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Shiri awoke the following morning feeling tired, cold, and a bone-deep ache gripped her whole body. She'd lived through enough cold and flu seasons to know what this was. She had also been raised by a working woman who had equipped her with enough know-how to get herself through this. She would grab some medicine on her way to work, push through the tiredness and achiness. Rest would come later, when Shiri could afford it.
The whole reason Shiri had been called to Pewter was because of a flu taking the Poké Mart's employees down, so it wasn't any surprise to her that she had caught it. But Shiri would not let some symptoms stop her from finishing out her promised shift and continuing with Ashton to Celadon City.
Ashton was still fast asleep when Shiri pulled herself out of bed and put on her usual uniform. Patches awoke at Shiri's first movements and flitted between the beds and around her feet, angling for breakfast. Looking up at Shiri with her big black eyes and buck tooth sticking out of her mouth, even Shiri could not resist her cuteness.
Shiri glanced around the room, looking for Patches' bag of food. She didn't see it, and so she opened Ashton's messenger bag, spying the item she needed. Beside it, curiously, was a red, almost jewel-like poké ball. It wasn't Patches' poké ball —she had a standard one—and Shiri couldn't recall if Ashton had kept any of his old team in a cherish ball. And besides, Ashton's pokémon were back on his family's land, all the way in Johto. He didn't keep them with him anymore.
She picked up the cherish ball, her fatigued mind fighting through the fog to the memories of the previous day. The gym battles. The giveaway pokémon. Those pokémon came in cherish balls, didn't they? She remembered Lawrence holding up his cherish ball proudly before he had let the magmar within out to show off.
Patches chirped. Shiri shoved the ball back where she found it, exchanging it for the bag of food. When did Ashton get that ball? Why hadn't he told her?
A shock of shivers went down Shiri's spine. She wanted to lay back in bed but pushed through this desire. She scooped some food into the little plastic dish Patches ate out of, dropped the bag on the table, and finished her morning routine.
Simon's sleep that night was hard and dreamless, and he awoke feeling heavy.
The Celadon City gym was a pleasant place, much like the rest of the city. The way was lined with shady trees and big, full shrubbery which were laden with berries. The berries were free for anyone to take, human or pokémon alike. A group of pidgey hopped along the shrub path, pecking at some of the berries near the ground. They eyed Simon as he passed by, but they did not flee.
It was early still, but Simon found the gym doors unlocked. Erika was expecting him. Well, maybe not Simon specifically, but someone from his group. Simon had long been a fan of Erika, having watched her matches on television when he was a child. She always looked like she had so much composure. She was gracious in both victory and defeat. And she was beautiful.
He had never met her in person before, and he deeply regretted that these were the circumstances under which he would meet her now.
The Celadon City gym looked nothing like a gym. The open area, which was an arena in most other gyms, resembled a great hot house, with dozens, maybe hundreds of plants both native and exotic. Oddish, bellsprout, paras, even a bulbasaur wandered and walked around, enjoying the early morning sunlight which shone down through the glass ceiling above.
There was a sound of running water, and Simon noticed a girl of about sixteen or seventeen sprinkling a planter box of berry bushes with a large psyduck-themed watering can. "Good morning," Simon called out, and she looked up with mild astonishment. "I have a meeting with Erika," he said to explain his presence.
"Oh, yes," the girl said, setting down her watering can. She wiped her hands on an apron which she wore to protect the green dress she wore beneath it. "Um, what is your name?"
"Simon," he answered. She smiled, bowed, asked him to wait one moment, and disappeared into the greenery.
The air was warm, humid, but it was pleasant and smelled of sweet earth. Lots of homes in Galar had hot houses or sunrooms to combat the cold climate and make tending beautiful, tropical plants possible. Simon felt a sense of wrongness being there. He didn't stand in a temple or church, but he nonetheless had a feeling that his work would desecrate a place such as this.
"Good morning," a quiet but steady voice spoke behind him. Startled, Simon turned and was met with Erika's beautiful, serene smile. "You're here about today's event."
"That's right," he said, regaining his composure. Erika was easily in her thirties now, but she retained such a relaxed, youthful beauty that Simon would never guess her age. She was a lot smaller in person. Simon's childhood memories of watching her on television made her seem like a strong, tall tree, but she really was quite petite.
"Do come with me," she said, and she led him through the verdant labyrinth into the gym's back rooms. They came into a small, cozy sitting room. A low table was set with tea ready, its fragrant, bitter scent filling the room. Following Erika's example, Simon settled down on a tatami mat, feeling far too big for the space.
