Lavender town is most known for the Pokemon tower.
And Ghosts.Not just Ghost types, but actual ghosts.There was enough documentation to fill a whole row of shelves on the topic in the library. Of course, humans are still humans regardless of the universe, and people still dismiss the topic when it is brought up. This is despite there being a standard job in each settlement that was large enough to have a graveyard needing to have a channeler or spiritualist working at least part-time. It wasn't seen as a prestigious position but it was seen as necessary. It was something typically funded by the local government.From what I'd seen looking into the issue there had only been one instance of a local government ever defunding the program. The council halls becoming haunted had quickly seen the funding reinstated.These days fire departments got less funding.I'd already been open to the idea of ghosts thanks to my reincarnation, alongside some of the game knowledge, so it wasn't surprising for me.Lavender Town itself was more than just that, however. There was a whole culture that was based around remembrance and honouring the past. Lavender town was perhaps one of the most traditional towns that existed in Kanto. There were multiple red lantern festivals alone each year. There were also multiple shrines with their various attendants. In the game, they were labelled as mere Channelers.In reality, there were temple elders, monks, shrine maidens and spiritualists along with the channellers.I could confirm that the shrine maidens were very cute.They were sadly less cute when you had to arrive at a shrine near dusk. The shrine maid I got came under the category of creepy scary instead of the cute innocent type. I suspected Agatha had done this deliberately to mess with me. If you took everything at face value you'd think her a normal shrine maiden, but within five minutes of interacting with her, I knew exactly what type she was. The scary kind that probably loved it when it came time to set up a haunting pathway for trials of courage.She earned her stereotype by giggling under her breath while occasionally turning her head towards me. I couldn't tell what she looked like due to a veil she wore, and when we eventually set off she led the way with a small lantern down a long gravel path. The lantern barely lit the gravel path that we were walking along and cast barely visible shadows flitting about in the night.With my 'danger Brock danger!' senses tingling I wasted no time in calling up some of my Dark energy to better see my surroundings. I watched as a Rattata raced between trees and peered out. A lone Murkrow flit through the woods as if watching us. Hoothoot and Noctowl's swooped by overhead with Zubat and the occasional Ekans struck out from a hollow to snatch up one of the Rattata for dinner.The cries of the pokemon that was its dinner only added to the issue of my paranoia. Just because I could see what was going on did not make me feel in any way more comfortable."Tihihihi!" I shuddered for perhaps the seventh time in as many minutes."Has anyone told you that it's mildly unsettling to hear your laugh when walking down a dark path at night?" I said to see how she reacted to being called out on her antics.The shrine maiden paused before continuing forward. "Honoured sir, I have no idea whatever you could mean?""Your habit of giggling like that," I said bluntly. When she continued to stare at me I shrugged unapologetically. "Sorry if you can't control it, but it really makes me think of that recent horror film. Graveyard tryst, I think it was called?""I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," she said demurely. I huffed at her as we walked on towards what I could now make out was a large wall surrounding… what appeared to be a dark manor with a large rolling set of grounds. "It was Grave Lovers…" said the maiden under her breath."You say something?" I decided to throw her a bone by making it seem like I hadn't heard her."Tihihihi!"I instantly regretted it. When we reached the gates I had to give the owner props for sticking to the theme, the iron wrought monstrosities wrapped with ivy were suitably creepy and gothic. They towered over me with sharp points at the top to ward off intruders."Really going all in on the haunted mansion look. I assume this is Agatha's place?" The maiden didn't answer, but I could feel how she wanted to grumble or pout at my deduction. When she gestured at me to open the gates I braced two hands on them. Then I pushed.The gates bent before rebounding slightly with a harsh clang. I stepped back in shock before blushing as I noticed the rather prominent latch that locked them together."You're something of a brute aren't you?" said the Shrine maiden. She then raised her sleeve to where her mouth would be to give her now-signature giggle. "But I don't mind that in a man. Tihihihi!" She reached forward with a key that was similarly on theme and unlocked the latch. I could feel her watching me in amusement as I pushed on the gates a little more experimentally. There was a small groan and that was enough as they swung slightly.I applied more force with my next shove, even putting a little rock-type strength into it. The gates didn't get the chance to swing openly shrilly, it was instead a single harsh scream as they were flung open."Yeah, guess I am a bit of a brute," I said as she stared at the gates. I don't think she considered how much I'd shaken the gates from pushing them earlier. "You coming?" I asked as I gestured towards the open courtyard leading to the front door."I will not be coming with you any further Gym Leader. I hope you have… an interesting evening." She then stepped back quickly while dimming her lantern. If it had been anyone else I expect she would have appeared to vanish into the night spookily. Instead, I got to watch her scuttle away.It was still creepy, but also kind of endearing. For all that she was trying to scare me she went about it in a sort of childish way that once you were expecting it didn't seem that bad. It was scarrousing? Hmmm, that didn't seem right. I clicked my teeth and walked further up the stone path leading to the house only to stop when I spotted the people standing atop darkened balconies watching me.I could only just make out their profiles but I already had suspicions about two of them. One was thin and held in an upright tight position that reminded me of Koga. The other was slightly slumped with a small cane in front of her, which made me think Agatha.I considered them for a moment more but that seemed to cause a reaction as lights around them activated. Agatha grinned at me while Koga stared impassively. The third person to the side was a younger woman with long and silver hair falling down to frame her face. I'd seen her at the Little League match and she must have thought her 'reveal' to be surprising to me now.But I'd known who she was the entire time, If only because of our battles in another life on my gameboy. The pixelated avatar and fanart didn't do her justice. Karen was fit and obviously confident in herself. She had her hip cocked, her arms resting under her chest to slightly promote her breasts in a pose that would make models proud, and a smile that made me think she was seconds away from saying 'ahoy there sailor' and beckoning me closer."Welcome Brock!" Agatha said. I nodded my head before pointedly glancing at the other two. Agatha noticed my furtive looks. "You have met Koga before but allow me to introduce you to my apprentice and future Elite Four member, Karen."I glanced at the woman once again before humming. There was obviously a story there as typically you needed to have a strong showing with lots of people understanding that you were beyond merely powerful and skilled before becoming an Elite Four member. Challenging wasn't as simple as the games made it seem. Agatha obviously had confidence in her if she was announcing that to me. I decided to voice my thoughts. "Isn't that a touch presumptive?""Lance will be introduced to her soon and she will be allowed to demonstrate her strengths in a few upcoming matches," Agatha announced grandly. I hummed noncommittally at this. Koga didn't react at all.I decided to test the waters and get to the point of them calling me out. "So, I'm here now, we going to head inside and talk like adults?"Karen gave an amused look that oddly matched Agatha. I suddenly had doubts that Agatha and Karen were only 'Master and apprentice'. Were they related?Agatha gave a little cackle only to raise her cane up and strike the ground with it. "In time. First, I am afraid you must pass a test.""A test?" I said flatly."Indeed, a