Rival
Gary couldn't wrap his head around it. His room dark, solitary as he'd retreated for the night back into his home that he should've left by now. The start of his supposed journey put to a grinding halt.
He'd been given his pokémon as was customary for each beginner trainer, it was supposed to be the best day of his life, the challenge and partnership he'd looked forward to since he'd been in diapers.
Maybe it was the adrenaline of finally being able to battle, that had pushed him past all thoughts of reason. That finally after all these years of telling Ash that he'd beat him when they were trainers would come to fruition, and it had - just not the way he had expected.
It was awkward, nothing alike what he'd seen on TV or during the times his old gramps had been battling. If you're not quick enough, don't react fast enough, you're incapable of protecting your friend, to make him dodge and try again.
And Squirtle, his partner, had tried with all he could offer to please him, performing dodge upon dodge, desperately trying to stay agile with his stumpy legs. Gary hadn't even spoken to the creature before, yet he'd followed through on every command to the best of his abilities.
The runt himself had proven him, of all people, just how naive one could be.
Gnashing his teeth, thinking about it only served to infuriate him even more with how he'd been embarrassed.
He'd hesitated really, all too frequently in their surprisingly short-lived battle and his new partner had taken the brunt of his mistakes. Maybe it was stupid to beat himself up so hard after his first battle ever, but what else could he do?
His journey would be delayed yet another day, giving Ash another advantage over him.
The spherical device containing his new partner lay at his bedside table, not a speck of dirt covering it after his scuffle with his old friend. The turtle's probably still hurting, resting from his beat-down, yet..
He wanted to see him, speak to him. Tell him that he hadn't failed, that he'd been great.
Removing the pillow that he'd covered his face with, Gary Oak rises from his bed and settles himself on the comfortable rug covering the cold wooden floor. He recalls, with odd fondness, how he'd been mock-fighting with his now declared 'rival' just here as they were younger, about the topic that has been on his mind since morning.
'You'll see, Gary! I'll beat you even if it takes a hundred times!'
Awkwardly digging his fingers into his brown locks, scratching away as if to have anything other to do than remember such embarrassing things, the Oak heir leans forward and swipes his new partner's spherical container from his bedside table.
It's not heavy, yet he's quite sure he'd never be able to hold the turtle with one palm like this. Weighing it, letting it leave his palm as he presses the button right in the center of it, he mimics just what he'd done this morning.
The blinding light comes out with a vengeance, harsh against his eyes this late at night, forcing him to momentarily close them when he'd so desperately wish not to. He hears what can only be described as a groan, followed by a minor thunk of his partner's shell.
Dying down, the brightness evaporates in an instant, letting him observe yet again the creature he'd chosen to accompany him on this journey.
Almost half-asleep, the turtle's leaning with his hard back against the bedside table. He's tiny compared to him, yet Gary can't help but briefly shrink back as those dark purple orbs center themselves on him. Blinking as if to regain clarity, Squirtle's eyes seem to adopt a brief familiarity at the sight of him.
"How are you feeling..?" Worry etching itself into his features, he murmurs his words as quietly as he can - it's late afterall.
His new partner seem to ponder over his question, idly attempting to move his stubby arms and legs as if to make sure he can answer him truthfully. A stiff nod of his neck signifies a moment later that he'll atleast survive the beating he'd taken.
It's enough to bring a quirk to his lips despite the depressing day he'd had. "Sorry about that, by the way.." Gary rubs a hand behind his neck sheepishly, not quite used to apologizing - yet he'll do it for now. He would never wish to start this on bad terms.
Tilting his head atop a stiff neck, the elemental creature observes him in silence. Perhaps taking note of his apparent discomfort.
At this thought, the Oak heir rights his posture yet again. Looking weak wouldn't help him.
A different approach to atleast establish somewhat of a base relationship would be better than sitting in suffocating quiet. "Are you hungry?" It's the least he can offer during a time like this.
