Chapter 30 - Hitachi Beef

It had been a couple days since the group competed in the King of Kanto Tournament. They had been allowing their Pokémon to rest at the Pokémon Center while they waited for Seshiru's upcoming Battle Frontier challenge and Yurie's next contest.

"I think it's about time that I enter a contest with Eevee," Yurie said as she held her playful Pokémon in her arms. "I had so much fun battling with her in the tournament, and I'd like to see how far we can get with an appeal."

Seshiru held her hand up. "Right now your Eevee knows Detect, Helping Hand, Iron Tail, and Swift. Do you think you can make an appeal from those? Two of those moves are useless if Eevee isn't in a battle."

"That's a really good point," Yurie said with a sigh. She put Eevee on the ground. "Logan, could I borrow your TM case again?"

Logan nodded. He pulled the circular case from his bag. "Knock yourself out," he said as he tossed it lightly. "What about you, Seshiru? Do you know anything about your upcoming Frontier Brain?"

"I know a couple of things," Seshiru said. "From the stories that I've heard, he won't be easy. However, I have to go and make an appointment with him. Something unique about the Battle Factory is that they'll show you the Pokémon you'll be battling against. I'll have a full day to prepare a strategy."

"They must be confident in the strength of their Pokémon if they just show you what you're up against," Logan said. "What do you say to doing your battle tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me!" Seshiru said. "I guess that I'll head that way then, and I'll get everything worked out."

"I was thinking I'd go train for a while by myself," Logan exclaimed. "Maybe my Pokémon will be more receptive to being more cohesive if it's just us."

"Then I'll stay here and practice with Eevee!" Yurie said happily. "And tonight, we'll eat hitachi beef!"

Logan's mouth watered. "I don't know what hitachi is, but it sounds wonderful."

With that, the three split up for the day. Seshiru headed off for the Battle Factory, which was on Route 9, Logan went in his own direction towards Route 24, while Yurie stayed put.

Yurie

"Alright, team! We have some work to do!" Yurie exclaimed. Her Pokémon were sitting in a line. Yurie stood in front of them with a yellow hard hat that she had found laying around placed loosely on her head. She held a small stick in her arms that she kept to her chest as she paced back and forth. "From the sounds of it, everyone is ahead of us! Reina is getting stronger every day. Yui is doing great in Johto. I wouldn't be surprised if Michika has already gotten all of her ribbons. And Omori exists! We need to step up our game if we don't want to get left behind in the dust!"

"Torchic!"

"Our next contest, we will show no mercy! We will appeal with a style of cuteness that the judges have never seen before, and in the battle round, we will go to war with beauty!" she said sternly, keeping her head up and her chest puffed out.

"Squirtle!"

Yurie held up the TM case that she received from Logan. "Right here, I hold in my hand our secret weapon! We'll learn new tactics that the enemies won't see coming! It'll be a blitzkrieg of battling brilliance, is what the newspapers will report!"

"Oddish?"

"There's no room for doubt, soldier!" Yurie said as she stuck the stick outwards, pointing it at Oddish.

"Oddish!"

"That's right!" Yurie answered while putting the stick back to her chest. "Now, I intend to have Eevee appeal and Torchic battle, but that doesn't mean that we all can't improve. After our unfortunate loss in the King of Kanto Tournament, it is clear that we still have a lot to improve on."

"Minun!"

Yurie stopped pacing, and she put her arms to her sides. "We may have lost the battle of strength, but we won't lose the war of romance!"

"Swee!" Eevee cried out happily.

Yurie then softened her stance and laughed. "Alright, let's get serious. Torchic, Minun, Squirtle, and Oddish, for now I want you to practice sparring on the battlefield. Battle with one another, but be careful not to get hurt."

Her Pokémon all nodded before running off to the Pokémon Center's courtyard, leaving Yurie and Eevee alone. Yurie unzipped the case and began to flip through the different discs, looking for the proper move to teach her Pokémon.

