Chapter 36: Progression
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Oceanside Lowlife
Bug Catcher
Chapter 36 Progression
A week had passed since the battle of Atman's Point, and on this cloudy morning Ian stood atop Po Town's eastern wall overlooking Elk Grove, Guzma by his side, both standing silently, scanning and listening for sounds from the treeline below. Guzma's Larvesta, which had taken a position on Guzma's opposite shoulder, gave a bored chirp before Guzma held up a finger to shoosh it.
"I think I hear something too," Ian whispered.
"Shut it," Guzma whispered back.
Ian did so, reminding himself Guzma was a leader at war, and doing Alpha training one on one like this was a gift he couldn't afford to squander. Suddenly a loud Gumshoos' bellowing hit their ears from below, and Ian tensed as he heard Tyrunt's battle cry. The bout was too deep in the treeline to get a good look, but Ian heard the sounds of a fierce struggle.
Nearly half a minute of the brawl passed before Ian heard Tyrunt cry it out in tremendous pain. Ian instinctively tensed, desperate to see what had befallen his rambunctious partner, but Guzma steadied him. "But maybe something happened," Ian said.
Guzma shook his head. "If it loses to this Gumshoos, them red eyes ain't coming out."
Ian grimaced, watching on hopefully, praying his ears would pick up some sign of hope. The only sound he could hear was the wind until he heard a savage growl and a low, mammalian whimper come from the forest, only to go still.
Ian pumped his fist excitedly. Sure, Gumshoos is probably dead, but Mina and Plumeria say the species is invasive and needs to be controlled. If Tyrunt needs to eat something that isn't just fruit, might as well be that Pokemon.
"Sounds like she got it," Guzma said, holding his fist up to Ian's, pounding it. "Now let's go see what's up with it." Guzma quickly turned and sped-walked along the wall before coming to the nearby stairwell, Ian following closely behind.
"Okay 'Prince of Po Town," Guzma said mockingly. "What are the three rules for training Alphas?"
Ian sighed, making sure he got the order right this time. "Rule number one, no turf, no teeth."
"Meaning?" Guzma demanded
"If an Alpha doesn't have space to roam and call its own, it's not a true Alpha."
"Good. Number two?" Guzma demanded bluntly.
"Don't order, allow," Ian answered quickly. "An Alpha has to feel it's in charge, it'll lose its moxie if you nag it outside of battle."
"Good. You finally gonna get this last one? It's the fucking simplest," Guzma said bitingly.
"Keep it wild," Ian began. "It fights alone, it must keep its edge so no spoiling it, and be cautious healing it in Pokemon Centers." Being healed instantaneously can make Alphas soft, or that's what Guzma says. It sure doesn't seem to effect Tupp's Alpha Hisuian-Growlithe though.
Guzma nodded. "Finally, fuck. How many days we been doin' this?"
Ian sighed. "This is the third day, I think."
Guzma grunted as he started scampering down the stairs, causing the Larvesta on his shoulder to chirp in a panic. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ian found the courage to ask a question that had been nagging him since he'd finished memorizing the rules of Alpha training. "And boss, how'd you come up with these rules?"
Guzma scoffed. "I didn't come up with these, I just shortened Keahi's lessons."
Keahi, why am I not surprised? Her name kept popping up around Po Town. The island's former Kahuna, the leader of Keahi's Cinders, which had been the original form of Team Skull, seemed like a person who'd tragically died yet her presence was felt all around the town. Plumeria still speaks of her almost reverently. "I keep hearing her name pop up around Po Town. Any idea what happened to her?"
Guzma shrugged, causing Larvesta to lose its balance and almost fall off Guzma's shoulder, barely clinging on by a last second String Shot. "Last I heard she's not allowed on the island, but that's it."
Ian grimaced. I'd love to meet her and pick her brain one day.
"I expect you're not exactly her biggest fan, possibly being the cause of the Ultra Rift that brought you here," Guzma said.
It was Ian's turn to shrug. "Even if she did, I highly doubt the Ultra Rift is what she intended to happen."
"She definitely didn't think that would happen," Guzma said. "I'm not sure what she intended to do and Rook won't spill those beans. But I know her. She cared for all of us outcasts deeply, she wouldn't have done what she did if she knew this was the consequence."
Ian nodded. "Plumeria, Tupp, and Rapp speak highly of her as well."
Guzma nodded. "Damn right they do." Guzma exhaled briefly before continuing. "I was some no-name outlaw, got disqualified from my island challenge. Went outside the law and pissed off the other criminals, so I was fucked there too. No one ever gave me a shred of respect, no one until Keahi."
Oh yeah, with no Lusamine running around the islands leading the Aether Foundation, she never runs into Guzma. "That's dope," Ian said, trying to show he was listening.
Guzma shook his head dismissively. "It's funny, when I first met her she told me I had great strength, but I had to be more than just strong to be a true Pokemon trainer. I didn't even think of what she really meant then, I was just happy someone said I was strong."
Ian made sure not to laugh. He'd heard Guzma blow up on people for far less.
"But a kid like you? She would've liked you. Prolly would've taken you under her wing like she did me," Guzma said. "The nights when I'm having trouble sleeping, I'll think about why she took me in here in the first place. She didn't even train me much on how to use my Pokemon, but about a bunch of other shit. She was too preachy for me then, but clearly some of it got through…" Guzma's voice trailed off. "Took me a while to come around on the idea she might've been training me to run Po Town when she was gone."
"Why's that?"
"She seemed like she hated my guts from when I first got here, always bitching, always nagging…" Guzma paused. "But y'know, she wouldn't have wasted her breath if she didn't think something was here." Guzma then pointed to his heart.
"I wish I could've met her before she got exiled," Ian said.
Guzma shook his head once more. "She loved Alola deeply, so I bet she's still in the region. Just not on this island."
Ian grimaced. Maybe when things calm down I'd be able to visit her. Maybe having Sawsbuck blessed by Tapu Bulu would get her to talk to me. Maybe I could even write her a letter and have Driftwood- Ian shook his head and took a deep breath as his blood began to boil.
"Eyes up Ian," Guzma said, pointing ahead as the duo neared the trees of Elk Grove. Ian scanned the perimeter of the treeline until Guzma stopped on the outskirts and turned to face Ian. "Now remember what I was tellin' ya," Guzma continued. "Check for no severe injuries but don't stay too long. Don't nag, and don't show fear."
Ian nodded quickly, still feeling upset about Driftwood's bounty they'd put on him. "Gotcha boss," Ian growled, a hint of bitterness in his tone. Guzma tittered lightly before Ian turned to approach Tyrunt. No nagging, no micro-managing. Ian clenched his fists, more anger simmering in his veins. Because of that direction, I haven't been able to work much with Tyrunt on that variant technique I was hoping to get started on. As Ian got deeper in the grove, he heard Tyrunt growl intimidatingly.
