Flannery in Reborn - The Tale of a Firehead [Last defeated: Aster & Eclipse]

[Q-Jei]

 

Spoiler

Anxiety was at its highest level. Ame’s last words had awakened extreme horror in Flannery’s mind. Seized by panic, she headed straight toward the exit of the Grand Hall and went down the stairs in Opal Ward four steps at a time. She had to find back Vulpix at all costs.

 

 

Flannery: “I can’t believe it, that’s absolutely horrible! I would have never imagined that one could mistreat her. I can’t allow myself to let this happen. Hold on Vulpix!”

 

Her fear became more and more intense. She stepped up the pace to Peridot Ward, heart pounding. But as she got closer to the western district of the town, her fear turned into rage.

 

Flannery: “Vulpix. Wherever you are, I give you my word. If I ever find out you’ve been hurt by anyone, I’ll take the law into my own hands. Any abuser will be hunted and turned into ashes. I won’t show any mercy for them if that happened like that! It will be my justice! MINE!”

 

Twisted by dark thoughts, Flannery kept running in the direction of Grandview Station where she noticed that several policemen were doing on-site investigations. Many of them were busy removing the rubble and securing the area. They were actually looking for people who could have possibly survived the accident. Affected by this recent tragedy, Flannery couldn’t prevent herself from shedding a tear in front of the station in ruins.

 

 

High-ranking Police Officer: “Stay brave, my friends! What you do here today may well be the most decisive task of your life. The fate of many families is depending on it. Don’t give up, focus on the survivors!”

Flannery: (*sigh* It wounds my heart so much… all these people killed for nothing… there are no words for this. I wish I could avenge them all. And yet… I feel so small and insignificant in the middle of it. This is hard. Really.)

 

This became way too much for Flannery. Seeing all those policemen scouring the wrecked building in search of missing passengers made her very uncomfortable. Unable to bear this kind of vision any longer, she turned her eyes away. At this very moment, she noticed that the access to Lower Peridot Ward wasn’t under surveillance anymore.

 

Flannery: (Hm. Looks like the way is open again. Hopefully, Vulpix is wandering somewhere over there. If she did, so I’d better catch up right away!)

 

Trying the whole for the whole, Flannery took advantage of the distraction to sneak through the wire fence and continue her searches in the austere streets of Reborn. Further, she found herself in the middle of an intersection. Having no idea of which path to follow, the ambassador reflected for a long time but couldn’t really make up her mind on the direction she should take.

 

 

Flannery: “Well. Let’s think about this. If there’s really a water treatment center around here, so it must certainly be located close to the lake. Maybe I can find Vulpix there… or maybe not… but if there are weird people in town… and what about Julia’s Gym? Aaah! I don’t have any idea of where to go! This is too damn confusing!”

 

Flannery was hesitating. Unable to make a decision, she gave it a lot of thoughts in vain. After two minutes of deep reflection, she ended up trusting her luck instead.

 

Flannery: “I don’t know why, but… I think I’ll just go left. We’ll see where this will lead me anyway.”

 

Her decision was made, Flannery followed the path on her left, passing behind Grandview Station in the process. But as she did, she saw a couple of policemen who were thoroughly examining the road, the train tracks to be more precise. Out of curiosity, Flannery moved closer to them discreetly.

 

 

Policeman 1: “In any case, I’m sure of one thing. This ain’t me who put this here!”

Policeman 2: “Potions and Pokeballs have no legs. This kind of stuff must definitely belong to someone.”

Policeman 1: “Yes, I don’t doubt it. But who?”

Policeman 2: “I would like to know.”

Policeman 1: “Maybe we should drop it off at lost and found in Jasper Ward. I’m sure that’s what the Chief would have done anyway.”

Policeman 2: “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

 

Following the conversation closely, Flannery looked at the ground, where the policemen were investigating. To her great surprise, she recognized a large part of the stuff she had brought with her before leaving to Reborn. Hyper Potions, Sitrus Berries, Pokeballs, White Herbs… everything was here, scattered on the floor. The warm-hearted redhead then spoke timidly to make them aware of her presence and claim back her supplies.

 

Flannery: “Um… hello, sirs. I think it’s my stuff.”

 

The two men turned their head toward the ex-Gym Leader almost simultaneously with a strict expression on their face. Having no idea of who she was, they asked Flannery for her identity.

 

 

Policeman 1: “Huh? Who are you? What do you want from us?”

Policeman 2: “Identify yourself!”

 

Flannery immediately pulled her trainer card out of her pocket in response to the men in uniform.

 

Flannery: “I’m Flannery Moore, the ambassador of Hoenn in Reborn. I have a warrant to investigate the starter thief which has happened today in the Grand Hall. Ame sends me!”

Policeman 1: “Let me check… ah yes, of course! Please, accept our apologies, Madam Ambassador! We didn’t realize it was you! It’s an honor to meet you!”

Policeman 2: “Yes, sorry. We’ve been sent here upon a request from the Peridot Gym Leader. Me and my colleague have received reports that a Vulpix has been lost in this part of the city. Your Vulpix, I guess. Therefore, we started to comb the town in order to find a clue or a lead.”

Policeman 1: “And the least we can say is that the searches haven’t been very successful. Well… until now. By the way, we ignored that these items were yours.”

Flannery: “Julia came to inform you, you said? That’s a good point. And keep cool, there’s nothing wrong about it. So… can I take my supplies back?”

Policeman 2: “Uh… yes, you can. However, I would love you to give us just a little more time, so we can take a look at your items for a more accurate examination before to give them back to you. If you have no objection, of course.”

Flannery: “For sure, I don’t have any! In fact, you and I are here for the exact same purpose. If there’s anything useful you can find, so it will be all good for me too.”

Policeman 2: “Excellent! Don’t worry, this shouldn’t be too long.”

 

Without further ado, the two policemen examined meticulously the equipment of the firehead in hope of finding some clues. And luckily, they managed to put their fingers on something rather interesting concerning the Pokeballs on the ground.

 

Policeman 1: “Oh! Hm… just out of curiosity… how many Pokeballs have you brought with you before your arrival? I’m talking about unused Pokeballs, of course.”

Flannery: “That’s good you ask me this question; I remember it perfectly! I’ve exactly brought three Pokeballs with me.”

Policeman 1: “So this should confirm what I’ve thought all along!”

Flannery: “Huh? And what exactly were you thinking about?”

Policeman 1: “Look! Haven’t you noticed yet? There are not three, but four Pokeballs here. Also, they’re all empty.”

Flannery: “Really? But… wait a minute! In this case… could that mean that…”

Policeman 1: “…that one of those Pokeballs was containing a Pokemon? Yes, probably.”

Policeman 2: “Of course, we have to assume that those Pokeballs are yours and haven’t been lost by another trainer. But according to the present circumstances, I would put this scenario aside. Let’s not lie to each other, anyone passing here would have inevitably seen and picked up the rest of this stuff anyway. But since it’s not the case, we can only conclude that nobody came here already but us, which means that we’re certainly the first persons who set foot in this corner of the city since the accident.”

Flannery: “So that’s definitely Vulpix Pokeball! There’s no doubt about it!”

Policeman 2: “I think too. Plus, I’ve noticed something else.”

Flannery: “What is it?”

Policeman 2: “Did you bring four berries with you by any chance?”

Flannery: “No, five.”

Policeman 2: “Hm, interesting… we could imagine that a Pokemon was here and used it. But this time, however, nothing is certain.”

Policeman 1: “Why not? After all, Sitrus berries are known for their healing virtues, and everybody knows that Reborn is still full of stray Pokemon. Maybe one of them saw it and ate it by instinct of self-preservation.”

Flannery: “Yes, I see what you’re getting at. But let’s suppose an instant that this Pokemon was Vulpix. She could very well have taken one berry to heal herself shortly after the train crash.”

Policeman 1: “Uh huh! That could make sense indeed!”

Policeman 2: “Yes, maybe. But unfortunately, even if she did, none of this will actually tell us where she went afterwards.”

Flannery: “*sigh* You’re right… but at least, we’re now sure that she’s somewhere in town. If we continue to look around, we’ll eventually find her. I know it!”

Policeman 1: “Yeah. That being said, it will probably be better with another person in our ranks. Once she had informed us, Miss Wilde said she would be back to assist us in the investigation.”

Policeman 2: “Absolutely. She headed back to her Gym shortly after that. And while we’re at it, let me tell you that it’s been an hour since she didn’t show up again.”

Flannery: “Yikes! That’s quite a long wait indeed… well. You know what? I’m gonna go to her Gym myself. If you tell me exactly where it’s located, maybe I can get her to come out.”

Policeman 2: “That depends. Do you have a map?”

Flannery: “Physically, not. However, I have my Pokegear on me. I hope that should do the trick.”

Policeman 2: “Excellent! That’s even more convenient!”

 

Not wishing to waste more time than necessary, Flannery hurried to turn on her Pokegear and selected the map application. This way, the two men could show her the route to follow to reach the Neo-Circuit Power Plant, Julia’s home. After that, Flannery could take her items back with the authorization of the young patrollers. Then, she thanked them warmly for their precious help.

 

 

Flannery: “Here we are! That’s much better this way! Thanks again! You guys are awesome!”

 

One of the officers answered to her timidly with a red face.

 

Policeman 1: “Oh, you know… after all, we’re just doing our job.”

Flannery: “And you did it more than well! You can count on me to find Julia and come back with her. I’ll try to join you as soon as possible.”

Policeman 2: “That’s okay! Meanwhile, me and my colleague will continue to follow the rails. With Grandview Station out of service, there shouldn’t be any danger for us at this point.”

Flannery: “Ahah, thank you all! Well, I have to go. See you later!”

Policemen 1 & 2: “See you later, Madam Ambassador!”

 

Having nothing else to add, Flannery headed straight in the direction of Julia’s Gym to get some additional assistance for the searches. On the way, she had the opportunity to challenge some random trainers obsessed by battles. Obviously, the fierce Fire Type trainer managed to easily beat them all, one by one, using only Torkoal as her fighting partner. But as she kept cumulating victories in the cramped quarters of Peridot Ward, Flannery started to feel hungry.

 

 

Flannery: “Arr… my belly… it hurts when I walk. I should have checked if they weren’t selling some snacks in the Grand Hall before leaving. How dumb I am!... Arr… I’ve never done well with hunger…”

 

The rush of Flannery appeared to be harder than expected. Her stomach was tearing her apart. She didn’t eat anything since early morning. The simple fact of putting one foot in front of the other was enough to wake up this unpleasant prickling sensation in her lower abdomen at any time. Also, the oppressive atmosphere which was reigning supreme in Peridot Ward didn’t help either. Fortunately for her, the Gym wasn’t too much further. After a few more steps, she finally reached a big yellow building surrounded by satellite dishes and generously decorated with ribbons and gold-plated stars: Neo-Circuit Power Plant.

 

 

Flannery: “Finally!... Well. That wasn’t really hard in the end.”

 

Intrigued, she took a look up to see the ornaments on the factory. Flannery allowed herself to comment Julia’s taste in terms of decoration.

 

Flannery: “Hm, yeah. For a power plant, we can say that the decoration is pretty… unique. But hey. At least, there’s no risk she goes unnoticed over here. I hope she’s still inside.”

 

Wishing to alert Julia of her presence, Flannery knocked on the glass door several times. She waited patiently outside in hope of being heard by the Electric Type Gym Leader.

 

Flannery: “…”

 

But nobody came. Consequently, the redhead knocked on the door again, but in a more frantic way this time. Once again, nothing happened. Obviously, this seriously started to get on the nerves of the ambassador.

 

Flannery: “Grrr! For the sake of everything that is holy in this world, what the hell is she doing? It’s gonna be more than five minutes that I’m hanging around in vain! I’m beginning to wonder if she’s really here in the end.”

 

This endless wait was actually playing with the impulsivity of the feisty trainer. More determined than she ever was, Flannery run out of patience. She finally decided to leave the scene without the Peridot Gym Leader by her side.

 

 

Flannery: “Sorry, Julia. You may have gotten all the time in the world, Vulpix doesn’t. See you around!”

 

Disappointed by Julia for not having kept her commitment to the end, Flannery turned on the heels and rejoined the railroad to the West to catch up on the two policemen. For her, it was just out of question to waste time unnecessarily at such a critical moment. At this point, even one single miscalculated decision could be enough to trigger a disaster. Once she made it to the train track, the redhead looked to the South. The two patrollers weren’t here anymore, so she decided to walk along the rails to the North. Fortunately, as she went up the road, she could see two silhouettes in uniform appearing in her sight of vision.

 

 

Flannery: “Ah! Here they are!”

 

She squinted and noticed that they were both on their knees, just as if they’ve found another lead.

 

Flannery: “Great, it looks like they found something else. I should better join them, that might be important.”

 

Flannery’s thoughts couldn’t be more correct. What she was about to discover was going to surprise her even more. When she reached the place where the policemen were standing, she felt cut short almost instantly.

 

 

Policeman 1: “Oh gosh! This time, I have to say that I wasn’t expecting to find something like that! But like really, really not!”

Policeman 2: “So am I! If that’s human work, so I prefer not to imagine what was floating around in their head when this happened!”

Policeman 1: “We’re probably looking at the rest of a recent turmoil scene. At least, I know how to recognize one when I see one.”

Policeman 2: “I don’t doubt it. The real question is: ‘Who could have done such a thing?’”

 

Flannery was here, behind the two police officers. From where she was, she could see a big burn pattern next to the intersection of the rails. There also was some red hair dispersed next to it. It didn’t take long for Flannery before she realized that something seriously wrong had happened at this specific location. Moreover, she had all the good reasons to believe that Vulpix was involved in this story too.

 

Flannery: “Oh my god! This is Vulpix hair, I could recognize it from thousands! What happened to my angel?!”

 

The policemen both turned toward Flannery and saw her at the last moment. She looked very distraught. Having noticed that she didn’t show up with Julia by her side, they asked her some questions.

 

Policeman 1: “Ah! Hello again, Madam Ambassador! Did you manage to meet the Peridot Gym Leader?”

Policeman 2: “Greetings! Yes. Why isn’t she with you?”

Flannery: “*sigh* Sadly, I don’t know. The doors were closed when I arrived, so I couldn’t go in.”

Policeman 1: “That’s a shame. Really.”

Policeman 2: “Too bad, indeed. Having a Gym Leader by our sides would have ensured us great protective support for the searches.”

Flannery: “I agree with you. But hey… well, let’s talk about what you’ve found instead. What are these burn marks on the ground?”

Policeman 1: “That’s what we’re trying to find out. But if you assert that the hair is actually Vulpix hair, so I would say that this isn’t the work of a pyromaniac.”

Policeman 2: “I think too. Everything leads to believe that Vulpix could be the one who set the fire herself. But for what purpose?”

Flannery: “If you claim there was turmoil here, so maybe she struggled and wanted to defend herself. I know her well, she’s way too sweet for attacking anyone on sight. Plus, when Ame told me that the mistreatment of stray Pokemon was commonplace in Reborn, everything was already all clear in my mind.”

Policeman 1: “Hm… Pokemon fighting against people. That could be a valid explanation. Also, in ordinary battles, the terrain is rarely that affected by attacks of this kind.”

Policeman 2: “Bah. When Pokemon are separated from their trainers, there’s no holds barred anymore. If no one is here to keep them under control, so it’s more likely for material damage to occur in the heat of the moment.”

Policeman 1: “And considering the present amount of wreckage, that must have been very hot over here!”

Policeman 2: “Yeah. Looks like it was the case in the end!”

Policeman 1: “And most importantly, nobody’s here anymore. Which means that we can’t do much but making assumptions about the eventual outcome of these events.”

Policeman 2: “I will say more: at the current point, nothing can confirm us that this confrontation is really over.”

 

While the policemen continued to examine what finally appeared to be a crime scene, Flannery had the eyes stuck on the red hair on the ground. As she paid close attention to everything the policemen were saying, she couldn’t prevent herself from imagining the worst. Her growing confusion wasn’t invisible to the eyes of the couple of men.

 

 

Flannery: “This is terrible! If everything happened like you said, so the situation might be even worse as we speak! If none of this is really over, so we’d better move on. You heard me? We have to do something right now!”

Policeman 2: “That is the main problem from the beginning. Haven’t you seen yet? From here, the road splits in two different ways, and as a matter of principle, I always go where my colleague goes. If you’re feeling up for this, you should go a path separate from ours. That way, we’ll search faster.”

Policeman 1: “That’s what I was thinking too. At least, now that you’re back, we can advance the searches more easily.”

Flannery: “Sounds logical to me! Well. In that case, I would propose that you go inspect the alley right there. For my part, I will try to follow the rails to the north.”

Policeman 2: “As long as you’re sure you can handle it without any assistance, that should be a good plan. I just hope you know how to defend yourself.”

Flannery: “No worries, I have my Torkoal for that. And believe me, I’ve never been so self-confident in my entire life!”

Policeman 2: “Good, good. In that case, there isn’t much more to say. Good luck, and don’t forget to always be on your guard out there.”

Flannery: “Well. I’ll be on my guard, then! Thank you!”

Policeman 2: “Excellent!”

 

The two officers looked at each other while the intrepid redhead was leaving away.

 

 

Policeman 2: “So? Here we go?”

Policeman 1: “With pleasure, colleague!”

Policeman 2: “Great! Let’s show this city who are the true rulers of Reborn!”

 

Thus, Flannery and the couple of investigators went their own separate ways. Animated by the only desire to be together again with Vulpix, the redhead pursued her path straight to the North. She kept looking around to be sure that nothing suspicious was occurring, and hoped she could find another lead in her walk. Sadly, there was nothing more than houses with crackled facades. Additionally, the whole area was strewn with glass fragments and barrels full of dirty water. For Flannery, it was as if a huge part of Reborn’s toxicity was concentrated in Peridot Ward.

 

 

Flannery: “I’m missing Hoenn already. Seriously, how can people live happily in a place like this? I feel like the further I go, the more my moral goes down. This is really destabilizing!”

 

The tormented ambassador kept walking, a hand on her stomach. She could feel the hunger becoming more and more invasive. Then, as she was looking forward, Flannery saw something next to one of the street lights on her left. For some reason, this seemed to intrigued her a lot.

 

Flannery: “Hey! What’s over here?”

 

Without wasting time, she rushed to the street light next to the rails to determine what it could be. This discovery made her shiver from the inside out.

 

 

Flannery: “What is this? Is that… blood?!”

 

There were exactly five bloodstains close to each other on the ground. No hair, nor burn marks. Just blood. To eliminate any doubt about that, Flannery kneeled and leaned over it. While she was inhaling slowly, she could feel a stressful smell of hemoglobin going to her head progressively.

 

Flannery: “Oh Lord! What happened here?”

 

The senses of the Fire Type trainer were awakened like never before. Then, she stopped uttering a single word. This iron oxide emanation seemed to have muffled her, plunging Flannery into a deep state of fear and silent anxiety. All this was enough to convince her that the worst has probably happened.

 

Flannery: “…Vulpix… What did they do to you?”

 

Then, suddenly, the face of the young lady changed to finally adopt a more severe aspect. In the space of a moment, she clenched her fists, stood up, and glanced angrily at the sky. Little by little, her fear wore off to slowly give way to anger.

 

 

Flannery: “RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

 

Blinded by a destructive desire for vengeance, Flannery burst into a loud cry of rage. So loud that it could be heard by anyone across Peridot Ward.

 

 

Policeman 1: “*Gulp* You… you heard what I heard?”

Policeman 2: “*Gulp* And how! I would bet my hands that something wrong is happening.”

Policeman 1: “This voice… I’ve never heard such a screeching sound in my whole lifetime! I can’t even tell whether it’s a human voice or a Pokemon voice. Look at my arm, I have goose bumps just listening to it!”

Policeman 2: “Same for me, this literally turned my stomach upside down. And honestly, I doubt that it’s a distress call.”

Policeman 1: “Distress call or not, we can’t afford to ignore it. We must find out what this is about!”

Policeman 2: “*Gulp* Okay. So, let’s go now!”

 

While the policemen hurried toward Flannery’s direction, the latter was boiling on site in the manner of an erupting volcano.

 

 

Flannery: “You bastards! You dared hurting a member of my family! If you’re seeking for violence, so be it! You’ll have what you get! I’ll gut you, burn you, and smash you all!”

 

Surrounded by wrath, Flannery raced full speed ahead in the westside quarter of Peridot Ward. Her darkest thoughts have reemerged all at the same time. But this time, it was enough. In her rush, she swore to herself to track down and eliminate all the perpetrators of this outrage to the last. To hell with the law enforcement! For her, nothing would be better than taking the law into her own hands and administer justice in her own way. Her fury had reached such a high point that she didn’t feel affected by hunger anymore. Nothing could stop the devouring wrath of the incendiary woman. Until this moment when Flannery saw a building with a blue roof. The type of building she used to visit when she needed to purchase healing supplies during her career as a Gym Leader in Lavaridge Town.

 

 

Flannery: “Hey! Wait a minute! Isn’t that a Pokemart we have there? If people ever saw weirdos around here, so maybe I can get some useful information from them. I’d better go in.”

 

In order to put all the chances on her side, Flannery decided to get inside the small shop. Naturally, the display cases were poorly filled, just like the street outside. Only some low-end commodities were available. Without wasting time, Flannery talked to the shopkeeper behind the counter. She had to know if anyone had noticed something unusual today.

 

 

Shopkeeper: (…Oh! Another customer?)

Flannery: “Hello mister!”

Shopkeeper: “Hello madam! What can I do for you?”

Flannery: “Well, I…”

Shopkeeper: “All my apologies! If you’re looking for common candies, I regret to announce you that we haven’t any more. We’re out of stock, but don’t panic. We shall get another delivery no later than tomorrow.”

Flannery: “That’s not why I’m here! All I need is witness statement. Have you seen a Vulpix outside?”

Shopkeeper: “Oops, my bad! I thought you wanted to buy something. Anyway… you’re looking for a Vulpix in town, you said?”

Flannery: “That’s it! I lost her and it’s gonna been a while since I’m running around in Peridot Ward to find her back, but without success. I thought maybe you’ve seen her passing through here.”

 

The young cashier rubbed his chin as he tried to remember what happened next to the Pokemart recently. And, indeed, he has noticed something that might be useful to our dear redhead.

 

 

Shopkeeper: “Let me remember… ah, yes. I could eventually have seen a Vulpix passing outside the store, now that you mention it.”

Flannery: “For real!? You’ve really seen a Vulpix? Where did she go? Please, tell me!”

Shopkeeper: “Yeah, I mean… I’ve seen a Vulpix, but let’s say that… it wasn’t alone.”

Flannery: “What do you mean ‘It wasn’t alone.’? What did you see exactly?”

 

 

Shopkeeper: “If my eyes didn’t lie, there was someone running near the shop earlier. It was a very young person, almost a child. A little girl with pink hair combed back. If I’m not mistaken, she looked like she was holding a Vulpix in her arms. Maybe your Vulpix?”

Flannery: “A little girl with pink hair… hm, that doesn’t sound familiar to me. In any case, I don’t believe our paths have crossed already. Could you tell me when she was walking by the shop?”

Shopkeeper: “This happened an hour ago, if I remember correctly.”

Flannery: “Yikes! So, it seems like I’m arriving too late to catch her.”

Shopkeeper: “Well, maybe not entirely!”

Flannery: “Huh?!”

Shopkeeper: “If it can help you, I have all the good reasons to believe that this person who’s left with your Vulpix is actually the same person who has cleared my stock of common candies. For what I purpose? I don’t know. But one thing I’m sure of is this: I’ll see her again soon. Very soon!”

Flannery: “Ah yes, I see. She’s a sort of regular customer, isn’t she?”

Shopkeeper: “She definitely is! Everytime she came here, it was either to purchase common candies, or rare berries, or both. By the way, I’ve already noticed that she often used to come and go multiple times in this district in particular. Consequently, I would bet my glasses she’s living somewhere nearby.”

Flannery: “All right, thank you for letting me know. This will certainly help me in my searches! But… I still have two questions for you.”

Shopkeeper: “Which ones?”

Flannery: “These ones. What’s the name of this girl and what are those common candies for?”

Shopkeeper: “Uum… well… unfortunately for you, I don’t know what her name is. In fact, I think she never really told me anything about her. Perhaps she wanted to keep her identity hidden. I can’t really say.”

Flannery: “Oh! Too bad. Thank you anyway.”

Shopkeeper: “You’re welcome. However, I can tell you a lot of things about common candies.”

Flannery: “Really? So, what am I supposed to know about them?”

Shopkeeper: “Not much, except the fact that they have the special property of keeping Pokemon’s training under control.”

Flannery: “’Keeping Pokemon’s training under control’? I don’t get your point. Could you be more explicit, please?”

 

 

Shopkeeper: “Hm… how shall I say?... In Reborn, those candies are commonly used by trainers to optimize their Pokemon’s strength without ever letting them succumb to excesses of power. This way, a trainer who regularly gives common candies to his Pokemon will never lose the respect of his team. Let me reassure you, they have all been tested and clinically approved without any damaging consequences on the organism according to some very recent researches. But on the other hand, I also heard that if you let your Pokemon abusing it, this can result in a significative loss of their strength and fighting talents, making them weaker and more frail than usual. All without exception!”

 

This explanation didn’t take long before to trigger something in Flannery’s mind. For obscure reasons, this type of side effect didn’t sound so unfamiliar to her. All this story started to puzzle the redhead. Then, after a brief moment of silence, she said the following words to the shopkeeper in front of her.

 

 

Flannery: “Great… very well… Yeah, put like that, I guess this is indeed clearer to me. Thank you again for all those precisions, mister. I think I’ll need it by then.”

Shopkeeper: “Pleasure is mine! Meanwhile, I hope you’ll manage to get your Pokemon back.”

Flannery: “You can count on me for this! I’ll find this girl, and no matter what happens, me and my Vulpix will be reunited.”

Shopkeeper: “Excellent! Try, however, not to be too impetuous with this kid if you meet her. From what I’ve seen, she didn’t look like she was animated by evil motives.”

Flannery: “If you say so… Well. I suppose I’ll know what to think of her when we’ll confront each other face to face. Anyway, thanks again for the info! Bye!”

Shopkeeper: “See you, madam! And good luck!”

 

Having no more questions in reserve, Flannery exited the Pokemart. The redhead now had a better idea of who she was going to deal with. As she looked carefully around her, she tried to guess where Vulpix could have been taken.

 

 

Flannery: “Okay. So, let’s think for a moment. If I wanted to keep a low profile in a big town, where would I hide? This person must have gone to a discreet location somewhere here. Let’s see…”

 

Then, as she made a few steps in the north side alley, she could see several wooden shacks crammed together. Potential hideouts maybe?

 

 

Flannery: “Hm… I can’t see any entrance to these houses. It’s as if someone had sealed them very recently. Maybe they’ve planned to… uh? Hey!”

 

Taking a closer look to the shacks, Flannery noticed that there was still one that wasn’t sealed. Intrigued, she came near the mysterious residence.

 

 

Flannery: “Look at that! If this isn’t a good hideout we have there, so I definitely don’t know what it is. Well, is that open? I’m going in.”

 

Choosing to trust her feminine intuition, Flannery grasped the door handle, turned it and pushed it inward to penetrate into the secret property. And there, right in front of her, at her great surprise, Vulpix was here, lying on a big black sofa. The moment she set a foot inside the house, the Fox Pokemon got up and turned to Flannery suddenly.

 

 

Vulpix: “Vulpix!?”

Flannery: “Vulpix! You’re here!”

???: “What’s up again? Who is it?”

 

But as the sparkling young ambassador was about to get to her precious Pokemon, she was rapidly stopped in her haste by a little girl with long candy pink hair: the child the shopkeeper was talking about earlier. She was wearing a long sleeved cyan blue shirt with a large white collar, dark blue pants, and grey shoes. The curious kid looked very determined to prevent the ambassador from entering her home. Having no idea of who she was, nor what was happening here, Flannery only had one thing in mind: taking Vulpix back.

 

 

Flannery: “I’m the trainer of this Vulpix. Would you be kind enough to let me pass, please? I’m here to take her back.”

???: “I don’t know you. Who allowed you to come in? This is my house, you’re not invited! Do you even know who I am?”

Flannery: “No sorry, I don’t have any idea. Could you move out now?”

???: “Don’t even think about it!”

 

The sassy attitude of the little girl was getting on Flannery’s nerves. The fiery woman didn’t even care about knowing who was this girl standing in her way. All she wanted was to return to the Grand Hall with Vulpix.

 

Flannery: “Rrrr…”

???: “You don’t seem to be in the mood to know who I am, do you? Great, I’ll tell you anyway! I’m a little girl who enjoy kicking the ass of those who like bringing disorder in town. I’m the one who will put an end to this suffering for all those poor ill-treated Pokemon. I’m the one that all the bullies around should fear. And you? Which category do you belong to?”

Flannery: “You’d better not comparing me to these vermin who pollutes the streets outside, okay? I know which category I belong to, so hear me out, kid. I’m a strong Pokemon trainer, a famous Gym Leader of Hoenn. And my name is Flannery. What’s yours?”

???: “Mine is Dounia. Dounia Pastor. I’m here to save and protect homeless Pokemon in Reborn. This way, they won’t get persecuted by thugs and malevolent people anymore. If you’re really what you are, so what are you doing here?”

Flannery: “I’m here to have my Pokemon back. And contrary to what you think, this Vulpix is not a homeless Pokemon. It has a master. Me.”

Dounia: “Ah, I see!... So… you’ve come all this way just to take your Vulpix back. That’s it?”

Flannery: “Yes, that’s it! Now please, let me pass.”

 

The little damsel took her eyes off the intimidating redhead and looked like she was thinking about it. After some seconds of silence, she finally answered to her.

 

 

Dounia: “Tsss. Don’t take me for a fool. I know the truth behind your intentions. And I perfectly know what you’ll do next if I let you pass. You won’t trick me that easily, you know!”

 

Obviously, Flannery felt profoundly offended by this scathing statement. She replied back to Dounia’s remarks in a more and more aggressive tone.

 

Flannery: “Excuse me!? But this is the truth! I was sincere from the beginning! You heard me? I’M SINCERE, GOD DAMNIT!!”

Dounia: “See, you’re getting upset now! Such peaceful creatures don’t deserve people like you!”

Flannery: “How dare you judge me like that?! You’ve got some nerve to say this! You know nothing about me!”

Dounia: “You’re not gonna earn my trust if you keep screaming all the way, I can promise you that! I may be a novice trainer myself, but I know how to use my sense of discernment. And by the way… I also know how to defend myself.”

Flannery: “Ah, really? So, prove me you’re right!”

Dounia: “Oh, but that’s precisely what I intended to do. You aren’t the first one who tries to impress me. You won’t be the last either. And if you really want to leave this place with Vulpix…”

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “…so well. You’ll have to take me down first!”

 

And then, in the heat of the moment, Dounia pulled out a Pokeball of her pocket. Right after that, the Fire Type specialist seized Torkoal’s Pokeball in response to the fearless little girl. Flannery and Dounia were about to confront each other in the middle of a merciless battle hidden from the public view. In reality, they knew well that this build-up of impetuous reactions couldn’t end other than through a victory of the best trainer.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Despite all the strategies used by Dounia to weaken Flannery’s Torkoal, the Coal Pokemon finally managed to beat his two adversaries without fainting. Therefore, the victory was won hands down by the ex-Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town.

 

 

Flannery: “And you? What do you think of this?”

Torkoal: “Tooorkooooal!”

Dounia: “My… my Pokemon. How did you… no… it wasn’t supposed to happen like this!”

Flannery: “Now you know! Nothing is planned ahead in a battle. I won, so you have to respect my request. And I’m asking you to let me pass, please.”

 

The two battlers both called their respective Pokemon back. The kid still couldn’t believe it. For her, it was a hard blow to take. Always on her guard, even in defeat, she refused to allow the redhead to go further. She held her position and stared at Flannery straight in the eyes.

 

 

Dounia: “You… you…”

Flannery: “Hm?”

Dounia: “You… you shall… not… pass.”

 

Then suddenly, Dounia kneeled in front of the redhead, covering her face with her arms, as if she was afraid of getting hit.

 

 

Dounia: “Please, don’t hurt me.”

Flannery: “Could you listen to me just for one second, please? I’m not your enemy. All I want is just to be with my Pokemon again. I’m not asking for anything more, I promise.”

Dounia: “How? How can I know you’re not lying to me? How can I be sure you’re not just telling me what I would like to hear?”

Flannery: “Just ask and see!”

Dounia: “Eh?”

 

Right after that, Flannery winked at Vulpix and talked to her.

 

Flannery: “Hey you! Don’t you recognize me? My dear?”

Vulpix: “Piiix!”

 

Vulpix replied to her mistress as she was jumping of joy on the sofa with a big smile on her face. Dounia, who was witnessing the exchange between Flannery and the Fox Pokemon, ended up believing her and allowed the fire girl to walk up to the couch without saying a word.

 

Vulpix: “Vulpiiiiix! Vulpiiiiix!”

Flannery: “Ahahah, I’m so happy to see you. Come here, sweetheart!”

Vulpix: “Piiiiiiiiix!”

 

And so she did. Vulpix jumped into the arms of her beloved trainer under the fascinated gaze of the little girl, rubbing her head against the chin of the gorgeous damsel. Happiness had found its place again in the heart of the firehead who was holding her furry partner tight against her. But in spite of this moving reunion, Dounia felt bad for having been so wrong about Flannery. Ashamed of this erroneous judgement, she tried to apologize, eyes riveted on the floor of the house.

 

 

Dounia: “Um…”

Flannery: “Yes!?”

Dounia: “I… I’m sorry. I was wrong about you. The moment I saw you, I thought ill of you. And frankly…”

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “…I regret. I’m feeling so dumb now.”

 

For her part, Flannery had absolutely no hard feeling towards the little girl. In fact, she could easily understand why she was acting like this. She accepted Dounia’s apologies.

 

Flannery: “It’s all right, it’s all right! If it can reassure you, I myself have seen how rude and provocative some folks could be when I arrived in town, and I fully understand your reactions. I forgive you everything.”

 

Flannery’s compassion went straight to the heart of the pink-haired child.

 

Dounia: “Really?! I mean… um… thank you. This is kind of you.”

 

Without showing it directly, Dounia was relieved to have met someone who could comprehend her, even if she still felt a bit unsettled by this inopportune visit. But as Flannery was caressing the back of Vulpix, she noticed that there wasn’t any wound on her. Yet, she was convinced that her Pokemon has been assaulted earlier. Consequently, Flannery asked Dounia for explanations.

 

 

Flannery: “…This is strange... There’s something I do not understand.”

Dounia: “What don’t you understand?”

Flannery: “In fact, I’ve been following the trail back to Vulpix from the Grand Hall. In my way, I’ve seen several things that made me believe that she has been aggressed in town.”

Dounia: “F-for real? What sort of things?”

Flannery: “Well… burn marks on the ground, Pokemon hair… and most importantly… blood near the rail track. I was then persuaded that she has been mistreated.”

Dounia: “Oh my God!”

 

The little girl was astounded to hear such a testimony. Looking closer to Vulpix, Flannery could hardly imagine that her Pokemon was a victim of an assault, her body being entirely woundless. And yet, Dounia still had a lot to tell to Flannery about the recent events that have occurred in Peridot Ward.

 

Dounia: “Uh… may I say something about that?”

Flannery: “Of course. What do you want to say?”

Dounia: “I just wanted to tell you that… your sense of deduction… is really good.”

Flannery: “Heh?!”

Dounia: “You can think anything you want about this story. And yet, all of this has actually happened. There really were people in town who did it. I mean… abuse of Pokemon. Abuse of YOUR Pokemon!”

Flannery: “What?! But… I don’t get it. Vulpix looks perfectly okay. She’s okay, isn’t she?”

Dounia: “Yes, she is. But what I meant to say is that there are a few things you should know about her before leaving. I can explain you everything. You just have to listen to me. Perhaps afterwards, you’ll also understand why I’ve been so unwelcoming when I saw you coming in earlier.”

Flannery: “Really? In that case, I’m all ears. I can’t wait to hear your argument.”

Dounia: “This is not an argument. This is a testimony. Are you willing to hear it?”

Flannery: “And how! My Pokemon are my family! If something wrong had happened to one of them, so I must discover what it was. Tell me everything!”

Dounia: “Very well!”

 

Thus, Dounia was about to explain in detail how her way and the one of Flannery’s Pokemon have crossed each other. She was ready to reveal the truth about the whole case. However, this isn’t with a smile on her lips that the kid was sharing this turbulent experience with the ambassador.

 

 

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

FLASHBACK SCENE

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

 

 

It’s about 4 p.m. in Reborn. The rain has stopped, the streets are dark, and the atmosphere is tense. Two hours have passed since the accident in Grandview Station. While Flannery is actually in the Grand Hall to have her Torkoal examined, a curious little girl with pink hair who was barely 12 years old is currently wandering all alone in the narrow streets of Peridot Ward. Her name was Dounia. She was combing the entire district on her own. A sort of daily ritual she used to repeat for two weeks now.

 

 

Dounia: “Nothing to report today, good! It seems like things have calmed down since the last time. The least we can say is that this decision of cutting ties was by far the best I’ve ever taken. When I think about it… I still hear her saying: ‘The world is full of danger; you don’t know what you’re getting into. Your place is here with me. Your fate is already all written, you’ll be exactly like me someday. You’ll realize it as you’ll grow up.’ And I say ‘NO’! To hell with the fate! This is not how I’ve wished to make my life. If we all choose to foolishly wait the promised day to wake up in the same boat, end up the same way and get lost in the mass from generation to generation, so there’s no way to think about it any longer. My choice is made, and I have no regrets. Plus, it’s not as if every new passing day didn’t have anything useful to teach me anymore. I know it, I feel it. I did what I had to do.”

 

The strange kid looked like she was grumbling about a recent disagreement with a close relative, probably one of her parents. She was heading home from under the bridge of Opal Ward and was looking around to be sure that nothing wrong was occurring in town. Then, suddenly, a few meters away, she saw a group of boys standing in circle near the rail track intersection. They were three: a dark-skinned youngster with a backward red cap, an older man with old dirty clothes who was carrying a big grey rucksack, and a thin man with blond hair dressed in red and black who was probably in his early twenties. They looked like they were surrounding and intimidating a small orange Pokemon with a big red tail split in six: Flannery’s Vulpix. Intrigued by what was happening, Dounia came closer discreetly to not draw the attention to herself. Well… at least, not for now. She silently witnessed the scene.

 

 

Vulpix: “P-pix…”

Thug 1: “If you don’t do exactly as we say, you’ll really have a bad time.”

Thug 2: “Exactly! You’ll really have a bad time!”

 

Upset, the blond man turned towards the man with the rucksack in a nasty way.

 

Thug 1: “You stopped repeating everything I say?”

Thug 2: “But I’m not repeating everything you say. Chill out, bro!”

Thug 3: “Lol!”

 

Then, shortly after this interlude, he turned towards Vulpix again, looking at her from above impatiently.

 

Thug 1: “Well. I won’t repeat myself forever. If you don’t kindly come say ‘hello’ to the man with the bag, I’ll be very angry. You wouldn’t want it to happen, do you?”

 

Vulpix didn’t feel safe anymore. Aware of the danger which was bearing down on her, she disobeyed. The Pokemon of the ambassador faked out and tried to escape by running to the northern section of the rails. But the kid with the red cap saw her fleeing at the last moment, and stretched his leg on Vulpix side. With quick reflexes, he blocked her route and kicked her in the muzzle.

 

 

Vulpix: “Ow!”

 

He sent Vulpix flying backward and watched her landing on the back. The three ill-intentioned boys took advantage of this state of weakness to come even closer to the Fire Pokemon. Then, the youngest of the gang spoke the following words in a haughty tone.

 

 

Vulpix: “…”

Thug 3: “What? You said something? Nobody told you to look both ways before crossing the street?”

Thug 2: “This poor little thing has clearly not received a good education from his parents.”

