Chapter 21- Adjusting plans

I was sitting in the tent while Nike was getting healed. I already had a lot on my mind, but I also knew that simply sitting and thinking back to the same scenario would not do anything for me, nor would it change the outcome of the match. That did not however stop me from thinking back to what I could have done better.

For instance, instead of telling Nike to create distance with Confusion or Psybeam, I could have told her to use Mystical Fire earlier. Sure, it took more time to fire it, but the benefit would have been worth it. Even if not immediately, it would have made them more cautious before getting too close and given us more time have more chance to react.

The second was more of the product of the circumstances. Since meeting Seraphina we had been in a constant hurry, running from town to town, gym to gym. As a result, we never really had the chance to address the many weaknesses that we had. In Nike’s case, it was somewhat worse due to her species but also the fact that if not for Pokemon’s strange anatomy, she would essentially be a newborn only a few months old. Skoll is not spared either. The simple fact that is only fighting move is Counter should be proof enough that we had a lot to work on. Sure, we started working on Detect but so far, his main offensive moves are Steel types. He does have Quick Attack and Feint but… I don’t even think we ever used Feint.

All of that made me reach a conclusion regarding the future plans of my team. But before anything I would need to talk with them and make sure we are all in agreement and working toward the same goal.

On cue, the nurse came back to me pushing a cart with the white capsule lying on it. The fact that she did not exit her ball already told me that the conversation after the defeat might actually be the toughest hurdle to overcome. Just like it was my first complete defeat, it was also hers, so we definitely had to talk about it before mentioning anything future-related.

With my partner back by my side, I exited the tent and headed for an area devoid of people. I wanted some peace and quiet before. It did not take long to find a spot where I was confident enough that no one would overhear. We were far enough from the camp that could not hear them, but near enough that a scream would cover the distance. Palming the capsule I finally steeled myself and gave it a weak toss. The small Pokemon appeared on the ground and already I could tell she was feeling down.

“Hey Nike, how are you feeling?” I tried tentatively.

I got a weak nod as a response but nothing more. She still looks down and seeing her like this is just something I can’t really deal with. Especially when it was my fault since I am the one giving the command. With a sigh, I plopped down on a rock next to her. We sat in silence as we were both in our own thoughts. Which brings me nowhere. In the end, looking at my dejected Pokemon I decided to simply forgo any reason and spoke whatever came to mind.

“I’m sorry” is the first word that left my mouth. “I should have realized earlier what would happen when we decided to battle them. I knew that any Snivy would likely be faster than you, but I continued nonetheless…”

Words that were intended to comfort her instead had an adverse effect. I stopped spouting whatever I was when I noticed that she was shaking. Then I heard a sniffle. In a hurry, I picked her up and brought her in front of me.

“Nike, please don’t cry. It's true that we lost but that doesn’t mean that we have to give up. And I told you, it was my fault. I knew that you weren’t fast enough because that is the way your species is an-”

I was once more forced to shut up and she started struggling to get free from my grasp. By now, she had given up trying to hold back her tears and they streaked her face. I thought furiously about what I said that could have caused the outburst, but I drew a blank.

“…I am sorry if I hurt you. I did not mean to. I was trying to cheer you up by talking with you… clearly, I am not the best a dealing with emotion which is ironic, right?” I chuckled. She didn’t. I schooled my expression as I continued. “Can you help me understand what is wrong? It is not our first defeat and not our last. Even this one was…worse we are not done, are we?”

For the first time, I got a reaction. A small nod but progress it was. Then, after a few seconds of silence, I was assaulted by a throbbing headache. Amidst this, I was able to parse a single, garbled, and broken whisper.

We-A-k…

It was so soft, I would have certainly missed it if it was spoken. But it was not. Despite the headache, my eyes widened at the Pokemon in front of me, but she refused my gaze and focused on the ground causing me to compose myself. The conversation and celebration will have to wait.

“You think you are weak?” I asked and she nodded once more. “First off, it’s We are weak. Don’t forget that: it’s always ‘We’. And secondly, that is true.” She deflated but I ignored her. “It is only temporary in the futu-”

She shook violently once more, and I let her. I would probably receive a message, so I brace myself. Sure enough, it came, even more broken than previously.

