Chapter Three: Multiple Challengers
Blue and Amour looked around cautiously as they followed their trainer through the open gateway into the cemetery; they had been there many times before, when Kevin would visit his mother's graveside to bring flowers and one-sided conversations, but the eerie quiet of the place still made them feel uneasy. There were rows upon rows of headstones as far as the eye could see, and the Steenee and the Gothorita knew that under the ground they walked upon many humans slept their final sleep. As much as they wanted to say something to ease their discomfort, they kept quiet out of respect for their trainer and the loss from which he still suffered.
Kevin finally stopped in front of one particular headstone, and in spite of their relatively low literacy the two Pokémon reflexively tried to read it. Fortunately, they had seen the words enough times to recognize them:
Here lies Valerie Hart
"Faithful wife and mother dear, in sweet repose is sleeping here,
her painful loss we deeply feel, but God can all her sorrows heal"
Under the words was a series of numbers that Kevin had told them were the dates of his mother's birth and death. Since neither of the Pokémon had personally experienced the loss of a loved one they couldn't relate, but they understood that the death of Valerie Hart had hurt their friend deeply.
They watched as he knelt before the headstone of his mother's grave and placed a small bouquet of colorful flowers at its base. "Hey, Mom," he said, breaking the unnatural silence. "Sorry it's been so long."
The pair watched and listened as he talked about his school life, the ups and the downs of being a high school senior as well as his impending finals. He talked about his dad, and how the two of them had been doing since the last visit. He talked about the upcoming tournament, and how he would do his best to make her proud. And finally, he talked about his Pokémon.
"I'm really glad they're here," he said to the silent, grey stone, then gestured to his two companions. "Especially Blue and Amour here. You remember me telling you about them, right?"
The Pokémon in question exchanged a glance; during previous visits they'd heard the human speak to his mother as though she could hear him, but it was still puzzling to hear him ask her headstone a question.
"Blue still cooks dinner for all of us," he continued. "Er, wait; was she a Steenee the last time we visited?" He chuckled awkwardly as he scratched his head. "I think she was. Anyway, she makes dinners, and-oh! She made a breakfast burrito for Dad a few days ago. He was late leaving for work, so she made a burrito for him to eat on the way. Pretty cool, huh?"
Said Steenee blushed at his words, and Amour smiled sympathetically as she patted her friend's shoulder.
"And Amour's such a big help; I still forget to make my bed – in fact, I don't remember until I get to school – but by the time I get home, it's all made. I'm glad I have a friend like her."
Said Gothorita blushed at his words, and Blue smiled sympathetically as she patted her friend's shoulder.
"And both her and Blue still clean house while Dad and I are gone. I'm really glad that they-" He suddenly cut himself off, pressing his fist to his mouth, and his shoulders began to tremble, causing Amour to take a hesitant step toward him. A gentle press to her back had her moving forward again, and the pair made their way over to the distraught boy. A touch to his head from the Gothorita, and he turned his anguished gaze on them. "I miss her so much," he whimpered, quickly covering his face with his hands as the tears started to flow.
"We know, Keveen," Amour replied, tears forming in her own eyes as she reached out to cradle his head as much as her diminutive form would allow. "And we are so sorry that she is no longer here."
"You have us now," Blue said as she encircled one of his arms with her own. "I am sorry that I am not your mom, but I vill do my best to take care of you and your dad."
The young man lowered his hands, and his companions' hearts died a little at the sight of their dear friend's devastated expression and they held him tightly, promising in their hearts that they would do everything in their power to take care of him.
"Keveen?" Amour said as the young man wiped at his face with his handkerchief. "May I have a few minutes alone with…with your mom?"
He smiled down at her, touched by the gesture even though he didn't know why. "Sure. Just keep in mind that we still need to be there by eight, so we'll need to leave in a few minutes."
"I vould like some time as vell," Blue declared. "Alone, that is."
Kevin studied his friends with a puzzled look, then pointed back the way they had come. "I'll wait for you by the entrance, then," he told them with a sniff before heading in the direction he had indicated, blotting his face with the handkerchief as he left.
They watched him depart, then Blue looked over at her teammate. "I vill vait over there," she said, gesturing to a headstone not too far away, one with a flower wreath hanging from the front. "Just…please do not be too long; this place gives me creeps."
