Creation began on 01-03-21
Creation ended on 03-24-21
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Measures between Joy and Heroism
A/N: Shinji has grown to the point that he is considered a hero by some, even if he does things that don't get him much recognition. But he's not looking for that type of admiration that others would long for. He's just looking to enjoy the life he has where he is.
Ryoji Kaji wanted to say that he was just dreaming due to being drugged after he was made to lie down on a cot along with Misato and the others. But the craziest thing about what he was happening in front him that he couldn't overlook at all: He was watching Shinji, a young man that he met when the guy was fourteen years old, now almost twenty years old due to a space-time glitch caused by a power outage…was facing a large, tyrannosaurus-esqued creature. That and the fact that he was using a creature that resembled a type of mountain goat with leaves growing out of its body. It was incredible.
"Makes you glad that you came, huh?" Misato asked him as Shinji's Gogoat continued to battle with Grant's Tyrunt.
"You can't get no better quality than being up close," he admitted as Otona shot sharp leaves out of its grassy hide towards Tyrunt.
The match had begun less than four minutes ago, after Shinji and Grant became acquainted with one another, and Shinji had defeated the Gym Leader's Onix with his Eevee; all Shinji had to do was defeat Grant's two Pokémon and he would obtain his second badge. With his Onix defeated, all Grant had left was his Tyrunt, which was not doing well against Shinji's Gogoat.
"He seriously makes this look easy," Kaji added.
"It's not easy," Asuka stated. "He's done this for a long time now, becoming a virtuoso in the art of battling with Pokémon."
"To learn from the previous battles is what makes him a better trainer," added Kensuke, filming the match.
"And knowing and accepting what his Pokémon can or can't do until they have racked up the necessary experience is what makes him a well-prepared one," added Hanmyo.
Slam! Otona had raised Tyrunt off the ground and slammed it against a wall with his Vine Whip attack, impacting the Gym Leader's Pokémon with harm that was very effective.
The smoke cleared…and Tyrunt was out cold.
"No way," Grant wanted to disbelieve, but he couldn't deny the evidence in front of him. "You defeated my Tyrunt."
"Hrmm!" Otona grunted, proud of his victory against the Gym Leader's Tyrunt.
"I really enjoyed our match, Grant," Shinji told him.
"Likewise."
-x-
"Oh! You guys are not going to believe this!" James of Team Rocket told Jessie and Meowth as they were in their balloon over the wilderness below, looking at his tablet.
"What?" Jessie questioned.
"That teen boy we don't want to meet again, he's now here in Kalos."
This discovery made the woman and Pokémon cringe in fear.
"Please, say that he's only here for a very brief visit," went Meowth, hoping that they would never see him again.
"You wish," he responded. "He's here for the Kalos League, same as the twerp with the Pikachu. The Unova League is still a long time away before happening, and the Kalos League is a few months away. He just got his second badge to compete in the league."
"Oh, no," Jessie panicked; none of their Pokémon on hand were strong enough to contend with that teen's Pokémon if they were ever to meet again. "What do you suppose are our chances of simply avoiding him?"
"They're the same every time we decide to go after the twerps and their Pokémon: Nonexistent."
-x-
"I must say, Shinji," went Kaji as he and the others were sitting at the Pokémon Center to let Shinji's Pokémon recoup from the match against Grant's, "you're…quite a talented Pokémon Trainer to have obtained your second badge of this region."
"Thank you," Shinji responded, putting the Cliff Badge in his badge case next to the Bug Badge. "But most of the praise goes to Misato and Otona. There's no 'I' in 'team'."
"Where are you going for your third badge?" Hanmyo asked Shinji as she fed her cats.
"We're not too far from the gym in Shalour City. They specialize in Fighting-Type Pokémon."
"Like Kensuke's Machamp?" Hikari spoke up.
"Yes," Shinji answered.
