"Hi! You're Inyssa, right? Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"I do. Leave me alone."
Such exchanges made up about ninety percent of the interactions she had with the trainers of Pastoria during the following days. It was hard deciding who was more annoying; those who stared at them from afar or the ones who were bold enough to approach and talk to them. She respected the latter a bit more, but also wanted to deck them in the face so it kinda cancelled out.
In any other scenario she might have found the whole thing flattering and somewhat exciting. However, between her still simmering anger from her exchange with Reiko and the fact that more and more stupid rumors started coming out in response to her antisocial attitude, she wasn't exactly in the mood to be dealing with people.
The exception was Barry, who god bless him did his best to counteract the impact her mood was having on their image as trainers. He tried to maintain a cheerful and carefree attitude with all the people who approached him, but still, she could see that he wasn't used to being so sociable.
To make it up to him, she did all she could to help him with his training while she did hers. Their schedule wasn't as harsh as the one they'd followed in Eterna, but the tasks they prepared for their Pokemon were quite complex. Inyssa's were getting closer to finally getting past the threshold of Maylene's training, while Barry was having a bit more difficulty with his. For starters he kept telling her that he had no idea what the Gym Leader had meant when she said he was holding himself back.
Inyssa bit her lip and looked down. She knew exactly what she'd meant, but was a bit scared that her friend would take it the wrong way if she told him bluntly.
"It'll be okay," she said at the end of their training, patting him on the shoulder. "Just… trust your instincts when you fight Crasher Wake and you'll be fine."
Wow, who taught you how to be supportive, the inside of a fucking fortune cookie?
They headed back to town once the sun started to go down, frustration and disappointment clogging up the air like smoke. They would finally hang out with Lucas in a nearby café, and Inyssa wasn't sure if she was up for it or not. Maybe the sight of that dumb nerd would ease the burning knot inside her stomach, or in the worst case scenario it might be somewhat fun.
After taking a deserved shower and rinsing the dirt and dust off her with her favorite lemon-scented soap she headed to the accorded place with Barry. Even though it was getting dark and the faraway breeze of the sea refreshed them a bit, it was still a tad hotter than she would've liked. Not to mention the humidity, which made her feel like she was breathing water every time she inhaled.
A combination of all those annoyances might explain why she did what she did. After almost half an hour of walking they found the café Lucas mentioned, and just before they went in someone approached her from one of the nearby tables. A short, dark-skinned girl, probably one or two years younger than them, with soft, droopy eyes. Nervousness was written all over her face.
"Uh… excuse me," she said, looking down at her hands. "Are you Inyssa? I wanted to know if I could…"
It was an exhausting, bursting kind of anger the one which flooded her at that moment. It didn't last long, fading as soon as she opened her mouth and replied.
"Dear god, fuck off!"
She regretted her words as soon as they came out, and the way Barry looked at her didn't exactly help the situation. The girl's eyes shone with what looked like tears, and without saying anything she turned around and ran back to her table, where two older teens conversed with each other.
Inyssa looked at her feet, trying to avoid Barry's judging eyes as much as she could. Just what she needed, another reason to feel like an asshole.
"Let's go inside," was all she said as she opened the door.
As it was, seeing Lucas did cheer her up. Something about the way his round cheeks puffed up as he smiled and his eyes shone with excitement… she simply couldn't be mad at him.
"Well if it isn't the disappearing guy!" Barry put his hands on his hips, trying to sound offended. "Already found better friends than us?"
Panic appeared in the boy's face. "What? No! I was just… I was doing research and had to meet with someone and…"
"He's just messing with you," she said, elbowing Barry in the side. "Come on, let's find a table before I fall asleep on my feet."
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They chose one of the tables in the back and close to the windows, so as to be out of the view of everyone else. As they exchanged stories of what they'd done in the time they hadn't seen each other, the orders came in. Inyssa asked for a slice of velvet cake with a cherry smoothie, Lucas for blueberry muffins with sparkling water and Barry for two slices of lemon pie and a soda. She had no idea how his body could process so much sugar, but she'd given up on understanding the boy's odd metabolism a long time ago.
"Ahh… I'm so glad." Lucas put a hand on his chest once she finished telling her side of the story. "Thank goodness you made it safely out of that. I heard a lot of rumors about what happened, and I got worried."
