Chapter 638: Skyarrow Bridge
~Hilda W. POV~
[Unova Region, Later, Skyarrow Bridge]
The architectural triumph known as the Skyarrow Bridge is less a piece of civil engineering and more a suspension-spun cathedral suspended above the glittering, white-capped chop of the Castelia gulf. From its apex, the rust-colored girders curve upward like the ribcage of some colossal, slumbering steel Leviathan, intersecting against a brilliant azure sky that smells faintly of salt and municipal ambition.
*Clack-clack*
*Clack-clack*
The rhythm of tires humming across the asphalt lanes far below provides a low, rhythmic bassline to our ascent, though we—meaning myself, Black, and our resident anomaly, Azure—were hoofing it up the pedestrian promenade.
I muttered, hugging my clipboard to my chest like a shield against the wind as it whipped my hair across my face, "Cars are right down there, you know…"
My boots clicked sharply against the pristine gray concrete. I continued speaking to the two in a casual tone, "There are entire motorized carriages designed specifically for moving people across this three-kilometer monstrosity without requiring them to burn through their shoe leather."
Black barked, his voice carrying that booming, tireless resonance that somehow always managed to sound like a megaphone strapped to a freight train, "Nonsense, White!"
He was currently marching ahead, flanked by his jittery Galvantula, Tula, whose long, needle-like legs tapped a rapid-fire tik-tik-tik against the masonry. Black said proudly, "Walking builds character! It builds stamina! It prepares the spirit for the grueling gauntlet of the Pokémon League!"
I grumbled, my eye twitching as I adjusted my collar against a stray gust, "Which is your dream, Black? Not mine. I run the BW Agency. My dream involves prime-time television ratings, high-end merchandising contracts, and getting my adorable, Gigi, booked for the Fall Seasonal Circuit in Nimbasa. Sweating on a suspension bridge does not fit the brand image."
Beside me, Azure let out a soft, melodic hum of amusement. His hands were tucked deep into the pockets of his dark traveling coat, his expression relaxed, eyes half-lidded as he took in the panoramic sweep of the horizon. Perched comfortably upon his right shoulder, the yellow electric mouse known as Pikachu let out a lazy "Pika-chuuu…" while the fluffy grey ruff of an Eevee peeked out from the crown of Azure's dark hair, its small ears twitching with every gust of wind.
Azure said smoothly, his voice dropping into that infuriatingly composed register he always used when he was treating our entire journey like a nature documentary he was narrating for fun, "Let the boy cook, White. Besides, look at the view. You can't buy vistas like this. Castelia City's skyline is practically glittering down there like a circuit board made of glass and gold."
I groaned, squinting into the blinding midday glare as the distant towers of the metropolis seemed to merge into a single shimmering monolith, "It's too big. I can't even see the other end! We're walking to another time zone!"
Azure replied, glancing down at his left sleeve where a faint, ghostly giggle echoed from his jacket pocket, "Focus on the immediate path."
Azure's Gengar's raspy, echoing voice hissed from the dark fabric, "Heh-heh-heh… Boss man's right, you're complainin' too much, boss-lady! Reminds me of that time in Sinnoh when we had to hike up Mount Coronet while it was rainin' hot rocks. Now that was a real workout!"
Azure muttered under his breath, though his lips twitched with a grin, "Quiet, Gengar, or I'll feed you to the Rotom inside my phone."
A tiny, orange, floating electrical appliance zipped out from the top pocket of Azure's coat, its screen flashing a pair of digital eyes. His Rotom chimed in mischievously, "Bzzzt! Threat detected! If Gengar is fed to me, my internal database will become contaminated with excessive sarcasm! Roto!"
I threw my hands up, exclaiming, "See? Even the phone is haunted by sarcastic software! Why is my life surrounded by weirdos?"
Black announced, coming to an abrupt halt and throwing his arms wide, "Because greatness attracts greatness! And speaking of greatness, that battle seeing Azure's Pikachu and Virizion was… SO COOOOL!!!"
I muttered, my stomach instantly doing a sick little flip-flop as I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, "Oh, that…"
I remembered it vividly. We had been walking through the damp, sun-dappled canopy of Pinwheel Forest barely fifteen minutes ago when a magnificent, antlered apparition—a Virizion, one of the legendary Swords of Justice—had materialized from the underbrush, taken one look at Black's loud, obnoxious shouting about challenging it, and decided to launch a localized tempestuous warning shot straight at his face.
