Chapter 6: Bugs and Stars
Save for the Route 6 incident, my first year at the Lumiose Magic Academy ended well. I had good grades, not the top (because in my homeroom alone, the top grade average was contested between Trevor and Serena) but better than I expected. I went back to Vaniville for summer break and was glad to spend good time with my parents again. However, my parents were busily employed. I ended up spending several days with just their Pokemon and mine, much like past summers. But I didn't have the option to go visit Gran, so I soon got bored. Dad suggested that I look for a temporary job around Vaniville, but I soon found a more interesting option a bit further north from Aquacorde, in Santalune.
At the bus station, Calem checked the newspaper clipping for the address he needed. But on walking a couple of blocks down the colorful old town, it quickly became apparent that he didn't need the address. There was one large building with a semitrailer parked in front of it. The building had been made to fit into this community, but it had an air of newness that the rest he saw did not. In a couple of weeks, this place was going to open as an official Kalos Pokemon League Gym.
Outside of the building, he found a few other kids and a number of Pokemon waiting around a woman. Most of the Pokemon there were Bug type, Calem noted. Then a Bug Gym? He didn't have a Bug Pokemon, although for the first part of this, he probably didn't need one. The woman, after looking over a clipboard, looked at the group. “Okay, anybody else needs to sign up for the job?”
“I'd like to,” Calem called, hurrying over to them. “Sorry for being late.”
She smiled kindly. She had pale brown hair tied up in a ponytail and dressed more like she was out for a hike than setting up a gym. “You're just in time, actually. Okay then, my name is Viola, soon to be the Gym Leader here. What's your name?”
“Calem,” he said, stopping as some of the others parted to let him in the group. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Do you have the application letter as it was in the ad?” He nodded and handed it over, leading her to copy a few lines on her clipboard. But one point made her raise her eyebrows. “You're from LMA? Oh dear, I don't think I have the forms for their interns yet.”
He shook his head. “No, that's fine. I don't think I need to be doing that yet.”
She laughed gently. “Oh yes, I see. Anyhow, looks good, so welcome to the crew.” She looked over them in case of another latecomer. “Okay then, the basic structure of the gym is up, but we need to put everything else in place, prepare some set pieces, test the challenge structures, run test battles, and many other small tasks. Let the Pokemon handle the heavy lifting and... let's see...”
That first day, he got assigned to help paint the entrance room with a few other kids. Over the next few days, he helped with more painting, assisted with carpeting the entrance room, created a few sculptures that resembled giant leaves, helped to test the weight capacity of a path of spider webbing, and battled a few times with the other assistants to make sure the Gym was ready. A lot of it was tough work, but they only had to work a few hours a day. And Viola would work alongside them, chatting in a friendly way and making sure the tasks weren't drudgery.
-+-
One day, Calem got a surprise when Swift evolved into a Frogadier during some test battles. She didn't change all that much at first; she grew a little larger, refined her look, changed her basic stance. After the work was over, he took her out to Route 22 to see how she performed more out in the open. She was getting quicker and stronger.
He had all of his Pokemon out as usual. Mortan was hiding among some flowers, keeping an eye on Percival. The Honedge was keeping to the shadows of trees rather than joining in. Having gotten him back a couple days ago, Calem knew he should do something to make Percival feel more comfortable with having them as friends. He wasn't sure what, other than just having him around and treating him like the others. His father had said that some Pokemon just needed more time to adjust to being in a Trainer's party; it might be a case like that.
On the other hand, the Furfrou was happily running along the footpath, eager to join battles and get other Pokemon to race him. Calem had the Furfrou race against Swift. The canine Pokemon rushed along in one continuous motion, in a straight line. Opposing him, Swift could make impressively agile bounds, but not actually run. She opted to use a jagged path, landing among grasses that just covered her. At the point where the two of them turned around, she hopped out and landed right in the Furfrou's path. He fumbled immediately in trying not to trip over her, allowing her an extra few seconds to turn and jump back. Swift won.
“That was a clever bit of trickery,” Calem told them, then came over and petted the Furfrou. “But it was trickery in the end, so don't let it get you down. You could've won that.”
The Furfrou barked and licked his face, making him laugh. At that point, someone nearby said, “Your Furfrou's looking a bit rough. How does it even see with its fur like that?”
He looked over and saw someone familiar. “Oh, h-hello Serena,” he said. To hide his bashfulness, he turned back to the Furfrou and lifted the fur from his eyes. “I was wondering that myself, but he doesn't seem to have much trouble. I don't think he looks bad.”
Serena came closer, taking hold of the Furfrou's fur and running it through her fingers. “Maybe to the average person, but a Furfrou admirer would find him quite shaggy.”
“I have wondered if I should get his fur cut, if only to keep him cool as the summer gets hot,” Calem said. “I know I've seen an ad for a groomer in Vaniville.”
“You'd best make sure that the groomer is able to handle a Furfrou,” Serena said. “And once you start trimming them, their fur grows out quickly. You'd have to get it done at least once a week, preferably twice.”
“That much? Seriously? I didn't know that when I got him.” And that was something to be concerned about. If a groomer might need extra training to deal with a Furfrou (which it sounded like from her explanation), then it would probably cost extra too. And this job was due to end soon.
“If you battle regularly, you should be able to handle the costs,” she said, almost reading his mind.
“I have been battling, but I'm not getting much for it directly,” he said. When she gave him a puzzled look, he explained about how he was helping out in the new Gym.
That seemed to impress her. “Oh, you're helping out Viola? That's great; I’ve seen her battle a few times and I’m sure she could give you some interesting tips. Mostly if you... oh, do you have a Bug typed Pokemon?” She glanced around at his Pokemon that were hanging out nearby.
“No, I'm just helping her set up after all,” Calem said.
“You'd get better experience if you kept working with her after the Gym opened, and for that,” Serena smiled at some idea she had. “Actually, I knew about Furfrous since I was thinking about training one myself for a while. It would be different to have to raise one while also keeping attentive to its appearance. So how about we trade? I picked up a Pinsir recently, but I don't think I’ll actually be using her. If I do decide on using a Bug Pokemon, I’ve got another in mind.”
A Pinsir? He couldn't think immediately of what that Pokemon was. But working as a Gym Trainer could be interesting too. And he knew that he could trust the Furfrou's care to Serena. Calem nodded. “All right, that sounds good.” They handled the trade there so that the Furfrou left with Serena as she went east and the Pinsir Nibbles stayed Calem.
