Chapter Eighty Two: The Rules of Someone Else's Game
"Anyway, that's quite enough talk about my baking for one conversation! Tell me about your journey? Where are you right now?"
"I'm at Fuchsia at the moment, just got my sixth badge, and –"
"You're in Fuchsia? Oh honey, that's so close! How many gym badges left now – one, two?"
"Two."
"Wonderful! I'm so proud of you! We'll have to prepare something for you when you come back to battle Leaf."
"Oh, well, that'd be nice, but I've been thinking about maybe going to Johto for a little while, maybe test Paige out against Falkner."
"What, and miss out on coming home?" Robin Acevedo looked visibly upset and annoyed at the suggestion, and Alaska instantly regretted saying it.
"I didn't mean it like that! You know I want to come home. It's just… you know how I feel about Leaf. I'm not sure if I really want to face her."
"Oh, of course, silly me." Robin boomed with laughter, but Alaska knew her mother well enough to know she was faking it. Whether she had forgotten about Alaska's distrust or was simply hiding her hurt, it was impossible to tell, but her reaction still cut deep.
A pregnant pause fell between them. Despite there being several hundred kilometres between them, the sudden, unspoken tension resonated around them. In the silence, Alaska could hear the sounds of her Pokémon training echoing down the hallway, making her long for the conversation to end so she could re-join them.
"Are people still reading your blog?"
Alaska snapped back to attention. "Oh yeah, just a few, you know?"
Her mother smiled, the way a parent does when amusing their child's fantasies. "Well, isn't that just lovely, darling! I told you you'd build up a loyal following one day, didn't I?"
"Yep, there are pretty loyal alright – going to see this right through to the end, I think."
"Well, that is just wonderful!" As she said that, a cry sounded in the background down her end. Robin's face sank as she turned. "Oh, that's Freddie, I should… I should go tend to him." She looked back, her heartbreak obvious. "I'm so sorry honey, I know we don't talk enough anymore, I do want to –"
"It's fine, mum; you need to be with him, I understand." Alaska smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, but if anything, her mother simply looked sadder.
"I love you, sweetheart, I hope you remember that. Stay safe."
Alaska cringed internally. "I love you too. Bye!"
The screen went black, and Alaska instantly tipped back into the chair and screamed into her hands, unleashing the tension she had been holding back for the last ten minutes.
"Oof, I know that feeling." Alaska spread her fingers and saw Leaf hovering in the doorway, wearing a knowing smile. "Did it really go that badly?"
Alaska nodded, still clutching her face. "It's so hard to talk to her now. Every time I talk I expect her to have found out everything that's happened to me, and when it's clear she hasn't, I spend the whole time we talk wondering if I should tell her while trying not to say anything."
"They don't know about what's happening with you?"
"Not a thing. It's not something you can just casually bring up. 'Hey mummy, just so you know, two sociopaths are trying to kill me so I don't stop them from killing the Champion. How's Mrs Mitchell's fundraiser going?'"
"I know it must be hard, but surely talking to her is easier than lying about it?"
Alaska shook her head. "I've only seen her cry once after Viridian was destroyed, and that was the day my siblings went off to the Academy. She cares about us kids than anything else. It would destroy her to know I'm in danger and what I need to do, and she wouldn't understand it's unavoidable… like daughter, like mother, eh?"
"I can understand that," Leaf said quietly, stepping forwards and stroking Alaska's shoulder. "There were so many things Red lied to his mum about, and I could see how much it hurt him and the strain it caused on their relationship, and they barely got along in the first place.
"It hurts to have to lie to her: if she knew how to use a computer, it would almost be easier if she knew all the horrible things happening to me. But I'm not going to look her in the eye and explain to her myself how fucked up everything is.
"But because of that, I haven't been talking to her. I can tell she feels like I'm forgetting about them, the same way the twins have, but I'm just trying to protect them from everything. I want her to comfort me, but if she has no idea what's happening to me, can I really make her worry about the future of the region on top of my safety and everything she has to deal with back home?"
If she had been explaining this all to Sandy, Alaska might have broken down at this point. But since it was Leaf's eyes she was staring into, she held it in, maintaining her façade that was cracking every day.
