Hard Enough

Beneath us, Clefairy frolicked. They swarmed out into the crater and bounced around with leaps that arced too much. They acted as if for them gravity was a suggestion. Like they were on the moon instead. What was most striking though, was that there weren't just a few dozen as shown in the anime. No, tonight there were at least two hundred of the small fluff balls bouncing around with their signature cries. They poured out of tiny crevices that should have been too small for even them.

“How do they fit?” I was happy that Forrest hadn’t forgotten to keep his voice down.

“Pokemon moves aren’t just useful for battling or for contests you know?” Forrest nodded so I continued, “Pokemon like Clefairy have an honestly diverse set of moves. They also can learn some of them, very very early on into their life cycle. Sing, Sweet Kiss, Disarming Voice, they’re all useful moves. Minimize though, that’s what’s happening here. The Clefairy use it to get around the cracks and even escape predators. Clefairy are really quite shy. Most wouldn’t come out if we got too close.”

“The girls would love them.” He looked at me, “Wait hasn’t Yolanda been up here with you before? How come you never caught one for them?”

I chuckled. “Lots of people would like a Clefairy Forrest. They’d pay lots of money for them. If I was really looking to profit off them, I could almost set this up as a preserve and farm them.” I had to admit that the temptation had been there in the early days.

Forrest shifted, looking away from me. “Sometimes you think of things that just wouldn't occur to me. I was talking about just catching one for Tilly.”

“That’s a good thing.” He looked back frowning, so I elaborated, “Not being too greedy. I sometimes think too far, I guess you could say. Just because you have a tool or a piece of knowledge. It doesn’t mean it should be used.” I gestured to the Clefairy as they began to bounce into each other doing what I’d learnt was a greeting ritual. Apparently, they only came out on nights with clear skies and full moons. “They shouldn’t be used like that.”

I watched them as they continued to bounce around seemingly without a care in the world. Forrest didn’t have any questions seemingly content to watch them. It took a while but eventually the crater was full of Clefairy.

“Then again, people trying it wouldn’t find them as easy targets. For all that they look cute and adorable,” I state without commenting anymore. People of this world had no trouble understanding that small and fluffy did not mean weak. For all that, t they had Fairy in their name and typing. None of the pokemon down there were ‘weak’. It still created a mindset that they would be gentle. Tourists had had the same issue with the ‘Fairy penguins’ of my first life. I recalled a few articles warning people off from touching them and how other tourists had been mauled by the animals in fact.

Forrest made a curious noise but I waved him off. He merely rolled his eyes at me before ignoring me for the show the Clefiary were now putting on.

They drifted into loose spirals each layer rotating around a seemingly random boulder. They began to drift back and forth slowly. One foot, then the other, slowly and simply. They continued the swaying motion for a good minute until another pokemon emerged from cracks in the crater. This pokemon was their larger, more evolved form. “Clefable!” it cried out, raising a hand and beginning to conduct the crowd around it. The Clefairy slowly began to match movements. Their names cried out as one to a steady metronome.

I noted Forrest swaying in time with the back and forth gesture of the Clefable. I tapped his shoulder. “Don’t get too caught up in it little brother.”

“Huh!? “ He startled, blinking rapidly.

“If you’re not used to it, or not watchful, Pokemon moves will catch you out.” He nodded at that. I turned back to the swaying dance. The Clefairy had begun to work in concert. Swaying back and forth and weaving in and out of each other. Threading gaps so close together that I knew they just had to be using Minimize to make it work. It made for a simplistic but nevertheless elegant dance.

Each Clefairy had a chance of passing in close to the meteor. The singing continued and slowly the light of the moon collected on the stone. It was a gradual process. Like the Clefairy had been filling a tub of water with little more than a child’s shovel. The meteor continued to steadily grow brighter in luminosity.

Eventually, at some point, it must have passed a threshold, as some of the Clefairy began to glow as evolution took hold. Each time this occurred a bright corona of light shot out from within them. Prior to leaving on my own journey, I’d learnt this was due to aura swell. During the light show, their body shifted and grew. This was considered a ‘rule’ for all pokemon evolution.