To his surprise, Nibbles was as tall as he was, not including the Pinsir's barbed pincers which curved over her head. She was definitely bigger than him, with a wide carapace and sturdy legs. Calem tried her out in a few battles, using what he knew about Bug types to decide which ones to keep her out in.
The next person to walk by and talk to him was actually Viola. “Oh hey, you've got a charming new addition,” she said happily, coming into the tall grass to join them.
“She's good, although I'm not sure about charming,” Calem said, making her laugh. “One of my friends came by earlier; she traded me the Pinsir here for my Furfrou.”
“That's a wonderful thing to do, trade Pokemon among friends,” Viola said. “I used to do that a lot when I was a teenager. Are you re-thinking about staying on for the rest of summer?”
“Yeah, although is one enough?” he asked, rubbing his head.
She nodded. “Sure, that'd be fine. Since you're a relatively new Trainer, I’d only assign you to the low level challenges. But if you want to add a second, that would help you out. All you'd need to do is go into Santalune Forest and pick up a Scatterbug there. Scatterbug is an easy Pokemon to start with, but it can still become effective if you put the effort into it. If you decide to not focus on Bug types like me, then it's no trouble to release one back into the forest. Some other Pokemon, you really don't want to let back into the wild if you've trained them far enough. They start to depend on humans and can't make it in the wild as well.”
“How do you know which ones are which?” Calem asked.
Viola thought about it, then shrugged. “Well, it's hard to say. Asking someone like myself, who knows a lot about particular kinds, is best, but I can only judge the fitness and well-being of Bug types. As far as I know, there isn't anybody who'd know about every Pokemon out there and there are some Bug Pokemon that even I don't know much about.” She looked around, then nodded. “Hey Calem, do you know why I chose to have my Gym here? I'm actually from Lumiose and I've been traveling all around Kalos and neighboring regions since I was old enough.”
“Is it because of Santalune Forest?” Calem asked. “The one time I went in there, I did see a lot of Bug Pokemon.”
“That's a small reason, but the big reason is over there. See?” She pointed to a nearby mountain. While other mountains could be seen on clear days, they were all far off on the horizon. Only hills and the flat plains around Lumiose were near this one. “On that mountain lies Victory Road.”
“Really?” Calem asked, looking over the mountain closer. There was an impressive building at a crossroads between Route 22 going east and another path going north and up the mountain. Trees and distance made it hard to make out much else about it.
Viola nodded. “Yup. There's two castles up there. One is ancient and mostly in ruins, possibly the oldest castle structure still in Kalos. According to legends, the king that built it there had such authority over the land that he was sometimes considered a god. Even those that refused to accept him as such recognized that he had a divine aura, enough to sway the true gods. The other castle was built about fifty years ago by the Pokemon League as their final stage. Kalos no longer has a king, but the regional champions, whether in Pokemon training or magic, are often treated like royalty. I love that.”
“Then you made sure that you had the Gym closest to the champion's castle?”
She giggled. “Yes.” She held her hands close together. “By thirty feet! See, Snowbelle is on the other side of this route and there's a Gym there that's been established for a long time, the longest in the Kalos league currently. So when you come to either one of our gyms, you can get a glimpse of your ultimate goal just beyond your reach. I'm waiting on him to come over and tease me for making my gym closer than his.”
Calem laughed. “Shouldn't be too long, I would think. Maybe on opening day?”
“Maybe. Hey, do you plan on taking the League challenge at some point?”
“I'm not sure about that,” he said with a shrug. He knew some kids his age were enthusiastic about battles, even claiming that being a trainer meant that one couldn't honorably turn down a battle. But he'd never felt as excited about it as others seemed to feel. “Maybe later when I know better what I'm doing.”
I may have told her that, but it didn't stop her from trying to get me interested. Viola seemed that way with everyone; she said her hobby and passion was photography, and it was obvious from her Gym and office that it was so. Yet she was also passionate about Pokemon battling, encouraging those who lost and feeling happy for those who won, even against her. She said that you can tell a lot about a person and their Pokemon in battle. At the time, I thought it was some kind of talent I didn't have. I had more fun in activities that weren't battles.
Still, I did as she recommended: I caught a Scatterbug and spent the rest of the summer as a trainer of Santalune Gym. Scatterbug was a good Pokemon and grew quickly, to the point where I was soon battling Vivillon against those seeking their badges, up to the fourth (making me the youngest Trainer of that group). But I found myself getting more attached to Nibbles the Pinsir that Serena had given me. Maybe it was because of her. Maybe it was because Mortan said that Vivillon didn't have the intelligence to speak well but Nibbles did, so I could learn about her easier. At any rate, once the summer ended, I let that Vivillon go after Viola got some pictures of it for me. Mortan said that he seemed as happy to be free as he was with me, so I guess he would think well of me.
But even being in a job where I was running Pokemon battles nearly every day, it didn't really click for me until late in the summer. If you know of me, you probably know what I’m talking about: the time I took the magic challenge of the Santalune Gym without even trying the training badge.
-+-
“Calem, it's for you,” his father said, handing him the house phone. “It's your boss.”
“All right,” he said, taking the phone. “Hello Viola.”
“Hi Calem!” she said cheerfully. “I hope I’m not disrupting anything.”
“No, it's fine. What is it?” He saw Mortan land his flower on top of the phone's base, examining it.
“Would you mind coming in later than you usually do tomorrow? About two o'clock. It's for something special, as if you work normally, you're going to have to quit early because of it.”
“It depends. What do you want me do to?”
“I want you to take my magic challenge.” She sounded serious about it too.
Calem thought about immediately declining. But, she should know he wasn't that interested now. Did she have a reason behind this request? “Why? I've only completed one year at the magic school, so I don't know if I'm ready for something like that.”
“It's fine, don't worry about the difficulty. The requirements for the first proof of magic are easy. After all, the main thing I'd be looking for is seeing how you cast in the heat of battle. I've already seen you use weather-manipulation spells in battle, which is more than enough to pass the first proof. I just can't give it to you unless you make a formal challenge. And, I would really like a first proof challenge to happen tomorrow because I'm at a loss for ideas for the other challenge.”
That was reassuring, but, “What other challenge?”
