CartecTNN
patreon
The New Normal - 7-15
🕑 Added 2024-01-12 07:20:01 +0000 UTCThe New Normal – 7-15 – Victory Celebration
Karen had won. She had done it. Even if this was only a charity match, she had demonstrated her prowess by defeating a member of the Hoenn Elite Four.
“HAH! I knew she could do it!” Agatha shouted out proudly, her face lined with excitement and pride, “THAT’S MY GIRL!”
Steven and I shared an amused look as we stared at Agatha’s uncharacteristic display of enthusiasm. But Agatha quickly cottoned on to our expressions and rapidly reeled in her emotions.
“What are you two looking at?! Stop gawking and let’s get out of here. We have to congratulate the winners.” She barked indignantly, grumbling all the while. But that only caused Steven and I to break out in chuckles before we followed after her.
We exited the VIP room and made our way down to the arena, where we found Karen and Sidney already engaged in conversation. All around us reporters were clamouring to try to get an interview from the two trainers, but fortunately Steven had arranged for security in advance to temporarily hold them back.
As we approached the two trainers, they both cut off their friendly conversation and turned to us with wide smiles.
“Did you three enjoy the show? Even as the loser, I still thought that it was a great match.” Sidney remarked with a smile, looking unbothered about his loss.
“We did. Even Agatha here was very much entertained, wasn’t she?” Steven pointed out as he turned to her, causing her to scoff.
“I was only trying to show my support for my apprentice, don’t be mistaken.” She said, but Karen and I only chuckled at her words. Annoyed at being made fun at, she was quick to change the topic, “So how are you feeling, girl? You won.”
“…I’m not sure actually. It still doesn’t feel real yet.” Karen admitted.
“Well, you better figure out soon, because you’re about to get swamped with questions from those incessant reporters.” Agatha said as she gestured to the crowd of reporters being held back by security. “This is your first real opportunity to show yourself to the larger world. Go make the most of it.”
Karen nodded seriously, but Steven cut in, “Don’t worry, you still have some time before that happens. I didn’t hire those security guards for nothing, after all.”
“They seem to be doing a good job so far.” I added.
“And you have my thanks for hosting all this, Steven.” Sidney spoke up, getting nods of agreement from Karen, “Although I did end up losing, nothing gets your blood pumping more than fighting in a stadium. It’s really a different experience all together. I really can feel the rust shaking off of me.”
Karen blinked, “You fought like THAT and you consider yourself rusty?”
Sidney smiled, “I won’t make excuses; you beat me fair and square. But this loss has only sparked a further desire to try new strategies. I think I’ve been relying too much on tricks. I think I’m finally beginning to understand Drake’s way of thinking. Just having powerful Pokémon able to muscle through problems can be invaluable.”
“Your Sharpedo is still quite something.” Karen muttered.
“How did you feel about this battle?” I asked the two of them, “Was it strange fighting someone that shared your type speciality?”
The two of them shared a glance briefly before Sidney answered, “It was…difficult. We couldn’t use the same strategies that we normally used because we both knew that they would be ineffective. Out of all my Pokémon, only Sableye fought like I would want to.”
“And you managed to take out my starter with it. So I’d say that went very well for you.” Karen exclaimed, “On my end, fighting Sidney was very unusual. It was like fighting a better version of myself. I knew he was better than me at my own speciality, so I had to try to overwhelm him with other methods.”
“It was a very close fight.” Steven nodded, “A slight mistake or a lucky hit could have led to a different victor.”
“Bah! Karen, we’ll be going over your match with a fine-tooth comb when we get home. I saw plenty of mistakes that you could have fixed up on!” Agatha lectured, and Karen only nodded in silent acceptance. She seemed very used to this.
“You know, I don’t think we’ve formally met, Elite Agatha.” Sidney pointed out, extending a hand, “You’re very different to the other Ghost type specialist I know.”
Agatha stared at Sidney’s hand for a moment before eventually reaching out to shake it, “Feh. I would hope so. There’s only room for one of me here.”
“Because the world would likely implode if there were two of you.” Karen muttered under her breath, but just loudly enough for everyone to hear it. Everyone but Agatha broke out into slight smiles.
“Right, enough of this.” Agatha grumbled, “Karen, you better fix up your appearance and get ready for your interview.” She turned to Sidney, “You probably should get a move on too.”
