Hard Enough - Chapter 395 - Temporal trouble (Patreon)

Training, gym work, wedding planning, and the occasional hang out with my family or date with Sabrina saw the week evaporate.

It always seemed like the busier you got the less time you had, which I always thought was a funny truism of time.

It made me oddly look forward to the coming circuit as I knew the first week would be quiet before leading into a spike of battling before settling.

After last year, things were going to be much smoother sailing. 

The year after when the Trinity nations were allowed to send trainers through, would probably be another period of uncertainty, but I’d get through it.

Until then the only big event I had penned in was Sabrina and I’s wedding followed by our honeymoon in Alto Mare.

Still, today wasn’t for that.

Today was about seeing how far my training with Rhyhorn could take me.

Fight Knight, rather than being a nocturnal event, started early in the day at the Pewter rodeo grounds.

Flags, tents, and hordes of people wearing medieval costumes wandered around while vendors were spread around with signs that were slapped together to give their wares an ‘old timey’ feel to them.

Some had spit roasts with Farfetch’d rotating as they glazed the delicacy with honey. The leek so typically found with the pokemon being used as a base flavour.

In a few points raised platforms housed bards singing, or comedians plying their trade, drawing in the crowds.

It reminded me of comic con with people dressing up, only this was specific to the medieval era. Something that was a rather interesting time for the pokemon world with Knights having to fight off both pokemon and men alike.

More than a few tales existed of a Brave Sir Knight defeating a rampaging Onix or Gyarados. Sometimes they were even known to joust with a Graveler or other such pokemon.

Amusingly, there were also several Samurai stalking around the event, their hands draped on the handles of their ‘blades’. They all looked like they had chips on their shoulders and more than a few went out of their way to have their sheathes ‘knocked into’.

Apparently, that was a traditional method of announcing your intent to fight them?

Salvadore and Sanchez both wore attire that would befit a squire. While Savladore had armor made for his current size, I'd also gotten a rush job done for Sanchez so that he could wear metal bracers that he seemed rather taken with, even if they did nothing for him than look stylish.

That was probably entirely the point.

My entourage drew a lot of attention as both of my Squires walked slightly ahead of me with flags announcing my arrival, causing a small stir as people took notice of me.

And then they promptly looked down and caught sight of Rhyhorn, who had been thoroughly… glammed up for this event.

One of the things I’d perhaps failed to account for with the event, was how Bertha was going to make sure her son looked his best during Fight Knight.

This had resulted in several of the girls being conscripted to paint him.

Gone was the dull steel grey that most Rhyhorn were known for. Instead of merely settling for a clean and a polish like many other Knights had, Bertha had taken things a step further.

She’d had the edges of his ridges traced with black, while a green undercoat claimed most of him.

On his skull plate, on the forward portion, red orbs had been painted to mimic eyes that stared straight ahead.

I had considered demanding they wash that off as the small circles would offer targets, but if another knight was foolish enough to try slamming their lance into a Rhyhorn’s skull they deserved to get launched.

I would buy the recordings of such and happily laugh at them later.

Rhyhorn somewhat looked like an oddly shaped Tyranitar now, which was probably the point as he now also paid homage to Titan as his father.

He was extremely pleased with this look, which was another reason I hadn’t demanded it be stripped off him.

He was his parents’ child in more ways than one.

Behind me, my family were decked out in various attire, ranging from cheap knight armor made from plastic that you to buy at shops, princess outfits, to even a princely attire.

Tommy looked particularly smug about his choice of attire and how he hadn’t told anyone about it.

Still, Suzie and Cindy looked adorable in their puffy princess dresses.

The Crusher Tribesman fit in rather well, if looking a touch rougher than they should have with their normal attire.

Glimmer had somehow gotten a hold of a jester outfit and she was making it work for her. I rather enjoyed how she somehow made the ringing of the bells attached to her hat harmonious and pleasing to listen to rather than annoying.

Ruby had undergone her second treatment but was still consigned to riding a Houndoom for the moment.

“Hail Sir Brock!” called a few people from the crowd in jest and I waved politely as I continued to clank along next to Rhyhorn.

“Rhy, horn?” he asked again.

