"Well fought... Swole." Candice mutters a world away as she recalls her pokemon. She looks up and crosses the battered arena. "Really! Well fought, Swole!"
Glass beads, obsidian, cracked dirt, muddy puddles, and rubble along the edges have taken over the environment. I can't even tell what Regigigas destroyed and what was our fault. Mamoswine travels right beside her. She stops before me, looking me over while I hang in there - arm slung over Lopunny's shoulder.
"Thanks. And, uhh, you fought very well too. You have definitely been my toughest opponent!" Hearing me say this, she sighs. "I was - I am - actually really surprised that we won on the second attempt already."
Candice rolls her eyes. "Of course I was your toughest opponent. Did you forget that I was last year's fourth-strongest trainer? But..." She reaches across the distance and holds my shoulder. "But I knew you were going to win this."
"I... You did?"
A snowflake falls between us. Now that the battle is over, the weather turns, and clouds begin to fill the hole we left in the sky. Candice pats my shoulder before letting go. "Let's get back to Snowpoint City. Do you know how to climb on a Mamoswine for riding?"
I nod. "Zoey's mom showed us how."
"Then, go ahead. You seem a little weak on your legs."
"I'm very strong."
"Yes, yes." She giggles.
Lopunny allows me to slip out of her hold, and I take a fistful of Mamoswine's fur to steady myself. Lifting one leg up, I plant my foot firmly on her tusk. She waits for me to get ready. When I hop, she gives me a boost, flinging me up to her back.
Lopunny just jumps up on her own, settling in behind me and wrapping her arms around my body.
Mamoswine grunts something.
~"What's the matter? I won, didn't I? To the victor belong the spoils."
She grunts again.
~"Alright, alright. Sorry. Let's not get Abomasnow involved."
When I turn to look at her, Lopunny glances away sheepishly. Pretty cute. But pokemon have their own rules, so I won't reprimand her for trying to mess with Mamoswine. Instead, I just give her a kiss.
I turn ahead again and notice her legs pressed to my sides. Her fur is singed in places, and she's in pain. Her tense body relaxes against my back, and her head leans onto my shoulder when I rub her thighs.
"Scoot over, lovebirds." ... She's going to hold this over me forever.
Candice steps on Mamoswine's tusk and uses it like a springboard, vaulting on top of her back. She lands right in front of me, and I'm forced to... keep my hands to myself. Lopunny keeps hold of them as her breath tickles my ears.
Mamoswine lumbers the first step heading north, and Candice speaks up. "To get back to our previous topic, yes. When I had decided to leave, I felt that you had a chance to beat me. And when you reached me all the way out here... I somehow knew you'd definitely win."
The town-sized city appears in the distance. A steam locomotive approaches Snowpoint City from the south-east - our right. It huffs and puffs thick clouds of smoke from the front; brakes squeal, and it slows.
"Swole, you are a great trainer; I can tell just by looking at your team. When I first met you, I was simply blind to it, too distracted by the League's plots and politics."
Outside our battlefield, the snow is just as deep as it had been before we fought, but it's of no issue for Mamoswine. She just plows through the snow as if it weren't even there.
"You're a better trainer than me already."
"Than you? No way. You've only used three pokemon against my four. I still need to improve so much before I can even dream of actually beating you for real."
She shakes her head. "I got caught up in all my jobs. Mayor, gym leader, teacher, youth counselor - but the most important one of them all is being a pokemon trainer. I'd have been an awful trainer if I had died and left them behind, and I was a selfish trainer by leading us into certain doom... Thank you, Swole, for reeling me back from making such a stupid decision."
A few busy Team Galactic grunts are running around. The locomotive stopped at the edge of the city. Grunts swarm it like bees, inspecting how much damage the rails took; they check if they can reach the freight station or if they have to unload right here.
"No need for gratitude, Candice. After what we've been through, I feel like we've become friends, and I'm just glad I could stop you in time."
Mamoswine continues; she's heading for the gym.
"I'm glad too, my friend." She giggles. "Just some friendly advice from one friend to another... Try to fight with a little more honor in the League, or else the audience will eat you alive."
"Haha... Yeah. I guess I kinda cheated a whole lot to win."
We reach the gym.
"Don't beat yourself up about it too much. A win's a win, and you've just maximized the chances of your team to succeed. You're a proper trainer - it's just the audience who tends to forget that."
