Welcome back everyone! It's been quite a while since I've uploaded anything, but what better way to return than by continuing this story. Anyway, be ready for the rest of this short story, especially with what's in store here.
Ch 2: The New Recruits
Silence fell over the room, Bea staring at her new training partners. Some stared at her in awe; recognized as the powerful Stow-on-Side Gym Leader. Others with worry, no doubt viewing her as competition to grow as a trainer. Or even for attention from Mustard. She felt there was no need for that; she wasn't here for anything other than a chance to train. She didn't want to steal Mustard's attention from them. She didn't want anything to do with the actual dojo outside of training.
She walked away from the middle of the room, heading to an empty corner before sitting down. Her legs were crossed, mind being emptied as she started a meditation. She had to prepare for the upcoming challenges. She didn't know what Mustard had in mind for her, but she wanted to be ready regardless. Whether as a person or a trainer, she had to be prepared.
Footsteps could be heard, Bea recognizing the unwelcome sound without opening her eyes. The fragrance of too much perfume caused her to scrunch her nose, Klara's voice ruining her peace.
"Couldn't live with your failure, huh? So you decided to come and steal all my adoring fans," Klara stated. Bea opened one eye, glaring at the girl. The obnoxious girl stood before her, hands on her hips. Klara didn't appreciate the glare, getting right into Bea's face and using her hands to open Bea's eyes. "Listen up! You look at me when I'm talking."
Bea thrusted a palm forward, striking Klara in the midsection. The impact caused Klara to release her hold. For a split-second Bea smirked while Klara coughed. The student held a hand to her chest, glaring at Bea. She knew it would be impossible to get any real meditation now and stood up. The Fighting-Type trainer reached into her pocket, grabbing ahold of an object before handing it to Klara. There was no need to stick around besides delivering a final message.
"I may have lost to you today, but we did not fight on equal grounds. A true trainer fights without the need of tricks or cheating. Next time I won't allow any of your tricks to defeat us," she stated. The Poison Spike was deposited into Klara's hand. The young trainer growled at that, shoving the item into her own pocket before poking Bea in the chest.
"Just stay away from the dojo. I've spent too long building up my fanbase here just for you to steal them."
"Don't be ridiculous. A true trainer does not worry about something so trivial," Bea retorted with a roll of her eyes. If she truly cared about a fanbase she would have worked on building it years ago. Bea turned away from Klara, making her way towards the exit. There was still so much Mustard had to show her about the dojo, most importantly where the training materials and the dorms were located.
It had also been a while since she had a good meal, Bea feeling her stomach growl. It would be wise of her to learn where the kitchen was. While she had some emergency chocolate packed for the training session, she didn't want to go through it all at the moment.
"Don't you walk away from me! I'm not finished yet!" Klara shouted from behind her. Bea didn't stop to continue their conversation, she had no desire to discuss anything with a cheater. Instead she had to get back into the proper mindset.
As she crossed the dojo she noted the various trainers working there. Some appeared to be learning basic techniques and ideas like type matchups while others were on more advanced trainings like strategies and move combinations. It felt less like a Dojo and more like a school for beginners. Bea wondered if everyone here were beginners or if more skilled trainers were also present. Seeing Mustard, Bea made her way towards the older man.
"Attention! Everyone can I get your attention for a moment, please?" Mustard called out happily. Bea stopped in her tracks, the sight of Klara coming towards her making her wonder if she should keep moving. Unfortunately the Poison-Type trainer caught up with her, grabbing ahold of Bea's shoulder. Her fingernails dug into Bea, the Gym Leader holding herself back from grabbing Klara's wrist.
"When I tell you to stop, you stop! Understand? I'm this dojo's best trainer and you'll listen to me." Klara's voice rang through Bea's ear. Unfortunately for the cheater it also echoed around the spacious room of the dojo. Eyes were trained onto the duo now.
