Pokèmon: The Anglos Region

Chapter 24: Standing Out

The Brenstone Gym stood a little ways east of the oasis. A sand dune piled against the left side while water flowed into its right.

Jett opened the double doors and the gym began lighting up in dramatic fashion.

"Cut the theatrics Hyterr, we need to talk!" he yelled out.

The process stopped and all the lights flipped on instantaneously, revealing a wall of falling sand against the left wall. A wall of water opposed it on the other side, both flowing equally into a pit below a suspended arena surrounded by spectator stands. 

"Jett?!" a man's voice echoed through the gym's sound system. "What are you doing here?"

"Running a favor for Professor Willow, but that's not what I'm here for, now get out here so we can talk face to face."

From the back of the arena Hyterr emerged from the shadows. With almost a relieved expression he descended down a set of stairs. His brown hair was slicked and pulled back and his tanned face was adorned with stubble. He wore a blue combat monk robe detailed with brown trim and decorations that slung over his right shoulder, leaving his left shoulder bare. 

"Please tell me you're not here for the gym challenge," he pleaded.

"I am not, but even if I were it wouldn't matter. Folferra denied me right from the start. However, that is what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, will he be participating then?" he pointed behind Jett.

He turned to see King standing behind him with his hands in his pockets.

"I didn't even know he was there but no, he's not either. It's more about the other challengers you may have had coming through."

"Don't get me started on this years batch!" Hyterr's demeanor changed instantly as he began pacing frantically. "You have no idea how insane these kids have been..."

"I might," Jett raised an eyebrow as he watched the stress pour out of the gym leader.

"My first challenger completely demolished my rookie designated team. No type advantage, no strategy, just pure brute force. Nothing I had could keep up. I had to use my actual registered team to break even."

Jett pulled Grovyle out of his ball and knealt down next to the bruised and battered pokemon who struggled to remain standing.

"This was from a Zigzagoon using a couple of headbutts," he rubbed Grovyle's head as he looked up to Hyterr, "It took every bit of defensive play and energy he could muster. If I didn't recall him he would have been seriously injured."

"You see what I mean?!" Hyterr threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "My Swampert, my actual lifelong companion Swampert, hasn't made it through a single battle without fighting for his life! And these aren't trainers who know what they're doing, no... These have been kids and teenagers with Herdiers, Mareep, even Pidgey! I'm at my wits end... I don't know if I'm going to have my ass kicked or if it'll be a normal trainer. More often than not, though, this gym run has been a nightmare and these low level novices are dominating! So imagine my surprise when you waltz in and I'm wondering 'oh great! just what I need. A trainer who actually knows what he's doing who probably has some roided out Dragonite or some shit!'" He run out of breath and had to stop and catch himself. "This fuckin' sucks man..."

Jett returned Grovyle and placed his hand on Hyterr's shoulder. "At least you and I now know both of us aren't crazy. Come on, let's go take a break," he said as he lead him out of the gym.

♡

Cassandra helped Luna set up outside of the city limits where a large gathering of Salandit were skittering in and out of nearby public areas. As they dove through the trash and invaded picnic areas Luna kept a keen eye for any signs of white amidst the army of black.