Well, I guess I have a lot of explaining to do regarding my absence from this story. To those that have waited this long for an update, you have every right to be frustrated towards me. After all, I updated my other two ongoing stories more frequently than this, and I've set up an order in which I wouldn't prioritize one story of the other by writing for the current one until it's finished.
Before I should explain myself, you'd probably want to read what you came here for. My "excuses" will be at the end of this short chapter.
If you want to reread previous chapters to get back to speed on what's going on before reading this chapter, then please be my guest.
It was a brand new day at the Champions League held on New Island. The sun was shining and the Flying-types were singing. To top it off, nearly all of the remaining fourth round preliminary battles were coming to a close. One would think that this was the time to finally relax and enjoy the sunshine.
To others, it was just another opportunity to get a leg up on the tough competition.
"Ursaring, Hammer Arm!"
Upon immediate command, the Hibernator Pokémon slammed its thick forearms upon Torterra's shell. The remarkable strength it boasted resonated as hollow echoes throughout the rest of its training partner's body.
In spite of the brutish display of power, Torterra shook it off and behaved as neutrally as it did. Ursaring huffed and flexed its arms, ready for another round of testing its strength.
"Good work," Paul commended with a solemn nod.
To the Veilstone City Trainer, there was no rest for the weary. The strengths and weaknesses of his Pokémon were as fine-tuned as he expected them to be at this point of time. The final preliminary rounds were approaching and soon enough, so would the Victory Rounds. And within the Victory Rounds, Pyramid King Brandon would be waiting to accept his challenge.
But first, there was one more obstacle in his way towards Brandon.
That obstacle was in the form of the same person that guided him since the whole tournament began.
He kept the thought at the forefront of his mind that he was paired to face off against Sabrina in the final preliminary rounds. They were also set to be within the first half of matches to take place upon the coming week.
Certainly no pressure at all.
Then again, there were some questions left unanswered for Paul regarding the Saffron City Gym Leader.
Sabrina had been under the guise of doing a psychological study of the effects of relationships in Pokémon battles for her university dissertation. For some reason or another, she decided on Ash as the prime candidate for her study. Considering that he was a Trainer of merit, the choice was rather understandable.
Her choice regarding Ash's proposed partner for the relationship was also interesting, having mentioned to Paul in passing that she found someone who would most likely want to start a strong romantic relationship with him. She was able to sense Anabel's feelings from the distance and decided to play matchmaker with them.
Then again, anyone who was aware of both Ash and Anabel would easily see how she felt for her regardless of how subdued her demeanor and approaches were.
They were technically not considered an item at this time, but their current friendship grew strong over the days they were together.
That had been Sabrina's plan. Simply allowing natural growth overtime to do her work in exchange for putting in nearly limitless patience into it was the outcome.
Paul didn't care either way what would happen, but he was curious if this scenario would actually make his former Sinnoh rival a more formidable opponent to face. After all, Ash had boasted about the power of friendship and love almost every time they encountered each other during their respective journeys. His companions would wind up backing him up with their support while he remained indifferent through and through.
He would admit, though, that he was opening his mind up to new things since his first defeat against Brandon at the outskirts of Snowpoint City.
The Veilstone City Trainer didn't relent on his harsh training, but he did begin treating his Pokémon more as the living creatures they were instead of just tools to scale for glory.
In any case, it was pleasant for him to have found him returning to compete on a nearly global-scale tournament and that he would actually fulfill that lofty promise back at Lily of the Valley Island.
They were bound to battle against someday, at the very least.
One more thing, Paul! Let's battle again really soon!
Despite how ridiculous that childish declaration came off as, Paul didn't disagree with that notion. He was just as eager to face Ash once they were both stronger than before. It was that same kid that helped him see what he needed to change within himself in order to reach greater heights.
Of course, Paul felt that he had one major obstacle left before he truly felt prepared to face his former rival from Pallet Town.
Brandon.
It all returned to Brandon.
Ash was able defeat the Pyramid King, and by extension, the entire Kanto Battle Frontier, something that Reggie had failed to do and had ultimately renounced his occupation as a Pokémon Trainer as a result.
It was also that broken pedestal of his older brother that had pushed Paul to the way he was at the beginning of his own Pokémon journey. To someone he used to look up to so highly only to be crushed by their decision to give up was more than he could bear as a startling Trainer.
"What the?" Paul muttered to himself, jolting out of his ongoing thoughts.
Why was he traveling down memory road in the first place?
He looked back to see his Ursaring still testing its brutish attacks against Torterra's durable defenses. Ursaring raked its claws for multiple Slash attacks. Torterra waited for the right moment to snag a carelessly swung arm with its mouth for one painful Crunch. Even without expecting an immediate command from their Trainer, they pursued their training to the max as if on schedule.
Paul then looked up in the air to observe a separate training session going on between his Honchkrow and Froslass. The Snow Land Pokémon was relentless in tossing a barrage of Ice Shards. Honchkrow worked on its reflexes, tilting to the side to evade and shattering unavoidable projectiles with Night Slash.
