. You were the same when we spoke of Alola yesterday night. Togetic and Pupitar tell me they worry for you.

    Hah! That fairy? Worry for me? What a joke,     he snorted. She was mocking me just a few minutes ago.

    It is a game for her,     he said. She does not mean any harm by it. Like Electabuzz's pranks or Tangrowth's grabby ways.

    Whatever you say, ghost.

    Fine then. If you do not wish to talk, tell me more about Johto,     he asked.

    First Alola, now Johto? Do you wish to travel?

    Not particularly, although I think it would be enjoyable. Alone, it would be dull. With my family, it would be a wonderful experience,     he said with a soft click. What I am interested in is how different regions' cultures differ to Sinnoh's.

    The water type paused.

    I wish we could return to what I felt before Solaceon.

    What?     He asked.

    Innocence, he said after a pause. I know that things will only get worse from here on out. It makes my skin boil, but alas. All I can do is protect them with every tool I have at my disposal.

    I respect that vow,     Turtonator smiled. You wish to know about Johto, then? Shall I tell you about religion?

    You do not pray, and you do not strike me as a religious individual. I thought you would be one to scream at the Gods in anger due to the disparity in power.

    Once upon a time, maybe,     Turtonator said, his mind drifting to the Bell Tower. And religion is a personal thing. I do not pray, but I believe. I want to believe.

    To believe that his fallen comrades were in a better place, and in the process of starting new lives. He began speaking about Johto's customs, and somewhere along the way, Tangrowth joined them as well. The two Pokemon were fascinated by the topic. The rituals, the ceremonies, the legends… it was the first time Turtonator had seen them so interested in one of his tales. Tangrowth raised an interesting question that Jellicent translated for him, however. When ghosts died, they went someplace that one of them had called the Dusk for a set period of time. Would that qualify as an afterlife? Was the ghost that came back their true self, or a copy with all of their memories while the original Pokemon had truly died? It was an interesting ethical dilemma if anything.

    "Am I interrupting?"

    Grace leaned against a tree and smiled at the three of them.

    We were just finishing up, Jellicent clicked. Is Hatterene finished speaking with you?

    "She wasn't, I just told her off," she said. "Sunshine, Princess let it slip that she was rude to you. Are you okay?"

    You told her off because of that? Why would words from that old bat bother me? Turtonator grunted. Knowing her, she'll delay your lessons by hours until she's cooled off.

    "Oh, she was angry alright," the girl laughed. "Not as much as I expected though. I just want to make sure you feel at home here. You're family, and it's no fun if you're being excluded when everyone else is having a good time. I'm sorry, we've spent a lot more time on the route than originally planned, and I know you don't like being here."

    Turtonator blinked.

    Feeling at home?

    Did he... did he deserve to feel at home?

    Enjoying the food that Electabuzz cooked because he'd made it with all his heart, and his happy-go-lucky attitude or long conversations with Jellicent. Pupitar looking at him starry-eyed with every story or tale he recounted. Tangrowth being so kind-hearted, despite Turtonator's difficulties comprehending the grass type and them bonding over Pupitar as he slowly learned to understand him. Teasing that damned fairy child and her fighting back until he couldn't help but smile and she ran off flying to her mother.

    Grace's kindness. Her warmth that he could somehow feel through the flame in his heart.

    All the little joys of the world. They added up slowly over time and made him happy.

    Did he deserve to smile and be happy when everyone else was gone?

    I… I don't...

    "Sunshine?"

    She stood on her tiptoes, placing a hand on his cheek as she wiped away a tear. He had only spent a few months with these people, and he was not as close to them as he was with his old companions. They had not replaced them, nor did he immediately love them. They did not fill the hole in his heart, nor did they stop his guilt or his grief.

    But,

    He felt at home here.
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    • Chapter 199
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    • CHAPTER 199

    I'd been sobbing uncontrollably for the past ten minutes. The sheer amount of anguish Sunshine had poured into his tale had driven me to tears before the murder had even taken place. The closer he got to Mount Coronet, the more anxious and tearful I'd grown. At some points, he'd stopped to make sure I was breathing alright. I just couldn't comprehend the amount of pain he'd been through. The only thing I could compare it to was imagining losing everyone I knew… my family, my friends in a single instant. Everything I had, just gone.

    I didn't think I'd be able to live if that ever happened to me. He was stronger than I'd ever be.

    "I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I'm— I'm sorry."

    Sunshine sighed, his eyes staring right at me. Kamaile had been such a good person. A paragon of what it meant to be a force of good for the world, and yet he'd been ripped away. Taken early by pure evil. Saturn. The words were so hateful to me that just thinking them out loud made me dig my nails into my palms and clench my teeth so hard my jaw locked up. So much suffering he'd caused, and for what? What was the point of doing all of this? It was all so exhausting.

    I would do everything in my power to let Turtonator have his revenge.

    "Thank you for telling me," I sniffled. "I understand you so much better now."

    The fire type nodded, telling me that I looked a lot worse than he did. Turtonator hadn't cried during his story. He'd teared up, but he had held everything in.

    "It must have been so difficult for you, holding it all in," I said. "If you ever want to talk to the others, don't hesitate to. They'll listen."

    Sunshine refused immediately. It seemed like he wasn't ready yet, then.

    "But the two members of your team that survived… don't you want to—"

    Turtonator interrupted me. He was scared, he'd told me. I would never in a thousand years thought that he could be scared of anything, but he was terrified of seeing them again.

    "I won't force you," I said. "But I'll be the first to tell you that they won't be disappointed in you, Sunshine. If you were in the reverse situation and you'd been the one taken by the Rangers, would you not want to see Lurantis or Mudsdale again?"

    The fact that he'd been the last one out of his Pokeball with Oranguru and that he'd failed weighed on him heavily. The dragon didn't answer. He simply ignored my question and avoided my eyes.

    "We can at least go look to see if they lived. If I present proof that you were Kamaile's the Rangers should be willing to tell us what happened."

    In truth, I wanted him to meet them again. I wanted so desperately. I knew it would be difficult for him, but it would also be incredibly healing. They were also probably worried sick, not having heard of him since Kamaile's murder, although from the way he'd told me about them, there was the possibility of them having heard of him with how tech-savvy they were. I just hoped they knew he was alive.

    "We can go first thing tomorrow," I softly added. "I'll help you find them. That's the first step. Then, if you feel comfortable enough, we can talk about meeting them later down the line. Is that okay with you?"

    He reluctantly agreed, and I wrapped his large body into a hug. He didn't reciprocate, but he let me do it, something that would have been unthinkable just yesterday. His chest was tough and difficult to grab, but it felt soothing and warm nonetheless. After thirty seconds or so, he gently pushed me away and complained about the snot I was getting on him.

    "Okay," I exhaled. "Give me half an hour to calm down, and I'll release the others so we can sleep. Is it true that you can't dream in your Pokeball?"

    The dragon nodded as he lay on the floor. All those times I'd made him sleep in his Pokeball when all he wanted was to dream. To experience a night of bliss with the memories of his fallen family, and I had just trampled over all of that. I'd failed him.

    I hugged my knees as the tears came back.

    "I won't make any of you sleep in your Pokeballs anymore unless there's no other choice," I declared. "I'm sorry for all the times I didn't do it. I didn't know."

    He said it wasn't my fault. That I couldn't have known before tonight.

    "I couldn't have," I agreed. The others had never brought it up, and I assumed that it didn't bother them. "But I feel like shit anyway. I took your memories away from you."

    A heavy silence settled in as I snuggled up deeper in the bed.

    "I'll get you a fight with Saturn, and we'll all be here," I said through clenched teeth. "I'll make sure he gets what's coming."

    Before, it had only been me being scared of Mars. Now? It was personal. Turtonator didn't answer. He lay down next to my bed and closed his eyes.

    ——

    I woke up at seven in the morning.

    Sweetheart and Princess were still sleeping while Buddy hovered next to the ceiling. Angel sat next to the window to get some sun and Honey had his head on my lap as he transitioned in and out of sleep. I'd gotten a few messages that I perused as I stroked Honey's head. First, Mira had gotten approval from Cynthia to visit Lake Valor on the way to Sunyshore on the condition that we reported any effects it had on Cecilia and Chase back to the League. We'd also gotten permission to visit the other lakes if need be, so that was something on my list after Princess evolved and I got my license. I'd easily be able to stop at Verity on the way to Canalave, so it wouldn't be a problem.

    Second, my mother had texted and called.

    Princess had murdered a Pokemon in front of her, so she was justifiably shaken. Everything had happened so quickly that it hadn't sunk in after I'd been Teleported away. She hadn't even known I'd been in that much danger and it was probably the first time she'd seen such violence on display. There wasn't much I could say to help her aside from the fact that it'd be better off if we reconnected at a later date whenever the situation cleared. She probably saw Princess and me in a very different light than before, but what was done was done. I couldn't dwell on it, and at least she didn't want to stop talking to me through text. Strangely enough, no one was talking about the dead Abra in a very public park, even though the media would usually have jumped on such a story. It seemed that Cynthia's iron grip was a lot tighter than I first thought, but not much could surprise me any longer. Some people were still talking about it online, including on my megathread, but the incident had happened so quickly that no one had recorded it, so at this point it was just spreading through word of mouth.

    And some of my fans were denying the fact that it had happened at all.

    It was a strange thing, to have fans. I didn't browse my megathread often, but it still felt surreal to have that many people talking about me. Defending me, attacking me, talking like they knew me personally, nitpicking at any mistake I made… it was weird. Before, it might have bothered me, but I had too much going on to bother.

    I stretched and then started to get ready for the day. I had a few things to do today after my inquiry with the Rangers, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I side-stepped around Sweetheart and entered the bathroom.

    I did not blink, nor did my face clench up in rage. In fact, I was perfectly calm.

    I will kill Saturn, I thought as I stared in the mirror and tied up my hair. He was a cancer upon the world that deserved to be cut out. Destroyed.

    That was a promise.

    ——

    I hadn't thought I'd ever go back to the Ranger Station where I had been interrogated in, and yet here I was. I stepped out of the taxi and walked into the lobby, which mirrored a Pokemon Center, only it was slightly smaller and had none of the warm lights and colors that made them so welcoming in the first place. There was surprisingly a short queue that I had to wait at. One trainer asked for some tips in raising an unruly Tinkatink, the other for the best spots on route 214 to find a Meditite and the last one asked when the next orientation class would take place.

    Being a Ranger was a popular career choice for a lot of trainers, it seemed.

    "Hi, how can I help you?" The man said as he leaned against a counter. He sported the green uniform that all rangers shared in Sinnoh.

    "I have a Pokemon that belonged to a deceased trainer," I said. "All of his team was wiped out except two Pokemon. Would it be possible to track them?"

    Immediately, he was more alert and awake than he'd been seconds earlier. "Do you have the name and ID of that trainer? ID would be ideal, because that means we'd be able to find him in our database instantly," He said. "And I'll take your ID as well to verify your claim."

    "Uh, I have his name. Kamaile Nalanie. Actually, Sunshine might know," I said as I handed him my card. "Mind if I release a Turtonator right now?"

    "If it behaves. Any damages, you'll have to pay for."

    "He will."

    I released the fire type and he blinked at the unfamiliar environment.

    "Sunshine. Did you know Kamaile's ID? On his trainer card?"

    He nodded, saying that he and Oranguru knew it better than Kamaile even did. He listed off the numbers to me and I recited them to the receptionist.

    "KN449281095," I said.

    "Uh, I thought we'd use one of our psychics for that, but alright," he frowned. He typed in the code and nodded. "Kamaile Nalanie, I've got him. Yeah, he got into that nasty accident in Mount Coronet, right? Sorry for your loss," he said, staring at Turtonator, who promptly ignored him. "Yep, the Turtonator's in your file."

    He'd held back well at the fact that he'd called it an accident. I patted him on the arm.

    "A Lurantis and Mudsdale," he muttered. "We've got one at the ranger outpost next to Eterna Forest and another down at the outpost next to the marsh on route 212."

    I sighed in relief. Since they hadn't been given away, that meant that they'd be easy to track down. Still, the fact that they'd been separated left a bad taste in my mouth— unless they'd gone their separate ways out of their own volition? When I asked the Ranger, he told me he didn't know. Lurantis would have to wait until Princess evolved and I got my license, but Mudsdale was right next to Pastoria. It'd be easy to visit him if Sunshine wished to do so.

    "Can I do anything else?" He asked. "I could contact the stations and tell them about you, if you want, but there's not much else I can do for you."

    "Thanks for the help," I said, turning toward Turtonator. "Verdict?"

    Sunshine uncomfortably shuffled, which was way out of character— or at least for what I thought I had known until yesterday night. In the end, he said that he'd rather wait until we made it to Pastoria to make up his mind. I nodded, recalling him as I made my way outside.

    My schedule was starting to get packed, but I was fine with that. After my seventh gym, I was planning on going to Lake Verity, possibly both Ranger Outpost to find Lurantis and Mudsdale, go to that ancient city if I could get permission from Cynthia to find a Claydol, and train extensively for the eighth gym. Originally, I had planned on doing all of this after my eighth badge, but Cynthia had thrown a wrench in my plans by saying that we'd be confined at the League after winning the battle. But there was also something else I needed to do.

    I wanted to go to the Lost Tower to speak to Ruth and Mathilda.

    I had three powerful Gengar to find, after all, and they'd be the only ones that I knew were capable of pointing me in the right direction. I couldn't just hope for the best while I traveled. Even with Jellicent and Electabuzz being able to sense ghosts, trying to find those Gengar would be like trying to find a needle in a Sinnoh-sized haystack. Impossible.

    There was also the topic of that Rhyperior who'd killed Sweetheart's biological mother, but finding a rock type in the notoriously confusing Mount Coronet was a lot more difficult, and it was probably a lot stronger than what I'd be able to handle even by the end of the year, so that one would unfortunately be on the back burner for now. The Gengar would also be, but I had evidence that they weren't murderous ghosts, at the very least.

    For some reason, the Game Corner's lights were lit up even during the day. The concept of gambling didn't appeal to me at all, but I knew Denzel would be here, as he was most days. I sure hoped he wasn't neglecting his training, because Maylene would capitalize on any weakness. A Dratini would be nice, but I felt like he wasn't seeing the forest for the trees. I hadn't come here to tell him that, though. Not wanting to enter the building, I texted him and asked him to talk. He came out ten minutes later with a girl I didn't know, but I knew that she knew me from the way her eyes widened.

    "Grace!" Denzel said. "I've been wanting to see you! Are you okay—"

    He stopped himself and stared at his new friend.

    "This is Ashley. She's been helping me figure out this Game Corner stuff. Ashley, this is Grace," he said. "Uh, can you wait for me inside? Sorry to make you come all the way out here to send you back, but—"

    "I get it. Private stuff," she shrugged. "I'll be waiting upstairs."

    Luckily for her, there was no queue to enter the building since it was early in the morning. She quickly entered back and I turned to Denzel.

    "How's your Dratini hunt going?" I asked.

    "It's going great, I'm making more and more money," he said. "Hopefully I'll keep winning more than I lose."

    "Oh. You lost some?"

    "Yeah, but so long as I win more, I'm still making money. I'm taking a slow and steady approach. I don't want to lose everything," he said, his face twitching. "We haven't hung out lately."

    "Well, you're doing your Game Corner stuff…" I muttered. "I've been busy too. It sucks that our schedules haven't lined up, but hopefully we'll have more free time soon. Have you been training?"

    "Yeah, I have, you don't have to worry about that," Denzel smiled. "I've been helping Ashley too. It was a deal we made."

    "Okay. I won't forgive you if you lose to Maylene," I teased. "But I actually had something to talk to you about. Uh, you won't like this."

    He clenched a fist and his body tensed slightly. "Oh. Well, uh, bring it on, I guess?"

    "Oh, you want me to say it here? It'd be better to do it somewhere private," I said. "We never know who might be listening."

    Denzel stared back at the Game Corner for a few seconds, but nodded. "Sounds good. Your Center room?"

    On the way there, he told me a lot about the way he made coins at the Game Corner. There was that game where you could bet on battles that he said I'd be really good at, and he went a lot more in-depth with the explanation this time. I wasn't interested at all, but maybe he had a point. I was good on money though, so there was no way I'd be willing to take risks to make more. Next month, I'd be able to buy the Shiny Stone, and then I'd be able to save again for TMs and more dirt for Sweetheart.

    "...yeah, that's how I'd counter Falinks, I think, but you can't let your Pokemon get overwhelmed by numbers. Play it safe and from far away, and you'll have an easier time."

    "My team isn't exactly the type to like that, but I'll have to do it. Maybe I can save Froslass for them."

    "Fair enough," I said as I entered my room. "I'd honestly use Froslass to try to sweep through her earlier picks though."

    "What if she picks Falinks first?"

    "Come on, Denzel. You know Gym Leaders don't bring out that massive of a threat first. Anyway, I have something important to tell you. It's about the group as a whole."

    "Yeah? So what's up?"

    I bit the inside of my cheek and continued. "You know we were summoned by Cynthia and she told us stuff. Stuff we can't talk about, despite me asking for you to be able to know. And because of the information we got at that meeting, we think that it'd be best for me, Cece, Mira and Chase to travel together for a little bit."

    Denzel's face fell, and he sighed. "Chase was there too?"

    "He's involved," I said. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can say. I hate it, but she's forcing things to be this way."

    "And you can't tell us, like, anything? Not even a hint? You almost got kidnapped yesterday, Grace, and I don't even know why."

    "I don't know why either, to be honest, and I'm not lying when I say that. I—" I stopped as my head snapped toward my door and a bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. Was Lou and the League listening to this? They were, weren't they? The fact that I didn't know meant that I'd rather not take any risks. "—can't tell you more than this."

    A sad smile planted itself on Denzel's face. "You know, when we had that phone call," he started. "I said I'd have your back and that I wouldn't let Team Galactic hurt you. Kind of rings hollow now, doesn't it?"

    "Denzel—"

    "Don't worry about it," he said, waving a hand in dismissal. "I know it's not your fault. Circumstances screwed us over, that's all. I'll be off to the Game Corner then, yeah? I need to keep grinding to get myself a Dratini."

    He'd cheered up instantly, but I knew he was just pretending. Before he was out of the door, I called out his name. He turned and looked at me.

    "Let's spend more time together in Sunyshore," I said. "We'll both have a lot more time there."

    He nodded. "If you say so. I want something else in Sunyshore too, then."

    "Sure, anything is fine."

    "A battle."

    I inhaled sharply, but nodded. "You'll have it."

    ——

    Buddy slipped out of one of the pillars we'd raised and immediately spat out a proto-Hydro Pump. The jet of water was so powerful that it created a crater in the ground and nearly collapsed another tower. The water type quickly slipped back inside as soon as he finished his attack.

    "Nice!" I cheered. "Keep going, you're doing great!"

    On the other side, Princess was practicing flying in between the pillars as fast she could. It sounded easier than it actually was, especially for a Pokemon like her that had never made it a point to fly quickly before. It was important for her to be able to maneuver properly during the battle. She wasn't terribly fast— still slower than Jellicent while he used Water Sport, but it was decent enough to work with.

    Progress with Air Cutter was going well. Now that we'd mastered creating pillars, it was the move we were working on the most due to its incredible range and speed. Psychic would require her to get closer than I'd be comfortable with. Despite her being both a flying and fairy type, she was still frail. The type advantage would become more irrelevant the further I progressed, and it would do me well to get within that mindset as early as I could. Both her and Buddy would be instrumental to the battle after the battlefield had been set, so they needed to be as prepared as possible. We were also working on Air Slash, which was a natural progression of Air Cutter. She would need to manipulate the air using flying type energy and speed it up as much as she could. I doubted that we'd be able to get it down before the gym battle, but it was good to get started in what would be a pivotal move for her. Even Cynthia's Togekiss still used the move sometimes whenever it wasn't doing insanely complicated techniques.

    But we weren't working on the basic version of Air Cutter we knew. What I had theorized was that she could potentially use the move from anywhere, meaning that the streaks of sharpened air wouldn't have to start from her wings. After all, it was just manipulating type energy. Using her wings just made it easier and was more intuitive, but Princess' biggest strength was control.

    Who was to say that she couldn't start an Air Cutter from behind an enemy while she was in a completely different spot? The same principle would apply to Air Slash. It would work perfectly with how I was planning to set up the terrain too.

    Electabuzz, Turtonator and Pupitar were off in their own little corner, training their respective moves. Progress with Thunder was slow and steady, but there were noticeable improvements with Thunderbolt and Discharge already, so I believed we'd have it ready by the time we battled Volkner. There were whispers of Sunshine teaching Pupitar Dragon Pulse, but they'd made no progress there. Supposedly, she was worthy now that he'd told her she was an honorary dragon, but I just knew he wanted to spoil her rotten. I understood now that training with the team felt lacking for the dragon, so I was looking into setting up possible 1v1s with trainers like Zachary to keep him sharp. There was no shortage of people wanting to battle me.

    And so, two days passed. I spent most of it training, getting ready for the coming interview and spending time with my Pokemon. All of my friends had now signed up for their gym battles against Maylene, and the first set was coming up now. I shuffled toward my seat as Louis emerged from the waiting room, Pokeball already in hand. He touched the scar on his cheek and took a deep breath. He was a lot more determined than he used to be, and we all knew why.

    He wanted to stop Justin.

    The battle would no doubt be interesting, but I'd be focusing on Maylene's habits. Rare were the Gym Leaders that were as expressive as Candice was, and Maylene was the only one that came anywhere close to that. I'd be a fool to let that opportunity slip past my fingers.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 200
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    • CHAPTER 200

    Maeve had already gone to the waiting room, and it was only us up here. Pauline chatted with Denzel as I sipped on some water as we waited for the battle to begin. Maylene was just like what she looked like in the videos. Deceptively lean, short, and with intense red eyes and short pink hair. She wore gym clothes, fingerless gloves and had a bandaid on her nose. After all this time, I still had no idea what that was for.

    "Keep your eyes on her tactics," I told Cecilia. "They won't change against us, she'll only grow more ruthless and less merciful."

    "I will," she nodded. "I hope we see a Toxicroak, Mienshao or a Hitmonlee."

    "I thought you already saw them?" I raised an eyebrow.

    "I did, but I'd like to see them more. Those might be a little too tough for this battle, but who knows, maybe Maylene keeps some weaker ones around—"

    "ATTENTION!"

    Maylene yelled loudly into her microphone, creating a sound so obnoxious that all of the spectators stopped talking. Denzel covered his ears and grimaced with a swear.

    "Come on people! We do this every time! Stay quiet during battles!" She said. "Welcome, challenger! This will be a four-on-four with two switches allowed. As Gym Leader, I reserve the right to use any Pokemon in my arsenal, and murdering a Pokemon will get you disqualified from the Circuit. Send out your Pokemon!"

    "Was that necessary?" Cecilia whispered, her face scrunched up.

    "Talk about loud…" Denzel said.

    It was only now that I realized that Maylene's battle videos were always quiet because she demanded a silent audience. It was in line with the behavior I'd come to expect. She probably wanted her challenger to be as focused as possible. Louis sent out his Vulpix, and I smiled when Maylene sent out a Machoke. The species was a staple at her gym and she had many going from the third gym level all to way to the seventh. Machamp was always reserved for the eighth gym badge. Still, even if it wasn't the one I had a risk of fighting, I knew that Maylene trained all of her Pokemon in a very similar way, so any extra knowledge would help. Seeing battles in the flesh was always better than on a video screen.

    Harsh sunlight began to press down on the arena. The referee slashed down with her arm and signaled the start of the battle.

    "Flamethrower!" Louis immediately barked.

    "Rock Tomb and get close!" Maylene said.

    Vulpix opened her maw, and a surprisingly large stream of flames powered by Drought flew toward Machoke. The fighting type broke into a run and dashed toward the Flamethrower. At the last second, a stomp of her foot raised a rock twice her size in front of her. The flames burned the rock until it glowed red, and some of the fire still sizzled at Machoke's skin, but she was largely unharmed by the attack. My eyes narrowed when I saw that Machoke wasn't continuing on her path.

    "Throw it at her!" Maylene yelled.

    The fighting type's fingers dug into the rock, and she ripped it out of the ground before throwing it at Vulpix with all of her strength.

    "Extrasensory!"

    Vulpix's eyes shone bright pink as she altered the path of the Rock Tomb. The rock was so heavy and was flying by so fast that she was forced to roll to the left in order not to get hit. Machoke was already running again. The point hadn't been to actually hit her, but to buy time, and she'd done it perfectly. Louis bit his lip when Machoke approached and simply ignored the other Flamethrower that Vulpix hastily threw at her.

    "Confuse Ray," he said through clenched teeth.

    "Punch it!"

    A strange light left Vulpix's head and entered Machoke's body, but the fighting type's punch still went through. It hadn't even been a move. Her arm just flexed, growing nearly twice its original size as she slammed a fist against Vulpix's head. The fire type went flying back, rolling on the ground and kicking up dust and rocks. She coughed as she stood up with trembling legs. Machoke bared her teeth, yelling at nothing and slamming her head against the floor until Maylene recalled her, using her first switch. The Gym Leader had a sinister look on her face as she grabbed her next Pokeball.

    "He shouldn't have done that," I sighed. "Now she's going to hold back less."

    "What would you have done instead?" Cecilia asked. Her eyes narrowed in interest when Maylene sent out a Mienfoo.

    "With Vulpix? Try to hold Machoke back with Extrasensory instead. More risky, but it has a lower chance of blowing up in your face."

    "Wonder what this little guy'll do," Denzel muttered.

    "That's a girl," I corrected.

    "Fake Out!" Maylene ordered.

    Mienfoo blurred impossibly fast, appearing in front of Vulpix and slapping her so hard that the sound reverberated across the arena. The fire type barely had time to register what happened before Maylene spat out her next series of commands. Mienfoo seized Vulpix's throat, lifted her off the ground and slammed her face-first in the dirt. The beatings continued with simple punches, but Mienfoo only aimed for Vulpix's joints to stop her from getting up, and it worked.

    "Stop it with Extrasensory!" Louis yelled.

    Through the pain, Vulpix somehow managed to focus enough to use the move. She altered the air around Mienfoo, splitting them apart and pushing both of them away from each other. I smiled when I realized that Maylene's face had basically given her surprise away. She might have been holding back, as was very evident, but she still hadn't expected Vulpix to be able to concentrate and push through the pain.

    "Flamethrower! Give it everything you have!"

    "Bounce!"

    Mienfoo's legs contracted, and she jumped high into the air, leaving a small crater in her place. The flames missed as well, but Vulpix followed the fighting type and kept the attack going. The fire intensified the closer it got to Drought's strange light, but Mienfoo was too far up to be hit. As if she'd been pushed by a sudden gust of wind, the fighting type instantly rushed toward Vulpix in a blur of motion, leaving behind a streak of disturbed air. Mienfoo's feet split the Flamethrower apart and she crushed Vulpix's head with a vicious kick from the air. The fire type was out for the count.

    "I do not condone the use of Confuse Ray," she declared, her eyes staring right at Louis.

    As the referee asked him to send out his second Pokemon, we all winced at the fact that she was kind of screwing him over just like I'd said.

    "Talk about a bitch move," Pauline snarked with her hands crossed. "What kind of Gym Leader complains about a move? It's a damn battle!"

    "You did it to Grace," Denzel said. "In Floaroma?"

    "Oh. Right."

    Louis sent out his Gabite, whose scales shimmered under Vulpix's Drought. He hadn't really had much of a choice. The fire type's ability would take a minute or two to fade, meaning that Prinplup would have been weakened. Even an amount of time that short was everything in a battle. Mienfoo squared herself and motioned for the dragon to come at her.

    "Don't underestimate it," Louis said. "It's stronger than it looks. Sandstorm!"

    Gabite roared, kicking up an enormous Sandstorm that blocked the view of the battle. Multiple groans ran through the audience, as they always did when something stopped them from seeing what was going on.

    "Dig and Dragon Claw!" Louis yelled.

    "Focus Punch."

    I heard Gabite burrow as a single bright light began to shine where Mienfoo had just been. The next thirty seconds were silent, with only the sound of the raging Sandstorm to keep us company, but we knew that Gabite struck when we heard a loud rumble. Then, a crack, and the Sandstorm faltered, finally allowing us the see what was going on. Gabite struck at Mienfoo with glowing claws while the small fighting type struggled to dodge. The dragon was faster in a Sandstorm, it was also slowly whittling Mienfoo down. Mienfoo struck at Gabite's leg, and the ground type buckled, but a push and a sudden burst of speed allowed him to catch Mienfoo in his mouth.

    "Dragon Breath!" Louis ordered.

    A blue light overtook Mienfoo, and the fighting type crashed on the side of the barrier. Gabite was relentless and didn't allow her to rest, using his short wings to gain enough speed to overwhelm Mienfoo. He wouldn't be able to fly until he was a Garchomp, but he could already glide for short periods of time. Gabite sunk Mienfoo in a pit of sand and finished her off with a Dragon Claw.

    "Not bad," Maylene said as she recalled Mienfoo. "You are taking this seriously after all."

    It wasn't something I would have said, but it was true that Vulpix was getting outpaced by Gabite and Prinplup. I hadn't seen Pawniard fight, but I assumed that it was the same there. Louis would need to give her a Fire Stone if he wanted her to keep up.

    Maylene sent out her Machoke again, probably hoping that her bulk would allow her to stop Gabite from throwing her around. Gabite's chest appeared to have been hit by Focus Punch due to it being slightly… concave, but apart from that, he seemed raring to go.

    "Sand Tomb! Trap it!" Louis said.

    "Rock Tomb!"

    The ground under Machoke's feet turned to mud, but she rose a rock from the ground, this time under her feet. The fighting type sat on the rock cross-legged, leaned against a fist and awaited for Gabite to come to her with her sharp teeth bared.

    "Take it slow," Louis warned. "Dragon Breath."

