Chapter 16: Intervention

  The meeting vault in Kanto was shrouded in dimness. Several tall chandeliers cast orange lights over a polished stone floor, and the clan murals seemed to come alive with each flicker of the flames. A select group of high-ranking figures was gathered around an onyx table. An atmosphere of anticipation reigned, mixed with a hint of tedium.

  “Get on with it,” Bruno grunted, a man with a stone-like build, arms crossed over his chest, his knuckles marked by countless battles. “I’ve been here long enough watching rookies drop after just a couple of attacks.”

  Seated to his right was Sabrina, a slender woman with cold eyes, maintaining a distant demeanor:

  “I agree. The preliminary tests for classes F, E, and D are an endless drone of surrenders. There’s no excitement in that.”

  Agatha, the elderly woman with silver hair tied in a firm bun, squinted slightly:

  “I’ve been following the Academy broadcasts for a while. Trust me, there’s not a hint of novelty in those groups. Even the Class D students stumble over basic details.”

  Koga, dressed in dark attire with a gaze as sharp as a katana’s edge, muttered just audibly:

  “I expected as much. More and more kids lack any spark. Most don’t even make it past the first section.”

  Lance, the Champion of Kanto, observed calmly. His red cape brushed the floor, and his tone carried undeniable authority:

  “It’s natural for the lower classes not to stand out. It’s always the same. Only in Class A are there worthy successors for the League’s future. They’re the ones I’m interested in watching.”

  An older man with gray hair in a lab coat cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention:

  “Well, before dismissing anything new, take a look at this,” said Professor Oak, his fingers gliding over a holographic screen. “See that section of the cave? There’s a boy theoretically from Class E. He appears to be pretending to be unconscious on the ground, but at times he subtly slides or rolls to avoid direct combat.”

  Gary Oak, the professor’s grandson, leaned over the projection, his eyes gleaming with curiosity:

  “Yeah, I saw him. He’s faking being knocked out to avoid attention. But wait, Grandpa… why isn’t he affected by the toxic cloud in that area?” He pointed at a spot on the image, zooming in. “Look how the poison floats above him, and he… doesn’t even cough. He just rolls and keeps moving. That’s really odd.”

  Oak nodded:

  “Exactly, that’s what’s puzzling me. The Koffing’s mist in that area is so strong it would’ve taken down anyone without protection within seconds.”

  Bruno raised an eyebrow, skeptical:

  “An amateur resisting that kind of poison? Hard to believe.”

  Koga narrowed his eyes, making a slight gesture with his hand:

  “If he were one of my disciples, I’d know. But I’ve never heard of this boy. He’s not from my clan. If we had someone like that, he wouldn’t be hidden in Class E.”

  Agatha tilted her head, adjusting her cane against the floor:

  “Maybe he has a natural aptitude. Extremely rare, but not impossible.”

  Gary frowned and switched the projection to another scene:

  “Look. That kid, after passing through the mist, creates a small fragment, like a crystal. At first, I thought it was rock. But… no. When I zoom in, there’s a violet hue.”

  Oak stroked his chin:

  “Rock? I was mistaken. It’s not. It could be some kind of solidified poison.”

  Koga’s interest peaked:

  “Condensed poison…? That’s not something just anyone can do. Even in my clan, few can crystallize toxins. Janine might be able to, but a stranger? No. Sounds implausible. Only advanced training allows that kind of poison manipulation.”

  “Maybe it’s a trick from the Alola region,” Gary suggested, tilting his head. “The Alolan Grimer and Muk produce toxic crystals in their bodies.”

  “Those Pokémon are restricted,” Oak replied. “The breeding and ownership monopoly of those variants belongs to the Dark Clan along with Alola’s Poison Division. They’re not distributed around Kanto freely.”

  Koga exhaled, annoyed:

  “Then, if this brat can do it, it means someone trained him behind my back. I won’t tolerate that. The Poison Clan is the only one that should possess toxic manipulation techniques.”

  Agatha shot him a reproachful look:

  “Calm down. Maybe it’s an isolated case. Don’t jump to conclusions without seeing for yourself.”

  Lance, arms crossed, pointed to another segment of the transmission:

  “There’s more. It’s noted that this boy is in the same area where a special Zubat was placed.”

  Sabrina, silent until then, tilted her head, intrigued:

  “A special Zubat?”

  Koga nodded, clenching his fists:

  “It’s a specimen bred with a sub-branch of the Flying Clan specializing in sound-based attacks. It was given Chatter and Supersonic. I left it in the cave as a challenge for Niko, my son. A motivation for his progress. I didn’t expect some intruder to capture it.”