Squirtle seems to take his time with answers, craning his neck to look around as well as he can. Deep-purple eyes settle on him eventually, offering up a terse nod.
Gary allows yet another brief quirk of his lips, "Berries alright?"
The question seem to bring some much needed life into the tiny turtle's gaze, looking at him with renewed interest at his offering. Still injured, the creature attempts to push himself forward with newfound purpose. Hesitance set aside for hunger.
Gary halts him with his hand, however. The turtle blinks slowly, halting his progress forward. Crawling forward himself instead, carefully maneuvering his hands as if to avoid the injured areas his gramps had informed him of, the boy lifts up the turtle with little difficulty.
The beds close vicinity means that he'll only need to carry the injured creature for barely a few seconds. He's ten years old yet he doesn't drop the Squirtle uncerimoniously on his bed, taking as much time as he can to handle this with care.
Puzzled, yet not unaware of what's happening, his Squirtle accepts the brief pat of his head before Gary disappears off in search of any berries they might have at home.
He returns only a minute later, finding his newfound companion sitting just where he'd left him, waiting patiently. Dark purple settles on the small container he carries with him as he nears, hunger made clearly visible.
"Here." Not bothering with making some fancy introduction, the Oak heir rips the lid off the container, pushing his offered fresh bitter berries forward as he settles himself on his own bed yet again.
There's no hesitance left as the turtle would've most likely dived right at the container if he'd not been bruised and battered. Still, he pushes himself forward and grabs onto it with stubby arms, clumsily digging into it until he recieves a handful in his small palm. Indulging on the berries happily, not minding the all too bitter taste.
It's almost surreal, and no amount of pinching his legs seem to wake him up.
This is the creature he'll have to look after now. Train, feed, and everything else that's necessary. Gary can't help but feel abit overwhelmed, despite all. Sure, he's been amongst these elemental creatures for most of his life, but..
He's never had to take care of anything, he's never had anyone else depend on him.
Now, he does. And he'd failed miserably so far, not only by getting his friend hurt within moments of choosing him back at the laboratory, but by underestimating his own abilities to have restraint.
He's sure Ash had been reading, working and even practicing with his mom's own companions weeks before today. He'd been eager, ready - so unlike him.
And the results of today had proven just that. He was unprepared, no wonder his gramps had offered to hire a driver to accompany him during the whole thing.
How would he even have trained as he'd been driven to and from the different citys Kanto has to offer? Shaking his head, Gary can't help but feel inadequate compared to others his age.
A push against his leg serves to bring him out of his post-defeat thoughts, the plastic container empty as it's offered up to him yet again. When he doesn't take it, his turtle pays no mind and shortly drops it onto his lap - pushing itself forward just abit as the Squirtle settles himself just short of Gary's legs.
It stares, dark purple adopting a more concerned outlook on life compared to the indifferent one it'd had earlier. He meets it unflinchingly, "Do you want more?"
A shake of its head, negative.
"Are you tired?"
Another shake.
Heaving a great sigh, Gary accepts the stubborness of his newfound companion, removing the empty plastic container from his lap and dumping it on his bedside table. Leaning forward, he grips the turtle under it's arms. There's no complaints as he lifts his Squirtle up, settling the creature he'd failed earlier today in his lap.
The hard shell's uncomfortable against his pyjamas, but he pays no mind to it. He rests his chin tiredly atop the dome that's the turtle's head - exhaling through his nose as he's finished, tired from heavy lifting.
"..Do you think I'll be a good trainer?" He's not even sure why he's asking, it'll probably make things worse with how weak he'll come off as. But he's never had the chance to speak of his insecurities out loud like this.
The Squirtle remains quiet, he never expected a response.
Perhaps it's stupid to even think it'll help by speaking out loud. But, he can't stop himself with how easily everything slips out.
"I'll try to be, atleast -" Gary cuts himself off, feeling the burning sensation of petty tears for a brief moment, but he stomps it down. Maybe that match had been just a tiny bit important to him.