    Gabite snarled, clearly disliking the order, but he listened. A powerful blue stream of draconic energy flew toward Machoke, who avoided it by falling backward behind her rock. Louis tried to trick her by using Sand Tomb again, but the fighting type's reflexes were on point, and she avoided or blocked both attacks every time Louis threw them her way.

    "Twister!"

    A tornado began to form around Machoke, and this time, the fighting type couldn't dodge. What she did do, however, was throw the rock at Gabite to throw him off. I was surprised the trick had worked on Louis twice. Gabite took the Rock Throw head on, and the boulder broke against his tough scales, but Machoke was running toward him. The same thing that had happened with Vulpix was happening here.

    "Dragon Claw!"

    "Submission!"

    Machoke's legs flexed as she dove, tackling Gabite to the ground with as much force as she could muster. The two slid against the ground as Gabite dug his claws into her flesh as quickly as he could, but Machoke grabbed his neck, putting him in a chokehold. The same thing Mienfoo had done.

    This time, Machoke didn't throw Gabite's head against the ground. She kept him there, squeezing on him as much as she could. The sheer amount of pressure being applied made some of his scales pop right off his body, and while Gabite was hitting back and not letting this happen for free, the position made it incredibly awkward for him to do so. His Dragon Claws could merely hit the fighting type's arms while she stayed safely behind him.

    Louis winced as he recalled Gabite. It'd been the smart choice. I had expected Machoke to overpower Gabite, but I thought the fight would be more equal than this. Louis stalled for a few seconds and then sent out his Prinplup as the Sandstorm slowly abated.

    "Icy Wind!"

    His command came out like thunder. As soon as the water type was out of his ball, the words had been coming out of his mouth. Prinplup honked as he beat his wings, and a frigid wind enveloped Machoke, who'd been too close to raise a protective boulder with Rock Tomb. Hell, even with the move, the wind would have affected her. The fighting type shook, her teeth shattering, but Maylene stomped a foot.

    "Toughen up and Strength!"

    Machoke somehow gained even more muscles and amassed unimaginable quantities of power. She was slow, but she could still move, and she ran as fast as she could toward Prinplup.

    "Transition into Ice Beam!"

    The Icy Wind narrowed until it was only a small ray of ice that pierced Machoke's chest. From the impact, frost grew and overtook the fighting type until she was covered in ice. Not frozen, but slow enough to never hope to reach Prinplup. Small icicles grew at the bottom of her chin and hugged her entire body. The water type stepped back, inhaled, and hit Machoke with another Ice Beam to finish her off. Louis wiped the sweat off his brow and sighed.

    "This is kind of underwhelming," Pauline said.

    "What?" Cece scoffed. "Are we looking at the same battle?"

    "I dunno, I know Maylene is good, but it's… not as flashy as I thought it'd be."

    That was what the fighting type was all about, at least around our level. They did not manipulate the elements, nor did they create mindbending effects on the field, but they were difficult to deal with and consistent. Had she not seen what had just happened to Gabite? A single mistake, and he got grabbed and restrained. If Louis hadn't had a switch, it would have been over.

    I eyed Maylene as the referee finished talking, and she sent out a… Combusken. Against a water type, and when Louis had a Gabite in the back? I hadn't expected that at all. I ignored my friends and bit my lip as I tried to decipher what she was thinking. Her face wasn't one of someone who was deliberately holding back, but then again, maybe I couldn't read her that well yet.

    "Water Pulse!" Louis ordered.

    "Bulk Up! Stand your ground!" Maylene said.

    The ring of water exploded against Combusken's body, drenching him in the process, but he didn't even flinch or get knocked back. A thin wave of energy emanated through his skin as he opened his eyes again. His body hadn't changed, but there was something different about him. Bulk Up had made him stronger and more resistant to attacks.

    "Flame Charge!" The Gym Leader commanded, pointing at Prinplup.

    Denzel gasped. "Holy fuck—"

    Combusken was faster than I'd expected from something with legs that short. It was quicker than even Mienfoo and speeding up as he ran. Louis hurriedly barked, and Prinplup spat out another Water Pulse. Combusken side-stepped to the left, kicking the ground with his leg to spin himself around. Another push, and he was right next to Prinplup.

    "Double Kick!"

    Combusken jumped and dropkicked Prinplup, leaving red imprints on the water type's gut. Prinplup fell back, barely registering what had happened.

    "Now Slash!"

    "Water Pulse!" Louis stammered.

    Dealing the most damage he could before Prinplup went down was the correct choice, at least if Louis wasn't switching. Combusken raked his claws against Prinplup's body, exposing the flesh below the skin while he desperately tried to fight back with Water Pulse. The ring of water crashed against Combusken's face, but the fire type didn't relent. He clawed Prinplup apart until…

    Well, until he evolved.

    Light overtook Prinplup as he grew into an Empoleon, and Maylene ordered her Combusken to stop. She was too honorable to keep attacking during such an important moment. Blue metal grew at the tip of his fins, but also split the front and back of his body in two and hid his neck. His beak extended and hardened into a crown that shone like gold.

    "Congratulations," Maylene said. "Are you ready to resume?"

    "Uh, yes."

    "Very well, then. Double Kick!"

    In an ironic twist of fate, Empoleon's evolution might have screwed Louis more than it had helped him. It had bought him a moment of respite to gather his thoughts and to get Combusken off his back, but Empoleon was slower than Prinplup had been, his body now held down by heavy steel. Not only that, but his steel typing also meant that fighting type moves would hurt him a lot more.

    Combusken lifted a foot and kicked Empoleon twice in quick succession.

    "Run away! Create a path using water!" Louis yelled.

    Empoleon spat out a low-powered jet of water in a line all over the floor and staggered as Combusken hit him again, this time in the back. He flopped on his belly and slid across the field, but the fire type was right behind him.

    He was still speeding up.

    "I get it," Denzel snapped his fingers. "Speed Boost. It's a super rare ability that Torchic can get."

    "Does that mean it continuously speeds up?" Cecilia asked. "Is there a limit to it?"

    "Well, there is limit, but… uh, what's the opposite of exponential?"

    "Logarithmic," she answered.

    "Exactly! The ability grows less and less potent the more it's used in battle. It exhausts the Pokemon pretty quickly too, but I guess Maylene worked on that endurance factor."

    "Turn around and hit him!" Louis said.

    Empoleon flipped himself and started to slide on his back instead, but that meant that he'd be running out of water in just a few seconds. The newly anointed steel type quickly used another Water Pulse that grazed Combusken's rectangular head. It was a lot more powerful than before, but Combusken was quicker now.

    Empoleon ran out of water to slide on, and his escape came to a screeching halt as the steel dug itself into the ground. Combusken sidestepped and kicked his flank, finally finishing him off. The fire type heaved and was noticeably tired, but he would probably be able to keep going for another battle like this. Louis wiped his mouth as he sent out his Gabite again.

    "It's weak! Use Sand Tomb and finish it off!"

    "Run in!" Maylene ordered with a sweep of her arm.

    I was on the edge of my seat. Literally. Gabite turned vast swathes of the ground into a quagmire, but Combusken was too fast to get caught.

    "Switch it up! Dragon Breath!"

    This time, the dragon swept the arena with the attack. Twice. Combusken jumped over the first one, but Gabite anticipated a jump the second time and finally hit his opponent, slowing him down if only slightly. Before Louis could even say anything, he used the opportunity to sink Combusken into the floor and rushed forward, his claws glowing blue. He tore apart Combusken with a Dragon Claw as the fighting type used a desperate Ember to deal as much damage as possible before going down.

    Maylene cracked her fingers as she sent out her final Pokemon. A shorter-than-average Gurdurr carrying a massive steel beam that was a silver grey, unlike the stereotypical red that I usually saw them with. Gurdurr flipped the beam with one hand and planted it against the ground.

    "Sand Tomb!" Louis said.

    I doubted that it was going to work this time, and I was correct. Gurdurr grappled onto his beam and then swung himself forward using the sheer momentum his strength had given him. He ran, dodging the attack with the same method.

    "Dragon Breath!"

    This was a battle of repetitions, it seemed. Gabite opened his mouth, spewing forth another powerful stream of draconic energy.

    "Block it!"

    Gurdurr flipped his beam, holding it horizontally as he ran. It shielded him from the majority of the damage, but his fingers and lower body were still damaged by the attack

    "Dig—"

    "Swing!"

    I heard a massive clang as Gurdurr hit Gabite's head with his steel beam. The dragon type reeled with a vicious snarl as he bit down on one of Gurdurr's arms. The fighting type simply flexed to expel his teeth out of his member, and then slammed his steel beam against Gabite again, this time hitting the ground type's neck. Louis desperately ordered Gabite to Dig, but Gurdurr grabbed one of his arms and kept him on the surface.

    Louis recalled his Gabite again, using his last switch of the battle. He'd been on the verge of tunnel visioning and losing hard here, but he'd made the smarter decision. The blond man hesitantly grabbed a Pokeball, then clipped it back to his belt, then grabbed it again. He sent out his Combee into the fight.

    The bug type was so small we could barely see her different heads from the stands.

    Maylene yelled, "Rock Throw!"

    "Gust!" Louis snapped.

    Despite being tiny, Combee's Gust was deceptively strong. Not the most powerful one I'd seen by any stretch, and weaker than what you would usually see at a fourth gym battle, but the goal here was obviously to whittle Gurdurr down for Gabite to finish him off. The wind swirled around Gurdurr, who grunted, but still summoned a jagged rock from the floor and threw it up at Combee one-handed. The bug type used her small size and easily avoided the attack, beating her wings as quickly as possible to further harm Gurdurr.

    "Shred the rocks and do it again!" Maylene said.

    This time, Gurdurr planted his beam on the ground and crushed the next rock using both his hands, reminding me of the same tactic Roark had used against Buddy with his Geodude all those months ago. His veins popped as he threw the rocks toward Combee—

    "Sweet Scent!"

    And the rocks went wide. Maylene clicked her tongue.

    "Enough playing, Gurdurr. Defog and finish it off with your beam."

    Ah. It was in moments like these that the fact that this was work to them sunk in. Once again, Maylene's emotions got the better of her and she held back less. Gurdurr grabbed his steel beam and swung it all around himself, dispelling Combee's Gust like it was nothing. Then, he threw the beam with a lot more precision and a lot faster than he'd done with any Rock Throw. The steel hit Combee's three faces and sent her crashing into the barrier, finishing her off in one hit.

    Unfortunately, Combee would be extremely weak until she evolved, but all in all, she hadn't been a bad choice, especially when Pawniard probably would have gotten destroyed by a Pokemon like Gurdurr. His reach with his beam was unmatched when compared to other fighting types, and he would have made quick work of Pawniard.

    Louis wiped the sweat off his eyes as he sent out his Gabite. Both Pokemon were tired, having suffered damage from previous battles. This could be anyone's game.

    "Dig," Louis exhaled.

    This time, Gurdurr hadn't been close enough to keep him from burying. The fighting type anxiously scanned for any disturbances in the ground.

    For twenty seconds, there was silence. Louis leaned against his knees and fought for air while Maylene simply stared with an intense look on her face.

    Gabite unburrowed below Gurdurr with incredible momentum that I hadn't seen from him before. He practically flew, bringing the fighting type into the air with him as he clawed at his torso. Gurdurr kept a tight grip on his steel beam and pushed it against Gabite, throwing the dragon type off of him. Both of them landed with a loud crash that kicked up enough dust to be mistaken for a small Sandstorm.

    Both also stood up. Both Pokemon circled each other as they slowly closed in. Gabite was too close now to use Dig again. Maylene and Gurdurr would punish him instantly and use another headlock, and that meant defeat.

    "Bulldoze!" Louis commanded.

    Gabite slammed a foot against the ground, and it began to shake. Gurdurr planted his beam on the ground and perched himself on it, but that was what Louis had been waiting for.

    "Rush it and knock it off!"

    With another burst of speed, Gabite glided toward Gurdurr as he became a blur. The fighting type's eyes widened as he tried to take refuge behind his steel beam, but Gabite was too quick. The dragon rammed into Gurdurr, digging his two claws into his shoulders as he finally tore the fighting type away from his weapon. With a primal roar, Gabite slashed with Dragon Claw and Gurdurr fought back with punching attacks that I couldn't place.

    Only Gabite remained afterward. He stood up from Gurdurr's unconscious body and roared once more, sending spittle everywhere and slamming a claw against his chest. Maylene somehow recalled Gurdurr and then his metal beam as Louis sighed in relief. It had been dangerously close, but he'd won even though Empoleon's evolution had almost screwed him over.

    A detrimental evolution. Wasn't that a funny thought?
    A/N: PSA - We won't be going into each battle individually and in detail like this for every character, so you don't have to worry too much about the pacing.

    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 201
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    • CHAPTER 201

    I was deep in thought as Maeve's Staraptor swooped down with an Aerial Ace, aiming at a Crabrawler. The fighting type's boxing-glove-like hands shimmered with ice as he countered her attack, causing as much damage as he had taken. The battle had started a few minutes ago and Maeve was on the ropes, having lost her Monferno while Maylene had lost no Pokemon at all. Truth be told, I was focused on something else.

    When Louis had used Confuse Ray on Maylene's Machoke, my gut reaction had been to tell myself that I wouldn't have done that due to the fact that any non-damaging moves pissed her off. It was an unfair practice that Maylene was famous for, and it didn't help with her already-tarnished reputation online. She was the most hated Gym Leader in Sinnoh by a long shot due to both unfair biases like her age and fair criticisms like forcing trainers to battle a certain way if they wanted an easier time against her. A Gym Leader's key purpose was to give trainers a challenge to overcome so they could grow, not to force them to conform to your fighting style. As it stood, despite her being incredibly skilled and a prodigy, I didn't think she made a good Gym Leader, at least on the Circuit side of things. Unfortunately, nepotism had given her the position anyway.

    My friends cheered as Maeve finally took down that Crabrawler and Maylene sent out a Primeape in his stead.

    "Keep your distance!" She yelled. "Air Cutter!"

    Maylene countered the move with her usual Rock Tomb, and I returned to my train of thought. I was in one of the most opportune or misfortune positions depending on who I asked. I was possibly the kind of trainer Maylene would despise the most. She didn't mind it when people altered the field like I was planning on doing, but hiding with Jellicent and keeping to the skies with Princess would anger her, especially when it was the main crutch of my strategy. Plus, that wasn't even counting all of the psychological stuff I was planning on doing.

    So the question remained.

    Did I change what I wanted to do, or not?

    I could probably do it. I still had at least a week until my battle and I could definitely figure out a way to switch things up without altering my strategy too much. There was also the possibility of only changing my strategy by slamming the brakes when Maylene grew too irritated.

    But was that truly what I wanted?

    No. No, it was not.

    I had to be careful, however. I knew for a fact that I was not the first trainer going into the battle with this mentality. Many lost, but some still won despite Maylene pressing them. She was still a Gym Leader, and her people had a much tighter leash on her than Candice, so I didn't think she would pull out something like Galarian Darmanitan. Maybe something a single badge level higher, but even that was a stretch. What she usually did was change up her tactics to be more ruthless or pick a Pokemon that exactly countered yours to shut down any perceived weakness.

    It would be risky, but I needed to do it. This battle would be the best opportunity to further evolve my style from a planner to something more advanced. I needed something that was mine and mine alone, and the faster I figured it out, the better it would be for my long-term growth. I wasn't planning on losing, but the main goal would be to see if something clicked for me in the battle.

    "Both Staraptor and Primeape are unable to battle! Both of you, send out your third Pokemon!" The referee yelled.

    Maeve sent out her Drapion while Maylene released a Pignite. The fire type jumped to surprising heights, becoming a ball of flames while Drapion sprayed him with poison and attempted to snatch him out of the sky. The Heat Crash had been heavy and the poison type was only barely able to stop it. Once Maeve realized that she was on the losing side of things, she recalled Drapion, swapping him for Starmie while Maylene did the same and released a Meditite.

    Being this close to the field had another positive effect for me other than making it easier to study Maylene. From here, I could actually visualize the number of pillars I'd be able to raise during the battle bar any catastrophic circumstances. I had a plan B in case Maylene countered them too easily, of course, but I'd be starting the battle from a huge disadvantage. It'd be three… no, four across and fifteen down. Sixty? No, that was too many. Even if Angel was a monster in the stamina department, Princess wouldn't be able to follow up. I'd wanted to make them in a well-organized grid so it was easier for me to tell Princess where to strike with her omnidirectional Air Cutter we were still developing while she hid.

    Then, as Maeve's Starmie went down, an idea struck me.

    Pillars would harm both my and Maylene's visibility. I knew that had been the case since devising the strategy and I'd plan to make use of both my and my Pokemon's field of view to paint a fuller picture of what would be going on in the field, but what if I made the 'forest' more dense on her side of the field? It'd be less work for us, and it would screw her over more than me. I came up with a layout in my head and decided to sketch it out later today. It was a lot more convenient for me this way. Maybe in the future, I'd scoff at creating sixty pillars, but that day wasn't today.

    "Victory to Leader Maylene!"

    What?

    I frowned, staring at the battlefield. A tired Pignite stood over Drapion's unconscious and burned body while Maeve bit her lip with her eyes downcast.

    She'd lost?

    I had always known any of us losing was possible and likelier the more we progressed, but… damn.

    I still hadn't thought it'd come so soon. I hadn't paid that much attention to the battle, but I knew that Maeve had kept it simple and done her best not to anger Maylene and keep to attacking moves. It wasn't the end of the Circuit for her, but considering she'd have to wait two weeks to challenge Maylene again, she couldn't afford to waste any time.

    "Mira should have come," Denzel winced. "Maeve's going to need her."

    Pauline looked as our friend hurriedly shuffled to back to the waiting room. "Well, call her, then! Louis should still be somewhere down there since he didn't come back."

    We all went down to the lobby and saw her talking to Louis, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She was clearly teary-eyed, although she didn't let that stop her from brainstorming a new plan. We all comforted her the best we could, and Mira said she was on her way ASAP. They might not have hung out as much in Veilstone, but they were still best friends. They were in the same situation Denzel and I were in.

    "I don't know… I think I can't afford to wait," she said, sniffling. "I need to keep my head up. Use the time I have now to go off and challenge Volkner right away instead of waiting the two weeks here, otherwise I'll never make it. I need to catch my last two Pokemon as well, and to train harder, and— and—"

    "Calm down," Denzel smiled. "It's going to be alright. For now, why don't you just get to the Center? Your Pokemon need it."

    The girl timidly nodded. "I'll wait for Mira first. Something about the way I'm doing things isn't working, and I need to figure it out."

    "Do you want my honest opinion?" Cecilia asked.

    Maeve hesitated, but ended up agreeing.

    "You keep things too simple," she said. "It might be a bit ironic coming from me… but even I've started to realize that I need to add some complexity to my strategy. Simple orders worked until now, but you need to hash something out. Something unique to you. You certainly have the firepower to work with."

    "And leading with Monferno was a bad idea," Denzel added. "If there's one thing you want to do this gym, it's keep your distance unless you're sure you can go toe-to-toe with Maylene's Pokemon. Monferno's a fighting type, but he's not going to be as trained as hers."

    "I was hoping he'd evolve and my risk would pay off," she said. "I messed up there."

    I didn't miss the fact that Pauline was paying attention to everything both of them said. I would have given Maeve some advice too, but I had unfortunately not even seen most of the battle. When Mira arrived, she told Maeve to drop off her Pokemon so that they could spend their whole day together, and she also dragged Louis with them. Knowing her, she'd probably slip out at some point to leave them alone with each other.

    "I'm going back to see some battles," Cecilia said.

    "Ditto," Pauline said. "I'm gonna need to be on top of my game."

    "Is that self-doubt I sense, Pauline?" I asked.

    "No, I'm just taking precautions."

    "I'd stay with you, but I've got to get going," I told them. We were in public and Pauline didn't know about my media training, so I omitted it entirely. "Denzel?"

    "Gotta get back to the Game Corner," he sighed. "I swear, I'm seeing the flashing lights when I close my eyes, it's getting harder to sleep. My friend's waiting for me there."

    "Right. Well, we'll be on our way, then," I told Cece and Pauline. "We can walk some of the way together?" I asked Denzel.

    "Sure thing."

    I didn't miss the fact that two girls asked him to take a selfie as we got out of the stadium. From what I could tell, they weren't even trainers. Thankfully, Pauline was gone, and I had noticed that Denzel had avoided saying that his Game Corner friend was a girl too. He knew how to avoid triggering her antics, but they were going to talk about this at some point.

    Right?

    "I feel terrible for Maeve," he said, shooting a small pebble off the street. "She almost had it, but she panicked. Sucks."

    I nodded. "Hmhm. She doesn't have much of a choice now. She'll have to leave for Sunyshore if she wants to use her time effectively, but that gym battle will be tough as well. Electric's not a good matchup for her when she has Starmie and Staraptor… honestly, she might be better off going right to Pastoria. Won't take that long either."

    "We'll see," he shrugged. "I think Louis will go with her if she leaves early. Mira would have too, but, well…"

    "She's coming with us," I finished. "What'll you do now? I won't lie, I thought it'd be easier for you since you'd travel in a big group."

    "Go with Emi and Pauline," he shrugged.

    "Emi's traveling on the route?!" I yelled, turning a few heads.

    "They're safe as can be, so yes, it won't be too bad. Pretty sure she'll regret it on the first day after not having traveled for so long, but she's made up her mind. I don't think it'll be bad, though. I'll still miss the rest of you," he said with a disappointed look.

    "I'm sorry. And I wouldn't be so sure about it not being bad if I were—"

    "Holy shit, is that— it is!"

    My friend pointed forward and I squinted, but I couldn't tell what he was directing me to look at.

    "Use your words," I said.

    "To the right, next to that mattress shop with the Komala on it. That's Barry Lane!"

    Barry Lane… oh, it was that kid from Twinleaf that people kept talking about that was apparently really good. He was running off toward the south of the city. I expected this to just be Denzel being happy he'd seen someone else famous, but he grabbed my wrist and dragged me forward while he yelled out Barry's name.

    "Hey, hey, you're going too fast!" I yelled.

    "Shit, my bad— Barry!" He screamed, cupping his mouth with his hands.

    The teenager finally turned to face us and beamed when he saw Denzel's face.

    "Wait, you know this guy?" I frowned.

    "Know him? I grew up in Twinleaf, Grace. I knew everyone there."

    Barry Lane wasn't particularly tall, and his most defining characteristic was his hair which was more golden than blonde. He wore a thick, khaki scarf and had a brown satchel around his shoulder that he carried along with the usual huge backpack that most trainers had. I did see six Pokeballs at his belt, however, so my interest was piqued.

    "Denzel!" he yelled with a voice on the higher side of things. "I never thought I'd see you here. Who's your friend? Wait, don't tell me… is that the legendary… Cecilia Obel?!"

    "Wrong one, buddy. That's Grace Pastel."

    "Nice to meet you," I added. I extended my hand, and he shook it so firmly that I thought he'd dislocate my wrist.

    "Sorry, I'm bad at all that internet stuff, so I only hear these things from word of mouth," he said.

    "Do you want to hang out or something? It's been so long," Denzel asked.

    "Hoho, sorry Denzel, but I was on my way out of Veilstone. You see, I've recently gotten my fifth badge from Maylene. Sunyshore awaits me!" He said with a huge grin.

    "Bummer, then. Congrats on the badge though," Denzel said. "How're Lucas and Dawn doing? I thought you were traveling together?"

    "They abandoned this Circuit thing pretty quick when they started working with Professor Rowan," he explained. "Battling isn't their priority anymore and they help him with research stuff. When I tried to help, I couldn't even focus on one task for more than five minutes! It's a shame, considering how good they were. Champion material, I tell you! Not as much as me, though."

    "Damn. I'll see you around then? Maybe catch you in Sunyshore?"

    "Sure thing, if you're quick enough! Knowing you, you'll be late and I'll have to fine you 100 million Pokedollars! You've always taken things too easily."

    Denzel innocently raised both his hands. "Guilty as charged."

    "I'm off then. It was nice to meet you Grace Pastel! I'll see you around!"

    Barry ran off faster than I thought was humanly possible. Two minutes at this speed, and I'd be completely exhausted, but Chase would probably be able to keep up with him. I shot Denzel an amused look.

    "You didn't tell me you had friends back in Twinleaf," I said. "Barry, Lucas, Dawn? What's up with that?"

    "I wasn't actually that friendly with Lucas and Dawn. They were kind of quiet kids, and we don't fit in that well together. I had no idea they were working with Professor Rowan though. Did you know Barry was actually sponsored by Rowan?"

    "Sponsored by a Professor?" I gasped. "Isn't that basically the highest honor a trainer can have?"

    "Eh, not really," he shrugged. "It's a pretty high-profile thing, but the prestige that came with it isn't as high as it used to be. You can get a fuck ton of resources for your Pokemon though, so that's a huge plus. And he gave him his first Pokemon. Lucas and Dawn too."

    "Which are?"

    "Piplup, Chimchar and Turtwig. Piplup went to Barry, Chimchar to Dawn and Turtwig to Lucas."

    I let out a pensive hum. So he had the same starter as Louis did, then? I wondered how their strategies differed. Despite being the same species, no two Pokemon fought the same, especially at the hands of different trainers.

    "Don't underestimate him," Denzel warned. "He's sharp, despite how he looks. I've seen a few of his battles, although I haven't checked in a while."

    "I wasn't. I've heard about him too."

    After all, he was one of the best first years along with Lauren and us.

    "Isn't his father a member of the Battle Frontier? I heard he was one of the few people that had a Rhyperior. Not even Roark has one."

    Denzel scratched his head. "Yeah. Never seen him though. He's very absent as fathers go, and it's a bit of a sour point."

    "Oh. Yeah, I won't pry," I said.

    "Did you know I was actually supposed to travel with Barry?" He continued. "After my mom held me back for a year, we started planning our journey together. I realized pretty quickly that we didn't mesh well and it would have been a disaster."

    "Really? You seemed pretty friendly."

    "Oh, we are," he chuckled. "It's just that spending a few hours of the day together already exhausted me. You saw how he is, right? That was actually a good day for him. I'm pretty sure he has undiagnosed ADHD. I think he'd rather be off doing his own stuff. Plus, I know myself, and I'd rather be in a group that's a little calmer."

    "I get that," I said.

    "You get that? Have you seen your team?"

    "Have you seen yours? It's a literal romcom, dude," I laughed. "Although I guess Milotic won."

    "Touché. He ended up leaving early in the summer to go check things with Professor Rowan with Lucas and Dawn and get his first Pokemon. Anyway, just another guy to watch out for added to the list," Denzel said. "Gives you goosebumps, huh?"

    "It really does."

    So many trainers to face, and these were only the first years. Even Lauren didn't have five badges yet, although I knew her battle was tomorrow. I wouldn't go to see it because I'd be busy training now that I was repurposing my strategy, but I'd probably look at the recording. A few minutes later, I split off from Denzel and looked up Barry as I walked. None of his Pokemon were what newer trainers would consider 'overpowered' (which was a trap many had fallen into, including me during my first fight against Cecilia). He kept it simple, although I couldn't help but notice his newest addition, a Munchlax.

    "Empoleon, Staraptor, Roserade, Heracross, Rapidash…" I muttered. "Professor Rowan probably gave him the Shiny Stone for Roserade."

    A simple team that he had pushed to excellence, and that Munchlax of his would grow to be a monster, if Craig's own Snorlax was anything to go by. They were deceptively quick and could take an incredible amount of hits. Taking one down was a whole ordeal in itself and would take an extensive amount of planning, at least for me.

    His father, Palmer, was one of the best trainers in the world. Some said he was more powerful than the Elite Four, and apparently, his Rhyperior could collapse small mountains and his Dragonite was even faster than Cynthia's Garchomp. The problem with describing a Pokemon's power level this way was that I never knew if people were exaggerating or not. If I had to guess, there was probably a hint of truth to it.

    With the amount of power that top-level trainers threw around, I wondered how the hell the League kept their barriers stable. Maybe they used ten Kadabra instead of one? Or fifty? The question simmered in my mind as I entered the Poketch Building.

    —

    "Actually, Mister Horn, That's a very interesting point. Do you mind elaborating further on that for the people at home—"

    The television paused, interrupting Mallory's interview.

    "Do you see how she jumps on anything that she thinks the person on her show doesn't know much about?" Melody asked. "That's why you've got to be as prepared as possible."

    "I know, I know," I sighed.

    "You know, but I can tell coming here's getting on your nerves. Even if the Poketch Company caters good relations with her network, there's only so much we can do to stop potential damage," she said. "All we can do is make her come at this interview in good faith and give you the questions. Don't worry about being perfect, just memorize the answers we came up with together."

    "I feel the need to add that that politician in that interview went on to lose his election by eleven points when he'd been the frontrunner beforehand," Rene said.

    "Rene. Not helping," Melody snapped. "Plus, you're omitting a lot of context. It wasn't the only thing that sunk his campaign, it was just the start of a series of scandals. Anway, we're done for today, Grace. We'll see you tomorrow."

    I nodded. "Yep. I'm off to train. See you guys—"

    "Wait, wait!" Gregory yelled, raising a hand as he typed on his laptop. "We've got a new question coming in from Mallory."

    "I thought we sealed the deal on the questions," Melody frowned. "Read it to me."

    "I know you're dating a Unovan, which begs the question. Have you heard of the Plasma Organization? [Explain if no]. What do you think about their message?" He read out.

    "Plasma Organization? What's that?" I asked.

    "Your guess is as good as mine, kid," he shrugged. "I can look it up."

    "No need. I know what it is," Julia said. "Some fringe political group in Unova that's been demanding all Pokemon to be freed from trainers. It started up a few months ago and it's seen some growth, but not enough to rock the boat. Some of them ran for elections last November but they didn't get any seats. They're basically a ragtag group with very little funding."