test. You see the Guardians are not just a group of Aura users. We act as the defenders for Kanto. For that purpose, you will need to prove your skills in the only way that matters."Agatha expanded a pokeball in her hand and I rolled my eyes as I plucked a pokeball of my own. What other way would ever count for much in a pokemon world but a pokemon battle?"Go Gengar!" She called as a pokemon appeared below her but level with me. It landed and dark red eyes flashed ominously as a chill swept through me."Go Knight!" I released my choice and the earth thumped as a pokemon that hadn't been shown against Lance took the stage."Aggron!" Bellowed my pokemon. The larger pokemon glowered at the smirking Gengar."Oh? A strong pokemon young man." Agatha's words were mocking in the way only a backhanded compliment could be. I suspected if I stuck around with her I'd be getting a few of those. I grunted before crossing my arms."Knight buff sequence!" Instantly my pokemon adopted a stance with one leg sliding backwards. Agatha didn't say a word as her pokemon slid into one of the shadows abundantly present on the impromptu battlefield. The gardens that had sparse trees still had enough statues to make it easy for the ghost type to almost be lost in the shapes and darkness Then it began to flit about the courtyard like some sort of horror villain. If Agatha thought I was above wrecking her garden she'd be in for an expensive gardening bill.Red eyes shot out at Knight but he merely grunted and tightened his stance. I felt a strange sensation sweep through me as the eyes peered at me and pulsed. A chill zeroed in on my chest.Had that been glare? It didn't seem to have paralysed my pokemon so it either was and it didn't work or it was something else? Well, whatever it was I wasn't backing down from this fight. I inhaled and settled in.I allowed Knight to continue buffing himself up while observing the Gengar. A flicker of movement to my right showed a small Murkrow landing on the wall. I turned back just in time to see Gengar launch out at Knight from the side."Pulse," I ordered. Instantly blue-white energy appeared from Knight before blossoming outwards, forcing Gengar to run face first into the Dragonpulse. Gengar faltered but still managed to swipe its tongue across Knight. I hummed in thought.This seemed more like a debilitating style of fighting but I doubted Agatha was going to try that against me. Her best moves of poison wouldn't work with Aggron's typing. Another pokemon flitted around to the left so fast that I couldn't spot what it was. I glanced up at Agatha, a frown forming on my face only to blink as I noticed the other two balconies were now empty."Knight close in and thunder punch." Instead of lumbering, my Aggron shot forward with thunderous steps that came as a barrage of noise rather than a simple beat."Ohoho!" crowed Agatha as she swept her arm out. "Float up and away Gengar! I thought you were just increasing your pokemon's defence before, but it appears you went for speed over defence."I grunted, not wanting to confirm or deny such information to my opponent. Not a habit I ever wanted to get into. I glanced about as another form flickered past. I was getting thoroughly unnerved by these sudden movements in the corner of my eye."What game are you playing here Agatha?" I said as Knight missed another punch when Gengar came down.Agatha only grinned. I clicked my tongue and considered this match-up. No official rules were laid out. It was something of a choice of pride to not withdraw your pokemon first but that was a dumber part that wasn't currently feeling slightly paranoid. I raised my pokeball. "Return Knight!"Instead of the light connecting. Murkrow swept around and glared with large eyes appearing out of the dark above it. I recognised it for what it was. That Murkrow had just used Mean Look to stop me from withdrawing my pokemon.There was a beat of silence as I digested this. With the way pokemon were flitting around near me and how Agatha had just used more than a single pokemon in a match-up, my stomach dropped as Agatha's grin grew.In the pokemon world, Agatha had just broken a big taboo. Pokemon battles were seen as honourable duels with all the stories talking about how people were able to face legendaries in honour duels with only one pokemon coming out at a time. The world had to have been a harsher period. That or the Legendaries weren't as strong back then. But that was beside the point. By using another pokemon Agatha had just announced that she had malicious intentions toward me.If this had been another person or perhaps even the canon Brock I might have paused to complain. I'd grown up seeing Ash and co fight through situations with only one pokemon themselves or only until they matched up. I'd also seen it go wrong for them often enough that I had a prepared response when I left on my journey.I swept my hands across my belt in a move I'd practised but always dreaded ever having to use. "TEAM OUT AND FIGHT!" I said with a loud shout.Instantly my entire carry roster of pokemon took to the field.Shin stood to the side with scythes proffered dangerously. Don took to the skies with a screech with Zephyr who was a silent wraith to the wrathful ancient pokemon. Selene hovered above my head. Her psychic power reached out to take stock of the situation. Behind me, Sanchez adopted a wide stance that announced he had my back.Twin thumps announced the arrival of my two strongest pokemon, front and centre.Titan glowered at all around him and roared his warning as he began instantly building up energy. At this Gengar even stepped back in fright.Next to me a slightly smaller but no less heavy pokemon stomped her feet back and forth before growling as the horn atop her head began to spin up. Her large orange arms pumped back and forth once before bracing at her sides. "Rhyperior!" Bertha called out."Outstanding! Simply outstanding!" Cried Agatha from her balcony. Instead of saying anything to relax my mood she drew four of her own pokeballs to toss down. From them, a Crobat, Arbok, Misdreavus, and another Gengar emerged.From around the grounds a large Venomoth floated out accompanied by a Weezing and a Muk. I grimaced at what that meant even as my nose stung from being downwind of the pollution pokemon.From the other side of the courtyard, a Houndoom stepped forward accompanied by an Absol. I felt that was rather apt with how this moment appeared from my point of view. I wasn't running though. I still had some options. I wouldn't even need to message Sabrina. No I should be able to take these pokemon. I leant my neck to the side in a back and forth motion to release the tension before settling in.If they wanted a fight I'd give it to them."Blast away!" I shouted while sweeping my hands outwards. Instantly rock throws were fired off in all directions that sped towards the approaching pokemon of Agatha..Arbok countered with a surf only to face a slab of rock being the follow-up answer. Shin darted out towards Koga's pokemon only for me to order him back against Houndoom where he would have a slightly better match-up. The ancient type twisted on a dime and rocketed back with aquajet to engage the pokemon.When Absol tried to interject Selene called down a Moonblast. When it hit it flattened the Absol into the ground a gasp of surprise rang out into the night, revealing where Karen had been. Just like the dark night benefited Agatha and Karen, the full moon that brought the shadows they thrived in gave strength to Selene's attack.She raised a pokeball and withdrew her downed pokemon before growling at me. Foreknowledge certainly paid off. She had likely been expecting a psychic-type move that her pokemon would shrug off.No such luck with Selene. I might have had her train her psychic abilities with Sabrina but I had made sure to have her keep some of her starting moves. It just took a concerted effort to hone into strength. The existence of the Fairy type might not be widely known, but I knew of them and that meant I could educate a lot of other people.Karen's next pokemon proved to be more of a threat as a Weavile appeared and began peppering my pokemon and I with ice shards.At my front, Knight and Titan linked up with Dragon and Dark pulses to keep back Agatha's pokemon only for a Shadowball from Agatha's heaviest hitter to break through. Titan instantly used protect and absorbed the hit without issue."Knight switch to fighting against those ghost pokemon! Sanchez—" before I could give the order a heavy thunder launched up and arced down causing the attacking groups to scatter. Sadly Crobat and Murkrow dodged, but then again Thunder wasn't the most accurate of moves. Still, he'd brought us slightly more breathing room. I spotted Zephyr trying to dive out of the darkness onto Crobat but the nimble bat pokemon proved too agile."Zephyr! Use Hypnosis!" I called to him. The night above began to have attacks splash out as pokemon traded attacks. With the back and forth of attacks I couldn't hear Agatha, Koga or Karen ordering their pokemon."Quake!" I called out to my pokemon that could perform it. Next to me Rhyperior stopped punching the air and lifted her feet in time with Titan, Sanchez, and Knight."Selene! Lift!" I said urgently.Around me, a blue glow lifted me up alongside Shin as the earth buckled and broke. Pokemon shouted in fear as they lost their footing. Agatha didn't bother catching herself and instead allowed the balcony to break. Around her large cracks formed in the walls. I took a dark pleasure in breaking her house. If she wanted to play games she could learn that I could play rough when I wanted to.