"Klara, I understand you're excited about our new recruits, but please listen up," Mustard stated. A few members of the dojo laughed, Klara growing embarrassed for being called out like that. Her nails dug deeper into Bea's shoulder; the Fighting-Type expert unfazed by it now. Instead her eyes were locked onto Mustard as the older man walked forward.
"We already met one of our temporary members, but we still have two more to introduce," Mustard explained.
"He did mention that others were joining like me," Bea muttered. She swatted Klara's hand from her shoulder. Placing a hand to her chin, Bea stood in anticipation. "Realistically they could be anyone. Most likely someone from Galar, perhaps Raihan after that loss to Ash. There really aren't any other Gym Leaders I can picture coming out here. Gordie? Doubt it, he does his own thing. Even Alister wouldn't come here due to his anxieties. So who?"
"You should all feel honored to be working with these two young, motivated individuals," Mustard continued. Footsteps alerted Bea to their arrival, the girl happily confused by their presence. Bea blinked at the sight of them, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Moving to the side, Mustard motioned for them to walk forward for all to see.
Standing in front of the entire dojo were Ash and his friend, both of them holding the yellow uniform of the dojo. Moving the uniform into one hand, Ash waved to the crowd happily. Murmurs passed through as everyone recognized him from the World Championships. Bea glad to see his hard work recognized. Goh on the other hand was an unknown, the boy looking a bit nervous in front of everyone. She had a feeling as to why Ash would come here, but what Goh planned to get from this location she couldn't figure out.
"These two are Research Fellows from Cerise Laboratories. Though they're here for vastly different reasons," Mustard spoke up once more. "In fact, it was Goh here who reached out to join temporarily. For you see, he's taking part in a mission to track the legendary Pokémon Mew. Care to explain, lad?"
"Y-Yes!" Goh shouted before stepping forward. He bowed slightly to the gathered students, almost dropping his uniform in the process. He quickly recovered, holding it tight to his chest. Bea felt it was weird, usually he was much more confident. Or at least he seemed it from their few interactions.
He placed the uniform on the ground, reaching into his pocket to pull out his Rotom phone. The device booted up a video, showing clips of his various missions. Bea was impressed with what he accomplished, having never known the difficulties he went through to reach his dream. "As Mr. Mustard said, I'm taking part in a special expedition to find Mew. A group known as Project Mew has been tracking Mew for a while and we might finally know where they might be currently. We don't have a perfect understanding of what the terrain is like there, so when I heard of the Isle of Armor and its unique set of environments I just knew I had to come here. The various ecosystems would be the perfect place to train.
"With Mr. Mustard's permission I look forward to working alongside you all as I learn about the various terrains and environments. I know that anything I learn here can be useful in my quest for Mew."
"Oh right, Ash mentioned something like that before," Bea muttered as she finally pieced it all together. Now that she thought of it, the various environments on the island provided different training experiences. Klara leaned forward, listening in as she eyed the two boys. "But Ash doesn't need this place, not after everything he's been through. I'm certain that his own training would be suffice."
"So you do know those two, huh?" Klara stated. Bea tried to swat her away but the obnoxious girl wouldn't leave. Leaning over Bea's shoulder, Klara eyed the two new boys. She clasped her hands together as the sound rattled Bea's eardrum. She turned to see Klara staring directly at Ash. "That Goh kid isn't much on the eyes, but the other one is a real looker. Think I got a chance?"
"W-What?" Bea asked, losing her calm demeanor. Klara quickly picked up on this, leaning against Bea. She twirled her hair playfully, the look in her eyes making Bea uncomfortable. The Fighting-Type expert looked nervous, sweat forming as Klara took her chance to play mind games with her. Bea coughed, struggling to compose herself. "You don't have any chance."
"Oh? Is he your boyfriend?"
"Of course not. Don't talk stupid."
"Then you shouldn't mind if I make my acquaintance with him," Klara stated. She pushed off of Bea, about to walk towards Ash only to be stopped.