He's not even sure how his partner can handle remaining still for so long, even when he buries his face into the turtle's dome as he takes a ragged breath - attempting to calm himself down.
"I'll repay you for today, whenever I can." He's an Oak, he'll keep his promise.
At this, Squirtle responds in kind with his quiet grunt, affirmative. It's enough to bring yet another quirk to his lips.
Maybe losing wasn't so bad in hindsight.
"Are you absolutely certain you'd wish to do this without your driver?" His grandpa has always been a worried man, and Gary's quite sure he's never seen him look this serious when it comes to something that isn't battling or research.
Finishing up packing his backpack had taken some more thought then he'd expected, and it certainly wasn't light. Readjusting the strap of his pack, Gary turned to face his grandpa who looked like he'd aged all too quickly the past hour. "I'll be fine, gramps. I just figured I wouldn't get as much training in with a driver, that's all." The other Oak's eyesbrows rise briefly, surprised for a fleeting moment.
It wasn't a lie, he would prefer the solitude it'd offer with his new companion. It would give him the same experience as everyone has as they start out, the same chances as anyone. There's a certain thrill to it, that's for sure, to be out there and training, walking onto the path his old geezer had done long before he'd been born. With his own rivals, his own goals.
Gary really couldn't help but admire the old man, even if he didn't verbally admit it.
A great sigh is heaved by the weary professor, looking quite resigned to his grandsons choice. "Very well, then. I'll make sure to call him as soon as you leave."
"I'll be careful, don't worry.." Gary's unsure just who he's trying reassure, but it seems to have a sobering effect on the both of them. Quirking his lips up into a brief smile, the Oak heir lazily offers up a hand in a half-hearted wave, ready and willing to make his way out the door-
"-I hope you know that I'm proud of you, Gary."
His hand rests on the handle, the last obstacle between him and his delayed adventure. Peering over his shoulder, he locks eyes with one of the last relatives he has left. Waiting.
"And I'm sure your parents would have felt the same." Ah, so that's it. There's a certain bittersweet feeling when it comes to this subject, he doesn't remember them, really. Perhaps that's why the message doesn't hit has hard as it should, but he shakes his head, confusing his senior in the Oak family.
"Save it, gramps." There's shock written over his beloved grandpa's features, and it tugs at his heart to know that he might've potentially hurt him, but it needs to be done. He doesn't deserve it just yet.
"I'll make you proud." He'll walk the same path as the old researcher did in his glory days. "So save it, I'll earn it." And he'll do it better.
A brief, sensible chuckle escapes his gramps, looking quite pleased despite all. "In due time, then." He walks forward, patting his shoulder once with pride evident in his features. "Go on now, you have a whole journey ahead of you. Just remember to-"
"Call if anything happens, I know gramps." He rolls his eyes good-naturedly, readjusting the straps of his backpack absentmindedly. There wouldn't be room for error, back-tracking if he'd lost something was out of the question.
Samuel Oak squeezes his shoulder one last time for good measure, ushering him off towards the Oak familys front door eventually. "Take care, hrm?" Gary can almost see just how his gramp's cheerful façade crumbles at his last words, the low timber of his voice portraying just how wrong it must feel to be left alone.
It's almost enough for him to think second thoughts, but he represses it, pushing it further into the back of his head.
He's ready. They're ready.
"I'll smell ya' later." Gary announces, turning the handle as he ventures forth into the world he's itching to explore.
Gary Oak already felt tired, his legs aching. The heavy pack he'd thoughtfully put together almost weighing more than he could muster for these kinds of treks. Admittedly he'd put some impressive distance between himself and the tall grass obscuring Pallet Town from the rest of Kanto, but it's been draining.
Perhaps he'd been over-thinking what would be required for this adventure he'd taken upon himself. Gary couldn't say he felt the experience has so-far lived up to the hype he'd had his entire life, but it's certainly refreshing.
