Hau'oli Airport, in the evening
Zinnia shifted in the chair, beginning to get sore from sitting down for so long. Brendan had long been asleep, and she found herself deeply envious of his harmony with the land of Nod. Aster fidgeted in her lap, unable to nap herself. There were plenty of people crowding the airport, with the tournament nigh. Tourney-goers kept asking for pictures, and a few attempted to take non-consensual selfies with Brendan as he snoozed. It got bad enough that Zinnia snatched Aggron's Poké Ball from his belt, and employed the big Steel-type as the slumbering man's bodyguard. All Aggron had to do was snarl and stare, and the would-be photographers were frightened off.
Wally had left with her grandmother had left at 9 AM in Alola time, late at night in Hoenn. They were supposed to have gotten off the plane some time ago, but there technical issues that forced. Brendan's phone buzzed in his pocket, though it did not wake him. Zinnia slipped it out carefully, glancing at the screen. A text from Wally; "off the plane now, headed thru customs."
She roused Brendan, and showed him the text. "They'll be here soon. We should be ready to take her stuff, her and Wally will be dead tired." He snorted. "What?"
"Zee, the airport is absolutely crowded. Customs may not have taken us long when we got here, but there were way less people then. We have another hour, maybe more, before they get here." Zinnia groaned, absolutely fed up with waiting already. "Let's walk around some, if you're sick of sitting" he suggested.
"You know we're going to get stopped for pictures every ten seconds, right?" Brendan shrugged, unfazed at the possibility. "Alright" she acquiesced. "Should probably return Aggron to his Poké Ball first." Brendan looked at her, nonplussed. "People kept trying to take pictures with you while you were sleeping" she explained.
"Thanks, then. Rather not see a picture of me drooling on the cover of a shitty tabloid magazine." He stood up, and wandered the airport to kill time. Some people asked for autographs, and some wanted pictures. More wanted both. There were a few who simply said hello or gave a friendly nod, and went about their business.
One of those who came to them looking for a photo was a little girl with pigtails. She approached shyly, her father not far behind. The girl fell back to her dad, who gently urged her on, whispering what sounded like words of comfort. The child approached again, nervously asking the two "Could… could I take a picture?" Then, almost as an afterthought, "...please?"
Zinnia gave the girl her warmest smile. "Of course!" She crouched down to her level, and Brendan followed suit. The girl's father snapped the picture with his smartphone. "Thank you!" the child said gratefully. Aster, who had resumed her nap in Zinnia's arms, suddenly awoke. The Whismur bounced out of her arms, and began investigating the girl. The child began to pet Aster, and the little Pokémon leaned in eagerly, softly cooing.
"You're very welcome!" Zinnia replied sweetly. "And it seems Aster likes you! Pretty high praise from her, she usually isn't so friendly with strangers" She spied a Poké Ball attached to the back of the girl's shorts. "You have a Pokémon?" The child nodded. "Well, let us see it!"
The girl looked towards her father, who nodded with a small smile on his face. She retrieved the ball, and fumbled with the release button in nervous excitement. Finally, the capsule opened, and out came a Mareep. The electric sheep let out a dainty 'bah' and rubbed its face on the girl's, and moved forward to sniff at Zinnia and Brendan.
Zinnia moved her hand to feel its coat, but stopped herself. Probably not a good idea. Brendan knew where to pet without pain, however, and stroked the Mareep's head and ears. She followed his lead, and the Wool Pokémon continued to 'bah', this time in elation instead of curiosity.
"Do you want to be a Trainer when you're old enough?" Brendan asked. The girl nodded shyly. He reached into his bag, retrieving a small velvet sack. He carefully picked something out of it, and held it in a closed fist. Brendan opened his fist slowly, revealing a small white stone shaped like a marble. The center of stone was colored yellow and red, and shaped in a similar fashion to a helix. "Take this, then. My gift to you."
The girl took the stone from his hand, with gentle care. She looked at with wonder. "What is it? It feel so… warm. Like sleeping by the fireplace, when there's snow." Zinnia smiled at the childlike metaphor, but Brendan seemed entranced by the statement.
