A/N: Chapter's pretty chunky this time around in the form of a new scene with 2,000 words of pure fighting, like most of this chapter. Wanted to give a quick heads up. Also, there'll be some trivia down at the bottom for anyone that might be interested. That being said, because there's not a dedicated "notes" section like ao3, the word count for this chapter will be very inflated, so...apologies for that. However, this has got to be one of my new favorite scenes if I'm honest. This also marks about 4 more chapters before you guys are all caught up here. I thought I would have been making better progress on ao3 by now, but I guess life uh, had a way of slowing you down. Anyway, enough of that! I hope you guys enjoy!
This chapter was originally posted on 24-05-02
Chapter 8: Setting Sun
Lightning burned past Virgil's face, and out of the tower. You've got to be joking…! Jin's Pikachu was suddenly in front of him, the electricity sizzling louder than before. It loosed another bolt and Virgil stumbled backwards, the bolt passing over him and out of the tower's other side. The floor under Pikachu crackled as it landed and before Virgil could gather up a response, Pikachu darted away and Dewott crashed into the wood. Hot air breezed through clenched teeth; this was the second time he had been outsped, and this time had been by a nobody doing nothing inside of an old tower.
Was he always going to be too slow?
Virgil's eyes went back to the stairs, and then to Jin.
"I hope you're not thinking of running away now," Jin chided. "You were so set on 'destroying' me. You don't mean to give up as soon as things get difficult, do you?" Virgil held his ground as all three of his Pokemon fanned out in front of him.
"...Are you really a monk…?" Jin nodded.
"I told you, I'm a late addition, and I've gotten tired of the doctrine. Still, I will not let you go up those stairs. The elder sage is resting, and I can't have you bothering him."
"Even when they're right behind me?"
"You saw what Kiai can do." Virgil grimaced and his eyes dropped to his Pokemon. Pikachu were naturally fast, but Jin's Pikachu, this 'Kiai' was clever and nearly struck him down. "But something tells me you're out of practice," Virgil tensed. "A 3-on-1 should be going well in your favor, but none of your Pokemon seem to work well when you're involved with the battle."
"And what would you know about that, huh!?"
"You forgot already?"
"What are you talking about..!?" Virgil's stomach churned and he slapped Lucario's paw away. "What did I say about that!? Knock it off!"
"That's what I mean," Jin remarked. " 'The Sprout Tower are the grounds in which all beings learn that harmony exists through cooperation' is the mantra that you stated to the gym leader earlier. You can't possibly expect to get results when you clash with any of your Pokemon the way you do."
Dewott cut Jin off and struck forward and the both of them broke away. Jin caught his footing with a stomp, just as Kiai did.
"Kiai!" The Pikachu's response was strong, and a coat of electricity burst around it and sped after Dewott. Virgil gawked.
She didn't go for me…? Came Virgil's first thought, then: Get it together!
"Dewott!" Dewott had just flipped to a landing, glancing over his shoulder just in time to catch wind of the Pikachu. Dewott's paw was already at his waist, grasping at only one, and Virgil knew what came next. "Razor Shell!"
Except…Dewott ignored him.
Instead, Dewott shifted backwards, eyes narrowed on Kiai as a tail swipe, Iron Tail, sliced right before him. Dewott was an irritating rodent; the conference came back to mind and Virgil did his best to ignore it. Another command was building at the back of Virgil's mind; Dewott was stubborn too, especially when it came to his fights. The damn Pokemon should listen to him more. The command froze in his throat when Kiai flipped forward again, this time with a glowing sphere of electricity at the end of her tail.
Electro Ball!? Kiai threw the blast, and it wasn't until then that Virgil realized Dewott had forced Kiai's hand when he made the distance. Dewott slipped the scalchop from his waist, form low, tense and ready to lunge and slash through the ball and hopefully Kiai too.
Didn't that rodent see what he saw?
"Aqua Cutter!" Dewott paused for a moment, and shifted again, just a little, and the scalchop flooded with water. A slash from Dewott sent blades of water hurtling toward Kiai and the Electro Ball, enough to cancel it out; Virgil's exhale was terse. Dewott had listened to him that time. Virgil's mind flitted back to the stairway behind him. It was right there, and he was sure that he would have been able to think of something fast to get Dewott near again and then up the stairs. There was no way Kiai would let them get by so easily.
Jin stomped and Kiai did too, and the electricity surged through the Pikachu again; Virgil rubbed his eyes in disbelief; for a moment, he thought he had seen that same lightning crackle across Jin too. Virgil felt a space near him empty; Ampharos was moving, flipper to his neck before hazing into air and coming to Kiai's flank.
Right…! "Thunder Punch!" Ampaharos's flipper surged, pointing down toward Kiai. Ineffective or not, Ampharos's sheer size and his Quick Claw would level the playing field. Instead Ampharos howled in pain, stumbling back onto one foot. Kiai spun a second time, tail flashing silver into Ampharos's other leg, and the Pokemon stumbled forward. Kiai leapt up toward Ampharos, paw bursting with blue light and roared.
Ampharos was suddenly airborne seconds too long. Kiai whirled forward, into another flip that brought her tail around a second time. Ampharos took the blow in full and crashed back into the floor. Jin stomped as she landed, and so did Kiai, and the lightning around Kiai surged even further. Virgil's eyes fell down to a defeated Ampharos before coming back to rest, annoyed, on Jin and his Pikachu.
