Chapter 4
Gold
Thankfully, the distance between Pallet in Kanto and New Bark in Johto was actually pretty small, all things considered. It required that they fly west, angling south beneath the mountain range that made up the Indigo League's Victory Road, but the region was coastal and warm, and the journey only lasted a couple of hours on the back of Jade's Metagross, which was a welcome relief.
She'd visited New Bark Town once before, early on in her journey, shortly after her first loss in Kanto's Pokemon League Conference. She'd been too green then and had lost handily in the very first round, but then she hadn't expected to do well anyway, barely being eleven years old at the time. She'd done it more for the experience, always intending to head out to other regions after finishing Kanto's gym circuit, and Johto had always been planned as the next step on her journey.
Yet despite having visited New Bark before, it still surprised her how similar it was to Pallet. Both were relatively small and quaint settlements on the edge of the region. Both were the traditional starting points for pokemon journeys. And both happened to house the lab for that region's preeminent pokemon researcher.
If it weren't for the fact that New Bark was actually the older of the two settlements, she would have sworn that someone had just copied the idea of Pallet Town in its entirety and pasted it over here in Johto. The only real difference was the trees. Pallet had mainly maples, whose five-pointed leaves painted the town a burning red every autumn. New Bark and its mountainous hills were surrounded by thin reedy pines that cloaked the area in an eternal swathe of greens and browns.
She supposed she should have felt guilty, showing up unannounced at Professor Elm's lab that morning and just barging in, but Sammy assured them he wouldn't mind. The man had a reputation for being flighty and forgetful, and according to Sammy, would likely have forgotten they were coming even if they had called ahead.
Arriving at the lab had been a bit of an odd experience. The building was large and square, without a hint of architectural sophistication, covered in gleaming windows that shone like the carapace of a Heracross beneath the bright morning sun. They'd landed just outside one of the back entrances used by employees and researchers, in an old and barely used parking lot - most researchers using pokemon to commute to and from work.
Jade and Sammy recalled their pokemon and AJ finally released her hold on Pichu, letting him cavort across the cracked pavement while they each stretched and shook out their tired limbs before making their way toward the sliding doors. They were normally locked, of course, to prevent randos from just wandering in through the back entrance, but Sammy had a pass to the lab since he'd spent the last few weeks working here.
When the trio of unannounced visitors walked into the small atrium, the air conditioner working perhaps a bit too hard as goosebumps burst all up and down AJ's bare arms, the workers inside met them with confused and cautious glances. She vaguely wondered how often they had to deal with people just barging in. It was probably fairly common - or at least the attempts likely were. This was Elm's lab, after all; he probably had to deal with attempts at espionage all the time.
Thankfully, the aides' hesitation changed to looks of recognition and relief upon noticing Sammy Oak. Then changed again to shock and poorly restrained awe when they spotted AJ.
She shuffled uncomfortably, trying to decide how to hold herself. It had only been a week and she still wasn't used to this yet, random people she'd never met knowing who she was on-sight. How was she supposed to act? Was she supposed to be cool and aloof, like Diantha? Or bold and brimming with confidence, like Cynthia? Why didn't Lance give her some sort of 'How to be an Inspiring Leader for Dummies' book?
Pichu, however, seemed to be sucking it up, crawling up onto her head and waving at the strangers as though they'd all come to see him. To be fair, this was just how he acted normally - he was a bit full of himself. He probably had no idea that he was famous now. Not for the first time, she wished she could be as carefree as her partner.
A girl about their age in a white lab coat with thick, square glasses and her mousy brown hair thrown up in a messy bun approached them with a nervous but familiar smile for Sammy, engaging him in conversation yet throwing several startled glances in her direction as if AJ wasn't aware of her doing it.
Is this what Champions put up with every day? Randos just gawking at them like they were Mew itself? If so, it was getting old, fast. She could at least say hello to her, too.
After Sammy finished saying whatever he had been saying - honestly, AJ hadn't been listening, too concerned with making sure she was standing up straight under the watchful eyes of Elm's researchers - the aid scurried off deeper into the building, still casting not-so-secretive glances back in AJ's direction.
Jade leaned in with a smirk.
"I'm surprised she didn't ask for your autograph."
"Shut up," AJ hissed back, her face suddenly flushing scarlet. Oh Arceus, that's a thing people could start doing, wasn't it?! What was she supposed to do if someone asked? Her handwriting was awful!
After an interminable wait, the mousy aid returned, letting them know that Professor Elm would see them now. Sammy nodded with a grateful smile, all charm and good looks fit to make the poor girl swoon, and started off, not needing a guide to walk him to the office since he'd been there several times. Jade followed along, AJ bringing up the rear, suddenly wondering if she was walking strangely and if anyone would notice. Why did it suddenly feel like she'd forgotten how to walk? She could feel every eye following her until she rounded the corner and started down the hall.
All at once, she was annoyed. She'd had people's eyes on her for years now whenever she was battling, why was it weird now? Maybe because she didn't spend a lot of time walking during a battle?
Professor Elm was a thin, gangly man with a head like a perfectly rounded and brightly waxed oval. His hair had receded considerably, leaving the top of his scalp shiny and bare, a fringe of gray-brown clinging around the sides like moss.
Everything about him seemed to exude forgetfulness, from the crooked set of his glasses to the way his tie hung loose and askew around his neck. His clothes seemed ill-fitting, though that may have just been because of how bony and thin he was, and though his smile was friendly, there was a definite air of fogginess about him, as though you were never 100% sure that he was all there.
