This chapter's going to be a lot shorter and less intense than the last few.
-:-
CHAPTER 16: The Pursuit of the Truth
-:-
A strange calm settled over Goldenrod City in the hours after the near-disaster with the Magnet Train. The area around the Radio Tower and train station had been closed off, and enough of the protesters had left that it was easy for the police to deal with anyone left trying to cause trouble on the streets.
The night was clear and quiet, with many stars spread through the sky. Their light shined into the group's hotel suite, providing a soft glow over their rooms as they slept.
It was well into the late night hours when Matt was awoken by the feeling of movement next to him.
"Huh?" he groaned.
"Shut the fuck up and go back to sleep. I'm not really here."
Matt sighed, but he didn't roll over. He knew what sight would greet him.
"I thought you were sleeping in Olivia's room."
"Well I'm not," Nekou snapped. "Now I said shut the fuck up and go back to sleep."
As he felt Nekou shifting around next to him, Matt let his eyes wander to the ceiling. He was awake enough to realize that something odd was going on.
"Are you okay? You don't sound like yourself."
"Sometimes I can't get drunk enough to sleep. There, does that make you happy?"
This moved Matt enough to make him roll over. He expected to see Nekou right in his face, like the last time she had snuck into bed with him, but instead, she had her back to him and was partially curled into the fetal position.
"This…" Matt's face sank as he realized this wasn't another of Nekou's tricks. "This isn't right, I know it. What's wrong?"
"I don't want to talk about it!" She curled up tighter, then said in a tense whisper, "Fuck. You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?"
"I'm just trying to help…" He started to extend a hand toward her shoulder, but thought better of it and pulled back.
"Have you ever been somewhere where it's just you? Where you're cold and alone and…"
"I had nobody else to rely on for a long time, you know that."
"Fuck, you just don't get it, do you?" Nekou's voice was becoming sad and hollow, despite her attempts to keep sounding tough. "I'm talking about a place where it's totally empty and cold and it's just you, lost in that void…"
"I… I don't understand." Matt was being honest; while he was trying to empathize with what Nekou was saying, he was nearly hopelessly lost trying to figure out what she meant.
"I didn't think you would." As she spoke, she continued to curl tighter and tighter. "I've been there. It's in my fucking dreams, all the time… literally, just that cold, empty darkness, and me floating there. You know what I think it is? I think that's what it feels like to die."
"Why…" Matt's words suddenly caught in his throat as the implication of her words finally dawned on him. "Back at the bar, when I said I wanted to…"
"You don't know what it's like to die," she said, seemingly confirming his suspicion. "But I do. The dreams feel like memories to me."
"I don't… how is that possible?"
"I don't know," Nekou admitted. "But I've been there. I know it. I just… I know I've been there. Every time I have that dream I just know I'm living my own death, and…"
"Enough," Matt quietly said, finally setting his hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, but then relaxed. "Don't talk about it anymore. If you want to stay here, you can."
Nekou shrank further into the bed. She swore into the pillow, but before he rolled back over, Matt thought he heard her thank him.
-:-
The next morning was as clear as the night that preceded it. A bright sun cast warmth across most of Johto, though one place whose air was still brisk was Blackthorn City, deep in the northern mountains.
Renzo was well aware of the temperature as he ventured toward the city with a bag full of supplies given to him by the Tenganists. He pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth and nose, unwilling to make the same mistake that had nearly killed him again.
As he entered the city limits, he quickly sought out a place to sit down. Finding a nearby park bench on the side of the road, he hurriedly sat down and pulled out a map.
"Let's see here…" he said to himself, looking over the diagram of the city. "The Pokémon Center is here, and the Gym is here. That means that the Dragon's Den should be right…" He ran his finger up the map and settled it on a point north of most of the city. "...here."
Renzo stood, put the map back in his bag and set off toward his destination. Blackthorn City had only barely begun to be touched by the urbanization affecting much of the region, so within minutes he reached dirt roads that led away from the more modern buildings in the south. He soon passed the Blackthorn Gym, a stately mansion with two Dragonite statues set outside its gate. Just beyond the building was a lake.
At first, there appeared to be no readily available way to cross the lake. However, upon closer examination of the area, Renzo found a narrow cliff path that skirted the water. Without hesitation he set off, careful not to fall in the lake, which he was certain was icy cold.
When he got to the end of the path, he found himself on a small piece of land facing an opening that went deep inside the mountain. An old, mustachioed man stood guard at the cavern entrance.
"Who are you?" the elderly guard demanded. "Only people who have the permission of the Gym Leader can enter here."
"My name is Renzo," he defiantly answered, "and I'm on a quest to capture a Dratini. I know I can find them in the Dragon's Den."
"Sorry, I already told you, you need Clair's permission to go in. Go find her at the Gym and see if she'll listen to you."
Renzo started to turn away, but abruptly stopped and spun back around. "I'm sorry. I can't let anyone stand in the way of what I must do, so I'm going to have to convince you to…"
"What are you doing?"
A woman wearing a blue bodysuit and boots had arrived during their discussion by traveling across the lake on her Kingdra. When she jumped off onto land, her black cape and long blue ponytail blew in the wind behind her.
"Clair!" the old man quickly blurted out. "I was just telling this trainer he can't enter…"
"I wasn't talking to you." Moving her harsh eyes to Renzo, she continued, "Most trainers who come here know better than to march right up to this cave without my permission. I want to know what makes this one think he's special."
Renzo stiffened, aware of who he was facing. "Leader Clair, my name is Renzo. I traveled all the way here because I must capture a Dratini. I cannot continue my Gym challenges until I get one."
"Why must you get a Dratini now? How many Badges do you even have?"
"Right now, zero." Clair was visibly surprised by Renzo's bold confession, but he continued speaking. "Dratini is… well, that's not entirely true. Dragonite is a Pokémon that was very important to someone very close to me. She's… she's not around anymore, so I decided that in order to honor her, I must have a Dragonite of my own for my Pokémon League challenge."
"You intrigue me," Clair said, putting her hand on her chin. "You certainly have a spine to come here and admit that you expect to get into the Dragon's Den with no Badges at all. What kind of Pokémon do you even have? Coming here could not have been easy."
"Right now I have a Gurdurr, a Drowzee and a Cottonee. And you're right, it wasn't easy. I risked my life and got some help from…" Renzo hesitated, recalling the secretive nature of the Tenganists. "...from some other travelers. Without them I would have frozen to death in the mountains."
"So you bit off more than you could chew and needed to be rescued. That doesn't surprise me." Clair turned her back on Renzo. "You were foolish to think you could reach this place so easily. And yet, you are obviously greatly dedicated to your goal. That person you described must truly have meant a lot to you, for you to do all this."
"She was all I had."
Clair looked over her shoulder, but did not turn around. "I've made a decision. You may not enter the Dragon's Den right now. But your spirit is intriguing to me, so I will give you a one-time offer. I will put you into training so you may prove yourself to me and the other elders of the Dragon Clan. Let me warn you now, I will not go easy on you. Your training will be harsher than anything you've experienced, and there's a good chance you'll wish you had frozen to death on that mountain. Well? Do you have enough of a spine to face it? Are you that dedicated?"
"I'm not afraid," Renzo answered. "I've been through a lot, and I am willing to do what I must to reach my goal."
-:-
On the western coast of Johto, the densely-populated urban center of Olivine City sprawled out next to the ocean. Because of its prime location for overseas shipping, it was one of the first cities in Johto to begin developing, and although it was not quite as run-down as the slums of Goldenrod, it wasn't as well-kept as Cherrygrove City.
In the southeast of the city near the docks, a number of bars and clubs clustered, ready to serve the interests of the sailors and travelers who visited. One building in this seedy district stuck out, due to the fact that unlike everything surrounding it, it had no neon lights or digital signs attached to it. It simply stood there, its street entrance sealed up by a metal shutter.
The building's unassuming appearance hid a secret, however. It had a hidden underground entrance, and from there, the members of Team Rocket had gathered within. None who passed by would ever suspect it of being Team Rocket's Olivine base.
