Chapter 3 - Lightning

Thump. Thump. “Gool!”

Celeste often acted as though she understood her Pokémon’s language. In truth, she didn’t. No one truly did. Some argued that understanding would come if you opened your heart and paid close attention. More likely, a blend of familiarity and a keen sense of body language were crucial for communication. Still, fake until you make… right?

“Hey… buddy…” Celeste began, wincing. “Sorry for… uh… jumping on your friend…” Her attempt momentarily halted the Golem’s charge. It roared and thumped its comically short arms against the chunks of rock that corresponded to its chest. Just like a goddamn Rillaboom. Then, with a forceful stomp, it shook the ground beneath them.

The tremors made it difficult for Celeste to stand, yet the shed’s walls barely trembled. Her Vulpix inched closer, while Aria, her Eevee, remained still as a rock, gaze locked on their adversary.

Celeste steadied her breath.

When she was little, she recalled climbing on top of her father’s Probopass.

“Why can’t Nosey talk like us?” she had asked her father once. Nosey thankfully wasn’t the Pokémon’s name, but the endearing way she called him. She thought it suited how cute and cuddly the Probopass was.

“He is speaking, honey.”The answer would come quickly, as was often the case with her parents. Curiosity was always rewarded in her house. “Just in a way we don’t understand.”

Funny how memories work, isn’t it? That one came back right when another Rock-Type was charging towards her. This one was far from cuddly.

“Lem! GO!” the Pokémon roared, slapping its chest again. It quickly grabbed a piece of rock from its own body and effortlessly hurled it towards Celeste and her Vulpix.

“Words are only part of language,” Celeste’s mother had explained to her, not that long ago, when they were sailing near Undella Town. “It’s intonation, gestures, even writing. Out of all forms of communication, I believe actions often convey more than words. What people do tells you a lot about them.”

Actions, huh?

What Golem was saying by hurling rocks at them wasn’t hard to guess, especially as it stood guard over a Machop. Aria, too, communicated through actions. Hers was the language of stars—sharp, bright stars colliding with the incoming rocks. Her Swift attack barely made an impact.

Celeste herself took action, then.

In a motion as swift as the move, she got in front of the Vulpix and pushed away the Eevee dashing by. Had Aria been planning to Tackle a boulder?

If actions talked, maybe they were all saying the same thing, one talking over the other.

Celeste fell to the side when she pushed her Pokémon. Aria stumbled and yelped. Initially loud, the Eevee’s cries escalated when a rock struck Celeste’s already wounded hand.

Way better than a hit in the head, Celeste thought in the split second it took for the pain to register. Then, as a sharp jolt shook her entire body, she didn’t think about anything anymore.

Her eyes widened in reflex, but her vision blurred and darkened. Dizzy.

Even amidst her fading consciousness, Celeste could still see these actions that spoke volumes.

Powder leapt forward, and despite not knowing any moves yet, snow swirled around the Vulpix. Aria, teeth clamped onto her trainer’s collar, dragged her towards an exit, through which a pair of combat boots appeared.

Celeste struggled to lift her gaze, but only the boots came into focus—black, polished, with meticulously tied laces.

“Trooper, create a Reflect barrier around the girl. Then, Iron Tail,” commanded a voice, rough and thick with an Unovan accent. Before Celeste could react, a flash, just like lightning, came, followed by a loud bang.

Pain shot up when she tried to move her arm again. It was worse this time. Celeste’s heart raced as she realized—

—*——*—

Everything was too bright when she opened her eyes.

A numb tingling sensation enveloped her hand, her arms weighed down, fingers unresponsive. Her breath quickened, each second stretching as her vision slowly adapted to the glaring light.

She blinked.

Her Pokémon jumped up to her bed. Aria and Powder engulfing her with affection before she could fully grasp the situation. Aria’s barks, mixed in with tears, were loud and insistent. This was a scolding, she realised. Meanwhile, her Vulpix gently licked her face, her tongue coarse yet cool against her skin.

