Chapter 50: The Worst Possible Family Reunion
“Ugh! How much longer until we get there?” Perrine groaned, leaning against her seat as she stretched her legs outward.
“It’ll be another few minutes or so,” Caiseal told her. “We’ll be there soon.”
Julia looked out the window in silence, watching as houses raced past them as though they were really moving. They were on the bus heading towards the more suburban part of Blackthorn City, where Caiseal lived, and it was going to take at least forty five minutes to get there by bus. Even from inside the bus, she could tell that this neighborhood was very different from New Bark Town. Her neighborhood was surrounded by lush trees and clear lakes. In contrast, Caiseal’s neighborhood was surrounded by tall mountains, with practically no grass or trees in sight. The ground mostly consisted of hardened dirt and rocks, bright in the early morning sunshine. At one point, she saw two kids sitting on the ground making a little tower entirely out of rocks. Julia wasn’t sure if she could ever live in a place where there wasn’t any grass, trees, or forests.
Finally, the bus stopped. The kids hopped off and found themselves in the middle of suburbia. Perrine held a hand over her eyes as she marveled at the scenery around her. “Wow! It’s beautiful up here!” She exclaimed.
Upon closer inspection, all of the houses were lined up perfectly on the freshly paved streets, though Julia couldn’t help but notice that they were all some very light shade of yellow, brown, or beige, with some white houses here and there. There was some greenery around, such as some round shrubs and single trees, but no grass as far as the eye could see. There were some gardens that had plenty of flowers on them, like red orange pansies and hibiscus. Not only that, the mountains in the distance towered over everything, reaching farther the kids could possibly imagine. Perrine was right. Despite the lack of obvious greenery, it was still beautiful.
“It sure is,” Julia affirmed, glancing at some purple flowers on the sidewalk. “So is this your neighborhood, Caiseal?”
Caiseal nodded. “Yeah. I used to live in this part of it, but my house is another fifteen minutes away from here.”
“Awwwww!” Perrine groaned once more. “We’re still not there? Come on!” Her legs still felt stiff and rigid from sitting in the bus for less than an hour.
“We’re closer than we were before, so let’s go!” Julia reassured. Now that they were outside, they could look at the scenery and linger around a bit, so she didn’t think the extra time was bad.
The kids walked for a short while until Julia’s stomach started growling. It was almost eleven, so they decided to take a break and have an early lunch. Julia let Saoirse out of her PokeBall for some extra company, and the two of them ate peanut butter sandwiches along with bananas and chocolate chip cookies she had packed last night. As Perrine and Caiseal were caught up in another conversation, Julia looked behind herself. A stretch of tall grass was just ten feet away, in an area that didn’t have any houses on it. So there was grass here after all! Just as she finished her cookie, she noticed something brown moving around in the grass. Saoirse heard it as well. The bulldog Pokemon turned around, watching one patch of grass rustle.
Could it be a Pokemon?
Julia stood up. “Guys? I’m gonna go over there real quick and see if there’s any Pokemon I can catch,” She told them before running off. Saoirse trotted shortly afterward, having finished her lunch as well.
“Snubbull snubbull!” (“Wait for me, Jule!”)
Perrine waved to them with a smile. “Okay! Don’t go too far!”
Caiseal snickered. “You sound like you’re her mom,” He chortled.
The orange haired girl raised an eyebrow. “I do?”
Julia and Saoirse gingerly trekked towards the grass, keeping their eyes open for any Pokemon that might be nearby. The grass stretched far into the horizon, and several tall rocks dotted the premises. So even mountainous regions like this had some greenery here after all. Saoirse sniffed the air with her small nose, on the hunt for any unfamiliar scents.
“I wonder if there’s any Pokemon out here?” Julia wondered aloud.
“Snubbull,” Saoirse chimed in.
Right then, the grass rustled again. “It came from this way,” Julia said, pointing to an area just a few more feet away. Saoirse nodded and the two of them made their way towards the source of the sound. It helped that there was a big rock nearby, so they hid behind it in case whatever they heard saw them. Julia poked her head out from behind the rock to see what it was they saw.
Sitting in the middle of the grass was one Pokemon, a small bear about Saoirse’s size, with bright, orange brown hair, a yellow muzzle, and a tan crescent moon mark on its forehead. The little bear Pokemon was happily munching on some Pecha berries without a care in the world, and Julia could see its round, circular tail wiggling up and down. She melted at the sight of the Pokemon, clasping her hands together.
“Teddiiiii!” The bear Pokemon finished its Pecha berry and placed the leaves on the ground.
“Ohhhh, it’s a Teddiursa!” Julia squealed, keeping her voice low so she wouldn’t scare it. “It’s sooooo cute!”
“Snubbull,” (“It sure is,”) Saoirse agreed with a nod.
She pulled out her PokeDex, even though she knew what it was. “Teddiursa, the little bear Pokemon, and the pre-evolved form of Ursaring. This cute, cuddly Pokemon is easily frightened and frequently lick their paws, which are continually covered with a sweet-tasting honey that they let soak onto their paws. Every set of paws taste unique. When they find honey that is already made, the crescent mark on their forehead glows brightly. If they can’t find any, they make their own by blending fruits and pollen collected by Beedrill. When winter comes and food begins to get scarce, Teddiursa hoard as much food as they can in many different locations. Because of their sweet, friendly, innocuous nature, they are very popular among women and children. But if you find one in a forest, approach with caution, because their mother might be nearby, and Ursaring react violently to anyone who approaches their children.” A male sign appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen.
A Teddiursa...one of the cutest Pokemon to ever exist, and she managed to find one. Julia put her PokeDex back and pulled out a PokeBall. This was her chance to catch one for herself! “Hey, Saoirse?” Julia said. “You want to battle Teddiursa?”
Although Saoirse was averse to fighting, she nodded once again. “Snub!”
“Cool! Let’s do thi--”
But before she could do anything, she saw a lone PokeBall fly towards Teddiursa, and it wasn’t her own. The PokeBall hit Teddiursa, turning it into red light and sucking it in. Shortly afterward, the PokeBall landed on the ground, swaying back and forth, with the red light in the center blinking every second. Was someone else here besides her? Julia looked to her left. Standing behind another rock was a girl, a little younger than she, with blonde hair tied into a curly ponytail with a purple ribbon. Her light blue eyes focused solely on the PokeBall, and Julia could see she had her fingers crossed, as though she was praying for it to stay closed. Julia and Saoirse exchanged looks. Who was she? How long had she been there? After a few sways, the PokeBall broke open, and Teddiursa popped right back out.
“Urrrr?” Teddiursa simply co*cked its head to one side, wondering what the heck just happened.
The younger girl’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration, and she let out a noise of disappointment. “Nooo! Not again!” She cried. The girl rummaged through the pockets of her light blue skirt and pulled out two more PokeBalls. “Urgh! I only have two left!”
‘So she’s trying to catch Teddiursa. Is she a trainer? She isn’t using any Pokemon,’ Julia thought. All thoughts of wanting to catch Teddiursa herself were kicked out of her mind. From what she could see, the girl didn’t look like she was old enough to officially be a trainer. But it was clear that she wanted to catch that Teddiursa no matter what. Maybe she could benefit from a helping hand. Smiling to herself, Julia walked over to the girl.
“Hello there. Having some trouble?”
The girl whirled around, her light blue eyes wide like saucers as she took in Julia’s entrance. “Whoa! Where’d you come from?” She yelped.
“Just over there. Sorry if I scared you,” Julia told her, pointing to the rock nearby. “Are you trying to catch that Teddiursa?”
The girl glanced back towards the bear Pokemon. Teddiursa sat back on the grass, helping itself to another Pecha berry. “Yeah. I’m not old enough to really be a real trainer yet, so I don’t have any Pokemon I can battle it with,” The girl confessed. Julia nodded, listening. “But Teddiursa don’t come out very often, and it’s my favorite Pokemon ever. I really want to catch one, and I’m scared that they won’t come out again if I leave.”
Julia crossed her arms. On one hand, she knew that trying to catch a Pokemon all on their own was a very reckless move. This girl was clearly not old enough to be a trainer, and didn’t have any Pokemon of her own. If the Pokemon she was trying to catch had been something like a Houndour or a Beedrill, the girl’s life would be in serious danger. There’s a reason Johto only lets kids ten and older be eligible for trainer licenses. On the other hand, Julia could tell this girl had her reasons for wanting to catch that Teddiursa. Plus, Teddiursa were very friendly and docile, so they didn’t really pose much of a threat. Still, one had to be careful. Good thing she had come by when she did. A potential solution popped into her mind right then.
“Umm...if you want, I can help you,” Julia suggested.
Immediately, the girl’s eyes lit up. “Really? You will?!”
“Sure. I’m a trainer, and Saoirse’s with me right now,” Julia said. “Alright. How about this? I’ll have my Snubbull battle Teddiursa, and once it’s weakened, I’ll give you the signal, and you can catch it yourself,” She explained. It was perfect. Julia could have Saoirse weaken Teddiursa, and the little girl could watch the battle and avoid any danger. Win-win for both parties. “How’s that?”
The girl nodded vigorously. “That’d be perfect! Thanks!”
“I’m Julia, by the way.”
“My name’s Violet!”
After their introduction, Julia sent Saoirse out into the clearing. “Saoirse, use Headbutt!” She cried out.
“Snubbull!” Saoirse lowered her head and charged right at the bear Pokemon. Since Teddiursa was still chewing its Pecha berry in peace, it didn’t notice the Snubbull running towards it until Saoirse’s head collided with its body. Teddiursa let out a cry as it rolled across the grass, but managed to get back on its feet not long after. Then, the bear Pokemon charged right back at Saoirse, scraping its claws across her ears. Saoirse flinched and covered her ears with her arms, though all that did was allow Teddiursa to scratch her face.
“It’s using Scratch!” Violet exclaimed, clutching the PokeBall in her hand.
“Don’t worry! We got this!” Julia reassured her with confidence. “Saoirse, Headbutt it again! Then use Scary Face!”
On cue, Saoirse slammed her head against Teddiursa, sending it reeling before giving it an intense glare. She bared her teeth like a hungry Houndoom, her floppy ears swiveled back against her head, and her face pulled into an intense snarl. Upon seeing it, Teddiursa shivered, its eyes wide with terror. “Ursaaaaa!” It cried piteously.
“Now, use Bite!”
“Snubbull!” Baring her fangs, Saoirse went after Teddiursa again. This time, the bear Pokemon held her off with both paws, pushing her away before using its claws to swipe Saoirse’s face. Unlike the Scratch attack from before, Teddiursa’s swiping was quicker, more rapid fire. Julia knew right away it was using Fury Swipes. At one point, Saoirse found an opening and dredged her teeth into Teddiursa’s arm, stopping it from swiping at her any further. Teddiursa let out a pained yelp, desperately using its other arm to push on Saoirse’s mouth in an attempt to push her off.
Then, Saoirse felt something wet and slimy drag itself across her muzzle. The slithery feeling made a jolt run right up her spine, and she found herself releasing her teeth from Teddiursa’s arm. Teddiursa had slid its tongue over Saoirse. The bulldog Pokemon sat down, covering its face with its stubby arms. Teddiursa rolled on the ground, laughing at the sight of Saoirse looking so grossed out.
“Ewww!” Violet cried out. “Teddiursa just licked your Snubbull!”
“We’re not done yet! Use Headbutt one more time!”
Saoirse raised her eyebrow in a quizzical manner. Why was she suggesting using Headbutt for a third time? Then she noticed Teddiursa was still laughing. It’s guard was down! Having caught on, Saoirse wasted no time. Lowering her head, she sprinted right towards Teddiursa, ramming it so hard and the bear was sent rolling across the ground. This time, Teddiursa was unable to move right off. It tried to get on its feet, but a sharp pain ran through its leg, and it couldn’t move.
Julia looked down at Violet. “Alright, now’s your chance!”
Violet nodded, pressing the button on the PokeBall. “Nngh! Go, PokeBall, and catch it this time!” She exclaimed, throwing it with all the strength she could muster. The PokeBall hit the bear on the head, turning it into red light and sucking it right in. Then, the capsule wiggled back and forth, the red light in the center blinking. Violet crossed her fingers again, praying that it’d hold.
Then, the PokeBall stopped wiggling with a ding noise. It worked! Violet smiled so big, her cheeks hurt, and she let out a cheer before jumping up and down. “Yay! I caught it! I really caught it this time!” She shouted to the heavens, overcome with joy.
