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MATURE: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Chapter 100

Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude 13 (100th Chapter!)

By this point I sincerely hope you know my thoughts on the story as a whole, so I'll just cover recent stuff.

Cycling Road not blowing up was nice, as was "oh, wow, an actual threat that a traveling trainer might face that isn't the literal apocalypse." The battle itself wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't bad by any means.

I'm going to go against the prevailing opinion here and say that I didn't really care for the blog. I thought it was a bit out of character for Alaska, even post-development, and might have shown a level of maturity that demonstrably doesn't exist anywhere else in her story. Maybe towards the end it would've been better but... eh. I think there were better ways to show subtle maturity increases than a blog waxing poetic and suddenly overcoming a lot of personal flaws. The story still has a way to go...

I did, however, very much like the interlude. It held just enough relevance to the current plot to be useful while still taking a break from everything for a little while. I don't know much about the characters at the center of it so some parts were confusing but it still read rather well and served as a useful reminder that some people are still working behind the scenes, however much Alaska tried to throw them off. And, well, one person rejecting responsibility beyond the most basic level and sinking into their own despair is still original if it isn't the same person for the same reasons.
 
Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude 13 (100th Chapter!)

The battle was a tricky one to write: double battles can be a bit messy, and the limited space of a narrow-ish bridge made it hard since I like using the environment, so I accept that it wasn't spectacular. The blog I stand by. One thing I intend to do with the rewrites is make it clearer that the early ones are a different Alaska to the one we see in the story: someone trying to appear more confident and cocky than she actually is. This blog and the last two are meant to follow that as well, of Alaska putting her soul out there a bit more and the facade she has tried to create breaking more so. It also was never meant to be the 'be all and end all' of her development or anything: the fact I haven't written the follow up chapter doesn't help things, but this blog is just the first step, though Alaska also wrote it slightly as though she had, once again, fixed everything, which is never the case.

Glad you enjoyed the interlude, it was a lot of fun to write and explore the different characters. No one is really shaking off responsibility/sinking into their own despair though, so I'm not sure where you got that from, but thanks for the review all the same!
 
Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude 13 (100th Chapter!)

Took me a long time to read this interlude I have to admit.

Okay first, why is most of the population in your stories assholes xD it seems like the majority of characters are sarcastic, sassy and bitter about everything and everyone for some reason, I mean I get that they've gone through a lot of shit and there's a lot of alliances and politics and vendettas and whatnot but...wow Claire really tries hard at not being likeable to anyone.

I feel like the interludes lately have worked more as a way to link the other stories to this one in one way or another, from focusing on Red, to Leaf to Kristal it gives us a better view of the heroes that came before Alaska and how they're dealing now. Kristal's story is kind of sad though, she used to be such a happy go lucky kid with a dream and now she's bitter and everyone hates it cause of something as silly as their favorite trianer losing against her. But wow she really clings to Spike when she gets the chance doesn't she :p

And nwo I'm wondering what Amanda and Chloe will do, they're in Fuchsia and Alaska is heading to Fuchsia so...it looks like the final clash with the stars is coming? I mean there's only a few gyms left and it seem slike Amand and Chloe are ready to pull off their final move on Alaska now.
 
Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude 13 (100th Chapter!)

Here for the revoo gam.

I have to say, I really like most of what you've done since my last review. We finally see some characters having appropriate, measured reactions to Alaska's budding insanity. Alaska most certainly did not need "some time alone" and it was great to see Sandy stand up to her again. It's so easy to forget that the supporting characters in these kind of stories go through the same stuff as the protagonists, but without any of the special weapons or allies in high places or being the chosen one. Pointing out her bullet wound was well done too. I think it was important for Alaska to realize that some people actually have to deal with real consequences of all the stuff she does. In case you can't tell, I've been pretty frustrated with Alaska for a while. I keep waiting for her to get what's coming to her and actually have to deal with the consequences of her actions, but she never does.

Most of the other characters at the manor were done really well too. I generally agree with Pav's sentiment that everyone who calls out Alaska for her shit seems to get painted as an absolute bitch. It's tiring, since Alaska's really no better herself. Having Evelyn point out that yeah, they kind of fucked her over, was a great touch. It shows that her heart is in the right place, and despite the fact that she's pretty short with Alaska, she might not be if Alaska took a chill pill once in a while. Looker was also one of my favorites. I pretty much cheered during the scene where he saw off Alaska and Sandy. It's kind of funny to see him pointing out how mundane 8ES is compared to Galactic. Anyway, Alaska really needed to be told to grow up and get over it.

I knew that the lack of action would have to end somewhere, so I was holding my breath during that first encounter with the bikers. I was amazed that Alaska managed to deal with the situation using non explosion-based methods. Of course, that didn't last long, but hey. It's gotta get going again eventually. I just hope that the lessons that both you and Alaska have learned with this arc are lasting lessons that stick around for the rest of the story.

Seriously though, if you had gone with the version where Cycling Road collapsed into the ocean I would have lost a lot of interest in the story. But you didn't, so good job. Pretty cool stuff is starting to happen in this story, Keep up the good work!
 
Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude 13 (100th Chapter!)

What luck! I have nearly a whole day off! This hasn't happened in almost the past two months of my insanely busy shipboard life! This means you get the benefit of me being able to make good on my word of reading/reviewing Eight Easy Steps like I said I would. So without further ado, here is my review of the initial arc, up to blog 2 and the interlude.

The introduction arc felt very straightforward, with no major developments with the characters or the plotline. From a reader standpoint, it was a simple introduction of characters with hints of further back-plot from Gideon and is shenanigans. Mostly we got to see Alaska and her Pidgey.

On that note, I'd like to say that Alaska has oodles and oodles of sass to spare. I could see her getting herself in trouble for it though, which is a good thing, provides potential plot and incident fluel. Along that same vein, I like that the narration, especially of Alaska's scenes, is colored by the focus character's perception. It's a really handy writing technique I use myself, since I feel like it helps the reader get into the mind of the character without being told directly.

While I'm on characters, the other characters outside of Alaska felt a little underwhelming. I liked the introduction of the dad, William; it feels like there's more to him, but not elaborated on. Didn't get to see the other characters for more than one chapter, so no real solid opinions yet.

Buzz Bolton figure is mysterious and ruthless; I'm guessing Executive Producer or the like, with other ulterior motives. It felt a little sudden that he'd consider killing off Alaska right off the bat after one incident brought to him by his assistant, especially after he expressed interest in making her apart of the show. It seemed that incorporating Alaska into the scheme/plan might be the more like-him sort of thing to do, seems more practical, has potential to either recruit her into future plans/make her a reoccurring figure in his show. Those are first impressions though, and might change the further I get into it.

There were a few minor spelling and wrong word typos: like coach/couch. It was nothing major, but it was a thing that was there. Also something that stood out while I was reading were the phrases “Ron Weasley” and “Desperate Housewives.” These reference felt odd and out of place in Pokémon setting. The fact that he was referred to as “Comedic relief” seemed sufficient enough to get the point across. That being said, it's always been a bit of a pet-peeve of mine for real-world/pop-culture references to be used in a setting that has no real business knowing about said references. I just feel like it breaks the immersion and willing suspension of disbelief.

Some other notes, for Feddie the little brother: does a nine-year-old boy really act that immature? It seems more like the actions/mentality of a six/seven year old child, maybe eight if pushing it. He is an individual character, so not gonna harp on it too much, just an impression I got. Maybe it's Alaska's narrative filter coloring him. From what little I've seen of Gideon, he seems a little harebrained-crazy, but who wouldn't after seven years cooped up in a bomb shelter? He fact that he's working on/made progress on a “forced evolution” technique is an interesting touch, and prudent to the setting, considering there have been instances in the games of Pokémon evolved far beyond what their levels would normally allow.

I admit, I was anticipating that these chapters and arcs would be longer. I'll probably read and review another arc later tonight because of that. Expect another review soon!
 
Chapter Seventy Four: No Escape
Re: How to Conquer Kanto in Eight Easy Steps - Interlude 13 (100th Chapter!)

@AetherX: I'm glad someone reviewed this in the end :p We did discuss much of this via PM so not sure what to touch on here now. Your review does make it clear you're annoyed with Alaska: hopefully the next few chapters will shine her in a more sympathetic light as she faces her issues more clearly. The change in Cycling Road came as part of my action-reevaluation post one of your Galactic reviews, so glad you liked it :p Also, I'm not sure what you mean by things not lasting long, since nothing blew up in that chapter - would you mind clarifying that bit please? Otherwise thanks for the review :)

@chaos_Leader: Welcome to this mad little story, thanks for immersing yourself! Basically all the issues you had are things I hope my rewrites will address when they get posted (fingers crossed this month!) I see your points on Freddie but I don't plan on changing his attitude. I have two cousins that are both eight: one is chatty and intelligent for his age, the other can barely string a sentence together (yet doesn't have any medical/mental/behavioural/educational issues), so I think maturity depends on the person and the upbringing. It will be something that gets touched on in a few arcs time of where I'm currently writing though. And interesting note about the length: they have added about a page or so in the rewrites if you want longer chapters.
And don't worry: Buzz wanting to kill Alaska straight away won't happen anymore. After many complaints, I am cutting that out and changing it around. Watch this space ;)


Long wait between chapters, which is entirely my fault. Hope people like this since it did take a while to get right and I still think I could have done more, but I'll leave that up to you!


Chapter Seventy Four: No Escape

“Wait – stop!”

Sandy froze, turning back to Alaska with her left foot hovering in mid-air. An eyebrow was raised, and Alaska pointed defensively behind her. Sandy turned again, this time facing a wooden sign propped up behind them.

Welcome to Fuchsia City – our gym may be poison, but we promise the people aren’t,” she read drolly. “That’s cute, but was that really worth pointing out? I didn’t think folksy town signs were really your thing.”

“Not the sign, I don’t give two shits about that,” Alaska scoffed. “It’s what it represents: the town line, the boundaries where route meets city.”

“What are you on about?”

“This will be the first time in god knows how long we have actually entered a city without our lives in danger,” Alaska said. Sandy’s quizzical look turned to a frown, and she too turned and gazed at the sign. Alaska sighed and cast her gaze over the newest bit of their journey: the bright blue waves crashing against the beach; the port where the smell of fish was wafting up to meet them; cottages and town houses scattered around earthen roads. When was the last time I actually got to experience this, walking into a new environment on my own accord, not fleeing or sneaking around or waking up bound and gagged. This is me, walking into a city with no one on my tail, with no obvious threat to my safety waiting within these city lines.

“I don’t know what you’re on about, Alaska,” Sandy said after a few moments. “We’re always in danger.” And with that, she stepped into the city. Alaska felt like she had been winded, but after a few moments and she sighed and nodded, and followed her friend into Fuchsia.

***

“Charm, quickly!

“Aurora Beam, go!”

Eevee leapt up and turned to face Shelley, shaking the dust off after being thrown a metre into the air. Her brown fur dirtier than ever, the Evolution Pokémon ignored that and pulled a seductive face, lips pursed, topped with a wink, in Shelley’s direction. The Shellder smiled goofily in response, but quickly shook her body to snap out of the Charm.

“SHELL!” She cried, opening her mouth wide and firing the rainbow coloured beam. The temperature across the field lowered, and Eevee cried out as a frosty sheen washed over her.

“Tackle!” Sandy shouted.

“Icicle Spear!” Alaska countered. Shelley cut off the Aurora Beam, leaving a dazed and stiff Eevee in its wake. The Shellder flashed her wide, goofy smile before opening her shell, ensuring there was enough room to fire out her attack. The first icicle shot out, like a glittering frozen missile, and soared over the pitch to hit Eevee squarely on the head.

“VEEEEE!” She wailed, toppling to her side. Sandy gasped, but Eevee quickly forced herself up as the second icicle came out: the icy spear scraped across her fur but fell to the ground with a clatter, failing to hit.

“Eevee Vee!” The furry Normal type squealed delightfully, and she sprinted forwards as the next icicles came out: she swerved, running past the third and fourth and closing in on her small target. Shelley’s eye widened in fear, and she put all her energy into firing out the fifth icicle. Eevee was too close to avoid it now, and the attack slammed into her ribs. She winced and stumbled, nearly somersaulting into her target, but her speed kept her going, and Eevee crashed into her opponent.

“SHELLDEEEEEER!” Shelley wailed as she was sent flying upwards. Everyone watched as she wildly spun around, hurtling through the air like a tiny purple projectile, and then…

“Oh for fucks sake, she landed in the gutter!”

Shelley’s feeble cries sounded down as Alaska, Sandy and Eevee left the Pokémon Centre training grounds behind and edged closer to the building, staring up at the rusted blue guttering. The tip of the Bivalve Pokémon’s shell was just sticking out, but it was clear she would not be able to get down herself.

