[READ BOTH AUTHOR'S NOTES. IT IS IMPORTANT.]
*breaths in*
HAPPY BELATED FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
WOO! How's it hanging everyone, 087-B here, presenting you with the Season 4 premiere of Gravity Falls: Sinnoh Adventure!
First off, SORRY FOR THE SERIOUS HIATUS. I HATE myself for that.
Second, HAPPY BELATED 5TH ANNIVERSARY! HELL YEAH! THIS TOTALLY STILL COUNTS RIGHT?
I figured it was high time I finally start the fourth season of this story, especially cause I've just been itchin' to get back to it! And what better time than a day like NOT TODAY? What better day than NOT DECEMBER 14, 2018?
Sorry for my laziness…! I mean, this is my magnum opus, so it's best I don't ignore it and finish the story I set out to tell. And no, this isn't the last chapter (obviously), I'm just saying for the long run. But c'mon. OVER. FIVE. YEARS. WOO. Hopefully this season will be done before the SIX YEAR anniversary.
Third, in my absence I've played through USUM AND Let's Go. They're pretty fun games, and there's a few things from each I wouldn't mind somehow working into this story. However, that's still up for debate and likely won't happen for a long time, if at all. This story, as it is right now, doesn't need anything like Ultra Wormholes or exploding universes or ten copies of Giovanni.
Okay, I'm exaggerating. :P
So, here we are, present day… not! This is a flashback chapter! The first one! And it's a pretty monumental one. You'll see why when you begin reading! As for updates after this chapter, I'll try and make them semi-regular! No guarantees though… I still have my own life to worry about.
But I can promise you guys this story will be finished. I don't ever want to abandon my works, and I don't want to abandon this account. If I start a story, and I like writing that story, it's gonna be finished.
Now, with all that out of the way… happy end of the year, Happy New Year, Happy 2019, and on with the show!
-Chapter 36: A Blast From The Past!-
Okay, okay… breathe, Stan, breathe. You got this, you got this, you sooooo got this…
"Dude, c'mon, your turn is coming up."
…yeah, no, I don't got this…!
Stan breathed, arms shaking as he sat on the aluminum bench, staring through blurred eyesight straight at the floor. His breathing slowly began to quicken, and he wasn't sure if he could even feel any part of his body right now. It was as if his whole world was spinning; reality was kicking back in, but that just made everything feel even more unreal. It was terrifying, something he couldn't even make himself understand. He almost wanted to just fall over, just lay down and retreat into his head.
Everything that had happened… it was just too much for the ten-year-old.
"Hey, you okay?" The boy looked up, locking eyes with Kamado Rowan, his best friend and traveling companion. He crossed his arms and eyed Stan with worry. "You were finally getting all psyched again just yesterday, you were so excited to schedule the battle… it felt like things were just going back to normal. Are you able to keep going?"
Ha! 'Are you able to keep going', he asks! Like I ever could, after… after…
"Hey, look…" Kamado sat beside him. "It's gonna be alright, alright? You can just step out there and win this thing, and it'll feel great. I promise."
"...but that doesn't make it feel right." Stan muttered.
"Huh…?" Kamado blinked. "What do you… mean…?"
"Have you already forgotten?" Stan momentarily glared at his friend, before it softened into a neutral look of nervousness and unease. "I… we… Sp-Spear Pillar…"
Kamado sighed and looked down at the ground, silence falling over the two. There really wasn't much to be said about it at all. They didn't know what to make of it at the time and they still didn't know what to make of it now. It was just traumatic, and in the end, nothing could be done about it.
"...most people would kill to see a legendary Pokémon in their lifetime." Kamado said. "I mean, all things considered, they are incredibly rare- no, almost non-existent, really."
"...did we even see one?" Stan muttered, staring back at the ground. "I mean, with everything that happened, it felt like all we did was stand there and watch shit hit the fan…"
"Hey, don't cuss." Kamado muttered on impulse. "And, yeah… everything went wrong, but we did, for a moment, see Dialga. And Palkia. The two legendary beings that essentially rule Sinnoh!"
"Yeah, um… cool, I guess." Stan shrugged, unable to really pull himself from the horrible memories that followed witnessing the legendary Pokémon duo. "...what was the third one?"
His friend blinked, confused. He looked to Stan with a tilted head. "Third one…? There were only two, dude."
"Two? But, in the middle, during the…" Stan went silent, and simply shook his head. "No, no, no. I'm just… it happened so fast. I was dizzy and everything just… went crazy."
Kamado put an arm around his friend and smiled. "Hey, look, we're gonna figure something out. Everything will be okay, soon enough we're gonna find a way. Okay?"
Silence, silence that felt like it was going on for an eternity. After several minutes of the two sitting, thinking, not exchanging any more words, Stan finally stood, wiping his face, a couple tears dribbling down his cheeks being tossed away, as he pumped his fists and smiled in determination.
"Everything works itself out, they say. No matter how long it takes!" He chanted.
"That's more like it." The other boy stood, crossing his arms with a smile. "You ready for the battle?"
"Hell yeah! Let's get this damn show on the road!" Stan cheered, running out of the room into the large battlefield. "Time to get my eighth gym badge!"
Kamado simply shook his head with a sigh as he followed him out. "Don't cuss…"
Soon enough, the battlefield had lit up, revealing the earthy texture of the floor and the cavernous look the entire room had. The uneven floor was only smooth on the battleground, and the dim, cavern-style lights above provided a clear but faded light. The large row of seats on either side were encased in hardened amber. The Ground-Type gym was truly representative of its mascot typing. Kamado took a seat on the amber bleachers, waiting for his friend to finally step out to face the leader.
"This is it, first Stan and then me… we'll get the Sunnyshore Gym Badge and then we can move on to the Pokémon League!" Kamado reassured himself. "I'm sure he'll do fine, this will be a challenge, but I know he can do it…"
Then Stan did indeed step out of one end of the room, standing atop a slightly raised platform on the right side of the battlefield. He rolled up his sleeves and pumped his fists. "C'mon, leader, show yourself! Let's fight so I can get my badge!"
His words echoed, and after several silent moments, with no returned response, the two heard the sound of footsteps coming toward the room from the left end. Into the room stepped a tall, slim, young woman with blond hair. Her expression was a mixture of sternness and determination, as she looked at her opponent.
Stan felt somewhat intimidated, though he shook it off. "Are you Sunnyshore's Gym Leader?!"
"That's right." The woman nodded, little to no emotion in her voice, with an orderly tone. "I am indeed the Gym Leader, Bertha. And you are?"
"I-I'm Stan Pines, and I'm here to challenge you!" His words were loud but emotionally weak. He truly felt his confidence shatter and rebuild constantly within him.
Bertha cocked her head up slightly, as if to look down at him with authority. "This match might be quick then, I can tell you're barely able to stand up without the wind trying to knock you over."
Stan winced. He wanted to run now, why did he think he could do this?
"Very well, let's make this fast. As Sunnyshore City's Gym Leader, I, Bertha, accept your challenge!"
And the battle stumbled into place; Bertha was all too ready, and Stan wanted to run and hide.
The Gym Leader withdrew a Pokéball, turned the knob, and threw it out into the battlefield. It wavered in the air before it popped open quickly, flying back to Bertha as the light of data and life began to take the shape of the enclosed Pokémon. Stan grunted a bit as he watched an unfamiliar shape take place. A new Pokémon, he figured, but the shape was far more unnatural than he would expect from what he had already seen up to that point. From the specimens he had seen in person, or in various books, he wasn't ready for what had emerged from the Pokéball.
