Pokemon: the Game - Chapter 10

Hiero approaches the marble fountain, fascinated by the ten-foot tall but otherwise very life-like statue of a coiled Gyarados. The water erupts from jagged jaws to a height of nearly twenty more feet straight up before falling back down to a shallow pool. The plaza is small and secluded, hidden between several giant boulder homes; perhaps due to the sun going down, no one else is around besides Lana sitting at the water's edge. She sulks on the marble bench, a thin pink stick held between her lips as she plays with her PokeTool device. Lana's Meditite stands behind her, massaging her shoulders.

Lana looks up at Hiero, “What?”

Hiero gulps and clasps his hands, “Is that a cigarette? Do you smoke?”

The pink-haired girl looks down at the stick, then holds it between her fingers and gives a pretend puff, “No. It's a candy stick.” Hiero nods with a small smile, and Lana pulls a pack from her coat, “Want one? They're bubblegum flavored, my favorite.”

“Okay, I'll try it.” Hiero holds out his hand, and Lana taps out a candy stick for him to take. “How do I - ? Do I just - ?” Lana nods, and Hiero jams the candy stick between his lips. After a moment to taste his eyes light up, “It's good! Very sweet!”

Lana nods, her eyes dropping back down to her PokeTool, “I find sugar helps me come down from emotional highs. I get so mad at those,” she stops and takes a deep breath before speaking again, “but they don't matter, I can't change people. I have to find the people who want to change.” She glances up at Hiero, inspecting him like a lab specimen, then her eyes drop back down again.

“Back at the gym,” Hiero starts slow but gains momentum, “did you mean all that? Do you really want to change things?” Lana looks up again, her eyes narrowing, but Hiero forces himself to keep speaking, “Why? How? Is the tournament system really that bad? Is it really possible to change?”

“Yes to everything.” Lana puts her PokeTool away, returns her Meditite, stands up from the fountain bench and marches towards Hiero. Although only a few inches taller, Lana seems to tower over him. She takes the pink candy stick from his mouth and snaps it in half, letting the pieces drop to the ground. “So you doubt me?”

Hiero shakes his head, sweat on his forehead, “No! I would never doubt you, I think you can do anything. I'm sorry, please believe that I'm sorry, I swear I didn't mean it.”

“Good.” She takes out the pack of candy sticks, taps another one out and offers it to Hiero, “Try again?” Hiero nods, but his hands can't seem to move from his sides; after a moment Lana feeds him the stick by holding the pack up to his mouth. She laughs as his trembling lips drop this one, then taps the pack and inserts a stick in to his mouth with her fingers. “That's your last freebie.” She turns away and walks back to the marble fountain bench; after sitting she pats the spot next to her. “Here. Sit.”

Hiero takes the seat, his eyes fixed on his knees. He remains hunched over, focused on keeping the candy stick in his mouth and not breaking or dropping it. Lana leans back, her gaze taking in the sky. They sit like that for a while, Hiero tense and Lana relaxed. Out of nowhere Zack runs through the plaza at top speed, his eyes down on his PokeTool map. Lana smirks as Zack disappears out the other end of the plaza.

She sighs, “The proof that it can be done is other nations, but the problem of course is getting there. Currently the gyms are fragmented and weak; there's just too many of them, and they divide any power they gain. So first, one gym in every city must rise to the top, either through mutual agreement or running the others in that city out of business.”

Lana stands and begins walking back and forth, rambling, “Small cities and towns need to give up on the idea of having a gym, so they can be further weeded down to a reasonable number. Leogre should have eight mega-gyms, each a different type, each with the power of their entire city behind them. No more multi-type gyms or shared spaces or over-representation, and tools of the system can just die. The tournaments can still continue if people still want them, but they can't be seen as having the prestige of the new gyms.”

She walks up to stand in front of Hiero and takes his face in her hands, holding his gaze with her own and with the passion in her voice, “The Leogre League will recognize where the power is and the badge system will be handed over to the gyms, and after Trainers have won all eight badges from all eight gyms they won't want to compete in some strange tournament to become Champion so the League will have to match the superior system of other nations.”

