Note- Hello again! I hope this newest chapter finds you safe and well. This has been such an eventful summer and I'm beyond surprised that I was able to get another chapter out. Pleasently surprised, of course! The August heat around me may be oppressive, but I'm trying to spin it as a harbinger of the action to come in Heart and Soul!
We've suffered a real blow with Luke's defeat in the previous chapter. How will his story continue and what new opportunities await on the horizon? How will Chris handle his friend's loss and the very real possibility that he may be next? And what about the conclusion to Waz's battle?
Let's get these and a couple other questions answered today!
Please consider dropping a review and follow/favorite for notifications about future chapters! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 74
"Swivel right."
Gyarados swung his massive body around, sending tremors across the field, as he narrowly avoided Espeon's multicolored beam.
"Ice Fang."
Gyarados contorted his serpentine figure and began to rumble forward. Even under the night sky, the large icicles coating his fangs glistened in the limited light.
"Shadow Ball, Espeon."
As Gyarados brought his jaws together he found them filled with a dark orb of energy.
"Crush it!"
Gyarados wrenched his jaw tighter, the sharp blue of his fangs squeezing and contrasting against the nearly invisible attack. His head twisted and his teeth grinded together, but the sphere only seemed to grow in size. Before Chris could say anything else, the ghostly ball of energy exploded. The Atrocious Pokémon let out a shriek as his head snapped back.
"Let's pause it there."
Chris stepped between his two teammates and turned to Espeon first. "You're doing really well with getting those attacks off quick. And that was probably the strongest Shadow Ball I've seen you produce." The Psychic-type gave an appreciative nod at that. It looked like he was fighting to hold back a grin as well. "I think you've gotten a bit too lax with Psybeam, though. I know you can fire it even faster than Shadow Ball, but it's not as wide an attack. You've got to focus on where your opponent will be. We have to have precision with your speed."
That eliminated any signs of his teammate's grin. The Sun Pokémon brought a paw up to the jewel on his forehead. "'Esp!"
"I know you're capable of stronger Psychic-type moves, but they clearly haven't clicked into place yet. And we just don't have the time to learn some different ones on the fly. Besides," Chris paused to wave a hand back at the Atrocious Pokémon, "if you can't hit somebody as big as Gyarados, that's not on the move, that's on you. Psybeam is still a quality attack when we land it."
Chris rubbed the top of his teammates's head and Espeon begrudgingly nodded. He turned to give his attention to Gyarados and found the Water/Flying-type had stooped to rest his face terrifyingly close to Chris's own.
"Arceus," Chris muttered. He took a second to catch his breath, then locked eyes with the massive creature. "You did a nice job dodging. And I think we've gotten a lot quicker moving into Ice Fang. It can't come at the cost of power though. Prinny's team has multiple teammates weak to ice, including his starter, but they're all bulky. We have to be able to hit hard on our super effective shots."
It had been a similar story with Luke. He had also been forced to power through a team of incredibly sturdy and resilient teammates. Chris had really liked his strategy, but he'd struggled to watch all the way through. In fact, he'd purposefully missed the final exchange between Lucario and Mudsdale. He'd had a bad feeling going into that final confrontation, and being unable to control the situation had left him with an unbearable feeling of helplessness. It had felt all too similar to the numerous times he'd turned off a Cherrygrove Cobras game right as they were about to lose. Only this time, he actually knew one of the competitors and had seen him go through so many trials along his journey.
The roar of the crowd had given him the conclusion and David had filled him in on the details on their way down to see Luke. Protecting his teammate had been an honorable way to go out, but willingly surrendering a tournament run in the process felt blasphemous to the champion ethos. Chris's internal struggle to reconcile the two thoughts had been short lived once he noticed someone else had gotten to their friend first. Surprise transformed to shock once he recognized the man talking to Luke as Ecruteak City's Gym Leader, Morty. The blond haired trainer had stepped away before Chris and David could reach the pair, but he did throw them a quick wave as he backed out through a side door.
Luke had looked much more content than Chris had expected. Maybe it had been something Morty had said or maybe he'd found a way to look beyond the moment and find peace. Either way, it had been good to see his friend in decent spirits all things considered.
But we can't bank on the same being true for us.
A pair of multicolored flashes drew Chris's attention over to the nearby bank. Streams of fire rippled out, each briefly illuminating the smooth surface of the lake below. Sparks danced among the waves of flame and rained down onto the large body of water. If there had been more noise, one could have easily mistaken the visual for a fireworks show.
Typhlosion and Ampharos were responsible for the spectacle and probably could take most of the credit for the decent lighting the team had during this training session. Even after fifteen minutes of unloading all that energy, both Pokémon's attacks still looked strong. Typhlosion's flames in particular covered damn near the length of the lake, to the point that Chris could make out the exclamation points on the sign lining the fence on the opposite bank. That kind of unrelenting force would be needed to wear down Prinny's Klefki, Slowbro, and Weezing. Not to mention the looming threat of his Cradily and the aforementioned Venusaur.
