Chapter 15
~A Tale of Two Trainers~
-A Children's Story, Part: 5
Quagsire pondered to himself as Eric slept. There had to be some way he could improve. Some way to best his rival now that she was a Victreebel.
His strength? No. He and Eric had been getting stronger all the time. That wasn't the problem.
His speed? No. People said he was the fastest Quagsire they'd ever seen but his rival always seemed to be on top in that category.
His defense? Maybe. Victreebel's new move Leaf Storm hurt. Grass-moves had always hurt. But nothing quite like this before.
Not even his move Amnesia was able to beat it. It made him feel like a Wooper being hit by Razor Leaf again for the first time.
'But maybe if Amnesia was better.' Quagsire thought. 'How can Eric and I ever be called the 'best', if my moves aren't the 'best' they could be as well?'
Quagsire got to work right away. Thinking on how it could be better. Practicing with his energy in the comfort of his Net Ball.
It was a success!
At the next battle, his new move boosted him like nothing ever before! Victreebel's Leaf Storm was easy to withstand now! Like a breeze in the wind!
'It's incredible.' Eric's friend Bradley even said. 'I've never seen anything like it.'
Quagsire beamed with pride at his invention. With this new move it was all but certain. It was only a matter of time before he and Eric would finally be named as 'the best'.
But not everything was good about Quagsire's new move.
Because that day marked the first time that Quagsire forgot.
Lake of Rage, Award Ceremony
Cameras flash and shutter as the Top 3 all stand on one of those novelty victory podiums. You know the ones. The kind where 1st place is elevated the highest, 3rd the lowest, and 2nd place is settled right there in the middle.
I've heard it once said that people who earn Bronze at the Olympics come away happier than those who take home Silver… and I suppose that's true enough. Alton is all grins and wide smiles from his spot below me. I'm not sure what math the League uses for tiebreakers -to determine who gets awarded 3rd and who gets 4th and so on- but evidently it ranks him better than the other trainer who lost in the Semi's against Madison.
We've already had the opportunity to pick our prizes of choice from the table. The pack of five random TMs is snuggled tightly under my arm though I haven't had the chance to unwrap them yet.
Alton went with the gift basket full of Pokéballs. Even from my position on the opposite side of the podium I can see its got some good variety in it. Dusk Balls, Luxury Balls, Ultra Balls, at least three or four of the types Kurt can make with Apricorns in Azalea Town, it's a good haul.
Madison is the one who surprised me though. The King's Rock was obviously the most scarce thing on the table. People just kind of assumed -myself included- that that's what the first place winner would end up choosing. Which frankly suited me fine as I've no use for the thing. Maybe if I was planning on doing some shenanigans with the Ability Skill Link, but I'm not.
Instead, oddly enough, she went straight for the Light Clay. A relatively weak Held Item that increases the duration of moves like Reflect and Light Screen. 'At least that's what it did in the games. Is it possible it does something 'more' over here on Poké earth and I just don't know it? Something to look up later for sure. See if the Net knows something.'
Highlights from each of the Top 8 matches are being replayed on a loop via the large electronic scoreboard overlooking the arena. I've seen the clip of Grundy getting KO'd by the Mirror Coat at least six times already…but I'm focused on other things. In particular, scoping out team members Madison employed in her quarterfinal and semifinal rounds and committing them to memory.
Beyond the three 'mons used against me, she also made showings with an Umbreon, a Forretress, and a rather young looking Croconaw. Probably around the same age as K.Rool.
'Two Johto starters and four bulky walls.' I'll have to remember that come Conference time.
The photo op section of the ceremony begins to wind down and the reporter's questions begin to fly. As the winner, it's unwritten protocol that they ask Madison things first. Ask her for comments, how she's feeling about her victory, what plans are next for her, why did she choose 'now' to leave the Rangers, etc, etc. I'm sure you can imagine it.
But I can see it in their eyes. Those soulless journalistic paparazzi eyes.
What they really want to know about is Grundy. Where'd he come from? How long have I had him? Do I have any concerns about blah blah blah blah blah. Once they're done with Ms. Ranger, they're turning those microphones straight to me.
