Mt. Battle
After spending the night at Agate Village's Pokémon Center, where Michael had gotten Teddiursa's Pokéball reassigned to Liz's trainer ID, they were invited to Eagun's house. Michael and Liz were immediately treated to some of the best tea they'd ever tasted, along with freshly baked blueberry muffins. According to Beluh, the tea was brewed from freshly picked black tea leaves, and the muffins were made with homegrown blueberries and all-natural flour. In short, it was phenomenal in every sense of the word.
"Well, this has been really nice," Michael said as they all finished their tea. "But, Eagun, I have no idea where I should be going now."
"Oh, dear, didn't you tell them about Vander?" Beluh said.
"No, my mistake. I had intended to bring that up yesterday," Eagun said. "But the excitement made me forget what I wanted to tell them."
Michael perked up as Eagun said that. "Who's Vander?"
"He's the first area leader for Mt. Battle, the battle facility on the tallest of the Orre Mountains," Eagun said. "Vander contacted me the day before you two came, and he told me that he noticed a lot of weird activity in the desert to the southeast."
"Really? Did he give you a specific location?" Michael asked.
"No, but I'm sure Vander would tell you. He did help Wes during his time," Eagun said.
"Hmm, seems like Mt. Battle is our next destination," Liz said with a smile.
"Right, but I'd like to go to the Name Rater before we go," Michael said. "I'd like to learn the names of our Pokémon."
"Seems you now have a plan," Beluh said kindly as she finished her tea. "I hope to hear of success in your endeavors."
"Thank you, ma'am," Liz said happily as she and Michael began to stand so they could be on their way. "We'll let you both know if anything new comes up."
"And, Michael, you may come to use the Relic Stone any time you need it," Eagun said. "It seems that the guardians truly enjoyed seeing the happiness your Pokémon displayed when they were purified, and they now want to see more of it."
"Thank you, sir," Michael said politely as he and Liz waved happily as they went to the door. "I promise we will stop Cipher." Eagun's smile seemed to get wider as Michael spoke, showing his agreement.
It took Michael and Liz ten minutes to find the Name Rater in Agate Village, and they were only able to find him with the help of one of the few younger people in the village. When they got to him, however, there were no clients waiting to see him. The interior of his home, however, we starkly in contrast with the surrounding modern village. Instead, it was decorated with cultural decorations from the Hoppip [read: Hopi] Tribe native to the Orre Region.
"Welcome," the man said, sitting cross-legged in his pristine, traditional Hoppip Tribe clothing. His dark hair was about to his mid-neck, and his tanned face was clean-shaven. "I assume you two are here to learn the names of your Pokémon."
"Yes, that's correct," Michael said. "We have five we need help with in total."
"That will be no problem," the Rater said. "Send out each Pokémon one at a time, and I shall speak with them."
"Alright," Liz said. "I'll go first with Sylveon." She then sent out the blue fairy-type Pokémon, getting a happy, musical mewing. The Name Rater began to make sounds when Sylveon looked at him, and they sounded like PokéSpeech in a way.
Sylveon then began to nod in understanding, then spoke herself. "Vee-Sylveon!" she said happily.
"Seems Sylveon's name is Titania," he said.
"As in Shakespeare's character?" Liz asked playfully.
"It seems that way," the Rater said.
Liz nodded. "Great to learn your name, Titania," she said as she gently scratched Titania behind the ears. The Sylveon purred happily at the loving contact.
"Now, let me meet the next one," the man said.
Michael gestured for Liz to go ahead. She smiled and sent out the newly-purified Teddiursa. "Here she is," the girl said with a gentle smile.
The Rater nodded and spoke kindly to the little Pokémon with the same language as before. Teddiursa pointed cutely to the yellow crescent-moon-shaped marking on her forehead. "Teddiur," she said cutely.
"It seems she is named Artemis, for the shape of her marking," The Rater said. "I believe that she is quite proud of her name."
"Artemis?" Liz asked as she pet the little bear cub. "I love that name!" Artemis's expression brightened as she hugged Liz tightly. She then looked at the Name Rater. "These two are the only Pokémon I have."
"Then it's the young man's turn," the Rater said.
"We'll start with my old friend," he said as he sent out Jolteon, who quickly began blushing at the sight of Titania.
The Name Rater had his quick conversation with Jolteon, though the Lightning Pokémon was talking shyly. "Seems his name is Nick," the Hoppip man said, kindly petting the Jolteon. "A strong name for a strong Pokémon." Michael's other two Pokémon both came out, their excitement showing especially with Poochyena, whose tail was wagging happily. The Name Rater chuckled. "And your Pokémon seem to have plenty of energy too. But they aren't battlers. They seem happier when just being with the people they love."
