Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A/N: Though the story’s set in the same universe as An Unwanted Betrothal, you don’t need to have read it to understand what goes on here. It’s set in the past, and while it focuses on ‘Leaf’ and her thoroughly unwilling yeet into Legend, it does provide worldbuilding as to the world/Kanto that Bethrothal doesn’t or can’t. That said this chapter uses English names, but assume it’s using the Japanese ones unless otherwise noted.

Updates every two to three weeks.

I know. “Leaf”. Why would I have a foreign nickname? Well, for starters, I didn’t choose it and I sure as hell don’t like it even now and I’m almost twenty-four -I feel old. Am I old? No? Good. Anyway, I like my name better. Eva Iden’no; according to mum, her great-great-grandmother came from the Seviis, but I think we can trace our roots to Cinnabar and her islands. But, it doesn’t exactly matter where I came from; I am Kantan and proud.

‘Leaf’ is not Kantan, will never be and I used to think the one who gave it to me could go fuck a cloyster. Sometimes, I still do, because what it is, is rude. Sure, it’s a word in a dead(ish?) language given to me by one brat, one pain-in-the-arse, one rival named Satoru Oak, or “Blue”, which is much like ‘Leaf’. But, they are both foreign and alien. They mark us as other. Never mind Satoru goes by both.

I call him Satoru though. It’s my right as his girlfriend and rival. Sometimes I’ll use ‘Blue’, because, even after all these years, he still wears this stupid blue opal as a necklace.

I got ‘Leaf’ purely because I like leaf motifs; I have since I was a tiny girl in dad’s arms, waving mum off to work, then running to her arms every evening. I put leaves in her hair so she’d match dad and then later my baby sisters.

(Do you feel you missed out-)

No, I don’t feel I missed out on a parent; mum did as best she could and so did dad. He worked from home so he could look after us kids. Yes, he was a stay at home dad. But you need to understand, even then he was looked down on because it was -and still is- seen as him taking away mum’s role as rice-winner and mother, like she can’t do both and needed a man’s help because of it. It’s dung and shit and whatever you call it because dad was -and is- just happy to do more than balance books and cook.

As for why I like leaves and plants and flowers? It’s because they remind me of nature; of the beauty it has.

(That is quite the-)

Head in the sand? Naive to our world of monsters view? Please. I’m a professional trainer -some say ‘legend’- with my own business in the industry. I know well the monsters we cage and keep on our belts. Of the power ‘pokemon’ hold; they define this world. From the heavens to the deepest trenches of the ocean, they rule and we don’t. You cityfolk think you’re safe behind powerful pokemon, gleaming towers of technology, and a Gym Leader. Maybe you are. Maybe all that is enough when a threat rears itself.

(You attended the Viridian Wedding Match?)

Yes, I attended Shinoda’s wedding match, then the vow renewal cum wedding a year after that. I’m from the sub-region; they’re my Gym Leader, just like Giovanni was. But, going back to what I said, I don’t know if you’re safe or just deluded, because Pallet is a township with hazy and ever-shifting borders between man and nature and monster.

Sure, it’s one of the more famous towns under Viridian’s protection because of the Oaks and the ranch they run, but it’s a backwoods compared to places like Lavender and her Tower. What funding we get is because of the Oaks and you’d have to go back several generations to have a even chance at finding if we didn’t have an Oak in the town. But, just because we get funding doesn’t mean we’re top of the list to protect in a national disaster; not when Pallet has her Oaks.

So, I know how cruel our world can be. I’ve seen what a spearow can do to its prey. You think they got that name -demon bird- for nothing? You have no idea. What about fearow...? You really have no idea, do you? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you in time. I’ve also seen first hand what a golduck does to its meal and drowning is the least of your worries. But I’ve also seen the kindness within the world; people help people; we look after each other because it’s what we do. We come together against whatever the world throws at us and we thrive.

But it’s not just us humans. Pokemon aren’t sapient, but many of them do care. Everyone knows the levels a mother fox goes to protect her kits. The way dragonite mate for life and how if one dies, they don’t remate. Golisopod will nurture and protect her clutch of wimpod until said clutch is old enough. A dragon and its eggs. Nature is green and lush with striking beauty. It’s also red and raw, with claws and teeth and beam attacks. Primality in it’s finest. In its deadliest.

We humans are but insects to the monsters that rule our world.

Now though? I live on Poni, the wildest of Alola’s Islands. Some would say the deadliest, what with its dragons and the fickle and deadly “Tapu” fini, but not really. I’d say Mt Moon’s more dangerous. Not just pokemon, but because of people. The cults around it are charged with murder every few years, and you can’t say the same for any of the cults in Alola.

(Such as Skull-)

Skull is an organization, not a cult. Same with Aether.

Outside that, life is peaceful, even glorious to the point that, even if my language skills are at a basic conversational level at best, the land the Battle Tree sits on is mine. It comes with a good view of the mountains that hide the Dragon Canyons, and, spring can’t come fast enough to cover them in a riot of colour and life in all its glory and brutality.

Also, Satoru. He works for me and speaks the major languages of the world, so that’s a plus; he’s basically my Admin and it’s work he likes. He’s a talented trainer of course; he was Champion ten years ago before his defeat, but he’s also a natural for paperwork that far outshines anything related to pokemon battling.

But, living here, in Alola, is a reminder we humans teeter on a knife-edge, balanced precariously and flanked by monsters that play a fundamental part in the world. We slave and train. We bond and we raise. We even breed them because we can and make them battle, and in that bloody, brutal thing we dare call sport, some of us manage to forge a path into Legend.

To quote an author I like: ‘Glory is a path spattered with blood. With the corpses of the careless. It is an anvil that shapes us. The flame comes from the fires of adult moltres; from the pyres of adult ho-oh. For our wings fire-forged and our hearts made one with the ancient beat of the battle-dance of fate as he yeets us into space to become as stars. Not all of us survive the yeeting, but those that do, we shine eternal.’

I agree.

Why? That’s simple. For all we celebrate and laude our technological sophistication, we still worship them. The legends. The myths. The gods. Pokemon. They hold power over us and we know it because we gasp in awe every spring, and we cower in the storm season with our prayers. We make offerings to them every single day. I know I do and I know Alola does. I’ve seen gods and myths and legends -the very monsters and things we call gods- in the flesh.

(Even the videos?)

Yes, also the videos. The baby arceus vid uploaded by Jai-Li in Sinnoh is cute, as is the anonymous clip of the baby bulu. But, no matter how powerful they grow to be, they aren’t my main god, ok?

(And that is?)

You worship who you do and I who I do, because from the day we’re born, our lives are drenched in it. Our oaths and our curses. The shows we watch even if we don’t think so. The news. The weather and the warnings and radars and I could go on, but the point is, we don’t think about it. Anything, everything - the gods are around us, maybe even on our belts.

Well. No. That’s a lie. We all have gods on our belts, even if we don’t think of them as such because we tamed them and made them ours. Thus, we forget what they can do...

(Ms. Iden’no, we-)

Right. You don’t want a lecture for what you know. You want my story. It’s why you’re here.

Do you want the cliff notes; how I set out from Pallet with Tanknator, got a fossil, sat on a Rocket because he was mean, met Bill, and did my best to ignore the Rockets while collecting my badges and seething that a boy -a boy- was besting me.

If that’s all you want, then go. The cliff notes are boring and don’t tell you what I experienced. The highs and the lows, the pitfalls and times it felt as if I’d dared touch the Sky-Gods domain.

Believe me, by the time I’m done, you’ll wonder how I lived through what fate literally yeeted me into against my will with brake-lines cut and no Escape Rope. Luck? Maybe. I was thirteen at the time and it was probably more to do me being a professional trainer in the making, though even I admit when I started I was maybe a bit too overconfident, despite knowing my world like the back of my hand like any sensible person would.

(You started from nothing, then?)

Yea; most of us start off without step-ups or the like from famous people. I got lucky with Tanknator, but luck has nothing to do with the skills I have now. That I earned because I learned, had to to survive, and didn’t give up after a badge or two, or because training, the competitive sort, is hard. In my mind, this is what makes us ‘Legends’ a cut above the rest.

But, really, for all the skill I have and all people would say I’m a legend, I’m like you and everyone else in our world: just a person. Yet I know the world and learned how to game it. Is it cheating? Probably. I don’t think so though.

So. Let’s start the story with Tanknator.

And no. You can’t translate what’s said from here on out.

Chapter Text

“Oh, hi, Eva-san. What’s up?”

“I-” Even though she brightened at the sight of one of the very few people outside of friends and family who consistently used her name, the words still caught in her throat. To blurt it out right away was rude, even if they’d known each other for years. “Uh-”

“Is Satoru being a pain again?” Daisy ventured and Eva blinked, opened her mouth, ready to both say ‘yes’ and to comment on how colour coordinated Daisy looked for once in her life, then decided against it. If the Oak heiress wanted to match her clothes and house slippers to the ceramic, sky-silver cup of jasmine-scented tea, then she could. It was effortlessly elegant as always, too, as if she had rolled out of bed dressed like that.

Of course she did. Eva thought bitterly, then squashed the childish jealousy down as hard as she could. She was thirteen, not some silly twelve-year-old who’d fiddle with her leafy print skirt like she was now. Eva forced her hands to still, to smooth out the skirt. Daisy was cool, yes, but there were more important things to focus on than some stupid desire to look good before an Oak. Looks wouldn’t help her in a day or two when it was time to hit the road like an actual, proper trainer.

Not just some kid who played trainer with mum or dad’s pokemon.

Legends, gods, and myths, but the day couldn’t come fast enough. No-one cared what you looked like on the road, not even talent scouts. All they cared for was battle-skill.

“Eva-san?” Daisy asked, this time with a touch of concern that brought her back to the here and now.

“Not this time,” Eva shook her head with an eye roll and a wry smile before she remembered her manners with a quick ‘sorry!’ and bowed. While Daisy might not have complained, Pallet was, by definition, a small town in the Kantan backwoods and the Oaks were a relatively old name. Not kazoku or kazoku-descended by any means, but still old. “He’s at the Lab.”

“Still?” Daisy shook her head with a scoff. “Honestly.”

“Y- Wait-” Eva started, eyes narrowed and focused on Daisy as if she’d just imparted some great revelation about the world. Or, at least, about her soon-to-be-actual rival. “He’s been there since noon-hour?”

It was nearing 3 pm. Gods and legends. She knew he was impatient -everyone who’d be heading out tomorrow was- but this was bordering on the absurd.

“Since 7 am,” Daisy said with a short tsk and a sip of tea. “He’s lucky mum was at work by then and Aunty hadn’t shown up yet...”

Eva’s eyes bulged. “Nine hours? That’s ridiculous.”

“Yes. Even I wasn’t that bad...”

“Of course not!” Eva shook her head in denial. “You at least waited for the day!”

“That I did, then I drove mum and grandpa up the wall until it was time,” the older teenager said flatly, though the crinkle of her eyes and the slight on-the-spot bounce betrayed excited amusement mixed with a hint of relief? No, that couldn’t be right.

Not when the day a person became a trainer was one of the greatest milestones in her life. It ranked alongside the likes of walking, first words, and first pokemon. It was a freedom yes, but it was also a massive responsibility and a sign parents thought the child mature enough to face the world with nothing but a belt of monsters and her own wits.

“And you got a hitokage as Starter, right?” Eva asked more for the sake of it. She knew Daisy’d started with a charmander and that it was now a charmeleon. Everyone in Pallet turned out to watch young trainers get their Starter.

“I did, yes, and grandma showed up,” Daisy said with a smile. Eva only nodded distractedly. Now she thought about it, it was odd she couldn’t hear the TV or see the pokemon. Not when Daisy never muted it and let her Starter roam the house as it pleased.

“Where is he, anyway?” Eva asked as she peered around the woman and into the house. Starters were special. Sacred. Starters were more than the first pokemon a woman owned. They were always the pokemon she Started the trainer Journey with. To ‘box, release, or sell it? That doomed the trainer. Superstition or not, the data held out: a Starter was for life.

That’s why Eva knew Daisy still had her Starter even though she didn’t see sign of it, nor, oddly, the rest of her pokemon. Instead, she spied Shin at the table, the seven-year-old’s face a mask of intense, formidable concentration as he built and rebuilt tiny connect-o-blocks in various, intricately complicated configurations while his service-mon, Karen (an electrike), lay at his heels. Off to the side was a stack of books half as high as the boy, and all of them, from what Eva knew about the odd child, were probably on electric-types.

Daisy’s gaze followed hers and the woman’s face settled into something neutral and unreadable. “Shin’s here and he has a thing about flame-class right now.”

“Oh.” It was a lame reply and Eva knew it even as she swallowed the pity she wanted to give and it settled like a stone in her stomach. Having to deal with such a child, even one’s own cousin, would have anyone feeling chatty after a day of babysitting. “I thought it was bug?”

Daisy shook her head. “Not anymore. So,” she started as she leant against the door frame, attention on her, but Eva knew it was also on Shin. Not that the boy would ever notice anything outside his blocks. A cyclone on the Empress Tide could pull in an adult gyarados and he still wouldn’t notice. Daisy stared at her younger cousin for a beat or two more before she huffed and smiled, attention now solely on Eva. “Do you know what your mum’s got you yet?”

“Not yet, and she’s avoiding the topic like it’s toxic!” Eva’s shoulders sagged and hands fisted against her skirt as the ground suddenly became that much more interesting. “Everyone else knows though. Eripi’s getting a shiny ībui-”

“From the Motora farm.” It wasn’t even a question; both ladies knew all respectable eevee, shiny or no, came from them.

Eva nodded. “It was cheap-”

“Never a good sign,” Daisy muttered against her mug. Eva frowned but before she could ask what was so bad about a cheap shiny, Daisy continued. “Moving on though-”

“So, Yu-chan’s getting a pikachū- but she technically has it now, because their raichū had pups two months ago-”

“I remember that night,” Daisy started, only for Eva to interrupt.

“You do?”

“Hm. They called grandpa out to spay it soon after.”

“He was?” Eva cocked her head in confusion. “But, why him and not some other vet in town?”

“It’s to do with being a League Professor.”

Like that was any explanation. “Huh?”

“Right, you wouldn’t have covered that in school,” Daisy grinned from behind her mug at Eva’s glare. “You know the Kantō League typically only has one at any one time, correct? And a bunch of others like that but without fancy titles?” Eva nodded; it was one of the first things they learned about the League-side of the government. Lots of professors but only one fancy title. Daisy continued. “Gramps was called because he has experience in spaying raichū and sometimes works with the vets out here. But, back to what you were saying.”

“No wonder he’s so busy,” Eva shook her head, dispelled the idea there was something more to it (not her problem, anyway), and took a breath before she continued. “Anyway, on top of all that, Tomiyoto-san and Higazu-chan are getting something from the Program and-”

“So’s Satoru,” Daisy whispered. “But that’s just your class, isn’t it? Not the whole school.” At her nod, Daisy continued. “I know there’s always a few like you who won’t know until tomorrow.”

“Sure! As if! Arika’s getting a shiny too, but she’s not told anyone what it is, and Tomas-kun is getting a miniryū-”

Daisy’s eyebrows shot up at the mention of a dratini as a Starter.”Oh really now?”

“Yes! How come he gets that?! He’s not - Not from a dragon-clan!” Eva was more than a little ashamed to say it felt good to vent to someone not family. To someone who was just as incredulous that anyone not dragon-clan or stupid rich would get a dratini of all things for a Starter. It wasn’t that her family didn’t understand, but they didn’t get out much it hurt and felt like she, out of all the kids in her class starting tomorrow, was the only one without a Starter lined up. That she was without and a classmate was getting a dragon-type. “I- It’s not fair!”

“I don’t think he’s really getting that and it’ll be fine.”

“No, it won’t!” She didn’t quite stomp her foot, but it was near enough.

“It will, trust me, Eva-san. Tomas-kun won’t have a miniryū and your mum’s probably ordered you something from Shin’ō or Jōto and wants to surprise you.”

“Like a hanekko or-or a cherinbo?” Eva’s eyes lit up, never mind how much she doubted it was true, or harder it was to train up a hoppip than a cherubi. It could be done, of course. Comp-training, good feed, and lots of sunlight made a world of difference. In many respects, it was like the oddish or bellsprout lines, but far more work, though less work than shroomish.

