Sableye and I stood there for a few more minutes, watching Murkrow's form disappear into the distance. Before I returned to the Center, I recalled him to his ball. I didn't think people would appreciate me having a Ghost Type hanging around while I walked through town. Besides that, I wasn't sure how well he'd do around strangers or their Pokemon. I thought about going and attending the final match, but I didn't feel like watching a battle at the moment. The loss to Rhiannon was still fresh and it probably wouldn't help if I watched her lose to Damien. I wasn't sure that would happen, but still.
My phone buzzed in my pocket as I reached my Center room. I sat down on the bed as I checked a few messages from Mom and Glen. They were congratulating me on doing as well as I had and telling me not to let it get me down. And here I was feeling bitter towards Rhiannon for just being a good opponent. I smiled as I read their texts, and told them both that I was fine and that I'd be leaving Floaroma soon.
The other text I received was from Helen letting me know we could meet up in the cafeteria to discuss traveling together after Damien's match. Karl would be there too of course, but I was still nervous about the whole thing. I didn't think they'd say no, but Damien still might throw a fit about having to travel with me.
For the next hour I stayed in my Center room with Sableye watching TV. He was still intrigued by it, so I let him pick what he wanted to watch. At first he kept flicking through the channels too fast until he landed on a soap opera. That lasted a whole five minutes until he grew bored and found a show about a Chimchar and Grumpig that travel the world seeking magical objects. It had its serious moments, but it was a comedy for the most part which Sableye enjoyed. Once I got the text from Helen, I promised him he could watch TV later before recalling the Ghost Type.
I entered the cafeteria and found the three of them at a table in the middle of a heated conversation. Karl was scowling with his arms crossed while Damien was raising his voice. Helen, who was growing more flustered by the second, noticed me approaching and waved me over. Damien took notice, whipped his head to me then rounded on Helen.
"No, I mean it! Tell him to fuck off, Helen," the greasy-haired teenager complained.
"I suppose you have a better idea then? Maybe ask Rhiannon, I'm sure she'd love to travel with you after your little outburst." the dark-haired girl snapped.
As I approached the table, Damien groaned before putting his head down on the table. The other two appeared happier to see me.
"Have a seat, it'll be good to have you along, Titus," Karl said, the scowl on his face softening.
I pulled a chair from another table and sat down.
"Thank you. And there's no problem with me tagging along, right?" I asked the group.
Helen and Karl looked at me, then at Damien who shared a glance with them before he threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Fuck, fine. He can tag along, just don't ask me to be buddy-buddy with him," the blonde teenager snapped.
Arceus, he could at least quit talking about me as if I wasn't there. What a dick.
"Fine. Let's go over the Pokemon we have," Helen stated. "In total, we have three Fire Types. Considering the Pokemon in the forest, they're our heaviest hitters but they're also the most dangerous. If we use any of them, it needs to be in tandem with a Water Type. If a blaze gets out of hand, it'll be a disaster."
"For actual defense, we've got Helen's Meditite," Karl pointed out.
"My Pokemon don't actually fare well in the forest," As I said that, I watched Damien roll his eyes. He was getting worse by the second. "But I don't mind keeping Hitmontop or Sableye out as backup."
"I'm fine with that. I'm hoping we'll find something in the forest worth catching, I need to start building out my team," Karl stated.
"There's something I want to catch nearby, but I'll head out early tomorrow to go look for it," Helen said with a sly smile before turning to Damien who'd begun to open his mouth, likely for another unwarranted quip. "And no, I'm not telling you, it's a secret. We'll meet out on Route 205 the day after tomorrow around 9 or 10 if that works for everyone? I think our Pokemon have more than earned a day of rest."
Karl and I exchanged a look, but neither he nor Damien said anything and I didn't have any issues with the plan.
"Great. If there's nothing else to discuss, I think we should all get some rest," Helen stated.
"Actually, how far is Titus traveling with us?" Damien suddenly threw out. "Just to Eterna City or…?"
"I was gonna go to Oreburgh after Eterna, but I hadn't really thought that far ahead," I admitted, and made a point to look Damien directly in the eye as I did so, which immediately caused him to avert his gaze.
"So he's using us," the greasy-haired teenager spat before turning to Karl. "He's piggybacking off of our success, he even admitted his Pokemon can't handle the forest."
"Damien, seriously, drop it," Karl groaned. "I want to travel with you, but you have to be willing to make concessions and get along with people. Titus hasn't done anything to you and here you are badmouthing him. You won't even talk to him."
Damien threw his hands up before standing from his chair, the sudden noise of it dragging across the floor startling me. "Fine, whatever, bring your new best friend along, see if I give a shit," he mumbled before storming away.
