Chapter 14
BossCar
Pokémon Trainer
- Pronouns
- He/His
Chapter 14: Valen's Drive
Water scurries out of the faucet onto the bathroom sink, followed by the sound of splashing. Now that he's washed his face, it's time to finish getting dressed. He's already got on a casual dress shirt. It's black, as per usual.
Valen hums with his Gengar and Luxray, inserting his arms into the sleeves of his Guzmani suit jacket. He twirls his tie, then putting it around his neck. Damn, who's that alluring gentleman in the mirror? It's Team Skull's Valen of course! Suits never fail to boost his confidence.
While he certainty has contests on the mind, today's the day of his painting presentation. He's still a little bit nervous, but he'll try his hardest to knock this out of the ballpark.
Rosa and Hilda are hanging out in the hallway, but there's a certain friend who dropped by on this fine morning. The trio's eyeing the ornate, pearly white floral patterns that contrast the black walls, as well as the reproductions of several Dürer woodcuts and engravings that he's acquired from the museum's gift shop.
Both of them turn around to show off the Team Skull logos on their Guzmani jackets. Rosa's got white, Hilda's got gray, both look great in them. They're also wearing them out of support for him. Words aren't needed for him to figure that out.
"Darlings, you're my rays of light." He winks and clicks a tooth at Rosa and Hilda. "I can be a baddie while being your knight.~"
After Valen walks out of the bathroom, Rosa and Hilda greet him with a double good luck kiss on the cheeks. Their eyelids flutter at him, but he's not losing this match.
He wraps an arm each around them. Three can play at that game, so here comes an extra dose of smoothness he's brought out during dates.
"Oooh baby you know that I love it when you strut your sass, baby you know that I love it when you strut your confidence and class.~" They're snapping their fingers, as is Gengar. "Oooh baby show em how you walk it, show em how you talk it, stride onto the carpet and show em how you rock it.~"
Lisia leaps out in front of them and high fives both Ross and Hilda. Lisia's got one hand on her hip, while the other's held sideways in front of her forehead. She winks and sticks out two fingers.
"Take it away, Madame Lisia."
"Hun you remind me of something, maybe because you're a star.~" Lisia spins, maintaining her signature pose. "Hun you remind me of a star, I'll know you'll go far.~"
His chemistry with Lisia is even better than he thought, and his beloved balls of fluff are beyond elated. It's surprising that people who naturally have infinite energy reserved can become extra bubbly.
He releases Rosa and Hilda, but the double forehead bop gives him mixed signals. Ah well, they cuddle or snuggle every night to begin with.
"Lisia, how long do you plan to stay here?"
Lisia giggles and shakes her head in a playful manner. "Such a silly question," she teases. "For idols like Ali like me, Angel City's the place to be."
Valen rapidly blinks. "I do know that, but is your stay temporary or—"
"That's my secret, hun.~" Lisia taps his forehead. "Remember what you told me about secrets? It applies to both ladies and gentlemen."
"Touché."
Lisia giggles again. "Refresh my memory." Her eyes gleam like the ocean under a full moon. "You're entering more contest, right?"
"But of course, Madame Lisia."
"That's so so so GREAT!" Lisia does a little side to side dance, her hands clasped under her chin. "You're sooooo good at performing!"
"Tais-toi, mon cœur platonique!" Valen takes a page from Rosa and pretends to faint against the wall. "Madame Lisia pense que je suis bon!" Bubbly laughter's a great tune.
"Oh no, I don't think you're just good." Lisia spins and playfully winks. "I think you're great."
His smile becomes softer, his eyes containing an inner glow. To be praised by somebody of her status is a honor. It also means a lot that it's praise from a good friend. He sweeps Lisia into a side hug, his arm wrapped around waist. She wraps her arms around her neck and rests her chin on his shoulder.
"Oh, if only I had known all of you personally sooner!" Lisia shuts her eyes as she flushes with embarrassment. "We'd have sooooo many memories as besties!"
"Come play with us, Lisia!" Hilda clasps her hands over her right shoulder. "Forever and ever and ever!"
"And ever and ever and ever-" Rosa tilts her head back with her palms under her chin. "AND EVER!" Her eyes sparkle like her necklace. "Kyaaaaa, I love that we're all one big bestie family!"
Rosa, Hilda, and Lisia exchange a high five, with Rosa pulling Valen into it with her other hand. He doesn't quite get why they do this, but he appreciates the good ol' crazy wholesome minds. They're always casting heaps of sunshine wherever they go, plus they're always making sure that he's smiling. Lisia's no different, she's a great person to have as a friend.
"Heeeeey, snap out of it!"
Hilda whacks him with a rolled up poster of Lisia, Rosa, and herself. Did she really trot in and out into the master bedroom in under a minute. …Duh, Hilda's faster than a Ninjask.
Hilda's rocket speed aside, it's time to head towards the Calvanian Museum of Art. …Well, it will be once Luxray's done pushing a box of cupcakes into the room Umbreon and him like to hang out in.
"We've got time, let's see what the kitty's up too." he winks. "There's a surprise for him—I finally found what I needed for a certain flavor."
He's a proud, edgelord feline, but Luxray loves Valen too much to let his pride get the better of him. Besides, he's going to be very proud of what he's about to do.
Look at Umbreon trying strut it for him, despite her tucking her head in-between her front legs. She don't need any help to look fabulous—she can do it all by herself!
He inches closer to Umbreon's ears and purrs that "my baby girl is way too cute. Let me talk to you, let me feed you some cakes."
He's no kitty, she knows him. He makes it rain berries on the Lopunny. Yep, that did the trick. Look how adorable her smile is after each bite-huh?! S-She…wants to feed him cupcakes too?! Oh no, oh no no no no no! Muk! Muk! Muk!
He blushes and frantically looks around for a place to hide. He didn't plan to be fed by such a cutie! Edgelord felines aren't supposed to be fed cupcakes by cute Pokémon!
Muk, there's nowhere to hide! He expected the bouncy ball and pets after Valen's amazing presentation, now he's going to-COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES! Forget all that edgelord stuff—Valen made his favorite flavor to share with this cute Umbreon! Give give give give give!
"Tee-hee, mission accomplished!" Rosa folds her palms. "Noooooooow, it's time for Rosa Force to roll out!"
"Don't steal my thunder, you ball of fluff."
It seems like there will be more people than expected, even though this will be broadcasted live. It'll also be uploaded for those who couldn't make it for one reason or another.
The gathering of people in the lobby, which contains multiple pieces of furniture that's from when this building was a palace, looks straight out of Jaeger Zoffany's Gathering at the Museum.
In typical mom fashion, she wanted a lot of her fellow experts to attend. She's literally boasting about how he read Art History's Fundamentals when he was six for…he lost count of how many times she's done this.
Among the scholars here are several Titian experts, all of whom are represented in his library. The short-haired guy in the dark red suit is the museum's curator of Titian and Altomarian painting—he's the one who'll introduce him. His wife's here too, she's the curator of the Rococo paintings. Cameron Wood, the man he'd go to should he want to publish his writings, is here with his son. Keegan Wood's the curator of Ragulian paintings at The Regional Gallery of Orre.
Speaking of curators, mom also invited friends who work as Ragulian painting curators for other major museums. The Regional Gallery in Wyndon, the Lilycove Museum of Art, the Aspertia Gallery, the Metropolitan Gallery of Art in Castelia City, the Lumiose Museum, and the Ufficio in Florentine City will be represented in the audience.
Mom's limited it to only experts that he's personally met on more than one occasion, which is a big relief. He's not worried about these people jeering, but self-doubt lingers.
Is he actually good enough? What if he fails to live up as the son of a renowned Pokémon researcher, museum director and art historian? What if he fumbles with his words? What if he spreads misinformation by accident? If any of that comes to pass, how can he even think about starting up an EeveeTube channel to help bridge the gap between them and the general public?
Seeing the general audience increasing in size causes a knot to form in his stomach, and his heartbeat and pulse enters a slightly faster rhythm. Will they jeer at him? Will they laugh if he messes up? Will a blunder be recorded?
