TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 1
Account: 9,388 credits
POKÉMON
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
Eevee (Orion) - Male
As Samantha and I walked through the streets of Mauville, I flipped through my new phone and familiarized myself with it while Apollo watched curiously from my shoulder.
"You're so boring," Samantha lamented with a sigh.
"It was the cheapest they had," I shrugged as I pocketed the phone, "Just be happy I got one at all."
"It's ancient. I'm surprised they even had that in stock; I haven't seen a flip phone since I was young."
"Apparently it's popular among laborers, since it can take a beating without breaking. Nearly all those smartphones were over a thousand credits. That's insane."
"You get a discount as a new customer, so it's not that bad. Expectations for what a phone should be able to do have risen, so prices have as well. Phones these days are waterproof, have touch screens and cameras, can watch videos and play games… You know, stuff your phone can't do because you decided to get a flip phone."
I leveled Samantha with a warning glare, "Speak for yourself, miss heiress. You can buy whatever you want without blinking an eye. I was already hurting after buying the region-wide package with data, not to mention I still had to pay for the actual phone. That haircut wasn't exactly cheap, either."
"It was cheap, for your information. It was totally worth every credit too; you look so much better with short hair. Now if only you'd let me style it…"
"Not happening. I don't need a bunch of crap in my backpack, and I don't want to smell that all day. Plus, my morning routine is pretty locked in and busy. I don't need to complicate it any more."
"Your phone is a relic of the past. If you hadn't spent that thousand credits at the Game Corner, you could have gotten something more modern, you know."
"Can you stop poking fun at my phone? It's perfect for me, especially now that I don't have to listen to you complaining about having to email me."
"I might as well just keep emailing, not like I can send you any gifs or stickers. I doubt a phone that old can do emojis. I won't even know if you've read my messages or are typing a response."
"You sound like a crazy person right now. Send me a message, and I'll reply when I can. Why do you care to know if I've read it or not?"
"There's a whole psychological factor behind texting, Danny. If you leave someone on read, that's an answer in itself."
"Then I'll count myself thankful that I don't have to deal with people like you overanalyzing meaningless things like that."
"Whatever, I'm just happy to see you finally got one. With the haircut that makes two victories for me today, so I'll take what I can get," she said with a smirk.
"Should make up for me being late for coffee. Speaking of which, we're almost at the gym. I need a minute alone with Duran, if you don't mind waiting."
Samantha gained a serious expression before nodding, stepping to the side of the street before entering into a telepathic discussion with Stella. I walked a few paces away before recalling an understanding Apollo and kneeling to address Duran as I released him.
"Hey, you're looking better. You got pretty dehydrated earlier… Feeling better now?"
He clicked his pincers and nodded, seemingly not nearly as bothered by what had happened as I was. I reached out and rubbed the top of his shell, "I'm sorry I let that happen, I'll do better about keeping you hydrated. But I also need you to let me know if anything is ever wrong before it gets that bad. Don't be afraid to pinch me to get my attention, or just tell Apollo and he'll relay it to me. I've got something that will hopefully make it up to you though."
He gave me an interested look, and I grinned. "We'll be challenging the gym here soon, and we get the chance to watch a battle beforehand. It's an electric gym, so it's likely to be rough for you. I figured you'd want to watch a battle with me, to get a feel for what to expect. It's a badge level above us, but we should still learn a lot. Sound fun?"
He gurgled and snipped happily, and after waving Samantha back over and finding that she had replaced Stella for Oddish, we made our way to the gym to see how Owen would fare in his gym challenge, and to find out what might be in store for us during our own upcoming battle with Wattson.
If I was nervous about our upcoming gym challenge before, then after watching Owen's battle I was petrified. He was well prepared for the battle, and had answers prepared to many of the challenges I knew that I would struggle with.
His team and the order he chose to use them in surprised me greatly, though it ended up being for the best. I hadn't had high expectations that his Slakoth would do well if it battled after what I'd seen of it, yet as it turns out he had two other Pokémon I had no idea about and didn't even end up sending it out.
The battle started with Owen sending out a Shroomish he called Misha, who faced off against an Electrike. I thought it was a curious pick for him to have on his team until I remembered that once they evolved, they became part fighting-type.