"I shouldn't have had Ampharos practice over there," Chris mumbled as more and more sparks dropped into the water. He was a bit surprised none of the lake's occupants had come out to confront the perpetrator. Then again, the sheer display of power overhead might have dissuaded any would-be attackers. At this point, he just hoped the inhabitants had relocated for the time being.
The sight of Ampharos did have him fighting back a smile. The resilient Electric-type had secured the biggest win of their journey. The looks on his team's faces when he'd revealed that information would stick with him for the rest of his life. Typhlosion had demanded to know who won the moment the nurse had returned his and his team's capture devices. Chris had made him wait until the whole party could be present, which, with that involving Gyarados, meant they would need a large open space.
Chris stumbled as the ground shook and partially splintered beneath his feet. He followed the fracture back to its creator and the only real source of awkwardness from the previous night's victory announcement.
It had been no secret that Nidoking had developed an attraction toward Ampharos. Based on his other Pokémon's reactions, it seemed like Chris had been the last of his team to discover this. He wouldn't have considered it a big deal if Nidoking's feelings had been reciprocated or just harmless. But the way he had tackled and crushed Ampharos with a hug upon hearing the news of her victory had been another step too far in his pursuit. Chris had already had one private conversation with Nidoking about his constant chasing of Ampharos during the team's downtime. What had started off as a funny aside with Ampharos playing along and laughing had eventually become exhausting. Thankfully, Nidoking had taken the Electric-type's concerns seriously and followed through on Chris's advice. But after a couple months without issue, the excitement of the victory announcement had caused a severe lapse in judgment by the Drill Pokémon. That was why Chris now had Nidoking training on the opposite end of the field from Ampharos.
We can't afford any distractions.
Everyone would have to be in sync and perform at their highest level if they were going to take down Prinny. The same would be true for whoever their opponent would be in the championship round. Hopefully that would be Waz.
Waz's victory that afternoon had been a quick and much needed pick-me-up after the gut punch that was Luke's loss. It thankfully had not had the stress of the first day's battle either. By the time Chris had finished consoling his friend and made it back within sight of a TV, Waz had been well on his way to a comfortable win. But as nice as it was to not have to worry about a second friend losing, it did have Chris worried for the finals. From the highlights he had caught back in his hotel room, Waz's Gallade and Gengar had looked like absolute monsters, punching holes through the opposing team's lineup. And that was to say nothing of the Sevii Islander's tank-like starter.
Chris turned to look out across the lake once more. Typhlosion's flames weren't quite reaching as far now, but the gleam of the metallic fence could still be seen. Beyond a championship and that fence lay answers that Chris desperately needed. This was their opportunity to prove they were ready for those answers. They might never make it to another stage like this. A real chance to earn passage into the restricted area was on the line. Prinny and Waz had already been net positives in his life, but now more than ever the brothers could bolster Chris's team to a status that might put everything within reach.
A metallic clang drew his attention back to Nidoking's sparring partner. The Drill Pokémon's kicks pounded against Scizor's body, but the Bug/Steel-type held firm. The Pincer Pokémon took Nidoking's Life Orb-boosted Megahorn straight to his torso and never even took a step back.
Chris nodded.
They would earn everyone's respect: the league, the authorities, and even those beyond this incredible region. It was just a matter of time.
Sarah had to close her eyes as she stepped outside the Pokémon League Reception Gate. Despite getting an early start, the morning sun had already covered the landscape with its glow. Through squinted eyes, the rolling grasslands appeared as saturated waves of green. The shimmering water in the distant ponds were too bright to even stare at. It was a stark reminder of where she had spent her last three weeks. There, tucked in the mountains, the sun hadn't made its appearance until closer to midday. It also hadn't been close to this warm. Growing up in Oreburgh, that was also a normal day in early May. This kind of warmth and brightness much more resembled those middle days of spring in Sunyshore City.
"My goodness, it's bright!"
Sarah didn't turn around, but she could already picture Candice standing much too close, with both hands covering her eyes. Something you might see a seven year old do. Yet here was a woman in her mid twenties behaving similarly.
"And hot," Candice added. She stepped up beside Sarah and of course had her hands up shielding her eyes. "I knew we should have flown out of Johto!"
"The weather wouldn't be much different."
"But we'd have more shade!"
Sarah snorted and began down the hill. She heard Candice scurrying behind her.
"It also would be a much shorter flight back to Sinnoh!"
"And much more expensive."
"I told you I would pay for it!"
"We've already made it this far," Sarah said. It was actually remarkable how much ground they had covered in just a day and a half. They'd marched through the mountain pass, only stopping twice to eat and sleep. And aside from feeding her Pokémon and the occasional wild battle, it had just been the two sisters. Normally the thought of that much uninterrupted time with her sister would have made her physically ill. But Sarah had spent the majority of it too wrapped up in her own thoughts to even fully notice her sister. It had also helped that for those first twenty four hours after her loss, Candice had stayed surprisingly quiet. Clearly that somber respect had faded now.
