Chapter 19- Reflections and mystery
Ok, so we might have been a teensy bit too loud during our exchange.
The people around us were quite startled when as soon as we got free time, a challenge was issued without much fanfare. Some were no doubt questioning what led to this but in the grand scheme of things it was inconsequential. What was of consequence however was how a lot of trainers decided to tag along to spectate the battle. In the context of a gym battle, the number of people watching was not really of importance given that it felt a lot more impersonal. Fighting under the gaze of strangers you will basically spend 2 weeks living with, however, had a different kind of pressure to it.
Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk, I guess.
So, followed by the peanut gallery, we moved a bit away from the camp to avoid wrecking anything there. And with one of the Ace Trainers being bored enough to entertain us and act as a referee the casual feel that was present when we agreed to the match in the oasis was completely gone.
Opposite me, Arnold stood, his grin still plastered on his face as he grabbed his pokeball in his hand just waiting for the signal. I was similarly waiting with the capsule already in hand looking at the referee.
“So, this is a 1 Vs 1 battle, be ready to send your pokemon in 3, 2, 1! Start!”
With this somewhat lackluster signal, two capsules flew before releasing their residents in a brilliant flash of light. Once again, voices were heard with the attention focused on Nike, but I quickly tuned them out as I noticed a change in attitude from Arnold.
His grin was wiped from his face. The childish excitement was quickly replaced with a nervous type of energy and sheer focus. Most striking was his gaze. It sharpened almost instantly, and I knew then and there that this battle would not be as easy as I thought it would.
With Nike materialized, she looked around at first, before noticing the atmosphere. Opposite her stood a Snivy that, much like his trainer, was ready to throw down. Of course, that was of no concern for the little bundle of joy that raised her limb-like hair only to be ignored.
I took advantage of the tense stand off to look at the small grass type with more attention. The entirety of his body was covered in tiny scales that seemed to almost overlap. His serpentine body was in majority green, with only the front part being covered in scales of a yellowish color so light it could pass as white or maybe beige. It stood on its tiny legs, leaf-tail raised and ready for a command to be given at any time. Clearly it had been trained with great care. At least for battles since I didn’t see him interact with his trainer.
Arnold was the first one to make a move as he called out for a move.
“Magical Leaf” he commanded and immediately his partner responded.
Not to be outdone, I similarly called out a move as a response. “Counter it with Disarming Voice!”
Because Magical Leaf had the peculiarity to act as if each leaf was controlled by psychic energy despite the fact that it was clearly a grass type move, I knew completely avoiding the Attack was a pointless endeavor. So, I will simply respond in kind.
Both pokemon sprang into action as soon as the commands were given. By virtue of having made the first move, Snivy was the first to let the attack rip after a very short charge up time proving a high degree of mastery with the move…however Nike was no slouch either. Especially when it came to manipulating psychic energy. This tiny opening to charge the attack was all Nike needed to close the gap as both attacks were released simultaneously. Pink waves crashed against leaves shot a ridiculous speed.
And just as I thought, some leaves managed to sneak past and hit Nike but not without consequences. The small grass snake also got hit by the sound attack and staggered. The first clash of the battle ended in traded blows, but I was not about to let him take control of the pace.
“Don’t let up. Go with Psybeam!”
“Dodge it and get in close!” Arnold shouted immediately after.
The instant the command was given, the Snivy rushed to side, avoiding the beam of concentrated psychic energy that crashed to the ground where he stood. Before Nike could fire another one, the Snivy move once more, making sure to never travel in a straight line for too long to avoid getting hit. Nike continued to fire beam after beam, but they all had as much effect as the first. The speedy little thing was so fast that it almost looked like it was gliding slightly off the ground.
He is too fast. I need to find a way to lock him or at the very least slow him enough… or get ready for a big one.
“Calm down and take your time.” I said calmly while giving her a mental nudge.
