Nuzlocke: The Gold Standard Chapter 18

Ch. 18: The Magnificent Seven

The Triumphant Return, or "We've Taken Seventeen Chapters to Wind Up in New Bark Town Again" - Seeming Inability to Move the Furniture - A Tender Moment -An Encounter With the Border Checks - Quaint Johto Turns of Phrase - A Question of Ability Livened by Getting Wet - Phillip's Fifteen Seconds of Fame - The Road Less Travelled - Silver Showdown - Changed Outlook, Familiar Battleplan - Beryl Turns her Back on the Whole Thing - A Boy Named Solenoid (A?) - Fun with Dictionaries - Lee Makes A Stand, and Kate Tells it As it is - Horrific Inaccuracies - The Final Result - Best Friends, Worst Enemies - One Last Big Push


Mike set foot in New Bark Town again, for the first time in untold weeks, and nothing happened.

He blinked. No-one came storming out of their houses to welcome The Pride Of The Town or The Hero Of Johto home or anything. There was no fanfare. If he was honest, and he liked to believe he was, he'd been expecting some sort of display, at least from the Professor, about how he'd finally made his way back and returned to his roots after all this time and everything he'd done. But... That didn't happen. He just sort of... arrived, like the way he'd just sort of left all that time ago. The wind turbines were still blowing. The houses were still standing. It was like nothing had ever changed at all.

Well, he had. Although he also liked to believe that he hadn't changed by much.

Carefully, looking around nervously as if he was trying to stealth his way through the town instead of announce his homecoming, Mike tread his way through. None of his Pokemon were out with him this time - he wanted this to be him and him alone for the return. They'd understand. The Elm Research Lab came up on his left and he turned to look towards it, but then stopped poignantly. He did have an appointment there, after all, but before that there was someone who really ought to know about his return first. He went past the Lab.

It didn't take long to find his house again. She still hadn't redecorated. She'd said for ages that she would, but she somehow just hadn't found the time to give it a lick of paint or fit the windows or... whatever poorly-defined thing she meant by redecoration. Mike stepped up to the door, and for the first time in weeks genuine nervousness clutched his heart. He could deal with Gym Leaders, he could deal with wilderness and trainers, he could deal with Team Rocket, but something about his own house made him suddenly all uncertain. Oh well, he resolved himself. Never mind. He knocked before he could spook himself out any further.

'Come in!' his mother's voice shouted from inside. Mike went in, as per instruction.

The house still looked the same on the inside, too. The furniture hadn't budged an inch, and neither had most of the dust. But when his mother looked up at him and her eyes widened in surprise, he couldn't really say he cared.

'Mike?' she asked, although it sounded more like a squeak. 'You're back? I didn't... know or anything... you should've called...'

Mike lowered his shoulders and smiled awkwardly. 'Yeah, I know I should've. I just... wanted you to get a nice surprise, that's all.'

Mike's mother walked over to him slowly, and her own smile must surely have mirrored the awkwardness of his own. 'Best surprise ever,' she said simply.

No-one was crying. No-one was breaking down in emotion or going into shock. It was just... unexpected, that was all.

'I, uh... I got all eight badges,' Mike said dumbly in the situation like he was announcing that he'd picked up a pint of milk from the Cherrygrove City corner shop.

'You did?'

'I did... um...' Mike waved his trainer case vaguely without looking much at it. 'I've got a lot of stories to tell you.'

They hugged, right then and there on the threshold. Mike's mum had been worried about him and he had gone long enough without seeing her and now, well, he was back. There's no place like home, right?


---


On the other hand, you can't keep a good trainer down for longer than an afternoon's worth of storytelling and checking up people or two whole weeks in Goldenrod City. Mike had always wondered where that waterway to the right of the town really went ever since he was little, but now, team at hand, Elm's Master Ball in pocket and best wishes in his ear he was finally about to find out. All he knew was that the Elite Four was this-a-way, so that-a-way he went.

The waterway itself wasn't particularly exciting, but Nikki told him cheerfully as he rode on her giant shell that she liked the exercise, as if practically soloing the entire of Blackthorn City hadn't been enough exercise for her lately or anything. Mike hopped off onto the shore they came up to and turned to return his Pokemon when suddenly a voice from behind shouted 'Hey, you there! Kid!'

Mike froze momentarily, but slowly and warily turned to look behind him as Nikki craned her neck to see. A man in a dark outfit was hurrying towards him, a serious look on his face. 'Hey, you! Do you know what you've just done?'

'I... I landed on a local port? Right? Is that allowed? I'm just passing through, not-'

'You just set foot in Kanto, that's what you did!'

Oh crap. Now he had done it. He'd just been picked up by the border security. He was entering the region illegally. He'd done an incredible variety of stupid things in his time, but now he was about to be done for illegal migration.

'...And I just wanted to say congratulations! You're the first all month to make it all the way across here!' The man grinned widely. 'And if you're headed to the Elite Four then it's just up this way, good luck and may Ho-Oh's rainbow shine over you, as I'm told you quaint Johto types say.'

Mike didn't hear him say the last bit over the sound of his adrenaline-fuelled blood pumping through his ears. It's ok. Keep calm, Mike. Calm DOWN. You're not under arrest. He's just a weirdo greeter. He's not a policemen. He doesn't know about all those times you picked random items off the floor in various buildings and kept them regardless of original owner... even though everyone does that. Breathe. Breathe...

Phew. 'I, uh... Thank you, sir?'

'No problem! Have a good time and all. Please drive carefully!' the man said with the barking laugh of someone who really doesn't know how unfunny he is. Haha, Mike thought as he pushed past him, returning his Lapras to her Ball as he jogged. I'm too young to drive a car. I can only command around a fire-breathing monster, a bird of prey and a walking electromagnet with the power to wipe computer data and credit cards in one big flux at any time. Woe to be me.

Nonetheless, he was still glad to get away before any allegations arose.

The opening in the rock wall seemed to lead the way onwards towards the peak of the mountain Mike could see far above him, the light gleaming off the polished and waxed roofs of the Indigo Plateau building visible even down at the base. The cave opened up into a giant pool of water before him, a giant waterfall thundering down into the head of the water. It was, admittedly, very cool. Mike was already drawing Nikki's Poke Ball again as he came level with the shore of the water, promising himself that at least there wouldn't be much call for the ability to cross water bodies in the Victory Road cave built on a slope at the top of a mountain. Sure enough, out came his Lapras once more.