"It's a Mega Stone" Brendan informed her, his voice taking on a sage tone. "Ampharosite, to be specific. Someday, your Mareep will become an Ampharos. This will cause it to Mega Evolve in battle. But for that to happen, you'll need a Key Stone, and an unbreakable bond with your Pokémon."
The girl's father approached. "Thank you. Thank you so much." While the girl didn't seem to quite understand the gravity of the act, the man did, and his eyes glistened.
Brendan grinned happily. "No problem. The kahuna of Akala Island, Olivia, runs a jewelry store in Konikoni City. She has all sorts of unique stones for sale. Show her the Ampharosite, and she may give your daughter a Key Stone. If she sees what I see in your little girl, she will. I'm certain of it."
The father nodded solemnly, a determined look in his eyes. "Okay, I'll do that. Thanks again, I won't forget this. And neither will she. Come on, June." June waved goodbye to both of them, and handed the Mega Stone to her dad, who secured it in a zip-up pocket in his jacket.
Zinnia turned to look at Brendan, who was still smiling. He rarely smiled in public for so long, and never because of a stranger. "What about that kid made you want to do that? What did you see in her?"
"I'm not completely sure. I have a suspicion, but… it's a little crazy." She gestured for him to explain, as they began to walk back to the gates. "I think she has the aura. A special connection to it, I mean. Something about her felt… different. The way Aster immediately opened up to her, too. And the Mega Stone… have you ever felt something like that, holding one?"
She thought for a second, realizing that in fact, she had never felt any sensation while holding a Mega Stone. At least, none that were abnormal for a smooth, round rock. "No, I don't think I have."
Brendan began to fish another stone out, but was interrupted by a shout. The two turned to see Wally and her grandmother making their way through the last security point. The green-haired champion was pulling two luggage carriers, while her grandmother ambled alongside him with the aid of her cane.
Zinnia walked forward, and embraced her. "Good to see you again, nagyi." Her grandmother ruffled her hair, like she was still a kid. She examined the scar that crossed her right cheek.
"Hm. You never knew when not to pick fights. Draconid you may be, a dragon is still a dragon. And a dragon never suffers intruders on its territory." Her grandmother's turned upwards ever so slightly. "Though the scar suits you. It has given you the look of a warrior."
Meanwhile, Brendan embraced Wally in a crushing hug, that caused the smaller man to cough. Her boyfriend had half a foot and at least sixty pounds on his friend. Probably feels like that Golduck in the championship match.
"How was the flight?" Brendan inquired, after releasing Wally from his death grip. The champion straightened the collar of his yellow polo shirt, still recovering.
"Good, all things considered." He directed his next words to Zinnia. "Your grandmother is good company. I brought headphones with me to listen to my audio books, but her stories turned out to be far better. Did you really think women had to eat Pokémon eggs to get pregnant, until you were fourteen?"
She flushed with embarrassment, as her grandma guffawed, and Brendan wheezed. "Not fair, nagyi" Zinnia accused the elderly Sarkany.
"Oh, don't be so cranky, child. I'm sure Mister Blum and Mister Ahlgren have some embarrassing childhood stories of their own."
Brendan threw up his hands. "I'm already even with you, Zee. I told you my humiliating story." He glanced at Wally, a smirk forming on his lips. "But I haven't told you his." The young man's eyes went wide for a second, panic causing them to dilate.
"No!" the champion protested. "I made you swear not to tell anyone!"
Her boyfriend laughed. "Had my fingers crossed behind my back. Besides, I told May. But I'll wait until we're in the car and underway to tell it. Let you simmer a bit." He looked to her grandmother. "Fair warning, Mrs. Sarkany. It's a bit of dirty story." The old woman waved off his concern.
"I raised five sons who did nothing but strut around and bring girls home. Then, I raised this one." She indicated Zinnia, with a poke of her cane to the younger woman's ribs. "I assure you, these ears are not those of a blushing virgin."