Sp-iz…

It took a bit of guessing and a long shot, but I finally understood what she meant.

“You mean to say that your species is weak?” I asked her, incredulous.

The answer was once more a nod and a deep feeling of shame.

“That is absolutely not the case!” I said forcefully.

I was baffled at her conclusion. What did she mean her species was weak? However, thinking back to just the more memorable battle, the only one she truly won was the one against Roxie. She had a tie against Seraphina’s Shinx when we met them, there was also the fight against the Gothita that she lost, and just now against Snivy. And it wasn’t like they were all in the same circumstances… I can maybe understand why she would think that.

Then the realization hit me. I was excited about these battles in particular. But worst of all was the realization that every time I mentioned her species I was only pointing out their negative traits such as their lack of speed or their physical weakness. Even if I did not always vocalize them, I was dealing with a psychic type…

“You could feel them?” I asked and did not need to mention what I was talking about. She nodded.

Fuck… I really am an idiot.

“I really am a shitty trainer…” I said as I sighed and looked up to the sky. “Let me explain. My thoughts don’t mean that your species is weak. Thinking that is actually funny because you are one of the most powerful psychic types. Bar legendries of course.” I gave a small laugh to lighten the mood. This time, while she did not move, I could sense some pride and a small smile tugging at her lips.

Soon, her mood goes down once more, and I admit what I usually say about her species is true, but I now realize that she doesn’t have the same context I do. Which is why I decided to give her some perspective. But first…

“Skoll, I need your help.” I throw the Pokeball of the fighting type. Once he materialized, I continued. “Sorry but can you make sure that no one gets too close? The camp is in this direction.” I explained.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

His red eyes scan the environment around him, taking in Nike’s mood before meeting my gaze and nodding.

“I’ll explain it to you later as well, but I want to make sure no one listens first.”

With that, he took off in the direction of the camp. With his ability to sense auras, no one will be able to eavesdrop. Not that I think someone would want to, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. With the perimeter secured, I turned toward Nike who was standing still.

“Come here,” I smiled at her before continuing “You know when I said that your species was slow, it was not meant as a negative. Actually, where I am from Hatterene is a pretty scary Pokemon to have in front of you and do you want to know the funniest part?” By now she was finally looking up to me, expectation evident.

“She is considered this strong by using only four moves.” I grinned. “Now imagine what we can do if even four moves are enough to scare people.”

Nike was visibly surprised when I mentioned only four moves and she sent me waves of curiosity and confusion, but now was not the time to explain that to her. Or well I could but I don’t think it will be easy right now.

“I will explain what I mean another time but only one move is enough to counter your movement speed: Trick Room. If we manage to learn this move, you will practically be zipping around the field. The only problem is I don’t know how to train for that one. Or if you can as you are now.” She seemed to deflate at my last sentence before I continued. “So how about we work toward your evolution for now?” I asked with a light smile.

The main problem with Nike currently was that she was extremely fragile. And that was logical when you think about it, she was basically at her first stage. What’s more, her evolution line is known to start as relatively weak, with few potential moves to learn. Even TMs would not be able to help in this case as it is simply a phase they have to go through. While Hatterene is able to hit insanely hard from a distance, Hatennas are especially vulnerable. In the wild, they are pretty much sheltered by the group until they evolve into Hattrem, whereupon they can do as they please. At least, that’s what Miss Opal explained to me.

The solution of having her evolve before working seriously on more moves is an idea I have been playing with for a while but was hesitant to apply. Evolving too early for a Pokemon is known to have some side effects that are known. I remembered even the anime abording the subject with Ash’s Charizard no longer listening to him. Or Dawn’s Mamoswine.

This scenario is one of the better ones, where the Pokemon simply does not acknowledge the trainer anymore, and can generally be worked through. One of the other scenarios is a Pokemon going on a full-on rampage upon failing to control the energy after the evolution. Or worse, when their body was simply not ready for evolution and the extra energy actually hurt the Pokemon.

