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Here's the next chapter. Lucas confronts Jason about his dad and Faith gets her new Pokemon.

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Chapter 47

November 8th

"All right," Lucas clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "I have decided on a name for our new companion."

Everyone had finished their breakfast, and they were deciding what they wanted to do today. They had changed into swimming gear and were relaxing in the hotel pool. Duke seemed to perk up a bit, being in the water again, although he did complain about the chlorine. The only one not participating was Scyther. As she was yet to speak, it was challenging for Lucas to build a rapport with her.

Because Lucas' grandfather had forbidden them from entering Viridian Forest for the time being, their options were limited. It was not a problem for Lucas, as he wanted to focus on his Pokemon's foundation. There was plenty to do, even if he had to spend the majority of his time in the city for the next two weeks before they returned to Pallet Town. Since Dante had discovered the Energy Manipulation trait, Lucas wanted all of his Pokemon to learn it. A big part of their training going forward would be to take a move and see if they could get creative with it.

Besides that, today would be busy for Lucas and Faith. Her Phantump would arrive today. Faith was obviously very excited, but she still needed to bond with it.

Furthermore, Lucas had contacted Yuji Sakarai, who would be playing the drums, so they would spend most of the day in the recording studio. Lucas would pay him ten per cent of the profits from its sales. However, if they ever appeared on stage or in a music video, he would have to pay him an additional fee. Faith would get twenty per cent. Obviously, he wanted to give her a bit more than that, but she refused, saying that he had created the song. Lucas found it difficult to keep a straight face after hearing that. She couldn't be further from the truth.

"So what are you calling her?" Faith asked. She was lounging in the shallow waters, and Kale was behind her on the edge of the pool, using his vines to play with her hair.

"Well, she is green," Jason said. "How about Jade?"

"Not bad," Lucas said. "But I have already decided on a name. She is the strong silent type, so she needs a name befitting a warrior. I am going to call her Freya."

"That's a good name," Faith nodded.

"It sure is," Misty said, looking at Scyther, who was leaning against the wall. "It's too bad she can't understand English to appreciate your efforts. How long did you spend coming up with that name?"

"Don't ask," Lucas sighed. He climbed into the pool and sat beside Faith. "Why is naming something so difficult?"

"Everything seems like a challenge when you aren't good at it," Jason said distractedly. He was staring at a girl at the other end of the pool.

"We should leave," Faith said to Lucas. "My Phantump should have arrived at the Pokemon Centre by now."

Any Pokemon that have been purchased online must be delivered to the Pokemon Centre if they're from another city or region. Not only did they check the Pokemon for any health issues, but they had to make sure that the Pokemon was legitimate.

"Sure," Lucas said. "I will follow you in a minute. Jason and I need to talk." Faith climbed out of the water, and her Pokemon followed her out of the room.

"Jason, I need a word with you," Lucas said to the teenager, but his friend was still distracted by the beautiful girl. Bane, who was standing nearby, gave Lucas a thumbs-up before jumping into the pool. Jason sputtered as he was hit by a cascade of water. Lucas and Misty laughed at the look on his face.

"You're such a menace," Jaso roared as he swam after Bane. Trying to catch a water-type Pokemon in its natural environment was futile. Bane escaped easily, chortling with glee.

Lucas held out a hand so Jason could grab it, and he pulled him out of the water. "I need a word."

"What is it?"

They moved away until they found a spot where they would not be overheard.

"What's going on with your dad?" Lucas asked bluntly.

"There's nothing going on," Jason said, looking away with a nervous expression. Lucas almost rolled his eyes. His friend was so terrible at lying that he didn't even know why he even tried in the first place.

"Come on, man. You can tell me if something is wrong. I wanted to give you privacy at first because it is your business, but you have been avoiding the subject for the past few days. I'm worried about you."

Jason sighed, "It is my problem to solve. I don't want to get you involved. As it is, you have already been through so much."

"That's bullshit. If I was in the same situation, I'm sure you wouldn't hesitate to help. Just lay it on me."

After a moment of hesitation, Jason conceded. "My dad is in some trouble with some loan sharks. He owes them a lot of Pokedollars."

"Why is he getting you involved?" Lucas asked. "Does he want to use me through you?"

"No, he hasn't even mentioned you," Jason said. "In fact, he is not even asking for any Pokedollars at all."

"Then what does he want?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Look, my dad is not a good man. Though he seemed to be turning his life around, he tried to do one last deal to earn some Pokedollars and start afresh. The reason he did so was for his daughter. He borrowed some Pokedollars from a loan shark. However, the deal fell through, and now he has some bad guys on his back."