She shouldn't have been worried about Shinji losing to Fighting-Type Pokémon; he had gone against them several times and even caught some. But based on the fact that this was a region where Pokémon from other parts of the world had access to these special stones that enabled them to Mega Evolve, and some of the gyms here may use those against Shinji to impede him, he might need to change his tactics in order to win. Then again, Shinji wasn't the same person that they knew in school, so he probably knew how to best Fighting-Type Pokémon that could Mega Evolve with his own Pokémon.
"How many Pokémon can Mega Evolve into Pokémon that are partially Fighting-Type?" Rei wanted to know.
"As of now, there are only seven Pokémon that have a Mega Evolved form that is either part Fighting-Type or an augmented version of themselves that is already part Fighting-Type," Shinji explained. "I read the Shalour Gym Leader's primary Pokémon is a Lucario, a Fighting/Steel-Type that recently became capable of Mega Evolution after obtaining Lucarionite."
"Lucarionite?" Asuka questioned.
"That's the Mega Stone needed to Mega Evolve Lucario."
"Does every Mega Stone have a name after a Pokémon?"
"More or less."
Beep! They heard the tone that indicated someone's Pokémon were healed up.
"Eee!" Shinji's Eevee went, suspecting that it was his Pokémon that were back to top form.
-x-
Gendo was not enjoying the fact that Rei had managed to avoid him by not returning to her apartment…and that he was caught by the Second Child, who was over to investigate for Major Katsuragi. Or rather, Sub-Commander Katsuragi, considering that since he was removed from command of NERV, Fuyutsuki was now in charge, meaning that she would have been promoted to his former position. No, he was not enjoying anything that no longer followed his scenario because of his displaced son, whom people over the social media treated as some hero when he was just a disgrace to all that was the survival of the human race. The chances of him being found out were numerous and what could be done to him were just as worse if he was approached or apprehended to answer for his actions.
"The people that don't know who Ikari-Kun is or what he does see him as some type of hero in his Pokémon adventures," he remembers Rei telling him. "But he is only half of this when he is living a life that is different from the life he had here. He has found a measure of happiness in a world not his own, and he doesn't resent how he ended up there, not even the difficulty he has found in trying to get back to this world. There is a balance, a series of measures, between the joy he has found in being a Pokémon Trainer…and the sense of heroism that he receives from those that idolize him. He falls down every once in a while…and just gets up again. And his Pokémon, they care about him just as much as he does for them. People talk about the small ones like his Eevee, Sandshrew or Hoothoot, or the larger ones like his Charizard, Tyranitar or Gyarados. They want him to return, yes, but they hope that he may bring Pokémon back with him, even change the way we live here with them. If such a thing were possible, then he would be a hero. A real hero, unlike the everyday ones that exist around the rest of the world: Doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers and what have you. It would be a miraculous thing if that were to happen…and I would support the time it takes for Ikari-Kun's success to return, with or without his Pokémon."
Gendo hated how Rei, of all people, continued to believe in his son when he had nothing to offer in this world due to being in another world that may as well have been akin to a demented video game. He wanted her to stop supporting him and return to his scenario where true hope was assured for the world. But due to his being removed from command, he had no say in what she did or didn't do.
Good for nothing, he thought as he sat in the kitchen of his apartment, looking at his laptop to observe the social media that continued to expand with how people were hoping that Shinji would return with these Pokémon. Even if he does bring any back, they'd be only suitable for research and combat purposes.
But every time he tried to address the issue of his son's lack of progress or why he wasn't putting in more effort to return to this world, he didn't get the reactions he had expected from these fans of Shinji's. Instead, he received negative criticism of how he had no faith or patience in the boy's abilities to do all that he could at his own pace. Some people were patient and willing to wait for him to return from his sojourn in another dimension. Others had suspected that him of being one of those people that didn't concern themselves with Shinji's status, but rather the unlimited potential of the Pokémon he either encountered or captured and trained, probably seeing them as living weapons than as pets or companions. And since this was social media, he couldn't be suspected of being Shinji's father unless they tried to check his email address or username.
He was probably the only person in the world that was the most negative about Shinji.
-x-
"…Shinji," went Asuka and Hikari as they all stood in front of a large canyon, "where are we right now?"
