Chapter Eight – A Reunion and a Loss – Or How Winning Doesn't Cure All

A special shout out to The Straight Elf for the kind words and help with some troubles I find myself running into. If you somehow found this story but haven't read their story "Traveler" what in the hell are you doing. Stop reading this and find his fic now!

As Riley entered the city, she retrieved her Pokedex from her bag. "I'm here, where are you?" She was anxiously awaiting her parents, and she felt no shame about it. "Be to the Poke center in ten minutes, see you there sweetie." With a smile, she slowly made her way to the center of town, ready to reunite with her family. She entered the Poke center and handed over her team to Nurse Joy. She grabbed her room key, and quickly made her way to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she emerged. Clean, happy and confident. She checked her Pokedex. Dad, Mom and Heidi were waiting for her in the Cafeteria. That meant she could sneak down, grab her team, and surprise them.

Riley snuck back down the stairs, and regained her team from Nurse Joy. She left out the front door, and text her dad, "Meet me around back, I've got something to show you." She released everyone but Joy and anxiously waited. The first person she recognized was her beautiful mother. It'd only been a short time, but Riley couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful woman approaching. She'd planned to play it cool, but that plan was out the window as she rushed to hug her mom. As she wrapped her arms around her, she heard Heidi close by "Look at that, is that a candle?" Riley grinned as she turned to her cousin and best friend. "That's a Litwick, his name is Cole, and he's surprisingly well behaved!" Riley smiled, no reason to ruin the mood with the sad story of Cole right now. "Hey Kiddo! To cool to give your old man a hug?" Adam was doing his best to remain composed, the past couple of weeks had been torture. The four hugged, said their hellos, and slowly settled down on a nice grassy knoll. "So tell us about your team, how's your journey been?" Crystal, always the boss, took control to keep the train on its rails.

"Its been incredible, but I guess the best way to tell the story is to introduce you to the characters, right?" Riley beamed with pride as she turned to her team. "This is Kek, he's my Sandile. He thought it was hilarious to lurk in the shadows to try and freak me out. Nick was grabbing firewood, so I kicked his butt on my own and captured him. He's so awesome, he's helped me so much already as you saw in my gym battle. This handsome fella is Asher. I didn't officially catch him, I actually traded for him. I snuck away from Uncle Nick to go to a cave I heard older trainers talk about. There was a Pokemon that wiped out their whole teams, so Kek, Joy and I went in and battled it. It was a Makuhita, and I was able to defeat and capture him. Unfortunately, lets just say he didn't fit with my personality, so Nick taught me how to use the GTS. I set some pretty specific requirements for the adopter, along with what I'd accept as a trade back. What I received was beyond my wildest dream. Asher is a Helioptile, and is incredibly rare. He had a tough beginning to his life, but he and I are starting to get on the same page. He took down a Braviary and a Staraptor in the same day!" She decided a good majority of Asher's back story, and his heroism, wasn't pertinent right now. "And as you noted, this little fella is Cole. He's a Litwick, he's a ghost and fire type. Don't let his appearance fool you, he's almost my strongest teammate. So yea, that's the team!" Riley knew she'd omitted a very important person, but he wanted the intrigue to last.