"Do you think we'll be in Viridian City by the late afternoon?" she asked.
"What's waiting for you there?"
Candice let out a giggle. "Oh, it's more 'who' than 'what'."
Sarah put her head down and pressed on.
"I'm serious though, Sas'! Do you think we'll be there around two o'clock?"
Sarah glanced down at the map on her Pokétch. "I doubt it."
"Is it really that far away?"
"No. This route is the only thing between us and the city."
Candice laughed. "Then what are you talking about? We're going to be there by noon with the pace you're moving at."
"I want to stop here in a couple hours to eat and meet with my team."
Candice moved in front of Sarah and then came to a sudden stop.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked.
The smile that always seemed plastered on her sister's face had vanished. "You haven't talked to your team yet, have you?"
"I've talked to my team."
"About the loss?"
Sarah frowned. "Why do you ask?"
"I just thought you would have by now."
"Is there a twenty four hour requirement I missed or something?"
Candice went to place her hand on Sarah's shoulder, but seemed to think better of it. She kept her brown eyes locked on her sister's own. "I've tried to give you time to gather yourself and regroup. I know a loss like that can really sting."
"Do you?" Sarah asked. She tried to step around her sister, but Candice blocked her again. "What's your deal?"
"I know you've never wanted to hear me say it, especially not now," Candice said, taking a deep breath, "but I'm proud of you. You and your team had a great showing. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."
Sarah looked her sister up and down. "You're right," she said, lowering her shoulder and barreling past Candice. "I don't want to hear it."
So many messages.
Luke had given himself a twelve hour grace period after his loss. He had silenced his Pokégear and thrown it into his satchel the moment he got back to the hotel. The rest of the evening had seen him out and about in the trainer village. He'd stopped to get some takeout food and found a nice, quiet spot to sit and eat with his team. He hadn't had a lot to say. Neither had his team. The one message he'd mustered and hammered repeatedly had been how proud he was. For some of his younger teammates, hearing that message once had been enough. For guys like Electabuzz, Charizard, and Mightyena, they'd need time and repetition to really feel it. Even so, the somber session had been a good and needed one; a slow evening spent with the companions who had been with him through every step of this remarkable journey.
But from the time he'd woken up and first checked his phone, it had been a nonstop read and reply fest. Aunts, cousins, old friends, and even some unknown numbers had filled up his inbox with congratulations, condolences, and voicemails. Some of those messages from family members could be blamed on his mother. She no doubt had reached out to all of her family once Luke had qualified for the Finals. It seemed a bit strange though to only now be getting messages from them. Then again, knowing Luke's extended family's lack of interest in battling, maybe they hadn't really paid much attention to how things were going. Unless he won the tournament, it was probably always going to be this way. His mom most likely had sent out a message letting all her social circle know of his loss and thus here was the fruit.
The one person who had stayed in communication throughout the process had been his brother Benjamin. Luke had lobbied hard for his brother to be at the tournament. Once Luke had qualified for the Finals, he had made a big push and it seemed like Benjamin might actually be able to come. It had gotten believable enough that Luke had David secure an extra seat for the restaurant room he had rented. But something had fallen through, whether financially or logistically, and his mom had sent him the negative confirmation just after his Round of 16 victory. Luke had made sure to keep his brother in the loop though with constant messages and the occasional video call when he had the energy for it. And while everyone else was getting the same generic 'thank you' responses, Luke was in the middle of crafting a well thought out reply to his brother's—
Luke stumbled as his foot failed to find the next step. He reached out for the railing that lined the stairwell, but found it missing.
The fucking landing.
He staggered forward, smashing his right shoulder against the wall. His other arm swung out wildly to grab onto the table in the corner of the small landing, but his hand slipped right off the polished wood surface. The attempt spun him backwards and his momentum carried him into the far side wall, where the back of his head smacked against the blue painted plaster.
"Fuck."
Stars filled Luke's vision. As waited for them to fade, his legs told him to slide down the wall into a seated position. Instead, he forced them toward the remaining steps, but not before first locating the rail. He was already late, though what exactly he was late for, he still didn't know.
It was after eleven o'clock, which meant he'd missed rush hour in the hotel's coffee shop. That should have made it easy to locate Morty, but as he stepped into the short line at the counter and looked around, there wasn't a blond head to be found. He ordered his black coffee and glanced around again. Still no Gym Leader in sight. It wasn't until after he'd gotten his coffee and walked over to the center of the shop, doing an awkward full spin, that his Pokégear finally buzzed.
"Back corner. Over by emergency escape."
