Hard Enough - Chapter 108 - Hat in Hand (Patreon)

When I reached my office, I found the chief of police sitting with his hat in his hands.  He was literally, and physically sitting there, hat in hand, the very picture of a disheartened police officer. I took a moment to stare before firming up my resolve, I wasn’t going to be swayed, even if he was sorry about what had happened.

“A little on the nose, isn’t it?” I said, entering as he played with the badge on his hat.

He jerked up, apparently having gotten lost in thought. I swept past him, assuming my spot behind the desk, my hands lacing together as I eyed him. “I feel like I should be informing Lawrence of your visit here,” I said to start things off.

Bosco, the Pewter City chief of police, chuckled only to shake his head as sadness took over his features. He ran a hand through his thinning hair and scratched at his head before running it down his face in an explosive sigh.

“Well, he’d come and growl around a lot, but it isn’t something I’m going to put up any fight over. I looked through the logs and video records for how things played out.” He gave me a look. “That was handled… poorly.”

When I raised an eyebrow and turned my body fully towards him. Making it clear through my body language alone, that I considered that an understatement.

He winced, “Well, alright, it was handled like a dumpster fire with the only pokemon on hand being a Koffing and an idiot to give it orders.” He threw his hands up and shook his head.

“Just about everyone that was involved in that field of Tauros shit is getting benched and retrained, minimum! There’s a number of people that I can’t just ship off, and firing them isn’t an option with labour laws as they are!”

Bosco slumped into his chair and shook his head in disgust. “I’ve just spent the morning shouting with the Mayor and while I know from talking with some people—” he waved his hand about when I tilted my head. "—you know, the big names in the community. Like old Judge Howard, Mrs Haridan, Madam Pennywrong, Mr Wright, and such.” I tilted my head at Lawrence and Mrs Haridan being included on that list.

“They all know that Jonathan’s making a beeline for something higher, and he wants it worse than a starved Snorlax wants a ton of produce! He’s charging through everything, despite the people he’s burning on his way through.”

I frowned. “Does this seem… out of character for him?” I asked as a horrible possibility raised its head.

Bosco sighed and looked down. “Nah, I see what you’re worried about with Will, especially with what we know about him now.”

Bosco shook his head. “I’m sad to say that Jonathan’s always been a power-hungry fool. Needed to have the best house, the best wife, the best job. I think he’s worked out that it's possible to get the top job in the League in his head and he wants it. He has the best things in Pewter… now he’s dipping his toes into a bigger pool.”

“Why did this man ever get elected as Mayor?” I suddenly regretted not being aware of things when I took over. I’d let it be… and now I was regretting that.

Bosco flicked his hand back and forth. “People like us, those who have been harmed by him? We’re in the small minority. He is masterful at weaving a public story that most people will eat up. He knows how to talk the talk, and he is nearly constantly doing it.”

“Hmmm, he has rivals and detractors on the city council though? Aren’t they going to work against him?”

“He got a number of people that work for him or at least with him on the council in the last election. Up until now, it hadn’t been an issue. Made him decisive with policies that helped out the city. He’s made a lot of people, both his friends and the people of Pewter, wealthy, healthy, and happy.”

I huffed in annoyance before something Bosco had said tickled at my brain. “What did you mean by people like us? that have been harmed by him? How has he harmed you?”

“... I’m being asked to retire. That is a power he still has, along with the appointment of the people that will select the next one.”

I blinked. “He’s firing you?”

“I’m being asked to step down.” He gave me a smile that let me know how full of Tauros droppings that reason was. “Labour laws remember. He doesn’t need to fire me due to my age. I’ve been here a long time, and it hasn’t been an issue.”

“Until now,” I said. I drummed my fingers. “I’m now getting a picture of a Spinarak that has been weaving a delicate web that won’t last very well without his control at the centre.”

Bosco nodded. “Indeed, that’s my worry.”

I tilted my head. “You’re not just here to apologise are you? You want something from me?” I said, my eyes narrowing.

