NumberOneSpinelApologist
re-rakuriumizing
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2025
- Messages
- 4,300
- Reaction score
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
- It/Its
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- Staff
- #1
- MATURE Themes
- Strong Suggestive Themes
- Substance Abuse
- TEEN Themes
- Strong Language or Profanity
- EVERYONE Themes
- Mild Violence
- Other Content Warnings
- Toxic situationship, Spinel being unhinged, Horizons spoilers. The substance abuse is of a fictional one, the "violence" is a brief and vague descrption of pokemon battle.
Chalce's perspective on the events that unfold at the end of the "Rising Again" arc. This is as canon compliant as it possibly could be.
Set before and during ep 133-134, and brief flashback to episode 130. Big spoilers for all of those episodes.
Reviewers: Roast me like a Rawst berry
Words: 2694
Theme used: Road to redemption.
Relationship: Chalce/Spinel
Set before and during ep 133-134, and brief flashback to episode 130. Big spoilers for all of those episodes.
Reviewers: Roast me like a Rawst berry
Words: 2694
Theme used: Road to redemption.
Relationship: Chalce/Spinel
It would be a mistake to fancy that Mount Pericarp’s sunken crater was an abyss of stillness. There was an abundance of movement, just beneath the surface, just below the clouds and the mist that were covering it from above. Tension was fizzling inside the Explorers' mountaintop base.
Heeled footsteps were echoing in the stark, long hallways. A lone figure cast a flickering shadow.
Chalce’s bright clothes contrasted sharply with the dark gray of the steel and concrete surrounding her.
For all the care that Spinel put into appearances, Chalce was surprised he did not order the base to be built with a little bit of flourish, a little bit of aesthetic. But maybe it was all just another part of his strategy to make sure that those that dwell and work within would feel subdued. The only glorious thing around could be Spinel, after all. Maybe this was his rationale. Sometimes it was hard to actually follow his exact train of thought.
Chalce was rushing through the corridors, and down the stairs, leading into Spinel’s personal part lab, part office. She was being summoned, and she had a strong suspicion it wasn’t for a professional matter.
It all started with a one time tryst. An unplanned one, at that, but that is usually how those things go. It has since morphed into a more long term arrangement.
Spinel, at his best, could be as alluring as an Oddish’s Sweet Scent. It wasn’t difficult to get swept away. The problem was, the ground around him was rigged with Toxic Spikes.
It was merely a mutual fulfilling of fleeting desires, Chalce told herself. Nothing more.
But being coworkers, co-conspirators, accomplices, made things… complicated, to say euphemistically. And on top of that, they were a promisor and a promisee.
She regretted it.
She regretted getting closer to him. She knew this was a mistake. And yet, despite herself, she was now standing in front of the reinforced steel door, with Spinel on the other side of it.
In the recent days, Spinel’s carefully crafted genteel facade (and she was certain that indeed, a facade it was) slowly, but surely, was starting to crack.
Typically, she wouldn’t be too worried. She did not mind the “intricacies” of Spinel’s internal life all that much... Until now. Spinel was far too enamored with Laqurium to her liking. His feelings for it far exceeded what should be a reasonable amount of passion of a dedicated researcher and entrepreneur.
The door opened with a mechanical whoosh, and Chalce stepped into the lab.
When she saw what was inside, a shiver of dread crept up her spine.
Spinel… this man was all about appearances.
However, this room did not meet his usual standards.
Diagrams of the Laqurium Core strewn about everywhere. Holographic screens projecting almost unintelligible charts with eldritch calculations. Folders spilling with rambling notes about the metaphysics of the mundane and the arcana of geophysics. That was the kind of mess he would previously not endure. Spinel was standing at a workbench filled with the pink crystals, amid something that could only be described as a condensed cloud of Laqurium fog.
Chalce walked towards him, while taking in all of this “scenery”.
“Your experiments… make sure you keep them in check. You shouldn’t be too reckless. Especially at this point in the game. You yourself told all of us to be on high alert.” she scolded him.
