Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
Pokémon: Pokédex no Isekai
Chapter Fifty-four: Settling things, part three
The Big Beauty was parked outside of Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose City, Kalos, given that the reborn trainers came to Kalos to continue their quest to bring about a discrimination free world without having to use Team Heart style methods. They wanted to run things by Professor Sycamore to see what he thought of the progress that they had made so far. As such, an away team that was consisting of the reborn trainers plus Lucas, Barry, and Leona were visiting Sycamore.
To the mildly piqued interest of the reborn trainers, the Pokémon habitat area of Sycamore's lab was now housing the extra Pokémon that belonged to Serena, who is still the Champion of Kalos. On a related note, Serena herself was also at Sycamore's lab, as she wanted to check up on the Pokémon she had there. It was a perfect opportunity for the reborn trainers to touch base with two persons that they wanted to touch base with, and both will be done at the same time.
"Yes, I remember you kids saying that you wanted to bring about the goal held by my old classmate Serena, but without using the methods that she was making use of," Sycamore said, "But to think that you kids have already seen some success already. Alola and Unova will be better places thanks to the efforts that you all have put in. Do not go doubting that."
"Thanks, sir," Dawn replied, "And now we wanna try to do here in Kalos what we've gotten started over in Alola and Unova. We're gonna need some help with that."
Gesturing to Serena, Kenny said, "We were hoping that you would be willing to chip in here, Serena. I mean, you ARE the Champion of Kalos. I'm pretty sure that our efforts here in Kalos would see a lot of success if you were to help them along."
Nodding once in understanding, Serena replied, "Yes, of course I'll help."
Dawn was able to pick up on hints in Serena's tone, the air that she gave off. Serena was acting like a person dealt a blow to their morale, but she was masking it with a false expression of good mood. "...You're upset about something," Dawn spoke up, "Aren't you, Serena?"
Looking surprised, Serena said, "Umm, what do you-"
"Serena, there's no shame to admit that you're still reeling from the revelation of what the previous professor you worked with had been up to," Sycamore cut in, making Serena perk up a bit before she simmered down and looked troubled. Turning to look to the away team, Sycamore went on, "Kalos is still reeling from the revelation that Yvonne, who was really my old classmate Serena, had been the true Boss of Team Heart. She had been a leading figure in the Pokémon research community here in the Kalos region."
"How are your other old classmates feeling about it?" Trip asked.
Sighing, Sycamore remarked, "I have no idea about Minerva given that she openly threw her lot in with Team Heart. But as for the others, they're all bummed about it, that's for sure. Lor'aye returned to her home region of Orre, she got a security guard job there. I haven't heard from her since she had taken off for home. As for the rest of my peers, they're all still shocked that our old classmate, the one most of us had crushes on, had turned out to be Team Heart's true leader."
Dawn arched a wry eyebrow at Sycamore. "I got it that Yvonne had been a rather large person way back in the day, and faced discrimination from the people of Kalos because of it. Perhaps all of that ridicule she faced on the regular had warped her reasoning, made her decide that the actions that she ended up taking were the only way to ensure that no-one would be treated the way that she had been treated ever again."
Sycamore nodded in agreement. "Yes, the shallow beauty standards commonly held here in the Kalos region have a lot to blame for what all ended up happening," Sycamore agreed, "It's part of the reason why my former classmates and I have taken to making a point of it to not be fatphobic, or show any other kind of discrimination. If we can prevent the next Team Heart by being there when a person who is suffering from discrimination needs a hand, then maybe, just maybe, we can help our old classmate rest in peace."
"Yet another reason why we wanna try to bring about a discrimination free world without having to use Team Heart style methods," Mina said, "If we cut the cause of the problem off at the source, we can save the world before it actually needs saving."
Turning to look at Serena, Kenny asked, "By the way, how do you feel about the fact that the lady who had very nearly taken the entire world has the same name as you?"
"It does feel kind of weird, I will admit," Serena remarked, "But I know that she and I are two totally different persons."
Clapping her hands together, Dawn said, "Okay then! Now, we're gonna have to hold a rally to drum up support for our goal of peacefully bringing about a world free of discrimination here in Kalos. It'll be a tough sell, especially as the average Kalosian apparently loves discriminating against those who are well fed. There's also the Kalosian nobility to deal with, they're bound to be a problem."