His office was a mess as well; stacks upon stacks of files and documents and books piled up over tables and desks and chairs and even the floor. There was a Hoothoot perched atop one stack, standing on one foot and gazing at them crookedly, letting out a doleful hoot of welcome. Atop another stack sat a sleeping Corsola, acting as a paperweight.
"Ah, welcome!" he said, surprisingly energetic as he set down his mug of coffee and stood from his seat behind his desk and the veritable mountain of random detritus littered atop it. "Sammy, my boy, always a pleasure. And AJ - wonderful to meet you! Remarkable job, winning the Champion seat so young. An excellent battle, or so I'm told. Couldn't see it myself, unfortunately - too much to do. You know, I actually knew your father-"
"Professor," Sammy cut in hastily, shooting AJ a covert look of apology, "we're really sorry to barge in like this, but-"
"Oh, no, no, no trouble at all! Always a pleasure to have a visit from such a bright young mind! Lyra will be delighted to hear you're back; you've been such a help with her research. You know, there's a Stantler heard passing through on their migration just now, and I'm sure she'll be thrilled to-"
"Actually, Professor," Sammy cut in again, though from his expression, Professor Elm getting carried away by tangents was apparently an every-day occurrence, "I'm afraid I'm still not back yet. I'm going on a quick journey with AJ and Jade before her League duties begin."
"Ah, well now," Elm said, scratching his head and looking around the room absently as though he were searching for something but couldn't remember what that thing was. "A shame, that, but… Yes, yes, have a good time, lad, we'll be here when you get back."
He picked up his mug and took a sip, only to spit out a mouthful of thumbtacks. He'd grabbed the wrong mug. AJ and Jade exchanged looks.
"Professor," said AJ, stepping forward. Maybe she needed to steer this conversation in the right direction. "I'm actually here to see Ethan. Sammy thought you might know how to get in touch with him? I heard he lives in Goldenrod, but he spends a lot of time here, so we thought it might be faster to check here first."
"Ethan?" Elm said, frowning as if he'd never heard the name before. "No, no - sorry, but I haven't any idea where he is. Busy lad. The Champion, you know. Ah, but Lyra probably knows where to find him."
AJ, who had begun to think this entire trip had been a massive waste of time, perked up at the last.
"Chumier than the heads of an Exeggutor, those two. I think she said something about seeing him today. Now let me think… I put my pokegear down around here somewhere…"
He began to rifle through a folder, as though the device was hidden somewhere between the pages.
"That's alright, Professor," Sammy said smoothly. "I have her number. If she's with Ethan, then they're probably over at the park anyway, but I can give her a call myself. Don't worry about it."
"Aha!" the older man exclaimed, dropping the folder and clapping his hands as though Sammy's response had been some sort of scientific breakthrough. "Excellent! Well then, I'll leave it to you, lad! Yes, yes! Off you go - and we'll discuss more about those Stantler when you get back, eh? Always a pleasure! You as well, AJ! And you, uh, er…"
"Jade," Jade supplied, a polite smile on her face.
"Ah, yes - Jade! Of course. A pleasure."
And just like that, he was rifling through his papers again, apparently looking for the glasses that were still perched crookedly on his nose.
Sammy caught their eye and jerked his head toward the door. They left the disorganized office, and even more disorganized man, behind them in silence, not speaking again until they were out of the building. The eyes that had watched her walk in watched her walk back out again, some of them speaking in hushed whispers behind their hands. She thought she saw one of them snap a picture of her.
Wait, what if someone had leaked her little outburst last night to the press?! Maybe they weren't staring at her because she was famous - maybe they were laughing at her behind her back!
She needed to be away from the lab and other human beings, pronto.
"So now what?" she asked, clapping her hands for want of anything better to do with them. Pichu took the opportunity to jump down off of her shoulder and roll around in the nearby grass. "Call this friend of yours, or…?"
"We can," Sammy said, plucking Corviknight's ball off of his belt and summoning the large stygian bird to his side. "But chances are she's at the park, like I said before. That's pretty much where she always is when Ethan is around. He likes to go there to hide from people."
Ah, a man after her own heart. With orders to follow him, Jade summoned back her Metagross, AJ ran to catch Pichu who had decided to root through a trash can, and together the three took off once more into the sky, soaring above the town of Little Root, heading toward the hills.
"So who's Lyra?" Jade asked, the two of them once again using their pokegear to communicate with Sammy so they didn't have to shout. "And why was Elm talking about Stantler?"
"She's one of Elm's aids." Sammy explained, his voice a little muffled through the pokegear due to the sound of the rushing wind. "She and Ethan go way back. He brought up the Stantler because she's been researching regional variant evolutionary parameters here in Johto, and I'd been giving her a hand with some of it."
"Johto has regional variant pokemon?" AJ asked, looking startled. Why hadn't she ever heard of that before?
"No," Sammy said quickly. "Or, well, none that we know of. But that's what Lyra is studying. Specifically, regional variant evolution. Like how we have Farfetch'd here in the Indigo League, but no Farfetch'd here have been known to evolve, unlike the ones in Galar. Lyra's research aims to understand what phenomena encourage evolution specific to certain regions and then see if it can't be reproduced in other places, to produce similar or even brand new results."
"That would be awesome," AJ said emphatically.
