Work Text:
Technical Machine #25: Facade
Normal-Type - 70 Power
This move doubles its power if the user is poisoned, burned, or paralyzed.
Its namesake was something that young Nemona was seemingly familiar with.
Top Champion Geeta, La Primera of Paldea, had a problem, and it had everything to do with her Champion-ranked challenger. She didn’t have much time to spare, even for the Academy, but every time she visited, she couldn’t shake the wrongness permeating her being.
When Nemona had challenged her, she’d been nothing short of a ball of energy, even after four consecutive battles with the Elite Four. Her face was constantly split cheek-to-cheek with a smile, even when her strategies went awry due to luck or circumstance. It rolled right off her back, and for every slip-up, she’d hit back twice as hard. She would bounce from foot-to-foot, like she wanted to hop right in the ring herself. And when she’d won, she’d cried with more excitement than even Hassel could match.
But no matter what, she never seemed to be able to find that bright, shining girl. She only found a strange doppelgänger, one who looked and sounded exactly like her, but had none of the energy or excitement.
The teachers spoke of the rumor mill behind closed doors. That Nemona was too much for most students, their council president who advocated for a battle club every meeting with no luck. She could beat anyone in a battle, and most students would walk the other direction when she was ready for another challenge.
She was isolated from her peers. Everyone only saw the spectacle of their Champion-ranked peer. She was admired, spoke of with admiration or jealousy, but no one dared approach. Whether they didn’t feel they could keep up, or were just warded off by her constant high energy, things stayed that way.
Admired, but not loved. How awful for a teenager.
She spoke privately to Clavell several times, and while he had tried his best time and time again, his options were limited, and the rumors only grew. She was a prodigy from a rich family, of course she could become a Champion. She probably only challenged them just to feel good about trouncing them. Nonsense, all of it.
In the spaces between, solitary moments in the Academy, or her occasional returns to the Pokemon League to rematch one of the Elite Four, Geeta bore witness to the true Nemona under her facade. The stars in her eyes as she battled, her energy as she took each blow in stride, laughing and smiling through victory and defeat alike. She was undeniably bright, able to match Geeta in any test of Pokemon knowledge, rattling off moves and types and anything else she could think of. And whatever Nemona didn’t get, she never failed on a second attempt, she made sure of it.
It killed her, in all honesty. She had no desire for a partner or a child, but watching Nemona’s star rise stirred the same sort of feeling that a parent must’ve felt watching their child grow. Conversely, watching her hide and struggle under the gaze of her peers evoked the same frustration that made her want to gather every student who’d spoken poorly of the girl and ream each and every one of them.
Until, finally, something changed.
At first, she didn’t think it was of much note. Geeta had visited the Academy, and spent a few minutes talking to Nemona about the upcoming school year, and the young Champion mentioned a new student having moved in. She quite literally ran into her upon leaving, and if the spark in Nemona’s eyes was any indication, she was happy to see this new student.
Geeta was worried for her at first, afraid that she would just be hurt again when this new student caught up to everyone else. But as they spoke again and again, Nemona only seemed brighter over each call, speaking of the student’s rise through the gyms.
She finally found a moment to meet the both of them at once, and their battle, while short, spoke volumes. Juliana was more than a match for her energy and battle prowess, and actually managed to soundly defeat the Champion-ranked Trainer. Nemona wasn’t using her full strength, of course, but it was still notable. And the girl reportedly had a twin, Florian, who was also fairly renowned in his own rights. Nemona’s excitement suddenly became much more understandable.
She heard more and more about these two Trainers, their antics and slowly growing strength, and Geeta finally saw that old facade begin to fall away. Even among the Academy, she slowly began to reveal her true self more and more. She let herself be excitable, upfront about her interests, helping the younger or more inexperienced students with battle tricks and tactics.
And finally, Juliana had reached the peak. She passed the Champion Assessment with flying colors, and Nemona found herself with a rival on even footing with herself, someone who could meet her might and finally truly compete with.
And Nemona lost. She was overjoyed by this.
Finally, that light had truly come back, blazingly bright. Her efforts had borne fruit, and she had finally met her match. And even from the fringes of the crowd, Geeta could tell she was overjoyed.
And suddenly the shell that had cracked was shattered. After whatever nightmare they’d experienced in Area Zero, she suddenly found herself surrounded by true friends. The boisterous Arven, the reclusive Penny, the quiet Florian, and the energetic Juliana.
(Geeta was still bothered by the lack of information. No one seemed willing to divulge everything that had occurred, and the cameras they could access were few and far between, either rendered inactive by time or locked by the professors. Or perhaps, their AI recreations?)
Now, the girl was nothing but smiles, always surrounded by people to keep her energy measured or match her in battle. They poked fun, they teased, but it was spread equally, and all in good fun, never judging or criticizing her for what she loved doing. Geeta felt like every time she checked in on the young Champion, she was excitedly telling another story about whatever antics they got into, whether it was a in-school battle or something about Arven getting lost in the mountains and being chased by a Cetitan.
Nemona was happy. She had true friends. She was finally free to be her true self once again.
Geeta couldn’t be prouder. She’d finally thrown away her facade, once and for all.