Chapter 85

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked her mother, "We're…moving?"

"Yes, dear," she sat down on the bed, next to Rachel, "your dad's found a new job, on the mainland. It's much more money and it'll be in a nice town, with good schools. You and your brother can get a better education there."

"A 'better education?'" Rachel stopped at that thought, "I already go to school here. And that's on top of training with granddad."

"Yes, I know," her mother nodded, "but if you go to a better high school, you'll get into a better college and-"

"And you want me to give up Pokémon training," Rachel finished for her mother.

"Well…you don't have to stop right away…" her mother paused. Rachel suspected she didn't know how to respond. Though her father had been a Pokémon trainer, her mother never had. The idea was strange to her. She probably thought it was a reckless, irresponsible career choice. If she thought of it as a career, at all. She didn't want her children to run off, miss school and ruin their lives for some romantic fantasy of traveling and fighting.

"You can always find time to train between school-work," she concluded.

"Uh-huh…" Rachel nodded, though her tone was sarcastic, "you need to collect badges to compete, mom."

"Then we can drive you," Rachel's mom uttered the one idea that was a blasphemy to every true Pokémon trainer.

Leaving home to collect your badges was a rite of passage. You were on your own. You were either one of the few that came back a success, or you were one of the many that couldn't make it on your own. Either way, you succeeded or you failed on your own; without your parents helping you along. Your parents never drove you to a gym match and blew kisses as you challenged the leader for the right to the title of Pokémon Master.

Rachel couldn't help but shudder at the idea.

"Well, it's not like you'd be able to get badges staying here," a slight edge was added to her mother's voice.

"I know…" Rachel admitted, "but I like it here…" She hadn't yet told her mother about the two boys that were staying on the island. It had only been three weeks, but she was starting to like them…a lot.

At first, she thought they would leave, like every other traveling Pokémon trainer. Palkia's Woods was interesting and drew a fair bit of attention, but its mystery had never been solved and it grew boring quickly. Most trainers would leave after no more than a week. Yet those two boys stayed.

Rachel spent most of her free time with them; time that was supposed to be spent training. In a way, she was, because they battled often. She never had anyone her own age to battle with. More than that, they were good. Rachel beat most of the traveling Pokémon trainers that visited Himitsu with no trouble, but those two were much better than the others. Rachel often lost to them, but she was learning and getting better.

Still, she never expected it to last, until about a week earlier, when her granddad came looking for her and found her with the two boys. He often held back when training with Rachel, but when the two challenged him, he did no such thing and beat them both. Afterwards, they practically begged her granddad to teach them. Now the four of them trained and battled together. Rachel had never been so happy to be living on Himitsu Island.

"You do?" her mother asked, incredulous, but she smiled after a moment, "when did this happen?"

"Umm…" Rachel didn't have a response that wouldn't give away her secret. In truth, she didn't like Himitsu Island before the boys came. Training with her granddad had been the only welcome distraction from what was otherwise a very boring, small life. If she had heard about the idea of moving to the mainland a month ago, she would've cheered. But that was a month ago.

"Come on, tell me," her mother prodded, playfully. She was a teenager once. "Is there a boy at school?"

"Not school…" Rachel couldn't keep the smile from her face. It was a secret, but she wasn't sure why. Still, keeping it secret made it…special, somehow.

"Well…" her mother continued prodding, "who is it?"

"Umm…" she hesitated, "two…actually."

"Two?!" her mother gasped, over-exaggerating her surprise. Her daughter had never shown interest in boys before. This was a parenting moment she had been looking forward to.

"I can't decide," Rachel started blushing, embarrassed at herself, but more embarrassed at her mother, "I like them both…"

"Aww…" her mother grinned, "I know. The heart's a strange thing." She patted her daughter's shoulder. She took a breath before asking again. "Well, who are these handsome gentlemen that have caught my lovely daughter's eye?"

"Umm…" again, Rachel felt reluctant to reveal the secret, "They're Pokémon trainers."

"Oh…I see…" her mother nodded.

"They've been here almost a whole month, now," sensing a change in her mother's attitude, Rachel went on, "I've been training with them and we all keep getting better. Granddad's even started training us all together."