“Exactly,” Daisy said firmly. “You’ll have a Starter, too. Everyone always does.”

“Yea, I guess,” Eva said, uncertain for all of three seconds before she shook her head. Daisy was right. She would get a Starter and she would start the journey tomorrow. But, as good as it felt to vent, as if a weight had been lifted somewhat, venting wasn’t the real reason she’d come here. “So, you seen your grandfather at all? Dad said he wanted to talk to me about something this arvo.”

Daisy took a sip of tea with a thoughtful hum as she tapped a finger against the side of the mug. “Did you check the Lab?”

“It’s how I know Satoru’s there!” Eva huffed, face contorted with dislike and annoyance towards the one who’d popularised her stupid nickname. Just because she liked leaves and vines and grass-types... “It’s not like another day’ll hurt when he knows he qualified!”

Because of course he would. Children and grandchildren of League Professors, and those of Gym Leaders and the Elite and even Champion, automatically qualified.

“Have you ever known him to wait?”

“Nope,” Eva shook her head with a snort. “Not even in school. Especially this year.”

“At least he has you to check him,” Daisy said and, looking back, Eva would come to understand the woman had hidden a smile. That she’d already known they’d be bitter Rivals. “But, did you look thoroughly or get into a fight with my brother?”

Eva knew her guilty face said it all.

Daisy sighed. “Go back and ask one of the aides.”

“Fine. Not my fault if I punch Satoru, though.” Not after what he’d said the first time.

“We don’t hit boys,” Daisy said with a raised eyebrow. “No matter how much they may deserve it.”

“Yes, Nanami-san.” It was petulant, and she knew it. But it was easy to hit a boy, to push him if he annoyed you or said something stupid. “I won’t hit him. But I can still call him names, right?”

The Look Daisy shot her made Eva wish the ground would open up and eat her. It wasn’t on the same level as one from her mum, though. But it was close. “You’re better than him. And, Eva-chan?”

“Yes?” She asked hesitantly, shoulders half hunched in fear of more reprimands.

“Good luck!”

“Uh, thanks,” Eva stuttered out before she bowed and quickly left to make her way to the Laboratory.

“Now scoot, I need to wrangle Shin into helping for dinner before grandma shows up.”

“Good luck,” Eva said before she bowed and quickly left to make her way to the Laboratory, not thinking much of it. Visitors and grandparents from all over had come to Pallet, and Agatha had come as well this morning. To oversee of course, because every town or city had an Elite visit for Journey Start at least once every decade.

The click of the main door seemed to fill the space, like an ominous prelude to a storm or earthquake that only Eva noticed as a bolt of dislike shot up her spine. Brown eyes locked on the distant form of Satoru, perched on a desk and head in his phone. There was no storm though, and lab assistants barely looked up when she entered. Why should they, when they had books to file and wrote out complicated equations to write out on whiteboards? One even fussed over what looked like some sort of holographic projector shaped like a porygon.

If she’d been an Oak, would they have greeted her? Probably.

Yes.

Her steps seemed just as loud and ominous and Eva felt small, even as fond memories wormed into her mind. Over there, on the left, the class had sat and listened to Oak as he talked about the Starter Program. Then after that, Oak had introduced the Starter-lines from Kanto and she’d fallen in love with the ‘saur-line’s leafy visage.

It’d been three years ago when they’d been in grade five and she’d known then what her Starter would be. What she’d train as a pokemon trainer. She’d become a flora-class expert, maybe even discover new species of them and join the ranks of those who had.

But, that wasn’t enough to soothe her (she wished it was, it’d make being back at the lab that much easier) and with a huff, the teenager crossed the space that doubled as both foyer, office, and gateway to other, closed off parts of the massive laboratory. Satoru had his head in his phone -no his pokegear. If she was careful, she could get to an aide before the brat noticed her.

“Yo! Leaf!” Or, he could dash her hopes.

Eva stared wide-eyed at the older teenager, who snapped off a two-fingered salute with a wide, confident grin. “Gramps ain’t here, just like the last time you checked. Or you back for round two?”

“Because it’s not tomorrow,” Eva shot back, hands balled as she stared at Pallet’s biggest, most persistent pain her arse known as Satoru Oak. As popular as he was, she was certain it was more because of his family name than any redeeming personality traits. Not that he had any, of course. He was arrogant and brash and he’d got not only most of his class, but some of hers as well to call her ‘Leaf’ these last few years. “You know you don’t get to pick-”

“I do too. Gramps said I would!” The boy shot back, hands balled at his side. His head whipped around as a side door’s knob turned with a click -was it an aide, here to kick them out if they started a fight?- and the dark-haired boy very quickly jumped off the table with a glare at Eva, as if daring her to say anything. Eva rolled her eyes. Like sitting on a table in Professor Oak’s presence was some great crime. “Oi! Gramps! It’s about time!”

“I’ve half a mind to send you home, Satoru,” the professor said tiredly. “But yes, you will get to pick today, as will Eva-chan.”

“What?” She couldn’t have heard right. There was no way she was getting a pokemon from the Starter Program. “T-Today?”

“What? No way! I want it now!” Satoru growled. “You said-”

“I, your mother, your grandmother-”

Eva knew her eyes widened.

“-and your father, have agreed that you pick today and set off tomorrow,” Oak said firmly.

“She’s only saying that because she’s an Elite.”

“No,” Oak said, and Eva had to fight not to gape, mind still stuck on the fact Agatha of the Elite Four was Satoru’s grandmother. Neither Oak nor Satoru seemed to notice. “Unless you’d rather yours last tomorrow?”

She knew the Oaks were private, but this bordered on ridiculousness.

“I- No, of course not,” Satoru griped, arms crossed and face worthy of an electabuzz. “Don’t look so shocked, Leaf.”

“I-” Would this explain why Agatha visited the Oaks at least once a month? “K-Ki-Kikuko-san...?” Maybe they were divorced. That had to be it, especially if he didn't have her surname.

“I think you broke her,” Satoru grumbled and Eva’s face flushed red in anger.

“I... I didn’t apply for the Program, an-and mum said she’d lined my Starter up already,” Eva said slowly as she tried to force her brain away from Oak family relations. The Starter Program was a good topic and she knew she could have applied like everyone else. Officially, it was supposed to be an even spread of young trainers from around Kanto, but everyone knew it wasn’t. That how many from each town or city were chosen was luck-based and only the children of Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion were were guaranteed a spot. As were the direct relatives or grandchildren of League Professors, such as Oak, and those who managed to buy their way in via an outrageous amount of money.

Eva was none of them, even if her father claimed his mother was a cousin of Bruno’s father. But in the light of Satoru ‘Blue’ Oak being a grandson of Agatha, her own hypothetical relation to an Elite was silly. Stupid.

Professor Oak smiled slightly. “Your mother and I spoke-”

Eva stared at the Professor, eyes wide. Was this why her mum had avoided the topic? Because she didn’t want to spoil the surprise? But how-

She was no-one. Agatha wouldn’t-

“Of course you’re getting one,” Satoru interrupted and Eva wanted to punch his smug, smirking face. “Like I’d let my rival start with some stupid bellsprout or something!”

“What’s wrong with that?!” Eva snapped back to reality with a snarl, eyes narrowed. Someone had to defend the bellsprout line from the brat known as Satoru. Never mind he’d all but confirmed she was his rival.

“Everyone knows a fushigibana outclasses utsubotto any day!”

“So what? That’s stats only!” She’d seen a venasaur fall to a victreebel. It hadn’t been pretty, though; victreebel were vicious and mean and they fought dirty. Venasaur was too, but not to that level.

“You’re my rival! That’s what, Leaf-chan,” Satoru shot back, twisting the honorific into something crass and ruder than rude. Eva stared. Technically, this was an abuse of the system. But the surrounding laws were also vague and so a kid guaranteed a spot could pick another to be their rival, ensuring they also had a Starter Program monster. Was this why she was getting one?

Because of his ego? She wasn’t the only kid who’d competed with him when and were they could over the years. Brown eyes narrowed and Satoru’s smirk said it all: it was because of his overinflated ego. “Go and take your fushigidane!”

She paused. There was something about the way he said it, like he was so sure he knew her. Knew what she’d take, as if he’d built a whole plan around it. She wanted the bulbasaur with all her heart. She’d built her team around it and decided on the pokemon she’d have that complemented it. The pokemon was a powerhouse with Special moves and everyone who followed the high-level battles and show-matches had seen the footage of Erika’s beast of a venasaur. Kadō had been likened to a living, breathing canon and was no slouch in the speed department either, and in the show match between Erika and Blaine, it’d taken down the magmortar in a brutal, hours long fight.

Eva wanted such a pokemon. It was something that would be epic and awesome. That they were easy enough to raise helped, too.

She must have hesitated too long for Satoru’s liking. “What? It’s the middle one, stupid.”

Hands fisted and one look at the smug boy beside her was enough for Eva. He wouldn’t be letting her go first if he didn’t have a plan. If she wanted a chance to withstand the plan, she needed a tank, not a canon. “I know.”

At the nod from the Professor, she walked up to the desk, eyed the red-white balls, smiled...

Then took one with a flourish. “I’ll take this one.”

“What!? You stinker!”

She merely smiled. She liked her choice; it was a good one even if it wasn’t what she really wanted. But she refused to play into his hands; she wasn't some weak-willed woman unable to stand up to some stupid bossy boy.

“Fine! I’ll take this one!” Satoru hissed as he snatched up his pokemon with a thunderous expression. “It looks stronger than yours, anyway.”

Eva snorted. “Oh yea?”

“I’ll prove it!” Satoru’s smirk was pure malice as he thrust the ‘ball out in clear challenge. “Let’s battle!”

“Not until tomorrow,” Oak admonished before the pair could let either pokemon out. “I understand you’re eager, both of you, but tomorrow. If I may have the pokemon?”

She was smart enough to read between the lines: They’d gotten to pick and that was all. Everything else would happen tomorrow. She huffed a little, but handed hers over without complaint, then glared daggers at her rival until he did too.

“Now, I’ll see you at 10 am tomorrow at the school,” Oak said as he tucked the pokeballs into his lab coat. “And, Satoru, Daisy would like you home before your mother and aunt, as your granny and I’ll be joining the family for dinner.”

“Yeah, yeah. Smell ya later, Leaf,” Satoru waved his hand as he headed out, shoulders hunched. But no. That was her imagination- it had to be.

She made to go, to follow him, only for Oak to stop her. “Don’t hold it against your mother.”

Eva nodded, mind too full to truly think outside the fact Daisy had been right: her mum had wanted to surprise her. “This is real, isn’t it? He... Satoru- No, Blue...” Her nose wrinkled, but she pushed on. “We’re- officially Rivals now?”

Oak nodded. “He also set your Trainer Card.”

“He what?” Eva’s voice was small, and at Oak’s nod, what remained of her plans, no, the world, fell from under her. No, no, no... “He- how- because I’m his Rival-?”

“I’m afraid so.” Oak nodded sadly, and distantly, Eva was aware Satoru had done this behind the backs of the adults in their lives. Had managed it because of the Oak name. Maybe because he was Agatha’s grandson. “But in a year you’ll be able to change it.”

She heard the words, but they sounded distant and faint, as did the (her) stammered goodbyes as she left the Lab and walked, aimless and uncaring. A year until she could change it was a very, very long time. It was forever and ever, and she loathed it already. She’d be known as ‘Leaf’ for a year. No, it would be an eternity of people knowing her by that stupid, stupid nickname.

Hands fisted as tears blurred her eyes and shoulders shook as she tried not to cry. It was just a stupid nickname thrust onto her by some stupid, worthless boy that wasn’t worth her time.

Then why did she care so much?

Chapter Text

---

“You ask me, knowing what I do now, if I’d take the chance to do it all again?”

---

“Gods of the Four,” Eva breathed as she and Erin ‘Eripi’ Sakuran closed in on the noisy, excited crowd of teenagers gathered on the oval’s edge, hearts in mouths as they awaited the start of the millennia-old ritual known as the ‘Rannari-Giita’. It seemed everyone and their monster in Pallet had turned out to celebrate the Departure with them, for even the sky was peppered with fliers, though how many of them were lookouts, Eva didn’t know.

She didn’t particularly care, either.

The only place pokemon-free was the mob of young teenagers, but parents and monsters of all types ringed them on the off chance anything could happen. It shouldn’t, but one never knew, and it was far safer to be ready to fight than end up caught in a flat-footed scramble. “Can you believe this?”

“No,” Eripi said with a small shake of her head. “You?”

“Of course not,” Eva laughed as they came to a stop within the general hub-bub zone some several metres away from the small stage that had been erected seemingly overnight. People milled about on it, but outside of Professor Oak, Agatha of the Elite Four, and the principal of Pallet Primary School, Eva couldn’t tell you who everyone else was.

She did also spy what looked to be a cameraperson with a camera and several rotomi -rotom phones- around her. 

It didn’t matter that much, and as more and more of the cohort joined, the skin-prickling buzz grew into a heady, dizzyingly intoxicating mix. Eva’s heart skipped a beat as her hands twitched towards the belt that’d soon hold her Starter’s pokeball, paused as figures brushed the platinum belt buckle and felt the groves of the leaf it’d been styled into and then soared as she remembered to breathe.

Soon.

Soon she’d be a trainer and her mouth tingled as if she’d been shocked and she loved it.

Nothing could ever match it and nothing ever would.

Though, she wasn’t sure how Eripi remained so calm and serene amongst the excitement, not when Eva herself near hopped from foot to foot with a grin fit to split her face. Maybe it was because the other woman was more reserved than she’d ever be. Or maybe it was because Erin’s mother was rumoured to have family in the Orange Islands, and everyone knew those folk were weird. “We’re going to be trainers soon!”

“I know, and by the Sky-Lords, you’d think we’ve all the cohort here,” Eripi breathed out as she stood tip-toed, like some lookout of a sentret on its tail. “I think we’ve got maybe fifty confirmed-?”

“At least that, yeah,” Eva said with a nod- they’d get the actual number from the news in a day or two, but for now, the guesstimate worked as she looked around and took everything in. Arika stood off to the side with several of their class, but her eye was drawn to twin shocks of blond that stood out amongst a small knot of people, most of whom were from Satoru’s grade.

The blonde hair belonged to the Kuchinaji twins Ayame and Sakura; town rumour claimed them as coming from mountain stock, but Eva doubted it. The twins looked as Kantan as they came, though they weren’t the only blondes in town.

They were, however, the only blondes in the gaggle of teenagers.

Bloodlines or not, they practically hogged Satoru as he lapped up the attention of classmates with grand gestures and no doubt bigger boastings. Brown eyes narrowed with a distasteful scowl, but she yanked her gaze away with a snort. She’d have time to put the boy back in his place when they battled soon enough.

“Oh...” Eripi deflated and Eva could have kicked herself. Several of Eripi’s friends in other classes weren’t graduating with them.

“Hey, you are starting. Your mum wouldn’t pull you out now. Not when she got you that ībui.”

Eripi giggled nervously as she scratched her neck with a small shrug. “She’s done it before with these kind of things...”

Eva’s mouth thinned, and she shook her head. “Not this time she wouldn’t. Plus, we’re travelling together, right?”

Only child from a difficult pregnancy or not, Erin was of legal age to travel and no overbearing mother would stop that. Not now. Not unless Ms Sakuran wanted to be a social pariah for the rest of her life, all because she’d changed her mind at the last second.

“Yeah,” Eripi nodded, smile weak and shoulders drawn upwards until they brushed against the ends of pigtail plaits. “A-At least to Tokiwa, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Eva said with a smirk. “I want to see the famous Chilli House,-“she ignored Eripi’s face scrunch; there was nothing wrong with chilli! “-and the city’ll be super green this time of year, and you wanted to see the Tatsushigo Falls, right?”

“Yeah!” Erin nodded again, this time with a smile more real than show and Eva considered it a success. “Maybe see if I might find a teiru?”

“We can stop by it on the way if you want?” It wasn’t like she’d be in a hurry and what good was a Journey if they didn’t explore everything? And, anyway, Eripi deserved it, more so if she could find a teiru.