"Heidi, were you given a starter yet, or were you and I going to capture one together?" Riley knew her starter could be no common wild Pokemon. "Actually, that's something we wanted to discuss with you, we were thinking the two of you would join us for a quick break back to the house so she could choose a starter for herself, we've got a few new batches of Pokemon that are only a few weeks old... Wait a minute, there are still two balls on your belt.. Where's Joy?" Adam was so wrapped in the moment he'd almost forgotten that lovable seal. "I was wondering when you'd notice, but first, I have to show you one other Pokemon first. Heidi, can you come here?" As her cousin approached, Riley unclipped a ball and put it in her best friends hand. "This is a very special Pokemon, and I can assure you it was born from the highest possible stock. Heidi, this is a gift to you, from the Professor of Hoenn himself." Riley smirked as she took a few steps back. Heidi nervously pointed her pokeball and released its inhabitant. As the red light dissipated, an adorable ball of fluff took shape. Blue face, white woolly body, orange glowing orb on its tail, it was a Mareep just as the Professor had said. Without warning a blood curdling screech came from the small blonde trainer, they couldn't make out the words but it sounded a lot like happiness. Heidi threw herself at the Mareep, draping herself over the adorable sheep. "She is the last offspring of the Professor's famous Ampharos and she still needs a name." Riley not so subtly nudged the girl towards her purpose. "Don't laugh, but if she's OK with it, I'd like to name her Nova. What do you think girl, would you like to come along with me? The tiny sheep smiled and tackled the girl softly to the ground, causing the blonde's hair to stand on end. "I think I can get used to that" she giggled, clearly over the moon with the surprise. "OK, now just to warn you, Joy and I have been through a lot, so don't be alarmed if she's not quite what you remember." She knew that was misleading, but what's life without a little fun? Riley finally released her beloved Joy, and her group was silent. After a few moments Adam finally spoke. "11 days, you evolved a Pokemon in 11 days? That is INCREDIBLE Kiddo! I can't believe it, you have to tell me all about it!" Riley obliged, retelling the countless battles between wild Pokemon and trainers alike. After over an hour, the group re-entered the Pokemon Center and made their way to Riley's room.

Adam was the first to enter, and was nearly decapitated upon entry. Crixus had not been told there'd be anyone but Riley entering, so a full grown man was seen only as a threat. Once Riley calmed down the Gallade, and assured everyone it was OK, Adam recognized his attacker. With a nod, Adam wrapped the bladed knight in a hug and whispered something to the psychic. The rest of the afternoon the group sat around the room, eating takeout and telling stories. As the thought of dinner began to encroach on Riley's thoughts, her Dad broke the silence. "I guess its time to be going. Crixus, can you handle those two? We'll meet you back at the house so we can have a nice family dinner and make sure Heidi is prepared. In the morning, you may return here to continue your journey." Crixus nodded, and in a flash, they were hundreds of miles away, standing at the family home.

Riley knew something was different about tonight, the family had been sitting on the back porch the entire time, Crystal included. Who was cooking? Where was the food? Riley knew someone was cooking, she could smell the meat in the air. Riley walked into the house, and spotted the culprit in the kitchen. It was Nick, and he wasn't alone. Standing next to Nick was Riley's Godmother, Aunt Liz. Aunt Liz was actually blood, her Mom's youngest sister. She'd made a bit of a name for herself in the coordinator scene. Liz had started her journey like many others, wanting to acquire Pokemon and battle for riches and notoriety. It was a fateful visit to Slateport City, and a chance meeting with Lisia, the Hoenn Coordinator Champion. Liz' starter, an Eevee, had caught the legends eye. Lisia convinced Liz to give the Coordinator Competition a try, and won on her first attempt. That was the end of gym battles, and the beginning of a fruitful career. Aunt Liz had since gone on to win the Region's title a handful of times, and even began competing on the international stage. Liz and her famous Sylveon had been in magazines, news articles, commercials and even a TV show. Riley quickly rushed to her Aunt and happily barraged her with questions. Liz took Riley back out to the deck so Nick could finish preparing the meal.

As the group sat around the table enjoying each others company, Adam spoke up. "I'm glad you were all able to join us, it's been far too long since we've all been together. Riley's clearly going to leave us tomorrow to continue her journey, I doubt Arceus himself could stop her. Heidi is going to begin her journey as well, and we've made a slight change to the traveling plans for you two.. Riley will head back to Rustboro so she can challenge the Rustboro Gym. Heidi and I will be taking a trip for a little wilderness preparedness and Pokemon training, after which we'll link up with Riley so the two can continue together. It shouldn't take more than a week or so, but on the flight here Heidi had expressed her concern over being uncomfortable in the wild before she'd learned to battle or catch a Pokemon. She doesn't want to slow Riley down in her pursuit of gym badges, so I said I'd help." He looked at Riley, and could see the disappointment on her face. She'd have happily taken her out and taught her what she knew, but she also couldn't argue with the fact her dad was a superior teacher in that regard. "Additionally, I believe my beautiful wife had something she'd like to say."