“Alright, get on your knees, I need a boost,” Alaska huffed, pointing at the ground. Sandy remained where she was, eyebrows raised, and Alaska turned to her crossly. “Don’t give me that look – your Pokémon knocked her in there, you owe me, and I’m sure you don’t want me standing on the fluffball.”

“Eevee!” Eevee replied, looking at Sandy in shock, and the blonde rolled her eyes.

“Fine – just this once though,” she groaned, hitching her dress up and lowering herself to the ground. “Though I thought we had established a few weeks ago you weren’t going to walk all over me anymore.”

“Ha ha,” Alaska groaned, putting one foot in Sandy’s cupped hands and the other on her shoulders. With a groan, Sandy unsteadily rose up, and Alaska grasped onto the railing. “Urgh – when did they last clean these out, the seventies?” She groaned, flicking sludge off her fingers.

“Vee!” Eevee huffed, the brunt of it landing on her. Good, Alaska thought bitterly, that’s what you get for knocking away my Pokémon like this.

Though you really didn’t struggle with that, did you? As she stood there, her knee jabbing her best friend in the eye, her fingers submerged in dirt and leaves as she fondled about for her Pokémon, Alaska couldn’t help but be amazed and distressed by what she had witnessed. Eevee had sent Shelley flying with little effort, and that was just the tip of what had been a fairly even match.

Sure, Alaska had only had Shelley for a day before Sandy rescued the Normal type, but she rarely trained as much as Alaska did. Shelley had even brought down two of Sabrina’s Pokémon – but, of course, that had been after much setting up, and it took Gardevoir one move to defeat her.

That’s the weird thing about my Pokémon. They can be so strong in one battle but get creamed the next. I may have had the upper hand but Jack was coming close to defeating me. All my gym matches have come down to the wire. My Pokémon have no proper training, and –

“Hurry up Alaska, I think my shoulder is about to dislocate!”

“Shell!”

“Got her!” Alaska cried as her fingers brushed against a squirming object. Trusting it was her Pokémon and not something living in the filth, Alaska grabbed hold just as Sandy cried out. The latter collapsed, and Alaska fell awkwardly on her butt, a jolt rattling through her bones.

“Is there a reason why you didn’t just use her PokeBall?” Sandy groaned.

“Yeah – you only brought it up now.” Alaska winced as she sat up, already feeling a bruise forming. You’d think all the explosions and getting shot at would make me a little more invincible, she thought with a stifled sigh. Putting her pain aside, Alaska raised her arms so she could examine Shelley closely. The Water type seemed fine though: despite being covered by brown sludge that was quickly drying, Shelley beamed back at her trainer when their eyes met.

“I’m glad you’re alright, but we need to get you cleaned – and I need an ice pack.”

“This match is over, I take it?”

“Damn right,” Alaska groaned, massaging her bruised behind as she stumbled to her feet.

“Does that mean we won?” Sandy’s face lit up at the prospect, and she scooped up a chirping Eevee and hugged her tightly.

“If you want.” The sight of her friend’s happiness made Alaska smile, but when she looked down at Shelley, the Bivalve Pokémon was frowning, dejectedly avoided looking at her. “Hey, don’t feel bad, it’s not your fault – besides, we’ll get them next time.”

“Oh yes, next time,” Sandy called, stopping mid-spin to face her friend. “How many more times do you want to train before you battle Janine? You can’t just call on your legendary overlord to save you again.”

“I know that,” Alaska snapped, eyes narrowing, and Sandy innocently raised her hands and went back to celebrating. Alaska watched her for a moment before sighing, grabbing her bag and heading inside. She was annoyed; annoyed at losing, annoyed that Shelley had been defeated, annoyed at her sore ass. Yet she couldn’t blame Sandy for that; the only person who deserved her anger was herself.

“Shell Shellder?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Alaska said quietly, but she couldn’t escape her own thoughts. Shelley, she can’t move outside of water; Nadia is strong but she’s mostly show; Frances still wets herself every time a Caterpie comes near her; Paige has reached her peak, and if she evolves…that’s another story; and then there’s… him…

Alaska marched back to her room with those thoughts pounding inside her head, forcing herself to hold back the urge to scream.

***

“There’s a sushi restaurant in town, do you want to go there for dinner?”

“What, with all that money we have?”

“Oh, right.” Sandy shut Alaska’s laptop and peered into the bathroom. “You know, if you hadn’t destroyed so much stuff around the region, maybe the elites might actually pay you for saving the world?”

“I only temporarily destroyed one power plant and damaged a few gyms; if they were going to pay me, I’m sure they have some loose change lying a-UCK!”

“What is it?” Sandy leapt off her bed, nearly standing on Eevee and Pichu, and ran into the bathroom. Alaska looked up as her friend burst in, trying desperately to wipe sludge out of her eye. “What happened?” Sandy repeated, throwing her friend a cloth.

“Shelley apparently swallowed some of that gunk and decided to clear her throat on my face,” Alaska replied bitterly, collapsing onto the toilet to wipe it away. “OW, DAMNIT!” She swore, jumping back up and clutching her butt.

“Are you alright?” Sandy asked, watching as her friend hobbled around. “I mean, we’ve faced robots and psychotic killers – a few bruises and a sore eye don’t really compare, do they?”

“It’s just – no, forget it, I’m fine.” She threw the cloth aside and picked up an old toothbrush. Shelley apologetically looked up from her sink-bath, the water around her a murky black.

“No Alaska; we made a promise to tell each other when we were having issues.” Sandy leaned forwards and grabbed the toothbrush, keeping Alaska’s arm steady. “Something is clearly bothering you and it
sure as hell ain’t… whatever that is,” she trailed off, looking squeamishly down at Shelley’s murky bath. Alaska sighed, and when and leaned against the shower, knowing there was no way she was getting around this.

“So I’ve got Darwin back now, I’ve had my lessons, we’ve scratched the surface of what we are meant to do– I’m just wondering what to do now. I’m supposed to ride Paige into battle at the end of all this, but I don’t think I am anywhere near ready for that.”

“What are you on about? Your Pokémon are amazing! Not everyone can defeat five gym leaders, you know. I certainly wouldn’t be able to…”

“Yeah, but they aren’t fighting me to kill, are they?” Alaska replied, shutting her eyes as memories washed over her. “I’ve only ever gotten out of there because something blew up or someone else came along and saved the day. Trevor, Looker, Jericho; they aren’t going to be around to save my ass when the whole world turns to shit. I need to get cracking if we are going to stand a chance at winning.”
Sandy paused, face scrunched up as she dwelled over her words. “I’m not sure quite why you are worried: you’ve always done well in battles, even if you have been… unconventional, let’s say, in some victories.”

“That’s entirely what Sabrina was trying to teach me: I can’t just use tricks and luck all the time to win. I still want to win my own way, not how they tell me to, but I do actually need to prepare myself for whatever comes next. You said it yourself this morning: ‘We’re always in danger’? I can’t slack off or relax just because I’ve got Darwin back, I need to get my act together, but I’m not really sure where to start.”

Alaska fell silent, and suddenly the bathroom was quiet; nothing moved except for Shelley bobbing softly against the surface of the sink.

“I think… well…” Sandy began but paused, staring wistfully into the murky water, lost in thought. “We’ve both been through a lot, there is no denying that. I think the biggest downside is that we’ve been too focussed on ourselves and not enough on our Pokémon. Your Pokémon are great, but when you put it like that, you haven’t really focussed much on training them properly, have you?”

Alaska shook her head. “I barely won against Sabrina: I had to spend half the battle setting up those final moves, and even then I still needed Latios to trick her. Just look at the last few days: Paige and Nadia should have wiped the floor with Jack’s Pokémon, and if Shelley struggles against…” She drifted off there, suddenly tightening up, but Sandy laughed.

“If she struggles against my Eevee, how can she bring down an army?” Alaska nodded guiltily and Sandy sighed. “Don’t feel bad, we’re both guilty of not paying them enough attention. All we can do is train and train and train and nothing else: forget about the robots and Gideon and everything until they come up. We just need to buckle down, level up and evolve our Pokémon, and everything should be good.” Shelley nodded enthusiastically from within the sink, and both girls laughed.

“I’m probably just being silly,” Alaska said, picking up her Pokémon and stroking her.

“And here I was thinking you were the happiest you’ve been for ages,” Sandy smirked, to which Alaska raised an eyebrow. “I read your blog this morning. You woke me up when you got into the tent last night, I was wondering what you had been doing.”

“Oh, that.” Alaska shrugged and placed Shelley down, beginning to scrub her shell again. “I was in a bit of an odd place after getting Darwin back, I just ended up venting.”

“You know, sometimes it’s like you’re a different person on there. Always so sassy and witty even when we were in our darkest places. Please, you really aren’t as eloquent in real life as you pretend to be on there.”

“Excuse you!” Alaska scoffed, flicking her friend with the toothbrush. “It’s a blog, I’m allowed to be a bit creative and, you know… expressive.” Sandy gave her a look, the impact of which was dented by the muck crawling down her cheek. Alaska snorted, and quickly the two descended into laughter. Eevee and Pichu came in to see what they were on about, looking bemused, and that made the two laugh harder. Alaska slid down the wall, unable to stop herself, and when she landed on her butt and swore, the two only laughed harder.

Alaska Acevedo, will you please report to the front desk?

“Looks like I’ve been summoned,” Alaska wheezed breathlessly as the loudspeaker whined around them. She forced herself up, still giggling, and passed Sandy the toothbrush.

“Always leaving me to clean up after you!” She said sarcastically, and Alaska continued to laugh as she made her way out of the room.

Once she closed the door, it was deathly silent. The sudden change in environment silenced Alaska instantly, and she felt her joy evaporate as quickly as it had come. This Pokémon Centre was quieter than most she had been to: she had seen only seen two other trainers since arriving this morning, and the emptiness really impacted the mood. As she made her way down the corridor, it was so still she could hear every conversation coming from within the half dozen rooms that were occupied. It was unsettling, being in a place this quiet: usually when things were calm, something would go wrong a few minutes later.
The corridor ended in a set of swinging doors. Alaska pushed through and found the waiting area was as empty as it had been that morning. Couches that made the Cycling Road gatehouse looked modern were dotted around a few worn-down wooden tables, tired pot plants scattered about for decoration. The posters on the baby pink walls were the newest things there, though as she walked past one display, Alaska noted that Koga was still listed as the local gym leader.

“CHANSEY!” Alaska jumped, nearly tripping over a table. She turned, her heart pounding, to face the desk. The Chansey behind, nurse’s hat sitting neatly on her head, was positively beaming at the sight of a customer, and once she calmed down, Alaska realised the poor thing had been left to man the desk alone, the local nurse clearly not expecting much action.

“Um, hi there. My name’s Alaska, the nurse called me up here?” The words were barely out of her mouth when the Chansey’s face changed, and she did something that made Alaska’s skin crawl: she frowned at her.

Alaska had basically grown up alongside Chansey. When she was kid and her mum got stuck at work, Alaska would end up in a corner of the Viridian Pokémon Centre’s nurses office, waiting until she could go home. The Chansey and Blissey there always brought her hot chocolates and cookies, and Alaska only had fond memories of the first Pokémon she had ever really interacted with.

One thing was for certain: they had always smiled at her.

“Sey,” the Chansey said coldly, and walked into the back room. Heart pounding, skin crawling, Alaska tentatively followed after. She stepped into a long corridor equally as outdated as the rest of the centre: linoleum floor, peeling wallpaper, ceiling tiles that changed between brown and white. A door to her immediate right led to a cramped nurse’s office; the one next to it a dormitory. There were more scattered on either side, but Alaska had no chance to explore as the Chansey disappeared left through more swinging doors. Alaska cautiously stepped through, struggling to ignore the feeling she was being led to the gallows. She stepped into a small room with a giant window, and what awaited her on the other side made her heart stop.

Darwin. He was staring right at her, pupils constricted, eyes wide and pointed. It was like he was staring into her soul, judging her for what was being done to him. For a moment, she thought he was awake, staring at her as he prepared to jump towards her. Once the initial shock had passed, Alaska realised she was staring into an operating room: Darwin was unconscious, in the middle of surgery. His bruised, beaten body, more blood than fur, lay motionless on the table. Wires and electrodes led from his body to a half dozen machines stacked around him, all beeping and flashing. A doctor, cloaked all in white and covered by gloves and masks, was poking around his lower back, while a Blissey loomed over shaking her egg, preparing to use Softboiled.

What happened to him out there? How could it have gotten this bad? He was only there for a few weeks… I saved him in time though… didn’t I?