Sure, following his gramps on his numerous expeditions and habitual research had gotten him used to the lifestyle of sleeping outside, but it hadn't prepared him for the wave of creatures he's seen so far. The old geezer had always been too protective.
Spearow, Pidgey and Caterpie. Not the most diverse selection of creatures one could come across here in Kanto, but each sight left him with the lingering itch of finally being able to battle yet again. He'd been given what each kid and their mother knows as 'pokéballs' during his initial visit to his gramps laboratory, five of them to be exact.
Forming his lips into a quick and easy grin despite himself, he remembers thinking if it'd be enough. Five being more than enough was one of his quickest realisations, to be fair. If he'd won against Ash, Gary was quite sure he would've been trying to catch everything that he came across.
The need to win, to capture, would over-shadow his newfound albiet awkward appreciation of taking care of a creature. Gary almost finds himself stumbling over a girthy tree-root, recalling with severe distaste just how his gramps had been forced to mend his hard-shelled friend's injuries with haste and care rivaling the famous Nurse Joys.
Idly tracing the tips of his fingers against the spherical device containing said turtle, he's reassured by the cool quality it possesses. That his partner was fully healed and ready to embark with him was something that had left him with immense relief as he'd heard the news this morning.
Speaking of his Squirtle, he's been itching to release his friend. Their late-night conversation, or lack thereof, had left his mind swirling with different thoughts and possibilities.
Firstly, he really should let his partner outside of his container more often. Communication was key, as gramps had always told him. It would give them both a better chance to get used to eachother other than that terrible battle.
Secondly, training. It was both a familiar and foreign concept to him.
It must be quite an oddity with how he'd never actually seen anyone 'train' their companions. He's aware that they do, he's just never seen anyone besides his old gramps when he'd been much, much younger.
The pokédex he'd been handed revealed very little in regards of how to actually train a Squirtle. He'd read up on the species, and only that particular one, as he'd been slowly started making his way into the thick forest that was Route 1.
Watergun, Withdraw and Bubblebeam. It's all familiar words to the Oak heir yet he cannot even begin to make sense of how to actually incorporate these moves into training. He'd actually need to, and Arceus forbid, ask his hard-shelled friend for advice.
It shouldn't be too hard, and perhaps he'll come off as the most incapable trainer this little creature has ever come across, but it'd be easier in the long run if he wasn't just spouting out nonsense to his new partner.
With a resigned sigh, Gary Oak runs his fingertips over the cool metal that makes up the top-portion of his Squirtles pokéball yet again. Unhooking the spherical device from his trainer-belt with some minor difficulty, he holds onto it tightly as he pushes himself past a particularily nasty bush. Paranoia kicking in.
Gary feels just how the thorny branches prick his skin, yet he ventures onward, clutching onto his friend's container as if it were his life - not wishing for it get lost within the greenery. It's a safety precaution, really, he'd never wish for the pokéball to get unhooked and disappear within the mess of brown-ish green.
Finally finding his way, Gary soldiers on through the last thorny branches, the prick of his cheeks and exposed hands only mildly-annoying. Forcefully pushing forward as he nears the end, the boy finds himself haphazardly thewn across the endless grass on the other side.
Excerting some effort to push himself up, grunting at the weight of his pack, brushing off the thorns he'd been pricked with, he finds his gaze locked at the scene before him.
Mesmerized.
From the lush greenery and colourful bushes, to the clear-blue yet beautifully still pond before him, the Oak heir finds himself lost in his thoughts.
It's perfect, the easily accessable water needed for his new partners training, with the looming trees covering the harsh sun of Kanto's summer to leave them both in peace. It's with pure wonder in his eyes that he makes his most important decision to-date.
This..
This is where he'd set his camp for the night and coming day. And they would train, they would train until he were satisfied. Until they were satisfied. He'd study, ask for advice, heed it and perfect it until he was exhausted beyond belief.
There would be no shortcuts, skipping because they were to tired or too lazy. If his goal was to go beyond what his old geezer had done, he'd better start strong right now.
