The training field in Castelia's central park was wide open. Near the northern part of it were a multitude of battlefields which looked similar to the park in Kalos. Where Ash first met Froakie. With steps from four sides going down where the earthy battlefield was.
It was the perfect place to test out a newer catch.
Next to me was Clara with Gengar in my shadow.
'Dear god knows Beedrill would jump him considering the last interaction.' I thought not wanting Beedrill to kill a future main member. Totodile was also in his Pokeball due to his more childish nature, which left Gliscor.
*Tzzzt*
"Thorn..." The familiar Pokemon casually looking up at me, just stared for a bit before looked at the distant trees. Its interests lying with the lush green grass and the nutrient soil.
Completely different from the caves and desert area he once lived at.
Its eyes shone.
Gliscor was to my side, sort of tense ready to attack. If Ferrothorn so much as twitched wrong he was ready to pounce.
Watching the new member start to walk off to the grass I had to get his attention. "Hold it," I softly say making it freeze.
Ferrothorn's gaze settled back on me. Flat. Unblinking.
I crouched on the turf, keeping my voice even. "Are you able to understand me?"
A simple but crucial question. Which was answered with a nod.
"Alright let me introduce myself. I'm Silver, your trainer. I'll bring you to abundant places like this and in return you fight for me." I simply explain not wanting to overcomplicate it.
For a long moment, nothing. It unnerved me a bit as his eyes started to squint which made me tense. After this little stand off he nodded in understanding. This interaction felt empty but a start is better than nothing.
'Only if this Pokemon ate normal food.' I grimace realising how I tamed most of my Pokemon. I'm not the best trainer instead a battler.
"Lets go," I order as we headed towards a patch of grass.
It hesitated, then shifted a little closer. Clearly eager to embed its spikes into the ground, which it soon did. Ferrothorn's eyes closed as it proceeded to look up as if in glee. The ground seemingly the best spot its ever experienced.
Clara watched this with narrowed eyes.
"Master Silver, we can't let it ruin the park. That's a whole separate matter in another region." She informs which I nod in understanding.
"Ferrothorn return, lets test out some of your moves." I say a bit of edge.
I leaned back on my hands, staring at it. It hesitated but in the end didn't try to create any conflicts.
...
Clara stood a little ways off the battle field, parasol open against the mid-morning light. She tilted her head at Ferrothorn's lumbering frame. Its attacks barely making an impact on the ground seen on the grounds.
One animal to describe it?
Like a slug.
"It doesn't seem particularly good at attacking, why would you consider it over your ground team?" Clara finally asked, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity.
Naturally this question made sense for trainers like Clara. She only have a handfull of Pokemon and probably never considered owning a setup Pokemon, or a defensive wall to pivot mid fight.
Why set up when she's fighting other criminals and committing crimes?
"He's a pivot Pokemon. Who sets up traps and lets me decide on what next move to do if I'm still thinking. With his defense it's the perfect Pokemon." I explain which was enough to satisfy her curiosity.
But still I could see her looking at him with disdain.
While it was still "strong" because of its level. It wasn't exceptional for its level due to not being a fighter. With its light green colour showing it being a bit desperate for nutrients, it was a bad combo.
"[Metal claw]" I call out.
After a few seconds its leg turned silver as it slowly, like a whip hit the ground in front of it.
*THUD*
"Not bad power." I mutter. There was a small crater where the attack landed.
...
Testing out Ferrothorn's move set went as well as I could hope. It was better than straight out no communication and aggression.
But to be fair, Ghetsis is able to make his Hydreigon obey his orders.
'The bar was already low.'
We wrapped up by noon, the field littered with shallow craters from Gyro Ball. Who would clean it up? Some guy who has a ground type Pokemon that gets paid to by the city.
Clara and I started back toward the hotel. Castelia's streets were busy, crowded as always, but the farther we walked the more we saw people gathered ahead. Especially since its been three weeks since the start of the gym circut.
