Celadon I - I Did Nothing Wrong
Officer Jenny glared at Slate. “You’re a pain in my ass, kid.”
Slate shrugged. “In my defense, none of this is my fault.” He was handcuffed to a heavy metal table in an interrogation room in Celadon City. He desperately had to scratch his nose.
She shot him a disbelieving look. “How is none of this your fault? You were at the scene of every crime!”
He tried to shrug. “Bad luck?”
Her hands smacked into the table between them as she rose to loom over him. “There are millions of Poké worth of property damage!”
“Really bad luck?”
The look Officer Jenny shot Slate was so cold, his hand almost instinctively dove for his side where an Ice Heal would have hung had his equipment not been taken away. As it was, his body shivered at the frigid look.
“You have ten minutes to convince me to not have you tossed into prison,” Officer Jenny ground out, her hands on her hips.
For a moment Slate wondered about the origin of the inexplicably short skirt that made up her uniform. He hoped whoever designed it was doing very well in life before he shook himself and focused on keeping himself out of prison.
“Well, I suppose it began with us getting attacked by a Pokémon Migration,” Slate began. It was only a week previously afterall. “My companion and I staggered into this city, wounded and dazed, and in search of a safe place to rest when we came across my companion’s former travel companions in the Pokémon Center.”
“Yes, the Trainers,” Officer Jenny impatiently said.
“And the Coordinator,” Slate said. Officer Jenny waved a dismissive hand.
“Continue.”
“They were in an even worse state than ourselves due to not being able to shelter in place during that Pokémon Migration that happened last week. It didn’t help that John, the Flying-Specialist, wanted to catch the Shiny Corviknight. Shame about his Scyther though.
“Unfortunately, Tony-”
“-the Trainer whose jaw you broke,” Officer Jenny cut in.
“The Trainer who has attacked me twice without provocation,” Slate said, ignoring Officer Jenny’s interruption. “This time he waited until I was distracted with assisting one of the Nurse Joys in triage as a number of other Trainers ran afoul of the Pokémon Migration.
“His attempt at restraining me worked for all of three seconds before the Pokémon Center’s Security Pokémon separated us. He then released his Pokémon and ordered them to attack me and the Pokémon. It ended with Tony and his team needing medical attention and me patching up the Security Pokémon. That was the extent of any involvement from me on that score.”
Officer Jenny grit her teeth but reluctantly nodded. “Fine. And the stolen heirloom?”
Slate nodded. “In order to get to Celadon, my companion and I had to walk through the woods, heavily injured. We recovered the watch from the Pokémon Migration and I placed it in my travel companion’s vest pocket for safekeeping as I had to focus on keeping her upright with my own body.
“When we arrived my travel companion told Baxter, the watch’s owner, that we had his missing heirloom. It might have been the pain medication he was on but he began to vocally and repeatedly beg for his heirloom back. One of the Center’s Security Pokémon overheard and thought to intimidate me in an attempt to retrieve it.”
Slate’s lips almost twitched into a smile but he quickly controlled himself. “My Flaaffy took exception to the posturing and attempted to warn off the Security Pokémon. The Security Pokémon retaliated by throwing Flaaffy through a wall.”
He shrugged, not even trying to fight the smile anymore. “Flaaffy isn’t one to shy away from a fight, and I was busy trying to get two concussed Trainers to not open their other wounds. That both were concussed, and whining in such a pitiful manner that even a begging Growlithe would roll its eyes, didn’t help matters. By the time I settled them, Flaaffy had subdued the Security Pokémon and was standing guard in its place.”
Officer Jenny grit her teeth but held her tongue. The Pokémon Center had already assumed responsibility for their Security Pokémon’s actions as it should not have acted without direction in that manner. Primeapes weren’t known for their patience and Slate didn’t doubt that one would be stuck in remedial training for the near future. Poor little ball of fury.
“Yes, your Growlithe,” she said with an exceptionally sour look on her face. “We’ll get to him in a moment. If I’m following the timeline correctly, the next incident was at Gym Leader Helena’s Gym?”
Slate opened his mouth to speak but paused, thinking about it. A lot had happened in the past week, after all, and he wanted to keep his story straight. “Actually I think the Department Store was next.”
Officer Jenny glared at him before flipping through her file. “I don’t have anything in here about the Department Store,” she said slowly.
“Oh. Oh, bugger. Then the next incident was definitely the Gym. Hey, did you know that Gym Leader Helena’s wife bakes?” Slate asked.
“I did. She made me triple chocolate chip cookies for my birthday. What happened at the Department Store,” Officer Jenny asked. She pulled out her notepad and began to write on it. “And be very clear.”
Slate grimaced but nodded with great reluctance. “Well, I wanted to do some shopping, you see…
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“I can’t believe you broke an indestructible flashlight,” Elvira said. The two Trainers were walking through Celadon City after they had been cleared to leave by Nurse Joy.
Slate shrugged. “It’s a machine. I was in a cave-in. These things happen.”
“I have literally never heard of anyone breaking one of them. I even heard that story about that one Trainer who was trapped in an avalanche and used his flashlight to cut his arm free!”
“That doesn’t make any sense. You could probably break a bone with a flashlight but cutting through one? Appendages aren’t so easy,” Slate said, meaningfully wriggling his hand at Elvira. Her eyes locked onto his left hand.
“When did you lose a finger?” she shouted, her cry attracting the attention of everyone nearby. Slate ignored them.
“When I was on Mt. Silver. I told you Wild Pokémon were attacking me, I’m not sure why this is a surprise. At least I lost it to a Houndoom and not a rockslide or my own stupidity.”
“You’re missing a finger! How did I not notice that before?” Elvira muttered. She grabbed Slate’s arm and held his hand up so she could poke his stump. “How do you type without this finger?”
Slate yanked his hand free. “The same way you do, with my nose, Ms. Busybody.”
That earned him an eyeroll. “Still, a finger. I can’t imagine.”
“It’s not so bad. Better than my toes in any case. Buying shoes becomes a lot more tricky with missing toes,” Slate said with a shrug. Elvira absently nodded.
“Right, right. Wait. How would you know that? Slate? What happened to your toes?”
“Oh, look, we’re here!” Slate said unnecessarily, gesturing to the large building in front of them.
The Celadon Department Store was not a simple store. It was five levels of merchandise spanning from the humble Poké Ball, to cutting edge computer and consumer goods. As the largest store in Kanto, and a top contender globally, it was often said that if you couldn’t find what you were looking for in the Celadon Department Store, it didn’t exist. It was so well known that visiting it while traveling in Kanto was considered a must by all of those in the know.
As the two Trainers entered, they were hit by a blast of air conditioned air and the smell of something delicious baking. In front of them, the building opened up into a large atrium, enclosed in a glass roof, that exposed the five levels of shops, attractions, and all sorts of exciting kiosks. Slate and Elvira dove in with eager grins.
A trio of Mankey’s hung from an overhead light, dancing slightly to music. A nearby pond had Horseas that delighted in diving and surfacing near unsuspecting shoppers, spraying them with Bubbles before vanishing once more. An actual Tropius lumbered through one walkway, a man on its back passing out candied Berries and other treats. And on and on with so much more.
Hours passed before the two Trainers tired themselves out on the activities before them. They finally entered the topmost floor which mainly catered to Trainers and thus had a slightly more calm party atmosphere. Slate followed Elvira into a store that they had not explored yet.
“Is this my color?” Slate asked. He placed a large feathered hat on his head, where it fell over his eyes. It might not have been so bad were it not six different shades of neon colors as well as twinkling Clefairy lights. It clashed terribly with the denim and patch jacket a random stranger had thrown Slate before diving into the pond. She surprisingly never came back for it.
“Not enough pink,” Elvira said. She had precisely twenty-seven plastic Pokémon attached to her clothing, all pink and all won by betting against children in a rigged game of Ducklet-Ducklet-Gyrados. Both Trainers had cheap plastic sunglasses on their faces.
Slate tossed the hat back onto its rack while Elvira moved on to look at a selection of Poké Balls. “Hey, do you think Mimikyu would appreciate a Luxury Ball?”
Slate looked at the black and gold trimmed Poké Ball Elvira held up. “I think any Pokémon that likes shiny things would appreciate it. Although I doubt its claim that it boosts your Pokémon’s natural abilities.”
“Why’s that?” Elvira asked, still peering at the Poké Ball. Slate pointed to a small piece of text on the display card. Elvira threw the Luxury Ball back in disgust “If it’s just a cosmetic Poké Ball why is it so bloody expensive?”
“Probably because of Trainers who get sucked into the nice shiny black exterior who don’t bother to read the fine print,” Slate said. “Might as well call it a Trainer Ball.”
