The drink Maylene offered them was disgusting. Inyssa scrunched her nose as the sour taste of lemon and cucumber water filled her mouth, and her gulp came not without effort. Sitting in front of her, the Gym Leader emptied the glass in a second, letting out a sigh of relief.
"So…" Inyssa spoke, shifting in the plastic chair. "Do you usually fight your own Pokemon?"
Maylene smiled, eyes brimming with energy. "Sometimes. I find it's a great way to understand the way they act in battle."
"But… don't you get hurt a lot?" Barry asked, concerned.
"They obviously don't use their full power on me," she clarified. "Otherwise I'd have more than my nose broken. Still, accidents happen once in a while, as you just saw."
Barry lowered his head in shame and his shoulders dropped, which Inyssa couldn't help but find adorable. A word which she couldn't really attach to the girl in front of her, even though they could be the same age for all she knew.
She reminded her of Reiko, especially in their eyes and the way they constantly frowned, even while smiling. However, while the redheaded trainer was beefy, Maylene leaned towards what she could only describe as fit and toned. Her arms weren't much bigger than hers, but she was pretty sure the Gym Leader could easily snap her in half with them.
Maylene took a strong bite from an energy bar before speaking. "So… I saw your fights against Fantina. That sure was a…" She tilted her head to the side, thinking of the correct word to use. "...spectacle."
Inyssa narrowed her eyes, not sure if it was supposed to be an insult.
"What did you think of it!?" Barry bounced excitedly on his seat. "Did you see my rock star outfit!?"
Maylene covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a chuckle. "I… sure saw it, yes. I'm not a huge fan of Fantina's eccentric way of battling her opponents..." A sour smile formed on her lips. "...But I have to admit that you two were… somewhat more impressive than average."
Oh, she's definitely trying to get a rise out of me, Inyssa thought. Either that or she was oblivious as hell.
"I'm glad we were good entertainment," she spat back. "But we came here because you called us. What did you want to talk about?"
Barry shot her a look which she interpreted as Niss, tact!, though she could've been imagining things
Maylene shone her a crooked smile. "Gardenia was right, you do go straight to the point every time. I like that." Inyssa scowled at her comment, slightly blushing. "I hate small talk, so I'm happy to oblige. I called you here for an apology, an explanation and a piece of advice."
Inyssa shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She had an idea what the apology was about, and she wasn't sure she was ready to hear it.
"First of all, I want to apologize for what happened during your trek to my city. It was… very unfortunate." She lowered her gaze, and Inyssa wasn't sure if she meant the fever or the fact that Enma had attacked her. "I also apologize for not being able to find your Monferno. My students tend to train a lot around the outskirts of the city, so I can assure you that if any of them had seen him, I would know."
A stab of pain tugged at Inyssa's heart, forcing her to lower her head. Yet almost immediately, Barry's hand found hers, their fingers interlacing unconsciously, warm and soft, just enough to dull the pain the Gym Leader's words caused her.
"Thanks," she replied dryly. "Guess he doesn't want to be found."
She didn't like how clearly her words reflected her mood, especially in front of someone who wasn't Barry. She looked away, shame creeping up on her, and simply waited for the Gym Leader to speak again.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually," she said casually while taking another bite of the energy bar. "It's not my job to explain this to you, but I might as well if that old crook Rowan didn't bother with it." She shook her head and hrumphed, a clear look of irritation on her face. "Seriously, greatest professor in the region my ass."
Both trainers stared at her in confusion, and Inyssa couldn't decide whether to be thankful that she wasn't taking useless pity on her or offended that she'd just insulted Rowan.
"But… the professor is awesome!" Barry complained. "What do you mean?"
Maylene let out a sarcastic laugh. "He hasn't been anything close to awesome ever since he gave up the title of Gym Leader and dedicated himself to doing boring research and paperwork. And to think I'm related to him…"
Inyssa's eyes went wide. "A… Gym Leader?"
"You're both related!?" Barry yelled in disbelief.
"I… thought you knew." Maylene frowned. "Well, doesn't surprise me he wouldn't want to share that information. Yes, Rowan was the Gym Leader of this town before my mother took over, and long before I succeeded her. And yes, we are related. He is my grandfather." She shrugged. "Though I don't personally think it's a big deal."
Inyssa didn't miss the poison behind her words, nor the way what was left of the energy bar crumbled under the grip of her fingers, coating them with that dusty substance which she hated. She could relate to her, at least when it came to the unpleasantness of being unfairly compared to your more talented family members.