Julia walked over to Saoirse to cradle her in her arms, holding her close. “Great job, Saoirse. You were amazing.”
The Snubbull averted her gaze sheepishly as she rubbed one of her long ears. “Snubbull snubbull…”
Violet was quick to take the PokeBall into her hands before running back to Julia with a smile. “Thanks soooo much for helping me with this!”
“You’re welcome, Vi,” Julia said. “Be sure to take good care of him,” She advised.
Violet rubbed her PokeBall against her cheek, nuzzling it. “You bet I will!”
It was then that Julia remembered something. Violet...where had she heard that name before? Wait a minute, wasn’t that Caiseal’s sister’s name? It was. But Violet was a very common name. Surely there were lots of girls in Blackthorn City named Violet. Running into Caiseal’s sister right off the bat seemed very unlikely. Julia shook her head, pushing the thought out of her mind.
“So you’re a real Pokemon trainer?” Violet asked.
“I am.”
“Wow!” Violet beamed. “I bet you’ve been to lots of places! Tell me all about your adventures!”
The kids found a nearby stump they could sit on, and Julia told the young girl about some of the places she’d been and the Pokemon she found. Saoirse sat down right next to Julia, taking a well earned rest and leaning against her trainer’s side. Violet listened to the older girl’s tales in awe. To think someone not even a few years older than her had traveled all over Johto over the course of a few months.
“So how old are you, Violet?” Julia asked.
“I’m nine!”
“So you still have a year before you can become an official Pokemon trainer.”
“I know that! But now I have my own Pokemon, so the second I turn ten, I’m gonna put in an application for a license and go on a journey right away if I get approved!”
Something about the way she said that took Julia aback a little. It might have just been excitement on Violet’s part, but Julia could hear something else in the way she said it. Was she implying that she wanted to leave above all else? Like she had to at any cost? It would explain why she wanted to catch a Pokemon herself and not wait to get one from Professor Elm.
“Will your parents let you go?” Julia asked. “Even if you do get a license in the mail, it still depends on whether your parents will let you or not.”
Violet’s smile immediately turned into a frown, and she looked down at her purple shoes with furrowed eyebrows. “I don’t care about what they think. I don’t like them,” Violet sneered, putting particular emphasis on the word don’t like she wanted Julia to know that above all else. Julia winced a bit. She could feel the anger in Violet’s statement like a slap to the face. She meant it. Whatever happened between them, it couldn’t have been good.
“Can I ask why? Do you guys not get along?” Julia’s line of questioning continued, though she hoped she wasn’t prying. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine.”
“No. I want to,” Violet said after a while. “They’re not mean to me or anything, but...they really hated my big brother. My mom, especially. She was always mean to him for no reason.”
Julia raised an eyebrow. She said her mother hated her brother. Violet was treated just fine in contrast. Caiseal’s sister was named Violet, and he was hated by his biological parents. Were this Violet and his sister one and the same? Was she even talking about Caiseal at all? Julia needed to get to the bottom of this.
“So...what’s your brother like? Is he nice?”
Just like that, Violet’s frown turned right back into a smile. “He’s super nice! He’s the best brother in the world! He always helped me with my homework, protected me from bullies, he always played with me, and he taught me everything I know about Pokemon!” Violet enthused, continuing to go on and on about her brother and how awesome he was.
Normally, Julia didn’t like listening to certain people talk. Sometimes, it was just too draining to sit there and listen to people palaver on and not be able to hear herself think, especially when she needed to concentrate, like on homework. It didn’t help that most people she had to deal with preferred to gossip or talk trash about people they didn’t like instead of doing something more productive with their time. In contrast, she listened attentively as Violet exalted her brother at every opportunity.
“You really love him, don’t you?”
“I do!” Violet exclaimed. But just as quickly, she frowned again as she looked away from Julia, staring down at her shoes. Julia knew that look all too well. It was the look of someone who tried so hard to do something, only to fail every single time and feel like giving up forever, discouraged by the injustice of it all. “But Mom and Dad don’t, and I wish they would. He didn’t do anything wrong,” Her voice lowered to a downtrodden squeak. “He’s so nice, and they don’t see that at all. They kicked him out of the house, and I found out he lives with a new family now.”
A new family? Kicked out of the house? The signs were blaring right in front of Julia’s face now. Violet’s story was definitely way too similar to Caiseal’s, though she didn’t mention certain details. But what little details she gave was enough to paint the whole picture completely.
“I really want to see him again…” Violet buried her face in her hands. “But for all I know, he’s probably really far away…”
The heartbreak in her voice made Julia’s stomach sink. Here was a young girl who desperately wanted to see her brother again and isn’t able to. In contrast, Caiseal wants to see the only member of his family who loved him and can’t...and it dawned on her in that moment: Caiseal was a few feet away. If she let this chance slip away now, for all she knew, it’d be a long time before the siblings could ever see each other again. What was the point in prolonging their pain?
A spark of courage flared right up. Violet had a right to see her brother again, didn’t she?
“Y’know…” Julia put a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I think your brother’s a lot closer than you think,” She gave Violet a playful wink.
Violet raised her eyebrows. “Huh?”
***
“Man, Jule sure is taking a while,” Caiseal pointed out as he finished his lunch. He checked the time on his PokeGear. It was eleven o’clock, and half an hour had passed since Julia left to go catch a Pokemon she saw. What was taking so long? Caiseal kept glancing towards the tall grass, hoping to see her pop out. Slowly, the monster called worry began to gnaw at him. “I hope she didn’t get hurt.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Perrine reassured, adjusting her shoes a bit. “She’s a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for, so I wouldn’t worry too much. But if she’s not back in another hour, then we can worry.”
Good point. Her Pokemon were with her, and Caiseal knew the area pretty well. Unless some knuckleheads disturbed the wild Pokemon too much, it was a pretty safe area. He had played here plenty of times when he was younger and nothing bad had ever happened to him. Caiseal nodded in agreement as he ate the last of his sandwich.
“I guess you’re right.”
“Hey guys!” Julia popped out from the tall grass.
“Oh! There you are!” Perrine exclaimed. Her friend’s sudden entrance made her heart jump a little from the surprise. “Did you find that Pokemon you were talking about?”
“Ehehe...unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch it,” Julia confessed nervously, then perked right back up again. “But I did find something else!”
Caiseal smirked, crossing his arms. He hadn’t seen her this excited in a while. Now he was curious. “Well, what is it?”
Julia turned toward the grass. “You can come out now!”
On cue, a young girl darted out from the grass. Perrine could only raise an eyebrow. But Caiseal’s eyes locked right onto the girl’s as soon as they met each other’s gaze. Both their jaws dropped, and their eyes shrunk from the shock of it all. For a brief moment, all was silent, and Perrine and Julia could instantly feel the change in the atmosphere around them. Then, Caiseal stood right up, unable to look away.
“Who’s this?” Perrine asked.
“...Caiseal?!” The girl choked out, her voice unsteady. “Is that you?”
“Violet?!”
Perrine and Julia exchanged glances, only the latter was smiling. So this Violet really was Caiseal’s little sister! No further words were exchanged, but Julia could see Violet’s face scrunch up, and tears started to trail out from her eyes. Then, Violet stormed right over to Caiseal and hugged him, wrapping her arms around him so tight, she clutched the fabric of his shirt while burying her face in it. Caiseal couldn’t believe his eyes. His little sister was here, hugging him, and the warmth of her embrace told him this was all real. All he could do was stroke her ponytail with one hand, reveling in its softness. Shock morphed into joy. He hadn’t seen his sister in so long, and now she just appeared out of nowhere. Everything else around them seemed to disappear.
“Big brother...I missed you!” Violet whimpered, her voice muffled by Caiseal’s shirt. “I never stopped thinking about you!”
“I know, Vi. Me too,” Caiseal whispered back, his entire being weak from the boundless weight of her love on him in this moment.
Just as quickly, Violet broke from Caiseal’s embrace and swiveled towards Julia. “You’re actually friends with my brother, Julia?!”
“Wait, wait!” Perrine held her hands up. “How exactly did this happen?”
“Well…” Julia took a moment to explain to Caiseal how she ran into Violet just now. Once she finished with that, she told Violet about how she met Caiseal and that they’d been traveling together.
“That’s so awesome!!” Violet shrieked, jumping up and down from the revelation. “So you really became a Pokemon trainer, big bro?!”
A lump stuck in Caiseal’s throat, and his head was still spinning. He was so sure he wouldn’t see her again until they were much older. Possibly never, if his biological parents had anything to say about it. But here she was. His lips curled upward. “Yeah. I did. Want to see some of my Pokemon?”
He wasted no time letting Apollo out of his PokeBall. To nobody’s surprise, Violet squealed at the Pokemon in front of her. “Wow! A Typhlosion! You got a Cyndaquil just like you wanted! Can I pet him?” Violet exclaimed, her entire being an explosion of joy.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
Apollo lowered his head to let Violet pet him. His fur was warm and soft under her palm, and Julia could hear her making contented noises from the contact. “He’s soooo cute!” Violet crooned. The volcano Pokemon’s face heated up, and not from the flames in his body. “Oh! That’s right! Hey, Cash!” Violet stopped petting Caiseal and showed him the PokeBall. “I have a Pokemon now, too! Julia helped me catch a Teddiursa!”
Caiseal stole a glance at his friend. “You did?”
Julia could only let out a nervous laugh, scratching her head as she confessed. “Yeah. She saw it first and was having some trouble catching it, so I decided to help her out.”
A memory flashed back into his mind. Violet had given him a drawing she made for Christmas. It was a crude crayon drawing of himself, Violet, and their two favorite Pokemon, a Cyndaquil and a Teddiursa. It had seemed so distant, but hearing this, it had rushed back with the force of a speeding Magnet Train. Violet had always wanted a Teddiursa. She had often told him that if she ever became a trainer, she’d catch one right away. Now here they were, both having their desired Pokemon. But Caiseal was just happy they were together again.
Once again, Caiseal ran a hand through Violet’s hair with a tender smile on his face. “Did you tell her thanks?”
“Of course I did!” Violet made a mock pouty face at him. “I’m not a little kid, y’know!”
All three of the big kids laughed. “I know. But it’s my job to make sure you remember your manners!” Caiseal said through his laughter.
Eventually, the laughter died down. Violet’s expression changed from merry to solemn as she looked straight at Caiseal. “Cash...I know what really happened,” There was no mistaking the sad quiver in her voice. “I know now why Mom hated you so much and did what she did. But it wasn’t your fault! I know it isn’t!”
Knew what? Did she refer to Caiseal having absorbed his twin in his mother’s womb? Caiseal’s eyes shrunk again from the shock of it all, not just from her knowing about it, but the fact that even now, she still stood by him. Even after he had been kicked out of the house and sent away, Violet still loved him after so many years apart. He could tell she was serious. The determined, passionate gleam in her eyes gave it all away. A lump appeared in his throat, silencing him. He couldn’t find it in himself to ask her how she knew about it. For all he knew, she must have looked it up on the internet.
Perrine put a hand on Julia’s shoulder. “We should probably give them some space.”
Julia nodded. After what these two had gone through, they deserved some time alone together to catch up on old times.
“Wait,” Caiseal finally spoke. “It’s fine. I don’t mind you guys being here,” He told them, gesturing for them to sit back down.
The girls stopped, their jaws falling open. He actually wanted them to stick around? “How come?” Julia asked.
Caiseal flashed a grateful grin in Julia’s direction in particular. “You did bring her to me, and you guys kinda know what’s been going on.”
Good point. The girls decided to stay, though Julia still thought it’d be better if Caiseal and Violet had some time alone. But if Caiseal wanted them here, who was she to go against his wishes?
“I heard you live with a new family now,” Violet said. “Are they nice to you?”
“Of course!” Caiseal told her reassuringly. “They’re super nice to me.”
“Where do you live? Are you really far away?”
“Actually, I live about fifteen minutes from here. Right near my middle school,” Caiseal pointed to an area just a little farther off. “The girls and I were actually on our way to my house right now.”
“WHAT?!” Violet shrieked, loud enough that Julia had to cover her ears. “You lived that close by and I never knew it until now?!”
Violet’s voice ripped through Julia’s ear drums, and the sharp pain was too much, though she did understand the girl’s shock. She had no way of knowing that Caiseal was so close by, and even if she did, for all she knew, Caiseal’s biological parents probably wouldn’t have let the two visit each other. It wasn’t like kids’ foster homes and their addresses were disclosed to their biological families. Still, the realization that Caiseal was close by even though she hadn’t seen him for several years was like being hit by a speeding Magnet Train to Violet.
