PTV: Early Chapter 81 (Patreon)

“Draco Meteor!” I roared out in delight. Cackling madly as the energy roared up into the sky, and my opponent's face took on a colored hue as the energy sent a warm glow across the stands.

Then it exploded like a firework.

Hide from me will you!?

“A-Golem!” He cried out, but hiding underground in the grass field wasn’t going to work!

Let’s see you dig your way out of this one!

“Mwahahaha!” I cackled as the energy bombs hit the ground and everything exploded cratering massive chunks out of the grass field.

As the smoke cleared I nodded satisfied. 

The grass field was pretty loose. The ground was almost soft, it was something I had noticed when the opponent's Golem had landed on the field and sunk in a bit.

It made for easy Dig escapes, but it also meant the ground wasn’t strong enough to protect against a powerful enough attack!

When the dust and grass floating through the air cleared the Golem was revealed in the bottom of a crater completely knocked out.

“Golem can no longer battle! Winner is Victoria Ferrous!” The announcer called out and I cheered as Dragonite roared at her victory!

I laughed as I, instead of leaving, released Milotic onto the field who instantly pounced onto his wife and the two quickly tangled together as Dragonite grabbed him and spun around in delight.

Heh. It was funny my Pokemon hadn’t really cared about Gym matches that much, sure they still delighted in victories, but I had explained to them all what the Conference was, and how big of a deal it was, and it was pretty amazing how seriously they were taking it. 

They weren’t just fighting because I wanted, but because they did, and more importantly?

I jumped off and laughed as Dragonite caught me and dragged me into the spin as she mushed me and Milotic together in a spin cycle.

They were actually having fun.

It wasn’t just Arcanine, who always wanted more battles because she was a battle maniac. 

Dragonite was actually seriously enjoying the battle.

Blue Heart of course was always serious when I asked him for something, but my team was actually enjoying themselves.

It made me happy that my pokemon were happy.

“Vicky!” A voice called out and while Dragonite stopped spinning for a bit, the world didn’t.

“Wha? Ivy?” I asked confused as the entire world continued spinning around and around.

Diiiizzzy!

“Get off the arena!” Ivy yelled at me from the stands, and I realized that yeah they would need to fix up the arena before the next match

I reached up and just laughed while scratching the back of my head. 

Yeah she didn’t accept that, and I hurried my friends off the arena so the maintenance worker team could get to work.

Dragonite set me down and I stumbled around a bit before the world stopped spinning and I returned my two friends so I could run off the stage.

All the stands were erupting in cheers at the explosive ending.

—--

Leaving the arena was turning into an experience.

“There she is!” Voices called out as Ivy pushed me along, literally pushing at my back as if I would run back to the arena grounds the moment she stopped.

“Ignore them.” Ivy demanded and I just nodded along as the crowds pointed me out and loud whispers washed over me.

I was getting sort of famous. 

“Don’t worry Vicky. It’ll pass. Conference trainers are always very popular while it’s happening.” Bugsy offered and I just smiled and threw him a thumbs up. It was a little discomforting for sure, but it wasn’t that bad really. People weren’t rushing up to invade my personal space, or anything. 

Kanto was pretty respectful, so it wasn’t bad.

No, the problem was as we came out onto the main street and walked along, some televisions were playing in shop windows and I could look up and see my own face.

The Star Badge battles had gotten out of course, but the fact I had just completely demolished the previous records meant that the news was talking about it.

I was pushed past by Ivy but I caught glimpses of my battle with Clair in one of the windows, cut in with the match we literally just left with Dragonite blowing up the grass arena.

That hadn’t taken long geeze.

Then again I shouldn’t be surprised. There weren’t as many sports teams in the world. There were baseball teams, sure, but… Well let’s just say the leagues for human sports took a pretty hefty back seat to Pokemon Battles.

The sports channel on TV wasn’t human sports, but Pokemon battles for nearly all their broadcast time.

“Food time!” Ivy demanded at me and I just laughed. Ivy got hangry when she was hungry!

But before we got to the little cafe that Ivy had decided was the cutest place ever, a voice called out.

“There she is! Hey kid!” The noise was loud enough to cut through the noise down the street and I turned and then felt my face split into a grin.

A familiar old man with a booming voice, and a few older people all sitting at an outdoor cafe.