Thug 1: “Seems so. Just imagine what they would think of him if they ever saw him like this.”

Thug 3: “Ahaha, such a goofy boy!”

Thug 1: “Hm. Perfect! Since you’re so stubborn in your mind, so let us help you to get your head straight, okay?”

Dounia: “Don’t even think of it, dude!”

Thugs 1 & 2 & 3: “What?!?”

 

 

Suddenly, out of the blue, Dounia showed up and made the three boys aware of her presence. Frustrated by their disgusting behavior, she caught their attention by saying a few words to them.

 

Dounia: “You there! What are you doing here? Aren’t you ashamed of bullying a harmless Pokemon? Leave it alone!”

Thug 1: “Go away, kiddo. It’s a grown man’s playground here. What we’re doing with that thing is none of your business.”

Thug 2: “You heard him, kiddo? Go back to the toy box!”

Dounia: “Excuse me, but this is actually my business! And between you and me, you look more out of place in Reborn than I am. Peridot Ward doesn’t need some braindead morons who spend time to mistreat and humiliate stray Pokemon in the streets when they see them. My advice: go throw yourself off a bridge instead, this is will make you better.”

Thugs 1 & 2 & 3: “!!!”

 

Visibly irritated by the vitriolic words of the candy-pink haired little girl, the thugs moved slowly to Dounia with a stern face. One of them asked her to repeat what she said.

 

 

Thug 1: “Hm. Can you repeat, please?”

Thug 2: “Yeah. We didn’t hear you well indeed.”

Dounia: “Well, if that’s what you want. Hey, dummies! Why won’t you take a dip in Azurine Lake? You’re ugly. Nobody loves you.”

Thug 3: “How do you know that nobody loves us? You met our relatives?”

Thug 1: “Haha. You’re a funny one. You come here, insult us and tell us our business. But you. Look at you. You’re all alone here. If I were you, I would make myself even smaller than I already am.”

Thug 2: “I agree, you shouldn’t talk to strangers this way. Showing us disrespect could be enough to get you into trouble. Serious trouble.”

Thug 3: “Let’s talk about you. Who the hell are you to judge us like this?”

Dounia: “Do you want to know me? Marvelous!”

 

Without hesitating, the brave little girl took one step towards the hooligans, puffed out her chest, and made her famous speech of presentation in front of them.

 

Dounia: “I’m a little girl who enjoy kicking the ass of those who like bringing disorder in town. I’m the one who will put an end to this suffering for all those poor ill-treated Pokemon. I’m the one that all the bullies around should fear. In other words… I am your worst enemy!”

 

Silence became absolute as Dounia finished to introduce herself. The three boys looked at each other in a dumbfounded manner. Then, shortly afterwards, they all burst out laughing.

 

 

Thugs 1 & 2 & 3: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

 

Meanwhile, Vulpix was back on her feet again. She got up and saw the three men answering to Dounia from behind.

 

 

Thug 1: “Hahaha, I can’t get enough of it. This is priceless! You thought you were an avenger or what?”

Dounia: “Yes. That’s exactly for this very reason that I walk down the different quarters of Reborn every day. In case you didn’t know yet, there are people in this neighborhood who want to make this town a better place for all the Pokemon. And you, what have you done to help? Nothing! You don’t do anything to be appreciated. You’re just putting up roadblocks for nothing. If nobody is here to take out people like you, so who will?”

Thug 1: “The answer is simple: no one. No one is ever going to change that, I assure you. And this ain’t you, nor the police, nor the Reborn Champion herself who will do anything against it. They have other doggos to tame anyway.”

Dounia: “Just so you know, every dog needs a master. You are dogs, I am your master!”

Thug 1: “*yawn* I don’t know about you, but seriously, I’m getting tired of this conversation. Children giving lessons to adults. Usually, we only see things like this in movies. Stop dreaming, sweetie. You’re better than this.”

 

This verbal back and forth between Dounia and the gang leader was getting longer and longer. During this time, Vulpix had regained consciousness. She followed the conversation closely and was getting tired of the derogatory attitude of these scoundrels. While the man dressed in black and red was in the middle of the conversation with Dounia, the Fox Pokemon could feel her own fire burning inside of her. Willing to make the thugs pay for their bad behavior, she prepared a Fire attack. Two of the boys nearby saw Vulpix behind at the last moment, mouth wide open. She was ready to unleash fire on these cowards, which didn’t fail to worry them.

 

 

Thug 2: “Uuh… bro. We have a problem out there.”

Thug 1: “Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Don’t worry guys, I’m gonna fix it right away.”

Thug 3: “Um… I think he was talking about ANOTHER problem, actually.”

Thug 1: “Tsss. Well, very good. So, what do you want, guys? I hope it’s…”

Vulpix: “PIIIIIIIIIIIIIX!!”

 

 

But as the dumb guy was turning around, Flannery’s Pokemon was finally launching a Flamethrower at them. The moment the flames emerged from her mouth, the two stooges threw themselves to opposite directions to dodge Vulpix attack, leaving the blond guy alone inside the burning fire jet. Dounia saw the whole scene taking place before her eyes with silent satisfaction and a vicious smile on her face. Justice was done. But when the fire was dissipating, the man dressed in black and red reappeared in the middle of the scene, totally black. He was covered with soot. His hair has curled because of the heat, and his leather jacket was all carbonized. He didn’t look happy at all.

 

 

Thug 1: “…my… my jacket…”

Thug 2: “Is that okay, bro? Are you hurt?”

Thug 1: “…my jacket… my beautiful jacket…”

Thug 3: “*Gulp*”

Vulpix: “Piiiix!”

 

Shortly after that, a frightening silence engulfed Peridot Ward. The man with blond hair was furious. His gaze quickly slid away from his fuming outfit. He glanced at Dounia violently, giving his henchmen the following orders.

 

Thug 1: “They must not leave this place alive.”

Thugs 2 & 3: “…”

Thug 1: “You! Seize her!”

Thug 2: “Your wish is our command, bro.”

Thug 3: “Don’t worry, we’ll make it quick.”

Dounia: “Eh?!”

 

In a fraction of a second, the two minions pounced on Dounia and grabbed her by the arms, holding her prisoner. Her feet weren’t touching the ground anymore. She was immobilized in the air, struggling frantically by moving her shoulders to break free but to no avail.

 

 

Dounia: “Grrr! Get your hands off of me, you brutes! Let me go!”

Thug 3: “You’re not so tough now, are you?”

Thug 2: “Stop resisting, sweetie. You’re not going anywhere.”

Thug 1: “Good! That’s one problem solved. Now, let’s get rid of the second.”

Dounia: “Huh? What? Wh-what are you going to do?”

Vulpix: “Vulpix?”

 

The man covered with soot was enraged. He felt offended deep within his soul, and threw a demonic glance at the Pokemon of the ambassador. This attack was more than a humiliation to him. It was a signature for a death warrant. In a horrific moment of inspiration, he pounced on Vulpix and grabbed her by the muzzle to prevent her from unleashing another Fire move. His hatred had turned him into an even more cruel individual.

 

 

Vulpix: “Mmmm! Mmmm!”

Thug 1: “Rrrrh! So, what now? You wanted to be a rebel? We can both play at this game, you know.”

Vulpix: “Mmmm! Mmmm!”

 

The man clenched his fists harder on the jaw of the poor Fox Pokemon, he was animated by nothing but hatred and aggressivity. Vulpix had her eyes close, squeaking in agony because of the sharp pain in her muzzle.

 

Thug 1: “So tell me? What do your flames taste like? Hm?”

Vulpix: “Mmmm!”

Thug 1: “ANSWER ME! WHAT DO YOUR FLAMES TASTE LIKE, YOU SHITBAG?”

 

In the way of an insane torturer, he brutally shook the nose of the defenseless Pokemon in all the directions. Dounia couldn’t stay quiet in front such an unbearable sight.

 

Dounia: “Leave her alone, dirty prick! You have no right to harm this Vulpix!”

Thug 2: “You, shut up! Nobody asked you to open your mouth!”

Thug 1: “I do whatever I want here! I have every right in this town! YOU HEARD ME? EVERY RIGHT!”

Dounia: “Arrh…”

Thug 1: “Bah, whatever. In any case, there won’t be anyone left to testify about what happened here. Perhaps would you like me to show you a short live demonstration of my power, don’t you?”

Dounia: “Rrrr! What a coward you are! This is easy for you to threaten people who can’t fight back. If that’s what you want, so come at me! My head is hard!”

Thug 1: “Oh, come on, kitty cat. Did you really think I was talking about you?”

Dounia: “Uh, what?... *gasp*”

 

Without showing any ounce of mercy, the fearsome individual raised his free fist in the air, high above Vulpix head.

 

Vulpix: “MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!”

Dounia: “NO, WAIT! DON’T DO THAT!!”

Thug 1: “TAKE THAT!!!”

 

 

Consumed by incredible violence, he beat Vulpix and hit her several times in the head and the ribs with beasty and uncontrolled movements. Flannery’s Pokemon couldn’t do anything but taking all the beatings inflicted to her. For Dounia, it was the apogee of chaos. The abuse to Vulpix was such a horrible thing to attend on that it almost had triggered an emotional shock in her mind. All her senses have been simultaneously awakened. Her touch, her taste, her hearing, her smell, and above all, her sight. Terrified and revolted at the same time, she struggled with all her strength. She was so disturbed and used so much energy that she ended up losing her sanity in her efforts.

 

 

Dounia: “RAAAaaaAAAaaaAAAaaaAAAAhhh!!!”

Thug 3: “Hohohooh! Don’t be so feisty, girl!”

Thug 2: “Calm down, baby! You wouldn’t want my bro to give you the same treatment, do you?”

 

Then, in the heat of the moment, Dounia swung with all her weight to finally reach the hand of the street rat with her mouth. The little she-devil used this opportunity to beat him to the bones. She sank her teeth so deep in his flesh that he immediately let go of her and screamed out in pain.

 

Thug 2: “OOOOOOOOUCH!!!”

Dounia: “Pffeuh! It tastes like feet!”

 

 

While the man with bag was screaming all his being, Dounia used her free hand to land a heavy punch in the face of the boy with the red cap in a second. Completely stunned, he lost his balance and fell on the ground unconsciously. With nobody around to detain her, Dounia was free again.

 

 

Dounia: “Raaah, that was about time! Well. We have to hurry now!”

 

Even before the two gangsters could regain their senses and catch her again, Dounia took advantage of the confusion to pull a Pokeball out of her pocket and threw it high in the sky.

 

Dounia: “Togedemaru! Come at me!”

 

Dounia’s Togedemaru took shape right in front of her. She needed the help of one of her Pokemon to put an end to this madness once and for all and save Vulpix as quickly as possible.

 

 

Dounia: “Use Rollout and knock out these three boys in one blow!”

Togedemaru: “Togedemaru!”

 

The Roly-Poly Pokemon took up battle position and bristled up his dorsal spikes. As soon as he saw that Vulpix was in danger, he curled up and gained momentum before to leap straight in the air. Immediately after, he accurately hit the two marauders at full speed before to finish his race in the back of the head of the torturer with the burned jacket at full power.

 

 

Togedemaru: “Maru! Maru! Maruuuuuuuuu!”

 

The amazing fighting partner of Dounia successfully knocked out the three evil-doers by himself. Thus, he managed to put an end to the pain inflicted on the poor Fox Pokemon.

 

 

Dounia: “Excellent! You did an amazing job here, my boy! You’ll have a snack when we’ll be back home, I promise!”

Togedemaru: “Togeeee!”

 

The area was safe again. The three aggressors weren’t going to do any harm for a moment. Out of danger, Dounia called Togedemaru back to his Pokeball. Then, she moved close to Vulpix. She was very worry for her.

 

 

Dounia: “Oh… poor girl. Why did they do that to you?”

Vulpix: “…”

Dounia: “Heh?”

 

But Vulpix wasn’t able to respond to her. She was all shaking on the ground, unable to utter her name any longer. Her belly, her back, her ribs and her head were totally covered with bruises and hematomas. Dounia felt very affected by what she was seeing. For her, the strain was becoming too much. She had difficulty to hold it in and almost shed a tear next the paralyzed Pokemon.

 

Vulpix: “…”

Dounia: “*snif* How can people be so mean with such an adorable creature? All this human stupidity is nothing more than… than human stupidity. They didn’t have the right to do that to you. Not them, nor anyone.”

Vulpix: “…”

Dounia: “Hold on, sweetheart. I’ll save you!”

 

Without losing any time, Dounia leaned over the Fox Pokemon and picked her up. She was holding the weakened Vulpix in her arms with one hand under the legs to prevent her from falling and pressed the Pokemon against her chest. She could feel the heart of the small being pounding against hers. The emotion was so intense; it was like a spear stuck in the bust of the caring child. Even if she still had a chance to reverse this situation, the mere fact of seeing Vulpix motionless and wounded was breaking her apart. Just before she left, Dounia threw a fierce glance at the unresponsive boys on the ground.

 

 

Dounia: “You… you have no idea how lucky you are. I could tear you into pieces and end your life here if I really wanted to. But fortunately for you, and unfortunately for me, my priorities are somewhere else. When all this story will be behind me, I will pray every night that someone will find you again and make you pay. I hope this day will come. You’ll see, you’ll all endure the same fate. The same suffering!”

 

Preferring not to stick in the streets of Peridot Ward any longer, Dounia turned on the heels with Vulpix in her arms and walked away to heal her at home.

 

Vulpix: “…”

Dounia: “Don’t worry, honey. It will be alright. I won’t let you down, you can trust me.”

 

Thus, Dounia left the area and ran away, leaving the three boys behind her. She stepped up the pace alongside the rail track and rushed to her house located to the western part of Peridot Ward. As she did, Vulpix turned limp and was more and more unresponsive. Her head was hanging off out of Dounia’s arms in the manner of a spineless puppet. This made the heart of the child become heavier, her muscles were still vibrating. But as she was passing near the Mosswater Factory, Vulpix sneezed. Blood spurted out of her battered nose.

 

 

Vulpix: “Tchi!”

Dounia: “*gasp* Oh my gosh! What was that?!”

Vulpix: “Tchi!”

Dounia: “Oh no, my goodness! This ain’t a good thing at all! Things are going bad. Things are going really bad!”

 

The respiration of Vulpix became more and more wheezy and irregular. She was losing a lot of blood and struggled for air. Her muzzle was particularly banged up. Dounia quickly pulled out a handkerchief of her pocket and wiped the bloody muzzle of the poor Pokemon to stop the hemorrhaging.

 

 

Dounia: “My poor girl. Your situation is much worse than I believed. You need urgent medical attention! I must hurry before it gets worse for you!”

Vulpix: “…”

 

Anxious at the mere idea of losing Vulpix, Dounia raced at incredible speed and came across the western quarter before the empty gaze of the customers in the local Pokemart. She and Vulpix were almost arrived at home.

 

 

Dounia: “You won’t suffer anymore, I promise!”

 

She made her way between the other neighboring wooden shacks before to finally reach the front door of her house. Without even catching her breath, she moved ahead, opened the door, and closed it as soon as she came in. Then, she put Vulpix on the black sofa. Right after that, she opened a cupboard under the sink to pick up something that could help Vulpix to forget her agony and make it disappear.

 

 

Dounia: “Let’s see. Hm… where did I put that thing?”

 

She stayed crouched down for a while next to the sink while Vulpix was weakly moving her legs in the air, losing her strength and her mind little by little. Fortunately, Dounia managed to find the famous miracle product she needed.

 

Dounia: “Ha! Gotcha!”

 

Relieved to have found the coveted medicine in time, she walked serenely to Vulpix and uttered kind simple words to comfort her.

 

 

Dounia: “Hey. Vulpix. Honey. Sweetheart. Can you hear me?”

 

Vulpix wasn’t able to speak anymore. It was as if she was muffled by the pain in her muzzle.

 

Vulpix: “…”

Dounia: “You will survive, my girl. I have here a special beverage for you. A miracle cure of my personal composition. One sip should be enough to make you forget your pain as well as all this madness you have endured until now. This turmoil, this rage. This surge of violence will be like a bad dream far behind you, you’ll see. You’ll be strong and healthy again.”

Vulpix: “…”

Dounia: “Stay relaxed. It will be alright. Just open your mouth as big as you can, and let me proceed. The rest will sort itself out.”

Vulpix: “…hhh…”

 

Trying her best to obey Dounia’s instructions, Vulpix opened her mouth slowly but progressively. Once her mouth was open enough, the little girl hurried to drop the mysterious liquid under the tongue of the Fox Pokemon. The moment she felt the medicine getting down her throat, a warm and invigorating feeling seized the fluffy creature from the inside. Dounia made sure that Vulpix drank the whole content of the vial she had in hand. When the vial was empty, she delicately stroked the sweet fur of the wounded Pokemon and kissed her on the forehead.

 

Dounia: “*smack* You’ll see. The first effects should appear in approximately half an hour. Meanwhile, I will prepare a few more vials in case the pain would show up again. I also have biscuits if you want some. Until then, try to hold on. Think about happy things. Let the negative outside, just inhale the positive.”

Vulpix: “… … …”

 

As she felt on the verge of a comatose state, Vulpix took note of Dounia’s advices. She tried to evacuate all the bad vibes from her fragile spirit, stopped struggling against the pain, and did her best to forget everything of those recent visions of aggressivity. Where she was now, there was no reason to feel bad anymore. Serenity was here. Silence was here. She felt supported again. She felt protected again, far from vile, mean individuals, because she trusted her new protector. The healing process was ongoing. And among all the pictures Vulpix had in her head, only one seemed to still have an importance to her.

 

Vulpix: (…Flannery… Flannery… my trainer… wherever you are… don’t cry for me… I’m… I’m safe now…)

 

 

 

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

FLASHBACK END

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

 

 

 

Dounia: “Now you know.”

 

That was the end of Dounia’s narrative. Flannery couldn’t believe it. She now knew the whole story about the Pokemon she was holding in her arms. But this discovery had nothing to do with a matter of rejoicing. When she realized what Vulpix has really been through, the redhead could barely speak.

 

Flannery: “So… this is true, isn’t it?”

Dounia: “Yes.”

 

The expression on the face of former Gym Leader had changed, sorrow progressively took shape on it. She fell silent and looked at the little Fox Pokemon without blinking. The more she stared at her, the higher the emotion rose in her heart. Flannery never looked so sad in her entire life.

 

Vulpix: “Vul… Vulpix?”

 

The Fire Pokemon could feel that her mistress wasn’t doing well. She robbed her nose against the left cheek of the damsel to comfort her but to no avail. Flannery broke down and sobbed as she strongly embraced her furry partner. She felt guilty for not having been around in time to protect Vulpix during the aggression.

 

Vulpix: “Piiiix!”

Flannery: “*snif* Forgive me… *snif* …forgive me, Vulpix!”

 

 

Flannery loved her Pokemon more than anything. The simple fact of knowing that Vulpix has been beaten and mistreated had totally shaken the distraught lady. She felt bad and didn’t manage to overcome her sadness as she was squeezing her beloved Pokemon even stronger against her chest. Overwhelmed, Flannery crouched down on the floor and curled up upon Vulpix in the manner of a protective mother who wanted to keep her children safe. Dounia silently attended on the embrace between these two beings.

 

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Flannery: “…my baby… *snif* …I love you…*snif* …I love you so much… You are the jewel of my life… and I swear it on my own life… I won’t leave you alone again… Never… *snif* …If only I was there earlier, so none of this would have happened to you…”

Vulpix: “Pix!”

Flannery: “…Vulpix… my dear…”

 

Time and space both seemed to be in suspension around them. Vulpix, who had her curled locks against Flannery’s chin, passed the head between the arms of her mistress and licked her cheek as a sign of affection for her. It was as if she wanted to prevent other tears from rolling down the pretty face of the fire girl. They felt comforted by the osmosis that emanated from these cuddles. This helped the kindhearted trainer to calm down. Shortly after that, Flannery came back to her sense, more refreshed than before.

 

Flannery: “*sigh* …I feel better. Thank you for always being by my side, Vulpix. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

 

Flannery was relieved to be reunited with Vulpix again and passed her hands along the fluffy back of the Pokemon. Having noticed that she was smiling again, Dounia wished to add a few words about Vulpix state. Flannery had to be informed about one last important information before heading back to the Grand Hall.

 

 

Dounia: “Good. So… may I speak, please?”

Flannery: “Hm? Oh yes, for sure! What do you want to tell me?”

Dounia: “This Vulpix you’re holding in your arms. She has been through a lot, you know. She has suffered serious damage. Because of it, I had to use a treatment that was powerful enough to deal with this damage. And meanwhile, I allowed myself to do some tests. Side effects have well and truly occurred in the end.”

Flannery: “What side effects are you talking about? What did you exactly give my Pokemon?”

Dounia: “I gave her the same product that I used to administer to all the Pokemon trapped between life and death. A special medicine which can eliminate all forms of ache at the cost of a reinitialization of their fighting abilities.”

Flannery: “Oh lord! That sounds totally hallucina… wait… WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?”

Dounia: “This process was not without consequences. After checking it myself, I can even confirm that Vulpix can’t use the offensive moves she once had. However, and luckily, two of her other capacities have been spared during the healing: Will-O-Wisp and Grudge. The rest of the attacks have been replaced by those commonly learned by a newborn Vulpix. I had to tell you before you leave. Just imagine what would have happened if you’d challenge someone in town with her in your team. I thought it was better for you to let you know now rather than let you realize it by yourself during a battle. You understand?”

 

Flannery did not answer right away. Instead of it, she got up and stared at Dounia with big eyes full of wonder. This discovery sounded like an earthquake inside of her head. She recalled that the way Torkoal has been healed in the Grand Hall was exactly the same. Obviously, Flannery started to have serious interrogations about the identity of the young healer.

 

 

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “What’s happening? You’re alright? Why are you making that face?”

Flannery: “Um… in fact, I… this is interesting you let me know that. I’ve actually met someone in the Grand Hall earlier. A nurse. As soon as I arrived in Reborn, my Torkoal was already in very bad shape, covered with bruises and all. And guess what, she used the exact same method as yours to heal him. Forgotten attacks, invisible wounds, healings stronger than death… it’s as if the whole same story was repeating itself. In short, I got the impression that you’re a little like her, but… younger.”

Dounia: “Hm.”

Flannery: “I know it sounds like a naive observation, but I have this feeling that you two have a lot in common. Have you already met before?”

Dounia: “So you met her, right? You saw how she could be sometimes, didn't you? So, tell me. What do you think of my mother?”

Flannery: “Y-your mother?!?”

Dounia: “Yes, my mother. The nurse of the Grand Hall is my mother. I left her shortly after we had some conversations together. She and I had a dispute two weeks ago. It’s a family matter, so I prefer not talking too much about it.”

Flannery: “Well, this is surprising to me! I didn’t know Nurse Joy had children.”

Dounia: “And yet, here I am! But basically, she and her colleagues are all the same. In her case, she simply made use of my findings to stand out from the mass and make a name for herself. Her talent in particular is quite debatable, if you know what I mean.”

Flannery: “What do you mean by that? I have difficulty to understand. Didn’t you get along well together? Why did you leave? And what are these findings you’re talking about?”

Dounia: “The miracle cure that serves to save agonizing Pokemon, of course. That was my idea. Me and only me have discovered this new concept of healing! Necessary ingredients, medicinal properties, tests… I was the one who did everything to make it work. Without me, I doubt my mother would have had the same reputation she has now. She didn’t do ANYTHING by herself. Do you think an instant she would have mentioned my name to her clients after she made her famous ‘miracles’? No. Nothing. Nothing at all!”

Flannery: “Wait, what? You’re telling me that it’s you who created this remedy to prevent Pokemon from dying?”

Dounia: “You’re surprised, right? Yes, this is me. In fact, I’ve always loved playing with mother’s tools to imitate her and become a nurse myself since I was little. Providing care and saving lives have always been two things I was passionate about, and I wish I could make it my profession. But when I saw who my mother really was, I began to wonder if I shouldn’t find my way more independently. Afterwards, I’ve decided to cut ties with her.”

Flannery: “And you’re sure you couldn’t have done it differently? I mean… I’m not against your decision, but leaving and cutting ties might be a little excessive in your case.”

Dounia: “No, it was necessary. The first time I showed her what I was capable of, she pretended to be mystified by my talent. I could feel it. In reality, she just waited the appropriate moment to claim my childhood work as hers and brag about it. One night, I went and spoke to her. I told her out loud what I was thinking of the way she was, just to let her know how arrogant and cocky she was becoming. Thereafter, the situation has… escalated to put it mildly. Rather than listening to me, she systematically changed the subject of the conversation by telling me that she had plans for me and that my fate was already all written. The worst joke I’ve ever heard. When she said that to me, I felt outraged, so I’ve decided to live my life in another way to escape this homogenization she tried to drag me in. That’s what I did! The next day, I woke up earlier than usual, I brought some stuff that could be useful to my getaway, I left a note on the fridge, and I fled while she was sleeping. After that, I didn’t hear from her again.”

Flannery: “Wait! You ran away?!”

Dounia: “Absolutely. I ran away. And if you want my opinion, I had more to gain than to lose by doing so. I much prefer finding Pokemon in town and save them rather than waiting for them to get banged up before I could heal them. I found my place, whether mom likes it or not. People are free to think what they want about me, I’m an action girl. And I have no regret about my decision.”

 

The situation described by Dounia seemed slightly disturbing to the redhead. Despite the admiration Flannery had for the young healer for being so audacious and ambitious, she still had difficulty to totally agree with her decision, but didn’t make it known. Consequently, she wasn’t biased against anyone. But as the conversation was moving forward, Flannery felt a sharp pain spreading in her stomach. The hungry damsel didn’t ingest anything since the early morning. She visibly was in a weakened state.

 

Flannery: “This is one heck of a story you have there! I respect you for your initiative. Well, just don’t mind if I appear impolite, but… I’m starving. I didn’t eat anything for hours and I feel like I could black out at any time.”

Dounia: “I saw that, you’re not looking comfortable, I can read it on your entire body. Anyway, you don’t seem to be the type of person who eats a lot, am I right? Take a seat on my couch, I must have a little something left for you.”

Flannery: “Thank you, Dounia. This is kind of you!”

Dounia: “You’re welcome!”

 

The ambassador moved to the sofa with Vulpix in her arms and sat. She put down the Pokemon next to her with an air of exhaustion. Meanwhile, Dounia picked up a biscuit packet which was hidden under the glass table. She seized it, and went back to her guest, handing her the packet.

 

 

Dounia: “Take it! You can get as many as you like. I took these biscuits with me when I left from the Grand Hall. They are cinnamon flavored, my favorite taste.”

 

At the mere sight of the biscuit packet, Flannery’s eyes were sparkling again. She, who had empty stomach during all this time, was finally going to satisfy her hunger temporarily. She took the packet and pulled two biscuits out of it. Then, she put one in her mouth. The treat had a sweet perfumed taste which reminded Flannery of the old homemade cakes that her grandfather used to bake in Lavaridge Town when she was younger. As soon as she swallowed the treat, she ate the second one right away. After a few seconds of degustation, she turned to Dounia with an adorable smile.

 

Flannery: “This is so delicious! Thank you again for offering.”

Dounia: “You’re welcome! It’s all natural to me, you know. Making both Pokemon and people happy helps me to feel good about myself.”

Flannery: “I feel you! Thanks again!”

 

The Fox Pokemon was attracted by the scent of cinnamon as well. Vulpix was getting hungry too. She squeaked as she was pointing the nose at the packet.

 

 

Vulpix: “Pix! Pix! Pix!”

Flannery: “Yes, honey? What do you have? Are you hungry too?”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Dounia: “Be reassured, you can give her one. They are made for human AND for Pokemon.”

Flannery: “Really? Oh, thank you!”

Dounia: “My pleasure!”

 

Vulpix raised the head in the air while Flannery was pulling a third biscuit out of the packet and hung it above her. The redhead looked at her tenderly and gave her the coveted snack. She saw her savoring the treat with one tear in the eye. The fact of knowing that all her Pokemon were back again was rekindling her from the inside. Even if she didn’t show it directly, Flannery was still particularly shaken up by the tragic testimony provided by Dounia. Then, after she noticed that the luminosity was declining, Flannery looked through the window. The sun was going down.

 

 

Flannery: “*gasp* Good gracious! It will be night soon!”

Dounia: “Yeah, seems so! Looks like time has passed pretty fast today. If it wasn’t so small here, I would have gladly proposed you to stay with me tonight. But in the present case… well, you see what I’m getting at.”

Flannery: “Don’t worry for me. I’ve already planned to go back to the Grand Hall at the end of the day anyway. I just hope you’ll still be able to survive on your own.”

Dounia: “I can handle it myself, don’t worry. Also, the little fight we had earlier made me realize that I still have a lot of work to do before to be a good Pokemon trainer, which is a thing I’ll have to prioritize too. Because if I can’t protect myself, how we’ll I be able to protect the ones I love?”

Flannery: “Hahaha! You sound like me when I was your age. You’ll be successful, I’m sure of that!”

Dounia: “Thank you! This is kind of you to encourage me. I’ll try my best! However… I would appreciate even more if you didn’t tell anyone that you saw me here. Since the day I left, I do everything I can to remain anonymous and I always carefully cover my tracks for fear of being unmasked by the police. They would drag me back to the Grand Hall if they knew who I am.”

Flannery: “You have my word, Dounia! Also, while we’re at it, and if it can make you feel better, let me tell you that I saw some policemen earlier. They were busy more with the recent incidents that have occurred in Reborn today than anything else. No offense, of course! As a result, I think you can sleep peacefully tonight.”

Dounia: “Is that true? Hm. So, maybe… maybe she preferred keeping it for herself in the end. In fact, I think that’s precisely what she did. Whenever she found herself in difficult situations, mom never was the type of person who asked for help to anyone. And since I didn’t hear of her for quite a while, I will probably never know if she ended up accepting my decision or not.”

Flannery: “Do you insinuate that you will never see her again?”

Dounia: “Honestly, I don’t want to disappear from her life either. Maybe I’ll come back to her someday. But for now, I prefer to keep some distances. This conflict is still way too fresh for me. Promise me you won’t say anything to her!”

Flannery: “Not one single word! I’ll keep secret our encounter, you can trust me!”

Dounia: “Thank you, Flannery!”

 

Ready to head back to the Grand Hall, Flannery rose from the sofa and called Vulpix back to her Pokeball. Thanks to the precious help of her new friend in Peridot Ward, Flannery’s searches were over. She moved to the exit of Dounia’s residence and thanked her one last time.

 

 

Flannery: “Thank you again for your help, Dounia. Me and Vulpix owe you a lot for what you did. I hope we’ll meet again someday.”

Dounia: “I hope too. Until then, take care of yourself! And above all, try not to be too extreme with Vulpix rehabilitation. She has really been through a lot!”

Flannery: “Thank you for the reminding, I’ll be careful. Good luck! Bye!”

Dounia: “Good bye, Flannery!”

 

After they waved goodbye at each other, Flannery went out of Dounia’s hideout and made her way back to Opal Ward to keep Ame informed about what happened in town this afternoon. The ambassador had the situation under control again. She crossed through Peridot Ward, pleased to have found Vulpix back in one piece, although a reeducation was going to be necessary to her. But as she did, she saw the policemen she met earlier standing next to the rail track. The two men accosted her and questioned her as she was appearing in front of them in the dark street.

 

 

Policeman 1: “Oh! Madam Ambassador! This is you!”

Policeman 2: “Glad to see you again, madam!”

Flannery: “Glad to see you too, misters. How were the searches on your end?”

Policeman 2: “Well… unfortunately, there’s nothing really successful to report.”

Policeman 1: “Yes. Plus, we’ve been scared less than one hour ago. We heard a very shrieking sound which came from the opposite of the town, so we thought someone was in danger here.”

Flannery: “Really? Shrieking sounds, you said?”

Policeman 2: “Absolutely. Shrieking sounds.”

Policeman 1: “Perhaps you’ve heard it too, haven’t you?”

Flannery: “Hmmmm… no, sorry. I didn’t pay attention to it. Anyway, I have good news to share with you!”

Policeman 1: “Huh! Really? What sort of good news?”

Policeman 2: “Wait. Did you find another track leading to your Vulpix by any chance?”

Flannery: “Even better! I found Vulpix herself!”

Policeman 1: “Ah, excellent! For real?”

Flannery: “Yes, for real!”

Policeman 2: “Congratulations! That is very good news indeed!”

Policeman 1: “And, uh… without being intrusive… what’s her condition? Is she all right?”

 

Since Flannery had promised Dounia to keep her out of it, she changed some details in her interpretation of facts by pretending to tell them where and how she found her Pokemon back.

 

Flannery: “This took me some time, but I followed the trail back to one of those big buildings behind me. This is an old lady who’d have found her roaming in the street. From what she told me, Vulpix was very weak so she took care of her while I was walking around the city.”

Policeman 1: “I see. And… how is your Pokemon doing now?”

Flannery: “She’s not a model of well-being, but she can still stand on her legs. She has been pampered until I arrived, but I doubt this is will be sufficient. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to a Pokemon Center and find a nurse.”

Policeman 2: “No problem, madam!”

Policeman 1: “Don’t you wish us to accompany you?”

Flannery: “No, thanks. This is very nice of you to offer, but I think I can do it on my own. That being said, I appreciate your kindness. You can count on me to give Ame your regards when I’ll see her.”

Policeman 1: “Oh! Hm. Well, this is… this is fine. Please, go ahead!”

Flannery: “Thank you again!”

 

Without further conversation, Flannery ran up to the Grand Hall to make a report to Ame while the two policemen were looking at each other in an odd way.

 

 

Policeman 1: “There’s something strange about her, don’t you think?”

Policeman 2: “Maybe. I don’t know. Somehow, I always believed that all the women in this world had a piece of mystery inside of them.”

Policeman 1: “No, that’s not what I mean. There’s something suspicious about this girl. She’s hiding something to us. I know it. My detective instinct tells me so.”

Policeman 2: “It tells you what? What’s on your mind?”

Policeman 1: “Um… I don’t know how to explain that. This is hard to describe. I just thought she was acting weird, that’s all.”

Policeman 2: “Really? I don’t believe she is. And then, if she really managed to find this Vulpix, so it’s probably better to consider this case as closed. Don’t you agree with me?”

Policeman 1: “*sigh* Yes, probably. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I suppose this story has pumping too much of my energy for today.”

Policeman 2: “I feel you. Well, we should go back to Jasper Ward. The chief will certainly want to know what happened here.”

Policeman 1: “I’m coming with you, colleague. Plus, I hate patrolling in this quarter at night.”

Policeman 2: “And so does the rest of us!”

 

Tired of their hard day’s work, the investigators both returned to the police station in Jasper Ward to get some rest. As for Flannery, she was continuing on her way to Opal Ward. Not surprisingly, the effect provided by Dounia’s small snacks was short-lived and faded away. The hunger soon awakened again and pulled down the steadfast redhead in the stomach. But Flannery refused to give up, she held on. For her, this growing starvation was nothing compared to what Vulpix and Torkoal have lost.

 

 

Flannery: “Argh… my belly… the hunger is too much… arrh… that fucking hurts… hmpf… hmpf… I… I can’t stop… I have to keep going!”

 

This wasn’t enough to stop and put down the tenacious fire girl. She kept up the pace from Peridot Ward to Opal Ward with one hand on her abdomen, as if she was trying to prevent her guts from coming out of her belly. Then, she finally made it to the stairs leading to the Grand Hall. She climbed the steps one by one in a very uncomfortable stance. In the meantime, night had totally fallen.

 

 

Flannery: “Here we are! We made it!”

 

Relieved to be done for today, Flannery passed through the gate of the dark building and teetered slowly toward the elegant Champion who was waiting beside the main office of the Grand Hall. Ame, who had noticed the decrease in energy of the ambassador, talked to her in a worried tone.

 

 

Ame: “Flannery! You’re alright?”

Flannery: “I… I’m fine, thank you. I… I found Vulpix back!”

Ame: “Amazing! Really amazing! You’re definitely a lucky girl, you know.”

Flannery: “For sure I know, haha… um… uh… I don’t see Victoria. Why didn’t she come in?”

Ame: “We received a special call from her shortly before you arrived. She told us she won’t be able to come back until tomorrow in the morning. In fact, boats aren’t allowed to sail on the lake after a certain hour, and her intervention in Apophyll Academy took her more time than she expected. This explains why she won’t return to the Grand Hall tonight.”

 

While Ame was explaining the reason for Victoria’s absence, the belly of the redhead began to gurgle very loudly. So loudly that Flannery blushed with shame in front of the Reborn Champion.

 

Flannery: “Oops… sorry… you have no idea how hungry I am.”

Ame: “Yeah, I heard it. Sounds like you need to regain your strength too. Fortunately, everything is ready for you downstairs. While you were out, I took the opportunity to arrange a private dinner on the floor below, just for you and me. The staff and I have also applied some space planning in your name. You’ll have all the time you need to tell me your adventures over supper. Shall we go?”

Flannery: “With pleasure, Ame! I’ll follow you!”

 

 

Having nothing more to say, Flannery and Ame crossed over the counter and went downstairs together to the lower floor of the Grand Hall. Basically, this place was exclusively restricted to Ame’s administrative staff. There were several tons of warehoused paperwork as well as several desks with computer which were operating at full power nearby. In parallel, a large glass table was occupying the center of the room with two white couches placed at each end of the table. That contrasted sharply with the bureaucratic atmosphere of this place, but Flannery didn’t seem to bother much about it.

 

 

Ame: “Here we are! I hope you don’t mind for the lack of organization. Me and my employees still have a lot of work to deal with and I couldn’t afford to make major rearrangements either.”

Flannery: “This is not a problem for me, really. I already appreciate enough that you invited me for dinner, so as long as there is plenty of good food to eat, it’s all good for me.”

Ame: “Yes, you’re right. Please, take your seat!”

 

The two ladies sat down opposite each other. On the table, two big plates were displayed. There was rice, fried fish, as well as a copious salad made of various sorts of vegetables mixed in a bowl. After they made themselves comfortable, the dinner could finally start. Flannery, who was tired of all this wait, swallowed the whole content of her plate and bowl in just a few minutes. Thankfully, there was enough to satiate her. Since she finished her meal faster than Ame, the redhead used this opportunity to tell the Champion that she unfortunately didn’t manage to catch the starter thieves, since she had spent the rest of the afternoon to explore Peridot Ward in order to find Vulpix back. Obviously, she also gave Ame her own version of the facts concerning the conditions in which she had found her Pokemon.

 

 

Ame: “…Yes. Yes, I see. Yeah, I must admit that was unexpected. Really. And to be honest, I feel bad for you. You really had a sad day in the end.”

Flannery: “You know. It could have been worse. But all in all, you’re right. I feel like my emotions have been stretched to their limits today. Frankly, I don’t believe I would have been able to hold on if one of my Pokemon had passed away.”

Ame: “Poor girl. This must have been a lot to take for you.”

Flannery: “My head and my heart will remember it forever. This feeling… when you discover that those you loved the most have been hurt or assaulted… it spreads through your whole body and soul. And you can’t do anything against it. When I held Vulpix against me once I found her in Peridot Ward, I realized the chance I had to have her by my side again. I realized how sensitive and vulnerable she could be. That she needed me to survive. To be happy. So don’t wait until it’s too late! People who love their Pokemon must protect them and keep them closely. They must never, ever, forget that the moment they had together can be so very precious.”

 

The manager of the Grand Hall felt concerned by Flannery’s words. They were so full of truth that Ame stopped speaking and started to meditate on the adventures she lived herself with her own Pokemon before to become the responsible of the Reborn League. Then, she spoke again.

 

Ame: “*sigh* If only everyone in Reborn could listen to you, you’d certainly influence a lot of mentalities. I myself tend to be so engrossed in my work that I sometimes lose sight of these values you exposed so well. I realize it now.”

Flannery: “It’s never too early to tell your Pokemon you love them, you know.”

