Chapter 66: Lucas vs Flannery
After Lucas' victory in Verdanturf Town, he, Morgan and Skyler took the cable car up Mt. Chimney to challenge the Gym in Lavaridge. With the town just as famous for its hot springs as its Leader, the three Trainers enjoyed the treatments before Lucas prepared for his next badge. The Gym itself turned out to be a working spa, and Lucas battled his way through the various treatment rooms before coming face to face with the town's Leader, Flannery. Flannery turned out to be more like Lucas' kindred spirit than the manager of a luxury hot spring with her tattoos, skater fashion and almost as many facial piercings as her opponent. But even if Flannery seemed like someone who could be Lucas' new best friend, his purpose did not change. He had to face and defeat her advanced team to win his badge and get closer to facing Hoenn's Elite Four.
The opponents smiled at each other, both ready to enjoy an epic battle between two highly skilled and like minded young people. Lucas readied himself for a brutal fight even if he prepped his team with mostly water types, anxious to see what the Leader would throw at him. Flannery pulled the first ball from her belt and threw it to the field of battle while Skyler and Morgan watched and cheered on their friend, "Go Torkoal!"
"Go Blobby Bob!" Lucas summoned out the Wailmer he had been using to surf around Hoenn.
"Aw, come on Lucas! Water types? That's totes obvious," Flannery teased.
"Good Trainers gotta go with the advantage, even if it's cheap!" Lucas called back before shifting his focus to his Pokemon, "Blobby Bob, make this a short fight, Surf!"
"Protect, Torkoal! We're not going to make this a walk in the park for him," Flannery commanded.
The Wailmer flapped its flippers as the bubbling water from the arena's hot springs splashed up and forward towards its opponents. There were yells of complaint from the spectators who wished to relax as they watched from the springs rather than use the arena's bleachers. The turtle-like Pokemon pulled its head and limbs back into its shell and glowed slightly as the water washed harmlessly over it.
"That's only going to work for so long, homegirl! Blobby Bob, Surf again!"
"Torkoal, Body Slam!"
Once again the whale-like Pokemon caused the water from the Gym's arena to rush forward and hit its opponent, this time hitting the mark. The other Pokemon winced as steam rose from its body, but held on enough to survive the attack. Though slower, the fire type was like a living tank, and the Body Slam knocked the slightly larger creature into one of the pools. In spite of the type advantage, Blobby Bob was in equally bad shape as the Torkoal. Lucas knew if the Pokemon got in a lucky hit in the next round, his Wailmer would be done for. He realized Flannery wasn't kidding about power.
"Just once more! Surf!"
"Torkoal, Overheat!"
In spite of the raw power of the Torkoal's attack, Lucas found himself letting out a sigh of relief. Though the turtle managed to hit the whale first, the attack wasn't devastating, Blobby Bob just had enough strength left to finish the job.
"Huh?! Even with a type advantage Overheat should have nuked your Pokemon!" the experienced Leader still managed to be surprised.
"Thick Fat, baby. Type advantage and an ability to reduce the damage from fire attacks. Now it's time to hit back, this round isn't finished yet!" Lucas let out a whoop. The Wailmer shook off the last of the damage and took its turn. For a final time the water from the springs splashed forward and overwhelmed its opponent. This time the turtle's determination wasn't enough to save it, and with a defeated snort of smoke from its nostrils, the Torkoal keeled over.
With the round over, Blobby Bob's body began to shimmer. Lucas looked with excitement as his Pokemon started to evolve, but Morgan, Skyler and Flannery seemed to panic. It took a moment but the teen soon understood why they three didn't find his Pokemon's advancement to be an experience to celebrate. As Blobby Bob transformed into a Wailord, it grew and grew and grew until the massive Pokemon nearly filled the entire room, smothering almost everyone underneath it.
Blobby Bob let out a groan of discomfort while Morgan shrieked, "Call it back, Rooster Boy! Call it back!"