'Hmm? Again so soon?' Niki looked around her at the latest surroundings and frowned. 'How can there be so much water? I thought all the water outside Union Cave was supposed to be in the ocean!'

'You'd be surprised where it ends up,' Mike said with a shrug. 'Now I know you feel like a jack-in-the-box, but-'

'Who's Jack?'

'No, um-'

'And what was with the box, anyway? I heard one about an Espeon in a box that was alive and dead at the same time until they-'

'Never mind. Geez, I thought Solenoid was the one who couldn't cope with figures of speech.'

'But I really wanna know now!'

'Tell you later. Look, can you just carry me across for now?'

'Any time! Hop on!' Mike duly hopped on and directed her towards the head of the water. Soon they were sat right before the waterfall itself, getting a dosage of spray that some would call 'bracing' but others would just call 'soaking'. 'Alright, Nikki,' Mike said motivationally. 'Let's climb this waterfall!'

'Yeah!'

They sat there. Spray continued to foam off the waterfall and Mike's hat was proving scant protection.

'Um, Nikki? That was your cue.'

'What?'

'You know? Your cue to do the thing where you climb up waterfalls really fast? That thing?'

'What thing? I never knew how to do that.'

Spray was beginning to drench Mike's shirt. 'Come on, you must know the... Did I just never give you the HM? One minute...' Not caring about the water that began foaming off into his Bag the minute he slung it down and unzipped it, he opened up the TMs pocket that he'd made after that mess finding Ice Beam in Clair's Gym and began to root around. 'Where is it... Must be in... Aha!' He drew out the selection of larger discs that denoted HMs. 'And here's the one for Waterfall. Hold still and you'll get this learnt in a jiffy!'

They sat there, Mike holding the disc out vaguely in a way that almost looked pleading with the fates. 'Um... Nikki?'

'Er... I totally can't learn this move, Mike. I just...' Nikki flapped her flippers underwater vaguely. 'Um, nope, still not... I can't use this data. It's not something I... Y'know...'

'But you're a sea creature!'

'Yeah, and you're a land creature Mike.'

'What's that got to do with it?!'

'You can walk, can't you? But can you turn fifteen cartwheels in a row?'

'What? No! I don't have anywhere near the suppleness to even be able to attempt that!'

'Then you should go find someone who does, shouldn't you?'

Mike groaned. 'Great. Just great. I bring my trusty Water-type, and she can't learn the move needed to progress. That'll then put me in the area on the run-up to Victory Road with a Water-type I barely know, and won't be trained strongly enough to be able to withstand the battles we'll be doing. I sat under this waterfall and contracted pneumonia for no real reason.'

There was a fizzing sound that he caught in his right ear, and a strangely warm feeling started to grow on his right wrist.

Mike sighed. 'And now I get the feeling that sitting in all this pouring water has just broken another PokeGear.'


---


He at least had a spare PokeGear this time, although he put it on only after he made it through Tohjo Falls just in case. He also had, which he only discovered by going back to Cherrygrove City to use the Pokemon Centre's PC, a second Water type that he had totally forgotten about. A Mantine, by the name of Phillip (there was also Timothy the Krabby, but that was out of the question from the get-go. And he did technically make a promise). Phillip appeared in an environment that wasn't the Elm Lab for the first time in weeks in the sea just outside Cherrygrove and immediately was asked 'Alright, you. Can you climb waterfalls?'

The Mantine blinked, and managed to register both the boy on the beach's question and the fact that he was technically speaking his trainer now. 'No,' he said.

A large disc was thrown straight to his head and caught on one of his antennae, sliding down to rest on his head.

Phillip frowned, and concentrated for a few seconds. 'Yes,' he said after a while.

'Good. Then I'm going to need you,' Mike said simply.

Phillip smiled. He liked being needed.


---


Mike took a deep breath, and stepped into the cave. His first thought was: Here I am. Victory Road. This is the cave all trainers dream about facing. This is the last obstacle. After this, and any final training... It's time for the Elite Four. It's almost showtime.

His second thought was: Cripes, this place is draughty.

His third thought, after looking around the cave for a few seconds, was: Where is everybody?

It was true. He looked all around the cave, and while he could see many stairways and bridges and holes and the bright exit at the far side, there were no trainers anyway in sight. The whole cave seemed to be empty and Mike would be making the last leg of his journey alone, accompanied only by his six team members and approximately 9,427 Zubats.

Huh. Well that was a bit of a let-down.

As was customary by this point, Mike was already letting some of his team members out of their Poke Balls to walk with him through the cave. After all, it wasn't like he was going to be attacked by anything important. 'So are we really all on our own?' Beryl clarified once Mike had explained that situation to them.

'Yep, pretty much.'

Beryl sighed. 'Poor showing, I suppose.'

'Here here,' Clyde added with tired respect. 'I'd hoped for a better adversary to send off our journey with. Ah well, maybe we should save our energy then so as to expend it all the Elite Four and give them a good do-over!'

'He's got a point,' Beryl nodded as the party contoured the side of the insurmountable waist-high ledge. 'Less effort here, more to spend on the real challenge coming up.'

Solenoid just nodded its three heads, not even pausing as a bolt of electricity shot out of one of its magnets and blasted a Zubat that had attempted to swoop down on them stealthily from behind. The Magneton had done this so many times now that turning around was no longer necessary.

Mike had reassured them in turn as a party that 'You never know, might be different on the next floor', only for them to reach the next floor in question and discover that... it wasn't. It was still chilly, it was still vast, it was still dwarfing, and it was still completely devoid of trainers. Barely a sound echoed in the cave except for the party's awkward footsteps, the quiet squeaks of passing Zubats and the frustrated growl of a Geodude who had spent all afternoon trying to subtly gain the attentions of an attractive lady Geodude, only to discover to the intense embarrassment of all involved that it was just a random inert boulder. Other than that, the cave was silent.

Needless to say, by the time Mike reached the ladder back to the upper level again he was freaked out of his mind.

The upper level hadn't become any more populated since they were last there. As Mike and Clyde straightened up from helping the 105kg Beryl up the stepladder, the former groaning as he bent backwards and clicked his aching spine into shape, Solenoid suddenly called down from above 'Mike, Clyde,-'

'-Beryl, there seems to be a-'

'-lot of light coming through from up a-'

'-head. You should come and-

'-see yourself.'