Even though it hadn't evolved, it was quite the scrapper and a foe I hoped I'd never have to face, even in a spar. I could tell that Duran was equally disturbed by its display, as it was reminiscent of the extremely annoying Shroomish we'd encountered in Petalburg Woods, only much worse.
The battle started with a Stun Spore, which coated the field and left the Electrike paralyzed, which Samantha quickly explained was due to spore-based paralysis working fundamentally differently than an electrical paralysis. That left me confused, however the battle continued and I didn't want to miss it, so I decided to dig more into the topic later as I found it very curious.
Wattson didn't take it lying down; he quickly ordered the Electrike to use Quick Attack as the Shroomish was shaking itself to spread its spores, and it took a hard hit that left it paralyzed as well, which Samantha informed me was due to the Electrike having an ability called Static that could paralyze on direct contact with a foe.
With both fighters paralyzed the pace of the match slowed down considerably, yet the Electrike was still leagues faster. It was able to dodge most of the Shroomish's attempts at Tackle and Headbutt, though not all, and Owen seemed to sense that he was still at a disadvantage and managed to land a Leech Seed on the Electrike when it seized and stumbled while charging at his Shroomish.
I'd never seen the move in action, but I generally knew how it worked. The seed planted itself firmly on the Electrike's torso by expelling something between roots and vines that wrapped around to hold itself in place and slowly drained energy from its foe. Its effects weren't immediately evident, although I was pretty sure it did serve to slightly restrict the Electrike's mobility, yet once I noticed that the Electrike was quickly wearing down despite not taking many heavy hits I knew it must be the result of the Leech Seed.
Still, it seemed like Shroomish didn't have much in the way of an answer to the Electrike's mobility and speed, which I was certain surpassed Orion's though not by too much. Yet Owen seemed content to play the waiting game and let his foe strike first, and would try to intercept with a Headbutt or Tackle, with only minor success and a few glancing blows. It wasn't until Wattson chuckled and praised Owen for tricking him that I realized what his plan was.
Despite not using any moves that would have resulted in it, Shroomish had somehow poisoned Electrike, who was really starting to struggle to continue battling. Samantha explained to me that the Shroomish must have what she called Effect Spore, which meant that when a Pokémon made contact with it, it risked having some of the Shroomish's spores inflict a status condition. In this case, it just so happened to be poison spores that it contracted, and it had taken a few clashes for it to get infected.
Suffering from poison, paralysis, and Leech Seed put a clear advantage in Owen's favor, despite his Shroomish taking quite a few hits. He had clearly worked on making it tougher than the average Shroomish though, and Samantha informed me that this strategy could be considered a sort of stalling tactic. I'd heard of such a thing, but Owen's way of doing it was more honorable than what I had been envisioning. It seemed like a perfectly normal battle apart from the fact that he was focusing more on defense and countering than initiating attacks, but considering the difference in speed it didn't strike me as too strange.
For the majority of the battle, Wattson seemed perfectly content to utilize his speed advantage for glancing blows, most of which he was coming out on top of. But after realizing what a huge disadvantage he had been put at and that Electrike was on a quickly dwindling timer, he changed tactics and struck with his first ranged attack; a Shock Wave. It was a massive surge of electricity that covered the field and did quite a bit of damage to Shroomish, yet I could tell it took a lot out of the Electrike and that he couldn't manage much more.
Surprisingly, the electric shock caused the Leech Seed to detach and fall to the ground, making me wonder why he hadn't done it sooner. I had a hard time believing he didn't know that would happen, and my only guess was that despite this being a three-badge challenge, Wattson was purposely letting Owen get some advantages he didn't have to. It reminded me of something I'd read a while ago; that gym leaders weren't only meant to test a trainer's strength, but their knowledge, strategizing, and decision-making. I supposed he was happy enough with Owen's display that he didn't feel the need to throw too many wrenches into his plans, although it did make me wonder what this match would look like if it was at the four or five-badge level.
It was also a stark reminder of all the liberties my first gym battle hadn't afforded me. Leader Georgia had no such restraint or respect for me and my team working the best with what we had in our toolkit, yet I could tell that Wattson was much more generous and easily impressed.