Lucas hummed in surprise. "You already have a sibling on the way. Now you find out you already have a half-sister. Are you sure he is telling the truth?"

"Yes, I have met her." Jason pulled a photo out of his wallet and handed it to him. "She is the spitting image of my dad."

Lucas looked at the photo. The girl looked to be a year or two younger than Abigail. She was certainly cute enough, with dark hair and a wide smile showing a gap between her teeth.

Lucas handed the photo back. "What's her name?"

"Maia. She is the reason I have been in so much contact with my dad. He doesn't want any Pokedollars. He wants me to take her with me. Apparently, the people he owes have been threatening to take her as compensation."

"Well, that sucks," Lucas said. "If she is really in danger, then we need to help her. I hate to play devil's advocate here, but are you sure he is not lying to you to rid himself of another responsibility?"

Jason grimaced. "I thought the same thing at first. But then I had a run-in with the loan shark he owes. The man is not kidding around. Now that he knows about me, I have become a target as well."

"Okay, it's a lot more serious than I thought." Lucas paced up and down, thinking of what their next move could be. "Does your mother know?"

"About Maia? Yeah. It's the reason she encouraged me to get in contact with my dad in the first place. As for the other stuff, hell no. She wouldn't put me in danger like that."

"Maybe you should tell her and Vincent," Lucas said. "We can't handle this by ourselves. Who knows what we're up against?"

"Maybe," Jason said. "I don't want to involve my mother if I don't have to. She has already been put through the wringer because of my dad."

"So just tell Vincent," Lucas said. "The man is just as overprotective of her as you are. He will be discreet."

When Jason seemed to be still hesitating, Lucas sighed and took out his phone. After finding his godfather's phone number in his contact list, he called him up and explained the situation.

"I will take care of it," he said simply. "Don't get involved."

"Me? Are you insinuating something? I am not a busybody," Lucas protested.

"Yeah, right," Vincent replied. "Why didn't Jason call me?"

"Hmm, maybe he isn't convinced that you are trustworthy. You need to step your game up," Lucas joked.

"I will contact you later when I have news to share," Vincent said before hanging up.

Lucas turned to Jason. "See how easy that was?"

Jason nodded his head rapidly. They returned to the pool when Jason's phone started ringing. His friend sighed. "That's Vincent, isn't it?"

Lucas grinned and left him to his fate. He waved goodbye to Misty and hurried to his room to get changed, with his Pokemon following behind. He would set them up at the training facility before Faith and himself headed for the Pokemon Centre.

{0(((..)))0}

"I did it," Faith ran over and hugged Lucas. In the end, the bonding was completed without any problems. Seriously, with a girl as beautiful as she was, what Pokemon would resist her charm? Maybe he was a bit biased.

"Congratulations," Lucas kissed her before she ran off and picked up her new Pokemon. It waved its little arms as she spun it around.

When you think about it for a moment, Phantump is rather odd. The Pokemon looked like a tree stump that had been possessed by a ghost. He could see how it could be popular, as it was cute enough. That was until it evolved into Trevenant, which had one of the most terrifying appearances of any Pokemon.

It had been a costly endeavour to get the Pokemon here. The Kalos region was located so far away that transportation costs were expensive. She had purchased the Pokemon through the catalogue, and they charged a premium price for their products. In return, they guaranteed that their products were of the highest quality and completely legitimate. It was backed by the Pokemon League, after all.

The last cost was the most egregious. If you purchase or capture a Pokemon from a region different from your own, you will be charged an additional fee. This was quite a common practice throughout the different regions because it was a way for them to generate revenue. All of them had unique Pokemon that only existed within their borders, so they found a way to exploit their rarity.

"Have you got a name for Phantump?" Lucas asked as they walked outside.

"No," Faith shook her head. "I didn't know until just now that he would be a male."

"How about Stumpy?" Lucas suggested.

"Hell no."

"Woody?"

"That's even worse."

"Blockhead?"

"Now, you are just taking the piss," Faith glared at him.

"Well, we have some time before we get to the recording studio," Lucas said. "We should be able to come up with something by then."

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the studio. In the end, they decided on Phantump's name. She was now christened Terra. It was a clever play on words if you consider her evolution.

Lucas looked around after entering the room, searching for Yuji and Albert. He found them sitting down in the visitor's lounge, so he and Faith made their way over.

Albert stood as they approached. His attire was the same as it had always been: a pressed black suit that was free of any lines or creases. He was always so impeccably dressed that he could have served as someone's butler. "Good morning, sir. Faith, you are looking as beautiful as ever."

"Hi, Alfred," Faith said.

"This is Yuji Sakurai," Albert announced as the teenager stood up.