Ame: “I know, Flannery. I know.”

 

Ame was pensive. She looked down and stared at her empty plate for a short time. Then, after another sigh of nostalgia, she stood up from her couch and asked Flannery to do the same.

 

Ame: “Well, alright then. I still have one last thing to show you. I guess after such an eventful day, you must feel particularly exhausted, am I right?”

Flannery: “*yawn* You got it! And honestly, beside the Grand Hall, I don’t have any place in mind where I could stay and spend the night.”

Ame: “Be reassured, our doors are wide open for you. You’ll have a good night! *wink*”

 

 

Flannery smiled at Ame in response. The white-haired Champion had not finished to surprise her. Shortly after a waiter came and cleared the table, she turned heels and motioned the ambassador to accompany her. Then, the two girls left and walked through the narrow corridor of the basement. They entered one of the side rooms. Flannery couldn’t believe what she was seeing. In addition to the private meal with Ame, the generous manager of the league had taken the liberty of rearranging one of the offices and turned it into a bedroom exclusively reserved for the hosting of the fiery guest.

 

 

Ame: “Here we are! This is not much, but I hope you’ll like it.”

Flannery: “This is very generous of you. Thank you Ame! I just hope, for my part, it wasn’t asking too much of your employees.”

Ame: “You’re welcome, Flannery! And don’t worry about that. This office was actually occupied by one of our oldest chartered accountants. But since she left, it wasn’t of any use for us afterward. Therefore, the staff and me have moved the furniture to another room and brought some extra furnishings to turn this place into a guest room. This looks like a makeshift shelter, I admit it, but I hope you’ll appreciate it anyway.”

Flannery: “Honestly, I find it pretty well-organized for a makeshift shelter. And as long as there is a bed I can sleep on, I’m fine with it. This room is exactly what I needed to conclude this tough day.”

Ame: “That’s good to hear! Yes, I’m sure you’ll feel like a charm tonight.”

Flannery: “I think too. Thank you again, Ame!”

Ame: “You’re welcome! Well. You don’t mind if I leave now, do you? Opal policemen will be back soon, and I need to prepare myself before to hear what they have to say concerning the accident case in Grandview Station. We can talk about that tomorrow if you’re interested.”

Flannery: “For sure I am! Despite what we’ve seen today, I’m still hoping that people managed to make it out alive. But since the chances for this to happen are very low… hm… I don’t know…”

Ame: “We’ll find out soon. Well. My apologies, Flannery, but I have to go now. Rest well! And have a good night!”

Flannery: “Good night, Ame!”

 

Ame went out of the room hastily to meet the policemen at the upper floor while Ame closed the door behind her. In the end, Flannery was relieved by the final conclusion of this hellish day. All these meetings, these moments of sadness and anger… it was a lot for her. But now, she felt at peace with herself again, trying to forget the negative to better inhale the positive. Then, as she found herself alone in her room, she grabbed Torkoal and Vulpix Pokeballs on her belt and made them appear in front of her. She wished to be with them just one last time before going to bed.

 

 

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Torkoal: “Torkoal!”

Flannery: “Hello, sweeties! How are you doing?”

Vulpix: “Piiiiiiix!”

Torkoal: “Torkooooooal!”

 

Flannery looked at her teammates for a moment with a tender gaze. Their presence was still the only thing that could comfort her after all these hardships. In return, Torkoal and Vulpix looked at their trainer from above with a happy face. The beautiful trainer came closer to them and confessed to her fiery partners to get rid of those last oppressive thoughts which were haunting her once and for all.

 

Flannery: “Torkoal… Vulpix… my dears. I would like to apologize for what you had to endure today. What happened to you is all my fault. I wish I could have made things different.”

Vulpix: “…”

Torkoal: “…”

Flannery: “I was so afraid for you. You are so precious to me. If you died, I think I would have never got over it. Will you forgive me?”

 

The pretty ambassador still felt terribly guilty for not having protected her Pokemon in time. Convinced that none of that would have happened if she had stayed in Hoenn, she felt crushed by her own culpability. But there was no grudge in the heart of her partners. They all trusted their trainer. In spite of all these vicissitudes and shock treatments they have experienced, the empathy of the two Pokemon for Flannery was still the same even after that.

 

Vulpix: “Vulpiiiix!”

Torkoal: “Torkooooal!”

Flannery: “Oh…”

 

Vulpix and Torkoal nodded and motioned the young lady to come closer to them. There also was a special gleam in their eyes which wasn’t unfamiliar to her. Flannery could see it every time she felt sad or depressed. Without further ado, she moved to them and kneeled. Then, her Pokemon came to her in turn, trying to climb on their mistress to get some hugs. Unable to resist such an adorable request, Flannery leaned over them and embraced them with love.

 

Vulpix: “Piiiiiix!”

Torkoal: “Toooor!”

Flannery: “*snif* I’m so happy to be with you! My dears!”

 

 

Tears began to roll down the sweet face of the passionate goddess. But those had nothing to do with sorrow or desperation. Those were tears of relief. Tears of consolation. Tears of joy. The kind of tears that fall when people realize there’s still someone left by their side to support them after they had tasted the harsh reality of a ruthless world. Flannery could feel the wheezing breath of Torkoal against her neck while Vulpix was licking her cheek as a token of her affection for her. The emotion was flooding into the room of the ambassador. She sighed one last time, as if the rest of her sensitive memories has been allayed. Then, after she found some inner peace, she called her Pokemon back to their Pokeballs.

 

 

Flannery: “Thank you!”

 

For them and for her, it was the end of this cuddle session. Tired like never before, Flannery sluggishly walked toward her bed to get some sleep. She felt way too exhausted to think of anything else. But suddenly, Vulpix went out of her Pokeball by herself and took shape next to her before to leap on the bed precipitately. She then turned to Flannery and yapped nervously. It was as if she was asking her permission for something special. That seemed to be very important to her.

 

 

Vulpix: “Piiiix!”

Flannery: “*gasp* Gracious! What do you have, Vulpix?!”

Vulpix: “Pix! Pix pix pix pix pix! Vulpix! Vulpiiiiix!”

 

She saw Vulpix jumping and running on the bed. The Fox Pokemon looked particularly stressed. Against all odds, it didn’t take long for Flannery to understand the reason of her concern.

 

Flannery: “Aaaaw! I got it! You want to sleep with me, that’s it?”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Flannery: “Haha, great! So be it! You can sleep with me tonight, sweetheart.”

Vulpix: “Piiiix!”

 

Always benevolent concerning the well-being of her Pokemon, Flannery gave into Vulpix request and allowed her to go to bed with her tonight, which seemed to really please the small furry quadruped. Thus, Vulpix got out of the bed to leave some place to Flannery, so she could crawl into it. The kindhearted human made herself comfortable between the fresh sheets carefully made up by Ame and her staff. Once it was done, Vulpix joined her right after that and curled up on Flannery’s tummy. The passionate trainer uttered the following words to her Pokemon as she was stroking her fluffy back.

 

 

Vulpix: “*purr* *purr* *purr*”

Flannery: “My precious… I’m so relieved to have you with me again. For you, I would have crossed this whole world and overcome all the obstacles. From now on, I swear we will never be separated. Not ever again!”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

 

After these words, Flannery stretched the arm to the light switch located on the wall next to the bed.

 

 

Flannery: “Good night, Vulpix!”

 

With one wave of the hand, she pushed down the switch and turned off the light. The night was finally going to be real. Sleep progressively took over the redhead who was about to release herself in the soft bed of her new personal chamber. Without even worrying on what tomorrow was made of, she fell asleep. Meanwhile, Vulpix was here, comfortably installed on the abdomen of her dear mistress. After noticing that Flannery wasn’t awake anymore, she yawned silently and tried to fall asleep in turn. The dark veil of the night had extended all over the city of Reborn. Ignoring everything of what was happening outside at the present time, the Fox Pokemon tried to focus on her breath. She freed her spirit and let it go through the ebb and flow of this nocturnal tide to better join her lovely trainer in dreamland. A day ended as a new one was about to start.

 

Vulpix: (Thank you, Flannery!)

 

 

POKEMON TEAM

Spoiler

Torkoal/Male/Level 14

Nature: Relaxed/Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Moveset: Rapid Spin/Smog/Protect/Overheat

 

Vulpix/Female/Level 5

Nature: Timid/Ability: Flash Fire

Held Item: None

Moveset: Ember/Tail Whip/Will-O-Wisp/Grudge

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

 

[J-Awesome_One]

Well that was certainly a very very VERY long read but an enjoyable 1 as well. I liked how you mad Dounia and the Nurse Joy at the Grand Hall related. I like how her team as of now is kind of like cutesy. I'm glad Vulpix is back though. Was worried for the little fox Pokemon. Can't wait for the next episode to come out whenever that will be!

[TheVentusX]

I only started reading Flannerys story today and I was so immersed in your writing, that i couldn't stop. It is a really good story so far and I like the way you combine the story of Reborn with your own. Especially the last three chapters got me emotionally. I was so glad that Torkoal didn't die and that Flannery managed to get Vulpix back. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the good work

[Q-Jei]

Thank you all for your comments, this is really heart-warming to me! After all the time I spent on this, I'm glad you still enjoyed the story

And yes, this is a particularly long episode, but I wanted to make it so, because I wanted to draw a line on Flannery's Pokemon loss once and for all. Plus, I hope you enjoyed the battle against Dounia as well as Dounia herself. You can see her like a Heather software running on a young Nurse Joy hardware if you want. Well, to be more serious, Dounia has a rebellious nature by default, but is also very helpful with people who deserve her services, and most importantly, with vulnerable Pokemon. Also, you got it @J-Awesome_One! I originally planned to make her have a team based both on the cutesy theme and medical theme, which explains why she has Happiny as her ace Pokemon. And it's not over, I have more plans for her in the future of the run. Otherwise, I would have not revealed things about her past like I did. But in her case, being cute can be very misleading and lethal for her enemies. The three thugs of the flashback can testify!

 

17 hours ago, TheVentusX said:

I only started reading Flannerys story today and I was so immersed in your writing, that i couldn't stop. It is a really good story so far and I like the way you combine the story of Reborn with your own. Especially the last three chapters got me emotionally. I was so glad that Torkoal didn't die and that Flannery managed to get Vulpix back. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the good work

Thanks! This is very nice from you!

I hope you enjoyed the childhood arc too! I admit that the beginning can be very morose at first sight, but then, things become milder and milder, and I couldn't resist to develop it even more overtime. Since I like to insist on the psychology of the characters, I have a tendency to illustrate it with screenshots, so it's more easy for the reader to guess what the protagonists and antagonists have in mind, especially during long episodes  Even if the story includes sad moments from time to time, I have to say it myself: I hate bad endings, but I hate linear stories even more. This is why I couldn't resist to make connections with various elements from Flannery's past as well as include some details from the manga, especially with Winona who can be quite supporting and protective at times. Since she's supposed to be Flannery's best friend, as well as my second favorite PokeGirl, I had to include her in the story too!

[DemigodsShadow]

Shadow Defender.... Shadow Rysing.... Whatever my name is at this point..... here...

 

This chapter was a welcome distraction. I enjoyed how you implemented an OC like Dounia, (I assume it's an OC) and tied her into the story while making her relevant. I wouldn't have ever guessed where that ability would of come from, so... Expectations subverted. Nicely done! Aside form that, Vulpix is safe! Yay! 

 

Good job on this episode. Now, the wait for ep. 18 begins...

[Q-Jei]

Thank you!

 

Yes, that was a lot of upstream work! And sincerely, I'm glad to be finally done with it! Also, since the creation of this episode included 88 edited picutres, plus one original character with a custom battle made entirely with RPG Maker XP, plus 34 pages of read on Word, plus an investigation part where the logic had to be kept from beginning to the end, plus Dounia's flashback that could have been put in a different episode, plus a bumpy return to computing studies, I definitely assume it was a work worthy of 3 months of wait. And even for myself, this episode was a thrilling experience, because in addition of making the story progress, I myself went further in Reborn as the player with my favorite Pokemon character. So I guess you trust me if I tell you that all this makes me feel good! Things are getting better and better as I keep writing and imagining the next part of the story. So, don't worry too much about the sequel. It probably won't have everything the 17th episode had. Apart from that, I will ensure that Dounia's prayer will be satisfied (Just like the expectations of the reader if you know what I mean ).

 

You'll see, Flannery is always on top. She never disappoints

[Q-Jei]

 

Spoiler

Today begins a new day in Reborn. Peacefulness was at its peak in the bedroom of the ambassador. While the night was taking off its dark cape and withdrew to leave room for the luminous dress of a new dawn, Vulpix, who had just woken up, moved towards her dear mistress and rubbed her snout against Flannery’s cheek by purring. The stunning lady awakened in turn slowly. The night was serene for her and her Pokemon.

 

Vulpix: “*purr* *purr* *purr*”

Flannery: “Hm…? What’s that? Who is… Oh! Vulpix!”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

 

                                                                                             

The Fox Pokemon smiled as she was seeing her trainer opening her eyes quietly. The redhead sat up straight and yawned loudly before to come back to herself. She then realized that she wasn’t at home in Lavaridge Town anymore. Her memory returned quickly enough though.

 

Flannery: “Fwaaaaaaaaaaaah! Well, where are… oh yes, that’s true! I forgot that we are in Reborn now. With everything that happened yesterday, I could barely make the difference between what is a dream and what is real. This is incredible!”

Vulpix: “Pix!”

Flannery: “All right! So… what time is it?”

 

Flannery looked to her left to see time on the clock of her room.

 

Flannery: “9:15… excellent! At least, I feel in shape for today. I hope that’s the same for you too, sweetie.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Flannery: “Ahah, I’ll take it as a yes. So be it! Let’s get going! We have a long day ahead of us!”

 

Never in lack of energy after a good night’s sleep, Flannery jumped out of her bed with Vulpix by her side, already fully clothed. The red-headed woman and her fiery vixen were both ready to start their very first day in Reborn together. After she did some stretches, Flannery went out of her dormitory and walked to the main room of the Grand Hall basement to take breakfast with Vulpix behind her. Once there, Flannery saw two bowls filled with PokeFood next to the couch on which she was seated last night for dinner. There was also a copious meal made of various cereals and fruits displayed on the table with a hot drink in a cup. Flannery’s mouth was watering at the mere sight of her plate’s content.

 

 

Flannery: “Well! Now that’s what I call organization! Have you seen that, Vulpix? They prepared the meal for everyone!”

Vulpix: “Piiix!”

Flannery: “Plus, it smells so very good! Seriously, that’s so nice of Ame to care about us like she did. She’s really a cool girl! By the way… speaking of Ame, where is she? I don’t see her around.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix?”

 

Indeed, Flannery had noticed that Ame was not present to welcome her. There was no place set for the Champion at the other end of the table. For what reason? Flannery had no idea.

 

Flannery: “Hm… she’s not here. Did she leave? I can’t see her anywhere.”

Vulpix: “Pix?”

 

Then, remembering that Ame had a major role to play in the smooth running of operations in the Grand Hall, Flannery said to herself that maybe her absence was due to some important business she had to deal with.

 

Flannery: “Oh, nevermind. Ame must probably have a lot of work to handle at this time. Who knows? This might take a while. She would have certainly not set the table for us if it wasn’t necessary. Anyway, I hope nothing serious has happened.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix.”

Flannery: “Okay. I don’t believe we will get faster responses if we keep standing here forever, right? Come on, Torkoal! It’s time to get up!”

 

Preferring not to waste time waiting in vain, Flannery grabbed Torkoal’s Pokeball and liberated him, so he could enjoy his breakfast in company of Vulpix.

 

Torkoal: “Torkoal!”

Flannery: “Breakfast is served, my darlings. Enjoy your meal!”

Vulpix: “Piiix!”

Torkoal: “Torkooooal!”

 

Without further ado, Flannery and her Pokemon started to savor their meals. There was enough to satiate them. They all ate and drank without worrying about what was awaiting them today. Then, as Flannery was emptying her cup and her plate, she asked herself and made the summary of what she did as well as what she was exposed to yesterday.

 

 

Flannery: (Well. Yesterday was one hell of a day, to say the least. Between that train accident near the station, the unexpected encounter with Dounia, the rescue of Torkoal and Vulpix, plus my registration for the League, there was a lot of things that had happened in one day! And besides, I’m still wondering if Jacques couldn’t have managed to make it out in the end. Hm… Jacques. All this story is kind of strange, when I think about it. We were all together in the same wagon, then shortly before the accident occurred, he left, and I didn’t see him again. It’s as if he knew in advance what was going to… no. No, this can’t be possible… this can’t be possible at all. Maybe that was just a coincidence. Hm… something doesn’t fit with my thought on this matter. I should go up and see if Ame can’t tell me more about this report from last night.)

 

While Torkoal and Vulpix had their heads nestled into their bowls, Flannery began to find herself in total confusion. The more she tried to seek a rational explanation to the potential survival of Jacques, the more she felt worried. She needed some clarification to disperse the fog that was surrounding this case concerning him. Once her Pokemon were fully satiated, Flannery made them return to their respective Pokeballs. Then, without further delay, she stood up from the couch, left the table, and walked up to the stairs at the back of the room to reach the ground floor. But unfortunately for her, Ame was nowhere to be found in the Grand Hall. Only a few staff members were standing next to the counter of the main office. The firehead felt a little dejected by it, she wanted to find out more about the fate of the victims of the accident. Out of curiosity, she asked one of the employees to know where Ame could have gone. They replied to her by saying that she went out to reexamine the accident scene, accompanied by several policemen. They said she would come back within the hour. But Flannery wasn’t the type of person to stand around idle and passive. She wanted to make good use of this time span that was allocated to her. This is why she headed towards the exit door, left the Grand Hall and decided to initiate the rehabilitation of Vulpix by challenging some trainers on the Opal Bridge until Ame comes back. But as soon as Flannery came out, the mere sight of the brownish waters of the lake that was surrounding the city was enough to cut off the major part of her dynamism.

 

 

Flannery: “*sigh* This lake… look at this lake! I wonder how people in Reborn managed to come to that. That’s just too damn depressing. I’ve never felt so disillusioned since the day I witnessed the death of the Mt. Chimney. How can we remain indifferent to such a soulless sight? All this is beyond me. I sincerely hope that I’ll be able to return to Hoenn someday.”

 

Flannery was homesick. For a few seconds, she felt like she was punished for having turned back on her duty as a Gym Leader in exchange of more freedom. But it was too late to regret anything. She had to move forward and deal with what she had left. As she regained awareness of her current situation, she raised her head and went down the stairs leading to the Grand Hall with a more spirited mind, making her way to the western part of the Opal Bridge. Just like Julia told her when she first arrived in Reborn, this bridge was very frequented by the local trainers. The redhead then assumed that she had to prove her worth to them. But once she reached the foot of the large stairway, she got interrupted quickly in her run by a little black boy in casual red clothes. A keeper of the bridge.

 

 

Youngster: “Hey! You there! You’re not allowed to pass here! Go away!”

 

This cold reception did not seem to please Flannery a lot. She asked him the following question in a fractious tone.

 

Flannery: “How’s that ‘I’m not allowed to pass here’? What’s so special with this place? And who are you to tell me what to do?”

Youngster: “This place behind me is the Opal Bridge, a meeting point for the trainers of the neighboring districts. I’ve never seen you around and there’s no place for visitors out there. Now be nice and get out of here!”

 

But none of this happened. Instead of it, Flannery simply pulled her trainer card out of her pocket and brandished it briskly in front of the brash boy.

 

Flannery: “All right, so how about this? Can you tell me what that is?”

Youngster: “Uuuuuh...”

Flannery: “Did you really think I’ve come all this way just for the sake of visiting?! I’m here to take on the Reborn League!”

Youngster: “Hm… well. Maybe I misjudged you in the end. But you’ll know soon enough that here more than anywhere else, average trainers never last very long. We have no time nor interest to fight against the weak on the Opal Bridge.”

 

As soon as the youngster said these words to Flannery, the blazing woman seized one of her Pokeballs, imbued with devouring determination. She was ready to send Vulpix into battle.

 

Flannery: “Don’t worry about that, kid. I have the means to prove you that I’m not one of them.”

Youngster: “Okay, I accept your challenge! Come to me, I’m waiting for you!”

 

The two trainers threw their own Pokeballs in the air. A battle was about to start. The Pokemon of the challengers both took shape at the same time next to the foot of the Opal Bridge. Flannery’s Vulpix was going to face a Bellsprout. Obviously, because of the advantage of Fire Type against plant-based Pokemon, it didn’t take more than one round for the little vixen to defeat her adversary and trigger the win in favor of the gorgeous firehead. The fight ended almost as soon as it started without any surprise on Flannery’s side. The same, however, couldn’t be said for the other challenger who was staring at the fuming body of Bellsprout with astonishment.

 

 

Flannery: “Game over. Did you need something else?”

 

Flannery’s opponent was actually shocked by this unbalance of power. Disgusted and flabbergasted by such an amount of strength, he swallowed his pride, called back his Pokemon, and stepped back to the wall side while Flannery did the same with Vulpix after she stroked her on the crest.

 

Youngster: “Okay, so… fine. You can pass. Please, don’t hesitate to behave as if you never saw me. I’m not gonna bother you anymore.”

Flannery: “Thanks. That was a good battle. Keep at it, you’ll do better next time.”

Youngster: “Yeah. Maybe.”

 

Thus, Flannery climbed up the stairs of the Opal Bridge, waving at the boy behind her without turning back. Despite her victory, the last remarks of the redhead towards him were tinged with subtle irony. Actually, Flannery had some mixed feelings about this battle. She, who expected a minimum of resistance from the part of her adversary, felt somewhat annoyed by his lack of tonicity. And this annoyance was going to be even more prominent as Flannery continued to chain confrontations of the same level farther along the bridge. Even with the considerable power loss of Vulpix and Torkoal, she could beat anyone almost instantly without spending too much effort in it. All this unpleasantly reminded her of the last battles she used to hold in her gym in Lavaridge Town some days ago.

 

Flannery: (*sigh* Seriously, is that everything this town is made of? I’ve come a long way for a challenge. But where is the challenge when nobody knows how to fight properly?! I know I shouldn’t play too hard because of what happened to Vulpix and Torkoal. But really… so much disinterestedness is almost offensive to me. I wonder if this kid I’ve met earlier didn’t simply lie to my face in the end.)

 

Frustration began to mingle with the thoughts of the young fire girl. But after she realized that there might be advantages to carry out easy battles in the current circumstances, she calmed down and tried to relativize. Her thirst for epic fighting shouldn’t blind her to what was really essential to her and her teammates.

 

Flannery: (Hm… On the other hand, that would be silly of me to complain for so few. Combats may be painless here, I suppose that’s still the best option for helping my Pokemon to regain their true power. After all, it would be a shame to waste two years of undisputed success simply because I was too pretentious, right? *Sigh* What a fool I am!)

 

Then, in a solemn moment, she closed her eyes and bent her head forward with one hand on her heart, as if she was praying on the top of the bridge.

 

Flannery: (Grandpa… please forgive me… I… I apologize for having given in to my temerity. For having thought all of this. For having tried to be someone I’m not. I… I will continue to respect your precepts till the end. For the well-being of me and all my companions. I’ll make it so. I promise. I must… be myself.)

 

Humility and self-discipline were two values that Flannery’s grandfather had long tried to instill in her in the past. According to him, it was probably the hardest lesson to teach his granddaughter. Indeed, it wasn’t rare at all for the latter to lose sight of those fundamentals principles and get carried away by the impetuosity of her senses, especially in moments of rage and high anxiety. Then, Flannery finished her prayer. Not wishing to be too demanding of herself, she acted wisely and temporarily put aside her delusions of grandeur to keep a more moderate pace of training for her and her Pokemon. Thus, she continued to move forward on the big structure overlooking the Grand Hall, more reasoned and serene than before. Up there, she fought against some other trainers to expedite the rehabilitation of Vulpix. She tried her best to maintain this harmony between humbleness and obstinacy. But suddenly, as Flannery was ending a battle against another trainer of the bridge, her attention was immediately caught by the sound of a cracking whip that was echoing farther away.

 

 

Flannery: “Heh?! What was that?”

 

The sound kept repeating itself several times in an irregular way. By focusing more on it, Flannery could also hear swearing and distress calls of Pokemon. The noise came from the other side of the bridge.

 

???: “…pathetic… …useless… …told you… …raaaah…”

???: “…zigzag… …zig… …zzzi…”

 

The cries of the Pokemon became weaker and weaker, but the crack of the whip didn’t stop. Something wrong was going on nearby. Fortunately, Flannery’s sense of hearing was flawless. She quickly noticed that something was amiss. The last words she could identify weren’t reassuring to her though.

 

???: “…zgi… …gzag… …ag… …gg…”

???: “…authority… …good for nothing… …teach you a lesson… …into the lake…”

Flannery: “What’s happening again? It seems like there’s movement out there. I’d better hurry, that sounds bad!”

 

This agitation had awakened a bad feeling in the spirit of the redhead. Without further ado, she rushed up to the eastern area of the bridge, fearing the worst. And sadly, her fear was soon be proven right. Once on site, what she saw there hit her like a bombshell. Three boys in a corner of the bridge were actually brutalizing a defenseless Zigzagoon.

 

 

Zigzagoon: “…ag… …ig… …zzi… …zag…”

Thug 1: “So you refuse to obey me, that’s it? Hang on a second. We’re not finished with you yet, my friend!”

Flannery: (*gasp* Oh God! What the hell is going on here?!)

 

While she just arrived, Flannery could barely speak. A blond man, followed by his stooges, was hitting the helpless Pokemon with his belt because it disobeyed him. Too weak to fight back, Zigzagoon took the blows, surrounded by his aggressors. Fortunately, just before the cruel torturer could do more harm to the Raccoon Pokemon, Flannery intervened.

 

 

Flannery: “Hey, you there!”

Thugs 1 & 2 & 3: “!!!”

 

The group of boys turned towards the upset redhead. The ex-Gym Leader ordered them to leave the poor Pokemon alone.

 

Flannery: “Yes, you! I’m talking to you! You’d better stop harassing this Zigzagoon right now! If you don’t, you’ll have to deal with me too!”

 

These words were enough to draw the attention of the ill-intentioned trio. While the boys were staring at Flannery, they progressively made the link between her and the girl who was accompanying Julia yesterday. The exchange that was about to come was going to be very tense.

 

Thug 1: “So… what do we have here this time?”

Thug 2: “Wait a minute, bro! I think I’ve already seen that face somewhere before.”

Thug 1: “Oh, really?”

Thug 3: “Yes, me too! She was in the street the other day. A weird punk with a firework-like haircut.”

Thug 1: “What? Oh yeah, that’s true! Thank you guys for reminding me!”

 

During this time, Flannery watched the three scoundrels silently without batting an eyelid. Also, she noticed that the boys she had in front of her perfectly matched the description she got from Dounia when the latter had explained her how she had rescued and found back Vulpix in the street. Except this time, the man who was attacked by Vulpix was wearing a blue jacket and had a burn scar above the nose, probably due to the Fire move unleashed by Vulpix.

 

Thug 1: “Yes, I remember you. You are the one who was roaming around with the Peridot Gym Leader yesterday in the afternoon.”

Flannery: “Correct!”

Thug 1: “I should have known.”

 

Flannery’s blood began to boil as the vile individuals were about to taunt the audacious firehead.

 

Thug 1: “Well. So… why did you come here? You’d better answer now, I hate when people interfere with my business.”

Flannery: “What? You yell at stray Pokemon and treat them like trash. And you dare call it a ‘business’?! This is gratuitous violence, you mean!”

Thug 2: “Do you have some hearing problems or is that in your habits of not answering questions? My bro asked you why you came to us. Answer him!”

Flannery: “Why did I come to you, you said? I was on the Opal Bridge to train my team, to compete with people around in order to prepare myself for the Reborn League. And what do I hear from the other side of the bridge? A Pokemon who screams in agony because it’s beat to death with a belt by three retards. This is to put an end to these atrocities that I came to you.”

Thug 1: “I see, I see. So, if I understood correctly, you want us, the retards, to stop hazing this useless cripple. Is that what you came for?”

Thug 3: “Pffff. Here we go again. Another namby-pamby activist who’s come to do her preaching about how to treat Pokemon in Reborn.”

 

While the situation was about to flare up again, Zigzagoon regained consciousness little by little and listened to the conversation closely. By chance, with the exception of two marks on his face, his wounds were only superficial. He got back on his paws and stealthily approached the gang leader who was in the middle of a clash with Flannery.

 

 

Thug 1: “What we do with this midget doesn’t concern you. As far as I can see, you’re not a cop, so find yourself something better to do. Plus, we don’t have much love for foreigners. So be nice, and back off.”

Flannery: “Excuse me? For your information, nobody needs to be a cop to serve justice. And sorry if I contradict you, but what you do with this Zigzagoon is part of my concerns too. There’s nothing that could justify mistreatment. This is a crime, and all crimes must be reported and punished.”

Thug 1: “Yes, so what? What are you going to do now? You’ll punch me in the face because I was being too strict to command his respect?”

Flannery: “Respect isn’t commanded, it’s earned. And to be respected, you must be respectable first. The word ‘strictness’ does not seem to have the same meaning for you and me, pal.”

Thug 3: “Woohoo! It’s firing live ammunition here!”

Thug 2: “Don’t say that! I don’t want you to give them any ideas, huhuhu.”

Thug 3: “Lol!”

Thug 1: “Tsss. Stop making a fool of yourself, girl. You know nothing about me.”

 

But even before this face-to-face could be taken any further, as everybody was focused on the discussion, Zigzagoon dashed towards the hands of his torturer at full speed.

 

 

Zigzagoon: “Zigzagooooooon!”

Flannery: “*gasp*!!!”

Thugs 2 & 3: “Huh?!”

Thug 1: “What?!”

Zigzagoon: “*chomp*”

 

Even before Flannery and the boys could realize what was happening, Zigzagoon took the blond guy by surprise and snatched the belt out of his hands. Too terrified to look back, the Pokemon fled.

 

 

Thug 1: “HEY, YOU! COME BACK HERE! GIVE THIS BELT BACK TO ME RIGHT NOW, YOU FILTHY TRASH!”

 

But nothing happened. The scared Pokemon ignored orders. Endowed with extraordinary speed for a normal Zigzagoon, he rushed down the stairs in only a few seconds while his aggressor saw him fleeing from the top of the bridge in anger.

 

Thug 1: “IF I EVER CATCH YOU, I SWEAR I’LL FUCKING WRECK YOU!!!”

Flannery: (Don’t even think you can, dude!)

 

The man released his rage at the top of his lungs, frustrated and overtaken by this reversal of situation. But he also was way too preoccupied by Flannery’s presence to start a chase across the city. The valiant damsel was ready to deal with him and used this opportunity to trigger him in turn.

 

Flannery: “And you, what are you going to do now? Settling your scores like a man, or chasing a Pokemon who has no will to fight?”

 

This question immediately caught the attention of the young man who sourly turned toward the redhead. Without further delay, he rejoined her, surrounded by his cohorts.

 

 

Thug 1: “Should I understand by this that you have scores to settle with me? If so, I’m your man. You and I can still play this little game for a long time, if that’s what you want.”

Thugs 2 & 3: “Huhuhuhuhuhu.”

Flannery: “Rrrrrh!”

 

The sardonic attitude of the impertinent trio did not cease to consume Flannery from the inside out. For her, there was nothing worse than seeing someone refusing to admit his wrongdoing.

 

Thug 1: “You know what? You remind me a lot of this little girl I’ve met yesterday. A kid with candy-pink hair. She pretended to act like an avenger. You know, the type of person who loves deciding what’s right and wrong.”

Flannery: “Because you think it’s right to use violence to be heard? That it’s necessary to be vile and cruel to make a name for oneself? Is that what you believe in?”

Thug 1: “Yes, I do. And I maintain my position on it. If you think otherwise, that means you know nothing about real, everyday life. This whole world we live in has nothing to do with a living fairytale. It’s cold and merciless. You just have to look around to figure it out.”

Flannery: “What do you mean by that?”

Thug 1: “The truth that everyone refutes. If man can dominate and bend the world to his will, so it did not come possible by chance. He must use this opportunity to benefit the best possible advantages. This is why we exist. Everything belongs by right to humans. Everything must contribute to indulge his self-centered satisfaction and amusement. He has means to do so. If you reject this concept, so you condemn yourself to remain a weak link in the food chain. Many people in town refuse to admit it. They’re just good for waiting the day when all that is dear to them will be wiped out before their eyes.”

Thug 2: “POPOPOOOOOO!!! WELL SAID MY BRO!!!!”

Thug 3: “BAM!!! TAKE THAT IN YOUR FACE, BITCH!!!!”

Flannery: (I’ve never heard such absurd, meaningless rubbish in my whole life. This does not justify uncivilized behavior in any way. Why are these people so mean?)

Thug 1: “May Arceus have mercy on you and your naive soul.”

Flannery: (Those words… it’s as if I was hearing my father talking in front of me. How can we be so full of disregard? This is not fair… This is not fair…)

Thugs 2 & 3: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Flannery: (This is… not… fair.)

 

 

Flannery was in a vulnerable situation. She didn’t know what to answer and felt like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Without knowing it, she was getting mistreated in turn. Not physically, but psychologically.

 

Thug 1: “Now you know. There are no neutral people in Reborn. There never was one. Just the dominants, and the dominated. As for this girl I was talking about earlier… Well, let’s say that fate was surprisingly kind to her. She escaped us. Yet we had all the elements in hands to make her pay for her insolence against us. But at least, this Vulpix got what it deserved.”

Flannery: “What!? A… a Vulpix?!”

Thug 1: “Absolutely, a Vulpix!”

 

Flannery suddenly exclaimed as the man in front of her was about to mention his misadventures with Vulpix. The redhead then paid close attention to the twist of this conversation.

 

Thug 1: “This wild animal was one hell of a troublemaker. Disobedient, unruly. Kind of like this Zigzagoon you saw some minutes ago. Also… oh, whatever. There’s no need to tell you the rest of the story.”

Flannery: “What is the rest of the story? What did you do next? Speak!”

Thug 1: “Do you really want to know? Fine. I broke her. I’ve made sure she could not use any other move again. For example, the jaw she now has will no longer allow her to spit fire.”

Flannery: “…”

Thug 1: “After that, we never saw her again, and this for our greatest delight. Right, guys?”

Thug 2: “Yes, bro!”

Thug 3: “For sure, bro!”

 

A strange sensation took possession of Flannery as the three scoundrels thought they were done with Vulpix. Her discomfort faded away to make room for a subtle mix of maliciousness and silent contentment. Flannery lowered the eyes and smirked nervously.

 

Flannery: “*giggle*”

Thug 1: “Hm? Why are you laughing?”

Thug 2: “She’s weird, don’t you think?”

Thug 3: “I agree! And without knowing why, this doesn’t reassure me that much!”

Thug 2: “For real? What do you think we should worry about?”

Flannery: “*giggle* Hahahaha!”

Thug 1: “Come on, babe. Tell me what’s so funny. I’ll see if it makes me laugh too.”

 

Flannery regained her composure softly and uttered the following words to her enemies.

 

Flannery: “*sigh* Sorry. I’ve got a little emotional these days. It’s just that… um…”

Thug 1: “Hm, yes?”

Flannery: “It’s just that… despite everything you said to me… I believe you.”

Thug 1: “…Was that all? Is that the only cause of your hilarity?”

Flannery: “Pffuh! Not at all! In fact, I believe you, because everything you told me…”

Thug 1: “…”

Thugs 2 & 3: “…”

Flannery: “…I knew it already.”

Thug 1: “What?! But…”

Flannery: “And this same Vulpix…”

Thug 2: “Oh no!”

Flannery: “…you abused and treated like trash…”

Thug 3: “I don’t like it at all, guys!”

Flannery: “…YOU’RE GONNA EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO HER NOW!”

 

In a show of wrath and passionate impetuousness, Flannery grabbed Vulpix Pokeball with one quick motion of the arm, unhooked it from her belt, and sent it high in the sky to make the Fox Pokemon appear beside her. Dread immediately spread across the face of the bad guys who stepped back. None of them expected to see Vulpix again in full health. Furthermore, none of them even knew that this Pokemon belonged to someone, which made the surprise effect even more impressive. As for Vulpix herself, she recognized her assailants as soon as she saw them. She felt agitated and peeved just by looking at them.

 

 

Vulpix: “VULPIIIIIIIIX!!!”

Thugs 2 & 3: “AAAH!!”

Flannery: “Steady Vulpix, steady! I’m here at your side!”

Vulpix: “Pix?”

 

Realizing she wasn’t alone anymore, Vulpix calmed down and moved closer to her mistress. Flannery could finally handle her conflict settlement as she wanted.

 

Flannery: “I suppose this is THIS Vulpix you hinted at, didn’t you? She has a master! Me!”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Thug 1: “This little creep… How is that possible?”

Flannery: “So? What does it feel like to meet the same Pokemon you’ve hurt yesterday afternoon at the top of her form again?”

Thug 2: “Shit, bro! Why did it have to come to this?”

Thug 3: “We’re all screwed, I told you!”

Thug 1: “Stay back, guys! I’ve got everything under control.”

Thug 2: “Uhh… you’re sure you…”

Thug 1: “I said: ‘I’ve got everything under control.’!”

Thug 2: “Hm. Okay. But be careful. This story doesn’t amuse me much anymore.”

Thug 1: “Chill out, guys. I know what I’m doing.”

 

The leader of the gang ordered his companions to stay behind before to continue the discussion with Flannery about the Fire Pokemon. With Vulpix and Torkoal on her side, Flannery was holding all the aces to make the tide turning in her favor.

 

Thug 1: “You! How did you know in advance what I did to your Pokemon? Who told you about that? Answer me!”

Flannery: “You’re not in a position to ask me anything anymore. Plus, that would be too long to explain, and I clearly have other things to do with my time today.”

Vulpix: “Piiiix!”

Thug 1: “You fucking…”

 

In the heat of the moment, Flannery interrupted the young man, giving him the ‘not so fast finger’ before he could pronounce another curse.

 

Flannery: “That being said, I don’t want revenge. And it’s never too late for you to redeem yourself for bad behavior, you know. Of course, this won’t repair the errors you committed, but I’m sure Vulpix will appreciate a lot if you did.”

Thug 1: “You have something in mind, haven’t you? What do you want from me? Spit it out!”

Flannery: “One word. Say it, and I’ll arrange for you to soften your penalty when you’ll be dragged through the authorities in the Grand Hall, you and your little friends.”

Thug 1: “No, really?! And what is that word you want me to say?”

Flannery: “’Sorry’.”

 

As strange as it may seem, Flannery was ready to temporarily put aside her differences, provided that the man in front of her accepted to recognize his wrongdoing and apologize to Vulpix. Meanwhile, the Fox Pokemon waited patiently for a response, standing next to her dear trainer.

 

Thug 1: “Okay. So… you want me to apologize. That’s what you want from me?”

Flannery: “Yes, I insist!”

Vulpix: “Piiiiix!”

 

But what she was about to hear was far different from what she expected.

 

Thug 1: “Oh, if you insist…”

Flannery: “…”

Vulpix: “…”

Thug 1: “…What the hell are you thinking?! Go to hell, I’ve nothing to tell you! I have no apology for this trash who set fire to me and my jacket! And I refuse to surrender! Now fuck off! I’ve seen enough of you!”

Thug 3: (Oh my God! What’s the matter with you, bro?)

Thug 2: (Bro… are you serious?)

 

Nobody was talking anymore. Only the sound of the waves splashing against the foundations of the bridge could be heard. The blond-haired boy remained firm in his position, and refused to recognize his faults. For him, the call of resentment was stronger than the voice of reason. Vulpix understood well what was happening, and felt sadness coming up. But Flannery didn’t want to see her teammate getting overwhelmed by the despicable words of the young man. She kneeled beside the Pokemon, stroke her at the crest and whispered sweet words to her.

