Against All Odds

by TehK00

A young man had reincarnated into a terrible new life, but against all odds became the champion of his region. Yet he ultimately wants nothing to do with the title, only taking it due to promises made. Watch how he goes through the motions of making his world better, only to make his retirement all the more pleasing.

4. Chapter 4

TehK00 here, and thank you all for the wait. The trouble I had with this chapter was… frustrating at some parts. I had some ideas as to how I wanted to show a battle scene in this, but I then realized something. Unless it is a 'first-person' scene, I am pretty bad at writing it. I don't necessarily want to do a battle scene from the perspective of someone other than Mason at the moment either, so for now I won't be showing a battle scene. For those of you who have been wanting to see one, worry not for I have one definitely planned in the next few chapters.

Let us get into the responses!

T4ndoris: He is basically someone with a black mark on his record somehow becoming the President of the United States, just after the Watergate Scandal happened, which was the event in U.S history that made it hard for the general public to trust the government in the foreseeable future. Add all the bad rumors going around about him, along with what can amount to an actual war crime, and you have a group of people with reasonable suspicion and dislike of him. He definitely proved he is a good person to a significant number of people in Unova, but people can be stubborn.

Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwe: I have a lot I want to unpack in regards to your reviews, but much of what I have to say may or may not be plot relevant. I will go over what I can say.

His team wasn't necessarily built for conventional battling in mind. The only two in his team I particularly care for are Lucario and Aegislash, the rest are hit or miss for me. The image I wanted him to project is supposed to be, in a word, "conflicting". It may be the case that I had not expressed that well enough in his personality, but I had not intended to fully express it yet.

It could also be the case that I represented what I showed poorly. I'm just unsure how difficult it is to actually write "conflicting" as a character concept in a way that people can understand it.

That is all I think I can say for now. So I hope you all enjoy Chapter 4!

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Mason's Team

Atalanta: Lucario

Nightingale: Audino

Arthur: Aegislash

Kriemhild: Hisuian Zoroark

Sen: Bronzong

Bruce: Noivern

Genji: Bisharp

Captain: Aggron

Ariel: Jellicent

Reshiram: Reshiram

---

The people of Vertress City certainly are the excitable bunch. Out of all the settlements of Unova, the people who live in this very city are the ones I believe are the most forgiving. In my first year as Champion, I had to do the yearly announcement of the start of our Pokémon League, which will kick off everyone's gym circuit going forward, as well as the very beginning for new trainers, who graduate today and receive their starter Pokémon.

How the people of Vertress City thought of me was a mixed bag at first. It was a split between people who were fearful of me being the Champion, and people who honestly thought I would do a lot of good. Both sides had decent arguments for one side or the other, but there was always this… thickness in the air up until the Conference of that year, due to all the disagreements.

However, one particularly witty and popular talk-show host that lives here had said something that truly started changing the perspectives of a large number of people: "Nothing had changed for the worse, so is the new Champion really all that bad?"

Many people had to deal with me for a full year, and I did nothing to truly impact the majority of lives for the worse. There were a great deal of people who were doing a lot better, so it was seen as evidence that I am doing good.

Since then, and the success that the Conference goers had that year, people had started to look up to me more, and believe me a good Champion despite my past. Even if there is still a sizable, if now minority, group of people that staunchly believe otherwise, there is no more clear discontent anymore.

This is mostly evidenced by the cheering in the Main Vertress Stadium, where I am now walking up to the podium to give my start of year speech to the masses of people, either here in the stadium, or those watching at home.

As I stopped right in front of the microphone, the crowd had started to quiet down. My mien indicates nothing but confidence, as if my face was made of stone, and my gaze steely yet warm.

This is the face that I give to the people of Unova. A face that does not disagree, but one that won't relent in the face of opposition.

"People of Unova, I welcome you to the start of the 113th Unova League Circuit. This circuit is for any and all trainers who wish to prove themselves to be the very best, whether you are a new trainer seeking to find your place, or a veteran trainer wishing to attempt and grasp glory once more." I start off, looking at all the people gathered here in the crowd, seeing as many are listening closely.