“Nah, I don’t want to mess up your paint just yet,” I told him, having not yet saddled him. “Also it’s best that you stay fresh for the upcoming jousts. I just have to work with you, brace and aim. You’re the one who is going to do some mileage today. And by the way Rhyhorn, you look really good in that getup!”

“Horn!” he replied firmly, and I chuckled.

With our registration and match already arranged prior to today all I had to do was approach the check in desk and wait for my allotted time.

Easy as.

“Welcome verily my Lords and Ladies!” greeted a man that was obviously dressed up as a Bard. 

I felt my hackles rise instinctively at the sight of him, along with how he was sitting with his feet resting on the check in sheet.

He inspected our group with a twinkle in his eyes. He passed over all the children and men only to linger on the ladies.

“My! Aren’t you all ravishing flowers!” he winked at Glimmer who was staring at the lute he idly strummed in his hands.

“Do you know how to play that?” she asked.

I felt like groaning then and there as the fop of a man sat up and began to strum and sing.

Badly.

“Pokechow brand is the best! Let’s put it to the test!”

I shuddered only to blink as I noticed one of our number had stopped dead in her tracks.

Glimmer stood her ground as the man rose and closed in on her. I looked towards the others on the check in desk but they all had a dead eyed stare that spoke of their having to endure this for too long.

Ignoring the song I gave my watch a thoughtful look. Hmmm, I suppose thirty minutes would be too long if he was always this ham fisted.

I was toying with how I could politely shut him down when the sound of lute strumming shrieked once and fell quiet.

I turned back to find Shale had punched the attendant.

“Shale… noooooo stooooop,” I quietly said, not really willing to chastise him for doing something I’d been thinking about moments before.

The man shot to his feet. “You brute! I’ll have you expelled for that.”

“Or you could have a pokemon battle?” I suggested. 

Shale beamed at that while the fop looked suddenly uncertain. His doubt visibly grew when Ruby trotted forward on a Houndoom and slid off the side into Agate’s arms.

“Give him death!” Ruby cheered.

My siblings blinked at her then shared a look. “Yeah!”

I raised a hand and lightly shook my head. “Yeah, let’s tone that right down,” I suggested calmly.

Tommy wilted. “Awwwwww,” he muttered, but quickly perked up as the fop was led off to an area designed for pokemon battles that any public space had for sudden outbreaks of disputes.

It wouldn’t do to have to walk too far to start a fight after all. That led to people typically throwing down then and there.

“Is he any good? Shale that is?” I asked. From my general observation he appeared to be strong enough for me to rate him at least on a fourth tier level. Whether that converted to him being Ace level or not was another matter. 

I made a note that I was going to have to probably run some competency battles to see where Agate and Shale stood as trainers.

Glimmer giggled. “He was a potential heir for a Tyranitar among the factions,” she declared. “He only lost out in the final round. His Larvitar is still quite strong.”

I grimaced, hating the idea that they’d stunted their pokemon like that for however long. That horrible practice had ended and the damage, hopefully, would be reversed one day. I made a point to jot down a quick memo to follow up on sending some Chansey out to the Crusher Tribe solely to look after them while also seeing about any medical research that had developed in the last year or so regarding everstone poisoning.

“Right, well he can handle that guy then,” I muttered. With the delay handled, I quickly checked in and moved to my allocated area where Rachel, Dennis, and Rocko had already set up a tent for us.

Instead of simply proclaiming the tent as part of Pewter Gym they’d instead had it stylised like a castle and the name changed.

“Castle Boulder?” I read aloud. On either side of the banner, small, thin flags flapped in the breeze with pictures of my pokemon wearing what looked like cheap plastic armor. Each of them were grinning.

“Like it?” Rachel asked, doing a twirl in her dress. Off to the side, I could see Trixie performing exercises while wearing a full set of armor. Her helmet’s visor was down, and the only reason I knew it was her was… well cause she was exercising in armor.

“Oh, hey Trixie, are you taking part today?” I called to her.

She continued to perform burpees in the full set of armor, which… was quite the flex.

When she didn’t respond, I tilted my head. “Trixie?” I shouted.

This time, she paused, raising her visor to look around. “Oh! Sorry! Can’t hear too well when the flap is down.”

“Visor!” coughed Salvadore in correction.

“You taking part?” I asked.