"Ooh, about that," Sycamore said, "Most of the foul nobles we had here in Kalos had died, mostly due to being put to death by Team Heart during their brief rule here in the Kalos region. The nobles who still remain are the agreeable ones who are bound to be easy to sell your idea to. As a side note, the Kalosian royal family is still around, but their numbers had been reduced due to how they had been persecuted by Team Heart. Like the remaining nobles, the remaining royals are all of an agreeable inclination."
Shrugging, Kenny said, "Huh, well ain't that convenient."
"Anyway, we ought to brainstorm ideas on how to go about convincing the people of Kalos that they can live in a discrimination free world without Team Heart forcing it," Dawn said, getting the rest of the away team, plus Sycamore and Serena, to all come together to discuss how to make it so that people like Sycamore's late classmate never have to suffer as said late classmate had suffered. It was a goal that they had to achieve.
Especially there in Kalos, where the dream was first spawned.
Later, a rally was set up in front of where the Lumiose Tower was still being repaired. Given that it was in the heart of Lumiose City, it was bound to get a lot of attention, with people coming from all over the city to check it out. The heroes were hoping that their efforts to preach the word of a world free of discrimination, but without using the methods that Team Heart was making use of, would be appealing enough to get people on board with the idea.
But the reborn trainers weren't so foolish enough to believe carrying out their actions straight up would be sufficient. They knew that there in Kalos, many would be resistant to at least the idea of not being able to discriminate against those who live larger than life, due to the shallow standards of beauty that are pushed in the region. So they decided to go for an approach where they weren't being... exactly direct about their efforts, as it were.
For this, they got a number of well known and respected persons in the Kalos region to be seen doing work with big-boned persons. This included Sycamore and the other Professors from his old class from Pokémon Professor school, aside from Lor'aye who had already returned to her home region of Orre. The Professors all took on assistants and apprentices who had extra padding, and made sure to be seen in public with said assistants and apprentices.
The reborn trainers were also able to get Diantha, the former Champion of Kalos, in on the plan to slowly ween Kalos into being more fat accepting as opposed to letting the region stay fatphobic. They pulled this off because Diantha, although no longer Champion of Kalos, was STILL a respected and highly popular movie actress, as well as fashion model. When the reborn trainers explained their plan to Diantha, she was immediately on board with it.
The movie studio that Diantha worked out of even had the idea to produce a movie starring Diantha where the concept of fat acceptance is explored and pushed. It wasn't decided what kind of role that Diantha would have yet, either the friend or romantic partner of a well fed person, or if Diantha would don a fat suit to play the role of well fed person herself. Dawn did so multiple times in some of the movies Kenny made out of his movie studio, so why can't Diantha?
The reborn trainers were able to not only get the former Champion of Kalos in on things, but also the current Champion of Kalos too. Serena was brought in to help rally the people of Kalos, get them on board with the idea of being more accepting of plus sized persons. If the current Champion of Kalos, who by the way is also the current Kalos Queen of Pokémon Showcases, is saying that those who tip the scales are worthy of consideration and respect, then the people were gonna listen.
It seemed that a lot of progress was being made, and it gave the reborn trainers, plus the crew of Dawn's flying ship, a lot of renewed hope.
...
"We mostly just got the people of Kalos on board with the idea of dropping their discriminatory ways towards fat people," Mina pointed out as she and the other reborn trainers were having a bit of a private meeting in the meeting room on board of The Big Beauty, "We hardly covered the other forms of discrimination that also ought to be addressed."
"That's because selling to the people of Kalos the idea of abandoning their fatphobic ways not only is the most important thing to do here," Dawn began to point out, "It's also going to be the toughest part of our efforts here in Kalos."
Trip nodded in agreement. "Dawn's right," Trip said, "It was the fatphobic nature of Kalos's shallow standards of beauty that, when you get right down to it, had caused the Team Heart Empire to spring up in the first place. We need to address that before we can address the other various forms of discrimination here in Kalos."
"Addressing those various other forms of discrimination here is Kalos will be a cake walk compared to addressing fatphobia," Kenny remarked, "So we can sort of wait on those other forms, at least until the big one is out of the way."
"...Babe," Mina began as she looked at Kenny, "When you say 'the big one', are you making a crack about how fat people are typically referred to as being big?"
