A.N.: "Due to an unexpected life event, The Line has been temporarily suspended. I anticipate chapters will resume in the second week of August."

Turns out life had other ideas.

I underestimated the impact of these events. Life became quite troublesome for a while and, to be blunt, Pokémon fanfiction went right to the bottom of the priority list. But we're back now, and I can guarantee Chapter Five will be up next week. I feel confident in promising that, as it's already been written.

Note that, contrary to the previous chapter's tagline, this is not the promised chapter 'Reclamation', as the final product was deemed too lengthy for a single update. That will come next week.

I apologise for the delay.

I arrived at Viridian Gym just in time to watch my first Pokémon die.

The Gym's theatre was sleek, dimly lit and noticeably cooled. The walls were dark grey and without adornment, barring the full-wall viewing window that gazed upon the battle floor below. Several layers of dark leather seats faced the glass, occupied only by a half-dozen onlookers, enraptured in the contest that was unfolding beneath. The room smelled of fresh vacuuming and sanitizer, sound coming only from speakers lined along the glass.

I sat, Gym application in hand, during the closing moments of a challenger's bid for his final badge. The screen embedded into the top-right corner of the window told that the Trainers - a young man named Jasper and, of course, Gym Leader Giovanni - had each suffered five defeats. Being a final-badge contest, both were using the League maximum of six Pokémon.

Giovanni had just deployed his Sandslash, crouched and ready, facing off against Jasper's Golduck. The Golduck was already positioned on a boulder near Jasper's platform, said boulder easily thrice the Golduck's height. The Sandslash began darting forwards across the Gym floor, a large and uneven space covered in rocks, dirt, fissures, and trees ruined beyond rescue. Jasper shouted a command - an indecipherable two-syllable noise that would have held meaning between only those two - and the Golduck opened its mouth to dispense a narrow jet of water, slicing through the air at frightening speed. The Sandslash dived behind a rock before it struck, the water gun leaving a visible gash in the hard-packed dirt it had occupied only a second before. The Golduck redirected the attack to accommodate, sending a thin slice of deadly water across the contour of the boulder, seemingly in an attempt to anticipate the Sandslash's next move. The Sandslash made no attempt to escape, but rather braced itself for a sprint.

The Sandslash could not see its foe, but the moment Golduck's mouth closed - even before the last of the water had reached its destination - Giovanni shouted a quick "PAP" noise and the Sandslash tore from cover, racing to close the distance.

The Golduck continued to fire streams of water on its approaching opponent, but the Sandslash was quick and evaded them without trouble. The Golduck was leading its shots, even prematurely changing direction in anticipation of a dodge, but the Sandslash's agility was astonishing. A shout from Jasper and the jets ceased, Golduck leaning forward in concentration. Presumably it was utilizing some sort of psychic attack - I had seen very few of them in my life, and at the time I lacked the ability to distinguish them. The Sandslash shuddered and slowed, but took only a fraction of a second to shake it off and keep moving. It bounded onto a rock, then a second, and jumped upon a branch of one of the devastated trees not twenty feet from the Golduck's position - an easy jump for a Sandslash. It crouched, ready to leap…

…and the branch cracked.

Too worn from heavy abuse, and likely long dead, the branch could not endure the Sandslash's weight. The leap became a fall, the Sandslash hastily reorienting itself. It landed well, but the drop had rendered its landing position obvious, and the Golduck capitalized with another deadly volley of water. This time it found its mark, striking the Sandslash in the face and throwing it upon its side. Blood streaked the earth. The Sandslash tried to rise, but the water gun struck again in a long, sustained blast. It curled up, presenting its armoured hide to the onslaught, but the downed creature's screeching told all too clearly of the pain it was in.

The water gun's velocity began to falter, and Golduck descended from its position to make a cautious advance. The slowness of its gait and its rigid posture told of the psychic volley it was unleashing. The Sandslash curled ever tighter, shaking, helpless to defend against this manner of attack. The Golduck reached a position some ten feet from its opponent and stopped, wary to maintain distance from the Sandslash's mighty claws.

From this point the attack was methodical. The Golduck fired water in shorter bursts now, always ceasing well before its reserves reached exhaustion. When it wasn't firing water, it utilized psychic attacks, giving its glands time to replenish. After the third such attack, the Sandslash made a sudden move to rise, but was immediately struck down by another water gun. The Golduck was being careful to always have retain ammunition for water strikes, which were far more deadly than a Golduck's limited psychic capabilities. Giovanni, bedecked in a fine suit, hands held behind his back, barked a sharp command. The Sandslash responded with a keening wail.