Yet there was little hiding from Leaf: the gym leader was tearing up on her behalf, and when Alaska finally stood up, she pulled her into a hug. It was awkward and deeply uncomfortable, but Alaska reluctantly wrapped her arms around her, feeling it was the nice thing to do.
"I couldn't imagine doing any of the things we did and knowing my parents were home worrying about me. I guess that's one of the plus sides of being an orphan," Leaf said with a grim smile. "Oh wait – fuck, I just realised how that sounded. Sorry, I didn't mean to come across competitive or anything, I just –"
"It's fine, really, I'm not fussed," Alaska interrupted, smiling to hide the fact that had been her first reaction. "I can't imagine never getting to know my parents, and then having to face the person who killed them."
"Come on now, in Giovanni's defence, he didn't kill them personally, just… generally, I guess, not sure if that's better or worse…" Leaf drifted off, staring off into space as her eyes began to water. Guilt-ridden, Alaska went to say something, but Leaf shook her head and flashed a smile. "Enough about wars past, let's stick to the ones we've still got to fight, shall we?" The sounds of Pokémon fighting had gotten louder with each passing second, and Alaska finally smiled, glad for the distraction from everything. Beaming, Leaf wrapped an arm through hers as though they were old friends, and they set off together.
With the bonds of trust now between them, Janine had moved from wishing Alaska dead to opening her gym up so they could all prepare for the fight ahead. Alaska had assumed she and Sandy would simply end up fighting each other as per usual, with advice and input from the two gym leaders. What she hadn't expected was to show up the day after the gym battle and find an army of ninja warriors waiting to put them through their paces.
Growing up, all that Alaska had learnt about Fuchsia had come through entertainment. The old movies about crafty ninjas and brutal samurai that aired on weekend afternoons had been her amongst her favourites, and for a long time she had imagined Fuchsia as some feudal place untouched by the modern world, where men walked around with swords strapped to their sides. Even though she had long grown past those views, Alaska had hoped she would at least see one ninja before she left.
Thankfully, it turned out Janine did practically a battalion hidden away. They had emerged from the shadows (or the back rooms, as they were better known), not quite the cinematic characters Alaska had expected, with purple and violet robes like Janine's instead of all black, but they definitely were as bloodthirsty and intimidating. Yet even when they were throwing knives at her and trying to beat her up, Alaska couldn't help but be slightly thrilled to have her childhood dreams confirmed.
Even now, standing at the side, it was like watching one of her old movies once again, Janine's gym transformed into a chaotic warzone. The ninjas, for lack of a better word, were slamming sticks against Frances, forcing her to use her claws and speed to evade them. Shelley and Weepinbell sat on the floor firing attacks at over two dozen Zubat, trying to bring down each one. Nadia and Ned had the most space, the two swinging punches and kicks as they faced off in the middle of the room, several people shouting commands and suggestions to the Nidoqueen while Nidoran of both genders watched in delight.
"PIDGEEEEY!" Alaska jumped backwards as Paige cheekily swooped past. She soared back towards the roof, re-joining Leaf's Pidgeot in a race to build up speed.
"If only we could let them outside, they would probably have the time of their lives!" Leaf yelled, laughing. Alaska nodded absently, briefly watching the flowing hair of the large Pidgeot before turning away, looking for a distraction. Shouts turned her attention to the stage where she and Janine had first fought: Sandy was up there now, Butterfree and Sylveon squaring off against an old man's Drapion and Golbat. Blonde hair swaying, punctuating each command with a wild hand gesture, Sandy looked wildly intense, and Alaska couldn't help but smile.
"Finally, you're done." Janine leapt in front of Alaska before she could walk any further, her face glistening with sweat. "I've been waiting ages; can we get on with it?" She asked, glowering at Leaf.
"You look pretty tired, are you sure you don't want to rest first?"
Janine shook her head, smiling wickedly. "Arbok threw me into the wall before, I want to get this over with so I can teach that slippery bitch a lesson."
"Alright then," Leaf sighed, rolling her eyes as though this was an everyday occurrence. Alaska smiled and nodded as she so often did now, cautiously keeping an eye out for any purple serpents. "Alaska, now that your training is underway and going really well, it's time to focus on the next stage."
"Is the next stage the end of the world?"
