Kenneth the Shuckle had become famous.
Not "locally known" famous. Not "that's a weird Pokemon" famous.
FAMOUS famous.
The kind of famous where people saw a Shuckle and immediately started sweating. The kind of famous where Brock had started a podcast called "Shuckle Survivors" that had somehow gotten fifty thousand subscribers. The kind of famous where the Pokemon League had issued an official statement clarifying that yes, Shuckle were still legal to use in Gym battles, and no, they were not going to ban Power Trick.
Marcus found the whole thing hilarious.
Kenneth, as always, had no visible reaction to his newfound celebrity.
CELADON CITY GYM - EXTERIOR
Marcus stood outside the Celadon City Gym, admiring the beautiful greenhouse architecture. Flowers bloomed everywhere. The air smelled like perfume and plant life. It was peaceful.
It was about to become significantly less peaceful.
"Okay team," Marcus addressed his assembled Pokemon. "Erika uses Grass-types. We have LOTS of options for type advantage—Sunny could sweep easily, we have multiple Fire-types back home, even Splash would work with his Flying-type moves."
His team nodded along.
"But we're not using any of them."
His team's nodding slowed.
"Marcus," Steve began, with the weariness of a Mewtwo who had been through this exact conversation multiple times before.
"Kenneth, you're up!"
Kenneth made a small noise.
"Marcus, Kenneth is a Bug/Rock type. He is FOUR TIMES weak to Grass-type moves."
"I know!"
"A single Grass-type attack will deal catastrophic damage. Possibly lethal damage."
"I KNOW!"
"Then WHY—"
"Because," Marcus said, kneeling down to Kenneth's level, "Kenneth hasn't had a battle since Pewter City. And a true trainer doesn't bench their Pokemon just because the matchup is bad."
Kenneth made another noise. This one might have been appreciation.
Or gas.
"You are going to get that Shuckle killed," Steve said flatly.
"Nope! I have a plan!"
"Your plans are consistently insane."
"And they consistently WORK!"
Steve had no rebuttal for this, because it was technically true.
INSIDE THE CELADON GYM
Erika, the Grass-type Gym Leader, was known for her elegance and grace. She practiced flower arrangement. She held tea ceremonies. She sometimes fell asleep during battles because they bored her.
She was NOT known for being prepared for psychological warfare.
"Welcome, challenger, to the Celadon City—"
She stopped.
Her eyes locked onto the Shuckle sitting on the battlefield.
"Is... is that..."
"Kenneth!" Marcus said cheerfully. "Say hi, Kenneth!"
Kenneth made his noise.
Erika's face went pale.
"You're Marcus Chen," she whispered. "The Shuckle trainer."
"I prefer 'Pokemon trainer with a diverse team that includes a Shuckle,' but sure!"
"Brock called me." Erika's voice was shaking slightly. "He WARNED me. He said if you ever came to my Gym with that Shuckle, I should just... give you the badge."
"That seems unsporting!"
"He said it would save me from 'the nightmares.'"
"Brock's being dramatic. Kenneth is very friendly!"
Kenneth vibrated slightly.
Erika took a step backward.
"Look," Marcus said, raising his hands peacefully, "I know Kenneth's reputation is a little... intense. But I promise, this will be a fair fight! Kenneth has a massive type disadvantage here!"
"He one-shot an Onix," Erika said, not reassured at all.
"With Rock-type moves! Your Grass-types resist Rock!"
"He launched it into the CEILING."
"That was a gravity-related side effect!"
Erika stared at him.
Then she stared at Kenneth.
Kenneth stared back with his completely empty expression.
"I'm going to regret this," Erika muttered. "VICTREEBEL, GO!"
The pitcher plant Pokemon materialized on the field, ready for battle.
It took one look at Kenneth.
Kenneth took one look at it.
The Victreebel made a small, nervous sound.
"Victreebel, focus!" Erika commanded. "Use Razor Leaf!"
The attack launched—a flurry of sharp leaves slicing through the air toward Kenneth.
"Kenneth, WITHDRAW!"
Kenneth retreated into his shell.
The Razor Leaf connected.