 

 

Flannery: “Don’t let it get to you, Vulpix. You’re not what he said. You’re not a trash. You’re… you’re…”

Vulpix: “*snif*…p-pix…”

Flannery: “…you’re… you’re my treasure… and I will never let anyone tell you otherwise… you heard me… never!”

Vulpix: “…pix…”

 

Flannery managed to prevent Vulpix from being demoralized. After she kissed her on the forehead, she made her return to her Pokeball and whispered some additional words to her as she covered her mouth with Vulpix Pokeball.

 

Flannery: “You’ll finally have the justice you deserve!”

Thug 2: “Huh? What is she doing?”

Thug 3: “She talks to her Pokeball.”

Thug 1: “Wow. I didn’t know you had the mind of a child. I now realize that I was dealing with a wimp from the beginning. Seriously, talking to your Pokeball… How old are you? Grow up, girl! You’re so disappoin… hey! Why are you looking at me like that?!”

 

 

But this time, that was one provocation too many for Flannery. Tired of this dark comedy, the redhead got a rush of blood. Her eyes were injected with flames, fuelled by nothing but wrath, hatred and desire for vengeance. She moved towards the blond guy in a slow and intimidating gesture.

 

Thug 2: “Uh… bro? I think we need to go somewhere else.”

Thug 3: “Me too. All this story makes me sick to my stomach as we’re staying here.”

Thug 1: “Are you afraid of facing reality with me, comrades?”

Thug 3: “What? But… What is it supposed to bring us at this point? After all, she just asked for one apology.”

Thug 2: “You’re not yourself anymore, bro. We should better stop now. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Thug 1: “You…”

 

The Pokemon persecutor didn’t move an inch as Flannery was getting closer and closer to him, the eyes on fire and the fists clenched.

 

 

Thug 1: “You, there! You want me? Come and get me!”

Flannery: “Rrrrr!”

Thug 1: “I warn you, I’m not gonna back off! You don’t scare me at all!”

Flannery: “Grrrrrrrr!”

Thug 1: “I’m not afraid of you!”

Flannery: “Grrrrrrrr!”

Thug 1: “I’m not afraid of you!”

Flannery: “GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Thug 1: “I’m not… afraid… of…”

Flannery: “...”

Thug 1: “...you.”

 

 

But it was too late to run away. Flannery stopped right in front of the provocative boy. He could himself feel the temperature soaring around him, but tried his best to not let any emotion appear. Anything could have happened in the next few seconds. And then, while the suspense was at its highest point, the beautiful and dangerous redhead said the following sentence.

 

Flannery: “There must be thousand reasons why I shouldn’t crush your head.”

Thug 1: “…”

Thugs 2 & 3: “…”

Flannery: “But I can’t see any.”

 

 

At the most unexpected moment, Flannery lashed out suddenly. In her most ultimate rage, she threw a powerful punch in the face of the arrogant torturer. All the hatred and all the malevolence the redhead was forced to accumulate since her arrival in Reborn had gone off in her act in the form of one devastating shock wave. So devastating that it made the souls of the rest of the band shaking, as well as the souls of all the citizens who were standing nearby. The violence of the shock was so huge that both the jaw and the nose of her enemy had imploded under the only blow struck by the firehead. For her, this applied force was like a return to sender. A price to pay for having made innocent Pokemon suffer in town. The fist of justice!

 

Thug 3: (Oh my God! This strength… she must have certainly managed to crush his skull indeed! For a moment, I felt like she punched me as well! That’s fucking insane!)

Thug 2: (Holy cow! What the hell is going on with that chick?!? My heart’s racing like never before! I think I would have much preferred to get hit by a truck rather than taking such a punch!)

Flannery: “This masquerade… is over!”

 

 

Flannery looked breathless and febrile beside the wicked man who was laying down on the ground with crooked teeth. His face was all swollen. After she regained her sanity back, she gave an evil eye at the street rat and the youngster without blinking. The two boys shivered with terror as they looked back at the firehead. Then, a few seconds of silence later, she told them the following words.

 

Flannery: “I won’t punish you. I think you learned your lesson.”

 

The two guys didn’t move at all in fear of offending the susceptibility of the redhead. Then, without warning, Flannery turned heels to the West.

 

 

Flannery: “The fate of this man belongs to you now. You can do whatever you want with him, I don’t care. Just don’t ever get in my way again. And if I ever catch you harassing anyone, whether you’re in town or anywhere else…”

Thugs 2 & 3: “*gulp*”

Flannery: “…you know what will happen to you next. Well, I got to go. I have more important things to do. Farwell!”

 

In a moment of unforeseen magnanimity, Flannery left the scene without turning back, sparing the other members of the gang in the process. There was no reason for her to stay anymore. She did what she had to do. Then, as the ambassador of Hoenn was moving away, the blond man opened his eyes slightly and progressively. He was gasping feebly, the head facing the paved floor, unable to move. The shock had stunned him so much that when he tried to speak, he sounded like a sleeping zombie.

 

 

Thug 1: “Huuuuuuuuuu…”

Thug 2: “B-bro? Are you okay?”

Thug 1: “Huuuuu…”

Thug 3: “Damn! You’re in pretty bad shape, man. You gave us quite a scare, you know. This time, I really believed you were going to… uh… bro?”

Thug 1: “…”

Thug 2: “Hey, bro! Can you hear us?”

Thug 1: “…”

Thug 2: “Speak! Say something!”

Thug 1: “…”

Thug 3: “Oh, no!”

 

But there was no response. Whereas the young man had just regained consciousness for a short time, he fainted again under the eyes of his concerned friends. An evil wind was blowing on them while Flannery was heading back to the Grand Hall to change her mind. She felt somewhat troubled by this incident and the way she lost control of herself.

 

 

Flannery: (*sigh* What have I done? That’s just crazy! I can’t remember the last time I was push to such a point of break like this. Dounia was right about those guys. No matter how hard I tried, there was no way to get anything constructive from a conversation with them. And the way this dude behaved with Vulpix when I asked him to apologize… what he said to her… that was unforgivable, I couldn’t let him go after that. He insulted my Pokemon. He insulted me! And yet, even after what I’ve done, I’m still not at peace with myself. Please, grandpa. Get me out of here!)

 

Inside of her, Flannery had difficulty to distance herself from this sordid case. She felt hurt and mentally trapped by the vicious gang. It was as if she came to realize she unconsciously gave them what they expected from her: responding to violence with more violence. But it was too late to erase the traces left by her indignation, Flannery had to bear the consequences of her actions till the end, even though it wasn’t an easy task to handle. Her uneasiness kept following her to the stairway of the Opal Bridge, then vanished when she went down the steps in slow motion. But as she did, she saw two men in uniform waving at her from downstairs: the policemen she met yesterday in Peridot Ward. Without wasting time, Flannery hurried to rejoin them. They looked like they wanted to say some brief words to her.

 

 

Flannery: “Good morning sirs! How can I help you?”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Policeman 1: “Nice to see you again, Madam Ambassador! We were just talking about you!”

Policeman 2: “Good morning, Miss Moore! Yes, you couldn’t have come at a better time. The boss of the Grand Hall would like to speak with you. She’s waiting for you inside.”

Flannery: “Wait… Ame is back?”

Policeman 1: “Absolutely! While you were gone, she went to Grandview Station to examine the scene of the crash by herself. One half of Opal Ward police forces has been requisitioned to escort her and ensure her security. On the same occasion, the Chief in Jasper Ward has ordered some of us to be present too. We may belong to different police units, it’s still the entire town that is affected by this disaster.”

Flannery: “Yes, I do understand. And… what did you find out there?”

Policeman 2: “We would have gladly shared what we know with you, madam. Alas, we vowed to keep silent about some details in public spaces. You should go to the Grand Hall as soon as possible. Ame wants to provide you some specifics on this affair in private.”

Flannery: “Very well! In that case, I’m heading to the Grand Hall right now! That’s where I intended to go anyway. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!”

Policeman 2: “Pleasure is ours, madam!”

 

Thus, on the advice of the two police officers, Flannery rushed up to the Grand Hall at full speed. She was finally going to get more information about the accident in the station. But while she made her way to the big black building, the two men in uniform glanced at each other with concern. One of them seemed worried about something.

 

 

Policeman 2: “Colleague… I got to know. What do you think was this big ‘BOOM’ that shook the city earlier?”

Policeman 1: “I can’t tell. But whatever it was, I heard it too! Those weird vibes are still resonating inside of me as we speak!”

Policeman 2: “This noise… that was so weird. It was as if someone had triggered a mini-nuke or something like that. But this time, I don’t see any smoke plume on the horizon. I wonder what it could have been.”

Policeman 1: “Hm… maybe we should have questioned the ambassador.”

Policeman 2: “Probably. But hey, I think it’s a little late now. That being said… it would not surprise me if she actually knew anything about it.”

Policeman 1: “Ha? Do you think she could have something to do with this explosive noise?”

Policeman 2: “That’s a possibility. But… I don’t know. I’m not certain of that. Well, whatever. The sound came from the top of this bridge. We should go check it out, just to make sure that nothing wrong had happened up there.”

Policeman 1: “I agree. Let’s find out together, colleague!”

Policeman 2: “For sure, colleague!”

 

And so they did. Out of curiosity, the two investigators climbed up the stairs of the Opal Bridge in hope of identifying the impact noise caused by Flannery during her recent and tumultuous conflict settlement. For her part, the pretty redhead went back to the Grand Hall to discover the details of the much-awaited report. She seemed eager and impatient to know more about this accident.

 

 

Flannery: “Finally! Perhaps we’ll get more information concerning this investigation in the station in the end! If Ame sends policemen looking for me in town, so that must be really important! Lord, please tell me there are people alive!”

 

The heart burning at the idea of hearing something positive from this report, Flannery run up to the entrance of the Grand Hall and pushed the doors in her haste, so she could rejoin Ame who was waiting patiently next to main office. The tension was high, the ex-Gym Leader was standing in front of the Reborn Champion. Flannery was ready to be informed.

 

 

Ame: “Ah, Flannery! You’re here! How are you doing?”

Flannery: “Hello Ame! I’m doing fine! I did some training on the bridge behind the Grand Hall. Since you had things to do this morning, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to gain some experience.”

Ame: “And you were right to do so! I mean… that was certainly the best thing to do while I was gone! Also, I would like to apologize for not warning you in the first place. You were sleeping so deep that I didn’t want to wake you up.”

Flannery: “That’s okay, staff members already told me about it. In all cases, I knew you’d eventually show up to discuss the yesterday’s report with me. A couple of police officers also accosted me earlier. They said you went to the railway station this morning. So, did you find something out? What’s the news?”

Ame: “Um…”

 

Flannery didn’t take her eyes off Ame. Her gaze was unflinchingly fixed on the lips of the Champion. She was waiting nervously for the latest information on this case to be revealed. However, the white-haired woman seemed to be less quiet than usual. The final outcome of this report was about to come in.

 

 

Ame: “Well, I suppose there is no point in trying to hide anything from you, right? Shortly after I let you in your room last night, I went to meet the officer who was in charge of the investigation, as well as a few of his men. They said that, despite all the efforts spent to clear away the rubble and find people who were still alive, unfortunately, the number of survivors is… hm… uh…”

Flannery: “…”

Ame: “…zero.”

Flannery: “Oh.”

 

Flannery’s eagerness declined suddenly when she discovered the dramatic rate of survivors. None of the passengers could be saved. The heart of the redhead became flooded by silent sorrow as Ame kept providing further revelations to her.

 

 

Ame: “When I heard this, I felt terribly upset, although I didn’t really expect anything reassuring to come from such a misery at this time. This announcement got stuck in my head for hours and kept haunting me all night long. I was thinking that I couldn’t content myself only with what I heard, which is why I decided to return there this morning to put my mind at ease. Several policemen of various districts have come and accompanied me, as well as the best orderlies of the Grand Hall.”

Flannery: “And? What did you see there?”

Ame: “Um… that’s hard to admit, but the facts were as they were disclosed to me last night. The police had managed to remove most of the debris that were lying in and out of the station. But the rest was absolutely horrible to see. There had to be at least fifty lifeless bodies that were pulled out of the train. The damage was so considerable that we could not identify the victims properly.”

Flannery: “This is terrible! I don’t dare imagine what it must feel like for their families.”

Ame: “You’d better not think about it. All these deaths, these shattered dreams and various projects that have gone up in smoke… there’s no word to describe the scale of such a tragedy.”

Flannery: “*sigh* I believe you.”

 

The poor redhead was depressed by the overall result of the accident. It only took a few words to wipe out all forms of hope in her mind. But as Flannery’s moral was lowering drastically, Ame still had one additional thing to reveal to the caring damsel.

 

Ame: “That being said, there’s something else that I would like to mention in your presence, Flannery. Something that caught my attention and that I still can’t explain. I figured it out when I was on site this morning.”

Flannery: “What do you mean? Is there something else you want to let me know? What is it about?”

Ame: “It’s about Jacques!”

Flannery: “*gasp*!!!”

 

Flannery raised her head rapidly as soon as Ame quoted the name of the Reserve Gym Leader. Obviously, such a sudden reaction did not fail to startle the Champion.

 

 

Ame: “Wow! You’re surprised, Flannery?”

Flannery: “Uuh… yes. Yes, I am. To be honest, I actually was hoping that you had something to say about him. Because in my mind, I didn’t know if he was dead or alive.”

Ame: “Hm, I see. Sorry to disappoint you, but… I still have no answer to this question. Well… at least, not officially.”

Flannery: “Why ‘Not officially’? Why do you say that?”

Ame: “Purely and simply because even after having scoured the wreckage of both the train and the station, no one has been able to identify a body similar to Jacques’ body.”

Flannery: “Really? The policemen didn’t find him yet?”

Ame: “No. They didn’t. Also, something struck me last night. It’s just a detail, but a detail we can’t afford to ignore anymore.”

Flannery: “What is it? Ame please, tell me everything!”

Ame: “I’ll tell you. In Reborn, all the Gym Leaders, wherever they go, are always carrying at least one duplicate of their respective badge on them. The same rule also applies to Reserve Gym Leaders. The thing is, I remember having seen Jacques carrying it when we left the hotel in Lilycove City together. Additionally, even in the heat of an explosion, Jacques’ badge is made of materials that can hardly be destroyed.”

Flannery: “Ah, okay! I think I understand! Do you know what this badge is made of?”

Ame: “If I’m not mistaken, it’s mainly made of chromium and carbon with gold-platinum engravings at its center. The type of trinket which can withstand very high temperatures, if you know what I mean. And despite a whole afternoon of search, no one was able to find the badge or a body of the size of Jacques. Though, admittedly, finding such a little thing in this mess is as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Flannery: “I don’t doubt it. But… if Jacques couldn’t be found among the passengers, so that means he wasn’t in a train at the time of the accident!”

Ame: “You got it! And yet, I highly doubt he was as lucky as you when Torkoal saved you. Which brings us to the following question: how did Jacques escape from the accident?”

Flannery: “That’s a good question, indeed. But even if he managed to get off the train in time, there’s another question that bothers me.”

Ame: “What is it? Express yourself, Flannery!”

Flannery: “If he survived… so why didn’t Jacques come back to the Grand Hall?”

 

Flannery and Ame were both in deep reflection. But the more they were trying to make assumptions, the more they clouded their minds.

 

 

Ame: “Hm… I don’t know. All this sounds a little fishy to me. In any case, the hypothesis that Jacques might be alive can no longer be put aside. And between you and me, I’m starting to wonder if he didn’t know in advance what was going to happen at our arrival.”

 

Then suddenly, in the middle of the discussion, Flannery turned pale with terror.

 

Flannery: “What… y-you… you think that… do you think that Jacques could have…”

Ame: “…betrayed us? Well, let’s say that it’s not impossible. But for the moment, I prefer not giving credence to this scenario until we find him back. Jacques may have joined the Reborn League one year ago, I barely knew him. He’s always been timid and distant, even with me. Therefore, I really don’t know what to think about it.”

 

Flannery’s throat was tightening, tortured by doubt and fear of being misled by the so-called ‘Reserve Gym Leader’. And yet, deep down, she still refused to believe that Jacques could be evil.

 

 

Flannery: “B-but… I don’t understand. He seemed like such a good person when we were together in the train yesterday. I can't bring myself to believe that he tried to kill us. You hear me? I can’t! Jacques is not a murderer!”

Ame: “I don’t know what to say, Flannery. Anyway, before seeking to understand why he didn’t come back, it’s probably best to find out how he managed to escape the accident first. Who knows? Maybe an answer will beget another one. And if so, maybe we’ll know more about his motives. Well… if he has any, of course.”

Flannery: “*sigh* You’re probably right. It sounds like I’ll have to keep an eye open on this case too in the end. I just hope that all this story is nothing but an improbable combination of circumstances.”

Ame: “Don’t bother with it! Remember, Flannery, you already have one mission to fulfill. Furthermore, I know Jacques was living with his grandmother in Beryl Ward. Even after the day of her death, he never left the house. If this section of the town wasn’t so rife with danger, I would have gladly allowed you to do some exploration out there. But in the end, I think I’ll just let the police unit of Beryl Ward take care of that. If Jacques is not there, so I really don’t know where he could have stuffed himself. And while we’re at it, I would like to maintain what I told you yesterday. Regardless of whether he’s dead, alive, or guilty, if Jacques doesn’t come back to the Grand Hall by 4PM tomorrow, his name will be irremediably removed from the list of the Reborn League members.”

Flannery: “Oh, hm… okay. If you say so. I do hope that the police will find him back before it’s too late.”

Ame: “I hope too, Flannery. By the way, now that I think of it, it will be hard for us to broadcast breaking news to the rest of the world with our current lack of means.”

Flannery: “How’s that? You mean… to inform families and victims’ relatives?”

Ame: “Yes, that’s what I mean! Because of our recent budget restrictions, all our channels of communication are in a pitiful state. We could always count on our postal services, but that would be ridiculous. It would take too long, and we don’t have enough Flying Pokemon to deliver newspapers and letters to everyone!”

 

All of a sudden, the last words pronounced by Ame revived the promise that Flannery made to Winona before her departure.

 

 

Flannery: “Flying Pokemon… letters… *gasp* Oh my God! That completely slipped my mind!”

Ame: “What are you talking about, Flannery?”

Flannery: “Winona! I’ve promised to write to her on my arrival! With everything that has happened today and yesterday, I totally forgot to do it!”

Ame: “Oh, this! Don’t worry, it’s never too late to keep her informed. Also, I’m sure we do have some carrier Pokemon left to send her a message from you.”

Flannery: “Yes, that’s what you told me during the council yesterday. So… you’re using carrier Pokemon for mail delivery. That’s it?”

Ame: “Absolutely! Pelipper to be exact! They are the best Pokemon for this type of mission. Thanks to them, there’s no need to use public transport anymore. However, it requires an average of six hours before one of them could reach Hoenn. But hey… that shouldn’t be a problem to you, I guess.”

Flannery: “Nah, it’s not. As far as Winona knows that I arrived in Reborn and that I still remain in one piece, I’m good with that. She’s always been very protective of me, and I can’t afford to leave her with no news. She would be worried sick otherwise! Do you see what I mean?”

Ame: “Oh, sure I do! Plus, with our faulty channels of communication and Grandview Station out of service, we’re literally cut off from the outside world. Consequently, giving her a sign of life is without a doubt the least you can do at the present time.”

Flannery: “Excellent! Well, I’ll get on with it right away!”

Ame: “Great! You must have something to write in your chamber. Don’t hesitate to go there if necessary. You’ll find envelopes in the bookcase next to your desk. Once you’re done writing your letter, give it to me. I’ll make sure to send it to the person in charge of postal services after that.”

Flannery: “Thank you Ame! Thank you so much!”

Ame: “You’re welcome, Flannery!”

 

After she warmly thanked Ame for her sympathy and helpfulness, Flannery walked to the staircase leading to the lower floor. She went across the staff room and headed to her bedroom hastily. Once there, she sat behind her desk. There was a pen as well as an unused paper sheet on it. Without wasting time, she took the pen and started to meditate on what she was going to write.

 

 

Flannery: “Let’s see… How can I formulate it?”

 

It was more complex than it seemed. Flannery had to choose her words wisely to not awaken a feeling of panic in the heart of the angelic damsel. She then decided to get to the essential by voluntarily obscuring everything that was related to the train accident and Jacques’ disappearance. After careful consideration, Flannery’s thoughts finally began to spread on the paper.

 

 

This concluded Flannery’s message. Right after she signed the letter, she stood up and picked up one of the envelopes that were stacked on the upper part of the bookcase. She wrote her name as well as Winona’s on the front of the envelope, put down her pen of the table, inserted the fresh written words in the envelope, and closed it immediately.

 

Flannery: “Hop! Finished!”

 

After that, Flannery ran out of her room and went up to the upper floor. She headed back to Ame who was waiting for the faithful redhead to return. Flannery gave her the letter.

 

 

Flannery: “Tadaaa! Here it is!”

Ame: “Excellent! I’ll make sure to send it to the service concerned. You can count on me!”

Flannery: “This is so kind of you to help me with it, Ame.”

Ame: “Oh, you know. That’s all natural for me to do you this favor. Well, so… what are you going to do now?”

Flannery: “What am I going to do? I’ll go to Peridot Ward, of course! I still have to rescue the starters that those terrorists have stolen yesterday. If I ever see them, I will have no mercy to them. I promise!”

 

 

Ame: “I don’t doubt it. However, I’m afraid you’ll have to handle this case alone if you go now. In fact, Victoria contacted me earlier this morning. She told me she had to stay in Apophyll to take care of her mentor, Kiki. Apparently, Kiki would have faced some unanticipated health problems last night. Because of that, don’t expect to see Victoria in the street in the next hours.”

Flannery: “Jeez! I hope it’s nothing serious. Did she say something else by the way?”

 

 

Ame: “No, nothing more. Fortunately, we’re never short of human resources in Reborn. To remedy this lack of means, I’ve personally made contact with Florinia, the Gym Leader of Onyx Ward. She’s supposed to assist you with Julia to disrupt the group responsible for the destruction of Grandview Station. If I were you, I would take a look around Mosswater Factory. This is where your meeting point is.”

Flannery: “Excellent, another Gym Leader in the band! I think I’m gonna like it! And yeah, no problem! I’ll join them as soon as possible! Thank you for everything, Ame!”

Ame: “You’re welcome, Flannery! Good luck!”

 

There was nothing else to say. Flannery was ready to strike a major blow in the plans of the group that assaulted Grandview Station yesterday. The redhead considered herself sufficiently trained to properly go into action against the mysterious organization with her two Pokemon. And thanks to Ame, almost all the questions she had in mind had finally found their answers. Only the mystery of Jacques’ disappearance remained unresolved. But solving this mystery wasn’t part of the fire lover’s priorities. At least, not right now. As Ame was about to confide Flannery’s letter to the person in charge of postal management in town, the hot-blooded woman dashed towards the exit door of the Grand Hall, galvanized at the idea of carrying out her very first mission against evil forces in Reborn. There was nowhere to hide anymore. The fist of justice was about to hit one more time.

 

Flannery: “Here we go! Let’s beat up some villains again!”

 

 

POKEMON TEAM

Spoiler

Torkoal/Male/Level 15

Nature: Relaxed/Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Moveset: Rapid Spin/Smog/Protect/Overheat

 

Vulpix/Female/Level 15

Nature: Timid/Ability: Flash Fire

Held Item: None

Moveset: Ember/Baby-Doll Eyes/Will-O-Wisp/Grudge

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

 

[SilverAngelus]

It's about time justice got served on a silver plate! Thug numero uno really had that coming. Vulpix can be at ease now ^_^

 

Plot twist: Jacques jumped off the train at the Tourmaline Desert to pet the Absol seen in the intro of Reborn and now he's stuck there

 

Btw, I love the editing you've done. The burn/smoke effect is cool :3

Mystery Dungeon!

[Q-Jei]

On 1/15/2020 at 10:59 PM, SilverAngelus said:

It's about time justice got served on a silver plate! Thug numero uno really had that coming. Vulpix can be at ease now ^_^

 

Plot twist: Jacques jumped off the train at the Tourmaline Desert to pet the Absol seen in the intro of Reborn and now he's stuck there

 

Btw, I love the editing you've done. The burn/smoke effect is cool :3

Mystery Dungeon!

Thank you for the warmly feedback! ^^

 

Yes, that was delightful to me too! I wanted to do this since episode 15 and I've put more time than I should have in the conceptualization of this clash. I think it was worth the writing indeed! Flannery has often been pictured and shown as a shy girl with a hot temper who pretended to be someone she wasn't, but she's never been caught in the act of violent outburst. In the end, Dounia's wish came true, and Vulpix has been avenged! Everything is now as it should be. But regardless of who you are, nothing last forever. We may eventually hear more of Zigzagoon in the future. When I said he was fast, I insisted on it. Anything can happen in a written run  As of episode 18, Jacques' fate is now the biggest mystery of the story. Who knows, maybe the police will find clues concerning him in Beryl Ward. Anyway, if you managed to guess what happened to our Reserve Gym Leader, so you're probably sounding my mind at this very moment! And yeah, Vulpix must be loved and cherished at all cost (Protecc Vulpix!). As for the visual effect, you got a point here! The smoke surrounding Pokemon defeated by Flannery is actually blurred flames that I edited and darkened with an desaturated filter by using Gimp. My biggest work on it was principally the shock waves emitted by Flannery's fist. I cropped the sparks of Luxray from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (Luxio Tribe) when the latter was about to strike the fatal blow to the player and his teammate, and I turned it purple. The attention to detail was required for this part. And on the other hand, Flannery had to honor the promise she made to Winona. The Flying Type Gym Leader will probably be reassured now, and maybe she'll send news to Flannery as well  I don't banish the possibility for her to possibly find her own Reserve Gym Leader, so we could eventually expect something great from Winona. Even if it means she will... oh, nevermind.

 

The work on episode 19 will probably start this week, so keep your fingers crossed until then 

 

PS: Confirmed fact, Fern will appear in the next episode.

[Q-Jei]

 

Spoiler

The die was cast. Everything was said, everything was entrusted. Ready to administer justice in her own way, Flannery briskly pushed open the door of the Grand Hall and dashed straight to the streets of Peridot Ward. The sulfurous damsel had taken cognizance of everything she got to know thanks to Ame, so she could finally go after the nefarious organization who had caused destruction in Grandview Station.

 

 

Flannery: “This time, things will be seriously serious! If these criminals are hiding themselves in this factory, so I will ensure they won’t leave from there in one piece. I swear on the memory of all these poor souls that have left this world yesterday. Those who have perpetrated these murders will fall! No one can escape from me! I already stood against two criminal organizations in the past, I will do the same against a third one if I have to!”

 

The feisty redhead was more than determined to deal with the terrorists and make them pay for all the harm they have generated. Her rage did not cease to grow as she was moving farther up in the desolated corners of Peridot Ward. Along the way, she could see the top of the impressive and intimidating Mosswater Factory. The location of the building corresponded exactly to the description made by Ame the other day. But as Flannery was getting closer, the redhead also noticed that some crimson water was flowing out of the hydraulic outlets close to the factory. The dark substance was released directly into Azurine Lake and seemed to come from the dubious facility. Naturally, this wasn’t at all to Flannery’s liking who was appalled by this outrageous sight. That was one of the first things she had spotted while she was arriving on site.

 

 

Flannery: “You rats! It’s a shame to see this! I now understand better why this lake doesn’t have its normal color. And I would be even more surprised if I learned that all this polluted water was dumped out in the wild at such a flow rate without human intervention. I don’t know why, but I guess I’m not too far from my targets anymore.”

 

The intuitive mind of Flannery was more awake than usual. Yet, the place appeared to be deserted. By reflex, she took the opportunity to make sure that she didn’t come to the wrong factory and pulled out her Pokegear to check her current location on the map. In the end, it turned out that Flannery was right in front of the Mosswater Factory. The firehead had actually reached the meeting point designated by the Champion of Reborn.

 

Flannery: “Great! At least, I know I’m not on the wrong destination. Looks like I’m the first on the scene once again. Hm… I still wonder where the others can be now.”

 

Indeed, since she took note of the absence of the two Reborn Gym Leaders, Flannery told to herself that she probably had some steps ahead of them. Thus, she stood next to the rails and waited patiently, expecting to see some reinforcements showing up.

 

Flannery: “…”

 

But even after fifteen minutes of wait, nothing happened, and nobody came. This made Flannery confused. She began to wonder if everybody had been made aware of Ame’s call.

 

 

Flannery: “*sigh* Oh, please! Not again! Seriously, I’m tired of waiting in vain for people who never come. Perhaps it’s just me who’s too far ahead of them. Anyway, one thing is certain: it would not be very smart of me to try to go in now. I can’t allow myself to enter this factory on my own. If those guys are as numerous as Ame said, so maybe they’re preparing an ambush, or worse. And honestly, I largely prefer not to check it out without assistance. I’ve already been taken hostage that way in the past, and I don’t want it to happen again! Did they just notify Julia as well? Her gym is not that far from here yet. I suppose I should have a look around there. Who knows? Maybe we’ll cross each other on the road.”

 

Tired of waiting in vain for the arrival of further reinforcements, Flannery abandoned the meeting point and left to the Neo-Circuit Power Plant to ensure that Julia has been informed about the operation coordinated by the Champion of the Reborn League to root the terrorists out of the Mosswater Factory. That being said, since Julia didn’t give a sign of life to the redhead while the latter was seeking for Vulpix yesterday, Flannery didn’t place too much hope on it either. Having no idea of what the Electric Type Gym Leader was doing at the present time, the firehead then decided to pick her up by herself, and made her way through the neighborhoods of Peridot Ward. Meanwhile, nothing had really changed compared to yesterday afternoon in this part of the town. The sidewalk was just as insalubrious as before, covered with detritus and glass shards, and there was some strong smell of moisture and rubbish in the air. The redhead couldn’t restrain herself from wincing with disgust as she was walking through the dirty district. The stench became so invading that she couldn’t help but holding her breath at some intervals of time. There was no sign of Julia over there. Flannery also seized the occasion to accept some challenges set by random obstinate trainers that were standing in her way. But to her, they were just like small, petty grains of sand that were lost in her shoes, predestined to be thrown away and forgotten shortly after. Needless to say, none of them was prepared enough to equal the talent of the blazing and voluptuous lady of Lavaridge Town. This is only after six well-conducted battles that the charming damsel finally reached the festively decorated gym of Julia. But as she just arrived, Flannery saw a young boy who was immovably standing in front of the entrance. He had green hair, and was casually dressed, wearing dark brown shorts and a shirt of the same color as his hair. He also was much shorter than Flannery. He, too, seemed to be waiting for someone to come. Julia’s arrival, perhaps? From where she was, Flannery could hear the boy complaining. As if something was ticking him off.

 

 

???: “Ugh, where is she? Can somebody please tell me what the hell she’s doing? Flobot had yet passed on the information earlier, hadn’t she? It makes you wonder if there really was someone on the line in the end. Or maybe she just left and went to the factory before us. *sigh* Was that too much asking to let us know?”

Flannery: (Oh! Someone’s waiting here! Who is this guy? He mentioned a factory… Is he one of those who are supposed to help with the raid? How long has he been waiting there? Anyways, he does not seem to be in a good mood.)

 

Indeed, the boy looked seriously irritated from staying here all this time to watch for the arrival of the Gym Leader. His patience was running out, Flannery could feel it. Additionally, since the fire girl wanted to find out what was actually going on here, she tried to make him aware of her presence in the less intrusive possible way, so she could question the strange individual herself. But at the last moment, the latter abruptly turned around without warning. He could hear the breath of the redhead behind him.

 

 

???: “Hey! Who are you? What do you want from me?”

 

The green-haired guy spoke to the firehead in an unwelcoming tone. In the meantime, he showed his face to the redhead. He was young, wore glasses, and had a sort of beaded pendant around his neck with a big tooth-shaped charm hooked onto it. At the time, Flannery didn’t really know how to feel about him. She did not even know what to say. The reaction of the boy was so sudden and destabilizing to her.

 

Flannery: “Oh, um… sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. It’s just that, uh… I wanted to know if you had seen the Gym Lea…”

???: “I am the one who’s asking questions here! Looks like you don’t know who you’re messing with, girl. The name’s Fern. I’m the top dog and a cool cat. Got it?”

Flannery: “Wait, you’re what?”

Fern: “Cuz I don’t think you do. You see?”

Flannery: “Uh… I don’t think so. I don’t know you, and I’ve never heard of you before.”

 

Without even knowing, Flannery’s answer had unconsciously triggered some deep indignation in Fern’s mind. She felt somewhat puzzled by his presumptuous attitude. Consequently, Fern frowned and replied to her.

 

Fern: “Is that a provocation? I hope not.”

Flannery: “Who’s laughing? I’m not here for pleasantries. I…”

Fern: “How convenient, neither do I! Well, I’ll take it as a yes.”

Flannery: “ARE YOU DONE CUTTING ME OFF OR WHAT?!!!”

Fern: “Whoawhoawhoa, calm your tits! You won’t get anything from me you don’t hold all your horses right now. And please, spare me that look on your face. It doesn’t look good on you.”

Flannery: “RRRrrrrrrr!”

 

As if Flannery didn’t have enough trouble with the three Pokemon torturers, she now got to deal with Fern and his despicable declarations. The latter was clearly determined to have the final word on her as if his life was depending on it.

 

Fern: “Sounds like your parents have messed up your education. So please, allow me to do now what they were unable to do properly.”

Flannery: “Don’t you dare talk about my parents! You know nothing about them!”

Fern: “No shit, Sherlock! Whatever… not as if it was relevant to my life in any way, right? Get ready for a lesson in class!”

 

In the heat of the moment, Fern pulled a Pokeball out of his shorts front pocket, urging Flannery to do the same.

 

Flannery: “All right! Show me what you got!”

Fern: “You’re so fascinating when you’re upset, babe!”

Flannery: “RRRrrrrrrr!”

Fern: “Ahahahah!”

 

Without further discussion, the two opponents threw their Pokeballs into the air at the same time. A battle was about to start. But Flannery was not simply outraged by Fern’s behavior. As she just accepted to defy him, a strange sensation took possession of her while Fern was giving instructions to his Pokemon. It was as if this encounter had awakened something which had been put asleep for a long time in the heart of the firehead. But whatever it was, Flannery had to stay focused on her battle against this immodest individual. For honor! For Winona! For her grandfather! For Hoenn!

 

Spoiler

 

 

Due to Flannery’s considerable advantage against Grass Type, the redhead easily struck a fatal blow to Fern’s Snivy. Thus, the green-haired adversary was out of Pokemon, and Flannery took the win hands down. But for some reason, this victory didn’t seem to have much impact on Fern.

 

 

Fern: “You could have impressed me, but this fight has no significance to me.”

Flannery: “Don’t care about the level of significance, a win is a win!”

Fern: “Tsss. If only things could be so obvious.”

 

In fact, even if he didn’t show it directly, this defeat was very frustrating to Fern. After the two trainers made their Pokemon return to their respective Pokeballs, Fern immediately talked to Flannery, claiming that there was nothing authentic about this match. It obviously took more than a demonstration of strength to muffle the arrogance of the young man.

 

 

Fern: “You know, you may have defeated me. But seriously, do you always fight like this?”

Flannery: “Yes, and? Should I understand by it that you don’t appreciate my techniques?”

Fern: “You got it! And I have a reason for it.”

Flannery: “Ah? What is this?”

Fern: “You.”

Flannery: “What? Why me? What do you mean?”

Fern: “You heard me well. You are the reason why I don’t consider this challenge as a real one. This could be felt so much in your way of speaking. You’re hesitant, misleading, false. Failure scares you, so you’re inventing a character for yourself and hide behind it while you pretend to feel strong, which you’re not. And besides, you cheat.”

Flannery: “HEY, WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CHEATED? Well! So, tell me how I cheated!”

Fern: “It’s as silly as that! Your Pokemon were completely shaky. This could be seen at their gait; they were barely moving from their position. You should have looked at them better. They were too frail to win normally, so you just taught them special moves from TMs to fill the void of their incompetence. And just like that, BAM, magic trick, people think you have talent. Talk about lame.”

Flannery: “Rrrrrrr, you…”

Fern: “This is absolute, absolute, absolute garbage! Really!”

 

Suddenly, as Fern persisted to make Flannery believe that she wasn’t the real winner in this battle, thousand pictures she’d already seen span, floated, and flooded into the head of the fire girl. These pictures… they were all radiated with blinding light… covered with burning sand… and corrosive to the touch. Representing nothing but scenes of terror and destruction, as if they were all painted with some sort of tainted ink.

 

– FLASHBACK SCENES –

 

 

 

 

– FLASHBACK END –

 

Fern noticed quickly enough that Flannery wasn’t paying attention to his remarks anymore. Offended by her ignorance, he talked to her in a more aggressive tone, so he could make her snap out of it.

 

 

Fern: “What do you have? Are you listening to me?”

Flannery: (Argh… these memories. Why am I seeing things like these? Hmpf… I can’t control them!)

Fern: “You’re really a weird one, you know that?”

 

But the distraction of the redhead was not infinite. A few seconds later, she burst into rage suddenly right in front of the impertinent guy, and got everything off her chest, saying loud and clear what she was thinking of him and his attitude.

 

 

Flannery: “Enough! ENOUGH!!!”

Fern: “Wh…?”

Flannery: “You want to have a talk with me? FINE! I’ll tell you what I think of you! You remind me of this dude my grandfather had battled against years ago! He was a Gym Leader in Hoenn, just so you know. But this guy, the one who challenged him… he had no manners. No decency. All he was able to do was bragging about his so-called talents as a Pokemon trainer, and make uncomfortable all those who defied him by criticizing them haughtily. And the worst thing is, you have exactly the same traits and the same attitude of bad player as him!”

Fern: “Shut up! I’ve never met your grandfather! I’ve never put a foot in Hoenn! And I’ve never heard so much silliness in my entire life! Not only are you unable to recognize your faults, you’re also one of the most immature persons I’ve ever met. It won’t lead you to anything good to blame the others by whining about something that happened years ago. My advice: change now! You’re beyond disappointing!”

Flannery: “Your words have no effects on me. I’ve nothing to be ashamed of! You, however… you seem to be one hell of a…”

Fern: “Hm… yeah? I’m one hell of a ‘what?”

 

The tension was rising between the two young people. There was a lot of bitterness inside of Flannery, but she didn’t know what to do with it. Because of the agitation that recently arose earlier this morning, she felt somewhat jaded and preferred not to play Fern’s game any longer. Despite all her rage, the impetuous damsel didn’t wish to take the risk of losing her temper once again. She knew well how things would have turned out otherwise.

 

Flannery: “…You know what? Forget it. I'm not gonna waste my energy for futilities like these.”

Fern: “Wise decision! Now, know your place, and stay there! That’s best for everyone!”

Flannery: (*sigh* Steady, Flannery! Steady!)

 

Seriously annoyed and irritated by Fern’s disparaging remarks, Flannery had reached a point where she had almost forgotten why she came all this way from the Mosswater Factory. She was about to leave the scene on a whim. The boy then smirked viciously at the firehead as a sign of satisfaction for having had the final word on her. But at the last moment, as Flannery turned heels to the South, a woman’s voice could be heard in the distance, not too far from the Neo-Circuit Power Plant.

 

 

???: “Analyzing. Heat accumulation approaching threshold.”

Flannery: “Huh? Who is it?”

Fern: “Ah, here she is! That was about time!”

???: “Little brother identified. Unknown face detected.”

 

Someone was approaching Julia’s Gym from the lower part of Peridot Ward. This person, who was expressing herself in some robotic language, took note of both Flannery and Fern’s presence. Also, for some reason, the latter recognized her immediately at first sight. In a certain way, the woman in question was looking a lot like him. She was wearing glasses, forest green attire, and had hair of the exact same color as Fern. Fern’s sister, perhaps? She stopped just in front of Flannery, looking at the tempestuous lady carefully with slow eye movements.

 

 

???: “Greetings.”