“Hmmmm, nah. I don’t know a thing about riding pokemon or fighting with my hands. I run a mean box-ercising class, but that’s different from fighting.”

“Huh, I imagine a straight punch from you would still do some damage,” I pointed out.

She flapped a hand at me, causing clanks to rattle out. “Oh you!” 

The sound of trumpets announced the first jousts were underway, so I bid everyone farewell before making my way to the jousting arena where I was quickly placed into a line that quickly trickled forwards.

It was still long enough and with enough attendants moving up and down that any uses of boosts through pokemon moves, or drinks would be spotted. Several large signs stood every few metres stating that no one was allowed to feed their pokemon in the line, and that disregard for this rule would see competitors ejected from the competition.

There was also a sign asking us to hand our pokebelts over to trusted friends or family. The only pokeball we were to keep on us was that of the pokemon we were riding.

Huh, I wonder if they knew that you could empower yourself by drawing on your pokemon’s reserves? It was technically possible that they’d stumbled upon it in the past. Then again it was a common enough practice in most sports.

I was allowed to keep my pokebelt when I was a coach but that was a different context. It wasn’t like I was participating so much as guiding. Having pokemon on my belt and channeling energy into me wouldn’t make me a better coach.

Or would it?

I fired off a message to Alakazam, curious if the mental aspects of pokemon empowerment had been explored. The physical aspects were easy enough, but the mental would need to be fairly rigorous to get improvements to show. 

Salvadore and Sanchez both toddled along next to me and it was only when we got ten people back from entering the arena did I turn to them and pull out Rhyhorn’s saddle. 

“Buckle him up for me Squire!” I declared formally. 

Salvadore beamed as he stepped forward and quickly cinched the straps into place, while I braced a foot on one of Rhyhorn’s spikes and rose, slowly adding my weight to Rhyhorn’s back before stepping into the saddle.

One thing I recalled from my past life was how if you went too fast in mounting up all you did was slam your weight into your ride’s back, causing them to buckle, or sometimes, buck.

Pokemon, being of sterner stuff than animals of my past life might not have noticed it as much, but it was still a good idea not to slam an armored adult onto them.

My decision to mount up on a Rhyhorn of all things drew several looks from other knights. 

“I say! A Rhyhorn? Don’t you know they won’t be able to match a Rapidash’s speed?” declared a knight from behind me.

I twisted in my saddle and glanced at the man, decked out in reds and yellows like he was part of the Rapidash’s flaming mane.

“Don’t you know Rhyhorn are powerhouses? Remember, speed equals mass times acceleration.”

“Yes?” you’ve rather made my point?” the knight replied, tilting his helm.

I inspected his ride, noting that it was much thicker across the chest. It pawed at the ground and snorted, causing a gout of steam to shoot down, and then up when the cold earth dried quickly.

“What’s your Rapidash? One fifty?” I asked.

“Indeed!” he declared proudly and despite his helmet being down, I could tell he was beaming at me.

“Well Rhyhorn’s coming in at two twenty,” I said, patting a spike. “Also, Rhyhorns are designed for charges.” 

What I didn’t mention was that despite the increased weight—almost double the standard Rhyhorn weight— there was also the matter of Rhyhorn being much faster with a great acceleration that he could call up at a moment’s notice.

Let my competitors focus on the weight aspect and be taken by surprise when he moves like an electric type.

When it was finally my turn I got the chance to lock eyes with my first opponent. Unlike pokemon battles where I could look up my opponent’s strengths, weaknesses and previous battle history, jousting had no such standards in place.

At least yet.

I suspected that before long there would be a dedicated pokenet page listing all sorts of statistics should the event become popular enough.

“Brock versus George! Ready?” called a judge at the centre of the arena.

We both nodded as our squires crossed to the other side where they would hand us another lance if we broke or dropped ours.

Salvadore stayed on my side while Sanchez hustled with a pair of lances painted in steel grey of the Boulder Badge.

In the stands I could just make out my family, which now included estranged cousins I realised with a start, along with the usual cohort of friends, gym trainers and locals.

The judge raised his flags and then swept them down. “Begin!” he roared like this was just another pokemon battle.

My heart thundered in time with Rhyhorn as he surged forward at the signal. Tufts of earth began to be hurled up through the air and rain down behind us as we charged.