Bertha saw the increasing unnerve within the boy and smirked.
The light shattered into finishing particles as the emerging Pokémon roared a serious and intimidating battle cry, the eerie, powerful aura setting over the battlefield. Stan knew there was no turning back now. The Pokémon was… tall, and rather jagged. Like some kind of conjoined monster made out of deformed coral splotches and various rugged rocks.
Stan blinked before he quickly pulled out his Pokédex.
Barbaracle, the Collective Pokémon
Type: Rock/Water
Ability: Sniper
Barbaracle's legs and hands have minds of their own, and they will move independently. But they usually follow the head's orders.
Barbaracle's body consisted of two gray rocks connected by an orange, segmented waist. Barbaracle oddly enough had two legs, but with four arms, and just one head. The arms and legs were orange with a single brown stripe and had brown "hands" with three claws each. The four arms had a single eye in each palm. In place of an eye, each foot had an orange four-pointed star-shape. The head, which resembled a left fist, had two eyes, four clawed fingers on top and a fifth clawed "thumb" on its right cheek.
Stan swallowed and placed his Pokédex away. "I-I've never seen that Pokémon before…"
"Barbaracle is a Pokémon native to Kalos. But Sinnoh is known for mass migration, so we've been hit with a bit of the Western culture, as they say." Bertha explained. "Now come on, are you going to stand your ground or run away?"
Stan eyed Barbaracle carefully and tried to think of the best course of action to take.
It's oddly a Rock and Water-Type Pokémon, not a Ground-Type… meaning I'll need to think a little more outside the box for this fight. I've got it!
"I've got just the thing for this match!" Stan withdrew a plain, metallic Pokéball and huffed a determined breath as he turned the red knob on top. Then, in an instant, he threw it out. "Go, Trevenant!"
The moment the Pokéball opened, a tall, formidable looking entity appeared from it, landing with a thud on the ground; Stan's Trevenant. Trevenant was a slender brown tree that stood on six roots bent like spider legs. Its inner body was made up of black shadow, which was mostly covered by tree bark. There were two large, crooked horn-like gnarls on either side of its head, and another smaller gnarl on its forehead, with a tuft of green leaves in the middle and a large, menacing dark-red eye below them. Its two arms were held horizontally level, thin upper arms and thick forearms, like the body, was made up of black shadow covered with tree bark. Each upper arm had a single small spike or leaf. The forearms had a small branch immediately before a large cuff of green foliage at the wrist, connected to hands with three wooden pincer spikes for fingers.
"Hmm… a Trevenant is your choice? So you are knowledgeable about Kalos Pokémon, after all…" Bertha commented, thinking about the first move she should make.
"Uh, y-yeah! Totally! Duh! Psshh!" Stan rolled his eyes and batted a hand at Bertha. "I mean, like, I-I know about all the Kalos Po-"
"Barbaracle. Night Slash." Bertha commanded with a swift swipe of the hand. Before Stan could even react, Barbaracle's arms shimmered with a bright black, glistening with shadowy particles, before it shot forward at a breakneck speed, aiming to strike down Trevenant in one fell swoop.
"Wha- d-dodge it!" Stan stumbled and swiped a commanding hand, his Trevenant leaping up above the attacking foe.
Kamado breathed a sigh of relief from the stands. "Good, he dodged. Losing his most valuable team member this early in the fight would be horrible…"
"Barbaracle, follow it and strike it down with Night Slash." Bertha commanded, her Pokémon leaping up towards Trevenant.
Stan had to act fast. Thankfully, his Pokémon had the high ground. With a determined huff, he pointed outward. "Trevenant! Counterattack with Phantom Force!"
In an instant, the spiritual tree Pokémon spun in a rapid twirl before seemingly zapping out of existence, leaving behind a barely visible emission of purple and black smoke particles. However, despite Barbaracle returning to the ground with a missed attack, it wasn't phased by the vanishing act, and neither was Bertha.
The Gym Leader smirked. "Barbaracle, listen carefully. Sense where it is and strike it down before it can get the upper hand! Attack how you see fit."
Attack how you see fit. The command was easy to understand but oddly foreign. Such a simple phrase was hard for him to understand, and it made him uneasy. He took a small, preemptive step back; the real challenge of this battle was finally beginning to set in. Bertha and her Pokémon had a bond strong enough that her own team could take control of the battle. It made sense now, her orders didn't matter, as they understood what they would be doing, and what the outcome of the fight would have to be for their side. Though they were far from mindless, fighting machines, the sheer force of that kind of training struck him harder than the attack striking down his Trevenant.
The lack of connection with his own Pokémon did snap him back to reality as he watched his Trevenant return to reality in a shadowy blur, before Barbaracle's claws began to glow purple, striking it down with what must've been Night Slash or Shadow Claw- he really couldn't tell. Dust, dirt, and chunks of the earthy battlefield flew everywhere as the force of the blow created a small crater in the natural floor. Everyone except for Bertha braced themselves, while the Gym Leader only had a smirk on her face.
"Gahh…!" Stan stumbled off his platform and out of the lines of the battlefield, trying to shield his body and eyes from the harsh flurries of sand striking his being. "Tr-Trevenant, c-c'mon… g-get through it…!"
Kamado blinked from the sidelines, the sand subsiding around the bleachers, as he began to make out the forms of both Pokémon amidst the cloud. His eyes widened instantly. "O-Oh, whoa… th-that strength…!"
The cloud finally subsided as Stan kept his head down, carefully stepping back onto the platform, as he finally looked up, with slight hesitation. Yet he gasped as he watched the opposing Barbaracle return to its trainer, standing before Bertha as the two looked on at the fainted tree spirit Pokémon.
"No, Trevenant!" Stan hastily scurried right over to his fallen teammate, both terrified for the Pokémon's condition, and the difficult fight he had ahead. As he looked up, he saw Bertha was still smirking. "D-Don't get cocky, the fight isn't over yet!"
"Far from it, yes. I understand that." She snapped her fingers as Barbaracle let out some kind of bubbly, rather startling roar. "But watching you realize how trapped you truly are is too enjoyable. I haven't had this ignorant of a prey in years!"
Stan returned his Pokémon as he felt more irritated by now; her respectable, veteran-trainer attitude had vanished, being replaced by a smugness over skill that he couldn't handle.
In short- "Them's fightin' words."
"Fine then!" Stan backed up right onto his platform, readying his next Pokéball- a Great Ball this time- as he hopped side-to-side with fighting fury flowing through him. "You wanna fight?! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Oh dear lord, this is going to go nowhere…" Kamado sighed, slamming a palm to his face and shaking his head.
"Hm, tough choice you're making, tough choice indeed…" Bertha crossed her arms. "Barbaracle, shall we show this young man the exit-"
"Go Scrafty!" Stan twisted the knob and hurled out the Great Ball as fast as his arm could move, said ball flying forward and popping open with a loud snapping effect, as a bipedal Pokémon popped out, landing with a moderate thud on the battlefield, away from the crater.