…So much for being just a little bit nervous and suits boosting his confidence…he's still gotta give it his all.
Gengar pops out of the ground and begins to make silly faces, which range from shocked to kissy. He then vanishes and re-appears to land on his back. He rolls over and stands up, his grin gaping over Valen's laughter.
Gardevoir's humming rings through Valen's ears—it's the exact same lullaby his mother hummed to him many years ago. She's swept into a hug, her motherly touch calming his mind. He returns the favor, resulting in trainer and Pokémon locked in a tight embrace.
After letting go, Valen caresses Gengar's forehead. He doesn't quite understand how this works, but at least Gengar's enjoying it. Gengar does his vanishing and re-appearing antic again, presumably for good measure.
"She really wanted to learn that lullaby."
His mother's lips are pressed against the top of his head. Where she came he doesn't know, but mom would never do anything to make him nervous.
"It's normal to be nervous when you're publicly speaking, but you've got to keep moving forward," she advises. "You'll do amazing, honey."
"Thank you, mom." They share an embrace. "I'll try my best."
Mom gives him one more kiss before returning to chatting up her family and fellow experts. She greets Rosa and Hilda along the way.
"Hehe, Val-Val's in for a nice surprise." Hilda tilts her head towards where the professor went. "Look who's coming."
Rosa twirls and sees a a middle-aged man in a brown plaid shirt. Hilda and her wave at him as he heads this way, but he stops to hug and chat with the professor. Silly Valey doesn't even realize that he's here, so she's going to set the wholesome trap.
That being said, they also want to help him out too. He needs a distraction from those pestering negative thoughts.
"I can't tell if you look cool or cute in a suit." Rosa places a finger on her lower up. "Whatcha think, Hilda?"
"Hehe, he's a coolie and a cutie cutie cutieeeee."
"I'm not-"
"Hi not, I'm dad."
Valen's eyes briefly widen and his jaw drops halfway, but his smile returns a few seconds later. There's the man who once quit a higher paying job because it made him spend less time with his young son.
Valen turns and runs towards his dad. They wrap their arms around each other and give each other several hard pats.
"Sorry for the lack of calls—that building's a mess." Mr. Barsotti scratches his light gray hair. "Interior needs a complete renovation."
"Dad, it's fine." A complete renovation's an understatement for that old mansion.
Mr. Barsotti nods. "I better go meet up with the family before your mother chews me out." he chuckles. "Good luck, kiddo."
"Thanks dad, and that's my mom for you."
His grin's ear-to-ear as he fist bumps with his dad. This has been their casual greeting since he was a little kid. Off he goes, and mom's already glancing in his direction.
Rosa and Hilda plop another pair of kisses on his cheeks, then trot to the join the rest of the squad. Judging by their expressions, something's been planned. It's going to be wholesome, but what's in store for him this time?
Mom's chatting up an older brother and two younger sisters, plus a few in-laws. Uncle Marcel specializes in Poussin and Kalosian Classicism, Aunt Josephine's an authority on painters from the Vlaander region. Jacques, Uncle Gabriel, and Aunt Genevieve are having a discussion about painters that Titian influenced, such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Velázquez.
Members of his dad's side are here too. They have little involvement in the art world, but they don't need to be to have a clear appreciation of art. But there is a major exception and she's wearing a black suit that makes her look like a secret agent.
That's not even far off from the truth—Cousin Karissa is a member of the International Police's Art Recovery Division. Seeing her again causes a recent headline to flash in his mind: "Interpol Just Recovered A Caravaggio That's Worth Fifty Million Dollars."
She led that operation to find the most valuable piece stolen by Team Plasma during their siege on Opelucid City. She also led the search for indigenous Orre art Cipher jacked to fund their insidious Shadow Pokémon project. Most recently, she recovered three Gyarados masks that belong to the Swaku people of the Msumbiki region.
He doesn't get to see or speak to Karissa too often due to her line of work, but they've managed to keep in touch. When she was twelve years old, Karissa was the first extended family member that held him when he was a newborn. According to his parents, she was jumping around in celebration of the newest family member.
"You can't just stand there and not give me a hug."
While he was deep in thought, Karissa walked on over and swept him into a hug. Her shoulder length brown hair rubs up against his shoulders.
He embraces her back, asking, "How's life as a badass been treating you?"
"Stick to hyping up your two girlfriends until I retire."
"But I don't wanna."
"You've got no choice." She kisses the top right side of his head. "Good luck."
They let go of each other and Karissa high fives Hilda and Rosa. He can still see the gleam in her dark blue eyes—it's always there whenever she sees him.
He watches Karissa returning to chat. up other family members. There would be two major exceptions, but Uncle Luca's still recovering from an illness. But the former head of the ARD will certainly be watching.
Wait a minute, his phone! He's gotta check his messages! Both sides of the family have been blowing up his phone. It's alright if they couldn't make it—it's more than enough that they're rooting for him regardless of distance. Heh, even his great-grandpa, age one hundred and four, sent a text using Uncle Roland's phone. He learned how to use the phone and computer just to stick it to everybody.
It's not just family either, for the squad always tries to tune in whenever one of their own's being broadcasted. Calem and Serena are going to be watching from Vaniville Town, Guzma's checking in from Po Town, and here comes the Unovan crew.
Cheering catches his attention, and he looks around for the source. That's when he sees a squadron of his loyal fans growing in number. Several of these people have been following his trainer and coordinator ventures for years.
"We rallied them up." Rosa wraps her arms around his neck. "We also called upon our fanbases to voice their support."
"Hehe, the comments have been exploding with support!"
Valen checks his own online pages and accounts. Sure enough, all three of their fanbases are wishing him well.
"Oooh, this bestie still rocks a suit like a boss."
"You've got this, big guy."
Not even said suit can stop Skyla from jumping onto his back. Oh well, that's just the way it is. If it wasn't Skyla, it'd be Melanie wanting a ride. He's not gonna complain when it's like an extra hug. Give him all of the friend cuddles and hugs, please and thank you.
"Here's a good luck charm from your platonic partner." Melanie plops a kiss onto his forehead. "Love you, bestie."
No surprise that Ragnar, his parents, and his grandparents showed up, but it's still nice. Skyla and Lisia are chatting, and they've got amazing chemistry with each other. Kris was already here due to her apprenticeship, but Silver and Leaf were a little early. They didn't have to pitch in, but the three of em did a great job in setting up the room.
"Grandpa, you came!"
His eyes follow Rosa as she runs to hug a white-haired man in a dark brown suit. Cillian Rupert Doyle's, Unovan's leading art historian, has come to see the fruits of his passion.
Rosa wants her grandpa to hurry up in this direction, something that makes the elderly gentleman laugh.
"Best of luck." Mr. Doyle offers a hand. "You'll succeed."
Valen nods and accepts the handshake. "I'll try my best."
The words of praise Mr. Doyle told him when he was a kid remain a badge of honor.
Once a lavish bedroom, the Titian room now contains fourteen priceless paintings that span the artist's entire career. It was a long career, and the focal point of his presentation was concocted smack dab in the middle of it.
The front row consists of Rosa, Hilda, his squad of friends, mom, dad, and Jacques. The rest of the family members in attendance are in the second row. The scholars and general public are mixed amongst each other. Dr. Maverick Burton's begun his introduction speech, starting with a general greeting.
"This young man is a very passionate and knowledgeable individual," Dr. Burton states in a thick, Galarian accent. "You may know him from his accomplishments as a trainer and coordinator." He extends his hand out towards Valen. "Please welcome the son of the museum's director, Valentinus Beauchene-Barsotti.
The audience claps and he takes his place. That was quite the introduction for somebody like him, but he's not gonna complain.
"Thank you, Dr. Burton." Everything's set up, so it's time to rock. "What is it about art that brings so many from all walks of life? Why does it move us, why does it speak to us?"
