The Ghost Specialist

Sam rushed back to Redi's place the moment Cyndaquil and Mankey were finished healing. The nurse passed their Pokéballs over, and Sam dashed out of the Pokémon Center.

He released the tired Cyndaquil and scooped her up into his hood to rest, whereas Mankey practically skipped along at his side. The little monkey was ecstatic after his victory. Sam spoke quickly as he moved block to block down the streets of Olivine.

“Great job, both of you,” he said to his Pokémon, darting around a few pedestrians that were returning home from a long day of work. “Cyndaquil, I pushed you more than I should yet you still managed to fight through five different battles. Mankey, I underestimated you. You came in clutch against Murkrow.”

A tired squeak from his hood. Mankey hooted on the ground next to him and leaped in celebration.

“In the future, I’ll work on better dividing up battle experience between the two of you, and we’ll work on learning more powerful attacks. Mankey, that means taking that rage you showed and using that to our full advantage. After all, mastery of it is going to be important for your final evolution.”

Mankey’s elated hops slowed down in favor of a slower, more controlled pace. His brow furrowed with concentration as he nodded his head—to Mankey, it was as if Sam had just said the most important statement in the world.

“Before then, we need to head back. To her aunt’s house. Redi is there. And we’re fighting her. We’re fighting Redi. Ugh, I can’t believe it.”

Something in Sam’s stomach twisted when he thought of his upcoming battle. The Beginner’s Tournament was supposed to be a way to push his team to new heights, but now he felt like he would just be beating down a friend.

Redi.

She was the first person truly friendly to Sam away from home. She was the first person who’d really talked to him—other than Cyndaquil. Redi challenged him to a battle when no one else would. Redi offered Sam a place to stay, no questions asked. And for this tournament? She was the person who told him about it in the first place.

It’s not fair. I wouldn't be upset about this at all if we at least made it a few rounds in, first. Instead, we’re fighting in the very first round, basically eliminating one of us before we even got a shot to compete!

Though, Sam thought it was obvious which one of them would come out a victor. Redi only had one Pokémon, and Mankey’s Fighting Type attacks meant Teddiursa would fall quickly.

He hurried back to the small, suburban home with his two Pokémon still out of their Pokéballs. Sam practically threw the front door open when he arrived, panting and searching through the doily-covered room.

“Redi!” he shouted.

Instead of the girl he was searching for, Sam found her aunt blinking at him from just a few feet away.

“Ah. You just missed her, dear. She left to find you only a few minutes ago.”

Sam almost collapsed where he was standing. Instead, he moved to lean against the doorframe and ran his hand down his face.

“Of course,” he grumbled.

She’d want to talk to him as well. With how their training had separated them these past few days, the two had only really chatted about the tournament late at night, when they both returned to rest.

“I’ll be here, I guess,” Sam said. “Redi should return soon.”

“Wise,” Redi’s aunt replied. “I’m absolutely certain she’ll be here before too long.”

The old woman sent Sam a motherly smile before moving to the nearby kitchen. Sam walked in and closed the door behind him, but before he could collapse on the couch, the old woman’s voice called out to him from the other room.

“Redi told me the news,” the woman said. “You and Redi will be battling one another in the first round?”

“Yeah,” Sam replied.

He couldn’t stop a long sigh.

It really was unfair.

The old woman seemed to have a different perspective on the matter, though, as she chuckled lightly and poked her head out back into the living room.

“It’s a dilemma, but one for the future. For now, would you mind assisting me? I have some cookies I’d like to make. You should join me.”

Sam nodded tiredly and pulled Cyndaquil out of his hood. He placed her into the corner of the couch, where a far-too-frilly pillow served as a comfortable nest. Mankey, meanwhile, hopped up onto the recliner chair and grabbed the nearby remote. He turned on the television and began flipping the channels. He seemed more enthralled by the ability to change what was being displayed rather than the actual picture on the T.V.

Sam entered the kitchen once his Pokémon had settled in. After all their hard work today, they deserved to rest. Here, he could see that Redi’s aunt had already taken out all the baking ingredients needed. A bag of flour, butter, eggs, and then some Bellossom-farmed sugar were all set up on the counter.

“I hope sugar cookies are fine,” she said.

“Yeah that’s... fine,” Sam said. His mind was a little focused on the upcoming battle to feel any hunger right now.

The old woman hummed and started to measure out what she needed into a bowl. Sam moved to join her at her side.