Scrafty was a bipedal, lizard-like Pokémon. It had oval, wide-set eyes with small pupils and gray eyelids, as well as small nostrils and a wide mouth with bared teeth, giving it the appearance of a permanent sneer. It sported a red crest on its head, similar in appearance to a mohawk. Baggy yellow skin hung off its shoulders, falling halfway down its back. Scrafty's body was orange, with thin arms and a gray, scaled belly. Its lower body and tail were covered by loose yellow skin resembling baggy trousers. On its tail was a single red scale.
And yet Bertha remained unfazed. "Hm, interesting choice. Though given your arrogance and moxie, I expected nothing less."
"Sh-Shut up! I don't care about what you've got to say anymore!" Stan pointed a finger out firmly. "We're gonna win this one, Scrafty! Take her words and shove 'em where the sun don't shine!"
"Nngh…!" Bertha's harsh glare only worsened. "Rambunctious brat… I'll put you in your place! Barbaracle, strike it down with Razor Shell!"
Stan smirked, finally getting the Gym Leader's recklessness to shine. Maybe he'd have a shot. But his own recklessness was taking over, too. "Scrafty, annihilate your foe with High Jump Kick!"
Both Pokémon, fueled by their respective trainers' rage, leaped up high and struck each other at the same time.
"Again!"
And it repeated.
"Again!"
Kamado facepalmed once more. "This is the strangest event I've ever had the opportunity to bear witness to..."
The attacks briefly stopped, both Pokémon steadily damaged as they landed by their respective trainers, panting and glaring across the battlefield at one another. And the commands ceased as an uneven silence buzzed through the battlefield.
Stan smirked, knowing his opponent would be unable to escape the next attack.
Unable to escape…
Briefly, he found his vision blurred as he skipped on his breath, a strong image striking him mentally. And it was gone in an instant, his body feeling numb as he blinked, trying to steady himself. Nobody seemed to notice his sudden wobble and blank, far-away stare. Maybe it was gone that fast?
But the images were clear, even if they were only on his mind for the shortest instant. And he saw how much of a flip-flop it was- facing it head on, regressing it for the fight, wallowing over it internally, without even realizing it. And it was another strike of realization just then, how disconnected he was.
… this doesn't feel real.
Still nobody seemed to notice. He glanced up at Kamado- he was focused on the battlefield. Bertha, too, was still smirking, awaiting a move. The disconnect strengthened- this time in another area. Not only from the world but now from the people around him. From his opposing trainer, from his best friend, from his own Pokémon. The dark memories plagued him.
He tried to face them and couldn't. He tried to hide them and couldn't.
But here he was, stuck in the middle of a situation that required more focus than a Focus Punch. But remembering what had happened…
"... Scrafty." It was a weak bark, Stan knew his voice was softer, though he hoped it didn't crack. He wasn't about to spontaneously break down crying. The bipedal Pokémon turned, eyeing its trainer. And it's battle-ready glare softened into a look of surprise, followed by a concerned stare.
It sensed the pain in its trainer.
Stan recognized the concern and for a moment there was warmth in his mind, in his soul… but he had to focus on the battle for now. If he could power through the first struggle, he could face it head on without hesitation.
So he forced his biggest smile and nodded. "We've got this… let's give it all we've got, okay?"
Scrafty nodded, letting out a soft yip for its trainer, before it turned back to face Barbaracle.
"Sharing platitudes isn't a winning strategy." Bertha rolled a hand. "Though the heat has calmed down, the battle rages on. If you refuse to attack, then I just might have to take matters into my own hands!"
No, I will attack, I will win… I've got a good feeling about my next strategy.
Stan stuck out a hand and barked out his next command. "Let's finish this leg of the battle-filled race, Scrafty; take it down with Seismic Toss!"
With a bark of its own, Scrafty leaped forward towards its opponent, only for Bertha to snap her fingers. Barbaracle shot forward as well, and the two Pokémon met in the center of the battlefield, grappling onto each other and leaping up, fairly high- to the point of shattering part of the glass skylight that loomed over the battlefield. Stan and Kamado were both taken aback, but Bertha only smirked.
"Seems we both know Seismic Toss, then." Bertha looked back to Stan. "Let's see where this goes."
There was about a minute of silence, and Stan wondered if the Pokémon would even come back down. This didn't seem natural. But in the quiet of it all, he glanced down at his other Pokéball containing Trevenant. The cold, pristine iron of the spherical device felt heavy in his hands. He almost didn't feel worthy to hold onto his teammate.
Trevenant… sorry I didn't respect you this fight. You and I have a lot of work to do together. We'll train hard with the whole team. I won't lose anything else, not again… not after everything…
Another sound of shattering glass could be heard as Stan was snapped back to reality. He looked up with a gasp as Scrafty and Barbaracle plummeted headfirst, together, through the skylight in another location, the two landing in an instant. They destroyed a large, scraggly boulder near the side and created another massive burst of gravel, sand, and earthy terrain, though with more chunks of stone flying about.
Once again, everyone shielded themselves except for Bertha. Being a Rock-Type and Ground-Type expert, she must've been used to crap like this happening. It was a wonder she had the funds to keep up the constant repairs to her consistently damaged battlegrounds…
But enough of that, Stan knew he had to see who won.
The moment the cloud of dust cleared, he sprinted to the new crater to peer inside.
Both of the Pokémon were lying unconscious, badly beaten and bruised.
Stan gasped and winced, almost disturbed to see the large cracks in Barbaracle's body, and even more frightened to see his Scrafty's body twisted somewhat. "N-No…! S-Scrafty!"
Scrafty grunted, trying to pull itself up, but it collapsed again. Both Pokémon were alive, though Scrafty was the one who sustained the larger injuries. Quickly, he recalled the fallen Pokémon, as Bertha did to her Barbaracle. She looked at the Pokéball and nodded.
"Take a long rest, I'll have you sent to the Pokémon Center immediately."
As a referee came in to retrieve Barbaracle's Pokéball, Stan ran to the sidelines in a panic, trying to toss the Great Ball containing his treasured teammate to Kamado. "Q-Quick! Kamado, g-get the hell down here and get S-Scrafty to a damn P-Pokémon Center!"
The astute trainer was down there in an instant, not even bothering to scold his friend for his use of curse words, as he reached over the railing to grab the Pokéball. "I'll hurry! I-I'll hurry as fast as I can!"
Stan nodded and watched him rush out of the stadium room and out of the Pokémon Gym. After standing there in silence for a moment, he returned to his podium and turned back to face Bertha.
Her smirk was gone, and she looked a tad concerned. "I'm sure your Scrafty will be fine… it's a challenge to faint a Pokémon, and even harder to kill one. But I don't have that intent, and I'm certain neither do you."
Stan shook his head. "N-No… we trained hard. We worked hard for this m-moment… we've pushed through a lot together, my team and I… w-we won't back down, I'll press on and win for my friends!"
Bertha's smirk returned. "Somewhat of a cheesy line you've just said… but admirable nonetheless. Let's continue!"
She twisted the knob on another Pokéball and threw it out, as it opened with a loud snap, a large, black hippo-like Pokémon coming out and landing on the ground with a very loud thud, creating somewhat of an imprint as it began to descend into the dirt and sand, submerging itself partially.
"Whoa… what's that Pokémon…?" It looked a tad familiar, but Stan quickly pulled out his Pokédex, just to check.
Hippowdon, the Heavyweight Pokémon
Type: Ground
Ability: Sand Stream
Surprisingly quick to anger. It holds its mouth agape as a display of strength.
