Ionization (Slight M)

Well this took way too long to post. But hey, at least it's done. Chapter 14, awaaaaaaay!!




Sooooo yeah, traveling with Cynthia has its perks.

The unfortunate reality of traveling across Sinnoh is that we have to travel through the tunnels of Mt. Coronet, and we do have to find a place in the cave system to hunker down for the night (much to Cynthia’s chagrin), but she seems to know these tunnels really well. The place where we hole up is actually pretty peaceful. There’s a bit of internal light coming from the rocks, so it’s not pitch black, and the cave’s water pools give the air a nice, damp atmosphere. We end up setting up camp in a nook by one of the pools, where a sizable overhang provides a bit of shelter.

“Apologies for this, girls,” Cynthia says while maneuvering some small pieces of wood into a pit formation, “but I guess I underestimated how much daylight we had. Circumstances being as they are, I’ve camped here before, and it’s … comfortable, I guess.”

“I’ll say,” Aiden replies, whipping out her PokéGear and going to town with pictures. “I’d almost say this is picturesque! I mean, look at the bioluminescence!” She gestures to the rocks on the walls. “Gardenia had told me that some of the caves have this, but to this extent? Aw man, this is so much!” She practically throws her sleeping bag on the ground before darting away. “Sorry be right back gotta take more pictures bye!”

She darts away from the makeshift campsite, leaving Cynthia and myself chuckling at her antics. “Man, and I thought I was the weird one,” I say as I flop onto my sleeping bag.

“We all have our quirks,” Cynthia laughs as she – far more gracefully – sits on her own. “Mind if I light a fire? It can get a little cold in here at nights.”

“I mean, you’re the expert, go ahead.”

“Oh, you’ll get it in time, don’t worry,” Cynthia responds with a wink. She tosses a black-and-green pokéball, and after a brief flash of light, an odd-looking rock materializes in front of us. “Legion, dear, could you use your Will-O-Wisp to make a fire please?” I watch as a strange, ethereal mist begins to expand from the stone and takes the form of a spectral face. The ectoplasmic mouth expels some fiery blue … blobs, I guess, that set the wooden fire pit into a blaze.

“That … is a really cool pokémon,” I stammer. “Never seen anything like it.” I lean in to get a closer look at the stone. “I mean, how does it work?”

“Spiritomb are a bit of a rare beast,” Cynthia says, patting Legion’s base stone. “The common myth is that they’re a hodgepodge of evil souls trapped in a keystone, but Legion’s a sweetheart. I found them on an archaeological dig around Solaceon Town about seven years ago, and they’ve been a part of my team ever since.”

“Hey, a friend of mine is in Solaceon,” I say. “I guess there was more to find, huh.”

“Oh, I don’t think they’ll ever end,” she laughs, “there’s too much there to find.” She stares intently at me. “But what is there to find about you, I wonder?” She giggles a little. “Well, other than your not-so-subtle admiration for my fiancé.”

“Arceus, what must it be like to be engaged to Fantina? Must be super nuts.”

“Don’t change the subject on me, young lady!” Cynthia laughs. “You already know a good bit about me!” She leans forward. “But I don’t know much about you. I don’t even know why you’ve chosen Sinnoh for your journey. And so close to winter, too! You must have a fascinating reason for being here.”

I sigh, flopping back onto the sleeping bag. “Were it so easy to explain.” I run my hands through my hair. “Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m here, really. I don’t know why Sinnoh, I don’t know why this time of year, I just …” I close my eyes and exhale. “I just needed to be … not there.”

“Not in Unova?”

“Yeah, not in Unova.” I roll over to lie on my stomach, and face the cave wall. “Mostly not at home. It’s been, um … a little rough, last few months.” I bury my head in my arms for a second. “Dad just had surgery on his ears. Got in an accident a couple years back which really damaged his hearing, and he wanted to get some semblance of his old life back. Y’know how it is.” I roll over onto my back again. I don’t know why I’m saying this, it’s getting way too personal, but the words are spilling out of my mouth, and I have no idea how to stop them. “It was really expensive. Mom was worried we couldn’t afford it, and said that because we all knew sign it didn’t matter if he got it or not. They were fighting. A lot. And it didn’t stop after the surgery either. Just got worse. I needed to –” I sit up sharply. “I just needed to leave. Get away from that, get away from them for a while.”

“Mattie, that’s … that’s horrible.” I see Aiden slowly approach, having returned from her picture-taking. “How could your mom say something like that?”

“She can be a little awful sometimes. Feels like it got so much worse ever since Plasma, though.” WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING, WHY AM I SAYING THIS SHIT?! “My dad always tried to be supportive, even after I turned myself in, but my mom was … old-fashioned, I guess. A bit more tough love.” I let out a heavy sigh, finally getting my words under control. “Arceus, I don’t even know why I’m saying this, I just met you both.”

“Well, it means a lot that you can trust us with all that,” Aiden replies, plopping next to me on my sleeping bag.

“Wait, how much did you hear?”

“The whole thing.” Aiden shrugs. “I mean, I didn’t go far, and it’s not like you two were being quiet or anything.” She grins devilishly and starts elbowing me in the side. “Was that a hint of jealousy I heard in your voice when you were talking about Fantina?”

“Wait, what do you –” My face gets red-hot. “Oh no, that is not what this about! Don’t try to imply that –”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop!” she laughs, putting her hands up defensively. However, I can’t help but notice that she gives Cynthia a mischievous look, and Cynthia returns it what the fuck?! “I won’t bug you about it,” she continues, “but you gotta admit, you’re a bit obsessed.”

“Oh my Arceus, get off my case, both of you!” I giggle. “She’s a really good actor and I really like her movies! That’s all it is.” Aiden’s still smiling at me. “That’s all it is!”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” she says. “I’ll stop hounding you, I promise.” The smile on her face shifts from peevish to warm again. “But seriously, though, about what you said earlier? Thanks for telling us. It says a lot about you that you’re so willing to be open with us so soon.”

I get that feeling again. That sense that I’m not getting everything. That Aiden’s the one holding stuff back from me.

Not my place, though. Don’t want to fuck things up so quickly this time.

“Sure, alright.” I flop back onto my back and roll over onto my chest. “Imma turn in for the night.”

“Ah, no worries!” Aiden exclaims, walking over to her sleeping bag. “Rest easy, my dear! I’ll see you in the morning.” In one fluid motion, she slips into her bag and promptly falls asleep.

“Arceus, it’s like she practiced this,” I mutter under my breath. I look over to Cynthia, who shrugs as she tucks herself into her own bag. Yossele, who’s sitting right next to me, mirrors that shrug.

I giggle to myself as I slowly let sleep overtake me as well.


As we leave the Mount Coronet tunnels, Cynthia lets us know that it should only take a couple more hours to reach Hearthome. However, as soon as we see the waterfalls, I know that it’s going to take the two of us a little longer than that.

“Maybe see if you can find us a place to stay,” I suggest. “I mean, we’re probably gonna be here for a bit.”

“That … is actually not unreasonable right now,” she says. “The Mid-Autumn Contest Festival is coming up in a couple of days, so the city’s probably getting pretty packed right now.”

I feel my heart sink a little bit. I’ve … never been a fan of Contests. It’s the same with Musicals and PokéStar Studios. It always felt so, what’s the word … contrived, I guess? Super weird? Exploitative of the pokémon? I dunno.

Doesn’t seem to bother Aiden at all, whose face lights up the moment she hears the word “contest”. “Holy shit, that’s a helluva stroke of luck! I’m from Lilycove, so Contests are sort of a second passion of mine! Would it be possible to get us some tickets?”

“Oh, no, that’s totally not necessary, we don’t need to –”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all!” Cynthia exclaims. “Remember, Fantina and I are close, and it should be no trouble to let you two into my area.” I’m about to protest, but Cynthia cuts me off again. “I need to get going, Fantina’s expecting me soon. Meet me at the Gym, I’ll most likely be there for most of the day.” She hops onto Little Miss’s back. “I’ll see you soon, then!”

As she rides away, Aiden turns to me. “Trust me, you’re gonna love this. Totally gonna be worth it.”

“Will it, though?” I ask. “I dunno, the whole concept weirds me out a bit.”

“Well, have you ever seen one live?”

“I mean … no, I haven’t. I’ve seen Pokémon Musicals, though, and aren’t those basically the same thing?”

“Oh, not by a longshot!” she exclaims, her eyes going wide with excitement. “I dunno what you’ve heard about Contests, but girl, you’re in for a treat! But hey, that’s not for a couple of days, and I wanna show you around. Come on, we’ve got tons of daylight!”

