"Of course, sir..." He trails off as he looks at the map, definitely putting on a customer service voice. "Well, even if the Victory Line's been truncated, anything that's symbolic of a professional battling career is going to have some challenges around it, don't you think? Even if they're just wild Pokemon."
You step down the stairs, and see a train already pulled up to the platform. Only the first car has doors open for you to enter. The fog is thick in here... it's hard to even see the train in front of you.
The train is a standard modern subway car. Above the seats, where advertisements would normally be in a train, there are instead photographs of different scenes, although the fog makes it hard to see them. They depict different scenes of people and Pokemon.
It's a child Ingo consoling Emmet in a glittering cave. As you peer close, you understand something:
Even before you set out to travel officially, you could spend hours outdoors, building teams. It was sometimes grueling, but always satisfying to you. You could handle the disappointment of not achieving a particular day's goal, but you absolutely couldn't handle Emmet being the disappointed one. Even in a deep cave, one of the more dangerous places to be—you'd brought enough items to prepare for the long haul. That day, in Chargestone Cave, Emmet wanted a Tynamo. And you were going to find a Tynamo, even if you caused a minor cave-in in your intensity. No one was harmed, and Eelektross is a beloved friend now, so you can't hold any regrets!
It's a baby Axew hatching from an egg. You understand:
It had always been easier to leave breeding to Emmet, since you found the process more tedious and awkward than he did. But if you left everything to him, you couldn't have any secret weapons to fight him with. You worked behind his back, and carefully bred and hatched the one you wanted. It helped you understand the appeal... There's something about personally hatching and raising a Pokemon that makes you want to dote on them more than usual. Haxorus is far from a secret weapon now. But he's your spoiled baby dragon, and that's even better.
It's Hilda and her Serperior in a subway car, posed for battle.
It was for logistical reasons that you didn't consider becoming Champion even temporarily, but you have to admit being a Subway Boss is a far better deal. Both winning and losing are exciting parts of the process. Why would you put yourself in a position that would instantly be destroyed with a loss? Like this, you can fight a Champion multiple times a day, if she's dedicated enough about it. Maybe you'll lose at least as much as you win, too. But things could still go either way next time. That's the thrill of battle on the higher levels. Even though she's the Champion, you think Hilda's attitude about it is very similar to yours. When Emmet is so close to her, too, perhaps you could accept her as a peer in the field, and open up another line or two? There aren't any Triple Battles or Rotation Battles on the subway yet. Food for thought. But maybe she's too much of a free spirit to keep the PR under control.
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Never mind. Any suggestions as to what train line I should take now? Again, I'd prefer a challenge.
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That is true, yes. Fine, then. I'll go that way.
[ he could look at the map but also he can just demand: ]
Which direction is that?
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instead without another word, off he goes to the Victory Line! ]
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But! It's fine! He's Lear! He can handle this!
By blindly stumbling forward until he manages to make it onto the train (???) ]
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Even before you set out to travel officially, you could spend hours outdoors, building teams. It was sometimes grueling, but always satisfying to you. You could handle the disappointment of not achieving a particular day's goal, but you absolutely couldn't handle Emmet being the disappointed one. Even in a deep cave, one of the more dangerous places to be—you'd brought enough items to prepare for the long haul. That day, in Chargestone Cave, Emmet wanted a Tynamo. And you were going to find a Tynamo, even if you caused a minor cave-in in your intensity. No one was harmed, and Eelektross is a beloved friend now, so you can't hold any regrets!
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what must it be like to have someone like that, he wonders--someone that you feel that strongly about making happy?
... hm.
It makes him uncomfortable in a weird sort of way, and so instead he moves on to the next one. ]
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It had always been easier to leave breeding to Emmet, since you found the process more tedious and awkward than he did. But if you left everything to him, you couldn't have any secret weapons to fight him with. You worked behind his back, and carefully bred and hatched the one you wanted. It helped you understand the appeal... There's something about personally hatching and raising a Pokemon that makes you want to dote on them more than usual. Haxorus is far from a secret weapon now. But he's your spoiled baby dragon, and that's even better.
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Hmmmmm....
It might be worth a try.
Onto the next! ]
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It was for logistical reasons that you didn't consider becoming Champion even temporarily, but you have to admit being a Subway Boss is a far better deal. Both winning and losing are exciting parts of the process. Why would you put yourself in a position that would instantly be destroyed with a loss? Like this, you can fight a Champion multiple times a day, if she's dedicated enough about it. Maybe you'll lose at least as much as you win, too. But things could still go either way next time. That's the thrill of battle on the higher levels. Even though she's the Champion, you think Hilda's attitude about it is very similar to yours. When Emmet is so close to her, too, perhaps you could accept her as a peer in the field, and open up another line or two? There aren't any Triple Battles or Rotation Battles on the subway yet. Food for thought. But maybe she's too much of a free spirit to keep the PR under control.
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Alright.
He should stop prying, probably--
If the train is moving, he's gonna go ahead and drift away from the "advertisements" to wait for his destination. ]
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