"For those of you who are starting your journeys this year, I applaud you for taking your first grand step into your new lives of adventure, wonder, and friendship. The Pokémon beside you, and the ones who will join your journey in the future, will be your companions through thick and thin, through all the troubles and tribulations you may face. As your Champion, I am honored to see each and every one of you seeking to take your strength to new heights, to refine your minds to greater strategies, and to prove your courage to all that surround you. I wish you all the best, not only for this year's League Circuit, but for the rest of your lives as Pokémon Trainers!" I finish as the crowd cheers as the opening speech, and at the spectacle I had Reshiram do, with the Vast White Pokémon flying through the air with a 'weak' streak of fire.

This is something I try to do every year, as seeing the Vast White Pokémon and one of Unova's worshiped Legendary's give their support in a spectacular fashion is bound to inspire at least some people.

As I stepped down from the podium and went to the east arena tunnel, as my piece was said, the announcer for the exhibition match started their part.

"Now, without further ado… this year's exhibition match will be against Gym Leader Drayden of Opelucid City, as well as Ace Trainer Hilda White. Give your round of applause to these two trainers as this year's League Circuit comes to a start!" He announces as both come out of their respective tunnels, Drayden from the west, and Hilda from the east.

As I pass by Hilda just outside of the tunnel, I nod at her and speak.

"Do your best, cousin." I say with a smile. Hilda just grins back at me.

Hilda has not changed much over the years. The War on Plasma certainly gave its fair shares of battle scars to everyone, but Hilda is probably the only person I know who hides them the best.

She used to wear a white tank top with a black vest, as well as these ripped short shorts, along with black and red boots and a white and pink ball-cap.

She still has her signature ball-cap, and has a similar hairstyle even if her hair is much longer now, but her clothing is different. She now wears actual hiking boots in black, and has full jeans, ripped up in places but actually goes to her boots now. She is sporting a black tee-shirt that has a slightly low cut, and a white and pink jacket opened up in the front.

Her style of clothes have not really changed all that much to be honest. Her clothes support actual deep-woods exploration now, which, alongside mercenary work, is what she prefers to do nowadays…

I should probably meet up with her and chat after her match is over. We haven't seen each other in months and I don't have to be back in my office for a while since I finally decided to hire actual assistants (after having them background checked thanks to Grimsley). I now have extra time while they peruse over anything that is bogus and make sure everything goes to the correct department if it were to somehow land on my desk.

Apparently, I actually get a decent chunk of paperwork that is supposed to go to the rest of the Elite 4. Not a lot mind you, but a 5th of my normal amount of paperwork is supposed to actually go to someone else, work I wasn't meant to do. I had only noticed when suddenly I was getting significantly less work and that the rest of the Elite 4 got a bit extra on top.

When the 3 assistants I hired double checked stuff like that, a small part of me died inside. I had been forcing myself to work through all of those documents that I hadn't even realized that some of them were meant for either Grimsley, Caitlin, Shauntal, or Marshall. How none of us noticed after all this time put a bit of egg on all of our faces.

I now have extra free time that I am not completely sure what to do with. I try to do personal training sessions with each of my Pokémon, but I also decided to play games a lot more with both Kriemhild, but also Ariel.

My Jellicent has a bit of… a ditzy personality. She is an excellent battler, of there is no doubt. That being said, she doesn't like to train a lot and just likes to play around with other Pokémon or I. Whenever I do get her to train, it usually involves either having her be more creative with moves she knows, or learn new moves to expand her repertoire.

She is an excellent battler due to the sheer number of tricks she has up her sleeve.

She is built like a tank, with various status moves designed to whittle down an opponent. She contends with Captain for the 4th strongest spot on my team, behind Arthur, Kriemhild, and Atalanta.

Captain is fairly straightforward, he is also built like a tank, but far better than Ariel physically and worse specially. His main form of damage is rushing down an opponent and simply outlasting them, while also doing his best to prevent them from using any special moves, trying to force an honest brawl. We have designed techniques in order to get in close to an opponent and stay there. He tends to have a problem with Flying and Ghost Types, but we have some countermeasures in place should he face one.