Michael nodded. "I noticed that yesterday," he said. "But, my sister would almost certainly love them both as pets."
The Name Rater smiled and nodded as he listened to Ledyba first, then to Poochyena. When Poochyena barked softly, however, her ears were pulled back as if she was sad about something. "Well, Ledyba here is named Francis," the Rater said kindly. "But, it seems that your Poochyena wasn't named before coming to Orre, as she was caught before she was old enough to remember her name. So, you have a very rare opportunity right now."
"I can name her?" Michael asked as Poochyena walked over to him. She put her paws on his shin and gave a sad whine with a pleading look. Michael crouched to her level, petting the little puppy kindly. "Well, what do you think of the name 'Ella'?" Poochyena perked up immediately, her tail wagging faster. Michael smiled and pet the little Pokémon under the chin. "Then that's what we'll go with. I'm sure everyone at the Lab will love you and Francis," he said.
After going to the Name Rater, Michael and Liz returned to the HQ Lab so Michael could entrust Ella and Francis to Jovi and his mother until the Shadow Crisis was over. Jovi had been overjoyed to truly meet Poochyena and Ledyba for the first time, and the feeling seemed mutual. Ella, however, had seemed to want to follow Michael when they were leaving. Michael noticed just before starting his scooter, so he had to pick up the puppy and carry her inside. He reassured her that he and Liz would come back soon, and that Jovi and Lily would play with her until then. While Ella looked sad, she seemed to also understand. It wasn't until she met Lily that she seemed to light up more. Luckily, Michael's mother seemed to have enough free time to play with the little puppy, seeming to fall in love with Ella immediately.
That distraction allowed Michael and Liz to leave for Mt. Battle. The drive was uneventful, with a short stop for lunch at a small rest area along the road. Another forty-five minutes later, and they'd arrived at the small valley of their destination. It was a small metal building in front of a mountain with a mass of yellow platforms attached to the mountain that spiraled around until they vanished into the cloud cover. They were currently in a small courtyard that had four squares of landscaping. The perimeter of the area was made up of shrubbery that resembled Rawst Berry plants.
It was the man in front of them, however, that Michael was apprehensive about seeing again. Before them was the red-haired man from Gateon Port, but unlike at the Port, Michael thought he could see emotional conflict in his expression.
"Oh, it's a pleasure to see you again," Eldes said. "I remember meeting you two in Gateon Port a few days ago."
"Yeah," Michael said. "I don't think we got your name back then."
"Eldes," he said, though Liz had a feeling that, even if he was being cordial, this man was dangerously powerful.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Eldes," Michael said, trying to stay polite. "And, even if it was the guy in blue who directly stepped in, I'd like to thank you for helping my sister in Gateon Port."
"It was no trouble. I've always disliked thugs like that man, so it was honestly satisfying to see him lose in such a way," Eldes said with a slight grin, though it looked more reserved than expected. "Anyway, are you here for training?"
"Not at the moment. We're just meeting with an Area Leader," Liz said, sounding on-guard.
"I see," Eldes said before turning to look at the mountain surrounded by battle platforms. "If the need arises for you, I highly recommend trying to clear all 100 battles of Mt. Battle. It's very rewarding, and it's a fast way to strengthen one's team."
"Sounds like you speak from experience," Michael said, getting a nearly unnoticeable sigh from Eldes.
"I do, but my training days were a long time ago. Back then, I only sought to be more powerful. I didn't need any other reason back them. As a result, I attained the status and skill I have now. But, at the same time, I've taken to questioning my motive for gaining power. I question what I'm fighting for now. I wonder, am I putting my Pokémon under cruel stress…" he paused, seeming deep in contemplation. "That's why I urge you to look into yourself. Ask yourself why you want to become stronger before you take that path." With that, Eldes took his leave. Michael and Liz were both stunned by the sudden depth of the conversation.
"That…was a bit weird," Michael said in a contemplative tone.
"Yeah, but he did have some good advice," Liz said as she led Michael to the building.
"How do you mean?" Michael asked with some confusion. He felt that Liz was getting a deeper interpretation of Eldes's words.
"Well, your reasons for getting stronger now are to take on Cipher and save the Pokémon they've enslaved. But, while getting to whatever level of power you need to reach, you need to be careful that your training doesn't turn cruel, and it doesn't become like Cipher's methods. Otherwise, you won't be much different from the criminals you're fighting," she said as they got to the entrance.