The battle was lost. Sandslash was immobilized, bleeding heavily, and unable to retaliate. Yet Giovanni made no motion to return the defeated creature.

After perhaps six of these cycles, the Sandslash stopped moving.

Golduck stopped firing. The room was silent. Giovanni gave an annoyed grunt. He reached into his jacket's inside pocket, but did not withdraw it. The Golduck, not taking its eyes off its fallen opponent, made a three-syllable noise with an upward inflection. A question. Jasper pondered for a moment, then issued a short command. While I did not know their code, from Golduck's actions I comprehended its meaning.

Continue.

The Golduck resumed its attack, short strikes of water followed by psychic blasts. The room grew grim, the enthralling spirit of contest wilting in the face of inevitability. A young woman in a beret several seats from me covered her mouth with a fist, incapable of drawing breath. The attacks were shorter and weaker, with longer gaps between the strikes - the Golduck's reluctance was growing. And still, Giovanni made no move.

The Golduck reiterated its question, more anxious this time. Jasper repeated his answer, resolute and unhalting, but the bite of his lip evidenced his discontent.

Why was Giovanni doing this? Why was he letting his Pokémon die?

One more cycle, and the onslaught ceased. The Golduck made the same noise again, keening and raw. Jasper, the waver in his voice now clear, repeated the order to continue. But the Golduck instead turned its head to look at him, the anguish and resentment on its face unquestionable, and demanded the question once more - this time without hesitance, but accusation.

And even as it turned, Giovanni bellowed a commanding "PAP". With speed unbelievable, Sandslash leapt.

Digging its claw through the earth, it scooped up a robust pile of dirt, rocks, and sand, flinging them into the startled Golduck's face as the Golduck spun back towards its opponent. It flinched, raising its webbed hands to block the debris, but even as it did so the Sandslash closed the gap and slammed its claw clear through the Golduck's abdomen.

Golduck screamed. A torrent of water shot from its mouth, a wild and unaimed attack born of panic. But the Sandslash's head was low, and water struck only scale. Sandslash pulled its other claw far back and struck deep, anchoring Golduck with the first claw and launching into a rapid series of strikes with the second that gored Golduck's torso from chest to navel. A red light streaked from Jasper's platform, but the Pokéball's beam was several feet off, and the light struck only dirt.

The Sandslash reared back, drove its bladed hand under the Golduck's jaw, and Golduck went limp.

The red beam caught Golduck true this time, but hope had fled. Not a second later, a beam fired out from Giovanni's platform, and Sandslash was returned. An aide appeared by Giovanni's side to retrieve Sandslash's Pokéball and tore from the room - doubtless to seek immediate medical attention.

Jasper clutched his Pokéball, shock choking him. He cradled it, a single plaintive syllable the only noise he made, inaudible. A moment passed, and Giovanni spoke hard and clear.

"Your opponent is defeated when dead or returned, not before."

By the time Jasper had collected himself enough to respond, Giovanni had already left.

Naturally, as a first-ring challenger, my own battle would not be nearly so intense.

First-badge battles were intended as more of a competence checklist than a serious show of force. Both challenger and Leader would bring a single Pokémon, and I would be expected to demonstrate proficiency in the basics - the ability to control and command a Pokémon, take instruction from a Gym Leader and abide by League regulation, and defeat a minor foe of modest power. Deaths in such fights were extremely rare, and usually accidental.

I filled out my application, affirming that I had read and understood the League's rules and procedures. Eight badges were necessary to compete in the Indigo Tournament, badges were non-transferable, a $495 fee was payable per Gym battle - refundable in the event of victory - serious breaches of protocol would result in being barred from all League-sanctioned events for a duration of time determined by tribunal, and performance-enhancing drugs were not mandatory but were keenly encouraged.

I was given a timeslot - about an hour and a half away - and returned to the viewing room, watching as a pair of Squirtle cleansed the earth of blood. The room had emptied but for the girl with the beret, who now took long, slow breaths. The screen showed the day's schedule, containing only a seventh-ring battle in half an hour for a young woman named Lapis, whom I recognised as the girl in the room with me. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. Instead, I drew out my Pokédex and began re-reading accounts of first-ring battles with Giovanni, looking to see if there some useful detail had escaped my notice.