Bosco chuckled. “Yes, as it happens, there is something you can do for Pewter City. Your agreement with the City, or rather your family’s agreement with the Gym was something that was awarded at the end of the War. It has certain privileges that you’ve never used, and now that’s biting us in the backside.”

I sat up to snap at him for accusing me of getting us into this problem only for him to raise his hands in supplication. “Sorry, no that came out wrong.” He rubbed his hands. “You’ve been busy with running the Gym and your family. And that’s only gotten harder with people sticking their nose into your business.”

I leveled a look letting him know he was clearly doing just that. He smiled tightly. “I’m asking you to use your family’s agreement to appoint someone to the committees and meetings that see the city operating.”

“I already have my Lawyer seeing to the Gym’s interests at the League as my representative.”

“This is different, Brock. This isn’t just for the Gym’s interest but Pewter’s. Pewter is more than just a place on the map; it’s a home where people grow up, raise their kids, train their pokemon, and live their lives. They shouldn’t be just hard numbers or lines on the page. I was hoping you might consider a suggestion of mine.”

“What, do you want to sit on the committees?” I said incredulously.

“No, it’s annoying but I think… I think Jonathan might have a good point asking me to retire, albeit he’s gone about it in a terrible manner. Even if he backpedals hard and asks me to stay… He’s shown that I’m just expedient. No, better someone younger rises up.”

“What, like Officer Jenny?” I said snarkily.

Bosco, rather than dismissing the suggestion or laughing like I thought he might, shook his head sadly. “No, I know she’s been in the police for a while now, and done good work despite sneaking around the recruiting age… somehow,” he muttered to himself.

He straightened up. “She doesn’t have the experience. Not like her aunt does. I’d like you to appoint her aunt to represent your Gym. She’d come with a sterling reputation thanks to her family’s work.”

“Which police district does she work with?” I asked, curious despite myself.

“She doesn’t. Got into a bad accident with a murderer that was using a Scyther of all things. Got hurt bad enough that not even Joy and a team of Blissey’s, nor using donated Ditto cells could get her walking properly. She retired,” I frowned at the way he’d worded that, “but she still knows right from wrong. Decided to help out in different ways, she chairs some charity organisations and such.”

“When was this?” I asked, curious despite myself.

Bosco grimaced. “Before you left, about seven, eight years ago?”

I hummed and drummed my fingers. “So, you’ve come to apologise, admit fault, which as I said, Lawrence will plug you for all he’s worth, and then you want me to appoint someone to the council? Specifically a former…” I almost said Jenny before shaking my head. She hadn’t stopped being a Jenny despite her injury but now she was a former police officer.

I drummed my fingers only to stop. “I’ll look into her, but I might have some other thoughts on who to appoint,” I said, lacing my fingers together. I was going to have to call Erika for this.

Bosco nodded. “I’ll save you the time. They have to be a local that has lived here ten years at least. So, no outsiders, other than that I think it’s your choice. Old Gym agreements are like that.”

I didn’t comment on that. Bosco must have known that I didn’t know that to have mentioned it. Did he know I was going to tap Erika on the shoulder for her advice? Or was he afraid I’d bring someone else in and make a fool of myself? Instead, I decided to check something I hadn’t looked at in years now.

I reached over and pulled out a file and leafed through it to find that it had Lola’s name on it. I stared at it, wondering why her name was there. I hadn’t paid much attention to it in the past. Why wasn’t it Flint’s name?

Bosco stared at it before pointing at a line. “Yup, there it is, the bearer of this seal is entitled to owning, and the operation of the Pewter City pokemon Gym to represent Pewter as a whole. To be passed onto their descendants or successors of choice.” Bosco nodded his head.

“Hmmm, indeed. I have a question that I’ve never had a proper answer to.” I tapped the name on the page. “What did Lola do to earn the rights to the Gym?”

Bosco sucked on his teeth and squirmed. “Urgh, we don’t really talk about it, you know? She did good work though, well and truly earnt it, there’s no question about that!” he said quickly.

“What. did. she. do?” I said sternly.

