Chapter 52: 206-208

Chapter 52: 206-208

The New Normal – 10-4 – Interlude – Proton

Idling around did not suit a man like himself.

Proton had initially thought that they could have made use of the current political instability of Sinnoh to start getting things done, but he was unanimously shot down by everyone he had suggested the idea with.

He didn't know why he expected anything different. Those weird freaks with Cyrus were obviously going to only listen to his own commands, and Matt and the other two Team Magma fools were still only listening to their boss.

He smirked inwardly at the thought of his 'boss'. Ever since their move to Sinnoh, Maxie and Archie had practically fallen out of power entirely. If Cyrus wanted to, he could have removed them from their leadership positions without much issue. The only reason his bosses were still called as such was because Cyrus saw no reason to depose them from their positions. But Proton knew that they were merely puppets.

Everyone knew who was in charge.

Not only was Cyrus providing the funding, but his team was also responsible for a majority of the research. For all of his boss' fanatical goals, he was no scientist. Having Archie try to figure out how to invent a creation that could control a Legendary would be the equivalent of getting a Mankey to write a joke. An impossibility.

Unfortunately, his old bosses' newfound lack of power did not benefit him in any way. Cyrus was even more cowardly and over-cautious as they were, and completely and utterly refused to allow Proton to 'expose more of our actions', as he described them. Cyrus repeatedly told him that the preparations weren't in place yet, and that more patience was necessary.

So Proton was forced to do nothing but wait, spending most of his time training up his team and 'enforcing order' amongst the grunts that he was saddled with. He was supposed to be training them, and there was no better training than getting the shit beat out of you.

That was how most of his time was spent. Idling about while the scientists supposedly did all the real work. He thought his days would be spent in mind-numbing boredom.

Until Sinnoh got a new Champion.

When he first heard that the new Champion was apparently some blonde bitch, he was interested, if only because she was easy on the eyes. He dismissed how strong her team was; he never saw the Sinnoh Elite Four as anything else other than up-jumped trainers with titles that they didn't deserve.

He remembered that he had a good laugh at the very thought that this blonde thought she could somehow pull Sinnoh out of the turmoil that it found itself in. She didn't think the bitch could get any sort of respect after the old fuck of a Champion left this backward region in such shambles.

Only – that was exactly what she was doing. And Proton wasn't laughing now. Nor were his bosses.

That was why Proton had been summoned to attend an emergency meeting with the bosses to discuss what changes they could make in the face of this new Champion. Cyrus' face was as blank and as unfeeling as usual, but the worried looks on his subordinates told Proton everything he needed to know.

"I come bearing grave news." Cyrus began, "It appears that our new Champion has been moving with significant haste. She seems to be far more active than her predecessor."

"I thought she was busy with that open challenge of hers?" Archie asked, "When would she have time to do all that on top of those battles she's doing?"

Maxie smirked, "People can multitask, unlike you, Archie. Though perhaps it could be a skill that you could eventually come to learn–"

"Regardless, her movements are a concern." Cyrus interrupted those two before they could begin their signature squabbling, "I don't know why she's become insistent on doing this, but I have heard from our sources that she plans to undergo a full financial sweep through all of the businesses of Sinnoh. Ours included."

"Would that be a problem?" Maxie asked, fully serious now.

"Less than it would have been had we not gotten prior warning, but yes." Cyrus admitted, "Unfortunately, due to the high expenditure required for our research, as well as the vast amounts of resources that were lost both in Hoenn and Indigo, we've had to make up for the shortfall using our funds from our legitimate business."

"So this audit risks exposing where those funds went." Archie finished, and at this point Proton was also alarmed. Was this really how they would get exposed? All of his idling about and being 'patient' wasted because of a fucking audit?!

Fortunately, Cyrus shook his head, "That won't happen. Especially with the prior warning we received, we'll be shuffling around funds to make sure that nothing is at risk of being exposed. We have further agents that will help us conceal our underground activities. However, this does mean we're going to have to tighten our belts in order to conceal our activities. Many projects, teams, and even equipment might have to be cut down as a result."

"Then why can't we earn that money back some other way?!" Proton couldn't resist but shout out, causing everyone in the room to shoot him angry looks, "You had us sit on our asses all this time, and now you're telling us that we have to cut down even further on funding!? Then why don't we just go out there and get that extra money back!? How hard would it be?!"

Cyrus' eyes immediately shot to his, and Proton found himself staring at the two empty voids that Cyrus called eyes. Despite lacking any sort of identifiable emotion, they somehow burned with a terrifying intensity that dared Proton to disobey him.

