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Chapter 1: Extra Hostile.
<<The story starts in Nathan’s POV>>
Earning eight medals in this region was a nice challenge, and I have completed it with some time to spare.Casey had just called me, and promised to meet me at Vertress, southeast of Opelucid, so there I go, preparing myself for the upcoming league.It’s quite the beautiful city, indeed… the atmosphere is vibrant and busy, as I see many souls leaving the mall.And there, I see three figures that result strangely familiar for me…
Wait a sec! I know those three!
First, there is a little fella that is barely two-foot-eight tall, leading a group. He dresses with casual, summer clothes - as in, red shorts, black sandals and a flowery teal shirt, plus a cap that is oddly similar to Ash Ketchum’s while travelling at Sinnoh. And his Bulbasaur constantly walks at his side.Secondly, there is another young boy, one dressed with green sandals, baggy cargo shorts and an even baggier white sleeveless jacket with some red details. But the most striking aspect was his natural green, short hair and his swimming goggles that constantly protect his delicate green eyes.Oh, and he’s carrying some bags— Joke! Terry! — I hollerIt doesn’t take much time for them to recognize me.— Nathan!! Hello!!I run towards them and start socializing— How has life treated you, pal?— Fairly well, I can say… — the dwarf boy speaks — oh, and by the way… I am no longer called Joke.— Huh? Seriously? — I ask himBut before an answer reaches me, we see a big amount of bags and boxes going towards us.Plus, the voice of a mature woman sounds.— Young mistress Helena… don’t you think you had just overdid it with the shopping?
I know that voice! And I know a Helena, too!!
Soon, the source of that voice joins us. It is an old lady, dressed with a formal, caramel-color suit, consisting on a long skirt and coat. She uses round glasses and has her grey hair tied with a bun, exuding an “old-school” aura that, in a certain way, inspires (and demands) respect.And once the obscene amount of extra luggage is put on a table, I can see her…A young teenager, dressing with comfortable jeans and sneakers, using a blue and green horizontal-stripped blouse and a blue beanie with a single mauve stripe that conceals most of her naturally pink hair.— Nice to see you again, Ms. Helena Aubriot… and Rita LeBlanc.— The feeling is mutual, young man — the older lady tells me.— Good to see ya, Nath!At any rate, we start socializing right there. But first, I ask them about the little guy’s sudden change of name— It is legit — Terry tells me — From now on, he’s called Remy Ketchum.— Remy, hmmm… — I muse aloud — Is that how you identify or…He would shut me up with a legal paper that recognizes the name change. Stamped by the Kanto Civil Registry.— Yeah. Remy. — I let out. — I’ll do my best to memorize it.— It kinda fits, for reasons I cannot describe — the grey woman speaks.— I myself am having trouble memorizing it — Helena confesses — And that’s considering Jo… I mean, Remy and I are in a relationship!!She declares that last thing while hugging on the tiny 13-year-old boy!— It’s true. — Remy tells me — Are you surprised?— Yes I am — I declare. Two for the price of one.— By the way, are you planning to participate on the League, Nathan? — Terry asks me, changing the subject— You can bet your bippy on it! — I declare with confidence — I got the badges. And I assume you also managed, boy. — That was directed to the cousin of legendary Ash Ketchum— Oh, yes! I managed just two days ago…— And I reached top 8 status on the alternate “Poké-Luchas” system… to be precise, I hit 5th place. — Helena added — A great improvement from the 8th I scored last year, that barely got me inside of the Kalos League!
Aaaah, the “Poké-Luchas”, where the creatures go and duke it out in a wrestling ring, but they can be eliminated by being thrown off… there are plethora of other rules, too, but their main draw remains the fact that trainers participate mostly behind an alias. And those costumes are quite creative.
Maybe someday I’ll bring myself to compete there and commit to a character.
As long as I don’t become somebody like Captain Bloodybeard, that is…
— Congratulations! — I say with a wide smile — The Dynamite Duchess sure is ready to take the competition by storm!Yes, that’s her alter-ego. Few know that Helena Aubriot, daughter of politicians, is a renowned trainer and show-woman of the alternate circuit. Only her nanny, Mrs. LeBlanc; her friends Jo- Remy and Terry, and I know that fact.How did I know? Well, Terry had a slip of tongue… but I promised to safeguard the secret, just in case.Soon, we are near the installations of the Conference, and explore the large Pokémon Center installed there.And then, I see her. The girl that mainly dresses in sporty clothes where the predominant color is yellow, and that tends to carry black stripes!Knowing who she is, I click on one of my PokéBall and make one particular creature exit— You can go out, Duo Lon. — I whisperThe Ampharos appears just in time. Casey finally turns around and sees us— YAAAAAYYYY!! — She yells, and when I look at Helena and her “maid”, I can detect they felt some second-hand embarrassment.But I’m sure they still feel a warmth on their heart when they see Casey hugging my Electric-type Pokémon.— I’m sure he missed you, too… despite your effusiveness.My yellow creature with the black stripes now sports a big sweat drop on his forehead.At any rate, our Pokémon were checked and there were no illnesses or injuries to report, and Remy, Helena and I were able to sign up without any hassle.And then…— Hey! Did a guy called Joke Ketchum sign up already?
That’s another voice I know well!
And the others know it, too!— Hey, Jack!! — Remy waved to him. — And Mark, and Mike, too!— Joke!! How did you reach here before me!?— I dunno. — Helena shrugged smugly — Maybe you wasted time trying to get nine or ten badges before coming just to rub in how “superior” you are. By the way, how many did you get?— Only eight this time — He said, showing his full badge case.— What a regression — Helena mocked him— Oh, shut up, hag! — Mike jumped in — Jack-sensei will still kick yer keisters to Jupiter!But then, the discussion would be stopped the Mark points…— It’s HIM!!…at me.— Oh… hi. — I said without much enthusiasm.— Why are you here?! — Little Mike exclaimed with hostility— Isn’t that obvious, crybaby!? — Casey stepped in — He’s going to participate here and reave your dear Sensei’s chances to win anything!!— Enough. — I firmly said to Casey, and then I spoke to the three guys that had the beef with me. — I’m glad to see you in good health.The three just gritted their teeth. Not a good start.— Jack, you should register already, before the queue gets larger.
<<We go into Jack’s POV now>>
— I’ll do that, but not because you tell me, you punk!! — I shout to himThat cretin… he thinks he’s so tough…Ugh… but I’ll deal with him soon. First, I must make sure of something.— Joke! Did you already register or what!?— Yes, I did! And I’m not called Joke anymore!! — He hollered backDamn. I missed my chance to mess with his entrance formulary by putting something like “Lillipup” between his name and his surname…— How’s that? — I heard Mark asking about the name change— For your information, dorks — that pink-haired thot took the word — My dear Pecha Berry isn’t called Joke anymore. Now his name is Remy Ketchum.— Remy!? — Mike suddenly asked. A bit too loud for my liking, but eh, details.— That’s right — she doubled down— Like the main character in Rattatatouille!? — And he laughed his ass off!Mark followed suit…Even I chortled a bit. And seeing that dwarf irritated also filled me with joy.What a nice way to start my afternoon!!Anyway, the registration was swift. No problems here.Now I focus on my main target
THAT BASTARD!
So I go towards that tall guy sitting on a couch and playing cards with the baseball-loving little vermin, and exclaim— Nathan!! I demand a full battle against you!!My two companions followed me, and Mark even whispered— Are you sure?— I’ve never been surer in my life, Mark!!— That’s the spirit, sensei!! — Mike told me — I bet your rival’s knees are trembling now!I see him standing tall in front of me. His height doesn’t intimidate me!!— Can’t this wait?— NO! — I say loud and clear — Six versus Six. On the double!He crosses his arms as he shakes his head— I see you’re eager to scrap… but couldn’t we just scale it back to 3 vs. 3?
<<We go back to Nathan’s POV>>
What is in your mind, Jack, challenging me to a full battle out of the blue?— NO! — He answers with the same loud voice — No scaling back! I’m going full-throttle against you!Oh, boy…— What’s the hurry? Is the fact we aren’t guaranteed to face each other in the official competition bothering you?He would retort…— YOUR SOLE PRESENCE BOTHERS ME! To cap it off, his two friends second him, saying “Yeah!”I continued speaking.— Making it six versus six from the get-go… it sounds excessive. But if you find three versus three to be lacking, then… might I suggest making it a four versus four?— F-F-FOUR!? — Jack yelled, his face blanchingAnd while Mike went and held Jack’s hand in solidarity, Mark shouted to me— YOU MONSTER!!!He called the attention of many around us, including Remy’s entourage.— What? Did poor Jack suddenly get Tetraphobia? — Casey jumped at the chance to mock him.Ugh. I don’t need this right now!I glared to her, signalling her to stop. Because…I understand the situation. That number now brings horrid memories to Jack’s mind.That was the amount of Pokémon used when we first battled… and I swept his team.That was the signature number of the tournament at Mandarin City, where I…No.
Where Maxima and I unleashed our frustrations and
pulverized him and Charizard
in front of a crowd.
It was akin to using a heavy-duty steamroller just to get out some extra toothpaste from
its
plastic sheet.
It was Overkill.So, I sighed and conceded— You want the full battle? Very well. I shall entertain you before it gets dark.Jack seemed to recover from his funk the moment I said that sentence— You won’t only entertain me!! You shall squirm beneath me!!— Talk is cheap — I asseverated — I’ll choose my gladiators. Make sure you choose yours wiselyWith that, I walked towards the nearest PC to make a couple of rotations.And as I was thinking about who of my creatures were the most eager to dance, Jack rushed towards the neighboring computer and also checked…When he noticed I posed my sights on his actions… he yelled— No eavesdropping, you cheat!And I just went back to focus on my selection.I never intended to spy on him. It was just…His actions seemed more meticulous than normal.He’s hell-bent on beating me.…
Excellent.
His confidence had recovered in the timeframe between encounters. How much time had elapsed already? Seven months? Eight? Maybe even nine.A grudge can be held indefinitely, and that’s fine, as long as we don’t let it consume us.We’re only human, after all.And still, most Pokémon would follow us until the confines of the Earth, as long as we treat them with care and respect....Once I get my team selection done, I go towards where Casey and Duo Lon were, and tell my Ampharos— Rise up. You are to fight today.Both my creature and the Lavender-haired gal got up from their positions and followed me.— Time to kick some ass, Dewey! — Yup. That’s an endearing nickname she got for my Electric-type Pokémon. Rolls out the tongue quite easily.Soon enough, Remy, Bulbasaur, Helena, Terry and Mrs. LeBlanc joined us outside, where we prepared to settle our score— We need an arbiter. Who offers? — I say to the small crowd gathered there.I saw both Casey and Mike raising their hands. And while I haven’t a problem with either of them (despite Mike clearly having a hell of a problem with me), I’m afraid their impartiality wasn’t a guarantee.So, when Helena decided to nudge her nanny, and she stood up, I could let out a sigh of relief.— Fine, youngsters. I’ll call this right on the middle.Then, she took out a coin from her pocket.— Heads or Tails, Nathan? — She asked meI just scratched my head and told— I’ll let Jack have the choice.Then, I saw him… he was having a Déjà vu!In that first match we had. When Casey asked for the coin toss, I also let Jack try his luck.And while he won the coin toss, and I was forced to choose my creature first, it still didn’t help him avoid the sweep.— Oh, no! You won’t do that to me again! — He firmly stated, trying to hide his fear — You bite the bullet this time!I shrugged at that.— Okay, then. I choose Tails.I saw Jack closing his eyes shut and crossing his fingers.I saw his mouth moving… He‘s probably repeating the word “Heads” in his mind, like a man possessed.Rita flicked the coin upwards and caught it with her left hand while it travelled downwards.She put it quickly on the back of her right hand and then uncovered it.— Heads.And Jack jumped at that, pointing at me and looking sooooooo smug…— Haha!! Go on and choose your martyr now!!I just threw a PokéBall.— Maxima, you go first!!And his smile was immediately wiped out.The battle-scarred Swampert appeared before us.— [Go for it, brother!!] — Duo Lon, right behind me, cheered for his brother.— Choose yer warrior… landlubber — I teased him.