"I've never seen blue lightning before," he spat. "You're not a normal monk and how the hell did your rat take out Ampharos in one go!?" Jin frowned.
A bolt of pain lashed Virgil, across the torso, right above his navel, and the fire webbed out from there. He followed it to paper burning itself into his skin and was suddenly tired . Virgil fought through it. Jin still had those tags, and it was painfully apparent that he was a quick draw with them also. A second tag flashed toward him, and his wrist flared up as he was yanked backwards.
Lucario…!
The first burst of light melted the tag away, like before and the second bolt was an Aura Sphere that Kiai, with a second blue flash and guttural cry, punched into skittering sparks. Kiai and her trainer stomped again, and the lightning followed; they were getting stronger. Virgil grimaced; maybe he would have been better off against the elder. He would never get past Jin at this rate. Lucario sped forward, just as Dewott was coming back into the fray from the other side with another Aqua Jet; Kiai burned with more lightning.
"Lightning Speed!" And then, Kiai was up in the air, avoiding Dewott and Lucario that dodged him as he overshot his distance a second time; Virgil hadn't expected a Quick Attack to be used like that.
This Pikachu is…unreal…! Virgil composed himself. It was impressive, but it wasn't going to matter. Kiai followed Virgil's glance above her, squeaking in surprise. Ampharos loomed over her, even larger than before; his flipper was back to his neck and to his amulet. Virgil cursed but understood.
"Wild Charge! Drop!" Electricity pulsed through Ampharos, waving outward around his body before falling over the Pokemon and crushing her underfoot.
Virgil fought to keep himself in place as he watched Ampharos struggle to stand upright. Lucario was quick and had been the first Pokemon at Ampharos's side to help him stand. Dewott went behind them slowly, eyes narrow and focused on where Kiai lay unconscious. His scalchops were still drawn. Virgil's breath was loud in his ears, and bursting in his mind.
"Hey, you mind telling me what kind of monk you are now?" Jin didn't answer, and the rest of the other monks that had taken a step aside were now murmuring in disbelief; none of them had been expecting Jin to lose. "As far as I know, monks aren't particularly fond of choosing violence like you did. That Pikachu of yours is definitely not normal…"
Jin's frown didn't change, and looked down to his Pikachu. The wood under the Pokemon creaked sullenly and Virgil gawked: Kiai was back on her feet, battered but not beaten. Ampharos had caught wind of it too, whirling back around to face her, and cast Lucario aside to stand on his own. Virgil chuckled morosely at that.
Kiai stomped. Ampharos surged, drawing on what he had left into a focused spiral of current at the end of his flipper. Lucario had gotten back up, chittering loudly in disapproval and concern before Dewott stepped between the both of them, a scalchop whirling to life. Lucario stepped back before tossing a desperate glance over in his direction, and Virgil knew that face.
Do something! read clear in Lucario's face. Virgil shrugged. Ampharos and Dewott had made up their minds. Ampharos was going to see the bit through and Dewott, by way of the "honor" that he had clasped onto so strongly since evolving, would let Ampharos do just that. Virgil frowned; desperation never made sense.
Ampharos's other flipper went to his neck again, dispersing to become the space in front of Kiai. Ampharos loomed over Kiai, and he was going to throw all of his weight into the Thunder Punch he had prepared. Ampharos, like Virgil, was already expecting Kiai's own Thunder Punch. It seemed to be the technique it was most proud of, and Ampharos wanted to challenge it. It got another dark chuckle out of Virgil. Ampharos and Pidgeot were far too alike.
But he was going to oblige. If Jaret could beat Falkner, then he could win here.
"Thunder Punch!" Ampharos twisted his weight downwards, and then let out a cry of pain, his body seizing and his strength fading as he tumbled forward.
His legs gave out again!? Virgil panicked. What gives!? The answer came fast to him, on the heels of his panic; it was the Quick Claw, and Ampharos had charged one too many uses into it. He flicked a quick glance over to his other two Pokemon, registering Dewott's austerity but feeling Lucario's horror. Virgil wished that Pokemon would listen when it came to all of that aura stuff; Lucario had probably seen all of this coming. He turned back to Ampharos, ball unhooking from his waist to recall him, but Jin and his Pikachu's energy roared over him.
"God Fist!" Blue lightning arced with the Thunder Punch to make full contact, lifting Ampaharos from his feet for the second time, and for the first time, launching him backwards and away. Virgil's hands went to his head in panic and worry. That Thunder Punch had been one of the strongest he had ever seen, and the only one he had ever seen that made a blue current, and an unnerving thought made itself known to Virgil.
Maybe Jin was just too strong.
"Ampharos!" Ampharos hit the floor, landing at the feet of Lucario and Dewott as Virgil sped his way over to the Ampharos's side. He didn't move and Virgil's hand went to the Pokemon's temple, catching a faint pulse. Good, Virgil thought relieved. Still with me... His other Pokemon stepped forward in his defense, and Virgil turned to face the two of them with a glare.
Kiai stood in front of Jin and before the three of them, barring their way to the next floor (When had that happened?). Kiai's breaths were heavy, but the Pokemon wasn't going to back down. She had used up a lot of strength, or at the very least, Ampharos's Wild Charge had done some damage, most of it probably coming from his weight. Kiai stomped, along with Jin again, and the three of them tightened their focus. Kiai took a step forward, surprising the three of them when she suddenly fell face first into the wood.