A second set of doors burst open, making Alaska jump. The nurse, a brunette woman with a stern face, mask hanging limply around her neck, emerged from the operating room with her lips pursed.
“Glad you got the message.” Her voice was rough and cold; from her tone, Alaska could tell she was biting her tongue, doing her best not to lose control. It was an attitude Alaska had heard all too often this journey. The nurse looked over at the Chansey, and when Alaska copied she was surprised to see two more collapsed on a couch, being fed berries by a frantic Happiny.

“What happened to them?”

“Exhaustion.” The nurse banged a file onto the table, making Alaska jump. “While you’ve been training, the two of them were wearing themselves out in there trying to heal them as best they could. Thank god Dr Monroe and his Blissey got here when they did; Chastity was ready to keel over when they took over.” She pointed to the one on the right, and Alaska realised in horror that the Chansey was soaked in blood.

“Isn’t… wasn’t… couldn’t you have helped?” Alaska asked, the question stumbling out of her mouth. The nurse didn’t respond for a moment; instead, she removed X-rays and readings from the file and spreading them across the table. All was quiet as she did so, but Alaska couldn’t look away, the only other choice being to face Darwin again, to look into his empty eyes and face her past.
When the nurse had finished several minutes later, she turned and faced Alaska with a face like thunder.

“I did everything I possibly could to help your Pokémon!” She snapped. “I am a small town nurse; my job is to deal with remedies the machine can’t zap away. But never in all my years have I ever seen anything like this!” She picked up an X-ray and held it up to the light, hand shaking with fury. “Dislocated shoulder, broken elbow, fractures in the hand – and that’s just the right arm. His fur was so matted with blood I’ve had to shear half of it just to see the wounds properly. He has at least two dozen lacerations; several deeper cuts; eight broken bones; a dozen more fractures. And don’t even get me started on his organs, or the possibilities of brain damage! How could you let this happen!”

“I… I… I told you, I set him free for a few weeks, and these people –” but Alaska never got to finish: the nurse angrily banged her fists, making the table wobble and startling the Happiny so much she dropped her berries.

“I don’t care what the circumstances are; this is the worst case of Pokémon neglect and abuse I have ever seen. As he was still your Pokémon at the time this happened, you are still responsible for his safety and care!”

“He was practically a wild Pokémon – you can’t hold me responsible for what they did to him!” Yet even as she said it, Alaska knew it was her fault: she had set him free, she had put him into that situation, it was her fault, it was all her fault.

“Oh yes I can,” the nurse snarled. “I have been in this job for twenty years, I have earned the right to call out trainers who don’t value or respect their Pokémon. I am going to do the best I can to fix your Pokémon, but there is no chance I am letting him back into your care.”

“No, you can’t do that! I only just got him back!” I’m getting better, I’m learning, you have to trust me!

“I don’t care; I am obliged to report abusive trainers to the Pokémon League, and I plan on doing just –” The nurse never finished her sentence. Her face, so red and angry and twisted, froze as the phone began to ring. Her pointed finger that was inches from Alaska’s nose became limp, and she snatched the machine up in a single swoop. “Nurse Rhonda Jones, Fuchsia City Pokémon Centre, how may I help?”
Alaska didn’t dare move. She stood there in silence, watching the conversation play out. The phone call felt too good to be true, and as the thought crossed her mind, Alaska noticed Rhonda’s narrowed eyes narrowed flicker towards a corner of the ceiling. She nervously followed her gaze, and Alaska’s heart dropped as she realised there was a camera there, quietly blinking as it watched the scene play out.
The nurse hung up in silence. She paused, clutching the handset and staring at Alaska as though about to beat her.

“You’re wanted.”

“By who?”

“Janine.” She practically smashed the phone back into its holder. The nurse gave Alaska a final withering glance before stepping back into the operating room. The first Chansey followed after, not even dignifying Alaska with a look. Once they had left, Alaska clutched her face and let out a noise somewhere between a sob and a gasp. She wanted to collapse, she wanted to fall to the ground and never get up, just lay there and drown in her own tears. She felt sick; she was shaking; she felt like she had been run over, and as much as she wanted to blame someone else, Alaska knew only one person was responsible for her guilt.

She vomited. It came before Alaska even knew what was happening: she opened her eyes and found herself on the ground, her knees resting in liquidy brown puke. Wheezing, throat burning, eyes watering, Alaska stared at it for a while, unable to process anything. Then, after a few minutes had passed, she slowly turned and looked up at the camera. She stared into the thick black lens, watching the blinking light, and wondered what exactly was waiting for her on the other side.




I imagine some people are reading this and rolling their eyes thinking "Here we go again, someone getting angry at Alaska!" To those people, I would suggest not jumping down the annoyance path straight away. I don't want to tell anyone what to think or how they should be reading the story, but be rest assured this isn't just someone getting grumpy with Alaska and being forgotten about. This arc is what the story has been building towards since the first round in Celadon.
 
Made it to the end of arc three this time!

I reiterate some of the points I made last time: how there's still a smattering of scattered typos about, how Alaska is one sassy punk. Though now I have to add that she seems a little smitten by this Mark Hansom fellow (isn't he like, at least ten or more years older than her or something?) It was also interesting to see the rest of the cast get a moment in Viridian Forrest, where we can at least begin to see how they all act/interact with each other in a situation of duress. I'd be interested to see more of how they develop later. The way Darwin the Mankey was handled went well for characterization, being a restless, curious, habitually destructive ball of hyperactivity.

Silly classic villainous pitfalls Gideon falls into. He looked like he was doing so well in my book, then he goes and does something silly. For example: he has the sense and unusual foresight (as far as Pokémon villains go) to bring a gun, and uses it alright for a hostage situation. Then, on the other hand, he gives us the seen-a-million-times, highly impractical, always thwarted timed-bomb-getaway routine. If he has the balls to use a gun, and has means to teleport away almost instantly, why does he need a one-minute timer on the bomb, and why does it have to tick and beep? This Gideon fellow is a scientist/engineer, right? Couldn't he have figured out a way to detonate his bomb on a shorter timer, or tied the detonator directly into his teleporter? Granted, it'd kill the protagonist and defeat the purpose of having a story in the first place. Still, I feel like the threat-level of an antagonist/villain absolutely plummets in my mind when I see them make "rookie mistakes" like this. Show me a ruthless, clever antagonist in opposition to a protagonist, and force the protagonist to address the threat of that character with much at stake. That's the kind of stuff that's for depth and development.

I get the feeling Buzz Bolton is supposed to fill that niche of "ruthless clever antagonist" but it still felt kind of weird that he'd be so quick to put someone in his hit-list crosshairs who pretty much amounts to a nobody in his grand schemes. The impression I got of Bolton (outside his oddly trigger-happy decisions) was a more collected, calculating individual who can roll with the punches and adapt to shifting circumstances. That, or he's actually more of a perfectionist control-freak who has to have everything work a certain way. If the latter option is the case, then I anticipate him degrading really fast as his unrealistically ambitious expectations continue to not be met, and his entire scheme gets unraveled by this one thread that is the Alaska situation.

I still feel it'd be interesting to see how conventional firearms are handled in your setting. I personally feel like many firearms in the Pokémon setting would be largely inconvenient, if not outright obsolete. Mostly I feel this is because the Pokémon that trainers could have can be much more dangerous, more versatile, and many would have highly effective countermeasures against bullets anyway. What good is it to pull a gun, for example, on someone who has a psychic-type that could probably foresee it coming/sense the would-be shooter's intentions, and/or telekinetically remove the gun from one's hand before it can be fired or catch/redirect bullets mid-flight if they're quick enough.

Prime example of yours I saw now: how you represent Clair. What does she do when confronted with a heavy, awkward obstruction? She doesn't panic or worry that there's no way to open a path by conventional means, she simply wastes no time and has Dragonite blast it out of the way. On that subject while we're here; though I've only seen it for a brief moment, it's a solid introduction to a strong character getting right down to business.

That's why (among other reasons) a lot of the time, instead of a "modern" setting, I have a better grasp treating the Pokémon world more as a "fantasy" setting that has simply developed modern/advanced technology, some of it no doubt derived from fantastical sources. At least in some Pokémon media for example, there are clear and unambiguous representations of the setting's past being not so different from a kind of "high-fantasy" with some examples of a "steam-punk" aesthetic in what would be considered the Victorian/Edwardian period by real-life analog.

Sorry if this review seems a little scattered, I kind of did it several little sections at once as the thoughts occurred to me. I'm gonna try to binge a whole lot more of the story out tonight. Wish me luck!
 
@chaos_Leader
Thanks for the review: hope you are enjoying the story.

With regards to guns, they are a part of my world to a degree. They became widepsread after the Fall of Kalos and the war that caused it, left behind by the invading army, though they had existed in a colonial form (muskets, rifles, revolvers) but never in automated form. Rock, Ground and Steel types and certain other species are generally bulletproof, while Grass, Normal and Flying generally aren't, and are sometimes put down if they roam into settlements and cause trouble. Criminal groups tend to use them as a way of leverage against more qualified trainers. I also don't imagine Pokemon are 100% effective weapons when it comes to confrontations. Guns make it easier for people, as while you could just send out a Pokemon to kill someone, the trainer could always send their own out. I could go on this for ages but would be happy to debate further.
On the Psychic issue, this will be explored better in The First Warriors, but scientists created weaponry and protective gear out of Dark Matter that make them difficult for most Psychic Pokemon to deflect.

I will re-evaluate Gideon's get away when it comes to rewriting that chapter. Gideon is not out to kill Alaska though for reasons that become clearer soon in the story (from the current chapter), but I will try and make that clearer early on. The comments on Buzz I point to my response last time: change is a-coming for him. Though your assumption of him being an unstable perfectionist is fairly accurate.

Cheers for the comments!
 
Good lord. As of this review, I have completely caught up with every chapter of Eight Easy Steps.

For starters, let me just say how interesting it has been over these last few days, reading through everything written for this story. I felt like the quality of the storytelling progressed through a steady development right alongside the plotline and principal characters. Compared to how the later arcs are, I feel totally confident and comfortable saying that the first few arcs were really a chore for me to slog through. It felt random, arbitrary, unrefined, stereotypical and cliché; not unlike Alaska's character at the start of it. You struck me as a smart, intelligent writer on these forums a while ago, and was partially anticipating much higher quality work right off the bat, and I was honestly taken aback a bit by what I in somewhat retrospect realize is actually five-year old work. I'm very pleased to see the improvement over time, and can totally understand why you'd be eager to rewrite a lot of the early portions. I would too, and I've done it with other stories not posted here.

Now that that's out of the way, as one example of my thoughts/observations: you know how everyone and everything that gives characterization advise makes a big deal about Character Flaw, and harps on about how it's crucial to the story's well-being? I honestly had the impression early on that you'd taken the “flawed character” writing-class beaten-dead-horse advise nugget, and went as far with it as you damn well could, giving us the unhinged raging fireball that is early-story Alaska. I spent a very long time in the early/mid-story waiting for the comeuppance she was destined to run headfirst into. I was kind of surprised that it took so long for it to happen, but it was incredibly satisfying when it did. It wasn't simply because early-story Alaska desperately needed to be knocked down a few pegs, but I also feel that gym battle at Celadon marked a major turning point in story quality.

Which brings us to mid-story, which I really feel didn't truly begin until arc nine, with the Celadon challenge. I have written in the notes I was taking at the time that it felt like you were trying a lot of new things, introducing a lot of new characters and power players very quickly and suddenly, adding still more characters to keep track of to an already voluminous supporting cast. It the time it felt like you were trying a lot of different directions to come at the main meat of the plot from, some of what you were trying stuck, while others fell by the wayside. One example I can think of being the sudden introduction of Looker, after you'd already given us Trevor as the “badass International Policeman-spy” figure that Alaska grudgingly allowed to help her. It felt kind of like a bit of literary deja-vu. I don't know how much you plan your stories in advance; you must plan at least partially, considering you have the next couple arcs already laid out with chapter names and everything; but that was something I felt at the time, and now in retrospect can see more clearly now as what I believe to be a byproduct of the increasing-quality development I mentioned earlier.

Late story, beginning around arc ten I feel, is where things really get interesting. This is the point where I was literally keeping a browser page of this story open on my smartphone so I could sneak a few peeks when I had chances to do so during work (bearing in mind that I don't get many chances with my shipboard work, and the chances are fleeting at best), all because I simply had to see what happened next.