Amour smiled affectionately. "I will." She then watched the Steenee head over to study the hanging decoration before turning to address the gravesite. "Missus Hart? I feel very strange telling you zees, but…" she took a deep breath. "I promise to take care of your Keveen for as long as I live. I do not understand why I feel zees way, but I cannot…no, will not leave his side." She started to tremble, so she clasped her hands in an effort to calm herself. "I…I found a love letter on his desk, and it made me feel afraid. Please tell me, madame; why do I feel zees way? Why is it that when I look at your son, my heart feels like it's going to pound out of my chest?" As expected, the cold, gray stone gave no answer, and she giggled awkwardly. "I am a silly Gothorita…but this silly Gothorita will do her best for your precious son, who she loves so very much." Not knowing what else to say – due, in part, to another twinge in her chest – she bowed before waving her friend over. "She is all yours."
"Thank you," Blue replied. "Please tell Kevin that I vill not be long." She watched Amour trot away before turning to address the headstone herself. "Hello, Missis Hart; it has been too long." She studied the stone, and her unconscious mind tried to imagine Craig's wife under the ground, sleeping the 'final sleep'. "Craig is doing vell; I make sure to give him good meals; however, I am vorried that he is not getting enough exercise." A brief pause. "I vish he vould take me out for training; then he could get out in nature more." She paused again, then feeling like she had nothing more to say she turned to leave. A stray thought crossed her mind, however, and she returned to Valerie's grave. "Please do not vorry about Craig anymore, Missis Hart," she said while bowing to the headstone. "I care about him very much, and I vill take good care of him for you." Satisfied that she had finally said all that she needed to, she rejoined Kevin and Amour, and with heavy hearts the three of them headed for the arena.
From behind the raised wooden podium the slightly overweight, middle-aged man regarded the packed stadium before leaning over to speak into the microphone set just a little too low for his height. "Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for coming to our little event!"
As the crowd laughed appreciatively or simply cheered, Kevin regarded the man with an amused grin; most of the adults that he knew of weren't really interested in Pokémon, and those that were tended to wear lab coats. "Could be a closet pervert," he snorted as he waited for his team to be called to the field as part of the 'parade' of participants. In the end he put any potential judgments aside as he looked around at his fellow trainers and recognized a few of the names: Team Punk, Team Geo, Team Flood, Team… "Ugh…" he groaned.
"Vat is matter, Kevin?" Blue asked.
"Team Lockdown's here," he groaned. "Keep in mind that you're weak to Poison-types, captain, because that's all they use."
"Y-Yes, sir," she shuddered. "I vill send Amour to take them all down."
"Good thinking," Kevin replied with a smile and a wink. "You're remembering types."
"You drilled me for veeks on end about them," Blue complained half-heartedly. "But I understand vhy."
"Following Team Earthquake is Team Collectum!"
Kevin groaned at his team name as he reached into the satchel at his waist and retrieved two Poke balls. He knew that Belch and Leviathan hated to be out of their balls except when fighting or training, but he had insisted that they walk (or float, in Leviathan's case) with their teammates onto the field. He tapped the release buttons on each of the balls at the same time, and a Magby and a Magikarp materialized before him. "You two follow Blue and Amour, and I'll put you back in when we get to our station," he told them, repeating the promise that he had made to them prior to the event.
"Mag…Mag…kay," Belch managed to reply to his trainer, while the flying fish simply blinked. In spite of their verbal difficulties, they lined up behind the female Pokémon and the five of them marched onto the field.
"And the Gottum legacy continues!" the announcer called as the quintet came into view. "Captain Blue in the lead, with her teammates Amour, Belch…" He quickly covered the microphone as he tried to contain his laughter. "…and Leviathan! And last but not least, the man himself, Coach Collectum!"
Kevin smiled with pride at the announcer's words as well as the roar of approval from the crowd; he had worked long and hard with his Pokémon, using Professor Gottum's methods to mold them into an effective team with Blue as their leader, and he really wanted them to succeed.
After the introduction, Team Collectum made their way to their designated tent for final preparations.
"You ready for this, captain?" Kevin asked the fidgeting Steenee. "For what it's worth, I think you've got this; all of you."
"I…am very nervous," Blue admitted, "but it is not because I don't think ve can vin; I am vorried that I vill not lead this team vell."
"Hey…" Coach Collectum knelt down and rested his hands on his charge's narrow shoulders. "I've taught you everything I know about Pokémon, their strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly…" He leveled his gaze at her. "…as best as I can, I've taught all of you how to look for patterns in your opponent's movements." He smiled broadly and clapped her on her shoulders. "Do your best, and I think you'll win it all."
The tiny Steenee seemed to gain confidence from his words and she straightened just a little, her expression becoming one of resolution. "Of course you are right; I am silly Steenee, getting all verked up over nothng." She sniffed. "They vill send out their best, and ve vill bury them."
"That's the spirit," Kevin chuckled, patting her on the shoulder once more before looking to the other three. "Anyone else need a pep talk?"
"Mag…kay!" Belch declared, clapping in Blue's direction. Behind him, Leviathan blinked his full support.