<<For the moment, we move to Remy’s POV>>
I don’t get it. Why is Jack suddenly so tremulous? I mean, that Swampert is very strong, but… he isn’t that intimidating!And why did Nathan change his accent out of nowhere?I looked at Bulbasaur. He made a shrugging gesture with his vines.Maybe there’s some story we’re missing here.Oh! Jack finally snapped out of it— Centiskorch, I choose you!!And so, my rival chose a long-bodied, red-and-brown creature with round decorations on the many sections of his chest.— That must be a Pokémon from the Galar Region!!I opened my Rotom-Dex, and she explained.— Centiskorch, the Radiator Pokémon. This creature is incredibly hostile in the wild and sports large and very sharp fangs. When it heats up, its body temperature reaches about fifteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Itspreferred attack method is to lash its body like a whip and launching itself at enemies fearlessly.I peeked at Nathan, who also had his Dexter out, and was just putting it back on his pocket.He had never seen that Pokémon either, apparently.That must be great news for Jack, as now he has the element of surprise to his favor!!— Begin!! — Rita says as she practically karate-chops the air.— Centiskorch, use Flamethrower!! — Jack yells— Maxima, Muddy Water, smartly!But, as expected, Nathan had the perfect counter. The swirling waters easily nullified the flames.And that wasn’t all…— Stealth Rock!There it was. The move that Jack hated the most.His face scowled heavily when Maxima released those rock fragments that later would spread and become invisible to the untrained eye.That moment of tension made Jack unable to order something… until Nathan yelled— Hydro Pump!!— Ah! Dodge it and use Lunge!!Fortunately for Jack, despite Centiskorch being such a large Pokémon - at least for Bug-type standards - its anatomy made it hard to hit and his agility was top-notchMaxima could barely cover with his wide arms as the centipede struck him frontally, pushing him a couple of meters.— Not bad. That Centiskorch looks like a heavy hitter indeed. — Nathan took the time to praise that Pokémon— It is! And with it your resistance shall crumble!! — Jack boasted, before ordering — Now, approach him…— Wait for it, Maxima…The fiery bug advanced slowly, his elongated body swerving ominously as the Mudfish focused on it.— Lunge!!Jack yelled, and the Bug/Fire-typed creature took some impulse… before jumping and trying to get to its target!— Muddy Water!The Swampert then used his defensive maneuver, but…— Halt!! — Jack hollered, surprising everybody. Especially his rival.— What?!Centiskorch changed the angle of his attack and ended up landing just centimeters away from the Hoenn Starter.The Muddy Water had whiffed. And now Maxima found the centipede right on his nose.He looked shocked!— Skitter Smack!! Now!!With that order, Centiskorch struck with his hindquarters at a flank of the Swampert, causing some good damage and worrying both Duo Lon and Casey— Again! Again!!Jack knew that he should strike while the iron was hot, so the larger insect kept striking at Maxima’s body from different angles!— Get it off you with Hydro Pump!It was a hit. But it seemed that the attack came out weaker than expected, as Centiskorch looked barely damaged.— Skitter Smack has the possibility to reduce the target’s Special Attack. — My Rotom Dex spoke.So that explains it!At least Maxima could strike back… and the centipede had to eat some Super-Effective Water move.— Let’s take the offensive, Maxima! Up and Personal!And so, the Swampert ran towards Centiskorch, decidedly.— You fool!! Centiskorch, Skitter Smack again!!But this time, Nathan was ready…— Lateral Hammer!!Knowing that Centiskorch would aim to Maxima’s flanks, Nathan ordered another spinning defense. And when the moves clashed, it seemed like Jack’s Pokémon became unbalanced…Nathan should press on!!— Mud Shot!Like that! Maxima immediately aimed to Centiskorch’s eyes, intent on blinding it…But then…— Maxima, come back!!— What!? He returned him to the PokéBall? Why? — I said aloud— Remember that Nathan tends to test the waters instead of going fully aggressive — Helena spoke — Besides, Maxima’s Parameters were lowered.— [There is value in discretion and knowing where to stop hustling] — Bulbasaur wisely said… then yawned a bit.— Excuses! — Mike interjected — That failure of a ninja is fighting like a coward!Nathan decided to smartly ignore that jab and launch the next PokéBall...— Manjar, it’s your turn, boy!!And now, a Midday Lycanroc appeared at Nathan’s side.— Awwww, good doggy!! — Both Helena and Casey said with a smile.— Get that Cujo out of here! Pronto! — Mark suddenly shouted, as his reaction was diametrically opposite to the girls’…But why?As for Jack, he scowled harder, as he knew that a Rock-type like Manjar could wreak havoc on his Centiskorch. And even more so if it’s partially blinded.But there was also the matter of the Stealth Rock…He had to make a decision…— Centiskorch, return!!So, another Pokémon would have to leap into the breach… a rocky breach.It was a… wait, who’s that Pokémon?!My RotomDex scanned the new creature, giving the newest data available.— Kilowattrel, the Frigatebird Pokémon, native from the region of Paldea. This creature uses its throat sac to store electricity generated by its wings. By riding the wind, this Pokémon can fly over 430 miles in a day. In exchange, it is a poor swimmer, because of the scant amount of oil in its feathers.— Stealth Rock, Activate! — Nathan suddenly shouted, hamming things up, by extending his arm with an open hand… and then closing said hand.And WHAM!! The rocky projectiles slammed on the petrel, causing some super-effective damage!!— Don’t be startled, Kilowattrel! — Jack said with a firm voice that reflected a healthy mix of concern and confidence. He wasn’t being too rough on his Pokémon…And that’s great.— I count with you! Now, use Defog!!Out of the blue, the feathered creature beat his wings, directing some wind towards the floor…The Stealth Rock that remained started to disintegrate, surprising Nathan briefly— Excellent! — He clapped — You’re learning, Jack!— Save the applause for when I’ve destroyed your creatures! — But my rival insisted on keeping the hostilities… — Electroball, Kilowattrel!!— Dodge and use Accelerock!!— Don’t let that mangy dog hit you!! You hear!?The Electric bird threw its attack first, but it failed, as Manjar rushed towards its position…Still, the petrel was able to move quickly and avoid that tackle!— Manjar, try with Rock Slide!!Many stone projectiles were formed and went towards the Kilowattrel…— Fly and dodge! Come on!That aggressive prodding was working wonders on Kilowattrel, who just kept his distance from the many stone shards…— Excellent! Now use Volt Switch!!…— Wait a minute!! That’s something Nathan would do! — I heard Terry exclaim!— So what?! It’s not like that Mossback Torterra was the owner or founder of that strategy! — Mike added dismissively— Anyhow, it’s quite striking that Jack would take a page of that sadist’s book! — Mark added.
Wait a minute…
Both my mouth and Bulbasaur’s became agape.Sadist? He called Nathan a… “sadist”? Why?My starter saw it from other perspective.— [Why would he care about the words of a sad bitch, huh?]Good thing I’m the only one that is able to understand Bulbasaur… well, apart from my Rotom Dex.…At any rate, the move had hit its mark and Kilowattrel returned to the Ball, to be replaced with Hypno.— Long time I haven’t seen her! — I hollered— Well, if Jack brought her, I’m sure there is a good reason! — Helena deducedAnd judging by Nathan’s face. He must think the same…— A most Interesting decision — Nathan declares — But I’ll stick to my original plan! Manjar, use Stealth Rock!And I heard Jack grumbling. Nathan now has more than one source of those rocky, sneaky projectiles…While Jack could theoretically bring Kilowattrel once more, it would have to eat more of those sharp shards of stone!— Hypno! Use Psychic Terrain — I heard him hollerThe floor beneath both Hypno and Manjar started changing, adopting psychedelic tones of indigo and violet and making the doggo feel a little… queasy.Yet again, my friends and I are surprised… and even Jack’s companions can’t hide their astonishment— I never had seen Jack try that! — I said— Jack definitively learned a lot of tricks in preparation for this encounter! — Mark exclaimedThe battle has to continue, however— Use Rock Slide, Manjar!— Hypno, use Psyshock on those rocks!!Now, normally, a clash like that should result on Psyshock being barely able to destroy all rocks before Hypno gets tired… but this time, not only was Hypno able to get through Manjar’s move, but also damaged the wolf!— What!? — I heard Nathan exclaimAnd then, Terry explained— Psychic Terrain boosts all the Psychic-type moves used by any of the participants, as long as they’re in contact with the ground.— Hey!! That’s my job!! — The Rotom Dex belonging to Remy exclaimed.Not wanting to be part of that petty squabble, my sights turned back into the battle… and I observed how Manjar rushed towards Hypno and used Sand Attack in order to blind her, all under Nath’s orders.Still, I could see Jack smirking confidently.— Don’t panic, Hypno! Use your Gravity!And the surprises don’t stop!! The next move of the Psychic-type was to create an aura that made both herself and Manjar to feel heavier.— Two non-offensive attacks from their Pokémon!? Jack sure has adapted his style!! — I exclaimed— Gravity — My Rotom Dex explained as soon as it saw Terry opening his mouth and lifting an index finger — It increases the mass of all participants so dodging becomes harder. Also, prevents flight and the use of certain attacks that require air time.— Happy now, Alexa? — Terry teased.Then, I heard Jack ordering another Psyshock in a wide arc, while Nathan tried with Sucker Punch.Manjar’s paws imbued themselves with dark energy… but it suddenly wore off— It failed?! — The tall guy with the metal bandana asked — How!?— Two reasons, numbskull! — Jack explained — First, Psychic Terrain nullifies the attacks with Priority… and secondly, I wasn’t even aiming to your mutt!!In reality, Gravity had made the second batch of Stealth Rock to fall to the ground… and Hypno was able to get rid of them by disintegrating them!— Well, shag a Mudbray! That’s hella smart and creative!! — Nathan said as he positioned his hand on his chin.But Jack only scowled and kept the focus on the battle— Now, Hypno! Psyshock onto the doggy!— Quick, get close and use Thunder Fang!As always, Nathan had alternatives. And Gravity did nothing to deter Manjar’s natural speed, so it rushed headlong and then jumped onto Hypno, biting her!But Jack had a good counter— Low Kick!The Psychic creature lowered Manjar, kicked his face once and then again to get him off…But that wasn’t all!Jack ordered a Focus Blast as a follow-up and it hit its mark, sending the Lycanroc careening towards Nathan’s legs— Manjar is unable to battle! Hypno wins this round!And Jack would celebrate in a… quite disrespectful way, for lack of a better word. As he raised his fist and pumped it while shouting.— Scored the First Blood!! Not bad, Hypno!! Hahahahaha!!— BOOOOOOOO!! — Both Casey and Helena yelled, each one extending a thumbs down.At least Nathan was more focused on patting the doggo’s head and reassuring him— Don’t worry your little head with this, friend. Sleep this out. You’ll be fine.And by Duo Lon’s vocalization, it seemed that he meant the same.At any rate, Nathan calmly chose his next Pokémon...His Skuntank.Jack grimaced a bit, knowing that Hypno was at a disadvantage now.— Resume the combat! — Ms. Le Blanc ordered.