Giovanni had very few first-ring challengers. This wasn't unexpected - the vast majority of Kanto's population lived out to the east, and Viridian was often a Trainer's last stop before the Indigo Plateau. Still, even few Viridianites made there first appearance here - I supposed he must have been quite an intimidating figure. Over the next few minutes, Lapis' breathing calmed, and a steel settled over her.

Shortly thereafter, the PA announced that the next battle would begin in thirty minutes. Moments later, my own name appeared on the schedule. Lapis took notice, her head tilting as she saw the news. As if becoming aware of my presence for the first time, she turned around and looked at me.

"Red?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Professor Oak's son?"

"That's me." Apparently I'd already developed a reputation.

She nodded, quietly commenting "good luck," and returned to staring at the arena.

We lapsed back into silence, and I idly fingered Admiral's Pokéball - Nidoking was in the Pokémon Center. After a minute, the PA sounded up again.

"Would Trainer Red please report to reception? That's Trainer Red, to reception please."

I admit, the announcement scared me. It felt like being called into the principal's office without warning, like I had done something terribly wrong but had no notion what sin I had committed. I hesitated. But Lapis questioned me with a glance, and some part of my ego was unwilling to show fear in the presence of another Trainer. With affected nonchalance, so I shrugged and set off.

I emerged from the darkened room into the light of the reception. Beautifully maintained, with large cream chairs, potplants, and a thick beige carpet, it exuded understated elegance. A rush of mildly stuffy warmth greeted me as I walked through the door. Across the room was a lightly-coloured wooden desk, adorned with business cards, information pamphlets, and a thin computer screen. Behind it sat the receptionist, a smiling woman of about fifty. I approached.

"Mr. Oak," she said, a gentle tone to her voice. "I am terribly sorry, but I'm afraid there's been a scheduling issue. Leader Giovanni will be unable to meet with you today."

"Oh," I said, trying to keep the disappointment from my voice. "Scheduling issue?"

"Yes. I'm afraid Leader Giovanni has been called upon for some urgent League business. He'll need to leave right after the next battle. We do apologize."

"Okay," I said. I wasn't happy, but there wasn't a great deal I could do about it. "Will he be available tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not."

"If you don't mind, when will he be available? I can stick around in Viridian for a while if need be."

"I don't know, sorry. Depending on the nature of the business, it could be quite some time. You'd probably be best heading up to Pewter and beyond. Come back later, when you've got some more badges under your belt. I'm sure he'll be eager to receive your challenge."

I couldn't help but feel I was being brushed off. "If it's all the same to you, could I book the soonest available slot? I understand if that may be a while, just give me a ring when you know when it'll be. I'll make sure to inform you if I decide to leave the city."

She inhaled slightly, and the smile on her face grew. "Mr. Oak, I would really recommend you move on. We don't know when he might be back."

"I appreciate your advice," I said - lying - "but Gym Leaders are mandated to meet all challengers, or provide a second to occupy their place. If this is something to do with my father, it's a violation of League regulation. He does not have the right to refuse my challenge."

"I'm afraid there is no suitable second available at this time."

"Then please place me on the list."

"Mr. Oak—"

"I insist," I said, unable to keep an edge from creeping into my voice.

She hesitated, smile now fixed firmly upon her face. "Very well, Mr. Oak. I shall talk to Leader Giovanni and see what can be arranged. Please wait in the viewing lounge."

I thanked her, already feeling a touch of guilt about cutting her off. I returned to the dim viewing room, the coolness washing over me. Lapis looked at me, I tilted my head in a 'whatever' gesture, and sat back down. A few minutes passed, during which I began to regret the tone I'd taken. I didn't think I was wrong, per se, but I did feel like I'd acted rather petulant. As I was mentally repeating the conversation, replacing my phrasing with something more friendly, the PA rang out again.

"Attention Trainers. Due to safety concerns, the Viridian Gym is now closed. All challenges are postponed until further notice. Please visit reception for rescheduling."

I sat, shocked. Lapis turned to me, confusion quickly turning to annoyance. She'd pegged that this was my doing, even if she didn't know how. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it with a dismissive exhalation. She stood and walked to the exit, leaving without a word. I wanted to defend myself, to explain that this wasn't my fault - even though it kind of was.

Instead, I remained seated, processing. How was I going to confront this? Storm in and demand an explanation? Call them out? Threaten to alert the League? Accept that this was clearly outside of my control and leave without a fuss? Honestly, shouting seemed like it'd be really cathartic right now.