Super effective. Four times super effective, actually.
Kenneth took... approximately 15% damage.
Because Kenneth's Defense stat, even without Power Trick active, was STILL astronomically high. And he'd withdrawn, boosting it further.
"WHAT?!" Erika screamed.
"Kenneth's a tank!" Marcus explained. "He can take hits all day!"
"But—the type advantage—"
"Doesn't matter when your Defense stat is higher than some Pokemon's TOTAL stats!"
Erika's eye twitched.
"Okay Kenneth, now use TOXIC!"
Kenneth emerged from his shell and spat a glob of purple poison at the Victreebel.
The Toxic connected.
Badly poisoned status applied.
"Now use PROTECT!"
A barrier of light surrounded Kenneth just as Victreebel launched its counter-attack. The Vine Whip bounced harmlessly off the shield.
"And INFESTATION!"
Kenneth made an unpleasant buzzing sound, and suddenly the Victreebel was swarmed by tiny, invisible bugs that would damage it every turn and prevent it from switching out.
"Now we wait!" Marcus said cheerfully.
Erika stared in horror.
Her Victreebel was now:
Badly poisoned (damage increasing every turn)Infested (taking damage every turn)Trapped (unable to escape)
And Kenneth was just SITTING there. Waiting. Watching. His empty eyes betraying nothing.
"This is a STALL strategy," Erika realized.
"Kenneth's specialty!"
"But that's—that's not how Gym battles are supposed to GO!"
"There are no rules against it!"
Erika looked at her Victreebel, which was already starting to look sickly from the poison.
She looked at Kenneth, who hadn't moved.
She looked at the poison damage ticking away.
"Victreebel, use SOLAR BEAM! Full power!"
"Kenneth, PROTECT again!"
The massive beam of solar energy—Victreebel's strongest attack—slammed into Kenneth's barrier.
The barrier held.
The Toxic damage ticked.
The Infestation damage ticked.
Victreebel was at half health now.
"You can't Protect forever!" Erika shouted desperately.
"Don't need to! Just need to outlast you!"
Kenneth made his noise.
It sounded almost smug.
The battle continued for seventeen agonizing minutes.
Erika threw everything she had at Kenneth. Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Solar Beam, even a desperate Slam attack.
Kenneth used Protect when he could. When he couldn't, he just... tanked it. Withdrew into his shell and endured.
All while the Toxic damage stacked higher and higher.
Victreebel fainted at minute twelve.
Vileplume fainted at minute fifteen.
Tangela fainted at minute seventeen, succumbing to poison while Kenneth sat there, still at 60% health, looking like he could do this all day.
Because he COULD do this all day.
Kenneth was an ENDURANCE fighter. A war of attrition specialist. A Pokemon designed by nature (and Marcus's obsessive breeding) to simply OUTLAST anything that challenged him.
And he was TERRIFYING.
"It's over," Erika whispered, recalling her fainted Tangela. "It's... it's over."
"Good battle!" Marcus said, completely sincere.
"That wasn't a battle. That was TORTURE."
"Kenneth prefers 'strategic patience.'"
"It SAT there. For SEVENTEEN MINUTES. Just... WAITING for my Pokemon to DIE."
"The poison did most of the work!"
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"
Erika looked at Kenneth with haunted eyes.
Kenneth looked back.
Somewhere in that empty Shuckle gaze, Erika could swear she saw satisfaction.
"I understand now," Erika said, voice hollow. "I understand why Brock started the podcast. Why the support group exists."
"There's a support group?"
"Gym Leaders Traumatized by Marcus Chen. GLTMC for short. Brock founded it. Misty joined after you evaporated her pool. Lt. Surge joined after your Gyarados destroyed his Gym."
"Oh." Marcus rubbed the back of his head. "That's... I didn't mean to traumatize anyone."
"The Shuckle, Marcus. THE SHUCKLE."
"Kenneth's just doing his best!"
Kenneth vibrated.
Erika flinched.
"Please take this," she said, shoving the Rainbow Badge toward him. "Please take it and leave. I need to... I need to call Brock. I need to be in a room with people who UNDERSTAND."
