Note- Season's Greetings! Welcome back to Heart and Soul!
It's crazy how fast Fall always seems to move. These past two months have been very eventful, but it's been nice to still find time to write. We've now entered into a very special time of the year for me. These last two weeks of the year see me get a break from work and the beautiful lights, mixed with the cold temperatures puts me in a BIG writing mood. Some of my sweetest memories are sitting by my family's fireplace after everyone has gone to bed, writing page after page as the flames quietly hiss and pop. I'm hoping that holds true for this year and I can have Chapter 71 out to y'all sooner rather than later!
BUT FIRST, what about our chapter today? Well, we find our trainers on the eve of the quarterfinals. For some, that means getting in some final training and mentally preparing for the gauntlet that is still to come. For others, we see them weighing their options. There are so many paths and so many regions to explore. And for one young woman, we see an opportunity to finally deliver an important message.
*Just as a reminder, I will continue to slowly (too slowly) roll out this story over on AO3. I am still going back through those early chapters to rewrite them. As funny as it is to read what early high school me wrote, I would like to provide a stronger intro to the story. So be on the lookout for that very soon!*
Please consider dropping a review and follow/favorite for notifications about future chapters!
Chapter 70
The ground ripped open in front of Torterra, the cracks emanating out toward a charging Mamoswine.
"Take the hit and use Avalanche!" Sarah shouted.
The earth swelled up to meet the massive mammoth, taking him from Seth's sight. That only lasted a moment however, as a flood of snow and ice quickly blasted through the barrier, with Mamoswine rushing through the heart of it. Despite living just south of Mt. Coronet for most of his life, Seth had never seen an avalanche in person. As he watched his starter be swallowed up by the rushing white cloud, he couldn't begin to imagine how daunting an even greater wall of snow would look rolling off the slopes above his home.
The rumbling snow cloud slowly rolled to a stop just a few feet in front of Seth. The white pile of snow looked so strange surrounded by the vibrant green of the field and the nearby trees now in their full spring surge. More green poked out from the heart of the quickly melting snow in the form of Torterra's shell. His starter didn't look to be moving, but the unusually warm day made it seem as though he were lifting himself from the snow.
Seth knelt down beside his starter as the snow melted away to reveal his face. "That's that," he said.
Sarah had already caught up with her Mamoswine, and the two were quickly converging on Seth. She quickly stooped down to scoop up some snow as they drew close.
"This might sound like blasphemy, but I really haven't missed this stuff," she said.
"That's understandable. You guys were buried in that stuff up around Snowpoint those last few years."
"Another joy delivered courtesy of Candice."
Seth dug a potion from his backpack and began spraying some nasty looking blue bruises beneath Torterra's jaw. "Your Mamoswine has really gotten his Avalanche timing down. That one definitely packed double the power."
"That's what we'll need tomorrow," Sarah said. Seth could feel her standing there watching him as he continued patting down the Grass/Ground-type. His starter had come to now, his eyes trained on Seth with an apologetic look. His gaze quickly turned toward Sarah as she knelt down to join Seth, her hands quickly rubbing the patches of ointment Seth hadn't yet worked in. "Torterra did a great job replicating Nidoking's Earthquake," she added. "It was probably even stronger than what we'll see tomorrow."
"I hope so."
They worked on Torterra in silence for the next couple minutes until the Grass/Ground-type verbally called them off.
Seth stood up and rubbed his hand along the earthy dome of his friend's shell. "I'm going to get these guys some lunch and then we better be on our way."
"Are you sure you don't want to do a full heal at the Pokémon Center?" Sarah asked.
"We will when we get to Celadon City. I've got my flight scheduled there tomorrow around midday."
"Shit. Will you be able to make that in time?"
"Celadon really isn't too far from here by direct distance. Aerodactyl can get us there on time."
"Be careful clearing the mountains to the east. Even with it getting warmer, those higher elevations are going to be freezing."
Seth nodded. As fast as they would be flying, even the lower elevations would be cold. He would layer up as best he could, with a hood for his head and gloves for his hands, but he knew it still wouldn't be enough to fully protect him. He would just have to tough it out. It couldn't be helped.
"You said earlier you wouldn't be staying home for too long," Sarah said. "Are you going to be coming back this way?"
"At some point, I think so."
Sarah stood back up and wiped at her wet pant legs. "So you already accepted that job?"