Forrest and I watched on as one or two Clefairy at a time evolved. Not all of the assembled Clefairy did though. In total, only two dozen of the two hundred evolved into Clefables. The dance continued though and each had their chance close to the meteor before it lost its glow.

When the meteor faded, I had a moment of disconnect before I blinked and my vision returned. “Woah, that was crazy,” said Forrest from next to me.

“Yeah, this happens most clear full moons.”

“Only then?”

“The Clefairy need meteors or ‘Moon Stone’ to do their ritual. I know some Pokemarts will condense rocks like that into single-use items that certain pokemon like Clefairy use to evolve but this is one of the more natural ways.”

“Huh, cool.” He was quiet for a moment, “I can’t see anything. Are they going to leave before I get my night sight back?”

I considered that as I watched the Clefairy congratulate the Clefable. “Probably bro. And it’s night vision.”

“You ever going to teach me how you’re able to see so well at night?”

“Perks of being the eldest.”

“Ha ha, very funny.”

“Would you believe in healthy living and carrots?” That only got another disbelieving snort.

“You’re going to have to tell me one day.”

“Not until you get on my level.”

“Urgh! What does that even mean!?”

I faked a sage-like tone of voice, “In good time young master, you will understand if you contemplate on my words!”

“I’m going to back up and turn a light on. See you back at camp.”

I waited a moment, listening to him trudge off. Beneath us, the Fairy pokemon slipped into the cracks in the cave system. The last Clefable atop the meteor looked in my direction and waved. I waved back before glancing towards my brother. “You know camp is the other way right?”

His cursing was like music to my ears.

I grimaced as rocks broke off and my brother slipped slightly. Cursing as he did so.

“Make sure of each hold little brother!”

“Couldn’t we have hiked down?”

“Didn’t you want to be home before lunch?” I asked. If I looked up I would have been able to see him, but my brother only had a bit of the light from the just rising sun to use.

“What if I fall?”

“You’ll make a big crater and I’ll have to use Titan to dig you out!”

“Brock!” He cried shrilly.

“Forrest! Trust me, alright. I wouldn’t bring you this way if I didn’t have… oh dear.”

“BROCK!? What was that?!”

“Nothing! Nothing. I just remembered that I left Zephyr at home.”

“So who’ll catch me if I fall?”

“... How about just don’t look down?!”

“BROCK!” He screamed.

“Okay, okay! Sorry! I still have Selene and Quirina!” This announcement was met with Forrest kicking rocks at me. “Hey! Don’t be that guy! You’ve already caused enough avalanches with your voice!” A few more rocks came my way but they weren’t really ever a threat. Forrest still muttered at me darkly for the next ten minutes it took to descend to the bottom of the rock face.

From there was a simple enough hike back to the base of Mt Moon and then on towards Pewter city. On the way, I observed the area. There were a good enough showing of Ratata, Geodudes, Pidgey, Pidgeotto and more if you keep an eye out for them. Forrest only had eyes for the mountain we just scaled.

“Huh, it’s pretty big isn’t it?” I glanced back at the towering landscape that I knew was only a point of the range that lead north before branching east and west into a longer ranges that separate the Kanto region from the Indigo Plateau, Kingdom of Rota and other regions further. You could hike it if you wanted and people often did but it is a journey assigned months on foot. Most sail around it. You could even fly around it faster still.

But never over it. Never, over it.

I nodded at what Forrest was talking about. “Yup, in truth it was about thirty minutes of climbing up it along with the two-hour hike. Going down it took us a lot less and we’ll be home by—” I juggle some numbers, “—maybe nine?”

“Woah…”

“That training you do with me and my pokemon pays off no?” I nudged him as we shared a grin. He bumped me back. A rustle of bushes didn’t make us snap to attention but it did stop us from roughhousing. He relaxed a little more when a man breached the thick hedge and strides out onto the path leading to Pewter.

“Ha! Oh but that was a good trek through the wild!” The man was just as wild as the forest he likely came from, with leaves littering his thick black beard and his clothes being rather dirty. He either was a bit of a slob with his camping set up or had been out of touch with civilization for a while now.