— Dark Pulse!! — Nathan ordered— Light Screen, now!!Knowing that dodging was to be harder, Hypno trusted on using a Light Screen, and most of the damage from the Dark Pulse was absorbed.That made Nathan smile, somehow.— So ye want things to be up and personal, don’tcha?! — He yelled, changing his voice into a... coarser one, I think — Jivatma!! Cleave ‘er to the brisket with Night Slash!!— [The fuck he said!?] — Again, I thanked Arceus for making Rotom Dex remain silent and for making me the only one able to understand Bulbasaur.For some reason, Jack paled when his opponent chose those words. I must be missing something important here.But he recovered on time to order...— Intercept with Low Kick!And soon, both Pokémon started clashing attacks— Keep the assault!! Ramshackle her!! — Both Nathan and Jack exclaimedTheir Pokémon kept trying to strike each other with all their strength, and at one juncture, Jivatma was able to score a clean hit on Hypno, almost knocking her out!When the Psychic Pokémon was shown to be able to get up, both Mike and Mark exhaled in relief.— It seems that the Gravity Effect has finished — Terry commented— And the Psychic Terrain too — My dexter continued, just to spite my friend and make him grumble.— Hypno, you’ve done well for now! Retreat! — My greedy rival told, and quickly tossed another PokéBall. — Volcarona, it’s your turn!— Great! His Larvesta evolved! — I exclaimed — I had read somewhere that those creatures take a long, long time to do so...— I’m more surprised that Jack had the patience and didn’t kick it out of the team by now... — Helena snidely commentedAt any rate, now Jack ordered for a Double Team— Nice try, Scallawag! Jivatma, use Odor Sleuth!!The skunk Pokémon started sniffing loudly... and that made the copies of Volcarona slowly dissipate, showing the real insect’s position.— Dark Pulse once more!!With that order, the Skuntank manages to deal some damage to its rival. But it is dampened because of the Light Screen.— You have its position, Jivatma! Strike with your Night Slash, smartly!!— Don’t let it! Use Screech, now!! — Jack orderedRight when the Skuntank launched himself against the big moth, it used Screech to push him away with no problem.— We got it now! Use Flare Blitz!!— Dodge it, on the double! And spew your Smog!!I observed how the big Moth rushed towards its target, but Jivatma just jumped out of the way nonchalantly and then blowed out some poison gas that Volcarona was forced to inhale.It coughed, and then, some purple shocks appeared around her body— She has been poisoned!! — Both Terry and my dexter shouted, and then — Shut up, idiot!!— Heh, so intelligent and so childish at the same time… — Casey commented.Back with the fight, Volcarona used Gust to clean the air, but Jivatma…— Venom Drench!!…spat a jet of violet liquid towards its opponent in a wide arc, making sure it was unable to dodge.And now, the insect was floored. Its wings felt heavy.— I’ve never seen that before! — Terry admitted suddenly— Scanning… — Rotom Dex said as it floated, put its sights on Volcarona, and then, after a couple seconds, got an answer — Venom Drench. An attack that only works on Poisoned targets. It lowers the Attack, Special Attack and Speed parameters.— Almost like when you’re just waking up from a hangover! Haha! — Casey quipped— Hangover? What’s that? — I ask with curiosity— You’re too young to be asking that, Remy… wait until you’re eighteen.Whatever.Terry then begrudgingly told my Dexter, as he crossed his arms.— You win this one, lady.And my machine emitted a haughty, short laugh.But right now, I only wanted the answer to two questions…What will Jack do now? He looks quite unnerved, despite having a small numerical advantage…And why are Mark, Mike and him so extra hostile to Nathan?— [I bet that Jack has a rock stuck on his boot] — Bulbasaur quipped. I laughed a bit.That was a good one!
<<End of Remy’s POV>>
To be Continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 2: One Score Settled.
<<The chapter starts in Jack’s POV>>
This bastard thinks I’m going to suddenly ask for mercy… I can’t stand his face! Even when I’m winning, he maintains that smug smile…But I must focus on the match. Volcarona looks like she’s in a lot of pain, and the best strategy here is to switch her off…— Volcarona, use U-Turn!!With the scant strength she had left, she launched towards Jivatma, hit it in the face, and then returned to her PokéBall…And Kilowattrel got out of his.
“Clap. Clap. Clap.”
Applause? Now?I look at Nathan. He’s the one doing that— Bravo, boy… you learned how to read the field. — Save the kudos for when I win!! — I shout— Very well, then.And, out of the blue, he extends his arm, with his PokéBall on hand.— Back to the Murkrow’s nest, Jivatma!Ugh!! I hate that nautical lingo!!— Nirvatsune, time to shine!! The Light Screen is fading!!And then, he got his next Pokémon out…It is… A Ninetales? A bona fide Kantonian Ninetales?I stay silent, immobile… my mind drifting out, just like the Light Screen Hypno had put some minutes ago…— Jack! Are you okay!? — I heard Mike shouting, worried for me… although it felt distant.— Curse you, Nathan!! — I heard Mark vociferate.
<<Memories are unlocked…>>
When I started my journey as a Pokémon Trainer, when I was obsessed with the Fire-Type as the most powerful of all… one of my first captures was a Vulpix. It was a female.
Still, I raised her the best I could to be a champ. She lacked the aggressivity of the others, but she did try her best to please me…
Evolving her with the Fire Stone didn’t change her personality too much. But she was still… serviceable, with access to some disrupting attacks, like Disable.
But one day, she fell sick to a rare disease of the Neekto region… called “Pokénge”
It was a devastating disease. I was lucky that she had a strong enough system to combat it, but I had to spend many sleepless nights because of this.
She wasn’t the only one affected. I also had an Arcanine by then, who also caught the sickness.
Fortunately, there were no fatalities to lament.
I was luckier than Joke… I mean, Remy. He was also affected. A Jumpluff of his got killed by that disease.
And man, I was such an asshole back then, not showing the respect for it.
At any rate, once those two recovered, it seemed that they got attached to a group of pre-teen volunteers at the Pokémon Center.
I figured that both Ninetales and Arcanine would be happier out of the fighter’s path, so I released them. They were the volunteers’ problem now.
Sometimes, though… I miss them.
<<End of Flashback>>
— Yo, matey! — I heard that bastard’s voice. For some reason, he didn’t interrupt my trip through memory lane… — What’s the matter?— Not your business, caitiff!! — I shout back — I just can’t believe a noble creature like that would follow orders from a blackguard like you!!— Hey! Enough badmouthing!! — The arbiter hollered.I took a pause to look at Nathan’s expression.As luck would have it, he didn’t express any rage. Or that’s what I want to believe. His expression is unreadable right now.All the opposite of Nirvatsune, who growls at me in anger.Of course she will defend her trainer’s honor. It is to be expected.— Fine, let’s continue! — I grumbled — Kilowattrel, use Hurricane!!— Dodge it, beautiful!My Frigatebird beat his wings and tried to engulf that nine-tailed fox. But she nimbly flanked the move…— Use Will-o-wisp, girl!Suddenly, the nine tips on the tails of my rival’s Pokémon show one blue glob of fire each, and they travel towards Kilowattrel— Dodge!My petrel tries his best to evade all those flames, but two of them catch him and he ends burned.— Gah! So that’s how you want to play!? — I yell to Nathan — Kilowattrel, use Thunder Wave!!— Safeguard, Nirvatsune!!!The moment I try to inflict a status problem to that Ninetales, she covers herself out of the blue with a greenish dome! And I’m forced to begrudgingly admit…— Well played…But I still have more tricks under my sleeve!— Don’t let up Kilowattrel! Use Volt Switch!!I can hear some shocked gasps from the entire crowd.Yes, I am also surprised at myself… being forced to keep using moves that I saw this miscreant use in our past encounters… only to avoid getting cornered like in the past…I will never forget how he suddenly got a 5-to-1 advantage over me! It was shameful!But now, I must focus… the creature that got to replace Kilowattrel was Hypno.— Interesting… — I hear that cretin say — Retreat for now, Nirva.He returned his Ninetales to the Ball? Why?His next creature was…— Kafsitheo, go!!
Wait!! What Pokémon is that!?
It looks like a floating pile of scrap!! That ugly name even combines perfectly!!I consult my Dex, and it speaks…— Klinklang, the Gear Pokémon. It was first discovered in the Unova Region. It tends to habitate places with potent electrical installations like factories. The three gears that compose this Pokémon spin at high speed. From its spikes, it launches powerful blasts of electricity. Its red core contains an enormous amount of energy.Wait… it is another Electric-type?A second read to the data says that it is not. Only Steel-type.I could finish it off with one of my Fire-types… but it would be too predictable. I bet it knows a lot of moves to counter fire.So I shall rely on Hypno.— Gravity, now!!I decide to repeat my combo. And now that floating heap of cheap metal becomes a regular heap of cheap metal!— Shift Gear, my friend!!But that doesn’t impede the gears of Kafsitheo’s body to spin faster under the watch of its trainer…— Amazing! — I hear the green haired friend of the dwarf hollering! — It’s increasing its speed and Attack Power!!Sure, as if that would help it!— Psychic Terrain!The terrain changes once more, and then I exclaim.— It won’t escape us, Hypno!!But then, Nathan shows me a wide, toothy, and perverse smile, as he shouts— Who’s escaping, Binacle brain!?And then, he orders loudly— ME HEARTY, USE STEEL ROLLER!!!Suddenly, that unsightly creature summoned a metal rod resembling a spiked log!And it went straight towards Hypno!!— Ah! Dodge! Quick!But my reaction time was too slow, and Hypno received the attack at full power!She got ejected many meters away, bypassing me…And now she was out cold.— Hypno is unable to battle! Kafsitheo wins this round!— Revenge for Manjar!! — I heard that moronic baseball fan shouting…I cannot lose time with her… so I return Hypno to its spherical refuge— You did pretty well. Rest now. — I spoke— Surprised you, didn’t I? — Nathan started to gloat, while his Pokémon jumped back to its original position close to him.— Of course not!!But it was a lie. I was caught with my pants down with that attack that wrecked the Psychic Terrain like it was made of butter…— For your information — My opponent started babbling — “Kafsitheo” is Greek for “God of the Sun”, and like Icarus, you underestimated its power…— Shut up!! — I yell.Suddenly, the Electabuzz Fangirl shouts— And you got Buuuuuuurned!!— OOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!DAAAAAMN IIIIIIT! Now that bitch Helena makes a fuss of it!I must revert this situation!! Even if it’s the last thing I do!— Ms. Aubriot! You and your friend should behave! — Fortunately, that hag of an improvised referee shuts them up!— Thank you, Rita… — I hear Nathan speaking…But wait! Why would he stop that purple-haired idiot? She’s supposedly on his side!— Jack, send your Pokémon! — The old lady is now hurrying me.Whatever.I send Centiskorch once more.I just need to resist until Gravity’s effect ceases…— Centiskorch, use Coil!Now I just have to take it calmly… my centipede is now compacting his body, increasing his parameters…And Nathan uses his villainous voice!!— Prime the cannon, matey!!
You son of a Snubbull!!