“What’s your address?” Violet bounced on the balls of her feet, shaking her fists up and down as she got right in Caiseal’s face. “I really wanna know! I can probably walk there from school and visit you!” Nobody could blame her for wanting to know his new home address. After being apart from him from so long, why wouldn’t she take the chance to see her brother more often?
Caiseal frowned. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” He told her, his voice lowering to a more somber tone. “If Nollaig and Fergus were to find out, they’d probably get mad at us. Knowing her, she’d probably think--”
Fergus? Perrine and Julia exchanged looks. Who was Fergus? His dad, maybe? They weren’t sure. But it said a lot that Caiseal referred to his biological parents by their names rather than just mom and dad. Considering the way they treated him, he probably decided that they didn’t deserve to be called mom and dad anymore. It wasn’t like they had won any Parents of the Year awards.
His sister wouldn’t let him finish the thought. “I don’t care if Mom and Dad get mad! I stopped caring about what they thought long ago!” She announced, her voice clear and unmarred by anything. “Besides, I’ll be ten next year, and I’ll be able to apply for a trainer’s license! If I get one, I can be a Pokemon trainer and I can go wherever I want! It’ll be perfect!” Violet raised both arms in the air to empathize that last statement.
The weight of conflicting desires sat in his chest, and he kept his lips pressed in a thin line just to keep himself from saying something he’d regret. One part of him told him to give Violet his new home address and PokeGear number. They were siblings, his conscious reasoned. They had a right to see each other. Who cares what their parents would think or do? Violet loved him and never stopped loving him even after they had been torn apart. Why add to the pain she’s been living with for years? Not only that, Caiseal could imagine all the great possibilities that came from keeping in contact with Violet. If Violet became a trainer, she could go wherever she wanted. Maybe, when she was old enough, they could travel the world together and be trainers, just like they dreamed. It helped that his foster parents knew about Violet and how much they cared for each other, so it wasn’t like they’d disapprove of her stopping by every now and then. She was still his family.
Another part of him reminded him of the potential dangers of giving Violet his contact info. If his biological parents were to find out, they’d probably either outright forbid Violet from seeing him or do something to prevent any meetings, like move somewhere far away. Or worse, maybe they’d claim Caiseal was trying to kill her or do something bad to her and file a restraining order against him despite there being no evidence of Caiseal being violent. Nollaig did abandon him in the Ice Path, so Caiseal could definitely see her doing whatever else she could to keep him and Violet from meeting up. Besides, it wasn’t like becoming a Pokemon trainer would automatically grant her freedom. It was true that being a trainer gave someone special privileges that a normal person couldn’t have, but that didn’t mean they were completely independent. Nollaig and Fergus were still her parents, and they still had power over her.
“Please, big bro!” Violet pleaded. “I promise I won’t let Mom and Dad find out! Really! A group of wild Rapidash won’t be able to drag it out of me, I swear!” She clasped her hands together tightly, like she was praying. “Besides, I’m a big girl now! I can go to lots of places by myself, and Mom and Dad don’t need to know!”
That was all it took for Caiseal to make his decision. He pulled out a notepad and a pencil, scribbled on some paper, and gave it to Violet within seconds.
“Here,” He lowered his voice. “It’s my address and PokeGear number. But don’t tell anyone about this,” By anyone, he meant Nollaig and Fergus, the girls figured. “I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me, and I know they’d flip if they know you have a Teddiursa. Promise?”
Violet slid two fingers across her mouth in a zipping gesture. No way was she going to let this secret get out. “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a Twineedle in my eye,” She whispered back, right as she stuffed the paper in her skirt pocket.
Caiseal turned to Julia. She didn’t look right at him, but she could feel his gratitude. “Jule. I really should thank you for bringing her to me,” There was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice in that moment. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Me too!” Violet added with more enthusiasm than her brother. “I’d never have known where he was if I hadn’t run into you! So thanks so much!”
Julia felt her cheeks burn. Just seeing their smiles and their glimmering eyes was too much all at once. She looked down at her sneakers. Did she really deserve all of this praise? “Y-Y-Y-You’re exaggerating…” She stammered, a little taken aback by this turn of events. Even so, she was genuinely happy that the Brownstone siblings were reunited. In this moment, how could anyone not be happy? The siblings got to see each other again after so long, and after all they went through, the girls knew they absolutely deserved it.
Unfortunately, the happiness was unceremoniously cut short.
“Violet!”
A gruff, male voice cut through everyone’s laughter, and all was silent. Everyone swiveled around, only to come face to face with an adult man walking towards them. His hair was short and neatly cut, a darker shade of blonde than both Caiseal and Violet’s hair. Julia didn’t dare meet his eyes, and she didn’t have to look at them to know that they were scrutinizing her and everyone else, even though they were hidden by a pair of glasses. A brown suede jacket protected him from the cold air, and his blue jeans and clean black dress shoes made him look fairly normal. But both Violet and Caiseal’s jaws dropped, and their eyes shrunk as the man walked closer, like they had seen a Haunter.
“Dad…!” Violet stammered.
Perrine and Julia gasped. This man was their father? Fergus? From the looks of it, he didn’t look the least bit happy. But Julia could see his eyebrows furrowing. Was it out of anger, exhaustion, or frustration? She couldn’t tell. She did see dark circles under his eyes, and a slight stubble on his chin that hadn’t been shaved in a while. It was a blank mask.
Apollo shot a glare at him. He had heard plenty of stories about how this man made no attempt to love Caiseal in any way. Seeing him now, the volcano Pokemon could tell everything Caiseal had told him so long ago was true. He didn’t sense any spec of love in him.
“You’ve been gone for over two hours now. You need to get your homework done before--” Fergus said, his voice low and tired. It didn’t take but a second for him to see the three older kids with her. “Who are these people? Didn’t I tell you not to talk to strangers?”
“They’re Pokemon trainers!” Violet exclaimed, waving her arms up and down. “I was watching them battle with their Pokemon, that’s all!”
The girls exchanged fearful glances. Fergus wasn’t falling for it one bit. Even Violet could see it despite her attempt at covering for them. Caiseal felt a shiver run up his spine when his father’s eyes immediately locked onto him. Caiseal could only glare right back, seeing the same cold, apathetic expression as he always did before getting kicked out. He wasn’t surprised. He never could recall a time in his life when he saw his father smile or be happy about something.
“Caiseal…” His father hissed the name out like it was poison. “Why are you here?”
Julia glared at him. Why was he making it sound like Caiseal was some burglar intruding on his property? Like he had no right to come back to his hometown?
“I’m just passing through. That’s all,” Caiseal replied sternly, keeping his voice firm and stone hard.
“I hope that’s all you’re doing,” Fergus said. Then he took Violet by the hand and pulled her away from the group. “Don’t come back here ever again. You’re just going to make trouble for everyone.”
Make trouble? Julia couldn’t keep quiet anymore. What right did this man have to talk to Caiseal like he was nothing more than some low life delinquent? She knew why, but that didn’t make the whole thing any less horrible. Her warring emotions finally burst forth. “What is wrong with you?! He’s your son! You can’t treat him like that!” She yelled, completely aghast. “He isn’t even doing anything wrong!”
All she got in return was a cold stare. Good thing she hated eye contact, so she barely noticed it, nor did she care. Violet struggled against her father’s grip, squirming and trying to free herself from his large hand.
“Dad, let me go!” Violet exclaimed.
“You’re not seeing him again. I forbid it,” Fergus hissed at his daughter with renewed fervor, his words leaving no room for nonsense.
“He’s my brother!” She protested. “I actually love him, unlike you!” Finally, she pulled her hand out from his, running right back to Caiseal.
Violet had never talked back to her father like this. She had always been too afraid to do so, and even if she did, he barely ever listened. He never cared much about anything. But enough was enough. She and Caiseal both were sick and tired of people--their own family, no less--trying to keep them apart. No way was she going to let her father tear them apart again. Caiseal put his hand on his sister’s shoulder, pressing his lips together tightly to keep his own warring emotions at bay.
All Fergus did was stand there, long-suffering annoyance written across his face.
“We’re not doing this, Violet. Come here now.”
“Why should I?!”
“I said come here.”
“No!”
“He has no right to see you.”
No right? Caiseal’s face lost its color as he stomped towards his former father, hazel eyes gleaming with hate. “No right?! Who are you to decide that?!” Caiseal barked. “Unlike you and Nollaig, she actually cares about me, and I care about her! I have every right to see her!”
“Not if your mother and I have anything to say about it, and you forget that Violet lives under my roof. You don’t.”
“She’s my sister, by Arceus! What’s it gonna take for you to realize that I’m not the heartless killer monster you and Nollaig are so convinced that I am?! Violet knows the truth, so she’s not stupid!”
In all honesty, Caiseal wasn’t even surprised that Fergus would do this. His father was barely around much anyway. Always going to work, working late into the night, continually making excuses to get away from the house even on his days off. Never bothering to stop his wife from treating his son like garbage, except to quip about how the kids need to stop making so much racket and do their chores. Always taking Nollaig’s side in everything. At this point, Caiseal had long been beyond done with his incessant apathy and spinelessness.
“Does your mother know you’re here, Violet? That he’s here? You can’t afford to do anything that’ll make her upset. You know that, right?”
“No, she doesn’t!” Caiseal snapped back. “Oh. I’m sooooo sorry! You guys are allowed to treat me like I’m some psycho murderer despite all evidence to the contrary and accuse me of all kinds of horrible crap, but nobody’s allowed to make poor widdle Nollaig saddy-sad! Way to set your priorities, Dad.”
“Cash! Come on, this isn’t worth it,” Perrine pulled on his shirt sleeve. She could tell this was going to get ugly quick. “Let’s just go,” She whispered. “We don’t need to start a fight. You gave her your number, so she’ll be fine.”
Then, Fergus rummaged through his jacket pocket and pulled something out. Upon closer inspection, it was a PokeBall. The girls’ eyes grew large. He was a Pokemon trainer? He held it in front of Caiseal. “If you really want to see Violet so badly, why not fight for it?” He said. “Battle me. Six on six. If you win, I’ll let Violet see you, and Nollaig and I won’t interfere. If you lose...I don’t think I need to repeat myself on that one.”
A battle? Just for Caiseal to see his sister? Just from hearing this challenge, Julia could tell it wasn’t going to end well. “Caiseal, don’t battle him!” Julia protested, shaking her fists up and down. “You shouldn’t have to battle your own father just to be able to see your sister!”
“She’s right!” Perrine agreed. “You’ll only be fighting a losing battle! For all you know he’s super strong and more experienced than we are!”
“Rah rahhhh!” Even Apollo was against it, pushing on his trainer’s shoulder in an attempt to get him to stand down.
Unfortunately, their pleas went unanswered.
“I accept your challenge, and you better hold up your end of the deal!”
Everyone facepalmed. “Caiseaaaaal!!”
***
Father and son found themselves on far ends of a barren part of the clearing. Julia, Perrine, and Violet could only sit on some rocks nearby, worried out of their minds. Why did Caiseal accept Fergus’s challenge? They knew he could be a bit reckless at times, but not like this. Of course, they knew the whole thing would boil down to whether Fergus was a strong enough trainer or not. Not every adult was a super strong trainer, but you never know. The whole thing seemed completely pointless.
Without a word, Fergus sent out his Pokemon first. Said Pokemon looked as though it was made out of shapes and prisms, consisting of a pink polyhedral body and head, with a blue stomach, beak, feet, and a prismatic tail. “Porygoooon!”
“Porygon?” Perrine asked out loud. “I’ve heard of them, but this is the first time I’ve seen one in person!”
“Me too!” Julia exclaimed, pulling her PokeDex out.
“Porygon, the Virtual Pokemon. It is the only Pokemon in the entire world to be made entirely out of programming code, allowing it to travel freely through cyberspace with its ability to convert itself into digital data. It is also one of very few man-made Pokemon in existence, having been artificially created by scientists with advanced technology about twenty years ago. All Porygon have been infused with copy protection, so as to prevent others from duplicating it. Because of its artificial origins, it has no need to breathe or eat, though Porygon are capable of eating despite an obvious lack of a mouth. Although parts of this Pokemon have become obsolete because of technological advancements over the years, it has become popular among trainers for their friendly, loyal nature.”
Caiseal smirked. “A normal type,” He pulled out a PokeBall. “Go, Heracles!”
Out came Heracles, his horn high in the air, flexing his muscles for batte. “Heracross!”
