Officially becoming Gym Leader was a momentous occasion, which put the previous day's events on a pedestal comparable to the day of his semi-final match at the recent Conference and the day he captured his starter. Today, however, his very first full day as a Gym Leader, is turning out to be a significantly more sour experience.
Of course Bugsy hasn't kept any particularly close track of the other applicants for Walter's sponsorship, ever since he earned the spot for his year, but it has genuinely been a pleasant surprise to find no less than three unsponsored trainers waiting in front of his Gym on the first morning of his tenure. Azalea Town normally only produces a very small number of aspiring trainers every year. So to think that in his very first year, they'll be sending out a total of four candidates… It feels at first like the perfect feather in his cap.
It can make for the perfect announcement of the start of his tenure. Hailing from Bugsy's Azalea Town, a strong batch of rookie trainers! An ideal clean break with the stagnant past of Walter's reign and a perfect opportunity to show everyone that, for all that Azalea Town is fortunate to have one of the eight official Johto Gyms, they are worthy of that honor.
But after that initial moment of hopefulness, which carries him easily past the annoyance of having to search for the three rookies' Common Gym Challenge licenses in the organizational mess that is the Gym he's won, things start going wrong rapidly. Because immediately upon handing out the licenses, it becomes apparent that of the three boys in front of him, one isn't planning to set out at all.
Immediately, the idea of sending out a total of three, rather than four, trainers from Azalea Town this year sours his mood slightly. But he's enough of a professional to hide the displeasure, not to mention the very decent consolation prize that is getting a Gym Trainer out of the deal. That's one problem solved at least, following the impromptu walkout by the old staff which was initiated by a vengeful sore loser - Clarence.
But it is no more than a consolation prize, one that rapidly loses what little shine it had when, for the second time in two days, he has to suffer through the indignity of a walkout. Because Ran Carr and Spencer Curtis - names he'd forgotten in the past few years due to their irrelevance to him - declare their intent to challenge for their first badges elsewhere, rather than in their hometown. Which is a decision that catches him so totally off-guard that he doesn't even manage to muster a true response until the door has slammed shut behind the latter of the pair.
He's left standing alone in an empty Gym, with only the ugly water motif running throughout the building's interior for company. Which is good, because that at least ensures that nobody hears him swear when he fully processes what just happened.
Why would those idiots stomp on tradition in such a terrible way? Over what? Loyalty to Walter and Clarence? Hardly, neither of the water-type specialists was the type to offer a helping hand without getting something in return and neither had ever seen the need to expand the efforts undertaken by the Gym to support Azalea Town's local trainers. So the odds of them engendering any loyalty from two unsponsored rookies were slim to say the least.
Do they not realize just how much this weakens Azalea Town? How much it weakens the Gym's reputation? How much it weakens him personally?
He's got an uphill battle to fight already, as a losing Silver Conference semi-finalist, to establish himself as a worthy Gym Leader. Already, their Gym was seen as one of the 'soft' targets, due to their lack of impressive sponsored trainers, as well as thanks to Walter's diminishing skills and roster. Changing the type-specialization to have a clean break with the past will help, but now the shadow hanging over him will be fed further by the thought that the local trainers don't consider his Gym worth their time.
As if he doesn't have anything to say or offer to starting trainers. The audacity is staggering!
But he can't spare their foolishness too much time or attention. He's got a gym to prepare for a new era. Starting tomorrow morning, challengers might be showing up, even if Spencer and Ran won't be amongst them. Next week, he needs to send out a sponsored trainer and Walter just left this year's applications in a large, unsorted mess on his desk, so he doesn't even know how many applicants he'll need to provide a ball or capturing partner for. Not to mention that due to the time crunch, he won't be able to make any of the larger changes to Azalea Town's sponsorship model which he'd been hoping to institute immediately.
