Chapter 61: New Year, New Beginning
Lace Clarke, a tall, beautiful, slender blonde who gave off an aura of class and sophistication, was the oddball of Skitrex's Elite Four, even if she felt that the term was gauche. Unlike the rest of the members and the champion himself, she was not born in Skitrex, but London, England, and unlike her colleagues, she had never won the Diamond Beach tournament. A child prodigy, she challenged her country's Elite Four at age 15. That league only allowed three years for her to issue her challenge, unlike Skitrex's five, so she challenged at the age of 18 in an attempt to become her region's youngest champion in history. When she was unsuccessful, she continued competing in the global circuit, and during that point in time, she spent a few years training in Skitrex, competing against gyms and other top-tier events. She had stated before that her time in Skitrex was only temporary as a means of practice, but she did compete in Diamond Beach, taking second in 2005. Though she lost at that event, she had turned enough heads and was granted the opportunity to challenge the league a few months later (another failed attempt, although she made it past three members.)
Shortly after her challenge, Oliver Aldman, one of the Elite Four members at the time, stepped down from his position and the Skitrexian League Council offered Clarke the position, following her global circuit success, as well as her success in Skitrex as a whole. The decision was hotly contested by numerous top-tier Skitrexian trainers who were enraged that a foreigner who had never won Diamond Beach or even held a league role in any capacity was being offered such an opportunity before they were. Before officially accepting the position, Clarke politely offered all of her detractors the opportunity to battle her, stating that if any of them could beat her, she would decline the position. Ten challengers stepped up, including the trainer who had defeated her at Diamond Beach, and all ten of them were defeated. In an unexpected twist, she ended up calling the region she was "just practicing in" her new home.
Clarke did not specialize in an element or specific strategy. Rather, she raised pokémon that she found to be elegant or beautiful. That definitely fit her image as the classy sophisticate she carried herself as. She defeated Daryl Jones in their first match together, though not as soundly as Franklin had. In their second battle, Jones won by a narrow margin. In their final match, it came down to one pokémon each: Lace's Sylveon, one of her strongest, and Jones's Electrode.
If Boss the Slaking was the boss of Daryl Jones's team, then Turmoil the Electrode was definitely the right-hand man (or right-hand something or another, as the Voltorb-line was a sexless, genderless species.) The upside-down pokeball pokémon with the shit-eating grin was far more wild in its approach than its teammates, battling with breakneck speed and reckless yet brutal attacks. It also knew Explosion, making Turmoil one of Daryl's most game-changing pokémon. A critical Explosion would K.O. almost any pokémon, even if they were fresh in the fight. But there wouldn't be any Explosions in that final fight against Lace, since in a rare occurrence, Turmoil was going on last. Daryl needed to win the fight to advance, as draws were ruled in favor of the defending league trainer.
"Discharge!"
"Misty Terrain!"
Daryl wanted to get a hit in as early as possible, as well as possible paralysis, but the eeveelution gracefully dodged the shockwave while dispelling a pink mist from her body that filled the battlefield. The mist wasn't like a poisonous gas like that of a Smog. In fact, it smelled pleasant; like a mixture of meadow flowers and peaches. But it wasn't intended to poison or maim in any way. The pink mist gave the Sylveon cover, which she would need in a battle with a much faster foe. But it also spiked her immune system and restorative properties. So long as she was in the mist, the chances of her getting paralyzed were significantly lowered. And that was Turmoil's backup strategy when it couldn't explode. It would typically try to outspeed a slower enemy and cripple them even more with paralysis. No Explosion, no clear line of sight, and suddenly, no Thunder Wave strategies… But Daryl smirked. It wasn't the first time that somebody tried to blind Turmoil.
"Sonic Boom!"
A decently powerful blast move, but the Electrode wasn't going for a direct hit. Rather, the booms were utilized to clear out patches of the mist on the field. On the third Sonic Boom, the ball pokémon uncovered its target, but the Sylveon disappeared into the mist and the gaps filled themselves. She was still emitting the mist from her body. How long she could keep that up was anybody's guess, but Turmoil would have to fight blind.
"TROOOOO!" the Electrode screeched. It used Rollout into the mist, trying to get a lucky hit, but missed wildly. It followed up with a Swift and while the stars did home in on the Sylveon, they collided with a Light Screen. Turmoil shattered the screen with another Rollout, but by then, the Sylveon was long gone. It was then when Turmoil was struck by a Moonblast from the other side of the battlefield. Turmoil immediately rolled to where the beam came from, only to miss the Sylveon again. A second Moonblast was shot, but that time, the Electrode used Mirror Coat, reversing the beam and shooting it back at where the blast came from. Though from the lack of noise from the Sylveon, the attack missed.
"Not hitting. Need a new strat." He had one thing in mind, but it was a bizarre, risky strategy. However, with the battlefield covered in mist and without the option of exploding, the longer the battle lasted, the more it favored the Sylveon.
"Magnet Rise!"
Using magnetic forces within its body, Turmoil rose above the mist, eating another Moonblast, but it mattered not. Once he was about six feet above the top of the mist, Turmoil used Flash. Though Sylveon was out of sight, it could only be assumed she was blinded, considering that the next Moonblast flew past her stationary target. Big mistake. Had she not attacked, Turmoil wouldn't have known where she was.
"Charge Beam!"
That blast hit the target. Charge Beam wasn't one of Turmoil's strongest moves, but it served the purpose of boosting its electricity output. And as Turmoil "rolled" across the air, maintaining its Magnet Rise, it kept the beams coming. It wasn't even about hitting the target so much as it was about juicing itself up. Few beams hit the target, but the Moonblasts were no longer hitting. Or at least they weren't hitting as they should have been since between Charge Beams, the Electrode used Mirror Coat. None of the reflected shots hit the Sylveon, but they bought Turmoil time. After reflecting a fifth Moonblast, the Mirror Coat broke, shattering like a bombarded Protect. It wouldn't be able to reflect any more blasts, but it wouldn't need to.
"Let go and use Discharge!"
The Electrode knew that "let go" was code for releasing the Magnet Rise. As it fell to the floor, it let out a powerful Discharge, hitting the Sylveon head on. The problem with a move like Discharge was that it lacked focus. Unlike Thunderbolt or Thunder, Discharge was an energy blast that spread out three-hundred-sixty degrees, meaning that the power wasn't concentrated. A Charge Beam boosted Thunder would have KO'd the Sylveon, but Turmoil couldn't guarantee a hit like that in the mist. Instead, a boosted Discharge was enough to not only hit the Sylveon hard but dissipate all the mist. His charge boost had dropped after that, but that was fine. The Sylveon was stunned and the Electrode had an opening for a devious tactic.
"Eerie Impulse!"
