Hard Enough

Chapter 46: The friendly rematch

There was movement at the HQ, for word had passed around, I thought to myself as we flew over the final stretch of trees. Lance and Claire had been darting in close only to then fall back and into aerial dogfighting maneuvers for the rest of the patrol.

It was no different as we came to land. When we had landed and our pokemon had been returned to their pokeballs, they swept in. Their landing was controlled, but there was still a great stirring of the people watching from the buildings and the shadows.

It wasnt normal to see so many people obviously lingering near the landing site. Now that Lance had appeared I could feel peoples gazes flitting like Beedrill from me to him. There must have been some doubt as to the veracity of the rumors. I hadnt heard anything being said over the radio, but Rangers obviously had their own grapevines off the air. A quickly fired transceiver message would have worked.

But seeing was believing and with both myself and Lance? The Rangers were practically salivating to see what Id promised Lance. I gave him a look and smirked. We were well aware of the attention but not bothered at all.

I let my grin show some teeth and he responded in kind.

A cough reminded us that we still had some business in the handover for the next Ranger team. I assumed Sylvie and Andrew had handled this when wed departed, but then again maybe we were an extra patrol? The two teams that were replacing us trudged out unhappily, their eyes shooting to Lance and I. The knowledge that they were about to miss something big while everyone still on base was going to be watching obviously weighed on them.

Ginny and Sylvie informed their respective team leaders of what had happened in a brief overview in HQ. Honestly, the number of people wed encountered had been pretty crazy. The competence of the poachers, in particular, had been startling, but then again commander Hank had said it would be this way.

Were these incidents an outlier or is this on par for you right now? I asked Sylvie.

She shook her head. We got lucky or unlucky depending on how you want to look at it. We encountered a lot of people today. Usually, there are only registered trainers on the mountain and not so many people doing the wrong thing. Im hoping today doesnt mark a trend she made a face, Well have to see.

She gestured into the building Come on, Ill type something up quick and drop it off with Commander Hank. Then I think Im going to need to claim a patch of grass in the training area.

I nodded, giving Lance a look. You coming with us or just going to hang out? I said casually.

Next to Lance, Claire watched me with narrowed eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but Lance merely nodded. Well come with you. How has Pewter city been?

Busy! I said as I began to relay all of the different highlights since our match. He chuckled when I told him about the new hires and how I spent a sizable chunk of my winnings on getting an Eevee for my family, a Chansey for my gym and a Scyther for myself.

Urgh! Boys and their scythers! said Claire with a shake of her head. Her words caused a number of nearby trainers to scowl at her only for them to nod approvingly at me. Scyther was seen as a cool pokemon to have so they could probably understand where I was coming from in buying it. Some of the girls shot Claire looks of solidarity. Bugs werent typically seen as cool with female trainers.

Lance rubbed his chin. A shame I have committed to the dragon style of pokemon.

Dragon style? I asked.

Gyrados and Charizard both arent dragon type, he said in reply. Although I dont suppose Don? When I nodded to show he got the name right, he continued, I dont suppose Don is a dragon type either?

I shook my head. Rock and Flying. I then shrugged. And I wouldnt give up on always counting out some pokemon as being dragon typed. My own golem breeding methods show that pokemon can grow in a lot of different ways.

Lance perked up and Claire looked thoughtful at my words. That is true. A dragon typed Gyarados he said wistfully.

I kept my mouth shut on the probably very near future where Charizard would be able to mega evolve depending on some shiny rocks. I was keeping my eyes out for anything like the Mega Stones but I honestly wasnt sure what I was looking for. So far Id only been able to talk to hikers traversing Mt Moon and walk it myself but I suspected I needed to look into areas where the pokemon in question were heavily concentrated. Charific valley was therefore possibly a site for Charizard Megastones but this was only a theory. For now.

Which if I was looking for the ultimate Mega stone for my team would mean I would need to spend some serious time looking around the peaks of the Mt Silver Range.

That would see me stirring up a lot of very powerful pokemon and probably having lots of Rangers on me like a Shellder on a Slowpoke. Chewing my backside out.

