Looker paced his office, occasionally looking at a few computers carefully placed on his desk. The female officer he worked with for a while, Korrina, had gone missing near Route 4. Looker worried whether Tori had gotten to her and took her out. He jumped at every little noise and when someone opened his door, he nearly punched her in the face.
The seasoned investigator raised her hand, easily blocking Looker's punch, "Is now a good time?"
"Oh, yes. Sorry, Jenny," Looker said, he wiped a few files off a chair in his office and offered her the seat.
Investigator Jenny ignored the chair instead she stared at the blank computers, "Are you still looking for Korrina?"
Looker sighed, he had nothing to hide from her, "Yeah. She tried to tail Tori through the storm on Route 4. I don't know whether she made it or not."
"Why do you care about her so much," Jenny asked, "You typically aren't this attached to anyone."
Looker replied, "She reminds me of how I used to be, naïve and battle obsessed."
As if she was responding to what Looker said, the computers sparked back online, the static on the screen cleared away like the clouds after rain. Looker saw Korrina's grey eye peering into the camera Korrina's annoyingly happy voice called out, "Looker, can you hear me?"
Looker's tense shoulders dropped for the first time in weeks, "What the hell happened?"
"I think the camera you placed on me glitched in the rain, I had to fix it when I got back to Santalune," Korrina said, she re-positioned the camera to show her face, revealing a bit of the background.
"Is that Tori?" Looker asked, he had read and re-read the file of the International Police so many times that he could recognize the kid even if he only saw the back of his head.
Korrina jumped up from her chair, without her speaking Looker could hear snippets of Tori, Hop, and Alexa's conversation.
"Look at him," Jenny said hatefully, "Colress' monstrous kid putting on a show to make people like him better, how like his father."
Looker had heard Jenny say her hatred toward Colress so many times that he didn't even bother to respond.
"Looker," Korrina said, "They're going to challenge Santalune City gym."
Looker hurriedly spoke back, "Great, try to find a way to cut him off."
"Tori looks so nice, why do we have to arrest him?" Korrina asked pitifully.
Jenny took the headphones off Looker's hands, "Korrina you know how urgent it is to capture Tori, correct?"
"Investigator, what are you doing there?" Korrina asked, "Of course I know."
"Then what are you doing here, start capturing Tori."
"Yes Ma'm!" Korrina said, she saluted to the camera. Looker couldn't believe that nobody in the Pokemon center thought Korrina was suspicious. Looker took the headphones back.
Looker asked Jenny, "Why do you have to urge her, she knows what she has to do."
"I know. But it seems like she doesn't understand the urgency, casually talking with you," Jenny said, she glared at Looker.
Looker sighed, "Alright but don't let the past blind you of the present."
Jenny snorted and left the room leaving Looker alone to worry whether Korrina could succeed.
After the small argument at the Pokemon Center Tori couldn't be happier. He couldn't even sleep, instead rolling around on the bed that the Pokemon Center had provided to them until the sun rose in his window. He got out of bed and planned for his upcoming fight, scribbling attack strategies on paper. This battle would be one of the most important in his life, if he succeeded he could join the Pokemon League if he failed he would definitely be sent back to his mom.
Hop, woken up by Tori's fervent writing, "What are you doing?"
Tori replied excitedly, "Planning."
"Seriously man," Hop rolled over on his bed and looked at his Rotom Phone, "It's 5 in the dang morning. Can't you plan later," After being ignored Hop put a pillow over his ears to cover the sound Tori was making.
When Hop finally woke up, Tori practically dragged him back to the Pokemon Center lobby to eat breakfast. Tori impatiently waited as Hop filled his plate with food, "Can't you just wait?" Hop asked, "There's no rush to fight Viola."
"How can you not be excited? don't you want to fight her as well," Tori said, he had already finished eating his food, "And we do need to hurry, people will line up to fight Viola, and if we don't act fast then we might not be able to fight her today."
"Tori, it's 7 in the morning," Hop said, he pointed toward Viola's gym through the window, the gym's doors were open, but the surrounding area was emptier than a school in summer, "I want to fight her but who would challenge Viola this early?"
"I don't know, but I want us to be the first," Tori said, uncomfortably staring at Hop eating.
Hop, unsettled by the intensity of Tori's staring, ate faster than he ever did before, he prematurely swallowed a large bite of food to ask Tori, "Hey, are you bringing along the Fennekin?"