Hippowdon was a large, hippo-like Pokémon with a gray and black skin color. It had a dark gray back and muzzle with several holes in them. Sand spilled out of the ports on its back and its nostrils. It had a large, rounded snout, a mouth filled with peg-like teeth, and red eyes. Hippowdon had black feet with four blunt claws each. It's mouth was indeed agape as it let out a roar, as Stan was instantly intimidated by the large Pokémon's fierce display of strength.
And in an instant, as it finished roaring, sand began to shoot from its various orifices, creating thin veils that soon spun around into twisters. Stan braced himself and went to his backpack, pulling out a pair of Go-Goggles. He slipped them on just in time as the battlefield became enveloped in a full blown sandstorm.
That's right, Sand Stream is an ability that generates sandstorms upon entry into battle… crap, this is bad! I have nothing that's immune to this… but maybe I just need something immune to Ground!
Stan smirked as he took out a normal Pokéball, twisting the knob and throwing it out after. It popped open with a snap and returned to his palm, as a large, bird Pokémon appeared amidst the sandstorm. "Go Pidgeot!"
Pidgeot was an avian Pokémon with large wings, sharp talons, and a short, hooked beak. Its glossy plumage was mostly brown with cream-colored underparts and flight feathers. Its head was a decorated crest that was nearly as long as its body. The center feathers of its crest were yellow, while the outer feathers were red. The fan-like feathers of its tail alternated between both red and brown. Its beak and legs were pink, and there were three forward-facing toes and one backward-facing toe on each foot. Behind each eye was an angular black marking.
"Really now? A Flying-Type Pokémon." Bertha almost mocked her opponent. "Is that really what you expect to save you in this match? Is that your savior?"
"You didn't expect it, which means I've caught you off guard!" Stan chuckled.
The Gym Leader smirked. "I'll give you that one. But we'll see how far this gets you! Hippowdon, strike it down with Thunder Fang!"
Stan was briefly shocked that a Ground-Type knew an Electric-Type move. He didn't really know how to account for that. But he had to figure something out. "P-Pidgeot, try and beat the sandstorm, alright?! Dodge the attack and hit back harder with a Steel Wing!"
Pidgeot obeyed, trying to power through the sandstorm. It soared up high, swiftly evading the Hippowdon's great leap and dangerous electrical chomp attack. The opposing Pokémon landed with a thud on the battlefield, stunned a bit from the sudden impact, as Pidgeot's silhouette was visible atop the sandstorm, which had spread out of the shattered holes in the skylight as well. The bird briefly covered the sun, creating an eclipse over the battlefield, as its wings shined a bright, metallic silver.
And then it dove back down, straight through the sandstorm, towards its still stunned opponent.
The attack struck, the metallic wings slicing hard across Hippowdon's temple, the force of the attack sending the Pokémon flying back. As it skipped across the ground and into a boulder, Pidgeot soared back up and around, circling back to fly before its trainer, wincing and hissing slightly as it was continuously buffeted by the raging sandstorm.
"Yes! Nice strike, Pidgeot!" The boy cheered, though the blow wasn't strong enough to knock out the opposing Hippowdon. "Awesome job, keep it up!"
As the hippopotamus Pokémon pulled itself to its feet slowly, staggering a bit as it did, Bertha simply smirked.
"You can knock out a brick, but it won't topple the wall." She said, rather pointedly at that. "One strong blow can knock a foe off their feet, but it will take a lot more to knock a foe out of consciousness!"
"If I didn't already know that, I wouldn't have made it this far!" Stan chuckled, though he turned and spit to the side, shutting his mouth the moment he cleared the sand from his mouth. He had completely forgotten, somehow, that he was still in the midst of a brutal sandstorm.
Bertha snapped her fingers as Hippowdon let out another battle cry, storming to the center of the battlefield. "Well if you're so intent on finishing this heated battle, allow me to cool off your bird and clip its wings! Ice Fang!"
Another attack that took Stan off guard. Did this thing even have any Ground-Type moves?! Regardless, he attempted to use a different strategy to evade the attack, as well as eliminate the sandstorm. "Pidgeot! Blow this sandstorm and its creator away with Whirlwind!"
The bird Pokémon obeyed, beginning to flap its wings fiercely, picking up speed gradually as the sand began to expel, flying away from one of the building to the other and eliminating the ordeal in moments; Stan was relieved he could remove the goggles by now. The winds even picked up the charging Hippowdon before it could leap, pushing it back.
However, even though the sandstorm was eliminated, Hippowdon managed to power through the gusts of wind coming from Pidgeot. It let out another roar before it leaped up to the avian, clamping down hard with a chilling icy bite on its lower half, interrupting Whirlwind and causing Pidgeot to cry out in surprise and agony.
"A-Ack! Pidgeot, break free! S-Steel Wing!" Stan scrambled out a command, trying to ensure a victory. The super effective attack wasn't as powerful as it would've been had Hippowdon been an Ice-Type. Pidgeot was still badly damaged but it obeyed as it was dragged from the air to the ground with Hippowdon's landing.
So it sharpened its wings to a bright, metallic glow, and sliced at its temple once more. The close range strike was enough to break the opposing Pokémon off, sending it hurtling across the battlefield and into the ground before its trainer. Pidgeot scrambled through the air before collapsing to the ground, perching on the near destroyed battle terrain to regain stability. As the hippopotamus Pokémon tried to get back up, it couldn't muster up the strength, and it collapsed without any more struggle.
Hippowdon had fainted.
Bertha sighed, recalling her teammate. "You did well out there, excellent job. Get a lot of sleep, you've earned it."
"Yes! I knew we could do it!" Stan cheered, running over to hug his injured, cold, but proud avian teammate. "We won! We won!"
"Not so fast."
Bertha silenced the boy's cheerful chanting by taking out a metallic Pokéball that had a fine, golden strip running around the center- an Ultra Ball. Stan stared; was the battle not over?
"This battle isn't over yet. I've still got two more teammates." She smirked, gripping the ball and turning the knob. "Shall we?"
Stan was hesitant. He really thought he had won. "Pidgeot… think you can handle a little more?"
The avian, though obviously beaten, nipped slightly at its trainers hair, with a nod of approval. Stan giggled as he stepped back to his platform, the boy ready for the second half of the battle.
"We shall!"
"Perfect. Now prepare to face true terror!" Bertha threw out the Ultra Ball as it popped open with a loud snapping sound. "Go Gliscor!"
Out of the ball popped a strange, almost scorpion-like Pokémon with wings Stan had never even seen before. Every part of this battle just got scarier and scarier… he couldn't help but scramble for his Pokédex. Any info, any at all, would provide some sort of start to a strategy to overcome this… this… thing.
Gliscor, the Fang Scorpion Pokémon
Type: Ground/Flying
Ability: Sand Veil
If it succeeds in catching even a faint breeze properly, it can circle the globe without flapping once.
Gliscor was a large, mainly blue-purple vampire bat-like Pokémon. Its legs had two toes and a slightly darker circular coloration on the underside, and its tail had two barbs, giving its tail the resemblance of a vampire's fangs. Its arms were red with thin striations, and were completely detached from its black wings, and each ended with large pincers. Its ears had discernible, red, chambered insides, and its eyes were yellow. It had six visible fangs in its mouth, and its waist, like its arms, was red and striated. Gliscor's body resembles an open mouth, with the pointed protrusions coming from its upper torso resembling fangs, further illustrating its vampiric qualities.