“Really?” At Eva’s nod, the dark-haired teenager’s face practically lit up to the point Eva wondered if her friend wasn’t about to spontaneously combust out of sheer happiness. Or whip out a picture of the ‘aipom cousin’. Or both. Probably both, knowing Eripi. “A-Anyway, this is better than last year. We had maybe thirty-”

“Forty,” Eva corrected. She’d counted and the Masara Kaiyun had listed the names of all new trainers who’d started, though she’d heard of at least one death in the group through the rumour mill. Not something she really wanted to think on.

“-last year.” Eripi finished as if Eva hadn’t said anything. “So- This is happening!”

“Yeah,” Eva nodded as she shoved those thoughts out of her head. Death, as upsetting as it was, was a reality they all knew well. Plus, anyone who went looking for teddiursa in late spring was asking to be clobbered by an ursaring. “It’s really happening.”

They’d soon be trainers.

Her Starter’s ‘ball would soon hang on her belt- though she would admit to being a little jealous of those who already had a ‘ball on the belt, never mind she could have taken one with her. Maybe it was romantic, but she wanted to assemble her own team, not take one from her parents that’d been pre-trained and then kept in storage for years and years.

“So, have you found out what your mum got you yet?” Eripi asked, hand going to where her eevee’s ‘ball would sit soon enough, and Eva’s grin turned impish. “Well? What is it?”

“Nope. You gotta wait,” Eva said with a finger wag and a laugh. Just because she could tell Eripi anything in the world didn’t mean she had to.

“That’s not fair! You know what mine is!” Eripi whined, nose crinkled and eyes wide.

“Because you bragged,” Eva laughed.

“Nothing wrong with that when mother actually...” Erin huffed. “So, spill.”

“I want it to be a surprise,” Eva admitted, eyes once again tracking to where Satoru stood with the twins, arm slung over the oldest’s shoulder in a way suggestive of near-hanging off of her. Hands fisted as she glowered, breaths shallow as tears pricked her eyes. Why, she didn’t know. He was little more than a stupid rich boy who’d be partnered off as soon as he was of age.

So, why is it bothering me?!

“Does it... Does it have to do with Ōkido-kun?” Eripi ventured and Eva’s head whipped around with a startled blink.

“What?!” Had she voiced the thought out loud?

“Y-You’re glaring in his direction and you look, um, sullen. Like mother does every time He’s brought up...”

“...Maybe?” Eva shot back, as if that would make whatever this was go away. The talk with her parents hadn’t, nor had forcibly repacking her bag several times. It, and a good night’s sleep, had found no answers.

She hated it and she hated she’d caused Eripi to flinch like that. Opps. “Ah- Sorry, sorry. Yeah... it does.”

“Ah-! Just-just ignore him then. He’ll be put in his place soon enough!” Eripi said, hands on waist and face serious, as if she hadn’t flinched at all, and, by the slight waver and hitch to her voice, Eva knew it was more mask than any genuine feeling. “All boys are, y-you know that.”

Eva lightly ‘humphed’ and tore her eyes away from the Oak boy. If Eripi wanted to act like nothing had happened, then who was she to deny the older teen. “Especially loudmouthed bossy boys like him!” She stuck her nose in the air. “You think he’s betrothed yet?”

Green eyes blinked at the abrupt change of topic. “Huh? Shouldn’t you know?”

“I’m not that close friends with Nanami-san!” Eva protested with a wave of a hand.

“W-Well... Maybe? He is rich, right?” Eripi ventured as hands twisted at the hem of her shirt.

“Of course he is. He’s an Ōkido,” Eva snapped with an eye roll. “But if he was betrothed, he’d be crowing about it and not hanging off the ladies like some stupid slut.”

“Eva!” Eripi scolded, though Eva was certain her friend was thinking the same thing: only sluts hung off a lady.

“What? It’s true!”

“That doesn’t mean you need to voice it!” Erin hissed, eyes darting around as she checked to make sure somebody hadn't overheard them. True or not, Satoru was an Oak. “What if someone heard you?”

“Still true,” Eva grumbled in a sulk, hands shoved into her jacket’s pockets in a vain attempt to keep her eyes off the boy in question when she had far more important things to worry about other than her friend’s scolding. Namely the fact she still hadn’t figured out a good name for her Starter outside ‘Tanknator’.

“Eva...” Erin’s mouth thinned. “What’s this about?”

“S-Sorry...” It was half-hearted and unbidden, her gaze again tracked to Satoru, though, at least he’d stopped hanging off Ayame. Stupid boys; just because he was rich didn’t mean he was exempt from behaving himself. He wasn’t betrothed to Ayame, for one. “I-”

“That look I know.” Eva literally jumped as Kate appeared out of nowhere and slung an arm around her shoulders, a grin all but plastered across the brunette’s face. Hazel eyes shone with mirth behind glasses.

“You’re no a ghost so bell yourself!” She said in an attempt to calm her racing heart and squash the desire to shove the older teenager away.

“Sorry~. Habit,” Kate laughed and Eva didn’t have to guess as to what Starter the Unovan would end up with. Not with what was already in the ‘ball on her belt. “So, what is that look for?”

“What look?” Eva snapped instead, vaguely aware Eripi had backed up a few steps and ok, the earlier snap had hurt her friend more than she’d let on.

“Dark, sullen, and daggered glare at Blue,” Kate nodded towards where the Oak boy stood, still very much in the middle of a small knot of teenagers, though thankfully it seemed the twins had retreated. “So, spill. What is bugging you, Eva?”

“Your grammar’s got better,” she said as she wriggled out from under the Unovan’s arm. “But you missed the honorifics.”

Like she often did and honestly, if Eva didn’t like the Unovan, she’d have thought it rudely on purpose.

“Ah... Ma’s teaching me,” Kate confirmed with a half shrug. “You’s know how it is. But that don’t answer the question, Eva-chan.”

“Yeah! What’s going on, Eva?” Eripi piped up, as if to drive home Eva’s guilt over snapping at her friends.

“Uh... You know how they call our names, right?” Eva started only to pause as Kate cursed up a storm, though the only word she knew was ‘zekrom’, the major god Kate followed. Everything else was guesswork, but she could assume it was several unpleasant things related to the lineage of the announcers or at least Satoru. Eripi’s thunderous face might as well have been a storm cloud of dark intent, and Eva knew the only thing stopping the Sakuran woman from storming over and slapping Satoru was that ladies did not hit boys. It just wasn’t done.

With one final, nasty sounding curse, the Unovan in the group fixed her attention on Eva. “He didn’t....?”

Eva nodded, hands half balled against the fabric of her jacket. “It’s a year’s wait to change it!”

“But, you can go to-” Eripi started, only for the teenager in question to cut her off with a sharp snort and headshake.

“I can’t,” Eva huffed out with a thunderous scowl. “Not if I wanna shove him in his place and I need to be here to do it, not traipsing around Jōto. Which I don’t wanna travel anyway, ’cause it can’t offer nearly as much to squizz and stickybeak at as Kantō can!”

Kate’s eyes unfocused slightly as she cocked her head in thought. Eva winced but didn’t offer to rephrase what she’d said. Living in Kanto for less than a year or not, Kate thoroughly hated anyone who treated her like the toddler she was when it came to the Yamatan language. Finally, Kate spoke. “Kampkompis?”

“Kanpu... konpisu?” Eva repeated slowly, brows furrowed in thought as she tried and failed to place the Unovan word. “What does that mean?”

“I... I do not know the word in Yamatan,” Kate said as she scratched the back of her neck. “It is meaning: ‘Is to officially compete with a person in a official race of the mastery of the field you are both in’?”

Eva felt her eyes roll back into her skull as she tried to figure out what Kate meant. Maybe it made sense in the guttural, harsh language that was Unovan, but not in Yamatan. “Uh-”

“What she means is ‘Official Rivals’,” Erin said firmly.

Eva’s eyes widened, and when Erin nodded, she squinted at Kate.” Y- Official...?”

Wait, what?

“Ja, if that is the word,” Kate shrugged awkwardly but forged on ahead anyway. “Everyone know you compete and don’t get on.”

“It’s not just me! Most of the girls in the two grades compete with him, too!” Eva shot back as she hastily waved her hands in front of her face to add weight to the denial.

“Ja,” Kate said with a blink, while Eripi frowned, hands once again on hips and face puffed up as she rattled off a: “You’re the only one that’s done it since-”

“He’s a boy,” Eva hissed as if that explained it all. “Of course I’d compete with him.”

“And?” Kate asked with a dubious look. “Boys are as good as ladies.”

Eva all but threw her hands in the air as she stared at the Unovan. “Cultural! Yamatan boys aren’t supposed to be that bossy or loud or opinionated!”

“Yeah! There’s a time and place for opinions, but he does it all the time!” Eripi chimed in. “It’s really rude and crass. He’ll never get the interest of a partner like that!”

“Anyway,” Eva said before Kate could get a word in about the boys of Unova; it wasn’t relevant, and Eva plain didn’t care. “I’m not the only one who competes with him, so why would he make me an Official Rival?”

“Maybe because you compete, E-chan,” Eripi said with Look that killed any protests Eva might have had. “A-Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I know you! You’ll put him in his place and then make sure he regrets his choice, right?!”

“Well, yeah, of course I will.” It was the done thing with stupid boys, especially rich ones with ambitions greater than they should have, and that’s all that mattered in the end. A Career Trainer wasn’t something rich boys should ever aspire towards. “Aww, whatever. Let’s get closer to the stage so we don’t miss any of the battles once the non-rivals are over.”

“Ja!” Kate nodded, grabbed their hands and dragged them closer towards the stage, the pair following readily enough as they pushed their way past a throng of boys and ignored the ‘oi! ’s and offended looks that came after. If they didn’t want to be pushed past, then they should have moved out of the way.

It was as simple as that and Eva never looked back. 

-/-/-/-/-

“-And our next Official Rival pair is Ōkido ‘Blue’ Satoru-kun and Iden’no ‘Leaf’ Eva-chan,” the announcer called once the Kuchinaji twins and their Rivals had vacated the stage. “If you’d both please make your way to the stage-”

The applause and cheers were thunderous, yet but also lightning that lanced her soul and dulled her smile, and Eva knew she shouldn’t, but the Mirages snatch him up to the realm of the Sky.

Satoru was nothing if not a menace. Someone who’d always got his way, and each step towards the stage was measured and mechanical as Eva wished she could kill her ‘Official Rival’ then and there.

She couldn’t, and so, as she approached the stage, her face was the height of summer as both suns beat down on it, while her jaw hurt as teeth ground against each other. Hands had fisted against the red of her skirt and ached with knuckles bleached white. And, as if to make it worse, her shoes thudded against the wooden steps with dull finality.

As if the Gods and Fate laughed at her. 

It was stupid to let the nickname get to her when she should revel in the cheers and applause. She was one of the top students in the class and well-liked at that.

Yet...

Yet it was hard not to when said boy literally lept up onto the stage and waved to the (scandalised, no doubt) crowd with a mocking bow as an afterthought. The cock-sure smirk was but another sign that pointed to a boy who revelled in pushed limits and the stage-light.

A boy who’s family had let him run wild. Even Shin, as odd as he was, never ran wild.

Eva’s gut twisted, and her nose wrinkled briefly. She’d have to see to it Satoru was put in his place. Her foot hit the wooden stage and she huffed silently as the other foot joined it. Yes, she’d make sure this arrogant snot of a boy knew his place. Another huff and the young woman squared her shoulders and lifted her head as she strode forth. The psychic-based barrier passed over her and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, but she paid it no mind, eyes firmly on her Rival.

His time would come. She’d make sure of it.

“Yo, Leaf!” Satoru greeted her as she came to a stop several feet away in the centre of the stage, the bow he gave was but a dip of the head than anything. Eva’s eyes narrowed; from the slight upturn of his mouth, he knew exactly the level of rudeness he’d got away with. “It’s an honour to be your Rival.”

“Satoru,” she greeted levelly and without heat (though how she managed it, she’d never know) with as shallow of a bow as she could get away with in public towards one of the Oaks. She took the time to centre herself with few calming breaths and exhaled low and slow as she straightened and a strand of hair tucked behind an ear as she spoke; maybe she should have tied it back, but no matter. “It’s an honour to be your Rival.”

Honour her arse, but what was done was done, and all she needed to do now was make sure he was put in his place, be it here or on their Journey.

“And honour to those who preside over us. Shiten’nō Akiya Kikuko-sama, who will give us our gosa’ke,” the boy said with a deep bow to towards his grandmother.

“Hai. Honour to Ōkido-Dou’kase who will give us the z’kan,” Eva said, proud she didn’t stumble over the traditional words as she bowed to the League Professor.

“You may now claim your pokemon,” the announcer said, and Agatha stepped forward into the space between them, a red-and-white pokeball in each hand. Eva took hers with only the smallest of trembles and all the reverence it was due.

“Thank you, Akiya-sama,” she said with a low bow.

“It is an honour, child,” Agatha said and Eva was certain there was a hint of approval hidden in the words somewhere, even as she shot her rival a dirty look out of the corner of her eye when he all but snatched his up. That was more than rude- it was plain disrespectful to the pokemon -the one partner they’d always have- that marked the end of childhood and the start of Trainerhood-

“One should treat their Starter with more respect, boya,” Agatha hissed, low enough the in-built stage mics wouldn’t pick it up, but loud enough for it to be heard by both of them. Eva didn’t bother to squash the vicious spike of glee at Satoru’s flinch; it was his own fault for being rude around her.

“Hai, Granny,” Satoru mumbled, and that seemed enough for Agatha, given the sharp nod and rap of the walking stick against the ground.

“I wish you both luck on the Journey. May the Spirits and the Mirages watch over and guide you to victory in the battles you face,” the woman said as she produced two black and blue brocaded omamori from her pocket.

“May the Fox never have reason to laugh at us,” both trainers responded as they took the luck-charms and looped them around their necks, Eva’s thumb brushing against the embroidered, silver arrow of success before her hand dropped. Agatha nodded once then backed off, and Oak took her place.

“Your pokedexes,” Oak said and Eva noted he used the more familiar word for the machine as he held them out, one in each hand.

“Thank you very much,” she said as they both took the bright metallic-red devices with a small bow, and the Professor returned to his place by Agatha’s side.

“Yeah, thanks, Gramps,” Satoru said as he tucked his ‘dex into a back pocket before he turned to Eva and next thing she knew, her Rival had thrust his pokeball out, sharp glint in dark eyes and a wide, face splitting smirk to match it. “Heh! Let’s have that battle now, huh?”

It was why the psychic barrier was in place after all. Part of the reason, at least.

“You’re on!” She shot back, unwilling to miss a beat as she backed up a good dozen steps with a grin. For all they were Rookies and wouldn’t be flinging attacks around, a battle was a battle and she would be the one to put him back in his place: beneath her, like all good boys were. “Ready to lose?”

“Ha! You wish!” Satoru retorted as he also backed back, and, once at an appropriate distance, tossed the pokeball onto the field with an underhanded gesture. “Momo!”

Peach? Really? Such a boy. Heh. No matter.

“Tanknator!” she called at the same time, her toss overhand and for a long few seconds, the ‘balls gleamed under the twin suns of spring before they hit the ground and both pokemon emerged in flashes of light and sound.

Eva caught her’ ball on the rebound, while Satoru snatched his out of the air with well-practised ease. Later, when she replayed the battle in her mind, she’d know that had been the first clue.

But hindsight is twenty-twenty and her teeth ground against each other as she struggled not to scowl at the boy. Stupid show off. Just because it was the done thing to toss a pokeball out in a street or arena battle didn’t mean he had to show off as well.

“Jealous, Leaf?” Satoru laughed as he spun the ‘ball on his finger while his bulbasaur -scale-skin a lovely new-green and bulb vibrant and plump- blinked bright eyes at Tanknator. “Mine looks stronger than your weakling!”

“You’d have said that anyway!” She shot back, hands tightening around the metal ‘ball even as she hooked it back onto her belt with a wide grin. Her pulse picked up as she pulled herself up to her full height and her chest swelled as she lifted her head. Her pokemon, her small, blue turtle, was just as good as his. No. Better.

Time seemed to slow to an agonising crawl as the ghost of a smirk played across her face.