“Are all of these just cosmetic?” Elvira asked. Slate shrugged.
“Probably. From what I recall Poké Balls can handle most Pokémon. You usually only upgrade to a Great Ball if your Pokémon grow too powerful to be safely contained in a normal Poké Ball. And you only upgrade to an Ultra Ball if they grow too powerful for a Great Ball.” Something about that statement tickled Slate’s memory but the memory evaded him. “I already had to switch Flaaffy and Lairon to Great Balls once they evolved. Should probably do the same with Machoke, actually.”
“Pfft. And let me guess, there’s a Master Ball for when your Pokémon are too powerful for an Ultra Ball?” Elvira said with a laugh. Slate joined in.
“Maybe an Arcerus Ball after that. For when you need to capture God,” Slate joked. The two Trainers laughed as they exited the shop.
Unknown to them they were being followed by a Wild Drifloon. It poked the Luxury Ball Elvira had been examining before wrapping its hands around the Poké Ball. It tugged it free from the stand and followed the Two Trainers out the door.
As Elvira and Slate entered a camping store to restock some of their supplies, they heard an alarm go off behind them. Paying it no mind, they continued to browse, but would pause as something began bumping into the shelves above them. They looked up.
The Luxury Ball smacked into Slate’s face, causing the Drifloon to inflate and deflate itself rapidly. It moved to the top of the shelf nearest to them and settled in among the boxes.
“I didn’t know you were a Pokémon, Slate,” Elvira said, picking up the Luxury Ball. “Jasmine will be so disappointed she wasn’t able to catch you.”
“Which one was Jasmine?” Slate asked, rubbing his nose. Elvira shot him a look.
“There were only three females in my group, I was one, so…?”
“I remember the Coordinator from Hoenn. And the moron.”
“Jasmine is the moron.”
“I was talking about Tony.”
Any response Elvira had to that would go unsaid as a box fell from above, spilling its contents on the floor between the two Trainers. They looked up just in time to see another box sailing toward them and quickly stepped out of the way. Unfortunately that was just the beginning of their problem with their new friend.
Drifloon seemed quite intent on getting their attention, tossing any number of things at them when it felt ignored. Unfortunately for both Trainers they were in a store filled with things, and the aisles around began to look like a warzone.
“Hey! Control your Pokémon,” the shopkeeper said, glaring at the pair.
“It’s not my Pokémon!” Elvira protested.
The shopkeeper brandished his broom at the Poké Ball in her hands. “Don’t lie to me, missy. I saw it toss you that Poké Ball. Return it and leave so I can clean up this mess.”
“But! But it’s not. Fine! Go Poké Ball!” Elvira shouted, throwing the Luxury Ball at the Drifloon.
It hit the Pokémon squarely in the face, causing it to squeak in surprise before it was sucked inside in a blast of red light. The Luxury Ball fell to the floor, rocking gently as its release button flashed. A moment later it went still as the Drifloon was caught.
“Congrats, it’s a Ghost-Type,” Slate said with a smirk. The look Elvira gave him promised him pain.
Anything else that might have been said went unspoken as the Luxury Ball burst open, releasing the Drifloon. It trilled before floating away with a loud fart noise, knocking over more merchandise.
“Get out!” the shopkeeper shouted, pushing them out with his broom. He threw the Luxury Ball at Elvira and slammed the door shut behind them.
“Now what? We still need supplies,” Elvira said. Slate began tapping her on the shoulder. “What do you want?”
Slate pointed behind Elvira. She turned and saw Drifloon had somehow found a bucket of paint and was using it to draw strange shapes on the wall. “Glad that’s not my Pokémon,” Elvira said.
“Yes, it is.”
Elvira looked at Slate. “No it’s not.”
Slate nodded at her hands. “You caught it. You’re holding its Poké Ball. It’s your Pokémon.”
“What?” Elvira looked down at the Luxury Ball, as if it betrayed her. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes. By the way, your Pokémon is now painting the windows.”
Elvira cursed and raced over to her new Pokémon with a laughing Slate close behind.
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Officer Jenny glared at Slate. “So you’re the ones who vandalized the Department Store! We’re still trying to clear that paint off.”
Slate wriggled his hand back and forth. “Technically no. The Luxury Ball wasn’t registered to Elvira until after she stopped Drifloon from painting more of the store and she paid for Ball. She was not happy to have to pay so much for such a troublesome Pokémon but since it’s a Ghost-type, she decided to keep it.”
Slate watched the Officer Jenny think that through before reluctantly nodding in agreement. She tore the pages she had been writing on away from her notebook and set them aside.
“So after you removed a delinquent Pokémon from the premises, what happened next?” she asked.
“Well I bought a couple of brushes for my Pokémon,” Slate said. He trailed off at the dark glare he received from Officer Jenny. “What?”
“Did you shoplift them?”
“No.”
“Did you attain them in any illegal manner?”
“Nope.”
“Then why are you telling me about your shopping? I heard enough about your activities in the Department Store and I still don’t understand why you told me about that either!” Officer Jenny looked about five seconds away from tearing her hair out.
Slate shrugged. “It was an interesting experience and I wanted to share.”
Officer Jenny covered her face with her free hand. “Please, tell me what happened at the Gym.”
“Right. Well that happened the next day. I challenged Gym Leader Helena for her Badge and….”
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A polite person would call the Challenger level of the Celadon Gym a walk in the park. Despite the seven Gym Trainers Slate faced on his way to Gym Leader Helena, none of them fielded anything noteworthy. The most difficult battle was against the youngest Trainer Slate had seen thus far, a small slip of a girl who commanded a sleepy Oddish, and that was only because it evolved into a Gloom part way through the battle.
It was an interesting experience watching someone else’s Pokémon evolve but unfortunately for the newly evolved Gloom, it didn’t save it from Slate’s Scyther. The young Trainer didn’t seem to mind the loss though, and happily carried her Pokémon to sit on the grass with the other Trainers, cooing over the Pokémon’s new form.
“Thank you for giving Erika’s Pokémon the push it needed to evolve,” Gym Leader Helena said, greeting Slate with a small bow. He gave an awkward one back. “Your battles with my Gym Trainers have impressed me. Would you be content in accepting the Rainbow Badge so I might focus on other concerns?”
Slate blinked. “Uh, what?” Behind him he could hear Elvira muttering to her Mimikyu.
Gym Leader Helena’s face pinched slightly before smoothing. “I find these battles to be long and drag on. You have impressed me with your skills as a Trainer and I would be willing to forgo the standard Gym Battle should you accept.”
The muscle on Slate’s jaw tightened. “I’m here to test myself and my Pokémon. We cannot do that if we do not face you.”
A clear look of irritation crossed her face. “I do not wish to battle further today. Your companion’s battle was tiring enough.”
Slate looked behind and shared a look with Elvira who was looking incredulously at the Gym Leader. “You two fought for five minutes.”
“And it was tiring,” Gym Leader Helena said with a small amount of force. They shared a long look, will battling will. Slate finally spoke.
“No. We will battle.”
Annoyance was clear on the Gym Leader’s face as she nodded. “So be it. Then we shall begin.”
They stood across from one another on an empty grass field, shrubs and trees decorating the landscape. Slate’s eyes darted between them, examining how they broke up sightlines and provided coverage. He didn’t doubt that the Gym Leader’s Pokémon knew the layout quite well.
A referee stood between them. “This is a three on three battle between Gym Leader Helena of Celadon City and Rookie Trainer Slate of Mt. Silver. There are no items allowed. Battle will continue until one Trainer is victorious. Challenger, are you ready?” she called out.
“I am.” Slate’s hand hovered over Flaaffy’s Poké Ball.
“Gym Leader, are you ready?”
“I am.” Gym Leader Helena’s voice was smooth and calm, betraying none of her earlier irritation.
“Trainers, send out your Pokémon!”
Slate released Flaaffy onto the field, who held up his hands, sparks flying. Gym Leader Helena held one long arm up, and a Poké Ball fell from her sleeve into her hand. It flew through the air before releasing a large Sawsbuck onto the field. Its antlers were filled with vibrant green leaves and it pawed the ground eagerly.
“Begin!”
Flaaffy and Sawsbuck charged forward without waiting for their Trainer’s commands. Electricity covered Flaaffy’s hands as it charged up a Thunder Punch while Sawsbuck lowered its head, to ram Slate’s Pokémon with its horns.
“Leech Seed!” Gym Leader Helena shouted.
Before Slate or Flaffy could react, Flaaffy was covered in small seeds that quickly grew roots, entangling his limbs. He fell head over heels, smashing into a tree while Sawsbuck charged past him. But the Gym Leader wasn’t done.
“Double Kick!”
