Chapter 15:

Reasonable Maniac

"I basically consult the League when they deal with a problem they can't fix." Hylla explained, "They call me and I do what I'm good at, make plans and schemes; Are Pokémon hunters in the Safari Zone? I devise a plan to get rid of them within a week. A gang shipping illegal goods across Region borders? They give me a map with the details and I can narrow down their location by 80%. They give me a problem and I figure out an answer."

We had moved outside, once it became clear that Hylla was about to dump her entire past on me I decided a change of scenery was necessary.

Outside was nice, Twinleaf town was not really big and was like the anime portrayed it to be.

A peaceful, quiet and insignificant place.

We were sitting outside on a picnic table and I enjoyed the sunny weather. I felt a bit better already with the change of scenery. It had broken Hylla's momentum of the conversation.

Going outside had reset the conversation like I expected and now I could think a bit more straight.

Talking with Hylla was like playing mental chess and just like with every other game you couldn't let the opponent decide the pace of the game.

"So that's why the League keeps the hospital open? You're their think tank or something?"

"Yes." Hylla said and she gazed into the distance, "When our parents passed away I moved back in and made it my base of operations. Which they paid, considering I only need a computer and a phone for my work it was a good deal, I could laze around all day and only had to solve a few mysteries every month."

Damn, that sounds like a nice job to have.

"Then why burn it down?" I asked, sincerely confused. "It sounds like you had everything you want."

"Because it kept Chelsea from doing anything with her life."

I wanted to ask what she meant but instead I tried to find the answer myself.

Everything that Chelsea had said and all the things that happened since I arrived started to make a greater picture together.

"She dislikes Sunbright town." I tried, "And the hospital has no real value except emotional value for her because no one comes there anyway."

Hylla nodded approvingly, "I'm not sure why she is so attached to the hospital, maybe a misguided feeling of guilt or as a last respect to our parents. Whatever it is, it's stopping her from doing something else."

More pieces of the puzzle fell into place, The Chimchar, the battle against Melon and Thomas and finally my arrival at the hospital.

"You're pushing her to become a Pokémon trainer." I said, "You gave her a starter Pokémon but she never did anything with it."

"Yes, being a Pokémon trainer is currently the most popular career. It lets you travel the world and the current economic system heavily favors Pokémon trainers."

That was new information, I had no idea how this world economic system works but it made sense I guess.

"Isn't she too young though?" I asked, "Looker told me 16 is the starting age."

"16 is the most commonly used, however, as a 10 year old it is already possible to become a registered Pokémon trainer if a respected professional can vouch for you. Chelsea is 12, almost 13 and I can definitely vouch for her and my word should be enough."

10, What!?

So it is possible to send a 10 year old into the world with nothing more than a monster with the powers to bend the laws of physics, just uncommon?

Does that mean that Ash still left Pallet town at the age of 10? Having Professor Oak back you up would probably be convincing enough.

If not Ash than Red could've left at the age of 10.

"So you burned down the hospital to get Chelsea moving?"

Sounds kinda over the top to me, man this world is insane.

"To make her do something with her life," Hylla corrected me, "To show there's more than the hospital of our parents."

"And of course the only thing you can do is burn it down and let a terrorist group attack it." I said dryly.

"No," Hylla said. "If it was just about getting rid of the hospital I would arrange a gas leak or a wild Pokémon attack. No, doing it like that would be counterproductive. No, I needed something better."

Me, someone like me.

A potential friend for Chelsea, a distraction from the loss of her house and someone she could look up too.

I don't really consider myself a good role model but I guess the bar wasn't that high with Chelsea, I think Hylla realized that.

Yesterday when Hylla called and told us about the state of the hospital, Chelsea wasn't nearly as devastated as one should be when your home is destroyed which suggests that Hylla's plan worked but it sounded like she started everything before she even met me, or knew my personality.

"How'd you know I was going to be a Pokémon trainer like you wanted Chelsea to be? In fact, what if I was a huge jerk? Seems like a huge gamble."