Luke located the door on the opposite end from the entrance. He took three steps toward it and a corner of the shop he'd never seen before appeared as if by magic. One table rested between the jutting wall and the window, and sure enough, there sat the Ecruteak Gym Leader.
"I didn't know we were playing hide and seek," Luke said as he approached the table.
Morty gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for making it tough on you."
"That's alright," Luke said, setting down his coffee and taking a seat. "I just assume this is for celebrity purposes. Or is this meeting just that top secret?"
"After your performance in this tournament… maybe both."
"Oh, shut it."
"I'm serious! This tournament has been a claim to fame for many trainers."
Luke snorted. "Oh yeah. I'm sure I won the masses over by putting on the slowest battles in the tournament."
"You made sure they got their money's worth."
Luke just shook his head.
"Is that coffee?"
"Yeah."
"'Atta boy."
Luke raised the cup and took a long sip. "So this meeting…"
"Well, besides hopefully lifting your spirits," Morty began, taking a moment to adjust the sleeves of his purple sweater, "I wanted to present an opportunity to you."
"You said something like that yesterday. What kind of opportunity?"
"It's a chance to travel."
"I like to travel."
"It's pretty far though."
"Another bonus."
Morty chuckled. "You really are trying to get out of here, aren't you?"
"Exploring is cool," Luke said with a shrug. "Johto and Kanto are fine, but I've gotten to explore a lot of one and the other isn't as high on my priority list. I want to get out and see the world."
"Would you be okay if it involved ruins?"
Luke swallowed. He looked Morty in his eyes. The Gym Leader probably wasn't trying to show it, but there was real worry there. "I appreciate you asking, but I'd be fine with it. Those ancient connections between people and Pokémon are something I've always been interested in. That's why I took you up on that trip to the Ruins of Alph."
"You sure it wasn't just to hang out with Blue?"
"Nah," Luke said, trying and failing to hide his smile, "he was an asshole."
That got a laugh from Morty. He reached for his drink and Luke noticed it's light brown color for the first time. "Is—is that tea?!"
Morty kept his chill expression, but his eyes once again betrayed him.
"That's fucking tea!"
Morty brought a hand up as he took a sip.
"I thought it was gross bean water."
"Taste buds are allowed to change."
Luke gave him a knowing look. "That was a quick change."
"Hey, I don't want to hear it." Morty flicked his straw wrapper at Luke. "The flu kicked my ass a couple months ago. My girlfriend had this herbal tea she kept bringing me. Felt like she had me plugged up to an IV of the stuff. Must have gotten enough of it into my bloodstream to develop a craving."
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend."
Morty waved a hand. "New developments. Let's get back to why we're here though."
"Tea vs. coffee takes?"
"Teenagers." Morty pinched the bridge of his nose but couldn't hide his grin. "Now, there is a catch with these ruins." He waited for Luke's nod to elaborate. "They're underwater."
"Hm."
Morty eyed him carefully. "Do you have any experience scuba diving?"
"I don't."
"Would you be willing to learn?"
Luke rubbed at his chin. He'd never been the type to have phobias. Heights, open water, Bug-type Pokémon—none of it really bothered him. His upbringing as a boy scout had taught him all about swimming and surviving in wild settings. To earn one badge, he'd swam a mile across a river, from one bank to the other. He'd also practiced holding his breath and staying underwater in the deepest parts of the creek near his home. This kind of activity was on a whole different level though. "I think I could pick it up."
"I'm not going to lie to you; this is a dangerous place we're going. You need to know that before you make a decision. There are strong currents, wild Pokémon, and other hazards we may not even know about yet."
"Wow. And you're willing to throw me into all that?"
"Hell no. I would stick you on our surface team. Your ass isn't going deeper than twenty feet."
Luke laughed. "So you're offering this exciting and dangerous opportunity, but keeping me away from both."
Morty shrugged. "This would be your first rodeo, friend. I'm offering you a chance to get your foot in the door. The more complex and more dangerous stuff is reserved for those with the experience and knowledge to handle it."
"That's fair," Luke said with a nod. "Will you be running the show?"
"No, I've gotta stick around here. There's too much going on in Johto for me to leave my post."
"Shit. Will I know anybody?"
"Well," Morty paused to pull at the side of his headband, "there's some researchers from the Ruins of Alph going. I don't think you really had much time to meet them when you were there."
"We can blame the ruins for that."
"Man oh man. I mean, there will be a Unovan Gym Leader there. Oh, and Blue is doing his damndest to get over there as well."
"Why would he be able to go and not you?"
Morty's smile didn't carry any joy. "He wouldn't be able to. I think that's one of the several reasons he's trying to get out of his Gym Leader role again."
"Really? Does he have a proposed replacement?"
Morty shook his head. "I don't think so. Maybe that's why he's been snooping around this tournament." The Ecruteak Gym Leader suddenly leaned forward. "Now, I say all this in confidential terms. Blue wouldn't care about some people knowing, but he would care about all the media drama it would stir up."
