And Still, I Climb (ch4)

CHAPTER 4

Skyarrow Bridge was the largest and most impressive I'd ever seen. It stretched across the water like a second horizon, its white towers rising so high that I had to tilt my head back to see the tops of them. Unova was well known for its five bridges connecting the country in togetherness, each one a monument to the nation's dedication to growth and movement.

Skyarrow was the final one built; it was also the crown jewel.

Thousands of vehicles crossed it every hour, flowing between Castelia and the country’s eastern peninsula. Most of it came in the form of freight trucks hauling goods toward and out of the city, but there were also commuters from Nacrene heading into the city at this time of day to work. The bridge was the only terrestrial link between Unova’s mainland and its more isolated east. Theoretically, you could connect Nacrene with the much larger Black City up north, however that stretch of wildlands was one of the least controlled and most dangerous.

That, and Castelia would see its wealth decrease heavily should the bridge no longer be the only link the eastern peninsula had with the outside world. The last thing the city wanted was to see its main metropolitan rival and the second most populated city in Unova grow to rival it in any way.

At my side, my Electivire gawked at the size of the bridge we were about to rise upon.

“Takes your breath away, huh?” I teased him by bumping his arm with my elbow, and he teased back the same way, saying that I’d had the same reaction. “Yeah, well unlike you, I’m not embarrassed about it,” I chuckled.

Mimi rode atop his head, their tail shaking in excitement. The Meltan pointed and ordered us forth immediately. The only one who pretended to be displeased was my Togekiss, who mumbled that there was too much steel around.

“Stop pretending you’re beyond this, Princess.” I brought the hovering fairy closer to me and planted a kiss on her fluffy forehead. “Plus, we all know you can be around steel, so let’s cut that out too.”

The fairy grumbled. Of all my Pokemon, she was the one adapting to Unova the least. Not only did she miss the people we’d known—my father, my friends, their Pokemon, and our mentor Bellatrix—she missed Sinnoh as a whole. The cool breezes even in the midst of summer, Mount Coronet always looming in the distance no matter where one stood, and perhaps just the familiarity of it all. It was hitting her harder than she’d thought.

“You’ll adapt,” I told my daughter. It’s weird for all of us.”

She chirped, a smile reaching her face at last. Honey patted her on the back, asking if we could finally start our travels, and with a flick of a wing, the fairy threw a bit of glamour in his face to make him sneeze.

“No more bickering!” I protested. “Let’s get going! Woo!”

They all cheered with me, though Princess was pretending more than anything.

A set of stairs climbed alongside one of the vehicle entrances, leading to the pedestrian walkway suspended above the road of Skyarrow Bridge. I paused at the bottom and glanced up at the white cables vanishing into the sky. With every step, Castelia fell farther away beneath me. The smell of asphalt gave way to saltwater, and the wind grew stronger, tugging at my clothes as we emerged onto the walkway. Heavy clouds loomed in the distance above our destination.

Given that this was the first day of the Circuit, the bridge was chock-full of trainers wanting to make a name for themselves, old and new. I hadn’t been prepared for the sheer mass of humanity that would continue to flow out of Castelia in the coming days. I saw anything from massive groups of dozens of trainers—something I’d been utterly unfamiliar with in Sinnoh—to people traveling on their own like me.

Still, dozens? I supposed it made sense in a hyper competitive country like this one to have a solid network of people to help you.

Back in Sinnoh, I’d thought the stream out of Jubilife was large, but it was nothing but a petty river compared to this flood. The bridge had become an artery for every dreamer in the region, and I found myself getting swept along with them, heart singing with the wind.

Honey noticed the same thing, keeping Mimi in his hand so the steel type wouldn’t slip and fall.

“There’s a reason there are ten Gyms in Unova,” I told him. “And still, Gym Leaders would go insane if they had to handle everything like Sinnoh’s. At the beginner level, it’s all Gym Trainers.” According to Hayate, besides the Striaton Gym, it was rare for any Leader to battle you before you had five to six badges. Some like Drayden went to seven or eight. “It allows them to have a lot more free time, though.”

