Chương 20: Chapter no.19 A Deal with Flint
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Flint tread softly through the narrow street, his boots scuffing against the cobblestones. The road wound between stone houses with arched doorways and small, barred windows. He paused, his gaze fixed on the simple house he and his wife had bought after they married—the very home where his children now lived without him. His posture sagged with the weight of his emotions, shoulders hunched, and hands trembling slightly at his sides. Memories, thick and poignant, clouded his eyes with a sheen of regret.
With a deep, shaky breath, Flint shook his head. He reached into his coat pocket and carefully placed an envelope full of money—this month's savings—on the doorstep. Each bill was a sacrifice, money that could have afforded him necessities, but if it meant easing his children's burdens, it was a price Flint was willing to pay.
His heart clenched at the thought, his hands lingering on the envelope before he forced them away.
The sound of footsteps approached from inside the house.
"Coming!" called the familiar voice of his oldest son, Brock.
Flint's heart skipped a beat.
He yearned to stay, to face his son, to embrace his role as a father once again, to mend the rifts wrought by his past mistakes. But the weight of his sins felt too heavy, the scars too deep.
Panic surged through Flint as the door lock clicked open. His breath hitched, chest tightening, a cold sweat breaking across his forehead. Without another thought, he turned and darted toward the cover of the street. He pressed his back against the cold stone of a nearby building, his body shaking as he whispered to himself, "Coward!"
Berating himself, Flint moved deeper into the shadows of the street.
His pace slowed only when he reached the local park, where the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
Here, the air was alive with the sounds of laughter and the excited shouts of children watching Pokémon trainers—both local and foreign—engage in battle.
He was about to slip away into the shadows when his gaze landed on a young trainer, Austin, conversing animatedly with another trainer about his age. The two walked side by side toward the public matchfield—the field itself was a simple expanse of compacted soil with stone platforms around the perimeter for trainers.
Curiosity momentarily outweighed Flint's turmoil. He hesitated, then edged closer to observe the match. Perhaps it was merely a distraction from his own inner conflicts, or maybe there was a genuine interest in seeing what this peculiar young man could do—Flint wasn't entirely sure which.
The two trainers released their Pokémon onto the battlefield.
On one side stood a Poliwag, its body sleek and glistening under the sunlight, with large eyes and pink lips that doubled as suction cups. The distinctive black and white swirl on its abdomen seemed almost hypnotic.
Flint's attention then shifted to Austin's side, where a seemingly ordinary Rattata was being prepped for battle.
But there was nothing ordinary about how Austin was handling it.
Flint's eyebrows rose in surprise as he noticed Austin strapping a vest onto the small, purple Pokémon.
The vest was laden with weighted bars of metal, a training vest designed specifically to enhance a Pokémon's speed by adding resistance during their movements.
"Why is he using that in a Pokémon battle? It'll get destroyed."
...
Jimmy's face reddened with anger at the sight of the training vest on Austin's Rattata.
"You think I'm a pushover?!"
Austin, however, only shrugged in response, an action that seemed to fuel Jimmy's fury even more. In a fit of exasperation, Jimmy flung a rock into the sky.
As the rock clattered back to earth, both trainers called out their moves.
"Bubble Beam!"
"Run to the right and wait for my signal," Austin instructed just as Poliwag responded by launching a stream of blue bubbles from its mouth.
Rattata, weighed down by the training vest, dashed to the right with surprising speed, almost as if it had used a Quick Attack.
"Turn your head!"
Poliwag's head turned, redirecting the stream of bubbles.
"Jump!"
Rattata leaped over the sweeping arc of bubbles, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Quick Attack into Tail Whip!"
Austin called out.
Rattata charged, a white trail of energy blurring behind her as she sped towards Poliwag. Due to the awkward angle and Austin's desire to preserve the vest, the Quick Attack missed.
However, Rattata used her momentum to spin around and smack Poliwag in the face with her tail.
