Daemon recalled Kirlia back to her pokeball.
The psychic fairy's strength might have exploded after her evolution, but she still needed rest after that battle. Moreover, he could already hear some murmurs about the colour of her hair being different from the rest of her species.
While the cat was now out of the bag, Daemon had no plans to flaunt it to the world.
He walked forward towards the gym leader, who was already coming towards him. The duo met halfway across the arena and shook hands.
"Congratulations," Flint said before taking out a small piece of metal. "This is the Boulder Badge. It represents your victory over the Pewter Gym."
Daemon held the badge in his fingers. "Its heavier than I expected." He muttered softly before turning the badge and then looking at the small star with a raised eyebrow. "What's this?"
"It means you have defeated this gym at the greatest difficulty," Flint explained. "Give me your trainer ID."
The black-haired boy did as asked and handed his trainer ID to Flint, who scanned it with a device before handing it back.
"₽30,000 has been deposited into your bank account. Moreover, for the next fifteen days, every Pokemart in Pewter will sell you things at a discounted 30%." Flint took out three more items and handed them over. "These are for you; the reward for earning that star on the badge."
"Damn." The black-haired boy let out a low whistle as he held the three TMs in his hand.
The usual rewards for beating the gym were ₽10,000 and a TM for [Smack Down]. But now, not only had he earned three times the cash prize, but also an additional coupon for 30% discount on every item in Pewter City's Pokemart as well as three TMs.
TM: Stone Edge
TM: Stealth Rock
TM: Ancient Power
Each of these TMs was better than the other and some of the most sought-after moves as well.
Daemon planned to catch a ground-type or a rock-type while travelling through Mt. Moon. With these TMs, not only would that Pokémon get a significant power boost, but also give them some really strong and useful moves at their disposal.
While it was a pity that none of these TMs could be used by Kirlia or Deino, the black-haired boy preferred it as such.
His starter already had a good moveset for now and needed to get better at using the others. Especially now, since many of those moves were not usable due to her previous lack of energy reserves, such as [Psychic Terrain] or [Trick Room]. Moreover, she had learned two more moves upon her evolution.
As for the dragon, Daemon had to give where credit was due.
Deino was exceptionally talented. In only a week, the dragon had taught itself a few moves out of sheer frustration after its back-to-back losses against the psychic fairy.
'So much to do and so little time.' His Pokémon were still young, nowhere near their absolute peak. Now that he was done with his first gym battle, Daemon was not planning to challenge the next very soon.
His goal now was to train his Pokémon through a method which he knew was groundbreaking and something he could never share with anyone. If what he imagined turned into reality, his Pokémon would go through a growth spurt in a short time and in the long run, they would always keep growing stronger and stronger endlessly.
"Thanks for everything." For now, he brought his attention back to Flint.
The gym leader gave him a thumbs-up before his tone turned serious. "Your Kirlia...it will bring you a lot of attention."
"Should I be worried?"
"In the city? No. But once you leave, some people with ulterior motives might try something." Flint advised, and when he saw the frown on the boy's face, he added. "I will let Nurse Joy know. She will use her Kadabra to teleport you to a safe location outside the city when you are ready to leave. This way, unless you are too high-profile even on routes, you will be safe."
Daemon opened his mouth to say something, but words were struck in his throat. The man before him had not asked much about the special nature of his Pokémon and had instead helped him solve a massive headache.
"I will keep this favour in mind, always."
Flint just waved his hand. "Kid, my job is to keep you all safe. Don't worry too much about it," he patted the black-haired boy on the shoulder. "For now, just focus on getting stronger. I can tell your vision is a lot broader than your peers. Work hard, get stronger and reach the conference. I will be cheering for you."
"I will not disappoint you." Daemon nodded with a smile, and after once again shaking hands with the gym leader, he walked away. But then, his footsteps paused.
He immediately turned around, his gaze going past Flint, who was already walking away, to the seat where she had sat. In the heat of battle and everything after, she had slipped his mind.
