Chapter 48- Closing Ceremony
“Hey, how is she?” Was the first thing he asked me.
I smiled. “As normal as she was before. You wanted to talk to me?” I question back.
“Yes. Let’s sit here.” He nodded and gestured toward a spot out of the way.
I followed him while wondering what that was about. Ever since we reached NImbasa, he seemed particularly busy with the ranger HQ, which seemed odd. I mean, he was supposed to be on holiday or something. Or at least that was supposed to be the case.
“So, what’s up?” I asked when the silence dragged on for a bit too long.
Mathew let out a big sigh and started to talk. “ Alright here goes everything. Please don’t interrupt me until I am done.” He paused and looked at me until I nodded. “ Ok, so first off, I’m sorry but I lied to you. I’m not really on holiday, at least not officially. That assignment I told you I was waiting for? That was a big fat lie since it was effective by the time we met back up”
I raised an eyebrow at him but nodded for him to continue. Nike’s curiosity at the whole situation bled through our link and deposited her on my knees instead of my head. Less distracting.
“Before I continue, I need to explain to you how abnormal you were when we met. A seemingly fresh trainer with one of the rarer Pokemon in its original region. And said Pokemon not only had a hidden ability but also a move that was thought to be exclusive to a line of a starter from another region.” he shook his head. “From my point of view, it seemed so ridiculous that I had to report it. Ah! You see one of the jobs for the ranger at the beginning of the circuit is to look for problematic trainers.”
Here I broke my agreement and asked. “Problematic?”
“Well problematic isn’t really a good term but that’s what it is.” He scratched his head. “Trainers that are deemed dangerous, too inexperienced are one lot but not the only one. Trainers with rare Pokemon from the get-go are another category that the leagues watch out for. You already had a running with Team Plasma so I don’t have to explain that to you. So once I reported that I was asked to shadow you for a while and see that no trouble comes to you” he added nonchalantly.
I looked at him. Something didn’t add up. And I said so.
“I don’t get how that was enough to get a ranger to essentially babysit me,” I told him flatly. Because that was essentially what it was. “ I have to admit it was odd that when we took longer in Castelia you also extended your stay I had my doubts but I thought it was just a coincidence or because of the request in Pinwheel Forest. Even putting that aside, if every trainer that shows up with rare Pokemon is shadowed like that wouldn’t you lack manpower at some point? Also, how did you figure out Nike’s ability back then? I remember we didn’t nettle so you couldn’t have observed it.”
He surprisingly gave a small smile. “Sorry about that. It was a little test to see how much I would tell you. If you had just believed me I would have stopped there. But here is the whole truth. Concerning this little one’s Ability, you are right that I wouldn’t have known back then. Which is why this little guy did it. Come on out.” He said while placing his phone on the table.
My eyes widened when a polygonal head popped out of the screen. In all logic, it was too big to fit in it. Too bad Pokemon didn’t care for logic as a Porygon exited the phone. The red and blue Pokemon circled the phone before going back in as if nothing happened.
“That Porygon ability is Trace. One of the measures the league took to check for those trainers I told you about. There is at least one ranger with a Porygon on every route or some of the connectors to spot cases like yours. He is the one who decrypted Nike’s Ability. But that alone wouldn’t have been enough to warrant sending me to babysit you as you said. No offense little one but while you are extraordinaire it’s not to that point.” He said to a pouting Nike.
“No the real reason I was sent was because of you.”
“Me?” I parroted.
“Yep, you. You see Porygon have slight psychic capabilities. Not enough to be classified as a psychic type, but enough for a surface read of thoughts and emotions. So, when it didn’t manage to get a read on you, that sent some red flags. Normally I would have assumed that it was the doing of Nike. While it would have been rare for a Pokemon so young to manage a psychic shield that strong, with everything else that didn’t seem farfetched. The problem was that Porygon was able to read her surface thoughts but not yours. What kind of Psychic would be able to protect her trainer's mind but not hers?” he asked, obviously rhetorically.