Hylla closed her eyes, as if recalling something. "I think I got a very good read on you when I heard a boy around the age of 15-17 had taken down two Team Rocket members with nothing more than an uncaptured Ralts and a stone. That alone told me you were smart, smart enough to become a Pokémon trainer, Second the fact that you managed to partner up with a wild Ralts proves you're at least a decent person. Being an emotion reading Pokémon after all."

Oh you don't know how easy it is to trick Ralts' emotion sense powers, still she was right that such a report could give you a lot of information if you knew what to look for.

"So all of this, the entire Team Rocket situation and my stay was all just a huge gamble to help your sister forward?" I deadpanned.

"I didn't just help Chelsea you know," Hylla said with a smirk. "For all the 'manipulating' I did everyone got better out of it."

She empathized the "manipulation" part with air quotes.

"I pathed out a better future for Chelsea and I received a lot of insurance money." Hylla finished.

I blinked, I hadn't even considered insurance money. How many layers did this go?

"Where's the I get better out of it?" I frowned.

"Besides getting treatment?" Hylla raised her thumb. "I got rid of Team Rocket for you who were bound to bother you at some point, even without my interference."

A second finger joined her thumb.

As a third finger joined as she said, "I got you a reputation with the League and the police as a trainer who faced off against Team Rocket multiple times and won."

A fourth finger went up, and she gave me a smirk. "And the most important part. Bounty. For Team Rocket."

I blinked again, Hylla had that effect on me. "What?"

She made a quasi confused face. "You took down a Team Rocket cell, that's at least worth 7000 Pokédollars don't you think?"

"Are you bribing me?"

"Danger money." She said with a knowing smirk. "Money that you could use when you travel the world and try to be the best Pokémon trainer."

She was definitely bribing me, the message was clear; let's leave this behind us.

She twirled a purple hair lock around her finger as innocently watched a flock of Starly passed by.

The point was, no matter how much of a manipulating sociopath Hylla had been, she was annoying reasonable which I quite hate.

Nothing worse than a reasonable maniac.

Still, I had to deal with Team Rocket anyway and money is always nice.

I didn't really know what to think of Chelsea but she wasn't that bad and being stuck in a place like Sunbright town was kinda sucky.

On the other hand, apparently I had a reputation with the League now which was mildly infuriating. It promised more trouble in the future knowing that I was the playball of fate I was bound to be in the center of it.

I rubbed my temple, was it really too much to ask to let me become an overpowered Pokémon trainer and have a nice life without too much trouble?

With the conspiracies and dangers going on at this stage of my journey in this world it didn't promise anything good for the endgame.

"You know what." I said suddenly. "Fuck this shit, yeah you did me a service in a weird twisted way."

Hylla raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, let's leave it at this." I finally said.

"Alright." Hylla perked up. 'Now thank you for the assistance, Mister Mysterious, the money has already been transferred to your account."

"Still going with that silly name you kno-"

Wait, the money has already been transferred, when had she done that?

Before the conversation even started? Did she plan all of this?

I gave her a blank stare.

Hylla gave me a big grin.

This woman gives me a headache.

Ralts and Chelsea came back around 1 PM and honestly I didn't see anything different about Ralts but I wasn't a doctor so I wouldn't have known it anyway.

Still Ralts greeted me with a hug like I was gone for years instead of 2 hours.

Hylla and I had discussed what I should do from here and she had fired me from the hospital, with it being burned down and my role being played she revealed that I could basically clean up my own wound as long as I wasn't stupid and it was almost healed anyway.

Hylla took Chelsea on a walk and I took Ralts along for a shopping spree to buy stuff, mostly food and other stuff I lacked.

I also bought some stuff I didn't really need but might be useful one day, they won't be useful one day but it's the thought that counts, especially with some money to burn.

Annoyingly there was not a PokéMart or library which again proved we can't have nice things in life.

Still, Ralts enjoyed our time out.

I tried to find any signs of Dawn, Barry and Lucas but I couldn't find any of them without being overly creepy and breaking into people's houses and asking for them like a stalker.

I did ask directions for Sandgem town and Lake Verity since even the GPS function on my Pokédex was locked.

I met up with Hylla and Chelsea when the sun was touching the horizon again, we were standing in a park that was in the middle of Twinleaf town.

