Hey everyone, Unknown entity328 with a new chapter of A Toxic Journey! First of all, I wish to apologize for the extremely late update, I was really busy with real life stuff. For one thing, I just recently moved and had troubling establishing an internet connection. Another thing is I went to a Warhammer tournament and couldn't find time to do any writing. Speaking of which, I was also suffering from a case of writer's block and it refused to break until today. Furthermore, it was my birthday yesterday, so I was celebrating. I tell ya, it's hard to juggle writing, moving, work, and real life stuff together and finding time for any of them. But rest assured that I'm doing the best I can to get these chapters to you as soon as I possibly can. But I digress, I think I kept you waiting long enough, on with the chapter!
Chapter Four: Bonds Beneath the Stars
After having their pokemon looked over at the pokemon center, the group returned to the gym for dinner. Ryan quickly went to work on making dinner, which was omelet rice with a side of beef stew. While Ryan washed the rice, his pokemon all stood outside the kitchen door, watching their trainer prepping dinner. The three poison pokemon looked at each other before nodding and scattered.
Grimer opened the refrigerator and reached inside, pulling out a carton of eggs and a package of raw beef. Ariados left the kitchen and scurried out of the gym, getting curious looks from Ash and his friends. Nauxeon opened a cupboard and used his tail to pull out a frying pan before placing it on the stove.
"Huh?" Ryan looked behind him when he heard a slight clang and saw the frying pan. He looked down at Nauxeon who flicked his tail and smiled in appreciation. "Thanks, Nauxeon."
"Nauxeon." The poison point pokemon happily responded, pulling out a small pot and setting it beside the frying pan.
"Grimer." Ryan turned his attention to Grimer, who set the eggs and beef on the counter beside the stove.
"You too, Grimer." Ryan petted the sludge pokemon's head and used his other hand to pet Nauxeon when he noticed someone was missing. "Wait, where's Ariados?"
"Aria." Ryan looked towards the doorway to see Ariados scurrying inside, dragging along a large cocoon.
"What's that you got, Ariados?" Ryan asked curiously, kneeling down once the long leg pokemon reached him. He began to undo the cocoon to see inside were an assortment of onions, carrots, and potatoes. "Wow, just what I needed."
"Ariados went to get them." Ryan's grandfather said as he stepped into the kitchen, his hands tucked into his sleeves. "Your pokemon all wanted to help prepare dinner today."
"Thanks guys." Ryan pulled his pokemon into a group hug which they enjoyed. "You're all the best!" He released the hug before getting to his feet and rolling up his short sleeves. "Alright, time to get cooking!"
The three poison pokemon cheered in agreement as Ryan's grandfather watched from the doorway. Grimer took the rice from Ryan once he finished washing it and placed it in the rice cooker. Ariados used its mandibles to carefully peel the onions, eyes watering in the process. Nauxeon used his claws to peel the carrots before chopping them into thin slices. Ryan cracked a few eggs into a bowl and proceeded to scramble them with a pair of chopsticks
'Seems their teamwork is not limited to the battlefield.' Ryan's grandfather thought in amusement as he watched his grandson and his pokemon prepare dinner.
It was like watching a scene in a cooking show, seeing how in sync Ryan and his pokemon were. When one finished a task, the others were quick to follow before moving on to the next task. Before he knew it, Ryan has already finished cooking and putting everything on plates and bowls. The young gym leader's pokemon were quick in each taking the dishes to their waiting guests.
Once everyone was seated, they dug in with their pokemon eating the pokemon food made by Brock. Ryan and his grandfather watched in astonishment at the amount Ash was eating. If they didn't know any better, they would think the young trainer hasn't eaten anything in weeks. Brock and Misty just had looks of amusement, as if they knew they would react like that.
Dinner was soon over and the dishes were washed and put away just as the sun had finished setting. Ryan suggested it would be best for Ash and his friends to spend the night at the gym. They agreed, seeing how late it was and Ryan guided them to the gym dormitory. The dormitory was Ryan's idea back when he was eight, when one of his grandfather's new hires had trouble finding lodging.
While Brock and Misty slept peacefully, Ash laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. He couldn't get his mind off the gym battle he just had with Ryan. He's made it all the way to the top 16 in the Indigo league, and won the Orange league after that. And yet, despite only being a trainer for a week, Ryan really gave him a challenge.
"I can't sleep." Ash muttered, sitting up and tossing the covers off himself, waking the sleeping Pikachu beside him. He smiled apologetically at the mouse pokemon as he let out a yawn. "Sorry buddy."
