Hard Enough

Chapter 125: Developing situations

Chapter 125: Developing situations

Sabrina stayed with me that night. She knew precisely how to stop me from brooding. She leaned in with a little smile and a touch, and before long we were in bed enjoying ourselves.

She certainly made me think of more important things for the rest of the night.

When I got up, she glared at my alarm clock but rose when I did and levitated herself out after me. Ralts, having been collected after our nighttime activities, remained in bed after having warbled her discontent at being awoken so early. She was more than happy to resume her slumber. Sabrina left her with Alakazam, who levitated into a meditation pose.

Missy perked up when she saw me enter the reserve, only to blink when she saw Sabrina hovering behind me. Hm? Good morning, Gym Leaders? she said hesitantly.

Hey Missy. Ready for your training session, I take it? I dropped into a quick stretch for my legs before standing and pumping my arms and rolling my shoulders.

Missy nodded seriously. Yes! I got my work done, and I have the others all set with feeding!

I gave her an amused look. Hmmm, as long as they asked, otherwise they might get annoyed with you stepping in on them like that. While youre a more senior trainer, it is only a month difference.

She blushed and offered a quick nod. Sabrina yawned. She wasnt doing anything wrong, she said, casually letting me know shed looked into it. That, or Missy had been projecting her thoughts.

Alright, let's do some training then! I said, leading the girls around to the training area. I played the usual Sonata of Awakening and chuckled when Don was first out of the cave. He circled and screeched his challenge to the morning, only to stop when he noticed Sabrina.

Scree! he dropped into a dive, landing before us and making a racket. Sabrina ignored him as he snorted, huffed, and growled.

Hmmm you want to fight one of Sabrinas pokemon? I said. Don perked up only to snarl when he noticed I was looking towards Missy. Id known hed react this way but appeasement wasnt a policy you wanted to employ much with any pokemon with draconic tendencies.

Don flapped his wings but I didnt even pay any attention to him. I didnt need to be a psychic to know precisely who he wanted to fight.

Starmie? I suggested to Sabrina, Missy got a thoughtful look at this as she ran through tactics shed be able to use. Sabrina considered that before agreeing.

As the rest of my team emerged I took a moment to take them in.

Tyranitar, Rhyperior, Steelix, Aggron, Kabutops, Kleavor, Alolan Golem, Aerodactyl, Lunatone, Swampert, Lapras, Poliwrath, and my Noctowl. These were all pokemon that were currently ready and able to fight for me at the Elite level. I was much more confident in my skill with Hypnotoad of late, having left her with another. The same was true of Tide.

At my feet, the newest hopeful sat waiting with Clefairy. I rubbed my chin and considered the other ancient pokemon I had as options.

Cranidos seemed too simple and straightforward, but that didnt mean he couldnt become a powerhouse.

Anorith would also be interesting. But I would need to get a better feel for them and for Tir

Tirt! said a soft voice as scraping sounded out to the side. I turned to find Tirtouga sliding his way along the ground to the training field of my Elite. I raised an eyebrow. Interesting. Had he heard my pokemon waking up and decided to join in?

If so, he was greatly overestimating himself.

Instead of sliding up to one of my pokemon though, he slid up a slight rise where he settled in to watch my pokemon fight. He took a special interest in any of the water-typed pokemon and how they fought.

Huh, I said while rubbing my chin. That Tirtouga has a very sharp mind it seems.

Sabrina nodded. Hes taking in a lot of what your pokemon are doing. I hummed before turning away from Tirtouga. It was good to see such a proactive pokemon. He wasnt getting involved right now, but there was interest there. Serious interest.

I started the usual jog with Sabrina, then Missy joined in, and we performed a quick lap around the fence.

Then we broke off and went through our training exercises, with Sabrina pairing off to fight against Missy with her Starmie. I caught glimpses of Missy being put through her paces with the match. Sabrina took it easy on her, with the match dragging out for a few minutes and a number of areas to work on outlined, before Sabrina turned to me and joined my training. I cycled through my pokemon so theyd get some more experience fighting against a psychic specialist for an hour.

When we were wrapping things up, Yolanda wandered out with Terra bumbling along after her. Both of them looked a little sleepy, but Yolanda had a determined look. Right! Training starts now! she shouted.