Instead of retreating or demanding that I stopped, however, she grinned at me as she fell forward."Gengy, catch me would you?" She said like she had all the time in the world, instead of falling off the balcony. Then suddenly her Gengar was behind her and cradling her to the ground. "Thank you, dearest! Now use hypnosis!""Selene! Magic co—" I'm not sure what made me do it but before I finished the order I twisted to block a strike from Koga as he appeared behind me. I grunted but held firm, my eyes narrowed on the man.Another taboo broken.Most trainers that got injured in trainer battles were due to being hit from stray effects. It was only criminals that directly attacked the trainer. That still made up a significant percentage of trainer deaths. But that wasn't something the public was made aware of.I glared at Koga. He had a focused expression and nodded once as though he was pleased by my block, only to try to sweep my legs with his next action. I braced, channelling Rock aura into my body causing his leg to slam into my much stronger legs.He didn't even make a noise pain as my legs didn't shift. He stepped back as Zephyr dropped into the space he had been. My owl whirled around and raised his wings in a threat display while Sanchez turned and growled. Koga didn't seem at all bothered by their obvious displeasure. He merely took another step back."You are doing well. Keep it up," he said cryptically before flipping away back into the shadows. Behind me, the two floating pokemon protected the rest of my pokemon from Gengar's attack. Don was thankfully out of range of both as he duelled with a Murkrow while a Crobat flitted back and forth to swipe at him."Don! Sweep into Dragon dance!"Houndoom unleashed a huge torrent of flame only for Shin to counter by punching up the middle of the gout of flame with an Aquajet. When Weaville swept in with claws glinting with ice he retreated quickly enough to only have a small cut on his flank.I scowled. This wasn't working for me. They would be able to continue forcing the issue with more reinforcements. There was also the fact that there might be more of them than just these three. Koga had shown he wasn't above striking the trainer just to further complicate matters.This was far from a typical pokemon match. If anything this was a brawl or an actual battle. My mind lingered on that before I glanced at Bertha who nodded at me once."Return! I shouted as I raised pokeballs to pokemon that couldn't escape what was to come. I found myself oddly unable to return Knight before I recalled the earlier mean look on him from the Murkrow. I clicked my tongue and called for my psychic types for an assist. Selene raised both myself and Knight off the ground.The battlefield stilled for a moment at my strange move before everyone's eyes swept to Bertha who was posed with a fist pointed straight down at the ground. She gave out a fanged grin. I glanced up only to see Agatha staring at me with a hungry look."Seismic Twist."In the old games there were ways to increase the chances of a one-hit K.O move from landing. Most of these involved temporary buffs or items. That didn't mean it wasn't possible to raise a pokemon to learn the moves. Sadly they would be underpowered, meaning you needed another route to empowering them.I'd found such a method by watching duo fights where one trainer had allowed their heavy hitter to hold back while building up with Focus energy. A marvellous strategy that I'd then built on with learning how to use combination moves.I'd had Bertha doing nothing but that for the last minute. In a battle, a minute may as well be an eternity.Bertha's fist launched out and dug into the ground like a boring drill then the earth around her fist twisted as she gripped into it. Then, like metal being rent, she grasped the area like a giant grabbing a child's playmat before spinning it. The pokemon on the ground were hurled about. The front section of the manor was sheered off as it was also caught in her grasp.Pokemon cried out while others grabbed their trainers protectively as bubbles of hexagons formed up around them.It lasted only five seconds, but in those five seconds, everything changed. The layout of the battlefield became hazardous to charge across and the areas of small bushes and trees that had been idyllically placed about the grounds were now thrown about offering no cover for Karen or Koga.Houndoom growled from its position beside Karen while Koga hovered back to the ground having been raised up thanks to his Venomoth. His other pokemon had to be withdrawn, I noted. I glanced about only to see Agatha fade into a fully corporeal form. I tilted my head. Was that something people versed in Ghost-type energies could do? I had to admit, that was kind of cool. She had a hand on her Gengar that was still smirking at us, unbothered by the destruction we'd just unleashed.I grabbed my pokeballs to return my team to the field as Knight dropped down next to me. Bertha drew in huge lungfuls of air as she recovered from the AOE attack.Agatha threw her head back and cackled, "Hahahaha! Yes! That's what we're looking for! Stupendous! Absolutely fantastic! I thought you might have some proper bite to go with your bark!"I raised a pokeball as she continued to smile. I jerked my head aggressively. "What in the world are you playing at? You invite me out here and try ganging up on me?""Yes, as I said it was a test. One that I do believe you passed with flying colours!" She smiled widely at me. I only scowled harder at her, not liking what she was saying."I think I'll be leaving if it's all the same to you." I looked to Selene who would serve as my getaway in this instance."Peace, Brock!" barked out Koga as he slowly approached. "While it was shameful it held merit for the purpose of pushing you more than most are used to! Too often trainers become locked into the mindset of only ever fighting in show matches and they do not understand the harsher, more dark aspects of our world. How often do you hear of pokemon hunters stealing a trainer's entire team by dishonourably ignoring the traditions of battle?"I shifted. That was information I was allowed to know thanks to making sure to stay friendly with Officer Jenny. The police department didn't broadcast the number of thefts to the general public. You had to go looking for them. The anime had only ever demonstrated it once with Hunter J being dedicated to it. But then again Team Rocket for all their antics, were cut from the same cloth."So I can fight with more than just one on one or two on two… What does that matter?" I said testily."It means when people step outside the 'rules' you can and will match them," Karen said with a rather husky voice that sent tingles running up my spine.Agatha brushed aside a loose strand of hair. "The Guardians aren't about being nice," she said with a tone dripping in condescension. "We're a group that needs to be able to fight harder than others, and not in ways the League would ever condone. Instead of neutering ourselves, we hold to older practices. When you were ganged up on by not one or two but three trainers you dug in and fought back! Better you even had thought of this! Do you know how many trainers in your generation would fail this test? As a Guardian, you may need to fight any number of trainers at once should you need to!" She stamped her cane into the ground. "Guardians need to be able to be strong! But they also need to be as a shield to the weak!"Agatha nodded to herself only to stamp her cane into the ground again."The League has forced mediocrity upon many of the trainers these days! Made them blunt their fangs for the good of all. But that does not mean