Sawsbuck landed two solid hits on Flaaffy, smashing him down into the dirt and grass. The Leech Seed activated a moment later, glowing an ominous green as it sapped Flaaffy’s strength.
“Thunderbolt!” Slate shouted. With Flaaffy’s mobility hampered they needed to even the score, and quickly before Flaaffy was knocked out by the Leech Seed.
Unfortunately, their foe was going to give them no quarter. “Sand Attack!” Gym Leader Helena called out calmly. Sawsbuck dug its hooves into the ground, kicking up a dust cloud that enveloped the two Pokémon.
Slate smirked. “Charge!” he shouted.
Within the dust cloud, ominous sparks flickered. Across the field, the Gym LEader’s eyes narrowed as she tried to peer inside to see what was happening. “Clear the field with Leaf Storm, Sawsbuck!” she ordered.
Slate frowned, unfamiliar with that move. Suddenly the air was filled with swirling leaves, flashing through the air as Sawsbuck took command of them. Many of them found their mark on Flaaffy’s encumbered form, causing him to cry out in rage and pain. The insidious green glow of the Leech Seed intensified.
“Thunderbolt, now!” Slate shouted.
Flaaffy howled as it unleashed his attack, filling the field with electric arcs that splashed against the barriers in front of the Trainers. Slate squinted through the bright light, trying to see what was happening, trying to find his Pokémon to no avail.
“Megahorn!”
The sound of thundering hooves could be heard, charging into the epicenter of Flaaffy’s attack.
“Dodge!” Slate shouted but he already knew it was too late.
Sawsbuck slammed into Flaaffy, its horns aglow with energy that seeped into Flaaffy. Flaaffy, defiant to the end, slammed his fists into Sawsbuck head, taking advantage of the closeness of its foe to get in one last strike. The two Pokémon broke free.
Flaaffy fell to the ground, the Leech Seed glowing brightly. The labored movement of his chest confirmed he was still alive but if Slate didn’t return him now, the Leech Seed would drain him dry. Slate returned him.
“Well fought, buddy,” Slate whispered as he placed Flaaffy back in his place. Another Poké Ball fell into his palm.
“Your Pokémon is a brute,” Gym Leader Helena sniffed. “So unrefined. Although that isn't unexpected of a Trainer like you.”
“Like me?” Slate asked. She waved a dismissive hand.
“A man. Your kind are all filled with wasted energy.”
“What a bitch,” Elvira whispered from behind Slate. He was inclined to agree.
“Go, Vulpix!”
Vulpix appeared in a blast of red light, stretching her front paws before standing at the ready.
“Fire-types won't help you here,” Gym Leader Helena said.
Slate smirked as the referee raised her hands. “Vulpix isn’t a Fire-type.”
“Begin!” the referee shouted.
“Icy Wind!” Slate shouted.
“What?” Gym Leader Helena shouted. “Dodge it!”
Sawsbuck didn’t react quick enough, taking the hit to its side. Icicles formed on its coat and it began to shiver.
“Draining Kiss!” Slate ordered. Vulpix dove forward, impacting the Sawsbuck and stealing some of its stolen energy for herself.
“Bullet Seed, get some room!”
“Confuse Ray!”
Vulpix’s Confuse Ray cut off Sawsbuck’s Bullet Seed, causing it to stagger as it temporarily was blocked from that move. Slate grinned.
“Finish it with Icy Wind.”
Against most Pokémon the attack would be light and something to shrug off as a minor inconvenience. To Sawsbuck, battered and harassed and wheeling from the Confuse Ray, it was more than enough to send it to the ground, knocked out and shivering from chills. Gym Leader Helena returned it with a tight jaw.
“Investigation!” she called out. Slate blinked.
“What?” he asked. He was ignored even as the referee stepped forward.
“On what grounds?” the referee asked the Gym Leader formally.
“Illegal Pokémon. Vulpix are not Ice-types,” Gym Leader Helena said. The referee turned toward Slate.
“Please return your Pokémon and present their Poké Ball.”
Vague memories about tournament battling flew through Slate’s mind. Gym Leader Helena was well within her rights to request the investigation even if it was an annoyance. He reluctantly returned Vulpix and held out her Poké Ball to the referee.
A small podium rose from the ground, disrupting the soil and grass it laid under. A small cavity opened and the referee placed the Poké Ball in it, causing it to glow with a soft red light as the Poké Ball was scanned. It chimed a moment later and the referee read the results from her Pokédex.
“This Vulpix is a regional variant from the Alolan Region. It is not disqualified from tournament use,” the referee said. She returned Slate’s Pokémon to him. “The battle will commence once Gym Leader Helena sends out her second Pokémon. The Challenger must return Vulpix to the field.”
Slate did so, failing to stop himself from smirking at the Gym Leader who looked as though she were trying to become an Ice-Type with how frosty her glare was. She released a Pokémon on the field.
“Begin!”
Vulpix peppered a Lombre with Icy Wind even as Slate considered the Gym Leader. While within her rights as a Gym Leader, and something that was common when dealing with unknown and new Pokémon, it struck Slate as wrong that she was ignorant of an Alolan Vulpix. Had she really been ignorant or was it a move in some deeper strategy?
Vulpix getting thrown to the ground caused Slate to mentally shake himself and pay attention to the battle. He’d worry about the Gym Leader later. “Confuse Ray!”
“Leech Seed!”
Vulpix’s Confuse Ray hit first, causing Lombre to lose its focus. Lombre’s Leech Seed flew everywhere, with only a few landing on Vulpix, only marginally slowing her down and draining her. It was still too much in Slate’s opinion and he vowed to do better. And find a way to remove the seeds in future battles.
“Draining Kiss!”
Vulpix glowed with pink tinted energy before she lunged toward Lombre. The energy left her body from her mouth, hitting Lombre before returning back to her, restoring her a small amount.
“Hydro Pump!”
Vulpix reacted immediately, jumping away as far as she could. Unfortunately It would have been better for her had she stayed closer. Lombre was still confused and aimed several meters beyond where Vulpix originally stood due to its confusion. However her sudden dodge put her in the path of the Hydro Pump, smashing into her and sending her flying into a tree. Slate grit his teeth in frustration.
“Make a Storm!”
The field between the two Trainers vanished as Vulpix manipulated the weather inside the building with Mist, Aurora Veil, and Icy Wind. Frost formed on leaves and grass, coating everything in a layer of ice as the temperature rapidly dropped. Mist flew from Slate’s lips with every breath as Vulpix claimed domain over Celadon Gym.
“Sunny Day!” Gym Leader Helena’s voice shouted. The weather effect began to disperse.
“Ice Shard before you lose cover!”
A blast of light lit up the field, cool icy blue spearing to an area where the weather effect had already stopped. Through a small gap Slate could see his foe’s face, an unhappy look glaring back at him.
“Solar Beam!”
Before the Ice Shard could hit, a new light formed in the Mist. Lombre, confused no more, fired off a powerful Solar Beam, aiming at the source of the Ice Shard that Vulpix had launched. A moment later it was hit with the Ice Shard.
Slate flinched as the Solar Beam blinded him. He rapidly blinked his eyes, trying to restore his vision. A distant thump ahead of him made him still, trying to determine which Pokémon fell.
“The Challengers Pokémon has fainted! Please send out your final Pokémon!”
Slate’s heart fell as his vision cleared. Vulpix lay a small distance away, her formerly pristine white fur dirty and ruffled. The last of the Mist faded away as he returned her to her Poké Ball, placing her on his belt. A sparkle of light caught his eye.
Lombre was encased in ice, unable to free itself. It seemingly glared at Slate through the ice although he knew that couldn’t be true; Pokémon entered a state of hibernation when frozen like this. Still, Gym Leader Helena could simply thaw it out with an Ice Heal and it would still be in the fight.
A flash of light hit Lombre, returning it to its Poké Ball. Gym Leader Helena frowned at it before shifting her look to Slate. And then he remembered the rules of the match: No items.
He couldn’t stop his grin as he reached for Lairon’s Poké Ball. One on one, last Pokémon standing. This was how battles should be.
“You must be so proud,” Gym Leader Helena said, her final Pokémon in her hand. Slate raised an eyebrow.
“Of course,” Slate replied. He had good reason to be, he felt.
The Gym Leader disagreed. “Taking advantage of a Pokémon’s weakness, fighting them with dirty tricks. You must be proud.”
Irritation grew in Slate. “Have I done anything illegal? Against the rules?”
“Have you?” Gym Leader Helena challenged.
Slate ignored the obvious bait. “I am ready,” he told the referee. The referee turned toward the Gym Leader.