“You don’t need to pretend that you’re worried about me. But… the exposure today did make me feel a little… giddy. Maybe you could help me with that? I need a… pleasurable outlet. As always… pleasurable for you, as well.”
He approached her and got uncomfortably close. Usually Chalce would not have minded his proximity. But now… something about him was off. Was that an effect of the Laqurium?
“Don’t get too handsy with me without my explicit permission.” Chalce said as she stepped around Spinel in a half circle, gracefully avoiding his touch.
“Don't pretend that you don't want this.” Spinel turned his head towards her, his gaze was following her movements.
“You keep talking about how you’ll swat down the Volt Tacklers to the ground… but you have not noticed how low you’ve fallen yourself.” Chalce’s voice was calm as always, but it carried more than just a pinch of mockery.
Spinel’s uncanny laugh echoed through the room. The look that he gave Chalce after he finally managed to compose himself… she really did not like it. She did not like it at all.
Under that thin veneer of smug superiority, brewed a true volcano of mixed emotions. It started to smoke right now, ready to erupt.
“You dare to insult me, even though you know you need me more than I need you.” he whispered.
“In the state you’re in right now… you are useless to me.” Chalce stated coldly.
“I am perfectly fine. I have everything under control. Soon, the entire world will fall on their knees before me-before us. ” He fixated his now entirely laqurium-pink eyes on hers.
That look was both terrifying and tantalizing at the same time. In his power trip, he did not even realize how vulnerable he was making himself in front of her right now. He did not realize that to her, his taunting did not feel that different from pathetic begging for her attention. How ironic.
“I don’t care what you think you have control over or what you think that is going to happen. I need you to do what you said you would do. To keep your part of our deal.”
“You keep pestering me about it... even though I’ve already made all the necessary preparations. You will get what you want… I can assure you of that…”
Spinel stepped closer to her, and she did not back away this time. That wasn’t entirely a lie on his part... up until this point, he always did give her what she wanted. And more.
They shared a nauseatingly sweet kiss that tasted like greed and corruption.
”...You’ll get everything you want, as long as you keep yourself useful, of course.” Spinel murmured after breaking away from Chalce’s lips.
That was too much for her.
She pushed him away.
“You seem to have mistaken me for a whore.”
Chalce turned her back to him and left without another word.
***
It was not Chalce’s job to fix him… but Spinel needed to learn where his limits were. So he would not cross the line again. At least, the line of her boundaries.
Chalce headed to the staff quarters and towards Indi and Rubina’s room. It was late, but all employees were on high alert and expected to be on call at all times. They knew the Volt Tacklers were coming soon.
She knocked on the door to the red-and-blue duo’s room.
They both appeared at the doorway, already dressed in surprisingly cute Gyarados themed pajamas. Of course, Indi’s garment was decorated with the blue version of the Pokemon, and Rubina’s – with the shiny, red one.
“Chalce, Ma’am... what is it? Our shift is over... is there an emergency?” Rubina asked groggily.
“If Spinel asks you to bring him electrolytes, vitamin C, coffee, painkillers, or anything of the sort... don’t. No matter what. If he complains about a headache, being tired, or a bad mood, ignore him.” Chalce commanded.
“Huh?” said Indi, very intelligently, his mouth agape.
“What do you mean by that, ma’am? He’s the boss. We can’t just—”
“Pretend to be clumsy. Or to forget. Or that there is a shortage. I don’t care. Just don’t indulge him. It is an order from me.” Chalce interrupted Rubina’s inquiry.
“But…” Indi stuttered.
“No buts. Do you care about his well-being at all?”
“Yes, but… is that not exactly why we should fulfill such simple requests?” Rubina asked.
“You’re wrong. He needs to be taught a certain lesson. And there is no other way to learn it… but the hard way.” Chalce asserted.
“I would not want you to be my teacher…” Indi muttered.
“I know how to deal with unruly students like you, Indi.” a small hint of a smile appeared in the corner of Chalce’s lips.