"Got it."
Morty breathed out a long sigh and grabbed his tea. He sat back and took a long sip. Luke wasn't sure why, but the Gym Leader looked more exhausted than he'd ever seen him.
"You ever thought of stepping away from the Ecruteak gym?" Luke asked.
"I don't know. I love it, but it's been a pretty nonstop affair these past ten or so years." Morty glanced down at the Pokégear on his wrist. "It would be nice to have a bit more freedom to get out and explore. Then again, being in Ecruteak has been nice. It's close enough to most places in the region, so I feel like I can get out for quick trips if I need to. And," a gleam appeared in Morty's eye, "it's helped me stay close to the legends."
Now it was Luke's turn to lean forward. "Have you seen any recently?"
"There's been a lot more sightings recently," Morty said, his tone turning oddly serious. "Well, with the legendary beasts, that is. Some of the reports have been a little concerning, but…" The Gym Leader flashed a wry smile. "I may or may not have bumped into Suicune a month ago."
"Shit. What was that like?"
"A lot like my encounter with Entei way back when. Brief, but awesome."
"My friend Chris says he met a Suicune. Rescued him early on in his journey."
"The same Chris who's still in the tournament?"
"Well damn," Luke said, shaking his head. "That's true, but you could have phrased that differently."
Morty smacked his own forehead. "I'm a fool. Sorry about that."
Luke flashed a grin. "It's all good. I get what you were going for. I bet it's awesome to be in the presence of a being like that."
"It's intimidating as hell. When they look at you, it feels like they're staring into your very soul." Morty took another sip of his tea. "And who knows? If you go sniffing around these Unova ruins, you might come across a legendary Pokémon yourself."
Luke pounded the table. "I'll become an expert scuba diver if that's what it takes."
"I don't know. I'm still a little worried about you."
"Oh, come on. You can't still judge me off that Ruins of Alph trip."
"I'm not. I'm judging you off today."
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked.
"You're talking about discovering legendary Pokémon and here you needed help finding me in this coffee shop."
Luke opened his mouth to fire off a comeback, but laughter was all that came out.
"Hey now, I'm serious. It's got me a little worried about your current exploring skills."
Luke took a playful swing at Morty's head. "You bastard."
The streets were as packed as ever. And with the days getting longer, seven o'clock meant there was still plenty of daylight to be enjoyed. These crowds weren't going anywhere.
Prinny pressed through the streams of traffic, his eyes locked on the hotel ahead of him. It was by far the tallest building in the area, bigger even than the championship stadium. He'd never visited the grand venue, and even if he had tried, he wouldn't have made it past the lobby. This building was the temporary home for the Gym Leaders, tournament executives, and big name celebrities visiting the Silver Conference.
Not that Prinny ever cared about actually visiting the fancy hotel. He especially had no desire to go there for yet another competitor meeting. His tolerance for these gatherings had long since eroded, especially after the debacle that was the quarterfinal presser. Thinking back, he really didn't remember having this many social events during his Indigo League tournament run. Then again, he'd been running on pure adrenaline during that stretch. It was amazing how much calmer he felt here. Maybe that was just experience.
And speaking of the positives, perhaps Prinny should just focus on those. If there was one thing that separated this meeting from the others, it mercifully would not be held in the foyer of the championship stadium. As much time as he'd spent watching and battling inside that venue, to have another meeting pull him back in there would have just been exhausting.
He stepped through the revolving door entrance to the hotel and found the lobby full of people. A few of them swarmed Prinny and tried to hand him markers and tournament programs. His bewildered stare eventually noticed that all of the waving booklets showed his picture. They were trying to get his autograph. Before Prinny could decide on an excuse, two men had bulldozed their way through the crowd and stopped on either side of Prinny.
"Are you one of the semifinalists?" the man on his right asked.
"I am."
"Come with us, please."
Prinny was escorted toward a makeshift desk flanked on both sides by waist high barricades. The woman sitting there had looked him up and down before he'd even reached her.
"ID and Pokédex, please." Prinny fished both items out of his pocket and handed them to her. "Your bag can go to that gentleman. We'll have it back to you after a quick check."
As the officials looked over his credentials, Prinny's eyes found a metal detector waiting just beyond. He glanced to his left and there were two officials running some kind of scanner over every inch of his bag. Looking back at the lobby again, he suddenly realized there were dozens of security guards stationed all over.
What in the hell is going on?
"You're good to go through, Mr. Prinny."
Prinny's head whipped back around. He instinctively reached for his credentials on the table, but the official jabbed her thumb over her shoulder.
"You'll get your belongings back after you go through the metal detector."
Prinny tried not to let his annoyance show. He gave a curt nod and stepped underneath the security device.
"Hold there for a moment," a man beside the machine said. After several seconds of doing just that, the man waved him through and handed him back his gear. "You can take that right elevator. It's programmed to take you up to the ninth floor. Once the doors open, just walk straight ahead."