Seth brought up one eyebrow. "You think I should have waited?"
"I'm not trying to tell you one way or another. You do what you think is best."
Seth took a deep breath as he began to set out food for his team. From Sarah's perspective, he could see how it might look like he was rushing into something. His Johto League Challenge had just ended a couple days prior. He wanted to spend some time with his parents, who might also need him around for longer than expected. But he knew without a doubt that money would be the number one way to support them. Helping offset any added expenditures from his father's accident would undoubtedly help in more ways than one. And any future procedures or bumps on the road to recovery would need some added funds at the ready. Did it suck to have to turn around and focus on work so soon after ending this fun Gym Challenge? Of course. But it had to be done.
He turned his attention to his team. They were the real victims of his trainer hiatus. All the work his nine companions had put in. All their effort had brought them this far, but Seth was now forced to draw a line in the sand.
Torterra shuffled over to his bowl and began eating in silence. Aerodacyl quickly joined him, but the Fossil Pokémon also remained quiet. This last year had seen these two become close friends. The Rock/Flying-type could undoubtedly sense the uncertainty and disappointment Torterra had only openly admitted to Seth. Magnezone floated silently a short distance away, his metallic exterior shimmering in the late afternoon sun. The two eyes on his magnet appendages scanned Sarah's camp, while his central ocular apparatus kept a watchful eye on Seth's. In the shadow beneath him, Poliwrath and Umbreon talked quietly through their meal. Those two had been with him for almost his entire journey. He'd caught the former as a young Poliwag in a creek just outside of town. Giving Poliwrath a chance to revisit his old stomping grounds and catch up with the siblings he'd left there would be one of the few positives to returning back home. Umbreon's return wouldn't quite have the same look, but Seth knew the Eeveelution would be excited to see his older sister. She'd been the one to gift the young creature to Seth the week after he'd turned sixteen. The two weeks she had waited between picking him up and giving him away had nearly seen her keep the adorable Pokémon.
A buzzing sound revealed Vespiquen behind him. Turning to look at her, he found the Beehive Pokémon staring at him intently. He was surprised to see her stay quiet. Since evolving, not a day had gone by where she hadn't attempted to take charge or make a statement. It must have been the royal nature of her species.
"What is it?" he asked her.
Despite hovering off the ground, Vespiquen stayed perfectly still, only the buzz of her wings giving any indication of movement. "Ves'."
"Is it about me?"
The queen bee's expression tightened. She brought an arm up and poked his chest with one of her claws. Seth looked down at the contact, then back up. A dozen copies of his face stared back at him as he peered into Vespiquen's glowing eyes.
"I'm going to be alright," he said. "I'll feel a lot better once we get back home. At least then I'll be able to get some better sleep."
Her head tilted to the side as she continued to stare him down. Her mouth opened slowly, but nothing came out. After a moment, she shut it. Then she was moving off in Torterra's direction.
"What exactly are they going to have you doing?"
Seth was glad he wasn't facing Sarah's direction. She definitely would have taken offense to what had to be an all time eye roll and silent sigh. He wiped at his face with a hand.
"Mostly grunt work," he said, turning to face her. She had stepped away from her team and now stood only a few feet away. Her expression didn't mark much of an improvement over Vespiquen's. "Lifting, transporting, and I think some construction."
"When have you ever done construction?" Sarah asked.
"I haven't. They said they would teach me that part."
"I see."
"Something is bothering you. Spill it."
Sarah shook her head. "It's not that I think this job is bad or anything. I'm glad it'll give you the money you need." She brought her hands together. "I just hate to see you give up on your Pokémon journey."
"I'm not giving up." He tried to keep his tone even, but he could feel a heat rising around his collar. "I just have priorities. Being a trainer isn't my purpose. It's not what my entire life revolves around."
"Okay. That's fair. I just hate to see you not get to build on all your hard work."
"I know how much work we put into this. I saw it every day. I fucking lived it. If it was up to me, I'd still be traveling and competing with my team, but it's not up to me. I don't have a choice any more."
"Seth, that's—"
"I didn't want to lose, Sarah, but I did. I don't want my dad to die, but I can't just magically cure him. I can't help him enough right now!"
Sarah worked her mouth but said nothing.
He tried to take a breath, but those were becoming harder to draw. He balled his fists and pressed them to each cheek. His eyes burned in the cool air. Fuck, he needed to breath.