A rare and bizarre move, but an effective one. The shift in the electromagnetic currents didn't directly harm the Sylveon, but her beam attacks would be weakened. That took away her biggest play and Turmoil was ready to take advantage.
"Rollout!"
"Baby-Doll Eyes! Draining Kiss!"
The Rollout's hit was weakened, but Lace appeared to know that she was screwed with her Sylveon's attack power on the fritz. The Draining Kiss was a last ditch effort to try and restore health, but the Sylveon placing her mouth against an electric-type was risky, especially when the Electrode stopped rolling on contact. Instead, it called down a Thunder upon itself, shocking the Sylveon into submission. Still, she just barely managed to endure the strike.
"Finish with a Swift spin cycle!"
More code, but it was apparent. Turmoil began rolling again in a wide circle around the weakened Sylveon, shooting Swifts out in front of it. Thanks to the auto-targeting nature of the move, the stars flew out, homing in on the weakened Sylveon as the Electrode kept rolling, making for decent damage output and a difficult for it to get hit. Finally, it rolled one final Rollout, slamming into the Sylveon and ending the battle.
"Sylveon is unable to battle! Electrode is the winner! Therefore, victory goes to challenger Daryl Jones, who will advance to challenge another member of the Skitrexian Elite Four!"
The crowd cheered as they always did, even if the final battle against Lace Clarke wasn't as close as the final battle versus Franklin. Still, Daryl breathed a long sigh of relief as his stiff shoulders finally loosened and fell. He knew he had that battle won, but seeing it happen gave him the relief he needed. Turmoil had joined him at his side, nudging into its trainer's hip. The challenger gave his Electrode a pat on the top of its shell (for lack of a better term) and nodded at Lace, who approached him.
"You definitely deserved the win," she admitted, her tone polite, even though her face was expressionless. She was beautiful, but she reminded Daryl of a porcelain doll. "You learned from your first battle with me and you adapted. It's simple, really, but adaptation is what makes for a good champion. I wish you luck in your next set."
"Thank you, Ms. Clarke," Daryl said, shaking her hand, thin compared to his. He already knew he would be challenging Hornsby next. In his mind, Hornsby would be the most dangerous member of the Elite Four, but having beaten Franklin and Clarke, he knew that Hornsby's skill was within reach. And if he could beat the earth-pokémon master, he could beat Kaiser. One step at a time…
Cody and Laurence didn't exchange gifts. Had Cody known he was coming home for the holidays, he may have gotten his friend something, but they had never been much for gift exchanges in the past. Instead, they went for a walk around the neighborhood that Christmas afternoon, which gave them a chance to talk one on one. Since getting home, there were always other friends around, so they couldn't really have any raw conversations without having to censor themselves.
As they walked and talked, Bastion walked by his trainer's side. The Wartortle had undergone a big change that morning, as despite their differences, Heather and Brooke went in together to purchase an Ice Beam TM for Cody. It was a TM he had been meaning to buy for Bastion ever since making extra money in the underground scene, but getting it as a gift was great too. He brought Bastion with him on that Christmas afternoon walk to expose him to the cold weather. It took time for a TM to fully take effect, but Cody read somewhere that being exposed to the cold would speed up the process of picking up ice-type moves… Or maybe he just imagined reading that. With the amount of time he spent studying, it all blurred together. But he was in no rush.
Meanwhile, Flex walked nearby, wearing a thick jacket in the midst of the cold weather. As usual, he was quiet, but there was that aura of pride he gave off in his silence. And by Laurence's side was his newest pokémon, Guillotine the Fraxure. Cody wasn't sure where Laurence obtained that Fraxure, as the Axew line was not native to Skitrex, but he could appreciate the young pokémon's potential. Haxorus incredibly underrated dragon-types, compared to Dragonite, Salamence, Garchomp, and Hydreigon, but they were definitely fierce and fiery in their own right. Cody had yet to battle Guillotine, but he was hoping to change that soon.
"Safari Zone ticket, huh?" Cody asked with a twinge of jealousy in his tone. "My parents weren't sure what to get me, so they got me a pokémart gift card." Not that a gift card wasn't a cool gift, but with all the underground money he was making, he was hoping for something unique. Still, he was appreciative, as it was a generous and useful gift. "I could have gone for a Safari Zone ticket. What do you think you'll catch?"
Laurence shrugged. "Haven't thought that far ahead yet. I'll have to do some research. Obviously, I'd want to catch something exotic, if possible. But according to the letter that came with the ticket, I'm only given ten safari balls and I'm only allowed to take three pokémon at most, assuming they're different species." That was how it worked: the Safari Zone was ultimately a sanctuary for rare, foreign species. One would pay to catch a few and the money went back into funding the program. Meanwhile, one could only capture and keep so many pokémon of differing species, due to the need to keep the artificial ecosystem relatively intact.
"That would have been great for me," Cody sighed longingly. "I currently have eight pokémon. Diamond Beach rules require that we have at least ten registered battlers, so catching three would definitely put me beyond the requirement." But then he'd have to train them. Though he didn't mind doing that, it did pose a new dilemma. While new pokémon would grow faster in experience and strength among higher-tier peers, they would still be behind and require a lot of catching up. Cortez, Reflet, and Ferrari had to go through that and the farther Cody went, the more training he'd have to do with the newbies. Could he really take on three new teammates simultaneously?
"Yeah… either way, it's not a huge loss for you," Laurence said, pondering out loud. "Safari Zones are a cool experience, but with the GTS up and running, they're kinda passé. Now that people can trade or purchase pokémon from anywhere on earth, it makes it much easier to get exotics from breeders and what not."
"Yeah, I guess." Cody sort of got what Laurence was getting at, but he somewhat disagreed, just because Safari Zones doubled as sanctuaries. Plus, they could always use the economic support.
"So, what did Brooke give you?" Laurence asked.
"I told you, she and Heather went in together to get me an Ice Beam TM. I got Heather-"
"That wasn't what I meant by what she gave you," Laurence interrupted, smirking. "I know you and Brooke were together last night without any supervision," he teased. "So, I gotta know-"
"No, you don't," Cody answered, shaking his head. He did kinda want to talk about it, but Laurence had a knack for getting into his business more than he liked. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a bit more private about that stuff than you."
"But something happened, didn't it?" Laurence asked, stopping in place and forcing the entire group to stop along with him. "I can see it in your eyes. You got that look of 'I got my dick wet' on your face."
"Do you even think about the shit that comes out of your mouth sometimes?" Cody asked, rolling his eyes. "I don't kiss and tell."
"Oh come on, I tell all about my sex life," Laurence practically whined.
"Not that I ever asked." Though Cody would admit that Laurence had interesting stories, he knew why his best friend did what he did. "You only do it to brag. Plus, you've been awfully quiet about this new girl of yours. Pretty suspicious for somebody like yourself." He had heard Laurence bring her up a few times, but he had yet to name names.