"No, I referred to the idea of tackling fatphobia in Kalos as 'the big one' in comparison to how it's both the most challenging and most important form of discrimination to tackle here," Kenny said, "I can however see why you'd think that I made a crack about fat people being big, though."
Shrugging, Dawn said, "I fail to see why fat people are considered so unappealing here in Kalos in the first place. It sort of boggles the mind."
"Hey that reminds me," Trip said, "Back when we were journeying through Kalos to earn the gym badges, when Serena rejected Tierno, didn't you more or less scoop him up? I mean there's no way to deny that Tierno has some extra padding."
"I saw Dawn scoop Tierno up and thought she did it mostly to make Tierno feel better about Serena turning him down in favor of Ash," Kenny remarked.
"We ought to get back on track," Dawn said, "We still need to finish tackling the issue that Kalos has with its fatphobic attitude and curb it enough to end that kind of discrimination." The other reborn trainers all nodded in agreement, and together the four of them worked out plans on finishing up the job of getting Kalos to be more fat accepting.
Later, while the reborn trainers were doing more work in order to spread the word of a world free of discrimination without using the methods that Team Heart was making use of, Mitch came jogging up to them, a concerned look on his face. The worry etching lines into Mitch's expression did not get away from Dawn unnoticed. "...What's the situation, Mitch?" Dawn asked.
"Mitch heard word that there is trouble brewing in the Hoenn region," Mitch began, "Riots are raging on in Rustboro City, with Devon Corporation in the center of the displeasure of the people. The word on the matter that Mitch and Den have heard says that some high ranking person that is within the Devon Corporation's hierarchy are the ones drawing the displeasure of the people."
"There's rioting going on in Rustboro City?" Dawn said flatly.
"And Devon Corporation is apparently in the middle of all of that nasty business" Trip said, "I think that we... hey wait, isn't Devon Corporation the company that Steven Stone's dad owns?"
"I say that we phone ahead to Hoenn before heading on over," Dawn remarked, "Get a better idea of what all is going on before we head over."
"Can we seriously go now, though?" Kenny asked, "I mean, aren't we still trying to get things here in Kalos under control when it comes to peacefully establishing a discrimination free way of running the damn place? Shouldn't we stay here before leaving for Hoenn?"
"Hence why we're going to get details before going," Dawn said, "We're gonna see what exactly is going on, then asses the situation to determine if it's urgent enough to put things here in Kalos on hold for the time being."
"We have made considerable progress in making things here in Kalos discrimination free, though," Mina said, "I think that, if need be, we can leave the job of finishing things up to Serena, Diantha, and Sycamore plus his former classmates."
Dawn nodded in agreement with what Mina said, although she hoped that it wouldn't be necessary to have to leave the job of finishing things up to others. Dawn would prefer it if she and her crew are the ones to clean up shop as it were. Hopefully what all is going on over in Hoenn won't force their hand one way or the other.
"I'm sorry Brendan, but how in blazes did your uncle take over Devon Corporation?!"
The reborn trainers went to the meeting room on board of The Big Beauty for a private meeting, where they used the big monitor screen to video call Hoenn Champion Brendan. As it turned out, Brendan at the time of the call was being visited by May and Max. It was right after Dawn asked for details about the riots in Rustboro City that Brendan dropped the bombshell that made Dawn cry out in surprise (as well as a wee bit of outrage).
"My Uncle Chandler used the hero reputation that he got after the war against Team Heart ended," Brendan said, annoyed bitterness clear in his tone and expression, "Very clearly milking it for all that it's worth, to frame up Mr. Stone for some reason I have no idea of in order to get him booted from Devon Corporation. Then my uncle slipped right on in and took Mr. Stone's place, making himself the boss of a everything."
"So your uncle basically stole Devon Corporation and totally got away with it," Trip said, he and the other reborn trainers all rightfully pissed that not only did Chandler manage to be a karma houdini in getting away from Team Heart, but now he's using the free pass that the government of the world gave him to further spread his asshole-ery.
"Yeah, and it was shortly after Brendan's uncle returned to Hoenn, too," May spoke up, "Ever since Brendan's uncle effectively stole Devon Corporation for himself in order to run it, Hoenn's already shaky economy has gotten even worse! As things stand right now, the Hoenn region is on the verge of a collapse that could send the entire region into a terrible economic depression!"