I jerked my head towards Lances belt. So youve got yourself a Salamence, did you also get yourself an Altaria?

Lance stared at me. For a moment I wondered if I had said something odd. It didnt seem that strange for him to get two Dragon-type pokemon did it?

He huffed. You anticipate me well Brock.

I grunted realising what hed been talking about. Nah, when you narrow the scope of pokemon that are possible for you to go for. I ticked off a finger, theres also only a few regions to look to that have different Dragon types.

That obvious? he said.

I shrugged, A number of the regions that are open right now share a large portion of each others pokemon population right now. It makes it pretty obvious that if you wanted to expand your pool of pokemon youd need to expand through the Hoenn side of things which is further afield.

Claire had a mix of peevishness and pride on her face as I spoke. She shook her head and coughed. Lance has been able to expand his team a great deal since the last time you two fought!

I nodded. Yeah, I thought that would be the case. Your Salamence looks strong, I said to Lance.

Claire tilted her head. Me complimenting Lance obviously hadnt been what she was expecting from prodding at me. I got the feeling she was rather out of her element seeing Lance being so relaxed with someone.

Lance smiled, his chest puffing up as he spoke Im very proud of him.

Any further conversation had to wait when Sylvie stood up from her desk with a printed-out report. She marched straight up to Commander Hank and dropped the report into the In box on a table to the side.

Commander Hank turned from regarding his wall of maps. Rangers, Gym Leaders, Champion, he said without changing his tone at all. Good work out there with capturing those poachers and settling down that Donphan herd.

He gave Lance a smirk. Just like old times for you, Area Ranger?

Lance chuckled. Simpler times, what wasnt to like?

Commander Hank nodded once and then gave us all an amused look. A little birdie mentioned there was going to be a friendly match. At the word friendly, he narrowed his eyes and all but commanded that it would be so. Lance and I both nodded amiably.

Hank grunted. Very well, give me five minutes to get another cup of coffee and Ill be out to watch the match. He smirked at us. Im looking forward to seeing a good battle.

Lance and I grinned. The Rangers that had been lingering and keeping busy read eavesdropping jolted in excitement. With the Commander announcing it, it was locked in that Lance and I would be fighting. Some had obviously been expecting Hank to shut it down.

Lance and I smirked. This was going to be fun.

The Rangers didnt have a giant arena to train their pokemon in or use for show matches. That would have gone against their creed. It also wouldnt have been suitable for their needs. They fought battles in the wilds where there weren't clear skies and flat ground. An arena for the rangers would be a gigantic waste of money and a sign that things were very, very wrong.

What they did have was a level field with small built-up hills that acted as a natural amphitheatre. The grass was long enough that if I wasnt wearing long pants it would have tickled my shins as it swayed in the wind.

Around us, the Rangers that were still on base and not handling critical tasks were all sitting on the hill and settling in. It was surprising to see just how many of them there were for the Pewter region. I knew the Rangers were a popular field of employment, but to see almost three hundred people as part of Pewters Ranger cohort was enlightening.

Commander Hank claimed the seat of honour in the middle of the hill with a few of his trusted veterans sitting around him. I saw him point out a few Student Rangers and signal them to join him. It almost felt like an old general picking out young cubs to sit and learn at his side.

Directly across from him on another hill, at the halfway point between Lance and I, Claire was sitting in seiza. She sat with impeccable poise and the only thing that gave away her excitement for the coming match was the way her hands laced and unlaced repeatedly.

I couldnt see Sylvie or Andrew but I assumed they were somewhere in the crowd of rangers. The various Ranger uniforms made them blend in better than any natural camouflage on their part.

I rolled my shoulders and let the crowd fade away. If they moved in Id be aware of them as potential obstructions or threats. Instead, I focussed on the field, the feel of it and how the wind blew across it. I searched it for any little points of difference that could be exploited. Not that I expected there to be anything Id need to worry about from the ground.

I had said I was going to use Selene and I was sticking with that. This would be her time to shine.