Sure enough, she got the message and stopped attacking. Arnold for his part did not give any command and simply scrutinized the battlefield as his Snivy circle around Nike. She tried her best to keep track of her opponent but splitting her focus between Calm Mind and that, she soon revealed an opening and before I could address it, Arnold pounced.
“Leaf Blade.”
In one swift motion, the Snivy went from circling to a straight dash toward my pokemon. And with Nike still cycling the psychic energy and her lack of speed she obviously didn’t get the chance to react. The three-pronged leaf on the tail of the snake pokemon glowed a brilliant emerald and with a forward flip to gather additional momentum, proceeded to slam Nike to the ground, drawing a pain filled cry.
“Follow up with Vine Whip!”
“Confusion! Push him back!”
With a preparation speed even faster than it was previously, the wave of psychic energy slammed into the grass type and pushed him away before the vine hidden in his collar fully extended, drawing a sigh a relief from me. A sigh that got stuck in my throat when the vine kept growing and smacked Nike for the second time and pushed her away in the opposite direction. She did manage to stabilize herself with psychic energy before hitting the ground but so did Snivy with a nimble back flip.
Once more the battle stood for a few seconds as both pokemon stared at each other. Any easygoing attitude that Nike usually had was completely gone and replaced by an intense focus. Oh, and she also sent me a nudge indicating that she prepared another calm mind. Unfortunately, of the two pokemon on the field she was the one that was worse for wear for a simple reason: Nike is especially bad with physical moves. Meaning I had to keep the battle long ranged.
That was when Arnold proved to me that he was not sponsored just for the sake of it. “Keep close. Chain the Leaf Blades.”
I wanted to curse at him. With only this short exchange he managed to identify our biggest weakness so far.
“Keep him away with Disarming Voice!” I ordered hastily.
“Jump off and Protect!” he countered.
“What the…?” it slipped out as I watched the scene unfolding in front of my eyes.
The small grass type launched itself using the momentum of his run, and while mid-air, covered himself in a tangible barrier of energy, allowing him to completely ignore the Disarming Voice. What is a guaranteed hit when you don’t care about being hit? And so, with his momentum carrying him, Snivy got close enough to Nike before disabling his Protect and his tail already glowing with grass type energy.
Nike to her credit managed to avoid the first two attacks, but the chain was simply relentless.
“Create some space. Confusion!” I shouted.
“Wrap” Came the single comment.
The psychic wave hit the Snivy, which proceeded to once more extend its vine, but this time wrapping it around Nike’s body and dragging her with him. I gritted my teeth at that. He was completely intent on making sure to stay close range. And at this rate we would lose without being able to put up a proper fight.
Noticing the glowing tail of the Snivy, I knew that the match would soon be over. Leaf Blade was already a powerful attack and Nike took it a few times already. Plus, the vines around her were constricting slowly but surely, causing more damage to stack up. With that, there was only one real option left to us.
“Nike. Mystical Fire!” I declared.
This was our trump card in this situation. It was a bit risky because it was the move that Nike was the most unfamiliar with. That translated into a longer delay before launching the move, but it was still pretty fast.
“Slam her!” Arnold shouted, the first hint of worry in his voice since the beginning of the match.
Flames flickered into existence just atop the hat shaped protrusion. The usual orange color of the flame mixed with a light shade of purple flame but just before she was able to unleash the move, she fell, fast, toward the ground. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that she was brought back to the ground. Still wrapped in the vines of Snivy, she found herself unable to react when, with surprising strength, the vines curled before heading straight for the ground.
“Nike !?”
In an impact that lifted a large cloud of dust while throwing debris all around the surrounding, she hit the ground. Nobody moved while the dust settled. However, the lack of a flame pillar told me everything I needed to know. I sighed as the cloud of dust dissipated enough to reveal a picture that I had already expected to see.
Nike laid on the ground but unable to move. Atop her, the Snivy stood almost imperious. Looking closer it barely looked hurt. Looking at the scene, only one thing came to mind.