An hour later
Zinnia laughed uproariously, somehow drowning out AC/DC, which she had set to a near gut shaking volume on the car's radio. Brendan looked in the the rearview mirror to see the older Sarkany's reaction. The old woman shook her head, a small amused smile on her face. "You were a depraved teenager, Wally. And to think, you were such a nice boy so far."
Wally was beet-red. Brendan chuckled. "It was eight years ago, Wall. Laugh about it. That sponge is at the bottom of a garbage pile." The green haired man crossed his arms angrily, fuming in silence. He'll get over it. His friend never stayed mad for long.
Soon, they arrived at the hotel. Zinnia brought her grandmother to her room, courtesy of Steven's pocket change. The two had offered the elderly woman a place in their room, but she insisted they keep their privacy. "Knowing Zinnia, she'll make you do it while you two think I'm asleep. But I never am." It was their turn to blush, and Wally's turn to laugh at their expense.
Brendan and Wally followed the bellhop to the latter's room. A third floor room, much the same as his and Zinnia's. After dropping off the luggage, the bellhop departed without waiting for a tip, his eyes giving Wally a look that seemed almost… distasteful. "The hell is his problem? You beat his favorite trainer or something?" Brendan wondered aloud, confused. Wally looked at him sadly. "Oh."
"Never mind that." The other man walked out to the balcony, that overlooked the sea. "How are things between you and Zinnia?"
"Good. Great. Awesome. Probably seems a little soon to you, but we've discussed marriage."
"Really?" Wally's eyebrows shot up. "That's fantastic. How long ago was this?"
Brendan gazed upon the sea, which glimmered from the light of the moon and stars. "Couple of weeks ago. I feel like a person again, man. You know, you need something to get you out of bed in the morning. Otherwise, what's the point? And she gave me two reasons to get up. I owe her my life. Even after I saved her from the totem, I still owe her. In those five years of exile, I felt like a corpse. Hollow, no purpose other than to wallow in my own self-loathing and misery." Brendan looked back at Wally. "You meet anyone yet?"
Wally shook his head. "No, not yet. Don't really meet new people. It seems awkward to flirt with challengers, don't you think?" He sighed. "Maybe here, it'll be easier."
Brendan put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tell you what. You, Zinnia and I will go out to some local bar tomorrow, and we'll play wingmen. How's that sound?"
"Awful." They both laughed. "We can go out and just drink though." Brendan nodded, and was about to return to his own room when Wally made an inquiry. "You mentioned Zinnia gave you two reasons to wake up in the morning. The first is obviously herself, but what's the other one?"
Brendan grinned. "To kick you and Gallade's asses, and take back my title, of course."
Day of the first Wild Card match, ten days later
"Nervous?" Brendan asked her, as they sat in the locker room of the high school football field that was to serve as the battleground. The locker room smelled like old sweat, and faintly like piss. Sparing all the expenses, I suppose.
Zinnia glanced down, and saw her leg was fidgeting. She was nervous. She had no idea what to expect from her first opponent. But her opponent knew what to expect from Zinnia. As it was the first battle, she didn't know what any of her foe's Pokémon were.
"Yeah, a little" she admitted. "I'm going in blind here, but there's no way my opponent doesn't know I'm a Dragon user. I'm at a disadvantage." Brendan shook his head in disagreement. "How am I not?"
"Because you know that they know. They'll bring Ice and Fairy, maybe Steel to counter you. But we planned for that." Zinnia looked at the eight Poké Balls before her. He's right. They'll expect Salamence, and Goodra. Maybe even want those two.
She picked up Charizard, Tyrantrum, and Dragalge. Brendan nodded approvingly, and they approached the referee to register the three Pokémon. The ref examined the Poké Balls, and put the registration information into his computer tablet. He waved Zinnia forward.
She began to walk out the exit, when Brendan tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey" he said softly. She turned around. "Good luck" he wished, and he kissed her softly. Brendan grinned, and left out another exit. Zinnia took a deep breath, and walked out the door, onto the field.
Her opponent was already there, a young guy with glasses, acne, and a buzzed head. He approached her, and she could see he was wearing a T-shirt from Lieutenant Surge's Pokémon camp. Wannabe soldier boy. Her suspicions were confirmed when he opened his mouth to trash talk.