With the Electrike panting and looking close to incapacitated, Wattson went all in on one final attack; Thunder Fang.
Although both combatants were extremely sluggish and constantly flinching at this point, the Electrike managed to push through and bite the Shroomish. It became immediately evident why Wattson hadn't chosen to do that sooner when Owen called for an Absorb, taking advantage of the Electrike's hold on his Shroomish to sap energy from it. The Electrike was determined to make it the final blow and held on, pumping electricity into Shroomish while it tried its best to stay conscious longer than its foe.
As tough as the Shroomish was, and even with the added longevity Absorb gave it, it fell unconscious from having taken so many hits. But its efforts weren't in vain; as soon as the referee called the round, the Electrike succumbed to its afflictions and lost consciousness almost immediately after it released its hold.
I had quite a few takeaways from that battle. The first was that if I ended up battling it, direct contact with the Electrike was something I should avoid, although I didn't doubt that it had other ways to paralyze my team. Seeing how much effort it took for it to use Shock Wave, I figured it would be a good idea to bait it out and shield with Protect, if at all possible. I still didn't know who I would want to send up against it if I found myself facing it as well, but considering all of my team knew Protect to a reasonable degree I was reasonably confident that it was a universal strategy I could apply.
My other big takeaway was that if I ever found myself fighting a trained Shroomish, I needed to overpower it fast. While Wattson's Electrike was by no means a pushover, it fought in a much more straightforward manner that I felt comfortable and familiar with. If one of my team members had to battle through paralysis, poison, and Leech Seed, I wasn't sure I'd be able to laugh it off as Wattson had. He didn't seem surprised that his Electrike had been subjected to all those ailments, but more impressed that the Shroomish had lasted long enough for them to bring down his fighter.
After Wattson and Owen exchanged compliments and friendly banter, the second round began and I once again found myself surprised by Owen's pick.
Against Wattson's Voltorb, he sent out his starter Bronson the Makuhita. It made me extremely curious who his last pick would be, as I was almost certain that Wattson was saving either a Magnemite or Magneton for last.
Unlike the Electrike, the Voltorb was much more of a ranged fighter, although not exclusively so. It started off with a Rollout as Bronson initiated a Belly Drum, and although it did land a decent hit on Makuhita it took far more damage in return from a well-timed Arm Thrust. Yet, similar to the Electrike, simply making contact with its foe was enough to inflict paralysis as it released a surge of electricity upon impact.
Thunder Shock and Swift were its preferred attacks while it tried to keep distance, however Bronson was faster than one would expect. Though the Voltorb had quite a bit of mobility and could roll around quickly enough, its main issue was that it had to come to a complete stop and reorientate itself before launching an attack, in which time Bronson could quickly close the distance again. Bronson put on an impressive display of speed and strength, and although he took some hits it was clear that he had the upper hand and was dealing the majority of the damage.
Wattson changed things up by calling for an Electro Ball, which was hands-down the most powerful electric-type move I'd ever seen, and Bronson took it head-on during an unfortunately timed flinch due to his paralysis. The powerful attack clearly hurt a great deal, yet Bronson was determined to win and Voltorb was almost completely out of gas in the tank. Similar to Electrike's Shock Wave, it took a lot out of him and didn't seem like something you would see more than one of in a battle, as the Voltorb seemed rather exhausted after the attack and had slowed enough to be unable to keep distance from Bronson's constant pressure.
As the Makuhita unleashed another barrage of palms upon the tired Voltorb, Wattson suddenly called out for an attack that made Duran tense in my lap and gave me unpleasant flashbacks to our first gym battle.
Self-Destruct.
As the Voltorb began to glow brightly while charging up for the inevitable finisher, Makuhita gave a powerful Force Palm and slammed its foe away just as it exploded, saving him from the majority of the damage. Owen had clearly anticipated that the move would be coming at some point, and had prepared a strategy to create distance with his starter ahead of time.
Wattson sent out his final Pokémon; a Magneton. As the final test for those hoping to earn their third badge, it was apparent that this was a serious step up in difficulty. Not only was it part steel-type, but it was evolved and able to use repeated ranged electric-type moves without any particularly noticeable strain. Owen kept Bronson in and tried his best to get some damage in, but considering he was already worn down and had to deal with the added difficulty of reaching an opponent that levitated, he didn't make any meaningful progress before he was knocked out.
