Rogue (A Pokemon Fanfic)

Chapter 5: A Meaningless Run-in

Grant burst into unexpected clapping. “ Brava! Well done!” He congratulated Ren. 

The gym leader withdrew his Pokemon in a red flash and strolled over to her with arms wide in congratulations. As he approached, he flicked a piece of metal at Ren. Her hand snapped out and caught it. She turned the thing back and forth with her thumb and forefinger, examining it.

“Is this a badge?”

Grant nodded. “The Cliff Badge. For defeating me.” 

The gym badge was shades of brown and silver and shaped like the grips on a rock climbing wall.

Gym battling... People had done that back in Kanto. Sabrina had been the gym leader of Saffron City. But what did the ‘badge’ mean?

After Riley’s hesitation, Grant started “Weren’t you here to get your badge for the Pokemon League?” The cyclist watched her, frowning and wondering why she didn’t pop the thing into her trainer case.

“No.” Ren put it simply, and chucked the badge over her shoulder and off the summit. Grant rushed forward, reaching out to grab it before it fell too far.

The badge escaped the gym leader’s reach, there was a clink, and it disappeared somewhere below. Grant put his hands to his head: mouth wide open, awestruck. “What, do you think those thing’s are a Poke-dime a dozen?!”

Ren frowned. “I didn’t need it.” She took Skarmory Pokeball from her pocket and returned the metal type.

Grant muttered “inconceivable,” under his breath before sighing. “You don’t do that.” He exhaled steadily and put his hands on his hip. “I’ll get it back some time. ... But that’s beside the point. You were able to climb all the way up here; quite an achievement, actually, and you’ve proven yourself to be a worthy challenger, and one of the few I couldn’t beat. However...” The cyclist took the pair of ropes hanging at his side and twiddled with the ties. A lively light came to his eyes. “You may have beaten me in a Pokemon battle, but you’ll never be better at rock climbing.” He grinned from ear to ear as he invited Ren on another escapade and held up the carabiner hanging around his neck.

The two climbed back down the mini-mountain that was Grant’s gym and headed to their next climbing spot. On the walk there, both trainers were silent until Grant broke the question “I’m sorry, but I never did get your name."

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“So,” Grant addressed Ren as the climbed the rock walls of Zubat Roost (as the locals called Connecting Cave). The cliff faces were rough and had multiple hand and footholds. “ You don’t want to take on the Pokemon League, what’s up with that?”

“Other than never having gym-battled before,” the cyclist raised his eyebrows at this, “I’m preoccupied.” She continued to explain. “There’s people I want to stop.”

Grant furrowed his brow. “Like Team Flare? Because if so, I have bad news for you... You’re a couple months late.” 

Ren stifled a chuckle. “Tch. I meant back in Kanto.”

“Kanto?” He asked, pulling himself up higher on the rock wall.

“Yeah.” The green-haired trainer looked at him and realized that he knew nothing about her ‘suspension’ or anything. She started to explain; first with what happened with Team Rocket, then being shipped off to Kalos, then being at the Looker Bureau, and (finally) ending up in Cyllage.

“Sounds to me like the police could’ve handled Team Rocket more efficiently, though.” Grant confessed as she wrapped up her story.

“So you’re not on my side in this?!” Ren seethed.