"Didn't she go with Alexa," Tori replied, Alexa had already left for Lumiose City so that she could rest from all the traveling she had done the past week.
"No, she's right there," Hop said, he pointed at the Fennekin curled in a ball next to the window, she seemed to be sunbathing.
"Since when was she there?" Tori asked, he poked the sleeping Fennekin. She woke up and bit Tori's finger, "Ouch what was that for?"
Tori was brought back to last night, Fennekin had tailed Tori to his room, but he hadn't noticed and locked her outside. She angrily went back to the lobby of the Pokemon Center and fell asleep on a couch.
Tori rubbed the back of his head, he stuttered, "Well, it wasn't my fault."
Fennekin snorted as she climbed onto the table and stole a piece of bacon from Hop's plate. Hop looked at Tori angrily.
"Alright, I'll get rid of her," Tori sighed he hugged the fox Pokemon by the legs. She squirmed in Tori's grasp, trying to bite and scratch him, "Hey it's okay, geez." He put Fennkin back down on a chair.
When Hop finished his food Tori dragged him out of his seat and pulled him to Santalune City gym, Fennekin following behind. Tori opened the doors and saw an impressive greenhouse, the battlefield was in the center of the room, and plants were in an overgrown state, wrapping around the field. Bug Pokemon walked under their feet as they traversed from one potted plant to another, when a Pokemon got too close to Fennekin she would try to burn them.
Viola stepped out of a side room in the gym, she stretched and looked at Tori and Hop. She asked, "Are you the two new gardeners?"
"Uh, no?"
"Oh, that sucks. I need to get these plants fixed," Viola replied, she gently touched one of the potted plants hanging from the ceiling, "Then what are you here for?"
"A Gym battle," Tori said, "Unless it's too early for you."
Viola yawned, "It's fine, battling typically wakes me up." She looked closer at the two trainers, "Do you want to do this individually or not."
"I guess we could do it as a pair," Tori said, he looked nervously at Hop.
Hop rolled his eyes, "Alright let's do it then."
"Send out your first po…Pokemon," Viola said, she was barely able to stifle a yawn, "My apologies."
Tori sent out Lily who looked around the gym, delighted by all the plants that were there.
"Alright Wooloo," Hop said, he threw a Pokeball into the arena, "Let's show them what we got," The Wooloo, happy that his leg was feeling better, lightly tacked Tori and Lily.
"Are you sure it's okay to let him fight so soon?" Tori asked, thinking about the injuries that Team Rocket made him suffer.
"It's fine, Pokemon are more resilient than humans," Hop said lightly, "But when did your Petilil evolve?"
"Oh, just a few months back," Tori replied, "Did I not tell you."
Viola coughed from the other side of the room, her voice echoing across the plants. Tori immediately turned to face her; he noticed two small bugs wearing fabric in different ways. One draped silk down it like a cape the other one wrapping itself in leaves. Tori tried to recall what Pokemon they were, he thought they were a Swadloon and Spewpa "My Pokemon are waiting."
"Oh, right Wooloo, use tackle on the Swadloon," Hop said, his Wooloo happily obeyed, charging directly at the bug wrapped in leaves.
"Spewpa use silk shot on his feet," Viola said, silk blasted out of Spewpa's mouth, trapping Wooloo's front legs to the ground, because of his previous momentum he fell head-first onto the ground, "Swadloon use bug bite."
The leaf covered ball charged forward and sank its teeth into Wooloo's fur. Wooloo closed his eyes and endured the pain. Tori, recognizing what Hop was planning, commanded Lily to attack Wooloo.
"Why are you hurting your teammate?" Viola asked as she watched leaves pepper Wooloo's injured body.
"Wooloo now!" Hop shouted over the sound of attacks. Wooloo converted his pent-up rage and pain into psychic energy, an energy that wrapped around the sheep Pokemon and sent him flying across the gym. The Swadloon bit harder into Wooloo's fur, desperate to hold on.
"Use energy ball to knock that Swadloon off," Tori commanded. Lily collected the energy from the surrounding plants, surprised by how large the energy ball became. She fired it at Swadloon, knocking the Pokemon off Wooloo but the move also angered Wooloo, stepping on the fainted body of Swadloon, Wooloo turned around and charged at Lily.
Tori anxiously shouted over the noise of battle, watching as Lily barely dodged Wooloo's charge, "Lily use Petal dance, don't let Wooloo damage you."
"Wooloo stop!" Hop shouted.
