Creation began on 07-28-17
Creation ended on 09-06-17
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Solace in the Sinnoh Stadium
The more Gendo looked at the posted video footage obtained by the Fourth Child, the more he detested the exploits of the Third Child in the other world. Even just seeing his son acquire the artificial Pokemon known as Mewtwo by simply befriending it, earning its trust (and its power) infuriated him; the boy had amassed such a degree of power by gathering a menagerie of amazing animals…and all he did with it was travel to foreign places to compete in these silly, sanctioned tournaments. Anyone with a brain could see that these animals could enable a person to overthrow governing bodies like SEELE or the UN. Anyone with a brain…and an ideal goal to see become reality.
Any measure of such power is completely wasted upon him, he thought, examining the footage of Shinji capturing a bird that was likely that world's version of the legendary Phoenix because it was either made of or bathed in flames. He doesn't have any idea how to change the world.
-x-
Just three more days till the Lily of the Valley Conference began, and Shinji was doing some clothes shopping for himself and his Pokemon. He had hope that his friends would come back and cheer them all on as they did their best in the preliminaries in order to advance to the finals. And yet, for some reason, he found himself purchasing some black slacks, some white, button-up, short-sleeved shirts and a belt; he guessed that after four years of wearing different styles of clothing, he missed the casualness of his school uniform.
I don't know what's stranger, he thought, going into a private dressing room to change into the similar clothes he purchased. The fact that I miss the old style…or the fact that I intend to dress like this for the duration of the conference.
Standing in front of the mirror, the eighteen-year-old Pokemon Trainer looked exactly as he had four years ago when he arrived in Tokyo-3, albeit a little taller and more lively than ever before. His hair looked as though he could use a slight trim to keep several strands from obscuring his vision; fortunately, he kept scissors for that purpose. If it weren't for the four-year gap, he was sure that everyone that knew him would claim he hadn't aged in the slightest here.
"Howdy, Shinji Ikari," he spoke to his reflection, putting his hand on the mirror. "You look nice in such a familiar choice of clothes. Just do your best, maintain your faith in your Pokemon…and you can't go wrong on your journey."
-x-
"…So…if he managed to catch another member of your species," went Misato to Palkia, standing in front of the caged dragon, "along with your opposite that represents time, Shinji would be able to return here on his own? But…how would he find another one of you, a member of your species, exactly if you're considered rare?"
"You humans put much stock in the examples of hard work and effort," Palkia told her. "Other times, you express stock in your examples of luck and faith in one's own abilities. You would assume that in most situations one finds themselves in, that the rarer a creature or item is, the less likely they're to be found. That isn't always true. Through other factors beyond the ones you know of, such as creatures merely staying away from people for lifetimes, even hundreds of lifetimes, can make you assume that they're rare and hard to find."
"Yet, Shinji is divided between catching and training Pokemon and competing in Pokemon League tournaments. When he's not traveling around and looking for them, he's facing other people to show his skills and the results of his training style to thousands that view battling as a form of entertainment."
"For centuries, the pursuit of conflict as a form of entertainment and a rite of passage has been woven into your cultures and societies. For Pokemon Trainers, this is merely a rite of passage into a pantheon of men and women that went from regular, overlooked souls that did simple things and found themselves doing things they hadn't done before and got better at them over time…and became people most aspire to follow in the footsteps of. What do you call these people? Warriors? Gladiators? Kings and queens? Deities? Legends?"
"More or less."
"Why don't you try to see the boy?"
"I doubt that I'd be able to get there the same way his classmates had."
"But if you haven't attempted such a possibility…then you don't know for sure. As said, there are factors beyond what you know."
The pilots and classmates would be returning the next day and go back to see how Shinji was doing…and the purple-haired woman would just be watching from a monitor…because she needed to be here in case of an Angel attack.
"Even if I could, my position at NERV is necessary due to the threat of the Angels."
"Yet, the man that threatens the existence of others is a threat also. He who dares to take what one does not deserve to possess is one that will bring ruin to all. You can't protect others that need protection without removing those that will endanger them and promise no such protection."
And the sad thing of it was that Palkia was absolutely right; Gendo was a threat to people, as well, not just the Angels.
-x-
"…Hopefully, too much time hasn't gone by since we last saw Shinji," said Kensuke to the others the next day as they returned to the facility. "It's only my guess that when we get there, the opening ceremony will have commenced and then the preliminaries."
"Your footage of the Kanto, Johto and Hoenn Pokemon League ceremonies have people thinking that they're all similar," went Toji.
"Oh, they don't all use a ceremonial torch with a portion of fire belonging to Moltres."
"Moltres?" Asuka uttered. "That's that firebird, right? A literal Pheonix, just like the one Shinji caught in Hoenn, right?"
"That's right."
"I'll be honest," went Hikari, "but I find it impossible for any bird to be capable of evolving over time into a bird made of flames. I mean, there's gotta be some form of magic to it. Or science, even."
"That's the thing about Pokemon, Hikari. They're not bound by anything we know that can be defined through science. Whatever way they go through evolution is the way they go. Some Pokemon even go through millions of years without ever changing in the slightest. No evolution, no mutation, just like the Relicanth."
"Ikari-Kun captured thirty-seven of those, did he not?" Rei asked.
"Yeah. He needed his Gyarados, among other Water Pokemon, to help him achieve that feat, since swimming is something he hasn't mastered yet."
Stepping into the large chamber where Palkia resided, they were greeted by Misato and Antonio.
"You excited about going back to see Shinji today?" Antonio asked them.
