Chapter Twelve - An Act of Humility
"You're kidding me, right? I spent the entirety of the day searching Castelia's sewage tunnels for Team Plasma by myself, and you've just been lounging out here in the rain?" Hugh was glowering as he threw his hands in the air in aggravation and stomped across the dock. His Quilfish hair, ruined by the rain, stuck out in every direction and gave him a style similar to bed-head. "What kind of partnership strategy is that, Rosa? I thought we'd agreed to meet in the tunnels."
Rosa shrugged as she removed the pins holding her dripping brunette twists in place. Her hair was damp and smelled slightly musty from the day in the sewer system, and as the ruined buns came apart, the loose curls draped over her shoulders. Darkened clouds overhead sent streams that soaked her hair and clothes further, but the pitter-patter of droplets no longer boomed as they splashed into the ocean.
"We did." She replied, unrepentant. "But I searched every inch of that labyrinth for you, and couldn't find you anywhere. My Growlithe couldn't pick up your scent over the stench, and my Xtransceiver didn't have service. I finally had to give up."
She tilted her chin up and combed her icy fingers through her hair, refusing to apologize. It hadn't exactly been enjoyable scouring the underground channels for Hugh after her run-in with Plasma, and neither she nor her Pokémon had detected any sign of him. It was his own fault he hadn't been at the entrance – she had nothing to apologize for.
The folds of skin around Hugh's eyes scrunched, as if he were trying to find a reason to be angry. Rosa ignored the cold expression as she untangled the last of her hair, and finally her friend's exasperation gave way to grudging acceptance.
"Well, at least we both did alright on our own. But you're completely drenched, Rosa." Hugh unzipped his red-patterned jacket and yanked his arms from the sleeves before he thrust the fabric in her direction. Surprise warmed Rosa's cheeks and she blinked, but her brief hesitation taxed Hugh's patience enough that he huffed and flung the jacket into her chest.
"Just put it on. You're going to catch a cold."
Funny, Curtis had said the same thing. "It's still raining, you know. I'm not the only one vulnerable to getting sick."
He crossed his sun-tanned arms, and Rosa relented. The fabric felt warm under her fingers, and as she pulled off her own sopping jacket and threaded her arms into Hugh's, she was overwhelmed by the smell of leather-scented cologne mixed with sewage. An involuntary shutter rocked her system, but she hid her disgust by bunching her wet coat into a ball and stuffing it in her bag. She had no right to judge; it was unlikely she smelled any better.
Hugh flicked his head as a gesture for her to follow him back to the road, and she stumbled a bit in her hurry to comply. She was grateful for the warmth of his jacket, but what she really wanted was to return to the Pokémon center and shower.
"Anyway," Hugh droned as they walked, "I don't know if you had much success, but I managed to hunt down a few Plasma members and chase them off. They didn't have anything useful to tell me, of course, just more trubbish about Pokémon Liberation. I don't know why they even bother trying to pass that off as their motive when it's clearly crap. They stopped preaching the minute they realized they wouldn't be able to steal my Pokémon off me.
"Burgh showed up too, which I found odd, but he said he'd cleared out the rest of them. Maybe I should've checked around more to be sure, but as far as gym leaders go, he's pretty tough." His expression darkened. "But don't ever spend alone time with him unless you like being swarmed by bad bug jokes."
Rosa's eyebrows drew together. "Did you seriously just make a bug pun?"
Chagrin flushed his facial features, and Hugh pursed his lips into a tight line. "His stupid humor is contagious. Hit me next time, it'll pass. Did you learn anything helpful?"
She hesitated. Hugh didn't yet know about the break-in in Nuvema, and although his information had been part of the stack delivered into Plasma's hands, she was bound by her promise to Bianca not to say anything. Keeping such things from him was difficult, but she felt obligated to keep her word.
"Nope. Apparently they're superheroes who want to ruin the careers of wicked trainers and free the enslaved."
"How noble of them."
Rosa snorted. "Yeah, right. And nothing new about the guy we met at Floccesy?"
"A brief glimpse at his face and knowing he carries a Stoutland isn't much to go on."
His footsteps grew slower, and as she tilted her head up to look at him, Hugh jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and came to a stop. They were nearly to the Pokémon Center now. The wharf that stretched along the coastline was basically empty, despite the lighter rainfall, and for the first time since arriving in Castelia, Rosa felt at ease.
