XIV.
Theo took devotions seriously on the day of his battle. He needed calm, and so did his Pokemon. Vulcan was flitting around with nervous energy. Mags was focused as a laser, its single eye scrunched intensely. Allegra tried to keep a brave face, but Theo noticed her trembling.
He would never tell her this, but he was hoping Allegra had no need to worry. His goal was to take out as many of Falkner's Flying Pokemon with Mags, and then use Vulcan as back-up. He thought that between the two of them, they could take down three birds. That way, Allegra wouldn't need to take the field at all. Her rolling attack wouldn't do much good if her opponent could fly away, and he couldn't rely on Metronome for anything. No, Vulcan and Mags would have to overperform for the victory.
"Eat," Jin said to him gently at lunch, but Theo couldn't. He had felt confident in his training, but now that the day was here, his stomach was in knots.
"I'm fine," Theo said. He swallowed.
"You will be more fine if you eat," Jin said.
"Jin," Theo said quietly. "What if I lose?"
"What if you lose?" Jin repeated. "Will that be the end of you?"
"No," Theo said. "I just don't want to embarrass myself. Like, this will be on television. People from home are going to be watching. If I lose, they'll laugh at me. I'll be a joke." A second-generation joke, he thought bitterly.
Jin held his gaze for a quiet moment.
"Do you love your Pokemon?" he asked.
"Of course I do."
"And you have worked very hard together?"
"Yeah, you've seen us."
"How could you be embarrassed for working hard at something you love?"
"It's easy when you say it like that," Theo said.
"You must think of it like that," Jin said, shrugging. "There are many people who will think many things. You do not need to take anyone's opinion of you into account if it is going to hurt you."
Theo arrived at the Gym more than an hour early. Kyle was waiting for him.
"Come back here with me and we'll get all your photos taken," he said. He led Theo to a back room and told him to release his Pokemon.
"Quite a crew," he said, looking at Theo's three soldiers. "And this is the Togepi?" He bent down to Allegra. "Look at you. The crowd is going to go crazy seeing a rare Pokemon like you here."
Allegra shuddered, as if horrified by the thought.
Kyle had Theo's Pokemon take turns standing before a camera on a tripod. He took a photo of each of them, and then had Theo pose for his own.
"These are the pictures the crowd will see on the screen during the battle," Kyle explained. "You can all wait in here until the battle starts. Someone will come in and let you know when we're ten minutes away." He stepped out of the room, leaving Theo with his Pokemon.
"Well, here we are," Theo said. He smiled, feigning confidence. "Do you think we're ready?"
His three Pokemon made noises of assent. It was difficult to tell what Mags was feeling, but Allegra and Vulcan both looked nervous.
"Hey," Theo said, hugging them all. "No matter what happens, I'm proud of you all. I'm grateful to be on a team with all of you. If we lose, this isn't the end of the road. This is only step one." He stood. "You know what might help?" He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and flared his arms out like a Bellsprout. His Pokemon imitated him as best they could, and they shared a quiet moment. When they were done, he stroked each of them on the head and recalled them into their Pokeballs.
A woman with a headset came in shortly after.
"We're ten minutes to go," she told him.
"Okay," he said. His mouth was dry. He tried to swallow, but he couldn't.
"Come with me, and we'll have you sit in the entryway," she said. "When it's time to go, you'll hear the announcer, and the door will open."
Theo sat on a bench outside a large orange door. Behind the door was the stadium. He could hear the crowd starting to rumble. He could hear the announcer hyping them up. His leg was shaking; even if he wanted it to stop, he wasn't sure he could. He had never been so nervous in his life. Part of him wanted to turn and run out of the building, shouting that it had all been a mistake.
That's because you've never tried to do anything you actually cared about before, a voice in his head said. When he heard the thought, he went still. Whose voice was he hearing? It wasn't Jin, though he may have said something like that. It wasn't Professor Elm, and it wasn't his mother. Who, then? It hit him.
It was his own. The voice was his own.
