Lapis challenged Brawly, the Dewford Town Gym Leader, after navigating through the latter's mostly pitch-dark maze. Though he struggled slightly against the surfer's Makuhita, the Nuzlocker defeated him with just two Pokémon and earned his second Gym badge. Lapis was finally able to venture further into Granite Cave and hand Steven his letter. The former Champion advised the young Trainer to give Onyx another chance to prove herself. With those words in mind, Lapis exchanged the Poochyena with Apatite and gave her more training. Lapis was then about to leave the island when an outburst forces him to change plans. What is the outburst about and how will Lapis handle staying a little longer?
PS- Don't forget to vote in my current poll about my fifth anniversary or PM me any questions you would like me to answer :D
Lapis' Pokémon:
Zuli (Lvl. 18 Marshtomp, male): Impish Nature, Torrent Ability, moves: Tackle, Growl, Mud Slap, Water Gun
Citrine (Lvl. 15 Makuhita, female): Timid Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Arm Thrust, Vital Throw
Tiger Eyes (Lvl. 15 Zigzagoon, male): Quiet Nature, Pickup Ability, moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Headbutt
Agate (Lvl. 17 Beautifly, female): Quirky Nature, Swarm Ability, moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Gust, Absorb
Moonstone (Lvl. 19 Taillow, female): Naive Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Peck, Growl, Focus Energy, Quick Attack
Onyx (Lvl. 13 Poochyena, female): Mild Nature, Run Away Ability, moves: Tackle, Howl, Sand Attack, Bite
Chapter 12: A Change in Direction
Lapis and Onyx strolled around Dewford Town. Despite the sun starting to set over the island, he didn't want to head back to the hostel just yet.
His Poochyena noticed his hesitation. "What's wrong, Lapis?"
He sighed. "I know you've been training hard lately and you just got Bite, but do you want to keep goin'?"
"R-Really?"
"Why the stutter?"
"S-Sorry! It's just that… I'm still not used to you wanting me to train more."
"It's been a week since I said that."
She rubbed her right paw. "I know… But I'm still happy you said that…"
Onyx thought she saw her Trainer smirk, but he looked at the sunset. But before they could return to Route 106, they heard loud shouting coming from the beach.
The teen frowned. "What the hell's that all about?"
"Should we investigate?"
Lapis was about to respond when Weldon stormed into the town limits towards the Pokémon Center.
"Somethin's up. Looks like trainin's canceled."
She nodded and returned into her ball.
Lapis walked into the building and saw a startled Nurse Mura. But she regained her composure as she accepted the Trainer's Poké Balls.
While she healed his Pokémon, he asked, "What's up with Leland?"
"I...I don't know… He just requested to leave and is getting his things now."
"That ain't like him at all. What about Scorcher?"
"I guess she's going to still stay here for the time-being."
The frazzled boy returned to the desk, handing over his room key.
"I'm sorry I'm leaving early, Nurse Mura," he apologized. "I just… I can't be here right now."
"I understand, Weldon. Where are you going?"
"Back home to Pallet Town"
Just like what Brawly and Steven were worried about. Ugh…guess I got no choice but to stick around.
Weldon looked at the person leaning on the desk and jumped back. "L-Lapis! How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough. And I heard the yellin' earlier. I thought I told you Scorcher's not ditchin' you! Are you stupid?!"
Weldon gritted his teeth. "I keep telling myself that…but I can't delude myself anymore. She…She deserves someone better…"
Lapis rolled his eyes. "I can't believe this… Look, it's gettin' late, shouldn't you wait till mornin' to decide?"
"Lapis is right," the nurse added. "Besides, the next ferries leaving the island won't run until tomorrow morning."
"I see." Knowing he had no other choice, Weldon crossed his arms. "Fine… But I still don't want to stay here. Is there anywhere else I can stay at?"
The teen bit his lip. "Well...you can…crash at the place I'm stayin' at."
"Oh, good idea, Lapis!" she exclaimed. "You two should exit out the side door to avoid Summer. I'll try to slow her down as much as I can."
The boys nodded, and they walked back into town. Weldon purposefully hid behind Lapis to avoid being detected. The latter rolled his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut.
"So where's the place you're staying at?" Weldon whispered.