Perrine stepped forward, raising her hand. “I’ll be the referee!”
“Don’t bother,” Fergus hissed. “I’ll end this battle quickly.”
“I’d like to see you try!” Caiseal barked. “Heracles, use Brick Break!”
The big horn Pokemon’s hands glowed in a white light as it flew towards Porygon..
“Dodge, and use Tri-Attack,” Fergus told it.
“Poooor!” The virtual Pokemon swiftly floated towards the side, evading the cloud of dust that came from Heracles’ Brick Break hitting the ground. Three orbs--red, blue, and yellow--floated around Porygon before transforming into beams of light that fired in Heracles’ direction.
“Hold it off with Pin Missile!”
“Cross!” Waving his horn in an arc, a flurry of white needles shot out, putting the tricolored attack at bay. Thankfully, none of the Tri-Attack beams managed to hit Heracles, and they faded after a short while.
“Discharge.”
Porygon’s body trembled as an onslaught of yellow sparks surged from its body, firing off lightning in all directions. Despite Heracles’ efforts to evade it, a good majority of the thunder attack struck him, electrocuting him from the outside in. Caiseal held a hand to his teeth, hoping that Heracles would be able to stand it. Thankfully, the attack dissipated and Heracles managed to land back on the ground, still standing. Sensing his trainer’s distress, Heracles winked at him and flashed a thumbs up, telling him he was still okay.
“Use Megahorn!”
Heracles charged at Porygon once again, his horn glowing in a lime green light.
“Use Psybeam,” Fergus growled.
Before Heracles could land a hit, a purple ray of light shot out from Porygon’s beak, hitting the big horn right in the face. Heracles couldn’t keep steady as he found himself rolling backwards on the ground, the purple energy beam searing his face. Eventually, the attack dissipated, and Heracles got back up, wiping the dirt off his face with one hand.
“Oh man,” Perrine winced. “That Porygon’s strong.”
Caiseal clenched his fists. “We’re not giving up yet! Heracles, use Aerial Ace!”
A move that nobody could evade. Caiseal was glad Heracles knew that move, at least. Knowing what his trainer was planning, Heracles flew into the air, his translucent wings fluttering, before making a quick descent onto Porygon. The virtual Pokemon tried to float away, but Heracles was too fast, and his horn knocked Porygon into the ground as soon as it made contact. “Porygooon!” Porygon bellowed out in pain despite its robotic voice with the successive smash.
“Great job!” Caiseal cried out. “Use Brick Break before it can get back up!”
“Psybeam again!”
Like before, Porygon fired a purple beam of light aiming right at Heracles. Thankfully, the big horn Pokemon dodged it by swaying to the side, using the opportunity to jam its claw right onto Porygon’s side, sending it rolling across the dirt. The girls all cheered as Heracles delivered the harsh blow. He was getting the upper hand! But Porygon quickly recovered as it floated back onto its prism-shaped feet.
“Brick Break one more time!”
“Use Protect!”
Heracles charged at it again, its claws glowing white with renewed fervor. But before they could make contact, Porygon’s eyes glowed blue, and a dome-like barrier materialized around it. Heracles slammed his claws onto the dome, surprised when they didn’t make so much as a dent. It didn’t help that afterward, his claws trembled from the blow. It wasn’t enough to hurt both claws completely, but the numbness was like needles pricking his hands.
“Porygon, use Tri-Attack!” Fergus ordered.
Three glowing orbs floated from Porygon’s body before turning into three beams of light. They all hit Heracles before he could even react, sending the big horn flying across the clearing. Heracles finally stopped just in front of Caiseal, lying on the ground in pain. But it didn’t take long for him to pull himself back up and dust himself off.
“Use Sharpen,” Fergus ordered again. Porygon’s body glowed in a white light for a brief moment, and its body looked sharper, more jagged, afterward.
Caiseal’s eyebrows were creased with worry. Even with a type advantage, Heracles wasn’t able to do much damage to Porygon. It didn’t help that the virtual Pokemon had quite an arsenal of attacks up its sleeve. Caiseal put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Heracles. I can switch you out. You don’t have to--”
Heracles shook his head.
“You want to keep going? But that thing’s tough!”
The big horn smirked, as if saying, ‘Yeah? Well I’m tough, too!’ Knowing his Pokemon wasn’t going to back down, there was no point in arguing. Caiseal smiled.
“Alright then. Get back out there!” Caiseal shooed him back onto the field with renewed vigor. “And pummel it with Aerial Ace!”
“Predictable,” Fergus sneered. “Porygon, use Psybeam.”
Porygon fired its Psybeam attack, but Heracles dodged by flying upward. He ascended into the sky with a loop, then dove straight down towards Porygon, ramming his horn into its side, sending it into the ground with a bang. “Use Brick Break again!! Don’t let it get back up!!” Caiseal cried. On cue, Heracles wasted no time slamming his claws into Porygon, keeping it pinned into the crater he created. Porygon gave a robotic screech as every blow battered its hexagonal body. Every time it tried to escape, Heracles would grasp its leg and pummel it with more punches to its face and body.
“Use Headbutt!”
“Brick Break again!”
Both Pokemon slammed their heads and claws into each other, intent to knock each other down one way or the other. Finally, Porygon found an opening and rammed its head into Heracles’ faces, floating out from the crater. But pain wracked its body from the inside, and it found itself unable to float around as fast as it used to. Fergus clenched his teeth.
“Now’s our chance! One more Brick Break, and make it count!” Caiseal yelled.
“Heraaaaaa!” Porygon tried one last time to float away. Unfortunately for it, Heracles was much more agile and caught up to it quickly. Without stopping to breathe, Heracles slammed his claw on Porygon’s head, sending it back into the ground, along with generating a big cloud of dust that covered a good part of the field before dissipating. Once it cleared, all that was left was an unconscious Porygon lying on the ground, with X’s covering the white on its eyes.
Unable to resist, Perrine marched onto the side of the field. “Porygon is unable to battle!” She cheered with renewed enthusiasm as she pointed towards the victor. “Heracles in the winner!!”
“Yay!! You did it, Caiseal!!” Both Julia and Violet cheered. Sure, they knew he had only won the first round, with and Fergus still had five more Pokemon left. That didn’t make the victory any less sweet and ripe for celebration.
Heracles flew over to Caiseal and wrapped his buggy arms around his trainer, chittering and screeching with vigor. “You were awesome!” Caiseal exclaimed before putting Heracles back in his PokeBall. “Great job, buddy. You’d best take a good rest for now.”
When he glanced toward Fergus, any confidence he had wavered. Fergus had cradled Porygon in his arms, also giving it sweet words of praise and encouragement. The look on his face was tender and full of love and affection. He actually smiled. Caiseal’s breath hitched for a brief moment. Was that man...really his father? Not once had he ever seen his father smile, and so sweetly at that, in his entire life. Fergus Brownstone, the man who was always complaining about noise and spent most of his time at work, actually smiling? It was like that single expression of love had changed him into a different person...and his Pokemon was on the receiving end of it.
A hand melded into a fist. Why didn’t his father ever smile at him like that? Did he really consider his own Pokemon more worthy of his love than his own child?
“Good job, Porygon,” Fergus whispered before putting it back in its PokeBall. “I’m proud of you.”
“...You really love them, don’t you?” Any attempt at hiding the breaking in his voice was futile. Julia’s heart broke from hearing it. That voice could only belong to a sad child who was desperate for love.
Just like that, Fergus’s expression went back to normal. Stony and without any trace of affection.
“I don’t understand,” Caiseal pulled another PokeBall out, keeping his eyes on his shoes. “I’m your son, but you were never there for me. You never said you loved me or you were proud of me. You didn’t even try to save me from Nollaig or call her out on her crap! Why?!” His voice rose, and he slammed his hands on his chest. “I don’t get it! What is it about me that you hate so much?!”
Fergus said nothing. But as far as everyone was concerned, his silence spoke volumes. “Slugma, I choose you.”
Out from the PokeBall came a red slug whose body was made entirely of boiling lava. The only part of it that wasn’t lava was its big, yellow eyes. “Slugmaaaa!”
Once again, Julia examined it with her PokeDex. “Slugma, the lava Pokemon. Slugma have intensely hot magma circulating through their bodies, which carry nutrients and oxygen to their organs. They are the only Pokemon in existence who don’t have blood. They often live in volcanic areas, and those who don’t always search for warm places to live. As a result of their body being made solely of magma, Slugma are always moving, and cannot stop because doing so will cause them to cool and harden, resulting in their body turning brittle, immobilizing it or reducing its size when chunks of it fall off. It’s because of this that Slugma never sleep.”
Caiseal smirked. “Heh. Piece of cake!” Slugma was a fire type, and he had the perfect Pokemon to deal with that. “Go, Flippy!”
The second Flippy was sent out of her PokeBall, she let out a big yawn, like she had woken up from a nice nap. She didn’t do much else except smile when she saw Slugma in front of her.
“Oooh, a Quagsire!” Violet exclaimed, in awe of the water fish Pokemon. “It’s so cute!”
The girls definitely agreed with her on that one, but Julia kept her eyes focused on the battle before her. An uneasy feeling made her chest tighten up. This whole battle seemed entirely meaningless. Why was Caiseal’s father trying to make his son fight for the right to see his sister? They were siblings by blood. Wasn’t that enough? Or was he trying to set Caiseal up for failure and show Violet that if he lost, he wasn’t worthy of anyone’s love? Was this some sick way of trying to drive the siblings apart? She wasn’t sure. But the whole thing seemed wrong. Her emotions were at war, and continued to lock themselves in conflict even as Caiseal called his attack.
“Use Water Gun!”
“Quaaag!” As ordered, Flippy fired a pressurized jet of water at the sentient magma.
“Amnesia,” Fergus said.
“Sluuuug!” Slugma’s eyes glowed purple, and its body was enveloped by a thin aura of light. The spout of water hit Slugma right in the face, but the lava Pokemon stood its ground, letting the water soak it from head to body. When the attack stopped, Slugma simply shook off the excess water.
“What does Amnesia do?” Violet asked.
“It raises a Pokemon’s special defense,” Julia explained. “Even though Slugma’s a fire type, Amnesia lets it withstand special attacks, even ones that are strong against it.”
“Slugma, Rock Throw.”
“Use Mud Bomb!”
A ring of glowing white rocks circled around Slugma before firing themselves at Flippy. In turn, the water fish spat out a big ball of brown mud. Both attacks collided, creating another cloud of dust. Before Flippy could do anything else, some of the rocks came flying at her, pounding on her face. She used her hands to cover her face and block them, but the shooting pain ran through her slimy hands.
“You can do it, Flippy!” Caiseal encouraged. “Use Water Gun again!”
Ignoring the lingering pain in her hands, Flippy fired another spray of water. Like before, Slugma didn’t dodge. Instead, it was soaked in water.
“Body Slam!” Fergus commanded.
Pushing its weight on the ground, Slugma leaped high into the air. Everyone watched in awe as Slugma made its way into the sky. Even though it wasn’t a flying type and didn’t have wings, it certainly looked like it was flying in that moment.
“Use Mud Bomb over and over! Don’t let it hit you!” Caiseal yelled.
“Quaaag!” Knowing what Caiseal was planning, Flippy fired off a multitude of muddy bombs, sending them right at Slugma. Since Slugma was still in the air, it had no time to dodge. Mud flew into its face over and over, obscuring its vision. As a result, Slugma couldn’t keep steady and found itself falling to the ground.
“Yeah! Go Caiseal!” Violet cheered, throwing a fist in the air.
Caiseal flashed a smirk and a thumb’s up in her direction.
“You haven’t won,” Fergus sneered, watching as the lava Pokemon stood back up. “Use Recover.”
“Sluuuuug…” Slugma stood still, allowing its body to glow in a rainbow hue.
Slugma was healing itself. Caiseal clenched his teeth. He needed to think of something. This Slugma was tough. Not agile like Porygon, but it had its own strengths, and it was just a fire type Pokemon. Flippy was both a water and a ground type, so she should have beaten Slugma easily.
Wait a minute...mud and water. Caiseal remembered the way Mud Bomb obscured Slugma’s eyes. If Flippy could utilize both of its water and ground moves...Caiseal pulled out his PokeDex. “She might know it! I just need to check…” He searched through Flippy’s attack directory. His eyes widened.
There it was!
“What’s Caiseal doing?” Violet asked.
“Thinking of something,” Julia added. “I know that look on his face.”
The glow around Slugma’s body dissipated. Caiseal knew what he had to do now.
