Stormy Says: Hmm… There were a lot of firsts in this chapter, including the first battle scene I've ever written. That being said…if you have any constructive criticism of that section (and any other part, of course) I'd love to hear it. (:
Chapter Four: Sense & Sensitivity
Misty let the silence wash over her, enjoying it for a brief moment. Anything that wasn't Amanda's sickly sweet voice was music to her ears. Her clenched stomach began to slowly ease loose. But it was like untying triple knotted shoes – it took way too long for Misty's taste.
"Pika... Chu." Pikachu seemed to sense the emotions tearing through her sanity. Snuggling into her shirt, the tiny mouse was a comforting ball of fluff.
"Thanks, buddy."
Misty clutched Pikachu to her chest, trying to fight the tightness in her throat. She could feel the heat radiating off her face. Jeez. That woman always messed with her system. What was wrong with her?
But Misty had been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed a new man enter the Gym. Ash and Amanda had left about a minute ago - the same time the man had arrived - but the stranger still waited. Perhaps patience was a virtue. But it still scared the crap out of Misty, who jumped when she finally realized she wasn't alone. Her eyes widened.
"…Oh." Even in the dark half-light of the entryway, she recognized his face.
"Nice to see you, Misty. I didn't expect to get a personal greeter." A grin slowly stretched over the man's face. His hands were tucked into his jean pockets, blond pony tail swinging behind him. It grabbed Misty's eyes, annoying her. Humph. No respectable man should have hair that girly.
"Very funny, Nico." Misty bent down, lowering Pikachu to the floor. Ears drooping, the Pokémon plopped down next to her. He sat at Misty's heel.
"Chu."
"Didn't know you had a Pikachu. Thought this was a water-type Gym?" Nico chuckled. He eyed the mouse curiously, and Misty felt her heart beat a little quicker. Oh. Dang. What was she supposed to say? Admitting to babysitting the Pokémon Master's prized starter didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. And who knew how well Nico could keep a secret? She really didn't feel like a flood of fangirls banging on her door.
The entryway echoed as Misty turned about, heading towards the dark hallway behind. "He's…a new addition." With a look back at Nico, Pikachu hopped after her.
Footsteps followed behind. "Really, huh? What level?"
Ha. She hadn't the slightest idea.
"Thirty-five." Misty kept her voice even. If she sounded like she knew what she was talking about, maybe he'd believe her. Either way, it was time to end this train of talk. "So…you want to see Daisy first or get on with the inspection?"
The diversion seemed to work. Nico came up to walk beside her with a smile. "I know this is a bit shocking, but my girlfriend isn't the only reason I came here today."
Misty forced a laugh. It hurt.
"And actually…it isn't the inspection either."
Misty arched an eyebrow, noticing that Nico had stopped walking. She turned around. The glowing aquariums cut rippling beams of light through the dark, and she could no longer make out the older man's expression. A tingle went through her ankle, and Misty realized Pikachu's cheeks were sparking.
"Pikachu…"
The Gym Leader stood a little straighter. "Then what are you here for?"
"The record books might say for official League business, but I have another thing I'd like to deal with." Nico's silhouette grabbed something off his person. A mechanical whir echoed in the hallway, and Misty recognized the familiar sound of a Pokéball being enlarged. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind a little three v. three battle. For personal reasons."
The conversation was dull and the coffee cold. Ash stared into the brown depths of his drink, feeling more and more zombie-like with each passing moment. Stupid coffee. Stupid meeting.
Stupid Pokémon-Master-duties-to-society-and-the-public-eye.
"Be ready. He'll be here any moment."
Amanda stood beside him. Arms crossed and eyes tight, the strong wind blew her little sundress all over the place. She looked pretty – and pretty miserable. As nice as her clothes were, it seemed a bit silly to be wearing an outfit like that in early Fall. Ash would never understand fashion. Or women, for that matter.
"I am ready," he muttered, griping his Styrofoam cup in both hands. It did nothing to warm him. "I thought you said this meeting wasn't that big of a deal. That he was just a friend of your dad's or something."