Gracefully, Erika poured the tea, steam rising from the tea stream like gyarados at a waterfall. She settled back down on her tatami and breathed in the steam from her cup, fixing her big brown eyes on Simon. "You were in Pewter City yesterday. My assistant showed me some videos."
Simon nodded, anticipating her objections. "What happened yesterday was regrettable, but I can assure you that it won't happen here."
She took a sip of her tea, closing her eyes as she savored its flavor. "Because these are different types of pokémon," she said. "Marlena has expressed to me such things."
"Right," Simon said, shifting uncomfortably. "And, of course, I'll be on hand the whole time."
"If nothing will happen, then why do you need to be here?" Erika asked, her eyes open again.
"It's simply a precaution," Simon responded.
Erika smiled again. "You make a great show of confidence, Mr. Simon."
He wanted to grimace but resisted the urge. "We have done dozens of these giveaways without incident. I can assure you that this series is stable and safe."
"Series," Erika repeated, taking another sip of tea. "Such a cold word for these creatures." Simon ground his teeth, certain Erika was going to back out. She looked thoughtful for a while, her gaze unfixed. Simon wished he had the power of telepathy.
Finally she spoke again, her smile in place. "I want you to demonstrate your confidence in these pokémon, Mr. Simon. You and I will battle, and should you win, you will take one and show me that your confidence in them is well-placed."
Simon's chest tightened. A stupid reaction. It was a simple private battle. "Of course," he responded, ignoring the growing sense of apprehension. "It would be an honor, even. Shall we do it now?"
"Oh, no," Erika said, giggling softly. "The gym does not open for a few hours yet. You shall be the first for today. Do prepare yourself in the interim. I am aware of your skill, Mr. Simon, and I shall not be an easy defeat."
Simon stood on the challenger end of the arena. In the few hours between his first visit and now, many of the plants in the arena had been moved to the side to allow for plenty of battling space. Those which were too big to move remained, presenting themselves as obstacles.
There was quite a crowd assembled. Shiri had mentioned that this giveaway was advertised—but Simon rather wondered how many people were here for the giveaway itself and how many had a dark curiosity fed by the situation in Pewter City. Many pairs of eyes fell on him, and he was sweating. The humidity of the gym which had been pleasant that morning now felt suffocating.
He wanted to ignore the crowd, but he could not help scanning over their faces. He thought he saw Shiri among the people, but realized he only saw an imagined phantom. He wanted her to be there. Perhaps that was why he had admitted to her where he had gone.
"Good morning, ladies, gentleman, and distinguished guests," came a pretty, feminine voice over the speaker system. Simon recognized it as belonging to the young girl earlier that had received him that morning. "We are so delighted to have you join us today for our first ever pokémon giveaway. To celebrate this wonderful occasion, we have arranged a special battle to open things up. This battle will display the full skill of both our gracious gym leader Ms. Erika as well as our guest. Please welcome Mr. Simon Harron!"
The crowd broke out in applause. Simon heard his name repeated, and his chest tightened. Why had he agreed to this? He had dropped out of the public eye years ago, had told himself he would never return to public battling. He didn't want to be recognized. He prayed no one present had ever followed Galarian gym challenges.
He met Erika's gaze across the arena, and she smiled serenely at him. She pulled a poké ball from the bell-like sleeve of her kimono and tossed it out, as if she were tossing a coin in a fountain. The ball opened, and a small eldegoss appeared, floating to the ground with a gentle, exuberant cry.
"To honor you, my friend," Erika said, projecting her quiet voice well, "an opponent from your homeland."
Simon grimaced as the audience applauded again. He released Houndoom into the arena, prompting more applause. "He used that one in Pewter," he heard a boy call to another. His heart pounding, Simon fought to focus on the two pokémon in the arena.
The battle began. Simon, as the challenger, was invited to the first move. At his command, Houndoom surged forward for a Crunch, crossing the arena in the blink of an eye with her long strides. Eldegoss took the blow, but she retaliated by gripping her small body onto Houndoom's snout to land a Giga Drain. Houndoom stumbled and shook Eldegoss off, the opponent floating up into the air.
Houndoom opened her jaws for Flamethrower, but this was a mistake; the air surge from the fire attack only served to push Eldegoss further away, avoiding the flames. The cottony fluff on her head expanded, and a rush of pollen surged forward in the backdraft of the flames, hitting Houndoom directly in the face. Houndoom stumbled back again.
Simon wiped at his brow; his hand came away drenched. Words floated to him from the audience: "He did better in Pewter, didn't he?" "That was a rogue magmar, not a real battle." "Maybe he should try something else." "He has the advantage!"