“Well, I got a call earlier asking for a reservation for an eighth proof challenge tomorrow, at two o'clock. The training badge challenges aren't that tough to plan for, since the league is fine if you do straight battles for any level. I'm still working on what I want for my proof of magic challenges, though, and haven't gotten around to the eighth.”
“And I come into this how?” Viola explained her idea on how to handle it until she had something better. With the reassurance that he should be capable of his first level challenge, Calem agreed to help out. He then said goodbye to her and disconnected the call. But he didn't put the phone back immediately as Mortan was still sitting there. “Something bugging you?”
“A little,” the Flabebe said. He turned his head as Calem's father came back into the room, so floated over to Calem's shoulder to add, “I don't like the phone. I can't hear what the other person is saying.”
“That's how I feel when you talk to other Pokemon,” Calem pointed out.
He blushed. “Oh, right, sorry. I suppose neither of us can help it. What are we gonna do?”
“We're gonna do something a little crazy tomorrow,” he said. Which meant that he had to explain to his now curious parents, but they were happy to hear of it.
The next day, he arrived in Santalune a few minutes before two and hurried to the gym. There was a camera crew there, something that he should have anticipated. Most people weren't interested in watching a low level proof challenge, but as the higher levels happened less often, this eighth level challenge at a new gym was sure to get regional attention. He went to meet Viola in her office and chatted with her until another gym trainer came to tell them that the other challenger was here.
She was a beautiful woman. Although she was here for battle, she was dressed as elegantly as a movie star at a gala event. Her outfit was even themed for this gym, with a red, black, and white dress that resembled the patterns on a Ledian. She had platinum blond hair that was left loose, save for two braids at the front which were tied around at the back. But as he'd heard, this was normal for her. Diantha was a movie star, after a breakout role in a blockbuster movie that made her known worldwide. She stood out in this crowd like a glamorous goddess, even though everyone else dressed well for this occasion too. Calem had decided to wear his school uniform today instead of trying to find something else formal, which seemed quite modest compared to others..
“Welcome to Santalune, Miss Diantha,” Viola said warmly, treating her as friendly as she treated everyone else. “It's good to see you here.”
“Thanks Viola,” Diantha said, shaking her hand in a dainty manner. “And congratulations on being picked as a Gym Leader. I've been hearing good things about you.”
Viola smiled in a humble way. “I'm just doing what I love, like always. And you're here for your eighth proof of magic in the Kalos League. This is going to be fun! Are you ready?”
“Ready and raring to go,” she said, giving a glance at the Pokemon accompanying her, an equally elegant Gardevoir. “What do you need me to do?”
“We'll get to that when we get inside, but first,” she nodded to Calem, who stepped forward to her side. “You'll be working with this young man, Calem. He's here for his first proof, and you two are going to be taking the same test. Come in and see.” She then went inside the Gym ahead of them.
Diantha paused a moment to consider him. “Together, huh? This should be interesting. Good to meet you Calem.” She offered a handshake, which he accepted.
“Good to meet you too, Diantha,” he said, his heart beating a little faster at meeting someone so famous and beautiful. It hadn't really sunk in until that moment what he'd be doing today. But, he was here for a challenge; he'd need to keep his mind on that.
Followed by the camera crew, Calem and Diantha went inside and took the elevator down to the lowest level in the Gym. Normally, challengers would be taking on Viola on the middle level, where the giant spiderweb labyrinth hung. This was a special match and required a special setting. Down here, there was a flat floor where a giant game board had been painted. Black and gold squares alternated between the entrance area and the battle area on the opposite side.
“Oh, a chess challenge?” Diantha asked immediately, her eyes gleaming. “Those are always fun.”
Viola smiled. “Yes, you've got it. But with a twist this time.” She paused a moment, partly because the film crew was getting into position. This would be broadcast later. Once they had signaled their readiness, she continued. “As you may know, the chess challenge is a regular one for proof of magic on higher levels. The magician must cross the board one square at a time as the Trainer piece, while Pokemon are placed in other positions. Battles will only occur when two pieces compete over a square, but unlike the game, whichever piece wins claims the square. I'll have my Pokemon opposing your progress and the Pokemon you have still on the board will be allowed in your battle against me. It's a test of obedience, trust, and strategy. However, normally the high level challenger would be the one on the board. But not today. Calem will be the one to cross the board, and Diantha must control the game.”
“Oh really?” Diantha said. “A young magician would be more vulnerable to a challenge like this... but I suppose it is more like the game itself.”
Viola nodded. “That's right. Calem, you just have to obey her instructions and battle me when you cross the whole board. Diantha, you'll need to choose the Pokemon on the challenger side from your own Pokemon and Calem's, place them, and then make sure that he can cross the board safely with his Pokemon still available for his challenge. Calem has to be in the trainer position, but that's the only set piece. You'll also be battling me, although you get the choice of going before or after Calem if successful.”
“Oo, now this is interesting,” Diantha said, seeming like she was having fun already. “Are you ready, Calem?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I am.”
“Good, then you two discuss what you've got, and I'll be waiting on the other side,” Viola said, then headed across the board. Once there, she used a spell that caused a shimmer to appear on the board. Probably something to enforce the rules.
Diantha turned to him. “Okay, I’ll need to know what Pokemon you have and what you're all capable of. And, you're a student of LMA?”
“I’ve only passed my first year,” he said, then answered her questions on his team and himself.
After she had her information, she paused to think. “Okay, so... normally in this kind of challenge, you'd put your strongest Pokemon in the god's position so they can quickly move across the board. Also, we've got to consider that at least some of her Pokemon will be of a level appropriate to the eighth proof and thus yours won't be capable of matching them. So I think... oh, but there's a risk of losing Pokemon for the main battle to this. What Pokemon in particular do you want working with you against Viola?”
“I was thinking that my Frogadier and Vivillon would work best,” he said. Any of them would be fine, he felt, but Vivillon probably had the best chance.
In regular games of chess, the pawn pieces were usually represented by first stage Pokemon, with the other pieces being fully evolved Pokemon and a god in the position next to the trainer. However, Diantha put mostly her Pokemon in the pawn positions, with the other positions filled by Calem's and a few that Viola let them borrow to fill out the board. The god position was held by Diantha's Tyrantrum.