She said nothing in reply. And Amanda's silence made him anxious. The couple continued to stand quietly under the iron archway to Watergate Park, a grassy area in the nicer part of Cerulean. The bad weather left the park like a ghost town. Ash leaned against the low brick wall that surrounded the place, wishing that he was back at the hotel, his room, his bed – anywhere but here. An image of Pikachu floated across his mind, and he wondered how Misty was holding up. Whatever his best human and Pokémon friends were doing, he was sure they were enjoying themselves more than him.
A chilly wind blasted by. Why did it have to be so cold?
"I think…that might be him."
Ash glanced to his left, towards the small dirt parking lot. A large black SUV had just pulled into a spot not far away. The chrome on the wheels shone even from a distance. It dwarfed Ash and Amanda's sedan that sat a few feet to the side…and the Pokémon Master felt a bit jealous.
A door slammed, and out stepped a large, older man. He began to walk towards them, white goatee shivering in the breeze, suit dark and crisp. The closer he got, the more Ash realized how tall he was. The fellow was pushing 6' 4". But even for his size, the guy held a strength and smoothness about him - Ash wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been an athlete in his younger days.
Amanda uncrossed her arms. A sweet smile graced her face while she tried to hide a shiver. "Mr. DeAnza! Such a pleasure to see you!"
DeAnza came up beside them, a towering figure with amused eyes. "No, the pleasure is all mine. It's been far too long." Ash was surprised at how slow and steady the man's voice was. For some reason, he'd assumed something…scarier? More intimidating? "You've grown so much since I've last seen you! Your father had told me all about the fine young woman you've become, but I'm so happy to finally see it for myself."
Amanda's smile faltered. "Well… You know Dad. He loves to talk." She turned to Ash, who was still in awe of both DeAnza's height and his car. "Of course you already know, but this is my boyfriend, Ash. He's been wanting to meet you as well!"
"Oh. Umm…yeah." Tearing his eyes from the gleaming vehicle, Ash plastered a grin on his face. He knew he was supposed to be happy. After all, Amanda only made him come to meetings with the best. It would be too risky for him to come to everything Amanda arranged – Mew knew he'd find a way to mess things up. "Very nice to meet you, sir." There. A polite hello. Mission accomplished.
Now…weren't they supposed to be having a picnic at this thing?
DeAnza continued to stare Ash down, a calculating look on his face. But the moment passed before Ash could even guess the reason for it. "Very nice to meet you as well, Master Ketchum. I…have heard so much about you."
Amanda gave a violent shiver.
"Miss Stone, are you alright? You must be miserable, with this weather and all." Before another word could be said, DeAnza had taken off his suit jacket. Draping it over Amanda's shoulders, it fell past her knees and nearly to the ground.
"Oh… Thank you!" Amanda looked slightly puzzled, but pulled the jacket tighter none the less. "How thoughtful of you."
DeAnza smiled. "Perhaps it's because I've always been fascinated with history, knights, and honor. But I've never liked to see a lady in distress."
Ash pulled at his own overcoat, a blush on his cheeks. Great. Nothing like having an old guy make you look like a jerk to your girlfriend.
"Now… I suppose we should get down to business." Turning on his heel, DeAnza started back towards his car. He gestured for Ash and Amanda to follow. In a few steps they were crowded behind the fancy SUV. The huge man was swinging up the trunk door.
"I know we planned for a picnic, Miss Stone. But I now have something much more important to discuss." His low voice could be barely heard as he dug around the back. "But just a few days ago, my team and I stumbled across a great discovery. This…could change the very landscape of Pokémon training."
Ash frowned at the picnic comment, but got curious over the last sentence. Is this why he had been asked to come? He gripped his coffee a little tighter.
"I know I am President of the Cerulean Breeding Association. And normally Breeders don't work in the field of training. But a…friend of mine put me in touch with some of the best minds over at Silph Co. I was fascinated by what they had achieved." A couple of packing peanuts fell to the dirt as DeAnza pulled out a test tube rack. In it hung five corked vials of silvery liquid. What the hell did this have to do with Pokémon training?