Ian scowled as he sensed where the growl had originated and walked slowly, calmly. Tyrunt's head suddenly appeared out of a bush, blood around its mouth as it snapped threateningly at Ian. "You defeated Gumshoos," Ian said coldly. "Good work."
Tyrunt growled louder, almost like it had accepted Ian's words but waited on a command. Ian took a quick look at Tyrunt's dark eyes, not seeing any hints of red just yet. Oh well, Tyrunt just made its first kill of Alpha training, probably too much to expect. "Carry on Tyrunt."
Tyrunt gave an enthusiastic growl, its tongue licking its chops before retreating its head into the bush. It seemingly bumped its head on a branch and snapped at the plant it dwelled in. Ian froze as he saw a flicker of red come across Tyrunt's eyes before the tyrannosaur disappeared from view. YES!
Ian made his way back to Guzma on the outside of Elk Grove where the Team Skull boss waited for him with his arms folded. "Any luck?" Guzma asked.
Ian nodded, a proud smile coming across his face. "Tyrunt looked fine, and I saw its eyes flicker with red."
Guzma smirked wickedly. "Good shit. This Tyrunt of yours has already taken the longest to hit the red eyes of the few alphas I've trained."
"Yeah, any idea why that is? Tupp's Growlithe seemingly got 'em pretty quickly," Ian replied.
"That's cuz Growlithe's easy to train, real compliant," Guzma said. "Dragon Types are harder, and that Tyrunt's hard to handle even for a Dragon Type."
Ian nodded. "Understood."
"That thing's gonna be a monster if you can evolve it and keeps its eyes," Guzma observed.
"Biggest problem will be feeding it," Ian said.
Guzma snickered wickedly. "No, the biggest problem will be getting it to not eat certain things. It'll be so big us humans will be on the menu."
Ian grimaced. "Damn…"
"Hey Guzma, word from the radio network!" Plumeria's sounded off loudly. Ian and Guzma turned to the top of the wall overlooking Elk Grove where they'd just been and saw Plumeria looking down upon them.
"What's going on?" Guzma asked.
"That ship the network was following? It landed, and a combined Stompz and Pearl Clan squad engaged it," Plumeria explained. "Captured five enemy trainers."
Guzma and Ian pumped their fists excitedly. "Good shit!" Guzma called out. Guzma then turned to Ian and held out his fist. "That's what, twelve prisoners we've got now?"
Ian nodded. "Pretty sure."
"Rook says Sinclair likely only had fifty to sixty trainers or so at the start. We keep whittling them down, they won't be able to keep up their piracy tactics," Guzma said.
Ian almost rolled his eyes, as Guzma iterated Ian's idea he'd shared at the strategy meeting, but knew it'd be a dumb hill to die on. "Sounds good."
"I'll be right over!" Guzma called out as he dashed from the treeline.
"Why aren't you using Scizor to just fly up here?" Plumeria questioned.
"Alpha training, don't want Tyrunt to engage!" Guzma called back as he made his way to the front gate.
"How's alpha training going so far?" Plumeria asked Ian.
Ian smiled proudly. "Made good progress today."
"Radio network says there's an Ultra Storm forming a twenty minute ride from here. Interested in going?" Plumeria asked.
"Yeah!" Ian said, hoping to build up his stash of Ultra Candy even more.
"Well we still got a bit, so no rush. We'll leave in an hour," Plumeria said.
Ian nodded and gave his squad leader a thumbs up.
***
A few minutes later, Ian used his key to open his locker at Tom's warehouse. On the top shelf where he kept his valuables, Ian gazed upon the light blue Z-Crystal Colress had mined himself before giving it to Ian. Next to that rested Colress' other gift, the Beast Ball. Ian's stomach filled with dread as he remembered how sinister Colress had sounded upon giving him the Beast Ball. I'll come back and get it before we head out for the Ultra Storm just in case we encounter an Ultra Beast. Next to Colress' valuable items was Ian's collection of Star Pieces alongside a trio of large plastic bags with blue masses of varying size. Ian smirked as he counted how many EXP Candies he had in each. Three small, one medium, three large. It's a good start to building back to my initial numbers after giving each team member a candy before the battle with Atman's Point. Checking out Ultra Storms is the only reason I'm able to get out of Po Town these days with Driftwood's bounty on me.
Ian then reached for his guitar case and smiled as thoughts of Mina entered his mind. Plumeria killing the crush thing in its crib had helped him refocus on Mina more. Sure he still had some latent feelings for his squad leader, but knowing nothing would ever come of it had helped sweep it under the rug.
Ian shook the thought from his mind and pulled his guitar case out of the locker before closing and re-attaching the lock. He made his way to the western wall facing the sea and found Mina leaning over the edge of the wall, her head resting on her hands. "Hey there, beautiful!" Ian called out.
Mina turned to him and smiled, standing up from her position and dashing over to him, giving him a big hug and the two shared a long, singular kiss. "How'd training with Guzma go today?"
"Really good I think," Ian said. "Tyrunt's eyes flickered red for a moment, so we're making progress."
"Congrats," Mina said.
"How's watch duty?" Ian asked.
Mina rolled her eyes. "Boring. Like incredibly boring."
"Isn't it always kind of that?" Ian asked with a nervous smile.
Mina shook her head. "Well it used to be eight hour shifts and you'd get a day off after three days. But because we have the radio network going, it's twelve hour shifts with no days off."
Ian grimaced. "Yeah, but it won't last forever. Just until Sinclair wants to make peace."
"I know the radio network was your plan and everything, but it's starting to take a toll on some of us," Mina said.
Ian sighed. "Yeah… But we don't have another option that wins us the war and protects our crop fields." Ian paused, looking to change the subject. "At least you're getting time to come up with some new murals, right?" Ian asked.
Mina grimaced. "Well not really…"
"What's wrong?" Ian asked, realizing the boring part of watch duty was just the surface.
Mina exhaled, turning back to the sea pensively. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it though…"
Ian put his arm around, kissing her painted cheek to assure her. "I'm here for you okay? If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But when you're ready to talk about it, I'm all ears." Ian said with a grin.
"Yeah…" Mina said pensively. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Anything," Ian asked.
"Can you play 'Seafolk Village' for me? Been kinda homesick lately…" Mina admitted, her eyes beginning to water.