"And now, let's bring out our challenger!" the announcer said. "From New Bark Town, put your hands together for Theo!"
The orange doors swung open. Theo's body moved forward of its own volition. He was on the battlefield. It was about the size of a soccer field. A single referee standing to the side, with a huge blond mustache and a black-and-white striped uniform. Theo walked to the space marked out in white lines for him and took an enormous breath.
The stands were not as full as they had been for the Tier Two battles. Looking around, he saw familiar faces. Joey and Rooster were sitting in the same seats, Joey waving frantically and cheering. Kyle, the Gym attendant, was sitting a few rows ahead of him. He waved politely. A few seats to his right, Theo saw Harriet, the nurse from the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center. She smiled and waved both arms in his direction. What was she doing here? But then, strangest of all, in the front few rows, sitting serenely, were the sages. Jin, Nico, Troy, and half a dozen others sat, black-robed and still. They did not wave, but something about seeing them there gave him strength.
They came, Theo thought. They came to cheer me on.
Theo forced himself to smile, but he stopped when he looked to the opposite side of the stadium.
There, in the last row, he saw Luca's auburn hair.
"Let's bring out our Gym Leader!" the announcer said. "You know him, you love him. It's the Flying Phenom, Falkner!"
The doors directly opposite Theo swung open, and Falkner walked out. His dark hair was gelled into a style almost like the crest of a bird, and he had a cocky strut Theo recognized from the worst people from his high school class. He wore a dark green shirt with a feather pattern and billowing pants. Overhead, Theo saw his own picture fill one screen, while the one next to it showed Falkner to the crowd.
The referee gestured them both forward. They met in the middle of the field.
"Theo, Falkner. Falkner, Theo. Shake hands now," the referee said. The two opponents shook hands. Theo, whose hands were clammy, envied Falkner's dry palm, but he forced himself to look the Gym Leader in the eye. He would show no fear, even if that was all he felt.
"This is a Tier One battle," the referee said. "Each of you can use up to three Pokemon. There is no switching allowed at the Tier One level. You release your first Pokemon simultaneously when the announcer counts down from three. Understood?"
Theo and Falkner nodded.
"To your places then," the referee said, and then he signaled to the announcer that they were ready to begin.
Theo tried one more steadying breath and the announcer counted down.
"Three! Two! One! Release your Pokemon!"
"Go, Mags," Theo said, releasing his Magnemite.
"Go!" Falkner said, releasing his own Pokemon.
It was a HootHoot.
Theo glanced at Jin. It was too far, but Theo could have sworn he saw a thin smile on the sage's lips.
We can do this, Theo thought. We've done this before. Overhead, Mags' picture appeared next to Theo's own, while a picture of the HootHoot showed next to Falkner.
"Mags, close your eye and Metal Sound!" Theo cried, just as Falkner called for his HootHoot to perform Hypnosis.
The metallic screech of Mags' atack met the Hypnosis in midair, and a rush of wind blew outward from the canceled attacks. It was the loudest Metal Sound Mags had ever done, like a war cry. The HootHoot was blown back by the force of it, but steely Mags was unmoved.
"A masterful counter by the challenger!" the announcer said.
"Thunder Shock!" Theo said, and Mags unleashed a bolt of electricity. The HootHoot tried to move, but it was too slow, and it took the hit to its chest and its wing. It cried out, a strangled gobbling sound. The crowd screamed, some cheering, some booing.
"Theo is pressing the attack early!" the announcer said.
"Tackle!" Theo said.
"Hypnosis!" Falkner said, and Mags was moving so fast it didn't have time to react. The Magnemite took the attack right in the eye. Mags stopped moving instantly and hit the ground with a thump.
"Asleep!" the announcer said.
The crowd oohed.
Stay calm, Theo thought to himself.
"Peck!" Falkner said.
"Shit," Theo murmured. Surely a Gym Leader's Pokemon would be able to do damage. But just like the Pokemon on the road, the Hoothoot's attacks were feeble. Theo could hear the clink of its beak against Mags' metal body. It looked like it was hurting the Hoothoot to attack more than it was hurting the Magnemite. Mags remained out cold while the bird continued its weak assault.