"Water Gun!"
Poliwag regained its stance, its lips glistening as it sprayed a jet of water at Rattata.
"Dodge with Quick Attack?!"
Rattata, boosted by the additional speed from the Quick Claw, dodged the water with incredible agility.
"Hypnosis!" Jimmy yelled in desperation. Poliwag started swaying, the hypnotic swirl on its belly beginning to spin.
"Tail Whip!"
In a swift reaction, the little lady turned as her tail struck Poliwag, disrupting the hypnotic dance.
Due to the turn of her body, Rattata wasn't caught in the hypnosis as she wasn't looking at it
Before Jimmy could issue another command, Austin yelled, "Quick Attack!" Without hesitation, Rattata ran and headbutted Poliwag in the belly.
Normally, a Quick Attack would involve the whole body slamming into the opponent shoulder-first, but to avoid damaging the vest, Rattata opted for a headbutt using her forward momentum.
The impact, combined with the lowered defense from the Tail Whips, was enough.
Poliwag crumpled to the ground in defeat.
Jimmy, frustration evident in his clenched jaw and furrowed brow, recalled his defeated starter Pokémon back into its Pokéball.
Austin gently called back Rattata after her impressive display. As he held her, he noticed the distinct veins throbbing along her tail.
The dilation of these veins, which allowed more blood flow to support her strenuous activity, was particularly evident now, a clear indication of how hard she had pushed herself.
"Looks like the training is working, huh. Why don't you rest?"
Rattata puffed out her chest, her body language screaming her desire to continue the fight.
Austin lightly tapped her nose with a finger. "Rest. This isn't up for discussion."
Rattata's expression turned into a frown as Austin picked her up, her little feet dangling. He smiled at her warmly. "I know that you want to continue, but remember what we discussed. Only one battle."
As Rattata chattered her teeth in mild protest, Austin placed her gently on his shoulder. "See, best spot!"
Meanwhile, Pikachu, who was sitting beside Austin's backpack with a packet of half-finished ketchup, watched the scene unfold. The electric type's eyes narrowed into a glare directed at Rattata, who returned the look with a mischievous smirk.
In response to Rattata claiming what he considered his rightful place, Pikachu jumped onto the other side of Austin's shoulder, making Austin regret his decision as he tried to balance the two.
"Ahem! We have a battle."
Austin nodded as Jimmy released a Nidorino, a light-purple, quadrupedal mammalian Pokémon with darker purple patches and large, spiny ears. Its narrow black eyes and the long snout with two pointed teeth protruding from the upper jaw added to its intimidating appearance.
Austin responded by releasing Spearow, the small bird Pokémon now also donning a training vest.
As he clipped the Quick Claw necklace around Spearow's neck, Jimmy watched calmly, his earlier frustration subsided for the moment.
"Poison Sting!"
Nidorino's horn glinted under the sunlight as it started to glow white, signaling the imminent attack. With precision, it fired multiple white darts from its stinger directly at Spearow.
"Dodge."
Spearow, still in the air, responded with swift aerial maneuvers. His wings cut through the air with grace and speed, narrowly evading the barrage of darts.
"Leer!"
Spearow's eyes glowed menacingly as he fixed his gaze on Nidorino, who involuntarily took a step back, its confidence wavering under the bird's intense stare.
"Nidorino, don't back down! Use Water Pulse!"
Nidorino opened its mouth, and a ring of water formed, launching multiple high-speed pulsating rings towards Spearow.
"Fly up!"
But it was too late; the water pulse struck Spearow squarely. The impact was sudden and forceful, sending the wet bird spiraling down from the sky.
With a splash, Spearow hit the soil, feathers drenched and sticking to his body.
"Spearow, you okay?!"
"Row!" Despite the fall, Spearow managed to stand up, shaking off the water as his feathers fluffed out slightly.
"Peck!"
