Day 184

[from Pokémon xTreme]

As Brandon and Taylor exited the Pewter City Gym, Brandon noticed that Taylor didn't seem particularly happy, despite the Venom Badge now pinned to her lapel. "Something wrong?" he asked. "You look kinda upset."

Taylor decided to just come out and say it. "Graham told me how you got suspended," she said. "How mentoring me is part of your community service."

"He did?" said Brandon, his expression suddenly looking rather pained. "Shoulda seen that coming, shouldn't I?" he muttered to himself with a sigh. "Should have seen that coming."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Taylor.

"Well, to be honest, I figured you already knew about the incident," said Brandon. "It was pretty big news."

"I heard something about a trainer getting arrested and suspended, but I didn't know it was you!" said Taylor. "I mean, I could tell you were a bit of a renegade, but getting drunk and attacking someone-?"

"It was one time!" Brandon protested. "Well, the attacking part was one time - I'm not gonna pretend I didn't get wasted a lot before all this - but still-"

"If they banned you for a whole year, it must have been pretty serious, right?" said Taylor."I mean, how badly did you hurt her?"

"I can't remember, I was pissed!" said Brandon. "I think if I remember from the trial, I didn't-"

"Oh my God, she took you to court," said Taylor quietly.

"-I didn't actually hit her though," Brandon continued, "I think I just, like… grabbed her and pushed her around a bit, and then threw her outta the room. She mighta hurt herself when she landed, but… you know, like I said, I was drunk, I didn't know what I was doing. I'm not trying to justify myself, I know I fucked up badly, I'm just saying… it wasn't quite as bad as people might make it out to be.

"As for the year's suspension, they were just trying to make an example outta me. The people in charge were trying to send a message that stuff like that just wasn't acceptable. I'd ruffled enough feathers already, so they were just looking for an excuse, and I gave it to 'em on a silver platter. But still, I accepted the ruling, I know I did wrong, I apologized to the woman, and now I'm trying to straighten myself out, 'coz if I fuck up again, next time it might be a life ban, and I really don't want that. I had one last drink the night after the sentencing, and I haven't had a drink since."

Taylor nodded. She could clearly see that Brandon regretted his actions and was trying to clear up his act, and she appreciated it. She felt she could forgive him for his mistakes. However, there was one thing still bugging her. "So, what about me?" she asked. "Are you training me because you want to, or because you have to?"

Brandon pulled up and sat down at a nearby bench, motioning for Taylor to sit with him. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he let out a sigh. "I'll be honest with you," he said. "When they first told me that I'd have to do this program, I didn't really wanna do it. Having to drag some kid around and show 'em the ropes didn't really sound like my kinda fun. But then I remembered what it was like for me back when I first started out, when I was eleven.

"Back then, I didn't have all these websites full of Pokémon-raising guides, and the ones that did exist took forever to load because the Internet was shit back then. There was no Pokédex app to keep track of my captures, or tell me my Pokémon's movesets or abilities or anything like that. Almost everything I know about battling, I had to find out for myself, and it was a slow and difficult learning curve. By the time all these extra aids came around, I was already a top professional, and I didn't really need them as much as I had back when I first started.

"I think if I'd had a mentor when I started out, like you do now, I coulda reached pro status maybe two years earlier than I actually did. I coulda had two extra years at the top of the game by now. So I figured, well, if I'm gonna have to do this, I'm gonna do the best damn job that I can. I'm gonna help this person become the best damn trainer they can be. I'm still committed to that. I've seen that you've got potential, and you proved that by beating Graham. So I'm gonna help you reach that potential, not just because I have to, but because I want to."

Taylor nodded, and her smile returned. "That's all I wanted to know," she said. "Thank you, Brandon."

"No problem," said Brandon.

"So, what now?" asked Taylor. "The Cerulean City Gym is the next one up, right?"

"Yep," said Brandon. "The Gym Leader there uses Water-type Pokémon, but I think this time, with a little more training, you might be able to get through without even needing Pokémon with type advantages. You're not gonna be able to find many on the road up there, that's for sure."

"Well, I'll just have to do my best again, then, won't I?" said Taylor.

"That's the spirit," said Brandon. "Oh, hang on, just let me take this-" Brandon's phone had started to ring, and he fished it out of his pocket and answered the call. "Hello?"

Taylor couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying, but they were clearly yelling, causing Brandon to flinch. "I don't know what you-" The person on the other end cut Brandon off, yelling at him once more, and before Brandon could get a word in edgeways, the caller hung up. "Hey, wait-" It was too late, and Brandon was left staring dumbfounded at his cellphone.

"What was that all about?" asked Taylor.

"Uhh… personal stuff," said Brandon, looking flustered. "Don't really wanna talk about it. But there's been a change of plans, we gotta head back down to Viridian for now."

"Really?" asked Taylor, as Brandon got to his feet. "You mean right now?"

"Yeah, as soon as possible," said Brandon.

"It must be serious, then," said Taylor, getting to her feet.

Brandon shook his head. "Oh, you have no idea," he said.