"Ah…" all of the pieces fell into place as Rachel's mother considered the new information, "that's why you want to stay." Her tone was serious, once again. Serious, responsible, adult…Rachel didn't like it.

"Uhh…yeah…" Rachel's heart sank. Had it all been a trap? Her mother had teased her like another teenager. Was it to make her lower her guard? She felt cheated. Here it comes, she thought.

"Honey…" her mother sighed, "I know what you're going through. It's tough to think about the future when it seems so far away. It'd be easy to just run away from your responsibilities and chase after boys and far-off dreams. But, Rachel, you're a young woman now and you need to start thinking with more responsibility," she paused to let her words sink in, "the mainland will be good for you. A better school will mean a better future, for you. Trust me." She stood up to leave Rachel alone.

Rachel thought for a moment. "Why did you marry Dad?" she asked, suddenly.

"Huh?" her mother turned back, "where did that come from?"

"Please," Rachel sighed, "just answer me."

"Rachel, if this is about Pokémon training, then remember that your situation is very different from your father's," she dodged Rachel's question.

"He was a trainer, wasn't he?" Rachel pressed, "It didn't exactly ruin his life. Or do you think it did?"

"Rachel! Don't talk like that!" her mother shouted at her, "I love your father and just because he trained Pokémon when he was young that doesn't make it any less true! He's worked hard to get where he is…for all of us," she took a calming breath before continuing, "Pokémon training just isn't stable. Your father gave it up for good reasons."

"And granddad?" Rachel pressed further, "He made a good living off of it. He never had to give it up."

"Yes," her mother sighed, "but they're both exceptions. Please, Rachel, try to understand."

"I understand," she nodded, calmly, "you're forcing me away from what I want right when I finally know what that is."

Her mother hesitated, wondering what to do with her child. She saw all of the potential in her, all of the paths she could take through life. Which was the best road for her? Which one would keep her safe and let her be happy? Did she even know?

"Think it over," she told her daughter.

Rachel did think it over. That is, she spent the next two months convincing her parents to let her stay behind. The agreement was that she would still finish school on Himitsu Island while training and her grandfather would stay to watch over her. So the girl that would become RiverofTears stayed behind on the island she had hated most of her life, while her father, mother and younger brother moved to the mainland to live normal lives. She was fourteen, at the time.

Eight years passed and neither Rachel, nor her mother, expected the path that her life had followed thus far. All in all, between her grandfather and her father, her own Pokémon career felt more like her father's. It was becoming a burden that she had less and less time for. She had new responsibilities, a new life. RiverofTears was a part of her life that only haunted her now.

The feeling was always the worst during moments like the one she had to suffer that afternoon.

"Do you know what you want yet, kitten?" Alfred Silph asked his "daughter" Claire as she looked over the kids' menu.

"Mmm-hmm," the Skitty-girl nodded. She held up the menu and pointed, "That one."

"Chicken fingers?!" Silph exclaimed, "Good choice!"

Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was supposed to find the whole thing adorable. Admittedly, she did, but she was also well aware that Silph was trying to subtly manipulate the situation. Claire didn't really know that she was being exploited, either. She was sweet and innocent, like the girl Rachel wanted to have someday. But before that, she had to deal with Silph.

They were sitting in the booth of a family restaurant just outside the tournament center of the island. Silph was over-dressed, as usual, and Claire had on a tan dress that was slightly damp from the rain. Rachel was dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans. She had considered wearing something more business-like, but had decided that Silph wanted to talk to RiverofTears, not Rachel Sapphire, the youngest member in the history of the Himitsu Island city council. She had to employ her own subtle methods, after all.

As she looked over the menu, she further pondered how she should go about this. According to the rumors, Silph was trying to convince several Himitsu Island officials to let him expand his influence. The center of the town was all basically owned by Silph. If left to his own devices, he'd probably buy up the rest of the island. That left it up to Rachel to convince him to stop.

For better or worse, Silph was the real reason she had the position that she did. As RiverofTears, she knew Silph personally. She knew how he thought and what he wanted. The town picked her because he was their biggest problem, and she was supposed to know how to deal with him.

