Chương 116: Chapter 112

"Mundane. Mundane?" Sam threw his hands into the air while Agatha watched him with an even expression.

"We spent months trying to achieve her evolution! We traveled all over the region to figure out how it worked! We went to researchers! Climbed a mountain! Faced real ghosts and so many battles just for you come here and call her—" BONK.

"Quiet." Sam fell into a crouch, rubbing at the bump forming on his head. Satisfied, Agatha pulled her cane back to wait for him to calm down.

"And to think, I came here to assist you and you haven't given me even a word of thanks in return. Do you think I arrived due to some mere, idle curiosity? Just so I could see some 'unknown,' new Pokémon? No, my presence was requested. Not just anyone can ascertain the status of a Ghost Type with a single glance." Agatha clicked her tongue as Sam leered at her, but he soon brought his gaze to the floor.

"In the future, you should know better than to let yourself be so influenced by the Ghost Type. How often are you struck by hypocritical views? How often do you feel a desire for revenge?" She hummed.

"Mhm. That hateful glare of yours is an answer enough. Word of advice, boy, create a core set of beliefs and stick to them no matter what. Then, when you feel at risk of losing control, you have something to fall back on." The member of Indigo's Elite Four then walked past Sam, her cane clicking against the floor with every step. Typhlosion pressed herself against the wall as Agatha approached.

That terrifying aura from before was gone, but each sharp ting of Agatha's cane still caused Typhlosion's fur to stand on its ends. Uncharacteristically, Typhlosion looked ready to lash out, but all Agatha had to do was narrow her eyes, and Typhlosion was immediately cowed.

"Why do you think Typhlosion is mundane?" Sam grumbled. He stood up, still rubbing his forehead, but he had no plans to give thanks or apologize. Agatha didn't seem to, either.

"Hmph. Why wouldn't she be?" she replied. Sam's eye twitched at Agatha's non-answer. He watched her grab Typhlosion's wrist to lift her arm, and Typhlosion shivered as Agatha inspected her fur. While she was distracted, Sam tried to search Agatha's shadow, but he couldn't tell if she had Ghost Types with her or not. It looked as basic as the shadow under Redi's feet, but he knew it couldn't be empty. How could she cause that terrifying aura, otherwise?

"At this point, all new discoveries are mundane," Agatha eventually said, letting Typhlosion's arm drop as she pulled back to look over all of Typhlosion at once.

"Do you realize how many new species are discovered each week? You have that fool Oak to thank for that. Pokémon are for fighting, yet he wastes his time in that excuse of a ranch of his. I would even say that he..." Her words drifted off as she paced to the other side of Typhlosion. Doing so let her catch sight of Sam's face, and her expression changed to something that wasn't passive disdain: Mild surprise.

"Oh?" Agatha cocked an eyebrow.

"Not a fan?" Sam looked at Redi for help, but all she did was furiously shake her head. She wanted nothing more than for Sam to not bring her into this conversation. Agatha was considered the most intimidating member of Indigo's Elite Four for a reason.

"Fine. Yeah. I don't like Oak," Sam said. His words almost came out like a hiss, but he wasn't sure if that was in reaction to Agatha or to the topic of conversation.

"We already had perfectly fine Pokédexes. Written ones. And now he's spreading the electronic Pokédex all over the world without even blinking an eye." Sam crossed his arms with a huff.

"Didn't even blink at how that would step on others' businesses. Didn't even matter that bookstores relied on that kind of income to stay afloat. Did he ever think about that? I doubt it. I bet, in his eyes, he thinks that any kind of progress is worth the sacrifice. I bet he's just fine with the money that's lining his pockets, too." But he was friends with my grandfather. Sam tried not to frown and failed.

He believed the words he said—at least, he was pretty sure did—but he still didn't know what he was supposed to think. Professor Oak hadn't been there when his grandfather passed. Professor Oak hadn't been there when his mother struggled to make ends meet. He hadn't been there to see Sam's mom sitting at the kitchen table late at night, scattered papers before her, furiously trying to juggle what income they had left now that both Sam's father and grandfather had passed away.