But they were all people I recognized. Suddenly Ivy wasn’t pushing me, as I ran forward until I hit the cafe’s little terrace and plopped my arms up on it so I could look over the bannister. 

“Hey! It’s good to see you!” I greeted them and the old man just laughed in a rumble.

“Better to see you kid!” Matthew rumbled. Matthew was the old man from Pallet town that had the Alpha Nidoking! And I looked around and noticed other familiar faces.

“Midori-Obachan!” I greeted and she sent me a look at that. 

“It’s Midori-Oneechan!” She huffed at me, but was immediately teased by the others for trying to act like a young one again.

“Vicky?”

“Ivy! Bugsy! Come meet everyone!” I called out. “This is the crew from Pallet Town! I ran through there on my way to fight Blaine and battled Matthew and his Nidoking, it was an amazing fight!”

“Hah! If poor King wasn’t so old we’d have thrashed you girl.” He said with a wink, but was instantly elbowed a bit by his wife next to him. 

“You lost fair and square dear.”

He grumbled and I just laughed at the obvious affection between them all.

“Oh. I never traveled through Pallet. Ivy Vinewood of Viridian City.” She greeted the group with a little polite bow and got some smiles from the older women.

“Bugsy of Azalea Town.” Bugsy introduced himself, and the atmosphere shifted a bit. Matthew now had a grumpy frown on his face and I had to roll my eyes at the old timers.

“Bugsy’s cool. He helped me while I traveled through Johto.” I explained and gave the old timers a pout. “Be nice.”

“Well if he helped you, then he can’t be that bad.” Midori offered, but it was pretty weak. I rolled my eyes at the old people. 

“Hmph. Heard you traveled through Johto. Got the entire set of badges?” Matthew asked, without really sounding like a question. But I knew where his heart was.

I grinned as I reached into my bag and pulled out my Badge Case.

Then I flipped it open and showed it off.

“Well look at that.” Midori was the first to speak in a shocked tone, and then Matthew started laughing deep and happy.

“Look at this kid!” He said smiling bright and happy. “Kanto through and through!”

I rolled my eyes with a smile, and glanced back at Bugsy giving him an apologetic look.

He just shrugged his shoulders to show he wasn’t bothered. I guess he was used to old timers too.

“Heh! See you old grump I knew we were right to get those tickets.” Midori added after a bit of the old people cheering on at the sight of my badges.

“I didn’t say we shouldn’t either!”

“Don’t listen to him Vicky, dear. He grumped the whole way up the mountain.”

“I don’t like it, is all. Worth it this year at least.” He explained himself a little embarrassed and I just smiled a bit.

“Want Blissey to look you over? Her Healing Pulse is pretty good for aches and pains.”

“Bah. I’m fine!” He grumbled but then he blinked and looked at me. 

“That Chansey of yours evolved? The one that lifted King?”

“Yep! We fought Chuck the Fighting Gym leader from-”

“I know that old bastar-Ehmem. I mean. I know the man.” Matthew said with a glint in his eye that told me he had probably fought Chuck more than once. And then I remembered that Matthew had said he used to be the Gym Leader of a Fighting Type Gym in Kanto!

“Oh! That’s right! Fighting Type Rivals!” I said, and Matthew instantly scoffed.

“Rivals? With that blockhead? Never! I won every time we ever faced each other!”

“Don’t listen to him dear, Matthew always got in a grump whenever another Fighting Type Trainer came around.” Matthew's wife offered calmly sipping her tea.

“Hehe!” I laughed because it was so funny how the old woman was just throwing her husband under the bus.

“Woman!” He grunted at her, but that only earned him a smile.

Aww they were in love!

“Well Chansey fought Chuck’s entire team! And when she won, the two of us were finally synced up! She realized that I believed in her, and she saw me as a trainer and friend and not just the kid she was taking care of!” I said laughing. Chansey had never said any of this, but I had understood the way she treated me very well. 

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep! Chansey is a friendship evolution! The moment our friendship together solidified and forged in battle she evolved into Blissey!”

“Huh.” The old man grunted, neither positive or negative, just taking in the information. 

“Oh dear, you have to let her out, your Chansey was a doll and I would love to see her again, and to see a Blissey!” Midori asked and I nodded, grabbing her ball and a moment later Blissey was there. Blinking a bit until she recognized the group and then waving happily.

