Pokémon Crimson Gold
Chapter 70: Double-dealing
After exiting the Pokémon center alongside his starter Meganium Ethan was ecstatic. After four months he had finally done it, he had earned all eight badges which would earn him passage to the new Champion's league.
"I just can't believe I did it! We did it!" Ethan exclaimed happily walking alongside his grass type.
"Megay Megay!" Meganium said happily unable to take her eye off the newly pinned Rising badge to Ethan's jacket.
"Hey, hey, I should probably give mom a call and tell her!" Ethan said dialing his mother Eliza's contact on his Pokégear.
"Hi honey, how are you." Eliza answered. "How's your stay in Blackthorn."
"You won't believe it mom, but I already got all eight badges!" Ethan explained. "I just got the eighth badge from the Clair's sister, the Dragon tamer."
"That's great Ethan, I always had faith in you!" Mom said excitedly. "You've come such a long way since that kid who failed his graduation back in Trainer's school!"
From hearing his mom's latest words, he pouted. "Mom... you don't have to remind me; trust me I remember..."
"Oh, I know, I'm just excited! So, what now?" Eliza asked. "Are you going to head to Victory Road to take on the Elite four?"
"Hmm... well, this year things are a bit different." Ethan started. "In a month's time, there's going to be a tournament... I think Lance mentioned it'd be held in the Indigo plateau in Kanto or something?"
"Really, in a month's time?" Eliza said surprised.
"Yeah, winner of the tournament gets to face Lance, and if the challenger wins they take his title as Champion!" Ethan said joyfully. "So, you think I've got it in me to become Champion?"
"Of course, you've already come so far, and you've got some of the most tough Pokémon out there, you've got this honey!" Eliza exclaimed filling Ethan with some confidence.
"You're right about one thing mom, I do have some of the most tough Pokémon out there." Ethan said taking a look at his Meganium who smiled back.
"So, are you going to return to New Bark Town in the meantime?" Eliza asked which made Ethan stop to think.
"I... guess I have to, I can train up my Pokémon further until it's time for the Champion's league, I suppose..." Ethan answered.
"Great, Elm just returned back to New Bark Town, I know he'd love to take you back home!" Eliza replied. "Oh, and that reminds me, how is Meganium?"
"Meganium, more than fine actually... she had trouble battling at first but just now she took down the Gym leader's strongest Pokémon!" Ethan explained shocking Eliza.
"W-what!?" Eliza freaked. "I thought you said you'd gradually ease Meganium back to battling!"
"I know I know, but Meganium stepped into the battlefield onto her own accord, and then Clair began to insult her, so, I had to prove her wrong I guess... maybe in retrospect it wasn't the brightest but it worked out fine in the long run!" Ethan explained.
"Hmm... I know, but, maybe let her get some rest now and then, you know... back during Goldenrod the Nurse Joy told me something important." Eliza began.
"What'd she tell you?" Ethan asked, Meganium hearing this also shared his curiosity.
"Well... she uh..." Eliza couldn't find the heart to tell Ethan, so instead... "She uh, told me to make sure you give Meganium breaks now and then, so, are you?"
"Of course, mom, of course." Ethan answered.
"Oh and one last thing, how did dad take it when you saw him?" Eliza asked which suddenly dropped Ethan's mood.
"That-that's the thing, I uh, haven't seen him, I guess..." Ethan lied rubbing the back of his head.
"Really, is he alright?" Eliza asked. "I mean I haven't talked to him since he left."
"I'm sure he's fine, he's off with Lance investigating Team Rocket." Ethan answered.
"Well alright, I'm sure he's fine, well I've got to go, see you sweetie. I love you." Eliza said.
"Got it, bye mom!" Ethan replied.
"Ethan... say it!" Eliza barked earning a chuckle from her son.
"Alright alright, love you, bye!" Ethan said as he hanged up the Pokégear before turning back to Meganium. "So what do you say, wanna return to New Bark Town?"
"Megay!" Meganium agreed as she hadn't been there since she was just a Chikorita.
"Alright then, Professor Elm will be coming to get us one of these days, till then we've got to train!" Ethan declared but as he said it he heard a ring on his Pokégear.
He checked his wrist to see the last person he wanted to see, his father.