"Eh...kinda hard to explain."
The Kantonian smirked. "Is it that bad?"
"No… It's just...weird…"
When they arrived at the hostel, they were temporarily blinded by the flashing sign of the building.
"Damn it!" Lapis cursed. "It's too early for it to be on!"
Weldon blinked. "I...I can see what you mean, Lapis…"
"Are you backin' out?"
The boy winced but replied, "No, I'm not."
Shaking his head, the teen murmured, "Let's get the check-in over with."
Lapis swung the doors open, startling Ryder.
"Dear Arceus!" the owner exclaimed, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Lapis?!"
"Tch, whatever, Ryder. I bet that's the most excitin' thing that's happened to you all week."
"No…" Ryder then noticed Lapis' companion. "Who's your friend here?"
"We ain't that close, man."
Weldon softly smiled. "Like he said. Anyway, I'm Weldon, and I'm looking for a room."
"Well then, you've come to the right place. The name's Ryder, owner and proprietor of the Trendy Town Hostel."
The newcomer looked at the tacky decor. "Sure… This is trendy…"
"Hey, if you think this is trendy, think again!" Ryder pulled out a rectangular plastic case. On it was the movie cover of various anthropomorphic bikes.
"What's that, a CD?"
"Even better! This my friends, is the latest thing. A Digital Video Disc, or DVD, of the latest movie, Bikes!"
"Right…" Lapis said slowly. "Anyway. Can you check him in? He's kinda in a rush."
"Oh, right! ID?"
Weldon handed him his Trainer ID, and Ryder scanned it. "Oh, no wonder why you look so familiar. You're Camilla's second son."
The younger Trainer sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"
The man chuckled. "You're getting recognized around here, huh? Your mom is quite the celebrity. She actually comes here when she stays on the island. It's kind of surprising, actually."
I'm sure it is…
Ryder completed the check-in form and gave him his room key. "You've got Room 105, past the front desk."
"Thanks. I'll see you in a bit." Weldon headed into the hallway.
Lapis waited in the common room and once he sat down on a couch away from the reception desk, he saw Summer come in. Though he couldn't make out the conversation, he could tell she was worried. After a few minutes, she left, and Weldon returned. He talked to Ryder for a bit before making his way towards Lapis.
"How's the room?"
"Well," Weldon said as he sat down. "It's very different from the rooms at the Pokémon Center. But it's got the basics."
As the boy looked out the window showing the main street, Lapis informed, "You know, Scorcher came by."
"Yeah," he replied, fidgeting. "I heard her talking to Ryder. She…really is worried about me."
"Told ya. You really gonna leave then?"
"I guess...not yet… But I still don't want her to see me. I can't let her get distracted before she battles the Gym."
"You can still hide 'round here, ya know."
He chuckled. "I wish. But I really should get some training in."
"Why?"
"Just because I'm on hiatus doesn't mean I've been slacking off. I've actually been training on my own while Summer's been with Jayden. But how am I going to get to Granite Cave without being seen?"
"There's a path to the surfing beach east of here. It eventually loops around to Granite Cave towards the training beach."
"Huh. I never knew about that. How far is it from here?"
Lapis whipped out the map Nurse Mura gave him. "About a mile. I gotta get in more trainin' anyways."
"Hm. Is it okay if I join you?"
The Nuzlocker raised an eyebrow. "Guess so. Just don't get in my way."
Weldon laughed. "Don't worry, we're not the same experience level. Anyways, I should get some rest. See you tomorrow."
Lapis leaned into the couch as his companion returned to his room. Guess that's now the excuse for more training.
A few days later...
In the bowels of Granite Cave, Lapis stared at the ceiling with a shining Agate while Weldon was training nearby with his Venusaur. The teen grumbled as he saw the Trainer using a flashlight to illuminate the room.
"So not fair!" he exclaimed before looking at his tablet. "At least everyone's gettin' up there."
Weldon walked over, wiping his brow. "How's the training going?"
"Eh, the same."
The boy was confused. "I still don't know how your Pokémon are getting stronger if you're just lying on the ground…"
"The less effort I put into trainin', the better. It gets boring after a while, you know."