I paused, ready to point out that it was still too early for Terra, only for her to pick up Terra and deposit her in a baby pouch that was like a backpack. Yolanda then jogged off. Woof, its a bit different trying to run with you in my arms, girl! Yolanda said to her starter as Terra cheered her to go faster. I knew the instant Titan caught sight of them, as a rumble ran through the ground and suddenly Yolanda had a Tyranitar jogging at her side.

Then Bertha joined in. This led to Gawain and Jormungandr following and before long Yolanda was sprinting just to stay ahead of my Elite Team and a few Onix shed picked up circling the reserve.

I bit my lip before raising a hesitant finger. I feel like I should step in

Sabrina watched Yolanda run. It will be good for her. Educational even.

As long as she stays ahead of her cheer squad. Missy pointed out.

Well, shes going to be motivated at least? I offered as she sprinted past.

Help! Ive made a mistake! Call them off! Call them off! she wailed as she sprinted straight at me.

I chuckled, and as she closed in on me, I held up a hand. Alright, thats enough gang! I called out.

Everyone stopped on a dime. Before the resulting dust cloud could sweep over us Sabrina raised a hand and swept it to the side, causing the dust to be blown away. Yolanda stared at the pokemon that had just been chasing her.

Eh?! she said as she gasped for breath. W-what? Wh-at was that?

Lar! Tar! Larv! cheered Terra, having thoroughly enjoyed the run.

You werent in any danger. If youd tripped, Titan or Bertha would have caught you and carried you. They just wanted to play with you, that's all. She stared at me incredulously, sweat dripping down her face. I shrugged. Theyre big softies at heart. I looked them over. They look like they had fun.

I d-did not find that fun! she said. I just patted her on the head. They did. If youre not willing to exercise with the pokemon then you should probably stick to the gym. I raised a finger, old instincts making me want to point out she shouldnt lift the weights, only to glance at Terra. A pokemon that was known to average in at seventy-two kilograms. Make sure you train for endurance, I said quickly.

I then about-faced and marched home to go through the usual breakfast chaos. Flint had taken over nicely though, and I barely had to step into the kitchen these days, except on the odd day a week. It was more often than not that I was coming home to cooked meals, the kids lunches already packed at breakfast time, and my own time preserved.

It was a nice change for me and allowed me just a little more time for other tasks or even some personal time.

Personal time, which today I used to check in with Karen.

She answered quickly. Hey Brock, she said without her usual smirk. I also noticed the slight redness in her eyes and the way there were gray bags under her eyes. She hadnt slept, or if she had, shed done so poorly.

"Hey, I thought Id check in with you on Agatha, I said.

The screen turned to reveal Agatha laid out on a medical bed that wouldnt stand out from any other hospital bed in either of my lives. The machines whirred, ticked, and beeped at a slow, constant cadence. I noted that they had an IV line in her hand and a number of wires slunk into her gown through gaps.

Theyre monitoring her pulse and heart rate? I asked.

Yeah. She whited out from having too many pokemon faint while overdrawing on her own energy reserves. A young person would be up and about by now but as an old hag Karen trailed off.

Its certainly weird to see her like this, I said, staring at her still features as her chest rose and fell in time with a number of beeps.

Ill say! I keep expecting her to launch out of her bed or walk in from behind me and tell me it was a trick

I stayed silent. It was a rare insight into their dynamic. Theirs was obviously not a normal grandmother-to-granddaughter bond but then again, who could claim such a thing? There are certainly not many in this world.

Karen huffed. If she drops dead and reforms as a ghastly like I know she thinks she will, Im so going to use a standard pokeball to capture her! she said loudly while glaring at Agatha. I got the impression it was something tossed out occasionally to agitate Agatha.

Agatha merely continued to rest.

Tch! Karen said before turning back to me. If you send flowers, make sure to send her some lilies. She loves them, she said in a manner that I knew was setting me up.

Dont lilies let off a certain smell after a day or two in a closed-in room? I asked carefully. My memories reminding me of that little fact.

Tch! Urgh stop being so reasonable, Brock! Nows the time to get back at her and teach her a lesson! I should so draw on her face! Karen snarked as she folded her arms together and glared at Agatha, as though daring her to sit up and argue with her.

I chuckled. Im sure shes touched that you care so much.

Karen glowered impotently at me before huffing. She sighed. Urgh, I need to get up and go deal with the stupid little foundling she picked up during her raid! Make sure shes being handled with Mareep wool! she said.

Foundling? I asked.

She rescued some rocket bitch from that pokemon while it was wrecking the Rocket base. Shes all pissy because Agatha didnt save one of her pokemon while they got out and is trying not to tell us anything.