"This…" DeAnza's voice took a tone of awe. "This…is what we like to call Factor X. And I think Master Ketchum will appreciate it very much."
"I don't like this."
Misty, examining the row of Pokéballs on the rack before her, said nothing in reply.
"Why is he even doing this? Why would he want a battle for 'personal' reasons? Something is up."
"How am I supposed to know why? Either way, it doesn't matter." Misty selected two 'balls from the line of eight. She tossed the one in her right hand up, catching it with a satisfying smack. "I'll show him why I'm a Gym Leader. End of story."
Ian was quiet. He stood behind his boss, arms crossed, lips pressed into a thin line. Piles of boxes stood as a back drop to his frustration, the dim backroom claustrophobic. Just outside lay the pool – and a waiting Nico.
"I still think he's up to something."
Misty resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Like I said: it doesn't matter." She bent her head, attaching the Pokéballs to her belt. No matter what her assistant thought, the redhead didn't fear Nico's motives. In fact, she had a lurking feeling that this was somehow related to new League strength standards that had been passed that year. Each Leader had been assigned a "Tier" level – the order by which each Gym was to be challenged by Trainers. Official evaluations had been conducted months ago. Misty cringed at the memory.
"I think this might have to do with that stupid new system. Remember when we got battled back in August?"
Ian chuckled, arms loosening slightly. "And how your sisters had to battle too, since they were still listed as co-Leaders? Ha. Yeah. That went well." He smirked. "But what does this have to do with Nico?"
"Well…" Misty fiddled with her belt, thinking over her last second theory. "Maybe this is like…a reevaluation. Everyone knew it was a joke to have Daisy, Violet, and Lily battle last time. Maybe they felt bad for us and are letting me have a rematch."
Ian said nothing. Still dressed in his usual Gym wetsuit, he pulled at the tight fabric. Silence.
Misty sighed. "I know you're still worried…but don't you see? We might have a chance to move up a Tier, to a place that we should be. Cerulean Gym could finally be respected. I worked my whole life for this Gym. I…" She suddenly found her breathing thin, faces fluttering to her mind. She pushed the memories, the longing away, speaking with a new determination. "I gave up a lot of things for this Gym. And I'll be damned if I stop short of making this place the best I can. It's the least the city deserves."
It's the least I deserve…
Ian still appeared unimpressed, but had no comeback. His shaggy hair shielded his eyes. "…Do what you have to do."
A small, strange part of Misty fell inside. She wasn't sure what she hoped Ian would say. But for some reason, hearing him obediently agree made her…frown.
"You'll be referee?" she asked.
Ian gave a weak smile. "Sure."
The two Trainers stepped out of the cramped storage room and into the bright arena. Misty walked over to the clear water, standing underneath the towering diving board. She unfastened a Pokéball. Nico's cocky smile could be seen from the other side of the pool, and his ponytail annoyed her even from there.
"You ready, Miss Williams?" he shouted, a red and white ball in his own hand.
Misty locked eyes with Ian, who had assumed his post by the bleachers. He nodded.
"Born ready!" she called back. With a cheeky grin, the Leader threw her ball. A shot of ruby light filled the air, forming into a spiky blob over the water. "Corsola, go!" The coral-like creature sprung forth. Little sprouts of pink rock jutted out of its cream body, branching out all over.
"Cooorsola!"
Nico threw his own ball. Red light filled the room again, twisting in the air. Misty narrowed her eyes as the brightness faded, leaving a surprise in its wake.
A sleek, golden Ninetales sat upon one of the floating platforms. Its blazing eyes focused on its opponent…with ten tails swaying.
…What the hell?
Misty said nothing, although she was sure her face gave her thoughts away. Ninetales was a fire-type. Why would Nico bring along such a Pokémon – let alone battle with it – in a place like Cerulean Gym? And second…apparently that Ninetales had forgot how it had gotten its name.
This was getting stranger by the second.