"How's it going?" Lucas greeted the boy, and they shook hands.

The boy looked completely ordinary. He wasn't ugly. Yuji just had a set of features that didn't stand out in any way and would be lost in a crowd. His clothes looked old and worn, which hinted at some financial hardship, so he probably jumped at the chance when he was offered the job.

"Hello. Your Pokemon song was a total jam. That collaboration you did with the Dragon Knights was awesome as well. I can't believe you want me to collaborate with you on your next song."

"Don't take it too seriously," Luca said casually. "This song is totally different from my first. I don't know how well it will be received."

"He is being modest," Faith said, poking him in the side. "The song is beautiful."

"We will see," Lucas smiled before looking at Alfred. "Thanks for introducing us. Are you planning to stick around to have a listen?"

"Of course, sir," Alfred replied.

"Let's go then."

They entered the recording room Lucas had rented for the day. He took copies of the sheet music from his backpack and handed them over to Yuji and Faith. They walked off to warm up and practice their instruments.

"By the way," Lucas said to Alfred, taking out a folder and handing it to him. "I have drawn the designs for the island. Have you found an architect?"

"Yes," Alfred nodded as he looked through the folder. "A woman by the name of Sara Rhodes. I will send you a copy of her contract so you can have a look at it before she signs it."

"Okay," Lucas said. "Then she should come with us to the island in two weeks' time."

"I would also like to bring along the manager of the construction company I am looking at hiring. He can help estimate how much resources and Pokedollars it's going to cost. It's not going to be cheap. You may have to look at getting some investors in, or else you will run out of Pokedollars at some point."

"Hmm. If necessary, I will have my parents invest in the island or give me a loan. But I want to see how far I can go on my own first. The issue may not matter if the culprits behind this massacre aren't caught. It is likely to affect the viability of the resort."

"It is a tragedy," Alfred nodded. "But I don't think it will have too much of an effect. By the time the resort is finished, the massacre will have already diminished its impact on people's minds, as callous as that sounds. You also forget that it only involves Kanto as well. People from other regions will still be attracted to the resort if it's compelling enough."

"That is true," Lucas replied.

Lucas watched Yuji as the teenager started playing the drums. He seemed to catch on fairly quickly, although the song wasn't particularly demanding instrumentally. Still, he could see that Alfred had discovered a diamond in the rough. He may become a permanent member for future songs if they get on well enough.

After practising individually for an hour, they started to play the song in full. Alfred watched on with an expressionless face as they practised. They started nailing the timing better, and the song was coming together nicely. It would still take some work before it was flawless, but they had already made incredible progress.

"So, what do you think?" Lucas asked after they had finished for the day. His vocal cords were starting to feel the strain from singing all day, so he drank some water to soothe his throat. At least he had gained a couple of levels in his singing skill.

Alfred asked, "Are you interested in quitting as a trainer? Based on just two songs, your career as a musician is immeasurable."

"Well, that's a ringing endorsement. And, no, being a trainer is my first love, and music is secondary."

"Very well. But fans will expect you to release an album once this song is out. You will no longer be considered a one-hit wonder."

"Right," Lucas replied. "Let's take it a step at a time. I have already started writing other songs, so I won't lack material. For this song, I plan to livestream it to generate interest. What do you think?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Alfred agreed. "I will speak with Jason to help him promote the live stream."

Yuji came over to say goodbye. "That was a blast. Same thing tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Lucas grinned. "We should be able to record the song. Thanks for today."

After spending the day with the teenager, he liked him even more. He had a laid-back attitude, similar to Jason, although he was more reserved. As a drummer, he certainly looked like he was shaping up to be a prodigy.

{0(((..)))0}

Later that evening, Lucas decided to have a chat with Duke. The Pokemon's depression had persisted for too long. In addition, aspects of his personality were causing friction with his teammates. He didn't think Duke was terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but he was spoiled. It also seemed to me that he was clinging to the whole noble schtick a little bit too tightly.

He needed to be careful how he approached this, as he ran the risk of alienating Duke and affecting the bond. Up until this point, he had an easy time with regard to his partners' personalities. His first three Pokemon were all quite settled, although they had their own quirks.

Dante was the leader, and he seemed to be able to get his teammates to listen to him, with the exception of Imara. He was generally easy to get along with and was very intelligent. However, he was sarcastic and arrogant to some extent. Dante had good reason to be conceited since he was a highly capable Pokemon, irrespective of his parameters.

Maximus was a big baby and seemed simple-minded, but sometimes Lucas got the feeling that he was putting on an act. He had gotten glimpses of a more shrewd mind underneath his facade. It may be the abuse that he suffered at the hands of Team Rocket that caused him to be like that. For now, Luas would wait and see if his true personality would fully emerge with time.