Candice swings one leg over Mamoswine's back - her braids whip across my face as she turns - then jumps off, sinking to her knees in the snow before climbing out. She brushes the snow off her leggings and turns to me. "Wait here, will you? I'm going to go get your gym rewards."
"Hold on!" I swing my leg over Mamoswine's back and jump off as well. My legs buckle on impact as if my muscles were made of jelly. The snow on the ground rushes to my face, and I take an involuntary ice bath.
"What's wrong?" She chuckles before her eyes widen. "Oh no! Did you break a leg or something?"
Snow fills my mouth as I mumble. "No. My muscles are just done. Have you ever trained legs so much that every step feels like hell? That's how my whole body feels after using aura for too long."
"Sorry, I don't really work out. I don't know what you mean."
"You should work out. It's good for the soul. Aura strengthens the body and mind, and your body and brain strengthen your aura."
"That's pretty rich coming from someone half buried under snow." Candice giggles, and I hear feet compressing snow as someone steps closer. Then, Lopunny pulls me out, manhandles me, and equips me like a backpack.
Candice bites her finger, trying not to laugh out loud.
Ignoring my new predicament, "Anyway, what I wanted to say was that you don't need to give me the gym reward. Your city needs that money more than me."
She bows slightly, like a traditionalist would do, but when she comes up, her hand scratches the back of her head, and she has a strained smile on her face. The kind that says, "I was already planning to scam you."
"Thank you, and I totally wasn't already trying to avoid paying you. But! I have some other things that might prove valuable to you. So wait right here, and I'll be right back!"
She storms off, running through the deep snow until her heels hit the solid ground of her gym. She turns around and stretches out an arm holding a pokeball. "Right. Mamoswine, you can take a rest now. I'm going to need your help later."
A red beam shoots past me, and Mamoswine disappears... revealing a bunch of very familiar faces on the other side.
---
"Swole!" Dawn separates from her gaggle of girls plus Riley and embraces me - and by necessity Lopunny too - in a hug. She kisses my cheek and then shouts right into my ear, accidentally. "I thought we told you to stay out of trouble!"
Dawn smells of sweat, and her hair tickles my nose.
"No, you asked that from Candice. And she said, she wouldn't do it."
"Well, your staying out of trouble was heavily implied!" She looks me over, touching my neck. Worry glints in her eyes. "What happened? Maria and Riley told us the gist, but they have no idea what went on inside the temple after they left. Nobody does!"
Maria and Riley nod along. Maria's puffy, red eyes stare at the ground. She hasn't accepted her grandparents' death yet. She's probably here for distractions... Maybe I'm projecting.
"Oh. Nobody knows what happened? That's strange. I would have thought someone saw that massive Regigigas."
Riley rolls his eyes. "Everyone saw it, funny guy."
Zoey joins Dawn and me in our hug and kisses my other cheek. She glares at me; a reprimand is undoubtedly coming. "What she meant was, what the hell happened? Everyone says Candice and you are the only ones who were there when Alpha Regigigas woke up. Rumors say you guys risked your lives to save the world but failed."
We chose ourselves over the rest of the world... "Close enough. I will tell you once we have some privacy."
"Oh?" A mature woman's voice pulls my attention past Lopunny's head, back towards the group.
Maria, Riley, and Marilyn --the girl who insulted Sewaddle-- what's-her-name --I think Ursula, the girl from Chocovine Town-- two nondescript Team Galactic grunts carrying luggage, Jupiter --with her sharp, purple eyes and strange pink hairstyle; it looks like a bob with two buns, one at the top, the other at the back of her head-- and finally... "Mars?"
Jupiter's eyes sharpen to a slit after I glance over her, even though it was she who spoke up. Whoops. "And Jupiter from Team Galactic?"
"Yes." She hisses through gritted teeth. "And Jupiter. Why don't you want to tell us exactly what happened right now? What do you have to hide?"
"Give him a break, Jupi. He can keep a few secrets if he wants to. Isn't that right, lover boy?"
I'm dead.
Mars steps up to our group hug and wraps her arms around all of us.
Dawn and Zoey give me weird looks, as if asking me, "Swole? What's going on? Why is she acting so strange?"
One of Mar's arms sneaks past Dawn, squeezing my ass. "Did you miss me?" She breathes a hot breath in my face as she speaks. Dawn and Zoey tighten their eyes in a suspicious glare until Zoey suddenly jolts as if someone just squeezed her ass. "I've certainly missed you. And you still need to finish what we started last time we saw each other."