"You will not interfere with his training. Ash will win the World Championships, mark my word. I will not allow you to ruin his chance at it, understand me?" As if to make herself clear, Bea punched her palm. Klara paid it no attention.
"Oh? He's also a famous trainer?" Klara asked. For a moment Bea swore she saw hearts form in Klara's eyes. The thought disgusted Bea, the girl shaking a fist as she kept Klara back. "No doubt the League would approve me for a Gym Leader position if I got together with him.
"Maybe this is my lucky chance considering the dojo has several activities to do in partners."
"Partners? Then perhaps I should work with him. Unlike you, we share a similar dream of defeating Leon," Bea replied. Klara smirked, striking a pose as Bea flinched. For the first time in forever she felt outmatched, Klara clearly winning whatever battle was going on between them. She wasn't even sure if it was a battle. Bea didn't even know what was going on. She just knew she didn't like the way Klara was talking.
"What makes you think he'd want to work with you? Bea, deary, just sit back and watch me work my feminine charms. I'll have him begging to be my partner before the end of the week."
"Someone please help us all..." Bea muttered. She was about to argue back but stopped as she heard Ash's voice.
"Hey, everyone! I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and this is my best friend, Pikachu!" he shouted out. It was the opposite of Goh's introduction, Ash's energy capturing the attention of everyone in the dojo. If anything, it seemed to motivate others as the training intensity increased. His smile was infectious, Bea softly smiling as she ran a hand through her hair. "And together I'm going to be the world's best Pokémon Master!"
It was nice to see him again, too long since they last interacted. She would have to make sure they had a chance to talk.
"Anyway, once Goh told me about this place, I just had to check it out. All these tough trainers gathered in one location seemed like the perfect training spot for the Masters Eight competition," he explained. The few trainers who didn't know him gasped in surprise. Bea was surprised by the amount of people who didn't know of the eighth ranked trainer in the world. She found herself staring at Ash, unable to pull her eyes away as he finished his introduction.
Then for the second time since coming to the island she was caught by surprise.
"Oh? Bea is that you? Hey Bea!" Ash called out, the boy waving towards her. Her stare was broken, a feeling of embarrassment starting to pass over her. Bea felt the entire dojo staring at her, the girl lifting her hand slowly to acknowledge the boy's call. He took a few steps forward, walking across the dojo until he was next to Bea. Ash appeared to be filled with excitement, Bea holding back a smile from his energy.
"What are you doing here?"
"Training of course. I need to be ready for the next season."
"I should have figured you of all people would come to a place like this," Ash stated. Pikachu waved to Bea, the girl returning a full wave to the Electric-Type. Klara tried to weasel her way into the conversation, pushing herself next to them but Bea pushed her away. The dojo student tumbled to the ground. "I guess that's what makes you such a tough rival. Always trying to get ahead of everyone through tough training. Is it really true you went into the Wild Area at one point by yourself?"
"Heh. I'm surprised you heard of that," Bea replied. She felt a sense of joy swell up inside of her. She stood proudly as she reminisced about it. That trip wasn't one she figured he would learn about. "Though, Ash, I am glad to see you here since there was something I wanted to say in person. Congratulations on making the Masters Eight. Your match with Raihan was impeccable."
Bea extended a hand, Ash shocked at first before accepting it. The duo lingered for a second until finally shaking. Bea didn't want to let go, but she had to. There were too many people watching and yet it was the annoying presence of Klara that interrupted her small moment. Bea could feel the obnoxious girl's presence from over her shoulder as she was pushed aside.
"So you're Ash, huh? You must have heard about me, the dojo's best student," Klara called out as she practically tackled Ash. He released his grip from Bea's hand before being knocked to the ground by Klara. Pikachu was crushed in the moment, accidently releasing electricity onto the two trainers. Ash remained on the ground while Klara stood up and brushed herself clean of the soot. Bea had hoped she would have been hurt more from the electrical discharge. Instead Klara stood over him playfully, a sweet smile on her face as Ash rubbed his backside.