It was during these mid/late arc moments that I really noted the switch in my mind of the respective threat-levels of the competing antagonists. In one of my predictions I anticipated Bolton breaking down as his control-freak standards could not be maintained and he could not adapt. Sure enough, as the story progressed, Bolton regressed in villainhood all the way down to the gloating-and-monologuing stage, which of course is what does him in by the end of it. Gideon on the other hand absolutely skyrocketed in terms of his threat-level, partly due to his cleverness (which I note that I wanted to see more of in one of my early-story reviews), his competence, his single-minded determination to go after his goal, the foresight not to spill the beans on his goal, and the capacity for him to do a lot of this on his own, without the bumbling support-structure of teams that seem to be the downfall of many clever villains. Heroes in a lot of these stories, and in many of the games for that matter, are by and large capable of doing so much on their own. It's actually kind of refreshing to see the hero/villain infrastructure reversed in this situation: Gideon, The Villain, is acting almost completely independently, is getting things done, and presents a monumental threat to the other side; while Alaska, the Hero, has the support of a whole network behind her, yet this very same network is clashing amidst themselves and ultimately hindering the hero, much the same way a classic villain faction often hinders the evil grand scheme.

Also, in the later arcs, the supporting characters/bit-parts introduced really shined, and helped provide something other than the main story alone to bounce the protagonist's characters off of. The kooky old fisherman was kind of ridiculous but kind of fun too. Jack in these last chapters is an especially intriguing case: I feel like he provides a voice in-story to what a lot of my (and probably other readers') thoughts about early-story Alaska. It was also a clever way to showcase her development, how much differently she acts now than early-story Alaska would have at the same situation. Oh, and it's about time Darwin showed up again. I had a strong feeling he wasn't gone for good when he was released: too rich a tool for Alaska's development that one is.
 
@chaos_Leader:
I am very impressed you managed to read it all so quickly! I hope you enjoyed yourself and it wasn't too much a senseless slog through the muck :p

One of the issues with this story is that while the early arcs are a bit repetitive (the poor writing can, hopefully, be fixed over time), I feel they are necessary to build up Alaska's persona enough to make the moment when she gets brought back to earth more effective - hopefully the rewrites will make her come across a tad more sympathetically than it appears I have portrayed her, but that's another debate. I think the reason why the Celadon Arc is seen as the pick up point for most people is that it is where the other side of the story begins, this deconstruction of someone's personality and all their actions and decisions. Pre-Celadon is very much the first third, I would say, of the story: Celadon to Fuchsia is where we see Alaska turn around and change, and from the next arc onwards we are largely barreling towards the finale as everything that's happened comes back around.

I did plan the story extensively before I began, it's just my initial ideas were kind of crap XD Looker and Trevor are rather two different figures, in that while Trevor thinks that what he is doing is right, Looker knows from experience that things are probably going to turn to shit after wards. Admittedly, I kind of regret including Trevor and Jericho, which was mostly me trying to fit some of my equally atrocious stories into the wider G-Verse, but I do kind of like the idea of Alaska being so important yet they only send the C-list characters to help her out. Hopefully I can flesh out and differentiate Trevor from Looker in the rewrites. If you have other examples of things that fell by the wayside let me know - people keep mentioning how I drop things but then never actually specify so I don't know what needs fixing from that persons perspective :p

Alaska is meant to be quite a realistic teenage girl within the bounds of this style of universe (I firmly believe that living in the Pokemon world would make people vastly different compared to our society). I created Alaska because I felt like a lot of teenage heroes in YA fiction always managed to achieve so much or outsmarted the adults/villains all the time, or manage to make the right decisions and save the day. Alaska largely just thinks what she is doing is right, and Celadon marks the moment when she realises just how wrong she has been. In the rewrites I will be adding a new element to the story that I hope will ground Alaska a bit more and give more of a reason as to why she is more rebellious. At a time, Alaska is meant to be criticised a bit, but I wasn't expecting people to be as, for lack of a better word, hostile towards her as current reception has been. It seems I'll just have to wait and see how it ends.

And you've largely summed up my intentions RE heroes and villains.

Hope you continue reading, and I hope the rewrites mark an improvement.
 
Don't take how others see Alaska too harshly, even me. If there is an issue with early Alaska, it's less about the character herself, and more to do with how the setting and other characters react to how Alaska is. I didn't mind the kind of character that Alaska is, but I felt she got away with being herself without real consequences for a really long time, which may have contributed to the sense of "reader hostility" you seem to be feeling. I feel that could be a relatively easy fix in a rewrite
 
Don't take how others see Alaska too harshly, even me. If there is an issue with early Alaska, it's less about the character herself, and more to do with how the setting and other characters react to how Alaska is. I didn't mind the kind of character that Alaska is, but I felt she got away with being herself without real consequences for a really long time, which may have contributed to the sense of "reader hostility" you seem to be feeling. I feel that could be a relatively easy fix in a rewrite

I think that is a good way of putting it. The complaint about her getting a free ride for too long has come up and I think I will address it more in the rewrites - perhaps not necessarily in the chapters themselves, but I have plans on how to make better use of the Interludes. Plus I will give Sandy a boost of character early on as well.
 
Way late by normal standards, pretty good for mine.

Anyway, watch me awkwardly try to review a single chapter.

Hey, nothing blew up. At present nothing looks like it will blow up. Alaska even got called out alone in to a mostly empty area after a vague notification and there wasn't a terrorist there looking to fight one on one. While actively calling it out during the one scene may have been too much, quiet is good. I'll even take quiet with medical/legal/political drama with looming threats in the background.

Also from experience I can say that Alaska's power levels are 100% inconsistent, so good job pointing that out. But for untrained Pokemon they can destroy things very well when the plot requires it. As for Darwin... eh. Alaska got yelled at and threatened and didn't threaten back was the big part for me. Although seeing her get called out for something that isn't really her fault, for once, was an interesting twist. I almost found myself supporting her for a moment before I realized that the chances of a complaint against Alaska through the Pokemon League working are basically nil. So that kind of takes some drama out of it.

Anyway, Janine should be fun. Let's see where that goes.
 
@Athena: I haven't gotten any other reviews for it really so glad for anything :p

I think awkwardly reviewing a single chapter is fine in this case, as this is kind of an odd arc-introductory chapter that is largely setting up what is to come.

The drama was kind of meant to be removed when the phone call from Janine's camp came in. The fact the League is letting her go free and not really doing much to stop her, since they need her for their own gain, is something that comes into play in this and later arcs and has been built up a bit over the last few. Alaska is starting to face her consequences, and we're going to see how the League/the Elites of Kanto react to her and her decisions.

Again, the inconsistency of power comes down more to a lack of training and strategy, plus my own over-zealous writing. I will probably tone down some of their abilities in the rewrites so it is not quite OTT, but the inconsistency is something Alaska is having to face as part of her self-evaluation.

I pointed out the quiet because I think it ties into Alaska's established character of stating the obvious being afraid in small situations as she keeps expecting something to happen. I accept I was probably a bit heavy handed, so I will look over that before the next chapter.

And Janine is going to be so much fun.
 
Chapter Seventy Five: Need a Hit
Chapter Seventy Five: Need a Hit

Even from its outskirts, Fuchsia looked outdated. Once a place of real promise and hope, the city was now in desperate need of modernity, but no one there could be bothered to give it that injection. Half-finished construction sites were dotted amongst weather washed houses years past their prime. The smell of fish rising from the port, which the city's residents had previously tried to disguise for the sake of tourists, now hung like a welcome stench over everything.

Shoved at the bottom of the region, it was an easy place to forget about. The townspeople knew that, and for a long time they had tried to offer something different to other cities. It was going to be a coastal city, a transport hub, a thriving port to rival Vermillion. There were going to be towering hotels, docks built for cruise ships, improvements to the Safari Zone. The plans had been endless, and everyone had been excited.

Then the fire happened. The Safari Zone was lost, first in one afternoon of intense heat and worse suffering, then again in a drawn out contract dispute, eventually seeing the franchise move to Johto. Only a few weeks late, Cinnabar had drowned in a sea of lava, and that was the final nail in the coffin. Projects were cancelled, people began to move away, and eventually most trainers stopped coming, no longer needing to travel to the end of the region when it was cheaper to train to Johto instead.

After five years of growing irrelevancy, a wave of neglect had swept through Fuchsia. It was as though the entire city had just stopped caring: if no one was going to visit, why bother? Once grand houses now stood abandoned, sun bleached grass creeping up to chest height around the dilapidated buildings. The ones still occupied were just as untidy, bearing washed out paint, with moss and weeds creeping over the outside walls and fences. The Pal Park, an attempt at restoring the popularity of the Safari Zone, stood out as an unwelcome outlier, like a glittering glass spaceship that had landed in an endless field of two storey brick houses.

Alaska, who rarely paid attention to the small details, noticed it all. Having come from a town struggling to recover, the empty feeling hanging around the city was all too familiar. As she marched through the streets, stumbling over cracked, untended footpaths, she and Sandy didn't see a single soul around. Curtains flickered occasionally, but otherwise they were just two passer-by's moving through a ghost town.

"I read online before I left home that there was no point coming down here – I can really see why."

"I wish I could have seen the Safari Zone. I used to watch this documentary series filmed there when I was a kid. I was devastated when it burnt down."

"Apparently the whole bloody city was as well," Alaska murmured. She frowned as they passed another construction site, a sign on the outside announcing a new motel would be completed by 2010. A shiver went down her spine: this city had died a long time ago, a graveyard for failed dreams, and Alaska felt like she was trespassing on a long drawn out funeral.

"We're here," Sandy announced, and Alaska stopped and looked up. They had arrived on the far edge of the city, right in the corner beside the trees that marked the boundaries. A battered sign that once would have been purple but was now made a faded lilac stood over the entrance, the only thing signifying that this was a gym. Beneath it, a long, low building, only one storey high, stretched across a field. Chipped ceramic tiles made the roof, held up by thick wooden beams and white concrete walls.

"They say this building is nearly a thousand years old. When the city was first invaded, the original Kantonese warriors that trained here hid all the townspeople in that building," Sandy explained, pointing towards the gym. "When the invaders tried to take the building, the warriors easily outmatched them when it came to sword fighting, and, aided by local Pokémon, they managed to save the city."

"Nice story. You can really tell this place is that old – it clearly hasn't been decorated since then." Sandy turned and frowned at Alaska, who shrugged and smiled. "Can you blame a girl for trying to lighten the mood? I'm about to go face the descendant of those warriors, and I'm no fucking swordsmith."

Sandy sighed and nodded, and the two stood in silence, staring at the gym. Neither of them had expected to be here today. Alaska had hoped for a few more days of preparation, to focus herself and work out a strategy that didn't involve burning down the gym. Part of her had wanted to turn down her summons and show up on her own time, but after her confrontation with the nurse, Alaska couldn't bare another minute in that place, not knowing what she had done, the damage she had caused…

"Are you alright? You look pale."

"It's just the wind," Alaska replied stubbornly, turning to Sandy and forcing a smile. Her friend paused and looked at her, the façade clearly not working on her, but she let the moment pass and turned back to the gym.

"Are you ready?"

"Do I have any choice?"

"To battle, no, but you have a say in how the next few minutes go. You're a new woman, remember? You don't have to let them push you around anymore." Sandy smiled and put a hand on Alaska's shoulder. Alaska managed a sincere smile and pulled her friend close; for the first time that hour, she put Darwin out of her mind and properly focused on what was about to happen. What's done is done: what I do next is more important.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

The inside of the gym reminded Alaska of the fighting dojo in Saffron. Wooden panels greeted them as they stepped inside, covering the floor, walls and ceilings. Sliding doors were the only things breaking the pattern, while several skylights doused the room in dull grey light. It was a large and empty space, devoid of anything but the odd landscape painting; certainly not the type of setting you'd expect from a gym.

"Arceus, does this place even have electricity?" Alaska muttered. She stepped forwards, cautiously looking around for any signs of life, and walked into something solid. She swore as she fell backwards, caught at the last minute by a gasping Sandy. "What the -?"

"Yes, we do have electricity, thanks bitch." Alaska cursed and looked to the ceiling: in the corner, a blinking red light flashed mockingly down on her. For a second, she was back in the Pokémon Centre, lying on the floor surrounded by her own sick, the light of camera flickering tauntingly above her. But Alaska shook away the thoughts and stumbled back to her feet as a different unwelcome memory came to the surface.

"Oh, Clyde, how I haven't missed you."

"The feeling's mutual. I must say, I wasn't expecting you to come – I thought you were all about controlling your own destiny?"

"I am. This is me, coming here under my own free will. Got a problem with that?"

"No, not really. It strikes me as ironic, is all," the security system retorted. "Anyway, I'll lower the walls now that I've had my fun. Enjoy getting your skinny little ass kicked!"

"Thanks," Alaska snapped, giving the camera the finger before turning away. A soft whirring filled the room as invisible walls slid beneath the floor, the light retracting and flickering as the rest of the room was revealed. Out of nowhere, a raised platform at the far end of the gym appeared, breaking up the wooden monotony. The first thing Alaska noticed was a wall of weapons that now loomed imposingly above them, surrounded by staffs, gym equipment and what seemed to be a balance beam that filled the platform.