I locked eyes with Lance and as one we both reached for pokeballs on our belts.

Go Salamence! Go Selene! we both shouted.

Two pokemon appeared in bursts of red energy. From Lance, a blue and red western-styled dragon appeared and cried out. On my side of the field, a floating rock in the shape of a crescent moon drifted and trilled in excitement.

Steady girl, I said as she bobbed back and forth.

Hank raised a hand from where he was lounging. Trainers! Ready? we both nodded and he dropped his hand. Begin!

Steel wing! Lance said with a sweep of his arm. His pokemon leapt into the attack, wings glinting as the Steel type energy infused them.

If I hadnt seen him playing around with Claire earlier I might have been taken by surprise at how fast such a large pokemon could move. Instead, I raised a lazy hand straight at his oncoming pokemon. Moonblast!

Selenes eyes glowed and if you were watching close enough you could almost spot something pulsing above us. I knew it to be an effect whereby she pulled on energy from the moon. A moon that wasnt actually there but the move itself had to be taught and trained during a full moon to actually develop it. Perhaps it was the nature of fairy-type energy, in general, to be elusive, Id had to work hard to have Selene learn this move.

A large white orb formed up and floated forward. It was a deceptively slow-moving attack that was so translucent you could almost see through it. If this had been a fire-type move or a dark-type move, youd have been correct in thinking that it was an attack that hadnt been formed correctly.

That was not the case.

All it would take was a single hit to bully this Dragon.

Which was why I was surprised when Lances eyes bulged and he swept his arm to the side.

BREAK OFF, NOW! he roared. His Salamence barrel rolled to the side and upwards forcing the Moonblast to miss.

Selene warbled in annoyance as her eyes tracked the arcing dragon. I frowned at Lance. Had he experienced fairy-type moves before? The common consensus was still out on them, but Lance had instantly broken off the attack.

Lance wasnt looking at the fight and instead looking at his hands which were trembling?

He stared at them in shock before looking up to Selene with an expression that radiated confusion. Then he looked down at his hands once more. He tightened them into a fists and nodded shaking himself and returning to the match. Salamence! Dont let that attack hit you! Whatever you do!

I leaned back. Now that reaction? That was very interesting. He could recognise it as a threat and had reacted accordingly. This was almost like the gag of Iris always reacting negatively against cold situations or moments where Ice type pokemon were in the picture. Only Lance had reacted instinctively in the middle of a fight.

Those were some great instincts. Or was it something else?

I already knew that Lance had access to Dragon-type energy. In the cartoon, Iris, who much like Lance, was a self-professed Dragon trainer always reacted just as poorly to Ice-types as her pokemon. Id thought that just a gag from the cartoon. Now I was re-evaluating that thought.

Future sight, I said to Selene. If he wasnt going to make it easy for us, I wasnt going to let him have time to bring his speedy dragon back in for another attack.

Tch, Dragon dance! His pokemon weaved through the air and returned fully into the enclosure. As a friendly, it wasnt a concern that he went out of bounds for a little bit. Then again this field wasnt to regulation League standards so hed also have more room in any actual challenges.

Dragonbreath! Lance said, causing his pokemon to emit bluish-purple flames from its maw.

Psychic, I said in response. Lunatones eyes glowed and psychic energy wrapped around the oncoming inferno only to be tugged upwards and form into a disc-like shape that hurled itself back at the Salamence that once more dodged.

Follow up with Rock tomb! I said to get his pokemon locked into place.

Protect! commanded Lance with another sweep of his hand. Around his pokemon, a hexagonal pattern protected his pokemon from my entrapment.

Hold! I said to Selene. She paused as I held up a hand. Moonblast! Once again the pulsing energy built up in the sky before Selene fired off an attack straight at Salamence. Once more Lance hissed like a cat rubbed the wrong way by an oily yet sticky hand.

Aerial ace out Salamence! he said. Just as the hexagons fell and Selenes attack should have landed his blue dragon flickered and vanished in a burst of speed. Only to then appear right in front of Selene with his wing coming down.