"This match will be a three versus three competition, consisting a total of three rounds, between Cerulean Gym Leader Misty and League Agent Nico. Each Trainer will send out one Pokémon at a time. The round ends when one Pokémon either faints or leaves the battle arena for longer than ten seconds. At the end of each round, both Trainers shall call out a new Pokémon. The best two out of three wins the match. Are both combatants ready?" Ian's official voice echoed through the room, filling Misty with a new sense of dread. She wasn't sure why. If anything, she should be happy right now. She had a clear cut type advantage, so victory was all but assured…
Nico raised his hand above his head. "Ready!"
Misty took a deep breath, doing the same. "…Ready."
"Alright then!" Nico raised both arms high into the air. With a glance at each Trainer, he quickly swung them down. "Begin!"
"Corsola! Bubble Beam!" Misty took no time waiting for Nico, hoping to get a strike in first. She didn't trust that fancy fox. Time to see what Daisy's loverboy had up his sleeve.
Corsola shouted its name. Taking a deep breath, a stream of large bubbles shot out of its mouth and headed right for Ninetales.
"Dive, Shiva!"
The line of bubbles hit nothing but empty platform.
What?
The fire-type had gracefully plunged into the water, vanishing in a blink. Misty's eyes widened. Did that weird tenth tail give the Pokémon some strange resistance, or was this borderline Trainer abuse? Either way, Corsola seemed worried. She had stopped her attack and looked to Misty for direction. The Leader grit her teeth. "Dive after. Attack under."
"Cor!" In a flash of pink she was gone. Both Trainers sat helpless as the battle continued beyond their sight, the rippling of the pool their only guide. Misty clenched her fists, trying to take advantage of the pause. Time to think of a plan. Obviously he isn't worried about the disadvantage. I'll have to over power him another way. He thinks I'll go only for my usual water moves. I'll have to surprise him…
Suddenly, a loud splash echoed throughout the arena – and a spiny blur flew up, up, up…as high as the diving board.
Ninetales surfaced, clawing back onto its platform.
Forget calm and collected. Misty gasped. How had she lost the momentum under the water – in her own territory? Her Pokémon was too high in the air for her to get a good look at. Was she injured, or could they still get off an attack…? "Corsola! If you can-"
Misty's answer was the sharp singing of metal.
Shooting off like a machine gun, steel spike after spike rocketed over the pool. Corsola spun as she began to freefall, still finding her target as she rolled. It was hailing Spike Cannon.
"Shiva! Agility!" The Ninetales danced as it tried to avoid the attack. Holes began to pepper the platform as Corsola's storm continued.
The fox howled as one spike grazed its leg.
But one hit wasn't good enough for Misty.
"Mirror Coat! And fall hard!"
Without question, Corsola curled up and began to shine. A hard, glossy shell wrapped around the Pokémon. She fell like a stone into the water below, cannonballing to the bottom of the pool.
"Surf!"
With the whole volume of the pool above her, Corsola's attack packed an even bigger punch. The water began to shake. Seconds later a huge wall of water shot up towards the ceiling, towering high enough to even make Misty nervous. Only a small bit still sloshed on the far side of the pool, and Ninetales gripped its float as it fell lower and lower.
Misty braced herself. "…Let it fall!"
The wall turned into a wave, roaring forward while Corolsa rose to the crest. It fell down with a deafening crash. The water bounced back from the impact, spraying all over Nico's side of the field. Misty smirked, waiting for the foam to die down, looking to see what damage she'd done…
But Nico coughed up some pool water before shouting, "Try a Fire Blast!"
A bright light began to shine from the center of the pool. Corsola had just bobbed to the surface when she suddenly gave a loud squeal.
A pillar of blue fire made the water bubble, boil, and evaporate. For the second time that battle, Corsola was sent flying through the air, riding now not water but a torrent of flame. "No!" cried Misty, not fully believing what her eyes were seeing. Was this physically possible? The smell of singed skin gave an awful answer.
"Umm…Shiva! Enough!"