"Pika." Pikachu quickly woke up and climbed up his trainer's arm to his usual spot on his shoulder.
The two left their room and proceeded to walk down the halls of the gym dormitory. The young trainer looked around as he walked, trying to find an exit. Once he did, Ash and Pikachu looked up to see the crescent moon glowing gently in the night sky. Pikachu's ears perked up and looked in the direction of the gym. Ash followed Pikachu's gaze to see the lights were on in the battlefield area.
Curious, the young trainer approached the battlefield and slightly opened the door to peek inside. He saw Ryan with his back to the door and in his right hand was a stereo with Grimer in front of him. To the side was Ariados, scurrying across the battlefield while dodging Nauxeon's poison sting attacks. While doing that, the poison point pokemon hopped from one rock to another.
"Ready, Grimer?" Ryan asked, setting down the stereo and watching the sludge pokemon closely.
"Grimer." The sludge pokemon nodded, eyes narrowed in concentration as Ryan's finger hovered over a button.
"Alright, get set and…" Ryan waited for a moment before pressing the button and music began to play.
Ash and Pikachu were confused as to why Ryan was playing music when it was obvious he was training. He frowned when Grimer didn't move and had its eyes closed while the music played. The sludge pokemon's eyes shot open and began to extend, bend, and twist its body along with the beat of the music. Ash's eyes widened when he remembered how Grimer moved during his gym battle.
He looked over to Ryan to see that he was clapping along with the music while counting one, two, three, and four. While doing so, Nauxeon and Ariados stopped their training to stand beside the young gym leader. Nauxeon charged up a shadow ball and fired it towards Grimer. The sludge pokemon effortlessly formed an arch with its body for the shadow ball to pass harmlessly through.
Ariados and Nauxeon then moved to stand to the sides of Grimer. Without missing a beat, the two fired a flurry of poison sting attacks. Just as the tempo of the music got faster, Grimer waved its body forward and back, left to right to evade the toxic needles. Nauxeon and Ariados continued to fire the needles as they ran circles around the sludge pokemon.
'It's like a street performance.' Ash couldn't help but think as he watched the movements of the poison pokemon.
"Alright, the tempo's about to pick up!" Ryan shouted over the music, watching how Grimer moved carefully as it dodged the needles. "Get ready!"
The sludge pokemon gave no indication of hearing Ryan, but the young gym leader knew he was heard. As the tempo gradually got faster, Grimer moved even faster to keep up. However, the sludge pokemon let out a yell as it suddenly tied itself into a knot and collapsed to the ground.
"Grimer!" Ryan called out in concern, turning off the music and running towards the sludge pokemon. Nauxeon and Ariados ceased their attacks in slight panic. Ryan knelt down beside the sludge pokemon, looking everywhere for any possible injuries. "Are you alright?"
"Grimer." The sludge pokemon weakly replied as Nauxeon and Ariados approached, giving Grimer looks of concern.
"Still not there yet, huh?" Ryan muttered softly, placing a hand on Grimer's head and smiling gently. "Don't worry, we'll keep trying until we get it."
"Everything okay?" Ash asked, fully opening the door and stepping inside and making his presence known.
"Ash!" Ryan said in surprise, getting to his feet and turning to face the young trainer. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Not long." Ash replied, looking over the young gym leader's shoulder to look at the sludge pokemon. "How's Grimer?"
"Grimer's fine." Ryan said reassuringly, sighing as he looked over his shoulder as Grimer unknotted itself. "Happens all the time, unfortunately."
"What were you doing anyway?" Ash asked curiously, looking around the battlefield and the stereo. "I mean, it's obvious you were training, but what's with the music?"
"The music's for training Grimer." Ryan explained, pulling out two pokeballs and returning Grimer and Ariados to them.
"Training?" Ash asked in confusion, tilting his head before tapping a fist into the palm of his hand. "Oh, I get it, the timing!"
"Exactly!" Ryan said excitedly, happy someone other than his grandfather knew what he was talking about. "By moving with the beat of the music, it improves Grimer's timing and concentration!" He pocketed Ariados' pokeball and stared at the one that held the sludge pokemon in question. "Grimer naturally can't move around fast, so I was trying to improve its dodging capabilities."
"Well, it sure worked during our gym battle!" Ash said, equally excited as Ryan as they conversed about his training methods. He rested his hands on his hips as he thought back to how the sludge pokemon moved during the battle. "I never thought a Grimer could move like that."