I clenched in surprise before my mind could dismiss the attack for a flying-type effect. Not that Selene let it hit.

As the wing came down her eyes glinted blue and the tips of her crescent-shaped body gouged upwards to slam into Salamences wingtip. For a second there was a grinding noise only for Salamence to be blown backwards and go tumbling. Selene was buffeted backwards but appeared to come off better as she shook herself off and returned to the fight faster.

Selene! Like you were taught! Teleport now! Selenes eyes glowed and a frankly huge amount of energy built up around her before it was her turn to wink out and reposition directly above the recovering Salamence as it got onto its feet.

Moonblast! I said clenching my fist as Salamence snapped its head upwards.

Salamence use protect again! ordered Lance.

Once more the hexagon shield formed only to collapse when the Moonblast orb slammed into it. It carried on and pressed Salamence into the ground. The dragon cried out in pain only to slump when the orb dissipated.

I watched it for any twitches that would indicate that it was seeking to return to the fight. That Aerial ace would be a wonderful repositioning tool that Id remember. Lance shouldnt have been able to escape from the protect as he had only, he had, thanks to that move.

Lance grunted and raised his pokeball to return his pokemon. He looked at the pokeball for a long tense moment before nodding his head. He looked up to Selene to see her wobbling back and forth in what I knew to be a happy dance.

This was your last pokemon for your match with me wasnt it? he asked.

I nodded. Yup, she would have been my sweeper if it came to that.

He inclined his head. I see in that sense Salamence did well I got the feeling he still wasnt satisfied with the loss but then again you didnt become champion by being content with a loss. His hand clenched once and he put the pokeball away. Thank you for the match Brock, it was highly informative. He plucked another pokeball off his hip. I dont supp

Alright! Breaks over slackers! shouted Commander Hank as he stood up and began to assign jobs to the watching Rangers. His intrusion broke through the haze of another match. Lance and I both blinked at the disruption.

Awww! some of the younger Rangers said. They were about to have another match!

No they werent! said Hank in the tones of a parent that was trying to use raw stubbornness to make their unruly children see reason the way they needed them to. They were done! He shot a look at Lance and I and we both nodded in agreement. Selene floated down with a sad tone. She had obviously been looking forward to laying out another of Lances team. I rubbed her rocky face.

Nicely done girl. I knew I could put my faith in you! That had her instantly perking up.

Sylvie ran up and gave me a hug. That was great! Thanks for showing us that Brock!

Area Ranger Sylvie! Youre on radio duty in ten minutes! That means you should be there now! barked Hank. Sylvie shot off. The Rangers trickled out but they continued to cast hopeful looks at Lance and I as though we were about to ignore the Commanders order and fight again.

I just kept rubbing Selene until they were all gone and Lance had approached me with Claire at his side. Claire looked conflicted.

Good fight, I said to Lance.

Indeed, I thought I had anticipated some of your rock moves rather well with my dragon but youve got hidden depths. He looked over my Lunatone. Ive never known a Lunatone to be able to teleport? The unasked question of how mine could, stood out.

Ah, well, it pays to have the best psychic trainer around to help train her in how to do it. I wasnt going to mention how it took her way, way longer than any other pokemon that could learn it normally. While most of Selenes training for fighting Lance had been to strengthen her Psychic to be able to pull off the fire control she had, I had also asked Sabrina to attempt to teach Selene teleport.

The ability to evade or reposition was one that was often overlooked but that I knew paid out with huge dividends. It wasnt until after Sabrina had already reported her success to me that I remembered that what shed done technically shouldnt have been possible according to game logic. Then again it was only game logic.

Or was it just a case of Sabrina being the deciding factor? It said a lot about Sabrinas skill with psychics.

Soooo, I mostly decided to chalk it up to Sabrina. She was pretty great like that.

Sabrina right? Claire said tentatively.

Yup, I said, giving Selene another pat as she wobbled into me for affection.

Shes the strongest you say? Claire said with a tone of interest.

