Chapter 91

"Bugger…" Aurum muttered as he reeled in his line. He had a bite from a Finneon, but it managed to wriggle free before he could reel it in. If he had grabbed his pole earlier he might've caught the thing. Aurum had been drifting in and out of sleep and had missed the first bite.

Still, it was his first bite of the day and only his third since returning to Himitsu. Once or twice before, someone had told him that fish were more active and willing to bite on rainy days. If that was true, then today would be his best chance at catching something. He had much better luck in Olivine where the fish were less picky about what they ate. Maybe if he used different bait, he'd actually get something.

He ruffled through his pack, wondering if he had any Rare Candies left. No fish Pokémon could resist bait like that. He didn't want to have to resort to such measures, but he was getting desperate. If he could get one to take home, just one, then it wouldn't be such a waste of time.

He found a few half-melted candies at the bottom of a spare pocket. He speared one on the end of his hook, hoping that it wouldn't simply crumble and fall off or simply dissolve away before he caught anything.

Convinced that he was on to something, he cast his line. The sinker on his line hit the water with a plop that could scarcely be heard over the rain. His hook with the Rare Candy on it sank into the lake.

And then he waited…and waited…and waited…

"Unbelievable…" he muttered, "it's a Rare Candy, damn you!"

He took a deep breath to calm himself. They would bite if he was patient. He couldn't think of anything that would make better bait. The damned fish must have known what he was up to. Fish Pokémon were smart, after all. Maybe they were smart enough to recognize the hook as something dangerous. Well, all Aurum wanted was one brave idiot to try it and then he'd have him. Just a little bit more…

"Uh…master Aurum?" a voice behind him asked.

"Shush," Aurum responded reflexively. The voice was the kid with the Leafeon and the Charmander. What was his name? Mark. That was it. But what was this "master Aurum" business?

At long last, something was happening. He could see ripples in the water as something big was moving very fast. Aurum braced himself as the ripples picked up speed, heading straight for his line. He could just make out the very tip of the back fin of a Lumineon.

This was it. This would be his chance. The biggest fish in the lake, maybe even the whole river was heading straight for his line.

"Whoa…that's a big fish…" that was the Charmander-girl. Cherry was her name. Aurum liked her. She had seemed weak, at first, but after he had tested her with Nails, there was nothing he asked that she wouldn't do. The boy should be the one to have that kind of confidence.

"Shush!" Aurum said again. He stood up and prepared himself for his finest hour.

The ripples were getting closer. He could see the hazy shape of the Lumineon beneath the uneven surface of the water.

Just a little bit more, Aurum thought, just a little…bit…NOW!

There was a hard tug on his line. Seizing the chance, Aurum yanked on his pole in the opposite direction. He shut his eyes and strained, putting all of his strength into it.

"GO! GO! GO!" the Leafeon-girl cheered him on. He liked her, as well. She seemed like a normal, gentle girl most of the time. However, even having access to the Red State meant there was something stronger underneath the surface. A kind of fierce determination and will to fight that made her stronger than any human Leafeon had a right to be.

Almost immediately afterwards, Aurum's line went slack.

"The hell…?" Aurum opened his eyes in time to see the ripples and the tip of the Lumineon's back fin vanish into the water, heading back towards the center of the lake. He reeled his line in and discovered that he was missing the Rare Candy, his hook, and about three inches of fishing line.

"Dammit…" he muttered. Giving up on fishing, for the moment, he turned to his group of students. "You're late. Again."

"Sorry," Mark apologized. Of the three, Aurum liked Mark the least. In fact, he didn't like him much at all. The boy had a decent head on his shoulders, but he lacked conviction. Aurum couldn't help but wonder what the world was coming to when the boy was the weakest of the three.

"Well," Aurum looked them over, "where were you this time?"

"Uh…" the boy fidgeted.

"We were watching RiverofTears," Maple answered.

"Oh?" Aurum kept his gaze on Mark. He would be the hardest of them to train. Pokémon were much easier than humans. "Did you learn anything useful?"

"Uh…sort of," Mark replied, "is it true? That you're related to RiverofTears?"

"Who told you that?" Aurum narrowed his gaze.