"Tough to prove, though," Jade chimed in. "Pokemon evolutionary methods are so wild and diverse… You could test a thousand different methods on Farfetch'd alone and never find whatever makes them evolve. What if it's just genetic? Sometimes, it is."
"Yeah, but not always," AJ argued back. "And think about how awesome it would be if it could be done? Or if it unlocked an entirely brand new evolution unique to Johto? That would be so cool!"
"I'll be sure to tell her how excited you are about her research," Sammy said in an amused tone. "She'll probably end up being the next big Johto Pokemon Professor, from what I've seen. She's Elm's favorite by far. I know you're Kanto's Champion now, but getting in with her early will probably be a good thing for you, considering how often we work together on things."
"Ooh, high praise from Sammy Oak," AJ joked, feeling another wicked urge to tease him bubble up inside her. Mew, they'd been apart for too long. "Is this the part where we tease you about your secret brainiac love tryst with this Johtoan scholar?"
"Ugh," he groaned, letting the sound drag out ostentatiously. "I expect this nonsense from Jade, not from you. Trust me, Lyra is definitely not my type."
"Well, Jade is being weirdly silent about it!" AJ laughed, gently ribbing her friend, who for her part was shooting AJ a longsuffering look. "Apparently, I have to step up! And what do you mean, not your type? Is she ugly? Too smart for you? What even is your type anyway - coordinators? People who spend too much time doing their hair?"
"Sammy's type," Jade said, cutting in before Sammy could defend himself, "is clearly people who are completely oblivious."
There was a lull in the conversation, as Sammy muttered something darkly under his breath that was too quiet to hear though it sounded like it might have been a threat, and Jade stared off straight ahead as though she hadn't spoken at all.
AJ blinked, confused.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, feeling suddenly out of the loop. Since when did Jade and Sammy have inside jokes she wasn't privy to? "Oblivious? What, like… idiots?"
Jade suddenly snorted, and even Sammy let out a surprised bark of laughter.
"Yeah, love," Jade said, grinning from ear to ear and throwing an arm around AJ's shoulders. "That's exactly right. Sammy is attracted to idiots, because he's an idiot, too. I'm glad we got that covered."
AJ joined in on the laughter, though more reservedly. Somehow, she got the feeling Jade hadn't been making fun of Sammy with that comment, but she couldn't see how.
"I hate both of you," Sammy said from the other side of the line, though she could still hear the note of amusement in his voice. "Also, we're done with this conversation. We've arrived at the park anyway."
When Sammy had mentioned a park earlier, AJ had expected something along the lines of playgrounds and water fountains, maybe a tennis court or some old guys playing shogi on benches.
In actuality, what she found as they lowered themselves to the ground and dismounted was a wide, grassy area with a scattering of trees and not much else. Sentret and Rattata darted about in the distance, the call of wild Pidgey echoing in the trees, and she thought she could see scarring on some of their trunks indicating that Heracross might live nearby. There were walking trails she could see, looping out into the distance, but for the most part, the 'park' seemed to be just an open, unworked clump of land.
Sammy recalled his Corviknight, Jade her Metagross, and Pichu burst free from the confines of AJ's vest to gambol about on the grass. You'd think he hadn't been outside in years rather than minutes from the way he was acting. As she watched, he spotted a Caterpie up in a tree and tore off after it, leaving the poor thing to squeal in terror and climb higher to escape.
Sammy led the way through the park, not following one of the paths but instead heading off toward the west, Jade having no trouble matching his pace with her supermodel legs, but AJ needing to walk a little faster to keep up. It wasn't fair that both of her friends were taller than her.
She kept an eye on Pichu to make sure he was following, but he kept up just as he always did. He was chased out of the tree by an angry mother Butterfree and a wave of Stun Spores, after which he darted around behind them, seemingly touching everything and anything.
He ran around, sniffing at odd mushrooms or investigating bushes or the knots of gnarled trees before rushing back to her, climbing up her legs and onto his familiar shoulder perch before launching himself off again to go and investigate something else of interest. He had the attention span of a caffeine-addled four-year-old, though she was long since used to it at this point.
Finally, after a couple minutes of walking and entering a section of the park where the trees were perhaps a bit thicker, they came across a trio of young adults lazing about beneath the shade of a large white birch. She recognized Ethan immediately, though that wasn't hard to do considering he was the only guy in the group.
He was sitting down, back to the tree, eyes closed as though asleep, one arm resting lazily on the knee of his black shorts. He had on a red long-sleeved jacket and his familiar black-and-gold hat turned backward, which had become his trademark. He didn't seem to notice their approach, simply enjoying the quiet of the morning.
Or, what would have been the quiet. A little to the right sat a girl who AJ assumed must be Lyra, and she was talking so quickly that it was a wonder that she hadn't passed out from lack of oxygen.
She was kneeling on the grass about a span away from Ethan, making notes on a tablet while she talked almost non-stop, her eyes occasionally raising away from the screen to turn in his direction, her large white… bonnet? Is that what that type of hat was called? Whatever it was, it swayed whenever she turned her head. It reminded her of a Jumpluff.
The third and final member of their trio was a young woman who looked like she might have a year or two on Ethan. She was lying on her back on the grass, head propped up on Ethan's thigh, eyes closed and arms splayed out, legs crossed at the ankles.
She had indigo hair, pulled into pigtails beneath a round, bill-less yellow cap. Her white jacket was unzipped, revealing a red shirt and blue-and-yellow spats, and her legs were surprisingly muscular. AJ couldn't help but wonder how much time she spent hiking.