Bosco shifted back and forth in his chair like aWeedle was sitting underneath him and prodding him with its stinger. “Brock, talking about the war, it brings up a lot of memories, mostly bad ones for folks. We all tried to move on. We don’t like dredging up stories of that time, even the good ones.”

“I find myself blindsided with certain facts that make this relevant, Bosco. What did she do? Or do I need to go find my answers elsewhere?” I flexed my fingers in agitation and resisted the urge to crack my neck. Bosco’s evasion of my question was getting to me.

Bosco shifted before sighing heavily and folding in on himself. He reached into a pocket and drew out a small black box with a switch on the side that he laid on the table. “These used to be big deals during the war. Psychic pokemon like Xatu could be put together in groups and be used to scry opposing forces for what they were planning. If you got one of these, you were in command of at least a platoon, which was either twenty or fifty people.”

“A dark emitter,” I said with a nod.

Bosco snapped his fingers and jerked his head up and down. “Right! Nowadays, almost everyone has one of these. Mind turning yours on? I… I still don’t like talking about the war. Also, on the off chance someone was listening in I wouldn’t want Lola to come in danger.”

I tilted my head. “The emitters in this room are already on, Bosco.” I turned a screen around to show him the readings being fed onto a screen that a Porygon pecked at before spinning away. Even if we didn’t have cyber security, I could feel the walls of the gym with my dark type energy. It helped that the topic we were discussing made sensing it all the easier.

He chuckled and ran a hand over his thinning hairline. “Damn, I really am showing my age aren’t I?” He sighed again before firming up his jawline.

“Right, it starts with your mother being from a rather prominent family that used to own a lot of land. Then the war happened, and they started losing out big. War wasn’t good for their business, but your grandfather, he was a firm supporter of Pewter and was willing to push on. His nieces and nephews? You’re mother’s cousins? They weren’t as happy. Started making deals, getting certain people in the way of them inheriting taken out as they started selling information. Lola, she’d been working as a scout for the army.

“She’d go out into the wilds and monitor Johto or other threats movements. She caught a number of raids coming before they ever got in danger of reaching Pewter, saving a lot of lives. The Johto folk caught on or were tipped off and started trying to kill her and the other scouts at the time. Your mother bunkered down and had to endure a lot of things. Heard she dug a foxhole with her Golem and Blastoise. They survived despite the fact that the mountain they were on was flattened."

Bosco snorted. “Ever wonder about that little tidbit of Gyarados flattening mountains in their rage in the kiddies Pokedex?”

Bosco smirked, his eyes distant, lost in memory. “Lola lived through that, got the information back to us and we matched the attackers. Pokemon for pokemon. She came out shaken and jittery. She was given time off to try and recover, which she decided to take. Went home…”

“Where she learned  about her family betraying Pewter… and the rest of the family?” I asked, linking what he’d said earlier together.

"We're not sure how she did it, but she found something out though, and that sparked a fight at the family home. At first, people thought it was attackers going for her home, but when we got there Lola was facing off three of her cousins while trying to save her father. He died and so did her cousins but not before they confessed what they’d done. Scarred Lola something fierce…”

“She threw herself into working as a scout and then as a harasser against people attacking Pewter. Considering that it was mostly Blackthorn types by that stage of the war, she had it rough. Her pokemon got injured a lot and she had to get them carted into the nurses a lot. That’s where your father met her, got her to settle down. By that stage, things were wrapping up and Lola was still a bit of a mess.”

Bosco shrugged. “The City saw her as a hero and wanted to reward her and her family for their sacrifice. Gave them the Gym Leader role, which Flint took over for a while there. Lola was still super jittery with pokemon fighting. She liked the wilds though, kept her love of it despite the war.”

“Hmmm,” I said noncommittally. I rolled the fact around and found that it fit with my understanding of Lola. It didn’t change that she obviously hadn’t sorted herself out in the ensuing… twenty or so years? If anything she’d been more flighty with her family. I didn’t want to think about her anymore for today. I could feel my dark energy starting to leak a little. Bosco shifted and glanced about, possibly feeling it.

I took a steadying breath before speaking up, “I think I still have a lot more questions than answers, and a lot to think on.”