Ariel is much the opposite. She is a little more mobile, but she does her best to shore up her defenses with Acid Armor or using Trick room to evade easier. She then whittles away at her opponent with either Toxic, Whirlpool, or Will-O-Wisp. Ariel also has forms of healing either through one of her abilities in Water Absorb, as well as the moves Giga Drain, Recover, Rest, and even Strength Sap.

She battles at her best with stall tactics. Something that happens to be very uncommon in this world. Most trainers don't use stall tactics because it can be seen as dishonorable or not flashy enough. The only one I know that does is Grimsley, but it is less stall tactics and just waiting for a good opportunity.

Despite Ariel being quite strong, and someone who pushes him to be stronger, Captain does not like her, and their relationship is the only sore spot I have on my team.

Obtaining strength has always been a point of contention between all the Pokémon on my team. Barring Reshiram and Ariel who don't care one way or another, all of them have their own strong opinion in regards to strength.

Kriemhild and Arthur believe they should obtain strength for my benefit, and mine alone. I dislike their reasoning but I don't push it.

Captain and Genji believe that strength is the only thing to strive for, as it is the only thing that matters. This is a very common way of thinking for most Pokémon in general.

Nightingale, Bruce, and Sen only care about strength because it makes it so they can't be pushed around. It does not matter as much to them as it is only a means to an end. I like their lines of thinking and are the ones I agree with the most.

Atalanta does not like to talk about the concept, and I won't pry if she doesn't want to open up. Suffice to say, she grew up to be a very different Lucario than normal.

I mused all of this to myself before I finally arrived at Hilda's waiting room. I use my keycard to obtain entrance to the room to see a couple of sofas as well as a coffee table and a television screen high on the wall in the corner televising Hilda's match against Drayden. I also see a pink and black backpack on the table, which belongs to Hilda.

I wonder what kinds of tricks she has in store. I can't really say the last time I've seen Hilda battle was after the war, as things got busy for me.

[-{==}-]

"Boomerangs Hilda? I'm surprised to know that was even an option." I told her as she entered the waiting room to pick up her stuff, surprising her. She managed to barely eke out a win against Drayden, but most people are calling it a fluke since she had her Scolipede win with stall tactics, an unpopular battle tactic and something she picked up from me. The boomerangs quip in question are from her using her Samurott and somehow turning Razor-Shell into functional boomerangs, and making quite an interesting maneuver against Drayden's Flygon.

"It surprised me too when we actually got the trick to properly function. Also, if you think I am going to tell you then you have another thing coming." She responds with a smirk, of which I return. I just stand up from the couch and open my arms. She just walks over to give a quick hug.

Of all the people in the world, Hilda is the one I trust the most. Not above the level of trust I have for my Pokémon of course, but she is the only human to have supported me completely, even above the likes of Grimsley. When it turned out we were family, if somewhat distant, she tried her best to make it more honest by having me interact with her immediate family, her mother.

She has no father and her single mother apparently doesn't talk about him. The mother in question, Hannah White, has stated that while she can tolerate me, her friends definitely do not, and is stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding those relationships. Suffice to say, I don't interact with her to make things easier on her social life. Hilda wasn't happy about the decision made, but eventually accepted it.

She does not live in Nuvema Town anymore however. That community tried to push it down her throat that I should not be interacted with. The only ones they can't specifically turn into social pariahs are the researchers who work there, as they are both government employed as well as otherwise important. Nuvema Town would be an afterthought without Juniper Labs and they know it. It helps that Professor Juniper can also be a spitfire when she gets particularly annoyed.

"It is good to see you again Hilda, I feared the worst when you disappeared after a particularly brutal job a few months ago. I was relieved when I later heard that you managed to return just fine, but long after your expected arrival date." I tell her, remembering the incident somewhat.

Basically, she got trapped in a particularly bad snowstorm at the very end of winter in the north-eastern wilds. Her job just needed to have her catalog the invasive Pokémon that have shown up nearby the area, which included the likes of various Dragon Types, Fire Types, and Poison Types.

