As we walked back from the forest, Inkay continued meditating and manipulating Psychic energy. Now, however, he didn't have to stay still and solely focus on the act. The breakthrough also let him zoom around much faster than before. I could only imagine the progress we would see in battles now. I might even be ready to challenge the Gym soon.
We passed the central fountain and turned to the shopping district. Most of the shoppers flocked to the business district, in the same direction as the Gym. I overheard a few mentions of Team Flux, which immediately made me feel anxious. A criminal organization I knew nothing about was the last thing I wanted to get involved in. With Champions like Calem around, I really hoped other Trainers would not be unnecessarily involved. By other Trainers, I really meant me. I did not feel like getting forced into dangerous situations.
I made sure to avoid the crowd and possibly evil organization as I searched for a buffet. I eventually found a Johtonian restaurant that offered a Buffet for Pokémon as well. I spent the rest of my money on the buffet, which was worth it. The wide variety of rice and noodle dishes were astonishing, but the meat selection was heaven. Inkay and I went wild, trying everything at least once. After the first round, we went back for the foods we preferred, with both of us bringing a dish the other would like. Inkay brought me a spicy noodle and Tauros dish tossed in teriyaki sauce, while I brought Inkay some Lechonk belly fried rice.
We munched on so much food, we were politely, and then aggressively, asked to leave and not come back. It was definitely worth going broke.
We walked around town, avoiding the crowds in fear of getting mixed up with Team Flux. Once our bellies stopped hurting, we went back to the Center. When I entered, Nurse Joy sagged in relief.
"Oh good, you're not getting involved with the Team Flux event," she said. I did not like the accusation in her statement.
"I avoided it like the plague given the history of 'Teams,'" I answered. She nodded with approval and reminded me not to get involved before wishing me a good night.
I stopped by the kitchen and chatted with Nadia. Talking to someone my age was nice, though I still felt guilty. I believed that meant I had someone else in my life before being transported to the Pokémon world. Until I resolved my internal conflict, I wouldn't be ready for any sort of intimate relationship. But that was in the future. Right now, I needed friends, and being friends with the chef of the canteen couldn't hurt.
I spent the rest of the week running errands and completing more low-stakes missions. The Rangers left a glowing review on my profile, which allowed me to take on Three Star Tasks. These paid quite a bit more but came with more risk. It was great Training for Inkay, who used it to improve Psybeam when we needed to battle a Pokémon. He hadn't mastered any moves yet, but Peck, Hypnosis, and Psybeam were getting there. I also had him practice Payback to get used to using Dark-type energy.
A few Tasks also needed the use of Rain Dance, which was one of Inkay's egg moves. Based on what Mitchel told me, that meant Inkay would either be able to easily master other Water-type moves or weather moves. I preferred the former since that meant he could learn more moves than normal.
All in all, things were going well. The week ended with Inkay having three battle-ready moves, my bank account having 6,233$, and my egg one week away from hatching. I was giddy at the thought of having a Ferrothorn. The species was a beast of a tank from what I remembered of the games, and especially so in this world. The only problem was how expensive feeding them became when they battled consistently since they needed a constant supply of metals and minerals.
Once again, that was for the future. Now that I've grown accustomed to having a Pokémon, I thought it was high time that I start trying the Gym challenge. Viola had the Type and experience advantage, so I wasn't expecting to win on the first try. But a man could only dream of getting shit done on the first try.
When I woke up the next morning, I decided to sign up for the Gym challenge. I would have to complete the challenge before battling the Gym Leader. I guess it was a good thing that I had a week after passing the Gym challenge to fight Viola, which meant I had time to prepare if I barely managed to pass. As I walked, I noticed a lot of people heading towards the Gym.
'I wonder if there's a good battle happening soon.'
I walked over to the gym. As I got closer, I heard an amplified voice coming from the entrance. As I walked, the people rushing to join pushed me further ahead. Within moments, I stood in front of the crowd.
"These young men and women, many of the not even adults yet, risk their lives every day as they travel and experience the world. They keep the Routes safe. They repel the aggressive Pokémon. They are the first line of defense when a group of Pokémon decide to attack human populations."
Many people around me nodded their heads in agreement. The speaker, a pale woman with strawberry blonde hair, paced back and forth in front of the Gym entrance. Three others were with her. They were dressed in cadmium green pants and white varsity jackets. The same green colored the jackets' collar, arms, cuffs, and the word 'FLUX' splashed across the back. The woman also wore a green beret with a Key Stone mounted on the headband.
'She's definitely an admin.'
"And what do they get?" the woman continued as her eyes prowled the crowd. "Some discounts and a monthly pay of 20,000$ IF they are good enough to get all eight Gym Badges. It is a disgrace to the profession. It's a disgrace to the Trainers who train and battle for the safety of our society."
Her eyes stopped on me and gleamed. "It's a disgrace to our society, which values hard-work and encourages Trainers to pursue strength and fame." She paused for a moment as we stared at each other. I almost missed the slight decline of her head.
"We will not let those in charge decide what is important for us. WE are the ones that tell them what we want. And I say we want better treatment for Trainers!"
"Yeah!" the crowd cheered.
"We want better training for our protectors!" she cried out.
"Keep our children safe!" someone in the crowd yelled out. I did not miss the amount of dark green he wore.
"We want fair access to resources!"
Many in the crowd were now shouting out in agreement. There were several instigators that kept the moment going. The woman started a chant with the help of her grunts by her side and those in the crowd.
"Trainer busting!" she yelled.
"That's disgusting!" the crowd called back with the help of the Flux members on stage. They repeated the chant repeatedly as they started their march around the building. With the crowd moving around, I weaseled my way out and away. Several undercover Flux members watched as I left, one even taking a phone out and possibly recording me.
"Fuck me, man. I didn't want to get involved."