The New Normal – 9-6 – Interlude – Bruno
Bruno let out a satisfying groan as he just completed his final stretch of the evening. He had just got done wrestling with his Onix, but he still wasn't able to lift the Rock type fully over his head yet.
He'll manage it one day.
As soon as he finished up with his stretches and shattered one last boulder with his fist, he made the short walk back into town to buy some new supplies. He walked into his favourite shop, greeting the staff with a familiar nod as he went about buying his essentials for the upcoming week.
It was a strange feeling – this was the last time he was going to be doing this. After this week was over, he would be joining Steven in Hoenn as he promised. He would no longer need to buy supplies for himself, not with Steven reassuring him that his every need would be met.
He made a mental note not to let himself become too used to the luxury. An overindulge in luxuries was bad for the spirit. And martial artists who lavished in their wealth were poor fighters, only good to be shown around like a prized Tauros. But utterly incapable in anactual fight.
Shaking his head away from those thoughts, he finished up with his purchases before making his way out of the store and beginning his return trip to his tent on the outskirt of town.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the store, he found himself blocked by a plain-looking young man with slightly greyish hair. He looked like someone who had just exited their teens, but there was a strange hint of familiarity in his appearance that he just barely failed to place.
A normal person would have asked "Can I help you?". But Bruno chose to instead stare down this man, as if demanding a response.
The man cracked quickly under his intense gaze, "Bruno. Apologies for disturbing you, but I hoped to ask you a few questions."
"Ask." He allowed.
"How do you plan on avenging your defeat?" The man asked him strangely.
A curious and confused look appeared on Bruno's face, "I do not understand."
Now it was the man's turn to be confused, "I mean to avenge your defeat against John! He beat your team! Ruined your chances of joining the Elite Four! Don't you want to reclaim your lost glory!?" The man questioned passionately, leaning forwards slightly.
"No." Was all Bruno said, though he recognized that his response was far too brief so he elaborated, "I do not have any misgivings for John's victory over me. His Pokémon were the better fighters; the better warriors. There is no need for any ill feelings to have fallen between us. I respect him as a fighter, and I'm sure he does the same for me. There is nothing else that needs to be said. And certainly nothing to be avenged."
But his words did not bring the man any comfort – rather, it seems to have aggravated him, "I don't understand how you're so nonchalant about this?! Didn't you try to challenge John to make your way into the Elite Four?! To prove yourself—"
"You are mistaken." Bruno interrupted, "I did not make the challenge out of a desire for glory, nor for the position of Elite Four. None of those mattered to me. I merely challenged John as a means of testing my strength and skills. And I was found lacking."
"…But you were made a laughingstock when you lost! You lost all your prestige and reputation!" The man sputtered out, as if trying to make sense of what Bruno was saying, "Look at yourself compared to Will. Will didn't even win a fight – and he's already adored in the public eye!"
"I can feel that you are projecting your thoughts onto me." Bruno replied calmly, "But we are not the same person. We do not have the same goals or ambitions. Do not presume to assume my feelings based on the inadequacy that you must feel."
Any martial artist that could not sense the pure envy that was radiating out of this man was a poor martial artist indeed. Idly, Bruno wondered why the young man was being so riled up. He wasn't close with John, but he figured John was someone that wouldn't make enemies like this.
"In—Inadequacy?!" The man choked out, "I—I'm not feeling inadequate. No, I'm just looking to earn my rightful place among the Elite Four – before my future and glory were TAKEN from me. You know, I've been preparing for this moment for a long time. I've crafted the perfect plan – the perfect team – to defeat him. I WILL crush him, and show the world that his victory over me was the complete fluke that it was. I just don't understand why you don't feel the same."
Bruno raised an eyebrow, "I may not be very close with John, but his strength is quite real. He has a long string of victories as proof." Unlike you, was what he refrained from saying.
The man just let out a bitter snort, "He only managed to get so strong thanks to the resources and connections he got when he joined the Elite Four. If not for his lucky victory over me, he would never have been able to achieve all that he did. Instead, it would have been ME."
Bruno was becoming impatient, "Your point being?"
"I want you to train with me, make sure I can fix any small problems that I have in preparation for my challenge against him." He said, "You're a strong trainer with a good eye for this stuff, so surely you can help me out. And even more than that, I'll let you in on a plan that will FORCE John to fight us! He won't be able to say no!"
Bruno let out a sigh. Normally, he would never turn down a request to train, but the sheer envy radiating off this man was unpleasant. He really would prefer not to spend any time around him, "I apologize, but I have my own commitments to attend to. I am afraid I would not have the time for it."
"But you would be helping someone avenge your loss! You'd be helping me make sure John gets knocked off the position that he stole from me. And look at his past performance. He just drew against some nobody from Sinnoh. He's slipping! This is the perfect opportunity!"
Bruno let out another tired sigh, he was basically repeating himself at this point, "As I said, I do not care for any of that. Now if you please excuse me." He moved to walk around this man, having ran out of patience for this conversation. He was wasting time that he could have been using to continue training.
The man moved to stop him, but Bruno ignored him as he continued walking, no longer paying attention to whatever the man was saying. The spark of potential was there, but whatever strength the young man could have had was buried under a mountainous pile of envy.
He snorted. The image of a raging Slaking smashing his Machamp into the ground with dismissive ease thoroughly disabused Bruno of the notion that John was slipping.
If John was slipping, then what was he?
As he walked away – the one thought that lingered in his mind was why this man looked so familiar to him. Bruno could have sworn that he had seen him before – but every time his name seemed to escape from his mouth.
Letting out an annoyed sigh, he forced himself to drop the thought altogether. He was never good with faces, and there was no point wasting time thinking about a man that he would likely never see or hear off again.
Especially not one so unpleasant.
A.N. Something's stirring! The identity of this man will be revealed shortly, but I have sprinkled in a few hints. Kudos to those who work it out early!
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