“Flippy! Use Muddy Water!” Caiseal cried.
“Slugma, use Body Slam again!”
Both Pokemon found themselves attacking simultaneously. Slugma leaped into the air once more, but Flippy had the upper hand. A swirl of brown, gross-looking water materialized all around her. Paying no mind, Flippy simply pointed towards Slugma with one of her hands. As if it understood her, the torrent of muddy water raced across the battlefield. Slugma flailed around, trying to get back on dry land, but its efforts were futile. The muddy ocean drowned it, and the lava Pokemon was unable to move or breathe. Fergus and the girls stepped out of the way, avoiding the muddy water. Julia kept a tight grip on Violet for extra safety.
It didn’t take long for the water to subside. When Fergus opened his eyes, the field was wet and soggy, with some puddles of water still lingering on the ground. Slugma was completely unconscious, its eyes closed.
“Slugma is unable to battle!” Perrine announced. “Flippy is the winner!”
Caiseal ran over to his slimy friend and wrapped his arms around her. “Aw yeah! Way to go, Flippy!” He didn’t care that Flippy’s skin was gooey and making his clothes wet and sticky. He had won his second match, and wet clothes were the least of his problems. Flippy simply smiled and put a hand on one of Caiseal’s in gratitude.
In contrast, Fergus simply recalled Slugma without another word. He glanced at his PokeBall with a fond expression, his eyes full of tenderness before holding it close to his chest. As far as he was concerned, Pokemon were easier to deal with than people. Easier to take care of. Easier to connect with. Pokemon didn’t have impossible expectations, nor did they expect their trainers to live up to them. Julia’s mouth fell wide open. She could see him smiling at his Pokemon, but not once did he smile at Caiseal. Sure, he had pointed it out before, but seeing it twice...did he maybe care more about his Pokemon than his own children? She loved Pokemon too, but she’d never do so at the expense of her family. Favoritism and nepotism was wrong. Her parents had taught her and Amara that from day one.
She clenched her fist. What was the point of this battle?
“Think you can keep going, Flippy?” Caiseal asked.
Flippy gave an assuring nod. “Quagsiiiire!”
On the other side of the field, Fergus wasted no time sending out his next Pokemon. “You’re next, Politoed!”
The white light that shot out from Fergus’ PokeBall materialized into a green frog Pokemon. It stood on its hind legs, its hands and toes bright yellow against its slimy green skin. Its chin and belly were also yellow, but the latter had a green swirl on the center. Pink cheeks and big brown eyes greeted its opponents with a strange, dissonant kind of innocence, and the single strand of blue hair on its head curled inward.
“Politoed politoed politoed!” The frog Pokemon croaked cheerfully, flashing a big smile, clapping its hands as though it were watching a fun show.
It was Perrine’s turn to pull out her PokeDex this time. “Politoed, the frog Pokemon. It can evolve from Poliwhirl with the aid of a King’s Rock. This cheerful, amiable Pokemon is able to expand its throat to croak out tunes and cries that can echo far and wide, which allow any Poliwag and Poliwhirl who hear it to gather towards it. When three or more Politoed get together, they sing in loud voices that sound like bellowing. Politoed use their curled hair to determine their status among their peers. If their hair is longer and more curled, it is deemed king of the tribe, held in high esteem by its disciples. Politoed frequently gather on moonlit nights to form a large chorus. Their cries sound like angry screams, not at all pleasant to listen to, but in the year 1780, famous composer Amadeus Vivaldi created a beautiful ballad influenced by the noises that Politoed make.”
A water type. “Looks like I can’t use water type moves on this one,” Caiseal muttered to himself. For all he knew, Politoed might have the ability Water Absorb, rendering any water types Flippy knew completely ineffective. Good thing Flippy knew some physical attacks as well. He’d have to improvise for this one. Plus, Politoed’s water attacks wouldn’t work too well on Flippy either, so on that front, they were evenly matched.
Fergus made the first move. “Politoed. Mega Punch.”
“Politooooed!” The green frog propelled itself towards Flippy with blinding speed, its fist glowing in a white light. Flippy sidestepped just in time, evading the punch with ease.
“Use Yawn, Flippy!” Caiseal yelled.
“Quaaaaag,” Opening her mouth wide, Flippy spat out a big pink bubble that floated towards Politoed.
“Yeah, right,” Fergus sneered. “Politoed. Pop it with Bubblebeam.”
Politoed wasted no time firing off a spray of bubbles at the Yawn attack, popping it right in an instant. Both Flippy and Caiseal found their jaws falling open. How in the world was this possible? Better yet, how was Politoed so strong?
“Mega Punch again.”
Caiseal growled. No way was he going to let his father take him down. “Oh, no you don’t! Flippy, use Mud Bomb!”
As ordered, Flippy leaped into the air and fired off a barrage of mud balls, sending some right at Politoed. Unfortunately, Politoed kept dancing all over the field, evading every single Mud Bomb attack. As Flippy landed back on the ground feet first, Politoed charged right at the water fish, slamming its fist into her cheek and sending her flying across the field. Caiseal held his arms up to protect himself from the cloud of dust and dirt that came out from Flippy sliding across the ground.
“Flippy! Are you okay?!” Caiseal yelped. Flippy attempted to stand back up, but Caiseal could see plenty of scratches on her body. The water fish grimaced when she put her weight on one of her legs, a jolt of pain searing right through it. This wasn’t good at all.
“Hyper Voice,” Fergus said.
With practiced ease, Politoed inhaled a huge gulp of air, closing its mouth shut, before unleashing a wave of white circles across the field. But more than that, the deafening, horrific, angry screech Politoed let out made everyone’s ear drums tremble. Julia in particular fell to her knees, letting out a pained scream even as her hands uselessly shielded her ears from the awful roar. Perrine and Violet followed suit, protecting their ears from the Hyper Voice attack, though the attempt was useless at best. Flippy stood firm, even as the shock wave of sound assailed her. She kept her head low, protecting her more vulnerable spots, but the attack seared her body from the outside in. Her limbs tensed up, and she couldn’t move.
“MAKE IT STOP!!” Julia screeched, her fragile ear drums close to exploding.
Unable to hold on any longer, Flippy was lifted off the ground, blown away by the wave of sound. Again, she skidded across the ground on her side, not given any reprieve or time to reorient itself. Caiseal’s hazel eyes shrunk, and his heart was racing. If Fergus kept this up, Flippy was going to lose for sure. But looking at his friend, she didn’t look to be in the best condition to keep going, her body still adorning fresh scratches from when she was Mega Punched into the ground earlier. It didn’t help that the majority of her moves were water and ground attacks, all of which Politoed was resistant against. His options were severely limited.
“Quagsire!” Against all the odds, Flippy got back on her feet, putting herself in an attack stance. Her body still trembled from the flurry of blows she endured, but all Caiseal could see was her determination to keep fighting.
“Caiseal! Switch Flippy out!” Julia yelled from the sidelines. “She’s too weak to keep going! Let her rest!!” She pleaded. Her hands were still on her ears, and her whole body was still rattled by Hyper Voice. But she still managed to reorient herself somewhat, and just looking at Flippy was enough to tell her this battle wasn’t going to end well.
But Caiseal couldn’t give up. Not now. “Flippy! You can do it! We are NOT losing to this guy!” He countered.
“Think again. Use Bounce.”
With a great spring, Politoed kneeled down, putting extra weight on its legs before propelling itself high into the sky.
“Flippy! Use…!!” Caiseal was about to call out an attack...but quickly realized he had nothing that could help Flippy withstand Bounce. She only knew one normal type attack. Water attacks would just heal Politoed’s health, assuming it had the ability Water Absorb. At this point, Flippy was too weak to move. Unfortunately, before Caiseal could think of anything else, Politoed plummeted down to the Earth, landing right on top of Flippy. Politoed crashed into her with such great force that the ground underneath her shattered, as though an Earthquake cut through Blackthorn City, generating a large cloud of dust.
When the cloud dissipated, Caiseal looked over to see if Flippy was still there. She was, but she lay on what was left of the ground, eyes closed, completely unconscious.
“Oh jeez…” Perrine winced. “Uhh...Flippy is unable to battle. The winner is Politoed!” She exclaimed hastily.
Caiseal returned Flippy to her PokeBall with a sad smile. “Thanks, girl. Sorry for putting you through that,” He whispered. “You take a good long rest.”
If Fergus felt any elation from his victory, he didn’t show it. He simply stared at Caiseal, his expression still as stony as ever. On the other hand, Politoed clapped its hands cheerfully, warbling and croaking with a big smile on its face.
As Caiseal took time to process his loss, another solution came to mind. Wait a minute...he did have a Pokemon who could stand up to Politoed! He mentally kicked himself for not switching Flippy out for him before, but wasted no time pulling his PokeBall out.
“You haven’t won yet!” Caiseal hollered. “I choose you, Viole!”
Viole popped right out of his PokeBall like a flower in bloom. “Vilepluuuume!” He announced his presence with a determined cry as he went into an attack stance.
Fergus just crossed his arms. “Type advantage alone won’t guarantee victory,” He said. “Politoed, use Ice Beam.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped. Ice Beam? An ice type attack was strong against grass. Politoed wasted no time firing a turquoise hued beam of light at Viole.
“Dodge and use Petal Blizzard!!” Caiseal yelled, pointing with an outthrust arm. Viole sidestepped and laid his big flower on the ground as it glowed in a purple light. A storm of pink flower petals surged out from the base of its head, blasting everything away in a floral wind. Politoed had no time to dodge and could only cover its face with its arms in a feeble attempt to protect itself. Dust flew and flowers obscured its vision, the petals cutting its damp skin in every direction. Fergus gasped in shock.
It was working! Caiseal smirked. “Great job! Now use Sleep Powder!”
The storm of flowers dissipated quickly, and Viole warbled before producing a thick, heavy cloud of green, sparkling powder. If Politoed was asleep, it wouldn’t be able to do a thing, giving Caiseal the perfect chance to completely decimate it, along with his ex-father’s chances of winning. Even the slightest chance of winning was enough to make Caiseal’s enthusiasm return ten fold.
“Water Sport.”
Politoed opened its mouth to spray a fountain of water right above it. The stream of water rose into the air and rained down on the battlefield, completely drowning out the Sleep Powder attack. Viole barely felt the water on his head, what with him being a plant Pokemon, but even he couldn’t help but be dumbstruck as his Sleep Powder cloud was watered down to nothing.
“The heck?!” Perrine yelped, her hand close to covering her mouth. “I thought Politoed couldn’t learn Water Sport, and isn’t that supposed to make it stronger against fire attacks?! I mean, more than it already is?!”
She was right. Water Sport wasn’t an attack Politoed or its evolutions could learn through traditional means. Julia knew some Pokemon could learn moves they would never normally learn, whether through more unconventional training methods or by inheriting them from parents by breeding. Hikaru knowing Disarming Voice, a fairy type move, was a shining example of this. Maybe Politoed learned Water Sport from a parent that knew the move? Who knows. It didn’t make the battle any less intense...or aggravating, if Julia had anything to say about it. It was like Fergus prepared for potential type advantages and had a way to get around them at any turn. And status moves, if using Water Sport against Sleep Powder was any indication.
“Grrrrr!!” Caiseal gnashed his teeth. “Viole, use Mega Drain!!”
“Vilepluuuume!!” Viole got back on his feet and fired off a rainbow hued light from the flower on his head. The light headed straight for Politoed. The frog Pokemon sidestepped a few times, but the rainbow light still chased after it. Eventually, the beam caught up, and Politoed found itself hoisted into the air. The light coiled around its body, and a green phosphorescence flickered to life, eerily beautiful in its strangeness. Politoed could only croak as the life seeped out from its body, flailing its legs in an attempt to break free. Needless to say, it didn’t work. The green phosphorescence traveled down the light and into the flower on Viole’s head, re-energizing him.
Once the process was finished, the rainbow light dissipated, and Politoed plummeted to the ground. But it did reorient itself enough to land on its feet.
“How do you like that?!” Caiseal bellowed boastfully.
Fergus didn’t move an inch. “Politoed. Use Ice Beam.”
“Sludge Bomb!! Don’t let it freeze you, boy!!”