Michael nodded. "That makes sense," he said, before smiling. "I guess it's a good thing I have you with me to keep me from going overboard."
"You want me to be your moral compass?" Liz asked.
"Only if you think I'm going too far," Michael said. "Arceus knows that taking on a criminal syndicate can cloud morals."
"Yeah, I remember hearing about how Brendan Maple went on a rampage when Team Aqua kidnapped May during his journey," Liz said. "Gwen had to knock some sense into him, if I remember the interviews correctly."
"Exactly…maybe you could be like Gwen if I go on a rampage," Michael said with a smile.
Liz smiled, looked around to make sure people in the lobby weren't watching them, then kissed Michael on the cheek softly. "I'll be like Gwen for you…but I would prefer to be your May."
Michael's face turned crimson when she said that. "Um…" he said, making Liz giggle a bit at his shyness. "I…might have to think about that."
Liz's expression turned to slight disappointment. "Oh…I guess I understand," she said.
What the fuck brain?! Michael was shouting internally. All I had to say was 'yes' and we'd be a couple now!
Michael didn't get a chance to correct his slip, as he and Liz got to the receptionist's desk. "Hello, welcome to Mt. Battle," the young blonde woman said. "If you're here to train, then I apologize. We recently had a lot of trainers retire from their positions, and we're currently training the replacements."
"Actually, we're here to talk with an Area Leader named Vander," Michael said. "My name is Michael, this is Liz, and we're from the Pokémon HQ Lab."
"Oh, yes, Vander mentioned that he was expecting two visitors. He's currently with the new trainers in Area 1, though. You're welcome to wait for him here. I'll call the checkpoint at the end of Area 1. However, he only recently started the orientation sessions, and he may be a few hours."
"Would it be okay if we went up to meet with him?" Michael asked.
"Hmm…I'm not supposed to send any trainers in until Vander lets me know he's ready. But, since you're not here to train, I suppose I can bend the rules," she said as she typed a quick command, opening the door. "Go on in. He should only be on the second or third platform right now."
"Thank you so much," Liz said as they both made their way inside the battling facility. They immediately found themselves on a grey catwalk with yellow paint around the edges. They were already at least fifty feet off the ground, with propellers like helicopters on the base of each platform, which seemed to make no sense, since the platforms were all supported by massive metal beams and cables. It wasn't until they got onto the platform that they realized the purpose of the propeller. It was a wind turbine to power a shield around the platform, which came up as soon as Michael and Liz both got onto the platform, which looked like a small battlefield.
In the center, standing on a massive '1' of red paint, there was a young woman who looked to be from Johto, but she was wearing a pink version of May Maple's traveling outfit. "Oh, it's already starting? But I only just finished the orientation," she said, sounding nervous.
Michael held up his hands slightly defensively. "No, we're not here fo-"
"Alright, calming breaths," she said, as she took out two Pokéballs. "Let's battle. Come on out, Winry and Silque!" The Pokémon that came out were also the first two that May had caught when she was traveling with Brendan.
A Wingull and a Wurmple, Michael thought as he realized that he'd have to battle here. He activated his monitor as he sent out Nick. The Jolteon yipped happily when he saw that he would be battling. Michael smiled with his Pokémon's excitement as well. He then looked at the levels of the Pokémon on the field. Seems her Pokémon are both level 9, and Nick is level 14 now. This shouldn't take long.
"Winry, use Super Sonic!" she said excitedly. "Silque, use Poison Sting!" Winry opened her mouth and began to emit a very high-pitched sonic wave. Nick leapt to the side to get out of the way of the sound wave. Just as soon as he landed, two needle-like objects shot into Nick's side, both covered in a venom. Luckily, the Jolteon dodged to the side in time, getting a scratch from each. Thankfully, he remained safe from being poisoned.
"Alright, now it's my turn," Michael said with a smirk. "Thunder Shock on Winry!" Nick barked in reply as lightning crackled around his body. It arced out and struck the Wingull. Michael watched as Winry fell to the ground, so he turned his focus to Silque. "Now, use Bite!"
"String Shot!" the May-cosplayer said.
Nick ran forward quickly, but Silque was already firing silk at Jolteon. He ran through the string, his teeth glowing black as he ran forward. Just as he was about to get completely tangled in the bug-type's string, he got to her and clamped down on the worm. He then tossed her up in the air and fired a Thunder Shock. Michael saw Silque's health drop to zero a moment later, and the ring of energy around the platform dissipated immediately. The remaining energy then swirled around Nick briefly, healing all of his injuries in the process.
"Wow, that's impressive," Michael said happily.