Proton tensed unconsciously; the lingering threat for disobedience hung in the air.

"...Proton, it seems your impatience is getting the better of you." Cyrus said, not breaking his stare, "I find it difficult to believe that you seem so eager to repeat what happened in Indigo and Hoenn once more."

"I would suggest reflecting on the consequences of your rash past actions, and improve upon them." Proton bristled at his words, but the reminder of Cyrus' implicit threat kept him docile, "Remind yourself of our true goal. Do you wish to have the power of Legendaries in your hands?"

"...Yes." He bit out, no longer able to meet his boss' gaze.

"Then you would do well to remind yourself that the cost for such power would be to exercise a bit of patience." Cyrus continued with an almost lecturing tone, showing no sign that he was even bothered by Proton's insult, "This is merely a minor setback, nothing more. We will begin full operations in time. We just need to wait for an opportunity."

Then a smile plastered itself on Cyrus' face, though Proton didn't see how anyone could think that it was real, "All of you should focus on training up your teams. This setback is merely another test for us to overcome, and we have already overcome all the challenges that have been placed before us so far, growing stronger for each challenge we surpass! This shall be no different!"

"Our dream is growing ever closer to being achieved, and once the opportunity is made available to us, we will be going out in full force. Your very best will be required, because creating a utopia like ours is going to require every last bit of our dedication and effort to create!"

Cyrus' weird fanatics all cheered at his words, while his old bosses gave more subdued, but approving nods. He just rolled his eyes at their actions.

Still, Cyrus' words placated his rage a bit. With his rationality returning, he acknowledged that to go out right now would be suicidal, and would be a one-way trip to getting a life sentence. As much as he hated waiting, his rationality won out this time around.

And he had no illusions that Cyrus intended to use him as a blunt and violent instrument. But that was perfectly fine with him; he would relish in the opportunity when he was finally allowed to let loose.

However, as he leaned back against his chair, he began to wonder how much of Cyrus' actions were actually truthful.

Were they really not in trouble if they began to tighten their belts? Would their finances actually be fine if they were cut off by the financial investigation? His boss seemed as calm as ever, but how much of that was just because he was an emotionless corpse? Fuck, he hated thinking of shit like this.

Who knew this fucking bitch of a Champion would be so damn annoying?

The New Normal – 10-5 – A New Stage

(Cynthia POV)

It was time. Her battle against ex-Champion Hayato had finally come.

She wasn't nervous, far from it. She couldn't be, not when she was here to make a statement – to remind the traditionalists that their time had come to an end.

She knew that he was a Poison specialist, though his entire team did not solely comprise of Poison types. Though, as befits a man that championed the cause of Sinnoh traditionalism for so long, his Pokémon were all from Sinnoh.

"You'll do fine, Champ!" Flint patted her on the shoulder and grinned, "I know Hayato; he isn't got anything on you."

"I'm sure she knows that already." Aaron said, giving her a small nod, "Go on and crush him. He deserves it; its not like he's gotten any stronger over the years."

"Probably the opposite." Flint quipped.

She smiled at her colleagues, giving them all a quick nod of acknowledgement before she stepped forwards into the stadium once again. She smiled and waved as she usually did, until she found herself standing in front of a man that seemed to be staring at her with a steely look in his eyes.

"...So we finally meet." The aged Hayato said. He was getting on in years, but he seemed to have aged significantly since his departure from Champion. He didn't use to look quite this old.

"We do." Cynthia agreed, "I didn't expect we would meet so soon. It's quite the pleasure to–"

"Save me from your pleasantries, we both know they're false." Hayato dismissed, "I was deposed because enough of the public hated me enough to kick me out. I know your view of me is no different from theirs."

"Then why challenge me?" She asked with a tilt of her head, "Even if you won, that won't suddenly get you back the popularity you lost. You know this."

"I do." He nodded, "But my supporters have convinced me to prove one thing to you – that the traditions of the past are not wrong. That my strength, as the long-time representative of the traditionalists, has not waned."

He raised a finger and pointed at Cynthia, "I know you believe you are doing what is right for the region. Perhaps you are, and that you truly are on the right path. But all I can see is the recklessness of youth, formed by a lack of caution of the real dangers that your policies may cause."

"And by the time that you realise it, the damage will have already be done." He shook his head, "It is that recklessness that worries us. Sinnoh has been served well by the traditions that we have held so strongly to, and I must do whatever I can to ensure that we return to safer and more familiar times."