For some reason, Salandit have made a nest in one of the mountains all the way out there. I wonder if she caught one.

"Ehh, I just had to hole up in a cave with my Pokémon. I make sure to pack enough non-perishable food for all of us for a month. We needed to gather quite a bit, but nothing we haven't done before." She said with a shrug, but then she gave me an odd look.

"You are acting differently, what's going on?" She exclaimed with a tilted head. I just scratched the back of my head, slightly surprised she picked up on my weird casualness. I normally try to break the ice when I need to tell someone something awkward, like with Cheren.

"Well… Bianca had made it pretty clear that I was being anti-social to an extreme degree. My work had taken up so much of my time and I couldn't leave it be without very good cause. I conceded that Bianca had a good argument, and now I have been trying to improve my lifestyle, which means I am going to be visiting you and the others more often." I admit to her, but she just huffed at my explanation.

"About damn time honestly. Speaking of… how are you able to spend time out of your office. I've seen the stacks of paperwork you deal with and there is no way it's slowed significantly enough for you."

I sit back down onto the couch, in a much more tired manner, before explaining to her the paperwork mix-ups. She just laughs at my misfortune before continuing to rib me on my crappy luck.

She has enough tact not to mention the more horrible events in my life, but still makes jokes at my expense over the many times I get the short end of the stick in non-serious situations.

I still hate that asshole truck driver in Castelia City. He managed to run through muddy water 3 times right next to me and drenched me during my journey.

After this, we just hang out for a couple hours, telling stories about what has happened in our lives ever since my inauguration.

Hilda apparently has a lot more Pokémon than she previously did, and swaps them out as needed once she has them trained to a good degree. Her main team consists of Samurott, Conkeldurr, and Hydreigon. The other 3 slots are filled as needed for other roles depending on what she needs when goes out to do mercenary work.

It explains the Beartic pick for her battle against Drayden, but she mentioned the reason she went for Simisear was for their excellent range capability, and Scolipede for stalling as a back-up plan.

Anyway, she has become Unova's most well known mercenary and has a 94% success rate on her jobs, which is much better than the average 78%. It is also proven that the only times where she doesn't complete her jobs is because she misses the deadline due to the rare misfortune, such as the aforementioned snowstorm.

With all the stories she is dropping, it made me really self-conscious about my comparatively boring life as most of my days were spent in that office just writing stuff. It puts into perspective how much I needed to change how I did things.

There are some bits of news I can share though.

"...That reminds me, Bianca is coming along with me on a political mission to Galar soon." I tell her, and she just pauses.

"...Galar? You are going to Galar?!" She sounded extremely surprised by this notion when it should have been public new-

Right, she doesn't give a damn about news stations or news articles and doesn't bother with them.

"As I hope you should know, I have been working with Caitlin on trying to open up our borders to other regions, as well as do alliance talks with Galar to help get the ball rolling for an international Pokémon League system. We have finally finished up everything we need to get things started, and I was invited to Galar by their Champion to finalize the alliance we are making. I need Bianca and Aurea because the invitation in question looks bad due to the other Champion making an unintentional statement about him being stronger than me. I need to make a counter-statement about being able to 'protect' non-combatants while I am visiting to prove my strength." I explained to her. She just looks at me trying to remember something.

"It's… Leon, right? That is what you said his name was?" She states with a question that would normally ring alarm bells if Bianca and Cheren heard her.

See… they also know that Hilda doesn't look at news stations or newspapers because she has this thing about it all being crap. The problem is that Leon came into power only a very short time ago.

That is also a fact that is pretty much unknown to a fair amount of Unova, previous isolationist stance and all.

She knows, because like my team, I've told her everything.

Everything about my previous life that is.

Near the end of the war, Hilda and I had gotten into a particularly bad argument about N and the things he was doing. I saw him as this… man-child that cared too much for Pokémon and incorrectly believed that all of them are being abused by trainers outside of Team Plasma, thus believing that humans should not ever interact with them. Hilda believes he was misguided. Words were said, neither of us were proud of it, but in my frustration I had said something that I should not have been able to know.