Sidney shrugged, “They’re going to want to do the winner’s interview first. They aren’t in a rush to interview a loser like me.”
I frowned, “Would this loss affect your reputation in Hoenn?”
“Probably, but I don’t care that much about the loss.” Sidney admitted easily, “Drake likes to challenge the other Elite Four quite often to ‘keep us in shape’ - and I never win those battles. I’ve gotten used to it now. Besides, it’s not like the strength of my team will be affected by this. We know our worth.”
“An admirable sentiment. I do sincerely hope you can maintain that attitude when it becomes my turn to challenge you back in Hoenn.” Steven spoke up with a challenging smile on his face.
“I have always expressed my respect for strong trainers. Nor am I one to cry salty tears when I lose. If you can make your way through the Hoenn Conference, then I will be happy to fight you.” Sidney replied, meeting Steven’s stares with one of his own.
“If that’s enough posturing from the men, the reporters aren’t going to be held back for much longer.” Agatha said snidely, “Better get ready to answer those questions.”
“You both ready?” Steven asked the two trainers, before getting nods from the both of them. “Alright then. Good luck to you both.”
===========
[KAREN WINS! A NAIL-BITING DUEL BETWEEN THE TWO MOST PROMINENT DARK TYPE SPECIALISTS IN THE WORLD! YOU HAVE TO SEE THE ENDING!] by BattleCast.
[Picture of Karen on the winner’s podium. Agatha, Steven, Sidney, and John can be seen just over to the side.]
We here at BattleCast were so excited and hyped by the fight that just took place that we didn’t even have time to publish our usual highlight reel of the fight, which we promise will come soon.
But instead we really just want to go over what just happened, because Karen WON! BARELY! It really could have been anyone’s fight!
Though we haven’t finished editing our highlight reel yet, anyone who had watched the fight would have known that the real MVPs of the fight were Karen’s Tyranitar and Sidney’s Sableye – two Pokémon that could not be more opposite. And it’s very fitting, considering HOW they won.
The performance from Sidney’s Sableye was incredible, and almost academic to watch. It was a beautiful display of the true potential of Dark type Pokémon. Through very clever and tactical use of its status moves, Sableye was not only able to cripple Karen’s Weavile, but it was able to completely shut down and knock out Karen’s Honchkrow entirely. It must have been a frustrating and humbling moment from Karen to see her being outplayed so hard in her own specialty.
On the other hand, Karen’s Tyranitar not only withstood against the seemingly unstoppable and unrelenting onslaught of attacks from Sidney’s Sharpedo, but it also managed to bring down his agile and dexterous Shiftry! It was a monstrous show of force that managed to claw Karen’s chances back into the fight, being an indispensable part of her victory.
Tyranitar served as an earth-shattering and dominating reminder that just because Dark types are known for their tricks, doesn’t mean that they must solely rely on them. And we don’t know what that Dark type move she used was; but it must have bee a nasty surprise for Sidney!
Following this, upon her victory speech, this was what Karen had to say:
“…I do not consider myself to be the best or greatest Dark type specialist in the world. ‘There is always someone better than you’ is a phrase that my friend is fond of saying, and I completely agree. My victory against Sidney today was by very narrow margins; who’s to say that the results will be different in a rematch? He certainly is an extremely formidable trainer, and despite my victory today, I still have plenty I could learn from him. If anything, I still consider him the better trainer.”
“Furthermore, as you all know, Agatha and I will be stepping down from our positions as temporary regent of Pewter City in a few days’ time. It is a sad moment for me; I have greatly enjoyed my time working with the Pewter Gym, and I am proud to have seen its future Gym Leader, Brock, grow into the capable man I know him to be.”
“However, this does mean I have more time for my real plans…which is that I WILL be aiming to challenge the Indigo Conference. And I will be expecting nothing less but victory.”
An ambitious statement from our recent winner! But was this a statement born out of confidence, or simply an overly eager statement announced in the heat of the moment? It will be up to Karen to back up her own words!
Not only that, but those who thought that Sidney would be distraught following his loss will be pleasantly surprised, as he looks nothing of the sort. Our on-field reporters have all stated that he looks happier than he did despite his loss.