Imara was similar to Dante, but she was a lot more brutal and decisive in battle. He didn't know if that was a trait of her species or if it was her own personality. She constantly clashed with Dante for the position of leader; however, she never took it too far. If she was battling or training to get stronger, then she was usually happy.

'What do you want?' Duke asked after Lucas led him out onto the balcony of their hotel room.

"We need to talk about your behaviour," Lucas said, sitting down on a bench that overlooked the garden below. "Your sulking has gone too far. It's time to snap out of it."

'But I am a prince. I am supposed to be the best. I should never lose!'

"Where did you get the idea that you are noble?" Lucas asked.

'My mother told me. She said I was one in a million. That I am different from the other Horseas.'

Thank you, Duke's mother. You have given your kid a complex. But what did she mean when she said Duke was unique? Then the answer came to him, and it was so obvious that he wanted to smack himself for not figuring it out earlier. Duke was a shiny Pokemon, something that was very rare. Kingdra couldn't understand the concept of what a shiny Pokemon truly was, so in her eyes, Duke was special.

Lucas still wasn't sure where she learned about the nobility, but that was not the point. Kingdra had filled Duke's head with the notion that he was a prince, and now he was stuck in that mindset.

"Duke, do you know why she called you special? It is because you are a shiny Pokemon. You have a different colouring than the other Horseas. You are very rare, but being a shiny Horsea does not make you royalty."

'What?' Duke looked stunned.

Lucas explained it further to him, and the Pokemon seemed to be listening. Honestly, he should have addressed the issue sooner, but it was being resolved now.

'So, I'm not one of those nobles, am I?'

Duke still seemed upset even after having understood that he had been living under a misconception. Lucas organised his thoughts for a moment, trying to come up with a convincing argument to get him out of his funk.

"True nobility has nothing to do with a title and its privileges; it has to do with character. In essence, it is about cultivating a belief system built on courage, honour, self-discipline and responsibility. A man's true nobleness is based on his willingness to take risks for others, protecting those that cannot protect themselves. He is for the people. He does not require your wealth nor your obedience. His motivation for his actions is the belief that it is the right thing to do. This is nobility."

Duke fell silent, and Lucas decided to leave him alone with his thoughts. Time would tell if he was able to grow from this, but he was confident Duke would succeed.

As he stepped inside, he saw that Freya had not moved from her position against the wall after returning from the training facility. She had participated in the training, so he knew she was listening to his instructions at least, but she had not said anything over the bond. He decided to try and speak with her again.

'Hey, Freya. You've been standing there for so long that you are liable to be stuck in that position forever.'

She tilted her head but didn't respond. Lucas continued to talk to her for a few minutes, but it was like talking to a brick wall. For the time being, he decided to leave it alone.

'I don't know why you are not willing to speak, but as long as you can listen, then I guess that will do for now.'

The true test would be when they first participated in a battle together. Judging by her reaction to training today, she was like Imara in that she loved to fight and get stronger. He now had two ferocious girls on his hands. The boys better be careful in the future.

Freya was already ahead of the others in terms of levels and affinities, so he didn't need to rush her into battle. Today, she worked on mastering her moves. He was interested in seeing if he could modify some of her attacks, but she would need to master them first. In light of the fact that she already had enough moves, it would be better if she worked on the ones she already had and improved upon them first.

Lucas sat down on the couch next to Faith and Jason. They were watching the news again, looking for any updates on the massacre.

"Anything new?" Lucas asked.

"Not really," Faith lay her head on his shoulder. "Just an update on the number of dead. It is so morbid that I wonder why I'm watching it."

"They still don't have any information on who attacked the town," Jason said. "I bet your grandfather is under a lot of pressure."

"He can handle it," Lucas said. "He didn't become the Minister of Defence by being a shrinking violet."

Lucas received a notification, so he opened it discreetly. He finally got a response from Arceus about the new function Lucas requested.

Arceus has answered your prayer!

A new function has been added to the menu!

Arecues Emporium Level 1

Description: The emporium is a shop accessed from the player's menu, and it allows him to buy rare items. The player must obtain them with Arceus Coins. The player can earn coins by playing the Arceus slot machine, but participating in the game costs a certain amount of coins. Simply purchase some coins from the emporium, and try your luck at winning the various prizes. The type of items that can be purchased from the emporium will depend on its level. After the player has spent a specific amount of coins, the emporium will level up, and the number of items will increase.

