Justin asked as they landed on the sunny shores of Cianwood City. Beach goers and swimmers could be seen trudging about while a throng of colourful foodstands stood in the periphery, alongside vendors hawking their wares with the fervor of a Ludicolo.
“Very.” Nina replied. “In fact, if you’re able to get into his good graces, your Scyther might stand to gain from his guidance.”
The boy frowned in confusion. “But Scyther isn’t a Fighting Type…”
Nina dismissed the notion with a shake of her head. “The pursuit of martial prowess isn’t just limited to a Pokemon’s Typing. So long as they have a physical form and are willing to utilize it, they can practice a corresponding form of martial arts. Just don’t fall for any of that cultivation nonsense that some hacks will try to sell you. Consuming the spleen of a Dragonite will NOT, in fact, grant you the strength of a Dragon.”
That last part was said with as much venom as Nina could muster. Because as deplorable as it was, there were indeed a subsect of individuals in this world who had similar beliefs. “Else, why would there be a market for it?” Tragic scenes of Vermilion City’s darkside fleeted through her mind.
Justin cringed. “Eww! Ain’t no way. Not even if you pay me to do it!”
“Good to know. Anyways, what do you guys wanna eat? Kerry? Anything in mind? You’ve been working yourself to the bone the past couple of days.”
The nurse girl was just listlessly trudging along, barely paying attention to their surroundings.
“Kerry?”
With a light tap on her shoulder, Kerry jolted. “Hmm? Oh? Anything is fine really. Maybe something from the stalls? Weather’s nice today.” All that time spent under the gloomy rain of Mahogany made her yearn for the warmth of sunlight.
“Sure, why don’t you find a spot to set up for a picnic. Justin and I will go get us some food. We’ll just get an assortment of everything. That way we can pick around.”
“That sounds awesome! Last one there is a Slowpoke!” Justin cheered as ran off towards the smell of food, leaving his two companions behind with a helpless sigh.
***
Cianwood City felt more like a town than a city; an incongruous mix of wood, concrete and metal, all haphazardly placed.
The city emerged as a mining town long ago. These days, the only points of interest were the sandy beaches and the local Gyms. Yes, Gyms — plural.
Probably due to the influence of the Fighting Type Gym which formed the city’s cornerstone, there were lots of other minor Gyms in the vicinity. Each with their own badges of varying credibility. Though most were focused on imparting their own brand of martial arts and Pokemon training as opposed to taking challengers — more akin to dojos in that sense.
The main Gym itself on the other hand…
“Wow, that’s a lot of people.”
At Justin’s remark, Nina pulled her attention away from the smattering of dynamic posters lining the streets, some faded, some fresh. Each featuring different trainers and Pokemon. Among which was the familiar faces of Lilian and her Dragonair, the headlining event for today.
“Yeah, the Fight Arena’s a local pastime. Chuck likes to make a spectacle of his Gym challenges — the high profile ones at least.”
“Do we have to buy a ticket?” Kerry asked.
“Nope, we got backstage passes. Come on, the entrance for challengers is at the back. The front’s for all the paying customers.” Nina led her friends into a dim, graffiti-covered alleyway to the side. As the group of teens shuffled along with a wary heart, the sole lightbulb illuminating their way flickered and revealed the dark silhouette of a masculine figure leaning against the wall.
“Hattori? Nice of you to come and guide us.”
The figure smirked and slinked out of the shadows with languid steps.
“Heh. Twerp, other twerp, and… Miss Joy, a pleasure as always to be graced by your lovely personage.”
Nina rolled her eyes, Justin groaned while Kerry broke out into giggles.
“Thank you, Mr Hattori. Have you been well? Cutting down on the drinking, I hope?”
The man let out an awkward cough, followed by a courteous bow aimed solely at Kerry. “Yes, I am very well, thank you. Allow me to guide your way, Milady has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
Nina followed with a chuckle, feeling a little vindictive at the man’s disregard. “Sooo… How are things going with Janine~?”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
It was subtle, but the girl was able to make out the beginnings of a scowl flicker through Hattori’s face. Meanwhile, Kerry’s eyes twinkled, eager to partake in the tea.