With effort, Celeste’s uninjured hand emerged from beneath the sheets to comfort her Pokémon. Only then she realised she was lying in a bed. As her eyes further adjusted, she observed the fluttering yellowish pastel curtains, welcoming the gentle warmth of late summer sunlight to in. A bedside table hosted a round medicine bowl filled with pills and a somewhat blurry piece of paper. Nurse Joy’s signature laid at the bottom.

This had to be the Pokémon Centre infirmary—a human wing?

“I’m okay,” she croaked, her voice hoarse, her throat parched. Her Pokémon seemed unconvinced. Aria barked louder, gesturing to the numb hand. There was a cast around it. “That’s why I can’t move it.” Celeste managed a chuckle, but the Eevee barked again.

The door creaked open.

“Okay is a relative term,” a familiar voice remarked crisply, accompanied by two soft claps. “Didn’t I tell you two to give her space?”

Celeste’s Pokémon immediately backed off.

Nurse Joy, the same one who had registered Celeste as a Kanto trainer, entered, pushing a cart with Chansey trailing behind. She didn’t make much of a fuss, nor did she hesitate to grab Celeste’s cast for an examination.

“Now focus on the light,” Joy instructed, shining a lantern in her patient’s eyes. “You fainted from the pain, but better ensure there’s no concussion.”

Squinting, Celeste blinked away the discomfort. “How did—”

“Trainers,” Joy interjected, not needing a complete question to understand, “are worse than Pokémon sometimes. You forget you are more fragile and get yourself injured. Though I’ll say, it’s not often I see you one jump in front of a rock.” The lantern clicked off, but Joy’s gaze lingered. “You were lucky all you got was a broken wrist. What were you thinking?”

“My Pokémon would get hurt… Powder’s weak to rock.”

Jotting notes on the clipboard, Nurse Joy’s expression softened momentarily.

“Humans are weaker to rock. Also harder to heal.” Setting the pen aside, she appraised Celeste, letting out a visible sigh. “Private Surge seems to think you were brave. I disagree. Actions like that burden your Pokémon with worry.”

Celeste blinked, lips pressed hard against one another, unable to come up with a response.

Joy’s attention shifted briefly to Chansey, her fingers tracing the cart’s handle, preparing to leave. “Your Pokémon need your guidance. Getting yourself hurt won’t help…”

The nurse’s advice was reasonable, yet… the thought of her Pokémon getting hurt was hard for Celeste to deal with. “I—”

“Just try to think things through next time,” Joy cut in.

Celeste nodded, uncomfortable. The part of her that wanted the uncomfortableness to go away was quick to dismiss whatever wisdom Joy had given. Better to shift to something else. Something like the realisation that it was morning and that meant she survived another day of her journey. Hah. Take that mom. The part of her that was still mulling over the nurse’s words, however, grappled her back.

“Wait, who the hell is Private Surge?”

—*——*—

It wasn’t much later in the morning when Celeste wondered into the centre’s lobby. Having been released from the infirmary, she was unsure what to do next and was chatting with Aria about getting ink for paw prints on her cast. It was then her gaze landed on a distinctive pair of boots.

Well polished, tightly laced, back combat boots.

As they approached, Celeste’s attention shifted upwards to the man they belonged to. Tall and solidly built, his snug shirt emphasised his physique. His blonde hair, cropped short, seemed determined to defy gravity, spiking rebelliously. Behind a pair of sunglasses, dark blue eyes gave her a look-over.

“Private Surge?” Celeste ventured, offering a small, somewhat grateful smile.

“You doing alright?” His tone was blunt, straightforward… and unexpectedly youthful? Nineteen, twenty-two at the most. How did military ranks go again? Private was low, no doubt, but entry level low? People with titles were often annoying about that sort of thing. Was this guy going to be annoying?

Celeste maintained her composure. “Thanks for helping… Private,” she waved her cast. “Things could’ve ended up a lot worse without you and your Pokémon weren’t around.”