Once the game got started, it soon became clear what she was doing. Her Pokemon were stronger and thus better able to handle their opponent Pokemon even though their moves were limited. If another piece came to challenge them for their square, they had a better chance of winning the ensuing duel. On the other hand, if one of his Pokemon got in a dangerous position, Diantha could get them away sooner because they moved more freely. She didn't even order Calem to move until the big threats on the board were taken out. Diantha lost her Gardevoir after it had to deal with four duels, but they completed the game without losing any of Calem's Pokemon.
Viola clapped her hands, dismissing the enchantment on the board. “All right, you've won! So then, who'll be my first opponent?”
“I’ll take that offer,” Diantha said, crossing over the board. Their battle took some time, and was spectacular to watch in person. Observing them both, Calem wondered if he could become that good in magic battles.
After the battle, Viola congratulated Diantha on her win, saying, “This proof shows that you use magic not just for yourself, but to help others and allow them to do things that they wouldn't be capable of on their own.” Then she invited Calem into the battle arena. “Okay, for your first proof of magic, you need to show your skills in battle and magic. There are three ways to win here: defeat the three Pokemon I have, take me out of the battle, or last for five minutes. However, a win will not guarantee that you earn the proof, and a loss might not mean that you don't earn it. The only way to know for sure is to just jump into it and see how you do. Are you ready?”
If the requirement for the first proof was simply being able to cast under pressure as she suggested, that made sense. “I'm ready.”
And that was how I got my first proof of magic, after only one year of study. Frankly, it was a freebie in my case as I had met the requirement just last summer in order to get into the academy. Still, I wouldn't have thought to even try if it wasn't for Viola and Diantha. Viola's naturally friendly, and sharper than one would expect. She told me later that she was happy the chance came up, because she knew I wouldn't go for the proof myself even though I had good potential. I'm glad she looked out for me like that.
And Diantha definitely wasn't expecting to be helping another there. She took up the role without hesitation, though. I had thought that those who focused on Pokemon battles were thinking of their own glory. It seemed that way from a lot of the skilled battlers I had met previously, like the battle club snobs at the academy who saw people that weren't concerned about battles as lazy. When I was younger, my dad, who had tried to make a living as a battler, was rather distant and I didn't like him because of it. Then he got in an accident in a battle and nearly died. He spent months at home in recovery, during which time we got closer.
I remember him saying towards the end of his recovery, “I thought that being a winner would make everyone admire me and solve my problems, but when I won, I only felt jealous eyes watching me. So I thought I had to win bigger, and my unease only grew. Huh, but here I’ve got your admiration for not doing much of anything, and I feel happier than I’ve been in a long time.” That was part of why I had never been enthusiastic about battles when I was younger.
Am I getting off subject? Or is it all part of the story you wanted? Ha, sorry. Anyhow... working with Viola was just a job, a lucky one where I got to hang out with my Pokemon a lot every day. But watching her battle Diantha, that was inspiring. Here were two ladies of differing charms, very different from the image I had of serious trainers, and they were battling in a way that was more like lighthearted chatter of a new friendship. Even their Pokemon were playful about it, pushing each other's limits without worry of fainting in defeat. They must have been confident that they'd be healed up by their Trainers right after battle, so any pain was temporary. And I thought, 'I’d like to be a Trainer like that, if I ever got into battling.' It'd be some time before I really got motivated, but that memory stayed with me when I did.
-+-
Lesson 5: Social Studies (Kalos Pokemon League)
Pokemon battle organizations have come and gone throughout the history of Kalos. Some were government-sponsored, such as the Order of the White Shield, a group of human knights who kept a lifelong Pokemon partner to protect the country and king. Others were social groups, such as the exclusive club connected to what is now called the Battle Chateau. Still others were focused more on the common people, such as the Pokemon Rangers that once made a living by training their Pokemon and themselves to protect people from a tyrannical king and wild Pokemon.
The Pokemon League came to Kalos as part of a worldwide movement after the devastation of the Great War caused the collapse of many existing orders and governments. It was meant as a way to turn Pokemon battles into a sport rather than a method of war and was hugely successful at that. Much of today's stability and prosperity can be attributed to organizations such as the League that were driven to create and inspire a more peaceful world.
The League has a global set of rules and regulations, but each region is allowed some individuality to keep with their cultural standing and beliefs. In Kalos, there are two separate paths to take within the Pokemon League as a challenge. The standard path is the Training Badge challenge. Trainers gather a team of Pokemon, no more than six, to battle against established master trainers who set a certain level of difficulty based on how many badges the challenger has earned. Trainers may give orders or use healing items, but may not participate beyond this, either directly or indirectly. In contrast, the secondary path is the Proof of Magic challenge, which requires that the trainer participate directly in battle alongside their Pokemon. The trainer in such a challenge must be capable of using magic and must cooperate with their Pokemon in order to challenge a master of magic. As with the Training Badge challenge, the gym leader must be capable of giving varying difficulties of battle based on how many proofs the challenger has.
Each gym within the Kalos League must be capable of providing challenges for both paths. However, it is possible, and in some cases advisable, for a gym to have two leaders if the master of one challenge cannot provide an adequate obstacle for the other. Over the years, it has also become expected, although not required, that the gym leader be a community leader, offering assistance to others when needed and doing what they can to keep their community safe and thriving.
Lesson 6: Extra- Chess Moves
Trainer/Human piece- One per side. This piece can only move one square at a time, in any direction. Taking the opponent's Trainer out results in a checkmate, winning the game.
God piece- One per side. This piece can move in a straight line along as many squares as the player wishes unless another piece is in the way. One of the easiest ways of telling where a particular chess set comes from is based on which pair of gods are used. Common pairs include Xerneas and Yveltal (Kalos), Reshiram and Zekrom (Unova), Palkia and Dialga (Sinnoh), Groudon and Kyogre (Hoenn), and Lugia and Ho-oh (Johto, sometimes Kanto).
Scout- Two per side. This piece can move diagonally along any number of squares unless another piece is in the way. The Scout is most often a fully-evolved Pokemon capable of flight.
Attacker- Two per side. This piece moves two squares in one direction, then three squares in a perpendicular direction. The Attacker is most often a fully-evolved Pokemon known for having great strength.
Defender- Two per side. This piece moves in any direction but diagonal along any number of squares unless another piece is in the way. The Defender is most often a fully-evolved Pokemon known for toughness.
Pawns- Eight per side. This piece can only move one square forward at a time. Some games allow pawns to move two squares on their first move. Pawns are usually common or first stage Pokemon, sometimes being lower forms of the more powerful pieces.