there are not others out there similar to ourselves promoting certain trainers. Kanto needs to have strong trainers in more than just one idea of what strong constitutes."She stepped forward and raised a hand in my direction. "I will formally ask, Brock of Pewter city, would you join us and learn our ways. Grow strong and in turn, offer your strength to us so that we can continue our work for the betterment of Kanto?""I don't agree with how this was handled and it leaves a foul taste in my mouth so I think I will have to—""Don't reject us because we push you to be more!" Snapped Agatha. "You don't have the experience in wielding your Aura! You won't find anyone else with the contacts, or the training methods like we do Brock! You might harm your family without meaning to if you don't control yourself!"I turned that over for a moment before clicking my tongue. Oak only had research, not contacts and training methods, and even then he'd seemed uncertain of his materials. He'd also said that Agatha would be rough to deal with. This was her rubbing me the wrong way I supposed. Still, that didn't mean I was going to roll over for her. "Pull that sort of thing again and I will walk away. Got it?" I locked eyes with Agatha and she matched me, her smirk growing."I understand perfectly." She seemed to be happier from my drawing a line in the sand. She then raised a trio of pokeballs to withdraw her pokemon. "Come, let us retire back to the shrine. I'm sure Tiffany will have a lovely tea service made up for us by now."She strutted out with her cane barely having to support her. Karen walked up with her Houndoom still eying me warily. She gave me a welcoming smile and a wink. "Those were some very nice moves out there. I think I'm going to enjoy working with you."She offered her hand and I shook it once. "Hmmm you've got some rough hands there," she said while winking. My eyes were drawn to her hips as she sashayed after Agatha."Beware the women in this group, young Brock. They are very forthright but no less dangerous for it." I inhaled sharply as Koga appeared at my side."Can you not do that?" I said.He turned to look at me. "Do what?"I rubbed my forehead. "The appearing at my side like that out of nowhere!" I was apparently a bit too wired from the fight to be giving the more senior gym leader and future Elite four member as much respect."Hmmmm," he considered this for a moment, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes as if to consider the request. "No.""You know what? I'm really not as surprised as I feel I should be." I rolled my shoulders before frowning after the departing women. I glanced back at the house that was now wrecked. A suspicion formed in my mind that wouldn't leave. "Who's house is this?"Koga pat me on the shoulder. "It is good that you know to ask the right questions. It is one of the people that have wronged Agatha recently. Do not scorn a Ghost-type master," he looked me straight in the eyes, "without expecting ramifications." He then gestured after the women. When he stepped he did so with a small hitch that made me feel oddly happy. It was good that he couldn't walk off kicking me in the shin.Another thought occurred to me. "You didn't use a poison attack on me when you went to punch me did you?""Not this time," he said. "We are to be allies, not enemies. That being said, you have a number of openings in your defence. I shall inform Janine to rectify those while she is working with you.""Why do I feel like that just means she's going to start attacking me at random?"Koga chose not to answer, causing another sigh to escape me. "I suppose you were the one to infiltrate my gym and leave the message in my schedule?"He nodded. "Indeed. Your gym had good security.""You still made it in to pencil in this appointment," I said.His lips twitched in amusement. "It's only good, but no defence is perfect.""Couldn't you have just messaged me on the hologram pad Agatha sent me?""I could have, yes," he said without elaborating. I sighed. Wonderful, as much as Agatha liked to play games I got the impression Koga was no less eccentric. This suddenly seemed like so much more trouble than I thought it would be. Still, I walked after the group to the shrine I'd passed when I arrived.It would be good to start learning more about Aura.Sadly it came with strings.
39
I dreamt of flipping the table.That was all I could imagine as I sat around the small rectangle table as Tiffany methodically went through what I'm sure was a lovely tea ceremony.I could feel the weight of social expectations on my shoulders to remain where I was, but it sat poorly. Moments like this where people demanded manners seemed like the most annoying aspects of life. I'd faced enough of it in my past life to recognise it. I'd also taken more than a little pleasure in 'flipping tables' back then as well. After the recent ambush 'test' I was way too amped to be sitting around drinking tea. My blood was running hot in ways that demanded action. Something I knew I wasn't going to get here and now.And so, I longed to flip the table.Koga didn't even react as I practically vibrated in place. Agatha stared at me with a raised brow in challenge that made it harder to relax. Karen… Karen inspired different reactions but I couldn't be certain if that was by design or just how she was. Her choice of dress left little to the imagination. Her top clung to her chest while the jeans she wore would have to be peeled off her.I gritted my teeth and inhaled through my nose before releasing it. This, I decided, was just another method of control set up by Agatha. She seemed to be the leader. Or at least the 'face' of the organisation. I'd have to keep my eyes open for more clues into their structure, but right now keeping my eyes open was likely to cause different parts of me to pay attention than I wanted.Tiffany leaned over me to pour the tea. The weight of her breasts saw them brush against my thigh and it was all I could do to stare at Agatha's craggy face that I didn't instantly harden like a Metapod. Agatha's expression twisted into something mockingly cruel as I knew that she knew how my body wanted to react.Tiffany, it turned out, was the Shrine maiden that had escorted me to the manor. The manor that I still had no idea who owned, but left partly collapsed. Tiffany was a classical beauty under her veil. She could turn heads and hearts wherever she walked I had no doubt. She had a wonderfully trim body with a large chest that was now stretching her maiden's robes. I was certain that she had not worn something that tight when we'd walked up the path together. She had to have changed.That thought led to me imagining her opening the front of her… I killed that thought ruthlessly as Tiffany leaned back. Her eyes searching my face before slipping to my pants helped me to verify what her game was. In another setting without the old man and woman in the room I'd be much bolder and shameless. The older part of me wanted to shrug it off while my feelings wanted to cringe and curl in for how my body was reacting to the feel of a beauty so close.Instead of doing either I openly drew out a few pebbles from my pocket and turned my attention to them. The soft clatter of rocks pulled the women's attention away from my lower region. I turned the pebbles over without any pattern in mind. Today's rocks contained a few with some quartz in them that sometimes caught the light. The steady swelling of my own energy at the mnemonic trick caused my body to relax more and more.I started turning the thoughts over in my mind. Each thought rose to the top eventually. Some of them should have alarmed me but I'd practised meditating enough that I was able to keep my thoughts tumbling and loose. Like happy little rocks rolling down the side of a hill or being carried along in a stream. Or like a child playing with some pebbles with innocent joy."Huh, I've never thought of Rock energy as anything so relaxing and free," said Karen.I considered Karen. She was no longer looking at my hands but rather at me as a whole. Agatha looked more relaxed, instead of goading. Tiffany had a startled expression but I could also see a flash of heat in her eyes just as I could feel the warmth of her body.It washed over me, but not only as part of the room, not a flame that I had to pay attention to. When I remembered Koga was in the room I looked over to see him lifting his cup of tea to drink without commenting. He nodded seemingly at the taste but yet again I wondered if he was not in some way encouraging me like he had during our 'fight'."Multifaceted… you've certainly contemplated the nature of your energy quite a bit, haven't you