Lana lets go of Hiero's face but his eyes continue following her as she sits back down with a swish of her coat, “They'll pick four top Trainers to be the Elite Four, the first Champion will be the first to beat all four of them, and things will proceed smoothly from there. It's all possible, but it won't happen instantaneously. I may be an idealist, but I'm realistic when considering the scale of it all.”

There is silence again, until Zack runs through the plaza, Slakoth hanging on to his back for dear life. Zack skids to a halt, “Wow, what a cool fountain! Oh hey Hiero! Lana! What are you guys doing here? Are you talking about science? I can't stop to talk, I have to get back to the gym before it closes! Me and Slakoth are going to win this time, I can feel it! See you guys later!”

“You're going to beat Kev with only your Slakoth,” Lana asks. Zack nods, and as he runs off Lana laughs. She turns and pats Hiero on the back, “So? Still doubt me?”

“If you say it can be done, when you explain it so well, then there's no way I can doubt you. I know you can do it.” Hiero takes a deep breath, looking away, “And if there's anything I can do, if there's anything you need, I want to help, I want to do it.” With a sudden impulsiveness he turns back to her and takes her hand with his own, “Let me help you! I want to help you!”

She smirks, “You?” Lana pushes his hands away, “Don't act like you're some tough guy. This won't be some kiddy project in school where we laugh and learn about friendship. I want to change our world, change people's minds, change the rules.”

Nodding, “I can do that! I can change things!”

Lana snarls and flicks Hiero in the forehead, “You're weak.” She flicks him again, “You're pathetic.” Another flick, “You couldn't stand up to anyone, let alone the world.”

“I know that!” Hiero covers his forehead with his hands, “I know I'm weak! But,” he stumbles over the words, “But, I can be weak. I don't need to be strong. I'm a Trainer, I'll train Pokemon to be strong. And when I'm strong, when I've trained my Pokemon, I'll be able to help you. I will help you. And you're strong, you're so strong and if you tell me what to do then I'm sure you can lead us to victory.”

Lana smiles, “I can make some use of you, but can you do it? You don't really strike me as someone with guts. What I'll be doing will involve,” her smile takes on a wicked twist, “some dark type deeds.”

“You might have the wrong idea about me Lana, I may have given you the wrong impression.” Hiero shuffles his feet, his hands twisting in his lap. “I've done bad things. I'm not really a good person.”

“Oh really? I'll be the judge of that.” Lana points at the side of her head and Hiero leans over to whisper in her ear. Lana's eyes widen.

Zack runs past, “Hey I gotta go heal Slakoth and try again before the … Hiero? What are you doing to Lana's head?” Hiero pulls away from Lana, blushing red, but Zack already has his conclusions made. “Wow! Were you kissing Lana!? Hiero, you're one of those smooth operator type guys, huh! Tell me your secrets, all your lady-getting techniques! My brother says even he has trouble with women and I have to agree because I think pretty girls are hard to talk to. So yeah, teach me! But not right now, I have to go, bye! Wow! Who would have thought!” He's gone before Hiero can speak.

Lana laughs out loud, smacking her knee over and over as she wipes tears from her eyes. Hiero sighs and mumbles, “How does he get you to laugh? How can Zack say things to make you laugh?”

“Because he's a moron.” Hiero turns to her, his mouth agape, but she grins at his confusion, “I've known him for a few hours and I can tell he's not firing on all neural paths. That amuses me, nothing more. Why, are you really about to defend him?”

“I know he seems like an idiot but I don't think he's an idiot like he seems, an idiot wouldn't win his very first battle. I saw Zack win his very first battle!”

Lana shrugs, “So he's a lucky idiot.” She leans closer to Hiero, her voice confidential, “The purpose of idiots, especially the lucky ones, is to be pawns for anyone smart enough to use them. They may not always be reliable, but point them in one direction and they go there. If you know how to talk to them. Shall I illustrate?”

They wait, and when Zack runs past – with Slakoth weeping big fat tears from his back – Lana calls out to him, “Hey Zack!” He starts running in place as he listens. “Zack, after the battle, tell Kev you met Crevice along the way, and that Crevice has something to say to him on the Colosseum roof.”

“But Lana I didn't meet anyone named that!”

Lana nods, “Right. But I did, and now I'm passing the message on to you. But you never met me, understand?”