"Swee?" Eevee wondered as she watched Yurie. The trainer flipped through all of the discs once and then returned back to the beginning and did it all over again. All while remaining silent.

"Maybe we can do something like Sunny Day and Weather Ball!" Yurie said. She looked down at Eevee who simply smiled back up at her. "Nah. We need something more special than that."

"Excuse me," a voice called from behind.

Yurie turned to find a boy, a couple of years older than her. He wore clothing not too dissimilar to what a farmer would wear. At his side stood an Eevee with the fur on its head swished up high.

"Hello," Yurie said. She was unsure if the boy had seen her general performance before, and she hid the stick behind her back.

"I couldn't help but notice that you're trying to teach your Eevee some new moves," the boy said. "As you can see, I have an Eevee myself. Actually, I have a couple dozen Eevee. This one's name is Marron."

"Nice to meet you, Marron," Yurie said while bowing. Her Pokémon followed along.

"My name is Pito. And it's nice to meet you-" the boy started to say while motioning his hand out.

"I'm Yurie! And this is Eevee. Just Eevee."

"Well, Yurie! I happen to know a bunch of things about Eevee and their special moves, and it's my dream to teach the world about those moves! If you'd be interested, I'd love to work with you and Just Eevee," Pito explained.

Yurie looked towards her Pokémon. "What do you say? It could be fun!"

"Swee!"

Pito smiled. "And, I'm also a professional Eevee hairstylist! I can give your buddy a new look!"

Yurie laughed nervously. "Let's just stick to the new moves for now!"

Logan

"Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch!" Logan ordered.

"Eleboo!" the Pokémon cried out. He ran forward while swinging his arms wildly.

"Mankey, dodge it!" Logan's opponent called out.

But Electabuzz was too fast. He grabbed a hold of Mankey and then swung, striking the Pig Monkey Pokémon directly in the snout. The Fighting-type flew backwards, landing in a heap in front of his trainer. The small boy dressed in all green sighed before he let the red light of his Poké Ball retrieve the Pokémon.

"Well, you've cleared Nugget Bridge," the boy said. He reached into his backpack and pulled a small round piece of gold out. "Good job. This is yours. You can sell it for some decent money at the markets."

Logan took the piece of gold and held it between his fingers, letting the light reflect off of its shiny surface. "Sweet! Do you know any good places for training around here?"

After getting a recommended spot for finding wild Pokémon, Logan was on his way. He kept Electabuzz outside of his ball while the two walked through the tall grass and discovered Pokémon.

"Electabuzz, you're a pretty strong Pokémon, ya know?" Logan said as the two slowly sifted through the area. "I'm really glad that you joined my team."

"Ele!" the Pokémon responded. He held up his arms and flexed his muscles proudly.

"But, to be honest, I was a little bit aggravated with your performance at the tournament."

"Ele?"

Logan continued forward, and he drew out a small fishing device from his bag. He sat down while he adjusted the device, extending it into a rod. He patted the spot next to him, telling Electabuzz to take a seat. The Pokémon followed suit.

"The thing is, my team is in desperate need for a leader right now. Mightyena is out for a while. The others need a Pokémon to look to for guidance. Charmander needs someone that he can train with. Grotle and Nidorino need someone that they can trust. And Snorlax needs someone that she can respect."

"Boo."

Logan smiled and then cast his reel, letting the bob plop into the water. "Of course, as their trainer, I'm hoping to be the leader necessary to get us to the top. But, some Pokémon like to be led by example, ya know?"

Electabuzz watched the bob slowly drift throughout the stream.

"Do you think you can be that example for me?"

Electabuzz paused momentarily before taking in a breath. Before he could answer, the bob suddenly dipped into the water, disappearing completely. The string on Logan's rod tightened and pulled, but the trainer had been here before, and he let whatever was pulling on it have fun for the time being.

"Watch this," Logan said. He slowly stood up while taking the handle, locking in his string. Whatever was below the surface began to fight back and tried to pull, but Logan was strong, and he was able to reel it back for momentarily. Then, with one strong pull, Logan yanked the Pokémon from the river.