"Of course," Ian said tenderly, withdrawing his hand from her and opening up his guitar case. Ian quickly checked for which strings were out of tune and gave his girlfriend a big smile as he began to play. Mina gazed out at the sea as Ian played his acoustic guitar remix of the song. He filled with pride as he saw Mina crack a smile, even though a tear did begin to fall down her cheek. Ian cycled through the tune a couple times before he played more softly.
"Thanks Ian," Mina said, her voice wavering. "I really needed that…"
"Anything for you," Ian said, putting the guitar down and cuddling up to her against the wall.
"Well, truth be told I do have a mural in mind," Mina said.
"What is it?" Ian asked with genuine curiosity.
"Seafolk Village… back home…" Mina said.
Ian nodded. It really FELT comfy to hang out at in the games. Can't imagine how cool it is in this world. "The couple times you've talked about it, it's sounded really amazing."
Mina shook her head. "It's not some big city like Hau'Oli or Malie City, but there's something special and soothing about it."
"Do you think you'd want to go back if given the chance?" Ian asked.
"In a heartbeat," Mina said bluntly. "I know this is basically your home now, but my family's there."
"It'd be weird if you didn't want to go back," Ian said.
Mina nodded. "Every so often, leaving here crosses my mind." Mina paused before recoiling. "I didn't mean leaving you-"
Ian shook his head. "Mina, I get it. Probably more than most people in Po Town." Ian leaned in, cuddling Mina harder and giving her another kiss on the cheek. "I don't think I'll ever get to see my family again. Your family's just a few islands away..."
Mina turned to him, her silver eyes brimming with tears. "Thanks Ian…" Mina curled up closer to him, resting her head against his chest.
"I got you Mina," Ian said, caressing her back as soothingly as he could.
Mina giggled lightly. "You know, I hate to bring this up, but my ex would say that all of the time."
"Oh. Sorry… sore spot?"
"A little," Mina said.
"Can I ask what happened?" Ian asked.
Mina nodded. "You told me your story, I guess it's time I tell you mine…" Mina paused. "His name was Elwood, everyone would call him EJ though. We dated for almost three years."
Ian nodded, signalling he was listening but not wanting to interrupt.
"When my family asked me to move to Po Town to take care of my grandma, it screwed things up for us," Mina said. "I'd been here before, I knew internet and phone services were real spotty, but he wanted to stay together, writing letters if needed. I… didn't think it'd work, so I broke up with him before I left."
Ian nodded carefully. "That's rough. Just circumstances got in the way?"
Mina nodded. "Right person, wrong time."
That's why she got nervous with Hyde. Well, that and he's a fucking prick. Ian gave her a squeeze, ensuring she didn't feel alone.
"You'd really like it there. In Seafolk Village I mean," Mina said.
Ian nodded. "Yeah I probably would… But I wouldn't be the 'Prince of Po Town' anymore. I hope that wouldn't be a dealbreaker for you."
Mina giggled softly, her watery eyes gazing into his with pure, genuine gratitude before she buried her face in his chest. "It wouldn't be."
***
As the days at war passed, it became more of a drag for Po Town's denizens. It got especially rainy on the western side of Ula'Ula Island, and as the rains fell on Po Town, so did the spirits of most of Team Skull. While the radio network had been a success with Team Skull now holding over twenty prisoners in The Basement, Ian noticed more annoyed looks going his way around town. When he realized the radio network lookouts were running around in the mud for days on end, he understood why fatigue was setting in. There was one celebratory day when a trade deal with Surge was announced, when the aforementioned gym leader's faction The Last Spark agreed to purchase certain strategic berries from Team Skull, while Po Town would be getting cold hard cash. This also ended the suspension in relations with Outrigger after the convoy incident on Ian's fourth day.
Since Ian wasn't on a guard squad and Plumeria was only using him for raiding Ultra Storms, he had plenty of time to train which he took full advantage of. Tyrunt's eyes were now going fully red for a minute or two at a time, and Ian even heard a fully fledged Alpha Roar at one point while observing from on top of Po Town's eastern wall.
The sound of Sawsbuck's hooves approaching broke Ian from his calm reflection, and Ian spied his blessed stag being ridden by a very uncomfortable Tupp heading his way. "Woah there Sawsbuck," Tupp said as the stag and rider neared Ian.
"Didn't go for the jump over the creek yet?" Ian asked.
"Nah bro, I dunno how you do this. Seems unstable as fuck," Tupp said.
"It's no Mudsdale saddle that's for sure," Ian said. "You just gotta trust Sawsbuck's gonna make sure you're okay."
Tupp smiled nervously. "Yeah I dunno…" Tupp said. "Why you havin' me ride Sawsbuck now anyways? You scared of riding it?"
Ian shook his head. "No, I love riding Sawsbuck," Ian said as he gave Sawsbuck a scratch on its neck, making the deer bleat happily. "But because me and Sawsbuck are a strategic asset we're going to be targeted. So if I ever get in a situation where I'm about to get captured, I'm supposed to throw Sawsbuck's Heal Ball to a Team Skull member so our food supply won't run out."
"I'm still a bad choice for this cuz ain't no way you're getting captured without me being there," Tupp said. "And ain't we fully supplied on food?"
"Yeah we are now, that's why Sawsbuck and I don't hit the crops every day and the Pearl Clan doesn't come up damn near every day like they used to," Ian explained. "But it's in case I'm gone for a while and our food supplies run low, we need to keep Sawsbuck around in case we need to grow more food."
"Then why we still growing these berries?" Tupp asked.
The trade agreement with Surge keeps us harvesting berries, but that's it," Ian said. "And really only certain berries are what they want." Sitrus, Leppa, Lum, plus Yache, Shuca, and Charti Berries were the ones Surge had demanded large amounts of. The last three were berries that reduced damage from a Pokemon's incoming move. Shuca Berries reduce damage from Ground Type moves, while Yache and Charti Berries reduce damage from Rock and Ice moves. The significance of those Types isn't lost on me. Ian shook the thought from his mind as he helped Tupp off Sawsbuck's back.
"And bro, I saw Selene on top of the wall," Tupp said lowly. "She keeps tryin' to talk to me yo."
Ian grimaced. A few days back Selene had asked Tupp on a date, which he pretty vehemently rejected.
"She just tryin' to make Rook fuckin' jealous, I ain't about that shit," Tupp said.
Ian smiled, offering his fist to bump, which Tupp hit with more force than Ian anticipated. "I dunno, those muscles are really getting some definition dude," Ian pointed out. "No wonder Selene's getting interested in you now." I've been working out with Tupp more, but he's way ahead of me in push ups and sit ups At least I'm well ahead of Slugg, although his clothes are starting to get pretty baggy.
Tupp grimaced. "She think she can fool around with Rook and throw herself at me when Rook tosses her away?" Tupp asked rhetorically. "She ain't for real like you bro."