Right, first things first. He'll have an applicant for the position of Gym Trainer in the evening. He should do some digging into just what Tommy Park's been up to for the past three years. If he's got some time to spare, he might even look into the pair of badgeless rogues that just departed his Gym as well.
Three days pass in a blur, as Bugsy desperately does everything he can to run his Gym. He hires a receptionist whom he manages to lure away from Goldenrod City with the promise of a bump in pay, gives Tommy a chance as his first Gym Trainer despite some worrying stuff showing up in the background check, and delves frantically into Ilex Forest in the day's earliest and latest hours as he does his best to build the extensive roster expected of a Gym. He's already regretting challenging for the position, but not enough to quit. He won't give Walter and Clarence the satisfaction. No, he just has to keep his head above water - ironic, that - for long enough, until the Gym is properly functional and the mad rush of the takeover dies down a little.
All of that is in the assumption that he doesn't end the day curled up into a little ball as he cries himself to sleep, of course. Because a big fat red circle on the Gym's old-fashioned paper calendar - could Walter have been any more of a fossil? - makes it very clear that even if he has the keys to the Gym, today is the day where he'll actually be officially acknowledged, or left as a powerless placeholder.
Because the first Gym Leaders' video conference call of the season is on the schedule.
He's battled all of them in their capacities as Gym Leaders, of course. Beaten all of them, too. But that was with his best team, whilst they may have used one or two of their elites in turn, but never a full squad. Not to mention the not so minor detail that he isn't Clarence. Knowing how busy they all are, it's quite likely that none of them have realized that he, Bugsy, is the Gym Leader. So their reactions upon seeing him will be quite revealing at least.
He's staring at the waiting screen, having clicked the button to join the call half an hour before its scheduled start time and with a few minutes to spare, when somebody actually begins the call. Immediately, the waiting screen disappears and he comes face to face with Pryce, who is apparently the first of the other seven leaders to show up for the call.
He stares in surprise at the unexpected grim face of Mahogany Town's Gym Leader, unsure what to say, giving Pryce the opportunity to break the silence instead.
"Bugsy. You're punctual. Good." Pryce hums, before falling silent once more, looking down at his desk for a moment as he shuffles some papers around, seemingly distracted for a moment.
Bugsy breathes out softly in relief at the venerable former Elite's approval, but before he can actually respond, Pryce seems to find what he was looking for, as he fishes out a paper from amongst his files, before his cold gaze locks onto the camera once more.
"You're the first worthwhile talent produced by Azalea Town in years! Walter never managed a properly satisfactory explanation, so you tell me. Why is your town not doing its part in strengthening Johto?" Pryce demands coldly, his continuing glare at the camera freezing Bugsy in place, leaving him feeling like a Caterpie caught in a snowstorm.
"Uhh- I- That is-" Bugsy sputters uncertainly, caught flatfooted by the directness of the other Leader's question.
Pryce frowns, but before he can continue to push, two people appear in the call near-simultaneously.
To Bugsy's immense delight, they are the two faces he's closest to both geographically and in age, as Falkner and Whitney appear on his screen. As a nice side-benefit, this shrinks Pryce's share of the screen, making the old man's frosty presence a lot less imposing.
Falkner is quiet, taking in the other present faces, before sinking back in his high back chair and steepling his fingers in front of his face. Combined with his hairstyle, this has the effect of obscuring most of his face, leaving only a lone piercing eye visible. As for Whitney, she has no such compunctions, instead barging right on into the 'conversation' and putting herself front and center.
"Pryce! Falkner! Bugsy? I was expecting Clarence. You're an improvement, don't get me wrong, but what gives?" Whitney asks, turning his attention to him curiously. Unlike with Pryce, though, she at least seems both genuinely curious and friendly.
But he is yet again prevented from answering, as Falkner actually speaks up first.
"I'm sure we're all curious about that, but I suggest we wait for the others before Bugsy explains his elevation. After all, I'm sure none of us want to hear the same story twice." Falkner declares, drawing a brisk nod from Pryce and a slightly disappointed sigh from Whitney, though she doesn't contradict him on the issue.