"Keveen?" Amour stepped up to her favorite human with an anxious expression. "I know we are in public, but I am very nervous, so…would you…hold me?"
"Need some nerve medication?" Kevin chuckled, lowering himself to a knee again to draw the Gothorita into an embrace. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone if you won't."
She giggled as she snuggled into him, and she started to feel an unusual warmth in her heart from the contact. "Oh…" she breathed. "Oh, my…"
He released her a lot sooner than she would have liked, and she reluctantly rejoined her battle buddies. "Are we ready, then?" he asked, excitement starting to take hold. "Let's do this!"
"Next up is Team Basement versus Team Collectum!"
"You go ahead and relax," Blue insisted, pushing Kevin into a seated position on the ground. "Ve vill take care of everything."
"But…" Kevin started to protest, then sighed in resignation. As he watched Blue head out to their battle line, he chuckled to himself as he realized that she was likely giving him the chance to recover from his earlier visit to the cemetery. "Thanks," he said quietly, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to hear him. "I guess I do need that." He then watched as Blue started to lay waste to the opposing team's Pokémon until he noticed a large movement of white in the crowd. "Are those…?"
"Is something wrong, Keveen?" Amour asked, glancing up at him while still keeping most of her attention on her teammate in case she needed to swap in.
The young trainer pointed up into the stands, his eyes aglow. "I could be wrong, but it looks like all the Pokémon Professors are here!"
"Th-They are…?" she croaked, starting to sway on suddenly unsteady legs.
"Whoa…" Kevin quickly knelt down, his excitement pushed to the back of his mind as he focused on his distressed teammate. "It's okay, be cool. Don't focus on them." He pointed to his eyes. "Focus on me, focus on Blue, focus on your teammates, okay?"
"Ou-Oui." She glanced out at the battlefield as cheers rose and noticed that Blue had defeated yet another trainer's squad of Pokémon. "I am sorry; can you hold me again? Just for a moment?"
He blinked at her request; as far as he knew, touching his Pokémon during a round wasn't against the rules. As long as he didn't try to give them any restorative items outside of battle, he was allowed to interact with them however he – and they – liked. "Should be fine," he said, embracing her once again, and when they separated, she looked into his smiling face and felt a strong urge to…to…
Another roar from the crowd interrupted her musings, and the pair looked to the field to see Blue approaching them with a somewhat nonplussed expression, leaving several wide-eyed trainers staring at her back from across the field. "I don't know if they vere testing me or insulting me," she huffed. "Either vay, I buried them."
"Well done," Kevin chuckled, clapping along with the rest of the team.
As she watched the rest of the team celebrate their win for the round, Amour pressed a hand to her chest, distressed over her intense feelings when it came to the human teen; she was really looking forward to talking with Professor Gottum's wife.
"Last up for this round is Team Collectum versus Team Lockdown!"
Kevin watched with no small amount of satisfaction as Leviathan slammed into his opponent and then quickly returned to 'tag' in Amour. "Should be about right…" he murmured as he checked the Magikarp's statistics on his palmtop computer; assuming he had correctly calculated the strength of the Magikarp's opponent, the crowd would get a little 'gift' after the round. "Got it! Once his adrenaline dies down…"
Like most teams, Lockdown tended to put all of its proverbial eggs in one basket, in their case with Poison-type Pokémon, which the psychic-based Gothorita could easily handle.
"Hmph," Amour sniffed, flipping one of her 'twin-tails' as the last of Team Lockdown's Pokémon dissolved, retreating back into its Poke ball. "That is why you should 'ave a diverse team." She then left the opposing trainer slack-jawed as she departed with an exaggerated sway of her hips. As she left the field, however, she dropped her 'diva' persona and latched onto her coach. "How was it, Keveen? Did you like it?"
"That was great!" he laughed. "The way you moved your…" He coughed awkwardly. "You, uh, looked confident out there."
"Vell done, Amour!" Blue gushed as she squeezed her teammate. "Now ve just have-"
"…karp…"
Kevin smiled excitedly at Leviathan's declaration, and he double-checked his palmtop as he quickly led the confused water Pokémon back onto the field, where the maintenance team was busy cleaning up in preparation for the next round of battles.
Of course, the announcers noticed and had to say something about it: "For some reason, it looks like Coach Collectum has decided to bring his Magikarp out for a walk. Is this going to be some kind of half-time show?"
Kevin stopped and released Leviathan's fin to face him. "You've worked really hard, and I'm really proud of you," he said as the floating fish started to glow; from the sidelines, Blue, Amour, and Belch all gasped, their hands flying to their mouths as they realized what was happening.