As Prinny pressed the button for the elevator, he unzipped his purple duffel bag and made sure all six Poké Balls were still inside. There was no way security would have had time to remove them, but he had to be sure. It annoyed him anytime other people touched his belongings, a quirk which his brother had tried to exploit too many times. He may have trusted these tournament officials more than that shitstain, but the cargo they were messing with was much more valuable. These Pokémon weren't just his team—they were his family.
The doors parted but stopped short of fully opening. Prinny shimmied through and nearly got caught as both doors quickly shut. He glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed this bizarre interaction but found the elevator unoccupied.
First, the new venue. Then the heightened security. And now this fucking elevator.
Why was the tournament committee doing all this? Were they really this worried about the safety of the semifinalist trainers? He and the Alolan trainer were the only ones with any sort of prior experience on a big stage, and neither of them warranted anything close to this kind of high security celebrity protection.
The elevator moved so smoothly that Prinny hadn't even realized it had begun its climb. It wasn't until a glowing sign above the door began to 'ding' that he looked up and found he was nearing the ninth floor. That meant only a few more seconds of this quiet solitude. Then he'd be back to navigating the circus that was these meetings.
Prinny took a deep breath. Positives. Focus on those.
He glanced around at the empty elevator and gave a nod. One of the largest positives of the evening would be getting a break from Dobbs, who had felt more like his shadow than his companion these last couple days. Whether because of the bigger stage or just growing too comfortable around him, Dobbs seemed to have an opinion on just about everything. He still brought a viewpoint that helped Prinny as he prepared for each battle, but finding the valuable nuggets had grown more difficult. On the trainer side of things, that had culminated a couple nights prior. After spending time around Chris at some kind of dinner, Dobbs had attempted to give a detailed psychoanalysis of the Cherrygrove trainer that had provided Prinny with nothing but a headache. None of Prinny's decisions off the battlefield were safe from Dobbs's heavy-handed criticism either. Most of it felt silly enough for the Viridian City trainer to ignore or shrug off. The latter response had more recently begun to be accompanied by a biting retort. Prinny had expected Dobbs to eventually back off after getting increasingly negative feedback, but dammit, the fool had only seemed to feed off it. It would have been admirable if it wasn't so fucking annoying.
A softer 'ding' pulled Prinny back to the present. The ninth floor. Deep breath. One more.
The doors opened much slower this time and actually parted completely. Despite his bewilderment, Prinny didn't hesitate in getting out of the elevator. The fucking thing might start spinning at this point.
He stepped into a hallway that stretched out to his right and left. The former side saw servers bringing back empty trays, glasses, and plates. The latter also had servers, but these shuffled out with packed trays of food and unopened bottles. This second group made their way toward the wide, open doorway in front of Prinny. He followed them through it and into a massive open room that stretched from one side of the building to the other. The setting sun poured through the western facing wall, which Prinny realized was made entirely of glass. In fact, that was the case for three of the four walls.
Prinny had only taken a couple steps into the room before being stopped.
"Hello sir," the well dressed man said with a smile. He pulled up a small tablet. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"
"I'm Prinny."
The man swiped a couple times on the device, then nodded. "Ah yes, Mr. Prinny from Viridian City. Congratulations on making it to the semifinals!"
"Thanks." Prinny waited for the man to wave him through or at least continue talking. Instead, he just continued smiling and staring at him, like he was a fucking zoo animal. "Uh, I'm going to get some food."
"Oh you must try the lemon mushroom crostini. It's as good as any I've ever had!"
"Okay."
Prinny was already turning before he'd even finished speaking. He made for the closest table, scooped up a glass and some kind of pinwheel appetizer and threw a quick glance back to see if the man was still watching him. Thankfully, it looked like he had moved on to checking in another guest.
Prinny did a double take.
The man who stood in the space Prinny had just occupied wore a beautiful lavender kimono divided into vertical stripes by bold black lines. But it was the person wearing this gorgeous traditional attire that froze Prinny's stare.
That's Koga.
The esteemed Elite Four member had brought a well dressed entourage with him, including his daughter, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader.
Prinny slowly turned to look around the rest of the room. A bar had been set up on the right side, its high top table nearly stretching from one wall to the other. Only half of the stools had been taken, but based on the dress of those sitting there, these were people of stature. A line of tables dotted the back wall, with most of them being full. The vast majority of their occupants had a plate of food and at least one drink. Prinny recognized a staggering amount of them. Gym Leaders. Frontier Brains. Even a couple of regional professors. The left side of the room had a few recognizable faces as well, though most of that space had been dedicated to the press backdrop and the line of cameras in front of it.
Here was another positive to take hold of. The prominent occupants, the cameras, and the beautifully ornate decorations scattered throughout the large conference room all revealed the level he had reached, at least in this tournament. He'd made it back to the same round he'd reached in the Indigo League.