The entire town bathed in orange light, there was a slide in the park that was slightly rusted and a few wooden benches at the edge of the park.

"You never guess what I decided." Chelsea said and I faked a curious look.

"I dunno."

I noticed a Pansage swinging around in a tree and it was more interesting than the surprise reveal Chelsea had in store.

"Being temporarily homeless I came to a realization." Chelsea went on.

That you want to be a Pokémon trainer?

"That you need a challenge." She pointed at me.

"Wait what?"

"I'm going to become a Pokémon trainer," Chelsea said with an evil grin. "And I am going to be your rival."

"RaRalts?"

"Yeah what?"

"I'm going to be a Pokémon trainer too," she said like it was obvious."If you are going to do the gym challenge then I'm going to do that too." Chelsea said.

What the hell is going on in the Universe? Why do I get a rival?

Was she Barry's replacement or something?

"You know, a rival is perfect for beginning trainers, they both push each other to go further." Hylla offered thoughtfully.

I knew what she really meant, but still, Chelsea? Isn't my rival supposed to have an opposing philosophy and color set?

Also, she is like way to young to actually rival me, well I never really bothered with them anyway, guess I will just battle her from time to time and use it to satisfy my own ego.

"Sure," I said thoughtfully. "If you want we could battle right here and now."

Free exp is always nice and a rival would be an amazing exp generator.

"Ralts." Ralts stepped forward and clenched her fist, shooting a glare at Chelsea.

Chelsea returned it with a grin,took out her Pokéball and released Chimchar.

"Char!" The monkey cried out as it appeared, then he became the focus of Ralts' glare and he gulped.

I took a few steps back and Chelsea did the same thing.

"You can go first," I offered Chelsea, not out of kindness but Ralts was right now better at reacting than playing aggressive.

"Chimchar, run forward and use Ember!"

Chimchar charged forward on four legs and opened his mouth, a small flame visible inside it.

A burst of flames shot towards Ralts.

Do flames count as physical objects? Probably not.

That means it probably can't be deflected by Disarming Voice.

"Ralts, Disarming Voice down again," I said, "The same thing as you did against Raticate."

Disarming Voice was weak against Fire type but it still did damage and served as a good movement tool.

Ralts nodded and did as she was told, she aimed a Disarming Voice at her feet and was promptly launched up and dodged the fire attack.

However things were not going as they should be in the air, Ralts twirled helplessly, this time there was no epic shining fist.

Guess that means that last time was a spur of the moment thing.

It made sense that she couldn't do it perfectly after one try but it was still kinda annoying.

"Chimchar!" Chelsea called out, "Do scratch when she lands!"

Oh no you don't!

"Ralts, break your fall with Disarming voice Now!"

Chimchar ran towards the spot Ralts would land, his claws out and ready to punish her the moment she came down.

Ralts managed to turn around in the air and let out a high pitched scream while falling.

Soundwaves crashed down on Chimchar and bounced back to soften her landing, they didn't seem to do as much damage to Chimchar as I liked because of his typing but it still did damage and it kept him stunned for a short amount of time.

Chimchar let out a cry while Ralts landed next to him, unharmed while Chimchar was still shocked by the attack.

"Ralts, stacked Confusion!" I said and the battle was over at that moment.

Being a pretty weak starter Chimchar was immediately knocked out by 5 Confusion attacks placed into each other, the fact that Ralts landed close enough negotiated the entire slowness part of firing a low power ray.

Ralts grinned, and so did I.

and with that I had finished the tutorial, I had my starter Pokémon, gained a Pokédex, a backpack and an invitation to the Professor Rowan's lab. Completed the rival battle and lots of money to spend and now all that was done I could finally start my own journey.

Fate was smiling upon me.

Though I was not sure if it was a genuine smile or a sadistic smile of what was to come.

A/N And that finally concludes the end of this arc and the end of the prologue, well that only took 45K words...

Anyway thank you all for the kind reviews you left, now its almost like I have friends!

Shout out to the awesome reviewers and if you want to see your name in this list and get a feeling of accomplishment just leave a review!

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Well, cya all later!

-CaptainMoonShine-