A thick layer of steam hovered over the Gym and Misty bat at it with her hand. Her Pokémon was now falling back to Earth – this time without an impressive counterattack. "Return." The Leader pointed her Pokéball and the red light took Corsola back in. "I'm so sorry, buddy," she whispered, slightly in shock. Who knew how bad Corsola's burns would be later… She carefully placed the 'ball back on her belt.
"Cerulean Gym Leader Misty recalls her Pokémon. Round One goes to League Agent Nico!"
Glancing over, she saw that Ian was still in his same position – though now standing in a puddle with frizzy hair. Part of her wanted to giggle. But the bigger part of her wanted to pound Nico and his damn fox into a pulp. Everything…had just happened so fast. Nico had beaten her with only three attacks. In under two minutes. Against one of her best fighters.
Why had Daisy never told her she was dating a Pokémon powerhouse?
Ian was giving her an uneasy look from his spot. She must have had a wonderful expression. Misty pretended not to see, choosing instead to take out her next 'ball.
"Hey, Ref! Let's get this going!"
Ian narrowed his eyes, but tore his gaze away from Misty. "If both Trainers are ready…" He glanced to see if Nico was prepared, but the man had just recalled his drenched Pokémon and was picking out the next. Misty could see there were only two 'balls remaining on his belt. Why did he seem so confused on which to choose? His hand was…twitchy.
"Umm, yeah." He snatched off the Pokéball to the right. "Ok. Good to go!"
Ian raised both arms above his hand. It felt an awful lot like déjà vu.
"And…go!"
There was an echoing growl as Gyarados entered the scene. The blue serpent bared its fangs, and Misty felt a new swell of confidence. This was her ace in the hole; last round had just been an awkward fluke. She wouldn't underestimate her opponent again.
"…Go?" With a half-hearted toss, Nico threw his Pokéball. It landed neatly on what was left of the floating platform. The regular lightshow ensued, leaving behind what looked to be a Hypno.
At least, it had the regular body structure of one.
If it hadn't been for those crazy bulging muscles.
Oh boy.
Misty bit her lip. This time she promised herself to play the defensive. Last battle she had gone in head first, and look where that had gotten her. No. Despite how every cell in her Trainer's body wanted to get that hit in, she would wait. Be patient. Let the enemy show its weaknesses before she used them to her advantage. And an uneasy acceptance washed over her.
Nico seemed tense. But with a casual wave of his hand he shouted out the first command. "Ra! Use Psychic!" The golden animal twirled the pendulum in its hand. The weight spun in a perfect circle, a blur to the naked eye, and Hypno's eyes began to glow red.
Gyarados roared in anger. He thrashed his tail in response, and a lucky swipe hit at Hypno. The other Pokémon managed to leap away just in time. As Hypno splashed into the shallow water, bits of platform ricocheted around the Gym.
Misty tried not to think about how much a replacement would cost.
"Gyarados! Focus and use a Hydro Pump!"
But the redhead's words did nothing. Her strongest Pokémon, her most ferocious competitor, continued to flail. What little water was left in the pool went flying, and soon the battle ground was little more than a concrete bowl. Was the Psychic attack still going? Hypno was now crouched in the far corner, eyes still glowing... Misty caught Gyarados' eye as he turned around. The agony she saw there made her want to want to scream. She didn't know what the hell was going on with Nico and his Pokémon, but some unspoken line had just been crossed.
"Nico! Enough!" she yelled across the Gym. Misty fought the panic in her voice. "Stop the attack! Move on to the next!" So much for this round going longer than the last…
Gyarados' roars began to stop. Misty was relieved. Nico must have called off that crazy Pokémon of his; hopefully Gyarados hadn't taken any serious mental damage. But just as a smile crossed her face, she saw Hypno's blazing eyes turning to look deep into her own...
And it then that a yellow blur went streaking by.
"Pi! Pikachu!"
Suddenly the air was full of white light, static-y hair, and pain. And even though Misty couldn't see, she knew the battle was over.
The vials gleamed despite the overcast weather. The strange substance seemed to bubble slightly. DeAnza beamed with pride, Ash looked disappointed and confused, and Amanda raised an eyebrow.