But it was fitting, was it not? It was time to show the world she was a trainer, to take that first, official step into a world she’d dreamed of since she’d first battled with her mother’s golem out in the fields as a child under the watchful eye of her parents.

“Ha! That’s because I know a winner when I see it!” Satoru shot back with a maddening grin and cocky swagger in his stance.

“Yeah, right!” Eva snorted with a wave of her hand. Sure, she didn’t have a grass-type beside her, but that meant nothing. She could, would do this. Easily. Satoru was nothing more than a stupid boy with dreams of grandeur above his station in the world and she’d show him that.

And, he’d stolen her original choice from her. She had to make him pay for that.

She flung her hand out with a sharp: “Tackle!”, while on the other side of the field, Satoru jabbed a finger out, his own command: “Growl!”

And just like that, the world fell away to the rush of her first battle as a trainer as they barked out command after command.

Oh, she’d battled before, but not like this. Not with her own pokemon and it was different, the way time crawled by now, how she could see it all as she battled. It was an eternity where nothing else mattered but the field, the fight, and the adrenaline that crashed through her veins and sped up the heart rate until it was only this moment, this space and time where the world was reduced to a single pokemon battle.

She watched as the bulbasaur let out an impressively low growl and her tiny turtle faltered and glowed briefly -they still didn’t know exactly why that happened, only that it did-, before it slammed into the saurian with a grunt and pushed it -her- back a good half metre.

Satoru snorted and shook his head with a smirk and for a second or two, Eva felt sorry for Momo. But then it was gone; the bulbasaur wasn’t her pokemon and this was a battle. She wasn’t allowed to go easy on her just because she felt sorry for hurting the lovely grass-type. “Absorb!”

“Tackle!” Eva called out in a vain hope that maybe her pokemon would be faster than the glowing vine. But, the next thing she knew, a high-pitched whine of pain signalled the turtle hadn’t avoided the hit and now looked like she’d taken a rather rough tumble and landed on her carapace (she hadn’t, course), while Momo’s scrapes seemed to have healed faster than they should have.

Eva couldn’t help but be impressed, yet, no sooner had the vine vanished back into the bulb did Tanknator’s Tackle land with a solid thump against skin and plant. The bulbasaur staggered back with a loud yowl and shake as it tried and failed to resettle the ragged-looking bulb.

“Ha!” Eva grinned, eyes wide with delight. That had been a critical hit, and had the pokemon not been pre-trained to fight, it would have turned tail and ran. She did feel sorry for it, but- she couldn’t show mercy. “Looks like I picked the winner, Sa-to-ru~”

“Says you! Growl~!” The boy sneered, and again, the Growl came, and again Tanknator took on a faint glow as she faltered and her stance shifted into something more open and vulnerable. Eva scowled, but she knew her pokemon could handle whatever Momo threw her way.

“Now Tackle!” Satoru barked.

“Get in and Scratch it!” Eva shot back, the grin never once leaving her face as the ordered Scratch-attack connected, not even when the bulbasaur got into a tackle and her pokemon was forced back with a cry of pain. It was worth it. It was so worth it to put this stupid, arrogant boy in his place and for all Tanknator’s stance seemed off, lowered defence was a small price to pay for victory.

“Tail Wag!”

“Growth!”

Eva winced. Wished she could change it to a Tackle. Too late now.

Her turtle dropped to all fours, wagged her tail and Momo took on a brief, faint glow for a second or two, even as it seemed to angle its bulb towards the larger of the two suns and root itself to the spot as it visibly glowed a red-ish green.

“Scratch! Take it down!” Eyes widened as urgency laced her voice and Eva swallowed hard, as if to erase that cold, unsettling feeling in her gut. No. She couldn’t lose. Not when she knew what Growth was setting up for.

But how did he know? As far as she knew, he’d always decried the grass-type. So why--

No. Think on it later, when she’d won the battle And it would be a win, given how the grass-poison pokemon swayed on its feet, covered in cuts and scrapes as it dripped sap from the base of its bulb. Nothing a trip to the Pokecentre couldn’t fix, but Eva knew it had to be painful.

Thank the gods for the stasis of pokeballs and quickheals like potions and Pokecentres.

“Again!” she barked only to realise too late Tanknator had been trained enough to obey, not understand what again could mean.

Fuck-

“Absorb!”

“Scratch-”

Eva’s order came a fraction too late and the glowing vine entangled itself around the water-type. A pained whine later, the turtle staggered back several feet, wobbled with a shake of her head-

Eva recalled Tanknator in a beam of light before she hit the ground, gaze locked on the ground. Oak’s voice was distant and faint as he declared Blue the winner. Even the crowd’s cheers -wrong wrong wrong!- seemed vague and foreign, as did his brag of how good he was.

She’d lost. She’d lost against a boy. Against a stupid, stinking, no good boy.

Tears welled up and her face contorted as her head jerked up to pin a bitter, ugly glare on the arrogant twat. “You cheated!”

“As if! It’s called battle tutor, stupid!” Satoru shot back but she didn’t buy it. 

He’d cheated. Of course he’d cheated-

“So you’re too good to learn from your mum, is that it?” Eva hissed. She hated, no loathed, that grin. It was too prideful, too arrogant. Why’d he have to win and not her?!

“Of course I learned from her, too.” the boy retorted before snorting as he recalled Momo -the Starter he shouldn’t have, the one he’d stolen from her. He didn’t deserve such a majestic creature.

Hands fisted. “You-”

“Oi, Leaf! No-one likes a sore loser, so pay up.”

“You...” Sore loser? Her? No... No. She wasn’t. She was better than him and she wouldn’t make a spectacle of herself on the stage, even if it hurt to unclench hands, to hook Tanknator’s ‘ball onto her belt. To stand straight. “Fine!”

She didn’t quite stomp to him, nor did she yank out her wallet or the five hundred yen note, and her bow most certainly wasn’t verging on the edge of insulting as she didn’t thrust-jab the cash at him. Her manners and wording were impeccable. “Thank you for the battle, Satoru.”

She didn’t twist his name into an insult. She was better than that. Really. She was thirteen, not some emotion riddled idiot.

“Heh, sure thing, Leaf-chan,” he said with a wide, knowing grin and a victorious gleam in his eyes as he leaned into her space. It was only decorum that kept her from punching him. “I’ll even beat you to the first badge.”

“Oh?” She shot back, eyes hard, jaw aching and the tang of blood on her tongue. “As if!”

His only answer was a mocking, toothy grin as he straightened to his full height (two inches taller, how dare-), then turned and strode off towards where the rest of his family waited.

No doubt to brag like the arrogant twat of a prick he was and of course a cameraperson followed. He was an Oak. 

She’d put him in the tiny pot he belonged, and with a spiteful glare at his retreating back, Eva turned on her heel, head high as she walked as gracefully as possible off the stage. She didn’t quite run -it was more a fast walk in the direction of her parents and baby sister- once her feet hit the ground, but it was close.

She felt naked, as if she’d been on display and everything had gone wrong (it had), and try as she might, her head still dipped low and her cheeks burned. Turned flaming hot as she stumbled over nothing.

She could hear friends calling to her, but she couldn’t answer them. Not now, not when all she wanted was to get her bag from her parents, heal her pokemon, and go. Leave Pallet and not look back. How could she when her heartbeat was but a faint, pale shadow of what it’d been during the battle and a sour, bile-like taste seemed to settle on her tongue.

She’d lost. She’d lost the first battle of her career against a boy, and each step seemed an effort as limbs weighed her down and tears clouded her vision.

All she wanted was her bag. She could heal at the ‘Centre on the way out-

She couldn’t breathe- her lungs felt as if fire while her vision swam and swayed-

“-sweetie?”

Eva blinked and wiped at bleary, tear clouded eyes with her free hand. When had she reached- When had she sort out a hug-? “M- Mum?”

“You did your best,” Kazue said as she pet Eva’s hair and Eva realised she’d sort out her family then collapsed next to her bag.

“Yeah!” Eripi added from where she crouched beside them, a grey-toned, not at all a shiny (Eva’d looked for the faint sparkle when the monster had first been revealed; she’d not seen any), eevee beside her. “It was a ripper of a battle.”

“But I-” She’d lost. Against a boy-

“Losing isn’t the end of the world,” Kazue said gently as she kissed her daughter’s head. Eva scrunched her face; she wasn’t a child-! “Nor does it mean you weren’t good enough, so don’t even think it.”

Eva glanced to the side as she bit her lip, even as she slowly untangled herself from the hug. Gods, her face still felt hot and her body heavy. “Still...”

“Eva. He said it himself-”

“He had a battle tutor. I should have-”

“Don’t start down that road,” her mother said as she helped the teenager to stand. “Don’t compare yourself to him. You’re a fine Trainer as you are.”

“I- No. No I’m not. Not yet. Not until-” Her breath caught and her lungs felt as if fire as she stared at the stage, at the battle between two charmander taking place on it. The fire-tails were mesmerising, and if she hadn’t known better, she’d have called them flame-tails. “I’m not a fine trainer. Not yet.”

“Eva...” Her mother said with a tired sigh.

“But I will be,” she said as she tossed the woman a bright, beaming smile and shouldered her bag, the familiar weight more comfort than any words could be. “You’ll see. I’m going to get the full set before him.”

No... She’d aim for the League. Beat him to it because that way, she’d not only pay him back for the loss in front of everyone in Pallet, but for stealing her first choice of a Starter away. She’d prove that a boy wasn’t cut out for the life of a trainer. It’d likely take her a year or two -it was insanity to try and do it in a single Season-, but she’d do it before him.

“The full set?” Her father asked from behind them, Hisa in his arms. The one-year-old giggled as she buried her head against his shoulder, and, call her selfish, but Eva was glad her baby sister was this young; she’d never remember the almost shameful display on stage. That Atsu was with babysitters due to misbehaviour.

“Yeah. I have to give Hisa an idea of what they look like. Right, Hisa?” Eva said, poking the toddler in the side and earning a giggle. “That and having a sister with a full set is something she can brag about!”

“Someone’s taking after her aunt,” her father muttered with a fond grin.

“Yeah, well, you still brag heaps whenever she’s over,” Eva said with a laugh.

“Deadset, dear,” her mother added.

“Hahaha... what can I say? She got two sets before 19,” her father said as he bounced Hisa on his hip. “But, don’t push yourself. Rivals or not...”

“I know, I know,” Eva groaned with a wave of her hand as she moved to stand beside Eripi, one hand gripping the bag strap and the other hooked on her belt. “Don’t let him rile me either. And if I need money, to ask, and it’s ok to come home if anything happens- I know all this!”

She just wanted to set off already. Not get lectured.

“Even so, it never hurts to check,” her mother said with a pointed look, and Eva’s shoulders rose a little as she crossed her arms. Eripi’s giggle earned the older teen a disgruntled glare, while her father’s laugh earned him a solid pout and nose-in-air. “But, before you go, here. A gift.”

Eva blinked as she stared at the pale pastel-red box, tied off with ribbons of decorative purples and greens, her mother pulled out of her bag and held out. “Ah... you didn’t have to?”

“We wanted to. Take it, it’s your’s, sweetie.”

“Well, alright...” Eva took it with both hands and a small bow before tucking it away in her bag. She’d open it later as was custom. “Thanks. Really.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” her mother said as she pulled out another box. “Erin-chan. For you.”

“I-I can’t-” Eripi said with a headshake as she took a few steps back, hands up in front of her.

“Please. It’s the least we can do to help. Take it?”

“I... Thank you so much!” Eripi said with a deep bow as she took the box and quickly stowed it away in her bag. “I’ll send something back from Tokiwa, I promise.”

“You don’t have to...” Eva said with nervous laughter while her mother only smiled and pulled the older teenager into a hug. “You’re practically family.”

“I- T-th-thank you...” Eripi squeaked out as she awkwardly returned the hug. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem, dear,” the woman said as she eased out of the hug, though Eva didn’t miss the flicker of regret. Has this been in the privacy of home, the hug would have lasted until Eripi was the one to pull away. “I’m assuming you’re both headed to the ‘Centre first?”

“Yeah,” Eva said with a nod as she tapped the pokeball on her belt. “I need to heal up Tanknator anyway and it’s on the way out.”

“And I want to buy some ‘balls and potions at the mini-mart there,” Eripi added as she scooped up the eevee. “Maybe... Maybe an Everstone for this little one..?”

“I don’t think they sell the ‘Stones here...” Eva’s father said as he swapped Hisa to the other hip. “It’s worth asking though.”

“Yeah... it is...” Eripi said, arms tightening slightly around said eevee as her head dipped- 

Eva’s gaze flicked towards the rapidly approaching figure of Ms Sakuran. For such a small lady, the woman cut an impressively imposing figure and the flareon at her side only added to it.

Wonderful. 

“Um...” Eripi started, only to cut herself off as she tried to push a smile to her face.

“Sakuran-san!” Eva greeted with a bright wave and cheer she didn’t feel. What I wouldn’t give to bail on this...

“Eva-chan, Iden’no-tachi,” the woman said with the slightest of nods before she turned a stony gaze on Eripi. “I certainly hope you weren’t about to leave without saying goodbye, Erin.”

“No, mother,” the girl said as she seemed to shrink in on herself. “We were actually just getting ready to find you.”

“That’s good, because I have a gift for you,” the woman said and offered out the plainest, dullest giftbox Eva’d ever seen. “I expect to see it used.”

Eripi recalled her eevee before taking it, and from the set of her shoulders, Eva didn’t have to guess what was in the box: a Fire Stone, because of course Eripi wanted a flareon like her mother. “Thank you. It will be, mother. And...” Erip bowed, and Eva could see the tension in her friend. Gods, they were so close to getting Eripi away from her mother and out into the world where she could be herself. So close. “Thank you again for allowing me to travel with Eva.”

“You will call me every night, won’t you?”

“Yes, mother...” Eripi said softly. Eva mentally snorted, even as she nodded as well.” Um... We’d like to set off now, if we can?”

“Of course,” the woman said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Have a safe Journey.”

“Oh, we will!” Eva chirped with a grin. “Uh... We’re going to head off now.” She grabbed Erpi’s hand and shot her parents a grin. “I’ll call you tonight, mum, dad.”

“Y-yea! talk to you later tonight, mum!” Eripi managed to get out as Eva all but dragged her off in the direction of the Pallet Pokemon Centre, leaving the couple to deal with Ms Sakuran.

“Well,” Eva started once they were well on their way, and very much out of sight and earshot of the adults. “What do you say about heading to the ‘Centre and then hitting the road?”

“That sounds great,” Eripi said in a wavering voice, all but jumping as Eva slung an arm over her shoulders. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re going to be the best normal-class trainer out there,” Eva said, giving Eripi’s shoulder a squeeze, “and I won’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“You’re the best. Really,” the teenager said, head thunked against Eva’s as they continued onwards to the 'Centre. “The best in the world.”

“Nah. I’m just someone who cares for her mates,” Eva said with a wry grin, never mind she’d walk to her own execution for the sake of those she cared about. “But, thanks.”

---

“No. No, I wouldn't, for failure shapes us as much as success.”

Chapter Text

-/- Viridian: Part One -/-
Transcript from the ONBS’ interview, published in the Orren Times.

---

“There are people in my life I'd do anything for. Eripi one of them.”

---

“You’d think with all the stalls about there wouldn’t be as many lines,” Erin grumbled as she set the drinks down on the picnic table. Even this far back from the Falls, they could still hear the water’s rushing roar as it cascaded over rocks and into the first pool that would lead out to the lake itself, then eventually to underground rivers.

The lakeside buzzed with all manner of activities, from jumping castles to school groups on a field trip to near everything under the suns. Yet the lake itself was strictly off-limits for many reasons during the spring months, most of them related to the area’s aquatic pokemon. Eva had yet to catch a glimpse of the fabled kingdra, but she had seen a poliwrath and what she thought to be a slowbro before Erin had returned.

“No worries, mate,” Eva said with a grin as she pulled her ramune towards herself. Erin grinned, visibly relieved as she sat down; her drink, from the smell of the open glass, was a sweet, yuzu based tea in a tall glass, complete with curly straw.

“So, now we’ve had a quick squizz at the Falls, who do you think you’ll do first?”