"I am," responded Toji, "though I don't see how our presence there helps with your work here."
"Trust me, your subconscious presence in the Pokemon world helps plenty in the research in interdimensional travel here."
"And I'm to assume that their presence isn't just to ensure a form of relief towards the young man that was displaced in the world I originate from?" Palkia questioned.
"Uh…" Hikari expressed; even though they had seen it and observed the footage of other Pokemon that speak like humans do, it was still a little disturbing to hear Palkia talk to them.
"It's 'cause of the whole communication without the mouth ever moving in sync with the vocalization, isn't it?" Misato asked them.
"It…just doesn't seem possible," Toji explained.
"Try adjusting to having a Psychic Pokemon with you," Kensuke told them, since they've been around a Pokemon of that type. "It always feels like they're talking to you verbally, but their mouths never move in sync with their communication. It's nothing that seems at fault. That's just the way it with how some of them speak."
-x-
It was the seventh time Fuyutsuki noticed that Gendo was examining the posted footage of Shinji's adventures in the Pokemon world and his battles in the Pokemon League…and seeing at least eight photos of select Pokemon Shinji had in his possession, particularly the red Gyarados nicknamed after the First Child on his desk in his office.
"I find it most unusual of you to be taking an interest in your son's life over there," he told him.
"Not the Third Child," Gendo expressed. "These creatures that he has acquired over the past four years there. They have such qualities you don't see in any plants or animals here. Unlimited potential once they're tamed."
Yet, Fuyutsuki was disturbed by the way he said these things about the Pokemon, like he had something else on his mind that didn't fit in any way with how these creatures were used in an individual's profession in their world.
"Pokemon as bodyguards and such?" He suggested to him. "Pokemon become soldiers…or a potential asset for NERV?"
"That's right," Gendo answered him.
"You should give up while you still can, Ikari. Pokemon exploitation as personal armies and living weapons is frowned upon by the general community your son has become involved with. They're seen as either pets, friends or family members, not as some type of commodity or unfeeling accessory like a doll or tablet."
"And I suppose that you believe that their exploitation in these silly tournaments and performance contests is all they're permitted for over there?"
"The people that train them to participate in those tournaments and contests all strive to be among the best that ever lived, to be immortalized for their skills, but they wouldn't sink so low as to force a Pokemon to fight until they're dead and then cast them aside if they become worn out or lame."
"That's their world. Ours is vastly different. Whatever rules they follow there wouldn't apply here."
Fuyutsuki didn't like this…and reminded himself that he had been invited back to the facility the Giovanni Corporation was using to house and research Palkia and interdimensional travel. Professionally, he felt he needed to inform them of what Gendo might've sought to do if he ever obtained any Pokemon for his own use…and personally, he wanted to see how well Shinji fared in the Sinnoh Pokemon League. If the boy got first place, he would most likely be considered the champion of that year and region, one of the best of Pokemon Trainers, if not what some people viewed as the ultimate title in the field of training Pokemon: A Pokemon Master.
Still, he thought as he turned to vacate the commander's office, that would be quite an achievement for Shinji. A Pokemon Master. He'd be the very best, above the rest.
-x-
"…Oh, man!" Kensuke gasped as he, Rei, Asuka, Toji and Hikari found themselves in the hallway just outside Shinji's hotel suite, seeing a note stuck to the door. "He went down to the main arena for the opening ceremonies, which is an hour from now!"
"He was probably waiting for us, but couldn't any longer," Toji suggested. "Let's just get to the arena and meet up with him."
Behind Shinji's note was an envelop, which Kensuke opened, revealing five VIP-like passes with their names on them.
"Hey, he was thinking about us and got these in advance," he told them, handing their passes out.
"Lead the way, otaku," went Asuka.
-x-
"…So, they're in time for this opening ceremony?" Fuyutsuki asked Misato after he showed up to observe the recording footage.
"Yeah," she answered him. "They showed up at his hotel suite after they went under, but he wasn't there. He had left to the main arena, but left them passes so they could get in. We haven't seen him yet."
"Probably just wants to make himself presentable," said Antonio to them as he straightened the camera atop the control panel directed at Palkia. "Based on these tournaments, some of the Pokemon Trainers seem to want to look their best, for better or for worse, so that they at least stand out to a degree."
"Somehow, I think it would take a regular miracle for Shinji to stand out in front of all those trainers," Misato expressed.
"Do you care to elaborate?" Fuyutsuki asked her; he decided to inform them of the potential situation with Gendo later.
"Just…wearing something he wouldn't normally wear," she explained.
"Looks like it's starting," Antonio told them.
On the monitors, the main arena was packed with people there to watch, support and (possibly bet on, as well) encourage the trainers that made it all the way to get where they were.
"…And here are the participants of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference!" A female voice shouted to the crowds as the Pokemon Trainers emerged onto the stadium battlefield, a menagerie of ages, races, styles and attitudes, male and female. "What an impressive lot! But which one of them has what it takes to rise above the rest and beat the Elite Four and the current Pokemon League Champion?"
"The Elite Four?" Fuyutsuki spoke.
"I guess you could say that they're among the best of the best in the Pokemon League," Misato stated. "Top-notch Pokemon Trainers in their own right."
One of the monitors showed the subconsciously-displaced teens in the crowd as they looked for Shinji among the trainers.
"Where is he?" They heard Toji say.
"Oh, right there!" Hikari gasped, pointing.
On another monitor, Antonio saw the boy they were looking for, and zoomed in.
"Well," he uttered his belief, "he sort of stands out in that outfit."