I want to hash out my feelings about it a little more, but Aiden will not be denied. She escorts me all over the route, showing me the natural formations of the eastern Coronet cliffside. And it really is beautiful. The rocky ravines of the mountain are cut down the middle by a fast-flowing river – with a waterfall to boot – and the eastern portion is mostly forest and grassland fed by that same river. I see a bunch of bibarel swimming upstream in the river, pursuing a tree long that it probably just felled. Some meditite are punching the cliffside, attempting to split the rock with fists that really should be bloody at this point. It’s very picturesque and peaceful, and I’m glad that Aiden is sorta forcing me to look at it. The beauty of the route takes my mind off of a lot of the other stuff.

It takes a couple of hours, but eventually we start heading east towards Hearthome proper. As we get closer to the city limits, we begin to notice rows upon rows of berry trees. Everything from Oran and Lum to Occa and Kebia are being grown in gated plots of land. This goes on for a while, in a manner not dissimilar to the apple orchards near Striaton City. Nestled by each tree is a small bucket with a sign that reads, “Take Just What You Need / Plant The Seeds Once You Are Done / Donations Welcome”.

“So, what, we can just take these?” I ask, eyeing a Pecha berry tree.

“I … think so?” Aiden replies. “I mean, I’ve never been here, Gardenia just told me about this place. It’s called the Berry Master’s Orchard.” She turns to me. “Like, the guy who runs it, Carl Root, he’s a retired botanist who came into a lot of money, wants to spread a message of environmentalism, so he sets this up outside the second-biggest city in Sinnoh. It’s sorta become a tourist trap over the years, but it’s one of the good ones, y’know?”

“Well, that I can get behind,” I say, snagging a Pecha from a nearby tree. I take my wallet from my jeans and drop a 500 Poké bill into the bucket. “From one person following a cause to another, I guess,” I mutter.

“Hear, hear,” Aiden says, patting me on the back. “Wanna head straight to the city, or lounge around here?”

“Eh, I’d sorta like to get going to Hearthome.”

“Yeah, more time for you to make googly-eyes at Fantina.” She puts on an extraordinarily peevish grin, and although I want to chew her out – and I REALLY want to – I don’t give her the pleasure of a response. I just glare at her for a moment. “Sorry, I’m sorry, sorry!” she laughs. “I have a problem, I know.”

“On that, we agree,” I giggle, the tension mostly lifted. Seriously, though, why is she on me about this so much, it’s not like that.

All of a sudden, we hear shouting coming from further ahead, near a large cabin. Aiden starts sprinting toward the noise, with me and a recently sprung Yossele following close behind. Tracking the commotion to the cabin, I see an older man yelling at someone – or something – I can’t see at the moment. “Hey, is something going on, sir?” I ask.

“Oh, pardon me, I didn’t notice you were there,” the man exclaims as he turns to us. “I’m terribly sorry to ask, but would it be possible for the two of you to help me? A couple of kids are harassing a pokémon I’ve been taking care of.” He gestures a little further into the orchard. “It’s probably just teenagers being awful, but she was orphaned not long ago, and it wouldn’t be good for her to –”

I don’t even wait for him to finish his sentence before storming off in the direction he pointed. Yossele is clearly on my wavelength, as he’s already covered in his ghostly Iron Defense aura, his arm jets beginning to rev with fire.

I’m seeing all sorts of red.

It doesn’t take the two of us long to find the culprits. And yep, it’s a couple of teenagers, just like the guy said. A boy with a houndour and his friend, clearly a little perturbed, watching off to the side with her audino. The victim is a tiny ralts, positioned under a Rawst berry tree, letting out a growl. There are bruises all over its body.

“Teddy, stop it!” the girl shouts. “I thought you were gonna catch it, not torture it!”

“Aw come on, didn’t they teach you anything in Trainer School?” the boy responds. “You gotta weaken the pokémon first before you capture it. And besides, don’t you think it’s gonna be super impressed with me after our battle?”

“Impressed? It wasn’t even fighting! It didn’t want to battle you! You gotta stop, you might really hurt it!”

“Tali, I gotta show it how tough I am if I wanna put it on my team!”

“Actually, I think you should listen to what your friend’s saying, kid.”

The two of them turn as I stand close to them. Both Yossele and I crack our respective knuckles as we stare daggers at the boy. He can’t be much older than thirteen.

“What the hell are you doing?” I growl. “Your friend said the ralts didn’t want to battle. So explain what you’re doing.” I take another step towards him. “Carefully.”

“I – I…” The boy – Teddy, I guess – is fumbling over his words. “I was battling the ralts, I wanna catch it!” He looks over at the pokémon in the bushes, whose horn is beginning to glow with a pinkish energy. “See, see, now it wants to battle! You’re just getting in the way of my fight!”

“And now I’m your fight,” I reply. “We’re battling. Yossele, position yourself in front of the ralts. Don’t let the houndour get close.”

Yossele jets past the lot of us, touching down in a three-point stance directly in front of the houndour. He gets into his stance, letting out one of his low rumbles, which seems to visibly calm the ralts down. {I am ready whenever you are,} he signs.

“What’re you doing?” the boy asks.

“Battling you,” I respond.

“What the hell, I was in the middle of catching that ralts!” he exclaims.

“And if you beat me, you can. IF. And if you lose, you leave it alone. Understand?”

His eyes seem to light up at that thought. “Okay, lady, you’re on!” He crosses his arms in a vain attempt to look tough. “I’m warning you, though, I’m starting my Gym Challenge soon, so my houndour is super tough! There’s no way you’re gonna beat me!”

“Heh, that’s funny.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve already got two badges. Stomping Tantrum.”

Teddy doesn’t have any time to react before Yossele decks the houndour in the snout with a laced-hand smash. It goes flying a few feet before landing hard on its back.

“Uh, uh, Hellion, get up and use Ember!” Teddy shouts. To his credit, the houndour seems pretty well-trained, as it gets up quickly and lets out a burst of white-hot fire. Yossele shields his face with his mud-brick arms. He’s a bit singed, but otherwise okay.

“Shadow Punch,” I mutter.

Yossele rockets forward, right fist already glowing with ghostly fire, and right as Teddy is stammering for Hellion to dodge, plants a nasty uppercut into his lower jaw. After flipping over once in the air, it lands once more with a thud, right on its back. Yossele –

Is still going towards it, Yossele, what the hell are you doing?!

“Stop, stop, Yossele, that’s enough!” I exclaim. The golett screeches to a halt, using his jets to slow himself down. {I apologize. I thought you’d wanted to send a message to the other Trainer.}

{Message was received,} I sign back. “Your friend isn’t able to battle anymore,” I continue verbally. “Help him up.”

As soon as I finish, Teddy rushes over to Hellion and begins spraying it down with a Potion. He scratches behind its ears, reassuring it that it’s alright, he did well.

“Oh, so you do have the capacity to treat pokémon well,” I hiss. “Silly me.”

“What do you want from me, lady?!” Teddy screams. “You already beat me, I’m not gonna catch the ralts, isn’t that enough for you?”

“That wasn’t the point.” I walk over to the ralts. It crosses its arms as I get close to it. “What you were doing was horrible and wrong. You don’t get a pokémon’s to join you by destroying it in a battle, beating it senseless. You need to earn its trust and respect.” Yossele lets out a rumble, trying to communicate with the slight figure. It looks at me carefully. I extend a hand to it, palm up, to try to reassure it. After staring at me for a couple of seconds, it reaches out and touches its hand to my finger.

SCAREDRELIEVEDDISAPPOINTEDCOULDATAKENITSADRELIEVEDHAPPYDIDN'THAVETOFIGHT

“Ah! What the?!” I yelp as I sharply draw my hand back. The ralts takes a couple steps back, seemingly scared at my loud noises. Its horn lights up again. Oh shit, is it angry with me? Why is it angry, I just saved it! “Wait, wait, I’m sorry, I just don’t know what that was, don’t be scared!” I stammer, trying to reassure it – actually, wait, her – that I wasn’t gonna hurt her.

“What the hell, man?!” With what had just happened, I’ve practically forgotten that Teddy and Tali were even there, so it surprises me when he starts talking again. “First you get in the way of me catching the ralts, then you yell at me like my mom even though you’re not much older than me, and now you’re scared of it?!” He stomps off towards Hearthome with all the contempt a thirteen-year-old can muster. “You’re such a buzzkill.”

Tali and I watch him go for a few moments, not really saying anything. She turns to follow him, but stops after a moment.

“Thank you, miss,” she says. “I kept telling him it wasn’t cool, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Then stop him next time,” I respond. “Standing by and watching doesn’t help anyone.”