Alaska also discovered they weren't alone in here. Two fingers noisily locked in combat were dancing across the surface, seemingly unaware of their new audience. One was a Pokémon, long, purple and wide chested: an Arbok, hissing and snarling as its human companion went after it with a stick.

Alaska knew about Janine; everyone did. While Red, Leaf and Blue were the most publicly recognised heroes in the war against Team Rocket, Janine had fought alongside them since the very beginning. She had never embraced the limelight awarded to her companions though, retreating to a private life at the end of the country. She was always looming in the background of press conferences though, haughtily staring at the camera as though threatening to murder the audience. Alaska had always figured it was an act: surely no one could be that crazy and still be allowed to save the world, right?

Yet as she and Sandy crossed the floor, Alaska had to wonder how serious Janine was. The sounds of her grunting and the swoosh of her spinning battle staff echoed inside the gym. The Arbok she faced appeared twice her height, grey-purple tail thrashing as it swerved to avoid the blade at the end. Janine could always be putting this on for Alaska's benefit, a threat before they got down to business, but from what she could see, Alaska doubted that was a farcical performance.

"Come on, is that the best you've got?" Janine yelled, swinging the staff and slashing it across the Arbok's chest. "We've brought down empires together, and you can't handle a little training exercise?"

"Aaaaarrrrboookkkk."

"Getting too old, is that it?" Janine shoved the blunt end into her Pokémon's ribcage, nearly pushing it over. "Is that our problem? Do I need to upgrade?"

"ARBOOOOOKKKKK!"

"Well prove it then!" Arbok swung its tail, but Janine jumped and spun over it. When she landed, she brought the staff around and lunged, wildly slashing her weapon. Arbok hissed and reared. Janine saw it coming and held the staff in both hands as defence. Arbok sprang and spun, crashing down with its tail. The staff didn't break on impact, making Janine smile. But Arbok smiled as well, and it coiled its purple tail around the staff. Confused, Janine pulled back, but Arbok dived forwards. The gym leader ducked, sending Arbok soaring over her and landing on her head.

"BOK!" The Cobra Pokémon had been angling for this: it used the momentum to bring its tail arcing over, still grasping the staff, and Janine was flipped. The sound of her hitting the floor made Alaska wince, and she could barely watch as Arbok rolled onto its defeated trainer and bared her fangs.

"No!" Sandy's breathless gasp echoed throughout the suddenly silent gym, and Janine and her Arbok broke contact and turned towards them. Sandy seized up under their gaze, but Janine only gave her a cursory glance before looking at Alaska. The trainer glared back with her steeliest glare, and the gym leader smirked before tapping the floor.

"Good work," she said as Arbok slid away, black eyes still watching the new arrivals. "You had a few opportunities when you could have used that move earlier; next time, you need to be quicker. You're not a spritely young lady anymore, and no use if you're not at the top of your game."

"Bok Bok." The Arbok coiled around Janine's feet like a protective rug, as if they hadn't just been fighting seconds ago. The gym leader stroked her before looking up at Alaska.

"So, you're the Acevedo girl then I take it?" Alaska nodded silently. "Nice to put a face to the name. I'll admit that I'm surprised you came, but I'm glad you did."

"Figured I'd come see what you wanted. Must admit I didn't really expect to have to watch you train. Are we going to get down to business or am I going to have to wait for you to towel yourself off first?" Janine laughed, and Alaska managed a smirk even though she wasn't joking. She was getting impatient, left to wonder why she had been summoned here. Was Janine trying to show her dominance, ordering her about and then making her wait?

Fuck that, Alaska thought, and she stepped forwards. In three quick strides, she launched herself up onto the platform. Instantly, Arbok whipped around and appeared centimetres from her face; the smell of poison, sweet but deadly, was on her breath, and Alaska struggled not to gag as the Cobra Pokémon loomed over her.

"Down girl." Arbok hovered for a second but then retracted as quickly as she lunged, coiling up like a spring by her trainers side. Janine stared stoically back, towel resting on her shoulders, ignoring the sweat dripping down her forehead. "Few people have tried to confront me like that and survived Arbok unharmed."

"I'm not confronting you at all. You summoned me, so I'm here. I'm not waiting around while you play your little games or whatever. I could be back in my room cleaning gunge of my Shellder, or staring at a very real representation of all the mistakes I've made recently. Neither of those really appealed to me, so when I got your call, I figured, what the hey, let's see what one of the most famous serial killer slash gym leaders in the region wants with me – what could possibly go wrong? Now get on with it"

Janine didn't say anything for a moment, instead raising an eyebrow and looking at the trainer up and down. "You really are as sassy as they warned," she purred eventually. "Thank god for that – I was hoping you wouldn't disappoint." She flashed Alaska a smile, staring directly into her eyes, and then, without looking away, she stretched and removed her shirt. Her jet black sports bra was revealed as she casually threw the shirt aside, and Alaska felt more confused than before.

"Was that for my benefit? Sorry to disappoint, but I don't play for that team."

"Neither do I; I thought you might enjoy it though." Janine winked and stepped forwards. The smell of sweat lingered on her body, strong and overpowering, but Alaska refused to let it bother her. But as Janine edged closer, it became harder to ignore what her now bare skin exposed. "You want to know why I called you here? This is why."

Scars covered the gym leader's body. All down her chest and arms, faint white and red lines streaked across her skin. Alaska felt rude for staring, but Janine had clearly done this on purpose, and she was too engrossed to look away. It was like her skin was a patchwork quilt, different textures and colours sewn together in a poor imitation of the human body. Alaska had no idea how Janine was still alive let alone standing, the injuries so numerous it was hard to believe they were real.

"I've got quite the collection, don't I? Each one has a story. Most have some famous name attached to them. The big one across my stomach was when Saturn's Toxicroak pretty gutted me on Mt Coronet. Our mutual friend Gideon there, right under the ribs. I think he might have punctured a lung – either him or Archer, I can't remember. You get stabbed enough times, they all blend into one another

"But those aren't even the best. You see these ones here?" Janine pointed to two perfectly round scars several centimetres apart, one near her right armpit and the other slightly above. "An Arbok did this. Not mine, of course; Ariana's, heard of her? The thing dislocated my shoulder and came pretty damn close to tearing it off. I had to fight my way out of it with only one free hand, and that was caught up trying to fend off the purple bitch's trainer.

"I survived though. I walked away with my arm still attached, and it healed in time. I got to live another day. Yet the memory has stayed with me after all these years. Sometimes I wake up in the night convinced Arbok's fangs are still digging into my flesh. When things are quiet, I find myself back in the casino; I can imagine the burn as those poisonous fangs sunk into my flesh, feel it as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

"It's not a happy memory. In fact, that was probably one of the worst nights of my life, and I've had more than a lifetime of those. But I'm glad it happened. It pushed me to my limits; it pushed me to the edge and then tried to throw me over. But ultimately, it made me a better fighter because of it, a better warrior in all those fights that came after, and I don't think I would be standing here if it wasn't for the bite."

Alaska had been listening intently, but those last few words hit her like a fist to the stomach. She blinked and stepped away, going from engrossed to annoyed within seconds.

"Is this why you summoned me here, to prove you've got more scars then me?"

"Sort of, though I wouldn't put it that bluntly." Janine paused, a slight smile creeping over her lips. "Come on, really? Blunt – get it? We're talking about – oh, never mind."

"I'm sick of my problems being made to seem so small. Sandy and I have been through a shit load -"

"Yeah, but you've come out of it practically unharmed. Look, I'm not here to insult you or tear you down. I actually quite like you – your blogs amuse me, and blowing up the power plant, I mean, wow, how I wish I had been that badass. I just think you need some perspective is all. I've heard all about your internal crises and all that, and I thought this might help, or at least put things in perspective while you're lamenting over old wounds and the future and whatever.

"Yes, you've been to hell and back over the past few months, but you've gotten through all those fights relatively unscathed. A couple of injuries here and there, but let's be honest honey, you don't know pain. You think you do though, and that's not going to help you when you have to face Gideon or whoever. Until you've truly faced death, until you've experienced a pain so severe that your certain you won't get out of it alive, how can you possibly be ready to face all that's coming your way?"

Alaska felt her body tense. She wasn't quite sure what to say, how to word the rage that was coursing through her. How dare Janine accuse her of not understanding pain. Had she ever had her head crushed and left for dead? Had she ever witnessed her best friend get shot in the chest, or had to watch as her Pokémon lay in hospital, bleeding and wounded? Actually, maybe she has, Alaska thought, pausing as memories of old news reports and stories came back to her, but still, why does she get to judge me when she has no idea what I've been through?

Before she had a chance to speak, a calmer voice interrupted, almost like her conscience taking over. "Just because Alaska hasn't been as damaged as you doesn't mean we've been through any less than you." Janine looked down at Sandy and smirked. The blonde was standing with her feet firmly planted and her head held high, and Alaska felt a wave of pride to see her friend defend her like this. "Gideon shot me a few weeks ago. Alaska had her leg busted after his robot exploded in Celadon. One of Buzz's henchmen nearly crushed her skull."

"Yet she still stands, apparently unharmed, and that bullet didn't exactly slow you down for long."

"Neither did your puncture wounds," Alaska retorted.

"Touché," Janine replied, smirking. "But I didn't have Charlotte on standby to fix me up with a wave of her hand – I had to recuperate and heal on my own."

"Alright then; if you're so tough, why don't I give you a call next time Gideon tries to kill me?"

"Feel free – I thought that bastard was dead years ago otherwise I would have cut his throat long before this all started." Janine paused and sighed, slumping against her wall of weapons. Alaska hadn't really paid them much attention, but now she glanced over them, taking in the various swords, daggers, batons and various other ancient weaponry she couldn't possibly name. It certainly made an opposing sight, but a strange one.

"Look, I've probably gone about this the wrong way. I'm not good with being nice to the people – my friend says I have 'social issues' and 'anger management problems'," Janine explained with air quotes, rolling her eyes as though such matters were trivial. "I just had this one shot to put my two cents out there before my friend gets back, and I jumped at the chance. I guess what I'm trying to say is… until you know real pain, you have no idea just how hard this fight is going to get. If I had never been bitten that early and only faced that sort of pain at the Indigo League or on Mt Coronet, I doubt I could have handled it, not in the middle of everything else that happened. But it happened early enough that I was able to learn from it and mentally prepare myself for what came next. And I'm sorry, Alaska, but I don't think you've experienced that type of pain yet."

"What gives you the right to make that assumption?" Alaska paused after she spoke. She looked at Sandy. She took three deep breaths. She unclenched her fists. Then, calmly, she turned back to Janine. "I haven't had any lingering pain, sure, I can accept that. Neither of us have, really – not physically, at least. But emotionally, mentally; you've got no right to doubt us there. Sandy's still got to live with the fact she got shot, that she came pretty damn close to dying. I've got to live with the knowledge I put her in that situation. I have to remember my own pain, my own injuries, how close I've come to killing myself and my Pokémon. My Prime…." Alaska paused, wondering if she was ready to say this or not… "Darwin, my Primeape, is lying in hospital covered in tubes and stitches, lying there because of me."

"No, Alaska, you can't –"

"Yes, Sandy; I set him free, I put him in that place, it is my fault. He is in pain, and it is all my fault. And while it may not be my pain exactly, it still hurts like a bitch to see him lying there. So I may not have nearly had my arm ripped off or my stomach torn open or whatever, but I have enough pain to motivate me and prepare me for whatever happens next. I've sworn an oath to myself to stop running and to commit myself to this fight, and I am going to train and prove to everyone that I can be a damn good warrior when the time comes."

Janine didn't say anything for a moment. She was staring at the ground, nodding along as Alaska spoke. Struggling to stay calm, Alaska opened her mouth to say something when Janine finally looked up. "Alright then, prove it."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. If you think you can handle any situation, prove it."

"How?"

"Let's battle." A PokeBall appeared in her hands, like a magic trick Janine had been saving for the right moment.

"What – now?"

"Why not, we might be dead tomorrow. One on one, right here, right now."

"I didn't come here for a fight. I haven't even challenged you."

"You don't have to. Once a trainer has five badges, a gym leader is allowed to challenge them any time they want once the trainer is within the boundaries of the gym." Janine's face didn't show any sign of cockiness or cruelty, but Alaska couldn't help but feel she had been played. She felt angry, and for a second flashes of violence raced through her mind: setting fire to the gym, grabbing one of the weapons and simply attacking, seeing how long she'd last in hand to hand combat. Yet she knew any of those actions would simply end in disaster. You can't be that person any more – you have to show them you are in control, or they will never let you make your own decisions.