“Huh?” Eva paused in her task of pulling open the plastic from around the ramune top. Though, she wasn’t sure she’d call the hour-long sightseeing hike and pokemon captures at the top of the Falls’ quick’. Especially not the teiru or spearow captures.

“Y-You know,” the older said with a small, nervous laugh and Eva mentally sighed, even as she made a ‘go on’ hum. Three days away from Ms. Sakuran’s stranglehold should have left Erin feeling safer, not jumpier. Weird. “Like, Sakaki-san or Takeshi-san?”

Eva didn’t even have to think. “I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?” Erin asked in confusion. “You’re always sure!”

“Not always.” Eva shrugged and hummed a bit as she used her palm to push the yellow opener down, the glass marble tinking against the glass after a second or so. “Both’d be easy enough, right?”

Erin shrugged a little, uncertain. “I guess so...?”

“It’s not like high-level tiers,” Eva continued on easily. “Where things like tanks and sweepers really come into play, is it?”

“I don’t think so?” Erin said with a small frown, hands tight around her drink. “Though, Takeshi-san is known for his rock-hard defence.”

“Yeah,” Eva nodded with a pleased hum. “And even if it is a baby, Kinasut is no joke.”

Onix never were.

“I...” Erin started, only to glance away.

“Eripi?” Eva prompted after several seconds of silence.

“I think...” Erin swallowed. “Kinasut’s why I think I’ll pass him and Sakaki-san first, you know?”

Eva could guess why Erin’d make such a choice when it came to Brock; Giovanni on the other hand... “Ah? Why Sakaki-san?”

“Seil.” The girl said. “I don’t-”

“It’s ok.” She offered her friend a reassuring smile. “Seil is hard.”

More like a menace of a gligar, but at least it wasn’t the gliscor the man had. That thing was downright cruel and Eva was convinced the thing was only just battle legal, given how bloodthirsty it seemed. Ironic, given the man also had a persian and it was by all accounts as tame and mild as any meowth.

“True, and.... and I’ve been thinking and...” Erin swallowed again, shoulders hunched. “It’s ok if I don’t follow the plan mother set out for me, yeah?”

“Well, yeah?” Eva said, tone calm. As much as it was a clear no-brainer, the fact Erin was even asking...

“I... I’m going to...” Erin’s voice shook.

“Yeah?” Eva encouraged with a small smile.

Erin inhaled sharply, relaxed her hands, straightened, then continued with a determined nod. “I’m going to challenge Surge-san first. I- I know I can, and mother wouldn’t like it, but I’m... I’m not her!”

“Of course not. You’re kinder, for one,” Eva said honestly, pride in her voice. “You’re gonna be the best normal-type trainer out there, right?”

“I am!” Erin said with a small but determined nod. “And I’ll get all my badges with a pure mono-team!”

“Wait- For real?” Eva knew it was possible; one of the more famous cases in the past few years was that of Satoshi Tajiri. Hailing from the Saffron sub-region, he’d almost swept the Kanto League last year with his pure water-type team, only stalling out against Clair’s Kingdra in what was still one of the better caught on camera underwater fights.

“Yeah,” Erin said with a grin. “Teiru learn ‘Skecchi’-”

“Wait, they can?” Brown eyes tracked to the loveball on Erin’s belt, next to Sen’i’s pokeball and the one that held her doduo. Said eevee rested under the table, while the teiru and doduo would need some work before they were allowed out like that. But wild-caught always took more work than pre-trained. “I thought they followed mostly eipamu rules?”

“They do a bit, but they’re more closely related to dōburu,” Erin said brightly. “It’s like with the Ferrese magifikat; they all share a common ancestor but branched out to fill different niches.”

“Huh, ok.” Eva said, trusting that Erin knew what she was talking about when it came to normal-types, even if she wasn’t that convinced teiru were related to smeargle. They looked more like aipom after all. Maybe it was convergent evolution, like cacturne and maractus in some respects. “But I thought dōburu needed tails to sketch?”

“They don’t actually need to use it,” Erin said with a shrug and sip from the drink. “From the studies I’ve read, it’s more the motion made when they copy something, and from vids on the ‘tube, it’s true. You can chop a tail off and they’ll still know how to ‘Skecchi’.”

“Uh... Ok?” Eva blinked, taken aback by how nonchalant Erin seemed when it came to maimed pokemon. That was weird and unsettling.

“Hey Rotom, pull up the tailess dōburu video,” Erin ordered. Eva noted she had yet to name the beige-gray phone. Poor thing, but not everyone came up with a name like they did with pokemon.

“Ozzahy,” the rotomi said as it zipped from Erin’s pocket and spun to face Eva. Within seconds, the video played out on screen.

Eva watched, fascinated as a half-tailed smeargle bound out into the tennis court of a field, only for the semi-bipedal monster to pull up short, clearly reacting to a trainer off-screen. Suddenly, the entire screen seemed to shake as it took on purple and orange hues; both shaking and colouration lasted for several seconds, and throughout it all, the smeargle stood still, transfixed on whatever it was watching. The tail twitched side to side, keeping time as the pokemon reared up on its hind legs, raised a paw to the left shoulder, and slashed the air in an upwards diagonal. It abruptly took a sharp angle downwards then swept out as the pokemon took on a faint pink glow.

“Did it lose it in an accident?” Eva asked when the video ended without revealing the ‘Sketched’ move.

“No,” Erin said blankly as the rotom powered phone hovered by her shoulder. “There was something wrong with the tip they couldn’t fix, so...”

“Oh,” Eva said, not sure what to think on that or why if it was just the tip half a tail had been taken off. But not her pokemon, and she got the feeling Erin didn’t want to talk about the details. She would later learn the pokemon had suffered from repeated, chronic infections within the pigment-producing glands that ran half the tail; removal of half the tail had been the kindest thing to do. “You plan on getting one?”

“If I can...” Erin said simply as she poked the ice with her straw.

Eva cocked her head. “Eripi?”

“They’re not... native to Kanto, and the ones in the ‘Zones are.... hard to find and even then...” She trailed off with a sad shrug. It spoke volumes of what she thought her chances of finding and keeping one from any of the Safari Zones within Kanto was. Never mind as to what Ms. Sakuran would think about the scruffy, so-called ‘sketching pokemon’. “I’d have to travel to Johto, or buy from a breeder...”

“Ah...” Eva nodded in understanding even as she made a mental note to check out as many of the Zones as possible. Erin deserved to be happy and true to herself, not stuffed in a box of what her mother thought best. “But the teiru works, too, right?”

“Yeah! And if I do my cards right-”

“You’ll get a Giga Impact by your second badge?” It was possible given the move tutoring industry.

Erin grinned. “Y-Yeah! Or um. Destruction Beam.”

Eva blinked -that was aiming high- and cocked her head to the side. “Why not a move machine?”

Erin near choked on her drink. “Those cost-- TM 15 alone is--”

“About 5500 coins from a Game Corner-”

“I am not gambling!” Erin cut in.

“You don’t have to?” Eva said with a blink or three, nonplussed by the reaction when it was well known drunk gamblers shared coins with just about anyone.

“Eva, even if I get them from um, drunks, it’s still gambling.”

“True, I guess...” Eva didn’t really see what was wrong with it, but each to her own. “You can buy them from Tamamushi’s departo for around ten thousand?”

“That’s... still a lot.” Erin said, chewing her lip as she poked the ice again. “And prize money...”

“Adds up quickly,” Eva said firmly. “You remember the jun we spent as trainers with mum’s pokemon, yeah?”

“Yeah?” Erin frowned.

“We started with what? two thousand?”

“No, it was three. I remember it because mother put it in a red envelope with blue bow. It actually looked pretty for once,” Erin retorted with a huff.

“We finished the week with thirty thousand, yea?”

“You did. I was at forty-five,” Erin said with a giggle before sinking down into herself. “But mum took-”

“Doesn’t matter,” Eva said, cutting the other girl off before unpleasant memories could surface. Gods on a wing, Ms. Sakuran would never again touch Erin’s money or make her feel lesser or like she wasn’t good enough. “The point is, you earned it.”

“I did,” Erin confirmed with a nod.

“Yea, so if we go looking for it, prize money adds up quickly, plus there's the fortnightly stipend we get...” Eva finished firmly.

"True, and that's what, eighty-thousand?" Erin asked, and when Eva nodded, she continued on. “Both are eaten just as quickly by heals and ‘balls, and the like-”

Eva shook her head. “For me, yeah. You can afford to save.”

“Eva?” Erin cocked her head.

“I plan on getting eight this season,” Eva said as she leaned back in her chair, recycled plastic creaking under her weight.

Erin’s eyes bugged out. “Eight? are you- that’s insane!-”

“Yeah, but I know he’ll be aiming for it like the overachieving wanker he is,” Eva said sourly as a deep scowl wrought its way across her face.

“EVA!” Erin scolded. “Don’t be rude.”

“’S not that rude,” Eva grumbled darkly. “And he is a wanker; he made himself my Rival without asking!”

“True....” Erin said as she wrinkled her nose. “At least you only have to wait a year...”

“Yeah, then I’m ousting him. No one likes a boy who thinks he can do whatever; it’s bossy.”

“It is, yeah,” Erin agreed as she fished out a smaller ice cube and crunched down on it.

Eva shot her a look, but all that got a grin from the ice-eating weirdo of a girl. “But, yeah, I’m gonna go for eight, so I won’t have much money spare, but you can-”

“No.” Erin shook her head having finished the ice cube. “I don’t want a cold reputation because I battled for the sake of money. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Don’t let anyone push you into it, either,” Eva said seriously enough that she saw Erin’s swallow. But she meant it; it was one thing to get a rep for battle, but an entirely different thing to be known to battle just for the cash it brought in. “Even your mother.”

“Ok, I won’t-...!” The words ended in a squeak when the eevee jumped up onto her lap with what sounded like a mewled whine as its tail wag-flicked from side to side.

Eva laughed as Erin blinked down at her Starter. “See? Even Sen’i agrees with me.”

“Yeah... I guess?” Erin said as she pet the grey-coloured eevee with a small smile, and Eva once again bit her tongue to keep the curses from it. Like everything Ms. Sakuran had ever promised Erin, it’d turned out to be an imitation. Sen’i was no shinier than the next eevee. If anything, she was an unwanted pokemon sold for cheap, but at least she was Erin’s now. Something almost seemed to sparkle in the grey fur under Erin’s hands. The girl startled and blinked, but it was already gone and Erin’s shoulders slumped a little. There then not. A trick of the eye and brain as it looked for something that wasn’t even there. Sen’i wasn’t shiny, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t perfect just the way she was. “Anyway. If I go with Surge-san first... We can take him down, right?”

“Of course! His first’s his oricorio and shinx, Sunray and Arclight,” Eva said with only a small hesitation on the names. “His next lot has one of the ‘chu in it. One of One-Eye’s pups, Limdu, I think, so you know it’ll have ‘egg moves’.”

Erin’s nose wrinkled slightly as she considered it. “Hmm... Rotom.”

“Mizztrezz?” The mechanical, AI-driven voice intoned as it hovered next to Erin, who pushed it to lay flat on the table so they both could see, even if Eva also had her rotom, Roro, out just to make it easier on Erin.

“Pull up the stats for Surge’s first team,” Erin hummed ordered as she flicked open her ‘dex. “And-”

“I beg your pardons, but might I request a moment of your time?” Came accented, near-perfect Yamatan.

As one, the pair turned to face the owner and found a young standing near the table, a strange, white-masked darkish coloured, blue cheeked rodent of some sort sitting on his shoulder. Roldenki, Eva thought, or something out of the Islands at least. Like the boy, and were it not for the Orange Island accent, they’d have thought him from the Imperial House given the court formal language used. He certainly looked it in the sharp vest and slacks and she’d eat her badge case if the pair of adults behind him weren’t bodyguards.

“Sure?” Erin asked, blinking up at him.

“Would that ībui be for sale?”

“What- No! Sen’i’s my Starter!” Erin spluttered as she curled around the eevee protectively. “Knock off shiny or not-”

“Knock off?” the boy asked in confusion.

“Yeah, fake shiny. You know, something breeders sell at a loss?” Eva retorted with a scowl, hand not quite on a pokeball, but close enough she could grab it if this boy was as dumb as he seemed.

“I... see.” the young man’s face took on a strange look. One Eva didn’t like. Her hand rested on the ‘ball and the adults shifted. Eva glared at them -she wouldn’t attack, but she would defend herself if required- while the boy continued on, oblivious to the threat; imperial stock or not used to being out in the real world. Typical noble boy then. “When you breed her, I would be happy to stud my Miai to her for the chance at another like her.”

“I- Um-” Erin started, eyes wide.

“I would, naturally, be happy to reimburse you handsomely for the chance and you may of course keep any pup not like her-”

Eva growled, brushed a reassuring hand over Erin’s, and then snapped at the boy, if only to shut him up. “Gods of the Four, you’re worse than a sheltered Imperial Princess! Don’t you mean if? and who are you anyway?”

“I am Ayanokoji,” the boy said with a huff, apparently offended someone wouldn’t have instantly recognised him. Eva dismissed him even harder as she snatched up her phone and thumbed the option to look up the name. Roro was on its game. This Ayanokoji was clearly some self-important idiot boy not yet put in his place. Honestly, Satoru was slightly better than this; at least he got hints about when to shut up and look pretty. This boy was probably a few years older, but nowhere near as socially trained in the art of ‘keeping a mouth shut’. Her option only furthered with what else Ayanokoji said. “Of course the eevee would be bred.”

Oh, so he came from that mindset, too? More strikes against him.

“I was thinking of spaying her,” Erin glowered as she found her confidence, eyes little more than slits of green. “She’s not even worth breeding.”

The boy boggled at them.

“Eripi?” Eva said tapping her friend on the shoulder then holding Roro up for the other girl to see. On the screen was the page for the Ayanokoji clan from the Orange Islands and a quick skim had confirmed what Eva’d thought: some self-important noble brat of a boy who didn’t know his place or how to take hints. Erin glanced wide-eyed at Eva, who nodded.

“S-Spaying?” the boy said, apparently having found his tongue.

“Yeah,” Erin said with a frown. “She’s mine, so I can do it if I want.”

“I’ll buy her off you-”

“I told you, she’s my Starter!” Erin snapped, and Eva had to take a sip to hide her smirk as grim determination writ itself across Erin’s face. It was one thing to ask if a pokemon was for sale, but to ask again after learning it was the Starter... Well, the boy was either stupid, or that much of a self-important bastard. Stupid, Eva decided -with smart guards who looked bored, but Eva could see the hint of a smirk on one’s face- when Ayanokoji opened his mouth to protest, and Erin’s determination morphed into something hard and steely, even as she clung to the pokemon in question. “She’s not for sale or breeding or whatever! She’s going to be an eevee forever because I like her like that and no one will change that!”

As if to further get the point across, Erin parted the pokemon’s fur to show off the everstone collar.

“I... Of course,” he said after a second or two, clearly not happy, though neither Eva or Erin particularly cared what a boy thought. “I did not mean to imply any offence unto you.”

“It’s ok,” Erin said awkwardly; from another region and a boy or not, he was a noble and it was only right to show some sort of respect. At least he wasn't Kazoku. “Um. Good luck with your search?”

“Thank you,” he said stiffly with an equally stiff bow before he turned, motioned to the guards to follow, and headed off in the general direction of one of the teleport areas.

“Well, that was weird,” Erin started once she was sure the boy was gone.

“Yeah - stuck up bastard, too, but no worries, right?” Eva said with a nod of agreement.

“Yeah...” Erin looked down at Sen’i, then back up at Eva, uncertainty in her face and voice. “Do... you think...?”

“Yeah, nah,” Eva said with an eyeroll. “He’s not Kazoku and Sen’i’s just a knock off shiny.”

“One that’s mine,” Erin said as she ran fingers through the pokemon’s fur with a small, happy smile. “So... you were saying about Surge?”

“Oh, yeah, the stats- Roro?” Eva said, attention now on her rotomi as it reopened the page that listed Surge’s team and its stats. “Pull up yours too.”

“Ok...” Erin said as she did as told. She stared at the page, Sunray and Arclight’s images staring back at her alongside almost incomprehensible numbers. “I... I think I’m gonna have to match levels if I want a chance...”