“But he’s so much better than I am! I would’ve just gotten Bunny hurt!” Hearing her name, the audino standing next to Tali walks up to the girl and pulls on her arm, mewling a little bit.

“Yosie, what’s she saying?”

{That she had wanted to help the ralts, and was just waiting for her Trainer to say something.}

“Figured. Seems like Bunny had wanted to do something.”

“Oh, okay.” Tali starts petting Bunny’s big ears. “Next time I see Teddy or Jimmy being mean, I’ll stop them.”

“That’s the spirit.” I give her a smile. “Might wanna get going, you’re gonna lose your friend.” She nods and dashes off.

“Well that was ... something.” I hear Aiden and the old man approach. “Man, I was worried Mr. Root was gonna have to restrain you or something, but here you are with the issue pretty much resolved. Or whatever the hell you call that.”

“Wish you had been here, honestly,” I say with a chuckle. “Probably wouldn’t have sworn as much as I did.” I turn to the man. “Did I catch that right? You’re the one who runs the orchard?”

“That I am,” he replies. He walks over to the ralts and pats her on the head. “I’m glad to see that Christine is alright, if a little bruised.”

“You’ve already named her? Is she yours?”

“Oh, no, I’m not a Trainer myself. I just have a lurantis back at the cabin who helps me with my garden.” He stands up to face the two of us again. “I’ve mostly been taking care of her until she’s ready to go back to the wild again. I was hoping it would be soon, but now I doubt she’d be ready anytime soon.”

“I don’t think even that is gonna happen, Mr. Root,” Aiden says.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious.” She turns to me. “Mattie, when you yanked your hand back, why’d you do that?”

“Wait, you saw that?”

“Yeah, and I think I have an idea why, but I wanna hear it from you first.”

“It’s … it’s sorta hard to explain.” I grab the bridge of my nose as I think of the right words. “I mean, I reached out my hand to calm her down, and when she touched me, I sorta, like … felt things. Not thoughts, but, like, emotions, expressions, that weren’t mine, but I felt them like they were. Is that weird?”

“Not at all, Mattie,” Mr. Root says. “Christine has done that with me occasionally as well.”

“And there’s your problem,” Aiden chimes in. “She’s already imprinted on people.”

“Wait, she thinks Mr. Root is her mom?”

“No, no, not like that!” she laughs. “It’s more like, sharing emotions is how the ralts line communicates, and from what I’ve seen, once a pokémon from that line does that with a human, it becomes much more difficult for it to survive in the wild. Hate to say it, but at this point, Christine probably wouldn’t do very well in the wild anymore.”

“Oh.” Mr. Root’s eyes go wide at the revelation. “I see.” He looks down at Christine, who is watching this whole conversation with marked interest. “Come inside, come inside, we’ll talk a little more there.”

He leads us inside his cabin, which is surprisingly spartan, save for shelves upon shelves of berries and berry seeds. He gestures for us to sit at a table near the back of the room.

“So, this might be a little bit of an ask,” Mr. Root says, “but if I can’t return Christine to the wild, I’m not sure what to do with her. I’m always so busy with the Orchard, I’m not sure if I can keep her myself.”

“Oof, that makes sense,” Aiden responds. “So what are you gonna do, then?”

“To be honest, I was hoping one of you could take her on?” He sighs, his shoulders sagging at the thought. “It’s a spur of the moment request, so I would not be surprised if you turn me down, but it’s all I can think of at the moment.”

“Well, what about pokémon shelters?” Aiden offers. “There are always people looking for pokémon there.”

“Not in my experience, they aren’t,” I interject. “Maybe it’s different in Sinnoh, but in Unova, pokémon shelters are sorta like orphanages – packed to the gills. Not great conditions all around.” I cross my arms. “Problem is, I’m not sure either of us’d be the best fit for Christine. I mean, Aiden’s on her last leg of Ranger training, and I’m on a Gym Challenge. Quite frankly, she’s liable to be hurt either way, and given her history, I’m not sure I’d want her to experience that.”

“Bullshit,” I hear Aiden whisper.  I cock an eyebrow at her, a little surprised by her reaction. She mouths a quick not now, motioning toward Mr. Root.

Apparently he doesn't notice this exchange, as he continues, “Hm, very understandable. Perhaps I’ll have to find another –”

However, before Mr. Root can say anything more, Christine jostles herself from where she was standing and waddles over to me. Without waiting for a response, she touches her hand to my leg and –

CONFIDENCEDRIVESCAREDSKEPTICALBUTSEEMSTRONGWANNAJOINYOU

She lets go. The room is quiet for a moment. Christine cocks her head with curiosity, waiting for any of us to say something. I feel like Aiden and Mr. Root are looking at me.

I’m just … looking at her. I don’t … I don’t know how to feel. The first time was one thing but this …

What am I supposed to feel about that?

“Hey, Mattie, you feeling alright?” I hear Aiden ask.

“Yeah, totally, why d’you –”

And that’s when I wipe my face and notice that my cheeks are wet. When did I start crying?

CONCERNCONCERNWANNAHELPHAPPYMAKEHAPPYCONCERNWANNAHELP

Christine has grabbed my hand again. Overwhelmed me with feelings again. She’s looking up at me with those big red eyes of hers.

And I think I get it now.

“I’ll, uh…” I weigh the words in my mind for a moment. “I think that, uh, s-she wants to go with me.” As soon as I say that, I feel a burst of HAPPYHAPPYHAPPY as a big smile envelops the ralts’s face. “Yeah,” I laugh, “yeah, she’s coming with me. I think she likes me. Just a bit.”

“But didn’t you just say that it probably wouldn’t be the best idea for Christine to join you because of the Gym Challenge?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.” I scoop her up into my arms. “I think she chose me. So, I guess I’m stuck with her.”

I could go on, and I want to, but the sight of Aiden nodding at me says it all. This is the right decision. I grab a pokéball from my bag and touch it to her forehead. It doesn’t even rumble once before I hear the click. Once that happens, I release her from the pokéball, along with the rest of my team, who begin to surround her. Raiju immediately begins his previous routine of tapping and poking his new teammate, but Christine just seems to enjoy it.

“Well, I’m glad to see that this was able to be resolved as easily as it was,” Mr. Root says, standing up from his chair. “I hope things go well with both of your endeavors.” He shakes both of our hands, but holds onto mine for a little extra time. “Take care of Christine, will you?” he asks. “She may never have been my pokémon, but I still care quite a bit for her.”

“I’ll do my best, Mr. Root,” I reply.

“That’s all I ask.” He smiles. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check in with Orchid.”

As we head out of the cabin, Aiden checks her watch. “We should probably start getting a move-on to Hearthome. Don’t wanna keep Cynthia waiting, y’know?”

“I hear ya.” I gesture to my team. “Wanna get moving, all? We’ve got a new city to see.”

Before we get going, however, Aiden takes me aside for a moment. “Christine probably wasn’t helpless. Ralts in this area, especially out in the open, can and do fend for themselves. I have no idea what Mr. Root was thinking taking Christine in, I wasn’t there, but I don’t buy the helplessness bit.  We’re gonna talk about this later.”

And with a bunch of cries from the pokémon and a weird sinking feeling in my gut, we continue on our way to Hearthome.

Just as well that he stops! Would've been kinda hypocritical to keep wailing on the houndour once said dog isn't fighting back anymore.



I love psychic-types.


Christine is adorable. I wonder if she'll end up doing any actual fighting down the line. Mattie was hesitant to let her get in harm's way, and even Christine herself seems to have conflicted feelings on the matter. She wants to be strong, but the thought of acting on it scares her... but she wants it. I think if anything's gonna push her through her fear, it'll be her desire to make others happy--let's just hope she doesn't get in too far over her head in the name of doing so.

This Is a review for the CLBC of Ionization Chapter 14

So, this chapter showed a new side to Mattie I feel, which added a new set of perspectives to certain aspects of her story. I think the continuation of Cynthia’s presence throughout this chapter and the previous one added a lot and shows a different side of her, although it is known she started off like Mattie did once, as an assistant to Professor Rowan, working on a Pokédex – at least canonically. Once Cynthia departs it seems like the chapter changes pace and focus a little, which seems to lead well into the next steps of the character’s stories. Mattie seems to be much more responsible, or at least appears to be.

The Ralts sequence is interesting, although I admit to struggling to read the rapid changing of thought as it was written as a stream without break. I think you handle the sensitivity of the psychic Pokémon well. I also like how the Audino reacts to its name being called-Just like a cat when you mention its name (or Biscuits) it magically appears. Overall, I think the Pokémon interactions is one of the biggest strengths of the chapter, alongside the growth of Mattie from the previous chapters.

