Episode 15: A trade
The evening after Niko and Fay lost to Flint and Volkner, he and Lauren lay there in bed, waiting to fall asleep. Niko in particular had a lot on his mind. For starters, he wanted to figure out the purpose of the magmarizer, particularly its relationship to magmar. Since the battle, magmar has been holding the red box and refused to let go of it, even to eat. The obsession with the box was quite clear, and Niko felt it was on him to figure it out.
Besides that problem, his rematch with Palmer kept moving through his mind, engulfing his thoughts. He knew that he needed to win this time—losing a second time would be embarrassing, and he wouldn't know how exactly to feel about it. Lastly, he started to wonder what his next steps would be. It seemed like all of his friends were equally uncertain about their futures, what with Brittany now the Top Coordinator in Sinnoh, and JJ wanting to see Maizie again. He had no idea where his relationship with Lauren stood. He felt distant from her since Lily of the Valley, and wondered if she felt the same. He hoped that she didn't. Niko liked having her around. A lot.
Lauren also had multiple thoughts on her mind. One in particular was her future. Like Niko, she felt anxious about the next steps, and hoped that their relationship could stand regardless of what they wanted to do next. Ideally, she wanted to continue travelling with Niko, and hoped that he felt the same.
Yet, she wondered if she could continue to be around Niko if he kept keeping his feelings from her. Wasn't that the point of a relationship, after all? To confide in others; to communicate and work through problems together? He hadn't felt the same since Lily of the Valley. At some points, he even felt disturbed.
She blamed Hunter for it all. They rarely ever saw the trainer in all black, but every time he showed up, Niko went into a downward spiral of melancholy. And it worried her to no end. But Niko still didn't confide in her. She knew something was wrong, and he didn't want to tell her, for whatever reason.
In addition to Niko, she also felt anxious about her upcoming rematch with Palmer. To be sure, she had a strategy in mind, but wondered about the chances of it working. Only time would tell, and if she wanted to win, she needed to take a risk. But if she lost, she had no idea how she would feel. She'd never lost to someone more than once in an official battle, the exception being Brittany in contests.
Sighing to herself, she fell asleep.
The following morning, Lauren woke up to see Niko and magmar sitting on the ground, looking at the magmarizer with unusual interest. She sat down—cross-legged—next to Niko and also stared at it. After a minute, she turned to her boyfriend.
"Any…progress…?" She asked. Niko shook his head. "Do we even know what this is?"
"Well, it's filled with magma. Fay and JJ offered to go and look into it for us. Brittany's off getting food." Niko said, looking at his girlfriend, and noticing that, even though she just woke up, she still looked pretty.
They continued to stare at it until JJ burst into the room. "Niko! Magmar! Lauren…good morning!" The curly blonde said. "I figured it out."
"Wasn't too hard. Just had to type 'magmarizer' into a search engine." Fay said as he walked into the room.
"Alright, what is it?" Niko asked, looking up at his friends.
"Okay, so that magmarizer is used to evolve magmar." JJ explained. Magmar's eyes widened. Niko turned to the spitfire pokémon curiously.
"But…he's holding it right now." Niko said.
"Magmar has to evolve through a trade." Fay explained. Niko nodded, thinking about it for a moment. He didn't want to get rid of his magmar, especially just to evolve him. Then Lauren piped in, finding a solution to this conundrum.
"What if one of us traded with Niko to evolve magmar, and then immediately traded back?" Lauren said. "That way he gets to keep his new magmortar."
Niko leaned over and kissed Lauren on the cheek. "Great idea! Magmar, are you up for it?" Magmar eagerly nodded, holding up the magmarizer as he tried to stand up. Niko took it, allowing magmar to get up, and then gave it back as he too got up, helping his girlfriend up as well. "Let's do it, then. But…who to trade with?"
"I'll do it." Lauren said. "I know haunter evolves through trading. It works out really well. Dual evolution."
"Just like with me and Lauren." JJ said. "Only a little different."
Niko nodded, and the four of them—plus magmar—walked out into the Pokémon Center lobby to join Brittany for a quick meal. During that time they explained the solution to the magmarizer problem. Brittany thought it was a great idea, and likened it to Lauren and JJ's dual evolution with the shiny stones.
"So, let's do it, then…" Niko said, standing up after finishing his food. Lauren sent out haunter and explained the situation to him as well. The gas pokémon, who hadn't experienced an evolution in a long time, nodded eagerly, turning to Niko and magmar with interest.
Nurse Joy, upon hearing their request to trade, showed the couple into a backroom near the dorm rooms. Inside was a massive machine with bent tubes running along the top and the sides. Under the tubes were platforms, presumably where the pokéballs go.
"Just let me know when you're done." Nurse Joy said politely, leaving Niko and Lauren alone with their pokémon.
"Ready?" They both said to their pokémon.
"Just make sure to hold on to that magmarizer the entire time, alright magmar?" Niko said. Magmar nodded eagerly as he returned to his pokéball. "Let's do this."