— The Zap Cannon!! FIIIIIIRRRREEEEEE!!!And so, a yellow orb of electricity came to Centiskorch… and it was to be a sure hit thanks to the Gravity…— Dig your tail on the ground!!To dampen the damage, I made sure that my creature created some resistance. So it did just as I ordered…The attack was still a hit. And my creature is now paralyzed…— That was smart, landlubber! — I heard the enemy’s empty praise — But that laddie is now a sitting Psyduck! — And then he ordered — Gear Grind!!Kafsitheo jumps and then gets close to Centiskorch, summoning two big gears in front, which constrict my Pokémon’s body!!It has to be painful… My Pokémon won’t last long at this rate…— AAAAAHHH! — I hear Mike yell suddenly, reminiscing about a horror flick we saw once, about a guy that skinned innocent people with a buzzsaw — LIKE THE GUY IN THAT MOVIE!! THE MASSACRE OF BUZZSAW BENNY!!Good news is that Buzzsaw Benny doesn’t exist. He’s a fictional character!!Bad news is that this complete bastard and his Pokémon are 100% real!!— Don’t let it grind you into dust! Use Fire Fang!!It might be a desperate order, but I have not much else…Fortunately, the Paralysis wasn’t strong… Centiskorch elongated his body just enough to land a fiery bite on its rival, forcing it to stay back— And now, use U-TurnI feel dirty right now. I did teach U-turn to both Volcarona and Centiskorch. They’re bugs, after all, but still… having to rely on that to save their skins feels cowardly.— Amazing! — This… piece of dross is congratulating me again!? Even as my Pokémon hits his and gets switched by Volcarona!?And to make things worse, she face-plants onto the ground once she’s called out… making the girls on the crowd laugh.Ugh. I mistimed it just a little a bit…But I’m worried about other thing…I bet those panegyrics that Nathan spilled are just himself stroking his own ego… the imbecile.Thankfully, the effect of Gravity disappears… and Volcarona is able to get in the air once more.— That’s another bug we could do without! — My rival announces — Advance with Gear Grind once more!!I hate myself for doing this… but…— Volcarona, use Whirlwind!!!As a way of avoiding the damage, and resetting the parameters of that pile of cheap metal, my moth beats her wings and forces the retreat of Kafsitheo.— Fascinating! — Nathan exclaims. Again, he’s being insincere. That’s for sure!Jivatma is the one going out this time.Knowing my luck when facing this bastard, I expected for Maxima to appear suddenly…Then again… Volcarona is still poisoned, as I see her wincing, while purple shocks surround her body— Round two it is!! Venom Drench, partner!!— Quick! Elevate yourself!!Luckily for us, Volcarona is able to elevate and dodge the attack that she received some time before…— Time for another of our combinations!! String Shot, now!!From her elevated position, my insect spewed a silky string that enveloped the Skuntank’s torsoBefore Nathan could say anything, I ordered— FIRE SPIN!!And the fiery attack travelled in a spiral, down the path of the string, and ended up surrounding that animal… damaging it— Oh, no!! — His filthy trainer exclaimed— Finish him with Fire Blitz!!!And then, my brave and quick moth dashed, her body enveloped by fire, and crashed onto that pest!It was a success! A Knock-out!— Jivatma is unable to battle! Volcarona wins this round!— Oh, man… — I saw Nathan putting one hand on his temple, apparently befuddled and maybe disappointed on his Pokémon.Good thing he forgot his buccaneer accent...— You did well, Jivatma. Time to rest.He then took a deep breath and tossed Nirvatsune’s ball.Now that I think about it, he has already revealed his full team composition… his Lycanroc and his Skuntank are snoozing, his Ninetales is in front of me, his Ampharos is right behind him, and both his flying saucer and his filthy amphibian are on their respective PokéBalls…I haven’t revealed my full hand to him yet…And I hold a numerical advantage again, to boot!Yet I still can’t find peace of mind… I’m still so tense…— Go, Jack!! You can do it!! — Mike cheers for me!Of course! I cannot let him down… not again… he has witnessed my failure… so many times.The last one being the worst… where my Charizard and my Blaziken got demolished.— Continue the battle — Rita LeBlanc would shake my mind just enough to concentrate back into the battle!!— Volcarona, use Double Team!! — I order…— Nirvatsune, use Disable!!I see how my bug tries to create copies of herself… but they get popped out of existence by the Ninetales!— Rattata!! — I yell— Go with Extrasensory!!And now the fox hits my startled moth with that weird attack…Oh, no… not now!!She’s confused!— Snap out of it! — I holler— We won’t give it time to do so!! Quick Attack!!As a furred missile, Nirvatsune launched herself towards Volcarona… and that tackle was more than enough to render her unable to combat.— Agh, you son of a… — I grunt.Rita Le Blanc interrupts.— Volcarona is downed! Nirvatsune wins this round!!
<<We move to Nathan’s POV>>
— Splendid!! — I shout as I pump my fist — Great job, Nirva!My foxy yapped happily at thatI took a deep breath before speaking again— I wonder what’s next in line for us…I watch how my rival keeps gritting his teeth… his mind is still at unease, apparently.But he slaps himself and then throws another PokéBallThat’s Kilowattrel, appearing once more…There must be a reason why he doesn’t show another new element…There are two question marks on his team and I’m fairly sure one of them is Charizard, but the other… it could be anybody!Scizor, Gyarados, Blaziken, Infernape, Pyroar, Incineroar, Totodile, Alolan Exeggutor, Spiritomb… I even saw him using a Toxicroak at least once in the past!He certainly has learnt how to conceal his strategy better…— Continue!! — Rita orders us— Flamethrower! — I exclaim, and my Ninetales shoots…— Dodge it! — Naturally, Jack is going to exploit Kilowattrel’s speed, so the move fails…— Aim calmly and shoot again, darlin’! — I say, adopting my “Captain Bloodybeard” voice once moreThat lapse in Jack’s concentration is enough for Nirva to hit Kilowattrel and almost force it to land…— Agh! Your Jezebel of a fox has outstayed her welcome!— So what!? I don’t give a damn about it! — I retort decidedly — Tackle with Quick Attack, dear!But then, as my creature advances…— Use Attract!!That instruction coming from Jack’s lips makes me let out a— Wait, what!?A heart-shaped projectile was shot from the petrel’s chest, hitting my Ninetales to the face…Now her orbs changed to little pink heartsShe had been infatuated…— Impressive… — that’s all I can mutter— Come on, Kilowattrel! Use Brave Bird!!!— No! Dodge! — I shoutBut it is to no avail, as Kilowattrel’s move hits Nirvatsune at full force— And that’s not all! Now use Hurricane!!At point blank, that Paldean bird started beating his wings like crazy, trapping Nirvatsune in a literal tornado that ejected her upwards.
Oooooh shit!! I must catch her!
The vertical distance was incredible... luckily, that wasn’t the case with the horizontal one.So, I just had to put myself in position to receive her.— Don’t worry, girl! I gotcha!!I caught her!Unfortunately, the weight plus the speed of the fall made me stumble backwards and hit my tailbone!— Ooooww...I’ve suffered worse. I’ll be alright...And so will be my Ninetales, who is now on my arms— Nirvatsune is unable to battle! — Mrs. Le Blanc announced — Kilowattrel wins!!I don’t care about that at the moment. I just hug my Fire-type and she licks my face weakly in response… as if she was asking for forgiveness…— D’aaww, it’s okay, cutie. You were spectacular out there. Take a nap...I returned her to the PokéBall and got up, dusting my pants off.Then, I directed my attention to Jack— Well, you knocked out three of my creatures. Want a pause, like the ones that official combats have?And his answer comes quick— Ha! Nice try, hoser!— Pardon me? — I say, a bit flummoxed, as I raise my eyebrow.— There will be no time outs here! I want to thrash you as soon as possible!!— Yeah, you won’t escape your fate!! — Mike seconds his... sensei, of sorts?So much hostility...I sigh.— Come on, Nathan! You can still turn the tables here!! You have been in worse situations before!Casey! She’s… she’s right!I have persevered in the past, under worse pressure. I just need to keep going...But not without giving Jack his flowers.— Gotta say... Well played, Jack! What a trick you pulled from your non-existent hat!He only uses a white-colored visor, so... does it count as a half-hat? I doubt it, honestly.— However... you won’t using it anymore!But the 16-year-old would interrupt me.— I’m aware of that, old bozo! You only brought one female. The three Pokémon you have left are two who I know well they’re males and one with no gender.Wow. He had been putting attention!I clap to him— Excellent, pal!But Jack retorts aggressively— I’m not your pal!! And I don’t need your empty panegyrics!! Keep fighting and let’s be done with this!!— As you wish! — I calmly state, and then throw a PokéBall — Kafsitheo, let’s rumble once more!!Kilowattrel looks tired now. It shouldn’t be too hard to even the scores once more...— Use Roost!Roost? So Jack now uses Recovery attacks?What a neat surprise…— Hahahaha!! You won’t get rid of Kilowattrel easily, scoundrel!! — Young Mike yelled to me.Well, then... time to get a boost ourselves— Shift Gear, partner!As Kilowattrel tried to relax and recover some stamina, my creature made its gears spin faster, upping its parameters.And then, I saw it... flames appearing, flickering and damaging Jack’s Pokémon.He’s still burned!— Kafsitheo, use Assurance!!My creature advanced bravely, engulfing himself with a dark aura... and then tackled hard on the bird.— Don’t let it go unpunished!! — Jack exclaims — Thunder Wave!!Making use of the lack of real distance, that bird used his disrupting attack to ensure my Pokémon has difficulties moving.— Agh... that’s astute… — I mutter — and the Safeguard expired long ago…— Kilowattrel, fly high once more!!He knows what he’s doing... Kilowattrel was still faster than my Klinklang before the Thunder Wave. And now that difference becomes more abysmal... there is no use chasing it...Time to risk it...— Zap Cannon!!My Pokémon tried to charge an attack... but it became immobile suddenly— Fiddlesticks! — I exclaim— Electroball, my creature!!And Jack tries an attack himself— Ah! Dodge it, mate!My Pokémon floats haphazardly as the saucer it is... and manages to dodge that ball of electricity...Jack wouldn’t despair— Once more!!— Beware! Fly away of it! — I yellBut again, Paralysis does its “magic” and Kilowattrel shoots again...This time, the move hits its mark... and it is enough to knock my Pokémon out.— Kafsitheo is unable to battle! — Rita LeBlanc announces — Kilowattrel wins this round!!The numerical handicap just worsened!I only have two Pokémon left...I silently return my Gear Pokémon and declare— It was a good showing. Time to shut down and sleep.And Jack wouldn’t miss the cue to taunt me— You’re running out of alternatives, vermin!! Get out your next victim!!Nothing that leaves my mouth will make him less rude... only actions matter now.I look at Duo Lon. He nods to me.I nod at him... and throw a PokéBall!— Maxima! Go forth!And out comes the Swampert. It’s no surprise, as I chose him to spearhead the charge.His presence still made Jack scowl, nonetheless.The ambiance became incredibly tense.And Jack quickly returned Kilowattrel to his PokéBall.— Charizard. Go!He threw another Ball and out came... Jack’s most representative Pokémon.His right hand “man”, his best friend...— Vile Spawn!! — My rival shouted to me, his voice filled with deep-rooted animosity — This is the creature you were unable to cripple, you bastard!!Remy, Bulbasaur, Terry, Helena and Rita Le Blanc gasped at that declaration.— Shut up, drama queen!! — Casey jumped at my defense...Still, I could only remain silent and respectful before his pseudo-draconic presence.Maxima also became somber when Charizard appeared.Those two... were the main characters of that dark episode. The one that brought us into this predicament in the first place.Charizard’s gaze is filled with anger towards my Swampert.When I looked to my oldest and most battle-scarred friend, his expression was unreadable. And Jack continued his tirade— You have no idea how much I had to spend on psychological help!!
That phrase tugs a string on my heart. It holds a lot of weight...