Pacing wise, as I mentioned above, I feel like the chapter is split into two sections-the change in pace isn’t too volatile, but there is definitely a shift in the plot pace. Maybe it is the psychic’s thought stream that influences that. Grammatically, the chapter seems fine, although I feel like the dialogue being split in half in a few places. My biggest qualm with the chapter is the stream of psychic thought of connected words being very difficult to read (particularly from a dyslexic’s point of view).

All in all though, the chapter seems to flow well from the previous one, and is enjoyable so far.

I really like Yossele. Like, a lot. I mentioned it in my earlier review of your fic but I think he's a really great character, and definitely a good foil to Mattie. I really am curious to how he and any potential members of her team that she may catch down the line. Also, there is quite an interesting conflict between Mattie, who has seen the worst of the Team Plasma movement as one of their members, and David, who seems to believe mostly whole-heartedly in the message that they preached. It's intriguing to say the least, and I hope this isn't the last we see of David, because I think there could be a lot of mileage into the ideological conflicts between the two characters. Overall I really enjoyed this chapter, and I really am intrigued to see how this story progresses.

We've got a Chapter 15, everybody! And after less than 2 months? What's wrong with me, it's almost as if I was productive. Anyway, enjoy, all!






“So … this is Hearthome, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty huge, isn’t it? Second biggest city in the region after Jublife.”

“Yeaaaaaah, you’ve never been to Castelia, have you?”

“I’ve been to Lumiose. I’d say that’s pretty fucking big.”

“Oh, shit, got me there.”

While Hearthome is definitely not as big as everyone was hyping it up to be, it is definitely a city with quite a bit of character. Lots of the buildings feel like they come straight out of Victorian Galar, with gargoyles and Gothic architecture everywhere I could think to look. I’m particularly fascinated by the vast cathedral to the Thousand-Handed One in the southwest, its minaret-esque spires looking to pierce the heavens. Yossele fits right in, his mud-brick frame mirroring the sculpture rather nicely.

Problem is, the aesthetic is ruined by all the advertisements.

Wherever I look, there are fliers and posters everywhere advertising the big Super Contest in a couple of days. In the same vein, the only thing the bustling crowds Aiden and I encounter as we walk the streets seem to wanna talk about is the festival. It’s kinda frustrating. Since, y’know, we want to go to the Gym. However, after a little bit of searching, we find someone willing to help us in the church. He’s an older man, wearing a sharp black suit and tie, with hair that really looks like it should be slicked back with the amount of product that I smell in it.

“I feel your pain,” the man laughs. “It wasn’t this crowded when I got to Hearthome, and that was just a couple of days ago. The church is one of the few places I can get some peace and quiet.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” Aiden replies. “I’m excited for the festival, sure, but this is a bit nuts.”

“Wait till you see Nimbasa on a Musical day,” I remark. “That shit gets pretty crazy.”

At the word Nimbasa, the man’s eyes light up. “Oh, you’ve been?”

I take a quick look at Yossele. He looks intrigued, so I continue. “A couple of times, yeah, but mostly when I was little. My mom was a big fan, so she dragged me and my dad to a couple productions.” I pause. “Why do you ask? You been there too?”

“Not just been, that’s my hometown!” the man remarks. “Been living more up north for a while for my job, but it’s always nice to head back down every once in a while.” He turns to Aiden. “Are you from Unova as well, or from somewhere else?”

“Hoenn, actually,” she replies. “Generally a little bit warmer there. Kind of underestimated the cold.” She mock-shivers for a moment. “Means I didn’t pack enough warm clothes.”

“Yeah, that’ll do ya,” the man laughs, “especially this time of year.” He gestures towards the door. “Come on, let’s get you to the Gym where they actually have some heat.”

We exit the church with purpose. It is starting to get a little later in the day, and the temperature is starting to drop, so we follow the man as quickly as we can. Aiden and I can’t help but snicker at Yossele’s tiny legs scrambling to keep up with us. Patricia has no such issues, the mass of people parting at the sight of the large palm dinosaur. The crowd begins to break a little bit as we near a large open park up north, so we’re able to slow down a little bit and talk.

“So, with all that talk of where we’re all from, I never caught your name,” Aiden says.

“Oh, shoot, sorry about that. Was probably a little distracted when you two approached me.” He stands up a little straighter. “The name’s Allen Hughes. And if you’re wondering, which I’m guessing you are, I’ve been waiting on my charge for a little while. He’s supposed to meet me here soon.”

“Oh, you’re a bodyguard?” Aiden asks. “Who for?”

“Oh, just a family friend. He’s a kid, about your age.”

I feel my stomach drop a couple of inches. “His name David?” I ask.

Allen stops in his tracks and stares daggers at me. “And how would you know that?” he asks, his tone suddenly leaking a little bit of venom.

“I’ve, uh, run into him a couple of times,” I say, my arms crossed in front of me. “I think I gave him a bit of an, uh, bad impression.”

“Oh.” He lingers on my words for a moment. “OH. You’re that Mattie Kasdan girl he’s been going on about.”

“My reputation precedes me, I guess.” Aiden is looking at the two of us like we’re speaking in a foreign language. “I’ll get you up to speed later,” I reassure her.

“I will say, though, that you’re definitely a little different than how David described you,” Allen continues. “He described you as wholly abrasive and unlikable, but I don’t really see that, having actually met you.” He sighs. “He’s, um … not the easiest person to be around, I’ll admit.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” I look at him. “If you see him, could you let him know that I’ve been thinking about what he told me last? It’s been on my mind a lot lately.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.”

“…and I’m Aiden, hi.”

Both Allen and I look over at Aiden, who’s clearly been looking at us for a little bit. “Yes, I’m still here,” she continues, giving us a goofy wave. “Can I enter the conversation now?”

“Arceus, I’m sorry,” I laugh, putting my hand on her shoulder. “Believe me, I’ll explain everything later, but it’s a bit of a long story. And I guess I’m only getting some of the details about now, maybe, probably?” I turn to Allen. “Did you know he’s been pretty rude to some Trainers since he got here? My luxio can attest to his behavior.”

Allen sighs. “Yes, I’ve been made aware. Clearly a bit of a one-sided picture I’ve been receiving. I’ll have to talk to Rory, ask him why he hasn’t been trying to stop his behavior.”

“Another caretaker, I’m guessing?”

“Yep. David is a handful. Often needs more than one person watching over him.”

“I mean, I’ve never even met the guy and I can already tell that,” Aiden chimes in. “Hopefully, though, a journey will help improve his attitude.” She jostles me in the side. “Just like you!”

“Shut it…”

“That’s the plan, anyway.” He gestures with a nod at the building we’re approaching. It’s a quaint, multi-story house, with the roof having a strange purple-and-yellow motif. However, two other things catch my attention: the League symbol emblazoned on the front, and the woman with the long, blonde hair checking her watch by the door.

“Looks like this is our stop,” Aiden remarks. “Hey Cynthia, we made it!” she continues, waving to get her attention. Cynthia looks up and returns the wave.

Allen is just sorta standing there, mouth agape.

“You … know Cynthia Valence?”

“I know, surprised me too,” I reply. “Aiden helped her out with a situation on Route 206, and I guess she likes us enough to keep us around.” I laugh a little. “Anyway, despite our shared connection, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Hughes.”

“Please, Allen is more than alright,” he says, shaking my hand. “Contrary to everything that David might say – and has said – you seem like a good person.” He turns to Aiden. “And I’m really sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you, we just found something to talk about that you just didn’t know about.”

“And that I will tell you about in a bit,” I add.

“No worries, it’s alright!” Aiden says, shaking his hand. “Besides, it must be pretty juicy stuff if both of you are so hung up about it.”

Allen and I glance at each other. The look on his face says it all, and I get the feeling I’ve got the same look on my face.

You don’t know the half of it, sister.


“So, is Hearthome treating you two well?” Cynthia asks us.

“Aside from the massive crowds of people, the advertisements everywhere, and the knowledge that winter is getting closer every day? Yeah, it’s pretty good so far,” I say with a laugh.

“And, y’know. The other thing,” Aiden comments. “And we’re gonna talk about this…?”

“Trust me, all the deets will come in time,” I reply. I turn to Cynthia. “Any update to our stay situation?’

“Oh yes. That. Well!” Cynthia takes a breath, clapping her hands together. “Apparently – and this surprised me as well – Fantina’s and my connections don’t amount to all that much when it comes to finding hotels during festival time.” She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “As such, I’m not entirely sure you’ll be able to find a hotel room that won’t be disastrously out of your price range.”

That’s … a blow. Aiden and I look at each other in shock. I’m extremely disappointed, and I can tell Aiden feels the same. “But what about my Gym battle?” I ask.