"...You really must be blinded by the past if you truly thought that Sinnoh was prospering while it held strongly to its traditions." Cynthia frowned, "I appreciate that you are doing this because you believe this is for the betterment of Sinnoh – and for that you have my respect – but I cannot deny that I believe you are misguided in your views."

"And I believe you to be the misguided one." He shot back, "Sinnoh is not a region that requires change."

"So we come at an impasse, one that must be solved through battle." She turned her back to him, realising that there was little else to say, "Enjoy your time in the spotlight, Hayato. It will be your last."

She couldn't hear whatever comment he made in response as she took her position in the arena. She clutched her chosen Pokéball in her hand; she was not messing around this time.

Her victory against Hayato had to be nothing less than a statement. The final nail of the coffin of the traditionalists to show the public of the Sinnoh that they were well and truly out of power.

The last hurrah of the traditionalists would not go out with a bang, but with a pathetic whimper.

"GO! Milotic!"

"Drapion, get to work!"

She didn't even have to give commands as Milotic immediately moved to set up a Safeguard, cutting off Hayato's greatest strength – the ability to Poison his opponents. Drapion took the opportunity and moved in close, pincers raised menacingly, thinking that it could win in a fight at close range.

It could not. For as sedentary and as passive that Milotic may appear, she was brutally strong when push came to shove.

So instead of the helpless and vulnerable target it was expecting, Drapion was suddenly bashed aside as Milotic's tail came crashing into its side with surprising agility. Drapion dug its sharp legs into the ground, trying to push against the surprising strength of Milotic, only to be met with a powerful torrent of Hydro Pump right to the face.

"Payback, Drapion!"

Even though it stumbled backwards from force of the Hydro Pump, Drapion flared up with Dark energy and rushed forwards, using the damage it took to fuel its next attack. Drapion rapidly closed the distance and slashed ferociously at Milotic; with each slash of his infused with a crippling amount of Poison.

Yet Milotic hardly seemed affected by the attacks; without access to its famed Poison, Milotic had more than enough endurance to muscle through Drapion's aggression. Especially since Milotic had secretly set up with an Aqua Ring when Drapion was busy being blasted in the face by the Hydro Pump.

Cynthia watched as Drapion continued to rip into Milotic with a calm and analytical eye, unbothered by the damage her Milotic was receiving. While it may appear that Drapion was currently overwhelming her Milotic, she could see the truth.

Drapion wasn't nearly able to overwhelm her Milotic with its attacks – it just lacked the power to do so. Considering that Hayato was a previous Champion of Sinnoh, that was a curiosity. It was almost like his team hadn't improved ever since his departure.

This was not the strength of a Champion's Pokémon. He was too reliant on his Pokémon's ability to Poison, which was where most of his training likely went to, and now that Safeguard had blocked it, his Pokémon's natural strength was unable to make up the difference. Or was her Milotic just tankier than she thought?

But that wasn't important for now. With another command, Milotic suddenly slithered to the side, dodging another Cross Poison from Drapion before a powerful Aqua Tail slammed into its side like a hammer. Drapion's head literally snapped to the side from the impact, and as it staggered backwards, Milotic darted forwards and crashed their heads together with a concussive Iron Head that disoriented the Drapion and caused it to flinch.

Drapion then exploded with Dark energy as it swung its claws around with a powerful Payback, only to hit nothing but air as Milotic had already fallen back. So instead of striking with a powerful counterattack, Drapion was blasted in the face with another torrential Hydro Pump that sent it skidding back and pinned against the psychic barriers of the arena.

As Drapion struggled to peel itself off the ground, Milotic took full advantage of this to begin setting up with Coil and Dragon Dance, constricting herself as she crucially boosted her Attack, Defense, and Speed.

She knew she could not replicate the jaw-dropping demonstration of brute strength that John accomplished with his starter, but she COULD defeat Hayato in a way that would make her victory look effortless.

And with his Drapion being so outmatched by her Milotic to allow her to begin setting up, and with a strong Safeguard firmly in place to deny Hayato access to his poison, she knew she was already on her way there.

Realising that keeping Drapion in the fight for longer was only going to allow her Milotic to continue setting up, Hayato withdrew his Drapion and sent out his Gastrodon next, which was one of his few non-Poison types.

He must have been thinking that Gastrodon would be able to nullify Milotic's Water attacks.

However, that assumption was quickly proven false as Milotic rushed forwards, surprising the notoriously sluggish Gastrodon as a Dragon Tail whipped through the air and smashed into the Ground type's face; the impact digging a trench through the ground while sending the Gastrodon face first into it.

