Chapter Four
Brewed Awakening

Paul was no stranger to the expansive gardens of the houses in Cherrygrove City. Rows upon rows of neat, unassuming houses were framed by meticulous, well-manicured gardens brimming with flowers and shrubbery. It was well documented that people put more thought and effort into their gardens than the houses themselves. Annabelle's garden was no difference.

Everything in the massive patch of land she owned was the product of an obvious passion and many, many hours of effort. The grass was cut, ruler straight to a few inches and a vibrant green most gardeners could only dream of achieving. The hedges that fenced off her property were preened to perfection. Paul imagined he could take a magnifying glass to it and find not one twig out of place. Saucer shaped flowers in every colour he could think of turned their faces to the burning sun. When he took a deep breath in, he detected the sweet, yet sickly, scent of honey.

As he stared around the intimidating majesty of such a well-kept garden, something collided sharply with his left shin. He glanced downwards to see a rather dumpy looking Pokemon staring up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Shroom! Shrooooom!" it chittered, slamming its head into his shin again.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Paul cried, leaping backwards out its way.

"Oh no, Dusty, stop that right now!" Annabelle shouted, darting over and scooping up the offending Shroomish. Paul expected it to struggle in her arms but it settled down instantly and a contented look passed over its face. "I'm sorry," Annabelle said, reddening. "It's how he says hello."

"By headbutting?"

"Believe me, I've tried to make him stop. He just won't."

She set the Shroomish down and he scuttled away into the protective depths of some bushes which were ripe with berries. Paul watched it bury itself in the undergrowth, mildly amused. "So… you breed Shroomish?"

Annabelle chuckled nervously. "I wish. I've had Dusty for a little while but I don't have anything that can breed with him yet."

"So what can you breed?"

"I'm getting to that." Another chuckle, this one noticeably more strained. "Hang on. And don't make any noise."

Paul mimed zipping his lip and crossed his arms.

Annabelle whistled loudly, a piercing and shrill noise quite unbecoming of a girl of her tiny stature. It reminded Paul of obnoxious sports fans. For a moment, all was still, and Paul began to wonder if this was all part of some elaborate hoax. Then, a rustling came from the undergrowth and something popped its vibrant red face from between the leaves.

"Hey, baby." Annabelle coaxed, dropping to her knees. "You gonna come out?"

The Pokemon had tiny antennae that twitched in curiosity at Annabelle's voice. Disentangling itself from the bushes and branches, it plopped onto its front, tiny wings flitting uselessly. In the end, Annabelle took pity on it and picked it up, cradling it in her arms like one would hold a newborn baby.

"...it's a Ledyba." Paul said blankly.

"Mm-hmm," Annabelle nodded, shifting the bug to a better position. It chirruped happily and nuzzled its tiny face into her shoulder. "And this is the only one of the eggs that managed to hatch without any…" She hesitated, looking uncomfortable. "...complications."

"Complications?"

"Y-yeah…" Paul noticed her grip tighten on the Ledyba. "I got a loan of the breeding parents a few months ago and managed to get about a dozen eggs. But… some of the eggs didn't hatch. And living in a place like this… well, any city or village, really, there's lots of wild Pokemon about. Eggs are easy prey. And well, newborn Ledyba can't really protect themselves and I… lost most of them. This little guy here is the only one that survived."

When Paul looked at the tiny chirruping thing in her arms he had a hard time believing how such a little helpless runt had managed to live this long, but he didn't dare voice that opinion. "Well… that's… um…"

"No, it's okay." Annabelle sighed, cuddling the Pokemon closer. "Like I said, breeding in real life… it's so much harder. You don't lose Pokemon in games like you can in real life, like to sickness or other Pokemon. Sometimes Pokemon just… die. Maybe for what seems like no reason. Or they get killed."

Paul shifted from foot to foot. "That must be tough."

She nodded. "I mean, yeah, there is the normal problem of "If I don't have any Pokemon to breed I can't make money, can't expand my business and can't climb up the breeding tiers." But that's nothing compared to having to… bury Pokemon that, you know, just didn't survive for whatever reason."