In front of me my foe’s Rapidash closed the gap faster than I’d been prepared for. I gripped my lance hard and lined it up, trying to judge for when the strike would come. I held my shield slightly angled as we drew closer.

Rapidash came on faster, sending bursts of flame radiating outwards in a show of power that might have baulked a lesser pokemon. Rhyhorn just kept coming and in the next heartbeat both Rhyhorn and Rapidash leapt forward in a final burst of speed.

Thankfully, this had been one of the things I’d been able to predict and I thrust my lance early.

My foe leaned away from the strike and I cursed to myself as my lance skidded high and away from any point of impact.

His lance on the other hand landed square on my shield and splinted as I felt a slight punch. I rocked back but kept riding.

Huh, was that it? Izumi hit harder than that.

I reached the end of the list only to spin around and come around for another bout. 

Snachez offered me a lance but I didn’t need a new one yet. 

“Yah!” I urged Rhyhorn on with my voice and he leapt into action once more.

Our foe once more closed faster than we could, pouring on the power to attempt to unseat me.

This time I lined him up properly, accounting for the greater speed and his ability to twist. 

Then I unleashed my lance, stabbing forward like I meant to skewer him through.

My lance struck true this time and shards of wood detonated outwards from the strike, forcing me to tilt my head down lest an errant splinter stab me through the small slit in my helmet.

I shook off the splinters as we emerged out the other side. With the adrenaline still surging I tossed my lance and reached for my second from Salvadore only to find him staring back the way I’d come.

I was just about to bark an order for him to give me the damned thing when I turned my head and found my foe unhorsed.

He staggered to his feet and raised a hand to the crowd which allowed them to exhale in relief before bursting into applause for me.

I stared. 

Huh.

I’d won.

My family surged to the front railing to catch a better glimpse of me and I straightened as the judge called me forth to complete a lap of victory.

Sanchez roared with laughter as he rolled back to my side where he lifted Salvadore off the ground and onto his shoulders so we could march around the arena.

My family waved and cheered the loudest and I found my eyes tracking Sabrina who was wearing a dress that made her look like a princess with her hair looped through golden ribbons.

She stood and held out a strip of cloth.

“My favour,” she called, and I laughed. It seemed she was playing into her role as a fair lady.

I nodded and the favour drifted through the air only to wrap itself around my elbow firmly where it tied itself off.

If you hadn’t known Sabrina was psychic, you might have mistaken it for a trick of the wind. When Sabrina wanted, she could be very smooth indeed.

Giving the rest of my family a wave I laughed as they danced around at my victory. Glimmer caught my eye however as she now sported a lute while Shale looked like a smug Meowth.

Hmmmm, did I need to ask how she’d gotten that? I probably should, but I could do that later.

I raised my fist as I completed the circuit, and an attendant led me away.

“That was amazing!” gushed Salvadore from atop Sancez who had danced his way around the arena much to everyone’s delight.

“Haha, it was pretty fun!” I replied as an attendant led us out. 

“The next matches will be announced in an hour’s time. You can rest and enjoy the festival until then!” he stated.

“That seems a bit long,” I replied, curious about the delay.

“It will speed up. You won’t be able to move about the festival if you proceed into the next round as it will only take twenty minutes and…” he shrugged. 

“Ah, that makes more sense,” I nodded along.

I hummed and did just that, setting out only to drop Rhyhorn off at the tent where Bertha, Titan and a few other pokemon of mine had settled down. Sadly, much of the stands was taken up and couldn’t allow for larger pokemon entry, so Bertha had to settle for watching her son compete on a projector I’d had set up.

Link greeted us merrily, and I laughed when I realised he was wearing Link’s iconic green outfit from the Zelda games. My laughter grew louder when a moment later, Chansey appeared and revealed herself to be wearing what looked like Sheik’s outfit. 

“Looking good, you two,” I greeted. “I like your face wraps, “I told Chansey, and she bobbed her head. Oddly enough, with most of her face hidden but for her eyes I actually had a better time telling that she was ecstatic right now. There was a glint in them, or perhaps it was just that I was used to her holding a stoic expression.

How odd that she was more expressive when masked than in general.

It didn’t stop me spotting the moment when she recalled I’d taken a hit. She stormed up to me and put her hand to my shield arm only to sniff derisively.