He lastly looked into another direction and found his fifth and sixth Pokémon also striving hard to surpass their limits. Drapion attempted to capture the speedy Ninjask with its pincers, but to no avail. It was difficult with the combination of Speed Boost and Double Team working against the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon. But rather than strike in an enraged frenzy, Drapion calmed itself and focused on sensing the real Ninjask.
The Ninja Pokémon was promptly snared by the tail and soon enough, the elusive Double Team copies disappeared without a trace.
"Alright, that's good enough," Paul judged aloud, beckoning his Pokémon to stop and gather around. "You're all strong enough for my current needs. But our next opponent is capable of a lot of tricks that we have to be very aware of. Sabrina is off doing her own thing and we won't see her until the battlefield, and while we may exceed her Pokémon in power, I have no doubt that she has something to counter us."
His Pokémon responded imploringly. What was the next item on the agenda?
"We stick to our strengths," Paul announced. "We'll overwhelm her and overcome whatever she throws at us. We need to be smart now. Protect any weakness we might have while exploiting hers. As far as I know, she specializes with Psychic-types. We'll need to be ready for any curveball she decides to throw our way."
The image of Sabrina casting her chilling gaze was at the forefront of his mind once again. Despite the little deal they previously had in helping one another with their goals, Paul regarded her as competition in the Champions League. There would be no holding back from him, and he expected her to do the same.
"In any case, this'll be another game of chess, where one player outplays the other," Paul surmised, recalling his Pokémon back into their Poké Balls to conclude their daily session. "It's time I made my preparations."
Later in the Pokémon Center…
"This is pretty exciting, isn't it?" Reggie asked over the holo-phone. "You're facing one of Kanto's toughest Gym Leaders yet, and that's not including the Viridian and Cerulean Gyms as far as I've heard."
"The Viridian Gym Leader was taken over by a mysterious Trainer named Silver," Paul explained. "He doesn't have a type specialty, but I have heard that his strongest Pokémon is a Feraligatr. As for the Cerulean Gym Leader, she also happens to be one of his friends. I've seen her with the rest of them."
"Wow, I guess that shouldn't be surprising to hear if she was involved with Ash previously," Reggie commented. "Come to think of it, didn't we both face a different Gym Leader when we challenged the Cerulean Gym?"
"You and I both faced a trio of airheaded valley girls that preferred hosting water ballet shows over working on their battling skills," Paul clarified.
"That's right! Daisy, Violet, and Lily were their names. I also remember now them mentioning that they had a fourth sister who was out on a journey. It sounds like she must've taken over the family business then according to current Champion League standings."
"I suppose so."
The conversation soon fell into silence for a few awkward seconds. Paul didn't want to engage in small talk any longer than he needed to while Reggie sobered up to address the real reason why his younger brother called him.
"How do you feel now?" Reggie prompted. "Is your mind clear?"
"By 'clear' meaning nothing distracting me from reaching the top, then yes," Paul responded.
"Do you understand why you've chosen to become a Pokémon Trainer, Paul?" Reggie asked. "And don't say it's to do what I couldn't do. I've heard that story a million times already."
"What else would drive me to become the best?" Paul shot back.
"For one thing, answering a question with another question isn't going to help you move on," Reggie reprimanded. Paul grimaced. Reggie was capable of being a stern older brother when he had to be. "And as for your question, I'm afraid that's for you to decide."
"Reggie, if I could ask one more thing," Paul began, pausing to wait for his brother's reaction. He gave him a nod to continue. "I don't think I asked this before, but what was it like for you when you wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer?"
The expression his older brother bore had softened a bit. Paul could tell that he was still fond of those early moments back in the day, just before Paul could even begin walking on his own.
"Well, like more other ten-year olds, I was pretty ambitious in wanting to become the strongest Pokémon Trainer after everything we've been taught about Pokémon early on," Reggie elucidated. "I grew to love Pokémon and wanted to travel the world and capture as many as I could just to be better than the rest. I had a pretty competitive streak when I started out, and I felt that I knew what I was doing was perfectly fine. I earned eight badges from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. I competed in their Leagues, though I didn't win any of them."
"Then what made the Battle Frontier so different?" Paul asked. "It's not even associated that closely with the Pokémon League. I still don't understand."
"Huh, I was wondering when you'd finally take the time to listen instead of sulking over some old decision," Reggie sighed warmly, pantomiming wiping a tear from an eye. "Little brothers grow up so fast."
"Just… answer me," Paul grunted impatiently through his teeth, attempting to hide his growing embarrassed blush. "Please."
"With those polite manners I taught you, how could I not," Reggie grinned before resuming a serious mask. "The losses I had from the League Conferences didn't really teach me anything at all aside from not being the better Trainer. However, Brandon finally called me out on it at the end of our match. Thing is that with all the experience he's had, Brandon denounced my alleged battle style as 'standard ordinary fare.' You were there, of course, so I don't need to say any more."