Indi started to grumble something, but he was hushed by Rubina.
“We will take what you said under consideration, ma’am.” Rubina said with a strained and shaky smile.
Their conflict of loyalties did not concern Chalce at all.
As long as they fulfilled their purpose, it did not matter what, as Amethio would surely call them, Spinel’s lapdogs, think of her. She was not one of them… or was she?
***
Spinel, as always, was commanding everyone commandingly from the command center.
Chalce decided to go see him, before the unavoidable confrontation with the Rising Volt Tacklers, who were already spotted in the vicinity of Pericarp Town.
She trod carefully into this den that was illumined only by the erratic light of innumberable monitors.
At a glance, Spinel seemed back to normal.
But she knew him well enough to notice the subtle signs of his yesterday’s overdose. His eyes, more pink than usual, had barely noticeable eyebags, skillfully hidden with concealer; the way his brow twitched at each sound of her footsteps; a small sigh when she approached him—all of those were signs of him pretending to not have a headache.
“Are you even fit to be in command right now?” Chalce said, skipping any pleasantries.
“Are you so eager to be in my seat?” Spinel taunted.
“Are you so hangover you can’t even answer a simple question without looking for an ulterior motive? Are. You. Fit. To. be. In. Command.” She spat out the last words with force.
“Of course I am. I always have been, and always will be.” Spinel reassured her with a sickly sweet smile.
“Your Laqurium overexposure—”
“I am disappointed in you... I thought you, of all people, would understand the true potential of Laqurium…” He made his classic sad-offended face. The one he always made when he pretended to be a victim. Oh, how he loved doing that trick.
“Then again… it’s my mistake that I’ve ever expected anything from you.” Spinel cast Chalce an accusatory glance.
“Spinel. I do understand the importance your studies. However—“
“Do you though? Not that it’s a surprise, but you’ve even been conspiring against me, trying to turn Indi and Rubina against me…”
“This is for your own good.”
“And now you’re trying to gaslight me?” Spinel sneered.
“You have been disregarding the risks that your personal experiments carry, and not using the proper safety procedures. You are not acting like yourself, you’ve been increasingly illogical recently. You need to come back to your senses. Someone needs to give you a wake up call—”
“Stop it. The longer this conversation continues, the more...” Spinel’s voice trailed off. He winced and massaged his temples.
Chalce took a deep breath. Despite her increasing annoyance, she still managed to keep her voice steady.
“Your headache is a consequence of—“
“My research, that has been also benefiting you.” Spinel interrupted her.
“Spinel—“ Chalce tried to get another word in, but he did not let her.
“Are you reneging on our deal? You do know I could still take back all I have granted you made for you…” Spinel shot Chalce a cheerful smile.
Chalce clenched her fists, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“I thought so.” Spinel snickered and turned his back to her, signaling that the discussion was over.
No changes of plans, no adjustments, no reflection of any kind. It seems that Spinel did not learn the lesson Chalce was trying to teach him.
***
Spinel finally gave the signal.
Chalce gritted her teeth and readied herself mentally while the others flew out to intercept the intruders.
When she was waiting for the right time to Teleport into the battle...
She recalled her fight with Hamber. Midnight moonlight bounced from the back of his shadowy silhouette as he delivered a dramatic (as it was his habit) speech about justice and bonds.
Her mentor, her recruiter, the one who radicalized her, now did a U-turn on their organization.
How shameful. He even had the audacity to scold her.
Chalce’s philosophy was not wrong, and it was something that Hamber taught her himself.
The responsibility for the happiness of so many people was lying heavy on her shoulders. The future of so many children depended on her actions. Their education would create a snowball effect for her entire town, and then even the region. It would lead to the prosperity of countless living beings... Hamber knew that very well. How could he turn his back on her, despite that?