“A bit, yeah,” Eva said after she finished the ramune. “You’re only, what, level six or seven right now and everyone knows pokemon build levels fast under ten, so...”

“Well, levels are just a marker of how strong or mature it is, right?” Erin asked, and at Eva’s nod, she continued on. “But didn’t the vet say there’s also visual markers?”

Eva nodded as she tapped Roro’s screen in thought. “Yeah. Like, your dōdō; it’s half the size they are before they’re considered grown, and by thirteen, it’ll be close to that.”

“That’s true,” Erin agreed and pointed to the picture of the yellow oricorio perched on a rock. “And Sunray’s full-grown, yeah?”

“It is, yeah. Apparently, he let it grow to adult before training it for battle,” Eva said, mouth twisted in thought as she stared at the numbers on the screen. “But I don’t think that’s a good idea... Hey, gimme its’ ball.”

“Huh?”

“My ‘dex can do stat projections so you can get an idea,” Eva said by way of explanation. “Not just the typical stuff most ‘dex do, either.”

“You got researcher’s?” Erin boggled as she unhooked the ‘ball from her belt.

“I guess? Or an experimental build,” Eva shrugged at the end, not bothered in the slightest. “That or I poked it enough and figured out how to hack the settings.”

“Probably just the settings. Not everyone has to know everything about pokemon, you know that right?” Erin said with a small, amused headshake as she handed the tennis-ball-sized red and white object over.

“I know I know, but the more you can use the ‘dex, the easier it is, even for just pets?” Or so Eva thought as she held the pokeball up to the scanner on the front. A few button presses and a muttered command to Roro, and the projected stats flashed up as a holographic projection from the blue ‘crystal’ on the upper left-hand corner of the machine. Alongside the lines of text came a rotating of the twin-headed bird, courtesy of Roro and the internet.

“I have no idea what any of the numbers even mean,” Erin said as she poked the line that read ‘HP: 35 ((0,0) 33 - (31,255) 46)’, finger going through the projected light. “You think it could be useful? Seeing these, I mean.”

“Probably. Unlike your other two, dōdō don’t do good against electric-types, so.... you’ll want to train it to fourteen, maybe fifteen.”

“Fifteen? But that’s... getting arrogant when it comes to badge battles...”

“If you tell the Gym, it’ll be fine,” Eva said firmly, echoing what her mother had told her once about how Gym Leaders and the League liked to do things so they were as fair a test as possible. “But I’d stick to fourteen as high as you go anyway.”

“True... Anyway, the numbers?” Erin asked as she took her pokeball back.

“Just projections. So, like, you see the HP, yeah?” Eva pointed to the same line.

“I do, and that’s the aggregated number based on, uh, training and age, and how tough the species is, right? And the uh, potentials it has?”

“Basically,” Eva agreed; it was a little more than that in truth, though Erin was correct in her summary as what the numbers meant.

“Though why the range on Saki?” Eva mentally filed the doduo’s name away as Erin talked. “And what’s the 35 mean? Mine doesn’t look like that...”

“Probably because I poked around the settings,” Eva said, though she couldn’t deny her display did look different. Most pokedex, like the ones the class had had basic lessons with over the years, did not show base stats, ranges or the numerical value of the potentials. Yet, even without all the added data points, the numbers were useful guides to pokemon. Not perfect -no system ever was- but given the several millennia of recorded data about pokemon, it was as accurate as could be.

“The range’s because it’s not registered as mine.” At least she thought that was it, but it sounded right. “The 35’s the base stat-”

“Huh, so that’s its single base data point for its HP then,” Erin said, impressed and, Eva was certain, perhaps a touch jealous.

“If you ask me, a dōdō’s Speed’s more important for Surge anyway, see?”

Eva poked the line that read 'Speed: 75 ((0,0) 26 - (31,255) 39)', then tapped the one next to Sunray that read 'Speed: 93 ((0,0) 29 - (31,255) 41)'.

“So... Out speed?” Erin asked in an effort to hide her confusion. Eva didn’t blame her; pokemon training could and did get complicated if one brought numbers into it.

“More reaction time here, as you don’t wanna try and outlast him.”

“Some people do...” Erin pointed out.

“They have high HP, defence or specs, or grounds and rocks,” Eva pointed out in return, not bothering to add that some trainers even specifically trained their pokemon to resist weaknesses as best they could. “At the end, it’s up to you, but I think you should probably do some resistance training to help with the electrical weakness-”

“Saki’s a flightless-”

“It can leap and I know you’ve seen the vids of that battle up at the League.”

Erin swallowed. “The one where the bird was dead on landing?”

“Yeah.” Eva nodded. “No no fault of the trainer when it comes to bad timing, but-”

“I’ll do my best. But professionals...” Erin trailed off with an awkward shrug.

“Cost, but you can ask my dad, too.” A beat, then: “Or mum.”

“True.” Erin nodded but Eva could see her friend’s heart wasn’t into it. Probably because she thought the Iden’no family had already done so much for her, and in a way they had, yet Erin was basically a daughter and sister; part of the family. Not for the first time did Eva wish Ms. Sakuran would fall foul of the gods. Any god if it’d free Erin from the woman’s claws. “Anyway, you also have Sen’i and that teiru, so you’ll be fine. Plus you’re a rookie. He’s no cakewalk and he is ex-mil-”

“Orren at that!” Erin pointed out. “You know how they are.”

“Yeah, but the point is you’ll be fine; he knows how to battle rookies.” Most Gym Leaders did, but some were better at it than others. “Plus, I’m only a ‘gear away, right?”

“Haha true. Always nice to have a real trainer on hand-”

“Oh come on, you’re also a real trainer!” Eva said with a grin. “Don’t sell yourself short. Not when you’re going to be the best normal-type trainer.”

“Ahh... but you know what I mean,” Erin said, ducking her head as if that’d hide her from the world. “I’m not really good with the trainer stuff... Not like you.”

Eva bit down the scoff. If she was good at being a trainer, she’d have won that match against Satoru, not humiliated herself in front of the whole town. In front of her mum and sister. Instead, she smiled and offered out a hand as she stood. “Easy way to fix that, you know.”

“Would any of them be free?” Erin said as she got up, glass in hand, though Eva wondered how much was drink and how much was the ice Erin liked to chew.

Eva glanced skyward, gaged the sun to be about an hour after noon, then shrugged. “At least one. It’s not like it’s later in the arvo.”

“True...” Erin said as she recalled Sen’i. “Ok. Let’s go find one and see if we can get some battles, yeah?”

“Or watch some of the more experienced trainers,” Eva added as they linked arms. “Hey, think we can find a dragon tamer?”

Erin’s face lit up as she all but dragged Eva off toward the areas for streetbattles and souvenirs to send back to Pallet.

---

“Come to think of it, we never did find a dragon tamer that day.”

Chapter Text

-/- Viridian: Part Two -/-

Special Edition Transcript; ONBS' interview published in the Orren Times.

---

Ha! So I get a chance to add to this? Sweet. Wait, Eva  does  know about this-?

Of course.

She better. 'S my head otherwise.

---

Three days since he'd left Pallet and now he stood before it. His dominant hand fisted around Momo's pokeball as he gazed up at it.

He was here, as a trainer, and by the stride of the zeraora, it was magnificent.

From the tiniest to eldest, there was one immutable fact everyone knew: Gym Complexes were the beacons of the world, with a shining heart that'd been nurtured with blood, sweat, and tears until it sung twin tunes, both equally important as the other. One call of Safety, of assurance the people would always have a protector and place of refuge; the Gym Leader, would look after her people no matter what.

The other of Show. Of an allure that beckoned to any trainer willing to test their mettle against the Gym Leader in front of a crowd. To prove to the world she could hold her own against what the world would throw at her.

Yet, regardless of the songs, the regions would agree on the same: A Gym was the reason its home-city was a worldwide name.

The Viridian Gym Complex was no exception and Satoru let out a small whistle.

He'd seen it before, but now he was a trainer it seemed different. Somehow more imposing.

It wasn't, but like all Gyms, it imposed itself on the surrounding space in a way that ensured it drew the eye. Not even the main pokemon centre could compete, and that discounted the Gym's stadium and ever-present evergreen trees, each one decked out in glittering emerald fairy lights, some shaped after tiny cleffa or other fairy-types, that shone even during the day. It was one of the most popular selfie spots, made all the more so by the numerous visits from Empress Toshi and her consort over the decades.

He was half tempted for a selfie just because.

But that was the glitz, the attractions. The draw. Exceptional, yes -he wasn't biased-, but it was nothing compared to the underground foundations that had been sunk deep into the ground. Solid and hardy, they'd weathered many an earthquake or worse. They'd always had help from the latest in cutting-edge technology to keep them psychically shielded and secure, both from earthquakes and underground pokemon, and in the face of the oft-times titanic battles within and without.

It was a bastion of stability.

Yet, even now, in the era of buildings, foundations, and walls dotted with gleaming technological innovations, the Gym largely held to ancient design aesthetics: clay tiles lined the hip and gable roof, its spines wrought with intricate stonework depicting not just groudon, but all manner of gods, be they god-species or no. Wide eaves jutted out over the walls, perfect for the spring and autumn storm seasons and the rains they brought.

If Satoru looked closely, he could see some of the more common protective charms strung up under them, with the main style he could see the simple teru-teru-bozu. Like all protective charms, these were placed in the hope they and the hundreds of gods invoked, would ward off or lessen the inevitable deluge spring storms brought every year. Doubtless from the city's children, and all made waterproof, much like the one that hung off his bag, or the luck-charm under his shirt.

Superstition or not, it felt good to know they were there. Reassuring in ways he could never hope to explain. Yet Satoru jerked his eyes away as he clipped Momo's ball back on the belt; he could spend all day staring at the ghost-like charms and he didn't have time for that.

He shoved the hand in a pocket as his eyes landed on the doors, and slowly started his approach, soaking up as much detail as he could. Solid; made of keyaki heartwood and stained a golden-brown with iron hinges, the metal supposedly from the core of a fallen star, or even molten slag created by an adult groudon itself.

Or so the most common founding myths of the city said, but everyone knew it was meteoric iron. Yet the heart of a fallen star, or slag from a groudon able to stop monsters in their tracks sounded better. More mystical. His chin lifted, gait steady; the myth was like the ones which surrounded his family and the supposed castle they'd built back in the bakufu, in the time of Empress Shōtoku some seven hundred years ago. Though, thanks to the Sibling Squabble, those were now ruins that had been in the family for the last three Joining Twins.

Or, if one went by year count, at least a hundred and fifty years. But he didn't know why one would do that for long periods of time.

At least the Viridian Gym Complex had survived that upheaval largely intact. The same couldn't be said for others; Saffron and Cinnabar had been completely rebuilt from the ground up.

Satoru barely had a foot on the steps, that, if he looked he'd still see traces of flame scorch on the stone -dragonfire?-, when a voice called from behind. "It's shut, stupid."

"Huh?" Satoru said as he whirled, trying to find where the voice had come from.

"It's shut for the day," the voice said, this time with a snort-scoff. "What, you deaf as well as stupid?"

His eyes landed on a redhead kid in some kind of school uniform; the kind that consisted of a white blouse with a dark, near-black were it not for the shimmer, crystal blue sailor collar and bow, and a pleated skirt the same colour. A man in grey slacks and a white shirt stood behind her in easy parade rest, but Satoru mentally dismissed him. "Thought it was a half-day."

He knew it was one. The girl should still be in school, or off in cram, what with the prestigious private school look she sported. Rich, probably. Rich and spoiled and disconnected from everyone. At least his family eschewed private schools in favour of the average public ones.

"Still shut," the kid retorted with a smirk, head lifted slightly.

Satoru's eyes narrowed. She didn't look old enough to be a lady for one, and her hair was long enough to be pushed back over her shoulders. But the man behind her was a bodyguard. Had to be or he wasn't an Okido.

He had one too, technically back at the main 'Centre, but realistically tailing him like he was some stupid brat who didn't know how the real world worked. Of course he knew how it worked; his mother had seen to it. Plus, he had an abra on the belt, which he didn't see on the girl, though it could be with her bodyguard. Like Amiya, the man sported several basic 'balls on the belt. Any one of them could hold the teleporter.

"Tch." Teeth ground as familiarity tugged at him, like he'd met her before and Satoru dismissed it readily enough. If called on it, he could just claim he was a boy. He couldn't possibly be expected to remember everyone he'd ever interacted with or seen. He bit out: "What, you mean I missed my chance?"

"No. It's always closed on weekends and half-days," the girl said as her head canted to the side, red eyes blank and bored.

Satoru took a half step back as his pulse hammered in his ears.

Red eyes.

Darkened. This girl was a Darkened and he could feel the weight of judgement in her Distortion damned eyes. In the bodyguard's, too.

He caught the small uptick of a smirk from her-

Hands fisted. What, no. He would not allow some brat of a rich girl to scare him, especially not a Darkened. They were people too (yet no psychic could ever get a read on them and that was Worrying-). Focus. "Aww, whatever." He was not afraid of some brat! "Don't suppose you know when he'll be back?"

He needed to get his first badge as soon as possible, if only to upstage Leaf before she could get hers and prove he was as good as any girl. Better, even.

"Dad'll be back tomorrow, but you need to make a booking," the girl said with a lazy shrug. "And you do that at the main 'Centre."

"Dad?" he repeated dumbly, trying desperately to place why she was so familiar-

The girl stared at him then rolled her eyes. "The Gym Leader?"

"Huh?" He was missing something here and he knew it.

The girl stared for another few seconds as red eyes shone with a laughter that soon bubbled into her voice. "So it's true the Okido boys aren't as quick-witted! Hey, Archer," She tipped her head back with a casual smirk. "You think dad'd arrange-"

"No," Archer said simply.

"For the best though," the girl sniffed, nose in the air as she turned her attention back to Satoru. "I don't like saihōn-brained boys!"

Dark eyes narrowed as a lip curled. Rhyhorn-brained? him? "You-"

He knew who she was now, and her eyes glinted. Sharpened, and she didn't give him a chance to finish his thoughts. "Awww. What's the matter? Sando clawed your tongue?" Her grin was razor-sharp. "Stupid and mute; hmph. Typical boy."

"Well, excuse me for not recognising you in a school uniform!" He shot back, face flushed and hands fisted as he ignored the sandshrew-based jab that also pointed out his gender, as if that was something to be ashamed of when it was her fault she'd cut him off. But he knew who this was now. Her and her sharp-tongued reputation as the only scion of the Shinoda. "Anyway, you wanna spoil what Granny was doing with your dad at the party?"

"Why should I?" Kamoko Shinoda said, tone mild as she cocked her head slightly, a maddening grin playing across her face. "Not like a boy'd understand."

Wow, what was with her hate of his gender? Jealous, much?

"Well, Granny wouldn't say, so I guess it's either cause you'll soon be a lady," he pitied any boy in her social circle; the excited squeals were bad enough without sighting the proud evidence of it. "Or maybe it's about that vapid Imperial boy you hung around with?"

Her face wrinkled in distaste.

Not that he blamed her; Imperial boys were boring and dull, with half of them vapid things more concerned with looks than anything worth actually doing. He was glad he wasn't one, even if his lineage was linked in with the Indigo Empresses. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Kamoko's eyes narrowed, and Satoru grinned. "You've got a beth-"

"No, I don't," Kamoko hissed, head lifted, eyes cruel, dark and merciless like a bloody deepwinter's night. Her smirk was enough to send ice-fingers down his spine; she was a person, she was a person-. "What a lady does and who she hangs out with isn't any business of a boy!"

"Oh yeah?" the retort was automatic, more an effort to stave off an imagined chill than anything. Darkeneds weren't able to affect people; he was imagining things, that was all. "At least I don't have to pay attention to politics!"

Lies.

"Think of it this way: At least you'll make decent arm-candy when you're married off!" Kamoko barked out with a cold, hard laugh.

Satoru's face twisted into a sneer. "Better arm-candy than Darkened!"

He shouldn't have said that. She was a person. A lady-

"Oh?" Her tone was mild and somewhat curious. Not what he'd expected, but he could work with that.

"Well, yeah!" He snorted. "The only use you lot have is breaking the hold a GED has on a monster!"