Then Milotic swept her tail upwards, forcefully knocking Gastrodon into the air before darting forwards and immediately Wrapping herself around it. Gastrodon gasped in pain as Milotic ruthlessly began to squeeze, causing a painful squelching noise as Milotic painfully constricted the Gastrodon with her longer and stronger body.

Gastrodon was literally having the air crushed out of it.

"Stone Edge, Gastrodon! Break free!"

She could see the desperation in both the trainer's and Pokemon's eyes as Gastrodon frantically tried to break free by launching a volley of sharpened rocks into Milotic. But her Water type merely shrugged them aside as she continued to choke the life out of the Gastrodon and – to add insult to injury – blasted it right in the face with a pulsating Dragon Pulse.

Knowing that his Gastrodon was completely and utterly helpless as it was being choked out, Hayato did the only thing he could do.

"Return, Gastrodon! Come out, Toxicroak!"

She shot Hayato a curious look as she stared at the newly emerged Toxicroak; he must have been running out of options if he chose his Toxicroak to be his next Pokémon.

But...that was fine, because she felt that this was time to reveal one of her trump cards. After all, she was here to send a message, and what better message to send but to show how impossible Hayato's chances of victory against her was?

Therefore, she made the order.

"Baton Pass, Milotic."

She watched as Hayato's eyes shot open with surprise as her Milotic was recalled into her Pokéball, only to be swapped out with her Garchomp – now with ALL of Milotic's previous buffs. Milotic weren't able to learn Baton Pass naturally, but she had practiced with her Togekiss to make this strategy a reality.

"GARCHOMP!!!" And now, as Garchomp's thunderous roar echoed throughout the arena, instinctively causing Toxicroak to flinch minutely in fear, she grinned tauntingly at her opponent. Facing a boosted Garchomp was every trainer's nightmare – and hers was no ordinary Garchomp.

It would be a slaughter.

Then Garachomp buried herself into the ground, only to erupt out seconds later as she effortlessly ripped through the Protect shield from Toxicroak. A desperate Ice Punch from the Toxicroak was expertly parried before Garchomp brutally clotheslined her opponent, crashing a powerful clawed wing into its neck and sending the Toxicroak sprawling onto the ground, choking on its breath.

Grabbing the fallen Toxicroak in her razor-sharp claws, Garchomp let out a menacing growl as her claws painfully dug into Toxicraok as she viciously clutched the Poison type's head in her hands as if she was trying to crush it with her boosted strength. A Sludge Bomb came her way, but she shrugged it off before her arm came down like a blur, smashing the Toxicroak head first into the ground.

Toxicroak struggled in her grasp, but her Garchomp was unrelenting as she ruthlessly smashed it down again and again and again, brutalising the Poison type as a small crater formed around them.

Garchomp then pressed Toxicroak to the ground before she let out a stomp, causing the hole that she had created to split apart and shatter as a spiderweb of cracks cut through the battlefield. As the tremors began shaking the entire arena, Garchomp kept Toxicroak pinned to the ground, forcing it to tank through the entirety of the sheer destructive power of Garchomp's boosted Earthquake.

Needless to say, with all of the buffs that Garchomp had, the Earthquake was very much overkill. Toxicroak had fallen within seconds.

And she knew that the rest of his team wouldn't last much longer than that.

=================

?(John POV)

Cynthia's battle against Hayato was just as dominating as I hoped it would be, with the latter having been soundly crushed by his replacement. Like the rest of the spectators, I was also surprised when she had revealed her Milotic's ability to Baton Pass her buffs, and I inwardly raised the threat level of her Milotic by a couple of stages.

The ability to pass on buffs to her already powerful Garchomp was staggeringly powerful. Especially the right kinds of buffs.

It was something to consider for my own team as well.

Of course, with Hayato soundly crushed by Cynthia in a dominating 6-0 victory that really highlighted the power of a fully buffed up Garchomp, that signified the last 'real' chance that anyone had of displacing Cynthia from her new position as Champion. Even though she still had other challenges waiting to fight her, everyone knew that they were only doing so as to not be left out. There was no real chance that they would win.

Therefore, Cynthia's position as Champion was all but confirmed.

Not only that, but Wallace had contacted us through the same conference call that he did before, with the same people attending, looking to speak about the Tri-Regional Tournament.

"I bring joyous news!" He said with a pleased smile on his face, "Though I may have run my assistants ragged, I can safely announce that the planning for the Tri-Regional Tournament HAS BEEN COMPLETED!"