We did not only lose… we barely even fought…
Before I found myself brooding over our defeat, I recalled Nike. If nothing else, I refused to be a sore loser. Opposite me, Arnold was already celebrating with his partner, which added a particular sting to the whole affair.
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“Thank you.” I whispered to the ball despite knowing that its inhabitant wouldn’t hear me.
I walked closer to Arnold and the young man noticed me.
“Thanks for the battle.” I tried to keep at least a friendly smile.
It didn’t seem effective. He hesitated before smiling softly and extended his hand. “yeah, that was a good fight. I hope we can have more matches.”
I shook his hand and nodded before moving toward the healing tent. On the way, Sera tried to comfort me but there was really no need for that. I gave her a smile and tried to reassure her. She nodded reluctantly in the end. Presumably judging that I needed space. I quickly made my way to said tent, already lost in my thoughts. Why was this defeat hitting me so hard? It was not like it was my first defeat…
I asked the question but deep down I already knew the answer. It was my first defeat that was so one sided. We were barely able to land any attack at all.
I gave Nike’s capsule to the nurse who manned the tent and sat at one of the chairs in a corner, still lost in thoughts.
Well…That sucked…
***
Mathew was half a mind of regretting accepting switching missions while in the middle of another. Sure, the floating tin can was a nightmare, but the rest was actually fun. Seeing young trainers embark on their own journey of discovery, jumping on every occasion offered, trying to see if they can catch every pokemon they see, and most importantly their ability to look at the world through candid eyes was something he envied.
Certainly, the world is a beautiful place filled with wonders and mysteries, but it is also why the darker part of society gets darker. Terrorist groups stealing pokemon is but the tip of the iceberg. He was convinced that at least a part of the origin behind encouraging travel for young trainers is to show them that the world is not always pink, but that is just speculation given that the actual origin of the practice was lost to time. Although some were exposed to the darker side of society earlier than was anticipated but for that, the only response was to hope that their minds don’t break.
Point in case, his current/previous/ current assignment, Nexon. From what the boy told Mathew during a campfire, the little psychic type that accompanied him was the result of one of the worst forms of pokemon trafficking. Capturing powerful or rare species of pokemon to force them to breed before selling the eggs or offspring at a high price to collectors or naïve trainers who don’t know enough and have too much money. The Hattereene line being a case of both rare and powerful. This was a case where they were exposed to said darkness a bit earlier than anticipated but the boy’s mental fortitude was high so he did not think it would be an issue.
If I’m honest I am more afraid of how he will deal with being crushed in battle.
That was another thing he often thought about. The boy was strong for his age. Strong enough that he never experienced a complete defeat. Even with the limited move pool of his pokemon currently, he finds a way to constantly put pressure on his opponent, and, even when he loses it is often by not much. He did seem to follow a strangely rigid way of battle but even with this weakness he manages to make it work. A weakness that he at least seemed to recognize now, so it will probably disappear soon. Anyway, his lack of complete defeat worried the ranger a bit as he was not able to assess his mental resilience.
This triggered a memory from his training days under the brute he called master. “Remember boy, great trainers are not the ones who keep on winning but those who keep getting back up.”
“And why the heck are you slacking off right now?” He hadn’t wanted to remember the rest of his sermon but sometimes the brain does what the brain will.
Frowning at the unpleasant memory, he stirred a bit and repositioned himself more comfortably on the branch. He was lucky enough to locate a branch capable of supporting his weight and wide enough to be comfortable. He plopped himself there, putting his hand behind his head as a pillow and using his hat to mask the sun.
“Hey, fucker. Did you really just return to sleep as if nothing happened?” This gave him pause.
Intrusive thoughts are unpredictable true, but there were limits. It’s true that his master often insulted him but to the point of it entering his head was too much really. Also… why was it so silent? The other rangers were always making a ruckus or constantly reporting, so why was there no noise? Also, wasn’t this voice a bit too real?
Please no… I beg you, no… trying to confirm his bad premonition, he extended his hand toward his partner that should not be far. His hand continued to search only meeting air instead of hair.
