Incarnated Whisp

Chapter 158

Author Note:

If you missed it, there is a poll going on for the next fiction! You can find it here!

Also, I might have gone a bit overboard with this chapter. It’s quite long, so forgive me if anything is slightly off.

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Sixteen rows of sixteen. Over two hundred trainers lined up in a grid. The audience’s roars were deafening, and each and every one of those shouts came out solely to celebrate them.

The sky was open, allowing the light of the night’s stars to shine through, and a massive, empty brazier sat unlit at the top of the arena’s edge.

When its fires blazed, the Conference would begin.

But on the ground, a small, constructed stage elevated a handful of people above those rows of competing trainers. At the stage’s front, a podium served as the speaker’s stand, and Sam could already see several very important people he recognized—the head referee, the head nurse, a handful of Ace Trainers in charge of protecting both the Conference grounds and Silver Town, and then there was also Indigo’s Champion himself.

However, as the shouts of the crowd slowly began to quiet, it was not the Champion who approached the podium. Rather, an old man so short that Sam had failed to notice him walked up a stepstool to reach the microphone. He was dressed exactly like a teacher trying to be “hip” with the kids, complete with baggy shorts and a backwards hat, yet the cheers that erupted at his presence all seemed genuine.

A soft smile crossed the old man’s face. Half of him was hidden behind a long, white beard.

“So many trainers have made it to the Conference this year. The competition has never been this intense before!”

Roars. The small man let out a hearty laugh, and the speakers let that sound echo throughout the arena.

Sam finally recognized who the old man was.

Every region had a Champion in charge of all things related to Pokémon, but the Pokémon League itself also needed someone who helped with the other side of management. As important as the Champion was, they were only part of that show. The Pokémon League President handled all unrelated matters.

Charles Goodshow was that President. He was in charge of the day-to-day operations of all of the League’s staff in Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh.

“I’ve seen quite a number of impressive battles. I’ve heard quite a number of curious things,” President Goodshow said, stroking his beard. “Over two hundred trainers in one competition? That’s a new record. Well, if you don’t count the five-hundred-person tournament that happened two decades ago.”

He laughed. If the man wasn’t so thin, Sam would have been reminded of Santa Claus. The laughter that came from the crowd was a bit more awkward, and when Goodshow finally quieted down, he stared out at the rows and rows of trainers, and it felt as though he managed to make eye contact with every person here.

“The Conference is a tradition spanning back hundreds of years,” he said. “Trainers from every era have always competed to determine the best of the best. You all continue that tradition, standing here today. Your achievements and accomplishments have brought you here. And now, we will find out who stands at the top.

“But it is not a trainer alone who fights in these matches,” Goodshow continued. “It is not a trainer alone who manages to reach the Conference. You have your teams! Your Pokémon! Your friends and family and everyone you’ve met along the way! This is a competition, but it is also a celebration! Be proud of yourselves! All of you! Because you have finally made it here, today of all days!”

Another loud cheer erupted. Within the rows of trainers, people stood taller than ever before.

They had earned their eight badges and made their way into this tournament. Out of the thousands upon thousands of trainers that attempt the Gym Challenge each year, only they had been the ones worthy of making it to the end.

“Now then. I could go on and on about all these little things, and I know Lance wants to make an announcement too, but I think we’ll skip that.” He chucked. “Instead, I’ll just say this: we’ve held you back for long enough! After a long preliminary, take the night to rest! Learn about your opponents! Meet them! Discover who you’re about to face! Make your plans, create your strategies, but more than anything else... Just! Have! Fun!”

He laughed once again, and a small light in the stands behind him caught Sam’s attention. A woman in a runner’s outfit charged up the steps of the arena. In one hand, she held a flaming torch that seemed to be tinged with green.

President Goodshow went quiet to watch her approach that brazier, and a pair of Ace Trainers at the top of the steps moved to the side to give her room to throw the torch in.

“I get the honor of saying this every year, and now I get to say it again,” the old man said quietly as the torch sailed through the air. “With the burning of Ho-Oh’s flames, let the Silver Conference... BEGIN!”

The brazier at the top of the arena erupted, and the fire that blazed within seemed to give off all forms of light. In Kanto’s Conference, the flames were of Moltres, a Legendary Pokémon, with the fire having been collected long ago in the past and said to have never stopped burning.

But in Johto, these flames were of Ho-Oh, a Legendary Pokémon said to command rebirth and life itself. Where myths about Moltres’s flames claimed they had granted humans ingenuity, myths about Ho-Oh’s flames claimed they had granted the first human life.

The light that came from the flames was a mixture of all colors, a rainbow tinted by every hue at once. Yet, that beautiful collage only lasted a second, and the initial burn died back down to a more general mix of reds and oranges.

The brazier would remain lit for the entire Conference, and the flames would be collected again at its end to be used next year.

Just like how Ho-Oh’s fire burned in that brazier, the spirit of the Conference and the will to fight would burn in every competing trainer’s heart.

“Now then. The boring stuff. Pay attention, hm?” Charles Goodshow said.

Those words were just for the rows of trainers, and Champion Lance shot the old man a sharp look before stepping off stage with him to exchange furiously whispered words. In the back, the head nurse left with the handful of Ace Trainers to have a quiet discussion, but the head referee stayed behind. The balding man moved up to the microphone to speak about the tournament to the trainers and everyone else still listening in.

“Welcome. Charles’s speeches are always quite enthusiastic. He tends to keep things... short.” The referee cleared his throat. “But we need to cover the important part, now. Listen closely. I am going to explain exactly how this year’s Silver Conference will work.”

Every trainer’s eyes were on him.

“With two hundred fifty-six competitors, we will go through eight rounds of battles to establish this year’s Conference champion. Unlike usual, we’ll be sticking to the basics, following a classic bracket format with no twists or alternate rounds,” he explained. “The only exception to this will happen in the final here. There, the two defeated trainers from the semifinals will have a match to establish third place, and then, only then, will we have our final battle to determine this year’s champion.”

“But that only concerns four of you,” the referee continued as he took in everyone here. “We only have a single week to get through those eight rounds, and due to the... expanded number of competitors this year, expect the schedule to be compressed.”

He scrunched up his nose.

The basic intention for Conference matches was that each battle should involve a full team in a true six-on-six match. However, due to the sheer number of competitors and the size of the tournament, the time that would require would make that unfeasible, so they were putting limits on the early rounds.

Initially, trainers would only be allowed to fight with three Pokémon teams, much like the preliminaries. However, with each round that progressed, one more Pokémon would be allowed, eventually settling at the desired full, six-team matches in the fourth round.

In most cases, the rounds would give trainers one battle each day, and that would hold true for the entire tournament. Yet, with eight rounds required over seven days, one of the days needed to see two rounds take place.

And the tournament had gone with the insane decision to make that day the first.

“On the first day alone, one hundred and ninety-two battles will take place,” the referee said, a sour note to his voice. “Half of you will fight two battles that day. Three-quarters of you will end up eliminated.

“My hope is that you enter those battles prepared. For most of you, those will be the only battles you see, so give them your all. Don’t make the foolish mistake of holding back while preparing for the later rounds. That will only cause regret, and there are enough reasons to cause regret elsewhere in your life.

“I suppose I’m meant to comment on Lance’s announcement here, but...” He sighed, wiping his forehead. “If Charles wanted to push past that, then I will too. The only thing I’ll do is to emphasize that you must give it your all. Don’t even think about holding back. And keep in mind that there is more than just this tournament going on.”

He looked around.

“Stay out of trouble, and win your matches. We start tomorrow morning and will be using every arena. Try your hardest, and good luck. But remember, the League will be watching.”

The rest of what he spoke about was far less serious, mostly just going over how opponents would be assigned. Battles would be randomized, mostly. Trainers had been ranked by approximate power, and rather than a true randomization across the entire tournament, trainers had a range from which they could draw their opponents.

Hearing that, Sam frowned.

And since I’m at the end, I won’t be fighting anyone that strong. Or even anyone I know. Redi and Xavier are too far above me. I probably won’t be facing anyone ranked above half.

“As one last note, you will not know who you are fighting until after the previous round is over,” the referee said. “You only need to worry about your upcoming fight. The next round’s opponents will only be announced after everyone else has already gone.”

The overall intention with the pseudo-random matches was to keep the “fairness” of randomization while also ensuring there was never too much of a difference in strength. There was the slight implication that “weaker” trainers would get further in than they otherwise would, but by the third or fourth round, the number of competitors would be so far reduced that trainers would be up to fight anyone who was still in their round.

After that, a few final rules were shared, mostly just a handful of warnings and notes on certain regulations. The head referee then looked around at everyone for the last time, nodded his head once, and wished them luck.

This part of the opening ceremony ended just like that.

Voices began to spread throughout the arena as everyone discussed their hopes for the upcoming tournament. They came from both the crowd and the trainers below.

Also, a band and a variety of performers started to move onto the arena floor. After all, the League wanted the opening ceremony to be more exciting than just a few talks.

But as the trainers began to leave that lower floor to give the performers room, Sam sent a final look over his shoulder up to Ho-Oh’s flames.

This was the Conference. He and his team had made it, but he had to remember that moving on would not be easy. Just tomorrow alone would be packed. He wouldn’t just have two trainers to face, but it was also the full moon. That meant watching one of Redi’s evolution attempts. And then, added to that, Cassandra was hosting an event.

He wasn’t sure if he’d go.

Still, his battles tomorrow would be a true test of his team’s strength, but Sam didn’t feel nervous. He was looking forward to it.

Turning back around to continue to leave the arena, his heart beat in his chest.

After spending so long in training, he knew his team would win.

He had made sure of it.

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All of the match-ups were made known in the Pokémon Center that night. The screens above the nurses’ counter rotated through pairs of opponents alongside the usual check-up information. Since it took a while for the display to rotate through all of the competitors, trainers could also go up to the counter to request information on their next opponent’s identity, or they could read them on the nearby bulletin board, but that board was so crowded Sam chose to sit back and wait for his name to appear on that screen.

Redi joined him. They stood in silence and stared out into the room, watching the other potential competitors. Sam didn’t miss the way several trainers stared back. Though he had personally been placed “last,” people hadn’t exactly paid much attention to other trainers’ rankings. To them, he was still the trainer who had one the very first preliminary match with a single Pokémon.

For that reason, Sam was a threat.

When Redi learned of her opponent, she wished Sam luck and then did the surprising move of running up to her room for research.

When Sam learned of his opponent, he found that they were... someone. He had no idea who they were.

Yes, his opponent was an experienced trainer, but they weren’t anyone Sam had encountered before. All he knew was that they must have a strong team to get here. And when he went up to his room as well to research them, he knew that must have been true. After all, as he knew from Typhlosion, Starter Pokémon were powerful.

And his opponent, Rolando, had three of them.

Alongside a Rapidash, Starmie, and Victreebel, Rolando was listed to have an Ivysaur, Wartortle, and Charmeleon. Sam was able to find Rolando’s team and recordings of his past battles thanks to an entry on the League’s archival website.

Just from a first glance, Sam could tell Rolando always preferred to use a Fire-Grass-Water core. And from the recordings, Sam could tell Rolando often relied on that for coverage to win his fights, using the advantage of super-effective moves to pressure his opponents until they fell.

It was a simple strategy, but it was an effective one. Though Rolando had never won any of the three tournaments he participated in, he had managed to reach the semi-finals twice.

“I don’t know if he’s going to use any of his Starter Pokémon, or if he’s going to go with his non-Starter core,” Sam mumbled, “but we should expect an even spread of Types. In all of his battle recordings, he never doubled up.”

All of Sam’s Ghost Types crowded the Pokémon Center bedroom behind him, and the only source of light was the tiny monitor screen set on top of a small, wooden desk. Everyone pushed each other to try to peer out from behind Sam’s head, but they settled down once Gengar and Mismagius reminded the Gastly and Haunter that they could save room by merging with the shadows.

“Rolando. Our first opponent. We’re looking him up, and he’ll be looking us up, which means what he’ll see is...” Sam hummed. “He’ll be aware of all of you except for Trevenant and Drakloak. Except he’ll think I have a Primeape and a pure Fire Type Typhlosion. He knows I’ll have a tricky team. A Ghost Type-leaning team. But he doesn’t know we’re a pure Ghost Type one.

“He’ll probably think Gengar is the biggest threat, but he’ll also know I have Typhlosion in my back pocket. Except Typhloson wouldn’t be that great against two-thirds of his team, so I wouldn’t want to use her, so then he would know that as well.”

Gengar started to laugh; Sam’s reasoning was getting ridiculous. Not only was he trying to anticipate his opponent’s choices, he was also trying to anticipate how his opponent would anticipate his own choices.

There was a give and take here, and Sam knew he’d be liable to go insane if he tried to predict every possible outcome. However, this was exactly why having a core strategy was good: it gave him a specific yet reliable plan to fall back on.

“We have two battles to win tomorrow, but we’ll focus on the first for now. As much as the referee said to give it our all, we also have to strike a balance between a few things. Conserving stamina, strategy, and energy. How much we want to reveal, how much we want to use. We usually play slowly, but if we can make the battle fast...”

Sam paused.

“Actually, what if we just sweep?”

Outright trying to set up a sweep wasn't exactly a strategy that would usually work, but this was probably the only round it’d be viable. Teams were small. Trainers hadn’t revealed much. As much as specifics about Rolando’s team were unknown, the same was true for Sam’s.

The plan was kind of obvious, but he could do it.

The more Sam thought about it, the more he realized he liked it.

As he turned around to check with his Pokémon, Mismagius started to giggle, and his two physical attackers rotated their arms in preparation.

“Alright. Then we have a strategy. I’m actually kind of surprised. That was fast.”

It was late, and as much as he wanted to spend more time working out the details, with potentially two matches coming up in one day, he and his team needed the rest.

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“...Three Pokémon each, with four switches allowed,” the referee said at the side of the field. “Trainers, send out your Pokémon!”

Sam nodded as he held back his slight laughter at the field before him. For these early rounds, trainers would fight on one of four themed battlefields—rock, grass, ice, or water—with this outcome being random.

For his battle, the field failed to benefit either trainer. The ground was covered with a thin layer of ice, and the field was interspersed with a handful of frost-covered boulders.

This kind of terrain would harshly impact most forms of movement, but Sam wasn’t worried.

Most of his Pokémon could float.

But to Sam’s surprise, Rolando sent out the Pokémon he least expected to see here: a Rapidash. The horse’s hooves should have caused it to slip on the icy floor, but the flames on the Pokémon’s ankles heated its legs, and its feet neatly seared through and melted the ice to give it solid ground to run on.

Its hooves were getting a bit wet, but otherwise, Rapidash’s Fire Type was letting it ignore the frozen state of the field.

“Interesting,” Sam mumbled, but Rolando’s Pokémon didn’t change his choice.

“Mismagius!” he shouted.

In a flash, Mismagius appeared on the field. Sam could tell she wanted a creepy entrance but had no shadows to rise out of, so she brought her arms out to let darkness pulse out from behind her with a cry.

“Remember our plan, and make this fast. You’ll have the chance to rest afterwards, so give it your all and let everyone else handle our next match.”

Mismagius’s eyes were shrouded by the darkness of her hat, but she sent a look back toward Sam that let him see her utter confidence on display. Across from them, Rolando was giving his own Pokémon words of advice, and his Rapidash was trotting in place to demonstrate to him that its hooves could indeed sear right through the ice on the field.

The referee waited for a moment to make sure both trainers were ready. With one last check, he then blew his whistle.

The only shout that mattered pierced through the air.

“Begin!”

“Shadow Sneak, Mismagius! To the rocks!”

“Rapdiash, come back!”

When the horse disappeared from the field, Sam blinked in surprise.

He hadn’t expected a switch so early.

They were not facing an inexperienced trainer. Rolando had compared Mismagius’s potential to his Rapidash’s and judged the match-up was not in his favor. For everything his Rapidash could do on the field, another of his Pokémon was better.

“Venusaur,” Rolando named, and the ice cracked under the weight of the Pokémon that appeared.

Ah. So it evolved.

...And he’s mixing his team, too.

If a fully-evolved Starter Pokémon was appearing now of all times, Sam could tell Rolando had taken the head judge’s words to heart. He was not going to hold back.

“Continue,” the referee said.

“Nasty Plot. Stay hidden and observe. Don’t let it get to you.”

“Sleep Powder! Everywhere! Cover the field!”

Mismagius lingered behind one of those boulders, using the large rock to hide her and let her build up her Nasty Plot. Her yellow eyes almost seemed to pierce into the Venusaur, but the Venusaur just shook, unconcerned with its seemingly absent opponent, and the large flower on its back sent pollen up and out over the entire field.

So he prepared for us. Even if Mismagius stayed in a shadow, that’s avoidance and not protection. She’ll fall asleep if the pollen touches her darkness.

Hiding won’t work. All we’d do is open ourselves up to easy attacks.

We need to go on the offensive, but first, we need to make sure we don’t get hit by that powder.

“Night Shade,” Sam said.

A sphere of darkness burst into existence around one of those icy boulders, and Mismagius’s control over Ghost Type energy let her push away any Sleep Powder that drifted near here.

“There!” Rolando shouted, his eyes locking onto the darkness the moment it appeared. “Vine Whip! Grab it!”

Though Mismagius had avoided the Sleep Powder, Venusaur now knew where she was.

Vines whipping out from its body, branch-thick tendrils smashed straight through to stone to swipe into Mismagius’s darkness. Venusaur could not see her, but it could feel her, and the shock of her hiding place being destroyed meant she wasn’t in a position to avoid this move.

Rather than smash through her like that stone, the vines wrapped around her body, and she was yanked right toward the Venusaur. It hadn’t even moved a single step.

“Now! Razor Leaf!” Rolando yelled as Mismagius hurtled toward her opponent.

He wanted to end this battle quickly, same as Sam. A fast fight would prevent Sam from setting up or even using that many status moves.

...Which meant Sam needed to take a risk if he wanted Mismagius to escape.

“Shadow Sneak! Get back!” came his shout.

They already knew Shadow Sneak did not let her phase through moves, but that self-inflicted damage was less than the damage of that Razor Leaf. Before the spinning, leaf blades could slice right through her, Mismagius grimaced and shifted back. She turned into something akin to a darkened gas, taking damage as the Vine Whip pulled through her and the Razor Leafs hit a spot she was never dragged into.

Where the vines passed through her body, her purple flesh took on a nasty, discolored grey.

“And Pain Split!” Sam continued, not even giving up a single moment to his opponent.

“Synthesis! Vine Whip! Razor Leaf again!”

Mismagius held out her arms, channeling her injury into her Pain Split to share the damage she took. The Venusaur groaned in pain, she recovered a bit of her vitality, and the leaves on the Grass Type’s body glowed to let it undo the drain it had just taken.

Its Vine Whip missed her, but Venusaur wasn’t aiming at Mismagius. Forgotten by the previous exchange, the Sleep Powder from before was knocked back up into the air from where it had settled on the ground, and Sam could barely return her in time before she was put to sleep.

“...and Samuel recalls his Mismagius! What an exciting battle! Already, a fourth Pokémon is being forced out!” a cry echoed from the speakers set throughout the arena.

Oh yeah. I forgot they had announcers here.

Sam had been so focused on his battle that he had forgotten everything else existed.

Across from him, Rolando smiled.

The current state of the field was totally against Sam’s favor. Venusaur’s Synthesis meant it had all but recovered from the damage of Pain Split, and its Sleep Powder meant there were traps all over the field. A single Vine Whip would either hit and deal damage, or it would puff the powder into the air and send Sam’s Pokémon to sleep.

There was also the fact that Venusaur was a tanky Pokémon. It would take several moves to faint. Combined with the recovery granted by Synthesis meant Sam would need a strong Pokémon to faint it.

But the threat of Vine Whip and Sleep Powder meant anything he sent out would have trouble approaching in the first place.

Rolando’s trying to counter anything I do. My team works best when we have mobility, but he’s trying to completely prevent that.

I suppose I could send out Typhlosion here, but do I really want to use her in the first round? Even then, she’s the obvious choice. Why wouldn’t I use a Fire Type against a Grass Type?

So much for sweeping.

The only good thing was that Sam had learned to not underestimate his opponent without taking a loss. If Mismagius had fainted, he would be worse off, but he now knew that Rolando would be as tough as anyone else with just the previous exchange.

And this was only the first round.

Faced with limited options, Sam spent a while considering it until the referee called out to him for taking so long. Rolando had already revealed two of the three Pokémon he would use in this match, and though Sam’s choice wasn’t the perfect counter due to the Type disadvantage, he at least saw an opportunity to make use of the team members Rolando had chosen.

“Trevenant!”

Trevenant did not have many ways to deal damage to another Grass Type, but he would at least be immune to most powder-based moves.

And, if I’m right, his presence should bait out—

“Venusaur, return!” Rolando called out.

Sam fought to keep his face even.

He actually took the bait.

As expected, Rolando sent out his Rapidash, intending to win this fight with his usual strategy: coverage moves. Trevenant’s Grass Type made the Fire Type an obvious counter, and Rolando looked confident that he could take out a relatively immobile tree.

Just like it had demonstrated at the start of the battle, the Rapidash’s hooves sank into the icy floor, and Trevenant did something similar to let his roots stab into the earth. Between the two of them, he was more uncomfortable with the chill, and he also seemed to be less mobile in a fight.

“Continue,” the referee said.

Rapidash took off running immediately, lowering its head while its body became coated in flames.

“Flare Blitz!”

An uncommon move.

He must have trained hard to have his Rapidash learn that.

The fire that wrapped around the Rapidash’s body meant most of Trevenant’s moves wouldn’t work. No Forest’s Curse, and no Leech Seed. The second it impacted, it would deal super-effective damage to boot.

That just meant Sam would need to make sure Trevenant went unhit.

“Phantom Force,” Sam said.

And Trevenant took a single step back to completely disappear.

Off to the side, the referee held up a whistle in preparation, frowning at the sight.

It hit Sam then that Phantom Force was much like Hex; a move almost unknown in Johto. From the referee’s perspective, Trevenant had just disappeared from the field. He wasn’t aware of exactly what Trevenant was about to do, but he was ready to call a penalty if it lasted too long.

Let’s make this quick.

As Rapidash charged right through where Trevenant had just been, it left a trail of watery hoofsteps behind it. Right where it started, Trevenant reappeared, and he was far enough away to give himself a chance to use a new move.

“Growth,” Sam said.

Rolando frowned.

“Flamethrower. If they want you to stay at range, then stay at range.”

Trevenant was hit, but he crunched down on a berry. The Sitrus berry’s juices healed him, and he disappeared once more to reappear behind one of the boulders, much like Mismagius before him.

“Flare Blitz. Through the rocks.”

As it stood, the cover protected Trevenant and gave him time for more uses of Growth.

Still, rather than directly attack him, Rolando’s Rapidash began charging through the field. With ease, its Flare Blitz saw each and every stone shatter from the force of its attack. It was taking recoil damage, but every removed boulder was one less place Sam’s Pokémon could hide.

Clearly, Rolando expected his Rapidash to handle Trevenant, but he was taking a risk. He was giving Trevenant the chance to repeatedly store energy with Growth, but at the same time, Growth only increased offenses. Not defense.

...And a single Flamethrower had already forced him to eat his Sitrus Berry. In a way, Rolando’s strategy wasn’t even wrong.

Just Misguided.

“Phantom Force,” Sam ordered.

As the very last stone shattered from the Flare Blitz, Trevenant disappeared, and Rapidash slowed to a halt, huffing and puffing from the self-inflicted damage it just took. The heat of its flames meant the field lacked massive patches of ice, turning most of it into a muddy brown. The stones, too, were just fragments. The battlefield was almost back to its normal state, it was now maybe just a bit cold.

But Trevenant had been building up, and as he reappeared, his sole red eye lingered on his opponent. It glowed brighter than ever before.

“One last move, Rapidash,” Rolando said. “We’ve set the field to win. So take it out with Fire Blast!”

Much stronger than Flamethrower, this move was a legitimate threat, and its burst would see much of the field be covered with heat.

Sam remained quiet. Trevenant had a counter.

After all, Trevenant’s entire strategy was about defense. If Typhlosion could use Detect, why couldn’t he take inspiration from that and figure out Protect?

Dipping into his stored energy, Trevenant brought up his arms and infused himself with it, the flames passing over him harmlessly. Sam didn’t need to say anything before he suddenly fell through the floor, and he practically hopped out of the ground behind Rapidash.

It neighed in fright.

Still, this was a strong Pokémon, and it wasn’t one to pull back from an opponent’s moves. It jabbed its horn right into Trevenant’s chest.

He took it.

And then his arms wrapped around its neck. He threw himself over its lowered head, and his roots jabbed into its back.

“No! Flare Blitz, quickly!”

Trevenant was burning. So was the Rapidash. Sam could see the glaze that seemed to come over his eyes.

This was stirring up the bad kinds of memories.

But Trevenant was not the same Pokémon he was back then. He’d been traveling with Sam, and he was on a team filled with friends.

His bark tore open for him to let out a horrible wail—a war cry. Roots and claws jabbing into Rapidash’s body, and though the move he used was resisted, it was boosted many times over from the energy he’d built with Growth.

Rapidash ran, burned itself, and tried to get Trevenant off, but it couldn’t. Rolando couldn’t exactly return his Pokémon either with Trevenant on the Rapidash’s back. No matter how much it ran back and forth, it could not get him to fall, and his Horn Leech continued to drain it.

Eventually, its eyes rolled up, and it slid across the floor.

Funnily enough, the now-muddy field actually helped Trevenant, as Rapidash’s collapse sent him falling, and the mud put out his burn. Yet, despite all of that, he was burned yet healthy.

He picked himself up, dripping with mud, and his eye still pierced through the shadows that now covered him.

“Ch-Charmeleon,” Rolando said.

There was something about the fear in his voice that made Sam smile.

As a Pokémon so close to a Dragon, the Charmeleon did not back down from a threat, and it charged Trevenant with its claws glowing.

Rolando did not stop it.

Trevenant’s claw, wreathed in shadow, snapped out to grab its throat, and he threw it to the ground and drained it until it fainted.

“Venusaur,” Rolando said next.

His heavy, defensive Pokémon appeared on the field.

Trevenant was still healthy.

When the Vine Whip was called, Trevenant was already gone, and the Venusaur let out a horrible roar when Trevenant burst out of the shadow underneath it.

Being struck in its vulnerable stomach, Trevenant’s Phantom Force landed critically. The Venusaur coughed once before falling flat, eyes closing, and Trevenant dragged himself out from underneath.

That was that.

“I have never seen such an impressive turnaround in such an early match! Just like his bout in the preliminaries, Samuel Greyson sweeps through his opponent’s team! The battle is over!”

The referee called the match in Sam’s favor, of course, and Rolando seemed slightly stunned before returning his Venusaur. He had earned all eight Gym Badges only to be crushed just like that.

Sam had established himself as a threat in his first battle, and now that was proven to not be a fluke here.

“Good battle,” Sam said.

“Good battle,” Rolando said, shaking Sam’s hand at the side to avoid the field’s mud. “You didn’t even get to experience my trick.”

“The Sleep Powder?”

“No. The Pokémon I used. I normally go with Grass-Water-Fire for a reason, but this time I went with Grass-Fire-Fire. I thought that was clever enough to catch you off-guard, and with that much light from the fire...” He let out a sigh. “It didn’t exactly work.”

Sam left the field after thanking Rolando for a good battle, and they both waved to the audience before disappearing in the tunnels below.

With this, Rolando was eliminated, and Sam was moving on to the next round later today.

...Except, he might have just revealed most of what Trevenant could do and just how aggressive he was now running his team. As much as it wasn’t a true reflection of his strategy, he had won, and future opponents would be more prepared.

Oops?

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Author Note:

I enjoy sweeps, but this is basically the last time Sam will be able to pull one off.

I’ll be using Victory Road trainers for Sam’s “random” battles, but Generation II lacks any trainers on Victory Road outside of the player’s rival. I’ll mostly be looking at the Kanto games’ trainers, specifically Fire Red and Leaf Green, as trainers are nameless in Gen I.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Charmeleon
Ivysaur / Venusaur
Rapidash
Starmie
Victreebel
Wartortle

Charles Goodshow

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Chapter 157

Author Note:

I'm getting this chapter out a bit early today so I can focus on the poll soon to go up! Once the poll is out on Royal Road, I’ll be making a post that includes its link.

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The preliminaries were scheduled to take place over the weekend, lasting two days and culminating with the Conference’s opening ceremony on the night of the second. The actual tournament for the Conference itself would take place over the coming week, serving as a series of battles that would push each proceeding competitor daily.

At least that was what Sam assumed it would be.

There was a bit of a mystery about how the Conference would be set up this year, as its exact schedule was yet to be announced. The only thing that had been hinted at was the number of competitors moving on, a massive two hundred fifty-six, a sum significantly greater than the Silver Conference’s usual forty-eight.

Given that there were “only” four hundred trainers registered for the Conference itself, a trainer had roughly even odds to make it in—and that was ignoring everything else. Since Sam had won, he felt good about his chances, and since Redi won her match as well, both were confident they would be in the first round.

Both of their battles had been one-sided enough to be impressive, though Redi’s victory was slightly less “clean” than Sam’s. Just like how Gengar had swept through his opponents, Redi’s Porygon had done the same. It turned out that people had few ways to deal with a Porygon sitting in the air with Magnet Rise. The strategies they did have tended to fail to get past Porygon’s Charge Beam, and then, scarily enough, Porygon had used a boosted Hyper Beam to outright eliminate its final opponent in one move at the very end.

Yet there was more to this tournament than just their battles, and as much as Sam celebrated with Redi after their victories, there was still the rest of the tournament, too. His mom sat with him for a little while, and then she headed out to see what else Silver Town had to offer. She made a promise she would support him in his upcoming matches, but she had only just arrived here yesterday.

So Sam sat, watched, and wrote down his observations in a newly purchased journal that had the logo of the Silver Conference on its front cover. He took in every match that occurred during the preliminaries, and most importantly, he learned.

Familiar trainers were here. Sam caught sight of Xavier. Eliza. That one Gible trainer from Blackthorn, Terry. The Dark Type trainer from both the Beginners’ Tournament and the Violet City Tournament, Victor. And, to Sam’s surprise, Preston made it. Though Preston’s plans to catch a Dragon Type had fallen through, he had pushed past his loss of Dreepy to earn himself his final two Gym badges.

Good for him.

Despite this only being the preliminaries, already, the quality demonstrated by the trainers here was intense. The Silver Conference wanted over two hundred powerful trainers, and it was clear that it would get over two hundred powerful trainers.

Just with the people he recognized, Sam watched Xavier’s Donphan use its armored, wheel-like body to crush every opponent sent its way, and a purposeful switch into Xavier’s Poliwrath saw their final opponent fall in seconds. Meanwhile, Eliza took a different approach, using her Steelix and Lapras’s wide-ranging moves to effectively take control of the entire field at once. Even trainers who had to struggle to get through their matches did so with their all. Terry’s team might not have dominated, but the ferocity of his Gabite saw it never give up, and it proved to be a powerful companion to the fierce physical attackers of his Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan.

And then there were the outliers. The people who... probably shouldn’t have been here.

Sam could immediately identify those trainers every time they walked up to the field. They were either far too nervous or far too cocky in the wrong way, and each and every one of them tended to wear a Trainer School’s uniform.

People who graduated from a Trainer School and passed an elite-level test were given the right to compete in that year’s Conference. They didn’t need the experience of earning all eight badges, but they needed an intense amount of knowledge. Sometimes, those graduates were truly dominant in their field, with Hoenn’s Roxanne being a prime example of that. But even though graduating from trainer school and passing that test was only done by the very best of the best, the vast, vast majority of graduates just didn’t have the battle experience.

These were trainers who could state just about everything known about Pokémon, but their studies often saw them fail to put in the appropriate amount of needed time to train their teams.

Though all of them were essentially summarily crushed, it wasn’t like those trainers walked away from the field disappointed. They lost in the preliminaries and were unlikely to move on, but they had still made it to the preliminaries. They had their knowledge and skills, and these were the people who served as the backbone of society. They would go on to serve as major League analysts, Gym staff, and other Pokémon workers.

Still, that group was only a small subset of the total potential competitors here, and the day went on, the matches progressed, and Sam recorded notes on everything he could. He supposed he could have joined his mother and Redi as they explored the Conference’s festivities, or he could have returned to his Pokémon Center room. Every room in the Pokémon Center had its own computer to view videos uploaded to the League’s archives. Every preliminary match was put online within minutes, giving trainers a chance to see the battles over and over again.

Sam purposefully stayed since he preferred to watch these matches in person. He sat high up enough in the stands so that shadows from the wall surrounded him, and his Pokémon would phase in behind him to whisper their observations and point at challengers that stood out.

Hours passed. His mother came and went, and so did Redi. Eventually, the first day of the preliminaries ended, and Sam went for a late-night walk on his own. His friends and family had already retired for the night.

With so many people attempting to compete, it was late, and the streets were lit up by streetlights. Most of the vendors’ stalls had closed up, and the Conference’s upbeat music was absent. A few people milled about, a handful of trainers explored, and a constant presence of Ace Trainers patrolled the place, making sure no one would get up to trouble.

This late-night walk was a curious thing to experience, because even with such a boisterous festival going on, Sam still caught sight of Pokémon out and about. Rattata and Raticate would stalk the streets, ever present, and the occasional Meowth watched Sam with eyes shining in the darkness, keeping an eye on him before moving on to whatever mischievousness they had planned.

Genuinely, after so long in the Ilex Forest, it was nice to be back in civilization. It was also nice to spend a bit of downtime with his team, as short as this walk would be.

...But for all of his time watching others compete, Sam wasn’t the only trainer here. He also wasn’t the only trainer out this late, as a voice suddenly called out behind him.

“Sammy!”

Only one person has called me Sammy, and that’s not my mom.

Trying to keep his expression level, he turned to see a pink, frilly dress run up to him, and eyes made smooth via blue contact lenses looked at him while attempting to bashfully flutter their lashes.

But that gaze could not hide the amused smile that appeared at his tense reaction, and Cassandra laughed. The last time Sam had seen her had been all the way back in Blackthorn.

“Oh, Sammy!” she said. “You’ve made it! But of course, you would make it. I mean, was there any other outcome after our experience together in Blackthorn?”

Cassandra went on to giggle, and Sam stopped himself from groaning. It wasn’t that he had anything against her, but when it came to the Fairy Type—

“No, no. Don’t give me that look. I’m a Normal Type specialist. I told you that! I’m just like your friend!”

“...Right. You made that deal with the Blackthorn Clan,” Sam grumbled.

“What deal?” she said innocently enough.

Cassandra tilted her head to the side, but Sam felt as though her gaze was appraising. They hadn’t really talked since the Blackthorn Clan’s Dragon Type Trials, but he had a feeling her presence here wasn’t an accident.

“I had a feeling I’d find you out and about so late at night,” she said carefully. “A strong, powerful Ghost Type specialist like yourself? Of course, you’d enjoy the darkness.”

“Of course,” Sam repeated.

She opened her mouth as if wanting to continue, but she went still when her eyes flicked down. The contact lenses she wore made it hard to see where she was looking, but Sam could tell she had noticed the dozens of red eyes that had opened up under his feet. They all glared at the partial stranger who had interrupted their quiet time under the moon.

“Oh, um... Hmph. Well!” Cassandra cleared her throat. “I wanted to get to you first, because I’ve seen a lot of other trainers doing things like this. Basically, I have a little get-together planned two nights from now, and I’m trying to invite as many people as I can!”

“Two nights from now? The full moon?” Sam asked, remembering what Redi had said.

Cassandra nodded.

“Yup! I hope you can make it. Like I said, I’m trying to invite everyone I can!”

“As many people as you can,” Sam said slowly, “or just the trainers you think are threats?”

For a moment, her pleasant grin grew sharp, and somehow, her eyes almost seemed to glimmer.

“Clever. You’ll appreciate that get-together. Take this—show it at the door, and you’ll be able to join us in the back room I reserved.”

Sam wanted to say he might be busy that night—Redi likely had plans—but he was left bewildered and speechless when the card she presented had nothing more than an address and a cartoon version of her face printed on it.

When he looked up, she was already absent, skipping away in the distance.

He breathed out, pocketing the note and continuing down the streets. Off to the sides, he could see the occasional group of trainers talking, likely making plans like Cassandra had done just now.

Seems like strategies involve more than just what’s on the battlefield.

He’d known there’d be a meta-level to a week-long tournament, but he hadn’t expected people to take moves like this.

_______________________________________________________________________

On the second day of the preliminaries, Sam was never called up for a second match, and neither was Redi. Given that they had both won with only one Pokémon on the first day, they took that as a positive sign that their placement didn’t need any more judging.

Everyone who had registered for the Conference had already taken part in at least one battle on Saturday, so Sunday’s battles primarily took place just for confirmation. The judges and referees presiding over the tournament had to decide which trainers would be involved. Due to the smaller number of battles, the schedule was more lax, but people were still being called up for battles every so often.

The end result saw the final preliminary match take place mid-afternoon. The next step, the opening ceremony of the Conference itself, was scheduled to take place that night.

But the moment the preliminary matches ended, trainers were summoned by an announcement that had echoed throughout the entirety of the Conference’s grounds. Hundreds of people filed into the main lobby of the Conference’s primary Pokémon Center. The room was large enough to fit a standard battlefield two times over, but it now felt like that wasn’t possible given how it was filled to the brim with tournament hopefuls.

Half a dozen nurses worked at the center of the room, managing Pokéballs and paperwork and other tasks behind a large, circular counter. Massive screens hung above their heads and faced out in every cardinal direction. No matter where someone stood, they could see the display. Normally, those screens just stated the names and numbers of people awaiting healed teams or chats with the nurses, but right now, they displayed the logo of the Pokémon League.

This was probably the most important moment to take place throughout the entire Conference. Soon, those screens would show the names of everyone approved to move on to the Conference’s core tournament.

“Nervous?”

Redi pushed through the crowd to walk up to Sam, having temporarily split just so they could explore and privately train with their teams. Sam wasn’t against a wall like usual, but was leaning against a table. Nearby, a group of trainers animatedly spoke on a set of couches, and other groups throughout the room spoke about their hopes and dreams and worries, giving the lobby an air of desperate excitement and tension.

Everyone wanted to see if they had truly made it in.

“I guess I am a bit nervous, but not really,” Sam said, crossing his arms as he stared at the logo of the Conference being displayed on the screens. “We’re here. My team is here. We actually made it to the Conference. We have eight badges, and we’re so close! Even with so many fights left until the finals, we’re practically at the top, which means we finally hit the culmination of everything we’ve—”

“So you are nervous.” Redi smiled as she leaned against the table next to Sam. “I get it. And part of the reason you’re tapping your feet is because you didn’t get yourself a nice, shadowy corner to brood in, right?”

I’m not tapping my feet, am I?

Sam looked down.

He was.

He went on to shoot Redi a glare, but she just snickered in reply.

Sure, Sam liked being in the shadows, but that was just so he could better speak to his team. Unfortunately, with the several hundred trainers here, basically anywhere with even a hint of darkness to it had already been claimed before he arrived.

“I just want to see my placement,” Sam huffed, brushing past Redi’s comments, much to her amusement. “My team and I listened in on a few conversations here and there. People think names are going to be listed in order of strength. So if you're first, that means the judges thought you were the strongest, and all of the people favored to win the Conference will probably be higher up than others.”

“Scouting the competition?” Redi asked.

“Kind of. I also want to see—”

“Exactly where you stand?” she finished for him.

Sam nodded silently. He would have been lying if he said he wasn’t interested. If trainers were going to be ranked, then of course he wanted to know where he would place.

...Of course, being at the top wouldn’t be the best for his team strategy-wise, as all that would do was put a target on their back. Still, he wanted his Pokémon’s efforts to be recognized. Just like every trainer here, deep in his heart, he wanted to see his name show up first.

“As much as I want to be first, the best placement is probably somewhere in the middle,” he said. “I don’t want to look weak ‘cause that might put off sponsors, but I don’t want everyone breathing down my neck to figure out my strategy either, y’know?”

Redi hummed in agreement.

“But also, I’ve been watching the fights,” Sam continued. “I don’t even know if my team can be that high up. There are some really strong trainers participating this year—and some of them are probably even holding back. Then there are others, too, who are... Well...”

He trailed off. He didn’t want to be rude.

“Hah!” Redi threw back her head for a single laugh. “I heard about that. You saw the guy who used a Bellsprout against Rhydon, didn’t you?”

Sam snorted.

“Yeah. I see what he was trying to do by using Vine Whip to trip it, but a Bellsprout? Against a Rhydon? Really? Sure, it has the advantage as a Grass Type, but only technically. The difference in strength is just too much. There was no way a Bellsprout could get past a Rhydon’s defense.”

“And they were wearing a uniform, weren’t they?” Redi asked.

“Yup. They were,” Sam said casually.

Sam leaned back to sit on the table instead of just standing against it, and Redi joined him in watching those hanging screens. However, it didn’t seem like she was truly watching them. Her gaze went a bit unfocused as if she was merely staring off into the distance.

“It’s funny,” she said, her voice just barely audible above the general noise of the room. “Back home, everyone would praise Trainer School graduates, but none of them ever really got past the preliminaries. One of the biggest Trainer School academies was pretty close to my home, and there were these girls who—”

She stopped herself, going quiet with a small shake of her head.

“I think what they said bothered me for a while, but I’ve come to the conclusion that what they think doesn’t matter. Nothing they did mattered,” she said, gaining a small smile. “I’m here now despite what they said. I even bet the one that I’m thinking of is still so proud of that Cubone of hers. Even though a year has passed, it probably hasn’t improved at all!”

Redi’s smile turned into a sharp grin, and Sam recognized that as her reaction to a defeated look on someone’s face. Right now, there was a true confidence to her, not one that was feigned. Though no placements had been confirmed, it was like she somehow knew that her name would show up toward the top.

Then, the sound of a soft chime pierced through the air.

Above, the screens shifted so that the League logo faded into the background, and a nurse grabbed a microphone to send her voice echoing throughout the room.

“Hello! Thank you so much for your patience. Our judges have finished making their decisions. Please remember that even if you don’t proceed, it does not diminish your accomplishment in the slightest. Just getting here is a victory in itself.”

The room was dead silent. Every trainer listened to the nurse’s words.

“Soon, the names of every trainer moving on to the first round of the Conference will be displayed on the screens above my head. Out of the roughly four hundred of you competing this year, two hundred fifty-six will be participating in the first round,” she said. “Upon seeing your name, please make your way out of the Pokémon Center and to the arena itself. You will have forty-five minutes to arrive in the same room you were told to wait in for your preliminary battles, and the opening ceremony of the Conference will take place an hour after that.”

When she finished her explanation, a second chime rang out, and the screens started to change once again. The click of her microphone turning off echoed throughout the room, and everyone held their breath as columns of names slowly appeared.

Sixty-four names to a page. Only a fourth of the proceeding trainers would be displayed at once. As the text became legible, Sam searched, but he didn’t see himself in first.

As silly as that was, he was disappointed that he wasn’t at the very top, even as unlikely as he knew that’d be.

Still, he scanned through all of the listed names, searching for where he would be placed. He saw Xavier in the low twenties, and off to the side, someone cheered—they had found themselves in fourteenth place.

So it really is a ranking. These aren’t alphabetical; Xavier would have been further in.

As he read through, he heard Redi speak up next to him.

“There,” she breathed. “I’m forty-first!”

This was the first set of four out of two-and-a-half hundred, which meant Redi was rated to be solidly in the upper twenty-five percent.

Except, though she was there, someone else was missing.

“I don’t see me.”

No matter how hard he searched, Sam did not see his name.

“Wait, that can’t be right,” Redi said. “I hate to say it, but Gengar was more impressive than Porygon. If I’m up there, you should be at least around where I was placed!”

Sam narrowed his eyes, and Redi did too as she searched by his side.

There was nothing.

“But I’m not,” Sam said.

The screen changed. His name was absent from the second page as well.

When the third page hit, Sam’s heart started to thunder in his chest. His name wasn’t showing up. So many other people he recognized were all up there. Xavier was in the early twenties, as Sam had already noticed. Victor, surprisingly, was in the high thirties. Meanwhile, Eliza was in the nineties, and other familiar names like Terry and Cassandra were toward the middle of the third page.

But Sam’s name?

Absent.

It didn’t make sense. He should have been there.

A little voice in the back of his head started to whisper to him that he didn’t make it, that Gengar won far too easily to demonstrate anything impressive, and that the judges had been disappointed.

Finally, the last page showed up, and the remaining sixty-four names appeared. Right away, Sam found he wasn’t at the top here; he wasn’t one ninety-third, nor was he one ninety-fourth.

...Or one ninety-fifth. Sixth. Seventh. I’m not anywhere near the top rows.

His heart sank. He felt nauseous.

But Redi suddenly shouted out next to him, excitedly giving his arm a shake.

“There. There! You made it! See, I told you that you would! Your name is right there!”

“Where?”

Sam couldn’t see himself.

Redi tugged at his arm.

“It’s right there. At the very end!”

And he finally saw the words he was looking for.

“...Samuel Greyson,” Sam said as he read it out loud. That was proof of his team’s achievements, yet...

“You weren’t kidding,” he said. “I’m at the very end. With my placement, I'm number... two hundred fifty-six.”

In other words, dead last.

He had shown up in the absolute final slot.

“Huh,” Redi mumbled. “That doesn’t make sense.”

No kidding.

His placement was off—suspiciously so. Sam even knew something wasn’t right because Edgar, the trainer he had defeated, had placed a single rank above him in two hundred fifty-fifths.

He heard the Poison Type specialist’s voice echo out as his cheers muffled the lamentations from everyone who didn’t place. A sharp, mocking look was then sent to Sam from across the Pokémon Center’s floor, but Sam didn’t care in the slightest. He didn’t pay it any mind.

“There’s no way your team was that weak,” Redi said, whispering to him.

“No,” Sam agreed quietly. “It's wrong. There’s definitely something off about this.”

Something had to have happened for him to be dead last. Trainers that he knew struggled in their battles had been placed above him, which flat out didn’t line up with reality. Either the rating system was completely off—which he doubted given Redi and Xavier were so high up—or something else had gone on.

His theory? Someone had done this. Someone important.

Someone had made sure his name appeared last.

...But he had no idea who, and he had no idea why.

However, despite the mystery going on with his placement, now wasn’t exactly the time to dwell on that thought. Already, people were rushing out of the Pokémon Center to reach the arena, trying to get to the opening ceremony on time.

Redi was already picking up speed.

“Come on. Let’s go!” she yelled.

The flow of trainers from the Pokémon Center to the arena itself was like a procession or even a parade. The crowds parted before them. People watched and clapped. The path opened up for every trainer making their way toward the arena where they’d compete.

Upon arrival, frazzled-looking League staff gestured to the room for all of the competitors to wait, and the many trainers squeezed into a room that probably shouldn’t have fit that many of them.

They were given an overview of how this was all going to work, and by the time they were sent out, it was night. An absolutely packed crowd roared to greet their entrance, and the true start of the Conference, the opening ceremony itself, took place under a bright, starry sky.

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Author Note:

I wanted to include the full opening ceremony in this chapter, but I struggled to include it in a way that didn’t cause the chapter to drag on. I don’t want to slow down the story by giving the opening ceremony its own chapter, so I’ll be including it at the start of the next one. Thankfully, it won’t affect my plans since it’s not that long of a scene.

Next chapter, the first proper battle of the Conference will take place.

Previous Chapter
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Chapter 156 (Part 2)

Author Note:

Read Part 1 here!

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“Mom?” Sam rubbed his eyes just to make sure what he was seeing was not a prank. “And Redi?”

“Sam!” both of them said in reply.

From the far end of the hallway beneath Silver Town’s main arena, Sam watched his mother pick up her pace to meet him where he walked. Redi, meanwhile, practically dashed over to get right in front of him. Before she got too close, however, she skidded to a halt and rubbed her arm, awkwardly chuckling without knowing what to say after being apart for so long.

“It’s been a while,” Sam said.

“Since Ecruteak! But we’ve sent each other a message once or twice, I guess.”

“Yeah. I told you I’d be in the Ilex Forest.”

“And you were late because of that, you jerk!”

Redi huffed in annoyance, but Sam just laughed slightly. There was so much he wanted to say to catch up with her, but a flash of movement from behind caught his attention, and his eyes landed on a Pokémon he did not expect to see.

“Wait, is that Porygon? No, it’s a Porygon2!” he exclaimed. “Wow, you managed to evolve that quickly?”

To his amazement, Porygon actually reacted. Rather than aimlessly floating in place, the now much more rounded Pokémon brought up its head in a very Redi-like motion. It stayed in place like usual, but it acted with a surprising amount of animation to effectively go through its own version of strutting in pride.

“Yeah! Mr. Pokémon is all about learning new things, so he sent me to someone who’d help out,” Redi said. “Turns out, all Porygon needed to do to evolve was eat a massive computer database!”

Sam waited a moment to hear the punchline, but none ever came.

“Porygon ate a database?” he asked flatly.

“Uh-huh. Something about them being a learning datavore?” Redi said with a shrug. “But now people are working on turning data gathered from that event into something recreatable via disc, so there’s going to be Porygon-2 all over the place! All thanks to us!”

She puffed up her chest, and Porygon imitated the motion behind her. Redi didn’t notice, and because of that, Sam couldn’t stop his laughter.

“But it’s not just Porygon!” Redi continued, blasting through to get a word in edgewise the moment Sam started to calm down. “It’s everyone on my team! We’re all way, way stronger, now!”

Sam took a second to settle down.

“Please,” he said teasingly. “Can’t be much. You only have, what, four Pokémon on your team?”

“Actually,” Redi said, leaning in with a knowing smile, “Right now, I have five.”

Sam blinked at her, struck speechless for the second time today, and a grin crossed Redi’s face as she took in Sam’s shock.

“But what about you, huh?” she said, nudging him in the arm. “You got your last Pokémon? Mine was kind of a volunteer from back home, so I didn’t need to catch or trade for her, but you said you had a plan? Something about trading for a Pokémon that can help with transportation?”

“Something like that,” Sam said, patting a certain Ultra Ball on his waist.

Redi sent him an intrigued look, but she didn’t press. She hadn’t revealed her newest team member, and neither had Sam. They could have found somewhere to show off their teams, but that would have defeated part of the point they had split up. They might have still been friends, but they were competitors.

The best place to show off their teams would be in the Conference itself.

“Come on! Let’s catch up.”

Sam was in these lower tunnels to leave after his preliminary match, and after Gengar’s performance, he doubted he’d need to come back to compete in a second one. Redi told him that she wouldn’t be up for a battle until late afternoon, but she had still been allowed in due to being a fellow competitor, and Sam’s mom had been able to join her due to the familiar connection alongside Redi’s vouch, though she wasn’t allowed to send any Pokémon out.

It would have been fine to keep speaking down there, but voices carried, and they didn’t exactly have a way to tell if someone was listening in. They left the arena and left the general area of the Conference to find a more private place to talk. Instead of anywhere too busy, they settled down in a quiet park. This wasn’t exactly a location reserved for the Conference, but a few trainers obviously competing in it had claimed the park’s public battlefields to give their teams a less occupied place to train.

Sam, Redi, and his mother found a table at which they could sit and talk.

“Porygon managed to evolve mostly because of Mr. Pokémon,” Redi explained. Across from her, now that they were done walking, Delcatty released herself just so she could sit in Sam’s mother’s lap. “I already mentioned this before, but Upgrade discs for a Porygon’s evolution are in development. Mr. Pokémon and the guy who helped me already managed to work out deals for various rights to them, and since Porygon was the one who evolved, we’re getting a significant share of that.”

Sam nodded along. He could tell by the sharp look in his mother’s eyes that her business sense was going off.

“That’s good,” he said. “I’m happy for you. You said a big part of why you headed out on a journey was for the money, right?”

“S-sure,” Redi said, suddenly stuttering. “But I was just going to do that by advertising. Money is just money, but this level of income isn’t going to last forever. Really, I brought it up because I wanted to give you this.”

She wiggled in her seat to slip off her backpack, and she swung it around to let it rest in her lap. She then began to zip it open, but Sam stopped her before she could pull anything out.

“Wait, are you about to give me money?” he said, voice serious.

Redi froze.

“...Maybe?”

“You’re trying to pay me?”

“It was your information that let us do all of that!”

“I didn’t do it for payment!”

“But I want to give you at least something in return!”

And Sam just frowned, causing Redi to draw back.

“Ugh. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be mean,” Sam said softly. “It’s just, well, I don’t know. How do I say this?”

He sent a glance to his mother.

“I talked to grandpa,” Sam said carefully. “The Ilex Forest has a lot of strange Pokémon. And... I learned a lot about the New Pokédex.”

Immediately, Redi seemed to forget everything about whatever she had planned to give Sam. She leaned forward in intense interest, hands slamming onto the surface of the park’s table.

“Tell me,” she breathed.

Sam looked at his mother. She was silent, and her face was surprisingly tranquil. He bit his lip, uncomfortable, but she just shook her head to try to reassure him.

“It’s alright, Sam. I made my peace long ago. You don’t need to worry about me, and besides, I suspected something was up with that man.”

With that, Redi was practically vibrating in place, and Sam knew he couldn’t wait.

He began.

“The New Pokédex isn’t from the future or anything like that,” he said. “It wasn’t sent to my grandpa, but it was sent back to him. He’s the author—mostly. He’s the one who wrote all of its information down.”

Redi then hit him with a barrage of questions, trying to squeeze as much information out of him. Every so often, his mother would chime in, often asking something simple just for a slight bit of clarification.

Sam went over the events of the Ilex Forest, explaining to them the same thing he explained to his team. He was honestly slightly uncomfortable given the topic of the conversation, but he had brought up the topic for a reason. He wanted to get the information out instead of holding it all in.

“Wow.” Redi pinched herself as if to check if she was dreaming. “So, then, Celebi is your second grandpa, huh?”

A beat passed. It was interrupted when both Sam’s mother and Delcatty started to choke off to the side.

“H-huh?”

“Uh, it’s pretty obvious?” Redi said. “Celebi was the one to bring your grandfather over. So that means Celebi is responsible for why your family is here. So that all means that Celebi is basically your second grandpa!”

She paused.

“Or great grandpa. Or great grandma?” Redi said. “Do Legendary Pokémon even have a gender?”

“...I don’t know,” Sam said, staring ahead blankly.

Redi nodded as if that statement carried all the answers in the world.

“So, then, about the money...”

Thankfully, her question brought him back down to earth.

“No. Sorry. It wouldn’t be right. The New Pokédex is my grandfather’s, and because of that, it’s my choice to decide on what to do with the information in it,” he said. “For everything I told you, I didn’t tell you to get a payment. It was a gift to you because you’re my friend. It’s only as simple as that.”

Hearing Sam’s explanation, Redi huffed and fell back in her seat with her arms crossed.

“Fine, I guess. But this sucks. You get this cool backstory and get to go experience all these cool events, but all I got to do was meet with a bunch of important resources and talk to famous people.”

“Did Ursaring evolve, at least?” Sam asked after a moment’s pause.

His question was met with a grumble.

“...Next full moon is in two days,” Redi said, “but Mr. Pokémon seems confident about that one.”

From there, their conversation mostly devolved into idle chatter, and Sam and Redi told each other about everything they’d been up to. Sam told her about all of the crazy events he’d experienced, making sure to keep certain team developments vague, and Redi did the same, speaking about all of the crazy experiments Mr. Pokémon sent her to.

Though they might have been apart, neither of their journeys had calmed down. A month and a half had passed, but their teams had grown much stronger for it.

Occasionally, Sam’s mom would chime in, mostly just to ask a question more than anything else. She just seemed happy to see her son be so animated for once.

“Oh, shoot!” Redi’s face paled when she sent a glance to her PokéGear. “I have to go! My match is almost up!”

“I’ll come with. I want to watch,” Sam said. “And, mom, I’ll show my team to you later, alright?”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

And with that, they all stood to return to the Conference, except—

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Amanda let her son lead the group from the front, giving him the duty to keep an eye out for the signs that marked the roads that would take them back. She let herself fall back to meet with Redi, giving them the chance to have a quiet, unheard conversation.

“I’m curious,” she said. “Just how much did Sam turn down?”

Silently, without saying even a single word, Redi shifted her backpack around to let it hang off a single arm. With a simple zip, the pack opened.

The decently-sized bag was filled to the brim with cold, hard cash.

For a while, Amanda did nothing but stare at that immense sum. Eventually, she managed to force herself to bring up an arm and close the bag back up.

“Oh my.” It took her a moment to gather her thoughts. “Let’s keep this between us, hm? I think it would be best if Sam never learns how much that was, alright?”

“...Alright,” Redi whispered.

However, although the sheer amount of cash Sam had just unknowingly turned down was a mind-boggling sum, Amanda couldn’t say his decision had been the worst.

After all, knowing her son, and knowing what he was capable of after that match?

Once he started to reveal the true power of his team in the Conference, the sponsorship offers rolling in would make even that amount look like a paltry sum.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Arbok
Celebi
Nidoqueen
Nidorino
Porygon / Porygon2
Ursaring

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 156 (Part 1)

Author Note:

I didn't want to unfairly delay this chapter since the second part is fighting me, but I wanted to post at least something.

Expect to see Part 2 come out within the next hour or two!

==========================================================================

Faced with Nidorino’s lunge, Gengar stabbed his feet into the ground and slid back to avoid it as if using roller skates. His opponent landed with a heavy thud, and it gave chase with its horn pointed at him, aimed to impale.

“Nidorino, herd with Poison Sting!” Edgar shouted. “Finish with Peck!”

He’s calling for weak moves. Is that intentional? Or is he just bluffing and plans to call for something stronger once Gengar is close?

Honestly, Sam had almost missed his chance to register for the Conference. When the season ended, potential competitors had a week to sign up, and he had waited until the very last minute to acquire a teleport here, attempting to maximize the time he had to train. He would have had only two weeks to practice if he had left right at the end of the season, but delaying his arrival had given him almost a full extra week to prepare.

Thus, he and his team had plenty of time to correct gaps in their movesets and strategies while growing leaps and bounds.

But the downside was that they hadn’t arrived until late last night.

Sam’s lateness meant his preliminary fight was first, with the placement intended as a disadvantage that’d give other trainers a chance to see his team and have time to prepare. However, Sam had already shown off some of his Pokémon once before, in the Violet City Tournament. Due to that, out of all possible opponents, Edgar was probably the best result.

It wasn’t because Edgar would be easy to defeat—Edgar was likely one of the stronger newcomers here—but facing Edgar meant Sam wouldn’t need to worry about the “information” game. He’d already greatly shown off Haunter, so as long as he only used Gengar, he wouldn’t give much away.

It was slightly cocky of Sam to think that he could win with only one Pokémon, but he truly believed in that possibility. The weeks he spent in training let him learn just how strong Gengar truly was, and then they had spent all of that time consolidating and building.

Edgar wasn’t aware of that growth.

Sam genuinely believed Edgar didn’t have a chance.

“Counter with Shadow Ball,” Sam ordered as a barrage of needles chased Gengar across the field. “Shut it down for Hypnosis.”

“That’s not going to work!” Edgar shouted. “We’ve already seen that trick!”

A further shout from Edgar saw his Nidorino stop its Poison Stings, and it didn’t follow up with Peck as previously called. So far, the strategy he applied had been very Chuck-like in that it was an attempt to force Gengar to get close. But, as Gengar lifted an arm to conjure a sphere of shadows, the Nidorino jumped up and back, and then it let its horn stab into the ground.

The Nidorino was able to quickly burrow into the battlefield floor with a Dig to avoid any further moves from Gengar.

“Like I told you before, we’ve been preparing for this! Our streak had been perfect until you came along!” Edgar shouted. “And you know what? We haven’t lost any other battle since! So for all this time, we’ve been preparing counters for your team, and now we’re in the perfect place to take you out of the tournament before it’s even begun!”

Edgar’s grin was so past cocky that it wasn’t even funny, but Sam just blinked neutrally at the other boy.

“Huh,” he said.

One of Edgar’s eyes twitched.

“...What?” Edgar asked suspiciously.

“To be honest,” Sam said. “I haven’t thought about you since the last tournament.”

A mix of boos and jeers came from the audience—but also a sparse bit of laughter. People liked a good heel. Sam hadn’t even been trying to garner a reaction; he had only been focusing on the battle.

But for Edgar, Sam’s words were like a dagger pushed into his gut. His face went bright red, and he actually stomped on the ground just to try to burn off some of that rage.

“Get ready to blast out, Nidorino! Prepare your Thunderbolt!”

“Gengar,” Sam said calmly, “it’s in your domain.”

Gengar had been idly sliding around on the ground. He could still float, but he had lost his innate levitation upon evolution. Levitate would have made it trivial for him to avoid the effects of Ground Type moves. Doing the same required more effort, but Sam’s words had revealed to him a certain truth.

As a Ghost Type, Gengar could phase through solid objects, and as far as he or Sam were concerned, the ground was a solid object. And even more than that, light would fail to pierce into the earth.

By using Dig, the Nidorino had surrounded itself by darkness on all sides, giving Gengar free range to attack.

“Panic it,” Sam ordered.

Gengar dove into the floor, and Edgar stuttered.

“A-attack! Dig! Get it!”

Nothing moved for several long seconds.

But then, something in the ground began to shift, and part of the field broke open. Nidorino, having been hit by an incredibly close-range Confuse Ray, scrambled to escape. Tearing itself out of its hole, it panted out of pure fright with its eyes rapidly darting around.

A shadow rose up behind it.

The Nidorino turned around far too late.

Gengar’s Shadow Ball smashed into its face, and the sheer power of his move meant Nidorino was sent flying back.

“Nidorino is unable to battle! Trainer Edgar, please send out your next Pokémon,” the referee said.

The audience applauded even as Edgar grit his teeth. Sam took a moment to check on the three other battles.

Gengar had been the first Pokémon to score a faint.

“F-fine! If you’re giving me no choice, then I’ll pull out one of my best early!”

At first, Sam had been a bit confused about why Edgar had used an unevolved Nidorino. Edgar seemed to be someone who liked to make use of evolution. However, the answer came when Edgar’s second Pokémon made an appearance; he did have a Moon Stone, but likely only a weak one that had been used on something else.

The earth shook when a Nidoqueen’s armored body hit the battlefield floor. It was twice the size of Gengar, and seeing that, the regal blue Pokémon gained an almost mocking grin.

“Body Slam! Ice Punch!”

Edgar’s called-for combination of attacks seemed nonsensical at first—why use Body Slam when a Normal Type move wouldn’t affect Gengar? But the answer came obviously enough; Body Slam helped the Nidoqueen build momentum. And, with that momentum, Ice Punch would land with that much more force.

But Sam just sighed yet again.

It was cheesy, but he had the perfect line for this.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” he said, much to the groans of the audience. “Gengar. Disrupt.”

Gengar’s smile became so wide that half of his body became teeth. Rather than stay on the ground, he bounced into the air, and he leaned to the side so that Nidoqueen’s Body Slam passed right through him.

Credit to it, Nidoqueen was part of a team that had earned eight badges, and it had the reaction time to spin on a foot and snap right around.

A fist sealed with ice hurtled toward Gengar, but it was only hurtling toward where Gengar had once been.

For all the skill it had in melee combat, Nidoqueen lacked the speed to even approach Gengar’s own. With ease, he rotated behind it, staying behind its back, and an echoing giggle saw his Spite cause the Ice Punch to sputter out.

Half-melted frost sloughed off of the Nidoqueen’s fist.

“Thunder Punch!” Edgar yelled.

Really stocked up on the TMs, huh?

While Spite had affected the Ice Punch, a Thunder Punch could still come out in full force.

Except, again, Gengar just stuck behind the Nidoqueen. It wasn’t even something hard for him to do. Ever since his evolution, Gengar was by far the fastest Pokémon on Sam’s team.

(At least, when no one else had an Agility up.)

“Just attack it,” Sam said tiredly.

Spheres forming in his hands, Gengar didn’t bother growing his Shadow Balls to that large. He simply formed a palm-sized sphere, tossed it at his opponent, and it would crush the Nidoqueen’s blue armor, and then he’d rapidly change positions when it tried to turn around.

The ease at which he outmaneuvered it was practically comical, as no matter what the Nidoqueen did, it simply could not match him. Of course, its power meant it was a threat, but Gengar was simply too fast for that power to ever be of use.

The only thing Sam could guess the Nidoqueen could potentially use was Earthquake, but he doubted Edgar would fall for that. A wide-ranged, area attack was its best chance of hitting Gengar, but Gengar could float, and even though Sam knew Gengar didn’t have Levitate, Edgar probably thought Gengar was immune.

“Fine!” Edgar shouted. “Just use Thunderbolt!”

The same TM move as Nidorino. Edgar definitely splurged.

Sam waited until the spark formed, and a lightning bolt shot straight up only to spike back down.  Nidoqueen clearly intended to have its own move hit itself and explode off of its body, but there was a flaw with that plan:

It would be only one strike, and Gengar hadn’t been hit yet.

“Night Shade,” Sam said.

Immediately, the area around Gengar turned pitch-black. Even the Nidoqueen was consumed. When the Thunderbolt fell, some static crackled past the Night Shade’s sides, but Gengar’s innate strength and control had grown so much that his move didn’t even shake.

Eventually, as he sucked his darkness back in, he revealed the unmoving body of the Nidoqueen.

Edgar gritted his teeth. Gengar had been struck. But while Gengar’s species didn’t have much stamina, he was much better at taking a special attack than a physical one, especially when that special attack was sourced from a more physical Pokémon in the first place.

“...Return,” Edgar grumbled.

“Trainer Edgar, send out your next Pokémon!” the referee shouted.

“I know. I know! I’m just... thinking.”

He frowned, staring at the field. Gengar remained mostly untouched, and Sam still had two Pokémon left. Soon, though, Edgar came to a decision, and he plucked a somewhat worn Pokéball from his belt.

“Arbok,” he named.

With these matches being a three-on-three battle, Arbok was the final member left on Edgar’s team. Sam remembered seeing an Ekans in the Beginner’s Tournament; Edgar likely had this Arbok with him for his entire journey.

And, that experience was shown when the Arbok reared back, and it bared a frightening design on its chest, making Gengar shudder. The effect brought on by its Intimidate ability would make him wary about getting close, but that didn’t matter when Sam heard what Edgar called out for his first move.

“Arbok! Use Glare!”

Sam wanted to laugh.

A move with eye contact? Really?

Edgar was so focused on just trying to take out Gengar that he had completely forgotten about the strategy Sam had used to win the Violet City Tournament in the first place.

“Hypnosis,” Sam said.

Sure, Arbok had its Shed Skin ability trained, giving it a way to quickly remove its forced sleep, but Gengar was still faster than it. He could move to simply use Hypnosis to ensure it fell asleep again.

Then, given that Dream Eater was a Psychic Type move, it dealt super effective damage.

That meant even with Arbok likely being one of Edgar’s strongest, it never once got a chance to attack back.

Just like that, Edgar’s final Pokémon fell.

“Arbok is no longer able to battle!” the referee called out. “Trainer Edgar has no more usable Pokémon. Trainer Samuel wins!”

The audience’s cheers were uproarious. Looking around, since Sam had won the match with only a single member of his team, he was the first one to finish his battle—the first one to finish his battle in the entirety of the Conference, at that.

And, with how the preliminary matches were working, challengers were given the chance to move on based on their performance. Edgar would likely be placed in another preliminary battle, but unless he won that flawlessly, he was unlikely to obtain the rating to compete.

Dazed, the truth of the matter seemed to sink into Edgar; he was unlikely to continue past the preliminaries.

He returned his Arbok, the Pokémon vanishing from the field. Meanwhile, Sam didn’t return Gengar, but Gengar very purposefully slipped into his shadow like a flat piece of paper entering the envelope.

Sam left the field without even sending a second glance to his opponent. With the preliminaries being so rushed, there wasn’t even time for a handshake as two more trainers had already been sent out to take their place. With the current schedule, the preliminary battles were set to be a continuous event that’d last all day in an attempt to save time.

But though Sam didn’t send another glance to Edgar, the audience was certainly looking at him. And, a small number of trainers sent him serious yet considering looks.

By doing so well so early on, he might not have revealed much, but he had established himself as a potential threat.