"Is it still taking place in Hoenn?" Bertha asked.

"Have our partners been decided? What was the criteria for choosing the teams?" I followed up.

"Are people really not talking about it in Sinnoh?" I asked, "Surely it'll be more relevant there."

"The Tournament and the team lineups have predictably dominated much of the discussion on the news and Pokénet." She explained, "Congratulations, by the way. From what I know of her from research, Roxanne is a good partner for you to have."

"I didn't realise you already did the research on her." I commented.

"Of course I did." She stated, "You have that match against Lance, right? I'd be disappointed FOR you if you didn't make it into the Top 3. Of course I'd wanted you to get a partner that you could work with."

"And I don't intend to lose that battle." I replied with conviction, "It was hard enough to get an opportunity to fight Lance. I will make the most of it."

"Good, because I know you can do it." Cynthia said firmly, "I believe in you. Emperor may be seen by the public as the strongest amongst all Pokémon, but if there's anyone that can overthrow that title, it will be you and your Slaking."

"Show the world the strength that I see in you." She said, with her eyes locking onto mine even through the screen, "Prove that you are a Champion, whether you hold the title or not."

Her words caused a wide smile to break out on my face, "You always know the right thing to say."

"And I expect to be rewarded when I do get to see you." She smirked, "Count the days, John. We'll see each other again in Hoenn."

"I'll be sure to greet you most enthusiastically." I chuckled, "After all, do you remember what I said before about the beaches of Dewford?"

After all that boasting about how much superior the snows of Sinnoh were compared to the sunny beaches of Hoenn, I was determined to change her mind about this. No matter what, I'd find time to bring her to experience a proper beach experience.

"I'll make sure to pack appropriately." She smiled teasingly, but then I heard a knock on the door through the phone, causing Cynthia to look up, "Tsk, I have to go now. I'll wait for you in Hoenn." Then with one last smile, she ended the call.

I smiled as I stared down at the black screen of my phone. I couldn't wait to see her again.

However, that was for later. And today I had an unexpected meeting to attend to. Professor Oak had called, explaining that he wanted to show Shelly, Blaine, and I something. Considering who he had invited, I suspected that he had an evolution item to show us, but I had no idea what he had found.

So, with bubbling curiosity, I flew over to Pallet Town once more and arrived swiftly at Professor Oak's lab. As I entered his office, I seemed to have been the first to arrive.

"Professor!" I called out as I walked in, "It's been some time."

"Oh, John, I thought you'd be in a little later." He got up from where he was working, "Do you mind waiting a little bit for the others to arrive? That way I can show you three together."

"Sure, no worries." I sat down on one of the spare seats as I took a look around his lab. My eyes were immediately drawn to the copious amounts of notes that were written on a whiteboard, and the lone incubating egg that was placed on a desk. I couldn't tell which egg it was.

His handwriting was a little difficult to decode, but reading through the keywords, he was apparently trying to discover if there were any alternate Fairy forms for Pokémon that we had missed.

"Yes, it's a little side project of mine that I worked on right after the Fairy reveal." Oak spoke up as he saw the look on my face, "I had immediately gotten back into working on the PIT technique as soon as we had finished, but I wanted to focus on the Fairy type since its the newest."

"Plus, after your words with Daisy, I thought that I could gift her a new Pokémon if I ever discovered one." He shot me a grateful look, "Thanks for that, by the way. I had been a little unsure of how much I should push her to become a trainer, but I'm happy to see her so motivated."

"It's not a problem, Professor." I shook my head, "Koga encouraged me to train her up, and I thought that she had a lot of potential as a Fairy specialist."

"Well she's taking to it very well." He chuckled, "You know she constantly asks me questions about the Fairy type now? She's keen to learn everything about her chosen Type. Gary's a little less enthusiastic, but he's also training harder now that Daisy wins more of her fights."

"Any chances Gary wants to follow in her big sisters footsteps?" I asked. That would be a big change from canon for him.

"Not a chance." Oak laughed, "If anything, his big sister choosing to be a Fairy specialist has well and truly pushed him away from the Fairy type. He wants nothing to do with it, which is a shame. I hope he overcomes this little sibling spat of his – the Fairy type has many powerful Pokémon that I'm sure he would value in his team."

We continued to engage in some more small talk before the door to his office swung open once again as Blaine and Shelly entered the room.

"Oh, sorry if we're late." Blaine said as he stepped in, "We were just finishing up a call with Volkner."