Oh yeah, easily, I said. I couldn't imagine another trainer beating her in the psychic department ever. Claire didnt comment on that, instead watching my pokemon wiggle in happiness.

Shes very well trained what was that white orb attack? Moonblast? she said, her tone oozing casualness.

I gave her and Lance both looks that showed I knew they were fishing for information. They had blank faces. Each sported a studied casualness to them that made me want to invite them both over for a poker night so I could rob them blind. Still, Lance was a pretty nice guy, so it wouldnt be an issue to give him a heads up.

Have you been paying attention to the recent news in the scientific communities regarding the newest energy type theyve found pokemon to possess?

Fairy type they are calling it, yes? Lance said, a thoughtful frown appearing on his face. I had read some of the papers, but theyre finding it tough to nail down which pokemon possesses it. There are a lot of established professors that are arguing against it. Claiming it to be a hoax.

I snorted in amusement. Those are great! when I got confused expressions, I shrugged and explained, Some of those scientific debates can be as good as watching clowns have a fight with each other. I laughed once before coughing and getting serious. But Im in the camp supporting the Fairy typing. I rubbed Selenes body. Selene isnt a Fairy type, Id say shes a psychic-rock still but I think she can tap into it due to her connection to the moon. I think fairy types will have a lot to do with celestial bodies in a way. Sun and stars and all that.

Youre talking about clefairy, arent you? said Lance, still rubbing his chin.

Claire hissed in surprise and narrowed her eyes at me. And Pewter city is the closest to Mt Moon, where Clefairy can be found in large numbers!

I could see where her train of logic was heading and decided to stop her from thinking I was about to become some specialised anti-dragon trainer. Hmmm, yeah nope. While they're cute and I could probably work them into my team I dont actually own any of the little puffballs. Most clefairy are pretty shy and actually dont like fighting. If you were looking for a pokemon more

I searched for the right word. Threatening to your pokemon in terms of technical skill while having power to go the distance Id be thinking of the most popular Hoenn pokemon, I said giving them something to focus on. I hadnt ever really considered the convenience of having dragon-slayer pokemon right near Pewter and across the range from the biggest threat to Kanto.

Maybe some of the defenders during the war had been assisted by the local pokemon more than they knew?

Claire scowled. Gardevoir!? The pokemon that fools drool over?!

Oh youre aware of that are you? I said, interested to see her bringing up how some of the groups, that were argued to be a small minority, adored the pokemon. Or even loved the pokemon, for a given aspect of love.

Claire opened her mouth only to blush furiously as she realised what shed brought up in polite' conversation. Lance chuckled at her reaction and she shot him a venomous look as she got herself under control. Im merely stating that it has a distasteful reputation.

Hmmm, I hummed non-committally. It wasnt something I wanted to pry into. Id tried to keep a policy of what happens at home between consenting legal parties was between those two or more parties. It was only when it got illegal that I was going to throw a rock through a window in the form of Sanchez tactically entering. I still hadnt had to do that.

Attempts by concerned citizens and pearl-clutching, sharp-tongued, men and women that sought out trouble to stir things up had targeted this aspect of pokemon and trainer relations. Only for the movement to be dissolved overnight. The rumours, if you cared to listen, had something to do with the Pokemon fan club having a much more persuasive voice which they rarely used.

Hmmm Gardevoir I shall have to watch the scientific communities developments much more closely. Lance rubbed his hand. Ive trained to endure ice moves, but another weakness for my pokemon and I comes as a surprise something that I will have to develop a method of dealing with. Rather than looking vexed Lance actually looked intrigued like he was welcoming the challenge.

Thats if the Elders havent already recorded it in the archives! said Claire with a flick of her ponytail.

Lance considered this before shaking his head. We would have known earlier about Fairy types if they were known perhaps some older stories might need re-examination though, with this information for context?

Claire hummed and bobbed her head up and down. I watched the two cousins trade theories back and forth, apparently, I might have been closer to the mark with there being two recorded incidents of cute pokemon being surprisingly effective in stopping Blackthorn members from beating a Kanto trainer during the unification dispute.