“Heh, yeah, I think I’m used to handling stronger hits,” I replied.

She huffed and marched back to Link only to drag him off to enjoy the faire. I discarded most of my armor and waited around until Sabrina teleported next to me.

“Well done out there,” she remarked, eyeing the still tied off favour on my arm.

“Thanks, want to check things out?” I prompted and she linked her arm with mine.

We encountered most of my family out and about the fair with my younger siblings running riot through the side show alleys, where games and attractions fit for kids were strewn along a laneway. 

I didn’t catch sight of Glimmer and my other cousins until we happened upon a small platform where music was trickling out and a crowd was starting to build.

“—beware the shadows moving!” Glimmer’s song finished just as we reached her and I hummed, interested that they had a song about how ghost types could enter people’s shadows and control them or attack from them.

For them to have a song about it implied both that they’d encountered and survived it. But then again with the Graveyard of Giants being a location they apparently passed by and every few decades made quests into, it wasn’t that surprising.

I made sure to corner Glimmer to make sure she hadn’t stolen the lute, as much as it might have been entertaining, it was best not to encourage my cousins into theft. That way led to me either locking them up, or a lot of very awkward conversations.

“I am no thief, after Shale had his way with the man I challenged him to contest of song with his lute and my hand on the line,” she grinned at me. “I defeated him handily.”

“You do know that your hand means you might have been bound to him in marriage, correct?”

A flash of irritation swept through Glimmer’s heterochromatic eyes. “I am well aware Overlord, I am no child needing my hand to be held. And regardless, if he had defeated me in that manner I would have welcomed it,” she snapped back. 

“Huh, fair enough then, and my apologies, I let my concert overrule my good sense,” I stated, bowing my head.

That took a bit of the wind from her sails, and she nodded back idly. “I shall continue to sing… this style of instrument is new but pleases me,” she announced, skipping back up onto the stage to give another performance, much to the crowd’s delight.

I watched her go, mentally adjusting my understanding of her from the conversation. She really took her performing arts seriously, didn’t she? I listened for a while and couldn’t help but wonder how a song like ‘Toss a coin to your wticher’ might go down in such a setting.

It would need a lot of adjustments but… hmmm.

Once more, the trumpets blared out, heralding a return to the queue for me, Rhyhorn, Salvadore, and Sanchez.

My second opponent was better; when they struck me, I rocked back from a solid blow. They were far more slippery in their defence, evading my counterattacks.

Four times we rode out against each other, and of those, only once did I land a glancing strike that split my lance. In comparison, he’d broken four from four, scoring him a point each time.

On our fifth and final joust I decided to bet everything I had by bracing upon the spikes on Rhyhorn’s stomach and adding the power of my body into the strike.

This threw off my opponent as I struck true with my lance, hammering into his shield.

Once more I sent my foe flying off the back of their mount.

I staggered to the end of the run and heaved in deep breaths. Beneath me, Rhyhorn’s inhales and exhales sounded more like bellows on a furnace working.

I raised my fist in a salute and proclamation of victory as the stands erupted at my sudden comeback victory. It had been an all-or-nothing gambit that had paid off and everyone knew it.

I think they loved it all the more for that fact.

My opponent shook his head and took off his helmet to reveal a silvery head of hair. “Blast, I didn’t know you could do that with a Rhyhorn! I won’t fall for it again! Should we meet again on the lists, prepare yourself Brock!”

I chuckled and leaned forward, my own visor rising. “Are you saying I just gained a rival?” I teased.

The old man blinked at this. Rivals were something typically only tossed around during pokemon journeys with trainers that you continued to encounter and fight against over the course of time.

For me to toss it out to this older man was both rather childish, but also a sign of respect. In a way, I was acknowledging him.

He grinned at me. “So it shall be! Till next we meet!” he proclaimed, earning himself a round of applause.

I chuckled and completed another circuit. Once more my family was at the railing cheering for me and where they might have been subdued earlier now they were hooting and hollering loudly.

Glimmer was eying me while strumming on her lute.

Sabrina, oddly enough, was frowning, but her gaze was drifting about the stands and sky. She was far too focused for it to be something as arbitrary as her growing tired from the thoughts of the crowd.

The only time I’d seen her acting like this was when Mewtwo was lurking about.