At the heart of it, her new position was still her old life following her around. But she knew what she was doing. Despite being a token member, her influence was building and she was learning the political game as well as she had known Pokémon. The two had no relation and it often baffled those around her how a Pokémon trainer, with no collegiate background stood a chance in their world. Nevertheless, she worked hard, learned her new trade and did her best to overcome the past that followed her everywhere.

She was Rachel Sapphire, but for the time being, she'd have to play her cards right and be RiverofTears.

"You're getting big!" Rachel exclaimed, turning to Claire, "how old are you, now?"

"Nine," Claire said, proudly.

"Really?" Rachel gasped, "So, you've started school, then?"

"Uhh…well…" Claire hesitated.

"Claire has a small set of tutors teaching her," Silph supplied the answer, "she's up to a fifth grade level and learning more every day."

"Uh-huh," Claire nodded agreement.

"Although," Silph began, "speaking of schools-"

"See any good matches this year?" Rachel continued, ignoring Silph's attempt to get to business.

"Uh-huh!" Claire brightened, "a bunch!"

"Really?" Rachel grinned at the Skitty-girl, "what was your favorite?" She glanced quickly at Silph, studying the slight strain on his face. If he could exploit Claire, then so could she.

Unfortunately, before the Skitty-girl could begin, the waiter arrived to take their orders. Rachel was treated to another scene of family wholesomeness when Silph encouraged the shy Claire to tell the nice man what her order was. Briefly, she wondered what this meeting might look like to an outsider. Probably a family lunch with dad and his two daughters.

When the waiter had gone again, it was Silph who spoke first.

"You know," he began, "I never had the chance to properly thank you for participating in the tournament, this year. Claire was fit to burst when I told her."

"The town could use the money," Rachel half-answered. That part was true. Some of the more conservative members of the council might disagree, but the tournament's boost to the island's economy was unmistakable. Even after only two years running and three years off, the downtime could be felt. Agreeing to participate hadn't earned her any points at her job, but Himitsu was growing to need the tournament.

She also had more personal reasons for competing again. Her new life had started, but pieces of her old one were still missing.

"Have you talked to him yet?" Silph asked, "Your grandfather, I mean."

"No," Rachel sighed. That last bit was meant to toy with her. Silph was well aware of the rumors surrounding all of the Four, "I haven't spoken to any of the others."

"That's a shame," Silph shook his head, "you were always so good together…"

Rachel began tapping her foot to hide her annoyance. The conversation was slipping out of her control. She wondered if wearing something more formal might have helped convince Silph he wasn't dealing with a little girl anymore. RiverofTears or Rachel Sapphire, which did she need to be to do her job?

"That was a long time ago," she told Silph, running her hand over her engagement ring, "people change, you know."

"That they do," he nodded, "I hear that you're a member of the city council now. Congratulations."

"Thank you," she nodded, "it won't be easy, but I've lived here my whole life. I just want to help provide Himitsu Island with what it needs," she paused, "and protect it from what it doesn't need."

"Well said," Silph smiled, "I'm sure some young blood and fresh ideas should do wonders for this town."

Their food arrived as Rachel thought about the best way to persuade Silph to back off. She was certain he was ready to pitch his ideas at her. He might even try to use her as his own personal representative on the council. That was out of the question. She couldn't bend to the man. No matter how much he offered. No matter how much he talked about the past. She had to prove he was talking to Rachel Sapphire, not RiverofTears.

"Well, I suppose we should start to talk business," Silph declared as he finished cutting Claire's chicken fingers into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

"Alright," Rachel nodded, "what did you have in mind?"

"Well," he began, "as you know, the Evolution Cup has grown larger and larger each time it's been held. The first year, we barely had enough participants to run three rounds. The second year, four rounds. Now we're up to a full five rounds and nearly three-hundred human Pokémon.

"That means that the number of human Pokémon in the world is increasing and word of this little tournament is spreading. More human Pokémon means we can put on a larger tournament, which means more money for Himitsu and bring in more people. More people, bigger tournament and everything grows and grows. See? It's all cyclical."

Rachel nodded, if only to indicate that she was still paying attention. It was a fairly standard sales-pitch, nothing too outstanding.