Nidorino charged forward, its horn glowing ominously.
"Growl?!"
He outsped Nidorino, issuing a fierce growl that caused Nidorino's Peck to lose some of its lethality. Even so, the impact sent Spearow tumbling back.
"Fury Attack?!"
Spearow, feeling the weight of his soaked vest, decided it was time to shed it. With a swift movement, he threw off the vest, his talons glowing.
Now free from the burden of the training vest, Spearow launched at Nidorino with incredible speed, his talons striking first. Nidorino staggered back under the rapid swipes, each hit precise and forceful.
"Peck!" Nidorino attempted a point-blank attack. Austin countered immediately.
"Quick Attack!"
Spearow, though visibly tired, ran forward. His little feet propelled him at breakneck speed, and he landed his wing onto Nidorino.
"Ow!"
Spearow squawked as he retreated slightly, his body showing clear signs of poison. Austin clicked his tongue in frustration.
Nidorino's ability is Poison Point. Spearow is poisoned.
As Nidorino opened its mouth to unleash another Water Pulse, Austin's mind momentarily went blank. The sight of his poisoned Spearow, struggling in flight, filled him with uncertainty.
But then, something unexpected happened. A dark aura enveloped Spearow's beak, startling Austin from his panicked thoughts.
What is happening?!
Nidorino fired the Water Pulse just as Spearow leapt into the air, his beak glowing an ominous crimson black. Using gravity to his advantage, Spearow rammed his beak into the nape of Nidorino with an intensity that surprised everyone watching. A bright, blinding light enveloped the field, forcing Austin to shield his eyes.
As the light dissipated, the scene that unfolded was beyond what anyone had expected.
Nidorino lay unconscious on the ground, while Spearow, though barely standing, managed a smug look in Jimmy's direction. Austin wasted no time and quickly returned Spearow to his Pokéball, his heart pounding.
He immediately consulted his Pokédex, his eyes scanning for an explanation of the mysterious move.
The move entry for Assurance appeared on the screen, describing it as a dark-type move that inflicted damage and doubled its impact if the target had already been hurt. Austin was stunned; he had never heard of such a move before.
As he was absorbing this new information, Jimmy approached, a look of respect on his face. "You were amazing, can't believe that you don't even have your first gym badge," he said, extending his hand.
"Thank you."
While he appreciated the praise, his mind was already racing with ideas on how to improve—fine-tuning Spearow's flying maneuvers and developing better battle strategies were at the top of his list.
"About your prize," Jimmy mentioned, snapping Austin out of his thoughts.
At that cue, Austin pulled out his notebook.
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[ DAY 2 ]
The next day, Flint found Austin in the park again, but this time the young trainer wasn't battling; he was deep in the throes of training.
Rattata was dashing back and forth energetically, the weight vests strapped to her small body.
A few meters away, Pikachu engaged in a different kind of exercise, biting down on a metal rod connected to wires and a battery. Flint recognized the setup immediately—it was training designed to enhance Pikachu's special attacks by absorbing electricity.
Nearby, Austin and his Eevee were tossing plastic rings into the air, and Spearow darted back and forth, agilely catching them in its beak.
"Air maneuver training."
His gaze then drifted to a bunch of homemade protein and vitamin shakes beside the boy.
A few minutes later, an older trainer approached Austin, challenging him to a match. Austin agreed, and to everyone's surprise, the trainer released an Onix. The sheer size and power of the Onix were overwhelming, and despite Austin's strategic efforts and spirited fight, he lost the match.
After the fight, Flint observed Austin's reaction. The boy was visibly upset by the loss, but there was something else in his eyes—a fiery determination that seemed to intensify with the setback.
Flint watched as Austin engaged the older trainer in conversation.
Over the next hour, he saw them talking, discussing tactics, and exchanging strategies.
Flint's respect for the young trainer grew as he witnessed this exchange.