Shivering, Stan wasn't really sure what to do now. He was absolutely terrified by this thing. On the bright side, there was no longer a sandstorm, rendering Gliscor's ability useless. However, with such an awkward type like Ground/Flying, he wasn't entirely sure what to do about this…
Especially since the Whirlwind still remained. Even if it was just a faint breeze…
This battle had to end. Fast.
"N-No matter, I can handle this!" Stan stuck a hand out. "Pidgeot! Fly forward and strike!"
Bertha raised an eyebrow. "Not even a command? Interesting. But no matter; Gliscor, send this bird to the cages! Thunder Fang!"
By this point, Stan wasn't shocked whatsoever that this was no ordinary type expert trainer; not only was her team able to handle any weaknesses due to exceedingly varied movements, but her first Pokémon was not even a Ground-Type. Regardless, it was still a tough enough hurdle to overcome. The rest of the battle would be dictated by his abilities to conquer it.
And now he knew he'd be taking a heavy risk.
"You're close enough, so strike and get back here!" Stan commanded. "U-Turn!"
There was a bright, yet brief blip of light as Pidgeot became enveloped in a coating of green energy, as its beak sharpened to a fine point. Gliscor protected itself in the blink of an eye, as its electric pincers blocked the harsh strike. Yet the avian was seemingly unfazed as its body was completely covered in electrical power, absorbing every single shock. It looked exceptionally painful.
But for a moment, Pidgeot plowed through the defense, striking Gliscor's chest directly with a powerful Bug-Type attack. The force sent Gliscor back a fair amount, as Pidgeot curved back up and circled around to Stan. However, before he could recall it, the plan went awry as Pidgeot scrambled through the air, the pain of the electric shocks finally getting to it. It dove for the ground and crashed head first before the boy.
When the dust cleared, the panicked boy found himself staring right at the unconscious body of his flight-capable teammate. "P-Pidgeot!"
"It seems your plan completely failed." Bertha commented, her Gliscor seemingly unharmed, having recovered from the previous blow. She watched Stan scramble to Pidgeot's side. "I will admit, I didn't expect the stunts you pulled during this portion of the match. Reigning this battle with a Flying-Type certainly caught me by surprise."
Says the Gym Leader currently using a Flying-Type…
"P-Pidgeot…" Stan knelt by the bird. It smiled softly as it flipped in and out of consciousness. He quickly recalled it back into the ball, smiling. "You did absolutely amazing… thank you."
Stan treasured his whole team, but he treasured Pidgeot especially. Being the first wild Pokémon he had ever caught, the journey was practically defined from beginning to end with having the avian. Mere steps into Route 201, and he locked eyes with the Pidgey that he knew would be his first addition to his team, alongside his starter.
Despite fainting, Stan was proud of how far Pidgeot had come, and the power it had displayed in one of the final battles of his journey. It really did deserve a good rest.
"It's good to see that your damn arrogance isn't shining through." Bertha said, as Stan made his way back to the platform for the upteenth time this match. "But I've wiped out half of your team, and you've wiped out half of mine. We're finally even, when you were actually winning. Maybe you should stop fearing my strength and instead have confidence in your own."
The advice stuck out to him. And he was silent for a moment.
Confidence…
It didn't sit entirely right with him. Not like he figured it should have. He didn't respond, simply shaking his head. "I actually only have five teammates… so you've still got the upperhand. I say we see where this goes!"
"Then surprise me! Send out your next Pokémon already!" Bertha ordered.
"Gladly!" Stan got up and took out a normal Pokéball, twisted the knob, and threw it out. "Go, Persian!"
The ball snapped open and the light that emitted took the shape of a long, slender feline of reasonable size. And it expelled as the ball closed and returned to the boy, as a large, purplish-gray cat-like Pokémon appeared, letting out a rather sharp meow.
"Hmm... " For once, the Gym Leader seemed to be visibly impressed. "An Alolan Persian? Quite rare, especially this far north… I can only wonder how you obtained such a critter."
Persian was a large, quadruped, feline Pokémon. Its fur was grey-blue in color with the exception of its black-rimmed ears. Its face was large and rounded with noticeable jowls. It had a small, black nose, red eyes with slit pupils, rounded ears, a pair of pointed teeth in its upper jaw, and three whiskers on either side of its face. In the center of its forehead was a blue jewel. Its long tail had a distinctive curl at the end. It had long legs and three-toed paws with retractable claws.
As mentioned by Bertha, this Persian was of a different form, this form being native to the far off region of Alola, and being far rarer in other parts of the world. Unlike normal Persian, which was a pure Normal-Type, Alolan Persian was a Normal/Dark-Type, giving it a slew of different strengths and weaknesses.
"Where I caught him doesn't matter! What matters is how I plan to wipe the floor with you!" Stan smirked. "No response? Cat got your tongue?"
"Nngh, arrogant…" Bertha winced at the boy's words, but she wasn't about to fall victim to another string of immature taunts and insults. "Whatever, let the battle reconvene! Gliscor, Brick Break!"
Instantly after finishing her command, Bertha's Gliscor shot forward, bouncing off the remainder of the wind left in Pidgeot's wake and shooting at a breakneck speed towards Persian. Stan could barely utter a command as the feline Pokémon was taken by surprise. Gliscor reared down a bit and punched under Persian as it tried to jump, striking its underbelly and sending it up into the air quickly with great amounts of force.
"P-Persian! Quick, before it can attack again, counter with Pay Day!" Stan commanded, panicking briefly, but regaining his confidence in a short burst.
Persian winced as it did a backflip in the air, catching itself against the remainder of the skylight and pressing off of it. Its gemstone glowed bright as it formed several Koban coins out of light and energy, the shining, mirror images of the currency shot from the feline towards Gliscor, who was advancing steadily to attack with another Brick Break. It continuously dodged before one large Koban managed to pierce its skull, connecting with the temple and sending it shooting back to the ground, where it slammed into one of the existing craters. As it emerged in a puff of dirt and sand, Persian landed steadily on the ground, right on its paws, and began to smuggly lick its own fur.
"Your team's definitely interesting, boy." Bertha crossed her arms. "But I can tell what you're going for, and it won't work."
"You don't know that. You don't know what I've got planned." Stan chuckled, crossing his arms. "If you can surprise me, then I can surprise you. Persian, Icy Wind!"
Bertha was taken aback by the strange move, on a Persian of all Pokémon. The cat reared back as a bright, sky blue light enveloped its mouth, a cold air expelling in a sharp, straightforward burst that plowed through the air towards Gliscor. The glider scorpion tried to bounce up and glide into the air to hover, but the moment it made the attempt, it found its stingers stuck right in the muddy, cracked terrain.
It was entirely unable to stop the harsh, cold winds of the Ice-Type attack from striking it, as it was knocked free and sent hurtling back into one of the sets of bleachers. As Stan cheered for the success, Persian kept it going, pushing to use the attack as much as it could to defeat the Gliscor. If they could just get to her final Pokémon… they'd have a shot!
"U-Turn! Now!"
Or not.