    Melody nodded. "They've got limited support of a few congressmen, Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius chief among them. He says that he doesn't exactly support their ideals, but he wants to lower the percentage threshold for the party to get in parliament from five percent to three percent because it'd be good for their democracy to have the people represented."

    "Harmonia Gropius? Weird fucking name," Rene chuckled. "Leave it to Mallory to know about weird shit like this."

    "He's a very respected Congressman and leader of the current opposition. People were freaking out when he didn't denounce the organization right away," Melody shrugged.

    "Enough about politics, I hear enough about them at home already," Greg sighed. "Are we taking the question or not?"

    Melody frowned, placing a hand on her chin. "I think we could take it, but our answer would be opposed to their message. I'll have to ask the higher-ups for permission. Unless you're against it?" She asked, turning to me.

    "No, no, it's fine," I said. "Let me know tomorrow, okay?"

    I bid them goodbye and left the building toward route 214 to train. Freeing every Pokemon from their trainers? That was such a radical message that I was surprised they were politically relevant at all. If I had to answer, I'd say I disagreed, but I certainly thought there could be some sort of middle ground. People like Bellatrix's trainer still existed and were rarely punished. I'd seen them a few times, like the pair we passed in Mount Coronet with a Wartortle, a Sawk and a Bibarel that were way too wounded to be out, and yet were still out of their Pokeballs and not being rushed to the Center. The rules were there, but the system was broken.

    Now, I had no idea if it was the same in Unova or not, but the organization couldn't have formed in a vacuum. They seemed to be a much more human-centric region than Sinnoh, with their enormous cities that dwarfed ours and the routes being so safe.

    Still, taking away all Pokemon from every trainer? So many bonds torn apart by the hand of the state? Just imagining my family being taken from me made my heart wrench.

    Utter madness.
    A/N: And here's a glimpse of Barry. He's been mentioned a few times already for those who forgot, but this is the first time he's actually shown up. Also, to clear up any confusion, Team Plasma (AKA the Plasma Organization) is just getting their start. Canon events are not happening in Unova yet.

    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal
     
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    • Chapter 202
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    • CHAPTER 202

    Three days had passed since Maeve had lost to Maylene, and she was planning on leaving with Louis today. It had been sudden, but we all knew she needed to leave if she wanted to have a chance at the Conference instead of waiting out the two weeks here. She was going to go right to Sunyshore and challenge the gym there, and although I told her that Pastoria would give her an easier time due to her Pokemon's types, she wanted to stick to Sunyshore and try there first, at the very least.

    Pauline had won her gym battle yesterday and her Rufflet had evolved into a huge Braviary that was at least twice the normal size somehow. I saw her up close once and she was a whopping 9.2 feet tall, dwarfing her Charizard by more than two feet. Apparently it was some freak gene that her Braviary had, or at least that's what the Nurse Joys said, but needless to say, after the evolution, she easily mopped up her gym battle. She had won 2-4, only losing Gothorita and Charizard in the battle. Her fighting style had pleased Maylene so much that the Gym Leader had been smiling by the end of the fight. If I had to guess, I'd say that she was currently the strongest of our friends that were one badge behind— well, we technically had the same number of badges now, actually. Maybe Justin could rival her, but I hadn't actually seen him battle yet. Lauren had also won her gym battle 4-6 and her Duosion had also evolved. Denzel's own battle was today. It was hard not to feel left out or like I was falling behind, but I knew that was just my brain being stupid.

    It was okay to go last, and it wasn't like I was being idle.

    My new strategy was starting to pay off, and Princess could draw upon the number of pillars we needed without exhausting herself too much with Angel's help. Now all we needed was to iron out everything and we'd be as ready as we could be. I had also battled a few trainers at Sunshine's level, including Zachary again. We unfortunately lost the majority of the battles, but we had a few surprising wins, notably against someone with a Druddigon. The more we battled together, the less awkward it was and the more he regained his muscle memory, so we were improving at a rapid pace even if he threw a hissy fit after each loss that I had to soothe him out of.

    I sat in the stands with Cecilia, Pauline and Emilia as we waited for Denzel's turn to come. The latter had also come to see Pauline's battle and had been in awe of how much her girlfriend had progressed. Mira was spending as much time with Louis and Maeve as she could before they left, so they were out having fun.

    As Denzel walked onto his platform, my eyes locked onto Maylene.

    —

    "This will be a five-on-five battle with four switches allowed…"

    Four? That was unusual. Denzel shook his arms to get his blood pumping and rolled his shoulders. He wasn't as nervous as he usually was for a Gym Battle, but maybe that was a sign that times were changing. Before, they had been a monumental event that made him unable to sleep at night. Now? It was just another battle. Another fight that he needed to win. The custom-made jersey all of his sponsors had made clung and caused his skin to itch. His battle was early in the morning and there weren't that many people here, meaning that he could see his friends in the stands.

    Maylene finished reading out the rules, and Denzel sent out Milotic. The water type coiled around, his eyes and body exuding nervousness. It was his first gym battle, after all, and Denzel knew he did not want to disappoint.

    "You'll be fine!" He reassured. "I believe in you."

    That made him calm down some. Maylene, for her part, released a Poliwrath onto the field. The stout fighting type flexed, showing off its muscles with a fierce look in its eyes. Denzel's eyes narrowed at the choice. Poliwrath were known to have Water Absorb, but he wasn't sure if this one had it or not. Milotic dwarfed it as well, but he knew not to underestimate fighting types because of their size.

    "Begin!"

    "Earth Power!" Maylene ordered.

    And just like that, the arena broke. Giant geysers of heated earth and rock spewed into the air, creating enormous craters and rifts that Milotic would have trouble crossing. He was fine with that, however. Denzel clenched a fist and grinned.

    "Surf!"

    He'd taken inspiration from Cecilia and Lauren's battle for this one. Gallons of water poured out of Milotic's mouth, the small spaces in between his scales and he used the small pond on their side of the field to flood the field as well. The craters filled up with water and an elaborate system of streams replaced the chasms Poliwrath had created. They would both benefit from this no doubt, but he was okay with that.

    "Get close," the Gym Leader said.

    "Water Gun," Denzel continued.

    Milotic spat out a weakened jet of water that had no effect on Poliwrath, confirming the fact that it did have Water Absorb. He was surprised Maylene hadn't even ordered it to dodge. Maybe she was still assessing his skills and thought that he deserved a freebie? Either way, he'd take advantage of the situation.

    "Twister! Don't let it reach you!"

    Milotic drew on the draconic powers that lay deep within him and sang a song. A tornado appeared in front of Poliwrath— small at first, but then it grew and grew until the water type was forced to dive deep into one of the rivers Denzel had created to take cover. He ordered Milotic to keep the Twister going at all costs. Even in the water, it would deal damage. Maylene was the one who needed to come to them, not him.

    Denzel's eyes snapped to the left when he realized Poliwrath had come out of the river from a completely different spot. The fighting type pushed forward and it closed half the distance in one leap.

    "Dragon Breath and run into the water!" Denzel yelled.

    The beam hit Poliwrath in the arm, but it didn't stop him from running. Milotic slithered away, secreting water from his scales to facilitate his escape, but there was no way he was going to outrun Poliwrath. Just as Milotic dove into the water, Poliwrath grabbed his tail and pulled.

    "Smash it!" Maylene yelled.

    Poliwrath spun Milotic around and slammed him against the ground so hard that it created a small split in the earth, but he didn't let go. In fact, he continued smashing Milotic like a rag while the water type could only retaliate with the occasional Dragon Breath. Twister would have been possible, but it'd hurt him as well.

    Denzel recalled Milotic and his throat suddenly felt very dry. It was true what they said about Maylene.

    One grab, and you were done for.

    He knew what he had to do now. The plan had been to make Maylene run out of Pokemon before he employed his main strategy so she would have fewer tools at her disposal to retaliate, but with Poliwrath benefiting so much from the terrain, there was only one possible choice. His secret weapon for the gym.

    Froslass appeared in the sky in a flash of red, and Maylene's neutral stare turned into an intense frown. Denzel knew she hated ghosts. The ice type flickered, disappearing and reappearing at random and she exuded an aura of frost all around her.

    "Blizzard!" He snapped.

    "Mudshot!" Maylene yelled.

    Globs of hot scalding mud flew out of Poliwrath's mouth, but Froslass simply disappeared out of the way as snow slowly began to fall. She was actually easy to track, spreading ice wherever she went even when she wasn't in this plane of existence, and Maylene knew it. The water under her began to freeze, as did the ground itself.

    "Again, follow the ice!" She yelled.

    Denzel didn't have time to see if they'd hit or not, because an enormous Blizzard engulfed the entire arena.

    "Will-O-Wisp," he whispered. "Find it, then load up another one."

    A small amount of cold spread onto his fingers, letting him know that she'd heard him. Denzel wasn't taking any chances. When he'd heard that Maylene despised people who fought 'dirty', he came up with a plan that would let him do so anyway without her knowing. The blue flames didn't even giggle as they appeared in the Blizzard next to the barrier.

    Denzel shivered, but smiled as another burst of cold hit his hands thirty seconds later.

    Contact.

    As soon as the Blizzard began to weaken, another one snapped into place. Somehow, while he hadn't been looking, Froslass had turned into Denzel's ace. Their tactic was not impossible to counter, but it was mighty annoying, especially against fighting types with very few ranged attacks.

    Case in point, Denzel's smile faltered when he saw a stream of flames fly high up in the sky, and then turn into a literal ball on the ground. Maylene issued some kind of order, but he didn't hear it through the cold wind.

    Fire exploded in all directions with an explosion so loud that Denzel's ears started to ring. The Blizzard melted away and Froslass' body caught on fire, but she quickly extinguished herself by drenching her body in snow.

    The entire battlefield had turned into something akin to Candice's arena. It was covered in snow and ice, but Maylene had switched at some point during the Blizzard and brought out an Emboar. The fire type huffed, expunging hot air from its nostrils.

    Denzel noticed two things. One, he didn't think Maylene had noticed that her Pokemon was burned. They couldn't communicate, and he'd made sure to train Froslass to have a tight leash on the spirits so they wouldn't make any noise. Two, that had apparently not mattered, since Maylene had supposedly disliked him chaining Blizzards and hampering her visibility and hearing so much.

    So the situation was bad, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

    "Shadow Ball!" Denzel yelled.

    Emboar was a slow, lumbering Pokemon, which meant it was a perfect target for Froslass. The ice type weaved the shadows into a ball and—

    "Flaming Rollout!"

    Emboar bunched up into a ball and somehow rolled to dodge the attack, melting any snow and ice on his path. While it rolled, it spat out flames toward Froslass at random intervals— probably whenever it had an angle with its mouth. Denzel clicked his tongue when Froslass winced in pain. She didn't even need to get hit by the flames. Just them being near hurt her enough, and she would eventually go down. There was Double Team available, and she'd already used it once, but that had been when she'd been in the Blizzard, hidden both from him and Maylene's judgemental gaze.

    Denzel recalled Froslass. It'd be best to keep her healthy for later in the battle. He was no doubt on the backfoot, but an idea that went beyond using Milotic again for the type advantage popped into his head as he sent out his next Pokemon. Emboar was a threat, and massively so, but Sylveon stared at it like a bug when he first laid eyes on the fire type.

    Some of the snow had melted, but most of the ice still remained, giving Denzel an easy picture of where the craters and small rivers used to be.

    "Get close, take it slow," Denzel said.

    A terrible decision in any other circumstance, but this was Sylvi we were talking about. The fairy type silently prowled through the snow and approached Emboar, who grunted and slammed its fists together while it waited.

    That's right, Denzel thought. Wait right there.

    "Now!" He yelled. "Play Rough and Disarming Voice! Keep him there!"

    Sylveon blurred with Quick Attack, letting out a heartwrenching cry as some of his ribbons extended and wrapped around Emboar's arms while the others flexed and whipped against his entire body.

    "Fight back!" Maylene yelled.

    "Get it on the floor!"

    Sylveon tilted his head as Emboar's fists slammed against his armor— the glamour he easily manipulated as he wanted. Another ribbon grappled Emboar's leg, tripping him, and the fire type fell on the ice.

    It began to melt.

    Denzel eyed Maylene as Sylveon manhandled a Pokemon three times his size to see if she was about to recall it. When it started to sink into water, she finally retrieved him as she bit her lip.

    Yeah, she was angry. This was good, though. So long as he kept cycling through her switches, he knew she wouldn't be able to pull any bullshit out of nowhere later in the battle. This time, a Toxicroak landed on the field. The claw on its knuckle secreted a poison so potent that it pooled into the ground. Sylveon was at a disadvantage here, and he was fine with using another switch if it meant he'd stay healthy.

    Now came the dicey part of the battle.

    This really wasn't a Gym Battle where Lopunny could shine. Everything she did, Maylene's Pokemon could do better, but that did not mean she was useless. Still, as morbid as it was, he could afford to lose her here so long as she got some damage off. Denzel took a deep breath and leaned against his knees.

    "Bounce!" He yelled.

    "Venoshock!" Maylene countered.

    Lopunny left a crater where she'd just been as she jumped high into the air. Then, as if propelled by the wind, she suddenly dashed in Toxicroak's direction with an extended foot. The poison type croaked, expunging poison from his mouth that melted off her fur, but she still landed her kick on its head.

    "Run and do it again," he said.

    "Follow and grab!"

    Lopunny stepped back with a small hop, but Toxicroak leaned in and grabbed her leg as she jumped, slamming her into the floor.

    "Elemental attacks!" Denzel yelled.

    Both Lopunny's feet lit ablaze, and Toxicroak cringed away from the flames. Dry Skin, Denzel mused. Lopunny added two Fire Punches to both her hands and her ears and squared herself. Denzel warned her to stop the ones on her foot so she wouldn't suffer Emboar's fate, and she quickly listened, replacing them with electricity instead. Still, Bounce was out of the picture when they were so close together.

    "Venoshock! Find an opening!" Maylene yelled.

    "Stay on the defensive," Denzel warned.

    Toxicroak spat out multiple clumps of poison, and then jumped forward with his fist drenched in the same venom. Lopunny hopped back, but when it became evident she wasn't going to be able to dodge the entire attack, she opted to slap as much of the poison away as she could with her ear. The fighting type punched her in the gut, causing her to double over, and then snapped toward her jaw in a vicious uppercut, but Lopunny managed to kick him in the face as she flew off.

    Denzel almost ordered another Bounce, but Toxicroak was too quick, so he let Lopunny take over the decision-making from here. There wasn't much he could do in this slugfest apart from warning her whenever she got too close to the hole Emboar had melted. Lopunny ducked under a Poison Jab, but some still dripped on her head as she hit the fighting type's shoulder and grabbed his left arm. Toxicroark sprayed her arm with poison, forcing her to let go as he quickly punched under her arm. Every time it tried to grab her, she managed to slip away with a backward Quick Attack, but she was still getting hit twice as many times as she was actually hitting, and it interspersed its attack with the occasional Venoshock to switch things up.

    "Shadow Ball!" Denzel yelled.

    Toxicroak's eyes widened, but it had already been leaning into another jab. Denzel had expected it to try to pivot to dodge, but instead, it pushed forward and flexed, ignoring the pain from the attack as it stabbed Lopounny's thigh and injected her with poison directly. Lopunny kicked it away with an Ice Kick, but the damage was already done.

    She was poisoned.

    Yet Maylene wasn't one to wait and stall for time.

    "Finish it off!" She yelled.

    It was time for one last hurrah. Denzel swept his arm. "Run ten steps back!"

    Lopunny flipped backward, pirouetting to create enough momentum to slap Toxicroak in the face with her ears using Fire Punch. The poison type ducked to dodge, which left them enough time to run away.

    "Follow!" Maylene yelled.

    Even then, they would catch up. Bounce wouldn't work, but that wasn't the plan.

    "Fire Punch the floor!"

    "Submission!"

    Lopunny had been standing right on one of the ice-covered craters, and she slammed a foot against the ice, which broke apart and began to melt. Toxicroak jumped, tackling her away from the crater and they both fell onto the floor. It straddled her, keeping her pinned against the ground as she hit him back with ever-weakening Fire Punches, but a final Poison Jab to the jaw knocked her out.

    "Lopunny is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your second Pokemon!" The referee yelled.

    Well, they'd almost managed to sink Toxicroak into a hole, but Maylene wouldn't let the same thing happen to her twice. Denzel recalled Lopunny and sent out Froslass again with a smile. Now, the question remained, would Maylene switch, or would she let Toxicroak fall?

    Denzel clicked his tongue when she let the fighting type remain on the field. It was going to go down fighting, which was the wise decision. No trainer worth their salt would have use a switch right now, but it had been worth a try.

    "Up high and Blizzard!" He ordered.

    "Poison Sting!" Maylene barked.

    The darts flew quickly, but only a few managed to sink into Froslass' invisible form. She kept avoiding Poison Stings until another howling Blizzard appeared out of thin air and drowned the entire field. He smiled at Froslass when she reappeared next to the barrier in front of him, and she returned the favor as she manually pulled out the four darts that were currently stabbing her. She was getting tired, but she was nowhere near done yet.

    When the Blizzard finished, Toxicroak was down for the count. Maylene didn't actually send out her Emboar this time, but a Blaziken right after the referee finished speaking. Flames burst from its wrists as it struck a fighting pose with a leg up and its fists protecting its head.

    Two fire types, Denzel thought with a twinge of panic. He ordered Froslass to buy time and use Shadow Balls while he thought. Swapping was an option, but using another switch to preserve Froslass when Maylene was using two fire types against him wasn't wise. Roselia was also in the back, which meant that he was actually in a lot of trouble. Milotic and Sylveon would have to pull some weight here, or he would just lose. Denzel wasn't stupid. He knew that sacrifices had to be made to win, just as his Pokemon did, and it wasn't the first battle where he realized that fact.

    This Blaziken didn't have Speed Boost, at the very least, but its powerful legs meant that it could jump just as high as Lopunny could. It used some proto-version of Bounce, along with Aerial Ace and flames to maneuver in the air as it tried to hit Froslass with Blaze Kick. The longer this went on, the more tired she got.

    He would have tried Blizzard to hamper Blaziken and Maylene's visibility, but he had no doubt that she had a way to counter it just like with Emboar, and Blaziken was already pressuring her way too hard.

    "Hex!" Denzel yelled.

    Blaziken grunted as smoke emanated from its body, but it didn't interrupt its proto-flight. It hit Froslass with a Blaze Kick and sent her tumbling in the air until she crashed into the barrier. Blaziken somehow kicked the air, propelling himself back with a jet of fire coming from the soles of its feet, and it turned at the last second to kick Froslass.

    Denzel breathed a sigh of relief and he realized it had been a clone from Double Team. The real Froslass appeared behind Blaziken with a Shadow Ball and hit the fire type in the back.

    "We've been too lenient, it seems," Maylene said. "Night Slash. Finish it off."

    Denzel winced as a dark void appeared around Blaziken's claws. The fighting type ran up the barrier and jumped, spinning with Aerial Ace at ridiculous speeds. The streaks of air intertwined with the darkness from Night Slash, and Blaziken slammed into Froslass with everything it had.

    She fell to the ground and didn't get up.

    "Froslass is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your third Pokemon!"

    From his chats with numerous trainers, he knew that Maylene always pulled some bullshit whenever she spoke to the trainer directly after they'd used a move she disapproved of. She disliked the Blizzard strategy, but she hadn't shut him down in an instant like she had now. Denzel swallowed as he recalled the ice type and sent out Sylveon again.

    Milotic would be a terrible choice against a Pokemon this mobile, even with the type advantage. Denzel wiped the sweat off his brow and clenched a fist.

    Keep going, he told himself. This is a marathon, not a race. He stayed silent as Blaziken flew around the arena, waiting for Maylene's signal. He almost expected her to pull some bullshit like Poison Jab, but thankfully, she didn't.

    "Go in and Blaze Kick!" She ordered.

    It looked like it didn't have any moves to attack at a distance, then, or at least not any powerful ones.

    "Play Rough!" He yelled at the last second.

    Sylveon didn't even blink or flinch when Blaziken's foot landed on his head. Instead, his ribbons wrapped all around its feet and weakened it. He could have used Disarming Voice, but he didn't want Maylene to blow up at him again. Fighting her was such bullshit that it was like doing it with a hand behind his back. Blaziken's wrists lit up with flames and it tried to fly away with that fire-boosting trick, but all the fire type did was bring Sylveon with it. He pawed and whipped against Blaziken's body while fire enveloped them both, and Blaziken crashed against the ground when the fairy type began to strangle him. Sylveon was ejected away due to the impact. Snow melted under its hot body, and both Pokemon got up.

    Calm down, he thought. Stay positive, keep thinking, keep up with her pace, and you'll win.

    There was one opportunity to win this one-on-one, and Denzel seized it.

    "Swift!"

    Blaziken lifted a foot and prepared the counter the stars with a Blaze Kick, but they never came.

    Or at least that's what it looked like.

    A dozen invisible stars crashed against Blaziken, and then a dozen more. Sylveon had managed to make Swift invisible through glamour after some intensive training, and it was paying off.

    "It's a trick! Rush in!" She yelled.

    "Detect!"

    Sylveon shifted back, narrowly dodging a Blaze Kick. He struck again with his ribbons and whipped Blaziken in the knees. He had identified the fire type's weak point in a split second. Blaziken's knees buckled as he fell to the ground, and Sylveon finished the fire type off by beating the living daylights out of it.

    "Blaziken is unable to battle. Leader Maylene, send out your third Pokemon!"

    And she did, sending out her Emboar once again.

    "Flamethrower!" She yelled.

    Shit! Denzel inwardly panicked. "Quick Attack and Swift!"

    Sylveon blurred toward the left as the last remaining snow and ice over the entire field melted away, exposing the craters and rivers formed by Milotic and Poliwrath once more. Sylveon wasn't stuck on her side of the field, per se, but coming back on their side would leave him exposed to attacks like Flamethrower or whatever else Maylene had under her sleeve. Sylveon didn't bother turning the stars invisible this time, and they simply hit Emboar in the gut for minimal damage. It was a lot bulkier than Blaziken had been.

    "Go in and trip him, then Play Rough!" He continued.

    Maylene yelled, "Smog—"

    "Don't! Keep using Swift!"

    Emboar coughed up noxious fumes that slowly spread through the arena, forcing Sylveon back as the fairy type kept his Swift barrage coming.

    "Flamethrower!" Maylene ordered.

    Blue flames parted the Smog and engulfed Sylveon. Denzel winced when he heard the fairy type actually whimper from the pain. Fairies didn't do well against fire, and the attack had burned away all of his armor. Without it, Sylvi was actually pretty frail, so their minutes were numbered. He bit the bullet and ordered Sylveon to use Disarming Voice, but it didn't stop Emboar from attacking, it only weakened Smog and Flamethrower instead.

    He couldn't approach because of Smog. Disarming Voice wasn't an option.

    Flamethrower dealt more damage than Swift, and using Detect would just delay the inevitable.

    "Fuck it!" Denzel snapped. "Get in there and give it everything you have! Disarming Voice!"

    His head screamed at him for giving that order, but his gut told him it was the right choice. Indecisiveness meant losing, and he would rather make a wrong choice than do nothing at all and have a guaranteed loss. Sylveon flashed a grin and rushed forward with Quick Attack while Maylene ordered Emboar to use Smog once more, although it had been weakened by Sylveon's Disarming Voice. The fairy type immediately started coughing and could barely keep his eyes open in the toxic smoke, but he wrapped his ribbons around Emboar, soothing him in the process as he began another Play Rough.

    The Smog grew too thick for Denzel to even see what was happening, but he heard multiple blows being exchanged. Every time Sylveon grunted or yelped, he winced, but he could only hope.

    His shoulders sagged when Sylveon flew out of the purple haze, his body limp.

    "Sylveon is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

    Denzel rolled his shoulder and smiled nervously as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

    He was in quite the predicament, wasn't he?

    He released Milotic, this time on his side of the field, but Maylene immediately recalled Emboar and sent out her last Pokemon instead. A tall Pangoro that would be able to grab onto Milotic and treat his body like a rag.

    If he ever got close enough, that was.

    "Aqua Ring and Water Pulse, rapid fire!" He yelled. Surf would have been more powerful here, but he had to think about Roselia's ability to fight afterward. It would do him no good to flood the field further than it already was.

    A blue light shimmered around Milotic, and his previous bruises slowly began to heal. He reared his head back and shot out Water Pulse after Water Pulse.

    "Get close," Maylene simply said.

    The rings of water exploded against Pangoro's fur, drenching and slowing it in the process. Pangoro's legs flexed as he jumped over one of the two rivers, took more Water Pulses and then jumped over the other. Just how bulky was this Pokemon?

    "Keep going," Denzel muttered.

    "Bulldoze."

    The floor shook, throwing Milotic's aim off and hurting his scales as Pangoro approached. This time, however, they wouldn't waste their chance to run.

    "Escape into the water," Denzel shouted.

    "Grab it!"

    Milotic slithered away as he drenched his path with water. Pangoro jumped, but Milotic was already out of reach and it fell flat on its face. Denzel relaxed slightly, but this was far from over. A few seconds later, Milotic appeared down the river. He peeked his head out and continued pestering Pangoro with Water Pulse.

    "Grab a rock and throw it!" Maylene barked.

    Denzel's eyes widened. That wasn't even Rock Throw. Pangoro's arms tensed as it ripped a chunk of earth from the floor and threw it at Milotic, who quickly ducked underwater to dodge. Another Water Pulse hit Pangoro's face, this time coming from under the surface. Denzel frowned. Even if Maylene had planned to grab Milotic again, this was too easy, something was going to happen soon.

    He got his answer when Maylene ordered Pangoro to Bullet Punch.

    The dark type blurred, entering the river faster than Denzel could see. A half-hearted Twister came out of his mouth, and Milotic began to create the tornado just as Pangoro began to hit him with a flurry of punches and then grabbed him by the throat to lift him out of the water. The draconic tornado stopped him in his tracks, but he didn't let go.

    "Aqua Tail!" Denzel quickly said.

    The Twister engulfed them both, but water wrapped around Milotic's tail and exploded when he slammed it against Pangoro's gut. This time, the fighting type let go, but both of them were still stuck in the Twister.

    "Wrap and Dragon Breath!" Denzel yelled. He was going all in.

    With a nod, Milotic wrapped around Pangoro and constricted him as tightly as he could as a Dragon Breath charged up in his throat. Pangoro flexed and pushed against the Wrap, but the Twister kept him off-balance. The blue stream of energy hit Pangoro in the face, and the dark type stumbled back into the water.

    He had it, Denzel thought with a clenched fist.

    Thirty seconds of violent thrashing later, Milotic brought Pangoro's unconscious body ashore and quickly sank back into the river to let Aqua Ring do the job. If Denzel had trained more, he could have had Recover down… damn it.

    "Pangoro is unable to battle. Leader Maylene, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

    She obviously sent out Poliwrath, who had barely seen any fighting. Maylene's eyes narrowed when she saw the cold ghostly flames burn around the water type, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it.

    "Dragon Breath!"

    "Mud Shot! Make it a stream!"

    Both attacks clashed mid-air and exploded. Denzel wiped his upper lip and kept a hand on Milotic's Pokeball. So long as Poliwrath wasn't hurting him, he would keep Milotic in the field.

    "Dive in the water and grab it!" Maylene yelled. "No holding back!"

    Poliwrath broke into a run that was somehow even faster than before while he was burned, and Denzel counted the seconds as he ordered Milotic to retaliate in any way he could. Twister was too slow to form around an opponent moving that quickly, so he deferred to Dragon Breaths until Poliwrath jumped into the water. Denzel quickly recalled Milotic, using his last swap of the battle.

    Now, it was Roselia's turn, and she was perfect for what he needed.

    "There's a Poliwrath in the closest stream to you. Use Venoshock and poison the water— not the crater, the river," Denzel said.

    Roselia corrected her course, and Poliwrath quickly had to exit the water to avoid getting poisoned. He tried to jump into another pool of water, but Roselia poisoned it again. They would keep the water type from hiding anywhere as long as it was needed.

    "Seed Bomb!" Denzel yelled.

    "Mudshot!"

    The teenager clenched his teeth as both Pokemon traded blows. Roselia was too slow to hope to dodge an attack as fast as Mudshot, but Seed Bomb's explosive range meant that Poliwrath could hardly do any better. Five seeds landed next to the water type, each explosion being so violent that it stopped him from moving for a few seconds.

    "Toughen up and keep going!" Maylene yelled. "Earth Power!"

    Fuck!     "Leech Seed!" He yelled.

    A pillar of earth erupted under Roselia's feet, but not before two small seeds landed on Poliwrath's body. Thorns grew from the seeds and wrapped around the water type like a vice. Roselia landed with a soft thud, and she struggled back to her feet.

    "Again!" Maylene yelled.

    "Spore Bomb!"

    Roselia would go down faster than expected, but she would leave Maylene a parting gift. A tightly packaged lump of spores flew out of both flowers, and she was again hit by Earth Power. The spores exploded next to Poliwrath, and the water type coughed as it began to wildly shake and inhale more poisonous spores.

    Maylene's face scrunched up in anger, but it wasn't like she could screw him over. All she had left was Poliwrath and Emboar.

    "Roselia is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your last Pokemon."

    Milotic emerged onto the field as close to him as he could. Around half of the water pools and one of the two rivers were poisoned to some degree, so hiding in the water would take some more effort if they ever needed it, but this was the best bet he had of winning.

    "Aqua Ring."

    A little stalling never hurt anyone. He could stop holding back now that Maylene was out of options. He calmly watched with his hands in his pockets as Milotic slowly healed up the damage he had taken from his previous fights and Poliwrath slowly succumbed to Leech Seed, Poison Powder, and Will-O-Wisp.

    "Poliwrath is unable to battle! Leader Maylene, send out your last Pokemon."

    Maylene let out a haughty huff as she released Emboar.

    "Surf," he simply said.

    "Get close and Flame Charge!" Maylene yelled.

