Hard Enough-Chapter 291 - Training Camp Days III

Sweat dripped down my brow as I pushed myself and my pokemon, in this case, Tide, to encase himself in a Dark shell of energy.

Agatha pointed dramatically. “Destiny Bond,” she intoned pointedly and Haunter cackled as a band of ghostly energy shot out from it. It stabbed into Tide’s shell of energy and for half a heartbeat, I thought we’d done it only for a cold touch racing down my spine to announce that we’d failed in our defence.

“Shit!” I swore without any real heat to it, which was saying something as today’s training session, rather than being in the normal meadow, it was being run in a volcano. If I didn’t miss my guess, it was one of the training fields that only Cinnabar trainers were supposed to have access to.

Lava bubbled only a few feet away from me, but I had to ignore it and instead adapt. I tugged at my shirt, a flicker of disgust washing over me at how it clung to me with the amount of sweat pouring off me.

The second this experiment was done I was having Tide douse me in water, I didn’t care if I was going to be dripping wet. Anything was better than feeling this much ick. Damn volcano that fed right onto the beach!

No place had any right to be this humid!

Last time I’d come to Cinnabar to fight for my badge, I’d pointedly made sure to bring burn heal and a ton of ice packs situated around my body. With this being a last minute announcement for todays’ Guardian training, I very much did not have my gear prepared like I would have otherwise.

I made a mental note to store away a bunch of different pieces of equipment that might be helpful if I was ever forced into situations like this.

It wasn’t hoarding if you planned to eventually use it one day after all…

I waved a hand. “Let’s try for the next test,” I prompted Agatha and she sniffed.

“I should make you work for this!” she called out.

I restrained the urge to hold back. “Yes, yes, I know. But I want to be able to be effective with this, any deviations will cause potential points of error or failure in the testing.”

“You’re not going to find what you think you can from this Brock!” Agatha called while waving her hand.

Her pokemon dutifully fired a Curse towards a pokemon Agatha had brought instead of directly at Tide. The attack activated and Haunter repeated it, causing itself to faint from energy loss.

Right as the Destiny Bond Activated I had Tide pulse his Dark Energy, seeking to break the link that bound them together.

We timed it perfectly, so that right as the pulse of ghostly energy swept in, the pseudo Dark pulse activated and caught the Ghostly energy in it.

Again, there was a slight delay before the ghostly energy swept past the shell and into Tide.

I clicked my tongue as he collapsed, as all his energy was drained from him.

I tucked my chin and sighed. “Test eighteen for prevention of the linkage of Destiny Bond was a failure as was experiment nineteen which was for the blocking of Destiny Bond’s activation upon the original user’s knock out.”

I wiped at my brow and flicked my sweet to the side. “There was a brief delay in Destiny Bond passing through the shell of dark energy, but otherwise no difference in the effect on my pokemon.”

I sighed and took another breath. “Tests will repeat later with partial dark type pokemon along with pokemon fully capable of Dark Pulse to verify results,” I intoned before raising the pokedex and stopping the recording function.

“It won’t work,” Agatha once more pointed out.

“There was a slight delay,” I replied. “That means something, I might be on the right track. Maybe it’s a matter of proficiency?”

“Or it might be that Ghost energy, which is duplicitous and coy in nature, is messing with you. If you have spent any amount of time watching the normal activation of Destiny Bond, you will note a delay for when most think it will activate.”

“I did,” I conceded slowly.

Agatha waved her stick at Tide who I was already lathering potions into. “Destiny Bond is merely another sign of how Ghost pokemon are. The trainer with their affected pokemon gets just long enough to feel hope that something failed to work, only to have the carpet pulled from under them. It is a cruel final joke which is often the best kind of joke a Ghost can play.”

I hummed as Tide began to rouse. “You know I think it says something about me that what you said made perfect sense,” I replied. I continued to stroke Tide’s neck as he adjusted to where he found himself.

“You alright there bud?” I asked and he bobbed his neck and trilled softly.

I chuckled and had him douse me in a wave of cool water that swept away the heat and drew a long sigh of relief from me.

When he was done I stepped forward and shook like a Growlithe sending cascades of water splashing out. Agatha merely scowled at me as I grinned only for my grin to falter when I noticed that all of the water droplets were phasing through her.

“Is that how you’re wearing so many layers and not having the heat affect you at all?” I asked.