Of course, the legendary beast hadn't counted on Azure Sky being in the party.
The memory played back in my head with crystal clarity: Azure had simply sighed, tapped his belt, and sent out his Pikachu. There was a blinding flash of yellow light, a sound like a lightning strike inside a metal silo, and the legendary Pokémon had been pinned to an ancient oak tree in a few minutes.
Then, to my absolute horror, Azure had calmly walked up to the groggy, defeated symbol of Unovan justice, tossed a Master Ball just to prove a point, waited for the light to stop flashing, and immediately released it back into the wild with a polite nod, telling it to 'learn some manners before challenging travelers.'
It was the most terrifying display of casual power I had ever witnessed. And now, here we were on the bridge, reaping the aesthetic consequences.
*Clack-scuff*
*Clack-scuff*
The heavy, rhythmic drag of a wooden pole against concrete drew our attention. From behind a massive anchor cable stepped an elderly man wearing a crisp blue jumpsuit, a graying cap, and an expression of profound, soul-weary irritation. He was pushing a large industrial mop bucket on squeaking rubber wheels, the mop head soaked in soapy gray water.
The man stopped, resting both hands on his broom handle, and stared directly at the mud-caked, leaf-strewn disaster standing in the middle of his freshly sanitized lane. The janitor said, his voice dry as parchment, pointing at the broom handle, "Young man. What do you think you are doing to my bridge?"
Black beamed, entirely missing the lethal glare in the old man's eyes. He explained himself, "Ah! Hello, sir! You see, a whirlwind caught me! A Virizion—a literal Legendary Pokémon—ambushed us in Pinwheel Forest and blasted me with a gale of earth and foliage! Look, my clothes are practically shredded under here!"
He proudly pulled back the lapel of his jacket to reveal a tear in the fabric. The janitor stared at the leaf stuck to Black's ear. Then he looked at the streak of mud running down Black's chin. Then he looked at the pristine, spotless stretch of white-and-gray concrete that had taken him three hours to scrub down.
The janitor repeated flatly, "A Virizion?"
Black nodded vigorously. "Yes!"
The janitor continued, "On my bridge?"
Black continued, but this time nervously, with a nervous expression, "Well, no, near the forest, but the wind carried it—"
The janitor interrupted, his eyes narrowing into cold, hard beads of steel. He said sternly, "Young man. I have swept this span twice a day for 30 years. I have scraped gum off these rails, I have removed seagull droppings from the cables, and I have personally polished every bolt from here to Castelia. And you come marching up here looking like a compost heap, tracking organic debris across my masterpiece."
Black protested, genuinely hurt, "I dusted myself off as best as I could!"
The janitor slowly, deliberately unclipped a wooden badge from his belt and tucked it into his pocket. He said in a calm tone, with a sly expression, "Words are wind, kid. But actions? Actions require friction. If you want me to believe your fairy tale about legendary deer-antelope things, you're going to have to prove your stamina through the universal language of Unova."
He pointed his mop handle straight at Black's chest. And said firmly, "Battle me."
I groaned, letting my clipboard sag against my thigh. I muttered tiredly, "Oh, come on. A battle? Right here? In the middle of the thoroughfare? Can't we just pay a cleaning fee? I have petty cash in my agency budget for property damage—"
Azure interrupted, stepping forward with a slow, deliberate stride, "Wait…"
A strange, calculating gleam had settled into his eyes—that same look he got right before he had something fun to do. He turned his head toward me, a wide grin spreading across his face, asking aloud, "White. You should take his challenge."
My blood ran instantly cold. I froze, my fingers gripping the edge of my clipboard until my knuckles turned porcelain-white as I replied, "Me? Battle? Are you out of your mind? I'm a talent agent! I book venues! I negotiate merchandise royalties! I don't throw glowing red spheres at old men with mops!"
Azure said, his tone softening into something that sounded suspiciously like a mentor, "It's time to test your growth. You asked Black and me to teach you how to train after Gigi expressed a desire to fight. Well, theory is fine, but practical application is where the rubber meets the road. Right, Pikachu?"
The mouse on his shoulder squeaked, pumping a tiny fist in the air with terrifying enthusiasm, "Pika-pi!"