"Ugh, it's dad, no thanks." Ethan said putting his Pokégear on silent as he wasn't interested in the slightest. "He'll find out I was in Blackthorn eventually, but as of now I'm not interested."
…
Later that day Ethan and Meganium head to the door of Lenny who answered the door surprised to see Ethan.
"Hey Ethan, how's it going!?" The young lad asked holding the door open for his friend.
"Lenny, I'm glad you were here, you were just the kid I wanted to talk too!" Ethan said as he and his starter entered the house.
"Can I ugh, get you something to eat or drink?" Lenny asked as Ethan sat back on his couch.
"Hey, you don't have to be so formal around me, we're friends, aren't we?" Ethan asked to which earned a chuckle from the boy.
"S-sorry, just not so used to having friends I guess?" Lenny replied. "Least not here, no one in Blackthorn's really neighborly."
"I could tell. But this city does have its charms you know." Ethan said which Lenny immediately disagreed with.
"Charms, like what, the lack of hygiene on the people and their Pokémon or the streets which are filled with Pokémon manure." Lenny said which Ethan couldn't argue with.
"Well... you've got a point there." Ethan laughed and so did Meganium.
"So, I see that badge on your jacket, you beat Clair, didn't you?" Lenny asked.
"You already know it!" Ethan exclaimed. "I just defeated her about two hours ago earning me the Rising badge, pretty awesome, wouldn't you agree?"
"That is pretty awesome, I knew you could do it the minute I saw your Ampharos defeat her Dragonair, you know, that Dragonair wasn't hers originally."
"R-really?" Ethan responded surprised.
"Yeah, it was a gift, she was going to give it to, Kris. On her thirteenth birthday, that was before, you know..." Lenny answered shifting the mood of the conversation.
"Kris... I uh, I think I may see what Lance was saying now, he mentioned how Clair was taking the loss of Kris different from everyone else." Ethan said. "I guess grief does manifest in different ways, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, guess so." Lenny agreed before his face grew with suspicion as he stared at Ethan with a blank face.
Lenny stood in front of the lying back Ethan and examined the Rising badge on the chest of his jacket.
"What, what's the matter?" Ethan finally asked as Lenny's face filled with confusion.
"I thought, I thought you said you earned the Rising badge?" Lenny asked which Ethan didn't expect to hear.
"Yeah, I did, what are you talking about?" Ethan asked. Meganium herself was a bit puzzled as well.
"That's, that's not the Rising badge Ethan." Lenny said which made Ethan's heart sink.
"A-are you serious, are you saying Clair handed me the wrong badge!?" Ethan said. Meganium's face contorted with anger upon hearing it.
"I don't know Ethan, I sure hope not, maybe, maybe it was an accident, you never know?" Lenny replied.
"Or, maybe she double-dealt me!" Ethan claimed standing up from the couch, slightly angered but trying to keep his cool.
"P-please try and relax Ethan, it may be some kind of misunderstanding." Lenny said trying to settle down both Ethan and Meganium.
"You're right, sorry, I'll try and relax..." Ethan apologized. "If, if that's the case though then I've got to go back to her gym, what do you say Meganium?"
"Megayy!" Meganium sharply agreed.
"Ethan, please don't do anything you're going to regret, please!" Lenny pleaded to which Ethan put his hand on his shoulder. "I promise I won't, if you come with me to make sure I don't do anything out of line, you're free to."
"Thanks, thank you!" Lenny nodded.
"Well then, let's go!" Ethan exclaimed running out the door followed by both Lenny and Meganium. As he ran without watching where he was going he bumped into a man.
"Ouch!" Ethan groaned falling on his bottom, he looked up to see the referee of his match with Clair, and he looked relieved to see Ethan.
"Oh, Ethan, just who I wanted to see!" The referee said helping Ethan to stand up,
"It's you Marty. Is big cousin Clair back in her gym?" Lenny asked.
"She is, but, Ethan, I was told not to by Clair but I just couldn't, that badge she gave you-" Before Marty could finish Ethan interrupted him.
"I already know, it's a fake." Ethan said. "Lenny just told me; we were heading there now."
"Y-you know!" Marty said a little surprised.
"Yeah, and I appreciate you for telling me though, really." Ethan replied.
