Hard Enough

Chapter 300 - The world grows smaller

I stared at the Swampertite for a long moment before looking up into Wallace's glinting eyes.

My mind raced as it began to connect the dots.

From the way he’d made a flashy entrance to sweep us along in his flow to this very reveal. The man wasn’t an idiot.

He knew Sabrina and I were Indigo’s pre-eminent Mega Stone and Evolution experts. I had a company literally engaged in looking into them.

Wallace was someone who, according to the games, eventually would become Hoenn's champion. Ostensibly, it was after Steven ‘stepped down’, but that phrase could be applied for a great deal of situations.

If Wallace wanted to become Champion of Hoenn, he had to be strong and smart.

I ran my rock energy through myself, making me stop and slow down instead of reacting straight away.

Celia gaped. “A Mega Stone! Woah! That’s an awesome find Wallace!” she said, leaning forward in her seat only for Juan to cough and give her a pointed look. She sat back and resumed her earlier poise, her eyes locked on the stone.

I held back a smile at her rather normal reaction to having something so valuable laid out before her. It was interesting that Juan didn’t bat an eye.

Neither did any of the staff, now that I considered it…

I eyed them and the room for a moment.

There were a lot of different ways this situation could play out. So many of them in fact that I found my mind soaring through ‘leaps of logic’ so quickly I felt like I was flying. How long had Wallace planned for this? Was it luck as he claimed or was there a longer con going on here?

Or was I letting my paranoia take hold?

I wasn’t seeing any Team Magma outfits crop up which was a good start I supposed.

Speaking of which… Juan’s file from what I’d read from the Guardian notes had marked him as a serious defender of Sootopolis during the war. He’d been something of a noble knight going where the people needed him.

Wallace was only a few years older than Sabrina and I as a young adult so he wasn’t scared by the war.

I eyed Juan and Celia for a moment. I hadn’t precisely been able to take a true measure of the man from the bare hour that we’d met, but I had read numerous testimonies that marked him as an honourable man.

I felt the chances of this being an ambush or potential dangerous situation begin to drop as I replayed what I knew of him.

I decided to push those thoughts to the side as they were a Furret hole my mind couldn’t afford to race down right now.

What did I know?

Wallace was approaching Sabrina and I about a Mega Stone. One that would fit him perfectly as a water type trainer.

Wallace was a potential rival for the Champion position against Steven Stone.

I picked up my sparkling water and took a sip to buy myself more time to think. I eventually determined I needed more information to act.

I inclined my head towards the stone. “I have to assume you know what it is. Do you know which pokemon it is for?” I asked to get things underway on an easy enough footing.

Wallace’s eyes glinted. “Indeed, I have had a rather strong reaction to it from my Swampert,” he declared without a hint of concern at the reveal. “But you knew that didn’t you?”

Wallace smiled as I nodded, not bothering to deny it. “Where did you get it from?” I asked, knowing that the answer to that question could change several things.

“Steven did not give it to me if that is what you are asking,” Wallace said with a certain bite in his tone that I noted with interest.

“I located it… well, I found it in the wild let us say,” Wallace stated. “I’ve had to move rather quickly on some sites of interest before Devon Corp could acquire them.”

I nodded. Everything he’d said made a good deal of sense so far.

He raised a glass and swirled it so that the liquid within caught the lights. “It has been a berryless project of mine until just this morning when I made this discovery. When I learned of you both being here well, I wasn’t going to wait around.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “Why can’t you afford to wait around?” she needled and Wallace gave her a searching look.

“It is not that I couldn’t… but, I’d prefer not to. I can’t exactly approach you in public while you’re here and as I understand it you have your own goals while here,” he said. He raised a hand. “I would be careful of your movements as they will be closely monitored due to you both being persons of extreme interest to Hoenn, Devon, and Steven. Lots of different parties will be observing you,” he stated seriously.

I considered that for a moment before inclining my head. “Thank you for the warning.”