Save for the Route 6 incident, my first year at the Lumiose Magic Academy ended well. I had good grades, not the top (because in my homeroom alone, the top grade average was contested between Trevor and Serena) but better than I expected. I went back to Vaniville for summer break and was glad to spend good time with my parents again. However, my parents were busily employed. I ended up spending several days with just their Pokemon and mine, much like past summers. But I didn't have the option to go visit Gran, so I soon got bored. Dad suggested that I look for a temporary job around Vaniville, but I soon found a more interesting option a bit further north from Aquacorde, in Santalune.
At the bus station, Calem checked the newspaper clipping for the address he needed. But on walking a couple of blocks down the colorful old town, it quickly became apparent that he didn't need the address. There was one large building with a semitrailer parked in front of it. The building had been made to fit into this community, but it had an air of newness that the rest he saw did not. In a couple of weeks, this place was going to open as an official Kalos Pokemon League Gym.
Outside of the building, he found a few other kids and a number of Pokemon waiting around a woman. Most of the Pokemon there were Bug type, Calem noted. Then a Bug Gym? He didn't have a Bug Pokemon, although for the first part of this, he probably didn't need one. The woman, after looking over a clipboard, looked at the group. “Okay, anybody else needs to sign up for the job?”
“I'd like to,” Calem called, hurrying over to them. “Sorry for being late.”
She smiled kindly. She had pale brown hair tied up in a ponytail and dressed more like she was out for a hike than setting up a gym. “You're just in time, actually. Okay then, my name is Viola, soon to be the Gym Leader here. What's your name?”
“Calem,” he said, stopping as some of the others parted to let him in the group. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Do you have the application letter as it was in the ad?” He nodded and handed it over, leading her to copy a few lines on her clipboard. But one point made her raise her eyebrows. “You're from LMA? Oh dear, I don't think I have the forms for their interns yet.”
He shook his head. “No, that's fine. I don't think I need to be doing that yet.”
She laughed gently. “Oh yes, I see. Anyhow, looks good, so welcome to the crew.” She looked over them in case of another latecomer. “Okay then, the basic structure of the gym is up, but we need to put everything else in place, prepare some set pieces, test the challenge structures, run test battles, and many other small tasks. Let the Pokemon handle the heavy lifting and... let's see...”
That first day, he got assigned to help paint the entrance room with a few other kids. Over the next few days, he helped with more painting, assisted with carpeting the entrance room, created a few sculptures that resembled giant leaves, helped to test the weight capacity of a path of spider webbing, and battled a few times with the other assistants to make sure the Gym was ready. A lot of it was tough work, but they only had to work a few hours a day. And Viola would work alongside them, chatting in a friendly way and making sure the tasks weren't drudgery.
-+-
One day, Calem got a surprise when Swift evolved into a Frogadier during some test battles. She didn't change all that much at first; she grew a little larger, refined her look, changed her basic stance. After the work was over, he took her out to Route 22 to see how she performed more out in the open. She was getting quicker and stronger.
He had all of his Pokemon out as usual. Mortan was hiding among some flowers, keeping an eye on Percival. The Honedge was keeping to the shadows of trees rather than joining in. Having gotten him back a couple days ago, Calem knew he should do something to make Percival feel more comfortable with having them as friends. He wasn't sure what, other than just having him around and treating him like the others. His father had said that some Pokemon just needed more time to adjust to being in a Trainer's party; it might be a case like that.
On the other hand, the Furfrou was happily running along the footpath, eager to join battles and get other Pokemon to race him. Calem had the Furfrou race against Swift. The canine Pokemon rushed along in one continuous motion, in a straight line. Opposing him, Swift could make impressively agile bounds, but not actually run. She opted to use a jagged path, landing among grasses that just covered her. At the point where the two of them turned around, she hopped out and landed right in the Furfrou's path. He fumbled immediately in trying not to trip over her, allowing her an extra few seconds to turn and jump back. Swift won.
“That was a clever bit of trickery,” Calem told them, then came over and petted the Furfrou. “But it was trickery in the end, so don't let it get you down. You could've won that.”
The Furfrou barked and licked his face, making him laugh. At that point, someone nearby said, “Your Furfrou's looking a bit rough. How does it even see with its fur like that?”
He looked over and saw someone familiar. “Oh, h-hello Serena,” he said. To hide his bashfulness, he turned back to the Furfrou and lifted the fur from his eyes. “I was wondering that myself, but he doesn't seem to have much trouble. I don't think he looks bad.”
Serena came closer, taking hold of the Furfrou's fur and running it through her fingers. “Maybe to the average person, but a Furfrou admirer would find him quite shaggy.”
“I have wondered if I should get his fur cut, if only to keep him cool as the summer gets hot,” Calem said. “I know I've seen an ad for a groomer in Vaniville.”
“You'd best make sure that the groomer is able to handle a Furfrou,” Serena said. “And once you start trimming them, their fur grows out quickly. You'd have to get it done at least once a week, preferably twice.”
“That much? Seriously? I didn't know that when I got him.” And that was something to be concerned about. If a groomer might need extra training to deal with a Furfrou (which it sounded like from her explanation), then it would probably cost extra too. And this job was due to end soon.
“If you battle regularly, you should be able to handle the costs,” she said, almost reading his mind.
“I have been battling, but I'm not getting much for it directly,” he said. When she gave him a puzzled look, he explained about how he was helping out in the new Gym.
That seemed to impress her. “Oh, you're helping out Viola? That's great; I’ve seen her battle a few times and I’m sure she could give you some interesting tips. Mostly if you... oh, do you have a Bug typed Pokemon?” She glanced around at his Pokemon that were hanging out nearby.
“No, I'm just helping her set up after all,” Calem said.
“You'd get better experience if you kept working with her after the Gym opened, and for that,” Serena smiled at some idea she had. “Actually, I knew about Furfrous since I was thinking about training one myself for a while. It would be different to have to raise one while also keeping attentive to its appearance. So how about we trade? I picked up a Pinsir recently, but I don't think I’ll actually be using her. If I do decide on using a Bug Pokemon, I’ve got another in mind.”
A Pinsir? He couldn't think immediately of what that Pokemon was. But working as a Gym Trainer could be interesting too. And he knew that he could trust the Furfrou's care to Serena. Calem nodded. “All right, that sounds good.” They handled the trade there so that the Furfrou left with Serena as she went east and the Pinsir Nibbles stayed Calem.