And that meant more time for politics and their own interests. 

I glanced down at the open sea where boats from the inner river reached the ocean, ready to ship Unova’s riches abroad. It was as if the country’s geography had been blessed by Arceus himself, with how convenient the West and East River reached deep into its guts, allowing trade to flow freely to many of Unova’s cities. Princess lazily flew just beyond the sturdy railings, sculpting a piece of stone I’d given her into a bridge of her own with shining blue eyes.

For a while, I was content to take in the sights and enjoy Skyarrow Bridge, but eventually, I spoke. “You know, I’m glad we settled on going this way first.” It had come down to wanting to see the Nacrene City museum, in the end, along with Striaton’s most famous restaurant which also functioned as its Gym. “Plus, Pinwheel Forest ought to remind us of old times.”

Honey shrugged, saying he doubted it’d be as raw as Eterna Forest had been for us both times we’d been through the woods given Unova’s reputation.

“I mean, how safe can it be?” I said as we crossed what must have been the fifth ‘no battling’ sign. “It’s the densest, largest forest in the country; I’m sure we can find somewhere deep enough to be away from all the noise and meet some cool Pokemon.”

The electric type flexed an arm and clapped it with his other hand. 

“Yes, yes, you’ll keep us safe. Not that I want to go that deep anyway. I just want to set my eyes on something rarely seen,” I explained.

Princess chimed in, wondering if we’d meet any lasting connection there.

“That’s what I’m aiming for. We’ve got to lay roots if we wanna help Pokemon.”

After passing through the forest, we’d spend a day in Nacrene, but rush to Striaton and backtrack instead of challenging the Gym right away. Apparently the Gym there was run by three people, which was why they could spread the work evenly. What interested me, however, was that it was considered the most beginner friendly Gym online. Due to that and the city being way out east, rarely anyone challenged it for the eighth, and even people who repeated the Circuit often preferred tackling other Gyms.

The first step in a story was often a gentle one. There was, I’d decided, weight to it being my first Gym. 

Hayate would also go through the forest—and Aurelian would fly over it—and though I’d still travel on my own, maybe I’d stumble upon one of them in Nacrene as they waited to challenge the Gym there before swinging back. Hell, maybe we’d get contacted for a job in Pinwheel Forest.

“I wonder how the launch is going,” I mumbled. Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I opened Beacon—Unova’s biggest social media app run by Crescent Global—and clicked on my profile. “What the…”

All of my Pokemon leaned toward the phone, their curiosity apparent. 

I’d climbed up to eighty-thousand followers in twelve hours, which was on the low to mid range of Melody’s estimate. Not great, not terrible. Most of what we’d published was an introduction, with a post for each of my eight Pokemon, and then myself with something that fit them. My Turtonator, for example, had a picture of him curled up and sleeping under the bright sun. Of course, there was also a team picture we’d taken in the city.

What caught my attention, however, was the sheer amount of comments under each post. Most of them were intrigued and supportive, but I needed to scroll past verified accounts to get to those. Their favorite game was to call me a foreign spy with ties to Plasma, somehow, because they’d already uncovered I’d worked for a Pokemon Rights organization in Sinnoh and I’d worked closely with the government to take down Galactic.

“Why do I have to see these before the rest? I said, face unphased. “Because they pay? That’s so annoying. Though I guess I’m paying too.”

Princess snickered, adding that this might make eventually coming clean about the Representation League easier. If they already knew me as someone associated with these kinds of groups, why stop them?

“Or worse if Melody wants to clamp down on this rep, which I think she will,” I sighed. “Man, it’s tough being a sponsee…”

Numerous individuals were dressed in matching white uniforms that hung nearly to their knees, dark bodysuits visible beneath the fabric. Their outfits were pristine, each marked with the same blue crest over the chest. At a glance they looked like members of some religious order or knights from eras past. Upon closer inspection, I recognized the sigil—Plasma. I just hadn’t thought they’d be dressed so strangely.