"If you really are a warrior, you should be ready to fight me anyway. You've been through five gym battles already, you've fought Buzz and Gideon and whoever enough times by now. So are you a seasoned fighter, or have you just stumbled through on luck like everyone else says, managing to escape without any harm?"

"Not everyone's gotten out of this unharmed," Alaska hissed. She could see Darwin before her, empty eyes staring back at her, blood covering his face and body – how many scars would he have when they were finally done fixing him? Why couldn't Janine just accept that? Alaska was prepared to leave right there and then, but as she turned to go, something else slid to the front of her mind. She paused, and after a few moments of contemplation, she turned back to the gym leader.

"Alright then, let's do this."

"Alaska, no!" Sandy lunged forwards, slamming her hands down on the platform. "You're not ready, you said so yourself. What happened to making your own choices?"

"This is my decision, not hers," Alaska answered. She stared back at Janine, heart pounding; Sandy was right to be afraid, but Alaska wasn't going to turn down this opportunity. She was not going to stand by and let another gym leader make presumptions about her.

But more importantly, she had to test herself. Alaska wouldn't admit this to Sandy, she wouldn't tear her friend down like that, but it still hurt that Shelley had been taken down so easily by Eevee. She wasn't going to get better without training, and fighting Janine was a better test of skill than sparring in the backs of Pokémon Centres.

"You ready?" Janine asked.

"Always," Alaska snapped back, whipping a PokeBall out. Janine looked pleased and turned to Arbok, nodding at her. The Cobra Pokémon hissed slightly as she swung her tail, pushing all the training equipment to the side before sliding behind her trainer. Alaska hadn't thought they would battle up her, but she pushed it aside and wondered how best to use the wood to her advantage.

Feeling a plan forming, Alaska gave Sandy a smile to calm her nerves before throwing the red and white capsule forwards. "Nadia, go!" The PokeBall exploded on the field, breaking open in a burst of light that lit up the dull gym. Alaska blinked and her Nidorina was there, pawing at the ground and glaring defiantly at Janine. The gym leader smiled and nodded, and then she laughed.

"Just as I thought." Her smirk was unsettling, and for the second time that day Alaska wondered if she'd walked into a trap. Janine pressed the button on her PokeBall, and red light poured out and formed on the field. The Pokémon was purple, with rough, hard looking skin. With a short tail and four stubby legs, it might not have seemed intimidating, but Alaska's eyes were drawn to its horn, pointed towards Nadia like a javelin, and the large spikes protruding from its back. The Pokémon instantly reared towards Nadia, who quickly began snarling and pacing in front of Alaska, and it was then she realised what this Pokémon was.

"A Nidorino… clever… that's clever," Alaska said, and did a mock bow. "I probably should have seen that coming. Though is he actually any good, or just another one of your jokes?"

Janine laughed. "None of this is a joke. But since you asked, I have been training Ned here since I first became gym leader. One of several Pokémon born before my father left, he gifted them to me to train. Ned has always been the star pupil – knows a weak opponent when he sees one."

"Ned? And I thought I was bad at naming Pokémon."

"He nearly got decapitated once. It seemed fitting." Her tone suddenly went cold, and Alaska could tell she had struck some kind of nerve. Looking into Janine's eyes, it was clear the gym leader was done chatting: it was time to battle.

It was still weird, to go from searching through a drain for her Shellder and then facing a gym leader within the space of a few hours. Usually when Alaska faced a gym leader, she'd had time to prepare, to build up her confidence so nothing dented her stride. Janine definitely had the upper hand this time, but Alaska needed a challenge: something, anything to distract her from what she had done.

"Last Pokémon standing is the winner. You go first – time to show what you're really made of."

"Tougher stuff than you: Ice Beam, let's go!"

"Double Kick – hit the attack as it comes towards you."

And with that, the battle began.

As soon as the order was given, Nadia stopped growling and leapt into battle mode. She planted her feet firmly and opened her mouth wide. A jet blue beam exploded across the battlefield, a frozen torpedo hurtling towards Ned. The Nidorino snarled as the attack came for him, but rather than dodging he ran straight towards it. Alaska wondered what Janine was planning, but she told herself it was certain to fail: if the attack hit, there was a strong chance Ned would be frozen and the battle would be hers already, and if it didn't, at least the field would freeze, putting some distance between the two Pokémon.

"NID!" Ned suddenly stopped and spun, rising up on his front legs while his back pair glowed red. It was only then Alaska realised her rival's plan, but it was too late to change. The Nidorino lashed out with the Fighting type move, his legs becoming red blurs as they rapidly kicked at the Ice Beam. Nadia tried to keep her attack's momentum going, but Ned was too fast and too strong: a few streams shot off and froze across the floor, but otherwise the attack had failed.

"I know all about what you did at the Saffron City Gym; you aren't trying the same strategy here! Take Down, go!" Janine was wasting no time, and Alaska was stunned as Ned responded instantly. Not even breaking a sweat, the Nidorino turned and rapidly began sprinting towards Nadia.

"Meet him in the middle and stop him with Crunch!" Nadia nodded and charged forwards, footsteps echoing as her claws pounded the wood. There was anger in her eyes, and Alaska knew her most fierce fighter was not going down without a fight.

"Nido Nido!" Ned snarled, and he lowered his head, horn pointed and ready to stab.

"Bite him on the horn!" Alaska yelled, and threw Janine a smirk. Nadia opened her jaw wide and lunged. At the same moment, Janine let out a low whistle: Ned jumped up as well, but he tucked his head in and spun, putting his back first. There was nothing for Nadia to bite onto, and her open mouth collided hopelessly with his jagged back.

A tangle of purples and blues, the two crashed towards the ground. Alaska watched in horror as Ned used his momentum to spin Nadia, throwing her beneath him. She hit the floor back first, and Ned landed heavily on top, the force pushing her across the field.

"Double Kick, right in the face!" Alaska had barely taken in what had happened when Ned used his position on top to launch another assault, this time ramming his feet repeatedly into his opponents face.

"NIIIIIID!" Nadia roared, but it was a lower, more painful noise than Alaska had ever heard her make before. It was a tortured, strangled noise: Nadia was not one to let her pain show, never wanting to appear weak, but it was too much for her to handle.

"Aren't you going to order another move?" Janine's tone was neutral, but Alaska couldn't help but feel enraged. She was certain that this had all been a carefully laid plan, all the talk of helping her subterfuge before the main event, and now she was forced to watch another one of her Pokémon suffer.

"Ice Beam, come on!"

"Thunderbolt!" The order was waiting there on the tip of Janine's tongue, unleashing it before Alaska had even finished. Ned stopped kicking and began to glow yellow. Touching his paws to Nadia's face, the Poison Pin Pokémon unleashed the blast of electricity, a powerful bolt so bright Alaska had to shield her eyes.

"NIDOOOOO!" Nadia's scream echoed throughout the gym. Alaska couldn't bear to look at her squirming body, but when she shut her eyes, her mind went straight back to the Pokémon Centre. Darwin and his blood soaked fur; Darwin and the tubes snaking around his body; Darwin and the empty look in his eyes, staring madly back at her.

"You can't look away Alaska: face your Pokémon, look at her suffering. This is what happens in war: people get hurt, Pokémon usually suffer more. You say you know pain because of what happened to Darwin, but were you actually there when he was suffering? Have you ever had to look at one of your Pokémon – and I mean really look – and watch as someone else tortures them?"

"I came here for a gym battle!" Alaska roared, turning wildly around and glaring back at Janine. She hadn't even noticed Ned had stopped, and she spared a quick glance at Nadia, lying still and smoking on the ground. "I'm sick of you all trying to teach me lessons like I'm some naughty child that can't be controlled."

"Hey, I'm not here to draw you into line! I'm not trying to be cruel, this is just what had to happen," Janine replied, frowning. "You think you're strong and you think you can handle everything, you tell yourself that, but from what I can see, you can't. Don't think I'm trying to attack you and realise that unless you accept pain for what it actually is then you won't be able to survive whatever nasty tricks Buzz and Gideon have planned for you. And as you've already learnt, your Pokémon are going to be the ones –"

"SHUT UP!"

"Stop this, Janine."

The voice was soft and feminine, yet those three words came out in an echoing boom that made everyone jump. Under the chaos of battle, no one had noticed one of the walls sliding open behind them. All eyes turned to see a woman standing in a corridor, face hidden by shadow, but the fading echo of her shout made her presence known.

Janine irritably scowled at the shadow. "I thought you were out."

"Only because you forced me to leave," the woman replied tetchily.

"Only because you wouldn't have let me do things my way," Janine retorted, with the same tone someone might adopt when talking to their mother.

"And how is that working out for you?" Janine didn't respond, and the woman tutted. "Thought so. I told you this would happen and you refused to listen. Now we do things my way." The woman stepped out of the doorway, heavy soled shoes rapping against the wooden floor. She made her way slowly up the stairs, which was either an intimidation tactic or a sign of worry, as though unsure what she would find up there.

Alaska knew how she felt. As soon as she heard that voice, shock had turned to anger, which in turn became pure rage. Looking away from the now concluded battle, Alaska turned and stared directly into the woman's eyes: they had never met, but she felt like they were old enemies finally coming face to face. She had seen that face almost every day for the last five years, on television, in newspapers, leering down over the town she had helped destroy. Alaska had long wanted to punch her in her smug, perfect face, and it took every bit of self-control not to do so as the woman stopped a metre before her and smiled quietly.

"Hi Alaska, it's great to finally meet you. My name's Leaf Oak. I think it's about time you and I had a chat, don't you agree?"



Ridiculous delay once again, for which I apologise. I am on holiday now so hope to get a few more chapters out before the end of the year, as well as updated versions of the first few chapters as they need a long overdue tidy up. Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Also, hurrah, I no longer have to italicise everything again! One good thing about these changes.
 
Well these last few chapters have sure been a roller coaster ride of emotions for Alaska. It seems like she can never catch a break, when she finally gets Darwin back she has to deal with the consequences of her actions.

Most othe rpeople have already spoken about the Darwin chapter and while I did like that Alaska got reprimanded for what she did...maybe it was a little too much. The end of it was nice if a little overdone with her puking at all (though it's a completely valid reaction to the whole event) and while I can understand that it had to happen I think that it's done a little to direct, the ideal way to do it would be to make the audience feel bad about Alaska but also understand that she had it coming, the way the chapter goes about it though starts off with how it should be but ends on the complet end of the spectrum of making the audience feel bad about Alaska which in turn just makes the nurse seem like the bad guy even though she's technically right...even if the way she's going about it is still a bit exxagerated by not listening to what Alaska says or trying to understand that YES, she did leave Darwin behind but...I mean...she's seeing him hurt on the hospital bed, I get that she's gotta reprimand her but she does it to a point where it just feels like the only thing she doesn't do is hit her.

I know nurses and doctors can be like that in real life, particularly if they're really stressed about a specific situation but the scene went a little too long.

The chapter with Janine was a nice change of pace and I like the way you focus on showing how Fuchsia basically always gets the shaft, which is true, not may people really think about it when they think of Kanto. Janine has so far being the best gymleader in my mind and I can understand where she's coming from even if Alaska doesn't.

My only problem with the last chapter is that it feels like...there's a lot of restating points. Lately al ot of chapters have been about Alaska reaffirming he rground and people telling her why she's being reckless and her refuting and then there's a whole argument of it that has Alaska have some sort of epiphany that just will lead to another argument later on. I get that everyone wnats to give their two cents about it but going back to that point over and over again can get tiring. It doesn't help that while Alaska is right that her trauma shouldn't be deminished just cause she hasn't gone through the same things as Janine it also doesn't mean should ignore Janine's point. Janine is wrong is that Alaska hasn't gone through pain but she is right in that instead of worrying about the pain she's gone through she should just steal herself and be glad she's come out alive from it.

I like that Leaf is finally making an appearance...but I'm scared with the last few chapters showing Alaska basically hating her, I didn't think she was so caring of her hometown to actively hate someone she hasn't officially met, though it doesn't take much to gain Alaska's hatred anyway. Either way I'm wondering how these two protaginist will deal with one another and while I know that Leaf isn't the first protagonist of another story of yours to appear she is the first Game protagonist to meet Alaska officially.
 
@Flaze
Thanks for the feedback!

I wasn't really trying to paint the nurse as a villain; I wanted to do something a bit different where a stranger, who also happens to be a professional and not someone with an agenda or anything, told Alaska off. This isn't someone who wants to use or control Alaska, it's someone who only cares about the safety of her Pokemon, and the level of abuse is severe. The reason why she interrupted Alaska a lot was that she simply wasn't fussed about what she had to say as no matter what excuse Alaska comes up with, Darwin is still injured and the blame still falls back on her in the long run. I will take on your point that it was perhaps a bit long: it was a balancing act, and one that may need tweaking at some point.