A Marill was running around nearby, chasing a handful of Hoppip who were bobbling languidly through the air, and it was the Marill that noticed them first, freezing in place for a moment before turning and racing back to Lyra, hiding behind her and gibbering fearfully as it pointed in their direction.
Lyra glanced over at them, as did Ethan, opening his eyes and frowning in their direction. From the look on his face, she could tell right away that he wasn't happy to be disturbed.
His eyes registered Sammy first, and his expression shifted to one of relief and recognition. Then his eyes met hers, and his eyebrows rose in obvious surprise.
"Sammy!" Lyra said, quickly rising to her feet and stepping forward to greet them. "Hey there! Wasn't expecting to see you again anytime soon!"
Her voice was bubbly and filled with effervescent energy. Not at all what she'd been expecting when she'd pictured Lyra, Elm's favorite aide, research genius, and Sammy's fictional love interest. She thought she'd be… well… duller.
"Hey Lyra," he replied, leaning down to return the hug she was already giving him. "And yeah, sorry for showing up unannounced like this."
He said the latter while casting an apologetic look towards Ethan, but the Johtoan Champion was still gazing at AJ as though sizing her up.
"Nah, it's fine," Lyra replied. "You know you're always welcome around here. So what's up? Oh, did you hear about the Stantler?!"
"Uh, I did, yeah," he said, somewhat awkwardly. "But, uh, that's not-"
But at that moment, the other girl finally opened her eyes and lifted her head off of Ethan's thigh to turn and regard the group. Her gaze swept over Sammy with bored indifference, lingered on Jade for a moment as though wondering who or what she was, then stopped on AJ.
There was a beat, then she sat straight up and turned.
"Am I still asleep," she asked, her voice a little hoarse from her nap, "or is that the new Kanto Grand Champion?"
A wry smile wormed its way onto Ethan's face.
"You live in a perpetual sleep," he responded dryly. "But yes, that's AJ Ketchum, Kanto's new Champion."
The girl grinned.
"Wicked."
All at once she was on her feet, striding forward with confident steps, an eager and somewhat hungry grin on her face. Was it just AJ, or did her teeth seem a bit more pointed than usual?
"Hey," she said briskly. "How's it going? The name's Kris. How's about a battle?"
AJ blinked several times, taken aback. This girl was a force of nature.
Wait, did she say battle?
She opened her mouth to agree - social niceties were awkward, but a battle she could handle - when Ethan interrupted.
"Uh-uh," he said, already on his feet and walking closer, shaking his head in mock reprimand. "No, ma'am. You can't just walk up to a Champion and demand a battle."
AJ was about to say that she really didn't mind, but Kris cut her off, glaring daggers at Ethan.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, golden boy."
"You wanna battle Kanto's Champion?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips and staring Kris down. "Go to Kanto, get all the badges, win the top spot in the League Conference, submit your official challenge to the Elite Four, and fight your way past her mom and the rest of the League in four official matches all held within the span of a single week… then you can battle the Champion."
He sounded serious, but there was a twitch to his lips and a glint in his eye that let her know he was mostly just trying to rile his friend up.
Kris gave an exaggerated eye roll.
"Yes, mom, I know how the League rules work, but that doesn't mean-"
"That you get to challenge a Champion willy-nilly," he finished for her, clearly enjoying the look of murder she was sending his way. "Clearly I've been too generous with you."
Kris socked him in the arm.
"Now," he continued, his face showing no sign of discomfort but lifting a hand to rub at his sore bicep, "Champion AJ, what can I do for you today?"
AJ fidgeted awkwardly. This was not going at all how she had expected. Champion AJ? Was that how she was supposed to address him?
"Uh, well…" she began, then mentally slapped herself. Get it together, AJ! "I was wondering if… I mean, you see… I need a favor?"
The last bit came out weakly, like a question. It suddenly occurred to her that just marching up to another region's Champion completely unannounced and demanding a favor was extremely rude, even if it was a pretty small favor, all things considered. What if he said no? What would they do then?
But Ethan's grin remained fixed on his face, his amber eyes glittering in the sun like burnished gold.
"Uh-uh," he said again, in the exact same way he had to Kris. "Sorry, AJ - Champions have rules too, you know."
They did? Oh crap - was she supposed to, like, fill out some kind of official request form? Lance hadn't said anything about that! What if she caused some sort of international incident?! Oh great… First, she makes a fool out of herself at her own party, then she goes and offends the Johtoan Grand Champion… She really was determined to screw everything up, wasn't she?
As though he could read her inner turmoil, Ethan's grin softened a bit.
"I'll give you whatever help I can," he said reassuringly, but then that wicked grin returned to his face full-force. "But first… It's tradition, whenever two Champions meet for the first time. You have to battle me."
Kris threw her hands up in the air.
"I knew it! You just wanted to battle her yourself!"
"Of course I did!" Ethan said, laughing as Kris gave him a rough shove that nearly toppled him over. "Champion's privilege!"
"Yeah, I'll show you 'Champions privilege', you piece of-!"
"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving her off airily. "Come take my spot from me for real and we can talk."
Kris snarled and stalked off, but Ethan was still grinning. AJ assumed they weren't really fighting - maybe this was just how their friendship worked? - but she eyed the older girl askance just in case.
