Act 2: Emotion
The four victorious trainers left Hearthome with their spirits high and their egos just a smidge bigger.
Despite Fantina's insistence they only stayed in the city for three days, mostly due to the woman's smothering personality and her inability to take a hint that no, none of them with the exception of Percy wanted to appear in commercials or contests with her.
Also smothering was the waves of excited young trainers which ran into them ever since their fight with the Gym leader, asking for photos, autographs and in one special case a date with Niss. Barry was pretty sure he'd never seen his friend turn as red as her coat before, nor stammering so much her speech was comparable to that of a stuttering Spinda.
As such she decided to leave less than an hour later, along with Barry and the experienced Percy and Reiko who promised they could accompany them all the way to Solaceon before heading toward Canalave.
Clouds of mist danced at the edge of their vision as they made their way through Route 209, the sun a pale blur of white in the sky. The air became drier and hotter as they kept walking north, to the point where Inyssa had to take off her scarf and tie it around her waist like a makeshift belt.
Unfortunately the weather wasn't as heated as the discussion the four trainers were locked into.
"Does that hat cut off the circulation to your head!?" Reiko threw her hands up in frustration. "What do you mean you don't like Lance?"
Inyssa narrowed her eyes, trying to decide whether to be offended at her comment or not. "I mean that I don't like Lance, I can't make it any simpler. He's even tackier than Fantina."
Reiko closed her hands into fists, the muscles on her arm contracting. "He is… literally the greatest dragon trainer to ever live. And he's objectively hot, you cannot deny that."
"Yeah, I'm not into guys who cosplay as bondage vampires."
Barry and Percy exchanged an amused look as they heard their friends' banter, staying slightly behind them as to not get in the way of their righteous fangirl fury. Next to the older boy floated a tiny Pokemon with a round, friendly face and a thin, plant like body. She curled her hands around a blue flower that was bigger than her, and stared at Reiko with a nervous look as she tried to catch up to her.
"You're making Panacea nervous."
Reiko turned around with a scowl directed at Percy. At the sight of this the Floette scurried behind her trainer, trembling with fear.
"Oh spare me. Like I'd take shit from someone who thinks a wet blanket like Steven is the best Champion." She pointed at him with a finger. "What about you, Barry? You got some good taste unlike these two or what?"
"Liking Alder is good taste," whispered Inyssa.
Barry tilted his head from side to side, pouting and putting his hands behind his head.
"I think Ethan's pretty cool," he shrugged. "He's got a skateboard and a fishing rod! And he beat sixteen Gym Leaders instead of just eight."
Reiko huffed as she shook her head, hands on her hips."Ethan is a bit too rebellious for my taste. I don't want someone who's even more of a pain in the ass than I am."
"You know we're talking about how strong they are, right? Not what kind of boyfriend material they'd be." Inyssa shot her a disapproving look.
The discussion continued for a few minutes as the four trainers analyzed every metric they considered important for a Champion to have, while the silhouette of Solaceon grew in the distance.
Above them a large bird Pokemon flew, moving his long vulturine neck from side to side as his wide brown wings cast a shadow on top of the route. The Fearow's sharp eyes noticed something in the mist and dropped down with enough speed to break the sound barrier. He disappeared into the robust trees and only a few seconds later emerged again, a Magikarp trapped within his beak. Barry was the only one to notice it, and as subtly as possible he put himself behind Reiko, out of the way of her terrifying Pokemon.
He gulped as he looked away from it, and tried his best to distract himself by talking, "Uh… how about Red? Does he count as a Champion?"
The conversation came to a halt. A hint of a smile appeared on Reiko's face, eyes brightening, and Percy simply looked down, brow furrowed.
Inyssa couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine. Red… just his name carried such an impressive weight. Not even her unconscious bias against Kanto could deter from the inspiration his image carried with it.
The boy of legend; the trainer of few words who dismantled a criminal organization and became Champion at the young age of eleven. Some considered him the greatest trainer to ever exist, and it had been rumored that he had only lost one battle in his entire career.
She smiled to herself as the light of such a person shone on her mind. "Red… well, I don't think anyone here could deny that he's insanely strong, but wasn't he the Champion for like… literally five minutes?"
"He returned the title to Lance as soon as he claimed it," Percy nodded. "It was a very controversial decision at the time, especially right after the end of the war. Practically the entire region begged him to stay in the Indigo Plateau and represent them, but…"
Inyssa clicked her tongue, tasting the aftermath of the syrup on top of the pancakes she'd eaten earlier that morning. "But he decided to fuck off to the top of a mountain for like three years."
"Basically. They then offered the title to Blue who had also held it for about five minutes before Red arrived. He refused too, saying that he'd lost fair and square and his pride wouldn't allow him to. So instead he became a Gym Leader and Lance was stuck again being the Champion until Ethan arrived three years later."
They stayed silent for a few moments, both admiring Percy's ability to summarize such a loaded piece of history and thinking about the ramifications of Red's actions. Inyssa couldn't decide exactly how she felt about the fact he'd given up his title so quickly. On one hand it made sense for someone as quiet and reserved as Red, and it is true that he became a lot stronger due to his endless training at Mt Silver.