"Is the Devon Corporation really that tied to the economic strength of the Hoenn region?" Mina asked, looking rather surprised.
"Given that it's Hoenn's main business corporation as well as its strongest business, kind of," Max said with a dry look on his face.
Pinching the bridge of her nose as she tightly shut her eyes, Dawn said, "...Alright, Brendan. Tell me how exactly your uncle is ruining Devon Corporation and, by extension, the Hoenn region."
"By being himself," the Champion of Hoenn replied flatly.
Shrugging, Kenny said, "Given what kind of a character your uncle is, we can take that as a valid answer to Dawn's question just now."
"I'm guessing that the people of Hoenn had figured out that Devon Corporation is to blame for Hoenn's economy going down the tubes?" Mina asked.
"And they're aware that Brendan's uncle is the one responsible because they're aware he's the one who's running Devon Corporation now," May replied, "He kinda made something of a big public show about being the one who's running Devon Corporation now."
"No doubt his ego and pride had compelled him to declare in as publicly a way as possible that he was the head nacho," Kenny remarked.
Arching a wry eyebrow, Max said, "Kenny, I believe that the expression that you're looking for is 'head honcho', not 'head nacho'."
"Max, no-one likes a know it all," Kenny replied.
Looking mildly confused, May said, "No no, I kind of have to agree with Max on this one, Kenny. The phrase is 'head honcho', not 'head nacho'."
"Look, do you guys want our help to settle things over in Hoenn, yes or no?" Kenny asked, sounding a bit irritated.
"As much as I'd love to see my Uncle Chandler finally get the visit from karma that he's been so richly deserving for the longest time," Brendan began, "With the way that things are going over here in Hoenn, we do kinda need all the help we can get before things turn to utter anarchy."
"The governments of other regions are already working to try to save the Hoenn region from its impending economic collapse," May said, "But the people are still rioting. There's riots going on all over Hoenn, but it's particularly bad in Rustboro City, where Devon Corporation is located."
"How bad would you say the rioting is exactly?" Dawn asked.
"The rioters in Rustboro City at least are demanding Uncle Chandler's head on a pike," Brendan said dryly.
"Well, they're demanding blood," Kenny remarked, sounding a bit too casual and accepting of the deal, "Nothing less than that's gonna satisfy them. I say we sacrifice the oblivious oaf to start the process of calming the people down. Umm, if you don't mind me saying something like that about your uncle, Brendan."
"Actually, Brendan had suggested something along the lines of sacrificing his uncle to quell all of the rioting before you had suggested it just now," May pointed out.
Brendan, with the driest of looks on his face, said, "Believe you me, Kenny. I hold no love or care for my Uncle Chandler. If him getting the visit from karma that he so richly deserves will help to quell all of the rioting going on here in Hoenn, then so be it."
Dawn let out a troubled sigh. "...Well, we're aiming to visit Hoenn eventually, given we're currently touring around the world because of personal business. We're in Kalos right now, but we'll have to do a few things here before we can come over to Hoenn and help settle things to get the rioting to stop and resume things being run peacefully." Brendan, as well as May and Max, nodded in thanks to Dawn before the call ended.
Alone with the other reborn trainers now, Dawn said, "...Well I think that the Hoenn region might, in its own unique way, be a bit more difficult than even Kalos when it comes to preaching the word of bringing about a world free of discrimination without having to use Team Heart style methods."
"Considering the fact that Brendan's asshole uncle has personally taken it upon himself to ruin as much of what all he's able to lay his hands on as possible," Kenny said, "Chances are that there may not even BE a Hoenn region to accept a peacefully brought about discrimination free world left by the time said asshole uncle is done."
"Well we better get to Hoenn and see what all we can do to save it," Trip said, "I'm actually rather fond of the region personally, so I'd hate to see it go down the tubes, especially if it's due to the blind ego and pride of an oblivious idiot who can't see anything past himself."
"It'd be a hell of a lot easier for us if Chandler died," Mina remarked out loud, "He's just too much of a damn load to have to keep having to deal with and keep bailing his sorry ass out of trouble."
"Who says we're gonna bail Chandler's sorry ass out of trouble?" Kenny asked rhetorically.
...
As it turned out, the inter-regional government committee says that the reborn trainers are gonna bail Chandler's sorry ass out of trouble.