But... I need to confirm.— Spend? As in… Money? Is that the important aspect here?And by the way Jack’s face twisted... it seems I offended him.— I meant time, you imbecile!!!!— Oh…
<<We switch to Jack’s POV>>
I’m used to be called a rapacious chancer and many synonyms of that.But that time, I was sincerely discarding my greed… Charizard needed the best psychological help he could get access to, and so I visited an expert in this region... If memory serves me right, her name was Dr. Landfill. And she used a Munna and a Musharna...
<<We enter another flashback. All of this happened around five months ago>>
First, she got us outside, as my friend is a large Pokémon.Secondly, Munna used Hypnosis on Charizard.Thirdly, the doctor then used some strange aromatic herbs to unlock the… “Problematic” memories.Munna then “ate” his dreams and created a weird portal with its mind…Musharna amplified the portal.And there I saw... manifestations... black silhouettes with some details... of all the Pokémon Charizard had beaten in the past.No. Not beaten. Crushed.Charizard then woke up and watched... every single Pokémon that we had confronted together and went... admittedly overkill on. About thirty in total. It was a small army of sorts.Those apparitions had their bodies mangled, their faces disfigured, and many sported red spots, resembling burns.The five largest manifestations that crossed the portal... were Pokémon Nathan used.Four of them, my Charizard trounced while in Mega Form.The last one... it was Maxima. The one that Charizard never beat.He looked in tiptop shape... but his eyes were red
“As I suspected... those are manifestations of your and Charizard’s excesses”
Those words from the Doctor were spot-on!The Swampert was the leader... not only of his team, but of all those pained souls.One gesture from him, and all the smaller shadows pounced on us.Charizard was unable to move, overwhelmed by... I think it was genuine guilt.So I had to gather my courage, take the closest thing to a weapon I had... a fishing rod from my backpack.And I swung it at the shadows on the frontlines. They might have been manifestations from the memories of Charizard, but they were solid enough in this world!Still, there was only so much I could do in this situation, as I am a mere human.I suddenly shouted to those black ghosts.
“Why can’t you just let it go and leave Charizard Alone?!”
And then, the Doctor asked me
“Can you?”
“What do you mean?!”
“If you were mad at a person or at a Pokémon for any reason, and said individual tried to make amends... would you be able to let your own grudges go?”
She... got me there.I didn’t admit my fault back then. I just shouted
“It’s none of your business!!”
And then told my starter
“Charizard, there is no use mulling about the past! We look to the future!”
It didn’t work at first. But I insisted as I kept swinging.
“I know I’ve made lots of mistakes and didn’t guide you the right way! I’m making the effort to change, I swear!”
That’s the closest... I have ever been to make an actual apology in my life.Because... what good would it make if I went and asked all those trainers whose Pokémon I’ve hurt... to forgive me? That would be weak.I’d rather just focus on better controlling myself... and Charizard, for the foreseeable future.
“Move it, Charizard!! I won’t be able to hold them for much longer!!”
I felt one of those mutated creatures biting my shoulder. I screamed in pain...Those might have been dream-like creatures, but they can really put the hurt!!But when I did screech, Charizard advanced and saved my bacon.Together, we just sent those mangled shadows packing back to their world.That sufficed to get my ‘zard back to what he was before the debacle at Channel 4.Actually, no. We both got wiser from that ordeal with those nightmarish apparitions.No more roughing up small creatures. No more harrier behaviour.I thanked Dr. Landfill and she gave us her fees.
And by Arceus, that specialist sure charged us a lot!!
Thankfully, our pockets were full by then. We had our savings.With time, Mark, Mike and I accrued enough fortune to recover financially.But even if I fell in bankrupt because of those exorbitant tariffs… I would do it again. For Charizard.And for any other of my creatures…
<<End of flashback. Back to the real world>>
I face Nathan to the eyes as I keep defending my honor.— There is no amount of cash I’m unwilling to pay, and there are no mediums I’m unwilling to undertake, if that means that I get a chance to get our pride back!!And now, that wheatfield-haired idiot… smiles?— Finally! Your priorities have been set straight, Jack! — He exclaims.What does he know about priorities!?— My priority now is to wreck that piece of blue rubbish in front of us!!The Swampert doesn’t react to the insult. Duo Lon scowls, though.— If that floats your boat, then I’m on board… matey. — Nathan asseverates, the last word used on purpose and with a sardonic smile and his pirate tone.— Resume the combat!! — The improvised judge exclaims— Time to sink your ship!! — I yell to Nathan— Not if we do so first! — He counters, still in the Pirate Vibe — Hydro Pump, First Mate!— Fly and Dodge it!That horrid mudfish tries to hit Charizard, but he’s more than able to dodge…— Let’s go with Dragon Claw!! — I yell, wanting to go directly towards that monster…It might look as a foolhardy decision… yet I have a plan.— You know what to do, comrade! — Nathan shouts backAs soon as my creature tries to slash at that ugly blue-skinned monster, it just parries the attack, punches Charizard’s belly and tosses him with an arm drag.That Swampert believes himself to be a wrestler!! I hate that!!
But now, it is time to execute the phase two!
— Charizard! Use Temper Flare!!— Maxima, use your Muddy Water to cover yourself!I smirk. That was exactly what I expected…
<<Now we take Terry’s POV>>
Naturally, Maxima would summon that Muddy Water as a maelstrom that covers him by almost all angles…But this time, Charizard’s attack just… cut through the watery wall!And it hit the Swampert square into the chest!!— WHAT THE!? MAXIMA!! — Nathan shrieks.Jack successfully blindsided him… and not for the first time today!Everybody around me is equally shocked. Even Jack’s friends.— WHAT WAS THAT!? — Mark was the quickest to ask— Temper Flare. It is a move that hits with the double of intensity when the last offensive attempt of its user fails. And as Maxima had parried his Dragon Claw so easily before…— Wooooooowwwww!! — The rest of the crowd lets out— You can have this one, meatbag. — Remy’s RotomDex grumbles to me. I just snicker at that.Meanwhile, the Swampert was so shocked about this development that Jack managed to order another Dragon Claw to Charizard… and he hit his mark this time!— Hold fast, Maxima!! Try with your Rock Tomb!!But the Water/Ground-typed Pokémon is still able to fight back!— Quick! Fly away! — Jack ordersThe Charizard dodged just in the nick of time…— Keep trying!! — Nathan instructs again, and many rocky formations are erected from beneath, but neither manage to catch the ‘zard— Fly higher! And then, use Smokescreen.That order… it reflects the paradigm shift on Jack right now. He’s way less aggressive than in the other times I’ve seen him fight…I wonder what spurred that change…— Remain calm, Maxima! This can work in our favour… Let’s go underground!Fortunately for Nathan, he has already dealt with that type of scenarios… Maxima is taking things calmly.— Keep yourself on the skies! Search for that pest but remain mobile!That’s a surprisingly specific order from Jack, too…This is more than a mere combat… it is a strategic dance between two trainers with different philosophies…And while Jack holds the numerical advantage, this is still anyone’s game!
<<End of Terry’s POV>>
— Hydro Pump again! — Nathan shouts.This time, the attack hits and almost makes Charizard fall. It stabilized on time, and now it flies low!Low enough for…— Seviper Thrust!!That maneuver! A painful strike to Charizard’s throat.With that, it should be unable to expel his flames… even if for a short time.But Jack had an alternative.— Come on, beat your wings and use Air Slash!— Dodge!!Maxima does his best to evade, but as Charizard attacks in wide arcs with is windy projectiles, the arms of that Swampert end up grazed by the air blades.— Rush to him and punch hard, comrade!! — Nathan decides to forsake the defensive approach…— Intercept with Dragon Claw!!Both Pokémon rush against each other, striking repeatedly, their limbs clashing... and in that particular exchange, it is Maxima the one that punches and pushes the hardest, as Charizard’s guard is suddenly broken…— Press on, first mate!!!That order, spoken in the tone of Captain Bloodybeard, makes Maxima land some good strikes in Charizard’s paunch.Then again, Jack counted with that.— Temper Flare!!As the many Dragon Claws were parried with success, the flaming attack was at its peak once more, damaging the Swampert severely.— [GET OFF ME!!] — Charizard suddenly exclaims, and gives his rival a tail slap without prompting, only to get the amphibian off him.It was sheer instinct. And now the Swampert was floored— You okay, Maxima? — Nathan asks, worried.— [Brother!! Please say something!] — Duo Lon practically screams in his languageThe answer would be given in a non-verbal way… as Maxima’s ability triggers: Torrent.He slowly gets up and has his sights set back on Charizard.Bad news: That means he might be on his last legs.Good news: He refuses to surrender and plans to see the fight until the bitter end, if need be.— [You haven’t gotten rid of me, lizard!!] — The amphibian Pokémon exclaims.— [WHY DON’T YOU DISAPPEAR FROM MY SIGHT AND FROM MY NIGHTMARES!?] — The Charizard yells back in his idiom.At that moment, Maxima felt a pang of guilt, because of his actions at Channel 4.But he knew that Charizard wouldn’t be content without beating him in a fair contest.The only way out… was swinging— [If that is what you want, SHOVE ME OFF THEM!! STRIKE ALREADY!!]And then, Nathan orders…— Maxima! Load yer guns, smartly!!
That cryptic order sent chills to Jack’s spine.
He knew what came next…
That final attack that floored Charizard and kickstarted all the posterior trauma.
Images of that curb-stomp that Maxima had inflicted on his best friend flooded his mind
…
But there is more!!— Prime Cannons two and three!!Maxima extended his arms wide, and started charging purple energy from them.He had done this before. A combination of Hydrocannon… and Sludge Wave.As for Jack…He could still hear the voice of Captain Bloodybeard in his mind...
“Aim!!”
At that time, he could do nothing to stop that Blue Scythe of Destruction.
“FIRRRRRREEEEEE!!!”
It was devastating for both body and soul.
“Charizard is unable to battle!! Swampert wins this round!!”
Those sentences... still fresh in his mind…— It could... happen again… — Jack utters somberly, worrying his closest allies… and Remy, to boot....
But he steeled himself.
— NO! — He yells in his mind — This time, it won’t happen!! That event shall never, EVER repeat itself! The tables shall turn!And then he ordered...— Charizard! Use Overheat!Both creatures shot their buccal attacks at the same time, making them clash.— Push, Charizard, PUSH!!Now, Jack knew that it was pretty much a lost struggle. But at least it would weaken that souped-up, toxic Hydrocannon enough to make Charizard able to resist the impact…And then, victory would be theirs…The moves struggled for a while, the one launched by Maxima’s mouth still gaining terrain, until it exploded near Charizard, launching him backwards…— Can you get up!? — Jack askedThe Charizard did so with some effort, surprising everybody… except Nathan, who knew that this was a realistic outcome.— Perfect!! Now, finish that mudfish like only you know how!!— Wait! Is Jack really giving Charizard freedom of action!? — Remy suddenly shouted. His Bulbasaur imitated his expression— This might get ugly… — Helena commented with a tinge of fear.And so, Charizard flew towards a Maxima that needed time to recharge against that move, hit a Dragon Claw to his torso… and another… and another… and then grabbed him by the nape, making him crash face-first against one of the rocky formations he himself created!!— [No no no no no no no!!] — Duo Lon screamed while covering his eyes from the grisly spectacle, putting his flippers on his head— Stop it already!! — Casey yelledHe was about to finish, anyway, as he flung the Swampert towards another of those artificial wide stalagmites the mudfish created, lifting some dust…— That has to be it. — Mark said in his mind — There’s no way that amphibian abomination gets up from this…But when the dust settled, everybody saw that the Swampert was still on his feet… somehow.He was clutching his arm, and his pectoral area showed some gashes that dripped a trickle of blood.— T-THE FUCK!? — Jack yelled in surprise— LANGUAGE!! — Mrs. LeBlanc shoutedThe rest of the onlookers were shocked. Charizard was, too…Maxima still had energy…To look at the Winged Lizard, give him an approving smirk…— [Congrats… newt…]And then, he fell backwards, unable to fight anymore. His body splayed like a Staryu.— Oh… Arceus… — Casey muttered in shock, covering her mouth with both hands— Maxima is unable to battle!! Charizard wins this round!! — The old improvised referee declares.— Time out, please!! — Nathan exclaims suddenly. Rita allows for it with a nod.As for Jack... he would have protested in other circumstances...But this time, he found himself in utter disbelief. A feeling that slowly mutated... into euphoria.