"HootHoot is giving its all, but it's barely making a dent!" the announcer said into the microphone.
Theo looked up. He could see the frustration in Falkner's face.
A Gym Leader is frustrated with my Pokemon, Theo thought wonderingly.
"Mags, get up!" Theo shouted. It was as if Mags had heard him: the Magnemite shuddered awake and rose into the air.
"Thunder Shock!"
This time it was a direct hit. The HootHoot screamed in pain and then toppled backward to the ground.
"HootHoot is unable to battle!" The referee said, raising his arm.
"Leader Falkner's first Pokemon is down!" the announcer shouted. The stadium cheered.
That's for me, Theo thought, smiling. He had done it. Theo had beaten a Gym Leader's Pokemon. Overhead, the picture of the HootHoot went dark. Falkner recalled the bird.
"Not bad," Falkner called to him. "Not often we see a Steel Type in Tier One." He clicked another Pokeball from his belt.
"Go, Pidgeotto!" Falkner said, and his next bird appeared. Theo had seen Pidgeotto before. They weren't nearly as common as Pidgey, which were everywhere, but once in a while a wild one would appear. Falkner's was stocky and taller than the HootHoot had been, with a red crest hanging down the back of its neck and a yellow-and-red striped tail. A picture of the Pidgeotto appeared on the screen above.
It's just another bird, Theo thought, though this one was definitely more menacing. It clucked and strutted around the field, its posture looking remarkably like its trainer's.
"Thunder Shock!" Theo said, but Mags was ahead of him. Already the electricity was crackling around Mags' magnets.
"Sand Attack," Falkner said. The Pidgeotto reared up, and then it dug its feet into the ground, kicking sand into Mags' eye. Mags cried out in its electronic voice; its Thunder Shock missed.
"Move!" Theo said, and Mags flew sideways as the Pidgeotto lunged.
"Try again!' Theo said, and Mags shot another jolt of electricity. It would have struck, but the Pidgeotto raised its wing and dodged it. The announcer was screaming over the roar of the crowd.
Mags must still have sand in its eye, Theo thought.
"Blink it out, buddy!" Theo called, trying to sound relaxed. Mags did as he said, blinking its one eye frantically.
"Pidgeotto, Mud Slap!" Falkner said. The Pidgeotto reared back again and dove its feet into the earth, but this time, instead of whipping sand at Mags, it pushed up clods of wet mud, hurling them into Mags' eye.
Theo had never seen anything really hurt Mags, not even in its battles with Trawa. This was different. The Magnemite howled. It shook its whole body, trying to get the mud off itself.
It's a Ground Type move, Theo thought. It must be. Nothing else would hurt like that.
"Mags!" Theo shouted. "Try to move!" But it was no use. Mags was too flustered. The Magnemite hung in space, making itself an easy target.
"Again!" Falkner shouted, and with a high-pitched battle cry, the Pidgeotto dove at the earth again, hurling more mud. Mags was completely coated, screaming in pain.
"One more!" Falkner said, and the Pidgeotto finished it.
Mags gave one for frantic cry and hit the ground, motionless.
"Magnemite is unable to continue battling!" the referee said. Overhead, Mags' picture went dark. The crowd roared for Falkner.
It wasn't enough, Theo thought, his heartbeat quickening. Panic was setting in. He had needed Mags to take out at least two Pokemon to give them a fighting chance. That Mud Slap would hurt Vulcan nearly as badly if it hit. His heart sank. He should have realized a Flying Leader would have a counter to electric Pokemon. The odds were against him now.
"Come back, buddy," Theo said, recalling Mags. "You did great," he whispered into the Pokeball.
"Go, Vulcan!" he said, and his oddly colored Cyndaquil emerged. Whatever doubt Theo felt, Vulcan didn't share it. Theo could see from his posture that the Pokemon was eager to fight. He turned his head to Theo and nodded once.