"With the huge changes each of us have experienced recently, I've decided to start up a little side project here at the property. Next week we'll be building a few barn style buildings to help ease the load of the family Pokemon. Between Adam and I, we have close to 60 Pokemon. Riley already has 4, and I imagine that number will continue to increase. Now that Nick no longer has the League's resources to maintain his Pokemon, he'll need somewhere safe to keep his as well. So our Plan is to build a barn with fenced in lot for each of you. We've just finished installing a new PC and link system into our offices, so anytime you'd like to transfer/swap Pokemon, you can do it directly with us. The only thing that should change much on your ends will be finances. Feeding Pokemon isn't cheap, so unless you plan on leaving them cooped up in their pokeballs at all times, you'll need to send some money for feed. We can figure that out, but its something to keep in mind as we move forward." Crystal was quite proud of this project. After a late night conversation with Nick, it became a necessity. She knew some of what his plans were, and having access to Pokemon without the knowledge of the authorities was going to be very important.

"And now comes the topic of our beloved Former Champion. As you all know, Nick resigned last week due to the crippling ineffectiveness of the League Politicians. He'll speak more on that, but I think we should all be ready for changes to the region. Nick, I'll let you fill them in." Adam knew this final portion of the conversation was the most important, but he was terrified of what it could lead to.

"Last week with some help, I was able to dismantle a portion of a Pokemon poaching/smuggling ring, It was on the news. I was told very clearly I was not to act on the information I'd been given about it, and was reprimanded by the President of the League. After an argument and a fist fight, I resigned my post, as Adam said, you guys know this. The past week, I've been in touch with friends I trust with my life to try and organize a way to combat these nefarious groups that slide under the radar of the League. Currently Crystal, Adam, Grant, Mary and Liz have agreed to assist me when able. Interim Champion Steven Stone is also on board, but more on an intelligence level than anything else. The reason you two girls are hearing this is because what we are doing is dangerous. What we are doing is illegal, and what we are doing is necessary. We don't want you girls to do anything crazy, or to go out of your way to try and right a wrong taking place in the world. What we want is for you to relay information for anything odd you see on your journeys. If you hear a rumor of something, tell us. Adam and I will semi frequently fall off the grid, and it could be days or it could be weeks before we resurface. We'll be trusting the two of you to keep things moving around here if we are unable to return for any reason. Lastly, I'm going to die tonight." Riley couldn't believe her ears, did he just say die?

"The league has a legal obligation to track me until the time of my demise, and after the way I parted with them, they'll surely do so. So tonight,I'll be jumping on my Salamance and making a very public scene before "crashing" into the sea, where my body will not be recovered. I've been putting this together the past few days, so there is nothing to be concerned about. Riley, if you may recall, I named you as the sole beneficiary to all of my worldly possessions, and you can have them. I've got more money than I'll ever spend, so the house in Fortree is yours, and the condo in Evergrande is as well. My Pokemon will officially be transferred to my best friends for their breeding business. That'll make the remainder of my life much easier." Nick paused, what was he forgetting? He knew it was something important, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember..

Riley finally spoke up, sensing a pause in the insanity currently unfolding. "So to get this straight, both of my aunts, my uncle, my Godfather and my parents are forming a rebel group of crime fighters, and I'm not supposed to be a little freaked out by this? What the hell is going on here?"

"There's nothing to be concerned with Kiddo. Nick is the one putting himself at risk, your mother is going to be caring for Pokemon and continuing to run the business. Grant and Mary are currently on deployment, and won't be returning anytime soon as far as we know. Your Aunt Liz will be a recruiter of sorts, so she'll be more of an unofficial face to our cause. I'll be scouting, there are few people alive that have traveled and learned the lay of Hoenn better than I have. It also doesn't hurt that I'll be accompanied by my full team of 6 Pokemon, something I haven't done in almost two decades." He knew it really wouldn't bring down his daughter's concern, but it was all he could say.