By now he had started to sweat profusely with his movement growing more and more frantic. Anything he could think of to avoid thinking of the reality that was becoming more and more probable.
Reluctantly, he moved his hat aside, and sure enough his muscle head of a master was standing over him. and judging by the way the vein on his forehead was pulsating he was extremely happy to see his dearest student.
“Mas-“
Before he could continue his only saving grace, a merciless chop crashed on his head, sending not only waves of pain through his body but also sent said body tumbling off the branch. Crashing to the ground with a loud thud, Mathew rubbed the spot that was hit as he grimaced.
“And you wonder why I won’t visit you…” he muttered as he looked up.
Standing on the branch where he was laying seconds ago stood his master. Some also referred to him as the fighting type specialist of the Unova Elite 4, Marshal, but really muscle head would be just as good of a name. The dark-skinned man stood with his arms crossed over his barrel like chest, wearing one of his fighting uniforms. And of course, he was barefoot because this man refused to wear shoes no matter the circumstances, never mind that they were deep inside what was currently one of the most dangerous parts of Pinwheel Forest.
“What the hell did you say brat?” he asked his vein once more showing.
“Nothing master!” The ranger quickly backpedaled, answering by reflex to avoid the wrath of his short-tempered master. “I mean I was saying that it’s been a while since I last saw you and I am glad you are doing well.”
This was the truth. Ever since leaving he hadn’t really seen his master. Although he did keep in touch from time to time it was nothing substantial.
“Hmpf! Say that after you visit more than once in the year.” He declared as he jumped off the branch and landed like a feather.
His black belt dangled when he did so, while his shirt revealed the mountain of muscle he earned from his regular training. With brisk steps, he made his way toward Mathew before offering his gauntleted hand. There was only a sliver of hesitation from the ranger before he grabbed the hand of his master who pulled him up almost effortlessly. For a moment he panicked but it seemed that even his master was not in the mood for a joke. Said ‘joke’ usually consisted of helping him get to his feet only to immediately throw him on his butt using a judo technique.
Regardless, today was not one of such occurrences and he was happy that way.
“I see that the little rascal is doing much better right now.” He said while looking to his left.
Following his gaze, he saw his Mienshao acting far meeker than his usual self. Next to him stood a member of the same species but that was where the similarity stopped. Marshal’s Mienshao was smaller than his own but the aura it gave off and the way his partner acted should be indicative enough of what the truth was.
“Yes. We are more in synch than ever, and I could never thank you enough for that.” He gave a small bow of gratitude.
“Think nothing of it.” The Elite 4 waved him off. “Just tell me what happened. I was told you handled it and asked for me.”
“That’s right. although I was told that you would take longer.” He said while moving his hand through his hair and the still throbbing part.
“I was no longer needed. Just tell me what happened.”
“I think it will be easier if I showed you.” With that he motioned for his master to follow him.
After returning their pokemon, he took charge of explaining the situation he found when he reached the forest. After splitting with the kids, he rushed straight for the forest, only using his connection in Castelia to book their rooms. Once he reached the forest, the situation was tense to say the least. Wild pokemon were on edge, some of the league trainers had their pokemon beat up to an inch of their lives and only the quick thinking of their trainers saved them by returning them. Even the trainers themselves were not spared, with many having broken bones. Thankfully by leveraging their numbers, they were able to prevent any fatality at the very least.
This in itself was alarming as it showed that whatever did this had no compulsion to spare pokemon or humans alike. If it was a mistreated pokemon, the pokemon would have been safer as it would have taken his anger out on the humans. On the other hand, if it was a wild pokemon why would it rampage all of a sudden? He did think that it was maybe a pokemon that went wild after evolving but if that was the case the other wild pokemon should have been able to neutralize it once it made too much of a ruckus and disturbed their territory. On top of that, all wild pokemon would have been displaced. Which wasn’t the case.