"Yeah!" Lauren said, moving over to the right side of the machine; Niko to the left. They both placed their pokéballs onto the machine, and then turned on the machine.
Both pokéballs were sucked into the tubes and moved through them until the other side before landing on the opposite platforms. Niko and Lauren both picked up the balls and then summoned the other's pokémon.
As soon as haunter and magmar appeared in front of the other trainer, they began to glow brightly. Magmar expanded in size and height, growing to roughly Lauren's height. He now had cannons for arms, a long flame-like tail, and flames emitting from his shoulders and atop his head. Black rings appeared midway across his arms, and he was now a magmortar.
Haunter, on the other hand, changed significantly. His arms were now attached to his body and, for the first time, he grew legs. His entire body was a face, with glowing red eyes and a wide, shiny white smile showed below the eyes. He now had two black horns on each side of his head, with smaller spikes in between and running along his back. Niko pulled out his pokédex to observe the new pokémon:
"Gengar, the shadow pokémon. Ghost and poison type. The leer that floats in darkness belongs to a gengar delighting in casting curses on people."
"Alright, let's get you back to Lauren," Niko said, returning a happy gengar to his pokéball. Lauren did the same with magmortar, and the couple placed the pokéballs on the platforms. Within seconds, the re-trade was completed, and Niko and Lauren took their pokémon from the platforms. "We did it." He said, looking at magmortar's pokéball happily.
"We did." Lauren said, motioning for Niko to leave the trade room while she followed closely behind. They walked side-by-side into the Pokémon Center lobby to greet their friends, all of whom seemed to be waiting to see the results of their friend's efforts. After approaching the booth, Niko and Lauren summoned magmortar and gengar, respectively, to show the others.
"Well done, Niko." Fay said, looking at the newly evolved magmortar.
"Looks like everyone won here." JJ said, looking at the pokémon standing before him.
"Evolution doesn't always help." An oddly familiar, cold voice said from behind Niko, who spun around to see Hunter standing there. "I didn't know you trained fire types, Niko. Doesn't seem like they work out well for you."
"Magmortar could beat your pokémon, without a doubt." Niko snapped back.
"So, is magmortar stronger than your first pokémon? Hmm?" Hunter asked, raising an eyebrow. When Niko didn't have a response, he continued. "Because you can't seem to beat me with that pathetic venusaur of yours. Don't think your magmortar is any better."
"Piss off, Hunter." Lauren said. Gengar began growling a little in response. Magmortar was oddly calm, staring up at Hunter, who was easily a foot taller.
"Oh, the feisty little one. What's it going to take for you to leave this loser?" Hunter asked. "He's miserable. He can't win. He'll never be a 'Pokémon Master,' or whatever it is he wants to do. From my perspective, you're wasting your time."
"Why do you always have to put him down?" Brittany asked. "What did he do to you?"
"Oh, nothing. But I just so happen to run into him a lot. Might as well tell him the truth while I'm at it, right?"
"But is it so necessary? He's clearly hurt by it…" Brittany said, looking concerned.
"Oh, poor little boy is hurt? Oh, no…" Hunter said in a mocking tone. "Please. Welcome to the real world, Niko. If you think about it, I'm doing you a favor here. Giving you a taste of the real world. When you're done playing around with your little friends, you'll realize what I mean."
"You're doing him no favors!" Lauren shouted. "Just leave him alone!"
"Fine. Whatever. If he doesn't want to listen, who am I to force Niko—or any of you—to do anything? You're worthless to me." He shrugged. "Are you still challenging the Frontier Brains?"
"Yes." Niko and Lauren both said.
"Ah, right. I'm sure you're here to challenge Palmer, then?" They both nodded again. "Right. Well, here's a hint, Niko: if you can't beat me, then you can't beat him."
"Then let me battle you." Niko said, turning to magmortar. "One-on-one."
Hunter smirked. "Sure. But remember what I said. If you hope that evolution will help your cause, then you are sorely mistaken. Both of you are." He said in reference to gengar as well.
Minutes later, Niko and Hunter stood opposite one another on the practice battlefield. Niko turned to magmortar, who quickly walked onto the field in anticipation of whatever Hunter chose to summon. Their rival smirk again, pulling out a pokéball.
"Let's go then, drapion!" Hunter shouted, summoning a familiar purple and black scorpion. "Cross poison!"
"Flamethrower!" Niko commanded. Magmortar raised his right hand-cannon and unleashed a jet of flame that collided with the purple "x" mark flying through the air. "Now, sunny day!"
"Ah. Drapion, cross poison again!" Hunter commanded. While magmortar was brightening the day, drapion repeated its attack, striking the blast pokémon in the chest and knocking him over. "Now, poison fang!"
Drapion then scuttled forward, faster than Niko believed, and lowered its head to magmortar's left hand-cannon and sank its sharp, purple teeth. Magmortar cried out as he felt the poison coursing through him, retaliating with a fire punch to drapion's face and knocking the scorpion backward. Drapion was forced to let go and quickly launched out a cross poison to keep magmortar on the ground.