"Well… maybe that's all the more reason to breed things that are… genetically or biologically… 'better' than the other ones? Y'know, so they actually have a better chance of surviving."

Paul half expected Annabelle to get angry again. But to his surprise, her head bowed and her body drooped slightly. "Believe me, I can understand a little of what you mean."

He decided to push her a little further. "You know the whole thing. Survival of the fittest. Weaker things don't have as much of a chance. It's just nature."

"You almost sound like you're blaming the Pokemon themselves…" She still didn't sound angry. There was a melancholy tone to her voice that Paul couldn't quite pin down. "It's not the Pokemon's fault. If anything, it's mine. I mean, I'm the one entrusted with all those little lives. I was the one who couldn't take care of them. I was the one who didn't protect them properly." She lifted her head up and looked Paul squarely in the eye for the first time in the whole conversation. "You have to know that that's why I won't give a Pokemon to someone who won't take proper care of them. Or who'll abandon them." She added pointedly. "It's my way of protecting them."

"I… don't know what to say."

"I don't expect you to." She replied curtly. "I'm just saying that I won't give up this little one or any of the Pokemon I've bred to people I don't think will take proper care of them."

"It's not that. I just don't think a Ledyba is best suited for me."

"Well, if that's what you believe, then I won't try and convince you otherwise. It's just a bit of a shame, really. The way we're going, this little guy might not ever find a trainer."

"Uh-huh…" Paul muttered noncommittally. "Look, you're not breeding anything else are you? Nothing you can't breed with that Shroomish or the Ledyba?"

"Nothing much around here that can breed with Dusty. And he doesn't really… get along with other Pokemon too well." At the mention of its name, the oversized plant Pokemon teetered out of its hiding place in the bushes and promptly ran headlong into a tree. "And well, this Ledyba is far too young."

"So you've really got nothing else? At all?"

Annabelle hesitated. "Well… I do have a video conference call with a breeder from Cianwood tomorrow. I'm hoping to get a pair of Starly. They're not Johto native and with the monopoly on that market, I should be able to get a little more business. And I suppose a potential Staraptor would be much better for you than a Ledyba?"

Paul thought about it. While a generic starter bird wasn't quite the cream of the crop he would have picked for himself, the appeal of a Staraptor was hard to pass up. With high base attack and speed stats, and a far superior movepool to the standard bird, he knew it was likely the best option he had available.

"Alright, yeah. Starly would be good."

Annabelle nodded. "Drop by tomorrow then, sometime in the afternoon. I should have some news for you by then."

He left Annabelle in her garden with Dusty and the tiny Ledyba. As he mooched home, he had the strange inclination that he should feel guilty. Or at the very least, harbour some sort of pity to the hapless breeder in charge of the Little Stars. She was obviously down on her luck and perhaps a little naive. Possibly a bit too soft as well. But it was hard to feel sorry for her when he was constantly reminded that Dest was currently charging around Johto in search of flawless Pokemon while he was still firmly stuck in Cherrygrove.

He had to run over the past few hours in his mind to try and make some sense of it all. Did a licensed breeder really just try and pass off something as useless as a Ledyba as a starter Pokemon? Even as a Ledian it didn't hold that much weight. Its Special Defense was surprisingly high for a generic bug, but a crippled HP stat, complete lack of offensive power, and a movepool consisting mainly of support moves were an instant turn-off. He didn't know whether to laugh or shudder. Did people really waste their time training Pokemon like that?

.-.-.-.

The following morning, Paul found himself early for work. A rare occurrence, even he would admit. He decided to stop at the local coffee house for a pick-me-up before his shift started. The home-brand coffee on offer in their staff tearoom was simultaneously weak and overly bitter. Quite an achievement, really. But the cosy interior of the Beanscene offered a range of over thirty different coffees and hot drinks, each with more ridiculous names than the last. It was no contest.