“I mean, you can’t keep avoiding her, you know? Not like you’d be able to hide if she wanted to hunt you down anyway. But she might just get bored one day and find someone else out of necessity. She is the sole surviving member of her bloodline after all, can’t blame her if she does.”
Kerry squealed. “Kyaaa! A rogue ninja pining for his long lost mistress, his lonesome figure stalking in the dark, wading through rivers of blood to safeguard his secret love from the shadows!”
That little delusional outburst earned the nurse girl a trio of perplexed stares from her companions, eliciting an awkward cough from her in return. “Just the plot of a show that Lilian and I are watching. Hehe…”
Hattori dismissed the girl with a shrug and hastened his steps, eager to take advantage of the awkward moment to get away from the topic of his messy love life.
The inside of the Gym was pretty standard, despite the atmospheric entrance. Nina was almost expecting a back-alley fight club aesthetic with a colorful mohawk wearing, gum chewing, punk rock receptionist at the helm.
But no, it was just a bog standard reception, same as most Gyms. The only real stand out feature was the rotund looking middle-aged man in a gaudy bathrobe laughing boisterously in the space.
Nina smiled and led her entourage over to the man. “Greetings Master Chuck, my name is Melina Jones of the Cerulean Gym. With me are Kerry-Anne of the Joy Clan and Justin Mayo. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”
“Gahaha!” The man’s bushy moustache bounced up and down with vigour. “No need to be stiff, girl. I’ve heard all about you — really showed Giovanni what’s what! The hoodie and shorts? Nice touch! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that prude wear anything that isn’t silk and cashmere before. Haha!”
The girl’s smile faltered in response. “He still got away though…”
The Gym Leader responded with a shake of his head. “No need to be hard on yourself, girl. You did your part. It was the League that dropped the ball. Heh. Misty really cranked up the sass during our video call the other day. Said that only her people were doing their jobs, everybody else was just being a bunch of Magikarps and that we owe her overtime pay.”
“Yeah… Sorry about her. Pregnancy and hormones and all that.”
“Gahaha! Don’t I know it! I remember when my wife had a Voltorb in the oven.” Chuck shuddered. “And besides, she’s not wrong. Things would not have devolved into such a disaster had our Champion been around…”
He looked towards the side where, presumably, Lilian’s dressing room was. “What do you think of the girl? Is she the real deal or just another Kangaskhan in a pouch?”
Nina chuckled, unsure how to respond. “I think — it would be best for you to judge Lilian by her own merits. So I shall refrain from clouding your judgement.”
“Heh. Smart girl.” Chuck then turned to address Hattori. “Tell your mistress that we are in desperate need of a new Champion. But not desperate enough that we are willing to settle for third rate. Heck, at this point, I’d rather Fly over to Cinnabar myself and drag that baldie out of retirement. Or maybe Lady Clair can take up the mantle?” He spared a knowing glance at Nina. “Who knows, maybe in a few years, Misty’s finest will knock that bastard off his Dragonite and save us the trouble.”
Hattori, stoic as ever in the face of aristocracy, just lowered his head in acknowledgement. “I am sure the mistress is well aware of your sentiments. Like Miss Jones said, please judge Lady Lilian by her own merits. She would expect nothing less from our region’s foremost Martial Master.”
“Cheeky bastard… That title belongs to that brat, Bruno. Not me. But we shall see. All will be revealed in the ring.”
***
They found Lilian pacing anxiously around her dressing room, the friction so intense that it was liable to wear down her soles and set fire in her wake.
“Relax, Lil. You’re going to ruin your shoes at this rate.”
The girl shuddered. “Nina! And Kerry-Anne! Also… Justin Mayo.”
“Oh come on!” The boy exclaimed. “What’s with the sigh?! And here I came all the way to cheer for you!”
Laughter filled the room, completely dispelling the accumulated tension.
“You’re right, Justin. It was unbecoming of me. Thank you for coming to support my match.”