Marcus accepted the badge, feeling a little bad about the whole situation.
"For what it's worth, Kenneth really enjoyed the battle."
Kenneth made his noise.
Erika started crying softly.
GLTMC EMERGENCY MEETING - THAT EVENING
The video call connected, showing four windows:
BROCK: Looking haunted but composed
MISTY: Still damp from training, expression grim
LT. SURGE: Surrounded by construction equipment
ERIKA: Wrapped in a blanket, clutching tea
"Thank you all for joining," Brock began. "I've called this emergency session because... Erika faced the Shuckle."
A collective shudder passed through the group.
"It was WORSE than you described," Erika whispered. "He used STALL tactics. My Pokemon just... slowly died. While it sat there. WATCHING."
"The watching is the worst part," Brock agreed. "Those empty eyes. Like staring into the void."
"I thought I was prepared," Erika continued. "I thought, 'it's just a Shuckle, how bad could it be?' And then it used Toxic and Infestation and it just... WAITED."
"Seventeen minutes," Surge said, shaking his head. "That's brutal, even for me. And I'm military."
"How do we stop him?" Misty asked. "There has to be a way to counter his strategies."
"There isn't," Brock said flatly. "I've been researching. The boy has answers for EVERYTHING. Type disadvantage? He compensates with stats and strategy. Overwhelming force? He has Pokemon that can tank anything. Stall him out? HE stalls YOU."
"He turned my pool into a steam room with a CHARIZARD," Misty added bitterly. "A FIRE-type beat my WATER-types."
"He evolved a Magikarp mid-battle against me," Surge said. "A MAGIKARP. Against ELECTRIC-types."
"The Shuckle sat there for SEVENTEEN MINUTES," Erika repeated, clearly still processing.
The group sat in traumatized silence.
"We need to warn the others," Brock finally said. "Koga. Sabrina. Blaine. Giovanni—if he ever shows up to his Gym again."
"Does Giovanni even know about this kid?"
"Oh, he knows." Surge laughed grimly. "Intel says Team Rocket completely evacuated Kanto because of him. Giovanni's apparently operating out of Johto now."
"Smart man," Misty muttered.
"We need to coordinate. Share information. Develop counter-strategies." Brock pulled out a notebook. "I've been documenting everything. The Shuckle's moveset. The Charizard's Solar Power strategy. The Gyarados's frankly illegal stats."
"Will any of it help?" Erika asked.
Brock was quiet for a moment.
"Probably not," he admitted. "But at least we'll be mentally prepared."
"I wasn't mentally prepared," Erika whispered. "No one could be mentally prepared for that Shuckle."
"The Shuckle is beyond preparation," Brock agreed solemnly. "The Shuckle simply IS."
MARCUS'S CAMP - THAT NIGHT
Marcus sat by the campfire, Kenneth on his lap, reviewing his badges.
"Four down, four to go!"
"Your progress remains impressive," Steve acknowledged. "Though your methods continue to be... unconventional."
"That's what makes it fun!"
"The Gym Leaders do not appear to be having fun."
"They'll look back on this and laugh someday!"
"Based on my telepathic observations, they are more likely to look back on this and require therapy."
Marcus looked down at Kenneth, who was sitting peacefully in his lap.
"Hey Kenneth, do you think we're being too hard on the Gym Leaders?"
Kenneth made his noise.
"You're right, they're professionals. They can handle it."
"I did not hear Kenneth express any opinion whatsoever."
"Steve, you have to listen with your HEART."
"I do not have a heart. I have a genetically engineered pseudo-organ that serves a similar function."
"Same thing!"
"It is absolutely not the same thing."
Marcus grinned and scratched Kenneth's shell.
"Who's a good eldritch horror? You are! Yes you are!"
Kenneth vibrated.
Whether it was from contentment or from the cosmic weight of being described as an eldritch horror, no one could say.
SAFFRON CITY GYM - TWO DAYS LATER
Sabrina, the Psychic-type Gym Leader, had prepared.
She had meditated for hours. She had consulted her Alakazam. She had even, in desperation, called the GLTMC hotline for advice.