"And now, that dinner has met it's end, I think we should at least celebrate the beginning of Heidi's journey. We've got four Pokemon for her to take a look at, and with some luck, she'll find something she likes." Crystal excused herself from the table knowing the group would follow. As the group made their way to the hatchery and nursery area, Riley's head was spinning. Five days ago she was a normal enough kid, learning from the League Champion. Now she was associated with an apparently illegal group, preparing to watch her Uncle "die" in front of the world to sell his plan. Brilliant.

Crystal stopped the group, and had Heidi enter the Nursery alone. She was given a Pokeball and told to choose whichever Pokemon she liked. Heidi made her way through the front doors and into the introductory area. As she flipped on the lights, she was greeted by her four possible friends. The first was a Pokemon she knew all too well, a small blue turtle with a hard brownish shell on it's back. Squirtle, a starter from her region. The second Pokemon she saw was a small brownish green turtle, the tag on his pen had a green leaf. Clearly a grass type then, and the name said Turtwig. The third pen contained a yellow camel with an odd green patch on it's back. She had no idea what it was, but the red flame indicated a fire type, and his name plate said Numel. The last pen had didn't seem to house a Pokemon. She popped the pen gate open and looked closely, an empty wooden chair tucked in the corner, hay scattered across the floor, and an odd ceremonial sword hanging on the back wall. As she turned to leave, the sword began to levitate towards the young girl. In an act of self preservation, she chucked the pokeball at it in an attempt to scare it off, before the ball had a chance to hit the ground Heidi was on her way out of the building. "I have no idea what that was, but your sword flew at me! I'm sorry to ask, but can I have another pokeball? I threw mine at it in attempt to scare it, but I'm afraid it's probably broken." The girl was close to hysterics, and her family just laughed at her. Riley helped calm her friend down, and walked her carefully back into the building. Riley went into the fourth pen and recovered the pokeball, turning it over to Heidi. "That floating sword is called a Honedge. It's a ghost and steel type, and depending on your style, can either be a powerhouse offensive force or one of the most durable and defensive Pokemon in existence." With a slap on the back, Riley left the building, followed closely behind by her friend.

The remainder of the night involved the adults talking in whispers about some upcoming plans and the death of a legend. Nick left shortly afterwards on the back of his trusty Salamance. He flew directly to Mossdeep City, home of the Interim Champion. With a flamboyant entrance, he "belligerently" made challenge to his replacement. After a short confrontation a battle commenced. It'd have been a wonderful nod to Nick's legacy to say he won, or even that he had an epic battle. Instead, he illegally attacked the new Champion, mounted his Salamance and took to the sky, all the while ripping off shots of Draconian power at Steven and his team. Steven finally responded by releasing his Metagross, and three seconds later the Salamance and Ex-Champ were falling into the ocean. A search party was sent to recover the bodies, but after a short patrol were deemed lost to the blue abyss. The news reported the death of a Legend and the tarnishing of a legacy. Hoenn's favored son had fallen from grace and turned on the establishment before choosing to end his life at the hands of his replacement.

As Nick enacted his public execution, the girls peeled off to one of the fields to familiarize themselves with each others Pokemon, and to welcome Heidi's duo to the team. After the initial introductions, it was short order before the six Pokemon were quick friends. The girls spent the rest of their night trying their best to act like everything was normal. At close to midnight, they finally made their way to bed. It had been a long day, and nothing went as Riley had planned. Another typical day in the life of our hero.

The following morning once again began with goodbyes to Riley's family. Adam and Heidi gave a quick farewell before teleporting to an unknown destination. Aunt Liz too quickly departed after a quick hug. Riley had one last piece of business to attend to, a fossil she'd received as a gift. Crystal sat on the front porch swing, sipping her coffee and dreading the final goodbye she must make. "Mom, how would you feel about doing me a small favor? I got this as a reward for helping a trainer out, and honestly don't know what to do with it." Riley presented the prehistoric specimen, and anxiously awaited her mom's reply. "How did you come across this? I've been looking for one for as long as I can remember. Do you know what you have here?" Crystal couldn't believe her eyes. Fossils were rare, and this particular fossil was even rarer. There were only two recorded specimens of this special breed she knew of, and now with some luck, she'd be able to resurrect the third. "I won't ruin the surprise for you, but if I'm successful, you'll definitely have a Pokemon the world will envy." Crystal quickly tucked the specimen away, and prepared for the final goodbye. With a tight embrace, Riley said her goodbye.

