The Pokémon Tower was shrouded in its usual thick soup of lingering fog. As it had been since Jackson arrived and as it would undoubtedly be long after he left. Leaving Lavender Town, however, was seemingly far more difficult than he could have ever imagined. Jackson should have been relaxing on the shores of Fuchsia City, taking a well-deserved break. With his 5th gym badge pinned to his belt. Instead, he had only three gym badges and was stuck in a ring of purple candles, waving around a stupid fan. The silver bells embedded between the grey, paper folds of the fan clanged away. No matter how hard Jackson tried they would never sing the same way Esprit could make them. The smog of fog and candle incense seemed to go anywhere but where Jackson moved the fan. It desperately hurried out of the way of his swings as if it were being attacked. The harder Jackson tried the worst he seemed to do.
"Argh!" Jackson sliced the fan through the smog. "Gastly! Shadowball!"
The smoke and fog scurried away, swirled then rested back to a motionless linger. Silence followed. Agonising, taunting silence. Jackson snapped the fan shut and stomped the ground.
"Why can't I do it?!"
"Patience. Calm yourself and try again," Esprit said.
Esprit sat outside the circle of candles. Her face was its usual hardened expression of ice and stone. Jackson scowled.
"You say that like it's easy."
"Your anger clouds your mind. How many times must I remind you that-"
"Yeah yeah, I get it. The mind is the pathway to the soul."
"You clearly do not or you would be doing instead of complaining."
Esprit stood and walked around the circle of candles to face him. She prodded his chest with her folded fan.
"Gastly is bound to your soul. If you cloud your mind, you can not channel his spirit and he will not listen to you. So, think. What calms you?"
"Usually this is calming."
Esprit raised an eyebrow.
"You find our sessions calming?"
"No," Jackson answered, far too quickly.
He eyed the folded fan in Esprit's hand and flashed her a sheepish grin.
"I, uh, I mean training. I find training my Pokémon calming."
Just as he said that Magnemite zipped over to him.
"Mite!" He buzzed, his twin tangents twirling.
Jackson chuckled and scratched the back of his smooth, metal body. A fluttery, whirring buzz rang out from Magnemite as his singular eye came alive with electric elation. He zipped away back towards the piles of rotting furniture that surrounded the base of the tower, rejoining the rest of Jackson's Pokémon in their play. Beedrill and Golbat sped up above, streaking through the fog in a neck and neck race. Their wings gleamed light blue, leaving behind streaks of energy that pierced through the purple smog like the trail of a comet blazing against the night sky. Magnemite joined them, adding a yellow streak to their light blue. Amongst the mountains of furniture, Jigglypuff and Quagsire explored together. They waddled clumsily, their large round bodies teetering on their little stumpy legs. Jigglypuff plucked an old pen from a decrepit desk and held it up. Both Pokémon marvelled at it, eyes full of wonder. At least Jackson assumed it was wonder in Quagsire's eyes, the beady little things were hard to read. Nevertheless, Jackson found himself smiling.
"That's it," Esprit said.
Her eyes focused on the space beside Jackson's head.
The smog swirled and a large pair of sharp eyes materialised. They glanced at Jackson and a grinning mouth joined them. Slowly, Jackson raised his fan. The silver bells clanged, then jingled, then sang. A grey pulse surged through the smog and the rest of Gastly's body snapped into the world. He let out a howling cackle and floated around to face Jackson. Grey and purple mist radiated from his round black body. Jackson locked eyes with him and drew back the fan to his shoulder.
"Gastly." Jackson thrust the fan forward and the bells sang again. "Shadowball!"
Again, a grey pulse surged through the fog. The purple flames of the candles flickered and Gastly spun around. His eyes shut and a spherical veil of grey energy flashed around him. A small grey ball began to grow a few inches from his face, no bigger than a ping pong ball. It grew and grew, warbling and flaring. Gastly's eyes tightened and furrowed.
"Guide him," Esprit whispered.
At once all of Esprit's teaching came flooding back to Jackson. He began gently swishing the fan back and forth, swirling the air and filling it with the singing chimes of bells. He shut his eyes and a deep warm pulse radiated through his chest.
"It's okay, Gastly. Keep yourself calm, focus on my spirit."
"Gastly…" Gastly whispered in a low, hissing voice.
The growing ball of grey energy steadied and then abruptly expanded to the size of a basketball. Gastly's eyes snapped open, ablaze with a glowing grey light. The ball shot away into the mounds of rotting furniture. A shock wave sliced through the air, a billow of smoke rose and a hail of splinters rained. Jackson pumped his fist.
"Yes! Great work Gastly!"
Gastly spun around, beaming.
"Gastly Gastly!" He bounced to and fro in the air.
"Do not become complacent. Again and faster," Esprit said.
"Right."
Jackson raised the fan and shut his eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out. As the breath left him the warm pulse in his chest returned. The bells sang and the smog pulsed grey.
"Shadowball."
"Gastly!"