“Sure, we may continue. Send out your last Pokémon. I’m sure it’s a Fire or Steel-type or perhaps another Ice-type. You’ll burn and cut my Pokémon and take your hollow victory,” she said.
Slate’s hand tightened on Lairon’s Poké Ball. He did not like this woman, not one bit. And despite knowing she was trying to goad him into making a mistake, into throwing out a Pokémon that would be weak to hers, it was working. And that angered him more than anything. His hand loosened around Lairon’s Poké Ball, holding his friend carefully.
He was better than that.
“Typical man. You and your brutes are a stain upon this Gym.”
Slate spoke to all of his Pokémon before each Gym Battle. He wanted them to know that the next time they were called upon that it would be fighting for their victory, their honor as Trainer and Pokémon. That their skills and power would be tested by others and that they would be battling for themselves, their fellow Pokémon, and their Trainer. He wanted them to be proud to be called forward to battle.
Having an expanded Carry Limit gave Slate options most Trainers lacked. They had to be careful about which Pokémon they carried on them, having to plan out their Gym Battles around their core team members, with little in the way of adaptation. Slate had no such problems. He could adapt to battles as they were going on, as he learned about his foe.
The Gym Leader of Celadon was a hypocrite. She decried dishonorable tactics even as she used them herself in trying to gain victory. She had powerful Pokémon who knew how to use their terrain effectively, using it as an additional avenue to attack their foes while her opponents were thrown into a grassy maze.
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If Slate tossed out Lairon right now, he would win. He would smash and grind whatever Pokémon he faced into mulch, able to tank anything they threw at him. Lairon would win Slate the Badge and he would do it happily.
“Challenger, throw out your Pokémon!” the referee shouted, their voice small and distant.
Lairon was returned to Slate’s belt and across the field, Gym Leader smiled.
“It’s wise of you to concede. We’ve wasted far too much time on this nonsense-”
“Go Bulbasaur!”
Bulbasaur appeared in a blaze of red light, looking around the Gym with open curiosity. She waved a small vine at Slate in greeting, and another one at the watching Gym Trainers who waved back in delight. Slate gave her a small smile and a sharp nod but returned his gaze to Gym Leader Helena.
Who was seething in fury.
“You dare,” she whispered. “You dare send a Grass-type against me, in my own Gym! I thought you lacked respect like most of your kind but you are the worst of them all! Unacceptable!”
Slate was actually slightly worried by how unhinged the Gym Leader had become. He thought to tweak her nose with his selection but she seemed to believe he had blasphemed against her in some greater manner.
“Gym Leader, please send out your Pokémon!” the referee called. They flinched at the look they received.
The Poké Ball in Gym Leader Helena’s hand vanished and was replaced by a Great Ball. Slate’s conversation with Elvira flashed through his mind and he wondered what Pokémon was in there. A flash of light later and he had his answer.
A towering Shiftry glared down at Bulbasaur before brandishing its leaf blades. Even as the referee’s hand descended to the floor, beginning the match, Slate opened his mouth to give Bulbasaur a command.
Shiftry acted without orders, lunging forward with one hand forward. Bulbasaur, to her credit, jumped to the side of it, allowing it to pass by harmlessly. Slate almost smiled.
It was a Fake Out. Bulbasaur’s dodge brought it closer to Shiftry’s other hand, to the real attack. Bulbasar was thrown into a tree and bounced off it, rolling into a bush.
Instinct took over for Bulbasaur as she immediately moved deeper into the bush, using it for coverage. Slate opened his mouth to tell her to use Ingrain but stopped himself before he could speak. If Bulbasaur Ingrained where she was she would be a sitting duck for Shiftry to hit.
Instead, it was time to give Gym Leader Helena a taste of her own medicine. “Leech Seed everywhere you can!”
The bush shook as seeds flew in every direction. Several hit Shiftry, wriggling as roots sprung forth and tried to wrap it up. Shiftry cut them off itself with contemptuous ease, ignoring the seeds that grew all around them. It stepped forward, its lead blades at the ready.
“Petal Blizzard!”
A vicious wind picked up around Bulbasaur, tearing apart the plants surrounding Bulbasaur and revealing her on the field. Shiftry immediately focused on her and lunged forward with ill intent.
Bulbasaur and Slate smirked at the same time. In the next moment, Bulbasaur used Petal Dance.
Petal Dance generally relied on the Pokémon using it to generate the petals and leaves with their own Grass-type Pokéenergy. It was a devastating and exhausting attack that usually only worked for a short time before it backfired on the user. Unless you had plantlife to call on.
Petal Blizzard tore apart the nearby plants, providing plenty of ammunition for Bulbasaur to work with. Petal Dance allowed her to substitute this material, not only enabling her to use far less Pokéenergy, but to also make it last far longer. Shiftry staggered under the onslaught.
“Rollout,” Gym Leader Helena ordered, her voice quiet and furious.
“Into the trees, Bulbasaur!” Slate ordered. Bulbasaur’s vines whipped out, grabbing a branch from above. It shot into the air as it pulled itself up into the safety of the canopy as Shiftry’s Rollout sent it through the space Bulbasaur just vacated. Despite the sudden absence of its foe, neither Shiftry or the Gym Leader stopped the move. Slate frowned.
“Sludge Bomb! Pin it down!”
Bulbasaur obeyed, sending out as many Sludge Bombs as she could from above. Shiftry was hit several times but continued to build up more and more speed, ignoring Bulbasaur’s attacks. Slate looked across the field to see a dark grin spread across Gym Leader Helena’s face.
“Payback,” she spat.
Shiftry suddenly stopped rolling and launched itself through the air, its blades glowing ominously. “Trailblaze!”
A heartbeat away from collision, Slate saw Shiftry twitch. It was small, almost not there, but it was. A light purple color on Shiftry’s skin told him that the poison effect from Sludge Bomb took and was now sapping the Pokémon of its strength.
Shiftry hit Bulbasaur with a glancing blow. It was still more than enough to throw Bulbasaur off its perch, crashing into the ground below. Bulbasaur’s Trailblaze failed as Shiftry landed on the ground in front of the Gym Leader.
“Swagger, then Synthesis, then Growth,” Gym Leader Helena ordered.
Slate groaned as Bulbasaur glowed red slightly as her strength was boosted at the cost of confusing her. Stacked moves weren’t uncommon in Pokémon Battles but the order of those moves revealed something to Slate: Gym Leader Helena wanted this battle over and was not willing to take any risks to do so.
He had to break Bulbasaur’s confusion first. “Leech Seed!” he ordered.
Bulbasaur staggered to her feet and shook her head. A torrent of seeds flew from her bulb, impacting a nearby tree. “Again! But in a circle!”
Slate’s Pokémon slowly obeyed, turning in a circle while firing more Leech Seeds. The ones that flew close to Shiftry missed by a sizable margin. But that wasn’t Slate’s concern.
Getting Bulbasaur to listen to commands while confused was.
“Ingrain and Growth!” Slate shouted. He had no more time.
“End this with Beat Up, Shiftry!” Gym Leader Helena ordered.
Slate watched as Shiftry approached, holding his breath. He had to time this perfectly or else they’d lose. “Vines straight, then left!”
Bulbasaur obeyed, sending two long vines straight out ahead of her. Unfortunately, when obeying the second half of the order she sent one of her vines the wrong direction, hitting a tree without any effect. However, the second wrapped around Shiftry.
“Throw it to the side!” Slate ordered.
In normal circumstances Bulbasaur would not have the strength to move such a large Pokémon, certainly not with a single vine. But Shiftry used Swagger on her, confusing her but also boosting her physical strength. And that was enough to pull Shiftry into a tree.
“Break free! Use Astonish!” Gym Leader Helena shouted.
Shiftry opened its mouth, trying to use Astonish but its entire body shook as a wave of poison induced pain hit it.
“Bulbasaur, wrap it with your other vine and smash it into the tree!”
“Harden!”
Bulbasaur’s vines wrapped around Shiftry and lifted it from the ground. Bulbasaur trembled at the weight but obeyed her Trainer, smashing her foe into a tree. The impact jarred her vines and Bulbasaur shook her head as the confusion left her. She narrowed her eyes, tightened her vines, and threw Shiftry into tree after tree.
The harsh thunks were only interrupted by Bulbasaur’s strained grunts. Ingrain was healing her but Swagger was wearing off. She lifted her vines slower and slower, slammed them into trees with a little less energy each time. Exhausted, she allowed her vines to retract.
Shiftry glared at her.
Battered and bruised, Shiftry lunged toward Bulbasaur, its leaf blades at the ready. Slate knew Bulbasaur had no more fight in her, nor could he ask more of her after what she had already done. His hand reached for her Poké Ball to withdraw her and he mentally prepared himself to accept their loss. To accept his loss.
