Chapter 17

Emmet stood at the south entrance of Cerulean City, his gaze so intensely focused on the Cascade Badge in his palm that it looked like he was trying to melt it with his eyes. His expression was one of utter vexation, as if the small trinket had personally wronged him.

"Hey, could you please stop trying to set the Cascade Badge on fire and listen to me?" Leaf called out, balancing Sylveon delicately in her arms.

Emmet responded by narrowing his eyes further at the badge, half-expecting flames to burst out of his eyes. Maybe Efficiency Mastery would finally teach him how to literally set things on fire with his gaze.

He felt a tiny nudge from his EM, as if he was on the brink of a breakthrough, but then—WHACK! Leaf's elbow collided with his arm, nearly making him drop the badge. "Seriously?!"

"Okay, okay, I'm paying attention now. What is it?" Emmet sighed, finally giving in.

"Finally!" Leaf blurted. "Look, was that Sylveon of yours the most powerful Pokemon you've got? Because she was a scene-stealer out there. Honestly, the crowd's jaws dropped. They're used to watching the Cerulean sisters lose, but you—you made them look especially awful! Even the local Magikarp could've put up a better fight than what we saw from them. Did you see the way Seel just floundered? It was like watching a Snorlax try to win a sprint!"

Leaf paused to take a breath but didn't let Emmet get a word in. "And why were you so curt with that reporter? All he did was ask how you trained your Eevee to evolve into such a graceful beauty."

"And another thing, why have we been lingering at the south entrance of Cerulean for over an hour? Shouldn't we be making our way to Vermilion by now? Do you think we can still get tickets for the S.S. Anne?"

Emmet stood there, mouth slightly agape, just letting the waterfall of questions pour over him. His eyes were fixed on a distant point as if contemplating the mysteries of the universe—or how to escape this conversation. Was there a difference?

"Why are you ignoring me? Did I say something wrong?" Leaf's tone shifted, her eyes showing a twinge of hurt.

"Are you done? May I speak now?" Emmet finally broke his silence, his voice tinged with playful irritation.

Leaf blushed, biting the inside of her cheek. "Fine, I'm done. Go ahead," she muttered, clearly embarrassed.

Emmet caught himself thinking how adorable Leaf looked when she pouted. A glance downward revealed Sylveon smirking knowingly at him. His own cheeks flushed a light pink.

"Firefly, and Sylveon are about equal when it comes to strength," he began, clearing his throat. "They excel in different areas. Sylveon's all about agility and finesse. She lands critical hits like she's been doing it for years. Firefly, on the other hand, is my powerhouse. I've trained her to use Quick Attack to dodge and reposition, but what does she do? Uses it to get closer and give her enemies a mouthful of fire. Never, ever let yourself be in front of her flames. She is all about power."

"As for the gym battle, I didn't go in wanting to make Daisy look bad. She did that all on her own. Using performance Pokemon in a gym battle? Seriously? Her call for Goldeen to use Horn Attack was the icing on the cake of incompetence."

Emmet looked down at the Cleffa in his arms and petted her softly. "I was short with the reporter because he was prying for details about Sylveon. She's clearly an Eevee evolution, and one wrong word from me could set off a storm that affects every Eevee in Kanto."

Leaf looked puzzled. "How could that happen?"

"Professor Oak told me a while ago about a trainer who claimed he saw an Ice-type Eevee evolution. Within a year, nearly 500 Eevees were frozen by people trying to trigger that evolution. That's why I'm so careful."

"I never heard about that," Leaf said, completely surprised.

"Exactly. Even mentioning it could reignite that kind of destructive curiosity."

A fleeting thought of using EM and his prior knowledge to evolve an Eevee into a Glaceon crossed his mind. But he dismissed it, knowing it could put more Eevees at risk.

"Now, what was that last question you asked? I've forgotten it already."

Leaf rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I asked why we've been standing here for over an hour!"

"I'm waiting for a trainer named A.J. He had 100 consecutive wins in his unofficial gym and then decided to travel. Met a guy earlier who said A.J. would be here today. Thought it would be a good opportunity to learn something, maybe even battle him," Emmet explained, trying to fit all the details into his already long monologue.

Just as Emmet wrapped up his explanation, both he and Leaf noticed a green-haired boy approaching. He had a Sandshrew trailing dutifully by his side, and his aura radiated a sense of grim determination.

"There he is. That's A.J.," Emmet said, pointing discreetly at the green-haired boy while nudging Leaf with his elbow.

Leaving a sleeping Cleffa nestled on the bench, Emmet walked toward A.J., who paused as Emmet approached. "Hey there, you must be A.J., right? Heard a lot about your gym. I'm Emmet," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.

A.J. glanced at Emmet's extended hand, met his eyes for a split second, and then unceremoniously ignored him. Without a word, he continued his walk toward Cerulean City.

Leaf felt a wave of indignation wash over her. She hurried toward A.J. and reached out to touch his shoulder. "Hey, excuse me! My friend was talking to you!"