Azure added, leaning in close with a conspiratorial wink that made my spine turn to ice water, "And if you try to decline, I'll personally volunteer to help you spar against Pikachu later. Just a light warm-up. No holding back."
Images of what Pikachu had done to that Virizion flashed behind my eyelids—the blinding columns of plasma, the cratered earth, the absolute obliteration of physics. Oh hell no, I'm not fighting that!!
I shrieked, my voice cracking an octave higher than normal as I whipped out a Poké Ball with the speed of a frightened Rattata, "I'LL BATTLE! I am an enthusiastic participant! I love physical education! I think janitors are the backbone of society!"
The elderly man blinked, clearly startled by my sudden conversion to the athletic lifestyle. He chuckled, seeing my reaction, and said happily, "Well. Good. Glad to see some youthful vigor on this bridge."
He reached down to his belt and unhooked two spheres, tossing them forward with practiced ease. He declared, "Go, team!"
*Flash—Flash*
With twin bursts of white light, two Pokémon materialized on the asphalt.
On the left was a Trubbish—a squishy, emerald-green bag of industrial waste tied at the top with a knot, blinking with large, vacant yellow eyes while a faint, sickly purple haze billowed from its seams.
On the right was a Cinccino—a sleek, impossibly fluffy chinchilla-like creature whose long, cream-colored fur was wrapped around its neck like an expensive silk scarf, brushing the ground with absolute, aristocratic grace.
Seeing the opponents, Black's eyes instantly caught fire. Any lingering exhaustion vanished, replaced by that terrifying, hyper-focused League-obsessed mania that always made me want to hide behind a barrier.
Black said in an excited tone, "A Double Battle! Excellent! Trubbish and Cinccino! Perfect opponents on the road to the Unova League!"
I yelled, clutching my head, "What league?! We're fighting a janitor!"
The old man corrected, stepping into a ready stance, "My name is Geoff. And don't let the jumpsuit fool you. I've seen trainers come and go for three decades."
Black roared, tossing his sphere, "Tula, let's go!"
*POP*
The long-legged Bug-Type Galvantula materialized with a crackle of static, its yellow-and-black carapace gleaming in the sunlight. His Tula cried out happily, "Galll!! (Zzzt! Ready for combat, partner!)."
I hurled my Poké Ball, terrified of Azure's threat. I said in a frightened tone, "And I—fine! Gigi, get out here!"
*Flash*
Gigi the Tepig materialized on the concrete, snorting happily and shaking her little pink ears, ready to show off her newfound combat skills.
*Gfshhhhh*
A split second later, a wave of pure, concentrated landfill aroma—a toxic cocktail of rotting municipal garbage, stale baby formula, and industrial solvent—rolled across the deck from Geoff's Trubbish.
Gigi's pink snout twitched violently. Her eyes crossed.
*Click*
Her cute little tail went rigid. Without emitting a single sound, the fire piglet turned around, sprinted backward at top speed, and dove headfirst back into the red-and-white opening of her Poké Ball with a sharp clack-click, sealing herself safely away from the biological hazard.
Silence... Black stared at the space where Gigi had been standing, his mouth hanging open. He couldn't help but ask in a confused tone, seeing the scene, "Uh... did Gigi just forfeit out of self-respect?"
Azure observed helpfully, stroking the Eevee on his head, and added, "She has a very sensitive olfactory bulb, Black. Tepigs forage with their noses. Hitting a Trubbish with a full-frontal nasal assault is essentially psychological warfare."
Geoff called out, cupping his hands around his mouth, "This is a Double Battle, young lady! If you don't send out a second Pokémon within five seconds, I'm claiming victory by default!"
Panic-stricken, I fumbled through my belt like a toddler trying to defuse a bomb, accidentally dropping my second Poké Ball before catching it against my knee in a panicked tone, "Ah! Wait! Hold on! Vivi! No, wait, not Vivi, she's too precious—uh, Gigi, get back out there!"
*Flash*
Gigi reappeared, took one half-breath of the ambient air, and immediately let out a squeal of absolute betrayal before attempting to dive back into the asphalt feet-first, "Tep… TEPIG!! (Oh god, the smell!! WHY!!!)"
I pleaded, sweating bullets, "Gigi, stay! Think of the agency's reputation!"
Geoff chuckled, amused. Then he commanded, "Allow me. Trubbish, let's clear the air. Use Acid Spray!"