He bobbed his head back, a smile flitting about his features. “I’m glad that we understand each other. Now I was hoping to talk with you in private about your understanding of Mega Stones.”

I gave the servants and staff around us pointed looks. “I wouldn’t exactly call this situation ‘in private,” I stated.

Wallace shook his head. “The staff will not run their mouths,” he stated before giving the staff the first proper look of the night. “They have been with me and Juan for years at this point and have yet to fail me in keeping anything they learn to themselves.”

“That you know of,” Sabrina stated, giving each of them a pointed look before tossing her head. “It depends on what is being discussed at any rate.”

Wallace shook his head. “They wouldn’t betray me or Juan. I’ve known them since I was a child and Wallace’s ward.”

I tilted my head. That hadn’t been part of his profile.

Juan coughed pointedly and Wallace smiled slightly. I glanced between them in thought. Hmmm, perhaps it is not so much a relationship of mentor and pupil between them but rather that of parent and child?

“What do you need to talk to us about?” I asked as an idea started to form in my mind.

“My bond with my pokemon is second to none! But that being said, if there is wisdom that can be shared would I not be a joke to not seek it out? Why rely on trial and error when there is tried and true?” Wallace gestured to Sabrina and I.

Wallace made an expansive gesture. “I am currently the Gym Leader of Sootopolis, but I have to admit that I have higher aspirations. I desire to be Hoenn’s next Champion. The only issue is, for that to occur I must topple Steven, a task that has become harder with the hoarding of information and Mega Stones.”

I hummed.

There was a certain degree of irony at what he was proposing.

Here Wallace was asking for Sabrina and I’s help, while Steven had started influencing Indigo with cherry picking who would receive his Mega Stones. Some of them were causing a good deal of political tension with people like Bruce. Then there was also the issue of Lance owing a favour.

I’d gotten out lightly but there was still the potential for mischief if he whispered a rumour into the right ears. My own reputation would take the hit easily enough but it would still be something to adjust for perhaps.

Especially if it was used at the right, or wrong time, depending on your perspective of things.

Hmmm, interesting.

I relaxed my mind and settled my energies so Sabrina could connect with me. “Thoughts?” I projected to her.

“He has a limit on what he will grant us, it is more about time that he is seeking to save like he said. That being said we should extract something from him,” she stated.

“Mining rights on lands he has? Mega Stones? Information? Specific pokemon like more Ralts for you? What would be appropriate?”

Sabrina sent me the equivalent of a headshake. “He might be flamboyant, but he’s no idiot. He can’t restrict Ralts as it’s too popular and widespread by this point as a companion.”

I considered Wallace. “He’ll do it, you know? According to the games I played at least,” I said.

Sabrina gave Wallace a searching look. “He has an interesting aura. His emotions shine through brightly but his mind is perfectly controlled. It is unique. He has control of his energies as well. A favour from him will be worth a lot, especially if we want to empower someone like Misty further in future.”

“We could get more perhaps?” I projected back as I considered what I knew of Mega stones within Hoenn.

There was Aerodactylite at Meteor Falls, Gyaradosite somewhere around Route one hundred and twenty three, Kangaskhanite in Pacifidlog Town, Pinsirite on Route one twenty-four. Mewtwonite—

My thoughts were interrupted and everyone at the table flinched as Sabrina’s head snapped to the right to stare at me.

Oh… I’d projected my thoughts just now to her, hadn’t I?

“Yes,” Sabrina’s voice said within my mind. “Mewtwo can Mega Evolve?”

I squirmed at the intensity of her look as everyone else looked from Sabrina to me, aware that we were conversing now but not commenting.

“Technically he can evolve like Charizard, in two different ways. One into a more empowered Psychic state, and the other as a fighting-psychic type.”

Sabrina turned, her expression vacant as she became lost in the idea of a Legendary pokemon being able to Mega Evolve of all things.

I withdrew my mind, deciding it was perhaps kinder to not give her any more revelations about potentially broken Legendaries, or weird pokemon quirks like Pikachu and Eevee being able to Gigantamax.