FINALLY! THEY HAD DEFEATED THAT PREVIOUSLY UNSURMOUNTABLE BARRIER!!
— YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSS!! He had yelled in celebration before, witnessing that Swampert losing at Kalos. This time, however, it was earned. It was by his own hand… or more like by Charizard’s own claws.— WE MADE IT, CHARIZARD!! WE’RE THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!Nathan ignored the celebration, as he had rushed to his starter’s aid with a Medkit he had prepared beforehand, and applied some basic tending of those wounds. And Duo Lon helped actively…Disinfecting. Cleaning. Using some gauze bandages and adhesives.Maxima received those basic attentions to make Nurse Joy’s work a bit easier.— You’re going to be okay, mate. Sleep this out.With those soothing words, he returned his starter to the PokéBall.He then looked to Jack.He was making a victory dance… while Charizard adopted a celebratory pose, spewing flames to the sky.— AT LAST!! THAT ACCURSED BLUE OBSTACLE THAT HAS IMPEDED US FOR SO LONG HAS BEEN OVERCOME!! — He heard Jack shouting… and while he should feel quite offended, this time he decided to just smile secretly.— You’re the best, Jack-sensei!! — Little Mike hollered, ignoring the mouth-cleaning bit.— Charizard, you did splendidly!! — Mark shouted, too — That moronic Swampert didn’t know what hit him!!Those words sparked the anger inside Duo Lon. He looked at those disrespectful boys and then at Charizard with a visage of fury.— [You… you mean-spirited curs! I won’t tolerate that behaviour!!]Nathan observed the Ampharos’s reaction. It was as he expected, as both he and Maxima were really close.He addressed his opponent.— Are you done dancing, Jack? You must know that was not my…— …your last line of defense, yadda yadda, I know how you roll, you swine! — He interrupted in a disrespectful manner, making Casey, Remy, Helena, Terry and Rita LeBlanc scowl.— [What a whiny bitch] — Bulbasaur spoke in his idiom.— Seriously, what the... heck did we miss? — Terry asked the rest of the crowd.Casey then told…— It is a long story. We better wait for this encounter to finish.
To be Continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 3: Not a Monster .
<<The chapter also starts in Jack’s POV>>
I don’t give a shit about what the dwarf, the baseball fangirl and their friends think. I want to finish this ASAP. We had already risen above the most difficult hurdle and I still have four Pokémon with me, counting my ace, Charizard.But… why don’t I feel calmer? I suddenly feel anxious as all hell!I give another glance to Duo Lon. He looks so pissed off now...And then it hits me. I remember… that fateful first match between me and that fossil. When I put those two tickets in the line…I was such a fool. Nathan swept me without breaking a sweat.And who was the one that scored the first KO?Duo Lon.
And it was against Charizard.
My creature was weakened by the Stealth Rock and a couple attacks landed by a filthy Mothim whose name I cannot remember.Charizard had his Blaze ability activated.Nathan called Duo Lon to fight, and only ordered
“Defensive positions!”
And I ordered for an Overheat attack, confident on one-shotting the bald sheep.It didn’t work. Duo Lon had used both Light Screen and Cotton Guard at the same time! And so, the damage became minimal.I tried another Overheat in desperation, but Duo Lon used Discharge and nullified it, and then... it ran and hit an Ice Punch uppercut on Charizard’s jaw.
It was a humiliating defeat for my pal.
I cannot allow it to happen again!!!
— Hey, Jack-ass!! — That pest of an Electabuzz Fangirl hollered — Are you going to switch out or can we resume the battle?!— Language, Miss Casey! — Rita LeBlanc shouted to her.I grunt. The answer is obvious for me now.…I’m sorry, my fiery friend… I know you won’t like this...— Charizard, return!I was about to use his PokéBall, but he gazed at me, appalled.— Don’t look at me like that! I don’t want to risk you further! You just spent too much energy on that Swampert!His gaze becomes just a bit more understanding.He communicates to me.— [Fine. But no PokéBall].— Oh, so you wanna have the best seats just in case?My best friend nods.— Fair enough. Now come here.And so, Charizard took a short flight and positioned himself right behind me.I threw another PokéBall.— Centiskorch! Go and destroy!My centipede might be paralyzed, but even with that, he’s faster than that stupid lamb.— Duo Lon, use Thunder!!— Coil and apply resistance!!In a repeat of when that scrap saucer tried to one-shot us, I ordered Centiskorch to up his parameters of Speed, Attack and Special Attack… while burying his tail to minimize the damage of the Thunder.— Let’s try with Power Gem now!!— Dodge and use Skitter Smack! Pronto!!Showing great dexterity, my Galar-born centipede jumps out of the way, then crawls and strikes the bald sheep’s flank— Again!! — I yell— Cotton Guard! — The failed Ninja prospect ordersThe second attack hits its mark… but Duo Lon managed to shield himself on time.— Duo Lon’s Special Attack has gone down — My PokéDex chimed. That could be useful! After all, his Thunder packs a punch…But then, Paralysis takes effect while my insect is “trapped” on the artificial wool!And Nathan knows it!— Grab it and use Power Gem again!No! That stupid cheeseskin grabs Centiskorch by the tail end and slams him towards a tree!And then, the Rock-type ball of energy hits its mark, knocking out my bug.— Centiskorch is unable to battle! Duo Lon wins this round!Curse that overgrown cheesecake!— Alright, D.L., you’ve done well. Only three more to go…And the stupid sheep with jaundice nods to him.I take a breath and return Centiskorch to the Ball, and then go with…— Kilowattrel! Let’s go!I know that the bird is burnt… but he will render a great service with what I’ve envisioned…— Restart the match! — Rita LeBlanc orders— Duo Lon, use Power Gem once more!— Dodge and get close!Fortunately, my Paldean bird is still faster than that living lightbulb and dodges…— Use Feather Dance!I see Nathan’s shocked face as my Frigatebird flaps and dances a bit in the sky, making Duo Lon feel flabbergasted.
<<We move to Nathan’s POV>>
Feather Dance? That move I never expected from Jack…That’s a move I would order… should I feel flattered for being imitated?I remember the times I had ordered my Hawlucha to use it at determined moments against Physical attackers… but Duo Lon isn’t one.At least, that's not his regular speciality... unless things get ugly.Still, that must feel quite draining for my creature.The battle must resume! Kilowattrel now is resenting from Burn Damage— Come on, Duo Lon! Use Power Gem once more!— Dodge and use Roost! — Jack orders.I observe how that fowl evades with relative ease, while landing on a farther spot to try and recover some stamina— Duo Lon, let’s try with your Iron Tail!And as my dear Lambchops rushes…— Use Electroweb, Kilowattrel!I gasp as I observe how the bird charges an attack from the mouth and spits it at Duo Lon’s feet, making it tripI make a quick check with the PokéDex, and I read that the Attack, Special Attack and Speed of D.L. are compromised!
But of course!!
He waited for my creature to be the last one standing to whittle it step by step! He’s not rushing stuff now… he’s working his way to victory with calm…— Now, use Electroball!!Another dangerous attack, given the circumstances!— Light Screen, now!!The damage was dampened successfully.I then decided to give my Ampharos a helping hand in this time of need!I took a Grassium-Z from my jacket and inserted it into my Z-ring!— What are you doing!? Your stupid lamb doesn’t know any Grass-type moves!! — Jack practically screams while pointing at me in a rude way.I ignore that and execute some sick “dance moves”, and imbue Duo Lon with the Z Energy.— Z-Cotton Guard!!The Light Pokémon puts himself in guard and encases himself in Cotton once more… but this time, more and more of that material is created… forming tendrils that get to a still-landed Kilowattrel… and it becomes stuck!!— WHAT’S THIS!? — Jack exclaimsI watch my PokéDex. The lowered parameters on Duo Lon have been normalized.Excellent. Now, let’s continue...— Jump now and use Iron Tail!!And so, my creature goes towards its target, taking some air time… and then his tail lands on the petrel’s head!The force of the impact is more than enough to knock him out.— Kilowattrel is unable to battle! Duo Lon wins!— WOOHOO!! — Casey yells from the crowd using her megaphone — Only two more, Dewey! You can run all the bases and the gauntlet!! GO FOR IT!!— Let’s do our best to not disappoint her, D.L. — I tell my Pokémon. And he looks at me, nodding with decision.Then, my gaze drifts… to Charizard.He’s staying on a spot similar to the one Maxima uses when I bring him with me to fight.It makes sense, in a way. During the entire match, I have felt like Jack had decided to mirror my tactics and adapt them at the best of his capabilities.He knows how to get rid of the Entry Hazards… his orders have been more patient and timely… he even uses the self-switching movements, fearless of the randomness factor, once the field is clean.He even has one concealed ‘mon! He has learnt to keep an element of surprise!I take a deep breath as I now wonder… what’s going on the faux dragon’s mind?
<<Moving to Charizard’s POV>>
This… this is bullshit!!
I cannot believe Jack sent Centiskorch and Kilowattrel to try and overwhelm a fresh Duo Lon!!I should be the one that annihilates him, just like I did to his “dear brother”!But no! Jack sent the other two and they got their asses handed in a silver platter!Why am I feeling like this!? I just want to jump and pummel that stupid Ampharos myself!...
Realization hits me like a brick to the head
… Is this… what Maxima felt when I was running roughshod on those idiotic Pachirisu Scouts his good-for-nothing trainer chose to fight me!? <<I’m having a Flashback of what happened in Kalos>> The moment Jack made use of his Activator Stone, I felt the power coursing through my veins… I felt invincible! And not for the first time…It was such a thrilling, addictive feeling… to smash through the Pokémon of the gym leaders and unknowing trainers...Using it against that ugly-haired bastard and his team only amplified the bliss...
I didn’t break a sweat when I burnt that boorish Chesnaught and that fugly, green-striped Watchog in quick succession.
I barely did when dispensing of that foolish Primarina… although keeping the transformation was starting to put a toll on my stamina.
Then, that witch Mienshao appeared and we exchanged blows. She was there only to impede me... until she used the U-Turn. A Ledian appeared in her stead.
The moment I managed to get rid of that pathetic insect, swatting it with Dragon Claw and squashing her against the floor, I was too tired to properly deal with the aforementioned ermine on the side of that cretin...
I was so focused on getting victory... that I had completely disregarded everything else.Admittedly, I went too rough on those four creatures...I was merely taking orders… But so did them. They risked themselves for their trainer.So, when some time later, I faced that Swampert... <<Now the Flashback moves to the Tournament at Channel Four, at the Orange Archipielago... and that humiliating defeat at the hands of Maxima>>
<<I was imprisoned on a Rock Tomb…>>
“THIS IS FOR VORPAL!!”
<<…and then hit with continuous stream of Mud Shot to the face>>
At that moment, I realized he witnessed it all...
“THIS IS FOR GWENDOLYN!!”
<<I was punched on the gut with great strength, and then on the neck>>
He never forgot the effort those gals put for their master. He wanted to honor them.
“THIS IS FOR JULIET!!”