“But Lana I did meet you!” Zack stops running as a smile dawns on his face, “Ohhh, okay! Crevice on the Colosseum roof! I'll tell him!” And he's off again, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Zack looks to Lana, “What was the purpose of that?”

“Let your leader make her plans Hiero.” Lana smiles, and then stands and stretches. With all the kinks worked out she walks away, gesturing for Hiero to follow her, “I believe you will be learning Rock Smash after all.”



Zack and Clay navigate the evening crowds through the streets of Bonif at a slow, ambling pace. Slakoth clings to Zack's back and sports a fresh black eye, while Cotton trots alongside at Clay's feet. Clay's hat is tipped as far back as it will go and in each hand he holds a street vendor sausage-in-a-bun.

“I don't understand!” Zack complains, as Clay chews in silence beside him. “Slakoth was on a winning streak and … and how could he lose three times in a row?” Slakoth curls one paw in to a fist and bops Zack on the side of his head, to which Zack cries, “Ow! Okay buddy, I get it.”

Clay nods, “Was bound to happen boy. Get all them wins and relax a little, and then wham, you get yourself a loss. Train up a bit and you'll have that gym licked.”

Zack looks back at Slakoth, “Were you relaxing buddy?” Slakoth ponders the question, then shakes its head. Zack nods, “Yeah, and me neither! Me and my buddy Slakoth give a thousand percent to everything, we don't relax!”

“I'm not talking about effort boy. You went into that battle half-cocked and you got yourself fried up and served with gravy.”

Zack looks up at Clay with astonishment, “Huh? What else is there besides effort?”

“It's like that gym leader said, it takes more'an just energy. I reckon the type match-up hurt you the most, or mayhaps your lazy fella needs to get - .”

“Whoa, type match? I have no idea what you mean! Is that a word you made up or something?”

“No siree, types is something they made us memorize for the Ranger test, and they're real important for fighting.” Clay points at Slakoth, “Your lazy fella is a Normal type, you know that?”

Zack nods, but then adds, “I don't know what it means though! My buddy Slakoth isn't normal at all, if anything he's the super-awesome type!”

“Well there's your problem. Fighting types like that gym leader had are real potent against Normal types; if you didn't know that I can see why you thought you stood a chance. Having the right type match-up can mean winning a tough fight, so you'd better study up on 'em.”

“What!? How can I study type match-ups? Is that something you can read at the library?”

Zack's PokeTool dings and speaks from his side, “Two hundred and seventy three hits, on search terms. Top rated app hit is, DarKingZz offers, the Complete Type Match-up Chart, a companion for any Trainer's Pokedex and Movedex that allows you to battle like the pros, for a price of ninety-nine Pokedollars. Purchase?”

Clay snorts, “They make things like that?”

“Yeah, there's a lot of - !” Zack starts to say, but he is soon interrupted.

“Purchase processing. Warning! Synched Pokedollars card holds insufficient funds. Purchase on credit?”

“No! Cancel purchase, add app to wish list.” Zack sighs in relief. He soon smiles up at Clay, “I'll buy that app later, it sounds really great! But I already bought a bunch of five-Pokedollar apps earlier, some of them by accident, and after those fights with Kev I'm broke! But those apps were so cool! One was a clock, but there was a Slakoth in the middle and his hands were the hands of the clock! Or another one makes my PokeTool screen shine like a flashlight! What apps do you have Clay?”

“Oh, I wouldn't know.” Clay, after finishing the first sausage-in-a-bun, pulls his PokeTool out and glances at the screen. “I got this but I haven't rightly known what to do with it. Suppose I heard it has a phone?”

Zack nods, “Yeah, they all have that! You should call your mom so she knows your number! Then she can call you and help you out with important advice and maybe give you tips, like the best routes for running on or what the weather will be! Ha but I don't need that last one because I have a weather app that shows the whole next week!”

“Oh? Suppose it'd be right to ring up the folks. Ma will be in the kitchen fixing supper I reckon.”