A stately bar was set up on the main floor, and Trevor was standing behind it, wiping glasses so he could serve himself and Ariana drinks. The others - Jessie, James, Meowth, Pierce, Proton, Petrel and Rosalie - were gathered around the crate of stolen Pokémon as Ada analyzed its contents using her laptop and a portable scanner.
"Well?" Giovanni asked, sitting in his office chair with Persian alongside him. A banner bearing Team Rocket's logo was hung up on the wall just behind them. "Ada, what do we have here?"
"O-one second, Giovanni, s-sir…" Ada continued her busy typing, which in turn was causing the scanner to shine a light over the crate. "Analysis complete."
The light disappeared from the scanner, and it generated a holographic screen displaying each of the Pokémon in the container.
"That's a lot of Pokémon," Jessie smugly said.
"Indeed," Giovanni replied, his hand moving to scratch Persian's head. He briefly hesitated, then continued, "Your work on stealing these from Polaris was admirable. We need to strengthen the ranks of our Pokémon, and as a reward for your success, I want you two to be the first to choose from them."
"Did you hear that?" James excitedly shouted. "The boss is proud of us!"
Meowth hugged James's leg and said, "We did good, and praise from the boss feels great!" Shooting Persian a cunning glare, Meowth then whispered, "Maybe I'll end up top cat one day after all."
Persian growled in annoyance at Meowth antagonizing him, and in near perfect sync, Pierce shut his eyes and sighed.
"Let's keep working hard for the boss's sake," Jessie told the others as she wiped a tear from her eye. She walked up to the holographic screen and used her hand to browse its display. "Come here, little Pokémon. I know you're in there, the one for me…"
After a minute of searching, Jessie stopped on the image of a butterfly-like Pokémon. It had a gray body, black eyes dotted with white, and wide wings bearing a soft blue-and-white pattern.
"That's a Vivillon," Ada explained. "Specifically, it's a Marine Pattern."
"I like the style. I'll take it."
The hologram displayed the Repeat Ball that held the Vivillon, and Jessie dipped her hand into the crate to retrieve it. Meanwhile, James stepped up and moved back several pages in the display.
"What is this Pokémon?" he asked, having settled on a wide-eyed blue squid. "It reminds me of a toy I had when I was young."
"Inkay is its name. It's Dark-and-Psychic-type, and from analyzing this data, I would say it's a good fighter."
James nodded, then went into the crate to collect his new Pokémon. Proton was the next to approach the hologram, and he went through it with swift, deliberate movements.
"I choose this Pokémon," Proton declared.
"Pangoro," Ada said, identifying the hulking black-and-white panda Pokémon. "Dark-and-Fighting-type. This one is apparently good at crippling its opponents."
Without another word, Proton pulled Pangoro's Poké Ball from the crate. "You sound like you're going to fit my tastes perfectly."
"Giovanni, sir?" Ada suddenly piped up.
"What is it?"
"I-I found something in the data that you may like…" With the tapping of a few keys, Ada displayed the image of a rotund rabbit Pokémon sporting muscular arms for ears and thick, yellow-and-brown fur around its midsection. "It's a Diggersby, a Normal-and-Ground-type. Not only is this Pokémon your favorite type, according to my analysis, it can be extremely powerful in battle."
"Excellent thinking, Ada." Giovanni gestured to Pierce, who retrieved Diggersby's Ultra Ball for him. "Now, we will keep the rest of these Pokémon in stock for our army. We will need them to combat Polaris's forces. Pierce, I want you to travel to headquarters and deliver them to Stacia after you drop off the Meteonite at Zager's laboratory."
"Sir!" Pierce answered, stiffening into his formal pose.
Rosalie wheeled herself up next to Pierce and tapped his arm to gain his attention. "This contains all the data from the Battle Factory as copied by Petrel," she said, pushing the flash drive with Team Rocket's logo on it into his hand. "Deliver that to Zager as well. I cannot crack the encryption with the resources I have here. It will take the power of Zager's computers to properly decode what we're dealing with."
"Understood."
"Now, you three," Giovanni said, turning to Jessie, James and Meowth. "I am assigning you to go to Ecruteak City ahead of the rest of us and scope out the situation. I expect intelligence on what Ghetsis and Polaris are planning to do and how we can fight them."
"It'll get done before you even know it, Boss!" Meowth promised.
"Now get to your work, all of you."
"Hail Giovanni!" all of the assembled Team Rocket members declared.
The group dissipated; Pierce collected his cargo and Jessie, James and Meowth left immediately. Once the meeting had broken up, Rosalie approached Ariana at the bar.
"Come on, Ari, come with me to your quarters. I need to give you that exam now."
-:-
Having recovered enough to walk around, Jacob ventured to the mouth of the cave the Tenganists were using as their base. He had to shield his face from the cold wind that blew by as he stepped outside, and the ragged clothing he'd been provided gave little protection from the chill.
"This is all we have left." Though he hadn't noticed her right away, the Prophet was standing alone outside the cave. She'd had her hands clasped in silent prayer until he came out alongside her. "When Saeko Oryo swallowed the Jewel of Life, the backlash consumed all the life energy of this entire area," she explained, gesturing out at the snowy landscape dotted by ruined stone structures. "This place has been a wasteland of death ever since."
"I was here, I saw it…" Jacob uttered in shock, staring at the expanse before his eyes. "I watched this place die, and yet, looking at it now, it looks so much worse than what I saw back then…"
"I'm sure that you now understand the struggle we face. What has become of our holy land is very similar to what has happened to us as a people. We are being systemically hunted and eliminated by Ghetsis, for both his own motives and Polaris's."
"You are aware of his motives?"
Though she was dressed in her usual clothing, the Prophet didn't shiver until Jacob asked the question. "I am… intimately aware of what Ghetsis intends to do. You told me you knew about his ancestors' hatred for our people."
"I did."
"Then you have some idea of why he personally wants to do this." A strong gust of wind parted the Prophet's robes, revealing an old coat underneath. It had once been white but had become discolored with wear. "This isn't just about getting rid of us as a people. This is about sending a message. That's… why I'm still alive. It's why I'm here but why I'm still alive."
Jacob considered asking further about the Prophet's claim of being spared by Ghetsis, but thought better of it. Instead, he questioned, "What about Polaris?"
The Prophet hesitated again, then moved closer to Jacob. "Listen. What I'm about to tell you is something I have not told many of my followers. I hope your regret over witnessing the death of our land is enough to motivate you into understanding why."
Though he was taken aback, Jacob nodded. "I promise. It's between you and me."
"I think there is a traitor to our people within Polaris's ranks. Ghetsis destroyed a number of our communities by tracking me, but some of them were so secretive that there's no way he could have found them without help, not to mention that I didn't even visit some. Someone had to have tipped him off to their existence. But what's even more troubling to me… how much do you understand about our power? Transcendence?"
"Well…" Jacob scratched the back of his head and laughed softly. "That was always Sutter's thing. He understood so much more about your people than I ever did. Sutter did tell me back then that Saeko Oryo's power was exceptional, though."
"That…" The Prophet held herself back from slapping Jacob much like she had slapped Pierce. "That is true. She was both celebrated and feared before her sin, and she may have been one of the most powerful Tenganists in terms of Transcendence in centuries. My power… I've developed a power nearly as strong as hers, and because of it, I cannot help but feel as if some terrible deed is about to come to pass. Those of us with extremely powerful Transcendence are in tune with such things. Do you know what the Coronet Rosary is?"
"I've heard the name but… Sutter always told me it was something not worth knowing about."
"He was a wise man, then. Knowledge of it is too horrible for many to bear. My fear is that it's going to become frighteningly relevant soon…"
"That's very bad, isn't it?" Jacob said, a numb feeling filling his chest.
"Yes. Yes, it is." After pausing for a moment, the Prophet's voice softened. "You're worried about your old student Bunny. I can sense it."
