Chapter 8

Mahogany Town

Ah. The smell of home.

Well, Brad's home at least. Though I think one of the few things he and I would agree on is how nice a cool temperate breeze feels. It's Autumn now and we're right in the middle of that transition between the hot and cold seasons. It always gets a little more chilly in Mahogany -for obvious reasons- and it's the perfect weather to break out a light jacket.

The town is relatively small, just like in the series. There's a reason it hasn't earned that 'city' designation yet despite its long history.. In fact, Azalea's near twice as big and it hasn't earned the privilege of that name change either. Of all the settlements on this half of Indigo, only New Bark Town is smaller. 'And we'll see how long that lasts. New Bark's population rises and rises every year whereas Mahogany…has been this way for a loooong time. I give it five years until she's back on the bottom.'

Old faces wave as I pass them by, chewing on the Oran Berry and chocolate of my Rage Candy Bar. There's the Martins who run a bakery. Mr. Takahashi, who owns the Poké Mart and Ms. Lila, who's Brad memory tells me used to babysit him when he was little.

My feet take me past the infamous 'souvenir shop' and…yep. It seems like they've finally moved in.

There's a young man sweeping the porch out front and though he looks about as cliché a shopkeep as one can be -white shirt, green apron, yellow broom- I recognize him as a Grunt from some of my Rocket dealings.

He pauses in his chore to meet my eye as I walk past…gives a silent nod of acknowledgement as men often do…and then drops his gaze down to go right back to his work.

'It certainly took them long enough to get that place operating.' After all, I helped lay its foundations months ago.

There's a rather large advertisement set up right next to the Poké Center. A big colorful booth with a League functionary manning it with a smile. Her dress suit is canary yellow and…oh snap! For real?

The League's hosting a mid-season tournament up at the Lake of Rage in a few days! How did I not see notices back when I was in Ecruteak or Goldenrod? Did I just miss them?

'Let's see here'. I step up to the booth to begin reading the details of the event proper. 'Matches will be 3v3, entree fee of 1,500 which could be worse…Holy crap! Prize pool of 250,000 Poké dollars split among Top 8 with additional items to be revealed later!' Now that's something that might be worth our time. Since this is being sponsored by the League as opposed to just a city or company you just know the prizes will be worth it.
'Competitors must have at least two Gym Badges but less than eight…aww sick! It's a tourney to see new up-and-comers. That'll keep the really high levelers out.' I feel a grin creeping up as I continue to read. 'Tournament will be five-rounds Swiss followed by a cut to Top 8 competitors. Nice!'

Of course the words don't actually say 'Swiss' here. It's 'Sevii' instead. My brain just likes to mentally replace it as it means the same thing here. Straight elimination-style tournaments have been falling out of favor ever since a new format hit the mainland from the Sevii Islands and was met with a roar of approval.

For those unfamiliar with the 'Swiss' system, well…they can look it up. I ain't got time to explain it to you. The important part is you can't get eliminated by just one bad match. A Ground specialist like me might obliterate a Fire themed trainer only to then get shredded by a heavy Grass team right after.

Does that mean the Grass trainer was the strongest of all three of us? No! It very well could have been the Fire guy. It's all just rock-paper-scissors but on a larger scale. The Sevii style minimizes this issue and provides a much better chance that when it's time to list the quarter-finalists, it's the eight most deserving of being there.

The one major downside is that it makes tournaments take longer. Usually whole days instead of just one, singular. Straight elimination tournaments may not always provide the "correct" winner, but they are certainly efficient at getting there.

Of course, if you go ask the copper counters over at the League then they wouldn't say this is a downside at all. More days to sell merchandise. More meals for stalls to sell food. More rounds for competitors to buy Gems. You remember the words I had on that particular subject don't you?

The woman in yellow offers me a clipboard and I scan down the list. 'Already over seventy people signed up huh? Well, nothing ventured…' I scribble my signature and hand over the 1,500.

I'm already looking forward to it.

Breeding Reserve, just outside Mahogany

"Bubbles, you big bastard!" I launch myself at the Mamoswine to start giving him scritches under his massive chin, something he croons into with a big eye-smile. "How you been doing big guy?"

I look around his icy throne at all the Piloswine lounging about a few feet lower than him. All female I notice. "Aww you big lug, as though I need to ask!" I move the scratches over to his ears, hidden underneath his fur. "You went and got yourself a harem while I've been away! You horny devil you!"

"Mamo!" he agrees, bumping his forehead against me happily. "Mamo!"

The old man clears his throat behind me, interrupting my very heartfelt reunion. "If you're just about finished..."

Gym Leader Pryce is a rather surly old man. A 'curmudgeon' to put a fancier word on it. He's been doing the job twice as long as I've been alive and he's just about as set in his ways as any geriatric senior citizen can get.

He is cold. Bad-tempered. Curt. And the living embodiment of the phrase 'these youngsters need to get off my lawn.'