But at the same time, wasn't the title what she wanted most? Would she give it up in the same way if she had a chance to become even stronger? Was there even a point of training after becoming the Champion if that meant that you were above all others?
She was so concentrated on her own thoughts that she didn't notice the fact that Reiko hadn't spoken in a while, which surprised her when she heard her voice out of nowhere.
"I… actually met Red, once."
All eyes turned to her, and surprise was clear on Inyssa and Barry's faces, while Percy simply let out a small chuckle.
"She loves this story," he whispered.
Barry's eyes opened wide as his mouth turned into a small O. "You met Red!? Like, in person!? Oh my gosh that's so cool I can't even…" He started jumping in place. "How was it!?"
"Yeah, and how did someone like you run into the most famous trainer of all time?" Inyssa added.
A wistful look appeared on Reiko's eyes. "It happened ten years ago, in Saffron City. I ran into Red and Blue in the headquarters of Silph Co."
Inyssa narrowed her eyes, and only a few seconds later realization hit her. That had to be right around when…
"Wait, you mean that day?" She couldn't help but let her mouth hang open. "The attack on Silph Co.? The fall of Team Rocket? You were actually there?"
"Sure was." The redhead puffed her chest, smiling proudly. "Mom worked at the company, and the attack happened while I was visiting her so I got front seats when Team Rocket took over the place."
She began to account for what happened that day, and for a while it lined up perfectly with what Inyssa had learned about the incident when she was younger. After gathering intel and allies for months, Team Rocket managed to take over the entire company, with the express purpose of stealing the Master Ball: a Pokeball which could catch any Pokemon without fail, no matter how strong they were.
Reiko told them how the Rocket grunts had thrown her and her mother into one of the rooms with a security door, locking it shut and trapping them for what seemed like an eternity. As the hours went by they heard whispers that Team Rocket's leader had managed to capture the president and was interrogating him that very moment. And with all communications down and the entire building sealed shut there didn't seem to be any way to alert the authorities about what was happening. The situation looked hopeless.
Reiko's smile grew bigger and she could even see a hint of wetness in her eyes. "That's when someone opened the door to where we were trapped. A young kid, barely older than me and with a belt full of Pokeballs and a Pikachu standing on his shoulder." She pressed a hand against her chest and let out a sigh. "He smiled and told me everything was going to be fine, that his friend Blue was already making his way towards the top of the building while he tried to free as many scientists as possible."
Inyssa didn't need to be told anything else; she knew very well what had happened afterwards. Both young trainers defeated an entire building full of Rocket grunts and even managed to take down their leader; the fearsome Giovanni. A day later the news spread throughout the entire world as everyone talked about the two prodigies and wondered to themselves what would they do afterwards. And then…
"The next time I saw him was a couple months later, in television," continued Reiko, still smiling. "The sun was barely out when my mom woke me up and told me to come to the living room. That's when I saw him."
"Two months…" Barry knit his eyebrows. "That must've been when he challenged the Elite four."
"Yep. By the time I got to the T.V he'd already beaten Lorelei and Bruno. I had my nose practically glued to the screen as I saw him beat both Agatha and Lance. And that's when he faced against Blue…"
Inyssa didn't realize just how much attention she was paying to Reiko's words. It was true that they'd only known each other for a short time but she'd never heard such a softness in her voice nor seen such a warm smile in her lips.
"It was the most amazing battle I have ever seen in my life. I was practically out of breath by the end of it," she recounted, eyes brightening. "That's the last time I saw him. I tried to run into him a few times since then but I couldn't find him anywhere. I would love to someday thank him for what he did that day and then challenge him to a battle. That's my dream."
A few seconds of silence passed until Percy spoke. "That… might be difficult. Rumors say he's on vacation with Blue in Alola, which is thousands of miles away."
Reiko shrugged. "I got time."
Inyssa stared forward contemplatively as she thought about her words. At her side Barry couldn't stop jumping in place as he assaulted the poor Reiko with a million questions about how Red looked like and how he acted.
It only took her a few moments to come up with the question she wanted to ask. "So… if you love Red so much why don't you choose him as your favorite Champion?"
The question seemed to catch her off guard, but by the smile she showed afterwards she figured the girl had heard that question before.
"I don't really see him as a Champion," she shrugged. "To me he's something much more than that."
Inyssa lowered her head as they got even closer to Solaceon, the small town now only a couple minutes away. She played back Reiko's answer inside her mind, trying to decipher just exactly what she meant by that.
"Something more than a Champion…"
She whispered low enough for only herself to listen, the words sounding so out of place and illogical she had trouble piecing them together inside her head.
There couldn't be such a thing, could be?
They hadn't taken more than a few steps into the city when the noise reached them. A loud, all encompassing cacophony of laughs, yells and general sounds of excitement and joviality mixed with fireworks.