"Reminds me of the day I met him in Tokyo-2," Misato stated. "I have to admit, he makes the school uniform look good."
"Almost as though he hasn't changed one bit," Fuyutsuki added.
-x-
"…Eevo!" Misato, perched on her trainer's right shoulder, went, getting Shinji's attention as she pointed towards the crowd on their left side.
Shinji looked over and saw his classmates here.
A man ran in between the two rows of trainers, up the stairs to the arena's torch…and lit it up with the small torch he held up high.
Suddenly, fireworks shot into the air, signifying that the conference had officially begun.
"Let's do our best, Misato," he told her.
"Eee!" She agreed with him.
-x-
"Wow, Shinji, look at you," Toji expressed as they all met up after the opening ceremony ended so that Shinji and the other trainers could begin their screening procedures. "You look unchanged."
"Thank you," he responded.
"I'll admit, the school uniform look does suit you," added Asuka. "Do your best to win this conference, you hear me?"
"Oh, I don't intend to walk away from this until it's over."
"Ikari-Kun?" Rei spoke to Shinji, getting his attention. "Go get 'em."
Shinji bowed his head to her as he responded, "Thank you for your encouragement."
"Um, do you know who you'll be facing first?" Hikari asked.
"Out of two-hundred-fifty-six Pokemon Trainers, including myself? My first screening match will be against a lady named Houki. It'll be a three-on-three battle to move forward to the preliminaries."
"I take it you've taken the time to study each trainer during our absence?" Kensuke asked him.
"Most of them," he corrected. "Houki specializes in Fire and Poison-Type Pokemon."
"Ouch," Asuka uttered.
"Eevo," Misato went.
"We've had our shares of being burned and poisoned over time," Shinji explained. "It will begin on the Rock Field in an hour. My Pokemon are in the current party are in top condition, and we're heading there right now. Shall we?"
-x-
"…Just as with the Kanto and Johto Pokemon Leagues, here in the Hoenn Region, the Pokemon League goes on for several days once the opening ceremony closes," Fuyutsuki heard Shinji say in front of the camera as he stood in front of a large, dinosaur-like Pokemon that looked like it could blend in with a forest on his phone. "The number of Pokemon Trainers competing ranges from two-hundred to two-hundred-fifty-six, just like with the previous leagues, and the process of elimination goes until only one trainer is left. That trainer, whoever they are, will be able to face the Elite Four and the current champion of the region's league and be crowned the new champion should they win."
"What about their recognition, Shinji?" He heard the Fourth Child ask Shinji.
"Their recognition as the champion is immortalized in Pokemon League Hall of Fame, where previous champions are revered by the people."
"Do you have any hopes for ever winning the Pokemon League and getting into the Hall of Fame yourself one day?"
Shinji's face became solemn as he seemed to be thinking about the idea.
"After getting third place in Kanto's and second place in Johto's," he responded, "I don't really have any aspirations of winning this region's league…but it wouldn't be a bad thing to want to be remembered in the Hall of Fame among other great trainers…so long as you don't let the ideas of fame go to your head."
"Impressive answer, Shinji. And what awaits you after this league ends?"
"Sinnoh. There's always a new place to go to and new Pokemon to encounter."
Then, Fuyutsuki looked away from his phone and back to the monitors where Shinji was about to face his first opponent in the screening rounds. So far, all the Sub-Commander could tell from the footage posted on the Internet by the Fourth Child, every trainer participating in these leagues all face one other trainer per round in order to move forward; basically, dividing over two-hundred trainers until only one remained in a survival-of-the-fittest-styled process of elimination. But this would be a three-on-three match between Shinji and the woman he was pitted against.
"Do you think he'll face her with his Eevee?" He asked Misato.
"I doubt it," she answered him. "If what he says is accurate, this woman specializes in Fire and Poison Pokemon. His Eevee is a Normal Pokemon. If anything, Shinji keeps her around because she was his first Pokemon. He'll likely use a Pokemon suited against them."
"It all depends on who goes first," added Antonio, watching as a digital spinner showed up and displayed Shinji and the adult woman's faces in colored backgrounds, green and red, respectively…and the spinner stopped on the woman's color. "Shinji will have the advantage over his opponent by seeing which Pokemon she uses first."
-x-
"I've been hearing some things about you, young man," the woman, well into her thirties, dressed in a red and purple cheongsam with a tattoo of a poison symbol and a fire symbol on her exposed arms, told Shinji as they prepared to battle on the Rock Field. "I've been told that you're quite the unusual trainer. Over one-thousand Pokemon in your possession, a handful of them exceptionally hard to come by. To be honest, some of my friends think that you're strong enough to make it to the Elite Four."
"While it's nice hear a compliment, I won't confirm or deny such a possibility of facing the Elite Four just yet," he responded.
Houki took out a Great Ball and threw it onto her side of the field. It hit the ground and opened up to release the Pokemon held inside in a blinding light. When the light faded, Houki's first choice was revealed to be…a Skarmory!
"A Skarmory?" Shinji questioned. "I was expecting a Fire or Poison Pokemon."
"I decided to change my roster before I faced you," Houki explained. "If you were thinking of defeating me, I think I've bested you already. What do you say to this?"
Shinji took out a Great Ball and expressed, "I must say…I'm looking forward to this first round."
He threw it onto the field…and unleashed his Charizard!
"Rrraurgh!" Asuka growled.
A female referee stepped in front of them and raised her red and green flags.
"Round One, begin!" She shouted.
"Take flight, Skarmory!" Houki commanded, and her Skarmory spread its wings and took to the air.