Im .. I wanted to say that I was surprised that she was showing such restraint, and it must have shown on my face as Karen snorted.

This isnt the first time shes found little wayward girls that she thinks are worth something. For half a second I thought I saw Karens tired, grouchy expression soften as she glanced at Agatha. Then it snapped back into place, and she grunted. Or wayward little shits that she thinks are precocious little boys! For some reason, Karen shot me a grin that I wasnt sure what to make heads or tails of. She huffed. Anything else you need to check in with me about Brock?

No Are you alright? I asked.

Im fine! she said with a roll of her eyes.

You look tired, I said honestly.

Karen looked at me, a strange expression flickering over her face before it settled into amusement. Dangerous words, those.

At my confused expression, she waved a hand at me. Talk to your little friend Erika about saying things like that. Anyway, later, Brock! She then signed off, leaving me curious.

What was so dangerous about those words? I rose from my office and headed out to the Gym only for Alexa to intercept me.

Brock I came across a rather interesting challenger today while I was reviewing the notes, she said in greeting, hustling up to me with a clipboard with a number of folders on it.

Alright then, good morning as well. Whats his name and story? I said accepting a folder. I opened it and instantly felt like I knew, or should know this trainer. A.J.?

Its his preferred name. His actual name on his trainer license application is Alexander Junior.

Whats his last name? I asked reflexively.

Junior, said Alexa.

Ah, I said, as his choice of abbreviating it to A.J. suddenly made a lot more sense. It would quickly get annoying having to explain that all the time. I paused and tapped my finger on the badges listed and the challenge he was making against the Gym. Hes challenging for the fourth-tier fight without ever having earned another badge?

Alexa bobbed her head up and down. Yes, and it is also his first official year. Its rather odd, no?

I nodded slowly. Yes but not that odd. Perhaps he has trained up his pokemon enough to feel confident in challenging me for the higher badge level. If so, good for him. Hed win a lot more money if so.

Alexa hummed and shrugged before moving on to the next item of business. By the time it came time for A.J.s match against me, I had almost forgotten him.

And then he stepped forward.

He did so with his shoulders slightly curled in and a coiled tightness to his frame that instantly had me on edge. Green spikey hair stood limply and there was a slight tiredness to him. Once again, memories rose up. I knew this kid, despite having never met him before in this life.

Here was a kid who, in the anime, had been one of Ashs first rivals.

A trainer that used strict methods and had a very powerful Sandshrew very early into Ashs travels. He was a trainer who had remained in place until he had built up one hundred victories. Specifically without losing a single match. An impressive feat considering how type matchups, especially in the early stages, should have dominated the fights.

Id always been disappointed when they never showed him again in the anime series beyond a flashback.

But here he stood, not at all the confident, strict trainer I knew him to be.

If anything, he looked brittle and unsure of himself. If any of my brothers or sisters had come home looking like that I would have gone on the hunt for what had made them feel this Ah, perhaps the answer to such a cause in children might be the same for A.J.

In the anime, hed been able to accrue one hundred wins and advance. That was on a regular circuit, however. The new circuit would bring with it many more experienced trainers and pokemon from afar with vastly different fighting and training styles.

A.J.s training had been impressive at the start of the anime, but others would have eaten him for breakfast in the later seasons.

Perhaps he had gained an idea of how large the world was with three major regions open to the world right now.

And now! Challenging the Gym at the fourth-tier gauntlet level! Give it up for Challenger A.J! announced Rachel. The crowd whooped with A.J. jolting in surprise at their cheers. Hmmm, he wasn't used to fighting in front of large crowds.

Rachel announced Yolanda, and the first match of the gauntlet played out with Yolanda using a Graveler against one of A.J.s Rattata. It had a good set of moves with Iron Tail, Quick Attack, and Tail Whip to see Graveler down. But it didnt have the legs to last against Yolanda tossing out an Onix to batter him down.

A.J. replied with another Rattata, which had similar moves but had me tilting my head. Why did he have multiple of the same pokemon?

My confusion only grew as he won against Yolanda and her Onix. He then healed up his Rattata between matches before advancing to face Dennis, who brutalised his Rattata with an Alolan Graveler. Only for A.J. to release another rattata.

Three rattata on his team? Had he really had that on his pokemon roster? I rubbed my chin as I watched his pokemon work through Dennis pokemon, but only barely.