    Milotic sang, and all of the water on the field pushed against the fireball that Emboar had turned into. Most of it instantly turned to vapor, but some of it hit, and that was what they needed. The fire type struggled to move forward, its past wounds from its previous fights coming back to bite it. Milotic continued the Surf, including with the poisoned water, but he manipulated a small space around himself so he could be free from any damage.

    Emboar fell at Milotic's feet. It hadn't gotten a single hit off.

    "Victory to the Challenger!"

    Denzel pumped his fist and loudly exhaled as the adrenaline slowly left his body. He grabbed his badge from Maylene, who all things considered didn't look that pissed now that the battle had passed. The prize money was very appreciated, and so was the Drain Punch TM. He'd teach it to Lopunny ASAP.

    Five badges now.

    The Conference grew closer.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota
     
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    • Chapter 203
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    • CHAPTER 203

    I ignored Pauline's squeals of joy as I leaned back against my seat with an intrigued hum. I'd paid more attention here than Maylene's battle with Maeve because she was actually using Pokemon of my level, and I had learned a decent amount of information from this battle. Beyond the fact that her muscles tensed or loosened with her mood, the minute microexpressions her face made at different stages of her battles and the fact that she was very emotional when picking a Pokemon to counter yours, there was also the fact that Maylene spoke whenever she was about to go all in and ruin your day. If I knew to anticipate it, I could potentially react to it. And since I knew all of her Pokemon's moves, it'd be feasible to create a counter.

    Of course, there was always the possibility of her having hidden techniques I didn't know about, but I couldn't account for those until I was battling. The key approach would be to have my Pokemon survive through one of these tantrums. I already knew that it'd throw her off. After all, she explicitly expected these 'counters' to finish off her opponents in a single hit. She'd told Blaziken to 'finish' off Froslass. She didn't always say it out loud, but it was still obvious. She'd be rattled and potentially slip up.

    I was surprised that none of her Pokemon had used Aura at first, but the only ones she'd used in the battle capable of drawing on the power was Poliwrath, and, well, he hadn't exactly been in a state to use it when she released him against Milotic. He'd been affected by every status move under the sun and was unable to move. Blaziken, Toxicroak, Pangoro and Emboar were monsters in their own right, but they weren't adept with Aura like her Throh, Machoke or some of her other Pokemon were. Still, it's not like she explicitly needed to use it to be a threat, but I knew that if I was going to go all in on frustrating her during the battle, she'd pull out all the stops. The key was to last long enough to make her realize that I was good enough to compete at that level, and then her thoughts would start to fray and she would start making mistakes. Or at least that's the conclusion I had reached.

    Gym Leader or not, Maylene was only fifteen. The pressures of being the youngest Gym Leader, all of the people flaming her online, wanting to be able to stand on equal footing with the rest of her colleagues, expectations from her father who had raised her for the role in mind and selected her for the position, the job of helping run the city— or at least standing in the meetings, possibly information about Team Galactic that I wasn't privy to. I finally understood now. All of that was getting to her.

    Her smile after Pauline's battle or when she fought with other people that conformed to her battle style. It was because battling this way was fun for her. It was her only outlet, her only way of exerting a modicum of control in her life and relieving ever-mounting stress, and whenever someone battled in a way she disapproved of, Maylene didn't have fun. That was why she tried to shut it down immediately every time. Not battling as she liked effectively took one of the few joys she had in the world. Part of me asked what difference would a few battles make, but Maylene knew that the more she was like this, the less likely people were to try to go against the grain.

    Oh, I did feel kind of bad for her, even if her problems didn't warrant her retaliating against other trainers that simply wanted to improve and get a badge. But what kind of person thought that putting a teenager under so much pressure was a good idea? So much responsibility? Her father was an idiot. I'd be a fool not to take advantage of her stress by using every tool at my disposal. All I needed was a little push, and she'd break—

    "...Grace. Grace!"

    I turned toward Emilia and saw that they were all already up.

    "We're going," she said.

    "Oh. Sorry."

    "Remember to blink," Cecilia smirked.

    I did so, realizing that my eyes felt incredibly dry as I stood. Getting out of the aisle was easy since it was so early in the morning. Denzel hadn't been lucky scheduling-wise, but he made the most of it with a relatively dominant victory. Milotic had improved leaps and bounds since the Solaceon tournament and I was glad to see that Denzel had adapted to switching up the field to his advantage like Cece or I had.

    "When's your battle, Cece?" Emilia asked.

    "Tomorrow at two in the afternoon," she said. "I need to do some last-minute adjustments with Zweilous… but I think I'm ready. He's the lynchpin of my strategy."

    I raised an eyebrow at that. Typing wasn't everything, but she was bold to use a dark type as her anchor in a fighting gym when she had Talonflame or Slowking available. Hell, even Golett would have been more intuitive. I knew that she had a plan, however. Cecilia wasn't one to not know what she was doing.

    Pauline scuttled toward Denzel to congratulate him and he looked more tired than I'd ever seen him after a battle. He was known for his stamina in battle, but it felt like he could barely walk straight.

    "She put me through the wringer," he exhaled. "A lot more planning went into this than I'm used to, and I had to work with her to win."

    "Work with her?" Pauline asked.

    "You know. Carefully walking the tightrope of not having her decide to wipe out my Pokemon because I used a move she didn't like," he said irritatingly. "I am not looking forward to battling her next year."

    I nodded. "She'll come at you without pulling any stops."

    I wondered what they'd say if they knew I was planning on ignoring her mood completely. Probably panic and tell me that it was a terrible idea.

    "Anyway, I'm gonna get my team to the Center. Keep an eye out for Justin. There's been no videos of him, so he hasn't fought her yet."

    "What if he asked for it not to be recorded? Like Lauren used to do?" I asked.

    "Well, then we're fucked and he's already gone, but let's keep a positive spin on things."

    We split up soon after that. Pauline went to her practical flight lessons, and she'd decided to practice with both Charizard and Braviary. Emi went with her to see what flying was all about. Denzel went to the Center and then would get back to gambling, where he'd spend most of his time now that he'd gotten his badge. Cece went off to train like she'd said.

    As for me?

    Well, route 214 it was, as usual. I had a decent amount of time before my media training.

    —

    "Guys! Come take a look at this!"

    I motioned to my team and they all shuffled toward me. Sunshine was taking it easy after his tough fight against that Drudiggon, and he was keeping me warm since today was a particularly cold day. I'd scratch his scales until he fell asleep, and despite him pretending otherwise, I knew he liked it. Electabuzz stood behind me and Princess craned her neck around Angel. Sweetheart yelled that she couldn't see my laptop screen.

    "Angel, scooch over— yeah, there you go. Princess, you get on my lap. Leave some space for Buddy. Sunshine, you watch too. You aren't fighting, but it should be of interest to you."

    The fire type sighed as he opened an eye. I had hastily drawn a rectangle on Paint that mirrored Maylene's battlefield and placed a set of labeled circles at different intervals. There were 36 in total, so seven sets of four and four sets of two. They were our pillars, and they were all labeled using the letters A to G and the numbers 1 through 4. For the sets of two, I used the letters H to K and the letters 1 through 2.

    As I'd said, Maylene's side of the field would have plenty of pillars, but mine would have fewer, and it would still leave me with an unobstructed view of the Gym Leader.

    "Princess, you're the one that's got to memorize it the most due to your Air Cutter, but it's important for all of you— well, except you, Sunshine. I'll be seeing less than usual, and Maylene's Pokemon will be hidden from me at different points. By using these letters and numbers, you can tell me exactly where they are at every moment, and I can also use them as well. We're a team, so we'll be using two pair of eyes to track her Pokemon. This is the only way this'll work."

    They all let out affirmative grunts.

    "Good, good," I smiled. I clicked a key and the layer with the labeling disappeared. "So if our opponent's behind this pillar," I said, pointing at E2. "What do you say to me? Honey, let's start with you."

    With each Pokemon, I changed which pillar I'd pointed to. Electabuzz and Jellicent got the right answer right away. Togetic got it, but she had to think about it for a few seconds while Tangrowth and Pupitar… well, there was a lot to work on. Not only that, but since the grass type was mute, we'd need to come up with a way for him to communicate. His sign language and blinks wouldn't work in the midst of battle.

    I'd also come to the conclusion that I would keep Sweetheart for last instead of first, only for the fact that she'd grown enough in strength to collapse the pillars with Stomping Tantrum, so there were some opportunities there.

    "Princess, could you give me an Air Cutter? Pick the direction, I just want to see your progress."

    The fairy type nodded, not even moving from my lap as the air in front of me sharpened and sliced horizontally across the ground. It was now one of her most powerful and versatile moves, which was a far cry from what she'd been capable of before. Now, if I could get her to redirect Moonblast…

    "Good," I smiled. "Keep working on that control."

    Hydro Pump had been mastered, Angel's powder moves were better than ever and he'd give a heavy dose of it to any fighting type that approached him. Thunder was a ways off, but Thunderbolt was stronger than it had ever been.

    "You guys can go back to training," I said. "We'll study the pillar layout when we get back to the Center."

    I scratched the underside of Turtonator's shell as they left, although Sweetheart demanded some pets of her own before she went back to train. I cracked my knuckles and closed my Paint application, opening my browser instead.

    It was time to go further in-depth than I'd ever gone before. I knew Maylene's Pokemon, their moves, but I did not know Maylene herself. The planning phase was half the fun of the battle, after all. To see a strategy you'd spent weeks working on come to fruition brought me a feeling unlike any other.

    I began to type. Hesitantly at first. It felt like I was intruding on someone's life, and I was.

    But if I managed to pull off what I had in mind?

    Arceus, would it feel good. And it probably would do her some good to be knocked down a peg too. I couldn't be too harsh on her. The Poketch Company would get on my back, and since I was going to renegotiate my contract next month to get enough money for Princess' Shiny Stone, I needed them to view me favorably (which was why I was so damn nervous for that interview). I could, however, easily do what I wanted while acting like I had Maylene's best interests at heart, knowing that she would get furious anyway while my image was unaffected. Ruthless as it might have seemed, she was my opponent. I would come at her with everything I had, both in and out of battle. My eyes scanned my laptop screen as I looked up everything I could on Maylene with my Notes application open on the other half of the screen.

    Click.

    Press conference with Cynthia a day ago talking about the recent Team Galactic raids, and another one set for next week. Rising anxiety? Cynthia spoke the entire Conference and Maylene only confirmed her statements. No agency outside of her gym.

    Click.

    Does not appear to have any friends outside of other Gym Leaders, and cannot see them often due to work. Lived a sheltered life away from the media until she was suddenly thrust into the limelight ahead of time when she ascended to her position early after her father remarried and retired.

    Click.

    Father has been in Alola with his new wife for the past two months celebrating their three-year anniversary and is coming back in March. Closed down her gym on the day of his departure. Close bond. Wants to impress. Rumors of her fighting with her stepmother on numerous occasions.

    Click.

    Was battling eight hours per day at the start of the Circuit. Has now moved up to ten hours. Since battling is her only outlet, I expect it to be because she needed to blow off more steam. Is continuously working outside one-hour lunches. Mentally fatigued.

    Click.

    Complaints about retired/fired Gym Trainers regarding Maylene's attitude. Despises delegating tasks and tries to work more than she can handle, possibly to impress her Father/other Gym Leaders. Is hotheaded and impossible to work with, leading to an incredibly high turnover rate at her gym.

    Click.

    Tends to retaliate by using a Pokemon with the type advantage when she gets angry. Tougher to beat, but easier to predict. Could manipulate into using certain Pokemon.

    Click    —

    —

    This was terribly, terribly bad. Denzel's mood had made a complete 180 since he'd won at his gym battle this morning. It was now later in the afternoon, and he'd spent the entire day at this Arceus-forsaken Game Corner. He was getting tired of the place, but he was still only sixty percent of the way toward his Dratini.

    The clutch of eggs had hatched two days ago, and he'd seen one in person for the first time yesterday thanks to Ashley finally managing to get hers. The problem was that when she finally got her Dratini, the casino told her that only two of them remained.

    Two.

    That had been yesterday. There was only one left now that some filthy rich Pokemon collector who wasn't even a trainer showed up, converted all of his money into coins and bought the second-to-last Dratini. and he was nowhere near the amount of money he needed

    "You've got to go big," Ashley said. "It sucks, but there's no other choice."

    "Go big? After every precaution I took to stay safe? I can't just spend it all on one battle!" He said with a hissing whisper. He didn't want others to know that only a single Dratini was left. "Maybe they'll bring another clutch of eggs—"

    "It took six months for this one to arrive. The Conference will be over by then!"

    "Oh Legendaries, I have a stomachache…" he muttered, clenching at his gut. "Who's battling next?"

    "It's on the screen, dude. Sammy and Gabe. You're not going to get a better setup than this."

    Denzel took a deep breath. None of them were known to throw battle, but Samuel was such a terrible trainer that he lost almost all of the fights he was in. He'd made plenty of money off of him, and he was a relatively safe bet.

    "I'd give you the money if I had any left, but you've got to take a risk. Unless you're giving up and you're buying something else? They give Clefairy, Porygon, Vulpix, Growlithe, S—"

    "No. I'll get my Dratini," he said with a clenched fist.

    Denzel walked up to the Counter and placed the majority of his current coins on Samuel losing. He clenched his fists around his armrests when he sat on one of the sprawling couches and anxiously awaited for the battle to start. It would be a Sammy with a Beedrill against Gabe with an Azumarill. He'd seen the Azumarill in other trainers' hands a few times, but it was his first time seeing that Beedrill. That was a good sign and meant that it probably wouldn't cooperate with its temporary trainer since it was new at the Game Corner.

    Denzel could barely bare to look at the screen as an ever-consuming gutwrenching pain consumed him. He couldn't hear the commands or the voices in the television, nor the people crowding around him.

    When he opened his eyes around two minutes later, the battle was in full swing. Beedrill's eyes were consumed by an incredible rage as it continuously attacked Azumarill with its glowing stingers, and the water type struggled to dodge the hits due to its awkward shape. When hit, however, it hit hard. Its springy tail slammed against Beedrill and sent the bug type crashing against the steel walls of the arena. Denzel felt his heart sing as Beedrill struggled to get back in the air.

    "Water Gun!"

    The order was crystal clear on the television, and Azumarill spat out the stream of water to finish off Beedrill, who crawled to dodge the attack. That would leave a horrifying image in Denzel's mind for months. The poison type took flight once more and tiny sharpened darts flew out of its stingers and stabbed into Azumarill's round body. Blood seeped out of the gash when Beedrill pulled out its stinger. Samuel stared with a blank expression.

    "Shit…" Ashley muttered.

    That wound was… a lot more serious than something you'd expect for a small-scale betting battle. Gabe fumbled around for his Pokeball and quickly recalled the fallen Azumarill, and the TV cut to black.

    It never cut to black.

    When the footage came back, Samuel and Beedrill were announced as the winners as if nothing had happened.

    Denzel's ears started to ring as he stared at the screen in disbelief. He still had around 800,000 Pokedollars to his name, but almost everything he'd made here had just gone up in smoke. All of the sleepless nights, the long hours, the strategizing had been reduced to ash. He only had enough coins for cheap rewards.

    "Denzel…" Ashley said.

    He didn't answer. There was no way he was getting his Dratini now. Not unless he spent the money he'd said he wouldn't spend on coins and splurged it all on the next few fights. A part of him was tempted. After all, Mira had gotten lucky with her Porygon, so why not him? And yet he knew better. Roselia had been waiting to evolve for months now, and he owed her that Shiny Stone. He had enough money to buy it today, if he wished.

    But his list, everything he'd worked toward was gone.

    His lips quivered, and he bit them in order not to cry. His nails dug into his palms and the teenager inhaled as best he could. The deep breath helped calm him, but it didn't help with him feeling like absolute shit.

    "Look, it's not the end—"

    "I'm alright," he interrupted. It was a lie, but he felt the need to say it out loud, if only to convince himself. "I've got a few tens of thousands of coins left. I guess I can try to go from there and play risky, but I doubt it'd be enough. That Dratini's probably going to be gone by tonight."

    The girl placed a hand on his arm and softly caressed him.

    "Look. You've helped me a lot, and I won my battle with Maylene thanks to you. If you really want to, I can give you my Dratini—"

    "Leave it," he said. "You wanted it just as much as I did. You were so happy when you got him, Ashley. I can't take that away from you."

    Fuck, Denzel thought. He couldn't deny that little part of him that screamed at him for refusing her. He had a problem. Denzel stood up and stretched.

    "This place is fucking with my head. The lights, the atmosphere, the people— well, you're a good person, but it's all fucking with me," he sniffled. "I'm gonna go, and I don't think I'm ever coming back."

    "You still have coins left but that's… fair. I was only here for you now, so I don't think I'll come back either," she said.

    "Thanks. I appreciate that."

    It itched.

    An unexplainable itch at the back of his head that couldn't go away. Denzel nearly fell as he walked down the stairs. Since the Game Corner was designed to maximize their income, he passed by the reward counter. He almost bumped into an older man. He recognized his face. He was there almost every day to play slots, and he was more zombie than man. He had to twist his body around not to knock down the smaller, thinner man and his eyes glimpsed on something in the reward section. The itch was ever present and made him unable to focus, so he had to read it over three times to understand what he was looking at.

    SWABLU - 65,000 COINS

    Hadn't he wanted one a few months ago? Well, wanted was a strong word. More like he had mulled over it as an option and figured he didn't like it enough to stick with it.

    "You have 61,754 coins," Ashley said. "I have 5,300 leftover. I can give them to you if you want."

    "No need. Even if I wanted Swablu, I could just convert some of the real money I have—"

    "But you won't. So take it," she forcefully said as she pulled out her phone. Denzel barely had time to react before the notification came. It read 'TRANSFER REQUEST'. "There's a part of you that considered it. That's why you looked so long."

    Denzel sighed and scratched his head. "Have I told you that you're kind of like my best friend?"

    "You have. Ten times, at least."

    Denzel's finger hovered over the bright green 'ACCEPT' as he mulled his options. Buying Swablu would maybe solve the itch that had grown into his head and grew stronger by the minute.

    Dissatisfaction.

    He'd finally placed a word on what he felt. Like he was leaving something undone. Something that he'd set out to do, and that was fundamentally wrong to him. It meant that he didn't have what it took. That he was weak.

    Maybe this would be a way to get over that feeling. But was this fair to Swablu? Would he treat it fairly and stop himself from imagining what could have been instead of what was?

    "This fucking sucks," he sighed as he clicked accept.

    He bought Swablu right after that and vowed never to step foot inside of the Game Corner again. VIP zone? Corruption? Denzel didn't care. Sometimes, it was better to leave the skeletons in the closet.

    He released it as soon as he stepped outside, and the little bird softly cooed at him. Denzel ignored Ashley's attempt to poke it and scanned it with his Pokedex. His friend yelped as the bird ferociously bit her finger until it turned beet red.

    Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokemon. Swablu has light and fluffy wings that are like cottony clouds. This Pokemon is not frightened of people. It lands on the heads of people and sits there like a cotton-fluff hat. Swablu loves to make things clean. If it spots something dirty, it will wipe and polish it with its cottony wings. If its wings become dirty, this Pokemon will find a stream and shower itself.

    Sex: Female

    Moves: Growl, Disarming Voice, Peck, Round, Roost

    The feeling of dissatisfaction was still there.

    But it wasn't as strong as it had been a few minutes ago.

    Maybe it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. Maybe he could learn to live with sudden changes.

    "Like jumping in a cold pool," he muttered. "Thank you, Ashley. Swablu, welcome to the team."

    Now, to buy that Shiny Stone for Roselia so she could stop screaming at him every day.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe

    A/N: Here is Grace's drawing I threw in Paint to help you visualize what she was talking about. The pillars look less spaced out that they actually will be.
    The_plan_tm.png
     
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    • Chapter 204
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    • CHAPTER 204

    "You what?!"

    "I lost most of my coins and bought a Swablu instead," Denzel said, motioning to his new sixth Pokeball.

    We were currently on the way to Cecilia's gym battle with Maylene, and Denzel was telling me about his experience at the Game Corner.

    "It sucked that there was a limited number of eggs," Emilia sighed.

    "That's by design, Emi. You create an artificial scarcity and people spend more money on your stupid games like I did. They got me hook, line and sinker," Denzel winced. "Whatever. I'm never stepping foot in there again. It's subtle, you know? You look around you and you scoff at all the people addicted to gambling until one day you realize that you're addicted too."

    "But you left, didn't you?" Cecilia said.

    "I did, thank fuck," he sighed in relief. "But do you know what my first reaction was when I lost all of that money? It was to gamble more, not to get the hell out of there. That's the terrifying part. Anyway, that's all over now. If you ever want a Pokemon, don't gamble for it. It works out for like, one percent of people. Hell, even less."

    "Just treat Swablu right," I said. "You don't want… what's Swablu's gender?"

    "She's a girl," he quickly added.

    "You don't want her to feel unwanted because you wanted a Dratini. And don't let your team haze her, please. I know they mean well, but it's probably overwhelming at first."

    "I know, I know," he said. "I won't treat her differently because she's not what I originally wanted. Even now, I can't help but think what if I'd bet on the right person, but I'll… I'll try my best."

    "I know you will," I smiled, softly bumping him in the arm.

    "It's an opportunity for growth," Cecilia nodded. "You've always been too rigid with your list ever since I've known you. Things don't always go according to plan."

    "Yeah. Thank Arceus Ashley was there, though. She's the one that forked me the remaining five thousand coins to get Swablu. I would have gone out empty-handed if she hadn't been with me."

    Pauline, who had been silent until now, stopped dead in her tracks.

    "Ashley?" She asked with a hint of anger.

    "Oh, uh, yeah. That friend I talked about in the Game Corner? Her name's Ashley."

    "Ah! I sure hope you had fun with her, then," she said with a bright smile. "I'll have to give her my thanks someday!"

    That was somehow scarier than any other reaction she could have had.

    —

    The battle against Lauren, Grace's battle against Zachary and Denzel's previous battle against Maylene had taught Cecilia the importance of field manipulation. It was a facet of Pokemon battling that she'd never even thought about when she'd first started her journey. Back then, she'd been obsessed with power, power, power. She still was, but she knew that to win, she would have to do more than hit harder.

    Granted, it was ironically still a key part of her strategy, but it was something she'd need to think hard about for future battles. The battle with Maylene would be another five-on-five with three swaps, as was standard for the fifth and sixth gym battles. Cecilia already had her Pokeball in hand and sent out Golett the minute Maylene had finished enunciating her instructions. The golem hummed and expunged steam from the holes under his armpit and below his legs. Maylene sent out a Hitmonchan that punched the air in quick succession. Cecilia didn't have to study to know that the Pokemon was adept at all punching attacks.

    "Begin!" The referee yelled.

    "Scorching Sands perimeter," Cecilia smoothly said.

    A large circular radius around Golett turned to bright, hot sand and it followed the ground type as he slowly began his march toward Hitmonchan. The surface bubbled and exploded into small geysers that looked like a weaker version of Earth Power, but the immediate ground around Golett's feet was still solid.

    "Bulk Up and Ice Punch," Maylene said.

    Cecilia shivered in anticipation. So she was going to ignore the sands, then? That meant that Hitmonchan was truly a close-range fighter with no way to attack at a distance. The fighting type stood completely still and its arms and fists swelled as it gained in strength. Like a spring, its legs extended as it ran forward with ice coating its fists. Hitmonchan hissed and its skin burned as soon as it entered the Scorching Sands. The ground wrapped around its legs and crawled over its torso like a living thing.

    "Restrain!" Cecilia yelled.

    Golett's eyes shone brighter, and he returned the sand around Hitmonchan to its original state. Earth clung to the fighting type as it squirmed and desperately attempted to escape the trap that Cecilia had set. Maylene barked a few orders, and Hitmonchan burst out of its prison, but more sand just wrapped around the fighting type. Cecilia was determined to keep him trapped long enough to force a switch or to knock it out of the fight.

    "Shadow Ball—"

    "Aura Burst!" Maylene yelled.

    Cecilia covered her eyes when blue light exploded out of Hitmonchan's every pore. The sand around the fighting type died and spluttered out for a second before Golett slammed a foot against the ground to restart the attack, but Hitmonchan jumped toward the ghost type higher than what seemed natural.

    Must have been Bulk Up, Cecilia bit her lip. "Iron Defense and Shadow Punch!"

    The sands jumped into the sky and followed Hitmonchan while Golett's body shimmered like metal. The ground type clenched a fist, seizing upon the shadows and angled his arm upward.

    "Ice Punch!" Maylene yelled.

    Hitmonchan landed on the intact ground that Golett used to walk unharmed, and ice surrounded his fists once more. With a heavy grunt, the fighting type launched his assault. Cecilia heard the cracking ice and the howling of the ghostly energy as soon as the two attacks clashed. Frost spread from Hitmonchan's glove to Golett's arm, slowly overtaking the ground type. Its other fist continuously slammed against Golett's head, and the light in the Pokemon's eyes flickered.

    "Bury!" Cecilia yelled.

    The floor under Golett's feet turned into scorching quicksand, overtaking both Pokemon. She heard Hitmonchan scream as every inch of its skin burned while Golett was as silent as always, but even he would be hurt if hot sand slipped inside his intricate mechanism.

    "Aura Burst!" Maylene yelled again.

    Cecilia clicked her tongue when everything exploded again, and Hitmonchan crawled out of the sand as it dragged Golett behind it with a single arm. The fighting type's skin was red, black, and purple, but it hadn't lost the fierce look in its eyes. Hitmonchan punched Golett's face with an icy fist and sat on top of the ground type.

    Cecilia licked her dry lips. Stomping Tantrum was out of the picture because the field needed to be relatively flat for Zweilous. She ordered the golem to use Shadow Ball, but the sphere unraveled when Hitmonchan kept beating Golett with Ice Punches.

    She recalled Golett with a sigh. She had wanted him to take down his first opponent, but it looked like that wouldn't work with Maylene. She sent out Scyther and the bug type hissed, threatening Hitmonchan while beating his wings against themselves to create an obnoxious sound.

    "Keep your distance," Cecilia advised. "If it grabs you, the fight will be over—"

    Maylene surprised her by also recalling Hitmonchan, although in retrospect, it was obvious that the fighting type wouldn't be able to fight well against a Pokemon like Scyther. Instead, she sent out a tall Gallade that silently appeared on the field. The hair on Cecilia's neck stood up at the sight of such a powerful foe.

    "The previous advice still applies. Agility and Air Slash," she said.

    Scyther jumped into the air and his body loosened as he slowly sped up and became a blur. Gallade's eyes darted around the field, tracking him no matter how fast he became. Cecilia knew that Gallade's psychic powers weren't as developed as Gardevoir's, but he would still be able to restrain Scyther without breaking a sweat. The bug type slashed across the air and it sliced toward Gallade faster than what Cecilia thought he could react, but he teleported onto Scyther and brought him crashing down.

    Cecilia's mind began to race. If Scyther fell at that speed, he'd be done for.

    "Night Slash!" She screamed. "Like we trained!"

    The bug type's scythe grew dark, and he opened a deep gash on Gallade's waist that bled void darker than black. The psychic type's eyes flickered, but he didn't let go. Both Scyther and Gallade crashed into the barrier and then fell on the ground. The fighting type stood up like an arrow right away and grazed his wound. It was still seeping with darkness, although it would run out soon. Grace had spoken to her about how that terrible Weavile had cut off the use of type energy through dark type attacks, and they were nowhere near there yet.

    Disrupting psychic moves for a short period of time, however? They'd gotten the hang of that two weeks ago. If a Pokemon overcharged their dark type moves, some type energy would remain on whatever wound they'd caused. Slowking hated training with Scyther now. The bug struggled to his feet and fanned his wings. Three of them were intact, meaning that flight was possible.

    "Air Slash! It can't Teleport!" Cecilia yelled.

    Maylene practically snarled when she realized what had happened.

    "Sacred Sword," she muttered through clenched teeth. "Use Aura."

    The arc of sharpened air never made it to its target. Gallade's longest elbow extended twice fold and shimmered blue while the other simply glowed, but did not grow. A simple slice across the air, and Air Slash collapsed in on itself, becoming a simple gust of air by the time it reached Gallade.

    "Finish it off. Aerial Ace."

    Even Scyther shot Cecilia an unsure look. He'd never done so before.

    "Hit and run," Cecilia ordered.

    Missing a wing didn't affect Scyther's speed very much, especially with Agility. He flew away as fast as he could, throwing Air Slash after Air Slash at Gallade. The psychic pushed himself on one foot and jumped, spinning around like a drill so quickly that Cecilia could only see the blue streaks of Aura he left behind.

    The Air Slashes kept disappearing before making any contact, but Gallade would be slower than Scyther until he could Teleport again. That left her time to think of something to take down this monstrosity. It seemed like Sacred Sword had the power to… unravel moves if it was given enough time. Not dissolve them, per se, but to untie the bundle of type energy that made it stick together. That meant that to counter it, Cecilia either had to overwhelm it with power or attack at close-range. Seeing as this was a fighting gym, there was only one option, but Scyther wasn't really the best at powerful attacks. Speed and overwhelming his opponent was where he excelled.

    Cecilia recalled Scyther and sent out Talonflame instead. The flying type had speed, but she also had the power to overcome Sacred Sword.

    "Flame Charge and Agility!" She yelled. They had no time to waste.

    Talonflame's eyes widened when she saw what she was fighting, but she listened right away. She placed her wings flat against her body and speed up as she fell toward the ground with Gallade right on her heel. Flames engulfed her body, and she sped up even more until Cecilia could barely track her in the sky. The fire type circled the arena, waiting for her next command.

    "How long will you run?" Maylene asked. "Gallade, Teleport on that bird as soon as you can!"

    You're the one forcing me to run, you petulant child! Cecilia screamed internally. She did not care what she had to do so long as victory was achieved. Every ounce of her being was screaming at her to win, and she knew she would. It was writ in her bones.