"As… I was saying," she continued after taking a deep breath. "Inyssa, your Monferno. I'm guessing his attitude took a change for the worst after he evolved?"
She leaned back, eyebrows knitting together. She'd never considered the possibility, though she remembered Enma being slightly more obedient when he was a Chimchar.
"I… think so, yes."
Maylene nodded, as if she'd known the answer all along. "I'm guessing you know that, until almost two years ago, Charmander was the Pokemon we gave rookie trainers when they wanted a fire type starter."
She nodded, the image of her sister's Charizard flashing through her mind and making the skin on the back of her neck tingle. She hadn't run into a more terrifying beast yet, not even Palmer's Salamence.
"Why do you think that is?" Maylene asked. "Why import an already rare Pokemon all the way from Kanto when we have Chimchar here?"
"Are you actually asking us or is this rethor-?" Barry started to ask.
"This isn't something they'd teach you at trainer school." Maylene interrupted him. "But it boils down to the difference in the two Pokemon's types."
Inyssa flicked her tongue, feeling lost already. "What do types have to do with it?"
"Types determine a lot more than what kind of power your partners wield," Maylene explained, resting her cheek on one palm. "It has been proven that the type of a Pokemon can heavily affect their personality, were they to fail to keep their base instincts in check. There's a reason novice trainers tend to stick to types like grass, water, normal, bug… etcetera." She did a twirl with the fingers of her free hand. "And it's the reason you'll rarely see one of them with a dragon or ghost type. They're either too proud or too difficult for them to control."
She glanced at the arena, where a few drops of blood still stained the sand. "Fighting types, for example. It's said they are born with a stalwart sense of discipline and a desire to prove themselves. Then, there are fire types…" She looked up at Inyssa when she said that. "Reckless, proud to a fault and prone to letting their emotions control them."
The shadow of a smile washed over her lips, and Inyssa had to wonder whether she was talking about fire Pokemon or her.
"I'm guessing you're not a fan," said Barry.
"Oh, I am. Those types of Pokemon can be trained into loyal, powerful companions," she replied. "But it's clear that out of the three options for a starter, fire is the most difficult one to raise."
Realization hit her then, about as ruthlessly as that Hitmonchan had dug his fist into Maylene's face.
"Monferno is both those types," she whispered, eyes opening wide.
Barry connected the dots at that point too, breathing in a bit too deeply. "So you think Enma..."
Maylene nodded. "This is obviously not universal, but when those two types mix the results tend to be… complicated. The fighting type's discipline and restraint is heavily suppressed by fire type's dangerous sense of pride and short fuse. The only thing from the first that remains is their constant desire to get stronger, no matter the cost."
A gulp of air escaped her lips, and her heart ached with the memory of that night. The burning anger in those red eyes, the clear contempt directed at her. His firm belief that his own trainer was holding him back…
"The Chimchar evolutionary line is extremely dangerous for a novice trainer to have as their first Pokemon," Maylene continued. "Which is why they were banned until Rowan pleaded to the Association to change that."
Inyssa gulped, her throat dry. "Why… did he do that? If he knew…"
"He didn't heed my mother's warnings." Maylene bit her lip, letting out a heavy sigh. "The guy's a softie, as scary as he might look. He thought types had nothing to do with a Pokemon's personality, and even if they did he trusted the rookies of Sinnoh to be talented enough to counteract the possible problems that might arise. Of course, that damned Champion agreed with him wholeheartedly, so the ban was lifted."
Another violent tug inside her chest, another shake of her lips and sting on her eyes. So Rowan believed in her, and she'd done nothing but let him down.
The girl seemed to pick up on her expression. "Don't think badly of yourself. They're both wrong," she declared matter of factly. "Sure, the personality traits I just described are nothing more than base instincts, something the Pokemon can usually control and surpass. I've met plenty of Chimchar who were nice and cuddly, with not a pint of aggression in them. But there's always that one outlier…" She sighed and looked at Inyssa. "Who embraces their own nature to a dangerous degree."
"Enma…" Inyssa said, voice whisper thin.
"From what I've heard of your starter, that might just be the case. Still, the fact you've been able to keep him at bay for so long is very impressive." She sent a smile her way, one which Inyssa ignored by looking down. "It wasn't meant to last, though. The moment his ability activated it was all over."
Barry narrowed his eyes, speaking for the first time in minutes. "Ability?"