And the reason why could be found in his speech:
“For those of you curious about my bright outlook despite my recent defeat, I have a question to ask all of you. Why would you think I would be upset about losing against a fellow Dark type specialist? Do you know how rare it is to have another Dark type specialist to challenge yourself against? I’ve waited years for this very moment, and I’m ecstatic that Karen turned out to be as strong as she was.”
“I’ve moaned frequently to Phoebe about having no one to compare myself to. But now I do. I have a target. A rival, if you will. I now have someone I can finally measure myself against and learn from. Sure, I might have lost, but I have gained something even more valuable.”
“I was rusty before this battle. I admit it. My winning streak against challengers have left me stagnant. And the lack of true Dark type specialists to compare myself against has unknowingly turned me complacent. But that time has now passed. I now know what I must do to improve. And let this be a warning to all those who would challenge me for my position – you won’t find me to be an easy prey.”
The confidence in his eyes do not lie. THIS is the mental willpower that all trainers ought to have. Sidney has turned his defeat into a learning moment for him; using it so that he may strive to do better in the future. It’s no wonder he’s in the Elite Four with such a productive mindset!
What do you guys think about the whole battle? Did you enjoy the fight? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Comments
FutureAce
Woah…this one battle has almost convinced me to become a Dark specialist. I always thought Dark types were cool – but to see them fight like this is a whole new experience.
I think I want my own Dark type now if they have the potential to fight like this.
TangelaThoughts
I predict that we will definitely see a distinct rise in Dark type trainers in the near future as a result of this match, though I don’t foresee this being a long-term change. That was truly a masterclass demonstration of how to make use of the Dark type. And proof that Dark type specialist CAN make fight at an extremely high level.
Overall, and despite Karen’s victory, I actually think Sidney is the better traditional Dark type specialist. But Karen is the more well-rounded trainer.
KantoRepresent
Some good ol’ reminder of why Kanto produces the best trainers. Even the Hoenn Elite Four, no offense to them, are unable to stand up to our newbies.
Good job!
SlugmaBalls
I’m disappointed at Sidney for losing to an unknown trainer. But let’s hope he really isn’t lying and has shook off his rust. I expect his next battle to be better!
But @KantoRepresent you have to chill it with those backhanded comments. Just because one rising star defeated a member of our Elite Four doesn’t mean you can generalise like that.
Sure, I’m sulking that Sidney lost. But Karen couldn’t beat Drake!
ANormalFan
@SlugmaBalls Yes, but John did. :)
Anyone else realized that this possible surge of new Dark type trainers couldn’t have been more poorly timed? John literally just explained to the world how to better use Fairy types; a powerful counter to Dark type Pokémon.
John again making those 9000 IQ plays.
FearTheRat
By that same token, Karen’s Dark types might not be as weak to the Fairy type as her future opponents in the Indigo Conference might expect. Her friendship with John is well-known, so it’s very likely she’s used to fighting against John’s Fairy types.
StoneCollector
Congratulations to both battlers for that exciting battle! I’m grateful for both your efforts in making the event as big of a success as it was! The amount of money we raised was truly staggering, beyond even my expectations. Incredible!
NotThatMuchWater
Woah is that Steven Stone!? The diamond spoon man himself? Deigning to comment on a lowly forum like this? Woah!
Sarcasm aside, thanks for arranging the battle! It raised a ton of money! Hope to see more from you in the future!
SeaDrake (Verified POG)
HAH! I TOLD you that power is a strength of its own. Well at least you know that this old man was right for once. This is why you should listen to your elders, Sidney! Heh!
I’m just kidding of course. Good fight! You did Hoenn proud!
==========
With the battle over, and with it already being rather late in the evening, the group eventually split up. Both Steven and Sidney had other plans for the night, leaving myself, Karen, and Agatha as a group.
Karen invited us to the Pewter Gym since both her and Agatha were about to retire from their temporary positions and wanted to spend a bit more time there.
I was happy enough to oblige; and I always wanted to speak a little with Brock.
Thus, the three of us made our way to the Pewter Gym. We had a quick pitstop to buy some takeaway for dinner before we got back. At least, that’s what Karen and I did, Agatha just told us what she wanted and then teleported herself directly to the Pewter Gym.
As soon as she left hearing range, Karen joked that it was because Agatha needed her nap. We both chuckled before a Gengar whacked us on the head, disappearing back into the shadows directly afterwards.