Shiftry stumbled. Its momentum was lost and it fell to the ground, skidding the last few meters to Bulbasaur. The poison in its body finally overcame its resilience, knocking it out and down. It slid to a stop mere centimeters from Bulbasaur who looked down at it in confusion. Shiftry was still.
“Shiftry is defeated. Bulbasaur and the Challenger win!” the referee shouted, raising a hand toward Slate’s side of the field. Bulbasaur croaked in pleasure before rushing to her Trainer and wrapping him in vines.
Behind Slate, Elvira cheered, tossing her Mimikyu into the air and catching it. The observing Gym Trainers clapped politely, their faces neutral and unreadable to Slate. A flash of light from across the field caught Slate’s eye as Gym Leader Helena returned her Poké Ball. She approached with quiet, almost demure, steps, until she stood before Slate.
She bowed and when she rose back up a pleasant smile was on her face. “Well fought, young man. I’m glad you chose the path less traveled.”
“I, uh, what?” Slate said eloquently. Gym Leader Helena smiled.
“I hope you didn’t take my words too personally. I wanted to see what kind of Trainer you’d be if you were actually challenged. The Flaaffy was a surprise but Surge had already warned me of that one,” she said, her eyes crinkling with amusement at some hidden joke.
“Uh, what?” Slate didn’t understand. Fortunately, the Gym Leader seemed to notice this.
“Gym Leaders often speak to one another about promising Trainers they come across. You made quite an impression on Surge although the wasterel in Cerulean argued you were a menace. I wanted to see for myself what kind of man you were if you were pushed. It’s why I used Shiftry, he’s usually reserved for my six-Badge challengers.”
“Oh.” Slate still wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “So you saw what kind of man I am?”
That earned him a dainty shrug. “I saw a portion. Others will see different portions. What matters is what you saw of yourself when we battled.” She peered at him intently.
Slate thought about it. He then grimaced. “I was reckless. I threw away a sure chance at victory for the possibility of beating you at your own game.”
“Beating me at my own game?” Gym Leader Helena’s face was inscrutable even as Slate nodded.
“You angered me. I wanted to defeat you using a Grass-type. I wanted to…” he trailed off.
“Humiliate me?” she finished. Slate flinched slightly but nodded. “You’re young. And prideful. The world hasn’t broken that out of you. It’s good you see this flaw in you now so you make work on correcting it. When you return to challenge me properly, I look forward to seeing how you have grown.”
She held out her hand, in the center lay a small badge. “The Rainbow Badge. You have earned it justly despite your ill motivations. Wear it with pride.”
Slate took it but hesitated with putting it with the others. It didn’t feel earned like the others and he said as much to the Gym Leader.
She smiled at him. “Fortunately that is not for you to decide. I alone may decide who earns one of my Badges. Take heart that despite your flaws you have earned the right to wear my Badge. As well as this.”
Gym Leader Helena placed a disc in his hands. “This is Giga Drain. I wasn’t able to demonstrate its effectiveness in our battle but it's a move any decent Grass-type should know. I hope you use it well.”
She clapped her hands and her Gym Trainers joined them. “Now, my Gym Trainers and I have a special after battle tradition I hope you’ll join us for. You’ll find it quite enjoyable I think.”
“What is it?” Slate asked, feeling a cold tingle run down his spine. Suddenly Erika, the tiny Gym Trainer, clamped onto his arm with a steel like grip.
“A tea party!”
Slate’s other arm was claimed by Gym Leader Helena. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” she said with a dark grin.
Behind him, Elvira cackled in glee.
----------------------------------------
Despite Slate’s initial misgivings, the tea party was enjoyable. The tea was just leaf flavored water but he and his Pokémon enjoyed the honey flavored cookies that accompanied them. That the Scrafty-Snacks were only meant for Pokémon consumption was cheerfully ignored by Slate, although he soon had to fight with Erika for them.
“Mom says I should act like a lady,” Erika whispered in a conspiratorial manner. Since she was eight years old it was at a perfectly audible volume to everyone in a ten meter radius. “But I just want to take naps.”
Slate nodded as they ate more cookies. “A good pastime,” he said around a mouthful of crumbs. Across from them Elvira and Gym Leader Helena shook their heads.
“I can’t believe there are two of them,” Elvira muttered. “I can’t tell if this is adorable or horrifying.”
“Definitely adorable,” Gym Leader Helena said, her eyes dancing with mirth. “Don’t tell either of them but my Gym has plenty of internal cameras recording this for… research.”
“Blackmail’s good,” Elvira said with a nod. She paused before turning to the Gym Leader. “I don’t suppose a copy of these recordings could make their way to me? Purely for research purposes, of course.”
“Of course, dear. One should always encourage young minds.”
The gym flashed red with lights and a shrill whistle sounded. Gym Leader Helena and her Gym Trainers surged to their feet instantly, making for the exit. Slate and Elvira followed close behind.
“What’s going on?” Slate asked.
“Proximity alert. For Wild Pokémon around Celadon,” Erika panted as she rushed to keep up to the others. They exited the building.
In the distance a dark cloud filled the horizon. Behind them a siren echoed through the city, warning the civilians to take cover indoors. A dozen or so Flying-type Pokémon took to the air with Trainers on their backs, winging toward the coming swarm.
“Why is there a swarm of Bug-types coming our way?” Elvira hissed. Slate shrugged.
“Either someone did something stupid or those Pokémon decided they wanted to attack a city. Who knows. We should ask how we can help.”
A small distance away Gym Leader Helena was quickly issuing orders to her Gym Trainers who paired up before running away. That done, she turned and waved the pair over.
“Slate, Elvira. I was hoping I could borrow you and your Pokémon while we deal with the swarm. Erika needs a partner and my Gym needs someone to watch it for the duration of the crisis. I was hoping you could stay here with her and help her in her duties,” Gym Leader Helena said.
“But I want to help!” Erika protested.
“You will, Erika. But I need to know you’re safe. I need to know our home is safe. Can you do that? For me?”
Erika averted her eyes. “Okay,” she said in a small voice.
The Gym Leader wrapped Erika in a tight hug. “Be safe, rose petal,” she whispered. Erika hugged her back just as tightly.
“You too, mom.”
The moment passed and Gym Leader Helena vanished on the back of a Tropius, flying toward the approaching swarm.
“We should make some protections,” Slate said, releasing Lairon. Stone began to pull itself free of the earth and the three Trainers quickly helped move them into place in front of the fragile windows and doors.
The work was hard and helped distract them from the approaching swarm. With each passing minute it grew larger and larger, darkening the sky above and around them. They could see the moment when the defenders met the swarm as the sky lit up with lightning and fire and a dozen other attacks. And still more and more came.
They could hear them now. The beating of thousands of wings on the air, like a maddening drumbeat marching toward them. Dozens of Pokémon fell from the air, spiraling into the forest below, yet still more came. Slate’s Pokémon were joined by Elvira and Erika’s as they built defenses and waited to be of use. Minutes passed by like hours and then they were upon them.
Vulpix used Ice Shard on a trio of Beedrill, sending them crashing to the ground below. Machoke moved among them, ensuring the survivors were dealt with, leaping from tree to boulder to cover as fast as she could. Scyther took to the air, slashing like a whirlwind of death across the sky, bodies falling like rain drops.
Lairon stood next to the trio of Trainers, using Protect on the defenders and Stone Edge on their attackers. Any stray attacks that hit his armor were ignored, his eyes narrow and intent on his duty. Scant feet from him, on a rocky outcropping created upon his own request, Flaaffy stood, throwing Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt in the air, decimating more than any other in their group.
Chansey stayed just inside the Gym with Bulbasaur beside her. The Grass-type pulled any injured Pokémon into the safety of the Gym so that Chansey could heal them. And let it not be said Elvira and Erika stood idly by, their Pokémon fought shoulder to shoulder with Slate’s, fighting to protect Celadon City.
Slate tried to keep track of all that was going on around him but found there to be too much. Little slips quickly built up, slashes and stings from furious Bug-types littered his exposed flesh. Trying to focus only on his own Pokémon made it easier but a pained cry beside him told him Erika was injured. He dragged her to safety, trying to protect her frail body with his own, and suffered all the more for it.
Erike and Bulbasaur worked together to direct the remaining Pokémon to retreat into the Gym. As Slate collapsed inside the doorway the Pokémon still standing crowded near him, throwing attacks through the open door to cover Elvira’s retreat. Ducking under Flaaffy’s Thunderbolt, Elvira joined Slate, leaning against the otherside of the door. There was nothing more they could do.
