The All Mighty Earth - Pokemon SI Chapter 33

Asher's Team:

Lago - Rhydon
Sebastian - Nidoking
Selena - Nidoqueen
Seraph - Clefable
Death - Marowak
Colossus - Steelix

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Sabrina should have opposed Asher. She should have told her boyfriend that it was a horrible idea to battle Giovanni, she should have told him that he was outclassed and that he shouldn't have let his victories get to his head. But, in the end, she let him go anyway, she let him go alone because he insisted that he would be alright. Because, he insisted that he was just going to stall Giovanni for ten minutes until she managed to get backup to him.

He made it sound so easy, so simple, so feasible. Yet, in the end, Asher got himself hospitalised and three of his pokemon partners were killed. And it was all her fault.

She should have spoken up, she should have joined him, she should have told him no... she didn't though.

Sabrina grew too used to the thought of Asher being unbeatable, he seemed that way to her, and she thought him being different meant he could do things others couldn't. That regular logic just didn't apply to him. Asher won the Indigo Conference after only being a trainer for a year, so why couldn't he beat a Gym Leader? Why couldn't he beat the entire world if he wanted?

He always seemed to be able to do anything he set his mind too, but Sabrina now sees that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Asher was flawed. She saw that now. Just because she couldn't see the future surrounding him didn't mean that whatever he tried to do would happen magically! He had limits to his capabilities, very finite limits at that!

Hindsight was 20/20, and it was much too late for her to do anything about it. Sabrina might not have been close with Asher's pokemon the way he was, but they were all so kind in their own ways. Strong in their own ways.

And, Giovanni just cut them down. It was tragic and heart-breaking, even for Sabrina who wasn't even their trainer!

For Asher, well, it was much, much worse. In the hospital he hardly even spoke a word, either he'd just look out the window and think, or he'd just keep to himself and never speak a word. It was like he was too ashamed to talk.

Sabrina wasn't a fool, she knew that Asher was, at least partly, at fault for his pokemons deaths, but she didn't wish to rub salt in his wounds. He was aware of that fact more than anyone else, and so, she mostly just left him alone. He likely just needed time and then he'd be right back to his old self. Confident, flirty, and happy-go-lucky! Asher, wouldn't let something like that hold him down! Her boyfriend would come back stronger than before!

Right?

Sabrina looked around slightly, her face blank like it always was, and felt a touch antsy as she waited for Asher by the café they'd agreed to meet at in Viridian City. It was busy, but not overly so, and the sun was just about to go down even though it was only six o'clock.

Asher was running late, and she couldn't help but feel worried for him. He'd been discharged from the hospital just the day before, perhaps he was still feeling bad from his hospital visit, or maybe he relapsed and had to return. Either way, it wasn't like him to leave her waiting. He'd returned to his pokemon successfully, or so she hears, and he was able to talk to her. She was feeling optimistic about his health, and maybe he could return to like he was before.

Before long, she spotted her boyfriend, and couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of him. The time in hospital, and in a coma, did him no good and when he first awoke he was always lacking energy and looked a touch thinner than he did before his battle. His health was a worry for her.

Yet, the boy she was looking at looked much more like the Asher she knew. His hair was thicker, his eyebags were less prominent, and his cheeks looked more filled out. Overall, he appeared more alive than he did in the hospital. She personally thought it was a good look on him.

He flashed her a smile that didn't reach his eyes." Hey, Sabrina. Sorry I ended up running late, I lost track of time, you wanna get something to eat? I don't feel like sticking around in the cold."

Sabrina was close enough with Asher to sense when something was wrong with him, socially inept though she may be, she'd learned to read him like a book. The yellow-gold in his eyes was screaming that he was hurting, that he was sad enough to cry on the spot. She might have felt like questioning him if it would yield result, but no, Asher is still in grief, and he wouldn't have wanted her pity to begin with.

She locked her arm in his, feeling that same warmth in her chest whenever she was near him light, and let herself smile slightly as she dragged him into the café and away from the bitter cold of winter.