"I'm…"
Breath, motherfucker.
"...sorry." He forced the chilly air into his nose and mouth and held it there. His exhale came with a cough and pain in the back of his throat, but his mind and vision seemed to be clearing. "I shouldn't have blown up at you. I'm sorry, Sarah."
"Hm." Sarah gave a slow nod and cleared her own throat. "I just wish you could stay and watch the battle tomorrow. I'd feel a lot better with you in my corner."
He felt his face relax, a small smile worming its way onto it. "I still will be. Just from a farther distance. I'll make sure I find a television in the airport so I can catch your battle live. And besides," he let his smile turn to a smirk, "you'll have your sister rooting you on in person."
"You know better than to try and use that as a positive."
"Hey, give me a little bit of credit. I have an older sister too. I know mine's not an overachieving ball of childlike energy, but I still can understand the dynamic. Candice cares about you. And she wants to see you succeed. She wouldn't be here otherwise."
"Yeah, well maybe I'm fine with keeping some space between us. Especially during stressful times."
As Sarah trained her hard stare on him, he felt his own further soften. "That might be when we need those people the most."
Sarah dropped her gaze to the ground as her fists shook. Seth didn't know whether to expect shouting or sobbing. Instead, Sarah took a deep breath. She pushed her brown hair back behind her ears and let a long exhale pass between sputtering lips. One of her arms moved and something flashed through the air. Something cold and wet smacked into his shoulder. He looked down and found a half melted wad of snow sliding quickly off his jacket's slick surface. When he looked back up, that wry smile of hers had returned in full force.
"Things aren't simple anymore, eh Seff'?"
"I'm not sure they ever were."
Hundreds of lights glowed across the black expanse in every direction. The twinkling dots rested high overhead, with not a cloud in the sky to block them. It was the same for the still harbor water between Kanto and Johto. The only break in the brilliant light display came from the immediate space around Swampert, with the ripples he created distorting the reflected light.
"Are you alright?" Kayla asked him.
He gave a grunt that Kayla wasn't sure how to interrupt. She gave his head a soft pat, then brought a hand up to rub at her eyes. She was exhausted, but sleep would be impossible—the cold water rushing past her legs would make sure of that. And even if she could have dozed off, that same water would have swept her off Swampert. As tired as she was, she probably would cramp and drown before her starter could even attempt to rescue her in this darkness.
She blinked her eyes multiple times to try and drive the fatigue away. It didn't work, but it did clear her vision well enough to see faint lights now twinkling between sea and sky. She kept her head still and squinted straight ahead. Had they really made it?
"Just a little further."
Kayla slipped from Swampert's back the moment she felt him bump into the shallow bank. She marched through the thick, sinking mud, pushing away the reeds and branches that clung to her. Solid ground came into reach soon after. She stumbled several feet up a slight incline, before dropping onto her knees. Her hands pushed into the ground, scooping up a combination of sand and mud.
"Swam'."
The Water/Ground-type came to stand beside her. In the near pitch black, his movement and stance almost looked normal. It would have been tough to tell just how exhausted he must have felt if not for his raspy, labored breathing.
She reached for his shoulder but found his face instead. His warm breath pressed against her palm as she pulled it quickly away.
"I'm sorry." She reached into her jacket pocket and brought out her PokéNav. She opened the flashlight app and set the device down so that it would illuminate the space around them. It looked like they had made it to a beach on the outskirts of a town. A large, rectangular object stood in the shadows just a short distance away. Most likely a building or a sign.
Kayla glanced up at Swampert. Despite still standing with his shoulders confidently back, she had never seen her starter look so tired. The creature's face looked almost sunken in. The dark rings around his eyes had nothing to do with the shadows cast by her device's light.
"I'm sorry." A wave of heat rose through Kayla's chest. She tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't find the oxygen. "I'm so sorry."
Stinging tears filled her eyes. She'd nearly killed herself making it to this point, but she hadn't been the only one. The rest of her team had pushed well past their breaking points too, none more than Swampert. Her starter had gone above and beyond these past few months. This trip west might have been the final step too far. And they still had farther to go.
She felt his arm on her shoulder. Before she could bring her hand up to grasp it, Swampert swung his other arm over. He'd scooped her back to her feet before she even had time to process what was happening. Her feet slid in the shifting sand, but she eventually found her footing. Her breaths were coming quicker, but they felt more productive.