"Yes – well, hopefully not, but you know what I mean." Leaf led her and Janine across the hallway into the same room where they had argued last week, pulling the sliding wall shut to muffle some of the noise. "Given how long this had been going on for, all signs suggest that we fast approaching the end game. I imagine by the time you get back to Viridian at least one if not both of our adversaries will be ready to strike."
"Well, for homicidal maniacs, I must say it's pretty considerate of them to wait for me to finish my journey before destroying the world."
"Yeah, they all tend to do that. At any rate, it means we only have a few weeks left. Indigo Dreams has already passed through here and will be heading back that way soon, which means they are pretty close to getting into the league."
"Did you see them?" Alaska asked Janine, who nodded sourly.
"I can't refuse battles so I faced all three a few days before you got here. The girl, Cleo or whatever, lost but the boys won. They were meant to come back for a rematch but never showed. We did some digging and found out they chartered a boat to Seafoam. We think they might have an eye out for Blaine, but if we can't find him, they sure as fuck can't."
"Blaine…" Alaska murmured. "He's the fire guy, right? Last original gym leader left?"
"Exactly."
"So, why wouldn't they be able to find him?"
Leaf and Janine exchanged looks for a moment, their faces equal parts exasperated and nervous, and Alaska's heart sank, expecting the worst.
"Because… no one exactly knows where he is," Leaf answered finally, laughing awkwardly. "That's what we needed to talk to you about: we need you to find him."
Alaska was stunned silent. This was definitely the last thing she had expected, and she had no idea how to respond. But… he's a gym leader… how the hell do they not know where he is?
"How do the hell do you not know where a gym leader is?" Alaska said finally, unable to think of any other response. "I know Cinnabar got destroyed and that would've included his gym, but… did he just not tell anyone where his new one was?"
"Pretty much," Janine said, shrugging. "Didn't you read about this when planning your journey?"
Alaska laughed, partly out of frustration. "Wow, you really must have gained some confidence in me to think I actually planned anything here."
"I know it sounds bad, Alaska, but there's no getting around it," Leaf said, stepping in before Janine could reply. She placed a tablet on the table and pressed a button: a holographic map of Kanto appeared that promptly zoomed in on two islands. "Blaine was one of Giovanni's main targets and they went after him hard. He's a tough man, but one person can only take so much. Losing his gym and home in the eruption was one thing, but then… well, things got worse, and after the fight, he simply left. We all respected and understood his choice so we didn't bother with him for a while, but once the League got underway again and we hadn't heard from him, we got worried.
"People tried to find him, but he has a Delphox nearly as old as him, and the thing about Psychic types is the older they get, the more powerful their brains become. He is hidden from anyone he doesn't want to find him, and for whatever reason, he doesn't want to talk to any of us."
"We know, though, that he is based somewhere in the Seafoam Islands," Janine said, and Leaf tapped at a large island south-west of Fuchsia. It didn't look particularly special, but images of ice-covered caves surrounded by giant lakes appeared alongside. Alaska knew enough about Kanto to know about Seafoam, and she had to wonder how a Fire trainer could hide somewhere so wet.
"If trainers bother coming down here, most of the time they head to Seafoam to train and catch Pokémon. We starting hearing rumours back in 2011 that people had seen Blaine, but it wasn't until someone showed up with the Volcano Badge at last year's Championships that we knew for certain. We focused our efforts there, but again, no luck."
"We have no idea how hard it is to find him," Leaf added. "We know of just four people who have beaten him in the last two years, but we think that he is wiping the minds of anyone who loses. The few that have defeated him can remember the battle but not where they encountered him: they just wake up on the beach outside with the badge and no memory of how they got there."
None of this was sounding particularly appealing to Alaska. Blaine sounded unhinged and unstable, and not in the good way like she was. Hunting through frozen caves with the possibility she might just have her memory wiped at the end of it was not how she wanted to spend the next few weeks.
"Why is it so important we find him now?"
"The other day you asked why we hadn't attacked yet," Leaf began. "The main reason is we have to form a plan and build up an army. The problem with fighting a war on two fronts is that if we go after one, the other might strike when our backs are turned. In this case, we know where Buzz is and could theoretically go after him, but since we have no idea what Gideon is planning, he could use the opportunity to unleash his plan.
"Currently, our strategy is to attack both fronts at once. We lead one team against Silph Co. to neutralise the robots, we send one team to defend the Indigo League, and we have the legendaries and you in the air ready to move wherever is necessary. We have the backing of the other gym leaders from here and Johto, but having Blaine and his particular strengths are a must if we want to guarantee an easy victory."