The governments of the various regions of the world, having heard that one of the recognized world heroes who had personally fought against and defied the Team Heart Empire is in trouble right now, had decided to arrange for quelling things in Hoenn not only by any means necessary, but also as soon as possible. When the reborn trainers were contacted by the governor of Sinnoh and informed them that they had to go to Hoenn to assist inter-regional government forces in forcefully quelling the rioting and to protect Chandler, naturally Dawn and the others objected.
"Sir, with all due respect the plans to settle the rioting in Hoenn will not only not work," Dawn began as she and the other reborn trainers had a video phone conference with Sinnoh's governor while in the meeting room on board of The Big Beauty, "It'll make things worse, as well as generate even more resentment among the people of Hoenn."
"What do you mean, Champion Dawn?" asked Sinnoh's governor.
"Respectfully, Chandler is totally at fault here for how Hoenn's economy had taken such a drastic nosedive as of late," Trip pointed out, "And yet we're basically being required here to go in and get him off the hook. He's being allowed, blatantly so, to slink away from facing the consequences of his actions, he's being allowed to get away from having to be held accountable for his faults."
"But he's a recognized world hero," said Sinnoh's governor, "It would be a terrible blow if Chandler is brought down. You all HAVE to go save him and get him out of trouble, that's an order."
"What about the next time?" Kenny asked.
Looking curious, Sinnoh's governor replied, "Pardon?"
Not believing that he actually has to explain himself here, Kenny said, "What about the next time that Chandler ends up screwing up to the point that the people of Hoenn end up demanding his blood? Do we have to drop what all we're doing at the moment to go in and bail his sorry ass out of trouble again? Also wrap him up in a cozy blanket and gently rock him while making him a nice mug of hot chocolate while we're at it?"
"Kenny's got a point, governor dude," Mina said, "Chandler is the kind of guy who will never change his ways no matter what. He'll just keep screwing things up and ruining what all he ends up getting involved with. If he absolutely has to be protected from ever having to deal with the consequences of his actions, then it'll be a full time job that, respectfully, just isn't fair to force upon us given that we have our own personal business that we want to get to."
Sighing, Sinnoh's governor remarked, "Look, this is just until Hoenn's government can arrange for local born protection for Chandler, and they're working on it even as we speak. Just go over to the Hoenn region and get the rioters to stop rioting by any means necessary." The video call was then ended, leaving the reborn trainers be.
Turning to look at the other reborn trainers, Kenny said, "Well, you heard the man. We have to go and assist Chandler so that he can continue to be a karma houdini."
"This is so totally messed up on so many levels," Trip scowled, clearly pissed that he and the others have no choice but to go to Hoenn to help with letting Chandler get away with being an asshole to everyone, prioritizing that over anything else.
"...Maybe we can use our goal of peacefully bringing about a discrimination free world to distract the rioters, at least for long enough for the world government people to settle things themselves," Dawn spoke up.
"I say we just let that bastard die," Kenny suggested, "Who's with me?"
"It's a good thing that the video call ended," Dawn said, "Otherwise you might have gotten into a bit of trouble with that line just now."
"Pfft, what's the government of Sinnoh gonna do to me, huh?" Kenny asked, "I'm too valuable to them to try and subdue. Besides, Chandler has proven to be the textbook definition of a Celestial Dragon, which are the textbook definition of being complete and utter loads. Fitting, given that the asshole we're being forced to bail out is a complete and utter load."
Dawn looked like she was about to say something, but Kenny cut her off. "Dude, no," Kenny said, "Chandler is far too much of a load to continue putting up with. Something has GOT to be done to get that oblivious oaf under control. We also ought to keep an eye out for Zed, and the other utter assholes who blatantly, defiantly refuse to stop being assholes."
Dawn let out a troubled sigh. "...Be that as it may," Dawn said, "We really don't have a choice here, given that authorities that outrank us have more or less declared Chandler to be an untouchable. We have to go bail Chandler out of trouble and cover his sorry, ungrateful rear until local forces over in Hoenn are drummed up for the job."
"Maybe a wild Pokémon will attack and kill Chandler," Mina remarked casually.
Nodding in agreement with his girlfriend, Kenny said, "That is the dream, babe. That is the dream."
Dawn wasn't even going to try to bother, and it was partly due to how she actually sort of agreed with Kenny and Mina when it came to Chandler. Regardless of the personal feelings on the matter that Dawn has, she and the other reborn trainers have a duty to do, even though they'd much rather not have to do said duty.