They won't find me very cooperative.
My vocabulary is already shrinking down to two simple words.
'No Comment.'
I rub at the small silver snowflake imprinted on the hexagon, feeling the embossed design of the Badge between my fingers. "Why?"
Pryce grunts. One of those old man grunts where he's annoyed he has to explain it. "You take second in a major tournament and still feel the urge to ask? I have permission to grant the Glacier Badge to any trainer I choose for any reason I choose. So just take it and be off."
A tiny frown plays on my lips, thinking of all the time's Gym Leaders awarded Ash a Badge without ever testing him in a proper battle. "It still feels disingenuous."
"It's your fifth, not your eighth." The old man counters. "And just so we're clear, this is for your performance in the Semi's. For what I saw from your Gligar and Ursaring. Not for what I witnessed in the finals. That miserable showing after your Krokorok fainted almost had me change my mind."
My eyebrows narrow, a sharp retort building in my throat…but then I swallow it down. Getting aggressive rarely helps anything, and on some level… I know he's got a point.
"Good. At least you're aware of the issue. That's a start." Pryce replies, seeing my expression. "You're scared of your own Pokémon."
"I'm… I'm not scared for me." I try to clarify, though it sounds like a weak excuse in my ears. "I've had enough time with Grundy to know that I'm safe. It's my opponent's Pokémon that I worry for. It was one thing to roll the dice when he wasn't fully evolved, but now that he's a Nidoking…well, you saw what happened to the Meganium."
Pryce's face is neutral. "You did backtrack pretty hard once it went down."
"Well yeah, of course I did." I try to make him understand, my face turning somewhat pleading. "Can you imagine what could have happened if I had went for Fire Blast instead? Or if Grundy was wearing an Item to boost his power on top of the existing Sunny Day? What if the Meganium was just a little weaker? I thought she'd be able to handle it better. When I saw she couldn't, how close we had come to…" I trail off. "That's why I pulled back when the Clefable came out. I didn't want to risk anything too strong or Super-effective again."
The Gym Leader 'hmphs' unimpressed. "And you lost the match because of it."
My voice turns scathing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Should I just let myself get blacklisted instead? How on earth is that preferable? Wouldn't that be a fun headline in the news when I kill a Pokémon live in front of a family filled audience?" I loose a huff. "Besides, I couldn't have predicted the Wobbuffet."
Pryce stamps his cane. "The Wobbuffet wasn't the issue! Your own indecision was! You were indecisive at the start against the Clefable, leading to an opening for you to get set up on. An opening which your opponent then exploited to lead you around by the nose like a child! That was the first domino that led to your defeat. Break the first link in that chain of events and the rest doesn't happen."
'He doesn't get it.' My expression blankens, a growl being buried inside. 'He doesn't think Grundy would have actually killed Madison's team if given the chance. Not deep down anyway. He thinks I'm being overdramatic. That in some aspect, some way, that I'm exaggerating.' "What does it matter to you anyway old man? I don't work for your Gym anymore, remember?"
Evidently that wasn't a productive thing to say, as Pryce's demeanor immediately turns back into the cold wintery one of which Bradley's memories are much more familiar. The Ice specialist dismissively waves a hand -deciding I'm no longer worth speaking to- and turns away to stalk off, his cane clacking on the ground with every other step.
'Fine by me.' I spin on my heel myself. 'I've other things to do anyway.'
I make it all of ten steps away when I hear the curmudgeon begrudgingly call out my name. "Bradley."
Turning to face him, I see his expression is sour...but there's also something more hidden there. "I better see that Swinub again come Conference time. If you haven't trained it right, I'm taking it back. No excuses."
"Ha!" I bark out a single laugh. "Just you wait old man. By the time Vlad and I are through with him, you won't even recognize Junior. Just don't go keeling over in the next six months."
Pryce mouths the 'Junior' nickname and then shakes his head in disapproval. "And stop calling my granddaughter! She has more important things on her plate than calling me asking for updates on you!"