You still could have done more to help me, Alaska thought, but she smiled and nodded silently. "So when would you want me to go?"
Leaf didn't meet her eye and she replied. "Um, well, does straight away work for you?"
"What?" Alaska waited a moment, wondering if she had misheard, her blood rate rising with each passing second. "Don't I need to, you know, train more?"
"Do you want to train more?"
"Not really, but I thought –"
"While it will be good if you can defend yourself, we don't have time to make you a perfect fighter. However, we can use your personality. I imagine if anyone was able to coax Blaine out of his hidey hole, it would be you."
"Why me?"
Leaf shrugged in response, angering Alaska further. "Blaine is, and I believe this is the technical term, a crazy old man whose lights started going out long ago. He is obsessively secretive and hides everything behind riddles and jokes, and, quite frankly, if we weren't desperate I would be content to let him be."
"But because he acts so oddly, it's easy to forget he is one of the most intelligent people in the world, or that he is a formidable trainer that could have been Champion if he had wanted the job. He can take down extremely strong teams with just one Pokémon, and Red was the first person to defeat him in three years when he won their match. He loves to be challenged, and you are, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, the single most challenging, difficult and unhelpful person in all of Kanto," Janine finished, smiling widely. "You two would get on like a pile of shit on fire."
Alaska dramatically sobbed and clutched her chest. "And here I was thinking we'd never be friends." Leaf and Janine both laughed, and Alaska managed a smile despite her desire to bang both their heads together and walk out of here forever. She may not hate them as much anymore, but it was clear they didn't trust her much either, and it was difficult to look past their secrecy.
"So… are you on board?" Alaska paused, staring bitterly at Leaf, for a moment tempted to speak her mind. She looked at the maps and the photos, imagining how long it would take to scour the whole island, if Blaine would even want to talk to her. You can say no if you want to, and you know you want to, but that option isn't really on the table, is it?
"Um, I guess so?"
"Great! I'll make the arrangements." Leaf beamed as she turned off the tablet, the room suddenly dark with the holographs. She rushed towards the office, moving so quickly Alaska knew she had known all along how their chat would end: asking her had just been a courtesy. She thought she would be left with Janine, but she turned and the gym leader had already disappeared, leaving Alaska alone with her thoughts.
So this is what I'm throwing away my family for: hunting down old men and convincing them to join a fight I want no part in. I'm really living the dream, aren't I?
Sighing, Alaska slumped into a chair. This was not how she had expected giving up her freedom to go. All those weeks of fighting, making so many sacrifices, having to be the bigger person, and she was already being carted off again. It was easy to feel like she was being kept out of the way, roped in to the company line and then shunted off before she saw too much of what went on behind the scenes.
The whole situation was absurd and frustrating. She was supposed to trust them, and she wanted to, but every day she seemed to find a new reason not to. They had painted Blaine as an absolute nutter, but Alaska wondered if he was the only sane one of the bunch: hiding out in a frozen cave, completely disguising himself, refusing to go anywhere near the chaos that engulfed the region.
Maybe when I find him I can convince him to hide me. If Red and Leaf can't find him, I highly doubt Buzz or Gideon could.
"You ready for more training?" Alaska looked up, surprised to find Janine standing there with two swords in hand.
"I didn't realise I had misbehaved that badly."
Janine didn't smile. "Cute joke. Come on, we don't have much time and I'd sleep easier if you could use a weapon that wasn't baked by your brother."
Alaska grunted as she forced herself up. "If I'm supposed to get good at this, why send me after Blaine?"
Janine groaned and lowered the swords. "Have you got your tits in a twist about this? We are running out of time, and if you want us to have a chance of ending this war on our terms, we need Blaine. And really, if you had just fallen into line earlier, we would have had plenty of time for all of this."
"Oh, so is it my fault now?" Alaska laughed. "You know what; you can stick your training. My Pokémon and I have gotten on pretty well by ourselves, no weapons necessary, and I am sure we can manage without your ancient ninja skills."
"Oh really?" Janine raised an eyebrow, thin lips spreading into a smile. "You seriously think all your Pokémon are up to this?" Her eyes flickered towards the window, and Alaska knew exactly who she was referring to.