Voices exploded around them, reminding Virgil again that Jin was not the goal. He had been so close to the next level, but rage had stuck him there in the space just past the stairwell entrance and had brought him back out to face Jin that had left them both without a Pokemon, and it still left Virgil outnumbered, and that fact wasn't lost on any of them. Some of them stepped forward but Jin's hand went up to silence them.
"You're still not going to tell me what makes you such a shitty pacifist," Virgil chided. "Most monks have an agreement of non-violence, don't they?"
"Insults aren't going to help you win."
"Says the moron who also lost a Pokemon!"
"You needed three of yours to keep up with Kiai. Your Lucario looks hesitant and your Dewott couldn't hope for a win."
"Your Pikachu's down and until you show me another freak of nature with blue lightning for a Thunder Punch, I don't think we have anything to worry about!" Virgil murmured. "What did your Pikachu do, anyway? Blue lightning Thunder Punch? God Fist? What the hell do you guys do here?"
"The Sprout Tower are the grounds in which all beings learn that harmony exists through cooperation," Jin repeated, sighing. "That harmony is the essence of all things and is all there is. It comes in different forms when there are none." A smirk, unnerving and unrelenting, crossed Jin's face. " That's how me and Kiai found our blue lightning. It isn't just a 'Thunder Punch' but our 'God Fist'. And you clearly don't stand a chance against it." Virgil hadn't noticed Jin had moved until he took his Pikachu into his arms. His hand came to his neck and flicked the rosary as he fell back in front of the others. The rosary flashed light, catching Virgil off guard. When Virgil peered a bit closer realizing that Jin's rosary was laced together with poke-balls.
The Pokemon that took form wasted no time and Virgil darted to the side as a tuft of fur lashed out after him. Foreign reflex kicked in and Virgil grabbed hold and tugged. The weight shifted toward him. The Pokemon was barreling over to him fast.
Extending fur, light frame and no density… Virgil snickered. This was an Unovan Pokemon, and his dad's favorite; Mienshao would be easy to beat. His next thought was sharp, his focus honing in on Lucario. He was going to put his aura to use. There was an impact and the weight made a sudden lurch to the side, and Virgil let the fur slip from his hands, glancing up to find Jin's Mienshao tumbling away; Lucario had followed up just like he figured he would. Lucario and Dewott stepped in between him and Jin, each of them at ready. The Mienshao rebounded, flying to Jin's side as he called it.
Doesn't this guy ever get tired!?
"Jin, that's enough." They both turned toward the voice, in the direction of the stairs and found the elder standing there in plain sight. "Let him through. I"m sure he has some very important questions he would like to ask."
The stairwell spiraled for what felt like an eternity. It was narrow and between himself, the Elder and Jin, the heat in the air was thick and cloying. Dewott and Lucario made it even worse as each of them refused to go back into their balls and watched Jin closely. The stairwell eventually broke open into the top floor of the tower, sunlight beaming through windows that bathed the interior shades of gold; the elder made his way to a space between the two golden Bellsprout sculptures he had seen earlier.
Jin fanned out over to the elder's side, a bodyguard. Dewott mirrored him and Virgil could see his paw twitching as it rested over a scalchop. Lucario sat on his other side and at his urging and an approval from the elder, was left to tend to an unconscious Ampharos.
Li looked out and through the windows, past the pond just outside and over the rest of the city. There was a tired sigh.
"You must be wanting to ask about earlier, yes?"
"I'm surprised you can remember that, bones."
"You will not disrespect the elder like that," Jin snapped. Li's hand went up and he went silent.
"Jin, leave it." he turned to Virgil with a small smile, sitting down between the two statues.
"Please, don't mind Jin. He's only recently become a part of the monkhood. He may have spoken to you about our mantra here, but there's still a lot of work to be done for him as well." Virgil frowned.
"Don't care. I just want to know what happened to Jaret earlier. What did you do to him?" he gestured for Virgil to sit down; he obliged.
"Yes, your friend from earlier…" A pause. You do know of our mantra, yes? That–"
" 'All beings learn harmony exists through cooperation," Virgil interjected. "Yeah, I got it, get to the point! What happened? What did you do?" A hand came up.
"A plant must have sound roots before it can flower." Virgil huffed. "In the Sprout Tower, we train diligently with this ideal in mind. The body may be worked and strengthened, but the mind is tempered, and allows those that persevere to gain wisdom and insight. This can manifest as quite a few different things. Since you've battled him, I'm sure that Jin has bludgeoned you with the fact that he's not a 'normal monk'."
"Yeah," Virgil replied. "And I thought you all used Bellsprout here. What the hell is going on with his Pikachu?" Virgil paused. "And, why the hell are you changing the topic!?" Li didn't respond.
"Jin isn't quite a native of the area. He was a student indicative of the mountains, and has had to temper his hot-blooded nature alongside an already tempered body here." A pause. "His training up in those mountains works well in tandem with our training here. You've seen the fruits of his labor."
"His Pikachu…"
"Yes," Li affirmed. "Kiai and Jin have tapped into the harmony that is the namesake of the Sprout Tower. Their 'God Fist' is a Thunder Punch that transcends a Thunder Punch, and typing altogether. I've never quite seen anything like it."