Ian smiled. "Bros for life dude."
"Bros for life!" Tupp exclaimed, fist bumping Ian once more, this time Ian was prepared for the more forceful fist bump. "One of Tom's guys does tattoos bro, I think Imma get that tattooed on my arm here," Tupp said, pointing at his upper arm muscles. "We should get matching ones!"
Ian shook his head. "I'm not a big tattoo guy, but don't let me stop you from getting it."
"A'ight-"
"Well, well, well," Plumeria's voice interrupted as she approached the duo. "You guys having fun out here?"
"Something like that," Ian replied, turning to see the squad leader. "What's up?"
"Just got out of a strategy meeting," Plumeria said.
"Strategy meeting?" Ian asked. "Did I miss-"
"Bones only," Plumeria said. "Rook wanted it that way."
Ian grimaced. I guess I showed him up too much in the last meeting. "So what's new?"
"Couple things were decided on. We're gonna send an envoy and see if Sinclair wants peace," Plumeria said.
"That'd be good," Ian said.
"But in case they refuse, our squad's going to Outrigger to see if we can find a boat mechanic," Plumeria explained.
"For the two boats we have here?" Ian asked. Getting them back up and running is gonna require one hell of a restoration project. "And what are we gonna do with them anyways?"
"Rook's convinced that if we can take out some of their boats then Sinclair will have to sue for peace," Plumeria explained.
"And face Sinclair on his terms?" Ian asked. "Sounds like a stupid idea."
"Which is why he didn't want you there, I think," Plumeria said. "But officially we're going to Outrigger tomorrow to buy bikes for the Pearl Clan. And you're coming with, Ian."
"Won't Driftwood be there?" Ian asked.
"Yeah, but we'll be able to see if they really did put a bounty on you. Plus they can't just attack you in the middle of a town."
Ian nodded. "Sounds good."
"And I'll be there to fuck up anyone who tries, yo," Tupp said, puffing his chest out.
"Damn right," Ian said, fist bumping Tupp once more.
"We'll try to get there by lunchtime tomorrow, so be ready," Plumeria said.
***
A few hours later Ian sat on a bench with Mina's head on his shoulder, the exhausted defender taking a short nap while he watched Rylee, Plusle, and Impidimp playing tag on the apartment complex's jungle gym. Ian sported a bittersweet smile as he watched Impidimp throwing a quick tantrum, having just missed tagging Plusle.
"Over here, Impidimp! You can't get me!" Rylee called out. Impidimp growled loudly and scampered after her, causing the girl to scream and run away in a fit of excited laughter.
I'm gonna miss this. No matter how much he loved seeing Rylee and Plusle happy like this, Ian had the sinking feeling something big was looming ahead of him and the rest of Po Town. Gonna need all of the help I can get.
Ian heard footsteps approaching, and Sarah, Rylee's guardian beamed with a smile as he made eye contact. "Thank you for these, Ian. She's always in such a great mood after these playdates," Sarah said as she watched Impidimp coming right after Rylee, only for Plusle to jump in between with a determined cry. "Plus it keeps her from bouncing off the walls."
Ian's bittersweet smile became even more so. "Unfortunately I think this'll be the last time we get to do this for a while."
"Getting sent out?" Sarah asked.
"Something like that," Ian said.
Mina stirred and jolted awake when she noticed Sarah. "Oh Ms. Sarah, sorry I-"
"No need to apologize. I hear everyone watching the walls is exhausted," Sarah said.
"Yeah… trying to get a little nap in before my shift tonight," Mina explained with a yawn.
"Okay Rylee, time to finish up!" Sarah called out.
Rylee gasped, clearly offended. "But Impidimp just tagged Plusle!"
"Miss Mina has to get to her shift soon," Sarah explained.
Rylee pouted, drooping her head and walking over to the group unenthusiastically.
Ian and Mina got up, with Ian holding Impidimp's Poke Ball at the ready. "Now Rylee, tell Impidimp goodbye, okay?"
Rylee turned to Impidimp and picked it up, quickly squeezing the imp Pokemon with a hug. "Oh Impidimp, you're my favorite Pokemon. After Plusle of course," Rylee said. Impidimp chuckled wickedly, its way of expressing happiness. "Mr. Ian, will we see you tomorrow?"
Ian shook his head before kneeling down. "I don't think so. They're sending me to a town up the road."
"Will it be scary?" Rylee asked.
"I don't think so," Ian said.
"But you'll see me tomorrow," Mina chimed in. "It's art class day."
"Yay!" Rylee cheered enthusiastically. "Those are my favorite days!"
"Aw, you're making me blush," Mina said with a genuine smile as she gave Rylee a hug.
After the final goodbyes were said, Ian and Mina mosied their way to Tom's warehouse to check Ian's locker before dropping off Mina at her watch position for the night and heading to Elk Grove. Sawsbuck's due to bless the berries in a bit so there won't be any suspicion. Ian made sure to go so deep into the grove he couldn't be observed from the wall and he took Impidimp's Poke Ball out.
"Okay dude, snack time!" Ian called out as Impidimp manifested, babbling incessantly. Ian then reached into his pocket and grabbed a blue cube of Exp Candy, or Ultra Candy as he was trying to get in the habit of saying. "This thing's kinda big, but eat up little buddy." Impidimp swiped the Medium Ultra Candy from Ian's hands and bit into it, loudly munching on it as the imp shoved the candy further into its mouth like a squirrel.
Ian watched carefully as crumbs fell from Impidimp's maw. I wonder if not eating the whole thing changes something? Suddenly Impidimp shoved its whole hand into its mouth and and then noticeably gulped the last of the candy down. Impidimp rubbed its belly, which stuck out a little bit before burping loudly.
Then the imp Pokemon became engulfed in a bright light and Ian shielded his eyes. Here we go… Ian waited patiently until the glow of evolution subsided, and feasted his eyes upon his Pokemon's new form: Morgrem.
Impidimp's light pink had been replaced by a dark pink that covered Morgrem's upper body, while a pale green appeared like a pair of pants covering its legs and waist. Long black hair had sprouted on the imp's head, covering one of Morgrem's eyes like an emo haircut while the rest of Morgrem's hair went halfway down its back. Ian was surprised by the exceptionally longer nose sticking out of Morgrem's face. The freshly evolved Pokemon growled menacingly at Ian as it flipped some of its hair from its face, only to resettle over Morgrem's eye.
"Good to see you, Morgrem," Ian said, sizing up the notably taller form. Morgrem bared its fangs and growled threateningly, making Ian smirk. You don't look half as scary as Tyrunt does when her eyes are red. "Now Morgrem, show me what you can do!"