"It took a lot of trial and error." Ryan admitted, shrugging his shoulders with a sheepish grin. He looked down at the stereo laying on the ground, awaiting to be played again. "Grimer just started dancing and that's when I got the idea."
"It's a great way of training." Ash said, crossing his arms and looking up in deep thought. "The pokemon can have fun while training at the same time." He then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "But I don't think that would work for me, I'm not great at dancing."
"Then be glad it's the pokemon that are battling." Ryan teased, a grin on his face as he inched closer to the stereo. "But if you want…"
"Don't you dare!" Ash pointed at the young gym leader, knowing what he was up to.
"Dare what?" Ryan asked innocently, shrugging as he inched even closer to the stereo. "I'm just going to pick up the stereo."
"I can see you about to press play!" Ash accused, seeing Ryan's finger dangerously close to the play button of the stereo.
While the two argued, Nauxeon and Pikachu watched their respective trainers with amused looks on their faces. It seems to them that their trainers are becoming fast friends. It helps that they're similar in age and apparently in thought process. The two can tell that their respective trainers have nothing but pokemon on the brain. Ryan and Ash were also both determined to accomplish their respective goals.
They knew the two trainers were just messing with each other with the way they're acting. The way that they argued who was better than the other at a certain something couldn't hide the smiles on their faces. They were proven right when Ryan and Ash suddenly burst into laughter. Shrugging to each other, Pikachu and Nauxeon laughed alongside their trainers.
"Oh yeah, what are you doing up, Ash?" Ryan asked as he finally stopped laughing and gave the raven haired trainer a curious look.
"I couldn't sleep." Ash replied, wiping the tears from his eyes from how hard he was laughing. "I couldn't get my mind off our gym battle."
"Same here." Ryan nodded, looking around the battlefield as he reminisced about his battle with Ash. "I learned so much and wanted to experiment a bit." He smiled as he grabbed Ash's hand and dragged him out of the battlefield. "Come on, I want to show you something."
The young gym leader pulled Ash along the halls of the gym and up the stairs followed by Pikachu and Nauxeon. Once they were on the second floor, they walked down the hall until they reached Ryan's room. Ryan gestured for Ash to follow him as he opened his window and climbed up to the roof. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder as he followed after Ryan.
Once he was on the roof, Ash saw Ryan sitting on the back of the pokemon statue, which he realized was of a Nauxeon. The poison point pokemon flipped onto the roof and approached Ryan before sitting beside him. Ryan was petting the head of the Nauxeon statue, staring up at the night sky. The young gym leader's eyes had a shine to them that can only be described as longing.
"This is my favorite place to think." Ryan said, taking a deep breath before turning his attention from the sky to Ash. "The fresh forest air and the starry night sky really calms my thoughts."
"I know what you mean." Ash nodded, gazing up to the stars as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder to talk with Nauxeon. "Nothing beats looking at the sky at night."
"Being up here makes me feel closer to my parents." Ryan said softly, tracing his fingers across the stars to make shapes of pokemon. "Grandpa told me they liked looking up at the stars."
"You're grandpa told you?" Ash asked, taking his gaze off the stars to look curiously at Ryan.
"They left town when I was a baby." Ryan explained, finishing tracing the shape of Grimer and its evolved form, Muk. "My dad wanted to be a researcher and my mom a performer." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "They wanted to take me with them, but they couldn't."
"What's that?" Ash asked, pointing to the paper in Ryan's hands as he unfolded it to read what was inside. He moved to sit on the statue beside the young gym leader to get a better look.
"A letter my parents left for me." Ryan replied, his eyes quickly skimming over the words written as if he's read them countless times. "Apparently, my dad's research would have led him to places too dangerous for a baby." He tore his eyes away from the letter to look down to the gym's battlefield building. "As for my mom, well, she didn't want to burden me."
"How would that be a burden?" Ash frowned as he heard Ryan talk about his parents.
"I've never traveled before, so I can't say for certain." Ryan shrugged, turning his attention to Nauxeon and Pikachu. He watched as the two conversed in their own language and wondered what they were talking about. "But I think she wanted me to feel I have a place to call home."
"I think I get it." Ash thought about his own home in Pallet town and his mother who's always there to greet him. 'I wonder how she's doing right now?'
"Anyway, that's not why I brought you up here." Ryan said, bringing Ash from his thoughts as he pocketed the letter. He then had a gleam in his eyes and an excited smile on his face. "Tell me all about your journey so far, I want to know what you experienced!"