The spherical device still clutched tightly, Gary Oak pushes his index finger against the release mechanism. Its blindingly strong light erupting with a vengeance even during a mid-day Kanto summer, and he shields himself for just the briefest of moments.
He's met with a more confident cry of his chosen partner this time, strong for his size compared to meek and tired one he'd heard last night. It's enough to leave him with a big grin upon his features even before he's able to see the turtle.
Standing strong with his two stumpy legs, his companion meets his own gaze unflinchingly with more weight than he had presumed. "Mornin'," Gary greets kindly, his expression soon adopts a more thoughtful look. "Feeling better?" It's better to know even if he'd been given good news by his gramps earlier today.
His partner cranes his stiff neck, confined to the shell that's been hardened since birth, looking around the clearing they had found themselves stumbling upon. Dark purple eventually finds his trainer again, seeing as there's no battle to be had, and allows a more childish light to enter its eyes. Nodding once with a relaxed grunt.
It leaves him with the same irritating itch to battle.
"Great!" Gary Oak flashes a quick quirk of his lips, pausing as he hauls the heavy load he'd carried so far off his back. With a relieved sigh, he stretches. "Go swim," He gestures to the pond behind the Squirtle with a free hand. "We'll be training come afternoon, so if you'd like to relax before that-"
With a sprint that should not be possible with such stumpy legs, his partner's already taken off towards the clear pond. A splash signifying the turtle's joy.
Heaving a great sigh that rivals his old geezer, Gary Oak can't help but feel like he'll age all too quickly with this one. "Don't stray too far!" He warns, recieving a loud cry in return as affirmative.
It's unlike him to worry further, so he decides to busy himself with setting up their camp for the coming days. They'll have to restock in Viridian, but it'll be worth it, who knows if they'll find something like this again so soon?
With the happy cries of his new partner heard throughout the clearing, Gary Oak finds himself preparing camp with renewed vigor.
Who knows? Maybe he'll even get a chance to study if he finish abit earlier.
"Again," He won't accept anything other than their goal for today. "Just a few more then you can rest, eh?"
Watergun, a relatively simple yet effective move to aquire early on for the Squirtle line. It builds the foundation for both a Wartortle and Blastioise, It's an essential part, perhaps not as early on, but with time it becomes a crucial skill to have aquired to further progress into moves such as Hydro Pump and even Hydro Cannon.
They've been at it for the past hours, a rock threwn towards the pond nearby, its jagged surface hit effectively with a highly-pressurized spear of water. Again, and again.
He's been stockpiling between breaks, studying his pokédex as he's clumsily walking around and picking rocks suited for his companion's accuracy training. Perhaps it's not as effective as he'd have liked it to be, but there's not much he can do right now without over-exerting his friend.
Constantly reminding himself that his partner's young, untrained - that he needs restraint with his desired training. But the Oak heir can't help but feel that the brief progress on a larger scale that they're achieving right now, is special in a way.
They are both laying the foundation of their future. Training, battling and resting - he wouldn't have it any other way.
And Squirtle's doing excellent so far, in Garys opinion. They started at a mere two out of five hits, yet during these hours, they've managed to get a steady set of four out of fives.
His gaze scans over the pokédex practically glued to his fingers, mulling over his choices so far.
Accuracy, and finesse - are more valuable early on than pure power. Sure, he's made the argument himself that with power you could crush through your competition without fail. Yet, he's read enough, studied enough, even during this brief time to know that it's best to get the basics down within the first weeks.
If you can't hit, it doesn't matter if it's powerful enough.
The Oak heirs brown gaze locks with the last rock he's thrown, and he can't help but shiver as a spear of pressurized water connects with it. Sending it flying at a frightening speed out of his sight.
Five out of five, progress.
Quirking his lips up into his usual smile, Gary offers a 'thumbs-up' towards the pond. Marginally smaller, stumpier, a light-blue fist rises from the water and mirrors him.
And he feels at home.