Houndoom looked back to Simon, waiting for another command, but his mind was blank. In this opening, Eldegoss landed another Pollen Puff, this one hitting Houndoom squarely in her side, and she was blown to the ground.
Erika's eyes went from the arena to Simon, her brows gathered in concern.
Simon cursed to himself, shaking his head. What was wrong with him? He took in a deep breath, feeling like he had to fight his lungs to open. Eldegoss floated back to the ground, and Simon saw an opening.
He commanded Houndoom to use Take Down in a voice which sounded reedy and thin. Nonetheless, Houndoom rallied and ran forward, slamming her full weight into Eldegoss. But at that moment, Erika gave a quiet command—Protect—and Eldegoss crumpled herself into a protective ball, hiding her tiny face and body within its fluff. She bounced off Houndoom easily and flittered toward a large planter of flowers, where she unfurled again with a cheerful cry that brought a round of applause from the audience.
Simon ground his teeth in frustration. This opponent was slippery, but victory was not impossible. He just had to get a grip on himself.
From the planter, Eldegoss released another Pollen Puff. There was distance between them, and in response, Simon commanded a Flamethrower. Houndoom's flames burnt through the incoming attack, and Eldegoss, caught on the flowers in the planter, took the full hit.
"There he goes!" someone said. "Clever, getting Eldegoss stuck in the pot," was another comment.
If only Simon had been thinking that clearly. But this progress encouraged him. Houndoom ran forward and landed another Crunch on the Eldegoss. Eldegoss attempted the same trick as before—to Giga Drain while she was caught in Houndoom's jaws—but with more clarity, Simon commanded Houndoom use Flamethrower. So close to the source of the flames, Eldegoss took a hard hit. Houndoom released her, and she floated limply to the floor.
"Victory to Mr. Simon!" the voice from the speakers said. The crowd applauded generously.
Erika smiled as she returned Eldegoss to herpoké ball. Simon saw that Houndoom, though victorious, was in a rough state, and he returned her as well.
Simultaneously, Simon brought out Togedemaru while Erika released a cradily. She was an absolutely massive cradily, one of the biggest Simon had ever seen, and his blood ran cold. Why had he acted so rashly, sending out Togedemaru? Why hadn't he waited until he saw Erika had first?
Erika took the first turn of this battle, commanding Cradily to use Curse. Togodemaru, meanwhile, built up an electric current in his spiky fur. At Simon's order, he released the current, sending it throughout the field of the arena to set up an Electric Terrain.
Except the electricity dispersed immediately into the soil.
This arena's ground was not flooring, Simon only just realized. It was dirt. Earth. Why didn't he realize that? He glanced to the crowd, knowing his stupid mistake would be scrutinized. His chest grew tighter. He tried to listen to the crowd's comments, but he couldn't hear over the rushing sound in his ears.
Togedemaru's entire strategy rested on Electric Terrain. Simon stood paralyzed, wanting to sink into the ground.
Cradily's great mouth opened, the tendrils of her feet sinking into the soil. Large stones shot out from the mouth, closing the gap between her and Togedemaru in a half-second. Togodemaru curled up to protect himself by instinct alone, entirely abandoned by his trainer in that moment, and he cried out as the Stone Edge sent him flying backward into Simon's legs.
Simon stumbled, collapsing to one knee. A shock of pain ran up his leg, and this brought Simon back to the moment. Togedemaru wasn't out yet; he roused and got to his stubby feet, looking at Simon for direction. Togedemaru was small and quick; Cradily's movements were slowed from her attacks. They could still do this.
"Agility," Simon called out as Togodemaru ran back onto the field. He picked up incredible speed, and Simon ordered an Iron Tail as he closed in on Cradily. Togodemaru jumped, laying down the hardened hair on his zig-zag tail, and slammed the tail down on Cradily's chest with all his might.
Cradily trembled and shuddered as she took the damage from the attack, but this wasn't enough. Togodemaru landed right in front of Cradily, vulnerable, and one Seed Bomb was all it took for Togodemaru to fall. Simon knew the announcer had made the call, but he couldn't make out the words. He didn't have to. Togodemaru couldn't move.
The crowd applauded again. This one seemed louder. They loved Erika.
Simon was making a fool of himself.
He returned Togedemaru back to the ball. He thought he heard his name in the crowd. What were they saying? He couldn't hear. He could barely see. He wanted to give up.
"One more," Erika called out, returning Cradily. She was still smiling. She held up a poké ball, now with a small measure of flourish. This one was what the crowd was eager for, and when she released Vileplume, they cheered.
One more, Simon said to himself. He closed his eyes and drew in another breath. One more battle. The decisive victory.