If she were more socially aware, then she would have noticed the way Asher reacted to her touch. The subtle way his breath quickened, how he seemed to be looking anywhere but her direction, and the way he bit his lip as though holding back tears.

The café wasn't a fancy place, yet with the black wooden furniture and light smell of coffee in the air made it feel comfortable and welcoming. The large, but fragile looking, glass window on one wall of the shop also gave a perfect view of the night time streets of Viridian City. 

She could see that it wasn't empty either, there were a few groups of people who were chatting and exchanging pleasantries crowding a handful of tables.

Sabrina glanced at Asher." Where do you think we should sit?"

Asher snapped back into reality when he heard her, and just pointed to a fairly isolated corner of the cafe." There. I don't really feel like it would be a good idea for other people to hear us talking."

Sabrina didn't linger on his words." I understand. I also value our privacy, so something like that would be ideal for us."

Asher just nodded, taking a deep breath, before the two of them walked over and took their seats.

Sabrina had never been in a café before. She never saw the point in going to public places when she was younger, even when they travelled Asher and her were mostly training and going from place to place, much too busy to arrange such things, and they never bothered. Surely they were nice, people were always gathering here for a reason.

"So, how have you been holding up?" Sabrina knew he likely wouldn't answer honestly, but asking was important. She had to gauge him.

Asher coughed into his hand and scratched the back of his head." I've been as good as I can be I guess. My pokemon haven't left me, so I can be grateful for that at least. Then again, I really don't deserve to get them back, but at the same time I wanted them back really badly. Weird, I got all my friends to stay with me, but I still feel like shit."

Sabrina clenched her fists, her face becoming solemn as she spoke with sincerity as she reached her hand out so that it was on top of his." Asher, you never had to worry about any of that. Despite what happened, despite the mistakes you made-" Asher flinched slightly."- you are still my boyfriend, the person I care most about in the world, so don't you dare go thinking less of yourself now."

Asher pulled his hand away from the table, and looked down at both his hands with a look Sabrina couldn't identify." But, I was so stupid, Sabrina. I was weak, I was stupid, and I was arrogant. I thought that maybe I was more, maybe I wasn't helpless, but no, in the end I'm just a boy. I thought I was tough because I swept some tournament, but when I was put against someone who was really strong? I blew it."

He clenched his fists painfully tightly, and Sabrina thought for a moment he was going to cry, and he slammed his fist down on the table weakly." I was nothing. My pokemon and me, we weren't enough to stop him. I need to get stronger, Sabrina. How is anyone safe with an idiot like me if I'm so weak?"

Sabrina was about to answer him, but a waiter arrived at their table and cut her off with a friendly greeting and a smile." Hello. Would you two like to make your orders?"

Asher gave them an annoyed look and just said." No. Come back later." 

He then turned back to her, not seeming to care that he was being rude as the waiter walked away with a tight jaw,  as he suddenly asked with a tired tone." What do you see in me, Sabrina?"

Sabrina felt herself frown at the implications of his question." What do you mean by that? Are you asking-"

"I'm asking why you even want to date someone like me. The people near me just die, it happens to all of them eventually, and you'll be next if you keep near me. I'm sorry for even approaching you in the first-"

"What are you even talking about, Asher?" Sabrina didn't want to hear him speak of himself like that." Why are you acting like this? If you're speaking of what occurred when you battled that man, then you should-"

Asher cut her off abruptly, his his breath unsteady as he planted his fist heavily on the table to silence her." I'm not just talking about that battle, Sabrina, I'm talking about everything! My entire journey, it's just been pointless up to this point! I won the Conference, so what?! I don't- I haven't been aiming for anything more than just getting stronger! I never wanted to be strong for any reason other than to feel better about myself! Never once was I thinking about anyone other than myself! I was just a fool... a selfish, childish, naïve fool."