He looks back at the first slide, which is a group of various museum pictures. Fittingly, all the museums who've sent curators are photographed here.
"Art brings out our emotions, it reminds us that we are human," he states. "Pokémon can be fascinated and moved by art too." He moves onto the second slide, which contains Caravaggio's The Battle of Geosenge and Rembrandt's March of the Banette. "Show naysayers these two and I guarantee you that more than a few will have some type of reaction."
Gotta give em a moment to stare at the photos of these amazing works. It would be a travesty not to allow them to take in these magical, dramatic works that resonates through their immediacy and tense atmospheres.
Alright, now it time's for the main course. It's hanging on the wall right behind him, so he better step out of the way.
"The main subject of my presentation is Titian's Ceasefire, a depiction of the philosopher Critias on his crusade to end the Pelennessian War."
Give em another moment. Some may just want to admire a work they've seen countless times, others may need their memory jogged, and a few might be seeing this work for the first time.
Their expressions all say the same thing: this large canvas has a meaningful and beautiful scene pictured on it. He's got to make sure that his presentation is as engaging as possible—Why should the audience he interested if the presenter sounds disinterested or the presentation lacks that spicy hot enthusiasm?
"For those who aren't super familiar with the artist, Titian Vercelli is regarded as one of the most remarkable painters of all time." Valen continuously moves from one side to the enter, making gestures with his hands. "He's also one of my personal favorites, somebody that I think is right up there with Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael."
An elderly gentleman in a gray suit indicates that he has something to say. A knot's forming in his stomach, but he'll be fine…maybe. He's a friendly guy...it's just that…this man is a world authority on Titian and the curator from the Ufficio.
"Go ahead, Mr. Russo." Slipping up would be bad, but it would be rude to ignore the question.
"I must say you are quite knowledgeable for your age." Mr. Russo gestures towards the painting. "There are many fine works by Titian, but I would like to know what compelled you to select this one specifically."
"Thank you, and that's an excellent question." The knot's starting to go away. "I was struggling with what painting to choose, but I had some help." His gaze briefly moves towards Rosa and Hilda, who're sitting front and center. "This painting is a great choice to showcase Titian's excellent use of color and dramatic scenes."
Rosa's more focused on Valen than his presentation—she couldn't be any more proud of him Hilda's own loving gaze is all she needs to see to know her bestie's mindset.
Hilda and her can sense that he's still nervous, but he's answering questions and addressing comments like a champ. They can't get enough of him explaining pigments like the lanp black and lead white used for Pangoro and Obstagoon. He even's explaining how Pyukumuku's Purify and Pokémon that know Refresh helped to make the latter, a very popular pigment, safer to use!
Valen steps away from the podium and points towards the embrace between Pangoro and Obstagoon. "When you first stare at this painting, your eyes are usually drawn towards the center." He moves his finger back and forth between the Pokémon and soldiers. "You have these two big bad Pokémon showing a more sensitive side, plus you have two generals dropping their weapons and ordering their men to do the same." He steps back in front of the microphone. "As many of you are aware, a common theme in art is the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Titian took that and used it to represent that bond helping to end a bloodbath before it could happen."
Rosa raises her hand. "Would Critias' words have the same impact without it?" She winks and places a finger on her lower lip. "I clearly don't know the answer."
"Excellent question, person whom I clearly don't know." Yes, they got a laugh out of the audience! "In his biography of Critias, the historian Phaetarch did state that Critias believed that the bonds between people and Pokémon played a role in his successes. Centuries prior, Herocedes had written the same detail of his character in his work." Did she ask that to give him an extra dose of confidence? "And centuries after, one of the greatest painters of all time painted this."
Rosa clasps her hands on her lap, eager to see him bring up one of the coolest details about the work. Woo-hoo, he's pointing to Aggron and Vaporeon further in the center! Like many painters throughout history, Titian snuck in portraits of two of his Pokémon besties. Now he's talking about the presence of Champion Kratos and his soldiers.
"Critias didn't want to do it in this manner, but he needed backup in case force was required." Valen points at the background detail of two. "Some soldiers were hesitant, but the two back here actually tried to fight Kratos and his Machamp."
So far, so good. Don't let the doubt get to you again, you're Team Skull's Valen. Beat it down and beat it down without ever letting up.
"Let's move on to background and influence."
First up will be a slide about the history of the conflict in question. Two detailed maps and a timeline are provided here.
"The Pelennessian War was between Syramos and the Persen Empire, and it was an on and off again conflict from about 490 BCE to 480 BCE." Gotta move around to release this steady flow of energy. "Critias was exiled by the newest leader for his opposition, so he chose to live with the Stenacans. But Critias was very popular in Syramos, so much so that people took up arms in rebellion. Leading the revolt were Champion Apollo and his eventual successor, Galatea."
Next up is a slide that shows a rather unique take on Kyogre and Groudon. Instead of trying to beat each other up, they're overcome with sorrow. He likes to imagine Groudon saying "tell me what are we fighting for, we've got to end this war." Rayquaza's surprised expression looks like his own when he first saw this work at age seven.
"Contemporary accounts, chiefly Pietro Vasari in his monumental Lives of the Great Artists, state that the overall presentation was influenced by Raphael's A Shared Home. The overall composition is quite similar, and this work was unveiled less than a year prior to Ceasefire."
The next slide contains two more works by Raphael and a work by Botticelli. One Raphael piece showcases Critias writing on papyrus in a room, while the other showcase a wasteland scene so iconic that it's universally recognizable. The Botticelli depicts a similar scene to Ceasefire, except Critias is breaking up a street brawl between armored soldiers in Botticelli's work.
"Vasari later states that The Teachings of Critias and The Ultimate Weapon were major influences for Titian's depiction of the selected subject matter. Both Raphael and Titian were inspired by Botticelli's Ending Folly."
Onto what this worked influenced, but Titian was a very influential painter overall. One of the most famous examples of his influence is Neville Poussin's Critias Giving a Speech. It's sharing the slide with Rembrandt van Remis' Critias Braves The Darkness, Domingo Velázquez's Critias Encounters Korradion and Miraidon, and Sir Patrick Pierre Rubens' The Folly of War.
"These are four out of the five Baroque titans, and each represented a different aspect of Critias' life," he states. "Titian was also a big influence on Rubens's star pupil, Sir Arnold van Dyck."
The fifth Baroque titan, an artist who also influenced Arnold van Dyck, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Velázquez, needs further explanation. His eyes light up at the sight of a leading scholar on this artist nodding in approval. A few others seem eager to hear his proposition, especially a certain contemporary painter who's a ball of fluff.
"While we don't know how much Titian influenced him, I propose that Titian was a big influence on my all time favorite painter: Marcantonio Matteo da Caravaggio." The painting he's chosen here is Caravaggio's The Pelennessian War. "Caravaggio's presentation has no background, it's right up in your face, it looks like a street brawl, among other differences. That being said, elements of Titian's style can be seen when performing a closer analysis."
As Valen continues to explain his reasons and the terms he used, Rosa begins to ponders her proficiency with the brush. Having studied their styles extensively and painted multiple works akin to both Titian and Caravaggio, she's noticed the similarities to Titian in Caravaggio's tenebrism. If Valey needs backup at any point, Super Rosa will save the day. Grrr, feel Rosa's power!
….She could be among all of these great artists in a presentation…she can do it. Yes, she can do it! She will do it! She wants to be the very best, just like the Old Masters before!
Tee-hee, look at him bringing up Zoffany's Gathering at the Museum! That's right, name every artist amongst the painting inception! Ooooh, now he's moving on to Émile Delacroix and the Impressionists! Woo-hoo, he mentioned the Unovan Impressionists! Go go go go! Goooooooo smiling Valey sweetie!
"Now for provenance."
This slide contains a general outline and a portrait of the patron, the Earl of Wedgehurst. The commission sprees of this sophisticated fanboy of antiquity gave the world a trove of Renaissance masterpieces.