This time I smirk instead of laugh. 'Oh she does, does she?' "Not on your life, Pryce."
I set aside the first TM and struggle not to laugh at the irony.
Fucking 'Sunny Day' of all things. Goddamnit. Let it not be said that the universe doesn't have a sense of humor.
The funniest part is that it's not actually useless to me. Gligar should be compatible -as he is with so many things- and it would be a useful item to have in the toolbox. Sandstorm can't get going in the damp conditions of a Rain Dance but the Fire-styled Weather move can banish storm clouds no problem. 'Which I'm only now realizing is rather odd considering Water is supposed to beat Fire but hey, I don't make the rules here.'
Next time we face something like Alton's Politoed, we'll definitely have a better option for keeping the environment in our favor. 'Note to self: Test Sandstorm while Sunny Day is up. Would be curious to see how they combine. With dryness as a central theme for both of them, they might actually work symbiotically.'
The second TM is Charge Beam and….yep that does absolutely squat for me. My only Special Attacker right now is Grundy and even if he were compatible -which I'm pretty sure he isn't- then Sheer Force makes this move basically useless. A strictly worse Thunderbolt in both power and accuracy.
'Damn. If only this were Shock Wave.' Grundy could use that one and I've recently been thinking about how important it might be to have more moves that can't be cheesed by evasion tactics. Still, I suppose I could hang onto this TM for a little while rather than sell it back for cash. Maybe one day I'll get that Baltoy/Claydol and they can do something with it.
As a sidenote, let me tell you about the rules here on TMs in case you're wondering. Are they working on Generation V and up rules? The ones where TMs could be used again and again and again forever on as many Pokémon as you desire?
No. A resounding no. Even if companies have secretly cracked the technology to do it, there'd be no profit in it. It's the age old question of how are you supposed to have repeat customers if your product lasts forever? If your product can be passed around the room from one person to the next? There's only about 200 different TM moves in circulation. If they lasted forever then it wouldn't be that hard for someone to collect one of every kind and then setup a free depot somewhere.
'So does that mean TMs are 'one and done' like they were in Gen IV and down?' you may be asking. And the answer to that one is they used to be. You can still find the 'single charge' variants on the shelf if you look hard enough but those are getting so old that they're actually starting to degrade. Give it another decade or two and they'll all just be useless plastic disks not fit for anything.
These days the 'three charge' variant is what you see most often. Every use depletes the energy -the imprinted knowledge- present on the disk and once it's all used up...then it's all used up. You just toss it in the recycle bin. Maybe use it as a paperweight or something. Though I suppose all that information is true about the single-use ones as well.
The new and improved 'three-charge' model was released by Silph Co. some many years ago after an Elite Four at the time -the predecessor to Bruno- complained on the record about having to buy copies of 'TM17 Protect' at nine different times over his career. He managed to get a little movement going that actually got the main TM producers to change their money grubbing ways.
Don't feel too bad for the shareholders though.
They used the extra charges as an excuse to basically double the price.
Opening up the third I'm met with the Physical Water-type move Liquidation. 'Ah. I remember this. It has a chance to lower Defense right? Quagsire used to know this. Back from…before. He and Eric used to…well it's no matter anymore. Might be able to sell it off for a good price. It's arguably a little better than Waterfall. '
Ripping open the packaging of #4 reveals…holy shit! Trailblaze?! Hell YES! I've been looking for this one for what feels like forever! Goddamn, what a good hit! We can get Ma Ma working on this one right away. Not just more type coverage, but an actual way to boost her Speed rather than just slowing the opponent with Scary Face. And I think the Swinub-family is compatible too!
With over-excited hands I rip open the last mystery TM and find one of the most expensive on the market. A prize most anyone would be happy to have.
And also even more useless to me than the Charge Beam was.
TM48: Skill Swap.
'I mean don't get me wrong. Can be hi-larious in double-battles. Especially if you're working with a Slaking or Shedinja or something. But this move isn't my playstyle. Even If I do get that Claydol some day, I don't think this is a technique we'd break out all that often. Only the most niche, narrow situat-'
"I need to talk to you."