"I just wish there was something I could do to help her right now…" he muttered, turning away. "She wants nothing to do with me, and I'm here…"
"Do you have any Pokémon?"
Jacob turned back to the Prophet in surprise. "What? Why do you ask?"
"With my power, I can connect with a Pokémon's heart and let it know anything I want. I can send one of your Pokémon to her."
"We're out of luck," Jacob said with a shrug. "I released all my Pokémon when I went to prison. They're out there in the wild now. I would send my Xatu if I still had it…"
"I can do that too. Come here." The Prophet took up Jacob's hands in her own. "I can call to your Xatu if I focus my power enough."
"Is that really possible?"
"I'll show you. Transcend the confines of time and space!"
Jacob's eyes went wide as his mind joined with the Prophet's. He wobbled back, the sensation filling his body causing him to become unbalanced, but she held him up with a firm grasp.
"Xatu…" she whispered. "Hear my words. Jacob and Bunny need you. Come to us and give us the aid we need…"
-:-
North of Goldenrod, just outside the city limits, was the National Park. Unlike the massive metropolis nearby, it was a quiet, peaceful place. A cobblestone path lined with lanterns led from the entrance gate and through the trees to a wide, grassy field with a fountain at its center.
Matt and the others were walking through the park toward its northern end, heading for the Battle Cafe. Olivia and Monroe were at the front with Bunny, while Matt and Nekou brought up the rear.
"It's so beautiful!" Nekou was raving to herself, looking in all directions at the colors of the autumn trees around her.
"I see you're feeling better…" Matt mumbled, sticking his hands in the pockets of his coat to provide an extra layer of warmth.
Pausing to look at him, Nekou abruptly asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't you remember last night? Wait, don't tell me you totally forgot already?"
"Relax, I'm just fucking with you. I'm flattered you give enough of a shit to ask about me."
Nekou turned around and took out her phone to take pictures of the trees. Matt, meanwhile, found himself at a loss for words. He stood still for a moment before rushing to catch up with the others.
Just as he managed to reach them, however, all five of them were nearly knocked over by a Pokémon running past them. They barely had time to realize that it was a Mareep before the Electric-type's trainer appeared and crashed into Matt. The Mareep turned and snickered at her trainer's hopeless pursuit.
"Ow…" the boy said, rubbing his face with one hand and picking up his baseball cap with the other. "Are you alright, mister?"
"I'd be more concerned about you than myself."
"I'm fine." Looking around Matt to his Mareep, who was still laughing at him, he called out, "Come on, Mareep! Please behave, I'm begging you!"
Mareep ignored his plea and fired off a bolt of electricity from her wool at him. Before it could hit, Matt shoved the trainer out of the way and ended up getting shocked himself. He fell to his hands and knees and convulsed as the electricity worked its way through him.
"Matt!" Bunny cried out, running to his side with Olivia and Monroe.
"Are you fucking crazy?" Nekou demanded. "You know you can't get shocked like that!"
"It's… nothing permanent," he answered in a shaky voice. "I didn't want him to get hurt…"
Looking to the trainer, Olivia asked, "What's up with your Mareep anyway?"
"It sure is nastier than most Mareep I've seen…" added Monroe.
"I'm so sorry!" the boy said, bowing his head repeatedly. He ran to Mareep, who started growling at him, and scolded her, "You can't keep doing things like this, Mareep. I'm begging you, please behave."
Shaking her head, Mareep bleated a vicious cry at her trainer. When this happened, he could do nothing but sigh and take a Poké Ball out of his pocket.
"Mareep, I can't take care of you anymore. I'm just not the trainer for you, I guess… I can't give you what you need." The boy held down the button on the Poké Ball, eventually causing both it and Mareep to flash with blue light. "You can fight as much as you want out there in the wild… it's where you belong. I'm sorry I took you out of that."
After a brief hesitation, Mareep turned and darted off into the tall grass around the park. The boy looked to Matt's group and saw their confused gazes, but instead of answering, he merely hung his head in shame and walked off in the opposite direction.
"So he finally released it, huh?"
Matt, Nekou, Olivia, Bunny and Monroe all jumped, startled by the young woman who had suddenly appeared next to them. The brown pigtails peeking out from under her puffy, white hat shook when she turned her head to them.
"He's been around this park a lot recently," she explained. "That Mareep has a really violent nature. It loves to fight so much that he couldn't control it. I guess it finally got too much for him, huh?"
"That answers our questions about that, I think, but who are you?"
When Bunny's question registered in her head, the young woman laughed nervously and fiddled with the strap of her blue overalls. "Sorry, I should have introduced myself! Forgive me for being so rude. My name's Lyra."
"I'm Matt, and this is Nekou, Olivia, Bunny and Monroe." He extended a hand and added, "It's a pleasure."
Lyra quickly shook Matt's hand. When she did so, she accidentally pulled his glove down slightly, allowing herself a glimpse of his prosthetic arm. As soon as she saw it, she gasped.
"Your name is Matt, and you have a metal arm… you're that challenger from the Battle Factory, aren't you?"
"How do you know about that?" Matt questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Thorton the Factory Head is a friend of mine! You're going to the Battle Cafe now, aren't you? Come on, I'll take you there myself!"
"Hey, hold on!"
Despite his protests, Lyra grabbed Matt by the arm and dragged him off. Bunny, Olivia, Nekou and Monroe all shared a laugh as they followed.
Within minutes, the group had trekked all the way to the northernmost part of the park. The Battle Cafe, a wide, single-floor brick building decorated with colorful banners, spread out before them.
"Well, this is it!" Lyra declared, putting her hands on her hips. "The Battle Cafe! Just march right on in there and sign up. I promise you'll have a blast!"
"Are you challenging it too?" Olivia piped up, pushing her way past Monroe and Nekou to address Lyra.
"Nah. It's not something I need to do, you know? But come on in, I'll show you the ropes."
Lyra strode confidently to the front door of the Battle Cafe and pushed it open. She held it until the others had all entered.
A registry desk was set up near the door, while the rest of the spacious room was dotted with dining tables, many of which were occupied by other patrons. At the center, a stage was set up, and at that moment two trainers were battling. On one side of the battlefield, a young man in a red fedora and trenchcoat was commanding a Rapidash against a Raichu.
"Horn Drill, Rapidash!"
The trainer's opponent, another man wearing a sun visor and jogging shorts, countered with, "Raichu, dodge and use Wild Charge!"
The Raichu ducked underneath Rapidash's charge, then enveloped her body in electricity and rushed at the Fire-type.
While the two Pokémon clashed up on the stage, Lyra led the group to the front desk, where a tuxedo-wearing waiter with a broad moustache was waiting.
"Welcome back, miss Lyra," he said, bowing gently to them. "Are these your guests?"
"My guests?!" Lyra shrilled, visibly cringing but quickly composing herself. "They're the Battle Cafe's guests, of course!"
"Well yes, of course. Which one of you is the challenger?"
Matt stepped forward and gripped the strap of his bag. "I am."
"Then let me be the first to say, welcome to the Battle Cafe. In order to join a battle here, you must enter three Pokémon."
In response to the waiter's request, Matt felt around in his bag and said, "I'll enter my Hitmonchan, Sigilyph and Eelektrik."
"Very well…" The waiter typed the data into a computer on his desk. "Your Frontier Pass, please?"
Matt already had the pass in his hand, and as soon as the waiter requested it, he gave it over. After scanning it, he returned it to Matt.
"Your entry is confirmed, Mr. Chiaki. Now please, follow me this way…"
"Wait!"
Olivia grabbed Matt's arm, causing him to freeze where he stood. The waiter also stopped, seeing that his guest was no longer following.
"Olivia, what is it?"
"I…" After taking a deep breath, Olivia trained a fiery gaze into Matt's eye. "I want to battle with you here!"
This news caught the entire group by surprise, but for differing reasons. Matt, Monroe and Bunny all gasped, but only Monroe managed to put words to how they felt.