"Sure!" Ash happily agreed, looking up at the stars once again as he thought back to the start of his journey. "Well, I guess I should start at the beginning."
The two remained on the roof as Ash regaled Ryan about his journey through the Kanto region. He talked about how he first met Pikachu, as well as his first encounter with Team Rocket. He went on about catching his first pokemon and earning the Boulder Badge. He also told the young gym leader everyone he's met and the badges he's earned. Ash got really excited when he started to talk about the Indigo League and how he got placed in the top sixteen.
Ryan listened with rapt attention and grew more excited the more he heard Ash talk about his journey. He was shocked and amazed to hear the raven haired trainer seeing the legendary pokemon Ho-oh. Most trainers and researchers spent their whole lives searching for legendary pokemon, but never once caught even a glimpse of them. And yet here Ash is, saying he saw one on his very first day as a trainer. Not only that, the said trainer has accomplished so many amazing feats.
'To think…' Ryan thought as he listened to Ash as he continued on to his adventure through the Orange Islands. 'He was just starting out as a trainer at the time and has gotten so far.' He looked down to see Pikachu and Nauxeon were still engaged in their own conversation. 'Ash and his pokemon have been through a lot together.'
"After helping Poncho with the Electrode, we made our way back to Pallet town." Ash's voice brought Ryan out of his thoughts. The raven haired trainer looked up at the night sky with a nostalgic smile on his face. "Then, after battling Gary, I decided to compete in the Johto League."
"You've really been through a lot." Ryan commented, also looking up at the night sky just as a shooting star streaks through it. "And it sounds like you had a lot of fun."
"I did." Ash nodded in agreement, turning his attention to Pikachu and smiled at his best friend. "It was rough at first, but Pikachu and I still enjoyed every moment."
"I'm so jealous." Ryan sighed, reaching down to pet Nauxeon on the head as he thought over what Ash had told him about his journey. "I wish I can go on a cool journey like yours." He turned his eyes to the Nauxeon statue before looking down. "But I can't, I have the gym and grandpa isn't getting any younger."
"Yeah." Ash said, giving the young gym leader a sympathetic look as Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder. "You would just be worried the whole time you're gone."
"Exactly." Ryan nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a picture of himself when he was seven. He was wearing a green yukata and his grandfather was standing behind him. "He's the only family I have, it just wouldn't be right to leave when he might need me."
"Have you tried talking to him about it?" Ash asked, leaning to the side to get a good look at the picture. From the background, the raven haired trainer assumed they were at some sort of festival.
"He'll just encourage me to go." Ryan replied, pocketing the picture before looking up at the stars in the sky. "Ever since I became gym leader, I've decided to give up on going on a journey." He reached up to reach for the stars and the moon peeked between his fingers. "And I'm fine with that, I can still fulfill my dream, even if it's by staying in town."
"Nauxeon." Nauxeon placed his front paws on Ryan's lap and lifted himself up to lick the young gym leader's cheek comfortingly.
"Thanks Nauxeon." Ryan gave the poison point pokemon a small smile before pulling his partner into a hug.
"Are you really okay with that?" Ash asked, a frown on his face as he watched the young gym leader hug his partner.
They may have only known each other for a day, but the raven haired trainer can see it clearly. There was a shine in Ryan's eyes, a shine he was more than familiar with, because he sees it when he looks at his reflection. It was a shine that longed for adventure, to see what the world had to offer. There wasn't a doubt in Ash's mind that Ryan had the same urge to travel as he does.
It was obvious to everyone that Ryan loved pokemon and wanted to learn more about them. While reading about them can teach a person a lot, one can only really learn by interacting with them. Ash knew this better than anyone as books can't tell you about a pokemon's individual personalities. You can even learn about how they behave in the wild and their habitats.
"Yeah, I am." Ryan turned his head away from Ash, petting Nauxeon's head to comfort himself and his partner. "No one said I had to travel to become a poison master." He then looked over at the rooftops of each building within sight of the town. "Besides, I probably wouldn't last long out there."
"You'll never know unless you try." Ash asserted, getting off the statue and held up a clenched fist in determination. "It's like I always say, don't give up till it's over." He held out the fist towards Ryan. "How can you know you won't last if you don't try?"
"I can't just leave the gym unattended, Ash." Ryan pointed out, pushing himself off the statue and turned his back to Ash. "I can't burden grandpa with that so soon after his retirement." He placed his hands in his pockets as he took a few steps forward and stopped at the edge of the roof. "I'm fine staying here, really."
