Shawn let out a whistle, aptly communicating his and Diana's thoughts. Granmerge was a city like no other in Jiman. A majority of the city was warehouses and a giant airfield for delivery and storage of imported goods. Ironic, seeing as the Gym uses Ground types, he thought. There were, according to his map, over eight different Pokemon centers at key points throughout the city, and each was in the middle of a shopping center with imported products, sorted by region. The northernmost one had items from Johto, the one farthest to the south contained goods imported from Unova, and the ones between covered all of the other civilized regions. Shawn was convinced if he named a product and said where it was from, a resident of Granmerge could most likely tell him what store to find it in. The residential areas were composed nearly entirely of mansions bought by former entrepreneurs or league employees who just wanted to live out the rest of their days in a house bigger than the Gym in the city. Shawn knew that was irrelevant to the city's success. They gained most of their income through charging that little bit extra for imported goods from everywhere, even goods you could easily find in Jiman like standard revives and Pokeballs, making the city an amazing tourist attraction, even though most experienced trainers shopped extra in Glazeburn. Tourists, however, could even head to Glazeburn using the teleporter Pokemon the league usually offers to citizens that aren't trainers (for a price, of course) and spend a day relaxing on the beaches before getting back to the airport with time to spare for your flight, so there was really no downside to the situation.
Anthony looked at the cargo plane landing in the city with disdain. He never could wrap his head around how people enjoyed being in cities like these. He grew up appreciating nature more than people before meeting his friends, and even then, he still sometimes appreciated nature more. In addition, trainers were forbidden to have any Pokemon larger than an average six year old child alongside them in the streets. "I'm gonna head to the Pokemon Center. The closest one is in the Kalos shopping center, right?"
Shawn nodded. "I'm going to the Sinnoh shopping center to grab a jacket. I'd imagine that since Northern Sinnoh is the coldest inhabited area in any of these regions of the world, they've got the best. After I'm done, I'll meet back up with you. Diana, are you coming?"
After she nodded in agreement and they said some short goodbyes (since they'd be seeing each other soon), Anthony sped towards the Pokemon Center. I don't want to deal with anyone right now. I just want to get my room and release my team. I need to train if I'm gonna be ready for my Gym battle.
As he rounded the second-to-last corner before the Pokemon Center, his fears were realized when someone suddenly collided with him. As he shook off the impact, he found himself being overwhelmed by apologies. "I'm so sorry," the man, seemingly about 40-50 years old, said. "Are you alright? I was in such a hurry to find Violet, and I wasn't looking where I was going. I always get into these situations when she does this. If I can help…"
Anthony shook his head as he stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm fine, but thank you. You sound like you could use some help, though. Are you looking for someone?"
The man sighed in acknowledgement. "Yes. Violet is an Eevee. My partner Pokemon gave us her egg before dying in combat a few years ago." Anthony felt a pang of guilt that he'd asked. Every word he spoke seemed to pain the man further. "I've done my best to raise Violet in her memory, but Violet has so much energy that it's hard to keep her under control. In my retirement, I find that I lack the ability to give her an outlet for all her energy, so if she gets too excited and runs off, it takes me all day to catch up. Before I forget to do so, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lucius."
Anthony hummed in thought for a moment before responding. "Do you know of any common spots where she goes? I can help you look for her. And my name's Anthony, by the way."
Lucius nodded. "She likes to go to the Johto antiques shop. I've been running around in circles near the area for about an hour with no sign of her, however."
Anthony once again hummed in thought. "Okay, then. You stay at the antiques shop and wait for her to show up. I'll have a look around the area."
Lucius eagerly nodded. "Thank you very much. I'll find a way to repay this kindness."
x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x
Shawn let out a sigh of both exhaustion and exasperation. I just had to try every store from Sinnoh first. Then all of the ones from Johto and Unova. Everywhere else is a long shot, but Alola is probably the best chance I have remaining. I can't take walking around this city much longer after how we rushed getting here. My legs feel like they're about to give out. He came to a stop at the front door of the clothing shop, aptly named "Mount Lanakila Weather Fabrics" and took a moment to catch his breath before going in. "Okay, eighteenth time's the charm. Let's hope they have my size, like how every other store had Diana's." His entry was cut off by a series of explosions about four blocks over, which he immediately realized came from the Johto shopping area. I know someone else heard that, but I'd better go check it out. Legs, don't fail me now.
x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x
Diana stared with disdain at the red leaves piling along the path. She'd decided to head back onto the path after getting her coat and dropping off Spinarak at the Pokemon Center. I'm still not used to having so much energy. I mean, I don't even want to be out here. I've never liked seeing all the dead trees in the fall. I just feel compelled to be doing something.