Still, with dinner bought, we entered into the little side addition to the Pewter Gym where the living space was, and I found myself greeted by Brock and ALL of his siblings. Agatha was there too, but she was just rocking idly in a granny chair. Very fitting.
The little ones were all a little curious, and a little shy, at my appearance, so I plastered the friendliest smile I could on my face as I went to greet them.
“Hello. I’m John. It’s very nice to meet all of you.” I began as I intentionally left out my title in my name. I didn’t want to scare them off. “I’m just here to join Karen for dinner.”
“Oh yeah, you’re that Elite Four! She talks about you a lot!” Yolanda spoke up, recognition flashing in her eyes. The others, especially the younger ones, were still giving me wary looks, but at least they weren’t filled with hostility.
“Yep, but please just call me John.” I nodded, making sure to keep the friendly smile on my face, “But never mind about me - Karen has just won her match against Sidney. Did you all see her match?”
“We did! She was so cool!” Forrest said excitedly, leaping in front of Karen with sparkles in his eyes “It was such a close battle! But we all saw you win in the end! That was so COOL!!”
The conversation immediately devolved as Karen was swarmed with words of congratulations from the many siblings. Questions were immediately bombarded her way as they asked her about this and that. Leaving her to it, I began setting up the table as I arranged all of the food that we bought for them. To my complete surprise, Agatha helped out a little as well, but I just told her to sit.
“They’re a lovely family, aren’t they?” Agatha suddenly muttered aloud, “Not at all deserving of the burden that’s been thrust upon them.”
I sighed, “Unfortunately, it happens all of the time. And, at risk of sounding callous, they seem to be doing okay at the moment. It could be a lot worse for them.”
“We helped out where we can.” Agatha agreed, “Caustic as I may be, I haven’t sunken so low as to insult children. Not these ones at least. They do not deserve to deal with something like me.”
I smiled at her, seeing how Agatha did care about them despite clearly trying not to. But then a sad thought came around, “What happens after you and Karen leave your roles at Pewter?”
She frowned, “Hopefully, things will continue for the kids on the upward trend that they are currently on. Both Karen and I have promised to check up on them from time to time, and we’d make sure they were living well. Though whether they can keep the Gym…that’s up to Brock and his efforts. We can’t do any more than what we already have.”
“Lots of responsibility to put on someone so young.” I pointed out, slightly hypocritically. Still, I did feel bad for Brock. Their house wasn’t small for an ORDINARY family, but for this many kids? It wasn’t big enough. It was barely manageable now while most of them were still children, but once they grew up, this would be untenable.
For all my poverty, I still had a big house to live in. Even if it was decaying and empty. This was the complete opposite of that.
Seeing the living situation that they lived in made me want to help them. But I wasn’t sure how. I couldn’t just GRANT them the Gym; that was beyond my authority as an Elite Four. I could donate money, but any direct gifts of money would be seen negatively if anyone found out about it. It would seem like a bribe.
…Then I realized the obvious solution in front of me. I just had to frame it in a way so that it wouldn’t seem like I was simply giving money away for seemingly no good reason.
With the answer in front of me, I just had to suggest it to Brock. But first, we had dinner to serve.
“Okay! Enough chatter guys! Dinner’s ready!” I shouted out, pulling them away from Karen’s storytelling about the fight. As soon as they saw the food on the table, the younger ones immediately clambered over into the chairs and tried to shove food into their mouths. Their over-enthusiasm had to be quickly stopped by the older ones, who were working like a well-oiled machine as they moved to temper the younger siblings’ antics before they accidentally knocked everything over in their excitement.
It was clearly a routine that they were used to. It slightly saddened me to see kids barely in their teens already forced to act like parents. And while Karen was trying to hide it, I could see that she felt the same way.
The dinner went smoothly, or as smoothly as one could with so many hyper-energetic children to take care of. Karen was even helping out at some points with disciplining them, another sign of just how close she was to the kids.
It was a very lively dinner, mostly dominated by the kids asking Karen more about her battle. That was all they wanted to know, and Agatha and I were both politely ignored.
Eventually, dinner was over. The elders, minus the elderly, went to help clean up the table. After that, Karen went to help put the younger ones to rest, while Agatha had Teleported home to sleep, leaving just myself, Brock, and Forrest in the living room.