"Yeah," the cosplayer said with a sigh as she recalled her Pokémon. "The system was designed to heal all Pokémon after the battle so the trainer would be able to continue their training. Plus, with over one-hundred levels, it would be impossible for anybody to make it through every area in one go."
Liz nodded. "On an unrelated note, I'm curious about your outfit."
"Oh, you like it? May is my idol, so I decided to dress like her and raise a team like hers too. The only problem is I can't get any other Pokémon besides Wingull and Wurmple. So, I can't really get a full team like hers." Her smile made Michael and Liz feel a bit happier, but it also felt a bit weird too.
"So, you want to copy May Maple?" Liz asked, sounding confused.
"Well, yeah. She's beautiful, and she's so strong!" the girl said.
"Don't you worry that you won't become your own trainer?" Michael asked.
"A little," she said. "But I think I can make myself stand out as a trainer with this team, not just as a coordinator.
"I guess that makes sense," Liz said. "Plus, it's pretty difficult to get a Torchic normally, and you likely won't be able to even see a Latios."
"Right, so that's two Pokémon that I will need to change up in my team," she said. "But, I'm also only allowed to use level nine Pokémon while I'm working here."
"That just means you get to work on your overall skill even at the lower levels," Michael said reassuringly.
The cosplayer nodded before getting a look of confusion. "By the way, why are you two in here so soon? The facility isn't supposed to open yet."
"We're supposed to be meeting with Vander soon," Michael said.
"Oh," the cosplayer blushed. "I'm sorry, I heard you saying something about not being here to battle, but my nerves got the better of me."
"It's not a problem. Nick always loves a fun battle," Michael said, petting his Jolteon gently.
"Plus, you kind of need to have the strongest Pokémon you can raise," Liz said under her breath.
"Sorry for the delay, I think Vander just finished with area 2. You should be able to catch him if you hurry," the girl said.
"Perfect," Michael said as Liz led the way to a staircase catwalk leading to platform 2. When they got there, they saw a guy who looked nervous, and he was looking like he was still unsure of what hand to use when holding his Pokéball. He was wearing a button-down shirt with a t-shirt underneath, along with some khakis. He was also standing on a large red 2 in the center of the platform.
"Hello," Michael said. "Don't mind us, we're just going-"
"Oh, it's starting? I just finished my training with Vander. Okay, Pokéball in my left hand…let's battle!" he said as he sent out the two Pokémon of his team. The first was a Corphish, and the second was the cloud-winged Swablu. "Ready, Cal and Leia?" The two Pokémon nodded at the sound of their respective names.
"I'm seeing the pattern here," Michael said with a sigh. "Liz, want to try a battle here?"
"Actually…I think I would," she said as she took out the Pokéballs for Titania and Artemis, putting on her battle monitor sunglasses. "Come on out, my friends!" With joyful cries from both Pokémon, the battle began. Liz saw that Titania was at level 14, and Artemis was at level 13. I'll have to thank Michael for his help there.
"Titania, use Echoed Voice on Leia; Artemis, use Return on Cal!" Liz said. She still disliked battling, but she was beginning to realize that she would need to be able to match Michael in battle more closely if she was going to help him against Cipher.
Titania was quick with her call, which started off quiet compared to other vocal attacks. The soundwaves moved quickly and hit Leia, while Artemis was lightly glowing with a warm, golden energy. She stood up and charged forward at Cal.
"Leia, use Peck on Artemis, Cal, use Vicegrip on Titania!" the guy said.
Liz just rolled her eyes as she watched Artemis bulldoze Cal with a surprisingly powerful Return. The impact caused three heart-shaped orbs of energy to burst outward and pop cutely, also showing the bond Liz had forged with the Teddiursa so quickly. "Great job, Artemis!" she said as she saw the level 9 Swablu's health going to less than a quarter of its maximum, and the level 10 Corphish's health going almost to zero. "Now, Titania, use Fairy Wind on Swablu. Artemis, finish that Corphish with a Lick!"
Leia was quick to fly forward, her beak glowing with energy as she approached Artemis. However, Titania's aim was precise as she fired a swirling tunnel of wind mixed with pixie dust, hitting only the little blue bird away from the Teddiursa. Artemis then turned and grabbed Cal from behind, quickly licking the back of the crustacean's neck and causing his entire body to shiver at the unsettling contact. Both of their health bars fell to zero, as Liz cheered for her victory. She hugged her Pokémon happily as the energy field flew in and healed both of them. "Great job, you two! I'm so proud of you!"
"Dang it. Guess I still need to practice some more," the trainer said.