“Well, long as you’re thinking. That was somewhat my intent coming here. Please consider talking with Old Lady Jenny,” His lips twitched while he said this for some reason.

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you find so funny?”

Bosco made to wave it off before sighing. “Alright, I shouldn’t jerk your’s Onix’s tail for some fun. In the force we call her Old Lady Jenny but in reality she’s only thirty-five. She got her injury quite early on in her life.”

“Ah, I see.” I rolled my eyes at his idea of a joke and waved him towards the door. “I’ll consider it, but I think you’re right. I have been lax in appointing a representative, and this latest… farce means I need to consider what I have available to me.”

Bosco nodded his head amicably. “I’ll be sending Lawrence a blank check today. I’m sure he’ll know what to do with it.”

I huffed. “I’m sure the widows, orphans and retirees…” I stopped and tilted my head. “This older Jenny, she’d benefit from donations to that as well, wouldn’t she?”

Bosco stared at me. “Oh, I forgot that you’re not like those others that sue us…” I raised an unamused look at him.

Bosco rubbed under his nose. “Yeah, she’d benefit from that…” He stared at me for a moment before nodding seriously. “I’m sorry things went down like they did Brock. I’m glad you’re still a kid others can look up to.”

I snorted at him. “I’m hardly a kid, Bosco. Now, I’m sorry to say that I need to see to my next challenger. You know the way out.”

Bosco merely smiled wider at the dismissal and walked off like a man that hadn’t been fired for all intents and purposes. I suppose the difference in years of outlook would result in it not being such a concern for a man like Bosco. I sighed and flicked on the screen to watch Missy’s match up against another challenger.

Banter was exchanged, and I could see the moment when the challenger said something ruder than they should have as Missy’s brow twitched and her eyes glinted. Her hand also shifted from the normal position for a fourth-tier badge challenge and instead her Rhydon.

She came out swinging hard and didn’t stop swinging until she had her foe down and out. Considering they only brought two pokemon trained up to the level needed for a fourth-tier challenge, I had to consider them overconfident.

As Missy had demonstrated. The gloves very much came off for a fourth-tier challenge if we wanted to. I sent a message to Missy to congratulate her on the impressive smackdown. Then I turned back to doing paperwork.

Thanks to Missy I had a whole hour to work with, and I was going to make the most of it.

_____________________________

I was feeling a bit more of a pep in my step for this next match up. I felt like I’d relaxed. Yeah, sure things had gotten out of hand with Forrest, but I was feeling optimistic about how things would turn out in future.

After all, he was in good company.

I marched out into the arena in time for my name to be announced. The challenger, Heidi, had done well for herself, challenging with the Gauntlet run at the third badge level. Interestingly, she had booked in two weeks ago. She’d done so while she’d been on her first badge. Since then, she’d collected the Cascade, and Rainbow badges.

“You moved on and fought the Cerulean sisters and Erika before me?” I said, curious as to her story.

Heidi nodded. “Yeah, I realised I’d get more experience from moving around. I had to run a few times to make it work, but out of three challenges so far I have two badges.” She raised her pokeball towards me and a glint entered her eyes. “I’m getting my third today!”

I grinned, raising my own pokeball towards her. “Surge or someone else?”

“Surge,” Heidi said before tossing her pokeball. “Enough talk! I’m taking you down Gym Leader!” On her side a Croconaw appeared.

I tossed out my own choice. “Go, Rhyhorn!” My pokemon emerged with a heavy thud and growled before shaking his head. Across from me, Croconaw bared its teeth, and I hummed.

“You’re one of Elm’s sponsors?” I said, eyeing the pokedex on her hip.

Heidi merely bared her teeth, much like her pokemon. “Croconaw, use Bubblebeam!”

“Bulldoze to the right!” I said forcing my pokemon to throw herself to the side with her horn glowing. She slammed straight through a boulder, causing debris to go flying and me to grin as the Bubblebeam missed. I was much happier with my placement now than I was earlier in the day.