“Yeah, and I was so looking forward to the festival!” Aiden adds.

“Just a moment, please!” Cynthia exclaims. “I may have a solution to both of those things.” She turns to me first. “Mattie, I spoke to Fantina about you being a Challenger, and although she’s preparing for her exhibition at the festival, she would be more than happy to give you a battle today. Not in any official capacity, mind you, but just as a scrimmage of sorts.”

“O … kay,” I say, arching an eyebrow, “but that doesn’t help the whole other, y’know, official Gym battle stuff. Not to mention the fact that, yeah, the festival is coming up, so we’re still a little left in the lurch on where to stay.”

“Well, here’s the thing,” Cynthia says. “Fantina is a celebrity, yes. But she is also a longtime resident of Hearthome and Gym Leader, so she’s seen many Trainers in your situation before.” She pauses. “This … is going to sound rather forward and awkward, I already know … but Fantina has offered, until the end of the festival, to house the two of you with us.”

Wait. What?

“I know, I know, it’s a strange offer,” she continues, “but we’re not exactly strangers to doing this. Being honest, we’ve done it before, and it’s a practice that previous Gym Leaders have also done. Frankly, the number of people attending the Festival is absurd every single year. Gym Challengers have always had an issue with finding places to stay around now, and considering how cold it gets, we don’t like to see Trainers camping outside if they don’t have to. It’s a problem, and this isn’t the cleanest solution, but it’s something.”

The two of us are silent for a moment. I’m not entirely sure how to process all of this. “This … this is … wow,” I’m somehow able to stammer. “I-I don’t even really know how to respond to that.”

“I mean, how can we accept that?” Aiden continues. “Like, I get that we’ve got our stuff we wanna do, but, like, I don’t wanna impose –”

“Oh please, it won’t be, mademoiselles, I assure you!”

Aiden and I both jump at the new voice, but I recognize it immediately. I don’t even need to see the tall, lavender-haired woman emerge from the Gym’s doors to know exactly who it is that’s addressing us.

“Honestly, Fantina, a simple ‘hello’ would suffice,” Cynthia giggles. “Besides, how exactly were you able to hear us through the door?”

“Ma amour, we’ve had conversations like this with many a Trainer before, I could guess at this point.” She leans over and plants a quick peck on Cynthia’s cheek. “And as to your first point, what is life without a little drama?” Fantina turns to us. “Well then, you must be the two jeunes femmes Cynthia told me about.” She looks over at Aiden. “I will have to get to know you a little more,” she says before turning to me, “but I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Mademoiselle Kasdan.” She extends a hand. “It’s a pleasure to formally meet you, Mathilda. I’m sure we will have a lot to –”

As soon as she extends her hand, I clamp down on it with both of my own as if my life has been building up to this very moment. <Oh my Arceus it’s such an absolute honor to meet you, Fantina, I’m such a big fan, I’ve seen all your movies and – >

“Oh, goodness, slow down, slow down!” Fantina laughs. She takes a couple of deep breaths and continues, “I’ve met quite a few fans in my time, but very few who’ve actually taken the time to learn Kalosian. It’s rather impressive.” She gives me a wink. <The accent could use a bit of work though.>

I think my brain melts a little bit when she speaks to me in Kalosian. I feel literally unable to respond to the amount of happiness filling my whole body.

Thankfully, I think Aiden sees that too, since she starts talking for me.

“Well, I don’t know Kalosian, so I’ve got no idea what you’ve just said, but yeah, she’s kinda been raving about you for a while,” she says. “Ever since she learned you’re next on the Gym Challenge parade, in fact.” She wraps her arm around me, snapping me out of my fangirl trance. “Which is the actual reason why we’re here. I’m mostly along for the ride, although the Contest Festival is a nice bonus.”

“It is indeed, Mademoiselle … oof, I apologize, your name escapes me –”

“Nah, you’re fine, my name’s Aiden,” she says, shaking her hand as well. Leaning in, she continues, “Just letting you know, Mattie’s not normally like this. She’s a goofball, sure, and I wholly advocate for messing with her –”

“Hey, I resent that!”

“– but from the few days I’ve known her, she can be reasonable,” she continues, sending another wink my way. Once again, my face is burning hot. Arceus, now everyone’s making me feel awkward. “But in all seriousness, if it’s not too much trouble for you, I’d be more than happy to take you up on the offer, and I’m sure Mattie feels the same. It was just unexpected, is all.”

Okay, thank you for being the sensible one. “Yeah, yeah th-that’s totally what I was gonna say, yeah. We, we, we would be happy to stay with … oh Arceus, I’m staying in the same house as Fantina Brodeur. Aiden, pinch me, I think I’m dreaming.”

She lightly punches me in the shoulder. “That close enough?”

“Acceptable.” I feel myself calming down as Aiden chuckles. “Yeah, let’s, uh, let’s get settled in, I guess?”

“Oh, not so fast, my dear!” Fantina shouts, before twirling in my direction. “Before we get settled in, as it were, as you are on the Gym Challenge, I thought it would be a fun little exercise for us to have a little, shall we say, scrimmage?  I take it Cynthia already mentioned my intent?”

Oh right, she did say that. Totally slipped my mind. “You mean, do our Gym battle now?” I ask.

“Well, not exactly, as I would like my team to be in tip-top shape for the festival in two days, but judging by your excellent taste in pokémon,” gesturing to Yossele, “I have a funny feeling our battle will be truly marvelous.” She summons forth a pokéball. “She’s not exactly my ace, but I do have a pokémon that participates in both Gym battles and Contests, and I think she’d quite like to have a little spar with your golett.”

“Uh, would she be okay with that? Seems a bit sudden.”

“Well, let’s see!” She tosses the pokéball, and in a flash of light, out pops a large, floating purple balloon with a yellow X on the side. Its cloud-like tuft of hair bobs up and down with its form as it latches onto Fantina with its four yellow … hands, I guess. Fantina grabs onto one of the hands like a kid holding a party balloon.

“Zeppelin, I’d like to introduce you to Mathilda Kasdan,” Fantina says. “She’s going to be your opponent in a few days, but I was wondering if you’d like to get a bit of an early taste? Mattie gets to see you, and you get to see a member of her team. Would you like that?” The drifblim lets out a happy squeak, like air escaping a tire, and begins to float indoors towards a room I can’t see.

“I’ll … take that as a yes, I guess?” I mutter. “Yosie, you good with this?”

{Absolutely, yes,} he signs. {We will learn Fantina’s ace in time with the Gym Trainers, and now we will be able to see another guaranteed member of her team. Even if I should lose, I would call this a golden opportunity.}

“Pragmatic as always, ain’t ya?” I joke, patting his head. “Alright, Yossele’s in. Let’s do this.”

“Merveilleuse, magnifique!” Fantina exclaims, clapping her hands together. “Follow me, I’ll show you to the arena! Cynthia, dear, would you mind watching over the battle?”

“Absolutely,” Cynthia replies. “Maybe it’s the former Champion in me, but I’m very interested to see how your team fights, Mattie.”

“Well, it’s sorta just gonna be Yossele for now,” I remark sheepishly.

However, Aiden lets out a snort. “Just Yossele? Mattie, your golett is a freaking tank! I’m legit not sure how you’re gonna lose this!” She puts an arm around my shoulder and says, more quietly, “Haven’t seen you lose yet, Hot Streak. Don’t let me down.”

“I, uh…” My face goes white-hot. Again. “Well, uh, thanks, Aiden, but, uh, we’ll see, I guess.” And I rush into the building, knowing for a fact that Aiden is snickering behind me.


For such an unassuming building, the stadium itself is just as memorably Gothic as the rest of the city. Statues of different ghost-type pokémon line the borders of the arena (including a few statues of golurk, I can’t help but catch), and the light coming through the stained-glass windows make the whole room appear somewhat ancient, dreamlike even. Even the referee’s stand is uniquely anachronistic, looking more like a throne than a pedestal. Cynthia gleefully plants herself onto the chair, watching over the proceedings like a queen at a jousting match.

“Now, normally I would have one of my Gym Trainers presiding over the match,” Fantina says, “but as I’ve given them some days off in the lead up to the festival, my darling fiancée will just have to do instead.” She blows a very unsubtle kiss to Cynthia, who rolls her eyes. “Just to make sure we don’t get carried away, I hope you understand.”

“Got it,” I snicker. {Yosie, ready an Iron Defense as you jump in, be ready to take some hits.}

Yossele nods, tapping his sigil, and as he enters the arena his body is enveloped in ghostly flame.