"This work was the first commission Titan had received from Galar, and that was in the year 1515." He turns around and his meet the portrait's lifelike stare. "Around the same time he commissioned this, Sir Endymion Beckett had commissioned this portrait by another famous artist many of you know: Heinrich Holbein the Younger."
He moves around again, but he briefly stops to proceed to the next slide. This one has additional works commissioned by the patron, such as Dürer's The Battle of Geosenge and Mantegna's Voice of the Forest. The former has a grieving AZ cradling his fallen Floette, while his own men continues the clash with no regard for the innocent life last. The latter has a Celebi in the middle of a habitat that's lush, pristine, and packed with other Pokémon.
Now it's time for Unova. "It's through Sir Nathaniel Mistralton that the painting ended up in Opelucid City." Gotta love this portrait too. " A few years before he moved, Theodore Gainsborough painted this picture of him. Shortly after that, James Wright of Hulbury painted him studying scientific data on Pokémon."
Onto the next slide. to have some more fun. A large photo of an old letter's now on the screen, and he'll pause so the audience can take a few moments to read it. It's here for humorous purposes—this guy apparently evolved into a Vigoroth while visiting an art dealer in Castelia City.
"Now this is a very significant piece of history," he jokes. "This is one the most important documents you'll ever see."
Phew, a bunch on em are laughing again. Especially those who know that by this point, paintings by the Old Masters had risen in price. This guy bought a trio of Titian works alongside seven Rembrandts, and all ten are now within these museum's walls.
"It's a letter that proves hiding how much you spent from your spouse is a time honored tradition." More laughter, more music to his ears. "Personally, I think it should also be on display due to how significant it is."
Rosa tries to raise her hand again, but Hilda yanks it down and raises a hand over her own.
It's my turn to ask a question, Rosa," Hilda whispers with a faint titter, then she locks her eyes onto Valen. "What did the dealer write to this silly guy in response?" she winks. "I caught Rosa's spontaneous amnesia." That bop's not very effective.
Valen chuckles and moves onto the next slide. The response letter causes the most laughter yet, and for good reason. It can be summed up in three words: best of luck. This is going way better than expected, he thinks. Time to move onto the middle of the 1800s, for that's when the painting ended up in Calvanian Museum of Art.
"Hehe, Val-Val's rocking this," Hilda whispers to Rosa. "We should give him a big hug."
"Silly Hilda, big hugs are normal."
"Silly me indeed."
Val-Val's wrapping up the presentation with his family's long association with the museum, which dates back to 1797. They weren't one of the three families that turned this former palace into a museum a couple of years prior, but they were among the earliest to contribute.
"I encourage all of you to come take a closer look at this, as well as Titian's other paintings housed in this room." As Rosa would say, the slides just went poof. "Thank you for your time."
Loud clapping fills up the room, while he briefly looks away to silently sigh in relief. He's gotta contain himself, but his mind feels almost weightless now.
The balls of fluffs were the first ones to clap, but everybody seems pleased. Not bad, Team Skull's Valen. Not bad at all. Maybe bridging the gap via EeveeTube is one of the things best suited for you. Publishing those written works is still up in their air, but he's starting to lean towards doing just that. He could always share a sneak peek or two online.
Most of the paintings he showed are housed in these walls, A Shared Home, The Pelennessian War, and the two portraits of Sir Mistralton being the exceptions. Those are respectively housed in the Lilycove Museum, The Regional Gallery of Orre, and The Aspertia Gallery. He hopes those unfamiliar will admire them too, whereas those in the know got admire multiple stupendous works.
The clapping's still ringing inside of Hilda's mind, even though she's now in the lobby. She hums a tune while relaxing on one of the fancy ornante chairs.
Hehe, look at silly Val-Val and his Gengar trying to sneak away from everybody! It didn't work, but it wasn't going to work in the first place! He knocked that presentation out of the park, and now he's encircled by friends and family members! Hehe, he's going to keep climbing up that mountain with Expert Trainer and everybody else!
The candle called motivation burns like Mt. Chimney inside of her. Sure, the big project may be out of reach for her, but battling like a boss isn't. Maybe she could also give contests another go, or maybe she can form a duo with Lisia! How cool would that be?!
She can see it now! The talented and beautiful Hilda Odelle White in the Diancie dress Valerie made for her. Lights, camera, action! Standing back to back with her equal, Lisia Hoshiko De Vreese!
"Wake up."
Valen returns the favor from this morning via a nudge from a poster he got at the gift shop. She titters and gives him a kiss on the lips. Not wanting to be left out, Gengar makes the same funny faces from before the presentation. The shared laughter makes his eyes close and his grin drops open.
He slouches onto the chair that's to the right of Hilda. "Man, I can't believe it." He lets out a deep, prolonged sigh of relief. "I can't believe I managed to keep my nerves in check."
"What matters is that you pulled it off."
She's got a point, but now he's curious about the matter from several days ago. He's still concerned about the toll it took on her.
"How are you feeling now?" he asks. "About the park and Battle Frontier."
"Well, I'm still saddened by it." Her smile becomes remorseful. "More so because it feels like I tricked those closest to me."
He kisses the top of her head. "You didn't, I promise."
"Thanks." Hilda rubs his shoulders. "I'm still going to picture my dream of this region having a Battle Frontier." She happily closes his eyes. "I'll each and every day to the fullest extent!"
"That's my girl."
Rosa bops both of them to announce her arrival, but Hilda and him bop her back in response. She's managed to pull herself back from her self-doubt as an artist. Perhaps that gave Hilda and him a boost too?
"Our most recent selfies got over nine thousand likes." Rosa shows them the posts. "You know what means, don't you?"
"We've won the selfie battle against Raihan." Hilda folds her palms together. "But the most important thing is that everybody had fun."
"F is for fun that we have together.~" Rosa forms a V with her hands. "U is for uncontainable glee.~"
"N is for no dullness whenever we're around, that's our big decree.~"
"Such a victory is to be expected from my queens." Valen rubs their heads. "And they're balls of fluff no matter what."
"Hehe, that's our Val-Val."
As they talk, Rosa's mind veers towards her inner feelings. The campfire of passion already burns brightly inside of her, but her hero's struck again.
Affirmative, Captain Roooosa! The desire for a bigger acting career and her desire to be her generation's Raphael remains as powerful as a big legendary! Raphael studied the greats of his time, and she firmly believes that he'd study and practice subsequent art styles.
She also wants to be her generation's Caravaggio, minus the massive amounts of snark. She'll sass like there's no tomorrow, but snark's not really her style. If he had done his presentation on Caravaggio, Valen may have had to leave out the comebacks Caravaggio gave to critics that heckled him? Some of the responses were quite…vulgar.
Rosa and Hilda have pressed their backs together, presumably to pummel everybody with their amazing personalities and looks. For both, one hand holds a Poke Ball and the other hand is used for a sideways peace sign near their foreheads.
"We'll always look good for you!" They wink at him. "We'll always look cool with you! If a Slaking moves, they already know it's us two!"
"Heh." Valen offers a fist bump. "I've got your backs, you two got mine?"
Rosa and Hilda accept the fist bump times four. "We'll always always always always have your back, our favorite booooy!"
Surprise overcomes him when he's swept into an embrace by Melanie, but it evaporates from the endothermic sensation of her arms around his neck. He wastes no time in resting a hand on her back, his other hand being used to stroke her long black hair.
"I'm proud of you." She kisses his forehead. "Very proud."
"Hearing that from you will always warm my heart." He gives her a few soft pats on her back. "Love you."
"Right back at you, bestie."
Skyla, Asgard, and Jacques walk towards them, and they all partake in a group fist bump. Kris is giving Leaf a private tour and Silver's trying to brush up on Michelangelo via La Pieta di Yveltal and the artist's second rendition of Trainer. They didn't take off without getting fist bumps of their own first.
His phone's blowing up thanks to the friends and family who watched it at home. Surprisingly, even Wes tuned in. Wes isn't exactly the fine art type of guy, but he supposes friendship transcended that.
Will he go ahead and send his works to Wood Books for publishing? Will he bridge the gap? Who knows, but what he does know is that contests want his attention too.