"This is all perfectly logical," Silph dismissed his own small speech, "but what I want to propose is bigger than that," he leaned in, as if sharing the code to a bank vault, "what if, and bare with me here, there was a way that some of the people that went to the tournament could live here?"

"What?" Rachel said, flatly. He really did want to own the entire island. He wanted to make it into a kind of hidden sanctuary for human Pokémon. Rachel was suddenly very worried that her word would mean little to Silph.

"Well, bare with me," Silph repeated, "This isn't something that could happen overnight. But I think we just need to start with the basics. I want to establish a school for human Pokémon. Just for human Pokémon."

"Okay," Rachel nodded, patiently waiting for him to finish.

"Now, we both know that human Pokémon don't evolve totally ready to live with humans. Most of them have to hide what they really are and very few know basic math or even how to read and write. So, in order to help these people, I want to build a school where any and all human Pokémon are welcome to come and learn the basic skills they need for life as a full-fledged human."

"And you want to build it…"

"Here, of course," Silph beamed, "we already have so many trainers and human Pokémon coming here, why not give them a reason to stay and better themselves?"

Rachel nodded once more, soaking in the idea.

"And what about the people that already live here?" Rachel asked, "What do you expect them to do when all of these trainers and human Pokémon come here to live? What happens to them?"

"Well, they wouldn't have to leave," Silph countered, "we can just build new housing for students. Like a college."

"So you want to build a college, now," Rachel was beginning to lose patience, "Himitsu doesn't exactly have much room to spare. There's nowhere left to build, unless you want to try cutting down Palkia's Woods. But, believe me, it's been tried."

"We can find room," Silph dismissed her, offhand, "we built the hotel and the stadium, didn't we?"

"No," Rachel shook her head, "you did. And the only reason anyone let you is because no one thought you'd actually do it!"

"So? We can prove them all wrong again," Silph insisted, "you have to know that this is the right thing to do. Come on. Help me help these people and let me build a school. Please, River."

Of course. Of course he would call her that name instead of her real one. She was still RiverofTears to him, one of the three children that trained human Pokémon and helped him build a tournament to showcase them. She helped him then, and she helped him again to restart it. But she wouldn't help him anymore.

"These are simple people that live here, Mr. Silph," Rachel began her final argument, "simple people that live off of the ocean and are slow to change. Will they welcome neighbors that have horns, tails and who knows what else? No, they won't. They tolerate me because I'm from here, but they only tolerate me. I don't want to think about what they say about the others behind closed doors.

"And what about when all of these human Pokémon graduate? Hmm?" she went on, "where will they go? Where will they find jobs? Even if by some miracle the residents here put aside their fears, there is no work here that isn't already filled. Where does that leave us? Pokémon trainers make money by battling with each other and wagering on the outcome. That's gambling, Mr. Silph. Now, what happens when a bunch of out-of-work gamblers start to run out of money? I think you can see where this is going."

The thought struck her like a blow to the face.

Rachel hadn't realized it until it was too late. She closed her eyes and suppressed the feeling as best as she could. She had to tell herself that this was the right decision. It was the stable, responsible decision. She hated it, but knew it was right.

The moment she had said those words, she had turned into her mother.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Silph," Rachel opened her eyes and extended her hand, "but I'm going to have to ask you to build your school somewhere else."

AN: holy crap, I'm finally back! Miss me? Did you think I was never coming back? Well, to be honest, I wasn't so sure myself there, for a while…but I am back!

In related news, and the real reason I'm here at all, honestly: I quit my job. This is good news and bad news, but mostly good news for you, because while I scramble for new employment, I'm going to start posting again, and more often. We'll start with twice a week (Thursday and Sunday) and, from there, we'll see how bored I get. I might start posting more often than that, but we'll see. YAY, I'M BACK!

So, I kinda wish I had a better note to return on than this rather depressing chapter. the irony of writing about characters giving up Pokemon while being forced to give it up myself was not very enjoyable either (seriously, you try working 65 hours a week for months on end) But, anyways, Cara vs. RiverofTears is right around the corner.

I guess I'll leave it at that right now.

YAY! I'M BACK!