He ordered his coffee from the long haired, bored looking barista and sat heavily down at one of the wooden tables. Mindlessly flicking through a local news app on his phone, he wondered what time would be best to visit Annabelle. She had said sometime in the afternoon, but he didn't finish until just after five in the evening. Hopefully he wouldn't be too late. And that she would have some promising news for him.

The barista sat a steamy mug of Espresso Macchiato on the table next to him - with an extra shot of espresso for luck - and he wasted a moment to cherish the heat of the mug and the tang of the rich caramel. He took a deep mouthful and wiped the foam from his lips.

The coffee house was quiet for the mid morning hour. A businessman in a wrinkled suit stared at the bottom of his latte mug, looking quite like he wanted to drown at the bottom of it. A young mother with a child in a pushchair absentmindedly spooned leftover cream into the kid's mouth. Two teenagers glued to their phones sat opposite each other, their mochas basically untouched. And someone was hunched over one of the computers at the back of the cafe.

Paul almost allowed his eyes to glaze over the figure, thinking it was just another hipster mindlessly blogging. Then he noticed the clothes. No self-respecting hipster would be seen in public wearing creased and muddy dungarees.

He drained the rest of his coffee, heaved himself up from the table and wandered over to the Wi-Fi access area. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions. It was indeed Annabelle, plugged into a set of pink Whismur headphones and staring intently at the screen, barely even blinking. He threw himself into the chair next to her - the swivel kind; was there anything more fun? - and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yo. Annabelle."

"P-Paul?" she stammered, only casting him a sideways glance before returning her eyes to the screen. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a coffee place. I'm drinking coffee. Unlike you, who just seems to be sponging off the Wi-Fi."

"Yeah, fair enough. Look, I'm really kinda busy-"

"Hey, since I have you here, I was gonna visit after I finished work, but whatever. Have you gotten anything new in your breeders? Those Starly you were talking about?"

"I—"

"I mean, I don't want to rush you or anything but I just really need something that isn't as shit as, y'know, a Ledyba."

"Paul, I-"

"Admittedly Starly wouldn't be my first choice either, but it's got decent attack and speed and that's nothing to complain about."

"Listen, I'm really trying-"

"I really need that Starly, Annabelle. I can pay you. In advance, if you like. There's a lot of shit going on that a girl like you wouldn't really understand, so can we please move this on just as soon as humanly possible?"

"Oh for Arceus's sake, Paul!" Annabelle's voice grew shrill and exasperated and she leapt from her chair so quickly that she yanked the headphones from the computer. "A girl like me wouldn't understand? Understand what exactly?"

"Well, I've got this friend and there's this sort of competition-"

"No!" Annabelle cried. "Dammit, I've heard enough! I don't know what sort of sick competition you and your friend are conducting, but I want no part in it! And as for my Ledyba being shit, he is not! He's perfect just the way he is! And the way you're talking right now, I swear, even if I get those Starly, there is no way in hell you're getting one! Those Pokemon deserve a life of being loved for who they are! Not judged for what stats they have, what nature they may or may not have or any of that superficial bullshit! As far as I'm concerned, you're just not fit to train Pokemon in real life!"

The entire coffee shop had gone quiet - save the occasional hiss of the coffee machine - in the aftermath of Annabelle's eruption. Even Paul couldn't muster up any words that would stand up to the ferocity of hers. Then Annabelle's wide hazelnut eyes suddenly softened, as if she herself couldn't believe what she had just said.

And then a voice plunged through the silence.

"Not fit to train Pokemon?"

Annabelle swore. Paul craned his neck to look at the dusty screen of the ancient desktop and saw the blurry features of someone on a video call.

Annabelle started to tremble all over and she approached the screen. "Look, I… I didn't mean what I just said… I was angry and he-"

"Just… don't." It was a man on the other end of the call. Paul hazarded a guess at middle aged and someone of quite high status. His voice was stern. Perhaps a superior of some sort? "Annabelle, I'm surprised at you. This is a customer of yours?"