That way led a broken Sabrina.

“Sorry about that,” I said, deciding to cover Sabrina. “We were discussing your proposal. We’d be interested in offering what we know for a favour to be delivered at a later time. Or some specialised Mega Stones which can be traded around.” I drew out the notes I had from the research Sabrina, Alakazam and I had conducted.

I lay them on the table. “I’d also suggest calling this number,” I said, deciding to lay some groundwork now as I wrote down a specific transceiver number with the Kanto identifier at the front.

“Hmmm and who does this connect to?” Wallace asked.

I laced my fingers together. “That belongs to Misty of Cerulean, a promising trainer that is going to be the future of the Cerulean Gym,” I stated confidently. “I think you’d both benefit from just talking.” I made a chopping gesture, “but that is separate from our agreement, I just thought to mention it,” I stated.

Wallace took the number and gave it an interested look while Juan pointedly put down his knife and fork. “That would be Misty, the granddaughter of Percy of Cerulean?”

I nodded, interested by the respect in Juan’s tone.

Juan nodded. “A family worth acknowledging for its heritage among other feats.” His eyes turned to me. “A shame Indigo as a nation did away with their nobility,” he said cryptically.

Celia gained a confused look but I just waved my hand back and forth.

“I am aware of my… family’s history. We’re better off,” I said.

Juan merely inclined his head before turning to Wallace. “Well, I think with business out of the way we can enjoy ourselves now, no?” He raised a glass towards Wallace and I. “To new friendships.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

When we all drank at his toast I smirked, raising my own glass and turning towards Celia. “To your first victory tomorrow,” I declared, knowing I was going to enjoy watching her advance.

Celia beamed, and from there the rest of the evening was spent on much lighter topics. Wallace, as melodramatic as he was, was a wonderful host, which was still a rather amusing state of affairs considering it was Juan’s home.

I ended up just chalking it up as a quirk of their relationship.

We departed with a much better understanding and the potential for a lot more waiting for us in the future.

Sabrina didn’t bother with the Limousine, merely Teleporting us back to… the desert?

I shot her a confused look as she pulled a blanket out which she draped over us as Kirlia got comfortable at her side.

“You are going to tell me everything you know about Mega Stones,” she said.

Before I could start Alakazam suddenly appeared with a notepad and pen floating in front of him.

I snorted and sat back. I should have expected this when I told Sabrina my secret. I looked up at the stars and smiled fondly. “There’s a lot to say,” I said as I tried to come up with a point to start from.

Sabrina wiggled, cushions appearing beneath and around us as she got ready for the long night. “We have all the time in the world,” she said softly.

I ran a thumb over the back of her hand and nodded. I released Titan who blinked in surprise before locking eyes on me.

“Sabrina knows,” I said calmly and Titan perked up. I nodded as he questioned me through the bond.

“The others on our team?” he said.

“Soon,” I said, knowing they’d be rather interested at my reveal. I gestured for Titan to sit. “I’m talking about Mega Stones and what I know,” I said.

Titan got comfortable and I settled in for a long talk.

“Mega Stones,” I began slowly, “Were thought to be linked to two Legendaries from a region known as Kalos. Xerneas, a large deer-like pokemon that is fairy-type, and Yveltal, who is dark and flying. Both pokemon are linked with the warping of evolution stones into that of Mega Stone with their ambient energies. They can achieve this throu—”

I began laying out what I knew to Sabrina and her pokemon. I knew it would take more than just a night to talk about this topic. There was honestly a lot that I needed to talk to Sabrina about, but rather than dreading it, I found myself looking forward to it, especially if it led to moments like this where we just stayed close and talked.

The future was looking promising.

“—and down goes Jigglypuff! Celia’s on the ropes now with her opponent one to two in the three on three rounds!” the announcer gleefully shouted.

I bounced my knee. “Cheating Hoenn families,” I growled as I glared towards a group of blond men and women looking rather smug. I noted that Chaz was front and centre but he looked to be very unsure of his position being paraded in front of his family.