“Heat? What heat?” Agatha replied. I pointedly glanced at the nearby magma. “Oh if you think this is hot you’ve got a long way to go young Brock! Once, during the war, I got into a fight atop a cliff only for it to collapse into a magma chamber! I had to climb out only to have a pack of Camerupt and Houndoom chase me! Go through that and then you’ll know heat!” she growled.

I hummed, unsure if I should believe her or if she was bluffing.

Agatha allowed me to relax for a moment before sighing. “You should stop wasting your time on attempting to deny Destiny Bond Brock. It is a signature Ghost move that they have been using ever since there were first ghost type pokemon. You’re not going to find a way around or past it. You must merely accept it.”

“Sounds like quitter talk,” I replied, pondering the metaphorical implications of our discussion.

If you replace Destiny Bond with simply death… I glanced at Agatha, her wrinkled skin bore no liver spots or marks. She barely ever creaked or popped. She never complained about pain either at elast in my hearing.

She was probably someone to envy with how gracefully she’d aged.

But aged, she had.

Agatha met my gaze and narrowed her eyes. “I can tell you’re thinking something rude,” she said.

I raised a single eyebrow, knowing that I had a damn good poker face, so she was just being prickly. Which, come to think of it, could also be a sign of dementia…

I waved the thought off and coughed. “How are things going with the League? Any idea what’s happening with Bruce and Kaede and the Frontier bosses being called in like they have?” I asked.

“They are being used as a rationale for the League’s denial of Bruce taking over Cinnabar.”

I clicked my tongue. “Alright, so who are they thinking of sending here instead?”

“It appears that on a short-term basis, Noland shall be taking over,” Agatha replied.

I chewed on that thought for a while before nodding. “Makes a lot of sense. Just a shame they had to go about it the way they did.”

“They never were going to allow Bruce to take over a Gym, especially Cinnabar,” Agatha stated.

She glanced at me. “It would also not be doing him any favours. While Bruce is skilled as a tournament fighter, he is sadly lacking in a lot of skills required should an opponent step outside the rules. Blaine, if he took umbrage with Bruce being appointed, would have roasted Bruce alive.”

“Hmmmm, is that likely to happen?” I asked, wondering if Noland was going to have the same issue, or if there was going to be a sting operation deployed. I had a good idea that I knew the answer to that, and if I knew it Blaine would have to know.

“Won’t the team looking to catch Blaine be in danger?” I asked, knowing the man had something of a reputation.

“They’re only a stalling team. If Blaine so much as appears in public, I and a few others are on speed dial to move.” Agatha gave me a look. “During my recent match there was a reason Oak made himself known so quickly beyond being just playing the fool after all.”

I blinked. I hadn’t considered that. I’d just gone along for the ride at the time. I shook my head and sighed.

“Any sightings of Blaine?” I asked only to receive a shake of the head. I hummed. “What about Team Aqua? Are they still laying low?”

“Extremely low. They pulled out of the base they’d set up in the Orange islands. Their in the depths for all we know, which… with what we know of the Orange islands might be a concern as the depths are where you and Sabrina believe this Lugia to be. We’re monitoring as much as we can but…” Agatha shook her head.

“Anything from their counterparts?” I asked only for Agatha to scoff.

“Team Magma is a Hoenn defence force. They only act within Hoenn and for Hoenn’s best interests. We have no new intelligence on them at this point beyond small movements of them investigating volcanoes.”

“It just so happens that a lot of the findings and reports end up in the hands of the Hoenn government’s hands. They’re supposedly looking to expand geothermal power courses for Hoenn. They have some of the best experts in that after all. It’s something Indigo is interested in.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised by this. There were only really a few volcanoes within Kanto or Johto, so to hear negotiations taking place over geothermal energy was a bit of a surprise.

Agatha nodded. “It has been one of the talking points that Lance had been discussing.”

I eyed Agatha, knowing she’d said what she’d said deliberately to bait me. “Had been discussing?” I ask, taking the bait.

“You recently arrested a young man from an influential Hoenn family, a very big name over there. Nothing to speak of internationally of course, but still influential enough to put some pressure on the government.”

I ran a hand down my face, annoyed that I was starting to feel the heat. “Chaz?” I prompted.

“Indeed, they have been applying pressure to Steven, but for us and Lance it has been a good point of pressure. If they wish to extradite him and crush the charges there, they will have to pay through the nose.” Agatha smirked at me. “You really threw the book at him when you arrested him, didn’t you?”

I snorted. “I didn’t plan on arresting him.” I raised a finger and pointed directly at her. “And I would never have risked children to do it, don’t make me out as some mastermind.”