"O-Olivia, are you really sure that you can do this? You've never done a Frontier facility… and Matt has done two…"
"Do you doubt I can handle myself? Geez, for having a crush on me, you sure don't have a lot of faith in me." While Monroe turned bright red in embarrassment, Olivia turned to Nekou, who was smiling smugly. "What do you think?"
"I can't say I expected you to be so gutsy."
"I have to get stronger if I'm going to stand up to Polaris," Olivia explained. "I know I'm likely to lose, but I won't get stronger if I don't push myself. I have to do it."
"Then go out there and kick as much ass as you can."
With Nekou's endorsement, Olivia approached the entry desk. The waiter returned and set about preparing her entry.
"And which three Pokémon will you be entering, young lady?" he asked.
"Herdier, Mr. Mime and Roselia."
"Very well." After typing a bit more, the waiter printed out a Frontier Pass and handed it to Olivia. "You are now entered as well. I wish you two the best of luck. Now…"
The gate blocking the group from entering the main dining area slid back when the waiter pushed a button on his computer. "Please feel free to mill about the dining room until we contact you for your first battle."
"Th-thank you," Matt uttered, still in shock over what was happening.
"Come on, this way!"
For the second time in less than a half hour, Lyra seized Matt's arm. This time, however, she also grabbed Olivia, and dragged them both into the dining area with the others following. After releasing her grip on them, she turned around.
"I hope you have a lot of fun battling here! I have to go do something, so do good and I'll see you later, alright?"
While Lyra walked off toward a door on the far side of the room, Bunny lowered her eyes.
"I bet I know who the Frontier Brain here is," she said sarcastically.
"It wouldn't surprise me," Matt agreed. Before he could say anything further, a strange sound distracted him. "What is that? Is that… harp music?"
The group turned in the direction of the music and discovered that Matt's suspicion was correct. Nando was sitting at a nearby table, calmy running his fingers over the strings of his harp while waiting for them to come over.
"Hey, it's Nando!" Olivia exclaimed, running over to the table. "What's up with you?"
"It is good to see you again, Miss Olivia. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" Strumming his harp more, he sang, "I am here for the promise of battle."
"Well I see he's the same as always," Nekou remarked as the rest of the group joined Olivia.
"How is everything going with you?" Matt asked.
"Please, sit and I will tell you." Nando waited for the entire group to seat themselves at his table, then said, "As you already know, I have collected eight Badges already, so I am focusing on the Frontier Society's facilities for now. I am also competing in the Pokémon Contests of this country."
"How many Ribbons do you have?"
"Presently, Bunny, I have three. I will need two more. For now, I have decided to participate in the Battle Cafe on my way to the Battle Hall. Matt, Olivia, how have your challenges gone of late?"
"I still only have the one Medal, from the Battle Arcade," Matt admitted, turning his head downward. "The Battle Factory was too much for me."
"Do not be ashamed of failing to meet its challenge. It is considered one of the most difficult of all seven facilities. And you, Olivia? How many Badges have you collected?"
"Two, right now."
"Ah, well done!" Nando said with a smile. "You are making fine progress. Shall I assume Ecruteak Gym is your next one?"
"Yes, right," Olivia replied with a nod.
"Ecruteak Gym is considered a significant challenge due to the Gym Leader's use of Ghost-types. You will need to be prepared to counter both their strength and their unique immunities." Taking full notice of Monroe for the first time, Nando said, "Hm? I do not believe we have met before. Are you a friend of Olivia's?"
"Y-yes, I am…"
"Don't be embarrassed!" Nekou laughed, clapping one hand down on Monroe's shoulder and the other on Olivia's. "His name's Monroe, he's Olivia's little secret admirer."
"Ah," Nando said, strumming his harp and failing to notice Monroe and Olivia blushing, "it is good to have those you are emotionally close to accompanying you on your travels."
"And now, moving on to business, a major announcement that will shake up the media world forever." The group's conversation was interrupted by the nearby television news broadcast, so they turned to watch. "The Angel Corporation has announced that it has purchased Kalos-based clothing and media conglomerate Lysandre Labs for a currently unknown sum. Angel Corporation president Gabriella Bouchard announced the acquisition at her headquarters in Viridian City earlier today."
The image of the news desk was replaced on the screen by one of Gabriella standing at a podium on the front steps of the Angel Corporation's building before a large gathering of press. Her usually long blonde hair was bobbed short, leaving only her bangs to blow in the wind.
"The acquisition of the media holdings of Lysandre Labs now gives the Angel Corporation ownership of a majority of the world's media channels," she proclaimed, gripping the sides of the podium bearing her company's logo. "We now have access to markets worldwide, with the exception of the Orre Region. That is an acceptable price to pay, because we now can work to do good in most of the world! Wouldn't you agree that's pretty great? This was Mr. Flordelis's goal, too, but with just Kalos he couldn't manage to pull it off. Together, we can do anything! And we will use our power to do good! Now, I am aware that these are hard times in many parts of the world, but I give you my word, I will use every resource I have to help! The Angel Corporation's expansions will provide much-needed jobs and economic stimulation to areas that desperately need such things, I swear on the footsteps of those who have come before us! Please, won't you all stick by our side as we develop wonderful new things? I'd love to keep seeing every last one of you!"
"Well I guess that's good," Bunny remarked once the speech was over. "Bit of a ramble, though…"
"She's always like that," Matt said. "She's loopy as hell but she has a good heart."
"I'd say that again."
The new voice that approached the table was punctuated by the sound of a wooden cane tapping against the floor. All the seated group members turned their heads and found Dante standing at the table, holding his briefcase in the hand he wasn't using for his cane. He smiled at them, but Bunny jumped up and got in his face anyway.
"Who do you think you are, coming and being all nice to us after you left me behind in the Ruins of Alph?" she snapped.
Dante didn't lose his pleasant demeanor even as he tried to wave Bunny off. "Please, do forgive me for what happened back then. I had no idea the Unown were so riled up."
"Well it's about time you started paying attention to the world around you, old man," Nekou rudely said. "The Unown were upset because Polaris was fucking with a Meteonite in those ruins."
"Bloody hell, are you serious?" Dante pulled a nearby chair over so he could sit down at the table himself. "Tell me everything that happened. Bunny, where did they send you?"
"A temple somewhere very cold," she answered. "I don't know exactly where it was, but a local resident sent me back right away, and I just went straight to Goldenrod City after that."
"You really didn't hear what happened in Goldenrod?" Matt asked Dante.
"No. I've been out of the loop of late. Gabriella's had me studying the effects of the migration of foreign Pokémon to Kanto and Johto. There have been some unforeseen effects for the worse that she asked me to look at." Seeing the questioning gazes he was receiving, he continued, "Some Pokémon have adapted well to their new settings. Others have begun acting out or destroying their environments. For example, Routes 38 and 39 have become battlegrounds between wild Tauros and Bouffalant as they fight for grazing land and the limited number of Miltank for breeding. The Lake of Rage, meanwhile, has been invaded by wild Basculin, who are multiplying rapidly and eating the native Magikarp population out of their homes."
"That's pretty scary…" Monroe said, staring down at the tablecloth.
"It is, that's why we're looking into it. I understand you were given a Pokédex by Professor Juniper to document the migrated Pokémon, Olivia?"
"That's right."
"I haven't spoken to her yet myself, but I want to ask you to continue doing that. If a crisis develops because of these new Pokémon, we will need all the data we can get on them. I'm sure Gabriella would appreciate it as well…" Suddenly, Dante realized something with a start. "Oh! I forgot all about what we were talking about. Polaris at the Ruins of Alph and what they did with the Meteonite, right?"
"Polaris brought the Meteonite to Goldenrod City with the intention of shipping it somewhere else by train," Matt explained. "We interfered though, and ended up getting caught in a fight between Polaris members and Team Rocket. They ended up taking the Meteonite away somewhere with a helicopter."
