The Hand One is Dealt

Somehow, by some twisted move of fate, my absolutely disgusting win at the Santalune Gym had inspired Ash to work harder to beat Viola. Serena, all while looking slightly constipated, tried to work up the courage to ask if we could split, so she could go with Ash, but instead asked if we could stay a little long.

Me, being unable to say no to her, agreed with the reason that I still have the rest of my life to go. I can slow down a little and take a breather.

Something about Ash rankles me. He's a good…person, but something tells me that staying around him for too long won't be beneficial towards my longevity that I was so proud of. I probably won't be journeying near him…at all. In fact, the aforementioned only reason I'm still here is Serena, but I don't think even my repressed feelings can overcome my conscience.

So, I sat over near the outdoor porch area behind the Pokémon Center, watching Ash as he desperately trains to beat Viola. I ordered a panini—steak and cheddar—from the Center's cafeteria. Hazel gets her own myriad of minerals to absorb, Robin gets a smoked salmon, and Combee gets some hydrangeas.

'Cause why not?

Avoiding the inner turmoil of my raging heart and mind, I divert my attention over to Ash and co. They're…training, I guess? They've tied balloons to Pikachu and Fletchling for…some reason. I guess for Gust training? Maybe. I don't see this being all that effective, though. Perhaps putting the two in a wind tunnel might be more effective.

Of course, Alexa is having her Noivern use Gust on the duo, and they're being blown back anyway, so the whole balloon thing is just excessive.

They're also just doing trial and error until they find something that works. Which…fair…I guess. I know a lot of things, but I don't know how exactly to stand up against a torrent of wind. However, I do know how to use this nifty little thing called the internet.

Ehh, not my problem. I'll let them be. Though, speaking of the internet…I always found it odd that we can send our pokémon to professors for safekeeping, but if we use a trading machine, then it evolves certain pokémon. Sycamore was so obsessed with Mega Evolution, we still don't have an exact answer to that.

I mean, what's the difference? We're just using pokémon in their pokéballs and…sending them across wire. As electrical signals. Turned matter into a form of energy…

I've been an idiot.

I was trying to reinvent the wheel with matter to electricity calculations, but I never thought to just fucking check if someone else had already done something similar.

Ugh. Okay. Fine. You win, World. Another point for your column.

I'll…just look up the patent info later. The whole design is so old that it's functions and blueprints have already become public-use information by now…if I'm lucky. Which, well, I've been from time to time. About 50% of the time if I want to be more accurate.

Directing my self-loathing elsewhere, I find another target of interest: Clemont. Over in the back corner of the field, with only Bonnie for company, he's building a cannon…of sorts. Perhaps some way to replicate Viola's other attacks? Well, it will most likely not be Ice Beam…anymore.

I've probably dissuaded her from using that plan for a while; especially since her next challenger was watching her as I did it.

Okay, right, yeah. Ash and friends are not doing anything particularly exciting. Maybe I'll just plan my next gym battle. Even cheap tricks and observations can only take me so far, so I'll need to do some training with my own pokémon while traveling.

My eyes gravitate towards Ash…probably not him.

Most likely with the wild pokémon or with each other under my direction. I'm sure I can come up with some system that'll make it difficult for others to fight me. I just have to make it simple enough for my pokémon to understand it.

Something something smartest bear overlaps with dumbest human or something along those lines.

Grant is famous for a few particular reasons. One, he is obsessed with climbing. Like, he'll see a wall and just have an itch to climb it. Second, he allows challengers to use their whole team while he uses only two.

I have a few options here. I could abuse a few biological inefficiencies within his Onix and Tyrunt. I could abuse the fact that my definition of whole team is not strictly limited to six. I could abuse his own psychological ticks.

Hmm…D! All of the above! There's nothing stopping me from doing that anyway! Just playing the hand I'm dealt, with a few cards I had stashed up my sleeve.

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Hours of planning later and venturing back to the rooms we rented, I find Serena combing Fennekin's fur on her twin-sized bed. I give a noncommittal greeting grunt as I collapse on my bed. Shifting my weight around, I manage to unlock my pokéballs, having my three pokémon appear in the room.

"You wam t goh whi Ahh…" Hmm, that didn't sound right. I turn over, unblocking my face from the bed covers. "You want to go with Ash, right?"

"Huh?" She stops, pulling Fennekin's fur in the process.

"Fen!"

"Sorry," she apologizes. "Umm…yes. Yes, I do." She shrinks into herself, almost embarrassed to admit it.

"Hmm. That's fine. You're your own person. I'll probably go off on my own, though."

"Oh…" She stops. Don't make that noise, or I'll regret this decision!

"We can exchange phone numbers. Keep in touch, right?"

"That sounds nice…"

Ugh, I feel like I'm making a mistake here. However, that's a problem for Tomorrow Nicole!