SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

THE RECEPTIONIST IS POLITE. the lobby is spotless. the slateport gym is the epitome of what hoenn’s gym challenge should be.

every challenger who has walked down these halls understands that. this is the apex of what it means to be tested. for that reason, many consider it their last pitstop before challenging the ELITE FOUR. after all, who else would have the audacity to champion a gym in a city befallen in tragedies?

“um, i’m so sorry miss morningstar,” the front desk apologizes when her wait goes long.

there’s nothing wrong with her appointment. the automatic system checked in with her the day before. her attendance is expected.

so where is fernando silph?

“mister silph,” the receptionist dials in, “the challenger is here.”

“morningstar?”

“yes, sir.”

“i’m not here. you can award her the badge. that’s all she’s here for anyway.”

a red fluster flashes in the receptionist’s face as the conversation is aired over the speakerphone. it’s the first time such an exchange has happened and catches them off guard. with a slow turn, they make eye contact with freya, a deerling in headlights. the awkwardness is musky enough to make even the air queasy.

“uh, miss morningstar, it seems you’ve already qualified for this badge,” they try to play up after hanging up. “congratulations…?”

they reach for one of the drawers to pull our her prize: an unearned SILPH BADGE.

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freya morningstar

SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

THIS, is a battle the receptionist has no stake in. they are merely a background character in a feud between challenger and evaluator. the immediate silence is deafening, put to ease by the unceremonious sound of a blare tone.

“what do you want morningstar,” fernando answers, already predicting as such.

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freya morningstar

SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

“I AM,” is a calm response to her vitriol.

“i, the slateport gym leader, acknowledge the skills of freya morningstar. her battle prowess and proven track record, as dragon tamer, pokemon trainer, and previous council member, is that of legend. i am honored to be a stepping stone in the hoenn league’s evaluation of this soon to be champion.”

his tone is dead. even the sarcasm succumbs from the lifelessness of his voice. it might as well be the automated voice over of the robotic challenge.

“clearly, i would have to be half blind, to not see how truly deserving she must be. congratulations, freya. well deserved.”

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freya morningstar

SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

“I AM,” is playing right into his point. whether she understands that back-handed compliment is impossible for him to discern over the phone.

the sound of movement shuffles in the background. the creak of his seat groans underneath his sigh.

“i will be out. cila, prepare a pokemon suitable for morningstar.”

and sure enough, down the hall, a battlefield awaits. large, expansive. with a high ceiling to accommodate her pokemon of choice.

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freya morningstar

SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

“WELCOME TO THE SLATEPORT GYM.”

it is his voice that echoes in the empty thralls of their battlefield. yet, despite the familiarity, it lacks the personal depth of a real conversation. his tone has perished. his spirit no more present than the automation that conducts lower profile matches.

his pokemon is prepared. hand picked for a challenger that’s all too predictable. it sits in his hand, mirroring her. waiting for her to commit to her selection. while fernando considers his gym accessible to even the most amateur trainer, it’s gimmick is to corner challengers with an unfavorable matchup.

“this battle will evaluate your battling prowess as a trainer. we will each use one pokemon each.”

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freya morningstar

SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

PREDICTABLE. this broken pokemon holds too much weight for her to consider otherwise. the same one she had begged for his clemency. a choosing beggar that had no qualms with insulting the countless others that beckon at her call. and for what?

favoritism?

what made lyune so special? how could she be so selfish to think it was worth his own inconvenience? because she is the main character. because she cannot see the world beyond her.

that is the lesson he has learnt from freya morningstar. a deluded narrative that even he has begin to buy. for how can one lie efficiently without lying to one’s self? only when the gaslighter breaths in his own fumes will he live his own high.

“salamence,” he notes, “a dragon type pokemon native to the hoenn region.”

his own pokeball reveals something a bit more surprising: his WIGGLYTUFF.

“dragon pokemon are popular among veteran trainers.”

contrary to its opponent, the wigglytuff does not hiss or bark upon its arrival. the pokemon stares, doe-eyed, as its runs its tiny hands against its elongated ears.

“many value them due to their predatorial nature,” he continues to recite with monotone enthusiasm, “under the assumption that their ferocious nature makes them adept battlers.”

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freya morningstar

SANGUINE SACRILEGE

GYM BATTLE

THERE IS NO NEED FOR COMMANDS. if an opponent attacks, it’s only natural to defend. an inhale of air fills the pokemon when freya orders a command. when the salamence makes a move to obey, the inflated wigglytuff holds its hands inward, toward its chest.

a translucent PROTECT shimmers into existence. it holds against the constant stream of flames, small cracks tearing across its surface. only when the FLAMETHROWER subsides does it shatter completely.

“but like any other pokemon, they come with their own subset of weaknesses.”

bright blue eyes gleam, watery and full of tears. when the pokemon exhales, a beautiful SING echoes against the empty stadium, empowering the lullaby as the pokemon deflates.

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freya morningstar