A sight made me pause.
"Is that-"
A group in matching uniforms stood at the center of the sidewalk.
Not trainers, not city workers. Their outfits were pale, shaped like robes or tunics with strange insignias stitched across the chest.
The people wore them proudly, handing out food from crates, helping children reach balloons tied too high, even guiding an elderly woman across the road.
"They are from an organisation called Plama." Clara's words hit my ear.
"How do you know that?"
"Well your father has to look out for such headaches."
Her answer sounding so simple but crazy. They already knew about team Plasma? This early out is a bit diabolical.[1]
Clara tugged lightly at my sleeve. "It's best not to get involved with them."
"I know that, I just want to see how well they interact with the people." I answer which was something also on her mind.
They were supposed to be extremists. Dangerous.
But this? This didn't look dangerous.
One of them knelt down to tie a kid's shoe. Another handed out a wrapped loaf of bread. A third patted a man on the shoulder and offered a warm grin before moving on.
For a moment, it looked no different from charity work.
It wasn't hard to see why they had gained a reputation across the region. If someone's first impression of Team Plasma was this, they'd never question it. They'd just see uniforms tied to kindness, to helpfulness, to smiles.
'In all fairnesss, they actually recruit civilians that have a good heart which are probably who are the most brainwashed as well.'
"Lets go then," I said at last, getting bored.
She nodded and followed, but not before whispering in my ear about food.
Tempting...
We did end up taking a short detour to a place called the Castelia Cone which was a famous ice cream spot.
...
Back in the hotel room, the park's noise had been replaced with the low hum of the air conditioner.
Clara was already curled up on the sofa with some magazine she'd picked up, happily flipping pages and munching on yet another bag of candied nuts.
I ignored her rustling and opened my Pokégear.
Time to scroll.
[The Gym Circuit in Unova lasts nine months]
'This reminds me.' I thought.
I had chosen my lineup already of Totodile and Larvesta for the first badge. Ferrothorn was out of the question for now, and Beedrill would gain nothing.
Tapping through news articles, tournament records, and League bulletins. Galar caught my attention first.
Leon, crowned Champion at age ten, three years ago. Thirteen now. They called him "unbeatable." which seems a bit ridiculous, but is fair if he's never lost.
"Damn he rose as soon as the previous champion retired. Then he swept the gym leaders soon after in the cup."
While still impressive, there was no elite four that gate kept the position. Even so much as gym-leaders competing for the title. It was honestly pathetic in my eyes but that could just be me hating on other regions.
Especially Paldea...
Ruining the reputation of a champion by letting multiple have that title.
'Like fuck off, the only the strongest of a region deserve it. Much less multiple who gain it through a fake fight with Geeta.'
Cynthia's name came up next as Sinnoh's rising prodigy.
Still short of her prime, but her battles were already circulating in some articles as a lily of the valley conference winner.
"I'd say give her a few years like Lance."
And then there was Lance. Still not a Champion yet, but the Wataru clan's presence in Indigo was undeniable. The articles painted him as an arrogant prick which was funny enough.
"I need to send him this..." I chuckle to myself.
---
[Silver: Look at this article! (Lance Wataru the most arrogant league winner to date)]
[Silver: (The Arrogant Fool of the Wataru Clan)]
[Lance: This cannot be! After checking the article I'm being slandered after I tried to lecture some reporters of the greatness of my dragons. They didn't listen to a single word in the interview but pinpointed a single sentence.]
[Lance: I will talk to my elders about this...]
[Lance: Thank you for bringing this up to me friend.]
[Silver: ... ]
---
It was mean to be a joke...
Finding myself a little bored I decided to call Gareth. Opening up my contacts, I click his name without much thought if he was busy.
"Father who is that?" The voice of a teenage girl could be heard.
"Hello sir, are you there?"