Given how ridiculous they looked, taking them seriously was a difficult task.

“...should be liberated! You’re all embarking on a journey, but have you asked your Pokemon if they want to?” The speaker, a woman, gestured wildly. The passion oozed off her every gesture, but there was something a little madness in her eyes. “Or do you take them for granted, rip them away from where they live, and believe that they should hang on to your every whim?”

Her entourage placed a fist to their hearts in one smooth unified motion and cheered, drowning out the boos for a moment. Most people ignored them and passed right through the crowd. A lot of them recorded, snickered among themselves at how crazy these people were.

Some, however few they were, paid attention. Hands wrung together in guilt, eyes glued to their feet in shame and heads hung low, they listened intently, drinking the woman’s every word like it would be their salvation.

As for me?

Unova, Madeline had told me, was ripe for change. It was at times like these I realized how right she’d been.

“Danger lurks in this country,” I whispered.

——

Crossing the bridge took the better part of an hour. On the other end was a verdant land full of trees taller than those in Eterna Forest that stretched beyond the horizon. Descending from the bridge brought us to a Ranger outpost built at the forest's edge, where the greenery had been cut down and replaced by paved roads, shops, and a Pokemon Center at the center of it all, its red roof sticking out like a sore thumb. The air smelled of fresh pine and grass all around us.

The place was like a small town in and of itself, despite the forest looming over the outpost like a living wall. Sinnoh had outposts like this, only much smaller and less lived-in. Honey noted that everything was bigger in Unova, and I was inclined to agree. 

There were plenty of trainers about, some opting to battle now that they were off the bridge. Unfortunately, I did not spot anyone who looked like a fun fight. More would be flowing in and out as the day continued, however, and I told my team to keep an eye out for anyone who looked like a challenge.

“This place seems interesting enough,” I said, hands in my pockets. “I’d be down to stay for a day if the others don’t mind.” My Meltan let out a hearty sigh at that, elicited a light laugh. “Can’t do anything about it if you’re outvoted, Mimi; that’s the way of the world. Plus we gotta buy a whole bunch of camping supplies—oh look, a map!”

I scuttled toward a digital screen labeled ‘Map of Pinwheel Forest’. There were a few trainers around, so it took a few minutes for me to get my turn. The woods had been rendered in detail, though the fact that there apparently was a simple, paved path that ran through the middle of the woods toward Nacrene took the wind out of my sails.

There were apparently slower, more winded forest trails for those who wanted to actually experience what being a trainer was all about. “What’s the point of traveling if you’re just going to fast-forward through everything?” I absent-mindedly spoke.

Unfortunately, you had to pay to buy a detailed map of these using a QR code, which was stupid. I turned to the guy behind me, who had a Patrat on his shoulder, and asked. “Hey, do you know who the money goes to?”

They both jumped at the morose tone and my scarred face, but settled down enough to answer. “Uh, the Rangers. The forest is their property, legally speaking.”

“So the government,” I stated.

He stared at me like I was clueless—which I was. “Uh, no. The Rangers technically answer to the government, but they mostly do their own thing. It’s a bit of an open secret. Are you a foreigner—”

“Yep. And thanks.” 

I stomped away, mildly frustrated. It wasn’t that I couldn’t pay, but the fact that the joys of exploring safely was being gatekept through monetary means that got on my nerves. They were essentially telling you to pay up or to enjoy the boring paved road with nothing going for it and amenities all along.

It wasn’t even expensive, really. Since Unova didn’t start you off with a small amount of money, simply winning a couple of battles would do the trick for anyone, and that was if they were really broke. It was just… the principle of the thing.

Honey followed my brisk pace easily and said that going in blind might be more fun, and Mimi acquiesced. Princess grabbed the steel type in a psychic hold, landing them on her wing, noting that Unova is a country where amassing riches comes above all.