A flash of white light filled her eyes. When her vision cleared, she found Swampert holding out her PokéNav.
"'Pert."
Even surrounded by clear signs of exhaustion, those orange eyes still glowed intensely in the harsh light. They moved to the right with his head as he nodded at something behind Kayla. She took the PokéNav from his hand and turned to follow his gaze, the light from the device revealing the large object that had been just out of sight: a welcome sign for New Bark Town.
"The town where winds of a new beginning blow," she read. Just beyond the sign, the faint glow of civilization awaited.
"Swamp'."
Kayla nodded. "We do have some unfinished business."
Trainer and Pokémon moved past the sign and into the quiet town. True to its description, a gusting wind had picked up now, chilling Kayla to the bone. She tried to distract herself by taking in the town as she approached its center, but there wasn't much in the way of sightseeing. Kayla had only visited here once with her grandfather, and she'd thought it small then. Now, with so little noise and so few lights shining in the darkness, she found herself wondering if 'village' might be a more appropriate label.
One of the few, and by far the brightest, lights came from the top of the only large building around. The structure stood just a couple stories tall, but the wide building still managed to tower over the sparse assortment of homes and small businesses. Kayla made a beeline for it. It had to be the New Bark Research Laboratory.
Upon reaching the entrance, Kayla wasted no time pounding on the thick wooden door. She took a deep breath and tried to quell her chattering teeth. It had been days since she'd last talked to another human and she needed to have the right words ready. This message was too important to not articulate clearly.
Several seconds passed, but no sound came from the other side of the door. She knocked again and waited, but got the same result. She peered into the windows around the entrance, but none of the rooms appeared to be lit. She hadn't checked to see what the time was, but this message needed to be heard.
An even louder knock caused her to jump. She turned to find Swampert slamming his forearms into the door.
"Swampert, stop it!" Kayla grabbed one of his arms as it started to glow and managed to pull him away from the door. Even in the darkness, she could make out an annoyed expression on his face. "I know this is important, but no one is going to listen to us if we start breaking stuff. We've got to be smart about this."
Swampert said nothing, but gave her a curt nod.
"Hey, who's down there!"
A bright yellow light poured over trainer and Pokémon, causing both to recoil. Kayla brought a hand up to shield her face. She could just make out a dark figure hovering above them. No… they were standing on a set of stairs Kayla hadn't even seen. The creature appeared to have four arms, with one being much longer than the others.
A shadow slid over in front of her. Swampert.
"I'll ask one more time. Who are you?"
Kayla reached out and grabbed her starter's shoulder. "Wait a second," she muttered. That was a woman's voice. She squinted, her eyes slowly adjusting to the bright light. Shadows faded to reveal a woman in a nightgown. She held a bat over her head, waving it as if to dispel a dark spirit.
"Y-yeah. And what is your business?"
The voice came from behind the woman. Kayla suddenly realized a grown adult man had been standing there the entire time.
"My name is Kayla." Her mouth had gone dry. Shit, she should have taken time to hydrate and think through her message.
"Yes… and?" came the woman's sharp voice.
Lights now flickered to life off in the trees on Kayla's right. The white beams revealed them to be flashlights. The echo of voices followed shortly after.
"I'm here…" a million explanations passed through her mind in an instant, but she had to get to the heart of the matter, "...on behalf of Mr. Pokémon."
"Mr. Pokémon," the man repeated. "What do you mean?"
Men in uniforms emerged from the woodland, stomping their way toward the lab. If she didn't just come out and say it, she might never get a chance to have her message heard.
"I'm Mr. Pokémon's granddaughter."
"You're…" the man paused to step out from behind the woman. Even with the back-light making it difficult to see his face, this had to be Professor Elm. "...Kayla?"
I already fucking said my name, Kayla thought. She bit her tongue as a wave of annoyance rose up. She was so damn tired. She just wanted to lay down and be listened to. They were so close now. She couldn't screw this up now.
"Yes, I am. And I need to speak with you. Please."
The professor took the steps two at a time, nearly falling as he made it to the ground. He reached her just as a couple of police officers brought their lights on her.
Swampert let out a low growl and Kayla had to squeeze his shoulder even tighter. "It's going to be okay," she told him. She brought her other arm up and displayed her empty hand. Kayla tried to clear her throat. "We have some very important information we need to share with the professor."