A.J. slapped Leaf's hand away like it was a pesky Beedrill. "Don't touch me," he sneered, and resumed his journey toward the city, his Sandshrew mimicking his haughty stroll.

Offended? Oh, Leaf was beyond that, and even Sylveon's fur seemed to bristle with indignation.

Sensing that Leaf was on the verge of lashing out, Emmet decided to take the matter into his own hands. He didn't want this to escalate into something ugly.

Sensing that Leaf was about to unleash some choice words on A.J., Emmet decided to redirect the situation. "Leaf, let him go," he began, voice dripping with sarcasm. "He's probably just scared to face strong trainers. I mean, really, a hundred wins? Psh. Anyone can amass that record by just cherry-picking opponents. Avoiding anyone who doesn't look like they just hatched from an egg? Sounds like a sound strategy for a coward."

A.J. was incensed. His Sandshrew also seemed agitated, its claws digging into the ground. He turned around, strode powerfully up to Emmet, and pointed a finger at his face. "You want to say that again? How about we settle this with a Pokemon battle?"

"Battle? Nah, I've lost interest. What would I gain? Bragging rights for defeating Mr. Hundred-Wins-But-Runs-From-A-Real-Challenge?" Emmet said, leaning back nonchalantly.

A.J. recognized Emmet's tactic but was too riled up to back down. "Fine, what do you want, then?"

Emmet struck a thoughtful pose, one hand on his chin, the other resting on his hip. "Hmm, how about some tips? Share some advice on how to train elemental weaknesses in Pokemon. You must have some expertise if you're as great as they say."

A.J. glanced at Sylveon, sizing her up with a frown before finally turning his attention back to Emmet. "Alright, fine. I'll share my training tips, but only if you spill on how to evolve Eevee into a Sylveon."

Emmet scoffed, almost as if A.J. had just asked him to swap his prized Firefly for a Weedle. "Evolve an Eevee into a Sylveon? That information's on a completely different level. You're asking to trade a Rattata for a Dragonite here. No deal."

A.J.'s initial anger seemed to simmer down a bit, replaced by a stubborn resolve. "Then what do you want? There's got to be something that'll make it worth your while."

"Listen," Emmet started, taking a deep breath before letting it rip. "You've got a meaningless streak of wins and a Sandshrew that's a few steps above average—congrats. But if we're talking trades, you're not even in the same market. If you've got to haggle just to get a decent Pokemon battle, maybe my earlier jabs about you avoiding strong trainers weren't just empty talk. So, no, there's absolutely nothing you can offer that would be worth sharing the secret of Sylveon's evolution. Got it?"

Emmet realized he'd been a bit harsh, but he had a strategy. He recalled A.J.'s TV appearance, where he'd only respected trainers who could show some battle prowess. If Emmet wanted any of A.J.'s training secrets, he'd need to earn that respect the hard way.

A.J.'s nostrils flared, reigniting the ember of his anger. He pointed dramatically to a vacant field a distance away and started marching toward it, as if heading into battle already.

Before following, Emmet sent his still-sleeping Cleffa back into her Pokeball. He exchanged a glance with Leaf, whose expression was a mix of worry and disbelief at the escalating tension. With a reassuring nod, Emmet then trotted after A.J., who had already reached the field and stood there, arms crossed, visibly impatient.

As Emmet reached the opposite side of the field, he called out, "One-on-one battle. How's that sound?"

"Fine by me," A.J. snapped, and Sandshrew immediately leapt in front of him, ready to go, a tiny bundle of spiky anticipation.

Turning his head to Leaf, Emmet asked, "Would you mind refereeing the match?"

"I've never done it before," Leaf began, hesitating just a smidge before continuing, "but sure, I'll give it a shot."

Emmet turned his gaze toward A.J., silently questioning if he had any objections. "Whatever," A.J. responded, rolling his eyes and shrugging his shoulders, seemingly more interested in the battle than the particulars.

Firefly materialized from her Pokeball with a roar, launching an overly dramatic Flamethrower into the sky. The flames arced through the air as if spelling out, "I have arrived!"

"Firefly, could you tone it down a bit?" Emmet sighed, massaging his temple. "You're not starring in a theater production, it's just a battle."

Emmet noticed that Firefly's theatrics had captured the attention of a few passersby. Some people stopped and formed a crowd at a safe distance. If A.J. was irritated by Firefly's grand entrance or the forming audience, he certainly didn't show it.

"Are both trainers ready?" Leaf called out, holding Sylveon in her arms, who eagerly chirped, "Sylveon!" Leaf felt Sylveon's excitement ripple through her. No doubt, the Pokemon was keen to see how this played out, particularly after A.J.'s rudeness. "Begin!"

"Firefly, keep your distance and use Ember!" Emmet commanded, his eyes never leaving Sandshrew.

"Sandshrew, Swift, now!" A.J. bellowed almost simultaneously.