Sam had established himself as a threat. No further opponent would underestimate him, and he could likely expect each and every battle to involve some sort of counter-plan.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

The usual links / team summary are posted alongside Part 2!

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter (Part 2)

Chapter 155

Author Note:

If you haven’t seen it, I made an announcement post about the poll for the next fiction, which can be found here. To quickly summarize it, the poll will be more about choosing preferred concepts and tropes rather than only an explicit Type specialty, helping me narrow down my ideas.

I want to thank everyone who left a comment on that post—there was an insane number of them. Apologies for not responding to everyone; I quickly became overwhelmed, but I have read every single one of them. Already, you’ve helped me enough that I can see a few changes to make. I’ll likely be removing the “high-tier” Legendary option, and I’ll be including options for things like a Generalist focus, a Sandstorm Team, and a Flying Type specialty.

As it stands, expect the poll to be up on Royal Road next Tuesday.

==========================================================================

The Silver Conference was Johto’s biggest event. Tens of thousands of people would flood into Silver Town to witness its festivities. Even outside of the tournament, the town was going to be packed. There would be parties, vendor booths, shows, and other, smaller tournaments meant for trainers who hadn’t gathered all eight Gym Badges. Alternatively, there were a handful of competitions even smaller than those that consisted of fights with wild restrictions meant to twist battling in brand-new ways.

All of that had been taking place over the past week ever since the season had ended, and the preliminary rounds of the Silver Conference itself were yet to start. Last-minute sign-ups were actively going on, and the weekend’s many, many battles were soon to begin.

But even with all of that levity, Champion Lance was busy.

Lance was exactly what his title called him: Champion. He might have stood at the top, but the end of Johto’s season meant many ongoing assignments had ended as well. As a result, he faced a river of paperwork being fed his way, and his attention was split between all of those reports, requests, and general approvals.

It did not matter that he had done the same for Kanto’s Conference at the end of its season, naught but a month prior. This was the same work but on another region’s behalf, yet it wasn’t truly another region, as Johto and Kanto carried the same level of priority in his heart.

Lance was the Champion for all of Indigo, and he had a duty to all of it instead of just one of its halves. He would have preferred to be in his office within the League’s Indigo Plateau headquarters, but League policy mandated that the Champion remain on site for any Conference tournaments. Given the chaos that could start with so many high-level Pokémon in one place, he needed to be present in case of an emergency.

And it was an emergency.

At least, in his opinion.

Because, for all intents and purposes, Indigo was at war. 

This was not a loud, violent war against another polity, nor was it a quiet war of improvement similar to the most recent one of the past. No, this was a slow, subtle fight against the insidious forces of Team Rocket. Lance might have been facing a veritable flood of paperwork, but it was all paperwork sent to him upon his own request.

Half of these forms dealt with expeditions and reconnaissance jobs, with people being sent out to search for and hunt down any and all hints of Team Rocket. Other papers were reports sent to him from every city in Indigo. He had demanded that all crime be reported to his analysts and then passed to him, no matter how small that crime might have seemed on the surface.

Was that excessive? Most likely. But he had sworn an oath to his home when he took on the mantle of the Indigo’s Champion. It was his mandate and purpose as a Dragon Type Master to protect those beneath him and crush anyone who would threaten their peace.

Still.

He would have welcomed a break, even something as work-like as a patrol.

He longed to be on the back of one of his Dragons, flying over a city and assisting in the hunt for crime. He yearned to be on the front lines, fighting Team Rocket with a squadron of Ace Trainers at his back. All criminals deserved to be behind bars, and his team members deserved to have the chance to stretch.

Especially his most recently acquired partner, the third Dragonite to join his team. Out of all of his Pokémon, it was the weakest, but it had a drive to be strong that was not seen in many other fighters.

Clair had been right to send that Dragonite to him.

Lance half-daydreamed, half-focused on his work, reading through the piles upon piles of paperwork needed to direct the ongoing war against Team Rocket. This tiny, Silver Town office felt cramped, but he ignored that discomfort to focus on a greater purpose. Soon, he would take on a far more ceremonial role once the Conference properly started, but for now, its festivities were nothing more than muffled background noise coming in through his closed window. A nearly muted newscaster spoke of the Conference’s events at low volume through a nearby television.

A knock came from his office’s door. It took Lance only a second’s debate to decide he’d welcome the unexpected meeting as a reprieve from all of this paperwork.

“Enter,” he said.

Lance knew who was approaching him before his guest had even stepped into the room. Shadows seeped in through the gap under the door, peeking in and scanning their surroundings for threats.

Only one Gym Leader had Pokémon that acted so independently, and only one Type of Pokémon could behave with such intentions of subtlety.

But Lance was perceptive. It only took him a single, sharp glare for those Pokémon to back off. 

Honestly, they should have known better than to enter a Dragon’s lair unannounced.

“Champion Lance,” Morty greeted as he closed the door behind him. “Apologies for the unexpected meeting, but I have some concerns to share with you about the schedule for the Conference this year.”

“Ah.”

Lance placed down his pen and crossed his hands. Morty recognized the gesture as permission to sit, and he deposited himself onto the opposite chair.

Neither spoke immediately. Lance took in the Gym Leader with a discerning look. Most would have backed down from a Dragon’s harsh gaze, but Morty did not turn away. Though respectful, he remained defiant.

Good.

There was a reason why Lance had accepted Morty's challenge against him.

“If your concerns are about my recent adjustments to the Conference's schedule, you do not need to worry,” Lance said to his guest. “The changes to the Conference will not see our battle rescheduled. The tournament will end on the expected date, and you will get your agreed-upon match once the finals have concluded.”

“I’m not here about that,” Morty replied.

Lance purposefully raised an eyebrow.

“I’m here about the Conference itself and not for anything about me,” the Gym Leader continued. “You know how Ecruteak works. We celebrate our history. And because of that, I’ve been receiving some... concerns about the Conference’s shift away from tradition.”

“So it is not your concerns you wish to share, but the concerns of others.”

“Yes,” Morty answered.

Lance let out a scoff.

“Politics,” he said flatly.

He got a chuckle out of Morty with that comment.

Personally, Lance had also experienced concerns from the elders of the Blackthorn Clan, but Lance was the Champion. He had the right and purpose to make the changes he commanded. The Indigo Conference for Kanto’s season had seen similar adjustments, but Kanto was less tied to its traditions. Also, Kanto’s Indigo Conference historically followed a classic tournament schedule, so few had blinked when Lance greatly increased the number of its participants.

However, Johto was not Kanto, as Lance had truly come to understand. Johto had its own set of beliefs and traditions, and what he had done had almost overstepped his bounds.

Almost.

But they were at war, so his choices had been necessary. For this year and this year alone, the Conference had been changed away from Johto’s usual standard.

“Simply tell them that there is no need to worry,” Lance said smoothly, his fingers interlaced. “The Conference always experiences changes each year; there is precedent behind what I have done. While adjusting the size and format may seem major, it is not so in any way that matters. Assure them that the standard will return once this crisis is over—if I have my way, then that will be true next year.”

As it stood, the Silver Conference traditionally operated with only forty-eight competitors. The preliminary matches would see the Conference’s referees select the best of the best, and once those forty-eight were chosen, they would be further divided into sixteen blocks of three to decide which one challenger would move on.

The end result was a sixteen-person tournament meant to find the absolute most skilled trainer in Johto.

Of course, with his changes, Lance was not doing any of that.

“Sure. I understand what changes you’ve made and how the Conference is going to proceed,” Morty said, casually leaning back in his chair. “The problem is that people want answers. They want to know why you’ve made those changes this year.”

Lance sent him a mirthless stare. He thought the explanation was apparent, but that didn’t seem to be true for everyone.

“It’s simple,” Lance said. “I need recruits, and modifying the tournament gives me a larger pool to draw from.”

Morty sent him a stare right back, but Lance just continued.

“This year, the Silver Conference will be a full, 256-person tournament. There will be no groups. No qualifiers. Only the preliminary rounds and the tournament itself. It will be greater than even Kanto’s classic 128-person tournament. But it will maximize the number of competing trainers while also minimizing the number forced to sit out.”

“The usual observers will be in place?” Morty asked, curious.

“Of course, and in greater numbers. All stand-out trainers will receive an offer to enter the League’s Ace Trainer corps,” Lance confirmed.

“So you’re doing this to increase the number of trainers you can observe,” Morty said with a hum. “All of this to send out more offers and increase the number of Ace Trainers under your command?”

It was risky. Desperate. But Lance had found he had no other choice. He would get his detractors, people claiming quantity over quality was a waste of funds, but right now, quantity was exactly what he needed.

Team Rocket had existed for years without his knowledge, and the true extent of its corruption was becoming more and more apparent with each passing mission. Giovanni had already purged most of Kanto’s Ace Trainer forces of Team Rocket infiltrators, but yet—

The results have been dissatisfying. And there is something about his smile that I do not like.

It sounded paranoid, but a gut feeling was telling Lance that he needed Ace Trainers who were independent and operated directly under him. He had nothing motivating him to take this action save for that strange, almost out-of-place feeling, but his instincts were as honed as they were due to experience, and those instincts had carried him into his current role as Champion.

Even if he was wrong—which he desperately hoped he was—having more squadrons at his disposal would only help against Team Rocket, anyway.

“Alright. Wow. So this tournament is going to be the largest in not just years, but decades,” Morty stated, pressing his knuckles to his chin. “You know that handling two hundred competitors is going to require over two hundred battles, right? And don’t think that I’ve missed how the Conference will still only last seven days.”

Lance did not blink.

“Yes. I know.”

“So you’re really going to have that many matches in such a short time?”

“I am.”

“But that’s eight rounds of battles for the winning trainer—drastically more than the usual five,” Morty pointed out.

Lance did not shift out of his commanding posture, and Morty’s words only reaffirmed his decision. Seeing the Gym Leader look so shocked, Lance let a confident smile pass over his face, and Morty went on to reply with an amazed yet disbelieving shake of his head.

“I can’t believe you’re actually... How many trainers do we have coming in?” he asked.

“Combining all of the eight-badge trainers, the Trainer School graduates, the permitted holdovers from last season, and the handful of seeded competitors, we’ll have just over four hundred,” Lance answered.

Morty slumped in his seat and let his arms drape over its back. Lance could hear the sound of his fingers tapping echo from behind him.

“It’s not going to just be a test,” Morty said. “It’s going to be a crucible.”

Lance smiled.

“A crucible that will let us draw the best from the best. A test of not just skill and preparation, but also of stamina and strength. This year’s Conference will be a true challenge, one that tests how trainers pace themselves while balancing the threat of their opponents, and, all the while, they’ll be dealing with the constant pressure of the tournament itself!”

More trainers than ever would compete, and more trainers than ever would fall. Countless people would be forced to face their limits and flaws, but Lance did not expect the best to come from the winners. He expected the best to come from the trainers who fought, lost, witnessed their mistakes, and then strove to correct them.

For his purpose, Lance needed elites, not just the strong. Ace Trainers were called Ace Trainers for a reason, and those were what he’d pull from here.

“This is certainly going to be an interesting tournament,” Morty mused, turning in his chair to check the quiet television in the room.

“It certainly will,” Lance said in reply, amused at Morty’s continued astonishment.

However, as he watched Morty stare at that television, he saw the faintest of grins cross the Gym Leader’s face.

When Morty had spoken, Lance had thought that the Gym Leader was merely interested in how the compressed schedule would influence the tournament. However, now that he was looking, Lance got the strangest sense that Morty was far more interested in witnessing something else.

Or someone else, that is.

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Redi ran down the Conference’s main road, and Silver Town’s air was electric around her. Ever since the season had ended, a festival had been taking place.

Tournaments had been going on. Trainers who had failed to earn all eight badges were given a final chance to compete. Vendors and visitors crowded the streets, and banners of people and Pokémon, past winners and popular trainers, hung prominently in the air.

But today was different. That same celebratory mood from the previous days still filled the city, but it was more infectious than ever. Because, in only a few short minutes, the very first preliminary matches of the Conference would begin.

Hundreds would be held over this weekend, dramatically shaving down the number of participating trainers to an amount more suitable for a large tournament. So many would fail, but so many would make it in.

And just about everyone was desperate to see it all start.

Redi didn’t need to worry about her match just yet because it wasn’t scheduled until later today. However, she was getting frustrated at this point, and for a good reason.

Despite a week having passed, Sam still wasn’t there.

She had run right out of the Conference’s massive, hotel-like Pokémon Center in what was effectively a mad dash. All challengers had been given the chance to stay there for free, with qualified trainers automatically having a room reserved, but Sam hadn’t made an appearance there all week.

So when Redi charged down the main road, passing by the countless stalls and people, she furiously searched for her friend while running right toward where the Conference’s central arena towered over everything else.

Dramatically, Mount Silver itself was an even greater giant that loomed behind it.

“Sam was supposed to be here the second the season was over!” Redi shouted, trying to speak loud enough to have her voice be audible over the bustle of the crowd. “But it’s been a full extra week! He was supposed to be here! I would have thought he’d come early. He would never pass up the chance to spy on people during the smaller tournaments!”

She heard a beeping noise come from behind her—not a proper beep, but a call that sounded like a bird trying to imitate a printer.

Porygon, with their smoothed-over, evolved form, kept close to Redi. They were locked in place only a foot away, and they looked almost just as concerned about Sam.

Some passing trainers sent Porygon curious looks, but Redi all but ignored them. Porygon might have been rare, but she wasn’t hiding them. There were so many other things to look at that she wasn’t worried.

Also, she wanted people to think Porygon was her main Pokémon. Due to Bill’s influence, more and more information about Porygon as a species was being spread around. It’d work better for her team if her first few opponents expected special moves. That would see them be bowled over by the rest of her team’s physical strikes.

Unfortunately, as much as Redi ran, she wasn’t able to find any familiar faces in the crowd. Porygon wasn’t much help, and even the hidden Tibia and Fibula were struggling to do anything with the sheer number of people around them.

But eventually, Redi at least found something, and she skidded to a halt when a strange patch of shadows caught her attention. From within it, gemstone eyes stared out, and a cheshire grin opened up just to fade away into the crowd.

She ran after it.

Shadows curled around and through people’s legs, and Redi ran after them with Porygon desperately trying to keep up behind. The computer-like Pokémon let out almost furious and panicked beeps, but Redi kept up her fast pace all the way until she almost ran right into the person she was only half-expecting to meet.

“Redi?” The familiar woman looked her up and down. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person!”

A pair of hands cheerfully clapped together, and a woman with a certain, familial resemblance clasped Redi’s hand for a handshake.

Sam’s mother smiled.

“It’s, uh, nice to meet you too, Mrs. Greyson?” Redi said, dazed and doing her best not to mumble. “Oh! Uh. This is Porygon. Porygon2, specifically. Porygon, this is Mrs. Greyson. She’s Sam’s mom.”

As the woman smiled at her and Porygon, the pink-and-blue Pokémon let out a beeping quack. Behind the woman, that purple shadow from before climbed her clothes, and Sableye perched with his claws on her shoulder, hanging off her arm with a grin.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Porygon!” Sam’s mother exclaimed without even reacting to Sableye. “And, please, just call me Amanda.”

“Okay. Amanda, then. Do you know where Sam is?” Redi asked quickly.

The woman blinked. A chime went off above their heads. From speakers hidden in poles along the main road, an announcement came on to inform the crowds that the first few preliminary matches were imminent.

“Well,” the woman started, “Sam hasn’t contacted me just yet, and I was heading to the main arena to see if I could find him. How about we head there together, and we can ask around along the way to see if anyone saw him, hm?”

“Sounds good,” Redi said with a sigh.

They started to move off, making their way toward that massive arena complex. They stopped every so often to ask a quick question to the vendors on the sides of the road, talking to the people trying to sell rare and expensive items like battle equipment, training aids, and even the occasional selection of TMs.

“By the way,” Redi said as they moved from one stand to the next. “Does Sam know you’re here?”

She saw the slightest of grins appear on Sam’s mother’s face.

Turned out, part of Sam’s mischievous side was genetic. He wasn’t the only member of his family who appreciated a good trick.

“No,” Amanda said cheekily enough, “he doesn’t know I made plans to show up. I told him that I’d be supporting him from home, but I caught a flight just so I could surprise him here!”

“He really has no idea?”

Amanda’s smile deepened.

“He truly doesn’t.”

They were about to move to the next few stands over, but the eyes of a vendor behind them seemed to linger on Sableye. Something about seeing a Ghost Type made that person suddenly perk up.

“Wait, are you asking about Sam?” the vendor called out, and both Redi and Amanda stopped in place to pay attention. “Do you mean Sam Greyson? The Ghost Type guy? I just talked to him! He’s up first!”

“In the preliminaries?”

Redi rushed over and smacked her hands onto the young vendor’s table, demanding a quick answer. Between them, rows of battle-ready charcoal rattled around, and a Farfetch’d practically sent her a Leer.

“Mm-hm!” the vendor replied quickly and nervously. “He said he was one of the last people to register, so that means he’s up first. Something about the ‘disadvantage’ of less time to prepare?”

“I see. Thank you!”

As fast as she could, Redi turned to rejoin Amanda and leave, and the boy wished them luck as they hurried off. Next to him, a young-looking Growlithe followed that up with a friendly bark that bid them farewell.

With the information the boy provided, Redi wanted to run, but she was forced to stay at a normal pace so as to not leave Sam’s mom behind. Thankfully, they managed to enter the arena building without any trouble. They skipped the line; competitors and the families of competitors were allowed in for free.

Due to coming in so late, they didn’t exactly get a spot close to the arena, but they managed to get a pair of seats about halfway up, set right in front of a railing. The second they moved to sit, a light flashed in front of them, and Delcatty greeted Redi with a polite “Mrow!” before hopping up to lay in Amanda’s lap.

“Phew,” Redi exhaled. “Glad we made it. But, um, if you’re here... Don’t you have a store to manage?”

“I do, but people have known I’d be away for a little while!” Amanda said with a slight laugh. “I called in a favor with a friend—a local Pokémart employee—and he’s watching the place for us while Shuppy and Skully stay on guard.”

Shuppy and Skully?

Oh, the Shuppet and Duskull Sam rescued.

Amanda went on to explain that those two really weren’t fans of large crowds, so they chose to stay at home and support Sam from afar.

“But all of Dewford Town is cheering on Sam!” Amanda continued with a bright smile on her face. “There are always a few people from the island that make it to the Conference each year, but none of them have ever had a family member as well-connected as me!”

She tapped the side of her nose.

“I haven’t just been managing my bookstore. Sam’s journey has been a bit inspirational, and I’ve been taking a handful of other ‘jobs’ off to the side. I might have been talking ears off about just how proud of him I am, and ever since Brawly got a message about him from Chuck, he’s practically been the talk of the town!”

“Wow.” Redi stared out at the arena floor below them and the square of four independent battlefields. “I just have my family and my aunt.”

She couldn’t say her entire town supported her. She couldn’t even say her entire town knew she existed.

But next to her, Sam’s mom clicked her tongue.

“Oh, shush, you,” she said. “Don’t fool yourself. You have me and everyone else you’ve met on your journey for support. I’m sure you’ve made plenty of friends while traveling about, hm?”

From where they were held in her arms, Porygon pushed against Redi’s stomach in agreement. She could tell they were trying to say that they’d support her no matter what.

She laughed at that, feeling a warmth grow in her chest.

“You’re right,” she said. “I do have that. And...”

Her blood was pumping. Her team had made great improvements in the past month. Her sponsorship with Mr. Pokémon was paying dividends—literally, in some cases—and she couldn’t wait to show off all of that in a proper fight.

Also, just because she wasn’t that well-known didn’t mean she was at a disadvantage. Getting people to learn about her was a big part of why she was out here.

Even better, now that she had made it to the Conference, she was in the perfect position to advertise her family’s construction business.

But there wasn’t much more time than that for them to continue their conversation. Referees moved to stand at each of the four fields below. Normally, these arenas would only host one battle at a time, but the place was so large that the League seemed to want multiple battles to take place at once.

Though a referee stood at the side of each field, one head referee stood in the direct center of the floor. The crowd quieted down to listen to his speech. Though his words were meant to mark the start of the preliminaries, Redi and so many others were barely paying attention.

After all, almost all eyes were on the eight competitors making their way out.

Redi could already recognize two of them.

“Look. Look! That’s my son! There’s my Sam!”

Amanda was practically bouncing in her seat.

“I can’t believe it,” Redi said, laughing as two of the trainers took up opposite positions on one of the fields. “Is Sam’s opponent really who I think he is?”

Strutting up to the field opposite to Sam was Edgar, the very same boy who had once won the Beginner’s Tournament just to go on to lose against Sam in Violet City.

As Edgar started to send Sam a few taunts, the head referee continued through his announcements, mostly just sharing the rules for these preliminary matches.

These battles would be three-on-three battles with no switches. Pokémon would stay out until they fainted.

And, rather than an immediate elimination on a loss, competitors would be graded on performance instead.

“Sam is going to crush him,” Redi said, leaning forward and gripping the railing.

Below, the challengers went on to send out their Pokémon.

When Redi saw that Haunter had evolved, she couldn’t hold back her laughter. When Edgar sent out a Pokémon that wasn’t even in its final form, she then laughed even harder.

Sam countered his opponent’s taunts, but Edgar’s expression somehow became even more smug than before. Yet Sam remained confident and calm.

...And that was interesting. Though they had tried to establish a cocky image in Violet City’s tournament, Sam had gone with a simpler outfit this time around. All he wore was a dark purple sweatshirt and some basic, black pants.

Redi could immediately tell that simplicity was his intention; Sam wanted all of the focus to be on his Pokémon rather than himself.

“Let’s do this,” Redi whispered.

Whistles blew.

As soon as the battle started, Gengar rushed his opponent, and a shout from Edgar saw his own Pokémon take a step back. The two Pokémon bounced on their feet, ready for whatever their opponent would do, and Edgar’s Pokémon narrowly avoided a single, testing swipe.

Yet, that preliminary state could not last forever. With a single shout, the Pokémon lunged.

Gengar and Edgar’s Nidorino met in a clash.

And with that, the battle truly picked up. Johto’s Silver Conference, or at least its preliminaries, had finally, officially begun.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

It’s suiting that the Conference starts in Chapter 155. After all, Cyndaquil’s Pokédex number is 155. In a way, we’ve come full circle.

If you want to read more about how the Silver Conference worked in the anime, the Bulbapedia article can be found here.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Delcatty
Dragonite
Nidorino
Sableye

Morty
Lance

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Next Fiction Poll Information

This post is public to let everyone read it, so please be wary of posting spoilers in the comments!

=======================================================================

This is a bit of a weird post since it’s neither an announcement nor a chapter. I’ve already mentioned the upcoming poll, so this is to further explain how that poll will work.

As it stands, I have over a dozen ideas that I could flesh out into full stories, and I need help narrowing them down to know what I should write next. Part of the reason I run these polls is that when I plan things for the first time, I often tend to flip-flop between different ideas, and it helps me when I can focus on a singular, solid plan.

This poll will be there to gauge the ideas people want to see the most and help me narrow down which story to write. It will be similar to the Type specialist poll at the end of the Type Specialist, but the options will not just be limited to choosing your favorite Type.

As an example, one of the stories I want to write involves a protagonist that’s trying to leave Team Magma. If the “Criminal” background proves to be unpopular, or if people are hardly interested in Hoenn as a region, then I’ll know that the concept isn’t worth fleshing out.

I will be posting the poll after Royal Road finishes its Ilex Forest arc, which should end at the end of next week. Any number of options will be available to be voted on, but the end result will be closer to the Ghost Type team member poll in that I’ll look at the top few options rather than take the outright most voted. Some choices are incompatible, after all.

Once the poll is out, I’ll likely leave it open until this fiction ends. Right now, I mostly just wanted to share my preliminary list of ideas. If you have anything you want me to include, please leave a comment, and if it’s something I’m interested in writing, I’ll likely add it to the options when the poll comes out!

_______________________________________________________________________

This list is broken up into categories to help me organize my ideas, but the actual poll will see all of the options bundled together in one big list.

Character Options
-Experienced Protagonist / Advanced trainer start
-Criminal Background / “Evil” Team Membership
-General Isekai / use of Meta-knowledge
-Local Trainer / Native OC

Plot Focus Options
-Contest Focus
-Classic Journey Focus
-Post-Gym Focus (Battle Frontier / World Coronation Series)
-Alternative, less structured goal and/or Slice of Life

Pokémon / Team Options
-Capture and Training of “Lesser” Legendary Pokémon (Latios/Latias, Articuno, certain Mythicals)
-Capture and Training of “Greater” Legendary Pokémon (Groudon, Rayquaza, Kyurem)
-Solo-run (A single, exceptionally strong Pokémon)
-“Breeder” (Training a great number of weaker Pokémon with a handful of stand-out exceptions)
-Classic, six-member team

Setting Options
-Early Regions (Gens I - IV)
-Unova (Gen V)
-Later Gen Regions (Gens VI+)

Specialty Options
-Water Type Specialist
-Ice Type Specialist
-Dragon Type Specialist
-Psychic Type Specialist
-Bug Type Specialist
-Poison Type Specialist
-Ground Type Specialist
-Machine / Technology Pokémon Specialist

_______________________________________________________________________

If you have any questions, please ask them and I will do my best to respond! Additionally, if this poll feels like it’s too much, tell me and I will look into cutting down the options or finding a way to set it up differently.

Chapter 154

Author Note:

This is the second of two chapters posted today!

Make sure to read the first chapter here!

(And this line is here just to take up space so that the previews don't have any spoilers. Same for this line being here to take up space so that the previews don't have any spoilers.)

=======================================================================

“When your mom first came to me and told me she was pregnant, I was shocked. She was young, but she wanted a child, and she told me she didn’t want her kid to grow up on their own. She wanted her son to have a family, an entire family, so after years of silence, she reached out, and she eventually joined me to settle in Dewford.

“She always talked about all these great plans she had for you. She had so many potential names, too. I can’t say I remember all of them, but I jokingly offered up ‘Samuel’ one day. It wasn’t until weeks later that I learned that was the name she chose.”

He laughed to himself, though those laughs gave way to wheezing coughs under his breathing mask. It was honestly a miracle he was managing to stay awake. He looked so thin, and Sam’s memories of these events were not pleasant. They had found him in his home after a heart attack, and it’d been so long since he’d seen a doctor that all of his underlying health conditions meant—

No. It’s not worth thinking about that.

Slowly, Sam sat in a chair that had been placed next to his grandfather. His grandfather, head resting on a pillow, turned to look at him.

He placed a hand on Sam’s and squeezed. Sam knew it was meant to be reassuring, but there was hardly any of the pressure to it unlike his usual grip.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time,” his grandfather continued, gaze locked onto Sam. “The name ‘Sam’ isn’t uncommon—especially not ‘Samuel!’ Not when there’s someone so famous named that exactly that out there. My reasoning was the same as so many others’, but it truly was just a coincidence. Your birth was the second happiest day of my life, right after your mother’s birth, of course.

“But, more than anything else, I was just happy to have a family again.”

His grandfather’s gaze drifted away from Sam, and his expression slowly fell.

“Then, your father passed. And slowly, so did so many of my Pokémon. I stopped taking care of myself, but I did everything in my power to take care of my daughter and you,” his grandfather said. “And then, coincidences began to build up. I got a little suspicious. It wasn’t until you were seven and you started asking me about the Ghost Type that I finally put the clues together.”

Sam’s throat felt dry. Every breath he took caused his body to shake. He stared at the form of his grandfather, still alive, even as his grandfather turned his head to look into his eyes.

“Hi, Sam,” Richard Greyson, Sam’s grandfather, said. “Gah. I really was a little prick back then, wasn’t I?”

“Grandpa,” Sam choked out.

His words were met with a laugh.

“Oh, none of that!” His grandfather waved a hand. “Why do you have to look so sad? It’s me! Your grandfather! Your old, old man!”

His grandfather’s tired face curved up into a grin, and despite everything going on, Sam laughed. In the background, the machines quietly hummed, and the consistent beat of a heart monitor pulsed through the air.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sam whispered.

“Tell you what?”

“That you knew me. That you’re from another world.”

“Oh, that?” His grandfather smacked his lips. “Wasn’t important. Didn’t make sense to bring it up. There was a lot going on, even back then.”

Sam sent his grandfather a look, the same look he always sent the man whenever he was being too vague. His grandfather saw that, and just like how he reacted to so many things, he let out a belly-deep laugh.

“Come on, now! You’re taunting me even here?” the old man asked.

But Sam kept it up, and his grandfather’s smile faded away. He breathed out, facing the ceiling, letting his head sink into his pillow.

It took a full minute for him to talk again.

“I didn’t want to overcomplicate things,” his grandfather said quietly. “I wanted you and your mother to be happy. It didn’t make sense to bring it up. It’s easier to keep things simple, and I thought... I thought that if I never said anything, you would never have to go through all of that. Guess I was wrong.”

He barked out a laugh.

“And mom?” Sam asked.

“What about her?”

“Does she know?”

The pause was slight, but it was definitely there.

“No. Not completely, I think. She has her hints—I wasn’t exactly the ‘usual’ father, I’d say. I suspect she suspects, but she never approached me, and I didn’t say anything. Knowing her, her logic was the same as mine. She didn’t want to complicate things. I think she just wanted to enjoy her family and her home.”

Sam quietly nodded. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if he could speak, and how was he supposed to do that? Having a second chance to talk was never in his plans.

His grandfather had always been hearty. He was jolly—in more ways than one. He was a solid oak of a man, but that oak had withered.

Right now, he looked so, so weak.

“I remember, way back when, I once told you I’d answer any questions you’d give me,” his grandfather said quietly. “I guess I never put a limit on that, did I? So how about we continue that right here?”

He grinned.

Rubbing his eyes, Sam did his best to nod, and it took him a bit to figure out what questions he wanted to ask—what questions he needed to ask.

“Professor Oak,” Sam said, settling on that topic even as much as he hated it. “Why did he never reach out to us? Even someone who said they were your friend, Doctor Hale, was surprised you had passed. What happened to all of them?”

“Ah. Really decided to hit home with that question, huh?” His grandfather’s smile became more strained. “Truth is, we haven’t talked in years. Most of the people I know are from Kanto. We exchanged a few letters after I moved to Dewford, but outside that...”

His voice trailed off.

“I guess we just got too busy. Didn’t bother to keep in contact.”

He didn’t look at Sam. He almost seemed ashamed. But Sam could tell it was more than that.

He had grown up with the man. He could always tell when his grandfather lied.

“Grandpa,” Sam said.

His look was serious.

His grandfather’s eyes flicked over to him, and then the old man sighed.

“Alright. You got me. Your old-old man wasn’t telling the complete truth,” he said. “Yes, we fell out of contact, but it isn’t their fault. I just... stopped. I was worried. I didn’t...”

His body shook when he breathed in.

“I remember what happened in the Ilex Forest that day. Nothing went to plan. With so much of the forest being destroyed, and with Sammy getting hurt... I didn’t want to risk it. I knew how it was meant to go. After all, my world? My old one? It knew quite a bit about this one, but those were just stories. Yet all those stories had happy endings. I didn’t want to ruin that.”

“So you cut yourself off,” Sam concluded. “You didn’t want to spread butterflies.”

“It was one of the reasons I was so resistant to letting your mother go out on her journey, and that cost me years of her life,” he said mournfully. “Sam. I know how much you looked up to me, but I’m sorry to say—your old-old man’s a coward!”

He laughed, but his laughter lacked any sign of joy.

Sam looked over his grandfather. He could tell just how little energy he had left. Even just talking was taking a lot out of him, but that? He looked as though he had just taken a blow to his chest.

“You’re not a coward,” Sam said.

His grandfather opened his mouth to try to deny that, but Sam kept talking.

“Back then, you never hesitated. You always threw yourself into action. Were you dumb? Yeah, a little bit. I mean, you never once followed through with any plan! But that doesn’t change what you did. It doesn’t change your decisiveness. At every chance you got, you stepped forward. Even though you told me you had selfish goals, you always worked solely to protect your friends.”

Sam did not hesitate. He stared his grandfather in the eye, pouring every ounce of meaning into his words. And to that, his grandfather’s lower lip shook. He seemed like he wanted to say anything, but he instead brought up a shaking arm to wipe the tears out of his eyes.

“T-thank you, Sam. I think I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear that. Do you—”

“I have one more question.”.

The room was quiet. Even the machines seemed to pause.

“The New Pokédex was in your attic,” Sam said. “Who sent it to you?”

For a long, long time, his grandfather was silent. He did not respond. He only stared at Sam.

For a second, Sam started to worry that that had been it, but then the slightest of smiles returned to the old man’s face.

“No one,” he said.

“What? But it was wrapped up in a mail—”

“I wrote it.”

Sam choked.

“The New Pokédex was... I suppose it was a hope of mine. Some secret desire to make an impact, even as foolhardy as I thought that was. See, I didn’t exactly come here empty-handed. I had a device on me from my old world. Jolt helped keep it charged, and I had downloaded this application filled to the brim with knowledge on all things Pokémon.

“But those kinds of devices don’t last forever, and I didn’t have the know-how to repair it nor the willingness to give it to someone who did. So one day, I sat down, and I... spent a few weeks recording everything it had. Not everything, but everything about Pokémon. I hoped that... I’m not sure. I hoped that when I sent it off, maybe something good would happen.”

“You said you were afraid of spreading butterflies.”

“I was. And even now, I’m not sure why I did that.”

Sam let his grandfather’s words sink in.

“So that’s why it’s so detailed,” Sam mumbled. “Because it has otherworldly information. And that’s also why there was nothing about Legendary—”

“What?” His grandfather fought to sit up. “No, I included information on Legendary Pokémon. They weren’t in it?”

His grandfather stared at him in disbelief until understanding lit up in his tired eyes, and he let out a short laugh.

“Oh. I see. He really...!”

He then laughed even harder, with the sound eventually developing into coughs.

“Who did you send it to?”

“If you don’t know, then I’m not going to tell you. That’s something I’ll leave you to figure out,” his grandfather said with a smirk. “So. Any other questions for your old-old man?”

“Maybe just why you kept thinking I’d recognize your name?”

The response to that was amusement. Something glimmered in his grandfather’s eyes. The smirk on his face spoke of Sam falling for a prank his grandfather had forgotten he’d even made.

“My name? Hah! It was a bit of a joke to myself. I was in a new world, so I wanted a new me. I chose a name from a comic book—I liked the character. I thought he was cool! And, I suppose looking back on it, I thought I could leech off those jokes about him having a great—”

He interrupted himself with a more purposeful cough this time around.

“But it’s more that I appreciated the character’s background,” he said quickly. “I wanted to be the same as him—someone able to strike off on his own and succeed.”

“So your name isn’t Richard Greyson?” Sam asked.

His grandfather shook his head.

“At this point, it is my name. After all, it’s the name I’ve gone by my whole adult life. And if I try to remember what I used to be called, I can’t...”  His eyes briefly lost their focus. “I’m just me. I’m Richard Greyson.”

And then he laughed at the joke Sam didn’t get.

For a while, Sam just sat there. He didn’t have anything else to ask, and his grandfather’s hand still rested on his own. What else was he supposed to say? What else was he supposed to bother him with? Was he supposed to talk about Celebi, or was he supposed to warn his grandfather of his own—

“Now then,” his grandfather said, interrupting Sam’s train of through. “That’s enough about me. What about you? I can tell it’s been a bit. What have you been up to? Give me all the spoilers.”

Sam had to wipe his eyes. His grandfather did his best to lean in.

“Me? I... I finally started my journey.”

“You did? With Cyndaquil?”

“Yeah. Do you... want to hear about it?”

“Of course I do! I want to hear about everything you’ve been up to more than anything else.”

Finally, Sam laughed, truly laughed, feeling a weight in his chest that he didn’t know he had completely disappear. He didn’t wait; he went right into it. With such an eager audience, he spoke of all the wonderful Pokémon on his team, all of the amazing people he’d met, and all of the incredible adventures they’d had together.

He talked to his grandfather straight through the entire night.

_______________________________________________________________________

When Sam emerged back in his camp, he stepped out of the bushes with Gengar in his shadow beneath him. The newly evolved Pokémon stayed in the darkness, and Sam silently took in the scene taking place before him.

It was a stand-off.

Annihilape stayed in place but was raging, barely keeping his anger under control. Drakloak was at his side, snapping her head violently at the two Pokémon in front of her, trying to resist her urge to lash out. Opposite to them, Typhlosion was doing her best to persuade them to stay back. All the while, Mismagius floated behind her. There were tears in the Ghost Type’s eyes.

Mismagius wasn’t fully there. Her gaze was unfocused, and she was lost in memory. Despite how torn up she looked, there was a hardness to her expression, as if she had to force herself to accept that she had done what needed to be done.

The only Pokémon not involved in this were Trevenant and Dreepy, who stood and floated off to the side, watching the exchange. Above, without Gengar leading them, the Gastly were divided. They either supported or hated Mismagius’s actions. Shadows writhed with the horde split in two.

So focused on the argument taking place, none of the Pokémon noticed Sam step into the campsite. They all shouted at each other, only barely resisting using their moves, and the archway in the back was completely gone.

But, eventually, out of all of the Pokémon, one eventually noticed. A surprised squeak pierced through the air, and Dreepy shot over to slam into Sam’s chest.

Sam gained a slight smile as he hugged him back. He made sure to rub the small Dragon Type’s head.

“It’s nice to see you, too.”

Immediately, the stand-off went completely and utterly still, and above them all, every single Gastly turned their heads. The swarm of unevolved Ghost Types rushed Sam excitedly, but before they could spiral around, darkness exploded out from underneath Sam’s feet.

Gengar had to dramatically show off his evolution, after all.

With that, just about every Gastly cried out in celebration. Likely, for miles away, anyone nearby would have experienced shivers sent down their spine. And, things weren’t done just there. Sam had to force himself to say nothing when several of the Gastly went on to glow.

It seemed that the few ready to evolve had been waiting just for him.

With the swarm of Gastly and Haunter now being properly distracted by Gengar’s presence, Sam was able to bring his gaze to the rest of his team, toward the core members he had come here to train with. The haunting celebrations of the Ghost Types above them were almost musical, but Sam didn’t pay attention to them.

Drakloak looked like she wanted to collapse out of relief. Annihilape breathed out, immediately pulling back on his rage to calm down. Trevenant nodded once, acting as if this was the only possible outcome, and Typhlosion looked as though she was about to cry.

But Mismagius. Poor, lonely, Mismagius. Her gaze focused, being brought over to Sam, and her expression became what Sam could describe as desperate hope.

When Sam met her gaze, they stayed there, staring at one another from across the clearing.

He smiled.

“Hi, Misdreavus,” Sam whispered. “I’m back.”

Mismagius burst into tears.

Before anyone could do anything else, she rushed him, basically falling into him. Her arms draped over his shoulders as she let her head rest against him, letting out a horrible wail.

Sam didn’t hesitate to hug her back.

“I’m sorry.”

Everyone but Typhlosion looked on, confused.

“Everyone,” Sam said, barely managing to speak properly after eventually pulling away. “I can explain, but just know that Mismagius did what she had to do.”

He breathed in.

“The important part is, I’m back, and I have a wild story to tell you,” he said. “And more than that, more than anything else...”

For once, Sam felt completely and utterly confident.

“And more than anything else,” he continued. “I’m ready. I’m ready for anything the world throws at us. Come here. Let me explain, but also remember we have plenty of time. We’ll be training as much as possible over the coming weeks, and I promise you that we will win the Conference.”

After all, even with everything Sam had gone through, only a handful of minutes had passed. He was back with his team. He was armed with knowledge. And with his experience and his grandfather’s New Pokédex, Sam had just about two full weeks to prepare his team for the Conference.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

See: End of Chapter 142. Very final line.

Thank you so, so much for reading. With this, the “journey” arc has ended. There will be a break next week, but we will pick back up on Tuesday, April 22nd for the start of the Silver Conference.

See you then.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Celebi

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 153

Author Note:

I did not have internet access until an hour and a half ago, and I'm not using my usual computer. I also haven't eaten today, so a bunch of my plans have been thrown off. Still, it's done. Mostly.

This is the first of two chapters being released today. The next chapter will be out in a few hours.

Additionally, cliffhanger warning. There's a reason there's a second chapter coming out so soon.

=====================================================================

Sam was still behind that fallen tree, but he could only describe his presence as if he had taken a half-step to the left through reality. The world was black and white around him. Nothing moved, but he could see, so he immediately threw out any of his preconceptions about physics given the current frozen time. The sun might have been shining, but there was no visible movement. There was no breeze, no slight wave to the grass, and all forms of life lacked their usual signs of vitality.

Also, there was a conspicuous lack of pressure held in his arms.

“Misdreavus?” he asked.

She was gone. So was the Iron-Masked Marauder. Gengar was no longer behind him, and he wasn't in Sam's shadow, either.

“You—!”

Celebi didn't even blink at Sam when he tore his head up to send it a glare. The Legendary Pokémon was hardly paying attention to him, only staring at the motionless scene taking place in the clearing.

“Follow.”

The Legendary Pokémon then flew off ahead, and Sam had no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it. It had already promised him that it would help Misdreavus, and something deep in his gut told him that a promise from a Legendary Pokémon meant something—even if Celebi was just a ‘mystical’ or whatever Richard kept trying to call it.

Celebi ended up hovering above the dead center of the area, drifting around where Ash and the rest faced off against the Iron-Masked Marauder. Sam followed, and the trio of boys remained perfectly still even as Celebi poked them. An identical yet moderately injured Celebi floated behind their heads. It, too, was perfectly still, but Sam somehow got the sense that it was merely playing along.

“Friends!” Celebi said cheerfully.

“Sure. But you only like them because they saved you. You only bonded over, what, last night? Sorry I wasn’t there. See, I got separated because I went to fight off the Iron-Masked Marauder on everyone's behalf.”

He glared at it. Celebi stuck out its tongue.

“Sour!” it called him.

He felt his eye twitch.

Looking at the motionless group before him, Sam couldn't say he knew Ash or even Sammy that well. He had talked to them a few times, but he’d either been focused on Celebi, dealing with his thoughts, or trying to get a handle on Richard.

His grandfather.

He found himself stopping in front of the familiar young boy's face. Richard knelt on the ground, frozen in time, his body half-covered in dirt and ash. Splinters from the trees had caught onto his pant legs—he’d likely taken a few falls—but he glared at the Marauder with a truly defiant expression on his face despite all of that.

Now that I’m looking, I'm surprised no one saw the resemblance. I can see a few parts of his face that look like my mom’s, and I bet there are others that look like mine.

Redi would have noticed.

His team members would have noticed.

But none of them were here right now.

Sam sighed, standing back up, and he sent a glance to Celebi, who had paused in front of Ash.

“Special,” it said.

“So what did you want to show me, exactly? I figure you didn’t pull me away from everyone just to show these three off.”

Celebi blinked, pulling away from Ash, and then it smirked and flew over to the Iron-Masked Marauder. Though he and his Tyranitar were utterly frozen, Sam still gave them a wide berth. As he moved around them, reality changed to adjust to what he saw.

As if walking to the other side of a flat painting, a shape folded into existence above and behind the Iron-Masked Marauder. Purple fur caught his eye, and Sam realized he was looking at a Gengar—his Gengar.

Gengar’s hands gripped the Marauder’s head.

“Possession,” Sam mumbled, identifying the effect. “I always knew Ghost Types could do that, but I never thought... It’s nasty.”

He shivered.

“Needed help!” Celebi said cheerfully. “Story continues!”

Celebi smiled at Gengar with a firm nod, but Sam just sent the Legendary Pokémon a flat look.

Its lack of comprehensive answers was annoying him, and it saw his unsatisfied expression and replied with a huff.

“No fun.”

“Hey, I’m not the one separated from his friends and then told one of them would be subjected to decades of solitude.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Oh, wait! I am.”

Celebi stuck out its chin at him, but Sam didn't look away, challenging it to prove him wrong. He didn't back down, and the Legendary Pokémon eventually slumped in the air.

“Sorry. Needed to.”

“Then tell me—why was all of this necessary? Why drag me away from my team? And why did you need Gengar to possess him? We already won, but twice now, you said the story had to continue. Why, and what story? What's even the point?!”

Realizing he had started to yell, Sam breathed out to calm himself down. The perfect stillness of the world around him was putting him on edge. It was unnatural in a way that even Ghost Types couldn’t match.

As his onslaught of questions came to an end, Celebi looked at him, and it seemed to truly do so rather than just sending him a glance as if to brag about a prank. Its large eyes briefly wavered. From its wobbling expression, Sam could tell there was a genuine guilt there, and he almost felt bad for his testiness.

Almost.

“Story is... time,” Celebi said in its halting, child-like voice. “Time is always story. First story was... Not good. Did not like first story's end.”

Sam went quiet.

“My grandfather mentioned that,” he said in almost a whisper. “Richard, I mean. So then, based on what he told me, all of that happened? And all of this was set up because you know that you would... die?”

“Not happened. Never happen,” Celebi said cheerfully. “And now live! Through trick! Story changed—can wiggle! Will be big show!”

It spiraled upwards into the air, lifting an arm at its peak. It flexed as if to brag, using a hand to pat at a muscle that wasn't really there.

“So all of this...” Sam started. “It’s just been a big show? You threw us through time and forced Misdreavus to suffer just because you didn't want to die?”

Celebi opened its mouth as if it wanted to continue to brag, but then Sam’s words seemed to hit it all at once. Its expression fell again, and it slumped a foot in the air.

“Sorry.”

Sam could understand why it had done this. That didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

As he stood there, basically stewing, Celebi flew down to rub its cheek against his face, trying to get him to cheer up. He waved it away, not wanting to be comforted. At this point, he just wanted these problems to end.

“But why me?” Sam asked quietly. “Why all of this? Wait, and why my grandfather? He said... he said he was from another world. Did you make that happen, too?”

Celebi cocked its head to the side, staring at Sam and observing his reaction.

“Wanted to,” it said.

“You or him?”

“Him.”

“Did he know?”

“No.”

“So then you were the one to bring him?”

“Yes. No. Yes! Someone else fell. Sneaky! Grab when not looking. Brought here instead.”

Celebi gained a cheeky smile, proud as if it had pulled off the heist of the lifetime. Sam had to take a moment, falling back to sit on the splinter-covered ground.

Thankfully, since the world was frozen, the destroyed terrain didn't stab into him or his clothing. He still pressed down on it, but there was no effect. Neither he nor the world seemed able to interact with one another while outside normal time.

Slowly, Sam breathed in.

Then, he breathed out just as slow-paed.

“So the New Pokédex—”

“Spoilers!”

“And Misdreavus—”

A wince.

“Will you at least tell me how this all ends?”

As he asked that, Celebi regained its smile and offered Sam its hand.

“More! Show you.”

He stared at that offered limb before breathing out once more.

Screw it.

Upon grabbing it, he was then whisked far, far up into the sky. The world regained its colors, and he witnessed a flurry of movement below.

Ash beat the Marauder. Somehow, his Pikachu managed to defeat that Tyranitar—in a suitably dramatic fashion, of course.

Gengar fled from the clearing without anyone noticing, and Sam watched another Celebi appear to whisk him away from the woods.

In the clearing itself, things did not progress well. Sammy collapsed, exhausted to the point of injury, and the Celebi from before inspected him even as Richard screamed.

When Celebi—the one Sam was with—mentioned a show, Sam did not expect one like this. The one in the clearing seemed to come to a decision, and he could only watch the entire world rewind.

Fallen trees pulled themselves back up. Splintered wood merged with where it had come from originally. Leaves re-attached to where they had fallen off, and a dirty brown returned to be replaced by the forest’s vibrant green.

But it came at a cost. The injured Celebi had no more energy left. It looked withered. Ancient.

When Ash picked it up, it looked as if it was about to crumble in his arms.

Through the forest, the wild Pokémon returned, and they took one look at their exhausted group and began to lead everyone away. Richard carried Sammy. Ash carried Celebi. Both still-conscious boys had serious yet mournful expressions on their faces.

Sam tried to ask a question, but he found his voice didn’t work. In an instant, reality flashed, and he was back at the lake. Its crystal-clear water stretched out below, and both boys placed who they were carrying it below.

Sammy healed. Something about the water allowed him to regain his energy, though Sam couldn’t see what due to a dense fog. It wasn’t the same for Celebi, however. It stayed just as withered as it was before.

“Why?” Sam asked.

He was surprised to hear his voice.

“Now,” came Celebi’s reply.

The show it had mentioned was not what had happened before. Motes of light floated up into the sky, and the clouds seemed to open up. Celebi of all kinds began to flood out, and the withered body rose, just for its eyes to creak open for one last smile.

Of course, this “story” had to have its happy ending, and light surrounded the withered Celebi, and then it was as good as new. Celebrations began below it!

But Sam has his suspicions. The light show was simply too much.

Celebi began to bring him back down into the forest, and he caught the briefest sight of a tearful goodbye taking place. Sammy and Richard were being sent back home, but Richard was looking around for someone who wasn’t there.

“You were brought back?” Sam asked once they touched back down onto the forest’s floor.

Celebi seemed to sense Sam’s suspicions, and it shook its head to deny his question.

“Then, what happened?”

“Was me. Future me. Swapped twice. Wanted to see friends one last time.”

Above the trees, the light of all the Celebi swirled together as each one began to return home. However, Sam had a realization. Despite all of the individual differences, the Celebi were not unique. They were less a species and more variations of a single Pokémon. There was no such thing as a “Celebi.” There was only one “Celebi.”

“You swapped yourself out twice,” Sam realized. “Once to replace your injured self with your oldest self, and then once more to fake yourself being brought back.”

“Yes.”

“This was the moment your plan was for. You needed to give yourself enough wiggle room to pull off that replacement.”

“Yes!”

Sam looked up at Celebi, truly looked up at Celebi. Instead of glaring at it in hatred, he did his best to gather as much understanding as he could. It existed outside time, and it could influence time. It could see the potential of the future and then adjust accordingly.

Though there were limitations to that, he could also tell that it could make sure certain Pokémon and people meet.

“One last question. And please, just give me the answer,” he said tiredly. “Misdreavus. Why would you do that to her?”

“Planned it. Saw you. Thought you could be friends.”

“As a payment?” Sam said, his voice increasing in volume. “So you saw some lonely Pokémon, and you thought you could pay me back for all of this by putting her on my team?”

“No. Yes. No. She—”

“You had Misdreavus suffer for years!” Sam yelled. “She wandered Ilex Forest for decades! And... Ah. Even now, you’re manipulating things. There was a reason she wasn't there when you pulled me out of time, huh?”

Celebi seemed unable to look Sam in the eyes. He could tell it had wanted to brag, but now, his words wouldn’t let it.

He had promised Misdreavus he would help, and he had made sure Celebi did the same.

“Help. Her,” Sam said. “You promised.”

“Can’t. Story continues. Time doesn't change.”

“...So this is how it ends. That’s how this was always supposed to happen, huh? You get what you want. You put Misdreavus on my team. Since we’re fine in the future, your conscience is cleared. It doesn’t matter that Misdreavus’s reward is to be alone for years!”

He shut his eyes when he realized his voice was cracking, but then he opened them to stare. Unrelenting, he waited for Celebi to act. It refused to look at him, but he refused for this to be the end.

“No. That isn’t going to happen,” Sam said, his voice low. “If you send me back—if you send me back without doing anything for Misdreavus? I’ll fight you. For every year you make her suffer, I’ll make your home suffer ten times over. I promise you. Unless you help her, I will burn the Ilex Forest to the ground.”

His gaze was even, and he did his best to not crack. Celebi finally looked up at him, its eyes went wide, and it held its shaky stare. He tried to put everything into making sure it believed him. Honestly, he only half believed him, himself.

“You... do that?” it asked. It then stared off into the distance. “You actually do that!”

“I do?” Sam blinked at it. “Yeah! I mean, of course I do! I told you I promised, didn’t I?”

Despite his threat, Celebi didn’t back away. Despite the apparent fact that he could do something like that in the future, Celebi clutched its stomach and started to laugh. Leaning back, it almost looked like it was struggling to breathe from laughing so hard.

“You!” it managed to squeak out through its giggles. “Follow through! Mean it! Would destroy Celebi’s home!”

“Of course,” Sam said, crossing his arms to feign as much confidence as he could. “Anything for my team.”

With that statement, the Legendary Pokémon wiped its eyes.

“Okay. Will help. For a good friend.”

“Just like that?”

“Yup!” It smiled. “Have wiggle room. Can use.”

Celebi brought up its arms, and the world suddenly changed around Sam. Seasons flashed by, and the trees grew and shifted. He found himself back where Celebi had first brought him away, where he had first woken up in the forest, but it wasn’t him coming to this time around.

Instead, in the same spot he had first pulled himself off the ground, Misdreavus rose into the air. She blinked rapidly to get her bearings and looked around.

Her expression fell when she realized no one was with her. Sam was only a few feet away, but Celebi had done something to ensure he wouldn’t be seen.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped when he saw something fluttering to the ground.

“You’re cruel,” he said to Celebi.

“Am not!”

He sent it a look as Misdreavus slowly brought up Sammy’s sketch of her and Sam laughing.

Using her telekinesis to store it in her hair, she then took off, determined to find where Sam had gone. Her last memory had to be of using Shadow Ball to take out the Iron-Masked Marauder. She likely felt Sam pick up her, but past that, she would have been nothing.

Though time passed, Sam didn’t experience it. He only saw Misdreavus tear through the woods, weaving between and through the trees. She checked the stream, she checked her home, and she headed south.

But there was nothing. There weren’t even footsteps from where Sam had walked.

“Was this really...”

He let his voice trail off when he saw Misdreavus yawn.

Ghost Types didn’t need to sleep. They could, but it tended to be closer to a form of torpor. But here, without anything else to do, Misdreavus found a small nook to settle into, and then she closed her eyes and went still.

Something popped into existence above her. Another Celebi, the same one yet separate, came into being right there. It looked directly to where Sam and Celebi were standing and winked. The Celebi next to Sam waved.

Drifting downward, the Celebi tapped Misdreavus’s head, and the world changed around her. Seasons passed. Years came and went by. Misdreavus woke up, not yet in Sam’s time, but a significant amount of time had passed.

“Need first moment. Critical. Rest? Like dream.”

Misdreavus would wander, a dazed look to her expression. There was a loneliness to her expression, but she wasn’t fully there.

And, after a while of searching, she would float down for a rest, and then a Celebi would appear. With a tap to her head, that condition would be maintained, and then another several years would skip past her.

“How long?” Sam said.

“Months,” Celebi answered.

Not decades, Sam realized.

“So did she experience this? Does she remember this?”

“As much as dream in morning.”

The feelings were there. Hints of an experience were there. But what she actually went through? Not as extreme.

It was better, yet Sam still couldn’t be happy about it.

Still, Celebi let him stay as he was. Though she could not see him, he made sure to stay with Misdreavus for every second of her search.

“I’m still not happy about this,” Sam said. “I don't appreciate how you still subjected Misdreavus to all this time on her own.”

Celebi didn't blink.

“But at least... Thank you for minimizing it.”

“No choice. Must have search. Otherwise, how meet?”

Eventually, the time came. One day, when unconsciously wandering through the woods, another Celebi appeared behind Misdreavus’s head. With one last tap, the Celebi broke Misdreavus out of her dream-like state, and it made a noise to have her immediately snap around.

The Celebi vanished, but she was facing the right direction. It let her hear a noise.

Voices.

Misdreavus rushed off, eager to meet Sam, and fluttering out of her hair was that same sketch.

Sam walked over to pick it up.

“And then, we met, and all of this starts. She gets to join my team and actually be happy.  But then she also makes sure I’m sent back to make her want that in the first place,” he said. “So then which of us—”

“Me,” Celebi said.

“Of course,” he said sarcastically. “Can’t have a paradox when you exist outside time.”

Sam stared at the sketch of him and Misdreavus laughing on the forest floor. It seemed so long ago at this point, even though, from his perspective, it was only two days away.

Putting it back into his pocket, he looked up at Celebi. It was time for this all to reach its end.

“So what’s next? You bring me back to my team? I hope you aren't going to have Gengar wander.”

“Will be in shadow! But payment, first.”

“Payment? This didn’t count?”

It shook its head.

“Not payment for you. Payment for him.”

Sam froze. He went utterly still when Celebi moved to the side. Behind it, another one of those archways stood there. IT had always been behind it. Was always behind it.

But this time, he couldn’t see the forest through to its other side. Instead, he saw a hallway, sterile and white, stretching out toward a door.

A sound entered his ears. It was one that haunted his nightmares.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

It was slow. Consistent. Medical.

“No,” Sam whispered. “Not like this.”

But he willingly walked through it anyway.

He remembered this hallway. He’d never been able to forget it. He wasn’t in Ilex. He wasn’t in Johto. This wasn’t even Dewford, but Petalburg. After all, Petalburg had the most advanced facilities they could reach in time.

People in white uniforms walked past him as he moved down the hall. Their pace had been reduced to an unnatural slow. They didn’t even look at him. He didn’t look back. His gaze was locked on the door at the end of the hall.

A label with a familiar name was plastered to its front, and a boy and his Cyndaquil slept in a chair to its side. He knew what they were waiting for. They wanted to hear the good news that they would never come.

Hand gripping the cold, metal handle, Sam wasn’t sure how long he stood there. He knew he couldn’t wait forever, he braced himself and opened the door to enter a room full of whirring, unfeeling machines.

A pair of eyes opened up when the door creaked.

A man in a bed smiled.

A voice Sam had not heard in years spoke up.

“Samuel,” it greeted.

Only one word left Sam’s mouth in reply.

“Grandpa.”

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Author Note:

Celebi's dialogue is meant to be in italics to represent its telepathic-like effect, but Patreon no longer carries over italics when I copy-paste. I would need to go through and manually re-do all of that, but I'd rather work on the next chapter instead.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Celebi
Cyndaquil
Tyranitar

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 152

Author Note:

I am currently without easy access to a computer, so this chapter was written and edited via my phone. The usual formatting and links will unfortunately have to wait until I have more access to a computer much later tonight.

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Shadows cast by the dense canopy created fingers that reached for Sam's throat. A fog spread across the ground, creating a smothering blanket that hid each of his steps. The hair on the back of his neck stood on its ends, and each and every exhale saw a mist form in front of his face.

Gengar was hostile. Enraged. Dangerous. This was no mischievous trick; the Pokémon was on a hunt. Escaping the portion of the woods destroyed by the Marauder’s plot, Sam pressed himself against the bark of a tree. He used the corridors formed by massive roots to hide his presence the best he could.

Carried by the breeze, laughter echoed from a distance. It was punctuated by the sound of something heavy shattering.

Think, Sam. When the Marauder ran, you did too. Why? How do you get out of this, and what's your goal to win?

His goal was to make Celebi help him.

But that wasn't applicable right now.

No, the real goal had to be the capture or defeat of the Iron-Masked Marauder, but Sam would also have to outlast and end Gengar's rampage.

“Misdreavus isn’t here right now,” Sam whispered to himself, just checking that he could hear his voice. “She went off to hide the Dark Balls, which means...”

It was just him.

He had no Pokémon.

In other words, the only defense he had was his knowledge of the Ghost Type.

Pressed against a freezing cold nook in that shadow-coveted tree, Sam could only see a few possible ways out of this. One, knock out Gengar. (Not likely.) Two, he could run away. (A coward's move.) Three, he could dump his problems in the Iron-Masked Marauder's lap instead, which risked—

Sam froze when he heard another distant branch break, but no matter how hard he strained his ears, no other sound followed that.

This is the worst-case scenario when dealing with Ghost Types, which I need to keep in mind. If Gengar kept his skills when he evolved, I can expect him to sense others and be skilled with moves like Hypnosis.

That means no negative emotions. That means no eye contact. But even if I avoid eye contact, he’d still be right there. I can't forget he’s a powerful and fast special attacker. My best hope would be to hide.

He had to stay hidden, but he needed an end goal. Realistically, he needed help.

He needed to find Misdreavus.

But all of that came together in a singular point: he and the Iron-Masked Marauder had the same goal. 

If Misdreavus was out here hiding those Dark Balls, then the Iron-Masked Marauder was likely going to try to find them. That meant he would try to search for Misdreavus as well, so, in other words, they were searching toward the same place. All of this would be settled by who could find her first.

I know Misdreavus. I know how she thinks, and I know how she likes to hide. If I apply that to where she might put those Dark Balls...

Somewhere shadowy.

only

Sam paused and looked around.

Okay, everywhere is shadowy right now, so she’s probably searching for an “obvious” place. One that someone would easily overlook but might notice out of the corner of their eyes.

Unlike usual, the chill was uncomfortable, but there was no frost. Still, Gengar had been training for a long time, and the pressure his aggression emanated made Sam feel as though frozen daggers were being pressed against his spine.

Yet, it wasn’t completely new to him. The feeling caused by Morty’s Dusclops was worse. Sam desperately wanted to snap his Pokémon out of it, but he didn't know how, so he had to treat Gengar like the threat he was.

When Sam pushed off the tree to begin stalking through the woods, he made sure to walk slowly and dragged his feet so that he wouldn't step on anything and cause a loud snap. No matter what he did, his movements caused old leaves to crunch, but anything louder would have been worse. Gengar was fast. He’d be on Sam in an instant, yet Sam couldn't even let himself move too slow or risk the Iron-Masked Marauder finding Misdreavus first.

He crept past the towering trees, the giants serving as cover for both him and his foes. He looked over every nook and cranny he could find, but he never once found a sign of Misdreavus. The only good thing about that was that there were no wild Pokémon around right now. The threat of the Marauder’s rampage and the emanations caused by Gengar’s anger meant all wild Pokémon had fled.

Still. Each time Sam stepped, he felt as though the slight crunch was the start of an avalanche. Each time he exhaled, he felt as though the noise was an airhorn.

But Gengar didn’t appear, and Sam kept searching. The only reason he knew he hadn’t been found was due to the nature of the Dark Balls—if Gengar located him, the Ghost Type would not stalk Sam before striking, as was his standard. No, the infused rage would see him strime almost immediately.

So Sam would know if Gengar found him right away. Since he was able to walk, he was hidden. It was a small comfort, but it was a comfort he’d take.

Every second stretched out. For ages, it felt like he was alone. Sometimes, he'd hear something move in the distance, but Gengar never appeared.

It was only when the fog thickened that Sam realized he was being watched. Something shifted at the edge of his vision, and he caught two glints of red staring at him as if they were eyes. 

But calling them eyes would have been wrong. They were flat, featureless, and one seemed to be cracked.

When the yellow of the Marauder’s Iron Mask became visible through the mist, Sam froze in place. The poacher, a slight smirk on his face, lifted an arm and heaved a rock.

And then he threw it.

Sam jumped.

He avoided the projectile, but that wasn't the Marauder's aim. 

When it hit the ground, it made a noisy thump.

A screech—something shot towards Sam from out in the distance. The Iron-Masked Marauder was gone, having already disappeared into the fog. No longer caring about the noise he made, Sam shot toward a massive root sticking out of one of the enormous trees.

He pressed himself into the shadow formed by its bend, and he held his breath, recognizing that staying hidden was his only recourse.

Forcing himself to go still, Sam felt nothing. Thought nothing. Did nothing.

He only stared.

Gengar’s momentum pushed the mist back in a line as he shot to where that rock landed. Bringing an arm down, the stone shattered. Unsatisfied with that quarry, he then looked up.

Red eyes, real ones, glanced around.

Gengar searched through every gap here. He moved in a circle to check the world around himself, and Sam prayed he’d go unseen.

But as enraged as Gengar was, the Dark Ball had not granted him patience. Despite his terrible strength, his search was nothing more than a glance.

For one, terrifying, horrible moment, it almost seemed Gengar laid his eyes on Sam, but he kept turning, his gaze merely sweeping past.

After an eternity of searching that lasted naught but a few seconds, Gengar drifted off the ground to begin to float away.

Sam breathed out.

And Gengar snapped around, his stare sharp enough to cut and his grin practically splitting his body in twain. Sam thought that was it, but the movement was just a bluff, and Gengar finally left the scene.

For a while, Sam waited in that nook, expecting Gengar to return at any moment. His absence could have been a trick or just a delay to draw Sam out. At any second, Gengar would come back and finally unleash his attack.

So, Sam waited.

But the dreaded moment never came.

Slowly and cautiously, Sam pulled himself out, checking his surroundings. He even glanced up to see if Gengar was hiding above his head.

Nothing.

He was alone once more.

The Iron-Masked Marauder might have tried to lure Gengar, but, despite everything, Sam managed to escape unscathed.

Somehow.

I need to keep going.

The delay brought an advantage to the Marauder. He recognized this unspoken competition as well, and he wanted to reach Misdreavus first.

As much as Sam wanted to speak just to hear his own voice, he couldn't risk making any sound. Not until he was close.

He stuck even closer to the trees, doing his best to stay cloak. He recognized that Gengar was doing little to stay hidden, and at several points, he could hear the rushing of wind from his Ghost Type darting through the woods. But staying still, holding his breath, and making sure he felt nothing at all prevented any unexpected attacks.

Finally, eventually, and thankfully, the mist faded ever so slightly as Sam left Gengar's part of the woods.

It was funny. The sun was brighter out here. Sam had to hold back a laugh when he remembered—

Technically, it was still morning.

Resisting the urge to shout for his Pokémon, Sam was able to pick up his speed and use all of the little tricks he’d learned in his search. Finally, Sam managed to find Misdreavus when he saw her movement out of the corner of his eye.

Much like the small little den she had when he first found her, Misdreavus stuck to the shadows but tried to dig under where one of the trees’ roots stuck out from the ground.

He had found her, and the Dark Balls were next to him, but Misdreavus hadn’t seen him.

And Sam wasn’t alone.

Above, once more, he saw one-and-a-half red lenses glint off of the late morning sun.

The Iron-Masked Marauder, having given himself a head start, had used that time to position himself right above her, intending to surprise her by jumping down. He didn't need to win completely. He just needed one Dark Ball. With that, he could catch-and-release Misdreavus, and he could use the ball to command Gengar.

I can't let that happen.

But he knew that any noise he made would just draw Gengar here.

The Iron-Masked Marauder was moving slowly to keep quiet, and if Sam tried to warn Misdreavus, she wouldn't have a fast enough reaction to act before everything would go downhill.

I can’t call out to her. The Iron-Masked Marauder would just use that as an opening. And that'd lure Gengar here. Misdreavus is so focused on digging that she has no clue what's going on around her.

Then how do I stop this? We're at a disadvantage. Any noise would attract Gengar—

He paused.

Any noise would attract Gengar, Sam realized.

What if that was what he wanted?

Quickly, Sam flicked his gaze around, trying to look for anything else he could use. He searched for something, but there was nothing.

It was only him and everyone else.

So he only had one plan to go through.

Before he did anything, Sam took a moment to remember every moment he'd ever had with his Pokémon. He remembered every second he’d spent with his team, every break he’d spent in training, and every moment he'd spent traveling with Misdreavus.

He was ready.

Prepared, Sam breathed in, cupped his hands around his mouth, and with a bright smile on his face, let loose a powerful shout.

“GENGAR!”

Misdreavus looked up. The visible, lower half of the Iron-Masked Marauder’s face went stark white. Sam stepped back, allowing himself to fade into the shadows.

And the world seemed to turn to night.

Cackles echoed out from the section of the forest they’d just left, and mist served as the harbinger of Gengar’s presence. The Marauder snapped out of his surprise to say one thing.

“No. Not like this.”

His words came out like a growl, and he jumped, trying to reach Misdreavus before any of this could happen. His goal was, more than anything else, to grab the Dark Balls before Gengar showed up.

But Sam had already rigged this to be in his favor, and for once, the Marauder was acting out of fright.

Gengar appeared like a rocket, traveling so fast that his movements were guided by instinct alone. As a Ghost Type, he was attracted to the most negative presence in their area.

As much as Ghosts attracted Ghosts, it wasn't Misdreavus. No, in a complete reverse to how the Marauder had avoided Gengar in the first place, Gengar was attracted to him and only him.

The impact saw him slam right into the Marauder, who was still falling and frightened for his life.

The two were sent tumbling, and the Marauder hit the ground first. Groaning, he slid, and he came to a rest against the bark of a tree.

And Gengar, so possessed by the Marauder's very own Dark Balls, was right on top of him. Mouth stretched out in ferocious glee, he lifted an arm to conjure shadows behind it.

But Sam couldn't let that happen.

He refused to have something like this be done by a Pokémon on his team.