"So?" he continued, bringing her attention back to him. "You down? Sorry, I know it's kinda last minute and all, but-"
"What?" she asked. "Oh. Oh! Yes! Absolutely, yes!"
A battle? With another Champion?
Today was suddenly turning out better than she could have imagined!
"Excellent," he said, all eager smiles. "I've been looking forward to this since I saw you battle Lance at the finals, but I didn't think I'd get the chance so soon!"
He turned and strode off toward a nearby clearing devoid of trees, calling for the others to follow. Jade, Sammy, and Lyra all obeyed, Jade shooting her an excited smile, and Kris fell in behind them, no longer looking like she could chew through granite.
AJ, however, hesitated for a moment, barely even noticing Pichu climbing his way back up to her shoulder and chattering animatedly in her ear.
He'd been looking forward to it? To battling her?
That she'd been looking forward to it made sense - she was the new kid on the block. She needed to prove herself. But that another Champion actually wanted to battle her, too…
Something inside of her was dancing energetically. She fought to school her features and appear confident and composed as she hurried off after Ethan and her friends.
"Three pokemon each," he called out across their grassy makeshift arena. "No items, no substitutions. Lyra can be our ref. And since I don't want to attract too much attention, let's have them be three one-on-one battles - y'know, not to let things drag out too much."
"Sounds good to me," she agreed quickly. He could have limited it to a single one-on-one bout, and she would have jumped at the chance. Hastily, trying not to let too much of her eagerness show, she squared off against him across the green, wiggling her fingers in anticipation.
"Kick his teeth in, AJ!" Jade shouted from the sidelines in her traditional overly-bloodthirsty show of support.
"Yeah, kick his teeth in!" Kris echoed unexpectedly from the other side of the field.
Ethan shot her a flat look.
"Really? Just like that, huh? No one cheering for me?"
"I'll cheer for you, Ethan!" Lyra said hastily, trying for a friendly smile but unable to hide the red that blossomed in her cheeks.
This immediately prompted an outpouring of boos and shouted accusations of referee bias from Jade, Sammy, and Kris alike that left AJ and Ethan laughing and Lyra looking like she'd been pelted with stones.
Once they'd recovered, they squared off across the field again, taking their stances. It was funny how every trainer had a 'pose' they used when starting a battle; it wasn't something they decided on consciously, at least not usually, and it had no impact on the battle itself. But they all had one.
Ethan stood slightly turned, one foot forward, legs apart. He had his right hand extended to the side close to his belt where his pokeballs hung, his left arm held up, bent at the elbow, resting in front of him as though to defend himself. His smile looked eager, and from the way the sun glinted in his eyes, she could see why some called him Gold.
"Well, since you're the guest, I guess I'll go first," Ethan said, all confidence. "Since we're doing three one-on-one matches, we'll have the winner of the previous bout be the one to choose their pokemon first, just to keep things interesting."
He plucked a pokeball from his belt, winding up and chucking it into the ring like he was playing baseball.
"Allow me to introduce my starter."
With a roar that made her weak at the knees, a Typhlosion manifested in the center of the field, the flames on its back erupting like the volcanoes its kind were known to inhabit.
The beast was massive, easily half again as tall as AJ and three times as wide, with flesh-rending claws and a mouth full of glittering teeth sharp enough to make a Sharpedo jealous. It preened for a moment under the bright afternoon sunlight, letting its flames die down before shifting to all-fours so it could paw at the ground, awaiting its challenger.
AJ was grinning. She couldn't help it. She'd seen this behemoth in action on tv three years ago as it carved its way through Will's team in a relentless roar of fire and destruction. To think she was actually getting the chance to battle against it..! Being the Champion was the best!
"Alright then," she said, somewhat breathless, snagging the front of her cap and twisting it around, making her bangs poke out of the back in a way that Jade had always assured her was really dumb looking. "If that's how you want to do it, then we'll go starter vs starter! Pichu, get in there!"
With a valiant cry, her tiny little hero leaped off of her shoulder and entered the ring. When confronted face-to-face with Ethan's Typhlosion, its diminutive size became all the more apparent.
Despite obviously knowing how good her Pichu was - he'd been in the stands during her Elite 4 challenge - the Johto Champion couldn't help the condescending smirk that flickered across his face.
"Let's start off nice and easy, Typhlosion," he called out, letting arrogance coat his words. "I'd hate to roast that rat alive and cause an international incident."
Ah, taunting. A tradition as old as battling itself.
"Typhlosion, start things off with a smokescreen!"
Typhlosion fell to all-fours with a slight tremor, sinking its claws into the loamy soil and letting the flames on its back roar back to life with a surge of heat that seemed to smack AJ in the face even from several yards away. Black, sulfurous smoke began gushing out of the flames, twisting into the heated air, coiling about the massive creature like a veil of death.
Well, better cut this off fast.
"Pichu, Rain Dance!"
It's difficult to say what a Rain Dance even was. Pokemon Researchers had been studying the moves these mystical monsters could use for generations now, but no one had ever been able to tell. The particular movements the pokemon used didn't seem to matter; they could hula dance around the entire arena or stand completely still and either way, the storm would appear. It was a localized weather phenomena that violated all known natural laws.
As a pokemon trainer, however, AJ didn't really care about the science of it all. What mattered was that as dark smoke filled the air, even darker clouds materialized overhead as though from nowhere, a thick wind kicking up, pleasantly refreshing after experiencing the heat of Typhlosion's flames, pushing the smoke away, dissipating the smokescreen.