The fact that his trusty starter was knocked out with minimal effort on the Magneton's behalf had me extremely worried for Owen, and I had nearly lost all hope that he had any chance of pulling out a victory. But then, Owen once again surprised me by sending out a Pokémon that I hadn't expected him to have.
His confidence was unbroken as he sent out his final Pokémon, a Geodude whom he called 'Roxy', and I not only felt Duran tense in my lap but noticed that Samantha clutched Oddish tightly and took to nervously playing with its leaves. Our encounter with the species had clearly left an impact on my companions, and I had to admit that seeing a Geodude brought up unpleasant memories for me as well.
It quickly became apparent that Roxy the Geodude was not only well-trained, but the perfect counter-pick against Magenton. Wattson was extremely limited on what moves he could do, considering none of Magneton's electric-type moves would have any effect on the part ground-type, and Geodude's partial rock-typing limited most of its other options.
After being hit by an initial Rock Throw, the Magneton used Supersonic to confuse Geodude, however it didn't last long and only allowed for it to land one solid hit with Gyro Ball. Magneton then launched a Tri Attack at the Geodude, which landed but didn't actually seem to do much damage. By my estimations, and seemingly Wattson's, the effort it took to use the move wasn't actually worth the trade-off in terms of damage dealt to the sturdy rock-type.
As Geodude kept a steady flow of Rock Throws at its opponent, Wattson soon decided that the best answer he had was Gyro Ball. The rapid spinning and faint glow of steel-type energy at the end of Magneton's magnets did a decent job of breaking up the rocks, however he had difficulty actually landing the attack on Geodude since Magneton lacked the ability to track movements while spinning. Add onto that the fact that Owen had trained Geodude to be quite mobile by using its massive arms to fling itself a considerable distance quickly, and Owen still managed to hold the advantage against the super-effective move.
Wattson gave up on that strategy after Owen used the strategy to land a Smack Down, which took Magneton out of the air and allowed Geodude to land a devastating Bulldoze. Seemingly out of options, he ordered a Flash Cannon, which landed and admittedly seemed to deal considerable damage to Geodude.
But Geodude had taken much less damage than Magneton and the move was obviously meant to be a finisher, because a couple more Rock Throws was all it took for Magneton to fall for good.
I sat in a contemplative state of shock as Owen was announced the winner, received his badge to a stadium thundering with congratulatory applause and cheers, and the spectators started to make their way for the exit.
I wasn't anywhere near as prepared for the gym as Owen was. He had baited paralysis for his own benefit, shut down an attempt to bring down his starter with Self-Destruct, and nullified Magneton's strengths by forcing it to get close and only utilize its steel-type moves, even forcing his opponent's hand to allow him to ground his levitating foe. Although his Geodude technically had a type disadvantage against steel-type attacks, Magneton didn't specialize in those moves and was best served fighting from a distance.
Every single matchup, he had an answer for what he knew was coming. Every challenge that Wattson had up his sleeve to test Owen was overcome with relative ease, and it made me doubt my own chances even more. I didn't have any immediate answers to most of the hurdles he faced, and it made me anxious.
I glanced over as Samantha broke me from my thoughts by tugging on my sleeve, now standing up and clearly ready to get going now that most of the bleachers had emptied out. I nodded silently and stood, doing my best to temporarily push the match from my mind and the swirling thoughts that filled my head.
Owen's match had revealed two things to me; that Owen was even more talented of a trainer than I had initially thought, and that I had some training and strategizing to do.
Our Pokémon returned to their balls to spare them being subjected to the sea of people, Samantha and I stood a short distance from the gym's entrance, making sure we had sight of the door so we could see Owen when he left. Even out front of the gym, it was quite crowded as people excitedly discussed the battle. Many seemed to be quite impressed with how effectively Owen had shut down what was usually a set of extremely difficult challenges for trainers to overcome; a sentiment I shared.
Samantha and I began to idly chat, accepting that we'd just have to wait while Owen talked with Wattson and collected his winnings.
"Owen did great, all things considered. His team is well-trained, and he had solid strategies going into that fight," Samantha praised.
