AoR30

***Bridge Over Troubled Water*** is the thirtieth chapter of *The Angel of Reckoning*. It depicts the climax of Renzo Milos's training with Clair and his showdown with one of the targets of his quest for revenge, Anabel Mistbloom.

## Plot summary

Matt Chiaki, Nekou Lalume, Olivia Mistbloom, Anabel Mistbloom and Amanda Chiaki share a breakfast at the Blackthorn City Pokémon Center, each of them feeling better after the events of the previous day. Their peace is interrupted by a phone call Anabel recieves, summoning them to see Clair. As the others leave to get ready, Nekou asks Amanda to stay behind and speak with her, and once they are alone, asks if Amanda is doing okay after her and Matt's confrontation with their mother in the Ice Path. Amanda expresses a wish to live her life without second-guessing the past, which Nekou identifies with. She also touches on wanting to embrace "who she is" more, which she explains means that she wants to shift careers to focus more on teaching as a way to pay tribute to their grandfather, who had a great influence on their lives. Nekou and Amanda forge a friendship over their shared experiences and promise to watch out for each other.

In the Hoenn region, Zinnia travels to Sea Mauville in her search for information on the Devon Corporation's work with Meteonites. She uncovers old paperwork confirming Sea Mauville was a facility trying to harness Gaia as an energy source, and documentation of a collaboration between Devon and the Angel Corporation, in which Sea Mauville personnel led by Raizoh Cozmo moved to continue their work on "Infinity Energy" at Angel Tower. As Gabriella Bouchard wanted Cozmo's team to find the Megalith said to be somewhere in the Sevii Islands, Zinnia decides to travel there next.

Renzo Milos meditates in the shrine within the Dragon's Den as Clair and Lance have a conversation outside. He recalls his childhood, where he was born to a single mother in Pyrite Town in the Orre region, and was forced to turn to crime to survive. He joined a gang of other street children who stole items and cash to survive, and as the years passed, followed the gang's leaders, Noel and Leon Falco, into Orre's lawless desert to become a Pokémon hunter. When he learned of the formation of the Battle Frontier in Kanto and Johto, he traveled there to pursue his vengeance against Anabel and Olivia.

Outside, Lance insists that Clair not attend the upcoming Pokémon League out of a concern for her safety due to Polaris, much to her anger. Anabel and Olivia arrive with the others, escorted by Fran, and Lance fetches Renzo from the shrine, leading to a tense confrontation between him and Olivia. Anabel warns him to leave her out of his revenge, and Renzo replies that he has a different grudge against each of them, with this being the day they begin paying for what they took from him. Anabel and Renzo take their places on the battlefield in preparation to face each other, with the Dragon Clan Elder serving as referee, while the others take their seats on the sidelines.

Renzo sends out his Whimsicott, while Anabel grows cold due to Renzo's insults, decides to fight at her full power, and sends out a Slowking. Matt recognizes the Slowking as the one that once belonged to the late Rich Mistbloom, and Amanda confirms that Anabel has begun taking care of him. Whimsicott uses Tailwind to increase her speed and dodge Slowking's Flamethrower attacks before hitting him with Leech Seed. Anabel calls for Hyper Beam; Renzo has Whimsicott escape with U-Turn, switching herself out for his Hypno, who is able to survive the blow. Slowking and Hypno struggle, with Slowking using Hyper Beam again to emerge victorious. However, as he is weakened, Renzo sends out Ferrothorn and knocks him out in turn with Power Whip.

Anabel next sends out her Gardevoir, earning derision from Renzo, who mocks her for seemingly not knowing that a Fairy-type Pokémon will be weak to his Steel-type Ferrothorn. However, Anabel lures Renzo into launching a recklessly aggressive attack, which Gardevoir easily dances around before using Mystical Fire to knock Ferrothorn out in a single blow. His anger rising, Renzo sends Whimsicott back out and sets up Tailwind again, only for Anabel to activate her Z-Ring so Gardevoir can use Shattered Psyche. The Z-Move easily defeats Whimsicott, leaving Renzo already down three Pokémon.