For his part, Leviathan blinked awkwardly as the glow obscured his eyes from view, and everyone in attendance – as well as those viewing from home – watched as the glow stretched, its girth expanding as it began taking on a long, serpentine shape. Eventually, the glow faded, and a massive Gyarados hovered over its coach. "Thank…Thank…Thankgyarados," the newly-evolved Pokémon managed to grunt in gratitude for the hours upon hours of work that his good friend had put into him and his training.
"You're welcome," Kevin said, his eyes misting as he reached out to hug a section of the humongous dragon Pokémon as the audience cheered wildly.
"Next up in the semi-finals is Team Blackout versus Team Violet!"
Kevin sat comfortably, sipping at a bottle of a popular energy drink as he watched the two teams try to outwit (and out-taunt) each other. To his left sat Blue, who watched both teams with a critical eye; after all, she knew that her team could end up facing one of them, and she wanted to be prepared with a battle plan.
To his right sat Amour, who glanced up repeatedly at her favorite human who, ever since their shared embraces, had somehow become even more of her favorite, though she still couldn't figure out how, much to her frustration. She looked over and, seeing his hand resting on the ground beside him, reached out; even though he was the source of her present discomfort, she still felt that he was the only one who could ease it.
"Oh, how nice!" a familiar yet unfamiliar friendly voice exclaimed, and Amour quickly withdrew her hand with a heated face.
Kevin, on the other hand, jumped in surprise before hurrying to his feet to greet the newcomer. "P-Professor Oak? And P-Professor Gottum?" he stammered as the retired trainers walked up to them. "This…This is really an honor, sirs! W-would you like something to drink?" he asked as he and Blue fumbled with their supply bag. "I'm afraid I didn't think to bring much…other than supplies for my team, of course-"
"It's okay, Coach," Professor Gottum said, exchanging a knowing smile with the older scientist. "We just wanted to come and say 'hi' and congratulate you on your work."
"My work, sir?" It took the overwhelmed youth several seconds to realize what the new professor was referring to. "Oh! Uh, thank you, sir." He gestured to his team. "I really haven't done much other than just teach them what little I know."
The professors exchanged another knowing look before Professor Gottum looked away. "I feel like I've heard something like this before," Professor Oak quipped as Professor Gottum rubbed the back of his neck. "What do you think, Jim?"
"It sounds like me, not too long ago," the junior scientist muttered, still rubbing his neck. He recovered quickly, though. "I wanted to congratulate you as well as thank you personally."
All the teen could do was blink somewhat stupidly; next to him, Amour watched with a concerned expression.
"See, when I did it, it was just with a single Pokémon," Professor Gottum explained, "but to see you creating a team that works together…?" He chuckled as he slowly shook his head. "I'm glad to see my efforts haven't been forgotten."
"Not at all, sir!" Kevin squeaked, then quickly cleared his throat. "When I saw Miss Kimono on TV, taking on all those Trainers by herself, it…it inspired me!"
"I can't say how happy I am to hear that," James said, pressing a hand to his chest. "And I'm sure Kimono would love to hear that as well." He blinked, his hand dropping to his side again. "That reminds me; she told me that…Blue, and…Amour, was it? That they wanted to meet with her." He snorted. "Or, actually, she wants to meet with them."
"Vhere is your vife, sir?" Blue suddenly piped up, mildly startling Kevin; he had been so overwhelmed by the presence of the two celebrities that he'd almost forgotten that she was there. Or even that he himself was there.
"She's still in her seat," James replied, gesturing to the stands. "She's far enough along in the pregnancy that the doctors have said that she shouldn't move around any more than absolutely necessary." He chuckled again. "Of course, she considers Pokémon tournaments vital activities, so…" he trailed off with a grin and a shrug.
"I think I understand," Kevin said, trying not to smile goofily but failing.
"Anyway, how about you introduce us to your team?" Oak cut in politely. "They're part of the reason we're down here, after all; don't want them to feel left out."
"Sorry, Sam," James replied sheepishly, then turned his attention to the young trainer.
"Well, Coach Collectum," Oak exclaimed with a clap of his hands, "I've heard the names of a couple of your team, but we've never met! So, who's who? I hear you have a captain?"
"That's right, sir." Kevin smiled, gesturing to his team as they gathered around. "Blue, here – the Steenee – is the team captain."
"It is pleasure to meet you," Blue said, extending her hand as high as she could.
"Very impressive manners!" the older professor gushed as he bent down to shake her hand, then blinked. "Er, not as though I was expecting otherwise, heh heh…" He released the Steenee's hand to straighten again. "Anyway, to you as well. If you don't mind me asking; how close are you to your next evolution?"
Blue looked up at Kevin, who quickly checked his palmtop. "Based on her current progress, about…twenty to twenty-five battles, sir," he replied.