I was able to make way more use of the field. Now I needed to test her properly. The challenge came in making it slightly weaker than an out-and-out pokemon battle. She was a third badge challenger after all.

“Stealth Rock!” I said, setting up the field for the next few pokemon out. I had half an idea I wanted to test out.

“Croconaw! Stop that Rhyhorn from running! Scary Face!” The Croconaw growled and his eyes glowed causing my pokemon to stiffen up as the predatory threat from the other pokemon caused latent instincts to rear their head.

“Rhyhorn! Use Earthquake!” Rhyhorn raised a leg and stomped hard.

“Water Gun assisted jump!” Instead of leaping, her Croconaw did a headstand with its jaws facing down before rocketing up into the air. Heidi sighed at the frankly garish display. It soared over the ground as the Earthquake took effect. So, it looked bad but worked.

I grunted as Croconaw landed and bounced a few times on his backside before whirling about.

“Water Gun again!” Heidi ordered!”

“Dig!” I said to send my pokemon under the ground and out of danger.

“Protect!” Heidi called, causing a shield to form up around her pokemon. Only for nothing to happen for a while. Her pokemon’s shield dropped, and Rhyhorn charged up out of the ground into an offensive position.

Heidi coughed sheepishly as her pokemon shook itself off. “Timing was off.” I hummed and didn’t remind her that she’d made the move slower with her earlier use of Scary Face.

“Stealth Rock,” I said again in lieu of an answer. I’d tell her after the match. Another trio of rock rose up and floated around the area causing Heidi to click her tongue in annoyance.

“Croconaw! Go for Focus Punch!”

“Dig!” I ordered again. Deciding to not make it easy.

Heidi clicked her tongue. “Keep focusing, Croconaw! He’s going to come up soon! React as fast as you can… you’ll have the speed on him after all!” I smiled and nodded as she realised the issue on her own. She smirked when my Rhyhorn once more rumbled out of the ground. This time his lack of speed worked for Croconaw and Heidi as they met the attack with an empowered Focus Punch that knocked my pokemon out cold.

I returned Rhyhorn and smiled. “Nicely done. You’re using good tactics and have the typing match up. Let’s see how you handle something a bit different though.” I tossed out another pokeball. “Go Lileep!”

My Gym’s new pokemon species waved happily before locking onto the Croconaw with a stern set to its fronds. I grinned at the confused look on Heidi’s face.

“What the? That’s new… Must be Rock and… Grass type?” she said aloud while rubbing her chin. She shook her head. “Whatever! We’re still going to win this! Croconaw, lock it down with Scary Face! Speed will decide this for us!”

“Ingrain,” I said, happy to get a free turn of set-up for my pokemon.

“Close in, but knock it around with Water Gun!” said Heidi, causing her pokemon to charge in. I noticed that they shot a spread of attacks rather than just firing in line. With my ordering my pokemon to root itself in however that shouldn’t have been needed.

“Lileep, use Mega Drain,” I said only to frown as the Water Gun shots that should have missed arced around and hit Lileep. My pokemon rocked from the hits but the green glow of the Mega Drain didn’t weaken at all, nor did my pokemon cry out. What was going on here?

“Eh? What the?” said Heidi as her pokemon’s move didn’t seem to bother my pokemon at all.

My pokemon instead drained hers as it charged in causing Croconaw to stumble before continuing to charge. “Focus Punch!”

“Astonish!” I called out making my pokemon snap its fronds wide and glare harshly at the Croconaw. Instead of building up for a punch that I knew would be super effective, it flinched.

“Wrap it up now that it’s close!” My pokemon leaned in and grabbed the pokemon causing Croconaw to flail only for the fronds to tighten and Lileep’s roots to dig into the ground. A pulse ran through my pokemon and I knew that it was only getting stronger thanks to the earlier Ingrain usage.

“No! Croconaw, use Ice Fang!” Heidi said only for her pokemon to not be able to get its jaw into the right position. My pokemon still shuddered at the closeness of the attack, showing that it didn’t like it but it wasn’t harmed too much.

“Mega Drain!” I called out, glad I could double down with Mega Drain potentially being stronger thanks to being in contact with the other pokemon.