Lucas was rendered speechless. Arceus had taken his request and repurposed it into a monetisation scheme. He originally wanted a shop where he could purchase items with Pokedollars. Specifically, stat-enhancing items that he could use to bolster his Pokemon's parameters. They were not easy to find. It took an experienced alchemist and a lot of rare and expensive ingredients to make them. So he couldn't just find them on a store shelf.

However, now he would have to gamble to get what he wanted. It was possible that his luck stat would help him win a lot of coins, but he did not know how much it would affect his chances. Currently, it was at fifteen after spending hours playing poker with his Pokemon.

Lucas accessed the newly added function in his menu, and he was greeted by a screen that displayed a virtual slot machine that he could play. A second tab, labelled emporium, was also available for him to select, so he clicked on it. A buy-and-sell screen appeared, where he could purchase coins with Pokedollars. The rest of the items could only be purchased with coins. He scrolled down the list, and there were about twenty items in total, including the stat-enhancing candies he was interested in. It wasn't a huge selection, but in the future, it would only improve.

The candies cost ten coins each, but that number meant nothing to him. He scrolled back up to see what the coins cost. He gulped when he saw that each coin was selling for a thousand Pokedollars. That meant ten thousand for one candy. There was no way he had the funds for that, so he had to rely on the slot machine. He felt like he was being scammed by the God Pokemon, but if he wanted those items, he would have to play his game.

In order for him to have a better chance of winning, he would increase his luck before trying the slots. First, by training it to twenty, and then spending some AP to increase it further.

"Lucas, your phone is ringing," Faith shook his shoulder.

Lucas blinked before scrambling for his phone.

"Lucas," Vincent's voice came over the line. "Are you alone?"

"No, why?"

"Can you move somewhere you will not be overheard?"

Faith and Jason were giving him inquiring looks, but Lucas held up a hand. He moved out onto the balcony and sat down. "What's going on?"

"Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. After you contacted me, I rallied a group of friends in law enforcement and drove to Viridian City. We cooperated with the local police and planned to hit the loan sharks hard, and fast and make sure Jason's dad and sister were protected."

Lucas had a bad feeling about where this was going. "What happened?"

"One of the policemen was a snitch. The safe house we were holding Jason's dad and his sister was attacked. One of the men managed to get hold of Maia. Her dad tried to protect her, and he was shot in the process."

"Is he dead?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Lucas said calmly. "What about Maia?"

"She's fine," Vincent sighed. "We got there in time to stop him. But she obviously is traumatised. She is asking for Jason. I need you to inform him of his dad's death before we get to the hotel. I would tell him myself, but I don't want to do it over the phone."

"Right," Lucas said. He hung up the phone and sat there for a moment. He felt terrible for his friend. Obviously, Jason had been disappointed by his father on numerous occasions, but it seemed that they had turned a corner and were building a tentative relationship. How was he supposed to tell him his dad was dead?

The guilt that Lucas felt was overwhelming. He was the one who contacted Vincent in the first place. If he had not done so, would the man still be alive right now?

Lucas had to remind himself that he was not omnipotent. There was no way he could have predicted this outcome. Calling Vincent was the right thing to do. If he had done nothing, then the outcome could have been far worse. What if something happened to Maia? Or Jason? The loan sharks didn't seem to be reasonable people. It was always going to come down to a confrontation.

Lucas took a breath and returned to the living room. His serious expression was immediately noticed, and Jason seemed to recognise that it was about him, judging by his expression.

"Jason, something has happened," Lucas said. "Can we go speak privately?"

"I don't mind Faith staying," Jason said, looking terrified.

Lucas repeated what Vincent had told him, and Jason seemed to freeze as if not knowing how to react to the situation.

"I'm so sorry, Jason," Faith reached out and hugged him.

"I need to go and get my room ready for Maia," Jason stood up, not looking at them. His movements were robotic as he headed for the door. His Pokemon followed him closely, with Sandee clinging onto his pants leg.

"Jason, I'm sorry. If I hadn't interfered..." Lucas began.

"It's not your fault. I blame my dad for this," Jason said, pausing at the door. "It's the same old story of him disappointing me."

Jason finally showed some emotion by slamming the door. Lucas collapsed on the sofa beside Faith and took her in his arms. "What a shitty end to the day."

"Tell me about it," Faith murmured. "I thought everything was going so well. Why does it feel as if the world is conspiring against us? What will be the next incident?"

"That's a defeatist attitude," Lucas chided her. "This is just a bump in the road. It is unlikely that anything bad will happen again in the future."

Lucas reached out and knocked on Phantumps' stump, causing him to protest. Knock on wood, right?

So, what do you think? Next chapter, Lucas focuses on creating the incense for Eevee.

Thanks for reading.