“So,” Redi’s aunt started, “did you know I originally had no clue Redi was coming here?”

“What?” Sam asked.

“Indeed. She simply showed up at my door one day and asked to stay. Obviously, I couldn’t refuse.”

Sam immediately grimaced when she said that. Redi had invited him to stay here too, which meant her aunt had even less preparation for his arrival than he had thought. Yet, while the grimace appeared on his face, the woman cheerfully handed him a bowl of ingredients and a whisk.

“Mix,” she said.

She then shook her head lightly, as if to admonish him for his silent, internal guilt.

“Oh, don’t you worry about it,” she said. “I appreciate having company, no matter the circumstance in which it arrives. But I bring up that fact to state the truth of the matter: Redi came here without her parents' knowledge.”

“Oh,” Sam said, still stirring.

She nodded, putting her hands behind her back, and watched Sam mix the ingredients closely. He felt like a little kid again, when his mother would watch him do something from over his shoulder. He found himself standing up straighter and putting more focus into doing a good job.

“Some say too much sugar can ruin a cookie. I just like it sweet, myself,” Redi’s aunt eventually said. “As for Meredith, she’s sweet, too. I know she didn’t want to tell her parents because she didn’t want to worry them. They’re always worrying, those folks. Between their company, a lack of work, and all the trouble Meredith gets up to... Well, before you came, I never once heard her mention any human friends. Can you imagine that?”

Sam pressed his lips together. Redi had seemed rather friendly, but at the same time, she was a little...

Overbearing.

She did stick around without him asking her to, but he didn’t begrudge her for the company. If anything, she was one of the first humans that had really talked to him back. After all, back in Dewford, Sam only had Cyndaquil, his mom, and Delcatty. Everyone else was far too active and a little turned off by his love of books.

“Needless to say, I was surprised when you knocked at my door,” Redi’s aunt continued. “There was no way I’d turn you down, and I’m glad I didn’t. When you’re not here, Redi talks about her plans for training a lot, but she also tends to talk about how cool you are.”

“Oh. I, uh—”

“It’s alright,” the old woman said, saving Sam from his sputtering. “You don’t need to say anything else. I shouldn’t say anything else, either! It’s rude to talk about people behind their backs. I just wanted to explain my own perspective a bit more. Oh, and by the way, you don’t need to stir anymore.”

Sam looked down. The cookie dough was properly mixed. It had been getting harder and harder to stir it, but he had been so focused on his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed.

Then, a beep. The oven was heated to the right temperature.

“I can get the tray set up, and you can—”

“Sam!”

Redi’s voice practically shook the house, and her aunt closed her mouth before continuing. She simply smiled and quietly took the bowl away from Sam as he rushed out of the kitchen, with no more words exchanged between them.

Redi stood in the doorway much in the same way Sam once had. She was standing there, panting, a tinge of desperation to her voice. When she saw him, she grinned, and despite all of her obvious tiredness, she marched right up to him and jabbed a finger into his chest.

“Don’t you dare go easy on me!” she all but accused.

Sam hesitated for a second.

“Excuse me?”

Redi responded with a sharp but challenging grin.

“I know you. I mean, I know I’ve only known you for about a week now, but I still know you! You’re the kind of guy who’d get all torn up inside when he learns he’s fighting a friend!”

Sam had to look away.

“But! We’re friends, and friends don’t let one another down,” she continued. “And letting me down would include going easy on me! You better not get swallowed up by your nerves or even let me win! Doing that would be a huge insult to everything Teddiursa and I did to get here!”

Speaking of Teddiursa, the little bear Pokémon stumbled up to the open front door behind Redi. His shoulders heaved up and down with every breath, and he wobbled as he walked over to the couch to hop up and lay down on it.

Cyndaquil squeaked a quiet greeting at him.

Teddiursa replied with a short but friendly growl and a tired wave of his paw.

Sam regretted what he said next, but the words left his mouth before he realized what he was saying.

“But I beat you on the boat?”

“Psh. Like that matters.”

Sam opened his mouth to counter, but Redi pushed through.

“See, Teddiursa and I have been training for days, and now we’re stronger than ever!” she declared. “You really think that a battle from last week means anything? Ha! You’re not going to win. It’s Teddiursa and me, all the way to the top!”

She threw up her arms for a cheer, and Teddiursa joined in with another tired wave from the couch. Seeing that, Sam couldn’t stop the bit of laughter that left his throat.