To his surprise, Nibbles was as tall as he was, not including the Pinsir's barbed pincers which curved over her head. She was definitely bigger than him, with a wide carapace and sturdy legs. Calem tried her out in a few battles, using what he knew about Bug types to decide which ones to keep her out in.
The next person to walk by and talk to him was actually Viola. “Oh hey, you've got a charming new addition,” she said happily, coming into the tall grass to join them.
“She's good, although I'm not sure about charming,” Calem said, making her laugh. “One of my friends came by earlier; she traded me the Pinsir here for my Furfrou.”
“That's a wonderful thing to do, trade Pokemon among friends,” Viola said. “I used to do that a lot when I was a teenager. Are you re-thinking about staying on for the rest of summer?”
“Yeah, although is one enough?” he asked, rubbing his head.
She nodded. “Sure, that'd be fine. Since you're a relatively new Trainer, I’d only assign you to the low level challenges. But if you want to add a second, that would help you out. All you'd need to do is go into Santalune Forest and pick up a Scatterbug there. Scatterbug is an easy Pokemon to start with, but it can still become effective if you put the effort into it. If you decide to not focus on Bug types like me, then it's no trouble to release one back into the forest. Some other Pokemon, you really don't want to let back into the wild if you've trained them far enough. They start to depend on humans and can't make it in the wild as well.”
“How do you know which ones are which?” Calem asked.
Viola thought about it, then shrugged. “Well, it's hard to say. Asking someone like myself, who knows a lot about particular kinds, is best, but I can only judge the fitness and well-being of Bug types. As far as I know, there isn't anybody who'd know about every Pokemon out there and there are some Bug Pokemon that even I don't know much about.” She looked around, then nodded. “Hey Calem, do you know why I chose to have my Gym here? I'm actually from Lumiose and I've been traveling all around Kalos and neighboring regions since I was old enough.”
“Is it because of Santalune Forest?” Calem asked. “The one time I went in there, I did see a lot of Bug Pokemon.”
“That's a small reason, but the big reason is over there. See?” She pointed to a nearby mountain. While other mountains could be seen on clear days, they were all far off on the horizon. Only hills and the flat plains around Lumiose were near this one. “On that mountain lies Victory Road.”
“Really?” Calem asked, looking over the mountain closer. There was an impressive building at a crossroads between Route 22 going east and another path going north and up the mountain. Trees and distance made it hard to make out much else about it.
Viola nodded. “Yup. There's two castles up there. One is ancient and mostly in ruins, possibly the oldest castle structure still in Kalos. According to legends, the king that built it there had such authority over the land that he was sometimes considered a god. Even those that refused to accept him as such recognized that he had a divine aura, enough to sway the true gods. The other castle was built about fifty years ago by the Pokemon League as their final stage. Kalos no longer has a king, but the regional champions, whether in Pokemon training or magic, are often treated like royalty. I love that.”
“Then you made sure that you had the Gym closest to the champion's castle?”
She giggled. “Yes.” She held her hands close together. “By thirty feet! See, Snowbelle is on the other side of this route and there's a Gym there that's been established for a long time, the longest in the Kalos league currently. So when you come to either one of our gyms, you can get a glimpse of your ultimate goal just beyond your reach. I'm waiting on him to come over and tease me for making my gym closer than his.”
Calem laughed. “Shouldn't be too long, I would think. Maybe on opening day?”
“Maybe. Hey, do you plan on taking the League challenge at some point?”
“I'm not sure about that,” he said with a shrug. He knew some kids his age were enthusiastic about battles, even claiming that being a trainer meant that one couldn't honorably turn down a battle. But he'd never felt as excited about it as others seemed to feel. “Maybe later when I know better what I'm doing.”
I may have told her that, but it didn't stop her from trying to get me interested. Viola seemed that way with everyone; she said her hobby and passion was photography, and it was obvious from her Gym and office that it was so. Yet she was also passionate about Pokemon battling, encouraging those who lost and feeling happy for those who won, even against her. She said that you can tell a lot about a person and their Pokemon in battle. At the time, I thought it was some kind of talent I didn't have. I had more fun in activities that weren't battles.
Still, I did as she recommended: I caught a Scatterbug and spent the rest of the summer as a trainer of Santalune Gym. Scatterbug was a good Pokemon and grew quickly, to the point where I was soon battling Vivillon against those seeking their badges, up to the fourth (making me the youngest Trainer of that group). But I found myself getting more attached to Nibbles the Pinsir that Serena had given me. Maybe it was because of her. Maybe it was because Mortan said that Vivillon didn't have the intelligence to speak well but Nibbles did, so I could learn about her easier. At any rate, once the summer ended, I let that Vivillon go after Viola got some pictures of it for me. Mortan said that he seemed as happy to be free as he was with me, so I guess he would think well of me.
But even being in a job where I was running Pokemon battles nearly every day, it didn't really click for me until late in the summer. If you know of me, you probably know what I’m talking about: the time I took the magic challenge of the Santalune Gym without even trying the training badge.
-+-
“Calem, it's for you,” his father said, handing him the house phone. “It's your boss.”
“All right,” he said, taking the phone. “Hello Viola.”
“Hi Calem!” she said cheerfully. “I hope I’m not disrupting anything.”
“No, it's fine. What is it?” He saw Mortan land his flower on top of the phone's base, examining it.
“Would you mind coming in later than you usually do tomorrow? About two o'clock. It's for something special, as if you work normally, you're going to have to quit early because of it.”
“It depends. What do you want me do to?”
“I want you to take my magic challenge.” She sounded serious about it too.
Calem thought about immediately declining. But, she should know he wasn't that interested now. Did she have a reason behind this request? “Why? I've only completed one year at the magic school, so I don't know if I'm ready for something like that.”
“It's fine, don't worry about the difficulty. The requirements for the first proof of magic are easy. After all, the main thing I'd be looking for is seeing how you cast in the heat of battle. I've already seen you use weather-manipulation spells in battle, which is more than enough to pass the first proof. I just can't give it to you unless you make a formal challenge. And, I would really like a first proof challenge to happen tomorrow because I'm at a loss for ideas for the other challenge.”
That was reassuring, but, “What other challenge?”