The image of Spinel’s laqurium drunk face appeared in her mind’s eye…
Are the Explorer’s goals really worth it though? She used to believe that. Her personal goals were, she was sure of it... but what about... his? Should she really be supporting Spinel, enabling his unhealthy fascination with Laqurium? She used to think that their ideals aligned…What was the point at which the negative cost of their collective operations outweighed their gains? The greater good should be an actual good…
But she did not want to entertain such thoughts for longer than absolutely necessary. They were a distraction from the mission at hand.
***
The Rising Volteccers managed to wear down the Explorer’s team.
The situation looked dire, and Chalce could not even depend on her own supposed comrades in arms. They never took their job too seriously in the first place.
Coral and Sidian casually rejected the Strong Spheres. Coral laughed, as she exclaimed about how bored she was with the whole endeavor. Sidian, again, was musing about how using the Strong Spheres was not something an honorable trainer would do.
Chalce's opponent’s arguments struck a chord with her as well, but losing was not something she could afford.
The Explorer’s Pokemon were barely standing, but Chalce had no choice but to stare despair straight in the eyes and act despite of it. She had to fight. Too much was at stake. She could not give up now... could she?
Medicham nodded. Chalce took the Strong Sphere in her hand, it suddenly felt heavier then lead. She threw the contraption at her Pokemon anyway, as she had done numerous times already. The pink fog engulfed her Medicham and allowed it one last ditch attempt to turn the tide.
***
Medicham fell to the ground. A well aimed hit from her opponent’s Mega Lucario Z had knocked out the already weakened Pokemon.
Chalce dropped to the ground and cradled the battered Medicham in her arms. Her partner did all of that for her...and because of her.
The Rising Volt Tacklers walked past the Explorers as if the trio never posed a real obstacle. Sidian and Coral stood a small distance away from Chalce in silence. Surprisingly tactfully, considering their personalities, they gave her some time to compose herself.
The battle let the veil of ignorance fall from Chalce's eyes.
The felicific calculus no longer checked out. The suffering that the strong Spheres caused far exceeded the good that she wanted to achieve. She realized that she had gone against her own beliefs, while pretending that she was adhering to them vehemently.
She could not let herself continue to be a champion for a substance that severed the bonds between living beings. Not for the sake of her beloved students… and certainly not for the sake of a lingering attachment to Spinel. That sort of paradox could only hurt everyone involved.
Coral and Sidian had managed to intuitively grasp something that she had not understood before.
Her Pokemon trusted her... and she should not have taken this trust for granted. She should have cherished it instead. Just how Spinel should have appreciated Chalce’s efforts more.
The bitter feeling rising up her throat... she could no longer deny it. It was guilt.
She crossed a line. She has learned what her Pokemon’s limits are. What her limits are.
The hard way.
She did not intend to make the same mistake again.
Heeled footsteps were echoing in the stark, long hallways. A lone figure cast a flickering shadow.
Chalce’s bright clothes contrasted sharply with the dark gray of the steel and concrete surrounding her.
For all the care that Spinel put into appearances, Chalce was surprised he did not order the base to be built with a little bit of flourish, a little bit of aesthetic. But maybe it was all just another part of his strategy to make sure that those that dwell and work within would feel subdued. The only glorious thing around could be Spinel, after all. Maybe this was his rationale. Sometimes it was hard to actually follow his exact train of thought.
Chalce was rushing through the corridors, and down the stairs, leading into Spinel’s personal part lab, part office. She was being summoned, and she had a strong suspicion it wasn’t for a professional matter.
It all started with a one time tryst. An unplanned one, at that, but that is usually how those things go. It has since morphed into a more long term arrangement.
Spinel, at his best, could be as alluring as an Oddish’s Sweet Scent. It wasn’t difficult to get swept away. The problem was, the ground around him was rigged with Toxic Spikes.
It was merely a mutual fulfilling of fleeting desires, Chalce told herself. Nothing more.
But being coworkers, co-conspirators, accomplices, made things… complicated, to say euphemistically. And on top of that, they were a promisor and a promisee.
She regretted it.