"Well… this one's different," Laurence replied, staring off into space. "I actually have a lot of reasons not to mess this one up, so-"
"It's somebody I know, isn't it?" Cody asked. He noticed Laurence's expression freeze and his friend stopped walking at that observation. "Otherwise, you would have told me by now, since it's somebody that you actually care about for once. And I don't know that many girls around here that I'm super close with, so-"
"It's Angie," Laurence blurted out, the words coming out of his mouth as if they were pressured against his lips. "Look, I wanted to pick my moment because I know you two dated, but-"
"I told you before, 8th grade doesn't count," Cody sighed. "I don't know, maybe if it was last year, I'd be a little jealous, but why would I be jealous now? I'm doing well as a trainer, I'm making more money than ever, and I'm dating the coolest girl in Skitrex. I think I'm good." He looked over to see Laurence in one of those rare moments where he looked uncomfortable. "I just want to know how it happened. Like, you've been gone for a while, so was this over text, or-"
"It's been building for a while," his friend admitted. "I wanted to travel alone, you know. I wanted to be free and to bond with my pokémon without any distractions, aside from the occasional one-night stand or fuck-buddy…" He grinned, staring off into space. "Well, more than occasional, but-"
"You're doing it again," Cody pointed out.
"Point is, it got pretty lonely sometimes. I could never rely on texting or calling you because whenever I had reception, you usually didn't, being out in the wilderness and all. So, I talked to Angela a lot. Even during when I was getting strange on the road, I felt things between us clicking. We didn't make it official until I got home a few weeks ago, but… she's really good for me, dude." Another rare moment for Laurence, showing some genuine vulnerability. "She's been my rock when things are difficult. But I never wanted to upset you. I know I should have said something earlier, but-"
"Maybe you should have, but you don't owe me anything," Cody interrupted. Even so, he was concerned. "But how are you gonna make things work when you're on the road? She's not just gonna drop out of school to follow you around."
"Yeah, I know. It's gonna be rough," his friend admitted, kneeling down to pat his Fraxure on the tusk. "She's going to fly out over spring break to wherever I am, but otherwise, long distance sucks."
"Just remember, while I'm not jealous, she's still my friend," Cody reminded the older boy, awkwardly laughing. "So if you do anything stupid, I'm kicking your ass."
"Yeah, that's fair," Laurence chuckled as he stood up again. "So, I showed you mine, so you show me yours: did you and Brooke do the nasty last night?"
Cody closed his eyes and groaned. While Brooke hadn't asked him to keep it a secret, saying something to somebody else so soon felt like a betrayal. That, and he didn't owe Laurence anything just because his friend had told him about Angie. That said, he the older bot would bug the hell out of him until he said something and he would keep talking as if he knew that Cody had done something, so he gave in. The sooner he said something, the sooner he'd shut up.
"Yes, I slept with her." And the moment he said it, he regretted it, as Laurence let out a loud shout.
"Dude! Congratulations, you're officially a man!" he cheered, giving Cody a quick, strong hug and a firm pat on the back. "I'm so fucking proud!"
Oh, Jesus. Was there a Celebi nearby that could take him back a few seconds in time so he could take back what he had said? "Just don't go around saying anything. I don't need that drama."
"Sure, whatever," Laurence promised, though he sounded incredibly insincere. Hopefully, that tone meant nothing. "So, how was it?"
"What, the sex?" He shrugged. "I mean… it was cool, but I don't think I was good or anything."
"Ah, don't sweat it, you'll figure it out," Laurence laughed, giving him another firm pat on the back. "And I gotta say, you're incredibly lucky. My first wasn't nearly as hot. Brooke's an easy ten. I mean, I normally go for fit girls, but Brooke really makes that thickness work for her. Great curves, great brea-"
"Okay, I'm this close to kicking you in the balls," Cody said, holding his thumb and index finger up in front of Laurence's face, the digits almost touching. His words didn't have any effect on Laurence's jovial expression and it was then that Cody noticed that Bastion was shivering. When the turtle eventually learned Ice Beam, he'd be able to tolerate the cold better, but he was still a reptile. Cody knelt next to his Wartortle and began rubbing his hands over the turtle's skin to help warm him up.
"So, you think Heather is gonna be cool with this?" Laurence asked.
"Well…" He didn't think about telling Heather about the sex, but she'd probably figure things out eventually. Standing up, he tried to answer. "I mean, she doesn't like Brooke, but-"
"That's not what I'm talking about," his friend interrupted. "I mean, did you ever stop to think why she doesn't like Brooke?"
"I mean, I have, but-"
"Dude, she likes you."
Cody blinked, standing up from his pokémon to face his friend. "What?"
"Heather likes you, dude," his friend repeated, smiling, but completely serious.
"No, you're full of shit," he replied, shaking his head. "She has a boyfriend. I mean, sure, she's protective, but that doesn't mean-"
"I swear, you're as blind as a Zubat sometimes," Laurence sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head with that condescending arrogance of his. "Jared has been off for months without her and we both know he kinda sucks. Nice, wholesome guy, but he sucks. And you and Heather had a brief interest in each other, right? You really think it's impossible that she's not having second thoughts?"
"About Jared? Sure. About me…" He didn't buy it. "Maybe she just doesn't like Brooke for other reasons. They don't really mesh... I don't know."
"Whatever, dude. Just letting you know before shit hits the fan on that one." Laurence looked out into the distance. Between the houses of the suburb they were walking through, there was a small park. As kids, they used to play there, but there was also a small battle plot. Weirdly enough, despite all the battling that Cody and Laurence had done all summer, they had never battled at that plot in particular. That was about to change. "You want to get a quick battle in?"
"Sure, but I only have two," Cody admitted. Just one short of the standard three versus three.
"No worries, so do I. Doesn't matter if it's three, two, six, or one, I'll still kick your ass," his friend taunted.
"Sure…" Cody said, letting a small smile slip on his expression. Anything to get his mind off the awkwardness. He already knew which two pokémon Laurence had, since his Fraxure and Machoke were the only ones he had by his side. Good as Flex was, Cody liked his chances. "$200 bet?"
"Wow, Mr. High Roller over here," Laurence cackled. "Winning underground battles has made you cocky. You're on." As they stood on opposite sides of the plot, Laurence nodded at his Fraxure, who entered the plot. "I don't need a blind pick. I know you don't have Dragon, Fairy, or Ice Types, so I got nothing to worry about."
What a smug Snivy. But he was right, so Cody chose to hide his hand and use the card he already revealed. "Bastion, you're up."
