Pokémon Fool's Gold | Orre & Galar Fanfiction

Chapter 43: Successors

'Yo! My name's Willie. I won't hold y'all up, but it's great to finally meet you.'

They followed Michael inside. Light from a TV and vibrant jukebox danced over a tattered check carpet. Plates and cutlery clinked. The burly bartender nodded in greeting. Pipes and cogs criss-crossed the stained walls. On a threadbare green couch in the darkest corner, a petite man sat between an Espeon and Umbreon. Amber didn't recognise Wes at first. Mirrored sunglasses covered his eyes. He wore no face paint. His clothes and combat boots were plain black. Apparently Seth inherited his dad's stature, because at 5'5" he was shorter than people imagined. The bartender brought them spare stools. Wes returned his Pokémon and shuffled to make room. He smiled wearily at Zane's hesitation.

'What's he told you? That I eat Gym Challengers for breakfast?'

Seth's cheeks flushed. He sat awkwardly on one of the creaking orange stools.

'Sorry, dad... I didn't realise why you were calling.'

'Whatever.'

Sliding his sunglasses over his unruly hair, he nodded curtly to Seth's friends.

'Thanks for looking out for my kid.'

Michael carefully laid his bulky backpack on the rusty floor. 'So... we can't stop you guys going after Cipher even if we wanted to. Right?'

Amber expected Zane to explode with enthusiasm about how an Orrean journey wasn't complete without taking on Cipher. He didn't. It was Seth who spoke first.

'Obviously.'

The part of Amber that wanted to complete her Gym Challenge before anything more could go wrong had retired. Like everything from the bizarre experience with Trip to being kidnapped, this chaos reflected where she was and when. This was how it was... and it was all bigger than it began now. Seth was her friend. A real friend who refused to travel on until she and her Pokémon were freed from Cipher. They'd come this far together. It was their shared responsibility to save his mom.

'Yeah.'

Cassia nodded. The only one who truly hesitated was Zane.

'But if we're not good enough...'

'That's why you're at least gonna visit Willie first.'

They were all surprised by Michael's reply. 'It's not that we don't think you are. We know you are. But you need to be confident in yourselves.'

'But mom!'

'I know, Seth,' Wes said, 'I'm worried too. But she's already a Shadow Trainer. She'll destroy you herself if you rush in there unprepared. And honestly? I don't have a damn clue where they're hiding out now. The League's searched every corner of Orre. Unless they're–'

'Underground,' Zane interrupted, 'The Under isn't filled in. Well, the old elevator shafts are, but the town's intact. You can still get there if you know the way... and I do. I saved that blog post that got taken down. I'm sorry, Mikey! I know I said I never looked at it, but...'

Michael tutted, but winked. 'I would've done the same. Don't tell your mom I said that, or she'll whoop my ass.'

He reached into his backpack. There were two more cases inside.

'Amber, your dad used this Snag Machine to get his Charizard back from Alfie. It's yours now. And Cassia, Kahuna Hau snagged over 30 Pokémon in one night with this one. Use them well.'

Amber couldn't help glancing at Seth. He was without a Snag Machine. He noticed, too, but he said nothing.

I guess I really am the weakest of us. I know you're disappointed in me, dad... but I'm not on this journey to please you. I just want to grow and take photos and, well, I guess I want to prove strength isn't all about being rough and edgy. Maybe that will please you in the end. But I hope, one day, what will please you most is that I did it for me.

'All of us at the League will be there to help you,' Michael said, 'Whether you like it or not. But you must promise that if you're ever in dire need, you'll reach out to one of us. Or I'll take your Snag Machines away!'

He smiled. 'But I get the feeling that won't be necessary. This is your fight now. You are our successors. Bianka... wanna hitch a ride with me and Lugia to Quartz Town? To get your Pickaxe Badge?'

'...Are you sure?'

'Of course!'

Bianka never expected to be invited to fly on Champion Michael's Lugia... but she knew he offered because she was a challenger, not just a friend of his nephew. She smiled, too.

'I'd love that.'

She hugged her friends outside. Amber clung to her hand a little too long. She suspected her crush was reciprocal, but she knew Amber wasn't ready to risk losing someone else yet. They all stared when Michael released Lugia. Its soft white coat, gently gleaming in the dim light, was mesmerising. Wes spoke quietly with Willie, but the kids knew he was asking the Gym Leader to look out for them on their journey to Nascott City. Cassia unlocked the van. Michael squeezed Zane's shoulder before he climbed onto Lugia. Seth hesitated.

'Hey, Champion... could I take a photo of your Lugia? They look so beautiful in that light...'

'Oh, yeah, sure!'

He rested his camera on the van's hood. Michael told Lugia to hold still. The shutter clicked.

'Will you send that to me? My photos are terrible – I have to stand a mile away just to get all of Lugia in the shot!'

'Yeah. Of course.'

He swivelled the camera to take a photo of the Outskirt Stand. That was Orre in one photo. A recycled engine that was actually a gas station in the middle of nowhere. Michael took one of them all in the van. Looking at it, Amber felt suddenly less melancholy about Trip, because she realised she wouldn't lose what was immortalised in that photo. They were the real friends she'd always dreamed of, beside her on a truly bizarre yet exciting adventure she could never have had in Galar. Even if she couldn't defeat Michael... she'd root for whoever could. The engine rumbled. Seth stood to take his camera back from Michael. Wes stood beside him. He offered a shadowy bundle to Seth.

'It's 42 years old... but it still works.'

Even before the van's tail lights glinted on red, Seth recognised his dad's Snag Machine. The nighttime heat was stuffy, but even under his jacket, the hair on his arms stood on end.

'...You do want it, right?'

Seth blinked to snap himself out of his shock. 'Of course I do, dad.'

Wes smiled. He asked Seth to try it on to make sure it fit. It did. They were the same size.

'Give me your camera.'

Seth worried Wes would demand he gave up photography in exchange for the Snag Machine, but he barked the command with such authority, he handed it over. The flash flipped up. Wes stood back to take a photo. When he placed the heavy camera back in Seth's hands, there was something more to his smile than mere kindness. Was it... pride?

'Go take some damn good photos. Just get your friends to take a few of you for your mom and me, will you?'

Seth nodded. He abruptly pulled the door shut. His lip wobbled. He knew he couldn't hold back tears. Zane hugged him. He understood. If they were the successors of Wes and Michael... they had shoes far bigger than their oversized combat boots to fill.

They watched the van drive away. Willie took off after them on his motorbike. If Seth had glanced back at the right moment, as clouds parted so moonlight glinted momentarily on his father's hazel eyes, he might not have felt so alone in his tears. Michael gently clapped his friend's shoulder.

'It's about time... isn't it?'

'Yeah.'

Wes stared down at the ground. He knew he hadn't been the father Seth wanted or needed, but he hoped his son knew now he was proud.