“Hey, Gengar! Turn around!”

Sam was running before he realized it, but Gengar didn’t drop his rapidly forming attack. He did check over his shoulder with a glance, turned back to the Marauder, and then snapped around once more when he realized that, yes, someone was rushing him.

He wasn't prepared to redirect his attack, and he didn’t seem to think he needed to. Without the use of Type energy, Sam should have phased right through.

He didn't.

No, Sam's fist smashed right into the center of Gengar's face in a perfect mimicry of the same moment he'd first caught him. The surprise punch sent Gengar straight to the ground.
Gengar didn't take any damage—why would he? It wasn't a Pokémon move—but he did grab the mark on his face and rock back and forth in pain.

“It's over," Sam said.

He could already tell—Gengar had been snapped out of it. The freezing cold aura had completely disappeared.

Behind him, Misdreavus stared in utter shock. From her perspective, this entire exchange only lasted a few seconds. And Sam now towered over the Iron-Masked Marauder. He made sure to display all of his confidence on his face.

“...You.”

The Marauder’s voice was a low, gravelly drawl. He remained unintimated, and a hand snapped up to grab the tree's bark.

“You... You child. You twerp! You’re ruining it. Everything I had planned, and you're trying to take it from me like this?”

A laugh. The man shakily pulled himself up. Sam found himself taking a nervous step back.

Gengar wasn’t in any place to react. It was just him and the Marauder, standing less than three feet away.

“No,” the Marauder said. “I’m not going down that easily. I’ll end everything here, I'll re-catch your dumb Pokémon, and then I’ll—”

Through the lenses, Sam could see the man blink.

Coming from right behind Sam, Misdreavus rocketed forth. Despite having stayed back all this time, she was not going to let someone threaten Sam like this.

Fueled by everything, she put her all into this move. And right in front of her face, a shadowy mass formed.

Her Shadow Ball slammed right into the Marauder's chest.

That was the last strike needed. The man simply couldn't take it anymore. The move sent him falling back, and he fell to the ground, in a daze of pain.

“You... did it. You saved us,” Sam said.

Misdreavus looked Sam in the eye, smiled, and then she fell out of the air.

Sam was just barely able to catch her in time as she had truly put everything she had into her move. She wasn't quite asleep, but she was unconscious.

“Thank you,” Sam said softly. “Let's go back.”

They'd finally managed to win.

__________________________________________________________________________

With the fight finished, Sam went through the last few actions he needed to get through. He checked each Dark Ball to make sure they were empty, then he placed them on a stone to stomp on them and break them in half. The Iron-Masked Marauder himself was in no position to resist, so Sam also searched his body, found any hidden electronics, and broke all of those, too.

There was a point in which the Marauder seemed to be about to wake up, but that was when Gengar stepped in, finally having recovered after writhing on the ground. He was tired after being so consumed by the Dark Ball’s all-encompassing energy, but he was able to pull back the man’s mask and subject him to a Hypnosis.

And then they were walking back, with Sam carrying the resting Misdreavus in his arms and with Gengar dragging the unconscious Marauder over the forest floor. If the poacher ever bounced off a rock or a root in his sleep, neither of them said anything, and neither of them acted like they noticed.

“You were frightening,” Sam said. “You made me creep through a dark forest just to avoid you! You know how hard my heart was hammering in my chest? And I had to ignore all of that just to hope you wouldn’t detect me.”

Gengar blushed.

“Congratulations on your evolution. I’m sorry the rest of the team isn’t here to celebrate it. But I’ll say—you have to be strong. Think about it like this: You were keeping up with everyone as a Haunter. You were part of an eight-star team. Sure, we were at the bottom of eight stars, but we were still at eight stars! And now, since you’ve evolved...”

Sam let his voice trail off to let the implications settle in. With a Pokémon’s evolution came an increase in power, and Gengar was already strong as a Haunter.

Gengar ended up gaining a body-wide smile. It was honestly something straight out of a nightmare, but Sam didn’t feel any fear.

He just felt pride.

“I’m sorry that your evolution happened because of some jerk’s Pokéball—” Sam paused when he definitely didn’t hear someone bounce off of a rock. “But it was only the last little bit you needed to evolve. It also means you’ve unconsciously gained experience with some wild stuff. If I’m remembering right, a Gengar can learn Haze, and that—”

That move could eliminate all stat changes on a field.

In other words, if someone tried to set up against Sam’s team, Gengar would be the perfect answer.

Sam continued to chat, speaking lightly with his friend while they dragged the Iron-Masked Marauder back. With the criminal’s defeat, they’d done it. Celebi wouldn’t be captured, and now he could use that as a favor to make it help.

At any moment, they’d be back in the clearing, and Sam could point out everything he’d done to help Celebi, therefore, Celebi would have to help them. He could prevent Misdreavus from spending decades on her own in the past, and Sam could be sent back to his team.

Yet there was also everyone else.

Ash. Sammy. Richard.

There’d be more to it.

But right now, Sam just needed to return and Sam just needed to share the news that they had won.

It didn’t take long to walk back through the forest, especially since Gengar was no longer trying to chase after him. Honestly, Sam was surprised at how deep they'd gone. When avoiding his Ghost Type, he hadn’t realized just how far Misdreavus had fled.

Soon, in the distance, Sam could see the first hint of light peeking through where the trees had been destroyed. He might have taken a longer, rougher path with the unconscious Marauder dragging behind him, but he wasn’t going to say anything. Neither was Gengar.

Finally, Sam stepped into the late morning sun, and he was ready to reunite with everyone else. Gengar didn’t bother to hide, and Misdreavus was still comfortably sleeping in his arms.

Sam started to walk around those four fallen trees to return to everyone else and end this whole mess.

But his pace slowed ever so somewhat.

...For some reason, he swore he could still hear the sounds of a fight.

Drastically increasing his speed, Sam rushed to one corner of that makeshift battlefield. He turned to check that the Marauder was still unconscious behind him—the man was—and then he checked to make sure he really was seeing an ongoing battle on the other side of the bare branches of the fallen tree.

A tauntingly familiar voice echoed out.

“Ha! You kids aren’t going to defeat me! Give up Celebi! With its power, I’ll be able to take Team Rocket for myself!”

What? How?!

Sam rubbed his eyes. Gengar was staring. Between the two of them, Sam was confident he was really seeing exactly what he saw.

In the center of the clearing, Richard and Sammy looked utterly exhausted. Their team members were all barely standing up around them. Countless Pokémon lay fainted on the ground, but Ash was still standing up, and his Pikachu’s cheeks crackled with the electricity of an Electric Type ready to continue a fight.

They both faced that Tyranitar, which looked as healthy as ever.

And behind that Tyranitar was the Iron-Masked Marauder himself, who stood with his arms crossed and a mocking grin on his face.

“How?” Sam hissed.

He wanted to step forward and push his way into the clearing, but a green face popped in next to him and Gengar. Its voice stopped him.

“Me!”

Its voice was a child’s voice. Non-descriptive. Androgynous. Somehow high-pitched without containing a pitch, and Sam heard it in his head more than he heard it in his ears.

Checking the Pokémon that had appeared in between him and Gengar, he didn't need to spend more than an instant to recognize what it was.

“The Voice of the Forest,” Sam said.

Celebi, not even blinking at Sam’s harsh tone, sent him a mischievous smirk and pointed to the group in the center.

“Wait,” it said. “Story continues.”

It took all of Sam’s willpower not to reach out and try to strangle the Pokémon right there. It was acting as if this was a game, a show, but he couldn't do it.

Not when it looked so healthy. Not when it was a Legendary Pokémon. Not when an identical Celebi was floating above the center scene.

“I hate time travel,” Sam groaned.

“Fun!” came Celebi’s reply.

His anger gave way to flat frustration. He’d been defeated, and Celebi just maintained an infuriating smile.

Though the final stand-off was still ongoing in the center of the destroyed clearing, Celebi buzzed closer to Sam and held out its hand.

“Explain?” it offered.

“I'm not even going to bother to ask why you can talk—”

“Special!” he heard it say.

Sam ignored that.

“But if you're telling me that you’ll give me answers, and if you promise to help Misdreavus—”

“Promise!”

“Then I— Wait, just like that?”

“Just like that!”

He blinked.

He hadn't expected it to be this easy. Not after everything else.

Sending one last look over to Gengar, Sam could tell that his Pokémon’s mischievous side meant Gengar was already convinced. Also, Misdreavus was too unconscious to comment, and no one cared about what the Iron-Masked Marauder thought.

So that just meant Celebi was waiting on Sam. It wanted him to make the decision.

“Fine,” he said unhappily.

He hated how that seemed to fill Celebi with glee.

Thus, Sam grasped the Legendary Pokémon’s hand, and everything went black and white. With a simple flex of its will, he and everyone else on this side of the clearing disappeared.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

The end of the arc on Friday!

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Celebi
Tyranitar

The Iron-Masked Marauder

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 151

Author Note:

Hello! You might be wondering why there’s a chapter today. That’s because this arc is nearing its end, and I want to make sure each chapter comes out quickly.

Updates will be posted in an MWF schedule this week! Expect to see the next chapter come out on Wednesday!

We are very close to the end of this arc. Once it’s over, there’ll be a short break, and we’ll then move on to the Conference!

==========================================================================

All of the smaller plants were mulch. Those ancient trees that once towered into the sky had been pierced and seared through to the point that they could no longer withstand their own weight. Dozens of massive trunks now laid on their sides, their branches scoured of leaves from the shock of their final impacts. Around them, the world was brown due to churned-up dirt, and the Pokémon that once lived in these woods fled as fast as they could.

The sound of distant rumbling was the only thing that could be heard. Standing at the edge of the destruction, no one had the will to talk. Sam felt a tug in his chest when he saw an Ursaring desperately clutch a Teddiursa in its arms. It, like so many others, was running as fast as it could to escape the devastation.

“This is horrible.”

Next to Sam, Sammy’s voice was a whisper. No one else was able to speak until the sight fully settled in.

“This wasn’t supposed to— This is so much worse,” Richard mumbled.

Out of everyone here, his expression seemed to be the least distraught, but his widened eyes instead spoke of disbelief and bewilderment.

“This... We have to stop him! He’s not going to give up until he’s caught Celebi!” Ash turned to face everyone in the group. “It's up to us to do something! Come on, Pikachu! The more we wait, the more Pokémon he hurts!”

Before anyone could stop him, Ash took off running—as Sam was learning he tended to do. Brock and Misty didn’t hesitate to chase after him, pulling out Pokéballs to ready their team members. Sammy’s expression hardened as he joined their chase. He released one of his Pokémon, and a red Charmeleon tore across the forest floor along his side.

There was something ironic about using a Fire Type to save a forest.

Richard spoke up next to Sam.

“This is my fault,” he said, his voice just above a whisper. “If I hadn’t tried to interfere...”

Clenching his hands into fists, he shut his eyes. Sam wanted to say something, to find some way to comfort him, but Richard was already dashing off to join everyone else in the fight against the Iron-Masked Marauder.

Sam could already hear the sounds of battles taking place just past the fallen trees.

With Richard’s exit, Sam was left alone with Misdreavus—and Haunter in his shadow, of course. Darkness churned around in feet, reflecting Haunter’s cold anger. A chill seemed to fill the air next to Misdreavus, but there was more cold than just that; so filled with destruction, this area was ripe with the feelings Ghost Types needed to spawn.

“I can’t believe they all just... So much for making a plan.” Sam rubbed his head while flicking his eyes about to try to gather as much information as he could. Already, he could pick out several paths to move forward. He knew that blindly running ahead was not where his team’s strength lay.

“Remember what we discussed,” he said to his Pokémon. “Our only goal is to stop the Marauder’s Dark Balls. Leave the fighting to everyone else.”

If they could prevent the Iron-Masked Marauder from catching Celebi, then they could prevent this from becoming worse. However, Sam had a feeling he could no longer rely on Richard. The other boy was far too distracted by his guilt.

Meanwhile, Sam was used to pushing past negative feelings.

He had his goal set, and he locked eyes with Misdreavus to exchange a single nod. She was determined to save as much of the forest as possible, and Sam was determined to finally obtain the solution to all their problems.

Finally, he took off after everyone else, but he did so by sticking to the shadows cast by the massive trunks of the fallen trees. With every step, the urgency of the situation carried him forward, and he ran in the opposite direction of every wild Pokémon trying to flee from the Iron-Masked Marauder’s rampage.

A shout echoed out.

“Onix! Tackle!”

Tackle?

It wasn’t the move Sam expected to hear, but an Onix was heavy enough that any full-body impact would be a devastating threat.

He slipped past the edge of one of the fallen trees to see an Onix rear back with a roar, and he heard the sound of pressurized water being blasted out. Sam caught sight of Brock and Misty as they commanded their Pokémon in a desperate attempt to keep a horde at bay.

Brock’s Onix knocked back a Pinsir that failed to grab it with its horns. A trio of Bellsprout then lashed out at its rocky body with their vines. Misty called for a Water Gun, and her Poliwhirl saw the three Grass Types be knocked down to give Onix the chance to escape. It then roared once more, bringing up its tail in a swipe to knock back a small swarm of Beedrill and Ledian.

The wild Pokémon they fought weren’t just wild Pokémon lashing out after the destruction of their homes. Each and every one of Brock and Misty’s opponents was possessed by a fury that had sunk deep into their eyes. There was a tint to them—a familiar one. Sam immediately recognized them as being under the influence of the Marauder’s Dark Balls.

“Sam!” Misty just barely managed to notice Sam as he snuck beneath a tree’s side. “It’s the Iron-Masked Marauder! He’s not just destroying the forest! He’s catching every Pokémon he can!”

Several Beedrill tried to fire Poison Sting needles at her Poliwhirl, but a Golbat, one that apparently belonged to Brock, managed to send the moves off course by furiously flapping its wings.

“Go!” Brock shouted. “Help them!”

Sam replied with a nod even though he knew Brock couldn’t see him. With those two distracting this section of the horde, he managed to sneak ahead thanks to Misdreavus helping him stay hidden with a cloak from Night Shade.

The Iron-Masked Marauder isn’t just a poacher. He’s worse than that. He’s a monster.

The only other person Sam truly hated this much was probably Petrel.

The sheer size of the fallen trees meant they cast enough shade to help Sam hide as long as he stuck next to their bark. The wild Pokémon he passed, the ones not running away, seemed to be patrolling to find someone, anyone, they could hurt. They were solely motivated by the malicious energy suffused into them by the Iron-Masked Marauder’s Dark Balls.

Sam knew why Brock and Misty were struggling so much—they hadn’t been calling for their best moves. As aggressive as these Pokémon were, they were still just wild Pokémon. In other words, victims. They didn’t want to hurt them in a full-force fight.

Yet, in whatever manner those Dark Balls worked, each and every wild Pokémon was fueled by their rage. It was some kind of mix of Ghost and Dark Type-like energy that was making the Pokémon act as if they were constantly experiencing their very worst days. It was similar to the buff of a non-Ghost Type’s Curse. Their strength was maximized, and instead of needing to slow themselves to control that energy, it ran rampant through them, infuriating them and causing them to lash out.

It was cruel, but the Iron-Masked Marauder didn’t care. All of this was just to lure out Celebi.

His motivations were plain and simple. He was someone who only cared about his own greed.

The pattern in which the trees had fallen gave Sam a path to follow. He could trace the order of the destruction by moving from shattered stump to shattered stump. With Misdreavus’s help, he was able to remain unseen by the hordes of wild Pokémon. Unfortunately, this area was filled with so much pain that Haunter was unable to sense anything out.

But following the pattern worked, and Sam found his targets. Hiding behind a spider web of fallen, barren branches, he was able to spy on what was going on in the middle of a clearing. Within a square bounded by four fallen trees, Ash, Sammy, and Richard stood off in front of the Iron-Masked Marauder himself. 

In the center, their Pokémon sparked and burned with embers in threat, but they weren’t exactly in a position to approach. The Iron-Masked Marauder stood at the top of one of those fallen trunks, and he was defended by his Scizor, Sneasel, and Tyranitar as well as the horde of growling Pokémon all facing where the trio of boys stood.

Of course, Celebi was floating above them.

“It doesn’t matter how many Dark Balls I have. It only matters if I want to keep the Pokémon,” the Marauder said with a mocking grin. “Catch and release—just like fishing! Every Pokémon gets to share in their effects, and the forest becomes that much worse off for it!”

The teeth he exposed by his grin were far too white. His position at the top of the trunk felt purposeful. He stood there as if to make a point, as if to really nail home just how much he thought everyone else was beneath him.

On the ground, Ash looked like he was ready to explode out of anger, but Sammy held him back by keeping an arm out. As it stood, they were far too outnumbered to fight without risking Celebi. However, Sammy didn’t seem pleased by his own decision, and Richard—

Richard didn’t look to be thinking right now.

He stared at the Marauder, his expression unreadable, and Sam knew he’d only be able to rely on himself and his Pokémon.

“Celebi!” The Iron-Masked Marauder yelled, throwing his arms out to his sides to take on a confident posture. He failed to notice Sam creeping around the backs of the fallen trees. “Give up now, and all of this can stop! My Dark Balls’ effects will eventually wear off, but not if I keep catching them!”

“And~” The poacher leaned forward, his voice taking on a sing-song nature, and Sam somehow hated him ever more. “Every moment you don’t join us is another moment Tyranitar can do this: Hyper Beam!”

The attack shot out, briefly turning the world white. It sailed over the heads of everyone here to hit a far-off tree, and the deafening sound of ancient wood cracking filled the air before being silenced in a final thud.

“Wait too long, and this forest will be gone, but all of this can be stopped if you give yourself up! Don’t flee. Don’t fight. Join me, and all your beloved people and Pokémon will stay safe!”

And then he cackled. Because why wouldn’t he cackle? Sam couldn’t resist rolling his eyes at the Marauder’s overdramatic monologue as he positioned himself behind the poacher’s tree.

From the other side, Ash and the rest continued to shout insults and denials at the man, but there was a subtle sense of despair to their words—Sam could tell that Celebi was close to taking the bait.

“Help me,” he whispered.

Misdreavus grimaced, but she still nodded. Her Confusion helped him climb with a telekinetic boost, but she lacked the control the make the move pain free.

Sam didn’t care. His sole target was the Marauder above him. Everyone was so focused on the continuing stand-off and Celebi’s actions that he had free reign to come up from behind.

So he climbed, one hand-hold at a time, fingers digging into the uneven bark to bring himself up. He was not athletic. He was not as flexible as Annihilape. He had no Pokémon that could carry him through the sky, but more than anything else, he had a need to return to his team and help Misdreavus, and the only way he could do that was to reach the Iron-Masked Marauder and “save” Celebi’s life.

“So. What’ll it be?” the Marauder asked. “More pain, or do you finally recognize that it’s time to give up?”

Ahead of Sam, the Marauder plucked a Dark Ball from the band of them he kept at his waist, and he held it out as if to taunt the Legendary Pokémon.

It was actually kind of funny.

Sam hadn’t even realized he had come up with the same plan until after he had already made it.

Celebi seemed to have accepted defeat, and even with the shouts of the boys trying to convince it to stay back, it started to drift up toward the Marauder, despairing in that it had no other choice. The Marauder himself saw that and grinned, and Celebi’s presence made sure he had no reason to turn around.

“Oh, and Celebi?” he said. “Make sure they can’t interfere.”

As Sam pulled himself up to the very top of the trunk, he caught sight of the pained expression on Celebi’s face as it waved an arm. Massive roots left the forest’s floor to trap the Pokémon in the center. Pikachu, Charmeleon, and Jolteon became pinned with the forest’s life.

Below, Sammy cried out as if he had just been stabbed.

“Good. Good!” The Iron-Masked Marauder then laughed again. “Now come here. Let me catch you, and we can put all of this behind us.”

Finally, Celebi moved to finish floating over, but it paused when it saw Sam stand up.

The Iron-Masked Marauder turned around too late.

“Behind you!”

Sam’s sudden shout completely caught the man off-guard, and the crack of his foot smashing into the tree bark was the shot that started it all off. He lunged, bringing his arms out to latch around the Marauder, slamming his full body weight into the Marauder’s stomach and sending him to the ground.

The impact saw the man cough, and he was unable to immediately give any commands.

“Now, Misdreavus!” Sam yelled.

From where she’d been waiting, she slid up to the man with Shadow Sneak and popped out just to tear away his belt with Confusion. In a mirror to what happened to Sam to start this whole situation, every Dark Ball at the Marauder’s waist was stolen away from him, and Misdreavus went on to use that same Shadow Sneak to take off and disappear into the still-remaining, nearby woods.

“You—!” The man struggled to get out from under Sam, and Sam flailed and squirmed and swung his arms like a Primeape to try to overwhelm the Marauder for as long as possible. “Get them!”

The poacher’s shout saw every Pokémon in the clearing lunge.

But even though Ash and everyone else had their Pokémon pinned, Sam had bought them just enough time to release the rest of their teams, and with numbers no longer so different, they now had a fighting chance.

All the while, Celebi looked on in horror.

Sam didn’t pay attention.

The battle was probably epic, but that wasn’t where his focus needed to be right now.

“You’re just an annoying twerp! Get off of me! And! Stop! Swinging! Your! Arms!”

“Never!”

Sam wasn’t a fighter, but he knew how to be annoying. He couldn’t exactly do much to hurt this guy, but he could do whatever he needed to distract him as long as he could.

His hands smacked into the man’s arms, chest, and head. Each impact hurt, especially when they hit the Marauder’s armored vest and dumb yellow mask.

At one point, one of his swings saw his wrist smash into one of the man’s red lenses. It sent a sharp pain into his hand, but it let him catch sight of the absolutely infuriated expression underneath.

Finally, with a roar, the man managed to throw him off. Sam slid, but he didn’t fall off the tree thanks to Haunter’s help stabilizing him with a grabbing shadow.

“You kids... don’t even realize how annoying you are! How big of a thorn you’ve been in my side for all this time!” The man pushed to his feet, arms hanging while he stared at Sam, breathing heavily. “You don’t even know how much work I put into this! The places I had to go, the people I had to threaten! All just to find and catch Celebi, and yet—!”

He froze and slowly looked down at his hand. A cruel smile crept onto his face, and Sam followed the man’s gaze.

Though Misdreavus had disappeared alongside his belt, the Iron-Masked Marauder still had one Dark Ball left—the very same one he had used to taunt Celebi just seconds before.

“Aha. I win,” he said.

Before Sam could react, the man had already snapped himself around to throw the ball right at where Celebi was flying.

The Legendary Pokémon wasn’t moving. It hadn’t been paying attention to the tussle going on up top. Sam had already “stopped” the main bad guy, but its friends, the boys that had first rescued it and ensured it could heal, were all fighting at the bottom, so that was where its worry was focused.

For that reason, it didn’t know the Marauder had escaped, and it didn’t know there was a ball flying towards its head. Sam had nothing he could do to stop this. Ultimately, even with Richard’s foreknowledge, everything they’d done had failed.

But he wasn’t alone here. Misdreavus might have flown off, but one Pokémon remained. Haunter was fast, and he belonged to an eight-star team. Catching up to a flying Pokéball was simple for him, especially since he could move through darkness.

So, Sam watched as his own shadow stretched out, curving right toward where that Dark Ball was flying through the air. However, Haunter didn’t know Shadow Sneak and couldn’t make his own shadows. At a certain point, the darkness snapped, and he launched himself out.

Yet, that was intentional, and the elastic reaction gave him the final burst of speed needed to reach his target. Following the path of the Dark Ball to move ahead of it, he went through with his plan.

He shoved Celebi out of the way.

“No!”

Sam looked on in horror. Though Haunter had saved Celebi, he had done so by sacrificing himself. The Dark Ball hit his head and opened up in a flash a deep purple light, and though he was already a caught Pokémon, this was a poacher’s Pokéball.

He was sucked up into the sphere, and it landed in a groove in the tree with a horrible click.

“Tch. Not what I wanted, but a Haunter can help, too.”

The Iron-Masked Marauder was between Sam and that Dark Ball. Sam had no way to reach it first, and Celebi was no help, too overwhelmed and aghast at everything going on to do anything but observe.

But, as it turned out, Sam didn’t need to do anything. The Iron-Masked Marauder didn’t get to reach the Dark Ball before it suddenly shook and opened up.

As the Dark Ball broke in two, something else exploded out.

It hit Sam, then, exactly what he’d been having Haunter do over the course of the past week. Haunter had been protecting him, but more than that, Haunter had been dedicating himself ot make sure he would go unseen. Not once had Haunter properly left the shadows. Every waking moment had been spent in hiding—and as a Ghost Type, he hadn’t exactly needed to sleep. Haunter had pushed himself to his limits to remain unknown, and he’d constantly been extending his senses to detect, scare, and ward off any aggressive wild Pokémon.

What he’d done was not as intense as soloing an entire tournament, but he had subjected himself to a constant trial over the past few days.

Thus, when suffused by the energy of a Dark Ball, that was the final push he needed to evolve.

“No. You kids— You don’t even realize what you’ve done, do you?”

The Iron-Masked Marauder took a shaky step back.

“The Dark Balls. They turn a Pokémon evil. But they also keep them under control.”

And when the ball had broken open, it had broken open.

Nothing was limiting the maliciousness of this creature, and red eyes flicked both the Marauder’s and Sam’s way.

In the air above the trunk’s branches, the newly evolved Pokémon let the space around him fill with shadows. He was no longer just a face and two floating hands, but he had a body. He had limbs. His had darkness that writhed around him and a grin that stretched out every so slightly too wide.

Haunter had evolved inside the Dark Ball, so Sam had not seen his transformation. Sam wasn’t even sure if Haunter knew he had evolved. He was a Gengar, but the energy that had been poured into him meant there was not a single ounce of recognition on his face.

Gengar looked on with a barely suppressed desire to cause pain, and the Iron-Masked Marauder immediately turned tail and ran. He slid off the side of the trunk to dart into the woods, and when those cruel eyes turned to Sam, he found himself having no choice but to do the same.

Thus, the two of them disappeared into the darkened woods, and Gengar didn’t wait to give chase.

========================================================================
Author Note:

Since Haunter has evolved, he is now... Weaker? Well, he gets the general strength boost from evolution, but he no longer has access to his Levitate ability. It makes sense for gameplay balancing reasons, but it's pretty strange in-universe.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Beedrill
Bellsprout
Celebi
Charmeleon
Jolteon
Ledian
Onix
Pikachu
Pinsir
Scizor
Sneasel
Tyranitar

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 150

Author Note:

Thank you so much for the understanding on Tuesday. Taking a step back let me avoid a mistake I didn’t realize I was about to make.

This should be the last time in this arc that I’m including an author note to hide the beginning of the chapter. Most of the biggest twists should now be out on Royal Road.

For now, enjoy the chapter! I hope you have a great day!

==========================================================================

Sure, Sam and Richard might have been the only people nearby in the woods, but Richard didn’t seem willing to talk. The silence was awkward to the point that Sam felt as though he could cut it with a knife.

He wasn’t sure what was going through Richard’s head. The other boy clutched his fainted Jolteon’s Pokéball and kept sending Sam strange, confused looks. Sam resisted speaking up for any small talk, however. A small voice constantly whispered in the back of his head.

If he’s my grandfather, and if I say the wrong thing, won’t I prevent my own birth?

At least Sam didn’t need to think too much, given the need to follow Haunter. He just kept to the front, eyes straight ahead, pretending to search for a way forward but really just searching for signs left by his Pokémon.

In the silence, Haunter brought them through the woods. While he was unable to find Ash or anyone else, he was at least able to guide them toward what he felt to be a place of safety.

Slowly, the trees grew denser around them. Slowly, a strange mist built.

It soon became as if the world was shrouded in an omni-present fog, but Haunter didn’t slow in any way to denote concern. With how much of that mist blocked his vision, Sam was only barely able to follow his Pokémon, but he kept at it, and Richard kept close. The trees of the forest became nothing more than looming silhouettes, but then, they were suddenly out of it. The fog was gone, and they stood just past a final line of trees.

An impossibly clear lake stretched out before them.

The day had lasted long enough that the sun had moved far across the sky. However, it wasn’t quite sunset. Rays of light bounced across the lake’s surface to make the water gleam.

Close to the shore, soft waves lapped at a small ledge where the grass cut off. For a moment, Sam could have sworn the lake was sealed by a layer of crystal, but no, its surface was just that clear.

I can count the stones on the bottom.

Towards its center, where the gleam blocked his vision, he could see the occasional shadow of a swimming Water Type.

No river or stream flowed into this lake. It was completely isolated, but it wasn’t stagnant. There was something about it that made Haunter confident they’d remain safe as long as they stayed here.

With that feeling subtly shared with Sam from the shadows, his decision came easily.

“We’ll camp here for now,” Sam said, breaking everyone out of their initial surprise. “We don’t know where anyone else is, so it doesn’t make sense to keep pushing through the night and risk getting ambushed while we’re effectively blind.”

Richard nodded slowly.

“Alright. Then... give me a minute. I need to treat Jolteon.”

His eyes briefly flicked over to Sam, lingering on him, but Richard just shook his head and moved to sit behind one of the forest’s large trees. Sam could hear the sound of a Pokéball going off to release what was inside it, but Richard seemed to want some privacy as he treated his injured team member.

Sam wasn’t going to fight against the other boy’s desire to be alone for a bit, but it wasn’t like he had any supplies on him to make camp right now. Strapped for options, he sat at the water’s edge. The slow waves were peaceful, and he watched the faint movements of Water Pokémon from the lake’s shore.

Genuinely, after everything else, stumbling upon this place felt like a blessing. It was hard to think about just how compacted everything had been recently. Sure, he’d spent a few days traveling with Misdreavus through the forest, but then he met his grandfather. Got thrown through time. Fought a poacher.

Saw a Legendary Pokémon.

...All of that in a single day. Right now, Sam was just happy to have this chance to rest.

Leaning back, he closed his eyes to focus on the feeling of the grass beneath him. When he opened them back up, Misdreavus floated at his side, but she moved down to lean against him comfortably.

“When I was with my team,” Sam started quietly, “the reason we came out here was for training. Both for them and for myself.”

Misdreavus looked up.

“A problem I kept having was that I overrelied on pre-made plans. I wanted to train myself to fight a bit more instinctually. Like the best trainers tend to do.

“And back there...” Despite everything, Sam gained a slight smile. “We actually did it. You were incredible. I came up with a plan on the spot, you understood me, and all of us... We managed to pull it off.”

He subtly patted the ground next to him, sending quiet thanks to his shadow. Though Haunter stayed hidden within, Sam could feel him wiggle with barely restrained glee.

“We’ve come a long way,” Sam continued. “You especially, Misdreavus. I think, if my team was here, they’d be proud of what you’d achieved. This would be a celebration! Even though that guy is still out there. In just a week, you were able to hone and improve your moves, and then in your second real battle ever, you managed to pull off something like that—”

Misdreavus shook with a furious blush on her face, unable to withstand the compliments any longer. Sam laughed, willing to go along with that.

For now, he pushed back up and continued to stare out over the water. He didn’t have anything else to say. He just wanted to enjoy this moment of peace and quiet.

It lasted for a while, just him and Misdreavus—and Haunter—on that shore.

Then, Sam heard the sound of footsteps over the grass.

Richard spoke up behind him.

“Who are you?”

Sam glanced over his shoulder to see the other boy standing a foot away. Richard stared at him with clenched hands. Behind him, his Jolteon was walking around. It now had a medicated bandage wrapped around where the Sneasel had landed its swipe, and it moved up to curl into a ball at the edge of the shore. It looked ready for a long rest.

“I’m Sam,” Sam answered.

His statement was met with the twitch of an eye.

“That’s not— Ugh! Who are you? Not your name. Not your identity. I mean, who are you in relation to everyone else!” Richard took a step forward and pointed a finger toward Sam. “Tell me. They knew you. How did they know you? And— Just— How did you get here? And how were you able to fight so well if your Misdreavus is as weak as that?”

Misdreavus sent the other boy a sharp glare, and though Richard went quiet, he still stuck out his chin in defiance.

Sam briefly felt the need to stand up and defend his friend, but honestly, what was the point? Both of them knew Richard was wrong. Misdreavus wasn’t weak. Raising his voice would just drop him to Richard’s level, and it wasn’t worth getting himself caught up in an argument like that.

“She’s not weak,” Sam said, his voice calm as he turned back to the water. “She just doesn’t have that much battle experience. I think it says a lot about you if you didn’t notice that. You should know she’s been training all this time.”

Sam heard a bit of stammering as if Richard tried to object, but the other boy stopped himself, biting his tongue. 

Silence then persisted. Sam could practically feel Richard’s expectant gaze.

Eventually, he didn’t have a choice. Sam let out a long sigh and began to talk.

“Misdreavus is Misdreavus,” he said reluctantly. “And me? I don’t know what you’re asking. I’m just Sam. That’s who I am. What else do you want me to say?”

“How did they know you?” Richard repeated, speaking through gritted teeth.

“Not sure,” Sam answered honestly. “Maybe it’s because I’m not from this time?”

He sent another glance over his shoulder, and he realized Richard’s face was bright red. It was hard to see the boy as his grandfather. He had none of that calm wisdom Sam had seen so often while growing up.

“Sorry. I’m not trying to be vague on purpose,” Sam said. “I guess I should have been more specific. I’m not from this time, but I’m not from your time, either. I’m... I’m from two years ago. As in two years ago from right now.”

Misdreavus intently listened in.

“So I’m not from your time period,” Sam admitted reluctantly. “I really don’t know what happened. I was with my team, I was pushed, and then I fell, and then everything happened to have me encounter Misdreavus, and then I met you.

“I know you think there might be something else going on, but there’s not,” Sam continued. “All of this has been an accident—a cruel accident. So, when you asked me who I am, I really meant my answer. I’m not anyone special. I’m a Ghost Specialist. Really, I’m just... I’m Sam.”

Your grandson.

But he could never say that part out loud.

A long moment passed in which Richard just stared. Eventually, he seemed to reach his limit, but instead of yelling, he just collapsed onto the ground.

“So after all of that... You’re really not... Ugh.” He scratched at his head. “So they haven’t actually met you. Not yet, I mean.”

“I guess?” Sam replied with a casual shrug. “I don’t actually know what’s going on. I’m mostly here due to coincidence, I think.”

That was half a lie. Sam knew he was here due to Mismagius, as she clearly remembered and ensured all of this would happen. Meeting his grandfather had not been intentional on his part, but it was also too much of a coincidence for it to be an accident.

Too much was going on for all of this to have happened on chance alone. It felt as though it had all been planned out, as if everything he was doing was just him going through the steps already planned out for him.

He hated that.

“But I also have a question for you.” Sam turned to look at Richard, and the young version of his grandfather stared up at him from the forest floor. “There’s... one thing that’s sticking with me. You remember when the poacher first appeared?”

“Yeah?” Richard answered cautiously. “You mean when that happened about an hour ago?”

“Yeah,” Sam repeated, speaking with a sigh. “When he showed up, you said his name was the Iron-Masked Marauder. But how did you know that? He’s from the future, and you’re... You’re from the past.”

Silence.

A tense moment came and passed.

Richard opened and closed his mouth as if to speak an excuse, but he just groaned and brought up an arm to cover his mouth and eyes.

“I’m not from here, either,” Richard mumbled, his voice practically a groan. “I’m— I woke up in Celadon. Over in Kanto. I didn’t know anything before that. I just knew... Something would happen here. I made sure to keep traveling with Sammy because I wanted to find Celebi, too.”

Sam didn’t let anything show, but he felt as though his entire body had just been cast in lead.

What?

My grandfather isn’t... He wasn’t originally from the past?

He knew that meant something, but he wasn’t sure what he’d need to ask. There was something his grandfather was still not telling him, but his heart was pounding far too hard in his chest.

Sam was only able to speak a simple question. It ended up as only a single word.

“Why?”

“Why I wanted to meet Celebi? It’s obvious. Because everything about my time period sucks!” 

Much to Sam’s surprise, Richard spoke with genuine rage and suddenly slammed his arm onto the earth. Shocked out of his stupor, Sam watched him. For a different reason now, Richard gritted his teeth.

“I know I can never go home, and I know I never want to go home, but it’s just— I thought I could at least jump ahead and go to the future and have— I thought I could at least have a chance.”

Richard wiped his eyes.

“Pokéballs suck. They work, but using a knob is clunky. Pokémon Centers aren’t that common, and treatment can take days if things get bad. There are barely any proper amenities, but I can at least live with that since I’m mostly spending my time traveling. But I think, more than anything else, I hate the current Gym Challenge. I want to meet and face people who build each other up. I don’t want to encounter people who are more preoccupied with proving themselves to be better than everyone else instead of working to bring everyone else up.”

Sam blinked as Richard breathed in a choking gasp. It took a few seconds for him to settle down.

“...That cold war you mentioned,” Sam said, speaking in a quiet voice. “Everything you mentioned. It’s all due to that stand-off between Kanto and Johto, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Richard managed to sit back up. He pulled his legs toward his chest. “It was a pain to cross over to Johto from Kanto, but I just wanted to leave, and Sammy really wanted to explore a new place. I figured... I figured if all of this was going to happen anyway, I might as well turn it to my advantage. So when he talked about visiting the Ilex Forest, I remembered Celebi existed and agreed.”

Not once did Richard say how he knew this, even though Sam desperately wanted to know.

But Sam couldn’t bring himself to ask. He was more focused on making sure his own feelings didn’t show.

“I... I get it,” Sam ended up saying. “I didn’t exactly come here willingly. I just want to return to my team. And for Misdreavus... More than anything else, I want to make sure she’s happy.”

Misdreavus had been watching this conversation as if it’d been nothing more than a daytime drama. When Sam spoke her name, she blinked in surprise, and then she sent him an embarrassed smile.

Sam did his best to smile back.

“Then...” Richard hesitated. It took him a few seconds to finish his thought. “I guess you should probably know that I know what happens next.”

“What do you mean?”

Sam felt as though he’d been punched.

Richard didn’t speak immediately, looking over Sam with a furrowed brow. It was as if the boy thought Sam was still a threat, even after everything they’d just discussed.

But the need to say something won out in the end. Sam couldn’t even think of how long he’d kept this secret close to his chest. Richard probably wanted to speak about this with someone, and who else but another person thrown through time?

“You weren’t here originally,” Richard admitted. “And I wasn’t either. The first time around—the intended time around—it was just Sammy and Ash, but there, Sammy went by Sam, and in the... In what I learned, they did their best to rescue Celebi together, but the Iron Masked Marauder—”

Richard paused. His next words were akin to a cough.

“He caught it.”

“Caught what?”

“Celebi.”

A pause.

“How?” Sam hissed.

“He used his Dark Balls,” came Richard’s answer. “The same ones he bragged about earlier. He caught Celebi, forced it to make some kind of plant-like kaiju, and then once they stopped that monster... Celebi, it...”

Richard’s expression was blank.

“Celebi died.”

Sam was silent. Misdreavus looked horrified. For a second, it was as if the entire forest had to breathe in. 

Without speaking, Richard robotically stared out over the lake. Sam joined him.

“But that was only how it originally was,” Sam said. “We’re here now.”

“We are,” Richard said. “I don’t think that was supposed to happen.”

Another moment passed. Sam needed to gather his thoughts.

“In other words... It’s an opportunity. This is our chance. We can step in, stop Celebi’s capture, and we can change the future. Together.”

If Celebi was meant to die, then Sam would stop it. Not because he wanted to help it, but because helping it could give him the chance to help Misdreavus.

He wanted to wring its neck for causing all of this, for causing Misdreavus to spend so long on her own, but with Richard’s knowledge, he had an advantage. This could be the “in” he needed—by saving it, he could trick Celebi into owing him a favor, and then he could use that favor to make it help Misdreavus.

“Okay. Yeah. This is perfect!” Sam said. “You already said it yourself—the real threat isn’t the Iron-Masked Marauder, but it’s actually his Dark Balls. If we can stop him from using those, then we can stop Celebi from being captured and making whatever a kaiju is. And if Celebi is never captured—”

“Then Celebi won’t die,” Richard realized.

For some reason, his gaze flicked to the crystal-clear water of the lake.

“But you know he’s still a threat, right? Even if we stop him from using his Dark Balls, he still has that Sneasel and that Scizor and that—” Richard paused. “And that Tyranitar.”

Sam felt unconcerned. He had Haunter. Only he knew about his trump card.

“Doesn’t matter. I have Misdreavus. Ghost Types are tricky. We’ll be able to pull something off.”

“But he’ll attack us.”

“We outnumber him.”

“He has Tyranitar.”

“We have us.”

“But his Pokémon are frenzied! They’re violent! They have maximized strength!"

Sam smiled.

“That means he’ll be overconfident. We’ll be able to predict how his Pokémon will fight.”

Richard was now standing, staring at Sam in disbelief. He opened his mouth while desperately trying to think of a counter, but nothing came out.

Instead, he simply threw his head back for a single laugh and collapsed onto the ground once more. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking significantly more relaxed than he had a mere few seconds before.

“Alright. Fine. I guess you win this time.” Richard said, calming down. “Man. If you’re acting like this, then you really must be more experienced than me.”

“Yup, but that’s all thanks to my team and the Pokémon I’ve trained with. But even then, we have other Pokémon. And time. And with your knowledge, we even have the ability to make a solid plan.”

Sam looked over to Richard, Misdreavus, and even the shadow beneath his feet. Jolteon had walked over, and it was now leaning against its trainer’s side as it listened in.

“There’s something else, too,” Sam added.

“What?” Richard asked.

“The Iron-Masked Marauder is missing something obvious,” Sam said as he leaned back. “He’ll be trying to trap us, but I specialize in the Ghost Type. And what people fail to realize about them is that the Ghost Type can never be trapped.”

__________________________________________________________________________

Since Sam didn’t have anything on him, Richard was the one to prepare a meal for everyone, and Sam devoured the offered food. Later, when night fell, Richard loaned him a blanket, and he got the best sleep he’d had in nights.

The area around the crystal-clear lake was peaceful and lacked aggressive Pokémon. Even with the lingering threat of the Iron-Masked Marauder over their heads, Sam found that he was actually able to relax.

He spent a while hashing out plans with Richard, but Sam mostly just sat next to Misdreavus. More than anything else, he wanted to help her. She was his primary motivation. He knew she deserved so much more than this.

In the morning, Sam practically inhaled the dried fruits given to him by Richard, and the other boy made breakfast for his team. If any small pieces of food were snatched away by Haunter, no one noticed and Sam certainly wasn’t going to say anything.

Their goal for today was to meet back up with everyone else, a task they expected to take an unknown amount of time. But, while loitering on that shore after cleaning up after breakfast, a flash of light caught Sam’s eye, and he saw a brief glow flash across the other side of the lake.

“Did you see that?” Sam said, picking up that previously borrowed blanket.

“Huh. I did,” Richard said. “It looked like... light from an Electric Type move?”

Both of them went utterly still, and then they exchanged a look. Wild Electric Types weren’t really a thing in the Ilex Forest, but there was one, specific Electric Type that they knew would be nearby.

Ash had a Pikachu.

“Quick, have your Jolteon use an attack!” Sam shouted.

“Give me a second!”

“Hurry up! We need to make some light!”

Richard hurriedly called his Jolteon over, returning the few other members of his team. As fast as he could, he had his Pokémon send the bright flash of a Thunderbolt up into the sky.

He made sure to have his Jolteon not send it that high up as they didn’t want to alert the Iron-Masked Marauder to their presence. Though the move didn’t go past the top of the trees, it would certainly be visible from the other side of the water.

When the glow of the Thunderbolt’s electricity faded, they waited. For a second, Sam thought nothing would happen, but then they got their response; another flash of lightning came from the opposite shore.

“They’re there,” Sam realized.

“They’re there,” Richard repeated.

Immediately, they hurried to gather everything they could, and even Misdreavus helped clean up their campsite. Richard shoved all of his belongings into his backpack, only putting the barest amount of effort into folding them up. Then, they took off running with Richard’s Jolteon continuing to flash, and even more flashes came from the opposite shore in response, moving closer by the second.

The lake wasn’t too large—it was smaller than the one behind Blackthorn’s Gym—but it was large enough that they had a bit of a trip to meet up halfway. The two sides approached each other in opposite directions of a clock, and the group they were running toward was the group they expected. At first, Sam could only hear the distant sound of buzzing electricity, but then he heard a familiar voice’s shout.

“Rich! Dick! Richard! Are you there?!”

“Sammy!” Richard shouted. “Sam! Samuel! We’re right over here!”

Bursting through the trees, both sides finally laid eyes on one another. Ahead of them, Sammy let out a laugh, and next to Sam, Richard looked as though he wanted to collapse out of relief. 

Ash slowed to a halt beneath the trees, a bright smile on his face, and Brock and Misty fought to catch up behind him. Those two were panting, having to push themselves to give chase so unexpectedly.

“You’re okay,” Richard said, breathing out.

“Of course we are! Was there any doubt?”

Richard met his friend in the center, embracing him in a hug, and they both laughed out of relief for having successfully reunited after everything that had happened yesterday.

But Sam’s eyes were on something else.

As Richard chatted with his friend, Sam found himself staring at a creature above them. It was small, only a bit bigger than Typhlosion’s head, and its green, plant-like body almost reminded him of an unripe onion—that is, if an unripe onion had arms, legs, and a pair of insect-like wings on its back.

The Legendary Pokémon, Celebi, said its name, its voice a mixture of a buzz and a hum. It flitted downward to circle Richard and Sammy, curious about the newcomer talking to its friend.

“That’s the Voice of the Forest,” Sam breathed, whispering to himself.

The answer to and source of all of his problems was right there, perfectly healthy, hovering in place only so many feet away.

“Oh, yeah! I can’t believe I almost forgot!” Sammy smacked his forehead. “Richard, this is Celebi. Celebi, this is Richard. And over there, we have Sam, who...”

His voice trailed off.

Celebi glanced over to Sam, and Sam could not look away from the Legendary Pokémon. He knew its powers were what caused all of his troubles in the first place, but he also knew that it had the potential to fix everything in the way he sought.

He took a step forward, remembering the promise he had made.

He then took another step, thinking of everything Misdreavus would have to go through.

Sam knew in his heart that Celebi was the one responsible for all of that, and the thought remained in his mind as he approached, taking another step, and then another, and another after that.

From under his feet, something tugged on the bottom of his pant leg, and Sam pushed on, ignoring that. Behind the group, Ash took on a dark expression, his Pikachu’s cheeks crackling with static, but Sam ignored them, too.

Only Celebi mattered right now, and it just looked on curiously, unfamiliar with Sam but giving him the benefit of the doubt because he had shown up alongside the friend of a friend.

Celebi controls time. We have time. It can help us right now—What’s a single moment to it?

All he needed it to do was a minuscule task. With just a modicum of its Legendary power, Celebi could prevent Misdreavus from suffering through years on her own.

Sam refused to pass up this opportunity. He kept walking forward, knowing the Iron-Masked Marauder was still around but recognizing that was an issue for later. Right now, he just needed to reach Celebi, and everything would finally be fixed.

He got closer, but the tug on his pant leg became more and more fervent with every step. A nervous tension entered the air as everyone seemed to hold their breath as Sam approached, but then Hautner grabbed Sam’s heel and yanked.

He tripped.

“...Are you kidding me, Sam?”

Richard pinched the bridge of his nose, and Sam face-planted into the cold, forest ground.

Grumbling, he would have stood up, but he finally recognized that Haunter was trying to get his attention rather than trying to make him stop.

It was subtle, but every so often, he could feel the earth shake.

“What is that?” Sam said, eyes widening as he felt the ground move under his palm.

“What is what?” Sammy asked.

Everyone started to look around.

Snapped out of his initial mindset, Sam pushed up to his knees to place both of his hands onto the forest’s soil. He could feel it ever so slightly; somewhere in the distance, heavy objects were irregularly hitting the earth.

With the warning shared, people caught onto the noise of a faint rumbling quickly. Soon joining it was a cacophony of wood breaking and branches snapping following it up.

Celebi, who had looked so friendly and curious before, suddenly gained a grief-stricken look on its face.

Before anyone could share any comments, it took off, rushing toward wherever the source of that noise was.

“Celebi! Wait!”

Sammy chased after it, and Ash was quick to follow. Brock and Misty both sighed before running as well, and Sam stood up to exchange a slight look with Richard.

It was sooner than expected, but they were in agreement that this was probably it.

Chasing after everyone else, Sam made sure to send Haunter a quiet thanks. The further he ran into the woods, the louder the noises became. 

This wasn’t just a rumbling; it was the frequent feeling of an explosion followed by the shattering of wood. There was a piercing noise, a massive blast, the shouts of wild Pokémon, and then something heavy fell.

Ahead, Sam could see a point in which the sun shone through the trees, and everyone stood up ahead. He broke through the forest’s edge—an out-of-place forest’s edge. Before him, he was faced with acres of brown and dirt. Ancient trees of all types had fallen, turning into nothing but logs and churning up the earth.

Around them, wild Pokémon fled in all directions, heedless of the group of motionless humans. Sam could see another flash in the distance—not the flash of an Electric Type, but the flash of an extremely powerful move.

It didn’t take him long to put everything together, and Sam was the one to vocalize what was going on.

“That’s Hyper Beam. It’s the Iron-Masked Marauder,” he said. “Since he couldn’t find us, he’s destroying the forest. He’s doing all of this just to lure Celebi out.”

==========================================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Celebi
Jolteon

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 149

Author Note:

As a heads-up, today’s chapter is shorter than usual. No matter how many times I wrote it, I was not able to write its final part in a way I liked. Expect to see it as part of the update on Friday. Unfortunately, I simply need more time to make sure it works.

==========================================================================

The situation was simple:

Ash and Sammy were running away.

Brock and Misty were heading off to help.

Richard, a younger version of Sam’s grandfather, stood beside Sam.

And ahead of them, a previously unknown poacher, supposedly dubbed “the Iron-Masked Marauder,” held two dark-colored Pokéballs while his enraged Tyranitar lashed out at its surroundings in confusion.

Next to Sam, Misdreavus floated forward, eyes narrowing as they flicked around to search for an opportunity to force the Marauder away. Richard pulled out his Jolteon’s Pokéball and held it forward. These two would essentially be their team. But Sam was also aware of his trump card, Haunter. No one else knew that the much stronger Ghost Type was nearby, giving Sam a bit of leeway to pull off something.

That is, if he could think of a plan.

“Our target is fleeing.” The Iron-Masked Marauder threw forward those two dark Pokéballs. “Go after them. Bring Celebi back here.”

The Pokéballs he held opened up to release the Pokéballs inside them with a flash of purple light. To the side, a red-shelled Scizor snapped its claws, and a Sneasel dug its feet into the ground to get ready to take off.

Both Pokémon seemed to carry a strange tint to them, not unlike the Tyranitar, but mainly, Sam noticed the look in their eyes. They were shadowed, as if they’d been unable to sleep for a week straight, but mainly, they looked utterly consumed by rage.

The worst part of the situation was just how lazy the Iron-Masked Marauder seemed to be treating this. Sam couldn’t see his eyes due to the red lenses built into the man’s mask, but his tone of voice was casual and confident.

It hit Sam then just how the Marauder managed to slip past Haunter’s senses. As a Ghost Type, Haunter best detected the negative feelings and malicious intentions that would prime an area to spawn Ghost Types, but the Marauder had such confidence in him that he didn’t feel any of this. This was just a job, and Sam and Richard were both just minor obstacles to remove.

We can’t let him reach everyone else.

Sam needed to be the one to reach Celebi.

“Mean Look!”

Misdreavus could only target one Pokémon, so the Scizor managed to hop over that fallen tree and escape, but a single Scizor was much less of a threat than a Scizor and another Pokémon.

However, doing that meant he would need to handle the Sneasel. The Tyranitar was still there, too.

“Hah! Funny trick, kid. But you don’t even realize how my Pokémon work, do you?” The Marauder’s smug grin mocked Sam. “These are Dark Balls. Dark Pokéballs! Based on a design that literally washed ashore one day! Catching a Pokémon in them brings them to their max level, all while making them evil, too!”

The man’s explanation made Misdreavus hesitate, but Sam just continued to glare.

“So you’re calling your Pokémon ‘evil,’” Sam said flatly. “You know that means you’re calling yourself ‘evil,’ too.”

“That’s what society calls me. Why not make it my brand?”

The man then cackled, and Sam had to resist rolling his eyes.

Pokémon weren’t evil. Whatever those balls had done had simply made them enraged, and Sam could recognize that thanks to his experience with Annihilape. Looking them over, the effects reminded him of something like Curse—the non-Ghost Type version, that is—basically, an effect that saw a Pokémon’s power pushed to its limits, but in this case, without the speed reduction it’d normally bring.

Despite the man’s Pokémon looking so enraged, they weren’t attacking. Whatever the balls had done, they were waiting for further commands. That, and both were trapped in a way. The Tyranitar couldn’t see what was going on around it due to its confusion, and the Sneasel couldn’t exactly run off toward Celebi with Misdreavus’s Mean Look keeping it here.

The Marauder looked entertained enough to want Sam and Richard to make the first move, clearly thinking he had the upper hand.

Sam could keep his head tall, however. Again, no one else realized that his Haunter was here.

“Sam,” Richard suddenly said, grabbing the knob of his old-fashioned Pokéball. “Just so you know, the guy’s bluffing. There’s no such thing as max level.”

(Sam felt an eye twitch at the obvious advice.)

“Out of everything I’ve learned, that was one of the first facts I picked up in this world,” Richard continued. “Levels... Moves known... Speed restrictions... A Pokémon is only as strong as its trainer. But this guy? I bet he thinks that power is the only thing that matters!”

“That’s because it is,” the Iron-Masked Marauder said. “Here, let me demonstrate for you—Tyranitar, use Hyper Beam! Sneasel, use Slash! Don’t let these two catch up with their friends!”

The man wasn’t just targeting their Pokémon.

Sneasel’s feet blurred for a Quick Attack that sent it forward, and a glow appeared in the Tyranitar’s mouth. Richard shouted for an Agility the second his Jolteon appeared, and Sam called for his own set of orders, but he made sure to phrase them to apply to both current members of his team.

“Confuse Ray! Maintain it!”

That was one good thing about specializing in a Type. While shouting for shared moves, people wouldn't immediately know just how many Pokémon had been ordered.

The Marauder's Sneasel was fast, but so was Misdreavus—just unfortunately not at the speed she needed. Her Confuse Ray left her eyes in an attempt to strike the Sneasel, but all it had to do was jump to the side to avoid its effects.

Thankfully, Sam only gave that command to disguise his shout to Haunter, who no one had noticed. He was able to linger in the shadows, and his eyes flashed. Tyranitar’s confusion was maintained, minimizing its influence in this fight.

No one but Sam noticed.

However, with Sam’s shout to Misdreavus “failing,” the Sneasel was free to act, and it met Richard’s Jolteon head on.

He quickly shouted further commands, relying on the obvious to try to win the fight.

“Double Kick. Double Kick. Double Kick!” Richard yelled.

Double Kick wasn't a bad choice. Sneasel, a Dark and Ice Type, was especially vulnerable to Fighting Type moves. However, as experienced as he was, Sam had already determined Richard to be about a five-star trainer.

Sam could only watch in horror as the Jolteon turned around to look away while trying to smash its opponents with its hind legs.

Against most Pokémon, Jolteon was too fast to worry about a retaliation. This Sneasel, however, was under the effects of that Dark Ball. It was berserk and pushed to its limits. Responding was trivial for it.

Without any hesitation, a claw caught Jolteon in the side and sent it flying from the hit. The Double Kick never landed, and Sam could tell from the nature of the move that Sneasel had landed a critical hit.

“Jolteon?” Richard mumbled.

He stared at where his Pokémon landed. Jolteon breathed, but it did not get up.

With one Pokémon defeated, the enraged Sneasel turned its gaze to Misdreavus. In the back, the Tyranitar unleashed its Hyper Beam, but the move went wide and shot through the canopy.

A massive branch shook the earth when it hit the forest floor.

“Hahaha! I told you kids you were underestimating me!”

Misdreavus was doing her best to stay brave, but Jolteon was stronger than her, and that Sneasel had won in an instant.

Right away, Sam knew Misdreavus wouldn’t win. She didn't have the battle experience, and she didn't have the strength to push past a super effective Type.

However, she was a Ghost Type, and that opened up options.

Sam struggled for only a moment, but the solution suddenly clicked. If Misdreavus didn't have the power to attack, then they could rely on something else that did.

Richard shakily returned his fainted Pokémon, and that flash marked the start of the exchange.

“Misdreavus! Night Shade to hide yourself! Focus on dodging! And—” Sam turned to the Tyranitar. “Hey, you big dumb lizard! Still confused? You’re so pathetic that you won't ever be able to land your moves!”

Richard’s jaw dropped; Sam was outright inviting a pseudo-Legendary to attack. But what Richard failed to realize is a detail Sam had noticed—following its trainer’s orders, the Tyranitar only attacked with Hyper Beam.

In other words, it was relying on a Normal Type move.

And Sam trained Ghost Types, which were immune.

Quickly, Sam turned toward Richard, and he spoke as fast as he could.

“Run.”

And then he ran off himself, charging right to where Misdreavus was actively fighting.

With Sam’s shout of Night Shade, darkness filled the space around her. The Sneasel's next swipe went wide, but it left a groove in the Night Shade due to the Dark Type energy contained within.

Since everyone was distracted, Haunter jumped from shadow to shadow across the ground, and Misdreavus's opponent disappeared into her sphere of shadows.

Hesitating, Richard didn't flee, and Sam skidded to a halt to interpose the Night Shade between him and the Tyranitar.

“Run!” Sam shouted again.

Finally, Richard seemed to process Sam’s shout, and he ran off into the woods. Meanwhile, with Haunter backing away, the Tyranitar managed to break out of its confusion, and that same glow grew in its throat.

The only thing it could see was Misdreavus’s Night Shade, so it opened its mouth to aim at the only viable target. Misdreavus and Sneasel fought as Silhouettes within, yet the Tyranitar didn’t exactly care that its ally was in the path of its beam.

“Wait, stop! Don’t, you idiot!”

The Iron Masked Marauder’s shout came out only after the beam had already left his Tyranitar’s throat.

Too late.

Cold hands wrapped around Sam’s shoulders, and he whispered a final command to Misdreavus.

“Escape.”

Haunter pulled him away just in time for the Hyper Beam to overtake the Night Shade. Sneasel took the full blast of the attack, and Misdreavus disappeared within.

Sam then ran, chasing after Richard while the Iron-Masked Marauder was too busy yelling at his Pokémon to give chase. Tyranitar was strong, but it was slow. The speediest of his Pokémon were either fainted or preoccupied; he couldn’t exactly send his Scizor after them if it was already chasing after Ash and the others on its own.

Then, the scene of the battle was behind them, and Sam and Richard were running through the woods. Sam searched for where Misdreavus had gone—she should have been immune to that Hyper Beam—and his heart briefly skipped a beat when he saw she wasn't there.

She then giggled, leaving a shadow, smirking at that brief moment of fight.

“Good,” Sam said in relief. “You figured out Shadow Sneak. That’s how you managed to get away.”

Misdreavus brought herself up with a wide grin, celebrating her clever application of the Ghost Type control Sam had been having her develop.

Since the Iron-Masked Marauder didn't have a fast enough Pokémon to stop them, Sam was able to guide Richard away using the shadows of the trees to obscure their escape. Eventually, that mad dash transitioned into a slower jog, and Haunter subtly moved ahead to guide Sam in the front.

With this escape, the situation had changed. Sam and Richard had managed to delay the Iron-Masked Marauder just long enough to give everyone the chance to run away. However, it came with a downside; they had no idea where Ash and everyone else had gone, and they were far enough away that Haunter wasn’t sure how to track them.

In other words, Sam and Richard were now on their own.

They were separated from everyone else.

Quite literally, they weren't out of the woods just yet.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Scizor
Sneasel
Tyranitar

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 148

Author Note:

This is another situation in which I need to include an author note to hide the start of the chapter, but I don't have an announcement. I suppose I'll just say have a good day?

==========================================================================

To Sam’s surprise, it wasn’t Brock who carried Sammy back. Out of everyone, Ash was the one to pick up the boy, bring his arms and legs up to wear him like a backpack, and then carry him the whole way to Arborville.

Everyone else had already seen this town once before, but this was Sam’s first visit here.

Arborville wasn’t the usual village he expected. It had its small houses and other buildings, but the place was not built on the forest floor. Instead, the people here had made use of the Ilex Forest’s large trees for the base structures of their homes. Buildings had been assembled between large branches, and the trunks supported the cores of their homes. The forest floor was clear of any construction, being left bare and open so that any wild Pokémon could safely pass by.

This place wasn’t located too far from the road that passed through that fallen tree, but it was just far enough away that the trip back was long enough to be awkward. Ash was fine, mostly, but he’d send Sam the occasional strange glare when he thought Sam wasn’t looking. Misty could not stop frowning, Sammy was unconscious, and Richard remained silent the whole way.

For the entire trip back, it was like the world didn’t exist for him. Richard would acknowledge the occasional warning to avoid a potential tripping hazard, but he otherwise spent his time deep in thought.

Sam was very thankful Brock was around. He stayed on alert and kept a watchful eye on the forest around them even though it wasn’t needed since Haunter was on guard, but he didn’t know. If anything, out of everyone, Brock seemed to be the most normal person here.

But of course, that thought was quickly proven wrong.

“Diana, beautiful Diana!”

Oh, come on.

“We need your help!” Brock shouted up to one of Arborville’s tree houses. “We have an unconscious person down here!”

From atop a wooden balcony, a pair of faces peeked out to check on their small group. Sam immediately recognized one of them as Diana, the young woman who had first warned him of the Voice of the Forest, and next to her was an old woman who carried such a strong resemblance that she had to be Diana’s grandmother.

Right away, Diana dashed over to her home’s rope ladder, which she jumped down more than she climbed. The old woman, meanwhile, rushed back into their house to grab their medical supplies.

Diana helped them bring Sammy inside.

Once everyone was up, she helped lay Sammy on their main room’s couch. Brock and Diana knelt in front of him. The old woman stepped into the room carrying a basket of medicines, but when she laid her eyes on Richard and the unconscious boy, there was an almost imperceptible delay to her pace, but she pushed through to bring the supplies over.

Since Sammy was unconscious due to exhaustion more than anything else, there wasn’t much Brock and Diana could do other than give him another once-over. The air in the room was tense, with Ash looking uncomfortable in the back and with Richard having collapsed into a chair to watch the scene in silence.

It felt oppressive.

“I’ll be outside if anyone needs me,” Sam said, but no one paid him any mind.

He stepped back out to that balcony without being bothered, and he leaned against its railing while Misdreavus floated by his side.

“This sucks,” Sam said as he dropped his head onto his arms. “How much did you catch, Misdreavus? I blacked out when everything with Celebi happened, but you—”

She shook her head. She’d seen nothing; she had briefly fallen unconscious, too.

“We’ve been thrown through time. That’s it. That’s the explanation. And I’ve been thrown through time again. My team... I’m not from your time period, Misdreavus. I’m from the future, or at least, I guess I’m this present future’s past?”

He stared up into the branches of the canopy. Out here, the leaves were thin enough to let plenty of light through. The gleam was enough that he couldn’t quite make out the sky, but he could at least tell it was clear up there.

He had to wonder where his team was right now. Was he able to find his way back? Or had they been out here for two full years, just waiting for the day he’d return?

...But his comments had been the first time he truly mentioned time travel to Misdreavus, even as brief as they were. Despite the news being suddenly dropped on her, she went quiet for only a second and then puffed up with a smile to display her confidence.

She’d barely even thought about it, and she had already promised to help Sam.

Her complete faith in him just made him feel worse.

“Whew!” Diana’s voice came from the entrance of her home as she stepped out to join Sam. “Brock does good work, but the moment things lighten up... I don’t have anything against the guy, but man, does he make things awkward at times.”

She swiped her hands together as if cleaning them off after a long day’s hard work. She walked over to the railing next to Sam, leaning on it while facing in.

“How are you holding up?” Diana said. “I haven’t seen you for... what, two years?”

“You remember me?” Sam asked as he stood up.

“Sure. How many people do you think come out here?”

“A decent amount.”

“This group is a little unusually sized, but we don’t get too many people. Definitely not anyone who smiles when I give them that warning.”

She chuckled to herself, but Sam’s eyes flicked to the forest floor. There were a few bridges between the buildings here to allow people to move between the trees, but down there, beneath them, there was nothing. He could even see where a few sections of tall grass rustled to mark wild Pokémon moving around within.

He grimaced before he spoke.

“I last saw you less than a week ago,” Sam said quietly.

Diana opened her mouth as if to respond, but she closed it to take a moment to think.

“...The Voice of the Forest.” Her eyes widened in realization.

“Its real name is Celebi,” Sam grumbled. “It’s a Legendary Pokémon, apparently.”

It took her a moment to truly understand the implications of his, but all she ended up doing was laugh.

“So then you never completed your crazy little training trip? I could have sworn—” She stopped herself. “You didn’t take my warning seriously?”

Sam joined her in her lean against the railing. He didn’t stare inside, however. He didn’t want to. He couldn’t quite call himself a fan of everything that was going on.

“I did take it seriously. I didn’t go toward any voice that cried out, but it wasn’t like there was ever one to lure me close. No. An archway appeared next to my campsite, and when I approached it—” He had to stop to not choke up. “My Pokémon pushed me in.”

Diana shifted around awkwardly. She briefly cleared her throat.

“So, uh, Celebi, huh? I didn’t know the Voice of the Forest was a Pokémon. We always just thought it was a spirit, but then again, no one ever really encountered it. Most we ever hear are rumors fo someone falling victim to its effects.”

“Then what was the point of the bread?”

Sam stared until she let out a short laugh.

“The bread? Oh, the berry loaf! It’s a tradition that started way before my grandmother was born. If I remember the story correctly...” She tapped her chin. “A man visited Arborville, and he was given bread as part of the usual hospitality. When he continued into the forest, he came out years later, saying the bread was the only thing that kept him alive.”

“...I don’t think it ‘keeps the Voice of the Forest at bay,’” Sam grumbled. “I think he just ate it after getting lost.”

After all, that was what Sam did.

“Sure, but you can’t deny its effects! Traditions exist for a reason. I bet it helped you, right?”

Though he continued to grumble, she just sent him a grin.

Diana didn’t talk much after that, choosing to just quietly lean back and use this peaceful moment of silence to relax. That left Sam alone with his thoughts, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the implications of Celebi and all of its powers.

Time travel was confusing. It was simply too much.

But then again, is Celebi why I have the New Pokédex? Did it bring someone from the future to the past? So, if my grandfather is here, he must have met someone. The New Pokédex is old. Are we about to meet some kind of Professor from the future?

Maybe. Unless I was the one to give it to him, but that doesn’t make sense. I don’t have the New Pokédex with me, and I do not have all that information memorized. It’s simply too much.

His only other thought was that it was maybe connected to Sammy since the boy sketched Pokémon a lot. His influence would help explain all the drawings in the New Pokédex, but that still didn’t feel right.

As Sam fell into his thoughts, a few shouts came from inside. Sammy seemed to have woken up, and he lashed out about no longer having Celebi in his arms.

That was when Sam’s grandfather stepped in, and with Richard’s presence, the boy calmed down. Whatever altercation that had been about to happen between him and Ash was stopped by the sudden, familiar face.

After that, the conversation quieted to the point that Sam no longer heard what was happening, and Diana used the moment to start heading back inside.

“Before you go.” Sam pushed off the railing to face her. “Have you... Did you see any team of Ghost Types nearby? Or maybe just a rare species or two? Anything like a Typhlosion, Annihilape, or a Trevenant? Anything at all?”

“Typhlosion? Annihilape?” She blinked at him. “I don’t think I’ve heard of anything like that recently. A Trevenant, though? Hm. Maybe? But I don’t think any have wandered in from the deep woods in the past few years.”

“...Okay. Thanks anyway.”

Sam fell back down.

She tried her best to send Sam a reassuring smile, but she stepped back inside. That left Sam alone on the balcony with just him and Misdreavus.

But Haunter briefly reprimanded him with a chill that spread beneath his feet as if to remind Sam that he was still there in his shadow.

“I don’t know what to do.” Sam leaned against the railing and stared out into the forest once more. “My team is out there, somewhere, or maybe even somewhen. I need to find them, but Celebi— Gah. At this point, we’re years apart.”