Lucas didn't need to be told twice as he recalled the Pokemon with a sigh of relief from the entire crowd. Flannery just laughed, "Well, this is turning into a memorable match, let's keep the momentum going! Go Magcargo!"
The young man considered the Magcargo carefully before selecting his next Pokemon. The evolved form of Slugma would be a lot tougher than its unevolved brethren and even with its rock type element, it still had one huge disadvantage, "Go Bernadette!"
"Heh, another water type. What, Lucas, no Gyrados in your lineup, or is that too obvious, even for you?" the Leader smirked.
"Actually I wouldn't insult Gyrados around Bernadette, Flannery. My Gyrados Franky is her mate, but don't worry, Franky won't be making an appearance in this match. I didn't want to make this battle too easy," Lucas commanded his Pokemon, "Bernadette, Water Pulse!"
"Magcargo, Hidden Power!"
The much faster Milotic repeated her performance from the earlier fight against the Gym's Junior Trainer and she whipped and slithered around the arena with unbelievable speed and grace. With little effort the blast of water careened into the giant snail. In spite of the double type advantage the creature's high defense made the attack do little damage. The Pokemon in response roared with a noise not expected of a snail and a blast of static electricity shuddered through the Gym. Even with her evasive nature, the Milotic could not escape the attack.
Lucas stood with his mouth wide open but knew he couldn't let himself get too shaken up. It was not unusual for Pokemon to learn attacks not of their own element, and Hidden Power was an especially wild card move since it varied not just from species to species, but also from individual Pokemon to Pokemon. At least this battle was keeping his reflexes sharp, "Bernadette, one more Water Pulse!"
"Hidden Power!"
The teen's gamble for the second round paid off. With Bernadette's second attack her Water Pulse managed to confuse her opponent and once again inflicted damage. It wasn't enough to beat the slug but it gave Lucas the chance to switch gears. Not wanting to risk her for a third round, the Trainer switched Pokemon, "Nicely done Bernie, now go Bruce!"
The Swampert arrived in the arena with a shaking thud and roared. Flannery glowered, realizing the Secret Power attack would do nothing against the part ground type, "Okay Magcargo, Flamethrower!"
"Bruce, Muddy Water!" Both Trainers knew how this match would end. Not only did the Magcargo injure itself, but both knew that while the giant snail's defense was insanely high, its speed was nonexistent. In the next round the Pokemon was done for. After a second Muddy Water attack the gastropod was toast.
Flannery was still friendly but her demeanor got decidedly more serious as she was down to her last Pokemon. She pulled her final Pokeball and summoned the creature to the field, "Bring it on home, Camelrupt!"
Lucas became as serious as his opponent. Like any other Gym match the final Pokemon would not be an easy fight. Camelrupt were strong, tough creatures that were ground type in addition to being fire Pokemon. Blasting it with water attack after water attack would only go so far, and both Trainers knew that. The teen recalled his Swampert, knowing very well there was a real possibility he would need the equally rugged Pokemon later on and hoped that the next Pokemon he chose would be enough to end the match with most of his team still in good shape, "Go Tentacruel!"
Tentacruel was probably not the obvious choice for this match, but to Lucas it made more than enough sense. It knew enough water attacks to damage the opponent, and status altering abilities to keep the Camelrupt from just being able to piledrive the jellyfish. Though poison types were at a disadvantage to ground types, Lucas had a wild card move of his own he imagined Flannery would not expect. As anticipated, the Leader started off with a brutal Earthquake move that shook the whole building while Lucas responded with Supersonic. The move failed to confuse the burly camel so Lucas switched tactics and sealed the match for himself. While another Earthquake move almost cost him the giant jellyfish, his response saved him.
"Tentacruel! Use Gigadrain!"
Flannery's own jaw dropped from the surprise attack. Lucas' experience with mismatched type and attack moves came not only from observation, but from active practice. The teen wasn't afraid to mix and match TM moves, the tactic that made Gizmo such a trump card in most fights. Though Tentracruel were strong on their own, Lucas figured a little extra advantage never hurt anyone. Not only had his own Pokemon pulled itself back from defeat and healed itself, it did serious damage to its humped opponent. Flannery fought back as much as she could with another Hidden Power move with its own grass type elemental, but it wasn't enough. Soon the Leader's final Pokemon was defeated, and victory belonged to Lucas.