"I guess it does since you're doing that challenge. But it does build up a bond with your Pokémon if you train alongside them."
The teen smirked. "Ain't that what's Summer's doin'?"
Weldon bit his lip. "You don't have to remind me, Lapis…" He sat on the ground, troubled. "After thinking about it for a while, I can see why Summer wanted to work one-on-one with Blaze. She worries about her Pokémon's wellbeing, and she's not a person who resorts to physical violence. It-It's hard to build a strong bond with a Pokémon whose type you're not used to working with."
"You can say that again," Lapis stated as he watched Onyx defeat a wild Zubat.
Weldon looked at his Pokégear. "It's getting late. Should we head back?"
"Sure." Lapis returned all of his Pokémon except for Agate.
They were about to leave when they heard something approach from the other side of the room. When it got closer to Weldon's flashlight, the light revealed a blond-haired, tanned boy wearing a black skin-tight top and dark blue cropped pants. His sapphire blue eyes sparkled under the intense light.
"Oh, hi there," the boy greeted in a strong and confident tone. "I didn't expect anyone to be down here at night."
Lapis was uninterested by the stranger, but Weldon was a little unnerved.
The boy recognized the one about his age. "Hey, you're traveling with Summer, right? Weldon? I know we haven't officially met, but I"m-"
"Harry Waves. Yeah, I know."
"Oh." Harry bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Weldon."
"For what?"
"For making things awkward between you and Summer."
"Like this is?" Lapis muttered under his breath.
The spiky-haired boy turned to the delinquent. "You're Lapis, aren't you? I've been following your journey, and I'm quite impressed."
"Not if you're doin' it. Trainin' sucks and this challenge sucks. The only thing worst is juvie."
This struck a chord with Harry, but he said, "Do you all want to leave together? I'm heading back to town anyways."
"Fine with me. Leland?"
"S-Sure…"
The boys walked back to the entrance, with Weldon trailing behind. Lapis took this opportunity to probe Harry's history.
"So what's your deal, Waves?"
"My deal?"
"Yeah. You a Trainer too?"
"A while back. I won the Hoenn League Junior Division during my first year."
"You're that good, huh? Then why're you here and not travelin' around?"
He paused. "I'm...taking a break from battling right now. I'd like to travel again, but it's not the best time for me. Besides, I'm learning how to surf from my dad."
"Your dad?" The teen glanced at his appearance. "He a famous surfer or somethin'?"
"I guess you can say that," Harry said with a chuckle. "After all, you've met him already."
The Nuzlocker crossed his arms, then it hit him. It can't be… They don't look alike at all… But still, who else can it be? "Let me guess, Brawly?"
"Yeah, that's right! But you don't sound convinced."
"I mean, he did tell me he had a son, but you're more...mellow than I expected."
"Mellow? Oh, did he tell you how I was before?"
"More or less."
Lapis expected a response, but Harry remained silent.
They returned to the familiar Route 106 beach and saw two silhouettes shuffling along the shoreline. When they got closer, they saw Brawly practicing his punches and kicks with a Hariyama, who used his large hands as mitts. Lapis was intrigued by the Gym Leader's speed and power, but he noticed Weldon flinched with every sound of the hand or foot making contact.
After a few minutes, Brawly finished his onslaught with a two-punch, one-kick combination. As he bounced lightly on the sand, he said without pausing, "Thanks, Surge. I really needed that."
The Arm Thrust Pokémon nodded and motioned to another Poké Ball on his Trainer's belt.
His Trainer stopped moving. "Oh, all right. You and Kentō can play around for a bit. Besides, it looks like we have some visitors." He let out the Makuhita Lapis battled before, and the two practiced their moves nearby.
Brawly then turned to the group with a smile. "You boys are out late."
"S-Sorry, Dad," Harry apologized.
The Gym Leader beamed. "You don't have to apologize, Harry. I don't mind if you visit the training beach at night once in a while. But what about you two?"
Lapis responded, "Finished some trainin'."
"Ah, the answer I expected from you, Lapis. You too, Weldon?"
The Kantonian was surprised. "You know my name?"
The Gym Leader gave him a soft smile. "Of course, Weldon Leland. After all, I owe a lot of my career choices to your mom. She's the one who inspired me to come here as I trained to become a Gym Leader."