Hilda and N did ride the ferris wheel in Nimbasa before a lot of the Team Plasma stuff happened. Hilda, however, told no one about it and N would have made sure it was kept secret as well.

When I mentioned it in my angry rant during that argument, she interrogated me on how I could have possibly known. She had mental blocks put up at the time, so she would be the first to know if she got probed by a Psychic. I had Sen at the time of our argument, but she had never been probed before.

After that, I just… vented. Everything about what my previous life was like, and everything that happened in this new one. How Pokémon was this fictional game and TV show in that world. How it was a dream come true, turned into a nightmare for me after everything that happened in my new life. I knew what was going to happened roughly, but my specific inclusion somehow managed to fuck everything up for a lot of people.

I explained to her what N is supposed to be like, how I actually loved his character, and what it represented in the games I played. My problem with N in this world is that I saw he was completely hypocritical.

Like me, N cares too much about the things he finds important. I went absolutely ballistic on Team Plasma when my Pokémon at the time were killed, because I loved them to death. N testified to ordering my death during the war, which was why parts of my team died.

Before my argument with Hilda, I had fought N once with Reshiram and we had to back off since it was looking bad for both sides. N had said that everything about me was fake.

My reasons for fighting are lies, my reasons for caring are borrowed, the love that I have for Pokémon is incorrect.

From day one of having met the guy, he had the idea in his head that I should not exist.

The fact that he was right to a degree got me particularly bad. From a certain point of view, I should not be alive in what I previously considered a fictional world. That being said, I know for certain that what N spouted was complete hypocrisy considering he is an actual puppet to Ghetsis. I called him out on his hypocrisy when I actually defeated him in his own damn castle.

My reasons for fighting are so I can be left alone from those who seek to do me and my loved ones harm. My reasons for caring are because I made promises to others that I would do my best.

The love I have for Pokémon was once upon a time superficial. It used to be my favorite game series in my childhood before I died. It grew into something completely honest though. N did not know me enough to have the full story, but it had shaken me to know how close he was.

I didn't love Pokémon in general. I actually care for them very little. If I see some injustice happen, whether it be done to Pokémon or by Pokémon, then I do my best to fix that injustice. I know precisely what it is like to have the whole world bearing its crushing weight on you for no reason other than existing.

It was the least I could do after the Lentimas Massacre.

Anyway, I told Hilda everything, and when it was all said and done? She apologized, but also slapped me.

She claimed that her argument still had weight, and that if what I told her about the story was true, then it proves her right that N is misguided because Ghetsis is a manipulative asshole.

I agreed with her on that, as Ghetsis is a manipulative asshole. The problem is that N has no care for the lives of humans and has sufficiently proven that. He knew about what starting a war would do. He knew about the brainwashing in Lentimas town, and didn't care.

He just wanted his perfect world, and wouldn't listen to anyone except for Ghetsis. Ever since I obtained Reshiram, he had basically been on a war-path to defeat me, and has nearly killed me and my Pokémon on multiple occasions.

He stopped trying to 'save' them, believing them beyond saving because he felt that I had brainwashed them.

Precisely the reason I called him out as a hypocrite, as brainwashing is something that Team Plasma had used liberally with Psychic Type Pokémon. He only listened to reason when Ghetsis ranted about him being a failure.

N… had apologized to me for everything when he found out he was used as a puppet by Ghetsis. The issue I had with N still was that apologies don't un-kill people or Pokémon.

My Pokémon are still dead and nothing is going to change that. It will forever be a point of bad blood between me and him. I am usually the sort of person who forgives but doesn't forget.

I can forgive him for a significant amount of the things he has done in an unofficial capacity, he is still a wanted criminal as far as the rest of Unova cares, but there are still some things that are unforgivable to me.

He claimed he loves Pokémon, yet was completely okay with killing them as if he was judge, jury, and executioner. On unconfirmed and biased reasons as well.