"In the middle of the night?" one of the guard's asked.
"It's okay," the professor said, stepping between the guard and Swampert. "This young woman clearly traveled a good distance to get here. This must be serious."
"You know our orders sir," the other guard said, taking a couple steps closer to Kayla. He didn't know it, but one more step would bring him within striking distance of Swampert's Hammer Arm. Even with her warning and the hold she had on her starter, she didn't know what her companion might do if things started to go downhill. He had to be even more exhausted and fed up with it all then she was.
"If this young woman turns out to be an assassin, so be it. You can tell Lance this was my call." The professor put on a smile and motioned toward the stairs. "Why don't you come in and we can get you some food?"
Kayla's stomach let out a very audible growl in response to that. She gave a slow nod as Professor Elm chuckled. "Could you also heal Swampert and the rest of my team?"
"Of course. When you bring Swampert back to his Poké Ball, we can take all of them down to the healing station. You guys can rest and we'll get down to business once the sun is back up."
"I don't think this can wait until—"
"It will have to," the professor whispered, gesturing with his head back toward the stairs. "My lovely wife is a little cranky at three in the morning. I hope you can understand."
"What remarkable resilience from Venasaur!" the announcer roared over the stadium speakers. "He survived that Earthquake strike and is already responding with Giga Drain!"
This was bullshit.
"Oh my! Those energy vines got a hold of Dugtrio before he could retreat beneath the surface. It looks like he's down for the count!"
"Fucking ridiculous."
It had been a back and forth battle, though Prinny's opponent had held the slight advantage up until this point. She had lived up to her quick switching, hard hitting persona. She'd shuffled through most of her team and fired off three of the strongest attacks Waz had seen at this tournament within the first five minutes of this battle. Her Zebstrika had stomped a mudhole into Prinny's Beedrill and her Starmie had nearly taken Staraptor's head off with a Hydro Pump as he tried to retreat. Her most valuable teammate had surprisingly been the Dugtrio who had unfortunately just been removed from the equation. His Arena Trap ability had forced Prinny's slower, grounded teammates to stick around and be hit with earth shaking blows. But with Dugtrio's knockout, not only had Callaway lost her numbers advantage, she had also lost the ability to dictate the timing of Prinny's switches. Despite how much Waz hated his brother, he couldn't deny the bastard had good timing when it came to strategic switching.
"Oh shit." Waz turned to find Luke leaning forward in his chair. "He saved Trick Room for the perfect time. I didn't even know his Slowbro knew that move."
I'm sure that fucker taught him it just for this battle.
"He still has his three slowest Pokémon left too," David added from Luke's other side.
"I don't think this lady has a slow Pokémon in her entire arsenal. He's really going to do this. "
Waz watched as Prinny's normally sluggish Scrafty sprinted forward to smash Serperior with a lightning quick Drain Punch. He tried and failed to keep his fists from shaking as his brother brought in Weezing to deliver a critical Toxic strike on the stunned grass starter.
How would he counter this strategy if he was on that battlefield? Waz had a mix of speeds of his team. Though none of his teammates outside of Torkoal moved as slow as Prinny's three remaining Pokémon.
Stop it, Waz told himself. He wouldn't even get the chance to whip Prinny's ass unless they both made it to the Championship battle. Waz's next opponent had three more years experience than even Prinny. Granted, this would be his team's first regional tournament appearance. But in doing a bit of research, Waz had discovered his opponent had made it to the semifinals of the Goldenrod Invitation tournament. The two Pokémon he had battled with in that competition were also on his Silver Conference team.
"How are you feeling about your battle?"
Waz felt a slight chill run up his back. Luke's tone and expression were light, but his timing couldn't have been more eerie.
"More anxious than I should be," Waz said.
"It is weird to hear you're nervous."
Waz took a drink from his water bottle and gave a slow nod.
"It honestly makes me feel like I should be more nervous."
"I wouldn't let it get to you," Waz said, taking a deep breath. "It's not good for our teams' psyche or our health to be super anxious."
"That's true," Luke said. "I can't help but feel a little nervous though. I almost didn't believe we could make it this far. I probably should feel more grateful."
David punched Luke's arm. "You're damn right," he said.
"Four rookies in the final eight," Luke mused. "I guess that's pretty damn impressive."
David snorted. "Are you trying to get punched again?"