Viola returned her fainted Swadloon back to its Pokeball. She threw a Vilvion next to Lily, "Vilvion avenge your fallen bug. Use hurricane on that Lilligant."
"Wooloo help Lily out," Hop said, his Wooloo completely ignored him and kept trying to bash his head on Lily.
Tori clenched Lily's Pokeball, worried that he would have to recall her at any moment, "Lily use quiver dance to avoid the attacks," Lily was surrounded with mystical energy, she weaved and dodged through the attacks shot at her with a surprising grace.
"You think a stat boost will change anything?" Viola asked she looked disappointed at what Tori was doing, "Who do you think I am? Vilvion use tailwind."
The grace that Lily gained from quiver dance had dissipated and she was unable to dodge the wind, pushing her back to the wall. Wooloo had turned even more powerful in the tailwind, going from wooly missile to psychic rocket.
"Lily, we need to take down that Vilvion," Tori shouted over the wind, "Use energy ball."
Lily tried to summon an energy ball, but she couldn't, there were too many things distracting her, and she could never muster enough concentration to make her move.
"Arceus damn you Wooloo, could you for once not hit Lily," Hop shouted, Wooloo seemed to have finally understood. He jumped up, trying to bring the flying bug back down to earth.
"Vilvion, re-direct the tailwind, send that Wooloo to the roof," Viola called out. Vilvion nodded and followed suit, the wind she summoned was redirected and the jumping Wooloo went flying. He crashed into the glass roof, causing it to crack, but when he came back down, he was angrier than ever and kept jumping up at the Vilvion. Knowing one hit would be fatal, Vilvion zoomed around the gym to avoid him.
"Lily, while she's distracted, use leaf storm on Vilvion," Tori said, happy that the battle had turned around. Leaves shot at the butterfly Pokemon, damaging its wings, and sending the weak bug to the ground.
"Wooloo, now's your chance to charge that Vilvion," Hop commanded, but Wooloo wasn't obeying instead he was chasing a Spewpa around the battlefield.
"Rage powder, dear," Viola said, "Helps re-direct Pokemon."
"Lily!" Tori looked over at his Lilligant and realized that she had fallen asleep, he recognized a gray powder over her, "When did you even put her to sleep, Viola?"
Viola winked, "I'm disappointed in the both of you. How could you forget my Spewpa?"
Tori couldn't believe himself; how could he make such a simple mistake? He forgot a fighting Pokemon. An arrogant oversight, a dangerous mistake. Tori made Lily fall asleep and forced her to take so many hits. Vilvion had shakily gotten back in the air and was hitting the vulnerable Lily with air slashes.
Unsurprisingly, Lily fainted. Her weak body lay limp in the middle of the stadium as Wooloo charged around the gym in random directions, endlessly chasing the Spewpa.
"Challenger with the brown hair, uh… your Pokemon fainted," Viola said, Tori's disappointment toward himself grew tenfold, "Do you have any other Pokemon?"
Tori looked down at his feet, when Fennekin realized that he wanted her to go into battle, she shook her head, "Please Fennekin, just this once," Fennekin sighed and walked onto the battlefield, barely avoiding a ballistic Wooloo.
Hop said to Tori, "If we can just ground that Vilvion again then we will be golden."
"Alright Fennekin use ember on Vilvion," Tori started to say, however, Fennekin completely ignored him, instead covering herself with an envelope of flame and charging at Spewpa.
Viola sighed, "You think I don't know how to counter a little fire, Vilvion use Hurricane on that Fennekin."
A large gust of wind blasted toward Fennekin, sending her flying into the air, but instead of falling Fennekin chased after Vilvion in the air using flame charge.
"Yeah, Fennekin," Tori cheered, surprised that she was still in the air.
Viola's eyes grew wide, "Vilvion back off and use air slash, don't let her get close."
Fennekin maneuvered around the bursts of wind, when she got close enough, she pounced on Vilvion like it was prey. She blew smoke out of her nostrils, preventing everyone else from seeing what she was doing.
"Vilvion get out of that smoke," Viola said, she peered into the smoke to see if there was any movement. Tori hoped that Fennekin could beat Vilvion
Vilvion fell out of the sky, burn marks trailing down its endoskeleton. Fennekin sat on its wings proudly, but she couldn't stay on Vilvion's body for long as Hop's Wooloo was still charging around the battlefield.
Viola said, "You guys are really good fighters but let's see you face this Pokemon," She clicked a Pokeball and an agile Sycther popped out. It suddenly appeared behind Fennekin, "Scyther she's distracted, use X-scissor."