"Challenger Theo has chosen Cyndaquil!" the announcer said. Theo heard some of the crowd oohing. Cyndaquil were rare, and Vulcan's coloring even more so.
"Mud Slap!" Falkner said.
"Duck!" Theo said, but Vulcan knew what to do. He dove underneath the stream of mud.
"Again!" Falkner said, but Vulcan was too quick again. This time he leaped over the bird's head.
"Tackle!" Theo said, and from above, Vulcan flipped and shot himself straight down, head first at his opponent.
The Pidgeotto shrieked, flapping its wings as if to bat Vulcan away, but their skulls cracked together and the bird stumbled back.
"Ember!" Theo said.
"Gust!" Falkner said. The jet of flame met a whirlwind. The fire swept upward for a moment, and then it was snuffed out.
"A smooth counter from Falkner to put out that Ember!" the announcer said.
"Quick Attack!" Theo said.
"Protect yourself with your wings," Falkner said. Vulcan tried to dive at the Pidgeotto, but it shot its wing forward to block its body. Quickly, it swept the other wing out to attack, lunging sideways.
Just like Trawa.
Theo didn't even have to issue a command. Vulcan knew exactly what to do, jumping over the Pidgeotto's wing on one side and ducking under the other. His speed was incredible, even against the most formidable opponent he had ever faced. Still, he was only dodging. He could not get a direct hit in.
"This is a match of equals!" the announcer's voice boomed. "Neither one can strike the other. But look at that Cyndaquil go!"
Vulcan kept jumping and diving. The Pidgeotto's fencing was useless. Vulcan was too quick.
"Fly up!" Falkner called, and the Pidgeotto flapped its way toward the ceiling, out of Vulcan's reach. Vulcan stood his ground, panting and staring up at his opponent. He growled a threat at the bird, as if inviting it to come back down and face him.
"Gust!" Falkner said. The Pidgeotto flapped its wings together, making a mighty wind. A small twister formed, flying toward Vulcan. Vulcan growled again, the wind rolling over him, but he stood his ground.
"Ember!" Theo said. Vulcan stared up at the bird and fired, but his attack was just shy.
"Pidgeotto is out of reach for the Cyndaquil!" the announcer said. "How will the challenger respond?"
Theo had no answer. If Mags were on the field, he could rise up and meet the Pidgeotto, but Vulcan couldn't fly. He could only watch helplessly as the Pidgeotto sent two more Gusts at Vulcan, who tried to outrun them. Vulcan was panting. He was getting exhausted from trying to dodge so much.
That's it.
"Vulcan, remember, you're strong when you're weak!" Theo said.
"Gust again, a big one!" Falkner cried.
"Vulcan," Theo said. "Ember as hard as you can into the tornado!"
The Pidgeotto was directly over its own Gust this time. Vulcan fired his attack upward. He was tired now.
He was tired enough that Blaze activated.
A fire roared to life on his back, and he howled like a wolf. The Ember was the most powerful attack Vulcan had ever made. The Gust could not blow it out. Instead, the fire caught the wind and rose up, turning the Gust into a tornado of fire.
The crowd roared as the fire struck the Pidgeotto in the air.
"Cyndaquil is using Pidgeotto's own attack against it!" the announcer shouted. He had to be loud over the noise of the crowd, which was cheering and screaming all at once. One of the Pidgetto's wings had caught fire, and it came back to earth, shrieking and flapping.
"Quick Attack!" Theo said. Vulcan rushed forward, head bent down to charge.
"Move!" Falkner shouted, desperation in his voice, but Vulcan made contact, striking the Pidgeotto in the chest.
The Flying Pokemon reeled backwards, issuing one more strangled cry, and it collapsed.
"Pidgeotto is unable to battle!" the referee called, putting his hand up. The bird's picture went dark overhead.
"That was good thinking," Falkner called to Theo in a begrudging tone.
"Thank you," Theo called back.