Their advice had been: "Just give him the badge. It's not worth it."
She had refused. She was SABRINA. The most powerful Psychic trainer in Kanto. She had trained under the harshest conditions. She had faced the Elite Four. She would NOT be defeated by a child with a Shuckle.
The Gym doors opened.
Marcus walked in.
And there, riding on his shoulder like the world's most unnerving parrot, was Kenneth.
"Oh no," Sabrina whispered.
"Hi! I'm Marcus Chen, here to challenge—"
"I know who you are." Sabrina's voice was steady, but her Alakazam was already sweating. "The Gym Leaders talk."
"Oh, you have a support group! That's nice!"
"It's a TRAUMA group."
"Same thing, really!"
Sabrina took a deep breath. "I've prepared for this. I know about the Power Trick. The Gyro Ball. The Toxic stall strategy. I've developed counters."
"Cool! What counters?"
"I'm not going to TELL you!"
"Fair enough! Kenneth, you ready buddy?"
Kenneth made his noise.
Sabrina flinched involuntarily.
"Let's have a great battle!"
Sabrina's strategy was, objectively, brilliant.
She opened with Mr. Mime, using Light Screen to reduce special damage and Reflect to reduce physical damage. Double barriers. Maximum protection.
"Clever!" Marcus acknowledged.
"I'm not done. Mr. Mime, use ENCORE!"
The attack hit Kenneth, locking him into repeating his last move.
Which was... nothing. Kenneth hadn't moved yet.
"Oh." Sabrina blinked. "You... you haven't attacked."
"Kenneth's a patient boy!"
Kenneth just sat there.
Mr. Mime maintained its barriers, unsure what to do.
Kenneth continued to sit there.
"Are you... going to do something?" Sabrina asked.
"Eventually! Kenneth likes to assess the situation first."
"He's just SITTING there."
"He's THINKING."
"SHUCKLE DON'T THINK!"
Kenneth made a noise that somehow sounded offended.
"You hurt his feelings," Marcus said reproachfully.
"It's a SHUCKLE!"
"And Shuckle have feelings too!"
For five solid minutes, nothing happened.
Kenneth sat there. Mr. Mime maintained barriers that no one was attacking. Sabrina's eye developed a twitch.
"This is ridiculous," she finally snapped. "Mr. Mime, use Psybeam!"
The Psychic attack lanced toward Kenneth—
"Power Trick!"
Kenneth's Attack and Defense swapped.
"GYRO BALL!"
Kenneth began his slow, inexorable spin. Mr. Mime, frozen in confusion at the sudden shift, couldn't dodge in time.
The Gyro Ball connected with the force of a small meteor.
Mr. Mime was launched into the ceiling, through the ceiling, and was last seen achieving low orbit.
"MR. MIME!" Sabrina screamed.
"Wow, Kenneth! That was even stronger than before!"
Kenneth made his satisfied noise.
Sabrina stared at the hole in her ceiling.
Then she stared at Kenneth.
Then back at the hole.
"He just... my Mr. Mime is..."
"Alive," Steve supplied helpfully from the corner. "I am tracking its trajectory. It should land somewhere in Lavender Town."
"That's FIFTY MILES AWAY!"
"Kenneth has been training."
Sabrina's remaining Pokemon—an Alakazam and a Hypno—looked at their trainer with expressions that clearly said, "Please don't make us fight that thing."
"Alakazam," Sabrina said weakly. "Please."
Her Alakazam shook its head.
"You have an IQ of 5,000!"
The Alakazam pointed at Kenneth, then made a throat-cutting gesture.
"You're SCARED of a SHUCKLE?!"
The Alakazam nodded emphatically.
Sabrina turned to her Hypno.
The Hypno was already walking toward the exit.
"Where are you going?!"
The Hypno didn't respond. It just kept walking. It had seen what happened to Mr. Mime. It wanted no part of this.
Sabrina stood alone in her Gym, one Pokemon in orbit, two Pokemon refusing to fight, facing a Shuckle that had somehow become the most terrifying creature in Kanto.
"I yield," she whispered.
"What?"