There were nights when Sam would go downstairs for a glass of water after staying up to read. He'd see his mother at the table, and she'd look up in surprise. Yet, no matter how many times he asked, she'd just smile and say everything was okay. But it never felt like the truth. And he hated that.... The only time he didn't see his mother stress was at the beginning of the year. The new version of the Pokédex sold enough copies to keep them above board for months.

Running a bookstore was never meant to be profitable, but it was his mother's dream. It was just that she didn't expect to suddenly lose almost her entire immediate family and be forced to take care of a boy and two Pokémon all by herself.

"Oho. I see." No longer paying attention to Typhlosion, Agatha's cane clicked across as she moved to stop in front of Sam. The old woman looked up at him, her head only coming up to a height that was slightly under his chin. She was silent. She did nothing but stare. Not sure what else to do, Sam stared right back. Eventually, Agatha exhaled with a slight chuckle and shook her head. Sam wasn't able to figure out the expression that crossed her face, especially since she now looked so amused.

"Hm. Annoyance sourced from a time before catching a Ghost Type. Something that has festered, rather than grown on its own. Does he truly carry that hate in his heart, or is it just a cover for something else?"

"Excuse me?"

"A Ghost Type trainer, indeed," Agatha said with a laugh.

"What better person to train ghosts than someone haunted by his past?" She walked past him to reach the door of the room. There, she turned on her heel to face everyone here. Typhlosion drew back and Redi tried to pretend that she didn't exist, but Sam met Agatha's stare, ignoring the continued smirk on the Elite's face.

"Typhlosion is indeed a Ghost Type, but it's her secondary Type rather than her first. Expect her behavior to be that of a normal Typhlosion, just influenced by a partial Ghost Type mindset," Agatha explained.

"If her primary Type was Ghost, there would be more to worry about, but as she is now, she's just a slightly more ethereal yet completely physical Pokémon. Expect no changes to any treatment. She's still herself—a Typhlosion. Be thankful for that." Despite her words, Sam didn't like the implication that evolution could cause those changes. Primeape was still due to evolve, but his evolution was also a secondary Ghost Type. Given what Agatha had said, nothing should happen with that.

But Primeape's evolution requires a certain mindset. How worried do we need to be? Unaware of his thoughts, Agatha kept speaking.

"As for some personal advice, I recommend keeping this evolution quiet until you're in a better spot. You don't need to commit yourself to secrecy, but don't spread the news around. People are used to new discoveries, just not from random trainers. You can never be sure how the wrong people might react, hm?

"So I say it's best to wait until the Conference," she continued, thumping her cane against the ground.

"There, publicity will be your safety. At your level of strength, a bold, region-wide reveal will serve perfectly to ward the wrong kind of folk off." She nodded at her own words before staring at Sam, unerringly meeting his eyes. There was a seriousness to her gaze; this wasn't just an idle suggestion. She genuinely believed it was in his best interest to not spread news of Typhlosion's evolution too far around.

"... Okay, sure, but isn't this just you trying to hurt Johto?" Redi suddenly blurted out.

"Typhlosion's one of Johto's starters. Learning that her species can become a variant would bring a lot of money and investments to her region." Agatha glared at Redi, and Redi shrunk in on herself. She squeaked something about hearing similar thoughts from Mr. Pokémon, but Agatha just closed her eyes and turned away.

"As if I need to concern myself with the beliefs of others. Yes, I do not care for Johto, but I will never act to harm this region. My advice is advice for you alone, and it'd do you best to listen to it." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She looked over her shoulder for one last glance through the room before chuckling to herself and exiting into the hallway. She mumbled something about "kids these days" as the door shut behind her.

Sam realized he'd never once seen her put her hand on the handle of the door. It had opened and closed all on its own.... And now she's gone? Just like that? She's really not a person to waste her time, is she? Man. She and Pryce would get along if it wasn't for everything about Johto and Kanto's issues. Sam waited to see if that terrifying presence would return or if Agatha would come and say anything else.

However, the clicks of her cane lacked the pressure from before, and the sounds faded away until she was gone. Then, and only then, Sam could begin to hear the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Pokémon Center. However, despite the presence of so many others here, he had a feeling in his stomach that only he, Redi, and Nurse Joy knew that Agatha had been here at all.