A flash of light blinded them and caused the swirling swarm to pull back. Growlithe, proud and furious, charged before the Gym, spitting flames from its mouth. Where Flaaffy’s Thunder felled dozens, Growlithe’s fire cut the Bug-types by legions. It brought them a brief respite and it barked happily at Slate.
“If you don’t catch that Growlithe, I will,” Elvira said. Part of her face was swollen, red and angry.
“I’m going to stuff it full of the most expensive Tauros Jerky I can find,” Slate promised. Growlithe’s tail wagged and he barked enthusiastically. “You alright, Erika?”
The young girl was crying but Slate didn’t hold it against her. This was far too much to ask of anyone, let alone a child, and he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“We will get through this,” he promised. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
“How?” she hiccuped. “There’s too many!”
The world through the door was dark and violent and messy. It didn’t care for their age, their experience, all they had fought and overcome. Life only had one purpose in that world and it was to end.
Unfortunately for that world, Slate was not the kind of person to lay down and die.
“Any Pokémon that can, use Rain Dance now!” he shouted. Several of the Gym Pokémon obeyed, the world around them darkening as raindrops fell.
Slate turned to Flaaffy, staring deep in his eyes. “Flaaffy, I want you to Charge yourself as much as possible. Hit them with everything you have, as hard as you can. You’ll only have one shot and I want you to show these bugs we’re not going to lay down and accept death.”
Flaaffy bleated and began to spark, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration as he held a Charge longer than he ever had. Slate nodded and turned to Lairon.
“Before Flaaffy attacks, I need you to protect us buddy. I need the strongest, thickest Protect you can muster around us. Can you do it?” Slate asked.
Lairon warbled and butted Slate’s knee, bruising it. He moved next to Flaaffy and tensed his legs, readying himself to protect them all. But Slate’s eyes were already on Flaaffy
Sparks danced all over Flaaffy’s body. Bolts flickered off of him, striking nearby plants or dispersing harmlessly against the earth. Flaaffy opened his mouth wide and roared his defiance for all to hear.
The world froze. A thousand raindrops hung in the air, splashing off the wings of a thousand more Bug-types, all aiming to descend upon Celadon City. Growlithe had joined them inside at some point, shaking its fur out, its tongue hanging out without a care in the world. Elvira crouched next to Erika, holding her tightly and whispering reassurances to the young girl.
Vulpix’s head found Slate’s palm. He marveled at how soft her fur was, how comforting it was. They had been through life-or-death situations before, they had tempted their reaper into claiming them early. He felt no fear with her by his side, no regret. Only determination. The world unfroze.
Lairon’s Protect slammed into existence behind the stalwart Steel-type. The barrier was so thick and dense that he and Flaaffy turned into indistinct blobs beyond it, blurring beyond recognition. But the barrier did nothing against sound.
Lairon’s screech as he was shocked hurt Slate’s ears and heart, his stomach twisting at the pain he was enduring to protect them. But even as his nerves were set alight, Lairon’s resolve held firm and the barrier did not waver even slightly. It held and held and held, until Flaaffy’s Thunderbolt cut off. Only then did the barrier fall.
The Steel-type’s armor was charred in places and Paralysis locked Lairon’s limbs. Slate dove forward, a hand reaching for a Parlyz Heal even as Lairon’s limbs unlocked and he collapsed. Slate kneeled beside his Pokémon, spraying the medicine as Chansey joined him, healing Lairon in her own way.
Flaaffy breathed heavily beside them, hunched and exhausted and the more tired Slate had ever seen him. His eyes were bright though, with a combination of joy and satisfaction at what it had wrought. For one glorious moment, it had set the sky alight in a way few Electric-types ever would. It was an achievement.
It was futile. Before them still hung thousands of Bug-type, hanging ominously in the air that no longer rained. Their advance only briefly halted, as Slate had an unsettling sensation run down his spine. All of the Pokémon were looking at them. The swarm dove.
“Back inside!” Slate shouted. “Growlithe, fire now!”
Growlithe barked even as it began to spat flames upward. Slate returned Lairon, Flaaffy, and Chansey, ignoring her squawk of surprise, and darted for the open Gym doors. He didn’t make it.
A Heracross slammed into Slate, sending him sprawling. Two more landed behind it and all three advanced on Slate, bearing down on him with ill intent. He reached for his knife.
A torrent of flames from above briefly blinded Slate as it incinerated the Pokémon. The pillar of flame swept left and right, carving a line across the ground and leaving a smoldering ditch that burned. Wings flapped above.
A towering Dragonite, taller than four grown men and wider than them too, hovered in the air. Small patches of discolored scars covered its form, each speaking of a battle beyond anything Slate’s Pokémon were capable of, of power that was nigh-incomprehensible to them at this time. The Pokémon’s sheer presence evoked awe and respect in Slate and it was only enhanced by the man seated in a saddle on its back.
Champion Lance sat like a king of old. His cape billowed behind him as he looked down at Slate from his perch. For a long moment the two Trainers held each other’s gaze, evaluating one another. At some unseen signal, Dragonite turned, breaking their eye contact, and turned itself to the oncoming swarm.
Blasts of red light filled the air as first one, then two, then six more Pokémon appeared. Dragons, one and all, flapped in the air, their bodies strong and powerful. Champion Lance pointed a hand forward and the world lit up once more.
The Bug-type swarm had numbered in the tens of thousands. Gym Leader Helena and her fellow defenders had cut through only a small portion of those numbers, not even slowing down the greater whole. Slate, Elvira, and Erika had only dealt with an even smaller amount, and much of that was thanks to Flaaffy’s Charged Thunderbolts and Growlithe’s flames. They did better than most Trainers and their Pokémone would have in their circumstances, but Champion Lance and his dragons were not at their level. They were far above.
The sky burned. Each attack cut a swathe through the sky, ending hundreds of Pokémon. And the attacks came, one after another, again and again. Champion Lance’s Pokémon kept up a relentless pace as they broke the swarm by themselves. And it did break.
The swarm became chaotic and frantic as Champion Lance’s dragons descended upon it. For every Bug-type that fell, three more flew away. Soon there were nothing but fleeing Bug-types in sight, and the dragons ceased their attack. They hung in the sky for one crystal moment, a symbol of hope and safety to the city they just protected.
And then they were gone.
----------------------------------------
“So you’re trying to tell me Champion Lance, Champion Lance of the Indigo League, is the one who caused the property damage in front of the Gym?” Officer Jenny asked skeptically. Slate nodded.
“Yup. I would love to be able to say Growlithe could do that but he can’t. Not yet. He’s just a cute puppy right now.”
“A cute puppy that burned hundreds of Bug-types,” Officer Jenny said, already reaching for another pad of paper.
“Before I caught him,” Slate said with a shrug. “He’s been a model citizen since then.”
The look Officer Jenny shot him doubted that claim but Slate was going to stick firm with it. Growlithe agreed to be captured and Slate, true to his word, stuffed him full of the most expensive Tauros Jerky he could find. The little Fire-type was still sleeping off the food coma.
The rest of Slate’s Pokémon were recovering from the ordeal. While there were no permanent injuries, many of Slate’s and Elvira’s Pokémon bore scars from the battle. And none was so impressive as Lairon’s charred armor that now bore a rather eye-catching electrical pattern.
It was a shame that Lairon would lose the patterns when he evolved. The Pokémon seemed to agree since Slate had caught it sitting near Flaaffy and Scyther and grunting at them softly.
Officer Jenny looked as though she had sucked on a lemon. “Fine. You just have an excuse for everything, don’t you?”
Slate nodded. “Yes,” he said, knowing the simple answer would irritate her.
To Slate’s surprise, she smirked. She placed a thick folder onto the table between them and opened it up to reveal a large amount of numbers printed in very small print. “Then would you care to explain how you stole over one hundred million Poké?”
Slate’s lips and nose twisted slightly. “Well, it went like this…”
----------------------------------------
“You really want to go in there?” Slate asked. He and Elvira were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up at a large building before them.
“Yes, we’re going in there,” Elvira said, grabbing Slate’s arm and dragging him into the Rocket Game Corner. A cartoon rocket was blasting off of the billboard, a billowing gold cloud left in its wake. A handful of men and women wearing uniforms stood at the doors, opening and closing them for customers. A handful of Meowth’s were using Payday, dropping shining coins to help attract more customers, at their feet.
“But why?” Slate would deny he was whining to his dying day. “I want to relax after nearly getting killed yesterday.”
“Exactly, we’re here to relax and live a little. No more lazing about in the Pokécenter staring at the ceiling. We’re going to have fun! Besides, we might be able to win some Pokémon!”
Despite his inclinations otherwise, Slate found himself interested. “Fine, we can check it out for a few minutes but I’m not sticking around.” Was it Slate’s imagination or did the Rocket Grunt opening the door for him smile?