Dante's smile disappeared as his face darkened. "You bloody fool, I warned you to stay out of Polaris's affairs. You don't know what kind of danger you're putting yourselves in. They are much stronger than any of us and far more well organized. You are lucky you walked away from a confrontation with them… the might of their military forces are completely unknown even to the International Police. And Team Rocket, too?" Dante shot a scowl around the table before adding, "They may be weaker than they once were, but they are not people you want to trifle with. I don't want any of you to ignore this advice and get hurt."
"I have to try to stop Polaris!" Olivia blurted out. "The way they're playing everyone against each other… that's wrong no matter how I look at it. They're ruining everything my dad tried to do with the Frontier Society!"
"Your loyalty to your father is admirable…" Dante said, leaning back and gripping his cane. "But ask yourself, would your father want you to endanger yourself for ideals he may not have even believed in himself?"
"Shut up! I know he would agree with me!"
"Dante, you might want to stop…"
Nekou interrupted Matt to growl, "Stop fucking upsetting her, old man. You fuck with her, you fuck with me."
Dante was stunned by Nekou speaking to him in such a way, and was momentarily speechless. "I… well, I cannot say I approve of such language. What would your mother say if you spoke to her with that mouth?"
"Fuck you. Maman taught me how much fun talking like this is."
"Well… if that's the case, so be it." Turning to Matt, Dante asked, "You are here to battle, I assume?"
"Right. Olivia decided to enter too, so we're hoping to get matched up against each other. Are you battling?"
"No. I just came here to dine, but I've been working out of Ecruteak City's Pokémon Center."
At that point, a pair of young women dressed in maid uniforms approached the table, interrupting the conversation.
"Nando, we are ready to begin your battles in the next room," the shorter of the two said. "Please come with me."
Running his fingers over the strings of his harp, Nando stood and gently said to the others, "I see I must go now. I wish you the best of luck, Olivia, Matt. Let's meet again soon."
"I hope we get to battle!" Matt called after him as he walked off with the waitress.
The second of the maids then stepped forward and handed Matt a tablet computer. "Here, Matt. This will be the menu from which you'll choose your first battle."
"Menu?" he questioned, raising his eyebrow.
"Yes. Look right here on the screen." The waitress pointed to a box on the top of the tablet, which contained the number '1000.' "That is the supply of Cafe Points you will use to purchase battles here. We will show you three potential opponents, each with a different clue to what Pokémon that trainer will use. The more revealing hints will cost you more Cafe Points, so manage them wisely. If you manage to purchase and win three battles while still having Cafe Points left over, you will get to battle our Frontier Brain, the Cafe Diva. Now that you have the rules, are you ready to get started?"
"I suppose so."
"Then please have a look at your options for the first course."
Matt looked down at the tablet, on which three lines of information had materialized. The top option would have him face a trainer with an unnamed Steel-type Pokémon at the cost of one hundred Cafe Points, while the middle listed a trainer whose team held a majority weakness to Water-types. He immediately passed that option over when he saw it would cost him three hundred Cafe Points, and when he saw the last choice, he knew immediately which one he'd take.
For two hundred Cafe Points, he could battle a trainer with a Herdier.
"Well, Olivia, I think we're going to get that battle after all," he said with a smile as he handed the tablet back to the waitress. "I'll spend two hundred points for the Herdier battle."
"A good choice," the maid told him as she bowed politely. "Your prediction is right on. Olivia, please come with us to the stage."
Olivia jumped out of her seat like a rocket. "All right! Come on, Matt, let's go!"
"Shouldn't you…" Matt shrank back, his ire over Olivia rushing right up on the stage softening when he saw how excited she was. "Well, I can't argue with that."
While Matt accompanied the waitress onto the battlefield, Monroe called out, "Go for it, Olivia!"
"Man, you really are crushing on her hard, huh?" Nekou joked, much to Monroe's embarrassment.
Bunny chuckled softly to herself, and Dante asked, "So that's who you are? Olivia's boyfriend?"
"No!" Monroe stammered. "I'm… I'm not…"
"They're just friends now," Nekou interrupted, slouching in her chair and maintaining her sarcastic tone. "For now."
Up on the stage, Matt and Olivia stood at opposite sides, while the waitress stood in the middle as a referee. She struck a bell to get the attention of the other diners in the room.
"The Battle Cafe match between Matt and Olivia will now begin!" she announced. "This is the first of the three battles on Matt's challenge. This will be a three-on-three Single Battle with substitutions allowed. The winner will be the one who defeats all three of their opponent's Pokémon."
"Matt, I don't want you to go easy on me!" Olivia declared. "I know I'll probably lose, but that's not the point. I have to push myself so I can be the trainer my dad would have wanted me to be!"
Between Olivia's bold confidence and the feeling of all the spectators' eyes on him, Matt could sense a growing nervousness within himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, grasping onto one of the Poké Balls in his bag to try and calm down.
"I won't, if that's what you want. Do your best." Matt took the Poké Ball out and threw it, calling, "Rocky, make your mark!"
A flash of light burst from the ball and took the shape of Matt's Hitmonchan. He stretched out his arms and hit his boxing gloves together in preparation for battle.
"Hitmonchan first? In that case, let's do this! Roselia, let's play!"
Despite her diminutive size, when Olivia's Roselia looked up at Rocky, she showed no fear. A fire burned in her eyes that showed just how ready she was for the challenge she faced.
"The first match is Hitmonchan versus Roselia!" the maid announced, raising her arms. "Battle begin!"
"Rocky, use Thunder Punch!"
As soon as she saw the Hitmonchan rushing toward Roselia with his right glove sparking, Olivia grimaced and mumbled, "Roselia, Toxic Spikes."
With a swing of her arms, Roselia lay glowing purple thorns all over the floor of the battlefield. Rocky was forced to stop short in order to avoid running right into one.
"Now, Energy Ball!" Olivia ordered while pointing straight up.
Rocky raised his gloves in front of his face to defend from the glowing green sphere Roselia sent down at him. Even though it exploded when it made contact, his defensive maneuver was enough to leave him mostly unfazed.
As soon as the smoke cleared, Olivia thrust an accusing finger at Matt. "I told you not to go easy on me! Thunder Punch? Don't mock me! I'm serious!"
Matt could feel the accusing eyes of the crowd, especially Bunny and his other friends, burning holes through him. "I… I can't…" he struggled, limply reaching out to Olivia for a reason he didn't even know himself.
"You aren't looking at me as an equal," Olivia bitterly said, "so you won't fight me like one. You don't think I have it in me to stand up to Polaris, do you…"
"No, that's not…" Despite his hasty response, Matt realized that Olivia's judgment was correct and stopped himself. "I'm afraid of you getting in over your head. I still can't let you get hurt."
"I'm not afraid of them! And so what if I get hurt? What doesn't kill me makes me stronger! Come on!"
Matt silently raised his Poké Ball and recalled Rocky. While he did so, Olivia glanced over to the table where the others were sitting and saw Nekou give her an approving smile.
"I… I'm still worried about you, you know? But if you really want to go for this, I don't think I can stop you." He threw another of the Poké Balls and shouted, "Charlotte, make your mark!"
Matt's Eelektrik, Charlotte, formed floating over the battlefield, safely out of the way of the Toxic Spikes. A slight hissing sound escaped her mouth as she writhed about in the air.
"So are you going to take me seriously now?" Olivia asked. "Should we get started for real this time?"
"I'll give you the shot you want."
"Great! Now, let's play again! Roselia, Sludge Bomb!"
"Charlotte, use Acid Spray!" Matt countered, pointing forward.
By swinging her arms, Roselia sent two balls of thick, purple slime at Charlotte. The Eelektrik quickly countered by choking up a bubble of her own green sludge. The two attacks met just into Olivia's side of the stage and broke each other apart into a murky gas.
"Go through the smoke and hit with Headbutt!"
On Matt's order, Charlotte twisted through the cloud and darted toward Roselia. As soon as she emerged from the haze, however, Olivia was ready.
"Poison Sting!"