“Wait, wha? Did I hear that right? Did you just call me by my given name?! You never do that. Who are you and what have you done to Lilian Blackthorn?!” Justin exclaimed. Which only served to highlight the irregular state of their friend.
Kerry stepped forward and grabbed hold of Lilian’s hands, clenched tight like a Gedodude. “How have you been, Lil. We’ve missed you a lot this past year.”
The gentle voice and warm touch of the Nurse Joy did wonders in relaxing the girl, Lilian’s shoulders loosened in response.
“I… have been very well, Kerry. And I have missed you too. Indeed, I have been sorely pining for all this familiar banter. I heard about what happened in Goldenrod City. I am sorry that you had to endure such a harrowing experience.”
Kerry dismissed the sentiment with a shake of her head and pulled her friend in for a hug. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Lil. It was never your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s Nina’s terrible luck.”
“Hey!”
Laughter sounded out once more.
After much meandering, the group of motley teens finally got their friend to relax and sit down for a change.
“So? What’s the plan, Lil?” Nina asked. “Wanna run us through it? Maybe we can help iron out any creases.”
“I am not certain. Master Chuck’s Pokemon may seem mundane at first glance but each of them are seasoned elites tempered through countless battles.” Lilian frowned. “I have reviewed footage of his past Star battles and it does not make a convincing prospect. Not for me at least. I can only hope that my Pokemon’s Type Advantage is enough to enable a decent showing.”
“Oh come on, that doesn’t sound like the Lilian Blackthorn I know! What happened to stepping over Lance’s charred corpse to ascend the throne of Championship?”
“Yeah!” Justin echoed. “What happened to the girl who was ruthlessly zapping innocent Noibats while cackling like a madwoman?!”
“That never happened!” The mad Dragon princess exclaimed. “I do not… cackle! And the two of you are making me sound like I am some sort of deranged lunatic!”
Nina casually waved away the girl’s outrage. “How about you run us through your current team lineup. Surely you must have captured some new Pokemon while you were away? Maybe reshuffled your team a little?”
With an exasperated sigh, Lilian nodded and summarized her current roster of Pokemon;
All of Lilian’s Pokemon by order of seniority:
- Dragonair (Sapphire)
- Ampharos (Topaz)
- Noibat (Aventurine)
- Charizard (Garnet)
- Gyarados (Malachite)
- Gabite (Jade)
- Kingdra (Coral)
- Swablu (Turquoise)
Nina whistled. “That’s quite a collection you have there. I see you’ve been busy. And a Gabite? Is that from your family?”
Lilian nodded. “Indeed. We keep a small crèche in our estate, accessible only to the most worthy of scions. Hence why I was so insistent on charging headlong towards the Yamaguchi Group last year. However, I can’t use all of them. And some, like Turquoise, are fresh additions. While others, like Aventurine, aren’t as devoted as I would like.”
“Aren’t most Dragons receptive towards power and authority?”
“Most, yes. But Aventurine is a particularly rebellious one. He is unlikely to be content unless he is the leader of the flight. And with Sapphire, Topaz, Jade, Garnet, and even Malachite at the helm, he is unlikely to achieve supremacy. Hence, his lack of motivation.”
Justin snickered. “Hehe… Looks like I got one over you then. Finally! Ain’t so uppity now, huh?”
The girls ignored the taunt and continued on with the discussion.
“The way I see it, you’ve got three options.” Nina chimed. “Either go full Water domain, stick to Flying, or more general weather manipulation with Sapphire and Malachite. Jade’s a bit of a tough fit, but you can use the Gabite as an opener just to probe at Chuck. Remember, you want his recognition, not just the win. I’m sure he’d appreciate some sportsmanship.”
“Sportsmanship… Yes, that does make sense in this context. That is an aspect that I had not considered previously, obsessed as I am with victory. Thank you, Nina.”
“You’re welcome. Though the lack of a Psychic Type does concern me…”
“An unfortunate side effect resulting from the omnipresence of my exceptional subordinates I am afraid. It is a shortcoming that I regret deeply only at this pivotal moment…”
And so, the motley crew of teens continued on with their chatter until one of the staff members came by to call on Lilian.