“Bit of an overexaggeration, that,” I said. “But you’re right that it feels weird. Oh well, I’ll get over it. It’s a small thing, at the end of the day.”

The fairy nodded, and we made our way toward the Pokemon Center.

——

Unova’s Pokemon Centers were towering structures of glass and warm, flashing lights that stood out in the gloom of the bad weather gathering overhead. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see a bustling lobby packed with trainers, while enormous digital displays cycled through advertisements, weather reports, and League announcements. The place felt less like it was dedicated to healing Pokemon and more like a gathering place for trainers, even if that was its secondary purpose.

A built-in Pokemart was integrated within, selling the most common necessities a trainer could need for their Pokemon, along with camping supplies. I’d traveled light, thus needed to stock up on the usual things needed to go through a thick forest like this one.

Antidotes, Potions, batteries, a tent, a waterproof tarp, a portable stove, canned food for both me and my family… by the end of it, I’d needed to buy two extra backpacks Honey carried for me to fit everything in. Without a group to travel with, we couldn’t spread supplies across persons, meaning I’d need to have help carrying things from now on.

Booking a room came afterwards, and that came with its own complications. Due to the sheer amount of trainers Unova had to handle and to encourage rooms to cycle between people, staying for longer than five days included a charge. Thankfully, I was only planning on sticking around for a day—I’d gathered the team to check, and as predicted, Mimi had an issue with this.

With everything sorted out and my supplies safely tucked away in my room, it was time to go out and explore. Princess decided to stick in my room to watch cartoons which would hopefully be to her tastes, and Honey wanted to spend some quality time with his sister. 

There was a fifty percent chance the room was a disaster by the time I got back. Hopefully they didn’t break anything.

With only Mimi in tow, I needed new company, thus it was my Tangrowth and Claydol by my side as we stalked the outpost for anything of interest. As always, the grass type had a couple of vines wrapped around my ankle as he followed me around. Not one sound escaped the mute grass type as he waddled behind me.

He patted me on the head, obviously having missed me since I saw him… a little over an hour ago. “Yes, yes, I missed you too Angel,” I chuckled, placing one of his vines against my cheek. “You would have touched too many people on the bridge!”

His eyes wobbled, and he rocked back and forth in indignation.

“It’s called personal space. You’ve been getting worse again about that lately.” Most likely because he’d forgotten about what it was like interacting with people who didn’t like being touched by an unknown Tangrowth. Staring up at the sky, I continued, “I hope you get some sun soon. I was hoping.”

He knew Sunny Day, but it was shabby. When the technique was mastered, it could truly direct the sun’s rays and concentrate them in a single spot—I’d seen Gardenia do it plenty. Unfortunately, we were stuck with an artificial sun, though that had its advantages in battle.

Look, my King, Cassianus spoke into my mind—though I knew he was communicating with Angel as well. An advertisement for a class to learn not to die a horrible, poisoned death!

I glanced to my left, where another digital screen advertised a class to teach novice trainers how to brave the woods without a hitch. There’d been something similar in Sinnoh, but I wondered why they were still keeping up with the pretense here? A relic from days past, perhaps? Or maybe just assurance. Any kid could be dumb enough to stray off the beaten path and end up dead. Pinwheel Forest was tamed, but not domesticated, after all.

“I guess it could be fun to reminisce, but we don’t really need it.”

The psychic blared a loud, incorrect buzzer. Confidence can get you killed. As your sworn protector, I insist you sign up for this class.

Angel gave us a hearty nod while Mimi deflated. We really were never going to give them the adventure they craved.

I chewed on the thought for a few seconds. “I guess if we’re not taking the spot from anyone who needs it, I don’t see why not,” I finally said with a shrug.

——

Unlike Eterna Forest, the class that followed was free attendance. Trainers were welcome to come and go as they pleased, staying for five minutes or the full hour while a junior Ranger ran things and answered questions. The one currently discussing Pinwheel was green—you could tell by the lack of insignia or medals on her chest. Not only that, but she looked bored out of her mind, and her lack of energy meant that the students weren’t particularly paying attention.