She regretted getting closer to him. She knew this was a mistake. And yet, despite herself, she was now standing in front of the reinforced steel door, with Spinel on the other side of it.
In the recent days, Spinel’s carefully crafted genteel facade (and she was certain that indeed, a facade it was) slowly, but surely, was starting to crack.
Typically, she wouldn’t be too worried. She did not mind the “intricacies” of Spinel’s internal life all that much... Until now. Spinel was far too enamored with Laqurium to her liking. His feelings for it far exceeded what should be a reasonable amount of passion of a dedicated researcher and entrepreneur.
The door opened with a mechanical whoosh, and Chalce stepped into the lab.
When she saw what was inside, a shiver of dread crept up her spine.
Spinel… this man was all about appearances.
However, this room did not meet his usual standards.
Diagrams of the Laqurium Core strewn about everywhere. Holographic screens projecting almost unintelligible charts with eldritch calculations. Folders spilling with rambling notes about the metaphysics of the mundane and the arcana of geophysics. That was the kind of mess he would previously not endure. Spinel was standing at a workbench filled with the pink crystals, amid something that could only be described as a condensed cloud of Laqurium fog.
Chalce walked towards him, while taking in all of this “scenery”.
“Your experiments… make sure you keep them in check. You shouldn’t be too reckless. Especially at this point in the game. You yourself told all of us to be on high alert.” she scolded him.
“You don’t need to pretend that you’re worried about me. But… the exposure today did make me feel a little… giddy. Maybe you could help me with that? I need a… pleasurable outlet. As always… pleasurable for you, as well.”
He approached her and got uncomfortably close. Usually Chalce would not have minded his proximity. But now… something about him was off. Was that an effect of the Laqurium?
“Don’t get too handsy with me without my explicit permission.” Chalce said as she stepped around Spinel in a half circle, gracefully avoiding his touch.
“Don't pretend that you don't want this.” Spinel turned his head towards her, his gaze was following her movements.
“You keep talking about how you’ll swat down the Volt Tacklers to the ground… but you have not noticed how low you’ve fallen yourself.” Chalce’s voice was calm as always, but it carried more than just a pinch of mockery.
Spinel’s uncanny laugh echoed through the room. The look that he gave Chalce after he finally managed to compose himself… she really did not like it. She did not like it at all.
Under that thin veneer of smug superiority, brewed a true volcano of mixed emotions. It started to smoke right now, ready to erupt.
“You dare to insult me, even though you know you need me more than I need you.” he whispered.
“In the state you’re in right now… you are useless to me.” Chalce stated coldly.
“I am perfectly fine. I have everything under control. Soon, the entire world will fall on their knees before me-before us. ” He fixated his now entirely laqurium-pink eyes on hers.
That look was both terrifying and tantalizing at the same time. In his power trip, he did not even realize how vulnerable he was making himself in front of her right now. He did not realize that to her, his taunting did not feel that different from pathetic begging for her attention. How ironic.
“I don’t care what you think you have control over or what you think that is going to happen. I need you to do what you said you would do. To keep your part of our deal.”
“You keep pestering me about it... even though I’ve already made all the necessary preparations. You will get what you want… I can assure you of that…”
Spinel stepped closer to her, and she did not back away this time. That wasn’t entirely a lie on his part... up until this point, he always did give her what she wanted. And more.
They shared a nauseatingly sweet kiss that tasted like greed and corruption.
”...You’ll get everything you want, as long as you keep yourself useful, of course.” Spinel murmured after breaking away from Chalce’s lips.
That was too much for her.
She pushed him away.
“You seem to have mistaken me for a whore.”
Chalce turned her back to him and left without another word.
***
It was not Chalce’s job to fix him… but Spinel needed to learn where his limits were. So he would not cross the line again. At least, the line of her boundaries.
Chalce headed to the staff quarters and towards Indi and Rubina’s room. It was late, but all employees were on high alert and expected to be on call at all times. They knew the Volt Tacklers were coming soon.