"N-not quite. He was showing interest in a few things, but nothing has been settled."

"Even still. For someone who is apparently so passionate about customer service, I'd never expect you to be so rude and disrespectful to anyone - much less a paying customer."

"No, please, you don't understand. This guy… this guy is obsessed with 'flawless' Pokemon!" She added finger gestures to illustrate her point, "I'm worried that if he gets anything less than perfect, he'll just… abandon them."

"You forget your place. Your breeding Pokemon are never yours, especially not when they go off to their new trainers. You're too sensitive, Annabelle. And you can't be sensitive in this field. Our job is to satisfy the customer's wants. And that's it."

"But—!"

"Consider our trade terminated. I'm sorry, but I just don't think you're the best person suited for this particular circulation."

"No…" Annabelle said softly. "No, please, let me prove it to you. I… I am… I am a good breeder!"

Annabelle looked like she was about to burst into tears. Paul was still aware of every pair of eyes in the coffeehouse staring at them.

"We'll have to let the Breeders Association decide that."

"W…what?"

"I'm sorry, Annabelle, but some of us have had concerns about you ever since you took over that breeders. And now this. I'm sorry, I'm going to have to report you."

"No… no, you can't!"

"I'm sorry, Annabelle. Someone will be in touch later."

And with that, the call ended and the screen went dark. Paul shifted from foot to foot, wondering if perhaps this was the opportune moment to slip away or if it had long since passed. Annabelle stared into the screen as if willing it to spontaneously burst back into life.

A long moment passed and Paul found himself saying the first thing that popped into his head.. "So… who was that?"

Annabelle let out a juddering sigh. "That…" her voice caught, and Paul couldn't predict if she was about to burst into tears or start yelling at him again. "That was Jason from the Flying Start Breeders in Cianwood. The man I was supposed to be getting the pair of Starly from."

"Ah." This wasn't looking good. "So… what happens now?"

"What do you mean 'what happens'?" she shrieked. "I'm not getting those Starly now! And even worse, he's going to report me to the Breeders Association!"

"Breeders Association? I'm assuming that's bad?"

"Of course it's bad! They could put a breeding embargo on me!"

"Embargo…? So… you can't use items?"

Annabelle blinked. "Are you for real?"

"Well, I don't know! You breeders have terms for everything!"

"It means, you idiot, that I'll have a ban on breeding for however many months! No breeding equals no income equals death for the breeder!"

Paul winced. "That… doesn't sound good."

"Of course it's not good!" She slammed her fists into the table, knocking over a glass and spilling some unidentifiable liquid everywhere. "D-dammit!" she let out a strangled gasp.

Paul glanced around the coffee shop, calculating how long it would take him to garble some sort of apology and make his escape without causing too much of a commotion. However, his feet kept him awkwardly rooted to the spot.

"L-look, I'm sorry…" Annabelle's voice was thick. "I guess I shouldn't be yelling at you…"

"Okay…"

"Actually, maybe I should!" she looked up at him, her face twisted with the effort not to cry. "This was your fault! If you hadn't come here and interrupted me, none of this would have happened!"

"Actually this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been such a bitch."

"Ugh!" She jumped to her feet, the whole table shaking perilously. "You're impossible!"

"I'm just saying!"

"You know what, just get the hell away from me, alright?!" Tears had finally spilled over her red cheeks and she scrubbed at them impatiently. "People like you are what makes me think I should never have started breeding in the first place!"

She was gone, the coffee shop door barely hanging on to its hinges, before Paul could protest.

Author's Note

Hi again! Wow, I was so overwhelmed with how many of you guys read and reviewed the last chapter. So here's another one, a wee bit earlier than I actually planned to release it. I was just so motivated to write because of all you guys.

That being said, I don't know when the next chapter will be. Hopefully soon as I have a nice easy week of work and then a week off I should have time aplenty to devote to this and my other projects.

Pretty emotional chapter this one. Should start getting interesting within the next couple.

Anyway! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy