Creation began on 10-15-17
Creation ended on 11-04-17
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Out of the Darkness and in the Light
"Please, identify yourself," said the man as he sat with his fellow gentlemen in front of the Spatial Pokemon as it sat in front of them whilst Antonio watched from the sidelines with eight armed guards that had several rounds of tranquilizer darts ready to put grown men down for eighteen hours if the creature was placed in danger.
"I am Palkia," the Pokemon identified itself to the five men. "How do you do?"
The men looked at one another and then back at Palkia.
"A bit jet lagged, I'm afraid," the man in the middle of the quintette confessed. "Is it okay with you if we record this conversation? For the sake of reference and posterity?"
"No, go right ahead."
"So…you understand why we're here, right?" The man on the far right had asked Palkia.
"I was informed two hours prior to your arrival," the Spatial Pokemon revealed.
Eight days since Misato Katsuragi had awoken from her medically-induced coma that lasted only two days since Antonio wanted to ensure that the woman could return to work at NERV in a timely fashion, and she recovered slightly faster than the children did during their sojourn in the Pokemon world. The information gathered from her involvement helped to confirm whether or not adults could traverse subconsciously into the other dimension through Palkia's power over spatial phenomenology, and it brought the Giovanni Corporation much closer to the goal of opening doorways to new dimensions and help retrieve Shinji Ikari from his displacement.
"We're to understand that when the most recent Angel attacked Tokyo-3 and invaded NERV HQ, you intervened on behalf of the pilots of the Evangelions…and assisted them in repelling the threat," the lead man expressed to the dragon. "Do you deny having intervened?"
"I do not deny," it responded. "I was there to help them."
"And the Angel itself is not…dead?"
"It isn't, merely entrapped in the spatial rift I created to serve as its prison. So long as the rift continues to collapse in onto itself, the Angel, as you call it, cannot escape and resume its attack."
"And this method of containing the threat," went the man in the middle on the right, "was only possible because of the strategic planning of the Fourth Child, was it not?"
"Yes…and no," Palkia explained. "It takes more than strategic planning to achieve a feat. One must also possess the means, including those willing and able, to see it through. Containing the danger was a team effort. To claim credit over all that was done is to consider those around you beneath you instead of beside you, displaying the attitude you would refer to as narcissism."
The five men looked at one another and the lead man nodded in the positive over Palkia's response.
"Part of your reason for returning to the research installation here when you could've fled to parts unknown?" He asked.
"The Giovanni Corporation periodically scratches the surface of their goal to enter new dimensions and find alternative solutions to save this world. If they continue and succeed at the pace they take, then the goal would become beneficial for all of those involved, including myself. I would be able to return to my dimension…and the young man who was displaced there would be able to return to this one. You will have discovered new worlds, those untouched by traces of civilization, full of resources you can use to replenish your own, displace the vast ocean waters to reclaim land. Surely, you can imagine the possibilities of such research when those that do so are all willing participants."
"Scratching the surface?" The man in the middle on the left spoke. "You mean, the Giovanni Corporation discovers little by little with each experiment?"
"If you demand results that are only what you desire, the work you do will not necessarily guarantee them. Just as you can't rush the boy that does his part to get closer to returning here, you cannot rush the research being done here to open a doorway to there."
"And…could you tell us how the individuals in question are able to travel to your home dimension, albeit subconsciously?" The man on the far left asked it. "From what we've heard, they just sleep."
Palkia looked at Antonio, who sighed as he nodded his permission to reveal the details on how those that participated were able to travel back and forth between this world and the Pokemon world.
"So far, the research performed on such traveling suggests that those with a positive degree of association with the displaced Shinji Ikari have a higher level of success of reaching him in the other dimension. Other theories include individuals who desire to reach out to the boy to further remind him that there are people waiting for him to come back here."
"Meaning those he has associated with positively have a higher success rate of reaching this other dimension that he's currently lost in? So, put quite simply, people like his father have no chance, whatsoever, of getting to where he is subconsciously in this world that you're from?"
"Quite right."
This theory, of course, wouldn't get Gendo any good graces from anyone if his relationship with his own son was strained and full of disappointment and resentment on Gendo's part if it proved true. Not that Antonio would try and have Gendo attempt reaching out to Shinji in the Pokemon world if all he really saw was Pokemon as just another expendable resource that he could care less about if they didn't live up to his expectations.
"Um, getting back to the topic of this discussion and meeting," the lead man uttered, "if another Angel were to show up and attack…and NERV were unable to deal with it on their own, would you again assist them?"
"If they ask me…and should they need such assistance," it answered him.
I wonder how Shinji is doing in his fourth match that the research team is recording in silence? Antonio wondered, wishing he could be observing the fourth round of the Sinnoh League preliminaries.
-x-
THUD! The opposing female trainer's Abomasnow fell after being burnt by Shinji's Entei, leaving her deprived of all three of her Pokemon, including her Scizor and Venusaur, to continue the match against his Pyro, Charizard and Moltres chosen to participate in the match.
"Abomasnow is unable to continue!" The referee announced. "The match goes to Shinji Ikari!"
The crowd went wild with cheers for Shinji and his Pokemon.
We did it, he thought, looking at the people as they applauded their victory of the Grass Field. We're going to the finals now.
"Yo, Ikari!" The female trainer called out to him from across the field. "It was a great match! Don't you dare quit your roll! Fight your way to the top!"
Shinji gave her a thumbs-up with his left hand. Then, he looked down at Misato and picked her up.
"You guys always amaze me with your best," he told her. "I can't thank you enough."
"Eee!" She responded.
-x-
"…I take it that the meeting these men that represented the interests of the UN went well with Palkia?" Misato asked Antonio the next day as she returned to the research installation, seeing the Spatial Pokemon undergoing a medical evaluation.
"The trouble with meetings of this sort," he responded to her, "is that I don't know what everyone's thinking when faced with someone that is unlike anyone they've met before. I don't know if the meeting went well, but I am supportive of Palkia's responses to each question that was asked."
"Simple question, then: They were startled by the fact that it's intelligent?"
Antonio then looked at a heart and respiratory monitor and noticed how the heart had to beat twenty times within a minute.
"Oh, I'm sure they were wondering how its voice came out and not seem like it was telepathy," he told her. "Or at least trying not to wet themselves. How are the children doing, by the way?"
"Commander Ikari has them working extra synchronization shifts. Apparently, he feels that if the pilots spent more time with their Eva training when the Angel showed up, NERV wouldn't have had difficulty in dealing with the threat."
"So, basically, he's blaming Palkia, the Giovanni Corporation and the children themselves rather than admit to the possibility of the Angel being more dangerous than what was previously encountered."
"Yeah, that's about right. He's probably still venting over what Palkia said about him, though, which would add on to the reason he's trying to keep the children busy."
"If there's one thing about Gendo Ikari I know to be a fact that keeps many from wanting anything to do with him on a personal level, it's that he's one to hold grudges on what may or may not be the truth about him."
"The only ones he can't exert any pressure on are Suzuhara and Horaki…but I heard a rumor that that might change soon."
"What, that he's trying to draft them into the Eva program?"
"Yeah."
Antonio sighed and looked at an x-ray of Palkia's skeletal structure on the monitor in front of him.
"I take it he's not one to take a refusal for an answer?" He suggested.
"As someone we were informed of that views Pokemon as just another expendable resource, he's not capable of any measure of decline if there's something he wants or feels he should have," she answered. "He's as stubborn as a… Well, as stubborn as an Arbok."
"Excuse me?"
"What?"
"You used 'Arbok' over 'mule'."
"I guess Shinji's Pokemon adventures and the time I spent in the Pokemon world has given me more clarity and left me open to using Pokemon names over the traditional terms."
"I don't blame you. Shinji's quite the icon to the people that go online to look at the posted footage. You should see the number of views and likes each video of him gets on YouTube. Last I checked, one of them got over two-hundred-million."
"People love him. People that have seen him, heard of him, even those that don't really know him."
-x-
"This sucks, you know," groaned Asuka as she kicked her locker door in front of Rei. "This really, really sucks!"
"You don't have to tell me," Rei responded, exhausted from the synchronization testing they had done earlier today. "We haven't been able to go to the Giovanni Corporation's research station and go see Shinji like we usually could. Commander Ikari is trying to keep us away from him."
"If he hates him this much, I'd hate to see what he thinks of Shinji winning a Pokemon League championship and ending up in the Hall of Fame to be remembered for generations to come."
Rei sighed as she thought of Shinji winning the Sinnoh League and being remembered in the Hall of Fame by new trainers. She wanted to see something like that happen in front of her…and not on some monitor that can connect to wherever he is.
"Pilot Soryu," she uttered. "After school tomorrow… Let's not come back here. We, Pilot Aida and Horaki and Suzuhara go to the research station instead."
Asuka looked at her like she had gone insane…and smiled.
"I like the way you're thinking right now," she expressed.
-x-
Ever since he discovered that the phenomenon some of his Pokemon experienced was called Mega Evolution, Shinji periodically called Prof. Oak back in Pallet Town whenever he was at the Pokemon Center or his hotel suite, hoping he had found any clue as to how they were capable of such a feat if there were stones required, which he lacked.
"…I was finally able to find out where you'd have to go to understand this phenomenon your Pokemon go through every now and then," Prof. Oak informed him on the computer screen. "It turns out that the study of Mega Evolution is commonly researched in the far-off Kalos Region by researchers like Prof. Augustine Sycamore. If there's anyone who can explain how you're able to make your Pokemon do this, it's him."
"Thank you, Prof. Oak," he praised. "I keep getting my Pokemon checked ever since my match on the Water Field where I found out what it was called. I'm not sure this…Mega Evolution causes anything beyond simple fatigue."
"If this occurs periodically, then there's doubt about this particular form of evolution being hazardous to Pokemon. Exhaustion is only temporary, able to be overcome through rest."
"Thank you."
"And you're moving up to the finals now. You'll be permitted to use six Pokemon in full battles. You must be excited about it."
"Excited…and terrified at the same time."
"You're nervous about the duration of the tournament. It's normal for even the most experienced of trainers to feel nervous about their next series of battles. Even Ash gets nervous."
"Ash Ketchum, the fabled Pokemon Trainer I've yet to meet in person…whom I still look forward to meeting someday."
Either through a series of coincidences or an act of forces beyond them, all either the young hero of Pokemon from Pallet Town and the displaced Evangelion pilot-turned-Pokemon Trainer that became a transient resident of Pallet Town had known of each other was either where the other was currently or going later on. Neither had ever met in person or even through video communication, but based on the previous visits to Pallet Town, Ash was likely a bit envious of the fact that Shinji had caught more Pokemon during his career as a trainer than even Gary had caught…and had lasted longer in the Kanto, Johto and Hoenn Leagues than he had due to his Pokemon being much stronger…even though Shinji had admiration towards him for helping to protect the planet, several places in every region he had visited, even changing the lives of those he met, and he'd been a trainer a year longer than he had been. There was no denying that the two had a desire to eventually battle each other someday, but so long as time and distance and acts of forces beyond their control made themselves known and in force, it would be a miracle for that to happen.
"Oh, he looks forward to meeting you, as well," Prof. Oak told him. "Someday."
"Well, again, thank you for finding out about where I need to go in order to understand more about Mega Evolution. It is a subject I'm looking forward to understanding layer by layer."
"There's something else you should know about the Unova League in case you plan on going there after Sinnoh. Even if you get the necessary badges to participate, it'll be a whole fifteen months before the next conference. On an alternative solution, you could travel to the Kalos Region and participate in the Pokemon League there until the time of the Unova League comes up."
"Thank you again. I think that's exactly what I'll do. Until next time, Prof. Oak."
Ding-ding-ding! The sound of the Pokemon Center's announcing of one of the trainer's Pokemon being mended came, and reminded Shinji of how fortunate he'd been to have chosen to call Prof. Oak while he was getting his Pokemon examined and treated for injuries they might've gotten from the last match.
It's not just competing in the Pokemon League of each region, he thought as he got up and walked down the hallway. It's also about catching new Pokemon to help you along the way and to understand what they can do and how to help them do their best in a given situation.
-x-
"…The Committee were rather impressed by the interview with Palkia," Fuyutsuki informed Gendo after receiving the update on how said interview went. "However, they're reevaluating other things that came to light during their meeting."
"Such as?" Gendo questioned him.
"Whether or not you can still be trusted to lead NERV."
"If they decide that you can't," went Kaji to him, "it's most likely they'll place someone they can trust in charge of NERV. Maybe even one who can tolerate the intervention of a powerful Pokemon willing to aid the children in dealing with an Angel they can't beat on their own."
"Irrelevant," Gendo responded; so long as he was still in charge, he refused to work in tandem with anything he couldn't control. "What of the search for two more pilots from the candidates?"
Neither Fuyutsuki or Kaji found his subject change to be beneficial to NERV in any way that made matters simpler than they needed to be.
"The two candidates have been found," the sub-commander revealed, "they just need to be informed."
"Excellent."
-x-
"…You three look terrible," Hikari told Asuka, Kensuke and Rei as they, herself and Toji sat on the school rooftop during lunch.
"That no-nonsense control freak that may see Pokemon as only a commodity has us doing longer synchronization tests as a consequence of our inability to destroy the Angel instead of just locking it up in a rift between two spaces in our world," explained Kensuke to her.
"That's cold and low, even for him," went Toji. "As long as it's contained, the potential danger it represents is negated."
"In his mind, containment is just a stopgap," Asuka stated. "Either the Angel's dead…or we continue to deal with a lingering threat."
Hikari and Toji looked at one another and sighed as they knew they couldn't keep this quiet.
"Toji and I were contacted yesterday," she revealed. "It was NERV representatives. They want us to pilot the Evas."
"What?!" Asuka gasped. "We already have this otaku that opened the door to interdimensional travel to the Pokemon world subconsciously. Why would NERV need two more pilots?"
"Strength in numbers," answered Toji. "But they don't have two more Evas yet, so I see no reason to recruit two more pilots."
"Commander Ikari's response to the last Angel attack," Rei uttered, "trying to refrain from requesting the assistance of Palkia should we ever require it."
"But…there's no shame in asking for help from someone willing to assist in a situation," said Hikari.
"He doesn't believe that Palkia or the Giovanni Corporation can be trusted unless it's on his terms."
"Control freak," uttered Toji.
"We're scheduled for another synchronization test after school," Asuka told them, "but we're not going back to NERV today."
"Why?" Hikari asked her.
"We want to see Shinji again," answered Rei. "Does there have to be any other reason than wanting to see a friend, not because he's gaining notoriety or because he has obtained a form of power in the form of creatures that can perform feats no animal here can top…but because you can't see them as much as you'd like to or used to before they were forced to go somewhere and are trying to find the way back?"
That was deep, coming from Rei. And it held much meaning. A friend was gone, beyond their physical reach, reachable only through special means involving a creature that was stranded here in their world, and they wanted to see them as much as they possibly could.
"It's not even about the Evas and Angels, anymore," said Asuka. "It's about seeing where the day takes you and how you respond to everything that happens."
That, too, was also very deep.
"Some people are likely to be very pissed you decided to skip an important test for something else that is more important," went Toji, smiling. "But isn't that something the younger generation is known for doing every now and then? Pissing people off by doing the opposite of what they're supposed to be doing? It's like a tradition."
-x-
Full battles on the basic field. Each trainer permitted to use six Pokémon. Even though he wasn't going to use his Eevee, Shinji still kept her on his roster; he had already decided upon the current roster for his upcoming match against his next opponent, using his five strongest Pokémon. As he stood out in the empty stadium again, just imagining what could happen, he felt his nervousness fade from his conscious.
So much to do and so little time to do it now, he thought about the remaining days of the conference. After this conference, it's preparation for going to the Unova Region…and then the Kalos Region.
"So…you like to come to the empty stadium to clear your head, too?" He heard someone say to him, and he saw a man, probably three years older than him, dressed in a sailor outfit, a few feet away from him. "Sorry. Unless you prefer to be alone right now."
"No, uh… Company is good."
The guy walked to the center of the basic field and sighed.
"I'm Seiryu, by the way," he introduced himself. "Seiryu Shores."
"Shinji Ikari," Shinji introduced himself to the sailor.
"You're the amazing trainer everyone has been talking about. I look forward to our match tomorrow."
Shinji looked at him with some suspicion.
"I checked the schedule for tomorrow. We're up against each other."
"Not many of my opponents tell me this after introducing themselves to me," Shinji told him. "It's often a form of intimidation. But I refuse to back down in the face of adversity. There's only one path to take, and that's the path that leads you into the future."
Seiryu smirked at Shinji and nodded in the positive.
"You have courage in the face of adversity," he uttered. "You never back down. I respect one that stands up to people."
"I've had a lot to stand up to in the last four years."
"Likewise. All the same, I look forward to our match."
"As do I."
"To the victor comes the admiration of the people."
"And to the victor's Pokemon comes even more admiration because they did their best to bring their trainer's team to the top."
-x-
"…I don't believe those kids," went Ritsuko in realization after an hour of waiting on the First, Second and Fourth Children to show up for further synchronization testing. "They got a lotta nerve. No pun intended."
"Well, it has been almost two weeks since the last time they went to see Shinji," Maya defended the children's reason for not being here. "I believe if it's between hours-longer sync tests and three days in a medically-induced coma to venture subconsciously to another world and see a friend and spend as much time as possible with them…the latter appears more meaningful than the former. Besides, they're taking advantage of the fact that there hasn't been another attack since the last one. If there's another attack, they'll come back, and if they can't face the next Angel on their own, all we need to do is ask the Giovanni Corporation for Palkia's aid. No muss, no fuss."
"Except for Commander Ikari's."
"Does he really have any say, anymore, Dr. Akagi? I've heard that the Committee that helps to keep NERV funded through the UN have reviewed the posted footage online and find that Shinji has become something of a beacon of hope to the people here in this world. If he manages to return and brings the Pokemon he has caught with him, maybe it's possible to restore this planet a little bit along with the Giovanni Corporation if they break the code for interdimensional travel."
Ritsuko had to give her protegee credit for her opinion and belief. While the Giovanni Corporation hadn't taken charge of the situation from NERV, they pretty had an influence over the pilots by having the only means to get to Shinji for a while at a time, something the paramilitary agency wasn't working on because there was no way Commander Ikari could be trusted with making the decisions.
"Well, I hope that they come back with more footage," she gave in. "After I saw that Pokemon that looked like a walking, colossal garbage bag, I'm wondering what other Pokemon Shinji will encounter that he can find to capture."
"Some people think the jellyfish he caught are starting become amusing. The Gangsters of the Sea."
-x-
"…If NERV pays us a visit concerning your absence and make a complaint about it, I'm gonna give someone I don't know a black eye," Antonio sighed as the children got ready for their sojourn back to the Pokemon world. "Probably a Section Two agent. I don't know them."
"They're basically suits," Misato expressed. "Virtual nobodies."
He looked at the console monitors, but then looked back at Misato with an expression of irritation.
"What?" She asked him.
"You, too, Ms. Katsuragi," he pointed out. "You need to go see Shinji, too. We've already proven that you can go there."
"Oh, but I need to be around in case of an Angel attack."
"I believe he's not asking you, Ms. Katsuragi," went Palkia, looking at them from in front of the other side of the console. "He's telling you."
Misato couldn't believe she was being outnumbered by a man and a Dragon Pokemon on being told what to do.
"I don't believe this," she responded. "Antonio, I can get, but you, Palkia? You have some nerve."
"If you do this, your participation will aid in the research further on something that will likely appeal to the people in the city and across the country," Palkia explained.
"And what is that?"
"Let's just say," said Antonio, "that we're hoping it'll be amazing."
-x-
Shinji looked up Seiryu Shores' file and found that he used random Pokemon every now and then, changing his roster almost as much as Shinji was. He hadn't been able to compete in the conference last year, but was making up for it this year.
But he doesn't seem to keep his first Pokemon with him, he thought, looking at the list of Pokemon this man had caught or obtained throughout his career as a trainer, seeing that his initial Pokemon had been a Mudkip…but there was nothing beyond that. Meaning he either keeps it elsewhere or something else happened to it.
One of the other details of each trainer's individual file was that there were different categories for Pokemon that were either on roster at present, traded away, given away, released or what have you. So far, Shinji found that Seiryu had traded only seven Pokemon, given away two, left three to be trained by other trainers he knew, and only released one, none of which seemed to include his Mudkip. It did nothing to dispel his curiosity about what became of his Mudkip, mainly because Shinji had a problem with anyone that abandoned their Pokemon or did something to get rid of them.
"What's this?" He wondered aloud, seeing a category that listed Pokemon of a different status, and clicked on it, seeing only one Pokemon in it…and feeling a heavy blow in his heart. "Courage in the face of adversity, indeed."
He then took out his Great Ball that had Asuka's name written on it. Adversity had more than one face to use against Pokemon Trainers. But he hadn't met one such face due to never coming to a day where it made itself known…and although he knew it wasn't possible to avoid, no matter how great any trainer was or how strong a Pokemon was, there was always one adversary that nobody, with either luck or skill, could best or escape for so long.
Knock-knock-knock! Someone at his hotel suite's door knocked.
"Who is it?" He asked, remembering that today was the day of his match with Seiryu Shores.
"It's us, Shinji!" He heard Kensuke's voice. "Your friends and fans!"
"Eee?" Misato went, waking from her rest on the bed.
Shinji got up from the desk and went to the door to look through the peephole, seeing his friends out front, and opened the door.
"Hey, guys," he greeted as they came in.
Hikari sat on the bed and picked up Shinji's Eevee and placed her on her lap; since Misato had gotten used to her, the freckled girl didn't have to worry about being soiled on unintentionally by her.
Toji sat in one of the chairs and noticed four of Shinji's Poke Balls on the table.
"Today's your next match?" He asked him.
"Yeah. Two hours from now."
"And this is your opponent?" Asuka asked, looking at the computer screen at the trainer profile. "He's kinda like you, Shinji. There's no apparent preference in the type of Pokemon he uses. There's a chance he'll be unpredictable like you are most of the time, but I doubt you'll lose to him."
As Rei stood against a wall, the albino expressed, "We don't know for sure until their match begins. Still, to cheer for Ikari-Kun and his Pokemon to win is a sign that we support them."
"If I defeat him, it's onto the finals where I face the Elite Four. If they're defeated by my Pokemon, it's onto the previous champion."
"You got this in the bag," said Misato to him. "You're one of the best, above the rest."
"Thank you," he praised them for their encouragement and support. "Do y'all think you can do me a favor before my upcoming match?"
-x-
Gendo was furious, but he couldn't really blame the Giovanni Corporation for his displeasure. The fact that the Eva pilots failed to show up for synchronization testing, instead going to be subjected to induced comas just to see the Third Child…was of their own volition. And the fact that SEELE was willing to allow it so long as it didn't occur while an Angel was attacking and were willing to tolerate the aid of Palkia was just another factor that was not in his control. He really hated it when nobody did as instructed, when Rei started acting too independently of his scenario, and when the Third Child had become such an influential source for many people who found an excuse to believe in something so desperate and as childish as opening a doorway to another world when the only real hope left in this dying one was the Human Instrumentality Project, the path that would unite all of mankind with God.
As he looked at the posts on YouTube again and looked at the reviews left by the people with access to the Internet, Gendo frowned at how many of the videos showing his son with these Pokemon, either through battles, contests or just an introduction to how he either trained or groomed some of them, got over eight-million hits. Sometimes, he wondered if this was an act of God that his son got displaced into another world and went down a path that didn't fit into his own design. And sometimes, he just hated his son almost as much as he hated God himself.
"So, even though there are still over a thousand Lapras around, they're still considered an endangered species by the point of public opinion?" The Fourth Child asked the Third Child as he filmed the boy with a small group of the Transport Pokemon that looked like an aquatic dinosaur or blue version of the fabled Loch Ness Monster.
"Yes," the Third Child responded. "Because they're sought after by poachers to either be part of someone's private collection or sold on the open market to the highest bidder and due to their dwindling territories, they're dying out. But capturing a small number of them and breeding them helps to a degree."
"And this is why you caught only this group of twenty Lapras?"
"Yes."
"Yet you don't strike me as a Pokemon Breeder, Shinji."
"The path to Pokemon is often unpredictable. Such as the agenda to preserve an endangered species can take years to decades, but one needs to have something just as important as time and resources to fulfill the goal."
"And that is?"
"Patience. You can't rush into things and then expect to rush out of them. Shall I explain one of the best diets for Lapras?"
"Yes, please."
"This is pathetic," Gendo retorted.
-x-
The crowd was wild with excitement as the match between Shinji Ikari and Seiryu Shores was about to begin! Their passion for the Pokemon League couldn't be contained!
"This crowd is louder than the last one," said Asuka to the others as they sat in the audience, looking down at Shinji as he stood on his side of the arena.
"Eevo," went the Eevee in Hikari's lap, cheering for her trainer while she stood with the crowd.
"I'm kinda glad that Shinji was able to substitute Misato without sending her back to Prof. Oak," the freckled girl confessed.
Even Ms. Katsuragi herself was kind of glad that Shinji's Eevee wouldn't be facing any opposing Pokemon during this match, but was curious as to which Pokemon was being used by Shinji to substitute her.
"Since this conference permits the use of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon, it's probably one of those," suggested Kensuke. "But Shinji's also likely to use a regular Pokemon. He's not easy to read."
"Begin!" The referee shouted, and the match began after both trainers summoned their first Pokemon.
Shinji, who was first up, had summoned his Charizard, Asuka, and Seiryu called out a Nidoqueen; since the latter trainer's Pokemon was a Poison/Ground-Type, the Ground-Type aspect would've made Nidoqueen somewhat resistant to the former's Fire/Flying-Type Pokemon.
"Use Fire Blast, Asuka!" Shinji commanded, and his Charizard did as instructed.
"Use Earth Power, Nidoqueen!" Seiryu ordered.
As the Charizard unleashed a wad of flames that condensed into a character, the Nidoqueen's body outline glowed golden as she slammed her right foot down onto the ground, creating a series of cracks that snaked out towards her opponent. The Charizard saw this and spread her wings to take flight, narrowly avoiding the offensive force of Earth Power while Nidoqueen took on the stinging force of the Fire Blast.
BOOM! The Fire Blast hit its mark, leaving a singed Nidoqueen that was anything but weakened.
"Oh, and what a move on both trainer's Pokemon!" One of the announcers cheered. "The match just started, but already, it feels like both trainers seek to end it!"
"I doubt that much," said Rei in response, looking down at Shinji. "This might be a long match."
-x-
Ritsuko still had the program that could trigger a temporary blackout in the city, but after the revelation that its initial use caused between the disorder on the streets and the four-year gap in the Pokemon world that might've had some repercussions NERV and the Giovanni Corporation might not ever know about fully, she decided that, even though Commander Ikari had ordered her to use the program a second time, she wasn't going to use it. It wasn't like she had complete faith in the Giovanni Corporation's ability to access other dimensions or because she could live without seeing Rei at the base for extended periods and not have to deal with her, but rather because the Third Child's absence was affecting everyone with his posted exploits on YouTube. While the MAGI could've been used to delete the posted footage, Ritsuko wouldn't have done such an act, either.
"Maybe I should've gone into the alternate energy business," she sighed as she sat at her desk in her office. "That or just Apple."
Now she was wondering how Shinji's absence could have affected her the way it was affecting others when he was just a pilot lost in another world where he changed professions. Initially, as with all the pilots, she had been willing to sacrifice Shinji if it meant defeating the Angels and, in a weird way, she did sacrifice him to defeat one Angel, but after discovering that he was still alive, it was hard to wonder what, if at all, the boy thought about her if he knew what she did to cause the Twelfth Angel's demise that might've left him displaced in the world he was living in. After discovering that Misato could venture subconsciously to the other world, she didn't deny the fear that she could've told Shinji that it was her and Commander Ikari's decision to bomb the Angel just to salvage Unit-01, not thinking about what this attempt could've done to him if he even survived.
"Hmm?" She looked on her computer at the YouTube site, finding a piece of posted footage that read, Pokemon Lab Visit Part 3. "Let's have a look see."
She clicked on the video and looked at what was recorded. It was fuzzy at first, but then it corrected itself as the Fourth Child's face appeared in front of the camera.
"Are we filming, Kensuke?" She heard Shinji's voice as the camera was turned onto the Third Child.
"We're filming, Shinji," Kensuke responded, showing an outside view of a small town with a large building with a windmill of sorts. "So, after getting third place in the Kanto Pokemon League, what are your plans for later?"
"Once we've all recovered from the conference and restocked on supplies, we'll head west to the Johto Region and try for the Silver Conference."
The boys met with a man they addressed as Prof. Oak, and he led them out to an expansive patch of land that was occupied by various Pokemon that appeared to roam freely.
"How have the Pokemon I caught and sent back here been doing, Prof. Oak?" Shinji had asked him.
"Many of them have well-behaved," he explained, "though the two Abra you caught from the Safari Zone have been temperamental."
"I should figure out nicknames for them. Male or female?"
"Female. Both of them."
"And where are they right now?"
Then, as if to save the man the time to answer the boy, two humanoid, fox-like creatures manifested in front of the trio.
"Hocus and Pocus," Shinji sighed with a smile.
"Hocus and Pocus?" Kensuke asked him.
To be continued…
A/N: I'm going to post a challenge for the readers so that they can try to guess which Pokemon Shinji will use in place of his Eevee in his match against Seiryu Shores.