Harry was shocked. "Wait, you're also Camilla's son, Weldon?"
After Weldon slowly nodded, Lapis raised an eyebrow. "Also?"
His companion clenched his fists. "I…have an older half-brother… We're not exactly on friendly terms."
Brawly, seeing the boy's hesitation, changed the subject. "Can I ask you something personal, Weldon? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
He sighed. "I have a feeling about what it is. It's about Summer, isn't it?"
"Spot on. Are you scared about her training with Blaze?"
Weldon stared at the two Fighting types punching in the air. "I...I"m not scared about the training. It's just...being around Fighting types-"
"Makes you nervous?" When he got the confirmation, Brawly chuckled. "Don't worry. I had similar feelings when I was younger."
Harry laughed. "You, Dad? But you're such a dedicated martial artist."
"Not back then. Do you mind if I tell you all a story?"
His son was eager to, but the other two weren't. Lapis wanted to slink away from the conversation, but for some reason, he felt inclined to stay, like an unwilling silent witness. Harry and Lapis sat down, though the former moved quicker than the latter. Seeing that no one was leaving, Weldon reluctantly followed suit.
With everyone in their places, Brawly sat in front of them. He took a deep breath and began his story.
"When I was younger and when Surge was just a Makuhita, I studied martial arts at the Saffron City Dojo. But deep down, I wanted to become a professional surfer and a Water-type Gym Leader. Then when I was ten, I was invited to watch a wrestling event in Saffron City. I was bored at first, but when I watched the main event, I was stunned to see one of the wrestlers using a Floatzel, a Water type from the Sinnoh Region, during his match. Despite him being a fighter, he was able to win without using a Fighting type. By a stroke of luck, I was able to meet him in person after the match. We talked for a bit, and I asked why he used a Water type. He told me that though he was a Water type Gym Leader, Water and Fighting types have a similar drive to survive and better themselves. Because of that, the wrestling techniques he mastered allowed him to apply those same methods in his Gym battles. He then got me thinking about the skills I was learning at the Dojo, and I realized that my interest of being by the water was because I enjoyed the free-flowing movements in martial arts. I then decided that I would pursue surfing as a hobby and gained a new appreciation in martial arts. Eventually, I was able to move here after I passed the Gym Leader examination. Now I can teach martial arts and surf at the same place."
His son was entranced. "Wow, Dad. That was really cool. Is that why there's a picture of you and the wrestlers in the lobby, Dad?"
He ruffled Harry's hair. "Spot on, Harry. I keep it there because I want to remember that revelation every day. The reason why I am who I am." He turned to Weldon. "So you see, Weldon, you can't be so close-minded when it comes to typing. Who knows? Maybe you'll learn something that'll help you become a better Trainer."
Weldon weakly smiled. "I'll think about it, Brawly. But thanks for the story."
"Sure thing, Weldon."
Harry crossed his arms. "But something doesn't make sense, Dad."
"What's on your mind, Harry?"
Harry frowned. "If you wanted to become a Gym Leader, how did you end of becoming a professional kickboxer?"
A kickboxer? He doesn't look like one. .
"Oh, that," Brawly leaned back and stared at the sky. "Long story short, I was under a lot of pressure from my guardian, who later became my manager. That was the reason I was at the Dojo in the first place. You see, my dad was a kickboxing champion, and he wanted me and my older brother to follow in his footsteps before he passed away. I did my best to resist going pro, as I've always been against using violence unless necessary, but my guardian was stubborn. I ended up fighting for about three years until I lost an important match." He leaned on his knee and gritted his teeth. "Anyway, it's getting late. We should all head back."
He motioned to Surge, who cradled a sleeping Kentō. After he returned his Pokémon, the group walked back to Dewford Town. Brawly allowed his son to walk on ahead while Weldon and Lapis followed behind him.
The Nuzlocker noticed the Kantonian's blank expression. "What's wrong this time, Leland?"
Weldon groaned. "It's nothing, Lapis. I just need to confirm something with Brawly."
He caught up with the surfer and they began to talk in private. But Lapis stayed back. He had enough social interaction for one day.
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of Weldon's struggles?
What did you think of Harry?
What did you think of Brawly's story?