Must be impressive if the sentence did a full lap of the three heads before finishing. It's a good thing all their voices sound the same, Mike thought to himself as he and his teammates jogged up to see what the Magneton had wished to point out. If they weren't you'd get too disorientated to follow a single word they're saying... Huh, it really is getting a lot lighter up here...

It was. It turned out there was a reason for that.

'ALREADY?!' echoed back and forth of the roof of the cave at a volume that knocked bats off the roof. 'Are you freaking KIDDING me?! Raikou's fangs, this is supposed to be the great final challenge and you're telling me the exit is here?!'

'Yes,' Solenoid stated factually, its complete lack of imagination now become its main saving grace as Mike fumed and spluttered at the sight of the Victory Road exit right before them. He was right, though. They had reached the end, the sunlight streaming in from the outside and stabbing their night vision cheerfully. They had barely been in the cave ten minutes.

Mike groaned, his fists kneading his forehead. 'Nothing has happened! There's been nothing exciting in here at all! I waited all that time for this? When I get to the Champion, I'm going to demand a refund. I'd at least hoped when I entered this cave that some kind of actual challenge lay before me.'

'What about the challenge that lies behind you?'

Mike snapped alert like an electric current had passed through his spine. Even Beryl and Clyde were looking up in attention (Solenoid was responding the same clinical attention it gave everything). That voice would be mistakable on the other side of the Moon. 'You would be here, wouldn't you?' Should he have expected anything else, really?

He turned to see Silver step out from behind the boulder by the exit and fold his arms, a Sneasel and a Golbat slinking out behind him. His hair was still ridiculous and borderline fluorescent in the dark, his purple trousers were still totally impractical and his eyes were still tough and uncompromising, but as they pinned Mike down he couldn't help but feel that they were... different, slightly. Somehow he felt almost a micro-amount less like an insect under examination under those eyes - and that was potentially a big deal.

Mike slipped effortlessly in his usual routine: Counter Silver's grumpiness by being incredibly dry and irritating. 'Guess I should've always seen this one coming. Can you just not get enough of me?'

Silver's eyebrow arched like the stonework of a Gothic cathedral. 'Don't flatter yourself, Mike. I have a life outside you.'

'Consisting of?'

'A lot of it is spent training my team, actually. I think you can identify there.' There was a slight pause, then Silver sighed and looked away from Mike's face. 'So... I guess you beat Team Rocket, then.'

Mike wasn't sure what to do. By this point normally they'd be shouting their heads off at each other. Something was different. Silver's eyes weren't harsh anymore - just grittily determined. What happened? 'Guess I did. Sorry about your claim or whatever it was,' he said, and was surprised to realise he was actually being sincere.

'I... I suppose it was always going to be one of us. You just got to the necessary place before me.' Silver looked back round at Mike again. 'I won't lie, I wanted the pleasure personally. But I guess the pleasure of knowing they couldn't even beat you will do.'

Mike frowned at his rival and his two Pokemon, trying out various expressions and word shapes before finally bursting out with 'What the heck happened, Silver? Why aren't we tearing each others' throats out yet?'

Silver rolled his eyes. 'That Team Rocket thing is a good metaphor, Mike. You don't even know. After you and that Dragon guy ranted at me so much, and after I seemed to go nowhere slowly with my team... I thought, screw it, I may as well try. So... ugh, can't believe I'm saying this... I took your advice.'

'You what?'

'Do try and keep up, Mike. No cure for stupidity, I guess. I just... I tried believing in my team. I tried trusting them, not just in their training but in them. I tried actually giving a damn about them as companions. And, er...' The boy in the red looked sideways awkwardly and scratched behind his head before returning his arms to their fold. 'I think it actually worked.'

There was something different about Silver's Pokemon, now that you looked at them again. Mike was mostly preoccupied trying to understand the change in his rival personally, but his teammates could definitely see something about Silver's team that hadn't been there before. They didn't seem to leer so ominously either - they were out to intimidate, of course, but it no longer seemed like their standard method of operation. It looked... like they'd got used to more things than toughness.

'And, I...' Silver struggled to find the words to admit that he'd been wrong the whole time, even though both knew and both knew that the other knew too. 'I found that I really... came to appreciate them, too. Like my starter, he's always been there for me, even when I wasn't looking after him in the slightest... even though I stole him... And some of my team members turned out to be really interesting, kind of, as people. Before I never cared what they thought, just so long as they were raking in the wins for me, but now... I see them in a whole new light. Dammit, I actually want to make these guys happy. That's a big deal for me. I guess you weren't just a soft-headed crackpot the whole time. And now that we're training because we all want to, not because I'm forcing them, we're actually growing much more and much faster now as we enjoy it. We're... a team. I'm gonna try trusting them more.' Silver uncrossed his arms and pointed dramatically at Mike. 'And that's why I'm gonna challenge you again. To prove that I'm better now.'

Mike didn't know what to do or say. How do you reply to something like that? But then the tide of Silver's speech washed him up against a familiar rock face, and that gave him something to bounce back off. 'I... I'm not sure how to congratulate you on that, mate. Guess you found my secret after all. Sure, I'll give you a battle - just bear in mind that I found that secret long before you did, so we've had more practice.'

'For the first time in my life, I don't think it matters whether I win or lose,' Silver replied calmly. 'What matters is how I do this battle. Alright. I believe my team are the best and the strongest, and now we're invincible! William!' His Sneasel looked up, surprised but at the same time ready to act. 'Let's go!'

Mike smiled. This was going to a battle like no other, he could feel it. 'Alright then. Clyde?'

The Magmar by his side stepped forward and bowed. 'It would be an honour to be your adversary today, sirs. I hope you're now more inclined to do this fight cleanly and honestly.'

Silver's Sneasel - William - growled earnestly. 'You bet I am!' Mike nearly fell backwards in surprise. A member of Silver's team actually spoke (apart from Lee)! 'It don't matter whether we win or lose, so I don't have to cheat no more. I'm gonna do the boss proud!'

Silver almost seemed to... blush? 'Alright, William. I value the sentiment, but just start and- I mean, can you start the fight yet?'

'Sure thing!'

'Alright then! Use Faint Attack!'