"Rup!" The Wartortle stepped forward, facing the dragon and taking his battle-stance. They were roughly the same height, but that was the only thing similar between them. The Fraxure was probably faster and would hit harder, but Bastion had the defensive edge. From the get-go, Cody knew he'd have to push the odds in his favor in any way he could, knowing Laurence would do the same.
Time to go… 3… 2… 1…
"Rain Dance!"
"Dragon Dance!"
Bastion shot a ball of energy into the clouds above as the Fraxure entered a state of focused meditation. When the Wartortle's energy hit the sky, a light drizzle began to fall, melting some of the snow it made contact with on the battlefield. And then the battle began.
"Aqua Jet!"
"Dual Chop!"
Bastion shot forward in his jet-propelled shell, but his speed was outpaced by the Fraxure who struck him into the ground with one of his tusks. The second chop hit Bastion's arm as he tried to escape. Withdrawing back into his shell, Bastion attempted to shoot a Water Gun from one of the holes in his shell, but he missed completely. Guillotine continued pounding on the top of the shell with tusk strikes, aiming for internal, concussive damage if he couldn't hit any of the fleshy parts. But Bastion had an easy way out of any binding situations. With a quick Rapid Spin, he knocked the Fraxure back and was back on his feet, striking a Bubblebeam. Not very effective against a dragon-type, but anything to try and slow him down.
"Aqua Ring!"
"Taunt!"
Before the Wartortle could activate his ring, the Fraxure roared in challenge, taking Bastion's mind off of the appropriate strategy. The turtle shot forward, getting the first hit in, but that was all he got. From there, he had to dodge most of the Dragon Claws and Dual Chops while parrying the others with Iron Tails. He just wasn't fast enough to cut through.
"Scary Face!"
"Come on Bastion, focus! Back off!"
The Wartortle sort of listened to him, but he didn't back off far enough, using Water Pulse instead of Aqua Ring. A Bubblebeam would have been better against a faster opponent, as the pulse moved too slow. The Fraxure cut the circles with his tusks, running forward, getting in Bastion's face, and letting out a ferocious roar. That stunned Bastion just long enough for Guillotine to hit him with a point-blank Dragon Rage. Bastion was sturdy enough to endure the hit, but he was an open target in his dazed state.
"Guillotine! Use Guillotine!"
"RAAAAOOOR!" the dragon screamed as it flew forward at lightning speed, ready to strike Bastion in the face with his sharpened tusk. The attack would have ended the match for sure, had Bastion not finally broken from the Taunt and used Protect, which shattered on impact, but bought him time. He knocked the Fraxure back with a Water Gun and finally, he set up the Aqua Ring.
The battle shifted into something else. Bastion spent more time dodging attacks and taking little hits in where he could. The Fraxure used Taunt again, but Bastion was more careful the second time around, picking his hits carefully. Aided by the rain and the Aqua Ring, the battle shifted out of Guillotine's favor and into Bastion's.
"I see what you're doing," Laurence acknowledged. "Have your pokémon battle a campy style, restore his health, and go into the next round healthy. Smart stuff, but I know how to counter it! Dragon Dance!"
Crap, he'd doubling. "Skull Bash!"
Bastion charged forth, but was knocked back with a Dragon Claw. Doubling up on the Dragon Dance made the Fraxure faster and stronger, more than making up for Bastion's defense, but there was a downside: because the Fraxure wasn't fully grown, using a second Dragon Dance created an unstable situation for him. A good few hits would bring him down, but Bastion would have to get those hits in first. No easy feat.
"Withdraw and hold tight!"
Bastion returned to his shell, absorbing more Dual Chops, but he escaped by shooting himself away with a water blast. The Fraxure tried to follow up with a Dragon Rage, but the flame collided with a Bubblebeam. The attacks met with a little explosion, which Guillotine tried to immediately follow with a Take Down, but Bastion shot himself at an angle with an Aqua Jet before shooting a Water Gun at the back of Fraxure's head. It didn't do much, but it was to stun his target. Before the dragon could react properly, the Wartortle launched a Bubblebeam, holding the dragon in place. Step by step, he moved forward, a stream of bubbles holding the target in place. Once he was close enough, he ended the Bubblebeam and struck with a Headbutt. A simple way to end the battle, but it worked. Plus things were looking up. The rain was still falling and the Aqua Ring was in effect. Laurence would have to command quickly.
"Return!" He called Guillotine back into his pokeball and looked over at Flex, nodding.
"Hruh," the Machoke grunted, throwing off his jacket and stepping into the battlefield. Standing at about as tall as Cody, the fighting-type towered over Bastion. But the turtle looked up, unafraid. He had beaten bigger.
"Knock him down! Aqua Jet!"
"Bulk Up!"
It was like something like something out of a comic book, seeing Bastion's shell bounce off of Flex's pectorals as the Machoke flexed. Bastion immediately tried a Water Gun, but even when boosted by the rain, he barely phased the bigger pokémon. Almost toying with Bastion, Flex kicked him away.
"Get around him! Aqua Jet to the back of the knees!"
"Ice Punch!"
Ice attacks did little against water-types, and Laurence knew that. But with the light drizzle that fell on the otherwise cold day, the Ice Punch's power was boosted. With foresight and precision, the Machoke struck Bastion mid-Aqua Jet with a single, frozen fist. Upon contact, the turtle froze within his shell, and it didn't help, being covered with excess water from the drizzle and the Aqua Ring that only offered Flex more water to freeze. Laurence and his pokémon had successfully turned the Wartortle's advantage against him. Without a moment of wasted movement, the Machoke landed a Cross Chop on the frozen turtle. Bastion cracked out of the ice after that, but he looked as though he didn't know where he was as he swayed. In a matter of seconds, the Machoke had undone all the healing that Bastion had accomplished with his stall tactics.
"Through the legs!"
Bastion caught the gist of that command, dashing between the Machoke's legs and dodging a Karate Chop before swinging around and smashing the back of Flex's knee with an Iron Tail. That brought the bigger pokémon down to the injured knee and Bastion took advantage, Headbutting him in the back of the neck before using Water Pulse, confusing the stunned Machoke.
"Douse him with Bubblebeam! Keep him slow!"
"Revenge!"
Sometimes, even when confused, a pokémon would pull through. And that was one of those time. Flex swung around and backhanded the turtle. Before Bastion could retaliate, the Machoke picked him up, stood up on his wobbly, injured leg, and performed a Vital Throw, slamming the turtle into the ground at full force. Bastion wasn't getting up from that.
"Good effort! Return!" Cody called out as Bastion returned to his ball. He looked at Flex, seeing that the Machoke had quickly shaken off the confusion and was working the kinks out of his injured knee. Some damage, but not as much as the trainer had hoped for. The drizzle that Bastion had set up was beginning to fade as well, but that was okay. His next fighter wouldn't need it.