She knocked on the door to the red-and-blue duo’s room.
They both appeared at the doorway, already dressed in surprisingly cute Gyarados themed pajamas. Of course, Indi’s garment was decorated with the blue version of the Pokemon, and Rubina’s – with the shiny, red one.
“Chalce, Ma’am... what is it? Our shift is over... is there an emergency?” Rubina asked groggily.
“If Spinel asks you to bring him electrolytes, vitamin C, coffee, painkillers, or anything of the sort... don’t. No matter what. If he complains about a headache, being tired, or a bad mood, ignore him.” Chalce commanded.
“Huh?” said Indi, very intelligently, his mouth agape.
“What do you mean by that, ma’am? He’s the boss. We can’t just—”
“Pretend to be clumsy. Or to forget. Or that there is a shortage. I don’t care. Just don’t indulge him. It is an order from me.” Chalce interrupted Rubina’s inquiry.
“But…” Indi stuttered.
“No buts. Do you care about his well-being at all?”
“Yes, but… is that not exactly why we should fulfill such simple requests?” Rubina asked.
“You’re wrong. He needs to be taught a certain lesson. And there is no other way to learn it… but the hard way.” Chalce asserted.
“I would not want you to be my teacher…” Indi muttered.
“I know how to deal with unruly students like you, Indi.” a small hint of a smile appeared in the corner of Chalce’s lips.
Indi started to grumble something, but he was hushed by Rubina.
“We will take what you said under consideration, ma’am.” Rubina said with a strained and shaky smile.
Their conflict of loyalties did not concern Chalce at all.
As long as they fulfilled their purpose, it did not matter what, as Amethio would surely call them, Spinel’s lapdogs, think of her. She was not one of them… or was she?
***
Spinel, as always, was commanding everyone commandingly from the command center.
Chalce decided to go see him, before the unavoidable confrontation with the Rising Volt Tacklers, who were already spotted in the vicinity of Pericarp Town.
She trod carefully into this den that was illumined only by the erratic light of innumberable monitors.
At a glance, Spinel seemed back to normal.
But she knew him well enough to notice the subtle signs of his yesterday’s overdose. His eyes, more pink than usual, had barely noticeable eyebags, skillfully hidden with concealer; the way his brow twitched at each sound of her footsteps; a small sigh when she approached him—all of those were signs of him pretending to not have a headache.
“Are you even fit to be in command right now?” Chalce said, skipping any pleasantries.
“Are you so eager to be in my seat?” Spinel taunted.
“Are you so hangover you can’t even answer a simple question without looking for an ulterior motive? Are. You. Fit. To. be. In. Command.” She spat out the last words with force.
“Of course I am. I always have been, and always will be.” Spinel reassured her with a sickly sweet smile.
“Your Laqurium overexposure—”
“I am disappointed in you... I thought you, of all people, would understand the true potential of Laqurium…” He made his classic sad-offended face. The one he always made when he pretended to be a victim. Oh, how he loved doing that trick.
“Then again… it’s my mistake that I’ve ever expected anything from you.” Spinel cast Chalce an accusatory glance.
“Spinel. I do understand the importance your studies. However—“
“Do you though? Not that it’s a surprise, but you’ve even been conspiring against me, trying to turn Indi and Rubina against me…”
“This is for your own good.”
“And now you’re trying to gaslight me?” Spinel sneered.
“You have been disregarding the risks that your personal experiments carry, and not using the proper safety procedures. You are not acting like yourself, you’ve been increasingly illogical recently. You need to come back to your senses. Someone needs to give you a wake up call—”
“Stop it. The longer this conversation continues, the more...” Spinel’s voice trailed off. He winced and massaged his temples.
Chalce took a deep breath. Despite her increasing annoyance, she still managed to keep her voice steady.
“Your headache is a consequence of—“
“My research, that has been also benefiting you.” Spinel interrupted her.
“Spinel—“ Chalce tried to get another word in, but he did not let her.
