Session 47, VP1

In the morning, our heroes rose feeling well-rested. Gunnar performed his typical workouts, before heading to the communal hall. He spoke with several citizens about Ingeborg briefly; the sentence of exile sat ill with him. Most of the townsfolk were…resistant to his efforts. It seemed that Ingeborg had a long history of causing trouble, making this merely the latest issue.

Takeru spent some time attempting to coach his newfound Pokemon. Laros responded well to command, & Baconator at least showed him some respect. Squirt Princess was so timid & frightened that it was a struggle getting her to do anything. And finally, Red Hot Chili Pepper seemed determined to do the opposite of what his trainer ordered.

In a quiet area of The Hive, Bergie spent some time playing with George. The Growlithe seemed a bit put out that his enhanced strength had disappeared- though Bergie play-acted as if it hadn’t. After they had spent some time in a game of fetch, Bergie took out a Fire Stone. He explained its significance to George, though he couldn’t tell if the puppy understood. 

Reframing it in familiar terms, the Breeder lobbed the stone like a ball. George excitedly ran after it. Before it could hit the ground, he leapt & caught it in mid-air. Unfortunately, he accidentally swallowed it upon landing. Amidst his hacking, George began to glow a brilliant white. When the luminance finally faded, he had evolved into an Arcanine! With a disgusted expression, the dog spat out the now dull hunk of rock.

Eventually, all three of the trainers reconvened for breakfast. Morphada wasn’t present, but the rest of the community worked to make sure everyone had plenty to eat. Takeru spent some time challenging some of the people to Pokemon battles. Most of them only knew him as a wastrel, not a former Ace Trainer- why not put him in his place? They left disabused of this notion, with their wallets a bit lighter.

Gunnar visited Morphada in her quarters. Ingeborg was still in a deep sleep from the psychic stress she’d been under. The Martial Artist asked what Morphada's favorite breakfast foods were before fetching her a plate from the dining hall. 

While she ate some, he tentatively continued. He had some questions that even he could tell might be unwelcome. Morphada jumped to the conclusion that it was about her arrowhead, but Gunnar corrected her: this was instead about Ingeborg.

Some of the townsfolk had suggested she “go live with her father” instead of simply being exiled. Who was her father? Was this an option?

The Gym Leader wore a wry smile as she confirmed what Gunnar had already suspected: Ingeborg’s father was none other than Hysterig. The two had been together some time ago. When their daughter was born with no signs of inheriting her father’s powers, he became dismissive at best, cruel at worst.

Rather than allow Ingeborg to grow up with such treatment, Morphada took the baby & left Harbinger Valley behind. She had done her best to avoid any contact with him ever since. Despite all her efforts to make up for the love Hysterig refused to offer, it appeared that Ingeborg still grew into a stunted adult. Morphada was well aware of how abrasive her daughter was yet could not help but give her chance after chance.

The idea of sending anyone to live under Hysterig’s thrall was particularly unappealing to Gunnar. Seeing that there was little else to discuss on this topic, he pivoted the conversation to her arrowhead. Morphada explained that it was a relic from ages past, handed down her bloodline. Its powers meant that many might seek it to claim for their own. Hence why she kept it hidden- & why she was leery of Gunnar’s original inquiry.

Eventually, she took a turn to question him. She had noted that both Bergie & Gunnar bore some of the League runes already. Morphada proposed that a battle might be a good way to take her mind off of recent events & asked him to see if Takeru would join as well.

Meanwhile, Bergie & Takeru were discussing some of the Pokemon battles each had experienced. When Takeru asked where the trainers might be off to next, Bergie mentioned wanting to do some research on a “giant sea serpent”. Seeing the man’s confusion, Bergie gave a detailed account of when he had seen Jorgumandr- which caused Takeru to promptly spin on his heels & leave.

Some wires were crossed when Gunnar later collected Bergie & the itinerant trainer, as Takeru seemed to believe he was being invited to a “practice match”. He traveled to the Gym amphitheater alongside his two new compatriots, where they found a relatively large crowd gathered to watch.

Morphada stood at the other end of an arena, wearing a living cape of Ledyba. Gunnar took a moment to make some bets with some of the bystanders, while Bergie gave his team a pep talk. Takeru thanked Morphada for helping him get back on his feet with “warm-up” for challenging the Gym. With a smile of recognition, she wisely chose not to burst that particular bubble.

Though several of the trainers’ Pokemon had a Type advantage, this battle lasted far longer than any of their prior Gym Challenges- a clear indicator that the League would only get more difficult from here on out. Still, there was only so much Morphada could do to combat specialists in Fire & Rock. 

Her bout with Takeru was on much more even footing. Several times, his new Pokemon were on the ropes. Where the old Takeru would once have pushed them past their limits, time had changed him. Now, he recalled his allies before they could get too hurt. Here, he attempted to cheer them on with words- fumbling though they may be.

When Morphada’s final Pokemon fell, the audience erupted into cheers & applause. The battles had been the most entertaining events in town for some time. (Recent psychic issues notwithstanding.) The Gym Leader granted Gunnar & Bergie their Runes, instead offering Takeru a simple fistbump. As he made a show of turning it into an explosion, she merely flipped her hand face-up to open her fist.

Within it was Takeru’s own Gym Rune. From the hand behind her back, she produced a League Bracer to match. The Ace Trainer was momentarily shocked & unable to find the right words. In the end, he surprised everyone by hugging Morphada instead. 

With little left to do in town, it would soon be time for Gunnar & Bergie to move on. They had yet to make a decision on their next port of call, though both Cursestone & Streamsford were floated as options; it had been some time since either trainer had been home. Though neither side had yet voiced a request, it seemed likely that Takeru hoped to set out alongside them. Where might he wish to go?

Thankfully, they had the time to make such decisions in a town of comfort & peace. A respite neither had realized just how badly they had needed. Tomorrow would soon come to guide them away- but for now, here beneath the earth, no pressure bore down on them.