"Flex has gotten so much stronger since we last battled," Laurence boasted pridefully. "He took Jared's Charizard to the limit. You really think you have a shot?"
"If history is a predictor of anything…" Laurence must not have noticed the great ball that Cody pulled from his belt and released his strongest onto the field. As Antonia entered with a wild screech, Laurence just smirked in response. Cody didn't know why; those few times he had beaten his friend, it was because he had cornered Flex with his Skarmory.
"That's it? You don't think we've trained for this? Come on, challenge me!" Meanwhile, Flex didn't look impressed either, despite his losses to the Skarmory.
"Really? Be on your guard, Antonia! Wing Attack!"
"Stand your ground!"
What are you trying? But he wasn't ready. Most pokémon couldn't handle Antonia's initial rush and Flex didn't have the speed to dodge it. But instead of bracing for impact or trying to counter it with a punch, the Machoke stopped the Skarmory mid-flight, holding her in the air by the front of her sharpened wings. Confused by the catch, Antonia tried to wrench free, but the Machoke's grip was too tight. The humanoid pokémon winced with pain as the razor wings cut into his palms. But that little bit of pain was worth it for Flex as he adeptly moved the bird into a Submission hold, stretching her and immobilizing her wings. It was like what he had done to Charizard: immobilize the flying foe, slowing down the battle, and squeezing the life out of his target. Try as she might, Antonia couldn't wriggle free and her screeches had no effect on the focused foe. She tried to peck at him, but it wasn't doing all that much.
"Keep up the pressure!" Laurence called out, and his pokémon nodded in return.
"Stop struggling! Conserve your energy!" Cody ordered his Skarmory. What to do, what to do? Screeching in Flex's ear and pecking at his arms wasn't working. Tough and crafty as she was, she wasn't as good at escaping holds as Bastion was. But Cody did have an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work, but staying the course would likely lead to defeat, given the Machoke's seemingly unlimited strength.
"Automize!"
Antonia shed some of her excess metal, giving her enough flexibility. Flex tried to tighten his hold, but before he could do it properly, Antonia twisted around and pecked him in the face. The muscular monster's grip loosened and the Skarmory freed herself. Instead of following up with an attack, Antonia was smart enough to buff herself with a Swords Dance to compensate for the armor loss when she automized.
"Keep him in one place! Spikes!"
"Dig!"
Laurence did have an answer for one of Antonia's tactics. The barefoot Machoke would struggle on a battlefield filled with shards, but Flex quickly dug underground to escape the metal spikes. Cody would have told Antonia to be on guard, but he didn't have time, as the Machoke burst from the earth, throwing a Dynamic Punch which Antonia blocked with a Steel Wing.
"Skreeeeee!"
"Raaaahhh!"
What followed was a barrage of strikes from both pokémon, Antonia using Fury Attack to counter Flex's Mach Punches. Even though the Machoke's fists were hitting harder, Antonia was hitting far more little strikes, so the damage output was about even.
"Keep up the pressure! Wing Attack!"
"Fire Punch!"
Crap, what?
Cody knew that Flex knew Ice Punch, but Fire Punch was a new addition, probably added to specifically counter Skarmory attacks. The Machoke threw a flame-engulfed fist and Antonia wasn't able to block the punch, which hit her right in the chest. She could tank fire moves easier than electric ones, but a shrill screech erupted from her beak as she was knocked into the ground. Before she could fly again, Flex leaped forward, ready to land another Fire Punch, which Antonia blocked with her armored wings. It offered better defense than taking the attack to the chest, but the Machoke was throwing multiple fire-fists, and that would add up. At the very least, he would cripple her wings, rendering her far more vulnerable.
He's got her locked again. Need a plan to get her out. But the answer was more apparent than he realized and Antonia figured out on her own how to handle the situation. Even though she was held in position, Antonia had more freedom of movement than she did in the submission hold and she retaliated with a perfect Counter, taking Flex off guard. The Machoke staggered backward and fell into a patch of spikes, letting out a guttural scream as the metal cut into his back.
"That's my girl! Good focus! Air Slash!"
Getting close to Flex was a bad idea, so throwing Air Slashes from a distance was preferable. Flex took several before getting back to his feet, Antonia let out one of her trademarked screeches, forcing Flex into a time-consuming cringe. Before he could react, Antonia flew in with a Brave Bird and there was little Flex could do to defend. He fell into the slush and Antonia stood tall, though definitely ragged from the battle. It was far closer of a fight than a Skarmory versus Machoke battle should have been.
"Good work!" Cody congratulated. Antonia had come to his side, nudging his shoulder for attention. He patted her armored neck and looked over to see Laurence come over, carrying Flex's jacket. He was still smiling, but Cody knew he wasn't happy with the outcome. Statistically speaking, the older teen was a better battler, so on those rare occasional Cody beat him, he was always a bit frustrated.
"Damn… I really thought we'd win that one," he admitted, digging out his wallet and scrounging up the $200. "I didn't tell you this, but I've been seeking out Skarmory trainers specifically for this match-up. I mean, I know I could beat Antonia with Volt or Blaise, but I'm all about versatility. Plus, I didn't bring them with me today, so-"
"Excuses," Cody interrupted his friend, grinning like a cocky bastard. "It was a good fight, but Antonia just beat Veronica Lee. No way is she losing to you. Isn't that right, love?"
"Skra," she grunted, playfully nudging him again.
"Wow, beat one former champion and you think you're king of the world," Laurence chuckled, handing the money to Cody. "You know, that was my Christmas money from grandma. She told me not to spend it all in one place, but here we are-"
"If it was that important, you should have tried harder," Cody taunted with a shrug and a smirk.
"Fuck you, too," Laurence shot back, punching Cody in the arm, still laughing. "No matter. Next time I fight you, I'm winning. A lucky two versus two fight proves nothing."
"Sounds like a plan." He'd definitely remember that. As long as he could beat his friend in battle, he knew he was on the right path.
Reflet was unsure how to do what she was about to do. But bizarre as it was, she felt as though she had no choice. Every night for the past few weeks (except Christmas Eve), her trainer had nightmares and she felt so helpless. She could wake him up, but by the time he showed symptoms of a nightmare, he was already neck deep. She didn't want to wake him up early either if she didn't know he was having a nightmare. He needed his sleep, after all. If only she could detect his nightmares early on and eat them as some ghost or psychic-types could. A skilled dream eater could devour a dream or nightmare without waking the dreamer. She'd have to be able to do just that, but Cody wouldn't get the TM for that move. He said it was pointless because she couldn't use Hypnosis and eating a Darkrai dream could be dangerous. He also didn't want her to worry. But she could no longer sit idly by.
She had to learn Dream Eater. And she was going to ask Jared's Haunter to teach her.