“Bliss!” She offered and I could hear the air sucked into Midori’s lungs as she gasped.

“Oh my! Your Chansey was always so lovely, but I’ve never seen anything like this! Your Blissey is simply gorgeous!”

Blissey flushed happily at the words and waved her fin at the woman, a little embarrassed. 

Midori actually rose up and walked out of the little terrace they had been sitting in and came out to the street to look at Blissey.

Blissey, despite her actions, was obviously enjoying the attention, and I looked over to Ivy and Bugsy and rolled my eyes.

Finally after a few minutes of Midori gushing over Blissey who was soaking up the attention the older woman realized everyone was just sort of looking at her.

“Oh.” She said and then blushed herself a little. “Look at me, taking up so much attention. Really. Vicky, you delightful girl, We’ll be here for the rest of the conference, I’m sure you’ll see us all cheering you from the stands, but don’t let us keep you.” She offered and I just nodded. 

“Yeah Ivy is going to kill me if we don’t get her fed soon.”

“Vicky!”

“Hehehe!” I cackled and started running as Ivy chased me and I delighted in her shouts to stop running and stop telling lies.

—--

This just got a little complicated. It was time to find out my next opponent. The screen was locked onto the ice arena, and then…

My fourth round, in the Ice Arena. My opponent this time wasn’t a random.

“Victoria Ferrous Vs. Elizabeth Ferrous.” I winced at the words that were told to me, and I nodded.

Yep, this was going to cause issues.

I turned and hurried away, I should probably talk to Gram Gram. This could get-Shit too late.

“Vicky.” Elizabeth was there standing tall in front of me, and I winced. She was like me wearing trainer equipment, and she looked like a mature elite trainer, but her face was serious. Like super duper serious.

“Elizabeth.”

“I’ve watched your Gym battles. And I’ve watched your battles here in the conference.” 

“Ah-”

“You’re strong. But I’ve fought strong trainers before. I don’t care how strong you are. I won’t lose. If I can beat you here, then no one can argue my place as the heir. I’m going to be going at you with everything I have.”

I opened my mouth to say something but instead closed it. Deep breath. Time to be serious.

“I won’t lose either. Not because I want to be the heir, I don’t. But I assure you Elizabeth, I’ll be taking you very seriously. Come at me with everything, and if you win, then good. Either way I look forward to the battle.”

She stared at me for a long while before turning and walking away.

Yikes. This was going to get awkward. Now to find Gram Gram.

I ran off, I’d find my friends later, right now it was serious!

Rushing back to the hotel I found Gram Gram, but she wasn’t alone. Drinking coffee with Uncle Leo the two of them looked up as I walked in.

I opened my mouth and closed it, and then opened it again, firm on what I had to say.

“My next Match is going to be against Elizabeth.” I said, and Uncle Leo twitched, and I could see Gram Gram’s face fall a bit.

“I see.” She offered and yeah, that was a tension in the air as Uncle Leo looked away out the window and neither seemed to want to speak.

“Yeah.” I said and then walked over. The table had some fancy coffee stuff arrayed on it, and I settled into an empty space, and grabbed one of the cups.

With a little work the carafe of coffee filled a little cup and I took a sip.

Yep. I still hated Coffee black.

Time to white girl up this bitch.

Ignoring the two adults I grabbed some milk and sugar and started pouring enough in that the coffee was a creamy color. 

“That’s better.” I said and Gram Gram seemed to finally notice what I was doing.

“You shouldn’t drink Coffee dear. It’ll stunt your growth.”

“Mhmm.” I mumbled but continued to sip anyway.

“Elizabeth will fight well.” Uncle Leo finally said and I grimaced. 

“She confronted me when the machine decided our match. Said she wouldn’t lose… That she was going to be heir.” I explained and Gram Gram scowled looking at Uncle Leo who once again looked away this time not in thought, but in embarrassment.

“Fool. You should already know that isn’t up for debate.”

“Elizabeth is competitive.” He defended himself.

“Yes I wonder where she got that from. Pfeh!” Gram Gram said, and even Uncle Leo to my surprise looked Gram Gram dead in the eyes and just lifted an eyebrow at her.

The fact she actually flushed a little and looked away first was pretty funny.

Heh. Family.