"That's enough spitting water! Lets take a break," he hollers, recieving an affirmative in return from his companion. Floating up, Squirtle lazily swims towards the edge of 'their' pond. Waddling himself over, slower as he is on land, the turtle settles himself by camp. Warmth of the fire started up swiftly evaporating any excess water his friend's dragged with him.
Quietly going about sorting out his backpack without stress now that there's time, Gary dexteriously digs into the pack's back-pocket and offers up the berries he'd found on their way here. A reward for good work.
"Getting a hang of it?" He inquries, genuinely curious about how his partner's taken to todays training. It's more out of concern if it's too easy or too hard, they need to change things up if it's either in his opinion.
Preoccupied with his given treat, Squirtle only half-heartedly nods along with whatever his trainer had said - clearly focused on the task at hand. It's not enough to give Gary a solid insight on what's working and what isn't but since there's no complaints, he can only hope it's good enough.
It's his first day out on the field, worry and stress came to everyone he imagined. Positivity regarding another creature's still a foreign concept yet he can't help but feel he's doing 'okay' so far.
His partner doesn't hate him so he must be doing something right atleast.
"We're going to take a break with the accuracy training for a few hours." He announces. It's enough to catch his hard-shelled companions attention for the moment, berries consumed. "I'd like to focus on something simpler, but equally as effective." Recieving a brief, yet puzzled nod from Squirtle, Gary can tell that he's atleast somewhat focused on training.
"Withdraw." Recognition shines in his companions dark purple gaze. As if to demonstrate his knowledge, the tiny turtle withdraws his head partially into his shell.
Laughter bubbles up with ease. "Yes, like that!"
Squirtle nods as well as he can with his head barely visible inside of his shell, coming out of it however, he immediately starts to attempt getting up on his stumpy legs.
Adopting a frown upon his features, Gary watches with some fascination as his partner finally succeeds. A look of determination is what meets his gaze as the turtle fully rises.
Ready.
"Breaks over, huh?" He quips, that familiar itch for battling back in full force.
The smaller creatures determination does not waver with his words, nodding along stiffly.
It's easy to get lost in all of the specifics of being trainer, he's come to realise. But he'll gladly navigate through the endless sea that's ahead of them, as long as he's got the same determined turtle by his side.
"Let's get started then, shorty."
The cries of the local Pidgey and Spearow herds dominate the early morning training, yet it's barely enough to contain the commands yelled rapid-fire.
"Watergun!" The jagged surface leaves his palm more fluently than yesterday, connecting smoothly with an accurate spear of liquid.
"Withdraw!" This wasn't his idea at first, but it certainly offered something in terms of actual combat to their training. Yet another jagged surface leaving his palm fluently as it heads right towards the turtle's center.
A jump, a spin, and the turtle deflects the rock with ease.
It's been a few hours since they've both risen, most of them spent like this. It was initially a worry for the Oak heir that he'd eventually either run out of rocks or ricochet them to hit himself, but miraculously he'd managed to avoid both.
He takes note of just how hard the little turtle is breathing, his endurance having its limits tested with each rock now that it has been this long. It's a thought for worry, yet he's wise enough to throw in compliments to egg his partner on - just to dodge a few more or hit a few more.
And it works beautifully.
"Alright, last one!" And he really does mean it this time. Determination seizes his partners features yet again, dark purple scanning any type of movement he'd make.
Flinging the rock like he's done all morning, a spear of water meets it accurately barely two meters from where it'd started.
And he's amazed by the progress.
It's minor, maybe even nothing compared to beastial creatures he'd seen his old geezer wield with ease, but it's his friend.
So he cheers, he cheers as if they'd won something great. Because it's a victory all the same to the both of them.
"Nice one!" He hollers over, a big grin present upon his features and the turtle tiredly mimics him with a cry of his own.
Gesturing his friend forth, calling that practice is over for today since they really do need to progress beyond Route 1 at some point, Gary Oak prepares himself for cleaning up their camp. And with a boundless energy coming from such a young creature, Squirtle happily helps even as he's exhausted beyond belief.