*SPLASH*
The sack of garbage heaved, spitting a high-pressure jet of corrosive, purple-tinted sludge directly toward my poor, defenseless starter. Black commanded, pointing forward, "Tula, intercept! Use Thunder Shock!"
*ZZZZAP*
The electric spider leaped into the path, firing a crackling web of yellow electricity straight at the elegant Cinccino, who had stepped forward to protect its teammate. The bolt struck the fluffy mammal square in the chest—
*FZZZT—CRACKle*
—and completely bounced off, dissipating into harmless sparks against the thick, oily sheen of the creature's scarf-like fur. Black's jaw dropped. He snatched his Pokédex from his belt so fast he nearly dropped it, his thumb hammering the screen. Then his Pokédex chimed in: "[Cinccino! The-the long fur is coated in a special oil! It lets it deflect attacks! Special attacks like electricity just slide right off!]."
Geoff smiled, crossing his arms, boasting, "Precisely! Cinccino's coat is insulated. Electricity is about as useful here as a waterproof sponge."
Black shouted, his blood-pumping intensity ramping up another notch, "Tula, keep trying! Don't let up!"
*SPEW*
The Galvantula began firing web after web of crackling energy, but Cinccino merely twirled, its silky tail brushing away the jolts like falling confetti.
Azure murmured, his eyes narrowing as he leaned against the bridge railing, watching the choreography of the combatants, "I see. The Cinccino has a silk scarf structure. The Trubbish represents the raw refuse. Geoff isn't just fighting; he's managing an ecosystem. One sweeps, the other collects."
Geoff confirmed, his eyes bright with pride. He boasted proudly about his team, puffing his chest out, "That's right! These two aren't just partners; they're my crew! Trubbish collects the scattered debris, and Cinccino sweeps the floor clean with its tail—a habit it's had ever since it was a little Minccino!"
He swept his arm forward in a grand finale gesture. Then he declared in a confident tone and loud voice, "Let's wrap this shift up! Trubbish, Acid Spray on the Tepig! Cinccino, Tail Slap on the Galvantula!"
*SPLASH*
*WHACK*
The combined assault was instantaneous and brutal. Trubbish's corrosive sludge caught Gigi dead-center, while Cinccino's tail moved with the speed of a helicopter blade, landing five consecutive, bone-rattling strikes across Tula's carapace. Both of our Pokémon hit the deck simultaneously, kicking up small clouds of dust.
*THUD*
Black cried out, "Tula!"
I shrieked, "Gigi!"
Geoff declared confidently, resting his mop over his shoulder, "And that is match point. Game over, kids."
Black roared, his eyes flashing with that stubborn, unyielding fire that always made me wonder if he had a furnace installed where his heart should be, "It's not over yet! A true trainer never stops fighting until the last light goes out!"
To everyone's absolute astonishment—including Geoff's—a small, pink trotter emerged from the pile of debris where Gigi had fallen.
Then another.
Gigi let out an angry, muffled squeal through a very strange modification: she had somehow located two discarded plastic beverage bottles from the bridge's gutter, wedged their narrow necks firmly into her nostrils to block out the stench, and was now charging across the pavement like an enraged, cork-nosed locomotive.
*BOOM*
A fiery aura erupted around her small body as she slammed directly into Trubbish with a devastating Flame Charge, landing a critical hit that sent the trash bag flying backward into the guardrail with a hollow metallic CLANG!
*CLANG*
The green Pokémon's eyes went spiraling, and it collapsed into unconsciousness. Geoff's jaw dropped so low I thought it might detach as he shouted, "Trubbish is down?! But how did she move through the refuse so fast without fainting from the smell?!"
I yelled back, feeling a sudden, unexpected surge of pride mingled with absolute horror at the hygiene implications, "She plugged her nose with trash-can recycling!"
Note to self: three hours of continuous bubble-bath scrubbing the moment we reach Castelia City.
Black bellowed, refusing to let momentum slip, "That leaves one-on-one! Tula! You're not done yet!"
*Whoosh*
Up above, suspended from a thick silken thread anchored to one of the upper steel crossbeams, Tula was dangling like an acrobat in a circus tent, swinging back and forth with incredible centrifugal force.
Geoff warned, pointing upward, "Cinccino, watch above!"
Black shouted, pointing a dramatic finger at the ceiling, "Electricity isn't the only thing Tula knows! Use your momentum! Grab it and swing!"