"Well, congratulations in advance," Oak said to the tiny Pokémon. At her puzzled look he quickly added. "Since I won't likely be there for the event, I mean."
"Ah," she replied, still uncertain as to what the professor meant. "Vell, thank you very much."
"What a nice accent!" James exclaimed, and Blue and Amour exchanged a smile at the memory of the professor's wife saying nearly the exact same thing. "Sam, would you say that sounds like something from the Kalos region?"
The older professor shook his head. "Sounds like it's from an older language from farther east. Anyway, we're getting off-topic. Who's next?"
"This is Amour," Kevin said, indicating the black-and-white figure who had taken hold of his arm and was studying the lab-coat-clad men. "She's…well, I'm sure you can see that she's a Gothorita."
"Very much so," James said with a grin as he reached down to shake her hand. "Nice manhandling of Team Lockdown, Miss Amour."
"Je vous remercie," she replied as she shook his hand. "It is an honor to meet you both."
"That's definitely the Kalos region," James asserted. "Well, ancient Kalos."
"Agreed," Oak grunted as he studied the Pokémon and her coach. "Say, Jim; does something about them seem…familiar?"
"What do you-?" The younger professor cut himself off as he noticed the way the Gothorita was holding her human's arm, the way she was turned toward him… "Yeah, now that you mention it…it does bring back memories."
Kevin looked from one professor to the other. "Is something wrong, sirs?"
"No, not at all!" Oak chuckled as he patted the young man on the shoulder. "But…I don't think it would be helpful to say anything right now." He saw the Gothorita quickly cast her gaze to the ground. "Yes, we'd best keep our assessments to ourselves for now, Jim."
"Agreed."
Professor Oak eagerly rubbed his hands together. "So, who are the last two? I know you have at least four here; one just became a Gyarados, right?"
"Yes, sir." Kevin beamed with pride as he gestured to the blue behemoth just outside the tent. "Kinda hard to miss, I guess. Anyway, his name's Leviathan."
"You wanted him to evolve during the tournament didn't you?" James asked with a conspiratorial grin.
"Guilty as charged, sir," the young man replied with an awkward grin as the Gothorita next to him smiled affectionately up at him, causing the two older men to exchange another knowing glance. "He's worked so hard to get this far, and I wanted him to be recognized for his efforts."
"You put in a fair amount of work, too," James pointed out. His expression then turned sheepish under his senior's gaze. "Yes, I haven't forgotten, Sam; that's why I brought it up."
"Fair enough," the older scientist chuckled. He then knelt down to get a better look at the Magby that had waddled up. "And you must be Belch."
Kevin managed to contain his surprise at the older man's lack of reaction to the somewhat-humorous name. "That's right, sir. He's my most recently-added friend."
"Mag… Hello," the fire-based creature greeted from a safe distance, not wanting to harm the comparatively frail human.
"Well, hello!" Oak replied, clearly pleased. "You've been working on our language, have you?"
"Mag… Y-Yes…"
"Well, keep up the good work," Oak replied as James helped him back to a standing position. "You're a credit to your species."
"Thank you, sir; he's been working really hard," Kevin told the men.
"It looks like all of you have," The older professor said, smiling broadly at the team. "Well, it's been nice meeting you all, but we'd better get back to our seats. Your turn's probably coming up soon, and Jim here needs to get back to his wife and child." Both he and Professor Gottum lifted a hand in farewell as they departed, heading back toward the stands.
"Wow…" Kevin breathed as they watched the famous scientists depart. "What an honor…"
"And just sink," Blue interjected, "after ve vin tournament, you vill be able to meet them all."
"No, Blue," Kevin replied with a shake of his head. "The four of you will win this, and then we'll all get to meet them."
"And finally, to close out the semi-finals is Team Collectum versus Team Furry!"
"Letting all your Pokémon out at once, huh?" the third of Team Furry's trainers chided; the first two squads of Pokémon had gone down rather quickly, thanks to Amour's judicious use of her Psychic abilities. "Well, two can play at that game!" With that, he deployed all six of his Poke balls, and an Eevee, a Raticate, a Persian, a 'Natural' Furfrou, and a pair of Cincinno appeared, and Team Collectum watched with amusement as the newly-released Pokémon immediately began to attack each other, their trainer panicking as they reduced each other to clouds of light, which quickly retreated to their respective balls. "Stop! STOP!" the poor trainer cried as his Raticate slammed into the last Cincinno, sending it back home. "Why…?"
"You need to get them used to each other, first," Kevin called from across the field. "You normally release just one to fight a wild Pokémon, right?"
The opposing trainer stared at him before finally making an obscene gesture toward Team Gottum. "Well…Raticate's more than enough to take down your entire team! Well, except maybe the Gyrados!"