Bea rolled her eyes at the act, almost feeling sick from the amount of sweetness the girl was faking. And Bea was usually someone who loved sweetness when it was in the style of food. But this? This made her want to never ingest anything sweet again.
"Sorry, but I have no clue who you are," Ash laughed out as he stood back up. Klara was right in her personal space, Ash taking a step back as he dusted himself off. "The only person I know here is Bea, we fought against each other a few times. Did you know she's a really good trainer."
Bea could see Klara roll her eyes, a vein pulsing on her neck as she tried to keep the charade going. She looked over at Goh, the young boy observing in silence as he held Grookey in place. The Grass-Type was struggling to get free.
"Well this is your lucky day then, Ashy-kins," Klara stated as she grabbed ahold of his hands. Bea glared in her direction, Klara seeing that as she flashed a smirk.
"Ashy-kins?" Ash nervously asked, a few beads of sweat forming. Bea likewise didn't appreciate the nickname, not one sounding so childish. A trainer of Ash's worth didn't deserve a nickname so degrading. Klara didn't seem to pay it any attention, getting right into Ash's face.
"Yes, Ashy-kins," she repeated with a nod. Bea was about to step in and break it up, but Ash's apparent unease vanished as Klara spoke her next words. "I'm the dojo's best trainer and the only person you should be interested in talking with while here. Name's Klara and if you think Miss Gym Leader is anything, you'll be amazed with what I can do.
"I even beat her in battle just before you arrived."
Ash's eyes shot open at that, Bea growling under her breath. She wanted to shout that Klara had cheated but she didn't want to make a scene. Bea knew that if they were to rematch right now, on an even playing field, that she would win with no issues. But she was going to stick to her word. She was going to train at the dojo for a short amount of time before attempting another battle; for she needed to figure out the issues plaguing her and Machamp at the moment.
"Hold on, you managed to beat Bea? You must be really strong then," Ash stated. Klara happily nodded, her hair bobbing up and down as she did so. "Bea is this true?"
A frown was present on Bea's face. She went to speak, but Klara cut her off. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard for Bea. "It absolutely is! That girl and her Machamp couldn't do anything against my sweet pal Slowbro. We dazzled the entire field, but I guess it only makes sense. What with me being in line to become a Gym Leader. The Poison-Type Gym Leader to be exact. See the uniform?"
"Stop lying," Bea stated as she stomped a foot down. A few eyes were on her, most notably Goh as she wondered what he was thinking. Her anger returned to Klara, the girl still holding tight to Ash's hands. "You might have beaten me, but you're not in line to become a Gym Leader. Alister is in line to become one, but I've heard no news of you. You only wear that uniform because you're a former Gym trainer, not a Leader!"
"Maybe you should focus on all aspects of life and not just training, deary," Klara stated with a wink. She released her hold on Ash, fishing around in her outfit until finding the object of her search. In her hand was a Rotom Phone, the device's screen turning on to reveal an email from Leon himself.
"Read it and weep."
Goh leaned in, staring at the device as he read it out loud. "Per the Galar League's desire to expand our Gym Challenge and Badge Quest, you have been selected to undergo a series of trials and examinations to see if you meet the qualifications of joining the rank of Galar's Gym Leaders. We hope you will meet our expectations.
"Seems legit," Goh stated as Klara pulled the phone away. Bea couldn't believe it, that Leon of all people would recommend Klara to become a Gym Leader. He must have had a good reason for it.
"Woah, that's pretty impressive," Ash said as Pikachu climbed back onto his shoulder. The Electric-Type rested happily as Ash shook with excitement. "We'll definitely have to battle at some point. I got to see what you're like as a trainer if you're being recommended to become a Gym Leader. And by Leon of all people!"