He didn’t know if they were still in the woods. He didn’t know if he’d been missing for years or if a future version of himself had managed to return to the past. He considered leaving the woods to head somewhere more connected, but would finding out more just mess with his future? Would that set in stone a reality in which he’d spent two full years apart?

In more ways than one, he hated this. But through everything, he could still trace the source of his problems as well as its solution to one, singular thing:

Celebi.

“I can spend all this time sitting around and worrying, or I can actually do something,” Sam said as he stood up. “Sammy’s woken up. Which means we’re just wasting our time here. More than anything else, if we want solutions, we need to find Celebi.”

We need to find Celebi and make it help us.

At his side, Misdreavus bobbed in the air to show her eager support.

Having decided on his next steps, Sam strode back into Diana’s home, standing in the door frame to look around at everyone here. He somehow managed to time his reappearance with a lull in the conversation. The old woman from before was now kneeling in front of Sammy, and the other boy was now sitting up while staring at a much older version of his sketchbook that he held in his hands.

“I’ve come to a decision,” Sam announced, and his words drew the attention of everyone in the room. “We can’t waste any more time. We need to take action and be decisive. So I’m going to hunt down Celebi.”

In the back, Richard frowned.

“I’ll be leaving as soon as I can,” Sam continued. “Misdreavus and I are going to find it. If anyone else wants to join—”

“I’ll come.” On the couch, Sammy looked up. “Celebi is out there. I remember it flying away. It barely managed to do that. It was hurt. If we’re going to find it, then... Then Celebi needs our help!”

He stood, clutching his sketchbook in his hands.

“If there’s a Pokémon in need, then we can’t sit around and do nothing!” Ash shouted.

His Pikachu shouted its name in agreement.

“I’ll come, too,” Misty said.

“And I’ll help!” Brock added.

And then, turning to the only person who was yet to speak, Sammy looked Richard in the eye.

“Celebi was being hunted by a poacher when we first saw it,” he said. Each word was slow and felt as though they had been picked carefully. “That poacher would have seen us disappear in front of his eyes. That was years ago. If he was hunting Celebi, he would have known about its powers, and who knows how much he’s spread that knowledge around?”

“So what?” Ash countered. “If anyone gets in our way, we’ll just beat them in a fight!”

Richard sighed.

“I’m trying to say that there’s going to be people expecting us. We’ll need to be careful. There’s no telling who or what will be waiting for us to make an appearance—”

“But we’ll win,” Sammy interrupted. “We’ll win like we always do.”

Richard looked up, breathed out, and stood up as well.

He’d be joining the hunt.

With that, everyone had agreed to help Sam, the difference in objectives aside. Staring at him, Sammy grinned before asking a question.

“When are we leaving?”

And Sam wasn’t one to pass up the chance to be dramatic.

“We’re leaving now.”

________________________________________________________________________

The full party was Sam, Ash, Misty, Brock, Richard, Sammy, and all of their Pokémon. Diana and her grandmother stayed behind for now. This group was practically a full-fledged expedition. Some researchers delved into ruins and explored the wilderness with less support than this.

Sam took to the front, and no one questioned his decision to lead the way. However, it wasn’t exactly him who guided everyone through the woods. Haunter was a far better lead, but he kept to the shadows and sent Sam silent signals for where to go. He was able to use the forest’s plentiful shadows to zoom around, and he also did his best to sense any hint of anything related to Celebi’s pain.

As for the Pokémon that were out, Misdreavus kept to Sam’s side, and Pikachu sat on Ash’s shoulder. In her arms, Misty carried an unfamiliar Pokémon that looked like a spotted egg. 

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice Haunter’s presence, but once in a while, Brock would send a glance to the woods. He was sharp, acting as if he had detected some trace of a Ghost Type nearby, but he never pointed Haunter out.

“We already checked that stone shrine, and Celebi wasn’t there,” Sam said as the group trekked through the woods. “That’s where it started, but it’s injured. It might be a Legendary Pokémon, but bringing three people—”

“It’s a Mythical,” Richard interrupted.

Sam ignored him.

“But bringing three people would have seen it expend a lot of energy. With it being so injured, I doubt it did another jump, and it couldn’t have got too far.”

“A-also!” At the back of the group, Sammy spoke up. “When it happened, I was awake. After the ‘jump,’ I mean. Celebi pushed out of my arms and started to fly off, but I didn’t get to see where it went since I passed out and woke up in Towa’s home.”

So we’re on the right track.

Sam nodded to thank him—Towa was the name of Diana’s grandmother. If Sammy had seen Celebi fly off, then Sam knew it had to be nearby, given it would need to rest to recover.

Haunter continued to lead their party, and Sam continued to follow Haunter. After all of his experience with searching for Pokémon, the trip was surprisingly fast.

Sam shouldn’t have been surprised when Haunter found it in almost no time had passed at all.

Not too far away from that stone shrine, Haunter escorted their group to the nearest, largest source of pain. No Pokémon ever bothered them along the way, and they arrived at where two of the Ilex Forest’s massive trees had fallen.

Right where one had landed on the other, the impact had formed a dent that’d serve as the perfect hole for a den.

Seeing that hole didn’t confirm Celebi’s presence, but the Grass and Bug Type Pokémon certainly did. The wild species were nothing that should have been getting along, but despite their differences, they crowded around the hole and watched it with worry.

Only a Legendary Pokémon could cause them to act like that.

Sam was ready to finally confront Celebi and get what he needed, but when he took a single step forward, all of the Pokémon in front of the hole turned around, saw him, and then froze in utter fright.

He had to freeze, himself, after that reaction.

“I don’t look that scary, do I?” he asked around.

“Have you ever seen yourself in the mirror?” Misty said under her breath.

Sam frowned, and though he finally wanted to reach Celebi, it was Sammy who ended up stepping forward.

“No,” the other boy said. “I’ll go. If you try to approach it now... Um, I don’t think it’d work?”

“Thanks,” Sam said flatly.

“Sorry, you just look mean.”

“I’m not mean!”

The boy said nothing, and Sam didn’t know how to respond to that, but it did give him the chance to step forward. With Sam staying behind, Sammy grabbed onto a vine hanging off the bark to climb, and then Ash ran up to climb at his side.

Misty mumbled something about how Ash resembled a Mankey.

Those two reached the top at the same time, leaving Sam and everyone else at the forest floor below. The various Bug and Grass Type Pokémon allowed them to approach the den, and Sam could already hear those two whispering among themselves about how to approach Celebi.

The Pokémon was in that den.

“You’re.... Sam, right?” Richard suddenly said. Sam looked over in surprise; this was the first thing Richard had said to him since that speech back in Diana’s home. “You, uh, don’t think this is suspicious? Like finding Celebi was too easy?”

“Why would it be suspicious? If anything, it’s expected. I’m used to searching for Pokémon. I’ve done it plenty of times before.”

Richard repeated Sam’s words under his breath, but he shook his head to move past the thought.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the forest. You don’t think it was too easy? How no Pokémon bothered us even though there’s a Legendary Pokémon ahead?”

“So?”

“So...” Richard started. “Pokémon can sense things like that. Shouldn’t at least one have tried to defend it?”

Sam opened his mouth to try to reply, but he had nothing.

Weirdly, Richard had a point.

Right away, Sam began searching through the woods. Above, vines lashed out to try to get Ash and Sammy to step back. Pikachu crackled with electricity to prepare an attack, but Sammy took the lead to stop them and carefully crawled into the hole.

“...Do you see anything?” Sam asked.

Misdreavus was now staring into the woods as well. Brock was helping. Misty continued to watch the exchange on top of that massive, fallen log.

Sam saw nothing, no matter how hard he searched.

Finally, above him, Sammy pulled himself out.

In his arms, he carried that green Legendary Pokémon. Celebi was shaking.

“There,” Richard said. “What’s that?”

Sam followed his gaze.

In the distance, there was a glow, familiar and growing. Sam wasn’t sure what it was at first, but it kind of reminded him of Ursaring’s—

“Get down!”

He grabbed Richard to throw him to the ground, and Brock and Misty were thankfully far enough away to not be hit. Piercing through the air was a full-on laser—a Hyper Beam. As it blasted apart the bark of the fallen tree, the earth shook as a large creature stormed out of the trees behind it.

Following it was a grinning man in a yellow mask.

Sam did not fail to note the bright red “R” on the chest of the man’s jacket.

“Ha ha ha! I knew you kids would lead me right to it! I’ll be taking that Celebi now!”

Richard’s been right since the start. I never noticed anything, but he somehow knew someone would be waiting for us.

But how did Haunter not see?

Whoever this was should have been sensed, especially with that massive Pokémon standing next to him. Towering over them with a body covered in stone plates, the presence of a pseudo-Legendary Tyranitar was already terrifying enough.

However, this one had a strange tint to its stone body, and there was a rage in its eyes that saw it snap its stone-crushing jaws into the air.

It looked half-crazed.

“Give it up, kiddos,” the man said. “No use fighting. I’ve already won.”

He doesn’t know I have Haunter, but...

The Tyranitar didn’t scare Sam. What scared Sam was how the man had completely avoided all of Haunter’s senses.

“...I know you,” Richard said, standing up slowly. “You’re the Iron-Masked Marauder. A poacher for Team Rocket.”

The so-called Iron-Masked Marauder replied with a grin, and he confidently stood with his arms crossed behind his mad Pokémon.

“Got it right in one, kid! For that, I’ll let you go—Well, I’ll let you go as long as you hand over all your Pokémon.”

His expression was far too smug.

Brock and Misty glared at the man out of defiance, and at the top of the log, Ash helped Sammy stand back up. That Hyper Beam hadn’t hit anyone, but it had shaken the fallen tree and caused the wild Pokémon to scatter. It was a miracle the two boys hadn’t been knocked off themselves.

“Hold on,” Sam said. “Wait, wait, wait. Before we do this, there’s something about this I have to know.”

Sam had fought Team Rocket. He had encountered plenty of Ghost Types. He had fought through a horde of wild Pokémon.

He had faced real ghosts before.

That Tyranitar was terrifying, but the man behind it was just a man. Sam had seen worse, and if he really had to, he could just take on a more Redi-like demeanor to make sure he could properly pull off his plan.

“I get following us. I get knowing about Celebi and wanting to capture it. And, you know what? I get working for Team Rocket! Clearly, you’re an awful person that doesn’t have an ounce of empathy to him,” Sam said.

Even through his mask, a vein throbbed on the man’s head. Sam recognized he might have been channeling Redi a little too much.

But he kept going, anyway.

“Except, there’s one big part of this that I really don’t understand,” Sam continued. “Out of everything, you chose ‘The Iron-Masked Marauder?’ Really? That’s your name? You’re supposed to be some terrifying, dangerous criminal, but you don’t realize how stupid that—”

“Hyper Beam!”

“Now, Misdreavus!”

His delay had been just long enough. Misdreavus managed to position herself to land a Confuse Ray right between the Tyranitar’s eyes.

Because of that, Sam barely avoided the second attack fired at him, and the bark of the tree behind him exploded once more. Ash and Sammy used this opportunity to slide down the other side of the fallen trunk to make their escape, and Brock and Misty dashed off to make sure they had room to carry Celebi away.

Sam stayed behind, and Richard stayed next to him. The horribly-named poacher faced the two of them, glaring at them with a scowl.

Though the Tyranitar was trapped by Misdreavus’s illusions, it was not lashing out, even with its strange rage from before. The poacher himself retrieved two darkened Pokéballs. This was a fight he was prepared to escalate, but even at a disadvantage, both Sam and Richard were prepared to hold him off to ensure everyone else could escape.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

The Celebi movie is fine. It’s not great, but it’s not bad, either. I prefer to stick pretty close to canon, so I haven’t changed that much so far, but expect butterflies to spread from here.

Although, if you’re familiar with it, there’s already been one pretty major change (other than the addition of new characters). For this encounter, I didn’t include the Iron-Masked Marauder’s giant spider mecha. Given everything else that’s already going on, it felt that’d be a little too much.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Celebi
Pikachu
Tyranitar

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 147

Author Note:

This author note is mostly here to take up space and hide spoilers from the start of this chapter in the preview. However, I’ll also use this moment for a brief announcement.

Sometime before the end of this fiction, I’ll be posting a poll on Royal Road for the next story. The poll I previously ran was to choose the central Type of this one. For the next one, however, I want to branch out a bit more, so the poll’s options will be more based around choosing concepts.

I genuinely have several dozen ideas in my notes, all of which I can take pieces from or expand into a full story. The poll will take aspects of those to help me narrow down concepts and make a selection. Honestly, it’s going to be pretty similar to a curated sort of “build your own Pokémon story,” but the choices will be limited to what I want to write. They’ll still be a few options for a handful of Types I wouldn’t mind writing a specialist story for, but also expect to see concepts like “Ace Trainer start” or “criminal organization member”—but maybe not exactly those. The formatting is still a work in progress.

Also, as a quick note, I won’t just be looking at the top choice, but I’ll be looking at the top few choices to help me decide. If you have any ideas you’d want me to include, please share them! I doubt I’ll include everything, but I’ll likely include at least some.

When the poll is posted, it’ll be public to everyone on Royal Road.

...And with that, this author note should be long enough to hide the start of the chapter. I mostly just didn’t want people visiting this site and then being hit with major spoilers.

Please enjoy!

========================================================================

The chase exploded into the meadow, and the Oddish and Bellossom there fled into the trees. Lunging ahead, the Scyther dragged a bladed arm through the air, and its Houndoom ally tried to snap out with a Fire Fang from behind.

The Pokémon they chased dropped, barely managing to avoid both moves. The Scyther's wings almost allowed it to catch up, but only in a short burst. Its target flickered and was suddenly five feet ahead.

“It’s Celebi,” Richard said.

“What?” Sam joined Richard where he had paused at the edge of the meadow. Sammy was still running ahead.

“That’s Celebi,” Richard repeated. “Trust me. I know for sure.”

Sam’s grandfa— Richard stared out over the battle, giving Sam a moment to observe the fight. It zig-zagged through the flowers, the green Pokémon just barely avoiding every move.

But it was exhausted, and its tiredness was only growing.

Through the chaos, Sammy was trying to slip between the attackers in some hare-brained plan to grab the tired Pokémon and run. Against those two, Sam could tell he wouldn't succeed. A Houndoom and Scyther would always outpace a human, especially across the uneven earth of the woods.

“I never caught your name. I'd ask for an introduction, but that doesn’t matter right now,” Richard said, and Sam felt his eye twitch. “The only thing that matters is stopping this. So I’m assuming your Misdreavus is smart enough to follow a paraswag strategy—that’s paralysis and Swagger, by the way.”

“She doesn’t know Swagger,” Sam said tersely.

“Does she know Confuse Ray?”

“She does.”

“Then use that.”

Before Sam could say or even do anything, Richard had already taken off, charging right toward where Sammy was struggling to enter the fight. Running ahead, he pulled out his Jolteon’s Pokéball and twisted it to release his chosen team member.

Fine. Whatever. Who cares what I think? It's not like I have a bunch of experience making plans.

With Richard already running, Sam tried to explain a strategy to Misdreavus as fast as he could.

“If he’s taking the lead, we’re forced to follow, but we have our own goals too. No matter what, we need to catch up to that Pokémon. Celebi, or whatever it's called. But what matters is that it is the Voice of the Forest.”

Misdreavus’s eyes widened when Sam said the Pokémon’s name, but she still nodded in ready agreement. When he ran, she joined him, and he pulled off to the side to make more distance between him and the fight.

“Thunder Wave!”

Richard's Jolteon was like a bolt of lightning in both its movements and its use of the called-for move. Sam recognized its initial burst of speed as a use of Quick Attack, and that allowed it to slip right between the Scyther and Houndoom.

The fight was then put on hold when Jolteon jumped and unleashed its electricity. In a burst, weak bolts of lightning jumped off its body to zap the two hunters. The Scyther and Houndoom shook, locking up due to the rampant electricity racing through them.

“Got you!”

Misdreavus was yet to catch up, but Sammy was right there. He managed to squeeze through and dive, just barely catching Celebi before it fell out of the air. Continuing with his momentum, he pulled it against his chest and began dashing out of the meadow.

“Keep going, Sammy!” Richard shouted. “We’ll take care of these two! And we’ll catch up later!”

Sam reached Richard’s side, feeling his eye twitch once again.

Are you kidding me? I need to reach it!

Celebi was Sam’s ticket to both go home and help Misdreavus.

But if the Scyther and Houndoom needed to be defeated before he could reach Celebi, then so be it. Sam would do just that.

“Misdreavus, this is your first real battle, but I trust you!” he shouted as she narrowed the distance. “Use Confuse Ray! Trap both of them with your illusions!”

“First battle, huh?” Richard mumbled under his breath.

Misdreavus tore through the air to get closer. Both the Scyther and Houndoom shakily pushed through their paralysis to face the newest threat, but all that did was give her the perfect opportunity to strike the Scyther between its eyes.

Though successful, Confuse Ray could only hit one Pokémon at once. The Houndoom went unaffected and faced her, sucking in a breath for a Flamethrower.

“Haunt...” a voice whispered on the wind. “...er.”

Unfortunately for it, red eyes opened up in Sam’s shadow, disrupting the Flamethrower. Only the Houndoom and Sam were aware of Haunter’s use of Spite.

That short delay gave Misdreavus just enough time to use Confuse Ray again, and both Pokémon became subjected to the move. Trapped by both illusions and paralysis, they weren't in a position to defend against any attacks.

Richard wore a grin of utter confidence on his face.

“Hah! Alright, newbie, you did a great job! Paralysis and confusion both give a Pokémon half-odds to use an attack, so these two will only be able to move twenty-five percent of the time!”

“...But that’s not how it works?” Sam said to no one, apparently. Richard wasn’t listening.

There were no set proportions for success. Some Pokémon were better at pushing through paralysis and confusion than others.

But the combination was effective. Paralysis already made movement difficult with the electricity coursing through a Pokémon’s body, and the illusions layered over their vision with Confuse Ray meant neither the Scyther nor the Houndoom knew where to aim the few attacks they could manage.

“Thunderbolt! Into Double Kick!” Richard ordered, and then he sent Sam a glance. “Give your Misdreavus a command, too! This is a double battle! But you can trust us to win!”

“Alright,” Sam said, his expression flat.

Sam went on to watch the Jolteon burst with electricity, and it sent a bolt right through the Scyther. Immediately after, it turned around to slam its hind legs into the Houndoom’s side.

Strength-wise, Jolteon wouldn’t be out of place on a five-star team.

But Haunter is at eight. We could probably defeat Richard pretty easily.

Sam chose to say nothing along those lines, simply choosing to give Misdreavus an order, as requested.

“Night Shade.”

With Jolteon having dealt super effective damage to both Pokémon, the Scyther and Houndoom were still recoiling from the pain. Paralyzed and confused, they were too slow and too lost in illusions to know how to react.

So, without difficulty, Misdreavus placed herself perfectly between them. Upon doing so, she pulsed out a Night Shade. The caustic haze that formed around her ate into both of her opponents. That was the last little bit needed to send both the Scyther and Houndoom falling to the ground.

“Impressed?” Richard proudly swiped a thumb under his nose. “Jolteon set them up perfectly for you! You can trust us—just keep close, and we’ll make sure you’ll stay safe!”

“Uh, okay.”

Sam’s gaze flicked to the woods to search for any sign of where Celebi had disappeared. As he did, Misdreavus floated up to him with a smile.

“You did a good job,” he said, pausing briefly to give Misdreavus her well-deserved praise.

She gained a slight blush, and then Sam no longer needed to search. From a tap on his foot, he found that Haunter knew where to go; while there was no longer any hostile intent, he could still track down where the Celebi had gone by following its pain.

“Let’s go,” Sam said, taking off in a dash.

Richard blinked then hurried to follow. His Jolteon ran over, he returned it, and Misdreavus followed along by Sam’s side.

She needs better moves, but as she is now... About three stars. Definitely.

Haunter tapped on Sam’s shin to provide the directions. Sam could tell that Celebi wasn’t far off, but this was enough of a lull to finally give them the chance to talk.

“So what’s going on? What was that Pokémon—a Celebi? That’s the Voice of the Forest? Then why was it being attacked? And why was a poacher out here?” Sam asked as they ran.

“I don’t— It’s just— Man, you have a lot of questions, huh?” Despite having barely started running, Richard already looked as though he was already almost out of breath. “Those were... a poacher’s Pokémon. Yeah, Celebi’s a... Legendary Pokémon. I thought—”

He took a deep breath in and finally managed to find a pace that allowed him to breathe.

“Celebi. The ‘Voice of the Forest.’ A Legendary Pokémon native to Ilex,” Richard said. “We were warned about it when we first entered these woods, and with how it was being chased, that Scyther and Houndom have to belong to a poacher.”

He then sent Sam a quick look, glancing at him out of disbelief.

“Although, I don’t get it. Are you really sure you haven’t seen—”

Sam shook his head when he could tell Richard wasn't going to say anything useful anymore.

“Yeah, no. I don’t believe you. “There’s no way Celebi is a Legendary Pokémon,” Sam said. “Legendary Pokémon are supposed to be these big, massive creatures. Where’s its presence? Where’s its power? If just those two were forcing it to run away, it can’t be much. And if it’s really a Pokémon, then why haven’t I...”

Then why haven’t I seen it in the New Pokédex?

The New Pokédex had always had information missing. It only really included information about locations along the main routes. But when it came to known species, it generally had everything.

Sam had no clue how something like a ‘Celebi’ could be missing.

He ignored the strange looks Richard continued to send his way, and he hardly bothered to listen to Richard’s mutters that Celebi was a ‘Mythical’ Pokémon and not technically a ‘Legendary.’ Instead, now that the thought had settled in, he was too busy trying to understand how no Legendary Pokémon had been listed.

Of course, no publicly-accessible Pokédex ever included details on Legendary Pokémon, but Sam would have thought the New Pokédex was different. However, most Legendary Pokémon were just that: Legendary. They only existed in rumors and myths, and even the ones confirmed to exist, like Latios and Latias, or Moltres and the like, were practically impossible to find.

“Trust me! It is a Celebi! And a Celebi is definitely a Legendary—a Mythical Pokémon!” Richard shouted. “It’s a Grass-Psychic Type! Equal in every stat! Found in the Ilex Forest! And it doesn’t need to exert any dumb pressure if it can travel through time!”

“Travel through time?” Sam repeated.

That was the only thing he needed to hear.

Any remaining doubt he had was eliminated; he knew that Celebi was the Voice of the Forest. Not only was its cry too familiar, but when it had flickered forward to dodge the Houndoom and Scyther’s attack, it hadn’t used a Pokémon move. It moved more as though it had fast-forwarded its path, reappearing as if shunting itself through time.

Thanks to Haunter, they were able to quickly catch up to Sammy—catch up to Sam’s ticket home—in almost no time at all. Weaving through the woods, Sam found himself coming to a stop just past a few trees that surrounded a grove with a stone shrine.

Ahead, that other boy, Sammy, pressed himself against the stone structure. He was still clutching the Voice of the Forest against his chest, but he was no longer alone.

“Let it go, kid,” a voice said. “My Pokémon will be back anytime. Don’t matter what they do. Your friends won’t be able to withstand their attacks.”

A rough-looking man in a leather jacket sent him a slimy grin from atop a purring motorcycle. He turned its handle, and its engine revved as if in threat. It coughed up black smog behind him.

Sam held out a hand to try to signal for Richard to stay back. From where they had arrived in the trees, the man had yet to notice them. They were in the perfect position to creep around in the shadows and strike in an ambush.

But it turned out that Richard was dumb. Really, really dumb.

“Don’t give up, Sammy! We’re here to help!” Richard’s shout was like a slap to Sam’s face. “Hey, you! Poacher! You aren’t taking them! We’ll never give up a Pokémon in need to someone like you!”

Genuinely stunned—likely for multiple reasons—the man glanced over his shoulder to see Richard confidently stride forward. He seemed too struck by disbelief to do anything to stop him, even as Richard boldly walked over to interpose himself between the poacher and Celebi.

Recognizing any element of surprise had been lost, Sam unhappily trudged along to join Richard’s side.

“Huh? You kids beat my Pokémon?” the poacher asked, lifting an eyepatch to rub his eyes. “Well, it don’t matter. Just means you’re giving me more Pokémon to take.”

Richard replied with a smirk, causing the poacher to laugh.

“Oh, kid!” the poacher said. “You really don’t know how any of this works! If you think those two were my only Pokémon, then you’re going to be sor—”

He stopped himself when the engine of his motorcycle suddenly stalled.

In this case, it wasn’t Richard’s doing. He looked just as surprised as the man. Ahead of him, the poacher scrambled to get off his bike, just barely jumping off his seat in time. The back wheel of his vehicle sank into the earth, and then a mass of thin ivy wrapped around the motorcycle’s sides, gumming up its parts.

“W-what?”

With the crunching of metal, the motorcycle was consumed and became nothing more than a plant-covered lump on the ground.

Richard stared. The poacher blinked.

Behind everyone, Celebi stirred.

From within Sammy’s arms, the supposed ‘Mythical’ Pokémon had turned to look out ever so slightly. Its single visible eye exposed a hateful glare, and it held out an arm toward the poacher. The ivy writhed under its control.

“You’ll pay for this!” the poacher yelled.

He charged, but neither Richard nor Sam moved. The poacher might have been running right toward them, but Celebi was still active. Dropping its arms, the small Pokémon brought its head back. Using what little energy it had left, it cried out, and a Psychic-Type wave pulsed out to bounce the poacher back.

“Stop!” Sam shouted.

He realized what Celebi was doing too late.

Heedless of his shout, the Legendary Pokémon continued its cry, the familiar noise echoing throughout the forest. Sam tried to run closer to reach it, but then, as if in reaction, everyone close to it disappeared.

And with that, Sam found himself flung through time for the second time this week.

__________________________________________________________________________

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sam groaned. His fingers wrapped around a tuft of grass. He was on his back once more. As much as he wanted to shout, he knew that wouldn’t help.

Misdreavus came over to offer herself as a handhold to help him pull himself up, and Sam could still feel the chill of Haunter in his shadow.

This time, he wasn't alone.

They were still in that grove. That stone shrine was still present. Richard was here. Same as Sammy. But Celebi was gone; therefore, so was Sam’s ticket back.

We’ve been sent through time.

Again.

And just like before, Sam didn’t know when he was.

Nearby, Richard pushed up to rub his head. Sammy didn’t move and remained where he laid on the ground.

“That... thing was the Voice of the Forest,” Sam mumbled to himself. “Celebi is the one responsible for all of this. It’s the reason why I was separated from my team.”

He needed to find it, and he needed to get its help. It was the only thing capable of doing something to prevent the decades Misdreavus would spend on her own.

He looked up.

“Are you okay, Misdreavus?” Sam hurriedly asked, and he thankfully got a reply in the form of a merry nod. “Good. I’m glad. And what about you—”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” Richard grumbled.

Sam was actually trying to ask Haunter, who recognized the question and sent him a comforting push to the bottom of his feet.

“So where—when are we?” Sam asked, looking around. “Even further back than before?”

“I don’t know,” Richard said, letting out a sigh. “All I know is that Celebi can bring people through time, but finding out when is...”

His voice trailed off as his eyes locked onto something, and Sam followed his gaze.

There was a lump.

But it was one they had just seen.

Yet this was a lump that had changed and grown over the course of years.

Where there had once been thin ivy, there were now thick roots. They grew out of the earth, making what they covered seem like a plant-covered boulder.

But that wasn’t what it was. No, trapped beneath all of that overgrowth was a hunk of metal that had once rumbled and purred. The poacher's heavy motorcycle was now brown, covered in rust, and parts of it had fallen inwards from an excessive amount of decay.

“Years,” Sam said slowly. His heart raced in his chest. “There’s no way it could have gotten that old so quickly, so that might mean...”

Everyone else could still be nearby.

Quickly, he searched his surroundings to try to find anything he could recognize, but he saw nothing familiar save for the trees of his immediate surroundings. He wanted to take off running, but that wouldn’t help him return to his camp. All that he knew was that he was somewhere and somewhen in the Ilex Forest, but he didn't have the exact date, and Haunter had led him down a rather meandering path.

“Wait.” Richard’s eyes widened. “Sammy!”

He scrambled over the ground to reach his friend.

Sammy was yet to get up, and a prod into his side only resulted in the slightest of groans. Despite Richard’s nudges, Sammy did not stir. As far as Sam could tell, whatever Celebi had done had hit him hard. It didn’t seem like he had been able to resist as much as Richard or Sam. 

“Is he...”

Richard gained a dark look on his face.

Sam suddenly found himself wondering if this was why his grandfather had never mentioned a ‘Sammy’ before.

Not sure what else to do, Sam tried to take a step forward.

It was then that a voice called out, and he heard the echoing sound of an electric shock.

Out of nowhere, Misdreavus slammed herself into his chest, and Haunter grabbed his ankles to yank him back. Their combined efforts hurt, but they also saved Sam. Instead of hitting him, the Electric Type move uselessly hit the ground right where he planned to walk.

“Get away from them!” a boy’s voice yelled out.

Frustrated, Sam could only scowl.

Things like this just keep happening. Why?! 

Why can’t anything ever be easy for once?

Turning away from where he was technically looming over Richard and Sammy, Sam and Misdreavus glared at their would-be attackers as a pair ran out from the woods. Thankfully, the two newcomers seemed to follow the same decision-making process—or lack of one—as Richard from before, as neither the cap-wearing boy nor the Pikachu beside him bothered to reposition themselves for a better ambush.

“You!” the boy shouted, his voice dripping with hostility. “I should have known—get away from them! I won’t let you hurt them!”

“Am I supposed to know you?” Sam asked, crossing his arms.

“You... You forgot?!” The boy clenched his fists. “I can’t believe it. Fine! Remember the name! I’m Ash Ketchum! From Pallet Town!”

The boy brought up a fist, raising it in threat. At his side, his Pikachu called out in support, letting loose a strong “Pika-pi!” as its red cheeks sparked with electricity.

“Misdreavus,” Sam said, eyeing their opponents and finding them lacking. “Good news. This will be easy. These two don’t even know what they’re getting into.”

She cackled, and even if the pair before them turned out to be too tough, Sam wasn’t worried. He could always just tell Haunter to circle around.

So he stood off, facing this ‘Ash Ketchum’ and that irritating-looking Pikachu. Sam just wanted to get this over with, and he readied himself as Ash threw out an arm to give a command.

Instead, a loud “thunk!” echoed through the forest. The boy fell to the ground, groaning in pain, and a fist pulled itself back from the top of his head.

“Seriously, Ash? Running ahead like that? Did you even stop to think— Oh, who am I kidding? You never think.”

Behind Ash, a red-headed girl sighed and withdrew her fist. She crossed her arms, leering at the Ash kid. Ash sat up and clutched his shoes, leaning back to look at his apparent friend.

“Ah, come on, Misty! You heard that shout! That guy was trying to hurt them! Look! He even sent out his... Wait, what’s that Pokémon again?”

Sam didn’t bother to hide his distaste when the boy pulled out an electronic Pokédex. To make matters worse, Ash didn’t even read Misdreavus’s entry.

No, the device read the page out loud for him.

“You have to be kidding me. What’s society come to?”

Sam silently mourned for bookstores everywhere.

The girl, Misty, just looked passively annoyed at Ash’s behavior. However, the second she laid her eyes on Sam, she went utterly still. Frozen in shock, her eyes flicked between him and Misdreavus, and she barely managed to suppress a shudder.

Right as Ash’s Pokédex finished speaking, she grabbed his arm to yank him up and dragged him behind a nearby tree. Sam could hear the faint sounds of furious whispering. Ash’s Pikachu sent him one last dirty look before scurrying off to join its trainer and friend.

“You know, I came to this forest to train with my team. Alone. Without disturbances,” Sam grumbled quietly to Misdreavus. “It was supposed to just be me and them. Together. By ourselves. Training for a few weeks without anyone bothering us and without anything else happening!”

As he finished, Misdreavus made a soft noise next to him, and the heat in Sam’s chest vanished.

“No, no. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m really glad I met you, too.”

She smiled.

Sam looked over to check on Sammy and Richard only to find a third unknown person suddenly there, because why wouldn’t there be another person? This stranger at least seemed more mature than the others, as he was on his knees and checking over Sammy, who was still unconscious.

But next to them, Richard was staring. Ever since Ash appeared, he had never once torn his gaze away from Sam.

“Who... are you?” Richard asked.

“I’m Sam,” Sam said. “It’s as simple as that. That’s my name. I’m Samuel...”

He couldn’t bring himself to say his last name.

Thankfully, the awkward moment only lasted a handful of seconds before it was interrupted by a nearby shout.

“WHAT?!” Ash’s voice pierced through the silence of the forest. “BUT HE’S—”

“QUIET!”

Then, another smack echoed out.

Rubbing his arm, Ash came back out from behind that tree. He sent Sam a final annoyed look, but he then dropped his gaze to the ground.

“Sorry,” Ash mumbled. “ ‘Thought you were someone else.”

At this point, Sam just wanted to go to bed. Specifically, he wanted to go to bed like he usually did: surrounded by his team.

“Okay.” The guy in the back finally spoke up. “The good news is he’s fine, but the bad news is that he’s exhausted enough to not wake up for a while.”

He looked around.

“By the way, I’m Brock. Sorry for not introducing myself sooner. I’ve studied a bit of medicine. Your friend should be fine, but we should bring him back to Arborville.”

Since Sammy was Richard’s friend, Sam looked to him to say anything, but Richard still didn’t speak.

“I guess we’re fine with that,” Sam said, not bothering to keep the displeasure out of his voice. “But I need one question answered first: What year is it?”

“The year?” Ash blinked. “It’s—”

Two years later.

It’s been two years since we first stepped into the forest.

Sam really wasn’t happy with Celebi right now.

Because the date Ash had given meant too much time had passed. Sam had no hope that his team would still be nearby.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Celebi
Houndoom
Jolteon
Latios / Latias
Moltres
Pikachu
Scyther

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 146

The offer of real food distracted Sam from his thoughts, and he didn't hesitate to take it. He was given a bowl of what he had to call powdered gruel. It thickened once it was mixed with water, and then a few sprinkles of spices were stirred in.

The meal wasn't anything special—it wasn’t even like any of those pre-made travel meals sold at PokéMarts. It had the consistency of breakfast but somehow had the flavors of lunch. However, after surviving off of nothing but berry bread and Haunter’s scavenged berries, Sam thought it was delicious.

He devoured it.

As he finished inhaling the last bite, a voice spoke up next to him.

“So. What brought you to this forest?

When he heard the question, Sam almost choked. He looked up at the boy seated there only to see narrowed eyes and a gaze that met his own.

It was harsh. Aggressive. It lacked even the slightest amount of trust.

Honestly, Sam was hurt by that glare more than anything they could have said.

Slowly swallowing that last little bit of food, Sam glanced around for help, but Haunter was too busy keeping an eye out for intruders, and Misdreavus was shyly floating in the air a short distance away to allow that Sammy kid to record her appearance in a sketch.

“I... wandered here,” Sam ended up saying as he rotated the empty bowl in his hands. “I just... found myself in the forest one day. Misdreavus helped, but—”

“Likely story.” His interrogator leaned back and crossed their arms. “Let’s say I don’t believe you. Instead, tell me where you’re from.”

It was an order, not a question.

There was no room for maneuvering.

Sam didn’t want to speak of it, but given just who was asking...

“I had a family,” he said, breathing out. “I was with all of my friends. We just... wanted to see the world together, and then I was suddenly falling through the arch.”

He hesitated to say the next part.

“I was pushed in,” he added in a whisper.

As he finished his explanation, something about his interrogator’s gaze shifted.

Familiarity? Not just that. It’s like he went through a similar experience.

Briefly, it seemed as though the kid understood exactly what Sam had gone through, but that look quickly disappeared.

“Ugh. I see,” the kid said, his brow creasing in a line. “You didn’t even mean to be here. Hmph. I think I understand.”

You don’t. You don’t understand the half of it.

Sam searched the younger version of his grandfather, desperately trying to find anything that might have been recognition, but there was nothing. This kid was just a kid. He was Sam’s grandfather, but Sam hadn’t been born.

 He wasn’t Sam’s grandfather yet.

“Richard Greyson,” Sam said, repeating the name of the man he so looked up to.

Richard, the kid, responded with a simple raise of an eyebrow.

“I think I knew someone named that,” Sam continued.

Sam was met with a smile.

“Yeah! I hope you do!” Richard said. “I told you, the name was intentional!”

Sam didn’t understand what that meant.

“But... Hm. It really seems like this is just a coincidence. A weird coincidence, but maybe not depending on what’s involved.” Richard tapped a fist against his chin. “Fine. I’ll accept your story. And as an apology, go ahead—to prove myself, I’ll answer any question you ask me.”

Sam opened his mouth, closed it, and then looked his grandfather in the eye.

Except, he didn’t do that.

Sam looked the unfamiliar boy in the eye.

“Why are you in the forest?” Sam asked.

A smirk briefly flashed across the kid’s face before vanishing as if it had never been there.

“Really? Can’t figure that out? Well, that’s fine. Sammy over there wants to see as many new Pokémon as possible, and since we’ve been traveling together, I went along with his plan to come here.”

“You’ve been traveling together?” Sam asked, blinking. “With... Sammy? Sammy? I— Hold on. Who is he, anyway?”

As Sam sent Richard a confused look, Richard sent a nearly identical confused look right back.

“You don’t know? Wait, you didn’t see—” He stopped himself. “He’s just a friend. He helped me. And he...”

Before continuing, he paused and cocked his head to the side, looking at Sam while mumbling something about him lacking ‘culture’ under his breath.

“Yeah, we’ve been traveling together for a while, ever since I got ‘started’ over in Celadon. He’d already been traveling for a while, but he helped me get my bearings, catch a Pokémon, and take on the local Gym,” Richard explained. “Except... Mm. It wasn’t what I expected.”

His shoulders shifted down ever so slightly.

It took a moment for Sam to figure out what he wanted to ask next.

“How so?”

Richard blinked as if he had forgotten Sam was there. He almost seemed to rush to sit back up and correct that slight slump. There was the barest hint of reservation to him before he spoke next. For a second, Sam almost got the sense that Richard hardly believed the words about to leave his mouth.

“It’s the war,” he said.

“The war,” Sam repeated.

He’d heard it mentioned once or twice in the past, but people didn’t like talking about it for some reason.

“Okay, okay, it’s not actually a war—at least not yet,” Richard explained. “Think of it more like a cold war with a huge amount of posturing. Kanto and Johto hate each other. They’re constantly trying to show that they’re stronger. There’s not really any fighting save for ‘independent battles’ along the border, but is that an issue? If it’s just a few fights, it’s totally a region’s duty to make sure their trainers stand at the top, right?”

“Sure?” Sam offered.

“So...” Richard leaned back, and his mouth pinched into an unhappy frown. “The Gym Challenge is the real problematic part of this. It wasn’t what I expected. Like, if you go through the traditional route of Pewter Gym and onwards, your journey is going to be pretty standard. Except, if you go anywhere else first, those Gym Leaders won’t have the appropriate teams. With everything going on, all people care about right now is being the strongest. It wasn’t what I expected. It’s like... I don’t know. It’s like where... Ugh. Everyone only cares about themselves.”

Richard cast his gaze to the forest floor, and Sam could tell there was plenty of baggage there. Despite being a Ghost Type specialist, he wasn’t the biggest history nerd. He knew the gist of things when it came to the past, but most of his ‘historical’ knowledge came from stories and myths.

What he did know was that the Gym Challenge, or at least an equivalent to it, was something that had existed for a long time, essentially since the founding of Kanto. He had known his grandfather had participated in it, but he had never known to what extent or what the world’s general situation was during it.

“How strong was her team?” Sam asked.

Richard looked up, surprised to hear Sam talking again.

“...Her team? Oh, you mean the Celadon Gym Leader? Eh, somewhere around a fourth or fifth badge level? I just had Eevee, so the outcome...”

He shrugged and returned to his thoughts.

After that, Sam remained silent. There was a storm brewing in his gut. He wasn’t sure if he could stomach any more questions, especially since reality was settling in now that he’d eaten.

His chest hurt. His throat hurt. His grandfather was alive before him, and yet...

He doesn’t know me. I don’t know him. There are all these little details that he’s sharing that I didn’t...

That I didn’t know.

Apparently, his grandfather had an Eevee. He’d never told Sam about an Eevee. Then again, he’d always been reluctant to speak about most of the Pokémon he’d raised. By the time Sam was born, his grandfather had already retired and had sent most of his team members to caretakers and other trainers. There, they could either enjoy a comfortable retirement or continue chasing their dreams in an active circuit.

But the truth was that most had already passed away.

The main reason his grandfather’s Typhlosion was still around was because that Typhlosion had been one of his grandfather’s final captures. His first Pokémon and his oldest Pokémon hadn’t been around for a reason back when Sam was growing up.

I never knew the exact details, but I also didn’t like to ask. He would always get this look on his face whenever they were brought up. I didn’t want to make him sad.

I think... I think that might have been one of the reasons I started to like the Ghost Type in the first place. I’d always enjoyed scary stories, but I also didn’t want to train a team that’d eventually leave me.

Richard had already drifted off into thought, and Sam realized they’d both been sitting in silence. Placing the empty bowl down, he looked over the boy sitting before him.

It hit him then that he was truly decades in the past.

As he stared, Richard also looked up, acting as if he expected Sam to ask another question, but Sam didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked past him to where a certain Pokémon floated in the air. Misdreavus was still not making eye contact, but she had taken up a slight pose as if she wanted the other boy to get her best side.

Decades.

She really waited that long just for me?

Sam's chest didn’t just hurt. He felt as though his entire body was in pain.

“You alright?”

He then blinked, realizing his grandfa— Richard was now sending him a curious look.

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I just—”

“I get it!” Richard snapped his fingers. “You’re curious about Sammy, right?”

“...Sure. I’m curious about Sammy,” Sam lied.

It was only a half-lie, though. The other boy was an enigma. Never once had Sam heard his grandfather mention him. Both he and ‘Sammy’ shared a name, just like how Sam shared a name with another unmentionable person. Yet, as the barest hint of that thought entered his mind—

He refused to think it.

There was no way he’d allow himself to make that connection.

Distracted by that, he missed the smug grin on Richard’s face until Richard had already stood up. As he moved past him, Richard sent Sam a friendly smack on the shoulder.

“Go ahead and chat! You’re no threat. He’s worth getting to know, but Sam?” Richard leaned in for a whisper. “Don’t mess this up.”

He then sent Sam one last smile, giving him another ‘friendly’ shake on the arm. As he walked away, Sam heard him mumble something about needing to check in with his Jolteon, and then Richard pulled out a grey, metal sphere to twist a red knob on its top.

“Hey, Jolt. Need your help again. Just gimme a moment to take it out.”

Richard’s Jolteon coalesced from light like any other Pokémon released from a Pokéball. As he moved behind a nearby tree, it was already causing sparks to crackle off of its fur out of eagerness, and it practically bounced around his feet.

Briefly, Sam swore he caught the briefest hint of some kind of cord, but the other boy was gone before he could give it a proper look.

With Richard having stepped away, Sam was now alone—mostly. Haunter had returned to his shadow when everyone was distracted, and then Misdreavus and the... artist were still there.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sam stood, recognizing he didn’t want to put this off. And, despite being so focused on his work, the other boy, Sammy, was still aware enough of his surroundings to notice Sam’s approach.

“Oh, hey! I hope you got your fill! We have more of those meals if you need more.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” Sam said.

“I hope it wasn’t too bad.”

“It was alright. Actually, it was pretty good.”

The boy snorted in amusement and pointed at Sam with his pencil.

“Sorry, but I’m going to doubt you on that—those meals are awful! I haven’t heard anyone compliment them before, but I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m sorry we didn’t have anything else, but I guess being in the forest for a few days has to make any meal taste good!”

He smiled and waited for Sam to continue the conversation, but he went back to drawing when it became clear Sam had nothing more to say. Sam still felt a bit dizzy after everything he’d learned, so he chose to sit on the forest floor next to the boy, wanting to be near Misdreavus. 

The boy attempted to stand to offer Sam his seat, but Sam just politely declined and remained on the forest floor.

From where he sat, Sam was in the perfect position to watch the other boy continue his surprisingly detailed sketch of Misdreavus. The drawing wasn’t a perfect copy, but it contained all the little details that let Sam know the image was definitely of her. However, when Misdreavus noticed Sam had walked over, she suddenly gained a beautiful smile, and Sammy held back a gasp as he flipped to a new page just to try to capture that brief moment of delight.

Silence persisted.

Sam’s thoughts were deafening.

When faced with the choice to reflect on what he learned or to say something, Sam chose to speak.

“Do you like Pokémon?” he ended up asking.

He then immediately cursed himself and his stupid little question. If Redi was here, she would have started an actual conversation, but he just had to open his dumb mouth and answer the most basic thing possible.

He really wished he was still with his team right now.

“I love Pokémon,” the boy answered, not even blinking at what Sam said. “They’re why I’m out here. I want to learn as much as I can about them. Honestly, living this kind of life is living out my dream.”

The boy quietly laughed to himself before going back to work. Sam could see just how much effort he was putting into it. All he had was a pencil and a blank sheet of paper, yet the kid was doing his utmost to capture the most perfect image of Misdreavus he could.

“No camera?” Sam asked.

“Cameras cost too much. There’s also something impersonal about them,” the kid said.

“So if you’re sketching and studying Pokémon, do you... Do you have a Pokédex?”

Pokédexes had been around for years—for at least the past century. Even if Sam was truly this far back in the past, people would still have the written Pokédex.

And then there was also the question of the New Pokédex, but as much as the sketches reminded Sam of it, it seemed unrelated to what Sammy was drawing.

“I don’t. I can’t afford one,” Sammy answered, taking Sam’s question in stride and just seeming to be happy to speak about his work. “Pokédexes are almost as expensive as cameras. I make do with what information I can find on my own, but I mostly get it from word of mouth. Rich is a great help, too, but I think I’m a bit selfish when it comes to him. He tries too hard to give me advice. Research is fun. Sometimes, listening to him almost feels like cheating.”

The kid sent Sam a smile, and Sam could tell—none of his questions had been dumb.

Truly, Sammy loved Pokémon with all his heart.

If his words didn’t prove it enough, then Sam could see that in just how much effort he was putting into the sketch of Misdreavus. He didn’t know her at all, yet he was pouring himself into it.

But Sam wasn’t here to talk to the kid. Sam was here for someone else.

Throughout this whole conversation, Misdreavus had been trying to “subtly” approach Sam through the air, moving with a slight, constant drift. Ever so slowly, she’d been inching toward where Sam sat. However, the moment she noticed Sam’s attention was wholly back on her, she used that moment to lunge.

She widened her eyes as far as they could go and stuck her tongue out in an attempt at a scare.

Unfortunately for her, Sam saw it coming, and he’d had it worse in the past. Still, he pretended she got him, and he purposefully fell back just to hear her laugh.

“Come on!” he whined. “Don’t laugh—you didn’t get me that bad!”

She cackled, and the sound of her laughter made him smile. He started laughing pretty quickly alongside her, too.

“Okay, okay. I’ve ignored you for long enough. Since we’re just sitting here, do you want to train a bit more?”

She nodded eagerly, and Sam pushed to his feet, pausing slightly when he realized Sammy was staring.

“Oh. Uh, sorry. I know I haven’t really explained anything after you offered me that meal, but we can at least—”

“No, it’s fine! Train your Misdreavus! I’ll just be here. I’m waiting for Richard, anyway. I like to sketch, so you don’t need to worry about me!”

Sammy’s smile was bright, and Sam nodded slightly, not sure what else to say. He just stepped back a bit to make some room and then gestured for Misdreavus to move closer to him through the air.

“Alright. We’re going to keep working on Shadow Ball. Remember, all you need to do is collect your energy. Don’t worry about the shape; just keep it together. As long as it's all attached, the ‘ball’ part will come naturally, so it’s the ‘shadow’ part we need to work on, yeah?”

She sent him a firm nod, and then both of them pulled back. Facing outwards into the forest, she pulled up into the air and waited for Sam’s command.

“Show me what you can do, Misdreavus! Use Shadow Ball!”

She shouted her name, the noise echoed around them, and then a mass of shadows collected in front of her face.

The air flickered.

A few wisps appeared, but most sputtered out.

Something that resembled a half-inflated balloon floated forward, but then it flopped to the ground and burst into a rapidly fading puddle of purple and black.

“...Mis.”

Misdreavus fell a full foot in the air.

“It’s fine. That was already a massive improvement. Compared to only being able to make a weak Night Shade, I can tell you’re growing fast.”

A blush overtook her face, and then Sam laughed. Seeing that reaction, she cried out her name, doing her best to complain about how mean he was being.

“...Got it.”

But they both paused when Sammy suddenly spoke up.

“Excuse me?”

The kid looked up from his book with a slight, cheeky grin on his face. Sammy hadn’t actually been paying attention to any of that. Glancing between the two of them, he grinned and then turned his book around.

Sam had to hold back tears when he saw what it was, and Misdreavus went completely still in the air. The sketch displayed on the page was of the two of them, but neither were training. It was a perfect capture of them at the very beginning, when they had both laughed after Misdreavus’s scare.

“Do you want it?” Sammy asked.

“I, uh—”

“Here. It’s easy to tear out. I can put more pages in later, anyway.”

Sammy pulled the sketch out and held it out. Sam cautiously took it into his hands.

He wasn’t sure what to do with it. Misdreavus seemed unable to look away.

He was eventually snapped out of it when Haunter nudged his feet to remind him of everyone nearby.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, by the way.” Sam looked up from the paper and folded it into his pocket. “I never introduced myself. My name is Sam, but yours is Sammy. Do you have a last name or anything else I could call you by? Not that I’m trying to take your name, it’s just that—”

Sammy let out a short laugh.

“It’s fine! I used to go by ‘Sam’ as well, but Rich called me Sammy, and that kind of stuck. But I guess if you really want a different name to call me by, just use my last name. It’s—”

He then froze, head snapping up to stare out into the woods.

Haunter had detected nothing. Sam had detected nothing. But there was something out there that had made Sammy go on high alert.

“Do you hear that?” Sammy asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s like...  a shout. OR some kind of cry.”

“The Voice of the Forest,” Sam breathed.

“...We were warned about that when we first headed in,” Sammy mumbled.

Sam strained his ears to try to hear that same, cursed cry, but he couldn’t hear anything—at least at first.

It started out ever so faint, but it grew in volume over time. The noise was familiar to Sam. He had heard it once before. But back then, he had been falling, and it had sounded distant, muffled, and faint.

Now? It was like he could suddenly hear clearly for the first time.

“Hey! What’s going on? Everything suddenly turned quiet.”

Richard walked out from behind his tree, returning his Jolteon and shoving something back into his pocket.

However, his appearance marked a new development in these events—the bushes to their clearing’s north suddenly started to rustle. Everyone froze, expecting something to burst out.

It was not a single Pokémon.

A full-on stampede charged out, and dozens of small Pokémon exploded into the clearing.

Sammy yelped, jumping back to press himself against a tree, and Sam dropped to the ground to try to use that root as cover. Richard’s position let him just barely avoid the horde, but he still stumbled backwards as the pinks and blues of Nidoran rushed past them, and many Rattata and Sentret ran along their sides.

“What’s going on?” Sam shouted.

He could barely see from where that root covered his side on the ground.

Thankfully, Haunter helped from the shadows to redirect the few Pokémon that missed their jump. None landed on Sam, and then, without anyone noticing, it was over.

Mostly.

“There’s more,” Sammy whispered.

Sam brought his head up to stare out toward where the wild Pokémon had just fled. He expected to see another stampede come out or to see those species’ evolved forms, but something else entered the clearing instead.

A sharp cry entered the air. It was a panicked, exhausted “bbbBBBIII!” that grew by the second. Out of nowhere, a small, green Pokémon fell from the canopy, and it just barely managed to catch itself in the air to keep flying straight through.

The foliage rustled behind it, and a Houndoom lunged out with flames licking its snout. A Flamethrower tried to incinerate that green Pokémon, but its form flickered, and it jumped several feet ahead to just barely avoid that move.

Then, a Scyther leaped from the trees, scythe swinging down in an attempt to pin that flying Pokémon to the forest floor. In that case, the unknown Pokémon fell to the side to just barely dodge the move.

None of the three Pokémon reacted to or even noticed the group hiding there.

What stood out to Sam the most about the exchange was that he had never seen that first species before—not even in the New Pokédex.

Just as quickly as they had appeared, the three Pokémon disappeared from the clearing. Their chase brought them back into the forest, and Sam could hear that strange Pokémon’s cries become fainter as it continued to desperately fly away.

...That sound.

He recognized its cry.

Without a doubt in his mind, he knew it was the Voice of the Forest.

“But that wasn’t a fight,” Sam mumbled to himself. “It was more like it was the target of a hunt.”

No one else spoke. Everyone needed to process what had happened.

However, before anyone could say anything, Sammy suddenly pushed off that tree to run after the chase. Richard didn’t hesitate to join him, and Sam could tell the two of them planned to stop that fight. After all, neither the Houndoom nor the Scyther seemed to be acting with benevolent intentions.

But Sam? Sam didn’t share those thoughts. He knew the green Pokémon was in danger, but he was unable to enter the same mindset. He had no doubts. That Pokémon had to have been the Voice of the Forest.

In other words, it was both the solution to and the source of all of his problems.

So, exchanging a look with Misdreavus to warn her of his plans, Sam scrambled to his feet to take off running after everyone else. However, unlike the other two, he didn’t have the same plan.

Right now, the idea of ‘help’ wasn’t exactly at the forefront of his mind.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Eevee / Jolteon
Houndoom
Nidoran
Rattata
Scyther
Sentret

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 145

Author Note:

I am sick to the point where it's hard to focus but I didn’t want to skip today because I love this arc and want to see it come out. I should be better by Friday. This chapter will get touched up later, but it thankfully hits everything I want it to hit.

Please enjoy.
==========================================================================

The best trainers, as in the peak of the peak, could take an inexperienced Pokémon and turn them into an elite-level fighter within only a few months.

Sam could not do that.

However, he was still someone with almost a full season of experience behind him as well as a massive pool of knowledge to draw from. Just because he couldn’t bring a Pokémon to an elite-level in a short time didn’t mean he was clueless how to help Misdreavus. He was no longer the trainer that struggled to put together a training plan. He knew what exercises he would need her to do as well as how to best describe new moves to help her learn them.

He was a Pokémon trainer. A proper one.

He couldn’t call himself weak. He knew for a fact he’d be able to help.

“Alright, Misdreavus,” Sam said that morning, facing her at the edge of the stream. The flow of the water made it obvious in which direction he’d need to travel to find the river—or at least, Sam hoped it did. “I want to see what moves you know. Show me what you’ve picked up all this time on your own.”

Locking eyes, Misdreavus sent him a firm nod before demonstrating her moves.

She was cute.

Overall, her selection was pretty basic for a wild Ghost Type, consisting of Growl and Confuse Ray for support, and hten Psywave, Astonish, and Confusion for those attacks.

“Hm.”

All of her attacks are decent, but she doesn’t have anything that strong. At most, they’re functional, but she’s not exactly using them fast or giving them the power they need to deal damage.

“Let me guess,” Sam said, “for a lot of these, you spied on other Pokémon and then copied what they could do, right?”

As he tapped his chin in thought, Misdreavus gained a slight blush.

Alright. So that’s how she knows these moves. She just needs to practice and then expand her options.

“In a battle, you need options. You also need to make sure those options actually work,” Sam said, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. “By that, I don’t just mean moves you’ve used once or twice. I mean that to win battles, you need to use the moves that can actually hit. You need to use moves whose effects will actually apply.”

He stopped walking, pushing his feet together as he glanced over to where Misdreavus floated in the air. She tilted herself to the side curiously, clearly interested in her words.

However, there was a tinge of disappointment to her.

She clearly wanted Sam to compliment her moves.

“Okay, okay. Yeah, it’s pretty great that you’re already so familiar with the Psychic Type,” Sam said, causing Misdreavus to puff up in pride. “Except, I did see some flaws with it. We need a way to improve, so...”

He looked around.

No one else was here.

This was the first time he’d be training a Pokémon without any other Pokémon to help, so he decided to take a risk.

He threw his arms out to his sides, making himself the widest target he could be.

“Hit me. Use Psybeam.”

Misdreavus immediately looked aghast.

Scaring someone was one thing, but directly attacking them was another. In the wild, fights and moves were only really exchanged during moments of actually aggression or to claim territory. Using one on a companion wasn’t too command—but that was for Pokémon. Humans weren’t known for taking the same level of hits.

“Trust me. I won’t get hurt, but I need you to see this with your own eyes.”

Sam knew that Haunter would help him dodge in the worst case, but also he didn’t have any other targets that Misdreavus could attack.

She was hesitant at first, shaking her head in an attempt to deny Sam’s request. However, Sam kept up his expectant stare.

She grimaced before finding her resolution, breathing in, and then closing her eyes for focus.

Unlike most of the times Sam saw his Pokémon attack, he couldn’t see Misdreavus’s move form right away. She was far more inexperienced than he thought. Still, soon enough, ripples formed in the air as her control of Psychic Type energy manipulated that space.

A few seconds longer, and then she snapped her eyes open. Her Psywave properly took form alongside a shout, forming a blue-pink wave that oscillated through the air to reach Sam.

He dodged it by taking a single step to the right.

“Okay. That was pretty good! Like I said, knowing more than just Normal and Ghost Type moves is pretty good for a Pokémon at your level.”

Misdreavus responded with a huff—the move came naturally to her. His compliment didn’t mean much.

“Let’s skip straight to the advice, then. No compliment sandwich. I’ll keep it straight and to the point—is that okay with you?”

She nodded. Sam once more took up the stance of a proper lecturer or a drill instructor.

(He might have been enjoying this a bit too much. No matter what, he’d need to travel to find a way back to his team, but practicing with Misdreavus was nostalgic and helped keep unwanted thoughts out of his mind.)

“First thing’s first—never close your eyes. Throughout that entire process, I could have walked away while you weren’t paying attention to me, and that would have completely thrown off your aim.”

Briefly, shame passed over her face, but that disappeared when she realized Sam wasn’t criticizing her, just giving her advice.

“Secondly, you don’t need to pay that much attention to your form. Moves will be disrupted when they hit no matter what, so at the base level they only need to be functional enough to be used,” Sam said. “But that brings me to my third point—your moves don’t need to be perfect! You’re only just starting.

“This is how I trained all of my Pokémon,” Sam said, continuing. “We learned the basics of their moves at first, and then we tried to make it better. Build a solid foundation before you perfect it. And if you have a solid foundation, then you can modify it later on, right?”

Misdreavus listened with rapt attention, eagerly nodding her head with every word. Truthfully, Sam didn’t remember her exact moveset from when he caught her. He knew he had it written down in his journal, but his journal was—

Don’t think about that, Sam. Just think about helping the Pokémon in front of you.

“Alright. Try again. Think about everything I just said and use Psywave for a second time.”

Once more, he held out his arms, and once more Misdreavus looked hesitant.

But Sam had already shown that he could dodge, and she focused—this time, without closing her eyes.

When she used Psywave here, those same ripples appeared, but only after several long seconds where nothing happened. Closing her eyes had helped her focus, before. However, she was still able to form the move, just with a bit more effort.

Space vibrated, and then her attack took form.

Briefly, Sam’s eyes widened when he realized this less controlled version of her attack was rushing him faster that he’d be able to dodge.

“Shoot!”

Haunter saved him; hands left Sam’s shadow to grab his feet and slide him to the left. The Psywave continued past him with an uneven speed before hitting the bark of a tree, landing with a heavy thunk.

“That would have hurt,” Sam mumbled, staring at where Misdreavus’s move just hit.

Misdreavus, meanwhile, didn’t seem to care. She didn’t even notice that Sam had moved unnaturally, she just seemed worried that she almost caused him pain.

Inherently, Psywave varied in its power due to the wave-like structure of the move. When she used it with less preparation, there was less control. They’d just been unlucky enough to see its power overflow and hit its max.

“No, no! Don’t get worried! You’re already doing great! Did you see how quickly that formed once you got started! Already, it’s way better to use in a fight!”

Misdreavus froze, hearing what Sam said and now truly realizing what she had done. Slowly, she turned to the bark of the tree to see that dent she had made.

“Good job,” Sam said.

She smiled at him.

And then she fell.

He caught her in his arms as exhaustion set in. She’d overcharged her move and completely drained herself, but at least Sam could carry her to let her rest as he moved to follow the stream south.

__________________________________________________________________________

Together with Misdreavus, Sam walked alongside that stream. The water flowed and bubbled, and at several points he had to move to hide from wild Pokémon that went to it to drink.

Haunter always gave Sam a warning, but it was a bit nerve-wracking to see the wild Pokémon out here. If more of his team had been around, he wouldn’t have thought it was an issue, but as strong as Haunter was, there was still the risk of being outnumbered.

Stantler could use illusions to see Haunter fall. Aipom were menaces and great a tricks to distract both Haunter and Sam. Any Bug Types could swarm—as Sam had unfortunately learned in Azalea Gym.

Misdreavus could technically help, but she was too busy going through a cycle of practicing and then slowly following along at Sam’s side.

Regardless of any threats in the environment, Sam managed to follow the flow of water safely. Misdreavus practiced, and Sam helped her train her moves.

Days passed.

She showed improvement as Sam continued to make his way south.

Misdreavus’s Psywave quickly became her best attack, turning into a pulse of energy that moved strange enough to disrupt any foe. Her control over Psywave also bled into her Confusion, which she trained by telekinetically carrying small stones. As for Growl, that was just a matter of using her voice, and Confuse Ray was a move used on Sam whenever he stopped to take a break.

But the big thing he wanted her to learn was more Ghost Type attacks. She was already familiar with the energy thanks to her Type and knowledge of Astonish. Through that, he was able to guide her through the process of releasing the energy in an area around her.

That meant she knew Night Shade, as weak as it was. It was a simple move, only requiring raw control, but it was also a great way to track just how much she improved.

Over the few days Sam spent training with her, Misdreavus started with only being able to conjure a faint haze into being able to conjure a shroud that turned her into a silhouette. It wasn’t quite the sphere of darkness Sam was used to, but she was getting there.

And then there were also her next steps.

“For Shadow Ball,” Sam would explain to her, “you basically want to take that same energy and condense it into a singular attack. Instead of having it suffuse the space around you, you want to make it into a ball. Before, I’ve been told it actually doesn’t feel too different than something like Astonish.”

She would try and fail, but every attempt at least helped her control. Sam said nothing when she closed her eyes—doing so was a mistake, but it helped her focus. The importance was getting the basics down and improving it from there.

Though she didn’t pick up Shadow Ball, Sam did notice flickers. Nothing proper ever formed, but the way her Ghost Type energy moved reminded him of wisps.

Wisps that would be key to the attacks she’d eventually pick up in the future.

Other than that, the only other move he had her practice was Mean Look, because of course he did. When Ghost Type energy was involved, it didn’t take much to have a glare lock a target in place, especially since she already knew Confuse Ray. It was by no means battle ready, but she certainly knew the move.

He even had her test it out on a few wild Pokémon that got too close. They would freeze and allow Sam to run away, and then Misdreavus would dash over and catch up right after.

Frequently, she’d giggle the whole way.

“You know,” Sam said one night as they rested under the stars. “You’re growing strong, Misdreavus, and I can’t even say it’s due to myself. You’re just... a hard worker. You’re determined. Without your enthusiasm, you would have never gotten anywhere as far as you do.”

Misdreavus would laugh a lot. There was a happiness to her that Sam hadn’t seen before. At times, she would randomly fling herself in the air just to feel the wind rushing past her, and then Sam would scramble to catch her in his arms.

He didn’t have a Pokéball. He didn’t have a way to help her rest. Yet, she would let herself become physical enough for him to carry her.

That was how she recovered over the day.

“You’re also...” Sam wasn’t sure how to phrase this. His voice drifted off. The thought hurt to think. It would be worse to not say. “You’re also so much like one of my Pokémon. Incredibly so. It’s just... I don’t know. She put all this hard work into becoming a powerful special sweeper, yet she...”

She never told me.

“She was more lonely than I realized.”

Misdreavus pressed herself against Sam’s side. He found himself leaning back against her.

He wasn’t sure why she was so attached to him even though just a few days had passed.

Had she really been that alone?

It made the moment she re-encountered him in the forest feel that much worse.

One phrase echoed through his mind:

Ghosts attracted Ghosts.

“...Thank you.” Sam ended up saying. “I’m sorry. I should have come sooner.”

She made a noise as if to say it was fine because he didn’t know, but that wasn’t true. It was her who didn’t realize the truth of the matter.

But their travels continued, and their training sessions progressed. The stream slowly grew, never quite becoming a river but definitely becoming a brook.

Without supplies, Sam did his best to take care of himself in that time, using whatever he could to keep himself fit. Having a source of clean, fresh water helped a lot, and Haunter also assisted by slipping off and returning with berries.

Eating them made the bread last longer.

Sam never asked what Haunter had to do to get them.

Without a proper source of meals, Sam did find himself growing tired. He knew this trip wasn’t something he could keep up forever. He needed to find civilization sooner rather than later, not just to find a way to reunite with his team but also to just eat a good meal.

And then it happened. The further south they got, the shorter the trees became. When Sam passed by one to exit into an open meadow, Sam froze out of recognition.

“I know this place.”

Before him, grasses and flowers spread out in a meadow, and a mass of Pokémon danced under the sun. The same as it was years in the future, he could see so many Bellossom and Oddish living in this place.

“We... I passed by this place with my team,” Sam said to Misdreavus, but also to Haunter. “There should be a road just up ahead. That means if I’m remembering correctly, there’s a stream—”

He stopped what he was doing to desperately look around, and then he took off in a dash.

Misdreavus shouted out as Sam chased toward where his memories took him.

Yes! I was right! It changed over time, but that’s definitely where those Marill were playing. That means the road is just up ahead, and if the road is right there...

“The campsite.”

My team might be there.

What if he and Haunter hadn’t been the only ones to fall in?

A flicker of hope entered his chest.

Sam charged through the woods, running toward where he had been at rest with his team. He had no clue how time had been passing for both him and them—was there a difference? Was a day here a day then? Or was no time passing at all, and he’d only return once all of this was over?

Yet, it wouldn’t matter if at least one of them were here. If a single other Pokémon was somehow sent through time with him, then it wouldn’t just be him and Haunter trying to get back.

He followed the trial. He followed memories of his footsteps. There was no sign that he had walked this path, but that made sense.

He hadn’t technically been here yet.

The forest exploded before him, opening up in that tiny grove he and his team had taken break. The same rare beam of lights peeked through, and Sam glanced around for any sign that his friends were here as well.

Except...

“No,” Sam breathed. “No. There’s nothing.”

It was empty.

The only thing he recognized was that root he had used as a bench, but it was significantly smaller than it was before.

It hadn’t grown yet.

“I hoped... I just thought...”

It was barely big enough to serve as a seat, but Sam sat on it anyway.

He dropped his head into his hands, crushed. A pressure was placed onto his knee.

The presence of Haunter’s hand helped.

From behind him, Misdreavus finally caught up, also entering the empty clearing and moving over to Sam while making a worried noise. He sighed, bringing his head back up, and forcing a smile onto his face.

“I’m fine. Sorry. I didn’t mean to run. I just got separated from my team here and I thought... I thought they’d be here. Even if it didn’t make sense.”

But they weren’t. We’re alone.

Misdreavus replied with a noise to say that she was here, and there was something about that that made Sam feel even worse.

“B-but it’s fine,” he said. “I know where we are now. We’ll follow that path to head back to the river, and Arborville won’t be too far from there.”

Arborville was an old town. He had no doubts it’d be around, even whenever it was currently int he past. If he could just speak to someone knowledgeable about local myths, he could learn more. They’d either have advice, or they’d have information on whatever that cursed “Voice of the Forest” was.

When I find that Voice...

A dark look overtook his face.

“Come on,” Sam said, taking a deep breath to stabilize himself. “Getting stuck here isn’t going to help us. It’s fine to have a few negative thoughts, but they’re not worth getting trapped in.”

Misdreavus nodded slowly. She looked as though she didn’t quite believe him.

Sam ignored her worried look as well as the one Haunter sent him from the shadows.