One species that was known to inhabit the forest was remarkably absent from all the displaced wildlife, which was strange because only the pre-evolutions were missing. Yet no one noticed until he pointed it out. Upon noticing this, they got to work and talked to the Lilligant of the forest. The mild nature of these pokemon and the presence of psychic types made it easier to identify the issue but also left them perplexed.
Same but different. Is what they all answered when asked. This puzzled them even more when different groups kept on repeating the same sentence.
“It was therefore established that the culprit behind the irregularities was a Lilligant. Maybe a particularly strong one. That also explained why only the Petilil of the forest were the only ones that did not feel the need to move.” He continued.
“But that does not explain why the other Lilligant were forced away. Nor how it suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest. I don’t need to explain to you that strong pokemon rarely change territory nor are they stealthy when they do so.” Marshal said, scratching the top of his bleached hair.
Mathew nodded at the answer. “That was also our reasoning. We ultimately agreed that the answer was in what the Lilligant kept repeating. Same but different. With that in mind, I gathered the most experienced members we had and led them in the direction they showed us. And what we find is-” he paused for a second, searching for the right words but in the end, he shook his head. “I don’t know how to describe it which is why I said it was easier to show you. We also arrived. Please cover your nose if the sent is too strong.”
With that, their talk came to an end as they reached a clearing. It was an odd formation with what was basically a hole in the canopy, as if someone chopped down all the trees around. Which, to be fair, was exactly what happened except it was a pokemon who did it. To avoid anyone getting too close and provoking the pokemon inside, he asked for Mandibuzz to erect a dark type barrier around the clearing. Only after she recognized him did she open a hole in the barrier for them to walk through.
Once they did, they both involuntarily relaxed upon smelling the air. This was the result of the Sweet Scent of his Sawsbuck. It had been a pain to teach him the move but in situations like this, it was really a golden move. The pokemon in question was resting in the center of the clearing and raised his head upon noticing the newcomers.
What drew their attention was the pokemon that were circling his. A circle of Petilil was formed around him as he laid there. Mathew didn’t know if he was content or just exhausted. But the Petilil were not the only pokemon. There was another. When he saw it, he understood what the Lilligant said as there was no other way to describe the pokemon in front of them.
Same but different.
“Truth and Ideal, what in the world is this.” He heard his master, who was very much not the religious type, mutter to himself.
“This is why I called you over and put up the barrier. It is pretty much above any of the deployed member’s paygrade. We tried to talk to it, but every psychic type was knocked out almost instantly and only Sawsbuck was able to approach it. He then used sweet scent to calm it enough that we can stand here.”
“That… might actually be too much even for me.” he scratched his head.
Mathew sighed. “I was afraid so. In that case, will you be able to call for Champion Alder? If even you are unable to deal with it, I reckon he is the only one who can?”
“Way ahead of you. Luckily, he should still be with the sleepy head.” He said having already fished out his communication device.
Unfortunately, it was a bust. The first call was ignored and so was the second. Mathew was getting worried when the third call finally landed. At least the audio did.
“Marshal, we are busy so you better have a good reason.” The champion answered curtly.
“Yes, master. The matter in the forest appeared to be dealt with but… I am unable to act.” He said finally.
“…”
“Unable to act? Give a moment.”
The video function turned on, showing the Champion's visibly exhausted face. He seemed to be talking with someone briefly before redirecting his full attention to the screen.
“Alright. Show me.” he said.
Mathew had long decided to be as inconspicuous as possible and simply stood beside his master. The latter turned the device around to show the scene in front of them. The spinning Petilil dancing merrily with the unknown pokemon.
“…”
The silence stretched when finally, a voice could be heard from the other side.
“Legends above… Caitlin, are you able to bring us there immediately?”
They didn’t get to hear the response when in a flash of light, two people and one pokemon appeared. Looking at the Gothitelle that appeared, Mathew felt a shiver down his spine.