Private Surge gave a nod. “Glad to help a little girl in need,” he said, one hand shoved in a pocket, the other making a sloppy salute. “It’s part of the job.”

Little girl? Seriously? Celeste didn’t think it very privety of him. Didn’t he know she couldn’t be a little girl? Those needed their parents to help them out, which was definitely not the case.

“I’m not a little girl.” She let her mouth run free.

Surge shoved another hand in his pocket, amused. “Right… I suppose even little girls wouldn’t be stupid enough to jump in front of a boulder. Baby then?”

“It’s fucking weird if you call me that.”

He laughed. “She’s got a tongue. So, what do I call you?”

“Celeste,” she said, feeling her Eevee shift on her shoulder.

“I got that part, Miss Diaz. I was aiming for something a bit… better.” The private cocked his head slightly, sparking a wave of panic in Celeste. Did he actually know her? He wasn’t going to take her seriously if he did. Wasn’t Kanto far enough away?

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“How…? Did you…?”

Surge focused his eyes and furrowed his brow. “Nurse Joy told me your name was Celeste Diaz. Is it wrong?”

“Nurse Joy…?” Celeste let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding.

With a shrug, his gaze remained piercing. “So, Celeste, do you like pancakes?”

—*——*—

Raichu’s fur spiked up with static as he nibbled on his meal. Surge, sneaking glances at Powder, was telling Celeste about how his Pokémon had fallen in love with Alolan pancakes.

“It’s popular with the Raichu there,” e explained, leaning back to slice off another piece of his own food. “Trooper and I can’t get enough, though we gotta watch for that sugar,” he finished. Trooper was his Raichu—the one who rescued Celeste from the Golem.

Celeste nodded, absently playing with her fork, her gaze drifting as much as her thoughts. First, the Golem encounter flashed through her mind and then of how it hurt her so easily. She wanted to be a trainer, but how to both battle and make sure her Pokémon were safe? Eventually, she settled on the view outside.

They were nestled in a cosy café tucked away in the lobby of a grand office building. The café was simple—small, round tables, wooden chairs, and a few scattered plants adding life to the space. Around them, people tapped away on their laptops. Beyond the expansive glass window, the building’s luxurious interior unfolded. It was an indoor courtyard laid with granite, surrounded by offices of some big companies. Silph Co, Razzo Cosmetics, Devon Corporation, Delibird Delivery, all had offices on the top floors.

“…did you ever had the real ones?” Celeste realised Surge had been talking.

She turned back to him, noting the menu he tapped. Pancakes. He was asking about the pancakes. Her eyes, however, were drawn to an illustration of a Psychic-Type Raichu surfing on its tail.

“I’m more of a Malasada girl myself,” Celeste answered politely, before taking a bite of her own food. Despite what she just said, she’d ordered Alolan Original Pancakes. Surge had insisted they were the best.

The private flickered his eyes to the Vulpix again, but also to Celeste’s Eevee. Aria was trying to poke his Raichu’s cheeks. Trooper was the more common variant of the electric mouse, found both in Galar and Kanto and really most of the world. Darker in fur, with a long coiling tail and ears that spiked up. It lacked the Psychic-Typing but compensated with a lot more electricity. Aria was going to get herself electrocuted.

“Alolans and their Malasadas,” Surge mused, likely assuming her preference and her Vulpix was a nod to her origins.

“I was travelling through Alola when I met Powder,” Celeste clarified. “Mum’s from there. I’m actually from Galar.”

Surge took another bite. “Travel much?”

She smiled. “All over.”

He leaned in, waiting for Celeste to elaborate. She didn’t have any interest in doing so. He chuckled at that. “So, little girl, why don’t you tell me about that Golem?”

Celeste scoffed. “Not a little girl, remember?”

“Alright, rookie, let me break down what I saw, and you fill in the blanks,” Surge proposed with a grin. “I was going home when I saw you and your baby Pokémon sneaking around that construction site. Figured something was wrong and followed. When I caught up, you were jumping in front of a rock and your Pokémon were panicking.”