Inyssa's eye twitched. That was not what she wanted to hear after escaping Hearthome.
The entrance to the town opened up to a wide street with plenty of trees and vegetation covering the sides and obscuring part of the houses up ahead. No feats of impressive architecture or tall buildings adorned the horizon as they walked forward, taking in the pleasant sunlight which made everything glisten. A few blocks ahead laid the source of all the commotion. The street took two sudden turns in opposite directions as it surrounded the biggest park Inyssa had ever seen. It stretched towards almost the edge of the horizon and seemed to serve as the core of the town itself.
Thin lines of cement curved themselves through the entirety of it and formed the paths at which sides lied what seemed to be a multitude of business stands and tables surrounded by young and old people alike. A white, perfectly decorated sign met them at the entrance of the park, its words forming a knot in Inyssa's stomach.
Solaceon's Solstice Festival! Buy, play, win prizes and enjoy a beautiful day under the sunlight!
Barry and Reiko's faces brightened simultaneously as they read the words, and both Inyssa and Percy noticed the change in their expressions immediately.
"No," both of them said simultaneously.
"It's a festival!" Barry complained, as if those three words were enough explanation. "Niss, when was the last time we even had a festival in Twinleaf!?"
"Uh… the pine-tree festival four years ago? The one where you tried to climb to the highest one and broke your arm?"
"Exactly! Where else am I gonna find fun like that?" he pointed at the waterfalls of people flowing from every corner of the park. "Come on, we gotta see it."
Percy pinched the bridge of his nose, "We've been walking for hours. The festival won't be gone if we rest in the Pokemon Center for a few…"
"I'm going in."
And with just those words Reiko passed them and headed towards the festival, her long red ponytail moving behind her. Percy closed his eyes and let out a sigh that contained all the exhaustion in the world, and followed suit. Barry was the next one, skipping excitedly as he ran behind his new friends.
Inyssa put a hand on her hip and shook her head, feeling the sweat and tiredness clinging to her body.
"Oh fuck it, it might be fun," she whispered to herself after a few seconds of consideration. "Should be a good opportunity to get my team to relax, too."
Inyssa studied the pamphlet she was given as they slithered their way through the sea of people flooding the place.
"Looks like the main attraction are all the games the town has set up," Percy read it aloud, his voice barely managing to reach them. "All the biggest gamemakers of Sinnoh gather here every year and offer rare prizes to those who can gain a lot of points."
"Du therg harb anrybrbh inthrbistg?" Reiko muttered through the cotton candy inside her mouth.
"I… What?" Percy narrowed his eyes. "Did you just insult my mother?"
She swallowed hard before speaking again. "I said, do they have anything interesting?"
"Oh. Well…" he almost buried his nose in the plastic paper, his eyebrows knitting together in concentration. "Looks like they have a few rare items for trainers at the northeast extreme of the park. Battle helpers, evolutionary stones and even Pokemon eggs, courtesy of the local Daycare center."
That got Inyssa and Barry's attention, who looked expectantly towards Percy. The latter spoke. "I wanna go there."
"It could be interesting," Inyssa conceded. "We can at least try to get something out of this place."
"What's wrong, hat girl? Don't like festivals?" asked Reiko. "Too much happiness and fun for your taste?"
"Too loud more like it," she replied, gracefully ignoring the offense. "Lots of noise and color, reminds me of a clown. This city is the clown of Sinnoh."
It took them ten minutes to walk from one end of the park to the other, mostly due to rubbing elbows and crashing against people left and right. Inyssa would've never admitted it to the others but she was starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable and claustrophobic, her breathing becoming harsher with every step and sweat running down the edges of her hat.
Luckily the square of the park designated to trainers looked a tad more peaceful, with only a handful of teenagers and young adults crowding the stands. She even got the chance to buy a soda and some cheese bread without having to wait fifteen minutes, which worked wonders on raising her spirits.
She absentmindedly broke the bread in five pieces and gave four of them to her Pokemon who finally had enough space to come out and stretch their legs. Steven took hold of his favorite resting spot atop her hat while Kuro and Shadi ran ahead and looked excitedly at anything that grabbed their attention for more than a few seconds. But the worst of all was Bret, whose eyes were still glued to the floating flower Pokemon Percy carried with him. The usually outgoing and happy Roselia grabbed onto her leg as they walked, a deep green blush covering his cheeks.
Enma, as usual, was nowhere to be seen. As soon as she released him he'd ignored her words and gone wandering somewhere else, a shadow of discomfort over his eyes and his flame burning a dark red. And Hao didn't even consider the option of coming out, in fact she hadn't seen him at all since her fight with Fantina, which she considered odd.
With a low sigh and a scratch of her head she decided she'd deal with those two later. Least she could do right now was try to have fun.
"Look, they even have an obstacle course and a Pokemon race!" Reiko shouted as her gaze moved like lightning from one stand to another. "Oh, do you think there's a wrestling game? Please tell me there's a wrestling game."
"For the sake of everyone in this park let's hope not," Percy answered, hands in his pockets.