Croconaw flailed about but wasn’t able to do much before slowly its struggles grew weaker and weaker. Then it clumped into my pokemon its energy spent.

“Urgh! Tough luck Croconaw!” Heidi said as she withdrew her pokemon. She grimaced before selecting her pokeball only to stop as her eyes flicked to the Stealth Rocks. She shifted from one pokeball on her belt to the next before clicking her tongue.

“Go Parasect!” Her crab pokemon revealed itself only for rocks to fly into it causing it to cry out in pain.

“Urgh! Fight through with Giga Drain! If Brock wants to do this, we have the stronger move to drain another pokemon!”

I chuckled, she would come out better from the exchange, but she was discounting my use of Ingrain. She apparently didn’t know what that did. She just had the benefit of having a pokemon that was resistant to Grass-type moves meaning Mega Drain wouldn’t do much.

“Not going to try matching you hit for hit,” I said. “Lileep, use Rock Tomb! Keep that Parasect locked down!” I was really bluffing here and making it look like I was more afraid of her bug attacks than her grass-type attacks.

“Ah!” Heidi said as rocks snapped up around her pokemon. Mine squirmed at the Giga Drain but seemed alright as her roots twitched.

Heidi frowned, taking a moment to assess the situation. I gave her a two-second count before punching forward. “Again! Rock Tomb!”

Once more her Parasect was slammed and she grimaced. “Stick to Giga Drain!” she said, backing herself.

We traded blows, the slugfest now much more even, and therefore risky with her pokemon having a much tougher time as mine endured the Giga Drains. Eventually, both pokemon toppled.

Jackson raised his flags in both directions. “Both pokemon are unable to battle! Gym Leader Brock has one more pokemon to use!”

I hummed, toying with the idea of just accepting her victory. Heidi stared at me, a glint in her eyes that spoke of her determination. I nodded, accepting the unspoken challenge to take this all the way. “Go! Corsola!” I said with some glee.

“Eh? Corsola’s a rock type?” said Heidi as she whipped out her pokedex.

“Corsola. A rock-water type pokemon that is known to inhabit coral reefs and rocky undersea cliffs along the coast. This pokemon is known to shed the horn and regrow it multiple times throughout its life.”

“Urgh!” Heidi said with annoyance.

I hummed. “So you’re game to use your pokedex here and now?”

Heidi grinned and pointed at the empty field on her side. “No pokemon that you can target while I get information on your pokemon. I know I won’t be able to do this in an actual tournament but I know this is allowed for Gym Challenges. Just about knowing when to use it.”

I nodded, once again, she was ticking another box in my book. Heidi clicked her tongue. “Alright! Let’s go Vaporeon!” said pokemon took to the field with a cry of its name only to growl as rocks struck it.

“Hmmm a good answer,” I said. “Corsola! Ancient Power!”

“Vaporeon, use Rain Dance!” It wiggled its tail and danced around, even dodging a few of Corsola’s thrown rocks as water started to fall from the few quickly formed up clouds about the field.

“Using its water body eh?” I said. “I hope you didn’t try this against Surge.”

Heidi coughed, and I caught some mutters regarding the combination of Thunder and Rain Dance not being known to her. I chuckled.

“Ancient Power again!” I said, committing to the only move that wouldn’t benefit her pokemon.

“Use Surf!” said Heidi, causing a rather large tidal wave to build up and surge forward. I whistled, for a little pokemon that was rather impressive. It still didn’t match the biggest wave in the Gym though, that honour went to Brawly and his Wailord.

The attack slammed down on the arena, Corsola was tossed back. Heidi pumped her fist when it was revealed that the Stealth Rock’s were out of play.

“Bulldoze,” I said, causing my Corsola to surge through the muddy field and slam into Vaporeon. The other pokemon cried out in pain and tumbled about. Then it hopped onto its feet and shaked itself off as rain fell onto it.

“Eh!?” Heidi said in shock. “Vaporeon, use Baton Pass!” She held up a pokeball and Vaporeon vanished as the pokeball in her hand opened up to reveal a Flaffy that shrieked as it took in all the mud around it.