"How is he?" I asked, "Do you guys get along well?"

"He's just as you said." Shelly nodded, "Very smart, and has a clear passion for working with machinery. Though he's quite the eccentric, and tends to get tunnel-visioned on one particular thing from time to time. He almost seemed lazy, if you didn't know better. He's just very disinterested in things he's not passionate about."

"Bah, having a few eccentricities is the norm around here." Blaine scoffed, "Anyways, Sam, what did you want to show us? You've already got my interest."

"Right this way." He escorted us to a corner of the room, where he had stored another familiar looking lockbox placed on top of a wheeled trolley. It was the same as the one Blaine used to store his Magmarizer. Just what did he find?

The three of us stared with unhidden interest as he opened up the lockbox...only to draw puzzled looks from the other two as he did.

"...What is that?" Blaine asked confusedly, "Did you make some kind of special training weight, Sam?"

"Is it okay if I touch it?" Shelly asked, receiving a nod from Oak. "Huh, that's surprisingly coarse. Rougher than I would have thought." Then she tried to lift it and it didn't budge an inch, "Woah! It's really heavy! And tough! What is this? It's really feeling more like a specialized training weight the more I look at it."

But unlike the other two, I immediately caught on to what it was. That was no ordinary training weight, that was a Protector – the evolution item for a Rhydon to evolve into a Rhyperior.

"Believe it or not, what you're holding onto is an evolution item." Oak explained with a grin.

"An evolution item!? For which Pokémon?" Shelly exclaimed in shock.

"I call it a Protector." He said, "And I've already tested it. It's used to evolve Rhydon into a new Pokémon I call a Rhyperior. Here, let me show you."

A bright white light formed in the room as Oak casually released his newly evolved Rhyperior into the middle of his office. An intimidating figure emerged in front of us, with its large, muscled, and powerful stature instantly becoming the centre of attention.

Rhydon were already known to be strong Pokémon. But a Rhyperior took it to a whole different level. THIS could easily be the ace Pokémon of any team. Even without much training, it could already be considered to be a powerhouse Pokémon.

I could imagine Giovanni salivating over it already.

"...Incredible." Shelly muttered as she carefully observed Rhyperior, "I can feel its power radiating out from it. How did you create something like this, Professor Oak?"

He rubbed his head sheepishly, "Well you weren't far off when you compared it to a training weight. I was actually trying to create a training weight that would allow for Pokémon to make use of to improve their strength training, but I went too far. This Protector is far too heavy and tough for most Pokémon to use."

"That still doesn't tell us how you made it." Blaine added, "How did you make it as a tough and heavy as it is?"

"Rock energy." Oak admitted casually, as if it was the easiest thing to do, "I just copied what you did with the Magmarizer and compressed a lot of Rock energy into a single item."

We all blinked at his nonchalant response.

"...No, no, no, wait a minute, Sam." Blaine rubbed his head tiredly, "You don't get to just glance over that explanation. How in Arceus did you manage to manipulate that much Rock energy like that? I had to build my own machine when I created the Magmarizer, and that took me months!"

He shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, Blaine. I just built my own machine and then it just happened. It was a nice side project that I had been working on. I can even show you the machine later if you want to see it."

The three of us gaped at him. Even with my lesser understanding of science, I knew what Blaine had accomplished with the Magmarizer was no simple task. So for Oak to create the Protector by adapting Blaine's own methods – and so quickly – was nothing less than jaw-dropping.

Was this the genius of Professor Oak?

"...I shouldn't even be surprised at your antics, Sam." Blaine eventually muttered, "I should be mad. Actually, I don't know why I'm not. Well, congratulations anyways. It seems like you made quite the find."

"Do you have any plans to sell it?" Shelly asked, shaking out of her shock and taking up her role as a Devon Corp Director once again.

He shrugged, "If there's demand for it, then I see no reason why I wouldn't." The way he said it was so dismissive that it was as if the money and the fame didn't matter to him.

To be fair, it probably didn't.

"Well, that's all I really want to show you today." Oak turned his attention back to us, "So how's your own Electirizer project going? I hope it's going well."

That pulled everyone into a discussion about what was going on with the Electirizer. With Volkner brought onboard and actually working well with the team, that meant that they were making steady progress to creating a prototype. Blaine suspected that we would actually finish ahead of projections.

"Volkner hopes that we can get a working prototype done by the time the Tournament rolls around, which was quicker than we expected." Shelly said. "He hopes to use the Tournament to show off the new evolution."