“… So, I am guessing that’s where you come in?” I asked the person I felt coming from behind.
“Yes~. By the way, you could have looked for a quieter place you know. Oh, but don’t worry Gothitelle put a barrier in place now.” Caitlin spoke nonchalantly as she draped herself over the table. The way she waved Mathew who had stood up by reflex made it hard to maintain the seriousness of the conversation. “to explain further the report he made came all the way to us.”
My eyes widened at that. “What? Why would that go so high?” that didn’t make sense.
Mathew cleared his throat. “Well, even if you take any of the above separately, they are out of the ordinary, but when combined… so I kind of gave it the highest priority I was allowed to. Which meant it went all the way to the Elite 4”
I frowned. “That still doesn’t explain. I mean no offense but I don’t see how Rangers have to ability to go all the way to the Elite 4 in one go.”
“That would be true if said ranger wasn’t a student an Elite 4!” Caitlin half yawned and half said.
My eyes went to Mathew immediately who added. “ Former student. Any way our working theory at the time was that you either had a psychic block in place, which was already irregular, or that you were a psychic and were shielding yourself. With a high degree of skill at that.”
“The psychic shield theory needed to be explored because of Team Plasma or Neo Plasma. The theory that you were a psychic was another one that needed attention. Either way, I was the best suited to tackle it. That’s when we met in Virbank by the way.” She shifted, trying to avoid Nike’s insistent prodding of her cheek.
The two of them made it really hard to keep the conversation serious. One with her flippant attitude and the other through childish antics. Thankfully Gothitelle took it upon herself to entertain Nike.
There was a moment of silence as I thought to myself. When all was laid out like this… I was a walking magnet for trouble wasn’t I? Just imagining what would have happened if an organization like Plasma had noticed all that before the league made me shudder. But it still left me with a bad aftertaste. I wanted to experience the world of Pokemon for myself yet I had training wheels on the entire time.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Yeah, that’s completely hypocritical of me. I mean I benefited a lot of time from Mathew’s presence. It allowed us to travel further from the routes, moving faster. Heck, I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if he wasn’t with us when the storm rolled on Route 4. Especially with Landorus who stared me down for whatever reason.
This time I wasn’t able to prevent the shudder that ran through my body and was visibly shaking.
“Are you ok?” Mathew asked with concern.
I had to shake myself before answering. Caitlin's half-opened eyes also stared at me.
“I’m fine. It’s just…” Then there was a eureka moment. “ actually it’s not fine. But there is something you can do to make things better.”
“What is it?” he asked nervously.
“Don’t worry it’s nothing hard. I just need you to Lilligant later today.” I said with a smile.
Was I really upset about being essentially lied to? Yes, I was, but nothing so serious. Even if he was asked to follow me, he didn’t have to be so open about it. He could have followed us from afar and we would have never noticed him. But he still decided to do so and even taught us things along the way and helped when needed. It was still the same guy with whom we laughed at stupid jokes and who had terrible sea sickness. The same guy who had his Pokemon helped ours when he could.
But was I also about to use the opportunity to make my life a heck of a lot easier? Yes, I 100% would.
---
After we confirmed with Lilligant that she was fine with following us later today, we wrapped up the conversation pretty quickly. There was still the question of whether we would tell Sera or not, but in the end, we decided that honesty was the best policy. At least part of it. To her, Mathew followed us because he was worried about retaliation from Team Plasma due to the encounter we had with them. It wasn’t a complete truth, but not an outright lie either. He would also explain to her that his new assignment involved traveling through the region and citing confidentiality for the details.
As for Caitlin she simply teleported away once were done, promising to meet back up later with what we would need. That left the afternoon for the end of the tournament and the exhibition match.
That was the reason why we were in a waiting room with Roy, Arnold, Sera, Frank, and the other semi-finalists from the advanced tournament. Only Roy stayed in his corner brooding. Sera Arnold and I were busy talking about our coming plans while Frank was very obviously flirting with his previous opponent. Half an hour later, we were called out to meet on the field. Two podiums were set pm the field each going from 1 to 4, with the number 4 being next to the 3. That gave them a lopsided feel but once they were mirrored against each other they looked rather nice.