"Sorry for not telling you before," Barry apologized with a smile. "It… kinda slipped our mind."
Inyssa nodded. "Lots of stuff happened. Still, thanks for not believing the stupid shit people are saying about us."
"Always proof check your information!" Lucas raised one finger, smiling. "That's the number one rule for a scientist."
Dork, Inyssa thought as she took the glass to her mouth to hide her smile.
"Lucas, there is a very important question we need to ask you," she said after drinking some, a mustache of cherry smoothie pasted to her upper lip.
"The most important question!" Barry yelled, throwing his arms into the air. "Ice cream depends on it!"
Lucas was taken aback, fingers tightly gripping the glass in front of him. "W-what is it?"
Barry and her exchanged a knowing look, nodding at each other.
"Were you on a date a couple days ago?"
Her question hit the poor boy like a hammer. He sat stunned for a few moments, until the full realization of what she was implying fell over him. Eyes went wide as plates and she could swear his hair poofed up somewhat.
"No! I wasn't!" Lucas leaned forward, almost toppling the table. "I was with someone I know but it was because of research discussion and it wasn't a date I swear!"
Inyssa raised an eyebrow, amused, and formed a sly smile directed at Barry.
"Dangit Lucas!" The boy fell back on his chair, crossing his arms. "Now I need to get you an actual date so I can win back that ice cream!"
Lucas' cheeks went red as he grabbed the edges of the table. "If you don't want to lose then maybe stop betting on my love life! That's super rude!"
"I would describe it more as being interested in your love life," Inyssa said, making air quotes. "In the same way an investor is interested in a rising company."
"Or a Mandibuzz in someone dying on the desert," Barry added.
Lucas's shoulders dropped as he sighed. "You two are the worst." He tried to contain a smile. "I'm really glad I can hang out with you again."
Barry returned the sentiment, as expected. Inyssa however, being a minefield of social anxiety and having absolutely no idea how to take a compliment in a healthy way, simply scoffed and looked at the side as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"Anyway, what have you been up to here?" she asked, trying to derail the conversation. "You said you were doing some kind of research?"
In the amount of time it took her to take a couple more bites and Barry to finish both his slices the boy described the incident near Lake Valor, and how he'd barely escaped death thanks to the stranger that rescued him. Judging by the way his voice stuttered for a moment and his slight blush Inyssa figured he was the person he'd gone on a date with. Not that she would mention it; that would make her the loser of the bet after all.
"That's… interesting," she said. "Azelf, huh? And this guy thinks its disappearance is the reason everything around the lake is dying?"
Barry knit his eyebrows. "I dunno… sounds kinda out there. Do you really think he was saying the truth?"
"It's as good as explanation as any," she shrugged. "And considering the shit we've seen I'm not gonna play the skeptic right now. In the movies those are the ones that die first because they didn't believe that the legendary Pokemon was behind it all."
Lucas nodded nervously. "I had trouble believing it at first, but he seemed very sure of what he was saying." His gaze went to the small backpack sitting at his side. "I would love to do more research on the subject, but I have my hands pretty full at the moment."
"What are you studying right now?" Barry asked.
"Oh! You'll love this!" A huge smile appeared on the boy's face as he took out one of his Pokeballs. "It's about my new Pokemon! Here, I'll show you outside."
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Inyssa had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
The flash of light had blinded her for a moment, and as soon as it dissipated she found herself in front of an avian creature as tall as her, with eyes like shining rubies. His entire body was covered in protective metal armor, and the enormous wings resting at his side looked sharper than anything she'd ever seen.
"Holy crap…" Barry whispered, taking a step back. "You caught a Skarmory!?"
"Yeah, well…"
Inyssa interrupted him, eyes wide open in shock. "How on earth did you catch a fucking Skarmory!?"
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The volume of her voice seemed to disturb the beast, who raised his beak ever so slightly and simply stared. Inyssa had to stop herself from shaking.
"As I was saying…" Lucas reiterated, putting a palm on the Pokemon's forehead. "This is my friend: Kevorkian. The man who rescued me in Lake Valor gave him to me in exchange for that Drapion."
She looked at the boy, head tilted to the side, and frowned. "You… how did you get it to obey you?" she asked, incredulous. "Skarmory has a four-star danger rating; they are one of the most dangerous Pokemon you can run into!"