I get what you mean about a lot of points being stated and views being shared. That's partly what the next chapter will touch on, in a way. This arc is the last real full-on chatty arc as we head into the final parts of the story after Fuchsia. However, I do think that the last few arcs have been about covering different aspects: Sabrina forced Alaska to confront her style and actions, the 'elites' made her look at how she was handling herself and what the consequences of her actions mean, and now Janine is ending the teaching by making her look at the wider scope and channeling her pain. In a similar way to how the Silph Co. arc opened with Alaska held captive and being monologued to and ended with her captive in a different way and being monologued to, these last two arcs are fairly full-circle and are about Alaska working out how she actually is and what she has to do after everything that has happened and now that she knows more of her fate. So yes, there is a lot of points being stated, but that is so Alaska can make her case and also break it down and work out who she is.

The hometown thing is my fault. I didn't get the rewrites done in time but I wanted to post a chapter as it had been so long. I will get them done before this next chapter to contexualise things more - plus, it will make it more realistic within the wider GVerse.
 
And another single chapter review.

Hey, Alaska lost terribly. That's the first time that's happened in a while. Janine was interesting, I guess, but I honestly don't have much to say. Which surprises me a little.

Alaska's vocabulary, speech patterns, and philosophy contrasting with her age stuck out to me again this chapter for whatever reason. I don't usually find her character that annoying, but I did here. Probably just her talking about pain and such and her self-awareness mixed in with innuendo.

Also, should I know why she hates Leaf? I don't remember that coming up previously in story.

(And yay more casual Coronet foreshadowing.)
 
And another single chapter review.

Hey, Alaska lost terribly. That's the first time that's happened in a while. Janine was interesting, I guess, but I honestly don't have much to say. Which surprises me a little.

Alaska's vocabulary, speech patterns, and philosophy contrasting with her age stuck out to me again this chapter for whatever reason. I don't usually find her character that annoying, but I did here. Probably just her talking about pain and such and her self-awareness mixed in with innuendo.

Also, should I know why she hates Leaf? I don't remember that coming up previously in story.

(And yay more casual Coronet foreshadowing.)

As I said in the above response, that was due to me not updating the old chapters in time. BUT NOW, the entire first arc has been updated! So that's everything from Blog One to Interlude Two, improved grammar, spelling, characterisation, plotting, you name it! There are two entirely new scenes/sequences, plus extra information about Alaska that should have frame her character better. Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Also, one scene from Interlude One has been moved to I2 but has not been edited yet.

New chapter hopefully before the deadline closes!
 
Chapter Seventy Six: Feel Me Now
If you have not done so yet, please note before reading this chapter, everything from Blog One through to Interlude One has been edited for grammar, spelling and style. However, there are some new scenes that tie into the story as a whole, but particularly this chapter. It would be worth reading them first if you have not done so already.


Chapter Seventy Six: Feel Me Now


"So… here we are."

No one had spoken since they had sat down. At least ten minutes of silence had passed, the room getting tenser and more awkward with every passing second. Yet, somehow, Leaf's choice of ice breaker only annoyed Alaska more.

"Really? That's your opening line?" She looked at the gym leader with her eyebrows raised and a smirk on her lips. "Where did you get that golden piece of dialogue from, Dramatic Writing 101?"

"Alaska!" Sandy barely moved her mouth, her face tightly clenched as though paralysed, but still her hiss echoed inside the densely quiet room. The sound made Arbok swivel around, purple head suddenly looming behind her trainer, and Sandy sank even deeper into her chair, if that was at all possible. Alaska watched her friend deflate, feeling her anger rise, but knew there was little she could do. If she made the wrong move now, she knew it would not go down well, and if she said anything she wasn't sure how she would stop herself.

Thankfully, she didn't have to defend Sandy herself.

"Look, none of us are here to fight. Let's just put whatever animosity or whatever you'd call this behind us and move on, shall we? I've spent enough of my life sitting at tables glaring at people. I'd really like this to not be one of those occasions."

"I think we can all agree to that," Sandy said, smiling civilly. Alaska wasn't sure what was making her friend act so nice; perhaps it was Arbok snaking around the table, while her trainer carefully watched them; maybe it was the fact Leaf was one of the most famous people in the world, and Sandy was simply star struck. But maybe Sandy just didn't want to keep fighting everybody.

Alaska wanted to stop the arguing as well, but she was found it enormously difficult to do so right now. While she didn't want to be stuck back at the Pokémon Centre, thinking about Darwin and his injuries, she wasn't sure if that would be a worse punishment than her current situation.

After Leaf had arrived, Janine had led the four into a small room at the back of the gym. It was some kind of dining room, with a small door leading to a kitchen to the side. There was one window breaking up the monotony of wood, letting a bit of light and colour in, but otherwise it was just brown panels everywhere. The table they sat at was basically a giant slab of wood, Alaska and Sandy on one side and Leaf and Janine on the other, nearly a metre of empty space between them.

They probably chose this room cause of me – who knows what I might do if this goes south? The telling off from Janine had really irked her, but that was nothing compared to how Alaska felt about sitting directly opposite Leaf. The longer she stared at the gym leader, the more memories came rushing back to her. Memories of returning home to find the city torn apart, to find the streets on different levels to the houses, buildings toppled, homes obliterated. The longer she watched her, the more Alaska remembered the statue that had loomed above her for four years, a bronzed middle finger permanently levelled at an already battered city.

To try and control her rage, Alaska focussed on Leaf's face, analysing every inch of it she could see. The image of the statue permanently in her mind, she had partly forgotten what the supposed heroine actually looked like. In person, Leaf appeared nothing like she did on TV. Her long brown hair was frizzy, with loose strands sticking out all over the place. Her face had the look that it had once been round but had gotten thinner rapidly, giving her a slightly gaunt expression. Her eyes were still alive though, bright and alert while the rest of her body came across tired.

It was a stark contrast to the almost mythical status Leaf was attributed with on screen. Perhaps it was because she was both a war veteran and dating the most prominent person in the region, but whenever she appeared on the news, talk shows or in documentaries, Leaf was always presented as some sort of fairy tale princess, a flawless figurehead instead of a powerful trainer.

Having been blinded by her rage, Alaska only now began to wonder what Leaf was actually doing here. Why wasn't she at her gym? Why was she on the other side of the region? Had she been waiting for Alaska to pass through, hoping to corner her into a conversation? All Alaska knew was that she was not going to take another telling off, not after Janine, not after Evelyn the other day; if Leaf was here to try and control her, Alaska was going to put up a fight.

"If we aren't going to argue, how do you intend we spend this time?"

"That's up to you, really," Leaf replied instantly, as though she had been waiting to say that all day. "I mostly just want to meet you. I've heard so much about you and what you've done, but I don't know which of the stories to believe. I just had to find out for myself." Leaf smiled warmly as she spoke. If it had been anyone else, Alaska might have been inclined to soften. However, she had seen Leaf pull the same faces, speak in the same soft voice a million times on television before. Alaska was just another school girl Leaf happened to be meeting; it only needed a dressed up PR manager in the corner and this would be just another photo op.

"Well, let's see: I left my home that is barely standing to travel around the region, only to very quickly become involved in two different plots to destroy the region, one completely mad and one unsettlingly vague, yet both of which I am expected to stop because a mad ghost did a few cave paintings two thousand years ago. Despite that, I am not actually considered fit enough for the job but no one can quite agree on what I should be doing or who is meant to save the day instead, so I'm kind of just plodding along trying to prepare myself for a war with no one willing to help me. So that's how I've been; how about you?"

Silence followed her words. Sandy stared at her, scandalised, but Alaska ignored her friend; she was more interested in how the other two would react. Janine's eyes had widened briefly, but she still wore the stern, thin lipped annoyed look she'd been pulling since they sat down. Leaf's kind smile had faded, sinking deeper into a frown, and she was cautiously looking between Alaska and Janine as though wondering how to proceed.

"Angel."

"What?" This was the first time Janine had spoken since their argument, but 'angel' was not the word Alaska had been expecting her to say.

"Charlotte; you called her a ghost in that little performance. She's a –"

"Let's not start," Leaf interjected, raising a hand and looking irritable. "We'll be here all week if we try and outline who Charlotte is."

"But she has a huge part to play in this, doesn't she?" Sandy asked quietly, as though fearful the wrong question would disturb Arbok. Leaf, however, looked at her softly and nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes; Charlotte's transparent fingerprints are all over this and everything else that has happened or ever will happen." She turned towards Alaska. "I understand your frustration. Believe me, I was in your position five years ago. You have to know though that nobody woke up one morning and decided to ruin your life. Our paths have been set in stone for decades. Are you aware of the Cynthia Code?"

"Yes, vaguely."

"Well, did you know I was part of that same prophecy? You, me, Red; a few of us got locked in by that, but Charlotte's paintings and warnings have been around for centuries. It's quite funny to think they've been around for so long but it's only recently people have started paying attention to them. Before Rocket, there was just a small group, mostly professors, old gym leaders, champions, that banded together to try and protect those they thought would be involved. Yet to the vast majority of people, these were just simply stories; rumours, legends, nothing to focus on. Many influential people refused to believe Charlotte even existed: sure, there can be poison spewing ghosts and ghost candles and ghost pumpkins, but a ghost girl seemed a step too far for most people.

"Then the whole world turned to shit. After Coronet, there was a big conference between basically every single person of influence in the world to evaluate everything that had happened: the rise of Team Rocket, the war between the Magma Corporation and AQUA, Rocket's attempted return and Cyrus and his merry band of religious nutters. As a kind of attempt to pass the blame, the non-believers accepted how accurate these prophecies are, and decided to put their faith into them.

"Unfortunately, this all happened after Mt Coronet. And that's the moment when Charlotte's prophecies start to become vague… well, vaguer, really…"

"How come?"

"The universe was meant to end then. They say it did, for a little while at least."

"Oh really. I must have been asleep when that happened." Janine smirked briefly, but Leaf pouted and moved on.

"Anyway, Charlotte knows very little about what happens next, which means the rest of us have no idea. We've had three years of peace after three truly horrible years, and now that two groups are out to change that, those in power want to do everything they can to stop it."

"Which means piecing together a thousand year old carving of a Pidgeot and the fact my name's a prophetic keyword in order to name me as the person to die trying to save your boyfriend." Alaska smiled after concluding her interruption. Janine clenched up, looking enraged, but Leaf seemed to deflate. The gym leader sank into her chair and leaned on her hands, sighing deeply.

"Yes, essentially, that is what has happened. You have to understand, people are afraid of these prophecies. Even the people who have always believed in them, they never knew quite what would happen until things have actually happened. Trying to avoid them or stop them usually caused them to happen. If you step back and let things just play out, it's like you're guilty by association or through negligence. There's no way to win when you're dealing with the future, that's the impossible predicament we've all had to face.

"Red… I… we never wanted any of this. No one would choose to put something through this, not after everything we've been through. That's why Red sent Suicune and Zapdos after you, to try and protect you as much as possible. He's spent months preparing himself and the League for the reality show, organising the gym leaders. Everyone only has your best interests at heart, you must know that, but we can't do anything."

"You could try and agree on how to handle me, that would be a start," Alaska replied coldly, though she remained silent after that. Leaf had raised some interesting points, and for once, she opted to ponder on them before commenting.

"Why haven't you attacked yet?" Sandy asked. "You said the gym leaders are preparing to fight. If you know where Buzz is based, why haven't you stopped him?"

"It's not that simple." Janine paused and glanced at Leaf, who nodded in approval. She then leaned forwards, briefly gazing at Alaska before facing Sandy. "We don't know quite what weaponry these people have. If we start openly rebelling against the show, they could grow suspicious – they are already on edge as it is. They could strike early, change tactics, go after us or our cities."

"Gideon makes things more difficult," Leaf added. "He is a genius, you cannot deny him that. Some of the things he invented to further Rocket and Giovanni, they were actually magical. The Ditto Serum is basically the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. The trouble with him is that we have zero idea what his plan is. Attacking Vermillion was random, and it's on a completely different level to him bombing Five Island. There's the possibility he's pulling the strings of all this, that the robots are really a distraction from something much worse he's planning."

"I'd happily take Arbok and a couple of my swords down to Silph Tower myself and slice Buzz from brains to ball sack if I didn't think my doing so would set off something far worse." Silence fell once more as Janine finished. It was a lot of information to process, and Alaska and Sandy briefly exchanged looks, neither sure how to respond. The four women were just locked in conversation, trapped within four walls waiting to reach a conclusion.