Ash frowned as he watched Ryan jump off the edge and onto the balcony with Nauxeon following after him. The raven haired trainer remained where he stood as he mulled over their conversation. It was clear as day that Ryan was lying to himself about being alright to stay. The young gym leader wanted to go on a journey, to explore the world of pokemon. Ash could see it in Ryan's eyes and his determination during their gym battle.
"He's like a caged Pidgey." Ash let out a startled yell at Brock's sudden appearance behind him. He had his arms crossed with a serious look on his face.
"Brock, how long have you been there?" Ash asked as soon as he calmed his rapidly beating heart.
"Not long." Brock replied, uncrossing his arms and looking in the direction Ryan once stood. "I only heard a small part of your conversation."
"What did you mean he's like a caged Pidgey?" Ash asked curiously, having trouble figuring out what his friend meant.
"Think about it, Ash" Brock replied, holding up a finger as he began to break down what he said. "Ryan said he couldn't leave town because of his grandfather and the gym, right?"
"Yeah?" Ash slowly nodded, still not following what the pewter gym leader was trying to say.
"It's kind of like a Pidgey trapped in a cage." Brock explained, lowering his hand to rest on his hip. "Ryan's responsibility as gym leader and worry for his grandfather is what he's using to keep him from going on a journey."
"I think I get it now." Ash placed a fist in the palm of his hand, finally getting what Brock was saying. He then looked to the edge of the roof where Ryan jumped as Pikachu's ears drooped slightly. "What do you think we should do?"
"There's nothing much we can do." Brock said solemnly, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "In the end, the decision is Ryan's to make."
"But he clearly wants to go on a journey, Brock." Ash asserted, scratching the back of his head. "I saw it in his eyes."
"I agree." Brock nodded, removing his hand from Ash's shoulder before walking to the edge of the roof. "But we can't force him if he's already made up his mind."
What the two were unaware of was that someone was listening in on their conversation. That someone was Ryan's grandfather, who was standing on the balcony next to Ryan's window. He had a contemplative look on his face while Gengar floated beside him. He heard the raven haired boy talk about the start of his journey and all that he's experienced. He couldn't see him, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Ryan was listening excitedly. Listening to someone talk about their journey was the next best thing Ryan was going to get.
He also heard the conversation Ash had with Brock and shared a look with Gengar. The elderly former gym leader knew that Ryan wanted to go on a journey. But he couldn't now that he was the Hemlock gym leader.
Ryan's grandfather knew that part of the blame for that goes to him since he was the one who suggested Ryan became the next gym leader. Truthfully, the elderly man could only trust his grandson for the position. For someone so young, Ryan had a natural talent when it came to raising poison pokemon. There isn't a single person in the town of Hemlock more knowledgeable as Ryan. Despite that, the elderly man still felt guilty because he knew how excited Ryan was about going on a journey.
He still remembered all the preparations Ryan made six months before his tenth birthday. The young gym leader always wished to explore the world and learn everything about poison pokemon. To experience the joy of traveling and visiting new places. Even though he doesn't show it, Ryan's grandfather knew that he was slightly envious of other trainers. While Ryan loved their small town of Hemlock, it was only a small part of the world he yearns to explore.
'What would you two say to him?" The former gym leader, turning to leave the balcony and into his room. He walked over to his dresser where a single framed picture of Ryan stood.
He picked up the picture, staring at the smiling face of his grandson before turning the frame over. The former gym leader opened the back to reveal a smaller picture pressed against the first. He removed the picture and turned it over to stare at the two people immortalized in the flimsy piece of paper.
The picture was that of a young woman sitting on a chair beside an open window where a town could be seen. She had short brown hair that curled around her ears and brown eyes. She wore a white blouse and a forest green skirt. Her smile was serene and free of worry, almost as if nothing could bring her down.
Standing behind her, with his arms wrapped loosely around her, was a young man who was an older version of Ryan. He also had short brown hair, but he had blue eyes that seemed to shimmer with curiosity. He wore a purple long sleeve shirt and a pair of green pants. He had a big grin on his face, almost as if he was about to do something reckless.
In the picture, they each had an Eevee with them, one in the woman's arms and one on the man's head. The Eevee in the woman's arms had a green bow on its right ear. The Eevee on the man's head, on the other hand, had a purple tie around its neck.
"Your son has grown into a fine trainer." Ryan's grandfather muttered, a frown firmly on his face as he set the frame down. "However, he won't improve if he stays."