Though incredibly cold and in a gratuitous amount of pain, Gliscor managed to leap up from where it was and glide quickly through the air. Persian tried to angle the attack up to counter, but it couldn't move fast enough. Shocked, the cat found itself taking a blunt struck from both of Gliscor's hand pinchers, which glowed a bright green. The attack was straight on the temple, sending its head down to the mud and knocking it unconscious.
And just like that, Gliscor bounced off of Persian, and returned to Bertha's Ultra Ball.
Stan stared in shock as he slowly walked right over to the fallen feline. He knelt by it, lifting its head from the mud and petting it softly. "P-Persian, it's… it's alright, just rest. You did great, really took her by surprise…"
As he recalled Persian to its Pokéball, Kamado had finally returned, entering the room and observing the battlefield. "Stan? I… got Scrafty to the Sunnyshore Pokémon Center. What did I miss?"
Stan turned to lock eyes with his friend, as he returned to his platform. "Thanks… the battle's almost over. Don't worry."
"Whoa, it is?" Kamado smiled. "Are you winning?"
Stan turned around and took out his final Pokéball.
"No."
Kamado didn't respond. He simply stared at Stan, who kept his back to him. Then, he slowly returned to the bleachers.
"Don't bother." Stan shook his head at his friend suddenly. "Go wait in the lobby, I'll be out in a few minutes."
"But, I want to-"
"Just do it, okay?" Stan didn't really try to snap, but he didn't want his travel partner in here, not right now. Kamado didn't fight it, but appeared dismayed as he made his second leave.
"Pushing your friend away? Do you really think you'll turn it around and win that quickly?" Bertha mocked.
Stan turned the knob on his final Pokéball. "No. I don't want him in here to see me lose."
"... how affable." Bertha took out her final Pokéball and twisted the knob as well. Well, would-be-final, but if Stan somehow won this, she still had Gliscor in reserve. "But now is the time to finish this."
She threw it out.
"Come on, partner! It's SHOWTIME!"
The loud, uncharacteristic roar of pure adrenaline from the Gym Leader was enough to rock the boy to his core with absolute unease. He figured he'd be used to this by now, but…
The ball popped open with a loud snap, one that was more telling than it should've been. A truly fearsome opponent was about to enter the battlefield.
And as it appeared before him… Stan could barely activate his Pokédex as his legs gave out. Fear had fully taken him over as he collapsed to his knees. His heart began to race.
Rhyperior, the Drill Pokémon
Type: Ground/Rock
Ability: Lightning Rod
It can launch a rock held in its hand like a missile by tightening then expanding its muscles instantly.
Rhyperior was a large, brownish-gray Pokémon with two horns; one on its nose, and another one above it. It had a club-like tail and its hide was partially covered by orange, rocky plates. It had blade-like protrusions on its elbows and has holes in the palms of its hands which resembled cannons or guns. It also appeared to have two thick, rectangular rocks above its eyes, resembling heavy eyebrows. The moment it entered the battlefield, it let out a loud, gravelly, eardrum piercing warcry.
Stan covered his ears and winced, and when it ended, he looked back up at the giant beast of a Pokémon. "That… that's…"
"I have a bit of an idea on how to end this… but I do want to see what you'll do." Bertha smirked, crossing her arms. "Well then? How will you choose to do battle?"
The boy was at a serious loss for words. He really didn't know what he would do. He really didn't know what TO do. He had the one Pokémon left.
… wait, what about…?!
Suddenly, it came to mind, and it might have just been the key to winning.
Standing up, trying to show as little emotion as he could, Stan readied the Pokéball, and threw it out.
"It's time you meet MY partner! Go, CHARIZARD!"
The ball popped open with a loud snap as the light that emerged was a bright orange, and it took the shape of a dragon on the battlefield. The light expelled as the fiery dragon beast that appeared let out a loud, deep warcry, a stream of fire bursting from its very maw. It's very appearance exuded extreme levels of power.
Charizard was a draconic, bipedal Pokémon. It was primarily orange with a cream underside from the chest to the tip of its tail, which burned with a sizable flame. Charizard had a long neck, small blue eyes, raised nostrils, and two horn-like structures protruding from the back of its rectangular head. There were two fangs visible in the upper jaw when its mouth was closed. Two large wings with blue-green undersides sprouted from its back, and a horn-like appendage jutted out from the third joint of each wing. Charizard's arms were short and skinny compared to its robust belly, and each limb had three white claws. It had stocky legs and cream-colored soles under its feet.
"... so that's how this will go." Bertha took notice of what made the Charizard special, and smirked, as she pulled up her sleeve. "I see, then. So this is the big finish."
Stan was briefly shocked to see that, but managed to pull of a smirk as he rolled up his own sleeve. "I guess we both share the same secret weapon, huh?"
"Apparently so." Bertha nodded, as she raised up her hand, as did the boy. Then, they both commanded in unison.
"Let's end this battle with one final show! MEGA EVOLVE!"
The two trainers wore bengals containing Mega Stones, whilst their Pokémon wore neck braces containing their respective Mega Stones as well. Instantly, the bengal stones began to glow as both Pokémon were enveloped in a bright, rainbow-ish sphere of energy, light, and loud, crackly plasma. Both Pokémon were reduced to mere silhouettes as the plasma expanded and contorted around them, their bodies slowly morphing and changing shape in various ways.
Finally, the plasma exploded and expelled from the area, sending loud sonic booms and gusts of wind out in all directions, shaking the whole building and shattering the remainder of the skylight, the glass reduced to the smallest of particles that it actually looked like small pieces of hard crystals were descending like snow over the battlefield.
And both opponents had changed shape. Charizard and Rhyperior were both Mega Evolved.
And Stan knew he had to check his Pokédex to get new info on the Mega Rhyperior.
Mega Rhyperior, the Core Pokémon
Type: Ground/Rock
Ability: Solid Rock
Its body receives energy from an internal fire that burns above 400°F. Its bicep spikes can also function as drills that can pierce even the hardest diamond.
When Mega Evolved, Charizard became more sleek and expansive in appearance, but retained its normal coloration. However, it now had white pupils, and three pointed horns on the back of its head, the middle of which was longer. Its shorter snout had larger fangs and a ridge on the nose. Its neck was shorter and its hands were much smaller, but its torso and legs were longer. Small wings developed on its wrists, while the ones on its back became larger and now had far more ragged edges. The back of its tail had a large thorn at the base and three smaller ones near the tip, which now burned with a longer flame.
As for Mega Rhyperior, it grew in size slightly, its body becoming far more rounder and bulkier. The dull, orange plates that surrounded the majority of its body expanded, the ring of plates around its abdomen becoming whole and somewhat shiny. The shoulder plates extended down to its breast to act as body armor, whilst its head plates wrapped around and became a rectangular helmet, three large, pointed spikes protruding from the top, with dark silver lines wrapped around the center of each. Said pattern applied to each of the spikes present on its body. Its shoulders became large cylinders with single spikes protruding from each front end, whilst the forearms were orange and slender. The wrists and lower arms became large stone cylinders that ended in large spikes, giving its arms the appearance of drills or jackhammers. Its legs and feet remained the same, though the plates wrapped around the kneecaps. Its tail grew in size, turning from a simple stone to a massive, spiked flail.
Stan was… incredibly impressed with the transformation. "Wow… outside of my Charizard, I've never seen another Pokémon use Mega Evolution… talk about kickass!"