She didn't know the Haunter all that well. She vaguely remembered him when she was an Eevee, but the two had never interacted. He was a loner, only bonding with his trainer. Reflet hadn't even seen him since Jared came to Cody's house, but she could sense him skulking about in the attic where it was dark and cold. He could teach her the move, she figured. The Gastly line was known for eating dreams. So was the Drowzee line, but she knew better than to ask Randy Storm's Hypno. If she asked, he might tell Cody's father, who would probably react stronger than Jared.
Using her telekinesis, she opened the hole in the upstairs hallway ceiling and pulled the ladder down. Hopping up the rungs, she reached the attic, bracing herself in the chilliness that was the attic. It wasn't as cold as it was outside, but it was a different sort of chilliness; the type of unsettling cold that only a cold-hearted ghost-type could produce. A psychic-type such as herself didn't fair well in such cold.
[Haunter? Or whatever you go by? I've come to talk to you,] she called out telepathically. She knew that the ghost-type couldn't vocalize his thoughts, but if he let her read his thoughts, it wouldn't matter.
[She should close the hole. He does not like the light when darkness can be had.]
That voice… she could hear it in the telepathic channel she had opened. It didn't sound like the voice of a human or a psychic-type. It sounded very wrong, like a combination of an aluminum can being crushed mixed and the low croak of a Croagunk. But assuming that she was the "she" and "he" was the Haunter, Reflet complied, closing the hole in the floor of the attic and shutting out the light.
It was completely dark for a few seconds before the Haunter appeared before her, glowing dark purple, save his white eyes and crimson mouth. He was pretty much a giant head with two disembodied hands floating by his sides. And although he was grinning like a lunatic, he didn't sound all that happy to see her.
[A little Eevee comes to him. She is all grown up, yet she is so small. She fears him.]
[I'm not an Eevee anymore,] Reflet stated, but she was afraid. It wasn't just her natural inclination to fear ghost-types, but the fact that the Haunter himself was unsettling. She thought Cortez was creepy too, but at least he was more bark than bite. She knew next to nothing about the Haunter, except that he was not a prankster like the Lampent. No, he was just scary. [Do you have a name? I know your trainer never named you, but-]
[He has no name. She tries to make me familiar. She cannot.] The Haunter drifted closer to her, nearly inches away from her face. [She has come for something. She wishes to make a request. He is correct?]
[I know you can use Dream Eater. I need you to teach it to me.] The Espeon decided to get straight to the point.
[She lacks the capability to make one sleep against their will. There is no point in his teaching,] he said, shaking his head, but his smile unwavering.
[You're wrong. My trainer, Cody, is having nightmares nearly every night. I need to help him.]
[He is restless as she and he speak. He dreams of a demon, forgotten to time,] Haunter continued.
[Yes! That's it! That's why I need to learn Dream Eater!] she ecstatically exclaimed. [Wait, why can't you eat the dream? I can learn from watching you and-]
[He will not eat his dream,] the Haunter answered, shaking his disembodied head again. [He has a nightmare, which tastes of bitterness and is not filling. His nightmares are of dark origin. He will not risk himself for him.]
[He will not risk himself for- what?] Reflet had quickly grown weary of Haunter's speech pattern. She could only assume that because the Haunter was not used to speaking with others, his use of pronouns was due to lack of communication experience… either that, or he was just weird. Ghosts could talk to each other, so maybe it was the latter if he had talked with his fellows in the past. [Fine! Then teach me! I don't care if nightmares taste bad. I don't care if it hurts me! He's my trainer and I can't keep doing nothing!]
The Haunter let out an audible sigh, but even that didn't sound right. [She cares for him. She would eat his dreams, no matter how bitter. He can teach her, but she doesn't have enough time to learn within the time they have together. She will have to learn on her own when he has departed.]
[So… if I'm understanding you correctly, you can teach me the basics, but I'll have to practice on my own after you leave with your trainer so that I can get it right.] That was fair. And she wasn't without lack of test subjects to practice on. She'd just have to be careful not to hurt anybody.
[She is correct. She is smart to seek his help. Or is she foolish? He is flattered, nonetheless. He will teach her to eat dreams and in return, she...] For the first time in the conversation, the Haunter paused and looked up at the ceiling, pondering what he wished in return. [In return, she shall bring him a meal of the tastiest food in the kitchen below for the rest of the nights he is here. He would go himself, but he does not risk to draw attention to himself.]
[That's it?] she had to admit, she didn't expect the Haunter to want human food, but she supposed one couldn't live off of eating dreams alone. [Sure, I can do that!] At night, she'd have to watch out for the Hypno, but otherwise, it would be easy. [When do we start?]
[As soon as she brings him a meal worthy of his time.]
[Okay, simple enough. I'll be right back…] She turned around, but before leaving the attic, Reflet turned to face Haunter one last time. Even if the ghost had been amicable, she still had an innate fear around him. [Thank you. I really do appreciate this.]
[Not for long, she won't.]
[Right…] That wasn't promising. Was the Haunter saying that he was a grueling teacher or that the outcome of learning Dream Eater would be unfavorable? Regardless, sneaking into the kitchen and stealing food would probably be the easy part of her evening.
While he didn't care for holidays in general, Cody made an exception for New Year's Eve. It was just a good excuse to hang out with friends and that's what he would do… for the most part. The fact was that aside from his core group of friends back home, he didn't keep in touch with anybody, so any party he would have thrown would have been pretty sad. Thankfully (he supposed), Laurence was far more of a social butterfly, and he invited many of his friends from that one year he spent in high school. So, the party was lively, but Cody didn't know most of the teenagers in his house.
"So… I feel awkward. I don't know anybody here," Heather commented as she stood near Cody, who was leaning against the doorway to the living room.
The guests seemed cool enough, but Cody felt the same. He was really beginning to wish that Laurence had invited fewer people. Jared didn't fare much better, being even more of a wall-Sunflora, isolating himself as much as he could in the crowd. Of course, Brooke seemed to be right at home, seemingly able to talk to anybody at all, as she was doing with of Laurence's friends. Cody supposed he could try to hold an extended conversation with somebody, but he'd likely never talk with them again, so what was the point? Plus, he wondered if any of them were Brotherhood spies. Even in a trainerless city like Stone Rise, he knew there were some spies. Considering that he wasn't doing anything wrong, it likely wouldn't be problematic, but it served as a good excuse not to talk with anybody.
Midnight can't come soon enough. Nice as the holiday had been, he just wanted to get back on the road. He was itching to get to Knife Water and challenge for the next badge. Looking at the time on his phone, he saw that there was less than a half hour left until midnight. People would probably be around for a little longer after that, but it was within reach. When did I become so anti-social?
"Cody?"