“Now, Ladies and gentlemen, under your applause, we will welcome the shooting stars of our yearly competition!” the announcer did his thing, and the crowd erupted in applause.
The walk out of the tunnel was reminiscent of the one we all did when we went for our matches, only this time we were in a group. And the difference in experience was visible for all to see. The trainers from the advanced section waved at the sea of flashes that greeted us as soon as we exited the shadow.
Once we saw them do it, we tried to mimic the same, but the result ended up a lot more wooden than planned. Only Roy decided he was too good to wave. If anything, he was at least consistent.
We all made our way to the podiums that were set for us, each trainer taking their earned spot. Having Roy looking down on us was irritating, to say the least, but I had to admit, he is a skilled trainer. Didn’t make more pleasant though. Once we were all in position, the announcer resumed.
“Each of them gave us a show to remember for a long time, at least a year I would.” that joke got a few laughs before he continued. “Should they want to stand here again next year we would welcome them, as members of the advanced track of course. But for now, we ought to congratulate them once more, and for that, I would like to invite the beloved and esteemed Gym Leader of our very own Nimbasa to join us. The Shining Beauty herself, Miss Elesa!”
How should I describe the reaction that garnered… the crowd went absolutely nuts, ballistic, every adjective imaginable. Some banners popped up in the stands, writing like “All hail our queen” “Long live Elesa” “Shining Beauty!” and even one that said, “Step on me queen.” However that one and all banners with similar messages were quickly taken down.
Out of the tunnel opposite the one we used, stepped out the fabled gym leader. Calling her the shining beauty was no exaggeration as the raven-haired Gym Leader walked out of a cloud of smoke wearing a magnificent bright yellow dress. Sticking to the theme she set out for herself, she wore long black gloves that reached to her elbow with different colors as accents, one blue and the other red. Her black hair was breaded in two long and thin braids that flowed behind her and reached the back of her knees when she stopped. The entire outfit was something I thought would have been better suited for a high-end gala, yet she made it work.
Once she made her way in front of us, her microphone was turned on, allowing everyone to hear her words. “Hello Nimbasa! I hope from the bottom of my heart that once more you appreciate our yearly tournament. As always, we are flattered to be able to welcome you all here, year after year. People of all works of life coming together for a single week, celebrating the bonds between trainers and Pokemon.” She said indicating the podiums, garnering some more applause before moving on. “As I always I thank you all for your support. Yet this year is different than the others. To explain further I would like to welcome someone to join me here today, I ask for your applause once more as we welcome Mister Cyrano!”
Once more the crowd erupted into cheers although more subdued. Out of the same tunnel Elesa used stepped an older gentleman. He wore a simple yet elegant white suit with blue accents that contrasted with his coppery brown skin. Draped over his shoulders was a simple scarf that looked like it should have an Honedge at the end, accompanied by a white hat on his head. He walked in a confident yet relaxed manner. Once he reached Elesa, she resumed speaking.
“This year, in addition to the contribution of the Pokemon League and the Nimbassa Gym, we are honored to have received assistance from Mister Cyrano and- Ah maybe that should be kept for a later surprise, what do you think Mister Cyrano?”
Mister Cyrano let out a full-bellied laugh before talking with a smooth voice. “Ho ho! Indeed, let us keep our secret for a little longer Miss Elesa. We are here today to celebrate these trainers. Speaking of which if you wouldn’t mind me doing the honors.” Once Elesa nodded, he once more cleared his throat.
“As the gym leader said, we are today to celebrate the bonds between trainer and Pokemon. For a week both parties worked together, showcasing incredible displays of skills, determination, and strategy. I would even dare to say that they showed us the crystallization of their art. Be they experienced trainers,” he waved at the advanced section, “Or brilliant seeds” he waved at us, “they proved again and again, that by working together, something truly beautiful is born. And for that, they deserve all the cheers you can give.”