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"Oh…" Inyssa bit her lip. She'd forgotten to mention that. "It's… kind of the reason… all that happened. Enma entered some sort of frenzy, and his eyes turned red all of a sudden. The Pókedex said it was something called Blaze."
Maylene nodded. "It's an ability that belongs to a few fire Pokemon, one that makes them stronger the more damage they take." She leaned forward, thin pink eyebrows joining. "That's what the Pókedex says, anyways. There's a little detail it fails to inform, one that the Association doesn't want rookie trainers to know. You've seen it firsthand Inyssa, didn't it remind you of something?"
Reminded her of… Inyssa blinked a few times, having to mentally go through the events of last week in her head. More flashes, more of that burning red that still clung to her nightmares. Bared fangs, fire being thrown her way and…
There was something else. Something she'd only caught a glimpse of for a single second, when she tried to calm her starter down.
"He looked… afraid," she spoke without realizing, looking up to Maylene. "Like… he was defending himself from me."
She once again felt Barry's worried eyes on her, and unconsciously grabbed onto his hand stronger than before.
"You have good eyes." Maylene smiled. "Your Monferno was scared of losing against an opponent he saw as weaker than himself, so he pushed through his own exhaustion and gave himself to that fear, drawing power from it. The truth of the matter is that Blaze is as much an ability as it is a weaponized panic attack."
The air seemed to grow thicker as Inyssa heard those words. It all made sense all of a sudden. What she'd forced her own starter to go through…
"I know you must have been blaming yourself for what happened," Maylene told her. "But believe me, no trainer short of an Elite Four member or the Champion could've dealt with the situation better than you did. There was nothing you could have done to prevent him attacking you."
Inyssa bit down on the heat boiling just beneath her surface, bubbling and growing and making the inside of her skin itchy. She didn't need pity from Maylene, she didn't need it from anyone.
"Which brings me to my last point." Maylene took a deep breath. "It's possible that your Monferno is out there somewhere, ashamed of what he did and scared to face you. It's also possible that he's still angry at you. Whatever the reason for his absence, you have a choice in front of you." Her eyes fell on Inyssa's belt. "As long as you have his Pokeball with you, your Monferno will remain yours and he won't be able to be caught by any other trainer. It also means you'll be stuck with at best five members of your team unless you either find him or you put his Pokeball in the deposit system."
The implication didn't fly over Inyssa's head and she didn't like it one bit, if the furious beating of her heart was anything to go by. She didn't want to hear it either, but she really had no choice in the matter.
"You also have the choice of breaking his Pokeball. This would mean he is no longer yours and would turn him into a wild Pokemon again. It will also let you have a sixth member of your team, were you to catch one." She looked at her with pity. "I won't tell you what I think you should do. I just wanted you to know that what happened wasn't your fault, and you have the option to start again if you so wished. I could even convince Rowan to give you a Charmander, if you'd like."
Inyssa's palms fell on the table, creating a deaf thump which startled Barry and prompted Maylene to raise an eyebrow. She pushed herself to her feet, head lowered. Fingertips turned white as she pushed them strongly against the white plastic.
"Thanks for the offer," she said, voice plain as a grey wall. "But I'm not interested in getting a handout or pretending I didn't make any mistakes, by releasing Enma."
Maylene opened her mouth to speak, to probably tell her that what had happened wasn't her fault, but Inyssa interrupted her.
"I appreciate that you're worrying about me, but you don't need to give me any excuses for me to latch onto," she continued. "You said no one short of the Champion could've handled that situation better? Since I will one day bear the title, it means I still failed. You can spin it however you want, but the truth is that I wasn't good enough. But next time will be different…" She curled her fingers into fists. "I'll find Enma. He's still my partner and I'm gonna make it up to him. I'll prove to him that I'm worthy to be his trainer."
A few heartbeats passed, with two sets of light brown eyes set on her. Barry's felt the gentlest, a gust of warmth which let her breathe steadily under Maylene's, which were piercing her without anything resembling mercy or restraint.
She looked down after what felt like a minute, and Inyssa couldn't help but sigh in relief. The Gym leader stood up as well, and smiled.
"That's the kind of answer I expected from someone like you," she said, tone not quite revealing if she considered that a good thing. "I'll respect your decision, and let you take care of the situation."
"Thank you."
Barry stood up and sent a smile her way, all sweet and full of soft things that stuck to Inyssa's chest and sent tingles through her body. I'm proud of you, his eyes seemed to say.