Brock?" asked Agatha as she raised her own cup.I hummed consideringly before leaning back on my hands to shrug.It wasn't a safe position to be in by any means. In fact, there were a number of blaring red flags such as not keeping my pokemon near me while we talked. Was the tea something I wanted to drink or was it potentially some poison that I hadn't heard of? Suddenly I was reminded that I was a small guy playing with much bigger stakes.But I didn't start freaking out. I was no longer heart-thumpingly tense. Now, I was calm. And the truth was that I was small, like a pebble. I always had been. I could try to be a mountain, but in the end, everything was small in one sense or another. I didn't need to try to be more. I simply was. My mind was calm now. It wasn't so much a move as a state of being.The way of rock perhaps?"Hmpf! Not going to drink your tea Brock?" Agatha prodded. I gave it a glance before shaking my head."Nah, not really a fan of green tea." Tiffany slumped a little. The pout she levelled at me would make others want to drink simply to spare her feelings. I ignored her. Erika would have asked what I wanted and had a host of options available with her lunch box. Tiffany fell short in that regard.Agatha sniffed. "Truly you're acting more and more like a young brute. If I didn't know any better I would have thought Bruno was sitting across from me."I tilted my head. "I'm honestly surprised he's not here. He seems strong enough and I have no doubt he has access to Aura." There was a question to my words that I opened to the room at large.Koga set down his cup. "Bruno… is careless with his words and too open. He does not have an appreciation for the subtle need to keep some threats unspoken. He is too brash. He is also too invested in the League.""Sounds like a story there?" I put a pin in the question of what they had seen of me that didn't inspire the same reactions.Agatha tapped the table before speaking, "More of a history in truth." She shifted for a moment and waved Tiffany to a cushion to the side of the room. "It will take a while to explain so I should get comfortable. This among other things needs to be told for you to have a better understanding of our purpose."Agatha shifted about on the cushion and I copied her as I got as comfortable as I could. I would have preferred an actual chair but alas Agatha had decided on a more traditional meeting place with hardwood floors. I could just feel my buttcheeks aching already."The war with Johto is something that most educational texts like to brush over quickly these days." That had me perking up. "The reasons for the war are never explored in the books, only that the war was a great catastrophe." Agatha's face crinkled in disgust. "Revisionism at its finest. As if people will merely never go to war if they don't know the causes." When she looked up from the floor her eyes blazed."The war was over territory, but also the supposed capture of a Legendary pokemon when it was weak… Most blame a region known as Sinnoh, but there was also a Johto trainer claiming that they had captured a Legendary dog by the name of Entei… We never learnt the truth of that claim but it was enough to make a fragile situation where too many people were posturing. A Blackthorn Lady attacked in Hoenn is commonly thought to be the spark that lit the flame, but the kindling had already been set before that incident…""As it is known, the war ended just twenty-five years ago. While the history books of our own region like to discuss the conflict in a regional setting, but it was in fact a war that spanned much of the world. There are regions that entered the war only to find their trainers severely lacking. This resulted in them being wiped out from engagements.""Thousands of trainers entered the world stage only to fall short. The towns and people they left behind were thus weakened and exposed to both human enemies and nature itself!" She glared into the night."While wild pokemon were known to become more agitated from constantly being surrounded by battle, even when they themselves didn't participate, we'd never had information on how they would react to an all-out war. Pokemon that had long slumbered awoke due to the turmoil. First in ones and twos which led people into not understanding how much of a threat they could be. It was a price some paid more heavily than others."Agatha gestured to herself. "That's not even accounting for the issue of pokemon and people dying. How many experts do you think there were of the Ghost type before the war?""... a handful every city?" I glanced towards Tiffany.Agatha shook her head. "There were less than two or three in each city in truth. Ways of life were different back then. Culture had degraded, and there was a push to modernise and drop the old ways. This caused other issues with pollution." She nodded towards Koga.Koga set down his tea cup. "Cities need to closely monitor their waste production, or else they cause a swarm of poison types to arise. This is well known, but was yet another factor that was overlooked during the war." He raised his cup at that, and I wondered if he was going to say anything else. I felt there was a lot more that he could say. Perhaps I had to fill in the blanks myself though.Agatha took over, "To this day some regions are still lost, either destroyed from the fighting, or still hidden away." She sniffed, "Or they might still be dealing with the issues that arose for them during the wars. The wild pokemon were not easy to tame. Some areas around Kanto saw giant pokemon like that scam of a tourist trap pokemon island likes to show off! During the war we had giants like that appearing almost monthly!"I nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself. There had been that episode where Ash and crew destroyed pokemon island accidentally after the St. Anne tragedy, but there had also been something to do with ruins and giant pokemon hadn't there? I hadn't recalled that little factoid until Agatha mentioned it. But that was interesting and potentially concerning.The information on the precise time frame of the war was also interesting to discover. Twenty-five years and the world was still reeling. It might seem like a short period of time to lose access to people but it wasn't in truth. Nature could reclaim areas of land much faster in this world due to grass pokemon. Water types could ruin trade lanes, and with Dragons and Flying types flight became much tougher. Psychic teleports over distances of entire regions was beyond rare. I knew of only one person that could achieve it, and she never did it back to back. She made it look easy but that was merely a testament to her prowess.Agatha shifted. "Our own region was heavily impacted of course. At the time it was expected that trainers would have a one in four chance to survive to their twentieth birthday. I, among others, lost many friends and family. I was one of the strongest to emerge for Kanto. The others were people like Samuel, Koga, and Blaine. Together we formed the first iteration of Guardians.""Oak was part of the Guardians?" I said. I'd surmised as much from his earlier comments but it was good to have confirmation.Agatha bobbed her head. "Indeed, Oak ended up being instrumental in giving us a fighting chance. We hadn't had anything like the clans of Blackthorn. We lacked the Dragon's natural predators with ice types, which were their own allies. Oak however was able to raise a Dragonite and demonstrate that Dragons were weak to themselves. He fought them to such a standstill they had to back off."She smiled fondly at that before scoffing, "Then he did something stupid enough to gain their respect."I tilted my head in question. "What did he do?""He learned that Raikou had grown enraged and attacked the town of New Bark. The fool didn't even stop to gather the rest of us. Instead, he took off and fought with the beast for over an hour until others arrived. Then he stuck around and helped them get back on their feet!"Agatha stared into the distance. "It didn't make any sense to anyone at the time. That was a town that was positioned to be a threat to us, most of all Pallet! …But Oak still saved them… In doing so he brought Johto to the negotiating table. From there he stopped the war and our own headlong rush into annihilation." Agatha stared off into the distance."He could have named himself a king of Kanto back then, and made it stand. The government, such as it was at the time, had all but collapsed and we were working more as city-states that identified as a 'Kanto League'. So the Government back then was mostly ignored. People didn't follow their orders but instead looked to their local strongest." Agatha took another sip of her tea."A more aggressive man would have taken what was in front of him, but not Oak. Instead, he formed the initial framework for the League with the Elite Four. From there the League grew from administrative support for strengthening trainers and redeveloping our two states until we became Indigo. Then they snuck themselves into governance. Samuel's dream took many years where he travelled far around Kanto and Johto, he won people over and had them let go of their anger. I served as his third back then, along with Pryce and Arthur. Eventually, people pushed for a higher position that he'd held for Kanto in truth."Agatha got a pleased look on her face at this and I wondered for a moment if 'people' included her. "Oak fought some contenders and then faced challenges from his fellow Elites. When he won he was crowned Champion with history recording his tenure as starting from when he took the Kanto Championship and through the war until he retired out of respect. He had everything at his fingertips back then!"Again he remained light with his authority." Agatha sniffed at this last point. "He did elevate Blaine however.""You think he should have done more?" I asked as she took a sip of her tea."