"Ele?"

Logan's curiosity quickly turned to disappointment as the orange and white Pokémon came onto land and flopped around helplessly.

"Goldeen," Logan muttered.

Electabuzz stood up and prepared to attack, but then Logan put his hand on the Electric-type's shoulder. "Boo?"

"Not everything needs to be a battle," Logan said softly. Although disappointed with his catch, he walked over to the struggling Pokémon and pushed it back into the water. Goldeen was delighted to be back in her home, and she swam down the stream and out of sight.

"A bit of a distraction, eh?" Logan asked. "So, what do you say? Do you think you have what it takes to take on the role of trusted leader for my team?"

Electabuzz smiled and then nodded his head while he stood up straight and puffed out his chest. Logan smiled back, and the two looked at one another in the eyes. Electabuzz's gaze appeared genuine, and there was a certain gleam in his eye.

But, Logan could see something reflecting in them. A large lanky figure with a long lail floated behind Logan. Its eyes were purple, and Logan suddenly felt weak in the knees. The trainer jolted around quickly, but the figure was gone. Maybe it was just a part of his imagination?

Seshiru

The Battle Factory was only a thirty minute walk into Route 9. It lived up to its name, and appeared to be nothing like the other Battle Frontier locations. Had Seshiru not known what she was looking for, she would have mistaken the building for any other factory. It was built from steel and relatively new. When the Battle Frontier was in Hoenn, the factory was used as a simple steel mill, but there was a specific area of the building that was meant for the frontier brain and their activities when they were in Kanto.

"Hello. I'm here to talk to the frontier brain," Seshiru said into a speaker. The factory was closed off by barbed wire fences, which would keep wild Pokémon and intruders out. After a moment of silence, there was a loud buzz, and the gate started to open automatically.

Seshiru followed a path of light grey stones. Some of the workers stopped what they were doing and watched as she walked confidently. They were surprised to see someone who appeared so young to be in the area. She didn't look like a seasoned trainer who could battle with a frontier brain.

Her path led her to the cleanest looking building. Its doors were made of glass that had been wiped cleaned earlier in the day, and they slid open once she triggered their sensors. Inside, waiting for her, was a woman dressed in business attire. She wore a white top with a tightly fit short black skirt. In her arms, she held a clipboard.

"You're Egawa Seshiru?" the woman asked as she flipped through papers on the clipboard. "We spoke earlier today."

Seshiru nodded. "Yes. I'd like to schedule a battle with the frontier brain."

"About time," a voice boomed. Seshiru looked past the woman to find a man standing near the entrance to the battlefield. He had stubble across his cheeks and chin, and wore a red hat and a long, white coat with no sleeves. "You've been building up quite the reputation, Seshiru."

The woman nodded. "Egawa Seshiru. You were one symbol away from clearing the Battle Frontier in Sinnoh, and so far, you've challenged and defeated three of the frontier brains in Kanto. You've done all of this with a team made up mostly of Water-types."

"I've heard a lot about you, Seshiru. I'm in charge of handing out the Knowledge Symbol to worthy trainers, and I take it very seriously. I probably know more about you than any other person you've ever battled," the man said. "My name is Noland. I'm the Factory Head."

Seshiru remained cool. As a trainer who specialized in one type, it was easy for her opponents to get an edge on her from a battle perspective, but it appeared like Noland knew more than she was comfortable with. She always tried to remain mysterious as a psychological tactic, but if Noland had done his research, then she'd be out of luck.

"Follow me. I'd like for you to make your selection," Noland said.

He walked through the doors that led to the battlefield, and Seshiru followed. When she entered, she found a group of various Pokémon that had been lined up.

"As you may know, you get to choose what Pokémon you go up against. You can choose between one to six Pokémon. Basically, you determine the battle," he explained.

Seshiru looked at each of the Pokémon. She recognized every single one of them, as they were natives from Kanto. But, there was one Pokémon that was missing from the group. "I was told that you have a certain special Pokémon."