Daemon's eyes darted around, but she was nowhere to be found.
'Dammit.' He cursed before walking away with a sigh.
He walked through the hallways and back into the lobby; people were pointing fingers at him and talking in hushed voices. Majority of them were discussing his gym battle while some were questioning the different colour of his Kirlia from the rest of her species.
The black-haired boy knew the kind of attention it would bring to him, but he was also ready to deal with it. Moreover, Flint had decided to help him, which lifted a massive weight off his shoulders.
He walked out of the gym and was about to head back to his Pokémon Centre, where he was staying, when he once again saw the familiar golden colour. His mind blanked for only a second before he walked over, making sure none of his nervousness was being shown on his face.
"I hope it was worth your time."
The golden-haired woman smiled. "It wasn't too bad."
"Ouch!" He mocked being hurt before giving her a soft smile. "Nice to see you again, Miss Archeologist."
"I have a name." She replied while rolling her eyes.
Daemon clicked his tongue. "The fake one you gave me?"
"How do you know it's fake?"
"You are not from Kanto, and that name is VERY Kantonian," he replied with a shrug. "But I get it. Random dude asked you for breakfast, then you talked to him for like an hour or so...good conversation by the way. Why would you give someone like him your real name?"
"Ouch!" This time, it was her turn to act hurt. "That was harsh." Her words made them chuckle a little before she continued. "Congratulations on winning your first-ever gym battle. Honestly, your Pokémon is quite something."
"Thanks." Daemon gave her a two-finger salute. "She trained hard for this day."
The golden-haired woman smiled. "And how is your other Pokémon coming along?"
"That guy?" the black-haired boy sighed. "Much better, honestly. Our relationship dynamic has changed a lot."
"Last time you told me how much of a trouble this fellow was going to be. It has been what? A week? And it is already settled? What did you do?"
Daemon scratched the back of his head and replied innocently. "Beat the crap out of it every day?"
...
..
.
"Pfft!"
Her laughter, which sounded like the chimes of heaven to his ears, rang outside the gym, attracting the gazes of other trainers. Most of the boys were infatuated by her the moment they took a good look at her.
"Okay, that was funny, I give you that." She wiped the small tears at the corner of her eyes before turning to Daemon. "But seriously, what did you do?"
"I just told you."
"Wait, you actually beat it until it had no other choice but to listen?"
"Wrong." Daemon shook his forefinger. "I beat it till it understood how weak it was and willingly asked me to train it so it could grow strong and beat Alice."
"I am amazed Nurse Joy hasn't called Officer Jenny."
"Or maybe I did not beat it enough." Daemon shrugged before letting out a small laugh. "Anyways." He looked at the golden-haired woman, her eyes still hidden beneath the cap. "Thanks for coming."
Her rosy lips curved into a smile. "I enjoyed it till the end, so no complaints."
"I am glad; any tips you would like to give?" Daemon could feel her raise an eyebrow in amusement at his words.
"A few, but I am in a hurry to get somewhere, so maybe next time?" She replied, leaving the boy disappointed. But if he knew who she was, would he still be as casual as he is right now? The thought amused her. "What are your plans? Leaving for Cerulean soon?"
"I have yet to plan my route, but yes, I am heading to Cerulean next." The black-haired boy cracked his neck. "But for now, I need to buy ice cream for Alice. There is this famous Kalosian spot in Pewter, Aurorus Cafe, I think it is called."
...
..
.
"Ice cream?"
Daemon felt the air shift when the golden-haired woman said those words. As if...
...anything that stood between her and the ice cream would face certain death.
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[Author's Note]:
- First of all, I AM REALLY SORRY!
- I asked for your votes, but it turned out those Pokémon interfered with the story I have planned. I have the whole of Kanto planned in my mind, but I also wanted to give readers a chance to engage. Turns out, it was a bad idea as whole arcs would have to be reshuffled. I will make it up to you guys later in the story, but for now, please ignore the earlier pole.
- Once again, I apologize for that.