  Gary chuckled sarcastically:

  “Maybe that intruder will try. What will you do if he succeeds?”

  Koga’s eyes sharpened, a murderous glint in them:

  “Do? Kill him, of course.”

  Agatha slammed her cane on the ground:

  “You won’t get away with that if the boy has talent. You know we need him. Besides, I won’t sit idly by if you try to murder him. That boy’s grandmother is an old acquaintance of mine.”

  Oak nodded:

  “Exactly. What we’re looking for with these Academies is to ensure a safe environment for trainers in their early stages. We need all the good prospects, Koga. Keep in mind what happened with Mewtwo… we can’t afford to lose more powerful people who could join our cause.”

  “Don’t remind me of the Mewtwo incident,” Koga growled. “That was the tipping point that put humanity under the scrutiny of the lesser legendaries, with Mew at the forefront. I know. I don’t like losing soldiers, but—”

  “But nothing,” Agatha cut him off. “Anyone who proves their worth has the right to live and grow.”

  Suddenly, Gary, still monitoring the projection, pointed at the screen:

  “They’ve encountered each other. Those Class A students: Niko, Alex, and Lisa… they’re facing an unusual trio. A fighter without your clan’s lineage, Bruno. A psychic who doesn’t belong to Sabrina’s clan. And that boy, with his apparent poison resistance.”

  Bruno scowled in distaste:

  “A fighter without my clan’s blood? Offensive. And she’s defending herself with authentic aura. I don’t like it. She should be in my ranks if she’s that strong.”

  Sabrina narrowed her eyes:

  “I also see that psychic girl, the redhead. I recognize her face. The Psychic Clan doesn’t acknowledge her. A bastard, I suppose. But she has tremendous potential. I don’t like her freedom. She should be under our supervision.”

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  Bruno growled, watching the screen intently:

  “It bothers me that those Class A kids, with more Pokémon and specialized equipment, are struggling. Lisa, Alex, and Niko have clear advantages: three Pokémon, special weapons, clan formations. How the hell are they taking this long?”

  Sabrina pressed her lips together:

  “Shameful. Even with their arsenal, they can’t crush those nobodies. Poorly trained, without bloodlines from the main clans… humiliating.”

  Koga, however, smirked slightly:

  “Bah, at least I see Niko is crushing the poison brat. As it should be.”

  A new frame on the screen showed the boy—Aspen—had just crystallized part of Niko’s arm and torso, immobilizing him. Koga shot up, eyes blazing:

  “WHAT…?! That insolent bastard…!”

  “He’s paralyzed,” Gary observed, intrigued. “Do you see that, Oak? It’s not normal for an amateur to manipulate poison that refined.”

  “I’ve seen enough,” Koga growled. “I’m going there right now to rip his head off. I won’t let him humiliate my son.”

  “Sit down,” Lance commanded, his voice barely raised. A strange field of energy seemed to emanate from him, forcing everyone back into their seats.

  Oak tensed, his breath shallow:

  “Lance, what…? We can’t just sit here. We need to intervene or something. That battle is getting out of control.”

  Gary clenched his jaw, struggling to stand, but something held him down:

  “Stop using your authority like this. Even I can’t move properly.”

  Lance remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the projection:

  “Trust my Dragon instincts. I feel something will happen. Just wait a little longer.”

  Bruno grunted, fighting against the influence:

  “You’ve crossed the line, Lance.” He gritted his teeth. “I won’t sit still while those two girls and that rookie are in a struggle they shouldn’t even be surviving. How…?”

  The image showed the red-haired psychic girl radiating a pink glow from her forehead. Sabrina gasped:

  “A third eye…!”

  “Aura infusion!”

  Without hesitation, Sabrina teleported, disappearing in a psychic flash. Bruno, in a burst of speed, touched her shoulder, joining the teleportation.

  Lance eased his control slightly, allowing Oak and Agatha to breathe freely again. They exchanged a quick glance and nodded.

  “We’re going too,” Oak said. “Whatever happens, we need to be there.”

  “Agreed,” replied Agatha, closing her eyes.

  Two heartbeats later, Oak and Agatha also vanished into the shadows with a faint glow. Gary stumbled, looking around:

  “Lance, why…?”

  “I trust they’ll handle it without destroying anyone essential. Let’s wait,” Lance whispered, regaining his composure, his red cape falling elegantly over his back.

  —————————

  Sabrina and Bruno materialized in the middle of the battle. The rocks trembled, and the atmosphere was thick with the clash of blows and diverse powers. Upon seeing them, the fighter—Kara—and the red-haired psychic—Vera—had no time to react.