Inyssa made a mental checklist of everything she came across as Barry blabbered on about games and prizes and such. Go karts? No, both her and her Pokemon would look stupid using those. Throwing balls? Too simple, and her aim was abysmal. Hundred meter dash? She was pretty sure her body would fucking explode before it could run that much.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of black and white squares, and her walking came to a halt as she turned towards it.
"Is that…"
Her lips curled upwards as she laid eyes on one of the smallest attractions, which consisted of three small tables with two chairs opposite of each other, and a beautiful chess board on top of each. The dark wood pieces were delicately ornated with different patterns and each one seemed to be made by hand.
She didn't even notice her feet walking her toward one of the tables, nor the longing and somewhat eager look she gave the board she came across first.
"Hello? Earth to Niss!"
Barry's face made her jump as it appeared in front of her.
She crossed her arms and tried to look casual. "I think I'll try this one."
"Me too," Percy said, his eyes as focused on the pieces as hers were a few seconds ago.
Both trainers locked eyes, and if she didn't know any better she would've sworn she saw sparks clashing between them. A wide grin formed on her face.
"Up for a match, fancy boy?"
His expression turned downright sinister as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Sure, sounds fun."
While they both tried to make each other back off with their gaze alone, Reiko walked behind Barry and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, while you two nerds enjoy you passionate nerd fight, me and Barry will go have some real fun."
"Are we!?" Barry turned towards the girl with eyes shining, a huge smile on his face. "Come on, we gotta try the shooting range!"
The young lady at the booth kindly explained to them how this particular game of chess worked. Most of the same rules applied, but the main twist was that each contender could choose one of their pieces and give it a special trait. Said piece would be able to move twice per turn, but its second move would be restricted to one square in every direction, just like that of the king.
Each player would also have to wear a funny hat shaped like the piece they chose for the entire match, which was the only part of the whole ordeal she didn't like. But still, she decided to swallow her pride for this rare chance to rub victory in Percy's smug face.
"This game is supposed to emulate the ever changing conditions in a Pokemon fight," the owner explained. "And as a reward, the prize for the winner will be a beautiful Shiny Stone, recently mined from Oreburgh!"
That last part certainly got their attention. Both trainers turned their heads to one of their Pokemon, Inyssa to Bret and Percy to Panacea. They needed that Shiny Stone if they ever wanted them to evolve again.
"That stone is mine," Inyssa whispered, voice full of menace. "I choose my queen as my special piece."
"I choose my knight."
Percy grabbed the berret shaped like a horse and put it above his head. He then looked at Inyssa and expected her to take off her usual hat to put on the new one. Instead she grabbed her Starly with one hand, put the new hat on top of the old one and then placed the flying Pokemon on top of both of them.
He stared at her in befuddlement, his expression priceless.
"How much for the Damp Rock over there?"
Barry stood behind Reiko as she interrogated the owner of one of the games. She'd put both hands on the counter and was leaning forward, eyebrows knit together. Above her stood a sign that read: Shooting Range! Win Battle Items from all around the world!
The dark-skinned man at the other side of the table tipped his hat up and gave the girl a coy smile. "A Kantonian, eh? We don't get many of you folks 'round here."
Reiko tried to form a polite smile. "Yeah, well…"
"You folks are always pretty scary," the man continued. "But still, I doubt you'll be able to beat my game."
Reiko's smile froze, and her expression turned dark. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing. The Damp Rock is fifty points."
The look she gave the man sent a shiver down Barry's spine. Without breaking eye contact she took a single twenty bill from her pocket and slapped it on his hand, her lips curling into a devious smile.
He couldn't blame her for reacting that way. He remembered all the times he'd heard people say that those from Kanto were violent and impulsive, how it turned into a pretty ugly stereotype that had lingered for a long time after the war. How it had been thrown around by the military as propaganda, and how those families who were adamant about what they wrongly considered patriotism had spread it around like wildfire.
"Barry, I'm about to teach both of you a lesson," Reiko told him as she held one of her Pokeballs. "Look closely."
Light exploded from the ball as a tall, blue figure materialized in front of her. Nakuru the Golduck kneeled slightly with one leg and extended both arms to the side, flexing as he shot everyone around a coy smile.
The Pokédex in his pocket came to life with a beep:
Golduck: The Swimmer Pokemon - Water Type. Its aerodynamic fins and powerful legs allow it to swim faster than any other creature. It is able to use powerful psychic energy when the gem on its forehead starts glowing.
"Alright showoff, let's try to get your skills on the same level as your ego." Reiko pointed towards the colorful targets hanging from the wall in the back. "Hit those and I'll get you a cool gift."
The Golduck gave her a thumbs up. The man at the other side of the counter rolled his eyes and smiled as he went to the back and pushed a button, bringing the game to life and making the targets move wildly in all directions.
To say that Reiko completely obliterated it would've been putting it lightly. Nakuru shot torrent after torrent of water which cut each target by the exact middle. Barry couldn't help but feel amused as he saw the man's shoulders drop and his expression turn to one of disbelief.