"Mega Evolution is a true testament of strength." Bertha said, very seriously as a matter-of-fact. "It shows the bond between the trainer and their Pokémon. But using it is one thing- overcoming it is another. If you can't defeat my Mega Rhyperior, then you sure as hell won't be ready for the Pokémon League."
"Maybe I'm ready, maybe I'm not…" Stan rolled his shoulders, getting into a fighting stance as Charizard seemed all too eager for battle. "But I'm sure I can-...!"
No I can't.
No. No, not now. He knew the doubt would resurface. The trauma. His smirk was built off guilt and ignorance. He tried to rationalize with the darkness inside him but the boy couldn't. Not now, though. The battle was at its climax. He had to hold off. He had to. He just had to…
For his sake. For my sake. For… for his sake, for… I can do this, I just… have to forget for now…
Stan shook his head, and as he looked up, he saw Charizard, looking back at him, over its shoulder. The two shared one glance, one powerful, firm, straightforward glance, in complete silence. And the boy knew. He took in a deep breath, and exhaled, opening and closing his fists. Thoughts raced through his mind, too much for the ten year old to comprehend at once. But one thought struck him, one positive thought that filled him with vigor.
He huffed out one more breath, and looked up with a fireceness in his eyes that he didn't know was still in him.
"Charizard, DRAGON CLAW!"
The final clash had begun.
Charizard's wings began to flap as it created waves of wind that flew out around it, as it began to soar off the ground. Its small but sharp claws glowed a bright, navy blue, said glow enveloping both of its hands. And as Charizard flew up high, it spun a bit before diving down towards Rhyperior. The large, bulky rock-beast didn't seem too fazed at the oncoming attack. It looked to its trainer for orders, and Bertha simply nodded, giving it free reign.
The mega-evolved dragon sped up greatly and finally cross-sliced the bulky beast with both of its sharpened claws, sparks flying upon contact. But Rhyperior didn't even flinch, nor try to block or counter the attack. It just stood there, apathetically, not even appearing to be harmed. Charized rebounded off and flew forward, striking it repeatedly with harsh slashes of Dragon Claw over and over again. But Rhyperior wasn't even pushed back. Stan winced. Was this thing stronger, or bulkier…?
Or was he just outmatched horribly?
Charizard put both claws together and did one final strike- and actually managed to knock him away, sending it skidding back across the floor with a rather pained expression. Stan smirked, finally feeling like progress has been made. "Awesome! We're getting there, Charizard!"
"You won't be able to wall it forever." Bertha said, snapping her fingers. "Take action before he gets the advantage. Thunder Punch!"
Within moments, large amounts of blue sparks and static shocks shot out from Rhyperior's drill hands, expelling in bursts before blue electricity coated its drills, right up to its elbows. It took one massive step back and reared up as Charizard began to flap its wings, preparing to backdraft to escape.
"Quick, get out of there Charizard!" Stan commanded, fear internally stabbing his mind once again. "H-Hurry!"
But Charizard couldn't make it as Rhyperior stabbed its drills.
So it took the risk, as its arms became coated in a blue energy. It intercepted the strikes, being pushed back greatly and protecting itself with the Dragon Claw attacks. Though the electrical power was great, causing hefty damage to the draconid Pokémon, Charizard managed to withstand the flurry of electrical punches, before it finally swiped at Rhyperior's face. The counterattack took the rock-beast by surprise, as it felt a large slice down the center of its head. It stumbled back and threw one more, unchoreographed punch. The electrical charge was weaker, but Charizard took it a step further, as it grabbed hold of Rhyperior by its wrist.
The attack was entirely interrupted as the draconid hoisted up the beast and flipped it through the air, over its shoulder, slamming it hard into the terrain.
Both sides were surprised at the sudden counterattack. Bertha was at a loss for words as Charizard triumphantly returned before its trainer. Even Stan couldn't find anything to say. Charizard nodded at its trainer, before looking back over at Rhyperior, who slowly began to climb up from the new crater, wobbling weakly. Yet, as it heaved a series of loud, labored breaths, it still didn't seem close to fainting.
Stan sighed, clenching his fists as he took on one more fighting stance. "We can still do this. We can still do this! Somehow, we can still do this!"
No you can't.
"Yes we can!"
No you can't.
"Yes we can, no more losing!" Stan screamed his final command. "Charizard, FLARE BLITZ!"
"This will decide the battle!" Bertha huffed and stuck out her hand. "Rhyperior, STONE EDGE!"
Both mega-evolved Pokémon let out loud, brutal roars. The final battle cries to be uttered as they charged each other. Charizard became enveloped in hot, red flames that spat out several smaller burners as it flew forward at a blinding speed. Rhyperior became surrounded in sharp stones as it began to rev up its drill spikes, ready to pierce its opponent.
And the attacks connected.
Evening had set in over the city as Kamado kicked a stone off the short hillside. He sighed, continuing his wait outside of the Sunnyshore City Gym. The wait for Stan's battle to conclude was boring, and he desperately wanted to go back inside and support his traveling partner. But at the same time, he was too timid to face what would've definitely been a pure wrath-induced aftermath.
But he knew what was going on. Kamado understood what it truly meant. It hurt him, too. In more ways than one, really, but not as much as it did Stan. And he understood, he understood perfectly.
Then, suddenly, the sliding doors opened, and Kamado turned right on his heels to watch Stan sprint out and directly past him, along the pathway.
"What the- S-Stan!" Kamado was slower by a fair amount, as he began his sprint to follow him. Stan was making haste, though, as he made it to the lower streets of the city, trying to get away from his companion. "Stan, wait! Come back!"
By the time he had reached the lower streets, Kamado was panting, unable to locate where the boy had gone in the mass of people. Amidst the evening conversations and crowds of people, nobody paid any mind to him. But that didn't matter to Kamado, he just wanted to find his friend. He pushed past several people, finally clearing the crowd with a stumble, as he landed at the edge of Sunnyshore's northern beach.
There was only one inhabitant sitting on the edge of the sand, barely touching the waves as they lapped at the shore.
Kamado watched Stan, the boy's back to him as he stared out vacantly at the large, vast ocean ahead. After a moment, he walked over and stood beside him, looking out into the foggy evening sea. He could see far, but there wasn't anything out there. Nothing he could see, though. The two knew what was actually across that expansive strip of the sea.
The Pokémon League.
Silence.
"... how did the batlte-"
"I lost." Stan's voice shook at the end. "I lost badly."
Kamado winced, unsure of what to say at first. He gently placed a hand on Stan's shoulder. "W-Well… that just means you have to train. You can try again-"
"I'm sick of LOSING!" Stan let out a sob as he turned, stumbling back down and landing on his hands and knees, punching the sand. "A-After Spear Pillar, a-after watching… going through the… s-seeing all that… NO! I-I can't lost ANYTHING anymore!"
"S-Stan…!" Kamado stumbled back, before he slowly knelt down before his friend.
"I-I just…" He sniffled now, trying to calm down. "... th-this can't be my fate, my destiny. To watch everything fall apart and disappear."
Silence again.
Then Kamado grabbed Stan's shoulders and forced him to look right into his eyes. "Pull yourself together!"
"Ehhg…!" Stan gasped a bit as he went entirely silent.
Kamado softly glared. "We can't do anything about what happened right now. We can't forget it, we can't ignore it… but we can't keep living if it encompasses us. I shouldn't have to tell you this over and over.