It grabbed at the wool around its hips and raised it up to do a sharp tip tap dance while glaring at Heidi who looked contrite. “Sorry! Use Thunderbolt and end this so we can get you washed up!”

Flaffy leaped to obey, snapping around to launch a Thunderbolt at my pokemon.

“Bulldoze!” I cried out only for Corsola to take a powerful blast of lightning that ended the match.

I returned her, impressed at the show of power. When we lowered the podiums, Flaffy leapt to Heidi and stood on her shoulders causing mud to be smeared over her face and shoulders as the Flaffy swatted at her trainer in reprimand.

“Sorry! Sorry! I just wanted you on the field to wrap things up! I forgot about how much you hate getting your fur wet! You did great though!” This got the Flaffy to slow its strikes before sticking its nose up.

“Nice work,” I said, marching through the muddy field without concern. Flaffy looked horrified as I approached. I gestured to Jackson who was taking a much more hesitant path through the mud to reach us with the Badge case. I turned back to Heidi.

“So, I’ll tell you right now that I think you have what it takes to have earned your third badge from me. Watch out from now on though, as the challenges will get harder.” I pointed at her pokemon. “You’re going to need to up your game tactics and strategy if you want to have a shot at taking out Surge, especially with your current team roster.”

Heidi nodded firmly. “Yeah, he wrecked us last time. I won’t make the mistake of using Rain Dance ever again against an Electric type.”

“Good call; also learn what other pokemon might have Electric moves in their pool that are common to see. Like Gyarados, Starmie and others. The other option is to look for a pokemon that can act as a Lightning rod…” I trailed off thoughtfully. “Hey quick favour, can you scan my Lileep.” I released her back onto the field. Her fronds wilted tiredly as she glanced around. I drew out some potion and began to spray her.

“Lileep, a Rock-Grass typing. This pokemon is only newly discovered, having been saved from extinction through use of a resurrection machine. Information and observations of this pokemon are highly sought after!”

Heidi perked up. “Oh wow! Elm will be happy with me, when I write up a report on our fight and send it to him!”

“Hmmm, does your pokedex have the scan feature?”

“Scan feature,” she said, offering her pokedex over to me. I took it and flipped through the options before finding a feature that I’d briefly discussed with Oak during a round of playing video games.

I lined up the camera on my pokemon and the bulb flashed blue. “Scanning pokemon, please maintain position and keep pokemon in focus.”

“Lileep?” said my pokemon as the pokedex emitted a blue light. I clicked my tongue. Oak really needed to work on making the scanner more long-range for people’s safety but it would work for what I wanted.

“Lileep, this pokemon is quite young. It knows the move Wrap, Astonish, Ingrain, Mega Drain, Sand Tomb, and Rock Throw. It also appears to draw water sources towards it to empower its ability to grow. This allows it to negate most water-type attacks that don’t overpower it.”

“Huh, Storm Drain,” I said aloud.

“Storm Drain?” asked Heidi.

I scratched the back of my head. “It’s an extra ability that some pokemon have. Makes this Lileep immune to single-focus water attacks, or it will become the focus of attacks on its allies in a multi pokemon battle.” I rubbed my chin in thought. “This pokemon really does have a lot of surprises.”

“Urgh, tell me about it! If it wasn’t a Rock type and if you hadn’t set up with Stealth Rock earlier, I might have sent out my Pidgeotto or Butterfree.”

“Good call on that, the Stealth Rock would have made things rough, and you couldn’t have known what my pokemon could and couldn’t have done. How’d you find Erika’s challenge?” I asked out of professional curiosity. It wasn't often I got trainers going to her before me.

“Really great actually! I spoke with her a bit and spent a day or two in her Gym. She showed me how to manage my team’s dynamic when they're out of their pokeballs a lot better! It has made such a difference! She’s so smart knowing how to get things just working with different personality types.”

I nodded slowly as I remembered how she’d helped me out with my last political problem.

“Yeeeeaaah, she really is clever about that side of things…” I said thoughtfully. I really needed to call her.