"Megay!" Meganium agreed.
"It just, doesn't quite sit with me, Clair's never done this before, handing out fake badges. I've been the referee at the Gym for a long while, and I've had to watch her slowly become a shell of her former self over a long period of time, I just can't deal with it today."
"Yeah..." Ethan nodded.
"So, she locked the door to the Gym but I'll open it for you." Marty said making Ethan smile.
"Thank you, really!" Ethan said happily before turning to Lenny and Meganium.
"Let's go you guys." Ethan said.
After a five minute or so walk they finally made it to the opposite end of the city at the front door to Clair's gym. Ethan, Meganium, and Lenny all stood before the front door of the Gym as they waited for Marty to open the door with the key.
"So, is it working?" Lenny asked the struggling referee who finally shook his head no.
"I'm, I'm sorry... but she must have changed the lock or something. It's just not opening!?" Marty said finally releasing his key from the knob on the door.
Ethan was tapping his foot in anticipation before hearing the bad news. "What are you talking about, she'd really go that far!?"
"Megay Meganium!" Meganium said starting to anger along with her Trainer.
"E-Ethan, please." Lenny said putting his hand before Ethan. "You remember what you told me, don't you? That'd you try and keep your cool?"
As much as Ethan hated it he did admit that, he took a deep breath and tried to relax some. "I know, I know what I said, but we need to get through this door anyway, there's only one solution I see here."
"Megay!" Meganium agreed.
"We've got to take down this door!" Ethan declared about to command Meganium to attack before Lenny freaked out.
"That's exactly what I meant!" Lenny screamed. "Don't you think you're taking this a little too far!?"
"But it's the only way I see us getting in, if the key's not working then it's the only other way I suppose." Marty explained which made Lenny a bit weary.
"But..." He began.
"Alright then, it's alright, we'll do it without too much force, the safe way!" Ethan promised before turning to his starter. "Meganium, can you stick one of your vines underneath the door and try to open the door from the inside."
"Megay!" Meganium agreed as she followed Ethan's request. She pressed her cheek against the door placing one of her vines underneath the door as she tried to reach for the knob. She appeared to be struggling as she took a while which made Ethan and the rest scared of what would happen if she couldn't.
"Can you do it!?" Ethan asked to which got relieved when Meganium laughed as the door opened.
"Good job girl, you did it!" Ethan exclaimed happily.
"That was surprisingly easy." Lenny remarked.
"Alright well, let's continue on, come on boys." Marty said as he led the way, Ethan took a few steps inside but turned to see Lenny as he realized the kid was staying behind.
"What's the matter, don't stay behind now." Ethan said making Lenny shake his head.
"I, I know I said I wanted to accompany you and make sure you don't do anything outlandish, but... I don't have the stomach for this..." Lenny admitted.
"Come on, it's nothing. Clair's clearly not acting herself right now but you're a tough kid, you can handle it." Ethan assured making Lenny show confusion on his face.
"Huh, no not that. I mean the lava at the bottom of the floor, it's way too scary in their!" Lenny said.
"Ohhh, well sorry, I didn't realize. Stay here then, I'll be coming back shortly with my badge." Ethan said before he realized Marty was behind him waiting patiently.
"Any time this year?" He asked getting a bit impatient.
"Yeah, yeah, coming!" Ethan said following behind the referee with Meganium behind him.
When they reached the main door Marty opened it slightly before facing the lied to Trainer before him.
"Ethan, what would you do if Clair refuses to give you your rightfully deserved badge?" Marty asked the long-awaited question. "How upset would you be, would you break the promise you made to Lenny?"
Ethan took a minute to think about it before answering. "I did make a promise, Lenny's a friend of mine, so I won't break it. I'll try for this to be as civil as possible; this won't turn into a fight I hope and if it does, I'll try and cool down, watch what I say. You hear that Meganium, this isn't a battle, this is just a little meeting, alright?"
Meganium nodded and Marty finally let the two in. They stopped right before the jump to the battle ring which was in between the hot lava. But it wasn't on either Ethan or Meganium's mind as on the opposite side of the ring was Clair who sat on her throne. She sat on the chair, but Ethan could feel her intense glare from the moment the door opened.