Growing even more furious, Renzo next sends out his Camerupt. Anabel switches Gardevoir out for Medicham, who she immediately Mega Evolves using her Key Stone and the Medichamite her Pokémon carries. The pair battle at some length, but Medicham ultimately wins out. Renzo sends out his Cloyster next, calling him his secret weapon. Cloyster uses Shell Smash to grow more powerful at the cost of his defense, then attacks with Icicle Spear, but Mega Medicham uses her four ethereal arms to catch the spears before they can hit, rendering them harmless. She then pries open Cloyster's shell to directly attack his innards, easily overwhelming him.

Descending into a blind rage at the recognition that he will not win, Renzo sends out his final Pokémon, Conkeldurr. Responding with the intent to claim a clear victory, Anabel recalls Medicham and sends out her ultimate Pokémon, the legendary Raikou. Raikou's presence destroys the last of Renzo's sanity, and he rants that he will burn everything Anabel and Olivia have built as revenge for them "taking his mother." Conkeldurr puts up a valiant fight against Raikou, but it ultimately proves fruitless. Using Magnet Rise to leap around the arena, Raikou boxes Conkeldurr into the center of the battlefield before pinning him and knocking him out with one final Thunderbolt.

Seeing his long-held obsession for revenge crumbling before his eyes, Renzo completely loses his composure, raging that he needed to win so he could get a Dratini and obtain his vengeance using his mother's favorite Pokémon. When Clair asks him why he failed this trial, he first blames it on not being strong enough himself, before putting similar blame on his Pokémon. Clair admonishes him for this, and he flees from the Dragon's Den to escape his situation. In the aftermath, Clair tells Olivia to prepare for their upcoming battle, which will take place the next day.

In Hoenn's Slateport City, Zinnia disguises herself and boards the S.S. *Hestia* for Kanto, the first step on her journey to the Sevii Islands. Unbeknownst to anyone else aboard the ship, a mysterious, giant man is stowing away in the *Hestia'*s hold. He tells his Pokémon, who he calls his partner in restoring order, that he can sense "it" is near, yet they cannot search for it.

Renzo flees to the Ice Path, where he is intercepted by Finansielle. Polaris's banker teases him before producing a Holo Caster, with which she contacts Father. Renzo initially rejects Father's words, but when he uses Renzo's full name - Lorenzo Milovy - Renzo is so caught by surprise that he gives in and agrees to meet Father at the Polaris Temple. Finansielle guides Renzo away from Blackthorn City and those he hates, smirking to herself at the success of her plan.

## Characters

* Matt Chiaki
* Nekou Lalume
* Olivia Mistbloom
* Anabel Mistbloom
* Amanda Chiaki
* Renzo Milos
* Father
* Finansielle
* Lance
* Clair
* Fran
* Zinnia
* AZ
* Dragon Clan Elder

## Trivia

* This chapter takes its title from the song of the same name by Simon and Garfunkel.
* It is confirmed in this chapter that Anabel uses at least one of the Pokémon Rich once owned, in this case, his Slowking. Slowking's previous trouble using Hyper Beam is continued from its prior appearances with him.
* This chapter crosses over with *The Gardener of Gratitude*, when Renzo recalls his time as a member of Noel and Leon's gang.
	+ Anabel's Raikou's use of Magnet Rise for mobility is similar to the way the Electivire in Count Fernando VIII's army used the move.
* Some of Anabel's dialogue in this chapter regarding her wish to battle without holding anything back is directly based on her dialogue in *Pokémon Emerald*.
* The documents found by Zinnia in Sea Mauville are either directly taken from or inspired by documents that can be found there in *Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire*. These include the papers by Raizoh Cozmo, who references his son Takao, the character known as Professor Cozmo in the Hoenn-based games.