Then the raindrops came, thick and heavy. They fell to the ground in fat wet drops, steadily increasing, dampening her skin and the grass. The smoke was gone, but Typhlosion was now enveloped in a new haze, this one of white steam as the rain quickly evaporated on contact with its fur.
Under the downpour, its flames had weakened, slowly vanishing as though they'd been retracted into its body.
"Clever," Ethan called out, shouting a bit to be heard over the wind. "But not unexpected. I'm still not impressed. Let's see how you handle this: Typhlosion, Bulldoze!"
With a furious roar, his Typhlosion broke into a dead sprint, down on all-fours again, nine-hundred pounds of muscle and rage bearing down on her starter like a freight train as its claws tore up tufts of grass and earth.
It was fast. Still, he'd have to get up earlier than that if he thought he could catch them.
"Pichu, Quick Attack! Then get up on its back!"
Pichu was gone in a flash, zipping around the Typhlosion like a bolt of lightning while the furious fire type ground to a halt, claws digging furrows in the now-muddy grass, slowly swiping at it with paws that could have squished it in an instant.
Pichu was too fast, however, and a moment later had leaped up on the larger monster's back. The lower part, away from the cherry-red nodes where its powerful flames usually emanated.
The one advantage that her Pichu had over other pokemon used by trainers at her level was its size. Almost always, the main teams used by Champions, Elite Four members and even Gym Leaders when they were being serious were dominated by large, powerful pokemon. The kind who could level the playing field with a single powerful blow. Even the ones who did use speedier pokemon still used ones that were normally several times Pichu's size.
Sure, Pichu wasn't as strong as most others, and there were many who could match him for speed. But when your entire team became accustomed to fighting towering monsters, suddenly dealing with a tiny mouse no bigger than your paw could throw you for a loop, pokemon and trainer both, and AJ took full advantage of that.
"Now," she shouted once her partner had secured his position on Typhlosion's lower back, "use Nuzzle!"
Ethan wasn't just going to just stand there and take it though. At the same time, he called out, "Typhlosion, Eruption!"
There was a split second in which Pichu glowed yellow beneath the storm before the arena basically exploded in a wave of fire and steam.
When it cleared, she could see her Pichu just a few feet ahead of her where it had been blasted away. Its coat was blackened and smoking where it wasn't soaked in grassy mud, but it was still up on all fours, looking haggard and hurt but still willing to go.
Honestly, that move alone should have done it. Pichu was quick and smart, but it wasn't hardy. A side-effect of still being technically classified as a 'baby' pokemon was a lack of stamina and endurance. Pichu won its matches through a combination of opponents underestimating him and the wide array of unique moves he'd learned over their journey together. He usually couldn't take more than one hit, and even now had only managed to hang on because the rain had weakened Typhlosion's fire. One more hit and he was done.
Typhlosion wasn't in great shape either, however. Pichu's Nuzzle had managed to land before he'd been blasted off, and she could see her gambit had paid off. He was paralyzed, his thick, murderous muscles spasming beneath his charred coat as he glowered across the field through the rain, eyes locked on Pichu in a way that made her think it would very much like to gobble it up as a snack.
Across the field, Ethan had a funny sort of look on his face; half surprise, half frustration that he'd been toying around with her instead of taking her seriously. Sure, this battle had no stakes and no witnesses aside from personal friends - but to a real trainer, that didn't matter. A win was a win, and he'd let this go on for too long already. Ethan was about to exit the arena; the Champion was finally coming out to play.
"I'm surprised that thing is still alive," he called out. "Doubt that's going to last for long. Typhlosion, enough with the games; use Sunny Day and let's get down to business."
AJ grinned. She'd hoped he'd waste a move like that. Just as Typhlosion moved to lift itself back up, she called out, "Pichu, Electric Terrain!"
Sparks danced out across the battlefield, catching in puddles, multiplying as they skittered across the ground, enhanced by the rain and the wet. They didn't hurt, but as Typhlosion's Sunny Day failed due to its muscles locking up from paralysis, AJ could see the pieces suddenly align in Ethan's shocked face, illuminated in the yellow glow of the electrified arena.
"Typhlosion quick, Dig!"
But it was too late.
"Pichu, Volt Tackle!"
Her yellow mouse broke into a run, its body shooting off bolts of lightning as it charged, enhanced by both the rain and the electrified terrain. Typhlosion tried to burrow underground, but it was too slow and its spasming muscles certainly weren't doing it any favors.
With a clap like thunder, her Pichu collided with Typhlosion, and the larger monster was blasted onto its back where it lay still, steaming under the drizzle.
"Typhlosion is unable to battle!" Lyra cried out, suddenly reminding AJ that they had an audience. "Pichu is the winner!"
From the sidelines, Jade let out a whoop of victory that sounded out over the smattering of applause offered by Sammy and Kris.
As Ethan recalled his starter, AJ directed Pichu to join Jade and Sammy instead of returning to her side as he normally would. He needed to get his burns looked at.
"Jade, can you-?"
"Already on it, babe," she replied, pulling a vial out of her bag. Ah. Well, considering who her father was, she shouldn't be surprised. It was nice, traveling with her again.
She turned her attention back to Ethan, unable to help the surge of pride and glee that she felt over having won their first bout. This wasn't like Lance, who was old and out of his prime; this was the youngest active Regional Champion in the world aside from her. This was big.