Two hours later, Slate was standing behind Elvira as she unsuccessfully tried to goad another Trainer into staking their Alolan Marowak against her pile of chips. Slate had bowed out of the card game half an hour earlier after his small pile of chips vanished into the pockets of many of their competitors, and several had made offers for the Pokémon on his belt. His firm refusals deterred even the most ambitious gamblers among them.
“I’m going to go explore,” Slate whispered into Elvira’s ear. She waved him off and Slate did so, moving deeper into the Game Corner.
The Rocket Game Corner was an interesting establishment. There were boardwalk and casino games with food vendors spread throughout. Every ten minutes some small show would start up, catching the attention of everyone nearby with cartwheeling Meowths, fire-breathing dancers, and other such things. Despite Slate’s initial misgivings, he was having a good time.
As Slate walked down a row of vending machines, one of them began to whirl and flash, catching his eye. Its jackpot offered a rare Pokémon, one not available to the ordinary Trainer, and Slate almost sat down to try his luck.
“No jackpot for me today,” Slate said to himself. “All out of coins.”
As he turned away the machine beeped and whirled. A row of three cherries slid into place, flashing brightly. A handful of coins slid out of the machine, gleaming in the overhead lights.
“Huh. Possessed slot machine. Cool.” Slate walked away.
With each step, another slot machine would light up and flash, whirling and whistling cheerfully. With each step more coins would slide out, clacking pleasantly into the metal collection trays. Several curious customers looked over to see who was winning so handily at the slot machines.
“Well that’s weird,” Slate said, walking away while deliberately not looking at the machines. He wanted nothing to do with whatever Pokémon was causing troubles. He moved onto a small boardwalk that circled a sitting area.
Booths began to flash as he walked by. The nearby music shifted and changed into congratulatory messages on his win, weirdly digital and distorted. Slate began to walk faster as he began to attract attention.
A trio of employees stood before Slate. “Sir, would you come with us?” The man in the middle said. He was wearing a professional looking suit with a large red “R” pinned to his lapel.
Slate looked behind himself and found himself pinned by four more employees, all calm and serious. He sighed. “Lead the way.”
He followed the man through the Game Corner, the machines all around them going haywire. No longer were they spitting out coins, but whirling feverishly much to the complaints of those trying their luck. The man leading Slate frowned and paused.
“Would you disable any electronics you have on you?” The man’s tone was polite but Slate could tell the six men with him would ensure his compliance should he refuse.
“I only have my Pokémon,” Slate said, holding up two Poké Balls.
“Which Pokémon?”
“A Scyther and a Growlithe.” The rest of Slate’s Pokémon were resting at the Pokémon Center.
The man frowned. “So nothing that would cause electrical disturbance. Odd.”
“What’s odd?” Slate couldn’t help but ask. Around them the machines went silent, which was only noteworthy as they did so by completely powering off. Upset customers began to loudly complain.
The group slid to a stop. “That. Fan out, someone here is messing with our machines. Bill, Drew, stay on the kid.” The man moved to the side and began to whisper into his lapel.
Slate had a front row seat as the security personnel of the Rocket Game Corner began their search. Some of them moved with a calm confidence, their eyes sharp and alert as they looked for anything or anyone out of place.
“BZZT.”
The background noise of the Game Corner died off as the overhead speakers cut off. The crowd began to murmur as the machines died off, one by one, faster and faster. The room plunged in darkness and the emergency lights kicked on.
“BZZT. Gotta.”
There was an oddly distorted voice speaking, one that sounded vaguely familiar to Slate. The man from before ceased whispering into his lapel and moved back to Slate.
“Right, get out of here kid. We’ve got more important things to worry about than you,” he said. Bill and Drew moved away from Slate, taking up position behind the man.
“BZZT. All.”
“What’s going on?” Slate asked. The man looked at Slate with a clenched jaw.
“Someone is in our systems and having fun. Now piss off, kid, I’m not a babysitter,” the man said, turning away. The other two men followed, leaving Slate alone.
“BZZT. Them.”
Slate followed the press of the crowd as they moved through the exit. He purposefully dragged his feet though, craning his neck to look for Elvira. He spotted her trapped behind a horde of slow moving gamblers. He quickly approached.
“BZZT. Catch them!”
“What do you think is doing this?” Slate asked in lieu of greeting. Elvira almost jumped before turning to face him.
“Don’t you mean who?” she asked. Slate shook his head.
“The security here thought it was me but asked about electronic devices and my Pokémon. I think whatever is doing this is a Pokémon.”
“BZZT. Combee cookies. FOR. You all!”
“I think it’s talking,” Slate added. Elvira blinked.
“The speakers? I thought those were just those ads.”
Now it was time for Slate to blink. “What ads?”
“BZZT. Winner, winner, Pelliper dinner!”
“You know, on the radio. They’re always advertising something. These sound like that if someone cut them all up.”
“So someone’s talking with ads after shutting down the Game Corner. Why?” Slate didn’t ask that question to Elvira but to the nearest machine. Elvira scoffed.
“You can’t seriously expect them to-” she tried to say. She was interrupted.
“BZZT. I’m. Boardshop. Every young Trainer. Journey. Pokémon.”
“You want to go on a journey?” Slate asked.
“Their name is Boardshop?” Elvira muttered. Slate shushed her.
“BZZT. Yes! Ra, ra, ra, ra! Let’s go!”
Slate felt for an empty Poké Ball but found none on his belt. “I might be convinced to take you with me but I need to see you first. Care to show yourself?” he asked. He’d have to guide it to the Pokémon Center to register it directly.
For once, the Game Corner was silent. Most of the crowd was gone with only a few security personnel watching Slate and Elvira with distrustful eyes. The man from before had a neutral expression as he watched them, whispering into his lapel.
“BZZZZzzzZZZZttttttTTTTTttt!”
Everyone cringed and covered their ears at the sharp noise, shouting out in pain and anger. And then the slot machine closest to Slate turned on, whirling and whistling and flashing its lights. It fell silent a moment later, blinking merrily at Slate.
With one hand Slate pulled the lever of the machine. Around and around the wheels went, spinning ever onward as the machine clinked joyfully. The first wheel spun to a stop, clicking into place to reveal a black jackpot symbol.
“I hope to Arceus you know what you’re doing,” Elvira muttered, one of her Poké Balls in hand. A second wheel stopped, revealing another black jackpot symbol.
“Me too,” Slate said. His eyes never left the slot machine as he turned his head slightly to the closest security personnel. “Do you guys know what Pokémon this is?”
It was the man who had initially detained Slate that answered. “Our Porygon team is unaccounted for. Over a dozen of them, gone, leaving behind a bunch of junk data. The Admins want to interrogate this thing to find out what happened.” A third jackpot clicked into place.
“Probably didn’t want to count numbers any more,” Slate said, his eyes watching the two remaining wheels. The man shot him a dirty look but didn’t disagree. Elvira was clicking through her Pokédex frantically while the fourth jackpot slid into place.
“Slate, there’s only a handful of Pokémon that can hit electronic systems like this. I think it’s a-”
A pink and blue head poked out of the machine, giving Elvira a sad look. It looked like a Porygon but was round and smooth in ways a Porygon wasn’t. More importantly, its head seemed detached from its body and floated without issue. The last jackpot slid into place and the machine gave out a happy jingle at Slate’s win.
“Huh, I was wrong. I thought it was something else entirely,” Elvira said. She held her Pokédex up, pointing it at the Pokémon.
“Subject: Porygon-Z. Gender: Unknown. Additional software was installed on a Porygon-Z to- #error# Entry no. 474 not found. Report unknown Pokémon sighting to nearest League Officials,” her Pokédex helpfully explained.
The Porygon-Z honked at Slate, floating out of the machine like water escaping from a sponge. It hung in the air before him, showing off how its body defied gravity. It was calm.
A radio crackled in the distance. “All units, apprehend that Pokémon at all costs.”
An iron grip clamped down on Slate’s arm, preventing him from moving toward the Porygon-Z. Slate didn’t even have time to blink before he found himself hurled backward, smashing into another slot machine which began to whirl. A crash to his left and a pained groan let Slate know that Elvira joined him on the ground.
The voice on the radio continued even as six security guards stood over the two Trainers, facing the Porygon-z. The voice on the radio continued. “Data Logs confirm that the Porygon-Z evolved from an unprecedented interaction between Porygon Team Delta. Financial Data has been confirmed to have been compromised.”
Porygon-Z floated nearby, watching the security guards surround it, most palming Poké Balls. “Alright, take it down,” the head security guard said.