He’d looked my way once and all but flinched at the glare I’d leveled at him.

“It is rather fortunate for the trainer,” Sabrina replied mildly, gesturing to the Hoenn trainer who, in the space of a few hours had gained three highly trained pokemon who just so happened to be tailored to fighting certain pokemon on Celia’s roster.

I eyed the Manectric that was easily strong enough to be what I’d expect to face against Visquez if she was throwing down seriously. Watson… might have a pokemon this strong but that was judging him a bit low for my tastes.

Thankfully I had a very firm idea of what was about to happen. Celia, for all that she’d lost two of her pokemon to bad matchups and surprises, still had her best girl to bring out.

“Let’s go Lizzie!” Celia roared, sending out her Nidoqueen.

Lizzie stomped the instant she was on the field, causing an Earthquake to rip out and catch Manectric by surprise.

I pumped my fist as the electric dog went down while Chaz’s family gnashed their teeth and railed at the trainer for not acting quickly enough. Heh, poor kid was in over his head with those pokemon and as long as Celia kept her head she was going to cruise home.

The trainer put his hand to his pokebelt and considered his options only to grit his teeth and pull out an Ultra ball. “Go! Gyarados!” he shouted and from the ball a powerful and very angry pokemon emerged.

The kid stepped back, giving away the game that he had anything to do with training that pokemon.

There was no way you had a Gyarados on your team and you faltered when you sent it out.

I looked over at Chaz’s family. They looked smug, like the result was all but forgone.

I smirked right back, knowing exactly how things were about to go down.

Celia beamed. “I get to do the Lance Special!” she said, dancing back and forth.

The trainer blinked. “The Lance Special?” He tilted his head only to tense as his eyes shot to me. “Gyarados! Use Surf now!”

“Lizzie! Take him down!” Celia shouted.

Lizzie charged straight forward, undaunted by the emerging wave that threatened to sweep her away. Instead, she performed a perfect front flip that saw her grasping at the ground before she came up with a picture-perfect Rock Throw to Gyarados’ face.

Gyarados flinched and tumbled off the Surf that had been forming only for the wave to still rush on, signalling that Gyarados hadn’t been knocked out. Stunned from what looked like a critical hit? Yes, but not out of the fight.

Celia didn’t blink. “Evade!” she simply called even as Lizzie fell into the ground and dug. I felt a surge of pride, knowing I’d taught her that.

Juan had obviously added the grace and deftness of her commands and movements with all of her Pokemon thus far, but the basics, like using Dig to evade Surf, were all mine.

Next to me, Juan merely raised his hands in readiness to applaud as Lizzie leapt out of the ground and lay into Gyarados with a pair of rocks she ripped from the earth on her way through.

And just like that Celia had won her first match.

I rose and applauded loudly. “Way to go Celia!” I shouted, and she grinned as she advanced on her opponent to shake hands.

I sat down and shot Chaz’s family a smug look. “Think they’re going to keep that up?” I asked tersely.

“Most assuredly,” Juan replied. “They’re going to reveal themselves to be the sorts of people that lack sense I suspect. More money will be thrown into this to salvage their standing not realising how much they are the ones damaging it further and further.”

I rubbed my chin. “I almost wish they wouldn’t, they’re going to be making it too easy for Celia to win if all her opponents don’t have any degree of familiarity with their pokemon.”

Juan gestured to the area where Hoenn's trainers were sitting, watching matches. “There are more than a few that will see the poisoned chalice for what it is, so Celia will still be able to develop her skills.”

Sabrina offered me some water. “Until then, it is best to sit back and let them continue to repeat their mistakes,” she said.

Juan nodded as he rose to his feet. “I shall go and confer with Celia about her match. She was too shaky with her start there. I don’t expect it to repeat going forward, but she needs to be more willing to adjust,” he said.

I waved him off and relaxed in my chair as I watched the next match start-up. The matches, after what I’d seen in the Badge circuit in Kanto, was definitely a step-down. I’d watched a few news articles on specific trainers and while they did a good job hyping up various trainers I couldn’t help but notice that Celia stood head and shoulders above the others.