"It's... it's over? She's gone?" Redi asked hopefully.

"Yeah. She's gone," Sam answered. Redi let herself collapse back into her chair. The bags under her eyes were somehow even deeper than before. Similarly, Sam's shadow darkened once again as all the ghosts inside finally let themselves breathe. Haunter's eyes opened up to look around before he hid himself once again, just in case.

"I don't like her," Sam grumbled. He sat on the nurse's stool as Typhlosion slid down the wall to come to a rest on the floor.

"You don't like anyone who's not immediately nice to you," Redi said.

"No! I don't like anyone who goes out of their way to be rude, and Agatha—""You like Xavier."

"He doesn't do it intentionally."

"Yeah? You sure about that?"

"Shut up." Sam rubbed his head, and Redi laughed, but the two of them were too exhausted to do anything more than that. For a while, the room was silent. They were still waiting on whatever Nurse Joy was doing to prepare Typhlosion's treatment. Sam wasn't sure why it was Agatha who came here instead of Morty. The importance of a new evolution, maybe? But they were in Johto, not Kanto, and Agatha was decidedly not a fan of the region.

"You know..." Redi started. She went quiet as she bit her lip, unsure.

"What?"

"There's something I don't get," she said slowly.

"Agatha came here for Typhlosion, right? Nurse Joy called the League for help, except..." Sam looked up at Redi. He could tell she was struggling to find her words.

"Except, how did Agatha know to bother with that pressure at the beginning? Sam, she said she watched your battles. She said you'd think it'd be amusing."

"So? I fought in the Violet City tournament. The League's archives have recordings of every match," he huffed.

"It was your idea to make me seem so edgy back then. Why wouldn't she think I'd like something like that?"

"Okay, sure, but, well..." Redi grimaced and sat up to better focus. Leaning forward, she looked Sam in the eye.

"What I'm trying to say is... When did Agatha watch your battles? Nurse Joy hasn't been gone for longer than half a match. Between being called and showing up, Agatha couldn't have had time to watch anything." And Sam went silent. To Redi's question, he didn't have an answer. Pryce never discovered what had happened. The expedition returned late, late in the night, with many of its participants practically collapsing once they reached the Pokémon Center lobby. There was no mention of Trevenant.

There were only a handful of comments about a few, sporadic attacks. At most, one group had been knocked out (Sam did his best to keep a straight face when he heard that), but after a certain point, no further Pokémon bothered the group. Pryce's line of trainers never encountered who or what was responsible. It was as if all of the aggression had vanished out of nowhere, and Pryce was somehow both annoyed and satisfied with that result.

Sam stayed up just long enough to make sure nothing would go wrong, and then he promptly went to bed and slept until early afternoon. He stayed in his and Redi's rooms for most of the next day, just hanging out and relaxing to give everyone plenty of privacy and rest. But once night fell again, everyone went downstairs to make a pair of calls and send the messages that needed to be sent. Morty was delighted to find out about Typhlosion's successful evolution.

He spoke loudly when he offered his congratulations, forcing Redi and Ursaring to lift a blanket even higher to keep Typhlosion's new form unseen. However, when Morty spoke, he also had a strange look in his eyes. It was as if he had somehow known they'd already succeeded. Unfortunately, though he had the time for a short chat, Morty couldn't come to visit as he had already spent too much time away from his Gym thanks to the events in Violet City and the favor Sam had cashed in within Blackthorn.

Since Sam and Redi already planned to return to Ecruteak as their next stop, Morty promised he would celebrate Typhlosion's evolution when they arrived. He also mentioned he had a "surprise" for Sam, but he didn't give any hints as to what that would be. Sam called his mother for the second of the two calls since he knew that one would last significantly longer than the first.

When the screen flashed on to show her face, her eyes immediately lit up with excitement, and even Sableye didn't bother to try for a scare when he saw the newly evolved Typhlosion on the screen. It was nice to catch up, and it was pretty funny, too. Typhlosion wiggled and squirmed as Sam's mom gushed over how pretty her purple flames were. She tried to slink away out of embarrassment, but Sam wrestled her to keep her nearby. There, Typhlosion was subjected to minutes upon minutes of genuine compliments.