Flannery: “Oh, hello! Who are you?”

 

The woman dressed all in green remained motionless, as if she didn’t want to speak. Fern then made the presentations in her place.

 

Fern: “Yeah! Let’s start introducing each other, shall we? We’ll make it quick. This is Florinia, my sister. She came with me from Onyx Ward to investigate the Mosswater Factory, so we can beat up those who have perpetrated this attack against Grandview Station.”

Florinia: “Is your name Flannery by any chance? Ame informed me about you and your recent arrival. She gave us details about your intention to assist us. Is that right?”

Fern: “What do you mean by ‘us’?! I wasn’t aware of that! Why will you always keep this type of information for yourself, sis?”

Flannery: “That’s totally right! Pokemon have been robbed in the Grand Hall by the same people who have blown up the station yesterday. My mission is to find them back. But since I couldn’t see anyone at the meeting point, then I decided to come here.”

 

Such a declaration did not fail to unsettle Fern. He didn’t know that Flannery had actually come to help them, he and his sister, to take down the evil organization who was negatively impacting Reborn activities. After realizing his mistakes, the little brother of Florina tried to rectify the situation and apologized to Flannery for teasing her.

 

 

Fern: “Hm, I see. Hey… Flannery, that’s it?”

Flannery: “Yes, this is me. What do you want?”

Fern: “I… I know we got off on the wrong foot, you and I. But hey. Since we all have common enemies to face down, why won’t you team up with me? I would love if you could prove me wrong about your skills.”

 

At first, the redhead glanced at the top dog suspiciously. After what happened with him, she would have largely preferred to go her own way. But on the other hand, she said to herself that everyone deserved a second chance. For Flannery, it was a golden opportunity to show her associates the extend of her skills in a more serious context. Thus, she accepted Fern’s proposal, but didn’t show any emotion whatsoever. Just doubt and neutrality.

 

Flannery: “…Yes, why not? After all, you have no idea how far you are from knowing everything about me. And believe me or not, I saw what those sons of bitches did, and I hate them at least as much as all of you combined do. When things like these come down to personal matter, I can bear anything.”

Fern: “Ah! Glad to hear it! I feel like I’m not at the end of my surprises with you. So, don’t disappoint me!”

 

However, despite Fern’s attempt to redeem himself, Flannery could feel the lack of sincerity in his words. She had the sensation that these ‘encouragements’ were nothing but a cloudy smokescreen to make good impression, the time to accomplish the mission entrusted by Ame. And at the same time, Flannery remembered well the sentences pronounced by the chief of the torturers she had encountered this morning: “There are no neutral people in Reborn. Just the dominants, and the dominated!”. It was pretty clear and obvious to the firehead: Fern belonged to the first category, or at least, he claimed himself to be one of the dominants. She kept her distances from him and stayed for a moment with Florinia whose presence was way less oppressive.

 

Fern: “Well, we’re not done yet. The vermin won’t leave from there by itself if nobody moves forward to kick this factory in its lower part. Perhaps we should go now.”

Florinia: “Query denied: Cheerleader not found.”

Flannery: “Cheerleader? What cheerleader are you talking about?”

Fern: “Oh, come on! Try to think a bit! Can’t you guess who I was waiting for all this time in the first place?”

Flannery: “Ah yes, sorry! Of course, you talked about Jul…”

 

But even before Flannery could finish her sentence, the doors of the Neo-Circuit Power Plant opened suddenly. And then, out of the blue, Julia emerged from her gym.

 

Julia: “Oh, hihi, peeps!”

Fern: “WOAAAH!!!”

 

 

Her appearance was so overhasty that this startled Fern as the latter was standing right next to the entrance door. In his fright, he jumped backward and unconsciously bumped into Flannery who was standing behind him. Obviously, he couldn’t refrain himself from complaining.

 

Fern: “Arrh, for heaven’s sake! Can’t you be more careful? For a moment, I thought someone was attacking us.”

Florinia: “Explosive arrival registered. Julia’s presence confirmed.”

Julia: “Oh… hi Fern. Did I scare you? Sorry for that. I dozed off while waiting for you and Rini, so I could not see the time go by. I guess I should drink coffee more often.”

Fern: “Seems so.”

 

Since Flannery had great respect for Julia, she frowned wrathfully in the direction of the top dog. His sarcastic attitude was somewhat irritating to her. Then, after Julia noticed that the entire band was here, she went to the redhead and talked to her. As a witness of Flannery’s tragic debarkation, Julia wanted to know if everything was back to normal concerning Vulpix and Torkoal.

 

 

Julia: “Hey, Flannery! How are you doing?”

Flannery: “Hello Julia! Everything is fine on my end. And you?”

Julia: “Well, I just got a report from Ame about the bombing at Grandview Station. She told me that you’d eventually come with us to catch the perps. Does that mean that you’re Pokemon are back on their feet? Did you find Vulpix back?”

Flannery: “Yes and yes! I couldn’t have wished for better actually. I would love having further discussion with you about this case, but as you can see, time is running out. After all, I’m ready to go into action, and it’s all that matters. Right?”

Julia: “You’re right! According to Ame, it’s not just some random individuals but a whole team that is pulling strings from behind the scene. And guess what, they’ve planned to blow up the power plant, MY gym! Nobody booms things without me, least of all MY things!”

Flannery: “I couldn’t be more agree with you! We must stop them before they trigger further disaster in town. I’ve already been through that kind of thing in the past, you know. That’s really unfortunate that Gym Leaders come to risk their own lives to protect civilians.”

Fern: “Yeah, yeah, sure it is. But hey. What is the point of worrying now? If you step back, you’re just giving those guys what they’re expecting from us: fear, so more opportunities to wreak havoc in the city. You’re not gonna tell me that a bunch of hooligans throw you off balance, are you?”

Flannery: “Are you kidding me, Fern? I’ve already flirted with danger more than you could possibly imagine. And I’ve never intended to stop either.”

Fern: “Yeah. Interesting.”

Julia: “If it’s true, so that definitely rocks! Do you hear it, Rini? It will be like old times when we were still studying in OTS together. Three experienced Gym Leaders working hand in hand to bring support and protection for those who need it. That sounds kinda great, don’t you think?”

 

Florinia did not reply. She simply nodded as an answer to Julia instead. However, Fern was puzzled. He had listened intently to what Julia was saying. Three experienced Gym Leaders… but Fern was not one himself. This led him to one unexpected conclusion.

 

Fern: “Uh, excuse me. You said ‘Three Gym Leaders’? Who is the third one?”

Flannery: “I think she’s talking about me.”

Fern: “What?!”

Flannery: “I know, I’m sorry. Perhaps I should have told you about that earlier. I’m Flannery, the ex-Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town, as well as Ambassador of Hoenn in Reborn. I’m honored to meet you!”

 

Revulsion could be read on the fake smile of the top dog. He knew from Flannery that the latter was not just a banal teammate. She actually appeared to be a Gym Leader from a distant region. In the end, Fern was the only ‘ordinary trainer’ of the group. And this didn’t seem to make him happy at all.

 

 

Fern: “Ugh…”

Julia: “Are you okay, Fern? You’re not looking very good today.”

Fern: “I am… okay. Thank you.”

Julia: “Ah? Are you sure?”

Fern: “Yeah, perfectly sure. I’ve never felt so good in my entire life. Ever.”

Flannery: (Hm… he’s lying to us. I can see it; he clearly doesn’t have the same grin as before. I just hope I didn’t say anything that could hurt him.)

Fern: “Well. Why are we standing here? We have a criminal organization to wipe out, haven’t we? I’m going ahead. Me and Flannery will lead the way to Mosswater Factory. You and Flobot, you’ll stay behind and watch our backs.”

Julia: “That’s okay for me!”

Flannery: “Um… without being indiscreet, can you explain me why you’re calling your sister ‘Flobot’?”

Fern: “Ah, you noticed! I call her that because of the way she talks. Don’t feel bad about it, that’s what everyone does.”

Julia: “You’re wrong! I call her Rini because she’s not a robot as you say!”

Flannery: “Indeed. That doesn’t seem like a good attitude to me.”

Fern: “Oh, whatever. Robot or not, let’s get going! I’ve been hanging around for way too long, and I think I’ll have ants in the legs if we don’t do anything soon. I suggest to leave now!”

Julia: “I agree! I’m looking forward to boom the head of the bad guys!”

Flannery: “Same for me! Let us unite for the best of the town!”

Florinia: “Group full. Infestation countermeasures deployed.”

 

This concluded the conversation between the members of the little group originally created by Ame. The young fire girl and her companions were now ready to tackle the members of the mysterious organization directly inside their den. They walked together towards the pestilent factory, all determined to send them back to their place. Flannery in particular was more than hyped at the idea of spreading fire on her enemies. All these losses to which she was forced to witness from the day of her arrival had greatly reinforced her boldness. This opportunity to avenge her Pokemon should not be wasted in any way. On the other hand, Flannery also had some iffy vibes about Fern. His boastful personality did not left her indifferent, there was something wearisome about him. It was hard to explain. But Flannery wasn’t fooled either. She could easily feel that the little brother of Florinia wanted to take advantage of this mission to prove his worth more than anything else. But somehow, since he and Flannery both had common enemies to defeat, each had legitimate reasons to favor teamwork above all. Accepting to turn a blind eye to this infernal encounter, Flannery tried her best to focus on the present moment. Meanwhile, Fern was marching stiffly beside her while Florinia and Julia were following them, maintaining some distances. This specific operation was actually going to put a decisive strain on the nerves and patience of our heroes. And no matter what they did, all the masks are doomed to fall under pressure.

 

 

POKEMON TEAM

Spoiler

Torkoal/Male/Level 16

Nature: Relaxed/Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Moveset: Rapid Spin/Smog/Protect/Overheat

 

Vulpix/Female/Level 16

Nature: Timid/Ability: Flash Fire

Held Item: None

Moveset: Ember/Baby-Doll Eyes/Will-O-Wisp/Grudge

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

 

[Evi Crystal]

That escalated quickly between Flannery and Fern. I wonder, if the man from the flashback was actual his grandfather, I wonder.

 

But anyway, I hope Flannery is ready for the next chapters. I wish her good luck

[J-Awesome_One]

Nice episode! I like that you changed where they meet as well. Can't wait to see what happens in the next episode. And I can't wait to see if Flannery catches a new team member too.

[Aphelli]

That was a very pleasant read. I really like how all your characters ring true, even though you vary the situations they are put through (which is another very good point). Flannery... is as good as ever (I would have enjoyed another "fist of justice", but, alas, that would have been very un-Ambassador-like), while Fern's ambivalence is very well conveyed.

I am curious about how you'll make the next episodes look like. At least, there is little doubt that Flannery's previous experiences in fighting terrorist organizations will definitely help!

[Q-Jei]

On 3/21/2020 at 5:13 PM, Evi Crystal said:

That escalated quickly between Flannery and Fern. I wonder, if the man from the flashback was actual his grandfather, I wonder.

 

But anyway, I hope Flannery is ready for the next chapters. I wish her good luck

Thanks from the bottom of the heart!

You're right about the man in the flashback, he actually is Flannery's grandfather! The picutres you see are screenshots that I inserted long ago in episode 8 to depict Mr. Moore's battle against the challenger in Lavaridge Gym. I just edited and recolored them with filters, so I could represent the same scenes as ominous memories in the present timeline

 

On 3/21/2020 at 6:34 PM, J-Awesome_One said:

Nice episode! I like that you changed where they meet as well. Can't wait to see what happens in the next episode. And I can't wait to see if Flannery catches a new team member too.

Thank you, glad to see you appreciate it!

And yeah, I know. I couldn't resist the idea of changing the place where they could meet. In fact, since Flannery's destination was already indicated by Ame, and since she knew she had a map application on her Pokegear, it wouldn't have made sense to me to take her to Blacksteam Factory. In my opinion, Julia's Gym was a more appropriate place for Flannery and Fern to meet each other, and this kept things logic all the way, Flannery having everything she needed to not go to the wrong destination

[Q-Jei]

 

Spoiler

The group was formed. Everybody was now ready to go into action. After meeting the Sevilla siblings, Flannery headed to the Mosswater Factory with Fern, followed both by Julia and Florinia. Having taken note of the irascibility of the top dog, Flannery tried her best to not hurt his feelings as the latter was marching stiffly beside her. Fern visibly had some difficulty to accept the fact he was the only trainer of his group who didn’t possess an honorary title. Needless to say, he wasn’t very talkative with Flannery along the way. Meanwhile, the gentle redhead could hear Julia talking to Florinia cheerfully. The young cheerleader looked particularly enthusiastic at the idea of fighting against some shady individuals in town. Once arrived at the factory, the team stopped close to the wire fencing and looked at the building from afar.

 

 

Florinia: “Destination reached. No troublemaker on the horizon.”

Julia: “Here we are! So this is the bandit’s hideout we’ve been told to investigate?”

Flannery: “According to Ame, yes. I’ve checked the location of this factory by using the map application of my Pokegear earlier to make sure of it. I can confirm that we are in the right place!”

Fern: “Look at that! As if a little band of hooligans was needing such a big building to handle their business. They surely must have a little something to compensate for.”

Flannery: “How can you be so sure of that? We don’t even know how many they are.”

Julia: “Flannery’s right. Maybe these guys are more numerous than we thought.”

Fern: “Yeah, maybe. Or maybe not, we’ll see. Whatever, there’s only one way to know it, if you see what I mean.”

Flannery: “Of course, we do! Onward, everyone!”

Julia: “CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!”

 

Determined to bring justice for the citizens of Reborn, the quartet moved towards the entrance of the Mosswater Factory. But they couldn’t go very far. Some kind of big metal door was blocking the access to the premises of the plant, making any progression of Flannery and her friends impossible. There was no door handle, nor button, nor fingerprint sensing system. It was as if it could only be opened from the inside. The redhead then tried to force her way by leaning upon the door and pressed on it with her hands to make it budge. But it didn’t do anything.

 

 

Flannery: “*sigh* There’s nothing to do. It won’t budge!”

Fern: “Why am I not surprised? At least, these scoundrels have the merit of knowing how to protect themselves. Cowardice in all its glory. There’s no need to argue further on it.”

Julia: “Indeed, this door looks like it’s sealed shut, which risks to be a bit problematic for us. Hopefully, I think I can do something about it.”

Flannery: “Really? What do you want to try, Julia?”

Julia: “If you don’t mind, I would appreciate if you and Fern let me pass. I have means to get us in. *wink*”

Flannery: “Oh, um… sure, why not? Please, take place! Any help is welcome after all.”

Fern: “You heard Flannery? Come.”

Julia: “Oh thank you, thank you so much! You’ll see, it will be delightful!”

 

The eccentric damsel winked at Flannery and won her confidence quite easily. Having no real solution to suggest, she and Fern both stepped backward while Julia approached the armored door with excitement. The latter pulled a Pokeball out of her shirt pocket. She was about to send one of her Pokemon to the field.

 

Julia: “Kaykay, let's do this! Voltorb, it's up to you!”

 

Without further ado, Julia threw her Pokeball straight in the air and made one of Pokemon appear near the entrance door of the Mosswater Factory. Voltorb took shape next to the Gym Leader of Peridot Ward.

 

 

Voltorb: “Voltorb!”

Julia: “Hello, buddy! Are you fine? Me and my companions need your help!”

Voltorb: “Voltorb?”

 

The Ball Pokemon frowned in the direction of Julia and those who were behind her. He looked intrigued. Voltorb wondered what sort of help Julia and her allies were actually needing.

 

Julia: “Remember that, comrades! If you have to open a door at all cost and don't have the keys on you, don't waste your time contacting a locksmith: just boom the door off instead. Well... of course, make sure that you're not too attached to the door in the first place. In all cases, always do it with gusto!”

Florinia: “Julia's Voltorb present in the field. Imminent explosion incoming.”

Flannery: “W-What?! You’re saying you’re gonna destroy this door with your Voltorb?”

Fern: “Ahah, the old sacrifice-by-self-destruction trick! Even I wouldn't have dared to try that. Has anyone ever told you that you're insane?”

Voltorb: “TOORB?!?!”

 

Naturally, Flannery was somewhat bewildered by the kamikaze techniques that the bubbly cheerleader was about to use, although this method wasn’t really that different from most of the pyrotechnical tricks that the redhead had developed all these years. Except that in Flannery's case, none of these tricks had ever implied a sacrifice from her team members. For obvious reasons, Voltorb felt even more overwhelmed than the fire girl. The Electric Type Pokemon quickly became aware of the situation it was in, and showed an expression of despair by looking at its trainer pitifully. Julia then came up to Voltorb to reassure it.

 

 

Voltorb: “VooOOOoolt.”

Julia: “Come on, buddy. You've already been through much worse. I know you can do it. You are the only one who can help here. I believe in you! Everybody believes in you!”

Voltorb: “Vooolt.”

Julia: “Listen to me, buddy. When we'll be done here, I swear on everything I got. You'll be rewarded as you deserve. You'll have thousands of hugs, thousands of Pokesnax, thousands of electric batteries.... and I will also let you sleep with me tonight.”

Voltorb: “V-Volt!?”

Julia: “What do you think of it? A good nice sleep in bed with you're kind and loving trainer. You're not gonna refuse it, right? Come on! Pleeeeaaaaase!”

Fern: “No less! While we're at it, why won't you invite it to take a bath with you? This will probably make a more 'thrilling' experience for both of you.”

Flannery: “You're awful, Fern!”

 

After several seconds trying to gain Voltorb's trust, the latter finally gave in to the promise made by the Gym Leader and nodded as a sign of acceptance. Right after that, it swiftly turned to the big metal door. Julia made a few steps backward; she was ready to give it the following instructions.

 

 

Julia: “So be it, Voltorb. On my signal, use Explosion on this door! Okay?”

Voltorb: “Voltorb!”

Julia: “Excellent! So, let's begin! 3... 2... 1... KAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Voltorb: “VOOOLTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORB!!!”

 

The round body of Voltorb began to shine with a dazzling light. On the orders of Julia, it focused all of its energy and generated a big, violent explosion in the process. Flannery and Fern both covered their eyes with their arms to not be blinded while Julia was leaping for joy at the sight of this detonating spectacle. Only Florinia remained imperturbable. When the explosion was over, there was no door anymore. The path was clear. Voltorb, however, was lying weakly on the ground, covered with soot. This decisive move had taken away all its electricity and dynamism. Julia made it return inside its Pokeball without waiting, congratulating it again for having the courage to explode by itself. The final result made it all the more satisfying. The assault on the mysterious organization could finally become possible.

 

 

Julia: “That was totally awesome!”

Fern: “Wow, what a smart move. Now you find yourself with one valid Pokemon in less.”

Flannery: “Yes, and? She did the right thing. Personally, I find that pretty praiseworthy. Convincing a Pokemon to use self-destructing moves on its own must require a strong relationship of trust.”

Julia: “Exactly, Flannery! Just to let you know, I always have some revives on me. This way, I can make as many boomings as I want, so what happened here shouldn't be a major issue for what's coming later. Anyway, I didn't join you to bother you all with my fascination for explosions, right? We still have a city to defend and stolen Pokemon to take back!”

Fern: “So, what are we waiting for?”

Flannery: “I agree. We should go now!”

Florinia: “Breach detected at the entrance of Mosswater Factory. Activating localized security systems.”

Julia: “Splendid. Well, as I was saying earlier... CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!”

 

After that, everybody entered into the stinky and ominous building. Inside, all of them became aware of the stench that was surrounding the whole area. Flannery, who had a very sensitive sense of smell, covered both her nose and mouth with her hand as soon as she made it to the first room of the factory. There was a big filtration basin filled with crimson water inside. Fern, too, flipped out because of the smell that was emanating from it.

 

 

Julia: “Damn! This place smells terribadtastic!”

Fern: “Pwah! What the hell is that?! It... it smells like shit!!”

Flannery: (Hmph... somebody help! I think I've never breathed anything so disgusting in my life! It kind of smells like the acidic vapors of Mt. Chimney. Except this smell is at least tens of times more gross than what I've been used to. How the hell can we hide out in such a stinky place? Hmph... you filthy rats! I'll get you all!)

 

The foxy redhead tried hard to remove her hand from her mouth, so she could deal with the awful smell little by little. That was extremely unpleasant. Even after some short inhalations and exhalations, she could feel the stench grasping her from the inside out. Florinia, for her part, used this opportunity to make an estimation of the toxicity level of the water. The result didn't fail to shock Flannery and Julia.

 

Florinia: “The wine hue indicates high levels of pollutants. Estimated toxicity: 90%.”

Julia: “And this is being dumped right into Azurine Lake. No wonder it's so poisonous!”

Flannery: “90% of toxicity, no less! But... who are these people? Who are these morons who enjoy contaminating the blood of Mother Earth like that? They're the worst kind!”

Fern: “Yeah, yeah, this is drama. And? You're not gonna change anything if you keep lamenting on your hippie environmental bull. Those who really want to put an end to this nonsense always value action over words.”

Flannery: “What makes you believe that me and Julia are only good for talking? We all came here for the same reason, you know! Keep this right in your head: I'd do anything to prevent the situation from getting worse, even if it means tearing this whole factory down to the last brick!”

Julia: “I fully agree with you on this point, Flannery. These simpletons clearly don't care about the well-being of the city. We must arrest them and shut down this factory for the sake of Azurine Lake.”

Fern: “Well, if you say so.”

 

While Flannery, Fern and Julia were debating with each other, Florinia noticed that the path was split in two distinct ways. To make sure not to miss any trace of the mobsters, she recommended, always in a robotic tone, to separate and operate in two teams of two. For reasons of affinity, Julia insisted to team up with the Gym Leader of Onyx Ward. Thus, Fern and Flannery were going to be left together once again. Nonetheless, this didn’t seem to please Flannery in any way as she already knew what type of person Florinia’s brother was. Because of that, she thought it would be best to keep a low profile. Fortunately for her, Fern still looked determined to take the lead.

 

 

Julia: “Good, I think we’re all ready now. Me and Rini will take the west wing. Don’t hesitate to teach these bad guys a lesson if you ever see them. And if it ever has to happen, remember: do it with gusto!”

Flannery: “You can count on me for that, Julia. Doing things passionately has always been part of my habits, especially when it comes to justice. Just take my word for it!”

Florinia: “Risk of violent encounter in adjoining rooms: high. Previous statement uncertain. Please proceed with caution.”

Fern: “Don’t worry for me, sis. Accompanied or not, I never let my guard down.”

Julia: “Perfect, so here we go. The hunt is on, my friends! Good luck, Fern! Good luck, Flannery!”

Flannery: “Thank you, Julia! Be careful over there!”

 

Having nothing else to say, Julia left the scene with Florinia behind her. Flannery, for her part, was ready to go with the top dog, even though she was a little sceptical about the last sentence pronounced by Fern’s sister. Violent encounters… statement uncertain… the firehead didn’t know what to think of it. Preferring not to grant too much credence to Rini’s prognosis, she remained silent on this subject to better focus on her cooperation with Fern instead.

 

 

Fern: “Ha, things can now finally become interesting! I hope your mind has not softened too much in between.”

Flannery: “If that’s what you thought of me, just let me tell you that’s not the case. Thinking of me that I’m weak-minded is just another proof of your ignorance, Fern. Do you just know who I am? I’m a daughter of Lavaridge Town, I’m not afraid of anything! I probably took more risks than you could possibly imagine in your miserable life!”

Fern: “Ah, really? Well, so…”

 

In response to the assertions of the valiant ambassador, Fern made one step aside and stretched out his arm to the east wing, bowing down.

 

 

Fern: “…please, go first.”

Flannery: “W-What? What do you mean?”

Fern: “You said it yourself, Flannery. Earlier this morning, you’ve claimed that you put your own life at stake to protect civilians in the past. I deduce from this that you have more experience with this kind of high-risk mission than I have. It would be a beautiful waste to not take advantage of your knowledge with what’s waiting for us in there, don’t you think?”

Flannery: “And it took you till now to change the roles! You got a lot of balls to ask me that at the last moment!”

Fern: “I know. You can think whatever you want, I don’t care. I've taken you this far, but you’ll be the one to guide us the rest of the way. Take the lead!”

Flannery: “You call these criminals ‘cowards’, but you’re not better than they are in the end!”

Fern: “What about you? If you’re as brave as you claim, prove it! Because so far I didn’t see anything worthy of interest from you.”

 

Flannery was disappointed. The fact that Fern wanted to evade his responsibilities was not very fair to her. She could see right through his little game. The boy wanted to take advantage of the absence of Florinia and Julia to impose his rules on the redhead more easily. An act of cowardice that the latter strongly disapproved. But on the other hand, Flannery couldn’t afford to appear weak in the presence of the top dog.

 

Flannery: “*sigh* The least I can say is that you know how to wind me up, I give you that. So be it, I’ll go ahead. Stay close, and don’t wander off.”

Fern: “Well, ladies first. Just don’t try to charge in blindly. I don’t want to carry you on my back if things go wrong for you.”

 

Following this acerbic warning, the two trainers both walked into the east wing of the factory. In order to provide a more impressive image of herself, Flannery moved to the unknown with firm steps. She got to show Fern what a true daughter of Lavaridge Town was really capable of. The words of the green-haired boy had progressively begun to act as a booster for her. Where they were now, the atmosphere was less suffocating. The rancid smell had almost disappeared. However, Flannery had some bad feelings about what was waiting for her. Fern, who noticed she had slowed down the pace, used this opportunity to taunt her about that.

 

 

Fern: “Hm? What’s going on? Are you wiped out already?”

Flannery: “I don’t know, Fern. I have some iffy vibes about this room. This whole place screams ‘ambush’ to me.”

 

Indeed, Flannery’s apprehensions will soon prove to be correct. A few steps further in the corridor, and the duo got caught by two men both dressed up in black uniform.

 

???: “Ambush. What a lovely idea!”

Flannery: “*gasp* Fern, watch out!”

???: “Intruders! Report them to the boss!”

Fern: “You’re not gonna go anywhere with that, pal!”

 

The two shady individuals were about to corner the defenseless Flannery. But even before they could try anything against her, Fern grabbed one of his Pokeballs and sent out Sandile to push them back. As the men in black decided to use their own Pokemon directly against the heroic duo, Flannery pulled out Vulpix’s Pokemon in turn to defend herself and countered them. A double battle was about to start. By the way, the look of the two assailants vaguely reminded the redhead of the period when she met Team Aqua for the very first time on the slopes of the Mt. Chimney. But in reality, this fight did only last a short time. It was a straight-set victory for Flannery and Fern who had largely outperformed the two men in terms of strength.

 

 

Fern: “So much sluggishness is insulting. Go back to the gangster academy, losers.”

???: “Arrh! That sucks. What do we do now?”

???: “I don’t know. But don’t start worrying yet. After all, we are in greater numbers than them. No matter what happens, nobody stands up to Team Meteor unpunished.”

Flannery: (So, that’s what they call themselves. Team Meteor. The criminal organization that destroys Reborn City from its core.)

 

Masks have fallen. The identity of the organization responsible for all the recent incidents in town has been revealed. The people who had led the attack against Flannery in Grandview Station were standing right in front of her. They were actually grunts of Team Meteor. Fortunately, without any Pokemon able to fight, they didn’t represent an obstacle to the redhead anymore.

 

Fern: “You’ll see soon who’ll be punished last. Anyway, I’ll make sure to send your regards to your boss when I’ll see him.”

Flannery: “Not too fast, Fern! We’re not done here yet.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Fern: “Oh, you… What else do you want?”

 

Before she and Fern called Sandile and Vulpix back to their respective Pokeballs and follow their way, Flannery still had one last thing to do. Now that the fight was over, she questioned the two men fiercely in order to know where the starters stolen from the reserve in the Grand Hall have been hidden.

 

 

Flannery: “Before we leave, I would like to ask you a question.”

Grunt 1: “What sort of question?”

Flannery: “We’ve been told by some important people that rare Pokemon have been robbed in the Grand Hall yesterday in the afternoon. Thereafter, they would have been brought and stored somewhere in this factory. Where are they?”

Grunt 1: “What sort of starter? I’m not sure to understand what you’re hinting at.”

Flannery: “Don’t try to make a fool of me! We got it from reliable sources that you used this accident to create a diversion in Opal Ward. Just in case you didn’t know yet, one of your colleagues has been caught as he tried to escape. He claimed himself to be a member of your band during the interrogation. You’d better start talking now if you don’t want to spend the rest of your life behind bars with him!”

 

The strong personality of the firehead slowly began to prevail over her shy and bashful side. But despite her attempt to make the grunts confess, they didn’t say anything about this case and kept denying the facts, pretending that they were in no way responsible for this misdeed.

 

Grunt 1: “I think you’re wrong. This has nothing to do with us. We didn’t even know that a theft has been committed yesterday. There is no stolen Pokemon in here. This man you interviewed has probably made up a story for himself to save his life. However, the bombing against that train in the afternoon was definitely our doing.”

Flannery: “Stop lying to my face! I know you see what I’m talking about. But you won’t admit the truth.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Grunt 2: “You’ll stop harassing my mate, kid? He said the truth. No Meteor has strolled around in Opal Ward yesterday. It wasn’t part of the plan. We are assassins, not thieves.”

Flannery: “I don’t trust assassins! You’re all the same to me!”

Fern: “*yawn* Why won’t you just ignore them? This discussion is a waste of time. I’m sure we can find back these Pokemon ourselves. Stay here if you want, I’m getting out of here.”

Flannery: “No!”

Fern: “What?”

Flannery: “I said… ‘no’!”

Vulpix: “Rrrrrr!”

 

The redhead didn’t feel the same way as Fern. Even Vulpix, who was standing beside her, could feel the lack of sincerity in the words of the men in black. For Flannery, there were sufficient evidence indicating that those individuals were not totally honest. As a result, she repeated the same question one last time.

 

Flannery: “I know who you are, and I know what you did. Have you just forgotten that without valid Pokemon by your side, you’re not in a position to manipulate me? And if you don’t spill the beans, I’m sure your little cronies will eventually do so if I force them one way or another. So, I’ll ask you one more time. Where. Are. THE STARTERS?!”

Grunt 1: “THERE. IS. NO. STARTER IN HERE!!”

Grunt 2: “Absolutely. Sorry princess, but your darlings are in another castle. Now, get out of here.”

Grunt 1: “Couldn’t have said it better colleague! You heard us? See you! Astalavista! Arrivederci! Sayonara! And most importantly, find yourself something better to do! You’re getting on my nerves, you and your filthy jackal!”

 

Fatal mistake of the unconscious man, no one insulted Flannery’s Vulpix without paying the consequences. After that, the Fox Pokemon looked down under the sulfurous gaze of the daughter of Lavaridge Town. Flannery remained motionless without saying a single word. She couldn’t accept the attitude of the shameless grunt toward the young Fire Pokemon. Then, a few seconds later, she uttered the following words with hair locks covering the top of her face.

 

 

Flannery: “Too bad for you.”

Grunt 1 & 2: “Hm?”

Fern: “What?”

Flannery: (I’m really going to enjoy myself today!)

Vulpix: (I’m not a jackal! And I’m not filthy! Me and my human will make you pay for your insolence!)

 

Determined to get the information she needed, Flannery suddenly raised her head and stared at the grunt with a threatening look and one hand on her hips while Vulpix put herself in fighting position, ready to launch an attack. With her free hand, Flannery pointed at him and told her furry partner the following instructions.

 

Flannery: “Vulpix! Use Will-O-Wisp on this dude!”                                                                                                                  

Vulpix: (With pleasure, Flannery!)

Grunt 2 & Fern: “What the…”

Vulpix: “VULPIIIIIX!”

Grunt 1: “WowowoaAAAAAH!”

 

Thus, the fury of the firehead was unleashed. On the orders of Flannery, Vulpix made her six tails shining, then wagged them in the direction of the grunt, freeing six little balls of purple fire that landed on the suit of the brash criminal. The latter screamed with fear and pain at this very moment when the fireballs exploded on him. Driven by his survival instincts, the grunt rolled on the ground like a terrified animal to get rid of the flames, a very entertaining performance to observe for the ex-Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town. But since she estimated it wasn’t enough, Flannery ordered Vulpix to revive the fire by using Ember on the man down. This was a big shock for Fern and the other grunt! But in the eyes of Flannery, the sentence was right and deserved!

 

 

Grunt 2: “Oh my God! What are you doing to my teammate?”

Fern: “Flannery, what the fuck! What’s going on in your head?”

Flannery: “Playing with fire can be lethal for those who are not prepared for this. If you don’t want to play fair, so neither do I.”

Grunt 1: “AAAH!!! AAAAAH I’M BURNING!! IT HURTS!! IT HUUUUURTS!! PLEASE, TURN ME OFF!! AAAAAH!!”

Flannery: “I don’t think so. In fact, I largely prefer to sit here and watch the fire taking effect till the end. Those flames are so beautiful, why should I put them out? After all, it’s not like you’d ever tell me anything about some stolen Pokemon in the Grand Hall, right? Right?”

Grunt 1: “AAAAAH, PLEASE!! ANYBODY!! DO SOMETHING!! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”

Grunt 2: “Stop it! You have won! I submit!”

Flannery: “For real? Then, speak. The life of your comrade depends on you.”

Grunt 2: “I’ll tell you everything I know, I promise. You were right about us. We are those who have robbed these Pokemon in Opal Ward. We were three, and we passed ourselves off as staff members to infiltrate the Grand Hall. When the train has exploded, we used it as a diversion to snatch as many Pokeballs as we could before to leave, but the police was already in the main office at this moment. One of us has been caught, and we never heard of him again after that. Concerning the starters, they are indeed in this building, but they’re not in our possession anymore. They have been concealed in the upper floor by our superiors along with a crate full of explosives in a storage room located next to the control room of the factory. These explosives were supposed to be used to blow up the power plant of Peridot Ward this very day. If you hurry, you should be able to reach the storage room, and at the same time, retrieve what has been taken from the Grand Hall. But you won’t be able to access the upper floor if you don’t unlock the protection barrier first. You need the deactivation code to go farther.”

Flannery: “A password, you said? What is it? SPEAK!”

Grunt 1: “AAAAAH, HURRY UUUUP!! I’M BURNIIIIIIIING!!!”

Grunt 2: “The code is A3B2C4. You’ll find the control panel to the right, at the end of this corridor. But please, I’m begging you. Don’t kill my partner!”

Flannery: “Hmmm… that sounds pretty honest to me. Well, I’m willing to grant you another chance. But I warn you: if you try to lure me, I’ll know it.”

Grunt 2: “T-Thanks.”

Fern: “Enough! This is over! Whether you like it or not, I’m gonna end this bullshit right away! Sandile, smother the flames with Mud-Slap!”

Sandile: “Sandile!”

 

 

Immediately after Flannery thanked the two men sourly for their cooperation, Fern intervened and used his Pokemon to extinguish the fire that was spreading on the terrorized evil-doer. After which, the two trainers both withdrew their own Pokemon. Since Fern was still seriously upset by the ballsy act of the Fire Type specialist, he did not wait for her and walked alone in the corridor indicated by the two members of Team Meteor to deactivate the barrier. Flannery then moved away and gave the grunts one final warning before to catch up with Florinia’s brother.

 

 

Flannery: “Enjoy your break, it won’t last very long. Our mission here consists in stopping you, and I’ll look forward to achieve it. You can’t resist me forever.”

 

The intimidating redhead was categorical on her commitment to dismantling Team Meteor. Nothing could have dissuaded her on this point. Having no more reason to stay, Flannery went to join Fern who was waiting for her near the control panel. After she left, the two grunts exchanged some words about the attack triggered by the firehead. The targeted individual was covered in burns, but he still had some energy left to express himself.

 

 

Grunt 2: “Are you… are you okay?”

Grunt 1: “I… I… it will be alright, thanks. I… I can get up. I guess.”

Grunt 2: “You’ll be avenged, mate. This slut and her boyfriend will not escape this place so easily. When someone comes after one of us, they come after all of us. Team Meteor never forgives.”

Grunt 1: “Yes… a-as always, ahah.”

Grunt 2: “When you get better, meet me at the staircase. On my end, I’ll share the news with the others. We can’t afford to let these pipsqueaks strolling freely in our quarters now that they know about our plans. This battle has only just begun. See you later, brother!”

Grunt 1: “For Team Meteor!”

 

The chips were down. For the two men, the stakes were clear: Flannery and Fern had to be silenced to not cause further trouble inside of the plant. This story was far from over. Meanwhile, Flannery was typing the deactivation code on the control panel interface with Fern next to her. The green-haired boy was infuriated, he knew well that reprisals from the enemy were inevitable because of what Flannery did to them. Fearing for his life, he couldn’t hold his repulsion back any longer, and yelled at the firehead while she was about to confirm the password to free the access to the upper floor.

 

 

Flannery: “Password accepted. Upper level lock disengaged. Lovely!”

Fern: “You featherbrained psycho! Couldn’t have you activate your neurons instead of setting people on fire? Because of you, we’ll get hunted by these guys!”

Flannery: “As we sow, so shall we reap.”

Fern: “Huh, excuse me? I’m not sure I heard correctly. Can you repeat, please?”

Flannery: “I have nothing to regret. They wouldn't have told us anything if we didn't force them to do so. Unlike them, I have no blood on my hands. And I'm certainly not gonna shake theirs to apologize. Such individuals do not deserve to be treated with respect.”

Fern: “You got nerves to say that to me! You say you have no blood on your hands, but what if I wasn't here? This moron would have burned to death, and then, war would have been declared right away.”

Flannery: “It was already declared as soon as we entered the factory, Fern.”

Fern: “Stop talking to me! I don't want to hear you anymore! You've caused enough trouble for today, and I'm not gonna ask you for more. Giving you the lead role was way too dangerous in my opinion.”

 

Flannery remained stoic without saying anything else to the presumptuous boy. Obviously, she had a better stress control than the so-called 'top dog'. As he believed he could handle the situation better than the fire girl, he imposed himself as the new head of the group.

 

Fern: “You know what? Everything you do, I can do better.”

Flannery: “That sounds a little arrogant to me, don't you think?”

Fern: “You fucking... rrrRRAH!! I won't allow you to judge me! I'll take the lead. For the rest of the way, I'll be the one giving orders. And let me tell you right now: if you stop covering my back for a single second, I'll sentence you myself.”

Flannery: “No need to get snippy.”

Fern: “Shut your mouth, girl!”

 

All this pressure accumulated has brought out Fern's true nature. Nobody was talking anymore. Now that the gate was open, he and Fern retraced their steps. Midway, they noticed that the two grunts were nowhere to be seen. This worried Fern who once again blamed the firehead for being too impulsive.

 

 

Fern: “They're not here! Where did they go?”

Flannery: “I'm not a Meteor myself, Fern. But if I was one and if had attended such a mess, my first reflex would have been to warn off my other teammates. They probably took advantage of our absence to call for backup.”

Fern: “I didn't ask for your opinion. Having that said, you got a point. They clearly must not have enjoyed your way to negotiate. At least, I'll know who to blame if we ever get into trouble again.”

Flannery: “There's no need to sweep it under the carpet, Fern. No matter what we do, we'll get into trouble again. Hopefully, as long as we support each other, we must be able to surpass them.”

Fern: “I hope for you. It would be a shame for Hoenn's folk to lose the one who's supposed to represent them in such pathetic circumstances.”

 

Despite the uncertainty which was reigning supreme in the big building, Flannery remained strong and impassive. She was well aware that things were getting tough in some way. Farther in the room, the duo found and reached the staircase leading to the upper floor. The path was clear. However, there was no sign of Team Meteor anywhere around. Whether it was downstairs or upstairs, all the corridors were deserted, but not just that. The peace which was enveloping the whole area was equally abnormal. Only the hubbub of the surrounding machinery could be heard. With no enemy trying to stop them, doubt began to find its place in Flannery's mind. Did Team Meteor retreat? Or where they preparing another trap to ambush the redhead? She and Fern both had the same feeling about it. When they arrived at the opposite of the second floor, they realized that there was another passage blocked. A medium-sized metal gate was standing in the way of the two heroes, preventing them from moving forward.