"Please, Stan, listen to me when I say that your life isn't destined to be miserable. You've got a problem and every problem has a solution." Kamado made the boy stand up. "Are you gonna ignore that solution? Let alone try to find it?"
Stan was silent. He looked down, before he turned and looked out to the sea.
"We made a vow, you know. To see this journey to the end." Kamado squeezed his friend's shoulder. "To make it to the Pokémon League… and see where things go from there. And you can't do that if you give up right here."
"... the league…" Stan muttered. "... is it a meaningful goal anymore?"
Kamado nodded. "We can't pretend like we know exactly what went down… that's on mental lockdown, our understanding of that. For now… we have each other. We'll cope. We'll figure things out. We'll recover. Together."
Stan side smiled. "Heh… and get to the damn league as soon as possible then?"
Kamado chuckled. "Don't cuss. I'll see you back at the Pokémon Center."
Stan nodded and watched his friend walk off. He took another look over his shoulder, staring out at the sea. The fog had cleared somewhat and the sky shined beautifully off the deep water. Waves softly smacked against the sand. And in the far distance, past the sea, it was as if he could actually see it. The falls castle that stood atop the mountain.
The very Pokémon League building itself.
But whether it was the real thing, or a mirage, he figured he'd never know. But it was a goal. It was his goal.
I promise… I'll make everything right. I don't know how I will. I don't think it'll be impossible though. But everything will be okay. I will make everything right.
I owe it to you.
-(End Of Chapter)-
To be continued…
[READ THE WHOLE ENDNOTE IT'S IMPORTANT]
Man… this chapter was a bit more darker and bittersweet in tone than usual, right? I wanted to present the past as something… more solemn. Stan and Rowan went on a journey together and… the two of them experienced something seriously traumatic at the Spear Pillar. They saw legendaries? Yeah! But they suffered… something else terrible. As for what it is? Only I know, and I can't say, not yet, not for a while.
And with the trauma being so fresh in this chapter… it affected Stan's personality for the remainder of his time in Sinnoh. That's what's displayed here with his gym battle. Stan pushes and pushes and… he almost leaves with a victory, but not quite. And Stan has a breakdown on the beach, with his emotions running rampant and feeling like he's destined to lose everything. After Spear Pillar, his stability is at an all time low. But Rowan is the emotional pillar for him. He's the support that he needs, and the two friends vow to train hard together before embarking to the Pokémon League.
After sharing that heart to heart, Stan looks out across the vast sea, and sees the tall building, far, far, FAR in the foggy distance. Rowan doesn't notice it. But Stan… he observes it keenly. He's not sure if it's real or fake, but he makes the vow to set everything right. To work harder. To make sure the future is bright and the problems are resolved. How he'll do that, he doesn't know yet. But, first he has to get his eighth badge. And then, they can leave for the league.
As for what that part of their journey contains…
… anyways, I should also clear up a few things that are present in this chapter, as a bit of a recap just so we're all on the same page.
#1) This flashback occurs in the 1960s, as the main story is set in the 2010s.
#2) The Pokéballs are designed differently and have knobs because they are older models. This is a shout-out to the fourth Pokémon movie where Sam's old Pokéball is designed this way. However, I did try to add a few details to make the types more identifiable. Also, in Red & Blue fashion, only five types of Pokéballs existed back during the 60s in this universe; Pokéball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, Master Ball, and the custom Safari Ball.
#3) In contrast to the Pokéballs, all types of Pokémon and their various altered forms have been discovered during this time, with information spreading across regions like wildfire. Not as fast it would modern day but just to clear up any ideas of "but shouldn't there be tons of Pokémon undiscovered". Most undiscovered/unknown Pokémon during this time would be Legendaries, in which there is a lot of misinformation going around because lack of proper history. Places like the Solaceon Ruins are very unkempt and are merely caves that haven't been properly explore. As a bit of fun trivia, another callout to the anime here is that Arcanine is widely considered to be a Legendary Pokémon, but this is serious misinformation and is the result of conspiracy theories. This is a reference to Episode 2 of the anime. Other olden day conspiracy theories from the Gen 1 days will get mentioned throughout the various flashback chapters.
#4) Probably the big question is- who the fuck is this Gym Leader? I hope it was fairly obvious, but this is Bertha, the same Bertha from the Sinnoh Elite Four in modern day. In this flashback she's presented as a 20 year old Rock/Ground-Type expert who was a Gym Leader of Sunnyshore City, prior to the golden age of electricity and modern day technology. In the current storyline, she's one of the Elite Four and has been for several years, having been promoted at some point over the last 50 years. Her appearance here is for world building, Sinnoh lore, story lore, and for a cool cameo. Yes, this also makes her 70 in the current time of the story. But it fits cause that's about her age in the games; 60-70. This also serves as an ironic contrast to the current leader in modern day, which I'll refrain from spoiling, just in case.
#5) Also, Mega Rhyperior is not the last of the original Mega Evolutions to be featured in this story. I'm sorry if you don't like that concept but… deal with it? Prior to Sun & Moon, most people were speculating on the types of Sinnoh Mega Evolutions that would be present in a Diamond & Pearl remake, and I'm assuming those are probably obsolete ideas now considering Z-Moves are the new gimmick. I'm mainly pulling from various ideas that people have drawn from fanart to create very unique, original megas that all have meaning. Mega Feraligatr was to introduce the concept to the story and show Robbie really means business now; and Mega Rhyperior is to show Mega Evolution was discovered in the past, and the concept of it hasn't changed much since then. It's also to show that a lot of important trainers from here on out will have signature megas. Not all of them, trust me, that would get too predictable. Not every Gym Leader from here on out will have a signature mega, Team Galactic won't be running around with shit loads of megas, etc.
#5) Kamado Rowan is Professor Rowan, obviously.
#6) The events that occured at Spear Pillar are not what you may think/expect. Trust me when I say anything you may be predicting will be far from what's actually gone down. Will I reveal what happened? Yes. In due time. One day. But that day is obviously not today.
But yes, this is supposed to answer a few questions whilst opening up shit tons of new ones, as well as to set up events to come down the line. And I'm telling you all of this NOW because there won't be tons of flashback chapters. So it's important I build the world of the past because you need to understand the PAST to grasp what will occur in the PRESENT.
Plus… I mean, the dark times may be mentioned, but they haven't exactly been avoided…
… well, anyways, here is the Caesar Cipher.
WKLV ZLOO EH WKH ELJJHVW VHDVRQ BHW. VWDQ DQG URZDQ'V MRXUQHB ZLOO EH PRUH HASORUHG. WKH VLQQRK RI WKHQ ZLOO DIIHFW WKH VLQQRK RI QRZ.
Go ahead and solve it, dorks.
Now… I can't say goodbye yet. I can't. Why? Refresh your page maybe and scroll back down.
Look at that. See that? Another chapter.
That's right. As a way to say thank you for sticking with me for over five years, and hopefully not giving up on me, and as a good bang to start off the fourth season with, I've posted two chapters at once, including this one. I know that's... really not a lot, I wanted it to be more. But I've been suuuuper busy... so this is all I could squeeze out before the end of the year. I still hope you enjoy them, and Chapter 38 is in progress!
Anyways, I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter, reviews are highly, highly appreciated, and as always…
Stay Tuned!
~087-B