"Hmm? Yeah, right. It's awkward," he replied to Heather. He looked over at the couch in the living room where most everybody else was hanging out. Naturally, Laurence was in the center of all of it, sitting on the couch as if he owned it and Angie sitting in his lap.
"You okay? You know… with that?" Heather asked, looking the same direction he was.
"Who them?" He assumed she was referring to his best friend and ex. "Yes… no… kind of?"
"It can be a little bit difficult seeing other people move on, even if you don't have feelings for them anymore, you know?"
Do I know? He looked back at Heather, squinting as if it would help him see some sort of truth. What she had just said reminded him of what Laurence had told him about her the other day. Did she have feelings for him or was it all just residual emotion combined with a dislike for Brooke? Or was the residual emotion the cause of her disliking Brooke? Or was Laurence just wrong about the whole thing?
"No, it's not that. If you talked to me last year about this, I would have agreed with you, but… we were better as friends and I was really immature when we were dating." On top of that, dating Brooke made him practically forget about his last relationship. "I'm more worried about Laurence hurting her in some way. She's probably a good influence on him, being that she's always been good in general. But Laurence was never the long-term relationship type. That girl he was dating last year… it was only about sex. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid." But with somebody as reckless as Laurence, that was almost a certainty. "Ugh, I don't want to think about it."
"Then don't. Don't make it your problem. We've got enough to worry about already," she reminded him.
"Yeah…" Wasn't that the truth.
"Speaking of worrying, I better check on Jared. Looks like he's about to have a panic attack," Heather chuckled half-heartedly.
"Sure… have fun." Wish I was.
He needed some space, but he didn't want to make a big deal about it. As Heather left his side to go awkwardly idle around Jared, he figured nobody would miss him if he disappeared. Ideally, he'd find an empty room and text Brooke to join him.
Maybe Dad's study. It was possible that at least one of his parents were there, but if they weren't, it would be the perfect place to escape from all the noise without being too far away from the party. Making sure nobody was looking, he slipped away down the hall, heading toward the study.
"Randy, we are NOT discussing this right now!"
"W-why the Hell not? New Year, new beginning! Perfect time to discuss this!"
Great, they're fighting again. He had heard his parents bickering off and on over the past week. They did their best to hide it, but whenever his parents fought, they weren't exactly subtle about it. Something about his father though… his voice sounded off. Maybe he was drinking? His dad didn't drink much, but when he did, he tended to get a bit louder.
"Randy, put that down and listen to me! We're not doing this while Cody's friends are here! We'll worry about it tomorrow."
"Worry about what?" Cody asked as he entered the room. His mother jumped slightly at his arrival, but his father looked over as if he had expected to find him. They were standing behind his father's desk, covered in papers, but his father was holding a few papers in his left hand.
"Oh… Cody," his mother began, her face paling. "It's… it's nothing. Go back to your friends and-"
"Most of them aren't even my friends. Why are you guys fighting again? And why are you drinking scotch straight from the bottle?" He noticed the bottle in his father's right hand before his dad tried to hide it out of view.
"We were discussing… something that we should be discussing at another time," his mother hissed, looking back at his father. "Now is not the time."
"Well, you're arguing right before the New Year. I've barely seen you two in the same room throughout this entire holiday and I hear you two fighting from different rooms in the house, even when you try to keep it down. So-"
"You know, Tiff… maybe we shouldn't put this off any longer," his father sighed, putting the bottle on his desk. "Maybe we should just tell him."
"Randy," his mother snarled, "we agreed on this: we were-"
"Tell me what?" Cody asked, taking a few steps forward and squinting suspiciously. His eyes drifted to the papers in his father's other hand, the one without the scotch. He couldn't make out most of the writing, but he could read what was on the top of the page: Divorce Agreement. His eyes returned to normal and he sighed. "Oh… that's what it is."
If it weren't for the party, there would have been an awkward silence as his father looked at his feet and his mother struggled to find the words to say. Cody decided to break the silence first.
"It's not surprising," he admitted, having predicted the divorce a year before, but still feeling the pit in his stomach expanding as he realized that it was actually happening. "You two have been fighting for years. It got worse after Derrick… then after I left. And now-"
"Cody," his mother interrupted, her eyes welling up with tears, "it's not your fault that-"
"I never said it was my fault," Cody cut her off before she could give him a cliche speech. He did feel as though it was his fault, just because of how much worse things got after he left, but he supposed it was only speeding up the inevitable. "Really, though, Dad? You decided to ask for a divorce tonight?"
"Son…" his father sighed, placing the papers next to the bottle as he couldn't look up and make eye contact with his son. "This… this is something that we mutually agreed upon about a month ago. We-"
"Wait, you guys decided this shit a month ago?" He felt like he had just taken a punch to the gut.
"Cody, langu-"
"No, you don't get to tell me that right now!" he shot back at his mother, silencing her immediately. "You guys waited a month to tell me this? What was all this about then? You know, when you asked that we come back for the holiday, I was hoping that maybe things had gotten better! I quickly found out they hadn't, but this whole time-"
"Cody, listen, we wanted to give you one last Christmas," his mother said, struggling to hold her tears back. "I'm sorry… We were going to wait until after the holidays to-"
"To what? Tell me that we aren't a happy family anymore after for a week of acting as if everything is okay? And it wasn't very good acting, by the way. Next time something big is happening, let me know before I get my hopes up."
"Son-"
"Just stop, both of you," he interrupted one last time. "I'll leave you two to finish arguing. When you're both calm and sober, come find me." He turned around and hurried out of the room, not waiting for his mother's tears or his father to try and stop him. He just needed to be alone. But in a house full of strangers, he needed to be with somebody who comforted him. But he didn't want to make a scene at the party. He just had to get out and he knew where to go.
Cody didn't have to travel far. Nobody was outside on the backyard porch. It was much warmer inside, so outside was the place to go. Cody brought a full bowl of cocktail shrimps with him. He needed something to eat and scarfing down shrimp made him feel better.
Thankfully, he wasn't alone. Antonia was the first to find him, as she had been sleeping up in the trees in the backyard when her trainer came outside. She seemed to know that something was wrong, lightly butting her head against his shoulder to offer comfort, but she also came for the shrimp. At first, she was happy to crunch on the discarded tails, but Cody would throw her a whole shrimp from time to time.
Heather was the second to find him. Anything to get herself away from the party, though she was immediately brought down by the news her friend offered. Still, she sat by him, offering what little comfort she could. Brooke was the third, sitting on his other side, clasping the hand that wasn't being used to eat shrimp. It felt so warm, but he still felt so cold.