"It's no big deal," Klara lied as she played with her hair. She laughed boastfully, Bea covering her ears for a moment. Even Goh looked annoyed by her. "You see, I'm sort of a battling prodigy so it was just a matter of time before I caught Leon's attention.
"Though, Ashy-kins, you've caught my attention," Klara stated. Like an Ekans she slithered right up to Ash, latching onto his arm as she flirtatiously held onto it. Bea took a deep breath, fighting back the urge to pull the temptress off Ash. She continued to run a finger up and down his arm, smiling as she spoke, Ash looking rather uncomfortable. "To think a member of the Masters Eight arrived here to train, it was beyond anything I could have imagined. We have to work together so you can teach me some of your secrets; I just have to get stronger and become a Gym Leader."
"Well...we can train at some point..." Ash nervously responded. It was clear to Bea that he didn't appreciate the closeness, something that helped put her at ease. She wanted to separate them to help Ash, but it wasn't her job to do that. No matter how much she wanted to. "But I'd also really like to battle with Bea again. I saw some highlights of your last battle and you were amazing!"
"I still lost though," Bea admitted disappointingly. "That trainer, Alain, he is quite the formidable foe with his Charizard."
"Don't get too down on yourself, he beat me plenty of times too," Ash admitted. Bea was surprised to hear that, blinking as Ash spoke more about him. "That team of his was something else, though we nearly beat him in the Kalos League. That was some battle, huh, Pikachu?"
"Pipi, Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out in agreement.
"Hey, don't forget that we're also here to help me prepare for Project Mew's expedition. You'll have time to battle everyone here but we should get ready for the various terrains," Goh joined in. Ash rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously at his friend's point. "The Masters Eight tournament is a big deal, but so is my expedition! Only a few Chasers were selected to take part."
"Oh please," Klara stated towards Goh, flicking him in the nose. The researcher glared at that, Grookey tapping his stick against Klara's head in retribution. She screamed at that, glaring at the Grass-Type who playfully laughed. Bea nodded with appreciation towards Grookey. "Master Mustard said you both came for your own reasons. You can prepare for your research and Ash can train with me. Not like you two need to be together the entire time.
"We won't interrupt with your research since I know some private training locations," Klara stated as she dragged Ash away. The boy called out to Goh that they would meet up later, Bea just staring in anger at what the obnoxious girl just did.
"Seems like it's always something with him, huh?" Goh asked. Bea nodded, glaring in the direction of Klara until the duo were out of her line of vision. "But you really don't like that Klara huh? The entire time you were glaring at her and trying to keep her out of the conversation. Something happen between you two?"
"In a sense," Bea admitted. She closed her eyes, picturing the Toxic Spikes once more as she balled her hands into fists. "Let's just say she isn't the type of person I enjoy being around. I figured you would hold similar resentment, no?"
"Can't say. Guess being around Ash for so long has changed me whether I knew it or not," Goh admitted as he threw his hands behind his head. A light chuckle could be heard. Grookey moved from his shoulder to atop his head, curling up into a ball and resting. "I just met Klara and yeah, she's loud and in your face but I've dealt with worse. In the past I would have just shut her out completely and ignored her, but between Project Mew and being with Ash I've learned to work with people who bother me. But there was no need to flick my nose..."
"Well, my apologies for assuming as such. I'll be off now," Bea stated before walking away.
"Some late night training?" Goh called out, but the Gym Leader ignored him.
She exited the dojo, taking in the now night sky. The stars filled the sky just as they did in Stow-on-Side. It was different from Hammerlocke where the city lights polluted the night sky. It was peaceful, the sound of the ocean washing onto the sandy shore being disturbed only by the various wild Pokémon on the island. Some flew by in the sky, but most wandered through the grass of the training fields. It felt like the perfect place to train.