"You can do this, magmortar! We evolved for a reason!" Niko shouted, only to see Hunter shake his head. "No, Hunter! We can win!"
"Whatever you say." Hunter said as magmortar began to glow light purple and wincing, indicating it was poisoned. "Drapion, venoshock!"
"What the—?"
Drapion opened its maw and spat out poison onto magmortar, drenching the blast pokémon. Slowly, magmortar got back up and weakly raised his hand-cannon to drapion, unleashing a powerful jet of flame from it. Drapion covered its face from the flames that ultimately left a burn mark.
"Let's end this, drapion. Cross poison!" Hunter commanded. Drapion crossed its arms once more, creating a light purple "x" mark on them, and shot it at magmortar, knocking him backwards and causing him to stumble on the ground. Magmortar then fell forward in defeat, the poison ending him.
"Magmortar…is unable to battle." JJ said sadly. "Drapion is the winner."
"Of course I am." Hunter said, returning drapion with taking his eyes off of Niko. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Niko ignored Hunter. He was too concerned for magmortar, quickly returning the blast pokémon and running into the Pokémon Center. Following him were his friends, all of whom glared at Hunter along the way.
"Consider what I've said." He told Lauren as she passed by. She pretended to ignore him.
Hours later, Niko sat at the booth, wondering if magmortar would be alright. Nurse Joy said that the poison wasn't anywhere close to lethal, but it would take some time to heal, which meant that magmortar couldn't participate in his rematch against Palmer. Not that he could have, anyways: magmortar, as a fire type, wasn't going to do much damage to any of Palmer's known pokémon.
His friends sat at the booth with him the entire time. Eventually, as they were eating, Lauren finally brought up their rematch.
"Let's do it tomorrow." Niko said. "In the afternoon. Sound good?"
Lauren smiled. "Of course."
"Niko?" Nurse Joy said aloud, forcing the young trainer to turn towards her. "Your magmortar is ready for pick-up."
"Thanks, Nurse." Niko said, walking up to the front desk and picking up magmortar's pokéball. He then summoned the blast pokémon and embraced him. "Are you feeling better?"
"Mag." Magmortar said softly. He didn't seem very happy.
"You've never battled Hunter, if I recall. He…is demoralizing. Just don't let it get you down, alright?"
Magmortar nodded, wanting to return to his pokéball. Niko granted his pokémon's wish, and then returned back to the booth to sit with his friends for the remainder of the day.
That evening, Niko and Lauren lay there. Everyone but Fay was asleep—he was back in the lobby doing work so he wouldn't disturb anyone else.
"How are you feeling?" Lauren asked, looking up at Niko.
"I'm fine."
"Oh, don't do this." She said. "You're not 'just fine.' You haven't been. What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Is it about Hunter? Palmer?"
Niko sighed. "Lauren…let's talk about it after tomorrow, alright?"
"Fine. Promise?"
"I promise."
"How do you feel about the rematch?"
For the first time in that conversation, Niko looked pleased. "I feel like I can do it, despite what Hunter thinks. I can beat Palmer. What about you?" He looked down to see Lauren also smiling.
"I think I can beat him, too. We will, together."
Niko nodded. "Yep, we will."
The following afternoon, Niko and Lauren—along with their friends—approached the Battle Tower in the center of the Fight Area. The trip didn't take long, but it felt like forever to Niko. Upon entering the tower, he saw Palmer in the lobby.
"Niko, Lauren. Welcome." He said, approaching them to shake their hands. "Flint told me about your rematch. You just so happened to catch me coming back from lunch. Nice timing." He said, flashing a smile. "I hope both of you are ready."
"We are." Niko said confidently. Palmer nodded.
"Of course. Come with me." They then walked to the elevator and, just like last time, and went up several floors until they reached the top floor, which was unlike last time. "I usually don't bring people to the top floor, but here we are." He said, opening the elevator door and escorting the group to the battlefield, which looked like any ordinary battle except for the red and white pokéball emblazoned on the middle. A referee was sitting in the stands, supposedly on duty in the event there would be any challengers. "We're ready." Palmer said to the referee, who jumped out of the stands and got ready. Palmer then talked to him for a minute while the group got situated in the stands.
Niko then turned to Lauren, as if decided who was to go first.
"You first." He said.
"No, you should go first." Lauren said with a smile.
"But I went first against Dahlia."
"So? I don't mind. You went first last time against Palmer. It only makes sense that you do it again, right?"
Niko smiled. "Alright, I'll go first." He then leaned down and kissed her before turning to face Palmer, who was on the other end of the field.
"Niko, are you ready?" Palmer bellowed across the field, which looked larger than any standard battlefield.
"Yes. I'm ready." He held out a pokéball.
"Of course. Milotic, I choose you!" Palmer shouted.
"Venusaur, let's go!" Niko commanded. And like that, the battle was on.
Author's note: And the final Frontier Battle is about to begin! Can Niko overcome Palmer's dragonite and win? Is Hunter right about Niko? Find out next time! Hope you enjoyed!