But there was something strange about Nakuru's attacks, something that Barry first thought was simply his eyes playing tricks on him. The streams of water seemed to be curving slightly as they approached the targets, though that could've been explained as a visual effect caused by the movement of the cardboard cutouts. However by the fourth and fifth time it was unmistakable.
Reiko took a look at him and smiled, "You noticed already? You have good eyes."
"How is he doing that? It kinda looks like…"
"Like the trajectory changes? That's because it does." She crossed her arms. "Nakuru is using both Water Gun and Psychic."
He opened his eyes wide as he felt a spark of excitement run through him. "What!? Really? How is he…"
"Remember what we did at the end of the trial in that tower?" she cut him off. "That combined attack? It's kind of like that."
"Yeah I… I mean, I understand the idea." He scratched his head, confused. "But how can he use two attacks at the same time?"
Reiko shrugged. "Lots of practice. Most Pokemon have the potential to use more than one attack at once, as long as they're compatible and require different parts of the body. I learned that from Misty, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City."
He stood speechless as thousands of possibilities raced through his head. The idea that a Pokemon could do more than just shoot one attack after the other… it seemed obvious in hindsight, but it was a huge discovery.
"I gotta tell Niss," he whispered to himself.
The game ended then, and with sweat dropping from his face the Golduck put both hands on his hips and laughed, which produced something akin to the sound of a cicada underwater. At the other side of the counter the man stood still, eyes wide in shock.
"Now, I'm sure you think we Kantonians aren't very good at math either," she said with an unmistakeable smug tone as her hand rested on the counter. "But that sure seems like a hundred points to me. I think I'll take both the Damp Rock and that Focus Sash, thank you very much."
With a scowl the man dropped both prizes on the table, avoiding the girl's gaze.
"See? I even got a nice gift for Percy," she said as the red and yellow sash spun in her fingers. "I knew coming here was a good idea."
An idea formed itself in Barry's mind then, and he couldn't help but shake as he grabbed his starter's Pokeball from his belt.
"I wanna try it too," he declared, his voice booming. "That Choice Scarf is mine."
The board never lied.
Percy had learned that the second time he'd played chess against his teacher. The first had been a catastrophic defeat, with the boy barely managing to take out two of her pieces before succumbing to the older woman's expertise. He'd hung his head down then, and whispered the words which to this day still made him laugh.
I don't like this game.
He could still picture the woman's amused look when he said that. She insisted they at least play a second game, just to humor her. He accepted because his parents had already paid an hour of her time, and he really didn't have anything better to do. Besides, she'd been the only adult he'd met at that point in his life that didn't call him by his dead name, so giving her that small satisfaction seemed like the least he could do.
So play again they did, and the change from game to game was like that of day and night.
His teacher had been holding back. That time she carved a bloody path through the board so ruthlessly and methodically that the boy was left completely speechless. Not a single piece did he manage to take from her, and not a single move he made which didn't end up furthering her strategy. The way she moved her pieces, the complete lack of doubt as she poured her heart into the board, the terrifying cold of her eyes as she annihilated the boy sitting across her… Percy had never seen something so beautiful.
Teach me to do that. Please.
She smiled then, as if she'd been expecting to hear that. No, as if she couldn't picture a world in which he wouldn't have said that. She accepted his offer, and what followed were five long years of training in which she made sure she imparted every single piece of knowledge about chess she'd been able to gather to him.
The most important of those rules being the first she taught him. The board never lied.
It was still as true as the day he'd learned it, he thought as his eyes set on the opponent across him. Inyssa leaned forward into the board, one hand hovering above her pieces and the other holding on strongly to the edges of the table. Intense was the first word which came to him as he studied her, as he read her style of play like an open book.
She hesitated for a moment, and then moved her bishop closer to his queen. Still trying to trap her, still trying to take out what she considered to be his strongest piece. And it would've been a good play too, if he didn't have that special knight.
A tad careless, but she'd managed to avoid the consequences of it so far by forcing him to sacrifice some of his pieces to protect the stronger ones. He was at a disadvantage in that regard, although he still maintained better positioning.
He moved his queen out of the way, giving her free rein to take one of his rooks. Inyssa shook her head slightly and let out a sound halfway through a snort and an offended growl.
"Of course," she whispered.
She was proud as well, but that was something one could learn by just looking at her. No, her movements on the board revealed much more than that. Things hidden and whisper thin, things that she would never tell anyone. Couldn't tell anyone.
He suspected it when he saw her fight with Fantina, but now it was clear; her style of play was contradictory. She moved her pieces with something akin to both anger and determination, but not quite either of them. It was as if someone were holding a gun to her head and telling her to give it her all. Anxiety and panic bubbled just below her surface, ready to explode at a moment's notice.
But at the same time she tried her best to protect her pieces, every single one of them. No matter what the situation was she sent her queen first to attack and supported her with everything else, scurrying around the board and trying her best not to lose any of them.