Leave it to Redi to stay cheerful in this situation.

“Fine, then,” he said, puffing up, himself. “Boast all you want, but it’s actually going to be me and my team who’ll be the winners.”

Redi’s grin remained sharp and feral. Before, she almost seemed like she was forcing it, but everything now seemed absolutely genuine.

“That’s the spirit!” she cried out, but her expression did waver for the slightest of seconds before she spoke next. “But, uh, just in case you do win, I want a favor.”

Sam raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to go. Redi bit her lip and walked back to the front door to close it, failing to hide how she needed that time to gather the right words before she could explain.

“I...” Redi took in a deep breath. “Sam, I really like money.”

“Okay?” he asked.

“You don’t get it.” She shook her head. “This tournament isn’t just a way to earn a bunch of money; it’s also our first chance to be in front of an audience. Think about it. Thousands of people looking at you, their attention divided up between everyone on the field. They’re all focused and ready for a match, then BLAM!” She punched a fist into her hand. “They’re hit by someone telling them to hire Vermilion Construction Co., and they’re so bewildered that the name sticks in their mind!”

She smiled mischievously. There was a wild look in her eyes.

“Sam, this is free advertising space, and if you win, I want you to do my advertising for me,” she said.

Silence stretched out between them. Sam moved to lean against the couch. Redi stood proud and tall.

“Do you... do you actually plan to do that?” Sam asked, somewhat exasperated.

“Of course!” Redi replied without missing a beat. “I’m going to shout the name of my family’s company to the world, and then everyone will know to hire us. I mean, we've been doing Pokémon-assisted construction work for years, and now I can spread that reputation even further! What’s so cool about our work is that we've even managed to land a major contract to make a new office building back in Vermilion, but...”

Redi sighed and rubbed her head. She turned to lean against the back of her couch the same as Sam.

“Despite everything, we’re still small. Everyone always keeps looking to more established companies, so we don’t have enough money to start the project.” She then turned to lock her eyes with Sam’s. “I’m going to fix that. And no one is going to stop me.”

“...Is this why you left home without telling your parents?” he asked.

Redi froze up. Her mouth gaped open as she stared at Sam. He looked away, a bit guilty at what he just asked.

“Auntie figured it out. She told you,” Redi said.

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” Sam replied.

Thankfully, Redi just shrugged in the end, not really bothered by the revelation that Sam knew.

“It’s... whatever. I left home to advertise my family’s company. It’s not a big deal. People do that all the time.”

Do they?

“But, training a Pokémon is expensive,” she continued. “Teddiursa’s mom is super strong, and he wants to be strong, so I took him with me. No one back home knew about that until we were gone. They’d say what I’m doing isn’t necessary, but I know it is. We have to push to the top and make use of every chance we get. And then, I’ll become a Pokémon trainer and make my family’s company known worldwide! It’s the perfect plan!”

She was grinning again, downright proud of everything she had explained. Sam felt like her plan was flawed, but he genuinely didn’t know enough to say whether or not it had issues.

I mean, Steven Stone managed to bring the Devon Corporation to new heights over in Hoenn. And I know Silph Co. sponsors the occasional trainer over in... well, here, I guess. Redi just wants to do the reverse; instead of having a company pay her to spread their name around, she’s doing it for free.

There were systems in place that proved advertisements worked. Sam was just caught off guard by the whole idea.

“Alright,” he said. “I agree. When I beat you, I’ll make sure to tell everyone about your family’s company.”

“Psh. If you beat me, you mean,” she countered. “You really think you can beat Teddiursa? He just completely crushed today’s preliminary rounds! He didn’t lose even once!”

Sam blinked in surprise. He hadn’t fully registered it until now—if Cyndaquil struggled to get to the final round, what did it mean if Teddiursa easily managed to do the same all on his own?

He glanced down at the sleeping bear and silently questioned whether or not his own victory was as guaranteed as he thought. Teddiursa might have become stronger in the past few days, but he was still only one Pokémon. Sam had two. That would make a difference.

Right?

“Whatever.” Sam shook his head. “Beat me? Yeah, right. I’d like to see you try.”

Redi once again grinned challengingly, and Sam smiled smugly right back. Not long after, there was a ding in the kitchen, and Sam and Redi spent the rest of the night munching on cookies while talking about everything they would do once they won the tournament.