Putting out the campfire they'd started, cleaning up all the rocks Gary can find, making sure he has not lost anything important amidst the endless grass surrounding their pond - he can't help but smile as they continue to work in peace.
It's with renewed vigor at the thought of finally progressing that drives him to clean up faster than he has too. The Oak heir stretches as Squirtle finishes returning a few of their rocks to the bottom of the pond, surveying over the area he'd gotten familiar with over the past day.
"We'll return someday, right bud?" He questions out loud, perhaps even rhetorically. It's easy to get lost with all of these small steps forward they've made together, to merely continue to sit here, throw rocks and grin as his partner goes above and beyond to better himself would be bliss.
An affirmative in form of a grunt pushes Gary's thoughts into the back of his mind, offering up a quick quirk of his lips to his shorter friend.
"It'll probably be awhile, so don't whine on me, yah?" It's scarily enough quite familiar with how his partner rolls his eyes at his words. A thought for another day perhaps.
All packed up, the backpacks unfamiliar weight upon his shoulders, Gary Oak watches his chosen partner now that they're done. Dark purple remains focused on the clear, beautifully still pond they're leaving behind. A quiet, meek cry leaves his friend - and he understands.
"I'll miss it, too." He offers, and the little creature slowly looks up and over at his features. A small, understanding smile plasters itself upon his lips, nodding over his shoulder - a signal that they should leave.
"Let's get going, shorty."
He starts, taking his first steps towards the opposite side he found himself threwn out of and Gary feels his jeans tugged at the calf.
Quirking his brow, turning his frame so he can look down at his travelling companion with more ease, he awaits whatever the little creature would want.
Standing there, stumpy legged and stumpy armed, the latter outstretched up towards him - Squirtle awaits.
It's puzzling at first, yet when an insistant dark purple finds his brown, he looks down as if the little turtle had lost his mind at first. It doesn't shy the turtle away in the slightest.
He'll really need to rest when they arrive in Viridian, or he'll actually rival his old geezer in things other than battling in a few years if this becomes frequent.
Heaving a great sigh that rivals his old man even now, Gary Oak squats down and lifts the somewhat heavy turtle up. "This is the first, and last time, alright?"
A happy cry does nothing to ease his future back pain. He can't blame him however, he'd probably be equally as lazy.
It's a long way to Viridian, though.
He'd already set the turtle down barely twenty minutes into their trek towards Viridian City, his back having made it protests at the very unexpected load early on. It had eased up as they'd now been travelling for a few hours, the occassional stop as they'd spot a particularily feisty Rattata that'd stubbornly attempt to block their path.
It was a battle won, and he'd looked on with some faint amusement as the Rattata's herd scurried over and dragged their unconcious friend back into the bushes they'd made their entrance from.
Wasn't a memorable battle in the sense that it had barely lasted for more than a minute or two, but it was their first that hadn't resulted in a loss - even if it had been against a wild Rattata.
With the fresh muscle-memory of performing Withdraw upon Withdraw, spitting spears of water for hours, Squirtle had barely struggled even once. You could also play into the fact that starter Pokémon were essentially bred to be battling, to help trainers defend themselves against the initial wild threats that you'd face.
A Rattata was nothing compared to what he'd faced against Ash, even now he's unsure if he'd be able to triumph over his rival with how hard they had trained.
Scratching away at his brown locks, absentmindedly paying attention to where he sets his feet upon the dirt trail they'd managed to stumble upon earlier, Gary finds himself thinking over just how much of a difference a single day could mean this early on.
He doesn't regret his loss, not really. But it's tough to soldier on when he needs to both push and pull to make up for whatever advantage his old friend might have.
Yet..
His partner's young, they both are - perhaps it's stupid to even ponder over what a mere day would be on the grander scale of their whole journey.