“Pluuuuu!” Viole lowered his head and fired off a barrage of inky black sludge. At the same time, Politoed fired off yet another turquoise beam of light. The attacks collided, and the Sludge Bomb barrage held off the ice. Perrine crossed her fingers. Violet tightened her grip on Julia’s shirt. Could Caiseal actually stand a chance against Politoed? He had the type advantage and was doing a good job of landing some decent hits on the frog, but Julia knew this could only go so far. Eventually, the Ice Beam broke through the Sludge Bomb assault. Knowing what was coming, Viole stopped his attack and tried to run, but his stubby legs were unable to carry him fast enough. The Ice Beam hit him from the back, and the flower Pokemon found itself little more than a body trapped in a large chunk of ice.
“Viole, NO!!” Caiseal cried.
“Mega Punch, and make it count!”
Swiftly, Politoed’s fist glowed as it propelled itself towards the helpless Viole, slamming its fist into him with such force that the ice completely shattered, leaving pieces all over the place. But the ice did nothing to soften the blow against Viole, as the flower Pokemon blacked out from the force of the punch. Even after he was freed from the ice, Viole was unable to move.
“At this rate, Viole’s done for!” Perrine exclaimed.
Caiseal shook his head. “No! We can win this!” He announced. “Viole, use Sweet Scent!”
A cloud of pink, sparkling dust mushroomed into the air, spreading all over the field. Politoed caught one whiff, and its senses were dulled, muscles and stance relaxing. Viole got right back on his feet, shaking off the leftover ice from when he was frozen.
“Now finish it with Petal Dance!! Give it all you’ve got!!”
“Viiiii!” Viole spun around like a top, with the flower on his head glowing more brightly than before. This time, a whole tornado of flower petals surged through the field, swallowing nearly everything. Politoed’s head was still fuzzy from Sweet Scent, so the frog was unable to evade the onslaught of flower petals coming its way. However, the first few petals cutting into its skin did wake it up from its reverie, making it painfully aware of what was going on. But they all came so fast and seared through his body, Politoed couldn’t think of anything else but the pain.
“Yeah!! You go, Cash!!” Julia cheered, throwing both fists into the air. “Take him down!!”
Fergus clenched his teeth. Caiseal was quickly turning the battle back in his favor. He couldn’t go down like this, losing to a kid. “Politoed! Use Hyper Voice!”
Hyper Voice? On instinct, Julia’s hands flew back to her ears. “Not again!”
Ignoring her sensitive ears, Politoed let out another deafening screech, the sound waves blowing through the area with such force that it knocked away all of the petals. All that was left was a cross-eyed Viole, who was unable to remain steady on his feet.
“Viole!” It was then that Caiseal remembered. Once a Pokemon used Petal Dance, it became confused afterward. Viole was seeing double. One minute there were two Politoed, the next minute the fuzzy images seemed to blend together, but not entirely. If Viole couldn’t snap out of his confusion soon, Fergus and Politoed could turn this battle around.
Basically, Caiseal was in deep trouble.
“Finish it with Ice Beam!”
Wasting no time, Politoed fired another ray of pale blue light towards Viole. Since the flower Pokemon was confused and woozy from using Petal Dance, he was completely at the mercy of Ice Beam, unable to dodge as the ray of light made contact. But instead of freezing him from toe to petal like before, the Ice Beam simply made him slide across the ground helplessly. Finally, the beam dissipated, and Viole plopped to the side, one of the big petals on his head drooping toward the ground.
“Viole’s unable to battle! The winner is Politoed once again!” Perrine announced, figuring there wasn’t any point in not acting as the referee, since this battle was going on longer than Fergus wanted.
Politoed stood as the victor, but unlike before, it didn’t clap its hands or ribbit in its merry manner. For what it was worth, Caiseal could see lingering marks and cuts on its body. It had still taken a lot of damage. Politoed even took a few heavy breaths, like it was taking every ounce of energy it had and using it to keep going. That itself proved to be some consolation. Viole did a big number on it, and as far as Caiseal was concerned, it was enough. Caiseal walked over to Viole and stroke one of the petals on his head with a pitiful but grateful smile.
“You did great out there, Viole,” Caiseal told him.
“Vile…” Viole could only warble a pained whisper in response. But as he lay on his side, he met eyes with Violet. Caiseal’s sister. The flower Pokemon had heard many stories about her from his trainer, as far back as when he was an Oddish. “Vileplume vileplume…?” Using the last of his energy, Viole lifted one of his arms, pointing to Violet. Even if he didn’t understand his words the way Julia did, Caiseal knew what his friend was referring to with that gesture.
“Yeah. That’s my sister, Violet. I named you after her,” Caiseal said softly, but still audible enough for everyone to hear.
Julia’s breath hitched. Did she hear right? Caiseal named his Vileplume after his sister, even though Viole was a boy? The dots connected in her head quickly. Viole was Violet without the T at the end, and pronounced differently. Her heart went out to Caiseal in that moment, and she could tell from the flabbergasted look on Violet’s face that her brother’s gesture reaffirmed that he truly did care about her. Why else would he name one of his own Pokemon after her? She was the only person who truly loved him and recognized him as part of her family.
“You deserve a good rest,” Caiseal put Viole back in his PokeBall before returning to his place on the field and sending another one out. “Ravenclaw, let’s win this!”
A lone Murkrow came flying out from the PokeBall within seconds. “Murkrow!!” She squawked, flapping her wings once even as she landed on the ground. She meant business, and everyone knew it.
“Politoed. Are you able to go on?” Fergus asked.
The frog Pokemon turned its head towards its trainer and gave a reassuring nod. “Poli!”
Caiseal crossed his arms, closing his eyes. Julia knew that look anywhere. The cogs in his head were whirring. He was definitely planning something. But what?
“I’d recommend quitting while you’re ahead,” Fergus told him in a low, unsympathetic voice. “You can’t win against me easily. Politoed, use Mega Punch.”
“Don’t do anything yet, Raven,” Caiseal advised. “Let it come to you.”
“Krow?!”
“Just trust me on this, please.”
Everyone waited with bated breath, except for Politoed, whose fist glowed white as it made its way towards Ravenclaw. She was practically a sitting Psyduck, and Politoed got close enough to deliver a hardy blow…
“Sucker Punch!!”
“Poli?!” Before Politoed could land an attack, Ravenclaw sprang up from the ground and used her talons to whack the frog right in its face. In that instant, Politoed’s fist stopped glowing. The frog found itself rolling across the ground, only stopping just five feet from Fergus. Politoed attempted to stand back up, but a jolt of pain shot through its back, and he fell to its knees. Julia and Perrine both smiled when they saw sweat on Fergus’s brow. Not even he could deny that Politoed wasn’t strong enough to keep going at this point, what with everything Viole put it through.
“Darn it!” Fergus hissed, having pulled out Politoed’s PokeBall. “Return!!”
“Oh, no you don’t!! Pursuit!!” Caiseal ordered.
Fergus pressed the button on his PokeBall, and the red beam shot out to retrieve Politoed. Before the red light could reach Politoed, Ravenclaw flew towards the frog with remarkable speed and rammed herself right into its abdomen, cutting off any means of breathing. At this point, the red light reached Politoed and pulled it back. Fergus looked down at his PokeBall in worry and sent Politoed back out again, just to see if it was okay. Politoed lay on the ground, eyes closed, completely out cold.
“Politoed is unable to battle!” Perrine cheered, with an arm pointed towards her friend. “The winner is Ravenclaw!”
“FINALLY!!” Caiseal jumped up and down. After several failed attempts, he somehow managed to defeat his ex-father’s Politoed after it had given him such a hard time. His excitement bubbled over like soda fizz. But he knew the battle wasn’t over. Both he and Fergus were down to three Pokemon each. Still, who would have thought a cute frog Pokemon would be such a pain to deal with?
With a frown, Fergus recalled Politoed, holding the PokeBall close to his chest. “Sorry, my friend. You did great,” He whispered tenderly, in stark contrast to how he spoke to Caiseal the entire time. Something even Violet was picking up on.
‘Why does he talk to Caiseal like he’s some stranger, but treat his Pokemon like they’re his babies?’ Violet asked herself, her mind awhirl with both confusion and anger. She clenched the fabric of Julia’s coat tighter as her lingering anger continued to simmer.
Fergus pulled out another PokeBall. “Slowking, I choose you.”
The white light from the PokeBall changed into a pink, bipedal Pokemon with a gray, horned shell on its head, and said shell had a red jewel in the center. It had the face and yellow muzzle of a Slowpoke, but the lower half of its belly had yellow scales on it. It’s neck had a white and red spiny ruff around it, like something a circus clown would wear, but not as freaky-looking.
“Slowking,” The Pokemon simply waved at Ravenclaw like it was greeting an old friend. Ravenclaw could only co*ck her head to one side, giving it a quizzical look.
“Oooh, a Slowking!” Perrine exclaimed, pulling out her PokeDex yet again. “I’ve always wanted one!”
“Slowking, the royal Pokemon, and one of two evolved forms of Slowpoke,” The PokeDex informed. “Slowpoke can evolve into Slowking with the aid of a King’s Rock, or a Shellder biting it’s head. Slowking, along with Alakazam, is considered one of the smartest Pokemon in the world, famed for its intelligence and intellect on par with award winning scientists. It always remained calm and collected, no matter the situation. When a Shellder bites on a Slowpoke’s head, the toxins it released into its brain unlocked a power that somehow increased its intelligence a thousand fold, which increases even more whenever Slowking yawns. However, when the Shellder comes off of it’s head, Slowking forgets everything it ever learned. Many people from over several millennia have worked with Slowking to solve the mysteries of the world, and continue to do so today.”
“Tch. A water and psychic type,” Caiseal sneered. Ravenclaw was part dark type, so she had an advantage over Slowking. Sure, he knew type advantages alone wouldn’t guarantee a win--Viole’s defeat being an example of that--but he still had something. “Alright, Ravenclaw! Start it off with Dark Pulse!”
“Murkrow!!” The crow Pokemon opened her beak and fired off a river of rings made from black energy.
“Use Power Gem.”
“Slooooow!” In turn, the red jewel on Slowking’s shell glowed, generating six white orbs of white. Before the Dark Pulse could hit, Slowking moved its hand outward, and the shining gems collided with the other attack, holding it off.
“Dark Pulse again!”
“Dodge, and use Power Gem again.”
Once the previous attacks dissipated, Ravenclaw fired another Dark Pulse. Slowking sidestepped, making the stream of black rings hit part of the ground right next to it. This time, Slowking made eight orbs of light appear, and they all aimed right at Ravenclaw. Seeing that they were heading right for her, Ravenclaw tried to fly away from them. But whichever way she went, the glowing rocks kept following her, not intent on letting her get away. Then, when she tried to make a sudden turn, one of the rocks pelted her on her wing, with many more raining down on her right afterward.
“Raven!!” Caiseal yelled in fear. Had she lost already?
Much to his relief, Ravenclaw got right back up, flapping her wings to cushion her landing so she wouldn’t get hurt. “Krooow!”
“Alright then! Use Quick Attack!” Caiseal ordered.
“Nasty Plot.”
Slowking stood in place, enveloped by a dark red light. It didn’t move, even as Ravenclaw threw herself right at it. The force of the blow was strong, but Slowking endured it without making a single sound, not even a grunt of pain.
Julia gasped. “Oh no. This isn’t good.”
“What’s wrong?” Violet asked.
“Nasty Plot. It makes Slowking’s special attacks stronger,” She explained, unable to keep her voice steady. Caiseal was in trouble. Big time. She could tell Slowking would be even harder to deal with than Politoed, and the battle had only just started.
Caiseal didn’t hear his friend, as he was too focused on the battle. “Use Wing Attack!”
Ravenclaw’s wings glowed white as she ascended into the sky and dove towards Slowking, her speed accelerating the further down she went.
“Power Gem, one more time,” Fergus said.
“King!” Slowking spread its arms akimbo, and ten orbs of light appeared, firing themselves right at Ravenclaw.
“No! No!!” Realizing what was going to happen, Caiseal’s eyes widened in horror, his cheeks turning red from so much yelling. Ravenclaw needed to get out of there. “Raven!! Get out of their way!!”
But she was going too fast and couldn’t stop herself in time. She attempted to fly out of their way, but a Power Gem flew right into her. Unable to move, many more pelted her in all directions. All Caiseal could see was Ravenclaw helplessly falling to the ground soon after, sharply descending into the dirt and sending off a billowing cloud. Speed didn’t stand much of a chance against Slowking’s ingenuity and power.
Everyone looked down into the hole. Ravenclaw lay unconscious, her beak wide open, as though trying to scream.
“Ravenclaw is unable to battle. The winner is Slowking,” Perrine announced with zero enthusiasm.