"Really?" Kevin exchanged a smirk with his team's captain. "Well, Blue; you know what to do."
"Bury them," she replied, driving a fist into an open hand. "Belch, come here." Once she had the fire Pokémon's attention she told him, "Raticate is very fast, so start vith Scary Face and then use Smokescreen couple of times. Then avoid his attack vhile attacking him vith Smog. If he gives you too much trouble, tag in Amour; she vill be better at confusing him. Got it?"
"Magkay," Belch nodded while clapping.
"Then go!" she ordered, miming a smack to his backside; actual contact with the fiery Pokémon tended to hurt, after all.
Kevin watched the exchange with no small amount of pride. His chest swelled further as Belch executed the plan, first slowing the giant rat-thing down and then messing with its accuracy. He felt a little bit of sympathy, though, when Belch's fourth usage of Smog finally poisoned it, turning the Raticate's skin a slight yet sickly shade of green.
"No, Raticate!" the other trainer wailed, knocking his cap off as he grabbed his head in dismay. "Use… Use Double-Edge!"
Kevin's sympathy shifted to the trainer as the attack connected, but the recoil damage on top of the accrued poison damage was enough to overwhelm the Pokémon, and it dissolved into light and retreated into its ball. Blue then recalled Belch and took to the field herself to gauge the final trainer's squad.
Said trainer stood with a cocky grin as he tossed a poke ball in one hand. "You really put one over on my buddy, but don't expect me to be so easy to take down."
"Your 'buddy' took himself out with his own ignorance," Kevin replied, a little annoyed by the other trainer's posturing.
The Team Furry trainer simply laughed. "Well, don't go crying to your mommy when you lose."
Kevin snorted at the lame taunt as he turned his attention to the supply bag; even though the kid's words stung, he knew he was just throwing-
"EY!"
Kevin snapped his gaze up to find Blue gesturing threateningly at the other trainer, her posture clearly one of aggression.
"YOU VILL NOT TALK TO KEVIN LIKE ZAT!" Blue bellowed at the opposing trainer, an impressive feat in light of how tiny her voice was. "BRING OUT FIRST VICTIM!"
The Furry trainer gave his teammates an uncertain look, but they simply gestured to the livid Pokémon. "Um, go Eevee!" he yelled as he threw his Poke ball. It hit the ground, and the small, fox-like Pokémon appeared a moment later…
…only to dissolve into light almost immediately under the furious Steenee's barrage of leaves. "You sink zees is joke?" she snarled as the light retreated into the ball. "Bring out next one!"
Behind her, Kevin turned wide eyes on the other three Pokémon. "Do you know what's going on? She's completely lost control of her speech." He shifted his position, ready to get up at a moment's notice.
The Magby and the Gyrados simply shrugged; at least, the huge dragon tried to. To her credit, Amour tried to answer. "I think she is angry because-"
Her words were cut off by the roar of the crowd, and the quartet looked back to the field in time to watch a Vaporean dissolve and return to its Poke ball. "She's gonna end up punching her way through the entire Eevee evolution set," Kevin joked, though his expression betrayed concern as a Flareon met the same fate as its predecessors; the fire-based Pokémon should have given her at least some trouble, but she simply curb-stomped it as she had the others.
One Jolteon and one Espion later, Blue stood before the trainer, demanding his next Pokémon. "I-I'm sorry; I don't have any more!" the boy nearly wailed.
"Iz zat so?" To a mix of delight and shock from the crowd, the tiny Steenee raised the back of her hand to her mouth. "Ohhhh ho ho ho hoooo!" she laughed, already sounding like her final evolution. "Zen I vill settle for you, boy!"
"What?!" Kevin felt the blood drain from his face at her chilling words, and he shot from his seat to grab his teammate around the middle before she could make good on her threat. "Blue, stand down; we need to-"
"COME OUT HERE, BOY!" Blue demanded, unknowingly ignoring her coach as she stamped a pointed foot and indicated the ground ahead of her with a hand. "You vill not disrespect Valerie's memory!"
Kevin's grip relaxed ever so slightly. "Wh-What?"
"M-Memory?!" The Furry trainer looked across to his opponent with a puzzled expression.
"My mom died a few years ago," Kevin explained through a sudden lump in his throat even as he struggled with his charge.
The opposing trainer murmured a profanity. "Hey, I'm really sorry, man; you know I was just-"
"I AM TALKING TO YOU, BOY!" Blue shrieked, her face coloring in rage; beyond the field, the spectators had started murmuring amongst themselves. "YOU VILL NOT DISHONOR HER MEMORY!"