An explosion ripped through the air.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with explosions. Shadowball after shadow ball laid waste to the piles of rotting furniture. Each one flew faster and made a louder bang than the last, if only by a bit. By the time the very little light that Lavender Town was afforded had started to leave, the yard was a mess of splinters and other debris. Jackson's arms were screaming sore and each breath sent flames slithering up his throat. His mind was weary, numb and tender. Even so, he rose the fan and made the bells sing. Esprit grasped his wrist and smiled at him.
"That is enough. Rest now, child."
Jackson nodded, returned his pokémon and staggered to the Pokémon Centre. Once in his room, his bed greeted him with a warm hug and in an instant he was asleep.
The next morning Jackson returned to the Pokémon Tower's yard. With little more than the faint light that managed to creep through the fog, Jackson arranged his circle of candles. As he began to light them, Esprit's voice shouted across the yard. She open the gate and hurried down the gravel path.
"Jackson!"
Jackson's attention was immediately drawn away, Esprit never called him Jackson.
"There is no need for that," she said.
"What now? Always something new…"
"No. There is nothing left to teach."
Jackson raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing? You've taught me everything in less than a week?"
"Of course not, foolish child."
Esprit clicked her tongue and dodged their eye contact.
"Your dream is not here. Your soul beckons for a different calling."
"I guess."
"There is no point limiting you to this place. You have learned everything you need to know to train Gastly for battle. So go. Achieve your dream.
Jackson touched his belt and ran his thumb over his badges.
"But I have a talent for this right?"
"You do."
"Isn't it a waste if I stop now?"
Esprit laughed and shook her head.
"A waste? Child, you are young. Chase your dream. This will still be here once you are done."
Jackson considered the fan Esprit had given him. He smirked.
"I'll go become champion then."
"You will try, yes."
"Nuh-uh! I will!"
Esprit chuckled, placed her robed hand on Jackson's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Jackson flinched at the touch, he'd never had thought she could be so gentle. A smile spread across her face. Those eyes so often hardened with glares and scorn, brightened with tender warmth.
"You will do your best, I am sure."
Esprit hugged Jackson. Jackson returned the hug, so quickly that his arms were around her before he even knew what he was doing. Although he didn't pull away from where he found himself. His hug was stiff and awkward while Esprit's was ferocious. She squeezed him like she was wringing a wet towel.
"Good luck," she said.
"Don't need it."
They separated and Jackson started back to the Pokémon Centre to collect his things. At first, he walked but quickly he began to run. A huge grin plastered his face. Erika's face seared into his mind, along with her rainbow-coloured badge. He threw all his things back into his bag and took off for Lavender Town's west entrance. Underneath the gate that marked the beginning of Route 8, he released Beedrill and summoned Gastly with his fan.
"Drill?"
"Gastly?"
"Beedrill get ready, we're about to do a bunch of training! We're back on our gym challenge so we need to get you back into battling shape again!"
Beedrill's bulbous red eyes glowed and he whirred his drills. He gave a sharp nod.
"Bee!"
Jackson pointed his fan at Gastly.
"And you." Jackson grinned. "Are you ready for this?"
He reached into one of the side pockets of his backpack and pulled out a pokéball. Gastly considered the ball. He analysed it sceptically, looking at it from a few different angles. Then, he considered Jackson, then the ball, then Jackson again. A shimmering warmth pulsed through the air and hit Jackson in the chest. Gastly grinned and nodded.
"Gastly!"
"Great! Pokéball, go!"
Jackson tossed the pokéball at Gastly. It popped open and hit him with a beam of red light. Gastly materialised away with a flash and the ball snapped shut. It fell to the ground, rocked three times and clicked. Jackson snatched up the ball and put it in the final container of his belt.
"Alright! Let's do this!"
Jackson charged past a bewildered Beedrill into the misty valley heading out of Lavender Town. Beedrill made an alarmed buzz and gave chase. At full speed, they barrelled down the route until bursting out of the fog into Route 8. A paved path cut the plain in two heading towards the far-off high rise of Saffron City. They left behind towering cliff sides and thick fog for a wide-open, grassy plain and clear, sweet air. As they headed down the path, Jackson went over basic attack combos with Beedrill.
"Remember? One! Two!"
He swung two punches, one with his left and one with his right. The left punch swung first in a straight jab which the right punch swiftly followed up with an overarm slug. Beedrill copied him, punching with his drills. The drills took on a light green glow and left behind streaks of glowing light through the air.
"Duck and weave through the air after your combo, always keep moving."
"Drill."
Beedrill threw out another one-two combo then sped to the side. He moved so quickly it looked more like a blink. White sparks spat from his body.
"As good as ever!"
Beedrill gave a stout nod before returning to his practice. Up ahead, Jackson spied a figure walking toward them. A kid no older than himself, dressed in pink robes. A pokéball hovered an inch above his outstretched palm. Jackson broke out into a sprint and called out to him.
"Wow! You're a psychic trainer, huh?!"
The kid watched Jackson approach with a bewildered look before a smug smirk quickly replaced it. As Jackson came skidding to a halt before him, the kid snatched the ball out of the air and folded his arms.
"Yup, sure am. Bet you're impressed huh?"
"Cool! Did you train under Sabrina?"
"I did. Only the elite students get to train under her you know."