"At least I have that information," Virgil scoffed. "But you're beating around the bush! What. Happened!?"
"It's needed context." There was another sigh. "It is needed context because Jin's access to that 'harmony' is an example in itself of the mystical manifesting in human beings. It lends credence to the idea of psychics, seers and those who claim to 'sense' the supernatural, things that have only ever been believed to be able to be done by Pokemon."
"...Are you saying that you were sensing 'evil' and decided not to stop it?"
"What I am saying is that earlier my body was not my own." Virgil scoffed a second time, but he was sure that the elder had heard the quiver in his voice as much as he had.
"If you didn't have any control of yourself like you say, then how do you remember it?"
"If all things are the same but different, then in harmony, shouldn't they all share the same memory? Pieces of a puzzle form an entire picture, but each piece still maintains their portion of it. When two pieces join together, more of the picture is discovered."
"That doesn't add up to possession!"
"If two pieces of that puzzle do not match, then there is disharmony, and the portion of the picture becomes distorted and warped. One piece could have a more critical portion of the picture, and take more precedent over the other." Li paused for the third time. His expression was grim. "Or, in the case of souls, one could come to annex the other." Virgil shifted uncomfortably. Metaphors were lost on him but he understood well enough.
"You're telling me that you were possessed?"
"I saw it as it was happening," Jin interjected. "The shade was impossibly bright, but still dangerous."
"Then why didn't you stop it," Virgil snapped.
"I wasn't going to try and dispel a shadow from the elder with tags! It could've hurt him!"
"Jin!" Jin fell into silence again; Li turned back to Virgil.
"But, I wouldn't consider it a possession. Subjugation would be a better term for it. I could hear and see everything that that shade could while it possessed my body. A possession is closer to sleep."
"If that's right, then that means you saw the fight, and you throwing me, and… and —"
"Everything else"
"And your Bellsprout couldn't tell the difference!?"
"That shade took my form, and while Pokemon will come to know their partners, I suppose that even I'm at a loss as to why Bellsprout obeyed such a change in my behavior. It's evolution and obedience are…strange…"
"That's a lie," Virgil growled. "You weren't you, you were Marus, and you two look worlds apart! You think I'll believe a Pokemon not being able to tell the difference between an old man and a guy like Marus!? You expect me to believe—" Jin was swift and Virgil's breath twisted with his shock. The world spun around him as he hit the floor with a crash and pressure in his back. Dewott snarled and went to leap into action, but was thrown down and restrained by the tufts of fur from earlier.
"You couldn't tell the difference between an old man and someone that's already dead," Jin hissed. "'Marus has been dead for hundreds of years and you expect us to believe that? "
" Jin," Li was stern the second time around. "Let him go. Don't tell me that all of your training has gone to waste." Jin hesitated for a moment before he let go and stepped back with a grumble. Li turned back to Virgil. "The legend of Ho-oh isn't something that is adequately studied here at the tower, nor in Violet City in great detail. I don't know too much about 'Marus' myself, but what I can say is that there is still the same sense of darkness around you that I felt around myself." Li leaned forward slightly. "Would I be allowed to ask if you have been yourself all this time?"
"I have," Virgil quipped. "I've always been this way."
"Even when it disconnects you from your Pokemon and gives you disharmony? Even when it brings you pain ?"
Virgil stood abruptly. "I appreciate the help, but I think we're done here."
"So soon," chided Jin. "You did all of that just to back out like this?"
"Doesn't matter now." Virgil quipped again. "I'll figure it out." Virgil quickly gathered himself and his Pokemon and made for the stairs. He had made his way and fought through to the tower for an answer. The last thing he had been expecting was for them to demand honesty.
If Juliet Grey was the coordinator to beat, then Seria Day was without question the underdog. Her routines were well-put together and her Slowking had been able to grab and hold the audience's attention well enough. Power Gem was a move that Jaret had seen before and had always been interested in; Seria's Slowking was well-versed in its application. A potent offense was rarely expected out of a Slowking, and it had worked in Seria's favor quite a few times, She played on it well and earned herself infamy in the competition. She had even worked on that growing reputation as a fawn, somehow always finding a way to slight the competition when they would inevitably guess wrong and underestimate her. It made her an interesting and also underhanded trainer in Jaret's eyes.
Her talking Slowking, however, confirmed that she was also quite unusual . His voice was dignified and resplendent, enough to bring the entire contest hall into silence, and that was strange in itself; Azalea Town wasn't too far from here, if he could remember right, and didn't Johto have a shrine for training somewhere in the region too? His eyes flicked over to Viola, catching wind of her fingers whirring across a small device and that pulled his attention completely over to her. She shushed him before he could open his mouth.
"I'm just as surprised as you are," came a remark.
"As me? So, you were caught off guard about the talking Slowking too?"
"Well, not really that, but the fact that this is a local contest and close to the Slowpoke Well if I'm understanding right. These people are Johto natives and they shouldn't be so impressed by a Slowking. I would think that they're pretty local…"
"It's not everyday you get to see one and hear it talk…" Viola paused.
"Jaret, have you seen a Slowking before?"
"Yeah," he replied, nodding. "Why?"
"Where?" His face broke into a wide grin.