“I don’t really know how strong she is.” I admitted and both adults looked to me. “But that… I’m not going to lose. I can’t. Not until I’m face to face with Lance. Not until he takes back his words… I mean he sorta already did, but I need to rub his face in it a little you know?” I offered my sudden drive to win dying a little since it wasn’t as big a deal anymore, but…

I didn’t want to admit it, but I liked winning. I liked the idea of being an amazing Pokemon Battler…

Not more than I loved hugging my pokemon, but still pretty high up there.

“I know child.” Gram Gram said, reaching out and dropping a hand on my shoulder. “I’m proud of you. And Elizabeth. But this is a competition, and sometimes this happens. Fight well. Win if you can, and we’ll deal with the rest after.”

“Elizabeth will fight hard.” Uncle Leo said simply. 

I slurped up my coffee a bit after that. It was still awkward, but at least it wouldn’t be a surprise.

This still sucked though.

—--

Richard Brushfire 

Chief of Kanto Ecology for the League

He breathed in and sighed out in relief.

Smoke. 

“I figured I’d find you out here.” A familiar voice greeted him, and Richard slumped, a familiar female voice.

“The department of Ecology has no official comment on anything right now. Please su-”

“Don’t give me that. Dick.” The voice called and his space was suddenly invaded.

“Melony.” He grunted, but didn’t pull away when she reached up and snagged his cigarette out from between his lips to take a drag.

“Dick.” She purred back and Richard knew this was going to be trouble.

“I’m not helping you.”

“You don’t even know what I want!” She argued, but Richard wasn’t stupid.

“Victoria Ferrous.” He said bluntly and her smile widened. 

“Okay so maybe you do know what I want. Give me the scoop Dick, C’mon.”

“Not a chance. I don’t know anything, and if I did, I wouldn’t talk about it.”

“Bull shit. I remember you complaining about the Milotic thing, and now I hear a rumor that Lance, the Champion thanked you for introducing you to the girl? Spill mister.” She demanded and then she exhaled, and smoke flowed out over his lips.

Dammit.

“I don’t have much if anything to share.”

“But you do in fact have something. I’ve heard all sorts of rumors. So just confirm them for me. The girl, did she train her own pokemon, or is this a family assault?”

Dick rolled his eyes. Family assaults were rare, and almost never worked. You could give your kid the most powerful pokemon you wanted, but there was a point where only a good trainer would bring out their strength.

“The girl trained her own pokemon. Surely the fact she earned a title as Dragon Master would have told you that… Now give me my cigarette back.”

“No, it’s sexier on me.” She said staring up at him with those warm brown eyes that Richard knew he was going to get in trouble for once again. “So the Title, it’s legit? There’s all sorts of hearsay about it.”

“Legit. Ald Blackthorn himself sent the promotion. You know I can’t offer anything off the record, Melony… But the girl is the real thing.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.” She said then, pulling away and Richard already missed the warmth.

And his damn cigarette. 

“What do you want?”

“The truth. A ten year old that can get every star badge in Kanto and Johto in her first year? It’s something out of a historical epic. It doesn’t make sense.”

“It happens. Even Lance was a prodigy.”

“Yes, Lance is a prodigy and she’s already broken all of his records, what does that tell you?” She snapped at him, her back turning on him as she started pacing.

Dammit. She was fully back to being a bitch. Damn her hot and cold shit. 

But when she was hot, she was certainly… He shook it off and realizing he wasn’t getting his cigarette back he reached for his pack.

“The kids from Viridian right?” She asked and Richard already knew this was a bad idea.

“She is.”

“Then you’d know what her address-”

“Not a chance.”

“Oh fuck off you overprotective oaf.” She hissed at him, stalking back up and glaring up at him. “I don’t care about her home. It would be stupid to show up there, but if she lived in Viridian she went to school in Viridian.”

“And you want to interview her teachers.”

“And I want to interview her teachers!” She said sultry and devilish, as she once more pressed herself against him.

“I can’t tell you-” He was cut off, as she leaned up and pressed her burning cigarette against his unlit one, and for a moment the two of them were staring into each other's eyes, and Richard was pretty sure his cigarette was going to catch fire and never stop burning.

Dammit.

“I never told you.”

“You never told me Dick.”

The words left his lips and then she was gone. The warmth that had been right there once more replaced with cold.

Fuck. He exhaled smoke that tasted warmer than normal and just hoped his bosses didn’t find out.