"I YIELD." Sabrina's voice cracked. "Take the badge. Take it and GO."
"Are you sure? Kenneth's still got plenty of fight in him!"
"I'M SURE!"
She practically threw the Marsh Badge at Marcus.
"Okay! Thanks for the battle!"
"There WAS no battle! There was a SHUCKLE and VIOLENCE and my Mr. Mime is SOMEWHERE OVER LAVENDER TOWN!"
"Kenneth says he's sorry."
Kenneth made a noise.
It did not sound sorry.
It sounded like a creature that had ascended beyond mortal concepts like "sorry."
GLTMC EMERGENCY SESSION - LATER THAT DAY
The video call now had five windows.
"He got Sabrina," Brock announced grimly.
"How?" Misty asked.
"Mr. Mime. Launched into orbit."
"ORBIT?!"
"The Shuckle is getting stronger." Surge's expression was haunted. "It's EVOLVING. Not literally, but... in power."
"Her Alakazam refused to fight," Erika added. "An Alakazam. IQ of 5,000. Took one look at the Shuckle and said no."
Sabrina's window showed her wrapped in multiple blankets, drinking something that was definitely not tea.
"It just SAT there," she whispered. "For five minutes. Doing NOTHING. And then it moved ONCE and my Pokemon achieved ESCAPE VELOCITY."
"Welcome to the group," Brock said gently. "You're among friends here."
"Friends who understand the HORROR," Misty added.
"The NIGHTMARE that is Kenneth," Surge agreed.
"The VOID in Shuckle form," Erika contributed.
Sabrina took a long drink.
"Koga and Blaine," she said finally. "Someone needs to warn them."
"Already done," Brock confirmed. "Koga said he's 'prepared for anything.' Blaine laughed and said his Fire-types will handle it."
"They don't understand."
"No. They don't."
The group sat in solemn silence.
"Should we warn Giovanni?" Surge asked.
"He's not even in Kanto anymore," Misty pointed out. "Team Rocket completely evacuated."
"Smart man," Sabrina muttered. "Very smart man."
FUCHSIA CITY GYM - FOUR DAYS LATER
Koga, the Ninja Master and Poison-type specialist, had trained for forty years.
He had mastered stealth, deception, and the art of the unseen strike. His Pokemon were lethal, precise, and utterly without mercy.
He was NOT prepared for Kenneth.
"Kenneth, use POWER TRICK!"
"Weezing, use EXPLOSION before—"
Too late.
The Gyro Ball connected mid-self-destruct, and the resulting collision created a shockwave that shattered every window in the Gym.
When the dust cleared, the Weezing was unconscious.
Kenneth was at 80% health.
The Shuckle had tanked a SELF-DESTRUCT attack.
"That's... that's impossible," Koga breathed.
"Kenneth's very sturdy!"
Kenneth made his noise.
Koga looked at his remaining Pokemon. His Venomoth, Muk, and Golbat were all refusing to make eye contact with the Shuckle.
"I have trained for forty years," Koga said quietly.
"That's a long time!"
"I have never... NEVER... seen anything like this."
"Kenneth's special!"
"IT'S A SHUCKLE!"
"And Shuckle are GREAT!"
Koga drew a deep breath.
"I concede," he said.
"Already? But we were just getting started!"
"Take the badge. Take it and leave my Gym. I need to meditate on what I have witnessed."
"Okay! Thanks, Koga!"
Kenneth made his victory noise.
Koga would later describe the sound to his therapist as "the abyss acknowledging my existence."
CINNABAR ISLAND - TWO DAYS LATER
Blaine, the Fire-type specialist, was confident.
"I don't care WHAT that Shuckle can do!" he declared. "My Arcanine's Fire Blast will vaporize it! Fire beats Bug, end of story!"
"Blaine, please listen to reason," Brock's voice came through the phone. "We've ALL said that. We've all been WRONG."
"You're ROCK-type, Brock. Of COURSE you lost. But Fire-types? We have the RAW POWER to overcome any gimmick!"
"It's not a gimmick. It's a SHUCKLE."
"A BUG/ROCK type! Double weak to Fire!"