"Have you ever been to the Orange Archipelago? There's a local league out that way and while I didn't see them often, I've seen them enough to know that they can talk just like we can." His eyes fell down to Viola's fingers, whirring even faster across her device, a pocket-sized piece of machinery that struck him equal parts familiar and foreign. It chattered out a series of clicks and Jaret leaned in closer when he picked up an automated voice.
"It undertakes research every day to solve the mysteries of the world. However, it apparently forgets everything if the Shellder on its head comes off."
"A poisonous bite reacted with its system, blessing it with the enhanced intellect of a genius. It has full control of its psychic powers.
"Slowking can solve any problem presented to it, but no one can understand a thing Slowking says."
"Wait, wait." Viola's shift was sharp, and Jaret froze immediately, and his hand drew back. "Uh, sorry. It's just that…Is that a PokeDéx?"
"It is," Viola confirmed. The PokeDéx was clasped tight in her hand; she was on guard. "And, it would make sense that everyone here is so shocked. According to a Galar dex entry, Slowking are intelligent but incomprehensible, so the fact that her Slowking is speaking human speech as clear as day has to be jarring for them…"
"You have a national PokeDéx?" Viola shushed him again.
"Not so loud! I'm sure you know PokeDéx's are expensive, and would fetch a high price on black markets. A PokeDéx would be a poacher's dream."
"Are you calling me a poacher?"
"Not at all, but what I am saying is that someone else here could be."
"Oh, right. Sorry…"
"How long, exactly, do you expect us to stay here and perform?" They both turned back to the stage. Slowking had clearly given Juliet a start, and the last thing she probably anticipated would have been a coherent Slowking. Seria's response, on the other hand, had been immediate and judging from how quick she had been, natural; this had happened before.
"Come on King. I really need you for this one! This is Juliet Grey we're talking about. You know, the 'Grey Prestige'? 'Princess of Sinnoh'? We've already done so well! We can't stop right now!" She ducked away from the Pokemon's swaying helmet as he turned his back to her, and Jaret leaned in slightly. Her Absol had been a strong battler and definitely her version of Argo.
Why hadn't she gone with Absol again?
"Hey! Careful! And make sure you keep that Shellder on tight!" Jaret sighed under his breath; this was going to be painful to watch.
"I know I agreed to these…'endeavors', but aren't these usually finished by now? Hasn't this demeaning show gone on long enough?"
"I know I know," Seria passed a glance over to Juliet that moved to the moderator before she turned back to King. "But this is Violet City's first regional contest and they're just trying to get the hang of things! They didn't mean for it to be so long!"
"Ahem , Miss Day, the audience is absolutely waiting to be enthralled…If your Pokémon is unwilling to cooperate, then Miss Grey will be crowned the winner by default…" Seria gave the moderator a nervous grin.
"Don't worry, King's just…a little tired is all!" She let out a small laugh; she was fighting down panic. "Just… a few more seconds…!" Seria turned again to Slowking pleading, just soon enough for him to make the mistake of catching her expression; he sagged with a sigh.
"Oh, alright… Now then, since I've agreed to yet another act, keep in mind that it isn't only for you, but for my queen as well." Seria pinched her brows, and worked up the will to look past the announcer and to Juliet. She stood calm and utterly unbothered with hands on her hips and in-waiting. Argo hung around her this time like a gown; the two of them were impossibly elegant. Doubt curdled in the pit of her stomach and she stopped it down with the toughest frown she could muster that wouldn't melt into a bright mouthed smile like she had managed against everyone else. Seria straightened up, turning back to Juliet. Her frown had melted away, and she honed in with a smirk.
"Alright! Let's start off with a Future Sight!" Jaret tensed with the audience for a hissing glimmer of light and movement. There was silence instead, and Seria whirled back around to King with his arms folded and face pensive.
"Seria, before I begin, where is she?"
"H-huh?"
"My dear Icy, the reason why I'm here? My queen? How am I to win her over if she doesn't see me in action?" Seria stared dumbly.
"King, you know how she is," she snapped. "She can see you just fine from her ball!"
"But she has to see me clearly, Seria. It's a part of the agreement."
"The contests are also a part of the agreement! Now can we please battle?" They bickered that way for a while. There was an awkward exchange of glances between the judges that spread to the crowd and burst into a collective murmur. Juliet was quiet, still composed as she looked on; A glance up at the monitor clued Jaret into a rapidly tapping foot that signaled that Juliet was actually anything but composed.
She must think this girl's a joke…
"Are you going to argue with that Slowking of yours or are we going to give the crowd what they came here for?" It was the first thing Juliet had said since she had stepped onto the stage, and they had been sharp; Seria's response was half-hearted. She stumbled over her words.
"U-um, o-one second…!" Seria turned back to Slowking, and back to pleading, and possibly, begging. Jaret cringed.
Juliet sighed, irritably before putting on her best smile to the moderator. "I believe her Pokémon is being too uncooperative to participate. Perhaps it'd just be best to let me take the ribbon?" The moderator looked at the judges and to a unanimous agreement. The Rising Moon had been an ambitious project, and far too long.
"Due to un-cooperation, the winner of the Violet City Contest and ribbon is the Princess of Sinnoh, Juliet Grey!" The applause started slow and awkward, but escalated quickly as Juliet made a celebratory showcase. Jaret frowned as he watched Seria return her Slowking to his ball and rush from the stage. He hoped not too many people saw her. A deep sigh rattled behind them.