Water scurries out of the faucet onto the bathroom sink, followed by the sound of splashing. Now that he's washed his face, it's time to finish getting dressed. He's already got on a casual dress shirt. It's black, as per usual.
Valen hums with his Gengar and Luxray, inserting his arms into the sleeves of his Guzmani suit jacket. He twirls his tie, then putting it around his neck. Damn, who's that alluring gentleman in the mirror? It's Team Skull's Valen of course! Suits never fail to boost his confidence.
While he certainty has contests on the mind, today's the day of his painting presentation. He's still a little bit nervous, but he'll try his hardest to knock this out of the ballpark.
Rosa and Hilda are hanging out in the hallway, but there's a certain friend who dropped by on this fine morning. The trio's eyeing the ornate, pearly white floral patterns that contrast the black walls, as well as the reproductions of several Dürer woodcuts and engravings that he's acquired from the museum's gift shop.
Both of them turn around to show off the Team Skull logos on their Guzmani jackets. Rosa's got white, Hilda's got gray, both look great in them. They're also wearing them out of support for him. Words aren't needed for him to figure that out.
"Darlings, you're my rays of light." He winks and clicks a tooth at Rosa and Hilda. "I can be a baddie while being your knight.~"
After Valen walks out of the bathroom, Rosa and Hilda greet him with a double good luck kiss on the cheeks. Their eyelids flutter at him, but he's not losing this match.
He wraps an arm each around them. Three can play at that game, so here comes an extra dose of smoothness he's brought out during dates.
"Oooh baby you know that I love it when you strut your sass, baby you know that I love it when you strut your confidence and class.~" They're snapping their fingers, as is Gengar. "Oooh baby show em how you walk it, show em how you talk it, stride onto the carpet and show em how you rock it.~"
Lisia leaps out in front of them and high fives both Ross and Hilda. Lisia's got one hand on her hip, while the other's held sideways in front of her forehead. She winks and sticks out two fingers.
"Take it away, Madame Lisia."
"Hun you remind me of something, maybe because you're a star.~" Lisia spins, maintaining her signature pose. "Hun you remind me of a star, I'll know you'll go far.~"
His chemistry with Lisia is even better than he thought, and his beloved balls of fluff are beyond elated. It's surprising that people who naturally have infinite energy reserved can become extra bubbly.
He releases Rosa and Hilda, but the double forehead bop gives him mixed signals. Ah well, they cuddle or snuggle every night to begin with.
"Lisia, how long do you plan to stay here?"
Lisia giggles and shakes her head in a playful manner. "Such a silly question," she teases. "For idols like Ali like me, Angel City's the place to be."
Valen rapidly blinks. "I do know that, but is your stay temporary or—"
"That's my secret, hun.~" Lisia taps his forehead. "Remember what you told me about secrets? It applies to both ladies and gentlemen."
"Touché."
Lisia giggles again. "Refresh my memory." Her eyes gleam like the ocean under a full moon. "You're entering more contest, right?"
"But of course, Madame Lisia."
"That's so so so GREAT!" Lisia does a little side to side dance, her hands clasped under her chin. "You're sooooo good at performing!"
"Tais-toi, mon cœur platonique!" Valen takes a page from Rosa and pretends to faint against the wall. "Madame Lisia pense que je suis bon!" Bubbly laughter's a great tune.
"Oh no, I don't think you're just good." Lisia spins and playfully winks. "I think you're great."
His smile becomes softer, his eyes containing an inner glow. To be praised by somebody of her status is a honor. It also means a lot that it's praise from a good friend. He sweeps Lisia into a side hug, his arm wrapped around waist. She wraps her arms around her neck and rests her chin on his shoulder.
"Oh, if only I had known all of you personally sooner!" Lisia shuts her eyes as she flushes with embarrassment. "We'd have sooooo many memories as besties!"
"Come play with us, Lisia!" Hilda clasps her hands over her right shoulder. "Forever and ever and ever!"
"And ever and ever and ever-" Rosa tilts her head back with her palms under her chin. "AND EVER!" Her eyes sparkle like her necklace. "Kyaaaaa, I love that we're all one big bestie family!"
Rosa, Hilda, and Lisia exchange a high five, with Rosa pulling Valen into it with her other hand. He doesn't quite get why they do this, but he appreciates the good ol' crazy wholesome minds. They're always casting heaps of sunshine wherever they go, plus they're always making sure that he's smiling. Lisia's no different, she's a great person to have as a friend.
"Heeeeey, snap out of it!"
Hilda whacks him with a rolled up poster of Lisia, Rosa, and herself. Did she really trot in and out into the master bedroom in under a minute. …Duh, Hilda's faster than a Ninjask.
Hilda's rocket speed aside, it's time to head towards the Calvanian Museum of Art. …Well, it will be once Luxray's done pushing a box of cupcakes into the room Umbreon and him like to hang out in.
"We've got time, let's see what the kitty's up too." he winks. "There's a surprise for him—I finally found what I needed for a certain flavor."
He's a proud, edgelord feline, but Luxray loves Valen too much to let his pride get the better of him. Besides, he's going to be very proud of what he's about to do.
Look at Umbreon trying strut it for him, despite her tucking her head in-between her front legs. She don't need any help to look fabulous—she can do it all by herself!
He inches closer to Umbreon's ears and purrs that "my baby girl is way too cute. Let me talk to you, let me feed you some cakes."
He's no kitty, she knows him. He makes it rain berries on the Lopunny. Yep, that did the trick. Look how adorable her smile is after each bite-huh?! S-She…wants to feed him cupcakes too?! Oh no, oh no no no no no! Muk! Muk! Muk!
He blushes and frantically looks around for a place to hide. He didn't plan to be fed by such a cutie! Edgelord felines aren't supposed to be fed cupcakes by cute Pokémon!
Muk, there's nowhere to hide! He expected the bouncy ball and pets after Valen's amazing presentation, now he's going to-COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES! Forget all that edgelord stuff—Valen made his favorite flavor to share with this cute Umbreon! Give give give give give!
"Tee-hee, mission accomplished!" Rosa folds her palms. "Noooooooow, it's time for Rosa Force to roll out!"
"Don't steal my thunder, you ball of fluff."
It seems like there will be more people than expected, even though this will be broadcasted live. It'll also be uploaded for those who couldn't make it for one reason or another.
The gathering of people in the lobby, which contains multiple pieces of furniture that's from when this building was a palace, looks straight out of Jaeger Zoffany's Gathering at the Museum.
In typical mom fashion, she wanted a lot of her fellow experts to attend. She's literally boasting about how he read Art History's Fundamentals when he was six for…he lost count of how many times she's done this.
Among the scholars here are several Titian experts, all of whom are represented in his library. The short-haired guy in the dark red suit is the museum's curator of Titian and Altomarian painting—he's the one who'll introduce him. His wife's here too, she's the curator of the Rococo paintings. Cameron Wood, the man he'd go to should he want to publish his writings, is here with his son. Keegan Wood's the curator of Ragulian paintings at The Regional Gallery of Orre.
Speaking of curators, mom also invited friends who work as Ragulian painting curators for other major museums. The Regional Gallery in Wyndon, the Lilycove Museum of Art, the Aspertia Gallery, the Metropolitan Gallery of Art in Castelia City, the Lumiose Museum, and the Ufficio in Florentine City will be represented in the audience.
Mom's limited it to only experts that he's personally met on more than one occasion, which is a big relief. He's not worried about these people jeering, but self-doubt lingers.
Is he actually good enough? What if he fails to live up as the son of a renowned Pokémon researcher, museum director and art historian? What if he fumbles with his words? What if he spreads misinformation by accident? If any of that comes to pass, how can he even think about starting up an EeveeTube channel to help bridge the gap between them and the general public?
Seeing the general audience increasing in size causes a knot to form in his stomach, and his heartbeat and pulse enters a slightly faster rhythm. Will they jeer at him? Will they laugh if he messes up? Will a blunder be recorded?