"Factor X? I've never heard of it." She cocked her head to the side, leaning in for a closer look. "What is it? What does it do?"
"This is the future. Power. The key. This," DeAnza raised the tray, "is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak." He hooked Ash's eyes. "I've been especially eager to show to this discovery to a Trainer of your caliber, Master Ketchum. Who would better appreciate unlocking a Pokémon's full potential than the Pokémon Master himself?"
But before Ash could even speak, Amanda had pounced again. "Mr. DeAnza. Artificially enhancing a Pokémon's abilities after they've hatched is against League rules. You of all people should know this."
Apparently Amanda was quicker to get DeAnza's point than Ash was.
"I…am not suggesting such." The man's jaw clenched. "This is very legitimate research. If things like iron and calcium supplements are allowed for Pokémon after hatching, why not this? Besides…" He laughed. "There are no League rules about genetic enhancement."
"Yet." Amanda, still wearing DeAnza's oversized coat, narrowed her eyes. Ash was struggling to understand what had his girlfriend so upset. Why, DeAnza hadn't even fully explained what this "Factor X" was… "I might not know exactly how fair this invention of yours is, but I do understand how my father's mind works." There was now a tremble in her voice.
DeAnza's face had lost all of its smile. "Not everything I do is from under your father's orders, Miss Stone."
"Is that why he was the one to suggest this meeting?"
Tension vibrated in the air. Ash wasn't sure which was colder – the new silence or the old wind.
"…I merely wanted to help an old friend out. I meant no harm." DeAnza turned on his heel, placing the rack securely back in the trunk. Packaging peanuts bounced around his feet. "If you do not want my assistance, then I guess that is up to you. I understand."
He felt torn. Ash's curiosity was getting the best of him, wondering what those little test tubes could hold that would make Amanda so anxious. She obviously knew more about it than he did. The boy vaguely remembered that her dad did some science-y work out of Viridian, but he couldn't recall exactly what it was…
"I just… I can't." Amanda fidgeted with her hands. She took off the suit jacket wrapped around her, tossing it awkwardly inside the back of the car. "I-"
"I understand that you're nervous." DeAnza slammed his trunk shut, turning back to face the couple. His face loomed high above their own. "Perhaps…if you had more time to think things over. Let the boy hear me out, come to his own conclusions…"
Ash's ears perked.
"No." Any hesitancy Amanda had disappeared. Her expression turned hard and icy. And she gave no explanation for her answer.
At least DeAnza seemed to understand, for he gave a slow nod. Ash wished he could say the same. "It is up to you. I won't force you into anything. I would never do that do you, Amanda dear."
Amanda blinked. "Well…thank you. Thank you for understanding." She stood quiet for a moment before looking to Ash. "I…suppose we're done here. I'll…get the car ready?" And she walked over to the tiny sedan parked next to the massive SUV, waking up Nathan who had fallen asleep in his seat.
Ash watched her go, feeling very frustrated. He still didn't know what the hell was going on. Only that there was some mystery substance that could "unlock" his Pokémon's "full potential", and Amanda was hell bent on him not having it… Even DeAnza had said there were no rules against using it, whatever it was…
A chuckle interrupted his thoughts.
DeAnza gave Ash a pat on the back. It practically knocked the wind out of him. "A strong woman you got there. I hope you know how to handle her." Ash had no answer to that, so he settled for a strained smile. "If you ever need any advice on women…or for anything at all, for that matter…" He pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to the Trainer. He gave a sly smile.
"Umm…sure." Peeking over to make sure Amanda wasn't looking, Ash took the business card. He tucked it into his jeans' pocket. For some reason, it made him feel a bit giddy.
"I just think that a man of twenty-three years old should be able to make decisions for himself. Stop by sometime if you agree." And as Amanda began to walk back over, DeAnza vanished back into his car.
Hours later, the sun was setting orange on the Cerulean skyline. Streetlights slowly sparked to life. A twilight hush fell on the city. And, in the cobblestone center of Cerulean City Park, a man sat on a cold bench. Alone.