"I guessed it'd be about an hour before you figured it out..." Clair stated as she got up. "But instead, it took three, you're not as bright as I thought you were."
"Look Clair..." Ethan said calmly. "I'm willing to forget about all this if you just give me the badge, it's official league rules that the challenger attains a badge when defeating the Gym leader, aren't I right?"
"Hmph, didn't I already give you a badge?" Clair scoffed not looking Ethan in the eyes for once when they spoke. Ethan reached in his pocket and held the badge over the lava.
"There's no point in lying Clair, Lenny told me everything. Whatever this badge is it sure as hell isn't the Rising badge." Ethan proclaimed. He didn't mention Marty as he didn't want him getting into trouble but was surprised when Marty stepped up.
"He knows everything Clair, I told him myself." Marty confessed instantly earning Clair's rage.
"You did what!?" She said raising her voice. "I told you to leave it, what is wrong with you!?"
"I-it's called doing the right thing Clair..." Marty spoke under his breath to which Clair ignored.
"Please Clair, please. I just want my badge. I defeated you, didn't that prove my worth?" Ethan asked earning a snicker from Clair.
"Haha, Please, you think just because you beat me I owe you a badge, whether or not you get one is irrelevant. Even if you had one you would stand no chance to that cousin of mine during that Champion's league. You are still weak, analyzing the way you battled you rely too much on luck and take too many risks!" Clair confirmed which Ethan and Meganium hadn't anticipated.
"What do you mean?" Ethan wondered.
"You relied on a move such as Metronome, what would have happened if you ended up getting a any move under than an electric type move against my Lapras!? You're Togetic would have been easily defeated, that's what." Clair stated. "Plus allowing your Meganium to get hit by a super effective Aurora Beam in order to use Solar Beam, taking Chances like that in battles with anyone above me would surly result in an embarrassing loss! Not fit for a badge!"
"Now you're picking straws!" Ethan argued, as he realized his temper was raising he stopped yelling and fixed his tone. "But... how can I prove to you I am deserving of that badge?"
"Hmph, nothing." Clair scoffed. "I see through you completely; you're not deserving of the Rising badge."
Meganium was beginning to shake in anger and so was Ethan. Instead of arguing however he opened his fist and released the fake badge she had given him into the lava beneath him to which Clair showed no reaction to.
"You are going to give me that badge." Ethan said. "Or Lance will be hearing of this!"
"Go ahead and tell him!" Clair said as she took a leap on to the ring and took steps towards Ethan.
"What's wrong with you!?" Ethan yelled reaching his palm out. "I just want that badge which you owe me!"
Clair smiled and clicked the button on the device she had from earlier creating a barrier between her and the young Trainer so Ethan could not enter. Meganium felt her stomach turn seeing how much of a sore loser Clair was.
"Really, is that necessary!?" Ethan asked.
Clair walked as close to her end of the barrier so she could look at Ethan face to face. "I already told you, you're unworthy, and you never will be."
"Then let me prove myself!" Ethan yelled. "If it's a rematch you want then you've got it! Just let me have a chance to reclaim that badge!?"
Clair smiled and shook her head. "I already said, no."
"Clair, if you don't believe Ethan is worthy then that is fine..." Marty stated walking by Ethan and Meganium's side. "But I wonder how the Dragon Master himself would feel."
"Don't you dare!" Clair yelled at her referee who now had Ethan and the grass type's attention.
"The Dragon Master?" Ethan asked now having his intrigue caught. "Who is that!?"
"You better not, what good would that old man's opinion mean anyways, he's been crazy for the past thirty years!" Clair pleaded to which Marty wasn't hearing a second of it.
"Who is this Dragon Master?" Ethan asked. Meganium was equally as interested as her Trainer was.
"Clair and Lance's Great-grandfather, the Dragon Master." Marty stated. "The man so powerful and wise he's lived for one hundred thirty years, the man who may actually be the strongest trainer in existence..."
"The strongest in existence..." Ethan said in awe.
Another chapter done, so to those who I'm sure were confused as to why Ethan received the badge from Clair in the last chapter now you know why, it was a fake. Next chapter should be good, I've been sitting on that one for a while, also, seventy chapters! Damn, expect this story to enter the nineties btw but I doubt it'll reach the hundreds just so you guys know, so we're at home stretch.