Sometime later, The Big Beauty was parked outside of Devon Corporation in Rustboro City, Hoenn. There, the reborn trainers collected Chandler, being rather swift about it due to the constant threat against the man because of how many people he's managed to piss off in the region. The reborn trainers had instructions to bring Chandler to a safe place at least until things were settled and he would be able to resume his work at the company he had essentially stolen from Mr. Stone.
Silver lining, Dawn and the others were also able to save Chandler's son Chad, who was dragged by his father back down into working under him. The closest safe place to take Chandler and Chad to was Petelburg City. There, Chandler would be put up by Norman's family, meaning May, her parents which includes Norman, and May's little brother Max. Additionally, when the reborn trainers brought Chandler over, Brendan was there as well, standing next to May on her left.
When Chandler, as well as Chad, were brought by the reborn trainers up to where Norman, his family, and Brendan were all waiting outside of the Petelburg City gym, Chandler's first response was to sneer at them because they weren't giving him the warm welcome that he very clearly expected. It was made more evident as it was clear the sour looks from Norman and his group were all aimed solely at Chandler himself.
"...Wipe those looks of contempt off of your faces right this very instant," Chandler demanded of Norman and the others, "You all do realize that the lot of you are actually being granted a great privilege by agreeing to shelter me from the clods who think it's my fault that Hoenn's economy is going down the tubes, don't you? Feh, the idea that anything could actually be my fault is actually rather laughable, really."
"There's overwhelming evidence that Hoenn's economy getting even more shot down than it already is is your fault," Max pointed out dryly, "You have got to face facts. Also, you're in serious need of having to grow up, your blatant refusal of your faults, despite how irrefutable they are, makes you come off as incredibly spoiled and immature. It's actually a wonder that you're actually human."
"I agree with my son," Norman said, "Chandler, with all due respect you have got to realize that you aren't perfect."
"I am perfect," Chandler declared, "And I'm tired of people pretending that I'm not." Straightening his stance up a bit, Chandler said, "Now, are you going to let me in, or are you going to let me stay outside long enough to run the risk of a lesser person seeing me out here and letting others know so they can try to get some of the unwarranted revenge they wanna get on me?"
Considering the fact that the governments of various regions, including Hoenn, are requiring the heroes and their friends to safeguard Chandler from harm (which Chandler, despite his claims he's making on the matter, totally doesn't deserve), Norman and his family plus his daughter's boyfriend all had to step to the side and let Chandler inside, where all of them were estimating a ninety-one point six percent chance that Chandler was going to act like he owned the place.
...
"So yeah, like I was saying," Chandler said as he sat at the kitchen table, leaning back and having his feet propped up on the table, "The poor sods who make up most of the Hoenn region's population actually have the audacity to try to pin Hoenn's economy's recent nosedive on me. I mean, where in the hell did that come from?"
"The confirmed fact that said recent nosedive is directly linked to recent changes made in how the Devon Corporation is operating," Max said dryly, "And all of said changes were made at your order."
Chandler, looking at Max with a pissed off sneering look, snarled, "Boy, you are seriously asking for someone to strike you upside the head with all of that constant disrespect you're showing me."
"No-one is going to strike my son, Chandler," Norman said firmly, instantly getting pissed as well as a little defensive.
Pointing at Max, Chandler snapped at Norman, "Then make your damn brat here stop disrespecting me for crying out loud!"
"How in blazes is Max pointing out confirmed facts known to the public being disrespectful towards you?" Dawn asked, "Not to mention how he's also called you out for being a blatantly oblivious oaf who can't see anything past your own pride and ego."
"Do you want me to smack some respect for me into you, girl?" Chandler threatened as he gave Dawn an angry, demanding look.
"Do you want my Pokémon to attack you for striking me?" Dawn counter-threatened, "Because one, they will, and two, considering I'm way up higher on the world hero priority list than you, whatever Pokémon of mine who attacks you if you strike me will get a pass."
"Especially if it's one of her legendary Pokémon," Trip pointed out, "I fail to see how you'd be able to get any sort of payback on Dawn if her Pokémon attack you for striking her if the Pokémon of hers that strikes you is, say for example, her Palkia."