For his part, he didn't look frustrated with his loss. On the contrary, he seemed to be looking at her in a new light.
"Well, you won," he said expectantly, bringing her back to reality. "That means you choose first."
Oh, that's right.
She thought it over for a moment before shrugging and pulling one of the balls off of her belt.
If she didn't know for certain what was coming, then she might as well go with…
"Come on out, Arcanine!"
With a jovial howl, her Arcanine took to the field, heavy paws splashing in the mud under the quickly dissipating rain, his large proud head standing head-and-shoulders taller than her. If there was a single word she could use to describe him, it would be 'majestic'. And that wasn't her bragging either - Arcanine really were, as a species, that picturesque.
Ethan sized up her pokemon with an appreciative eye before plucking his own ball from off his belt and lobbing it into the ring.
Ahead of her, a truly massive Gyarados appeared. It reared back and roared in challenge, long sinuous body extending its massive fanged head nearly two stories high. But what was most surprising about this Gyarados wasn't its size or its ferocity - it was its coloring.
Most Gyarados were blue, but this one… this one was red.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Ethan said, clearly noticing the stupefied look on AJ's face. "I caught her up at the Lake of Rage. Never seen one that color before. I'm training it to finally take down Cynthia's Garchomp, so try to give her a challenge, eh?"
Cynthia's Garchomp? That unholy beast? Fat chance of that ever happening.
"If I let the Kanto Champion three-stock me, Kris won't ever let me live it down," Ethan said jokingly to his Gyarados, though from the side of the arena, she could see Kris nodding emphatically. "So let's go ahead and end this quick. Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"
Immediately, the colossal sea serpent reared back with a spine-melting roar before surging forward, spewing swaths of blue flame across the battlefield.
Dragon Rage wasn't fire - not really. It was plasma of some sort, but it gave off no heat unlike regular flame. That didn't stop it from incinerating most things that it touched, and many were the towns that had been reduced to ash under waves of Gyarados' infamous Dragon Rage.
But Arcanine wasn't afraid. Needing only AJ's quick shout of "Extreme Speed!", it blasted forward, almost faster than the eye could see, zipping directly underneath the oncoming wave of death.
"Now use Fire Fang!" she shouted, knowing that it was a desperate move but not having many other options.
Unlike before with Pichu, where she had the disadvantage in size, here she also had a disadvantage in typing, which was much harder to overcome. AJ knew the limits of a Gyarados well, having grown up around her mother's, but that also meant she knew their strengths, and unfortunately for her, they were many.
More specifically, she had to confront the fact that both being a water-type and possessing many of the characteristics of dragon-types made Gyarados particularly resistant to fire, which was most of what her Arcanine could do - other than physically bashing into it with a Takedown or Play Rough, which wouldn't do much against a giant snake many times its size.
Still, resistant didn't mean immune, and if she could just burn it…
Ethan wasn't the Champion for nothing, however, and as though he saw this coming, he shouted, "Now, Gyarados - Outrage!"
For a normal pokemon, Outrage would be a silly attack - they basically flopped around in an angry fit, so if you were small and cute like Pichu, it would be more adorable than intimidating.
For Gyarados, it basically meant it leveled everything around it - and she'd foolishly moved her Arcanine in close to avoid the Dragon Rage or any projectile water attacks or Hyper Beams she knew it had ready in its arsenal.
Arcanine was lithe and quick on its feet - but though it managed to avoid being crushed, it soon found itself trapped between the sinuous tangles of Gyarados' body.
Exactly where Ethan wanted it, apparently.
"Let's end this with an Aqua Tail!"
There was nowhere to run. Water encased Gyarados' body, summoned from seemingly nowhere, it's sinuous body unraveling at a frightening speed, and with a crack like a whip it lashed outwards, catching Arcanine as it tried to evade, sucking it into the whirling vortex of water until the massive tail connected and, with a literal wave, her pokemon was sent sprawling out of the arena where it crumpled in a wet heap on the grass.
"Arcanine is unable to battle!" Lyra called out, once again reminding AJ that she was even present. That girl had zero presence. "Gyarados is the winner!"
Either she was imagining things, or there was some poorly concealed satisfaction in that ruling. Maybe she really was biased.
Ethan returned his Gyarados with a satisfied smirk. He wasn't gloating, however; she could see reflected in his expression the same poorly-restrained excitement that was crackling like electricity through her veins.
This, this right here… This was what it meant to be Champion, why they had worked so hard to get to this spot. All the fame, the accolades, the attention… none of that mattered. Not compared to the thrill of real competition.
This wasn't over yet, however, and to be honest, she wasn't putting on the best show. Sure, she'd won the first bout, but she knew that was mostly because Ethan hadn't been taking her seriously. His mistake of course - she was the Champion of Kanto, he should have known better - but then, she could have sent out Milotic against his Typhlosion instead of trying to show off. When he'd picked a legit counter to her Arcanine, she'd lost handily.
This last round would decide the match, but she had the advantage of being able to pick last. Odds were in her favor. She just needed to focus.
"Guess I'm on the defensive this time," Ethan said, though she was relieved to at least see tension in his stance. At least he saw her as a threat. "Let's wrap this up with a bang."
And with a colossal roar, a Tyranitar manifested on the field.
Suddenly, all previous thoughts about winning her first real fight with another standing Champion vanished abruptly from her mind.