As she read Hugh's hesitant expression, her lips pulled into a small smile. "You're leaving Castelia now, right?"
He nodded. "There's no reason for me to stick around, since I've already got my badge. My Pokémon are sick of this place, and I want to keep moving."
Continue his manhunt was more like it, but Rosa didn't call him out on it. "You can have your jacket back, then. I know you're heading towards the desert, but it gets chilly at night."
She shrugged out of the now damp coat and held it out to him. He almost appeared reluctant to accept it, but then he snatched the fabric from her hands and threw it over his arm.
"You're going to be staying another night, right?" Hugh asked. "Do you have anywhere to stay? I know you were probably too empty-headed to book a room."
Her face grew hot, and she prickled. "I'm fine, Hugh."
His eyes rolled, and he swung his pack around his hip so he could dig through one of the pockets. "So that's a no, then. I rented my room for three nights, so you can have my room key. I'll just call the center and have it transferred into your name so you can sleep decently before your match tomorrow. You're welcome."
Was someone else really paying for her silly mistake for the second night in a row? How mortifying. "There's no need for that Hugh, I'm fine-"
"Just swallow your pride and accept, Rosa." Hugh found the plastic keycard he'd been looking for and held it out for her to take. "I'm not using it either way, so if you don't take it, it'll go to some other loser. I'll even make you pay for it if it'll make you feel better."
Rosa looked away as she thought about rejecting, but the nip of the icy rain on her exposed skin made her think better of it. She was chilled to the bone and smelled like a sewer; she really wanted a place to stay.
"Thanks." She muttered, swiping the card from his hand.
"What was that?"
"Thank you, Hugh."
"Once again, for fun."
"Just leave."
A devilish smile touched his lips. "Take care of yourself, Rosa."
"Leavanny, razor leaf!"
"Counter with razor shell, Zaveid!"
The grasshopper Pokémon flung its head back, and from the surrounding forest of vegetation boarding the gym's arena, a tornado of leaves amassed. They churned and twisted in an invisible breeze, gaining momentum as they hurled end-over-end like ninja stars in Zaveid's direction.
Rosa knew she had the disadvantage in this battle. Sven's fire type attacks would have been a wise matchup against Leavanny, but he'd already taken out Burgh's other two Pokémon, and she'd wanted the chance to stretch her Dewott's limits. Zaveid had grown indolent in their time sailing and wandering, and she'd about had it with his egocentric, short-tempered attitude.
At her command, her otter Pokémon dropped into an aggressive stance and ripped the pair of seashells from his hips. The glowing power within the shells awakened upon being drawn, and as the stored energy shaped into rapiers, Zaveid snarled and wielded them into a defensive X.
The cloud of sharpened leaves descended upon him, humming menacingly as her starter whirled into action. He thrust his shells in front of him and spun, shifting his padded feet through the soft earth in a manner that resembled a complex dance. Leaves touched by his blades stopped their pursuit and drifted harmlessly to the ground, but the rest tore through Zavied's aqua pelt like knives and left ribbons of red flowing down his fur. Rosa could see his muscles strain as he growled in pain, but her Pokémon continued his movements until the last few leaves dusted the floor.
Rosa swept back loose strands of hair from her face and demanded, "Follow it up with tackle!"
Zaveid flung his shells back into their sheaths and fell down onto all fours. His paws sunk into the loose earth covering the arena, but he pushed through the slippery landscape and hurled himself at Leavanny like a freight train. The grasshopper seemed unbothered, and rather than dodge out of the way, it extended its great leaf-covered arms and waited.
Too late Rosa realized what Burgh was planning. At the same time she cried out for Zaveid to change course, a harsh cacophony of sound erupted from the bug's mouth. Its red eyes blazed, and neon green orbs of light erupted from its leaves and propelled themselves at the otter. Their close proximity left her Pokémon no time to escape, and Zaveid wailed as dozens of bulbs from struggle bug bombarded his head and chest.
He slid on his back across the dusty ground, out of the marked field and into the shaded trees, and Leavanny descended. Leaves ripped down from the vegetation, and there was little Rosa could do but gape in horror as her Dewott's pelt was shredded to streamers. He squirmed and writhed, and more red flowed from the cuts on his body. Knowing the assault was super effective only made it worse.
Across the arena, Rosa could see Burgh smirking. His watermelon-colored scarf flapped elegantly in the breeze, and he seemed completely at ease despite only having one Pokémon left. He was probably satisfied watching her Dewott squirm – if he couldn't defeat her team, taking down one Pokémon would do.