Violet teared up. “She didn’t even stand a chance,” She whimpered.
Julia looked down at her shoes, gnashing her teeth. Her worst fear was coming true. Caiseal really was trapped in a losing battle. But the question that remained on her mind still lingered. What was the point of this battle? More followed soon after. Did Caiseal really deserve to be put through this? By his own father, no less? More than that, what about Violet? What was she getting out of this?
Caiseal recalled Ravenclaw and yanked out another PokeBall, his eyes bloodshot. “I’m not done yet! Heracles, use Megahorn!!”
As ordered, Heracles flew out of the PokeBall, his trusty horn already glowing green as it accelerated towards his opponent. Oddly enough, Slowking looked completely unfazed. A giant beetle was ready to cut it to ribbons, but the royal Pokemon stood there, smiling.
“Flamethrower,” Fergus ordered.
“WHAT?!” This time, everyone found themselves completely flabbergasted. Slowking opened its mouth and a stream of red hot flames spilled out, hitting Heracles head on. The intense heat was too much for Heracles, and he couldn’t drive his horn into his opponent. Unable to handle the fire burning his skin, Heracles found himself rolling on the ground to get the flames off. A searing, burning sensation ran throughout his body, and it lingered even as Heracles managed to put the flames out. Caiseal’s eyebrows furrowed in worry. Burn marks completely dotted Heracles’ navy blue shell, and the big horn Pokemon could barely put any weight on his arms to hoist himself back up.
“Heracles, get up!” Caiseal’s encouragement was overcome with fear, making it come off more like desperate pleading. “Come on! We can’t afford to lose this battle!!” He cried.
“You’re wasting your time,” Fergus hissed. “Finish it with another Flamethrower. Make it count.”
“Slowkiiiiing!” The royal Pokemon fired off another stream of flames. Heracles’ whole body was wracked with pain, rendering him unable to move. Red hot fire consumed Heracles, threatening to roast him whole. Caiseal put his arms over his eyes to protect them from the scorching heat, but he could hear Heracles screeching and howling. Then, nothing. He opened his eyes and found the big horn Pokemon keeled over, completely black from horn to toe.
“Uuuugh!! Return!!” Caiseal roared, recalling Heracles and yanking out another PokeBall just as quickly. “Apollo, get out there!!”
Apollo stood on the field, the back of his neck already in flames. Julia shivered. Caiseal’s voice was more frantic, more desperate. She could see his chest rising and falling in tune with his unusually fast breaths. He gnashed his teeth like he was a hungry Houndoom stalking its prey, and his eyes were bloodshot. Caiseal was backed into a corner, losing control mentally. He only had two Pokemon left, both of whom were weak against water types. Apollo turned to face his trainer, looking just as worried and concerned as Julia. He watched the whole battle play out, and he could sense Caiseal’s distress. The volcano Pokemon tried to walk towards his trainer.
“No! Don’t worry about me!” Caiseal barked. “Just beat that darn Slowking!! We need to win this!!” His voice rose with every word he shouted. Julia kept a hand on her ear to shield her hearing from it, but by this point, his yelling was the least of everyone’s concerns.
Reluctantly, Apollo turned back to face Slowking. “Now use Swift!”
“Graaaahh!” Apollo gave a roar and a fluffy of glowing yellow stars rained down on Slowking, who made no effort to dodge the onslaught.
“Power Gem again,” Fergus said.
“Use Rollout!”
Apollo curled into a ball and began rolling towards Slowking at a high speed, barely noticing the Power Gems pelting it in all directions. It didn’t take long for Apollo to ram right into Slowking and sent it skidding across the ground. After that, Apollo rolled right back toward Caiseal and uncurled himself, back in an attack stance.
“Slowking, use Water Gun.”
“Hold it off with Flamethrower!”
Both Pokemon fired their attacks simultaneously. The spout of water collided with Apollo’s stream of fire. Steam fountained out from the attack collision in a billowing cloud, filling the air with a white haze. Unfortunately, Slowking’s Water Gun managed to push through the flames, and the water spout soaked Apollo from his head down to his neck. He did manage to run from the attack once he found an opening, so the damage he sustained wasn’t too bad.
“Knock it out with Quick Attack!” Caiseal cried, his voice bordering on panicking.
The volcano Pokemon gave a howl as his body glowed in a white light before propelling himself toward Slowking.
“Jump, and use Water Pulse.”
Once Apollo got close enough, Slowking leaped into the air, causing Apollo’s attack to completely miss. Then, the jewel on Slowking’s forehead glowed. It opened its mouth, allowing a large, blue sphere of water to form in front of it. After that, Slowking fired the watery sphere towards Apollo.
“Dodge it!! Don’t let it hit you!!” Caiseal screamed, waving his arms up and down in panic.
Apollo jumped backward two steps, which made the watery sphere hit the ground. Unfortunately, the sphere exploded into a mighty wave that consumed nearly everything. The girls ran towards a set of trees nearby to protect themselves from the ensuing tsunami. Apollo had no time to jump, as the water came at him too fast for him to react. The volcano Pokemon gave a shriek as he was swallowed up by water. Like before, Caiseal held his arms above his face, shielding it from the water. It didn’t take long for the water to subside. When Caiseal put his arms down, his heart stopped.
His partner was on the ground, completely out cold. On the other side of the field, Slowking just stood there, staring blankly at his fallen opponent.
“Apollo is unable to battle. The winner is Slowking,” Perrine said, with even less enthusiasm than before.
At this point, Caiseal had one Pokemon left. Mallow. But he knew this was a losing battle. His heart raced, his head spun, his breaths came short and fast. Too fast. Any control he had left was slipping away from him. His legs felt like they were going to collapse under him. He found himself back at his old house on that awful winter day, completely helpless as his own mother publicly disowned him and told him how she really felt about him. The only consolation he had was that Violet still loved him.
Now he was going to lose his only chance to be with her. Forever. Just when they had finally seen each other again after all these years.
You can’t win. He’s stronger than you, and always has been. He’s been a trainer longer than you have. You should have seen this coming.
Both of his hands clutched huge clumps of his hair as he let out a bloodcurdling scream. It echoed all throughout the battlefield. Violet winced at the awful scene. Tears swelled and rolled from her eyes. Julia didn’t cover her ears this time, but it hurt just the same. It was the same scream he screamed back in the Ice Path, when she saved him from that icicle. The sound was both familiar and frightening. Hearing it told her that Caiseal had lost all hope. She looked towards Fergus to see if he had any inkling of concern. Here was his son screaming, possibly having a complete breakdown. Surely he had to be a little bit worried about him!
He wasn’t. Fergus’s expression was stony and indifferent. It reaffirmed what she had been thinking from the very beginning, and the lid on her anger was finally blown right off.
“This whole battle is MEANINGLESS!!” Julia shouted, unable to keep silent anymore. She foisted Violet on Perrine and made a mad dash towards Fergus.
“Julia! Wait!” Perrine shouted, but the girl didn’t hear her anymore.
Her face scrunched up in anger, Julia dashed towards Fergus and shoved him on his arm. She wasn’t strong enough to knock him down--or anyone, since she was never physically strong--but she wanted his attention, and she wanted it now. Fergus swiveled towards the angry girl, eyes wide from the sudden push.
“You need to call off this battle right now!!” Julia screamed. “He doesn’t deserve to be put through this, especially not from you!!” She pointed over to Caiseal. By this time, Perrine and Violet had rushed to his side to comfort him and help him through his episode. “Your son is having a freaking breakdown! Go over there and help him!!”
Finally, Fergus’ stony exterior crumpled. His eyebrows furrowed in frustration, and he clenched his teeth, as though wanting to say something but refraining from doing so.
“I...I can’t…”
“WHY NOT?!”
“My wife...won’t allow it…”
Caiseal’s mother again. Of course. No surprise. Everything tied back to her. But not allowing it? What was he, five years old? Nollaig wasn’t his mother. “Screw her!! You don’t need to suck up to her!!” She yelled. She knew nothing of how Fergus’ marriage with his wife was and how they got along, if they even did. But she didn’t care. As far as she was concerned, it was no excuse for his complete lack of empathy for his own son. “Caiseal’s your child!! What do you plan on getting out of this battle?! Showing your kids that their feelings don’t matter?! That the only person she cares about isn’t allowed to be anywhere near her because of your wife and her stupid delusion that he’s some murderer out to kill them?! That your son doesn’t deserve any love over something that was never his fault?!”
In her heart of hearts, she knew this wouldn’t change anything. Just shouting random speeches at someone she hated wasn’t going to change his way of thinking. But she didn’t want to just sit there and do nothing while her friend was suffering so much. She hated how helpless she was. Surely, she could do something. Anything to possibly get through to him in some capacity.
“Is that really the kind of message you want to send to your kids?! That your wife and her feelings are more important than them?!” Her frantic voice rose with every word she yelled. She didn’t care if he wasn’t going to listen. If she had to, she’d make him listen. “Do you even love Caiseal at all?! Or do you really love your Pokemon more than your own flesh and blood?!”
For the very first time, Fergus’ eyes glazed over. What was it? Guilt? Or was it sorrow? She couldn’t tell. Julia was never good at reading expressions unless the changes were blatant and sudden. His shoulders hunched, and she could see his fist clenching. She wished she knew the Mind Reader move so she could read his mind and learn what he was thinking.
“I have...no choice…” Also a first, his voice caught in his throat, less steady than before. “I can’t survive without her…”
Survive? What did that even mean in this context? Julia had no idea. But in her mind, this was still bullocks. “That’s not a valid excuse!! You don’t need to do any of this! Caiseal doesn’t deserve this! Violet doesn’t, either!!”
“I can’t...do anything else!” His voice rose an octave.
“Of course you can! Go over there and show Caiseal that you’re his father!!” Julia pointed to Caiseal again. He wasn’t screaming anymore, but the ringing in her ears still rattled her brain. Nothing was making any sense. But she knew one thing for sure. “None of this is right!”
Fergus let out a growl. “Get away from me!!” With a roar, his hand struck Julia on the face. The force of the blow was enough to knock Julia off her feet, sending her to the ground. Her cheek roared, like she had been hit with a thousand Beedrill stingers, and her side trembled from hitting the dirt. Her hand scraped against a rock, cutting a part of her hand, but not enough to make it bleed. Her other hand flew to said stinging cheek like a startled Pidgey. The air around him crackled, and Julia didn’t dare look at him. He was angry and he made no effort to hide it this time. His yelling rattled her ears, completely uncontrolled.
“You have no right to just come in here and tell me what to do, especially whatever it is you say is the right thing!!” Fergus bellowed. “Some people have to survive in this world! People do the things they do because they can’t do anything else! None of you know anything about my life and what I’m going through! You’re not the ones constantly walking on eggshells around a wife who you only stay with because she’s the sole reason you’re not dead on the streets!! It’s my job to keep my family safe, and if catering to her whims can get me through every day, then so be it!!”
Julia couldn’t move. Her hands flew to her ears again, Fergus’ yelling coming dangerously close to making her eardrums explode. But she heard everything he said, and still, nothing made sense. How was staying with Nollaig and catering to her any justification for everything they did to Caiseal and Violet? Maybe he was just as much a victim of her as his kids were, maybe he wasn’t. Maybe Nollaig had more power over him than she realized. Whatever it was, she didn’t know. She just wanted this whole thing to end. But more than that, Caiseal needed help. Serious help. Prolonging this battle wasn’t doing anything for anyone. She staggered to her feet and walked back to her spot on the sidelines. Perrine and Violet were still trying to help Caiseal through his breakdown, along with trying to convince him to bail.
“Cash. This battle is pointless,” Perrine told him. “Screw his stupid deal. You don’t need to go through this. He’s not worth it.”
“She’s right,” Violet whispered. “You gave me your PokeGear number. I can still call you. Whatever happens, I don’t care what he says. You’re still my brother. I can’t…” Her voice broke. “Bear to see you like this…”
“No…” Caiseal growled, standing up. “I will finish this,” He pulled out Mallow’s PokeBall. The only one he had left.
Violet grabbed his arm. “Don’t! Cash, please! You know you’re not gonna win! It’s not worth it!!” She pleaded tearfully.
“Mallow! Get out there!” Caiseal cried.
Mallow popped out of his PokeBall, but was quick to swivel back towards his trainer, having noticed Caiseal’s duress for a while. So this was Caiseal’s father. Mallow shot a cold glare in Fergus’ direction. Like all of his other Pokemon, Caiseal told him all about Fergus and how he was hardly ever around. Seeing him now was almost surreal. The figure he heard about in Caiseal’s stories, right in front of him, with a Slowking serving him. Mallow readied his bone, adopting an attack stance.