"Nice job Lucas!" Skyler screamed from the bleachers before running down to greet his friend. Lucas could only laugh nervously while Morgan shook her head.
In all the excitement Lucas' yukata had opened slightly, and the scar on his chest became slightly visible. Tentacruel seemed to notice the mark and put its tentacle harmlessly to his Trainer's chest and grunted, "Yeah, that's why I was never too fond of you and your kind. But I think after meeting and battling with you my opinion has changed somewhat,"
He recalled his victorious Pokemon and confronted his defeated opponent. Flannery was once again friendly and gregarious, giving the teen a high five before presenting him with his prizes, "That was a great match, and even though I lost, it wasn't like I can't walk away with my head held high. It is my pleasure to give you the Heat Badge and the TM for the move Overheat. Even at a disadvantage, the power from Overheat can devastate your opponent, though I didn't get so lucky this battle. I was also thinking, want to get some dinner later?"
Lucas was taken slightly aback by the unexpected proposition. He gave the woman a smile and shook his head, "You're really hot but I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn you down,"
Flannery shrugged a single shoulder and rubbed the back of her head, "I guess I am a little too old for you, aren't I? Worth a shot though, right? We obviously have a lot in common,"
"Nah, I'm cool with older babes, it's just, I kinda have someone else I have a thing for, and I don't want to waste it if it's got a chance,"
"Good luck then. If you ever change your mind, or you just want to use the spa, come back any time," Flannery shook Lucas' hand a final time and added, "And if I make it to Goldenrod I'm totally looking Z up because I have a shoulder tattoo of a Moltres I really want to get done and his style would be totally perfect for it,"
When Lucas said his final farewell to the Gym Leader he turned to Skyler. The other teen had an odd expression on his face he had never seen before, but couldn't figure out what it meant. He chose to ignore it as he met up with Morgan. The three Trainers went back through a set of doors behind Flanner's podium that lead back out the spa's lobby. There they were greeted by the elderly receptionist they met at the beginning of the day waiting with their clothes and things. They changed and gave back the yukatas before going back outside. After the heat of the Gym, the air outside felt frigid but at the same time refreshing. The teen Trainer was totally pumped after his recent victory, chattering about the highlights of the match while Gizmo weaved excitedly through his legs and Diablo barked and hopped. Morgan critiqued his performance, though in reality she was just as excited as her rival was. The dour girl lived and breathed Pokemon, and was the only thing she ever seemed to show any real enthusiasm for. Only Skyler seemed oddly subdued even though he contributed his own commentary on the match with the tattooed Leader.
It was decided with their business in Lavaridge completed they would head for Fallarbor Town the next morning, now shifting their goals from Lucas' badges to Skyler's quest to find Rayquazza. Legends stated that the falls where created when a meteor crashed into the mountain and tore it in half. The local peoples claimed the rock from the heavens had mystical properties and many dragon Pokemon made the falls their home. With their plans set, the three teens spent their final evening in town resting at the Pokemon Center and trading tales with some of the newcomers who intended to face Flannery themselves. More and more people recognized Lucas not only as the Sinnoh champ, but as the formidable Trainer quickly dominating the Hoenn League even against the Region Leaders' advanced team of Pokemon.
After a while the attention made Lucas uncomfortable again, so he and Skyler went off to talk privately, taking a break from talking about Pokemon and their Training. Morgan was still animatedly debating type advantages with some of the Trainers, and they left her to herself. In a not all that surprising turn of events, their discussion turned towards women and dating.
"I mean, I'm surprised but not surprised that Flannery just asked you out like that. You weren't kidding about women throwing themselves at you. And she's got to be in her late twenties. Don't get me wrong, she is absolutely stunning, and obviously they two of you would have gotten along really well, but still," Skyler laughed.