"No, you were great," Michael said. "After all, this is a place of training."
"Yeah, that's true," the guy said. "Plus, I'm a newer trainer…if that wasn't obvious from the start."
"We all need to start somewhere," Liz said happily as she recalled Titania and Artemis. "But, you really didn't need to battle us. We're only here to meet with Vander."
"Wait, seriously?" he asked. "Vander is literally on platform three. You should be able to catch him, since he's in the middle of training the guy stationed there."
"Perfect, thank you," Michael said as they continued up the second staircase catwalk. They then saw two guys on the third platform. One was a brown-haired guy wearing an orange zip-up sweat shirt, and black shorts. The other was a man in a black long-sleeved shirt and some red hair pushed back, forming three spikes, one on each side of his head, and the third on the back of his head.
"So, seems you're catching on fast. Do you have any questions for me?" the red-haired man said.
The trainer then looked at Michael and Liz with shock. "Uh…yeah, isn't the facility closed today?"
The man followed the trainer's gaze, seeing Michael and Liz. "Oh, are you two Michael and Liz? Eagun called to let me know you'd be coming," he said. "I'm Vander."
"Great to meet you, Vander," Michael said, shaking hands with the area leader. "So, Eagun said you might have a lead for us to follow."
"Possibly," Vander said. "I'm not entirely sure if it's something. However, I just thought of something that would really help with Bardo's training."
"You want me to battle him?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, especially since a battle is the best way to improve a trainer's skill," Vander said.
"Alright, come on out Nick," Michael said as Jolteon came out of his Pokéball.
The trainer for Area 3, who Michael assumed to be Bardo, took out his own Pokéballs. "Go, Vogel," he said as he sent out the twin-headed bird Pokémon, Doduo. "And you too, Moch!" The next Pokémon that came out was Spoink, the grey pig-like Pokémon bouncing on his tail, with a pink pearl balanced on his head.
"Alright, start your monitors," Vander said. "And we will get this started."
Michael already had his monitor on and ready, seeing Nick was almost level 15, while their opponents were both level 10 now. Bardo began to do the same. When they were both ready, Bardo made the first move. "Then let me start us. Vogel, use Fury Attack. Moch, use Confusion!"
"Nick, Thunder Shock on Vogel, then use Bite on Moch!" Michael said. The Doduo was quick to rush forward and peck at Jolteon, moving fast and jabbing hard with his beaks. Nick began to dodge as best he could, backing up and moving to the side. He launched a swirl of lightning at Vogel, only for a swirling of psychic energy to slam into his side, knocking him to the side and making his Thunder Shock miss, as the next thrust of the Fury Attack hit its mark. Michael winced slightly as Nick's health dropped by a quarter. "Come on, Nick, fire that Thunder Shock!" Nick's expression became more determined as more electricity crackled around him. He then fired a stream of electricity again, hitting his mark and knocking Vogel back and to the ground. Michael watched as Vogel's health dropped quickly to zero. Nick then leapt forward as his teeth turned black with energy, quickly clamping down on Moch's tail. He then whipped his head around before slamming the Spoink into the ground. He quickly began to gather lightning for a Thunder Shock, assuming that Michael would call for that attack. Michael watch Moch's health drop to zero as well. Michael sighed with a smile as the energy around the ring go and swirl around the Jolteon.
As the Pokémon were all healed, Vander began to clap heartily. "That was excellent. Bardo, I hope you've learned from your experience here. That's how a battle really should go."
"Thank you, sir," Bardo said with a respectful bow.
Vander then turned to Michael and Liz. "We should take this somewhere more appropriate. Come on, we'll go to the lobby for this," he said, leading them back down to the entrance.
When they arrived in the lobby, Vander took the duo into an office space. "So, what is it that you were telling Eagun about?" Liz asked.
Vander pulled out an electronic map of Orre. "Honestly it's not much to go on. Mostly just small sightings of activity," he said. He then put a marker in the northern desert of Orre. "Recently, an old Cipher lab has had a spike of activity. I have no idea what's happening there, but Eagun said you're set on taking on Cipher. So, if you think it's worth the effort, you should check out the location."
Michael sighed. "So, we might be diving into the enemy's stronghold…" he said, before turning a façade of a smile to his best friend. "Well, Liz, what are we waiting for?"
And here is the next chapter. Sorry for the wait, but I have had a crazy couple of weeks. Either way, Happy New Year. Remember to wait for a day or two before going to an actual gym so those who fail with their resolutions aren't crowding the place.
Anyway, as usual, please review and let me know what you thought.
Until next time ~ jmoul18