This was why I really wanted to wait before making a push toward evolution, I was mostly scared but looking at her expression after I talked about the evolution it was clearly something she wanted. But precautions will be taken.

“But first let’s wait for a talk to Miss Opal when we go back to Castelia, ok?” said more firmly.

Her response was excited chimes and jumps as she visibly vibrated with energy. Clearly, she had been hoping for something like that, and honestly couldn’t fault her. The prospect of one of my own Pokemon evolving was something I dreamt about a lot.

After that, I continued to talk to her about possible moves to work toward, but in the end, we settled for no moves for now. Mainly because we would work on her control, meaning more balls to rotate around her, and her already existing moves. Who knows, maybe we will even find other uses for the moves. Variants of the moves.

But before going any further, I went to fetch Skoll. It was time to have a team discussion. Now that the conversation was over, I felt a bit silly to have him take guard. Even if someone heard me the worst they could ask is where I am from and I could easily confuse them at that moment. But it was irrelevant now, and the fact was, it was already done.

Finding Skoll and returning to the spot we were in barely took a few minutes. A curious observation was the absence of Pokemon in the vicinity, but then again with the camp so close I wouldn’t be surprised if they simply moved away. Bringing Skoll up to speed resulted in him sulking but the prospect of fighting later mollified him enough to continue the discussion.

“Alright. For Nike, the name of the game is control from now on. Getting more used to the moves and most importantly psychic energy control. It is true that you don’t have a lot of offensive moves right now compared to other Pokemon, but what you have should be enough for now, especially with that Mystical Fire.” She nodded at my words with a serious expression, prompting me to move on.

“Skoll on the other, you have the opposite situation. Your control over the moves that you like to use is excellent, but what you lack is a variety of moves. The most glaring one is the lack of ‘true’, for lack of a better word, fighting type move.”

Yeah, that one was on me, I focused so much on getting Bullet Punch and moving along with the other elemental punches that I completely forgot to teach him more fighting moves. The only one he had was Counter and it required the opponent to not only attack first, but it was also a reactionary move that didn’t really use fighting type energy. Combined with Endure it made for a good strategy but limited in its use.

“So, for you, we will push back the moves we were working on. Calm down, it is only temporary.” I raised my hand placatingly when I saw his frown.

That was something else I noticed about Skoll. He liked punching. And kicking. Anything that involved fighting really, but these two in particular.

“I see five options by really, I think only three options we should consider. But let me tell you all of them.” I pulled up my phone and opened the notes app after he nodded.

“The first option is Rock Smash. It is a relatively simple move, and you would easily be able to learn it. The issue with that one is because it is so simple there isn’t much room for growth in the future. In other words, it is acceptable now, but won’t be in the future.” He seemed to be thinking so I left a bit of time before moving on.

“Next is Vacuum Wave. This one I don’t recommend for you. It is much like the previous one, but this one we might find a way to modify it later but… it does not punch stuff.” As soon as I said that, Skoll had a horrified look on his face before vehemently shaking his head.

I chuckled at his reaction before moving on. “Now, we reach the three that I think we might have to grab no matter what. A good one is Force Palm which is really good by itself. Not only is it strong, but it can also paralyze the opponent for a while. And I think eventually we might find a way to use your aura with it. It does not punch properly speaking, but close enough.” I looked and saw glimmering red eyes. This one was definitely on the list.

“Next is a bit of a weird one. Brick Break. Again, pretty simple move, but it hit hard and will most likely get stronger as you perfect it. It can also disrupt the opponent’s strategy. My only qualm is I don’t know how useful it will be.” Again, his gaze was focused but I moved on.

“Finally, one I think you will like. Drain Punch. On the positive side, it is strong, can help you fight longer, and last but not least it’s a punch.” He nodded emphatically at the three positive points; it pretty much checked all of his boxes. But unfortunately, it was also the one with the biggest downside. “The only problem I see for this one is the biggest so far… I have no clue how to go about learning it.” my shoulders slumped and surprisingly so did his. With Nike following for the fun of it.