'Fire Punch counter!' Mike called to his Pokemon, but it was only as the two sprang into action that what was strange about the last exchange hit him. 'Wait, did you... did you just understand what your Sneasel said to you?'

Silver looked to the side awkwardly as William lunged forward and tragically smacked into Clyde's burning fist in the background. 'I... try not to let it affect me much. I didn't think they had anything worth saying before.'

'Woah, woah, wait! I'm not the only one?!'

'I was thinking similar things when I first met you. Only not so excitably.'

'But I always thought it was just me and now I'm not alone and you're also a-'

'Are you going to labour this point all day or do we have a battle going on? I don't let it bother me and neither do you seem to. How's William getting on?' Ignoring Mike's flabbergasted face, Silver looked around with a frown until he came  to check downwards and found his Sneasel unconscious in a heap at his feet. For a second there was a rough growl. 'Dammit, Sneasel, you stupid little... I mean...' Then there was a sigh, and Silver's teeth visibly unclenched. 'I... You probably couldn't have done much better in this situation anyway. That's ok. Next is not so easy. Terry!'

The Golbat that had hidden away before swooped down from above where he had been securing a vantage position, eyes wide, fangs out and tongue rolling to launch a stunning ambush attack. It was wasted, however, because as soon as the manoeuvre started Clyde simply said 'I think I now hand over to you, madam,' and ducked away to be replaced with the rock-hard Beryl, who simply turned her back and Terry the Golbat didn't so much  ambush his prey as crash into it. Terry lurched backwards through the air as Beryl turned back to face him and opened her arms wide. 'I'm sorry, did that hurt you? I hadn't realised it would be that bad.'

Terry turned his aerial flop into a turn and grimace at her. 'Shut it, you,' he growled at the unruffled Graveler. 'You won't be so pretty in a minute.'

'Terry,' Silver's voice came from the back in a stern warning. 'We don't have to play rough. Stop scaring her.'

'Oh, I ain't scaring her 'cause that's the plan or anything.' Terry's eyes narrowed at her. 'I'm scaring her 'cause that's my style. 'S the way I am. Thanks for that.' Silver groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose at this, and Mike realised that it must be hard for him to deal with teammates that he'd had for a long time and weren't quite willing to get on board the new system yet.

'Of course,' Beryl replied with barely a raised eyebrow, 'that's all very nice but you're making a sizable assumption.'

'What?'

'That you actually scare me.'

'Why you little-'

'Terry.'

'Yes, boss. Alright, take this!' Terry's jaw swung open wide (not like it didn't do that anyway) and he swooped at Beryl to clamp down in a tough and hard Bite, only on the fly-back for Beryl to turn around and neatly through a rock straight into his path, almost knocking him out of the air. Livid now, the Golbat swooped down again and landed another hard Bite only for Beryl to turn this time and almost plant the rock into his face at low altitude. That sent him falling back, out for good.

'I told you to wait for my instructions,' Silver muttered as he returned his other team member. 'Still need more work doing on you. Not like you've won yet! Rupert!'

'You two get back,' Mike cautioned quickly to Beryl and Clyde. He was reaching for a Poke Ball virtually at the same time as Silver. 'Alright, Colin, I guess this is your thing!'

It was. Silver's Kadabra materialised hovering in midair and gave an elaborate mystic gesture only for a Shadow Ball to fly out and OHKO it back down to the floor again. 'Woohoo, I hit the thing with the thing!' Colin was already cheering obnoxiously, the Umbreon looking up at his trainer and teammates for their applause. 'What a firing range, huh? What do I win, what do I win?'

Mike looked up from Colin to his rival and his flattened eyebrows were an indicator of distaste. 'Don't worry, Silver, you're not the only one with difficult and frustrating team members.'

'You think I haven't heard him before?' Silver replied not unreasonably as he drew another Ball.

'Yeah, I know right? Kate is such a pain to work with!'

Clyde, above him, growled in aggravation. 'Is there anything you're prepared to take with a modicum of seriousness, Colin? Does your rudeness know now bounds? Is there not one thing that you'll treat with due respect?'

'Is there one thing you won't treat with all that due respect stuff? Geez, you remind me of that old stuck-up Harrison.' Colin turned and slinked casually through his trainers legs, smirking every inch of the way as his rings glowed softly. 'I'm just me, big red. Either start dealing with it or start packing.'

'You make that a sorely challenging decision,' Clyde muttered back at him with distaste on his expression and each syllable.

Mike was ignoring them - ignoring Colin was a skill he'd had time and opportunity to hone. 'Can't say things are looking good for you, Silver. You sure you want to keep doing this?'

'...If I bottled now, I'd be letting myself down,' Silver muttered back. 'And them. They've been looking forward to this too, you know. I'm just onto the better half.' Another Poke Ball was opened up.

Mike raised an eyebrow with a grin. 'Well hey, looks like that Magnemite of yours evolved after all that time. You've almost got a full set now.'

'Whereas you took the easy option,' Silver said with a note of boredom behind his floating Magneton, 'and just picked a load of species that don't evolve at all. Very clever, Mike, I suppose you win by default - the cheapest and most worthless kind of win.' His arm snapped out, pointing dramatically. 'But I don't think you'll win this one! Solenoid, take him out!'

Mike stalled mid-call for his teammate. 'What do you want with my team member?'

'You what? You told me to encourage mine so I'm giving it its instructions.'

'But Solenoid is my...' Realisation dawned painfully slowly. 'But we can't have possibly both got a Magneton named Solenoid, can we?'

'What do I care? They don't look like a species with a wide naming pool. Anyway, I got mine first so you ripped it off me.'

Silver should have known that would be incendiary - maybe he did. 'Hey, no way! I've had mine on my team since Mahogany Town!'

'And? I've been using mine since the Burnt Tower.'

'But I caught mine back when I was in Ecruteak City too! You can't accuse me of-'

Beryl looked up at Solenoid (Silver's) and was met by one of its eyes flicking down towards her while the other two remained locked in a staring contest with Solenoid (Mike's) as if the truly worthy bearer of the name could be settled by glaring pointedly at each other. The Graveler opened her hands up disarmingly as the two trainers continued arguing it out. 'Look, Solenoid - no, you don't have to look, Solenoid, I meant the other... never mind, this probably goes for you too. I could beat you very easily. I've got the four-times advantage and I'm generally better trained. Why don't we just... do this peacefully? You can just be "knocked out", and then there'll be no need for unnecessary violence. Hm?'