"Believe it or not that wouldn't have been the biggest age difference of someone I've dated. My first girlfriend was way older than me. She was nineteen when I was thirteen. Looking back on it it wouldn't have been something I would have done again, and it was probably a little creepy, but I meant what I said that I don't have anything against older babes," Lucas replied as he stroked Diablo's head. The Mightyena was being possessive again and refused to get off his Trainer's lap.
"I'm jealous, your life is more interesting than mine. But that Ashley girl must be pretty special if you'd turn down a willing woman just in hopes of a second change," Skyler sighed.
"Ashley?"
"That's who you were talking about, wasn't it? The girl you said you had a thing for? You told me about her when we first met. I know you told me that she turned you down when you asked her out in Hearthome, but you also said when we got to Lillycove you wanted to see her again. That's who I assumed you meant," It was true, Lucas did tell Skyler about Ashley, and he did want to see the Coordinator again. Ashley had been the first girl Lucas had approached first, his other partners having started the relationship. She had been all he could think about, in spite of her kindly but decidedly turning him down, and in friendship gave him the egg that hatched into his Lopunny Stella. But since meeting and becoming infatuated with Skyler, he had almost forgotten about her entirely, "Oh man, unless you meant Marcia. God I hope not,"
"Oh hell no. That hag is dead to me. I'd die before I'd date someone from Cosmic," Lucas spat.
"Then I wonder who your mystery babe is, I don't think I've met anyone else while we've been traveling that you seemed to like. You already said you and Morgan are just friends, and the way you argue you definitely seem more like bickering siblings than a couple,"
"I'll tell you some other time," Lucas said sheepishly. Even with this perfect opportunity, cowardice won over. He wished when it came to relationships he was half as skilled as he was a Trainer. Looking back almost all his relationships were train wrecks where he got tongue tied around his crushes, and always ended with badly hurt feelings and broken hearts. Almost every part of him except the most important wanted to leap on the question and answer: the mystery babe is you. Instead, he and Skyler went to their rooms, and Lucas stayed up most of the night, wondering what the Dragon Tamer's reaction would have been.
The trip north was unbelievably hot, an unpleasant combination of the naturally tropical area, warm winds from the arid desert, and the blazing heat from the active volcano. The closer they got to the Fallarbor Town, the more obscured their vision as fine, hot ash floated down from above in a soft mockery of snow. There were few buildings and even fewer Pokemon that made this area home. Only a few feisty fire types dared approach the three overheated Trainers, and in spite of his discomfort, Lucas still took the opportunity to increase his Pokedex.
As the three made their way onto the northern side of the volcano the heat slowly dissipated, though the ash did not, and seemed only to get thicker. The fine material got into their noises and mouths, leaving a bitter, acidic taste on their tongues and the strong reek of brimstone. As unpleasant as the environment got, they were surprised to see an actual increase in people and signs they were approaching a town. Some where tourists, non-Pokemon Trainers from other lands who photographed people with masks over their faces and gray jackets, dragging behind themselves large burlap sacks that seemed to gather the fine ash that had covered the ground and plants of the area.
"We're getting close," Skyler explained to his friends, "Meteor Falls is just on the other side of Fallarbor Town. We can rest there and spend all day at the Falls tomorrow. The falls and town itself won't be so ashy because the winds created from the waterfall's cold water push all this stuff back,"
"It'll be a relief to not breathe this stuff in for a change. Can't imagine it's too good for you. I almost feel like I've taken up smoking again without the benefit of the nicotine buzz," Lucas smacked lips as he tried to push the unpleasant taste off of his tongue, "Those people have the right idea to wear those dust masks, but what are they even doing here, anyway?"
"You've never heard of Fallarbor's glass works?" Morgan asked with more than a little note of surprise. Lucas shook his head and shrugged, "Clearly you didn't pay much attention in school. Fallarbor glass is world famous and one of the leading exports of Hoenn. They use the ash and melt it down to make some of the finest glass in existence. Between the quality of the ash from the volcano and ability to Train Pokemon to regulate their fire abilities within a degree or two, Fallarbor's glass is so high in quality it's used to not only make scientific instruments, you can use it for symphonic musical instruments as well,"
"Jesus, you sure know a lot about this stuff," Lucas said.