"The type chart doesn't MATTER anymore, Blaine! Nothing MATTERS when Kenneth is on the field!"
Blaine hung up.
He would learn.
They all learned eventually.
THE BATTLE
"Kenneth, use POWER TRICK!"
"Arcanine, FIRE BLAST!"
The flames roared toward Kenneth—
"Now use REST!"
Kenneth fell asleep, recovering ALL his health instantly.
The Fire Blast connected.
Super effective. Four times super effective.
Kenneth took... 40% damage. Then healed it with the Rest.
"WHAT?!" Blaine screamed.
"Kenneth's got maximum HP investment AND a healing move!"
"But—but my Fire Blast—"
"Is very strong! Kenneth just happens to be stronger!"
Kenneth continued sleeping.
Blaine's Arcanine attacked again and again. Fire Blast. Flamethrower. Flame Wheel.
Kenneth slept through all of it.
When he finally woke up, he was at 100% health.
The Arcanine was out of PP for Fire Blast.
"Oh no," Blaine whispered.
"GYRO BALL!"
The Arcanine was fast. Very fast.
Kenneth was slow. Very, VERY slow.
The speed differential was ASTRONOMICAL.
The resulting Gyro Ball hit with the force of a small nuclear device.
Arcanine was launched through the volcano's crater wall.
"MY ARCANINE!"
"Don't worry, Floaty will catch him!"
The Dragonite, positioned outside for exactly this scenario, caught the unconscious Arcanine before it could fall into the lava.
Blaine fell to his knees.
"I didn't listen," he whispered. "Brock warned me. They ALL warned me. And I didn't listen."
"Kenneth's not that bad!"
Kenneth made his noise.
Blaine started crying.
FINAL GLTMC MEETING BEFORE THE POKEMON LEAGUE
Seven windows now. Seven Gym Leaders, united in trauma.
"He got Blaine," Brock announced.
"We know," everyone said in unison.
"Arcanine. Through the volcano wall."
"We KNOW."
"That's seven of us now. Only Giovanni remains, and he fled the region months ago."
Sabrina, still looking haunted, spoke up. "What do we do when he challenges the Pokemon League?"
"We warn them." Misty's voice was grim. "We warn the Elite Four. We warn the Champion. We tell them EVERYTHING."
"Will they listen?"
"Probably not. We didn't listen when people tried to warn US."
"Then they'll learn," Brock said. "The same way we learned."
"Through Kenneth," Koga added solemnly.
"Through the Shuckle that sits. And waits. And DESTROYS."
The group sat in heavy silence.
"At least it's almost over," Erika offered weakly. "Once he beats the League, he'll be done with us."
"Unless he does a rematch tour," Surge pointed out.
Everyone went pale.
"He wouldn't," Misty whispered.
"He WOULD," Brock said. "He absolutely WOULD."
"We need to establish emergency protocols."
"I'm building a bunker."
"I'm moving to Johto."
"I'm quitting."
The meeting devolved into panic.
In Pallet Town, Marcus sneezed.
"Someone must be talking about me," he said cheerfully.
Kenneth vibrated.
CURRENT STATUS:
Badges: 7 (Boulder, Cascade, Thunder, Rainbow, Marsh, Soul, Volcano)
Gym Leaders Traumatized: 7/8
GLTMC Membership: Maximum capacity
Kenneth's Reputation: Legendary (literally)
Giovanni's Location: Very far away
Kenneth's Kill Count:
Geodude (ceiling)Onix (also ceiling)Victreebel (poison)Vileplume (more poison)Tangela (even more poison)Mr. Mime (ORBIT)Weezing (tanked self-destruct)Arcanine (through volcano wall)Various others (too many to count)
Next Destination: Giovanni's Gym (if he ever comes back)
Then: Pokemon League
[A/N: KENNETH SUPREMACY CONTINUES! The Shuckle has become a LEGEND! Next chapter: The final badge hunt and Giovanni's impossible choice—face Kenneth, or forfeit his Gym forever? Then it's on to the ELITE FOUR! Leave a comment with your favorite Kenneth moment!]