"Ahlgren's eye candy is all you are. Do you even have a single badge?" He sneered at her. "I'm Lieutenant Surge's best soldier. He's watching right over there." The teenager pointed to the bleachers, where a stern, strong man with electric yellow hair sat, wearing military fatigues. "When I thrash you, it's right into West Point for me."
Arrogance hides insecurity. Brendan always said the brash challengers were the easiest. Easily frustrated, they crumbled under pressure. "You'll be Surge's favorite latrine digger when I'm done with you." Zinnia walked away.
The referee indicated for the two to stand in their corners, and select their first Pokémon. "No healing items. No substitutions. Once all three of a Trainer's Pokémon have fainted, the match is over. Any attack on a trainer is an immediate disqualification, as is an attack on an already fainted or otherwise defeated Pokémon. If you wish to forfeit, raise the white flag you have been provided with."
The referee stepped onto the sideline. Zinnia looked to the bleachers, where a couple hundred people were sitting. Brendan, Lucario, Aster, her grandmother, and Brendan's parents were seated in the front row. Brendan gave a thumbs up, Norman a nod, her grandma a stamp of her cane, and Annette cheered. "On my mark, the match begins." The ref raised his red flag, and brought it down. "Battle!"
Zinnia and Bobby threw their first Poké Balls. Out of Bobby's, a Magneton appeared, and the three balls of magnetic metal began to beep in anticipation. Charizard exploded out of his Poké Ball to face the Steel-Electric type.
Wasting no time, she shouted her first command. "Char, use Flamethrower!" The Fire-type flew forward, maw opening up to unleash a stream of scorching fire.
"Magneton, Thunder Wave!" The Magnet Pokémon charged up its attack, and was hit by Flamethrower. The attack would have one-shotted Magneton, but it evidently had Sturdy, allowing it to stay up, but just barely.
Magneton let off Thunder Wave, and the jolt of electricity hit Charizard. The winged lizard grunted, possibly immobilized. "Nice, Magneton!" Bobby yelled. "Now, use Thunderbolt!"
"Char, c'mon! Use Flamethrower on it, and it's done!" Magneton was faster now, and Thunderbolt hit Charizard, causing the dragon to roar in pain. "Fight through it, Char! You're stronger than it!"
The Fire-type roared again, and blasted the Magneton with Flamethrower. The Steel-type fainted, and hit the ground, its magnetism deactivated. Charizard flexed his muscles, and amazingly, began to hover in the air, wings flapping hard. "The paralysis is… gone?" Zinnia wondered aloud.
"Magneton is unable to battle!" the referee cried out. "Charizard is the winner!" Zinnia's supporters cheered.
"FUCK!" Bobby cursed loudly. His face scrunched up in irritation, and he called Magneton back. "That stupid lizard's going down, you bitch!" He flung another Poké Ball, and this time an Electivire emerged.
The big Electric-type was covered yellow fur, striped in black. Its tail was split into two wire-like appendages, and its hands were big mitts with five fingers each. Out of its head protruded two yellow bulbs, that crackled with electricity.
"Gonna need more power for this one" Zinnia muttered. She fished out the Charizardite-Y she had been given by Brendan, and gave tossed it to Charizard. "Char, Mega Evolve!" She stomped her left foot on the ground, and her Mega Anklet activated. Charizard was surrounded by the standard ball of energy, and the ball cracked up in a burst of light, revealing Mega Charizard Y.
In this form, Charizard's wings grew larger, with ragged edges. The two horns on his head also grew, and a new horn nearly a foot long grew out the middle of his head. His tailed burned hotter, and a small wing now existed on each of his wrists.
Brendan had feared the reaction Charizard might have to Mega Evolution, so they practiced beforehand, to prevent the lizard from going on a power trip in the middle of a match. Considering that he hadn't immediately rushed to attack Electivire, the strategy appeared to have worked.