"Tier One isn't usually this exciting," Falkner said. He called back his Pidgeotto and clicked his final Pokemon from his belt.
"Go, Spearow!" he said.
The final bird was smaller, with a red body, a brown head and a nasty-looking beak. Spearow were not as common as Pidgey, but Theo knew them well enough to know they were vicious. No one back home caught these Pokemon casually.
"You've got this, Vulcan," Theo said, but in his heart he wasn't sure. Fire was crackling off Vulcan's back, but he was panting. He didn't have much stamina left. This would have to end quickly.
"Fury Attack!" Falkner called. The Spearow dove at Vulcan, clicking its beak maliciously.
"Dodge!" Theo said. Vulcan was moving faster than ever, leaping away from that hooked beak, but the Spearow was faster than the Pidgeotto. It was looking for the kill.
"Smokescreen!" Theo said. Vulcan raised his head to let out a jet of smoke, but he took a direct hit just as he did so. Theo heard him cry out as the smoke swallowed both Pokemon.
"Ember!" Theo said. A fireball lit up. The Spearow squawked. The attack must have it. Theo clenched his fists, hoping, but then the bird fluttered up out of the cloud of smoke.
"Fury Attack again!" The Spearow was more vicious this time, cawing as it dove for Vulcan. Vulcan did not try to dodge. Instead, he turned and ran, staying just inches from the Spearow's flashing beak.
"Cyndaquil is trying desperately to stay away from Spearow's attack! Can he hold on?" the announcer called.
"Turn and Ember!" Theo tried, but Falkner was quicker.
"Pursuit!" he said.
Theo had never heard of that move before, but the Spearow gained a sudden burst of speed. With its talons out, it launched itself at Vulcan and caught him by the back. The two tangled together, wrestling in the dirt while the crowd screamed. They rolled over each other until Vulcan ended up on top with the Spearow pinned.
"Peck!" Falkner said, and the bird swiped its sharp beak at Vulcan.
Vulcan cried out and staggered back in pain. The two Pokemon were only feet apart now.
"Ember!" Theo said. Vulcan tried to spit a mouthful of fire at the Spearow. The bird turned its neck, so the fire only grazed its side. That wasn't enough. It kept up its assault.
"Peck again!" Falkner said, and the Spearow launched a full attack.
Vulcan flew backwards, somersaulting until he came to a halt in the dirt. He grunted, planting his front paws into the dirt, trying to rise.
He failed. He collapsed.
"Cyndaquil is unable to battle!"
Oh no, Theo thought.
"Both battlers are down to their last Pokemon!" the announcer shouted.
"Come back, Vulcan," he said, recalling his starter Pokemon. "Thanks buddy."
Should I forfeit? Theo thought. The Spearow was winded from its tussle with Vulcan, and some of its feathers were disheveled from rolling in the dirt. But it looked like it had more fight in it. Its beady eyes stared Theo down as it kicked at the dirt, waiting for its final opponent. What could Allegra do against that? What could an egg do against a killer bird?
"Come on, send out your last one!" Falkner called. "Let's do this!"
I can try again, Theo thought. This isn't the end. I can train more.
"Do not give up, Theo!" Nico called suddenly.
Theo looked at him.
"You are not done yet!" Through the glass, the sage was standing, pointing at him, more animated than Theo had ever seen him.
"All right," Theo said.
Here goes nothing, he thought.
"Go!" he said, and he unleashed Allegra.
His other two Pokemon had emerged facing their opponents, ready to fight. Allegra emerged facing him, a pleading look on her face. He bent down.
"You can do this, my girl," he said. "I believe in you." He smiled and nodded.
She chirped once and waddled in a circle to face her vicious opponent.
"Challenger Theo has sent out his final Pokemon, Togepi!"
The crowd was quiet, except for a few confused chuckles.
"Are you serious?" Falkner said, laughing and preening. "I was expecting something a little tougher for your closer."
Theo ignored him.
"Allegra, Metronome!" he said.
Come on, he said in a silent prayer.