*Whoosh—BONK*
Before Cinccino could react, the Galvantula dropped from the sky like a hairy bungee jumper, its front legs wrapping around Cinccino's fluffy neck. Using the velocity of the swing, Tula hauled the elegant chinchilla straight up toward the steel rooftop of the bridge span, gave it a resounding BONK against the girders, and released it into freefall before delivering a lightning-fast, razor-sharp Slash as they descended.
*SHING—Thud*
Cinccino hit the ground with a soft thud, its eyes spinning in identical circles of defeat. For 3 seconds, the only sound on the Skyarrow Bridge was the wind whistling through the cables and the distant hum of traffic below.
Then, Geoff lowered his mop. A slow, genuine smile spread across his weathered face, and he began to clap.
*Clap-clap-clap*
Slow, deliberate, echoing applause. The old man laughed, shaking his head, and praised us, "Magnificent! Absolute teamwork. You used the bridge's architecture, you covered your weaknesses, and you pulled off a victory I didn't see coming."
I breathed out, leaning against the railing with my knees shaking as Gigi trotted back over to me, looking very proud of herself despite the plastic bottles stuck in her nose, "Thank you, sir!"
*Pop*
I reached down and gently popped them out, offering her a soothing pat. I praised my partner, "Good job, Gigi. We actually did it."
Black added enthusiastically, clapping me on the shoulder so hard my clipboard nearly flew over the side into the water, "We couldn't have won without the bridge struts, and without White's tactical distraction!"
I protested, swatting his hand away. I yelled, "Hey! I commanded my Pokémon! I'm practically a tactical genius!"
Azure noted, stepping forward with his hands still in his pockets, "You certainly learned quickly. Though I had a feeling Geoff was holding back from the start."
Pikachu chirped an agreement from his shoulder. Geoff chuckled, leaning against his broom as he confessed, "You're a sharp one. I admit, I was a bit miffed about the mud on my clean pavement. But when I saw those shredded clothes and heard about the whirlwind near Pinwheel Forest... well, I knew only one thing could cause that kind of damage."
Black said knowingly, "The Virizion."
Geoff nodded in understanding as he continued in a neutral tone, "Indeed. And any trainer who can run afoul of a Legendary Pokémon and walk away with just dirty clothes is worth testing. But since you kids probably think I'm just some old guy who spends his retirement pushing cotton strings around..."
He reached into the breast pocket of his pristine blue jumpsuit and pulled out a small, metallic-gold card, flipping it effortlessly between his fingers before handing it to me. I looked down at the embossed lettering, and my breath hitched.
CEO & President: Battle Company — Castelia City.
My brain performed a series of rapid, involuntary backflips. Castelia City. Battle Company. The single largest distributor of high-end battle accessories, stat-boosting held items, and corporate sponsorships in the entire Unova region.
I whispered, my voice trembling as my professional instincts violently overrode my physical exhaustion, "The... the Battle Company?"
Geoff winked, resting his mop against the guardrail as he explained, "Being a janitor is just a hobby. It lets me keep an eye on the up-and-coming talent crossing the threshold into the city. And let me tell you, young lady—your agency presentation skills need some work, but your battlefield adaptability has potential."
Before Black could even open his mouth to launch into another speech about the Unova League, I had already shoved him aside with a practiced hip-check, smoothed down my skirt, flashed my brightest, most magnetic television-ready smile, and extended my hand to the CEO.
I chirped, my voice hitting a pitch of pure corporate ecstasy, "Hello, sir! I am Hilda White, founder and president of the BW Agency! We specialize in Pokémon talent scouting, commercial advertisement placement, and high-performance battle coordination. I'd love to discuss a potential brand synergy partnership between your corporate infrastructure and our upcoming regional tour!"
Geoff burst out laughing, heartily shaking my hand. I smiled as he said happily, "Well, now! That's the kind of hustle I like to see on my bridge."
Standing a few feet away, Azure watched the exchange with an amused, knowing smirk, while Black stood scratching his mud-streaked cheek, looking thoroughly bewildered by how quickly a battle about bridge maintenance had turned into a corporate networking seminar.
I didn't care.
As the glittering towers of Castelia City finally loomed large and close at the end of the grand suspension span, I made a mental note to send Azure a fruit basket. Turns out, getting beaten up by legendary deer in the forest had its fringe benefits after all.
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A/N: Hope you like the chapter!