"Gengar." The shadow pokemon nodded in agreement, gently pushing its trainer to his bed and sitting him down.
"Ryan has great potential." The former gym leader continued, using his thumb to wipe away small traces of dust. "But his concern for me and the gym are only holding him back."
The elderly man knew that his grandson was worried about his health more than the gym. It was obvious when Ryan cooked for him and whenever he climbed up or down the stairs. Ryan always made sure he had healthy meals and stayed close in case he fell. Even when he was still gym leader, Ryan worried about him while he cheered him on. That was just the kind of boy Ryan is, always concerned about others, pokemon especially.
For as long as he could remember, Ryan loved pokemon and wanted to learn everything about them. He especially loved poison pokemon, saying that they were cool and misunderstood. The former gym leader would always catch the boy trying to sneak into the forest to play with the wild pokemon. He couldn't count the number of times he almost had a heart attack when Ryan did that. But that was how he learned of Ryan's gift with poison pokemon.
It seemed as if pokemon of the poison typing are naturally attracted to the boy for some reason. It didn't matter if they were wild or had a trainer, poison pokemon immediately became close to Ryan. It lessened his worry, but the concern was still there whenever he found Ryan playing with wild pokemon. The way the pokemon acted around Ryan is what made the former gym leader believe his grandson would be a great trainer one day.
He set the picture beside his pillow and reached for a device on the dresser beside his bed. The device was white in color and similar to a wristwatch in design. This device is a pokegear, which he intended to give to Ryan as a going away present when he started his journey. He fiddled with the pokegear and waited as it began to ring for a few moments.
Meanwhile, Ryan was back on the battlefield, training with Nauxeon. The young gym leader was tossing rubber balls while Nauxeon deflected them with iron tail. One after another, the toxic point pokemon effortlessly sent each ball back to Ryan. Normally, Ryan would catch the balls and throw them back, but his mind was elsewhere. He thought back to Ash's question about if he was truly okay with staying in town.
Truthfully, he wasn't okay with it, far from it. For as long as he could remember, Ryan has had the urge to explore the world. There was so much he could learn about pokemon that gym battles and textbooks can never teach him. The feeling of traveling from town to town, city to city, experiencing new things, Ryan wanted to do all of that. But he couldn't, he had the gym to look after, and his grandfather needed someone to take care of him.
'Stop it, Ryan.' The young gym leader shook his thoughts away as he picked up a ball that rolled by his feet. He tightened his hold on the ball to cement his resolve about his decision. 'You made your choice, and you're gonna stick to it.'
His grip slowly loosened as thoughts of traveling once again drilled its way to the front of his mind. Hearing Ash talk about his journey has, admittedly, made Ryan a bit jealous of the raven haired trainer. He didn't have to worry about leaving a gym unattended, or a grandparent whose back could throw out at any minute. He could travel to different towns and cities, befriending and catching new pokemon, and have a sense of freedom that journeying gives a person.
It almost feels like the world is calling out to him, encouraging him to experience all that it had to offer. Learn the different cultures of each region, the different habitats of pokemon, the many poison pokemon he has yet to learn about. Just the thought of meeting new poison pokemon was enticing enough. But the thought of going to a different region, it was an exciting thought that was hard to shake off.
'Maybe, just for a bit?' Ryan bounced the ball a few times as he actually considered for a moment. He shook his head again and held the ball in both hands and placed the ball against his forehead. 'No, I can't!'
Nauxeon's ears drooped as he watched his trainer's inner conflict with himself. It was painful to watch Ryan struggle and there was nothing he could do to help. Even though he made up his mind, Nauxeon could see that Ryan still wanted to travel deep down. But he's using his responsibility as gym leader like a cage. A cage that has a key, but no lock and no way of escaping.
Then there was Ryan's grandfather, the elderly man wasn't getting any younger. There are times he gets excited and throws his back out. That and his health are always what concerns Ryan to no end. While the young gym leader was planning on going on a journey, Ryan still worried about his grandfather. But Ryan didn't have to worry anymore, because he now has the gym to think about.
He's only had the position for a week, which didn't amount to much in the long run. If he left now, that would set a bad example to both Ryan and the gym. These two reasons are what Ryan always used as an excuse to stay in town. But Nauxeon knew better, he could read his trainer like a book. While he's indeed worried about his grandfather, Ryan still wants to go on a journey and be independent.
"Alright, one more time, Nauxeon." Ryan's voice brought the toxic point pokemon out of his thoughts as he saw Ryan prepared to throw the ball. "This time, let's use Shadow Ball."