He was running his mouth again, but it was true and sometimes he didn't know why they didn't just round the lot of them up. Immune to psychics of all kinds, his dad often said. Well, the man who'd helped raise him and Daisy and was Chiaki's bio-dad, but he was still his dad. His mother called Darkeneds untrustworthy at best and those who'd use guns at worst, and Satoru wasn't sure he disagreed with that assessment, either. Not when the once a decade or so experiments on them always ended the same way: no new results.

"At least I'm a lady!" Kamoko hissed and shot to her feet. Satoru backed up a step; he'd seen that look before and had no desire to be punched or dodge one- only for the bodyguard to suddenly be there at her side, hand on shoulder, impassive as he weathered the girl's stare. "He insulted me-"

"Your father would be displeased if you hit him," the man intoned.

"Wasn't gonna hit him," Kamoko retorted sourly and Satoru mentally snorted. "Just teach a boy like him his place."

Wasn't that the same as hitting him?

"I believe he knows his place," the guard intoned again. If not for the deadpan, he could have been Shin as an adult. But that'd be stupid; no jiheishō would ever be chosen as a bodyguard.

"I do," Satoru said on automatic, more an attempt to diffuse the situation, hands half up in surrender. "I'm sorry I insulted you, Kamoko-"

"It's Silver," the girl shot back.

"Silver-chan," he finished as if he hadn't skipped a beat, and then, more formally than he'd have liked, he continued. "My Lady Shinoda, I beg forgiveness, for rest assured in that I, in no way or form, meant an insult onto or towards you. Please, accept my most humblest of apologies."

Satoru's bow was Saikeirei, a deep and formal 45-degree angle that originated from the waist. She wasn't Kazoku, so he didn't have to do a Zarei -the sitting bow reserved for those of equal or higher social rank. Yet Silver eyed him, and he could feel her gaze on him as he swallowed indignation down and dutifully kept the gaze on the ground at her feet rather than his shoes. He was a boy, after all, and she the Lady. No matter how he felt about it, she'd always be socially higher than he, even if his station in life was higher.

The highest born boy was always lower than the lowest born lady. It was just how it was.

"I suppose not," Silver said as she settled herself on the bench again, smile plastic as Satoru straightened. "Saihōn-brained are just that."

Court manners, or close enough to pass for them. He bowed again, stiff and rigid, but her feelings mattered more than his ever would. "You are most gracious, O-Hime."

"Yeah, yeah," the redhead Darkened said with a dismissive wave and eyeroll as he straightened once again. "Now go book at the 'Centre like a good trainer and get out off my ground."

He didn't have to be told twice, and with yet another, shallower bow, and the distinct feeling of being some bobblehead of a human, he made his way back towards the Pokemon Centre. Though, instead of heading into the massive building, he took a left and headed towards the main Ani-Off store nearby.

He needed a distraction; something familiar to take his mind off things.

-/-/-/-/-

"This is not the 'Centre," Amiya's voice came from behind him.

"Yeah, and?" Satoru said, shoulders hunching even as he kept his eyes on the row of manga that lined the shelves of the second floor of the store. "I'm gonna do that one last. When she's in cram or something!"

He didn't want to deal with her and punching the Viridian Gym Leader's daughter wouldn't go over well. If he was lucky, he'd just be scolded.

"Of course," Amiya said, and that all but confirmed she'd shadowed Satoru. "What are you looking for?"

"The usual," the boy said with a shrug, still not looking at her. "Bleech, Faeri Tale, Piece of Eight..." Maybe even New Era Genesis if he could find it. One of the Bluey books, too, for Chiaki to read. If not, he'd have to look it all up on the systems, and or order it straight into his Personal Box to withdraw at a later date. Save the Bluey books; those were insanely popular to the point he'd find something she'd like at the very least.

"None of the mainstream? As you wish," Amiya said with a small grin in the face of the dark glare from her charge. "Mags?"

"Already got the Champion and Daily Trainer," he motioned to the small stack in the basket, the Champion's cover showing a smiling Clair, the woman's eyes more hazel than gold in the lighting, and her wetsuit a full-bodied one; dark blue with cyan piping that matched her hair, pulled back into a twisted, artfully messy braided bun. She sat poolside alongside Taru, one arm resting on the kingdra's head. Around them bobbed a handful of horsea, no doubt all sired by the kingdra. Satoru knew enough about the woman to understand that either Taru was relaxed and thus the horsea were out of the pouch, or Clair had it under mind control. Yet, he thought it more likely someone trusted had snapped the photo, given how relaxed and at ease the GED appeared.

Likely Lance. Rumour painted the cousins as close.

"Reading up?"

His mouth twisted. He knew what was coming. "Planning ahead more like it-"

"Uh-huh," Amiya said as she fished the most recent Daily Trainer out for a brief look, mouth quirking in amusement. Misty and Morty were both on the cover. Misty in blue and white sweats with a baby squirtle in arms, red hair pulled up into the almost trademarked side-tail. He didn't consider it her best cover, but she did share it with Morty, who stood to her left and behind her with a wide grin and victory hand sign. Compared to Misty's casual attire, he wore a dark cable knit jumper, white slacks and custom runners, with a small shuppet hovering beside him, and long, blonde hair held back via an artfully faded blue headband.

Satoru snorted, snatched it back, and returned it to the basket with a scowl. "I am! They're interviewing Sagara-san as this is her second season, and I want to know if I should do her second or third."

Amiya raised an eyebrow and Satoru's scowl deepened. It had nothing to do with how hot Misty looked. Really!

"Well, then," Amiya said after a beat or two, unperturbed as always by her scowling charge. "You've it all worked out?"

"More or less." He already knew he'd do her second after Giovanni, then 'port back to Pewter for Brock as the third. It seemed like the ideal order of things, though he could do Surge second or fourth. Third had that raichu of his; Bob. It wasn't as terrifying as One-eye, but he did not want to face it. "You think I can cash in on the name to get in faster for Shinoda-san?"

It'd jump Leaf up as well, but he doubted she was even near Viridian, what with her fascination with plants of all stripes.

"I wouldn't know," Amiya said with a shrug and Satoru tried not to roll his eyes. She knew, she just didn't want to tell him. Typical lady. "Those the only mags?"

"Yeah. Nekuz and Jump Boy ain't out yet," he muttered. "And I don't want any of the tabloids."

They were trash most of the time and with the Season just having started, it seemed all anyone wanted to talk about was who was dating who.

"Right," Amiya nodded as she helped hunt down what he wanted.

"And Dial's got nothing about the upcoming wedding of one of the Ryuhana to what's her face's kid." Pity; that would have been fun to read. Yet it was in the basket too. Just because it didn't have what he wanted to read didn't mean he'd pass on the most reputable for Imperial reportings.

"They are one of the oldest lineages..." Amiya murmured. "Likely wanting to keep it as private as possible. You know how they are."

"Hn," he said with a grunt. "Least I'm not important enough to be stuck."

Yet, at least. And he liked boobs; he was pretty sure of that at least. Being stuck in a loveless match was not something he ever wanted, thank you very much.

He studiously did not meet Amiya's knowing gaze as he vaguely headed towards the check-outs; he paused only to grab one of the new jumbo-sized Bluey colouring books for Chiaki, and this Seasons' updated Traveller Info Guide for the 'gear. If he overlayed it with the town map, he'd have an up to date record of Kanto and her sub-regions wherever he went.

"That's true," Amiya said as she picked up a book for herself on the way.

Satoru did his best not to hunch his shoulders more than they were – then snorted. "Let's go pay then go register. Sooner I get the badge the faster we can leave."

"Of course," his guard said as he lead them to one of the self-serve check-outs, where he went through the process almost on automatic.

Amiya didn't understand; she was a lady. She'd never have to deal with it. If his mother or Grandmother wanted him to be married, or at the very least, partnered off, he would be, end of story, and it was likely they were already looking at his prospects. It'd be stupid not to; for all the freedoms he had compared to most boys of the same social standings or higher, he was a political asset.

He was a boy. In the eyes of society, it was only natural that he wasn't as good as a lady. He shouldn't be upset by this.

If he took out the cost of the TIG, the total was reasonable. With it, it was close to twenty-thousand yen.

More than he wanted to spend, but… he needed the TIG, so into the bag it went.

He shouldn't be upset. A lady wouldn't be upset and if he was going to prove he was just as good, then he needed to get his emotions under control. He'd never known a lady to allow them to rule her, and he was just as good as one; he'd prove it, one way or the other. He'd get his first badge and then be out of the city before Leaf got here. He'd get all his badges in a single season and enter his name into the lists of greats. That he was a rookie boy doing it, well.

If it made him stand out all the more then so be it. He would prove to the world he was-

"'Port back?"

Satoru blinked. "Huh?

"Teleport?" Amiya held up her abra's 'ball with a grin.

Uh. When had they gotten outside? Wait, dumb question. He'd gotten caught up in thoughts. Dammit, he was off his game and he knew it. Time for food and manga. "Yeah, sure." He gripped the plastic bag tighter. "Sooner we get there the faster I can get my name down to challenge."

And the faster he would dive into the manga at least and escape to a world where boys could do anything ladies could. Maybe even check in on the boards devoted to the various series.

That sounded like a plan.

Chapter Text

"What an idiot," Silver scoffed as the Oak boy stalked off, ostensibly to register for a badge battle at Viridian's Gym, but she thought it far more likely he would sulk. Ugh. So not an attractive trait when all it did was showcase how spoiled he was. Only once he was out of earshot did she speak again with barely glance at her bodyguard. "I pity the lady who's saddled with him."

"Perhaps that is wise. He's certainly been allowed to run wild," Archer said with a hint of distaste. "Yet if it were yourself? You wouldn't allow such behaviour, would you?"

"Don't be stupid!" The retort was instant, with all the huff of an offended heiress behind it. "I'd put him in his place. You know that!"

She meant it. A boy that dumb needed a good, firm hand, if only to stand a ghost of a chance of actually growing a brain. At least then he'd have common sense and not be a liability when it came to life's realities. "But dad wouldn't, would he?"

"No."

Silver relaxed. "Huh, so he's gonna let me do like he did with mum, then?"

Archer cocked his head slightly. "The love match?"

"Yeah." She knew the story; they'd met and fallen in love while dad had been on the battle circuits before he'd become Gymleader. It was something to aspire towards; romantic even, when not everyone met the love of their lives while doing battle circuits. Yet, sometimes she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if her mother and baby brother had survived the birth. If her dad wasn't thrust into being a single, working father who had to juggle everything and instead chose to be a working father... Silver mentally shook her head to clear the what-if's away. It wasn't right to think on it, not when she'd long decided it would have likely been largely the same, just with dad a little more respected by the society one a whole.

Not that anyone was rude to his face; the Shinoda family was powerful. But she was a kid. She heard adults talk when they thought she wasn't around. Heard the same from other kids. It galled. Dad was doing his best. Just because he didn't have a wife to back him- "Do you-"

"It is possible."

"What sort of answer is that?!" Silver shot back, eyes little more than slits of red. Possible? No way, she wanted something like mum and dad had. Something romantic.

"You know the reason, Kamoko," Archer's voice was light, face impassive and unmoved as he always was in the face of the impressive stink-eye Silver graced him with. "Yet enough of that. You have places to be."

"Awww, come on!" Silver huffed as she stubbornly remained on the bench, arms crossed. It wasn't like she needed to go, not when she knew she'd get a B even if she didn't study at all. Wait, no. A B would mean dad'd saddle her with more work on top of everything else. She liked what little free time she had, thank you very much. "Cram's not for another ten, and we can 'port-"

A cyan-dyed brow rose. "And risk you throwing up?"

"You suck." Silver's nose wrinkled at the memory. She'd been six or seven, and it'd been a teleport to the Sevii's and that was like, at least a thousand kilometres away. Not her fault when they knew how teleporting affected her. Though, looking back, it had been kind of funny to watch aides panic while dad fussed over her.

"It's not my job to be a fun dispenser."

No, Silver thought, it was Archer's job to be anti-fun and a stick up the arse. The very definition of No Fun Allowed. "Yeah, Ariana's better at that, anyway!"

"She is currently in the Sevii's," came the reminder. "Now up. You won't be late."

"Fine. Not like I actually need to go-" the girl grumbled as she heaved herself up and fished the randosel out from behind the bench. She briefly opened it to fish out Kage's pokeball and release the eevee. 

"Precisely why you attend, Kamako."

What, to be bored out of my brain? She mentally retorted. The things she did for what little free time she had. Yet red eyes narrowed again as she stared up at the adult, Kage flopped at her feet in an attempt to look cute. "My name is Silver!"

"Of course," Archer allowed. "Shall we?"

She gave him another stink eye'd imperious look as she adjusted the bag so it sat comfortably. What right did he have in telling her her own name when she knew what it was? Groudon take him into the earth! Maybe if she was obnoxious enough she could make it stick? Yeah, that seemed like a plan; it'd worked at school, at least. She just had to be persistent.

"What, you stupid or something? Let's go!" She said as nudged the eevee to stand up, perhaps a little more harsh than she should have been, but it didn't matter. The pokemon would obey no matter what. Once she -it- was up, Silver started off in the direction of the cram school, Kage at her heels like the well-trained tool it was. Archer would follow, of course, but Silver still gave a backhanded wave more command than anything. "Then you're taking me out for yado-udon!"

Chapter Text

-/- Viridian: Part Three -/-
Transcript from the ONBS’ interview, published in the Orren Times.

---

“A dirt track without much of a name, sure, but the weight of what it represents... You never forget the first time you see it as a trainer." 

---

“This season,” Eva whispered, eyes hard as she stared out at the hilly landscape of Viridian city’s outskirts.

Though the blue sun, the Eye, had set hours ago, the golden Star that Arkea orbited still hung in the afternoon sky as if to linger and prolong the perfect spring day.

Everything seemed to glow with a shimmering, fiery gold. From the gleaming, technological walls of Viridian behind her, to the lush grasses of susuki, chigaya and sumire with an undergrowth of short grasses, clover, and a sprinkling of wild strawberry, to the blooming trees of red pines and konara oak nestled between the houses of those brave enough to live outside said walls, to the wide gravel-and-dirt road out of the city.

It was magical. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Even Oddball wasn’t immune to how perfect it was; the bellsprout’s leaves spread wide to catch the sunlight.

“Roro, photos please,” Eva ordered.

As the rotomi zipped up from her pocket, Eva’s hand reached up and fished her pendant out from her shirt. Fingers closed around warm metal as her thumb ran over each of the three metal feathers, then the metal tuft of fur that bound them. Up to the ring that the leather string looped through.

Moltres. Zapdos. Articuno. Mew.

Her gods. Her faith's four gods said to have created and formed the world. “It will be this season.”

It was a promise. To the Gods. To herself. One she would do her best to keep. How could she not when the world was awash with gold that beckoned a trainer to follow and to step out into the wilds of life, to walk up to that 'Gate and the path beyond. To not forget the lessons they’d learned.

To travel the road’s tantalising, blazing trail and risk it all for glory and greatness.

It was a mind trick born of popular association; even at the height of summer, with both the Star and Eye in the heavens, the trail was a simple gravel-and-dirt track trodden by tens of thousands each year. Yet, somehow, it felt a sacrilege to walk it as if it were just another path of many that led up to the League Gate. The very Gate one had to pass if they wanted to enter the Valley of Champions and then onto the Champion’s Road caves.

It was nothing special, yet it was. Eva could feel it in her soul, in her bones. The call of glory.

Of promise.

A mind trick she wanted to believe.

Show it to a hundred Kantan children no more than five years old and they’d all say the same thing: Route 22 was special. Association made it so. Anything else was a trick of the mind, yet it would have been nice if it truly were special, marked out like Sunnyshore’s Glory Beach, or New Bark’s Ceremony Beach. Even Ever Grande’s Triumph Beach was marked as special in some fashion.

“Why isn’t this route?” Eva sighed, frowned and crossed her arms; her weight shifted to her left leg as she considered the wholly rhetorical mutter. She should know. They’d covered the Viridian sub-region multiple times throughout her school years, and she didn’t think she’d slept through any of the classes. But she couldn’t recall anything on this route or why it, out of all the other ways up to the ‘Gate, was special. It was as if all of Kanto had collectively decided this road, out of the hundreds just like it within the sub-region, was special. It was a paradox.