"Asuka, take flight and use Fire Spin!" Shinji told her, and she spread her wings and took to the air, much faster than the Skarmory had, and spat out a large stream of flame that encircled the Steel Pokemon in an impressive display of strength.
"Skar!" It shrieked, covered in burns and fell to the ground. "Skar…"
"Oh!" Houki gasped. "My Skarmory!"
The audience cheered Shinji at such a move; while some suspected that the Skarmony was a recently-caught Pokemon, others just suspected that Shinji's Charizard was just too powerful since he caught and trained her.
Skarmory tried to get up as Asuka landed back on the ground, but fell down again.
"Skarmory is unable to continue!" The referee announced. "Charizard wins!"
On the scoreboard, Houki's three-Pokemon roster dropped to two as she recalled her Skarmory.
"Incredible, and with only one attack," she stated. "I'll save my best for last. For now, I'll introduce you to my Onix!"
She threw a standard Poke Ball out and unleashed a giant serpent made completely out of rocks.
"Oh, and with the fall of Skarmory comes the rise of Onix!" One of the announcers yelled. What will Shinji do?"
"Oh, that is one, big serpent," went Hikari, never imagining her fortune of seeing an Onix from a distance that wasn't on a screen.
"This might be the shortest battle I've seen Shinji in," said Kensuke, just as Shinji decided to substitute his Charizard.
"Come out, Rei!" Shinji shouted, throwing out a different ball, releasing his Shiny Gyarados.
"Rrrraugh!" Rei, the Gyarados, roared at the smaller serpent.
"Oh, and this has become a battle of serpents!" The announcers cheered. "Houki with her Onix…and Shinji with his Gyarados! Who will win?!"
In the audience, Rei Ayanami saw the giant sea serpent that Shinji nicknamed after her, intrigued by how he had come to possess such a creature that looked rather…vicious if provoked…yet saved his life once by evolving from an over-sized fish that many people stated was very useless. And based on the footage of Shinji explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each type of Pokemon in battles varied between all trainers and their methods, the albino First Child suspected that Shinji would win this round with his Gyarados.
"Begin!" The referee declared.
"Go, Onix! Use Dig!" Houki ordered, and the Rock Snake Pokemon roared as it smashed into the ground, disappearing from sight.
"Okay, Rei, use Surf!" Shinji declared, and the red Gyarados unleashed a large amount of water from her mouth, covering the field in water.
The water then rose up with the Gyarados as she swam around the field.
"Grrraaurgh!" Onix roared as it burst from under the water, flailing in irritation. "Grraugh!"
"Oh, my Onix!" Houki gasped.
The water then drained away from the field, leaving behind the large stalagmites and the ground reduced to mud.
"Oh! And what a move that was on Shinji's part!" The announcers cheered. "Houki thought her Onix could avoid water attacks by going under, only to have Shinji's Gyarados flood the field with water! Not even Rock Pokemon can escape water that will sink into the dirt!"
Then, Houki's Onix fell to the ground, covered in mud.
"Whoa," went Shinji; he hadn't thought Rei's Surf would befall anyone's Onix like this, unless it was just recently caught and trained instead of a veteran companion like his Gyarados was most of the time.
"Onix is unable to continue," the referee revealed to the audience. "Gyarados is the victor!"
The crowd was wild with excitement directed towards Shinji and his Pokemon.
-x-
"Either this trainer is too inexperienced with her Pokemon," went Antonio as he, Fuyutsuki and Misato watched the feed, "or Shinji's Gyarados and Charizard are just too strong."
"Over four years can make anyone that trains Pokemon skilled," said Misato to him.
"He's a good person," Fuyutsuki stated. "He brings out the best in who's with him."
On the screens, the lady Pokemon Trainer recalled the giant serpent of stone and gave Shinji a cold look; the woman had clearly not expected such a move from an eighteen-year-old that only spent less than five years around Pokemon.
"You got quite a pair on you," she told Shinji, holding up a new ball that was green with small, red dots. "I've been at this profession for nearly ten years now, and I didn't expect my first opponent in my third try at this region's Pokemon League to be quite a powerful adversary. I'm looking forward to seeing you try your best against my first Pokemon. It's time to take out the trash!"
She then threw out the ball and it opened in midair, releasing a bright light that took form on the muddy field…and based upon the look on Shinji's face, the Pokemon that appeared was either frightening…or something he hadn't seen before.
"Oh!" Misato gasped, never expecting any Pokemon to resemble something out of an over-sized garbage bag that tore open and took on a life of its own.
"That…is a Pokemon I've never seen before," said Shinji to her. "What is it?"
"This…is my Garbodor," the woman answered him. "From the Unova Region."
"All the more reason to make plans to travel to the Unova Region after my time here in the Sinnoh Region ends," Shinji expressed.
-x-
A Garbodor was a Pokemon that could be found in the Unova Region. And this was the first one Shinji had ever seen before. It was quite a surprise and a treat to see a trainer with a Pokemon he hadn't seen that was from some other place.
"You say that it's your first Pokemon?" He asked Houki, curious.
"Had it ever since it was a little Trubbish," she revealed. "Found it in the basement of my building in Virbank City. We've been together since that day."
"I don't say this to many people I meet, but I have great respect and admiration towards those that value the first Pokemon they had as a Pokemon Trainer. So much so that I guess I have a preference to see the strength shown by the first of Pokemon."
With that, his Eevee jumped off his platform and ran out onto the muddy field; nothing needed to be said between the trainer and his Eevee, as this was to be a battle between two Pokemon that were the first each trainer ever had.