What the young gym leader didn't know was that he had a few spectators watching him train. These spectators are the gym staff Nathan, Gloria, Keith, and Tony as they watch Nauxeon hit the rubber balls with pinpoint accuracy. They too saw Ryan's inner conflict and shared looks of concern.
"What do you guys think?" Tony asked, keeping his voice low so they wouldn't be caught.
"Whatever he's thinking about must really be bothering him." Nathan replied, watching how Ryan tried and failed to catch a ball.
"What could it possibly be?" Gloria wondered, not taking her eyes off every move that Ryan made.
"I think I know." Keith said, wincing when a rubber ball slammed Ryan right in the face.
"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Tony inquired, feeling sorry for Ryan as the young gym leader held his face in pain while Nauxeon looked on in panic.
"He's probably thinking about whether or not to go on a journey." Keith replied, a frown on his face as he watched Ryan trying to reassure that he was fine.
It was obvious in the amount of screwups Ryan had to know that was on his mind. Whenever he thought about traveling, the young gym leader easily gets distracted and sloppy during training. Being a trainer himself, Keith knew that the urge of traveling is hard to shake off, especially so for someone as young as Ryan. One can tell just by looking in their eyes, the shine for adventure can always be found there. The shine in Ryan's eyes was particularly bright, blindingly so.
But Ryan seems to be trying to hide that shine, to give up on thinking of exploring the world. The young gym leader seems convinced that if he lies to himself, he might believe it. However, no matter how much one lies to themselves, they can't escape the truth they're trying to deny. It doesn't end well for those who try, for they will be filled with regrets. They would question themselves if they made the right decision.
"I wouldn't be surprised." Tony sighed, crossing his arms and lowering his head in deep thought. "You all saw the preparations he made months ago."
"Yeah." Nathan nodded in agreement as he thought back to when he saw Ryan learning to read a map. "He was so excited about it."
"But he seemed just as excited to become gym leader." Gloria pointed out, remembering how happy Ryan was when he got the position of Hemlock gym leader.
"True, but nothing can beat the feeling of travel." Keith asserted, leaning against the wall beside the door to the battlefield. "Once you get a taste of it, you can't get enough."
"Speaking from experience are we?" Tony raised an eyebrow, his eyes trailing down to Keith's left leg.
"Yeah." Keith nodded, sliding down the wall into a sitting position to rub his left ankle.
"I think you can relate to Ryan the most." Gloria said, placing a hand against her cheek as she watched the part-timer rub his ankle. "You used to travel a lot before the accident, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't regret it." Keith peeked through the door to continue watching Ryan train. "Is it wrong that I don't want Ryan to regret anything either?"
"I think we all feel the same way." Nathan said, leaning on the doorway and crossing his arms as he watched Ryan start to throw disks and Nauxeon shot them down with poison sting.
"If there's one thing we can agree on," Tony uncrossed his arms and looked over at his fellow staff members. "It's that Ryan will deeply regret not going on a journey when he can."
"That's true, but," Gloria sighed, looking in the direction where the house portion of the gym is with a concerned look. "He won't go if he keeps worrying about his grandfather and the gym."
"Then we need to think of a way to relieve his worry." Keith said as he got to his feet, determination burning in his eyes. "It's as simple as that."
"It's actually more difficult than you think, Keith." Tony pointed out, getting the part-timer's attention as he held up a finger. "If Ryan leaves, that'll leave the gym without a gym leader when challengers come."
"And we can't ask his grandfather because he's retired." Nathan added, already seeing a number of holes in ways of relieving Ryan's worry. "And there's no one in town good enough to be a substitute."
"Then there's Ryan himself." Gloria pointed out, watching the person in question toss another disk and told Nauxeon to use iron tail. "Do you think he'll go along with it if we do?"
"Knowing him, probably not." Keith admitted, lowering his head slightly as he tried to think of something. "There's got to be something we can do."
"Ryan can be pretty stubborn." Tony watched as Ryan approached Nauxeon, brush in hand, and began to groom his partner's fur. "He won't even consider it unless all his worries are relieved."
"But you can't help but worry about him." Gloria pointed out, seeing that Ryan was once again distracted when he stopped brushing Nauxeon's fur for a moment. "Look at him, he's tearing himself apart from the inside."
"It must be some intense inner conflict." Nathan mused, pushing himself off the doorway and slowly closed the door. "To go or not to go, that is the question he's asking himself right now."