"It's so cool!" Barry yelled next to her, flapping his hands. "His wings are like swords!"
Kevorkian seemed unimpressed by the boy's praise, since it started to peck at his wings with his beak, as if attempting to sharpen them. His expression wasn't that of one of the most terrifying predators in existence; more like a bored Pokemon who wished he were asleep.
"He's actually really laid back," said Lucas. "Which is good because he's the basis of my studies."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Wings like swords!" Barry repeated, excitement clear in his voice. "WingSwords!"
Lucas chuckled. "They… sure are, and that's basically the focus of my research." He started rubbing the Pokemon's head playfully. "You see, the metal encasing Skarmory is actually incredibly light and aerodynamic, which is why they can fly at speeds of up to two hundred miles per hour. To this day no one has been able to create a metal with those properties. Luckily a Skarmory's feathers can be extracted and be grown back painlessly, and a lot of people have used them as swords in the past. However, I think that's being shortsighted." He smiled to himself. "This metal has too many amazing properties to be used only for creating weapons; which is why I've been working on something else to use it on."
Inyssa blinked a couple times, having trouble following his reasoning. "And what would that be?"
Lucas winked and raised a finger at her. "Ah, that's a secret! I already sent my papers to a manufacturer yesterday, so the first prototype should arrive in at most a week from now."
"That's awesome!" Barry nodded enthusiastically. "Oh man I can't wait to see what that is!"
"Yeah, I'm honestly curious too," she admitted.
The boy blushed, twiddling his fingers. "T-thank you. And… Barry." He looked up at him. "If I remember correctly your birthday should be sometime next week, right? I read it in your trainer card," he clarified before Inyssa could make fun of him. "Who knows, I might be able to give you one of the prototypes as a gift if you're still here by then."
Barry's hair flopped around everywhere from how excitedly he nodded. "Yeah, we'll definitely be here then!"
"We're trying to take it easy from now on," she explained. "We've gone at a pretty hectic pace the last few months; we can afford to enjoy our journey a bit more."
"Besides, we have that party in the Great Marsh!" Barry said. "And it falls right on my birthday so we can't miss it."
"Party?" Lucas' nose perked up.
She explained the details of the party she'd found out during her time in Pastoria. From what she'd read it was a yearly event celebrated to honor Azelf, who according to legend turned the Great Marsh from a lifeless wasteland into the thing it was today. From it sprouted a wellspring of life, and the city was established next to the marsh shortly after. On the surface it sounded quite formal, but Inyssa was convinced that after so many years it had just turned into an excuse for teens to throw a party with loud music and alcohol.
"In summation we're gonna roast stuff over the bonfire and probably drink something. You wanna come?"
Lucas seemed really unsure, judging by the way his shoulders were squared and his hands clasping each other. She was convinced he would say no and give them an excuse, but after a few moments he nodded nervously.
"Sure… sounds fun."
Somewhat stunned, she walked forward and gave him a pat on the back, smiling. Also tried not to use too much force, since the Skarmory had his eyes on her and she didn't wish to be turned into tiny Inyssa slices.
"We might have to be going since it's getting late," she said, looking up at the sky. "Are you free tomorrow? At around five?"
"I think so, why?"
She exchanged looks with Barry, and noticed the slight nervousness rising through his facade. Not missing a beat she grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly.
"Tomorrow we're taking on the Gym Leader." She puffed her chest up. "Win or lose, we'll show this city what a true trainer looks like."
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Barry faced the next day as best he could, even though his confidence was somewhere between his ankles and the floor.
They began by sleeping until late and eating a healthy lunch, followed by two hours of training. After that they came back to take a shower and get ready; with half an hour or so to sharpen their senses and collect their thoughts. He would've almost wished not to have that time, since waiting only made him more nervous.
The moment they entered the Gym they noticed quite a few trainers standing around, most of which turned to look their way, curious.
"They must've heard we booked a fight for today," Niss said, unimpressed.
"I'm kinda tingly," he admitted, scratching the inside of his arms. "Having people look so much makes me nervous."
"Let them watch," she said. "We'll show them something amazing."