The next few minutes are filled with Whitney badgering Pryce about some favored pupil of his, though Pryce cuts the topic off at every turn, keeping Bugsy from gaining any proper insight into just what that's about as Clair, Jasmine, Chuck and finally Morty join the call in short order. For a moment, Whitney seems entirely content to just keep bothering Pryce, until, to Bugsy's surprise, Chuck of all people cuts her off.
"We're all here, let's get to it already!" The energetic fighter declares, which is enough to silence Whitney and draw everyone's attention.
"Very well," Pryce accepts, seemingly grateful for the opportunity to actually start the conference, as he shuffles through his papers before looking at the first one, "First order of business: Azalea Town's new Gym Leader. Walter's desire to retire-"
Morty lets out an amused snort at the likely unintended rhyme, but Pryce carries on without acknowledging the byplay.
"-was well known, as was his wish to look for an Azalea Town native as a successor. Bugsy, most of us expected Clarence to be sitting in your seat. Because of this, the issue was raised that-" Pryce speaks, only to get briskly interrupted by another voice.
"Oh don't beat around the bush, Pryce," Whitney cuts the conference call's apparent chairman off with clear annoyance, before addressing the entire group, "This is an issue I've discussed with some of you before. It's something I've been considering ever since Walter first mentioned that he was thinking about retirement, really."
Bugsy can only listen quietly and with a growing feeling of apprehension, as Whitney turns the conversation in a direction that doesn't feel promising for him in the least.
"Essentially, if we're really invested in making sure that the next generation is stronger than the ones that came before, we can't keep letting ourselves be limited by traditions. I get that I'm the only one that's really deviated from the whole 'hometown badge first' idea, and I'm not telling any of you to change your approach in that regard. But surely you can all see that, if we want Gym Leaders to be pillars of strength in their community, if we want them to be leading figures for others to aspire to… we can't just keep limiting ourselves only to the people that grew up in the right town?" Whitney declares dramatically, eyes searching as she looks at the screen.
There is no immediate response, though more than one of the other Leaders has a pensive expression. Clair in particular stands out, as she started nodding along approvingly almost from the second Whitney opened her mouth, only to keep going even as Whitney stops speaking.
"Indeed," Pryce finally speaks up once more, cold gaze fixated on his camera, giving the impression that he's staring directly at them all, "As I was saying, the issue was raised that you might not be the best possible candidate for the position of Gym Leader. Which is why there will be a vote later, to decide whether your position is accepted, or whether any of us wish to present any challengers for the position. For now, explain how you became Walter's successor, rather than Clarence." Pryce instructs, drawing a nervous gulp from Bugsy as he becomes the sole focus of Johto's Gym Leaders.
He squirms uncomfortably in his seat as he truly becomes the sole focus of the seven 'established' Johto Gym Leaders. Still, he has nothing to hide or be ashamed of.
So, he can only forge onwards. Thus, he starts to speak, "Walter got in touch during the Conference Finals, informing me that he wanted to retire and that he wanted me to battle Clarence for the position, if I was interested. I was, so I hurried back to Azalea Town after the Conference. I beat Clarence pretty easily, at which point he left town in a huff. Initially, Walter had said that he'd be staying around for a while to help his successor ease into things, but once I'd officially been announced to the people in town, he apparently changed his mind. The Gym has shifted to a bug-type specialty and we're working with a reduced staff for now, but all in all our start has been alright."
"A bug-type Gym, really, is this what we're reduced to?" Clair scoffs when none of the other Gym Leaders speak up, instead looking at him assessingly.
Immediately, before Bugsy can even get properly flustered by the insult, Pryce speaks up sharply, "The only reason you have your seat is your own cousin's ascension to a higher position, girl. You will show respect to those that rise to the same station of their own merit, or I will be happy to teach it to you."