"All we can do is watch." Tony concluded, turning away from his fellow staff members before walking towards the gym dorms. "Whatever choice he makes, we'll just have to support it."
"Just like we always have." Gloria nodded reluctantly, knowing that Tony had a point and followed after him.
"Ever since we started working here." Nathan patted Keith on the shoulder before also returning to the dorms.
Keith cracked the door open to peek into the battlefield again, watching how Ryan carefully brushed Nauxeon's fur. The toxic point pokemon seems to be enjoying the grooming his trainer was giving him. However, Keith could see that Nauxeon was worried about Ryan whenever the young gym leader stopped brushing. Ryan let out a small sigh as he continued grooming his partner.
"Nauxeon, what do you think?" Ryan asked, getting a curious look from the toxic point pokemon. "Should I really give up on going on a journey?"
"Nauxeon." The toxic point pokemon shook his head and lightly flick Ryan's forehead with his tail.
"You too, huh?" Ryan gave his partner a small smile before letting out another small sigh. "I don't want to give up either." He frowned as he resumed brushing Nauxeon's fur. "But, there's the gym, I can't just leave." He pressed his lips into a thin line when another thought occurred to him. "And there's grandpa, I'm worried something bad might happen to him when I'm gone."
The young gym leader thought back to when he was younger, to as far back as he can remember. He had no one in his life besides his grandfather, who decided to raise him despite not needing to. Growing up, Ryan's grandfather was always there for him when he needed him most. It was because of his grandfather that Ryan developed a love for poison pokemon and his dream to be a poison master.
Ever since he became gym leader, Ryan's grandfather was always there to support him and gave advice. His grandfather taught Ryan everything he knew about poison pokemon and how to best utilize their moves. What's more, he also taught Ryan to always think outside the box, and develop his own battling style. The reason Ryan was doing well as a trainer was because of his grandfather's teachings.
"He's done so much for me." Ryan muttered, setting the brush down beside him and petted Nauxeon on the head. "And he entrusted the gym to me, too." He got to his feet and looked around the battlefield. "I can't go on a journey, no matter how much I want to."
Keith quietly closed the battlefield door before making his way to the dorms, looking up at the moon. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that despite Ryan's words, he deeply wants to go on a journey. It was written all over his face, but he doesn't want to leave his grandfather, which Keith can't fault him for. The former gym leader raised Ryan after all, and parting with a loved one can be very difficult. This is especially true if your loved one is your grandparent who took care of you.
That's just the kind of person Ryan is, he always puts his responsibility and care for others above his own desires. Keith still remembered the story the townspeople told him about the rampaging Nidoking. He still couldn't believe someone would put themselves in danger like that, especially someone so young. Even now he was ignoring his own needs to satisfy everyone else despite no one asking him to. Ryan was so selfless that he'd give up his dreams if it meant everyone else is happy.
'I get that, but it's also okay to be selfish.' Keith stopped at the door of the dorms to look back to the battlefield building. 'Ryan just needs a little push, and there's only one person who can do it.'
Now onto our favorite segment, Review Corner, where I reply to your reviews and answer any questions you have to the best of my abilities.
Karsap: You and me both.
HunterHQ: Unfortunately, I'll have to keep that my little secret to avoid spoilers, sorry my friend. Yes it's a johto story, and rest assured I did my research as most johto towns and cities are named after flowers. No, this doesn't take place after Falkner nor Bugsy, It takes place after The Kecleon Caper.
Guest: An interesting idea, and I'm honestly considering it. I might make a dark gym, but we'll just have to wait and see if my imagination can come up with something good enough. I do have something planned for Will, so you have that to look forward to. I've been tempted for a long time to feature Jimmy and Marina, but can't think of any good content for the time being. The Safari Zone might be featured, just need to figure a few things out first. The tag, double, and triple battles are a possibility, not complete sure about rotation, though.
DragonBladeB5: Trust me, writer's block is the bane of every writer existence. Nice pun Masknyan. I know that it's extremely late, but I'm saying it anyway, merry christmas and a happy new year. What I mean by Irrelevant is that the design you showed me is for Yokai Watch, not pokemon, but I wasn't lying about it being a nice design. I can't say that I've heard of that novel. That's an interesting fact, thank you for sharing it. I managed to get Pokemon Legends: Arceus and it was really fun. I was moving during super bowl, so I couldn't really root for any teams. I know it's late, but I wish your grandfather a happy birthday. I have seen it, and it was interesting.
And that's it for Review Corner, I look forward to seeing you all again and replying to your next reviews everyone!