"Why his Eevee?" Hikari asked Kensuke. "Isn't she no match for a Poison Pokemon?"
"It's not a matter of type advantage or disadvantage," the otaku explained to them. "It's a matter of pride. Shinji started to demonstrate admiration for people that try to do their best in matches with their original Pokemon during our time in the Johto Region. Even when it seems impossible, he and Misato still go up against other Pokemon that were their opponents' first ones. They weren't always the traditional standard choices of each region, like a Charmander or a Totodile or a Turtwig is. Sometimes, they're a Poliwag, a Hitmontop, even this Pokemon that Shinji and I have never seen before. Even if Misato can't beat it, Shinji still has Rei and Asuka to keep him in the match and win it."
"Now, this is interesting, folks," one of the announcers stated. "Shinji will be facing Houki's Garbodor with his Eevee. It's a David vs. Goliath round here! Who will prevail?"
"Begin!" The referee yelled, and the third round began.
"Alright, Garbodor, use Toxic Spikes!" Houki commanded, and her Garbodor raised up both its arms and shot out a series of tiny, purple pins and needles all over Shinji's side of the field.
However, Misato was unable by the move.
"This will hinder Shinji when and if he has to switch Pokemon," said Toji.
"Why?" Hikari asked. "That attack didn't look like it did anything."
"It's not meant to harm the Pokemon its user is currently facing," Kensuke explained. "Toxic Spikes covers the field in a layer of poison spikes that will poison the next Pokemon summoned to the field. While Misato is unaffected by the attack, it won't apply to either Shinji's Charizard or Gyarados should they be used to switch her out if she loses."
"So, getting poisoned is a definite, no matter what happens."
"Shinji's still got this," said Asuka. "He just needs to defeat this last Pokemon to move up."
"Use Swift, Misato!" Shinji commanded.
"Eevo!" Misato responded, jumping up into the air and performing an aerial front flip, her tail releasing a series of golden stars at Garbodor.
"Garbo!" Garbodor grunted as the Swift attack hit it, causing some injury, but not much.
"Impressive, but not very effective!" Houki expressed. "Take on a Sludge attack!"
Garbodor aimed its left arm at Misato and shot a stream of purple ooze at her.
Misato tried dodging the attack, but the muddy ground proved difficult to move around on…and was unable to evade a small amount of the poisonous attack on her as it struck her back and got stuck in her fur. Soon enough, she would feel the effects of the poison in her.
"Oh, and now Eevee's covered with sludge!" The female announcer declared. "Someone is going to need a bubble bath after this!"
"Misato, are you alright?" Shinji asked her.
"Eevo!" She responded; even though she was feeling the effects of the poison in her, she wasn't some weak Eevee, anymore. "Eee!"
"Can you keep going?"
He had a Pecha Berry in his left hand that he just dug out of his bag in case she needed; as far as the rules of these legitimate matches went, trainers were permitted to use medical remedies, such as berries, to keep their Pokemon going in a match, but if they fainted from their injuries, it was game over for them until they were treated at the Pokemon Center. From what he learned, reviving a fainted Pokemon in matches was prohibited.
"Eevo!" She declared; she was stronger because of him.
"Okay, use Iron Tail!"
The Eevee leapt up as her tail glowed whitish-silver.
"Garbodor, counter with Body Slam!" Houki ordered her Garbodor.
SLAM! Misato's Iron Tail made contact with Garbodor's body, and the world seemed silent as everyone from the spectators to the trainers were frozen in suspense.
Misato, you're among my best friends since I ended up here, Shinji thought, hoping that she had injured the Garbodor enough to allow for either Rei or Asuka to finish the job. You don't have to beat it. You just have to weaken it.
Time then resumed…and Garbodor fell backwards…while Misato fell atop it, looking under the weather from the poison.
"Garb…" Garbodor groaned as it got back up and threw Misato to the ground, causing her to slide back to Shinji's side of the field. "Garbodor!"
"Eee…" She groaned as she got back up, weakened from the loss of energy because of her poisoning.
"Your Eevee's much stronger than most others I've faced in the last four years," Houki told Shinji. "It's funny, though, because you don't see many of them in the wilderness, just urban areas. They're almost considered rare because they're hard to find in the wild and because of their irregular genetics. Where did you get yours?"
"We met a mile away from Pallet Town. I was lost and she was injured. Over four years ago."
"Ten years. That's how long Garbodor and I have been together."
Houki's ten years with her Garbodor against Shinji's four years with his Eevee. But only one would walk away from this the victor.
Shinji then threw the Pecha Berry to Misato so that she could undo her poison status.
The Eevee consumed the berry and her poison status was instantly undone by its special properties.
"Eee!" She went, feeling rejuvenated.
"I doubt your Eevee can beat my Garbodor if she's poisoned again," Houki told Shinji.
"Oh, don't underestimate or overestimate one's abilities until you've faced them," he responded. "Expect nothing but their best. What they can do, not what you want them to do."
"Eevo!" Misato grunted, looking like she had an ace up her paws.
-x-
"…Man, he's really determined to beat her," said Antonio.
On the screens, the boy's Eevee and the woman's Garbodor began dodging and hitting each other, barely able to inflict any degree of injury upon each other. Even when Shinji had the little creature use Iron Tail and Swift, both moves didn't do as much harm as they did earlier; this probably stemmed from being poisoned earlier.
"Go, Shinji!" Misato cheered the boy on as he had the little creature use her Iron Tail move on the garbage-like creature again after enduring another poisonous move called Clear Smog.