By this time, Perrine had helped Julia up. “Jeez. You okay? He really got you good.”
“No!” Julia hissed. Of course she wasn’t okay. A grown man slapped a child across the face. It wasn’t much different from the way Mrs. Amoretto used to slap her around back in second grade. Violence knew no gender, indeed. Any sympathy or thoughts of there being any sliver of good in Fergus were gone.
“Use Bone Rush!” Caiseal yelled.
“Marowak!” Mallow’s bone glowed in a white light before extending two feet on both sides. With a growl, Mallow charged right at Slowking, wielding his bone like a sword.
“Nasty Plot.”
Dark red light enveloped Slowking, and it lost itself in its concentration. Mallow struck Slowking with his bone multiple times, howling and grunting with every strike. But even then, Slowking didn’t move an inch. The girls exchanged confused looks. How was Slowking so strong?
“Now use Headbutt!”
“Wak!” Mallow lowered his head and rammed right into Slowking, sending it skidding across the ground, only stopping after about eight feet.
“Water Gun.”
“Kiiiing!” Like before, Slowking fired off a stream of highly pressurized water.
“Spin your bone to hold it off!” Caiseal cried.
Without hesitation, Mallow stood his ground, spinning his bone in a fast moving circular arc just as the water gun attack came close to soaking him. Water cascaded around the field, sent spiraling in all directions thanks to Mallow holding it off by spinning his bone. In doing so, Mallow took a second to shoot a glance in Caiseal’s direction. Sweat clung to his brow, and his fists were so tightly clenched that they were turning white. It told him that his trainer was desperately trying to think of some way to win, even though he knew this was ultimately a losing battle.
Just then, the pressurized water coming at him doubled in size. The water pushed through Mallow’s spinning bone, sending him skidding backwards, soaking him to the skin. The attack didn’t last too long, and Mallow got back on his feet just seconds later, but his arms trembled. He couldn’t afford to lose, even though it was inevitable. This battle was so important to Caiseal. If he won, Caiseal and Violet could see each other any time, and his former parents wouldn’t be able to interfere. He saw how badly Caiseal was hurt by his mother’s cruelty firsthand, and how it still affected him to this day. Caiseal was clearly the better person in terms of his overall personality and how he treated others. Caiseal deserved to win this battle. They both had to win!
“Use Rock Smash!” Caiseal bellowed.
Mallow held its bone out into the sky, channeling all of his energy into it. The tip of his bone glowed in an orange light, forming a spherical shape. Once it was about as big as Mallow’s hand, the bone keeper rushed towards Slowking with a mighty battle growl, intent to wipe that placid look off its face once and for all.
“Psychic,” Fergus uttered.
“Slooooow…” Both Slowking’s eyes and the red gem on its shell glowed light blue.
Suddenly, Mallow stopped in his tracks, and not intentionally. Mallow tried to move his legs, but they were frozen. He tried moving his arms next. They didn’t move either. His body refused to listen to him. Then, Mallow’s feet weren’t touching the ground anymore. An eerie blue glow outlined his body, and he found himself ten feet in the air. He just knew this wasn’t his own doing, but that Slowking’s. Before Mallow could try to struggle his way out from Slowking’s control, he fell to the ground with such force that his whole body rattled. He didn’t have any time to process what was going on before he was up in the air again, then down in the ground. Up and down. Up and down. The pain in the bone keeper’s body worsened with each fall.
“Mallow!!” Caiseal cried. At this point, tears started rolling down his cheeks.
Slowking telekinetically slammed Mallow into the ground a total of ten times. He stopped soon after, seeing that Mallow had sustained plenty of damage. The bone keeper’s body was covered with fresh scuffs and dirt marks from the continuous attack, and he gave a frustrated grunt as he attempted to stand back up. His legs buckled and he immediately fell to his knees. Mallow cursed himself for not having been able to do much to leave any sort of dent on Slowking. He couldn’t lose. He had to win. For Caiseal. For Violet.
“Slowking! Finish this with Water Pulse!” Fergus swung his arm outward.
“NO!!” Caiseal screamed. His worst fear was coming true right before his eyes. “Mallow, dodge it!! Come on, please!!”
It was futile. Slowking shot a sphere of water towards Mallow. The bone keeper’s legs were too injured to support his weight, leaving him unable to move. The watery sphere exploded into a wave that expanded in all directions, drowning Mallow without any mercy. Mallow gave a wild, strangled screech as he flailed in the tsunami in a futile attempt to escape. His lungs filled with water and it hurt to breathe. Caiseal shut his eyes, as did everyone except Fergus and Slowking. Eventually, the waves disappeared. A brief silence hung over the battle like a heavy fog. Caiseal opened his eyes.
Mallow was on his knees, swaying from side to side, ready to pass out. Caiseal’s heart sank. Mallow was technically still standing! How could he still be conscious after sustaining that attack? One that was beefed up by Nasty Plot, no less? Then he saw the state he was in. Mallow was using his bone as a support, leaning on it, but his legs were too tired to support his weight. His skin was soaked from head to toe, and he looked ready to pass out at any moment. The girls were right. This battle was pointless, and continuing it was only going to make both Mallow and himself suffer more than they already were. Why force Mallow to continue fighting a losing battle? And in the state he was in? There wasn’t any point in forcing Mallow to keep battling.
“Mallow. That’s enough. You don’t have to go on,” Caiseal whimpered, his own legs buckling underneath him.
As if mirroring his trainer’s movements, Mallow finally collapsed, falling on his side. Violet buried her face in Julia’s shirt. Nobody needed to call it out at this point. It was obvious who was the winner. Caiseal could only hang his head as Perrine made the announcement.
“Mallow is unable to battle. The winner is Slowking, and Fergus still has two Pokemon he can use, so...he’s the winner,” Perrine’s enthusiasm dwindled to zero, her announcement little more than a whimper.
Caiseal didn’t move. He sat on his knees, his hazel eyes wide as he processed what had happened. He lost. He didn’t have it in him to return Mallow to his PokeBall. He and his Pokemon battled so hard--against his father, no less--and he lost. In a way, he had seen it coming, since from what he had heard, his former father was a trainer long before he married Nollaig and had him and Violet. But he wanted to win so badly. So, so badly. For Violet, for himself, for the chance to be with the only person who acknowledged him as family and loved him...Caiseal made no effort to stop the waterfalls of tears rolling down his cheeks. All he could do was stare at the ground beneath him and cry in silence. The whole thing was unreal. He found himself back on his front porch on that snowy day, staring in horror as his mother disowned him and kicked him out of the house, cursing his very existence.
“Caiseal…” Julia and Violet were the first to approach him, kneeling down to his level to console him. Violet wrapped her arms around him without a second thought. He didn’t react. Julia kept her distance, hesitating on whether she should console him or leave him be. She wanted to at least rub his back, but would he even want that?
Perrine helped Mallow to his feet. “Come on, Mal,” She gently escorted him over to his trainer, figuring it’d be best to get him out of the field.
“I...I’m sorry…” Caiseal mumbled to no one in particular. Julia winced. The desolate sorrow in that short statement hit her like a Brick Break attack. His utterly heartbreaking breakdown in the Ice Path entered her mind. Now it was happening again. Julia pushed aside her worries and rubbed Caiseal’s back with her hand. She knew it wouldn’t do anything, but she hated not being able to help him. She couldn’t sit here and not do anything for him.
“I couldn’t win...I can’t…”
“It’s okay,” Violet reassured him with a soft whisper. “I don’t care if you lost. No matter what happens...you’ll always be my big brother. Nothing can change that.”
“Marowak,” Mallow agreed, putting a hand on Caiseal’s. Weak as he was, the bone keeper still found it in him to console his trainer. No matter how badly he was hurt, nothing would stop him from being by Caiseal’s side in his time of need.
A large shadow cast over them. The kids and Mallow looked up to find Fergus standing over them, his expression back to being cold and insouciant. Caiseal didn’t dare meet his father’s eyes. He knew what was coming. In contrast, Mallow cast a fierce glare in Fergus’ direction and pointed his bone at him, as if daring him to come closer lest he get hurt.
“Now that you’ve lost, leave, and don’t come back here ever again,” Fergus told him sharply, his voice devoid of any sympathy or remorse. “You’ll just upset Nollaig. It’s better if you’re not around.”
Nollaig and only Nollaig. Julia wanted to punch this guy in the face. Why did he continue to put his wife before everything else? Including his own children? Caiseal didn’t need this. He didn’t need to be told by his own father that it’d be better if he wasn’t around. Violet didn’t deserve him for a father, or Nollaig as a mother. She deserved better.
“Violet. It’s time to go home,” Before she could protest, Fergus pulled her up by the arm and dragged her away. Violet was so stunned, she didn’t have it in her to protest or wriggle her way out of his grip.
“Sorry, Caiseal,” Perrine told him as she and Julia helped him up. “Hey. It’s not the end of the world,” She whispered shortly after. “Violet has your number. She can still call you, so the whole deal he set us is completely bogus.”
Caiseal could only nod.
“Oh,” Fergus suddenly stopped in his tracks. “One other thing.”
The kids froze in anticipation. What else did he want?
Nothing prepared them for what came out of his mouth.
“I wasn’t planning on letting you see Violet anyway, even if you had won.”
What?
Everyone’s mouths hung open faster than an Agility attack. Did they hear that right? It was like the ground had collapsed underneath everyone, sending them falling down a bottomless pit that swallowed them whole. Did he just claim that if Caiseal had won the battle, he wasn’t going to hold up his end of the deal he set up? He would have kept Violet from seeing Caiseal regardless of the outcome of the battle?
Tears of rage poured down Caiseal’s face. His vocal chords had completely shut down, his fists shook, and he still didn’t have it in him to move. In contrast, the color rose flaming to Julia’s cheeks, and she found herself seeing red. She couldn’t believe what his father was saying. Caiseal didn’t deserve this. Neither he nor Violet deserved this. Any of this! How dare this man kick his own son while he was down? Wasn’t defeating him in battle enough? Something snapped inside of her. Before she knew it, she grabbed a chunk of dirt from the ground and threw it right at Fergus. The ball of earth struck him on the back, and he swiveled backward to face the culprit with wide eyes. Perrine all but gasped upon seeing her friend do what she did.
Julia threw all of her anger and hatred into that throw. She wished the dirt had hit his head or face. That would have been satisfying. She didn’t care that he was an adult. He couldn’t get away with everything he and his wife had done to Caiseal. If he was going to yell at her for throwing dirt at a grown man, fine. Let him yell at her. She could handle it just fine.
“You’re horrible!!” Julia screamed as loud as her voice could rise, and it was already hoarse from the yelling she did minutes before. “You can’t just make a deal and then turn your back on it regardless of the outcome!! You’re awful!! Absolutely awful!!” Any shred of sympathy or pity she had for the man was thrown in the proverbial garbage. “You’re the worst parent I’ve ever seen!! You completely ignore your son, don’t bother to help him when your wife is treating him like garbage, and then you have the nerve to humiliate him and make every bad thing that happened out to be all his fault!! Fine! Go be with Nollaig for all we care!! You two don’t deserve to be Caiseal and Violet’s parents anyway!! They deserve way better than you and her!! You shouldn’t even be having kids if you can’t be there for them and love them no matter what!!”
Fergus gave her no response, disappearing into town with Violet beside him against her will. Julia’s fists trembled at her sides, and shuddering breaths dominated her breathing, both to control whatever rage she had left and to fill her lungs back up after that loud rant. She knew yelling at him wouldn’t make him change his ways. Life wasn’t simple like that. She knew that. But she had wanted to say this stuff ever since the battle had started. By Arceus, it was utterly heartbreaking to watch this man utterly destroy Caiseal and whatever dignity he had left the way he did. No reason he could come up with would ever be a good excuse for all the pain and trauma he and his wife inflicted on Caiseal--their son--who had done nothing wrong.
All throughout, Caiseal didn’t say a word, his mind still reeling from his ex-father’s statement. He did know one thing for sure.
He never wanted to see Fergus and Nollaig Brownstone ever again.
A/N: Well, that could have gone better. But man, I am SO happy to have finally gotten this chapter out of the way. Jeez, almost 20,000 words and 40 whole pages. Here’s hoping the payoff is worth it. Next chapter, we meet Caiseal’s adopted parents and see how the kids try to cope with everything that happened here. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Look forward to the next one!