"Mega Evolution, huh? It won't work! Electivire, use Thunder Punch!" Bobby pointed furiously, and the big beast rumbled forward. It was a dangerous physical attacker, and doubtless would throttle Charizard in hand-to-hand. Good thing Mega Charizard Y is faster than that Electivire ever could be.
"Char, take off and use Flamethrower!" The dragon pushed off the ground, soaring into the air. He flew above Electivire, spraying flames down as he passed over the Electric-type. Bobby's Pokémon howled in pain. "Nice, Char! Go for another pass!"
Bobby grew a few brain cells, and realized that chasing Charizard around wasn't going to work. "Fine, we can play it that way. Electivire, use Thunder!"
The Thunderbolt Pokémon began charge up electricity in the bulbs on its head. Meanwhile, Charizard circled around for another pass. Another Flamethrower attack came, scorching the yellow beast, and leaving a hefty burn across its chest. Though in significant pain, Electivire barely remained standing. The electricity sufficiently charged, the Electric-type fired off Thunder.
The big bolt of lightning emerged from Electivire's twin tails. The coils of yellow plasma snaked through the air, and struck Charizard. Smarting from the attack, the orange dragon flew down, skidding to a halt on the ground.
"Great, Electivire!" Bobby yelled. "Finish it off with Thunder Punch!" Electivire tried to obey the command, but every step looked agonizing. Its run became a jog, the jog became a walk, and the walk became a crawl. "C'mon 'Vire! Get up!" The Electric-type attempted to do so, but couldn't, and fainted from the pain.
The ref waved his red flag. "Electivire is unable to battle! Charizard is the winner!" Now, nearly the entire crowd cheered. Brendan and Norman were on their feet, and her grandmother was almost grinning. Three to one now. Zinnia didn't allow herself to get caught up by the sweet promise of a sweep. Cockiness was costly.
Bobby was fuming now. The prospect of being swept in the first round, in front of his mentor seemed to enrage him. "How did that EVEN HAPPEN! BULLSHIT BURN" He stomped the ground with his foot. "Grrr, you're going to regret that, you lucky CUNT!" Boos rained from the crowd at the insult, and her opponent got even redder. Zinnia looked back at Brendan, and he had a cold look. His eyes meet hers, and she assured him with a nod. Lucario's voice entered her head.
"My master says to, and I quote, 'kick his ass so hard his zits explode'. I urge you not to do so; I believe there are children in this audience, and such a sight would no doubt be traumatizing."
She giggled at Lucario's failure to recognize the figure of speech. "Tell him that's disgusting, but I'll do it just to gross you out." The Aura Pokémon grumbled telepathically, and relayed the message back to Brendan. A few seconds later, her boyfriend laughed.
Bobby's shaky, shrill voice interrupted her mirth. "I've still got one left! Go, Lanturn!" The blue fish with a natural light producing appendage was a dual Water/Electric. Very much suited to fighting Charizard. Well, this sweep just got harder. If only I had Sunny Day…
"Oh wait, I do have Sunny Day! Char, make the sky a lot clearer and brighter, would you?" The Fire-type breathed deep, and the few clouds in the sky completely parted, the sun now intensified. If Lanturn had Thunder, its accuracy would plummet, and the Water-type's moves would be halved in power.
While Lanturn was resistant to Fire-type moves, Sunny Day also boosted Fire-type moves, which would circumvent the type resistance somewhat. The move had been Kukui's suggestion; a good counter for Water and Electric types.
"Cute!" Bobby yelled dismissively. "But it doesn't matter! Lanturn, use Hydro Pump!" The Light Pokémon filled its mouth with water, and sprayed a high pressure jet of water at Charizard. By the time the attack reached the oranger dragon, however, the burst of water had fizzled away quite a bit. The attack still caused damage, but Charizard still looked strong.
"Flamethrower, Char, until it's done." The winged lizard obliged, the blazing flame engulfing Lanturn. It survived the first attack, though looking dazed by the heat.
"Lanturn, use Thunder!" Bobby yelled half-heartedly. The anger was gone from him, replaced by a sullen acceptance of his inevitable defeat. The Light Pokémon's bulb glowed bright, and Thunder shot from the fish's body.