“Well, I got a call earlier asking for a reservation for an eighth proof challenge tomorrow, at two o'clock. The training badge challenges aren't that tough to plan for, since the league is fine if you do straight battles for any level. I'm still working on what I want for my proof of magic challenges, though, and haven't gotten around to the eighth.”
“And I come into this how?” Viola explained her idea on how to handle it until she had something better. With the reassurance that he should be capable of his first level challenge, Calem agreed to help out. He then said goodbye to her and disconnected the call. But he didn't put the phone back immediately as Mortan was still sitting there. “Something bugging you?”
“A little,” the Flabebe said. He turned his head as Calem's father came back into the room, so floated over to Calem's shoulder to add, “I don't like the phone. I can't hear what the other person is saying.”
“That's how I feel when you talk to other Pokemon,” Calem pointed out.
He blushed. “Oh, right, sorry. I suppose neither of us can help it. What are we gonna do?”
“We're gonna do something a little crazy tomorrow,” he said. Which meant that he had to explain to his now curious parents, but they were happy to hear of it.
The next day, he arrived in Santalune a few minutes before two and hurried to the gym. There was a camera crew there, something that he should have anticipated. Most people weren't interested in watching a low level proof challenge, but as the higher levels happened less often, this eighth level challenge at a new gym was sure to get regional attention. He went to meet Viola in her office and chatted with her until another gym trainer came to tell them that the other challenger was here.
She was a beautiful woman. Although she was here for battle, she was dressed as elegantly as a movie star at a gala event. Her outfit was even themed for this gym, with a red, black, and white dress that resembled the patterns on a Ledian. She had platinum blond hair that was left loose, save for two braids at the front which were tied around at the back. But as he'd heard, this was normal for her. Diantha was a movie star, after a breakout role in a blockbuster movie that made her known worldwide. She stood out in this crowd like a glamorous goddess, even though everyone else dressed well for this occasion too. Calem had decided to wear his school uniform today instead of trying to find something else formal, which seemed quite modest compared to others..
“Welcome to Santalune, Miss Diantha,” Viola said warmly, treating her as friendly as she treated everyone else. “It's good to see you here.”
“Thanks Viola,” Diantha said, shaking her hand in a dainty manner. “And congratulations on being picked as a Gym Leader. I've been hearing good things about you.”
Viola smiled in a humble way. “I'm just doing what I love, like always. And you're here for your eighth proof of magic in the Kalos League. This is going to be fun! Are you ready?”
“Ready and raring to go,” she said, giving a glance at the Pokemon accompanying her, an equally elegant Gardevoir. “What do you need me to do?”
“We'll get to that when we get inside, but first,” she nodded to Calem, who stepped forward to her side. “You'll be working with this young man, Calem. He's here for his first proof, and you two are going to be taking the same test. Come in and see.” She then went inside the Gym ahead of them.
Diantha paused a moment to consider him. “Together, huh? This should be interesting. Good to meet you Calem.” She offered a handshake, which he accepted.
“Good to meet you too, Diantha,” he said, his heart beating a little faster at meeting someone so famous and beautiful. It hadn't really sunk in until that moment what he'd be doing today. But, he was here for a challenge; he'd need to keep his mind on that.
Followed by the camera crew, Calem and Diantha went inside and took the elevator down to the lowest level in the Gym. Normally, challengers would be taking on Viola on the middle level, where the giant spiderweb labyrinth hung. This was a special match and required a special setting. Down here, there was a flat floor where a giant game board had been painted. Black and gold squares alternated between the entrance area and the battle area on the opposite side.
“Oh, a chess challenge?” Diantha asked immediately, her eyes gleaming. “Those are always fun.”
Viola smiled. “Yes, you've got it. But with a twist this time.” She paused a moment, partly because the film crew was getting into position. This would be broadcast later. Once they had signaled their readiness, she continued. “As you may know, the chess challenge is a regular one for proof of magic on higher levels. The magician must cross the board one square at a time as the Trainer piece, while Pokemon are placed in other positions. Battles will only occur when two pieces compete over a square, but unlike the game, whichever piece wins claims the square. I'll have my Pokemon opposing your progress and the Pokemon you have still on the board will be allowed in your battle against me. It's a test of obedience, trust, and strategy. However, normally the high level challenger would be the one on the board. But not today. Calem will be the one to cross the board, and Diantha must control the game.”
“Oh really?” Diantha said. “A young magician would be more vulnerable to a challenge like this... but I suppose it is more like the game itself.”
Viola nodded. “That's right. Calem, you just have to obey her instructions and battle me when you cross the whole board. Diantha, you'll need to choose the Pokemon on the challenger side from your own Pokemon and Calem's, place them, and then make sure that he can cross the board safely with his Pokemon still available for his challenge. Calem has to be in the trainer position, but that's the only set piece. You'll also be battling me, although you get the choice of going before or after Calem if successful.”
“Oo, now this is interesting,” Diantha said, seeming like she was having fun already. “Are you ready, Calem?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I am.”
“Good, then you two discuss what you've got, and I'll be waiting on the other side,” Viola said, then headed across the board. Once there, she used a spell that caused a shimmer to appear on the board. Probably something to enforce the rules.
Diantha turned to him. “Okay, I’ll need to know what Pokemon you have and what you're all capable of. And, you're a student of LMA?”
“I’ve only passed my first year,” he said, then answered her questions on his team and himself.
After she had her information, she paused to think. “Okay, so... normally in this kind of challenge, you'd put your strongest Pokemon in the god's position so they can quickly move across the board. Also, we've got to consider that at least some of her Pokemon will be of a level appropriate to the eighth proof and thus yours won't be capable of matching them. So I think... oh, but there's a risk of losing Pokemon for the main battle to this. What Pokemon in particular do you want working with you against Viola?”
“I was thinking that my Frogadier and Vivillon would work best,” he said. Any of them would be fine, he felt, but Vivillon probably had the best chance.
In regular games of chess, the pawn pieces were usually represented by first stage Pokemon, with the other pieces being fully evolved Pokemon and a god in the position next to the trainer. However, Diantha put mostly her Pokemon in the pawn positions, with the other positions filled by Calem's and a few that Viola let them borrow to fill out the board. The god position was held by Diantha's Tyrantrum.