Luke threw his hands up. "Hey, even making it to the Finals as a rookie is a major feat on its own."
"That's more like it."
That at least had Waz smiling. He needed that levity. Especially with his brother having just knocked out another one of his opponent's Pokémon.
"The way things are going," David said, glancing up at the scoreboard, "Chris's battle should be coming up soon. Are you guys trying to get some lunch before it starts?"
"I could go for a bite," Luke said.
Watching the battle below had put a sour taste in Waz's mouth. Even his mom's cooking wouldn't have sounded appealing right now. But he'd take any excuse to get up and get away from his brother's rapidly approaching victory.
"There's some good food spots hidden up on the third deck," Waz said. "The lines might be less crowded up there."
"I could probably use the exercise too," David said.
As they marched up the steps, a massive roar reverberated around the stadium. The announcer's excited shouts sounded inaudible behind the rolling wall of sound. Waz felt the strong urge to turn around. It had to be in response to something good Prinny had done. Perhaps he'd even won the battle. The thought nearly brought his blood to a boil.
Instead, Waz put his head down and continued up the stairs. He'd worry about that shit stain when they finally met on the battlefield. Until then, that fire didn't need any more fuel added to it. Nothing would quench those flames.
"Are we ready?"
Chris looked around the alley, his eyes slowly finding each of his teammates' own. He had been on his way to the stadium with his dad, but each step had brought with it the overwhelming urge to have one more meeting with his team. It would serve as a makeup to the one they should have had earlier that morning, when a restless Chris had walked the cold, dark streets to appease his racing mind. In truth, despite the cavalcade of thoughts blasting through his brain during that hour plus walk, he hadn't once considered bringing out his team. Now, though, he couldn't imagine not having them at his side. Even silent as they were, their company had already lifted his spirits.
The youngest member in the group was unsurprisingly the first to break the ice. "Espe'!"
"Amph'!" The Electric-type shouted, stepping closer to the Eeveelution.
That unsurprisingly got Nidoking roaring and moving in her direction.
The ground began to shake as Gyarados's long tail slid across the paved side street and smacked against a restaurant wall. The stone held firm, but the sound of objects falling could be heard from the other side. Chris winced, then prepared to do so again as the Atrocious Pokémon opened his mouth. The roar that came sounded much more controlled than any of the wild outbursts he had grown accustomed to. One look at his scowl and those large, red eyes cleared any concerns of the Water/Flying-type not taking this next battle seriously.
Before Chris could turn to hear from Scizor, he found the Pincer Pokémon standing right by his side.
"Sciz'," came the quiet, but confident answer.
There was a pause, then they all turned to face Typhlosion. The Volcano Pokémon stayed on all fours, his stare on the ground in front of him.
"What about you, buddy?"
A wave of heat blasted back the cool breeze. Typhlosion pivoted onto his hind legs and threw back his head. Fire leaped from his shoulders and lifted even higher than the roofs on either side.
"Ty'!"
Chris felt the strong urge to rub his stinging eyes, but he kept his arms at his side. He nodded slowly and took a deep breath.
"We're ready."
Ben joined them as they emerged from the alley. He didn't even attempt to hide his smirk.
"Everything good back there?" he asked, his gaze flickering over to Typhlosion.
"Just doing some final check-ins. Making sure we're ready."
"That's good."
They took a few more steps before he leaned over to whisper, "Are you going to keep your team out all the way to the stadium?"
"I'm not worried about giving anything away. Everyone has seen these guys by now." He could feel a heat rising up through his stomach. "And at this point, we know what to expect."
The group stayed quiet as they began their short march. Nidoking and Gyarados led the way, their intimidating presence clearing what street traffic did exist. Chris and his dad walked in tandem behind them. Typhlosion and Scizor stayed a step or two behind father and son. Espeon and Ampharos followed up at the rear, their quiet conversation the only real noise coming from the convoy.
As they drew close to the stadium, the street began to fill with people. As the crowds increased, the team's presence became unavoidable. Someone shouted out Chris's name. Cheers poured in from the other side of the street. A couple boos came from somewhere behind them. There was a short 'Magikarp Madness' chant, followed by a shout for him to stop crowding the streets with his Pokémon.
Chris tried to shut it all out, but he couldn't deny that the attention felt good. It meant he and his team had arrived on the big stage. They had become a team to pay attention to. And that had to mean they were on the right track. He didn't even mind the negative remarks that reached his ears, though he did take the last criticism to heart as they made it to the trainer check in.