"How disappointing. A battle between those two would've gotten me good material…" Jaret couldn't help but be annoyed.
The audience spilled out into the lobby. Some of them had tracked down the coordinators to inquire, and others conversed with other fans about their favorite matches and most embarrassing mishaps. He had heard Seria's name a little too many times, and began to wonder if she had slipped away with everyone watching her. Viola's voice had probably been the only thing that kept him from becoming overwhelmed."
"We haven't seen Virgil in a long while…"
"I don't think there's any reason to worry about him." Jaret replied, scanning through the crowd. "I wouldn't doubt if he were in here somewhere. There's a lot of people here."
"Are you looking for him now?"
"Well, not exactly. I'm actually looking for–"
Click!
Jaret whipped around and nearly tripped over Viola, but she skirted deftly out of the way. Cameras shuttered and flashed across the contest hall, but all of them had been just out of tune, a little too bright with their flashes to be the one that he had familiarized so quickly. The sound of that camera would lead him back to that rude photographer behind them. She might have been disqualified, but Seria had managed a surprising run (by Rising Moon standards, at least), and it was something that still needed to be acknowledged. He was also strong, and if anything, Jaret was curious about that strength.
He sifted through the crowd, following that certain tone of the camera. It would come close and then sway out of reach and back into the noise. Jaret grumbled. Viola's voice sounded from across the hall. When had he lost her?
"Hey Jaret! I found your guy!" Jaret was quick, again sliding around and shifting through bodies in the crowd to bring Viola into view, and near her, the photographer. His focus came up from his camera and over to him with his brow knitted and eyes dark; a glower. Jaret was already moving toward him, steel intention in his stride. He nearly didn't register Viola's quiet "what's wrong" when he went by her.
Up close, his expression was even darker, and Jaret wouldn't have been surprised if that glare of his wasn't just his normal face. Jaret felt his face twisting to match it. Where did this man get on seeing someone else's embarrassment as his to demean?
"She did her best, you know." It came out sharper than he had intended. A brow went up. "Seria did her best. Just because she was disqualified in the final round doesn't mean you can take pictures of it." The photographer was silent, but his hands were deft and the block of teal formed in his hands fast.
Click!
Again with the camera…!
"Embarrassment or not, it was still a part of her legacy, a part of the contest and of the world." His attention went back down to the camera as he fingered through the settings.
"But that's not your call. She was mortified!" He turned to him, eyes blazing.
"I am a photographer. I'm appalled that you would think I would commodify someone's vulnerability." Jaret sucked in a breath. That hadn't been what he was expecting. "The photos I take are meant to embody the world completely. That means all of the beauty and all of the despair." He exhaled a tense breath. "And, if you're a trainer, I'm surprised that you would underestimate how helpful it could be to see your mistakes captured on video, or in a photo." Jaret's jaw tightened. He loosely registered Viola's hand brushing over and resting over his forearm, a subtle "calm down". He stifled the urge to pull his arm away.
"What would a photographer know about Pokemon training?"
"Exactly what a trainer would know, considering I am one." Jaret's face wound tighter.
"You? A trainer? Weren't you just talking about photography?"
"A strong river has many creeks."
"Spare me the metaphors," Jaret spat. His eyes went past the photographer, through the floor windows, and out to the contest hall open field to draw out all of his Pokémon: Arcanine with his immense and bursting presence to Lucario with his usual solemn expression. Eevee was already running around rambunctious with Leavanny tailing after her, and Pidgeot was more than likely to be in the air, working on some new maneuver to improve his flight. His hand went to his waist, to a sixth registered Pokemon that had insisted on staying inside his ball; Viola and her PokeDéx came to mind. If they came to a place where there weren't so many people, then maybe the two of them would have a chance to really battle.
Jaret came to when a paw tapped against him, and he glanced down to his Lucario peering back up toward him. He must have made his way back into the contest hall to check on him, something that Jaret should have figured would happen. For a moment, Jaret stared and Lucario stared back. When Jaret turned back toward the photographer, Lucario snapped to attention too. The photographer had been poised to take another photo, this time of Jaret's own Lucario, but let it drop with a thump against his chest.
"How many Pokémon will we be using," he asked.
"Full battle. Give me everything you got."
"Jaret, wait. We didn't come here to battle," His eyes flashed over to her. "We already agreed that we should be getting to Ecruteak sooner than later." Jaret didn't respond. "And, we still have to find Virgil."
"Don't worry," Jaret quipped. "This isn't gonna' take long. I thought he was strong, but I guess he's just a photographer with a knack for aesthetics." Viola went quickly to the photographer with a hushed tone.
"I'm sorry about my friend. It's…been a long competition and he may just be a little irritable. We're actually in the middle of something urgent and looking for our friend to head to Ecruteak. Please don't take it personally, but perhaps this battle could be postponed?" His glare came down to her, like lightning; Viola held firm. Then, he grinned, the curve of his lips seeming eerily out of place.
"I'm surprised," came a stolid reply. "People are frightened by the way I look. I can't tell if it's because I do that supposed scowl, or if I just look strong. I thought you would have backed away by now." Viola held firm. " But, your friend is right. This won't take long." Viola paused for a moment.
"Then, since I can't convince you otherwise, then can we at least get your name?" His chuckle was amused and sardonic.