"It would be a great marketing opportunity." Oak agreed, "Ah...it's a shame that I won't be able to participate in the Tournament. It sounds like great fun."

"I think many people are sighing in relief that you're not participating, Sam." Blaine muttered, "You'd easily be one of the Top 3 if you were."

Oak shrugged, "Oh well, I'll stick to cheering you guys on the sidelines." He looked at me and Blaine, "Who were you two partnered with again?"

"I'm with Gym Leader Byron, and John's with Gym Leader Roxanne." Blaine answered for the both of us.

"Byron...ah, he's the long-time Gym Leader of Canalave City, from Sinnoh." Oak nodded, "Well he's of similar age to you, Blaine. Maybe you can work well together as a defensive-offensive pair."

"Maybe..." That didn't sound very convincing from Blaine, but then the conversation switched over to the three of us bantering about the Tournament and the pairings.

My reminder that Agatha was paired up with the young twins got Blaine roaring with laughter and even elicited a few chuckles from Oak. Shelly got her few cents in – working with so many strong trainers had pushed her to train up her analysis skills even further.

Sadly, everyone had their own commitments to head to, so we had to cut our discussion short. I returned home and got to training with my team ahead of my meeting with Roxanne.

I had a really deep think about which Pokémon I wanted to highlight through this Tournament. This was an excellent training opportunity for my weaker Pokémon since it was rare for them to be able to fight so many experienced opponents like this; I couldn't afford to pass this up.

Therefore, I vowed to myself to primarily make use of Ornstein, Euphie, Pixel, and Wraith for this Tournament. With some good planning and teamwork with Roxanne, I believed that their strength and niche would be sufficient at overcoming any foe and bring me to the Top 3.

I acknowledged that, aside from Pixel, none of my chosen four Pokémon were really at the Elite level yet, though Ornstein was close to it. But I was confident that they all had their own niche, and were well-trained enough, to do well in the Tournament. Sure, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle for me in certain fights, but those were the moments where my Pokémon could most likely improve themselves.

I'd save my stronger Pokémon for emergencies if I really needed to use them, so I wouldn't be intentionally handicapping myself. After all, I didn't intend to lose.

So that was what I worked on for the rest of the afternoon, all the way until Roxanne called up. Moving to a video call, her image slowly flickered into existence on my phone.

"...John? Can you see and hear me?" She asked.

"Yep. It's a pleasure to finally see you face-to-face, even if it is over the phone." I greeted, "Now I understand we're both quite busy, so let's get right into it."

"Absolutely." She nodded, "I'll start by introducing my team." She picked up her phone and panned it over her team.

She had a Golem, Steelix, Sudowoodo, Relicanth, Shuckle, and her starter Probopass. A very typical lineup for a Rock specialist. Admittedly, her team really wasn't anything special; in fact, I'd consider it to be below average for a Gym Leader.

But I didn't begrudge her for it when I knew that her true strength lied in her role as an educator. The strength of one's team was not everything, even as a Gym Leader.

So I didn't let any disappointment show on my face, "Let me show you the team that I intend to bring into the fight." Then it was my turn to pan my phone around Ornstein, Euphie, Pixel, Klee, Luna, and Wraith, which I explained would be the main Pokémon I intended to be using. Though I also included Smough and Vordt just in case.

"...You don't intend to bring your stronger Pokémon?" Roxanne asked.

"I do intend to use them if I have to, but I want to primarily focus on these Pokémon for the time being." I explained, "If I were to use my stronger Pokémon for every fight, then there's every likelihood that I might be able to defeat our opponents by myself. That would leave you completely sidelined, which I don't want. The whole point of the Tournament is to work together, and so our victories will be a team effort."

"Of course, should we face an appropriately formidable opponent, then I will not hesitate to use my stronger Pokémon." I said, "I will not compromise our chances of making it into the Top 3 just because I want to train up my weaker Pokémon. You have my word on that."

She nodded, "Then you have my thanks. But...as you can see, my team isn't the strongest. Nor am I the most accomplished of battlers. However, I will defer to your superior experience in guiding us to victory."

I accepted being the 'leader' of us two, "Sure, I appreciate the trust. Now I think we should go through what our Pokémon can do."

Therefore, the two of us spent some time going over what our Pokémon did. I didn't find anything surprising from Roxanne's descriptions of her Pokémon; they all fought and were trained up to be your standard defensive Rock type. They had powerful moves and were highly durable, but were slow and immobile.