It very much felt like this tournament was hers to lose.

As soon as the next match was finished, the crowd filtered out. People who had only bought morning passes were asked to leave while those with full-day passes remained in their seats. Our section was soon nearly empty.

Sabrina and I remained where we were. If we wanted to go anywhere, Sabrina could easily teleport us.

“So, watch her match after lunch and then how about we do some scavenging for the rest of the afternoon?” I suggested to Sabrina.

“I already have Alakazam searching around the League Headquarters for any trace of the stone you suggested might be here. I’ll have him shift to searching Littleroot town soon after,” she replied.

I hummed. “I seriously doubt that one is going to exist or we’re going to simply find it. Lore wise it doesn’t make sense as Mewtwo is an artificial construct that’s only… maybe a few years old.” I waved a hand back and forth dismissively. “There’s no way the two legendaries were able to apply his energies to an evolutionary stone.”

“But you also mentioned that time travel is potentially possible, didn’t you?”

I held up a finger only to slump. “Point,” I said as I grappled with the idea of how precisely that would work. Did they come forward, back? Or was Mewtwo going to go on an adventure sometime in the future?

I scratched at my head. That… kind of would explain a number of the oddities of certain stones being found in locations that typically didn’t feature that pokemon population.

It made a little too much sense actually.

The afternoon crowd began to filter in. Sabrina’s breath hitching was the only signal I needed to begin searching faces.

I instantly didn’t like what I was seeing.

Lots of young men and women. All of them with pokebelts full of pokeballs, signalling they were all carrying the maximum limit.

Worse? All of them checked our position before moving to their seats.

Then a broad, jolly looking man swaggered into the seats behind us.

He leaned forward but I spoke up first. “To what do we owe the pleasure of Team Magma approaching us?” I said, eyes locked on the display board that listed off who would be going next.

It seemed Sabrina and I weren’t going to have to wait. Celia’s match was first up in the afternoon. This normally might be seen as a disadvantage, as you had less time to rest your team, but knowing Celia’s team size, along with her skills, I wasn’t worried.

Celia herself didn’t look phased as she strode out, waving as the crowd cheered her name.

Tabitha of Team Magma paused, shifting in his seat for a moment as other grunts set themselves up along the row from us. “Nothing sinister I assure you. We’re merely… checking the situation over as it were.”

His eyes flicked from me to Sabrina before assessing Kirlia next to Sabrina. “I have to admit the rumours surrounding you don’t do you justice. You had us made much faster than I thought you would. Kind of forced me to approach you so you didn’t do something silly like attack us.”

“And why shouldn’t we do that? You are members of a recognised terrorist organisation, no?” Sabrina said, turning her head and levelling a piercing stare at him.

Tabitha shifted again. “H-ha well, it would be ‘he said she said’ situation over here you see. You’re Gym Leaders in Indigo certainly but you don’t have the same weight over here.”

“Which is why you approached us when Juan wasn’t here,” I said. I hummed. “You do know my…” I stalled on what to call Sabrina for a moment before smiling. “Fiancee is one of the world’s strongest Psychics, right? What’s stopping us from forcing the issue and making you talk?” I said with a touch of dark glee in my words.

Tabitha licked his lips. “I can see why Team Rocket didn’t last long once they got themselves on your radar,” he said carefully. “It would be a waste of political capital, for everyone involved, trust me. We’re just checking in, that’s all.”

He coughed. “Also as a show of good faith, we’re declaring ourselves hands off from your student. We can’t speak for Team Aqua, but they don’t usually act in such a manner. But They shouldn’t move against Juan, a few too many people respect him.”

I nodded slowly. That did actually help to ‘sooth my annoyance. Still, there was an implied statement that if we didn’t play nice they’d switch their stance on Celia if I ‘forced them to’.

On the field Celia dispatched her first foe and went one up easily only for an alarm to ring out.