...No…" She said slowly. "At the time I was, and I recognise I still am, a firebrand. I was all for pushing Kanto superiority… I detested Oak's methods but…"She got a fond look on her face. "I admired his strength among other things. In the end, I think he has created a stronger Kanto than I ever could have." Her eyes became sharp. "That does not mean that I agree with everything the League would have us do! If they had their way, there would be caps on all trainers and lower pokemon limits. They'd see all of us weakened!""Sure, sure old lady, but do keep telling us about how hot Oak makes you under your petty coat yeah?" Said Karen. I was surprised to see her speaking 'out of turn' like that.Agatha whipped her head around to Karen. "You'll keep your mouth shut on topics you barely know of young Lady or I will discipline you and teach you why you respect your elders!"Karen responded with a smirk that showed her teeth. "By all means old woman," she said."Feh! Expect it when we're done here, little miss!" Replied Agatha.I hummed and almost reached out for the tea before realising I wouldn't enjoy that so I aborted the action. Tiffany perked up only to droop when I stopped myself from drinking the tea. That… did make me feel a little bad, but not bad enough to drink something I knew I wasn't going to like. I did enough of that at home.Instead, I turned what I'd learnt over in my head. Oak's actions almost resembled that of an anime selfless hero. He'd been larger than life and something so out of the ordinary it probably had been a huge dynamic shift. I found myself respecting the old professor a bit more. It was harder to be peaceful and helpful in a world so ready for fighting.The news of the League didn't surprise me, but it was good to know that the guardians were also aware of the sociopolitical issues that could arise from the League mandating a lower pokemon cap. I could count a few times where it was worth having a larger team of six even if it was just to have pokemon that could swim, fly, or traverse harsh environments. "Ah," I made a noise of consideration. I decided to test the waters. "So why the Guardians then? If the league does a good enough job—""Good enough is not what people should allow themselves!" Snapped Agatha turning away from her staring match with Karen. She glared at me before huffing."Harsh times lead to strong people and that leads to peaceful times! I am aware of this. People have become complacent however and this is leading to weak people! To stop this cycle there need to be people pushing themselves and remaining strong so that others can be allowed to be weak!" She jabbed a finger at me. "One in four! The League does not acknowledge the sacrifice it took to get where we are, and it continues to do acts in the name of 'good' that is anything but!" Her finger closed into a fist that dropped to hammer at the table between us."The war itself pushed the world to a breaking point! During the war, it wasn't uncommon to face wild pokemon. But as we continued to fight and kill each other, the pokemon we faced grew stronger until cities and entire people were being swept from the earth as we faced Legendaries! This continued for roughly three years after the war until the agitated pokemon settled enough that proper growth could be even considered. Legendary pokemon still rampaged about though. Most of the time it was caused by foolish men and women, certainly, but sometimes," she raised a finger to underscore her point. "Sometimes they rampage for no discernable reason and it takes strong people to stand against them."I decided not to try and be reasonable and state that chances were more than likely it was again humans as the cause. "So you formed the Guardians?""The Guardians were something that was already created during the war. We simply have faded from people's minds and memories as we have grown old. Few of us remain from the bad old days. Saffron might be the capital, but Lavender is where the Guardians were based from. This allowed us to block attackers from the east that came for Kanto, and on occasion strike out to sea on raids. We had members in Pewter, Pallet, Fuschia, and Cinnabar island as well though. We had a formal disbanding, after a few years of peace, but have actually been continuing to operate in secret."This made me think of another organisation from an anime I liked that had 'supposedly disbanded'. Thankfully this wasn't a ninja village, and we weren't meeting in the sewers below the village. I glanced over to Koga and decided to remain vigilant. I didn't want to wake up drinking from a skull one day and wonder if what I was doing wasn't what a bad guy would do."Shouldn't the locals know?" I asked. You could never underestimate the neighbours in a pokemon town after all.Agatha waved her hand. "It is no secret to them. In fact the locals of Lavender are the best equipped to understand the situation with specialised meetings for people that have grown up here. Lots of them support us in their own way." She smiled and nodded to Tiffany before lifting her now empty cup."The locals are also raised with a different curriculum than the others in Kanto with a larger focus on the costs of the war. With the graves of so many valued trainers and their pokemon around them, they understand." She then gestured around the table at the four of us sitting down. "As deterrents, the Guardians have a duty and slight elevation in the hierarchy."She leered at me. "Don't be surprised if some nubile young lasses come your way soon Brock. People will learn of you becoming a Guardian soon enough."I rolled my eyes at her. Pushing the issue of women being interested in me to the side for now. "If your issue is with strength, why not work with the gyms or the auditing group of the League, to make sure only worthy trainers get through?""We have been, but there were always arguments for the opposite. Or people with select interests pushing for certain things such as tax breaks or preferential treatment. A weaker trainer base means a stronger authority for the League. I was, and still am, being marginalised during meetings so we will need to make sure that the gyms remain strong." She nodded to Karen. "Other trainers will need to step up."I nodded slowly thinking it over. Tiffany filled up Koga and Karen's tea before looking at my own. I ignored her. "So where does aura training come into it?" I said after mulling things over."Naturally the guardians need strong trainers. Only those with natural talent have the ability to learn. Or, those that push themselves and their team notice how the link between the two is not just how well a pokemon responds. For type specialists, this is multiplied. The original 'challenges' that the Hero faced were all against type specialists for a reason beyond just being the most abundant pokemon type nearby." Agatha gave Karen a look and the other woman sat up.Karen coughed once and took over the conversation, "Pokemon trainers of that era all knew about Aura manipulation and many tried to develop it. It was, however, very, very rare. Using aura was a giant symbol of power and consolidated the local leaders. We have some tablets from that period that highlight this. Most notably was of course the hero that united the various city-states. The Hero back then was able to wield more than one type which made them beyond special however only after defeating an Aura wielder