He knows precisely how I feel about him, and is attempting penance in his own way. He took the remnants of Team Plasma that stayed by his side and opened up a Pokémon Day-Care and abused Pokémon help service near Icirrus City, which has been fairly successful even when he used a false identity to do it. Due to meddling between Hilda and I, even Grimsley doesn't know 'Harmonia Gropius' is actually N. Hilda has taken it upon herself to stay friends with the guy as well as give me updates on how he is doing. When she obtained proof that he was repenting, both Hilda and I gave his non-profit business a constant stream of donations. Private from me, but public from Hilda.

I hate the guy, but I am completely on board with what he is doing.

"...Yeah. I'm surprised you remember that detail. It has been years after all." I tell her, but she just shrugs.

"It was one of the most jarring days of my life to be honest. There is very little of it that I have actually forgotten about." She responded with a mild tone.

"Anyways, Bianca, Aurea, and I will be gone for 4 to 5 days to complete the alliance deal while also starting the beginnings of the information trade. It will primarily be on the Pokémon both regions have as well as allowing trainers from other regions to take part in our circuits and conferences." I continued my explanation on the plan, but Hilda just started to pout.

"Damn, I want to go and see what kinds of Pokémon they have myself. Hey, can you do me a favor?" She asked me with a suddenly hopeful expression. I squint a little wondering what this is about.

"I might…, what do you need?"

"I need a fast Ghost Type Pokémon." She says simply.

… Dammit, now I am trying to think of one they might have.

I have an approximate knowledge of some Pokémon that may be native to the region, but it has been such a long time since I've really given a single thought to any Pokémon that may exist in most other regions, with Sinnoh being the one exception… Hold on.

"Why do you need a fast Ghost Type Pokémon?" I ask pointedly, as that is a weird question by itself. She flinched at the question I asked, as I caught the fact that she was hiding something. The issue is that the fastest Ghost Type that can be found in Unova is probably Banette or Chandelure, and while they are not slow, they are by no means fast. There is also Kriemhild, who is particularly unique and likely the fastest Ghost Type in the region. I can't exactly lend Kriemhild to Hilda as that would probably disqualify her and while giving her a Zorua egg might not, there is the issue of training time and the fact that Kriemhild has stated before that she refuses to breed with other Pokémon, even Ditto.

"Well~... I may or may not need one for a race." She says quietly while touching the tips of her pointer fingers.

"..." I am not surprised, but I am still going to stare in a judging manner.

That is another thing about Hilda, and something I dislike about her. She is a gambling addict, and has particularly bad luck when it comes to gambling.

She is a natural-born thrill seeker and she is extremely intelligent compared to most trainers I've seen over the years. She is an excellent Pokémon Trainer and is able to make the best of many situations. Her luck is only ever terrible when it comes to gambling, even worse than mine. She has never won a game of cards and loses pretty much every bet she has ever made that relies on pure luck.

Give her a battle using random Pokémon, and she will win 9 times out of 10. Give her 2 cards out of 52 in a deck and she will lose on the flop of a game of poker. Every. Single. Time.

She likes the thrill of gambling way too much, and owes everyone of her friends money due to her addiction with the casinos she visits.

She owes me about 3000 credits, which is enough to buy a nice set of camping equipment. I'm pretty sure she owes Bianca at least double that.

Anyway, when she says she needs one for a race, I immediately think of those Zebstrika races near Driftveil. The fact that she needs her own Pokémon to compete makes me confused however.

"Give me the details, because if this is something stupid, I am going to politely decline." I told her.

"So… I was invited to a special Pokémon race near Opelucid City that happens every year. It is going to take place in early September and the theme for the race is that I need a Ghost Type Pokémon to compete in it, and that it needs to know Shadow Ball. The specifics of the race are unknown until it actually begins, but the winner gets an amazing amount of money." She explained somewhat meekly, as being reminded even slightly of the fact that she has debt is the one thing that gets under her thick skin.

"...Hilda. How much did you bet?" I tell her in a no nonsense manner. She flinched at the question.

"...10,000 Unovan credits…" She admits with a weak smile. My jaw however dropped significantly.