Honestly, listening to Sam's mother spend so long heaping on praise was harder on Typhlosion than most battles. Her face was completely flush through her fur by the end of it. After that call, Sam also sent quick messages informing Doctor Hale and Professor Carolina about Typhlosion's evolution as a thank you. He wasn't close enough to those two to call them, but he knew that without them, Typhlosion would have never reached her current form.

Thankfully, neither seemed like the type of person to spread the discovery around. Finally, Shin was informed as well, though they weren't able to visit him until the next day. The mushroom forager had managed to escape thanks to Parasect waking him up, and the pair had escaped before any other trainer arrived. He had enough plausible deniability that he wouldn't get in trouble, but he was staying out of town for a few days just in case he'd get recognized.

Still, he was amazed at Typhlosion's evolution—a complete surprise to him—and he was filled with relief when he heard that his actions had helped them make sure Trevenant could find peace. When Sam left Shin's home after their chat, Shin promised to root for him and everyone else when the time for the Conference finally arrived.... But that comment brought up another question. What am I supposed to do about the news of Typhlosion's evolution and this technical "discovery?"

In the Pokémon Center, Agatha had been rather dismissive, but she had a point that these kinds of discoveries rarely came from "random" trainers. Usually, they only came after years of dedicated research, not months, and Sam didn't even have a sponsor backing him as Redi had with Mr. Pokémon. Typhlosion's evolution was a big deal, as "mundane" as it was. She was proof of a long-lost evolution, and this success implied that other long-lost evolutions might be possible, too.

For now, Sam wanted to talk to Morty in person before coming to a decision. While he planned to keep things quiet in Mahogany Town, he didn't plan on hiding Typhlosion once they left, but he didn't plan on showing her off, either. Their journey would continue as is, and those who would be surprised by her existence would be surprised. Rumors would spread, but nothing would be confirmed. Nothing would be confirmed until the Conference, that is.

There, Typhlosion would make her worldwide debut alongside Primeape's evolved form—hopefully. By the time that came around, Sam's team would be strong enough to defend themselves no matter their opponent, and since everyone would know it was Sam who had these otherwise "unique" Pokémon, thievery wouldn't be possible unless they wanted to make an enemy out of the entire region. Mr.

Pokémon would have loved to hear about this earlier than that, however, but Sam wasn't sure if he liked the idea of encouraging other trainers to go out and hunt dangerous ghosts by themselves. But with Morty and his mother called, messages sent, Shin visited, and a decision made, there was only one other person Sam hadn't talked to. Xavier. Except, he had talked to him, but it was only during the same night they had just returned.

Their conversation had taken place after Typhlosion had been taken for healing but before the other trainers had come back. Sam stepped outside to meet with Xavier, and their chat had mostly just been a discussion about what happened that day and how Xavier would deal with the consequences of splitting off from Pryce's line. There, Xavier said something at the very end that stuck with Sam. He could remember that moment clearly, even now....

"You... know more about Pokémon than me," the older boy had said, still staring up at the stars.

"I don't. Not really. I've just been lucky with my sources, and I've spent a lot of time on research." Xavier went silent. It took a full minute for him to speak up next. It looked as though he wanted to say something else, but he didn't. He didn't ask about Hisuian Typhlosion or how Sam knew Yanma could evolve or why Sam had been so willing to bypass Pryce's plan. No, Xavier had said only one thing.

"I will defeat you in the Conference." And Sam didn't know how to respond to that. He had always seen Xavier as some impossible wall to overcome—someone to defeat—but somehow, after today, it was as if those roles had been reversed.... Unfortunately, Xavier vanished before morning came, leaving in search of that Honchkrow.

He disappeared before everyone had truly settled down, and when a Gym Trainer entered the Pokémon Center in search of him, she left a message containing harsh words about his "desertion" but did nothing else. He just wouldn't receive any payment or a recommendation for his "help" during these events. The only other thing Sam had to take care of was to pay a fee for losing the borrowed Everstone, and then there was nothing keeping him in town. Once everyone was properly rested and Typhlosion healed, Sam left.