Such clash of completely different strategies was the only reason Percy hadn't won yet. He was having trouble understanding how she operated.
In a deep, deep part of her Inyssa was afraid, he could tell that much. But the reason for it remained dark to him, and it bothered him to no end. It had been the same back then, when she grabbed that last Pokeball of hers with shaking hands and revealed that strange Pokemon. He expected her to lose back then, expected the ghost Pokemon to disobey her because that made sense, and then it hadn't. Inyssa asked him for help and promised him something, and then he fought for her.
He could honestly not believe his eyes. A ghost Pokemon willingly helping a rookie trainer. It was as if reason had taken a day off, and Percy would be lying if he said it wasn't part of the reason he'd challenged her to a chess match for.
After a few seconds of consideration, he finally spoke.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you."
Inyssa barely lifted her head as she whispered a response back. "Aren't you supposed to be focusing on the match?"
"I'm good at multitasking," he shrugged. "If you answer my question I'll give you a chess tip after I win, since you certainly seem to need it."
She shot him a murderous look, somewhat watered down by her intense concentration.
"Shoot."
He made his move first and asked second, as to have a bigger impact. Mind games, his teacher would've called it.
"Why do you want to be the Champion?"
The rhythm that had dictated every one of Inyssa's moves came to a halt there, as her fingers froze over one of her bishops. She looked up to him, and opened her mouth to speak. Her lower lip trembled.
"The Champion is the best trainer in the region," was her simple answer, "and that's me. It only feels appropriate to make it official."
Percy sighed. He should've known he wouldn't get an answer so easily.
He needed to try harder.
"Come on Pedri, you can do it!"
Barry put both hands around his mouth and shouted encouragement to his Prinplup, who was in the difficult process of trying to balance plates with his fins alone. The proud Pokemon stared daggers at his trainer as he plotted his revenge for later. Maybe he'd fire a Water Gun on top of his pancakes next time he bought some. That'd teach him.
Next to him was Reiko's Scyther, who was having similar problems balancing the plates with his lack of fingers. He seemed offended that his trainer would put him in such a humiliating position, so they had that in common at least.
They lost after a few seconds, and both trainers were forced to leave the game once they realized there was no chance of winning.
"Man, we were so close that last time," Barry pouted, hands on his pockets. "I really wanted that poffin case."
Reiko gave him a couple pats on the back, "It's okay kiddo, can't win them all. Besides, you already got that cool scarf."
He glanced down at the piece of blue and white cloth tied around his arm. The owner of the shooting gallery had explained that it was a special scarf made from refined Persian hair. It had the strange property of making Pokemon faster and more limber if they had it on, which sounded incredibly useful.
Still, he didn't deserve such a cool thing.
"I kinda got this one for Niss," he admitted, rubbing the tip of the scarf with his fingers. He couldn't believe how soft it felt.
"I see…"
Reiko got closer suddenly. She leaned her head down and squinted, as if trying to study Barry's expression. The boy stopped and took a step back, looking at the sides nervously. Had he said something…?
Her lips curled into a sinister smile. "So… how long since you two… you know?"
Barry blinked a few times, confused. Since they… what? What was she talking about?
"You know," she elaborated. "Is this an anniversary thing? How long have you two been a thing?"
Realization hit him then. She thought… Reiko thought he and Niss…
"W-wha...!?" He raised both hands in front of him. "That's not it! We're not… that's not why I got her this!"
Reiko could barely maintain her serious expression for a few seconds before breaking into a fit of laughter. She crossed her arms over her stomach and had to lean in on a lamp post. He heard his Prinplup snicker in amusement behind him.
"Reiko!" He stomped the ground, heat rising to his face. "Reiko, that's not funny!"
"Oh, it is. Trust me." She wiped a tear off her eyes, still giggling. "I can't believe… oh man, I'm usually so spot on about this kinda stuff."
Barry pointed his finger at her, an accusing look on his face. "W-well, what about you!? You got a gift for Percy too!"
Reiko let out another giggle, and tilted her head in confusion. "I mean… yeah? Why do you think I did it?"
Realization hit him again, this time with the force of a hammer. Pedri couldn't help but laugh at the face his trainer made.
"What!?" He yelled, startling the people around him. "Are you two dating!?"
"And Barry finally crosses the finish line!" Reiko threw her arms to the sky. "Unfortunately all the other contenders died of old age waiting for him to get there."
"B-but you don't act like a couple!" he protested, his worldview falling to pieces around him. "Aren't you supposed to like… be super nice and cuddly and stuff when you're with someone?"
Reiko's smile froze a bit, and then slowly died as she realized she was dealing with a seventeen year old who'd probably never dated anyone. Her mocking expression was replaced with a warm smile.
"Oh Barry…" she shook her head, hands on her hips. "I mean, sometimes that happens, but the way you treat someone doesn't have to change that much when you're in a relationship. Dating someone is like being friends with them but… different," she explained, trying to choose her words carefully. "But… not too different. Understand?"
"I… is that true? Is that how it works?"