"It's Ryuu." His eyes flicked past her, and honed entirely on Jaret. "You should get back over there. Wouldn't want to discourage your friend; he might think you're on my side." Viola nodded and made her way back to Jaret's side.
The tower reached high from where he stood, and it was impossible not to see its soft swaying in the wind. The design was used to help protect against earthquakes, and Virgil wondered if it would have worked for a Pokemon that decided to use that same move in the tower.
Virgil also wondered how, exactly, he had gone into the tower to find answers about Jaret that inevitably led to him looking back at himself. The elder talked in metaphors in cryptic language, but the one thing that Virgil had clearly understood was that the elder had asked him what he knew about Marus. Virgil huffed.
He didn't know anything. He knew that Marus fought, and that Marus died. He knew that he lived through a harsher time than he could ever imagine, and knew that it was all a long time ago. There was nothing else that he could possibly know, save for his familiarity with the subjugation the Elder had mentioned. It wasn't something that happened too often from what Virgil could remember, or rather, if he decided to remember. If he decided to not to remember, then he didn't know anything.
That subjugation had been the thing that had chased off the roughnecks in the alley, when a thought would enter his mind and become him. It was what pushed him to fight Jin. He always fell under that weight that would push his mind back and render his own life a movie to him, inevitably ending almost always, in violence.
Virgil slammed his fist into the ground, and then even harder the second time around. Pain flashed across his knuckles and webbed out across his hand that left it numb and with a finger or two ballooning and discolored shortly after. He watched his hand closely as the discoloration stopped, then pulsed as it would glow gold and burn like fire and swallow his hand entirely, dimming back down to leave him a mended hand as if nothing had ever happened.
The last thing he had wanted to be was dragged into the supernatural; Johto's tradition was heavy about it and it always annoyed him. Things like this were supposed to stay history. How was he supposed to give anyone any kind of honesty when he didn't even know what was going on? Presence filled the space in front of him and he looked up, directly into a stern-faced Dewott, chittering and clicking in annoyance. Virgil turned his attention away from him, over toward his Ampharos. He was still unconscious, and Lucario had insisted on being able to take a look at him as soon as possible. A paw tapped furiously against his leg and Virgil turned listlessly back over to Dewott.
"In case you haven't noticed, I can't necessarily understand you." Dewott stepped back, offended, and exploded with fury, all of it very typical and their recent normal. But it had been a second damp paw, aggressive against his knee that had struck something. Virgil shot to his feet.
"Look, you little rat, you can go on about 'discipline' and 'strength' all you like, but we were crushed on national television even after we gave it our best! And it wasn't. Good enough. I'm no Alice, and you're no Bitey so why don't you just lay off and drop it already!?" Dewott drew back and the anger skittered into nothing. Virgil's mind came back to him, and a hand came to his mouth. Dewott was the farthest thing from a Rattata.
He needed to find Jaret and Viola, and they needed to get to Ecruteak soon. He went to his belt, finding Ampharos's ball and recalled the Pokemon in a beam of light; his face was stern as he strode past Lucario and Dewott quickly.
"Lucario," He paused for a moment. "Dewott, we have to go." And then, Virgil was racing back toward the city with Lucario in tow.
Dewott glared as he watched them go. Lucario threw a glance over his shoulder at least twice in concern. He was always so meek, following Virgil's every order and always eager to help, even if Virgil wasn't Virgil. His evolution from Oshawott wasn't just pure luck, and Dewott wished Virgil would remember that, along with the two or three flawless victories they had managed over gym leaders in a winner-take-all format. Jaret was the exception and not the rule, and Jin was the same way. The Virgil he knew would know that. Whoever this Virgil was, would never get him to bend so easily.
He turned around with a huff, paws at his waist and bumped into a pair of thin, spindly legs. He glanced up to gold eyes, dark hair and a pitying smile.
"It's okay, it's okay…" She looked down the path; Virgil had disappeared and turned back to Dewott. "Don't worry about that awful trainer of yours. I'll treat you much better." Her smile remained while Dewott only stared back with stern discipline.
Lucario leapt back with a Blaziken in perfect step with him. Their exchanges were fast, fluid and wherever Blaziken's talons went, Lucario was always, if narrowly, dodging them. But Ryuu's Blaziken, or "Shinobu" was quick, and Lucario had caught a stray blow on an elbow that sent him sliding back from the force alone. Shinobu reset himself to form.
"Fight harder." It was a short command, but Shinobu bore down on Lucario in an instant, and became even more fierce than before. Swipes and dodges whirred between the two, and Lucario caught—deflected—-a few more strays that weren't lost on Jaret. Slowly but surely, Shinobu was overwhelming Lucario. Jaret dug his fingers into his palms; he had to wait for his chance.
The third exchange saw more of the same: flurries from Shinobu, and even more deflection from Lucario than before. Jaret watched as Shinobu's talon cut air; just short of range. Lucario had timed the dodge perfectly; Lucario was focused.
That was good.
Shinobu spun with his swipe, a burning foot arching back toward Lucario. Lucario moved in toward the kick and faster than Shinobu expected; both moves had caught Shinobu off-guard. This was their chance.