I liked him immediately.

It's a shame there were years and years of him not liking Bradley in the way preventing us from getting along. 'I swear, you break the heart of one teenage granddaughter and all of a sudden you're persona non grata for the next decade. Technically it wasn't even me that did it! Actually… since we're on the subject, I wonder if that's the reason he kept Brad employed at the Gym so long? Someone he didn't like that he could give all the worst jobs to. Seems like the right amount of petty for him.'

"Alright, alright." I hop down from the ledge and dust my hands off of all the snow. "A deal's a deal. Show me what you got and the secret's yours. You'll have your own Mamoswines before the first winter storm hits.""Hmph." The man grunts, turning away and walking towards the reserve's main compound, his walking stick clanking with each hard thump against the ice. "Not going to galavant off to cavort among foreigners again for a few months?"

I smile. He's trying to needle me. Get me to defend my actions. Plus there's that 'oh he's from a different generation' brand of old timer racism right there at the end too. Bonus points.

"Nope." I respond simply, keeping my grin nice and wide.

The seventy-four year old glances back at me, expecting more of a response than that, but then shakes his head and moves on with an irritated huff.

The nursery is a stark contrast from the frigid reserve outside, in the sense that the nursery is rather not stark at all. It's a warm colorful room filled with pinks and yellows, photos hang on the wall, and little squealing piglets squirm around as a staff member bottle feeds them. There's a mama Piloswine in the corner but it's clear that she's using this as a moment to rest. You might too given the chance if you were in her situation.

I give a good looksie over the eight or nine Swinub in the room. All Lv. 1 and freshly hatched. No, wait, one precocious little guy at Lv. 2. Good for him. There's not any real stinkers in this group potential-wise, but not really any winners either. The highest is a C+. And while that would end up somewhere in 'B' after two evolutions and make a better Mamoswine than Bubbles at his peak, we are trying to aim for a bit better.

"What else you got?"

Pryce subtly frowns. "Is there something wrong? These are all perfectly healthy."

I nod in agreement. "I know. I just want to see what else you got. Review my options."

"You said you wanted to start fresh," Pryce's eyes tighten. "These are as fresh as it gets. Barely a few days old."

"And I might come back to one of these." I reassure. "What do you have in the next group up? One's that don't need bottle feeding anymore."

With another of his signature 'old man grunts' the Gym Leader led me to an enclosure that connected to the outside via a little doggy door. A half and half type of shelter that let young Swinub experience the cold of outside and still be able to run back in to the safety of the 'den'.

And wouldn't you know it? They were all worse. D's and E's the lot of 'em! That's not only bad, it's statistically impressive! The data points I've gathered from wild Pokémon say there should've been at least one that was better.

"Mmm," My hand rubs at my chin as I make a look of thinking it over. "What else you got?"

"What else you got?"

"What else you got?"

"What else you got?"

"That's enough!" Pryce snaps after the fifth rejection. "Carolyn," he angrily turns to an aide. "Bring in Delilah! I'm too old to play games like this!"

The staff member goes wide eyed, clearly wanting to object, but seeing the unhappy glare of her boss she chooses to meekly bow her head instead.

'Delilah?' "You holdin' out on me old man?"

The Gym Leader turns to me, a sharp reprimand on his tongue, when his eyes zero in at my waist. The particular pose I'm in letting him see my roster of Pokéballs for the first time.

"Bradley," his voice turns hard. Colder than the harshest winter storm. "What is that thing still doing on your belt?"

My fingers brush over Quagsire's Net Ball, a habit I've picked up over the months to ensure...to ensure I haven't accidentally lost it. "Did you think I would just give it up?" I ask quietly. "That I would trust anyone else to carry it? Besides, the ball's in stasis mode. Medical suspended animation, just like a 'mon that's grievously injured and awaiting surgery. Until I unlock it, he'll never come out." 'Hold down, double-tap, hold down. Don't ever forget. Hold down, double-tap, hold down."

The Gym Leader scoffs derisively. "You should turn it over to the League immediately. Let them euthanize that poor creature."

"I feel like that would be a waste." I defend, zipping my jacket up to hide the ball's view. "Sometimes...you need an ace in the hole."

The wood of Pryce's cane creaks as his fingers squeeze down impossibly tight. "An ace against who exactly? You can't battle with it! Need I remind you Bradley, that it killed two people! Including its Trainer!"

My back freezes up as my expression darkens considerably. "I'm aware, Pryce." I lean in as I say his name. "And I'll remind you that if Vlad hadn't been there, I'd have been buried right there alongside them."

The Gym Leader starts to growl. "Fine! On your head be-"

"Here she is!" The aide bursts back into the room, a little piglet squirming in her grip, its tiny feet wiggling to get free. "Bradley, this is Delilah!" she speaks with pride, holding her arms out and offering to let me see her. "Delilah, say hello!"