The two step in to a small alley between a tall shop and the back of the largest boulder structure in the city; Zack helps to clear the space by shooing away a few lurking Stunky. They fan their tails in warning, but creep away when Slakoth coos at them with a brief, “Koth. Sla slak. Oth slak.” Clay dials a number in to his PokeTool's phone screen and then holds the PokeTool up to his ear.

“Hi Ma, it's Clay … no Ma, remember? Working, I'm a Ranger now … yeah, that test I took. Seems I'll be traveling around a bit … yeah Ma, I'll eat right,” Clay glances down at the other sausage-in-a-bun in his other hand, “I'll eat some greens and Berry-foods too, no worries … Yeah, Cotton's with me, he's been a big help … I know Ma, I'll feed him proper too.”

Clay scratches his head, “So now that you've got my number … what? Okay, okay, just tell me what it is … Ma, I can't just stop and … Ma, there's plenty a hands around the ranch, you don't need … yeah Ma, okay. I'll look for something. Big an strong, I got it. That it? … Okay, yeah Ma, I'll come home for visits. I'll probably pass through sometime. Send my love to everyone,” Clay pulls his hat low and reddens as Zack stares, “Yeah Ma, I love you. Bye.”

Clay breathes out as he ends the call, “Well, now I gotta find me a big, strong Pokemon to send home.” He spits to one side, “Something to do chores in my place I guess.”

“Wow,” Zack sighs in reverence, “your mom sounds neat! She really cares about you, asking what you're eating and making sure you come home to visit and wanting you to do stuff. She seems really warm and wonderful, like a TV mom on a show with a happy family of two parents, two children and one family Pokemon. That's kind of funny how she didn't know you were gone!”

Clay scowls, “Do you always listen in on people's phone calls?”

“When they're happening in front of me yeah!” Zack smiles, his eyes innocent. “I could have plugged my ears and hummed a song but you didn't say anything!”

“Well I reckon that's true.” Clay sighs, then asks Zack, “So what are your folks like?”

Zack laughs, “They're awesome! My parents run five miles every day and my mom makes me juices sometimes and my dad writes something he calls fitness and activity plays! They've had a lot more time for themselves ever since my brother moved out to pursue his career, and they use it to do all sorts of things! And we get together as a family whenever my brother is on TV! They don't really bother me, so I've always had time for Slakoth's and my training!” Slakoth punches Zack on the shoulder. He cries, “Ouch! Hey buddy, I wasn't complaining or whining that time!”

Clay tips his hat down even lower, “So you're one a them latchkey kids?”

“Talking about family is getting boring! Let's talk about something else!” Zack thinks for a moment, “Um, um, Oh yeah! So Clay, what are you going to do now? Do you have lots of dangerous Ranger missions to go on, searching out demons and spying on them with your Senior Ranger?”

Clay gives Zack a puzzled look, “Daemons? Now yer talking like the girl too?” Zack's face contorts like a gymnast, twirling through emotions. Clay shrugs, not looking at Zack, “No, seems my mission is to travel around a bit and get tougher. Reckon I can see the sense in it. I can pick up missions if I'm in the right area, and I got to find that Pokemon for my ma, but otherwise I'm going wherever I feel like.”

“Oh, oh, oh! You should come with us! Once Hiero and Rae and me meet up at the PokeCenter, we'll go and have adventures! First hiking the Ogre Mountains, then the Tournament in Clement, and then beach running along the Silver Coast! You'll get so strong and meet so many strong Pokemon that no one will recognize you, not even me!”

Clay rubs his chin, “Huh, that ain't a bad idea. I could end up with worse traveling partners than you all, and there's safety in numbers.” He looks at Zack, who bounces up and down on the balls of his feet. “Heck, you got a deal boy. I'll follow you guys for a bit and see how the weather holds.” Clay holds out a hand to shake, which Zack does before jumping up in the air and pumping a fist high.

“Yeah! This is so awesome! Today! Is! Awesome!”

The body of a man hits the ground in the alley behind them from somewhere high up with a large wet thud. Kev's face remains frozen in wide-eyed shock as his body continues to lay there, unmoving, his fist clenched around a Pokeball. As the two boys stare he still doesn't move and blood is starting to leak from the back of his head which hit the ground as hard as the rest of him; Zack and Clay give each other a look and then bolt out of the alley, Cotton jangling along behind them.