The scythes on Scyther's hands slashed down cutting into Fennekin's tail, she yowled in pain. She turned and ran right into a cloud of gray translucent powder, with Spewpa in the center.
"Fennekin get back that's sleep powder," Tori called out, but it was too late and Fennekin walked directly into it and fell onto the ground, purring contently.
"Scyther, she's weak," Viola commanded, "Finish her with a fury cutter." Scyther flew into the wall of powder, but he was seemingly immune to the effects of it.
Wooloo charged into the wall of powder to try and kill the Spewpa who put rage powder in him, a sickening crunch could be heard as it ran over Spewpa, causing it to faint. Wooloo turned around and charged toward Scyther who was barely able to jump out of the way.
Viola gritted her teeth, "Sycther you can take that attack, hold your ground and make Wooloo stop."
Scyther flew down, letting Wooloo charge into it. Hop laughed, "You think you can stop my Wooloo." Scyther put her scythes into the shape of an X and kneeled. Wooloo charged into it, pushing Scyther back into the wall of a gym and leaving a trail showing where Scyther's legs had forcefully traveled.
"Send him to the wall," Viola said, Scyther grabbed Wooloo and spun him around, confusing it and getting rid of its protective psychic energy. After a few rotations, Scyther slammed Wooloo into the wall, he fell to the ground and fainted.
Hop dropped his jaw in shock. Viola smirked and said, "Tough luck, kid. You were so close. Now, Scyther, time to take out that Fennekin."
"Not so fast, I still have one more Pokemon," Hop said, he threw a Pokeball at Fennekin, and a small Pawniard was released. He anxiously looked at Scyther and then ran back to Hop, "Seriously man? Don't you want to fight," Pawiniard shook his head but as he saw Scyther get closer to Fennekin he turned around and charged back into battle, "Alright use Iron head to make that Scyther lose his balance."
Pawiniard charged down head-first, Viola looked at the pitifully small Pokemon, "You just love Pokemon that charge into battle, don't you?"
Scyther jumped out of the way, allowing Pawniard to charge into the opposite wall. Viola stepped toward the weak Pawniard and inspected it, "It's fainted."
"That easily?" Tori asked.
"Sycamore gave it to me, and he said it had some health issues."
Viola said sarcastically, "What a great battle, but it's all over now. Scyther finish that Fennekin."
"Fennekin wake up!" Tori shouted, desperately clinging on to the last hope for victory.
Fennekin barely opened her eyes before Scyther came down, slashing into her fur. Fennekin yelped and jumped away, sending blasts of fire at Scyther, but missing everyone. Scyther closed the distance between the two of them and slashed Fennekin's leg. In response, Fennekin blew fire around her, preparing for another flame charge.
"No, Fennekin get back he's less dangerous at a distance," Tori said nervously.
Scyther went back into a kneeling position and let the small fire fox charge into him. Sparks flew as Fennekin bumped into Scyther's endoskeleton. Viola commanded, "Now send her flying!"
Scyther flew up with a squirming Fennekin on his chest, when he touched the ceiling of the gym he suddenly turned back around and rocketed toward the ground.
"Seismic Toss, the finisher for all ranged Pokemon," Viola said, she returned a tired Scyther to his Pokeball, she walked up to the both and put her hands on their shoulders, "Maybe you should get to know your Pokemon better. Please don't come back until that happens."
Tori's unfortunate loss was also witnessed by another gym leader. Korrina was spying on him on a nearby rooftop. The battle that Tori had with Viola was nothing short of disappointing. A lack of cooperation between humans and Pokemon and a pile of brute-force tactics, if Looker wasn't stopping her from fighting Tori, she could easily beat him.
She glanced at her Lucario and saw the same look of disappointment. That's why she quit being a gym leader, the battles were too easy. She envied Olympia and Wulfric, all the challengers they got were serious battlers but all the trainers she got were boring idiots who thought it would be fun to try battling.
She wiped the sweat off her forehead, she didn't like this part of being an International Police member, the constant spying. But whenever she felt like she was losing motivation (like now) she would think of how much more exciting the battles were, and she would be filled with determination.
"Korrina," Looker called, he sounded tired from the other side of the line, "How is the trap going?"
"I've got it all set up," Korrina said bitterly, she remembered hauling the large and complex trap to the entrance of the Santalune City Gym, "All I need is the target's DNA to act as the trigger." The trap required a target's DNA to activate, this was made to prevent Korrina's trap from trapping a random challenger.