After a few minutes I stood, deciding on a calm-but-firm request for an explanation. I walked into the reception, the receptionist meeting me with the same forced smile she'd borne by the end of our last conversation.

"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Oak," she said, "but that last battle is believed to have caused some structural damage to the building. Leader Giovanni's Rhydon caused an earthquake, and a crack in one of the load-bearing walls has been noticed. The Gym must remain closed until inspections are conducted and the venue declared safe." She paused. "In accordance with League regulations."

"Right," I said tersely. "When will the Gym be reopened?"

"That will depend upon the nature and severity of the damage. It could be quite some time. I am truly sor—"

"Bullshit," I interjected, anger beginning to boil over. "Bull-fucking-shit. You know damn well there's nothing wrong with the building—"

"Mr. Oak" she said, an edge starting to come out in her voice. "We know nothing of the sort, and I must object to your tone. Please return later, when Leader Giovanni will gladly receive your challenge."

"No."

"Mr. Oak—"

"No. Fuck you. Give me a real answer."

I'll admit, that was not my finest moment. It was pretty clear she wasn't pulling the strings here, but I was pissed.

"Mr. Oak, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"No," I said again. "I'm not leaving until I've had my battle, or until Giovanni comes out here and explains this his damn self."

"He's busy, Mr. Oak." The smile was gone now, her expression now stern.

"I'll wait."

"Mr. Oak, this building is now closed and I must insist that you leave. Your behaviour has become threatening and if you stay, I will be forced to call security."

I opened my mouth to respond, but the door behind her desk opened. Through it stepped Giovanni, a gentle smile on his face.

"I don't think that will be necessary," he said with a genial tone.

"Mr. Giovanni," the receptionist said, "this young man has been very—"

"I heard, Ms. Wakelin. Would you be so kind as to give us a moment alone? I'm sure I can explain to the boy."

The boy.

She hesitated, then nodded curtly. "Of course, Mr. Giovanni." She stood, and exited through the same door from which he had just entered. Giovanni stepped back, an arm holding the door open, closing it after her. After she left, he turned to me, hands resting behind his back. It gave me a moment to take him in - hair slick and dyed black, a lined but robust face, tailored suit with neat purple tie - a seamless vision of clean professionalism.

He chuckled. "Fuck you, give me a real answer." The profanity sounded strange, coming from such a deep and urbane voice. "You must learn to be more polite to receptionists, Master Oak. They are gatekeepers to many things, and wield more power than you know."

Charming, refined, and disarming. In a few words, he'd made me feel like a sullen schoolboy.

"Mister Oak. I'm eighteen." It sounded pathetic even as I said it.

Another chuckle. "Indeed. Mister Oak. My apologies for the impoliteness."

Well, fuck.

"Mr. Giovanni," I said, trying to insert some level of dignity into my voice, "I would like to know why my challenge has been denied."

"It hasn't, my dear boy. I'm afraid we simply cannot conduct battles in this venue until it is properly assessed by the authorities. Trainer safety is our number one priority."

"Because of the Rhydon?"

"Was that it?" he said, smile growing. "Then yes, absolutely. While it grieves me to miss out on the opportunity to test the skills of such a young prodigy, we cannot compromise our commitment to Trainer safety."

"With respect, Mr. Giovanni, I find that difficult to believe."

He nodded. "Of course, I understand entirely. The timing must seem quite coincidental, but coincidence it is. I'm afraid the hazardous nature of the Gym at this time is beyond our control." With a casual sweep of his arm, he reached out and pushed a potplant off the receptionist's desk, shattering it upon the ground. His smile widened. "See? This place is just falling apart."

I didn't know what to say. The only way to escalate this any further was to lodge a complaint with the League, and I doubted that would really pay off.

He picked up on my hesitation. "Tell you what, Mister Oak. Allow me to take you to dinner tonight, by way of apology. My treat."

I didn't like it, but I didn't see anything more I could do. And I was curious. And kinda hungry.

"Thank you, Mr. Giovanni," I said, trying to muster what little gravitas I could. "I would be honoured."

Feedback is always appreciated - I am a believer that art must be criticized to improve.

I can be found on Twitter, under the username 'RadHominin'.

Chapter Five of Pokémon: The Line will be released at 7:30pm New Zealand Time (1:30am ET, 6:30am GMT) on Wednesday, December 7th.

"Reclamation"