Not to permanently leave Mahogany Town and move on to the next town, but he left with just himself and his team to find a spot on the eastern Route 44 and camp out for a while. There, his goals were simple: Train Typhlosion. Make her stronger. Have her learn the Ghost Type moves she'd need. And prepare the rest of the team to take on Pryce's Ice Type Gym. Within only a few days, Typhlosion picked up every move Sam had mentioned before. She learned Confuse Ray. Hex. Shadow Ball. Night Shade.

Even Shadow Claw was added to her expanded repertoire. She'd spent so long working with Curse that her familiarity with the Ghost Type made learning these new attacks an ease. But Curse itself was different. Its energies enhanced the capabilities of non-Ghost Type Pokémon, but when a Ghost Type used it, it traded vitality for damage over time. Typhlosion struggled to master its sudden change in effect, and Sam didn't want to risk her getting hurt.

So, they decided to put the move to the side for now and practice something else. They trained, and they sparred, and they stayed hidden in the forested hills of Route 44. Their campsite was far enough to the side that no travelers found them, and Redi occasionally visited just to check in and bring supplies. However, it was during a period when Redi wasn't there, a few days into their practice, that Sam started to notice something strange.

When focusing on his team, out of the corner of his eye, it was as if the forest moved. Shadows watched them from within nearby trees. Sam had no intention of repeating the same mistake he made in the past. He did not want a repeat of what happened with Misdreavus, where a Ghost Type was forced to unfairly stalk them for far too long. So Sam turned. He stared into the shadows.

"Come on out!" he shouted. And a soft, red glow sparked up within the shade. Hidden from the midday sun, a certain Ghost Type became visible at the edge of these shrouded woods. The last Sam had seen Trevenant, the Pokémon had been kneeling in its burned grove. Its tears watered a sprout poking through the ash, and the tree that had once been both its home and its parent had disappeared, moving on after seeing Trevenant had accepted that it didn't need to seek out revenge.

However, when Trevenant appeared before Sam right now, it still looked angry. It clenched its claws, balling them into fists, and the pressed-together lips of its wooden maw cracked from the pressure.

"I thought you'd be protecting your grove," Sam said. Trevenant did nothing but stare. Yet, Sam did not feel the same malice as before. The more he looked at it, the more he saw the clues. It was angry, but its anger lacked that same hatred it used to possess. It was as if it were angry because it was confused. It was angry at the world, it was angry at its situation, and, specifically, it was angry at itself.

"... I see. You don't need to protect your grove, do you?" Sam said quietly.

"Just as other Pokémon came to your call, other Pokémon came to the final call of that tree. They're already tied to that area. They can protect it for you. So you aren't needed—not necessarily. You want to help, but..." Briefly, Sam closed his eyes.

"In a way, by leaving, this is you trying to move on." The Trevenant took a step closer, exiting the shade of the forest. It shook, small bits of ash falling from the leaves that grew on its body, leaving it a perfectly clean combination of black, brown, and green. Seeing Sam stare, it scowled, but its singular, red eye lacked the burning edge that had once been so prevalent.

"Typhlosion," Sam said. She had already been at his side, but she now stepped forward. She and Trevenant faced each other once again. She rolled her shoulder as Trevenant flexed its claws, both of them ready for a fight. A beat passed. Trevenant lunged. A wave of purple flames encompassed its form.

"Here we go!" Sam yelled. With practiced ease, he reached into his pack, tossing forward the first object he could find—a Moon Ball. It was one of the several Redi had obtained in Azalea Town, and it was one of the only empty Pokéballs on his person. Though the Moon Ball's properties weren't relevant here, it was still a Pokéball, and it flew through the air, chasing Typhlosion's Infernal Parade and hitting Trevenant in the forehead.

The move dissipated, and Trevenant began to fall backward before being sucked up in a flash of light. The tossed object hit the ground, where it shook. It rocked back and forth before a click pierced through the air. Then, silence. The ball laid still. Nothing burst out. With that single toss, Trevenant was caught.