As things stood, Black One of the Zweilous had the advantage for the reasons already given and had taken the lead from the outset, and there was every chance it would hold the initiative when the time came to evolve into a Hydreigon as well.
Which saved a great deal of time.
Told as much, Black Two understood how matters stood, and though there was resentment on its face it said nothing.
Perhaps it would come right after a while.
There was no help for it. That is simply how peculiar the Zweilous's kind are.
In the end Black Two apologised to the Combusken as well.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. What you said was true enough, anyway. I need to build my strength up faster and evolve soon myself." The Combusken waved it away, and then his fighting spirit showed through.
If no new companion came along, he, the Combusken, was the bottom of the team; and a new companion was not necessarily going to be weaker than him either, so very likely even with one he would still be the weakest on the team.
No. He, the Combusken, would have to rise.
The Zweilous's details were displayed on the system panel.
> **Name:** Zweilous (male)
> **Type:** Dragon, Dark
> **Ability:** Hustle
> **Aptitude:** Near-Champion
> **Level:** 45
> **Moves:** Tackle, Bite, Dragon Breath, Roar, Pursuit, Headbutt, Scary Face, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Rush, Outrage, Dark Pulse, Crunch, Dragon Tail, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang...
As expected, the Zweilous's aptitude had risen to Near-Champion, and if it were raised on like this, barring accidents, it would reach Champion aptitude.
You could say the Zweilous had the makings of a Champion.
A Pokémon with Champion aptitude is one in ten thousand, and a Hydreigon is a Pokémon that comes good late besides.
Whether you went by looks or by what it did in a fight, a Hydreigon cut a far more impressive figure than a Zweilous.
The thought of it — himself one day descending on some scene astride a Hydreigon, the Hydreigon letting out a great roar, the dragon's cry rolling out, the dragon's majesty cold and formidable about it — now that would be a sight.
Vance was rather looking forward to it.
"Never mind. Today is a rest day, so no training. We'll see about it tomorrow. Slack and tighten by turns, that's the right way of it."
Even humans working get two days off, or at worst nine till nine, six days a week, and for the past half-month he and his Pokémon had effectively been on duty round the clock. It did wear on you.
"Combusken, combusken—"
"Roar, roar—"
The Zweilous was in conversation with the Combusken and the others too, so that Black Two would settle into the group.
The Aerodactyl, the Slaking and the Gyarados were none of them inferior to the Zweilous, and after the upset just now Black Two set its pride aside and joined them — and it seemed the feeling was not bad at all.
Vance lay back in the deck chair with the faintly salt sea wind on him, reading the messages on his phone.
Several were from Ambrose and Emery, describing how things stood and reporting on their work.
The conflict between the League and Team Rocket had gradually quietened down, and Lance of the Dragon Clan, of the Elite Four, who had been running the length of Kanto, had lately called off his crackdown and turned to other work.
On Team Rocket's side, after all that had happened, they were healing their injuries, licking their wounds in the dark and building themselves back slowly, and they had not come out to make trouble.
All at once Kanto was a good deal calmer, and the League's standing had gained a little by it; its decline looked to have been checked.
What was growing back, slowly, were the dark forces on the edges of the cities that had been struck at — outfits of the Black Dragon Gang's sort.
Where there is profit, there will be people who take desperate risks to get at it, and the rule that numbers make strength is not wrong applied to this either.
Even if they were only Intermediate and Advanced Trainers, and even if they looked for their profit not upwards but downwards.
People with no Pokémon and little strength were their meat, and that was how they made their living.
At the same time, Grady had arrived in Celadon City and gone down into the Team Rocket base beneath the Game Corner, and was now in the office of a man he knew.
"Draven, I've come here because there's something I need to ask you."
Grady sat facing Draven. The two were friends on reasonably good terms, recruits of the same Team Rocket intake who had known each other for years; and this Draven was a Division Commander of the Celadon branch, which was why Grady had come to his door.
"Oh? And what is it you want to ask, Grady? What news brings you all this way to Celadon City?" Draven put down the file in his hand and said it easily.
"I have a private matter. I want to ask after a new recruit. It is very important to me. I'd be grateful — and when it is done there will be a handsome thank-you." Grady said it gravely.
"Who is it, then?"
Draven sat up straight, wanting to hear who this person was who merited such seriousness from him.
"Vance. A Team Rocket recruit of this intake. I wonder whether you know of him?"
"Vance? Doesn't ring any bells. Let me look him up."
Draven frowned. He had not heard the name. He opened his computer at once to check the files, and found he could turn nothing up.
"Hm? Grady, have you got the name wrong? There's nothing here. I can't find any Vance at all. See for yourself."
Draven turned the computer so Grady could see, and the screen did indeed say no such person was on record.
"No. Certainly not. Vance came to Celadon, I'm sure of it. My information is not wrong." Grady shook his head, unconvinced.
"It would have been about five months ago that he reported to Celadon. Look again."
Grady thought a moment and gave him that much more.
"Five months ago — there were a few squads of recruits who reported to Celadon, I think." Hearing that, Draven remembered that there had been something of the sort.
He searched again after that, and still there was nothing on Vance.
"That isn't right. Look up who entered this branch at that time."
Draven ran another search and put the results in front of him.
"Twenty-two came in at that point. Eight have been killed, three wounded; eleven are still serving."
Grady went through it carefully. Still nothing.
Just then there was a knock at the door, and a Team Rocket member came in and put something to Draven.
Having made his report, he happened to catch what Grady had said, and glanced at the screen.
"Commander, I think there are a few who aren't showing up there. They're on Division Commander Sylas's side."
That made Grady's eyes light up. Could that be where he was?