10,000 credits is a significant amount, especially for a mercenary. Hilda is also usually good about paying off her debts. To be fair, 10,000 Unovan credits is not a significant number for me because my paycheck is massive due to being the Champion of Unova. I tend to make 10,000 Unovan credits a year. I also rarely spend it outside of expenses so I have a good nest egg.

Hilda has told her friends that she usually makes about 4,000 credits in profit over the course of a year after usual expenses, which are higher due to the work expenses of being a mercenary added on top of everything else. Then there are the donations she makes to N that need to be considered, which is usually about 400-500 credits every few months.

All of this culminated in me grabbing her jacket and pulling her to my face, so I can get my point across.

"Hilda. What the hell is wrong with you? You have debt racked up and you decided that gambling would be the answer to your problem?!" She is actually sweating now.

"T-to be fair, the pot is really nice." she defended, albeit without much force. I just simply let go of her jacket and pinch my nose to try and dissipate my frustration and disappointment.

"Is it? How much money would you possibly gain from this?" I ask her, and she just rubs her arm. A Race like that will have like, 10 people max, so it can't-

"500,000 credits is more than enough to allow someone to retire." She admitted, but I just looked back at her in disbelief, before schooling my face and thinking about that more.

'Retire' is a word that Hilda normally doesn't believe is in her dictionary. She plans to keep working till the day she drops, as she loves her job immensely…

"It's for Hannah isn't it." I accuse softly. She just nods.

…That's right. Her moms birthday is September 18th. She is going to turn 52 this year, and in a world where most people actually retire in their late 50s, that is actually a pretty thoughtful thing to do.

Especially because like me, Hilda was never that well off as far as money went. Unlike me, her mother definitely did her best for Hilda. Nuvema town just isn't a very high income settlement, as the best job you could probably get is being a researcher for Juniper Labs, a job that requires either a very good resume, or proof of schooling and degree in the field.

Hannah is one of a handful of bakers in Nuvema town, and a fairly good one as well. Not better than bakers that live in say, Striaton City, but a pretty good one in general. She does not make enough money to retire anytime soon however, even with the occasional times Hilda sends her money.

"... I will do my best- however." I interrupt as she gets excited at what basically amounts to my guarantee.

"However, I will not guarantee anything. Considering I can't exactly give you an egg as the time frame is too short, it means I either need to catch one or trade for one. If I trade for one, I will be wanting something from you that has a roughly equal value as I refuse to be a charity case for your addictions. This means that I won't care if you win or lose the race. Deal?" I give her the ultimatum, as I am pretty sure it will likely be a traded Pokémon I get for her since the other racers will likely be using their own trained Pokémon.

"...Deal. I really want to win this, and the reason I asked is that one of the people who were invited have this rare Ghost Type Pokémon they will be showing off in the race. Normally I would think that my Banette would do fine, but now I am not so sure." She says with a wide smile, while I just sigh, before another thought proceeds to enter my mind.

"How many racers are there anyway? 500,000 is a massive pool of money, and if everyone spent 10 grand then that should equate to 50 people right?" She flinched again, and what she said next made me lose a little more faith in her.

"Err… 500,000 credits is the amount for 1st place. The top 10 players for the Haydren Grand Race get prizes based on placement. The actual number of racers is a little over 100 people… I think." She brings out her phone in order to double check, but I interrupt her as the name she dropped rang many alarm bells.

"Hilda." She looked back at me, as I was giving her a deadpan.

"Yeah?"

"The Haydren Grand Race is held by people who fix the placements by making some players have a much easier time in order to gain more spectators. Grimsley vetted them in the past and while Unovan law doesn't like what they do, it also doesn't reprimand that behavior as they make sure that the fixed wins are not guaranteed, thus not illegal. You accepted an invitation to a rigged event." She stares at me for a full minute as she processes what I just said.

"...Okay, now I really want to win against those bastards." She says with no little amount of spite.

I can only face-palm at her stubborn behavior. I need to try and remember a Pokémon that could work for her situation, or maybe even ask Leon where I can find one.