Solenoid considered this. So did Solenoid. It was not an unreasonable warning.

Beryl smiled, softly but genuinely. 'And why don't you both do your best to do your name proud? You can do such a good job that the stories passed around about 'A kid with a Magneton called Solenoid' then they won't know which of the tough ones it was, because they were just as powerful. You can actually kind of work together like that.'

Both if them stopped for this. Now that was one way of looking at it. They hadn't considered it that way - no-one had. But then that was Beryl's job, wasn't it? She spread good cheer around faster than the flu.

The two Solenoids stoically locked eyes and nodded once. No words were said. Talk is meaningless for Magnetons anyway. Then, Silver's Solenoid fall backwards in the air, all its eyes shut.

Solenoid (Mike's) looked down at Beryl, who just looked back up at it plainly. 'You seem to have a skill with words for directing us. I will not lie, I was keen to show that other Magneton who was the better Solenoid, but you seemed to have beaten both of us.'

'I've just got to keep you all in line,' Beryl replied with a slight grin. 'Just getting you all in the right places doing the right things. It's something you pick up living in a dark cave with a family of about thirty. Besides, I could have thrashed that other Solenoid if I'd been inclined - just wanted to save the effort and struggle instead. Do you think we should try and get their attention again- oh, never mind.'

The clang of Solenoid (Silver's) hitting the floor had apparently done quite enough to get the two trainers' attention, actually, and they were both staring at Beryl chatting casually with Solenoid (Mike's) as if nothing had happened at all. Of course, nothing had happened, but did they know that?

After a few awkward seconds Silver looked at Mike. 'Alright, I thought I needed to be calm and direct in my commands to my team, but you don't even seem to do that. Is leaving them to fend for themselves ok? 'Cause you've definitely done it twice now.'

'That one with William didn't count, I told Clyde what to do,' Mike countered automatically. 'I guess Beryl just knows me and my battle strategies well enough to get on with it without me if the solution's obvious.'

'Heh, "strategies" is an adorable word when you say it like that Mike. I wouldn't use terms that you don't know what they mean.'

Mike's fist clenched on automatic at the sound of the voice from ankle level, but he'd promised himself he wouldn't allow Colin the satisfaction of getting that mad at him - as well as picking on people on your side being a generally bad thing to do, it would also made it official that Colin got to him enough to make him want to do anything like that.

'Huh. Well this may not take long with your Umbreon still in shape,' Silver said as he moved back again, 'but I want all my team members to know they tried. Alright, Craig, come out!'

Craig appeared, floating off the ground with his ominous grin in place already. Mike grinned. 'Ooh, Haunter. Alright then, you little pup you,' he continued, now shooting it down at Colin as the Umbreon rubbed his face on his trainer's leg in a gesture normally considered affectionate, but from Colin still somehow managing to come across as sarcastic, 'if you're going to be out here you can do something darn well useful. Get out there!'

'Heh. You need me on this team and you can't deny it,' Colin smirked as he strolled casually out to face Craig head-on. Mike could only scowl furiously in response to this because he actually knew he couldn't deny it either. There are few things more annoying than when the most obnoxious team member is still technically correct.

'Bites are the plan,' he muttered at the Umbreon, just loud enough to be heard. Colin just smiled and nodded. They had a system, and it technically-speaking worked.

'Alright, Craig,' Silver said with calm and direct purpose, 'you're on the back foot here. If you use Curse, that should balance it again.'

Craig the Haunter grinned and seemed to leer up slightly as his expression became as ominous as possible... only to pause mid-motion, as if hesitating.

'Craig? What's wrong?'

'...You know how I've been with you a long time, master?' Craig the Haunter said cautiously, glancing back at the confused redhead. 'You know how I've been with you through everything, both before and after your recent change of heart?'

'Yes?'

'Well... you couldn't just shout at me, could you?'

'Wha- What?' Silver did a sharp double-take. 'No, I'm not going to! I'm making a policy to not bully or force you around! Please can you attack with Curse now?'

'Oh go on, master, I've got so used to it now. It's good that you're changing and all, but could you just yell at me, for old times' sake?'

'But the point of this battle is to get away from the old times! I don't want to do it like that anymore, I want to try a new way.'

'Oh go on, master, just once, just one good shouting, you'll feel so much better for it afterward-'

'Just use your Curse attack already!'

'Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you...'

'Please.'

'Right. Yes. Thank you. Will do.' Craig turned back to face the uninterested-looking Colin and regained his composure, redrawing the Umbreon's attention. 'Heheheh... remember me, fleshy? Ghosts don't die... ever! I always rise again!' Craig rose up into the air dramatically, out of Colin's Biting reach, and splayed his hands as if summoning Darkrai right there. 'Heheheh! My Curse is upon you, Umbreon! May the pain I bear for it be visited upon you a hundredfold! May your spudger be wrecked beyond measure, your mahonia be gashed to the shales and your victuals be torn asunder!'

Craig's face tensed suddenly as the toll of laying down this Curse was cast from his own health - however, it was not in vain. On the ground Colin's paw suddenly slipped and he stumbled forwards, shuddering as the cursed ghostly energies passed through him and drained away at his life force. Despite his own pain Craig smiled, having spent a very enlightening evening with The Saffron Expediated Dictionary Of Eye-Watering Words, in which he had found a variety of useful terms like 'spudger' (a small tool used for accessing inconvenient mechanical parts), 'victuals' (food provisions), 'shales' (shells) and 'mahonia' (a type of small bush, predominantly found in Eastern countries). And they say external reading has no advantages.

Colin grunted, feeling the pain pass out of him for the time being, and grimaced up at his ghostly adversary. At once he saw his chance. In all the show of damaging his enemy, Craig had not paid much attention to his height and was now drifting back down to ground level. And what else was he supposed to do when that happened?

His jaws were open even as he leapt upwards and Colin's teeth closed on what little substance there was in Craig's ectoplasmic body, biting straight through and landing on the ground with a dramatic slide. It can only be considered a mercy that Ghosts aren't very hard to chew. Higher above and behind him Craig let out a screeching noise of pain, designed in every way to terrify the living, tailing off into a faint '...Dammit...' towards the end as he collapsed to the floor. Once again, he was starting to realise, he'd let the cost to his own strength of performing a Curse make him vulnerable to being easily defeated. Someday he was going to have to learn to stop doing that... when he next came back...