Clair is clearly unhappy as she glares at her screen following the reprimand, leaving Bugsy to wonder anxiously whether Pryce has just earned him an enemy, or whether the clear animosity in Clair's gaze is reserved only for the ice-type master. Still, it's enough to keep everyone quiet, as Pryce takes the meeting in hand once more.
"Very well. Prior to this meeting, enough of you got in contact with me to make it very clear that you wished to present challengers, if Clarence had become the Gym Leader. However, those votes are explicitly targeted against Clarence, not Bugsy. So, we shall have a vote. Do those present accept Bugsy as the Gym Leader of Azalea Town for this Silver Conference circuit, or do any of you wish to present a challenger?" Pryce announces, causing Bugsy to shuffle around nervously in his seat, as they immediately get to the part of the conversation he's been dreading.
Pryce continues to speak after a brief pause, having given the various Gym Leaders just enough time to indicate their understanding, "We shall vote by order of seniority. I vote to accept Bugsy's position. Chuck?"
Bugsy's attention turns directly towards the fighting-type specialist, who seems deep in thought. Chuck doesn't respond immediately, his eyes remaining closed for nearly a minute, before he finally seems to nod to himself. When his eyes open, he speaks.
"I accept his position." He declares smoothly, before closing his eyes once more as he seems to return to his earlier thought or meditation.
"Morty?" Pryce speaks next, shifting everyone's attention to the enigmatic leader of Ecruteak Town.
Unlike Chuck, Morty doesn't need any time to think whatsoever, immediately answering, "Bugsy will do. I accept his position."
"Clair?" Pryce asks next, his tone neutral despite his earlier reprimand of the younger woman.
"He's unproven and unimpressive. I wish to present a challenger." She snaps, fiery expression seemingly daring Pryce to disagree with her.
The video call's apparent leader doesn't rise to her bait however, merely turning his attention to the next person in line, "Jasmine?"
"Bugsy did well against me and his performance at the Conference was satisfactory, but I haven't seen enough of him yet to be convinced either way. I wish to abstain." She announces, drawing a few disapproving murmurs from her fellow Gym Leaders. Jasmine seems unbothered however, merely looking at her screen with a steely gaze as she waits for Pryce, who is clearly amongst those that disagree with her decision, to move on.
Eventually, he does, leading Bugsy to the conclusion that either Jasmine's decision is allowed, or none feel confident in their ability to force her to change her mind.
"Whitney?"
For just a moment, Whitney's expression seems apologetic, but then she starts speaking confidently, "It's nothing personal against Bugsy, but I've got more than a few former sponsored trainers whom I think could do a great job, including this year's
actual Conference winner, so I'd like to open the position to some challengers."
Doing a quick headcount, Bugsy feels himself grow pale as he realizes that Falkner has the ability to bring the count to a draw. He isn't sure what happens at that point but it probably won't be-
"I accept his position." Falkner speaks calmly, easily tearing Bugsy free of his increasingly worried thoughts.
"Are we really-" Clair starts to speak angrily, clearly unhappy with the outcome of the vote, but before Pryce can even get around to reprimanding her, another rises to the occasion instead.
"Shut up, Clair." Whitney interjects sharply, willingly drawing the dragon mistress' ire even though she herself is also on the losing side of the vote.
Yet, to Bugsy's pleasant surprise, said ire proves to be a quiet one as Clair, though she glares fiercely, does not speak again.
"Very well, Bugsy's position is hereby confirmed for this season. There will of course be an evaluation once the Silver Conference Finals have begun. Until that time, we shall speak of the matter no more. On to the next point on the agenda." Pryce announces, seeming to relish in the opportunity to get on to the more 'tedious' parts of the meeting, unlike most of the others, as Bugsy watches at least three pairs of eyes go glassy within the first fifteen seconds of what rapidly turns into a near-monologue from Pryce.
And that's without counting Chuck's closed eyes.