<<My head was hit by a Hammer Arm. My vision became blurry>>
All the rage he had stored for months… he unleashed on me...
“THIS IS FOR SKULDYNE!!”
<<My arms were pulled hard… until he tired of it and head-butted my back>>
All the pain I inflicted… he returned it. Tenfold.
“Look at my eyes, newt!!”
<<He pulled me by the horns and directed a deadly gaze to me. I was exhausted and petrified back then… I was unable to get off his grip>>
In those orange, furious orbs, I saw myself… treating so many rival Pokémon like dirt in the past. Burning them without mercy. Especially that little runt... the Bulbasaur belonging to Joke... I mean, Remy Ketchum...I spent so many time being a bully... While he was busy being... A LEADER.
<<My memories take me farther behind now… to a battle that Jack had with Nathan. At Sinnoh>>
I fell sick with a stomach flu the night before. That made me unable assist Jack at that particular encounter.Jack had taken it with calm, as he was sure that Maxima was then in an even worse state, after a grueling battle with Remy (back when he was still “Joke”) and his Bulbasaur.That puny frog… had left a number on him.
And I swear, I don’t know what powers he tapped on, as when he appeared at Nathan’s side, he looked fresher than ever!!!
All while I had to settle with watching the battle via a monitor!
It was so… frustrating.
But I had put attention to Maxima’s body language throughout the whole match.Not only had he fought well that day…Whenever one of his partners scored a KO or “forced” a retreat (that was Nathan’s jazz back then. Plus the Entry Hazards), he applauded and hollered for them.Likewise, whenever any of his companions got KO’d, he would reassure them.He even “forced” his trainer to make him participate, because, at one crucial juncture, Infernape was about to demolish Emily (that’s how Nathan’s Lopunny is called), and Maxima got close to the edge of the arena and extended his arm, yelling
“Emily!! Give me the tag!!”
Almost like he was in a Wrestling ring!!The worst part? Emily did play along and tagged him in! And in the end, Maxima ended up beating Infernape without any major hitches!And near the finale of the match, when Blaziken went overboard against Frida (that’s Nathan’s Helioptile) and kicked her like a Football, Maxima rushed and caught her like, channeling his inner goalkeeper!And not only had he prevented further injury onto his petite partner.
He swore vengeance right there.
And that controlled fury allowed him to defeat Blaziken.…Back then, I thought that Swampert was only playing it to the crowd, like a hyperactive clown… but now I realize. He was doing what a leader is supposed to do!
And a leader tends to have heaps of emotional baggage to deal with.
<< Back to reality >>
I clutch at my chest.
Is this... how it feels? To see your teammates struggling and being unable to assist them directly?
Before, I would gladly yell at them for being too “weak” to overcome those seemingly inferior obstacles...
But now I can feel part their pain.
And right now...
I gaze to that Ampharos.
Duo Lon is far from an “inferior” obstacle.
My teammates... my comrades... I promise... to be more empathic with you, from now on.Should I step in and try my luck against him?...— Go, Incineroar!!Jack decided to get Incineroar out!Of course! She’s fresh like a lettuce! That makes sense. She has the greatest chances to win against that Bald Sheep......
But that means... She’s going to outshine me!!!
...
No! I mustn’t think like that!
I want her to win! I don’t want her to have her body or her pride damaged!!— [Incineroar!! You must be careful! That Ampharos is a great warrior!!] — I holler to her.She looks at me, surprised.Duo Lon also looks at me, raising an eyebrow.
The last thing I EVER want to do is to flatter him. I almost want to puke at this moment.
Also, this is the first time I give any of my teammates a piece of advice that isn’t “get out of my way. I’ll deal with those vermin myself”.I truly want Incineroar to succeed.
I want Jack to succeed. With or without my active help.
The tigress gives me a thumbs up and a smile once her shock is gone.
Go for it, kitty.
<<End of Charizard’s POV>>
— Resume the combat! — Rita LeBlanc hollers— Discharge, now!! — Nathan orders first— Fire Blast, quick!! — Jack counter-orders.And there is a clash of attacks. Both powerful attacks nullify each other, creating yet another smoke explosion and the shockwave that pushes the Pokémon back.— Flame Charge, on the double!! — Jack shouts— Try to intercept with Signal Beam!Now, the tigress rushes towards it target and evades the Signal Beam gracefully… and then she crashes against the Electric-type.— Ah! That’s gotta hurt!! — Helena exclaimed as she covered her mouth with both hands— Not really — Terry corrected — Duo Lon upped his Defense Parameter by a lot thanks to the Cotton Guard.— Yeah, but still… — Casey protested — his resistance is not infinite…— Let’s keep striking! — Jack shouted — Darkest Lariat!!Now the Incineroar starts spinning with her arms outstretched and manages to score a good hit on the Ampharos’s head— You gotta move away! — Nathan orders— Ha! Strike again!Duo Lon attempts to dodge and let Incineroar tire herself… without too much success, as the feline still manages to hit a couple of hits on his body.That makes Nathan take some drastic measures— Enough with this! Use Magnet Rise!!And now, the Ampharos starts to float upwards… and when Incineroar stops spinning, she looks up— Fire Blast!!The tigress is quick to shoot, but…— Move to the left!That precise order was quicker, and so was Duo Lon’s reaction time— Excellent! Now use Discharge!!Now with the height advantage, D.L. was able to aim better and to spread his move in a wider arc, hitting an Incineroar that tried to escape from that move.And now, she was paralyzed.— [ARGH! NO!] — Charizard yells in frustration — [That lucky bastard of a sheep!!]— Drop there with an Iron Tail! — Nathan made his Pokémon continue the offensive, and it flipped forwards before landing an Iron Tail onto Incineroar’s head.He then took distance and kept floatingAnd Charizard decided to join into the action… by cheering his teammate…In his style.— [Come on, Incineroar!! Are you going to let that walking... er, floating cheese get the better of you!?]It worked, as the Alolan Starter punched the ground and got up like a (girl)boss!— Alright, Incineroar… — Jack told his creature — This is do or die. I count on you!Nathan smiled at that declaration. It seemed for him that Jack was able to bond with all his creatures, and not exclusively Charizard.— Go with Facade!!That move surprised both Nathan and Duo Lon, as the Alolan critter launched herself like a missile towards the Ampharos that was in mid-air and forced him to land.The effect of Magnet Rise had vanished now.— Can you continue, D.L.? — Nathan asks as he sees his Pokémon struggling to get up......but ultimately, the Electric-type creature was able to stand and put himself on guard…— You can do this, Dewey!! — Casey cheered loudly with the help of her paper megaphone — You’re Number One!!It was time for Nathan to play his last card...— Alright. Time to apply one last resort, my friend. Outrage!!!And so, the Light Pokémon’s visage turns into one of fury, and it charges towards the Alolan Tigress, that does her best to repel him, using her claws.It becomes an uphill struggle because of the paralysis, and the Light Pokémon manages to bob and weave like a pugilist, hitting her across her body.All while Jack, his partners, and especially Charizard watched with anxiety.— Cover! Cover! — Jack shouts in desperationIncineroar obeys and resists…Duo Lon kept striking savagely, even hitting Incineroar’s head with his tail... but when it seemed that her guard was finally broken...The Confusion effect hits him, forcing him to stop... and tumble like a drunkard, making Nathan grimace.— Superb!! — Mark rejoices — Now that lamb has no chance!!— Go, Jack!! Finish the story!! — Mike shoutsAt last, Jack felt so close to total victory...— Fire Blast!!! — He holleredIncineroar struggled a bit because of Paralysis... but she was able to shoot from her belt...The move hits its mark, pushing Ampharos back and inflicting burns so harsh that they snap him out of his Confusion.— One last move!! Flame Charge!!And for the coup de grace... the tigress rushes with her body surrounded by flames and crashes once more onto Duo Lon’s body, pushing him even farther...But without taking him down!— Duo Lon... can you...? — Nathan asks... but is unable to finish the question.The burns sap the last of the Ampharos’s strength... and he falls on his side, unable to compete.— Duo Lon is unable to battle!! — Rita hollers — Incineroar wins this final round and therefore, Jack wins this match!!...It was done....The guy with the orange hood and white visor jumped and made a fist pump, while screaming— WE MADE IT!! WE FUCKING MADE IT!! WE BEAT THAT RELIC!!Mike ran and launched himself to hug the Incineroar...— You’re the best, kitty!!While Mark decided to go to Charizard— And you also were impressive. I bet you managed to take a load off your mind.The fiery lizard just nodded. Indeed, he could finally one-up that axolotl and ensure Jack could settle his score... by helping from the sidelines.This was a new beginning indeed for both Jack and his creatures...
<<Taking on Nathan’s POV>>
At this... I can only shrug. Such is life. The match is finally over.Jack showed me how much he had grown as a trainer… he was able to win a full battle against me, and I didn’t hold back at all…The sad part is that my creatures will be feeling this tomorrow. Especially Maxima… and Duo Lon.And when I was about to check on the latter...— Dewey!! — Casey got ahead of me.She went and started practically vociferating in his face— Dewey! Are you okay? Please speak to me!!— Casey, stop it. — I sternly but calmly say as I walk towards where she and my Ampharos are.Fortunately, she simmered down.— There is no need to shout. He’s going to be fine… just give him some time to recuperateI help my Ampharos into a sitting position. He looks crestfallen and in pain because of the burns sustained, plus the exhaustion— Hey, don’t be sad, buddy. You did your best trying to run the gauntlet. — I declare while patting his head — Take it easy, pal. Thanks for your efforts.He looks a bit more chipper now, and Casey hugs him softly.— You’re the true MVP, Dewey…But then, I look at Jack and his two friends getting close to my position.Are they going to shake my hand? I guess that’s the correct way to approach things… with maturity.I spoke first.— Gotta congratulate you, Jack. You really…But then, the three of them flip the bird to my face at the same time!— FUCK YOU, NATHAN!!And then, they do the same to my Ampharos. In a different way— FUCK YOU, DUO LON!! WE CRUSHED YOU! — Jack did it first…— YEAH!! — …then, Mark and Mike followed up.That gesture left me flabbergasted.
I had no idea they had retained such level of spite against me…
But Casey wasn’t letting them go unscathed, so she got a Baseball Bat out and threatened them— Come here, you rubes! I’m going to knock you out of the stadium!!Jack returned Charizard and Incineroar to their spherical refuges and then the three ran away as Casey briefly went for them…— Let them go, Casey! We got more pressing matters now.— B-but… are you really allowing them to diss you and your Pokémon just because Jack fluked a victory against you!?— It wasn’t a fluke, friend. It was a logical conclusion after all that had transpired between Jack and myself. His thick head finally learned how to deal with distinct situations...And then, I saw Joke’s entire entourage coming close to us.— Too bad he didn’t learn some respect! — Helena hollered — But it was a neat spectacle, nonetheless— Thanks! — I tell her.— I wonder what’s that trio’s beef with you, Nath — Remy asked — Last time we saw you and him competing, it was at the Kalos League... did something happen in between?— To be frank, it did happen. It is quite the ugly affair, to be frank. But you seem interested, so, if you want, I’ll spill the beans— By all means, tell us everything! — Terry spoke loud and clear. Everybody else seconded him silently— Alright. Let’s go to the Pokémon Center and I’ll give you the summary.I decided to carry Duo Lon on my back... for a particular reason. Then, we walked towards the health establishment, put all my PokéBall on Nurse Joy’s care… except for D.L.’s, as I asked Casey to walk him to the Onsen and wait me there.— Sure thing! — She exclaimed and got my Ampharos off my back, taking his flipper and patiently walking him
With all of Remy’s group gathered, I proceeded to explain myself.