Fantina raises an eyebrow. “Oh, we’re preparing before the battle even begins, are we? Very clever, I like it! Alright then, Zeppelin, let’s enter the battle with a Stockpile of your own!” The drifblim starts puffing up its body with warm air, growing larger and sturdier by the moment. I arch an eyebrow.

“Not something I see every day,” I mutter to Yossele. “She preps. She’s gonna be tough.” I turn to Fantina. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Oh, you’re giving me the first move?” She chuckles. “You chose … poorly. Phantom Force, Zeppelin!”

Faster than I can blink, the drifblim disappears. Yossele is wheeling around, trying desperately to find where his opponent has gone.

“Yossele, put your guard up!” I shout. “Be ready for anything!”

However, before he’s able to properly get into his stance, his shadow begins to … bulge, for lack of a better word. To swell.

And to take the shape of a hot-air balloon.

“Yosie, behind you!” I shout. Yossele is barely able to get an arm up before Zeppelin leaps out of his shadow, knocking him to the ground.

“Keep up the offensive, Zeppelin!” I hear Fantina exclaim. “Acrobatics, don’t let up!”

At a speed I didn’t think possible for a pokémon that size, the drifblim jets over to Yossele and starts ramming him from all sides, inflating and deflating constantly to help her reposition. Yossele can’t get a bead on her.

“Uh, uh, just lash out a Shadow Punch, try to connect!” I stammer.

Zeppelin may be fast, but Yossele’s Shadow Punch is faster. He swings wildly to his right, but is able to connect with a flaming fist, knocking the drifblim to the ground.

“Alright, while she’s down, keep at it with a Stomping Tantrum!”

“Get out of the way, Zeppelin!” Fantina shouts. The drifblim responds in kind, jetting out of the way and up, well away from Yossele’s fists. “You’ll have to do better than that!” she taunts, waggling her finger at me.

“Dammit!” I mutter. “Try to catch up, hit ‘er with another Shadow Punch!” Yossele literally rockets to his feet, his arm jets firing at maximum. He leaps into the air, higher than I’ve ever seen him jump, and connects with a powerful double-fisted punch. However, he’s not able to totally right himself afterwards, falling headfirst into the ground.

“While he’s down, Zeppelin, Shadow Ball!” Fantina commands.

A globule of ghostly energy forms in the yellow “X” of the drifblim’s form, which she then launches at the prone Yossele. He isn’t able to get out of the way, and before he can regain his footing, he is slammed back into the ground by the shadowy orb.

And he doesn’t try to get up. Merely waving a hand in defeat.

“I think we can call it there, folks,” Cynthia remarks, standing up from the pedestal. “Fantastic as always, dear,” she continues, “although I have to say, Mattie, your performance was very impressive for being at such a disadvantage.”

“Yeah, I noticed that part,” I reply, walking over to Yossele, who’s just beginning to right himself. “Yossele can’t exactly fly, so we were always playing catch-up.” I start spraying some Potion solution on his wounds. “Whaddaya think, bud? You feel okay with that?”

{Send Raiju in on her,} he signs. {I cannot keep up with her, but I think he can.}

I can’t help but giggle at that. {Goal-oriented as ever, huh?} “He seems pretty satisfied,” I continue verbally.

“Oh, I’m so happy to hear that!” Fantina exclaims, clapping her hands together. “Zeppelin had a marvelous time as well, so I think we can call that scrimmage un gran succès!” She gestures for all of us to follow her. “Now come, come! I’ll show you to your rooms! We have much to discuss and prepare for these next few days!”

Cynthia and Aiden start to follow, but I lag a bit behind, focusing on patching Yossele up.

{Fantina seems to be an interesting person,} he says. {I think I understand why you are drawn to her.}

“Oh trust me, Yosie, she’s a lot different than I imagined her to be,” I reply.

{I do not understand. Is that a good or bad thing?}

I think for a moment. “Not sure yet.” I smile. “But we’ve got a few days with her.” I stand up to follow the rest.

“I’m sure we’ll figure that out.”

Fantina and Cynthia are very cute together so far.



I admit to chuckling at that part. While not an official battle and a short one at that, still pretty fun read there. Looking forward to when that official battle begins. Also the girls living with Fantina and Cynthia should be an interesting experience heh.

Alright all, a very dialogue-heavy chapter for you today! Please enjoy!




So, Fantina’s house is massive.

The inside of the Gym building, which also happens to be Fantina’s mansion, is way more expansive than one would expect just by looking at it. Sorta feels like one of those “bigger on the inside” buildings you’d see in a videogame, being honest. And it’s a beautiful home, as well. Lavender drapery, flowery wallpaper, and furniture and dishes straight from Kalos, it’s all rather lavish.

“Please, make yourself at home, Mademoiselles!” Fantina exclaims, waving her arms at the opulent common room. “There are some couches over there by the bookshelf, and the guest rooms are just down the hall if you want to settle in. It’s nearly time for dinner, so I’ll whip up a repas for us to enjoy. But come, sit, sit!” she continues, patting the cushions. “You’ve been on the road for a while, please relax!” She darts off before we have time to process her words.

“Uh … wow,” Aiden remarks, plopping onto one of the couches. I sit next to her, and Cynthia casually reclines on a nearby chair. “Is she always like this?”

“With guests, yes,” Cynthia replies, running a hand through her hair. “As long as you’re staying with us, you might as well be a permanent resident.” She chuckles to herself. “If I hadn’t seen any of her movies, I would never have taken her for a celebrity at all.”

“I mean, I totally got a little of that from her interviews,” I say, sitting next to Aiden. “She’s always, like, so generous with her time, and genuinely happy to talk with interviewers.”

“Maybe … or maybe she’s just a chatterbox,” Cynthia laughs. “She’ll talk you’re ear off if you give her the chance.” She leans towards the kitchen. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Absolutely, dear!” we hear her reply. “It’s the conversations I like, not the attention!”

“She’s not a fan of paparazzi,” Cynthia whispers to us. “The word is practically banned in the house.” We all snicker at that remark. “But in all seriousness, please, do make yourselves at home here. Feel free to put your stuff down if you like.”

“Think I’ll take you up on that offer,” I reply, hoisting my bag onto my back. “Care to join me, Aiden?”

“Nah, think I’m gonna chill here for a bit,” Aiden replies. “You’ve gotten some time to chat with Cynthia, so I think it’s my turn.” She sticks out her tongue at me. “Take your time, though!”

“Fair enough. Be right back!”

I have to pass by the kitchen before I get to the hallway (Fantina in an apron is … not a sight I ever thought I would see in this lifetime), but the guest rooms are easy to spot once I’m there. I choose the one on the left, and am immediately blindsided by how big the bed is. “What is this, a queen, king?” I mutter. “Arceus, that’s insane for a fucking guest room. What do you think of it, Yosie?” I turn to Yossele, but he’s not there. Right, he doesn’t care about bedrooms. I lay my bags down at the foot of the bed, then lay myself out on the mattress. The comfy, comfy mattress.

Can I just … go to sleep for a bit? That’d be nice. Yeeeaaahh…

I feel a tap on my leg. Two fingers. I lift my head from the mattress, noticing a little drool on the bit next to me (dammit, did I snooze for a bit?), and see Yossele standing near the foot of the bed. “Hey bud, was I asleep?” I mumble.

{I think so,} he replies. {It has been about half an hour.}

“Figures.” I flop onto the bed again. “More tired than I thought, I guess. Did I miss anything?”

Yossele walks up to where my head is resting. {Very little happened while you were away. Aiden and the Cynthia woman were talking amongst themselves, and when I came here, the Fantina person was still cooking.}

“Does the meal smell good, at least?” I ask.

{I do not know what smelling good implies, but there is a smell that appeals to me for some reason.} He pauses for a moment. {Aiden and Cynthia want to speak to you. It’s why I am here. They asked me to retrieve you.}

That takes me by surprise. I slowly sit up to look at Yossele. His arms are crossed. “Okay, that’s a little odd. Any particular reason?”

{They were talking about you.}

“Oh really?” I lean in towards Yossele, my eyes narrowing. “What about, if I may be so bold?”

{I believe they mentioned the incident from earlier today with the young Trainers. Aiden does not approve of your actions.}

“And she’s bad-mouthing me to Cynthia?!” I exclaim, rocketing up from the bed. “What the hell?!” I stomp out of the room, angrily making my way towards the living room where the two women are sitting. Fantina seems to have finished her cooking, as there are plates filled with pastries and cheeses laid out by all of the chairs and couches, with the lady herself having taken up a nearby chair.

Not that I notice much of that, however, as my vision is mostly red at this point.