This one was the trickiest and the most complex move. The punching part is easy and all, right? The issue, however, starts with the draining part. I have no bloody idea how that would work, and relying on an instinctual understanding was not always ideal. I know that it relied partly on the damage dealt, but how this is converted into energy and then transferred is beyond me.

“That means that unfortunately, Drain Punch is not really doable for now. In the end, it would be good to have the three, but I think for now we focused on Brick Break.”

Skoll had been listening attentively as I spoke and, in the end, he agreed with my assessment although I could see that Brick Break was his least favorite option. It also meant it would most likely fall out of use at some point, but we will deal with it at that time. It was a problem I never considered when behind a screen: a move that is not used often might as well be forgotten at some point. Not in the sense that the Pokemon suddenly don’t know how to use the move, but rather the power and familiarity fall off, resulting in a worse move. So, while you could technically have an infinite number of moves, you would never have infinite time to train them all.

“Good, so we can work on it when we have some free time and hopefully get it ready for the next gym. Speaking of which, I think we will delay the gym instead of taking it straight after we get back to Castelia.”

It was time to remedy the biggest drawback I faced so far. Also, another change was needed. My aim when I wanted to catch a Sandile was to counter psychic and ghost types, which were challenging to deal with only Nike and Skoll. But it was not my first choice after thinking for a bit, ghost types were not really an issue. It was more of a hypothetical scenario based only on type matchups, which was not all there was to battling. I also needed a Pokemon that could fly me around the regions eventually. Plus I really wanted a Flygon, so it was time to look for a Trapinch. Or Vibrava, but preferably Trapinch.

***

The rest of the day went without hiccups. I took a few more minutes discussing with the two Pokemon about plans and what to do between returning to Castelia and taking on the gym, and what we might want to do. After that, we went back to the camp with Skoll insisting on some battles. We did get to do one battle which he won, but after that, the nurse on site asked everyone to slow down. Apparently, the healing machine would run out of juice eventually.

Speaking of which, an interesting is the generator that can be charged by electric type. Normally the output from a Pokemon is too high for any appliance, but by using a specially-made generator, it is possible. It is a somewhat recent development that nonetheless became widespread very quickly.

Tangent aside, I met up with Sera after I was done with the battles. We got talking, and eventually, others decided to join when the topic of planning for some gym leaders came up. It also allowed me to apologize to Arnold about how I took the defeat but as it turned out the dude was just confused as hell. The ambiance was quite relaxed and after dinner, it was the time we were all waiting for.

Natalie stood with another Ace Trainer, presumably the leader of the other group, and both Professor Max and Michael. From what gathered, they were talking all this time about how to organize the different groups to explore the site.

“Alright everyone please gather around we will talk about the assignments. First off, you will all be divided into 4 teams with a variety of members from each group. Every team will have 1 Ace Trainer and 4 trainers and researchers. Secondly, only three groups will explore at any given time, and they will rotate. Meaning every three days you will get a day off so to speak. Any questions?”

“How will the group assignment work for the researcher? There are only 15 of us for 16 trainers” It was Sera who asked that question.

That was true from what I saw when we arrived, there were 6 Ace trainers, 15 researchers, and 16 trainers in total. If I am guessing that 2 of the ace trainers stay in the camp at all times, it accounts for the 4 teams. But still, one team will be one researcher short.

Prof Max nodded. “Do not concern yourself about that. Michael and I will compensate for that by skipping some rest days since we are in charge of the expeditions. As for how the others will be sorted, it has already been arranged. Just ask the Ace trainers afterward.”

With that, we were dismissed for the night. At least on paper since we had to go talk to the ace trainers. I honestly didn’t know why they didn’t simply announce the groups aloud and let us sort ourselves.

I walked up to Natalie to find out which team I am part of and as it turns out, I am part of the first group to dive tomorrow. It will throw a wrench into Skoll’s training plan, but it is fine. Fortunately, both Sera and prof Max are part of my group, so at least I was not completely alone. Unfortunately, I did not recognize the name of anyone else on the list so I guess I will have to wait tomorrow to know. For now, however, it was time to sleep.