Heidi departed with her Badge, her winnings in cash, and a plan for herself. I was confident I’d be seeing her at the end of the circuit and said as much before I used a break to fire off a message to Erika.

She tried calling me back in the middle of a pokemon match and I had to ignore her call and send it to voicemail. When I got the time to check it, Erika had responded with a ten-minute talk discussing all the possible candidates that would make for good representatives I could put forward.

She mentioned the older Jenny, the former Judge Howard, Mrs Haridan —who I actually knew rather well—, and a host of other names that I vaguely knew but Erika could recite stories off the top of her head about. When she signed off the message, I had to stare at my transceiver in surprise, only for Erika to call me again.

“Erika hey, it’s Brock I have ten more minutes before my next challenge. I got your message.”

“Oh good! I thought of some other people that would also be good! So, James Prendigast is another fellow who worked for the Fire department that also did some time on council—”

Erika then proceeded to talk my ear off for the next ten minutes about people she knew. I was rather gobsmacked that she knew so many locals. I didn’t know who the pillars of the community were and I lived here!

Jackson walked with me from the break room to the top of the trainer area overlooking the arena. “You look a bit put off Brock. You feeling okay?”

“Hmmm, yeah I'm alright, just got a rather big shake up from a social…expert?” I shrugged. “I don’t even know what to call her, maestro maybe? In just how poor an understanding I have of the social scene.”

“We’re all good at different things,” said Jackson with a shrug.

I nodded. “Guess it just wasn’t something I thought worth all that much… until it suddenly was worth a lot. Guess Erika just schooled me without even trying.”

Jackson chuckled at that. “Erika did that? Huh,” he said thoughtfully.

I nodded and went on with the rest of my day.

When it reached the end of the day. I had another short meeting with the trainers and announced that I would be scaling back the Gym’s hours going forward. Everyone slumped in relief at this, which helped me know how tough things had been on the ground, so to speak.

“Doesn’t this mean we’re going to be extending the surge a bit?” asked Dennis carefully.

I shrugged. “There are more important things in life than just running pokemon battles all day. I think I need to make some more time in my life for those things.”

Dennis nodded and Rocko gave me a thumbs up. Alexa smiled and didn’t say anything more, just wrote a note while Rachel wrote up an announcement for the pokenet page of the Gym.

I clapped my hands. “Alright crew, another few days, then we’re on lighter duties for the weekend. Then the sale at the start of next week before I send a few of you off to catch a thankfully short list of pokemon. Jackson, you’ll be working with Missy, Rachel and our new Gym trainer,” I nodded to Greta who smiled from next to Crystal. “Otherwise, enjoy yourselves, and I’ll see some of you tomorrow.”

By the end of the week, everyone was happy to see the break.

When I got home on Friday night with the knowledge that I didn’t need to be up and battling for Saturday thanks to blocking it off earlier at the start of the surge. I sank into the couch with a groan of delight.

Muchlax approached me with a slice of pizza that my family had already ordered. I accepted it with a smile only to frown at the large bite that had already been taken from it.

“Hey!” I said as he scrambled away.

I chased him into the kitchen and caught him up to tickle him before depositing him in a chair and claiming my own.

Flint nodded at me before raising up the kitchen transceiver. “We were about to call Forrest to see how he’s been?”

I smiled. “Yeah, I think I’d like to know how he’s been, let's call.”

Forrest answered a mount later and his face came into vision. “Hey family! You will not believe the week I’ve had!”

I chuckled, having something of an idea, he was after all with Ash and Misty.

“We rescued a Charmander! Oh! Also!” he bounced on the spot, “I have a new pokemon! Can you believe it?!”

I choked on my pizza slice. How the hell had he done that?! Did he just accidentally take Ash’s Charmander? I really wasn’t sure what to think of that.

“That… sounds like a story. Care to share?” I asked. I really had to hear how this had gone down.

_________________________________

A.N. Special thanks goes to my patreons for their support!

Special thanks goes to Raikor, Ab9999 and Elnoorz for betaing and editing this chapter.