Asher was yelling the entire time, and his voice had more than reached the other occupants in the café, though he didn't seem to care as he spoke his next words far more tenderly and gently.

"I didn't know what I was doing. And, I need to be more than I am now before I can do anything with myself. So, Sabrina, I think it's time we stepped away from each other."

Sabrina felt the warmth in her chest freeze as her mind blipped itself off and she struggled to form words." W-wwa-wa-" She was hearing things wrong, right?" You're making a joke, correct. Very funny, Asher, but your sense of humour is usually better than that."

Asher didn't meet her eyes, simply looking away with his eyes shining slightly as he just said." I'm not making a joke, I'm sorry but-"

"Seriously, Asher, you should stop now, this isn't- it's not funny!" Sabrina briefly wondered why those words came out so harshly, and why she felt so angry in that moment, and why things in the room were randomly hovering as her form glowed ethereally.

She was looking for any trace that he was kidding, only for Asher to look away, not meeting her eyes as he pathetically did his best not to cry, and when Sabrina saw that she felt something inside her snap like a rubber band.

Sabrina clenched her fists, the confused cries of the other people in the café being drowned out as she felt that pain inside her lessen." I see, so that's the way you feel. I should have known you were just like the rest. A shame really, I did like you. A lot."

Asher still didn't respond, but his expression did contort into one of hurt as tears began to leak out of Sabrina's eyes. He reached a hand out to her, but in response all he got was an aggressive slap that painfully cast his hand away as Sabrina got up from her chair and shook slightly.

"Sabrina, I-"

"Shut up." 

Asher's face changed to one of hurt and concern." Look, I-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!" Sabrina's voice made everything in the room go flying, cups smashed and tables flipped over, the glass wall also shattered into thousands of tiny pieces as Sabrina's powers wrecked the entire room.

Asher himself was knocked off his feet and onto the floor, but Sabrina didn't care as she began to cry, and scream, and yell her heart out.

"I trusted you, you conniving fool! I travelled with you, I trained with you, I loved you! You said you'd never abandon me, that you'd never leave me, that we'd never need to apart! Were those just words to you! Did mean so little to you that you'd leave me like this, did I ever mean anything to you?!!" With each word she spoke, Asher seemed to get closer to crying, but he never did let that dam break.

"Of course you did, but-"

"I told you to SHUT UP!!! If you really cared about me, then you would want me there with you! You would want to be with me!" Sabrina's anger momentarily faded as tears rolled down her cheeks, she put her hands up to cup her face as she hiccupped into her hands, each one of her hiccups made Asher wince." But, you don't- you never did- did you. You- you were never any different from them. You just threw me away whenever it suited you, we were never really friends. I trusted you, and you just spat it back in my face."

Asher, his eyes glossy, managed to find his voice." No- no that's not-"

"Then what was I to you?" Her words came out dark, and several people watching flinched away, but Asher just looked hopelessly one the floor struggling to find his words, but honestly, nothing he said would have made a difference at that point.

Sabrina was going through a whirlwind of emotions, and she felt the sting of betrayal cut deep. She felt so embarrassed for believing in him, for thinking that anyone would accept her like she was, that maybe there was hope she could be a normal girl and love like a normal girl would.

But, no. She was foolish for even trying.

Without another word, Sabrina felt the glowing sensation of her powers wrap around her, and she teleported away from the place she'd ruined, leaving Asher alone in the cafe, with the watchful eyes of strangers on him as he barely stopped himself from devolving into a sobbing mess.

Asher got up from the floor, dusting himself off half-heartedly, and looked up to find the judgemental gazes of several locals right on him.

He snarled as he yelled out with frustration." Yeah, yeah, the shows over assholes! Send me a bill for the damage, I can afford it."

Yet, instead of looking annoyed, they all just looked at him with pity and sadness in their eyes, which only served to make Asher hide his tears as he walked out of the destroyed café.