"Excuse me, feller."
A brawny man in an untucked button up tried to squeeze by him, but the man's stomach didn't clear, and Prinny found himself careening off balance toward a table full of entrees. He reached out to grab the edge of the table but felt his jacket's collar tighten and his momentum reverse. The man's massive paw twisted, spinning Prinny back around to face him.
Prinny squinted up at the man's bushy brown mustache and receding gray hairline. A quick glance at the muscles bulging from both of the comically short sleeves of his shirt sealed the man's identity.
"I clearly shouldn't be eating any more," Chuck said, cackling and patting his protruding stomach, "but the longer you held up that pinwheel, the more I knew I needed at least a couple."
Prinny wasn't sure what to even say to that, so he said nothing.
Chuck didn't seem to notice. He was still holding back a laugh as he grabbed a fistful of the h'orderves and threw them into his mouth like they were popcorn.
Prinny knew he should say something. Here was one of the only people Dobbs had ever spoken about in glowing terms. Someone he considered a mentor and perhaps even like family, though that may have been Prinny reading too much into it. Dobbs rarely showed vulnerability when speaking, but talking about the Cianwood City Gym Leader was about the closest he got.
Prinny coughed to clear his throat. "An acquaintance of mine would want me to give you his regards."
"Who would that be?"
"Dobbs."
Chuck's grin slipped. "Ah, yes. Dobbs. Is he doing alright?"
"He's okay, I guess."
"Hm. Well that's good." Chuck took a moment to swallow. "He's a good lad. A young gladiator in his own right. I know getting knocked out of the tournament hurt him quite a bit."
"Yeah." Prinny scratched the back of his head. "He's resilient as shit though. And twice as annoying."
That got Chuck grinning again. "Very true." The Gym Leader's stare suddenly narrowed. "Wait, aren't you one of the semifinalists?"
"I am."
"Now, are you the younger brother? Waz, isn't—hey, where are you…"
Prinny reached the end of the table and didn't stop. It was bad enough when people brought up that he was related to the bastard. But to have been mistaken for him—TWICE—that was a different level of disrespect. Whatever Chuck and Dobbs's relationship, Prinny wouldn't stand for it. And despite his best effort to focus on the positives, Chuck's comment had once again reminded him of the biggest negative of all; he'd have to once again share a room with that piece of shit. It made Prinny all the more aware of who was around him as he continued his aimless march. Thankfully, the Viridian City trainer had yet to see his mortal enemy, though he might have missed him as the room seemed to grow increasingly more crowded with each passing second. Then again, knowing Waz, the loser probably wouldn't show until the eleventh hour. His brother would no doubt combine that with leaving at the earliest opportunity, but for once, Prinny wouldn't fault him for that. He would try and do the exact same.
At this point, Prinny had reached the last tables against the back wall. He caught sight of a door tucked between a table and the bar. It led to a balcony outside which looked much less crowded and surely would be qui—
"Yo Prinny!"
At least somebody knows my name.
Prinny turned and found that 'somebody' to be Blue. The Viridian City Gym Leader strolled toward him, his face holding that trademark smirk. It was an expression that had haunted Prinny's dreams during those final months of his Kanto journey. Even in his 'diminished' role as a Gym Leader, Blue took pride in making the Earth Badge the hardest to earn. It had taken three attempts to earn that damn badge, with the first battle going so poorly Prinny had questioned his own merit as a trainer.
As Blue reached him, Prinny tried to not let his surprise show.
"What's up, man?" Blue asked.
"Just prepping for the next battle," Prinny answered.
Blue gave a quick look around the room. "That's what you're doing now?"
"Yeah."
"Is that why you look so stressed?"
Prinny frowned. He worked hard to maintain a neutral expression and here he was battling both surprise and stress.
"I think it's more about the setting," Prinny said, taking a deep breath. "I don't enjoy big crowds and a lot of talking."
Blue nodded. "I understand, man. This isn't really my scene either." Prinny looked the man up and down. Decked out in his satin blue button up, dark dress pants, expensive brown dress shoes, and holding a half empty glass of something alcoholic, Blue could have fooled Prinny. "How about we chat somewhere more chill?" Blue asked and pointed to the balcony entrance.
More chatting didn't exactly sound appealing, but at least this conversation would get him outside. "Works for me."
A cool breeze struck Prinny's face as they stepped out onto the long balcony. Mixed with the warm rays of the setting sun and the quieter conversations, Prinny's mood began to improve.
Blue led them over to a table near the railing and plopped down. He'd already begun talking before Prinny had even dropped into the seat across from him. "So, you make it back to Viridian City much?"
"Every once in a while."
"You got family there, right?"
Prinny opened his mouth to answer but paused. His last interaction with his parents had gone about as poorly as it could. His mother's raised voice. His father seething silently in his recliner. All about the same old shit. A nerve twitched in his forehead. There went his good mood. "Yeah," was all he could muster.