My power comes from emotion, Diana. You have a lot of emotion, and therefore you gain more power than someone with less emotion would from our bond. Your emotional reaction last night, combined with the sleep you got, gave you all this energy.Justin also gains a large amount of energy from his bond with Azelf, but I believe he actually gets less than I provide you. Whether that means his will isn't that strong, or it means he chooses not to take full advantage of his connection to Azelf, I'm not sure, though I'd wager it's the latter.
Justin would absolutely form a bond with a Legend and then decide that he wants to do things himself. He's not stupid, but he can be very stubborn sometimes. I'm gonna get going. Shawn and Anthony are probably at the Pokemon Center and waiting for me already.
Very well.
Diana exited the conversation and opened her eyes to several pairs staring into her. She jumped back and reached for her belt before realizing what she was looking at. Several eggs, never quite whole but each cracked in their own various ways, and each with a face looking upon her in awe. Exeggcute. Why are they all staring at me like that? It took her a few moments before she realized it. Of course. Exeggcute are all telepathically linked. They must have sensed my connection to Mesprit because of how powerful she is. "Hello there. Can I help you?"
She felt a shock as all six Exeggcute bodies tried to telepathically contact her at once. "One at a time, please!" I can handle Mesprit. She may be way more intense to talk to, but I can focus on only one voice there. There's too many of them at once. The Exeggcute all looked at each other and nodded as one stepped forward. It appeared to have the least cracks in its shell. She focused as a raspy, yet gentlemanlike voice spoke. Hello, young maiden. I am one of the six you see before you. We sensed your connection to the Feeling Ruler. How is it that you became linked with one so revered?
I have connections, she responded. The egg did its best impression of a nod before continuing. We acknowledge these… connections. To think the Rulers of Feeling and Courage would entrust their energies to mere children.
If you want to understand why I was chosen by Mesprit, maybe you could come with me on my journey. Psychic Pokemon are not easy for most trainers to get along with, so I don't want to pass up the opportunity to befriend a Psychic that I've already had a full conversation with.
The Exeggcute spoke amongst themselves, both physically and mentally. After a short time, the one who assumed leadership for their conversation turned back to Diana and nodded. Diana smiled as she held a Pokeball up and the leader tapped his head, placing all six inside. The ball shook for a moment before confirming the catch. She released the Exeggcute again and took out her Pokedex.
Exeggcute, the Egg Pokemon. Male. "Exeggcute" refers to the six eggs as one Pokemon, rather than each individual egg. Some eggs are created when heads fall and regrow from the bodies of Exeggutor. This Exeggcute knows the moves Barrage, Absorb, Hypnosis, Uproar, Reflect, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Confusion, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, and Sleep Powder. Its ability is Chlorophyll. This Pokemon conducts photosynthesis at an accelerated rate. While under larger amounts of sunlight, it gains an increase in its physical capabilities, most notably speed.
Before Diana could comment on the Exeggcute's abilities, she heard an explosion in the distance. What was that? I'd better go check it out. She recalled Exeggcute and ran towards the noise.
x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x
Anthony darted down the alleyway. He'd just finished his third lap around the area Lucius informed him was the most likely to contain Violet when he heard the barking. He looked at the source and was immediately angered.
"Team Hurricane? What are you - never mind. I don't even know why I'm surprised." The two members turned to face him, though it seemed difficult to do through their ridiculous suits. "Hey, you're one of those kids from Glazeburn! What do you want with us now?" Before Anthony replied, he looked past them and saw what they were up to. An Eevee, who he could only assume was Violet, was locked in battle with a Woobat and Houndour, and had barely managed to hold on.