"Did he get worse? Seriously, what's with him?" I asked Helen and Karl.
"Well, for starters he was already having a fit about you tagging along. It didn't help much that he lost in the finals to Rhiannon, and when she tried to be a good sport about it he got angry and got in her face," Helen replied. "Like yeah, losing sucks but being mean to your opponent after the fact is…"
"Childish," Karl finished. "I'm just hoping he doesn't run his mouth at someone that can do something about it. Not everyone is a graceful winner like Rhiannon. It sucks that he won that Technical Machine too, he doesn't even want it."
"That was Rain Dance, right?" I responded, recalling the prize readout from the tournament info. "Can't his Wooper learn that pretty easily?"
"I guess we can add that to the list of things pissing him off."
"Do you think he might sell it?" I asked. "I actually had my eye on both TMs before I lost in the semifinals."
"Try asking him. He might blow a gasket though, just saying."
I returned to my Center room shortly after that. There wasn't a whole lot to do, so I let Sableye continue watching TV, though this time he'd found a new show featuring a group of hoodlum Squirtles turned firefighters. While he watched, I looked into potential moves the Ghost Type could learn. I had my eye on Shadow Ball, but the move was very powerful and it might take awhile. It might take a bit of time, but the results would be worth it. Marshtomp would continue perfecting Icy Wind and I'd likely have to get him to step it up with Water moves as well. And for Hitmontop, it was time he started learning Detect. With as often as he got into close-range combat, he needed a way to mitigate or prevent heavy hits from landing. Like Shadow Ball, it might take some time, but it was necessary for rounding out his abilities.
The cost of TMs had me looking at my bank account with a bit of envy. I could go and splurge right now on one, maybe two if they were cheaper. But the total on my account was 34852 after my phone bill had been taken out for the month. Mom wouldn't let me pay for my own until I turned 18 but the recent spending on herbal medicine plus the new camping supplies meant I'd have to be more careful going forward. Plus I hadn't won a prize at the tournament either, and I hadn't fought a match that paid me since I fought Byron. I would need to take more battles with other Trainers in order to bring in a bit more cash. I was probably fine for now, but I didn't want to be worrying about money when my feet were against the fire. There was no rule stating that the loser had to pay the winner, but it was a custom that many still abided by.
After breakfast the next morning, I picked up the rest of my team and headed out to find some open space out in the meadows nearby. For a second, I wondered if I'd see Helen nearby trying to catch her next team member, but she also hadn't mentioned where she'd be looking for it.
Once I was far enough out and there weren't people nearby, I released Marshtomp and Hitmontop. No sign of Helen, but then again there were a lot of open fields plus the forests nearby and she hadn't explained exactly what Pokemon she was looking for. The Water Type opened his mouth wide and yawned before sitting down in the grass. Hitmontop frowned as he sat down next to Marshtomp.
"Hey, I'm really proud of both of you for how hard you battled. Rhiannon and her Pokemon were really tough, but we're gonna train and get even stronger, ok?" The words felt slightly hollow as I said them, but I knew my Pokemon needed to hear them even if I was still looking for my reason to battle and be a Trainer.
Marshtomp nodded his head in agreement, while Hitmontop frowned and hugged his knees, refusing to look up at me. I knelt down to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright. Really, it was just one loss. You can't let it rattle you, what matters now is that we stand up and keep going, right?" I asked the Fighting Type.
Hitmontop pushed my hand away and balled up even further, hiding his face with his arms as he tried to mask his sobbing.
"Hitmontop. The failing isn't just on you and Marshtomp. The two of you did everything I asked you to, but I couldn't pull my weight and help you as much as I could have. I didn't try hard enough, even if I want to claim that I did," I admitted.
Hitmontop jumped to his feet, tears covering his face before he looked up at me, pointing to himself with one hand.
"Top, Top, Hitmon-Top," he shouted before lowering his head and sobbing again.
"Buddy, I don't know what you're saying. Are you saying it's your fault?"
The Fighting Type didn't look up at me. Still staring daggers into the ground, he nodded his head.
"But that's not true. Rhiannon and her Pokemon are really strong, we just have to try harder and…" Hitmontop looked up at me, frowning again.
"It's because you evolved and it wasn't enough. That's why you're feeling like this, isn't it?"
The Fighting Type nodded again. He wasn't just upset about losing, he was depressed. Riolu had beaten him without needing to evolve. I knelt down and pulled him into a hug, which he returned. Marshtomp, who had been watching our exchange, stepped over and patted Hitmontop on the back to comfort him.
"We're not giving up on you, Hitmontop. I had days where I wanted to give up on everything too. But my Mom needed me, because we didn't have anyone else," I whispered to him. "Marshtomp and Sableye and I, we need you. It's not a team without you."