I nodded in agreement, doing my best to keep the self-doubt I felt at bay. "He did really well. His team is well-trained, and he had counters planned for pretty much everything Wattson threw at him. I could tell he was a solid trainer, but I didn't know he was that good."
"I can't help but notice that you seem to be even more on edge after watching that fight. Remember; your battle isn't going to be as difficult since you're challenging at a lower badge level."
"Still, I don't have any immediate answers to most of what I saw. Paralysis is going to be a serious issue for my team, Duran has a type advantage, and only Apollo has any hope of dealing with a steel-type that levitates, assuming he uses a Magnemite or Magneton as the ace. It's going to be rough," I said with a sigh.
"There are plenty of things that you can plan around," Samantha pointed out. "Electrike relied on its speed and physical attacks, Voltorb has Rollout and Self-Destruct that you need to be ready for, and the Magnemite line prefers to strike from afar. All utilize paralysis, and direct contact is the main way they make that happen. You are a solid trainer, and I'd argue that you're roughly at the three-badge level. I'm sure you'll be fine."
"I think Apollo can win his fight, but Duran and Orion are a lot trickier. I doubt Duran's ranged water attacks will be enough to take down his foe, so he'll have to force a brawl and that almost guarantees paralysis. As for Orion, he only has Swift for a ranged option and I highly doubt we can win a battle with just that, so he'd be sure to get paralyzed too. I think I'm going to have Orion sit this one out," I admitted.
"No, Orion should fight," Samantha stated firmly.
I blinked in surprise at the remark and gave her a curious look, "Surely I have a better chance of winning with just Duran and Apollo, no? I don't want to send him into a losing battle."
She rolled her eyes before reaching over to pat my shoulder, "You're far too worried about winning, Danny. Win or lose, it'll be a great experience for Orion."
"But if he gets completely shut down, which seems likely, it could hurt his confidence. I've already been struggling to build it up, and we've made great progress recently. I'd hate to see him blame himself if we lost the whole thing, or feel inadequate from losing his fight if we did manage to win."
"So what if he loses? If he's mopey afterward, that's just another opportunity to grow and learn. Just because he's your newest and most inexperienced member doesn't mean you should baby him by only giving him battles he can easily win. Duran and Apollo have both fought unwinnable battles, and they're better for it."
"I guess you're right. I just really don't want to have to stick around for another week if we lose," I said with a sigh.
"You don't need to. You'll have to come back through Mauville anyway after you visit Lavaridge," Samantha pointed out. "If anything, this is the best gym you could lose to."
I hummed before nodding, "You're right. I don't have much to lose by having Orion fight, and there's much more to gain. I'll take your advice, it's good. Thanks Sammy."
"Of course, that's what sisters are for," she said with a playful smirk and nudge.
Our conversation came to a lull as we noticed Owen finally step out of the gym, a huge grin on his face as he greeted spectators that came up to congratulate him, and to my surprise he was even asked for a few signatures. It reminded me that although battling wasn't quite as popular as it had once been, it still had its fans; especially in a city like Mauville.
It didn't take long for him to notice us and dismiss himself from those who were gathered around, jogging over to us with a smirk of accomplishment. Thankfully, the bystanders seemed to take the hint and didn't follow him over, and the crowds finally began to disperse.
"That was a great battle, Owen. Congrats on your new badge," I said sincerely as he approached.
"Daniel! Good to see you man, glad you made it! It was a great battle, I'm just thankful I didn't lose my nerve in front of so many people. Mauville is a different beast, that's for sure! Who's this you're with?"
I jabbed my thumb toward Samantha, "This is Sammy, my sister. She's a coordinator, but also a very competent battler when she wants to be. I hope you don't mind if she joins us, assuming you're still up to grab a meal."
He gave a beaming smile and extended his hand to Samantha, "Of course! Nice to meet you Sammy! Owen Adler, the future gym leader of Dewford."
Samantha accepted his handshake with a friendly smile, although I knew her well enough to see she was resisting a strong urge to comment on the gym leader remark.
"Nice to meet you too Owen. Danny is right, that was a great battle."
"Sure was! I'm extremely proud of my team. I'm starving after that battle though; food court work for you two?"