Roselia set a storm of glowing purple needles on Charlotte, forcing her to maneuver around them in midair. She couldn't avoid them all, however, and by the time she managed to smash her head into Roselia's body, she had suffered enough blows to be afflicted with poison from them. She reeled back, her body growing weak from the toxins. As the Pokémon separated, the crowd murmured in excitement.
"Poisoned, I see…" Matt quietly observed. "I'll have to fight quickly if I want to win, but first, I need to equalize things. Charlotte, Thunder Wave!"
A weak pulse of blue electricity flowed from Charlotte's skin and into Roselia. Instantly upon contact, Roselia's muscles became numb as paralysis took hold.
Olivia clenched her teeth. "Roselia, you can fight through that, right?"
"Ro…" Turning her head back to her trainer, Roselia responded with a strained but determined smile.
"Alright, let's keep going then!"
"If that's what you want, Olivia…" Matt made a fist and said, "Charlotte, Acid Spray!"
"Roselia, take it head on!"
Much to the surprise of Matt as well as the entire crowd, Roselia simply braced herself and allowed Charlotte's Acid Spray to wash over her. She emerged shaking but still standing.
"Now jump and use Energy Ball!"
With great strength in her tiny legs, Roselia sprang into the air and pointed her arms down at Charlotte. A glowing, sparking green sphere formed from her rose hands and descended upon her Electric-type foe, striking with enough force to slam Charlotte into the ground.
However, as she fell, Charlotte came down hard onto one of the Toxic Spikes. The wound it inflicted on her combined with the poison she'd already suffered caused her to cry out in pain.
"Charlotte!" Matt shouted in dismay. Seeing his Pokémon struggling to pull herself off the thorn prompted him to reach for her Poké Ball with the intent to surrender and not force her to battle further. When he looked at Olivia again, though, he hesitated. "If I throw in the towel now, I'm robbing her of her rightfully earned win… but if I don't…"
Much to his relief, however, Olivia picked up on what he was about to do. She quickly issued the order, "Finish this up with Sludge Bomb!"
Standing over Charlotte's prone form, Roselia pointed her right arm forward. Charlotte glanced up only seconds before Roselia shot a blast of sludge into her face at point-blank range, throwing her across the stage and knocking her out cold.
"Eelektrik is unable to battle!" the maid announced over the cheering and applause of the audience. "The winner is Roselia!"
"So what do you think now, huh?" Olivia proudly said, putting her hands on her hips. "I took one down!"
At the table, Nekou grinned broadly and said, "I knew she had it in her."
"You're right," Dante murmured, narrowing his eyes. "She's quite good…"
"You're doing great, Olivia!" Monroe called out. "Keep it up!"
After recalling her, Matt took a moment to look at Charlotte's Poké Ball. "I'm sorry I let you get beaten like that, Charlotte… rest up, you earned it." He put the ball away and took out another, then raised his head to meet Olivia's determined gaze. "Olivia, I… you're right. I underestimated you, and that was wrong. I'll give you a stronger challenge now, if you're up for it."
"Of course I am! Bring it on!"
"I like your determination," Matt said with a weak smile. "Alright, Rocky, make your mark once again!"
"The next round is Hitmonchan versus Roselia!" declared the maid as Rocky reappeared and the initial matchup duplicated itself. "Begin!"
"Rocky, watch your feet, those Toxic Spikes are still dangerous! See how close you can get and go for Ice Punch!"
With swift footwork, Rocky danced around and between the dimly glowing hazards. His right glove started to turn light blue as frigid air flowed from it.
"Roselia, watch out! You have to meet that with Energy Ball!"
At that moment, Olivia's luck ran out. Despite her best efforts, Roselia couldn't move due to the paralysis Thunder Wave had afflicted her with. She was wide open when Rocky got within arm's length of her, and he wasted no time in delivering the freezing punch he had readied. Roselia immediately collapsed upon being hit.
"Roselia is unable to battle! The winner is Hitmonchan!"
"It's even now," Monroe observed.
"Olivia, you can beat him! Keep going!"
In response to Nekou's cheering, Bunny sarcastically said, "You do realize we're friends with both of them, right?"
"Of course I do. I'm just fucking with him, come on."
"Roselia, you did well. I'm very happy with you." Without hesitation, Olivia put Roselia's Poké Ball back in her pocket and took out another, which she threw. "Herdier, let's play!"
"This next battle is Hitmonchan versus Herdier! Begin!"
"Rocky, go in for a Drain Punch!" Matt called, raising his arm.
"Hit back with Retaliate!"
While Rocky weaved between the Toxic Spikes, Herdier locked his eyes on the approaching Fighting-type. A steam-like aura surrounded him, and he shot forward to meet the oncoming punch. Rocky and Herdier were thrown violently back from each other due to the force of the collision.
"If you don't want me to go easy on you, Olivia, I won't!" Matt's eye narrowed to focus on the battle in front of him. His mind was becoming clearer, freer from the pressure he had felt, the more he fought. "Drain Punch again!"
"That's what I've been waiting to hear," Olivia said, grinning. "Herdier, hide behind one of the Toxic Spikes so you can use Work Up!"
Herdier sprinted to the nearest of the poisonous thorns and crouched behind it, attempting to cover as much of his body as he could. Having already started to swing his glowing green glove, Rocky had to strain to pull back before he punched the hazard and suffered its toxins.
Seeing his opponent stopped caused Herdier to grin in much the same way Olivia had, and a red light enveloped his body as he tensed his muscles.
"Go around it and hit from the other side," Matt advised his Pokémon. "Just be careful not to hit the spike. Drain Punch!"
As soon as Rocky started to move around the thorn, Olivia seized her opportunity. "Use Strength now, Herdier!"
The red aura around Herdier intensified, and he darted out from behind the Toxic Spike to headbutt Rocky in the chest. He used his gloves to block some of the impact, but Herdier hit him with such force that he was forced several feet back, barely missing another of the poisonous thorns.
"There, what do you think of that?" Olivia shouted across the battlefield.
"I think you just let your guard down. Drain Punch!"
As soon as Herdier relented, Rocky descended upon him, smashing him across the field with a perfectly aimed attack. Green light flowed out of Herdier as he slumped to the floor, briefly cloaking Rocky before being absorbed into his body. Once the light faded, the Hitmonchan stood up straighter using his newly recovered strength.
"Herdier is unable to battle!" announced the maid. "The winner is Hitmonchan!"
"That was rough…" Monroe quietly remarked. "A Normal-type losing to a Fighting-type is natural, but she might be overmatched…"
"She did say that she didn't expect to win. As a trainer you can hope for the best all you want, but sometimes miracles don't happen."
"I don't believe in miracles either," Nekou sniped at Dante's statement, "but try not to be such a fucking killjoy, geez. Give her credit for trying."
Though he glared at Nekou, Dante did not respond further.
Up on the stage, Olivia had recalled Herdier, and now was staring at the Poké Ball containing her final Pokémon. Her hand was tightly clenched around it, and her fingers were shaking.
"I won't give up…" she quietly said in a raspy voice. "I have to do this or I'll never stand a chance against Polaris…"
"Don't push yourself too hard, Olivia…" Matt advised. His moment of intense concentration had lapsed, and he felt his eye starting to curl in worry. "There's no shame in throwing in the towel…"
"No!" Olivia snapped, lowering her head. "I can't! I came this far… If I gave up now, what kind of trainer would I be?" When Olivia pulled her head back up, Matt could see tears forming in her eyes. "I'd be just what Polaris says people like me are, lazy and coasting on how good I have it!"
Dante leaned forward on his cane, staring intently at the scene unfolding before him. Bunny, meanwhile, turned to Nekou and gulped.
"Nekou, I think someone should stop this. She wasn't ready for something like this."
"It's not like I don't see where you're coming from," Nekou replied, her voice surprisingly soft, "but if we cut her off now it's like we're telling her we have no faith in her. I think deep down she knows that this is going to be a hard lesson to learn, but that she has to learn it."
"Olivia, just send out your last Pokémon…" Matt blankly said. "We should finish this…"
"Fine. Let's play, Mr. Mime!"