“Sabrina?” I called, both aloud and with my mind as loudly as I could.

She twitched and glanced down at me. “Something is… something is about to happen, but… I’ve never felt this before,” she replied with her mind.

“Something bad?” I asked.

Sabrina shook her head. “No… it’s just this… blip of a feeling. There again for a moment and then gone, but I can’t be sure what it is.”

“Hmmm odd. I’ll keep an eye out, perhaps call some of the other Guardians?” I suggested.

Sabrina nodded at that as I retired to rest with Rhyhorn and Salvadore.

“Hey, Sal,” I called, causing him to jerk up from looking out towards where the other knights were jousting. “Something might happen in the next match and—” 

“You’re not gonna lose! You’ve come too close! You only need to beat like… three more knights!” Salvadore cut through.

I shot him a highly bemused look. I’d had a week’s training against men who had done this for months if not years. I was more than happy with two wins under my belt.

“Thanks, Salvadore. You’re a great Squire, but the joust isn’t what I was getting at. Sabrina had a weird feeling so be on the lookout for anything odd, alright?”

Salvadore nodded slowly at that. I glanced at Sanchez. “Same goes for you too bud.”

“Go go lem!” he replied with a thumbs up.

When we were recalled for the next joust I saw that my opponent for the match was actually against the flaming knight that had called me out before.

Shit, his Rapidash looked like a proper beast of a pokemon, and if he’d made it this far, he was no slouch.

He raised his lance in a salute from his side of the arena, and I mirrored him.

“Psst Brock!” Salvadore whispered.

I glanced over to find him holding a lance in one arm while holding his pokedex in the other, slowly panning it around. “I’m keeping more than an eye out now!”

I snorted and gave him a thumbs up before snapping back to focus on the upcoming joust.

“Brock versus Sir Galahad!” announced the Judge of the match and I felt like swearing.

With a name like that, the guy must have been born with lance, armor and chivalry already firmly in hand.

Fuck it, time to see if I could rock his world.

I shifted in my saddle. “Let’s give it to him Rhyhorn!” I called as the trumpets sounded and the flags rose.

Then they fell and we surged forward of the mark. 

In front of us Galahad closed, lance already locked on my shield. I braced one arm while raising my lance to lock on his.

We closed and I felt the thunder of our pokemon powering towards each other, neither wanting to be outdone in the battle for inertia.

I was just getting ready to rear back and strike when a flash of green shot from Galahad and towards me.

I twitched in surprise only for a loud cry to cut through the chaos.

“Celebi!” cried the tiny green fairy pokemon moments before it impacted me.

Then the world flashed green and I found myself smashing a lance into the face of an Onix rather than a man on a Rapidash. The Onix howled and reared back in pain.

Rhyhorn skidded to a halt as Onix wailed and retreated. 

I blinked, glancing around at the desolate landscape. I raised my visor and looked around. To the south was a forest that looked… well it looked like Viridian Forest but one that had let its grass-type pokemon run wild. 

To the east stood the silver ranges. To the west… a much smaller Pewter City with towering buildings that I knew didn’t exist.

All of this was an oddity, but something that had an answer. 

I looked down at Rhyhorns back and found a small fairy type unconscious and gasping like it had strained itself greatly.

I wanted to grab it by its wings and shake it violently.

What the hell was Celebi thinking? This … was this the past? It had to be!

“Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you so much for saving my life!” cried a young voice.

I turned slowly and found myself looking at a young boy. He had brown hair with bangs on either side of his face. He wore a clean, pressed shirt that was ruggedly made but with how he had it tucked into his pants, he all but screamed nerd.

“Oh wow! A knight! That’s amazing! Can I be your squire? I’m Sammy! Sammy Oak!” he announced.

I felt my mind shatter even as I resisted the urge to strangle the little pokemon in my lap.

I’d just been time-warped by a freaking Legendary.

___________________

A.N. Thanks go to my patreons for your continued support!

So, who saw that coming? I’m more than a bit curious if the build up made it too easy to predict. Now, notably, this is very much not going to be like Ash’s adventure with Celebr. This one has a different intent entirely.

I might also put up a poll on how many/what time periods Brock gets time whammied with.

It also goes to Twmmy for proofreading this chapter!