"Great, a student of a pushover like Sabrina is just what we need to warm ourselves up!"
The psychic trainer's jaw dropped.
"What?!"
Jackson turned away from him.
"Remember the training we did for Sabrina, Beedrill?"
Beedrill nodded.
"Hey!" The Psychic trainer yelled. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Jackson smirked at him.
"Your future champion."
"Damn brat, I'll show you. Declare your pokémon so I can show you the true power of Sabrina's gym!"
"Oh… you've only got one pokémon? What a letdown."
"JUST PICK YOUR POKÉMON!"
Jackson raised his hands.
"Okay okay, sheesh. I choose Beedrill."
The look of rage on the trainer's face disappeared at once and he snickered.
"You know poison is weak to psychic, right?"
"Typing isn't everything. You must be a rookie… another letdown."
"Shut up!"
The trainer threw his pokéball into the air. It popped open and released a Hypno. A bipedal, humanoid Pokémon covered in yellow, leathery skin. He stared at Jackson with sleepy eyes perched above a large nose that covered his mouth. A mane of white fur sat around his shoulders, like a ruffled collar. Two pointy, triangular ears twitched on top of his head. He held a pendulum, a round piece of metal with a piece of string tied around an interior hole. It swung back and forth of its own accord. He stared past Jackson and Beedrill with a vacant look.
"Yup, that's right. Fully evolved," the trainer said.
"So's Beedrill?"
"Please! Any idiot can fully evolve a Beedrill. This." The trainer gestured to Hypno. "This takes skill."
"Oh yeah? And how many badges have you earned?"
"None, but-"
"Oh, none? Well, my skilless Pokémon and I have earned three. So strange."
"I only just started my journey!"
"I oNlY JuSt StArTeD My JoUrNeY."
"Let's just battle already!"
Both trainers moved to their positions, followed by their Pokémon who seemed rather uninterested in their trainers' argument.
"Beedrill, go!"
"Hypno, go!"
Beedrill flew out into the space between the trainers a few feet as Hypno waddled out to meet him. He narrowed his bulbous eyes at Hypno and whirred his drills. Hypno stared past him and kept his pendulum swaying. The psychic trainer puffed out his chest.
"Just so you know, the name's Vert! Remember it after I beat you!"
Jackson did the same.
"And my name's Jackson, you remember that too."
Vert smirked and pointed at Beedrill.
"Hypno, use confusion!"
Hypno's pendulum took on a pink glow. He raised his other hand and it too took on a pink glow. His eyes honed in on Beedrill and narrowed. Pink sparks began to pop around Beedrill's head.
"Quick! Doubleteam!" Jackson yelled.
Beedrill's wings took on a white glow and he began darting side to side rapidly. Hypno's eyes followed him and the pink sparks continued to pop. However, Beedrill only moved faster and faster until it looked like there were three of him. Hypno's eyes widened and began darting back and forth between the after images. Pink sparks no longer popped from any of the Beedrills' heads and Hypno's hand lost its glow.
"Noooo…" Hypno muttered and held his head.
He shut his eyes and furrowed his brow. At once, Jackson pointed at him.
"Quick attack!"
In the blink of an eye Beedrill's after images disappeared and he blinked towards Hypno. Where he had been, a ring of white energy exploded followed by an ear-splitting bang. He whacked Hypno with his drill across the back of the head, knocking him to the ground and making him drop his pendulum. Beedrill lunged after him, thrusting his drill towards his stomach. However, with surprising agility, Hypno rolled out of the way and Beedrill's drill embedded into the dirt. Hypno jumped to his feet and reached out. The pendulum flew back into his hand and resumed its swinging.
"P-Psybeam!" Vert yelled.
"Twineedle!"
Beedrill ripped his drill from the ground and ignited them both in a veil of light green flame. As he did, Hypno's pendulum abruptly froze in place and burst into pink flames. He thrust his hand forward and a beam of pink energy fired from the pendulum. Beedrill shot up, avoiding the beam narrowly. Hypno followed Beedrill with his hand, guiding the beam to pursue. But his movements were slow and Beedrill darted to the side and rocketed back down, drills poised to attack. Before Hypno could so much as attempt to dodge, Beedrill stabbed him in the chest with his drill. A burst of light-green flame erupted as Hypno was sent flying backwards. With another burst of white energy, Beedrill blinked forward. He appeared behind Hypno and caught him in the back of the head with his other drill, stopping all of Hypno's momentum. Hypno snapped down into the ground with a sickening thud. Blood oozed from his chest and head, along with a thick purple poison.
"Drill," Beedrill buzzed neutrally as he extinguished his drills.
Vert stared at his defeated Hypno, jaw hung open wide. Smirking, Jackson approached him. He puffed out his chest, stuck out his chin and crossed his arms.
"Jackson, remember it."
In a flustered hurry, Vert returned Hypno to his pokéball and scurried off towards Lavender Town. Jackson threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"That was a pretty good warm-up, huh Beedrill?"
Beedrill nodded.
"Welp, no time to rest. Erika ain't gonna be as easy as that guy."
Beedrill's eyes glowed and he whirred his drills. He nodded and gave an affirming buzz.