"I-I'm sorry!" the poor boy cried, starting to backpedal away from the enraged Pokémon.
"Blue, stand down!" Kevin ordered as he tried to pull her back.
"I VILL BURY YOU!" the Steenee raged, waving her tiny fists as she stomped at the ground. "I VILL BU-"
"Blue."
Even though her name had been spoken at a normal volume and had come from a goodly distance behind, she winced as though it had been shouted in her ear, and her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder to see… "C-Craig?"
"H-Hey, Dad," Kevin stammered as the Hart patriarch, still in his work attire, made his way onto the field, to his son and the rapidly-calming Pokémon. "It's just a misunderstanding; we'll get it worked-"
"I know, son," Craig interrupted softly, lifting a hand to silence his boy. "It's okay; I'll handle this."
"S-Sure." He released his charge and stepped back, then looked around as he realized that the arena had become eerily quiet. "Whoa…"
"Everything will be okay, son," Craig said to the other trainer, raising a hand in a greeting.
"Y-Yes, sir," the trainer replied before turning to bolt from the battle area.
"C-Craig…" Blue repeated, the rest of the stadium fading as her favorite human lowered himself to one knee to better speak with the shorter life-form. "Y-You made it."
"Yes, I did," he replied in an even tone even as his expression shifted to one of disappointment. "And what do I find when I arrive, but one of my son's Pokémon threatening a trainer? Is this what my son has taught you?"
"N-Nyet," she stammered, unable to break his gaze as she began to tremble.
"Is this how you have been taught to represent Team Collectum?" he followed up.
Kevin blinked in surprise; it had never occurred to him that his dad knew his pseudonym.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"And what about your family?" Craig asked, gesturing to himself, then to his son and the Pokémon behind him. "Is this the kind of example we've been to you?"
"N-No…" she croaked, in tears as she wrung her hands together though she still couldn't break his gaze. "I am so sorry; he insulted your vife – Kevin's mother – and I got very angry."
"I see." He swallowed hard, and Blue noticed that he blinked several times as his jaw tensed repeatedly. "Well, thank you for-" To her surprise, he broke their gaze, clearing his throat as he abruptly turned his head to the side. "Thank you for-" He cut himself off again to clear his throat, even coughing a couple of times.
Blue watched him with worried eyes as he tried to compose himself.
"Thank you…for trying to defend…her honor…" he finally managed to grind through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry; please excuse me." Before Blue could even put a single thought together, he got to his feet and quickly strode off of the field.
"C-Craig, vait!" she called, chasing after him and leaving a very confused audience.
Even the announcer wasn't sure what to say. "Um, it looks like the winner is Team Collectum… What in the world happened down there?"
"Disqualified…" Kevin muttered sadly as he sat slumped on the bench, his face buried in his hands.
"I'm sorry, son," Craig said, his arm wrapped around his son's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. "For what it's worth, I believe that you all did your best out there. I'm just sorry that I arrived so late."
The young coach managed to send his dad a small smile. "Thanks, Dad; I'm just glad you were able to be here at all."
Craig said nothing, but drew his son close long enough to kiss him on the forehead.
"I am so, so, sorry," Blue whimpered, laying her hands on her coach's knee and trying to look into his face. "I should not have lost my temper like that."
"No, I understand, Blue," the young man replied, laying a hand on her head. "Thanks for standing up for Mom; I'll just need some time to get over this."
The Steenee looked to Craig with an uncertain expression, but the older human gave her a reassuring smile that warmed her heart, if just a little.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Amour offered, her heart breaking for the umpteenth time at her favorite human's depressed state. "I can make tea for you, or rub your back, or-"
"Get ready for the final round?"
The two Pokémon plus trainer looked as one to see a pair of familiar faces approaching them, both with sympathetic smiles. "P-Professor Oak! Professor Gottum!" Kevin exclaimed, shooting to his feet and startling his dad in the process. "Professor Gottum, I am so sorry for what happened out there! I take full responsibility for-"
"Nyet!" Blue snapped, surprising the three humans as he pressed her finger to her chest. "I made bad choice; blame is mine."
"But I should have-"
Laughter silenced the group, and everyone looked to Professor Oak, who roared while thumping his younger colleague on the back. "Does this sound familiar too, Jim?"
"Good grief, Sam," James grumbled, though he chuckled as well. "Yes, this looks familiar, too. Would you give it a rest?"
Professor Oak simply chuckled before noticing the newcomer and extended his hand. "Ah! I don't believe we've met. Samuel Oak, Pokémon Professor. It's a pleasure."
"Craig Hart, attorney-at-law," Kevin's dad replied as he shook hands. "The pleasure's mine. My son has spoken highly of the both of you."