I let him free and he wiped the tears away while stepping back. He was frowning still, and I knew this loss would stick with him.
"Why don't you go for a run around the meadow? I'm sure the exercise will help," I encouraged him. "Go on, we'll be here waiting, just don't go out of sight, ok?"
Nervously, he stared around at the wide grassy field, then back to me. He nodded before taking off into a light jog.
"Marsh?" Marshtomp cocked his head as he looked at me.
"Yeah, you and I have to talk too, don't take a nap just yet," I told him. "We have to address your fear of fire." At the mention of the word Marshtomp shifted around in the grass and looked away from me. He fumbled with his hands in his lap.
"Outside of battling in Gyms and against Trainers, I'm going to need you. Hitmontop and Sableye will need you. You're strong enough, Marshtomp. You were willing to battle twice now, even when you were scared."
Marshtomp's jaw trembled as he finally looked at me. There were no tears, but a wide frown marked his face.
"You're not alone. I'll help you face this, we'll do it together. Do you think you're ready to take that first step?"
Tentatively, he nodded before I pulled out the lighter that had been packed away with my camping gear. This one came with a top that could be flipped open and closed.
"Fire needs air to actually fuel it. If you smother fire with dirt or deny it the air it needs, you'll put it out. Likewise, water will extinguish fire, but you probably knew that already," I explained to him while idly flicking the lid of the lighter. "Watch."
I clicked the lighter, and a tiny flame the size of my thumbnail winked into existence barely visible in the sunlight. The sight of it caused Marshtomp to jump back, but I flipped the lid and closed it before opening it. He stepped closer, cocking his head as the flame had disappeared in an instant. "See? All gone. Marshtomp, you're a Water and Ground Type, both of which are strong against Fire. You have the ability to keep fire in check or put it out all by yourself." I said before poking him in the belly, which caused him to giggle. "And I looked into it a little more, but the Rangers offer fire safety courses for Trainers. We can take it together once we get to Eterna Forest."
Marshtomp's eyes lit up as he clapped his hands together. "Marsh, Marsh!"
"That's the spirit. Why don't you practice your Icy Wind for a while? I need to let Sableye out for a bit of training too," I told him. He stepped away and began blowing puffs of frigid air that quickly disappeared in the warm air.
I released Sableye a few feet away, who looked bewildered that we weren't in the Center room. "Sableye, you did really well in the tournament," the Ghost Type rounded on me before flashing his teeth. "I wasn't able to help you as much during those battles, and I'm sorry for that. But we're going to work on some new moves for you. Marshtomp's working on his over there," I pointed to the Water Type, who had managed to get the chilly air he was blowing to travel a few feet away from his body before it dissipated.
I found a video of Fantina's Mismagius using the move and showed it to him. I had done the same thing with Hitmontop to teach him moves, so I was hoping it would stick the same. Then again, Shadow Ball was a really advanced move and it might not be possible for him yet. As we sat there watching, he kept trying to grab my phone and I continued to scold him, telling the Ghost Type just to watch.
"Come on, just put in some solid effort, and we'll watch TV back at the Center. Deal?"
The Ghost Type seemed wholly disinterested in the video and what I'd been saying until I mentioned the TV. He cackled before settling into a stance, putting his hands a few inches apart. After several seconds, a tiny black amorphous ball of energy formed between his palms. Sableye's arms shook from maintaining the move before he lost concentration and the ghostly energy winked out of existence. The Ghost Type fell back on his butt, no doubt drained from the effort of his first attempt. But he'd done really well.
"That was incredible! You just have to keep working at it, ok?"
Sableye flashed his teeth before standing on shaky legs. I could tell he really wanted to get this. After a few more attempts he was tapped out, but he managed to hold the tiny proto-Shadow Ball on the tip of his finger before his last try exhausted him. Marshtomp had walked over to take a breather now as well, sprawling out on the grass as he caught his breath. Eventually, Hitmontop approached us covered in sweat and panting heavily. He plonked down next to me as he caught his breath. I knew that the exercise would help, but I wasn't sure how to help him from here.
It was relaxing being out here in the fields with my Pokemon. I still wanted to find that reason to battle and be a Trainer, but as I sat there in the grass I thought that maybe I could be content with just raising them as companions if it didn't work out. Maybe I'd move to Floaroma some day, too. It really was serene here. I'd been so absorbed in the tournament and worrying about everything else that the chance to take it all in kind of passed me by. After a break, Hitmontop charged back out into the fields while the other two resumed their work on their individual moves. As I watched Sableye, I noticed he was having a hard time maintaining the Shadow Ball away from his body. It gave me an idea, as I remembered another Ghost Type move that he was capable of.