"Alright then…" Maylene threw her arms behind her head, stretching. "Now that's taken care of, should we start?"
The tender moment between the two trainers was somewhat ruined by their confusion at her words. They both raised an eyebrow in unison.
"The… the Pokemon battle," she explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You think I just called you here for a relaxing talk? I need to warm up my knuckles somehow!"
The sudden excitement in her voice startled them, and the somewhat unhinged smile she showed certainly didn't give them an incentive not to take a step back.
"Hold on..." Inyssa put her hands between her and the Gym leader, gulping. "We… we didn't come here for a Gym fight! We're not ready to-"
"Oh, I know that," said Maylene. "This won't be an official battle, I just want to get to know both of you better." She put both hands on her hips. "And the best way to do that is to exchange blows with someone! Though unfortunately not many people are martial artists, so I gotta settle for a simple Pokemon fight."
There didn't seem to be a lot of room for refusing, not when the young Leader's terrifying expression fell on them with the weight of a mountain. Both trainers felt a shiver up their spine and stood up straight, looking at each other worriedly. Without saying another word Maylene walked towards the arena, taking a Pokeball out of her pocket.
"We'll start with you, Inyssa," she said with her back to them. "Go to the other side and present to me your best fighter."
She did as she was told for once. Even though she could still feel the remnants of her sickness tugging down at her legs and sending waves of weakness through the rest of her body, she did her best to appear confident as she stood at her side of the arena.
My best fighter…
Her hand moved before she consciously made a choice. The light of the Pokeball made her eyes flinch, and from it emerged the silhouette of Shadi, standing tall and proud with her sharp scythes at her side.
"Good choice," Maylene nodded from her spot. "Since you're showing me your best Pokemon, I will do the same."
The beast which emerged from Maylene's Pokeball looked Inyssa's way, and she felt his eyes shaking her to her core.
He was tall and bipedal, a canine creature with blue and black fur. Spikes grew from his chest and the back of his forepaws, and the black fur over his face almost made it look like he was wearing a bandana. Without realizing Inyssa took the Pókedex out of her pocket and pointed it at the beast.
Lucario: The Aura Pokemon - Fighting/Steel Type. It can sense the life energy, emotions and mental state of every living being in a half a mile radius. It doesn't rely on its sight, as it can detect its opponents even with its eyes closed. Its fighting style can be described in one word: ruthless.
Well that seems a little excessive, Inyssa thought through her dazed state. She'd never felt a Pokemon's overwhelming power hit her so hard, especially not from such a distance nor having said Pokemon not move a single inch yet. Maylene seemed to realize this.
"You picked up on the difference in strength right away, huh? You really are something else. When I said he was my strongest I wasn't joking; he is way above any of your Pokemon in terms of power, which is why I wouldn't use him if this were an official battle." She made the Pokeball spin on her index finger. "I will give you a small advantage though. My Lucario will not use any special attacks; instead he'll rely only on his physical prowess to defeat you."
Inyssa forced herself to let out a laugh of annoyance, one which did its best to push against the uneasiness swallowing her body.
"You shouldn't underestimate me," she growled. "Shadi, X-Scissor!"
Her roar imbued the Kricketune with strength, and free of all doubt she threw herself at her opponent, scythes brimming with energy.
The battle lasted less than a minute, and it wasn't pretty to watch. The Lucario's body disappeared in a flash as Shadi's scythes reached him, and before her feet could land he buried his fist on her stomach, sending the poor Kricketune about twenty feet towards Inyssa, raising a cloud of dust where she fell.
She got up and tried again, but no matter what kind of attack or strategy Inyssa tried to come up with the Lucario would simply dodge the scythes without any effort at all and deliver a devastating punch in response, which itself felt somewhat restrained.
Something was wrong, Inyssa realized instantly, and it had nothing to do with either of the Pokemon fighting. She could feel her own mind working slower than usual as she tried to force herself to come up with a plan to win the battle. She was lost, her thoughts scattered and her will fading.
Shadi's legs lost strength as she fell for the last time, losing consciousness even before she hit the floor. Shame creeping through her throat, Inyssa returned her to her Pokeball, fingers white from grabbing it so strongly. She looked up to Maylene and expected a witty remark or a mocking laugh or anything; instead she was met with a curious look and a slow nod.
"Alright…" she said as her eyes set on the boy at the right side of the arena. "Barry, you're next."