Bzzz…bzzz…bzzz…
The buttons on Nico's cell phone shined softly, reflecting in his eyes. The phone dug into his cheek. Nico mumbled absentminded prayers under his breath, hoping the call would connect as scheduled. What time was it, anyway? What time did the man say he'd be available? It couldn't be that late. The sun, however low, was still in the sky…
Bzzz…bzzz… "…Hello?"
Nico had been planning on making this call for days. Countless hours had died in preparation. But now…with that deep voice on the other line…all…coherent thought…
He licked his lips.
"Nicolas. You kept me waiting."
"I'm sorry, sir." Even when the rest of his mind drew a blank, the apology jumped to his tongue without a problem. "I…I assume that you've already seen…"
"Of course I have. I had every camera in that damn Gym pointing at your battle. A disgustingly easy loss, especially considering how I loaned you some of my prized pets."
Nico bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a retort. He was never a good battler. He never signed up for this. But it had been his assigned duty to take Misty on during his inspection today. And when a job got assigned to him… "Her party didn't exactly have the lineup you prepared me for." There. At least that bit was true, in his defense.
An unamused snort shot over the line. "No. I suppose I didn't explicitly warn you about a tiny electric rodent."
"Hey! I checked that damn thing with my PokéGear, and you know what?" Nico took a shuddering breath. "It was a level eighty-eight. Level eighty flippin' eight." It was such a mind-blowing figure. He himself still didn't fully believe it. Even this man couldn't mock that bit of information.
A silence followed. Nico grinned. He could blame his loss on this unexpected flaw in the plan. He could have a second chance…
"…That can't be correct."
"Why would my PokéGear lie? It's perfectly fine. You gave me the stupid thing. And one Thunder from it practically blew up the Gym."
More quiet followed. The deep voice hummed a low note, taking its time to think. "This…is unexpected. A Pokémon with a level that high shouldn't be in the hands of an Elite Four member, let alone a Tier Two Gym Leader. In fact…"
A static-y shuffling was heard. Nico took the moment to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans.
"Here." The voice gave a throaty chuckle and began to slowly read. "'And while most would expect a young man of such power to clock in impressive numbers, the data still remains astounding. Having one Pokémon above level seventy-five would be an impossible dream for many. But not this fellow. With not one, but five Pokémon reaching that bench mark, it's no wonder that ex-Master Jethro Jones met his match. And the rumors about the kid's starter? Completely – and amazingly – true. After talking with Indigo League representatives, the Pikachu in question is officially recorded at level eighty-six. Even Mr. Jones' starter, a thirty-five year old Venusaur, only reached level eighty-two before it passed away five years ago.'" There was the sound of paper flipping. "That was from an old issue of Indigo Today."
Yes. Nico had thought he'd recognized the article. "Wasn't that the bit about-"
"Ketchum. Yes."
It began to slowly dawn on him. Either his PokéGear was malfunctioning, or they had a new problem on their hands. "I think Daisy might have told me something before… Something about Misty and the Ketchum kid. They used to travel together, I think. They still stay in touch."
"And you never thought to tell me this, why?"
Nico winced, practically feeling the glare over the airwaves. "I thought it didn't really matter anymore. Many trainers go through a bunch of partners on their travels."
"If they're still in contact this many years later, then they're obviously more than just one-time traveling partners." A sigh. "Oh, Nicolas. It's things like this that make me want to pull my hair out…"
Nico fidgeted with his shirt. "But what does this do to our plans? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Are we going to have to steal the Pikachu for testing, or-"
"We have bigger fish to fry. Leave things like that to my brother's incompetent goons." The voice laughed. "Besides. I can pull some strings and have access to the League's records in a matter of days. There won't be a stat point on that Pikachu that I won't know about."
"And where does this leave us?"
The voice chuckled – a low, rumbling sound. "It means that our two plans are merging faster than expected. …I guess we will have to act now." A quiet moment. The park bench creaked. The trees above waved in dark silhouettes.
And Nico suppressed a shiver.