Standing up from that same root, Sam prepared himself to leave. Unfortunately, neither his pack nor the New Pokédex was where he’d left them—or would leave them, in an unknown amount of time.

He’d truly need to carry on as he was, with just Misdreavus and Haunter at his side.

But as he readied himself to head out, he heard something in the distance:

It was not the cry of the Voice of the Forest, but a pair of voices from two people getting close.

“Are you sure we couldn’t stay in the meadow?”

“I’m sure! We’ve already delayed this long enough!”

“But I wanted a sketch of a Bellossom!”

“It’s fine! You have plenty of sketches of Bellossom! I want to get deeper in—and look! I was right, there’s a clearing just up ahead!”

Sam went still as a set of nearby bushes shook, and two young boys almost immediately popped out in front of him right after. Having shoved their way through the foliage, they fell to the earth when the resistance suddenly disappeared. One clutched a leather-bound journal close to his chest, and the other hit the floor only to laugh and roll onto his back.

“See? Told ya, Sammy. A clearing! This’ll be a better place to rest before moving on!”

“I guess so. But we could have rested near the Bellossom.”

“Psh. We’re going to see so many more rare Pokémon if we head deeper in. Plus, you could just sketch...”

The boy’s voice trailed off when he saw Sam standing in front of him.

Immediately, the boy scrambled to his feet and sent Sam a hostile glare. His gaze was almost murderous, and Sam had no clue what he’d done to deserve that.

The other one—Sammy—continued to clutch his journal while pushing back to his feet, pausing momentarily to brush dirt off of his baggy pants. He froze as well when he saw Sam there, but instead of any hostile gaze, he kept a kind smile on his face and greeted him politely.

“Oh, hello! Sorry, we didn’t know someone else was already here. You can call me Sammy, and this is—” He froze when he saw the Pokémon behind Sam. “You have a Misdreavus!”

“...Yes?” Sam said.

Immediately, Sammy pulled a pencil out of the front pocket on his shirt and tried to begin sketching her in his journal. Shy, Misdreavus moved to hide behind Sam, but the situation failed to progress from there when the other boy held out an arm to get Sammy to stop.

“Wait. Look how ragged he is. We don’t know if he’s a threat.”

“A... A threat? You’re kidding, right? He’s not ragged, he’s just— Hold on, do you need help?”

This look sent at Sam was one of worry, carrying a promise of help.

The other look was still one of hate, seemingly carrying a promise of pain.

“I...”

Sam’s throat felt sore.

Honestly, the world seemed as though it was spinning.

He couldn’t find the courage to talk.

Why?

Because he’d seen the faces of these two boys before.

“You... You two... You are...”

Memories flashed through his head of a certain photograph he’d once glimpsed in his attic. They were older there, but he knew it was them.

When Sam failed to speak, unnamed boy stormed forward. Ignoring Misdreavus’s yelp of surprise, he grabbed Sam’s arm and dragged him away.

His whisper was more like a hiss.

“Who the hell are you supposed to be? You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“I’m—”

“Doesn’t matter. Leave. I set up too much to fail here. I need to make this work.”

Sam gaped at just how hostile the boy’s voice was, but he didn’t say anything. This time around, it was because someone else butted in.

“Hey, don’t speak to him like that!” Sammy shouted. “What’s with you? I’ve never seen you act like this—you didn’t even introduce yourself!”

A blink.

Finally, the other boy backed off.

He sighed, bringing a hand through his hair in a show of his utmost confidence.

“Fine. Whatever. I guess I might have been overreacting, but so what?

“As for my name...” He grinned. “Call me Dick. Or Richard. Or just Rich. I’m Richard Greyson! Yeah, I can tell you recognize it—it’s purposeful! And I expect you to remember that!”

==========================================================================
Author Note:

I’ve made a slight adjustment to Misdreavus’s known moves in the last chapter. Primarily, I realized it didn’t make sense for her to know Mean Look and Night Shade just yet.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Aipom
Stantler

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 144

Author Note:

Apologies for the sudden change in schedule, but I won’t be able to publish a chapter on Friday. There’ll be a short break this week, but we’ll pick back up on Tuesday with the next chapter.

==========================================================================

The forest floor was cold beneath Sam. He felt his hand press into damp detritus and long-fallen leaves. The sun had vanished in the sky, plunging the world around him firmly into night. A few faint beams peaked through, but a heavy canopy otherwise blocked the light of the moon.

At least the trees are tall.

He wasn’t sure why, but he laughed. After everything that had happened, he found it funny that his first thought was of how he had finally made it into the deepest part of Ilex’s woods.

He pushed up into a seated position, somehow feeling both completely lucid and a bit dazed at the same time. He had a clear memory of falling, but he wasn’t sure where or what he had fallen through. He had passed through that arch, certainly, but it was like that blurry world he passed through had existed without existing at all.

All he knew was that he had gone somewhere, and right now, he was here.

They pushed somewhere. Why did they push me?

That single question repeated over and over again in his mind as he sat on the forest floor.

Why?

Why did Mismagius trick him? Why did Typhlosion push him through the portal? Why did they rip his team’s Pokéballs away? Why did everyone else not know?

His stomach churned. He trusted his Pokémon. It felt like a betrayal, but as he remembered that look in their eyes...

Typhlosion seemed like she was in just as much pain as I feel right now. She didn’t want to do it, but neither did Mismagius. But both of them did it anyway.

They weren’t happy to do it, but it was like they felt as though they needed to no matter what. Did Mismagius know something? She lived in this forest. That has to be connected to why she set this up in the first place.

He knew that it was Mismagius who came up with the plan. Typhlosion would have never done something like this on her own without telling him first. It wasn’t a prank. It wasn’t a trick. He’d been sent to a completely different part of the forest, alone, without anyone on his team, and without any form of supplies.

Quickly, Sam checked to see what he still had on him. As far as he could tell, he only had his clothes. His Pokémon were on the other side of that portal. His backpack was back where he’d set it down when he sat. The New Pokédex was still where he’d left it on the root when he stood up. And Typhlosion now possessed all of his team’s Pokéballs.

That just left him...

He couldn’t help it. He laughed again.

“The berry bread.”

It was still in his pocket.

Weirdly, he could take comfort in how he still had food.

“Alright, Sam. You’re alone in a forest with only a loaf of bread on you. You have no water, shelter, or Pokémon to keep you safe. You have no devices to call for help, and since your team is responsible for pushing you in, no one is going to know they need to go out and search for you in the first place...”

He whispered to himself in an attempt to feel better, but he had to stop when he realized that nothing he was saying helped.

As he sat there, the faint cry of a wild Pokémon echoed in the distance. Sam quickly stood up, recognizing that he was alone in the deepest and most potentially dangerous part of the Ilex Forest. Without any Pokémon with him, he had few ways to defend himself.

It would have been easy to allow himself to fall into negative thoughts, but at this point, he had more than enough practice pushing past those. Instead, he took a deep breath, schooling his mind.

If no one is around to help me, then I have to help myself. My priorities are water and shelter. I also need to find a way to get to a town or a Ranger station so I can call for help.

If he had his full team with him or if people knew he was stuck out here, he would be better off staying in one place. However, all of the people who would worry about him thought he’d be out here for several weeks. They would only know he needed help if he didn’t show up at the Conference, and the Conference was still weeks away.

Strapped for options, he recognized the only one to rescue him from this situation would be himself. He chose a direction and began walking, searching for anything that could help him find a way to return to his team.

There wasn’t much light out here given it was the middle of the night. He didn’t remember passing out while falling, but he had experienced a sudden change in the time of day. It had been just about midday when he stopped to take a break with everyone else. The strange time difference was a little weird, but right now, the important part was getting back.

Once more, another distant cry echoed out, and Sam was reminded of how wild Pokémon filled these woods. It also reminded him of a certain warning he’d been given:

The Voice of the Forest.

Is it responsible for this? Did it work with Mismagius?

He wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to him, but again, his priority was returning to his team.

So he walked, alone, trekking through the woods. Though it was dark, he didn’t have much trouble looking around. He was a bit worried about injuring himself by tripping on a root or the like, but the trees here were so large that any root was essentially building-sized.

His path weaved as he made his way forward. He had no clue what direction he was traveling, only that he was traveling somewhere. No matter what, he’d find something eventually. He just needed to keep going.

It wasn’t too long into his trek that he saw a shadow suddenly shift to his right.

Instead of panicking, Sam was filled with immense relief.

“Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I’m not alone. So they got you, too?”

The shadow attempted to dart behind a tree, and then sharp eyes peeked out from behind. They were trying to hide their appearance to resemble something unique, but Sam could recognize that mischievous grin from anywhere.

“Haunter?” Sam called out. “Are you coming out?”

Haunter huffed, leaving where he had hidden in a shadow. For all his efforts to scare Sam, Sam had seen through him right away. Yet, Haunter didn’t look too upset. If anything, he looked a bit guilty. He’d been trying to scare Sam, but his presence alone had caused Sam such a massive amount of relief.

“Are you alone? Alone other than me,” Sam clarified when Haunter looked at him and giggled.

He was hopeful as he waited for a response, but after a quick look around, Haunter replied with an unfortunate shrug.

“So there are no Gastly and no one else nearby. It was just you? And they didn’t even mean to shove you through. You just happened to be in my shadow when I fell.”

After a few more questions, Sam was able to decipher the situation—Typhlosion and Mismagius had intended to only send Sam through, but Haunter had been resting in Sam’s shadow to make sure he’d be prepared to train later. Everything happened so quickly that he didn’t break out of his torpor until Sam was already falling through.

“Mismagius and Typhlosion pushed me through some weird arch thing,” Sam explained quickly. “I fell, and then I think I woke up here? Anyway, we’re still in Ilex Forest, but we’re much deeper in. Everyone else is back at this place’s entrance. We need to find a way to return to the team.”

Haunter looked around. Sam did as well.

They had certainly reached their target destination of the darkest parts of the forest, but now wasn’t exactly the time for training.

“Sorry, Haunter. This is an emergency situation. I know you want to evolve, but we can’t just abandon everyone else.”

Despite Sam’s words, Haunter didn’t seem to think this was an emergency. He just snickered, basically seeing Mismagius and Typhlosion’s actions as nothing more than a prank.

Sam’s feelings were more complicated than that. Haunter’s reaction was more positive since those two possessed his absolute trust. While Sam logically knew neither would do anything to hurt him, it was still painful to experience them planning something like this behind his back.

“I’m not a Ghost Type, so I’ll need your help. I have food, but I don’t have water or a place to stay. It’ll be safer to move when it's not night, so can you help me out? Search for anything like that or just keep aggressive Pokémon away. Please, Haunter. I’m placing myself in your hands.”

Immediately, Haunter’s expression turned serious. With the stiff demeanor of a professional, he sent Sam a salute.

Then, he cackled at that action and slipped off, entering the nearby shadows to maintain a careful perimeter around Sam. He’d work to search for what Sam needed while also making sure any hostile wild Pokémon wouldn’t approach. He was honestly one of the best Pokémon Sam could ask to have with him out here. Between his growing sensory abilities and his expertise with Hypnosis, he could detect and ward away attackers with ease.

But there were downsides, too.

Sam had no Pokéballs on him, not even Haunter’s. If Haunter became critically injured, Sam had no way to put him in stasis or use a Potion to treat him. That meant Destiny Bond, while great for delaying a tough foe, was otherwise unusable. Same for any move that caused him to hurt himself like the timer-inducing Curse.

The only way Haunter would be able to heal was if they were lucky enough to find an unguarded berry tree. Except, Sam knew just how rare something like that was. The berry bread could maybe provide a slight amount of healing, but Sam needed that bread for food, which meant Haunter could only really heal if given plenty of time to rest.

But we’ll be traveling. Staying in one place is just asking for a wild Pokémon to attack us. Haunter could rest in my shadow if he needs to, but if he ever gets knocked out, he won’t be conscious enough to be able to dive in.

With them being off-Route, avoiding threats was more important than fighting them off.

Still, Sam felt much more confident knowing he had at least one Pokémon at his side.

He continued his hike with renewed energy, trekking over the uneven floor of dead leaves and scattered roots. This deep in Ilex Forest, it honestly felt as though he was walking through a city’s downtown. The trees out here were so old that they matched the heights of skyscrapers. Grass Type energy could cause plants to grow into impressive things, and these trees had literal centuries to grow while passively feeding on that.

This place was ancient. It almost felt primordial, but it wasn’t quite that.

Eventually, Sam heard the sounds of uneven footsteps walking across the leaves—an attempt by Haunter to creep him out while also sending him a sign. However, it was hard to not notice the Ghost Type’s suppressed giggles, and Sam followed the signal to move around one of the massive trees.

Haunter led him to a stream.

“Oh, good.” Sam knelt at its side in an attempt to look it over. He could see the barest shape of its flow while also hearing the constant movement of water. “This stream might be good? I have no fire or any way to boil it, but if I can’t find anything else...”

He was a bit thirsty, but he could at least wait until morning to see how clear the liquid was. If there were signs of Water Types nearby, he would know it’d be safe to drink. If they weren’t, he would just have to keep moving. At least, the stream represented something important—if it went on for long enough, there was a chance that following it could bring him to a river, and then following that river would give him decent odds of finding civilization.

“We’ll look for a safe place to stay nearby, and then we’ll follow the water once it’s day. I don’t know if it’s safe to drink or not right now, but some more light will let me know how clear it is. The berry bread might let me bribe some Water Types into making some drinking water instead, but if we don’t find any or if they’re hostile, we’ll just need to keep going until we’re back.”

He heard something shift behind him, and an exhale sent a cold feeling running across his neck. Taking that as yet another form of acknowledgement by Haunter, Sam stood up, still staring into the stream.

“No matter what, we need to return to everyone else. They’ll be waiting for us, even if they’re the reason we’re... Whatever.” Sam shook his head. “Even if we don’t bribe any Pokémon, that berry bread is dense enough to last me a day or two. The important part is to move carefully while conserving energy. As long as we aren’t too far away, we should last long enough to make it back.”

Sam was incredibly thankful to his mother. Before leaving on his journey, she had him go through a “training camp” for a few weeks. Without that, he wouldn’t have known what to do or all the little tricks for surviving out here. His own experience on his journey helped as well. Without all of that knowledge and experience in his mind, he’d probably have been more freaked out.

Feeling confident about their next steps, Sam turned around to check on the source of the breathing, expecting to see Haunter.

It wasn’t Haunter.

But eyes stared back.

Eyes that were so incredibly familiar.

In his chest, it was as though his heart suddenly stopped.

Sam had never been more terrified in his life.

Before him, the floating Pokémon saw his fear and smiled, and it wasn’t the expression of Haunter or any of the Gastly. Red eyes, rimmed with yellow, curved up with glee, and the Ghost Type let out a creepy giggle that echoed through the woods around them.

With Sam frozen, the Pokémon bounced in place, happy to have succeeded in its scare. The short dress of its body bounced alongside it, and the hair on its head waved in an unseen wind.

“...Misdreavus?” Sam whispered, his throat dry.

The Pokémon saw his expression and suddenly rushed his face.

She giggled in delight when Sam fell back.

Misdreavus was celebrating, laughing, cackling at a scare well done. She was a Ghost Type. A real Ghost Type. Nothing about her was fake; the world was far too cold right now for this to be an illusion.

“...How?” Sam breathed.

The wild Pokémon, unaware of the depths of his question, simply stuck out her tongue in a cheeky taunt.

His brain wasn’t working.

His eyes felt like they weren’t working.

Yet, he couldn’t ignore reality. What he was seeing was completely, undeniably, undoubtedly, true.

That’s Misdreavus. My Misdreavus. But.. she evolved. She’s supposed to be a Mismagius. She’s traveled with me! She would know how to scare someone better than this!

But it’s her! I know it’s her! It’s not her sister or another Misdreavus or any different Pokémon that just happens to be identical. It’s her, and she scared me, and she...

Sam swallowed a shaky breath.

And she doesn’t recognize me.

His concept of reality was falling apart.

Misdreavus’s smile was far too familiar. The way her eyes glimmered in delight was far too telling. He’d seen this exact expression plenty of times before as they journeyed together.

She was undeniably his Pokémon.

But at the same time, she wasn’t.

At least, not yet.

“How?” Sam repeated.

He didn’t want to face the truth.

Misdreavus, his Misdreavus, turned his way and cocked her head to the side in the equivalent of a shrug.

She clearly thought he was asking how she scared him, but his question carried so much more meaning than that.

Because her appearance here answered too many questions in his mind, and he finally had to admit to himself what happened.

That archway wasn’t a portal.

It hadn’t just brought him to a new part of the forest.

The unexpected presence of night was too much of a gap. He had never actually fallen unconscious. The presence of the unevolved Misdreavus was too much of an impossibility. All of that together combined into a single, undeniable truth:

Somehow, Sam had traveled back in time.

__________________________________________________________________________

He wasn’t sure why Misdreavus agreed to it. She didn’t know him. She hadn’t traveled with him. And... he didn’t actually know her.

Yet, she easily agreed when he asked for help.

Misdreavus spent only a moment to consider it before bobbing up and down with an eager laugh. She almost immediately turned away to zip through the forest only to stop and turn toward him, impatiently waiting for him to catch up.

She has so much energy. She’s so young.

She didn’t have that passive sense of melancholy she’d sometimes slip into in the past. This was a Misdreavus that was new to life, excited to experience new things. Sam wouldn’t have been surprised if she had come into being within the past year or two.

As he followed Misdreavus—his Misdreavus—Haunter followed by his side. The much stronger, much more stealthy Ghost Type stuck to shadows but stayed nearby.

He was just as quiet as Sam. This... past version of their friend didn’t notice him at all.

“Do you remember when Misdreavus first came at us in the forest? How she looked so betrayed when we attacked her?” Sam kept his voice to a whisper so that Misdreavus didn’t hear, and in the shadows of the great trees, Haunter responded with a tense nod. “Do you think... she recognized us?”

Silence persisted.

Haunter thought about it.

Back then, Misdreavus recognized Sam.

But she did not recognize him.

“Haunter, I don’t think you’re supposed to be here,” Sam said slowly. “I think... I think Mismagius did this on purpose. Typhlosion’s known for a while. They wanted me to be here for a reason, but for you... I’m sorry. Can you stay hidden? I don’t think you should reveal yourself to her. Please. Just... I don’t know. Can you stay on guard?”

Haunter looked conflicted. It was the most conflicted Sam had ever seen his Pokémon look. Haunter kept sending glances Misdreavus’s way, and Sam knew why.

She’d slipped past his attention.

But she had slipped past his attention because he had unconsciously let her. He was too used to ignoring her presence to notice her before she approached Sam.

Something about that stuck with Haunter, but he still nodded to accept Sam’s request. For now, he faded into the nearby shadows and resumed maintaining a perimeter. Right after, Misdreavus turned around to check on Sam, sending him a curious look.

He sent her a smile. Misdreavus smiled back.

In the end, she didn’t bring him too far away from that river. Maybe just a few trees away—but with how large these trees were, it was still quite the distance. She stopped in front of where a root bent upwards to curve out of the earth. Its arcing shape made Sam feel a bit sick at the unfortunate resemblance, but she eagerly dove right into the gap made by its hump.

Following her in, he had to crouch to fit under the root, but he could tell she had led him into some kind of short den. A flicker appeared in front of him, and just a foot away from his face, Mismagius strained with focus to conjure a single, ghostly light.

Sam looked around.

There were some neat rocks. A collection of colorful leaves. A pile of shredded-yet-stringy bark that served as a nest. Pressed against the wall was a mound of half-rotted berries.

The smell was sickeningly sweet.

Not needing food herself, Misdreavus made a noise to offer Sam one of them, but he just forced back his grimace and shook his head.

“Thank you, but I have food of my own,” he said as he pulled out the berry bread.

Misdreavus saw and eyed it greedily.

Sam eyed it as well.

“...Here,” he said with a sigh, pulling off a chunk and handing it over.

Happily, Misdreavus snapped up the chunk and chewed on the new flavor all while Sam tried to clear a space on the floor. He ignored how a bunch of creepy crawlies scattered away when he swiped his hand before sitting down.

All of his attention was on the Ghost Type in the room. She was his Pokémon, but she... wasn’t quite there yet.

“How long have you lived here?”

Misdreavus shrugged, unsure. Time-keeping didn’t exactly seem to be her strength, as young as she was. However, Sam could tell this den had been the only place she called home.

“Do you have any friends? Family? A trainer?”

She tilted to the side before shaking her head; Misdreavus was living alone.

An awkward silence stretched out. Misdreavus just seemed happy to be near Sam, excited but unsure how to interact with another being in her home. Meanwhile, Sam was trying his best to ignore his existential crisis, struggling to say anything that might be considered small talk.

It was awkward. Uncomfortable. Unfortunate.

Sam remembered just how sad she looked when he and Haunter had attacked her back then. He couldn’t imagine how long she spent alone—how long she was yet to spend alone before she would be captured by them.

“I... have a team.” He wasn’t sure why he was talking about this. He didn’t know what else to say. “I train Pokémon. A bunch of them. Ghost Types. I’m, uh, a specialist with that Type.”

Curious, Misdreavus tilted her head.

“Oh, I’m a trainer?” Sam tried to explain. “Of Pokémon. They aren’t here right now, but I work with them. We try to get strong. And, well, they’re all Ghost Types—that’s what you are. A Ghost Type. Pokémon can be defined by a bunch of different Types of energy, and you’re, uh, a Ghost?”

Misdreavus looked intrigued, and something in Sam’s chest hurt. This deep in the woods and alone as she was, she didn’t exactly have a way to learn about this.

Subtly, Sam glanced to her den’s entrance to see eyes watching them.

Haunter looked in.

“Ghost Types are... spectral. Ethereal. They exist past the usual bounds of life and death,” Sam explained. “They can do things like phasing into shadows, conjuring darkness, and then they can cause far more esoteric stuff like laying curses or inflicting illusions.

“It’s like...” He paused. “That wisp you conjured. How much do you know about it?”

Despite her eagerness to hear what Sam was saying, she was also focused on maintaining that light.

Sam looked it over. It was providing a dim, purple glow that was letting him just barely see the rest of the “room.” The wisp wasn’t anything like a Will-O-Wisp or a Hex, but if it was something, it was the barest amount of pure Ghost Type energy needed to start conjuring a Shadow Ball.

“You could probably develop that into a move,” Sam ended up saying. “I bet you already know a few moves, huh?”

Happily, she nodded. While she didn’t seem familiar with trainers or the specifics of Types, she still lived in the deep woods. Out here, Pokémon had to know how to fight.

“My team knows a lot of moves. Shadow Ball for starters, like I said. I usually have them use status moves to weaken their opponents, but they also know a lot of really cool ones, like Double Team or Smokescreen or Agility or Shadow...”

Shadow Sneak.

Sam went quiet.

He got distracted by talking about his Pokémon.

He got the sense he shouldn’t have been telling her about them.

Yet, even as he went quiet, Misdreavus looked up at him with awe. He grimaced, but she was excited. The question was like being punched in the gut.

She wanted to know if he could teach her all of that, too.

“I’m sorry,” Sam said. “I shouldn’t have said that. I think... I think I should sleep.”

Sam looked away, but Misdreavus just nodded, understanding that other beings had to sleep at night. She moved back to give him room, and Sam laid down on the cramped dirt floor.

I messed up.

I messed up so bad.

He wasn’t dumb. He could put the pieces together. After that conversation...

Where did Mismagius send me?

Misdreavus wanted him to teach her. She wanted to learn all those cool moves. Her moveset wasn’t expansive now, but back when they first met, Misdreavus had known more than a wild Pokémon should have known—suspiciously so. His theory was that she had a trainer in her past, but with him being here right now...

It was me, wasn’t it?

He tried to close his eyes and not think about it. He tried to not consider what the implications would mean.

It took much, much longer than he wanted, but he finally fell asleep.

With how his schedule was shaping up, it was more of a nap than it was a night’s rest, but it was at least something that let him briefly not face everything that was on his mind.

__________________________________________________________________________

Eventually, light peeked into the short entrance to Misdreavus’s home, waking Sam up.

The sun was rising.

There wasn't much, but a scattering of beams peeked through the canopy above. Between the trees’ leaves, the barest hints of color were visible. Sam could just barely tell where the sun was coming up.

It let him know which way was east.

Which meant he now knew compass directions.

Which meant based on the map Chuck’s wife had shown him, he had a general idea of which way to follow that stream to be brought back to civilization.

When I first entered the forest, Diana gave me this berry bread. Did she know something like this would happen? It’s the only food I have. She mentioned it would ward off the Voice of the Forest, but now I’m thinking that wasn’t the real reason. I think she gave it to me so I would have food just in case.

...I bet she knows more.

This situation was too impossible. Sam’s only clue as to how this might have happened was from Diana’s warning about “the Voice of the Forest.” Diana likely knew more than she shared, but she currently existed somewhere in the nebulous future.

Sam had no idea how far back he was in the past. He was also worried about making waves. He didn’t want to do something like prevent his birth or prevent the capture of any of his team’s Pokémon.

But he wasn’t even sure if that was possible. The past was the past. It should have already happened. If he was from the present—or the future—all of this was already set. He was just... living through it. Which maybe meant all of his actions were pre-ordained and that maybe, just maybe, free will wasn’t actually a thing.

“Or you know what? Let’s not think about it. Existential crises aren’t worth having so early in the morning.”

There was a bad taste in his mouth that he wouldn’t be able to get rid of by brushing his teeth. He didn’t have any supplies to help him get ready.

Without anything else to do, he climbed out of the hole and did his best to try to find the sun.

Haunter was still nearby. The Ghost Type had stayed on guard all night. Sam could see his Pokémon dart through a gap between two roots, becoming a moving shadow that briefly revealed his location. 

Haunter saw that he’d been noticed and sent Sam a thumbs up. Sam sent back his own in reply.

And then, behind him, Misdreavus was suddenly there.

She yawned as if she had been sleeping as well, but Sam knew that Ghost Types didn’t need to sleep. She was just mimicking something he’d done when he first woke up.

“Good morning,” he said, trying to push back his nerves.

Misdreavus said her name to repeat the greeting and then looked at him with such hopeful eyes.

“...You want to know if I’ve given it any thought.”

She eagerly nodded.

She really wanted his advice.

But Sam was unable to do anything but bite his lip and turn away. He tried his best to not think about what this meant and how much it hurt.

Yet, he did so anyway.

Misdreavus was doomed. She wasn’t doomed to an early fate, but she was doomed to this time in the past. After he had caught her, she never properly answered any questions about her history—because why would she need to? Sam would just experience all of it himself.

He knew that her moveset hadn’t been the moveset of a normal Misdreavus. She had been trained. Not just anyone in Johto was aware of Shadow Sneak. She also had a trainer that she dearly missed.

He hated it. He knew what that meant.

The pieces were all there. It was obvious at this point. He had been the one to train her. Or, he would be the one to train her.

And then she’d spend an unknown amount of time trying to reunite with him.

The thought made his heart hurt.

It was bittersweet, having the confirmation that he would find a way back but also the confirmation that he’d leave her behind. Misdreavus was doomed because she would be abandoned. She would be doomed to wander the forest after forming an attachment to him.

And I can’t stop it. It's a truth to her species. Misdreavus and Mismagius are known to get caught up in obsessions. Morty’s Mismagius had an obsession with tea parties, and Misdreavus...

He felt sick.

Her obsession will be with me.

Those hopeful eyes continued to stare up at him. Even if he ran now, it wouldn’t work. He had already caught her interest.

Worse, he also knew he wouldn’t be able to say no. He couldn’t just leave his Pokémon behind.

So, in that moment, Sam made a promise, swearing something to her and to himself.

No matter what, he’d search for a way to stop that abandonment. He’d find a way to make sure Misdreavus would never have to spend ages searching for someone who wasn’t there. The past was set in stone? Not while he was there. He would find out who or what was responsible for this—the supposed Voice of the Forest, most likely—and then he would wring their neck until they agreed to help.

He’d fix this, but in the meantime, he’d do whatever he could. If Misdreavus was doomed to be miserable, then he’d do everything in his power to make sure she would be happy right now. The past was the past, but the future could change. What happened would still happen, but Sam was in a position to change what tomorrow would bring.

He would fix this.

Somehow.

He would make this work.

“I’ll train you,” Sam ended up saying.

And right away, Misdreavus excitedly pulled up in the air, bouncing with glee.

His basic plan wouldn’t change. He’d follow the stream back to civilization, hopefully reaching Arborville. He was yet to visit the town, but Diana was—would be—from there. She’d known about the Voice of the Forest, which meant other people stood to know as well.

So he ignored the sour taste in his mouth and the tension he felt in his heart. Misdreavus would be coming with him. He’d do everything he could to find out more while simultaneously training her. He would make sure she had the time of her life, and then he’d make sure to find a solution to all of this, too.

He would make things better. He would find that cursed Voice of the Forest and force it to help.

==========================================================================
Author Note:

Perhaps related yet unrelated, but paradoxes can canonically exist in the Pokémon universe, with Paradox Pokémon being the biggest example of that. They aren’t actually from the future or past. Rather, they are Pokémon that inspired their own existence—hence, “Paradox.”

There are a few others, like basically every example of time travel in the anime (I’m looking at you, May and Squirtle), but there’s also technically the paradox of what inspired Professor Oak to give Pikachu to Ash. However, their relationship is a little more complicated than that.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
n/a
(see team summary)

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 143

Author Note:

There is a note about this chapter at the end.

========================================================================

“This boat will take you to the edge of the Ilex Forest, but you’ll need to purchase a ferry ticket on your own. The important part is not to lose track of time once you’re there. When the season ends, you’ll only have a week to reach Silver Town. If you fail to register in time, you won’t be able to compete in the Conference,” Chuck’s wife said.

“I understand. Thank you.” Sam bowed his head low in thanks. The Gym Leader himself wasn’t there to see him off since Chuck was satisfied with parting ways after a good match. He was already back to taking on challengers. “I think, once the season is over, I should have plenty of time to get back to Azalea town. There are teleports offered to trainers, right?”

“Only certain ones, and they’re expensive.”

“But I should be able to afford at least one,” Sam said. “It’d take everything I have left, and even if it’s more than that, I’m sure I can find at least one other person to help pay.”

The woman laughed quietly.

“Yes, that would work. You’ll be pretty lucky, too. Even if you spend all your money, most restaurants in Silver Town will let competitors eat for free.”

Redi will enjoy that.

Sam thanked her one last time before boarding the boat, and with a final goodbye, he was off. The ship was much bigger than the speeder he took last time, but it was still fast, and it left the oh-so-similar-to-Dewford Cianwood City behind.

Overall, the trip on this boat wouldn’t be quick, but it would be faster than his original plan. This boat was one of several that helped with delivering Cianwood’s specialty medicines, but instead of going to the mainland, it visited islands and a handful of cities along Johto’s coast.

There were many stops, but each stop was quick given the importance of the ship’s cargo, and Sam was able to tag along since he promised to help out. There was no question at this point that people were taking notice of Annihilape when he and Sam helped carry the crates, but so close to the Conference, spreading a few rumors would actually help. It obscured their exact position while also building legitimacy so that more people would recognize them once Annihilape was officially revealed.

Sam only felt excitement, and over the few days he spent on the ship, that feeling grew. It got to the point that he started to struggle to fall asleep at night, so he frequently chose to sleep on the ship’s deck. His Ghost Type team members helped him get away with that, making sure he went unbothered but also making sure he wouldn’t fall off.

Being able to see the countless stars in the sky let him relax, and the many pinpricks of light almost served as reminders of how far his journey had taken him.

“Typhlosion,” Sam said quietly one night. She’d been much more affectionate recently and hadn’t left his side. “Do you remember how we used to be? How much time we would spend inside? Sure, we’d head out to search for Ghost Types—sometimes—but I’d usually be reading, checking the forums, or helping Mom around the shop.

“Back then, I... I don’t know. It felt like I was almost in a haze. I wanted to go on a journey, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I guess, after Grandpa, I just...”

His words got caught in his throat. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. A mist started to cloud the sky, but he wiped it away as Typhlosion pressed herself against his side.

“Thank you,” Sam said. “For everything. Thank you for everything you’ve ever done. You’ve never stopped supporting me, and we’re almost there! The Conference is so close! And I can never forget how you managed to evolve!”

Typhlosion sent him a sharp grin as she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with pride. Although, Sam could have sworn he saw a guilty expression briefly flash over her face, but he didn’t press. He didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“There’ll be more than just Redi and Xavier waiting for us there,” he said quietly as he stared up at the stars. “We beat every Gym Leader in Johto, but so has everyone else who’ll be competing. So many people there won’t just be beginners. We’ll be facing people with seasons of experience, but you know what?

“We’ll be ready,” Sam promised. “As long as we’re clever, I know we’ll find a way to win.”

More than anything else, he wanted to stand with his team at the top.

Sam continued to share his plans with Typhlosion that night, eventually falling asleep with his Ghost Types surrounding him. He woke up in a proper bed the next morning and resumed helping out over the trip. As they traveled, Mismagius, Haunter, and Typhlosion all worked to make sure the various Gastly stayed on board and didn’t get too stir-crazy to think about floating off.

When the ship finally docked in the river town at the edge of the Ilex Forest, Sam thanked the captain and helped unload the last few deliveries before dashing off. Shadows swarmed him as his various Ghost Types “stretched their legs.” Just barely, he managed to reach a ferry right before it left. The people who managed it were a little annoyed at the last-minute boarding, but paying for a ticket helped.

Wind blew past him. Leaning against the boat’s back railing let him watch the water pass them by while Typhlosion stared into the woods, nervous yet alert. A few other trainers were also on board, but most of them were just returning home after a hard-fought season.

Truthfully, Sam was the only person here insane enough to head into the deepest parts of Ilex Forest to train.

Being so close to his goal, Sam could truly recognize just how far he and his team had come. Over the past few months, his understanding of not just his team but battling in general had grown by leaps and bounds.

He had so much that he’d drawn from.

In Blackthorn, Will taught Sam about the importance of not forgetting to use strong attacks. In Ecruteak, Morty taught Sam about the many advanced strategies Ghost Types could use to win. Jasmine taught Sam that he should use status moves even more, and then Chuck’s help was the most general yet most helpful—when it came to relying on strategies in fights, Sam learned that he would not be able to reach the heights he desired through pre-made plans alone.

The way he pictured the mindset of battling was now like a big tree. A trainer’s main strategy—the goal they needed to achieve to win—was the trunk, but that strategy was only the ‘default.’ Each branch that grew off the trunk was a modification that came based on circumstance and situation. Different opponents required different perspectives, and even then, those branches split off even further into specific moves and counters—the tree’s leaves and twigs.

For Sam’s team, their main strategy wasn’t the use of status moves but the concept of always having their opponent be worse off. Status moves played into that, but they had plenty of other tricks, like hiding in shadows to lower accuracy or just keeping distance to mess with their opponent’s plans.

“We have the same goals as before; the same status moves I’d like everyone to learn,” Sam said to Typhlosion as the ferry carried them along. “Stuff like Destiny Bond, Pain Split, Curse, Will-o-Wisp...” He let out a breath. “And then I want to add new stuff, too. Thunder Wave, for example, since it’s all about speed control and move prevention. There’s also the idea of teaching more than just Haunter those disruptive moves like Grudge and Spite.”

Strategy-wise, Sam had the basics, but he’d need to spend this time creating more advanced strategies. Chuck’s advice, as well as everything else he’d learned, was at the forefront of his mind, and Sam had to train himself to give commands that were instinctual reactions instead of just previously thought-up shouts.

His thoughts were occupied by that topic all the way up the river, even as the ferry stopped in a variety of small towns. Although, he was momentarily struck by the thought that, out here, the tiny contingents of Rangers and Ace Trainers that protected these towns had teams weaker than his own.

The vast majority of trainers never got higher than five or six-star teams, and Sam was currently at eight.

Somehow, he and his Pokémon had managed to reach a height that only a small percentage of teams ever reached.

But they could go higher.

Now wasn’t the time to relax.

This period was for training, for building themselves to bridge the gap between them and the most experienced competitors.

When the boat eventually reached its final stop, Sam returned Typhlosion and practically hopped off to reach the forest’s floor. There, he raced down the singular dirt path that took him past Arborville, through the trees, and towards Ilex’s deepest woods.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Hey! Be careful!”

Sam didn’t get anywhere near as far as he expected while heading down that well-tread road. The path seemed to have been flattened by Pokémon more than people, but clearly, the nearby village of Arborville frequently relied on it as well.

Out here, the trees were tall, but they weren’t tall enough yet. Light still managed to pierce through their leaves. Sam was looking for a place where the truly ancient trunks blotted out the skies, but the only hint to what he searched for was the skyscraper-sized trunk laying on its side ahead of him.

The path followed a tunnel that had been carved straight through its bark.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time? Don’t just keep walking! I told you to be careful!”

From atop that massive, fallen log, a young woman ran down its sloped side and hopped to the forest floor. Landing with grace, she sent Sam an annoyed look, running a hand through her tied-back green hair.

“Look, kid, if you don’t know what’s waiting for you past there, you shouldn’t go further in than here. This tree is here for a reason—it’s a marker. The Pokémon on the other side are all wild. Other things lurk in the woods, too.”

But Sam just smiled.

“Yeah, that’s exactly why we’re here! My team and I need that, and it’s not like we aren’t prepared. We’re out here to train, but we’re also a team of Ghost Types! Any ghost, spirit, or anything else that tries to disturb us won’t be a problem at all!”

His grin was met with a flat look, and the woman replied with a groan.

“Oh, so you’re one of them, huh? The crazies. The battle-hungry. Those weird trainers that are way too confident. Just another person heading somewhere dangerous to risk themselves for the sole sake of pushing their team.”

“...I just wanted to practice in the shadows,” Sam mumbled.

The woman waved her hand.

“That’s basically the same thing,” she said.

She took another moment to look over Sam, and he did his best to stand tall and confident instead of shuffling around his feet. Once she seemed to be finished, she sighed, and she reached a satchel at her waist to take out a cloth-wrapped loaf.

“Alright, so it might not actually be that dangerous, but I needed to warn you anyway,” she said. “If you’re so motivated to head in no matter what, the least you can do is take this.”

“What is it?” Sam asked.

“Berry-loaf! Bread with berries baked into it. Keeping it on you is for the best. It should help to keep the Voice of the Forest at bay.”

She sent him a slight smile, and a pause stretched out between them.

Then, she let out another groan when the ominous-sounding name only seemed to widen Sam’s grin.

“...You have Ghost Types. So you have creepy interests. Right, of course. Who else would ever come here?” She grumbled and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Then, let me give you this warning: if you hear a voice cry out for help, ignore it. Stay exactly where you are, don’t move a muscle, and absolutely do not leave the main path.”

Sam wanted to ask more questions, but the woman just turned around in a huff. She began to head back to wherever Arborville was, not even bothering to check on Sam even as she walked away.

He shouted to ask for her name. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened in Cianwood.

“Diana!” she yelled.

And then she was gone, disappearing between the trees, and Sam turned back to that massive, fallen trunk. Shoving the bread into his jacket pocket, he breathed in and passed underneath to finally reach the place he’d been trying to get to all this time.

Mostly. Again, the trees weren’t tall enough yet.

“So the Voice of the Forest, huh? Sounds like a spirit, or maybe a ghost.” Sam sent a glance to his side. “What do you think, Typhlosion?”

She shrugged, having released herself the second Diana was gone and after they had passed through.

Although, testing Sam’s question, Typhlosion tried close her eyes to focus, but all she did was slow down and shake her head. She didn’t have any feeling or instinctual draw toward a nearby ghost, so if that ‘Voice of the Forest’ was a ghost, it wasn’t anywhere close by.

“Hm. Thanks, anyway. But Diana’s warning was weird. She sounded serious. I don’t think it was a prank. It kind of reminds me of a few ghost stories I've read online—the ones about people entering a dark forest one day only to come out dazed and confused years later, acting as if no time had passed at all.”

Sam paused.

Typhlosion was quiet.

She kept her gaze locked straight ahead.

As seconds of silence stretched out between them, Sam finally made a noise by letting out a short laugh.

“Don’t worry, we aren’t going to miss the Conference! Whatever it is, we’ll be fine! Just remember, we have each other and everyone else to rely on. We also already have a bunch of experience with real spirits, too!”

But as confident as he was, Sam wasn’t stupid—mostly. He wasn’t going to ignore Diana’s warning. He knew those weird stories could actually be true.

Given that he and his team had personally encountered real ghosts several times over, he wasn’t going to dismiss a local legend. Those kinds of tall-tales were always rooted in some kind of truth, so he promised himself to not do something dumb and walk toward any spooky voices. If he heard anything suspicious, he was going to do exactly what she said and stand completely still.

Diana’s warning represented a legitimate threat.

...But he was curious.

I’m sure I’ve read something about Ghost Types that lure travelers off the road. Maybe it’s one of them? I’ll check the New Pokédex once we find a place to take a break.

Thoughts of training plans and now that mystery lingered even as the path thinned and gave way to untamed woods. Out here, the trees were large but yet to be at the size he wanted, and wild Pokémon were abundant around him.

A family of Marill and Azumarill played in a stream, and he even passed a meadow filled with Oddish, Gloom, and Bellossom. He didn’t want to bother them, so he gave everything a wide berth, at one point pausing momentarily to let a lone Stantler cross through the trees ahead of him.

It’d be a while until he reached the truly spooky parts of the forest, so he found a place to rest pretty soon in. Once he located a clear space beneath the trees where a nice, exposed root could serve as a bench, he released everyone on his team to have them go through some basic warm-ups.

Annihilape and Trevenant moved off to exchange a series of slow-motion blows, practicing and predicting where one another would attack in an attempt to master their melee skills.

Drakloak left where she was hiding behind a nearby tree to float at the edge of the clearing. She didn’t initially act as though she would do anything, but eager squeaks from Dreepy saw her begin practicing her moves and launching him forward, much to his delight.

Above, the Gastly swarmed beneath the thin canopy, casting shadows that swallowed the sun. Meanwhile, Typhlosion stayed at Sam’s side, maintaining a low burn around her neck, and Mismagius kept to a nearby spot in the shade while repeatedly using Nasty Plot to practice keeping the move’s energy under her control.

The sole Pokémon that didn’t reveal itself was Haunter, who was the only Ghost left in Sam’s shadow. Haunter would be training eventually—half the reason they were out here was to help him evolve—but he was still unhappy about his loss to Chuck. He was staying at rest for now so that he would have the energy to truly throw himself into training once they properly reached the deepest parts of the woods.

“I’ll prepare lunch in just a moment. My pack’s stuffed with supplies, so it’ll be nice to get some of that out. But since we have a bit of time...”

Sam sent Typhlosion a cheeky smirk and pulled out the New Pokédex. Sitting on that root, he plopped his backpack down next to him and began skimming through the book.

No matter how hard he searched, he found nothing on the supposed ‘Voice of the Forest.’ He couldn’t find anything native to the Ilex Forest that was relevant, but, again, the New Pokédex only really had information on Pokémon locations within a region’s main routes.

Nothing stood out to him, save for a single Ghost Type species—Litwick. That Pokémon used its candlelight to lure travelers off of roads, but they would use light, not voice. 

(Litwick were also only native to Unova and a few other regions. They weren’t really present in Johto.)

“Hm. I’m not sure what it is.” Sam tried to look through the book again but found nothing. A warm breeze passed through their temporary camp. “Maybe it is a real ghost? I’ve looked through all the Ghost Types and found nothing. Can’t even find any Psychic, Dark, or—can’t believe I bothered—Grass Type species it might be.”

He went back to Litwick’s entry and stared at it. That same, warm breeze blew again. He tried reading through the page before freezing where he sat.

...That warmth was unsuitable for late Fall.

Frowning, Sam then realized something else: the camp was silent, and everyone had gone still.

There’d been no shout. There’d been no spine-tingling wind. There had simply been nothing.

All of his Pokémon had stopped in place to stare at a point a short distance away.

Slowly, Sam brought up his head to follow their gaze. Everyone, Typhlosion and Mismagius especially, stared right at the... thing no one had noticed until now.

It wasn't the Voice of the Forest. It wasn’t a Pokémon. Honestly, it wasn't anything truly conscious. No, right there at the very edge of the clearing was a strange archway made of woven roots and leaves.

The curious arch looked as though it had grown out of the ground. It was worn enough to have been there for quite some time, but Sam swore it hadn’t been there before.

He tried to deny its presence in his mind, but he had a clear memory of it being there when he had set up camp. The memory of it had always been there, but why hadn’t it stood out? It’d been there when he first stopped to set up camp. It’d been there when he let everyone out. And it’d been there when he first started to read through the New Pokédex.

But no one had been able to acknowledge it until now.

He listened carefully—the forest was silent—and then he placed the New Pokédex on the root and stood up to approach. Typhlosion rose next to him, and they both cautiously approached the archway to try to figure out how it had appeared without ever appearing.

However, it was utterly mundane.

As strange as the archway seemed, it felt and looked as though it was nothing special. As far as he and Typhlosion could tell, it was just a normal arch that lacked any chill or presence to it that’d denote it as being from a ghost.

“Trevenant,” Sam called out slowly. “Did you make this?”

No. Trevenant had been too busy sparring with Annihilape.

“Gastly, did any of you see this form?”

They looked among themselves. Their floating, ghostly spheres all shook their heads for ‘no.’

Uncomfortable, Sam licked his lips. He glanced over to ask another team member, but Mismagius was already right there. He remembered that she was familiar with this forest—it was where she had lived. If anyone would know anything about this, it would have to be her.

“What about you, Mismagius?” Sam asked as he glanced between her and the archway. “Do you... know what this is?”

She stared at it. Her expression was empty. There was not a single hint of any emotion on her face.

She didn’t respond to Sam’s question, but ever so slowly, she sent Typhlosion a look. The two of them made eye contact, and as Typhlosion pressed her ears down, Mismagius replied with an almost imperceptible nod of her head.

Typhlosion froze. Sam saw that same guilty look that’d been more and more common these days once more rear its ugly head. She turned toward Sam and lowered her head.

She nudged his team’s Pokéballs at his waist.

“Hold on. What are you doing?”

She went still when there was a shout.

The yell didn’t come from the forest, but it came from behind them. Out of everyone on the team, Drakloak realized it first, and a horrible cry came from her throat.

Immediately, Annihilape tore through the grove to try to stop them, but Mismagius was prepared. Before he could get close, a blue glow wrapped around his form to throw him back with a Psychic.

Then, Typhlosion lunged, reaching at Sam to grab his belt and tear it away, stealing the Pokéballs of every member of his team. He looked up at her, but she didn’t see him. Her eyes were squinted shut, and a grimace had overtaken her face.

She didn’t want to do this, but she had to.

So what came next was simple:

A single shove.

Suddenly, Sam found himself stumbling through that archway, and the forest floor gave way beneath him.

Typhlosion and Mismagius stared down at him as Sam fell, and fell, and fell. Both of them looked awful, but they both carried an expression of knowing this had to be done.

And then they were gone. Sam was surrounded by darkness.

Around him, Fall gave way to Summer. Summer gave way to Spring. Spring gave way to Winter.

The cycle repeated.

In the distance, he heard a voice cry out for help.

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Author Note:

Please trust me when I say this is not a betrayal. All of Sam’s Pokémon are on his side, but Ghost Types will be Ghost Types, and there’s a reason they couldn’t share their plan beforehand. I’m hoping that there have been enough hints and details to explain what and why this happened. If not, the next chapter will explain more.

Sam is not alone.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Litwick
Marill / Azumarill
Oddish / Gloom / Bellossom
Stantler

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Chapter 142

Drakloak. Annihilape.

Chuck didn’t even realize what he had done, Sam could tell. He had challenged Sam to a battle on short notice, but he had also challenged Sam to a battle in which Sam had no choice for the Pokémon on his team.

It wasn’t just that he was caught off-guard, it was also that he was utterly unprepared.

Sam had his strategies. He had taken part in plenty of double battles before. He had his planned team-ups and strategies—like with many things involving Typhlosion. She was a great partner for any Ghost Type thanks to how she could provide smoke and shadows to help them hide.

But this wasn’t a standalone battle. It was a battle that was part of an ongoing challenge. Sam wasn’t allowed to use a Pokémon more than once, and Typhlosion had already fought. Same as Mismagius. Same as Haunter. And also, same as Trevenant.

That meant he only had two reasonable choices left: Drakloak and Annihilape. Drakloak would have done well in a single battle, but she had also only just agreed to help Sam fight. Competing in a double battle would be more complex than anything they had planned, and it wasn’t like Annihilape could be much help. While the combination of a strong physical attacker and a speedy special attacker seemed good on paper, Annihilape wouldn’t know which of her moves to look out for, and Drakloak had never practiced preventing another Pokémon from ganging up on her ally.

While there was the potential for synergy, these two had never practiced together. Chuck wanted this match to happen now to prevent Sam from having time to plan, and he’d truly achieved that, just not at the level he realized.

I’m screwed.

Clearing his throat, Sam spoke up, trying to speak with as much confidence as he could.

“Do you mind if I send out my Pokémon? Not to strategize, but just to fill them in on what’s going on.”

“Hm... Hm!” Chuck didn’t turn to look at Sam. “Perhaps.”

Sam waited for Chuck to explain further than that, but the heavy man did nothing but continue down the path through the forest that’d bring them back to his home.

He wasn’t going to say anything else. Sam wouldn’t be given time.

Gah. He’ll want us to start the second we get there, but then again, we have to get there, first.

Hurriedly, Sam dropped a few feet back, beckoning something over from between the trees. Drakloak had been following along in the sparse shadows of the thin canopy, and the moment Sam gestured to her, she sent Chuck a nervous glance and darted over to float at his side.

“Okay. Okay! Okay.” Sam took a deep breath in, but it barely helped him get his thoughts in order. “Okay, Drakloak. We’ll be fighting in a double battle. That means I’ll be sending out you alongside someone else, and then Chuck will be sending out two Pokémon in exchange.”

Dreepy let out an excited squeak on her head, but Drakloak looked unconvinced.

“We don’t have much time, but I trust you. For the battle, I need you to fight alongside Annihilape, who will try to give you as many openings as possible. You have to focus on damage. He’ll only be able to hold off Chuck’s Pokémon for so long, so take advantage of every slight opportunity and try to faint at least one of them as soon as you can.”

Annihilape would be an easy target to overwhelm in melee, especially since he'd likely be targeted by both of Chuck's ground-based Pokémon. Focusing him down could give Chuck the numbers advantage to turn the match in his favor.

That was why Sam wanted Drakloak to knock out Chuck's Pokémon as fast as possible. He wanted the numbers advantage for his team, and he didn’t want them to gang up on her.

This plan was barely a strategy, but it was still a guide to get through the math. Annihilape on defense, and Drakloak on attack. She’d try to use her powerful special moves to take them out, and Sam would hope for the best.

Thankfully, that little bit of talking, as basic as it was, assuaged Drakloak’s nerves. As new of a concept as a double battle was, she was used to them. After all, she’d been fighting alongside Dreepy for all those years on her own.

(It also helped that Drakloak tolerated Annihilape more than any other member of the team—save for Trevenant, who had been unintentionally bribing her with berries. Mismagius and Typhlosion were the ones to find and fight her during the hunt in Olivine, so she held a grudge. As for Haunter, she was “fine” with him, but he could get a bit too goofy for her liking.)

“Thank you,” Sam said. “And I’m sorry. I know you wanted a one-on-one match to prove yourself, but I promise that this will work, too. Chuck will be using his strongest Pokémon, and I’ll be relying on you for damage, so this will be the chance I promised.”

Both Drakloak and Dreepy responded with identical nods that all but proved their family connection, and then Drakloak moved back to the trees to follow along.

Not long after that, everyone stepped out of the woods, having returned to that sandy area behind Chuck’s home.

Chuck didn’t slow in the slightest, striding right toward the clear area behind his house. At this point in the day, the building was empty. His wife ran a medicine shop in town, so she was currently out managing that.

Sam wanted to slow down, but showing weakness here would just cost him momentum. He continued on to find a place across from Chuck, positioning himself so that they were approximately a field’s length apart.

“THERE WE GO!” Chuck’s voice boomed. As he spoke, he released a pair of Machoke that would facilitate the Foresight on Sam’s Pokémon. “PLENTY OF ROOM FOR A BATTLE! THIS IS THE MATCH WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!”

His teeth almost seemed to shine in the midday sun, and he retrieved a pair of weathered Pokéballs from his baggy pants. He held them in hand, waiting for Sam to make his choice, but Sam had already been forced to make his choice.

It wasn’t like he was able to use anyone else.

“Any special rules?” Sam asked.

Chuck shook his head.

“Double battle. No switching, of course. We’ll both use two Pokémon until one side is defeated.”

Sam nodded once, keeping his gaze even. He sent a glance to where Drakloak was now hiding in the shadows beneath the deck of Chuck’s house. Her yellow eyes glowed in the dark.

For this fight, they were at a disadvantage, not necessarily in strength, but definitely in experience. Yet, there was still the potential to earn their eighth Gym Badge. Sam might have had little time to plan, but he had already spent hours observing Chuck’s team.

Drakloak might not have been in any official battles before, but she was undeniably strong. Annihilape’s countless practice sessions and spars against Ursaring meant he was Sam’s best bet at handling physical attackers.

We haven’t lost yet.

There was no sense in falling to nerves.

Finally managing to calm down and feel a bit confident, Sam tossed forward a ball at the same moment Chuck threw two. Drakloak zipped out of her hiding space to join Annihilape's side, and Chuck’s strongest two Pokémon appeared on the field next to each other.

Immediately, Poliwrath and Primeape posed, flexing in unison the moment they landed.

But Chuck's eyes were not on them.

“There! That’s it! That’s really it! You weren't kidding! An evolution of Primeape!” Chuck danced on his feet. “He's big! He’s strong! And he looks mean!”

Chuck pressed his hands to his chin and leaned forward. Sam was having trouble picturing him as a Gym Leader right now.

“He’s called Annihilape,” Sam said, making sure to control his reaction. “He’s a Ghost-Fighting Type. Stronger than any Primeape. You’ll see what I mean during our match.”

Chuck blinked when he realized what he was doing, and then the man leaned back to right himself as he cleared his throat.

“Of course!” he said, pretending he hadn’t just done that. “The best way to learn about a Pokémon is to face it in a fight!”

His body bounced alongside his laughter, but when he brought his gaze back down, he no longer looked as jolly as before.

Chuck stared at the field with a wide, predatory smile.

Here we go.

The two Machoke used their Foresight, simultaneously serving as the referees for this match. In a synchronized shout, they shouted their names to mark the start of the match. Sam pointed forward, and Chuck took up a wide fighting stance while letting out a roar.

“HIT! THAT! POKÉMON!”

Each word was punctuated by a punch.

Immediately, his Poliwrath and Primeape charged. Chuck’s Primeape charged arm over leg, and his Poliwrath maintained a consistent pace with its fists clenched at its sides. They moved as a pair, their years of shared experience coming into play, and Sam did his best to give his own orders as fast as he could.

“Annihilape, Bulk Up! As much as you can! Focus on defense, and Drakloak—use Dragon Pulse whenever there’s an opening!”

Annihilape didn’t run to meet Chuck’s Pokémon. He watched them calmly while breathing out, his adrenaline spiking under his control. His body went tense under the effects of Bulk Up as all aspects of his physical strength increased.

Nearby, Drakloak slid through the air to position herself off to the back and off the side.

Then, the Fighting Types met. Two sets of fists were thrown forward. Annihilape snapped up his hands, blocking them with his palms.

The field was frozen as Annihilape’s eyes met their own.

And then Chuck’s Pokémon both gained what could only be a malicious grin.

The Primeape was explosive. It was a menace, fighting as if trying to tear Annihilape apart. For as much control and technique Chuck provided, this Primeape was furious. It used Fury Swipes and Karate Chops, weak moves, to attack as fast as possible to lay claim to all of his attention.

Meanwhile, the Poliwrath tried to take advantage of that. Whenever Annihilape seemed too focused on the Primeape, it would punch, generally being blocked by a snapped-out arm or a palm. However, where the Primeape was quick and “weak,” this Poliwrath was slow and strong.

Together, they were a perfect storm of overwhelming chaos and slow, deliberate power. They ganged up on Annihilape—which was what Sam wanted—but they were also simply too much. He was forced to focus on defense even more than expected, and neither Primeape nor Poliwrath were ever opened up to further attacks.

Drakloak did try to launch a few testing moves, using Dragon Pulse once or twice with Dragon Type energy alone just to see how these Pokémon would react. She was hesitant to send Dreepy close—and she was right to be. Whenever her attacks neared, one of the two Pokémon would take over the assault on Annihilape, and then the other would snap out a punch that never failed to disrupt her attack.

She did not want to send Dreepy to them.

Sam could see that Annihilape was already being pushed back. With Bulk-Up, his strength matched theirs, but he simply lacked the trained skill to handle two opponents at once.

“IS THIS ALL YOU’RE OFFERING ME, SAM? THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DOUBLE BATTLE! I EXPECTED MORE FROM YOU! YOU’RE MAKING ME FEEL LIKE I’M BULLYING YOUR POKÉMON INSTEAD OF COMPETING IN A FIGHT!”

A vein throbbed on Annihilape’s head at the taunt, but he had long since mastered his rage. Gracefully, he continued to block and defend against these attacks, but it was also blatantly obvious that each impact was wearing him out.

We’re running out of time, Sam realized.

Drakloak looked frustrated. Dreepy was impatient. They wanted to unleash their moves, but Chuck simply wasn’t giving them any way to fight.

Annihilape was becoming more and more injured, and eventually, Sam just had to call for it.

“Rage Fist!”

He had to use this move now before Annihilape became too damaged and risked fainting.

Right away, Annihilape drew back an arm, and the Primeape jumped to the front, preparing itself for this attack. However, when Annihilape’s fist grew, and grew, and grew, the Poliwrath snapped out a hand to grab Primeape’s fur and yank it far back.

The two Pokémon jumped away, and Annihilape’s fist smashed into the ground with a cataclysmic effect. Cracks were left in the earth—which was impressive. Sam wasn’t sure how Annihilape managed that given the field was mostly sand.

“Whew! Almost lost, there! Primeape is used to relying on Counter, but Counter can’t work if you faint before it goes off!”

With that single attack, Annihilape had somehow forced the match to enter a lull. That continued even as he pulled his arm back with neither opposing Pokémon risking getting close.

The tension in his body lingered. The threat he carried was clear; though Rage Fist seemed like a finisher, it was just a move. 

Annihilape could use it again any time he wanted.

For now, both of Chuck’s Pokémon stayed back, far too wary of getting close. Annihilape huffed and puffed out of anger and exhaustion. He had taken a massive amount of damage, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat.

With both sides unwilling to get close, the silence continued even though there was one Pokémon that should have acted.

This was the perfect time for Drakloak to attack. Annihilape’s Rage Fist represented a threat that Chuck’s Pokémon would need to avoid, but she did nothing to take advantage of that. The only thing she did was grimace. As much as she wanted to attack, she just didn’t want to risk Dreepy.

Mm. I can’t forget that this is Drakloak’s first real battle with us. I’ve been trying to give her the chance to attack when it feels right based on her instincts, but I have to remember she doesn’t have the same battle experience as the rest of the Pokémon on my team.

She wants to be strong and is strong, but she’s only halfway there. When her moves hit, they really hit, but if she never uses them—

Chuck used this moment to give another command.

“Water Gun! Rock Slide!”

If his Pokémon couldn’t get close, they could instead attack from range.

The Poliwrath pulled its arms in to fire out a stream of water from the center of its belly. Next to it, the Primeape dug its hands into the earth to tear it up, throwing out hardened chunks of the “field” that hurtled toward Annihilape.

“Dodge!”

Annihilape leaped to the side, using his enlarged arm to support a full-body flip. Chuck’s Pokémon prepared for another combo, and Sam realized he had to make a decision.

We don’t have a plan. We don't have time to make one. I can only call for what we already know right now.

He recognized that this was what Chuck was talking about; he’d been over-reliant on making plans. When faced with the unexpected, all he would do was freeze up.

To be a great trainer, he needed to fix that.

I have to trust my gut. We got this far for a reason.

A new pair of attacks hurtled toward Annihilape. He was just barely able to dodge a second time, but he wouldn't be able to do so again.

So what’s my gut telling me? Poliwrath is an unknown factor, but Primeape isn’t. That means...

For all Chuck has done to train his Primeape, I know how it might respond because I’ve trained one myself.

He knew the species’s weaknesses.

He recognized that if they were to win, they needed to eliminate Poliwrath from the equation.

“Annihilape! I’m sorry!” Sam called out. “Remember Typhlosion, and target Poliwrath! Use Curse!”

They’d never practiced this before. Annihilape only had so much experience with the Ghost Type. However, he had trained Curse in the past, although he’d only ever trained it as an enhancing move.

But Sam had a gut feeling about this; Annihilape would be able to pull this off. Typhlosion had demonstrated it plenty of times before, and he at least had some understanding of the Ghost Type given he was now that Type as well as his familiarity with Rage Fist.

There was certainly a pause—a brief one. Annihilape wasn’t sure how to properly use this move. He didn’t know Shadow Ball, Hex, or any other attack that could conjure external energy, but what he could do was cycle it through himself.

So, in between dodging attacks, the same arm he used for Rage Fist suddenly became wreathed in black. Chuck shouted something, but Sam didn’t hear it.

He watched as Annihilape took his fingers and dragged them across his chest.

Chuck’s two Pokémon attempted to race forward to stop him, but they both failed. When Annihilape’s hand dug into his flesh, shadowy flames sparked out and seemed to burn his fur. His expression immediately contorted into a grimace as he fell to one knee.

He did not have the energy to stay up, but he was at least able to send all of his anger to Poliwrath in a glare.

Ultimately, he fainted. The self-damage of Curse was simply too much. But he had been successful.

Poliwrath was now cursed.

“Now, Drakloak!” Sam shouted as the Poliwrath stumbled. “Take to the skies!”

She blinked at first as if just realizing she wasn’t just an observer in the match.

Looking around and realizing everyone’s attention was on her, she hesitated—but only for a single second. A knowing glint entered her eyes as she took to the sky, and she stared down with a predatory grin when it became clear that neither Primeape nor Poliwrath could reach her with their best moves.

“Good,” Sam sighed. “It worked. Now Poliwrath is on a timer, and we only have to worry about one Pokémon—a Pokémon that I trained for months.”

Yet, despite this sudden twist, it came at a cost.

Sam only had one Pokémon on his side of the field. Chuck still had two.

“BUT THEY’RE NOT FAINTED JUST YET!” Chuck roared. “KEEP UP THE SAME MOVES! PREPARE YOURSELVES! AND USE TAUNT TO BRING THAT DRAGON RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY!”

Hurriedly, Sam shouted his best counter-command.

“Damage only, Drakloak! Stay in the sky and only worry about using Dragon Pulse!”

The Primeape hopped between its feet, shouting insults, and the Poliwrath glared with perfect eye contact. Drakloak had definitely fallen to their Taunts with how annoyed she looked, but she didn’t zip down.

With her decision-making affected by Taunt, Dreepy served as her messenger, instead.

Suddenly cloaked in Dragon Type energy, Dreepy screamed in delight as he hurtled toward the earth. He aimed himself at Poliwrath, who brought up its arms to defend. It blocked the move, minimizing the damage, but thanks to Curse, it didn’t quite have the energy to attack back, and Dreepy was able to return.

Quickly, Chuck changed gears. The smile faded from his face.

“Water Gun. Rock Slide,” he ordered.

His two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, but it didn’t exactly work.

Drakloak was fast. Not necessarily as fast as she could be with Agility, but enough that she could move out of the way of these moves. There was a travel time before these attacks could reach her, so she could see their paths to know where she needed to move to dodge.

Counter to that, when it came to her own moves, she didn’t need to worry about accuracy. Even though she was unable to use Lock-On, Dreepy had enough influence to chase down her foes when launched from her head.

Rocks were thrown. Water was launched. Drakloak shot around through the air.

The Primeape grew in anger, and the Poliwrath’s moves became less accurate over time.

With how painful Curse could become, Poliwrath tried its best to push through but eventually took a knee. Its body was tense, and its lack of offense lessened the pressure on Drakloak. Taunt was supposed to bring her out of the air, but it wasn’t enough given how she could simply send Dreepy down instead.

Once more, she used Dragon Pulse, staying in the air and grinning to herself at the ease at which she used the move.

The Poliwrath looked up and saw the knock-out blow coming. Proudly, it took the strike right to its chest.

And then Chuck shouted for one final command.

“Grab it!”

It was the Primeape that acted, causing Drakloak’s eyes to widen. Though her brother was her projectile, she really didn’t want him to get hurt, either.

Poliwrath fainted, but Primeape was conscious and was still right there. With a single lunge, it easily clapped its hands together around Dreepy, and he disappeared.

Silence echoed out.

Dreepy was unable to fly back.

With a cheeky grin, the Primeape hopped between its feet, and Chuck looked extremely smug.

“If you want him back, you’ll have to get him,” the Gym Leader taunted.

The Primeape taunted too, letting out a hollering laugh, but then it froze when Dreepy stuck his head out.

He phased through its hand, looked around, and then flew back up into the sky.

In almost a perfect mimicry of Poliwrath before him, Chuck fell to his knees.

“Two Machoke. Two Pokémon. Foresight was used on Annihilape and Drakloak, but your Dreepy...”

His voice sounded drained.

“Dreepy isn’t fighting in this match,” Sam said, unable to suppress his grin. “He’s a projectile, not a combatant. It wouldn’t make sense for Foresight to affect something like a Shadow Ball. Why would he become physical just to deliver Drakloak’s attacks?”

Back in place, Dreepy nodded, simply agreeing with all of Sam’s words.

After spending a moment to take that in, Chuck laughed, and laughed, and laughed. His Primeape was certainly stronger than Drakloak, but some Pokémon were vulnerable to perfect counters.

Sam had Drakloak fly that high for a reason. She had no chance to defeat her opponent on the ground. But up there, she could avoid Primeape’s weak ranged attacks with ease and retaliate with moves that were impossible to dodge thanks to Dreepy’s influence on her aim.

Maybe if Poliwrath had stuck around, it might have had a special move to make dodging harder. Except, Annihilape’s Curse meant it fainted. There was a reason Sam called for that—he knew his Pokémon’s weaknesses, therefore he knew this Primeape’s weaknesses as well.

This wasn’t exactly the test of strength Chuck had wanted, but he seemed to acknowledge that he’d lost and returned his Pokémon there. Drakloak was genuinely in an unbeatable position. There was nothing his Primeape could do to her while she was up there.

“It’s funny,” Chuck said as he returned to his feet. “Poliwrath is better at handling airborne enemies. If he aims his Water Gun, he can take them out, but Primeape can’t do the same with Rock Slide.”

Sam nodded.

“That’s why I made the snap decision to have Annihilape use Curse. I knew he’d faint if he was successful, but we needed to take out Poliwrath early. I’ve trained a Primeape. I’ve evolved a Primeape. I’ve seen how that line can’t do much against Pokémon that can fly.”

Annihilape also knew Rock Slide, but he’d lose to Drakloak just the same.

With the match having ended, Drakloak finally left the sky to return to the earth. She looked exhausted, but she also simultaneously looked proud. Upon laying her eyes on the Gym Leader, she puffed up her chest. Her eyes sparkled in delight at her victory. It was more than just her being a victorious Dragon Type. With her flight “trick,” she’d also won like a Ghost.

Chuck just laughed to himself. Despite his defeat, he’d enjoyed the match.

“Ah, well. Can’t win them all. Here!”

He reached into his pocket to throw something shiny Sam’s way.

Sam saw the object hurtle toward him too far to catch, but then Dreepy pushed off of Drakloak’s head to fling himself right at it. He snapped the item out of the air and proceeded to glide. He deposited it into Sam's hand and let out a purr when Sam rubbed his head in thanks.

“That’s the Storm Badge. You earned it a while ago. This was a good match—a good series of matches! But I imagine that Jasmine was more difficult for you.” Chuck let out a sigh as he walked closer. Sam hadn’t seen him look that disappointed before. “I do have my strengths, but my team is only nine stars at best. Together, Primeape and Poliwrath might be considered ten, but they also have too many easy weaknesses for them to truly be at that level of strength.”

When he and Chuck met off to the side of the field to shake hands, Chuck’s grip was firm. It honestly hurt somewhat, but Sam wanted to appear confident and didn’t let that show.