    "Heat Wave and Fire Spin!"

    Talonflame squawked as the air around her distorted. It was tiny at first— barely ten feet across, but it slowly expanded as she flew and burned everything in its path. The sand leftover from Golett lit ablaze and turned to glass as small pockets of flames spun and fell onto the floor. Gallade himself caught on fire and fell like a meteorite falling and burning up through Earth's atmosphere.

    Ah, to have finally mastered the act of using Heat Wave whilst moving was making Cecilia's heart swell with pride. Talonflame continued the attack as she zipped around the arena, leaving a trail of bright flames behind her.

    "Teleport and Sacred Sword!" Maylene commanded.

    Gallade didn't execute it immediately. The psychic type calmly observed as he burned, and then he landed on top of Talonflame as soon as she slowed down to turn a corner. Being so close to her charred his skin until it was black and smoking, but Gallade sliced across Talonflame's back, causing the flying type to fall with a screech. Cecilia could barely see where Talonflame ended and Gallade began as they both combined into one huge fireball that exploded upon impact and created a mid-sized crater next to Maylene's side of the arena. When the dust settled, both Pokemon were unconscious, although Talonflame looked a lot worse than Gallade did. If there was one thing Cecilia needed to solve, it was her frailness.

    "Both Talonflame and Gallade are unable to battle! As it is impossible to determine which Pokemon fainted first, it falls upon Leader Maylene to send out her Pokemon first!"

    Cecilia rolled her neck and sighed. She'd taken out a huge threat, and Maylene had cooled off now that she'd fainted one of her Pokemon as well. She released a Breloom next, and Cecilia restrained a grin.

    Breakthrough.

    Zweilous snarled as soon as they appeared. They'd fought Gardenia's own Breloom long ago in the battle against Gardenia, and they were determined to win again.

    "Nasty Plot."

    Both heads' breaths grew rapid as drool fell and accumulated on the ground. They dreamed of domination, destruction, strength, evolution, all of their wildest dreams until something snapped and they accrued power to bring those dreams ever so closer to reality.

    "Mach Punch!"

    "Flamethrower," she said with a snap of her fingers.

    Ordinarily, Breloom would have gone faster than the eye could see and used all of its momentum to punch Zweilous.

    The dragon's throats swelled as the flames glowed through their scales and two Flamethrowers flew out of Zweilous' mouth. The flames shimmered with a brilliant blue and the edges were a bright yellow as it overtook the entire width of the arena and destroyed all in its path. The roar of the flames was so loud that they sounded more like a continuous explosion than the Incinerate she'd grown used to. The psychic barrier rattled and bent as the flames broke against them.

    Breloom quite literally cooked in the flames.

    It had gone down in one hit.

    "Breloom is unable to battle! Leader Maylene, send out your third Pokemon!"

    "Good job, darling," Cecilia said.

    Maylene didn't seem to care one bit, especially when compared to the little trick she'd used with Scyther. The girl's mind would forever remain an enigma to Cecilia, but it didn't matter. She'd regained control of the battle and now had the advantage. Zweilous coughed up smoke and heaved. The attack had done a number on their throats since they didn't exactly have the body to support such an attack, but they'd practiced enough to use three Nasty Plot-powered moves.

    Cecilia's eyes narrowed when Maylene released a Mienshao. She'd actually seen her in multiple battles and knew exactly why she'd chosen her. Bounce, High Jump Kick and Wide Guard. Using Flamethrower or Dragon Pulse wouldn't work here, and neither would anything Zweilous had at their disposal. Cecilia used her last switch of the battle and sent out Scyther again.

    "Don't underestimate her maneuverability in the air," Cecilia said. "Circle around her, probe for weaknesses."

    Agility ran its course, and Scyther once more jumped in the air as he sent multiple Air Slashes at the fighting type, who dodged so gracefully it was as if she was dancing. She spun around one and bent her back to escape another. Each time, it was as if the attack was just about to hit, but it grazed her fur instead.

    "Aura Sphere barrage!" Maylene yelled.

    Mienshao extended her arm, and small pale blue spheres the size of pellets flew out of her palm so quickly that tiny shock waves rang out from her palms after each one. Scyther stopped with a hiss and dove toward the ground.

    "Keep attacking!" Cecilia yelled. "She can't use Aura Sphere if she's pressured!"

    She'd only been half correct. Scyther's fierceness surprised Mienshao, but the fighting type only stopped attacking for a few seconds until she regained her footing. One of the Aura spheres punctured Scyther's exoskeleton, and the rest soon followed now that the pain slowed him some. The bug type fell to the ground with a thud.

    "Bounce," Maylene continued.

    Mienshao jumped high in the air and then began to fall toward Scyther. At the last second, Cecilia yelled.

    "Air Slash—"

    But Scyther had been ahead of her. The attack had been weaker than before, but Mienshao still grunted in pain as the air sliced her thin waist. Scyther let out a final screech of defiance and then fell unconscious.

    "Scyther is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your third Pokemon."

    Cecilia was out of switches, so she had to choose very wisely here. Zweilous wouldn't work, as she already knew, so it was either Golett or Slowking. Golett was too slow to deal with an opponent as quick as Mienshao, so only Slowking would be able to work. The psychic appeared in a flash of red with his hands behind his back.

    How tough is the opponent? He asked.

    "She's strong both in close quarters and at a range," Cecilia explained. "Water Cutter."

    "Detect and Aura Sphere!" Maylene ordered.

    "Intercept instead."

    Water accumulated in Slowking's cheeks, and his eyes shone as it flew off like a lance and cut through many of the Aura Spheres Mienshao sent. They needed a lot more force to be destroyed than what Cecilia would have thought, and some of them even looked to be unaffected whenever Slowking didn't spend enough time on them. The majority of the spheres hit Slowking, but he was relatively unharmed.

    Elemental attacks will not work to properly stop Aura, nor will psychic moves, Slowking spoke into her mind.

    "Let us go on the offensive, then. Surf and flood the field."

    What of the others? Have they already fainted? Slowking asked as he summoned gallons of water from the ponds and more seeped out of his mouth. He was worried about leaving the field unusable for the rest of her team, but Cecilia ignored him and kept her face steady. Maylene would not approve of midbattle communication.

    "Stop them! Bounce!" Maylene yelled.

    So she wouldn't always fight at a range, then, Cecilia sighed in relief. Not when she knew Slowking had to be stopped. The water accumulated until it reached Slowking's waist, but that was only the first part of the plan. Once again, Mienshao dropped from the sky, aided by the wind, but Cecilia swept her arm.

    "Swallow her whole!" She yelled.

    Slowking's eyes shimmered, and some of the water jumped at Mienshao, just like Golett had done with Scorching Sands. All of Mienshao's momentum was stopped by the water as Slowking waved a hand and encased her in a ball of liquid. The fighting type's eyes widened, and she panicked, thrashing about in an attempt to swim out, but Slowking seized her directly with Psychic and began to assault her brain.

    Maylene switched out later than Cecilia would have thought. Mienshao would be tired the next time she came out. The young trainer nearly gasped in surprise when Maylene revealed her last Pokemon. Falinks. Six of them, to be exact, and one larger than the other. At first, Cecilia thought they would drown in Slowking's Surf, but—

    "First Impression!"

    Cecilia's eyes darted back and forth. Two under the water, one swimming on the surface, one jumping and another two hanging back and flanking—

    Slowking grunted as he restrained the first one, then another, but he was being stretched thin, and the other two slammed into him and sent him flying back. The psychic instinctively cushioned his fall with more water, but more of the Falinks were coming. She couldn't afford to flood the field too much without screwing up her plan to make it return to normal…

    Her heartbeat calmed and her breath slowed.

    Slowking would pull through. She knew it.

    "Megahorn, Close Combat, Headbutt!" Maylene barked. "Formation three!"

    The Falinks regrouped, somehow being capable of swimming despite their weight. Or no, floating would be a better word. Two of them stood on the largest Falink's head— who was tall enough to stand unmarred by the water— and jumped in place. When they landed, it sent them flying with Headbutt toward Slowking. The psychic waved, smashing the two against each other, but another one already rammed into his gut with its horn glowing neon green while the next started to beat him using the two shields it carried.

    "Darling, we're using the water trick," she said. "Keep accumulating more water as well. I have a plan."

    Right away.

    It was strange, how smooth his voice was while was struggled to fight off five Pokemon at once. Slowking yelled, lifting a sphere of water carrying three of the five Falinks as Cecilia's eyes narrowed. The largest one had the most destructive potential, so why did it hang back?

    It was only now that she focused on it that she heard the subtle sounds. Like the cross between the sound of someone scratching a paper and some kind of hiss, it was issuing orders to its soldiers.

    "Water Cutter. Target the largest one," Cecilia said.

    The Falinks in the floating ball of water did not panic. Instead, they formed a line and the first one pushed against the other two with all its strength to escape Slowking's prison. The psychic type grimaced, which was the most displeased Cecilia had ever seen him, and he slapped it away with a wave of psychic energy while the two freed others formed a tower and began to slam their shields and horns in his face with Close Combat and Megahorn.

    "They're protecting their leader," Cecilia noticed. "Power Gem."

    The water type snarled as rays of light rotated around him, vaporizing the surrounding water with a loud hiss and slamming into the now three freed Falinks. Light bounced off their tough shields, but it staggered them enough to leave a pathway to the leading Falinks open.

    "Now!" Cecilia yelled.

    Slowking yelled, splitting the water in front of him. The attack had demanded so much that his water prison disintegrated, and the waves washed the five Falinks away, splitting them up as the current carried them. Slowking inhaled with an extended hand as Cecilia admired the sheer power at the psychic's disposal. It was as if his will had parted the sea itself. The thin ray of water exploded toward Falinks and slammed into its two shields, denting them in the process.

    "Drown it."

    Slowking trotted through the path he'd created as the water around the largest Falinks surrounded and overwhelmed the fighting type. It cried out for help, and the others all squealed and swam against the current, but they were too slow. Slowking finally grabbed onto Falinks with Psychic and ransacked its brain as it drowned.

    The leader fainted, and Maylene recalled it. Slowking heaved, and the path he'd been holding open collapsed as water rushed back in.

    "Slack Off."

    She couldn't see past the dirty water, but she hoped that Slowking would manage to heal some of the damage he'd taken. He was exhausted beyond what she'd intended, and Falinks were a ruthless enemy. Still, now that their commander was done for, they panicked, unable to come to a decision on what to do next.

    "I'm taking charge!" Maylene yelled. "Formation two! Use it to swim!"

    The five remaining Pokemon reluctantly listened as their shields interlocked with each other until they formed a horizontal line that floated along the now calm waters.

    "Slowking," Cecilia probed.

    I am conscious and well, but weakened, he answered. I remain hidden in the water.

    Her face barely changed, but she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "We're going to have to take all of them down individually. Use Psychic."

    It was at times like these that Cecilia wished Slowking had Mira's Gardevoir's abilities to sense what she was thinking, but alas, her strategy was out wide in the open. Slowking wasn't the best swimmer, but he could still hold his breath for hours before running out of air.

    "Lock onto each other tightly," Maylene muttered.

    Cecilia bit her lip in anticipation until something tried to pull the Falinks underwater. Unfortunately, they were stuck together like glue, and moving all of them at once wasn't feasible. Still, the mental assaults would work. One of the Falinks squirmed as Psychic fried its brain.

    "Iron Defense! Slip underwater and attack with Megahorn!" Maylene ordered.

    Four of the five fighting types shimmered as their body grew heavy. They sunk into the water, and Maylene recalled the fifth one, who had fallen to Slowking's Psychic. Unable to see under the mud filled water, Cecilia calmly awaited the conclusion to this battle. Thirty seconds and another Falinks floated to the surface. A minute and another one fainted. Another minute passed, and the remaining two had to come back up for air. That was when Slowking struck and finished them off with Psychic.

    "Falinks is unable to battle! Leader Maylene, send out your fourth Pokemon!"

    "Slowking?"

    On my last legs, my lady.

    "You were wonderful, do not worry."

    It was only then that Maylene realized that she'd been communicating with Slowking telepathically the entire battle. She let out a haughty huff and released Hitmonchan. The fighting type's skin was still horribly burned by Golett's Scorching Sands. Right away, she ordered the fighting type to use Ice Punch on his feet to create a floating platform. There was only so much Slack Off could do, but Cecilia asked Slowking to use the move anyway. They would need all the help they could get.

    Now, to deal as much damage as she could, Cecilia mused.

    "Psychic!"

    Maylene said nothing, and both trainers waited for Slowking to strike. Cecilia knew Maylene must have been planning something, but there was only so much she could do. The second Hitmonchan felt a twinge of pain, its feet turned to flame and it sunk into the water.

    After which it electrocuted both itself and Slowking with four simultaneous Thunder Punches. It hadn't even needed to hit him, really. All of that electricity spread through the nearby water and hit both Hitmonchan and Slowking. The water type's unconscious body emerged from below the depths and Cecilia recalled him.

    "You did well," she said. Time to drain all of that water.

    Golett's Pokeball felt heavy in her hands, not because of its particular weight, but because of the sheer amount of responsibility she was putting on the little golem. If he failed here, then the battle would be lost, but she did not entertain the idea of failure. Golett immediately sunk to the bottom of the water due to his weight, and Hitmonchan remade another platform of ice due to Maylene's orders.

    "Stomping Tantrum, make a ravine!" She yelled as loud as she could.

    Cecilia's face twisted into a satisfied grin when the ground under her rattled and numerous waves began to form on the water's surface. Maylene simply waited. After all, the water draining benefitted her as well, although she ordered Hitmonchan to use Bulk Up and swim toward Golett before the arena was split by an enormous rift. When the dust settled, the arena was split into two by a giant fissure that was deep enough to contain most of the water. The Stomping Tantrum hadn't been precise either. Other holes, gashes and depressions littered the arena now. The liquid still reached Golett's feet, meaning that they'd have to fight in a perpetual puddle.

    A puddle was better than a makeshift sea, even if it made Scorching Sands unusable. Cecilia could see the lights and the arena's ceiling reflected onto the water.

    Hitmonchan frowned, eager to get its rematch against Golett and finish the job it had started.

    Golett hummed, not even looking at the fighting type while water still drained from his internal system.

    There was no sound. Only the splash of Hitmonchan stepping into the water with its ever-active footwork.

    Maylene went first. "Ice Punch!"

    "Hammer Arm!" Cecilia yelled.

    Ice surrounded Hitmonchan's fists as the fighting type ran in. Golett only had time to lift an arm before Hitmonchan ducked and slammed both of its fists into the ground type's torso. Golett's eyes flickered, but he was too heavy to fly off. He stumbled a few steps and regained his footing while Hitmonchan followed. Golett smashed a fist downward, but Hitmonchan grabbed it before it could make contact—

    And its eyes bulged when it realized how strong Golett was. Its arm bent the wrong way and Cecilia heard a loud crack reverberate through the arena. Golett's fist slammed against the floor and sharpened shards of rocks exploded and stabbed into the fighting type.

    "Shadow Punch!" Cecilia snapped.

    Quicker than Hammer Arm this time, Golett followed up on his attack and punched Hitmonchan in the leg. Aura exploded out of the fighting type's body, but that was more a last act of desperation instead of a sound strategy, and it hadn't been ordered by Maylene. The attack harmed Golett, but there was only so much a Pokemon could do with a broken arm, and Maylene's Pokemon didn't take kindly to retreat. Hitmonchan fought with its one good arm and landed three quick jabs with Ice Punch on Golett before the ground type finished it off with another Shadow Punch.

    "Hitmonchan is unable to battle. Leader Maylene, send out your last Pokemon!"

    "Keep it up, darling," Cecilia said. Having recently gained a new appreciation for affection, Golett's head spun around 180 degrees to look at her as he celebrated with a loud hiss of his engine.

    Maylene released that same Mienshao, who calmly observed the state of the battlefield until Maylene began to order her.

    "Go in with Bounce," Maylene said.

    "Shadow Ball. Make it as big as possible and keep it there."

    The purple, ghostly energy intertwined in front of Golett as Mienshao nearly flew toward the ground type. She was under no illusion that she'd be able to hit the attack, so the plan was to make it explode in the fighting type's face when she hit.

    "Knock Off!" Maylene yelled.

    The Shadow Ball dissolved with a whispering scream as Mienshao wrapped one of her whips— the fleshy extensions on her arms— in darkness and simply hit the attack, and then went on to slap Golett's face with the same attack. The golem independently retaliated with a quick Shadow Punch, but Mienshao jumped above him and tripped him from behind. Golett fell into the puddle of water and Mienshao grabbed onto one of his arms with a foot on his leg to prevend him from standing up.

    "Push through! Hammer Arm!"

    "It's too strong! Let go!" Maylene yelled.

    Mienshao listened, slipping away from Golett right when the ghost type slammed the ground with Hammer Arm again. She returned as quickly as she'd left with another Knock Off ready to go.

    "Mega Punch her knee!" Cecilia yelled with an extended arm.

    Mienshao kept rushing in, but she twisted her body around in hopes of avoiding their attack. Mienshao's main weakness on the ground was how frail she was. All they needed was one hit to ground her. A small Shadow Ball so weak it might as well have been created by a one-badge Pokemon flew out of Golett's outstretched arm and buried itself into Mienshao's knee and tripped her up. Her whip slammed against the ghost type's face and his eyes flickered off, but he punched her in the knee and she hissed as she jammed him in the throat. His rune finally lost its light. Cecilia recalled him and took a deep breath.

    "Golett is unable to battle! Challenger, send out your last Pokemon!"

    And now for the finisher,     she thought.

    The first thing she did was release Zweilous as far as she could from Mienshao. The dragon snarled and nearly started drinking the water on instinct until Cecilia snapped her fingers. Mienshao walked with a limp, and Cecilia knew her Bounce and High Jump Kick would either be extremely slow or out of the picture completely. That only left her with Wide Guard.

    "Nasty Plot and Dragon Pulse," Cecilia muttered with unblinking eyes.

    "Wide Guard, then go in! There'll be an opening!" Maylene ordered.

    For a few seconds, Sol and Zerst dared to dream.

    The draconic power swelled in their throats. It bulged and screamed to get out. For freedom. Zweilous let loose two Dragon Pulses, and it combined into the largest one she had ever seen out of them. Bright turquoise power shone all around the arena and glimmered against the surface of the disturbed water. It expanded until it was as if the energy took the form of a dragon's head, and it drew upon everything Zweilous had.

    Mienshao grunted, and an enormous barrier shimmered in front of her as she planted her feet into the ground and extended her hands. The Dragon Pulse slammed into the Wide Guard and roared until the shield shattered into a thousand pieces. Like the sound of broken glass, of a plate falling on the floor or the shattering of ice. The attack swallowed Mienshao whole and destroyed everything else in its path.

    The water returned to its calm state.

    Sol and Zerst wheezed, their burning lungs hungry for fresh air as they stumbled, barely able to stand up straight.

    Mienshao had fallen on the ground. Maylene recalled her with a smile.

    "Victory to the Challenger!"

    She'd believed in herself every step of the way.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe
     
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    • Chapter 205
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    • CHAPTER 205

    It was Friday. The accursed day had finally come.

    I woke up dreading what was to come this evening. The interview. A horrible knot had settled in my stomach and my sheets were drenched in sweat. I'd gotten nightmares about messing up in some horrible way for the past two nights. Tongue twisted, forgetting my lines, letting my confrontational side get the better of me, everything that could go wrong had replayed in my mind over and over.

    "Toge?"

    I smiled, stroking Princess' head. "Good morning, baby."

    Togetic nestled herself against the covers and begged for five more minutes. Her siblings were all around me. Angel next to the window, as always, and smiling with his eyes. I'd be willing to bet that he was having a very good dream. Honey had somehow fallen off the bed last night and dragged the covers with him, but to his credit, it was supposed to be designed for one person. He'd fallen onto Turtonator's shell and the dragon had somehow not realized it.

    Thankfully, Sunshine didn't sleep with Shell Trap on.

    Sweetheart swayed back and forth in her cocoon while Buddy was a weird star-shaped thing floating in the sky. He greeted me with a soft click as I stretched.

    "It's the big day," I whispered to myself. "Gotta get ready."

    The interview was at nine, but obviously I couldn't just show up there thirty minutes early and call it a day. First, I had a final rehearsal with Melody and the team at two in the afternoon, and then I'd have to be at the SGNC building at six-thirty. At least the interview would only last ten to fifteen minutes, but I knew that time slowed to a crawl when I was nervous. It was why my previous Gym Battles had felt like they'd lasted hours and not minutes.

    I started the day as I normally did: preparing my team's breakfast and a shower. Jellicent hung around me the entire morning asking about how my nerves were doing. Hell, he even asked if he could be there during the interview for support, but I shut down that idea pretty quickly. It'd be nice, but I doubted the Poketch Company would approve because it could technically look like intimidation, especially with how he easily terrified strangers. If Mallory stepped on my toes like I expected her to, he'd probably swell up in anger. She was a Pokemon activist, but she was no trainer, and everyone on my team aside from Honey was… well, weird. The last thing I wanted was for Princess' protectiveness to be misconstrued or for Sunshine to burn down the entire building.

    "Buddy! I'm done with my shower and your bath's ready!" I yelled.

    I felt the usual shivers down my spine and heard a squelch as Jellicent slipped under the bathroom's doorframe and crawled into the small bathtub. He was practically invisible in the water, save for his two shining red eyes.

    "It's as cold as I could make it," I added. It was as close to the bottom of the ocean as one could get, just like he liked it. "Don't spend too long, we've gotta run in an hour."

    Small bubbles popped on the water's surface, and I sat with my back to the bathtub, letting my hair soak in the cold water.

    "I've got to take you to the beach when we get to Sunyshore. You haven't been since I caught you in Sandgem."

    I heard an excited, distorted boom through the water. My body vibrated at the sound, as if someone had played a bass boost next to me.

    "Sucks that it won't be summer so I won't be able to go in. Well, I could, but I'm not crazy enough for it. I think Sweetie's gonna ask to get into the water though," I said. "Did you know she complained to me about you yesterday— wait, it was two days ago, actually. She was all like, Ahhh Buddy's telling me I won't be able to go in the water, go talk to him! But like, way louder."

    The water rumbled as Jellicent laughed. Some of it even seeped out and I jumped when it touched my back.

    "Arceus, that's cold," I sighed. "Anyway, I'm just relaying what happened. You know I kind of spoil her though, so I appreciate you being there to pull back. I think she'll die on that hill though. We can give her at least one try. She won't go too deep."

    I bent my head back and saw the water type looming over me with a disappointed look.

    "We'll see?" I tried. "C'mon, if she gets too far I'll recall her."

    He finally relented and sunk back inside of the bath.

    "I should probably get dressed and stuff," I sighed. "If the interview goes well and the Gym Battle does too, I'll ask Melody about that raise. Plus I'll get the money from Maylene too."

    I exhaled a deep, long breath, and Jellicent patted me on the back. I heard Sweetheart scream loudly in the bedroom and I unconsciously smirked.

    "Yeah, I'm alright. I've just gotta get through the day," I said as I stood up. "I'll leave you to it and check this stuff out."

    I froze when I stepped outside of the bathroom.

    "What in the world is happening here?"

    First of all, Honey was desperately trying to pull at Sweetheart's outer layer. She was molting again and I hadn't even realized it in my half-asleep state. Electabuzz had slimly liquid all over his hands and small bits of dead shell littered the floor. Princess was gathering them all into a small corner for me while Angel was soothing Pupitar with vines to keep her still. Sunshine was giving her words of encouragement as well and telling her that she'd conquer this region soon if she could get through this and be strong.

    Of course, they all stopped when they saw me. Molting already? Wasn't it too early? Her new cocoon was still in its softened state under the half-decrepit one, the usual tall spike-like crown flattened against her head to fit inside of the smaller cocoon. Needless to say, she'd grown again.

    "Guys, you should have called me and said something," I said. "I would have recalled her and brought her outside. It's better if she sheds the outer skin naturally."

    Electabuzz hung his head low and said it was his idea.

    "You're good, don't worry. Now you know for next time," I gently said. "You're almost done, so let me help out."

    I crouched next to Pupitar, who was trembling in her shell.

    "Shhh, it's okay Sweetheart. I know it's scary, but you're almost done. Your body's changing fast, right? That's no fun, and it's not your fault. Soon you'll be big and strong."

    Add getting more soil for her to the list of things I needed to ace this interview for, I thought to myself. TMs could wait for now, but I wanted Sweetheart to get through this as quickly as possible.

    Her molting so quickly was proof that the soil I'd bought was effective, so at least that was money well spent. When all was said and done (and I finished cleaning up the floor), she was almost as tall as me… fitting her in this room when she evolved was definitely going to be impossible. I spent the remainder of the morning getting food for myself, doing laundry downstairs and wishing today could be any other day, but soon, the afternoon came and Melody called my cellphone.

    "Grace, I'm downstairs to pick you up."

    Words that terrified me, even if this was still just practice. She looked quite spry as she rolled down her window to greet me.

    "Hi Mel," I sighed.

    Spending most of my afternoons had brought me quite closer to her, and I felt comfortable using a nickname for her. She'd been very helpful this entire process and felt like the only actual human that represented the company, along with the rest of the media team that had coached me.

    "Ready for your big day?" She said as I walked around to open the door. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

    "I'm nervous."

    "You'll do fine. Just keep it under control for the first question or so and then you'll realize it isn't that bad, especially with no live audience."

    "That doesn't mean much considering how many people will be watching on TV."

    "Ah, you're still imagining them there, then?" She asked. "We'll try to go over more destressing techniques when we're at the Poketch building."

    I leaned against the car window and sighed.

    Just get through this day.

    —

    After going over everything again, conducting four mock interviews ranging from easy to one where Melody went more in-depth by following up on each question, she decided I was ready and let me rest up for the final two hours. And Arceus, I needed that. I spent it with Princess and Honey keeping me company on one of the couches. It was cute, hearing them whisper about tactics to make me feel better, especially when Honey tried pulling a prank on me by calling for me and then poking me on the cheek when I turned my head. Unfortunately I had to shut them down when Princess suggested maiming Melody so the interview had to be canceled…

    Well, she had said maiming lightly, whatever that meant. I'd wanted to give her a stern talking-to about not being allowed to injure people that had done nothing wrong, but then everyone would have looked at us like we were insane, and I already had enough on my plate to deal with.

    Mel and I arrived at the SGNC building— or SGNC Center, as it was called, at seven on the dot. The complex wasn't particularly tall, but it was truly massive, taking up an entire block. It ironically reminded me of the Poketch Headquarters in Hearthome with its modern and sleek design. The front of the building jutted out forward and was a nice blend of metal and glass that revealed the bustling activity within. The doors were also adorned with the large red SGNC logo with bold, white lines surrounding each letter.

    The entrance opened up into a vast reception area that sported mainly neutral grey tones. Comfortable-looking couches littered the room with journals that were probably a decade old. Water ran down the walls and down below, and it was only when I stepped forward that I realized the floor ahead was made of glass with water types swimming there. There were Remoraid, Goldeen, Magikarp—

    "Grace?" Melody called out.

    "Right, my bad."

    I hoped they were happy here, but if Mallory the Pokemon activist worked here, they must have been treated well. Plus, I hadn't really felt any fear or annoyance, but then again, I had only stopped for a few seconds. The SGNC logo also flashed behind the reception desk, and multiple people worked there. Melody just strode toward the counter like she owned the place.

    "Good evening. Melody Summers and Grace Pastel representing the Poketch Company," she said.

    They went through the usual procedure (asking for ID, verifying our claim, and the receptionist typing away at his computer) until he printed some kind of keycard with our names and company name on it to put around our necks. We were directed to a room further down reception, which was basically just another waiting area with more outdated news.

    "What now?" I asked as I sat on the couch.

    "We wait for Mallory to come and greet us."

    I felt my stomach twist. "I thought I had two hours left?"

    "It's just for the pre-interview. I told you about this when we first started training, remember? She'll introduce herself to you and make small talk for around ten minutes or so so you become somewhat acquainted. Then you get to read my notes a little more, and you go to the dressing room where they do your makeup, and you're on."

    She made a small rectangle with her fingers which I assumed was supposed to be a television.

    "Do you think they have water here?" I asked. My throat felt very dry all of a sudden, and my lips felt chapped.

    "I'll go get one for you. You do you want anything else?" She asked as she stood. "Snacks?"

    "I'm good, thanks," I muttered.

    Melody left me all alone. I took deep breaths and tried the trick Bella had taught me to calm down and relax. I closed my eyes, but not too tightly as I sank into the couch and saw myself. You're okay. You're okay. I repeated the sentence in my head until I felt something poke me in the arm and jumped.

    At first, I thought it would have been Melody, but I nearly fell over when Mallory Ryan stood in front of me. The short-haired woman had captivated the attention of millions of Sinnohans stood in front of me. She looked to be in her thirties and had light brown eyes and hair with a smile that somehow made me want to smile back too. On one hand, seeing her here made me realize that this was actually happening. On the other, all irrational fears of her being replaced at the last second with her co-host or some other person I'd never heard of or studied could thankfully be laid to rest.

    "Sorry, I didn't know if you were sleeping, or…?" Mallory trailed off.

    "Good evening!" I said a little louder than I would have liked. "I'm Grace Pastel."

    "I know," she laughed. "Can I sit?"

    "Yeah, this is your place— well, not your place, but your job. Or, well—"

    "Relax," Mallory said. "I'm not going to eat you. Did Melody not come with you?"

    "She went to get me water, she should be back soon," I explained.

    The older woman sat down and looked right at me. "You're nervous," she noted. I simply answered with a curt nod. "They must have told you a lot of terrible things about me, but rest assured. I won't be tough on you, not when you're representing the Poketch Company and we share values. This is mostly an opportunity for you to tell your side of the story. The pictures of you standing in that crowd of Pokemon were striking, you know? My daughter tells me she wants to be like you when she grows up."