A week had passed since the battle of Atman's Point, and on this cloudy morning Ian stood atop Po Town's eastern wall overlooking Elk Grove, Guzma by his side, both standing silently, scanning and listening for sounds from the treeline below. Guzma's Larvesta, which had taken a position on Guzma's opposite shoulder, gave a bored chirp before Guzma held up a finger to shoosh it.
"I think I hear something too," Ian whispered.
"Shut it," Guzma whispered back.
Ian did so, reminding himself Guzma was a leader at war, and doing Alpha training one on one like this was a gift he couldn't afford to squander. Suddenly a loud Gumshoos' bellowing hit their ears from below, and Ian tensed as he heard Tyrunt's battle cry. The bout was too deep in the treeline to get a good look, but Ian heard the sounds of a fierce struggle.
Nearly half a minute of the brawl passed before Ian heard Tyrunt cry it out in tremendous pain. Ian instinctively tensed, desperate to see what had befallen his rambunctious partner, but Guzma steadied him. "But maybe something happened," Ian said.
Guzma shook his head. "If it loses to this Gumshoos, them red eyes ain't coming out."
Ian grimaced, watching on hopefully, praying his ears would pick up some sign of hope. The only sound he could hear was the wind until he heard a savage growl and a low, mammalian whimper come from the forest, only to go still.
Ian pumped his fist excitedly. Sure, Gumshoos is probably dead, but Mina and Plumeria say the species is invasive and needs to be controlled. If Tyrunt needs to eat something that isn't just fruit, might as well be that Pokemon.
"Sounds like she got it," Guzma said, holding his fist up to Ian's, pounding it. "Now let's go see what's up with it." Guzma quickly turned and sped-walked along the wall before coming to the nearby stairwell, Ian following closely behind.
"Okay 'Prince of Po Town," Guzma said mockingly. "What are the three rules for training Alphas?"
Ian sighed, making sure he got the order right this time. "Rule number one, no turf, no teeth."
"Meaning?" Guzma demanded
"If an Alpha doesn't have space to roam and call its own, it's not a true Alpha."
"Good. Number two?" Guzma demanded bluntly.
"Don't order, allow," Ian answered quickly. "An Alpha has to feel it's in charge, it'll lose its moxie if you nag it outside of battle."
"Good. You finally gonna get this last one? It's the fucking simplest," Guzma said bitingly.
"Keep it wild," Ian began. "It fights alone, it must keep its edge so no spoiling it, and be cautious healing it in Pokemon Centers." Being healed instantaneously can make Alphas soft, or that's what Guzma says. It sure doesn't seem to effect Tupp's Alpha Hisuian-Growlithe though.
Guzma nodded. "Finally, fuck. How many days we been doin' this?"
Ian sighed. "This is the third day, I think."
Guzma grunted as he started scampering down the stairs, causing the Larvesta on his shoulder to chirp in a panic. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ian found the courage to ask a question that had been nagging him since he'd finished memorizing the rules of Alpha training. "And boss, how'd you come up with these rules?"
Guzma scoffed. "I didn't come up with these, I just shortened Keahi's lessons."
Keahi, why am I not surprised? Her name kept popping up around Po Town. The island's former Kahuna, the leader of Keahi's Cinders, which had been the original form of Team Skull, seemed like a person who'd tragically died yet her presence was felt all around the town. Plumeria still speaks of her almost reverently. "I keep hearing her name pop up around Po Town. Any idea what happened to her?"
Guzma shrugged, causing Larvesta to lose its balance and almost fall off Guzma's shoulder, barely clinging on by a last second String Shot. "Last I heard she's not allowed on the island, but that's it."
Ian grimaced. I'd love to meet her and pick her brain one day.
"I expect you're not exactly her biggest fan, possibly being the cause of the Ultra Rift that brought you here," Guzma said.
It was Ian's turn to shrug. "Even if she did, I highly doubt the Ultra Rift is what she intended to happen."
"She definitely didn't think that would happen," Guzma said. "I'm not sure what she intended to do and Rook won't spill those beans. But I know her. She cared for all of us outcasts deeply, she wouldn't have done what she did if she knew this was the consequence."
Ian nodded. "Plumeria, Tupp, and Rapp speak highly of her as well."
Guzma nodded. "Damn right they do." Guzma exhaled briefly before continuing. "I was some no-name outlaw, got disqualified from my island challenge. Went outside the law and pissed off the other criminals, so I was fucked there too. No one ever gave me a shred of respect, no one until Keahi."
Oh yeah, with no Lusamine running around the islands leading the Aether Foundation, she never runs into Guzma. "That's dope," Ian said, trying to show he was listening.
Guzma shook his head dismissively. "It's funny, when I first met her she told me I had great strength, but I had to be more than just strong to be a true Pokemon trainer. I didn't even think of what she really meant then, I was just happy someone said I was strong."
Ian made sure not to laugh. He'd heard Guzma blow up on people for far less.
"But a kid like you? She would've liked you. Prolly would've taken you under her wing like she did me," Guzma said. "The nights when I'm having trouble sleeping, I'll think about why she took me in here in the first place. She didn't even train me much on how to use my Pokemon, but about a bunch of other shit. She was too preachy for me then, but clearly some of it got through…" Guzma's voice trailed off. "Took me a while to come around on the idea she might've been training me to run Po Town when she was gone."
"Why's that?"
"She seemed like she hated my guts from when I first got here, always bitching, always nagging…" Guzma paused. "But y'know, she wouldn't have wasted her breath if she didn't think something was here." Guzma then pointed to his heart.
"I wish I could've met her before she got exiled," Ian said.
Guzma shook his head once more. "She loved Alola deeply, so I bet she's still in the region. Just not on this island."
Ian grimaced. Maybe when things calm down I'd be able to visit her. Maybe having Sawsbuck blessed by Tapu Bulu would get her to talk to me. Maybe I could even write her a letter and have Driftwood- Ian shook his head and took a deep breath as his blood began to boil.
"Eyes up Ian," Guzma said, pointing ahead as the duo neared the trees of Elk Grove. Ian scanned the perimeter of the treeline until Guzma stopped on the outskirts and turned to face Ian. "Now remember what I was tellin' ya," Guzma continued. "Check for no severe injuries but don't stay too long. Don't nag, and don't show fear."
Ian nodded quickly, still feeling upset about Driftwood's bounty they'd put on him. "Gotcha boss," Ian growled, a hint of bitterness in his tone. Guzma tittered lightly before Ian turned to approach Tyrunt. No nagging, no micro-managing. Ian clenched his fists, more anger simmering in his veins. Because of that direction, I haven't been able to work much with Tyrunt on that variant technique I was hoping to get started on. As Ian got deeper in the grove, he heard Tyrunt growl intimidatingly.