Once the game got started, it soon became clear what she was doing. Her Pokemon were stronger and thus better able to handle their opponent Pokemon even though their moves were limited. If another piece came to challenge them for their square, they had a better chance of winning the ensuing duel. On the other hand, if one of his Pokemon got in a dangerous position, Diantha could get them away sooner because they moved more freely. She didn't even order Calem to move until the big threats on the board were taken out. Diantha lost her Gardevoir after it had to deal with four duels, but they completed the game without losing any of Calem's Pokemon.
Viola clapped her hands, dismissing the enchantment on the board. “All right, you've won! So then, who'll be my first opponent?”
“I’ll take that offer,” Diantha said, crossing over the board. Their battle took some time, and was spectacular to watch in person. Observing them both, Calem wondered if he could become that good in magic battles.
After the battle, Viola congratulated Diantha on her win, saying, “This proof shows that you use magic not just for yourself, but to help others and allow them to do things that they wouldn't be capable of on their own.” Then she invited Calem into the battle arena. “Okay, for your first proof of magic, you need to show your skills in battle and magic. There are three ways to win here: defeat the three Pokemon I have, take me out of the battle, or last for five minutes. However, a win will not guarantee that you earn the proof, and a loss might not mean that you don't earn it. The only way to know for sure is to just jump into it and see how you do. Are you ready?”
If the requirement for the first proof was simply being able to cast under pressure as she suggested, that made sense. “I'm ready.”
And that was how I got my first proof of magic, after only one year of study. Frankly, it was a freebie in my case as I had met the requirement just last summer in order to get into the academy. Still, I wouldn't have thought to even try if it wasn't for Viola and Diantha. Viola's naturally friendly, and sharper than one would expect. She told me later that she was happy the chance came up, because she knew I wouldn't go for the proof myself even though I had good potential. I'm glad she looked out for me like that.
And Diantha definitely wasn't expecting to be helping another there. She took up the role without hesitation, though. I had thought that those who focused on Pokemon battles were thinking of their own glory. It seemed that way from a lot of the skilled battlers I had met previously, like the battle club snobs at the academy who saw people that weren't concerned about battles as lazy. When I was younger, my dad, who had tried to make a living as a battler, was rather distant and I didn't like him because of it. Then he got in an accident in a battle and nearly died. He spent months at home in recovery, during which time we got closer.
I remember him saying towards the end of his recovery, “I thought that being a winner would make everyone admire me and solve my problems, but when I won, I only felt jealous eyes watching me. So I thought I had to win bigger, and my unease only grew. Huh, but here I’ve got your admiration for not doing much of anything, and I feel happier than I’ve been in a long time.” That was part of why I had never been enthusiastic about battles when I was younger.
Am I getting off subject? Or is it all part of the story you wanted? Ha, sorry. Anyhow... working with Viola was just a job, a lucky one where I got to hang out with my Pokemon a lot every day. But watching her battle Diantha, that was inspiring. Here were two ladies of differing charms, very different from the image I had of serious trainers, and they were battling in a way that was more like lighthearted chatter of a new friendship. Even their Pokemon were playful about it, pushing each other's limits without worry of fainting in defeat. They must have been confident that they'd be healed up by their Trainers right after battle, so any pain was temporary. And I thought, 'I’d like to be a Trainer like that, if I ever got into battling.' It'd be some time before I really got motivated, but that memory stayed with me when I did.
-+-
Lesson 5: Social Studies (Kalos Pokemon League)
Pokemon battle organizations have come and gone throughout the history of Kalos. Some were government-sponsored, such as the Order of the White Shield, a group of human knights who kept a lifelong Pokemon partner to protect the country and king. Others were social groups, such as the exclusive club connected to what is now called the Battle Chateau. Still others were focused more on the common people, such as the Pokemon Rangers that once made a living by training their Pokemon and themselves to protect people from a tyrannical king and wild Pokemon.
The Pokemon League came to Kalos as part of a worldwide movement after the devastation of the Great War caused the collapse of many existing orders and governments. It was meant as a way to turn Pokemon battles into a sport rather than a method of war and was hugely successful at that. Much of today's stability and prosperity can be attributed to organizations such as the League that were driven to create and inspire a more peaceful world.
The League has a global set of rules and regulations, but each region is allowed some individuality to keep with their cultural standing and beliefs. In Kalos, there are two separate paths to take within the Pokemon League as a challenge. The standard path is the Training Badge challenge. Trainers gather a team of Pokemon, no more than six, to battle against established master trainers who set a certain level of difficulty based on how many badges the challenger has earned. Trainers may give orders or use healing items, but may not participate beyond this, either directly or indirectly. In contrast, the secondary path is the Proof of Magic challenge, which requires that the trainer participate directly in battle alongside their Pokemon. The trainer in such a challenge must be capable of using magic and must cooperate with their Pokemon in order to challenge a master of magic. As with the Training Badge challenge, the gym leader must be capable of giving varying difficulties of battle based on how many proofs the challenger has.
Each gym within the Kalos League must be capable of providing challenges for both paths. However, it is possible, and in some cases advisable, for a gym to have two leaders if the master of one challenge cannot provide an adequate obstacle for the other. Over the years, it has also become expected, although not required, that the gym leader be a community leader, offering assistance to others when needed and doing what they can to keep their community safe and thriving.
Lesson 6: Extra- Chess Moves
Trainer/Human piece- One per side. This piece can only move one square at a time, in any direction. Taking the opponent's Trainer out results in a checkmate, winning the game.
God piece- One per side. This piece can move in a straight line along as many squares as the player wishes unless another piece is in the way. One of the easiest ways of telling where a particular chess set comes from is based on which pair of gods are used. Common pairs include Xerneas and Yveltal (Kalos), Reshiram and Zekrom (Unova), Palkia and Dialga (Sinnoh), Groudon and Kyogre (Hoenn), and Lugia and Ho-oh (Johto, sometimes Kanto).
Scout- Two per side. This piece can move diagonally along any number of squares unless another piece is in the way. The Scout is most often a fully-evolved Pokemon capable of flight.
Attacker- Two per side. This piece moves two squares in one direction, then three squares in a perpendicular direction. The Attacker is most often a fully-evolved Pokemon known for having great strength.
Defender- Two per side. This piece moves in any direction but diagonal along any number of squares unless another piece is in the way. The Defender is most often a fully-evolved Pokemon known for toughness.
Pawns- Eight per side. This piece can only move one square forward at a time. Some games allow pawns to move two squares on their first move. Pawns are usually common or first stage Pokemon, sometimes being lower forms of the more powerful pieces.