Olivia's most recently acquired Pokémon, her Mr. Mime, took shape from the Poké Ball she threw. He immediately started to pantomime a wall in front of himself, seemingly unaware of Rocky's presence.
"The next round is Hitmonchan versus Mr. Mime! Begin!"
"Mr. Mime, start off with Magical Leaf!"
"I better take defensive measures now. Use Role Play!"
By waving his arms, Mr. Mime sent a rush of glowing leaves at Rocky. The Fighting-type protected his face, leaving his gloves to get cut in several places. Once the attack abated, Rocky dropped his defensive stance and glared at Mr. Mime, his eyes flashing several times as he did so.
"Alright, Rocky, use Ice Punch now!"
"Protect!"
Rocky stepped through the field of poisonous hazards once more, but just before he swung his icy fist at Mr. Mime, his target created a shield of green light. The Ice Punch bounced harmlessly back, and Rocky was left dazed by the unexpected backlash.
"Alright, Mr. Mime, use Confusion!" Olivia called out, making a sweeping motion with her arm.
Soft red light filled Mr. Mime's eyes as he thrust his arms toward Rocky, and the same light quickly enveloped Rocky's body. He strained under it for several seconds before it faded, but when the light disappeared, he barely seemed fazed at all.
"What?" Olivia gasped. "Wait… before, when you…"
"That's right," Matt answered with a short nod. "I used Role Play to copy your Mr. Mime's Ability, which is Filter. That means super-effective moves don't do as much damage."
"Matt really outmaneuvered her," Monroe commented.
Olivia blinked rapidly, attempting to process the turn of events. "But, if Confusion won't do enough, then I should… I should…"
"Rocky, Thunder Punch!"
Matt's command was what it took to snap Olivia out of her daze. "I know! Mimic!"
Just before Rocky's electrified fist collided with his body, Mr. Mime's eyes flashed. He was thrown back several feet by the Thunder Punch, but he quickly managed to stand again and shook himself off.
"You use Thunder Punch yourself now, Mr. Mime!"
"Good thinking, Olivia," Matt complimented. "Give it another Thunder Punch yourself!"
Having acquired the move via Mimic, Mr. Mime ran at Rocky while the Hitmonchan did the same. They both had their right fists glowing with electricity.
When they met, their swings collided with each other, causing electrical bolts to break across the battlefield. Rocky quickly managed to overpower his opponent, however, and broke through to land a powerful blow right on Mr. Mime's face. Olivia gasped as her Pokémon fell back with Rocky still standing over him.
Matt shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Rocky, finish this up. Ice Punch."
He couldn't look at what happened next, but he had a fairly good idea of it. The sound of Rocky's attack striking its target met his ears first, followed shortly by the crowd cheering. Knowing what it meant, he clenched his fists and prepared to face whatever outcome he was about to find.
"Mr. Mime is unable to battle! The winner is Hitmonchan, and the victor in this battle is Matt!"
With the cheering filling his head, Matt took a step forward and reopened his eyes. Olivia had fallen to her knees behind her fainted Mr. Mime, and he couldn't see her eyes. Fearing how she would react to her loss, he quickly recalled Rocky and walked across the field to her.
"Olivia, I'm sorry…"
When she looked up, however, what Matt saw stunned him. Instead of anguish, her eyes were filled with a fiery determination.
"Now I know what I have to shoot for," she said, smiling. "I'm not upset. I had to know exactly the kind of trainer I have to become to fight Polaris, and now I know. Thanks."
"I'm proud of you, Olivia."
Matt extended a hand to her and helped her up. Olivia then recalled Mr. Mime and walked alongside him back down to the table, where another maid was waiting with Nekou, Dante and the others.
"Olivia, that was a good fight," Monroe said to her without hesitation. His embarrassment quickly caught up with him, however, and he stuttered to add, "I...I… I expected you to do good, th-though…"
"I guess it must have been good if your secret admirer liked it!" Nekou laughed, clapping a hand on Monroe's shoulder. "In all seriousness, though, you took out one Pokémon. That's a pretty fucking good start."
"Olivia…" Once everyone around the table had turned to face him, Dante calmly said, "For a trainer who has only begun fairly recently, you put on a fine show at a professional battle facility. Polaris will be challenged to stand up to you."
"Thanks!"
The maid walked up to Matt once the conversation had died down and bowed to him. "A fine battle, sir. We will award you two hundred Cafe Points for having two Pokémon left at the end of battle. Please stand by until we have your next battle prepared." She then turned to Olivia and said, "We are prepared to begin your challenge."
"I thought I lost?"
"You see, only the battles in which you select your opponent with Cafe Points count toward winning streaks," the waitress explained. "Trainers here cycle through being opponents selected by others and selecting their own battles, and only the latter are what you build your winning streak on. Now, please, this way."
Olivia reached for the maid's hand, but before reaching it, she reconsidered and pulled back. "Actually, I think it's better if I drop out here," she decided, shaking her head. "You guys were right, I wasn't totally ready for this, even if I learned something."
"You don't have to…"
Matt was cut off when Nekou thrust her arm in front of him. "So tell us, Olivia, what do you want to do now?"
"Nekou, would you go out in the park and train with me? I might not be cut out for here, but I don't want to stop yet."
"Gladly. Come on, let's go."
As Nekou and Olivia walked off, Dante stepped up next to Matt. "She has a strong will. If you ask this old man, she's going places."
-:-
Ghetsis sat in his temporary headquarters, his eyes closed in silent contemplation. His room was silent until all three members of the Shadow Triad appeared next to his seat, but even then, the only sounds were three gusts of wind.
"We have news, Lord Ghetsis," Darkness rigidly announced.
"Speak," ordered the cloaked man, keeping his eyes shut.
"Anthea and Concordia have finished their work on the Tenganist mythology."
As soon as Pestilence finished, Chaos added, "We now have everything prepared to your specifications, Lord Ghetsis. The language for the key, the song to break the seal, the Clear Bell… it's all ready."
Ghetsis did not immediately answer, but the Shadow Triad all could see him starting to clench his teeth and grip his cane more tightly. Darkness and Pestilence remained calm, but Chaos flinched slightly, remembering what Ghetsis had done to him in the past.
Finally, Ghetsis slowly opened his eyes. He growled to his three followers, "Fine. You three must come to understand something, though. The Sacred Helix has grown suspicious of our activities."
"Should we push up the schedule for your plan, Lord Ghetsis?" Pestilence asked.
"No. We must wait until the day we picked out in order for the maximum impact of my speech to come across. However, Athleta is sending one of his trainers here. It could present a problem for me, and by that, I mean it will present a problem for me."
"Should we find and eliminate him?"
"If I knew who he was, Darkness, I would tell you to. All you can do is prepare for his interference in my plan. You three have to be ready to turn your weapons on both enemy and ally at a moment's notice."
"Yes, Lord Ghetsis!" all three of the Shadow Triad said at once.
-:-
The boots worn by Jessie and James splashed loudly in the marshes they were running through. Meowth was riding on James's head to avoid touching the foul water.
"This swamp is disgusting!" Jessie spat, not breaking her pace.
"We didn't have a choice, Jessie!" James gasped. "Routes 39 and 38 would have taken far too long to get us to Ecruteak! Cutting straight there is the only way we won't let the boss down!"
"We should have found some other way. Someone like me who has to worry about her image can't be splashing around in swamp water all day."
"Come on, Jess," Meowth said. "If you think you can't walk in that muck, how do you think I feel? I want to get out of here just as much as-"
Out of nowhere, something fell from one of the trees and collided with Meowth, knocking him off James's head and into the murky water. While he started screaming and attempting to dry himself, Jessie and James lashed around to face the mystery assailant.
They found, much to their surprise, that it was a small, two-toned slug Pokémon with tiny black eyes and yellow cheeks.
"Goo!" he shouted at them, seemingly trying to appear tough.
"What a little brat," Jessie remarked. She glanced briefly over to Meowth, who had finally pulled himself out of the water and was drying himself off with leaves.