"Not going to happen, Burgh." Rosa hissed. If there was one thing she knew about her narcissistic otter, it was that he would do anything to preserve his pride. You're my little hot-shot, aren't you Zaveid? She'd wanted him humbled – but perhaps his nature would save him.
"Really, Zaveid?" She called in a cool, apathetic voice. She placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight slightly so she replicated the stance her mother would use when Rosa had done something annoying. It was a posture she knew well. "You're going to lose to that thing? Are you kidding me?"
He stopped wriggling and opened one of his coal-colored eyes to blink at her. His nose twitched, making his whiskers flutter, and she knew she had his attention. "I knew we were behind on training, but this is ridiculous. You've grown weak."
Across the field, Burgh fingered his cotton hair and said, "It is cruel to bug your Pokémon in such a manner, is it not? You are his trainer."
"He's slothful and lazy, and now it's costing him." She clipped. Rosa could see the muscles in her Pokémon's arms tense as he listened, but she ignored the aggravated sneer Zaveid directed her way as she pulled his Pokéball off her belt. "Never mind, just return. Sven will take care of this."
A snarl rumbled his chest, and as Rosa expanded his Pokeball and extended it in front of her, Zaveid's upper body puffed. Through the flurry of spinning leaves, his eyes located Leavanny, and he let loose a powerful gush of water that blasted the grasshopper in the face.
The momentary distraction rendered the blade-like leaves useless, and Rosa had to work her hide her pleasure as Zaveid took the opportunity to struggle to his feet. Patterns of bruises decorated his face, and he swayed a bit when his weight fell back onto his legs, but the aura of ferocity he radiated made her want to cheer.
"Forget it, Zaveid. Return."
Zavied twisted his head to face her and curled back the rims of his mouth to reveal a row of sharp teeth. His ticked off expression tugged at the corners of Rosa's lips, but she pursed them and retaliated by raising a questioning brow.
Chattering heatedly, the otter turned on his heels and had his shells in his hands before Burgh or Rosa could utter a word. He advanced on Leavanny like a housewife with a fly swatter, swinging his arms wildly to slash and hack at the bug's delicate skin. Blood and sweat flung off his pelt as he moved, but the adrenaline seemed to curb the pain he'd previously felt. Leavanny squealed fearfully and tried to scurry out of harm's way, but Zaveid stalked after it as if it were prey.
Burgh balked. "Bug buzz, Leavanny!"
"Throw it back."
Leavanny's eyes shone red as power consumed it, but this time, Zaveid was ready. He pressed his left foot into the dust behind him to steady his weight, and as orbs of light gathered around the bug and hurled themselves in his direction, the otter smacked them back like baseballs.
There was no time for the grasshopper to dodge. Rosa threw an arm over her eyes as a small explosion whipped dust and bits of leaves through her hair, and by the time it had cleared and she was able to look up, the male referee was waving a red flag in Burgh's direction.
"Leavanny is unable to battle," He declared boldly. "Victory goes to Rosa and her Dewott!"
The grin Rosa had been fighting stretched across her face, and a relieved giggle escaped her. It actually worked. Despite his injuries and a clear disadvantage, her otter had won.
What a prideful little punk.
Zaveid stood in the middle of the field, still standing over the unconscious Leavanny. His chest heaved as his lungs pulled air in and out, and his legs trembled so badly, Rosa feared he might fall over.
She broke into a jog and reached out to sweep him up into her arms. His larger form made hugging him to her chest more difficult than it had been when he was an Oshawott, but thankfully he didn't squirm. Instead, he rested his fuzzy head against her collarbone and grumbled wearily.
"You've got spark, you know that, punk?"
Zaveid chuckled, but it sounded more like a wheeze. Cuddling him close, Rosa crossed the field to accept her gym badge.
The euphoria of winning and knowing she could leave Castelia kept her attention away from the smiling figure watching from the uppermost bleachers.
A/N Hey guys! I'm sorry about not updating last weekend - things have been crazy! But it was a holiday, so whether you celebrated or not, I hope you all had a piece of chocolate or something to celebrate how wonderful you are. Well, Castelia City is behind us, so hopefully you're all ready to follow Rosa into the desert. I don't know if any of you are fans of hot temperatures, but I've packed some extra water just in case. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, and have an awesome week everyone!