The next hour drags on seemingly indefinitely, as Pryce goes over budgets, sponsored trainer allocations, badge requirements, the minutiae of appropriate Gym rewards for each level of challenge and a dozen other minor administrative things. Ultimately, however, the once significant pile of paper in front of him is gone, which clearly signifies the end of the meeting.
"That's all for today. As always, make sure to send me any agenda points for our next meeting in advance. Unless anyone else wishes to chair the next call?" Pryce finally finishes up, gaze expectantly fixing on his screen as he waits silently for at least ten seconds, before sighing wearily.
"I assumed as much. Very well, good luck with the start of the season, all of you. Pryce, out." He announces, before disappearing from the call.
In short order, the other Gym Leaders start to disappear as well, but Bugsy hurriedly sends a direct message to Falkner, asking him to stay on the call for just a minute longer. Fortunately, the other Gym Leader seems to get his message just in time, as his gaze seems to sharpen for a moment.
It only takes a few more seconds for all of the others to have signed out, at which point Bugsy is left in a private call with the second-youngest Gym Leader in Johto.
"I'm listening." Falkner announces, his focused gaze reminding Bugsy of a bird of prey for a moment.
"Two unsponsored trainers from Azalea Town are on their way to Violet City, to challenge you for the Zephyr Badge." Bugsy announces without hesitation, finally pulling Falkner out of his earlier 'observing' pose, as the other trainer cocks his head in surprise.
"It's good to hear that your town has produced two unsponsored trainers, but why did you feel like telling me this, precisely? They're no childhood friends of yours whom you want special treatment for, are they?" Falkner asks, tone and expression growing significantly sharper towards the end of his reply.
"What, no of course not!" Bugsy hurriedly replies, crossing his hands in front of him as if to ward off the other Gym Leader's suspicions, "I just wanted to ask you to keep me updated on their performances, when they challenge you."
Falkner examines him for a moment, before offering a slow nod, "I can do that. But if they're no childhood friends of yours, is there any reason in particular you're keeping track of unsponsored trainers? Aren't they the same age as you? Were they your competition for the sponsored position three years ago?"
With his questions, Falkner inadvertently hits the nail on the head, something he clearly manages to read from Bugsy's expression, as his own expression darkens once more.
"I do hope you aren't holding on to any old grudges. They're unsponsored. You're already a Gym Leader. If there's any bad blood there, you should let go of it." Falkner cautions, jaw slightly tense as he continues to stare at the screen as if he could lurch forwards to snap Bugsy up at a moment's notice.
"No no you've got it all wrong!" Bugsy insists once again, before hurriedly offering a proper explanation, before Falkner can think even worse of him, "They both left Azalea Town without challenging me for their hometown badge! I offered them the very first legal time slots of the season but they both snapped at me and set off for Violet City instead! I just want to make sure that they aren't going to hurt Azalea Town's reputation whilst they're out on the road!"
"Oh." Falkner replies, the monosyllabic response a major departure from his earlier sharp questioning.
"So I was just hoping that you could let me know how they do against you, you know? Maybe let them know that they should return to Azalea as soon as possible for their hometown badge? They're not just hurting their own reputation, but mine as well." Bugsy continues hopefully, increasingly confident that Falkner will be sympathetic to his plight.
Falkner remains mute for a few long seconds, expression growing sharper once more as he yet again seems to examine Bugsy. Finally, he speaks.
"You don't realize that they're probably doing this precisely
because they want to hurt your reputation, do you?" The more experienced Gym Leader asks, smiling smugly when all he gets from Bugsy is a stunned expression.
"Think about it, Bugsy. You're the guy that ultimately stopped them from earning sponsorships. Now that they were finally getting their CGCs, you returned to personally hand them their licenses and remind them of the heights they'll probably never reach, because, again, you beat them. They're probably hoping to prove themselves worthy by winning a bunch of other badges first. That'd put you, and your Gym by extension, in a pretty bad light." Falkner continues to explain, leaving Bugsy with little recourse but to bury his face in his hands out of frustration as all the pieces finally click together.