Allegra waved her arms. The Spearow looked at her, confused.
Overhead, a dark cloud emerged to cover the battlefield. The spectators gasped. Fat raindrops began to fall across the whole stadium.
"The challenger's Togepi has used Metronome, which became Rain Dance!" the announcer cried. "It is now raining across the battlefield!"
Raining was a weak word for it. In moments, it was pouring, turning the dirt field to mud.
"Did you just use Metronome in a Gym battle?" Falkner shouted over the sound of the falling water. "Is this a joke?"
His Spearow cawed menacingly and shook the water from its feathers.
"Fury Attack!" Falkner said. The Spearow charged ahead, its beak like a drawn sword.
"Roll, like we practiced!" Theo said. Allegra drew her arms in, rolling away just as the Spearow was about to strike. She kicked up mud behind her as rain continued to pour. Even over the rain, Theo could hear her crying as she fled the Spearow.
Half the crowd was laughing. The rest were booing.
"Make it fight!" someone shouted.
"He brought a wimp to a cock fight!"
"Loser! What is this shit?"
"I paid money for these tickets!"
Theo could only watch as his Togepi rolled desperately away from the pursuing Spearow. Allegra couldn't keep this up forever. She was flying, to be fair, but her speed was motivated by fear. He could see that the Spearow had bloodlust in its eyes, and that was probably stronger motivation.
"Allegra, Metronome again!" Theo said.
"Quit!" Falkner shouted, sneering. "Just forfeit!"
Allegra halted and waved her arms back and forth. Allegra screamed as the Spearow lunged at her with its beak, but there was a blue shimmer in the air. Something rose between them like a shield, and the bird fell backward.
"The Metronome became Protect!" the announcer cried. "Spearow cannot pierce the shield!"
"You're just stalling!" Falkner yelled over the crowd's booing. The rain continued to pour down on all of them. Falkner's shirt was stuck to his body, and his great crest of hair had crumpled under the water. Theo wiped droplets from his face.
"Metronome!" Theo said, and the crowd's jeers grew louder. Allegra launched herself up and slapped her body to the ground.
"Splash!" the announcer called. The crowd erupted in scornful laughter.
Great, Theo thought. An attack that's literally useless.
"Peck!" Falkner shouted. "Take that thing out!" From his tone, he sounded ready to end the fight.
The Spearow was ferocious, striking with its hooked beak. To her credit, Allegra maneuvered her egg-like body so that the beak struck her hard shell, but the defense wasn't enough. She cried out at each blow.
"Roll into it!" Theo said. Allegra pulled her limbs into her shell again and tried to roll into the Spearow, but it jumped over her. Allegra rolled back, and the Spearow dodged again.
"Learned a thing or two from that Cyndaquil," Falkner said. "Fury Attack!"
Allegra rolled away again, splattering mud in every direction as the Spearow followed, snapping. Allegra was filthy, Theo could see as she rolled by him. She wouldn't last much longer.
"Pursuit!" Falkner said.
Not that, Theo thought. That attack seemed to work when the opponent was running away, which was all Allegra could do now.
Theo was right. The Spearow lunged again with its talons and made direct contact. Allegra cried out, her limbs flailing out of her shell. She fell out of her roll and face planted in the mud. She looked at him as if she were ready to give up, a weak chirp escaping her.
Overhead, the black cloud she had summoned was starting to fade. The raindrops weren't falling as hard.
I did okay, Theo thought as disappointment rippled through him. It wasn't a total bust. He looked up and saw Luca's auburn hair. He imagined what the thief thought of him. He hated that Luca had seen this.
"Allegra," Theo said. "One more Metronome!"
It sounded like the entire stadium was booing him. Over the din, he heard Falkner shout, exasperated, "Dude, come on! You lost!"
Allegra looked at him with tears in her eyes, but she did as he said. She waved her arms back and forth one more time, directly in the Spearow's face.