"Alfred Silph…"

"Of course…" Aurum sighed, "That weasel…yes, it's true."

"And you're supposed to fight her, next round…"

"Yes. What's your point?"

"Well, you never mentioned her," Mark shrugged, "we were just wondering if everything's okay."

"Worry about yourself, not about me," Aurum scolded him, "now, unless you're here to train, leave me alone. You're bad luck." He didn't want to fish anymore, but he would find a way to motivate himself if his students kept asking personal questions.

"We're staying," Mark nodded, "we have a match in the morning. We need this. Just tell us what to do."

Aurum studied his pupil and his human Pokémon.

"Which one?"

"Cherry," Mark told him and the Charmander-girl stepped forward, "she has to fight a human Ninjask named Shinobi tomorrow. If she can't beat him, we'll lose."

"Very well," Aurum nodded, before turning to Cherry, "what do you know?"

"Uh, Flame Burst, Slash, Smokescreen and Dragon Dance," Cherry listed.

"Hmm…not good enough," Aurum shook his head, "not nearly good enough for this tournament…"

"Is there anything we can do?" Mark asked, "any…special training?"

"No," Aurum dismissed the idea, "the only thing left for you to do is work for it."

"In the rain?" Cherry groaned.

"Yes, in the rain," Aurum snapped, "how else will you learn your limits? Train in your worst element, not your best. You're lucky that it's raining. Sweat while you train so you don't have to bleed in battle."

"Oh, right, uh, yessir!" Cherry almost saluted.

Aurum looked down at the girl and sighed. She was loyal and confident, but she was small, so very small…

Just one day, he thought, it's not enough. He reached back into his bag.

"What are you looking for?" Maple asked.

"These," Aurum held out the rest of his Rare Candies. There were five in all.

"Uh…they look kinda…smooshed…" Cherry observed. She took them anyway.

"Will they even work on human Pokémon?" Mark asked. He had only come across a few of the incredibly expensive candies in his travels. But he had also heard several stories of trainers that were so wealthy that they regularly fed their Pokémon the treats.

For a short time, some tournaments had debated on whether or not to ban Pokémon that used them. However, it became well known that using Rare Candies alone was not enough to train a strong Pokémon. Without the added effort of battling beside their trainers, such Pokémon were no better than wild ones. Rare Candies helped a Pokémon grow faster, but not necessarily better.

"Yes, they'll work fine," Aurum assured him, "and don't complain. You're lucky I still keep a few with me."

Cherry did no such thing as she opened the first partly melted and flat Rare Candy. She ate the first one rather quickly, but regretted doing so. For the second one, she took her time, chewing slowly as she savored the taste.

"Well?" Mark asked, "Is it working?"

"Mmuh?" Cherry asked. Her mouth was filled with candy, but she swallowed before answering. "Uhh…maybe? It's hard to tell…they taste good, though…" She started on the third.

"Can I try one?" Maple asked, reaching for the sweets.

"Nnmm!" Cherry protested, pulling away from her, "get your own! I'm the one that needs to train, anywarr!" The fourth was in her mouth before she finished her sentence.

"This won't make her weaker later on, will it?" Mark asked. He had heard so many conflicting stories about the usefulness of Rare Candies; it was hard to be sure.

"No, it won't," Aurum reassured him, "they're fine in moderation. Besides, she's finished with her specialty training. That should be enough."

"Last one!" Cherry announced, dangling it in front of Maple before popping it into her mouth, "mmm…" She chewed it slowly and licked her teeth and her fingers when she was done.

"Well?" Mark asked, still a little doubtful that it had helped.

"Well…" Cherry thought, "I do feel a little stronger, but I'm not sure…is there any more?"

"Uhh…well, I don't have any, but-"

"OW! OWWW!" Cherry clutched her head and dropped to her knees. She motioned for the others to move away. Once they were safely behind her, she inhaled deeply and expelled a stream of fire directly over the lake. The reddish-orange flames extended out for a full twenty feet before beginning to sizzle and dissipate. She kept the stream going for three full seconds before she had to stop and catch her breath.

"Flamethrower," Mark grinned, "now we're getting somewhere. Cherry, you don't need Flame Burst anymore."