There was something that Fuyutsuki started to notice about Shinji that seemed to be barely noticeable. It was probably just due to some measure of excitement, but it looked like the Pokemon Trainer was in poor shape from the way he was breathing. This was something he was able to see with the other trainer, as well. He couldn't put his finger on what it was just yet.
"Is it just me," went Antonio to them, "or does Shinji look like he needs a break?"
"Yeah, he does look like he's in bad shape," Misato realized, "but this doesn't make sense. He hasn't been attacked by any of that woman's Pokemon."
"No, but that Eevee of his has taken a few hits that could cause harm," Fuyutsuki stated.
"Eee…eee…" Shinji's Eevee panted.
"I gotta own up to it, Ms. Houki," they heard Shinji pant. "Your Garbodor is much stronger than I expected it to be. Great respect must always be afforded to starters."
Houki, looking in just as bad shape as Shinji did, responded, "Thank you. I must confess that you're much greater than I had truly anticipated you to be. You must be a blessed trainer."
"Everyone that loves their Pokemon is blessed."
"It looks like the relationship between the trainers and their Pokemon is very deep-seated," said Antonio, suggesting that might've been the reason for Shinji's tiring condition.
"It is," the three and everyone else in the room heard Palkia state. "Most don't understand when they start out, but when you train with Pokemon, you both take the same path to the unknown future in front of you. Your fates are intertwined. Much of what affects your Pokemon reflects upon you. You can't ever forget that they're not something you can disregard as unfeeling creatures. They have lives, just as you do, with ambition, desires, hopes that shouldn't be neglected."
This had to be something that Shinji understood, too. He might've been the one to call the shots with his Pokemon, but he could never forget that they were not his pawns or tools of the trade…but his friends and allies. Whatever affected them would always affect him, as well. When they got hurt…he would get hurt, bound together by their bond.
In many respects, one could compare this relationship to the one barely understood between the Evangelions and pilots…but that would've been disrespectful towards the relationship between Pokemon and their trainers.
"Let's win this, Misato," they heard Shinji say to his Eevee.
"Eevo," the Eevee responded, just as her purple and green scarf fell off her neck.
-x-
"Garbodor, use Body Slam!" Houki ordered.
"Take Down, Misato!" Shinji responded.
The Garbodor jumped up and aimed towards the Eevee, determined to crush her under its heaviness.
Misato charged, forgetting about her scarf, aimed towards the Garbodor's center, putting all her might into what was likely to be her last attack.
Clash! Garbodor stood still, frozen in time with the Eevee that slammed her upper body into its center.
Shinji and Houki both felt like their Pokemon had used up every ounce of their strength in their attacks, but still clung to their determination to stay in the battle. And they both knew they put more faith in their abilities than ever before. The truth in their honesty, the clarity of their convictions and the totality of how far they wanted to go to prove themselves worthy of the Pokemon they caught and trained.
Suddenly…Misato fell backwards onto the mud, struggling to rise back up…while Garbodor fell forward onto the mud, struggling to do the same. Both were panting, almost completely drained of energy, probably unable to continue with another attack, not even to evade.
"Eee…"
"Gar…"
Then…Garbodor fell back down…and didn't get back up again.
"Garbodor is unable to continue!" The referee announced, raising the green flag in his hand. "The winner of this match is Shinji Ikari!"
The audience went wild with excitement over the match as Shinji was declared the victor, just as said trainer ran out onto the muddy field and scooped up his exhausted Eevee.
"He really did well," said Asuka, impressed by his efforts.
"I was on the edge of my seat," added Toji. "Kensuke, did you get this all on tape?"
"I'm still getting it," the otaku expressed.
"Eee," went Misato, exhausted from the battle.
"Congratulations, Misato," said Shinji to her, picking up her scarf. "You, Asuka and Rei did great."
"Eee."
-x-
The Pokemon Center was bustling with activity as the Nurse Joys and their Chansey assistants were tending to all the Pokemon that fought in the matches of that day or getting checked for their upcoming matches.
"Yo, Shinji!" Shinji heard Kensuke as he carried his mending Eevee out of the building, meeting the others. "How are your Pokemon after your match?"
"They're okay, but Misato won't be battling for three days," he revealed, his Eevee sporting a bandaged waist and left hind leg.
"Poor girl," said Hikari expressed, petting Misato's head.
"Eee," she purred.
"But it's all good, though," Shinji stated. "It was an exhilarating battle. Misato can relax and recover for the duration of our time here."
"It seemed like an easy win for you," said Asuka to him.
"Oh, hardly. There are bound to be hundreds of trainers a lot stronger than me."
"Ikari-Kun," went Rei to the trainer. "Congratulations on your match."
It was the first time any of them heard the albino praise Shinji for something like this. It was almost…disturbing as it was spirit-lifting.
"Thank you, Ayanami," he responded. "Is anyone hungry?"
-x-
With the end of the match, Fuyutsuki finally informed Misato and Antonio of his suspicions about what Gendo probably had in mind for any Pokemon he got his hands on.
"…This only enforces what Palkia said about him," said Antonio to them. "I wouldn't trust him with even a Grimer."
"If Shinji manages to get back here, I fear what his father could do if he tried to take the stronger Pokemon he caught," Misato shared with them. "NERV exploiting Pokemon as weapons would just disgrace us even more."
"And it would make Pokemon seem like a violent commodity."
"If Shinji ever finds a way back to this dimension," Fuyutsuki suggested, "and that's a big 'if'."
"So far, only two Pokemon exist in our dimension," Antonio spoke up again, "and NERV has neither one to exploit negatively."