The main arena was located behind the one they'd fought in a few days before, similarly to the way Maylene's Gym was laid out. What was different however was that instead of having a rectangular patch of sand it was a deep pool instead, with dozens of floating platforms sprinkled everywhere. At the sides were the spectator stands, where already a few dozen people waited expectantly. Not anywhere near as many as in Hearthome's stadium, but he was okay with that.
"Hey, Barry." Niss tapped his hand strongly, voice lit up. "Look!"
He followed her eyes, and enthusiasm, to where their opponent stood at the opposite side of the arena. His stomach dropped as he laid eyes on the man he'd admired so much in his childhood; Crasher Wake. Even from such distance he looked a lot taller than them. He wore tight, blue wrestler pants with orange boots and bracelets, and was topless other than that, showing the gut of a man close to his forties. Adorning his face was the mask he'd worn for his entire career; modeled after the head of a Gyarados.
Too stunned to speak, they stood close to the challenger's spot for a few seconds, until they saw him uncross his arms and smile. An unmistakable wave of confidence hit Barry from where he stood, making him shudder.
"Welcome, Barry Paladino and Inyssa Dawn!" His voice seemed to almost shake the ground beneath him. "I take it you're the challengers I've heard so much about? Well, let me tell you something, you two!" He threw his hand forward, pointing at them with his finger. "You better be ready to give it your all, and then some! I am the one and only Crasher Wake; master of the ocean's wrath and the symbol of justice, OH YEAH!"
Clapping and cheering reached them from the podiums. It seemed they'd started filling up quite nicely; now there were at least a hundred people staring at them from above. Barry caught the bright red of someone's hair, and figured that Reiko and Percy were there as well.
He formed a lopsided, wavy smile. To be in such a position, finally hearing Crasher Wake's signature introduction in person, he couldn't help but feel reinvigorated. His usual energy started flooding from the inside of his body, traveling through his veins like an electrical current. A look at his side told him that Niss felt the same way.
Then, out of nowhere a voice exploded from the speakers hanging at the sides of the podiums, startling him.
"Gooood day ladies, gents and all the rest!" It was a girl speaking, her voice what he imagined an Exploud in human form would sound like. "As you all know I'm Marissa, number one student of Crasher Wake and charmer extraordinaire, and I am joined on this lovely evening by the one and only Matchstick!"
"The contestants today seem promising, don't you think?" The second voice was that of a young man, his tone a lot mellower. "These two have already made a name for themselves during their recent Gym battles."
Niss laughed, shaking her head slightly.
"Commentators, eh?" She grabbed one hand with the other, cracking her knuckles. "Looks like we're getting the whole package today."
"This is the best day of my life," Barry whispered back, smiling from ear to ear.
"On this side!" The girl shouted, almost blowing everyone's eardrums up. "We have the Child of Thorns: Inyssa, and the Yellow Hurricane: Barry! The first is the very tired and somewhat evil looking miss at the right; she's a tactician with a mind sharper than a Scyther's… uh… scythe." Each word was strangely pronounced, as if she were too excited to say some of them. "And the second! His Pokemon are fast as lightning and hit like a hammer; if there's an obstacle in his way this trainer will plow right through it! Fresh from Twinleaf Town; I present to you the power couple that's razing through Sinnoh in search for the one and only title of Champion!"
They both shifted uncomfortably at the term power couple, trying to act as though they hadn't heard it.
"However! There is a barrier standing in their way." Barry could almost feel her enthusiastic pointing towards the man at the other side of the arena. "And in order to overcome it they must defeat our mighty Gym Leader: Crasher Wake! How will they fare against such a challenge? That's what we're here to find out, folks!"
Waves and waves of ovations filled the arena, filling Barry with a strange mix of anxiety and enthusiasm.
"Please, if you will: Let the first contestant step forward," the tired sounding man said.
Barry took the first step before Inyssa could react. He didn't know why; they'd both agreed that she should be the first to go so that he could take notes on Wake's battling style and be ready for the fight.
But that wouldn't do anymore. He was a trainer, and he couldn't just tail behind his friend his entire life. If he wanted to be the Champion he'd be ready for any challenge, no matter how unexpected it might be.
"Knock it out of the park!" Niss yelled behind him. He smiled.
He stood on his side of the arena, across from the man he had to defeat. Crasher Wake raised both hands to the side and the entire place fell silent. They both took out a Pokeball at the same time.