The way he spoke had the entire stadium focused on him, captivated. The spell seemed to be broken only when he asked for applauses, and I almost did it by reflex too. The crowd seemed to agree as more applause followed.
As the applause continued he and Elesa called each trainer, starting with Seraphina, the fourth of the beginner’s division. They exchanged quiet words before they put a medal over her neck, handing her a small envelope and something that looked like a certificate. All the while a photographer kept taking pictures of the proceedings. I could see the excitement on Sera’s face when she held the hand of Elesa and we all clapped for her.
Next was Arnold with the same sequence of even repeating before it was my turn.
“Nexon, please step forward.” Mister Cyrano called out and I obliged. “You had an incredible showing young man. You truly got that old heart of mine beating like I was ten years younger. Well done and I look forward to seeing more from you.” Mister Cyrano said as he patted my shoulder.
“Truly a remarkable parkour. I look forward to our match in the gym. Don’t make me wait too long or I might come and drag you for that. I am quite impatient when something excites me.” Elesa said with a predatory smile that didn’t match her appearance.
“Thank you for your kind words.” That was all I could manage.
Flashes blinded me before I made my way back to the podium. Once Roy was done with the both of them, they followed him back to the podium, flanking both sides as pictures were taken. The same song and dance repeated for the advanced portion of the tournament, although with more banter. Then Mister Cyrano took charge again.
“Now then, you all received the reward for your placement in the tournament, but that isn’t all. I would also like to extend to you all an invitation to my academy. Your invitation is in the envelope you received earlier.” Mister Cyrano said with a genuine smile.
We were all a bit surprised because… we really never heard of the guy. At least I didn't I mean, he looked like a big shot, but I can’t say I remember seeing him. and judging by the confused faces of the others and their murmurs, I wasn’t the only one. I could only be thankful that we didn’t get fitted with microphones since the entire stadium would have probably resounded with ‘Who the hell are you?’ or some variation. Just then Elesa spoke up to fill in the blank.
“Ahem. Mister Cyrano, I think in your excitement you skipped an important part of your introduction.” I could have sworn I saw Elesa’s eyebrow twitch at that statement, but the genuine smile on her face made me doubt myself.
Mister Cyrano blinked in surprise. “I did?” he looked around, finally noticing the confused gazes he got. “Oh? Oh!” he said like he finally elucidated the mystery of the century. “You are right!”
This time I for sure saw her eye twitch at the old man’s antics.
“Allow me to rectify that.” He said taking off his hat and bringing it to his chest as he made a small bow. “My name is Cyrano. I am the Principal and Founder of the Blueberry Academy here in Unova” he said adjusting his hat back on his head.
At that moment, you could hear a pin drop in the entire stadium.
What. The. Fuck.
Once what he said fully registered to everyone, the crowd erupted into an uproar. Understandably too. The Blueberry Academy was one that opened only a couple of years ago, yet its prestige is known the world over. But despite that fact, the founder was never publicly announced. It seemed as if this state-of-the-art facility blinked into existence. Needless to say, what that man just casually dropped was essentially a nuclear bomb. Maybe even a Death Star.
Then what he said about the envelope hit me. And probably every one of us judging by how we all looked at the innocuous envelope in each of our hands like it was made of gold. Probably because it essentially was.
What. The. Fuck.
And all this time the old man was just holding his belly as he laughed. But he wasn’t done with us. Far from it. Once we thought we had collected ourselves, he added another layer.
“That brings us to our grand finale for our tournament. An exhibition match between a student from Blueberry and an exchange student from Naranja Academy all the way from Paldea. AND! They will use Terastallization!” he declared, arms spread wide open.
This time Elesa's composure completely broke and she had her palm to her face while the old man laughed… maybe that was planned actually. But more importantly, Teratallization? What is that?
…
I found out.
What. The. Fuck.
***
PS: I am bringing back the social media next chapter. If you have some in universe commentary feel free to comment a user name and your comment because I struggle with those. Comments and PM both work.