He rolled his shoulders and looked both ways. He stopped when he saw us watching him. “Oh ho! This is perfect! I return from my communion with nature and find the perfect test! Pokemon trainers! I challenge you! What say you!?”

I nudged my brother forward and stepped to the side to act as a judge. His glare is deflected with a shrug. “What? I’m on holiday since yesterday, I plan to enjoy it. You show me your stuff little bro!” I smiled at the hiker, “Name?”

“Bron!”

“Trainer Bron as a challenger you release your pokemon first! Trainer Forrest the wager is league standard unless you want to alter it?”

Forrest considered Bron for a moment before shaking his head. I hid a smile. It was the right call. League standard was really only a hundred poke dollars but if the guy had been out for longer he might not have much. He would need his money to reequip if not.

“Go! Carebear!” Bron shouted, releasing an Ursaring that roared before settling into a ready stance. I gave it a quick look, observing the small details that gave away how powerful some pokemon were. Things like the luster of the coat. The gleam in the eyes. The size of the pokemon. Even the way it sat back spoke of a well-trained pokemon. It wasn’t everything but a suspicion began to build as to how this match would go.

I looked to Forrest, and saw him considering his options.

“Go Onix!” I held in the sigh and instead kept my face neutral.

Analysing a Rock-type was a slightly more nuanced affair. You typically had to look over the coarseness of their bodies. Sometimes rougher edges were preferred to impart scratch or smoother bodies were required for speedy pokemon. These were things that were determined through the types of training that pokemon were put through. Care from the trainer also factored in a lot more. Rock-types should also have a weight to them that forces the ground to buckle slightly as they show that they have a greater density compared to their surroundings.

Lots of these features were lacking in Forrest’s Onix.

“Pokemon and trainers, ready?” I waited for their nods, then slashed my hand downwards. “Fight!”

“Onix use—” “Hammer arm!” roared Bron. His Ursaring shot forward and slammed into Onix send it flying into the earth with a dull roar. I continued to watch, saying nothing, but checking Onix over as it rose and resumed a fighting pose.

“Dig Onix!”

“Carebear brace for payback!” called Bron. His bear settled into a stance that had its legs slightly shifted. Perfect for a quick evasion. I watched carefully as Forrest ignored the signs.

“Go Onix!”

The smallest shift of pebbles announced Onix’s eruption. It was still enough to have ‘Carebear’ launch to the side and swipe with their claw rending Onix and sending him tumbling. I glanced at the small graze Carebear had suffered. It was as good a trade as I expected might happen. Onix struggled to rise.

“Onix!” called Forrest. Onix tried to rouse only to slump down as unconsciousness overtook it. I raised a hand toward Bron and the man nodded, his Ursaring standing down. “Onix is unable to battle. The winner is Carebear and Trainer Bron!”

“Nicely done!” Bron high fived his pokemon while my brother withdrew Onix. I gave my brother a pat on the shoulder.

“Better luck next time little bro.” I then nudged him over to pay the man using the transfer feature of the pokewatch. When he came back, he looked a bit glum. At first, I didn’t say anything knowing that it never felt good to lose, but this wasn’t the first time so he’d be used to it and bounce back soon enough. When his mood didn’t pick up by the time we reached the outskirts of Pewter, I nudged him again and shot a questioning look his way.

“Uh yeah, I’m alright. Can’t believe I just lost like that though. I should have been able to put up more of a fight.”

I waved it off, “Eh, no worries. You’ve still got a lot to learn.” Even as I said it, I realized how true it was. Forrest was likely in a better position with being an assistant for me. But the gym was also bigger now. Not that it had ever been exactly small, but the point stood out in my mind. He had it better than his canonical contemporary. That didn’t mean he was going to just be able to step in as Gym leader if I left though.

He still had a lot more to learn. I considered that for a bit before shrugging and offering some advice. “It wasn’t really an issue. That Pokemon was way stronger than I think you realized—” Forrest perked up as I began to talk him through some pointers. He might not be ready today but there was still plenty of time. In fact, I had an entire end of circuit split to spend with my family. I planned to make good use of it. Training would still be there. But I had a lot of plans to spend my break with my family.

Tomorrow would come soon enough. Today? Today I was just going to be the best big brother I could.