    I let out something between a gasp and a scoff. Someone wanting to be like me? That hadn't even crossed my mind.

    "How old is she?" I asked, not wanting to let the conversation die.

    "Six. Her name is Harley. You reminded her of those princesses that can talk to Pokemon in those movies kids go crazy for," Mallory smiled. "You made a powerful statement that day. You spoke for Pokemon, and activists like me noticed. You deserve to have a chance to speak, and they'll have a voice through you."

    "I… I think we have a lot more in common than I thought," I said.

    "See? You're relaxing already!" She beamed. "I've been in this line of work since I was twenty, so you're in good hands. Did the Poketch Company try to scare you? Let me guess, they showed you the clip of me humiliating Mr. Horn?"

    "They did. Multiple times."

    "It went viral, and it's what I'm most known for," she said. "That politician was a moron. He spoke all about how expanding into route 214 would be better for Veilstone. What he really wanted was for his rich buddies to have more land to build their mansions on."

    The woman rolled her eyes as she recalled the interaction.

    "You've got to push back any way you can, right?" She smiled.

    "You're a lot more active in this than I thought. I haven't done much compared to you…"

    "You're young, and you're a trainer," she shrugged. "Trainers don't really have time for anything."

    Mallory paused and her eyes drifted to my Pokeballs and stuck there for longer than I thought was normal.

    "Have you interviewed trainers in the past?" I asked.

    "A few, but I mainly work in politics," she said.

    I nodded, remembering how she had covered Cynthia's brief loss of power in parliament when we were in Eterna and the protests had been in full swing.

    "Anyway, people think of me as a ruthless interviewer because I ruined one greedy man's career, but I can be nice too," she said. "Here, let me tell you about a few of the interviews I've had that they didn't show you. It'll help you understand the process as well."

    Mallory went on to explain some of her past interviews and the positive effects they had. It was probably to help me get over my nerves, and it was actually helping. Because of all the wariness Melody had beat into my head the last week of training, I'd expected her to be confrontational right away, but it thankfully looked like that wasn't going to be the case. My sponsorship liaison came back with a bag of chips and two bottles of water in her hands a few minutes later.

    "Ah, Melody! Long time no see," Mallory beamed.

    "Mallory. Still the same as always," she said.

    "You know each other?" I asked. "Beyond acquaintances, I mean."

    "We've worked together a few times in the past," Melody said, handing me the water. I quickly opened it and downed the entire thing as if I'd been dying of thirst.

    "I was just getting to know Grace, but it seems we let time get the better of us. Here, let me explain to you how it's going to happen. You're going to be dolled up a little. There are clothes as well if you want to change."

    I looked down at myself and shook my head. Melody had already prepared adequate clothing for the occasion. It wasn't as fancy as what I'd worn during my date with Cece, but the flowery skirt and plain creamy top would do the trick.

    "Then, you're going to come to the studio. Since you've seen the videos, you know how it's set up," I nodded, remembering the two couches facing one another at an angle, so both people could easily look at each other and the camera when needed. "Don't get overwhelmed by the crew, they won't be interacting with you at all beyond the countdown before we go live. Then after a few minutes, we'll run ads and it'll be over."

    I'd already heard all of this from Melody, but it felt nice to have a refresher anyway. I wasn't as nervous as I had been now that I knew Mallory was nice, but the knot in my stomach was still there, and I really hoped I didn't look too sweaty during the interview. Mallory left soon after that, and I spent the last time I had studying the questions and answers while Mel kept me company.

    —

    Whereas the dressing room for the Poketch Company photoshoot had only had one attendant, SGNC had at least four people working on me at all times. One of them tried to convince me to change clothes the entire time I was in there, but they ended up fixing my hair that had gotten messed up from me putting my head against the couch for an hour straight and dusting my face with light amounts of makeup. By the time we were done, there was only fifteen minutes left to the interview. I honestly had never been this nervous in my life. Not even when I had battled Roark. My skin tingled and felt like it was burning up.

    I tried distracting myself by thinking about what my friends were doing right now. The interview had been announced today as a surprise, so everyone knew about it by now, although Louis and Maeve had already left the city. The rest of them were probably all grouped up in a room waiting for me to get on TV. I imagined Pauline telling me to kick ass and my mood improved slightly.

    The studio room was a lot more spacious than it looked on television. Mallory waved at me from the elevated platform where the interview would take place, and a green screen stood behind her.

    Guess that view of Veilstone at night was a lie, I mused to myself.

    Dozens of people were moving out and about, shouting at each other about technical terms I didn't understand at all except a loud 'go in ten', which meant that I had ten minutes left. With nothing left to do, I joined Mallory on the platform, although she was too busy to chat. People orbited and talked to her constantly, and she would instantly answer. With nothing left to do, I recited the answers in my head as I tried to calm myself the best I could. We both sat down on the couch as the technical crew adjusted the lighting and large microphones hung over our heads, just out of camera's frames.

    "One minute left," Mallory said as she crossed her legs.

    "Yeah."

    It was a simple answer, but at least I could speak. The minute felt like an eternity, but suddenly.

    "We're live in five, four, three, two, one!"

    As if a switch had flipped, Mallory's face grew more… brilliant. Captivating. I didn't miss the cue and began to smile as well, just like Mel had taught me. Not too wide, but just enough to not look obnoxious.

    "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are live on SGNC and I'm Mallory Ryan. Some of you may have noticed already that my cohost Patrick isn't here—" She stopped to wave in the distance, and I saw the man wave back. "Hello Patrick," she laughed. Was that allowed? I guess it was just how they did things on the network. "He's standing by because today, SGNC is bringing you an exclusive interview with Grace Pastel! Rising star in the League Circuit, acclaimed as one of the best first-years this cycle, she's an expert on battling and training Pokemon. Grace, how are you doing tonight?"

    "I'm doing great, t—thank you. I'm happy to be there and to have an opportunity like this."

    Oh, Arceus, I'd stumbled over my words already. Mallory ignored the small hiccup and continued.

    "Many of you at home know this already, but Grace has received mounting amounts of public attention for many reasons, but today we're here to discuss what happened on route 215. Before we get into that, however, why don't you introduce yourself to the viewers not familiar with you? Even I'd like to hear a little more about where you came from. My daughter's fascinated about you."

    The first question had arrived, and she'd weaved it seamlessly into the interview like we were having a natural conversation and not some scripted jargon.

    "Sure thing!" I said. "I grew up in Jubilife my entire life with my father. When I was younger I couldn't even imagine I'd become a trainer, but once I actually experienced—" I accidentally bit my tongue and paused. "Experienced what it was like to train with Princess for the first time, I caught the bug and I never looked back."

    "Fascinating. And Princess is your…"

    "My Togetic," I said. I'd completely forgotten to specify that! Damn it. "It's been tough, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my job and I love my Pokemon with all my heart. They're like family to me."

    My face twitched, and I made sure my smile was still there. I couldn't keep it completely still all the time, because then I'd look like a psycho. Normally I would have smiled anyway when talking about my Pokemon, but I was way too nervous to be normal at the moment. My palms were full of sweat and I was too scared to wipe them on the couch or my skirt.

    "Trainers often say that they love their Pokemon, but it looks like your love extended to more than just your team. Almost two weeks ago, Grace arrived at Veilstone's gate with what the Rangers and multiple news stations called an army that could have threatened the city."

    She paused, and I assumed the technical crew was showing a picture of the event to the people at home.

    "What do you have to say to that?" She finished.

    "I definitely know that it looked weird. People aren't used to that many Pokemon cooperating together," I started. "And the unknown or the unusual can be scary. They truly meant the city no harm and just wanted to send me off with a bang."

    "And when you say send you off, do you mean that you befriended all of those Pokemon?"

    "That is what I'm saying. I might not know all of them individually, but I still consider them friends, and I hope the reverse is true. What I experienced on the route was truly magical. I met so many Pokemon and realized that they're just like us. They have their community, worries, and drama as well."

    Mallory's smile widened, which told me she was genuinely doing so. "A lot of people, trainers included—" I didn't miss the strong inflection on the word. "Think that Pokemon are just animals for entertainment or even food. I think it's important for someone to shine a light on their individuality. If you had one moment to share with us that stuck with you, what would it be?"

    I felt my heart rate speed up at the first unscripted question. That wasn't one of the ones she'd sent to us, but my mouth surprisingly started to move before I'd even realized it.

    Well, beyond the moments with Night and Bella, I had plenty. "There was a Simisage that visited us every so often. At some point, he'd grown so attached to me that he decided to introduce me to his kid. She was the cutest little Pansage I'd ever seen, and shy too. She befriended Princess and Angel— that's uh, my Tangrowth— and they played together for a long time. I thought that was very cute. It just… filled my heart with happiness I couldn't explain."

    I finally understood what Melody meant now. Despite my stumbles, I was beginning to hit my stride.

    "But there's another side to the story," I continued. "She told me that she feared being captured and ripped away from her dad, or for the opposite to happen. That is why I believe that trainers shouldn't capture Pokemon without their consent. It's a mistake many of us make… I made it too, when I was just starting out, but I've grown past it. When you look at a wild Pokemon you want to catch, think about if they have a life they'd be leaving behind. Family, friends, dreams… they all have those."

    I finally stopped and inhaled sharply. That had been completely unscripted, but Mallory seemed over the moon with me.

    "That was very eloquently put, Grace, and I agree completely," she said. "But it's still something a lot of people have yet to realize. I noticed that you said that Pansage talked to you directly? Could you go more into that?"

    I stopped myself from biting my lip. We were going completely off script now, huh? Mallory's face was completely still, like an Ekans lying in wait for prey, but she was still being polite and not as harsh as she could be. I knew she was curious about my capabilities, but unfortunately, I had to shut her down.

    "Hatterene translated her words for me," I said.

    Mallory deflated, although she hid it well.

    "Ah, yes. Hatterene. The Rangers said that their Pokemon felt like she was an incredibly powerful Pokemon, along with Decidueye. You spoke to them when you were about to leave and your words were caught on video. Play the clip, please."

    We stood in silence for around thirty seconds until someone in the technical team motioned at us with a thumbs up. I felt a surge of panic when I realized I'd called Bella her name, but remembered I had only whispered it. Could people make it out if they zoomed in on my lips?

    "Talks of getting Decidueye books and paint, along with calling Hatterene your teacher. There was obviously a personal connection there."

    I restrained a sigh. I needed to keep this concise and short.

    "I can't deny I connected to them both more than the others," I said. "They're friends of mine."

    "Friends of yours, you say. Not many trainers would be able to boast befriending Pokemon that powerful. Could you go a little bit more in detail about that process?"

    Arceus damn it, she was fucking good at her job. I'd explicitly asked her not to approach the topic, but she was leaving me an out.

    I was good at words too.

    "It started when I nursed an injured Ponyta back to health under an overhang. A lot of Pokemon ended up taking refuge there for the night and I met Hatterene and Decidueye soon after. They helped me navigate the route and taught some of my Pokemon. We bonded a lot, but they're a private bunch. As a renowned Pokemon activist, surely you'd understand respecting their wishes."

    Mallory's lips twitched, and she leaned back against her chair, her eyes still hungry for answers. She was admitting defeat. "Of course. Now, let's move on. I've participated in many protests, especially when I was young. From Anti-Parasect to anti-expansionist protests, I've seen my fair share of marches against injustices done against Pokemon. Would you consider ever joining one of these?

    Back on script, I noticed. "I would, so long as they remain non-violent," I said. That last part had been added by the Poketch Company, but I thought it'd been a given when I answered. "I don't have much time since I'm a trainer, so I can't exactly put money where my mouth is, but whenever my schedule opens up, I'd be willing to join."

    "You should! People often have this negative view of protests, especially in Sinnoh and our neighboring countries. They're much more culturally accepted in Unova, Kalos and Galar. Protests give you the opportunity to meet a lot of like-minded people. It's actually how I met my husband, believe it or not," she smiled. "You might not have the time, but what about donating? There are a lot of resources and charities that'd be willing to take your money."

    Off-script again. I couldn't really fault her, though. At this point, we were having a conversation and the script was only used whenever we ran out of stuff to say.

    "I'd be willing to, but I have a few things I'm saving for right now. What's most pressing is a Shiny Stone for Princess, but there's a bunch of other stuff I won't reveal.

    Disappointment flashed on her face, but she left it at that. "Trainers and their secrets," she said. "Speaking of Unova, have you heard of this recently created group called the Plasma Organization?"

    "I have, but not much," I said. "I'd like it if you could explain it in more detail."

    That was honestly just me trying to fill the runtime with Melody speaking instead of me. It technically wasn't a lie. I'd only heard what Melody and the others had told me about it, so not much.

    "They're a political group in Unova that fights for Pokemon rights and freedom," she said. I noticed that she'd left a lot of it unsaid. They wanted to rip Pokemon and their trainers apart. That was arguably as bad as capturing a Pokemon without their consent. "They're small, but growing quickly, and I've donated plenty to them."

    I blinked. Mallory was SGNC's most popular anchor. She had a fortune and probably hundreds of millions if not billions of Pokedollars to her name. Donations from her were no small thing and could make a real difference.

    "What do you think about them?"

    I cursed internally. Now that I'd lied and said I didn't know much about them, me coming out against what she'd just said would make me look either like a huge hypocrite or a liar. But coming out in support would also bring the Poketch Company and incredible amount of negative press and would possibly hurt their relationship with Unova's government. Melody was probably fuming outside the studio right now.

    "I'm not really the best at politics, but I'd be willing to take a better look at them later," I said. "What you said sounds good, but I'd like to be informed about the Plasma Organization before making an opinion."

    Mallory faced me and winked with her eye hidden from the camera. "I'll send you some information later. Now, although I would have liked to hear more about it, you've shared your experience on route 214. You're starting to become known for training on route instead of in arenas, and you've been spotted numerous times on route 215. Have you had any similar experiences on that route?"

    I sighed in relief and began to recite my answer.

    Mallory never went off script again, and fifteen minutes passed in a flash.

    —

    "What the fuck was that, Mallory?!" Melody yelled. I'd never seen her so angry. "What happened to not stepping on the Poketch Company's toes?!"

    The short-haired woman waved a hand dismissively. "Come on. The girl handled it perfectly. She's better at this than most of the old men I speak to."

    "Yes, she did, but it could have been a complete disaster! Do you think SGNC will let this go if the Poketch Company escalates this?!"

    "I'll probably get yelled at by the executives, but I know their limit," she answered. "That's why I stopped eventually. I stopped right in front of the line."

    Melody exhaled. "Arceus, I've never felt so powerless as I was watching the show behind the studio door. You did wonderful, Grace. I've gotten a few texts, and the company's happy with you."

    "Can we talk about that raise, then?" I asked.

    "Tomorrow."

    Mallory stared at her watch. "The ads are still running. Can I have a word with Grace in private?"

    "What for?" Mel asked, crossing her arms.

    "That's why I called it private. Because I'm not going to tell you," she said with a smirk. "Don't worry, it won't be anything bad. You owe me a favor."

    "She does?" I frowned.

    "People often trade favors in the industry," Mallory explained.

    "Just make it quick," Melody said after clicking her tongue. She left the waiting room I'd gone back to.

    "What'd you think about the interview?" Mallory asked after a few seconds of silence.

    "I thought it was one of the most terrifying things I've ever done and that you nearly cost me my sponsorship, so I wouldn't exactly call it a good experience."

    The woman laughed. "I was a little hard on you, but nowhere near as bad as I could have been."

    "That doesn't reassure me one bit. It feels like you bulldozed over me to satiate your curiosity, and I dislike that. You slighted me."

    "I did. I wanted to see what kind of girl you were. Dull, or sharp. It turns out you were the latter."

    She paused again.

    "You know, my daughter told me she wanted to be a trainer like you when she grew up. I told her that I'd never let her be a trainer."

    "What? Why? Because it's not safe?"

    "Because I hate trainers," she snarled. "Keeping Pokemon confined in Pokeballs. Using them for bloodsport. Kidnapping. They're all horrible people. You're one of the good ones, Grace. One who I hope one day will put their money where their mouth is and free Pokemon from oppression and accept them in our society as equals, not pets."

    "You—"

    "And I know you knew what the Plasma Organization was. You know their goal. To end the trainer phenomenon once and for all," she said. "I think it's a noble one. When the first domino in Unova falls… other regions will be next. They call it Domino Theory."

    "You're mad," I said. "Utterly insane."

    "You've simply grown too accustomed to the systemic oppression Pokemon face," she shrugged. "I don't blame you for not understanding. You've already made so much progress alone and reached a point that few trainers do. Your points during the interview were so great… that's why I think you're one of the good ones."

    I scoffed. "I'm out of here."

    "You think Sinnoh is bad?" She said. "If you ever go to Unova, you'll realize how they trample on anything that isn't human!"

    Her voice had been a distant yell by the time I had left the room. Now I knew why she'd gone off-script and pushed me so hard in the interview. It was partly curiosity, but she wanted to go how far I'd go in supporting her cause. How truly good one of 'the good ones' could be. Aside from a few hiccups, I'd basically aced the thing and I was never coming back.

    "What'd she tell you— don't just walk past me," Melody exclaimed. "What happened in there?"

    "Mallory's a damn wackjob," I said. "She supports Plasma."

    "Yeah, I saw the interview. She said she donated to them. I'm surprised the SGNC lets her say that, but she is known as an eccentric."

    "She told me that she hated trainers. To my face."

    "Okay. Well, uh, I knew she was a bleeding heart activist, but I never expected her to go that far."

    "People like her make the people on the fence about this entire ordeal treat actual reasonable reform like some crazy thing," I sighed. "Whatever."

    "I'll talk to the Poketch Company about that raise," she said. "Do you have a tentative number?"

    I dragged my trainer ID out of my purse and checked how much money I had. The entire thing amounted to 245,000 Pokedollars and some change. I'd get another twenty-thousand next month from the LTIP, thirty thousand from hopefully beating Maylene. Then, I'd get paid another 250,000 at the end of this month, meaning that I theoretically didn't need a raise to get a Shiny Stone by the end of March. I would have liked to get this month's salary raised, but the contract had explicitly stated that I could only renegotiate every three months.

    However, I needed the money for other things, and more importantly, I didn't want to wait for the end of March.

    "I'd need a raise to at least 350,000 Pokedollars per month," I said. "That's the minimum amount. I deserve it. I know there's been problems, but you can't deny I've worked. You keep telling me that sales from younger people have gone up and companies trying to eat into your market are stagnant when young people are who they are especially targeting because there's less brand loyalty."

    "I think that's a passable number," she said.

    "Great. I want another thing. I want to get paid on the first Friday of every month instead of the last."

    Melody opened the car door for me, and we went inside.

    "That's an arbitrary change, unless you want to buy something and you don't want to wait," she said as she closed the door.

    "You know what I want. I asked for it already, a Shiny Stone. You shot me down immediately though."

    Melody sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but that's a lot less likely than the raise. If you start moving your payday around, other people we sponsor will get antsy, and we just got over that phase."

    "What if I get an impressive win against Maylene?" I asked. The goal still remained: to have Maylene either get so angry she lost focus or broke while not looking like a terrible human being. Luckily for me, she was pretty terrible too, so I had something there. If I was lucky, she would only reach the first stage. That'd make these negotiations a lot easier.

    "It'd have to be at least as good as your win against Fantina, if I had to guess. The higher-ups really loved watching that one. They even had a highlight reel made to put on our website."

    "As good as my battle against Fantina?" I said, excitingly biting my inner cheek. "That's what I was hoping to do, so I'll try."
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe
     
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    • Chapter 206 - Psychological Warfare
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    • CHAPTER 206 - Psychological Warfare

    Three days had passed since the interview, and it had apparently been a smashing success. Or at least that's what Melody told me. She spoke of ratings going up for the SGNC and other terms I didn't really care about. I was personally just glad it was over. The interview itself hadn't been as bad as I thought, but what came after still bothered me somewhat. Mallory's irrational hatred for trainers looked so visceral to me in that moment when we spoke that it gave me the creeps. Too bad her stupid hate overtook her other good points.

    The people at the Poketch Company had tentatively agreed on the raise if I kept up doing good work for them, so that was even better news. Hell, I even got a message from Candice complaining that I hadn't told her that I'd be on TV. I felt bad for leaving her hanging and we spoke for the first time in a while. The ice-type Gym Leader hadn't changed one bit, and she was happy she was going to get more challengers soon now that the worse of winter had passed.

    My friends were all proud of me, and Denzel even thanked me for not throwing him under the bus during the interview. I could have spoken about his Budew— hell, I even could have talked about Scyther, but I kept to my own experiences. So long as they had learned and wouldn't do it again like I would, then bygones could be bygones. Plus, Roserade had forgiven Denzel, even if she still gave him a hard time sometimes and Scyther and Cece were making progress.

    Yes, Roserade. He'd bought her a Shiny Stone, and now he was completely broke and decided to do more streams to fill up his coffers again. Little Swablu was kind of an enigma for me. She seemed to dislike everyone except Denzel, and even he sometimes wasn't spared by her wrath. One time, he'd tried to put her on the sidewalk and off his head and she bit his finger in retaliation. She was a real cleanliness freak and considered everything that wasn't her trainer's hands dirty.

    At least he was treating her right.

    "Hello, I'm here to sign up for a gym battle?"

    I'd entered Maylene's gym, and I was finally ready for the battle. The soonest I got was in four days, but that was perfectly fine. That was more time to prepare, and Chase hadn't even had his battle yet. We'd have to wait for him before leaving anyway, since we were all traveling together. Mira had handily won her own battle, and Porygon had seen some fighting. The normal type wasn't as powerful as her other Pokemon yet, but the amount of move variety she brought to the table couldn't be underestimated.

    I spent the next four days isolated and preparing as much as I could, and the day of the Gym Battle came in a flash.

    —

    "You ready for this?"

    Togetic nodded firmly with a fire lit in her eyes. I caressed her cheek and placed her forehead against mine, and we lay still there for a minute. I heard the cheers of the crowd, signaling that Maylene had probably lost. I was too busy to look at whoever came back in the waiting room. I took deep, slow breaths as I recalled Togetic and she melted in a sea of red around my hand. The Gym Trainer outfitted me with the usual microphone, and I made sure my Poketch Watch was fully visible. Couldn't let my bosses be unhappy.

    When I opened my eyes, it was as if I was looking at myself. An objective view of the situation presented itself before me, and I was the calmest I'd ever been. The touch of my clothes against my skin, Tangrowth's Pokeball I had unconsciously grabbed or the feel of my steps against the floor, all of that was gone. It was like I was in a sensory deprivation chamber, and I had only one goal in mind.

    What did the girl want?

    To execute each step of the strategy flawlessly and win.

    What did the girl need to reach that point?

    To come at this with the most pragmatic, objective view of the world possible. Maylene was no longer a person. She was an obstacle.

    So I felt lighter as I made my way onto the platform. With a step, I shed my morals. With another, I shed my last doubts. With the last, I shed my worries about what people might think of me if this went wrong. I had not come here to play. I came to win using every tool at my disposal, and I would have gone further had I had no monetary or social concerns. Maylene walked onto the platform with a spry step and began to speak.

    "Welcome Challenger…"

    I ignored her speech and looked at her fingers instead. Not twitching, so she must have had a good time during that last battle. Not good. Her body was relaxed, although it was a little tough to see from here. There was the faintest hint of a smile on her face. She was starting high, so I'd have to bring her crashing down. Annoying. The battle would be a five-on-five with three swaps, as usual. I immediately released Tangrowth onto the field, and Maylene brought out a Sawk. The blue Pokemon flexed and squared himself.

    Sawk. Grappler, Aura user, quicker and bulkier than he looks, I recited in my head. Little move variety, most likely brought out to scout out my capabilities. Good at complicated Aura techniques, but might not use them yet.

    There were two endings to this battle. Two branching paths, and they were not defeat or victory. They had to do with Maylene's state of mind. Either she would be pushed toward the brink, or she would wake up and realize that there was more to battling than staying inside of her comfort zone. I hoped that it would be the latter, but I would not stop myself if it was the former.

    "Begin!" The referee yelled.

    "Go ahead, baby," I said, my eyes unmoving.

    Tangrowth began to trudge along, slowly at first, but he was continuously speeding up. The base of our first pillars rose out of the earth as his eyes shone with Ancient Power. He'd trained so much with the move that he was capable of raising two at a time, and soon the first row was completed.

    "Don't let them set up! Go in and Brick Break!" She yelled.

    We'd planned for this, of course. I would have been a fool to think Maylene would just let us alter the arena. Angel finished raising the first four rows and crossed into Maylene's half the arena as Sawk sprinted toward him.

    "Stun Spore," I said.

    Maylene's eye twitched the moment the words left my mouth, but Sawk retreated before the cloud of yellow spores could reach him. His reflexes were just as good as I'd seen, and it was a shame that I hadn't paralyzed him, but just me being able to zone him off of Angel was fine. Tangrowth zigzagged through the arena, and rows G, F, and E quickly erupted from the ground, but Sawk was following close by. Not close enough to get hit or grabbed by Angel, but close enough to keep us on our toes and have Tangrowth in his line of sight.

    "Aura Sphere!" Maylene yelled.

    "Block it with vines."

    Sawk flexed his body, extended his arms and a pale blue ball flew out of his hand. Tangrowth tied as many vines he could into a knot and brought them forward. The Aura Sphere exploded after nearly shredding through the majority of the vines and Tangrowth continued on his path. After another minute, he had created all of their bases. The first fifth of the actual height I needed them to be.

    "Enough playing around," Maylene hissed. "Aura Lance!"

    Already? I must have been annoying her.

    Which meant her mood was souring already. Good. A blue light extended out of Sawk's hand reminiscent of Lucario's Bone Rush, and the fighting type began to wield it like a spear. I already knew that it was capable of extending at least threefold, and it'd easily be able to stab Angel like Lucario had during my battle with Chase. Either way, Tangrowth's job was done for now, so I recalled the grass type. I made sure to wait until right before Sawk hit him with his lance, of course. Taking the joy of striking Tangrowth down from Maylene would make her angrier, especially when she'd only missed by an inch.

    I silently sent out Princess and watched as she got to work. Her eyes shone, and with a grunt, the first tower began to extend, as if someone had pinched the top of the structure and pulled it upward. Her sculpting, her masterful control and her intense training had all come to this. Maylene barked out an order, and Sawk sent out a series of Aura Spheres flying toward Togetic, but she fluttered her wings and manipulated the wind to gain quick bursts of speed and dodged, but she unfortunately got hit twice. Both times on her chest. Most of the towers didn't reach the desired height of thirty feet, but the ones closest to Maylene did.

    "Wish," I said.

    "Will you ever attack?!" Maylene yelled. She stomped a foot on the ground and recalled Sawk as a bright light flew out of Togetic's body and into the sky.

    I let her words slide for now and reveled in her anger. If I'd been good enough, I would have mimicked sadness or faked flinched, but unfortunately every time I pretended to act one way, it still looked terribly fake, so I opted to stay calm instead. I wouldn't talk back. Not yet. Maylene sent out an Infernape. I had figured she'd use at least one fire type against me because of Togetic and Tangrowth, and she hadn't disappointed. Infernape wasn't great at Aura, although it had mastered Force Palm. If I had to guess, Maylene had brought her out to attack at a distance. That means Heat Wave, Flamethrower, Focus Blast, I recited in my head.

    "Climb those pillars and Flamethrower that Togetic out of the sky!" Maylene yelled.

    Infernape sank behind one of the towers and a cry from Togetic let me know she was currently on C2. I saw a glimpse of him jump one row ahead, and it soon became apparent that the fire type would be able to fight in the air thanks to our pillars. That hadn't been according to plan, but I had grown.

    No panic came.

    I waited until the fighting type stopped. She hung on a pillar supported by a single hand. As soon as she opened her mouth and flames lit up her throat, I sprung to action.

    "Ancient Power, make her fall."

    Togetic's eyes shone as she flung the small ledge Infernape had been hanging onto. The fire type tumbled and desperately tried to get a grip to stop her fall.

    "Air Cutter."

    The air below Infernape sharpened like blades and rushed upwards, cutting into the fire type's fur and skin until she bled from a dozen deep cuts. Infernape crashed into the floor and grunted in pain as she scrambled back to her feet. She rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding another Air Cutter and she retreated behind a pillar.

    "Strike behind B4," I said.

    I internally smiled when I heard her scream again. I hadn't seen the attack, but it had hit, and even Maylene was surprised. After all, Princess was hiding behind one of the towers out of Maylene's line of sight, and she hadn't expected her to be so versatile.

    "Fine then," Maylene said. "If you're going to be a coward, I'll stop pulling my punches."

    Now the real battle could begin. Twice now, she had spoken, and twice I had ignored her. I would not do so the third.

    "Acrobatics and Heat Wave!" Maylene yelled with a sweep of her arm. "Stick to the middle corridor so I can see you!"

    Infernape grunted and began to climb twice as fast, flipping and jumping in between pillars while Togetic tried to hit her with Air Cutter. The fire type front flipped and snaked around a tower as the air around her became sweltering. With a slight wave of a hand, it rushed forward and burned all in its path. Princess cried out and quickly hid behind one of the columns, but that wouldn't be enough to protect herself from the wind. She quickly raised a psychic barrier and although some of the hot air slipped past the transparent shield, it protected her from the worst of the damage.

    Infernape wasn't stopping, of course. The Heat Wave was continuous and Princess had to focus everything she had on defense.

    "Go in and Psychic."

    Maylene's eyes widened as Princess exposed herself to the scorching temperatures and flew toward Infernape. I struggled to retain my calm persona when her short fur began to darken and burn, but she wasn't taking damage for no reason. I hadn't forgotten about Wish, and neither had Maylene.

    "Flamethrower!" She yelled.