I descended from the dais, and the crowd cheered for me and for A.J., urging him on. He fumbled with his potion, distracted by the crowd, before locking eyes with me as I jumped over to the opposite podium.

I nodded in greeting. Your pokemon are tired Are you sure youre ready to face me at this level A.J.? I said as I enlarged a pokeball with a leaf symbol on it.

I can do this! A.J growled.

I sighed. To me, it sounded like he was speaking to himself more than to me. Like he was desperate to prove himself. Very well, I said. Go Lileep!

Go he paused at my choice before flicking out another pokeball. Go Beedrill!

A few of the local bug catchers crowed in delight, and I hummed in appreciation. Id read a number of bug trainer manuals and spoken with some of the local kids for Scythernow Kleavor, aka Gawain and picked up some knowledge regarding the bug pokemon type.

A.J.s Beedrill was a beauty. Strong stingers on its arms and thorax, wings that buzzed like chainsaws but that also deftly controlled its positioning without too much overcorrection, and gem-like eyes. All of this indicated a very healthy Beedrill.

I nodded to Salvadore, who was todays ref, and he raised the flags.

When he dropped them A.J. was quick off the mark. Go Beedrill! Use Pin Missile!

Astonish into Ingrain! I said quickly.

Lileep curled in on itself and had all of a moment before Beedrill was upon it with stingers scything forwards to stab it multiple times. Once, twice Then Lileep unfurled violently and knocked Beedrill away, causing it to flinch in surprise.

This gave Lileep more than enough time to embed its roots and wiggle in contentment.

Rock Throw! I said.

Double Team! A.J countered, causing my pokemons attacks to whiff. I merely hummed, content to give Lileep more time to recover.

A.J realised this as my pokemon squirmed more energetically. "Beedrill, go in for Pin Missile again!

Astonish into Rock Blast! I countered, causing Lileep to once again take a barrage of blows before knocking Beedrill away angrily, only to smash a small cluster of rocks into the flinching pokemon.

Urgh! Fight through Beedrill! Remember your training! A.J barked.

Stealth Rock! I ordered, causing my pokemon to raise up a trio of small rocks that floated off to the corners to wait. A.J. clicked his tongue.

Attack, only this time come in for two hits before fading back!

Astonish into Rock Blast! I ordered again.

This time Beedrill came in, stabbed twice, and got out before my pokemon could cause it to flinch. I sighed and flicked my hand out. Sunny Day, I said, deciding to do a bit more set-up.

A.J. used that chance to have his pokemon nail Lileep once more and this time Lileep fell. I glanced over the field and nodded. This will do. Now it was time to turn up the heat on A.J.

Go Quirina! I said announcing one of the strongest pokemon I had access to in the fourth-tier. A.J. paused as my Solrock levitated up.

Fire Spin! I said, not willing to wait. Quirina levelled himself out and whirled into a blazing inferno thanks to the empowerment of Sunny Day.

Tch! Fight through Beedrill! A.J. said, and amazingly enough, his pokemon did just that, pushing through the Fire Spin to land a trio of strong hits with Pin Missile, only to stagger and fall to the ground.

A.J. grimaced before inclining his head in a jerk that might charitably be called a nod. Well done! Go Butterfree! he said. Use Quiver

The Stealth Rock that Lileep had set up early rose and slammed into his pokemon stopping it from getting off its first move.

I planned to not let it have another. Quirina! Use Flamethrower!

Match it with Psybeam! A.J. urged, causing both pokemon to release their attacks at the same time. My pokemon unleashed a hot stream of fire while Butterfree fired off a beam of psychic energy.

Both attacks met in the middle, and I was impressed that he managed to hold Quirinas attack off for two seconds before the Psybeam faltered and Butterfree was awash with fire. It screeched in pain, only for A.J. to clench his fists. Butterfree! I need this. Use Bug Buzz!

I stared at the burnt Butterfree as it did just that, unleashing a final attack against Quirina that I had him dodge to the side. Perhaps if theyd been able to set that up, that might have been a threat, but with his Butterfrees energy spent, it didnt work.

A.J. recalled his pokemon before it could be any more hurt, and I nodded in agreement. His pokemon were strong enough to not be permanently injured from this fight, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that this match was one-sided.

A.J. clenched his fists and leaned forward. He exhaled and shook his head like a wild man. No, no no! Dont let it get to you! he said to himself, his head still shaking causing his green hair to shimmer in the light. When he looked up, he did so with a determined glint in his eyes.