Ian scowled as he sensed where the growl had originated and walked slowly, calmly. Tyrunt's head suddenly appeared out of a bush, blood around its mouth as it snapped threateningly at Ian. "You defeated Gumshoos," Ian said coldly. "Good work."
Tyrunt growled louder, almost like it had accepted Ian's words but waited on a command. Ian took a quick look at Tyrunt's dark eyes, not seeing any hints of red just yet. Oh well, Tyrunt just made its first kill of Alpha training, probably too much to expect. "Carry on Tyrunt."
Tyrunt gave an enthusiastic growl, its tongue licking its chops before retreating its head into the bush. It seemingly bumped its head on a branch and snapped at the plant it dwelled in. Ian froze as he saw a flicker of red come across Tyrunt's eyes before the tyrannosaur disappeared from view. YES!
Ian made his way back to Guzma on the outside of Elk Grove where the Team Skull boss waited for him with his arms folded. "Any luck?" Guzma asked.
Ian nodded, a proud smile coming across his face. "Tyrunt looked fine, and I saw its eyes flicker with red."
Guzma smirked wickedly. "Good shit. This Tyrunt of yours has already taken the longest to hit the red eyes of the few alphas I've trained."
"Yeah, any idea why that is? Tupp's Growlithe seemingly got 'em pretty quickly," Ian replied.
"That's cuz Growlithe's easy to train, real compliant," Guzma said. "Dragon Types are harder, and that Tyrunt's hard to handle even for a Dragon Type."
Ian nodded. "Understood."
"That thing's gonna be a monster if you can evolve it and keeps its eyes," Guzma observed.
"Biggest problem will be feeding it," Ian said.
Guzma snickered wickedly. "No, the biggest problem will be getting it to not eat certain things. It'll be so big us humans will be on the menu."
Ian grimaced. "Damn…"
"Hey Guzma, word from the radio network!" Plumeria's sounded off loudly. Ian and Guzma turned to the top of the wall overlooking Elk Grove where they'd just been and saw Plumeria looking down upon them.
"What's going on?" Guzma asked.
"That ship the network was following? It landed, and a combined Stompz and Pearl Clan squad engaged it," Plumeria explained. "Captured five enemy trainers."
Guzma and Ian pumped their fists excitedly. "Good shit!" Guzma called out. Guzma then turned to Ian and held out his fist. "That's what, twelve prisoners we've got now?"
Ian nodded. "Pretty sure."
"Rook says Sinclair likely only had fifty to sixty trainers or so at the start. We keep whittling them down, they won't be able to keep up their piracy tactics," Guzma said.
Ian almost rolled his eyes, as Guzma iterated Ian's idea he'd shared at the strategy meeting, but knew it'd be a dumb hill to die on. "Sounds good."
"I'll be right over!" Guzma called out as he dashed from the treeline.
"Why aren't you using Scizor to just fly up here?" Plumeria questioned.
"Alpha training, don't want Tyrunt to engage!" Guzma called back as he made his way to the front gate.
"How's alpha training going so far?" Plumeria asked Ian.
Ian smiled proudly. "Made good progress today."
"Radio network says there's an Ultra Storm forming a twenty minute ride from here. Interested in going?" Plumeria asked.
"Yeah!" Ian said, hoping to build up his stash of Ultra Candy even more.
"Well we still got a bit, so no rush. We'll leave in an hour," Plumeria said.
Ian nodded and gave his squad leader a thumbs up.
***
A few minutes later, Ian used his key to open his locker at Tom's warehouse. On the top shelf where he kept his valuables, Ian gazed upon the light blue Z-Crystal Colress had mined himself before giving it to Ian. Next to that rested Colress' other gift, the Beast Ball. Ian's stomach filled with dread as he remembered how sinister Colress had sounded upon giving him the Beast Ball. I'll come back and get it before we head out for the Ultra Storm just in case we encounter an Ultra Beast. Next to Colress' valuable items was Ian's collection of Star Pieces alongside a trio of large plastic bags with blue masses of varying size. Ian smirked as he counted how many EXP Candies he had in each. Three small, one medium, three large. It's a good start to building back to my initial numbers after giving each team member a candy before the battle with Atman's Point. Checking out Ultra Storms is the only reason I'm able to get out of Po Town these days with Driftwood's bounty on me.
Ian then reached for his guitar case and smiled as thoughts of Mina entered his mind. Plumeria killing the crush thing in its crib had helped him refocus on Mina more. Sure he still had some latent feelings for his squad leader, but knowing nothing would ever come of it had helped sweep it under the rug.
Ian shook the thought from his mind and pulled his guitar case out of the locker before closing and re-attaching the lock. He made his way to the western wall facing the sea and found Mina leaning over the edge of the wall, her head resting on her hands. "Hey there, beautiful!" Ian called out.
Mina turned to him and smiled, standing up from her position and dashing over to him, giving him a big hug and the two shared a long, singular kiss. "How'd training with Guzma go today?"
"Really good I think," Ian said. "Tyrunt's eyes flickered red for a moment, so we're making progress."
"Congrats," Mina said.
"How's watch duty?" Ian asked.
Mina rolled her eyes. "Boring. Like incredibly boring."
"Isn't it always kind of that?" Ian asked with a nervous smile.
Mina shook her head. "Well it used to be eight hour shifts and you'd get a day off after three days. But because we have the radio network going, it's twelve hour shifts with no days off."
Ian grimaced. "Yeah, but it won't last forever. Just until Sinclair wants to make peace."
"I know the radio network was your plan and everything, but it's starting to take a toll on some of us," Mina said.
Ian sighed. "Yeah… But we don't have another option that wins us the war and protects our crop fields." Ian paused, looking to change the subject. "At least you're getting time to come up with some new murals, right?" Ian asked.
Mina grimaced. "Well not really…"
"What's wrong?" Ian asked, realizing the boring part of watch duty was just the surface.
Mina exhaled, turning back to the sea pensively. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it though…"
Ian put his arm around, kissing her painted cheek to assure her. "I'm here for you okay? If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But when you're ready to talk about it, I'm all ears." Ian said with a grin.
"Yeah…" Mina said pensively. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Anything," Ian asked.
"Can you play 'Seafolk Village' for me? Been kinda homesick lately…" Mina admitted, her eyes beginning to water.
"Of course," Ian said tenderly, withdrawing his hand from her and opening up his guitar case. Ian quickly checked for which strings were out of tune and gave his girlfriend a big smile as he began to play. Mina gazed out at the sea as Ian played his acoustic guitar remix of the song. He filled with pride as he saw Mina crack a smile, even though a tear did begin to fall down her cheek. Ian cycled through the tune a couple times before he played more softly.