Presented like this, the issue is glaringly obvious. Which makes it all the more damning that he genuinely didn't catch on to it himself. In his own defense, he has genuinely been terribly busy and, unlike Ran and Spencer, his past three years haven't been filled with constant reminders of the sponsorship trials. But that doesn't really excuse his inattentiveness, does it? After all, a Gym Leader doesn't just need to understand pokémon, but trainers, as well.
Falkner lets him sulk for a few seconds, before speaking up once more, "Give it some thought. If they show up here, I'll make sure to lean on them and try to convince them to turn back to Azalea Town. I'll even let you know so you can follow up on that as you please. But consider this, how would you feel if three years ago, somebody had beaten you for the sponsorship and now, three years later when you finally get to set out, that guy returns to take over your hometown Gym?"
Leaving Bugsy with that problem to puzzle through, as if he has the time to spare, considering the enormous amount of work he's already got on his plate, Falkner leaves the call. A few seconds later, with a loud, frustrated breath through his nose, so does Bugsy.
Days pass in a blur of frantic work, his Gym becoming properly active as trainers from all over Johto and Kanto start arriving in Azalea Town to challenge him for the newly minted - and awesomely designed, thank you very much - Hive Badge. Initially, he struggles slightly with settling on a proper grading curve, the lack of both experience and a mentor leaving him somewhat struggling when he has to determine what kind of challenge is suitable for a fourth-badge challenger compared to a fifth-badge challenger. On top of that, seventh- and eighth-badge challengers will be an entirely different issue once they start showing up, as, while it's easy enough to rapidly build out the pokémon roster the Gym needs for the lower badge challenges, he's got no such easy solutions for those that aren't strong enough for his personal team, yet too strong for what he can easily acquire with limited free time. At least he can trade for some exotic bug-types from Hoenn and Sinnoh to add some diversity to his Gym's roster, with more than one of Ilex Forest's stronger bug-types moving to the distant regions in turn.
Ultimately, for those stronger challengers that easily outmatch any 'normal' wild pokémon he can only spend his spare time on training up, he figures he'll try to use one or two members of his personal team and fill out the remaining team with 'lesser' Gym-pokémon. It's by no means a perfect system, as those that figure it out can easily set up against the weaker Gym-pokémon to gain highly advantageous positions for the remainder of the match, but that kind of adaptability and team members capable of exploiting such an advantage to the fullest are good indicators of a trainer that's ready for the Silver Conference. Additionally, it's not as if he has any applicants at that tier just yet, considering where they are in the season and with Azalea Town's badge not having been particularly prestigious in the past. Not to mention the town's somewhat inconvenient position compared to the rest of the circuit, which leads to most passing through relatively early in their journey.
Though there is an interesting diversion from that established norm when he gets a message from a challenger with no badges whatsoever. For she wants to immediately challenge at the eighth-badge level, which Bugsy initially almost declines on instinct. It's only when he realizes just how thoroughly bland and indistinct the message is, that he reconsiders. A quick personal message to Falkner soon yields confirmation that he has received, and rejected, the same message. Logically concluding that all of Johto's Gym Leaders must have gotten the same message, Bugsy ultimately decides to accept the challenge, booking it for a few weeks down the line. That'll prove to be interesting at the least.
He also spends a fair bit of time working on Tommy, as he rapidly gets his one-time classmate up to speed. Tommy's personal team is hardly anything to write home about, and Bugsy won't give him any advantages that might lead to Tommy abandoning the Gym and setting out on a journey of his own. That'd be a waste of the time and effort he's investing in the other trainer's development. But Tommy does gradually start to show some actual skill, enough to serve as a respectable Gym Trainer Challenge for low-tier challengers at least.