"Close Combat!" Lucario shunted Shinobu's blow aside. The first blow had been ignored, and Shinobu poised to attack but a kick into Shinobu's leg had quickly upended that. From there, Lucario gave himself entirely to offense, bringing a fourth exchange that put Shinobu on the defensive as he fought to stave off Lucario. A strike rang true, strong enough for Shinobu to stumble; it was another opportunity. Lucario jumped to reach Shinobu's height, a compressed hue of deep violet in his paws that lengthened itself into a shimmering beam when Lucario threw it forward.
"Like water," Ryuu thundered and Shinobu with fluid movement, spun down to the ground and below Dragon Pulse. "Skyward!" Shinobu shifted to a kneel, legs taut with power; energy swirled inward toward a talon. The next moment, Shinobu snapped upwards with an uppercut.
Shit!
Jaret thought on his feet. The Close Combat did bring Lucario into focus…
"Psychic, and move!" Lucario flickered and Shinobu's uppercut had passed by, or rather, through Lucario. Lucario's body flickered again, this time dissolving. Shinobu was still for a fleeting second, before he threw a talon out, counter clockwise, to catch a surprised Lucario's wrist.
A shuttering click, familiar and now infuriating, commanded Jaret's focus over to the photographer, Ryuu. The camera swayed timidly around his neck. It had been a quick take and Ryuu had to have let go as fast as he had snatched it up for a photo. Multi-tasking was a sure fire way to lose a battle, and despite that, it didn't bother Ryuu at all. If anything, Jaret was certain that Ryuu probably would have insisted on it. He had, as far as Jaret could tell, captured the exact moment when Shinobu caught hold of Lucario, something that multitasking during a fast-paced battle just didn't mesh well with. Jaret frowned.
Ryuu had been one step ahead of him.
"Shinobu, wrap this up." Shinobu's grip tightened, and Ryuu gave the first real command of the battle. "Flamethrower." Shinobu obliged, powerful flames bursting from his beak to blast Lucario free from his talons and into the dirt unconscious.
"Lucario!" Jaret rushed to his downed Pokémon and took him into his arms. He kept his head down and eyes averted from both of them. The battle raced through Jaret's mind, from the opening moves and through each of the four exchanges, Lucario had been able to hold his own, but was admittedly on the back-foot. It wasn't a place Jaret or his Pokemon found themselves often, and not once had Jaret found himself like this.
A warm tuft of fur nuzzled at his leg, and Jaret figured it could be only one Pokemon,
"No," Jaret refused. "This is too dangerous for you, Eevee, okay?" She grumbled in response, stamping her feet indignant as she gestured to Lucario. "No," Jaret repeated. "I'm not gonna' let you end up hurt like Lucario or Pidgeot. So you have to sit back and watch, okay?" He laid Lucario off to the side with Viola and turned to Ryuu. He was still stern, still expressionless. .
"Your next Pokémon?" Jaret ignored Eevee's aggressive nudges at his legs and scanned over his team, eyes passing between his remaining Pokemon. The poke-ball at his waist shifted again. His eyes settled on Leavanny. It was possible that the type disadvantage could work in his favor again. It was worth a shot, he supposed. He was ready to call on her, but the air suddenly shifted; Eevee had taken aim with a Shadow Ball.
"Eevee, don't...!" She fired and Jaret turned just in time to see Shinobu rend through the energy with his talons. Shinobu leapt in, aiming to fell Eevee in one go. Eevee squeaked in panic and turned to scurry away, her feet slipping from under her as she tried, then curled, terrified, into a ball to brace herself. Instead of a blow, soft warmth swirled around her, and her eyes fluttered open, looking up to find Arcanine standing over her. She chirped relief to him and dove into his fur in tears. Arcanine gave her a nurturing nudge of his nose before turning to Jaret with a determined smirk, and then a scowl toward Shinobu and Ryuu. Shinobu turned back to Ryuu, who nodded as he spoke.
"Well then, I guess it's round two."
A/N: That marks the end of all the action, and a smooth, in my opinion, introduction of Ryuu Sinclair, submitted by Tendou Souji (Kiwami no Sengoku). I don't think the original intro was too bad either, just a little dated. And, as for general readers, if you've made it this far, thanks! I appreciate it! Also, I really like the facelift I've given the first round for Jaret v Ryuu. The next chapter will dive a little more into that, but I will say as many times as I've gone over this fic, I've been showing a lot of love to Jaret's Arcanine, but he is a powerhouse after all :D But, the next chapter is coming in two weeks time, so I'll see you guys then!
Fun Fact: Jin isn't an OC per say, but an NPC located in the Sprout Tower that I fleshed out and added onto a bit, essentially turning him into a massive reference to both Tekken and Pokken. In Japanese, his name can translate into "Rapid" or "Swift" depending on the Kanji and is a reference to "Jin Kazama. Jin's Pikachu, on the other hand, named 'Kiai' is the name of the usually two syllable utterances used in martial arts . I chose 'Kiai' as Jin Pikachu's name to give homage to "Pikachu Mishima" in Pokken and Heihachi in Tekken, while Kiai's gender is homage to Reina, Heihachi's daughter introduced in Tekken 8. Taking all this in consideration, Jin and Kiai's "God Fist" is quite literally Tekken's EWGF or "Electric Wind God Fist" for anyone not familiar with the term, which is a faster, stronger and overall better version of the standard WGF or "Wind God Fist" that is performed through Just-frame (or "perfect") inputs. I think because of this as well as some added scenes for pacing really bogged me down. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and feel free to drop a review if you really liked/hated it.