A thought intruded in my mind and I decided to bring it up now that Lance and I were alone from other less discerning ears. Hey Lance, what was up with the audit that the Pokemon League did after I got back from our match? That really seemed kind of targeted, Im not going to lie.

Ah! Yes, that was something that the League officials implemented and while it was legal in the strictest sense. I had words with Kruger about his auditing teams zealousness. He offered me a bow of his head. Im sorry you had to go through that. Not that you had anything to worry about. I saw your gym's records and they are impressive Especially with your winnings, he said with a small smile.

I chuckled. Ten million would do that. I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. Were you getting a sneak peek at what other pokemon I had?

Lance nodded, I wont deny I was curious about that, but only a to a small degree. While the League instigated the investigation I made sure to approve the results. I have also given the Kanto gyms approval for continued operations for another two years due to the heavy-handedness shown by the League. I shouldnt expect another audit any time soon. I know they were being zealous but it certainly was taken too far, he said with a firm tone.

And if they dont abide by that? I said probingly.

Then they shall be expelled from the League. I want things to run smoothly and to the law, he said. When I nodded back an awkward silence took hold.

He rolled his hand in Selenes direction looking to break up the awkwardness. You said this Lunatone was your final pokemon for our previous match? Before this match, I was confused about that decision but I see now why it was her. She would have been a wonderful sweeper, but dont think I wont have a counter for her next time! he said with a fanged grin.

Selene chirped out a challenge of her own. I smirked. Well be ready for you, Dragonmaster Lance.

Claire puffed herself up. I would also like to fight you!

I grinned at her. Hmmm is that so? Well, I wont say no if you want to step up, I said.

Rather than grinning she almost seemed to wiggle. That wasnt the reaction I had thought I was going to get. When I looked at Lance I saw him looking away and biting his lips to stop himself from laughing.

Oh, it seemed this was normal for Claire. She was just pleased that Id acknowledged her. I bit my own cheek to stop myself from teasing her. I didnt need to borrow any more trouble.

I rolled my shoulders and jerked my head to the side. Well, it has been great to catch up with you, but I should probably be getting home. I tilted my head. Unless you want to come hang out? Id already hung out with Professor Oak and he still came around to play Smash often enough to be a semi-familiar face. That really sort of normalised the idea of inviting Lance over to hang out.

Sadly, Lance shook his head. Another time perhaps. This was a bit of a scenic flight turned afternoon spent well for us, but we should be off as well.

Ah alright then, I nodded in farewell both before putting a hand over Selene. Think you can teleport us home girl? She nodded her head and channelled her energy. A second later we vanished and reappeared.

We notably didnt make it home. I glanced around and judged it as being maybe a third of the way. I patted Selene on the head as she slumped in dejection. Hey, this is still pretty good, take your time and lets just give it a few tries. It turned out we needed another three teleports before we reappeared in front of my home. Selene wobbled tiredly after me and I directed her to the couch.

I still had another hour before the kids got out of school. I didnt have training with the Little League or my own trainers. So instead of doing something productive I settled in on the couch next to Selene and turned on the Tv.

Luuunaaa! chimed Selene when a game show came on. As the host began to ask questions she perked up and chimed her own answers only to gasp in shock whenever she got it wrong.

Yeah, girl this seems good enough, I said as I wriggled deeper into the couch to enjoy some me time.

The events of the day played out in my thoughts as I lazed there. It had mostly been good and productive, but a moment of helplessness had stood out to me.

I hadnt been able to catch up to the Pidgeot when theyd chosen to loosen those Golbat on us. Zephyr wasnt the fastest pokemon, but he was strong as a transport pokemon while retaining a lot of his fighting skills. Sadly he didnt have the raw speed that I had needed. Don wouldnt have been able to do any better however so where did that leave me? I needed a pokemon that could engage and break off at it's leisure. Don would get caught up in fighting.

I considered the fight and realised that the answer was rather apparent. Id have to see about getting myself a Crobat. I grinned as Selene chimed out again at getting another question wrong. It would be a nice homage to Brocks cartoon team.