I recognize her voice before I look up and see her. How could I not after standing next to her for what seemed like an hour as the press circled us like vultures. "Is your Meganium alright?"
Ranger Madison stiffens, one arm holding the other as she wasn't expecting that to be the first question, before she looks away with a grimace. "The Nurse Joy says it'll be a few days. Maybe a week."
'That's not so bad if you're considering things on a human scale, but for a Pokémon it's the equivalent of saying they'll be laid up for a month. I've mentioned they recover their internal energy quickly. Needing an actual 'week' of rest time is…severe.'
"Well I'm glad she's alright." I say, for lack of anything better to offer. "Are you here about me destroying the Focus Band? I'm sorry. I can't give you one to replace it."
"No, that isn't-" She begins. "The tournament rules clearly state-" The ex-Ranger shakes herself as she realizes what she's saying. "Stop throwing me off! I need to talk to you about that Nidoking! What in the blue hell were you thinking giving an Evolution Stone to an Alpha Pokémon! Why would you even catch an Alpha in the first place!? Don't you know you're supposed to report any sightings to the Ranger's Association immediately! On the same day even!"
I tilt my head and narrow my eyes at her questioning. "Respectfully, how in the hell is that your business? Was my catching of Grundy as a Nidoran illegal?"
"Well no, not illegal per se," she starts.
"Then it's not your concern now is it?" I finish for her. "Now do you have anything else to ask, or did you just come over here for that?"
Madison's mouth is in a thin line. Her posture is stock rigid and her eyes are full of serious concern. "...you shouldn't have him." she eventually whispers out.
'Aaaaaand we're done.' I gather my things and get up to leave. "Nice meeting you Madison. See you again in six months."
She juts forward frantically. "I've lost friends to 'Cassie' okay?! I've had squad mates who've lost Pokémon to her! I know what Alpha's can do! Your Nidoking is a time bomb waiting to happen!"
I pause in my step to look back at her curiously, one eyebrow screwed up in confusion. I'll graciously choose to ignore her final sentence, but I have to ask, "Who the fuck is 'Cassie'?"
Madison stiffens again, though this time it's due to the fact she's having trouble believing the words that just came from my mouth. "Who is- How do you not-! There's been so many-! Urgh!" she puts a hand up to rub at her forehead. "Cassie is an absolute bitch. A monstrous Alpha Fearow that nests in the Silver Mountains and comes down every few years to find some poor soul to disembowel. The Rangers have been trying to pin her down for the last decade but we've never been successful. She only goes after solitary targets."
"Hmm." I hum a little glibly. "How about that?" I rub at Grundy's ball, talking to him despite the fact that I know he's still out cold. "What do you say buddy? Want to go hunting sometime? The Silver Mountains are no place for the youngins, but you and I could make a trip? We could call it a public service."
Later tonight I'd feel regret at some of my words. The insensitivity in their tone after she just admitted to losing people. But for the moment, her attitude is pissing me off, so I chose to return in kind.
'I never claimed to be a perfect man.'
Madison's fist clenches painfully tight at my casualness and she wheels off with a huff, her features positively boiling but choosing not to pursue 'reasoning' with me anymore.
Unlike my old employer, she didn't turn back around.
Unbeknownst to Bradley, Pryce, Madison, or really anyone at all involved in the Johto 'Mid-Season Summit', today's date marked a significant moment for the Pokémon world as a whole. Two events, -seemingly unrelated on the outside- who's ramifications were as wide as the sea was deep.
Though they wouldn't be felt abroad for quite some time.
Firstly, across the ocean in the barren, destitute, and crime-filled region of Orre, a handshake agreement was at long last finalized between the provincial government and the foreign mega-corporation Lysandre Labs. A promise that would surely see jobs, wealth, and other goods flow into a region which desperately needed them.
And secondly, a young protagonist in the making, a 'Hero-to-be' by the name of Michael who'd been fighting the good fight, toppling criminal bases one at a time…was quietly disposed of.