"Thanks Ian," Mina said, her voice wavering. "I really needed that…"
"Anything for you," Ian said, putting the guitar down and cuddling up to her against the wall.
"Well, truth be told I do have a mural in mind," Mina said.
"What is it?" Ian asked with genuine curiosity.
"Seafolk Village… back home…" Mina said.
Ian nodded. It really FELT comfy to hang out at in the games. Can't imagine how cool it is in this world. "The couple times you've talked about it, it's sounded really amazing."
Mina shook her head. "It's not some big city like Hau'Oli or Malie City, but there's something special and soothing about it."
"Do you think you'd want to go back if given the chance?" Ian asked.
"In a heartbeat," Mina said bluntly. "I know this is basically your home now, but my family's there."
"It'd be weird if you didn't want to go back," Ian said.
Mina nodded. "Every so often, leaving here crosses my mind." Mina paused before recoiling. "I didn't mean leaving you-"
Ian shook his head. "Mina, I get it. Probably more than most people in Po Town." Ian leaned in, cuddling Mina harder and giving her another kiss on the cheek. "I don't think I'll ever get to see my family again. Your family's just a few islands away..."
Mina turned to him, her silver eyes brimming with tears. "Thanks Ian…" Mina curled up closer to him, resting her head against his chest.
"I got you Mina," Ian said, caressing her back as soothingly as he could.
Mina giggled lightly. "You know, I hate to bring this up, but my ex would say that all of the time."
"Oh. Sorry… sore spot?"
"A little," Mina said.
"Can I ask what happened?" Ian asked.
Mina nodded. "You told me your story, I guess it's time I tell you mine…" Mina paused. "His name was Elwood, everyone would call him EJ though. We dated for almost three years."
Ian nodded, signalling he was listening but not wanting to interrupt.
"When my family asked me to move to Po Town to take care of my grandma, it screwed things up for us," Mina said. "I'd been here before, I knew internet and phone services were real spotty, but he wanted to stay together, writing letters if needed. I… didn't think it'd work, so I broke up with him before I left."
Ian nodded carefully. "That's rough. Just circumstances got in the way?"
Mina nodded. "Right person, wrong time."
That's why she got nervous with Hyde. Well, that and he's a fucking prick. Ian gave her a squeeze, ensuring she didn't feel alone.
"You'd really like it there. In Seafolk Village I mean," Mina said.
Ian nodded. "Yeah I probably would… But I wouldn't be the 'Prince of Po Town' anymore. I hope that wouldn't be a dealbreaker for you."
Mina giggled softly, her watery eyes gazing into his with pure, genuine gratitude before she buried her face in his chest. "It wouldn't be."
***
As the days at war passed, it became more of a drag for Po Town's denizens. It got especially rainy on the western side of Ula'Ula Island, and as the rains fell on Po Town, so did the spirits of most of Team Skull. While the radio network had been a success with Team Skull now holding over twenty prisoners in The Basement, Ian noticed more annoyed looks going his way around town. When he realized the radio network lookouts were running around in the mud for days on end, he understood why fatigue was setting in. There was one celebratory day when a trade deal with Surge was announced, when the aforementioned gym leader's faction The Last Spark agreed to purchase certain strategic berries from Team Skull, while Po Town would be getting cold hard cash. This also ended the suspension in relations with Outrigger after the convoy incident on Ian's fourth day.
Since Ian wasn't on a guard squad and Plumeria was only using him for raiding Ultra Storms, he had plenty of time to train which he took full advantage of. Tyrunt's eyes were now going fully red for a minute or two at a time, and Ian even heard a fully fledged Alpha Roar at one point while observing from on top of Po Town's eastern wall.
The sound of Sawsbuck's hooves approaching broke Ian from his calm reflection, and Ian spied his blessed stag being ridden by a very uncomfortable Tupp heading his way. "Woah there Sawsbuck," Tupp said as the stag and rider neared Ian.
"Didn't go for the jump over the creek yet?" Ian asked.
"Nah bro, I dunno how you do this. Seems unstable as fuck," Tupp said.
"It's no Mudsdale saddle that's for sure," Ian said. "You just gotta trust Sawsbuck's gonna make sure you're okay."
Tupp smiled nervously. "Yeah I dunno…" Tupp said. "Why you havin' me ride Sawsbuck now anyways? You scared of riding it?"
Ian shook his head. "No, I love riding Sawsbuck," Ian said as he gave Sawsbuck a scratch on its neck, making the deer bleat happily. "But because me and Sawsbuck are a strategic asset we're going to be targeted. So if I ever get in a situation where I'm about to get captured, I'm supposed to throw Sawsbuck's Heal Ball to a Team Skull member so our food supply won't run out."
"I'm still a bad choice for this cuz ain't no way you're getting captured without me being there," Tupp said. "And ain't we fully supplied on food?"
"Yeah we are now, that's why Sawsbuck and I don't hit the crops every day and the Pearl Clan doesn't come up damn near every day like they used to," Ian explained. "But it's in case I'm gone for a while and our food supplies run low, we need to keep Sawsbuck around in case we need to grow more food."
"Then why we still growing these berries?" Tupp asked.
The trade agreement with Surge keeps us harvesting berries, but that's it," Ian said. "And really only certain berries are what they want." Sitrus, Leppa, Lum, plus Yache, Shuca, and Charti Berries were the ones Surge had demanded large amounts of. The last three were berries that reduced damage from a Pokemon's incoming move. Shuca Berries reduce damage from Ground Type moves, while Yache and Charti Berries reduce damage from Rock and Ice moves. The significance of those Types isn't lost on me. Ian shook the thought from his mind as he helped Tupp off Sawsbuck's back.
"And bro, I saw Selene on top of the wall," Tupp said lowly. "She keeps tryin' to talk to me yo."
Ian grimaced. A few days back Selene had asked Tupp on a date, which he pretty vehemently rejected.
"She just tryin' to make Rook fuckin' jealous, I ain't about that shit," Tupp said.
Ian smiled, offering his fist to bump, which Tupp hit with more force than Ian anticipated. "I dunno, those muscles are really getting some definition dude," Ian pointed out. "No wonder Selene's getting interested in you now." I've been working out with Tupp more, but he's way ahead of me in push ups and sit ups At least I'm well ahead of Slugg, although his clothes are starting to get pretty baggy.
Tupp grimaced. "She think she can fool around with Rook and throw herself at me when Rook tosses her away?" Tupp asked rhetorically. "She ain't for real like you bro."