I did ask if Shuckle knew moves like Guard or Power Split, but Roxanne unfortunately explained that it wasn't very trained in those moves at the moment since Shuckle was a more recent addition. It was more of a supportive/defensive Pokémon than any niche offensive threat, which was fine. It would still be useful.

In summary, Roxanne had trained her Pokémon as she was likely taught to do. They were perfectly competent Pokémon in all respects, but there were no surprises. Her Pokémon were likely all textbook examples of how you should train them up.

It really suited her as a serious educator.

"...I was hoping to get my hands on a few of those newly revived fossils. I would love to be able to study them up close and hopefully add them to my team." She said.

"Couldn't you afford them?" I asked, "You ARE a Gym Leader."

She chuckled, "I could...but I couldn't really justify the cost. The fossils are still really new, and they're still really pricey. I'd just have to wait for the price to go down before I consider it."

Hmm...maybe I could help with that? I mean I could just ask Joseph, but I didn't want to freeload off of him either or take advantage of his goodwill. Something to think about for the future.

Putting that aside for now, I fell into careful thought about how we could work together as a team. One of the main difficulties was that we weren't really able to train together; she was in Hoenn, and I was in Indigo. Most of our training would be done separately, meaning that it was harder for our Pokémon to get used to and cooperate with each other.

Fortunately, the simplicity of her Pokémon's fighting style actually helped out here. With how little time we really had to work out a strategy, and with no idea who our opponents would even be, it was best to keep things as simple as possible. Thus, the fact that Roxanne's Pokémon were only really able to fight one way helped to not over-complicate things.

In fact, the majority of our discussions actually revolved around how I would utilize my Pokémon instead; since they all fought so differently from each other. Klee, Luna, and Euphie were primarily supportive Pokémon, Ornstein and Wraith were far more offense-oriented, and Pixel was a jack-of-all-trades.

And then Vordt and Smough were there if anything really needed to be beaten down.

"Your Pokémon are all so unique." Roxanne muttered, "They're all so different from each other."

"The benefits of the Normal type." I bragged exaggeratedly, "It's why we're the best type."

She rolled her eyes, but was unable to hide her amusement, "Since you have so much time to joke around, have you come up with a training plan on what we could work on?"

"Yes...this is what I think we should do." Then I went into explanation about how I intended to fight our battles. Knowing Roxanne lacked experience, I kept things simple for her. She would focus on what Rock types did best – to defend and to make use of large, destructive, area-of-effect attacks.

I was sure that this would surprise a few people, but I decided that I might take on a hybrid support/ambushing role with my own team – with a primary focus of crippling and taking down key threats or distracting them to allow Roxanne to hit her slow, but powerful attacks.

The main advantage of keeping the plan as simple as this was that it meant that we didn't have to rush into training up some complicated coordinated manoeuvre that would probably fail when it came time for the actual battle.

A simple plan executed well was better than a complicated plan executed poorly.

And judging by the look of approval on Roxanne's face, I could tell that she agreed, "I appreciate that you've kept it simple. It's something I've always told my students. It gets all too easy to get caught up in theories and step-by-step plans that don't take into account the many complications of a real battle. I was prepared to speak up should you have fallen into the same trap, but I was wrong to doubt you."

"Well thanks for the compliment." I rubbed my head, "So do you think you understand what you need to work on with your team?"

"Yes, I'll be focusing on making sure my Pokémon can attack as powerfully and as quickly as possible. I trust in their defences already, so making sure that I can fully take advantage of the opportunities you provide me would be the most essential thing to work on." She responded, "I'll be trying to maximize their power in the time we have left to prepare."

"Good. And I'll be working on my Pokémon's supporting moves even further to make sure that I can set up those opportunities for you." I returned with a nod, "Let me demonstrate what kinds of opportunities my Pokémon can create for you."

I smirked once we had gotten to what Pixel and Wraith could do; I was certain that the shock on her face at his Illusion ability would be replicated many times over in this Tournament.

And that was how the two of us got to work on training up ourselves for the Tournament. Plus, the more we talked, and the more I observed Roxanne and her team, the more confident I was in our chances.

Roxanne was a hard worker and an observant battler with a keen eye for detail. And that effort had translated well into her team. Like I said earlier, her Pokémon truly were nothing special. In a 1v1 battle, many teams would be able to exploit their predictability and easily crush them.

But here, with me as her partner, I was able to cover her Pokémon's major weakness. As long as I performed my job properly, I trusted her team to either be the ones delivering the knockout blow, or to buy enough time for me to do the same.

I grinned; this was going to be an exciting Tournament.