"No hesitation! That's what I like to see from my opponents!" the man yelled, winding back his arm. "Hear this, young man. My Pokemon have been toughened up by the most ruthless of storms! If you think you can beat them then give it your best!"
Two balls of light exploded at opposite sides of the pool, materializing into their Pokemon. On Barry's side appeared Kitsune, who fell swiftly on one of the floating platforms. In front of him an enormous fish-looking creature showed its ugly head. Its body was bright red, with multiple white fins coming from the sides and back of its body. Between its eyes was a sturdy, silver horn.
"A Seaking?" he whispered to himself, narrowing his eyes. "That's… weird, but good for me!"
Wake yelled as he postured forward. "Attack him with your horn!"
Barry smiled. That was exactly what he needed; the closer his Pokemon got the easier it would be to hit it with his trump card. He was very aware that none of his partners were especially strong against water types, so he made sure he'd have something under his sleeve for this occasion.
"Kitsune, wait for it!" he yelled. The Kadabra held his ground and pointed his spoon at the rushing water; staring as it parted in half by the Seaking's horn. "Now, Charge Beam!"
The audience gasped in surprise. With a twirl of his fingers the psychic Pokemon imbued his spoon with cackling, wavering golden energy as the air around him ionized. The beam of electricity tore the air in half as it traveled towards Seaking; too fast to dodge. Too fast to even react to it.
Seaking didn't need to react, however, as Barry painfully learned. Instead of hitting it the energy spiraled around its body for a moment, before being fully absorbed by its horn, which took on a sickly yellow glow.
At any other time Barry would've loved to see the face he made at that moment.
"What!?" He screamed, taking a step back. "What… why didn't that work!? Seaking's a water type!"
Kitsune was similarly stunned, eyes wide open as his opponent stared him down, its body glistening with absorbed power. At the other side of the arena Crasher Wake smiled.
"Counter with Signal Beam!"
By the time his panic overcame the shock he was in, he was too late to react. A heavy splash was heard in front of him as Seaking jumped out of the water, a pulsing orb of green light at the tip of his horn. Barry opened his mouth to scream, to tell Kitsune to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough. The beam hit his Pokemon square in the chest, sending him spiraling back until he violently crashed against the wall of the pool.
He returned Kitsune to his Pokeball as soon as he saw him sink into the water. His hand shook around it, his expression indescribable.
"Ohhh it looks like we already have first blood, folks!" The announcer's voice boomed through the stadium, followed by screams and cheers. "And this is one we've seen million of times before, haven't we? Tell me Matchstick, how many newbies have fallen prey to the king of the sea?"
"More than I could count, honestly. Seaking is an exceedingly rare Pokemon in Sinnoh, which explains why not many trainers know about its horn's property."
"That's right, folks! For those in the audience who don't know; Seaking's special ability is called Lightning Rod! Its horn can absorb any kind of electricity you throw at it, negating one of its main weaknesses! But wait, don't hang up the phone yet because there's more! For the low price of one incredible ability you can also take home the fact that all the energy it absorbs can be redirected into its next attacks! Call now for more amazing facts, only 2.99 an hour!"
"We don't get paid for this, Marissa."
Barry looked down at the Pokeball in his hand, the air around him growing denser with each second that passed. Cold sweat ran from his nape down his back, and he was pretty sure he was somewhat shaking.
It wasn't supposed to go like this. He'd planned for Kistune to be his main linchpin during the fight, and now he was down without even leaving a scratch on his opponent. And all of his remaining Pokemon were at a disadvantage against water. He'd gotten himself into the literally worst situation possible, all because he was an idiot who'd dozed off constantly during trainer class.
Niss would've probably realized what was happening.
"Hey, kid!" Wake's voice brought him back to reality. "You're not already giving up on me, are you? Is the trainer I've heard so much of really this weak?"
"Oh snap! Crasher Wake might be a water type expert, but he sure knows how to burn people, folks!"
Barry frowned, heat rising to his face. His free hand went to one of the Pokeballs on his belt, gripping it tightly enough for his fingers to hurt.
He could still do this. He could turn this around if he played the match perfectly. All he had to do...
Barry blinked, eyes stinging with a strange warmth.
All he had to do was remember what a true trainer was made of.