"I'm going to have to return you guys for now," he told his team as they formed a half circle around him. The crowds were beginning to really press in now. Chris could hear his dad trying and failing to get the people to take a step back. He was much too polite to be effective security. "It's alright, dad!" Chris yelled to him, before turning to his team. These six Pokémon were not focused on the pressing crowd at all. That meant Chris shouldn't either. He gritted his teeth and kept his gaze on his team, even as hands pounded onto his back and shoulders. "Next time I bring you out, it'll be time. Let's do this."
Each creature vanished into their capture device without a word. There was nothing left to say. The noisy crowd around them would have drowned it all out anyway.
Chris presented his ID to the official, who gave him the all clear to proceed. He went to take a step through the barrier, but instead found himself squeezing his father with the tightest hug he could muster.
"Thanks for being here, dad."
"Of course, my man. You know me and your mom will always be here for you."
"We're going to work to make you proud."
"We are proud of you. And win or lose, we still will be."
Chris could feel water pooling underneath his eyes. He worked his mouth through his clenched jaw and managed to get out a surely inaudible, "I love you."
"I love you too, son. Now go do what you came here to do."
The crowd noise swelled once more, this time from somewhere on Chris's right. The mass of people slowly parted to reveal Sarah and her sister heading their way. Chris kept his expression neutral, but he couldn't keep his teeth from chattering together. He could feel his dad's hand squeezing his shoulder.
"Head in there, son. You've got this."
Chris kept his head down as he passed through the security checkpoint. He tried to keep a quick and steady pace, but it had suddenly become difficult to keep his balance. By the time he'd reached the gated stadium entrance, it felt as though the ground were shaking beneath him. Staff stationed periodically throughout the hallway greeted and waved him through. Despite numerous chances, Chris couldn't get his mouth to formulate a greeting or even smile back. He had never been so thankful to see the empty locker room. He practically collapsed onto the closest bench.
"Alright," Chris mumbled through deep breaths. "Okay."
He grabbed the water bottle attached to the side of his backpack but found it empty. Digging into his bag, he found two unopened bottles and proceeded to chug through one in a matter of seconds. As he went to put the other bottle back, something at the bottom of his bag caught the overhead fluorescents and flashed with a brilliant light. Chris reached down and brought out the feather with a shaking hand. It shimmered even brighter out in the open. As Chris twisted it in his hand, waves of orange, green, red, gold, and white pulsed across the fine, thin strip. The longer he stared at it though, the more he felt something was off. Since he'd found it, not a month had gone by that Chris hadn't pulled out the feather to examine it. The location and rainbow-like colors had him convinced from the start that he had lucked into a feather from the legendary Ho-oh. There had been no convincing him otherwise. And despite the passage of time and being stuffed into his roughed up backpack, the feather had maintained its brilliant color and pristine shape. Now though, the edges of the plumage had begun to break apart and droop. The color, while still more brilliant than any feather he'd ever seen, had undoubtedly dulled since the last time Chris had admired it. He wasn't sure why, but that seemed to spike his anxiety more than anything else from that chaotic morning.
Another burst of light filled his vision. He found Typhlosion standing by his side.
"Hey," Chris said, rising to his feet, "it's not time yet."
Typhlosion stared back at him, his expression having not changed a bit since their meetup in the alley. The Volcano Pokémon lowered his head to examine the feather in Chris's hands. He had been around for several of his trainer's admiration sessions with the brilliant object.
"We're going to meet it one day," Chris said, his grip tightening around the feather's stem. "And when we do, we'll have earned that audience."
Typhlosion slowly took hold of the feather with one of his paws. A wave of heat coursed over Chris's hand like he'd just stuck it in an oven. He felt the strong urge to yank it away, but Typhlosion made the decision for him. The Volcano Pokémon plucked the feather from his grip in one swift motion and tossed it back into the bag without a second glance in its direction.
Chris took a deep breath and then returned his starter's stare.
We've finally arrived. A battle that has been months in the making. Important messages are about to be delivered. Things are beginning to shift and accelerate. More than winning or losing, how will these two trainers handle the result of their weighty battle? What will Professor Elm and those in authority do with this potentially crucial message from Kayla? Hopefully we won't have to wait long to find out!
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