Scowling because even he realizes that he can't go against Dawn in that case, Chandler snarled, "Just apologize to me for that disrespect you've shown me just now, girl."
"Tell you what," Dawn said, a hint of knowing and amused sarcasm in her tone, "I'll apologize for that supposed disrespect if you first apologize to the people of Hoenn for causing the recent nosedive in Hoenn's economy."
Chandler, pissed because he's being stonewalled by a preteen girl, got up from his seat. "I'm getting some damn coffee," Chandler scoffed. Pointing at Dawn, Chandler demanded, "And you, girl. By the time I get back from getting some coffee, that apology you owe me had better be ready." Chandler then turned around to head off into the kitchen.
While Chandler was in the kitchen getting himself a mug of coffee, Kenny whispered to Dawn, "New idea. We have one of our Pokémon attack and kill Chandler, but make it look like a wild Pokémon broke into the gym and did the deed instead."
"That is..." Dawn whispered back to Kenny, "...Highly unlikely to work. Considering what all areas with wild Pokémon that are directly connected to Petelburg City, the odds of passing off your plan is not all that likely to-"
*CRASH*
"ARUGH!"
*THUD*
*SMASH*
Dawn was cut off when she and the others heard the sounds of struggle coming from the kitchen, so they all ran in to see what had happened to Chandler. To their shock, Chandler was laying on the floor, unconscious but still alive, but there was a fair bit of blood coming from a wound on the lower part of his torso, around the abdominal area.
"Holy geez! Someone call an ambulance!" Norman cried out in alarm, which prompted his wife to go and call an ambulance. As Norman had his children leave the kitchen area, Dawn looked around to see what all had happened. She saw a glimpse of the wound on Chandler, the broken window, and what damage was on the lower half of a door that led outside.
...All of that told her that a Pokémon was responsible for attacking Chandler.
END, CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Author's notes;
This chapter sees the reborn trainers go to Kalos, where they expect their efforts to preach and spread the word of a discrimination free world without the use of Team Heart style methods to see one of its greatest struggles, at least when it comes to getting folks to drop fatphobic attitudes. However, they see at least a little progress thanks to help from their friend Serena, Sycamore and his former classmates, and even Diantha to name a few people.
However, the reborn trainers and their crew are forced to head on over to the Hoenn region because Chandler, who was able to effectively steal Devon Corporation from Mr. Stone and make it his own business, ended up shooting down Hoenn's already shaky economy even further. Chandler, due to how badly he screwed up, has a lot of people in Hoenn out for his blood, not of course does he care about anyone aside from himself.
The governments of the world, given that they recognize Chandler as a world hero due to how he is (technically) a big name who fought against the Team Heart Empire, don't want anything bad happening to him as that would be a blow to world morale given Chandler's a world hero. As such, the governor of Sinnoh ends up more or less ordering Dawn and her crew to go to Hoenn to protect Chandler until local protection in Hoenn can be drummed up for him.
Chandler doesn't even show a lick of gratitude, instead acting like an obnoxious, entitled boorish oaf. Pretty much your typical Celestial Dragon. However, while he's being put up at Norman's place over in Petelburg City, Chandler is attacked in the kitchen by a mystery assailant while everyone else is out of the kitchen, and Dawn sees signs suggesting that a Pokémon did it. There's not much time to think on that as emergency response people have to be called in.
Will Chandler make it? Do the heroes and their friends want Chandler to make it? What Pokémon, if it was one, attacked Chandler? Will the Pokémon, if it was one, who attacked Chandler be found and punished? Will people want the Pokémon in that case to be punished? All of this and more will be gone over in the next chapter. Until then, take care.
Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Cyrus (male Staraptor), Akiza (female Roserade), Leni (female Lucario), Germany (male Garchomp), Tsukune (Palkia)
Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Roshi (male Torterra), Cell (male Scizor; shiny), Kermit (male Politoed), Shallot (male Glaceon), Zarbon (male Machamp), Black (Giratina)
Trip's Pokémon: (on hand) Myde (male Emploeon), Mr. Popo (male Magmortar), Veda (female Abomasnow), Fourze (male Electivire), Gypsy Danger (female Togekiss), Deelia (Dialga)
Mina's Pokémon: (on hand) Scar (male Eevee; scared over one eye), Gardevoir (male), Lucario (female), Umbreon (male; shiny), Espeon (male; shiny), Jolteon (male; shiny)