"Nu…nu…" the baby 'mon squeaks softly.

I have seen three shinies total since my dimensional displacement sixteen months ago. Metapod, Remoraid, and Pidove. I know. A real stellar lineup if there's ever been one. The burnt orange Bug belonged to a young boy in Violet City. The purple Remoraid was in a public aquarium I visited in Goldenrod the day before I flew out of Johto and the slightly blue Pidove was part of a flock that flew overhead during my second month in Unova. 'Though I'm not actually 100% certain on the last one. It might've just been my mind playing tricks on me.'

So that makes this little lady here No. 4.

There's just one problem though...

Swinub: Lv. 5
Nature: Bashful
Potential: D-

I internally sigh, even if I do do my best to appear outwardly impressed. 'That's the same rating that Bubbles' had as a Swinub. She'd most likely hit the same wall he did. Like father, like daughter I guess.'

And, wait, sorry did I say only one issue? Apologies, I meant two. Though I'll openly admit the second reason is hella vain. It's not based on math or levels or my little cheat power. It's that...well...when you get right down to it...shiny Mamoswine is pretty ugly.

Shiny Swinub is a cute little melon bun. This little lady certainly is. She's an after dinner ice mint. I could tickle her tummy all day. And shiny Piloswine is positively gorgeous. A golden coat that glistens beautifully on a snowy day. I love it, even if some of the fanbase refers to it as 'Pilostraw' saying it's akin to a big bale of hay. Shiny Mamoswine though looks kind of like...like he needs to go to the vet. Book him for surgery now Doctor. We think his liver might be failing because that color is not good.

Of course, Pryce and Carolyn here have absolutely no way of knowing that. 'And if I refuse this one then Pryce might just straight up have an aneurysm.'

I hand the fidgeting Pokémon back to Carolyn and put on my best face of being conflicted. That I'm really really thinking about it. "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be back in five."

Pryce raises an eyebrow, still silently scowling from our talk, and Carolyn just seems relieved. Confused for sure, but relieved. As though she literally can't believe that I'm not jumping at this offer and is thanking the stars for it. Shiny Pokémon can go for hundreds of thousands at the right auction. Assuming you've got something more useful to sell than a Rattata.

'Which I suppose is a route we could take...but it would feel kind of shitty. Do I just tell Pryce that I'll come look again later? That doesn't seem smart. If I want a viable Pokémon for battle by the time the Conference rolls around in the spring, then I've got to get started now. Plus, every week more we delay is a risk Pryce figures out the secret of Ancient Power on his own. Then we don't get squat.' I wander outside to the feeding troughs, where the older juveniles are lined up and slopping up lunch, these ones having moved on to solid food vice mother's milk.

'Should I just go with that first C+ I saw? It's not the worst. Alternatively, I could just head Northeast to the Ice Path. Maybe look for a wild one that meets my requirements? Been a while since I've done that... Wait, fuuuuck! That wouldn't work. We need it to have the Egg Move. We got lucky that Bubbles' just happened to know it. Finding an 'A' or 'B' rank in the wild that also has the right parentage? I'd have better luck hunting for a second shiny.'

"Um, Mr. Bradley." Carolyn's voice appears behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.

'She's still holding Delilah.' "Yes, what is it?"

The aide seems nervous. "Your agreement with Leader Pryce is that you could take any Swinub right? So...it's true that you could pick Delilah here? And you'd be able to just take her? Just like that?"

My head tilts at her cagey tone. "I could, yes. Why?"

She casts a furtive glance around, seeing if any other reserve staff might be in earshot. "Follow me please." She fumbles with a ring full of keys as she power walks through the halls of the facility. "Delilah here was rejected by her mother due to her coloring. We had to separate her and bottle feed every meal, rather than just using formula to supplement."

The little piglet fidgets in her grip again. "I would be just heartbroken to see her go." The aide says almost tearfully. "It's been me and her, three times a day for weeks now." We reach a door to one of the rooms back closer to the nursery and she slides the key in.

Inside...there's a piglet who's got the worse case of the zoomies I think I've ever seen. Just hearing the door unlock has sent him into a happiness overdrive. "Swinub! Swinub! Swinub! Swi!" he presses up against a little barricade, wiggling his nose at the people who've hopefully come to play.

He is also huge.

It's not monstrously large. He's not an Alpha like Grundy. But let it be said that this is a big fuckin' pig.

"This is the Swinub Pryce is planning to train once you tell him the secret." Carolyn confesses guiltily. "I'm sure he'll be furious I showed you this...but if your agreement with him really is any Swinub..." she trails off, pulling the green pig in her arms a little closer to her.

I reach down into the child-proof cage and let the animal start sniffing and smelling all over my hand excitedly.

Swinub: Lv. 8
Nature: Jolly
Potential: A-

"Oh ho. I think I'm gonna call you...Junior."