The Road to our Destiny

Chapter 41

It is early in the morning when the loud horn on the ferry wakes Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu up, informing them that they have reached Cinnabar Island. The trio goofily get up from their beds and exits the ship as soon as it entered the dock. They walk over to the information desk at the dock and buy tickets for a ferry leaving at 10:30 for Cremini Town. So after looking at the clock post next to the information center and says that it's 9:10, the two men and the Raichu decide to head into town to find a place to grab breakfast before boarding the next ferry. As the two of them look around town, Timothy looks around the town center in amazement, which Coovers notices.

"Something wrong, Timothy?" He asks.

Timothy keeps his eyes on the various tourist attractions before answering his Unovian friend.

"This island has changed a lot over the past 18 years," he says plainly. "There were hardly any tourist attractions in sight here. If anything, this used to be a town hardly any bigger than Pallet Town. Right, Electchu?"

"Raichu," Electchu answers with a nod.

Coovers gives his friend a sad smile and asks, "Do you miss collecting badges?"

Timothy stays silent for a moment before he answers, "A little."

"I thought so," Coovers says. "At least the Battle Frontier is kind of like collecting gym badges, right?"

Timothy shrugs and says, "I suppose, but I don't feel like I've learned as much as Scott and Ash advertised."

Coovers frowns seriously and says, "That's because you haven't been giving it a real chance. Remember what Spenser said about you and your pride."

"I know what Spenser said, and I admit I was a little arrogant during that battle, but that doesn't change how I feel," Timothy says. "So far, I've battled five out of the seven Frontier Brains, and there have only been two moments where any of my Pokemon have fainted, and it's only because one got poisoned and the other collapsed after taking down its opponent. To put this in perspective, I had multiple moments where an opponent's Pokemon nearly wiped out all of mine during each battle against the Elite Four. Heck, Electchu was all I had left when I defeated Lance. I know some Frontier Brains like Spenser did surprise me at some moments, but long term I don't feel very challenged as a trainer."

Coovers looks at his friend disapprovingly and stops walking.

"So you were lying when you said you'll be careful with your pride or keep in mind Scott's warning about how tough the sixth brain is?" He asks skeptically.

"Yes. No. Kind of," Timothy replies, trying to hide the fact that his friend is on to him. "The point is that I'm still winning with little to no problems. Maybe something like the Battle Frontier is important for younger people like Ash, but apart from helping you keep the Gieldanstone from you-know-who, it's hardly doing much for me. The way I see it, I get some semi-tough opponents to warm up my Pokemon for the Indigo League, and that's it. I know how mildly opinionated that sounds, but it's how I honestly feel. It's like I told you when we left Pallet Town, Coovers; everyone makes claims that someone is very tough, but that doesn't always make them someone to be worried about like I'm just some Pokemon trainer."

"But you are a Pokemon trainer," Coovers states.

"Yeah, a trainer that's done more than most trainers do in their lifetime," Timothy boasts. "I've taken down a Team Rocket operation, I've hunted down a poacher with you, I'm on this big mission against Team Rocket with you, and I won a Pokemon league and defeated a region's Elite Four and champion. Who else can say they've done even half of those things? Right, Electchu?"

"Rai," Electchu says with a grin, sharing its trainer's prideful feelings.

Coovers sighs, feeling like he's not getting anywhere.