His battle went only slightly better than hers. Pedri managed to hold off the Lucario's overwhelming offensive for about two minutes before succumbing to it. His sturdy body allowed him to counterattack after each punch, and while he did no significant damage he was able to land a single cut on his cheek. A whistle of surprise came from Maylene as it happened.
Barry similarly lowered his head in shame as he returned his starter, and Inyssa couldn't help but feel bad for him. She walked towards her friend and put a hand on his shoulder.
Without a single word between trainer and Pokemon Maylene returned Lucario to his Pokeball, and walked towards them with an expression of relief.
"That was just what I needed for a warm up." She smiled, feeling the weight of the trainer's angry eyes. "What? I said you had no chance of winning. Still, I'm impressed you managed to hold out as much as you did."
She crossed her arms, grabbing onto her own biceps with grip of steel. Her eyebrows knit together all of a sudden, and her expression changed to one of seriousness.
"You still have a lot to learn, though," she said. "Inyssa, your Kricketune seemed to trust you fully, but her technique lacked a lot of polish. A full two seconds to charge each attack? That's ludicrously slow, especially for someone who's already gotten through three Gyms already." She grabbed her chin and looked down contemplatively. "I presume your mind is and has always been your strongest weapon when it comes to battling. That's nice, but in situations like these where your thoughts are clouded, your Pokemon are left in a bad situation since they have to fend off with their strength alone, which is not enough."
Inyssa couldn't contain the murderous look she gave Maylene, even if deep down her words rang true.
"You haven't been training much lately, have you?" she asked, and Inyssa figured it was rhetoric. "It shows. If you're as serious as you say you are about becoming the Champion the you need to train your Pokemon at least six days a week and in a more serious manner. With the exception of that little ghostie you fought Fantina with, all your Pokemon seemed pampered."
Okay, that's fucking offensive, the fire inside her chest said as Inyssa curled her fingers into fists. Without paying any mind to it Maylene turned towards Barry.
"As for you," she told the boy, making him flinch with her eyes only. "Your Pokemon are physically stronger and faster than hers, which I'm sure comes from the unique way in which you train them. However, your style of battling was too simple, and you seemed to be holding back the whole time."
Barry gulped and looked down, embarrassed by the sermon he was receiving.
"It seems you could both learn some things from each other," she said. "That's another one of the reasons I called you here. I'm willing to give both of you a training routine specifically built for your Pokemon. I know you're not planning on being here forever. Still, I'd say that a week under my wing should be enough to give both of you a fair chance at beating me."
They were both taken aback by her proposal, especially Inyssa. She stood still for a few seconds, wondering if she'd really heard what she said correctly.
"Why are you trying to help us so much?" she couldn't help but ask.
Maylene laughed. A short, high pitched laugh which made it seem like she'd heard something either too funny or too stupid.
"I thought Fantina explained it to you already." She shook her head, still smiling. "I'm a Gym Leader. My job is to do everything in my power to make you leave this town stronger than you were when you came in. And…" She shrugged. "I do admit, I'm slightly biased after watching your match against her, and after hearing your response earlier. Sue me."
After saying those words she let out the deepest sigh of relief Inyssa had ever heard, and her shoulders dropped as if a mountain had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Oh my god, I am not used to speaking so much," she laughed. "I'm gonna need a couple liters of water after this, my mouth is so dry. Still, I gotta do what mom did before me and help you guys out, right?" she asked, as if she couldn't fathom them saying no. "I hope I did a good job. I've been a Gym Leader since the start of the year only, and it's a lot harder than I expected."
Inyssa really didn't know what to say. She was overwhelmed by Maylene's strangely positive attitude towards them. It felt heavier and more genuine than Fantina's, especially since the girl was their age and gained nothing from pretending to like them for publicity.
She didn't need to give a response though, since Barry did that for her.
"I think you're doing an amazing job already," he said, tone sweet and full of warmth. "Right, Niss?"
He turned toward her, brimming with excitement, which was enough to turn Inyssa's frown upside down.
"Well... I like you more than Fantina and Roark, if that means anything to you."
"We'd be happy to train with you!" Barry nodded energetically. "There's a lot of people who also believe in us and we're not gonna let them down! We're gonna become the Champions!"
Barry's vigor was so contagious that Inyssa felt the weakness clinging to her bones disappear as she stared lovingly at him. She gave another slow, thoughtful nod and locked eyes with Maylene.
"Fine, we'll be your students for a week," she said. "You better not waste my time."