"Kalos Canyon," Shinji responded; they had journeyed for a day and found this place that Shinji wanted to show them. "There's a facility around here that allows trainers to perform Sky Battles. They're literally battles in the air while wearing wing suits."
"Wing suits?" Toji questioned. "Wait a minute, ain't those the outfits like the ones worn in BASE jumping?"
"Yeah, but no parachutes needed here."
"Hey, is that a, uh, Sky Battle over there?" Kaji pointed over to a section of the canyon where two people and two Pokémon were engaged in a battle.
"Yeah, that's a Sky Battle right there," Shinji informed them. "Looks like a Fearow going up against a Noctowl!"
"Eevo!" His Eevee chirped as she jumped up onto his left shoulder. "Eee!"
"I take it anyone can rent a wing suit and glide around the canyon?" His guardian asked.
"Yeah, so long as you fit the height requirement," he told her. "Shall we, everyone?"
"Yes!" Hyuga replied; he was interested in this right now and wanted to experience it while he was still here.
Maya and Shigeru joined in, as they had never done anything remotely close to this a day in their lives and could at least get the memory of this experience before having to go back to the other dimension upon waking up.
"You certainly know how to treat a girl, Shinji," said Hanmyo.
-x-
Try as he might, Ash found himself unable to enjoy the aftermath of winning his latest badge. He was still in the lead of having the most badges, but his awareness of Shinji's progression was as undeniable as was his potential to be better than himself. It was a race to the Kalos League, and those that had the eight badges would be the winners.
He's probably training right now, preparing for his next gym match, he thought as his group decided to take one last go around Anistar City before moving onto the next town or city and the next challenge awaiting them.
-x-
"Whoo-hoo!" Shinji cheered as he caught an updraft with his wing suit and flew around the canyon with his Charizard and Fletchling.
"Shinji!" He heard Misato's voice as she flew behind him in the canyon. "I can't believe you talked me into this!"
"Talked you into this?" Kaji uttered as he was having a little difficulty in handling his wing suit. "You threatened to strangle me if I didn't join in!"
"Children," said Hanmyo, fortunate that she had been tall enough to meet the height requirements for a wing suit of her own, flying lower than the two adults above her. "Adults that behave like children. I'm friends with a young man whose relationships include adults that act like children."
"And that's a problem, Ms. Hanmyo?" Maya questions the displaced girl.
"Hardly," she responds. "Watch the cliff in front of you on the right."
"Whoa!" Maya gasps as they flew up and were above the majority of the cliffs.
Everyone was just here to enjoy a new experience. There was plenty of time for Shinji to train and select his Pokémon for the gym match for his third badge. For now, they could afford a period of recreation and escapism from whatever troubles they had.
"Oh, my gosh!" He heard Hikari squeal as the girl couldn't believe her luck to be out here in the air. "Kensuke, are you filming this?!"
"I'm the cameraman!" The otaku expressed as he was wearing a helmet designed to sport a smaller camera to take videos with. "I film everything! Hey, Shinji, could you fly past your Charizard and Fletchling?"
Shinji chuckled and obliged the otaku, gliding on the wind currents and past the two Pokémon.
-x-
"…I'm disappointed in myself," said Antonio as he watched the others having fun in Kalos Canyon on the monitors.
"Why?" Palkia questioned him from behind where the cameras were pointing at him.
"That looks like fun, flying around the canyon," he explained. "I should've gone with them."
"Electrode!" His Electrode uttered, hopping over to him by the console. "Electrode."
"It says that you'll get your chance to enjoy Kalos Canyon," Palkia translated.
"Thank you, Electrode," Antonio praised, smiling.
Crash! Everyone in the room heard something on the monitors, getting their attention.
"Well, this is unexpected," Palkia expressed, seeing that something from afar had crashed into a patch of space on the canyon surface, resulting in a small dust cloud.
-x-
Shinji hovered over the crash site and waited for the dust cloud to dissipate, revealing what had impacted onto the ground.
"What is that…" He uttered as he got a better look at the wreckage. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me? You three again?"