"You know what's stupid?" he asked, ending one of the million long pauses he had gotten stuck in that night. "I knew this was coming… it still sucks, but I knew it was coming. But I bought them those expensive theater tickets because I thought that maybe it would fix things. That somehow, throwing nice things at them would make them forget their problems. I don't know what I was thinking…"
"The tickets were nice…" Brooke reassured, squeezing his hand. "But this wasn't something you could change. Sometimes, we can do everything right and things still end up sucking."
"I know," he agreed, shaking his head. "I know all too well." He lifted a shrimp up, staring at where its face would have been. "I'm just so sick of so much being out of my power. I'm a good trainer. I've managed to do so much, but there's so much I can't change…" And he wasn't just talking about his parents' marriage. He frowned further, throwing the shrimp to his Skarmory, who snapped it out of the air.
"Did they say anything else?" Heather asked, her soft voice only slightly louder than the muffled voices of the partygoers. "Like any details about what's going to change? If one of them will be moving, or-"
"I'm sure I'll find out soon… but I really just want to go; get away from here, you know?" He asked, rhetorically. "Being on the road, I feel like I'm so far away from this…"
"If you need to talk, I'm… we're here for you," Heather said, nodding toward Brooke as well. "Is there anything else we can do right now? Do you need more shrimp?"
"No, I think I've had about enough." Still, he chomped another one, throwing the tail to the waiting Antonia. "I can't stay here forever. Gotta get back to the party. Not like anybody noticed I'm gone, though." Wiping the hand he was eating with on his jeans. "You two… I'm glad I have you. In this crazy, chaotic world, it's nice to have somebody to lean on, you know?" But it wasn't just them, obviously. His pokémon as well. He threw one last shrimp to Antonia, not forgetting about her. "It's about to turn midnight…" He stood up, letting go of both of the girls' hands. "New year, new beginnings… let's open it right." But little did he know how unprepared he would be for what that year would be bringing him.
Brooke liked to think that she was good at giving advice, but she had no idea what to tell Cody in regards to divorce. Even throughout the ordeal that was her sister's insanity, her parents stayed strong and committed up until their deaths. No, the best she could do was be there for him. So, she followed her boyfriend and Heather back into the house but didn't quite make it in before being stopped by one of the partygoers, presumably one of Laurence's friends.
"Hey, Brooke, right?" the stranger asked.
"Yeah… have we talked earlier?" Brooke asked, giving the girl a look over. She was pretty with dark-brown, almost black hair and tan skin. Very racially ambiguous, but that was the last thing on Brooke's mind. Something was up. She could see it in the girl's eyes. "Look, I gotta go in and-"
"No, no, come with me. I only need a moment of your time." Not waiting for a response, she took Brooke by the wrist and pulled back onto the deck, almost forcefully, but not visibly so that it would look suspicious to anybody else.
Well, this is uncomfortable. Some girl she didn't know wanted to talk to her? Come to think of it, Brooke didn't even notice the girl being around for the entire party. Perhaps she missed seeing her, or maybe… maybe she was keeping a low profile? Normally, that would be a paranoid thing to assume, but… some random girl wanted to talk to alone for no apparent reason that she could think of and forced her outside to do just that. She could only think of one reason why.
"So, tell me," Brooke interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Did you crash this party or do you actually know Laurence or Cody?"
"Neither, actually," the strange girl said, still maintaining her cheery disposition. "My boyfriend used to play football with Laurence, and I was the plus one. Pretty convenient, really. With your phone going off the grid, we needed to pass along a message to you, and this was the best way to do it."
Looks like I was right. "Right… So, you're not going to try to take me in? There's no strike team or snatchers in the bushes, waiting to extract me by force?"
The girl laughed, a condescending pitch in her voice as if Brooke's question was the dumbest question she'd ever heard. "Please, there are too many witnesses, many of whom are good trainers. There's no sense in making such a fuss over a lowly deserter such as yourself."
"Then you're here to pass along a message?" Brooke asked, mimicking the girl's previous words.
"Whether you're a high-ranking disciple, a lowly footman, or an inactive watcher, nobody leaves the Brotherhood. "Her voice had turned grave midsentence. "Not without repercussions, at least. I was sent to give you one last chance to come in peacefully. You wouldn't lose your standing or your stipend, and it would be as if nothing ever happened. But if you don't come in, you lose all of that and eventually, the Brotherhood will bring you in regardless. From there… well, for somebody low-ranking, I can't imagine your punishment would be that bad… so long as you don't say anything too revealing about us."
Though she'd hate to admit it, Brooke did consider the offer, but only for a second. She had made her decision and she wasn't about to change her mind. And when she said nothing and only chose to glare at the girl, the stranger sighed, feigning disappointment.
"Tell me, MB83, is this boy really worth that much to you? Why did you even join the Brotherhood in the first place if not for the birth of a new era of peace? Isn't that more important."
"A new era of peace, shrouded in secrets, uncertainty, and seemingly meaningless bullshit," Brooke added on to what the girl said. "I still believe in the proposed end-goal of peace and rebuilding society, but I'm tired of doing it blindfolded." But in Brooke's attempt to sound confident, she must have given away her fear, as the stranger didn't buy what she was selling, shaking her head and smirking.
"You lack faith in what you cannot see," the girl replied, unshaken. "Just expect to be hearing from us again very soon. Until then, have a happy New Year for now, because it won't last." Without another word, the girl turned and returned to the house.
"Hey, sixty seconds!" somebody shouted from inside.
Brooke knew where she needed to be. Trying her damndest not think about what she had just heard, she returned inside herself and found Cody among the crowd of teenagers surrounding the flatscreen. When she arrived, she saw him smile back at her, his grin weak from hearing the bad news that night, but he looked happy to see her.
New year, new me. The Brotherhood always preached the metaphor of the phoenix rising from the ashes, so she would do the same without them.
10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1! Happy New Year!
At the stroke of midnight, Brooke kissed Cody. She had already made her resolution, but even she knew that she was living on borrowed time. It was a matter of whether or not she could rise from the ashes when her world burned down around her.
I don't do many author's notes anymore, but I do read all of the reviews and I respond to the ones that aren't anonymous. I will take a moment today to talk about Brooke, one of the story's most "beloved" characters.
Before I introduced her, I knew a lot of people wouldn't like Brooke for various reasons, whether it be because of narrative or meta reasons (or both.) For that reason, I do try to make chapters that have limited focus on her. Nevertheless, regardless of why one may not like her, her presence ultimately does/will serve a purpose. So far, her arc has remained on track and I plan on seeing it through. Whether you love or hate the character, I'm hoping the payoff will be worth it to the readers, similar to how the gym battle in Chapter 58 was a good payoff for some who didn't care for the build that led to it.
As always, I'm open to discussing the story and my decision making with those who message me or leave reviews with an account. My take on the story may help you understand why I make certain decisions… or not. And that's okay too.