Around the stands a murmur of confusion rang out. Tabitha frowned. “That’s not a warning siren… what is that?” he said quietly.

A moment later, we found out.

The big screens that were showing the match were overtaken by what appeared to be a news anchorman.

“This just in! Breaking news from the port of Fuchsia city! An unidentified vessel bearing markings never seen before in the known regions has just started pulling into port! This vessel passed through all patrols within the region of Kanto with Ranger escorts only just catching sight of the vessel as it came into view of the port!

“Tensions are high within Kanto as the entire super region of Indigo has gone into instant Code Red with police, Rangers, and trainers being drafted to provide defense! The Current Gym Leader, Janine, is unavailable for comment!”

“We go live to our reporter in the field!”

The viewpoint shifted from that of a news desk to the port of Fuchsia, where a reporter was wearing a helmet.

“Thank you David! Tensions are high, and members of the public are being urged to take shelter in this unprecedented scare! Never before has Fuchsia been snuck up on so closely, and some of the public are already decrying Janine for not being able to follow her father’s track record!”

Sabrina and I shared a look. Both of us realised that something big was about to go down.

“The vessel has just made it to the docks!” the reporters said and the camera swivelled to show off a huge black vessel with markings along the side along with what looked like a crowd of people standing near the railing.

There were four people within sight but even with the camera’s zoom only sparse details could be made out.

My heart caught in my chest as despite that I recognised them.

“We need to get closer!” the reporter shouted, and moment’s later they and the cameraman were sprinting to get close. They were quickly pulled up by what looked like police with rangers who were forming a cordon around the port, but it didn’t matter, they were close enough now to get visuals and sound.

The clack of the gangplank hitting the ground caused everyone to lean forward in anticipation.

“Shit,” I said aloud as a familiar figure pranced down the gangplank.

“Hello! Kanto! I’m home! Hello babies! Mommy is home! I can’t wait to see you all again! Look what I found! I did it!” cheered a brown-haired woman with features that made her look a lot younger than she actually was.

“Fucking Lola,” I growled through grit teeth.

Brock’s mother continued to wave her hands back and forth like a child, or an idol at a fan convention, completely missing the point that she’d just caused all of Indigo to collectively have a heart attack with how she’d gotten that ship into port without anyone noticing it.

She continued to wave as people stared at her in shock, only for three more figures to walk down the gangplank.

Lola paused, perking up to gesture to them. “I made some new friends that everyone’s going to love!”

She reached out and grabbed an older-looking man with a mane of red hair who was wearing a poncho of all things. “Everyone, this is Alder! He’s the Champion of the Unova region!”

Lola then twirled to the side, ditching Alder to catch a woman wearing white everything. “And this is Diantha who’s just a doll! Say hi Diantha!” Lola said only for Diantha to turn a frosty look upon the other woman.

“Personal space Lola, we’ve spoken about this many times,” Diantha declared icily.

Lola flapped a hand at the other woman. “Oh you kidder, you!” she said before stepping to the side and wrapping her arms around the shoulders of the final member of their group.

“And this is my BFF! Everyone, I want you to be extra nice to her! She beat the pants off me when we fought!” she continued like that was just normal for her.

Unlike the others, Lola didn’t introduce her, which allowed the blonde to look straight into the camera and smiled

“Hello world, I’m Cynthia Champion of Sinnoh, and it is my honour to be here!” She gestured to the other two Champions with her.

“I along with my fellows were nominated as representatives of the Trinity Nations accord. We offer our greetings and intent of goodwill. Please, treat us well as we look to a brighter tomorrow! I greet Indigo, Hoenn, and Fiore along with the Island nations!”

Cynthia giggled. “I know you all must have a lot of questions, I too have many myself. I look forward to the coming exchange of knowledge!”

She glanced around. “Uhmmm take me to your leader?” she prompted of the Rangers.

A laugh escaped me at her use of the phrase.

There was a lot to unpack from this new revelation but the biggest one that stuck out to me?

Lola was back.