“Now then—business! So, are you willing to teach me how to evolve a Primeape?”

Excitedly, Chuck leaned in.

But Sam didn’t speak.

He knew this could be a bargain. He knew he stood to make quite a bit. But when he thought back to Annihilape’s evolution, he grimaced.

He couldn’t bring himself to share that information.

Not yet.

“I... can’t,” Sam said with a reluctant sigh. “Annihilape is a Ghost Type. His evolution can be dangerous. What we almost went through... I don’t want others to risk the same.

“I know I’m asking a lot, but are you willing to wait? I’ll show him off in the Conference, and I will share more about his evolution, but only after once we have a better understanding of how it worked.”

Sam knew there was a lot he stood to learn. There were so many more Ghost Types still out there. And, despite the countless answers he had in his pack, he knew he didn’t have all of them.

Primeape had evolved into Annihilape by using Rage Fist—so what? There was a risk involved, a risk he didn’t fully understand, and he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he gave Chuck information that caused him to fail.

“We need more time to think,” Sam ended up saying.

Once the season was over, he would be able to put more thought into Annihilape’s evolution method.

He would also be able to put thought into everything else he knew and figure out what to do about that.

“I understand,” Chuck said, his voice surprisingly serious. “If it’s that dangerous, then it’s right to not rush it. Your Annihilape might look healthy, but that’s not much. 

“So we’ll wait,” he continued. “After all, I can’t say I’m too familiar with the Ghost Type, myself. I’d rather us stay safe, but until then...” He regained his smile. “Call us whenever you’re ready. Once you're willing, we can make a deal.”

__________________________________________________________________________

Later, when Sam was set to leave, he found himself suddenly whisked away by Chuck’s wife. She brought him to her kitchen table, where she unrolled a map and sent him a firm yet amiable look that told him they were to have a discussion.

“My husband tells me you’re leaving tomorrow.” She clicked her tongue. “It’s such a shame. You only just arrived. You’ve barely spent two days in our little town.”

“Sorry,” Sam said, “but we really need to train for the Conference. Mastering the Ghost Type is our priority, and the Ilex Forest is the best place to do that.”

She hummed to herself and glanced down at the map. Sam went on to fully explain his plan. He would take a boat to Goldenrod, travel south, and then enter the Ilex Forest from Route 34.

“Except,” the woman interrupted, her finger tracing the route Sam had just described, “that will take a while. Adding up the time spent on the boat ride, traveling down the route, and then getting through the forest, your potential training time will be cut in half.”

Sam grimaced. He had a bit over two weeks left until the Conference. He needed to spend as much time as possible in training. He needed to be ready for more than just the newbie trainers competing there.

But as much as she had a point about how long travel would take, it wasn’t like he had anything else he could do. Cutting back on the number of times he stopped to practice would drastically increase his speed, but the Ilex Forest was still a distance away from Cianwood City.

“Ah. You’re forgetting something,” she said, gaining a slight smirk. “Look closer. Most maps don’t make this obvious, but there’s more to a region than just cities connected by Routes.”

Checking the map again, Sam inspected it more closely and tried to pick out all the little details. The mountain ranges were labeled. Small patches of forests were included. It named caves he’d never seen. He could trace the exact shape of all of Johto’s Routes as well as the vehicle paths people used to travel safely between cities.

But there was more to it than just that. Outside of the main roads and Routes, there were also smaller trails and paths.

...Except, no, that wasn't right. That wasn't what she wanted him to see.

Sam eyed a blue line that marked a river that almost divided the Ilex Forest in half.

“Closer,” she said.

Sam squinted his eyes.

Finally, he found it. He wasn’t sure how he had failed to notice them, but there was a scattering of small, black dots that each represented a small village or settlement not built along the main paths.

“Hold on, but I traveled off-route? I never saw any of these smaller towns,” Sam said.

Chuck’s wife huffed out of annoyance.

“Where did you travel?”

“From Violet to Blackthorn.”

“So you’re telling me that you didn’t find any towns in the Blackthorn mountains, where the Blackthorn Clan trains and manages a bunch of wild Dragon Types?”

“...Good point.”

Thankfully, she just let out a short laugh at Sam’s mistake before tapping Cianwood City’s location on the western side of the map.

“So! What I was trying to say is that you have better options to follow. You understand that Cianwood has quite an extensive port, yes?”

He nodded.

“Then, instead of taking a boat directly to Goldenrod, consider heading somewhere else,” she said.

She went on to use her finger to trace a route through the ocean that headed south instead of east toward Johto’s mainland. She proposed a plan that passed by several islands and came to its end right where the Ilex Forest’s river connected to the coast.

“There,” she said, tapping it once. “The town here, the one just past Alto Mare. The Ilex Forest isn’t just a massive section of untamed wilderness. Plenty of people live within. This town here serves to ship out many of its collected resources, so if you want to cut down on your travel time—”

“I can take a boat directly there,” Sam concluded, eyes going wide.

She brought her chin up proudly, sending Sam a slight smile. She then went on to trace the proposed route even further, bringing it all the way up the river to the very center of the forest.

“You won’t find villages in the forest unless you look for them, but plenty exist along this river, and they need ways to travel, too,” she said. “If you go to that port town I mentioned, you should be able to get a ferry ticket that'll take you where you need.”

“So you’re saying that I can take a boat to not just the edge of Ilex, but to its deepest parts?” Sam asked.

“At least, as deep as wherever Arborville is,” she finished, referencing a town that existed just past the river’s end.

Breathing in, Sam stared at the map. He needed to spend as much time as possible to prepare for the Conference, and travel had been a big worry of his. Now, although the deadline continued to creep closer by the day, he had the chance to take a massive shortcut and effectively double the time he had left.

This is amazing. We’ll be able to get there so much quicker. With how fast a boat can travel, we might actually get a full two weeks. This is going to help us save so much time.

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Author Note:

Apologies for the late chapter. Last minute re-writes will do that. This chapter will be edited more in the future, but for now, it hits everything I want it to hit.

If you see any mistakes or sections that need to be fixed, please tell me! I will be incredibly grateful for the help!

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Machoke
Poliwrath
Primeape

Chuck

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 141

Author Note:

Today’s chapter is slightly shorter in preparation for the next chapter. Expect this small arc to end there as we move into something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

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When Sam reached the Gym’s field the next morning, Chuck was already in another Gym battle. This time around, a trainer’s Golbat was harassing his Machoke with air-based blades, and no matter how hard the Machoke tried to resist, it wasn’t able to do anything about the Flying Type’s attacks.

Chuck tried to call for a Rock Throw, but shouting for that move caused his Pokémon to drop its guard. Though his Machoke grabbed a chunk of earth that could have knocked the Golbat out of the air, doing so opened it up to a blade of wind that slashed across its chest, and the Machoke fell back.

From there, Sam sat and watched the rest of the exchange. The Machoke fainted, and the Golbat was able to take out one more Pokémon before ultimately falling to a Hitmonchan. The battle was eventually sealed by a Hypno, which, even though it became subjected to a Taunt, could still unleash its Psychic Type moves to finish off the last member of Chuck’s team.

The Gym Leader’s laughter was explosive even in defeat. Chuck wasn’t the kind of person to get upset with a loss as long as he enjoyed the match. Once his last Pokémon was returned, he handed his team’s Pokéballs to an awaiting Gym Trainer for healing before moving up to his opponent and shaking their hand.

“It’s a matter of mindset,” Sam whispered, speaking to his churning shadow while Chuck was too busy chatting with his latest challenger. “We’re worried about Taunt. I’m worried about Taunt. But to Chuck, Taunt is just a tool. It’s only a single answer he keeps prepared. It’s useful, but it’s also only one part of his strategy. We’ll have the rest of the battle, too.”

Chuck was all about battles that were up close and personal. Lean into that, and Taunt wouldn’t be a big deal. It also had its counters, such as just about any move that messed with a Pokémon’s move selection (which meant Taunt countered Taunt, funnily enough), but Sam was limited to what his team currently knew. A single night wasn’t enough to teach his team new moves.

So with what his team was currently capable of, he saw two big answers to the problem of Taunt: either make sure it didn’t hit, or outright ignore it whenever it was used.

Taunt would only be an issue if he overplayed his hand and forced Chuck to use it to reshape the state of the fight. But since Sam was aware of that, he could use Chuck’s preferences to his favor.

Chuck wants simple fights? I’ll give him simple fights. If we want to win, we just need to make sure we have a straightforward counter for Taunt.

After, he could rely on his Pokémon to handle the rest.

Sam was ready for this. His plans favored him and his team. Sitting in the stands, he watched and waited, expecting Chuck to know he was there. His gut feeling was proven right when the previous trainer eventually left, and Chuck looked up at the stands to make eye contact with Sam.

The challenge was clear enough. Their battle would be happening right then.

Standing up, Sam left his seat to stride down from the field, taking advantage of this short break between scheduled matches for this short, one-on-one battle.

Behind him, from above, a shout rang out; Dreepy cheered.

Sam almost stumbled when he heard another, somewhat softer voice come right after. Though quiet, Drakloak also sent Sam her own words of encouragement.

“So! Ready for our battle? I hope you’ll push us just as much this time around!”

Chuck’s shout was friendly, but it still reminded Sam of the outcome of his last two matches. He might have lost twice, but he still had the rest of his team.

(He also now had enough information to let him win.)

Pulling out a certain Friend Ball, Sam held it up and pointed it at Chuck to represent his acceptance of the challenge.

“I’m ready,” Sam said. “Ready to finally beat you and earn my badge.”

Chuck responded with a hearty laugh.

The second Sam was in the trainer’s box, Chuck didn’t wait to toss his own Pokéball forward. As for Sam, he just clipped the Friend Ball back to his belt and gestured to the ground under the feet.

As a flash of light overtook Chuck’s side of the field, Sam’s shadow stretched out to overtake the opposing side. From within that darkness, Mismagius rose out of the floor, and Chuck’s Pokémon—a Hitmonlee—raised a knee while balancing on a coiled leg.

“Spooky,” Chuck commented. Subconsciously, his muscles flexed.

Sam very purposefully ignored that physical reaction while the referee went over the rules, but he only half-paid attention. He already knew how this battle would work, and he was going over the plan in his head.

“Trainers!” the referee shouted. “ Are you ready?”

“Ready!” Sam yelled.

Chuck roared to express the same.

The very start of the match ended up being simple; where a Hitmonchan excelled in punches, a Hitmonlee excelled in its kicks. Mismagius stayed in place as it charged forward, but rather than fully running up to her, it stopped yards away to lean to the side and extend its leg to unleash a powerful kick.

Like a spring subjected to a tremendous force, the Hitmonlee’s leg stretched out to threaten Mismagius from even that far away. And, due to the Foresight being maintained by a nearby Machoke, Hitmonlee’s attack hit. Mismagius did nothing to dodge and took that powerful strike to her side.

But that just meant Phase 1 was already complete.

“Now!” Sam shouted.

Mismagius brought up her arms, a hissing cackle leaving her throat even through the pain, and the opposing Hitmonlee suddenly lurched when its leg snapped back.

Her use of Pain Split was in no way perfect, but she was at least able to divide the pain of that kick between her and her target.

Honestly, the only reason she could use this incomplete move was thanks to her Nasty Plot—and preparing herself with it was why she didn’t move at the beginning. There shouldn’t have been any interaction between Nasty Plot and Pain Split, but yet, there was a hidden synergy between them.

Nasty Plot functioned by using Dark Type energy to help make plans for the best ways to inflict pain, and what was Pain Split but a move that did exactly that?

However, the only thing Mismagius’s in-progress Pain Split truly offered here was an opening. It barely healed her, and it barely drained Hitmonlee’s health. But the surprise jolt of pain sent through Hitmonlee gave her the perfect amount of time to act, and she clapped her arms together before pulling them apart. Between her hands, motes of purple fire sparked up to hover in the air.

Purposefully, the motes she conjured looked like they were from Will-O-Wisp.

But they were not from Will-O-Wisp.

To a Fighting Type specialist, however, a Will-O-Wisp was trouble since a burn could outright cut a Pokémon’s physical power in half. Chuck couldn’t risk letting Mismagius keep that up, and he called out the expected move.

“Taunt!”

Got you.

Mismagius fell for the Taunt hook, line, and sinker, but Chuck fell for her trap at the same time.

Though she would be using no further status moves, Mismagius was already in the mindset of a Pokémon prepared for an attack. Also, the Hitmonlee was in the process of using Taunt, which meant it was occupied by that move.

She had complete freedom—and plenty of willingness—to send her Hex forward, surprising both Chuck and his Pokémon. Hitmonlee tried to respond by showing off the sheer flexibility of its legs, bending its body a full ninety-degree angle back, but that didn’t matter.

Mismagius was suddenly right there.

The flames of Hex consumed the air above it, obscuring its vision, and then there was no more room between them.

Already on the back foot, Hitmonlee didn’t have the chance to respond. It used Detect for a flash of insight to avoid how the Hex suddenly redirected itself to stab down, but that just meant it wasn’t able to do the same to avoid her next attack.

It was caught by her Psychic.

She squeezed.

Consumed by a super-effective, Nasty Plot-boosted attack, Chuck’s Pokémon fainted right there and then.

“Huh,” Chuck said.

Briefly, the Gym Leader rubbed his eyes.

The small number of people watching from the seats clapped for the outcome of the match, and this time around, without a loss, the noise didn’t eat at Sam.

“That was fast,” Chuck said. “Faster than I expected! Hm. You really came up with a strategy like that overnight?”

Sam realized he’d been staring at the field in silence and let out an embarrassed chuckle. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as Mismagius shook herself to push away the effects of her Nasty Plot.

“Kind of. I had the pieces. Mismagius had the rest. We were worried about your Taunt, so we had to develop a bunch of strategies to get around it. I figured something simple was for the best—and you probably won’t fall for a quick rush more than once. Better to rely on this now instead of later.”

Extremely pleased, Chuck laughed.

While going over strategies with his team, Sam hadn’t known that Mismagius could use Pain Split, but she had brought up the theory of its synergy with Nasty Plot. And after watching this match, he now fully realized just how fast she could move without Shadow Sneak—unless Typhlosion or Drakloak used Agility, Mismagius could beat any of them in a race. Sam hadn’t even called for a Shadow Sneak here because he needed to give Mismagius the chance to prepare other moves.

While Mismagius didn’t have the same in-built aerodynamics as a Pokémon like Drakloak, her speed was more of a consequence of what she was. She was a spiritual being adept at moving spiritual energies, which included the energies that made up herself, and she could also ignore air resistance thanks to her Ghost Type ability to phase through obstacles.

That meant she didn’t need to worry about building up momentum. It also let her use moves quickly, allowing her to wholly focus on offense to end a match fast. Here, arguably, she had even been a bit slower than usual due to the Foresight making her more physical, but she had moved as if she expected the Hitmonlee to react quicker.

It was almost as if the way she had trained to fight saw her be naturally prepared for faster opponents—which was likely true thanks to all of her spars with Typhlosion.

Or, maybe it was from her spars with someone else?

For a brief second, Sam looked over to the stands, but Drakloak didn’t look back. She was too busy staring at Mismagius, a complicated expression on her face. Sam couldn’t tell if she was jealous or if she wanted to see how she matched up, herself.

Next to her, Dreepy saw Sam’s glance and waved.

“So, your next Pokémon—”

“In a bit,” Sam said. He wasn’t fully paying attention again. He was already going over his next set of plans.

“I’ll be waiting!” Chuck shouted as Sam left the field.

After, another battle passed.

This time around, Sam didn’t wait like yesterday, moving up to face Chuck for a second battle as soon as they were both ready.

Previously, Sam led with Mismagius to set the expectation of a heavy offense. But here, he sent out a Pokémon that could have not fought more differently.

Trevenant appeared on the field, ready to slowly wear down whatever Pokémon Chuck chose.

“Triple Kick!” Chuck yelled once the match started.

For this battle, Chuck’s Pokémon was a Hitmontop, another evolution of Tyrogue, but a Hitmontop was far more balanced than either of Tyrogue’s other two evolutions. Weirdly, a Hitmontop primarily fought by spinning on its head, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good at kicking and punching. In truth, the momentum brought on by its spins meant its moves could land with even greater power.

So, spinning over the field to where Trevenant awaited it, Hitmontop struck him with a leg, then a tail, and then a second leg to his bark.

The triple hit caused his body to crack as all three strikes perfectly targeted the same spot. However, the very moment the final kick hit, Trevenant lashed out to grab the offered limb.

“Horn Leech!”

A wooden hand latched around the Hitmontop’s leg, claws digging into its flesh. Forced to stop spinning, it suddenly grimaced as it was drained of its energy.

Though Trevenant started this match by dealing damage, Sam didn’t plan for this battle to be as quick. It would be a slow, well-paced weathering of Trevenant’s opponent until they pulled off a win.

But Chuck recognized that quickly. He was a Gym Leader with plenty of experience. Instead of waiting to let Sam do as he pleased, he called for a Taunt.

Trevenant was already prepared.

The second Trevenant heard Chuck’s shout, he acted. Before Hitmontop could even think about using Taunt, he was already gone.

With Trevenant having suddenly disappeared, Hitmontop was let go, where it fell to the floor.

This move was no Protect, but Phantom Force allowed Trevenant to disappear for a few seconds. That meant he could temporarily remove himself from the match without needing to officially retreat from the battle.

Phantom Force meant he wouldn’t be around to be targeted, so a Taunt here would always fail.

Expecting his return, Hitmontop brought up its arms for a defense, and it was quick to turn around when Trevenant appeared out of a shadow behind it. It attempted to kick again, but Trevenant slashed.

For this, his attack wasn’t an attack. He simply took that kick to plant a Leech Seed on Hitmontop’s chest.

And just like that, the battle was sealed. Phantom Force simultaneously allowed him to stall while also letting him focus on attacks. Hitmontop was able to get a Taunt off once it became more familiar with Trevenant’s pattern, but at that point, it didn’t matter.

Phantom Force was an attack. It gave Trevenant a way to aggressively dodge while also stalling to allow Leech Seed to drain as much health as possible between moves.

Given that the only other move Sam bothered to call for was Horn Leech, Hitmontop eventually dealt more damage overall, but Trevenant healed through all of that. Even when Chuck called for a series of powerful strikes that all landed, he was still able to use Harvest. It was an ability, not a move, and to save time, he could eat his fresh Sitrus berries whenever he was preparing his next attack while not present in the mundane conceptions of reality.

Trevenant won.

When Hitmontop collapsed to the floor, unable to stay standing after losing all of its energy, Sam felt confident. He felt satisfied. This was why he’d chosen to wait until another day. It was so, so easy to fall into the trap of a defeatist mindset, and it helped to know that even when given such a short amount of time, he was still capable of making effective plans.

With this match finished, Sam was ready to move into his next, but Chuck just returned his Hitmontop and unexpectedly sat on his stone platform. Crossing his legs, he let his head fall onto a hand in rest, and then he looked Sam in the eye and beckoned for him to come over.

Curious, Sam returned Trevenant and did exactly that.

“One night, and you’ve turned it around. One night, and you made a strategy to counter my entire team, didn't you?” Chuck asked.

“I wanted to treat your challenge like a challenge in the Conference,” Sam explained. “I started out thinking that meant I needed to prepare strategies in just a few minutes, but that’s not how the Conference works. Battles in the Conference happen fast, but they’re still usually only day-to-day. You don’t get much time, but you still have at least some time to make a strategy, and you’re also able to watch your opponent’s battles or even watch recordings of them online.”

Which is what Sam had done here by sitting in the audience.

When he finished explaining his thought process, Sam looked up to where Chuck was still seated. The Gym Leader glanced over him before quietly laughing to himself and lightly shaking his head.

“That’s not always going to work,” Chuck said.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, suspicious.

“All trainers you face will have a unique way they fight, and you can always try to find a counter to that, sure. But from my perspective, there are only two real strategies: a trainer either fights with a plan, or they fight with their instincts. 

“So in your case, you’re a planner. I’d expect pre-made strategies out of you. But for others like me, well, they’re more instinctual.”

Sam frowned. He couldn’t say he agreed with the idea of an “instinctual” fighter. He refused to believe that anyone was instinctually better at training Pokémon than someone else.

Then again, Redi was better at training Pokémon than me—but only at the start! We both put in a lot of work to excel where the other excelled. She’s more specialized in the physical, but my Pokémon are now growing just fine on their own.

Sam knew he and Redi had both put in an insane amount of effort. At this point, he had personally spent hundreds of hours researching, memorizing, and understanding Pokémon through the use of the New Pokédex and other sources of info. He’d spent even longer just training with his team and discussing his ideas with them. Talking to his Pokémon about their capabilities was great at transferring theoretical knowledge into something more practical.

But that wasn’t what Chuck had meant.

The Gym Leader looked at Sam and frowned, visibly sensing that Sam had taken the wrong meaning from what he’d said.

“Trainers don’t always need things like information, logic, or even strategy to win battles,” Chuck said as he casually waved a hand. “Most trainers just do whatever feels right for their team at that moment. That’s why I called them instinctual—they’re not instinctually better. It’s that they fight with their instincts rather than anything prepared beforehand.”

“I... see,” Sam said slowly.

Chuck’s expression was serious.

“Sam,” he said. “Do you know why I wanted to have this kind of modified challenge against your team?”

“...To push me and my Pokémon?”

Chuck replied with a light nod. He looked over Sam before speaking next.

“You’re mostly right. I still owe you training from what Brawly asked of me, and this is the best way I can provide that within the short amount of time we have. But, Sam,” Chuck pointed a finger at Sam’s chest, “really, I did all of this to see how you would fight. I saw how you would fight when faced with an unknown team. I saw how you would fight when given just the barest amount of prep time. Honestly, I’m more than satisfied enough to give you your Gym Badge right now...”

He paused when he saw Sam frown.

“But I’m not going to do that. That’s not what we agreed on. See, if I can’t help you pick up the basics, then I can at least help you understand something more advanced.”

Chuck leaned back to sit up straight.

“Know this,” he said, “the best trainers are the trainers that fight with both plans and instincts.”

“But you...” Sam frowned. “You described yourself as an instinctual battler?”

“I did,” Chuck said with a nod. “That’s why Brawly has his own Gym instead of staying here. He’s already far surpassed me.”

From there, Chuck properly stood up to tower over Sam. His gaze shifted; he stared down with the full presence of a Gym Leader.

“Samuel Greyson!” Gym Leader Chuck bellowed. “I have one last challenge! One last match left against you! You are still yet to truly earn your final Gym Badge, and you are still yet to truly show off that one species you promised to show me!”

Sam tried to hide his wince. He had been planning to use Drakloak next. He’d forgotten about his promise to use Annihilape in a fight.

Chuck seemed to sense that, and he gained an amused smile. Glancing over to the side, he gestured for a Gym Trainer to come closer, and a muscled woman in a tank top ran over to receive his commands.

He told her to take over his next few scheduled matches.

He then looked back.

“Sam, you and I will be moving off to have our final match for your challenge,” Chuck said in a quieter voice. “This will decide whether or not you’ve passed the makeshift crash course I’ve inflicted on you. This battle is going to be very important because we’re going to do it now, before you have too much time to prepare. Also...”

He chuckled to himself.

“Also, you’re from Hoenn. So it’ll be a double battle. To decide whether or not you earn my Storm Badge, you’ll need to win in a double battle match against the strongest two Pokémon on my team.”

==============================================================
Author Note:

I love Dreepy because he’s just a little guy—a little guy that hits with the force of a rocket when used as part of a Drakloak’s moves.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Golbat
Hitmonchan
Hitmonlee
Hitmontop
Hypno
Machoke

Chuck

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Chapter 140

Relying on status moves in battle required a careful balance, especially since status moves were a core part of Sam’s strategies. Most trainers would have their Pokémon pick up a handful, but only to use in support of their attacks. For Sam, the application of conditions and esoteric statuses was what brought his team to victory. However, he couldn’t only rely on status moves since that wasn’t enough to win, and only relying on attacks made it so fights were decided by individual power alone at best.

All of this taken into account, Sam thought he had a strong understanding of how status moves and attacks played off one another. Status moves allowed attacks to land more effectively, and attacks pressured opponents to allow for statuses to take the most effect.

His understanding had been growing. His strategy evolved. Even when he made mistakes, he learned, like how facing Will had taught him that he needed to rely more on offense and how facing Jasmine had taught him he had relied on offense too much.

But against Chuck, he was now learning something else: how his strategy could be countered.

He was also learning about the impact of a little move called “Taunt.”

Sam had thought about Taunt before, of course. He was always aware that it could prevent the use of status moves. However, he hadn’t paid it much mind because it had its own counters, like switching or just relying on his team’s still-potent attacks. It was a threat, but one in the background. Before, he had yet to truly face it. Except now, he fully understood just how much its use shut down his team.

He had called for Haunter to use Spite to shut down Hitmonchan’s Mach Punch. Sam wanted to prevent the close-ranged Fighting Type from reaching where Haunter floated in the air. He’d called for a mix of status moves and attacks, as a balance was his preferred strategy, but Taunt eliminated half of that. Haunter was suddenly unable to disable his foe, and then there was also Taunt’s aggression-inducing aspect.

Taunt used Dark Type energy to literally “taunt” its target. That meant it challenged Pokémon to fight head-on, seeing them give up the use of any status move and only rely on attacks. Under its effects, there was no room for latent Hypnosis or Will-O-Wisp or Spite or anything else. Taunt was simply a challenge in its purest form. Sam couldn’t even call for his Pokémon to stall. Since Taunt taunted them into attacking, they would attack.

It shut down Haunter. It would shut down Mismagius. It would be great at limiting Typhlosion, and it would remove many ways Trevenant could heal.

Sam now truly understood why Chuck taught his Pokémon this move. It wasn’t even to disrupt his opponents’ teams. It was just to make sure he could shift battles into being close-ranged melees in which his Pokémon performed at their best.

“Earlier, when you fought your last opponent...” Sam looked up from Haunter’s Pokéball in his hand. “That’s why the Breloom wasn’t doing anything. It was only using basic attacks because your Hitmonchan had used Taunt.”

Chuck paused where he was patting his Hitmonchan on the back, looking over to Sam as he rubbed his chin and tried to remember what happened in the previous match.

“The Breloom? Oh. Yes. Yes, I did! I always have my Pokémon use Taunt whenever our opponent is too annoying. Makes battles more interesting, I’d say!”

He let out a booming laugh, and he bounced from the noise. It wasn’t even that he was mocking anyone or bragging about his strategy. He was just a rather jolly man.

And next to him, his Hitmonchan didn’t seem to be bragging, either. It looked a little worse for wear after Haunter’s Curse, but that pain was fading away now that the adrenaline of battle was gone. Slowly, the Fighting Type rolled its shoulders to try to break away from that tension.

While Curse caused pain, it didn’t inflict true damage. It would see a Pokémon faint, but it didn’t actually take much for a victim to recover from it after a fight.

“Alright, Sam. We’ll leave it here for now,” Chuck called out even as Sam was lost in thought. “We do need to take a short break—as that’s an important part of training Pokémon, after all! Make sure you rest up yourself, and then make sure you’re ready for our next match! You still have plenty of Pokémon left! I’m expecting tough fights out of all of them!”

Grimly, Sam replied with a nod.

“Yes sir.”

Chuck shot Sam a wild grin as they both moved off the field.

For now, neither of them shook hands. They didn’t need to. They had plenty of one-on-one fights left. Sam had yet to earn his Gym Badge, and Chuck had yet to see all of Sam’s team.

As it stood, their battle wasn’t at its end.

__________________________________________________________________________

Over the next few matches, Sam carefully observed how Chuck commanded his team. Chuck’s Pokémon might have been brutes, but they were trained brutes. Also, he didn’t even use Taunt that much. Only certain opponents saw him order that move. He liked having his opponents come at him with options, but like he said, he used it whenever he thought fighting that way would become too annoying.

Each time a battle ended, Chuck would speak with his opponent and then send Sam a look to invite him back down. Each time Chuck did that, Sam simply shook his head to decline. After how quickly Haunter fainted, he knew he needed to better understand how Chuck fought. He’d underestimated him earlier. A bunch of floating Ghost Types might have had the advantage over a bunch of grounded Fighting Types, but that didn’t mean they were guaranteed to win every fight.

In the Conference, Sam did not doubt that other trainers would appear to have similar weaknesses. Not just that, but he was pretty sure he could find recordings of opponents’ past battles and find signs of their weaknesses there. But the more experience an opponent had, the higher the likelihood that they would be aware of their team’s gaps. And just like Chuck, they would have counters prepared to stop anyone from taking advantage of that in a match.

In a way, that thought caused Sam’s intended goal for these matches to shift. It was less about trying to prepare in a limited time and it was more about trying to find ways to fight against a team’s counter-strategies.

Piece by piece, Sam was able to put together facts about Chuck’s team. Primarily, he began to understand just how monstrous Chuck’s Pokémon were. The man was a Fighting Type specialist, so his entire strategy revolved around making full use of his Pokémon’s physical strength. Punches would always hit. Opponents would always find themselves chased down. Everything was decided to ensure the match would become a test of strength.

Even with his Pokémon, Sam doubted his Ghost Type would be able to run away. With Chuck’s expertise, no matter what, the match would end up in melee.

“He’s like... a more agile Redi,” Sam whispered to his team while watching Chuck dismantle a team of Ground Types. “Devastating moves, but faster Pokémon. Fighting Types aren’t known for being quick, and I can’t say Chuck’s are, either. But they’re determined. Persistent. Inevitable. We might be able to run, but we'll never be able to escape.”

Shadows churned under his feet.

Another thing Sam noticed about Chuck was that for all the trainers he faced, he never sent out a single Poliwrath or Primeape. Sam knew the Gym Leader excelled with those two species, so not seeing either felt suspicious. It reminded him of how some trainers would hold back tricks for the later rounds of the Conference—everyone always wanted to save at least one trump card for a future, difficult match.

At least, observing so many fights let Sam piece together a few obvious counters for Taunt. The biggest one was to rely on attacking moves that inflicted status conditions instead of relying on status moves themselves.

Also, there was the obvious counter: don’t get hit by Taunt in the first place.

He could see openings, but he needed to test them out. As simple as Chuck seemed, there were a surprising amount of layers to the way he fought.

So Sam watched more battles, left to get food with his team, and then came back feeling more prepared. However, he still waited longer than he first planned before accepting his next match. Doing so meant his schedule would be stretched one more day out, but he wanted to shift around the order in which his team fought, and he was learning a significant amount.

When he finally approached Chuck for a battle, it was dusk. The Gym was effectively closed; Chuck had finished his last scheduled match.

The audience was gone, but some Gym Trainers were still around. Not many, and the ones that remained were only finishing off with a few stretches alongside their Pokémon.

Sam knew that some would see the Pokémon he planned to send out, but it wasn’t like they could spread rumors that far before the Conference, anyway. A few weeks was a lot of time, but he’d be spending most of that time away from where he could be contacted—deep within the Ilex Forest.

“Aha!” Chuck sent Sam a grin as he approached the Gym Leader on the field. Above their heads, the first few stars were just beginning to appear in the night sky. “Done with your observations? Finally challenging ol’ Chuck once again?”

“I am,” Sam replied. “And I think I finally figured you out.”

The Gym Leader said nothing else. He simply exposed his teeth with a smile. As a Fighting Type specialist, he practically lived and breathed tough fights.

After a quick few words with a nearby Gym Trainer, Machoke came running out of the Gym, carrying tiki torches that they set up at the sides of the field. The flames provided light for this match, but they provided an inconsistent amount. They flickered and sent shadows writhing across the flat dirt floor. Chuck’s Pokémon would be able to see, but it also made it feel as though the match would be a ritual.

Some Gym Trainers moved inside. One moved to the side of the field. They released a single Hitmonlee that gained a glint to its eye.

Sam’s request still stood; a Foresight would be maintained for this fight.

“Last time around, you knew I’d use Hitmonchan,” Chuck said. “This time, I won’t reveal my Pokémon until the match itself, but I want your prediction: what do you think I’ll send out?”

His deep voice echoed across the field. He held a worn, scratched Pokéball in one hand.

Sam held back a scoff—he thought it was obvious.

“Poliwrath or Primeape.”

“Which one?”

“Could be either,” he said with a shrug. “But it doesn’t matter. We’ll win anyway.”

Chuck’s laughter was a soft confirmation of Sam’s guess, and the Gym Leader tossed up that Pokéball. Sam hurried to toss up the one he chose as well. He didn’t want to give himself time to pick a counter, as all of his observations should have given him enough to decide beforehand.

Unfortunately, out of the two Pokémon this could have been, Chuck had chosen the one that’d be the most difficult. Typhlosion herself had plenty of ways to fight and counter Taunt, and as much as Sam had sent her out here to see if his ideas worked, he now recognized they would have to deal with a Poliwrath’s Water Type at the same time.

But as long we’re careful, we should be fine. Type advantage isn’t everything. Typhlosion managed to last against Jasmine’s Steelix. She can last against Chuck’s Pokémon here.

Except, Sam remembered just how aged Chuck’s Pokéball had appeared.

This wasn’t just any Poliwrath.

This was his ace Poliwrath.

Despite his comments that this would be an eight-star fight, the Gym Leader didn’t seem to be holding back.

“Ooh. Now that’s a Pokémon!” Chuck’s eyebrows practically shot to the top of his head when he saw Typhlosion appear. “I’ve fought plenty of Typhlosion before, and their burns are always a problem, but one that looks like that?”

He shook his head.

“A brand new variant,” he said, breathing out almost in disbelief. “Based on her coloring... A Dark Type?”

“Ghost Type,” Sam corrected. “Hisuian Variant. She’s still a Typhlosion, but she’s now also a guide for lost spirits.”

Chuck let out an impressed whistle and glanced over to the Gym Trainer serving as the referee at the side. Typhlosion’s flames lost a bit of their unearthly glow when the Hitmonlee’s Foresight took effect, but she was used to being physical. She wasn’t as ethereal as most other Pokémon on Sam’s team and had plenty of experience fighting like this from back when she was a Quilava.

“Ready?” Chuck called out.

“Ready to kick your butt,” Sam shot back.

Yet again, Chuck laughed.

“I’ll enjoy this! That’s exactly the kind of fighting spirit I want to see! But I hope you have a good strategy prepared because Poliwrath’s starting with Water Gun!”

Sam didn’t expect to see a special move be used here, but Typhlosion was quick. As Chuck’s Poliwrath clenched its fists at its side and thrust out its chest, she took off running with a quick use of Agility to outpace the Water Type’s pressurized blast.

“Circle!” Sam shouted. “Infernal Parade! Prepare what we talked about—use that strategy for this fight!”

They needed to use what status moves they could before Chuck lured her in with Taunt. Sam didn’t dare outright name any of them out of fear of baiting out Taunt too early.

As Typhlosion immediately began to race around the Poliwrath, her gaze never once left her foe. Poliwrath maintained its Water Gun to chase her down, but even though Poliwrath was a Water Type, the move wasn’t great. Chuck hadn’t bothered to train its special attack. 

However, Sam quickly noticed that damage wasn’t the purpose of the move. The threat of the water was enough; by having the stream follow her, Poliwrath was slowly guiding Typhlosion closer in.

But for every foot Typhlosion ran, a dozen wisps entered the air. Infernal Parade followed its namesake—they chased after her as if in a parade.

She sent those wisps at Poliwrath before too much time had passed. Yet, despite the attack hurtling toward his Pokémon, Chuck didn’t call for a dodge or even for it to defend. He likely thought this attack would be a Fire Type move that Poliwrath could resist, but Infernal Parade was solidly a Ghost Type move.

The ghostly flames were more ghostly than they were flames, and Poliwrath took full damage.

More than that, the heat cut through its damp exterior to leave scorch marks:

Poliwrath was now burned.

“Tch. Shoulda expected that,” Chuck said. “But we’re fine. Poliwrath, use Taunt!”

If Water Gun wasn’t bringing Typhlosion closer, then Taunt was his next best bet. Typhlosion could run all day, and Chuck wanted to finish this fight fast.

But this was why Sam had sent Typhlosion out here. Haunter had scouted out Chuck’s Taunt, and now Typhlosion would test out a counter to that move.

“Detect!” Sam shouted, dramatically thrusting an arm forward.

With a flash of insight, Detect gave Typhlosion the know-how to avoid the effects of Taunt. She didn’t exactly look away from Poliwrath, but she was able to completely ignore its Dark Type “come-at-me” gesture despite keeping it in view.

Perfect! Now we just need to keep up Infernal Parade while staying away with Agility, and we should pull this off!

As strong as Chuck’s Pokémon was, Infernal Parade was inordinately powerful once a condition was inflicted. He had already seen how powerful attacks could bridge a strength gap from when he had fought Jasmine. Infernal Parade might not have inflicted a faint-timer like Curse, but it would carry the same results.

He also didn’t want to risk cutting Typhlosion’s health by calling for that move.

So her Detect made Taunt fail, and Typhlosion kept running. She sent more wisps at the Poliwrath, and it grunted as they stabbed into its burns to deal double damage.

But Chuck looked unbothered.

He simply nodded once.

“I see, I see,” Chuck said without an ounce of worry on his face. “Good counter, but it has a big flaw—watch this! Poliwrath, use Taunt twice!”

Detect was similar to Protect in that it carried a chance to fail when used repeatedly. Protect required its expended energy to recharge, and Detect had a similar requirement before bringing out its heightened insight for a second time. However, there was always a chance to pull something off from what was leftover, so Typhlosion attempted Detect again.

She ignored the first Taunt.

Poliwrath kept it up.

When it waggled its fingers for a second time, her face contorted with rage.

With Detect failing to be used repeatedly, Taunt took effect. Typhlosion’s Agility hadn’t been completely eliminated, but she could no longer use it to maintain her speed or continue circling.

She looked annoyed. Poliwrath had challenged her strength, and she would prove it wrong. The Dark Type energy that coursed through her wasn’t her own, but she didn’t pay that any mind.

Suddenly skidding across the field to change directions, she charged right at Poliwrath, her parade of wisps growing behind her.

Fine! It doesn’t matter, Poliwrath is still burned! If Chuck is going to force us to attack, we just need to keep up the pressure!

“Hex!” Sam yelled.

Poliwrath was already burned. Infernal Parade was no longer needed. Hex was ever so slightly stronger, and it only took a slight pulse of will for Typhlosion to change the nature of her move.

Typhlosion’s wisps stiffened and changed, becoming a deeper purple and less flame-like than they were before. They followed her even as she slammed into Poliwrath.

But it withstood her attack. Poliwrath just barely remained standing even as purple needles jabbed into its wounds. Grunting, it was able to slam its gloved hands into Typhlosion’s shoulders and stop her charge in place.

Chuck didn’t even blink.

“Waterfall!” he shouted.

As Typhlosion snarled and snapped at her opponent, Poliwrath simply drew back an arm and slammed it into her face.

Cloaked in water, the punch dealt super effective damage but wasn’t enough to take her out. Poliwrath’s burn limited its physical attack, but the impact still sent Typhlosion recoiling back.

Sam shouted for her to use a move, but his yells didn’t matter. Waterfall might not have fainted her, but it certainly did something else:

Waterfall caused Typhlosion to flinch.

Unable to react, it only took a single punch more for Typhlosion to fall. In the end, Sam lost to a few chances gone wrong: Chuck had sent out Poliwrath instead of Primeape, Detect had failed to work twice, and then Waterfall had managed to land in just the right way to lock Typhlosion in place.

“That’s... unfortunate,” Sam grumbled.

Unfortunate wasn’t the most apt description, but the battle’s outcome still favored him. These might have been one-on-one fights, but he couldn’t forget that the purpose of these was to chase a victory as a whole.

It hurt to see Typhlosion faint, but he couldn’t ignore what he had gained. Where Haunter had scouted out the threat of Taunt, Typhlosion had proved his team could counter it.

She had also helped to demonstrate just how strong Chuck’s Pokémon could be.

As Chuck let out a roar to celebrate such a great match, Sam actually felt confident, which was strange to feel after a loss. Typhlosion was one of his best Pokémon, but that didn’t mean the other members of his team were weak. With her help, he had everything he needed to make sure he won the rest of his fights.

“So how’s that, Sam?” Chuck called out. “Great battle, right? So since no one is around right now, and if you have that one Pokémon of yours—”

“Tomorrow,” Sam said, meeting Chuck in the eye. “You’ll see them in our next matches tomorrow, and there...”

And there, Sam would be able to use everything he’d learned to make his team win.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Mismagius did not hide in Sam’s shadow, where so many other Ghost Types saw its darkness crowded. She kept herself to the side, within the torches’s flickering shadows and next to the field, listening to the fat one’s jolly laughter as the man shouted words of encouragement.

The heavy man sent a friendly bump to her trainer’s shoulder, and Sam stumbled forward. Briefly, an annoyed look crossed over his face, but the fat one didn’t notice.

They chatted, not shaking hands but just sharing a few comments. There was an apology—the fat one had gone a little overboard in his choices, but he didn’t regret it. He knew Sam’s team could handle it.

He then expressed his disappointment that he wouldn’t be facing Sam anymore today. After Typhlosion, he wanted to see what else Sam had in store, but Sam simply told him that he wanted more time to think.

That was a lie, Mismagius could tell. Sam already had a plan, he just needed time to share it with the team.

As Sam returned to Chuck’s home, staying in the building that belonged to the very man who had defeated two team members that day, Mismagius followed. She would have been fine with staying in her Pokéball, but right now, she just wanted to observe. Her evolution had brought power, but it had also brought a slight shift in perspective. She could recognize the change thanks to how her trainer prepared her, but she also welcomed it.

Being sneaky was fun.

It took a bit, but Sam gathered the team. Mismagius left her shadow to listen in as he shared his thoughts with a surprising amount of confidence.

She respected him. When push came to shove, he would gain a decisiveness that came no matter the loss.

...Although, he was still growing into it. Yet, at this point, she knew it was only a matter of time.

She knew that Typhlosion knew that as well.

Sam shared all of his observations and theories. He had a solid plan on how to counter that move. Protect and Detect were great at preventing its effects and creating openings. When Typhlosion’s Detect prevented its effects the first time, he had failed to capitalize on the opening. After all, if a Pokémon was using Taunt, it wasn’t using any other move.

Also, he had noticed one other detail: Chuck would never use Taunt right away. For the Gym Leader, Taunt was a card he pulled only when he needed it. Chuck’s strategy was based around close-ranged fights, but Taunt was just one tool out of many. No matter how “straight-forward” Chuck’s strategy seemed, it was still a strategy, and all strategies could be countered.

Every Pokémon here listened with rapt attention. Mismagius kept to the back, watching and listening from the shadows as Sam spoke. She learned of his plans as well as what she would need to do. After all, if Chuck waited to use Taunt, that meant she had plenty of time to use Nasty Plot right off the bat.

Afterwards, Shadow Sneak. She could rush her foe to surprise them, defeating the whole purpose of using Taunt if she were to attack regardless. Nasty Plot could boost her moves to make her a credible threat, and her past practice with Annihilape meant she had decent odds of avoiding Chuck’s melee strikes.

The goal was for her to be overwhelming, but she’d need Sam’s help for that. Up close, it was easy for attacks to come from out of view. A trainer’s ability to observe the entire battle from afar gave them the position to know exactly what moves to use.

Nodding, Mismagius barely held back her cackle as she took in that plan, and Sam went on to share plans with the rest of the team.

Once he was finished, they practiced for a bit longer before calling it for the night. Mismagius kept herself hidden as she watched him slow down, eat a meal, and then finally get ready for bed.

And then he was asleep.

And then, his Pokémon could go free.

Light snores echoed out to give everyone leave to go through their usual midnight activities.

Typhlosion didn’t need to sleep as much ever since she gained the Ghost Type. She stood guard, and like her, Annihilape stayed awake to practice developing his strength nearby. As a tree, Trevenant preferred to stay rooted in place, but he left Chuck’s home to step out back and absorb the moonlight.

That just left the more ethereal members of the team. Mismagius and Haunter nodded at one another and then floated up to split off for now.

When he left for the night, Haunter pretended to grin as he said goodbye, but Mismagius could tell his smile was more hollow than usual. For all of his improvements, for all of the techniques he had figured out first, he clearly thought he was falling behind. Everyone else had evolved, and then he had also lost his fight.

Haunter took several of the Gastly with him, likely to have them help with pushing him to his limits. She’d seen his practice before. He’d work on everything at once. He’d try to dodge their attacks, withstand their group presence, and then also respond by attempting to perfect his own moves’ aim.

He usually kept these midnight practice sessions quiet, but it was also obvious he just wanted to leave right now. But as upset as he seemed, he had a determination to him.

Mismagius knew he would make great gains tonight.

As for herself, she split off for a far more casual reason. She planned to not go too far away, but she was fast enough to return quickly if anything went wrong.

Out here, she had an entire town to stalk, and she had only just evolved today. She wanted to explore and really see what her new form could do, but when she phased through the wall, she realized she wasn’t the only Pokémon there.

From atop the building her trainer was in, a quiet voice echoed out, and Drakloak looked down at Mismagius. The Dragon Type had an annoyed glare to her eyes even as she zipped down from the building to join Mismagius’s side.

Mismagius made a comment—where was Dreepy?

Drakloak looked even more annoyed. Just like usual, he had snuck in to snuggle against Sam. He was always gone before Sam woke up in the morning, but Dreepy claimed it was a comfortable nap.

But his sister? Mismagius had never once seen Drakloak sleep.

The Dragon Type glared up at her, and Mismagius simply looked back down at the now-smaller-than-her Pokémon and smirked.

Drakloak scowled.

Yet, even as annoyed as Mismagius made Drakloak, the Dragon Type Pokémon grit her teeth and still barked out her request.

She wanted to get stronger—needed to be stronger.

She knew she wasn’t as strong as the members of Sam’s team.

It had been grating to watch Sam lose—twice, at that! Especially since she knew even she couldn’t have won those fights.

Mismagius quirked an eyebrow as Drakloak spoke, wanting to interject, but Drakloak kept up her rant. Now that she had bothered to communicate, her feelings didn’t stop pouring out.

She wasn’t just upset. She was angry that Chuck had won. She was furious to see the Gym Leader treat their matches so casually and still come out on top. She also didn’t understand why she was feeling like this. She clearly wasn’t a real member of Sam’s team, so why was she so unable to divide herself from the outcome of the match?

It was like... it was like she was blaming herself for not being able to help, she admitted. Drakloak knew that Sam wanted to rely on her for tomorrow, but she wasn’t confident she’d be able to win.

When she finally finished, Drakloak breathed out and looked up at Mismagius only to freeze.

Mismagius, of course, was still smirking.

The poor girl didn’t realize just how much she was attached to the team.

More annoyed than ever, Drakloak turned away, grumbling to herself about this being a waste of time, but Mismagius just cackled and finally presented Drakloak with her offer.

She didn’t say anything; she didn’t need to. She simply gestured to the nearby forest, and Drakloak silently glanced back and looked toward the trees.

For all of their differences, for all of Drakloak’s distaste for Mismagius, they both stood to benefit from shared practice. That was what Mismagius was offering Drakloak, and that was what Mismagius was fine with doing tonight.

She just needed Drakloak to accept, and much to her delight, Drakloak squirmed.

Unable to help herself, the Dragon Type snapped out an insult, but Mismagius just easily took it in. She could tell that Drakloak’s pride wouldn’t let her do anything else.

But with a final huff, Drakloak gave the response Mismagius had been waiting for:

Fine.

She’d accept the offer. She would train with Mismagius. She needed to be stronger, so she would do it—but she demanded that Mismagius would help.

And Mismagius laughed. Of course, she’d help.

After all, she’d do anything for a fellow member of Sam’s team.

===============================================================
Author Note:

Apologies for the late chapter. Needed to rework some parts of it, but I think it paid off.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Breloom
Hitmonchan
Hitmonlee
Poliwrath
Primeape

Chuck

Previous Chapter
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Chapter 139

Author Note:

Patreon's default formatting seems to have changed again, and I'm not sure how to fix that. Please tell me if any part of this chapter looks off, and I'll do my best to make adjustments.

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Before anything could be done about Chuck, Sam needed to familiarize himself with the changes to his team—specifically, with what Mismagius, Drakloak, and Dreepy were capable of in battle.

Mismagius was still Misdreavus, but her evolution had increased her speed and special capabilities. She was faster, stronger, and more capable of taking ranged hits, but most importantly, she had more control.

Besides the general energy-efficiency benefits, her control brought a qualitative difference to her use of Shadow Sneak. Where Haunter and the Gastly needed to dive into existing shadows to mimic that move, Mismagius could create new shadows from anywhere.

Except, that’d always been true. It was why she was the only one on the team considered to know the move in the first place. No, the real change came from how Mismagius created her shadows:

She could now create shadows within the air itself.

That meant she wasn’t limited to shadows cast onto objects. She didn’t need to dive into something to move around. When Sam shouted for her to use Shadow Sneak, she would turn dark and transparent, and then she would shift toward her target destination through the air.

“This will change things. It opens up a lot of opportunities for evasion, but I’m wondering if it’s capable of being used defensively now,” Sam said after a few rounds of testing. “A better way to withstand attacks would let you last a lot longer. But even if that part of Shadow Sneak hasn’t changed, I really just have to say how incredible you are, Mismagius.”

Mismagius gained a wicked grin that she tried to hide by lifting an arm. Loose shadows hung off that new limb, making it seem as though she was draped in purple robes. The natural hat on her head added to that, casting her eyes into a shroud of darkness.

Overall, she looked like an evil witch.

Sam thought that was amazing. It suited her perfectly.

But Mismagius needed help to test her new Shadow Sneak, so Sam called Drakloak over since he needed to learn more about her as well. When he called out her name, she eagerly zipped over. However, she seemed more excited about the idea of showing off her moves than she was about helping out.

(Dreepy looked almost ecstatic to be here with how he vibrated on her head.)

“Alright.” Sam looked between the two sides of this would-be test, making sure both Mismagius and Drakloak were getting prepared. “Drakloak, attack Mismagius once. Use whatever ranged move you prefer best.”

Mismagius sent Drakloak a taunting smirk, and one of Drakloak’s eyes twitched in annoyance. Earlier, when everyone raced to test out Mismagius’s speed, Drakloak had made the unfortunate discovery that Mismagius could now almost match her pace—at least, when Drakloak wasn’t using Agility.

However, Drakloak had her strengths, as Sam was coming to learn. For battles, she primarily knew attacks or moves that assisted her attacking moves, such as the few attacks a Dreepy could learn.

She knew the same moves as her brother—Astonish, Quick Attack, and Bite—but both of them also knew something called “Infestation,” a strange Bug Type attack Sam had never seen before in Johto.

He felt as though he shouldn’t have been surprised that Dreepy and Drakloak were familiar with another Bug Type attack given how easily their line picked up U-Turn. U-Turn itself had some interesting quirks, but when it came to Infestation, the more he read about it, the more he understood just how well it fit with his team.

On paper, Infestation was simply another damage-over-time effect. While it did do some initial damage, it wasn’t much, and its damaging effect was altogether small. However, when combined with other effects like burns, Curses, and Leech Seeds, Infestation could see a Pokémon faint without much need for direct offense.

But Infestation carried a second, more important aspect. Specifically, it prevented a Pokémon from switching out while under its effects.

Sam already knew Mean Look was valuable, and Infestation was a Mean Look that dealt ongoing damage. Drakloak didn’t even realize the power she possessed in battle. To her, Infestation was just a “weak” attack that her pre-evolved form could learn, and it was clear she never once thought about relying on what it could do.

However, that was just due to her mindset being different. She’d spent so long fighting on her own alongside her brother that she never put thought into how well Infestation let her fight on a team. 

Sam could see it now: Drakloak would be sent in, she would use Infestation to keep her opponent present, and then she’d be free to use her best attacks like Dragon Pulse and Phantom Force as she pleased. Sam could send her out at any time to trap opponents and maintain an advantage. Infestation could be used to make sure weakened opponents fell to their conditions, and then those weakened opponents would also be forced to contend with a Pokémon capable of evolving into a pseudo-Legend at the same time.

She would be a menace, and there was a second level to her current potential as well. While Infestation could trap an opponent, Drakloak couldn’t be trapped herself. Her Ghost Type let her switch freely, but she also had U-Turn.

After all, U-Turn allowed its user to recall themselves whenever they wanted. Under the League’s current rules, using U-Turn didn’t count against a trainer’s otherwise limited switches.

Any time Drakloak appeared on the field, she could trap her opponent with Infestation, deal some damage, and then return herself with a single U-Turn. If it turned out she was in a bad match-up, she could give Sam a free switch into a more suitable team member. She wasn’t just a special attacker. Those base two moves would let her define and control the entire flow of the match.

She could be a constant threat. A persistent harasser. When combined with a few other moves she could potentially learn—specifically, Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp—she fit perfectly into the team’s strategy.

But Sam didn’t say anything. Not now, at least. Even with how much he wanted to gush about Drakloak, he didn’t want to pressure her into being caught. Dreepy would probably cry tears of joy if Sam brought up that option, but Drakloak was proud. She was sticking around because while she was definitely interested, she didn’t want to broach the topic of being caught.

Not yet.

For now, Sam kept that spare Ultra Ball in his backpack for whenever she finally decided to truly join. He wouldn’t begrudge her if she chose to move on—but he’d seen how she watched his team practice. There was a deep desire to participate, even as much as she tried to hide it.

Just being willing to fight Chuck alongside him was already a massive first step. He would be patient if it meant Drakloak would be the most comfortable in the end.

“Ready?”

Sam realized his Pokémon had been waiting for him. So caught up in his thoughts about Drakloak’s potential, both Drakloak and Mismagius had been stuck facing each other while using a few preparatory moves. But they were finished, now. Both of them had completely set up. With locked eyes, they faced one another, and Drakloak let out a small growl.

There was no sense in making them wait any longer.

“Go!” Sam shouted.

Right away, Drakloak pulled back to let Dreepy fall in front of her face, and shadows already began to shroud Mismagius’s form. There was a glint in Drakloak’s eyes that made Sam realize that she wouldn’t be holding back. She’d be putting everything into this move to test it against Mismagius.

And Mismagius won’t be able to dodge. Drakloak used Lock-On. No matter what, Dreepy is going to hit.

The move Drakloak unleashed was her and her brother’s favored attack: Dragon Pulse. Draconic flames surrounded Dreepy and sent him rushing forward like a missile. The squeal of delight that left his throat merged with the roar of the fiery energy, and he rocketed directly toward where Mismagius floated in the air.

Quickly, she used Shadow Sneak in an attempt to dodge to the side. Avoiding the move would have defeated the point of this test, but with Drakloak’s Lock-On, the shift wasn’t enough.

Like with Redi’s Porygon, Drakloak could give herself perfect aim. However, Dragon Pulse had a longer travel time than Porygon’s quick beam attacks. But Dreepy was a part of the move, and Drakloak had aimed her attack to give him the most freedom to adjust. Using the aerodynamics of his head, a slight tilt to the side caused the Dragon Pulse to curve, and he adjusted his path to slam right into Mismagius’s chest.

If this attack had been solely mundane, the Shadow Sneak’s etherealness might have worked as a defense. Unfortunately, this was a Pokémon move. While Dreepy’s presence gave Dragon Pulse a physical aspect, the attack still carried energy that aligned with its Type.

As a result, Dreepy phased right through, but given Mismagius’s half-present form, so did the Dragon Type energy. It followed him in before spreading out, piercing into her chest and dealing more damage than it otherwise would have dealt.

A haunting wail left Mismagius’s throat. Across from her, Drakloak smirked.

“Are you okay?! Sorry, Mismagius. I know we tried this with your old version of Shadow Sneak, but I really thought it would work here.” Sam was already pulling a Potion out of his pack. “I should have realized it’d be the same. It seems that using Shadow Sneak this way gives you a lot more room to maneuver in the air, but if it also makes you more vulnerable, we need to practice with it to make sure we don’t...”

He let his words drift off when he saw that Mismagius was glaring at Drakloak. As Dreepy returned to Drakloak’s head in what Sam recognized to be a Quick Attack, Mismagius suddenly brought up her arms.

She wouldn’t be backing off. Not after that attack. Not after that taunt. There was no way she’d let that go unanswered after Drakloak’s smirk.

Drakloak saw Mismagius’s challenge and easily met it head-on. Letting out another growl, she lowered herself to prepare even as Sam shouted for them to wait.

Mismagius conjured a Shadow Ball.

Drakloak tensed her body in the air.

When the Shadow Ball was released, Drakloak took off, and Dreepy squeaked in enjoyment at the speed in which they were brought forth.

The second the Shadow Ball collided with them, Drakloak used Take Down to let her break through thanks to its insulating Normal Type energy. She still took her share of damage, and Take Down’s recoil added to that. However, it let her maintain velocity as she passed through, giving her a chance to rocket right up to Mismagius’s face.

A flash—a gemstone embedded in Mismagius’s chest saw her fire out a beam.

Shadows—Drakloak used her speed to twist around the Power Gem attack, and then those same shadows cloaked her for the start of a Phantom Force.

However, whatever exchange this was set to become never properly concluded. Typhlosion let out an annoyed roar, and with a dual use of Agility and Quick Attack, she was suddenly right there, looking more than just displeased, using Detect to predict both combatants’ movements and interrupting their clash.

Shadow Claw allowed her to grab Drakloak before Drakloak fully faded away for Phantom Force. As for Mismagius, the start of a Psychic was disrupted when Typhlosion smashed a paw into her chin and pushed her head up.

“...Really?” Sam said.

Mismagius blinked away the cruel machinations brought on by her previous, preparatory uses of Nasty Plot. She sent Sam a cheeky-yet-apologetic grin, blushing with embarrassment at having lost herself like that.

Meanwhile, Drakloak looked much more unrepentant. After all, she was a Dragon Type. Facing others in challenge is what her Type did best.

“I’m not going to stop any rivalries if you two want to have one, but I do have to give you a warning,” Sam said, his tone serious. “Ghost Type energy isn’t meaningless. It carries side effects that aren’t just risks for humans. So, don’t form grudges. Don’t fall into the trap of overly negative thoughts. You’re Ghost Types, so being consumed by that kind of stuff is easy for you. Please, keep in mind that we’re friends here. I’ve been lucky enough to be warned in the past, so I’m sharing that same warning with you.”

Mismagius had already heard all of this before, and she tugged down the rim of her hat to cover her eyes. She bowed her head lower than before, looking even more embarrassed than she did earlier.

But Drakloak just looked annoyed. She had wanted to fight, to prove her strength in battle as well as to show off the power of her moves.

Except, when she sent Sam a single glance, she froze when she saw he wasn’t kidding. He would allow fights, but not fights that carried true hostilities underneath. 

Dreepy let out a whine from atop her head, apologizing for being so caught up in the speed of it all. For a second, it seemed as though Drakloak was about to brush him off, but she didn’t.

She lowered her head in apology as well.

For an evolved Dragon Type to do that, she demonstrated a true respect for Sam’s authority.

“I... Um. Mhm. Thank you, Drakloak,” Sam said, clearing his throat and trying his best to not look away with a blush. “I know backing down isn’t easy, and I really appreciate your understanding. Just trust me when I say you’ll get a chance to battle—and you’ll see yourself start to truly master Ghost Type energy once you get a bit more practice with everyone else.”

He sent Drakloak a smile, and she nodded while facing the ground, still listening but unable to meet his eyes.

“We’ll be facing Chuck soon, so know that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove your strength. But for now, watch the first few fights to see how our strategy works. Drakloak, I’ll be saving you for the end to give you the most time to prepare, but be careful.

“This is our last Gym. We need to be ready. Nothing about facing Chuck will be easy when it comes to earning our final Gym Badge.”

__________________________________________________________________________

One of the reasons Sam was willing to accept Chuck’s challenge was that it was a test of his skill as a trainer just as much as it was a test of the individual power of his team. Though it was a Gym Challenge, it was practice. Its general set-up mimicked the Conference.

There, trainers would be assigned opponents they would have to face the following day. Trainers would have less than twenty-four hours for prep time, not the week-or-so to which Sam was accustomed.

For that reason, he approached the Gym as soon as it was midday. He planned to tackle this as fast as possible both as a test for himself and to make sure he could reach Ilex Forest as soon as he could. He also wanted to catch at least one of Chuck’s matches so he could have some information to work with. He was aware of the man’s strength as a Fighting Type specialist, but he couldn’t say he truly knew how Chuck would fight.

As he arrived, he saw that Chuck’s Gym building was unique. Gym Leaders tended to have a lot of leeway for their Gym’s form and function. Sam had seen it many times before from the traditional style of Morty's Ecruteak Gym, to the box-like refrigerator that was Pryce's Mahogany Gym, and then to the various hive-like greenhouses that were the Gym of Azalea Town.

Here, the main Gym building resembled a sort of dojo, but its true interior was outside. Carved into the cliffs behind the Gym building, Chuck's main battlefield and practice area was located in a short, rocky-yet-idyllic canyon that had waterfalls pouring down its sides.

This part of the Gym was open to the public—mostly. While not just any trainer could practice out here, anyone could come in to watch Gym battles and observe the various Fighting Types in training. When Sam joined the few people from around town that were already watching Chuck’s latest ongoing challenge, he sat on one of the benches carved into a hillside and looked down at the battle taking place below.

He didn’t expect to see a Hoenn-native species down there.

“Breloom, Mach Punch!” a trainer shouted.

“Detect, Hitmonchan,” Chuck countered with an authoritative voice.

Chuck stood tall, broad-shouldered, and confident, posing with his arms crossed while standing on a stone platform that’d been carved out of the floor. His challenger was beneath him—literally—but also because his Pokémon was winning the fight with ease.

No matter how strong this Breloom was, it was going against the master of the punch in melee. Chuck’s Hitmonchan ducked, weaved, and bobbed out of the way of each strike. With every slight movement, it avoided one of the Breloom’s clawed attacks, and then it would slip in to retaliate with a sharp jab of its own.

Hm. Breloom is part Grass Type, but why isn’t its trainer calling for a status move? Spore or Sleep Powder would be incredible here. I don’t get how they’re fighting a Pokémon at my team’s level if they’re only sticking to basic attacks.

Unfortunately, Sam didn’t get the chance to see much more of the battle or even start to understand the challenger’s reasoning. Breloom was their last Pokémon. This match was already at its end.

“Finish it,” Chuck said.

Ice crackled around the Hitmonchan’s fist. As angry as the Breloom looked, it couldn’t block the next hit. An Ice Punch slammed into its chest, and the impact saw the Pokémon fly far back.

When the referee called out that Breloom fainted, the audience clapped. Sam did as well.

The challenger returned his Pokémon, and that same buff man in a sweatshirt thrown over a gi announced the end of the match.

As if the battle was only a warmup, the Hitmonchan started to shadowbox in place, looking no worse for wear. Chuck laughed at the sight and hopped off his rock, approaching his challenger to shake hands and whisper a few advising words.

“Okay. That Hitmonchan is at the level we’ll be dealing with,” Sam whispered to his shadow, speaking to his team. “Expect all of Chuck’s Pokémon to dominate in melee. Honestly, I’m not even sure if Annihilape could handle that. With how familiar Chuck is with the Primeape line, he’ll probably see through all of our tricks.”

Sam tried to share as much advice as he could by going over everything he could think of that might be related to Chuck. Chuck’s Primeape and Poliwrath were obvious future opponents, but with a Hitmonchan currently down there, Sam had no doubts that Chuck would employ the other members of the “Hitmon” line.

But as he leaned in and tried his best to share everything he could, Chuck finally parted ways with the trainer he’d just defeated. Though he had never acknowledged Sam's entrance, the second he was free, the Gym Leader turned to lock eyes with him.

“...And that’s all the time we’re going to get,” Sam mumbled. “We’re already being summoned to fight.”

He left his seat to walk down to the field. This was already far less time than he expected to prepare.

“So!” Chuck spoke in a gruff voice, swinging his arms to stretch as Sam approached. “Accepting my offer? Want to get your first match in? We have a bit of time between scheduled battles, and practice is practice, no matter what form it takes!”

Sam sent Chuck a curious look.

“If you have a match coming up, shouldn't you use this period to rest?”

“What can I say?” Chuck said, replying with a shrug. “I’ve been told I have great stamina!”

He laughed more heartily than Sam had ever heard him laugh. Sam didn’t find the joke funny. 

“But you are right,” Chuck continued. “My team and I should take a break. That’s why I’ll limit us to just one match for now. That, and... hm. Hitmonchan?”

He looked over to his Pokémon.

“You’re on deck! One more battle, and then you’ll be on break for the rest of the day!”

His Hitmonchan nodded back to him, a fire entering its eyes at the thought of another match. The gi-wearing referee dashed over from the side to begin applying a Potion to the Hitmonchan’s small number of wounds.

“So! Our battle. You are accepting, right?” Chuck asked.

“I am,” Sam said, “but I also have a request.”

Chuck raised an eyebrow at that and waved a hand, beckoning for Sam to continue.

“I train Ghost Types, but I don’t want to have my Pokémon just phase through all of your team’s attacks. Since we’ll be fighting in a bunch of one-on-one battles, is it possible for you to bring in another Pokémon for them? One that just maintains a Foresight from off to the side?”

“A Foresight?” Chuck rubbed his chin before grinning in delight. “I see. You want to eliminate your Ghost Types’ immunity! Now, that’s a challenge. I wholeheartedly agree!”

He was about to call for that same referee to do something, but they had already heard Sam’s request. The ref quickly finished treating the Hitmonchan before running back to the side and releasing a Machoke.

“On it, boss!”

And then, with just a few whispered commands, that Machoke gained a certain glint to its eyes.

“There. Machoke will make sure your Pokémon can be hit,” Chuck said. “You’re good for our match now, right?”

He sounded like a kid told he’d be getting candy.

“I am, but just so you know, I’m not going to use any of my special Pokémon just yet. No evolutions—at least not while we have an audience,” Sam said.

“Aw.” Chuck slumped as Sam moved off. However, right after he began walking away, the Gym Leader suddenly shot up. “Wait, any of your special Pokémon? You have more than just—”

But Sam was already in the challenger’s box, and Chuck couldn’t do anything but laugh. The noise echoed out over the field as he moved back to his platform and faced Sam with his arms crossed.

“Remember! Your challenge is special—any Pokémon sent out here can only show up once! Victory or defeat, you only have one shot to win with each member of your team!” he shouted. “You must obtain three wins to claim my Storm Badge, so, Samuel, I ask you this: Are! You! Ready?”

“I’m ready,” Sam said, easily meeting the challenge in Chuck’s eyes.

For this battle, Sam planned to use Haunter. He was saving Typhlosion and Annihilape for later, and Mismagius could use more time to get used to her new form. Trevenant was a decent option, but that Ice Punch from earlier worried him. It was less about the super-effective damage it represented and more about how an unlucky freeze would see Trevenant’s self-healing cut in half.

Since Drakloak wouldn’t be competing until the later rounds, that left just Haunter. With his tricks and status moves, he was the perfect scout to test Chuck’s strategy.

“The rules?” Sam asked.

Though the referee stood at the side, Chuck was the one to explain.

“One Pokémon each. No switching. Standard League rules apply—mostly. Machoke will maintain a Foresight. Don’t disrupt him during our fight.”

Sam nodded once before tossing a Pokéball into the air.

“Haunter,” he said.

Disappointment briefly flashed over Chuck’s face.

“A common Ghost Type? Hm. Could be worse.” Chuck scratched at his beard. “But it’s a mistake to use a Haunter here. You’re underestimating us if you think an unevolved Pokémon will win!”

There was no sense in sharing any further taunts. The referee called for the start of the match, and Chuck and Sam yelled their commands.

“Mach Punch!”

“Curse!”

As the Foresight took effect, Haunter seemed to lose a bit of his amorphousness, but he was otherwise fine to fight. He had already picked up Curse thanks to his evolutionary line’s ease with the move as well as help from Typhlosion’s expertise. 

Thus, he was able to act first, especially since the Hitmonchan seemed to be giving him the first move. But, instead of forming any sort of dagger, Haunter coalesced shadows around his thumb and stabbed that into his chest.

It was a much faster version of Curse since anything else would have been theatrics. Honestly, when Morty’s Gengar first demonstrated it to Sam, it was probably just showing off.

The self-inflicted pain from Curse caused a sympathetic effect in Hitmonchan.

It lurched.

Yet, it was only a bit of pain. Hitmonchan was still able to draw its arm back.