"Good…work," Looker groaned, he seemed on the brink of falling asleep.
Korrina asked, ignoring Lucario and tapping her shoulder, "You should go to sleep, I got a handle on this mission."
"Reaally- are you sure… Yawn," Looker suddenly went silent.
"Yep, everything's under control," Korrina said, she turned off her headphones and turned around to face Lucario, "Why are you tapping me."
Communicating with Korrina's Aura Lucario said, "Look down."
Tori and Hop were walking out of the gym and back to the Pokemon Center, Hop was trying to cheer Tori up, with little success, Korrina got up and ran to the stairs, "Luacrio you're right we have to go." Lucario rolled his eyes and followed closely behind.
Korrina crouched near the entrance of the Pokemon Center, getting some weird looks from the people passing by. When Tori came walking by, she purposefully bumped into him and took a piece of loose hair off his head.
Hop turned around angrily, "Hey watch where you're going!"
When walking back to Santalune City Gym Korrina felt a twang of guilt, Tori seemed like such an innocent kid, she didn't want to trap him. Lucario picked up on her guiltiness and asked, "We have to arrest Tori."
"But why, he seems so nice," Korrina said, as she unlocked the electric trap she was planning to use against Tori.
Lucario leaned against the wall and said, "Maybe you should've read the case file then."
"Hey, don't bring that up!"
"Look there has to be a reason why Tori is wanted," Lucario said, "And if he's gone then he won't bother anyone again."
Korrina locked Tori's hair into the machine, also priming the trap, she sighed, she never liked trapping people, "Well I guess there's no going back now, the next time Tori sets foot in Santalune City gym he's going to be trapped for good."
When Tori returned to the Pokemon Center he immediately shut himself into the hotel room. He curled inside the covers of his bed, his negative emotions aging like vinegar.
"Hey let me in!" Hop shouted, he banged on the doors violently, "I need to get in!"
Tori was such an idiot, how could he possibly believe that he could beat the Kalos League when he couldn't even beat Viola, the easiest gym leader in Kalos? His strategies were worthless, he was worthless. How could a failure such as himself do anything good?
A light ringing came from near the bed, Tori rolled over and looked at his old phone. After seeing the person calling him wasn't his mom he turned back around, unaware that someone far worse than his mom was on the other end of the call. After Tori's phone stopped ringing, he was sent a message. Tori went to see what it was.
"You got a lot of nerve, kid. Ignoring a call from Percy the great, CEO of the Pokeball factory," Tori sat up and took the phone in his hand, he wiped the tears from his eyes to see the screen clearer, "Also I have your phone number so no matter where you are and what you're doing you will have to pay me my car by the end of the year, have a good day. Actually, why would I say that, screw you, have the worst day imaginable."
Suddenly the door clicked open, Hop stood on the opposite side of the door, twirling a key around his hand, "I had to borrow this key from reception because you wouldn't open the door."
Hop walked over to the bed Tori was on, "Can I hear that message that someone sent you," He heard Percy's message but instead of getting mad his expression turned into a sort of mock pity, "Tori you think you're worthless, right? You can't even beat Viola."
Hop stood up and put a hand over his chest dramatically, "Oh boo hoo I'm Tori and I'm such a worthless trainer. Look at my pitiful state."
"What's your point!"
"Well how could such a useless person possibly get enough money to pay off Percy's car," Hop said theatrically, "I mean it's physically impossible."
He's right you know, Tori thought, you are a useless person that can't possibly succeed in life.
"Don't you realize what you're doing, Tori?" Hop asked, his tone switching back to normal, "You're making yourself lose! If you go into every challenge thinking 'If I lose, I'm useless' then you'll never win!"
Hop shook the blanket off Tori, "Come on Viola already told you that all you have to do is improve your bond with Fennekin."
"But I only have two days left to do that, how is that even possible?" Tori sniffled.
Hop laughed, "Fennekin cares about you, how hard would it be for her to trust you," Hop could see he still hadn't convinced Tori, "Or you could wallow in your disappointment, never get anything done and then live with permanent debt thinking," Hop tried to copy Percy's voice, "I should've paid the great Percy."
Tori snickered, if he spent one day training with Fennekin then he might still have enough time to challenge Viola, "Hop, you're right. I need to make friends with Fennekin," He looked around, expecting to see her, "Speaking of which where is she anyway?"