Outside, Darwin sat alone in the courtyard. It was small, the sort of place that was meant to be relaxing but the moss covered paving stones and tepid water fountain made it feel sparse and unloved. The Primeape had gone there every day since he had decided training wasn't for him. They had started the week putting him against Leaf's Beedrill and Janine's Dodrio, but he been reluctant, eventually gave up midway through fighting Butterfree. Every time Alaska let him out now, he simply walked right outside.
His wounds were healing rapidly thanks to the Pokémon Centre, and his fur had even begun to grow back, masking any obvious signs of what he had been through. Yet he had shown little emotion since the gym battle and ignored Alaska whenever she spoke to him, always gazing off into the distance.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have used him as an insult." Janine joined her by the window, staring at Darwin's scarred back. "Do they know what's wrong with him?"
"Not a clue. The nurse said they normally bring a Psychic type in, but when I suggested it to Darwin he ignored me." Alaska shrugged, too tired for any other response. "It feels mean to do it without his permission."
"I hear you."
"Plus, I'm his trainer; I should know what's wrong with him. I don't know if it's guilt or trauma or if he just doesn't want to fight or be around me. And what's worse is that I don't have time to think about him, not with training, my other Pokémon, Sandy and her team, and I've still got badges to win and the world to save. I feel awful constantly, and whenever I look at Darwin, I want to help him but it's like looking at the embodiment of every bad decision I have ever made."
Alaska wasn't sure where that had come from or why she had said this to Janine, but she felt relieved. After having to lie to her mother, finally letting something off her chest was liberating, even if it only made her more aware of her guilt.
"If you think you are alone in feeling that way, you don't know anything about humanity. Guilt is everywhere; no one walks through life without regretting or feeling bad about something. Pain surrounds each of us, and the only way you can live is by learning to deal with it and move on. And believe me when I say Pokémon manage much better than we do. Just watch."
Great thudding footsteps sounded through the window, and Alaska looked up as something large and green sidled into view. The burns on Venusaur's face stood out more than the flower on his back, his two withered eyes shining like beacons amongst the scar tissue. Venusaur looked briefly at them both, and Janine titled her head towards Darwin, edging the Seed Pokémon on.
"Are all of his Pokémon here?" Alaska whispered before she could stop herself. She didn't dare say his name out loud, but glancing at Janine, it was clear she didn't have to.
"Venusaur's the only one," she replied quietly. "The others felt more comfortable going with Red, but Venusaur… we never really knew what he was thinking, but I think he did it for me… to keep a piece of Bl – of him around me."
Janine sniffed and Alaska looked away, letting her grieve in peace. She instead stared at the two Pokémon, watching silently as Venusaur began grunting at Darwin.
"This is going to be hard. What we're doing may not seem ideal by any normal standards, but nothing we do is normal. We gave up our lives to this cause whether we wanted to or not, and we are all just trying to do the best we can. Red broods, Leaf overcompensates, and I murder things. You'll find a way to survive, but I suggest you find it soon before Gideon or Buzz use your own pain against you."
If she had shed a tear at all, Janine didn't let it show. When she turned to Alaska, she was as steely and composed as always, her face saying it loud and clear that this conversation was over. Again, Alaska simply nodded back. She looked at Darwin and Venusaur one last time and walked away, saving that problem for another time.
"Thanks for letting me use your computer."
"Anytime. I know what it's like when a family falls apart, I know what a distraction it can be, how badly it can mess someone up."
"You? Messed up? Don't say that, I'm sure plenty of people solve their problems by stabbing everything they see."
It only lasted a moment, but Alaska took a certain pleasure in seeing Janine smile. It passed the second they walked back into the gym, the Poison trainer turning and throwing her the sword. "Let's pick up where we were yesterday."
As their blades met, Alaska struggling to even hold onto hers, she couldn't help but grin. She was living one of her childhood dreams at the moment, sword fighting with ninjas in the midst of a real life battle. Things may not be ideal, but focusing only on the problems was not going to end the war. They were finally in the end game of this prolonged nightmare, and if Alaska could just make it through the next few weeks, find some way to handle everything, she had the whole rest of her life to make it up to everyone she had let down. For now, there was nothing to do but roll with the punches. Sword or no sword, it might just be the only way for her to survive.