 

 

Fern: “What? Another gate? What is the mess?!”

Flannery: “Oh, that again! This is weird. Yet I entered the correct password, didn't I? Hm... I wonder...”

Fern: “Ah yeah, I got it! I bet you there's another system of the same kind somewhere on this floor as well.”

Flannery: “That's what I thought. There's no keyhole on it, so it would make sense if this gate should be opened the same way.”

???: “How smart you are! Your sense of deduction is remarkable!”

Flannery & Fern: “Huh?!”

 

As Fern and Flannery were about to leave and seek for another control panel, a voice which wasn't so unfamiliar to them caught their attention from behind. They turned around. A horde of Team Meteor members took them by surprise. Among them, Flannery recognized the guy she set on fire with Vulpix. His outfit was more damaged than the one worn by the other grunts. Time for score-settling has come again.

 

 

Grunt 2: “So we meet again, did you miss me?”

Flannery: “Not in the least, if that’s what you want to know.”

Grunt 3: “We will not tolerate violence against our team members. You’ll pay for it!”

Grunt 2: “Did you see? I may have no means to fight anymore, but that’s not the same story for my allies over here.”

Grunt 4: “No quarter given, no mercy shown!”

Fern: “Hey, wait! If you came to avenge one of your men, know that I’m not responsible for what happened to your comrade! Blame my partner instead, she is the one who set fire to him! Me at least, I did what I could to keep the situation under control! What happened down there is not my fault!”

 

Such remarks didn’t fail to fall on Flannery’s ears who glanced at her greeny partner with a deadly look. Fern was trying to calm things down by claiming that he had nothing to do with the incident. He said he tried to put out the fire with his own Pokemon, blaming it all on the redhead. Flannery then realized how venal and cunning Fern could actually be. The impertinent boy would do anything to save his skin.

 

 

Flannery: “Somebody pinch me! Are you serious, Fern? Am I a joke to you? Did you really intend to sell me out like ‘Everything is OK and stuff’? Let me remind you that you’re at least as responsible as I am!”

Fern: “Absolutely not! I protest!”

Flannery: “Even supposing that I’m the one who initiated this fire, we’re in the same team you and I. If I go down, you go down with me too!”

Fern: “Don’t listen to her, she’s brainwashing you!”

Grunt 2: “SHUT UP!! BOTH OF YOU!!!”

Flannery & Fern: “…”

Grunt 2: “I don’t care who is innocent! Whatever you did, you two are still serious threats for Team Meteor, and we can’t let you thwart our plans with no action taken. You are intruders, and will be disciplined as such!”

Grunt 3: “They can't be allowed to interfere. Eliminate them!”

 

At this very moment, Flannery and Fern both seized the Pokeball containing their most powerful Pokemon at the same time. The stakes were getting high!

 

Flannery: “Try if you dare!”

Grunt 3: “All right, I’ll show you how I dare!”

Flannery: (I’m not gonna let anyone capture me again. Never!)

 

And just like that, Flannery and Fern threw themselves together in a merciless battle against Team Meteor’s minions. This time, the duo had to triumph over twelve grunts without losing once with a total of five Pokemon under their belts. Otherwise, Flannery and Florinia’s brother would be in serious trouble with no way to escape. Only the winners would be able to impose their will to the losers. The importance of the outcome of this fight had put a serious strain on the concentration of the redhead. Torkoal and Snivy both took out their foes, one by one, without respite, as if their lives were depending on it. A volley of sharp leaves was spinning unremittingly in the south side of the room while several fiery explosions were resonating in the second floor. They were so thunderous that they could be heard up to the entrance of the factory. Fortunately, all the Pokemon sent out by Team Meteor were weak. After twenty minutes of furious struggle, Flannery and Fern eventually managed to beat their enemies and put an end to this combat with the victory in their behalf. Overwhelmed by so much strength, the grunts recognized that they were not powerful enough to take on the two young trainers.

 

 

Grunt 2: “This… this is impossible. How did you win?”

Grunt 3: “Damn! What these Pokemon are made of? We could not even best a single one of them!”

Fern: “And you came all this way just for that? Congrats. You truly have set a new world record of mediocrity.”

Grunt 4: “This is nuts! They pinned down all of us!”

Flannery: “As we might say, quantity does not mean quality. Why won’t you try to suck less instead?”

Grunt 3: “How dare you? Who are you to question our skills?”

Flannery: “I hope you’re just playing dumb. We have won a two-on-twelve battle this instant, so I assume we have every right to judge you on your ‘skills’ as you call them.”

Fern: “Well said, Flannery! It's almost something I could have said myself.”

Flannery: “One thing is certain, we still have Pokemon in reserve. Not you. Consequently, I would really appreciate if you'd grant me and my partner a favor.”

Grunt 3: “Hm... I must admit that we don't really have a choice indeed. As long as you do not attack us with your Pokemon, we should be able to negotiate. Maybe.”

Flannery: “Wonderful. Well, I would like you to deactivate this gate for us. You don't need to know more about our intentions. Just do as you are told and everything will be alright.”

 

The grunts took a moment to consult among themselves in whispers. Two of them had already attended an example of bad deal with Flannery. They knew the redhead could explode on an impulse. This consultation didn't last more than one minute. And finally, the verdict was in. One of the men in black spoke for his group shortly after.

 

Grunt 2: “That sounds fair enough. I don't see how the situation could be worse anyway. A word of warning though. We have superiors lurking around, they know you're here. If you decide to keep going, you'll probably have to deal with higher-ranking members. But hey. Since you're so concerned to meet them...”

 

After that, the man turned to his comrades behind him. He gave them the following instructions in a firm voice.

 

Grunt 2: “You hear me, comrades? Let them in. Our visitors have some bite after all.”

 

A devilish grin that Flannery couldn't see spread on the lips of the grunt. Without further warning, he left, he and his men, in the direction of the famous control panel in single file. Fern was astonished to see that they accepted Flannery's request so easily. But this astonishment did not last very long. A few seconds later, he made another reproach to the firehead as the latter was waiting patiently for the door to open.

 

 

Fern: “You... you really have a lot of guts for a girl! I hope you saw who made this victory possible. I don't hate you that much, but you owe me several debts by now.”

 

Furious, Flannery glared at the top dog. She was still very resentful because of what he said earlier to save his skin.

 

Flannery: “Screw you, Fern!”

Fern: “Excuse me?! What did you say?!?!”

Flannery: “Did you really think I was dumb enough to owe anything to someone who changed his position and threw me in the jaw of the enemy at the last moment? 'Blame my partner instead, what happened down there is not my fault.' I swear I'll remember this for the next century!”

Fern: “Yes, and? Where's the harm? That was the truth. I didn't make that up.”

Flannery: “Stop taking me for an idiot! You gave me up in front of everyone! I thought we were supposed to work together! I'm your partner, not a piece of meat! It has nothing to do with the fact it's true or not. You had no right to do that to me!”

Fern: “Are you done complaining or what?”

Flannery: “I'm sick of you. I'm sick of this mission. I'm sick of this factory. I... I...”

Fern: “You 'what'?”

Flannery: “...I-I...”

 

Flannery was struggling to express herself. Her voice had changed. It was filled with nervous sadness that Fern could not detect.

 

Flannery: “...”

Fern: “Hey, I'm talking to you!”

Flannery: “...leave me alone.”

 

Nothing came of it. A whirlpool of sorrow and hate had found its place in the heart of the poor, tormented daughter of Lavaridge Town. The little hope she had to see Fern in a better light had gone to pieces in an instant. Flannery felt betrayed, humiliated. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. The reality is, this kind of phenomenon was nothing new to the firehead. Back in the days when she was still an Ace Trainer in Hoenn, she had met many men in her quest of power. At this time, the innocent damsel had a potential that had earned her high esteem and praises, both thanks to her fighting prowess and her beauty. But nothing really serious ever came from these interactions. Those men she came across before the start of her carrier as a Gym Leader were actually all the same in the end. Some of them only considered the young girl as an object of desire. A luxurious reward. A rare prize that people coveted to distinguish themselves. Others could abuse of her kindness and naivety to achieve their own selfish goals, manipulating the redhead as if she was a multifunction tool. A modeling magma clay aimed to be kneaded and shaped at leisure without gloves. Many times, Flannery found out about the trickery at the last moment. And everytime this happened, she found herself alone, devastated, and broken-hearted. Almost all the men with whom she had spent a little time of her teenage life were either liars, or pervs, or individuals who just didn't care to know what it was to be the other guy. Even today, nothing had changed about that fact. Flannery remained what she was at this period for all these individuals: an instrument of personal satisfaction. But Fern was by far the worst of them. He deliberately used Flannery as a shield to escape a fate that only existed in his mind. Worse than that, he refused to apologize. Unable to draw a line on this low blow, the redhead just contented herself by looking at the metal gate with resentment until it lowers down while the unemotional boy kept calling her 'irresponsible' to better evacuate his toxic frustration. Tired of this dispute, she didn't reply. When the door was open, Flannery and Fern entered the next room. As surprising as it may seem, Julia was already there with Florinia. The two girls barely noticed the arrival of the firehead, they looked particularly busy.

 

 

Florinia: “This facility’s digital security system appears substandard. Some advanced IT knowledge should be sufficient. Please be patient.”

Julia: “Aw, that’s too bad. But hey, I guess that’s still the best thing to do at this point. If I only was less absent-minded before, we could have blown up this door in no time.”

Florinia: “Ambient temperature on the rise. Ambassador of Hoenn approaching.”

Julia: “Ambassador of Hoenn? What do you… oh!”

 

The few words pronounced by Florinia were enough to make the exploding cheerleader understand that Flannery and her companion were back again. Without waiting, she turned around enthusiastically.

 

 

Julia: “Fern! Flannery! You’re here! How is it possible?!”

Fern: “Hello again, crazy lady! No need to ask. The two ways at the entrance were both leading to the same room. There was nothing of interest to report on our side. And you?”

Julia: “Well… same for us. We bumped into some shady guys on the way, but they were no match for me and Rini. We’ve beaten all of them in a snap, no more, no less. These scoundrels said they were part of Team Meteor or something like that. No matter how many they are, I’m always up for more if I have to.”

Florinia: “Meteor headquarters confirmed beyond gate. Duration of deactivation process: unknown.”

Julia: “Oh yes, that’s true. Sorry to disappoint you guys, but… do you remember when I said that I never go anywhere without my revives?”

Fern: “Yes I do. And? What’s the story?”

Julia: “In fact, when I joined you earlier, I thought I still had some unused revives on me until I decided to boom this door you see with my Voltorb once again. I should have checked my inventory first. *facepalm*”

Fern: “Tsss. Beginner’s mistake. That’s indeed one clumsy move for such a serious mission.”

Flannery: “Don’t listen to him, Julia. We all make mistakes.”

 

The Gym Leader of Peridot Ward had noticed that Fern was talking much more than Flannery who appeared to stay behind the scene. It even worried her a little. For her, the redhead was not in her normal state. Then, out of curiosity, Julia asked her a few questions.

 

 

Julia: “Are you okay, Flannery? Why do you have your head down like this? Did something happen when we were gone?”

Flannery: “No… no. Nothing happened.”

Julia: “Ha? Really? Yet, you look a little more pensive than usual to me. Well… you’ll tell me if you need to talk, okay?”

Flannery: “I’ll think about it, Julia. Thank you. I appreciate your sympathy.”

Julia: “Great! I’m pleased to hear that!”

Flannery: “I know… anyway. Let’s talk about this door, will you? Florinia said the headquarters of Team Meteor are behind it, right? How can she be so sure of that?”

Julia: “I have no idea, Flannery. But hey, why shouldn’t I trust her? It’s so rare for Rini to make mistakes in her prognosis. I don’t want to boast about it, but I’m probably the best person around to proclaim it, since we’ve spent several years together in Onyx Trainer’s School. We were very close, you know. Anyway. In all cases, we’re stuck in this place. This door is sealed shut for whatever reason, and it’s maybe the last defensive wall that keeps us separated from the rest of Team Meteor. Sadly, Voltorb can’t be healed in its current condition, and I can’t afford to sacrifice my ace to clear the way. Electrode will certainly not appreciate if I ask it to self-destruct here and now.”

Flannery: (Interesting. So, Julia’s ace is an Electrode… that’s kind of good to know. And yeah. With such an asset in our ranks, it’s definitely better to keep it in one piece until we’re done with this gate.)

 

Voltorb and Electrode. Two Pokemon that fight with explosive attacks. Through this type of information, Flannery began to better understand what sort of combat techniques Julia was fond of. With the identity of Julia’s Pokemon revealed, the foxy fire girl now knew what to expect from her forthcoming battle against the young cheerleader. But time was not for complacency, Team Meteor had to be stopped first to secure the power plant. Flannery then picked up on Julia’s comments, revealing her the truth behind the intentions of the dangerous organization.

 

Flannery: “It sure doesn’t help us, I agree. However, me and Fern got some precious information we could possibly use to reverse the situation. Would you give me a minute to tell you more about it?”

Julia: “Oh yes, of course! I’m all ears, Flannery! If there’s any chance we can boom off the face of our enemies thanks to it, so I have no objection at all. Please tell me what it is!”

Flannery: “Very well! Hm, where do I start… we successfully managed, me and Fern, to get a few of them talk on the floor below. Grunts have informed us that a crate full of explosives was stored in a storage room located not far from the control room. They told me word for word that these explosives were supposed to be used to blow up the power plant in Peridot Ward this very day. And not only that, I also found out that the Pokemon that have been robbed in the Grand Hall were kept close to this very crate in the same room.”

Julia: “For real!? Wohoo, that’s excellent news you’re giving indeed! Um, I mean… that will help us a lot. If all this is true, then we must hurry to take back these explosives, so we can use them ourselves to destroy this god-damn-forsaken door.”

Florinia: “Why is combustion your solution to any obstacle?”

Julia: “Oh, Rini, please! Why should we deprive ourselves of having fun?”

Fern: “Whatever, ladies. I don’t have time to sit around all day and wait for the Flobot to hack into the system. Let’s just go find some bombs already!”

Julia: “That’s the spirit! For once, Fern says something I agree with!”

Flannery: “Let’s get going then! I can’t wait to kick out the hell of these weirdos from Team Meteor! We’ll be back with their munitions AND the starters!”

Fern: “Go ahead, I’m following you!”

 

Thus, Fern and Flannery moved on to the south wing together to collect the arsenal of the Meteors and save the stolen Pokemon in the storage room. Julia, who was looking for the opportunity to explode things again, was highly pleased by their devotion. Out there, the firehead came across two other grunts of Team Meteor who were awaiting them in a corner and faced them immediately thereafter. But they were no threats for her and Fern. The difference of level and experience between the fire lover and her adversaries was so big that the battle was over in one turn. The two grunts were defeated, and the search could resume normally. But as they were continuing to make their way through the uproar of the noisy machines, Flannery could see a crate filled with sticks of dynamite placed farther at the end of the corridor. Fern told her to hurry, but the redhead wasn’t fooled: she sensed something suspicious about this crate and stopped on her way with the top dog behind her.

 

 

Fern: “Ah! There it is! Let’s keep going!”

Flannery: “Hm… I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Fern: “What?”

Flannery: “Seriously, Fern. You don’t find it weird that a box full of grenades, dynamite and other explosives of all kinds is lying around in plain sight? Something so dangerous should be hidden in a more secure way and not just fully exposed like this. Except if…”

Fern: “Except if ‘what’? What do you have in mind?”

Flannery: “Except if people in this room have been informed in advance of our presence.”

Fern: “What are you insinuating? You think it’s a trap?”

Flannery: “Don’t take my words lightly, Fern. It’s definitely a trap!”

???: “*snurfl* *snurfl*”

Flannery: “Aha!”

 

The proof was in the pudding: there was someone lurking in the shadows of the storage space! But Flannery didn’t want to rush straight ahead either. Intelligent enough for her own safety, she decided to use a sneaky but effective strategy. With a grin on her face, she seized Torkoal’s Pokeball and made him appear right in front of her.

 

 

Torkoal: “Torkooooal!”

Flannery: “Hello again, Torkoal! Me and my partner need some assistance from you. Are you ready for more?”

Torkoal: “Tooor!”

Flannery: “Excellent! Good. Do exactly as I say, and we should be fine. Listen well!”

 

Away from the prying ears of the haughty Grass Type specialist, Flannery kneeled and explained her plan to the Coal Pokemon in whispers. It was not very long. Once she was done, the redhead got up confidently. Fern, who’s been kept out of it, was a little annoyed.

 

Flannery: “You think you can do that for me?”

Torkoal: “Torkoal!”

Fern: “What are you two intending to do? Can I know what you said to him?”

Flannery: “Don’t worry for that, Fern! You’ll see soon enough what my intentions are, you can trust me. Observe!”

Fern: “Pfff. And to think you were the one whining because we didn’t work together. But it’s okay, do what you feel. I can take it upon myself.”

Flannery: “Torkoal! Positions!”

Torkoal: “Toooorkoal!”

 

Flannery’s Pokemon put himself in offensive position on the orders of his mistress, releasing a smoke plume from the top of his shell in the process. This stepped up the pressure of other people nearby as well.

 

Flannery: “Good, Torkoal! Now, use Fire Blast… ON THE DYNAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE!!!”

Fern: “Ah, this. Yeah, that’s not very… wait! WHAT?!?!”

???: “OH GOD, NOT THIS!”

???: “YOU CRAZY MAGGOTS! YOU WON’T DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS WE’RE HERE!”

Flannery: (Let’s see about that, pal!)

 

 

Simply by trying to ignite the powder keg, two grunts emerged from the corners of the storage space and prepared to pounce on Flannery’s Pokemon to prevent it from attacking. At this very moment, the firehead gave Torkoal other instructions.

 

Flannery: “Charge and use Rapid Spin on these two guys!”

Torkoal: “Toooorkooooooal!!!”

???: “WAAAAAAH!!!”

 

Even before the grunts could try anything against the Coal Pokemon, the latter spun around then hurled himself powerfully toward his assailants, charging them with all his might.

 

 

The impact was so violent and sudden that Torkoal had knocked out the two men by himself and sent them flying across the storage room. The grunts ended their flight, landing into the boxes placed next to the crate of explosives and lost consciousness shortly after. Flannery could finally get near the carefully guarded munitions of Team Meteor in all tranquility. She was very proud of herself, her plan worked out as she had expected.

 

 

Flannery: “Good job, Torkoal! You’ve been truly amazing! That was the best Rapid Spin I’ve ever seen in my life!”

Torkoal: “Torkoal!”

 

The Fire Pokemon smiled back at his trainer. For him and for her, it was shared pleasure. Flannery tenderly patted the top of Torkoal’s head before to make him return inside his Pokeball, congratulating him one last time for this outstanding performance. Once it was done, Fern stepped up to the redhead. The boy had some mixed feelings about what he’d seen, so he made it look like he was in owe and complimented the ambassador despite it.

 

Fern: “*clap* *clap* Not bad… not bad at all. You may be as feisty as a Pyroar in a cage, I must admit you were quite promising on this one. I did not even need to call one of my single Pokemon to help us.”

Flannery: “I told you it would work! You see that? There was no risk for my Torkoal to do what I told him with this crate since he never learnt Fire Blast. I knew there was an ambush in here, so my goal was to put pressure on these men and force them to come out of hiding. And since there was only one way to escape, it wasn’t that hard to anticipate their reaction.”

Fern: “Ingenious, really. Of course, I could have silenced these guys with a single Vine Whip of my Snivy, but hey. That was a decent performance to me. I should keep an eye on you in the future, people like you could outshine a lot of students in OTS.”

Flannery: “If you say so. Well. Now that we’re done with these simpletons, let’s pick up the loot already!”

Fern: “Good. You can take the starters if you want, I’ll grab the dynamite for Miss Firework.”

 

That’s what they did. Flannery used this opportunity to take back the briefcase that was containing the stolen Pokemon on one of the unresponsive grunts while Fern picked up the crate of explosives. The foxy lady wanted to make sure that all the Pokeballs were inside the valise, so she couldn’t resist to open it to count them. But since she was not sure of the exact number of Pokemon that were missing in the Grand Hall anymore, Flannery felt a little anxious. There was about ten Pokeballs in the briefcase, but it was impossible for her to know what Pokeball was containing what Pokemon. She and Fern were too short of time to check it out. Having no other choice but moving forward, the two trainers backtracked and returned to Julia and Florinia who were waiting for them in the other room. There, Fern gave Julia the crate while Flannery showed her the briefcase with all the Pokemon robbed to the Grand Hall.

 

 

Julia: “Ha, here you are! Did you find my boomies?”

Flannery: “For sure we did! Not only we found the boomies, but we also managed to recover the starters. They are in this case, that’s one of the grunts who had them.”

Julia: “Ex-ce-llent! Double kudos for you two! Our mission almost comes to its end! Can I get the boomies, Fern?”

Fern: “What if I say ‘no’? Nah, just kidding. Here you go, crazy lady.”

Julia: “Oh my gosh, thank you so much! Now we’re gonna have a fun time! Back up, people!”

Flannery: “No problem, let’s do this!”

 

Julia joyously seized the crate that Fern was handing her. Festivities were about to start. For obvious reasons, Julia could hardly moderate her glee. She tried nonetheless to stay in control of her emotions, but not without some difficulty. Flannery and Fern stood back while Julia placed the explosives in front of the big armored door. As for Florinia, she didn’t move an inch. She stayed focused on her hack of the control panel as if everything was normal. Julia then picked up a grenade lodged between two sticks of dynamite in the crate and started a countdown. Flannery’s heart began to race at full speed as Julia was about to pull the pin out.

 

 

Flannery: (That’s completely crazy when we think about it! I hope she knows what she’s doing with these explosives. All this seems rather excessive for the opening of a simple door.)

Julia: “Okay! Three… two… KAAA…”

 

But just before Julia could pull the pin out, the door slid open in clanks and metallic whistles.

 

Julia: “Eh?!”

Florinia: “The lock has been disengaged. Proceed inside.”

 

The path was clear. Right after that, Florinia went in without further argument under the dumbfounded look of the young cheerleader.

 

 

Julia: “Wait, but… but… the booms? What about the booms?”

 

The surprise effect was so intense. It was like Julia was frozen in place, totally soundless and stiffened. With no answer from Florinia, she dropped the grenade back in the crate and lowered her arms with dismay, after which she rejoined the robot girl in the last room, leaving the explosives behind in her haste.

 

Julia: “Rini! You can’t do that to me. I was just about to… Hey! Rini!!!”

Fern: “Haha, that’s Flobot all the way. Leave it to my sister to ruin everyone’s fun.”

Flannery: “It’s not funny, Fern.”

Fern: “Oh please, don’t make it worse. Well, whatever. I’ll carry the ‘boomies’ myself. As always, I’m counting on you to protect me if anything goes off in there. Comprendo?”

Flannery: “Message well received, Fern. I’ll keep my guard up and yours as well, if that’s how it is.”

Fern: “Good. Now let’s get a move on it.”

 

Having nothing else to say, Flannery followed Fern in the control room of the factory. Inside, there were three persons waiting for them: a couple of grunts with a little difference in uniform design and a strange guy who looked more impressive than the two other individuals. He was wearing a shouldered black jacket with silver edges, long black pants with armor pieces on his thighs, and a red patch which covered his left eye. Everything would indicate that he was the one at the head of the operations of Team Meteor in Mosswater Factory. Without further ado, Julia questioned him. A serious altercation was about to take place.

 

 

Julia: “You there! Are you the one in charge here?”

???: “And if I am?”

Julia: “We’re gonna blow your face off for what you did to Grandview Station!”

???: “How amusing.”

 

For Flannery, jitteriness was at the rendezvous. Needless to say, it was hard for her to stay calm in front of those who’d almost killed her yesterday. The high-spirited daughter of Lavaridge Town could feel her blood boiling from her shoulders to the tip of her fingers. Despite this, she tried her best to listen to the whole speech of the dark-haired guy.

 

???: “Tell me, what sort of power do you think you have to do so?”

Julia: “Why won’t you tell us who you are first instead?”

???: “You know it already. We are Team Meteor, and we never relent. Don’t think you got through this place on your own ability. We had no intention of defeating you. Our purpose here is forfeit for a while now. But it was necessary to let you in, so that we could meet each other face-to-face in more appropriate conditions.”

Julia: “L-let us in?”

???: “Did you really think you hacked our security system so easily? Foolish. From the moment you came into this place, we’ve been surveilling every move you made everywhere in every corridor of every room in this building. Thanks to these cameras we carefully set up this morning, it was child’s play to evaluate the time it would take you to reach us, so we could quietly delete all mission critical data from the local databases. But it seems we overestimated your quickness. The disorder that some of you have caused toward our news recruits has saved us enough time to proceed as intended.”

 

Immediately after that, the grim individual looked right into the flaming eyes of Flannery. He knew what she did in the east wing and spoke to her in a seditious tone.

 

???: “You there. Fire fascinates you, am I right? I must acknowledge that you didn’t make the job easy for us all. This being said, I quite like your way of punishing those who oppose you. We’re alike, you and I. Just imagine where your power could have led you if you were in our ranks. You are… captivating.”

 

In an act of absolute denial, Flannery grumbled and replied angrily in front of the nefarious man.

 

Flannery: “Don’t you dare talk to me anymore! I don’t know who you are, nor where you come from. All I know is that we do not belong to the same team. I refuse to join your group. And I’ll never shake hands with a murderer. However, I would gladly incinerate yours if you told me to do so.”

Julia: “Yeah! Well answered, Flannery!”

???: “*sigh* So much potential wasted. I almost want to cry on it. But enough talk! Let’s see how you and your little friend will fair against a real challenge!”

 

The man turned to the two grunts on his right and gave them the following orders.

 

???: “Aster. Eclipse. Rise and crush this small fries!”

Aster: “As you wish, boss.”

Eclipse: “Hmph. If you say so.”

???: “I can handle the Gym Leaders myself. Try to do better than your subordinates!”

 

Following that, the mastermind of the malicious trio started the fight against both Julia and Florinia in order to drive them out all by himself. Meanwhile, the couple of grunts stiffly approached Flannery and Fern. The male of the couple, Aster, asked the top dog to give him the crate of boomies he was carrying on his own.

 

 

Aster: “Hey, you nerd. Give me the bombs right now!”

Fern: “I won’t give you anything, man. If you want them, come and get them yourself.”

Eclipse: “Naivety is all you, Aster. You didn’t really expect them to obey you, did you?”

Flannery: “We won’t back away! Prepare for fight!”

Aster: “For Team Meteor!”

 

Then came the final showdown of the raid. The man with the red patch ordered his two subalterns, Aster and Eclipse, to take on Flannery and Fern as he was going to deal with the two Gym Leaders in a one-on-two battle. Once again, the tension had reached its highest point. But it was out of question for the firehead and her friends to show any sign of weakness in the presence of the enemy. It was neither the right place, nor the right moment. In all cases, Team Meteor had to pay the price of their cruelty against Reborn and its citizens. But oddly, Flannery had some bad feelings about the couple she was about to face on. These two grunts were looking far more threatening than her previous opponents for some reason. But there was no time for regrets. She and Fern were both ready, Pokeball in hand. Ame’s team had found its last targets. Action had taken off again from the top of Mosswater Factory.

 

Spoiler

 

 

This fight was probably the harshest as well as the most laborious one for Flannery since the day of her arrival in Reborn. She herself was very surprised by the difficulty of this confrontation. Because of her Pokemon’s disadvantage to Rock Type, the redhead was forced to adopt a more defensive technique to overcome these Rockruff. Luckily, Fern’s intervention has allowed her to set up her strategy more easily. In the end, Aster and Eclipse were both defeated by Flannery and her teammate. Once they won the victory, the dark-haired man realized he was himself in a weak position. Alone against four, he couldn’t last for much longer.

 

 

Aster: “Grr!”

Fern: “Well, what will you do now?”

Flannery: (Pchiou. That was close. These rocky doggies sure made this match much harder than I thought.)

???: “So you lost already? How disappointing. I can take on two myself easily, but four… Well, it was an amusing diversion. Don’t think you’ve won though. Remember, you just delay the inevitable. This town will soon be ours.”

Julia: “Don’t even think you can…”

???: “Team Meteor.”

Aster: “Yes, boss?”

???: “Retreat.”

 

Unable to push himself more than he already did, the man with the eye-patch withdrew his Pokemon and ordered a general withdrawal of Team Meteor in the process. At the most unexpected moment, he pulled out a smoke ball and threw it on the ground to blind Ame’s team and run away.

 

 

Flannery: (*cough* *cough* M-My eyes… *cough* …I… …I can’t… *cough* …I can’t see anything… *cough* *cough*)

 

When the smoke subsided, they were nowhere to be seen. Team Meteor had disappeared.

 

 

Julia: “What?! B-But… where are they? Where is Team Meteor?”

Fern: “A cowardly move to better escape us. Why am I not surprised? Well, at least, I still have the explosives with me. Is everyone okay?”

Julia: “I’m fine. And you, Flannery?”

Flannery: “*cough* *cough* Don’t worry for me, I’m alright. The briefcase is still in safe hands. Has anyone managed to see what just happened in here?”

Julia: “Ugh. Sorry, but… no.”

Fern: “Of course not. How the heck did you want us to see anything in this fog?”

Florinia: “Enemy out of range. Vacilys, return.”

 

And so did the rest of the crew. Flannery and her allies called back their own Pokemon to their respective Pokeballs. There was nothing more to do. Without Team Meteor around, the festivities were temporarily suspended. But Flannery couldn’t accept it. Not at all. She felt guilty for letting them get away without doing anything. Her hands were shaking and her head was on the verge of explosion. Then, she glanced at the exit of the room with a look full of hate and wrath. Fleeing was like an insult for the fire girl.

 

 

Flannery: “…hmmm… …HMMMMMMMMM…”

Julia: “Is there something wrong Flannery? You… you’re scaring me a little.”

Fern: “Oh shit, not again!”

Flannery: “You can’t hide from me! NO ONE HAS EVER HIDDEN FROM ME!!!”

 

All of a sudden, Flannery furiously burst into rage in the sight of her companions. Without asking anything to anyone, she went out of the control room and run after the last members of the organization at break-neck speed as they all were dashing out of the factory. It was pure recklessness, she knew that, but the tempestuous daughter of Lavaridge Town couldn’t afford to let these terrorists roam free after everything they did. Flannery tried her best to catch them. So she run.

 

 

Flannery: “You… you’ll see what you get…”

 

And run.

 

 

Flannery: “You tried to kill me. Please, stumble, so I can give you a taste of what it feels like to see your own end coming.”

 

And run.

 

 

Flannery: “You’ll never be safe as long as I’m still breathing!”

 

And run.

 

 

Flannery: “You hear me? NEVEEEEEEEER!!!”

 

And run out of the factory.

 

 

Flannery: “You’ll pay for this, I can tell you. You’ll pay for this!”

 

Alone in the town.

 

 

Flannery: “You’ll pay… for… this.”

 

But it was too late. This manhunt was unsuccessful for the redhead. Breathless, Flannery slowed down the pace and kneeled in the middle of the street as she saw Team Meteor fleeing away to the northern side of the city. She lost her last ounce of energy in this chase. Her heart was beating so hard that it could have jumped out through her chest at any time. Distraught by such injustice, she began to sob next to the train track, pounding her fists on the ground. There was no word to describe the disappointment of the redhead.

 

 

Flannery: (Jacques… the others… I’m sorry. That’s not what I wanted. I messed up. I couldn’t avenge anyone. I’m so, so sorry.)

 

Then suddenly, as Flannery was on the verge of neurosis, a big explosion thundered from inside Mosswater Factory and quickly put an end on this short episode of lamentation. The windows flew off in pieces, large clouds of smoke escaped from the chimneys, and a consuming fire sprang up from the entrance of the huge polluting building. At the same moment, Julia, Fern and Florinia all hurriedly escaped from this chaos. Fern, who was the last in file, managed to avoid the flames just in time.

 

 

Julia: “COOOMING IN HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!”

 

The energy freed by the explosion had made the walls crack from side to side, generating large fissures from which were propelled several lumps of stone that fell all around the factory with a loud thud. A scene worthy of an action movie with stunning special effects. By chance, no one was hurt. The rest of Ame’s team had moved away while Team Meteor’s hideout was falling apart. Mosswater Factory was destroyed. Once calm returned, Flannery rejoined them. In the meantime, Julia still had stars in her eyes just by looking at the result of this massive destruction.

 

 

Julia: “Woohoo, boomings all the way, people! Good job everyone!”

 

However, not everyone was as enthusiastic as the bubbly cheerleader. Julia’s dangerous maneuver had somewhat infuriated Fern who was not shy about complaining to her.

 

Fern: “Ho-ly HELL!! A few centimeters backwards and I wouldn’t be talking! What is it with you gurls, always playing around with fire?”

Julia: “I wasn’t playing with fire, I played with grenades. Not quite the same thing.”

Flannery: (Wait, what?! Is that Julia who blown up the factory?! There’s no doubt about it, she’s even crazier than I am. I love this girl!)

Fern: “Stop changing the subject! I thought I’d seen everything with my fellow arsonist out there, but not. Don’t you realize? I could have died because of you!”

Julia: “And yet, you still have your two legs and your two arms. So why get upset?”

Fern: “You know what, forget it. Arguing further on this point won’t bring anything useful to you and I anyway. I’m done with this mission, so it won’t bother any of you if I get out of here, will it? The next time Ame will need a service, just remind me not to team up with you ever again. I’ll feel much better this way.”

Flannery: “Don’t worry for that, Fern. This won’t be forgotten anytime soon.”

Fern: “Marvelous. Well. You can still dawdle or chat with each other if you want, I’m off for today. Peace!”

 

That was the last thing Fern said before he heads down to Opal Ward. As he moved away, Julia allowed herself to share some thoughts about the grumpy attitude of Florinia’s brother.

 

 

Julia: “Way to sour the mood…”

Florinia: “As always. He may not have a lot of competencies, this one sure is the most pronounced of them.”

Flannery: “For real? If so, then I wouldn’t want to be in your place every day. That’s already tough enough to team up with him for barely an hour, so… well, nevermind. What if we talked about something else?”

Julia: “This is precisely what I was about to suggest you, Flannery. You’ve left so fast that we couldn’t even catch you up. I was afraid you fell into another trap of these Meteor guys. Soon after, I’ve decided to make everything boom in one blow. They’re not gonna hide themselves again in this place for a while if you ask me. But tell me. Did you see where they went?”

Flannery: “Fortunately, yes. I saw some of them running straight to the north part of this street. I don’t know if they have another hideout in town though, but it seemed like they all were heading to the same direction.”

Julia: “The north part of Peridot Ward you said? So they must probably strut somewhere in Jasper Ward as we speak. Who knows, maybe they’ve planned to run another operation over there.”

Florinia: “Hypothesis put aside. Insufficient information. Nonetheless, Obsidia requires further investigation. I caught wind of some strange behaviors about the local plant life in this specific area. I intended to ascertain it myself.”

Flannery: “Really? I mean… you’re sure you can handle it alone? I can still fight. We can always make it together if you want!”

Florinia: “Query denied: assistance not needed. Furthermore, you still have one task to accomplish. Ame must know who the enemy is and must be informed of what has exactly happened in this section of the town. Are you willing to report today's proceedings to Ame for me, Flannery?”

Flannery: “Sure, I can do it! I'll see her, and when I'll be there, I'll also give her back the stolen starters.”

Florinia: “Good. At any rate, I'll go verify how the phenomenon has evolved since my previous visit in Obsidia Ward.”

Julia: “Kaykay, Rini! Thank you for your help! I know you've been really busy since our graduation, but it's nice to get to hang out. Just like old times, right?”

Florinia: “And equally destructive, correct. However, sentimentalities are counter-productive in the current circumstances. I have to go. Farewell.”

 

Without saying anything else, Florinia nodded and left the scene to try elucidating the mystery of this activity she heard about in Obsidia, leaving Flannery and Julia alone in front of what was left of Mosswater Factory. The two girls then enjoyed their last one-on-one moment before returning to their respective duties. Julia wanted to share the admiration she had for the redhead. The performance of the latter in the control room has not left her indifferent actually.

 

 

Julia: “You were amazing today, Flannery! Really! You might not know this, but you’ve won a new supporter in your fan club. The way you imposed yourself against these two grunts... I'm losing my words every time I think back on it. It was more than fight to me. You are a true artist, Flannery! If only my Pokemon could make such beautiful explosions without fainting, I would probably be the happiest person in the world!”

Flannery: “Haha, thank you for the compliment, Julia! Speaking of battling skills, you look pretty good yourself too, you know. I think there's much that we can learn from each other.”

Julia: “For me more than you, couldn't be more sure of it! You gave me goosebumps each time you told your Torkoal to use Overheat! Such a gorgeous move! This would almost make me want to raise up Fire Pokemon myself!”

Flannery: “Don't exaggerate too much either. You have plenty of Pokemon that love you and appreciate you. Don’t turn back on them for so few. The bond that grew up between you and them is already a precious reward in itself. Don’t let anything ruin it. Keep it up!”

Julia: “Yes, yes of course. That was just a saying. Nothing in the world would make me trade my Pokemon with anyone whatsoever. They are like another part of myself, you know. If they were taken away from me, I would be very sad. With everything that happened yesterday, you must certainly know it better than me. Right?”

Flannery: “You got a point, indeed. Torkoal and Vulpix were both in terrible shape when I found them. Without a medical care worthy of the name, they would probably have died and I would have been left alone in this region which I barely know anything about. At this very moment, I thought the world was collapsing around me.”

Julia: “And yet, the life continues, and none of you are dead. By the way, now that you mention it, I do have noticed that Torkoal was much more energetic when we were in the control room. I don’t know how he’s been put back on his feet, but one thing is certain: the difference is tremendously tremendous!”

Flannery: “Haha, yeah this is true! To be honest, I don’t even know everything about the secret of this miracle myself. But regardless of what this secret is, it did the trick more than well to finally put me back on the track of the competition. I feel stronger thanks to it! This makes me want to reach the unreachable again!”

 

The words of the valiant fire girl managed to conquer the heart of Julia who was jiggling euphorically beside her. Unable to conceal her eagerness any longer, the green-haired cheerleader replied and made Flannery a proposal.

 

Julia: “Wooo~ You’re exciting me when you say this! Anyway, you clearly look more confident than yesterday to me. You know what, I would like to judge of your abilities personally. Why won’t you join me in my gym? It’s just a few steps away from here, and I doubt it will randomly blow up in the next few hours.”

Flannery: “I hoped you’d asked me that at some point, Julia. This is extremely generous from you, and I gladly accept your invitation. But as Florinia said, my mission is not totally over yet. When I’ll be done with this report and when I’ll finally give this briefcase to Ame, then I’ll be free to go wherever I want in Reborn. Only then, we’ll be able to fight.”

 

The former student of OTS bounced and wriggled with excitement at the idea of discovering Flannery’s level in an official match. This could finally become real. The forthcoming gym battle opposing Flannery to Julia was now confirmed.

 

Julia: “Yippee ki yay! That’s noted! Whenever you’re ready, come and find me in Neo-Circuit Power Plant. During that time, I’ll go back to my room, just to clean up a little before you arrive. After all, that’s not every day that you welcome an Ambassador of Hoenn at home. And don’t bother with the front door, I won’t make the mistake of locking it again. Don’t forget: I'll be looking forward to our challenge, so go on, get down to the Grand Hall already!”

Flannery: “That’s what I’m gonna do right away! Until then, be prepared! I may only have two Pokemon with me, I have no intention to be overwhelmed by anyone this easily.”

Julia: “You can count on me for that, Flannery! Don’t think I’m gonna hold back simply because you helped us out earlier. I hope to see you soon!”

Flannery: “Me too! Goodbye, Julia!”