“Oh good, Yossele got a hold of you,” Cynthia says, leaning forward in her chair. “We just wanted to have a quick –”

“What the hell, Aiden?” I ask, barely even registering what Cynthia is saying. “I leave to take a nap for a half-hour, and now you’re talking about me behind my back like I’m not even here? Mighty cool of you, Ms. ‘I-Don’t-Want-You-To-Keep-Things-From-Me’!”

“Now hold on a moment,” Cynthia tries to interject, “that is entirely uncalled for! We just wanted to talk with you about what happened earlier, that’s all.”

“From what I overheard, it sounds like there are rather mixed feelings about what happened,” Fantina chimes in. “Perhaps it might be best for Mathilda to let us know what happened in her own words? I do abhor one-sided narratives.”

“I mean, I dunno, it seemed pretty black-and-white to me!” I exclaim. “I saw a kid beating up a defenseless ralts in the middle of the Berry Master’s orchard, so I stepped in and stopped him from doing that! Cut and dry, end of story. I don’t know what’s so wrong about that, she wasn’t able to defend herself!”

“Was she?”

Aiden is staring daggers at me. She doesn’t look angry, per se, but there’s something in her eyes that looks like … frustration? Disappointment? I can’t totally tell.

“Is that what you took from that confrontation?” she continues. “That she can’t take care of herself, and that it’s your job to step in for her?” She sighs, crossing her arms. “How Arceus-damned noble of you.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Let me show you.” She turns to Fantina. “You mind if I summon my tropius for a second? It’ll be quick, I just need to demonstrate something.”

Fantina starts at that comment. “Un moment, un moment!” she stammers, “you’re not actually going to start a battle in here, are you? You would destroy the room.”

“Not at all,” Aiden replies. “I just need two attacks, neither of which have a lot of range.” She glares at me. “And they won’t be coming from Patricia. They’ll be coming from Christine.”

As she says this, both Cynthia and Fantina’s eyes go wide. From the looks on their faces, they seem to have realized something that I’m clueless about.

Which absolutely infuriates me.

“I think … yes, I think I see what you are saying, yes,” Fantina responds. “Alright, but please, do be careful.”

“I will.” Aiden tosses her pokéball out into an open space in the hall, and Patty materializes in a blue flash, her long neck nearly reaching the ceiling. She turns to me. “Your turn.”

“My turn to what?” I ask, very confused.

“Summon Christine.”

“Wait, but I thought you just said that we weren’t gonna battle!”

“We’re not. Patty’s not gonna move an inch. Summon Christine.”

I look at her for a moment. She’s still looking at me, arms crossed. Waiting. Turning to the others, both Cynthia and Fantina are giving me expectant stares, seemingly urging me to follow Aiden’s directions.

“Okay, I guess,” I mumble, limply tossing Christine’s pokéball, “but I have no idea what you’re trying to accomplish here.”

With a flash of light, the ralts appears near my feet. As soon as she materializes, she begins surveying the room, taking in every spare detail that she can see with her big red eyes.

“Christine!” Aiden calls out to the ralts, who almost immediately snaps to attention at the sound of her voice. Her voice is surprisingly commanding. “You see that tropius over there?” she continues, gesturing to Patty. Christine nods.

“What are you even trying to do?” I ask. “You’re not gonna accomplish anything by ordering my pokémon –”

“Psybeam.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I see the ralts’s horn light up with the same pink energy that I’d noticed before. A swirling rainbow beam erupts from the horn, ramming into Patty’s face and leaving her dazed.

I can only sit back and watch, too caught off guard to protest.

“Draining Kiss,” she continues.

Christine leaps forward and bum rushes the stunned tropius. As she runs – or waddles, really – a film of white energy begins to form around the ralts’s arms. When she’s about 5 feet from Patty, she swings her hands forward, unleashing the torrent of light at the tropius. It envelops her form, and seems to pulse brighter and brighter as Christine absorbs some of the energy captured by the attack.

“Alright, you can stop.”

At Aiden’s words, Christine lowers her arms, dissipating the glowing energy mist. She waddles back over to me, still staring at her, and places a hand on mine.


Aiden walks over to me. “Gardenia took me out this way a few weeks ago,” she says. “The ralts in Route 208 routinely know those types of moves, even in their wild states. Hell, by the time they’re usually seen on that route, they’re not far from evolving into kirlia.” She crosses her arms again. “Helpless my ass, Mattie. What you did with that boy wasn’t brave, wasn’t noble. It was rude, it was inappropriate, and it made you look like quite a bit of a jerk.” She pulls out her PokéGear and shows me a website she’s pulled up. The Sinnoh PokéDex website. With a profile of the standard power level of ralts found on Route 208.

Standard techniques: Psybeam, Draining Kiss, Teleport, Double Team.

“Why are you showing me this?” I ask. “To prove a point that I’m an ass?”

“Not at all, actually,” she responds, her face softening. “I only said that you looked like an ass at Mr. Root’s place. I’ve known you for about a week now, and even I know that you’re not like this all the time. So …” She pauses. Mulls over her words for a moment. “Why didn’t you wait?”

“Why didn’t I – are you kidding me right now?” I’m practically spitting, I’m so incredulous. “Mr. Root said that the kids were harassing her, I wasn’t just gonna stand by and –”

“And did Mr. Root demonstrate that he knows a whole lot about ralts?” she interjects. I’m … not sure how to respond to that, so she continues. “Like, at any point in our conversations with him, did he say that he knew what he was doing? First chance he gets, he gives Christine to someone he thinks is more capable. Pardon my language for a moment,” she says to Cynthia and Fantina, “but HE FUCKING KNOWS he’s not the best person to be figuring this stuff out. And yet.” She takes a breath. “And yet, just based on his word, if I’m reading you correctly, you create an image in your head of mean Trainers antagonizing a helpless creature that can’t defend itself, and you’re the only one who can stop it. Am I right?”

My voice. Catches in my throat. There’s a lump where my vocal cords should be. I can only mutter a faint “Yeah” in response.

“And about what I heard earlier? With what you were talking about with that Hughes guy? You’re having him apologize to that other kid for you! Why, because you don’t think you need to do it yourself?”

I feel myself starting to tear up. “Yeah,” I stammer, my arms hugging my body as I feel myself withdraw from her.

“Oh shit,” I hear Aiden whisper. “Oh, shit, shit, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She tries to place a hand on my shoulder, but I turn away, unable to look at her.

I don’t walk away, though. Don’t know why, but my body doesn’t want to leave, even if I do.

“Yeah, I think you came off a little harsh, Aiden,” Cynthia remarks. “However, as much as I would rather not seem like I’m ganging up on Mattie, you do have a point.” My head snaps to her in disbelief, but she remains calm, simply patting the couch to her right. “Maybe it might help to sit down, have some food? I know it always helps me.”

It’s hard to argue with her. Especially since my voice still isn’t working properly. I sorta shamble over to the spot on the couch closest to Cynthia. I also can’t help but notice that Aiden doesn’t sit right next to me, but moves closer to the other side of the couch. Her face still doesn’t look angry. There’s an air of concern and embarrassment written all over her, a far cry from the frustration I’d seen earlier. A plate of food is nudged in front of me. I start picking at it.

“So, I need to make something very clear,” Cynthia begins. “From what I’ve heard about what happened, and what I’ve seen of you these past few days, you’re far from a bad person.” She sighs, placing a hand on my knee. “In fact, if I can hazard a guess, I think I have a …theory of sorts, if you will. I have a feeling your dislike of Contests ties into this as well, but the theory is a bit bigger than that.”

Fantina, who at the moment is sipping some tea, does a faux-spit take upon hearing that. “Excusez moi?!” she exclaims with a chuckle. “A Trainer who does not like Contests?! Oh, perish the thought, dear!” She laughs to herself for a second, but calms down as everyone gives her odd looks. Bringing herself back to earth, she clears her throat. “Being serious, though,” she continues, “I was rather surprised when Cynthia mentioned to me your hesitation about the subject. Being as much of a fan of me as you are, you must know that I have a great deal of affection for Contests.” She motions to the kitchen. All over the walls, there are pictures framed of her and Ghost pokémon wearing ribbons and lifting trophies. I have no idea how I hadn’t noticed them before. “I have been a Coordinator as long as I have been an actor and Trainer, so … it is surprising, that’s all.” She smiles at me. “I take no offense in it, I assure you, but it does pique my curiosity.”

I can’t bear to return her gaze. My eyes fall to my feet as I grapple with my thoughts. “I mean…” I mutter. “It’s just … it’s so unnatural for pokémon to do that sorta stuff, don’t you think? It’s, like, forcing them to do an activity outside of their natural instincts, just for the amusement of their Trainers and the spectators in the crowd.” I finally summon the nerve to look at Fantina. Her gaze is warm, and her violet eyes are calm. “And, like, it’s exactly the same with th-the Pokémon Musicals and PokéStar Studios in Unova! Exploiting pokémon for a human audience, right? Why should I be okay with that?”