Jupiter laughs out loud without holding back. She doubles over and holds her stomach.
Dawn breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just a joke."
"Nope." All of a sudden, Mars pushes herself between Dawn and Zoey, kissing my lips and pushing her tongue right through.
"Seriously? My cousin?" Zoey glares.
Dawn screeches. "Swole! What the hell! Push her away!"
I can't, even if I wanted to. My arms are sandwiched between everyone, and I'm far too exhausted. I try to tell Dawn exactly that through my eyes and facial expressions.
"You like it, and that's why you won't stop her?!" She misinterprets! "What the hell is wrong with you! And stop smooching my boyfriend already, Mars! What the hell! Let go of him-- You're grabbing his ass?! Stop that! And Zoey's too!!"
Evidently, I was wrong. Jupiter did hold back. She now rolls on the ground in laughter, flattening the snow.
I accidentally open my mouth to try to say something, but Mars immediately abuses the opportunity to stick her tongue even deeper.
"That's it. Empoleon--... Oh no." Dawn's arms are totally stuck within our group hug, and she can't reach her pokeball.
Even Maria laughs out loud now, while Riley just stares, green with jealousy. In a way, it feels like I finally got my revenge on Aaron. Maybe this isn't so bad--
A deep voice grumbles from behind. "Jupiter. Mars. Stop fooling around. Right now."
Mars freezes. Her eyes snap wide open as she pulls away from out shared-- uhm, I mean, her very one-sided kiss. If someone asks, I definitely didn't reciprocate. She looks past me, and her face pales.
She jumps back, stands rigid beside Jupiter, and salutes. Jupiter's skin-tight suit is caked in snow; she salutes just as stiffly.
Mars changes into a completely different person. "Yes, sir! Apologies, sir!"
"You need to act according to your age, Mars. Do not tarnish Team Galactic's name with your antics any further."
I've heard this voice on the radio and television before. Sinnoh's most successful businessman and investor. Rumor has it he's got a terrifyingly strong pokemon team, but he's never battled publicly. He argues his time is more valuable when he doesn't spend it fighting.
"I keep telling her that, boss, but she never listens. She just refuses to grow up--"
"You too, Jupiter. Everyone saw you rolling around in the snow. Act with some self-respect."
Jupiter doesn't even think of talking back. "Yes, sir. Apologies, sir. The public won't see me like this again, sir."
I turn around and see: Cyrus. The richest man in Sinnoh. A business magnate whose economic empire rivals SilphCo and Devon Corporation. The most coveted bachelor, as Mom's TV shows call him. His sunken cheeks, dark eye bags, and drawn skin say everything about his extraordinary work ethic.
Supposedly, he never stops working. When he travels, he works on his laptop; when he eats, he files documents; and when he sleeps, his pokemon conjure dreams in which he can keep working.
"Good. I have received both of your vacation applications. Considering what you have gone through, I will grant you two weeks of time off. Spend it wisely."
"Of course, sir. Thank you, sir." Mars still keeps her salute up.
"Change out of your uniforms. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" Both women bark and march past us into the gym - presumably heading for the changing rooms. The grunts, two blue-haired women, follow them with their luggage.
Cyrus' eyes then land on me. His cold blue stare locks me in place even as Dawn and Zoey separate themselves from our hug, swallowing and wringing their hands nervously.
His gaze is even more intense than Dad's.
He smiles. "Young Mr. Solo. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I will update your father about your current circumstances. Have a pleasant day."
Cyrus marches off, returning to wherever he came from and taking the tense atmosphere with him.
A cold breeze flows over the back of my neck... and my back too.
Dawn speaks up, completely forgetting the heap of trouble that Mars almost caused me. "That was intense."
"It felt like talking to a wild and dangerous pokemon." Zoey agrees.
"Good fucking grief."
"By the way." Dawn returns her attention to me. Her eyes tighten to a glare. "What the hell is going on between you and-- ... Wait, why are you shirtless?"
---
"Wow! Riolu and Salandit both evolved?! That's amazing! Congratulations, Swole!"
Operation: Distract Dawn via extremely convoluted and detailed recap - name still pending - glorious success! She completely forgot to be mad at me.
"Thanks. And Salazzle ripped my shirt apart when she evolved." That sounds suspicious. "Because she was under my shirt when it happened." Still suspicious. "She tried to use me as a meat shield... And that's the story of how I ended up half naked."