“What’d you think, Oddball?” She asked as she glanced down at the bellsprout by her side. The plant’s eyes stared back at her, dark and unblinking. Some would call it creepy, blank, emotionless, or even unintelligent, but it was far from the truth: Plants, pokemon or not, had their own intelligence and she would fist fight anyone who told her differently.

“Ssssh?”

“You’re good,” she said with a nod and looked back out at the landscape as she pushed hair back behind her right ear and then adjusted the sunhat her dad had bought her two years ago. Paradoxical road or not, she would walk down this path at the end of the season with all eight of Kanto’s badges. She couldn’t wait.

“We got this,” she said, smile more teeth than anything as her hand tensed for a fraction against Oddball’s head before she tapped it once. “Unroot.”

A command she hoped to make non-verbal soon enough.

The pokemon shifted under her hand, roots withdrawn from the ground without much of a sound. “Mssh?”

“Good,” Eva said as she patted the head a few times as a reward. Eventually, she’d transition verbal praise only, but this worked for now. Reward done, she unhooked its ‘ball from her belt and recalled it in a beam of light, then clipped it back onto the belt.

One inhale and squared shoulders later, the young teenager started up the gravel road, hand drifting to where the escape rope sat around her waist. She’d no abra, not yet, but even if she eventually got one, abandoning the ‘rope would be tantamount to suicide. Everyone knew the horror tales of people who’d forgone it and ended up in dangerous situations with little means of escape or even survival.

Eva refused to be a statistic, even if it was unlikely she’d get into that serious trouble here of all places. All Gym Leaders cared about their peoples, but Giovanni was the one Eva was most familiar with and she knew he took the defence of Viridian and her peoples seriously. He ensured the walls were well defended by either volunteers or Gym trainers, that people could easily retreat behind them when needed, no threat too small. Nor did she have to look skyward to know fliers patrolled the area day and night, forever alert to the dangers of the wild.

Eva smiled a little, reminded of Pallet’s own patrols. Not the same as being a defender on a wall, but everyone knew people outside the walls were hardy.

They had to be. Anything outside a manned wall, be it stone or palisade, was always vulnerable to attack.

She knew it first-hand. Pallet hadn’t the walls; yet how many times had they said Pallet was hardy, sturdy? Too many to count, and she knew the same where said of Viridian’s outskirts. How could they not be when everyone knew that to live outside walls was to know the risks and all the joy and horror the world could and would bring. To accept gravel track roads more accustomed to the foot traffic of people and pokemon than the rumble of cars. To know they, truly and honestly, only had themselves and what tamed pokemon they possessed to defend against the monsters of the world. But unlike Pallet, these people had Viridian’s white walls at their backs and could retreat behind them in a heartbeat.

Eva snorted. This wasn’t Pallet. It reminded her of it, yes, but these people were still cityfolk.

They didn’t know true fear, not when they could hide behind walls and the Gym itself when a threat came at them. The ruralfolk of Viridian would never understand watching the sea for the next storm, to run for cover when zapdos-driven thunderstorms came in from the sea, bringing with it the dangerous swell of seas and the rage of a light show as sea gods danced ever closer while people, frightened and desperate, prayed it wasn’t yet another ragegod of a gyarados, the many tentacles of a tentacruel, or worse, a sea-dragon. Yet it almost always was one of them; such storms brought them far closer than they should be.

Eva remembered last Summer; how her father had taken her and her baby sisters, and how they and most of the town had cowered up away from the town while brave souls remained behind to fight back the threat. To wonder if this would be the day the town said goodbye to another mum, sister, dad, brother, aunts, cousins, uncles as beam attacks ripped through the town and thunder rained down-

Eva’s breath hitched. Hands tightened as she blinked back tears. Blew her nose in her hand and wiped it on her jeans. They’d been lucky that storm.

Viridian would never understand what weeks of shovel duty was like. To know a dying adult gyarados’ Thrash had kicked up enough sand and water that everything had been buried in a layer of silt. To know the stench of rotting sea serpent for weeks on end-

Eva’s breath caught in her throat as her hands clenched until nails bit into skin. Was she naive to what Viridian faced? No. They had the forest to deal with and sometimes shiftry ventured out, or people ran into them. Then there was the awful rampage of an adult tyranitar three years ago, the one that had almost taken out part of the white walls, and so many other threats that she couldn’t name because she’d never lived them.

Couldn’t understand what it would be like to face down such things, just as they wouldn’t understand what it’d be like to live through what Pallet faced. But now she would experience the world outside Pallet and she could only hope she survived. She’d made it to Viridian, she’d caught her first few pokemon.

She would survive.

Eva forced her hands to unclench. To level her breathing until she was calm. Forced herself to dig out a tissue and clear her nose.

Don’t think about the threats.

The view was nice, like the day had been. She would never understand what it was like to live by the mountains, to have a lake within a day’s travel. To have a vast forest so close to the city, a half-day’s walk. But she could appreciate the views given. It was nice, like the day had been and a smile graced her face. It’d been productive even. Between the few battles they’d had up at the lake, then the trip to the famous Chilli House, and the selfies with the fuecoco, it had been a good day.

Excellent even. Especially the Chilli House. That had been fun, and she thought she’d visit it again before she headed up to Pewter after she gained her badge from Giovanni. She could also order some to her Storage Account, but only if she was staying at ‘Center.

A thought for later; she’d try it when she was back at the ‘Center she and Erin were staying in.

The road crunched under her trainers, a steady rhythm against the chirping of pidgey, the hum of insects, and the distant rustle of leaves on the wind. She’d made good time from the city proper, leaving Erin at the Pokémon Center near the Gym. Her friend had wanted to do some more research on Surge’s team and ask the older, more experienced trainers for advice, and honestly, Eva had needed the quiet walk to clear her head.

Too much city, too many people. Even the outskirts felt crowded compared to the open spaces around Pallet.

She missed it yet she couldn’t go back, not without all eight badges in hand -

A sudden twitch of umber against the deep green that bordered the road caught her attention and instantly Eva’s hand was on Tanknator’s ‘ball. “Huh?”

She paused and listened like her mother had taught her. Ears caught the low guttural growl but she couldn't identify the sound. A thin, terrified yelp sliced through the insectile hum and into her gut. It wasn’t the playful roughhousing of wild pokemon settling territory, nor the sharp, decisive sounds of a well-matched battle. This was different. Sharper. Uglier. Someone else was out here, and by the sounds of it, making a right mess of things.

Curiosity pulled her off the path. Yet there was also the grim sense of obligation – the kind born of a life where everyone looked out for everyone else, even the pokemon.

Slowly, Eva pushed through a screen of greenery, the plants cool to the touch, careful to keep her movements slow and downwind. The air seemed thicker as it carried the loamy scent of decaying leaves and the faint, acrid tang of stressed pokemon. She peered into a small, sun-dappled clearing, barely large enough for two trainers to stand comfortably apart.

She only saw one trainer, a boy, facing off against a rather unhappy-looking mankey and Eva froze.

The mankey was small, all bristling fur and furious snorts with its pig-like snout wrinkled in pure, unadulterated rage as it Leered at the rat as it -she- scrambled back, one ear torn and bleeding.

Even on the best of days, mankey were not something to be tangoed with alone, and Eva was positive the boy wasn’t more than a year older than her if his lanky frame was anything to go by. His hair, a startling, artificial shock of electric blue that screamed Sevii Islander dye-job, was already matted with sweat as he practically vibrated with frustration.

“Useless runt!” the boy snarled, kicking dirt as the mankey connected with a glancing blow, eliciting a shriek from the rattata. “Lightning Speed it, you moron!”

Quick Attack. But the rattata flinched and didn’t move-

-the mankey was already a blur of brown fury aimed at the cowering rat.

Eva’s breath caught in her chest. She didn’t hesitate.

“Hey, yadon-brain!” she yelled, pokeball already in hand as she tapped the central button to summon Tanknator to the field. One day, she’d learn the art of a hip-release. “Recall your damn pokemon!”

The boy whirled with a snarl. Idiot. “Mind your own-!”

“Tackle!” But Eva didn’t wait, not when the mankey was winding up for another, more serious strike.

“What- Mind your own damn business-” The boy spluttered, but Eva ignored him. The Tackle hadn’t hit, but she hadn’t needed it too.

“Tanknator, Water Gun!” Eva commanded as she pulled the stupid boy to the side. She didn’t have time for being nice or polite, and as much as she dearly wanted him to suffer for his stupidity, he was young like her. Maybe still a Rookie himself.

The attack missed, but it did it's job: the mankey's attention was now on the squirtle.

Good. Good.

“Again, Water Gun!” Eva said, breath ragged as she relied on her parents had teachings about dealing with angry, wound up mankey: push them back or put up enough of a fight they turn tail and run. Before the boy could even fully process what was happening, another forceful jet of water shot from Tanknator’s mouth. This time, it struck the charging monkey square in the chest and propelled it back a good metre or so. It - male, Eva noted, the darker brown fur on the hands and feet gave it away- spluttered and shook his head, more covered in water than seriously injured, but the stronger pokemon’s charge had been broken.

It gave them a bit of breathing time to get the rat-

“What do you think you’re doing?!” The boy near screeched into her ear. “That’s my catch!”

“Really?! Your only means of defence was about to get killed because you were too too busy throwing a tantrum!” Eva snapped back with a withering glare, though her attention snapped back to Tanknator as the tiny turtle retreated into her shell as mankey fists wailed down against it. “Good!”

“I-I was handling it!” the boy spluttered, his face mottling with renewed anger and a touch of embarrassment.

“How? By yelling and kicking dirt?” Eva retorted, though she never once took her eyes off the scuffle before her, hand tight around Tanknator’s pokeball. “That mankī’s still agitated.”

“And?”

“Did you toss a rock at him or something?”

“No-”

“Doesn’t matter -Tackle! You going to try another brilliant tactic, or you gonna recall her and get her some help?” She gestured with her chin towards the rattata, which had used the momentary chaos to scurry a little further away, though she still looked terrified.

“Koratta! Lightning Speed! Do it now!" The boy ordered instead, but again, the rat didn't move and while Eva knew not everyone named their pokemon, the lack of a name felt damning, here. "Don’t make me get the prod!”

Prod-?! Gods, he wouldn’t, but the answer came with the rattata’s heartbreaking sound of pure terror as it tried to burrow itself into the sparse grass, as if hoping the ground itself would swallow it whole.

“Tail Wag!” Eva ordered Tanknator, watching as the tiny turtle wagged her tail and the mankey took on a brief glow, voice tight with anger as the boy continued to shriek orders at his terrified pokemon. As if that’d make her obey or change the fact she’d been pushed to her limits. Beyond them, even.

“What the-?! Hey! That’s my battle!”

“Withdraw again!" She ordered as the mankey swiped at her pokemon. "Scratch! - Not anymore,” Eva said with more calm than she felt, eyes locked on the battle -skirmish, really, between a furious monkey and a tiny turtle; it was a good thing she had those potions, but even so-

Shit.

The mankey had pivoted for something less challenging and launched himself at the injured rat. Thankfully Tanknator managed to Tackle him away. “Recall her before she dies!”

The boy stared, mouth agape. “You… you just…”

“Are you dumb? Recall your pokemon! BUBBLE!” Eva didn’t have time for some stupid boy; she should have just let him loose his pokemon and his life.

“Fine! If it’ll shut you up!” He fumbled for his rattata’s pokéball, recalling it with a muttered, “Useless.”

Eva’s eyes narrowed, but at least the rat was, for the moment, safe. With the original target gone, and facing down Tanknator (who would need a potion or ten soon, gods), the mankey stamped a foot, then with a final screech, bolted into the undergrowth and away from them.

“Thank Mew,” Eva muttered, hand coming up to grasp her hidden pendant. “Good, Tank.”

She didn’t have her pokemon stand down though as she turned and fixed the boy with a stare she’d learned from her mother – one that could make a grown man confess to stealing the last cookie. “There’s a Ranger outpost just outside the walls, maybe a K back. They’ll have potions and can look at her ear. I have potions if you need them-”

“Oh shut up! I don’t need your advice or help!” He spat, voice dripping with resentment and face flushed a furious, blotchy dark red as wounded pride and a renewed surge of belligerence took root. He thrust his chin out as he fumbled for the pokéball containing his still-recalled rattata, clutching it like a lifeline. “You stuck your nose in when I was going to catch that thing! You ruined everything, you… you busybody!”

Eva’s eyes narrowed as her mouth twisted down. The unearned arrogance, the refusal to acknowledge his own failings, the immediate resort to insults when challenged. It was Satoru all over again, just with worse hair and even less skill.

At least she knew her self-proclaimed rival would have at least thanked her for saving his arse from a mankey.

“Ruined your chance to get her mauled, you mean?” she retorted, voice dangerously soft.

“It would have been fine!”

Eva’s gut twisted. “Really?!? Didn’t look it! I told you to recall, but nooo!"

“It’s tougher than it looks!”

“And?” The poor rattata was just a thing to the boy. Gods above… “Do you even care if she ends up in critical condition? Clearly, you don’t!”

A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes before he banished it with sheer stubbornness, though one nervous look at Tanknator made him reconsider trying to get up in Eva’s personal space. “I had a strategy!”

“Yeah, the ‘yell at her until she faints’ strategy?” Eva scoffed. “Real inspired, mate. Did you even have a backup?”

“Yeah, of course! My Starter, and a stupid korinku. Good fighter though, so it’s mine,” the boy said with a smug grin as he tapped the pokeball that held his shinx.

Eva’s mood soured considerably; she didn’t need to guess why the stupid blue-haired boy hadn’t swapped them in. They were either not strong enough or, more likely, in no condition to fight and yet here the boy was, picking fights in the wilds without a thought. Eva snorted in derision as she raked a hand through her hair, unwilling to waste her thoughts on this ignorant, stupid rookie who’d likely be dead within the week. “Look, just get your pokemon healed-”

“I don’t need your advice!”

“Right, sure!” Eva snapped as she invaded his personal space. “You could have killed her or died yourself! Maybe grow a brain before you either kill your pokemon or yourself!”

“My Pokemon are fine!”

Hand met flesh as Eva’s slap rang out in the late afternoon. “GROW UP!”

The boy stared back her with wild, angry eyes, knuckles white as fingers dug into the metal of the rattata’s ball. For one heart pounding moment, Eva thought he might actually start something with her, but his eyes flicked to Tanknator, then her belt where Deefa and Oddball's 'balls sat, and then he stepped back and hooked the ‘ball back into place.

“Whatever! Just stay out of my way! I don’t want to see your stupid face or your stupid turtle ever again!” he finally snarled, unable to come up with a better retort. He spun on his heel, nearly tripping over a root as he stormed off, crashing through the bushes with far more noise than grace, heading deeper in, following a path that took him away from Viridian.

Eva watched him go and only when she was certain he’d was gone, did she sink to her knees with a shaky sob as she recalled Tanknator then dug out her potions to apply them via holding the nozzle against the release button. She couldn't tell you how it worked -she wasn't one of those who understood the actual ins and outs of pokeballs- or how it drained the bottle, only that it did. Maybe something to do with Infinity Energy or something like that. What mattered more was her pokemon were healed, though a check back at the 'Center later would not be amiss.

Gods of the Four, but some people just didn’t get how dangerous it was outside the walls of cities. This boy clearly didn’t. Likely wouldn’t have a chance to learn that being a trainer wasn’t about forcing your pokemon to fight until they dropped, about yelling and threatening. It was about partnership, trust, knowing when to push and when to pull back. That boy… he’d learn the hard way, or he’d be dead within a ten-day, another name on the long, long list of those who thought yelling louder made them stronger.

It was cruel to think it, but for the sake of any other pokemon he might get his hands on, she almost hoped it was the latter.

Good riddance, she thought, yet the voice of her mother prodded her mind. No, hope he learns. For his pokemon’s sake if not his. Life was precious, and it wasn’t right to hope someone died alone and in pain in the wild.

No-one, not even the worst of the worst Traitors, deserved that.

---

“You hoped they'd learn, because the alternative? Well- Best no to dwell on that darkness of the world.”