"It's a Goomy," said James, looking at a picture of the Pokémon on his hologram remote, "a Dragon-type Pokémon native to the Kalos region."
"Then let's catch it!"
Pulling himself back up onto James's head, Meowth said in agreement with Jessie, "Just imagine how happy the boss will be when he hears we got another Pokémon! And look at that little wimp over there… the boss will know exactly what to do with it. We'll use it as a decoy and trick Polaris into thinking we're weak, then strike!"
"The boss's assistant wouldn't think that was a good idea," James replied, imagining Stacia coldly explaining what they could do with the Goomy. "She'd tell us about what kind of moves it can use. Like, for example, Goomy can learn Body Slam, Dragon Breath and Thunderbolt. When it evolves into Sliggoo and then Goodra, it would be a valuable tool."
"I'm sold, let's get it. Vivillon, let's go!"
"Alright, Inkay, take it away!"
Jessie threw her Repeat Ball while James threw one of his Poké Balls, releasing their new Vivillon and Inkay respectively. Both Pokémon immediately started looking around in confusion at their surroundings.
"That's right, we took them from Polaris…" Jessie angrily realized. "Vivillon, I'm your trainer now! Listen to me and I'll spoil you rotten, okay?"
Vivillon nodded back to Jessie after a brief hesitation, but in that time, Goomy threw himself forward again, this time targeting Inkay.
"Hurry, Inkay, use Superpower!"
When Goomy collided with Inkay, the Dark-and-Psychic-type grabbed him with her tentacles, flipped over and smashed him into the ground. As she rose back into the air, a slight red aura surrounded her.
"Looks like squid girl over there likes fighting for you, James!" Meowth cheered.
Angered, Goomy flipped back out of the puddle he'd landed in and choked up a ball of slime at Vivillon.
"That's Sludge Bomb!" James called out.
"Vivillon, stop it with Bug Buzz!"
Vivillon started beating his wings at rapid speed, sending red sound waves washing over the swamp. Jessie, James, Meowth and Inkay all cringed to endure the noise, while Goomy was stunned. The Sludge Bomb, meanwhile, lost some of its pace due to the waves and fell apart.
"We don't have time for this," James warned his teammates. "We have to get to Ecruteak and watch what Ghetsis does!"
Almost as if he sensed James's desire to end the battle, Goomy took a deep breath and turned his mouth skyward. A sphere of orange light took shape inside, and he quickly shot it into the air, where it burst into several meteor-like blasts.
"Draco Meteor!" James and Meowth exclaimed together.
"There's only one thing left to do," Jessie decided, taking up another Poké Ball.
The impact of the blasts raining down caused an explosion that swept powerful winds through the swamp.
-:-
"Charlotte, dodge it and finish with Charge Beam!"
Matt was against a young, blonde woman dressed in tennis equipment. Her Growlithe was spitting bursts of flame at Charlotte, but the Eelektrik wound through the air, deftly avoiding every single one. Once the air was clear, she took aim and fired a focused beam of electricity from her mouth into the Fire-type, shocking him and causing him to collapse.
"Growlithe is unable to battle!" declared the waitress refereeing the match. "The winner is Eelektrik, and victory goes to Matt!"
Charlotte landed and looked down victoriously on the Growlithe. She'd beaten him with little effort, much like she had defeated the Psyduck and Doduo before him. Matt's complete defeat of the trainer drew enthusiastic cheering from the crowd, leaving him cringing as he walked down the stairs from the stage.
Bunny, Dante, Monroe and one of the maids met him at the table.
"Well, another impressive performance," Dante complimented him. "Maybe I was too hasty in worrying about your safety."
"Thanks. Think nothing of it." Though he tried to sound polite, Matt struggled to avoid allowing his nerves to come through in his voice.
The maid stepped up to him, and to his surprise, she handed the menu tablet right back to him. "We will award you three hundred Cafe Points for having all your Pokémon last through the battle. You spent three hundred points last round, so you now have an even balance of one thousand points again. Now, we are prepared to move right into your next battle. Please select your opponent."
The three options on the tablet's screen offered Matt the chance to battle a trainer with two Rock-types, a trainer with a Shiftry, and a trainer with a Fighting-and-Flying-type Pokémon. A price of three hundred Cafe Points was on the first choice, while the second and third cost two hundred.
"A Fighting-and-Flying-type?" Matt said, intrigued. "I've never heard of a Pokémon like that. I'll take it."
"Alright. Now, please take your place once again."
His nerves temporarily soothed, Matt ascended the stairs he'd only just come down minutes earlier and stood still, waiting to see who he'd face. Another waitress soon appeared on the other side of the stage, ushering his opponent in. When he caught a glimpse of the green hat and cape on the person following her, his mouth fell open.
"Nando?"
"Well, well, what a pleasant surprise," the bard said as he took his place. "I was hoping we would get to battle here, and I see that's come true."
"I was looking forward to it, actually." Matt weakly smiled, barely hiding the nervous thoughts filling his head. "I'm not as good as I need to be for this. I saw him fight in the finals of both a big battling tournament and a Grand Festival Contest. And I think I can actually stand up to that?!
"The battle between Matt and Nando will now get underway!" the maid at center stage announced. "This is the third and final battle Matt must win in order to earn a battle with the Cafe Diva. Now, begin!"
Matt gripped a Poké Ball in his left hand. He could hear the sounds of his mechanical fingers shaking even from inside his bag, and the noise only served to increase the pressure on his nerves.
"I have to win this. If I can just get to a battle with the Brain, I'll have the chance to talk to them… I won't find Reshiram without leads." Once he finally calmed himself enough, he threw the Poké Ball, calling out, "Charlotte, make your mark!"
"Alright, let's begin! Kricketune, entry!"
Moments after Charlotte appeared and began floating in front of Matt, a Kricketune materialized from the Poké Ball that Nando threw. The Bug-type brought his arms together and hummed a short tune to announce his presence.
"Let's get off to a quick start, Charlotte," Matt decided. "Charge Beam!"
Promptly responding to her trainer's direction, Charlotte pointed her mouth at Kricketune and started to charge up electricity.
"Kricketune, use Sticky Web!" Nando countered, holding his arm up into the air.
Instead of trying to escape from the imminent Charge Beam, Kricketune began spitting globs of a glue-like substance in Charlotte's direction. She instinctually started moving to avoid them, but lost her electrical charge in the process.
"Charlotte, see if you can keep dodging them and still get Charge Beam off!"
At the table, Bunny crossed her arms. "Sticky Web's an attack that slows down any victim that gets caught in it, but it usually doesn't work on Levitating Pokémon or Flying-types."
"But then if he's using it…"
"That's right," Bunny said in response to the question Monroe hadn't finished. "I said it doesn't usually work, not that it can't work. Nando is clearly banking on that chance working out."
In the air over the battlefield, Charlotte continued to weave in and out of the blobs as Kricketune sent them her way. Each one that missed hit a different portion of the battlefield, creating nets of webbing in their wake.
Nando ran his fingers over the strings of his harp, and at that, Kricketune relented. As soon as he stopped, Charlotte paused and began to prepare Charge Beam once more. However, Kricketune's inactivity was actually a trap, and Charlotte stopping gave him an opening to cut her from the air with one more shot of thread.
"Now, Kricketune," Nando said once Charlotte was pinned under the web, "Swords Dance!"
Kricketune waved his arms from side to side, and a ring of sword-shaped glowing lights appeared around him. After a moment, the lights absorbed into his body, and he cried out.
"Now that his attacking power is higher, I can't afford to get hit…" Matt realized. "Charlotte, see if you can burn through the web with Acid Spray!"
Charlotte turned her head and began to spit up acid onto the threads holding her down. They did begin to wear away, but not before Nando thrust his hand forward in a decisive motion.
"Kricketune, X-Scissor!"
In an instant, Kricketune was in the air. His arms began to glow with a fierce red light as he crossed them and began to barrel down on the prone Eelektrik before him.
END of CHAPTER 16