Fantina smiles at me.

She actually smiles at me.

After I accuse her of exploiting her own pokémon.

What is this woman?

“I’ve … heard that argument before,” she says. “Especially when the Plasma crisis was happening. Cynthia can attest, Plasma’s words and ideals were weighing on me quite a bit. But, as she is wont to do, she was somehow able to reassure me that the words of a mad cult leader should not sway my pokémon and me from our passions.”

“How?” I ask.

“A story, actually,” Cynthia chimes in. “And this ties into my larger theory about you in particular.” She pauses for a moment. “You don’t really know how these shows came to be, do you?”

I stiffen. “I … don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say.

“Tell me, do you know how and why Pokémon Musicals were founded?”

“Not … really?” I mutter, flabbergasted at my own ignorance of the issue. I could’ve sworn Plasma talked about this in their speeches. “I always thought … I thought it was because it would make money.”

“Not entirely. It was completely unplanned, actually,” Cynthia says. I sit up in my seat. “Oh, I know, it surprised me too,” she snickers, “but it’s true! Fantina actually asked the main organizer of the Musicals when we were vacationing in Undella, and he was more than happy to tell the story.” She leans back in her seat, a warm smile on her face. “About fifteen years ago, the Nimbasa Theatre House was performing Phantom of the Opera. It was a rousing success, as that play often is, and the tour stayed there for a good few months.” She chuckles. “Near the end of their run, during the ‘Masquerade’ number, some audience members noticed a few of the extras looking sharply in odd directions, sometimes missing their marks. People were confused.” She looks at me. “Can you guess what was causing the commotion?”

“I … don’t know,” I maybe. “Was … was it just a bad performance?”

“Unlikely, since this was a professional troupe,” Fantina interjects. “Even on off days, actors and performers have to be at their best.”

“So … what was it then?”

“An emolga.” Cynthia chuckles. “One of the ticket checkers forgot to close the door all the way, and a wild emolga snuck into the building, became entranced by the music, and decided, all on its own, to join in the performance.”

“That … sounds really cute, actually,” I say, a small smile forming on my face.

“Oh, the showrunner was mortified when he heard!” Fantina exclaims. “For the rest of the show, he was walking on eggshells, terrified that the audience wouldn’t be happy with the performance!”

“And … what did they think?”

“Mixed reception, actually,” Cynthia replies. “Some definitely enjoyed the surprise appearance of the emolga, but others did complain of a disruption to the performance. And the emolga wasn’t going away, either; it had taken a shine to the man playing Raoul.” She snickers. “So the two of them had an idea, which they presented to the showrunner: work the little pokémon into their last show, which was the next night. No advertisement, no build-up, Raoul just had a companion now.” She snaps her fingers. “Instant success. When the emolga wasn’t interfering with the performance, but actively a part of it, Trainers who normally were not as into musicals could suddenly relate to the characters just that little bit more.”

“And in later productions,” Fantina continues, “some of the actors, who were Trainers themselves, wanted to the continue with the practice with their own pokémon.”

“But isn’t that what I just said was the problem?” I ask. “Trainers asking to do something that their pokémon don’t want to do?”

“Then you’ve never been an actor with a pokémon team.” Fantina sighs. “When I take part in a film, I often go for long periods of time without seeing any of my pokémon. And even when I do, I’m often too tired to interact with them much. The experience is much worse for theater actors.” She smiles. “Having the opportunity to perform with their pokémon is an incredibly appealing thought for both parties. It’s why Brycen founded PokéStar Studios in the first place.” She nods to herself. “Not for money, not for prestige, but because he wanted to be with his friends.” She gets up and plops herself next to me. My face immediately spikes about twenty degrees. “And honestly, that’s also why pokémon like participating in Contests as well. Just like with battling, it serves as a way for pokémon and people to bond, to learn about each other, and to grow together.” She places a hand on my shoulder. I’m too stunned to move. “Some of my pokémon do not take part in Contests with me. Some of my pokémon do not fight in my Gym Battles with me. Some don’t act with me. And that’s alright. I can’t assume that any of my pokémon will do everything that I like to do, and I can’t force them into roles they won’t fit in.”

“If, um … if I can butt in here?” For the first time in what feels like a while, Aiden finally manages to get a word in. “Mattie, that last bit? The assuming, the ‘forcing them into roles’? That’s what I saw from you earlier. And I know you’re not usually like that, but your display earlier with the kids reminded me a little too much of Archie and Maxie.”

“Wait, the Aqua and Magma guys?” I exclaim.

“Yeah, them,” she continues. “Not nearly as bad as them, but it had the same ‘I-Know-Better-Than-You-And-Everyone-And-Everything-Else’ vibe to it. It rubbed me the wrong way, that’s all.” She gets up, walks over to me.

Hugs me.

“I’m really sorry I blew up at you just now,” she says into my ear. “You’re not a bad person. But you can’t treat people or pokémon like that, and I think you know that.” She pushes herself off me, but keeps her hands placed on my shoulders. “Give people a chance to not be jerks. Give pokémon a chance to not always need your help. And, y’know, go into the Contests in a couple of days with an open mind. Trust me, the pokémon want to be there. It’s fun. We’ll have fun.” She leans in again, a mischievous smile curling up her face. “Plus, I’m planning on dressing up nice, and you probably should too.”

“I … I didn’t bring any nice clothes.”

“I know. Might have to go shopping tomorrow.” She winks at me. “Anyway, again, I’m really sorry for snapping at you earlier. I’ve got stuff I need to work on too.” Her face turns serious again. “If you ever need to talk, know that I’m here to listen. We threw a lot at you just now.”


“Yeah, and made me question literally everything I believe,” I snap at her.

“Isn’t that what journeys are for, though?” she responds, completely unfazed. “Learning where your assumptions about the world might be misguided? Growing as a person? Figuring out who you are, rather than who you were taught you should be?”

“I thought that’s what college was for.”

There’s a heavy, pregnant pause in the air for a moment. Then, all at once, all four of us start laughing our butts off. “College?!” Aiden guffaws, doubling over with laughter. “Oh my Arceus, not college! You think you’d get to, like, travel around the world and do what we do at college?! Girl, fuck college!!”

None of us are able to talk anymore; we’re too busy laughing. We spend another minute or so just letting that home exchange sink in between chuckles, and then actually start eating the pastries that Fantina made for us.

I don’t talk much. I mostly just watch and listen. To Fantina, who regales us about different tales from her latest shoots. To Cynthia, who talks about some interesting historical texts she’s recently started reading.

And to Aiden. Who isn’t talking much either, but just taking in their company. And occasionally looks my way. She’s tough to read right now, but not in a bad way. Can’t say why. After some time, we all say our goodbyes for the night, and head off to our rooms.

And I lie in my bed, for the second time today, far more confused than the first.

My review of Ionization Chapter 2 for bookclub.
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I ain't gonna lie, this chapter felt good in all the right ways.

Mathilda being ex-plasma just hits all the right points, the future rival being a sympathiser only adds to it. 

The banter between Yossele and Mathilda is also great, the runes actually being on him along with the moves emanating from them is something I don't see often enough.

Creativity with Pokemon moves and how their preformed with different Pokemon is something I love to see, Yossele here is perfect for that and serves that purpose wonderfully.

All in all, great chapter.

This is a Review of the CL BC of Chapter 15

Firstly, in this chapter, it is nice to note that the actions and reactions created by the characters previously do have some consequences, or at least have an impact on their current situation. The call backs to David and the averting the character’s expectations is a nice touch for sure. It shows elements of David’s personality, despite him not being present. It will be interesting to s see if this man they run into is just a one-off character, of if he reappears later with a darker intent. I do get a little bit of a shady vibe from him.

Furthermore, the use of Fantina and her Pokémon is nicely done in the middle part of the chapter. It doesn’t feel forced, and it represents what we as the audience can relate to, as her, the gym leader from the games and anime. There is a solid likeness, or at least strong connectivity between them. Her bond with her Pokémon is also handled really well. Something that is hard to achieve without coming across as over-corny or fake. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Driftblim? It is cute and cuddly.

One thing that did throw me off for a few moments is the line breaker. It feels redundant or strange where it is placed. Particularly since it is implied by the “Cynthia we made it” that she is already present. I assume you intend there to be a time skip here, however, it doesn’t really feel like there is. Maybe if there is, illustrate it by talking about the time/sunlight or something like that? That’s more of a nit-pick though. Keep going, things are looking up for Mattie, despite her past, and previous events, she seems to be bonding with Aiden well.