"Palkia here," Misato uttered, pointing to the Spacial Pokemon, "and Kensuke Aida's Machamp."
"I wouldn't mind having a Voltorb if I could have just one Pokemon for myself," Antonio confessed.
"Voltorb? That red and white, ball-shaped one with the angry eyes?"
"That's the one. They're a mystery to me and they generate and absorb electricity."
"Some of the personnel at NERV admire the smaller Pokemon, like Pidgey, Paras, Wooper, or Torchic. I think Pen-Pen fell in love with the sight of the Piplup that Shinji found and caught, though I'm partial to the Slowpoke."
"Why that one?"
"It rarely does anything. You can't tell what it's thinking…if it ever does think."
"Snorlax," Fuyutsuki sighed.
"Those are big and heavy," Misato reminded him. "Why that Pokemon?"
"They're harmless when they're asleep."
"Not to mention that they only wake up to eat," Antonio expressed, "and they can eat just about anything edible to them. Only problem is that they have to consume nearly nine-hundred pounds a day and then go back to sleep."
"And they're among the heaviest of Pokemon known to mankind, weighing close to over a ton."
-x-
"Miss Houki," said Shinji as he and his group saw the woman he defeated earlier at the restaurant they were at, carrying a few bags of food with her. "How are you this evening?"
"I have been singed by an inferno that leaves the venom of defeat to sting at my wounds," Houki explained using her philosophy. "Another year has passed for me…and another year it will take to try and win the Sinnoh League."
Shinji bowed his head to her.
"How are your Pokemon?"
"My Onix and Skarmory got it worse than my Garbodor did, but it's nothing a few days of rest won't mend. Your Eevee?"
On his right shoulder, Misato gave a smile.
"Eee," she uttered.
"I would say that she's similar to your Garbodor. She's tough and will recover in a few days."
"Eh-heh. Well, I guess I should say this to you before I return to my room. Don't quit the league."
Shinji gave her the thumbs up gesture with his left hand before she walked around the group and left.
"So, that Pokemon of hers was from the Unova Region, huh?" Kensuke asked Shinji as they all sat a table by a window and ate their meals.
"Yeah," he answered him. "I guess it makes one wonder, though."
"Wonder what?" Toji asked him.
"Why certain Pokemon are the way they are," he explained. "Appearance-wise, that is. Houki's Garbodor was quite a sight to behold."
"I was expecting it to leave the place smelling awful," Asuka confessed her belief that such a Pokemon would emit a foul odor once unleashed, "but I couldn't smell anything."
"Pokemon like Garbodor cease emitting foul aromas once they befriend certain people that aren't bothered by their presence," Shinji explained from his own experiences. "Grimer, Gloom, Dustox, they all release fumes that indicate a personal woe until those around them accept them for what they are."
"Quite the Pokemon encyclopedic you've become."
"Learn all that you can about Pokemon to understand all that you can about Pokemon."
-x-
"…It looks like his next match will be on a field of water," said Fuyutsuki as the monitors all displayed static as he and everyone else present were trying to readjust the feeds, the last piece of information heard from the boy before the feeds were crippled was that his next match would be in the next day with another trainer.
"It must be like the previous league requirements," suggested Misato. "Rock, Ice, Water and Grass."
"All of which are terrains most Pokémon can be found on, near or in," went Antonio, trying to readjust the signal and picture. "You don't often find a Water Pokémon on a Rock Field."
As the picture cleared up, the three and everyone else present saw the group of young teens walking down the hall to Shinji's hotel suite.
"…So you'll be rotating your Pokémon periodically throughout the duration of the conference?" Hikari asked Shinji as they entered the suite.
"Except for Misato," he explained, setting his Eevee down on the bed. "I'm never parting with her."
"I can't imagine you ever doing so," said Asuka to him as she sat in a chair near the window. "Again, you did good out there today."
"Thanks goes more to my Pokemon than to myself."
"The Ice Field, though," went Toji, reviewing the image of what the field Shinji was to deal with next. "How do you plan on performing on such a terrain in your next match?"
"I can't answer to that for certain. You'll have to wait and see what I'll do. What we'll do."
"He keeps correcting himself to keep from viewing himself as narcissistic," said Antonio to them.
"His Pokemon matter more to him than the conference they're in," Misato expressed.
The picture went fuzzy and then cleared up to show Shinji atop a building roof with Asuka and Rei; it was possible that some time passed before the three were up there.
"What do we have here?" Fuyutsuki wondered.
-x-
Not his own choice, but Shinji did have to keep a promise he made to his Mew, which was talk to both ladies she had confided to him about what she saw in their minds. And all Hikari had told him in his mind was that both girls needed him to talk to them more.
"Well, we're here," Asuka told him. "What do we need to talk about?"
"Hikari, my Mew…told me that you two needed to talk to me more," he explained. "She didn't say much about what happened when she explored your individual pasts. She didn't reveal to me anything that was private, just telling me to talk to you about what's been going on with you both. So…whenever you both wish to talk about yourselves than about myself."
The redhead and bluenette women looked at him before looking at each other, as if deciding who would divulge first.
"What, exactly, did you see when Hikari touched your face?" Asuka asked him.
"The same thing you both saw," he answered, "an underwater environment…and then a mountain surrounded by fog. Then…I saw something I had forgotten about when I was little…and dreaded recalling because of how painful it had been."
"What was so painful for you that you feared recalling?"
"The day my mother left…followed by him abandoning me soon after."
"You mean, died."
"No, left…and, more or less, faked her own death…realistically."