Ian smiled. "Bros for life dude."
"Bros for life!" Tupp exclaimed, fist bumping Ian once more, this time Ian was prepared for the more forceful fist bump. "One of Tom's guys does tattoos bro, I think Imma get that tattooed on my arm here," Tupp said, pointing at his upper arm muscles. "We should get matching ones!"
Ian shook his head. "I'm not a big tattoo guy, but don't let me stop you from getting it."
"A'ight-"
"Well, well, well," Plumeria's voice interrupted as she approached the duo. "You guys having fun out here?"
"Something like that," Ian replied, turning to see the squad leader. "What's up?"
"Just got out of a strategy meeting," Plumeria said.
"Strategy meeting?" Ian asked. "Did I miss-"
"Bones only," Plumeria said. "Rook wanted it that way."
Ian grimaced. I guess I showed him up too much in the last meeting. "So what's new?"
"Couple things were decided on. We're gonna send an envoy and see if Sinclair wants peace," Plumeria said.
"That'd be good," Ian said.
"But in case they refuse, our squad's going to Outrigger to see if we can find a boat mechanic," Plumeria explained.
"For the two boats we have here?" Ian asked. Getting them back up and running is gonna require one hell of a restoration project. "And what are we gonna do with them anyways?"
"Rook's convinced that if we can take out some of their boats then Sinclair will have to sue for peace," Plumeria explained.
"And face Sinclair on his terms?" Ian asked. "Sounds like a stupid idea."
"Which is why he didn't want you there, I think," Plumeria said. "But officially we're going to Outrigger tomorrow to buy bikes for the Pearl Clan. And you're coming with, Ian."
"Won't Driftwood be there?" Ian asked.
"Yeah, but we'll be able to see if they really did put a bounty on you. Plus they can't just attack you in the middle of a town."
Ian nodded. "Sounds good."
"And I'll be there to fuck up anyone who tries, yo," Tupp said, puffing his chest out.
"Damn right," Ian said, fist bumping Tupp once more.
"We'll try to get there by lunchtime tomorrow, so be ready," Plumeria said.
***
A few hours later Ian sat on a bench with Mina's head on his shoulder, the exhausted defender taking a short nap while he watched Rylee, Plusle, and Impidimp playing tag on the apartment complex's jungle gym. Ian sported a bittersweet smile as he watched Impidimp throwing a quick tantrum, having just missed tagging Plusle.
"Over here, Impidimp! You can't get me!" Rylee called out. Impidimp growled loudly and scampered after her, causing the girl to scream and run away in a fit of excited laughter.
I'm gonna miss this. No matter how much he loved seeing Rylee and Plusle happy like this, Ian had the sinking feeling something big was looming ahead of him and the rest of Po Town. Gonna need all of the help I can get.
Ian heard footsteps approaching, and Sarah, Rylee's guardian beamed with a smile as he made eye contact. "Thank you for these, Ian. She's always in such a great mood after these playdates," Sarah said as she watched Impidimp coming right after Rylee, only for Plusle to jump in between with a determined cry. "Plus it keeps her from bouncing off the walls."
Ian's bittersweet smile became even more so. "Unfortunately I think this'll be the last time we get to do this for a while."
"Getting sent out?" Sarah asked.
"Something like that," Ian said.
Mina stirred and jolted awake when she noticed Sarah. "Oh Ms. Sarah, sorry I-"
"No need to apologize. I hear everyone watching the walls is exhausted," Sarah said.
"Yeah… trying to get a little nap in before my shift tonight," Mina explained with a yawn.
"Okay Rylee, time to finish up!" Sarah called out.
Rylee gasped, clearly offended. "But Impidimp just tagged Plusle!"
"Miss Mina has to get to her shift soon," Sarah explained.
Rylee pouted, drooping her head and walking over to the group unenthusiastically.
Ian and Mina got up, with Ian holding Impidimp's Poke Ball at the ready. "Now Rylee, tell Impidimp goodbye, okay?"
Rylee turned to Impidimp and picked it up, quickly squeezing the imp Pokemon with a hug. "Oh Impidimp, you're my favorite Pokemon. After Plusle of course," Rylee said. Impidimp chuckled wickedly, its way of expressing happiness. "Mr. Ian, will we see you tomorrow?"
Ian shook his head before kneeling down. "I don't think so. They're sending me to a town up the road."
"Will it be scary?" Rylee asked.
"I don't think so," Ian said.
"But you'll see me tomorrow," Mina chimed in. "It's art class day."
"Yay!" Rylee cheered enthusiastically. "Those are my favorite days!"
"Aw, you're making me blush," Mina said with a genuine smile as she gave Rylee a hug.
After the final goodbyes were said, Ian and Mina mosied their way to Tom's warehouse to check Ian's locker before dropping off Mina at her watch position for the night and heading to Elk Grove. Sawsbuck's due to bless the berries in a bit so there won't be any suspicion. Ian made sure to go so deep into the grove he couldn't be observed from the wall and he took Impidimp's Poke Ball out.
"Okay dude, snack time!" Ian called out as Impidimp manifested, babbling incessantly. Ian then reached into his pocket and grabbed a blue cube of Exp Candy, or Ultra Candy as he was trying to get in the habit of saying. "This thing's kinda big, but eat up little buddy." Impidimp swiped the Medium Ultra Candy from Ian's hands and bit into it, loudly munching on it as the imp shoved the candy further into its mouth like a squirrel.
Ian watched carefully as crumbs fell from Impidimp's maw. I wonder if not eating the whole thing changes something? Suddenly Impidimp shoved its whole hand into its mouth and and then noticeably gulped the last of the candy down. Impidimp rubbed its belly, which stuck out a little bit before burping loudly.
Then the imp Pokemon became engulfed in a bright light and Ian shielded his eyes. Here we go… Ian waited patiently until the glow of evolution subsided, and feasted his eyes upon his Pokemon's new form: Morgrem.
Impidimp's light pink had been replaced by a dark pink that covered Morgrem's upper body, while a pale green appeared like a pair of pants covering its legs and waist. Long black hair had sprouted on the imp's head, covering one of Morgrem's eyes like an emo haircut while the rest of Morgrem's hair went halfway down its back. Ian was surprised by the exceptionally longer nose sticking out of Morgrem's face. The freshly evolved Pokemon growled menacingly at Ian as it flipped some of its hair from its face, only to resettle over Morgrem's eye.
"Good to see you, Morgrem," Ian said, sizing up the notably taller form. Morgrem bared its fangs and growled threateningly, making Ian smirk. You don't look half as scary as Tyrunt does when her eyes are red. "Now Morgrem, show me what you can do!"