She looked around the open field until finding a location that suited her needs. Marching over to a small cliff she overlooked the ocean. Waves crashed against the bottom of the cliff, ocean spray washing up over her. Bea plopped down atop the grass, folding her legs as she began to think over the battle from earlier. Machamp released himself from his pokeball as well, taking up a similar stance. Bea looked over at her partner, no words spoken at first. Machamp looked defeated, shoulders heavy as he looked out over the ocean.
"Don't dwell on it, Machamp. We were cheated," Bea stated. Machamp remained silent.
Bea sighed at that. She wondered what might have been bothering Machamp. Was it her? Did she fail Machamp as a trainer due to her frustrations? Machamp was her partner, they had to find a solution to their issues if they were to ever reach their full potential. Because as much as she hated to admit it, they would only lose again if they faced Klara with their current mindset.
Footsteps alerted Bea to a newcomer, the girl immediately jumping. She positioned herself for a fight, though Machamp remained seated. He was undisturbed by the newcomer. Bea was bewildered by that, unsure as to why Machamp didn't get up and join her. A light chuckle made Bea scan the area but saw nothing.
"Sometimes you need to just relax a bit before seeing what can't be seen," the voice stated. Bea recognized it as Mustard's, but the old man was nowhere to be seen. The entire field was empty of people, only the wild Pokémon roamed it. "Overthinking will keep you from properly understanding your surroundings. Sometimes the best training is learning to relax."
"Champ," Machamp muttered, standing up. The Fighting-Type moved towards one of the nearby trees and extended an arm. Bea could only question what was going through Machamp's mind.
To Bea's shock, Mustard climbed down from the tree and rested atop Machamp's shoulder. He laughed playfully, enjoying the ride as Machamp carried him over to Bea. "That tree is one of my favorites to stargaze. Though maybe you don't want to talk about that, not with you being so tense."
Bea couldn't utter a response, her body still prepared for a fight. Machamp however was moving easily, allowing Mustard down softly.
"Seems your partner understood," Mustard stated. He climbed down from Machamp, standing opposite of Bea. "You're a skilled fighter, Bea, but sometimes there are solutions to problems without the use of force. It seems Machamp understands but right now you're still too focused on your losses."
"I must. Otherwise I won't be able to grow stronger if I can't understand my shortcomings."
"Is that so?" Mustard asked while raising an eyebrow. Bea nodded, punching her palm. She narrowed her eyes, looking out at the open fields. "Is that why your bonds have grown weaker over time? The inability to move on from loss might deliver the wrong message to your partners."
"What does that mean?" Bea asked angrily. She realized the tone in her voice, bowing towards the master apologetically. "I meant no disrespect."
"None taken. Sometimes words are just that: words. In some cases they can be used to hurt and in others they are misconstrued from their original purpose by someone.
"Bea, by the end of your time here, you'll be stronger than you ever were before. But it all starts with rebuilding your bond with your partners. And something like that can't be figured with a fight...well not right away."
"I understand, Master," Bea stated. She turned towards Machamp, a look of worry on the Fighting-Type's face. Bea shook her head, walking towards Machamp and placing a hand on Machamp's shoulder.
"And I apologize to you, Machamp. I may not have realized the intense pressure I was pushing onto you, and I may not still understand it. But by the end of our time here I'll properly understand. I hope you'll still see me as a worthy partner."
"Champ! Machamp!" the Fighting-Type cried out while placing a hand on Bea's shoulder. The girl smiled at that, grateful that Machamp was willing to start anew.
"Rest up, Bea," Mustard stated as he brought an end to the moment. Bea looked over towards the old man only to see him almost back to the dojo. He waved over his shoulder, pausing in his movement to glance back. She questioned how he moved so well for an elderly person. He happily laughed, Bea shaking her head at his antics. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he spoke his final sentence of the night to Bea.
"For tomorrow starts your training."
Like I said up above...been a while. Can't promise a regular update schedule but stuff will be posted every now and then. Anyways, hopefully it was worth the wait.
Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I can improve the story.