His Mew had shown him the memory as though it were an motion picture, shot perfectly with the greatest sound quality. The memory replayed exactly as his subconscious had made it, even when he wasn't cognitive enough to recall such details. As a small child, he was completely oblivious to what his parents were up to at NERV's predecessor agency, GEHIRN, and had absolutely no understanding of what the Eva was (he wasn't even cognitive enough to perceive the artificial behemoth as anything but "Mommy and Daddy's work") back then. And then…he saw what been the first half of what had scarred his childhood and left him, more or less, maimed for life.
While he didn't hate Hikari for helping him recall this tragic memory that had been suppressed to keep from causing him pain, as Psychic Pokemon, like most other Pokemon, hardly did what they did to harm others, it did result in him reevaluating the question he was asked by Sabrina over four years ago when he was in Saffron City. While he still felt that he needed to go back to his world because of the Angels, he wasn't so sure anything that might've occurred afterwards would change anything. And then, it made any sense of finding a wild Dialga and Palkia to help him cross whatever dimensional boundaries he needed to in order to achieve such a feat even more unlikely to happen any time in the near future for him.
"Your Mew," went Rei to them, "your Hikari of Light…told me that I was alone, even when I'm surrounded by people, and that I should be more open, more than who I am right now."
Asuka sighed and uttered, "She showed me a memory of my mother I had from before the Eva…from before she died. I'll be honest, it was the best memory I have of her."
Shinji confessed that as much as he knew he needed to return to their world, eventually, he wasn't sure how to deal with his parents, whom he felt betrayed by because of the Eva. Even as he slowly balled up his right fist, which shook with pent-up anger that he refused to vent out against others, he was wishing for his next match to happen faster; sometimes, he found himself able to set aside his worries about what went on in the other dimension through Pokemon competitions and contests, losing himself in the time spent facing other trainers.
"…You feel a sense of solace in Pokemon battles during periods of distress?" Rei asked him, making sure that she understood what he meant.
"Battling, training, traveling," he explained. "It's easy to forget about your concerns when you do something else you enjoy with someone with you."
"Like with Misato and the rest?" Asuka asked, referring to his Pokemon.
"Yeah," he answered her.
"I think you should come back to our world…but at your own pace. It's as you yourself stated, you can't rush in order to get the desired results, expecting that they're within easy reach."
Shinji looked at her and nodded in the positive, thankful for her response to the unasked question of returning to the other dimension.
"I wish," went Rei, expressing her honesty towards Shinji, "to see you return, Ikari-Kun. There are people that miss you. Including myself."
Shinji looked at her with an expression of surprise…and smiled.
"Thank you, Ayanami," he praised her.
"That man… The commander…ordered me not to go back to the Giovanni Corporation's facility where they keep the Palkia that is there in our world…but I chose not to obey his order…because I wanted to see you again…and watch you participate in the Pokemon League." Rei revealed to them.
"You actually disobeyed him?" Asuka questioned her, surprised. "Whoa. You… That's impressive. I never thought you'd do something like that."
Deciding to continue being more open, the albino responded, "Thank you."
Then, the redhead looked up…and saw something that caught her eye in the night sky.
"What is that?" She asked, pointing up.
Shinji and Rei looked up and the Pokemon Trainer smiled at the small group of blue, serpentine creatures that flew above the city in the curtain of the night.
"Dragonair," he answered, feeling a calmness in him that rivaled the solace he felt in matches. "Those are Dragonair."
"Are they…rare?" Rei asked.
"Yes…and no. If you find a Dratini, you often find Dragonair…and if you raise one, you'll likely get a Dragonite in the future."
The three continued to look at the night sky as the Dragonair flew away. Then Rei, probably because of the need to continue being more open with herself, held Shinji's right hand. And then Asuka held onto his left hand. It was a quiet…and peaceful moment between the three.
-x-
Gendo was furious when he heard that Rei had gone back to the Giovanni Corporation's testing facility where that Pokemon was in order to return to the other dimension where the Third Child was. He had told her not to go back there…and she disobeyed him. He wasn't even sure when this started, but he suspected that it had to have been sometime after her initial visit; anything that happened to her beyond the scope of his influence was hazardous to his scenario, however much of it could be adjusted or salvaged. If he had no control over Rei's whereabouts, anything could happen to her that would drive her down a deviating route from what he needed her for. If she got killed, it would hinder his efforts to stay in control.
Rei, how could you do this to me? He wondered, looking at the the most recent posted footage of the Third Child's exploits in the Pokemon world in his office. How could you turn away from me?
On his screen, Shinji, being recorded by the Fourth Child, was standing before a flock of angry birds being commanded by a much-larger one that looked like a vulture of sorts with a long neck and beak; the boy had called them the small birds Spearow and the large one Fearow, respectively.
"That flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto being led by that Pidgeot might've gotten away from you when you came back with a vengeance," his son told the large bird, "but your bitter rivalry ends with me, Fearow. You can't best anyone with the will to stand up to you and protect others from your fury. You and your flock will belong to me, if that's what it takes. I'm going to catch each and every last of you! Come and face me!"
He then saw him unleash the red serpent he nicknamed after Rei and watched it unleash a large stream of water at the flock, dousing them heavily, weakening them enough for the boy to throw a large number of balls at them, including the big one. This left Gendo feeling even more resentment towards Shinji, who seemed to command respect just with mere respect, who had all this power at his command…and wasted it without consideration. Oh, how he was disgusted at what he did with his life in this other world…and how he wanted all that the boy possessed.
To be continued…
A/N: Pray that nothing bad happens to the teens, including Rei and Asuka.