I told them about what happened at Mandarin City, the tournament that Channel 4 hosted, called “Arena 57”How I was designated to act as a villain.How I chose to take the mantle of Captain Bloodybeard…I had to show them a photo that I downloaded from Channel 4’s website, of course.— You sure look like a reprobate, young Nathan — Rita LeBlanc commented.I told them about how Jack had to pose as a hero, but also how I overheard him telling his chums that he didn’t give a shit about being a paragon for the children. That he was only on it for the money.— Pfffft — Helena scoffed — Par for the course for that imbecile.I also had to underscore that I also was in it for the moolah, but I needed it more because my account was almost empty, and regular battling at that zone gave only peanuts.I didn’t tell them that Casey and I were busy doing some… rebuilding job, and that it caused my funds to bleed out. Those actions aren’t made for flaunting.
After all, I never considered myself a hero.
— My emotions just… came afloat in such a way that I ended up trampling over Jack’s ego in front of a crowd mostly consisting of children. And that’s without counting those who saw it in a screen… and any possible reruns. — I told themThey were flabbergasted at my tale. Their silence made me feel some dread.…
That’s it. Now I’m a monster on their eyes. I’ve just lost their respect.
…
But Helena would speak.— You know what, buddy? I wish I was on the crowd with Casey back then.That declaration surprised the heck of me— Huh? Why?— Because Jack deserved that public whipping. And I’d give him one, too, it if my alter-ego of the Dynamite Duchess allowed for that. Too bad I am pretty much forced to keep things PG.She giggled after letting out that last sentence.— That’s an advantage villains have, I guess — Remy commented nonchalantly — They can swear and use references to blood and guts and death as long as they’re smart.He paused for a bit, before adding— And they are licensed to be more aggressive on battle… But calling you a sadist was a clear exaggeration.—I still overstepped… — I told them — If I knew that Charizard has such a harrowing experience product of the excessive use of his Mega Form, then I would have never done that.I sigh— I wanna believe I am not that cruel. But… when somebody pisses me off, I can be quite the wrecking ball. And Maxima can be ten times worse.— We saw that at Sinnoh — Terry spoke suddenly.— Jack and his goons ain’t precisely innocent and merciful — Helena continued.— I know that! But I cannot just go and stomp on them. They’re still human, and their Pokémon only follow orders. I have mostly tried to minimize both the damage dealt and received, but sometimes… I just lose control.— You are acting with maturity, Nathan — Rita LeBlanc spoke softly — A thing those youngsters sorely lack, but that they will hopefully acquire with time and some hard knocks.— That reminds me — Remy commented. — Jack tended to let his Charizard go overboard against my Bulbasaur, hitting him even when the match was over. And once, his Blaziken did go too far damaging your Helioptile.Right. He was such an asshole…— Good thing he stopped doing that. — The little two-foot-eight relative of Ash told.— Ha. And now he knows how it feels. — The pink-haired gal told as she ruffled Remy’s hair — Don’t worry, Nath. I won’t think less about you for being such a method actor. And what’s more, I would love to have a televised match against you... just think about it!She starts motioning with enthusiasm— On one corner, The Dynamite Duchess!! Versus!! The dastardly and merciless Captain Bloodybeard!— Maybe someday, Helena — I say without much conviction, and then leave my seat. — I’m not cut for villainy. At least not for the time being.And with that, I go in direction to the Onsen.— Later, friend! — Remy hollered to me.Nobody asked me where I was going. It is safe to think they assumed I made a zip towards where Casey and my Ampharos were.And they would be right.
<<Later…>>
Both Casey and I are giving Duo Lon a sponge bath, the warm water opening the pores that were closed shut by his body, as a natural answer to the burns sustained.The Electabuzz fan is using a cute yellow bikini, while I am using red shorts. Also, both of us are using teal-colored flip-flops— All the Pokémon Centers should have this facility — Casey spoke — With fire-loving idiot psychos like Jack on the loose, many creatures are bound to get singed.— Please don’t refer to Jack with such harshness — I told her— And you stop defending him! He doesn’t deserve it! — She retorted, annoyed with my lack of… venom, I guess.— I am not defending him. — Then I pause to find the best way to describe what’s going through my mind — I am trying to understand his position. I think he does what he does because he doesn’t know better. Because he thinks money is power. And that we live in a hostile world where only the strong survive.— That’s a grim way to see the world, mate — she says— Maybe so. But I cannot blame him for thinking like that. He surely sees me like a threat more than a rival. Not only to his bottom line, but to his pride, too. I have been trying to nudge him a bit away of his overly aggressive tendencies, sharing nuggets of advice, without much success...— Some people just have thick skulls, bro. Someday he’ll stop seeing you as a roadblock that must be slammed with a battering ram.— Heh. In his case, more like a battering ‘zard. — I quipped — And this time, he was actually successful.— Next time, make sure he isn’t. You are clearly smarter than him! You can make sure to create another counterplay!— I… am not so sure anymore. Jack pulled out some good strategies, like using Attract with a male Pokémon. And using Gravity to drop a batch of Stealth Rock to make them easier to eliminate.I pause to scratch Duo Lon’s head to make him relax, and then continue speaking to Casey.— He has become a much better out-of-the-box thinker than me. Couple that with his natural aggression and you have a future world champion on the making.— Not one I would like to accept. No matter how many accolades he scores. He will never earn my respect as long as keeps being such an asshole.— I honestly hope he proves you wrong.And then, Terry comes to us, wearing only blue shorts, black flip-flops and his signature goggles.— Hey, Terry! What brings you here? — Casey asks, waving her hand towards me.— Uh… I just wanted to talk with Nathan. It’s personal.That intrigues me, to be frank. I wonder what does he wants to discuss...— Hey, please watch Duo Lon in my absence.She nods to me and I then go to speak privately with that green-haired aspiring medic....— Is something the matter, Terry?— Well, this is hard to explain... I am trying to have a friendly relationship with Mark, as we have many things in common. But we reached an impasse... and it’s because of you.That sounds like serious shit... but why would I cause a rift between them?— Can you elaborate? — I ask the kidHe told me about his worries about Mark.Once, while Jack was still under the PTSD, they had met and conversed. Suddenly, the topic of rivals came and...He had said incredibly nasty stuff against me, full of hatred.And when Terry asked Mark why he had such a… strong opinion on me, he told his version of the stuff that happened at the Channel 4 tournament, and said that I had hurt Mike, too!
Wait… I remember what happened! He rushed at me first! I stopped his charge and then he kicked me in the shin, but found that I used metal padding there and only hurt his foot!
I had to be prepared! He kicked my shin at Kalos after I managed to beat Jack there!! It was painful!— Did you actually see the footage? — I asked— Uh… no. — He confessed— Luckily, I got it downloaded in my Dexter. Please pay attention.I had the whole Final fight in an MP4 extension file, from the beginning banter to the last railleries. I set the timestamp to after my Nidoqueen made short work of Jack’s Blaziken… right when I started hamming it for the crowd— Was it necessary? — He sounded quite nonplussed at my attitude there.— It was. Blame the director. — I defended myselfAnd then, the scene where Mike went “off-script”, grabbed a yari and charged towards me, yelling
“You’ll pay for what you’ve done, you devil!!”
— That’s dangerous! — Terry exclaimed as he paused the vid — He could have seriously injured you! At least tell me it was a prop and not a real spear!I nodded and unpaused the file, so we could watch the rest of the scene in silence.I sidestepped, caught the fake weapon, “received” the kick to the shin and then took advantage of his loss of balance.I pointed the yari back to him— So it was in self-defense… — the green-haired kid spoke softly as he paused the file again.— Yup. Although it made for quite the unique finale.The video continued played as Terry touched the screen of the Dex once more. And there, he would hear my voice… at its darkest.
“How moving. You must have a great deal of loyalty to your master… Too bad the only thing he taught you was to be… PREDICTABLE!!”
And then, the evil laughter.One I still feel oddly proud about.But at the same time, one that makes me doubt on my own humanity.The video ends, and Terry speaks.— You enjoyed it a bit too much, Nathan.— I cannot deny it. — I continued — The reasons I explained already. My back was against the wall. The proper nutrition of my Pokémon – And Casey’s – was on the balance.I sighed— She isn’t only my traveling companion and kindred baseball-loving soul… she’s also my responsibility. And I jeopardized her.— She looks like she can take care of herself. With or without you.— Still, I am the one supposed to check our finances, and I slipped in such an awful way… I’m not as good as she thinks I am.There is a silence that lasts for around five seconds… until Terry breaks it.— You are only human, Nathan. Making mistakes is natural. Especially under pressure.— Try to explain that to Mark. Or his two friends.— I might do so. And if he doesn’t at least stop being such a stubborn, disrespectful idiot, then I can consider our friendship over.— What?! No! — I holler worriedly — Don’t say that!— Sorry, but I cannot stand seeing your name besmirched after what you have shown me.— You shouldn’t break a budding friendship for my sake, Terry!— But he lied to me! He told me you were a monster! And he even yelled that to you earlier!— Truth is… I was one. For a brief period of time. Even if it wasn’t my intention.— But he acted like you always were one!— He’s hurt, Terry. He didn’t want to fool you. My actions changed his perception drastically out of loyalty for his partner, Jack.There is another short silence between us…— At the end of the day, I did stomp on Jack’s and Charizard’s ego. And I hope the result of our latest battle manages to fix that. Maybe after that middle finger venting, his position will soften… but there is no guarantee.— You shouldn’t carry that load, sir. — He politely says to me — Although...— Yes?— I honestly think you should be a bit less effusive.— Less effusive? Do you mean...— Keeping the rowdy pirate lingo out of the battle... it was quite unnerving. Especially for your rival.Hmmm... he has a point.I should have left my villainous side cooped in.True, Jack was quite rude to me, but I should have toned down my retorts a bit.At least he managed to keep his composure just enough to beat me where it mattered.As for the... “load”...I smile to him and speak— I have finally cleaned my conscience by giving Jack a fair chance to show what he had learnt. And as neither of my Pokémon resulted gravely injured, then I can consider this a resounding success.With that, I prepare to go back where Casey and Duo Lon are. Terry says nothing… at first.When I am at a distance, he decides to holler— Good luck, sir!!I smile, but don’t show it to him.
I think I needed that… even if I feel I don’t deserve it.
What a nice kid, indeed...He had declared once at Sinnoh, after I defeated Remy in a hard-fought contest… that he admired me for the attention to detail I put on the battling plans, for my philosophy of trying to avoid the most amount of pain on my creatures – despite of the inevitability – and on my – admittedly limited – medical knowledge.I am just a responsible adult. One that tries to make an honest living by exploring the world and taking notes of how it evolves.With each passing year, Pokémon discover new moves and apply them at the best of their abilities. We trainers help them the best we can, too.I plan to keep jotting notes, organize them into books and enjoying the ride. No matter the risks.…I see my Ampharos yawning. He has spent a lot of time in the water already. The pores on his whole integrity are quite open. Now, we must apply some cold water and the treatment will be done.— Come here, buddy.He jumps to my arms, feeling re-energized already.— You must be hungry. Dinner will come soon…I carry my Electric-type creature to the showers and give him a cold bath, while thinking about our next step…My focus should be on the next challenge. The Vertress Conference is still locked on my sights. There we might fight Jack again and have another epic clash for the ages…Remy is a rival that will probably show his mettle, too. We missed a chance to face each other at Kalos, but maybe in this one we will have a barnburner. I expect no less from the cousin of the legendary Ash Ketchum.He must be busy right now, being a world champion and all… but it would be nice if we see him cheering on his little cousin.Whatever happens… we will keep doing our very best… so we can go with our lives with no regrets.
The End.