“Well, you should consider yourself fortunate that young Celia gained the attention of Juan of Sootopolis. He will be able to shield her from any reprisal acts that the family might try to enact to get back at you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “They’d do that?”

“They are rich, powerful, and petty people who have been slighted in their view. Of course, they would if they could. Warn Celia when you can, I want that girl to do well, and if you’re still planning on returning to Hoenn, expect some resistance or hostile encounters,” Agatha said.

I nodded, adjusting my plans for a few weeks. I had no doubts now that Celia was going to make it into the final rounds of the Hoenn conference. She had crushed it during the Gym circuit matches and, by all reports, was flourishing under Juan’s tutelage.

I’d have to make time to thank the man and talk to him. He sounded like a good man and an extremely knowledgeable handler of Pokemon and people.

I gestured outside. “We done with this conditioning training?” I asked, channeling some rock energy through my body to resist the heat a little.

Agatha nodded. “If you don’t want to attempt another act of foolishness, I have no qualms ending our training here Brock,” she needled.

I almost demanded another attempt then and there before my brain caught up and smothered my pride. “Yeah, I’m not falling for that, let’s call it,” I said, marching towards the open area not surrounded by pools of magma.

Agatha cackled and levitated directly over the magma pools leaving me to walk around them. When I arrived, I found I was the last trainee to arrive. Sabrina levitated a water bottle towards me that I gladly snatched and drank.

“Thanks,” I said only to spot Karen lurking nearby with a gleeful look in her eyes.

“So, I heard there’s been trouble in Pewter with a lovers' tiff causing some chaff?” Karen said with a leer.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not getting into that with you, just explaining it is enough of a headache.” Then I paused and glanced at Sabrina. Had she actually shared gossip with Karen of all people?

Sabrina met my stare. “Brawly needs to be smacked over the nose about this so he learns.”

The soft crunch of chips made me glance to the side to notice Janine munching away as she watched us. I shot her a bemused look which grew into a rueful chuckle when Lucy stepped up to Janine and asked what was going on.

Damn, but I wish I could take their approach to this entire fracas.

I turned back to Sabrina and Karen. “I don’t think anyone needs to have their noses rubbed in it any more than has already occurred. Things got out of hand, is all I’ll say.”

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“Hmmm, I would have expected you to back Brawly,” Karen said.

I shot her a look. “I didn’t say that. The whole relationship fiasco isn’t something I can, or should ‘punish’.”

Sabrina nodded slowly, her gaze turning thoughtful before she considered me. “You will speak with him though, about what happened?”

“I might,” I said. “I wasn’t going to exactly discuss it with him or the others yesterday cause… there was a bit to unpack, and I think everyone needed to cool off.”

“Boo!” Karen said, giving me a thumbs down. “Drag it out, air that dirty laundry! How many girls he’s been sleeping with while playing around with the other two?”

I shot Karen a flat look. “It’s only Roxanne that was trying to date him.”

“Eh, I call BS on that. I reckon the redhead was just slower than her friend. I reckon there are unrequited feelings there. She’s probably glad Roxanne got rejected!” Karen said with an evil grin.

I sighed and looked to Sabrina. “Please tell me you’re not agreeing with her?”

“I’m not, but I must admit to some frustration with Brawly. I know he has feelings for Roxanne.”

“Same, but maybe he’s not ready or willing to act on them? So I think we just have to step back from it,” I said.

Sabrina nodded. “It’s much messier than I thought it would be.”

Karen snorted, injecting herself back into the conversation. “Bitch please! What relationship isn’t messy? You just gotta accept it. I make do with casual dates and no more.”

I hummed, not willing to point out how true her words were. Sabrina and I’s relationship was solid and continuing to deepen I knew, but that didn’t mean there hadn’t been a lot of rough patches.

I shared a look with Sabrina only for her to gain a flash of something. “I’m sure there’s no other reason,” she said at Karen.

The crunching of chips from Janine and Lucy grew louder and I rolled my eyes as Karen bristled like a Meowth that was being led towards a bath.

“Alright, alright, you were playing nice with each other for a few minutes. Let’s count that as a record and call it progress,” I said.

Karen continued to glare at Sabrina but Sabrina merely smiled at me, knowing she’d won having gotten in the last word with the equivalent of a Sucker Punch.

“What are you doing to calm things down within your training camp?” Sabrina asked, sticking to the prompt from me.

“I reassigned the Team Leaders and have switched things up so there is more cross-team involvement for today’s excursion into Mt Moon and the northern ranges around Pewter. They’ll camp out tonight and come back in tomorrow for another trip down to visit.”