Firefly unleashed a volley of fiery Embers, colliding mid-air with the star-shaped projectiles from Sandshrew's Swift. The impact created small explosions, but some Embers broke through, scorching Sandshrew who was a second too slow to dodge.

Firefly gave a snort of disbelief. She'd faced Sylveon's Swift before and this? This was kids' stuff. Besides, Sandshrew had taken an eternity to even release its Swift. It was almost embarrassing.

Emmet felt a twinge of disappointment too. A.J. was supposed to be a training savant; this was child's play in comparison to what he expected.

"Sandshrew, Rollout!" A.J. commanded, his voice tinged with urgency.

As Sandshrew gathered rock energy for Rollout, Emmet felt it resonate. His past experience with Rock-type energy gave him a flash of insight, a loophole he could exploit.

"Firefly, keep dodging! Wait for my signal!" Emmet's voice rang with anticipation.

Firefly dodged Sandshrew's Rollout twice, the ground trembling under its force. As Emmet sensed the momentum peak, he called, "Now, Firefly! Use Metal Claw!"

Firefly's right arm took on a metallic sheen, charged with the precision only an EM-trained Charmeleon could muster.

With a swift and devastating arc, Firefly's Metal Claw connected with the rolling Sandshrew, stopping it dead in its tracks and sending it skidding across the field, finally crashing into a tree with a disheartening thud.

Emmet felt a pang of worry; that hit was powerful. But Sandshrew, probably enhanced by whatever regimen A.J. used, stood back up. It was panting and visibly strained, but still in the game.

Emmet pieced it together: when Sandshrew covered itself in Rock Energy during Rollout, it momentarily became more of a Rock-Type than a Ground-Type. That explained the devastating effect Firefly's Metal Claw had on Sandshrew—a move that should have been resisted, given the Pokemon's typical type.

"Could this be how A.J. trained Sandshrew to resist water? So, it's not about removing weaknesses, but about shifting the energy type temporarily," Emmet thought to himself, a lightbulb going off in his head. EM was nudging him as if to say, 'You're onto something, buddy!'

"Firefly, focus on dodging. Let's play it safe for now," Emmet commanded, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Sandshrew's every move.

Firefly tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden conservative strategy, but trusted Emmet enough to not question it. She readied herself to evade whatever came her way.

"Think you can tease me? Sandshrew, Swift! Follow it up with Fury Swipes!" A.J. barked, interpreting Emmet's defensive posture as an act of provocation.

Blocking out A.J.'s commands, Emmet's concentration shifted wholly to discerning the energy Sandshrew emanated. It was as if he was sifting through an aura, parsing through the energetic fibers that made up the Pokemon.

Firefly gracefully dodged the Swift attacks, her eyes locked onto Sandshrew. Each projectile narrowly missed her, disintegrating as they hit the ground or trees behind her.

She looked back at Emmet for instructions and found him zoned out, utterly engrossed in Sandshrew. Annoyed, Firefly huffed but continued to adhere to her last command.

Like a furball with claws, Sandshrew lunged for Firefly, delivering a rapid flurry of Fury Swipes. She managed to dodge most but had to shield herself with her arms against the few that came too fast, wincing at the stinging pain.

Emmet's eyes widened. He could sense it: Sandshrew's body was drenched in Normal energy, almost masking its Ground-type essence. "So, you've mastered energy shifting. I see you, A.J., but I don't need your secret anymore," he thought triumphantly.

"I got this," Emmet realized, flashing a predatory grin. Firefly noticed and mirrored it with one of her own.

"Sandshrew, Dig now!" A.J. yelled. But Emmet was quicker: "Firefly, Dragon Breath, stop it!"

Just as Sandshrew attempted to dive underground, a torrent of ethereal, teal-colored Dragon Breath from Firefly engulfed it before its paws could dig into the soil.

"Sandshrew, Defense Curl!" A.J. shouted, visibly panicked now.

"No time for that, Firefly! Flame Charge, then finish it with Inferno!" Emmet roared, his voice tinged with finality.

Like a shooting star on a collision course, Firefly burst forward with Flame Charge, her body enveloped in fire. The velocity alone was breathtaking, but what followed was jaw-dropping. Unleashing a massive Inferno, she enveloped Sandshrew in a fire vortex that seemed to touch the canopy of the trees around them. Sandshrew was enveloped, its defensive curl offering no protection against this relentless torrent of fire. When the flames cleared, Sandshrew lay defeated.

Thankfully still breathing.

Everyone was left slack-jawed. Leaf, Sylveon, and even A.J. were dumbstruck. Firefly had never used Inferno with such precision before, let alone when she was fully rested.

A.J. snapped out of his awe first. He returned Sandshrew to its Pokeball with a frustrated flick, threw a venomous look at Emmet, and stormed off towards Cerulean City—probably aiming for the Pokemon Center.

Leaf stared first at Firefly, then at Emmet. "When you said Firefly was all about power, I had no idea. Now I get it." And in her arms, Sylveon nodded, equally impressed.