Noland smiled. "Oh yeah?"

"While your Pokémon here look strong, they're nothing that I haven't already battled before. No offense."

"I can guarantee that the strategies I'd be using with these Pokémon outmatch strategies from any other trainer."

"That's fair, but I liked the idea of battling something different, something legendary."

Noland began to chortle while he adjusted his hat. He cocked his head and then pulled a small device from his coat jacket. With the press of a button, the ceiling to the battlefield began to shake and divide. Within moments, it had opened wide, letting the natural sun in. But with it, there was a sudden chill that filled the air.

"I'll give you what you want," Noland said.

The two looked into the air while a figure blocked out the light from the sun. It flew from the sky and landed on the battlefield. All of the Pokémon divided into two rows to give it some space. The figure was large, blue, and had a long tail that flowed in the wind. It was bird-like in appearance, and the air around it seemed to crystalize before falling to the ground like soft snow.

"Articuno," Seshiru mumbled with a smile on her face. "So, the stories are true?"

Noland nodded. "Yeah. I befriended this Articuno awhile back. We battle together when I come across a strong trainer."

"Tomorrow, I'd like to battle with you and Articuno."

Noland walked towards his Pokémon and then looked back to Seshiru. "Then, in that case, I want to battle with you and a special little friend of your own."

Seshiru's eyes widened.

"Yeah. I know about your little adventure a few years ago at the power plant. You were the youngest trainer to ever capture a legendary Pokémon. You were even skilled enough to get it tamed, am I right?"

Seshiru folded her arms. "We became friendly with one another, but I released it back into the wild when the time came."

Noland's shoulders slumped. "That's a shame. I was really looking forward to a battle of legendary proportions. At the very least, I can promise you a battle with Articuno. Be here tomorrow by three."

"I look forward to it," Seshiru said. She grinned and then turned around before she quietly took her leave. She followed the path of grey stones which led her to the gate. It opened on its own, allowing her to exit.

She looked towards Cerulean City. And then, she looked the other way, peering down Route 9.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Wanted to try something different for now. The big thing was that I wanted to take a break from battling (for one chapter). We'll return to your regularly scheduled battles next time!

So, three questions!

What moves do you think Pito taught Yurie?

Do you see Electabuzz actually stepping up and being the leader for Logan's team?

What are your predictions for Seshiru vs. Noland? She'll be going up against an Articuno, which won't be easy.

REVIEWS:

CrescentApple - "Oh dang, if Seshiru used a legendary Pokemon, that would be amazing... In character I dunno how she would feel using one, but I guess if it's to battle another legendary its fair game... The last battle was fantastic. I thought Yuri has the upper hand after Maleah lost her Sirfetch'd. The rest of the battles were just as enjoyable and interesting. I was more surprised she beat Sora." - I guess we'll have to see next chapter! I wanted to use the tournament to establish both Sora and Maleah as threats. I made Sora's battles intense while Maleah actually comes out on top. Think I accomplished my goals.

pokemonking0924 - "Well Yurie now knows she has another rival for Logan's affection. She put up a great fight but was no match for Maleah's z move, then again Yurie did drive her opponent into using it as a last resort. Looking forward to seeing what happens next. As for the battle factory maybe Nolan should use one of his other Pokémon and not the legendary bird he's friends with, you could say that Articuno is somewhere else in a colder environment." - I was considering having Seshiru go up against mega Pinsir, but one of the most appealing things to me about the Battle Factory (anime version) was the use of Articuno.

pokestets23 - "Another great chapter, my friend. The romantic tension is building quite fast, but it isn't overwhelming! I enjoy your writing of non-evolved Pokemon being powerful as well. It brings in some nods to the anime style of writing, which I love. Great job. You keep inspiring me to write again!" - I love strong non-evolved Pokemon. One of my favorite battles in the anime is Bulbasaur vs. Meganium, and it pretty much set the tone for how I'd write certain battles.