"Okay," Cherry breathed and nodded quickly before sitting back onto the wet grass, "I take it back. I don't want any more."

"It's alright," Mark consoled as he sat down with her, "you did good."

"Unfortunately, that was the easy part," Aurum reminded them, "Now you have to work for the rest."

"Yeah, I know," Cherry agreed as she got to her feet, "what do I need to do?"

"Now you just train like every other Pokémon," Aurum explained, "by battling."

"Okay, sure," Cherry nodded, "so, do I train with one of yours, then?"

"I'm afraid not," Aurum shook his head, "they're much too strong for you, as you are now. You'll have to spar with someone closer to your own skill level." He turned to Maple.

"What?" the Leafeon-girl looked around, "me?"

"No, your trainer," Aurum snapped, "yes, you. Just don't call out the Red State and you'll be fine." He began walking away to give the two human Pokémon enough space to battle.

"Whoa, wait!" Mark called to him, "both of them? Against each other?"

"Of course," Aurum said without turning back, "the best way for any Pokémon to grow stronger is by challenging another closer to its skill level. And the wild Pokémon here are too weak. Thus, the best way for them to train is by fighting each other. How do you suppose my own grew to be so powerful? They fought each other."

"Uh…" Mark turned back to Maple and Cherry. The two had become very uncomfortable standing where they were. Each one was trying not to look at the other. Neither of them had ever expected to fight the other. "There has to be something else."

"Not if you want to be ready for tomorrow," Aurum concluded before turning back, "fire versus grass in the rain: that should amount to an even match-up. Even if the Leafeon is stronger."

Mark turned back to the girls.

"We don't have to do this," he told them, "we can find our own way." He had been ready to give up training for the day only an hour ago and he never imagined Aurum would ask for something like this. He had no issues with walking away.

On the other hand, in a strange, cold way, what Aurum was proposing made sense.

"Cherry…" Maple started, turning towards the smaller girl, "what do you want to do?"

Cherry turned to face Maple. The two had become friends quickly and had never once fought or even disagreed with each other.

"I say we do it!" Cherry declared. She made a fist and shook it.

"R-really?" Maple asked, though she grinned back.

"Yeah!" Cherry's grin grew wider, "I can take you! Rain or not, I'm gonna win!"

Mark could hardly believe what he was seeing as the two Pokémon-girls walked away and took up positions where Maple had sparred with Katana. Both of them were grinning widely, as if they were going to get ice cream or go shopping together.

"Trainer!" Aurum called, "over here!"

Mark jogged over to the veteran trainer, wondering what he wanted.

"Don't give them any orders," Aurum told him, "just watch and referee. Learn their movements as well as their attacks. Pay attention and you just might learn something."

Mark nodded and turned back to Maple and Cherry. They stood about a hundred yards apart from each other. They waited patiently, as if they couldn't move if no one gave them permission.

"Uh…go?"

The two set after each other without a moment's pause. Maple proved to be quicker, coming up on the smaller girl in just a few seconds. Cherry fired a quick Flamethrower without aiming. Startled by the sudden attack, Maple hesitated and had to weave around the stream of flame. Her fear of fire was obvious in her movements.

The Leafeon-girl regained her composure quickly and came up on Cherry's right side. However, the Charmander-girl was a small target and Maple's first swing missed. Her second caught Cherry across the mid-section and a few drops of blood flew through the air.

Grimacing from the pain, Cherry gathered a deep breath. She shot another Flamethrower at point-blank range. Maple threw up her hands to shield herself, but could do nothing to dodge the flames that covered her upper body. She too winced from the pain, but with the rain dampening the effects of Cherry's Flamethrower, she was clearly the stronger of the two human Pokémon.

Cherry scrambled backwards, trying in vain to crawl out of reach of Maple's vicious Leaf Blade. When the Leafeon-girl was almost directly on top of her, Cherry had a sudden idea. This time, when she opened her mouth, she exhaled a thick cloud of black smoke. Maple had to close her eyes and swing wildly as the Smokescreen obscured her vision.

Cherry managed to get to her feet and put some distance between herself and Maple. She turned back and spied her leaf-shaped tail still swinging at a target that was long gone. The Charmander-girl took a deep breath and prepared another Flamethrower.