The two of them were eyeing me nervously, as if they wanted to say something. Not wanting them to feel uncomfortable, I quickly spoke up.
“It looks like you have something to say to me.” I began. “Please, don’t be shy. I’m not here on any official business.”
They looked at each other for a moment before Brock let out a cough, “Sorry, we just wanted to know if you knew anything about how Pewter Gym would be evaluated in the future.”
Ah, I figured they’d ask something like this. “Unfortunately, I don’t. It would be very unfair if we could influence evaluations like that.” Unless your name was Pryce, “But from what I do know, it’ll be up to your efforts alone to please whoever the League appoints as the regent until you reach your majority.”
I leaned forwards, “If you can impress them, and the evaluators they send, then you’ll probably keep your position. It’s very rare for the League to force a Gym to change its leadership without something extraordinary happening.”
“But could you do something to help us out? We’ll work very hard for this! Promise!” Forrest asked, a little hopefully. Shocked by his words, Brock quickly moved to silence Forrest and apologize for his bluntness, but I simply waved him off.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind the honesty.” I replied, “And the answer is yes and no. No, because I’m really not able to influence your evaluations like that. That would be a huge scandal if it ever came out.”
The two frowned, though Brock looked like he had expected something like this. I continued before they could feel any worse, “BUT! I do have a proposal I’d like to offer you, if you would like to hear it.”
“Please, go ahead.” Brock answered immediately, sitting up attentively. Good.
“From what I’ve heard from Karen, your main problem is that your recent successes are built upon a shaky foundation? Because you don’t have the funds in case of an emergency?” I asked them, getting nods in return, “Then I have a suggestion. I will sponsor the Gym directly through my family business. This should provide you with a much-needed safety blanket in case something goes wrong. You can store these funds and use them on a rainy day.” Their eyes both widened, understanding the possibilities of what I had just proposed.
“In return, until the end of the next circuit, I want my family Moomoo milk to be the ONLY milk exclusively advertised at this Gym. I expect both posters and stalls set up around the Gym selling our product. It would be a great advertising opportunity for us because of how many young trainers come through your Gym, and being the official sponsor of your Gym would do wonders for our brand in Pewter.” I explained.
Forrest looked a little confused at the latter half of my proposal, but Brock was deep in thought. I allowed him to think as I sat back and took a sip of water.
Eventually, he spoke up, “How MUCH are you willing to give us? And can you authorise such a deal?” He asked prudently. I smiled at his question.
“I assure you that I can, though I will double check with my parents before confirming it. As for your first question, why don’t you go look through the numbers after this, and YOU come to me with a figure that you’d like. I’ll see if I can match it.” I proposed, “Of course, the more you ask, the more I’ll expect from you.”
Truthfully, I didn’t want to make our deals so mercenary like this. But this was a lot of money to be ‘giving away’, so I had to get something out of it. Of course, I wouldn’t exploit Brock’s situation, but I still needed to be accountable to the business. We weren’t a charity.
After a moment, Brock nodded. “I’ll be happy to discuss things with you further, Elite John. Thank you for this opportunity.”
“Please, call me John.” I replied, “And yes, I hope this can be a very fruitful deal between us as well. Here’s my contact number, feel free to contact me whenever.”
I extended a hand, and he shook it firmly. As the deal was struck, he couldn’t hide the bright and relieved smile on his face.
And for that, I knew it was worth it.
A.N. So I quite literally rewrote half of this chapter last night because people were asking for a Pokenet Interlude (I didn’t originally plan for it). I apologise if it feels a little forced in, that’s because it was an extremely last-minute addition. Still, I hope you enjoyed it! I do try my best to adjust my story to the comments!
Also just a little insight into both the aftermath of Sidney v Karen as well as the plot point regarding the Pewter Gym. They’re on the upswing now, but John wants to help them even more. Of course, he’ll benefit from this too.
This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks!
Comments
Galen Tanner
Yay I always thought it sucked that Brock got so little support in cannon it’s good to see John not only bringing himself up but also as many people up as he can
Mike Trevino
Might be mercenary but sometimes it's better than receiving what feels like a handout. Knowing that something isn't free is more palpable at times. You want money? Do this thing.
Sick Meme
Ty for the chapter😁 And i just wanted to say that Bruno doesn't just punch rocks on a Mountain, he also Kicks dirt on a Mountain he lives a very fullfilling live