Go Rattata! Go straight into Dig to avoid the Stealth Rock! he ordered, releasing his pokemon into the air and allowing it to dive into the ground. I nodded, appreciating the method of avoiding the field trap.

Quirina, use Rock Polish, I said as my pokemon spun once more, only to stop as a shine overtook his rocky form. I could just imagine the shing of the light hitting him sounding out as he posed under the stadium lights.

Emerge and take it out with Crunch! A.J ordered. His pokemon launched out from a spot to the side. I hummed, I hadnt chosen to move Quirina, but I easily could have made his Dig highly ineffective with a simple order. I marked that down as another thing to teach him in the future.

Dodge it and use Stone Edge. My pokemon ducked to the side, and Rattata sailed through where Quirina had been, only for my pokemon to turn on the spot and unleash a powerful Stone Edge right into Rattata as he came down.

It must have hit something hard as his Rattata curled in on itself. It shuddered as it stood and tried to mount a defiant last stand. Once more A.J. slumped and returned it.

Dont give up kid! Find a way through! Yeah, fight on! A few in the crowd could see he was getting down, so they called out to him.

A.J. worked his jaw for a moment before sighing and selecting his last pokemon. Go! Sandshrew! Dive into the earth like Rattata and avoid the Stealth Rock!

I hummed. If it aint broke, dont fix it, eh?

Rock Polish, I said once more as I leaned forward, knowing what was about to come.

Sure enough, a moment later A.J. squared his shoulders and punched forward. Fissure! His pokemon flipped out of the earth and spun rapidly over the earth before descending with a single clawed finger pointing downward. The tip of the claw hit the ground, and the arena erupted as a split broke through the floor.

Use my order was practically overcome by the noise of stone breaking throughout the arena, but I saw Quirina twitch in readiness as the earth beneath him broke into two halves and then swept upwards to clap onto him like the jaws of a trap. The crowd screamed in shock, with some throwing around accusations of cheating and juicing up. I locked eyes with A.J.

That hadnt been juicing. That had been raw talent given attention and dedication to see it brought out properly. I nodded in recognition of a beautiful move. A.J. smiled and relaxed, only for the dust to fade away and a hexagonal shell to reveal itself around Quirina.

No! A.J. shouted in shock.

I hummed. It seemed the world was much too big for him right now if he wasnt used to people stopping his one-hit K.O.s from landing. There were a ton of ways to block, deny, or endure such hits. I probably had a few to learn about myself.

"Quirina," I said as I glanced up to see the last of the Sunny Day dying away. Use Energy Ball, I said, causing a ball of green energy to be built up before it slammed home into his Sandshrew, ending his last chance at victory.

A.J. slumped to the ground as his pokemon collapsed. I just barely caught his whispered no over the crowd roaring their approval at my beating the cheating jerk. I held up a hand as the podiums lowered.

I would like to clarify something! I said, causing the speakers to boom for a second as my voice filled the arena. I would like to state that A.J. did not boost his pokemon before the fight. A.J.s head snapped up, and he glanced at the crowd, only now realising what they had been shouting at him.

He glared up and rose only to stagger and almost collapse.

Woah there A.J., I said as I raced up to steady him. You alright? You used up all your pokemon there so youre at risk of whiting out.

Y-yeah, I know. His voice came through weakly, and his body shook. A murmur of concern rose through the crowd. I lifted A.J. up so he was standing, albeit leaning on me.

Hes alright, everyone! Hes not whiting out on us here today! They all sighed in relief, but some of them gained confused looks. I could tell they were confused, as a number of his pokemon were merely too injured to fight, and not knocked out. Others were murmuring, wondering about my earlier comment.

I spoke up once more to clear the air. Challenger A.J. has a magnificent pokemon in his Sandshrew! That Fissure just now would have to be the new textbook example of Fissure if I ever saw one! I know for a fact that my Bertha will love seeing that when I show her the video of todays match! I can see that you have a lot of skill!

A.J. nodded in thanks. His head was still bowed.

I sadly cannot vouch for you to earn your badge this day through commendation. You made some good calls out there, but there are also a number of areas you need to shore up. If this were a lower-tier challenge, Id let those slide, but that is not the case. I squeezed his shoulder.

Youre a really good trainer A.J

A.J. grabbed a letter from his vest and presented it to me. I paused. The seal on the letter wasnt one that I recognised. The feeling of ghostly energy laced into it however, meant it could only be from one person.