…So much for being just a little bit nervous and suits boosting his confidence…he's still gotta give it his all.
Gengar pops out of the ground and begins to make silly faces, which range from shocked to kissy. He then vanishes and re-appears to land on his back. He rolls over and stands up, his grin gaping over Valen's laughter.
Gardevoir's humming rings through Valen's ears—it's the exact same lullaby his mother hummed to him many years ago. She's swept into a hug, her motherly touch calming his mind. He returns the favor, resulting in trainer and Pokémon locked in a tight embrace.
After letting go, Valen caresses Gengar's forehead. He doesn't quite understand how this works, but at least Gengar's enjoying it. Gengar does his vanishing and re-appearing antic again, presumably for good measure.
"She really wanted to learn that lullaby."
His mother's lips are pressed against the top of his head. Where she came he doesn't know, but mom would never do anything to make him nervous.
"It's normal to be nervous when you're publicly speaking, but you've got to keep moving forward," she advises. "You'll do amazing, honey."
"Thank you, mom." They share an embrace. "I'll try my best."
Mom gives him one more kiss before returning to chatting up her family and fellow experts. She greets Rosa and Hilda along the way.
"Hehe, Val-Val's in for a nice surprise." Hilda tilts her head towards where the professor went. "Look who's coming."
Rosa twirls and sees a a middle-aged man in a brown plaid shirt. Hilda and her wave at him as he heads this way, but he stops to hug and chat with the professor. Silly Valey doesn't even realize that he's here, so she's going to set the wholesome trap.
That being said, they also want to help him out too. He needs a distraction from those pestering negative thoughts.
"I can't tell if you look cool or cute in a suit." Rosa places a finger on her lower up. "Whatcha think, Hilda?"
"Hehe, he's a coolie and a cutie cutie cutieeeee."
"I'm not-"
"Hi not, I'm dad."
Valen's eyes briefly widen and his jaw drops halfway, but his smile returns a few seconds later. There's the man who once quit a higher paying job because it made him spend less time with his young son.
Valen turns and runs towards his dad. They wrap their arms around each other and give each other several hard pats.
"Sorry for the lack of calls—that building's a mess." Mr. Barsotti scratches his light gray hair. "Interior needs a complete renovation."
"Dad, it's fine." A complete renovation's an understatement for that old mansion.
Mr. Barsotti nods. "I better go meet up with the family before your mother chews me out." he chuckles. "Good luck, kiddo."
"Thanks dad, and that's my mom for you."
His grin's ear-to-ear as he fist bumps with his dad. This has been their casual greeting since he was a little kid. Off he goes, and mom's already glancing in his direction.
Rosa and Hilda plop another pair of kisses on his cheeks, then trot to the join the rest of the squad. Judging by their expressions, something's been planned. It's going to be wholesome, but what's in store for him this time?
Mom's chatting up an older brother and two younger sisters, plus a few in-laws. Uncle Marcel specializes in Poussin and Kalosian Classicism, Aunt Josephine's an authority on painters from the Vlaander region. Jacques, Uncle Gabriel, and Aunt Genevieve are having a discussion about painters that Titian influenced, such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Velázquez.
Members of his dad's side are here too. They have little involvement in the art world, but they don't need to be to have a clear appreciation of art. But there is a major exception and she's wearing a black suit that makes her look like a secret agent.
That's not even far off from the truth—Cousin Karissa is a member of the International Police's Art Recovery Division. Seeing her again causes a recent headline to flash in his mind: "Interpol Just Recovered A Caravaggio That's Worth Fifty Million Dollars."
She led that operation to find the most valuable piece stolen by Team Plasma during their siege on Opelucid City. She also led the search for indigenous Orre art Cipher jacked to fund their insidious Shadow Pokémon project. Most recently, she recovered three Gyarados masks that belong to the Swaku people of the Msumbiki region.
He doesn't get to see or speak to Karissa too often due to her line of work, but they've managed to keep in touch. When she was twelve years old, Karissa was the first extended family member that held him when he was a newborn. According to his parents, she was jumping around in celebration of the newest family member.
"You can't just stand there and not give me a hug."
While he was deep in thought, Karissa walked on over and swept him into a hug. Her shoulder length brown hair rubs up against his shoulders.
He embraces her back, asking, "How's life as a badass been treating you?"
"Stick to hyping up your two girlfriends until I retire."
"But I don't wanna."
"You've got no choice." She kisses the top right side of his head. "Good luck."
They let go of each other and Karissa high fives Hilda and Rosa. He can still see the gleam in her dark blue eyes—it's always there whenever she sees him.
He watches Karissa returning to chat. up other family members. There would be two major exceptions, but Uncle Luca's still recovering from an illness. But the former head of the ARD will certainly be watching.
Wait a minute, his phone! He's gotta check his messages! Both sides of the family have been blowing up his phone. It's alright if they couldn't make it—it's more than enough that they're rooting for him regardless of distance. Heh, even his great-grandpa, age one hundred and four, sent a text using Uncle Roland's phone. He learned how to use the phone and computer just to stick it to everybody.
It's not just family either, for the squad always tries to tune in whenever one of their own's being broadcasted. Calem and Serena are going to be watching from Vaniville Town, Guzma's checking in from Po Town, and here comes the Unovan crew.
Cheering catches his attention, and he looks around for the source. That's when he sees a squadron of his loyal fans growing in number. Several of these people have been following his trainer and coordinator ventures for years.
"We rallied them up." Rosa wraps her arms around his neck. "We also called upon our fanbases to voice their support."
"Hehe, the comments have been exploding with support!"
Valen checks his own online pages and accounts. Sure enough, all three of their fanbases are wishing him well.
"Oooh, this bestie still rocks a suit like a boss."
"You've got this, big guy."
Not even said suit can stop Skyla from jumping onto his back. Oh well, that's just the way it is. If it wasn't Skyla, it'd be Melanie wanting a ride. He's not gonna complain when it's like an extra hug. Give him all of the friend cuddles and hugs, please and thank you.
"Here's a good luck charm from your platonic partner." Melanie plops a kiss onto his forehead. "Love you, bestie."
No surprise that Ragnar, his parents, and his grandparents showed up, but it's still nice. Skyla and Lisia are chatting, and they've got amazing chemistry with each other. Kris was already here due to her apprenticeship, but Silver and Leaf were a little early. They didn't have to pitch in, but the three of em did a great job in setting up the room.
"Grandpa, you came!"
His eyes follow Rosa as she runs to hug a white-haired man in a dark brown suit. Cillian Rupert Doyle's, Unovan's leading art historian, has come to see the fruits of his passion.
Rosa wants her grandpa to hurry up in this direction, something that makes the elderly gentleman laugh.
"Best of luck." Mr. Doyle offers a hand. "You'll succeed."
Valen nods and accepts the handshake. "I'll try my best."
The words of praise Mr. Doyle told him when he was a kid remain a badge of honor.
Once a lavish bedroom, the Titian room now contains fourteen priceless paintings that span the artist's entire career. It was a long career, and the focal point of his presentation was concocted smack dab in the middle of it.
The front row consists of Rosa, Hilda, his squad of friends, mom, dad, and Jacques. The rest of the family members in attendance are in the second row. The scholars and general public are mixed amongst each other. Dr. Maverick Burton's begun his introduction speech, starting with a general greeting.
"This young man is a very passionate and knowledgeable individual," Dr. Burton states in a thick, Galarian accent. "You may know him from his accomplishments as a trainer and coordinator." He extends his hand out towards Valen. "Please welcome the son of the museum's director, Valentinus Beauchene-Barsotti.
The audience claps and he takes his place. That was quite the introduction for somebody like him, but he's not gonna complain.
"Thank you, Dr. Burton." Everything's set up, so it's time to rock. "What is it about art that brings so many from all walks of life? Why does it move us, why does it speak to us?"
He looks back at the first slide, which is a group of various museum pictures. Fittingly, all the museums who've sent curators are photographed here.