"Dodge it, Char, and finish the fight" Zinnia commanded, her voice a beacon of calm strength. Charizard flew to the right to avoid the attack, but he might as well have stayed put; the now wildly inaccurate Thunder hit twenty from where Charizard was standing.
The Fire-type flew up to the weak Water Pokémon, and blasted it point blank with a brutally powered up Flamethrower. When the flames subsided, Lanturn was unconscious, and the sweep was completed.
The referee waved his flag for the last time. "Lanturn is unable to battle! Charizard and Zinnia are the winners!" The crowd roared in excitement, and at least half of them were standing now. I don't know if they're clapping because they love me, or because they hate Bobby. Hopefully, it's both.
Bobby looked distraught. Lieutenant Surge stomped towards him, looking furious. Before she could see what happened next, her supporters… no, her family greeted her.
Aster was first to reach her, the pink ball of love slamming herself into Zinnia's leg. "Hey there, my darling" she cooed, lifting up the Whismur, and hugging the Pokémon. Brendan was next, and she gave him a one-arm hug, Aster occupying her other arm.
He pulled away, smiling. "That guy had a really good team to counter Charizard, but you swept him anyway. Some luck involved, yeah, but you mopped the damn floor with him. Smug Kanto prick'll cry all the way back to Vermillion." Brendan bumped on Charizard on the shoulder with his fist, in a congratulatory manner. "Great battling there, pal. Knew you were born for it."
"Pretty straightforward battle" Norman commented. "That kid wanted a slugfest, and went too far trying to get it. Interesting how Charizard managed to break the paralysis, though. I've never seen that before. Luck it might be, but all champions are lucky at some point."
Her grandmother stamped her cane. "I expected nothing less of you, child. Build your momentum, and you'll crash the the tournament like a waterfall."
Annette piped up. "Let's get dinner to celebrate! The first of many wins. One of those malasada places, maybe? I think Charizard deserves a treat as much as anyone!"
Before Zinnia could respond, a news team of a reporter and a cameraman showed up. The reporter introduced himself as an analyst for PBSN, and began asking questions about the match. Zinnia handed Aster off to Brendan.
"So first off, great performance today. A full sweep of your opponent by your Charizard. What did you come into this match, expecting from your opponent, Bobby?"
Brendan had coached her on the post-match interviews, and assured her most of the questions would be generic inquiries like this one. "Don't overthink your answer; they aren't looking for anything groundbreaking" he had advised.
"Since people knew my Pokémon were Dragon-types, I was expecting Fairy and Ice, maybe Steel. I got lucky in that respect, though it was still a tough fight, Electric types versus Charizard."
The reporter didn't miss a beat asking his next question. "Your opponent threw several insults at you during the match, and you two appeared to have words for each other during the match. Did the jawing bother you at all, or did it motivate you?"
"I'd say it motivated me" she answered. "I found it encouraging, in a way. Only scared people lash out like, so I knew I had him when he started screaming that crap at me."
The reporter nodded, and asked one more question. "So, a lot of buzz about you and Brendan Ahlgren. Is it strange to be coached by your romantic partner at all?"
Zinnia shook her head, having expected a question like this. "No. Our dynamic is probably different from most coach-to-trainer relationships, but it's also similar, in that when we're training and battling, we're completely focused on that. Besides, he's the only coach I've ever had. I have no experience to judge this one against."
"Alright, fair enough" the reporter replied. "That's all we have time for now. Thank you for your time, Miss Sarkany, and congratulations on the win."
"Thank you." Zinnia walked out the camera shot, and rejoined her family. Brendan gave Aster back to her.
"First solo interview, how did you feel?" he asked. She shrugged.
"Fine. All the stress about this battle was gone. Though, the question about us was kind of annoying."
Brendan chuckled. "Told you it would be annoying." He stopped, stopping the rest of the group along with him. "Sore loser alert" he warned. "And Surge is with him. Double battle to restore honor. Get ready." Brendan and Zinnia reached for their Poké Balls, as did Norman.