"Let her go, you bastards!" He yelled as he released Turtwig. The two grunts turned to face him. "Leave the Eevee alone for now," the one on the left said, "We can clean them up later. For now, let's teach this brat a lesson for his past transgressions. Houndour, use Flamethrower!" Houndour almost immediately loosed a wave of flame at Turtwig. It was fast, but Anthony thought faster. "Withdraw!" Turtwig immediately retracted its head and limbs inside its shell as the flames made contact, withstanding it with ease.
The other grunt moved next. "Gust it into the wall!" The Woobat motioned with its wings and whipped up a small tornado which easily lifted the still-withdrawn Turtwig and slammed it into the side of the building on the right. Turtwig cried out but remained inside, only letting one of his limbs protrude from the shell.
Unfortunately, this was an easily exploitable weakness. "Houndour, Bite his tail! Throw him into the ground!" Houndour moved immediately, fangs covered in darkness, and sank his teeth into Turtwig before tossing him into the air. Turtwig, now fully out of his shell, took the impact with the ground directly.
"Turtwig!" Turtwig grit his teeth as he got to his feet, ready to keep fighting. "Earth Power!" He called out. Turtwig was surrounded in a beige aura as he turned his foot, opening up several small holes in the ground below Houndour. After it had fallen, Turtwig repositioned his foot again and repaired the holes, with Houndour now stuck inside the ground, only its snout and the top of its head visible. "Next up, use Absorb on Woobat!" Turtwig extended two vines from within its shell and grabbed Woobat's wings before he began extracting its energy.
The grunt on the left recalled Houndour, then immediately released him above ground. "A trick like that's not gonna work, kid. I'm not too keen on following the League regulations. Flamethrower!" Turtwig called out in pain as the vines he'd created were burnt away. "Now, Fire Spin!"
Turtwig screamed as a tornado of fire was created from the embers of the Flamethrower around him, desperately struggling to hold on. Anthony reached for his belt in panic and prepared to release Chinchou, but before he could press the button, he was blinded by a brilliant flash of light.
The Fire Spin was immediately overpowered by the explosion of energy, being completely wiped out. Anthony watched in amazement as Turtwig's shell rapidly multiplied in size. While his feet became stouter and spread themselves evenly along the shell, Turtwig's head integrated itself into the shell, widening and rounding itself out. Almost as noticeable as the shell expansion, the small plant originally located on top of his head split apart into two small bushes located on either side of the shell.
As the light faded, Anthony's happiness was eclipsed only by his confidence. Turtwig - no, Grotle, he reminded himself, could easily take them now.
The grunts, however, were not as happy. "Woobat, use Heart Stamp!" Grotle steeled himself, confident in his new defenses, as Woobat focused its already drained power into the heart on its snout and prepared to release the blast…
Until a blob of otherworldly energy collided with its back, knocking it out immediately as it lay there unconscious, still undergoing tremors from the Shadow Ball's collision with Psychic power. The grunt turned to see Violet triumphantly barking in his face, and scowled as he recalled Woobat, then released another Pokemon. Two faces stared down Violet, though Anthony could barely identify the facial features on the stalks. They appeared interconnected with the slab of stone both protruded from, each wearing a different expression but being equally prepared for battle.
The Binacle stared down Eevee as Anthony made his move. "Seed Bomb!" Grotle let out a low roar as four large seeds suddenly protruded from the bushes on his shell, and he rapidly turned to throw two at Houndour and two at Binacle. Anthony covered his ears, but to no avail, as the explosion was easily large enough to be heard a good ten blocks away. If this had been a Gym Battle, the explosion would have been muffled by Psychic barriers. As the smoke cleared, Houndour and Binacle were revealed to both be unconscious, and the surrounding buildings suffered minor damage. Both grunts grit their teeth and ran away after quickly recalling their respective Pokemon.
They're not worth it. I've got to tell Lucius I found Violet. Speaking of which… he thought as he recalled Grotle and approached the tensed up Eevee. "Hey there! Are you Violet? Lucius asked me to help find you." Violet perked up at the mention of Lucius and let go of its previous precautions, jumping into Anthony's arms and allowing her fur to be pet.
"That was absolutely splendid battling, Anthony. Well done." Anthony turned to see Lucius applauding his performance. "Your passion reminds me of myself at my age. And you!" He said, happily addressing Violet, "When did you learn how to create Shadow Balls? That was incredible!"