"You'll probably be pestered if we go there," Samantha commented.
Owen clicked his tongue at the reminder, "If I was alone I wouldn't mind, but it'll probably make enjoying a meal together tough… Let's find a quieter restaurant we can grab a booth at. I need to drop my team off at the Pokécenter first though."
"Not a problem at all," I chimed in as we began making our way to the Pokécenter. We ended up getting stopped a couple of times on our way by people who had spectated the match and wanted to congratulate Owen or get a signature from someone they thought might be an up-and-coming trainer, but soon enough we found ourselves at a restaurant that was gracious enough to place us in a secluded corner booth where we were able to have some privacy. This particular place didn't allow Pokémon to be out, something I would normally avoid, but wasn't much of an issue for this occasion.
Conversation was light for the first ten minutes or so as we exchanged pleasantries and ordered our food. Owen didn't ask us about our childhood or pasts and seemed to accept that we were siblings without a second thought. He seemed much more interested and focused on the future, which we were more than happy to talk about. I revealed my goal to participate in the Ever Grande Conference, which excited Owen since he shared the sentiment, and Samantha lightly touched on how she strove to be a top coordinator. Things naturally took a turn toward Owen's dream, at which point Samantha saw fit to say what I knew she had been dying to bring up.
"Wanting to be a gym leader is an admirable ambition, but isn't it a little presumptuous to outright claim you'll be the future gym leader? Even if Brawly himself pushed for you, it isn't just his decision," Samantha pointed out, applying some pressure to our otherwise easygoing conversation.
Thankfully, Owen didn't seem the type to take offense easily. He laughed it off easily enough before addressing it, "You aren't wrong, and I don't have Brawly's backing or anything like that. But if I don't believe it myself, who else will? I also think it's a good way to keep me motivated; I can't just give up or half-ass things when everyone knows what my goal is, right?"
"That's pretty respectable. Once upon a time, I wanted to be Champion. But as I got older, I abandoned that aspiration when I realized that being Champion likely wouldn't be that fun, what with all the politics and people blaming you for the region's problems," I confessed.
"What aspiring trainer hasn't dreamed of being Champion on occasion?" Owen chuckled.
"Being a gym leader isn't much different," Samantha noted. "There's still a lot of politics to deal with, and instead of the entire region expecting you to fix things, it's your hometown. Your family, friends, and neighbors all looking at you to lead and protect them. It's a thankless and demanding job, you're sure that's what you want?"
I raised a brow and gave Samantha a curious look, fully aware that her comments must have been made with her mom Roxanne in mind. I knew that she wasn't exactly the biggest fan of all the burdens being Champion had brought her father, but I hadn't expected her to be jaded toward the position of gym leader as well. Admittedly, I didn't know anything about what Roxanne might have had to deal with during her tenure, but I wasn't under the impression that she was somehow controversial or disgraced, considering her new position at the Rustboro Trainer School.
"I know it won't be easy, and I don't know the first thing about politics. But I disagree that it's a thankless job. When I was younger, I attended a summer camp that Brawly put on where he taught us all sorts of things about Pokémon. How to interact with them, befriend them, care for them, and he even put on a mock tournament so we could experience battling first-hand. That's actually how I befriended and partnered up with Bronson; we won and I got to keep him as a prize. It was an experience I'll never forget and will always be grateful for, and I know others feel the same. Being a gym leader can be taxing, but it can also be incredibly rewarding when you help guide the next generation of trainers and give back to your community. That's what drives me. I know there are some politics and stress involved, but things like that make it all worth it. I'm sure being the gym leader of a place like Mauville would be a real pain, but Dewford is pretty small and secluded. I don't think politics will be a huge deal, and I'll learn to handle it as I go."
"Just like I said after our battle, I think you'd make a great gym leader someday," I said honestly. "Your heart is in the right place, you're a good trainer, plus you're friendly and positive. I think if you keep at it, you'll make it someday."
"Thanks man! I've got a long way to go, but I feel like I'm making progress every day."
"I was surprised by your team," I admitted. "I wouldn't have guessed you had a Shroomish, but I guess it makes sense considering what it evolves into. Geodude really threw me for a loop though."