Silver looked disappointed as his second-to-last team member fell almost instantly before him, but it wasn't the 'You have failed me' glare of previous encounters - more like a 'I thought we could do better than that' sad frown. 'I... I daren't say that you're the better of us, Mike... Even if you're winning badly.'

'Hey, I like to think I'm winning very well!'

'Ahahahahaha. Oh how I haven't missed your 'witty' commentaries. Of course I'd save the strongest for last.'

'Beryl?' Mike already knew who it would be before Silver sent him out.

Beryl looked up at him, and then folded all four of her arms. 'I'm not going out there unless Kate comes out to.'

'But... Come on, Beryl, this is a battle here and we-'

'Lee deserves this chance.'

'But...'

She was right, he knew deep down as he reached for a Ball on his belt. How was he supposed to argue with that? He knew Kate didn't like it, but... he also knew that she wasn't the only person in this relationship, if that was the right word.

'Make it quick, for both your sakes,' he said guardedly as he tossed the Poke Ball up into the air. May as well return Colin and Clyde while we're here, he added - it's not like they'll be useful for the rest of this battle.

Kate appeared first of the two of them, and so got the first reaction and words in. 'Ugh, I told you I hate caves, Mike... Pay a bit of attention someday...' The Fearow's Keen Eye alighted on Silver first, possibly tracking the obnoxiously bright red hairstyle, and her expression turned sharp. 'Well well, look who it is. How are you and your little fire dog doing anywa-'

'Kate! My love! There you are!'

Kate had seen a lot of things in her time. She'd seen invisible Gym floors and crimson sea monsters and the advent of the mafia. So when she stalled in mid-air at the sound and sight of her would-be suitor, it must have had some deep personal impact. 'L-Lee?'

'Kate! I did it!' The Typhlosion stood tall with power and elevation and looked like a fierce walking volcano, but the happy tone of his voice, the excited look in his eye and the way he almost seemed to jump for joy marked him instantly and unmistakably as the very same Lee that Sammy had first beat up back in Cherrygrove City. 'I did it, Kate! I evolved! And it was all for you!'

Silver didn't seem to know whether to look cross or put out. 'What about for me?'

Lee immediately jarred in his excited swing, and looked back at his master awkwardly. 'And, er, for you too of course.' Yep, still the same old Lee.

Kate didn't seem to know what to do. This was by way of being a calendar event. 'Er... wow, Lee, that's impressive... I remember evolution being a pretty big change and all that...'

'Yes, and now I feel like... I feel so strong!' Lee the Typhlosion said enthusiastically. 'Not just physically! Like I'm more able to... to speak. To be honest! Kate, I love you, and I always have done!'

Even Beryl paused at the unflinching awkwardness of this outright public profession. The two Pokemons trainers had long since blushed out of the way, leaving very little between Lee and the object of his affection. Who was desperately trying to find a way of saying no in a way that wouldn't upset every last one of his desperate hopes.

'Er... I'm kind of flattered, Lee, but really-'

'No, wait, wait for it, I came up with something.' The Typhlosion cleared his throat. 'I was considering earlier, Kate, how I might compare you to a summer's day. Because, you know, July 15th was very nice, and I thought that maybe you were also-'

'Lee, what are you even doing?'

'Save the poetry for later, Lee,' Silver replaced Kate's direct reply with a much more mitigated one. 'If you're going to tell her how you feel then get on with it, we're still kind of in the middle of a battle here.'

'Oh. Right. Yeah. I... Kate, how do you feel about me?'

Kate the Fearow looked across at Lee's honest, earnest, worried little face, and for possibly the first time ever she realised she really didn't want to upset his feelings. I mean, look at him! He was trying so hard. 'I... Listen, Lee... Don't take this the wrong way, but I think that...' What words to use here... '...We probably wouldn't be able to make it work. It probably wouldn't work between the two of us together. I mean, we barely spend any time with each other. And we don't have very much in common. We don't match well. Sorry, Lee. I just don't think that we should... Sorry.'

'...Oh.' If there was ever a single instance to describe the word 'crestfallen', it was Lee's expression at that moment. He didn't, as Kate and several members of Silver's team had suspected, fall crying to his knees and break down. He didn't become intolerably sad or even desperately angry. He just looked... crestfallen, like he'd been let down somewhere along the line by someone, possibly himself, and now it had all come undone at the end. He just slumped slightly in his big, broad-shouldered bipedal stance, and his eyes looked limply down at the floor as his expression fell three whole stories. Kate hovered in mid-air, none of her previous training or encounters having given her any tools to help deal with this situation she was in. Even Mike and Silver were backing away slightly, concern on their face for all parties involved.

After a very, very long few seconds, Lee slowly raised his head and looked up again. He didn't look so morose, but for that second he didn't seem to have his usual cheer either. '...I... Ok. I always knew that you didn't love me back, Kate, I knew that, but I always thought that if I could impress you or find something we had in common or spend enough time with you then you might try and reciprocate my feelings. I... Yeah. I can see that now. You didn't surprise me, I should've seen that response coming. I think I did, but the confirmation was still a part of it.'

'Lee...'

'It's... ok, Kate. I'm still alive. I guess I should... thank you for being honest with me.'

Kate opened her beak to press further or say something to resolve things, but a heavy hand on her talons stopped her. She glanced down into Beryl's calm but unshakeable face. 'Sweetie, you've done enough. There's no need to push any harder. Hopefully a battle can take his mind off things.'

'Have I... hurt him, Beryl? I don't think that was the plan...'

'I couldn't say, I can't see inside his head. But what you need to do now is give him a little bit of space, and let him get his head straight. I'll see if I can help with that by giving him something to focus on. You can resolve anything remaining between you afterwards, but that has to be afterwards and not being awkward now. Do you understand?'

'Yeah. I understand.' There was a slight nod of the head and then, suddenly, Kate was back to being all business again. 'I don't bear fools well, but I also can't say I want to crush anyone's heart. I'm not that kind of girl. That's all.'

'I never believed you were that kind of girl for a moment, dear.' With that Beryl turned away and faced up to the quiet Lee, whose expression told a thousand words and most of them best consigned to a personal diary. 'Alright, big lad,' the Graveler said, raising her voice for attention, 'you look like you need a distraction. How about you try and beat me up a little and I'll do likewise, and maybe it'll take your mind off current affairs?'