Despite the damage caused by the ongoing effect, it brought forth an incredible amount of momentum in a single punch. Mach Punch saw it shoot across the field, and Haunter was forced to wrench himself up. By moving higher into the air, he was just barely able to avoid that lightning-fast strike.

“Jump,” Chuck said quickly before Haunter got too far off the ground. “Another Mach Punch! Smack it out of the air!”

“Spite!”

Sam’s shout came out as fast as he could. While Will-O-Wisp or Confuse Ray would have been a fine option here, Haunter would faint to any strike, and Spite could eliminate Hitmonchan’s main form of movement as well as its strongest attack.

Still, Chuck’s Hitmonchan used its entire body to throw its punches, which meant it had in no way slacked off in training its legs. With a single leap, it got surprisingly high up, matching Haunter’s height, and a Mach Punch saw itself be launched right at him.

Kind of.

Haunter’s Spite didn’t outright eliminate Hitmonchan’s energy for Mach Punch, but it did disrupt Hitmonchan’s channeling of the move. It was still able to use Mach Punch, but there was just the barest of delays to allow Haunter to move out of the way.

Since Hitmonchan couldn’t fly, the miss saw it land back on the ground, though the momentum of its Mach Punch saw it land with a slide. Already, it wobbled on its feet due to the ongoing pain caused by Curse. Out of all damaging effects, Curse was the strongest. Haunter just needed to last, and Curse would seal the fight.

We need to keep up Spite, but we can’t ignore dealing damage. Mach Punch is the only move that threatens us. We need to get rid of its use, especially since Hitmonchan doesn’t seem to know any ranged attacks.

“Priority on Spite to delay it. Night Shade when you dodge—use it to hide and deal damage when it gets close,” Sam ordered. “If you think you have a chance to pull it off, use Hex when you can.”

As long as Haunter stayed in the air and prevented Mach Punch from landing, Chuck would have no way to win. Yet, Chuck didn’t seem worried. He only looked thoughtful as he stared out over the field.

“I see,” the heavy man said slowly. “Clever strategy. My Pokémon are best in melee, so your plan to get rid of Mach Punch while staying in the air isn’t that bad.”

Chuck then smiled, and it was the horrible smile of someone who had the upper hand.

“But you see, I can’t say I enjoy those kinds of battles. They don’t prove a Pokémon’s strength. So! I make sure all of my Pokémon know a counter! We might not be great at range, but we always know how to shift things into a fight up close!”

Hitmonchan stuck out an arm, but this time around, it wasn’t for a punch. Instead, the back of its boxing glove-like hand faced Haunter, and then it brought its fingers forward-to-back in challenge.

It might have looked like a mundane “come at me” gesture, but the move’s effects on Haunter were immediate and obvious. His usual, cheerful smile disappeared, replaced with a look of pure annoyance. Any thought of using Spite vanished from his mind as he raced toward his opponent instead.

“So how do we ensure that?” Chuck called out. “The answer is Taunt! Under its effects, your Pokémon won’t be using any status moves in this battle, Sam!”

No matter what Sam shouted, Haunter didn’t listen. He was too focused on using attacking moves, which was exactly the Taunt’s demands.

Taunt used Dark Type energy to enforce a challenge. As it was called, Taunt taunted its target into only ever using attacks.

Therefore, a Hex formed around Haunter as he raced ahead to meet his foe. Then, simply and easily, Hitmonchan brought an arm back for a solid punch to Haunter’s face.

This clash ended it.

Haunter’s Hex was meaningless.

Hitmonchan’s punch was not.

Haunter was not a physically defensive Pokémon and had already taken plenty of self-inflicted damage from his use of Curse. Chuck’s powerful Fighting Type only needed this single attack to finish Haunter off.

As Haunter hit the ground, Sam came to a sudden, horrible realization:

If Taunt forced a Pokémon to only ever use attacks, then the vast majority of his team’s strategy could be countered by this single move.

===============================================================
Author Note:

Last chapter, the team summary erroneously stated that Drakloak and Dreepy had been captured in an Ultra Ball. That's currently not the case. The team summary has been updated to correct that.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Breloom
Hitmonchan
Poliwrath
Primeape

Chuck

Previous Chapter
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Chapter 138

Chuck knelt on his knees, hands pressed against his legs. He kept his back perfectly straight as if at attention but hung his head as low as it could go.

“I’M SORRY!”

His voice wasn’t sad, desperate, or anything that apologetic. Sam honestly thought it sounded more like a shout from a drill instructor. It was something that had been demanded to be repeated, so his voice carried volume more than it did emotion.

The opposite was true of the response. A brown haired woman stared down at Chuck with a raised, twitching eyebrow.

“Oh? You’re sorry?” came her reply. “You really think a simple sorry is going to cut it? Think about this from my perspective: I’m cooking dinner, you get a call, then you yell something about bringing a guest over, and now you’re suddenly back here without any notice.”

The woman before him crossed her arms, glaring at him while waiting for a reply. The entrance to Chuck’s home had a lowered wooden floor, which meant she stood a full foot above him. The elevation difference gave her a towering presence that made her seem all the more imposing.

“I—”

“No, Chuck. Don’t think you’re getting away with this with just a few sweet words. You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

The shirtless man slumped.

“And no second helpings at dinner.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled, somehow even more depressed than before.

From there, the woman turned her gaze away from the Gym Leader to where Sam stood behind Chuck. Sam froze the second her attention landed on him, but her expression immediately turned soft.

“I’m so sorry about my poor husband’s impulsive actions. He tends to act without much thought. Quick to think, quick to act. There’s a reason he’s so fond of that Primeape of his.”

She chuckled to herself as Sam hurriedly nodded.

“Don’t think you’re required to stay just because my husband asked, but his invitation does hold. You’re welcome to rest as long as you need. We have plenty of food to spare for both you and your team, and as for your clothes...” A hint of disapproval flickered over her face. “If you stay, leave them out and I’ll wash them for you. They’ll be nice and clean by the morning.”

“No, no. It’s fine, really. I bring soap with me when I travel so that when we pass by any water—”

“You’re staying here tonight. Your clothes will be clean by the morning,” she said.

Sam gulped.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She sent him a sweet smile before turning around and marching back to the kitchen, where a pair of Primeape were helping her cook dinner. As the strong scent of fresh food drifted out, Chuck finally let himself breathe, and a cheeky smile crossed his face as he scratched at his beard.

“I love that woman,” he said.

Sam proceeded to have the most awkward dinner he’d ever had in his life. He, Chuck, and Chuck’s wife sat around a table and ate a protein-rich meal. Nearby, a massive pot simmered on the stove, but it didn’t stay there for long. Those two Primeape helpers grabbed it and left through the front door, likely bringing it to wherever Chuck’s team members were staying.

But since Sam was a guest, they fed him first, and they offered to feed his team, too. Except, even though he knew his team would appreciate the food, most of them didn’t eat, and there was also the problem of the “reveal” that releasing his team members would entail.

So he ate in silence. Alone. (Mostly.) Chuck’s wife glared daggers at her husband, and her husband sent googly eyes right back. Sam knew Chuck’s name, of course, but Chuck’s wife never introduced herself. At this point, he’d been in their house for too long to ask, so he just sat in awkward silence and refused to reveal that he still didn’t know.

At least the food was good. And Chuck ate fast enough that the meal ended quickly. As soon as that happened, the Gym Leader practically ran outside. He shouted to his wife that he’d get the dishes later, and she sent him a thin-lipped stare before disappearing somewhere deeper inside.

Sam followed the Gym Leader out back.

“Whew. Alright. Didn’t mean to strong-arm you there. Sorry about that—didn’t think you wouldn’t want to come!”

Chuck’s house wasn’t located within Cianwood but a bit off to its side. It connected to a rocky, cliffside beach and a path that led into the forest. Sam didn’t see any Pokémon out here, but there was a weight bench on the sand. Chuck immediately approached it, picked up a weight, and then put it down so he could grab a bag of sweets hidden beside it. He popped one into his mouth before holding it toward Sam.

“Want one?” Chuck asked.

“...Sure.”

Sam cautiously took the dried, sugar-coated piece of fruit and almost grimaced when he bit down—it was far too sweet. Chuck happily chewed on his and then took one more before putting the bag back down.

“So! You were told to check out Johto by Brawly himself, and then you never questioned why a Hoenn Gym Leader told you to visit a different region, hm?”

“Well, there was the Beginner’s Tournament—”

“I trained him!” Chuck boasted. “I made Brawly into the powerful Gym Leader he is today!”

Chuck bent down to grab that same weight he’d moved over and began doing curls. Honestly, Sam wasn’t sure if the man was in shape or not. He was somehow both covered in muscle and filled out with fat.

“A while back, Brawly called to explain all of the nasty details. He felt bad about how a trainer supposed to be his treated you so improperly—but honestly, that man was just a holdover from the last Gym Leader’s Gym! But Brawly wanted to do something but has his limits due to being new to the job. He called me up to ask for a favor—sent you here to make sure Chuck would treat you right!”

The heavy man let out a boisterous laugh before changing which arm was curling the weight. He grunted while working up a slight sweat, and Sam shifted awkwardly on his feet.

“So, um, training? Do you... want me to lift weights?”

Chuck laughed again.

“No, of course not! Brawly was impressed with that Cyndaquil of yours. Or, I suppose it’d be a Quilava by this point. The plan was that when you came here for your first or second badge, I’d give you a few tips and tricks. You’d then move on with a much stronger team, ready to complete Johto’s Gym Circuit and reach the Conference!”

Chuck grinned before leaning back. He placed the weight down and started to bench press a heavy bar—without a spotter.

“But why did you think I’d come here first?” Sam asked.

“Well, Cianwood is right next to Olivine, and—”

“Except that path doesn’t make sense. Think about it; I’d have to go back through the same city I just left if I did that. Or I’d have to take a boat to Goldenrod and skip Ecruteak’s Gym.”

After a few more reps, Chuck grunted and put the bar back on the bench.

“But you could have just taken on Ecruteak last?” he countered, sitting up as he spoke.

“I wanted to see its Ghost Types, and Johto’s shaped like a circle. The path I took made sense, even if I almost messed up when it came to the strength requirements for Clair’s Gym.”

The moment Sam mentioned Clair, Chuck groaned and smacked his forehead.

“Ah, Clair!” he shouted, just now making the connection. “Our plan would have never worked! With her limits on challengers—”

He paused.

“Wait, hold on. You beat her?”

Sam nodded and quickly explained what happened with Redi and Clair. He went over the quick story of their double battle, purposefully leaving out details on Dragonair and his brief trip to the Sinjoh Ruins.

As Sam finished, Chuck hummed approvingly.

“How many badges do you have?” the Gym Leader asked.

“Seven.”

“Huh. That makes sense. I just don’t know whether to be insulted or complimented that you saved me for last.”

Chuck rubbed his chin, and Sam awkwardly continued to wait where he stood. While he was thankful that Brawly tried to set this up, if the two men wanted him to come here for extra training, they could have at least told him to head to Cianwood first.

But I ended up making a connection with Morty instead, and I learned about ghosts—real ghosts. Every choice I made led up to Typhlosion’s evolution, and I wouldn’t have met most of my team if I had taken a different path.

He was happy about his journey. He had no reason to dwell on what-ifs. As far as he was concerned, he made no mistake when choosing to head to Ecruteak for his second badge. He might have missed out on some early training, but Chuck specialized in the Fighting Type. While help with Mankey might have been nice, he wouldn’t have been able to provide much else when it came to Sam’s desire to train Ghost Types.

“I do have to ask,” Chuck said, still somewhat humming to himself in thought. “Would you still want that? My assistance with training your team?”

“Maybe? It’s complicated.” Sam rubbed his arm. “I mean, it might be helpful for at least one or two of my team members, but I’m trying to be a Ghost Type specialist. For basically my entire team, what we really need is...”

Shadows. Darkness. An area attuned to their ghostly nature that’d allow them to truly master their Type. I can’t deny a Gym Leader’s expertise is invaluable, but Chuck could only really help Typhlosion, Annihilape, and maybe Trevenant. But we need to focus on everyone’s shared Type instead of just physical moves. Our strength will lie in techniques only Ghost Types can master. If we can get deep enough in, the Ilex Forest is the perfect place for that.

Sam knew that returning to the Ilex Forest was critical for the future strength of his team. Everything about it practically screamed that it was the perfect place to train: it was where he had caught Misdreavus, it was a location ripe with Gastly, its darkened depths could maybe help Haunter evolve, and if there was ever an area more Trevenant could be found, it would be somewhere like within those ancient woods.

Nodding to himself, Sam reaffirmed his decision to leave Cianwood as fast as possible.

Chuck looked over him and let out a sigh.

“Ah. Ol’ Chuck got to you too late. You already know how to fight with your team. There’s not much I can do to help. You’ve already been through almost an entire journey all on your own.”

“Not on my own. With my team,” Sam corrected, and Chuck gained an approving smile. “But don’t get me wrong! I appreciate the offer. It’s just... Like I said, I train the Ghost Type.”

“Yeah, Chuck understands,” Chuck said. “I might be a Gym Leader, but my Pokémon are all about their physical power. We could try to show you the wonders of physical conditioning, but that... doesn’t apply.

“A trainer needs to be strong, but Ghost Types and special attackers need to be clever more than anything else,” he said.

Chuck then stood up and stretched, swinging his arms. Sam didn’t miss the implication that Chuck thought himself not clever enough to help out with that.

...But Chuck was a Gym Leader. If he thought he wasn’t clever, then his team’s strength laid somewhere else. Likely, given everything else, his team’s physical power was incredibly high.

“Alright. I can at least offer a few of my thoughts. A handful of tips and tricks based on your team!” Chuck practically roared. “Send out your Pokémon! I can tell you what I’ve seen other trainers do and fulfill Brawly’s request in a different way, hm?”

His eyes bore into Sam. Sam nervously bit his lip.

He didn’t reach for his team’s Pokéballs.

Once more, he awkwardly rocked on his feet.

“My team is... special,” Sam said.

“Every trainer’s team is special. Everyone has their own secrets. Trust me when I say that I won’t reveal anything. I have plenty of other secrets I won’t be sharing with you.”

“It’s not that,” Sam said. “It’s just...”

How do I phrase this?

“I... used to have a Primeape on my team,” he ended up going with.

“Oh? You traded it?” Chuck asked, his voice curious.

“N-no.” Sam couldn’t meet Chuck’s eyes. “My Primeape. He, uh, evolved?”

He looked up after speaking that final word to find Chuck staring at him with unblinking eyes. The Gym Leader didn’t move in the slightest for several long seconds before he clutched his stomach and laughed.

But Sam wasn’t laughing.

Chuck just as quickly schooled his expression.

“You’re kidding.”

“Why would I joke about this?”

“You evolved a Primeape. You’re saying a Primeape can evolve. And now you don’t want to show it to me, the Gym Leader known for training Primeape?”

Chuck was a Fighting Type specialist, but he was pretty unique among Gym Leaders. Most Gym Leaders specialized in a single Type and had an Ace Pokémon, but Chuck actually had two Ace Pokémon—his Poliwrath and his Primeape.

Honestly, Chuck was even someone Sam could ask for advice when it came to ranching all of those Mankey back at Carl’s, but Sam didn’t see the point. If he wanted a Gym Leader to take care of his Pokémon, he’d just talk to Brawly. In that case, the Fighting Type Gym would be closer to home.

“Sorry,” Sam said. He wasn’t sure what else to say.

Chuck was frowning as he looked over Sam, but then an excited glint entered his eyes.

“Hold on. If you have seven badges... I need to know: you were the one to challenge Jasmine, weren’t you?”

Sam paused as well. 

“A lot of people challenge Jasmine,” he said cautiously. “If you mean her core team—”

“Oh, that little... No wonder she was so vague!” Chuck couldn’t stop his laughter. “It all makes sense! Everything! You are the surprise she was talking about!”

“Excuse me?”

Chuck saw Sam’s bewildered expression and quickly explained how he knew—apparently, Olivine shipped a lot of goods to Cianwood, and Cianwood provided medicine in return. Certain healing plants only grew on this island, and due to that connection, Olivine and Cianwood Gyms were in contact more often than any other two Gyms in the region.

“You might not have beat her, but I did hear about the battle. She refused to speak much about her ‘mysterious challenger’s’ team, but she did say she encountered a few surprises I’d enjoy.”

“So what does that mean?”

“Can’t lie, your team would beat mine at your level,” Chuck answered. “Maybe not my core team, but definitely my eight-star one. After all, most of your Pokémon could just phase through everything. It wouldn’t be a challenge, especially if you managed to defeat Jasmine’s Steelix! So I might as well just give you the Storm Badge—”

“What? No. I refuse. Our Gym Challenge is not ending like this,” Sam immediately interrupted. “I’m not going to accept getting my final Gym badge like this just because we can technically beat you.”

And Chuck grinned.

“Good. You have fighting spirit. If you had accepted my offer there, I wouldn’t have given you the badge!” Chuck laughed once more at Sam’s flat expression. “No. I’m allowed to change around my challenges as I will, so with your kind of team... Hm. If you have an evolved Primeape, I don’t want to see it anywhere else but in battle, so let’s do this differently:

“We won’t have a full team match. I’ll test your Pokémon one by one. We’ll have a series of independent matches whenever you’re ready. You’ll be allowed to use as many Pokémon as you want as long as you include no repeats, and you’ll earn my Storm Badge once you defeat three of my own.”

“What’s the catch?” Sam asked.

“The catch? There is no catch,” Chuck answered with a small smile. “Well, there might be one: these are one-on-one matches. So they don’t have to all take place at once. But like I said, you won’t be allowed to use the same Pokémon more than once.”

Chuck maintained a feral smile, and Sam could tell he was looking forward to this challenge. However, Sam didn’t accept it right away. There was only so much time in the season. Taking on an extended fight like that would reduce the time spent training in the depths of Ilex Forest.

“Can I have time to think?”

Sam would come to the decision in the morning. He hadn’t planned to take Chuck on until tomorrow, anyway.

“Of course!” Chuck slapped his legs and stood up. “Works for me—sleep on it! For now, I have Pokémon to feed! And just so we don’t have to do any too-early reveals, I’ll bring some food out here for yours, too!

“Take as long as you want, and don’t feel like you have to accept this offer,” Chuck continued. “Even if you choose not to accept this, a normal Gym Battle is perfectly fine, too—just know that I won’t go easy on you!”

The man exposed his teeth with a wide grin before slapping Sam on the back, causing Sam to stumble forward. Chuck was too busy laughing to notice Sam’s near-fall, and then he marched back inside to gather the food—and likely to clean the dishes, just as he promised.

__________________________________________________________________________

Sam trained with his team to the north of Chuck's home the day after, practicing where the island’s deciduous woods gave way to a short, rock-covered beach. It almost, almost reminded him of the time he went out exploring with Cyndaquil before they started their journey, but back then, he only rarely ventured out into the woods in search of Ghost Types, and he frequently preferred indoor research over anything outdoor or practical.

Out here, he wouldn’t be bothered. Most trainers in Cianwood practiced to its west, deeper into the island. Many often trained within a nearby cave—again, not unlike Dewford. Route 47 was technically to the west as well, but it didn’t lead anywhere. Some big construction had been taking place at its end, but that construction hadn’t been finished for years, and most people weren’t even sure what it was supposed to be.

But that still meant the vast majority of trainers were elsewhere, giving Sam a quiet moment to think—as quiet a moment as training could be. In front of him, Annihilape whaled against Trevenant’s bark, the two of them practicing melee offense and defense respectively, and Typhlosion and Misdreavus played a game where they sent wisps at one another in geometric patterns. The other Pokémon was meant to match the pattern with their wisps to negate it or risk getting hit.

As for Haunter, he was involved with one other Pokémon, laughing alongside many of the Gastly, ignorant of the withering glare being sent at him from the shadows. Using his floating hands, he would scoop up Dreepy, bring him back, then chuck him forward as fast as possible only for Dreepy to zip back and squeak out a sound that could only be, “Again! Again!”

All the while, Sam watched, silently going over Chuck’s offer as well as his plans for his team. He did want to head out as fast as possible, but he didn’t want to pass up the growth that’d come from a more difficult Gym challenge.

With time running out, he had a hard balance to strike, but he eventually made his decision.

“Misdreavus,” he said. He looked over to the Pokémon in question while calling out her name.

With his shout, Annihilape froze mid-punch. Haunter paused right after chucking Dreepy one last time. In the shadows, Drakloak turned her gaze to look on curiously, and Typhlosion let her wisps fade to give Misdreavus the freedom to leave.

“Mis.”

Misdreavus knew why Sam had called her over, and the team went silent as she approached. Sam reached into his pack to retrieve a certain item, and then he looked over every Pokémon here.

“Chuck presented us with a challenge,” he said, his voice slow and serious. “A series of battles. Six one-on-one matches. All to see if we can get three, individual wins and earn our final badge.”

His eyes met those of every Pokémon on his team. Drakloak tried to pretend she wasn’t involved, but Dreepy was listening as seriously as he could, so she drifted out of the forest while trying to pretend as if she was still staying behind.

“However, the problem with this challenge is that a full team match would be faster,” Sam continued. “And if we have a normal match, we could leave Cianwood as soon as tomorrow if we win. And we would win. Chuck already admitted that. The point of this modified challenge would be to push us even harder, but it would also take up more of our time.

“Every moment we spend here is one less moment we’d be spending in the Ilex forest. It’s one less moment we’d be mastering the Ghost Type, and it’s one less moment we’d be trying to get Haunter to evolve—which we know will take a long time.”

Sam clutched the Dusk Stone in his hands. Misdreavus patiently waited at his side.

He wanted his team to come to a decision, and he wanted everyone to have time to think. In the meantime, however, there was something else that needed to be done, and Sam held out the Dusk Stone. Misdreavus’s eyes gleamed as she beheld the item presented to her in the air.

For a second, it looked as though she was hesitating, but she was just taking the moment in. Once she was satisfied, she rushed forward and pressed her forehead to the darkened shard’s jagged tip.

The very instant she touched the Dusk Stone, it was like the night contained within rushed out to join with her. It left behind a fragile, dull grey stone that reminded Sam of quartz, and he had to reposition his grip to not shatter it in his hands.

Misdreavus, however, changed with that infusion of energy. Under the light of a brilliant glow, she grew taller, and her hair shifted around to reshape itself into a witch’s hat. She gained a proper body instead of a short dress that flowed beneath her, but more importantly, when her evolutionary light broke, she now had a proper set of arms.

“Mis, mis!” she said cheerfully. Her voice almost resembled a cackle. “Mismagius!”

“Congratulations, Mismagius,” Sam said. “You've finally evolved.”

Mismagius grinned at him, and the gemstones embedded in her chest seemed to sparkle alongside her emotions. Typhlosion let out a celebratory roar, and the rest of the team shared congratulations of their own.

If anything, Mismagius’s evolution seemed to affirm their shared decision. She and Typhlosion shared a look—reaching the Ilex Forest was important—but none of them wanted to pass up the chance at taking part in a tougher fight.

“Alright, but we also have to recognize this will be against the Fighting Type. All of you would be immune to most of what they can do.”

Sam paused for dramatic effect.

“So I’ll be making a request to fix that,” he continued. “I’ll want Chuck to use Foresight. Plenty of Fighting Type Pokémon can learn that move, which outright causes Ghost Types to lose their immunity.”

Without asking for that added challenge, his team would just be able to phase through most of Chuck’s Pokémon’s attacks. Even if Chuck’s team members used something like Dark Type moves, they wouldn’t be as effective as if the Pokémon stuck to their favored, Fighting Type attacks.

But now, his team would actually need to worry. They wouldn’t be able to glide to an easy win by just bouncing around in melee. There’d need to be more of a strategy involved to maintain a win.

Fighting in a tough battle with that handicap would make the delay worth it.

“Our goal isn’t earning us the Storm Badge. It’s to fight in the Conference. Most of the trainers there will have defeated Chuck, so we’re not trying to just beat him; we’re trying to beat everyone who already earned this badge.

“It’ll be a challenge, but we will win. It’s only a matter of having the proper plan,” Sam continued. “I’ll tell Chuck that we’ll be accepting his challenge, albeit with that caveat, once we reach his Gym, however...”

Drakloak froze when Sam met her gaze.

“Drakloak, do you want to fight with us?” he asked.

Everyone turned her way.

Momentarily, she was surprised to be called out like that, but Dreepy didn’t hesitate to shout his encouragement. She turned away with a purple blush that crossed over her face, but she still nodded in the end.

Sam smiled.

“Thank you. Then, we’ll be facing Chuck soon, and I’ll want to call on you for your help once we’re more fights in. However, it’s still morning. Let’s get some last-minute training in before we head to our final Gym Badge battle.”

===============================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Poliwrath
Primeape

Chuck

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 137.5 - Interlude

Author Note:

No chapter on Friday. We'll be back next Tuesday!

This chapter is an interlude, but it’s really an excuse for me to include some worldbuilding details and write about Porygon. I’ll do my best to answer any lore questions in the comments, but also keep in mind that I’ll be on break until closer to next Tuesday so my replies will likely be infrequent.

===============================================================

Redi was aware of just how much information Sam had given her. She knew just how valuable every little ounce was. That’s why she tried so hard to help Sam in return. While they were friends and while friends always helped each other, she didn’t want to only take. So she always kept an eye out for ways she could pay him back, doing things like staying up to date on local events, talking to other trainers on his behalf, and helping his team train their physical might as often as she could.

But she wanted to do more. He’d done so much for her and her team, and everything she’d done were things she would have done anyway because, again, they were friends. While the needs of their teams meant they had to split up until the Conference, she could at least gather as many surprises for him as possible for when they reunited in Silver Town.

That meant Redi was doing the impossible: she was getting better at research. She’d already been reading a bunch of books to better understand Porygon and Dragonair, but now she was trying to learn information Sam wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to learn about his team.

The biggest one was sensory abilities—a more general understanding of them, that is. She had Tibia and Fibula with her to help protect Porygon, and those two Gastly had been trained to sense hostile intent. While Redi knew Sam was training his Ghost Types to do the same, he hadn’t yet looked into how that worked. And, thanks to all the opportunities Mr. Pokémon provided, she had plenty of chances to ask researchers exactly why and how Pokémon could sense others.

Each time she met someone for Ursaring’s evolution—usually a Pokémon scientist or a geologist, weirdly enough—she posed the same set of questions to learn what they knew. Their experiences would give her pieces of the answer, or they would direct her to some kind of useful book. All of that together let her combine what she knew into a basic summary of sensing; from what she concluded, she learned that four primary Types carried general sensory abilities, and anything else was more specific or was only developed by certain species.

The first of those four Types capable of wide-ranged sensing was the Ghost Type, of course, but the list of things the Ghost Type could sense was actually pretty limited. Really, Ghost Types could only detect spirits and hostile intent, but they didn’t actually sense intent. Ghost Types were drawn toward negative feelings capable of priming an area to spawn more Ghost Types, and then that instinctual draw was what could be trained into a more general feeling.

Next on the list were Psychic Types, but their capabilities were pretty obvious. Some could “sense” in that they got glimpses of possible futures, and others could more explicitly detect others’ minds. However, out of all of the Types that could sense things, the Psychic Type was the least directed. They cast a wide net, so small things tended to slip through. Bug Types especially were often ignored simply because they disrupted Psychic Types due to their nearly alien, almost hive-like mindset.

Lastly, the final two Types that came up seemed to have some way to sense others, but they were a bit more general, and the researchers’ comments often disagreed. Some brought up the Fighting Type as a possibility, and the occasional, weathered book would reference something called “aura” or “fighting spirit.” Apparently, some exceptionally trained Fighting Types could outright see life energy.

Meanwhile—and this was the one that caused the most arguments—some claimed that the Fairy Type could sense emotions. However, that one was the vaguest with the least coherent arguments, and the few researchers from Indigo that did accept the Fairy Type’s existence weren’t sure if its emotion-sensing capabilities were tied to the Type itself or just a few specific species.

Other than that, there were other forms of highly specific sensory abilities, like how some Ground Types could detect seismic waves or how some Electric Types could detect magnetic fields. However, those capabilities varied from species to species, so it was really just those four Types that could be used for widespread detection of people and Pokémon.

...But all of that was just a distraction. As she stood at the side of the road, Redi silently went over everything she had learned just because she didn’t want to think about what came next. She needed to focus, yet it felt as though she had an impossible task.

Because before her was a house. A simple one. Two stories tall with a small staircase leading up to its door, it looked exactly like every other nearby square building that had been pressed into a line to form this Goldenrod City block.

This place looked so unassuming, but something dangerous lurked inside. It took Redi several minutes to gather the confidence that she needed to knock on its front door.

“Hello?”

Her voice almost seemed to echo through the building as her knuckles banged against the door’s wood.

If she had her Pokémon out with her, she would have felt better, but Mr. Pokémon had made it clear that she was to keep them in their Pokéballs for now. Their presence would have made this a scene, and the man she was about to meet valued privacy over all things.

Forcing herself to keep her head high, she knocked until she noticed a doorbell off to her side. The second she pressed the button, loud clattering came from within. The ring echoed out, and then a man’s voice yelped in surprise.

“One minute!” that same voice shouted once he seemed to gather himself back up.

Waiting, Redi took a deep breath and held it. She only allowed herself to breathe again once the door opened ten seconds later.

“Yes?” The man looked slightly out of breath and honestly rather surprised.

“Hello,” Redi said, speaking as professionally as she could. “My name is Redi. Mr. Pokémon contacted you on my behalf. I... I have a Porygon on my team that needs your help. Please. You’re Bill, right?”

Staring down at her, the richest man in all of Indigo blinked his eyes. Just like the house he was in, he looked completely unassuming. She wouldn’t have sent him a second glance if she passed him on the street.

But he was important. Impossibly so. Bill developed the Pokémon transfer system completely on his own and was in the process of ensuring that critical technology was spread across the globe.

Yet he was also tired. While his eyes were bright, they carried deep bags, and it was pretty obvious that he’d been wearing his purple polo shirt for at least a full day. His curly brown hair was a mess on his head, but his expression still lit up when Redi said her name.

“Yes! Of course! Oh man, that was today? Sorry! I should really get my electronic planner set up, but, uh... I’ve been busy?” He laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of his head while fully pulling open the door. “Come in—and forgive the mess! I have everything set up upstairs.”

He spun on a heel to stride deeper into the house, and Redi had to be the one to close the door behind them.

(Tibia and Fibula shot inside right after her by darting from shadow to shadow. They didn’t stay in her own shadow under her feet as Redi couldn’t handle that freezing feeling that came from Ghost Types being in there. She had no idea how Sam was so capable of withstanding that, especially since the feeling grew for every extra Ghost Type. For now, Tibia and Fibula stuck around to keep an eye out for her team, but they’d likely be returned to Violet City once the Conference was over.)

“Porygon is really quite an interesting species,” Bill began as he strode further inside. “Originally–and currently–Porygon were used solely for research. Their origin was actually a mistake; if you make a computer advanced enough, inevitably, something resembling a Porygon will spawn. It then tends to develop from there.”

Bill weaved through stacks and stacks of papers that filled his house. He knew exactly where to step, but Redi could barely find a path through that maze.

To her side, a couch filled with take-out containers sat in a messy living room, and a television on the wall blasted the local news.

Huh. Goldenrod just had its major tournament. I missed that.

She frowned at the familiar trainer holding up a gold trophy. Xavier’s expression was just as neutral as ever, but she also felt as though that just made him seem even more smug than usual.

When Bill reached the entrance to a staircase leading up, he paused with his hand on the wall, looking over his shoulder as Redi struggled to follow after him.

“Most researchers are still in the process of trying to discover the specific conditions needed for a Porygon to spawn,” he said. “Practically all of them have found nothing, but a few Porygon have been created mostly through a fluke. Even more, there are plenty of others trying to obtain a Porygon for themselves, but that’s really just due to wanting to make use of the species’s skill with electronic management. But you...” His words briefly trailed off. “But you obtained a Porygon completely outside any of that.”

“So what?” Redi asked, finally managing to catch up to him.

“So what?” Bill repeated as he blinked in confusion. “So that means you’re the only person that’s actually been using a Porygon to battle!”

Excitedly, he climbed the staircase two steps at a time, and Redi hurried after him. The mess wasn’t as bad in this stairwell, but there were plenty of dirty coffee mugs that had been pushed to the stairs’ sides.

“I have a computer up here. It’s one of my first, so it’s a little outdated even though I try as hard as I can to keep it in line with others. It might not be as fast as other devices, but it has basically all of my files. It should give us plenty of chances to see how a Porygon interacts with filesystems, but I have a few personal curiosities I want to check out first.”

“Isn’t that why we’re here?” Redi asked. “I wanted help with Porygon, and Mr. Pokémon told me you’d give us that in exchange for their help in return.”

Bill sent her a curious look.

“Sure,” he said, “but it’s all tied together! I don’t know what Mr. Pokémon told you, but your research is my research! Well, I mean, I’m actually researching a lot of stuff, but Porygon is really interesting. Just like you’re the only one to put a Porygon into battle, you’re also the only one to posit that the species can evolve!”

He looked excited, and Redi realized that she couldn’t forget one of Bill’s other titles. As important as he was to so many regions’ transfer architecture, he was also famously referred to as a “Pokémaniac.”

The staircase didn’t lead them to the usual kind of second floor. Instead, it opened up into a massive room so big that Bill had likely bought the neighboring houses just to knock out their walls.

“There. In the center. I affectionately call it ‘The Machine,’” he said.

Redi scrunched up her nose.

It was just a tube of metal covered in wires. It had a big keyboard and monitor, but they looked even more outdated than some of the PCs found in Pokémon Centers. The monitor didn’t even have any graphics on it. It only displayed lines of text.

The rest of the room was similarly unimpressive.

All around this massive space, computer and machine parts littered the floor, and piles upon piles of paper lay scattered in seemingly random stacks. There were plenty of cardboard boxes as well, with a decent amount piled up next to that central computer. A few of them were open, and inside them, Redi could see rows of neatly organized cards covered in punched holes.

“Now where was...”

After taking a moment to lovingly stare at his invention, Bill tore his gaze away and marched to the side of the room. A mound of loose papers sat before him, and he shoved in an arm to dig through them before yanking something out.

He held the back of a shirt in his hand. A young girl about half of Redi’s age dangled in his grip.

“Brother?”

The girl yawned and rubbed her eyes as if she had just been woken up from a nap. Bill carefully placed her on the floor before giving her a sharp look with his hands on his hips.

“What did I tell you about using my notes as a blanket?”

“Just grab a real blanket if I can, or only use your notes from college?”

He narrowed his eyes. The girl suddenly wilted.

“Oh no. You said to not use your notes from college. I’m sorry. I forgot.”

Bemused, Bill sighed and then regained a slight smile.

“Sister,” he said, very intentionally not using her actual name, “we have a guest. This is Redi. Redi, this is my sister.”

Bill was rich, and while he carried a lot of influence, he also tried his best to make sure his family could continue living a normal life. While it was a show of trust to allow Redi in here, it was also clear he didn’t want to risk leaking more pertinent details about his family’s identities.

“Nice to meet you?” Redi offered.

“Sure,” Bill’s sister said.

She yawned again and then turned around to dig through the pile as well. Like Bill had, she pulled something out, but she kept it in her arms instead of placing it back on the ground.

“And this is Eevee,” the girl said.

The brown-furred Pokémon remained asleep in her arms.

Bill spoke up once the introductions were done.

“I grew up in Goldenrod, but my main place of residence is over in Cerulean,” he said. “This building isn’t my home, it’s just a place I stay while visiting my family. Of course, that means my family can also visit me, but we can make use of that!”

Behind him, Bill’s sister stuck out her tongue at him, but she hastily withdrew it before he turned back around. She kept quiet as Bill crouched before her, and then he sent her a soft look.

“Redi came here for my help. I want to help her, but I also want to know if you’d be willing to help us.”

The girl frowned, but then her eyes widened in realization a second later.

“Oh. You need Eevee?” she asked.

“Yup. I need Eevee,” Bill replied.

She smiled ever so slightly and then looked around. Her eyes lingered on the center of the room, and she skipped over to its conspicuously open space.

Behind her, Bill clapped his hands once. He walked up to Redi while asking a question.

“So! Redi, what can you tell me about Porygon?”

“Um, they eat programs, and…”

She went on to explain everything she’d observed about Porygon’s species. Their eating habits, their training issues, as well as every move and skill they’d learned.

“But I think… out of everything, I’m most worried about who they are,” Redi said at the end. “There are times I think I almost see something, but it's like they can't form original thoughts or act by themself. Porygon follows commands, and I can have them memorize pre-set orders, but when it comes to making decisions...”

“Alright!” Bill said. “How about you show me all of that in a battle?”

Redi sent him a questioning look, and he simply smiled and gestured to his sister. The young girl had placed her Eevee on the floor and was now in the process of trying to nudge it awake.

“My sister and Eevee have been training together. They want to go on a journey once they’re both more grown up. I’d love to see how your Porygon battles, and they’re the perfect opponents for this. They’d also appreciate the chance to have a practice battle, too.”

Redi eyed her would-be opponent. Bill’s sister was young, and her Eevee was clearly unpracticed.

But there was something there. They weren’t totally inexperienced. And letting Bill see her and Porygon fight in a match could be important, especially since he was smart enough to piece together anything she might have missed.

“Got it,” Redi said. “So do I just stay here, or...”

“I think over there will be good. I keep the center of this room open so my sister can train, but there should be enough space to support a short battle like this.”

Redi found an open spot and faced Bill’s sister. The floor was mostly clean, but a handful of loose papers remained scattered around.

“Rely on half power for this battle, Porygon,” Redi whispered to her Pokémon’s Pokéball.

Bill’s expression lit up when he saw Porygon appear. His sister’s Eevee suddenly looked more alert, now properly waking up when it recognized it was about to take part in a match.

“You can go first!” Bill’s sister called out.

Redi raised an eyebrow.

“Cocky, huh?” she asked.

“Don’t underestimate us because we’re young!”

“I’m not underestimating you! I can just tell how strong you and your Pokémon are.”

The girl snorted. Redi eyed both her and the Eevee.

I’ll start easy. We can’t be seen as weak, but we can’t exactly bully Bill’s sister, either.

The younger girl stood on her side of the “field,” rocking on her feet with her arms held behind her back. She looked impatient for the battle to begin, and Redi wasn’t one to tackle things slowly. So, Redi went ahead and gave the first command.

“Jab!” she shouted.

It wasn’t a fancy code name like her other chain commands, but it wasn’t like this was a fancy strategy, either. Porygon simply enhanced themself with a Sharpen, and then they lunged for a simple, enhanced Tackle.

“Like developing sharper polygons in a three-dimensional graphic...” Bill mumbled quietly. “Appears almost computer-generated. I bet I could make an identical model easily enough.”

As interested as he was at the sight of Sharpen, his sister almost looked insulted.

“Just that? Really?” she asked with a scoff. “Eevee! Barrage them with Swift!”

Her Eevee backflipped to jump over Porygon—an excessive way to move but something they had clearly trained—and then it swung its tail through the air. Stars were left in the fluffy swish’s wake that then rushed where Porygon floated.

But it was just a low-level Swift. Those stars had nothing on how Sam’s Typhlosion could use the move.

“Take them,” Redi ordered. “Use Recover into Lock-On.”

“Lock-On?” Bill said to himself. “And Recover?”

The stars hit, and though scuff marks were left on Porygon’s side, they shone with a light that then caused them to disappear. Bill’s sister called for her Eevee to use Quick Attack, attempting to have her Pokémon circle around, but Porygon rotated in place to track it, unerringly locking their eyes onto Eevee’s own.

“Charge Beam,” Redi ordered.

“Sand-Attack!” Bill’s sister called out.

Another backflip, and another swish of its tail. This time around, Ground Type energy let Eevee conjure and toss out sand, but Porygon’s aim wasn’t disrupted. Lock-On ensured that Porygon’s Charge Beam would always hit.

Mid-air, Eevee attempted to twist around to try to minimize the damage it was about to take, but it was still struck. Though the damage was significant for a Pokémon at its level, it stayed conscious thanks to Porygon lowering the output of their move. However, the force of the Electric Type attack still saw Eevee be knocked back, but credit to it, Eevee managed to spin in the air to land on its paws.

But it had still taken plenty of damage from that one attack.

Regardless, it pushed on.

It’s nice to see that it’s trained, but we’re way stronger. No sense in letting this go for too long. We should finish the match before we disappoint Bill.

Redi grinned to herself as the energies of Charge Beam suffused Porygon to boost their special attack. She pointed forward the same moment Bill’s sister called out, but she let the younger girl speak first.

“Fine! If you’re going to attack from range, then we’ll get in close! Use Take Down, Eevee!”

Even though the recoil from Take Down would just see Eevee faint—Bill’s sister clearly lacked battle experience—Redi still wanted to show off one final move.

“Tri-Attack!” Redi yelled.

Bill sucked in a breath. His sister, annoyed as she recognized what was about to happen, kicked at the floor.

Three motes of energy formed in front of Porygon. Fire, ice, and electricity energy combined into a neutral sum. Those three points then connected to form a triangle, and they spun and spun and spun and were launched out at their opponent.

Eevee tried to flip away once more, but its movement only looked impressive. Flips weren’t the fastest or most efficient way to dodge, and the Pokémon was struck, the move bursting in a chaotic mass of energy against its fur.

The Tri-Attack inflicted its full damage and launched Eevee back. The Pokémon hit the floor, bouncing once. It was clear that it had fainted.

“Eevee!”

Bill’s sister ran to where Eevee had landed. She scooped her unconscious Pokémon into her arms and sent Redi a glare.

Redi smiled back.

“We didn’t really get to show it off, but I have other commands we could have used. Orbital Porygon Space Cannon is my favorite—it’s Magnet Rise, Lock-On, and Zap Cannon to give them the height needed to unleash their strongest attack with perfect aim.”

She then froze, feeling like the dumbest trainer in the world.

“Wait, what did I do?! I didn’t show off Conversion! Ugh, that’s like their best thing! Porygon can change their Type based on their last move!”

With her shout of “Conversion,” Porygon immediately followed that command. On the field, pixels rippled across their body, but nothing changed. Their last used move was the Normal Type Tri-Attack, so they maintained their current Type.

“Actually, I’ve seen Conversion before. You don’t need to worry,” Bill said. “Most researchers just think of it as a curiosity rather than anything useful for battle, though.”

“...Huh. Why?” Redi asked. “Conversion’s pretty quick and can be super useful. If you time it well, you can change Porygon’s Type for defense—or even better! It’s great at enhancing their attacks!”

Bill rubbed his chin.

“Fond of strong moves?” he asked.

Redi met his look with a cheeky grin.

“Only the strongest for my team!” she said with a good amount of cheer.

Behind them, Bill’s sister carried her Eevee to one of the boxes at the side of the room and dug through to pull out a diamond-shaped capsule of a Revive. Cracking it open, she scattered the healing dust over her Pokémon, and her Eevee slowly came to as the exceptionally strong medicine rapidly cured its wounds.

She then shot Redi another glare.

“You're mean.”

Redi's eye twitched.

“Yeah? Well, you're annoying.”

Bill was too busy staring at Porygon to notice that exchange. Both Redi and Bill’s sister stuck out their tongues at one another, and their taunts lasted until Bill finally spoke.

“You're programming them.”

Surprised, Redi stopped what she was doing to look up.

“Huh?”

“Your Porygon,” he said. “Based on what you described with that ‘Cannon’ strategy and your demonstration of ‘Jab,’ it’s pretty obvious that you're training them as if they're a program. So let me ask you a question: how complex of a command can you input?”

“...Input? I wouldn't call it that,” Redi grumbled, but she did go on to speak normally. “I guess it's just been some basic but specific stuff. I have commands that represent chains of moves, and then I also have a system that lets me call out positions on the field.”

Bill nodded.

“I see. I see! Functions and variables, then. So for food, based on what you said earlier, what kind of programs do you feed them?”

Redi brought out her graphing calculator. She would regularly restock it with downloadable programs each time they visited a Pokémon Center. Sending him a nervous glance, she handed it to Bill. He went on to hit its buttons to scroll through the device’s current entries, and as he did, he gained a strange look in his eyes while taking them all in.

“Have Porygon enter my computer,” he said suddenly.

“Excuse me?”

“I have a theory,” Bill answered, looking back up. “Don't worry about my stuff—I have backups. I just need you to send Porygon directly in.”

Cautiously, Redi looked over to her Pokémon and nodded. Rather than gesture for any signal, she simply repeated Bill’s request as a command.

“Enter the machine in the center,” she ordered.

Porygon floated over and passed through the towering device’s screen.

“Interesting,” Bill said quietly. “Look. They’ve appeared as a sprite in the corner. The Machine shouldn’t have that kind of display functionality. Porygon even has their colors!”

Porygon stood out from the lines of text on the green-black screen. They waited in the bottom-right corner, resembling a sort of pop-up that seemed poised to ask Bill if he needed assistance.

“Tell them to eat something,” Bill then prodded.

“What kind of program?” Redi asked.

She didn’t receive a response right away.

Instead, Bill paused, silently staring at his computer’s screen and Porygon on it. A strange look entered his eyes as the corner of his mouth curved up for a smile. The room felt utterly silent for a single moment before he finally gave his one-word answer.

“Everything.”

To that, Redi nodded once.

“Alright. Got it! So you hear that, Porygon?” Redi called out. “Feel free to do what you want! Feast as much as you can!”

Immediately, text began to scroll through the screen. Filenames and commands were entered one at a time before turning into more complicated strings. Redi was somewhat familiar with the process from the times she had Porygon clean out the calculator as a reward. This time around, however, was something else, and the rate at which Porygon was “eating” began to rapidly speed up.

“It's fast.” The comment came from Bill's sister, who moved up to them while carrying the now-conscious Eevee in her arms. “And it's getting faster.”

“It is,” Bill answered. “And I think… This confirms my theory. Redi, I believe Porygon is a datavore.”

“I already knew that,” she said flatly.

Bill just shook his head.

“No. You thought Porygon ate data for sustenance, and while I do think there's some truth in that, there's also something else to it. Eating programs like this isn't just fueling them. It’s also giving them information they use to learn.”

“So, what, they’re only improving because they’ve been eating?” Redi asked. “Training Porygon didn’t matter? The only reason they got stronger at all was just because they were feeding on programs?”

She tasted something sour in her mouth, but Bill shook his head again.

“No, both were important. For this, Porygon needed the experience. When it comes to true understanding... That's a more complicated subject. Porygon could have never gained what was needed through consuming data alone.”

On the screen, command lines changed from long, complicated strings to full-on functions and then pages of code. Words upon words appeared and then flashed away as Porygon continued their feast and ate Bill’s filesystem from the inside out.

Bill looked enthralled. His sister watched with interest at his side. Redi remained silent. She’d never seen Porygon act like this before.

“Right now, Porygon are considered to be oddities. They're a data-based Pokémon, yes, but there's not much else known about them other than that,” Bill said softly. “They're primarily used as research assistants and organizational managers. Most people don't want to risk having their data disappear, so they simply never let their Porygon eat too frequently. After all, why would they ever want to risk losing their hard-earned data?”

“But I didn’t care about that,” Redi replied. “And I had Porygon eat all the time.”

“So you did, and that let your Porygon adapt to the process,” Bill continued. “All of that is coming together before us right now. The strength that came from training. The programming that came from your command-like moves. All the snippets they picked up from the graphing calculator. All of that combined means that when presented with enough information, supported by the experience they’ve earned, then, like an evolutionary stone—”

Bill went utterly silent when a brilliant light emanated from the screen of his machine.

Redi couldn’t see what was going on. The white completely overtook the text of the computer as well as Porygon’s sprite in the corner. The monitor had a black background, but that became completely replaced with white. The light grew and grew and grew, until—

CLICK.

The power shut off.

The room went dark before the whir of generators echoed out, and the computer began going through the slow process of its reboot.

“Is Porygon—”

Redi didn’t finish her sentence. From the monitor, something pink and blue burst out, and that blur slammed into her chest.

Whatever it was hummed, and then that same sound turned into a whine. She could feel something smooth pressing against her, and she looked down to see Porygon—but it wasn’t Porygon. They had the same basic shape, but it was like their body had been made sleeker and far more smoothed out.

“...Porygon?” Redi asked in disbelief.

The Pokémon brought up its head, and its eyes curved up for a smile.

To Redi, that smile meant everything. It was everything. The reaction wasn’t Porygon following a command, and it wasn’t Porygon simply mimicking a smile. It was a demonstration of true, genuine emotion, an expression of both thanks and affection for everything Redi had done.

She couldn’t do anything else; Redi collapsed to her knees, and Porygon followed. Breathing in a shaky breath, she threw her arms around the floating Pokémon, and then she let it all out.

“I’ve been so worried! I thought this wouldn’t work and you’d be stuck as a machine forever! When the power went out— When the computer turned off— I thought... I thought—!”

She sobbed and hugged her Pokémon.

Porygon, in a sign of independence so unlike their pre-evolved form, rested their head on her shoulder, and that just made Redi cry even harder. To her side, Bill looked on with a soft smile, and even his sister, who had never waited to express her annoyance, also huffed in amusement.

“Amazing. I didn’t expect this to work, but that surge of data was really what Porygon needed. But I also don’t think this could have worked on its own. Porygon needed practice learning and adapting to figure out how to develop further, and that means...”

Suddenly looking up, he rushed over to his computer.

“If there’s any data left, this is an opportunity! I might be able to record what happened and tie that development to a disk!”

He began to type furiously as Redi continued to hug her Pokémon. She knew that Porygon was no longer a base Porygon but a Porygon2, except saying that out loud was annoying so she was just going to keep calling them ‘Porygon’ regardless of their species’s real name.

“I’m happy for you,” she said.

Her heart melted when Porygon’s eyes curved up for a smile once again.

When she finally let them go, they excitedly circled around her. She laughed at their reaction, and it took several minutes before Bill spoke again.

“There are opportunities here if you’re interested,” he said as he hurried through his work. At this point, his sister walked back to sit on a nearby box, already looking bored. “Hoenn’s Mossdeep Space Center has been looking for a Pokémon to help with rocket launches, and your Porygon is sleek enough and has the needed traits to likely be it. Similarly, the Galactic Corporation over in Sinnoh has been undergoing related space-based research, and they’d be very interested in acquiring this kind of data.”

“So... you're selling this?” Redi asked as she walked over.

“Yes,” Bill answered easily enough.

Redi wanted to protest the idea of Bill just getting richer off of her and her Pokémon’s hard work, but she wasn’t in a position to object. Part of her contract with Mr. Pokémon was to share information about new discoveries, and when it came to Porygon’s evolution, Bill had the right to decide how it was spread thanks to how he had effectively enabled it.

She could still grumble, though.

“So you're just getting even richer off of this.”

But when she said that, Bill stopped typing to look at her.

“Hold on, is that what you thought I meant? No, no, no! As far as I’m concerned, this discovery belongs to you. All I did was the equivalent of giving you a rare stone—it's like your Growlithe that evolved into the newly discovered Arcanine. It’s your Porygon that evolved into a greater version of Porygon!”

“Wait, so when you brought up those companies—”

“Don't get me wrong. I want a share so I can put the funds into future research and development. Mr. Pokémon can take his ten percent, but for us, I’m thinking... twenty-seventy?”

“Thirty-sixty,” Redi countered, trying to increase her split.

“Generous! But I’d think I’m already rich enough, so I’d be more than happy with just twenty percent. But let’s meet halfway. How about I just get twenty-five, and then you can have the other sixty-five percent?”

Redi opened her mouth, unable to find the right words. Much like his sister, Bill stuck his tongue out at her before returning to his work.

(No, the thought of that much money did not make Redi drool. Sure, selling data on Porygon’s information would be an enormous sum, but there was no way she’d drool over the simple idea of earning a lot of cash. Nu-uh. No way. It was just that she happened to get distracted while thinking of food and definitely nothing else.)

But this really might be a lot.

“How much?” she asked cautiously.

Bill gained a small smirk.

“Well, the Mossdeep Space Center and its researchers won’t be able to offer much, but the Galactic Corporation? They’ll pay a lot for specifics.”

She went silent again. Her head felt like it was spinning. As per her contract with Mr. Pokémon, Bill had the right to decide what to do with this as long as the information was shared. Redi would have thought that meant it’d be spread around for free, not that she’d suddenly be getting so much potential cash shoved into her pocket.

Yet, she was having trouble focusing on that. After all, Porygon had evolved. Given everything else that happened with Bill’s machine...

Gah! Who cares about that cash? This can’t just be my money. Sam’s the whole reason I knew how to get here. So I’ll take the same twenty-five as Bill. It hurts, but I’ll leave the rest to him.

Raw cash wasn’t as thoughtful of a gift as a good present or information about a new discovery, but she could at least picture Sam’s shocked face when she informed him of it once they met back up in the Conference.

She could also picture all the ways he’d try to turn it down, but that just meant she had plenty of time to come up with counterarguments in her head.

“How long will that kind of discussion take?” she asked. “And, uh, what’s next?”

“Don’t worry about the discussions. I can handle that. I’ll make sure you get the sum you deserve. As for what’s next...” Bill awkwardly laughed to himself. “Well, if Porygon evolved, their capabilities have certainly improved. I don’t suppose I could get your help organizing and digitizing my files?”

His eyes flicked to the countless stacks of paper in the room, and Redi let out a nervous chuckle. Yet, at her side, Porygon seemed down for it. If anything, they seemed excited at the test of what they could do.

And that mere sign of independent thought alone made Redi’s heart melt even more. If Porygon wanted to do it, then she would work as hard as she could without complaint.

So over the next while, Redi helped Bill, continued to visit other researchers on Ursaring’s behalf, and even tested out what a Porygon2 could do in battle. Her team grew leaps and bounds, and once it was clear that Porygon could teleport farther than ever before, she finally picked up someone else who’d been waiting for far too long.

Finally, after retrieving a larger sum of cash than she expected, she earned her eighth badge with only days left in the season, and then she went to Silver Town.

To reach the Conference.

To compete in its battles.

To meet up with Sam and so many others.

And to finally finish the season by proving herself and her team against the strongest trainers in all of Indigo.

=============================================================
Author Note:

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Eevee
Porygon / Porygon2

Bill

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter Update (Chapter 137 Spoilers)

Spoiler warning for today's chapter.

Chapter 137 has undergone a few edits/modifications based on feedback. I'm hoping to have reached a nice middle ground when it comes to that chapter.

The adjustments only touch on one section at the very end, and they're important enough that I recommend giving them at least a glance, but I'll also include a note at the end of Tuesday's chapter just in case.

Starting with Typhlosion's return in the battle, that section alongside the conversation afterward has been changed to result in a slightly different outcome. Control-F for "What is she..." should get you to the start of the section that's changed.

Without getting into specifics, this also means that I've pushed up a certain reveal, but I hope it reads a lot better than the version released before.

Thank you!

Chapter 137

Author Note:

Apologies for the delay. Very long chapter today.

Also, no chapter next Friday. We'll have a chapter on Tuesday and then a short break.
===============================================================

The real problem with Jasmine’s Pokémon wasn’t their offensive power but how they could all but ignore most attacks. Her Steelix, for example, was only so much stronger than an Onix, but its super-hardened body let it shrug off any physical move. Though a Steelix had the same limitations as an Onix in that it primarily attacked via weight instead of muscle, it weighed more, had a nastier bite, and in this case, it was only really vulnerable to the Fire Type damage on Sam’s team.

But like all good specialists, Jasmine likely had a counter. Sam knew he could maybe make something work, but he’d rather stick to a strategy that he knew would completely invalidate her Pokémon’s defense.

“Will-O-Wisp!”

Damage over time effects didn’t care about a Pokémon’s resistance. The pain they caused drained a Pokémon’s stamina, making them eventually fall out of the fight. He didn’t need to worry about the insane number of Type resistances the Steel Type offered. To win this match-up, all he had to do was out-stall her stall. It was his best answer to sheer defense, and it was his best answer to making up for such a severe gap in strength.

So, with his command, Typhlosion started the battle by taking off in a dash. Immediately, energies wrapped around her for an Agility that drastically boosted her speed. She used that momentum to circle her towering opponent, and Steelix did nothing but follow her with its gaze.

Jasmine did not give an order to her Pokémon. Her Steelix remained where it was released, and she cocked her head to the side.

“That’s an interesting Pokémon you have there,” Jasmine commented.

“Hisuian Typhlosion. A variant evolution. Soon to debut in the Conference, but we’re testing her out against you,” Sam said.

She nodded as if that answered all her questions.

“So that’s why you specified a private match. You have secrets you don’t want to get out.”

Typhlosion was already sending her wisps forward, and Jasmine’s Steelix still wasn’t moving. With such a defensive team, Jasmine seemed to want to wait to better understand Sam’s strategy before anything else.

Except, all she was doing was giving Sam plenty of openings. Right as Typhlosion’s Will-O-Wisp reached halfway to its target, Sam gave a second command that’d seal this fight.

“Typhlosion, chase!”

Much like how Typhlosion could have her Will-O-Wisp chase Swift, with Sam’s shout, she now sent her Infernal Parade chasing after her Will-O-Wisp. This concept built off of a technique she’d used so many times before, but with these two moves used back-to-back, Will-O-Wisps’s burn would allow for Infernal Parade to hit with guaranteed extra damage, and Infernal Parade also carried a chance to burn if Steelix somehow managed to block the Will-O-Wisp.

It was a flood of fire. Flames, both spectral and real, rushed Steelix through the air.

“So that’s your strategy,” Jasmine said with a hum. “But enough of a head start. Steelix, Dig.”

Her order came out calm and precise, and as slow as a Steelix was, it moved with a surprising amount of speed. Its body was large enough that it wasn’t the quickest when it came to whipping around, but when it came to digging, that was what its entire being was designed to do.

Where an Onix’s body was just a chain of boulders, a Steelix’s body was covered in rugged spikes. It slammed its head into the ground, breaking through the earth, and each of its segments spun in a drilling motion that let it burrow and churn through the field.

The diving motion of its head let it avoid Typhlosion’s attack, but that was only because it was no longer occupying the space it once did. Her wisps didn’t initially miss; with a minor flex of her will, they all dove after Steelix.

Unfortunately, the second it entered the earth, it moved like a fish in water. The Steelix disappeared, its tunnel collapsed behind it, and the flaming barrage was snuffed out when it hit the ground.

We’ll need a better strategy. If Steelix is Jasmine’s ace, then we need to pull out the big guns.

“Typhlosion,” Sam called out. “Keep an eye on the earth around and under you. Get ready to react with Curse.”

He preemptively grabbed her Pokéball for his next step of the plan. Halting her Agility, Typhlosion slid to a halt while pulling a shadowy dagger out of the air with her paw.

“That’s not a defensive Curse. So she’s a Ghost Type after all...” Jasmine looked on curiously. “Useful. Steelix, use Crunch when you can.”

Her Pokémon didn’t immediately attack, and Typhlosion tensed as she prepared. The dagger she held in her paw almost seemed to sink into her flesh, causing her a slight amount of pain even though her move hadn’t fully been used.

But soon, a mound of dirt began to bulge out of the earth behind her, and as something pushed pebbles out of the field with a rumble, she snapped around, ready to unleash her Curse the second Steelix appeared.

When steel flashed before her, Typhlosion didn’t wait to stab her dagger into her chest. Upon seeing her target, Curse did take effect, but it wasn’t Steelix’s head that burst out.

No, its tail suddenly stabbed out of the earth, revealing that mound to have been nothing more than a distraction. Instead, from right underneath her, Steelix’s head exploded from the floor, knocking Typhlosion into the air dealing the full, super-effective damage of Dig.

Alongside the self-inflicted injury from Curse, Typhlosion was ready to faint. Yet, shadows writhed around her opponent. Sam quickly brought up her Pokéball.

“Return!”

The Steelix’s metal jaw snapped down on the empty air where she had just been falling. The sheer power of its Crunch caused a horrible noise to ring out.

If that hit...

A Steelix literally ate boulders and metal for lunch. Given Typhlosion’s Ghost Type making her vulnerable to the Dark Type, Sam doubted she would have walked away even at full health.

But our plan worked. Steelix is under the effects of Curse, and Typhlosion doesn’t need to risk herself any longer. We just need to make sure that Jasmine doesn’t return her Pokémon, and we need to stall for long enough to have Steelix faint.

“Misdreavus, quick! Mean Look!”

The very second the battle resumed, Misdreavus sent a withering glare at her opponent. Now, if Steelix tried to leave the battle, Jasmine would find her Pokémon unable to be returned.

But Jasmine just giggled.

“This is why I like Ghost Type teams. They’re always fun to fight.”

Sam couldn’t find the same casual joy—he was fighting at a disadvantage. He needed every trick in the book if he wanted to take a ten-star Pokémon out.

“Will-O-Wisp! Burn it, but your priority is on dodging! Hex whenever you get room to attack!”

Curse was a cruel, cruel move. The sheer amount of pain it caused saw Pokémon faint in almost no time at all. It was more effective than a burn, and it was more effective than even Toxic. The downside was that it required its user to take a significant amount of damage, and its victim would no longer be under Curse’s effects if the victim switched out.

But if a Pokémon was switched to replace Curse’s user, and if Curse’s target remained trapped, then it didn’t matter how healthy a Pokémon was. They would inevitably faint no matter what.

Hence, this strategy.

“Interesting. Protect,” Jasmine said.

Steelix lowered itself, and its body gained a greenish sheen. Misdreavus’s Will-O-Wisp hit but failed to make purchase. Despite being a Steel Type, the flames slipped off of it as if it were water.

Then, Steelix flicked its tail without Jasmine even giving it a command. Dirt, hardened by Rock Type energy, flew right at Misdreavus. With Sam’s shout to focus on dodging, she was forced to pull back. Any follow-up was dropped in favor of avoidance, and Misdreavus even had to use Shadow Sneak to slide under a boulder launched her way.

“Keep it up,” Jasmine said.

Misdreavus was faster, but that meant nothing when she was forced to constantly dodge. Steelix unleashed Rock Throw after Rock Throw, destroying the earth, tearing up the field, and leaving large boulders wherever its move landed. The Curse might have been draining its energy, but it was only being drained by Curse. It was losing stamina, but without being affected by Will-O-Wisp, nothing reduced its attack.

Misdreavus couldn’t unleash any damaging move.

A ten-star Pokémon. I knew there’d be a difference in strength, but this is insane.

Even though Misdreavus was faster, she still had to contend with the constant assault of Steelix’s moves.

Shadow Sneak let her dodge the Rock Throws, which was good for her since the size of Steelix’s boulders would have seen her faint in one hit. She wasn’t a defensive Pokémon, but that focus on evasion was Jasmine’s plan.

So focused on avoiding all moves, Misdreavus was never able to use any of her own. Soon enough, Jasmine’s strategy finished.

The effects of Mean Look faded away, and Steelix disappeared from the field.

“Phew.” For some reason, Jasmine looked genuinely relieved. “That was close. I didn’t expect to see Steelix almost faint there.”

“Almost faint? Even with Curse, it was still at full health!”

Jasmine blinked at Sam.

“Was he?” she asked, and then she shook her head. “Oh, I see your mistake. Steelix is made of steel. He doesn’t show the same signs of injuries as most organic Pokémon. No, your Pokémon’s Curse was effective. Just a few seconds longer, and that would have been it.”

“Wait, so if you hadn’t used Protect...”

Jasmine said nothing and simply smiled.

Merrily, she tossed a new Pokéball forward, and Misdreavus left her Shadow Sneak on the floor to properly meet her next opponent. Across from her, a red-carapaced Scizor faced her. The Bug Type Pokémon snapped its heavy claws while letting its short wings buzz on its back.

“Continue,” the referee said.

Jasmine gave a single word for her order.

“Priority.”

Sam tried to tell Misdreavus about the need for Will-O-Wisp since Scizor was one of the few Steel Types in Johto with seriously powerful physical attacks. Yet, barely even a single word had left his mouth before he blinked, and then the Scizor was suddenly right there.

Its claw shone with Steel Type energy. Arm outstretched, it had shot across the field in an instant. The single punch it unleashed saw its move land directly into Misdreavus’s chest.

“Bullet Punch is already a speedy move, and then when you combine it with Scizor’s Technician ability...”

Misdreavus simply didn’t have the defense to withstand a strike that strong. Even if there hadn’t been a difference in strength, that one strike would have been enough to take her out.

The force of Scizor’s move saw her bounce across the ground. Sam quickly took out her Friend Ball to bring her back before she could get too much more hurt while unconscious.

“Challenger Samuel, please send out your next Pokémon,” the referee said.

“I know, I know. I just need a second to think.”

Curse had almost worked, but Steelix had been returned anyway. Scizor was a big enough threat that he knew most Pokémon on his team wouldn’t be able to handle it. He wanted to rely on status conditions, but Scizor’s speed meant it could catch anyone he sent out.

Unless I want it to catch us, Sam realized.

If the rest of Sam’s team couldn’t beat Scizor, then he had one Pokémon whose sole role would be to take it out.

“Annihilape.”

With this Pokémon’s appearance, Jasmine gained a look of genuine shock. The referee struggled to keep a straight face at the Pokémon that appeared on the field.

Somewhat used to this reaction, Annihilape just grumbled and scratched at the dirt with his hand. Wisps of grey energy trailed off his head. The only human here who recognized him was Sam.

Blearily, Jasmine rubbed her eyes.

“So you had more than just Typhlosion...” she mumbled.

“Annihilape. Evolution of Primeape. Also set to debut in the Conference,” Sam quickly explained.

“And this species is—”

“Already known,” Sam half-lied.

He was pretty sure Morty and Agatha weren’t aware, but Carl did say he would pass the information around.

Jasmine slowly nodded at that, mumbling something to herself about watching the upcoming Conference. She sent a look to the referee to signal that the battle should continue, and the referee just barely managed to tear away her stare to give the command.

“Continue!”

“Bullet Punch,” Jasmine ordered. “Overwhelm and assault!”

“Bulk Up!” Sam countered. “Everything into defense!”

Against this kind of foe, Annihilape knew exactly what he needed to do, and Sam didn’t need to give any other order. Annihilape brought up his arms, breathed in to steady himself, and then a punch with the force of solid steel behind it slammed into his block.

Sam could see what Jasmine was trying to do; Annihilape was an unknown factor, and Primeape were known for their rage. While her team’s defense helped to resist physical moves, the Steel Type made them vulnerable to Fighting Type attacks, and she wanted to overwhelm and harass Annihilape so that he’d give in to his rage.

Except, she was operating under limited information. Overwhelming a Primeape to prevent it from attacking was a good way to annoy it into making a mistake. In the case of Annihilape, however, he knew exactly how to control himself. All of his effort was spent breathing carefully, slowly enhancing all aspects of his physical power with Bulk Up, and doing his best to withstand Scizor’s strike.

Each Bullet Punch was a lightning-fast jab that saw Annihilape wince. Yet, despite the difference in strength, only the first two attacks saw him step back. As Bulk Up grew, so did his power. Eventually, he became able to resist more and more damage.

But it wasn’t like he wasn’t taking damage. Each strike still brought Annihilape closer to a faint. If they mistimed their move here, this battle would be over.

“Careful... Careful...” Sam mumbled.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes.

“Scizor, this strategy isn’t working. Switch to—”

“Now!”

For a Steel Type, Scizor was fast, and it certainly would have been able to dodge a normal attack. Using its wings to assist its movements, it jerked back to move just out of reach of Annihilape’s arms.

However, Annihilape was a Ghost Type, and though he was still firmly rooted in the physical, certain aspects of his body could change. Every hit he took was for the single purpose of enhancing this one move, and pouring his rage forward, his fist grew, and grew, and grew.

“Farther!” Jasmine yelled.

Her Pokémon didn’t react; Scizor was far too overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the attack heading its way. Though the move took less than a second to hit, the moment seemed to stretch into infinity as Scizor froze at the truck-sized fist heading its way.

Rage Fist struck, and for every strike the Scizor had inflicted on Annihilape, Rage Fist’s attack power increased. That, combined with the boost of Bulk Up, saw Scizor fly back.

Far, far back.

Jasmine had been correct when she said this room was rated to withstand her Pokémon’s moves. When Scizor slammed against the wall, utterly knocked out, even that level of force didn’t leave a dent.

“Scizor is... unable to battle,” the referee said quietly.