  Bruno moved like a whirlwind. His fist grazed Kara’s neck, knocking her unconscious instantly. The girl’s arm, previously wrapped in blue and dark lines, returned to its normal tone. Bruno couldn’t hide a smirk of admiration:

  “She had an incredible aura… this excites me, though it’s a shame it ended like this.”

  Sabrina turned to Vera, who was still radiating energy from her forehead. With a minimal flick of her fingers, she unleashed a Psychic blast that knocked Vera out cold. Sabrina caught her mid-fall with her powers, narrowing her eyes:

  “Let’s see what you’re hiding,” she murmured, probing Vera’s unconscious mind.

  Suddenly, a pack of Eeveelutions burst in, barking and releasing elemental sparks. Oak appeared with Agatha, clearing the path:

  “Sabrina, let her go,” Oak commanded, signaling the Espeon, Umbreon, and others to approach the psychic leader. “Stop digging into her mind. We’ll handle it.”

  “I don’t need orders,” Sabrina scoffed but stepped back slightly, leaving Vera floating beside her.

  Bruno gently carried the unconscious Kara, studying her face:

  “I want to speak with her when she wakes up. She has something of my clan in her, even if she lacks our blood.”

  Agatha turned, sensing something strange near the other end of the cave. Unnoticed, Koga had appeared after touching Sabrina during the teleport. The Poison Clan leader approached his son Niko, trapped in a shell of violet crystals. With precise toxin control, Koga dissolved the hardened substance, freeing the boy.

  “Father… I’m sorry,” Niko gasped. “I underestimated the brat.”

  Koga looked at him coldly, then turned to Aspen, who lay in a pool of blood and crystals. With a murderous glint, he lunged to finish him off. However, something strange surrounded the boy: unconscious, his body was encased in a massive poison shell, hardened by sheer adrenaline.

  Koga struck the crystal with a punch, cracking it, but it didn’t shatter. He prepared for another blow when a guttural hiss filled the air:

  “Gengaaaaar… Gengaaaaar…”

  Three Gengar rose, summoning shadows around them. Agatha pointed her cane at Koga:

  “I won’t stand down, Koga. Stop. I won’t let you kill him. He’s shown great potential, and I refuse to let you spill more blood.”

  “Stand aside, witch,” Koga spat. “That brat dared to capture my Zubat and humiliate Niko. He’ll pay with his life.”

  “This boy is important,” Agatha declared. “Besides, I know his grandmother. I won’t risk the life of a descendant of my old friend. Step back.”

  The Gengar, with mocking grins, surrounded Koga with dark energy. The Poison leader growled, trying to retaliate with his own toxins, but one Gengar bit his shadow, immobilizing him temporarily.

  Meanwhile, Alex and Lisa, poisoned by Aspen’s attack, staggered toward Koga:

  “Leader of the Poison Clan… can you help us?” Alex groaned, clutching his side.

  “Yes… I can’t stand this poison anymore,” Lisa whimpered, her legs trembling.

  Without breaking his furious glare at Aspen, Koga snapped his fingers. The poison was drawn from Alex and Lisa’s bodies in a gentle purple swirl, which he dissipated into the air.

  “Go finish the race,” Koga muttered. “Prove your worth, and don’t come back unless you remain in Class A.”

  “Of course,” Lisa gasped. “Thank you.”

  Niko stood, his eyes fixed on Aspen:

  “Father, I can still crush him, even if he’s unconscious…”

  “We’ll come back for him,” Koga growled, glancing away as the Gengar restrained him. “Now go. The competition continues. Don’t disappoint me again.”

  Oak and Agatha exchanged a look. Agatha spoke:

  “We’ll take Kara, Vera, and… the boy in that crystal to the meeting room. They’re in no condition to continue.”

  Oak nodded, summoning a couple of Eeveelutions to prepare for a mass Teleport:

  “Exactly. Alex, Lisa, Niko—you can continue if you want. But for these three, the race is over.”

  Lisa clenched her teeth:

  “I won’t withdraw. I have my pride to defend.”

  “Same here,” Alex added, standing straighter.

  Niko cast one last hateful glance at Aspen:

  “I’ll continue. And sooner or later, he’ll pay,” he whispered, eyes narrowing.

  In a matter of seconds, Oak and Agatha led the Teleport. Bruno carried the unconscious Kara, Sabrina held Vera, and the Gengar carefully managed the toxic shell encasing Aspen. Koga discreetly touched Sabrina’s arm to ensure he wasn’t left behind.

  The cave fell almost silent. Lisa, Alex, and Niko exchanged determined looks and continued the race, vowing never to underestimate anyone again.