Lee still looked caught in himself as he looked up, but nonetheless nodded. 'And... for my trainer, as well. I suppose. Silver?'

'Hm? What?' The two trainers had known when best to stay out of a moment that was both emotionally-charged and beyond their control, so when they suddenly became relevant again it was somewhat of a surprise. 'Oh, right. Er, Smokescreen. That'll make a good start.'

'Ugh, déjà vu...' Mike groaned as Lee obediently spat a cloud of smoke towards Beryl, images of Blackthorn City Gym flashing across his mind. Normally this would barely matter, because his dependable Water monster Nikki would be Surf Lee into the middle of next week as soon as even one hit connected - but he didn't have Nikki here, did he? He had Phillip, who was untrained, unequipped and generally not fit to challenge Silver's best team member. Great. Oh well. Beryl may not be the strongest of his standard options but she would hardly be here with them if she was weak.

'Dig, Beryl!' At his command Beryl obediently shot under the ground, and Lee's excitable Flame Wheel charge roared straight over where she used to be. Even so, Mike could feel the heat from the flames from where he stood - the Typhlosion was undeniably stronger than he was before. The telltale dirt tracks of a Digging Pokemon tracked their way across the floor of the cave - only to launch up too soon, as Beryl burst out of the ground with full attacking aplomb a full foot away from where Lee actually was.

'Beryl!' Mike screamed at her desperately. 'What are you doing?! What's up with you?'

'Sorry,' his recoiling Graveler called back, 'the after-effects of that Smokescreen are still- gaahhh!' This last interrupting shout was as Lee wheeled back around both figuratively and quite literally too and slammed a Flame Wheel this time straight into Beryl's back. Beryl stumbled, but looked up at Mike. 'Again?'

Mike nodded, and Beryl disappeared under the ground again as an attempted followup attack cruised once again right over her. A few seconds later, she burst back up to hit-

'You missed again! Are you feeling ok?'

'Fine, Mike, just fine, just the way things go sometime-' Beryl was cut off here as Lee once again ran a Flame Wheel into her at full power. 'Suddenly less fine...'

Mike dug through his bag for a Hyper Potion and threw it to her. He kind of had to give credit, in a way - Lee was no longer the timid little Cyndaquil he'd seen in the Lab all that time ago. His attacks were now a force to be reckoned with, even on a resistant species like Beryl. Silver may not be - may not have been, give him some credit for trying - the nicest person in the world, but you couldn't deny that he did make his starter strong. The rest of his team, though... Not so much. Perhaps the outlook change was right for him after all.

Beryl healed up and was now able to take the attack she got for her standing around on face value, even if it clearly made her wince. She dove underground once more, and this time Lee didn't even bother to miss and just didn't follow the attack. This was ok, though, because once again Beryl managed to spring up to attack in completely the wrong place, and got another Flame Wheel for her trouble. It wasn't until the fourth iteration that Beryl actually managed to hit Lee with her attack, knocking him clean back with all the power of her Ground-enhanced blow. By this point, though, she had also taken somewhat of a battering and the pause as Lee rose to his feet again was filled by Beryl slowly getting her breath back and using the Potion Mike gave her again.

Then Mike realised - Lee had got up again. Dammit, they did all that and they still hadn't KOed him yet?! No wonder he missed having Nikki with him! 'Alright, Beryl, screw that plan. Go for Magnitude!' If I'm going to be screwed by the whimsies of fate and random chance, he thought in addition, I may as well know that it's a direct cause.

Lee, of course being faster even in his new body than the hulking stone monster opposing him, managed to drive another Flame Wheel into Beryl's side before she pushed him back, stomped, pounded down and called upon what power she possessed, all in the name of making the earth shake. It did - technically. A few bats dropped off the ceiling above and Lee toppled over and hit himself gently on the floor as it wobbled below them, but all in all the attack seemed to have the ferocity if just turning the ground into a cell phone on vibrate. Magnitude 4, unfortunately, is nothing to write home about.

Mike wanted to claw his own face off. What had he done to the deities/Legendries that governed random chance to deserve smiting such as this one?! Nothing he could do was working!

Lee managed to counter-attack, of course, and this time Beryl slid back across the ground, breathing heavily as she came to a rest after a notable distance's travel. She was weakening, and Lee's attacks were very strong. She might not be able to keep up much longer now. Calling upon everything she had, she pounded against the ground again and hoped against hope.

Hope replied. This time the cave shook, the floor nearly cracked and rocks began to drop off the ends of stalactites high above. Magnitude 8 was much more powerful than 4, and this time Lee staggered, pitched and collapsed into a heap. The Typhlosion strained himself and  tried to rise off the ground, only to slump back onto it . He'd lost, again.

Silver seemed to be shell-shocked for a second, but his composure returned quickly, albeit shakily. 'Lee... I really thought you were... I thought you were going to win this for me...'

Lee managed to raise his head, even though he had fallen down the wrong way. 'Are you... disappointed, master?'

'I... Yes. I am. I won't lie. I thought you were better than that. But I thought I was better than that too now. I thought I was trying to do it right. Here, have a Potion.' Silver sprayed Lee with the Super Potion from his bag and the Typhlosion at least managed to rise to his feet, but no attacks were issued.

Mike was staying still, being cautious on the defense even if there no more physical defenses were required at all. Even he knew that sometimes you left it for them to speak out their part and then try and chip in.

Silver had no objections to free rein of speech either. 'I think there's something you have and I don't... or maybe that you have more of... I thought I was doing it right. I thought I was doing well. Maybe I just... don't have it enough. I won't lie to you, I was kind of shouting at them in my head even if not out loud. I suppose... maybe trusting them like that Dragon Tamer said to me might matter...'

The red-haired delinquent folded his arms and looked up at Mike. 'There's something different between us, and I think I've found what it is. I'm going to go work on that now.'

Mike felt it his turn to go. 'Well, if you want that... The good bit about practicing your relationships, I guess, is that you can do it in a café. You can do it in a cinema. You can just sit down in your room and talk to each other, and then you know each other better. Then you've got something to invest in when you're battling. You'll get used to trusting your team when you get to know them and see that they don't let you down. Some stuff just flows better naturally than when forced.'