"Isn't she great? She was the second to join our team. Bronson and I were training in Granite Cave just before we left for our journey, and we caught her interest. We had a friendly spar, hit it off, and the rest is history. Even if I didn't plan on capturing a Geodude, she's got the fighting spirit and I can't imagine my team without her now."
"Sounds like you've got your team planned out," Samantha commented.
Owen gave a feral grin, "For the last two slots, I sure do. It's kind of a no-brainer really; Meditite and Machop. Machamp is an apex among fighting-types, and they're common enough along Route 112 that I should be able to get one before I make it to Lavaridge. Meditite will be a lot harder to get, but it'll be worth the effort. Every team can hugely benefit from a psychic capable of telepathy. You two should consider getting one; they're invaluable for communication and can protect you against bad actors."
Samantha and I both glanced at each other for a brief moment before nodding in agreement and sharing a smirk.
"Funny you say that; we do both have telepaths," I admitted.
The look on Owen's face was priceless as his eyes bulged and he adopted a look of disbelief.
"Seriously? Both of you? It's not common for trainers to have a telepath, especially early in their journey. Wait, what Pokémon do each of you have on your team?"
As our meals were delivered to the table and we began to dig in, Samantha and I took turns telling Owen our teams, but things got a bit messy we were forced to present our fake backstory. It started with Owen questioning how, if we were both siblings and had both gotten an Eevee, Sammy's was evolved while mine was a newer capture. We explained that it was a coincidence that we'd both gotten an Eevee and told him our cover story; that we were both orphans who had gotten close at Petalburg's orphanage years ago, but that Sammy had been lucky enough to be adopted and moved to Rustboro.
Luckily, or perhaps not, he didn't question our story because he hyper-fixated on something that I had been hoping would go unnoticed.
"Wait… Corphish isn't your starter, yet it almost beat Bronson? And you only have one badge?"
I groaned internally, my mind racing at how best I could respond to ensure he didn't feel somehow disheartened or disrespected. Before I could formulate a response, I couldn't help but flinch as he suddenly reached over and clasped my shoulder, and to my relief he had a beaming smile.
"Dude, that's awesome! You should be proud of yourself! You're easily at the three-badge level, you'll win your gym challenge no doubt!"
I blinked, once again surprised by his seemingly endless optimism and positivity.
"That's what I'm saying! But Danny has been stressing about it just because he has a type disadvantage with one of his team members," Samantha chimed.
"You know it's because of more than just that Sammy," I groaned. "We've barely gotten to do any trainer battles, and our only experience against an electric-type was some wild Joltik. We have no answer for paralysis, Orion has extremely limited options, and I need Duran to do well despite his disadvantage after the disappointment of his last gym battle."
"What do you mean? You won your last gym battle, right?" Owen asked confusedly.
By the time I finished telling the story of Preston and my battle with Leader Georgia, which Samantha helpfully assisted with, we had finished our meal. I was surprised to find that by the end, Owen had a scowl of distaste; the first negativity of any kind I'd ever seen from him.
"That shit pisses me off! I heard she was stepping down; good riddance I say! Gah, just thinking about it makes my blood boil! A corrupt gym leader… She should be thrown in jail, not allowed to step down quietly!"
"It's shitty, sure, but I'm not sure jail is exactly necessary… There isn't really any proof she took a bribe or anything like that, and I don't get the feeling it's something she did often." I explained, trying to calm the flames that threatened to consume Owen. He was quickly getting riled up, and I could tell that my story had struck something deeply personal and important to him.
"Well, she's been doing something she shouldn't, otherwise she wouldn't have the league pressuring her to step down," Samantha spoke up.
"Someone like that, who would spit in the face of the trust their community placed in them… who would soil the title of gym leader for their own selfish reasons… She could have done any countless number of things," Owen growled.
"She went a little hard on me, but it wasn't that bad," I said with a shrug, subtly trying to diffuse the rising tension at the table. "I can't imagine she would lose her job just from going a bit overboard against one trainer."
"Bullshit," Owen all but spat. "You said she used Sandstorm and Self-Destruct against a zero-badge trainer's first gym challenge ever. That's inexcusable."