“And remember,” she said, switching to another slide showcasing the aforementioned map. “We heavily recommend not straying too far from the main road. Since the rehoming incident a few months ago, Pokemon off the usual beaten path have seen a tick up in aggressive behavior.”

I remembered hearing about this back in Sinnoh—how Rangers usually steered weaker wild Pokemon closer to the route to keep a fresh supply for trainers against their will. The very thought of it was enough to have me go completely still.

“Ms. Kalovic.” One of the trainers raised his hand. “Do you know where I could find a Venipede in the woods?”

“For those, you’ll have to get closer to Nacrene down south…”

Her voice faded in the background as my ears started to ring. My hands felt cold against the rugged, hardwood desk; my teeth sank into my lips until they went numb with pain. Then, it all stopped as clarity took a hold of me.

There was, of course, nothing wrong with wanting a specific Pokemon to add to your team. There was, however, something perverse about the way they were being referred to as if they were tools. It was not everyone—nowhere near everyone, but a deep, deep rot had taken hold in this land.

“...in general, you want to keep your distance, even if the ones on the route are generally weak enough for their poison not to be lethal or permanently scarring. Should you be attacked, however, there are plenty of stations along the road that’ll take care of you…”

But no one was there to teach them. Had my best friend Denzel Williams not captured his first Pokemon against her will? Had Cecilia Obel not first looked at her Scizor like a tool to be beaten and reshaped at her leisure?

Had I not captured my own Jellicent without even speaking a word to the ghost?

We were not better than these people. There was no inherent superiority gracing the trainers of Sinnoh, or any other country for that matter. The problem was that no one was there to tell them they were going about it the wrong way.

“Any other questions—”

“Make sure to talk to them too,” I said, loud and clear. “Sometimes, it comes to a fight because Pokemon want you to prove yourself to them, or because they’re in too much pain to think clearly.” I thought of my Turtonator, deep in grief in the middle of Mount Coronet searing half the skin of my body. “But other times, some Pokemon just want to see the world and travel.” My hand clasped at the necklace around my neck, exhausted from so many new sights. “Or to prove themselves and grow stronger. Or just because they… like hanging out with you and want to be friends.” They were all staring at me now, as if I’d made a horrible faux-pas.  

“Uh, and you are?” the Ranger asked. Her tone remained flat, but her eyes were full of indignation. Who was I, to interrupt her? She’d worked so hard to get here, after all, and now she was stuck teaching a bunch of kids who didn’t care instead of doing real Ranger work.

Once upon a time, I would have never forgiven her for this slight. Fortunately, I’d grown up. 

I saw the shape of her, the story and toil behind her actions.

“Grace Pastel.” My fingers drummed against the table. “I just think it’s a good lesson to instill. I mean, even from a purely utilitarian perspective, catching a Pokemon who doesn’t want to be with you is how you end up dead at the side of the road.”

“What are you—” Ms. Kalovic scoffed. “The Pokemon on the route are all too weak to do such a thing, and they learn to see eye to eye with their trainer.”

“Mhm, they are. And yeah, they learn to love you eventually, and all is forgiven because of the sheer joy being in your life gives them, if you treat them right and atone.” I paused, thinking of Bellatrix. The vicious Hatterene had never forgiven her trainer or the rest of his team, besides her current partner. “Or they bide their time. They wait, and wait, and wait, amassing strength until there is an opening—which there will be. And then you die before you can blink. Again, from a utilitarian perspective, are you willing to take that chance? Bet you it’s already happened.”

“I’ll have to ask you to get out of my class, now.”

I gave her the most pleasant of smiles. “Sure thing! But I hope you remember what I said, kids.” Now up on my feet, I met the eyes of the boy who’d asked the question, and could tell he was deep in thought.

Some had laughed, some were looking away with second-hand embarrassment, but this one? This single soul?

There was much work to be done, to change a whole country, but my words had reached him. I walked out of the station more determined of my path than I’d ever been.