Anthony smiled as he attempted to hand Violet to Lucius. He responded reached his hand out and unclenched it in Anthony's to reveal a Pokeball. "I saw almost the entire battle. And though it was brief, I saw the look of pride and determination show itself on Violet's face. Firing that Shadow Ball was the most thrilling experience of her life. She wants to battle and grow alongside a partner… and that is an experience I cannot provide her. I want you to take Violet with you on your journey, and show her all of the wonderful things that you can in this world."
Anthony's eyes widened further and further as he spoke. "Lucius, I could never do that to you. I mean, you said it yourself, Violet is the last connection you have to your old partner." Lucius shook his head. "My connection to my partner can never be severed. Watching your battle, seeing Turtwig evolve at that climactic moment out of a desire to hang on and defend his trainer, has reminded me of that fact. Just make sure you come back to visit every so often, okay?" He addressed his final statement to Violet, who nodded once she caught on to what was happening.
Anthony nearly forgot to breathe. "Lucius, I… Thank you. I won't let you regret this." He put Violet down and pulled out his Pokedex.
Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon. Female. Eevee's genetic code is highly unstable. As such, it evolves under a wide variety of circumstances, and its facial features can begin to resemble individuals it has a large amount of contact with. This Eevee knows the moves Covet, Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack, Baby-Doll Eyes, Tail Whip, Hyper Voice, and Shadow Ball. Its ability is Anticipation. This Pokemon was born with a superior survival instinct and ability to gauge the strength of other Pokemon. When exposed to an adversary of much greater strength, the overloading of this survival instinct may cause slight bouts of shivering.
Anthony recalled Violet into her Pokeball after Lucius used his old League ID to transfer ownership of her to him. He thought for a moment about the sacrifice Lucius had just made…
Before being knocked out of his thoughts by Shawn and Diana arriving at almost the exact same time. Shawn spoke first. "Anthony, what happened here? Are you okay?" Anthony nodded as he placed Violet's Pokeball onto his belt. "Yeah," he responded, "I just dealt with two chumps from Team Hurricane. It was incredible. Turtwig evolved during the battle!" After a few rounds of congratulations, Anthony thanked Lucius again, and the three returned to the Kalos District's Pokemon Center, sharing their stories along the way.
"So Turtwig evolved, Anthony got an Eevee, and I got an Exeggcute? That's incredible!" Anthony nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was a pretty wild day. Tomorrow we're probably challenging Kenneth, too. All of our teams should be in good condition for the battle." Shawn interrupted with a loud groan. "What's wrong?" Anthony asked. Shawn started laughing off his troubles as he came to the realization that he never got his coat.
x*x*x*x*x*x*x
"Are you sure about this? It's only a few more days, you know."
"I'm absolutely positive," Justin said. "I don't want my back to hold us up for another minute. Azelf couldn't heal it because he has too much power, but a normal Pokemon like Blissey should be able to do it without giving me a sensory overload-induced coma." Red nodded in understanding. "Okay then. Blissey, use Heal Pulse!" The caretaker Blissey Red summoned from the league created a pink circle of energy and fired it directly into Justin's wound.
Justin was woefully unprepared for the sheer amount of pain he felt. As new skin cells were created, muscle fibers reassembled themselves, and bone creaked back into place, Justin felt like he was being torn apart, rebuilt, then torn again a near infinite amount of times. Once he reached his breaking point, his eyes shone a deep blue as he leaned into Azelf's power fully for the first time, using it to temporarily control and disable his body's pain receptors until the procedure was complete. Impressive, Justin. I hadn't considered doing that.
I didn't think of it until the last moment either, but I had to do something, so I gave it a shot.
Rest easy now. Tomorrow you'll be at 100% and you'll be able to get off the ship.
Thanks, Azelf. Hopefully one of these days I'll be able to say the same for Blitz. Justin turned out his desk lamp as he lay in bed. He was going to figure things out with Blitz and fix his broken spirit. But for now, he needed to think of the short term.
Lavender Town awaited him.
x*x*x*x*x*x
And that's the end of this Chapter! I decided that instead of splitting the Chapter evenly between Justin and the others, I should give the others the spotlight for longer to flesh them all out just that little bit more. Next chapter there'll be some more lore, some battles against the 2nd Gym, and a rather interesting conversation between old friends.
JJ