    "Extrasensory,"

    The air between the two Pokemon grew strange and blurry. The Flamethrower did not simply pass through. Instead, it loosened and became less concentrated. Less potent. Togetic dove through the flames with a mad stare and grabbed Infernape by the throat with Psychic right as Wish returned to her body and healed some of the damage she had taken. Togetic ransacked through Infernape's brain and the fire type bled's nose began to bleed—

    I stared at Maylene, my eyes unblinking. Her arm was twitching— hand approaching Pokeball!

    "Put her behind a pillar!"     I yelled, my words barely coherent. I'd broken my demeanor for the first time.

    Togetic grunted and slammed Infernape against one of the stone towers. Maylene had grabbed her Pokeball to switch out, and she did try, but the homing system didn't work that well. It wouldn't be capable of making a turn that sharp. The red light helplessly washed up against the stone.

    Maylene's Infernape slowly lost consciousness away from her view. All Maylene could hear was her small groans of pain and Princess finishing the job. She was powerless to do anything. All she could do was watch.

    Just like her life outside of this gym.

    "Infernape is unable to battle! Leader Maylene, send out your second—"

    "You're a terrible person," Maylene interrupted. "Not only are you a coward, but you're a shell of a human. Do you think I don't see you taking pleasure in what you're doing? That Togetic took longer than what was needed to take Infernape down!"

    Princess ignored her and simply threw Infernape toward the middle of the arena like a rag so Maylene could recall her, and I didn't miss that tight clench of her fist. She wasn't exactly wrong. Princess had taken longer to finish off Infernape, just like I'd told her to before the battle. Plans were fluid, but beating one of her Pokemon while preventing her from switching out had been my goal from the start. Making her hear the pained noises of her Pokemon was simply a means to an end.

    Third time, and another personal insult, I mused. Now I could finally speak. Rebuke her firmly, but politely. Don't rise to her level, make her look like the bad guy. Gaslight, but do not obstruct.

    "You've been insulting me and my way of battling since the start of the battle, Leader Maylene," I said. "I'm just trying my best to win the battle. Sorry if I've offended you."

    "You—" She spat, but then stopped as she recalled her Infernape and her shoulders sagged.

    Now, one of her strongest was going to come out right away to take revenge on Princess. She disliked any Pokemon that didn't fight within her rules, but what I'd done went beyond that. I had essentially assured that she would want to take down Togetic as soon as she could and right away. I rolled my neck when she sent out her Conkeldurr. The hulking fighting type carried two concrete cylinders larger than me in both hands. Not what I had expected, but it made sense. It was one of the most powerful fighting types she had at this badge level and Air Cutter would do terribly against him. Plus, he was so heavy that Princess would never be able to restrain him with Psychic, even if it would deal damage.

    And I recalled Togetic immediately. Maylene's face fell.

    If you want to play like this, I will not give you an ounce of satisfaction this battle, I thought to myself. It was like I'd pulled the rug from under her. I released Jellicent, who rose high into the sky and instantly summoned a Night Shade. The shadows intertwined until they became a clone, and while the real Jellicent seeped into one of the pillars after a small drop of water fell next to my side of the arena, the Night Shade remained in full view.

    Maylene clicked her tongue. "The Night Shade's a distraction. Watch out for the real one! Bulk Up!"

    Conkeldurr flexed, and his muscles bulged, growing even further as a dozen veins popped out from under his skin. One thing was for sure, one hit from that and Buddy would disintegrate. We had to play fast and loose with him, which was the plan in the first place. With a silent, ghastly whistle, the Night Shade flew forward and spat out a Water Pulse at Conkeldurr, who raised one of his concrete pillars in front of himself.

    The ring of water blew up against the concrete and only dealt minimal damage, but that was fine. The goal of the shade was just to provide support, harass and distract. My eyes drifted to the right side of the arena, where Jellicent had left the tiniest part of his body. The water circled on the floor, meaning that the ghost type was close to his target. Maylene probably believed that she'd be able to see him approach, but she was horribly mistaken.

    Maylene's face swung to her left, and I assumed Jellicent was out of the pillar and right behind Conkeldurr.

    "Hydro Pump," I said.

    I didn't see him actually use the move, but I did see the enormous high-pressurized jet of water dig into Conkeldurr. The fighting type grunted, protecting his face with his huge arms and the Night Shade began to pester him with weakened Shadow Balls instead. The ghostly energy hit the fighting type, but my eyes widened slightly when I saw that Conkeldurr was still moving.

    "Throw!" Maylene ordered.

    Conkeldurr throw one of his concrete columns at speeds that looked impossible toward Buddy. I didn't see what happened to him, but I did see his remains splatter all over the floor, pillars, and barrier. The Shade quickly floated toward Conkeldurr with a hiss and blew up against the fighting type to buy Jellicent some time to reform. All of the water type's fragments desperately crawled back together and he slipped into the pillars once again.

    "Keep your distance," I said.

    Attacks like Hydro Pump were the strongest the closer we were, but as it stood, Conkeldurr's throws were faster than they had seemed on camera.

    "Rock Slide!" Maylene yelled.

    There it was, I internally cursed. The first move I hadn't known about. The tower Jellicent had retreated into collapsed in on itself and forced him out into the open, after which Conkeldurr threw his other concrete column and blew the ghost type up again. Rock Throw would never have been enough to collapse our pillars, but Rock Slide was another story entirely. There were still thirty-five left standing.

    "Come back," I said.

    Buddy's fragments slowly returned to my side of the arena, and Maylene used the opportunity to order Conkeldurr to go pick up his concrete columns again. As if each glob of water was alive, it rose into the sky and formed into Buddy, who apologized for his weakness. It wasn't exactly his fault. We were going against a Bulked Up Conkeldurr, which was one of Maylene's most physically strong Pokemon. Even if he solidified his body, he would have blown up.

    "Another Shade and make it continuously use Poison Sting," I said. "We're using Drown."

    I finished the order by flicking my finger downward twice.

    Jellicent let out a series of clicks to agree and another Night Shade came to life. The ghostly construct wasted no time and began to spit out sharp darts dripping with poison. Conkeldurr had done away with A2, A3 and B3 when the first darts arrived. Only a few buried themselves into his arm before he retreated behind one of the pillars, but the Shade quickly circled around as many columns as it could to get a good angle on the fighting type. We were forcing him to move and shield himself using his concrete pillars so he wouldn't throw it at Buddy instead. Maylene didn't want to run the risk of one of her strongest fighters being poisoned.

    I hadn't even seen where Buddy had gone, but I did know he was somewhere under the floor. I bit the inside of my lip when one of Conkeldurr's pillars almost grazed the Night Shade.

    "Enough of this game!" Maylene yelled as she recalled the fighting type.

    I stayed silent.

    "You think you're real cool, don't you?" She huffed. "Lucario!"

    The bipedal fighting type appeared on the field in a flash of red.

    "This is serious. No holding back," she added.

    Lucario blinked, but then a blue light surrounded him. It danced and spun around his body, as if he couldn't contain the amount of Aura he had at his disposal. This was thankfully a badge-appropriate Lucario, but that didn't mean much when the fighting type was going to go at us like his life depended on it. I contained my excitement as best I could. She expected to steamroll me now, but if I took down Lucario? I would damage her psychologically to such an extent that she would never behave the same way during this battle again.

    The Poison Stings from the Night Shade refused to enter Lucario's skin, so the ghost switched up to Shadow Ball instead. A blue bone grew out of Lucario's hand and the fighting type split the attack in two. It didn't even explode. It dissolved with an infuriated scream.

    "Drown," I said again.

    Jellicent appeared below Lucario's feet and enveloped the fighting type's body as his head swelled to three times its size. It had been a technique we'd developed to take down Team Galactic grunts and Pokemon. Of course, we were using the non-lethal version, where Jellicent wouldn't forcefully enter Lucario's lungs and instead would just swarm him using water TE. The fighting type thrashed inside of Jellicent's head, but Maylene stomped her foot.

    "Aura Burst!"

    Buddy exploded for the third time, but this time, he didn't reform right away. Instead, the pieces of his body spluttered and squirmed against the floor as if he'd been confused. Damn it, even while drowning, he could do that? Aura required a Pokemon's concentration, so I hadn't expected him to be able to use the damn thing.

    "Wait until it gains shape again and Vacuum Wave," Maylene said with her arms crossed.

    I stood still until Jellicent regained most of his body mass, and I recalled him before he could be hurt further. Maylene clicked her tongue. She could have Vacuum Waved earlier, but that ran the risk of a part of Jellicent's body reforming elsewhere while she was distracted.

    "Cut down these pillars with Bone Rush."

    This came with no surprise. I'd known that Lucario's Aura-infused Bone Rush could cut through rocks like butter. No matter how much I'd racked my brain, I hadn't figured out a clean counter for this Lucario. What I had instead was a contingency plan, but first, Honey would have to do some work. The electric type roared, spinning his arms around as electricity crackled like whips all around him. B2, B3 and C2 had all collapsed into rubble.

    Even if Vacuum Wave would either weaken or disintegrate elemental attacks, they still served a purpose. I ordered Electabuzz to use Thunderbolt, and Lucario had to stop destroying the pillars to counter the ray of electricity.

    "Go in and keep using Thunderbolt," I said.

    Electricity roared brightly as Lucario countered each strike with another Vacuum Wave. When we got close enough, the tail-end of the attack actually hit him, leaving us with the perfect opening. All that training had paid off.

    "Cross Chop."

    Honey put his arms into an 'X' shape as they shone and slammed down on Lucario's shoulders. The steel type grunted with widening eyes, and Maylene nearly gasped in surprise, but they both recovered quickly.

    "Force Palm!"

    Electabuzz quickly blurred back, but Lucario's Force Palm brimmed with so much Aura that the attack burst forth and extended past the normal range and erupted like a volcano. The attack went through Honey's body, but it did not actually stab him. It probably felt like it had, though, and the electric type buckled, doubling over as he clenched at his chest and sizzling fur.

    "Bone Rush!"

    "Protect and Fire Punch," I commanded.

    Honey didn't even raise his hands. The barrier appeared around him unconsciously and Lucario had hit so hard that the blue bone nearly bounced out of his hand. Electabuzz's fist lit ablaze within the confines of Protect, and he punched Lucario in the leg while the fighting type managed to strike his ribcage. Lucario simply hissed in pain, but Honey went flying backwards and grabbed at his ribs when he stood up.

    "Feels broken?" I asked.

    He answered by saying that he didn't know, but it hurt when he drew breaths too quickly.

    "Lucario, go in and finish him off!" Maylene yelled.

    "I'm out of switches, Hon, I'm sorry," I softly said. "Do you want to be taken out of the fight?"

    I was out of switches, but his health took priority. Electabuzz shook his head and flexed. He would not go down without a fight. Somehow, me ignoring the Lucario running at us had angered Maylene further and she looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. I just needed to push her over the edge a little more. Lucario was faster and stronger than Chase's, but Electabuzz had already had a run-in with the species.

    "Thunderbolt," I ordered.

    The electricity zapped Lucario, but the fighting type didn't even blink. He pushed forward with a bone in hand and slammed against another one of Honey's Protects. The electric type's fist caught on fire again, and it looked like it'd be another hit for hit.

    Instead, I said this. "Discharge."

    Electricity so bright I had to cover my eyes exploded all around Electabuzz. He'd improved leaps and bounds with the move, and the floor shook under my feet as the attack ran its course. Lucario blinked rapidly and swung his bone around in an attempt to blindly hit Electabuzz while he regained his vision, but the electric type sidestepped and slammed Lucario with another Cross Chop. Unfortunately, that had alerted the steel type to his presence, and he swatted Electabuzz away with an aura-infused slap.

    I waited a few seconds to see if Honey would stand up, but he didn't. He'd done more than he knew, and Lucario was obviously tiring—

    And… convulsing?

    My eyes widened and I had to stop myself from laughing like a madwoman. Static had come into effect, and Lucario was paralyzed. The steel type leaned against a knee and grunted to Maylene, who snarled with a loud scream. I knew that was unusual when the referee had to ask her to remain calm after he announced that Electabuzz was unable to battle.

    "Are you alright?" I asked. "I'm sorry if I—"

    "Send out your Pokemon," she hissed.

    "Okay. Sorry."

    Her anger was music to my ears. That satisfaction from having taken one of my Pokemon out had been completely ripped away through a stroke of bad luck. It wasn't like Lucario was unable to fight, however, and the situation was still relatively equal on the field. We'd both lost one Pokemon, but to Maylene, it felt like she'd been on the backfoot the entire battle, and she was losing it. Now would she learn, or would she sink further?

    Since Lucario was paralyzed, the contingency plan had changed. Originally, Togetic would have finished Lucario off, but now…

    I sent out Jellicent again this time. Now that Lucario was paralyzed, we were better equipped to deal with him. I didn't want to risk Princess or Angel yet, and we'd made a plan to address Buddy's explosive ways that ought to work, especially when Lucario was paralyzed. Now was the perfect time to reveal it to sink Maylene further.

    "Hydro Pump," I said smoothly.

    Water exploded outward in a tight cylinder and barrelled toward Lucario. The steel type groaned as he stood, aiming a hand forward and—

    Too slow. The water hit him like a truck and sent him sprawling on the floor. Maylene clenched a fist.

    "Forget Vacuum Wave, strike back with Aura Sphere!"

    Lucario's movements were sluggish, as if the Pokemon had barely woken up and he was sometimes overtaken by a spasm, but he was powerful enough to push through. Buddy spat out another Hydro Pump, but Lucario managed to get an Aura Sphere out. The ball of concentrated Aura as large as my torso split the pressurized water apart. Jellicent easily dodged with a Water Sport, but my eyes widened when I realized that Lucario was speeding up. The ghost type kept narrowly dodging Aura Spheres and striking back with Hydro Pump until Lucario was back at 90% of his speed.

    Steadfast, I guessed. Could be Inner Focus as well. He'd learned to either focus or push through the paralysis.

    I could possibly get Jellicent to hide away, but that meant Maylene would order Lucario to take down pillars, and those were still essential to Angel and Princess' performance. Then again, her taking down one or two wasn't much of a problem, but they'd be able to collapse them way too quickly for my liking.

    One of Lucario's Aura Spheres struck Jellicent, but he'd reflexively solidified and lost a chunk of his body instead of exploding everywhere. The missing part of his head quickly regenerated with Recover, much to Maylene's displeasure. Buddy was my most annoying Pokemon to fight because it looked like you made no progress whatsoever when you attacked, even when that was the furthest thing from the truth. I knew him, and I knew he was slowly tiring. Hydro Pump still took a lot out of him and left him vulnerable whenever he charged it up.

    It was time to go back to the tried and true, then.

    "Use Brine as close to the ground as you can."

    Clouds materalized right above Lucario's head and raindrops stabbed into the steel type until he roared in anger and purged the entire move. The shock wave caused Jellicent's body to ripple and the water type clicked in discomfort. Just how long would he last? Lucario was getting more powerful the closer he got to fainting.

    Calm down, I breathed. You're fine. Grace is fine.

    "Make it higher, then," I continued.

    This time, more rain fell onto him like bullets out of range for the Aura Burst trick Lucario had used, but he raised a palm up and used Vacuum Wave. The attack did not stretch up enough to dispel the clouds, but it did completely ruin Brine's offensive powers.

    "Bomb him with Night Shade."

    Half-formed, misshapen horrors appeared all around Jellicent, and it was as if their mere presence dimmed the room. These wouldn't be able to use moves and were weaker than if he focused on one, but I was willing to try anything to finish off Lucario as fast as possible. The shadows rushed Lucario, who clenched his teeth and exploded with Aura again upon Maylene's order, causing a chain reaction in the shades that made them all explode.

    "Again, space them out," I said.

    I would probe, probe and probe until the dam broke and I punched through her defenses. Lucario huffed and could barely stand up straight after dispatching of the first two with Bone Rush, but the rest made contact. The shadows swelled, their eyes glimmered and they exploded right next to Lucario. When the purple smoke cleared, the steel type had finally gone down.

    "Lucario is unable to battle! Leader Maylene, send out your third Pokemon!"

    "Are you enjoying yourself?" Maylene asked.

    "I am, I love battling."

    "You call this battling?" She said as she grabbed her next Pokeball. "You use nothing but tricks. There's no hard work behind your tactics. You hide away until you win."

    No hard work? I'd spent countless hours preparing for this, every detail, every single possibility, every minute of this battle, every word out of my mouth planned to meticulous detail.

    "I don't think a Gym Leader should behave like this," I said, ignoring the fact that I'd been the one who turned her this way. "I've never seen any other Gym Leader insult their challengers this way."

    The teenager flinched, recoiling as if I'd physically slapped her. Yes, think about what your friends would think when they saw this. Let it eat you up inside.

    Maylene said nothing and let out a short, unassuming pink Pokemon. I knew better than to underestimate Medicham. She was as big of a threat as Lucario, or possibly bigger against Pokemon like Buddy. If I could have, I would have switched, but alas, I had to deal with what I had.

    "Night Shade and Shadow Ball," I said.

    "Detect and Calm mind!" Maylene ordered. There was a lot less zest in her voice now.

    I knew Medicham to be an excellent user of Aura, so there was no point sending Night Shades to explode on her. The fighting type's body bent unnaturally as she dodged both Shadow Balls and her eyes shone. Calm Mind had brought her clarity, and her powers would be increased for the remainder of the fight.

    "High Jump Kick is coming," I warned. "Keep attacking, don't let her Medicham breathe."

    "You think you knowing changes anything? Go ahead Medicham!"

    The psychic type silently jumped, leaving not even a small disturbance on the ground. She spun and coated a fist in Aura as she disintegrated a Shadow Ball with a tight jab and she pushed against one of the pillars, propelling herself at incredibly high speeds.

    "Poison Sting!" I ordered.

    The sharpened darts flew out of Jellicent and his Shade's mouths, but Medicham waved a hand and stopped all of their momentum, leaving them to fall to the floor as the psychic continued her jump. Jellicent moved out of the way with Water Sport, but Medicham grabbed onto him—

    She didn't. She grabbed onto nothing and dragged him down with her psychic powers as they crashed toward the floor. The fighting type immediately stood and clenched a fist, and Jellicent rippled as she kept him locked in place.

    "Force Palm."

    It came as a gentle touch. Blue light glowed from her palm until it extended like a spear and stabbed into Jellicent's body. Unlike the others, this Force Palm was refined and nearly silent. The water type's eyes dimmed and he finally went down. He'd pulled his weight during this battle, that was for sure.

    I released Angel next for a flurry of reasons. One, he wouldn't be able to deal with Conkeldurr or Sawk on his own, so it was better to have him be useful here. Two, his heavy weight meant that Medicham wouldn't be able to throw him around. She'd still be able to move him or restrain him, though. After all, Medicham had dragged Jellicent down with her, and he was heavier than he looked even in his more liquid form.

    But three, we had Knock Off and Sunny Day. Now that Maylene had locked in her five Pokemon, she wouldn't be able to trap me with a fire type like Zachary had and four, it was finally time to start using the pillars again.

    "Sunny Day," I ordered.

    "Psycho Cut!" Maylene barked.

    Medicham cut horizontally across the air and weaved an arc of psychic energy that flew toward Tangrowth. The grass type raised a boulder in front of him, but the psychic force cleaved through the rock like a leaf and slammed into him, interrupting his attack.

    "Don't let them set up and stay at a distance!" She yelled. "Keep using Aura Sphere or Psycho Cut!"

    "Go and hide, Angel."

    The grass type ran off behind a pillar, using his vines to speed up while Medicham pressured him with his attacks. An Aura Sphere buried itself deep inside of Tangrowth, causing his vines to writhe in pain, but he soon managed to get behind one of the columns. Medicham hadn't stayed idle during this. The psychic skulked through the stone forest, determined not to let Tangrowth get any respite.

    "Go in now!" I snapped.

    The whiplash on Maylene's face was delicious, and it was now that I realized how valuable Zachary's advice had been. Going from hiding to attacking right away had been like a metaphorical slap. Tangrowth wrapped thick vines around two pillars and catapulted himself forward.

    "Psychic!" Maylene ordered. But she'd been so slow. She was more passive than she'd been at the beginning of the battle, which was more proof I'd been getting to her. There was a key thing about Maylene every challenger missed no matter what level they were at. She was not used to being pushed in battle because everyone wanted an easier time against her. If you broke her rules, Maylene would strike back any way she could by using stronger moves and techniques, but push her enough and she would also start slipping and making mistakes.

    Angel slowed, and then dropped like a rock in front of Medicham. His eyes twitched as the psychic applied force to his brain and squeezed it like a grape.

    "Knock Off," I said.

    Void consumed five of Angel's vines as he jutted them forward, easily breaking out of Medicham's psychic hold. He wrapped them all around Medicham, but focused on her head and neck. The closer the darkness was to a psychic's brain, the more jumbled their thoughts would get. The fighting type shivered as the alien force interfered with her powers. My eyes snapped back to Maylene, and I saw her arm move.

    "Drag her behind a pillar quick!"

    Angel stumbled through the arena and tried to stop Maylene from using her last swap by extending the vines that bound Medicham behind one of the columns, but she managed to get the fighting type back into her ball. Barely.

    "Get that Sunny Day off," I said, not missing a beat.

    A second sun appeared high in the sky, above even the tallest of stone towers and Angel shook in anticipation. Maylene bit her lip and hesitated on what Pokemon to send out next. I bet she was wishing she still had a slot for another fire type. A thousand what-ifs ran through her mind and after twenty seconds, she finally sent out Conkeldurr. Doubt had seeped into her mind like a poison. What if she wasn't a good Gym Leader? What would the other Leaders say? What would her father say? This was just work. A routine battle. Yet in her head, it had transformed into a fight to defend her way of running the Gym.

    "Restraining him won't work," I quickly warned. "Run off and hide."

    Make her mind race, I thought to myself. Make her stew in her worries about what I have planned.

    "Bulk Up and then follow Tangrowth! Don't let it get away!"

    It was impressive, how fast Angel was with the power of the sun at his back. He was going as fast as a truck with a driver slamming down the gas pedal, and Conkeldurr had very little hope of catching up. The grass type settled behind G3 and faced me.

    I craned my neck. "A3, going down the corridor. D3… he's gone to the fourth row, I can't see him anymore."

    "Stop. Talking!" Maylene yelled.

    Angel's vines dropped and the slithered across the ground behind him. They were sensors. They extended fifty feet and twitched like worms. Tangrowth waved at me twenty seconds later.

    "Wrap it around his feet and Giga Drain," I said.

    I couldn't exactly see what was going on, and neither could Maylene, but the annoying grunts from Conkeldurr were a good sign. The fighting type could easily crush the vines or tear them apart, but he'd be slowed and we'd whittle him down. Angel quickly ran away when Conkeldurr got close enough, leaving a trail of spores behind him as he retreated a few rows away.

    "Rock Slide! Force them to come to us!" Maylene snapped.

    To be honest, I'd been surprised she hadn't just done that right away, but maybe she was just that focused on beating the hell out of my Pokemon. Conkeldurr grunted, and G3 collapsed into rubble. Then G2, then F2. Instead of following us, he was content to clear the way for him to simply throw his concrete pillars at Angel. I doubted the grass type would be able to counter them in any way, shape, or form.

    Luckily for me, all of these collapsing twenty to thirty-foot pillars had kicked up dust that hampered everyone's visibility, but I could still guess where Conkeldurr was through which one of them went down, while the reverse wasn't true. I waited until I saw a sign of Angel, and I smiled when I finally noticed him at the edges of the debris. Walking was growing difficult for him on all of this rubble, but the sun still meant he was nearly twice as fast.

    "Stay where I can see you and probe with your vines—"

    I flinched when a huge concrete pillar slammed into Angel's back with so much force it sent him rolling forward.

    "Leech Seed in that direction!" I ordered. "Keep that column away from them."

    It was at times like these that Angel's excellent multitasking came to the forefront. Seven of his vines wrapped around Conkeldurr's pillar and threw it at the corner of the arena. A series of seeds flew out of his body toward where the fighting type had just thrown his pillar from, and dozens of vines slithered forward to actually sense and find Conkeldurr. All at the same time. He was my damn baby, and he was the best Tangrowth in the world.

    "You keep that little toy away from him at all costs," I said, more childlike than was necessary.

    "Defog!" Maylene said.

    Now that the bad visibility wasn't to her advantage, Conkeldurr used his last remaining pillar to clear the air around himself. A powerful gust of wind pushed the dust outward and revealed that two Leech Seeds had landed on Conkeldurr and were slowly draining his energy.

    "Good," I said. "Now keep your distance and Power Whip."

    Now what, Maylene? I thought. Angel's vine glowed neon green as it slammed into Conkeldurr's shoulder. She couldn't reach us thanks to our speed from the sun, and she couldn't throw her last column to attack at a distance because Angel would simply put it out of reach. The fighting type grabbed onto one of Tangrowth's vines as it dug into his arm, but the grass type simply detached his vine before he could be pulled too far in.

    Maylene ordered him to run forward, but Tangrowth always kept his distance. Close enough for him to hit, but not enough for him to get hit.

    "Throw the pillar," Maylene muttered. Her arms went limp. She unclenched her fists and her posture slouched a little. Disappointment and dejection transcended annoyance and anger.

    I'd done it.

    She was broken.

    And yet it hurt to see her this way. I finally realized what I'd done, but I would push through. She could still come back from this. She could still grow.

    Angel quivered in agony as the last pillar slammed into him at full force, but he threw the structure away from the fighting type and into the opposite corner, just for good measure.

    "Collapse the remainder of the towers. As many as you can," she exhaled.

    Tangrowth followed, harassing the fighting type as he sent the remainder of the second and third rows crumbling to dust. By the time he was done, deep, bloodied lashes had marred his entire back, arms and face. Conkeldurr used the last bit of strength he had attempting to manipulate the rocks to bury Angel, but he countered his influence with Ancient Power. No longer was he clumsy with the move. His massive amount of practice had brought him far.

    "Conkeldurr is unable to battle! Leader Maylene, send out your fourth Pokemon…"

    The referee trailed off by the end of the sentence. Maylene wiped her eyes and sluggishly grabbed onto her next Pokeball. I hadn't even brought up her father yet— well, maybe it wouldn't be necessary, then. Plus, pulling out that card naturally would have been a challenge.

    "Are you good?" I asked. Tangrowth grabbed Conkeldurr's pillars and threw them in the middle of the arena for Maylene to recall them as well.

    "As if you care," she sighed, grabbing her next Pokeball. "I can't have anything, can I? The only time of the day when I try to feel useful, you rip that away from me."

    "Look, it's just a twenty-minute battle. Sorry if you feel that way, but someone that you can fit into a box will come along soon."

    My words were actually genuine this time, and I was disappointed with her. I understood that all of the stress of being a Gym Leader added up. Hell, I had studied it in detail. Part of me just couldn't understand how she hadn't learned to adapt and have fun— or at least not be brought to the point of tears after one and a half years as a Gym Leader, but I wasn't the one in her shoes. And yet, deep down, I'd wanted her to change from this. To maybe realize that—

    "You put me down. They all put me down and think I can't do the job because I'm too young. Because I try to keep people from battling a certain way. Because I'm Maylene. You think you've got me all figured out. All of you. You think you've won, but that's far from being the case," she said. My eyes widened at the sudden burst of life in her tone. Her back straightened, her muscles tensed and blue wisps swam around her as her eyes turned icy blue. "It just makes me want to beat you even more. I'm done crying."

    My persona broke and I smiled, interrupting the referee before he could even speak with an outstretched hand.

    "Bring it on, Leader Maylene."

    She sent out her Sawk once again. He was relatively short, but I knew we wouldn't be able to restrain him. The only reason we'd succeeded with Medicham was because of dark type energy. Sawk would just rip the vines apart. If I could, I would have started setting up to raise the pillars again, but that'd tire both Princess and Angel too much.

    "Aura Lance!"

    The thin, blue spear manifested in Sawk's hands, and Maylene swept an arm.

    "Bulk up and go in. Cut its vines apart!"

    "Keep your distance, Angel. Leech Seed."

    Tangrowth spat out a dozen little bulbs toward Sawk, and the fighting type's lance extended threefold as he slapped them all away from him with incredible dexterity. Not even one had hit its mark. Sawk flexed, and its rocky segmented skin ground against itself as he massively gained in strength. He turned toward his trainer and saw her state, but quickly spun back to counter the next set of Leech Seed that Angel had thrown out.

    A burst of aura exploded at his feet and he blurred forward. Tangrowth took a step back, but he quickly realized that he would get outsped even in the sun. Instead, he ejected every kind of spore out of his body. Purple, green and yellow powder exploded out of Tangrowth, but Sawk didn't even pause.

    "The lance extends further than that," I warned. "Slow him with Bind and Giga Drain when you can!"

    A dozen vines burst out of Tangrowth's body and snaked toward Sawk. The fighting type spun his lance around like a baton and minced most vines apart, but he grabbed onto one and blue light quickly spread through the appendage like fire. Tangrowth hurriedly detached it and it writhed on the ground until it turned to dust.

    "Come on, Sawk! Forward!" Maylene screamed.

    There it was. Adapt to your opponents, don't force them into compliance. Another push came, and Sawk slammed Tangrowth's side with his lance. The grass type silently screamed and grabbed onto Sawk's shoulder.

    "The weak point is through its vines!" Maylene yelled, causing me to bite my inner lip. Did she know because she'd fought other Tangrowth, or was it something else? "Low Kick!"

    Sawk grunted as he flexed and tore through Tangrowth's hold. He hurriedly crouched, held his breath and closed his eyes as he approached. Somehow, he could still see Tangrowth. The fighting type swept his feet and made Angel stumble, then fall before he stabbed him with his lance. Tangrowth squirmed, his eyes darting back and forth wildly as the lance seeped into his true body. He fought harder than I'd ever seen him, slamming Power Whips against Sawk's body and draining as much energy as he could to remain standing.

    "Leech Seed!" I yelled.

    Sawk broke the vines apart and backflipped away from Tangrowth's limp body. He slammed him with the lance again before too many seeds could pose a risk. The sun weakened, and Angel fell unconscious.