“Pffft! Viridian! That’s literally the kiddy walk!” Karen claimed.

I hummed and took a slow sip from the water Sabrina had gotten me. “Oh? Is that so? Guess they’ll find it a waste of time then,” I murmured.

I’d drawn in the local rangers to literally take the kids to the more hidden, dangerous parts of Viridian to the west. I had no doubts that the kids' initial reaction would be much the same, but after both trips to ‘easy’ locations that went a step beyond the beaten path, they’d soon change their tunes.

It was rather surprising how quickly the woods could turn dark and ominous when not five minutes prior you might have been strolling through a meadow.

I checked my Xtransicever for the time and grimaced. “I need to get back home, this has been.” I flicked my hand and let the sweat that had started to build up splatter against the ground. “Educational,” I said for lack of anything actually nice to say.

I was absolutely keeping environmental wear in my ever-present bag going forward.

Karen and the other trainees that had come with me agreed. Before Sabrina and I Teleported away though, Karen raised her hand.

“Brock, I caught a Pupitar… think I could get you to look it over next time?” she said.

I blinked, caught by surprise that she would actually ask. Then again, if there was anyone around that had a better understanding of how to raise, train and handle the Tyranitar line I couldn't… I paused in thought for a moment. Actually that was a lie, if the cultural assumptions surrounding the Crusher tribe were correct based off the few markings and cave art pieces we’d found, they might be better due to generational knowledge coming into play.

Still, I was the best expert in Indigo. That I felt confident in at least.

“Oh, sure thing. I’ll prepare some notes on training methods I’ve thought up, along with observations and dietary recommendations,” I replied, ignoring Sabrina, who was clicking her tongue in annoyance.

I suspected some parts of her fights with Karen were about to get harder, but at the same time, I doubted even the Crusher tribe had as much experience fighting against a Tyranitar especially since I’d started adding Empress into our occasional spars.

Sabrina and I vanished in a teleport and reappeared in my bedroom. I shucked off my clothes and strode towards the bathroom where I was quickly joined by Sabrina.

Sabrina pressed herself against my back and I could feel her smile as she kissed my neck. “My first challenger is going to lose during his Gauntlet run, care to be late to work?” she asked.

I didn’t say anything, instead, I turned and took her in my arms with the shower running over our bodies.

It was a good thing she could levitate because I planned to give her a limp and something to smile about for the rest of the day.

With the Training Camp attendees out from underfoot, there were still a lot of tasks to be seen to. Thankfully I only had to give them a cursory inspection thanks to the work I’d done to organise everything in advance.

Shifting Team Leaders had been a bit of a hiccup, but not one that I couldn’t adjust for. I just needed to spread the load out and take up a bit of the slack.

Thankfully I had everything finished up by lunch, which left me time to focus on other tasks such as training up my pokemon.

Zubat was getting close to evolving I could tell, just as Cranidos was now as well. Gible was a lot further off but I knew that once I had time to focus on him he was going to really shine, I just needed to put time and effort into him.

It wasn’t all fun and games however, I made a point of seeking out Don only to find him trying to evade me.

The clever prick knew he’d done wrong by messing with the Trainers and their pokemon before I’d gotten there and tried to hide it. So I made a point of restraining him to his pokeball to let him know I wasn’t going to allow that sort of behaviour.

He snapped and snarled about it, making a fierce show of being annoyed, but I knew it to be the equivalent of a whine or a whimper from another. When you had a direct line to a pokemon’s emotions, it became all too easy to weigh them down with expectations and disappointment.

Don wouldn’t be doing that again.

He might find something else, but I couldn’t fault him too much for being himself. I just needed to step in and show him where the line was.

He wouldn’t step over it once he knew it was there these days.

After that was done, I still had another hour before the trainees would be due to return.

I sat and drummed my fingers on my office table and pondered the state of things.

Everything around me was honestly coming up good, if not great. There were hiccups such as whatever brain fade had occurred with Brawly, but… I could understand that as youthful thoughtlessness.

The situation could have been a lot worse with him agreeing to date Roxanne, sleeping with her and then breaking up. Not that he would, that wasn’t something Brawly would do, but if she’d offered no strings attached it seemed he would have dove in head first.

… I shook my head. Not the best phrasing there.

Still, that wasn't the issue. The issue was, that things were going too well for too long.

My nerves were starting to itch as I felt a bone-deep knowledge that somewhere, somehow, somewhen, someone or something was going to go wrong.