did they start to expand their range of abilities."I tilted my head and considered how that worked together slightly with the knowledge of the games. Trainers that completed various gyms became able to handle HM's and various stronger levelled pokemon that had been traded to them. Perhaps there was something like that at play and still in play. You'd need to study an entire group to determine that however… or a population."Oak still works to maintain the strength of the regions," I said, recalling Oak's supportive comments and research when we'd met."Of course he does. He selects the cream of the crop, and hands them some of the best known pokemon in our region." Karen raised an eyebrow at me, not seeing what I was referencing.Koga spoke up, "He means that Oak is the best suited to observe the true level of trainers. He typically researches relationships between humans and pokemon, but gyms all feed information to the League that he has access to for his studies. He knows when trainers are lacking not just on an individual level but also on a population level." Karen grinned, "He also has access to this information on a global level."I merely hummed at that.Agatha set her teacup down with a firm click. "Yes, Samuel is still supporting Kanto as he blunders around with his studies. Not everyone will have access to that. There are more than just those that obey the law, as foolish as it can sometimes become!"Agatha gave everyone a look. "Criminals for example, do not operate within the constraints of laws. Neither do wild pokemon or, indeed, Legendaries. What do pokemon care for the rule of mankind? Not a wit! Lance himself has had to face people that abandoned society and have taken to the wilds. There are yet more of them you can be sure!" Agatha tapped on the table once more."We need strong trainers. We need trainers that are able to unleash that strength without constraints to do away with threats before they can become too great! Or," And she sniffed pointedly, "act as shields when the worst occurs. We need beacons within the community that act to raise the standard for people to aspire to!"I could imagine that if Agatha had been standing she would have stabbed her cane into the ground to capitalise that point. "The Guardians serve in all these roles and more!" She jabbed a boney finger at me, "If you were to join with us we will seek to empower you more with your Aura development and support you in other ways; information, training methods for resistances and skills development beyond what you already possess."I nodded at that in consideration. I ran the conversation back over in my mind. "What would you do if I rejected your offer? Say I decided to run for Champion even? Would you stand in my way?"Agatha threw back her head and cackled. "You? Ha! You wouldn't be able to make your run against the Elite four as we stand boy! You're strong, but we're well aware of your tricks along with those pokemon you don't show off to the public!" She shook her head. "But no, if you were to make a challenge we would merely fight you as our status demanded as Elite Four trainers. Should you emerge victorious or even on the Elite Four roster itself, we would ask that you take our advice seriously. You otherwise would be left alone unless you acted against us." When I opened my mouth she held up her hand preempting my question."If you were to unknowingly act against our interest, an intermediary would present themselves to inform you, and depending on the situation either ask you to back down or possibly lend our support."I grunted at that and let silence retake the room. So they weren't so secretive and all demanding that they'd work against me unless I worked for them. Not so bad, but still had the potential to be problematic. I waved my hand about. "Returning to an earlier point you made, is Bruno not here because he's not supportive of your views?"Koga nodded his head. "He's supportive of the League and doesn't want to bother with taking a larger view. The man is very focused on his own development and little else. He's a wonderful patsy for some League officials, but more than strong enough to remain in his position."I prodded, "Lorelei is from Johto as well, no? How does she fit into the situation with the League right now?"Agatha sniffed dismissively. "Pryce installed her before he was beaten by Lance. She'll be removed after I will, no doubt. The Blackthorn clan might have been allied with the people of Snowdrift, but Dragon masters are always touchy when ice types are close to them. Lance is young and doesn't see the value of keeping her close, but overall I am glad the girl is being removed. She was causing some damage with her good intentions.""Sounds like a story there?" I ask."Not for tonight," Agatha waved me off.I rubbed my chin. "Other regions must have similar groups surely? Aren't you concerned that building up like this will cause them to build up as well? Sort of strength build-up?" I wanted to say arms race but guns were beyond rare in this world."Hmpf! As if that would stop them." She eyed me for a moment before harrumphing once more. "We stay within our own region until we're invited mostly. And we don't shake the world too much. We shelter our region first and foremost. That's why we're called Guardians and not the Raiders or something equally as asinine." She gestured again outside. "Kanto, Johto, Sevii, Orange, and Hoenn were regions that have obviously recovered the fastest and re-emerged to a 'global' status. This has been a boon for the trading of trainers, pokemon and ideas. Strength is required to reach this level, however. As more regions re-emerge there will be risks, have no doubt of that.""What will be expected of me?" I asked, tapping the table. What had been said so far didn't sound unreasonable."Mostly to become a beacon of strength. You've already achieved this with your recent performance against Lance. You have a strong grounding in Aura but little beyond the foundations or channelling it within your body." She leaned forward. "Tell me, have you yet managed an actual pokemon move yet?"I shook my head. Her gaze intensified. "How did you first discover your aura?""I just worked with Titan a lot and meditated. I eventually felt something and started to move it around."Karen giggled. "Like with the comics kids like to read? Oh, are you one of those types?" she said with an amused snort.I gave a bemused smile and shrugged a shoulder. "It worked.""So it did," said Karen with a shake of her head.I considered her. "Were you taught from the get-go about it?""Being Agatha's … apprentice has perks like that, yes." I wondered if she wasn't going to say daughter… or Granddaughter. I decided not to voice the thought, it didn't really matter right now. It was worth remembering when discussions like this occurred in future."Honestly it's rather impressive how a trainer as young as yourself has such a strong foundation." She tilted her head, "How old are you?""Sixteen." I avoided saying that I would soon be seventeen as I knew that to be more child-like."Oh…" Her eyes swept over me before grimacing. "That's surprising."I looked to Koga who had so far been the most neutral if tightlipped of the group. Something about the way he suddenly loomed over the conversation gave off the impression he would be speaking next. How he did that without moving a muscle I had no idea. "It is a wonderful accomplishment to have some control over your aura at such an age. That you have deep pools is impressive."I blinked again in surprise. "And how can you tell that?""Sensory abilities with aura are something that can be developed beyond the traditional channelling skills. You will eventually be able to feel sources around you depending on your training." I had to wonder if that didn't mean I'd be able to stop him sneaking up on me.He gave me a look as if knowing where my thoughts were going. His lips twitched upwards into a smirk that almost seemed challenging before it vanished making me wonder if it hadn't been a trick of the light."You will be given some primers on expelling aura from your body and retaining control over it. This will form most of the 'moves' you can learn and is the next step for you as an Aura wielder. From there you will have many different choices but know that it is not advised to try for all of the paths. Each path will take a long time to master and it is not advisable for you to attempt using them in actual situations unless you have mastery. Such sloppiness in the past has led to injuries or… deaths."I nodded my head at that. The mystical source of energy having drawbacks made sense, otherwise, it would be more commonplace."You