"Man its hot in here. Why is it so hot in here? It's a rock type gym, there's no need for it to be so damn hot in here!" Riley was stressed, not about her upcoming battle, but the fact she'd been away from her family for three days and hadn't heard from any of them. The Receptionist cleared her throat, "Riley, she's ready for you. Good luck, she hasn't lost yet this week."

Riley entered the arena, it closely resembled the previous gym, other than the rocks and dirt covering the arena floor. "Challenger, you were briefed on the rules before entering. As you have one badge, you'll be challenging my entry level team. This will be a two on two battle, please place your chosen Pokemon in the console and confirm on the screen when you are ready to begin. Riley had thought hard about this, Asher was clearly out, his electric and normal attacks would be ineffective here. Cole was highly susceptible to any ground attack his opponents may have, and fire was not especially useful. She decided it'd be Kek and Joy, and she knew they were ready. Riley inserted their balls and pushed the ready button on the screen. Joy materialized on the field, anxiously awaiting her opponent. Across the field, a small rock with abnormally big arms stood at the ready. A Geodude, Riley had run across them regularly growing up. "Challenger, let the battle begin!" Roxanne shouted, and the fight was on.

Riley had gone over their battle plan a dozen times preparing to face a pure rock type, and Joy executed it to a T. As soon as the battle began, Joy began soaking the field. Rock types are notoriously rugged, but also incredibly slow. As the dirt began to turn to mud, the Geodude launched it's counter attack. It made it's way to a boulder and began peeling chunks off, hurling them at Joy. Joy stopped her water show and began to evade the rocks, carefully dodging as she waited for her opportunity. When the Geodude began to tire, it relented it's rock throw and began to charge. Unfortunately for the rock type, it had no legs. It's only mode of transportation was to use its arms to propel itself across the field, and as it made it's way across the midway point, it began to sink. Slowing to a crawl, the Geodude struggled to keep it's head above the mud and water. "Now!" shouted Riley, and the trap was sprung. Joy began using her frosty breath to freeze the area around the Geodude, trapping it's arms and lower jaw in the muddy/icy terrain. As the Geodude looked on helplessly, Joy launched her water gun attack, and the fight was over. Riley couldn't have hoped for a better outcome, Joy took no damage and the plan worked perfectly. As Roxanne sent her second Pokemon, Riley recalled Joy and sent out Kek.

As the Sandile looked around, a Nosepass readied itself for combat. Roxanne quickly fired off a multitude of commands, none of which Riley could make out. Luckily, it did not matter. As the Nosepass made its way towards Kek, the Sandile burrowed into the muddy quicksand. The Nosepass began tearing rocks and slamming them into the pit, hoping for a lucky blow. As the Nosepass went back for another round of stone, it was swept up in his signature Sand Tomb. As the Nosepass attempted to fight its way out of the trap, the Sandile unleashed its newest attack. Kek began a barrage of mud slaps, furiously pegging the rock type in the eyes and nose. With reduced visibility and no mobility, the Pokemon was a sitting duck. The Sandile made his final move, another sand tomb. The match was over, and without taking a scratch in either battle. Riley recalled her Sandile and descended the stairway, back to the lobby. Roxanne met her inside and quickly congratulated her on the victory. Riley received 2500 for winning the battle, along with with TM Rock Tomb. As Riley left the Gym, she made her way back to the Poke center .After turning her team in for a quick checkup, she made her way to her room.

Lying on her bed, looking back on the past three days, she couldn't help but wonder how her Dad and Heidi were doing, where Nick was, and why her Mom hadn't been returning her calls.