 

This concluded the exchange between the two ladies. Flannery saluted her fizzy friend for the last time with one wave of the hand, then began to walk toward the Grand Hall. Thus, Ame’s team was dissolved. Each of its member could finally head back to their personal occupations. The firehead had so much to tell to the Reborn Champion. The fact she managed to identify and put a name to the evil organization responsible for this nascent chaos had helped us to get some inner peace. Of course, she would have loved to complete her work in more radical ways, not to say, wipe off some members of Team Meteor in order to appease her vengeful impulses. But this had to wait for another time. Aside from that, Flannery’s first battle against a Gym Leader of Reborn was approaching fast. The youthful daughter of Lavaridge Town was very eager to compete with Julia who had willingly invited her in the power plant of the city for the occasion. A solid arm wrestling between two passionate trainers was about to take place in the dreary quarter of Peridot Ward. It was with her head held high that Flannery was going to finalize the remaining details of her mission. The facts left unspoken were about to be revealed, and what was removed was about to return to its original place again.

 

 

POKEMON TEAM

Spoiler

Torkoal/Male/Level 19

Nature: Relaxed/Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Moveset: Rapid Spin/Flame Wheel/Protect/Overheat

 

Vulpix/Female/Level 17

Nature: Timid/Ability: Flash Fire

Held Item: None

Moveset: Ember/Baby-Doll Eyes/Will-O-Wisp/Grudge

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

 

[Candy]

5 hours ago, Q-Jei said:

I will also let you sleep with me tonight.

Lewd

jk donut eat me

It’s cute that Flannery and Julia get along well. Given Flannery is a fire type leader I think she enjoys fireworks which go boom too. Speaking of, wonder how Flannery will react to Charlotte and her backstory.

[SilverAngelus]

Nice to see this back up! Those boom effects are on point~ (Julia is very proud of you :3 ) 

 

As much as Meteor deserves consequences for their heinous actions, it's not pleasant to see Flannery so worked up about revenge. She's better than that ;-;

[Q-Jei]

On 7/12/2020 at 8:42 PM, Candy said:

Lewd

jk donut eat me

It’s cute that Flannery and Julia get along well. Given Flannery is a fire type leader I think she enjoys fireworks which go boom too. Speaking of, wonder how Flannery will react to Charlotte and her backstory.

No worries, I'm satiated already  And yeah, Julia and Flannery tend to share some common points with each other, I give you that. However, there might be some subtleties between those two. Julia needs destruction to entertain herself in an inoffensive way while Flannery is more of a daredevil who loves doing things relentlessly and passionately but can't stand to be pushed over the edge. In Flannery's case, I would rather say that destruction is a means of last resort that has been used more than it was supposed to. Sadly, this tempestuous way to be was accentuated because of what she has been through in Reborn. Hopefully, she will "cool down" a little with what is supposed to come next. And yeah, she will definitely have an affinity with Charlotte. Being fire lovers themselves, they will get along well together. Plus, they both have family matters that might strengthen their friendship since Flannery is not that different from an orphan in some way.

 

On 7/12/2020 at 9:48 PM, SilverAngelus said:

Nice to see this back up! Those boom effects are on point~ (Julia is very proud of you :3 ) 

 

As much as Meteor deserves consequences for their heinous actions, it's not pleasant to see Flannery so worked up about revenge. She's better than that ;-;

And so I am  All these edits were more fun to make than I would have thought actually! A nice booming for Julia ^^

And yeah, just like I said to Candy, Flannery's state of mind is not that enjoyable for everyone, which is normal in itself. The thing is, we know why she acted so harshly against thug numreo uno and the Meteor grunt. As we saw a few episodes earlier, her Pokemon and her life were endangered because of them the first day of her trip in Reborn. All the recent events combined have led to an increasing amount of impulsivity inside of Flannery, which have forced her to believe in absolute justice and apply it on her own. Having that said, I can't completely defend Flannery myself either. Otherwise, it would mean that her violent acting could become even more devouring and dangerous than it already was. In other words, she would become what Sirius wanted her to be. This raises some moral issues in the end. But if it can reassure you, I already have anticipated it as from episode 18. This sequence of raging outburst will eventually be attenuated in a very near future, don't worry!

[TheVentusX]

Another well written chapter about the little fire devil I like the way how Flannery talks with Fern, 'cause she tells him the things I would want to hear from our own MC, if he could talk, and the Fern in this chapter was even more dorky than the original one (how could he dare to try to blame Flannery for everything) And even tough she needs to calm her anger sometimes, her hunting after the fleeing Meteors was one of the funniest moments of this chapter My favourite character combination in this chapter was Flannery and Julia, they are made for each other regarding their characteristics, Julia as the cheerleader of destruction and Flannery as the vulcan of emotions I can't wait for their battle against each other

 

Keep it up Q-Jei

[Evi Crystal]

Jesus Christ! Flannery was pretty the savage one there.... It scared me, because Flannery would never do that in my opinion *shivers*

Edited July 16, 2020 by Evi Crystal

[Aphelli]

Wow, I can't believe I managed to so completely miss the release of your chapter. 

It was pretty nice too, although I was quite surprised at Flannery's brutality -- it's well-motivated, of course, but it's still unsettling to see violence escalating this much.

(Although I believe she would have a very long way to go to be what Sirius would wish for her to be)

Your visuals are amazing too. 

 

I'm surprised that no one seemed to comment on Fern's behavior -- and how Flannery was perhaps slightly hypocritical when she complained about the blatant lack of empathy of men she had known. Fern's attempt to defuse and pass the bucket is, if somewhat thoughtless and cowardly, very human in my opinion. It was Flannery's choice to escalate violence to "I'll literally burn you" levels in the confrontation, without Fern's backing. That Fern decided to rather let her down rather than risk being burnt alive as retaliation isn't surprising (not heroic, for sure, but hardly callous). 

[Q-Jei]

On 7/15/2020 at 2:20 PM, Evi Crystal said:

Jesus Christ! Flannery was pretty the savage one there.... It scared me, because Flannery would never do that in my opinion *shivers*

I think it's precisely because this is the first time we see Flannery acting so nastily that so many readers are shocked by this episode in particular. With all the recent moments of violence and unfairness she's been attending to from the day of her arrival, it was pretty difficult for Flannery to stay cool and keep up the same level of toleration all the time. The more she was exposed to violent situations, the more she turned violent herself. But these situations are not just limited to Reborn. Otherwise, she surely would have behaved differently. Five years ago, during the clash with Team Aqua, she herself saw how far a devilish organization could go to achieve its goal. Needless to say, she's been through a lot. And still, I put it mildly. For those who didn't know, Flannery's past in TTOAF refers a lot to the manga which is itself particularly ominous and oppressing at times. It contains scenes that are at least as unsettling as the ones depicted in episode 20, and which at the same time, highlight Flannery's durability considerably. Let me give you some examples of what these scenes are about exactly.

 

Spoiler

• Flannery beaten up by Team Aqua.
• Flannery drowned by Aqua Admin Matt.
• Flannery strangled by Shelly's Ludicolo.
• Flannery hit by Vulpix as it was thrown into her by Shelly's Ludicolo.

 

And believe me, I didn't show you everything. This combined with Reborn's merciless environment, the chance for Flannery to go from love to hate in the presence of evildoers was legitimate and not negligible. Some might say it's a matter of choice to be good or evil through your actions. In Flannery's case, there was a point where she somewhat decided to stop holding back. But don't mistaken with what I wrote above. To me, what happened to Flannery during the raid in Mosswater Factory is a tragedy more than anything else, the creepy result of an infernal sequence of events she shouldn't have been involved in. And what makes it worse is that nothing she did is defendable. I freaking love Flannery myself, and it's a wrench to depict her like that. But somehow, this had to be done one way or another. Fortunately, the advantage of a character like Flannery is that she has several opportunities to grow up and learn from the mistakes she made as the story unfolds. In a future episode, she will eventually realize that the more she fought against injustice, the more ruthless she became. I'll stand by that: Flannery will never end up like Sirius, Tania or Saphira!

[Evi Crystal]

On 7/12/2020 at 2:49 PM, Q-Jei said:

Grunt 2: “Absolutely. Sorry princess, but your darlings are in another castle. Now, get out of here.”

I found a Super Mario bros. reference

[Q-Jei]

 

Spoiler

As noon approached, Flannery’s mission was complete. Thanks to the help of Julia, Florinia and Fern, nothing remained of Team Meteor’s hideout in Peridot Ward. The Mosswater Factory was totally destroyed. Although she didn’t manage to arrest one single grunt of the dangerous organization, Flannery was comforted shortly after by Julia who invited the redhead to challenge her in the Neo-Circuit Power Plant. Flannery gladly accepted the offer of the bubbly cheerleader, but before to proceed further, she had to make a report to Ame on the advice of Florinia. The fiery girl also had to bring her back the briefcase robbed by Team Meteor. This one was containing all the stolen starters. Also, since she wasn’t fully satisfied because of some sensitive events that had occurred during the raid, Flannery was on her way to the Grand Hall with mixed feelings.

 

 

Flannery: (Finally, it’s over! It was definitely one of the worst ordeals I’ve ever experienced, but it’s done now. The least I can say is that Julia is really a good person. This is such a nice gift from her to invite me in her gym for a battle. And yet… I’m not as comfortable as I would like to be. This struggle with these grunts in the factory has left traces that won’t fade away before a long time. I hate acting like I did but I really felt like I was pushed over the edge. It’s sad to admit, but it’s just as if I have become another person right from this moment when I came back to my senses next to Ame in the train station. Or maybe it was my true self from the very beginning. I don’t know. But one thing is certain, I can’t afford to scratch my enemies’ back when I know they took out so many lives yesterday. There were probably children on board. Elderly… Couples… Trainers like me… And they just vanished! Poof! Disappeared! Hopes and dreams reduced to ashes forever! And the most freaking part about this is, it could have been me in the explosion too! It’s just a shame I didn’t manage to take me one prisoner to interrogate. Fortunately, there will be another occasion for it. However, I have some eerie feelings about our next encounter. I don’t want to deal with them again. At least, not too soon and not alone!)

 

Everything became blurrier for Flannery. The redhead was unsure as to the rest of her stay in Reborn since things turned out to be much different from her initial expectations. With Team Meteor operating in Reborn and her guide who had gone missing, she knew she would have a hard time to get mentally ready for what was going to happen next. Then, as she was heading to Opal Ward, Flannery suddenly made the link between what Julia told her in the factory and the school that Jacques had mentioned in his personal story during the train trip.

 

Flannery: (Hm… hey! Now that I think of it, didn’t Julia say she had spent several years in the Onyx Trainer School in the past? If I remember well, Jacques told me yesterday that he had studied for two years in the exact same school. Did they know each other? Were Jacques and Julia students together? After all, he almost has the same role as her and Florinia in the Reborn League. I should ask Julia or Florinia the next time I meet them. Hopefully, they will give me the answers I need and maybe these will help me to find out what kind of person Jacques really was. Anyway. No matter what happens and who he is, answers will have to wait for another time. I have more than one priority to deal with for the moment. Let’s bring this briefcase back to Ame instead.)

 

Not wishing to waste more time in theorizing, the firehead continued her way to the Grand Hall. Back to Opal Ward, she walked up the steps leading to the overwhelming building and went in without further delay. Ame was waiting for her inside, standing in the middle of the main hall. Flannery greeted her and tried to start a conversation with her.

 

Flannery: “Hey Ame! I’m back from my mission. I inspected the factory and found back the starters just like you ordered me. Uh… Ame?”

 

 

But strangely, the white-haired Champion didn’t reply immediately. She who used to be smiley and encouraging didn’t look very enthusiastic this time. There was a bewildered expression on her face. The type of expression that people show when they attend a funeral. Ame’s face was covered of it and it didn’t escape the attention of the redhead who was back from her eventful mission. After a short period of silence, Ame eventually replied to the fire girl.

 

Ame: “Hello Flannery. I hope everything went smooth on your end. Sadly, the same can’t be said for me and my men. We have another problem on our hands and I would like you to come with me. Can you give me the briefcase, please?”

Flannery: “Of course, here it is. But… what is this problem about? Does this have something to do with me?”

 

The redhead handed over the briefcase to Ame who took it without answering Flannery’s question. Instead, she just invited the fire girl to follow her.

 

Ame: “This is very important and I actually hoped you’d be back so we could discuss it together. I would really appreciate if you told me how things went off in the factory, but this will have to wait for another time. Would you follow me, please?”

Flannery: “Sure I do.”

 

Something was off in the Grand Hall. It was as if the Champion was confronted with another issue that required the presence of the young ambassador. Having no idea of what it was and feeling not right to ask anything, Flannery silently followed Ame near the office even though she had some eerie feelings. Her apprehension was amplified as Flannery noticed the couple of policemen that she had previously met on her way back from her training in Opal Ward. They looked quite eager to see her again, but not in a cheerful way.

 

 

Policeman 1: “Ah, finally! It’s been a long time, Miss Moore.”

Flannery: “Hello, sirs. So, can you tell me what’s happening here exactly? I’ve been told by Ame that you and her were dealing with another trouble. What can I do for you?”

Policeman 2: “Not much except coming with us and answering our questions. You’d better check out for yourself what we’re referring to.”

Flannery: “What do you mean by that? And how does that single me out? I don’t understand a single word of what you’re saying.”

Policeman 2: “Oh, you don’t? Really? Well. We’ll see how your memory will flood back once you’ve seen this.”

Flannery: “What you…? *gasp*”

 

Just as she looked to her left, Flannery quickly understood what made her interlocutors so concerned. The blond boy with the blue jacket was lying unconscious on a stretcher. He was as stiff as a board, his face almost doubled in size. His eyes gave the impression they were looking into space, totally lost and unresponsive. Only his jaw was moving. It was shaking weakly, as if it didn’t know if it should be opened or closed. The two thugs from earlier were present too, standing close to their banged up comrade. Flannery was particularly shocked by what she saw.

 

 

Policeman 2: “People outside claimed that they’ve heard a thumping sound early in the morning and shortly after we ran into you at the foot of the bridge, me and my colleague have seen this poor guy on the ground. He was unable to move… and he still is.”

Policeman 1: “We’ve been acknowledged by these two men over here that a violent altercation had occurred on the top of the Opal Bridge. Turbulent conversations about threat and physical aggression. We would like to take note of your attestation since we’ve heard from them that you apparently have something to do with the bad shape of their friend. Do you recognize this man?”

 

When the officers asked her if she and the hotshot had already met somewhere, Flannery could barely say a word. Instead of speaking and having no way of responding because of the guilt that was building up inside of her, the redhead just put her hands on her forehead with embarrassment and fear. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she made a blunder that was probably going to cost her a lot. She could feel her stomach gurgling, but it had nothing to do with hunger. Flannery didn’t see a way out. She was cornered. The two companions of the debilitated boy could sense the restlessness that was overwhelming the fire girl, much to their greatest delight.

 

Flannery: (…)

Thug 3: (You won’t get away this time, you punk!)

Thug 2: (Come on! Try to play tough again! Let’s show us how admirable and authentic you are as a vigilante!)

 

Irritated by Flannery’s silence, one of the policemen repeated his question a second time.

 

Policeman 1: “Will you answer to us? There are witnesses in front of you. They said they saw you punching their fellow in the face deliberately. Is that true?”

Flannery: (It can’t be possible. I can’t accept that this is happening for real. I made this whack job a cripple and I’m going to get arrested because I wanted to take justice in my own hands. If only a vanishing force could take me here and now, I would embrace it without a thought. But nothing can help me, right? I’m lost if I tell the truth, I’m lost if I don’t. This is gonna be the worst day of my life.)

 

Everybody was still waiting for Flannery to speak, but she didn’t know what to do at all. There was no doubt for all those around the firehead that she was involved in this affair.

 

Policeman 1: “You’re not ready enough to shoulder the weight of your fault, am I right? I know I can’t get anything from you just by waiting. So, we’ll proceed in another way. I invite you to get close to this guy. Right now.”

 

Flannery timidly approached the hotshot who was still in critical condition. He didn’t seem to react to the presence of the redhead.

 

 

Flannery: (How horrible! Why am I forced to live with this?)

Policeman 1: “Look at him! Look at him! You see this person right there? I want you to concentrate on his gaze. Nothing but his gaze. You’re not allowed to blink, I tell you. Now, focus. Look into his eyes and tell us what you see!”

Flannery: (…)

 

As Flannery reluctantly stared into the eyes of the hotshot, she progressively felt herself being engulfed by a ghastly stream of remorse and destructive sensations. Physically, she was still in the Grand Hall with Ame and the others. But psychically, she was dragged into another plan. A mysterious, cold and surreal landscape of her own creation influenced by the most tortured facets of her subconscious. Sucked up by the bottomless void of what seemed to be a blank stare at first, the redhead was actually going to penetrate into a room filled up with pictural representations of the most traumatizing memory of her childhood. A chronological reconstitution of a sad day when everything went from laughter to tears for her and her parents.

 

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

FLASHBACK SCENE

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

 

 

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

FLASHBACK END

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

 

After several minutes of deep thoughts and sad memories, these shattering pictures that the firehead was so afraid to see again eventually recede into the distance and disappeared from her sight. Back to the present time, she took a step backwards and raised her head in the direction of the policemen, completely disheartened. Too overwhelmed by the harsh reality of her human condition, Flannery cracked, bringing her suspenseful silence to an end.

 

 

Flannery: “So this is what I’ve been this whole time, right? The type of person who is unable to think beyond the force of their fists and spreads pain on instinct. I’m a scum?”

Policeman 1: “I don’t know what you are, but I know what you did. Haven’t you seen it yet? Because of you, the life of this man won’t be the same again. Because of what you did, he can’t speak anymore, he can’t eat anymore, he can’t walk anymore, he can’t think anymore!”

Flannery: “No… this is not what I wanted. This is not fair!”

Policeman 2: “Because you think it’s fair to live with the damage you’ve caused? Whether you’re sincere or not, I hope you realize you’re not the only one who didn’t want this to happen.”

Policeman 1: “Now listen to us, miss. We are aware of your status as an ambassador of Hoenn and we know what it means to you. Until now, your arrival in this town as a foreigner was tolerated with all the honors that are due to you. But this time, we won’t help you. Our tolerance has its limits, and this applies to all the citizens of this city. Yes, all of them. And no one, you hear me, no one should be treated like this. Mistakes of this magnitude can’t go unnoticed. So, you’ll come with us and remain silent until we get to the police station in Jasper Ward for your indictment.”

Thug 3: (BOOM! This is what you get, bitch! An end worthy of the smegheads of your kind.)

Thug 2: (Accept it. You’ll never have the last word with us, whoever you are. Have a nice stay in jail, you twat!)

 

Suddenly, just as Flannery realized that the unyielding hand of the law was closing in on her, she snapped out of it, took her courage in both hands and tried to describe her version of the facts. She refused to let anyone believe that she was the only one to blame in this case.

 

Flannery: “Uh, ok… just… wait! I know… it’s true, I admit it! I am the one who attacked this man you see on the stretcher, but there are things you all need to know about him and his buddies before my incarceration. Believe me or not, it would be wrong if you didn’t allow me to tell you what I have witnessed on the top of the bridge this morning. Maybe then, you’ll be less protective of those you’re currently taking the defense of. I insist, you must know who they are and what they did.”

Policeman 1: “You’re loosening your tongue by yourself! Great, I can’t wait to hear your explanation to justify your actions. But I have to tell you, you’ll need rock-solid arguments to convince us, me and my colleague!”

Flannery: “These guys must have convinced you that they were the only victims in this story. Trust whoever you want, but you have to understand that there is no smoke without fire! And despite me being a former fire Gym Leader, I assure you that this time, it wasn’t me who drew the first sparks. I’ve seen horrible things that could upset anybody that has even a tiny bit of common sense. All I wanted to do this morning was to help for the reeducation of my Pokemon. I didn’t go out for taking someone bare-handed in the first place.”

Policeman 2: “Really? So, what exactly are these horrible things you’re talking about?”

Policeman 1: “Our patience is not infinite, so please, get to the point while it’s still possible.”

Thug 2: (Don’t even think you can make them believe anything!)

Thug 3: (Give up already, girl! It will save us a lotta time!)

Flannery: “You’re sick of waiting? Me too, so let’s get the truth out! These three guys are Pokemon abusers. I’ve caught them beating a Zigzagoon on the east side of Opal Ward after I had some battles with the other trainers. And this hotshot that I knocked down is the one responsible for the suffering of the poor thing. He whipped a Zigzagoon with his belt and had also hurt one of my own Pokemon on purpose.”

Policemen 1 & 2: “…”

Flannery: “My reaction may have been disproportionate, I assume that Pokemon have the right for justice too, which doesn’t seem to be the case in this city. Attending such atrocities twice in less than 24 hours was enough to encourage me in this belief.”

 

While Flannery was explaining in detail what truly happened behind the scene she attended in the morning, Ame, who remained silent all this time, eventually entered into the conversation. Indeed, she already stated that the issue discussed by the firehead was one of her most important matters of concern.

 

Ame: “And this is actually a crucial point we’re trying to consider for a few days now. If I may have the permission to speak, I would like to let you all know that a reintroduction program has been initiated in the vicinity of Opal Ward very recently. With the voluntary contribution of our best breeders in touch with Hoenn, we had the opportunity to repopulate the yard of the Grand Hall with about six young Zigzagoon, which is not a huge number. Needless to say, they are listed on the official endangered species list. Additionally, this information has been provided to the public for over a week. If brutalizing Pokemon in the wild for free is obnoxious, jeopardizing protected species is even worse. This can in no case be tolerated. By the way, rumors mentioning Pokemon abusing in western districts of the town have come down to me as well, and those are becoming more and more frequent.”

 

The policemen looked at each other with confusion whereas the two thugs who were standing next to the stretcher remained impassive. The white-haired patroness of the League then turned to the worried ambassador.

 

Ame: “Flannery, I would understand why you were so upset about these guys if this really happened. But you know as well as I do that nothing can be done against them if you have no evidence to support such allegations. Subjects of this kind are no joking matter for the Reborn League. So, I’m asking you. Have you any proof of this?”

Flannery: “P-proof? My proof?”

Ame: “Yes, your proof. Show us your proof.”

 

Flannery was hesitant. With no physical means to prove her statements, she was still in a position of weakness. The redhead had no choice but to accept with regret her inability to back up all the things she said about the cruel fate of the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon. Ame felt it and was almost tempted to share Flannery’s disappointment.

 

Flannery: “But… but I don’t have any proof.”

Ame: “*sigh* This is so sad to hear. I am truly sorry, Flannery.”

Policeman 1: “That’s a shame.”

Thug 3: (Yeah, a real shame. So real that she broke the embarrassment counter for herself. Farewell, loser.)

 

There was no way out for Flannery. Her adventure was about to take a turn she didn’t expect. She was already imagining herself sitting alone on the bench of a cell. But as the demoralized firehead was about to leave the scene in despair with the couple of police officers, to everybody’s surprise, a little girl dashed through the Grand Hall at full speed at the last minute. She clearly seemed to be in a hurry and her face was pretty familiar to the fire lady.

 

???: “Out of my way, out of my way! Let me pass, this is an emergency!”

Thug 2: (This voice! I’ve already heard it somewhere. Could it be…)

Flannery: “Dounia!”

 

 

While everybody was focused on Flannery’s arrestation, Dounia popped out of the blue and rushed to the back of the hall with a small Pokemon who was running with her: the Zigzagoon that Flannery saved in Opal Ward a few hours ago. The redhead could easily recognize it since it had the same facial injuries when she came across the group of thugs.

 

Dounia: “Excuse me, this is a police matter! Please, let me pass!”

 

The young healer stopped right in front of the policemen but didn’t expect to see Flannery surrounded by them. The two girls were actually pretty surprised to meet each other, especially since Dounia made it clear that she had no desire to go back to the Grand Hall.

 

 

Dounia: “Flannery! You’re here! What’s happening to you, friend?”

Policeman 1: “Friend? Do you girls know each other?”

Flannery: “This is kind of a complicated story. I could ask you the same question, Dounia. Unfortunately, this is no time for celebration. In case you haven’t noticed, the guys who beat my Vulpix have made it again. I’ve caught them in the act of abusing a Zigzagoon this morning and I’ve decided to handle them myself. If I’d known where my impulses of vigilante would take me… Well, you know what I mean. It’s not a good day to be a hero in Reborn. With no evidence to prove my words, I’m nothing.”

Dounia: “Waitwaitwait! WHAT? Let me get this straight: you’re actually telling me that YOU were saving a Pokemon in distress and YOU are the one who get busted?! Really?! Are you kidding me?!?!”

 

It didn’t take long for Dounia to understand that the former Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town was going to be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. The daring child was definitely decided to bring the trust to light at all cost and moved down in the hall, so she could easily recognize the three troublemakers behind the redhead from afar. She taunted them by waving at them.

 

 

Dounia: “Good morning, guys! Did I miss you?~”

Thug 2: “Oh, come on! Here comes that damn brat again! Back off bitch!”

Thug 3: “Hey! You’re dumb or what, bro?!”

Thug 2: “*gasp*”

 

This impulsive reaction from the streetrat was not to Ame’s liking who glared at him irritably. Such a behavior started to create confusion among the policemen who didn’t know which way to look anymore.

 

Policeman 1: “Can someone explain me what’s the meaning of this? Why are you so rude with this little girl, young man?”

 

But the streetrat didn’t reply. Instead, he simply put his hands on his mouth with embarrassment just like Flannery did when she saw the hotshot on the stretcher for the first time.

 

Dounia: “You shouldn’t be too harsh with this boy, sir. Believe me, I feel him. This is as if you did a big mistake like breaking a pot at home and you didn’t want your mother to spot anything that could lead her to you, the culprit. And I precisely have more evidence than needed to prove you that a crime has indeed been committed against this stray Pokemon that is standing by my side.”

Zigzagoon: “Zigzagoon!”

Policeman 2: “Interesting. Before to go any further, may I ask who you are?”

 

Without hesitating and to the great surprise of Flannery, Dounia identified herself to the policemen.

 

Dounia: “I’m Dounia Pastor, the daughter of the nurse in charge in the Grand Hall. And I came to make my report about a strange case in which I believe this man here was involved.”

 

She pointed at the hotshot who was lying on the stretcher.

 

Flannery: (Oh… Dounia...)

Thug 3: (It stinks like hell for us, bro…)

 

Then, the intrepid healer didn’t wait for any of the adults around to speak for her and hurried to explain with great precision what she had discovered some tens of minutes earlier in the city.

 

 

Dounia: “All of this happened during the second half of this morning. Maybe some of you already know that, but I used to go for a morning walk every day from Peridot to Opal Ward. I was strolling on my regular route and as I was passing behind the Neo-Circuit Power Plant, I’ve heard a high-pitched, distorted voice that was coming from a strangely isolated dead end. Because I’m too curious for my own good, I naturally lent an ear and made my way to the source of the moans. Or at least, I thought it was moans. And oddly enough, I was right. I approached and looked closely to realize that I was in front of a small Pokemon: a disoriented Zigzagoon that was lying near a dumpster. It looked particularly intimidated by my presence as well as aberrantly exhausted. I took a few steps in the direction of the little thing but it kept moving backward to the dumpster with a fearful look. After spending four or five minutes to gain its trust by feeding it some snackos, I’ve noticed that it was badly wounded on the face. Not only that, it was also carrying something in its mouth. Something in leather. Something that is commonly used by ruthless individuals to make Pokemon behave when they do not obey, if you know what I mean. After a brief examination on site, I deduced that there might actually be something ‘humane’ behind the pitiful state of this Zigzagoon after all. So, I took all the precautions I had at this time to preserve and eventually bring you what could possibly be the key to track down the one responsible for this ‘unintended mischief’.”

 

As she was taking the stand in some sarcastic but yet coherent way, Dounia took out a plastic pocket that she was hiding under her shirt. It contained the belt used by the hotshot to beat Zigzagoon. This unexpected move from the daring kid didn’t fail to give cold sweats to the henchmen of the vile torturer.

 

 

Thug 3: (Derp.)

Policeman 2: “Excuse me, but… what is it?”

Dounia: “That all depends on you and your perspective. Some might consider it as an irrelevant clothing accessory while the others might view it as a tool of domination. Believe me, I’ve been observing the growing chaos in this town for two weeks now, which is more than enough to help recognizing abused Pokemon when you come across them. Because of that, I’ve learnt to resolve incidents of this kind more and more cautiously. The DNA on this belt should help you to figure out what’s real and what’s not. Haven’t you noticed that this man lying here is wearing his pants way more under the navel than normal.”

Policeman 2: “Huh!?”

 

Dounia’s sense of observation was working in her favor. Indeed, the officers quickly realized that there was no belt around the waist of the guy on the stretcher which made him more suspicious to them. Flannery and Ame both remained silent as well as very attentive to the ironic yet pertinent intervention of the pink-haired child.

 

Dounia: “If you’re still not convinced by gene prints, you can always wrap this belt around the waist of this poor fellow. However, it would be a beautiful waste. As we might say, the traces left on a crime scene never lie. Do as you like. But whatever you decide, you’d better remember those who went out of their way to defend the Pokemon rehabilitation program while you guys were not there to take this matter into your own hands.”

Policemen 1 & 2: “…”

Dounia: “So, what do you think of it?”

 

Flannery was amazed by the audacity and the ingenuity of the little healer, although she didn’t feel totally relieved either. The clarifications brought by Dounia left the couple of policemen speechless. They were tempted to reconsider the whole issue and eventually left it entirely up to Ame whose word would prove to be irrefutable on this matter.

 

Policeman 1: “Indeed, if everything you said is true, this would be a considerable game changer for everyone involved in this altercation. But I fear that this exceeds a little too far beyond our abilities.”

Policeman 2: “I couldn’t have said it better, colleague. It’s not up to us anymore. We’ll bow to your judgement, Miss Ame. What are your orders?”

 

Everyone fell silent. All were waiting for the stoic patroness of the Grand Hall to express her opinion on this. Despite the fact that Flannery didn’t have high hopes regarding her acquittal, the position of the Reborn Champion was clear and unequivocal. After a few seconds of serious reflection, she delivered the verdict.

 

Ame: “Hm…”

Flannery: (If I must pay or go to jail for acting irresponsibly, please say it now. I’m ready for this. I know I’m fucked anyway, so what’s the hold up?)

Ame: “Flannery.”

Flannery: “Yes?”

Ame: “Can you wait for me here with Dounia while I sort things out downstairs with these young gentlemen over there?”

 

Ame pointed at the rascals who were holding back in a corner of the room. Dounia, whose energy seemed to be inexhaustible, answered in the affirmative for the redhead.

 

Dounia: “With great pleasure, Miss Ame.”

Flannery: “Y-yes, that’s what I wanted to say. With… great pleasure, Ame.”

Thugs 2 & 3: (Oh, fuck.)

 

After that, Ame approached the thugs and told them the following instructions.

 

Ame: “You, come with me. I’m thrilling to hear the full version of this story from your mouth.”

Thug 2: “B-but… How do you want us to tell you more than what we know? We were not even aware of this incident.”

Ame: “Really? Well. I’m still going to check if we don’t have another metal chair left in the storeroom.”

Thug 2: “A metal chair? W-what will you do with this.”

Ame: “You’ll see.~”

Policeman 1: “Miss Ame, you won’t start this all over again, will you?”

Ame: “Excuse me? I was under the impression I was in charge here. We’ll follow the procedure as planned. Additionally, I would like to remind you that the police station in Jasper Ward and the Grand Hall are both economically and socially interconnected to each other. If I ask you to do something, remember that it’s part of your job. Does that seem clear to you?”

Policeman 1: “Yes, miss.”

Ame: “Then I believe we’re done here. Please, would you show these three guys the way to the basement? A questioning has to be established right away and I would like to speak with Flannery in private thereafter.”

Policemen 1 & 2: “For sure, miss!”

 

Without waiting any longer, the officers carried the stretcher down to the basement with the hotshot lying on it. They were closely followed by the youngster and the streetrat who looked particularly disenchanted. Ame said goodbye to Flannery one last time before to join the rest of the men downstairs, so she could prepare the questioning in proper conditions. Only Flannery and Dounia have stayed on the ground floor next to the counter of the office. The firehead couldn’t do much but express her gratitude to the nurse’s apprentice.

 

 

Flannery: “Pchiou! What a rollercoaster! Thank you so much for your intervention, Dounia! Honestly, I didn’t expect you to show up here and I doubt I would have been able to defend myself as well as you did. From the bottom of my heart, thank you again!”

Dounia: “You’re welcome, Flannery! And the same goes for me, I didn’t think we would meet again so soon either and certainly not in this place. Believe it or not, this is pure coincidence! Zigzagoon can testify. Am I right, Ziggy?”

Zigzagoon: “Zigzagoon!”

Flannery: “Wait, did you make Zigzagoon yours?”

Dounia: “Isn’t that obvious? Yeah, while I examined this little guy in Peridot Ward, I’ve made sure that besides the fucking belt, it wasn’t carrying anything else. No collar, no bracelet, no tag with a name written on it. Nothing. So, I fed him, gained his trust and… well, you got the picture. I have to say, he’s by far the fastest Zigzagoon I’ve seen in my life. I wouldn’t be surprised if, by any chance, he used Extreme Speed to escape his aggressors. If so, that’s just one more reason for me to protect this precious baby. In all cases, he doesn’t seem to have any objection to it.”

 

Zigzagoon wagged his tail happily as a sign of agreement to Dounia’s words.

 

Zigzagoon: “Ziggyyyyy!”

Dounia: “Ha! Did you see?”

Flannery: “Haha, yes, I did! I’m sure he will make it better with you than alone in the wild. No doubt about it.”

Dounia: “I hope so. There’s still some basics I need to learn to be a good trainer and it’s clear that I’m way under your level at the moment.”

Flannery: “This will come naturally, I assure you. Someday.”

 

Flannery was pleased by Dounia’s presence. This little conversation girl to girl helped her to put the bad vibes of her guilt sideway for a moment. Then, after remembering the content of the first discussion they had yesterday, Flannery wanted to know more about the motives of the little healer.

 

Flannery: “This is awkward, don’t you think? Yesterday, you’ve sworn you wouldn’t come back to the Grand Hall for a while. Yet, here you are. This time, it was as if you didn’t care about getting caught by the cops and forced to live with your mother again despite everything you said about her. Did you change your mind?”

Dounia: “You’re closer to the truth than you think, Flannery. Seriously, I could have largely taken care of Zigzagoon in my area without even bothering to talk to the police. But before digging around about my family stuff or Pokemon rights, I have to confide in you about something. In fact, I’m almost convinced that if you didn’t come to my hiding place yesterday, I wouldn’t have moved an inch to return in the Grand Hall. But like… not at all.”

Flannery: “You’re intriguing me. Does it have something to do with my victory against you in Peridot?”

Dounia: “There is a little of that, indeed. This battle with you reminded me of how vulnerable I could be in a world like this one. Seriously, I can easily find myself into trouble even when I have my Pokemon with me, so how could you expect me to keep surviving if they’re all unable to fight?”

Flannery: “You’re right! But there must be something else. Remember, you made it clear that you felt resentful about your mother for being too proud or… possessive… if I’m not mistaken. So, what made you come back exactly?”

Dounia: “Do you really want to know? Fine. But firstly first, I would like to ask you a question. When was the last time you had a nightmare and how did you feel about it?”

 

It didn’t take long for the redhead to make the link between Dounia’s question and this strange dream she had shortly after the accident in Grandview Station. Flannery described this dream to Dounia.

 

Flannery: “I don’t know why you ask me this, but I do have a few answers if that’s what you want. My last nightmare happened yesterday, shortly before my arrival in Reborn. In my nightmare, I was floating in the middle of nowhere, totally unconscious and I was unable to move. I was in pain everytime I tried to move my legs or my arms, which made me panic, so I started to cry for help. And when I thought everything was over with my life, I saw Vulpix appearing just in front of me. She was able to speak and told me to stop crying. She explained me how I escaped death thanks to Torkoal who sacrificed himself by ejecting me out of the train that crashed against Grandview Station. She also told me that he and she needed to be saved in turns. Afterwards, she disappeared in a portal of light and everything turned black around me. Although everything that was left in this dream was a feeling of sadness, it actually picked me up for finding them and rescue them in town. Even today, I keep believing that it was a premonitory dream.”

 

 

The description of Flannery’s nightmare was very surprising for Dounia. She realized with shock that the redhead was one of the passengers of the train that had exploded the previous day. Dounia shared the pain of her friend and tried to comfort her.

 

Dounia: “Wait! You mean you were on board of this train that crashed through Grandview Station? But I didn’t even know about that! You should have told me!”

Flannery: “It’s true. But try to see my point, you can hardly talk about something so horrible with someone you barely know. I didn’t consider it as necessary at first, so I thought it was better to keep it for myself.”

Dounia: “Maybe. But now, I understand better why you feel so down right now! This is mad. Your story is so sad that I wonder if it wouldn’t give me the blues sometimes.”

Flannery: “This is precisely why I tried to move forward after that. Sadly, the reality is that it’s much harder to do in practice than it sounds.”

Dounia: “I don’t doubt it. Just keep in mind that communication can help you a lot. Endless brooding is not the solution. I’m here for you if you need to talk.”

Flannery: “This is too nice, thank you. You’re really a good person, Dounia.”

Dounia: “Ahah, you’re welcome. That’s always a pleasure to brighten someone’s day like this.”

 

 

The two girls smiled at each other with relief. Then, Dounia got back to the concerns she initially wanted to talk about.

 

Dounia: “Well, I feel you for having been through so much in less than a day. At least, we’re alike you and I. You care about what you see in your dreams as if they contained cryptic messages to decode. As I said, I needed to confide in you about something. If I asked you this question about nightmares, this is precisely because I had one myself too. However, unlike yours, mine was way more morbid and destructive than emotional.”

Flannery: “Morbid? Destructive? You mean, like in a science fiction movie?”

Dounia: “Yeah, something like this. It happened to me shortly after I fell asleep on my couch last night. It was very… oppressing, to say the least. In my dream, Reborn was in mayhem, caught in a meteor storm. People were running in the streets in panic while large flaming rocks were hitting the streets, the roofs of their homes and… sometimes the civilians themselves. Nobody felt safe anymore. And as if it wasn’t enough, the ground didn’t stop shaking because of an earthquake. Buildings and important places were dragged into fissures that separated the town from side to side. This plus the air that had become less and less breathable because of the heat just added more stress to everyone. It was a show worthy of an apocalypse, really. There even was a bunch of children who literally killed themselves by jumping into the poisoned water of the lake. As for myself, I had nowhere to hide. I’ve fled as fast as I could, but all the places that could have served me as a shelter all got destroyed one by one everywhere I went. Meanwhile, I could hear the voice of my mother in my head. She was crying and screaming my name as the entire city was crumbling and burning down from all the quarters. All these horrible visions kept coming back and forth before my eyes with demonic frequencies. I began to lose faith and was almost convinced that I was the next one to die. Interestingly, there also was a strange person far into the sky who was watching the city from above, but I couldn’t identify who it was. All I could see was their silhouette. However, I’m totally sure that this person was riding a Dragon-Type Pokemon, but then again, it was too far away from me, so I wasn’t sure about the species of this Pokemon either.”

 

 

Flannery: “Hell, that sure is a disturbing story! Did you have other dreams like this one?”

Dounia: “Sincerely, no. And I seriously hope that it won’t come true someday.”

Flannery: “No wonder you don’t want this to come true. For my part, I like pyrotechnics, but not that much.”

 

The nurse’s apprentice couldn’t help but giggle at Flannery’s comment, even though she was still a little unsettled by her nightmare just at the mention of it.

 

Dounia: “Ahah, nice one Flannery, nice one! Well… To summarize, I took this nightmare as a sign that I couldn’t take the risk of going my own separate way all alone anymore. It seemed to me like the harbinger of a jeopardized childhood. As anyone will tell you, Reborn had become a dangerous place. Too dangerous to be explored without assistance to be exact. And our last battle in my hiding place had subconsciously made me aware of my own fragility as a child. Also, I’ve decided it was better for me to face my mother like an adult. Otherwise, it would have been as cowardly as turning a blind eye on the treatment of a wound that has been left open for too long. This is not worthy of a person like me, especially since I potentially knew how to clean this wound from the beginning. Do you understand me, Flannery?”