The cloud overhead, which had started to fade, darkened to a fierce black, as if all the lights in the room had gone out. There was an ominous rumble, and a gust of wind blew in all directions toward the crowd, far stronger than anything Falkner's birds had produced, so strong that it rattled the glass panes that protected the audience. The spectators gasped. From the cloud there was a flash of blue and white light. Before anyone could move, a bolt of lightning as wide as a truck plummeted toward the earth, bright as flame and roaring like a hundred beasts. Theo held his arm to his face to block the light, so he did not see what happened next.
The Spearow never stood a chance. No one could hear it scream as the Thunder annihilated it.
When the light faded, Allegra stood in the mud, her arms still waving weakly, a stunned expression in her eyes. The Spearow had fainted before her, plumes of smoke rising from its limp body.
"Sp-spearow," the referee stuttered, incredulous. "Spearow is unable to battle." He slowly put his hand in the air.
"UNBELIEVABLE AT THE END! DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?" the announcer screamed. "THE TOGEPI PULLED IT OUT WITH A THUNDER!"
The crowd, to put it mildly, went insane. Joey was standing on his seat, hoisting Rooster over his head. The Rattata was hissing and swinging its tail. Theo saw Harriet and Kyle screaming alongside dozens of strangers. The sages had moved to the front row and were banging their fists against the glass, hollering like rowdy sports fans.
"Yeah!" Nico shouted, pointing at Theo. "That's my boy!"
Theo started laughing. He had done it. He had done it!
The screen showing Falkner and his Pokemon went dim. On Theo's screen flashed the word WINNER.
Theo ran into the field. He dove at Allegra and pulled her into a hug, laughing as they rolled in the mud together.
"I knew you could do it, I knew it!" He was laughing and she was chirping. He held her to him and kissed her head. She looked at him. Her eyes said she still couldn't believe what she had done.
"This is bullshit," Falkner said to the referee. "That shouldn't count!"
"It's a legitimate move," the referee said, shrugging. He looked astonished. "I've just never seen anyone use it. I've never seen anything like that."
"Tell her to do it again," Falkner said, pointing at Allegra angrily. "She couldn't do that again if you asked her a hundred times!"
"You don't need a hundred times," the referee said. "She did it when it mattered." He laughed and looked at Theo. "I wouldn't count on that move again, though, son. You seem to have used up your luck today."
Theo stood, splattered with mud, holding the cheering Allegra over his head for the crowd.
"I'm not sure I believe in luck," he said, but Falkner and the referee barely heard him over the audience cheering for his little Togepi.
Later, he stood on a podium with his three Pokemon, waving to the crowd. He bent down and Falkner pinned a Zephyr Badge to his shirt. His three Pokemon were exhausted, but they cheered weakly at his feet. He bent down and picked them up one by one, holding them up for the crowd.
"Come with me, we'll finalize everything," Kyle said, taking him to an office in the back. He handed Theo a case.
"To keep your badges in," he explained. "Some people wear them, but you look like an asshole if you do that." Theo laughed.
Kyle turned to his computer. "And here," he said, typing away. "Your first badge is registered in the system. You are officially eligible for Tier Two."
"Nice," Theo said.
"And last but not least," Kyle said, "are your winnings." A cash drawer opened beneath the computer, and Kyle pulled out a fistful of bills. He handed the money to Theo.
"Wait, what?" Theo asked, taking the money.
"I know, it isn't much," Kyle said. "You don't get a ton for Tier One battles. But a little is better than nothing, right?"
That wasn't it at all. Theo had as much money in his hand as he would have made in six weeks at Professor Elm's laboratory.
"Thank you," Theo said. "This is incredible."
"You earned it," Kyle said. "You should probably take your Pokemon to the Pokemon Center."
At the Pokemon Center, Theo saw two people immediately, sitting at different tables. One was Harriet, in a far corner with a drink. Closer was Luca. Before Theo could say anything, Luca stood.
"I'm not here for trouble," Luca said, "so don't start anything."
"Between the two of us, I'm the one who would start trouble?"
Luca actually smiled at that. "Touche. Hey, nice battle."
