Once the group and all the Pokémon finished their barbecue party, Alex, with the help of the girls, captured the entire nest in Pokéballs before teleporting to the Grand Underground north of Eterna City. He then dropped the girls off before teleporting to Veilstone City via Interpol's teleportation network, arriving by late afternoon.
Veilstone City is built along steep, rocky terrain, giving it a rugged, practical feel. Its busy, compact streets wind around cliffs and sudden drops, with residential areas, shops, and small parks nestled between tall commercial buildings. Stairways and ramps connect the city's layers, while viewpoints offer sweeping panoramas of the surrounding mountains and coastline.
The city is home to Sinnoh's largest department store, drawing shoppers with its wide selection of goods. It also has three Gyms, including Maylene's Fighting Gym, a Water Gym, and a Rock Gym. Several industrial facilities, including stone-cutting yards and research labs, operate on the outskirts.
After Team Galactic's fall, their headquarters was renovated into a bustling port connecting Veilstone to other seaside cities and the Fight Area to the north. Shipping crates, cargo ships, and dockworkers animate the waterfront, alongside small cafés and market stalls.
Alex made his way through the city's winding steps before arriving at Maylene's Gym on the western section, situated right in the middle of the slope. He entered through the front entrance and met the receptionist.
"Sorry, walk-ins aren't allowed this late. You'll have to come back early tomorrow," the receptionist said, wearing a gi with her hair tied in a ponytail, giving Alex serious nostalgic vibes.
"Alex Wattson, here to meet with the Gym Leader," Alex said.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, but I'm sure she would like some closure regarding her friend, Jenna Hartwell."
The receptionist stopped her next refusal and widened her eyes at Alex.
"You know what happened with Jenna?" she asked, shocked.
"Yes. I ran into her Pokémon, who told me the story. I am here to officially return her belongings."
Her Pokémon had kept her belongings, as well as her corpse, and buried them within their territory. Alex had them dig everything up before storing it in his space bag to bring with him when they left.
"Please wait a moment," the receptionist said as she called Maylene and received permission. "You may head to the third floor to meet the Gym Leader."
"Thanks," Alex said, proceeding to the stairs.
As he walked, he looked around the first floor and noted how it was set up exactly like the Fighting Gym in Kanto. Mats were spread out in neat formation, allowing multiple trainers and Pokémon to spar at the same time. It was quite a trip down memory lane for him, especially seeing the lively activity around.
Once he reached the second floor, it was exactly the same. Trainers' Pokémon battled against their weaknesses and specific fighting styles. He even noted a few that fought with hit-and-run tactics.
He smiled at the nostalgia before heading up to the third floor, where he saw Maylene meditating with her Lucario. It looked like she had cleared out her trainers to give herself some privacy.
"Alex Wattson?" she asked without looking up.
"Yes."
"Come closer."
As Alex approached, he took a good look at her. She was a mature, fit woman with pale skin, short pink hair, and pink eyes, wearing a sleeveless purple-and-black top and plain white pants. She also wore blue fingerless gloves and was barefoot. Nothing strange as far as Alex was concerned.
What was strange, however, was how impressive her Aura was. It radiated past her body, pulsing with the rhythm of her heartbeat in perfect sync with the Lucario beside her. In fact, calling it impressive was an understatement. She was a powerhouse, someone who could probably command hundreds of Pokémon at once.
Once Alex stood in front of her, she gestured to the floor so he sat with his legs crossed.
"What… what happened to Jenna?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"She was ambushed by a man she met at Iron Island on her way back. She escaped into the Grand Underground, but was overwhelmed and killed by his accomplices."
Her peaceful, tranquil aura shattered instantly, replaced by a burning hatred so intense Alex could feel it prickle against his skin.
"What happened to them?" she asked, her voice clipped and controlled, barely masking the fury beneath.
"Killed in a cave-in when her Pokémon rampaged."
"All of them?"