“Seems you’ve got the whole thing. No need for my input.” Celeste pinched her own food with her fork. “Rookie, though?”

“Rookie’s what we called the newbies in boot camp,” he explained, eliciting an eye roll from Celeste. She was about to retort when he continued. “Gotta whip you into shape before you lose the nickname, rookie.”

She took another bite of the food. This guy wasn’t about to boss her around, but he was offering help when no one else did. She still wanted her stuff back, as petty as that was. “I was following a Machop who’d been stealing from people around wharf…” she began.

As she unfolded the story, from the theft to the unhelpful response from Officer Jenny, and her own bout in sleuthing, Surge was all ears. She even confessed how she’d felt proud of her scheme to track down the Machop, and even more so of her Vulpix for seeing it through.

“Should’ve expected it wasn’t going to be alone,” she finished with a sigh. “That Golem was strong.”

Surge had listened in silence, his expression sobering as she kept going. Now, much less cheerful, he asked, “Both the cops and the Gym have been trying to shove the responsibility onto the other, huh? Anyone tried talking to the Gym Leader about this?”

Celeste shrugged. “When I asked, people said the Gym Leader was too busy to help.”

“He’s not that busy,” Surge grumbled, running a hand over his hair. “Sounds like the Gym’s slacking off… This whole situation’s… It’s all wrong. And the police? I’m not even going in there.”

Finishing her pancakes and scraping up the last bit of syrup, Celeste asked, mouth full. “D’ya know ‘im?” She swallowed her food. “This busy Gym Person.”

“The leader?” Surge couldn’t hide his amusement. “Guess you can say I know him best.”

That got her thinking. The local Gym was electric and Surge had Raichu—it all pointed to something. “Hold on, are you…?”

Surge leaned back, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips.

“A Gym trainer?”

He glared at her eyes and blinked slowly. “Something like that…” he mustered. “Anyway, as a Gym… trainer… I feel somewhat responsible for the situation.”

“So, you’ll help me get my stuff back?” Celeste couldn’t hide her excitement.

“It’s a ‘we’ mission,” he corrected, smirking,

Celeste snorted. “We? As in you and me, against that Golem?” she said, eliciting a loud bark from Aria. Her Pokémon was all bravado, always thinking she was the strongest Eevee around. Celeste shook her head. “I’m not mad enough to go back there.”

Surge’s laughter broke through, lightening the mood. “SI’ll give you points for sanity, but this time, I’ll be there.”

Celeste leaned back too, pretending to keep her cool, even as her heart raced. She studied the Pokémon, both hers and Surge’s, and recalled how her Eevee’s Swift couldn’t even dent a rock. “My Pokémon aren’t too good against Rock-Types,” she admitted, crossing her arms. Her fingers brushed against her cast and she ran her hand through it, as if to further prove her point.

Surge didn’t flinch. “Neither are mine. That’s the beauty of battling, don’t you think?” Noticing her apprehension, he added, “Your Vulpix’ ice moves can help.”

Her eyes found Powder, peacefully snoozing away. It was true she had made some snow before Celeste passed out… which could only mean… she knew a move!

Excitement bubbled amidst her fears.

“But she’s never really been in a fight. I’m not even sure how to direct her in battle,” Celeste tempered her enthusiasm with reality. The fact was, none of them had much experience battling. Even Aria, who was older, was all bark. “What am I supposed to call out? It’s not like I know what move that was.”

“Names are just names,” Surge reassured her as he signalled for the bill. “But for what it’s worth, what she did there? That’s the start of Powder Snow. Quite fitting for your Powder, don’t you think?”

Powder Snow… that sent a thrill through her.

“Battle makes a trainer, rookie,” Surge said, settling their bill. “You’re aiming to be a trainer, right? If not, I can handle it myself.”

Her response was immediate. “I am! I want to be strong,” she declared, her determination tumbling from her lips.