Barry let himself fall against his Pokemon, who made no effort to try and hold him. Instead he gave him a couple of reluctant pats on the head. Reiko kneeled in front of the boy with a smile and did the same.
"Don't believe everything you see on T.V, kiddo," she said. "And don't worry about it too much, I'm sure she'll love your gift no matter what your intention was."
He looked down at the piece of cloth on his arm, and furrowed his brow. Now that he knew the truth he wasn't sure if the gesture had been entirely platonic to begin with.
"You think so?"
She gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah! Trust me, that girl may act like an ice queen but she loves cute stuff. I know her type."
Barry couldn't help but smile at Reiko's diagnosis. It couldn't have been more spot on.
"Now…" she gave him another yank up, still smiling. "Let's go get you a gift for yourself! Those Pokemon races look pretty fun, so we should try there first."
"That's not the real reason, is it?"
Inyssa did her best to ignore the heat traveling through her body as she concentrated on the game. What the hell was the guy's problem? And why had he become so interested in her all of a sudden?
"Maybe it is, maybe it's not," she shrugged. "Why do you care?"
"I don't. We barely know each other, but the way you play and the way you battle are equally interesting, and I'd like to know what's behind both those things."
His answer was enough to give her pause. She had to admit, the boy's honesty was refreshing, even if it didn't make her any less angry towards the situation.
"Well, what about you?" she tried to change the subject. "No offense but you don't look like the ambitious type. Why are you taking the League challenge?"
Now it was his turn to freeze. It happened fast, almost enough to make it seem like he was just deliberating about his next move, but Inyssa knew better.
"Family reasons."
She couldn't help but laugh at his response. "Ain't that typical."
That's as far as the conversation went. Inyssa lowered her head as most of her mind focused on the task at hand, and the other part that remained wouldn't stop bugging her about Percy.
Should I ask him about his family? Would it be the right thing to do?
She definitely had the advantage in pieces, having lost almost none despite his offensive style. But he still managed to escape almost every attack she sent towards his side of the board, and she was pretty sure he was planning something.
Does he want me to ask him?
He was keeping both his bishops at opposite sides, making sure she couldn't make use of castling. He protected them well too, surrounding the pieces with his queen and remaining rook while his knight jumped into the offensive. She needed to break through, somehow.
Do I even care? He just said he doesn't.
She could try attacking from the flank, but that would mean leaving her right side open, which had lost a couple pawns already. No, she needed to set up a long term plan if she wanted any chance to break down his defenses.
"You want to ask me about it," Percy spoke out of nowhere, eyes still set on the board, "but you're not sure if it would be appropriate."
Her train of thought stopped on its tracks, and she gave the boy a look which carried more than a few curses with it.
You think you're so clever, don't you?
"Mostly I don't want to do the same afterwards," she lied. "If we start sharing family stories I might have to tell you mine and then you'll say: 'Your horrible personality finally makes sense!'"
Percy laughed. An honest, high pitched laugh that even made him snort. The change the laugh made on his face was enough to actually startle Inyssa.
"That might just be the case," he admitted.
She tried her best to hide her own smile.
"Well, there you have it. Feel free to share, fancy boy, but don't expect me to do the same."
His response came almost a minute later, when she figured he wouldn't be humoring her any longer. She didn't want to admit she was glad to be wrong.
"I come from a family of distinguished trainers," he explained. "All of them have at the very least gotten through Victory Road at some point. Naturally I am expected to do the same."
She waited for more words, but they didn't come. That had been… a lot simpler than she expected.
"But do you want to do it or not?" she questioned him after a long silence.
He clicked his tongue before answering, "In a way, yes. I have my pride as a trainer, and I enjoy battling. I'm still trying to figure out what I really want out of this journey."
She couldn't help but feel some disdain towards his words. Maybe she just didn't like people who didn't know what to do of their lives in principle. Maybe it just reminded her of herself when she was younger.
"Why here, though? Why Sinnoh and not your own region?"
His fingers danced over his remaining rook as he stared at nothing, "Kalos is… in a complicated state right now. We've gone through five Champions in the past two years, and my father deemed the League to be too weak for me."
She didn't need to be psychic to understand. A wave of anger passed over her as she couldn't help but feel offended for Percy.
"So when he heard that our Champion hasn't lost in twelve years…" she continued, "he decided to send you here."
The boy gave another, weak shrug as he kept moving the pieces. His shoulders were low and his eyes had lost the little brightness they had in them. Inyssa felt a knot forming in her stomach.
"He doesn't expect me to become the Champion, I know that much. He wants me to at least beat one of the Elite Four so I don't bring shame to my name," his words were coated in a thin poison that made Inyssa feel a lot worse than she expected to. "Maybe I will beat the Champion, just to spite him. He was never able to, after all."
To try and get better as a response to those who didn't believe in you… Inyssa knew very well how that felt. She bit her lip as she moved her queen to take his remaining rook.
"That sounds great," she spoke sincerely. "I'm willing to let you be the third strongest after me and Barry. That should be good enough for you to rub on your dad's face, right?"