Blue nodded, but his squinting eyes narrowed till they were near slits. Prinny waited for a follow up question or comment, but they didn't come. The remaining rays of sunlight blasted the sides of their face, illuminating Blue's jaw as he worked it. Laughter spilled over from a nearby table. A gust swept through, shaking the furniture.
Blue finally broke the stillness with a nod toward the folded umbrella above their heads. "You care if I open that? I can't see shit."
"Sure."
Blue twisted the handle and then tilted the splayed umbrella toward the sinking sun. He sat back down and once again leveled his stare on Prinny. The latter refused to let the silence return.
"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" he asked.
"There was," Blue said, taking a deep breath. "A potential offer, in fact. But to be honest, I'm second guessing bringing it up."
"Why is that?"
"Your run in this tournament has been really impressive. Your strategies have been creative and your team construction is super interesting. In general, your command in battle goes well beyond your years." He took another breath but Prinny already knew what word was coming. "But I'm concerned with what I've seen and heard away from the battlefield."
Prinny had worked hard to lay low and say as little as possible to get by. There was only one thing Blue could be talking about. "You mean my treatment of that shitstain?"
Blue sighed. "You only get one family, Prinny."
"My team would beg to differ."
"You don't get it. It's all connected." Blue waved his arm one way, then the other. "Our family instills in us the principles we bring to our team. Then our team feeds off our treatment of others, including our family. No matter how nice you are to your team, the negativity you bring in other areas will seep through."
Prinny shook his head. "I can keep it contained to him."
"Let me ask you this: how old are you?"
"Nineteen."
"How long have you hated your brother?"
Prinny sat back in his chair and scratched at the scruff around his chin. There never had been any one moment that set off his hatred. Waz had been annoying for as long as he could remember. Those early conflicts had been about toys and playrooms. Things had escalated into competitive arguments over wrestling and battling opinions. The later teenage years had seen threats over chores, shouting matches over grades, and fist fights break out to determine who got to take the family car. He and his brother had found conflict in every facet of their lives. The flimsy truces they managed weren't built on any sort of apology, but more on pretending the other brother didn't exist.
"The fact you can't remember a time when you didn't hate him tells me everything I need to know," Blue said, taking a sip from his glass.
Prinny shrugged. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm not the right man for your offer."
"Not yet, at least." Blue's fingers drummed against the edge of the table. "I'm gonna say one final thing and then I'll shut up." Blue turned his gaze east. "I reached the status of champion faster than anyone. I can be a little braggadocious, I'll admit, but I'm not bringing it up for that reason. I had every tool imaginable to get there. A near infinite fountain of knowledge with my grandfather. Good instincts for battle. An eagerness to learn, experiment, and grow my strategies. A doting older sister I wanted to out-accomplish. Most importantly though, during that first run to the league championship, I had a self proclaimed sworn enemy and rival that served as top tier motivation." Blue let a grin show and shook his head. "Keep in mind, I didn't hate him. We were actually friends when we were younger. He had a very different approach to being a trainer though. He wasn't as knowledgeable and couldn't catch or raise Pokémon as quickly as me. And yet," Blue's grin slipped into a bittersweet smile, "he beat me. And then he proceeded to beat me some more. It took a long time for me to understand how it could keep happening. My grandfather tried to explain it to me, but I refused to really hear or accept the message from him."
Blue slowly stood up and downed the rest of his drink. "I had to hear it from the man who beat me. And once I allowed those words to penetrate my thick skull, I began to remember why we had been friends years earlier. I realized I could respect and even find an appreciation for someone who had been my enemy for years."
Blue began to leave, but Prinny spoke up. "Well, why did he keep beating you?"
A sour smile slid onto the legendary trainer's face. "He's lived a life of resolution. He took the time to get to know everyone: his family, his friends, his Pokémon, strangers—hell, even criminals. Those experiences matured him and, in turn, his team. They had a resolve that ended conflicts and couldn't be shaken. They won over most of the people they came across. Compared to all of that, how could I possibly overwhelm him in a Pokémon battle?"
Prinny squinted up at the older trainer. "So what you're saying is…"
Blue sat his empty glass on the table. "I've given you way more than I had to go off of. You're a smart guy. Things will click into place. Until then," Blue threw a wave and a smirk as he turned, "smell ya later."
I know this chapter saw a bit of a break between rounds, but the intensity is still turned way up! From training, to existential crisis, to new possibilities, and some introspection, everyone is still engaged in the never-ending battle of life. How will the next chapter play out? Huge battles are on the horizon. Some major truths are set to be revealed.
I'm super excited to bring you guys the next chapter! I appreciate your patience and I'm honored by your readership and replies.
Please drop a review and follow/favorite if you are still enjoying. I'll see you in the next installment. Take care!