After several minutes of quiet contemplation, Alaska finally spoke up. "You are aware I'm perfectly happy to fight for this cause, aren't you? I'm perfectly prepared to do whatever's necessary to stop them. So why are you telling me all this? What are you expecting me to do with this information; be more annoyed with how fucked up this all is?"

Leaf didn't respond immediately. She stared out the window: there was nothing there except a sparse garden bordered by thick, ancient trees. Alaska wondered what she was looking at specifically, and suddenly noticed a Pidgeot go past. There was a Pokémon on its back, but the Bird Pokémon flew past too quickly for Alaska to register it. She watched it fly away, and realised there was more Pokémon out there. A Tentacruel was bobbing in a pool to the side, while a Venusaur thumped around it.

Poison types, wonderful, Alaska thought, but why exactly is Leaf watching them? She turned back to the gym leader, ready to confront her, but Leaf was already gazing back at her, tears in her eyes.

"I told you at the start, I just wanted to meet you, get your side of the story. Everyone has a different view about you, and I just wanted to know who you really are… what you're planning on doing to save Red." Leaf paused again as her voice began to shake. Alaska felt a rush of concern for her that passed as quickly as it arrived. "I'm not here to tell you to save my boyfriend, I'm not that selfish. I don't want to force you to do anything. I just wanted you to know that we are here to help you – none of us wants to see you hurt, either of you. You need to do what's best for you. If Red dies, then… well… he has to die then, I suppose… I just hope you save him." Her voice broke and Leaf fell silent. Alaska didn't say anything, even though a voice in the back of her head was screaming at her to say something. How she had longed for this moment, to see Leaf crying, to make her feel the same pain she had felt. But Alaska had never wanted it like this. Sitting here, her mind went back to Darwin, back to Sandy lying on the road in Lavender Town, to every time she'd ever worried for her Pokémon or her life.

After a moment, Leaf laughed, whether naturally or forced, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I told myself not to cry. It's just weird, talking about all this destiny stuff, not knowing what any of it means."

"I told you you didn't have to do this. None of us got any choice." Janine looked at Alaska coldly but pointed towards Sandy. "Look, I was probably a bit harsh with you before. I know what you've been through, and yes, it does suck. My point basically was that we've all been through pain. The reason Leaf's telling you all this is so you know that you aren't the only one that's been screwed over by the universe. Most of us haven't even been prophesised to get involved – me and her, we've both stumbled into this." She pointed at Sandy, who seized up in terror. "We're just supporting players in this whole prophecy nonsense. We haven't been chosen, but we play as big a role in all this as all you chosen ones, and you sure as hell don't see our faces on statues – no offence."

"None taken," Leaf replied, laughing briefly.

"What I was trying to say earlier was that we know pain. You aren't the only one that's been hurt by this; most people haven't had the luxury of having their involvement lain out for them. It's just something you have to get over. Nothing you've experienced is on the same level of what we went through."

That was the final straw. Alaska hadn't realised her hate had been sitting there, waiting at the back of her throat. She had become distracted by Leaf's tears, but as soon as Janine finished speaking, her anger came roaring back to her. How dare she be accused of not knowing pain by her – by Leaf. Contempt, spite, fury, Alaska's body began shaking, and she turned and stared madly down the table at Leaf, five years of her life rushing through her mind.

"Of course, I'm sorry, it must have really hurt to sit back and let my hometown get destroyed." It slipped out before she could stop herself; she had been waiting to say something like that for years, there could be no holding back. Alaska heard what she said the same time as everyone else, and for a moment she wondered what she had done. But then relief washed over her, simple joy that this angry weight was finally off her chest.

As joy spread through her, Alaska focussed back on the gym leaders, waiting for their reactions. Leaf sank back in her chair, stunned silent except for a soft tutting sound that escaped her parted lips. Janine looked confused for a second, but then her face lit up, and suddenly she was laughing. Her joy felt entirely out of context, especially as it echoed inside the room, reverberating off the walls, an unholy noise after the tense silence of the past half hour.

"Oh my god, this explains so much!" She uttered finally, the words falling breathlessly from her mouth as she struggled to stop laughing. "You're one of those nutters, aren't you? 'The attack on Viridian was an inside job, it was all a sham to make Red Champion, blah blah blah'. Fuck, if we are trusting the fate of the world in this loony we really are -"

"Everyone thinks you're heroes," Alaska hissed, slamming her hands on the table. Janine fell silent, her joy quickly turning dark. "Everyone goes on and on and on about how you saved the region from a monster. But what about my city, eh? Was that just collateral damage, something you had to sacrifice in order to defeat Giovanni?"

"Alaska, I – "

"My father was there; he took us home right after he heard the news, he started clearing up the city long before you lot showed up. Now he has no job, and we live in a crumbling house because we don't qualify for funding to repair it. So don't go on to me about pain or heroism or whatever the fuck you lot keep trying to use to manipulate me when neither of you know what it's like to lose your home like that."

If the room had been tense early, there was no word to describe the atmosphere now. Alaska hadn't even realised she had gotten to her feet, but there she was, leaning over the table glaring at the two women opposite. Arbok had risen up in retaliation, and Janine's hands had disappeared behind her back, likely gripped around something sharp and painful. The gym leaders looked both shocked and furious with Alaska's outburst, and Alaska was pleased. She had been waiting years to confront someone over what had happened to her home, and now that it was out there she felt vindicated, released from her own personal vendetta.

"What do you want from me, Alaska?" Leaf suddenly snapped. Tears were rolling down her face again, but there was rage behind them instead of sadness and Alaska felt her joy evaporate as she took in her foe's anger, her fury emanating from her body. "An apology? Is that going to fix your house? Is it money, am I supposed to pay you to want to save my boy – save Red from being killed?"

"I don't want your money –"

"Then what then?" Leaf got to her feet now, and Alaska instinctively reached for one of her PokeBalls. "Why bring this up at all? Are you trying to make me feel bad about what happened? Because funnily enough, I already do. The mere thought of your city prevents me from sleeping every other night. It was the worst part of that whole experience with Team Rocket, and I don't need anyone else to make me feel worse about what happened there. We made mistakes, and we have to deal with them."

"Yeah, but I've had to live in your mistake for the past five years!" Alaska slammed her fist down at those last two words, and they all fell silent again. She could feel Sandy cowering next to her, probably terrified of where this was going to go. Alaska knew if the two wanted to get violent there would be no winning: both were experienced trainers, Leaf had legendaries, Janine had weapons. However, despite how enraged the two women looked, neither of them seemed ready to fight over it. Leaf was fixated on Alaska, chest heaving, teeth clenched, face getting progressively redder. She looked more likely to shout than set Raikou on her, but after more minutes of tense, uneasy silence passed by, Leaf simply sighed and fell back into her seat.

"I thought they were wrong about you. I talked to gym leaders, I talked to Daisy, I talked to Jericho and Evelyn, anyone whose met you I asked them what they thought of you. No one agreed on what to make of you, but the same words kept coming up: disagreeable, temperamental, angry, stubborn. A few people think you're just headstrong, that you've got your values and you're sticking to them. I respected that, and I was looking forward to seeing that side of you. But now… now I see you're… lost, I think that's the right word.

"I mean, what do you stand for, exactly? I really don't know where to place you. I wanted to like you, I thought I could help you, but I have no idea who you actually are. You're the tough girl rebel who's both willing and opposed to saving the world, who tries to laugh everything off while harbouring a lot of anger against everyone who comes near you, and now you are supposed to be some hometown hero out to avenge the crimes against your city."

There was a brief pause as Leaf took a deep breath and wiped away her tears, collecting her thoughts before carrying on.

"I think I know what your problem is. You think you've experienced enough pain, and you're using it to both justify what you've done and use it as a reason why you shouldn't suffer anymore. Charlotte told me I should think up some advice for you, so here it is: there is no such thing as too much pain. Too much pain means you're dead. If you're still breathing, walking, shouting, you haven't suffered enough. If you want to be any use to us stopping Buzz and Gideon, then you have to accept your pain, all of it, and move on: accept it, embrace it, use it, but move the fuck on."

Alaska felt like she had been punched. For the third time today, someone had berated her. She wanted to be angry with Leaf, but she just felt weak, defeated. The moment she had been waiting for had been thrown back in her face, and she was struggling to comprehend. When she spoke, the words simply tumbled out, words that had been sitting inside her for months, words she had never even thought of herself.

"That's just the thing: I don't want to be of use to you. Haven't you people realised that? I never wanted any of this. I don't care if some ghost, angel, whatever decided I was going to be involved in this, I don't want to be involved. I don't want to see Buzz or Gideon or Amanda or whoever get their way, and I'm going to stop them, but I don't want to, I've simply accepted that I have to.

"I don't want to deal with all the stuff that comes with it. I hate the idea that I might have to take on this huge burden and make decisions between life and death. I don't want to be turned into some hero figure like you lot, get crafted into a publicity generating, celebrity soldier? Do you think I want that responsibility? You said it yourself that my city gives you nightmares – you can't stand there and tell me to move on and accept this when you know the weight of what this all means."

"You have to let go of what you want," Janine said with quiet rage. "What you want stopped mattering the moment you fell into the hole in Viridian Forest. Just accept it: your journey doesn't belong to you anymore, it never has."

"Stop acting like it's so unreasonable that I am annoyed about this!" Alaska shouted, and she slammed a PokeBall on the table. Janine responded by pulling out a knife, while Arbok hissed over her shoulder. "Oh, go on then, just fucking stab me – maybe then you can find some perfect little soldier happy to give up their life –"

"Alaska, stop!"

"Fuck you, you whiny little bitch. I should cut you – "

"Janine!"

"BRING IT!"

" – right down you weak spine – "

"STOP THIS!"

"Saaaauuuuur." Somehow, over all the fighting, the loud, low grunt managed to cut across all the noise. Suddenly, all eyes were on the window, the aminosity and fear pushed to the sound as natural curiosity took over. The low building meant the windows were nearly at ground level, allowing Alaska to stare down from her directly into the growl's owner.

The Venusaur she had spotted earlier had made its way over. She had only seen them on screen, but this one didn't look that different: big, wide, warty, green. A Pokémon with a permanently grumpy expression, this one was frowning further at the scene, gazing slowly between Leaf, Janine and Alaska. The potent smell from its flower wafted into the room, as though it was purposefully trying to calm them – and Alaska realised it likely was. She felt a familiar stab of rage she associated with starter types, unable to stop herself being annoyed at its arrogance at interrupting them.

Then she looked at its face. There were scars across its features: raw, deep wounds, harsh streaks of red on an otherwise green canvas. One eye was half shut, the burn covering the whole right eyelid. Alaska felt her stomach sink as she realised this wasn't one of Janine's gym Pokémon. While Red's Charizard was famous, Blue's Venusaur was infamous: no one in Kanto could stand cruelty to Pokémon, and what Team Rocket had done in the final days of their war, trying to burn a Pokémon alive, even Alaska's bitter heart could not agree with.

"His scars… they never healed." Sandy's whisper carried through the densely silent room. Alaska sank back into her seat. All she could see was Darwin lying on his bed, Darwin bleeding and weak, Darwin being cut open, Darwin being tortured…

"They never will. We've tried everything, but what they did to him…" Leaf paused there and turned back to Alaska. "I want to help you, Alaska, I really, truly do. Everyone who should be helping you hates you. I know from experience that the blame lies on them as much as you, but frankly, you need to sort yourself out before you really are to blame."

"And we've tried your method of helping her – now it's back to mine," Janine said, smiling wickedly now. Leaf went to talk but Janine raised a finger, silencing her, and Leaf was too weak to push it further. "I formally challenge you to a Fuchsia City Gym battle 72 hours from now. If you don't show up, I have the right to refuse to battle you for a month. If you lose the match, I have the right to delay any rematch for a fortnight. Do with that time what you will, and we'll see how committed you are to this fight. Now get out of my gym."

Alaska left without question. She couldn't bear to be in the same room as them any longer. Leaf's expression was blank, and she watched them leave with empty eyes. Alaska and Sandy left without looking back, rushing as quickly from the building as possible. Sandy muttered as they ran, cursing her friend and her anger, but Alaska couldn't hear her. She could only think of Darwin, of the stories she'd heard about Venusaur, about everything Leaf and Janine had said. One thought stood out about them all: Leaf the princess, Leaf the hero, Leaf the perfect human being; if even she hated her, if there was no one standing in her corner, how was she meant to save the world alone?



This was such a difficult chapter to write. I will probably go through and edit this in the coming weeks when the arc has finished. I hope long time GVerse readers like this new iteration of Leaf. Look for the next few chapters to see how all four characters handle this latest talk. I promise there are few of these fully expositiony chapters left - please bear with before the action returns.
 
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