"Both of us?" Professor Gottum seemed surprised until he realized the likely reason. "Ah, of course; thank you very much."
"You said something about getting ready for the final round?" Craig prompted.
"Ah! Yes." Professor Oak seemed briefly startled by the abrupt shift in focus. "Coach Collectum, Professor Gottum and I are here to let you know that your disqualification has been annulled."
Kevin's eyes lit up. "So we'll be able to participate again?"
"In the final round, yes," James confirmed. "Team Furry actually spoke to us and the commission on your behalf."
"Ve must thank them," Blue declared, grabbing hold of Kevin's arm. "They gave up final for this."
"Thank them after the tournament," Professor Gottum said while checking his watch. "Right now, you have a final match to prepare for."
Elated, Kevin snatched up the two Poke balls from his hip and held them up before his face. "Get ready, guys; we've got a tournament to win!"
"Ladies and gentlemen: We're pleased to announce that the final match will be between Team Ronduri and…Team Collectum!"
Kevin groaned, and his father rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder as the crowd cheered. "Our team name sounds so stupid compared to theirs…"
"Oh, no Keveen," Amour said with a delicate touch to his arm as she sat next to him under their tent. "I think it sounds noble."
The Hart patriarch's eyebrows jumped, but he said nothing; it was his son's team, after all.
"Thanks," Kevin mumbled. "Oh, well; at least we get to be in the final round."
"Final round is best Pokémon against best Pokémon," Blue reminded them, then shuddered. "I think they vill be sending out L-Lucario."
Kevin mulled this over. "Well, since he's Fighting/Steel, I'd suggest sending out Belch."
"Nyet," Blue declared, thumping her chest. "I am team captain; I vill go."
The young man's brow furrowed. "Are you sure? I don't mean to question your judgment, but Belch's fire would be ideal versus-"
"He is also very low level," she countered. "I do not think he vould last long enough to use fire."
"But he's the same level as you," Kevin countered, double-checking the Magby's statistics. He then quickly checked the stats of the other two Pokémon. "Amour is a higher level than you, but I don't think that she has any attacks that would work against it… Leviathan just got his new form and has only fought a few battles since then…" He lowered his palmtop. "I still think that Belch would be the best choice; he has Smokescreen, and Smog would still have a chance to affect his opponent, whoever they send out." He shrugged. "That's just what I think, though; as team captain, it's your decision."
"Mag…go," Belch offered
"Nyet; I vill go," Blue declared, though she still trembled. "It vould not be right to send out one of you vhile I hide here." She stood a little taller. "If ve fail, I vant it to be my fault."
"As you wish, Captain," Kevin sighed with a smile of resignation and a two-finger salute. "Do you need anything from us before you head out?"
She looked to each of her teammates before her gaze settled on her favorite human, who had said nothing up to that point. "Craig?"
The elder Hart leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees to bring himself closer to the Steenee's height. "Yes?"
"Vill…?" She glanced anxiously over at the others. "Vill you hold me for minute?"
Craig blinked in surprise. "Hold you?"
She nodded bashfully. "Just for minute."
He looked over at his son, who shrugged. "Um…I suppose?" He then reached out and carefully pulled the tiny life form into his lap, and she immediately snuggled into him. "Is…this okay?" he asked, clearly uncomfortable with the situation but not wanting to needlessly hurt her feelings.
"O, moy…" she breathed, shuddering as she buried her face in his shirt. "This is perfect…"
Craig looked over at his son again who, again, shrugged. "Well, I'm, uh…glad you're happy."
She glanced up at him with a smile before returning her face to his chest. A minute later she gently pushed away to look up into his face again. "I have to go now," she told him while fighting an urge to…to…
"Okay," he said, unsure of what else to say as he carefully placed her back on the grassy turf.
"Vish me vell." With that, she turned and headed toward the field, though she stopped for a moment to look back. "I vill make you proud, Craig."
Still confused, the older human could only raise a hand in what he hoped was a reassuring wave. "Do your best out there."
"I vill; thank you." She then continued to her starting line opposite a Lucario, who sat at its starting point in a cross-legged position, its eyes closed.
"Is she going to be okay?" Craig asked his son, suddenly worried for the small creature. "She seemed kind of… I don't know."
"She's scared, Dad," Kevin said. "I'm kinda scared along with her."
Craig gestured toward the field. "That fox-thing won't try to kill her, will it?"
"No, Dad, it's…" Kevin looked up, trying to fight just the right words. "She's scared that she'll let us down, so she wants to win really badly."
"I see." The elder Hart sighed. "Then I guess all we can do is have faith in her and her training."
Amour looked from one Hart to the other, then out to the field. She was worried about Blue, of course, but Craig was right; she would just have to believe in her friend.