He knew what pokémon to use. He should have gone with this one from the beginning.
Corviknight emerged from his poké ball, swooping up into the air before landing in the arena, stretching his wings wide. The crowd went quiet for a moment, before erupting with applause again. They were impressed. Vileplume watched her opponent with trepidation but rallied against the intimidation.
The view of Corviknight, Simon's only remaining Galarian pokémon, rallied his own spirits. He was a mess—drenched in sweat, his muscles as tense as iron, his limbs trembling—but he finally managed to stand tall, inspired by his great bird.
Corviknight flew up as Simon began, starting with Iron Defense. Corviknight's feathers flattened against his great body, creating the illusion of a suit of armor by which the species derived their name. Meanwhile, Vileplume prepared with a Swords Dance, moving with surprising grace on her little feet, considering how clumsy her stocky body looked.
Simon commanded a Drill Peck, and Corviknight dove downward upon Vileplume, tucking his wings in and spinning. He aimed down upon Vileplume's flower like a bullseye, hitting true and landing a powerful blow.
Vileplume cried out, but she was not stunned, and Erika's quiet command of a Drain Punch took both Corviknight and Simon off guard. Vileplume's stocky arm landed right into Corviknight's chest, Vileplume's arm glowing as she sucked energy from her opponent. Corviknight stumbled back, flapping his great wings to put distance between them.
Vileplume recovered through this attack as well as a Synthesis which Erika commanded while Corviknight took to the air again. But Simon would not be discouraged.
"Agility," he called out, and Corviknight flew upward, gaining speed. The downdraft from his wings blew onto the arena and crowd, sending loosened dirt up like a Sand Attack. The wind blew heavily onto Simon's face, invigorating him. Erika commanded another Swords Dance, and Simon knew he could not afford another direct attack. A Drill Peck would not be enough to knock Vileplume out, but her next Drain Punch could be enough to put Corviknight on the ground.
They—Simon and Corviknight—had to distract her. Simon's eyes fell on the planter which had caught Eldegoss earlier.
Corviknight stayed in the air, using another Agility. He flew up close to the glass ceiling of the gym. Vileplume produced another trick—Sleep Powder—and the draft from Corviknight's wings spread the spores all over the gym, even bringing them high up toward the ceiling. Simon called out to Corviknight, guiding him toward a large tree which was growing from a thick stone planter near the center of the arena. Simon commanded Drill Peck—not on Vileplume, but on the tree—and Corviknight corkscrew-dove down through the Sleep Powder spores which could not penetrate his feathers. He slammed into the tree with full force.
The tree collapsed against the force, splintering, the planter shattering. The tree fell into the arena, its soil scattered, going wild as Corviknight beat his wings again.
Vileplume flinched at the hard sound of the tree landing on the ground. She bent her head forward. There was their opening.
Simon brought Corviknight upon Vileplume again, commanding another Drill Peck. Rather than her flower, Corviknight aimed for the back of her head. He landed true, his powerful beak landing on the softer part of Vileplume's body, and she was thrown forward. There was silence as the dust and dirt settled, and once it was obvious Vileplume could not get back on her feet, the announcement came over the speakers: "Victory goes to Mr. Simon Harron!"
A rush came over Simon. He wanted to throw his hands up and cheer himself, although he resisted this display. Corviknight settled down by Simon's side, preening in the cheers. It had been a long time since Corviknight could bask in such praise.
Erika smiled and bowed, ever gracious in her defeat. The cheers of the crowd—nowhere near the deafening cacophony of Galarian stadiums—nonetheless brought a smile to Simon's face. He crossed the arena to join Erika as she presented a cherish ball to him.
The ball felt like lead in his hand. Someone in the crowd called out, "Show it off!" Simon ignored this request, instead only thanking Erika. As he retreated out the doors of the gym, he heard Erika announce she was ready to battle the next challenger. Simon wouldn't go far—he only needed some time to gather himself again.
He sank down on a stone bench under a shady tree just outside the doors of the gym. His heart was still pounding in his chest, but he could breathe. The adrenaline rush from the battle was subsiding. He glanced around; some people were making their way toward the gym, but no one seemed to take notice of him. Cherish ball in hand, he released his prize.
A boltund appeared before him. He was a large one for the species, his muscles strong, his eyes intelligent. The boltund gave Simon a curious sniff, and Simon held out his hand for further investigation.
There was nothing off-putting about this pokémon. He acted normal; his eyes were alive, alert. His short tail wagged as he accepted Simon. Simon petted his snout, then returned him to his ball.
Boltund was fine. Simon was fine. Everything was fine.