"I think she also gave you a rash or something." Dawn points at my neck where Salazzle had trailed her claw along.
"Aren't you cold?" Riley asks.
"Not really. My body feels mostly numb, but Lopunny's hot body keeps me warm."
"Ha. Phrasing." He chuckles, and I share a grin with him.
Candice steps out of the gym. "Hey, Swole-- Oh! And everyone else! Zo-zo, what's up? How did your escort mission go? And shouldn't you be the one keeping your boyfriend warm, instead of the pokemon he finds oddly hot?"
"Ha. Ha." Zoey lets out a dry laugh, while the others burst with laughter. Candice's smile strains under my intense glare... My glare falters. It's too funny. I can't help but smile along.
Once everyone calms down, Candice steps up. She offers the gym badge. "Swole. Congratulations. You've beaten my team fair and square. You've proven to be a formidable trainer, and you have earned the Icicle Badge."
The metal weighs heavier in my hand than before. Like all badges, it's made of polished platinum; glossy, blue sapphires fill out its shape, forming a mountain range. It feels heavier than the other badges too. "Thank you."
"Furthermore, a hard-earned victory like that deserves some compensation... sadly, I can't offer money right now. And I know the Avalanche TM we usually hand out won't be of any use to you. So, I've burned you a TM instead."
Now I wish I'd come along. I've never seen a TM burning before.
"This disc contains Ice Punch; sadly, I can't produce the same quality as SilphCo, so it only has one or two uses in it before it breaks."
"Ice Punch?! That's perfect for Lopunny! I've always wanted to get some of the elemental punches for her!" They had always been too expensive.
Candice smiles and places the TM into my open hand. Lopunny greedily watches the shimmering disk; her eyes won't let go of it.
"And finally, my best good luck wishes. I believe you can win the league."
Her statement knocks the air from my lungs. "You do?"
"You do?!" Dawn, and Zoey too, are baffled.
"Of course you will need to train a lot more, and you need to fill out your team. But yes. I believe-- no, I know you can win. And this will help you along." She hands me a bundle of paper, bound together by four simple strings.
"This is a copy of everything I know about pokemon - everything I've learned over the years and all the little details too. I plan to publish it soon, but you're getting it early. From our battle, it's clear: the only thing holding you back is your inexperience. A book might not be a perfect substitute, but it's a good shortcut."
"O M A. Thank you." It's a heap of condensed information. No more searching through libraries and hoping a book on my pokemon or my targets exist... "This is incredible." She actually believes I can win... "That means a lot to me. Thank you."
She places her hand on my shoulder. "No problem. And now, with that out of the way... get out of my city."
"Huh?"
"Pahahaha, sorry! I couldn't resist. The look on your face! -- I do mean it though. I know what you're thinking and what you're planning. And I won't accept your help."
"What? Why? Your people need all the help they can get."
"That's what Team Galactic is here for. Snowpoint City is my responsibility - not yours. You need to continue your journey, get stronger, and catch more pokemon, and then we will meet again in the League. We will have a serious match: a six versus six. I expect nothing less than your best."
"Are--" She is sure. I shouldn't tarnish her conviction and her faith in me by asking redundant questions. My eyes fall to the book she gave me... It's more than just knowledge. "Deal. I won't let you down. I will give you a battle you won't forget, and then I'll beat Cynthia."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to help clear out the wreckage Regigigas left behind. Goodbye, Swole, until we meet again. And bye-bye, Zo-zo, love you! <3!" Candice says the heart out loud before hugging Zoey tightly. "Have fun on your adventures! Byeee!"
She stalks off slowly, not glancing back, not matching her previous energy at all... Is she trying to look cool?
"Big sis Candice, wait! Don't you want to hear what happened during the escort mission?"
Candice hisses without looking back. "Zoeyyy, you're ruining my dramatic exit! Let's take care of that later on the phone." And she resumes her rather uncool exit.
"I think she lost it. Alpha Regigigas was too much for her sanity to handle."
"What are you talking about, Swole? That's how she's always been."
"Oh... Well then, let's leave."
Narrator-POV:
Thus ends their misadventure through the ever-frozen north of Sinnoh. Filled with fear, saturated with heavy decisions, and bursting at the seams with implications.
Legends rise, myths awaken, plots thicken... but overall, it's been just another bizarre day on Swole Solo's Strange Journey.