I let my gaze linger on a poster that I deliberately sought out for my office. It read ‘be proactive!’ alongside a lot of other cutesy phrases, along with having a Geodude in a safety helmet checking off a list of items on a clipboard.

Proactive eh?

There were plenty of issues that could be coming up, especially if I wanted to read into cartoon or game lore.

Team Rocket had largely been dealt with, but they still had splinter cells still out there. That was more for someone like Detective Looker however. I could maintain my patrols, but unless I happened upon something I doubted I’d be able to conjure a lead to chase down and finish off Team Rocket.

There was also the issue of Blaine who was in the wind. Multiple people had stated that he wasn’t going to pop up for anything with his value being a researcher and scientist. I wasn’t expecting to encounter him unless we encountered some hidden Team Rocket base that was off the books.

Mewtwo, weirdly enough, was friendly with Sabrina and by extension myself and neutral to most of humanity unless they did something stupid like invade his home island.

So what did that leave?

The Shamouti island issues based on the movies?

Agatha had mentioned there being a risk of that so perhaps that was the most risky event right now.

I couldn’t do much from here but I began drafting plans, sending emails and establishing feelers where I could, with the locals and people I’d met during my journey. Thankfully the bonds of friendship I’d sparked had been able to be renewed with Jackson spending so long there last circuit and going back there.

I made a note to potentially send him back there again.

I began drafting up plans to fight three or even potentially four Legendary pokemon at Shamouti if things went down.

My first plan basically amounted to Don’t fight them.

I’d need to see about securing the stones and the song. Ash… more than any other movie that I could think of, needed to be there seeing as there was a prophecy about it and all.

The next festival for that wasn’t for a few months yet thankfully, so if I stuck to that timetable. I had time and could even be present during the festival with Sabrina and a few other powerful trainers.

I had a potential sparring partner in a Zapdos east of Cerulean that might be worth testing myself out against.

What else was on the cards?

There was the fight with Entei caused by Unown. I tapped my pen on some papers and reached into a hidden compartment where I’d hidden a bunch of notes. I began rifling through them only to find they were worryingly sparse on the details of the third pokemon movie.

Ash was of course involved with his Charizard battling Entei. The plot took place in Johto but also Ash’s mother was somehow involved?

… right. I toggled a watch order on ruins that had Unown in them, deciding that I could be on the lookout for any researchers pursuing that route.

From there, the next movie involved time travel with Ash meeting a boy from the past due to Celebi being hunted by a pokemon poacher. Wait, was this the one that featured Professor Oak?

A chill went down my spine as I realised that any time travel that occurred might mean Ash was going to end up in a very, very dark past with the war in full swing… Or was it the other way around?

I suddenly felt extremely worried about the potential ramifications of that event. The potential for change was horrifyingly easy.

Did I even want to touch that event with a mile-long stick?

I felt I kind of had to. Already, too much had changed, and I worried that if Ash and friends didn’t have a heavy hitter or two in their corners, things could really unravel fast.

Damn, this got intense fast and reminded me precisely why I hadn’t liked thinking about the movies.

After the fourth movie it was just the abduction of the Latios and Latias in Alto Mare, and Jirachi being encountered in Hoenn for the fifth and sixth movies. Everything after that wouldn’t even be reachable due to being in regions that hadn’t been rediscovered yet.

I tapped at the page again in thought. What else was there apart from Lola returning and tipping the apple cart over?

Carr was still in the wind along with Butch and Cassidy.

I paused at that. Each of the movies hadn’t just featured Ash and friends. I’d forgotten for a moment there.

They weren’t the only ones involved in saving the world.

Team Rocket had their own parts to play, sometimes by bumbling along but other times by showing their hearts of gold.

And as it just so happened, they were here.

I stood and marched down to the medical bay where a gaggle of Chansey were sitting around reading magazines and drinking. Right in the middle of them, looking ecstatic to be there was Jessie. I bit my lips and held in a chuckle when I spotted her assisting my Chansey with wrapping Link, my Clefable up in bandages.

“Hard at work I see?” I said casually.

Jessie straightened and blushed before coughing. “I was just watching Chansey work. She’s very good!”

I nodded, not letting on that I knew that being a pokemon nurse/healer had been her childhood dream. Spending time with the support team that the Nurse Joy’s had leant was probably a dream come true for her.

I jerked my head towards the back door. “Want to spar? I know you’ve got enough badges to challenge this year’s circuit.”

“You want to train me?” Jessie asked.

“You’ve got a lot of potential,” I replied before nodding my head again. “So? Shall we?”