Not out of defeatism. An opportunity had just appeared in front of her, one she didn't think she'd get so soon, one she had vaguely toyed around with the idea of asking Cynthia for help with if she ever met her - though that had always been more of a fantasy involving her idol than an actual concrete plan.
But here was Champion Ethan with an honest-to-gods Tyranitar. Not a dragon, though you'd be forgiven for thinking so based on its scaly hide and its volatile temperament. One of the few beings capable of not only tanking direct hits from pseudo-legendaries like Garchomp and Dragonite, but of dishing out some of its own.
More than that, this time, this place… it couldn't be more perfect. The area was controlled, no civilians were around… Jade, Sammy, and Kris could clearly take care of themselves - and Ethan certainly could… This was it. This was her chance.
The thought that she should definitely ask first flickered across her mind, but she cast it aside. She didn't want to lose the element of surprise, and after all, this was still a battle - one she intended to win. It would be fine. Probably.
Hesitant, she plucked her sixth and never-used, at least not in battle, pokeball off of her belt and, shaking off her last-minute uncertainty, threw it into the ring.
And death appeared.
Her Hydreigon was massive, larger than a house, with dark mottled blue and purple scales on its thick hide and ratty, desiccated wings that beat the air with slow, haunting flaps that should not have been able to sustain its flight yet nevertheless did.
Its three heads sniffed the air, confused. It was blind, much like its pre-evolutions, the eyes on its main head not developed enough to see anything other than sources of heat. It mainly sensed its environment through smell, sound, and empathy. Being of the dark-type allowed Hydreigon to sense emotions to gauge the location of its prey, which usually worked in its favor as just about anything that saw one was inevitably overwhelmed by sheer terror.
At the edges of the arena, she could see Lyra gaping up at the towering behemoth in shock. Kris was sitting up straight at attention like a Furret, eyes glittering with anticipation. Sammy was slowly backing away, and Jade was shooting her warning looks, but Ethan, the Champion, was gazing at Hydreigon with barely concealed excitement.
His Tyranitar clearly felt the same, and it threw back its head, puffing out its chest, bellowing in challenge. Of the bare handful of pokemon who had earned the moniker 'pseudo-legendary', these two were far and away the most territorial, and the most violent. This would truly be a showdown worth watching.
Or should have been.
Hydreigon, upon hearing Tyranitar's challenge, also threw back its head to cry out. Only, this wasn't a cry of challenge. It was a cry of fear.
Its three heads looked around, frantic and confused. Though the two extra heads didn't have brains of their own, they did allow Hydreigon to sense the environment, and it was desperately searching for something - anything - familiar and safe.
This was a mistake, AJ realized too late. She had hoped to help Hydreigon get used to the idea of battling - that fighting didn't have to be to the death, that it could be an outlet for its fear and aggressions. That's why she had been waiting for an opponent strong enough to handle her, something she wouldn't accidentally maim or kill.
But she'd underestimated Hydreigon's trauma. And as she rushed forward, calling out, trying to soothe her terrified beast, Tyranitar, who was getting impatient, slammed its foot on the ground and bellowed once more.
Hydreigon balked, not recognizing the strange and aggressive stranger, and before AJ could stop her, her switch flipped from flight to fight.
"No, stop! It's ok! You're safe!"
But AJ's cries were unheaded, and without warning, the dragon summoned three balls of elemental energy, one in each gaping mouth, and let them loose on the surrounding area. A Tri-Attack.
A bolt of lightning blasted towards Tyranitar, but the mighty creature slapped the ground with its tail, summing up a Stone Edge to pull a hunk of rock out of the earth and block the attack. The rock exploded, but the fragments of stone bounced harmlessly off the monster's diamond-hard carapace.
A jet of white-hot flame blasted towards Sammy and Jade, leaving the two scrambling away for their lives with panicked shouts, the ground left blackened and steaming in their wake. On the other side, a jagged lance of ice tore through the earth in a zig-zagging line direclty towards Lyra, who stood still in terror, doing nothing more than throw up her arms as if that could possibly save her from the oncoming wave of death.
A moment before the beam struck, she was tackled out of the way by Kris, the beam leaving a layer of ice in their place several feet thick.
"AJ," Ethan called out over the chaos. "What's going on?"
"She's just scared!" she tried to call out, but her voice was drowned out as Hydreigon let loose a powerful Uproar that blew out her eardrums. Tyranitar barely flinched, but she could see Ethan behind it, calling out an order, no doubt for his perfectly well-behaved pokemon to knock hers out and gain control of the situation.
If it could do it in one hit. Hydreigon may not be as hardy as Tyranitar - and clearly not as well trained - but it was still a Hydreigon. Even without her issuing orders, the fight could last several minutes, and they ran not only the risk of hurting their friends but of completely destroying the park.
Recognizing her complete and utterly humiliating defeat, AJ pulled Hydreigon's ball out of her pocket and called it back.
It vanished in a flash of red, leaving behind in its absence nothing but the ringing in her ears and the sting of guilt and embarrassment in her chest.
Alone in the middle of the field, she felt everyone's gazes directed at her, just like back at the lab.
However a Champion was supposed to act, she could comfortably say that that… that had not been it.
AN: Anyone else enjoying Legends Arceus? I've only been able to play it for about an hour so far, but I'm really enjoying it.
Next chapter's going to be a bit dialogue-heavy as we set some stuff up, but we'll finally get on to the main setting of the story, Mt. Silver, in Chapter 6, so please bear with me.