I didnt want to need to use this he said quietly. But Im not making any progress Please, can you help me like she said you might be able to? he said.

I took the letter. Opened and read it. It was exactly as I expected. This was a letter of introduction for one Alexander Junior and a recommendation that I take him under my wing for training with his pokemon and his skills as a trainer. Not once did it ever mention aura.

It implied it however. The signature at the bottom was something familiar to me.

This was a letter from Agatha.

A.J. had been the boy that had Agathas interest? I glanced over the shattered arena. How long have you had your Sandshrew? I asked, buying myself time to think.

A.J. blinks slowly. Two years? he said sluggishly.

Ah, thats impressive. I waved the letter in front of him. Do you want this? To spend time training with me and learning what I can teach you?

I want to be the best, he said, his gaze sharpening. I didnt think I needed it before, but now Ive seen how dumb I was. He bowed his head and almost fell as his body gave up on him. His frame shook, and I noted some damp spots appearing on the ground beneath his face.

Please, I want to be strong, he choked out.

I squeezed his shoulder once more. I accept and will take you on as a trainer. Sleep for now A.J.; well talk when youre up and ready.

He wiped his face quickly before looking up at me. Gratitude shone in his eyes. Thank you, he said. Then he went limp, his eyes fluttering shut and I caught him fully and lowered him to the ground.

I swore, damn, he must have been more tired than I had realised. I raised a hand. Got a white out! Stretcher! I called to the side.

A pair of Graveler bustled out of the medbay with Chansey at their side. She inspected A.J. before testing him with a soft Wake Up slap. When he didnt respond, she infused some pink healing energy into him and gestured for the Graveler crew to lift him up and take him to the medical wing.

I watched them go and hummed before looking down at the letter from Agatha.

I had to agree with her. This kid had a lot of potential. I wonder what would have happened to him if things had played out like normal. Dennis approached me carefully.

Kid was pretty good, he said while his eyes flicked to the letter. He was too professional to ask about its contents but I could tell he was interested. I offered it to him, and he read it through before whistling. I noticed he flexed his hand as though it was suddenly cold.

Wow, a recommendation from one of the Elite Four? Damn! Ive only ever seen Gym trainers give out recommendations before. He glanced back at the destroyed field. Whatre you going to teach him?

Everything hes willing to learn, I said.

Dennis raised an eyebrow at this, and I elaborated. It seemed like he wanted to do this on his own. Hes a proud kid and has been beaten down to the point he feels that his hand has been forced. Hes a lone wolf who has run into a wall he doesnt know how to get around. Theres going to be some growing pains, I should assume. If he asks for it, Ill give as much help as I can, but I think I know what I need to focus on the most.

Dennis grunted at that, saying, Well, Ill get one of the trainers to watch over him while he rests.

"Thanks, Dennis. He probably wont say thanks, but no kid wants to wake up in an unfamiliar place without someone to explain things. Dennis nodded at that. I turned back to the crowd and waved only for the transceiver on my wrist to begin blaring out a warning noise.

I frowned at it and slapped a button. What the? I said as I inspected it. Was it broken or something? I stopped when an urgent alert was projected for me to read.

It read;

Emergency. Code Red! All Rangers and Ranger Support staff report to Pewter base!

Multiple explosions have occurred within the Mt Silver Range!

Extreme danger and violent Pokemon reactions are expected!

Report immediately with full pokemon rosters!

I swore. First Agatha, and now this.

It seemed that when it rained, it poured.

[/hr]

Giovanni swirled a glass of fine whiskey and smiled at the screen on display that multiple cameras from his Fearow flock were displaying. No other Executives were in the room for this. This was for him to observe alone. Not even Madame Bossue would have a true accounting of all of the assets Giovanni planned to use. Let her focus on the disruption and capture of rare and powerful pokemon on the outskirts. Let profits blind her.

Giovanni was going to aim his sights elsewhere.

Operation Burning Mountain was a go. He toyed with the idea of picking up a red phone and hitting a number that connected him to a very specific communication channel with only one listener on the other side. He held back, however.

First, he needed to see just how many big fish he could reel in.

He sipped his drink and waited to see who would bite first.

Would it be Brock or Lance?

Both would serve as suitable targets, depending on how things played out.

Then he could correct some slights.

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A.N. Thanks to all my Patreons.

This has been betad by Obiwankentucky! Praise be!