He chuckled at that. “Looking to be strong, huh? Fight even the trees. Especially the annoying ones in Johto.” Rising from his seat, he stretched out a hand. “Let’s kick things off with that rock monster. You in?”

Seemed foolhardy.

“Let’s take on that rock monster,” she agreed, grasping his hand.

Maybe she was all bravado, too.

—*——*—

Under the harsh light of day, the construction site revealed its true form: dilapidated, deserted, with rust clinging to the dormant cranes. The ground was littered with hazards—boulders, scrap and snarls of barbed wire. It was a wonder Celeste and her Pokémon had navigated this mess unscathed the night before.

“I didn’t know this place was such a mess.” Surge nudged a loose rock with his boot. “I’m sorry no one helped you out.”

“It wasn’t your responsibility…” Celeste replied, keeping Aria close. “It shouldn’t take the army to deal with a few wild Pokémon…”

He paused, eyes scanning the clouding sky. “I work for Vermillion. It was my job to help.”

She sidestepped some barbed wire. “Vermillion’s army…? That’s not a thing, is it?”

Surge’s gaze hardened momentarily.

“The Private thing. What does that mean?”

He continued toward the shed, his pace steady. “Just a rank… something I’m part of. Aiming for Sergeant next.”

“Next… like next time you go to a war?” Celeste asked. “I thought the last of those ended a while back.”

He shook his head quietly. “Peacekeeping is not just for wartime.”

Celeste sensed the weight behind his words, understanding some topics were off-limits. It was okay. There were, after all, lots of things she didn’t want to talk about either. She smiled. “I like the sound of Sargent Surge. The alliteration is on point.”

“The alliteration, huh?” Surge chuckled. “You’re a weird one, rookie.”

She chuckled too. “Again with the rookie? Can’t you be more original, soldier?”

His laughter echoed a tad more freely, though she noted wit wasn’t his strongest suit. What he was, though, was fast. His attention swiftly shifted from banter to action as he suddenly ushered Celeste behind a boulder for cover. Before she could protest, he signalled toward the shed—the Machop was making its exit.

With practiced ease, Surge released his Raichu, then nodded toward Celeste’s Premier Ball. “Get ready,” he whispered.

Her hand trembled as she reached for her ball, her gaze fixed on Aria, seeking courage. Her finger hovered on the release button of her ball without pressing it.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Celeste asked.

Raichu, showing a spark of determination, raised a fist in solidarity. Yet, as she hesitated, Surge’s encouragement was more abrupt—a quick slap to her wrist (the uninjured one) prompted the release of Powder, who appeared bewildered by the situation. “With Trooper and me, nothing can go wrong,” he promised, nudging her forward as the Machop vanished from view.

Celeste was far from convinced.

Inside, Aria and Powder took their positions, ready for confrontation. Yet, the first sign of trouble—a rock hurled their way—caught Celeste off guard.

Shit.

Her instinct was to protect her Pokémon, to confront the Golem directly. Maybe punch it in the gut with her good hand—or maybe the cast would make it better? She winced at the idea of the pain. Surge’s quick intervention kept her at bay.

As the Raichu effortlessly split the incoming rock, he commanded, “Put up a Reflect, then fall back. Let’s see what Celeste and her Pokémon got.”

Her stomach dropped. “Now?”

As another rock disintegrated under Raichu’s Iron Tail (or at least she thought it was Iron Tail), Surge gave the signal. With a barrier around them and no room for hesitation, Celeste took a deep breath.

“Aria, give cover with Swift! Powder, try… Powder Snow!” she called out.

Stars burst, and she glanced at Surge. He crossed his arms and nodded approvingly. Still, their attempts didn’t wield great results. Swift’s impact was minimal, and Powder remained motionless and confused. Meanwhile, the Golem kept thumping around.

“Powder…” she was young. Of course, she wouldn’t know the names humans gave to the moves unless she was taught. “Do it like yesterday. Freeze things!”