Silver was looking at him. 'I know you don't care about or particularly want my advice,' Mike continued, 'but there you go. If you wanna make up the difference, that's how you're going to do it.'

'M-hm. I'll probably ignore all that on principle, but I guess you don't turn down training tips.' Silver unfolded his arms again in a manner that could only be described as 'sufficiently dramatic', and lowered his gaze at Mike. 'Don't think I'm going soft, you. I'm doing this so that me and all my team can improve. I haven't given up on becoming the strongest, and I am going to beat you, Mike. At some point, soon, not soon, whenever I'm ready. We'll do this again, and I'm going to win.'

Mike grinned back with genuine warmth, for perhaps the first time. 'Not on my watch, you won't.'

'Believe me, Mike, if you were to let me win I would take it as the most insulting thing in the universe. And I do not let insults pass easily. I'll beat you by my own strength, and I want you to do everything you can to stop me.' Silver smiled smugly and half-turned his head, flicking his luminous fringe as he did so. 'It wouldn't work anyway. I've just got a little... catching up to do.'

'You know, F...' Mike paused, about to address Silver amicably by his real name and then realising that that was not actually a positive gesture at all. 'You know, Silver, I think I'm actually looking forward to it.'

'Has your bird stopped flirting with my starter yet?'

'She never started, but if you mean "Have they finished resolving their awkward romantic differences in conversation yet?" then I'd just keep talking another few minutes to give them chance.'

'Right. Well... Er... Did you see the Pokeathalon scores this weekend?'

Behind them, Kate and Lee had indeed been attempting to resolve awkward romantic their differences by conversation. However, this had taken much less time than anticipated. Kate touched down next to Lee, who was technically upright but tired and holding his side, and opened her beak immediately to get the first word in. 'Alright, Lee, now that you've had a chance to clear your thoughts and stuff, let me try again. I'd ask if you're still sore but frankly you look sore in so many ways right now that it's a pointless question. Look, Lee, I'm not one of those people that tortures other people's feelings for no reason. Maybe with a reason, I don't know, but you haven't done anything to earn that. I'll say it again, and try and be nice - I really don't think we're going to be a successful item. Sorry.'

Lee still flinched slightly at the words, but looked up and still managed a slightly painful smile. 'But... We can still be friends, right?'

Kate was genuinely caught unaware by this. 'I, uh... I don't think our trainers are really friends much...'

'They seem to be talking well enough with each other over there.' Kate looked up, and couldn't deny what she saw. They did seem to be talking cordially, if not actually being particularly chummy. No-one was shouting, or snarking. 'Besides,' Lee added, 'even if they don't get on, we'd still see each other a lot. They just gravitate together. And then we can be... civil. I don't want what you say to mean that we can't get along as friends when we meet. Especially since my master's not going to be forcing so hard on the actual battle anymore.'

'Oh. I, er... Well, in that case...' Kate paused and did her introspection and she couldn't honestly think of any reasons why not, and so she said so - watching Lee's face brighten like the sunrise as she did. 'We can be... friends, yeah sure. That would be... good, I guess. Sorry, I'm not familiar with trying to officially declare a friendship.'

Lee smiled cheerfully. 'Me neither. I'm just going with it.'

'Are they done over there yet?'

'They look like it...'

After a few more seconds as both parties established that yes, the other one was indeed finished, the two groups started to assemble back together into their standard teams. Silver and his Pokemon on one side, the light of the cave exit spilling out behind him, and Mike and his Pokemon on the other. Lee looked across and smiled at Kate again and the Fearow forced herself not to try and wriggle out of it. After a few more silent seconds Mike stuck out a hand.

Silver took it and shook it, once, firmly. It was like the sealing of an international treaty.

'Well... Where are you going next?' Mike asked.

'Somewhere to improve. Blackthorn City has a lot of strong trainers and wild Pokemon in the area - we can go there to train up to scratch. But I think we'll go via the scenic route, see the Rhydon, and spend some time getting to know each other.'

'Sounds good. You know where I'm headed now.'

'Yes. Don't let up. I'm going to improve, and you'd better try and improve too. Show them what you've got.'

'Sounds like a plan.'

Silver simply nodded curtly, as if to say 'You better', and turned. The light of the Plateau outside shone out around him and he stood as almost silhouetted against the glow, Lee by his side every step of the way.

'Oh, Silver!'

Silver paused halfway through the opening and looked over his shoulder. 'Yes?'

'Just saying,' Mike said convivially, 'it helps in battle if you actually use some super-effective moves as well.'

'Oh, shut up.' With this last gesture of friendship, Silver turned back and walked away out of the cave. Mike had the good grace to let him Fly away first before stepping out himself.

The light gleamed off the Indigo Plateau's... everything. Everything was buffed to a reflective sheen, and that which couldn't be polished (like the flowers) was a carefully-selected shade that shone in the sunlight like a little burst of pure colour itself. The rocks looked warm, and almost comfortable. This was a place of meticulous care and craftsmanship. One had to wonder, and be nervous at the thought, of what lay within.

Mike slapped himself. Of course, that was the intended effect on him.

He turned on the spot, and looked out at his team members that were with him. In fact, to make it more meaningful, he let out everyone but Phillip (nothing personal, Phil, you just hadn't earned a spot there). His team looked back up at him, and the thoughts went unspoken but still very much stated.

Mike had gotten good at improvising an inspiring speech off the top of his hand, and flexed those metaphorical muscles once again. 'Alright, guys. The final frontier. This is it. We've beat Team Rocket, we've beat every Gym, we've beat our arch-rival. Now there's just this left. I guess all ought to say is that I believe in you guys. I believe you're strong enough to win.'

There were smiles, and nods, and a couple of pats on the back. What a good guy. They'd do their best for him, without a doubt.

'...That is, almost ready. I'm not making any allegations about your skill,' Mike pushed on quickly and forcefully before five surprised and objecting voices interrupted him, not that it stopped them trying, 'I'm not saying you aren't mentally ready for this. But I've been looking at the statistics of the Four and physically, statistically, punch-for-punch we're not quite strong enough to take them on yet. Almost. But not enough.'

'So. Our plan of action is simple, ladies and gentlemon. Firstly, recover Nikki from the PC. And then...'

The five leaned forward expectantly as if they didn't know what was coming. 'And then?' Clyde was heard to ask.

Mike smiled dryly. 'Grinding. Lots of it.'