"It went well," Theo said.
"Your first two Pokemon are really strong," Luca said. His face looked pained, as if it hurt him to admit it.
"All three of them are," Theo said.
Luca raised an eyebrow. "I'm leaving. I just wanted you to know that I watched you and I'm going to get stronger too."
"Good," Theo said.
"I have a battle against Falkner in a few weeks," Luca said.
"You're doing the Gym challenge too?"
"I am," Luca said. "I just need to find a third Pokemon."
"Lots of them around."
"Yeah, no kidding." Luca looked down. "Anyway, good battle."
"Hey," Theo said, grabbing his arm. Luca flinched. "I'm sorry I said that about your dad."
"Thanks," Luca said, pulling away. "Sorry about what I said too."
"Guess we're both trying to make up for our dads," Theo said.
Luca sniffed. "No offense, but yours is a little easier than mine."
Theo nodded. Maybe that was true.
"Anyway, good night," Luca said, and he left the Pokemon Center.
Theo brought his Pokemon to the counter. The nurse took them back. He went to sit with Harriet.
"Well, look who it is," she said. "You're a few weeks in and already a little celebrity."
Theo grinned sheepishly. "What are you doing here?"
"Visiting," she said. "Falkner is my cousin, so he gets me tickets to matches. I couldn't believe it was you when you came out. The minute I saw you I started worrying about that Togepi, but I guess I didn't need to worry."
"Well, I think you might have," Theo said. "But she pulled it together."
"All three of them did well," she said. "So you've got one badge. Where next?"
"I guess I have to find a Gym that has Tier Two battles."
She waved her hand. "Almost all of them. Goldenrod City isn't far away. It's west of here."
"So maybe I'll go there," he said.
"It'll be cool," she said, "to tell people I knew you before you were somebody."
Theo laughed. "I think I'll always be kind of a nobody."
"Once that battle goes on TV tomorrow, I don't think that'll be true anymore. But that's up to you, I guess, and your Pokemon," she said. She took a swig of her drink and stood up. "Well, Falkner wasn't too pleased with that loss, so I can't stay here fraternizing with the enemy. I'll keep my eye out for you going forward, though."
"Good night," Theo said. It was evening now, and the Pokemon Center was clearing out. He made himself a plate of food, piled high as a reward, but after weeks of eating the sages' simple meals, it felt too rich. He sat quietly instead, reveling in his victory. He had won. This journey hadn't been an impulsive mistake. He might be able to do this.
After a few hours, he retrieved his Pokemon. He thought of taking out a room for the night, but he went instead to the northern part of town.
When he opened the door to the Tower, it was quiet as usual. All the sages were standing in the entryway, and they turned when he entered. Their Bellsprout all stood next to them. Without speaking, the sages formed a line, and the Bellsprout lined up in front of them.
The sages all bowed to him. Their Bellsprout did the same. Then they all erupted in clapping and cheering.
"It's all thanks to you guys," Theo said. He pulled Nico into a hug, and then he bent down and hugged Trawa.
"Master Theo," Jin said. "We suspect that you will not remain in our Tower much longer, but we hope that you have learned from us here. We have a small gift for your victory." He retreated into the kitchen and returned with a large cake. It was frosted in white, but along the edges was a pattern of vines and leaves. A single candle was inserted inside, and iced onto the top was a Zephyr Badge and the number one.
"To Theo!" Jin said. "The first of many great victories!"
"To Theo!" all the sages said in unison.
"And one more thing," Jin said. "While she put on quite a show tonight, we think it is time that your Togepi learned a reliable attack."
"Can you teach her something?" Theo asked.
"Yes, young master," Jin said. "A specialty of the Tower. I will show her an attack called Return."
"What does it do?"
"It's a basic attack," Jin said. "But it gets stronger the more the Pokemon loves her trainer." He smiled. "In your case, I suspect it will become very powerful. Come, I will teach it to all three of your charges."
"You waited until now to tell me you could do this?" Theo asked, laughing.