“Are you reneging on our deal? You do know I could still take back all I have granted you made for you…” Spinel shot Chalce a cheerful smile.
Chalce clenched her fists, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“I thought so.” Spinel snickered and turned his back to her, signaling that the discussion was over.
No changes of plans, no adjustments, no reflection of any kind. It seems that Spinel did not learn the lesson Chalce was trying to teach him.
***
Spinel finally gave the signal.
Chalce gritted her teeth and readied herself mentally while the others flew out to intercept the intruders.
When she was waiting for the right time to Teleport into the battle...
She recalled her fight with Hamber. Midnight moonlight bounced from the back of his shadowy silhouette as he delivered a dramatic (as it was his habit) speech about justice and bonds.
Her mentor, her recruiter, the one who radicalized her, now did a U-turn on their organization.
How shameful. He even had the audacity to scold her.
Chalce’s philosophy was not wrong, and it was something that Hamber taught her himself.
The responsibility for the happiness of so many people was lying heavy on her shoulders. The future of so many children depended on her actions. Their education would create a snowball effect for her entire town, and then even the region. It would lead to the prosperity of countless living beings... Hamber knew that very well. How could he turn his back on her, despite that?
The image of Spinel’s laqurium drunk face appeared in her mind’s eye…
Are the Explorer’s goals really worth it though? She used to believe that. Her personal goals were, she was sure of it... but what about... his? Should she really be supporting Spinel, enabling his unhealthy fascination with Laqurium? She used to think that their ideals aligned…What was the point at which the negative cost of their collective operations outweighed their gains? The greater good should be an actual good…
But she did not want to entertain such thoughts for longer than absolutely necessary. They were a distraction from the mission at hand.
***
The Rising Volteccers managed to wear down the Explorer’s team.
The situation looked dire, and Chalce could not even depend on her own supposed comrades in arms. They never took their job too seriously in the first place.
Coral and Sidian casually rejected the Strong Spheres. Coral laughed, as she exclaimed about how bored she was with the whole endeavor. Sidian, again, was musing about how using the Strong Spheres was not something an honorable trainer would do.
Chalce's opponent’s arguments struck a chord with her as well, but losing was not something she could afford.
The Explorer’s Pokemon were barely standing, but Chalce had no choice but to stare despair straight in the eyes and act despite of it. She had to fight. Too much was at stake. She could not give up now... could she?
Medicham nodded. Chalce took the Strong Sphere in her hand, it suddenly felt heavier then lead. She threw the contraption at her Pokemon anyway, as she had done numerous times already. The pink fog engulfed her Medicham and allowed it one last ditch attempt to turn the tide.
***
Medicham fell to the ground. A well aimed hit from her opponent’s Mega Lucario Z had knocked out the already weakened Pokemon.
Chalce dropped to the ground and cradled the battered Medicham in her arms. Her partner did all of that for her...and because of her.
The Rising Volt Tacklers walked past the Explorers as if the trio never posed a real obstacle. Sidian and Coral stood a small distance away from Chalce in silence. Surprisingly tactfully, considering their personalities, they gave her some time to compose herself.
The battle let the veil of ignorance fall from Chalce's eyes.
The felicific calculus no longer checked out. The suffering that the strong Spheres caused far exceeded the good that she wanted to achieve. She realized that she had gone against her own beliefs, while pretending that she was adhering to them vehemently.
She could not let herself continue to be a champion for a substance that severed the bonds between living beings. Not for the sake of her beloved students… and certainly not for the sake of a lingering attachment to Spinel. That sort of paradox could only hurt everyone involved.
Coral and Sidian had managed to intuitively grasp something that she had not understood before.
Her Pokemon trusted her... and she should not have taken this trust for granted. She should have cherished it instead. Just how Spinel should have appreciated Chalce’s efforts more.
The bitter feeling rising up her throat... she could no longer deny it. It was guilt.
She crossed a line. She has learned what her Pokemon’s limits are. What her limits are.
The hard way.
She did not intend to make the same mistake again.