"You realized that you didn't have a unique battle style, just the basics," Paul surmised contemplatively.
"I'm as surprised as you as to how I made it as far as I did," Reggie shrugged. "Then again, knowing the Pokémon fundamentals is integral to Pokémon training more than coming up with flashy off-the-wall moves. Only with the two combined could I have left a better impression on Brandon, possibly even challenge him against until I won the Brave Symbol. That's probably why Ash was able to beat him, even if it might've not been the first time."
"I see," Paul said.
"You're still far from challenging Brandon, Paul, so focus on who you're facing now," Reggie advised. "You're dealing with the Mistress of Psychic Pokémon here. You've shared with me on how you've been training with her and that she's been helping you clear your burdens."
"She's helped me refine my purpose a bit with her psychic abilities," Paul explained. "Thing is taking down Brandon has been my driving force, so much so that I could've been careless enough to be blindsided by another Trainer and lose another shot at challenging him."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Reggie inquired. "She's kept you grounded better than I could have. Sounds like a keeper to me."
"Except now she knows me well enough to predict what I can do to topple her in our upcoming battle," Paul added begrudgingly, ignoring his brother's last comment.
"Well then, fight back like you always do," Reggie proposed. "There's no point in trying something different if you're completely unfamiliar with it. You've always been incredible in using what you already have. You've gotten even better in spontaneously creating off-the-wall strategies to turn things to your favor, though not at the same level as Ash, but still."
"Yeah, I get it," Paul said, bearing a small smile in appreciation for his brother's attempt at consolation.
"You've always looked so sure of yourself that it's really worrying for you to suddenly call me out of the blue just to talk," Reggie admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Not that I don't like having you call me at a more frequent basis. I'm just happy that I'm able to play the big brother role right for you this time, Paul."
"You probably can tell I'd do this for any worthy Trainer I'm facing next," Paul remarked wryly.
"Probably, but honestly, I really can't tell what goes inside that thick head of yours sometimes," Reggie admitted, shrugging. "But if you ever need to talk something out, I'm here for you, bro."
"Mmm, thanks, brother," Paul mumbled.
"Now train like you've never trained before, and take a breather before your match so you don't get so worked up quickly," Reggie recommended. "One more match and it's off to the Victory Rounds for you! Brandon will be waiting for you there, no doubt. I'm curious to see how Ash will fare in it."
"He's really going to have some fun this coming round," Paul commented. "People say third time's the charm. I really think the Pokémon League Committee has it out for him."
"I caught his matches with Lorelei and Bruno the past few weeks," Reggie mentioned. "If I understand what you're trying to say, then I can guess who his fifth preliminary round opponent is going to be."
"Have you not seen the current tournament standings yet?" Paul asked.
"I was busy tending to some Pokémon out in the back," Reggie reasoned. "I'll look online now that you mentioned it. I still think my guess is right on the money."
"You'd better win that bet or I'll never let you live it down," Paul warned with a rough smirk.
"I think the magnitude of your battle is better than some silly guess," Reggie argued lightheartedly. "Heh, have a good one, Paul!"
"You too, Reggie," Paul nodded before closing the connection.
The Veilstone City Trainer turned on his seat and resumed his stony persona. He would sooner pull out all of his own teeth by force than allow himself to be caught in a moment with his brother like that of a few seconds ago. He did have a reputation to uphold at this point.
Sabrina was next.
Brandon was to follow.
And if fate would allow it, Ash.
You've got to wonder even a little what would Paul's everyday life would be like compared with Ash's. I guess this was my jab at it, given that he's significantly kinder to his Pokémon after the Sinnoh League.
Relatively short and something I could've easily published weeks after the last, I know. But now is the time for me to explain what's been happening.
Since the beginning of the year, I've been going through personal difficulties. I'm in my last semester of college now and there's just this one GE class that's just dunking on me right now. If I don't pass this class, then I won't be able to graduate despite all the preparations I've made in moving on and will ultimately be humiliated. That's where most of my time has been dedicated to now in order to pass that class.
Also, with the dynamic of brothers shared in this chapter between Paul and Reggie brings to the front my current interaction with my older brother (former author MisterP). Some of you might already be aware that he's been married since early 2014. He's now entered the next stage of his life and now he and his wife are now expecting their first child this coming July 2016, so of course I've been supporting him and my sister-in-law the best I could. Frankly, it's mainly excitement on my end in becoming an uncle (even though I'm technically already an uncle through some older cousins and their children, but they live so far away that traveling is so troublesome).
These are pretty much what has been happening so far. Whether you care or not doesn't concern me, but this is my explanation on my inactivity in here and with my other stories. I might write one-shots time to time, but one-shots just seem easier to write than full-bodied chapters.
Well, you've had me ramble for a while now. Please take the time to review my writing style!
L-ater!