Chapter 60: Analytical Reflections

Ted's POV

I couldn't help but be amazed by Char-bro's intelligence as he answered the riddle to the two young Pokemon he accepted the challenge from, all to help retrieve Zack bro's cloth they stole. I had to admit that such a situation was quite the perfect opportunity to help mend the rift that was growing between the two.

Then again, it was more so Char-bro who was causing the growing rift by being distant though I would have to forgo his distance on the ship. It was obvious that he hadn't the stomach for the constant swaying of the ship caused by the current of the waves. Regardless, asking for his help was the ice breaker to make amends. The work he would have to put in however was an entirely different story, but I had hope that he would be able to pull through on that. After all, he was making the signs of change thanks to Zack bro himself.

Back when Skit-sis and I tag team battled, I had to admire Char-bro's tactics at trying to wear me down. The only downside at the time was that he relied on long range distance to get the job done; or at least attempt to. That left him wide open for a close range attack. I admit that jumping into a plume of flame wasn't the smartest idea but it was enough for me to defeat him despite the burns.

It wasn't until Pewter City that he obtained a new attack, one that gave him an advantage for close combat. Thinking back on that moment, I recalled how he learned Metal Claw at the last second to cease the Geodude's Roll Out, yet I had failed to notice in what state of mind he was in.

Thinking deeper back, I remembered how he was crushed into the ground by the weight of his opponent, lying without a move of muscle for only a second before he surprisingly stood himself up and used the newfound attack. I didn't think much of it back then, but considering his actions in the Vermillion Gym, it led me to believe that him surviving the attack had more to do with wanting to be strong. He made that very clear yet I couldn't help but feel there was more to it than strength alone. There's obviously a trigger of some kind that causes him to react aggressively. I can only hope that it gets brought to light before it goes too far.

Glancing over in Zack's direction I couldn't help but think that he may just be the very key to helping Char-bro work through the issues he's holding within. Having Zack in the group definitely had a positive feel considering his aloof nature. It was something speculated in the time I've gotten to know the mon yet I couldn't quite put a claw on what it was that made him so easy to be around. He definitely had style in the way he battled such as when he first fought me.

Not once but twice he used Shadow Ball to catch me off guard. The first time was to counteract my Swift Attack which I never imagined anyone attacking right at the source. The second was when I had unexpectedly threw a Mega Punch straight into the same attack only it was directly in his maw when I threw it. Was it just luck that Zack was able to match my skills or instinct? He had me intrigued by the things he did, not just battling. It was almost like he did things on a whim at random like Skit-sis, but a little less of the randomness compared to her.

I could see the dynamic relationship between both him and Char-bro in the few times they fought. I could see an inkling of admiration in Char-bro's eyes at some of the ways he's seen Zack-bro fight and even applied that to his battle strategies. It may not be much but it is the early signs of a breakthrough and Zack being around to help push him to be a better version of himself I feel will bear even better fruition in his future.

I looked back over towards the Charmander to watch him pensively figure out the next riddle to the question he was asked after solving the previous one. I took a look back in the direction we've been walking, taking note of how far the pier was from where we currently stood. If I had any amount of Char-bro's intellect I would probably be calculating how long we've been at these questions and calculate how much time we had left before the ship we were to be on departed. Thankfully I didn't. Too much intellect would make my brain hurt to the point that I would just quit thinking altogether. Being laid back and going with the flow was more my style. One never knows just what might happen next.

"You're annoying, you know that?" Lani suddenly said, snapping me from my thoughts. "How is it possible that you're figuring all our answers? You're not cheating are you?"

"You can search me over but I assure you that you won't find a single thing on me," Char-bro answered. "If anything's annoying it's the whole 'stalling for time' you keep trying to drag out. We're already halfway through the questions so we might as well finish this."

"I don't know, Lani," Meguro said, noticing he was looking a might bit worried. "I still say we should just give the cloth back. If this keeps going they're bound to find our hideout."

"It's not over yet," Lani growled. "He'll slip soon enough. You'll see. All these questions are sure to have his brain stretched out by now. It's only a matter of time."

"I guess," Meguro said, not entirely sure about the response. "It's just a cloth though."

"Question eleven!" Lani yelled over him as she focused back on Charcoal. "Beaches are known for many tourists to come and enjoy a leisurely vacation at. That's why they're known as a tourist trap. What part of it is considered a deadly trap that no one knows about?"

No sooner had she spoken that did the sight of a familiar ghost pokemon cross my mind. It had been a while since I had thought of him and how tragic his life had been expended, all for the sake of making a better world or so he said. That did bring up the topic of Destiny and his overall goal.

Much like Char-bro, Destiny had to have had a reason as to why he wanted to cleanse the world of humans. I can only imagine he must have not had such a happy life as an Abra. Understandable but wrong in the way he was going about. The real concerning part however was the fact of him absorbing the powers of a Legendary Pokemon. While it's physically impossible to do such a task, what had transpired back in Vermillion had proved me wrong. Destiny found the impossible and almost achieved it had I not intervened in that moment. If it was possible for him to almost steal one Legendary's power, then every Legendary out there was in danger and had to be made aware. With how big the world was, I doubt we'd be able to run into them by chance. The only hope lied in Raikou.

Another matter of our conversation involving Destiny was the fact of Zack-bro mentioning that Destiny was unaware his Psychic power had no effect on him. I even made the mention that we had the advantage over him on that alone but hadn't thought about the fact that, with how large a group he had, there was no way that he wouldn't be told this piece of information. That's something I would have to bring up with the group.

But for now there was no sense in worrying over all of it. After all, there was no telling what tactic Destiny would use for each of the Legendaries so making a plan wouldn't do much of anything. When it all came down to it, fate would be the decisive leader. All the rest of us can do is our best to stop what he has planned. That said, I raised a paw up grabbing the attention of everyone to ask a question that lied heavily on my mind as another feuding dispute broke out.

"Yes, Ted? What is it?" Char-bro asked.

"You better not be injecting to help him," Lani said. "You know the terms of our agreement."

"I was just going to ask if anyone wanted something to eat," I responded casually. "I'm feeling a bit peckish."

Cue everyone faltering in surprise for a moment. It's the little things in life like this one has to enjoy.