    "Tangrowth is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your fourth Pokemon."

    I sent out Togetic, who seemed disappointed that most of her pillars were gone. Row 1 and 4 at the edges still remained, however, and so did the majority of the pillars on my side of the arena.

    "Fly up and hide!" I ordered.

    "No you don't! Collapse the rest of the towers!" Maylene said. "Watch out for— behind you!"

    Sawk spun around and narrowly avoided the Air Cutter that Princess had set up. Sawk began to turn the remaining pillars to dust, and I knew something had to change when every Air Cutter was either avoided or dismantled. Maylene managed to catch them every single time, even through pillars. She'd done something related to Aura with her eyes, and she could see Pokemon and attacks even when they were hidden. A mad grin stretched across my face. My entire strategy was null and void, and it was so much fun.

    "Thunder Wave!" I ordered.

    Togetic fluttered her wings, and thin electric energy flew toward Sawk. The fighting type's body tensed as he glanced toward Maylene, but she did not complain.

    "Rock Smash!" Maylene barked.

    A blue fist slammed against the ground and rubble, rocks and earth erupted from the impact. The Thunder Wave caught in the debris, but Maylene wasn't done.

    "Pole Vault!"

    Sawk broke into a sprint, each step propelled by small Aura explosions. He summoned another lance and anchored it across the ground, sending himself barrelling through the air so quickly that he reminded me of her Blaziken or Gallade. I'd underestimated Sawk, but that was fine!

    "Submission!"

    "Psychic and Dazzling Gleam!" I yelled.

    Sawk slowed in the air, but he still reached Togetic and sent her crashing toward the ground. Light emanated from the fairy type as she slowly exploded with a brilliant Dazzling Gleam. The light seared Sawk's skin, but he didn't let go. Both Pokemon fell into the rubble.

    "Don't let it back in the air! The wings are a trap, just hit it as hard as you can!"

    His body still smoking, Sawk sprung toward Togetic—

    "Fairy Wind! Full Power!"

    "Aura Sphere!"

    The pink wind spluttered as it came to life, but it was so strong that it blew Sawk away. The fighting type planted his lance on the ground and grunted. Fairy Wind was not a constant like we used to do, but it was a series of blasts as powerful as we could make them. Sawk extended a hand, and then a finger. He pointed toward Togetic as a ball of Aura grew from his fingers until it was ten feet wide and then condensed into a single point.

    "Moonblast!" I yelled.

    A sphere borne of lunar power materialized in front of Princess and dragged stones and dust along with it. The rubble orbited around the attack like satellites as pink dust shimmered around the bright ball. The two moves did not hit each other right away. In fact, both were ridiculously slow, and I knew that to be one of a non-perfected Moonblast's main weaknesses. Aura Sphere and Moonblast joined into a dance and spun around each other, captivating all of us. The space between the two narrowed, and narrowed, and narrowed—

    "Move! Get out of there!" I said, snapping out of my daze.

    "Endure!" Maylene ordered.

    I covered my eyes, and the world screamed.

    Pink and blue weaved into each other and created a deafening explosion that broke against the land. All of that rubble from broken pillars flew off in every direction and destroyed everything in sight. The last remaining columns collapsed and a deep crater opened upon the land. I could almost feel the strong gust of winds blow past me, even through the barrier somehow. Princess lay there, burned and unconscious while Sawk stood on his last thread of stamina. The referee went on his usual spiel, but my ears were ringing so loudly I could barely hear him.

    "You're up," I said, sending out Pupitar onto some intact land beyond my side of the arena. The rock type shivered inside of her cocoon, excited to finally be in her first gym battle. "Stay focused. Rock Slide."

    It didn't take much to finish off Sawk. He'd been barely standing, and the rocks buried him before he could strike back. The final fight would be Pupitar against Medicham. We had the type disadvantage, but type grew less and less relevant as the months passed. What we had that Medicham did not? Weight and size.

    "Stomping Tantrum," I ordered. Better start slow and ramp up, slow down the tempo, make her worry and lure her into a false sense of security. We teetered on the edge of defeat, but I would battle like I had all my Pokemon left.

    "High Jump Kick!" Maylene yelled. She was smiling, tasting victory. Having fun. "Its weak points are between its segments!"

    Sweetheart screamed, and the floor began to shake as Medicham jumped higher than before.

    "Smack Down!" I ordered.

    The rock came out of the ground like a bullet and broke against Medicham. The fighting type lost her balance and fell to the ground, but it recovered quickly. The problem for Maylene was that Stomping Tantrum had begun again, and the ground type energy exploding below Medicham's feet would slowly whittle her down.

    "Psybeam, then Psychic!" Maylene commanded.

    I swallowed and wiped the sweat off my face. Medicham instantly raised a hand and summoned a rainbow that slammed into Pupitar's shell. The fighting type kept approaching, braving the harshness of the Stomping Tantrum, but her approaching was good. I waited, waited and waited until Medicham was close enough to strike.

    "Fly, Sweetheart."

    With a loud hiss reminiscent of a jet engine, the rock type blurred forward as her body shimmered with Iron Defense. Maylene's eyes widened.

    "Dodge with High Jump Kick—"

    We were too fast. The fighting type wouldn't have time, and she extended her arms instead. A pink light surrounded Pupitar, but the psychic force did not even hamper her. She slammed into Medicham, and I heard a crunch. The fighting type flew off like a ragdoll and crashed against Maylene's side of the barrier. Pressurized gas hissed out of Pupitar's vents as she masterfully landed, skidding across the ground and rubble.

    "Medicham is unable to battle! Victory to the challenger!"

    Maylene stared at the ceiling and recalled Medicham. The wispy Aura around her disappeared and she struggled to breathe for a few seconds, only being able to inhale small huffs of air. Sweetheart screamed in celebration, and I let her have her moment before I recalled her. I once again became aware of the world around me. Beyond the battle. The usual cheers rang out. What a battle that had been.

    Maylene and I stared into each other's eyes for at least thirty seconds. I saw the faintest hint of a smile when she turned away and began to walk up to me on the side of the arena. I did the same. The adrenaline left my body the closer I got to Maylene. She was just as short as I was, and it was easier to empathize with her now that she stood right in front of me and she wasn't just a person on my screen. Maylene tapped on her microphone to make sure it was off and outstretched a hand.

    "Congratulations, challenger," she said. I shook her hand. Her grip was strong. "May I have your ID and Pokedex?"

    I had already pulled it out, so I handed it to her. She fiddled with the Pokedex, and grabbed a card of her own as well and an orange disk.

    "You are now the owner of the Cobble Badge, and I've transferred thirty thousand Pokedollars into your account. I've given you access to the Drain Punch TM, in its unlimited form as well."

    "Thank you."

    "Grace Pastel," she said. "I still stand by what I said. You used my worries and anxiety against me, and it near got the better of me even if I knew what you were doing, and that pisses me off. I don't think that's an appropriate way to fight. But."

    I froze in anticipation.

    "I think that I had fun… at the end there. And I apologize for any outbursts and personal insults I threw your way. You did not complain when I used Aura to fight, and I think I should learn to be a better Gym Leader. You were waiting for me to wake up, right? You smiled when I went all out. You even stopped Jason."

    I assumed that was her referee. The poor man had had to walk all around the arena to actually see what was happening throughout the battle. "I don't know. My intentions weren't as pure as you think, Leader Maylene. I did use you, and I vowed to continue whether you gave up on the battle or not."

    "But you were happy when I did not."

    "I was."

    Maylene sighed. "Off you go, then. I don't want to see you ever again!"

    "Just one thing. Sorry about your Infernape. I think I might have gone too far, my head wasn't all there. I was tunnel visioned on winning."

    Maylene's neutral expression turned into a deepset frown, and then a disturbed look as she stared at me like I wasn't human. "Now I really don't want to see you. Your practices disgust me… but thank you for opening up a new door for me. Now go. I despise people like you. You're a manipulator, and you're being rewarded for it. Ugh."

    "It is what it is. I'm sorry," I apologized again before leaving.

    Unfortunately for me, my win hadn't been as impressive as the one against Fantina. Or maybe it had? I didn't really know. Executives cared more about what the score was after the battle instead of what had gone on during the fact. I could have made the battle easier than it was by adhering to her standards and probably won with a better score, but where was the fun in that? On one hand, she'd almost given up at one point and me screwing with her had made her slip up and make mistakes. On the other, she had come at me with everything she had with Sawk and Medicham. Preventing her from switching bordered on the taboo as well. I walked into the waiting room and sighed.

    Princess' Shiny Stone would probably have to wait a while longer.

    This fight had been fun from start to finish, but I couldn't deny it had been ugly. People most likely wouldn't know, but I'd essentially become an emotionless monster during the fight. I doubted I'd be able to do the same against other Gym Leaders, which I was grateful for because I didn't know if I'd be able to stop myself. Maylene had just been the perfect storm for me. What better than a teenager unable to fill her shoes left by her father to torment? None of the other Gym Leaders shared her insecurities. Roark apparently had, once upon a time, but he was grown now and I'd already beaten him anyway.

    This was the closest I'd come to returning to how I'd been in Shiftry's domain, and that had been the goal, but maybe it would be best to leave battling that extreme to people that had wronged me. This was a sport for people and Pokemon to have fun, after all. Infernape hadn't deserved to get hurt those extra few seconds for my benefit. She had done nothing wrong.

    Still,

    Beyond the psychological games I'd played on Maylene?

    I had learned and grown leaps and bounds.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Zeta, Logan M
     
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    • Chapter 207
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    • CHAPTER 207

    "That. Was. Awesome!" Denzel yelled as he clapped my shoulder. "You destroyed the hell out of her! I don't even care about the preventing her switch thing, the rest was just great."

    Cecilia scoffed. "You were wonderful, but Maylene was quite rude to you—"

    "She was a bitch, that's what she was," Pauline said. "Good job out there, gremlin."

    "She was an asshole, that was for sure," Denzel nodded. "She said that Grace didn't work hard, I mean, are you joking?"

    Stop it. Don't praise me, I thought. I knew I'd won, but they were all ganging up on the girl because I looked completely reasonable during the battle. And yes, I did expect it to happen, but I looked… squeaky clean. She was probably going to be under fire for a while for insulting a challenger.

    The guilt was beginning to seep in, but it wasn't a debilitating affair. The damn goal had been to look good for my sponsor, not appear like a psychopath, and potentially make Maylene grow as a Gym Leader, and I had maybe achieved all of those. With the way my friends were reacting, I'd definitely achieved the second one.

    "Grace?" Cecilia worriedly said. "Are you alright? Did the fight tire you?"

    "Yeah, I'm good," I finally answered. "Just try to lay off Maylene for a bit. She was ruder than she should have been, but I'm no innocent angel either. We were, uh, we both kind of went overboard."

    My girlfriend raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"

    With one look at her face, I knew she'd figured something out. She knew me best, after all, and my tactic was relatively easy to spot with enough context. Cece could probably tell that I felt somewhat guilty and my confession only made it easier.

    "All you did was fight a way she didn't like," Pauline said.

    "Look, we can go back to the Center and I'll explain there. For now, just let the trash-talking go."

    "You two spoke for a while down there," Cecilia noted.

    "Yeah, I'll explain," I said. "For now, I've got to get my Pokemon healed."

    The walk to the Center was a short and brisk one. Pauline couldn't stop telling me that people were being wildly toxic to Maylene on the forums. People were glad someone had finally knocked her down a peg and had stood up to her, which was fine, but the nasty comments and insults were not. I realized that thinking this made me somewhat of a hypocrite. After all, had it not been me who had planned to bring up her father? Who had subtly broken her down to the point of tears? The road to hell was paved with good intentions, and while yes, Maylene was probably going to grow from this, I could have been a lot more normal while still helping her.

    That trick with Infernape, for one. I had taken it too far. Almost every Pokemon felt pain from battling, so one being hurt was nothing unusual, but drawing out the process had been needlessly cruel. The effect on Maylene probably would have been the same if I hadn't. There was an emotionless monster within me that I was not scared to embrace, but that had not been the time nor the place. There was a lesson to be learned here. While using every tool to win— including trainers and how they thought— was a valid strategy, there was a point where it stopped being appropriate for a Gym Battle, or any battle really.

    So I wouldn't stop studying people, as well as their Pokemon whenever I had a tough battle ahead of me, but I would not go as far as I'd gone. Against people that wanted to hurt my friends or my family, however? No holds would be barred.

    I handed all of my Pokemon except Jellicent to Nurse Joy and we made our way to my room. Thank goodness Mira was busy with other stuff. She was trying to code moves into her Porygon's brain to bypass how expensive TMs were, but she wasn't having a lot of luck so far. She probably would have chewed me out for this and figured it out right away.

    Or maybe not. I didn't know if she'd care about my behavior if it wasn't related to Team Galactic.

    "So? Spit it out?" Pauline demanded with her arms crossed. "Emi's sick and I need to take care of her. Denzel, you're coming with me right after this."

    "Uh, okay?"

    She did have a cold, which would probably delay their group's departure a little. She was really bummed out about it too. It seemed like so much time had passed, but our time in Veilstone was soon going to come to an end. So many things had happened, and yet we had spent less time here than we had in Hearthome.

    "I played mind games with Maylene," I said. "I saw all of the pressure her duty brought her and I took advantage of her. Some of it was benign and valid strategy, like switching before she could get her revenge on one of my Pokemon, but the other stuff… it got pretty bad."

    I was too much of a coward to tell them about Infernape.

    "How bad are we talking?" Denzel asked. "I mean, it's not like you'd be the first to do this anyway. Gardenia does it all the time."

    "Her crying, that was planned. Every word out of my mouth was planned too, it was all engineered to make myself look better and her look worse. I thought that the experience could change her for the better, but I wouldn't have stopped if it didn't and she completely gave up. I also… uh, kind of used her as a stepping stone for potential enemies. Real enemies."

    "Yeah? Well, she deserves it," Pauline immediately said. "It's not up to the Challenger to care about a Gym Leader's mental state. They're supposed to run a damn city and you have to treat them with kid gloves?"

    "I don't know…" Denzel muttered.

    "I thought you looked off, but I figured that was just me. Your face was completely still. You have that stare you do when you're focused, but that went beyond that," Cecilia said.

    "What do you think, then?"

    "I think Pauline is right," she said.

    "Even if I'm ninety percent sure that Maylene is only this way because her father is some kind of screwed up perfectionist that raised her to be a Gym Leader from birth and that she feels massive amounts of pressure because of it and I used that to my advantage?"

    "Yes."

    "Even if I'd planned to bring her father up to her before she cried to press her buttons?"

    She hesitated this time. "...Yes. You know how I am with fathers," she said. "I'd be horrified if you used mine against me—"

    "I would never—"

    "I know you wouldn't," she smiled. "But you realize this was wrong. That's the difference between good and bad. You try to improve at all times, and you make the best of what you have."

    "Thank you," I sighed in relief. She gently grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

    Denzel finally broke his silence. "Yeah. It was arguably fucked up, but… y'know, it's kind of what I expected out of you. Wait, that sounds really wrong— I didn't mean it in a bad way. You idolize Gardenia, so I expected you to start using body language and stuff like that. I didn't know about mind games though. Just don't go that far against me, yeah?" He finished with a twinge of anxiety.

    "I won't, I promise."

    "And that doesn't absolve Maylene," Cecilia added. "She is horribly unprofessional, but I suppose that's what I should have expected from a person as young as her being shoved into her role. You say her father raised her for this?"

    I nodded.

    "I wonder if she even wants to be Gym Leader deep down," she pondered as she sat.

    "I don't know, it was hard to tell."

    "Can't she just designate a successor and quit?" Denzel asked.

    "With Team Galactic running around?" Cecilia shook her head. "I don't think Cynthia would let go of an Aura user that she can order around that easily. You saw her during the battle, right? That thing she did with her eyes, it revealed Pokemons' weak points and it allowed her to see through the pillars."

    "It's like Chase's Lucario," I said. "I don't think she sees them as much as senses them, along with moves. She's a prime military asset."

    And Cece and I both knew Cynthia's more sinister leanings now. Denzel and Pauline, however, did not.

    "And there's also the pressure her dad's probably putting on her," I quickly added. "It's hard to say no to your parents, especially when you lived your entire life for this purpose."

    "Yeah… shit, I kind of feel bad for her now," Denzel scratched his head. "She was annoying to fight, and I got kind of heated when she started shit talking you. I guess no one came out of this the good guy."

    "Eh. I still think it falls upon the Gym Leader not to have a crisis in the middle of battle," Pauline said.

    "That's true, but I think I kind of lost sight of the fifteen-year-old girl too. She's not just a Gym Leader. She's a kid just like me— younger than me, even. I apologized down there when we were talking, but she hates my guts. I don't blame her," I said. "It was ugly, but I hope she'll change. Unfortunately now she's going to be flamed."

    "She was already being flamed online before this, but it'll be intense for a while. I bet you that in one hour there'll be clickbait videos about her too."

    "I thought the government copyrighted any of their footage?" I asked. "They're strict on that stuff."

    "They are, but people find ways around all of those systems to make reaction videos. You can dim the footage, cut it, blur it. Some of it always slips past the Porygon."

    I exhaled. "Nothing I can do about it now. I doubt any further apology would go well, and it'd be best to let her be. I hope she pulls through alright."

    They didn't stick around that long after that, although Cecilia stayed. I placed Buddy inside a cold bath so he could get back on his feet quicker and remembered I did have to call Melody before hanging out with Cecilia, and discussing my contract was private. I was surprised she hadn't called me already. I had to call her four times for her to answer, which was very unusual. Melody was a punctual woman.

    "Mel? Everything okay? Did the company see my battle?"

    "Sorry, I felt the phone vibrating, but I couldn't answer. I was in a video call with the board of the sponsorship department. We were talking about you. Congratulations on your victory, by the way!"

    I quivered in anticipation. "Thank you. So? What did they say?"

    "Like I said, you're getting your raise. I only had the okay from one of them, but the full board has agreed," she said. "350,000 Pokedollars per month, effective in March. Unfortunately though, they didn't budge on moving your salary to the beginning of the month. I even tried to ask for a simple one time bonus like you got at Solaceon, but they weren't convinced. I'm sorry."

    I clenched my bedsheets and bit my lip. "Did they say why?"

    "Multiple reasons. One, they're just like me and terrible at battling. They don't even look at the battle, just the final result. That was why they were so pleased after your fight with Fantina. I know it's unfair, but it's how things work up there. They're in charge, but they're very disconnected from the entire thing. They have people that give them a rundown of how different battles went, and they're more qualified, but they really didn't like the score this time and there's also the fact that you stopped Maylene from recalling Infernape. Apparently people don't like that? Also, they're used to Craig, and he routinely pulls out 3-6 against most Gym Leaders, and you're supposed to replace him. It's tough, and it's not very fair, especially since you're just a first year, but that's how big companies work. To them, you're a name on a screen that generates revenue. They don't know you like I do."

    "Damn it," I hissed. "I wanted a Shiny Stone so badly."

    "You're still getting it next month, right? It's not the end of the world."

    "I wanted to evolve Princess and get her started on flying and flying classes as soon as possible," I said. "An extra month screws me. I'm going to be very busy in a few months and I would have liked to knock the license thing out of the way."

    And also, I was kind of envious that Denzel had already bought his. Not enough for it to affect our friendship, it was just me being stupid and immature. Knowing my luck, I'd get pulled into some grand conspiracy that'd stop me from going to classes, and unfortunately due to a lack of personnel, only people with a Pokemon capable of flight were allowed to sign up, even for the knowledge test.

    "I'm sorry," Melody said. "There was another reason too, which is related to something important we have to talk about. Your contract's changed and I'm going to need you to come here to sign the new version. The government knocked on Poketch's door asking to alter your contract. Remember those five tournaments you had to be in? That's gone now. We'll still pay you the bonus for it, but you're no longer obligated to participate."

    "What the hell?" I muttered.

    I knew that Cynthia had told me about changing my deal with the Poketch Company. I had just expected her to tell me first. Had she actually screwed up Melody's pitch? The board was mad at me and it wasn't my fault at all. Yes, there was still the first point that Melody had brought up, but maybe— no, not even maybe, it would have made the board more amenable to my request.

    "I'm not going to ask why the government cares about your time, but with how domineering they've been getting lately, it was out of the board's hands. It'd be preferable if you came to sign the new contract today. They've sent me a physical copy and I can send someone to pick you up."

    "Fine. Send them now, please. And Mel?"

    "Yes?"

    "Thank you for trying. You're the best sponsorship liaison I could have asked for."

    "Don't sweat it. I've got your back."

    With my plans to maybe go to Unova this summer when all of this blew over, it'd be nice if Melody could come along— if she even wanted to. Someone would have to be there to represent me, after all. I hung up, told Buddy I was leaving for a bit and left my room. Slowking and the League Trainers shadowing us would be enough protection. Cece had been waiting in front of my door.

    "You look angry," she noticed.

    "I am angry. I'll tell you in the car."

    "The car? I thought we were going to visit Emi."

    "I'm going to the Poketch Building for stuff. It's urgent, but it shouldn't take long. Can you come with me, and we can hang out after? I need to destress."

    "Of course. With how hard you were working, we didn't have much time to be together since our date. I was going to ask you out anyhow because I figured you'd need to relax."

    "You know me so well," I smiled.

    "By the way, Mira called me," Cecilia said. Her voice became a whisper, barely audible. "We got permission to go to Lake Valor today."

    I restrained a scoff.

    So Cynthia screwed me over, and then she did this? Did she think that would make me forgive her?

    Complicated metaphor or not, Mira had been correct.

    She really did think us to be characters in a damn dating sim. Even the Poketch Company, bar Melody, treated me like a pawn.

    Hopefully when I grew further in strength and reputation, the company wouldthink twice about crossing me. As for Cynthia? Well, she knew damn well I wasn't going to do anything, not with Team Galactic there. Hell, I wasn't even sure if she realized I'd be pissed. I had told her that I lacked in time, and she might have thought she was doing me a favor, but Arceus, talk to me first.

    All I could do for now was keep my head down, but this lack of agency was quickly getting on my nerves.

    —

    I had signed my new contract, and it was as Melody said. It had been written the exact same way, save for the five tournaments. Granted, them being out of the way certainly helped with my time crunch, but for Cynthia to do this without my input? I was pissed, damn it!

    Cecilia took me to see some kind of tourist attraction in Veilstone's east. A set of huge craters from an ancient meteorite that had fallen there eons ago, and strangely enough, no vegetation had filled the deep gashes in the earth. Nature had not reclaimed its place, and all we were left with was an enormous quarry-like crater. The space rock had split while entering Earth's atmosphere and created the three craters, and a few chunks of the meteorite still remained deep in the hole. They were a dull grey and not very interesting, but the history of it was. Geological data suggested that a crater in the Sevii Islands in Hoenn had appeared at the exact same time, and there was some strange DNA on the rocks that scientists had never seen before, which was why going into the craters was prohibited. You could only stare from afar.

    It was a nice date, and I promised I'd be the one to pick the location for the next one. Cecilia wasn't even surprised by Cynthia's decision due to how controlling the Champion was, but what truly baffled her was the fact that she hadn't even bothered to contact me. Either way, I'd make sure to speak my mind whenever I saw her again.

    Even though my team was out of commission, I still found myself at home on route 214's mountainous slope. I spent hours there with Sunshine and Buddy, speaking about anything and everything. His experiences at the depth of the ocean, what school was like when I was a kid— and he even shot me a disappointed look when I explained the grading system to him and I told him I hadn't been great at it. He did strike me as someone who'd demand his kid had excellent grades. Even though he'd fainted to Maylene earlier, he was still well enough to speak and float around. Turtonator sometimes chimed in, and in his opinion, school seemed like a useless waste of time. Suddenly, Jellicent's eyes glinted with a sinister red, and I understood why soon enough. There were steps. Not unnatural, considering this was a route, but we'd never seen anyone come this high up in the mountain. It was where I'd trained the entire time against Maylene.

    I slowed my breath, motioned downward with my fingers and Jellicent sank into the floor, ready to drown anyone with nefarious intentions. It was only a few seconds later when I realized that Lou probably would have intervened if this was a dangerous individual that I was about to call him back up, but Justin was the last person I would have expected to show up.

    "I thought I'd meet you here," Justin said. "They say this is your favorite spot."

    I recalled Turtonator before he could do anything rash.

    "Justin! Are you alright?!" I asked. "I haven't seen you in forever. I… heard about you, though. And people know I come here?"

    The pale boy dipped his head. His thin frame had changed and grown lean. He was nowhere as well-built as Chase, but it was easy to tell he'd been working out.

    "They know, but they steer clear. I figured it'd be better to give my old teacher one last visit before I left," he said, his voice completely still.

    "I thought you— wait, that might have been too harsh, let me rephrase. Did you want to see me?"

    With his emotions all but gone, I would have thought Justin wouldn't have cared about seeing me or not. He hadn't even contacted us since the battle against Louis, and we'd tried to find him for hours to no avail.

    "I wanted to test myself. You see, I won against Maylene around three days ago, and now I have my team back."

    I froze. "How did you fight her?"

    "Using the path of least resistance, of course. I hit her harder than she hit me, and she let me win rather easily," he shrugged. "When I saw that Pauline had also won, I went to go see her. It was around two hours ago or so. She told me that she'd accept when I got my head out of my ass."

    "Did that… hurt you at all?"

    "Hurt me? No. She was hurt, though. I could tell," he said. "Will you also deny me a battle?"

    "Justin… I can't battle you," I sighed. "Most of my team is at the Pokemon Center, but even if they weren't, I can't reward you for this behavior."

    I bit my lip and stopped. Was this hypocritical of me? Even I leaned into my fairy leanings at time. No, Justin was simply incapable of backing out. Of realizing what he was doing. Unlike me, he couldn't know when to back out.

    "Listen, I'd like to see your Pokemon. I haven't talked to them in a while, and I heard you got two new—"

    "Very well. I will be on my way, then. Apologies for bothering you."

    "Wait! When you get to Sunyshore, talk to Louis. Battle him too, if you want. I'm sure he'd be willing to accept, and he'll give you a challenge this time. You want your team to grow to survive Victory Road, right? Tough battles will get them there."

    Justin stared, his face unmoving. "Perhaps. If he performs better against Volkner than his disappointing showing against Maylene, then I will consider."

    "Good," I sighed. "Good. And I'd like for you to speak to Mira's Alakazam too. He can figure something out and potentially get you out of this rut."

    "Out? I feel fine as I am. I am progressing leaps and bounds and by next year, I will easily make it to the Conference. Then, my position as the future head of Pherzen will be secure."

    "Come on, Justin. I know you know deep down that this isn't you. You just can't bring yourself to care. I just want you to take the first step. Help me help you. I'm your friend, and I… I've also been changed by Type Energy, only fairy instead of dark. Alakazam can figure something out, I'm sure of it."

    His face didn't change, but he stared at me longer than was needed at that revelation. I thought that he'd changed his mind, and that me having gone through a similar event would help him talk to me, but he didn't stay for long.

    "Farewell, Grace," he said, dipping his head. "We will probably meet again in Sunyshore."

    Justin left the route, and I assumed he was on his way to Sunyshore. He'd probably make it in four to five days— possibly faster considering his one-track mind. If I could get one conversation in with his Pokemon… with Arcanine, his oldest companion, then I'd be able to make them stop this suicidal Victory Road idea. Was it pragmatic? Yes, and it made sense if he ignored the fact that he'd be risking his life every single day. Damn it.

    "You can come out," I exhaled. "You didn't even have to hide anyway."

    Jellicent slipped through the ground and emerged in front of me, right where Justin stood. The perfect position for Drown.

    "He's not himself, but there's no need to be alert. He wouldn't hurt me."

    Buddy had never particularly liked my friends. He even didn't care much for Denzel or Cecilia. He was a family Pokemon through and through, and he focused entirely on them. I couldn't fault him for that. They were my friends, not his. The water type clicked and said it was better safe than sorry.

    "You're alright," I said, caressing his wet cheek. "It's okay to relax sometimes. You can't be on guard all the time. Anyway, we're going to be leaving soon… as soon as Chase wins his gym battle, really. Sunyshore's an electric type gym, so you'll be taking a step back for the battle, but think you can start working on Water Spout again?"

    The water type nodded and began to float away.

    "Not now," I chuckled. "You're on break. You were wonderful in that battle against Maylene, but it hasn't even been a day. After you master Water Spout, we'll start experimenting with your ghost side again."

    It was a delicate thing to balance. Dual typed Pokemon could either lean into one side completely like Bella had or walk the tightrope. The benefits of ignoring one's type could bring fast progress with the other, but long term, I believed it to be better to not neglect either, which was why I'd started Princess on Air Cutter (beyond Maylene being a fighting type Gym Leader). It was trickier with Sweetheart. Her evolution would turn her into a rock and dark type, but Tyranitar were still as good as ground types at ground moves. Or at least that's what my minimal amount of research had told me. There weren't that many trainers with the species.

    "Now, you wanted to tell me something?" I asked as I grabbed my physics textbook. My training against Maylene had made me put my studies aside for a while, and I also rereleased Sunshine, who huffed at the fact that I thought he'd randomly murder a trainer. I supposed he'd grown past that phase.

    Buddy nodded as he settled next to me, his shape hugging the boulder I leaned against. He whispered something in my ear and I felt a chill. His breath was cold.

    He wanted history textbooks.
    Thank you to my Patreons - Spandaz, Alex Walters, androide, ObsidianOlive, A Ferret, MKK, Oblige, Joe, Emilowish, Sean, Tim Schmidt, Dim, Violett T, Dom Noct, yesnomaybeso, Sean M, Daniel, Ryan T, Kail H, Bridie, dragonslaver, Benjamin R, Jon, RosaC, TsukiNoNeko, NPM, Jim A, Spicyice101, Ryan T, Vesperal, Iota, Addmolition exe, Zeta, Logan M
     
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