I cast Samantha a glance to see if she was as surprised by Owen's complete reversal from his usual peppy demeanor. To my surprise though, she didn't seem nearly as uncomfortable as me, instead trying to hide the hint of a smile that tugged at her lips.
"I agree wholeheartedly, Owen. A gym leader who allows themselves to be swayed or corrupted has no place holding the title. The fact that you feel that way means you'd make a great one."
I nodded in agreement as Owen relaxed and took a deep breath, seemingly realizing that he was getting too worked up.
"Thanks. Sorry… I was just shocked to find out stuff like that actually happens. I've always seen gym leaders as pillars of their communities, and it really rubs me the wrong way to hear that some might abuse their position. Sounds like the League is on top of it though, so that's good."
"I wonder who will take Georgia's position, assuming the rumors are true," I wondered out loud.
"Who knows? We all have that badge, so it doesn't really matter to any of us," Samantha shrugged.
"Not true," Owen politely objected. "If your family lives in Rustboro, you should care because it does affect you."
"I get where you're coming from, but times have changed. Gym leaders aren't nearly as important when it comes to leading and protecting a community as they used to be. Our government is far more organized and efficient, and the League has rangers stationed all over the region." Samantha explained.
"I'll agree with you for the most part, but I think that's more the case with cities like Mauville, Petalburg, and Rustboro. For places like Dewford and Lavaridge, gym leaders are still very important. Besides, gym leaders have authority over the rangers stationed nearby. Without proper leadership, they aren't nearly as effective."
Samantha simply nodded and took a sip of water, seemingly unwilling to argue her point further with Owen. I got the sense that she had accepted that they had different perspectives and views on this particular topic, and that it wasn't worth playing devil's advocate over something that Owen felt so passionately about.
"So are you heading for Lavaridge since you have your badge? You seemed eager to leave Mauville," I commented to Owen, deciding a change of topic was in order.
Owen hummed in thought, "That was the plan, but now I sorta want to hang around to see your match if you don't mind. I'm really curious to see how your Ralts battles if your Corphish has that much spunk. I could even help you train; I may not have an electric type, but I can help your team get used to paralysis using Misha's Stun Spore."
I blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered and gave an appreciative nod.
"If you're sure you don't mind staying in the city a little longer, I'd really appreciate that."
He gave a wide grin, "Great! Let's exchange numbers then, and we'll set up something for tomorrow. Now that I'm coming down from the high of that battle and have some food in me, I think I'm going to take the rest of the day to chill and celebrate with my team."
We paid for our meals, exchanged numbers, and parted ways to let Owen return to the Pokécenter for some well-deserved relaxation. I turned to Samantha, my mind already made up on what I wanted to do next.
"I've got some preparation and training to do. What do you have planned?"
She hummed in thought, "I wouldn't mind doing some training myself. Even I'm feeling a little inspired after seeing that battle."
"Want to join me? I wouldn't mind bouncing some ideas off of you, if you don't mind."
She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips as we set off toward Mauville's gates.
"By the way, I have a bone to pick with you."
I glanced over to give Samantha a confused look, my mind scrambling to think of what I might have done. Upon seeing my lost expression as I struggled to come up with an answer, she rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone.
"You saved Owen's number before mine. I think I deserved to be your first contact, don't you agree?" she asked with less accusation than I would have expected.
I nodded and pulled mine out, "You would have been my first contact if you hadn't distracted me by ridiculing my phone."
"It's fine, I'm in a good mood and can forgive you if you do one small thing," she said with a mischievous smirk.
She held her hand out and gestured for me to hand her my phone, which I did with only minor reluctance.
It didn't take her long to hand me my phone back, and as we continued walking toward the edge of Mauville I flipped to my contacts to see what she had done. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and sigh as I put my phone back in my pocket, but knew I could live with the name she'd decided to set for herself; even if it would forever keep her right at the top of my contact list.
#1 Sister.
A/N: This chapter was tricky; I didn't want to go into too much detail of Owen's battle and describe every action, but I had to be reasonably descriptive to relay what I wanted. It ended up quite long and took far too long to write, and probably should have been two separate chapters, but whatever. Owen sticks around for a little while and Daniel begins final preparations for his gym battle. See you next week!
Shoutout to Trix for beta-reading this chapter.
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