The little ice type blinked. For a moment it seemed even the Golem had stopped, curiously watching for what would happen next. Another blink and something shifted in Powder’s eyes. She looked at the Golem and let out a shrill, piercing howl. Snow slowly began to circle her and the wind burst the windows open.

It was amazing.

Or at least to Celeste, it was. To Surge… it was probably a baby Pokémon move.

“Powder, give it all you got!” she yelled with newfound confidence. “Aria, stand by!”

Vision sharp. Heart racing. Adrenaline high. Was that what it felt like to be a proper Pokémon trainer?

The snow picked up. Different from the tremor Golem had used early, the chaos unleashed by Powder’s snow disrupted the shed even further. From within shelves Celeste had no time to notice last time, bags with medicine, food, and all sorts of stolen goods fell down. The Golem, distressed by the destruction, shifted its focus from aggression to a clumsy attempt at salvaging its stuff.

Comically short arms, Celeste had noticed it the previous night, and now, again.

It didn’t reach the flask, nor any of the other items being toppled down by the wind. Boxes in some corner began tumbling too. Golem roared, then resorted to its natural instinct—hurling stones torn from its own body with fury.

“Whatch it!” Surge’s caution came just as the Golem set its sights on Powder.

“No! Pow—” In a panic, Celeste attempted to break free from Surge’s grasp and run to her Pokémon. The grip on her shoulder tightened. He wasn’t letting her out. “Aria, do something!” she yelled, turning to the Private. “You do something.”

But their efforts were in vain. It didn’t matter what Celeste yelled, or how much Aria powered up on her Swift. Powder was out the moment the Golem touched her.

It hit Celeste hard. Whose moronic idea was to let her baby ice Pokémon fight a huge rock monster? And why the hell did she go with it?

Her vision blurred with tears she wouldn’t let fall, and her chest heaved. Only when Golem rammed against Raichu’s reflective wall, Surge let go of her.

“Stay back,” he advised sternly, before commanding his Raichu to get back into action with an Iron Tail.

Celeste watched Trooper blur forward as her hand trembled to her Premier Ball. Raichu hit it with force, and the rock creature he rammed against stumbled to the side, bringing the fallen Vulpix to full view. Aria had joined Powder’s side and was licking her ear with worry.

She pressed the recall button, relieved when Vulpix disappeared. Then, called Aria back to her side, her voice shaking.

The battle intensified, the ground beneath them quaking as Raichu and Golem clashed.

“End this now!” Surge’s command cut through the tension. “Brick Break!”

Trooper was a marvel with his speed. Golem tried punching and using some sort of ground move, but Raichu dodged everything with ease. He was a blur at some moments, and at others a trail of static crackled from his heels. He slid to the back of the Golem and spoke a brief “Chu” as his hands shimmered with electricity and some sort of reddish energy.

A final punch sent the Rock-Type crashing into a heap of boxes that collapsed on top of him. Whatever medical supply still in the shelves fell down, letting a mixture of liquids and pills spill through the cracks on the wooden floor.

It all must have taken about a second.

Golem tried to move. It wasn’t out yet, though it didn’t seem to have a lot of strength left.

“Trooper…” Surge’s voice was calm but heavy. Raichu bumped his fists and seemed to be getting ready for a finishing blow.

That was when Machop burst back inside, jumping in front of the electric Pokémon..

His eyes were wide and teary. It looked around in a frenzy at his shattered loot. No, not loot, medicine. Then another glance at the Golem made it wave its hands up and down. With a last glance, now towards the collapsed pile of boxes, he began jumping.

“Machop macho, ma chop chop!” It went on in a string of words so fast that even the Pokémon were having a hard time understanding it. Celeste noticed there was a pile of berries and potions left by the door.

More medical supplies?

She pursed her lips and stepped forward, ignoring Surge and Aria’s protests. But it was okay. Celeste didn’t understand Pokémon’s speech. Like her father said, no one did. Actions, though? Those were universal. She understood panic.

“Surge, please tell your Raichu to stand down.” Celeste got closer to the Machop, an appeasing hand up. “We’ve got this all wrong.”