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My journey had no real purpose up to this point. I think that, not out of depression or pessimism, but merely as a fact. I entered this world and just aimed to become strong. That was all. I had no greater purpose or aims, no special motivations. I was swept up by the excitement of being in such a wonderful world, and, in my arrogance, I ended up thinking that I was invincible. My entire journey had just been one big quest to inflate my own ego.

The plan I came up with was one where I said that I'd just be stalling Giovanni, but, somewhere deep inside my head, I actually thought that I could have beaten him. After the Conference, after I spent so long dominating every battle I ever fought, I ended up thinking that I was stronger than I actually was.

In short, I overestimated myself. Giovanni, that bastard, curb stomped me. He picked off all my pokemon one by one like he was stomping on a few bugs.

I needed to grow stronger, and I needed to make that bastard pay. I needed to become more powerful than him.

So, I've decided to make a decision.

"Asher Blight, why do you want to become the Gym Leader of the Viridian Gym?" A middle aged woman who was sitting in the middle of a group of five people spoke, staring at me with both expectation and intensity, as I was questioned on my intentions in taking up such a position.

I've contemplated becoming Viridian's Gym Leader for a long time, before even the Conference, yet I never really took the idea seriously. I would be chained down to just on place, and I had ambitions and goals that couldn't have become reality if I chose a job like that. With my metaknowledge I knew where an abundance of rare and powerful pokemon were, I could have become rich and famous, I could have done so much.

But, ultimately, that was all just some cheap dream of mine. The greedy thoughts of a child who didn't want anything more than to just indulge himself like a gluttonous swine.

I would be different.

I looked at the floor, my lips pursed as I voiced my own thoughts." Lets see, why do I want to be a Gym Leader? Well, the old me wouldn't have wanted that, he was too much of a child to want to be chained down to one place. Plus, the responsibility would have been too much for him."

The woman snorted slightly, along with the others around her." And you aren't? Though you are technically an adult the moment you get your trainer's licence, you're still only fourteen, regardless of how mature or powerful, you are a child, Mr Blight. So, I'll ask again why do you think we should give you a position like being a Gym Leader?"

I answered without hesitation." Because, I have something to prove, miss. Viridian City is a mess, and I know exactly what a person would need to do to clean it up. I'm inexperienced, I'm naïve, arrogant, and I'm short-sighted. But, I'm also tenacious, a hard-worker, and if you let me become the next Gym Leader you won't regret it, because I will work longer and harder, I will learn faster than anyone else, and you won't find another person more willing to take that responsibility than me."

The woman raised an eyebrow, and asked after a few moments of consideration." You said you've got something to prove. What do you want to prove, and to who?"

I looked down for a moment, and let out a deep sigh, before raising my head and, looking her right in the eyes, I told her what I was aiming for.

"I need to prove to myself that I deserve to succeed."

After just a second, the woman gained a contemplated look in her eyes as she backed away and wrote something on her board.

"Why do you want to succeed, Mr Blight?" She questioned further, only briefly looking up from her board to meet my eyes as the other examiners gauged my reaction.

"Because, I have something I need to do. I need to be strong to do that, and not just my pokemon, I need to take on that responsibility. I can only hope that me doing this will help me be better."

She kept a neutral look as she once again wrote something down on her board, then she looked up and spoke." You're plenty strong Mr Blight, we all saw the Conference, and your showing definitely meets the minimum strength requirement to become a Gym Leader. You are likely the strongest candidate we have on this list. But, being a Gym Leader means more than just being a good trainer. You'll be responsible for the entirety of Viridian City, and you'll be given authority equal to, and in some cases above, that of your towns mayor. You'll hardly ever have time off from your job, and you may be targeted should you take the position. So, I'll ask again. Are you sure you want this job?"

 "Yes." I answered without hesitation. This was something that I needed to do, I just knew it deep inside of me..

The woman looked down at the board for a moment, then at the other members who nodded their heads, then she stood up." Thank you for giving us your time, Asher Blight. You may take your leave now."

Without another word, I nodded and walked away, just hoping for the best as I felt something lift itself off my chest.