"Art brings out our emotions, it reminds us that we are human," he states. "Pokémon can be fascinated and moved by art too." He moves onto the second slide, which contains Caravaggio's The Battle of Geosenge and Rembrandt's March of the Banette. "Show naysayers these two and I guarantee you that more than a few will have some type of reaction."
Gotta give em a moment to stare at the photos of these amazing works. It would be a travesty not to allow them to take in these magical, dramatic works that resonates through their immediacy and tense atmospheres.
Alright, now it time's for the main course. It's hanging on the wall right behind him, so he better step out of the way.
"The main subject of my presentation is Titian's Ceasefire, a depiction of the philosopher Critias on his crusade to end the Pelennessian War."
Give em another moment. Some may just want to admire a work they've seen countless times, others may need their memory jogged, and a few might be seeing this work for the first time.
Their expressions all say the same thing: this large canvas has a meaningful and beautiful scene pictured on it. He's got to make sure that his presentation is as engaging as possible—Why should the audience he interested if the presenter sounds disinterested or the presentation lacks that spicy hot enthusiasm?
"For those who aren't super familiar with the artist, Titian Vercelli is regarded as one of the most remarkable painters of all time." Valen continuously moves from one side to the enter, making gestures with his hands. "He's also one of my personal favorites, somebody that I think is right up there with Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael."
An elderly gentleman in a gray suit indicates that he has something to say. A knot's forming in his stomach, but he'll be fine…maybe. He's a friendly guy...it's just that…this man is a world authority on Titian and the curator from the Ufficio.
"Go ahead, Mr. Russo." Slipping up would be bad, but it would be rude to ignore the question.
"I must say you are quite knowledgeable for your age." Mr. Russo gestures towards the painting. "There are many fine works by Titian, but I would like to know what compelled you to select this one specifically."
"Thank you, and that's an excellent question." The knot's starting to go away. "I was struggling with what painting to choose, but I had some help." His gaze briefly moves towards Rosa and Hilda, who're sitting front and center. "This painting is a great choice to showcase Titian's excellent use of color and dramatic scenes."
Rosa's more focused on Valen than his presentation—she couldn't be any more proud of him Hilda's own loving gaze is all she needs to see to know her bestie's mindset.
Hilda and her can sense that he's still nervous, but he's answering questions and addressing comments like a champ. They can't get enough of him explaining pigments like the lanp black and lead white used for Pangoro and Obstagoon. He even's explaining how Pyukumuku's Purify and Pokémon that know Refresh helped to make the latter, a very popular pigment, safer to use!
Valen steps away from the podium and points towards the embrace between Pangoro and Obstagoon. "When you first stare at this painting, your eyes are usually drawn towards the center." He moves his finger back and forth between the Pokémon and soldiers. "You have these two big bad Pokémon showing a more sensitive side, plus you have two generals dropping their weapons and ordering their men to do the same." He steps back in front of the microphone. "As many of you are aware, a common theme in art is the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Titian took that and used it to represent that bond helping to end a bloodbath before it could happen."
Rosa raises her hand. "Would Critias' words have the same impact without it?" She winks and places a finger on her lower lip. "I clearly don't know the answer."
"Excellent question, person whom I clearly don't know." Yes, they got a laugh out of the audience! "In his biography of Critias, the historian Phaetarch did state that Critias believed that the bonds between people and Pokémon played a role in his successes. Centuries prior, Herocedes had written the same detail of his character in his work." Did she ask that to give him an extra dose of confidence? "And centuries after, one of the greatest painters of all time painted this."
Rosa clasps her hands on her lap, eager to see him bring up one of the coolest details about the work. Woo-hoo, he's pointing to Aggron and Vaporeon further in the center! Like many painters throughout history, Titian snuck in portraits of two of his Pokémon besties. Now he's talking about the presence of Champion Kratos and his soldiers.
"Critias didn't want to do it in this manner, but he needed backup in case force was required." Valen points at the background detail of two. "Some soldiers were hesitant, but the two back here actually tried to fight Kratos and his Machamp."
So far, so good. Don't let the doubt get to you again, you're Team Skull's Valen. Beat it down and beat it down without ever letting up.
"Let's move on to background and influence."
First up will be a slide about the history of the conflict in question. Two detailed maps and a timeline are provided here.
"The Pelennessian War was between Syramos and the Persen Empire, and it was an on and off again conflict from about 490 BCE to 480 BCE." Gotta move around to release this steady flow of energy. "Critias was exiled by the newest leader for his opposition, so he chose to live with the Stenacans. But Critias was very popular in Syramos, so much so that people took up arms in rebellion. Leading the revolt were Champion Apollo and his eventual successor, Galatea."
Next up is a slide that shows a rather unique take on Kyogre and Groudon. Instead of trying to beat each other up, they're overcome with sorrow. He likes to imagine Groudon saying "tell me what are we fighting for, we've got to end this war." Rayquaza's surprised expression looks like his own when he first saw this work at age seven.
"Contemporary accounts, chiefly Pietro Vasari in his monumental Lives of the Great Artists, state that the overall presentation was influenced by Raphael's A Shared Home. The overall composition is quite similar, and this work was unveiled less than a year prior to Ceasefire."
The next slide contains two more works by Raphael and a work by Botticelli. One Raphael piece showcases Critias writing on papyrus in a room, while the other showcase a wasteland scene so iconic that it's universally recognizable. The Botticelli depicts a similar scene to Ceasefire, except Critias is breaking up a street brawl between armored soldiers in Botticelli's work.
"Vasari later states that The Teachings of Critias and The Ultimate Weapon were major influences for Titian's depiction of the selected subject matter. Both Raphael and Titian were inspired by Botticelli's Ending Folly."
Onto what this worked influenced, but Titian was a very influential painter overall. One of the most famous examples of his influence is Neville Poussin's Critias Giving a Speech. It's sharing the slide with Rembrandt van Remis' Critias Braves The Darkness, Domingo Velázquez's Critias Encounters Korradion and Miraidon, and Sir Patrick Pierre Rubens' The Folly of War.
"These are four out of the five Baroque titans, and each represented a different aspect of Critias' life," he states. "Titian was also a big influence on Rubens's star pupil, Sir Arnold van Dyck."
The fifth Baroque titan, an artist who also influenced Arnold van Dyck, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Velázquez, needs further explanation. His eyes light up at the sight of a leading scholar on this artist nodding in approval. A few others seem eager to hear his proposition, especially a certain contemporary painter who's a ball of fluff.
"While we don't know how much Titian influenced him, I propose that Titian was a big influence on my all time favorite painter: Marcantonio Matteo da Caravaggio." The painting he's chosen here is Caravaggio's The Pelennessian War. "Caravaggio's presentation has no background, it's right up in your face, it looks like a street brawl, among other differences. That being said, elements of Titian's style can be seen when performing a closer analysis."
As Valen continues to explain his reasons and the terms he used, Rosa begins to ponders her proficiency with the brush. Having studied their styles extensively and painted multiple works akin to both Titian and Caravaggio, she's noticed the similarities to Titian in Caravaggio's tenebrism. If Valey needs backup at any point, Super Rosa will save the day. Grrr, feel Rosa's power!
….She could be among all of these great artists in a presentation…she can do it. Yes, she can do it! She will do it! She wants to be the very best, just like the Old Masters before!
Tee-hee, look at him bringing up Zoffany's Gathering at the Museum! That's right, name every artist amongst the painting inception! Ooooh, now he's moving on to Émile Delacroix and the Impressionists! Woo-hoo, he mentioned the Unovan Impressionists! Go go go go! Goooooooo smiling Valey sweetie!
"Now for provenance."
This slide contains a general outline and a portrait of the patron, the Earl of Wedgehurst. The commission sprees of this sophisticated fanboy of antiquity gave the world a trove of Renaissance masterpieces.
"This work was the first commission Titan had received from Galar, and that was in the year 1515." He turns around and his meet the portrait's lifelike stare. "Around the same time he commissioned this, Sir Endymion Beckett had commissioned this portrait by another famous artist many of you know: Heinrich Holbein the Younger."