Percy showed her the first warm smile he'd seen on his lips, along with a non verbal thanks she didn't fail to pick up on.
He then moved his queen to a position just between both his bishops, and his plan finally came together in Inyssa's head. A three pronged attack which aimed to neutralize all her defensive pieces while keeping her own queen trapped.
But she wouldn't be bested so easily. By using his remaining pieces for the offensive he'd let his impenetrable defense down, and his left side was now open. Without hesitation she moved her rook to take the pawn just two squares away from his king. One more move and she'd have him trapped.
"You lasted a lot longer than I expected."
The words were enough to break her concentration, and she looked up to ask what he meant by that. A devious smile formed across his face as he put one finger over his knight.
"But this wasn't going to end any other way."
He moved the piece to the exact center of the board, and all of Inyssa's plans came crashing down around her.
The positioning was nothing short of perfect. While she'd been concentrating too much on his defense she didn't realize that he'd been planning a devastating offense at the same time. From that place the knight could know have access to almost every part of the board thanks to the support of both bishops and the queen. And worst of all both her best pieces were now trapped behind enemy lines.
"When did you…?" She whispered, eyes opened wide.
"You put too much trust in your queen and tried to both protect your weaker pieces and keep them out of trouble. Thanks to that I could set up something like this." His eyes met hers, and Inyssa's lip trembled. "There you have your chess tip. Diversify. Don't be afraid to sacrifice in order to get an advantage."
She grit her teeth in frustration and silently swore to herself that she would prove him wrong.
The match lasted only four more moves. Percy annihilated her defenses and trapped her king before she could even reposition her queen back to her side of the board. Inyssa was pretty sure she would've felt less insulted if he simply grabbed the board and threw it in her face.
With all said and done Percy picked up his prize as she kept sitting in place, silently grumbling and wondering exactly where she'd made a mistake.
"Don't think too much about it," he told her when he came back from the counter. "Here, catch."
She barely had time to react as he threw the stone at her face. With clumsy fingers and a spike of anxiety she managed to catch it just before it reached the ground. The stone was cold and had a texture similar to glass, but it glowed with a beautiful yellow that could've functioned as a light source on its own.
"I don't like handouts," she scowled at him.
"You need it more than I do. Consider it a prize for giving me an enjoyable match."
She studied his face for a few seconds before responding. "Well… but I'll pay it back to you somehow. I don't like owing things to people."
"I'm sure you don't," he put the strap of his backpack over his shoulder as he walked towards her and gave her a pat on the back. "Come on, we should find Barry and Reiko before they set the entire place on fire."
The rest of the day transpired with relative peace. They ran into their friends after ten minutes of searching, and Inyssa was surprised with the image of both Barry having a Pokemon egg on his hands and a white and blue scarf which he gave her as a gift.
He blushed too when he did it, which made Inyssa feel like someone was playing drums inside her ribcage.
She then proceeded to give the Choice Scarf to Shadi, who shed tears of happiness at the sight of her beautiful gift. She would've lied if she said her first option hadn't been Enma, but considering his attitude that past week she didn't think he deserved such a cool gift.
And just like that the day came to an end, and all four of them unanimously decided to leave the city the next day. They'd been lucky they even came across the festival, and without it the only thing the town had to offer was a strange tunnel full of mysterious caves which Inyssa was so not interested in.
With the light of a new day also came the time for goodbyes, as temporary as they were. Both Percy and Reiko had already beaten the leader of Veilstone, so they had no need to go back. Instead they chose their next target to be the steel type Gym at Canalave City.
"We'll take a small detour towards Celestic Town and then head southwest with our flying Pokemon," explained Percy, mapping their route on his Pokétch.
"What Gym are you kids gonna tackle next?" Reiko asked excitedly. "After Veilstone, of course."
She'd been thinking about it for a few days now. She wanted to leave Sunnyshore for last, since she'd heard its leader was as strong as an Elite Four member and wanted to battle him at his full strength. And she didn't really feel like walking all the way north through the cold towards Snowpoint, so that only left her two options. One of which was closer.
"Sounds good!" Reiko gave them a thumbs up after her answer, "then we'll meet in Pastoria. Make sure to keep us updated on your journey, and don't you dare lose against Veilstone's Gym Leader."
"Yes mom," both Barry and Inyssa replied with a sly smile.
They waved goodbye as the older trainers disappeared into the western paths of the Route, and after what Inyssa considered an eternity she was finally left alone with Barry again.
Not that she'd admit she missed that. Never in a million years.
"Um… Niss?"
The boy tugged at her sleeve weakly, a weak blush covering his cheeks. One of his arms was still around the white Pokemon egg covered in red and blue triangles.
"What is it?"
"Did you know…" he whispered while avoiding her gaze, "...did you know that Percy and Reiko are dating?"
The question caught her off guard. She raised an eyebrow in confusion and tilted her head to the side.
"Yeah, obviously," was her response. "Anyone with a pair of eyes could've told you that."
"O-oh."