The final, and arguably most major, development in those first frantic weeks, is the selection of his sponsored trainer for the year.
With no time to completely overhaul how Azalea Town handles sponsorships, because he'd at least like to figure out a way to expand his sponsorship to a second trainer per year, he can only change the trial, which is itself a major departure from how Walter handled things. Because fundamentally, though he'd personally been successful thanks to his capture of Scyther back in the day, Walter's way of handling the trial relied too much on getting lucky enough to run into a good potential starter.
Instead, for his own first iteration of the selection process, each of his applicants receives a Weedle, with all of them the same age and strength, and a week to care for them. At the end of that week, each of the Weedles is weighed and measured, to test for its overall growth. Or that's how he planned to evaluate each of his applicants' respective efforts.
But then, on judgment day, Geoffrey Brooks, Jeff for short, releases a Kakuna, rather than a Weedle. None of the other applicants even dare to complain when Bugsy names his sponsored trainer on the spot. When he announces that Jeff won't just be setting out with financial support, but also with a freshly-hatched Scyther fathered by Bugsy's own Scizor, there are a fair few looks of envy though.
Those applicants that sport looks of envy are ones he'll need to keep an eye on, to avoid fostering any more grudges, but perhaps their disappointment can yet be turned into a healthy ambition. Overall however, in the short term he has other priorities.
All of his responsibilities, combined with the general hectic nature of life as a (beginning) Gym Leader, make it easy to forget about Ran and Spencer. Which is why, when Falkner suddenly sends him a message somewhat out of the blue, it takes Bugsy a moment to catch up to just what he's reading.
Falkner: AT run-aways came today. Spencer has an Onix, completely OPed anything I could put up against it at 1-badge. Cocky shit. Didn't listen to feedback. Don't think he'll come back to AT soon.
Falkner: Ran used Zubat. Evolved mid-fight after almost losing to Murkrow. As Golbat, he let it savage defeated opponent badly. Vengeful ass. Seemed more receptive to guilt trip over AT's reputation. Better chance of convincing him. GL.
He reads Falkner's messages a few times, somewhat annoyed by the other Gym Leader's insistence on not writing out proper sentences, before sending back a polite thank you message for the updates. Then, he ponders how to handle his two troublemakers.
Both seem troubling, though for vastly different reasons. A Pineco, as he recalls Spencer's starter being, is hardly an ideal option against a flying-type Gym, so using a rock-type is justifiable in that sense. That he'd go after an Onix however, that hints at a truly dangerous amount of overconfidence. That he's actually succeeded in capturing one and keeping it obedient enough to obey in a Gym battle… That hints at a mouth-watering amount of potential.
Ultimately, the message he crafts and sends Spencer is one of challenge.
Bugsy: Spencer, congrats on your win against Falkner. I hear you put on an impressive display. Though with an Onix, it's really not so much a matter of being a good trainer, as it is of releasing it and sitting back as it crushes its opponent. At your level, at least.
Bugsy: I am curious to see what you can do, though. Capturing it must have been an impressive feat. Return to Azalea Town and challenge me for your next badge. If you impress me, you'll be traveling with my support. I'll even throw in an extra future prize for that Onix of yours, which I'm sure you'll be needing eventually.
Bugsy: Let me know if you've got the guts to face me and if you're trainer enough to face me without capturing any more naturally strong pokémon to carry you to victory.
He does his best to agitate Spencer, relying on Falkner's read of 'cocky' to try and manipulate the boy into returning to Azalea Town. At the same time, if Spencer's ego alone isn't strong enough to lure him back, then perhaps the thinly-veiled allusions to a Metal Coat might still be enough to persuade him.
Unfortunately, Bugsy doesn't receive an immediate reply. In fact, even when he'll look back at the message the next day, there'll still be no reply.