"Sableye? Try covering your hand with it instead," I suggested. "Think you could do that?"
Sableye held out a single hand, flexing his sharp claws as his arm shook. After a few seconds, wispy purplish energy cloaked his hand, wavering around the tips of his claws like they were dry ice. The Ghost Type gave me a smug smile, clearly pleased with himself before the move faded and he fell to one knee out of exhaustion. It was excellent for his first attempt, but the move was also incredibly draining for him. At the very least it would be a good stepping stone to Shadow Ball and would let me gauge how much he built up his stamina over time. For one day's work, a prototype version of two moves he could work on was incredible.
Marshtomp had also hit his limit for the day, his efforts with Icy Wind having exhausted him but it looked like progress was being made. I recalled both of them before flagging down Hitmontop and joining him for his jog. We eventually worked to a full sprint then slowed to a jog before stopping. It still took a lot out of me, but Hitmontop didn't seem to mind and I always felt better after working out with him. Our workout had ended near the treeline, and I joined him under a tall tree to enjoy the shade. As we sat there catching our breath, a few Trainers passed by and approached us asking for a battle but Hitmontop wasn't up for it and the rest of my team was tired too. I hated to pass up on the chance for more battle experience or to earn some cash, but it wasn't a good time right now. One of the Trainers had to tell his friend not to challenge me, reminding him that they'd seen me in the tournament, so at least I was gaining somewhat of a reputation for what that was worth.
After that, we returned to the Center. I handed my team over, figuring that one last checkup before leaving the next day couldn't hurt. They weren't hurt either, just tired. Dinner was some bland fare from the cafeteria that had me missing food from the tournament stands. It was free though, so I wasn't about to complain. After maybe an hour or so, I went back and picked my team up, but the Nurse stopped me before handing over my Pokemon.
"There's two things I want to address with your team, Titus," the pink-haired woman told me plainly as she looked at her clipboard. "First, is your Sableye. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Ghost Pokemon can be a challenge to raise. Yours was already a handful, but you need to be better about getting it the proper minerals in its diet. They can sometimes go erratic and feral if they don't get enough. Second, is your Hitmontop. I recommend getting him more exercise and making sure he's staying active. He doesn't seem to have a lot of energy or pep, which is unusual for his species."
"He lost an important battle recently and he's taking it kind of hard," I explained. "We exercised a good bit today, I try to run with him when I can and keep him out of his ball when possible."
The Nurse checked a few more things on her clipboard before deciding that was good enough for her and handed over all three of them. As promised, when I returned to my room I let Sableye have free reign of the TV. Hitmontop sat next to him, content to watch whatever show the Ghost Type Pokemon selected. I'd filled the bathtub slightly and let Marshtomp hang out in it for the evening while I sat on the bed browsing through the forums. I'd decided if I was going to look into my opponents and other Trainers that I may as well be doing it outside of local tournaments. I was in the middle of a detailed write-up about Teysa Harlow's team and how they'd speculated she'd fare in this year's Conference when Hitmontop and Sableye began suddenly bickering about something. There was a message on the television informing us that to watch the movie they'd found, "Meowstic's Moving Castle", we'd have to pay a one-time fee. Sableye was pushing random buttons attempting to enter a card number while Hitmontop was shouting at him.
"Hey, guys, no movies. If you can't agree on what to watch, then I'll turn it off," I told them.
Hitmontop turned to look at me before speaking at a lower, more controlled volume. The Ghost Type pushed him away, seemingly unbothered by anything we'd said. Hitmontop grew furious at that, swiping for the remote as Sableye tried to pull it out of reach. The result was that they both tried to pull it away from the other and the poor remote was snapped and broken in a few seconds of them fighting over it.
Sableye glared at Hitmontop, who sat on the floor looking at the discarded remote fragments.
"Sableye, return." I held out the ball and recalled the Ghost Type, who stuck his tongue out at me as he was consumed by the light.
I felt around the TV for physical buttons to turn it off and was happy to find them on the underside. I scooped up the broken remote and discarded it into a trash bin before lying back down and relaxing. Hitmontop sat on the floor, looking dejected and glum.
"Do you want to watch some of Maylene's videos? I know those were your favorite," I told the Fighting Type.
That seemed to perk him up slightly. For the next hour, we sat on the bed watching her instructional martial arts videos. Hitmontop's eyes were glued to the screen, and slowly I watched his frown melt away to a slight smile as he watched the pink-haired Gym Leader demonstrate moves with a Combusken and Medicham by her side. When I noticed that he'd fallen asleep, I clicked the video off and queued several more that we hadn't watched to download overnight.