Ekans, Koffings, and Geodudes appeared with flashes of red light, surrounding the Porygon-Z. It honked at the Pokémon, its head twitching slightly with each new Pokémon. To most observers it was harmless movement. To Slate it was checking targets.
The Ekans swarmed forward, aiming to Wrap Porygon-Z to prevent it from moving. The various Koffings floated above and to the sides, trying to cut off any avenues it might escape from. The Geodudes pulled themselves forward, slamming their hands together, rock against rock, meant to showcase their immense strength and might.
It was all ignored.
Porygon-Z did not wait to be bound by flesh or stone. It did not try to rush through encroaching defenders, to push past them to freedom. It didn’t whimper and cry and accept its fate. It fell backward.
In a blink of an eye it dove back inside the slot machine, vanishing from view. Physical bodies smashed into the machine a moment later, tearing it apart without hesitation. But the overhead lights flickered and the audio system went on the fritz as the Porygon-Z moved unimpeded through their system.
“Cut the power!”
“Pull out our reserve Porygons!”
“Call in the Admins!”
“Seal the building!”
“No, belay that!”
On and on it went as security guards rushed about trying to figure out what to do. Slate and Elvira were ignored and the pair quickly made themselves scarce, exiting the building and vanishing into the city. Once they were a few blocks away they shared a hearty laugh.
“Shame we weren’t able to catch that Porygon-Z,” Elvira eventually managed to say. “Porygon and Porygon2 are really helpful when it comes to research. I bet a Porygon-Z would be even better!”
Something behind Slate beeped in agreement, even as he nodded. “Yeah but it sounds like it stole a lot of data. I don’t think we’ll ever see it again.”
An immature, wet sounding beep echoed behind the two Trainers, causing them to freeze. Slowly they turned to see Porygon-Z floating in the air behind them.
“You didn’t pull another Drifloon Catch, did you?” Slate asked Elvirea. Neither Trainer’s eyes left the calmly floating Pokémon before them.
“No. Did you?” Elvira asked. She slowly began to edge behind Slate.
“Nope.” Slate and the Porygon-Z stared at one another for an uncomfortable minute. “Do you think it wants me to catch it?”
Elvira was now fully behind Slate. “I don’t know, throw a Poké Ball and find out!” she hissed.
Before they could find out, Porygon-Z was suddenly a hair's breadth away from Slate’s face. This close Slate could see a whole universe within the eyes of the Pokémon, although he didn’t understand why so many humans were staring so intently at their phones and computers.
A screech filled the air, sending Slate and Elvira to the ground, desperately and futilely trying to cover their ears. Almost words could be heard, over and over again.
“Urrrr EEEE urrr NGg NGg CrrrrRRRR Kee Kee Grr NNnnGG.”
On and on it went until it suddenly cut off. When the two Trainers finally recovered enough to look up they were surprised to see Porygon-Z was gone.
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“It took two days for the ringing in our ears to stop,” Slate complained. Officer Jenny was unmoved by his suffering.
“So the Pokémon vanished?” she asked. Slate nodded.
“Yeah and the Rockets decided to not press charges since it was all caused by their Pokémon. They did tell me to not step into their Game Corner again though. Which sucks because I think with a Porygon-Z I could…” Slate trailed off at the shark-like grin on Officer Jenny’s face.
“You could what?” she asked, her voice hungry for his crimes.
“Have a good time being a law abiding citizen.”
“I’m sure. Well that’s all of the questions I had,” Officer Jenny said. She unlocked his cuffs, allowing him to rub his sore wrists. “You’re free to go.”
“Great!” Slate said, getting to his feet so he could stretch.
“After you tell me about the arson,” Office Jenny said, slapping her palms against the steel table in front of her. Slate groaned and fell back into his seat. He opened his mouth to explain but she raised a hand, silencing him. “No! No more reminiscing, no more telling me about what you were doing during each moment of the day. Keep it to the facts.”
Slate slouched in his seat but shrugged. “Once I was done with Porygon-Z, and the meeting with the Game Corner Manager, Elvira and I began our preparations to leave Celadon. We had a boat to catch and we didn’t want to miss it.”
“We were relaxing at the Pokémon Center, because after the last few days we needed it, when we smelled smoke. One of the walls of the Pokémon Center had crumbled inward in a terrible crash of fire and smoke. And then Lincoln climbed through the new hole with his brother’s Charizard.”
“Who is Lincoln? Last name?” Officer Jenny asked. Slate shrugged.
“His father was Nathaniel Barnes, I think that’s his last name as well.”
“Barnes. Barnes,” Officer Jenny muttered. “The Pokémon Hunter? I heard he was missing. Would you know anything about that?”
Slate rolled his eyes. “He’s dead. He died a few weeks ago and no not to me. You’d have to ask the Pokémon League for more information.”
“Or you can tell me.”
Slate didn’t respond, simply shutting his lips and crossing his arms. Officer Jenny glared at him for a moment before sighing. “I’ll be right back.”
She vanished through the door leaving Slate alone with his thoughts. He briefly wondered if he could get away with taking a nap when he heard distant shouts through the thick door. He smirked at the familiar sounds.
Eventually the noise died down and Slate was left in silence once more. A moment later the door opened, revealing Officer Jenny who glared at him with barely restrained fury.
“You’re free to go,” she said, standing to the side. Slate eyed her.
“Just like that?” he asked before he could stop himself. Officer Jenny’s glare turned predatory for a moment.
“Would you like to confess to a crime I can actually charge you with?” she asked with faux sweetness.
Slate grinned as he stood. “Not particularly,” he said, knowing it would drive her up the wall.
It spoke well of Officer Jenny’s self-control that she didn’t draw her police baton and brutalize him with it. She settled for laying a light hand with a crushing grip on his shoulder and Politoed marched him down the hall. He was released near Elvira who grinned at him.
“Did you tell them where to find the bodies?” she asked with her volume only slightly lower than if she were shouting.
The hand that had been leaving Slate’s shoulder suddenly returned with a vengeance, clamping down and threatening to grind his bones into dust. “What bodies?” Officer Jenny asked, her voice sharp and interested.
As Slate was dragged back into the interrogation room, he vowed to put dirt in Elvira’s sleeping bag. Or maybe an Apicot Berry in her dinner. For a week. For starters.
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Time Tracker:
Days passed in Chapter: 7
Total Days: 175
Trainer Card:
Name: Slate
Occupation: Trainer, Healer, Trainee Joy, Field Healer, Saffron Gym Trainer (Former)
Ambitions:
* To find his long lost Starter
* To become a Generalist Master, a Master of all Types
Badges: Boulder(II), Cascade(II), Thunder(II), Marsh(III), Rainbow(II)
Trophies: Inter-Regional Rookie Tournament Qualifier (3rd)
Carry Limit: 8/14
Key items: Aron’s Rock
Pokémon: 8
Name: Scyther (F)
Type: Bug/Flying
Potential Moves: Counter, Fury Cutter, Air Slash, Focus Energy, Silver Wind, Agility, Roost, Light Screen, Double Team, Bug Buzz
Core Moves: Rest, Swift, Detect, Protect, Substitute, Endure
Name: Alolan Vulpix (F)
Type: Ice
Potential Moves: Moonblast, Ice Shard, Confuse Ray, Draining Kiss, Icy Wind, Mist, Aurora Veil, Freeze Dry
Core Moves: Swift, Rest, Detect, Endure
Name: Lairon (M)
Type: Steel/Rock
Potential Moves: Dragon Rush, Iron Defense, Rock Polish, Heavy Slam, Stone Edge, Dig
Core Moves: Rest, Protect, Swift, Detect, Endure
Name: Chansey (F) (Non-Combatant)
Type: Normal
Potential Moves: Seismic Toss, Life Dew, Drain Punch, Calm Mind, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Soft-Boiled, Trailblaze
Core Moves: Rest, Swift, Detect, Protect, Substitute, Endure
Name: Flaaffy (M)
Type: Electric
Potential Moves: Charge, Thunderbolt, Cotton Guard, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch
Core Moves: Rest, Endure, Swift, Protect
Name: Machoke (F)
Type: Fighting
Potential Moves: Counter, Revenge, Poison Jab, Snore, Close Combat, Bulk Up
Core Moves: Rest, Swift, Detect, Substitute, Endure, Protect
Name: Bulbasaur (F)
Type: Grass/Poison
Potential Moves: Ingrain, Sludge Bomb, Petal Blizzard, Trailblaze, Petal Dance, Leech Seed, Growth
Core Moves: Rest, Swift, Substitute, Protect
Name: Growlithe (M)
Type: Fire
Potential Moves: Morning Sun, Crunch, Dig, Flamethrower
Core Moves: Rest, Endure