As for Ran, there, he finds striking the right balance trickier. That there's some loyalty to Azalea Town there is encouraging, but whilst using an Onix at the first-badge level is perhaps in somewhat poor taste, badly hurting an already defeated pokémon is a lot worse. Plus, with Ekans as a starter and now a Golbat… poison-types and their trainers don't have a great reputation, with good reason.
Then again, between his hometown pride and perhaps an interest in poison-types… There might be a way to draw him back to Azalea Town after all…
When Tommy absentmindedly mentions having battled Ran earlier in the day, Bugsy just about freezes in place for a moment. He hurriedly recovers and carries on the explanation of ghost-type energy Tommy had requested, but even as he does so his mind is already miles ahead, as he speculates on what he's just been told.
Subtly, once his explanation's finished, he swiftly turns the conversation to Ran's presence in Azalea Town, as the other trainer's Spinarak - worryingly, yet another poison-type - proves an easy pivot point to turn the conversation to Ran's behavior and battling style. By the time Tommy goes home, Bugsy's hands are itching to send Ran a furious message, as the other trainer could at the very least have sent a confirmation, rather than leave Bugsy stewing in frustration at the thought that he'd been completely ignored by both of the unsponsored rookies hailing from Azalea Town.
Ultimately, common sense wins out, as the boy's decision to show up in Azalea Town without actually confirming as much to Bugsy directly probably means that his loyalty to the town played a larger part in his decision than the promised reward did. Angry as Bugsy is at the corresponding slight, he can't exactly be angry with the other trainer for being loyal to their shared hometown.
Thus, he looks up Ran's trainer profile, which is a lot more extensive thanks to his Gym Leader clearance compared to what a regular trainer would have access to. A team of Ekans, Spinarak and Golbat can really only mean one thing, as Bugsy makes a weary mental note that Ran is more than likely indeed going to specialize fully in poison-types.
Spinarak offers a small opportunity for a pivot Bugsy would enthusiastically endorse and which could do wonders for establishing Azalea Town as the premier authority on Bug-types, which is why he makes sure to put in a 'throwaway' offer to that effect in his message to Ran. He then makes sure to clarify that he expects a reply, at which point he hesitates.
Should he clarify just what reward he's got in mind for Ran, if he performs well? Or should he be a bit more open in his reasoning for pushing for a bug-type specialization? Perhaps he should go so far as to call the other trainer? Everything points to him being less than fond of Bugsy, but perhaps they could clear the air and move forwards in a way that doesn't just benefit Bugsy's own position as Gym Leader, but the Gym and the town by extension as well?
Before he can make any decisions, his pokégear buzzes, as Ran answers with a curt message of his own.
It confirms Ran's commitment to poison-types in the curtest way possible, the tone of the message immediately shelving any hopes Bugsy has of reaching out right now. Any attempt at clearing the air will have to wait until after their battle, then. Not that he'll likely have all that much time then, considering scheduling…
But if Ran does well enough to beat him and earn his reward, maybe he can at least plant the seeds to make him more amenable to a future reconciliation? Offering him a strong olive branch in the form of his intended reward can be a good start. Then, he can flag Ran in the system, to make sure that he gets an alert whenever the other trainer wins another badge. Congratulating him with a personal message in the wake of those achievements, along with his intended reward, can hopefully ensure that they can establish a proper, less hostile, working relationship down the line.
Author's Note: This interlude has been brought to you by the October Contributor Poll, as voted on by my supporters over on
Patreon. I hope it sheds some amount of light on Bugsy's actions and the larger events taking place in the world, of which Ran is blissfully unaware. Ideally, this shows some of the complexity of Bugsy's position emphasizing that though he definitely has his shortcomings, he's also just struggling to keep his head above water rather than acting out of malice when he seems rude/antagonistic/inattentive.
As this reward is an additional one on top of my regular writing, it didn't feel right to use it as part of the regular update schedule. Depending on the response, I might maintain this approach for future updates, or I might make it a 'normal' update after all. If you want to weigh in on what kind of POVs get written in the future, you know where to go.