have Dark-type and Rock-Type energy Brock?" Agatha asked."Yes, I've attuned myself to Titan more than anyone else so I ended up with a dual typing you could say.""It will be harder for you to advance but your early start will perhaps offset this. With most of the pokemon you spend time with being Rock typed, that should be the easier aura type to train up."I tilted my head at that, I hadn't found that to be an issue. Sometimes it felt like Dark type aura came easier to me. Karen narrowed her eyes but Agatha didn't notice my confused expression and instead barreled on with the conversation. "If you decide to develop the bond between your pokemon further, make sure you only channel the type of energy they have within them into the bond.""What would that serve to do?" I played ignorant even as I considered the possible applications. Was this what Mega-evolutions, Z type moves and gigantamax might require? Didn't the anime show that you needed an item for both yourself and the pokemon? Was this a method to do it without either? Or was it something different? I had spent a lot of time frequenting jewelers during my travels or at crystal sellers, just in case such a strange rock fell into my lap.Agatha frowned at me. "With you pushing energy into your pokemon they can be empowered beyond their current level to something stronger. They will hit harder, be able to endure more and be stronger in general. They will also be able to use what some texts refer to as 'signature' moves."That sounds pretty damn good.""Don't think it won't be hard work," Agatha said seriously."I didn't get where I am from laying around. I've been lucky, of that I have no doubt, but I've still worked hard." This was true but probably undersold how lucky I was. Who could say they'd been granted another life with a general idea of what was going to happen and how to navigate the system? No one that I knew of.Agatha nodded her head pleased. "Well then Brock I would like to formally invite you to join us. I will warn that once you join, you may be called on in the event of a Legendary going out of control. This is something of a heavier responsibility than is currently expected of gym leaders with the focus not being just your area, but the entire Kanto region."Koga stared at me. "You will also not advertise or tell others of us without our approval. It would require us discrediting you to protect ourselves along with making us distrustful of anything you were to do or say going forwards." He bowed his head towards me with a small incline of his head. "Just so you are aware of the stick such as it were. If you are discovered through no fault of your own we will take measures to protect you as required."I nodded tightly at that.Agatha leaned forward. "You will be asked to continue training any apprentices you take in leading them towards Aura awareness. This will allow for stronger trainers in general. If we ask, you will train a select trainer for us, this will not be an outright apprenticeship unless you wish it to be, and the person is open to the idea. Certain trainers have floundered in the past without someone to act as a support for them. We in turn will take any trainers you have for us into the same arrangement. You will be allowed access to our resources to better learn. The best of which is access to current aura wielders and to a library specifically for this."I nodded, extremely curious as to what I would find in the library and who would serve to teach me. I forced my eyes not to flicker hopefully to Karen. If my choices were an old woman, an old ninja and a beauty like her I knew who I was hoping for even as my mind pushed me for a different choice."How do you support yourselves? Financial and such?" I asked, interested."The war was good and bad." Agatha watched me closely. "During this time I supported a number of people but I realised this was untenable. I eventually developed a network to get things where they needed such as supplies and mail. Don't worry about financials or having to contribute there. I took care of the Guardians for this many, many years ago."I decided to let that issue rest for now. "Have you extended the offer to Sabrina yet?" I watched them closely. Agatha's lips tugged into a smile. Karen's lips pinched slightly and Koga remained impassive.Agatha inclined her head. "She's strong."Karen turned her head away and pouted, apparently annoyed at what had been said. Agatha clicked her tongue at the younger woman. "Don't deny it. She is. She has all of us beat in her potential. Her use of Psychic energies is something that would be a massive boon for us all. It has sadly made her less developed in areas we would require.""She's a brat!" Karen spat.I glanced from Karen to Agatha with a raised eyebrow. Agatha smirked. "Karen waltzed into the gym expecting to face her father and trounce him during her own journey, only to come face to face with a young Sabrina. She expected to crush the girl and tried taking it easy on her only to be flattened in turn despite the type advantage.""She did not flatten me!" hissed Karen, her hair rising up as dark tendrils whipped around her. I bit my lips at the oddly childish reaction."How many attempts did you have at the badge?" Agatha said haughtily.Karen clicked her tongue. "I won against her best team!" Agatha chose not to say anything and merely signalled to a giggling Tiffany for more tea. When Agatha had her refill she turned back to me."She's shown remarkable development in her weaker areas of late. She also has shown greater finesse with her skills. Her pokemon roster is obviously strong, but there is still room for growth. It is understood she has not yet retained a pokemon from the Ralts line for example. We have long considered her, but you were judged to be the better offer. We typically make sure to only take in a few people at most a year. We space things out to help you acclimatise to how we operate. Too many too fast makes for things falling through the cracks and friction that doesn't need to be there. We're already very busy people.""Some of us busier than others," snarked Karen towards Agatha."My retirement will be well earned, yes," Agatha replied as if she wasn't saying it just to ignore Karen's needling.I hummed to myself. The calmness of Rock still holding me in a very clear state of mind let me recognise that it wasn't just for my benefit but also for the groups beyond the obvious. It was a method of controlling the culture. By 'teaching' their methods they made sure things didn't change too quickly or for groups to form from the new inductees. It wasn't a secret these days that I was friendly with Sabrina after all.There was also the possibility that they didn't have such an easy 'hook'. I needed training for my dual typings. Sabrina was extremely advanced already. If anything they'd be coming to her asking for favours instead of the opposite. I'd have to watch how things progressed."She'd be perfect for being a strength within Kanto though. You should probably still make the offer," I said, putting the choice in their hands.Koga and Agatha nodded, Karen slumped, grumbled something into her lap but then nodded. I got the impression she resented that she had to respect Sabrina."Yes, yes we will be approaching her in the future Brock, don't worry for her." Agatha waved me off. "Do you have any other questions?" I shook my head. "Good. Now, do you accept our offer?"I glanced around. "No old roll of parchment with a blood quill?" Koga snorted while Agatha laughed. Karen rolled her eyes."A verbal agreement is best. Words might be wind, but for us, it is more than enough. We will tell our people you have joined us and people will introduce themselves or be introduced to you. Nothing official is written down lest sloppiness results in more people knowing than we desire."I considered everything I had learned tonight. I wanted to grow stronger. I so far didn't have anything glaringly of concern but that didn't mean I would forget how this night started."When you make your offer to people do you do that to all inductees?" I doubted many would be able to stand against two, if not three Elite Four members."Again, it was a test for new potential Elite trainers within our organisation Brock. We needed to know you had the ability to walk the walk. You can't avoid tossing people into the deep end sometimes in life." I huffed at her."Going to do the same to Sabrina?"Karen leaned forward. "Of course.""I'll look forward to her destroying you then," I said with a smirk that made her bare her teeth. Definitely, a rivalry there although I had no doubt Sabrina didn't even remember Karen. That would be amusing."I accept."