  The high-ranking meeting room had been transformed into an improvised medical area. Kara and Vera lay unconscious on makeshift cots, while Aspen, still encased in his massive violet poison crystal, was placed carefully in a corner. Professor Oak scanned him with a portable device, his expression tense.

  “I can’t find a way to break it without risking damage to his organs,” Oak muttered. “Every time I apply force, the structure reacts as if it’s about to explode. He’s protected by his own poison.”

  Bruno gently set Kara down, his fascination with the strange power he’d seen in her arm still lingering.

  “I want to speak with her when she wakes up,” he said, almost excited. “That aura isn’t common.”

  Sabrina observed Vera, who floated slightly above the cot in a faint psychic field.

  “This girl… I need to investigate her memories. Even though Oak forbade it earlier, her energy still intrigues me.”

  Agatha tapped her cane, drawing attention:

  “First things first: we need to check if Kara and Vera are merely unconscious or in real danger. I’ll examine the psychic. Oak, you handle the fighter.”

  “Bruno’s taking care of that,” Oak replied. “Kara’s vitals are stable. She’s exhausted, but with rest and some medicine, she’ll recover.”

  In a corner, Koga stood with his arms crossed, scowling at Aspen’s massive crystal prison.

  “You’re alive by sheer luck,” he growled, frustration seeping into his voice. “Bah, we’ll see if the grandmother Agatha mentioned has solutions. If not, I’ll break it myself.”

  Koga could’ve freed Aspen without killing him, but he decided to wait, curious about the person Agatha referred to—someone who had apparently escaped from the clan.

  “You’ll do no such thing,” Agatha snapped. “I’ll call Julia. She’ll know how to get him out without killing him.”

  Koga’s face twisted with hatred and surprise:

  “Julia… I knew that name would come up. She’s still alive? She managed to escape from my father? I’ve no interest in seeing her again, but if that’s what it takes to solve this, fine.”

  Koga was lying. If that old scientist was still alive, he could exploit her skills, and it seemed she had created something remarkable that she passed down to her grandson.

  Sabrina shot Koga a sharp look:

  “If you’re planning to finish him off later, I suggest you restrain yourself. We need anyone who can handle poison at that level.”

  Bruno scoffed:

  “And I want to see if Kara and Vera are true threats to my Fighting and Psychic clans. I won’t allow them to exist unsupervised.”

  At that moment, Gary Oak appeared in the doorway, casting an intense look at his grandfather:

  “Is everything alright here? I felt a strange Teleport wave and figured you’d arrived.” His eyes settled on the violet crystal. “Wow, that kid really is an enigma.”

  Oak nodded, pointing at Aspen:

  “There’s no way to get him out without harming him. We’ll have to wait.”

  Agatha approached one of the Gengar:

  “Go get Julia,” she ordered. “Tell her she’s summoned by the Kanto Elite Four. It’s non-negotiable.”

  The Gengar faded like a living shadow, slipping through the wall with a faint hiss. Koga turned, impatient:

  “I suppose I’ll stay, even though I don’t like the idea of seeing her.”

  “Good,” Agatha replied coolly. “Because if she finds out what you planned for her grandson, things will get interesting.”

  No one added another word. Silence settled heavily over the meeting room. In the background, Kara and Vera’s breathing remained steady, while Aspen’s toxic shell glowed faintly, pulsing as if with an internal heartbeat. Gary moved closer, analyzing the structure with a tiny scientific device, trying to understand the mechanics of the crystals.

  “It has the same composition as Alolan Muk,” Gary whispered. “Fascinating. This could be a formidable weapon in the wrong hands.”

  Koga rolled his eyes, saying nothing, though he was secretly intrigued. Oak massaged his temples, reflecting on the events they’d just witnessed: Class A’s questionable superiority, the emergence of the trio representing Fighting, Psychic, and Poison from unknown origins, and the potential for these new talents to shake the future of the Pokémon League.

  Sabrina remained focused on Vera, subtly manipulating the air with her psychic powers to ease the headache caused by so many teleportations.

  Finally, Agatha spoke, her voice firm:

  “We’ll wait for Julia. She’s the only one who can break that shell without killing the boy. And besides, it’s time for her reunion with Koga.”

  Aspen Meloc

  Spoiler

  Spoiler

  ~Grimer (Alola) [Nickname: Dosy]

  ~Zubat [Nickname: Noisy]

  Vera Espern

  Spoiler

  ~Abra [Nickname: Sage]

  ~Mime Jr. [Nickname: Butler]

  Kara Auralis

  Spoiler

  ~Machop [Nickname: Karate]

  ~Mankey [Nickname: Box]