She gave Chansey a quick look, only for Chansey to wave her off. Link tried to follow her only for Chansey to wrestle him to the bed.

“Rest up Link!” I ordered. “We’re going to head into some deep woods tomorrow,” I said, deciding then and there that while the others went west I was going to seek out the shrine to the Guardian of the forest once more.

Today I’d focus on getting myself and my allies stronger, starting with Jessie.

I held in a small laugh. This was certainly a development I hadn’t been expecting at the start of the year, but it was one I was glad for. I walked around and collected James and Meowth from where they were doing ethical hacking and security checks on my systems.

“How come I’ve got to be here?” Meowth whined as we walked along.

“Cause you’re the ace in the hole. If it comes down to it everyone knows you’ll carry the team. Seeing you train motivates the others,” I replied glibly.

Jessie and James shot me a surprised look and James coughed. “Like butter wouldn’t melt,” he muttered aloud and Meowth glanced at him before returning his gaze to me trying and failing to detect any insincerity to my words.

The odd thing was, I meant them.

When we reached the training area I whistled and Zubat joined me. “So? Show me what you’ve got.”

Jessie locked eyes with me and brought out her first pokemon without missing a beat.

Jessie smirked as she matched Zubat against her Mawile earning a nod. She really had gotten stronger, but she’d need more in the future.

I flicked my gaze over to James. So would he and Meowth.

Thankfully we had some time for that.

By the time I was done with all three of them the trainees had returned and were watching the matches with critical gazes, causing the trio to stiffen up a bit in their fights before they relaxed when not even Forrest recognised them for who they were.

I had to give it to them, they really were masters of disguise.

When I was done with them I’d thoroughly put them through their paces. I left them exhausted but able to stagger back to the Medical bay where the Chansey descended upon them happily.

Jessie perked right back up and I left them to enjoy themselves.

I was just about to head for the meal tent when a young man approached me and bowed. “Gym Leader! I don’t know if you recognise me but—”

“Hello Blaire,” I said, recalling the trio of young trainers I’d met in Viridian who’d been looking after his brothers. “Good to see you’re doing well and that you secured six badges.”

Blaire blushed and grinned. “Oh! Oh! Thank you! I wanted to talk to you about that though! I never challenged the Pewter Gym and I was wondering… could I challenge it here? It wouldn’t change much for me as I wouldn’t be able to make it to the—”

“Who says you can’t?” I asked quickly and he fell quiet and kicked the ground.

“I… My brothers only got four badges and I don’t think I can ditch them. They’ll have a chance next year to complete the circuit, but for me, it will be about getting a good job,” he said, still looking at the ground.

“I don’t think you want that,” I said. “I think you want to have a go at the tournament. If you’ve gotten six I don’t think there’s anything stopping you from getting seven or eight after all.”

Blaire clenched his fist. “I don’t think I can beat Saffron, Vermillion or Fuchsia. Those Gyms… they become a lot harder…”

“And mine haven’t?” I said with a wry grin.

Blaire stiffened and waved his hands back and forth. “No! No It’s just I don’t think I have the pokemon to handle them! And I don’t have the time to travel there either!”

“Or the money to afford the Teleport network I imagine?” I prompted and earned another disheartened nod.

I hummed and brought up his pokemon team.

Beedrill, Pidgeotto, Raticate, Sandslash, Seaking, and a Vileplume. Interesting. I saw a note about a Butterfree and read it quickly.

“You released your Butterfree to let it take part in the migration event this year?” I asked.

“Butterfree was getting on in years… It was actually my starter,” he said while clutching at his elbow. My eyes flickered to the beedrill which I imagined was much the same. Huh, if the kid didn’t have a go this year he’d probably never try.

“I’ll let you challenge,” I said, “But there is a condition.” I raised a finger. “If you win, I’m going to apply for you to go and face the new Viridian Gym Leader in a few days.”

“The Viridian Gym Leader?” I thought they shut that down?”

“They’re reopening it in two days time,” I said. “Fight me tomorrow, then heal up and go down there and do your best alright?”

Blaire gaped at me before twitching and without warning I found a young boy hugging me. “I will! I promise!”

I blinked in surprise before reaching up and patting him on the head. “Good kid,” I said.

He stepped back flushed. “Sorry!” he said.

I waved it off. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, moving away with a small pep in my step.

My smile lasted all of an hour before I suddenly faced a wave of young trainers asking about the Viridian Gym and my ability to grant challenge slots.

Damn me and my big mouth!