"All of them, and their Pokémon as well."
Maylene nodded, though her aura refused to settle. The hatred simmered under the surface, searching for somewhere to go and finding none.
"What did you bring back?"
"Her space bag, her gear, her Pokémon, and her corpse," Alex said, placing a space bag between them. "You have my condolences."
She took it, hesitated, then peeked inside. Her shoulders stiffened, then slumped as the truth hit her. She lifted a trembling hand to her eyes, trying to wipe away tears as they fell faster than she could manage, until she finally bowed her head over the bag and wept.
The Lucario beside her placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort, then turned to Alex with furrowed brows. The message was clear, give her some privacy.
Alex, however, didn't leave. He still had business to discuss, as insensitive as it felt. After all, she had Jenna's Pokémon. He couldn't just come back the next day and expect them to still be with her.
Once she began to compose herself, she noticed Alex's presence and looked up, glaring at him.
"Why are you still here? Don't you know a grieving woman deserves to cry in peace?" she complained.
Alex raised his hands in helplessness and replied, "I would love to give you your privacy, but as it happens, I have a deal with her Pokémon to protect my territory against the annual floods."
Maylene furrowed her brows before exclaiming, "And you expect to just take her Pokémon now that she's already dead?"
"First of all," Alex said, his voice rising slightly, "she's been dead for a while. What do you expect her Pokémon were doing all that time? Secondly, you should ask them for their opinion rather than speak for them. They can decide for themselves."
"Hah! As if you didn't butter them up with benefits beforehand. Of course they would prefer you. They don't know any better," she snapped, her tone sharp with anger and disbelief.
"What do you plan to do with them anyway? I'm assuming you'd just pass them off to the League," Alex asked, trying to keep his frustration in check.
"I'll have them train here in the Gym," she said firmly.
"Is that what they want?"
"Of course that's what they want," she replied, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "They get to grow in power and live with people Jenna grew up with. What's there to complain about?"
Alex shook his head, unwilling to back down. "Then why don't we ask them? You present your offer of how they would live from now on, and whoever they choose will have to fulfill their promise."
Maylene was about to accept when a sudden idea crossed her mind.
"How about this? We fight, and whoever wins gets to decide," she said with a smirk.
He was a Champion ranked trainer, so this shouldn't be considered bullying the weak.
"Rules?" Alex asked cautiously.
"One-on-one, your ace against my Lucario," she said proudly.
Alex immediately wanted to refuse. This Lucario was an absolute menace. At the peak of Champion rank, it could easily crush Raticate any day of the week, even assuming it didn't Mega Evolve.
Even Raticate wouldn't take this bet. He was a realist; he didn't pick fights he wasn't at least a little confident in winning.
Only Hydreigon and Kommo-o would be prideful enough to take the fight, and Alex wasn't confident in either of them.
As for Arcanine, who had the best chance of winning, he would have accepted if Alex had confidence in him, but Alex didn't. More specifically, Alex didn't have confidence in himself to support Arcanine the way a trainer should. He wasn't much of a trainer, after all, but he was one hell of a bounty hunter.
Alex was about to decline and insist on hearing what the Pokémon had to say when an idea crossed his mind as well.
He leaned back and took a careful, appraising look at Maylene. She was definitely powerful, more than him, but perhaps he had more wiggle room than his Pokémon. Their strengths didn't differ as much as their Pokémon's, so technique would carry more weight in a battle between them.
This was a fight he could stake his pride on.
"What?" Maylene asked, noticing Alex's piercing gaze. "What are you staring at?" she added, instinctively covering her chest.
"How about we settle this ourselves instead of using our Pokémon? One-on-one, knockout or tap out," Alex suggested.
"You think you can take me on?" she asked, bewildered.
"It's a better matchup than any of my Pokémon taking on your Lucario, so yeah, I think I can take you."
She smiled widely, excited to teach this young man some manners.
"Alright, I accept your challenge."
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