A desire to grow even when he lost, being able to put aside your ego and ask for help and advice. You have a bright future ahead of you.
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[ DAY 3 ]
Flint stumbled upon Austin not in their usual park setting, but rather on the rugged cliffside near Pewter City. There, he observed Austin's Pokémon engaging in an unusual training session: Rattata, Pikachu, and Eevee were not merely climbing the steep rocks but also jumping and backflipping off them, with Spearow circling above, ready to catch any who might fall.
The sight was so peculiar that it peaked Flint's curiosity, prompting him to approach. "Oh, hey Flint. What are you doing here?" Austin greeted him, setting down his book— Understanding the Mind: A Psychological Read.
"I was curious, what are you doing?"
"Oh, well, we are training how to maneuver against an Onix. That thing is... big," Austin replied, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness as he picked at the grass beside him.
Flint's eyes then shifted to a pile of papers next to Austin, catching the title Strategies to Deal with Brock.
Flint visibly gulped.
"Can I ask you something?" Flint ventured after a moment.
"Sure."
"What were you asking that Jimmy fellow?"
Austin chuckled slightly, remembering the conversation. "Oh that, well I made a deal that if Jimmy can beat me in a battle then I'll give him 500 Pokédollars, but if I lose, he has to tell me everything about the Gym Leader Brock."
"Jimmy faced Brock?" Flint raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, the kid was bragging about how he beat Brock, and honestly, if it weren't for the TM for Water Pulse he used on his Nidorino, his skills were meh," Austin said, comparing Jimmy's skills to those of Nobunaga, the samurai boy much more skilled in battle. Flint gave a slow nod in understanding.
"What information did you get?"
"All of it," Austin said with a smile, his eyes lighting up. "What Pokémon Brock used, what moves those Pokémon used? Everything that Jimmy knew."
"And the training vest?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why were you using training vests during your battle?"
"I wanted to see how psychology works in a battle. Jimmy was on his high horse..." Austin dragged out the words, then caught himself with a cough as he remembered the setting.
"Since I offered him such a large sum and then had weighted vests on the Pokémon, he'd either get angry or arrogant and not take the fight seriously," the young boy said
"That's the reason?"
"One of many," Austin replied, waving his hand dismissively as if the manipulation of his opponent's emotions was just a minor detail in his grand strategy.
"Like?"
"I wanted to see what the effects of the Quick Claw were in a battle alongside the training aspect."
"Training aspect?" Flint echoed, trying to keep up with the young trainer's rapid thought process.
"Yeah, the training vest alongside the speed of the Quick Claw. I wanted to measure how much strain would be on my Pokémon's muscles and how quickly they would adapt and grow," Austin said, leaning back against a rock with a smile that sent chills down Flint's spine.
As Flint watched Austin jot down notes with a focused intensity.
This young trainer wasn't just preparing for battles; he was strategizing them with a depth and foresight that went beyond normal expectations.
Austin's willingness to experiment was unsettling in its own right.
He didn't just use tools like the Quick Claw or training vests as they were intended. Instead, he integrated them into complex strategies. This was a trainer who saw beyond the immediate battle, planning several moves ahead, much like a chess player in a high-stakes game.
Furthermore, Austin's method of leveraging his resources—be it Pokédollars or his Pokémon's energy—was unnervingly calculated. Most trainers Flint knew were cautious, often sentimental, about pushing their Pokémon too hard or risking significant resources without guaranteed returns. Austin, however, seemed to measure success not by individual wins but by long-term gains in experience and capability, making him a daunting prospect as a competitor.
This blend of psychological acumen, innovative tactics, and relentless pursuit of improvement was what made Austin not just a strong competitor, but a scary one. Flint knew that in the world of Pokémon battling, being unpredictable and adaptable were invaluable traits that could unsettle even the most experienced trainers.
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Flint walked aimlessly through Pewter City, his mind clouded with thoughts he couldn't shake off. His reverie was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice that pierced the afternoon calm.