He moves around again, but he briefly stops to proceed to the next slide. This one has additional works commissioned by the patron, such as Dürer's The Battle of Geosenge and Mantegna's Voice of the Forest. The former has a grieving AZ cradling his fallen Floette, while his own men continues the clash with no regard for the innocent life last. The latter has a Celebi in the middle of a habitat that's lush, pristine, and packed with other Pokémon.
Now it's time for Unova. "It's through Sir Nathaniel Mistralton that the painting ended up in Opelucid City." Gotta love this portrait too. " A few years before he moved, Theodore Gainsborough painted this picture of him. Shortly after that, James Wright of Hulbury painted him studying scientific data on Pokémon."
Onto the next slide. to have some more fun. A large photo of an old letter's now on the screen, and he'll pause so the audience can take a few moments to read it. It's here for humorous purposes—this guy apparently evolved into a Vigoroth while visiting an art dealer in Castelia City.
"Now this is a very significant piece of history," he jokes. "This is one the most important documents you'll ever see."
Phew, a bunch on em are laughing again. Especially those who know that by this point, paintings by the Old Masters had risen in price. This guy bought a trio of Titian works alongside seven Rembrandts, and all ten are now within these museum's walls.
"It's a letter that proves hiding how much you spent from your spouse is a time honored tradition." More laughter, more music to his ears. "Personally, I think it should also be on display due to how significant it is."
Rosa tries to raise her hand again, but Hilda yanks it down and raises a hand over her own.
It's my turn to ask a question, Rosa," Hilda whispers with a faint titter, then she locks her eyes onto Valen. "What did the dealer write to this silly guy in response?" she winks. "I caught Rosa's spontaneous amnesia." That bop's not very effective.
Valen chuckles and moves onto the next slide. The response letter causes the most laughter yet, and for good reason. It can be summed up in three words: best of luck. This is going way better than expected, he thinks. Time to move onto the middle of the 1800s, for that's when the painting ended up in Calvanian Museum of Art.
"Hehe, Val-Val's rocking this," Hilda whispers to Rosa. "We should give him a big hug."
"Silly Hilda, big hugs are normal."
"Silly me indeed."
Val-Val's wrapping up the presentation with his family's long association with the museum, which dates back to 1797. They weren't one of the three families that turned this former palace into a museum a couple of years prior, but they were among the earliest to contribute.
"I encourage all of you to come take a closer look at this, as well as Titian's other paintings housed in this room." As Rosa would say, the slides just went poof. "Thank you for your time."
Loud clapping fills up the room, while he briefly looks away to silently sigh in relief. He's gotta contain himself, but his mind feels almost weightless now.
The balls of fluffs were the first ones to clap, but everybody seems pleased. Not bad, Team Skull's Valen. Not bad at all. Maybe bridging the gap via EeveeTube is one of the things best suited for you. Publishing those written works is still up in their air, but he's starting to lean towards doing just that. He could always share a sneak peek or two online.
Most of the paintings he showed are housed in these walls, A Shared Home, The Pelennessian War, and the two portraits of Sir Mistralton being the exceptions. Those are respectively housed in the Lilycove Museum, The Regional Gallery of Orre, and The Aspertia Gallery. He hopes those unfamiliar will admire them too, whereas those in the know got admire multiple stupendous works.
The clapping's still ringing inside of Hilda's mind, even though she's now in the lobby. She hums a tune while relaxing on one of the fancy ornante chairs.
Hehe, look at silly Val-Val and his Gengar trying to sneak away from everybody! It didn't work, but it wasn't going to work in the first place! He knocked that presentation out of the park, and now he's encircled by friends and family members! Hehe, he's going to keep climbing up that mountain with Expert Trainer and everybody else!
The candle called motivation burns like Mt. Chimney inside of her. Sure, the big project may be out of reach for her, but battling like a boss isn't. Maybe she could also give contests another go, or maybe she can form a duo with Lisia! How cool would that be?!
She can see it now! The talented and beautiful Hilda Odelle White in the Diancie dress Valerie made for her. Lights, camera, action! Standing back to back with her equal, Lisia Hoshiko De Vreese!
"Wake up."
Valen returns the favor from this morning via a nudge from a poster he got at the gift shop. She titters and gives him a kiss on the lips. Not wanting to be left out, Gengar makes the same funny faces from before the presentation. The shared laughter makes his eyes close and his grin drops open.
He slouches onto the chair that's to the right of Hilda. "Man, I can't believe it." He lets out a deep, prolonged sigh of relief. "I can't believe I managed to keep my nerves in check."
"What matters is that you pulled it off."
She's got a point, but now he's curious about the matter from several days ago. He's still concerned about the toll it took on her.
"How are you feeling now?" he asks. "About the park and Battle Frontier."
"Well, I'm still saddened by it." Her smile becomes remorseful. "More so because it feels like I tricked those closest to me."
He kisses the top of her head. "You didn't, I promise."
"Thanks." Hilda rubs his shoulders. "I'm still going to picture my dream of this region having a Battle Frontier." She happily closes his eyes. "I'll each and every day to the fullest extent!"
"That's my girl."
Rosa bops both of them to announce her arrival, but Hilda and him bop her back in response. She's managed to pull herself back from her self-doubt as an artist. Perhaps that gave Hilda and him a boost too?
"Our most recent selfies got over nine thousand likes." Rosa shows them the posts. "You know what means, don't you?"
"We've won the selfie battle against Raihan." Hilda folds her palms together. "But the most important thing is that everybody had fun."
"F is for fun that we have together.~" Rosa forms a V with her hands. "U is for uncontainable glee.~"
"N is for no dullness whenever we're around, that's our big decree.~"
"Such a victory is to be expected from my queens." Valen rubs their heads. "And they're balls of fluff no matter what."
"Hehe, that's our Val-Val."
As they talk, Rosa's mind veers towards her inner feelings. The campfire of passion already burns brightly inside of her, but her hero's struck again.
Affirmative, Captain Roooosa! The desire for a bigger acting career and her desire to be her generation's Raphael remains as powerful as a big legendary! Raphael studied the greats of his time, and she firmly believes that he'd study and practice subsequent art styles.
She also wants to be her generation's Caravaggio, minus the massive amounts of snark. She'll sass like there's no tomorrow, but snark's not really her style. If he had done his presentation on Caravaggio, Valen may have had to leave out the comebacks Caravaggio gave to critics that heckled him? Some of the responses were quite…vulgar.
Rosa and Hilda have pressed their backs together, presumably to pummel everybody with their amazing personalities and looks. For both, one hand holds a Poke Ball and the other hand is used for a sideways peace sign near their foreheads.
"We'll always look good for you!" They wink at him. "We'll always look cool with you! If a Slaking moves, they already know it's us two!"
"Heh." Valen offers a fist bump. "I've got your backs, you two got mine?"
Rosa and Hilda accept the fist bump times four. "We'll always always always always have your back, our favorite booooy!"
Surprise overcomes him when he's swept into an embrace by Melanie, but it evaporates from the endothermic sensation of her arms around his neck. He wastes no time in resting a hand on her back, his other hand being used to stroke her long black hair.
"I'm proud of you." She kisses his forehead. "Very proud."
"Hearing that from you will always warm my heart." He gives her a few soft pats on her back. "Love you."
"Right back at you, bestie."
Skyla, Asgard, and Jacques walk towards them, and they all partake in a group fist bump. Kris is giving Leaf a private tour and Silver's trying to brush up on Michelangelo via La Pieta di Yveltal and the artist's second rendition of Trainer. They didn't take off without getting fist bumps of their own first.
His phone's blowing up thanks to the friends and family who watched it at home. Surprisingly, even Wes tuned in. Wes isn't exactly the fine art type of guy, but he supposes friendship transcended that.
Will he go ahead and send his works to Wood Books for publishing? Will he bridge the gap? Who knows, but what he does know is that contests want his attention too.
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