Just before she let it loose, Maple stopped swinging and listened instead. She only had a split second to predict where the attack was coming from. But she guessed right as she rolled to the side of the column of fire.

She followed the stream back to its source and caught up to the dumbfounded Charmander-girl. She swiped her tail in a downwards arc and the first round went to Maple.

Mark rushed over, pulling a Revive from his own stock of medicines for human Pokémon. He had to sell most of his old stock to be able to afford what he had, but he could see it would be worth it. But if this kept up, it would all be gone before the day was over.

"Oww…" Cherry groaned as she sat up and her wounds closed. She turned to Maple, "you hurt!"

"Sorry," Maple apologized despite her grin and the fact that she was bouncing on her heels. It was hard to be sorry about beating a fire-type.

"Are you sure you want to keep doing this?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," Cherry stood up, "let me at her. I can beat her. I just didn't know she was that quick…or strong…or…I can beat you!"

"O-kay," Maple teased, "but I'm not going to make it easy!"

"Neither will Shinobi!" Cherry shot back, "now let's go!"

Mark stood back, stunned by how quickly their reluctance to fight had become outright eagerness. He gave the call to start again and kept his medicine stock ready. It was going to be a long, strange afternoon…

Fed up with fishing for the day, Aurum watched the two Pokémon-girls from the periphery. He was pleased to note that the two were becoming stronger much more quickly than he had expected.

The Leafeon-girl especially was much stronger than he had realized. If she activated her Red State, she'd be close to the same level as his own human Pokémon. He wondered how that was possible. Had someone else trained her? He studied her movements, looking for signs.

Yes, there it was. Once, the Leafeon-girl tried something that he recognized. She moved her hands in odd directions and random patterns. It was a misdirection technique. But it was far less effective than when Quickstep used it. Maple did not have the human Mienshao's absurdly long sleeves.

So that's how it was. Aurum wondered who else had taken an interest in this trainer he was teaching. He'd be stupid to think Astral wasn't watching him. He watched them all more closely than a Fletchling watches its chicks.

No matter. There was nothing to be concerned about. It was his own decision to train the boy and his Leafeon. The Charmander hadn't been part of the agreement, but when Aurum learned how little training she had, he couldn't help himself. He was starting to care about them.

He knew he couldn't watch over them forever. Once the tournament was over, their training would end and it was up to Mark to keep it going. Aurum was teaching him the techniques he needed as well. And the more he stayed off to the side, the more the boy had to rely on himself.

Such was Pokémon and such was life.

Much of what he knew he had to teach himself. If he didn't prepare himself, he would lose against the very same method one day. But then he could learn from his mistakes, grow stronger and use what had beaten him before to win the next time. It was no wonder that he believed that teaching one's self was the most effective way to learn.

But sometimes, Aurum wondered if his methods were too harsh. His own son had been unable to reach a professional level and his granddaughter hated him. He had to find out through his human Pokémon that she was engaged and starting a new life. The very same methods he was using on Mark had cost him his relationship with his granddaughter.

And what other choice did they have? The boy and his human Pokémon were all so determined to win they had to take drastic measures. Aurum was not a miracle worker and he made no promises, but it was hard to ignore how strong his pupils had become in a manner of days.

Of course…one of those methods he wasn't so sure about.

He had told the Leafeon-girl to keep the Red State off. In part, it would make her a somewhat more even match for the Charmander-girl. But he also told her because he wanted to see for himself what was happening. If she could keep it under control, there was nothing to worry about. Then again…when was he ever that lucky?

Aurum was disappointed to see that Maple did not have it under control. Not fully, anyway. Even while fighting another member of her own team, Aurum could see the red flashes in her eyes. It would only last for a moment, after the Charmander had finished a Flamethrower. He had hoped it was only the flickering of the flames, but it was always there. It was pounding at her from the inside, trying to break loose.

Her trainer hadn't noticed, or pretended not to. The Leafeon-girl herself might not even be fully aware of what was happening to her.

But sooner or later, whatever she was holding back was going to break loose.

AN: training chapter.

…not a whole lot to say, really…huh…

Well, I guess I'll see you Sunday.

Thanks for reading!