Misato, Asuka and Rei flew over and saw that Shinji was looking at two people, and man and woman, and a cat Pokémon crawling out of a hot air balloon wreckage. From the footage Kensuke had procured during his time with Shinji, they recognized Team Rocket's most mediocre members that were more of an annoyance than a threat.
"Aaaurgh…those twerps," the woman, Jessie, groaned as she got to her feet.
"Frogadier and Braixen and Pikachu are a lethal combo," the man, James, added as he got up, followed by a small, floating, blue, pink and white, squid-like creature.
"Inkay," it added.
"All the more reason to… Aaah! Aaahh!" Meowth gasped, looking up at the teenager in front of them. "We gotta flee! Like now!"
"You three are like a headache that refuses to be alleviated," Shinji sighed, and then noticed the squid creature floating beside James. "Huh?"
Luckily, he had his Pokédex on him and took it out.
"What kind of Pokémon are you?" He wondered.
"Inkay, the Revolving Pokémon," his Pokédex revealed. "Possessing the combined qualities of a Dark-Type and Psychic-Type, Inkay can emit light from its body and weaken its opponents, taking the opportunity to flee."
"Nice," he stated, impressed.
"Oh," went James, looking up at him.
"No," finished Jessie, fearing the worst.
"Graaurgh!" They heard the roar of Shinji's Charizard as it flew over to where its trainer was.
"Run! Run! We gotta flee!" Meowth ordered them.
But Asuka had already unleashed a Fire Blast at them.
BLAST! Team Rocket was sent flying back into the air.
"Why can't we ever get a break?!" They yelled as they disappeared beyond perception.
"Inkay!" The Inkay cried.
"Uh, Shinji?" Rei uttered as she hovered over to the Pokémon Trainer. "Are they that much of an annoyance to others?"
"Unfortunately, yes, Rei," he answered her. "Those three, however, are just the embarrassment of that organization. They're always trying to steal other people's Pokémon, but they're just terrible at it. They tried to steal mine a few times, only to get sent blasting off with more burns and bruises than when they showed up from whoever they tried to steal from last."
"Eevo," went his Eevee on his Charizard's back. "Eevo."
"And now, they're afraid of you?" Misato questioned.
"Not me. They're afraid of my Pokémon. Mostly Misato, Asuka and Rei because they're among the strongest. They see them, they panic and try to get away before an attack hits them."
"What are the chances that we'll see them again?" Asuka asked.
"Slim. Just slim. The chances of them just quitting Team Rocket and getting regular jobs or taking the path of a Pokémon Trainer are slim to none."
"You really believe that?" Misato had to question.
"With people that try to steal other people's Pokémon, it's pretty clear-cut," he responded. "Still, people and Pokémon can change their ways and start over when given the opportunity to…but they have to want to change…and some often don't want to change. Let's get back onto the ground and rest for a bit."
-x-
"…Ow…" Jessie and James groaned as they were dangling from a tree branch.
"We…may need to reevaluate everything regarding what we do," went Meowth, laying on his back on the ground.
"Yeah…" James agreed with him.
"I seriously…don't want to see that teen or his Pokémon again," Jessie whined. "Even if we were able to catch him off guard, that Charizard and Gyarados of his are just too powerful, and any other Pokémon he has are just as strong! He'd probably make the boss feel threatened by his strongest Pokémon in any battle!"
All three imagined their boss in a battle with Shinji, using every Pokémon they had ever seen or tried to capture for him, from Machamp to Heracross, Blaziken to Torterra, Golem to Samurott, even his favorite Persian…and still losing to this young man that seemed almost untouchable.
"Ugh…" Meowth shuddered. "He is without any doubt the most powerful Pokémon Trainer we'll ever face and live just to avoid."
Snap! The branch holding Jessie and James gave and the two fell to the ground.
"Yep," they agreed.
To be continued…
A/N: I promise y'all, the next chapter will have Shinji facing three gym leaders in the order that Ash went in to get his badges once he trains his Pokémon further. I hope you enjoy this for the time being.