As she and Jasmine stared in disbelief, Sam was unable to hold back his excitement. His voice was a roar.

“YES!”

This was a ten-star team versus a near-eight-star team, and one of his Pokémon had somehow managed to win. Of course, Annihilape had to take an extreme amount of damage to build himself up to where this was possible, but he had done it—more than just done it.

He had taken out one of Jasmine’s core team members in just a single hit.

“You...” Jasmine breathed out. “You two clearly put in a lot of effort for this.”

Sam grinned at her. Annihilape wobbled from the sheer amount of damage he’d taken, but he still managed to remain on his feet.

“I’ve underestimated you so far,” Jasmine said. “I’ve given you too much room to do as you please. We’re ending this. Expect the battle to not last much longer from here.”

Nodding to herself as if to reaffirm her own words, Jasmine returned her fainted Scizor to release a new Pokémon.

Above the field, a Magneton appeared. Three individual Magnemite, locked together, buzzed with electricity. This Pokémon was just as defensive as any other Steel Type, but most threateningly, it was a powerful special attacker.

“Annihilape, return,” Sam said.

At this point, even the slightest of shocks could finish off Annihilape, but Sam felt it was all worth it just for that one knock-out against Scizor.

“Haunter, enter this battle carefully. Put it to sleep. Don’t take damage, yourself,” Sam told his next Pokémon.

Jasmine looked over the grinning Ghost Type that appeared on Sam’s side of the field and chose to respond with a command of her own.

“Ringing.”

As Magneton had three eyes, Haunter clearly thought he could quickly cause it to fall asleep with Hypnosis, but metal lids slid over the Steel Type’s unfocused gaze to prevent the move from working.

Following that up, the Magneton then pulled itself apart—temporarily. Each Magnemite that made up its body attempted to separate only for a sharp, metallic ring to echo throughout the room when each Pokémon clanged back together.

Sam couldn’t tell if this attack was a Metal Sound or a Supersonic, but Haunter was certainly disrupted. The vibrations caused his body to shudder, and he let out a groaning whine while pressing his hands to his ears.

“Thunderbolt.”

Magneton’s magnets spun and crackled, and Haunter purposefully dropped, unable to do anything else. His speed helped him here; if he was just a split second slower, the lightning wouldn’t have sailed over his head.

“Shadow Ball!” Sam shouted.

He would have liked to call for a Hex, but without a status condition, Shadow Ball was stronger.

Gritting his teeth, Haunter looked up at his opponent, but his aim was off. Still affected by the ringing noise, the move went a little too wide.

Do we risk getting close? Magneton’s eyes are still closed, but it doesn’t seem to have any problems sensing where Haunter is.

Sam didn’t know much about the Electric Type, but he guessed the Magneton was detecting electromagnetic waves or something like that.

Another Thunderbolt came out, and Haunter zipped to the side to avoid that one as well. The problem right now was that Sam needed a way to deal damage, and the rest of the team was either too injured or too vulnerable at range to take on the Magneton. Acid Spray would have been decent if Magneton wasn’t immune, so there was only a single other move left.

“Ominous Wind!”

Thankfully, Haunter didn’t need to aim his attack since Ominous Wind’s unearthly breeze spread across the entire room. As the chilling Ghost Type move reached his opponent, the Magneton took the attack and shuddered.

Jasmine then gave a command that made Sam’s stomach twist.

“Charge.”

Easily withstanding the damage, the Magneton’s magnets spun even more to generate electricity. Charge let it build up energy that it could use for future attacks. Even if Ominous Wind provided Haunter a boost, Charge would see the Magneton become too strong for anyone on Sam’s team.

“...We have to risk it. Haunter, wrench open its eyes!”

Haunter immediately understood the purpose behind Sam’s command, and he darted through the air, going as fast as he could. He reached Magneton in less than a second, and latent, crackling static made him wince.

Yet, he still snapped his hands forward, half-phasing through the Magneton’s metal body just to grab one of its eyelids. In a genuinely awful action, he managed to just barely crack it open.

He pulled off Hypnosis.

But it wasn’t enough.

While this part of the Magneton did fall asleep, it was only one Magnemite. Though slightly disrupted by a third of it being unable to fight, the other two-thirds of its body could still attack. And, with Haunter right there, it didn’t even need to aim. The Magneton simply burst for a Discharge that utterly consumed him.

As if to add insult to injury, using the move woke up the third Magnemite.

“...Discharge isn’t common in Johto,” Sam grumbled. “So if you know about it, you also have to know about Magnezone.”

Sam returned Haunter, but as he spoke, Jasmine gained a furious blush.

“I, um, I-I do. I just... haven’t had a chance to visit Sinnoh just yet?”

She twisted her hair around a finger, suddenly intently looking at the ground to not meet Sam’s judging gaze. Over the field, her Magneton buzzed as if sighing. With that kind of reaction, Sam had a feeling this happened often.

But Sam had to focus on considering his next Pokémon. He didn’t like his odds.

Misdreavus and Haunter had fainted. Typhlosion and Annihilape were extremely injured. That just left Trevenant, but a Grass Type wasn’t a great match-up against Steel Type Pokémon.

Still, Trevenant knew Leech Seed, and even with the difference in strength, he would be able to withstand most attacks. Sam was sure Trevenant could heal through at least some of Magneton’s damage, and Leech Seed’s drain bypassed its defense. Like with the Steelix, they could potentially put a timer on this fight.

“Trevenant,” Sam said.

He didn’t expect Jasmine’s reaction.

“Wow! That’s a rare Pokémon!”

“...As compared to Typhlosion and Annihilape?”

“Sure, but those are special evolutions! You can actually catch Trevenant in Johto!”

“You can also catch a Typhlosion?”

This time around, Jasmine’s blush came from embarrassment.

“So if you’re using that Pokémon... Alright, Magneton, come back.”

Honestly, Sam had to question why she replaced a strong, ranged attacker with the ball of metal that took its place.

Forretress wasn’t the most impressive Pokémon, but Sam knew it was almost as sturdy as a Steelix. Its defenses weren’t comparable, but its hardened shell made the Bug Type incredibly difficult to defeat.

“Trevenant, Forretress can’t do much to hurt you. It may be a Bug Type, but it doesn’t have any strong attacks. Set up, first. Once you’re ready, prioritize landing a Leech Seed to deal damage.”

Quietly, Jasmine waited to give any commands until Sam finished giving his orders. When he was done, she smiled.

“You’re making this too easy. Before you have your Pokémon trap itself with Ingrain, do you know what a Forretress is known for?”

“Its defense?” Sam offered. He also wasn’t worried about her comment on Ingrain. He already knew Trevenant could switch no matter what.

“No,” Jasmine replied with a giggle. “Remember, I allowed for free switching for a reason. I could let you use that as you will, or with Forretress, I could—”

“It’s known for its spikes,” Sam said with a dawning realization. “Return, quick! And Typhlosion, hurry!”

As healthy as Trevenant was, Sam simply couldn’t afford to keep him out there. Typhlosion was on the verge of fainting, but she needed to knock out Forretress now before it could use its move.

Yet, Jasmine just giggled again, and as Typhlosion breathed in, she once more gave her Pokémon a single command.

“Spikes,” she ordered.

Forretress closed its shell to become a tight ball and spun. Glowing spikes grew out of its body to scatter in every direction, and then flames consumed it. Possessing two Types vulnerable to Fire Type moves as well as a mediocre special defense meant that was it. It didn’t matter how sturdy Forretress was; with enough fire, it would faint, but Jasmine had let it faint.

All because she wanted it to pull off this one move.

“Your team has a fine strategy for modern conceptions of battling, but there are a few tricks from Sinnoh you should be aware of,” Jasmine said. “Many trainers from Sinnoh heavily rely on entry hazards. Forretress is known for its Spikes, so now if you try to send out any Pokémon, they’ll take damage the moment they hit the ground.”

The spikes were spread out thinly enough that Typhlosion would have no problem moving around them. Unfortunately, a newly sent-out Pokémon wouldn’t know where they were and would land on them, taking damage in the process.

If he had kept Typhlosion in her Pokéball, that would have been it for the battle. The small amount of chip damage from the Spikes would have been enough to see her faint. The same was true for Annihilape and the extreme number of injuries he’d sustained.

“With one move, you almost took out two of my Pokémon,” Sam mumbled in disbelief.

Jasmine hadn’t let up her smile.

“But you managed to recognize that and send out your Typhlosion early! That was a good choice on your part!”

She looked over to Sam’s Pokémon and at how Typhlosion was breathing heavily. The fur on her chest was discolored from where she’d hurt herself with Curse. Honestly, she should have fainted. If Steelix’s Dig had been more focused on damage instead of disruption, that would have been it.

Right now, she was so hurt that it would take only a single hit to knock her out.

Recognizing what Jasmine still had left, Sam braced himself for the return of her Magneton. However, Magneton wasn’t the Pokémon Jasmine chose to send out.

“Let’s finish this,” Jasmine said. “Steelix, use Earthquake.”

As if resuming the match-up that started the battle, Jasmine released her ace Pokémon—her Steelix. That towering Pokémon reared back to shake the earth, but Typhlosion was quick.

“Jump!”

Steelix’s attack wasn’t a usual attack. In the case of Earthquake, its attack was the field. A crack formed in the dirt and stretched to where Typhlosion stood. She likely only managed to jump in time to avoid the damage thanks to Detect.

But there was a problem with that; Typhlosion couldn’t fly. She had entered the air, so she was due to fall. Though she had managed to use this single attack, all she had bought herself was a second.

Yet, to finish off Steelix, she also only needed to land a single attack.

“Fire! Whatever you can! Even Ember could work!”

Curse had done its job earlier. Steelix barely had any stamina left. Anything would be enough.

So, Typhlosion breathed in. Deeper than ever before, her flames turned a near-black purple. Both shadow and light were cast across the field in a brightness that made Sam squint. Wisps then formed in the air around her, but they didn’t spread out. The various motes appeared and rushed her, and Typhlosion sucked all of them right in.

What is she...

Fire glowed within her neck. She hit the earth, but she pushed off of it to lunge to the side, somehow narrowly avoiding a second Earthquake. Her entire purpose was being spent just to finish charging this attack.

It wasn’t an Ember. It wasn’t a Flamethrower. It was a Fire Type move, but one more powerful than Sam had ever seen before.

“This can’t be Eruption. She’s too injured,” Sam said in a whisper. “Eruption’s power is tied to a Pokémon’s health. I thought she’d eventually pick it up, but here—”

Sam stopped himself. He could remember their time on Carl’s ranch. Typhlosion had vanished for several days straight all for the sole purpose of training under her grandfather. They’d been practicing. That aged Typhlosion had been teaching her. Sam hadn’t been aware of what move it was, but...

I always knew my grandfather had experience as a trainer, but this?

Across from Sam, Jasmine let out a soft chuckle.

“If there was any way for Steelix to faint, a Blast Burn would do it,” she said.

The flames that ultimately left Typhlosion’s throat turned the room a deep red. The dirt churned up by so many attacks almost seemed to melt under her heat. This was an eruption, but an eruption so different from that similarly-named move. Only so many species could learn this, and even then, it took a special Pokémon to pull it off. 

But Typhlosion had figured out Blast Burn with only a handful of days under her grandfather. And now she was using that ultimate move here.

The Steelix tried to dodge, of course, but Jasmine saw the move was coming and recognized there was no way to avoid it. The Pokémon dove, trying to dive beneath the incoming attack, but the flames were a meteor that consumed both it and the earth, and when the heat finally died down, the Steelix was glowing. Consumed by heat, it fell over.

Steelix fainted.

Then, exhausted, Typhlosion fell over, too.

_______________________________________________________________

The battle was sealed from there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t sealed in Sam’s favor. Trevenant just didn’t have a way to deal enough damage to Magneton from range. He could heal through its initial attacks, and Leech Seed almost seemed to give him a chance. But he didn’t have a way to heal from status conditions, and once the electricity paralyzed him, the rate at which he healed was cut in half. Magneton’s Charge then let it build into a threat he couldn’t beat.

After that, Sam only had Annihilape left, but Forrretress had already effectively taken him out of the fight. Sam chose to at least try to see if Annihilape could withstand being released, but the Spikes had somehow persisted even through everything else, and the moment he landed on the ground, that little bit of damage was just enough to take him out.

Then, it was over.

Sam could only breathe out to acknowledge what had happened.

“We lost.”

And that was that.

He had mixed feelings about the battle. Losing was painful, but he couldn’t ignore his team’s achievements. Not only had Typhlosion done the impossible and defeated Jasmine’s Steelix, but Annihilape had fainted her Scizor in a single punch. Even Forretress, who Jasmine chose to let faint, was a victory just because Jasmine was in a position to make that choice in the first place.

Yet, she had only used four Pokémon—Steelix, Scizor, Magneton, and Forretress. As great as an achievement that taking out three of four was, Jasmine also still had her fifth. She’d been poised to win from the start.

But there was no sense in arguing over the outcome of the match. Sam had lost, but that was a given considering the level of opponent he faced with his team. He still won in small ways. How many trainers, even at an elite level, could say they knocked out Jasmine’s ace Steelix in a match?

To shake Jasmine’s hand, Sam had to walk around the side of the field. The field itself was so churned up and covered in both spikes and stones that there was no way either of them could safely walk over it. The referee sent out a Pokémon—not a Steel Type, to Sam’s surprise, but a Ground Type Sandslash. It looked around before excitedly diving into the dirt, using its sharp claws to break up the debris and smooth the field out.

“Good fight,” Jasmine said.

“...Good fight,” Sam said, and he meant it even though he didn’t win. “I know we lost, but when it comes to ways we can improve, do you have any tips that could help my team?”

He had his ideas. Ranged Pokémon were by far his team’s biggest weakness. Though Typhlosion, Misdreavus, and Haunter could attack them back, they didn’t have a great team member to withstand special attacks. Giving Annihilape or Trevenant a ranged move could help, but at least against Jasmine, between her Steelix’s Earthquake and her Magneton’s everything, they simply didn’t have a way to handle that.

Humming, Jasmine considered Sam’s question, but when she spoke, she didn’t bring up anything similar.

“At a base level, you and I have similar strategies. I use my Pokémon’s defenses to my advantage, and you use your team’s status conditions and evasion. My Pokémon were a bit more aggressive than usual in this fight just because we could afford that, but even with how you tried to limit us, we had a surprising amount of freedom.”

“What do you mean?”.

“Status conditions can weaken opponents, but you're not restricting your opponents enough to truly make them work,” Jasmine said. “Status conditions shine the most when your opponents don’t have a viable way to fight back, and when they have no choice but to be worn down over time. Except, in our match, my Pokémon and I always had ways to counter your team. Your best moment was when your Misdreavus used Mean Look. It was what let your Typhlosion finish off Steelix! But for the rest of it—”

“I focused too much on offense,” Sam grumbled, rubbing his head.

“More than that. You only have a few Pokémon that actually inflicted useful status conditions. Teaching more of them Will-O-Wisp can help, but I also think you should look into moves like Mean Look to help in your fights.

“But really, Pokémon battles are all about finding or creating advantages you can use,” Jasmine continued. “You either want to limit your opponent’s options or make as many opportunities as possible for your team. You focus on limiting your opponents like I do, but you don’t do that enough. Power is power, and power is always good, but you need to find a better balance between power and status moves to make the most out of your team.”

Sam nodded along, committing Jasmine’s words to memory. He could already recognize one opportunity he missed. With Haunter, at least, he focused too much on Hypnosis. When Jasmine called for Charge, he missed out on a perfectly viable Spite.

His team did have those kinds of moves Jasmine was talking about, he just wasn’t using them enough. His Pokémon also had options they were in the process of learning—like Pain Split and Destiny Bond—but for most of his team, those two moves weren’t in a ready enough state to have used them in this match.

“Thank you. That really helps,” Sam said.

Jasmine sent him a smile.

“I’m glad. I’d offer more, but I’m not a Ghost Type specialist. I’m not sure I can say anything more than that. Still, thank you for the battle! It was a nice distraction from all the work...” Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. “...All the work I still have to finish.”

She let out a defeated sigh.

_______________________________________________________________

Sam left the Gym feeling strongly about the Conference. In every way, this had been a learning experience, and he felt more prepared than ever to continue to train his team.

As he left, he was once again joined by Dreepy and Drakloak. Those two continued to stay next to him so that no one would try to catch them, and all the way, Dreepy gushed on and on about everything he’d seen.

It was hard to parse such energetic squeaks, but he gestured enough to let Sam understand the gist of what he was trying to refer to. Dreepy liked Annihilape’s attacks. He really liked Haunter’s speed. He was also enamored with Typhlosion’s Blast Burn, and it seemed like he wanted to be the heart of a move that strong.

At times, he would tap his sister’s head to try to get her to chime in, but Drakloak would just grunt, roll her eyes, or give one-syllable responses. However, there was one moment brought up that caused her to go silent, look at the ground, and almost seem to blush.

If there was anything she got out of watching that match, it was that she wanted to become as tough as Jasmine.

The night was spent letting everyone rest, and Sam spent a while just considering Jasmine’s advice. As effective as his strategy was, he could tell he had made mistakes and had plenty of gaps to fill in.

But they would fix that. So far, his most effective periods of practice had been before his seventh Gym match and when he’d been on his own after his return to Ecruteak. He was slowly becoming more and more attuned to the best ways to train his team. With his increase in both knowledge and experience, he could see all the little ways to help his Pokémon become strong.

He knew that once they spent some time training in Ilex, his Pokémon would see a drastic increase in strength. Before that, they needed to get through Cianwood and earn their eighth Gym Badge.

The next morning, they left. A curious pair of shadows slipped onto the boat after Sam. As much as Drakloak tried to stay hidden, she wasn’t good at it with how Dreepy came out to stay at Sam’s side.

The ticket for this boat had been a bit more expensive than Sam would have liked, but that was just because the boat wasn’t a ferry. Rather, someone had a small speeder primarily used for medicine deliveries that they also sold tickets for as a way to earn extra cash on the side.

Because of Sam’s choice of ride, the trip to Cianwood only took most of a day instead of the two-and-a-half days it’d take otherwise. It might have been faster if not for the Whirl Islands in the way, but the shape of those islands saw so many whirlpools form that even thinking of getting close was not worth the risk.

Sam arrived in Cianwood only a bit past dusk, and he breathed in its salty sea air. The city’s similarities to his home didn’t miss him. Like Dewford, Cianwood was a coastal island city separate from the region’s mainland, and it also had its own Fighting Type Gym.

It was so similar, in fact, that upon entering it, he didn’t regret his choice to spend as little time here as possible. This place was too much like Dewford. He just wanted to earn his final Gym Badge and then move on.

But of course, this was the place Misdreavus was set to evolve, but that was something they planned for tomorrow. After such a tough fight against Jasmine, when a nurse tells you that your team needs to rest, you have them rest instead of doing something insane like presenting one with an evolutionary stone.

The night of their arrival in Cianwood was meant to be a rest until the next morning, but upon checking into the Pokémon Center, the nurse froze when she entered Sam’s ID. It wasn’t the usual freeze—she was too early in the process to see the members of his team. Instead, she looked up and hesitantly asked for him to confirm his name.

“Yes? I’m Samuel Greyson?” he answered.

Her brow furrowed.

“Can you wait here for a moment?”

He wasn’t going to ignore a nurse’s request.

Though Sam was a bit worried about what that reaction could mean, he still nodded, and the nurse stepped into the Center’s back. There weren’t too many other trainers around since it was pretty much night. Cianwood also wasn’t the largest city in the region, so he imagined Gym challengers here were processed pretty fast.

Sam found a chair. His Pokémon rested in their Pokéballs or his shadow. The nurse hadn’t asked for him to hand them over for treatment.

For now, not sure what else to do, he closed his eyes to try to relax as well. That lasted only a few minutes. Before no time at all, he heard the ding of the Center’s automatic front doors, and after a second of catching their breath, someone shouted out with a booming voice.

“THERE YOU ARE!”

Sam’s eyes snapped open. The sheer volume of that voice practically shook the building. He tried to look around to see if the burly man in the doorway was speaking to anyone else, but Sam was the only person in the room.

“...Me?”

“YOU DON’T EVEN REALIZE HOW LONG YOU’VE KEPT ME WAITING, DO YOU? AN ENTIRE SEASON! MONTHS OF NOTHING! I HONESTLY THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER GOING TO SHOW UP!”

The heavy man huffed.

“WHAT, YOU GET COLD FEET?”

Even though it had to be true, Sam prayed that this man was talking to literally anyone else, but the man’s eyes were firmly locked onto him. Grinning, the stranger practically stormed over. 

Sam knew this wasn’t someone he could beat in a fight—any kind of fight, actually.

The man stopped marching forward when he reached a spot right in front of Sam. He had a presence to him that made him feel bigger than he truly was, and he was made that much more intimidating by the fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“You really think Brawly recommended Johto for no reason?” the man said, now speaking at a still loud but more reasonable volume. “You should have known better than that. Now, come on! We’re leaving.”

“Why?” Sam squeaked.

“Because you’ll be staying with me! I’m Chuck!” Chuck let out a deep, chortling laugh. “Now get up, Sam! This is an opportunity for you! Don’t you know it’s an honor to be invited to a Gym Leader’s home?”

===============================================================
Author Note:

I’ve been trying to find a good place to slip in a short Redi Interlude. Likely, the next chapter will be that as there isn’t really anywhere else I’d be able to have a gap without interrupting something more important.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Forretress
Magnemite / Magneton / Magnezone
Onix / Steelix
Scizor

Chuck
Jasmine

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Chapter 136

Author Note:

Slightly shorter chapter today due to irl difficulties. Friday’s chapter should be fine, however. Please do not be surprised if there is a break next week.

===============================================================
“Mighty weird Primeape you got there.”

“He’s sick.”

“Sick? Looks like he got run over by a truck, spent a few days on the pavement, then got up and punched that truck in the face.”

Sam stopped pushing the crate into the warehouse—the same warehouse he had first found Drakloak, funnily enough. He stared at the heavy man who had just spoken, and the heavy man stared right back at him with a flat expression on his face.

The owner of the warehouse had clearly meant what he said, and Annihilape didn’t exactly look pleased. He continued to carry his stack of towering crates regardless of that burgeoning annoyance, but he did shoot the man a death glare before heading inside.

Grumbles followed him the whole way.

“But I’m sure he’s fine,” the man said after a pause. “He’s just a sick Primeape.”

“Yup. Just a sick Primeape,” Sam repeated before going back to work, himself.

When it came to all the jobs Sam’s team had been handling today, Haunter and his half of the Gastly were the ones to take most of them on. After all, their side had lost the Dragon-hunt game to Misdreavus. For this job at least, Sam asked for Annihilape’s help simply due to how much Annihilape’s strength could speed up physical labor.

If it wasn’t for how Sam planned to leave town tomorrow, he wouldn’t have risked sending out Annihilape here. He already possessed a ticket for a speedy boat ride to Cianwood, so no one would be able to hunt him down and ask questions once tomorrow morning passed. At most, maybe a few whispers would bounce around town, but Annihilape’s evolution would only truly be revealed in the Conference. A single sighting or two was fine for now. As long as Sam didn’t act like it was a big deal, most people wouldn’t think it was a big deal. If someone wasn’t a trainer, a new species was just an idle curiosity at best.

However, Sam really needed money, and having Annihilape’s help let him speed up this job to squeeze in as many tasks as possible today. A little part of him whispered its regret for not taking a monetary reward for catching all the Dragon Types, but he knew in his gut it’d been the right choice. There was no telling how long he’d need to spend in Olivine, otherwise.

His plans hadn’t changed. He would still face Jasmine, rush through Cianwood, and then finish the season in Ilex. Except, he needed supplies to actually last in that dark forest, and those supplies necessitated cash. Honestly, he would have preferred to bet on battles, but finding willing opponents became harder the stronger a trainer was.

“...There we go,” the man said as the last crate was placed in the warehouse. “That’s the last of ‘em. So here: your payment.”

Sam gladly took the wad of cash and thanked his “employer” before immediately heading off. Annihilape followed. They barely got a building away before he looked over to request to be returned.

Sure, lifting crates had been a nice stretch for him, but Annihilape wasn’t the biggest fan of menial tasks. He wanted to be in perfect shape for their battle tonight, so he planned to sleep as much as possible until then.

And that was why Sam had bought a boat ticket for tomorrow instead of today. Sam’s “reward” for catching all those Dragon Types might not have been monetary or even that material, but he and his team were running out of time. There were only twenty-three days left for training before the Conference—twenty-two days left if he accounted for tomorrow’s full-day boat ride. That meant they only had three weeks to earn their final Gym Badge and then return to Ilex. To make sure everyone was ready for the toughest challenge yet, their schedule was going to be tight.

On the bright side, catching those Dragon Types helped somewhat. Searching them out was a form of practice, and it let Sam earn the right to skip the line. His reward meant he could fight Jasmine tonight instead of needing to wait. He didn’t need to worry about checking in to see if she was free, instead, he could just have his battle, test his Pokémon against her team, and then finally move on.

“I guess the big question is why we’re doing this,” Sam said, speaking out loud as he walked down the street. “Why we want to have this match. Why we’re bothering to fight someone so much stronger than us.”

He slowed, turning his gaze to the cloudless sky, and he subtly checked on a pair of shadows out of the corner of his eye.

“It’s a test as much as it is a learning opportunity,” Sam said once he was sure the two Pokémon were listening in. “We’ll be at a strength disadvantage, but we can learn a lot by pushing ourselves like this—especially when fighting a Gym Leader. No matter the outcome, we’ll see exactly where we stand, and by paying attention to Jasmine’s actions, we can figure out where our biggest weaknesses lie.”

This match would help to determine his final training goals for the team, at least, if his eighth Gym Badge battle didn’t reveal anything else. He wasn’t too worried about that final Gym match, though. Ghost Types were immune to Fighting Type moves and his Pokémon were great at avoiding physical attacks.

Jasmine was a different story. Technically, status conditions let his team “punch up” when it came to most battles, but there was an immense gap in both strength and experience. Facing her core team would be harder than even a Conference match—and all trainers that fought in the Conference were incredibly skilled.

“Ten stars,” Sam continued. “That’s the star rating of Jasmine’s team, with each star representing the strength needed to earn that many Gym Badges. Anything above eight gets a bit fuzzy since trainers only need eight badges to compete in the Conference. However!”

He stopped walking.

“A ten-star trainer is stronger than a nine-star trainer, but the difference between ten and nine is greater than nine and eight. We’re almost at eight, but we’re really at the very top end of seven. Crossing that divide seems impossible on paper, but I know that if we’re clever...” Sam gained a small smile. “If we’re clever and use our moves just right, we might just barely be able to pull off a win.”

Sam had a few points in his favor that’d make this battle less difficult than the average person would have thought. Just at a base level, most people still believed that the Steel Type resisted Dark and Ghost Type moves, but that wasn’t true, even with what some outdated Pokédexes tried to claim. Simply put, Steel Types were innately defensive. It only appeared that they resisted those Types because they rarely reacted to any move.

In addition to that, status conditions generally ignored a Pokémon’s defense. One burn, or one burn and a Curse, would eventually see its target fall. Combining those effects with an ongoing drain like Leech Seed meant any Pokémon would faint in no time at all.

It didn’t matter how defensive they were; Jasmine’s Steel Types were no different. Sam’s main strategy countered her own.

He truly meant it when he said his team had a small chance. They wouldn’t—couldn’t—win if they solely relied on raw strength, but that wasn’t how his team fought. Status conditions affected opponents regardless of power, so Sam spoke with a purposeful confidence to his words, and he also carried that confidence when he finally turned his head to look at the pair of shadows hiding on a nearby roof.

Upon meeting his eyes, Drakloak immediately ducked down to hide herself behind the roof’s edge. Dreepy looked on with awe until his sister jumped out to grab him and push him down. Honestly, they weren’t great hiders, but Haunter had managed to find out just why everyone failed to notice them for so long:

They often chose to hide above their targets, and few people and Pokémon ever bothered to look up.

“Between everything we can inflict and all our status moves, we can completely bypass Jasmine’s greatest strength and defeat her team!” Sam declared. “Even if we don’t win, watch us! We’ll knock out at least half her Pokémon!”

Alongside his declaration, Sam dramatically pointed at the sky. Slowly, both Dragon Types peeked out, and Sam sent them a grin.

“I’ll be waiting to hear your cheers,” he said.

Dreepy’s eyes sparkled. Drakloak just huffed next to him.

Sam then moved on, continuing with the jobs he had planned for the day.

Even as he and his team continued to work, Drakloak and Dreepy followed. Those two Dragon Types never left line of sight even though they were clearly trying to stay hidden. They never moved closer than so many yards away, but they never moved farther than that, either. For Sam at least, all Drakloak had to do was ask, and he would immediately add both of them to his team.

However, Drakloak had her pride, and that pride conflicted with her desire. While Sam doubted anything would change right this moment, he did make sure to keep that one, empty Ultra Ball in his pocket just in case.

Taking on so many jobs helped pass the time until the battle, and those jobs filled his pockets with a bit of extra cash. The amount he earned wasn’t enough on its own, of course, but it was enough to help, and his eventual reward for beating Cianwood Gym would earn him just enough to pay for the rest—as long as he made sure to win.

Then again, that would only be true if he was careful with his purchases, so he had finally asked Trevenant for help with berry supply. Thanks to Harvest, Trevenant could supply plenty of berries to the entire team, but Sam had been wary of bringing it up. He didn’t want to be one of those trainers who only used their Pokémon for material gain.

Thankfully, Trevenant was more than glad to help out even if he tried to act like he didn’t care. After all, Trevenant grew up delivering berries to Pokémon throughout his forest. Providing a few to the team was easy for him, and it was something he’d always be willing to do.

He’s following in his parent’s footsteps. Or rootsteps? Or, er, vine... steps?

But that was a thought for the future, and when dusk finally fell, Sam and his team finished resting up after completing their last job for the day. After returning everyone, he began heading toward Olivine Gym even though the place was soon to close. Jasmine’s schedule was packed so she only had so many free moments, but she was still a Pokémon trainer and all Pokémon trainers loved to battle. This might have been an official “request,” but based on what Sam heard from the Pokémon Center nurse, it was really just an excuse for Jasmine to take a welcome break.

Traveling from that side Pokémon Center, Sam joined the crowds of people leaving their workplaces for the day, and he entered the downtown district of Olivine. He walked beneath the city’s towering buildings, past its many buses, and by its open stores and restaurants that were beginning to fill with people.

Along the way, Drakloak and Dreepy rushed over to join his side instead of continuing to stalk him from a distance. Drakloak tried to pretend she just happened to show up by coincidence alone, but her presence was purposeful. This deep into civilization, there were too many nearby people for them to stay hidden, and technically, the hunt for Dragon Types was still going on.

Searching trainers would catch a glimpse of her and push through the crowds to try to catch up. Instead of having a battle with a wild Pokémon, they’d see Sam next to her and think that she’d already been caught.

He was her disguise as much as he was the person she was stalking, but Drakloak looked smug to be able to pull off this trick. They went unbothered as they approached the Gym, only really encountering a few crushed stares.

Finally, Sam arrived. He walked up to that same massive, slanted building and the small park that surrounded it. Sam took a deep breath before reaching its front, and a pair of automatic doors slid open to let him inside.

“...There you are.”

A pair of light brown eyes flicked his way.

Whispers started up the second Sam entered the lobby. He froze as a short woman in a pastel blue dress walked right toward him.

“M-me?” Sam stuttered.

“You’re... Samuel. Right?” the woman asked.

He found himself frozen at the sudden appearance of Jasmine herself right before him. The Steel Type Gym Leader herself cocked her head to the side as she took him in.

“When I got the call from the Pokémon Center... I could hardly believe it. It’s... impressive you caught so many Dragon Types. You... saved us a lot of trouble.”

Her voice was soft, and there were times she paused as if she needed to think of her next word. For a Gym Leader who specialized in such a sturdy and difficult-to-defeat Type, she almost seemed to lack the confidence that came with being a trainer in her role.

But although she seemed shy at a surface level, Sam realized that it was more that she was just quiet and careful. As her eyes flicked over him, they were as sharp and appraising as any other elite trainer. He also couldn’t forget just how strong her Pokémon had been—the memory of their appearance at the start of the Beginner’s Tournament was still clear in his mind.

It was just him, Jasmine, and the rest of the trainers in the room. At this point, Drakloak was gone. Sam guessed that she and Dreepy split off the second he stepped inside. Likely, she was trying to find a more subtle way of following him inside so that she and Dreepy could avoid the other trainers and still watch the upcoming match.

“...This way,” Jasmine said.

She turned and headed toward a door in the back, and murmurs echoed around the room. Even as late in the day as it was, the Gym’s lobby had its share of waiting trainers, but there weren’t quite as many as there had been at the start of the season, and there were even fewer than there’d been at the chokepoint that was Pryce’s Gym.

“...Unfair.”
“What did she mean by ‘Dragon Types?’”
“Hold on, how come he didn’t have to wait?!”
“I wish that was me.”

Sam ignored all the comments as he followed Jasmine through the lobby’s back doors. As he passed through them, she leaned against their metal surface to seal them off from the rest of the room.

“You... helped us a lot,” Jasmine said quietly, meeting Sam in the eye. “I’d been trying to have my trainers help those poor Pokémon, but Steel Types... aren’t known for their perception or speed.”

“Couldn’t you have just requested Ace Trainers with different Pokémon to help?” Sam asked.

“We did, but...” She shook her head with a small frown. “They were busy. I also had my duties as a Gym Leader, and we’re already spread thin as it is.”

“Oh.”

Jasmine pushed off the doors to keep walking ahead. Sam hurried along.

“I’ve been busy working on behalf of the city, overseeing a construction site to the west,” Jasmine explained quietly. “It’s for an... entrepreneur from Hoenn. He has a lot of money to spend. Everyone else was either out assisting Lance or... was out on patrol. On defense.”

Her words trailed off for a moment. They passed a set of doors where Sam remembered fighting his first Gym match. He could hear the sounds of a battle coming from the other side—likely, Jasmine’s Gym Trainers were finishing up their last scheduled match for the day.

“With that many Dragon Types running around... we had to make sure the wrong people didn’t catch them,” Jasmine said as they walked deeper and deeper in. “We have a duty to help all Pokémon, not just Steel Types. In this case, we relied on you and the other trainers to catch those Dragons, and we worked to make sure no other poachers interfered. Most importantly... we also made sure Team Rocket didn’t sneak in. Everyone else was busy, after all. ”

She glanced over her shoulder to send Sam a reassuring smile, but Sam only grimaced.

“Team Rocket,” he repeated. “Did they try something?”

When he spoke, his voice was emotionless and cold.

Jasmine took a few seconds to respond.

“No. Thankfully not. We noticed some strange people, but...” She briefly stopped walking, shaking her head. “The League deals with threats. Team Rocket is just the biggest. As far as we can tell, they have no major presence in Johto. They might have their individual agents, but they don’t have a base. For now, Champion Lance has ensured their organization cannot spread out of Kanto.”

By now, her almost shy demeanor was practically gone. The pace at which she spoke sped up ever so slightly. There was a seriousness to her expression that she didn’t have before. While Sam wouldn’t have initially spared her a second glance if she was part of a crowd, he couldn’t forget that Jasmine was a Gym Leader. There was a reason she was in her role.

“But! You requested a fight, yes?” Jasmine turned around and clapped her hands with a smile. “It’s been so long since my Pokémon have had a proper chance to stretch, and it’s been even longer since we’ve fought a team of Ghost Types!”

She resumed bringing Sam through a series of several long hallways, leading him further into the building than he expected with a skip to her step. Outside of the doors, almost everything here was made out of concrete. Likely, despite this place being the Steel Type Gym, they had to minimize their use of exposed metals to not tempt certain Steel Type Pokémon with delicious-looking meals.

Eventually, Jasmine opened a new set of doors to expose a large, central room. Sam could tell that he was in the dead center of the building with how a few decorative structures towered over a central skylight that revealed the darkening colors of the late dusk sky. The sole field here was larger than the usual League standard, too. Also, there was plenty of seating here. Bleachers had been built against the walls.

“This room is usually reserved for major events, but it’s also where I train my team,” Jasmine said while letting Sam take in the room. “With what my Pokémon are capable of, we’re limited to training and fighting in places rated to withstand their attacks.”

Sam had to spend a moment just processing the implication of her statement, but Jasmine was already moving ahead, practically skipping up to her trainer box. Once there, she sent a respectful nod to a referee in a grey sweatshirt already waiting off to the side. At the same time, Sam also caught sight of a pair of flickering shadows and noticed Dreepy and Drakloak attempting to hide at the very back of the stands.

“As official as this request for a match was, I’m unfortunately still pressed for time,” Jasmine said as Sam took up position in the trainer box across from her. “I’d like to get through this match as fast as possible, so let’s agree to use the usual League rules for the battle.”

“Alright.”

“Five Pokémon each. Do whatever you can within the rules to win. As for switching...” She tapped her cheek. “No limits. That’s usually how I prefer to fight.”

Sam wanted to grin, but he was wary. He knew that free-switching gave him a lot of leeway when it came to his team’s favored strategy. However, he couldn’t assume that it meant he’d be fighting with an advantage. Jasmine likely specified that lack of a limit for a reason.

“Understood,” Sam said seriously, and Jasmine stood straight with her hands held behind her back.

The referee lifted two flags. Off to the side, though he was meant to be hiding, Dreepy let out a cheer.

Drakloak then rushed to push his head down once more to make sure they could watch in peace, and both Sam and Jasmine tossed their first Pokéballs into the air. Sam released Typhlosion, his usual lead and oldest member of the team, but when Jasmine sent out her Pokémon—

The earth shook.

Going against all usual conventions for a Gym Leader, Jasmine did not save her best for last. Instead, she released her Steelix, her ace Pokémon and outright strongest member of her team, a behemoth of earth and steel that towered over Typhlosion, now set to face her in battle to start off the match.
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Author Note:

Minor spoilers, but you'll get more information on Drakloak's capabilities once Sam is in Cianwood.

Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:
Steelix

Jasmine

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter

Let's Talk about the Future

The most recent chapter was posted here.

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With the current flow of the story, the Ghost Specialist is on its way to reaching a natural conclusion and thus, will be ending soon. I do not want to drag it out when it doesn’t need to be dragged out, and I really want it to have a strong, satisfying end. However, we still have a decent way to go with a few story arcs left. The final chapter won’t be out until after the Conference takes place.

(My estimation is that we’re about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through.)

There will be no change in schedule. Expect the same, two-chapters-a-week pace alongside the occasional break. Once the final chapter is posted, however, there will be a month-long break. I will be using that time to get my plans in order while also finally finishing those long-promised epilogue chapters of the Type Specialist. They should be out around the end of that month.

Now, while the Ghost Specialist might be ending sooner rather than later, I will not suddenly stop writing Pokémon. Although I have no final plans right now, I do have a few options I’ve been considering. I might use these characters again, I might write a new story, I might write something original, or I might write something with a heavy focus on Legendaries. Or I might try to write two stories at once.

Thank you for reading. Genuinely. I really appreciate all of the comments and the support. In-story, there are some events coming up that I’ve been planning for a long, long time. I’m really looking forward to them, and I hope you enjoy them once they take place.

See you soon. Next chapter on Tuesday.

(Unrelated, but I also want to talk about Sam’s sixth team member catch, but this isn’t part of any announcement. It’s just my thoughts/perspective. Since this post is public, the break is here to hide spoilers.)

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Again, major spoilers if you haven’t read the latest Patreon chapters. Technically, this also contains a few minor spoilers for future developments, but the outcome should be inevitable by this point and they’re only hints at best.

Sam was always going to catch a Dreepy. Its inclusion in the poll was to gather a sense of when and also the reaction. However, when I was first planning everything out, the Dreepy was going to appear as part of a nebulous, far less-planned, post-Johto arc, but since I’ve realized it makes more sense to end the Ghost Specialist sooner rather than later, its appearance was bumped up.

However, one of my pet peeves with Pokémon stories is that I prefer protagonists to obtain team members that make sense, and the species they catch have to fit in-universe. The problem, of course, is that a Dreepy appearing in Johto is the exact opposite of that. Even Trevenant, in my mind, makes some sense just because the concept of a haunted tree is practically universal. Yet, a Dreepy is specifically a Galarian Pokémon, and it’s a rare Dragon Type pseudo-Legendary to boot, so having one appear in early-timeline Johto/Kanto simply feels... off.

The nonsense with so many Dragon Types was me trying to justify its appearance to myself as much as it was me trying to justify its appearance in-story. A port city was the most realistic place to include foreign Pokémon, and the presence of a bunch of poached Dragon Types felt more likely than Sam just stumbling onto a single Dreepy out on its own.

As for its position in Sam’s team, a Dragapult’s strength comes from its speed and power, but you don’t need to worry about the current status-based strategy being lost. Dragapult might be aggressive fighters, but I have a plan for how this one will fight. For a Pokémon known for its power, it has a few tricks up its sleeve that let it slot in surprisingly well for a team so based around status.

If you want a hint of what it’ll get up to, look at the few physical moves a Dragapult can learn. Of course, these plans will expanded in-story once Dreepy and Drakloak actually start participating in training sessions with Sam’s team.

Chapter 135

Author Note:

I will be posting a meta-post sometime soon. It discusses the future of the fiction as well as my perspective on the events in Olivine.
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Drakloak writhed at Sam’s side. Her nerves were practically overtaking her—she did not like the stakes of this fight.

“It’ll be fine,” Sam said as quietly as he could as he walked toward the field. “Trust in Trevenant. He’s been training to outlast his opponents for a long time.”

Except, when Sam spoke, it was to reassure her as much as it was to reassure himself. They could not afford to lose, not with both Dreepy and the New Pokédex at stake.

Honestly, he was inwardly berating himself for making this bet in the first place. He already knew Preston wasn’t just any six-star trainer, but Preston was a six-star trainer actively trying to earn his seventh Gym badge. While there was a difference in strength, it wasn’t too large, and that meant a numbers disadvantage was a major hurdle to overcome.

He just had to believe that Trevenant could pull through, and he did his best to push any worries to the side. It helped that, as selfish as Preston was, Sam knew the other boy wouldn’t go back on his promise to keep the New Pokédex secret. It sounded dumb, but Preston’s Pokémon liked him. Trainers willing to go back on their word rarely had that same level of connection with their Pokémon.

But the stakes of this battle were still impossibly high, and it didn’t help that Preston carried nothing but confidence.

“Do we need a ref?” Preston called out. His tone was far too casual for the sheer amount of money he stood to lose.

He was grinning, too. After all, he was the one to propose this lopsided match. Sam might have challenged Preston to battle, but Preston had rigged that battle in his favor.

“No, we’re both competent trainers. We don’t need a ref,” Sam answered. “We have enough experience to know how to handle this, but if something goes wrong...”

Sam sent a glance to where Annihilape crouched at the side of the battlefield. He had the strength to interrupt the match if anything truly went wrong. More importantly, bringing up that intimidating Pokémon caused Preston to lose his grin.

Drakloak let out a bit of hissing laughter at Preston’s faltering reaction. Almost mollified by that, she darted over to wait in the air by Annihilape’s side.

“Three-on-one. No switches,” Sam said in the trainer box on his side of the field. “You release Dreepy if I win. And if you win—”

“You give me that neat book of yours,” Preston finished.

Sam sent Preston a grim nod and glanced over at Trevenant, who was waiting in the center of the field. However, Trevenant wasn’t looking at him. He was only looking at his would-be foe.

...Unfortunately, as nice as Trevenant’s declaration of intent had been, it carried the problem of revealing Sam’s choice right away. Preston eyed the tree Pokémon up and down as he palmed a few Pokéballs, likely going over potential strategies in his head and choosing his team members with the best chance to win.

“Alright,” Preston said. “We’ll start three seconds after I release my Pokémon.”

“Agreed,” Sam replied.

Preston tossed a ball high into the air, and a certain Haunter was released. This Haunter was the same Haunter that Sam had seen only a few days ago, and it was the same Haunter that had lured Dreepy over to use Hypnosis on him and put him to sleep.

With its appearance, Drakloak let out a venomous hiss once more. Silently, the seconds counted down. Both trainers looked out over the field with the battle soon to begin.

Three.

Three Pokémon Trevenant would have to defeat.

Two.

Two Dragon Types relying on the outcome of this match.

One.

Only a single Pokémon at Sam’s disposal. Yet, no matter what, Sam knew Trevenant would give it his all to make sure they’d win.

“Now, Haunter!” Preston shouted. “Start off with Sludge Bomb—and then focus on escape!”

Preston’s Haunter reared back to inhale and inflate itself with the use of its move. Trevenant snapped out an arm to fling seeds through the air. His Leech Seed was his best way to start this match, as it inflicted an ongoing, damaging effect while also letting him heal.

The Sludge Bomb, however, was a move common to Hoenn that Preston likely had to research to discover. Honestly, it was slightly unfortunate for him because all that time spent teaching it to his Haunter meant nothing against Jasmine’s otherwise immune Steel Types. Here, however, it was a decent choice against Trevenant, whose Grass and Ghost Type combined to make it a neutral move. More importantly, as it crashed through several of the tossed seeds to knock them to the side, Trevenant was only able to block most of its damage by slicing it with his claws, and it still burst to splatter him with sludge.

“Perfect. Now flee!” Preston yelled.

His Haunter darted away.

So his plan is to poison us and stall. He’s stealing our strategy! At least while poison isn’t great, it could be worse. Leech Seed should negate the damage, and the sludge isn’t sinking in like a Toxic to become worse over time.

While Leech Seed could counteract the damage caused by poison, being poisoned would sicken Trevenant and make him more prone to exhaustion. Preston didn’t need to rely on the status’s ongoing damage. He just needed Trevenant to grow weary and become more prone to making mistakes.

He was already playing the long game. Sam wasn’t a fan of that.

“Be quick, Trevenant. Different strategy than usual: Heal, but don’t stall,” Sam ordered quickly.

Ingrain could lock Trevenant in place and give him another form of ongoing healing alongside Leech Seed, but he couldn’t afford to limit his mobility right now.

So instead, Trevenant hurried forward.

Travenant wasn’t the fastest Pokémon, but his roots still brought him over the battlefield’s dirt floor faster than Sam could run. He was slower than Preston’s Haunter, but he had a presence to him that made it feel as though he occupied more space than he actually did. Preston’s command saw his Haunter dart away, and Trevenant’s dash saw the poison course through him and already begin to exhaust.

But if there was one thing Trevenant excelled at, it was watching. So many times in the past, he had observed Haunter and the Gastly’s training, and through that experience, he knew exactly how a member of this Ghost Type line would move.

Preston’s Haunter fled, but the field was only so large. Although Trevenant could not keep up, he could stay toward the center of the field, minimizing the distance he’d need to lunge for when his opponent inevitably tried to slip by. Soon enough, Preston’s Ghost Type backed itself into the corner, and Preston tried his best to give it a command.

“Confuse Ray!”

But Sam had a counter.

“Confuse Ray!”

Confuse Ray required a form of eye contact, and neither Pokémon could risk allowing themselves to be trapped by illusions.

Both battlers stopped their attempt to look away.

Preston’s Haunter then tried to use that split-second delay to dart around Trevenant’s side while he wasn’t paying attention. It clearly intended to race to the other side of the field, but Trevenant had already placed himself carefully.

When it lunged, so did Trevenant. Yet, Trevenant’s claws were just barely out of reach.

But it was enough. Shadowy energy extended out of his fingers to pierce into the Haunter’s side. The lengthened Shadow Claw stabbed into the Haunter’s body, and Trevenant used that grip to slam it to the floor.

“Hmph. Return.” Preston didn’t sound happy about how quickly his Pokémon fainted, but a Haunter was in no way a physically defensive Pokémon. A super effective attack from Trevenant was going to faint it no matter what. However, it had at least poisoned him in exchange—and it had achieved something else, too.

“Good. You’re on my side of the field now,” Preston taunted.

Instead of waiting to send out his next Pokémon like Sam would have expected, Preston was quick to jump onto the sluggishness that came from Trevenant’s poison. Trevenant was practically right in front of him with how he had chased the Haunter, and when Preston sent out his next team member, it appeared behind Trevenant. He was now as cornered as the Haunter had been before him.

“Houndoom! Flamethrower!”

Preston’s bone-striped hound didn’t wait to exhale its flames, and it had no hesitation to attack even with its trainer so close to its move. There was no overseer for this match, so there was no protective psychic screen. The waves of wind created by the heat caused Preston’s clothes to ripple from its effects.

As the flames raced toward Trevenant, his single red eye shrunk. The size of the expanding fire likely stirred up bad memories.

“Trevenant! Remember the plan! Don’t forget you aren’t alone or why you’re here—the flames are just a move!”

But Flamethrower was fast, and Sam’s speech wasn’t quick. Before he could react to Sam’s words, Trevenant was already consumed by the flames. The super-effective Fire Type move drowned him in its glow and hid him from any prying eyes.

Worse, the Houndoom’s Flamethrower lasted a long time. With Trevenant cornered, the Fire Type didn’t exactly need to move or dodge. It only needed to exhale. Sam knew the super-effective flames were likely eating away at Trevenant’s Grass Type body. He was extremely vulnerable to the attack, especially since fire ate away at the air around him.

But the Houndoom had to breathe in eventually. When it finally stopped its attack, a slight yelp left its throat. A seed bonked off its forehead, and vines wrapped around it.

As fire faded away, Trevenant became visible once more. Ash coated his body, and it was clear he’d been burned on top of his poison. Yet, though scorched, he stayed standing. Several of his leaves had been utterly burned away, but a crunch still managed to echo through the air.

Trevenant’s wooden jaw tore through a Sitrus Berry, his bite allowing him to swallow the fruit, seeds and all. The berry’s healing juices dribbled down his bark, and his leaves already began to regain a bright green.

“Burn off the Leech Seed, quick! Before it can heal!” Preston shouted.

Houndoom began to heat up, its body gaining a slight glow, but Sam already had a counter prepared for exactly this. Typhlosion had removed a Leech Seed in a similar way before, and thus, Sam knew how to minimize this effect.

“Forest’s Curse! Protect it!”

Trevenant didn’t lunge so much as he plunged his hands into the ground. As the vines from Leech Seed began to wither from the heat, roots suddenly left the field to latch around Houndoom and squeeze. Sure, the flames barely affected Houndoom, but the Forest’s Curse meant it wasn’t the Leech Seed being burned. The roots were lit aflame, but they served as a protection to make sure the draining move remained untouched beneath.

“Ingrain! Into Growth!” Sam shouted.

“Fine! Ignore the damage! Just do as much as you can!” Preston yelled.

Trevenant willingly immobilized himself just to gain that extra healing. Mobility wasn’t important anyway; he needed that extra health when it came to dealing with Fire Type moves.

Any energy left over after treating his burns was then recycled into new leaves. Each leaf was a bright green, containing plenty of energy from Growth that could be used to fuel future attacks.

But with his lack of mobility, the fire hit again, and Trevenant was consumed once more. Thanks to his Harvest ability allowing him to grow more fruit, another crunch from another Sitrus Berry let him withstand the heat, and he looked almost as healthy as he had before the move was used.

“If flames won’t work... Whatever! Get in close, stun it with Bite, and do whatever it takes to stop it from healing!”

Crunch would have been a better choice, in Sam’s opinion. Crunch could quite literally “crunch” through a Pokémon’s defense to open it up to further attacks in the future. Bite, however, carried a low chance of causing a flinch if it landed in just the right way. Preston seemed to want to rely on that to stop Trevenant from healing via berries.

Except, eating a Sitrus Berry wasn’t a move. It was an ability. A held item, technically. And Trevenant was also maintaining his health through the passive restoration of both Leech Seed and Ingrain. Continued uses of Flamethrower would have been the best choice overall since Trevenant was losing more than he was regaining, but Preston didn’t seem to fully understand Harvest. He just wanted to stop whatever it was that was letting Trevenant last and wanted to ensure his final Pokémon could finish the match.

Honestly, he probably thought Trevenant was using Recycle to regain his held item, which made his call for Bite make more sense in retrospect.

But he’s being impatient. As much as Preston is trying to stall, he’s also trying to end this match quickly. That’s... well, yeah. That’s probably why he can’t get through Jasmine’s Gym. He just doesn’t have the patience to wear her Steel Types down.

“Strike,” Sam said.

He suddenly felt a lot more confident about his match.

Unlike when Trevenant used Shadow Claw previously, he didn’t solely rely on the shaped energy of his attack. He put his entire arm into it, swinging at Houndoom with the force of a heavy tree branch. Preston’s Pokémon ran up and chomped down on his other arm, failing to get through the bark, and then a claw came swinging down from above to smash into its vulnerable head.

“Again!” Preston shouted.

Despite it not being the best choice, Bite was still a super effective Dark Type move. It wasn’t a Flamethrower, but it was still perfectly effective at wearing down Trevenant to eventually end the battle.

“Slash it.”

However, while Houndoom resisted Trevenant’s attacks, it was also taking damage. It tried to squeeze even tighter with its Bite, and though Trevenant did wince from the pain, he didn’t flinch. He had withstood much worse in the past. If he could last as long as he did against Annihilape when Annihilape had been trying to evolve, then he could easily handle the much weaker Houndoom here.

His Shadow Claw hit again.

In the end, it was the Leech Seed that took the Houndoom out. There was no big, final hit. Houndoom simply ran out of energy.

But it had done its job, and it had lasted for several attacks past those two swings. Honestly, Preston never intended to win with it, anyway. Trevenant, as he stood, was now burned, poisoned, and incredibly tired. While the match had honestly not lasted that long at all, Trevenant had already spent so much of his reserves on healing.

He swayed in place.

Trevenant might have had his health, but he was severely low on energy. This was the side effect of over-relying on Harvest—focus too much on it, and the constant regrowth of berries would leave him feeling drained.

“Imagine,” Preston said as he pulled out a third Pokéball. “If I could combine that book’s information with all that reward money...”

“It’s not over yet. Send out your last Pokémon,” Sam snapped.

Preston just laughed. He might have let his previous two Pokémon faint easily enough, but he was more than just confident. He was absolutely sure he’d win.

Drakloak didn’t like that. Her glare was downright hostile. Sam could tell that even if he lost, she planned to do something. It also didn’t seem that Annihilape planned to stop her even though he was crouched less than a foot away.

But it won’t come to that. We still have a final trick. We just need to hope that Preston doesn’t send out a Pokémon that can float or relies on special attacks.

Still smiling, Preston released his final Pokémon. Like the Houndoom, it appeared close to the center of the field to make sure Trevenant remained trapped.

He obviously planned to make use of Trevenant’s Ingrain and his current lack of mobility.

“Absol, keep your distance,” Preston ordered. “Focus on pure defense. You don’t need to do anything—just let its poison and burn finish it off, and then we’ll win.”

The white-furred Pokémon hopped far back, moving with grace and agility. It landed silently right in front of Sam, the positions of the two trainers’ Pokémon having been effectively reversed.

From this range, Trevenant didn’t have many attacks. They’d been working on using Ghost Type energy, but he hadn’t managed to create anything resembling a Shadow Ball yet.

But that didn’t mean he was helpless.

In fact, Preston had made a critical mistake.

“You’ve lost,” Sam announced.

“What?” Preston looked bewildered. It was less that he believed Sam’s words and more that he could not understand how Sam reached that conclusion. “We... haven’t? Your Trevenant is about to faint. Even with whatever that berry-making move is, it’s not going to take out Absol.”

“You’re wrong,” Sam countered. “One of the very first things I learned about being a trainer was that status moves aren’t enough, and that’s your mistake. You can’t only rely on them to win a fight. You always need to use other moves in support.”

Preston shrugged. Sam’s Pokémon was stuck in place due to Ingrain. He looked unconvinced as the two Pokémon faced each other on the field.

“I’m pretty sure you’re just stalling, but it doesn’t matter. Trevenant can’t attack. Its Ingrain is preventing it from using its claw moves.”

For any other Pokémon, Preston might have been right, but just because Trevenant couldn’t use Shadow Ball, it didn’t mean he couldn’t use a different Ghost Type move.

Sam stayed quiet for just a moment longer to finally let Trevenant finish growing his last berry. He didn’t quite have the energy to continue relying on Harvest past that, but it was enough to give him the last bit of fuel to finish this fight.

One final crunch echoed out, and Trevenant’s fiery eye dimmed as he fought through the pain.

“You’re still wrong,” Sam said, the confidence in his voice growing. “Ingrain locks a Pokémon in place, but that’s only true for most Pokémon. You’re forgetting a crucial fact about the Ghost Type.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Ghost Types can’t be trapped,” Sam replied, his grin matching Preston’s own. “In fact, you should know that they can’t even be trapped by their own moves.”

He quietly thanked Morty for the information once again, and Trevenant disappeared from where he stood.

Shadows consumed him, and then those shadows disappeared. Despite his roots having been firmly plunged into the ground, only six, thick holes remained.

Preston’s eyes immediately went as wide as they could go, and he desperately searched the field but failed to find Trevenant. What he didn’t realize was that this was less of a trip through shadows as it was a step into somewhere else. Honestly, with how much Haunter and the Gastly relied on a similar technique, it was no surprise to Sam that Trevenant had managed to figure out this attack while traveling through the previous routes.

“Phantom Force,” Sam ordered.

The Absol at least detected Trevenant before he could reappear, as the Absol’s species was adept at sensing would-be sources of danger. Behind it, Trevenant returned to being from a shadow that rose out of the ground. Unfortunately, Trevenant wasn’t in a place to dodge its attack.

A sharp horn dug into his side, but Trevenant lunged toward his opponent regardless of the damage. His movement was more like the felling of a tree in a forest more than anything else. Using the momentum, he grabbed the Absol’s body with his claws before it could jump away, and it squirmed within his grip as he began to drain its energy through a continued use of Horn Leech.

“It’s over,” Sam said.

As much as Absol struggled in defiance, it could not escape Trevenant’s wooden grasp. It used what Dark Type moves it could, and a Knock Off even removed some half-grown berries, but Sam’s earlier call for Growth had been purposeful.

Enhancing Trevenant’s attack also meant enhancing his healing. Every bit of damage Trevenant inflicted also saw him heal. Throughout all of that, he was still under the effects of his Ingrain, as well. Phantom Force had simply moved him instead of stopping any beneficial effects. With Horn Leech, the Absol withered just as much as Trevenant had under Houndoom’s flames.

With everything combined, there wasn’t much the Absol could do. With this single surprise, before too long, that was it.

The battle ended.

“Told you,” Sam said with almost a sing-song voice.

Overall, the match was short. Trevenant was utterly exhausted, but he had won. On the side of the field, Drakloak looked as though she wanted to rush Preston now before he did anything else, but Annihilape stopped her by holding out an arm. She sent him an indignant look, but she accepted the threat for what it was and chose to stay back.

But it wasn’t like she needed to move forward, anyway. Preston wasn’t in a state to do anything currently. He looked dizzy. He glanced around the room as if he couldn’t process what he just witnessed. For some reason, his face suddenly became extremely pale.

“I... What?” His voice was quiet. “We lost? I lost? No, no we didn’t. We still... We can still get that reward, right?”

This was someone who was hit with more than just the loss of a single battle. This was someone who had just had his entire plan for the future pulled out from under him.

He wouldn’t be getting the New Pokédex. He wouldn’t be getting the reward for Dreepy. He would be getting nothing, and all his plans to keep going until the Conference had disappeared in an instant.

“The deal?” Sam asked.

Preston blinked and looked at him. His mouth opened and closed like someone trying to recover from a punch to the stomach.

“Y-yeah,” Preston said.

He returned his Absol first. Sam couldn’t blame him.

But he did release Dreepy. Even with the immense reward that would have come from turning in that Dragon Type, Preston kept his word. He didn’t try to run. He sent out Dreepy, as promised, and the Pokémon appeared on the floor.

Finally, Drakloak could wait no longer. She pushed past Annihilape’s arm to rush her sleeping brother, who was softly snoring on the floor. If it wasn’t for the Haunter’s Hypnosis, Dreepy would have been able to escape. He was a Ghost Type, after all, but it wasn’t like he could have done anything while unconscious and asleep.

The second Drakloak reached him, she slowed to bring her head down to her brother. She inspected him before nudging him softly, carefully waking him up.

Dreepy was slow to come to, but as if he was simply waking up from a late afternoon nap, he yawned and then groggily climbed back to his proper position on top of Drakloak’s head.

“I... This is for the best,” Preston mumbled, still mildly dazed. “Yeah. I was staking my team’s entire future on the fate of another Pokémon. It wouldn’t have been right.”

Drakloak sent him a disdainful look. On her head, Dreepy smacked his lips, and then he fell back asleep now he was in his rightful place.

Surprisingly, Preston laughed. Despite everything, a small smile forced his way onto his face.

“Yeah. Yeah! What else should I have expected? Us, winning? There wasn’t any other outcome. This was for the best,” he said, though his ‘cheery’ emotions were clearly fake. “I think... Once the high of that much money set in, the reality of what we did would have hit me. Yeah. I would have been guilty for the rest of my life.”

He stared at the floor.

“I would have been guilty for the rest of my life,” he repeated, speaking as if trying to convince himself.

“What Gyms do you have left? Other than just Jasmine?” Sam asked.

Preston looked up, surprised at suddenly being acknowledged.

“Clair,” he answered, “and her Dragon Types.”

Preston didn’t even blink at Sam’s wince.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Preston let out a sigh. “I have to get past the wall that is Jasmine’s Gym, and then I have to get through a bunch of fully evolved Dragon Types, too. I guess it might have been better for me to face Clair first, but she’s just so far out of the way that it didn’t make sense at the time. And... it’s not like my odds of getting through Jasmine’s eighth-badge team would have been any better if I can’t even get past her seventh.”

With that conclusion, he let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling.

While Preston was having his moment, Sam finally returned Trevenant. The tree Pokémon had been staring at him, patiently waiting for Sam to bring him back. The stasis-like function of the Pokéball would put his conditions on hold, but Sam knew he’d want to have Trevenant be healed here instead of the more distant Pokémon Center. With his level of exhaustion, it would be cruel to wait.

“Okay, look,” Sam said, “I know this wasn’t part of the bet, but if you really want some helpful information—”

“No. Keep it,” Preston interrupted. He shook his head in a rather self-deprecating way. “I don’t want something I didn’t earn. I was just trying to take the easy way out and look for a shortcut, but if I really want to win...”

A strange look entered his eye.

“Then I guess I just have to keep training. With a month left, we might be able to do it with hard work.”

Despite whatever newfound confidence he seemed to gain after this loss, there was still a sway to Preston’s steps when he finally left his trainer box. He hadn’t expected to lose, and missing out on such a ridiculous sum was not something anyone could recover from this quickly. All of this was just him trying to force a more positive reaction, but at least his words felt right.

He still shook Sam’s hand, and then he was out of the room. Sam had a feeling that Preston needed to be anywhere but here.

And his sudden absence left Sam alone. The only Pokémon still out were the two Dragon Types and Annihilape to the side.

“...I know he was trying to catch Dreepy, but I tried to do the same thing. He’s a Pokémon trainer. It’s what Pokémon trainers do. I just... I guess I hope he can find a way to win on his own.”

Drakloak replied with a scoff. She couldn’t care less about what happened to Preston.

With Dreepy still dozing on her head, she took this chance to begin to leave, slowly drifting towards the room’s side to not wake her brother by moving faster. However, before she could phase through the wall, Sam hurried to call out.

She actually stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Wait! Hold on!” he said, and Drakloak paused, still facing the wall. “Look, I really meant what I said earlier. If you want, I can bring you to a nurse who will make sure you’re brought home.”

For a while, Drakloak did nothing. Sam couldn’t see her face or any of her reactions with how she was facing away. Her tail, however, flicked back and forth in annoyance, and then a squeak came from atop her head.

Actually, many squeaks came from atop her head. Sam’s shout woke up Dreepy.

Having heard Sam’s offer, Dreepy wasn’t going to let things be. He ranted and ranted at his sister and pounded on her head to try to draw out a response. Hisses left his throat; he was annoyed. And, despite the difference in evolutionary stage, Drakloak did listen.

Finally, she had enough, and a sharp sound from Drakloak’s throat saw Dreepy go quiet. Turning around, she looked annoyed but did her best to share her thoughts. While she wasn’t accepting his offer to be brought back to Galar, from what Sam could tell, she did come to a decision:

If her brother was going to be so obstinate, the least Drakloak could do was tag along for a bit, she supposed.

_______________________________________________________________

Dragon Types were proud Pokémon. They were fiercely independent, too. Not every Dragon Type was as goofy as Redi’s Dragonair. It was rare for a Dragon Type to have the willingness to go up to a trainer and outright ask to be caught.

But, if they just happen to be around someone for a while, and if they just happen to stop by once or twice for a bit of training, then maybe they could also help out in a battle or two. And then at that point, it might just be easier for everyone involved for them to be carried along in a Pokéball. And then at that point, they might as well listen to the trainer’s commands.

When Haunter returned from passing over the Druddigon, he also returned carrying the empty Ultra Ball, which Sam made sure to keep in his pack—just in case. He also made sure to heal Trevenant at the central Pokémon Center, and then he left to return to that side Pokémon Center to give the nurse his final report.

All along the way, Drakloak and Dreepy were nowhere to be found. However, Haunter informed Sam that, yes, those two were nearby, but, no, they weren’t interested in returning to Galar. For now, at least, they planned to stick around. They might not be approaching right away, but Drakloak promised her brother she’d tag along for a little bit, so they’d be following and keeping watch from a distance.

Likely, for longer than just the period Sam was in Olivine.

Probably, for more than his stop in the next town.

Honestly, Drakloak and Dreepy would be nearby for at least the rest of the season.

And Sam wasn’t sure what to think about that, so he just focused on his visit back to the Pokémon Center, instead.

“So, you have more Dragon Types to pass on?” the nurse asked when Sam finally returned to her counter.

“No. I don’t think there are any Dragon Types left to catch,” Sam said. “We’ve scoured the city as much as possible. If there are any still around, they’ve already been caught or are far too good at hiding for my Pokémon to find.”

She nodded.

“I understand. You’ve done a great service. I’ve talked with the local ranger force, too. They’ve already managed to secure boats to their home regions to send all of them back.”

He breathed out in relief.

“I’m glad.”

“I am too!” the nurse replied. “But—with all this work, you deserve a reward, hm?”

She looked happy to be giving Sam something in return, but the idea of profiting off of poached Pokémon didn’t feel right. It left a sour feeling in his mouth; he had gone out to help them instead of going out to benefit from them. Even though whatever the nurse gave him wouldn’t be anywhere near as much as what the Blackthorn Clan offered, he couldn’t stomach the idea of taking a payment for this.

He cursed himself, but he had to go with his gut.

“Sorry. I have to turn that down. I didn’t do this to get paid.”

“And that’s exactly why you deserve at least something!” the nurse said. “The League requires us to give out a reward due to this exact kind of reaction!”

Sam just grimaced, but the nurse looked so hopeful in exchange.

It wasn’t like receiving a reward here would reduce the rewards others could potentially get. The League had an entire percentage of its budget reserved just to “pay” for actions like this. They wanted to encourage trainers to go out and do good deeds, so rewards were practically mandated whenever a trainer “performed a great deed.” And getting paid here would make Sam’s life a lot easier over the rest of the month, too.

But he just. Couldn’t. Not with everything that had gone on. Not when his actions had prevented so many other trainers from being paid, as well.

But the League demanded that he receive something, and he genuinely wasn’t allowed to say no. He just didn’t want it to be something so material—but at least he already knew from his past experiences that rewards didn’t explicitly need a monetary value.

“Alright, fine,” he started. “How about this? I do want something, but it might be a difficult reward.”

“Oh? I’m sure I can help,” the nurse said.

Sam breathed in.

“There’s still one more thing I want to do in Olivine, but my schedule is pretty tight,” he said, and the nurse raised her brow curiously. “I don't suppose you could call Olivine’s Gym for me? See, Jasmine’s been busy recently, but there's this match I want to have...”

===============================================================
Author Note:

In the games, Ingrain prevents a Pokémon from being switched out, but Ghost Types have a special interaction with it. They can’t be forcibly switched out, but they can still be willingly recalled. Trevenant’s use of Phantom Force was a reference to that niche interaction, but it’s not like Ingrain stops a Pokémon from using attacks, anyway.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Absol
Dreepy / Drakloak
Druddigon
Haunter
Houndoom

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