 

The young firehead nodded and took the opportunity to express her personal opinion as a response to Dounia’s confidence.

 

Flannery: “Yeah, I get your point. If you think you can handle your disagreements with your mother in a way that doesn’t hurt her, go for it. Anyway, if you don’t have a lot of options left, you should choose the one that is safer for both of you. Look where I’m at now. I’m not a kid anymore but it doesn’t mean that I’m invincible against all the troubles that are lurking around in this town. For my part, I’ve learned the hard way that taking the law can be self-destructive if you can’t refrain your impulses. Sooner or later, regrets set up into your life because you tried too hard, or not in conventional ways, to fight evil and everything you’ve planned before just get fucked up. All this because you opted for the rougher path.”

Dounia: “The path of the Dark Knight… hm, yeah… I think I know what you mean… You are the one who knocked out this hotshot this morning, right?”

Flannery: “Correct. But I can’t say that I’m proud of it to be honest. Something has changed in me, I feel it. It’s as if I’ve downgraded myself morally since the day of my departure from Hoenn. When you’re targeted in an assassination attempt and when you see the Pokemon you’ve grown with on the verge of death twice in the same day, you’re lying to yourself when you claim that everything is alright and you can’t act like nothing has happened with the same coherence as before. Maybe I’m not strong enough… but it’s just like my mental health has been flipped upside down. With no one by your side to cheer you up in such difficult times, you’re questioning all your previous decisions and it’s at this very moment that ‘good’ people become mad and turn into this ugliest version of themselves. But now, I wonder if this ugly version of myself wasn’t my true self all along.”

Dounia: “Oh… Flannery… You can’t say this.”

Flannery: “A part of myself is dead in this accident. Today, I’ve almost lost sight of why I came in this region in the first place. I have this feeling that, no matter what happens, I keep opting for the worst possible decisions endlessly, just like a light-headed kid who does everything wrong. All I wanted was just to live an adventure, enjoy my freedom, discover new places and take on the Reborn League, but I never wanted to get trapped in a town full of terrorists and mobsters whose main occupation is to destroy other people’s lives. This makes my future uncertain… and frankly… it hurts.”

 

The monotonous tone of Flannery didn’t go unnoticed by Dounia who felt sorry for her fiery friend. For the young healer, this confession was like the symptom of a disease of the mind and she struggled to imagine how she could treat it.

 

Dounia: “I see what you’re getting at, Flannery. Just so you know, I highly doubt you’re a bad person. To me, I would even say that you have more moral sense than most people in this region. The proof is in the pudding. You’ve gone berserk with someone who deliberately did the worst things you and I could possibly imagine and even after you kicked his ass, you feel bad for him. Seriously, when you openly claim that the person you fear the most is yourself, it’s more like a sign of wisdom than anything else to me.”

Flannery: “Yes, this is indeed how I tend to feel about myself right now. The problem is, I also fear the consequences of my actions. Unfortunately, nothing good ever happened to me after I felt so remorseful.”

Dounia: “Oh, come on. Seriously, you really think you’ll get incarcerated because you punched this scumbag of a Pokemon abuser in the face? Even for me, it was obvious that Ame didn’t want you to be treated like a criminal. Didn’t you hear how she called these cops to order earlier? Believe me, Flannery. There’s definitely more than one person here who’s ready to take your defense. And if you ever find yourself in jail, you can always count on me to bail you out!”

 

These last words from Nurse Joy’s daughter warmed up the heart of the humble firehead. It only took one show of support for the latter to crack a smile and boost her self-confidence again.

 

Flannery: “Thank you, Dounia. This is very touching. I’ll remember that if things get out of hand for me.”

Dounia: “That’s the spirit! However, there’s still some grey areas in your monologue from before. If you can’t stand to be alone, why didn’t you think about making your journey with a close friend of yours? Or… someone who you know will always care about you?”

Flannery: “It’s a good thing you ask, Dounia! Because I did! That was the plan from the very beginning and I had a long discussion about this with Ame the day before my departure from Hoenn. There was someone with me. We boarded together in the train for Reborn. But sadly… this person is gone.”

Dounia: “Oh… I see… sorry for this Flannery… I didn’t know…”

Flannery: “You don’t have to say sorry to me. Your compassion should better go for him and all those who were not as lucky as I was.”

 

Dounia empathized with the redhead. Ignoring that the poor redhead had lost a fellow traveler in the accident of Grandview Station, she looked down with a pensive face and stopped talking as a mark of respect for this unknown friend of Flannery. After some seconds of silence, Dounia raised her head and offered a surprising suggestion to the fire lady.

 

Dounia: “This is… uh… I don’t even know what to say. This is too frightening and sad for me to handle. No wonder you’re giving up hope so easily. I wish you’d have never been through all of this. It’s clear that you can’t keep living your life while enduring the pain of your loss in such critical conditions. Well… whoever this person was, um… yeah, there is no easy way to say it, but… I guess I could come along on one of your adventures if you want.”

 

Simply listening to the suggestion of the nurse’s apprentice made Flannery’s eyes widen. Dounia was totally conscious of it and almost felt odd asking this. For fear of being misunderstood, she timidly tried to reassure the redhead about her intentions.

 

Dounia: “Please forgive me for the way I express myself! I didn’t mean to hurt you. Maybe your friend was someone you consider as irreplaceable. If so, I would largely understand if you prefer to keep going your way all alone. But it can’t do you any good in a big and unforgiving region like Reborn. You’ve witnessed it more than once; we don’t need to argue on it any longer. Besides that, you have a combative spirit that is very inspiring to me and I think we have a lot in common, you and I. And… and above all…”

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “…I would really love to know more about you, Flannery.”

 

Flannery remained silent for a brief moment. She stood still in front of Dounia while staring at her with a lively and penetrating gaze.

 

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “Are you okay, Flannery? You’re not upset?”

 

Then a few seconds later, the redhead smiled tenderly at the little healer and spoke.

 

Flannery: “This… this warms my heart so much. You don’t have to feel ashamed for anything, your offer is so amazing that I can’t say ‘no’ to it! I totally agree with you on every point and just so you know, I care a lot about you too, Dounia. I would love to travel with you as long as you like. Thank you so much for proposing!”

Dounia: “You’re welcome, Flannery!”

 

 

The two girls gently approached each other and sealed their deal positively with a fist bump. Flannery felt particularly touched by Dounia’s offering and saw a true friend in her. A young daredevil eager for big sensations with whom she could possibly write a whole different story in Reborn City. Both of them knew that they were going to be stronger together. The mere idea of teaming up with such an ambitious person gave the redhead a form of excitement that she didn’t experience for a while. But before that, Dounia still had a few formalities to complete with her mother and made it known to the firehead.

 

Dounia: “I can’t wait to join you in your adventures, Flannery. Who knows? Maybe the blaze I’ve seen in my dream was a symbolic figure to force me out to find you again after all.”

Flannery: “That wouldn’t be surprising to me. By chance, your presence will help me to find some peace and confidence again, so I can retake control of my inner fire. I can’t bear the idea of getting down on myself any longer. Since I was knee-high to my grandfather, I’ve always considered flames as art. The brighter, the better. This used to be my philosophy for years. And between you and me… where’s the value of creating art when no one’s on your side to see it?”

Dounia: “Ha, I really like you when you say this! I share your happiness too Flannery. That being said, I don’t want you to be too optimistic about it either. I remind you that I still have to close a deal with my mother, she must know the truth about why I fled and how I felt when I did. Depending on her reaction, you and I will be able to animate this dreary old town with some ‘girl power’ and stuff.”

Flannery: “Or not. As you said, it’s up to you to put things right with your mother. But I know you can make it properly if you really want to. Anyway. Whatever the outcome, I’ll accept it.”

Dounia: “That’s it. Well, it’s been a joy to know you, brave soldier. We will see each other later. Keep your fingers crossed for me until then. And… good luck with the cops!”

Flannery: “Haha, thank you! You can count on me for this! See you later, Dounia!”

Dounia: “Bye!~”

 

Determined to mend fences with her mother, Dounia finally left the main office and moved to the caring services near the main entrance of the Grand Hall. As she did, Flannery saw Ame walking up the stairs of the basement. The young Champion was still carrying the briefcase retrieved by the redhead before. The latter was a little anxious to hear the news concerning this unsettling case in which she was involved. Standing next to the counter, she patiently waited for the stoic Champion to talk to her.

 

 

Ame: “Hello again, Flannery. Sorry for being so long, this questioning took longer than expected. I hope you’re not nervous or anything.”

Flannery: “No, Ame, don’t worry. I’ve been through worse. By chance, I was able to kill some time with Dounia while you and your men were busy down there. Did you get anything out of these boys?”

Ame: “For now… well, not as much as I would like to. The fact that they’re more stubborn than anticipated doesn’t make it easy.”

Flannery: “Huh? Did they say anything to you?”

 

 

Ame: “Well, it’s obvious that they’re hiding something to us. And thanks to Dounia, we have a clue we’re following. DNA tests are currently in process to identify the owner of the belt she brought to us before. Only after the analysis concluded can we give the final verdict about the fate of these boys and yours. This said, I would like to reassure you. From my observations, the chances for you to be pardoned are far from insignificant.”

 

These words captured the attention of the firehead who was intrigued. She didn’t know if she should take it as a sign of complacency from Ame since the analysis of the DNA tests was still ongoing.

 

Flannery: “Really? But… what makes you think so?”

Ame: “I don’t think it, I know it. Just for your information, you wouldn’t be the first one in this region to solve such problems with brute force. Many do, even those belonging to the Reborn League. The real question is: what are you fighting for? The legitimacy of your actions essentially depends on the cause you defend. No one’s spotless as a human. Sometimes, life leads us into situations that are beyond our control. And it’s clear to me that you’re a woman of your word, Flannery. You have to keep that in mind.”

 

Although she didn’t reply immediately, Flannery felt comforted by Ame’s comprehension. The fire lady ended up thinking that Dounia was right after all; juridically speaking, there was more than one person ready to take Flannery’s defense in Reborn. This warmed up the heart of the redhead. But as time went by, she remembered that she still had a report to make to the hostess of the Grand Hall. Preferring not to lose more time than necessary in hasty assumptions until the conclusion of the DNA tests, Flannery told Ame about the mysterious organization she fought against in Mosswater Factory.

 

Flannery: “Hearing this from you is really reassuring to me, Ame. I just hope genetics will be on my side, so we can close this case once and for all. However, if you have no objections, I would like to inform you about what I’ve discovered in this factory where you sent me this morning.”

Ame: “Hmm? Oh, yes! I almost forgot about your investigation. My apologies for that. Did you find anything in there that we should worry about?”

Flannery: “Actually, yes. First, we’ve seen that toxic waste were dumped into the lake from Mosswater Factory. According to Florinia, the toxicity of the water was abnormally high. Secondly, it turned out that Team Meteor was behind it. They also are the ones responsible for the accident in Grandview Station. Mosswater Factory was their hideout from the beginning. With the help of Julia, we’ve chased them out and managed to destroy the whole facility. They won’t be able to use it again any time soon.”

Ame: “That’s great news, Flannery. At least, now we know who we’re dealing with. By the way… have you seen Jacques with them while you were there?”

Flannery: “No, I didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t see any trace of him, so I have no idea if he’s involved in this case or not. However, I’ve noticed that the rest of the gang had fled to the extreme northern part of the city.”

Ame: “Really? So, they’re probably establishing what’s left of their plans in Jasper Ward. I must send as many of my men as needed to watch over the comings and goings in this district and protect the civilians. Also, I haven't forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the starters in Mosswater Factory. Such efforts deserve to be rewarded.”

 

Following these words, Ame moved to the glass table at the left corner of the hall with the briefcase in her hands. Flannery came with her. Without losing any time, Ame put the briefcase on the table, opened it and pulled out a strange device of her pocket. She used it to inspect the content of every Pokeball inside of the briefcase.

 

 

Flannery: “What is that thing? Is that an electronic hand lens or something?”

Ame: “An acquisition from Devon Corporation. Perfect for identifying any Pokemon stored in Pokeballs without opening them. I just want to make sure that all the missing starters are there. This little gadget will save us a lot of time.”

Flannery: “How clever! That looks very promising indeed! I used to be a client of Devon myself, and I didn’t even know that they had created inventions of this kind. This must be a very recent technology, isn’t it?”

Ame: “Yeah, it’s a prototype.”

 

Meanwhile, Ame observed the data displayed on the touch screen of the electronic instrument which proved to be positively conclusive.

 

Ame: “Aaaand… I have to say that, thankfully, we’ll all sleep easy tonight. Based on the results, I’m glad to make you know that you found back all the Pokemon we were looking for. Great work, Flannery!”

Flannery: “You’re welcome, Ame! After all, I was just doing my job! But still, I’m glad to realize that I didn’t take all these risks in vain. So… what next?”

Ame: “I think we’re done here. If you don’t mind, please come with me. I would like to give you a little something for your help.”

Flannery: “Ah, nice! Sure, let’s go!”

 

With nothing else to say, Flannery followed Ame to the upper floor of the Grand Hall. For the courage she demonstrated during the raid against Team Meteor, Ame believed it fair to reward the efforts of the redhead. She invited the latter to come to the starters room with her. After Ame put each of the missing starters back to their right places, she allowed Flannery to choose one of the 21 Pokemon displayed on the tables. Needless to say, the redhead was particularly impressed by the immensity of the choice that was given to her.

 

 

Ame: “Here we are! Are you ready to add a new member to your team, Flannery?”

Flannery: “So that’s the gift you told me about, right? I can really choose any of these starters right there?”

Ame: “Of course! This is the least I could do after everything you’ve had to endure since your arrival. And regardless of what people think, I’d feel really bad not to show you my gratitude for having been so helpful in Mosswater Factory. Additionally, your actions have clearly contributed in the preservation of our reputation in Opal Ward. As I said, we will make anything to toughen up the protection as well as the conditions of admission for new recruits in the staff of the Grand Hall in the future. Anyway. As you’ve probably guessed, these tables go from top to bottom in order of Grass, Fire, Water, and the Pokémon are arranged from left to right in the order they were discovered. Go ahead. Take any one you like.”

Flannery: “That’s so sweet of you! Thank you so much, Ame! Well, let’s see!”

 

Actually, Flannery already knew very well what Pokemon was going to join her team. Ame’s precisions just confirmed that even Pokemon from Hoenn were available for pickup. It barely took the redhead a few seconds of thought before she moved to the orange table and approached the third Pokeball from the left. In reality, the daughter of Lavaridge Town still remembered this day when she was gifted a Torchic doll from her grandfather back when she was eight years old.

 

 

Even today, the grown-up firehead could still hear him saying that this Pokemon was exactly just like her: small, radiant, energetic, and sensitive at the same time. For these reasons and out of pure nostalgia, the choice of the adventurous lady obviously fell on the chick Pokemon.

 

Flannery: “My choice is made. Torchic, I choose you!”

 

 

She took the Pokeball, hooked it on her belt, and went back to Ame with a contented smile on her face. Ame was happy to see Flannery regaining some self-confidence despite the recent events, but she quickly noticed that those were still very present in the mind of the fire girl.

 

 

Flannery: “You’re so complacent with me. Do you truly think it was reasonable to do all this right now?”

Ame: “Yes, I think it was. Because I trust you. You shouldn’t put yourself so down, I insist. Personally, I would largely prefer to side with a brave girl who once put her life at risk to stop the Hoenn crisis rather than defending a few average individuals who refused to admit they committed abusing on a newborn Pokemon. If your version of the facts turns out to be true, nothing will be done against you. You would then be the only person in this city to have treated these guys as they deserved. What would be the point of penalizing you?”

???: “There are none!”

Ame: “Ah, it sounds like this conversation is no longer private.”

Flannery: (They’re back.)

 

As Flannery and Ame were deeply focused on their conversation, they were unexpectedly joined by the policemen who were coming for them from the basement. Flannery took it as a sign that this questioning with the mobsters was over. She was well aware that a decisive announcement was about to be made about it. Once at the upper floor, the couple of police officers turned to the redhead. Out of curiosity, they asked her how she felt.

 

Policeman 1: “Hello again, Miss Moore. Is everything going well on your side?”

 

 

Flannery timidly replied in the affirmative, even though she couldn’t wait to hear the final word of this story. Ame greeted them in the meantime.

 

Ame: “Hello again, sirs. I suppose this little interrogation down there has finally come to an end. Did you manage to collect conclusive information about this case?”

Policeman 1: “For sure we did. As a matter of fact, I would even go as far as to say that we have more information than you would care to know. Right, colleague?”

Policeman 2: “Certainly. The latest news has come down quicker than anticipated. These men have finally confessed and the DNA found on the belt does matches this tall blond guy injured by madam ambassador. Their statements also seem to confirm that Miss Moore has acted out of anger, thinking she could take justice into her own hands. Maybe this attitude from her is not part of our standards, it remains that thanks to her intervention, we’ve been able to catch those who turned out to be responsible for multiple cases of similar aggressions. Almost all their targets were stray Pokemon.”

Ame: “So you mean they were already involved in more than one attack of this kind? What else did they say? Nothing about… the other cases of mistreatment that have been reported to us? Did they work with other accomplices?”

 

 

Policeman 1: “Actually, yes! In response to our last questions, they’ve mentioned a network of contacts to which they claim belonging for two weeks now. They operate in gangs and all of their operations are led from an isolated alleyway located in Peridot Ward, just behind the Neo-Circuit Power Plant. Everything they said leads us to think that they’ve decided to engage themselves in practices consisting in ‘punishing the weak in the name of the strongest and the obedient ones’. I thought they were drunk the first time I heard this, but judging by the seriousness of the way they expressed themselves, they seem to strongly believe in their convictions.”

Ame: “Arceus preserves us. So, it’s true…”

 

Ame was horrified by the cruelty of such reality. Shortly after the latter came back to her senses, the policemen talked about the consensus that was decided regarding Flannery’s sentence at the end of the interrogation.

 

Policeman 2: “The least we can say is that we can discover a lot of unspoken facts from someone who has his backside overheated. Also, we’re convinced that Miss Moore is a woman of worth despite her apparent difficulty to control her emotions. Consequently, all the penalties that could have potentially been imposed on her have been overturned. We're sorry for the inconvenience this might have caused to you, madam ambassador.”

 

Flannery didn’t reply immediately. At first view, she seemed delighted to realize that her name was cleared. However, she felt like her pride and happiness were eroded. These projected images of herself she saw through the eyes of the hotshot were like anchors that forced her to land on the shore of repentance. The daughter of Lavaridge Town admitted that she didn’t feel well because of this escalation of violence she used to resolve conflicts. She made it known to the policemen and told them that she still had something to prove.

 

 

Flannery: “I really appreciate your commitment to figuring out right from wrong and I thank you very much for your understanding. However, if you don’t mind, I would like to make a suggestion for you, sirs.”

Policeman 2: “A suggestion, you said? Well. We’re open to any suggestion you have as long as it’s not out of our reach. Please tell us what it is.”

Flannery: “Great. First of all, I recognize that I went overboard when I tried to impose myself against these bad boys this morning. Even during the assault in Mosswater Factory, I’ve felt it growing in me… the need to use violence as a means for conflicts resolution. This is something that has become more and more inherent to my behavior from the day of my arrival in Reborn. And to tell you the truth, this makes me feel a little uneasy now. I don’t want to be considered as a repulsive bully who thinks she can have the last word simply by throwing all her hatred and brute force against her targets. This is an image of me that I want to erase. Also, I’m well aware that my stay in Reborn is not the story of one person only. There are people in Hoenn who are counting on me as we speak. They consider me as the pride of their region and I can’t bear the thought of disappointing them. I can’t keep doing things while thinking only of myself. But on the other hand, I can’t sit on my hands and mourn all day long, telling myself that it wasn’t me when I went on a rampage or when I ordered my Pokemon to use fire attacks to neutralize some Meteor grunts head on. No, it was the same person. I know who I am, and I understand very well that what I do always ends up defining who I am. And what I’m about to do now is making my way to the hideout of these Pokemon abusers, confronting them one by one and arresting them all, so they won’t be able to inflict pain to stray, wild or abandoned Pokemon anymore!”

 

This spontaneous declaration didn’t fail to captivate the policemen who were in awe of Flannery’s determination. The latter wanted to prove her worth by redeeming herself, ready to seize every opportunity for this purpose. Flannery literally was in quest for redemption and made her intentions clear. Those were very appealing to Ame who praised the initiative of the young ambassador.

 

Ame: “You didn’t have to propose more help for proving anything, Flannery. You already outdid yourself by kicking Team Meteor out of Peridot Ward and that’s no mean feat. But you keep hanging on and I respect you for being so dedicated to safeguard our interests despite all the sacrifices it has cost you. Don’t take my words lightly Flannery, you’ve proven yourself a good friend to Reborn. Having that said, if you’re eager for more, then… hm, who am I to argue? Anyway. One thing is certain, these Pokemon abusers are a scourge and a blight in this town. Their activities must be stopped and anyone caught in the act must be judged with the utmost severity. If you decide to go now, these men here will have the honor to assist you.”

Policeman 2: “Well, I don’t know what to say… miss ambassador. Of course, you know well that if anything goes wrong in the city, it’s part of our responsibility to handle it. Consequently, we accept your request and we’ll have the obligation to escort you to this hangout if that’s what you’ve planned to do. As you said so well, your stay in Reborn should not be the story of one person only. Am I right?”

Flannery: “Exactly! Don’t worry, that’s precisely what I’ve intended to do. My energy supplies have taken a hit, I admit it. However, it will take more than that to put me down. And besides…”

 

The redhead unhooked the Pokeball containing Torchic from her belt and looked at it proudly with a smirk.

 

Flannery: “…I know someone who will surely enjoy a little series of battles as their first training exercise.”

Ame: “Don’t push yourself too hard either, Flannery. As a reminder, you don’t have a full team for the moment and this Torchic has never seen the light of a fight until now.”

Flannery: “That’s true. But it’s never too soon to learn! Anyway, I wasn’t going to risk myself alone for an issue as important.”

Ame: “Glad to hear it. With your skills as a Gym Leader, I’m sure you also have more experienced with Pokemon than anyone else in this hall. Just be careful not to be outnumbered out there.”

Policeman 1: “This shouldn’t be a problem as long as you have us by your side, Miss Moore. Our Pokemon have been trained during intensive programs to maintain law and order. We won’t fail today!”

Ame: “Anyway, Flannery. I think the time has come for you to show these gentlemen a demonstration of what you’re capable of. Is that really what you want?”

Flannery: “To defend what’s right and fair, I can bear anything.”

 

Flannery was about to conclude her commitment to purge this last evil that was persisting from Peridot Ward. Her obstinacy was much to Ame’s liking who encouraged the firehead to keep moving forward.

 

Ame: “Great! You have my support for giving the best in this matter. Stay true to yourself and everything will be okay. You still have so much to teach to the people of this town.”

Flannery: “Probably. Well, before we start classes, let’s get the rest of these bad guys prepared for a pop quiz about respect.”

Ame: “Well said! Maybe I shouldn’t express myself this way, but… give these hooligans a good smack on my behalf!”

Flannery: “This will be done properly, I assure you. See you later, Ame!”

Ame: “Bye, Flannery! And good luck!”

 

 

Having nothing else to say, Flannery left the Grand Hall with a firm step, followed by the two policemen who accepted to escort her to the place described by the Zigzagoon’s harassers during the questioning. The new formed crime-fighting trio was heading to Peridot Ward, determined to put an end on the undeserved suffering inflicted on the Pokemon of the city. Although she was very eager to do so, Flannery walked with the policemen at a slower pace than what she was used to. Not wishing to waste her only chance to show herself on a better light by displeasing the men beside her, the fiery damsel tried to not outrun them. Together, they made their way through the dirty alleys of the western district and passed behind the Neo-Circuit Power Plant. The sight of the Pikachu-yellow facility only strengthened Flannery’s resolve to get her final mission done. The promise of a battle against Julia hadn’t slipped away from the firehead’s memory.

 

Flannery: (I swear when all these crazy investigations will be behind me, I’ll be there for you Julia. It’s just a matter of time before I’m done with my last enemies. Be ready, I’m coming soon!)

 

 

But the resolute redhead had to retain her excitement for later. She kept walking up the street in the company of the police officers and finally made it to the infamous hideout where the Pokemon aggressors were supposed to holed up. It was a sort of isolated alleyway secretly located between two imposing buildings. A little farther away, there was a man dressed similarly to the hotshot previously knocked down by Flannery. He was standing near the entrance, as if he was posted as a guard to monitor comings and goings. Thinking it best to try everything for the whole, Flannery did the first steps towards the suspicious individual and spoke to him.

 

 

Flannery: “Hello you! What are you doing alone here?”

Hotshot: “New to the neighborhood, right? Excuse me but this is a private area and what I do here doesn’t concern you. You have to go back where you come from.”

Policeman 1: “Watch your mouth, young man. We have as much right to be here as you. And even more so. In case you didn’t know yet, we have received reports of multiple cases of aggression against stray Pokemon in Peridot Ward. I suppose you haven’t heard about them.”

 

The hotshot didn’t reply immediately and rolled his eyes in disbelief. Far from wanting to get into trouble, he tried to convince Flannery and the men behind her to go away, claiming that there actually were Pokemon in danger, but not in this part of the street.

 

Hotshot: “Wait. You talked about injured Pokemon? My apologies. Yes, I’ve heard of that. In fact, now that you mention it, I think I’ve seen one running away a few minutes ago. That was so shameful, the poor thing was scared to death. It fled away to the gate of the street, straight north. You can’t miss it. But I warn you, two big guys were chasing it shortly before you came here. If you think you can deal with them, you’d better hurry now.”

Flannery: “And that’s all there is to it? Nothing about the type of Pokemon? And by the way, why didn’t you save it in the first place?”

Hotshot: “As if I could handle these juggernauts for myself. This would have been the best way to get pinned up on the ground, I don’t know how to fight. You’re probably better suited to teach them a lesson than I am. Anyway, they’re probably far away from here as we speak. In any case, I have nothing to do with them. You’d better catch up if you don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

 

But Flannery didn’t leave. And so did the police officers who accompanied her. With all the information she already gathered, the pugnacious firehead could easily discern what’s true and what’s not. She glared at the young gate-keeper with reptilian eyes and answered him in a self-assuredly way.

 

Flannery: “Huh.”

Hotshot: “Yeah, so… what are you waiting for?”

Flannery: “You know what I think? I think you’re lying!”

Hotshot: “Oh, come on. You know well that I have nothing to hide. I would gladly argue with you a little longer but it wouldn’t be worth your time and interest. Also, I have other concerns that burn in me. It’s now gonna be like four hours that I’m waiting here like a numbnuts and I still have no news of my brother and his comrades.”

 

These remarks didn’t take long to make Flannery realize that the individuals mentioned by the hotshot could potentially be the thugs who were arrested in the basement of the Grand Hall. For the redhead, it could hardly be a coincidence. She then decided to take this piece of information as a useful way to make the odd teenager tell the truth in some cheeky way.

 

Flannery: “Wait… you have a brother?”

Hotshot: “Yes, I have a brother. Why would that matter to you?”

Flannery: “Aw, nothing important. No, really. For a second, I thought you were talking about this crazy belt-wagger who was taming some fierce Zigzagoon at the top of the Opal Bridge. A big blond, handsome gentleman with a blue jacket surrounded by two smart henchmen of the same social class. How funny it was. The last time I saw him he had fist marks printed on the lips and pieces of broken nails stuck in the teeth.”

Hotshot: “HE WHAT?!?!”

Flannery: “Well, he wasn’t very beautiful to see at the first glance, I give you that. But in the end, it turned out that this fruitcake still had a lot of charm, even with a bloated face. He captivated the audience so well that he was immediately allowed to join the art gallery of the Grand Hall. The Contemporary Talents section to be exact. As for his comrades, they were playing superheated chair with each other. The final outcome was a little disappointing. Both of them had lost, so both of them had a penalty: tell us who they were working for and where they came from. That’s what they did, soooooo… here I am.”

Hotshot: “…”

Flannery: “Okay, let’s be serious. To summarize, your brother was abusive with a wild Pokemon and insulted me, so I sent him to outer space. Am I clearer to you?”

 

For a few seconds that seemed to last forever, the shady boy of the alleyway remained unresponsive. Short of arguments to deviate from the truth in front of an ecstatic Flannery, his face froze in a look of terror, covered with concern and feeling of vulnerability. Then, this terror was slowly outshined by vindictiveness and silent indignation. Aware of the gravity of his situation, he stepped back and spoke directly to the firehead, giving her a final warning in a vengeful tone.

 

 

Hotshot: “You… you’ll pay for your insolence! I swear on my soul, I’ll avenge the loss of my brother!”

Flannery: “Hey, chill, chill! I said I rang the gong with his skull and fried the hell out of his friends’ butt, but he’s still alive!”

 

Alas, the hotshot didn’t want to say any other word to the punisher of his brother. He left Flannery and the policemen behind and hid in the alleyway, unable to deal with his three adversaries on his own. Flannery, for her part, was fully satisfied with her malicious show of power to make him bow. Needless to say, she had no intention of stopping now.

 

 

Flannery: “Such a cowardly move. This one doesn’t surprise me. Nevermind, he won’t get very far.”

Policeman 2: “Was that really necessary, miss?”

Flannery: “I don’t know if it was necessary, but it was definitely worth the try. Seriously, am I really the only one here who spotted a family resemblance with our cripple from the floor below in the Grand Hall? Nah, he deserved to know for his sibling. And frankly, this little speech was such a good opportunity to combine fun with effectiveness. You wouldn’t keep that away from me, would you?”

Policeman 1: “You’re probably right. Otherwise, it would have been like giving power to those who act against the well-being of our society and we can’t allow this to happen, especially after all the evidences we’ve reunited so far. You have a unique way of looking at things, lady.”

Flannery: “Haha, thank you! I knew you’d understand. And… by the way…”

 

Just before to move forward, the redhead showed her hands at the policemen.

 

Flannery: “Don’t worry for my fingers, I wasn’t serious about the broken-nails thing. It was just a little trick of mine to creep this guy out. Be reassured, I may be kind of reckless most of the time, but not to the point of hurting myself when I land a punch.”

Policeman 2: “We’re glad to know it, miss. Now let’s proceed further.”

Flannery: “Sure, let’s do this! I doubt these mobsters will surrender of their own will anyway.”

Policeman 1: “If only it could be that simple.”

Flannery: “No problem for me. Cover my back, I’ll go ahead!”

 

Meanwhile, the vengeful guardian of the area returned quickly to his hideout where the rest of his gang was clustered. Inside, several troublemakers were gathered around a helpless Lillipup that was tied to a wooden pillar planted deep in the ground. The poor Pokemon was harassed by two lawless cueballs. Some punks, streetrats and youngsters were attending the scene in a fun way from the bleachers at the back of the dead end. This scary event was organized similarly to an unsettling pagan ritual, which flooded the place with oppressive vibes.

 

 

Cueball 1: “You useless toerag! We’ve lost too much money because of you! You’ve proven more than once that you were not worthy to be one of us. Now this is the end of your story, little one.”

Lillipup: “Ruff! Ruff!”

Cueball 2: “Shut up! We have no need of a weak link who can’t make us win one single bet or defeat a couple of Patrat on its own. We’ll get our revenge against these wretches from the Q Gang another day… but you won’t be with us anymore to see it.”

Cueball 1: “In this town, everybody should know their place and stay in it. The animals of your league have none. Clay, the honor is yours!”

Cueball 2: “Then so be it!”

Lillipup: “Ru… ruff…”

Cueball 2: “Ahem, ahem… Blessed be the powerful! And may the weak never return! Even in pain, the entertainment must go on! For you Lillipup, we sound the knell of rebirth and resurgence. Give into it and embrace this new path we trace for you today!"

???: “Clay, no! Don’t do that!”

 

Just as one of the cueballs was about to brutalize the terrorized Lillipup, the hotshot encountered by Flannery hurriedly came back to the hideout. He was out of breath and needed to quickly tell his comrades what was lying ahead of them as the police was at their door. Cold sweats were running off the forehead of the nervous watcher as he spoke.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Seth? What are you doing here? You were supposed to guard the entrance! This better be important!”

Seth: “Everybody listen to me! Be prepared to fight! If we don’t, this will end very badly for all of us!”

Cueball 2: “Are you insinuating that somebody wants to mess with us? Who is it? Does it have something to do with another retaliation from Santiago?”

Seth: “Randy… Mack… Jackson… I know where they are! This girl outside… she… she got them! They got them all! And they’re coming for us too!”

Flannery: “Peekaboo!”

Seth: “AH!”

 

The hotshot jumped backward as the dauntless firehead caught him off guard from behind. She penetrated inside the den of the ruthless abusers with the policemen who were standing by her side. Flannery also quickly caught sight off the Lillipup bound to the wooden pillar by a leash, which didn’t fail to infuriate her. The policemen, for their part, were flabbergasted by the gruesome condition of the Puppy Pokemon. Justice had to be made and this led to an immediate reaction from the firehead.

 

 

Flannery: “So here you are! You are those who made all this Pokemon suffer, aren’t you?”

Cueball 1: “What does this all mean? Why are you here?”

Flannery: “You want answers? So do we! Why won’t you tell us what you were about to do with this Lillipup in front of this crowd over here? Is that a way to treat Pokemon who don’t know how to fight?”

Policeman 1: “By the order of Jasper’s police department, you are under arrest! We have it from more than one source that those present in this place have all been involved in the abuse of an increasing number of stray Pokemon across the city. For the crimes you’ve committed, we’ll bring you to justice in the Grand Hall. Any attempts to resist us will be severely punished. We recommend you to follow us peacefully. If you do so, your fine will be less expensive and lesser sentences will be imposed on you.”

 

Surprisingly, one of the tough guys near the pillar didn’t seem to put up resistance to the law enforcers. He made a few steps in the direction of the crime-fighting trio and calmly replied to them.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Alright. You got us. No sincerely, we know we can’t make it out. You’ve sniffed us out and there’s no need for us to keep up this power struggle any longer. You’ve proven to be better detectives than we imagined, me and my friends. But before we surrender, would you please allow us to tell you why we’re acting this way?”

Policeman 2: “It won’t make a lot of difference for you, but that’s okay. Please explain yourself.”

Cueball 2: “Thanks for your indulgence, I knew you’d be reasonable. The truth is that you’re weak. Reborn’s law enforcement is weak. And so is the Champion. Her ambitions of reintroduction to attract foreigners, both human and Pokemon, are just antics to the eyes of the locals. This hodgepodge she tries to establish is an insult that can only lead to the deconstruction of power that once made the greatness of this town. It didn’t take us long to see it.”

Flannery: “And you think it’s worth torturing those who don’t fit your standards? You’re not speaking in the name of Reborn when you say that, you know?”

Cueball 2: “Indeed. There are still blind eyes that need to be open. We come for them all. Casuals like to show their skills through battles and show themselves demigod while waving plastic toys in their hands but they don’t know what’s the true meaning of a fight. It’s just a matter of time before we clear Reborn out of the weak, one by one. And you’ll be on the front lines to see it. The three of you.”

Policeman 1: “What are you talking about?”

Cueball 2: “There’s nothing to understand.”

Flannery: (All this nonsense… If my ears could throw up, they definitely would.)

 

At this moment, the irreverent lowlife discreetly grabbed a Pokeball attached to his back while Flannery and her bodyguards remained silent, unaware of this last card he was about to play. The valiant fire woman and the policemen were all glaring at the rest of the gang with displeasure.

 

Cueball 2: “Panto.”

Cueball 1: “Yes, Clay?”

Cueball 2: “It’s a little drafty in here, don’t you think?”

Cueball 1: “Oh yes, I know what you mean.”

 

Just as Flannery was still disgruntled by the absurd insinuations of the bald guy in front of her, the latter suddenly threw his Pokeball into the air, summoning one of his fighting teammates to assist him: a Mankey. As soon as it appeared on the field, the cueball gave his Pokemon the following orders.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Mankey! Shut down the way with Karate Chop!”

Policeman 1: “Huh?”

Mankey: “Maaaan!”

 

 

Before Flannery and the officers could do anything to stop the Mankey, it jumped high between the walls of the narrow street and threw a powerful punch against one of them. The violence of the shock made debris fall at the entrance of the alleyway, blocking the only way out of the thugs’ den and trapping the group sent by Ame in the process.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Much better. Just allow me to make it clear; nothing that was said here will escape this place. Now that the masks have fallen off, it’s time for you to meet your end.”

 

But despite the cunning move of the scoundrels, Flannery wasn’t impressed that much. She could see right through the little game of the gang. Their attempt to crush her spirit was obvious to her. In all cases, Flannery had no intention to leave. Fleeing was not an option for her. Refusing to give up, the fiery girl replied teasingly to the portly hooligan.

 

Flannery: “I should have known… nevermind. No matter how hard you try, rocks and well-made sentences won’t fill in the holes in your brain, dude. To me, it just sounds like you’re looking for an excuse to spread and encourage violence for the sake of meaningless entertainment. In case you didn’t know yet, a friend of yours had said similar things this morning. I let you imagine how well that went for him. Remember, the same move can’t work twice on the same person.”

 

Flannery was ready to send her Pokemon to the field in turn. Trying hard not to pay attention to the outcome of an imminent power struggle, she seized Torchic’s Pokeball.

 

Flannery: “So, if you know what’s good for you, you’d better know when to stop. Just like now!”

Cueball 2: “How amusing. You think you can take us? Unlike you, we may be down, but never outnumbered.”

Seth: “Hey, hey! Don’t start the party without me, bros!”

Cueball 1: “We’ll fight to the end!”

Policeman 1: “Let’s join forces in this battle!”

Policeman 2: “I couldn’t have said it better, colleague! Miss, Moore. You probably want to rearrange the face of these gentlemen too, don’t you? You’re allowed to go all out this time!”

Flannery: “Splendid! Then, let’s send these bad boys back to hell together! Cowards of their kind are like scribbles on the last page of a book that I’ve been carrying around for way too long. Let’s tear it and burn it down today!”

Seth: “As if. Get them, guys!”

 

And so began the long-waited battle against the source of the suffering of Reborn’s defenseless Pokemon. Those who were willing to fight took their position without hesitation. Even though she knew that her chance to win in these conditions were slim, Flannery still had this desire for redemption and justice that kept her moving forward. For the firehead, this ultimate confrontation was like the last remaining obstacle that was preventing her from reconciling with her own self. Fortunately, she wasn’t alone to achieve this fateful work. She had allies. Hidden from the view of sensitive souls, the daughter of Lavaridge Town was about to unleash her power in the most spirited and decisive way. Striving for justice restoration, whatever the price, she was still present to put an end to this secret plague that was tending to spread in the city. Down in this pit of shame, she was standing up. Immune to the fear of failure, the dark knight of Reborn was about to strike again.

 

 

To be continued…

 

 POKEMON TEAM

Spoiler

Torkoal/Male/Level 19

Nature: Relaxed/Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Moveset: Rapid Spin/Flame Wheel/Protect/Overheat

 

Vulpix/Female/Level 17

Nature: Timid/Ability: Flash Fire

Held Item: None

Moveset: Ember/Baby-Doll Eyes/Will-O-Wisp/Grudge

 

Torchic/Male/Level 5

Nature: Adamant/Ability: Speed Boost

Held Item: None

Moveset: Scratch/Growl/Ember

 

 

[Evi Crystal]

Alright first of all I'm very happy to see a new chapter of yours and hope you're feeling and doing better now these days than before^^

 

Okay then, this chapter send me some spins down maybe because of said one picture and said flashback. Then I actually feared Flannery was going to be at jail, but luckily Doumia saved the day. For now at least...

 

Also her picking Torchic was such a sweet moment to say^^