"Big Brother Brock, I want chocolate ice cream!"
Flint's head snapped up, his heart pounding as he saw Brock standing with a group of children, each bearing a resemblance to him. The sight, which might have seemed endearing to any onlooker—an older brother caring for his siblings—struck Flint with a harsh blow of reality. This was the responsibility he had abandoned, the role he had pushed onto his eldest son.
Flint felt a lump in his throat, his heart seeming to beat right against it, heavy and suffocating.
"I must do something!"
He turned abruptly and making his way toward the forest area. His steps quickened as he approached an old, abandoned cabin—a secret haven where he and Lola, Brock's mother, used to sneak away for dates when their strict parents forbade them. The nostalgia of the path, overgrown yet familiar, pulled him forward.
Flint pushed open the cabin door, its hinges groaning in protest. The interior was shrouded in shadows, dust motes dancing in the few shafts of light that penetrated the boarded-up windows. Everything was coated with a fine layer of dust, untouched by time yet haunted by memories.
His eyes landed on a small, dust-covered photo on a makeshift shelf. It was a picture of him, Lola, and a month-old Brock, smiling innocently. Flint's lips quivered as he fought back tears, the image blurring slightly before his eyes.
He hastily grabbed a metal cube sitting near the photo and ran.
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Austin was breezing through the outskirts of Pewter City on his bike, Pikachu and Vee perched happily behind him, enjoying the rush of wind. Their peaceful ride was abruptly halted when a panting Flint appeared in front of them, blocking their path.
"Why does everyone jump in front of my bike?"
"S-Sorry, I just wanted to make a deal," Flint wheezed out, struggling to catch his breath after his sudden sprint.
"What can I do for you?"
In response, Flint tossed a metal cube towards Austin. Catching it reflexively, Austin examined it closely. "This is a TM?"
"Yes, the TM for Hidden Power," Flint confirmed, his eyes locked on Austin's reaction.
Austin's jaw dropped in surprise.
"You can have it," Flint added quickly.
The boy shook his head, suspicion coloring his tone. "You want me to do what?"
"I want you to forfeit the match against Brock."
A silence stretched between them as Austin blinked incredulously, his gaze shifting from the TM to the older man.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't fight Brock as your first gym battle, and you can have that TM."
In response, Austin tossed the cube back toward Flint and began to pedal away.
"Wait!" Flint exclaimed, lunging forward to grab the tire of the bike, halting it once more.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Is this TM not enough?" Flint asked, his voice desperate.
Flint's unusual request confused and irritated Austin.
"Flint, tell me why or else I am leaving?"
"I ... You'll break Brock."
"What?"
"Your training, your schemes, your prep... they aren't something a trainer who doesn't have a gym badge usually has. If Brock faces you, then he'll be defeated in such a humiliating fashion that Brock..." Flint's voice cracked.
Austin exhaled deeply, reading between the lines of Flint's fragmented confessions. "You're worried that I might break Brock's confidence."
Flint nodded.
"Then you are an idiot," Austin stated bluntly. Flint stiffened, taken aback by the harshness in the young trainer's voice. "Brock is stronger than this; he has always been."
"What do you know about him?! How can you say that with so much confidence that Brock won't be affected by his loss against you?"
"Because Brock needed to be strong. He gave up so much. Do you think this was his dream? Being a gym leader? Do you think he didn't have it hard when he had to take care of so many of his siblings?" Austin's words poured out, resonating with a harsh truth that made Flint's legs buckle.
Flint stared up at Austin, his eyes wide with shock.
"Flint, you don't need to bribe me to protect some fragile version of Brock. Your son is stronger than this."
How did this boy know his identity?
"Brock and his siblings need their good-for-nothing father back."
Flint sat there on the dusty road, the departing figure of the young trainer growing smaller in the distance. His body was slumped.
Lola, I don't know what to do.
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