Yes sure! Let’s just ignore the Dark type barrier and teleport right inside. It’s not like it is thought to be impossible…
Mathew thought before catching himself but even he could catch the amusement radiating from the psychic type. Again, having bypassed the dark type barrier around his mind.
Despite the surprise teleport, Alder was more than relaxed as he took stock of the surroundings. The Elite 4 psychic type was trying to stay awake but judging by the yawn it was not going well. Similarly, the inhabitants of the clearing took notice of the two new people inside it. Petilil stopped dancing and retreated behind the frame of Sawsbuck who simply ignored the commotion. The unknown pokemon however took a fighting stance immediately before tensing when she laid eyes on Gothitelle. Mathew could only interpret it as instincts telling it that it was outmatched. So it did nothing but stand there.
A sigh broke the silence. Alder spoke in a tired voice. “Give me a moment.”
He took out his communicator and dialed a number. It barely rang before the other side picked up. From his position, Mathew could clearly make out blond long hair falling over a pair of grey eyes. Before he could observe further the other party spoke up.
“Alder, I wasn’t expecting you to call back so soon. It sounded urgent.” A melodious and poised voice echoed.
“It is. It is also related to our previous discussion so I would like to ask for your expertise.”
An eyebrow was raised before the woman, or rather, Sinnoh’s Champion nodded. “Go ahead.”
The Champion fumbled a bit before activating the rear camera thanks to Marshal. Once Sinnoh’s champion laid her eyes on the pokemon, her eyes widened.
“Can you confirm that this is the same species as the one you mentioned last time?” Alder asked.
“…It is. But… how?” she murmured while Champion Aldered sighed for what felt like the umptieth time today.
“I thank you Cyntia. If you don’t mind, I would like to contact you later to discuss the situation more in depth. In the meantime, we will gather as much data as possible.”
“Very well. I will also contact Rowan so let us set up a meeting in advance. For now, I will leave you to it as you no doubt have a lot to deal with. I wish you luck, Alder.”
With that, the foreign champion hung up the call . Alder then met eyes with all present in the clearing.
“From now on, everything that happens here is confidential.” His eyes hardened as he looked at Mathew. “I am sorry young man but I will have to ask you to leave. Thank you for your help, but we will take care of it from here.”
Mathew was more than happy to get out of there. There were some things he really did not want to deal with, and his nap had been interrupted. However, before he could sigh in relief, his master spoke up.
“Master, please wait. I believe he can be of help. Plus, he is also a disciple of mine and is responsible for the barrier sealing the area.” He argued, while Mathew wanted to punch him.
“Barrier?” Champion Alder frowned as he looked at the psychic type Elite who nodded nonchalantly.
“Yes~. And according to Gothitelle his mental barrier would need someone on our level to be bypassed so it should be fine~~” she twisted the knife in the wound.
The Champion’s attitude did a 180 as he heard their opinions and smiled broadly. “Well then lad, you have two Elites vouching for you so you will assist us right?”
He wanted to yell and kick around, but … did he really have a choice?
“Yes sir!” he answered, almost spitting his liver.
“Well said. So, allow me to tell you what we are dealing with. This here is a Lilligant.” He stated.
3 pairs of eyes fixed him before he elaborated.
“Ahem. Rather …. Well first you are all aware of regional variants discovered a few years back, yes?” This question was more directed at Mathew rather than a general one so once he nodded the conversation continued. “Well, this one here is a regional variant of Lilligant from a land called Hisui. “
“Same but different…” he murmured before regretting when the attention of those present landed on him. “That is what the Lilligant displaced kept repeating. Same but different.”
Alder nodded. “ Fits the bill at least. However, that is not the troublesome part. The problem is that Hisui is now known as Sinnoh.”
Caitlin was the first to react. “What do you mean now?” she asked.
“That is why I said troublesome. Hisui technically is Sinnoh. But it was called Hisui in the distant past.” He said seriously.
What in Arceus’s good name is going on?! Mathew wanted to shout at them to let him out and forget everything but alas, he was too far gone.