"So sue me, I have an interest in other stuff beyond dark types, I'll have you know. My mom collects little glass figures made in Fallarbor Town. While I'm here I'll definitely have to get her some,"
Lucas turned to Skyler, "I know you don't want to go to the falls until tomorrow, so do you mind if we check out the glass places today? I'm kind of curious to see how they do it now,"
"Of course, that actually sounds like a lot of fun," Skyler sent another one of those confusing smiles that made Lucas go weak at the knees. It was moments like these: the smiles, the laughs, the times Skyler would touch Lucas' arm or shoulder that the teen would wonder if there was more there than friendship, if he actually had a chance with the handsome Trainer. As usual, Lucas pushed down those feelings and simply smiled back.
Fallarbor Town was small and old but surprisingly lively in spite of the somber surroundings that came from the falling gray ash. While the sky remained overcast, the city itself didn't have the unpleasant ash falling everywhere, and across the town they could see many farms growing food in the rich, volcanic soil. Tourists, Trainers and glassblowers walked back and forth and the energy was contagious. In spite of the long trip the three Trainers had had, they found themselves eager to go back out and see the glass works almost immediately after leaving the Pokemon Center. With the trade and lifeblood of the town being glass, tours were common and thorough, and the Trainers joined the most recent one at one of the oldest workshops. Glassblowing was a generational trade, passed on from parents to their children, with the ability being as natural a learned task as walking or learning to eat with a fork and knife. The oldest shop still did things the old way, eschewing the more modern tools used in workshops more set up for telescope and laser lenses in favor of huge furnaces and ancient glassblowing tools. Unlike glass workshops in other parts of the world, like Morgan had described, Pokemon were as part of the process as the people.
The tour guide, a daughter in apprenticeship to her master father explained each step as her father, cousins and siblings went through the process. The ash was melted into glass in giant, super heated furnaces steadily blown upon by Torkoal and picked up in shapeless blobs by the glassblowers. With skill that bordered on magic the workers blow into metal tubes and with various tweezers and pliers blew and shaped the glass into various containers and sculptures. To adjust the malleability of the glass, specially trained Numel blew when and with the right intensity of their Trainers' commands. As the items came to the high standard of quality the workers held for themselves, they would put the cooling glass in a metal box with sleepy Slugma whose ambient body heat allowed the items to cool slowly enough that their structural integrity wasn't compromised by slight cracks or faults that would result from too rapid of a cool down. Foreigners gasped in awe at the partnership between the craftsmen and the Pokemon, and Lucas marveled with as much delight. Though being a native to the Pokemon Regions made these kind of relationships a normal daily thing to him, times like these renewed his sense of wonder in the creatures he loved so dearly.
He turned away from the process to admire the other items in the shop. As a point of pride the glassblowers would keep their finest wares for themselves, so that future generations would continue to strive for that level of perfection. Among the delicate flutes Morgan had told the Trainer about earlier, was a curious object in a most stunning color of shining blue, one that Lucas had seen only once before in his travels, in the house of a woman who he was infatuated with almost as badly as he was in Skyler. When the tour was over and the woman was ushering the tourists towards the shop where they could purchase the marvelous wares they had just seen being produced, Lucas kept the guide behind to ask a question, "Excuse me, but why does this object have such a different color than the rest?"
"Ah, you must have glassblower blood in you to be struck by such a sight," the young woman smiled pridefully, "That is Azure glass. The rarest and most difficult kind of glass to blow. It was always difficult to get the exact right mix of minerals and heat to achieve, and the ability how is all but lost to members of my clan specifically. The single goal of my life is to one day make an object out of Azure glass,"
He couldn't figure out why, but something about learning this fact seemed important. He thanked the guide for her time and met his two friends outside. The three returned to the Pokemon Center to rest so that the next day they could go to Meteor Falls.