In the background could be heard, Gareth conversing with a few girls which seem to be the waterflower sisters.
And if it weren't, perhaps the Pokemon FBI have to get involved...
"Haha sorry for that, my daughter answered the phone. I'm eating dinner right now but I'm able to talk. Need any help?" He answers somewhat excited which confused me.
"I've recently caught a Pokemon and my method of using food to bond isn't working. Mainly because it doesn't eat food as it absorbs nutrients from the ground. It used to live in the desert and in a cave so I thought about going to lush forests." I carefully explain my thought process.
It took a bit but after hearing some chewing through the microphone he finaly answered.
"I'd say you're on the right track, but don't let absorb too much."
"Why not?"
"Listen sonny. True appreciation cannot be achieved without comparison. You don't want you're new capture to think the lush grass is its new normal and keep it grateful to you.
Keeping its absorbtion limited until you fully bond is my suggestion."
His words made sense but a bit manipulative.
But hey isn't what I was doing already sort of manipulation anyways? Like using food to "encourage" my Pokemon's friendship. So it's the same thing but with extra steps.
"I'll listen to your suggestion, I appreciate it. Have a great day."
"You too kid."
...
[Omniscient POV - (Castelia City Gym)]
The Castelia Gym was quiet in the late afternoon. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching the pale green of the ivy that wound along the walls.
Burgh sat at his desk in the back office, sorting through sketches of his next mural.
His Pokémon milled about the room with a Leavanny stitching together scraps of cloth while a Dwebble gnawing at a rock.
The buzz of his phone broke the silence.
He reached for it absently, expecting a routine update from the League. Instead, the notification read:
[Alliance App: New Gym Challenger Scheduled – Tomorrow, 10:00 AM]
Burgh tapped it open, scrolling through the details. The challenger's name appeared on screen.
[Silver Sakaki]
Burgh looked at the name with a scrunched face.
"The name is familiar. But a 10 year old in the gym circuit, how peculiar." He mutters snapping his fingers together.
*Click* *Click*
"Wait! Senior Giovanni's son?"
Sakaki was not common, and he knew it from somewhere deeper than chance. He leaned back, frowning, and after a moment the memory surfaced Giovanni.
Viridian's Gym Leader.
A very memorable man, surrounded by others trying to get on his good side.
'I unfortunately couldn't talk to him.' Burgh thought a bit depressed. As a newer gym leader and not being apart of Kanto. There wasn't a chance he would be able to talk to such a figure.
A figure who carried both respect and unease throughout League circles.
He had seen the man once before, at a regional gathering.
Burgh scrolled further. The details were simple and official making his age of ten not exactly a problem despite the age of fifteen run.
He murmured under his breath, "Giovanni's son… How incredible!"
Opening up the web he started to search up everything known about Silver.
[Two Badges In One Day?! A PRODIGY SHAKES THE KANTO GYM CIRCUIT!]
[Giovanni's secret love child?!?]
[BE CAREFUL OF THIS GYM TRAINER IN VIDIRIAN GYM!]
[Professor Oak's secret?]
[A psychic trainer sweeping through Kanto!]
A multitude of articles popped up which interested Burgh. Each one seemed exaggerated but entertaining none the less. Such as the tyrannical image of Silver that even without the bug gym leader noticing.
Start to warp his image of Silver a little bit.
Leavanny glanced up from its work, curious at what has its trainer so engrossed.
"Vanny..." It softly said showing its trainer a newly made silk scarf.
"I look cold? Thank you so much Leavanny." He gratefully accepts his expression softening at his Pokemon.
He wondered what Silver would show tomorrow. Was he a mirror of Giovanni, or something entirely his own?
"It seems like his starter isn't ground type. This makes this so much more fun." Burgh says with anticipation.
But for now.
It was time to nap!
[1] In the anime Giovanni and Matori converse about the Rocket Trio interrupting their "enemy" team Plasma in an early episode of Black & White.