Broken Souls

A Fighting Chance

While I've tried multiple times to explain how little of the entire ordeal is my fault, my Pokemon are still suspicious of me after the entire legendary ordeal. Unfortunately for all of us, we're all slaves to fate. I give them the rundown on what Suicune said anyways late that night, excepting the detail about Ten living for... personal reasons.

"So, in conclusion, we're going to have to keep going at the same rate and we can expect to at least make it to the Pokemon league." I finish with a flourish of my hands. "A long time ago, when I was taking care of my other team, we went into a situation like this where things seemed to be at their worst. I'm giving you guys the same offer I gave them."

"Go on." says Reginae, his gaze intense.
"If all of you so wish it, you are free to go." I tell them. "I'd like to have Pisces for the road home, but once we're back to Olivine, I'm asking her the same question."

"I'd never leave you, Ashley! We're a team!" Ten says. "Always."

Reginae nods. "Owl has a point for once. You're not supposed to ditch your starter."

"This is really touching, but are you trying to get rid of us?" Fang asks. "Ow. That-" he sniffs, "That really hurts."

Rose gazes deeply into my eyes. "Ashley, my commitment to this team is unwavering. If not to you, it would still be to them. For the fallen!"

"Right." I say. "If you guys are ready..."

"It's time, isn't it?" Ten asks.

"Whatever else we have to deal with, it's in the past. We can't think about it now. What does matter is that we take the gym out tomorrow and get back on the road. I'm expecting some kind of lull between storms."

I keep expecting for someone to say something but the room is deathly quiet. All their gazes are trained directly on me, not in a vicious or brutal way, but just pure, undivided attention.

"I know every Pokemon in that gym. While they might look like one trick Ponytas, a lot of the supporting Pokemon owned by trainers actually have a large amount of type diversity. Getting to Chuck will be half the battle. Luckily, we've been training too. We have a plethora of psychic and flying type moves to barrage them with."

Rose and Ten both look primed and ready to fight at this.

"However, we're going to need back up. The gym leader's final Pokemon is a water type. That means you get to take it out, Reginae." I tell him.

"Right." he says. "I'm ready."

"Woah, what?! My first gym battle! Okay, okay. Tell me what to do. I'm so hyped for this, you have no idea..."

"Do you really think we're letting a Normal type tank at a fighting type gym, Fang?"

"What if I evolved overnight?"

"Then you'd be a Dark type, which are coincidentally still weak to fighting types. Maybe next time." I ruffle his fur and he pouts at me.

"Oh yes." he says, staring skywards in that stupid pose he pulls when he thinks he's being dramatic. "Next time, I will rule the gym. I will make the gym leader rue the day they decided to-"

"Next gym's steel type." Reginae says.

Fang frowns. "Okay then, I didn't need those dreams anyways. Thanks, Reginae."

I yawn. "Speaking of dreaming... we should go to bed." The hotel we're in makes me pine for Olivine, and while it has a similar seaside aesthetic, the ocean is no longer just mildly appealing, it's terrifying. I try to get myself to sleep that night but all I can think of is the crashing of the waves outside my window, the mourning ocean trying to swallow me whole.