It makes him feel foolish, naive, just like a kid his age should feel as they undertake something as grand as a trainer journey. Trial and error, his gramps had told him.
He's starting to get a taste of that right now, especially the mental kind. Maybe it's just the residual bitter feelings of a loss he could've avoided, but it's unfair.
Both to Squirtle and him.
"Hey, bud?" Gary can't help himself, fingertips itching.
Squirtle cranes his stiff neck upwards as he awkwardly trails along beside the Oak heir on stumpy legs, observing with a curious expression upon his features.
"What do you say about staying for a few more days? Get some trainin' in?" Gary'll stick by his word to his gramps. If he has got a whole day to catch up on, they will just have to commit harder to their training. Perfect what they can, what they know.
He could survive on berries for a day if he ran out of supplies, it'd be worth it though.
The Pokédex is already glued to his hand as it is, spending a whole day trekking along this awfully boring dirt trail wouldn't suit them. Atleast in his opinion.
The tiny turtle seems to ponder over his inquiry, dark purple latching onto whatever greenery ahead of them as he processes it. It doesn't take long, however, as Gary finds his brown meeting a confident purple not more than half a minute later.
A decisive nod, a cry of confirmation.
It does nothing to ease the itch of his fingertips as he rapidly taps each of them against his partners container. A big, wide grin appears and he laughs.
"Great!" It's mirrored by the creature next to him, "I think we can find a good spot to camp for the night if we just hurry along."
He starts with a sprint, grinning wide as he looks back at the stumpy turtle. "Come on, shorty! Trainin' starts now!"
It's with yet another roar of determination that Squirtle picks up his pace, stumbling along with his trainer.
The crisp, cool night of a Kanto summer envelopes the duo as they start to near their end-goal for the past week. The dim street-lights of Viridian illuminating the prosperous city above the treeline for both of them to see.
It's a much needed breather from their couple of hectic, yet fulfilling days they've now put behind them. Endurance, precision and power - Gary had poured over all he could find on the Squirtle line and their limitations as they'd progressed. With more time to absorb the knowledge, he'd found new ways to train that doesn't involve throwing rocks at the creature.
Admittedly, it had been an effective training method but he'd been at a loss how to fully grasp the concept of training at the time. Now, he's still quite puzzled over the whole thing but it feels like they both have achieved a firmer grip on the concept these past couple of days.
Bubblebeam, perfecting Withdraw into something that could within a reasonable amount of time become Rapid Spin aswell as Skull Bash, had been a few of many goals they had set. Not many of them had been met, if any at all, but it was enough to give both a taste of what each day would hold in the future.
Gary feels exhausted, but in a good way.
"We're nearing Viridian, bud." He announces, his usual quirk of lips present. "Wanna rest up? We'll visit the Pokémon Center right away." A bed was something he looked forward to, while tree-trunks could be comfy in their own right, it didn't hold a candle to the real thing.
And his back still hurt.
The Squirtle could probably care less about visiting a Pokémon Center, though at the slump in the creatures stance you could tell exhaustion was pestering his young, untrained frame. A nod being the only agreement he gets out of the turtle.
"I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Get some rest, you earned it." They both adopt a tired grin, Gary yawning after as he unhooks his friends container from his trainer-belt.
With a bright, harsh flash of white - his partner's safely stored within his Pokéball.
He's quite exhausted himself, especially with the load he'd been lugging around on his back all this time. It was worth it to be overly meticulous about what he'd need and not while packing Gary's come to realise. The extra food had helped them both with going through with as much training as they could fit in, even if he'd have to throw in a picky lunch of berries and juice once in awhile.
The city-lights of Viridian's not far off now, as he can make out the taller buildings and apartment complexes present in the city closest to the Victory Road of Kanto.
Gary's quite sure that his next destination is just that. Not the road itself but the route surrounding it - his old geezer had recommended it.
He'll just have to take his gramps word for it, even if he might just be in over his head with visiting such a route. It's rumored to contain Pokémon that'd rival above-average trained creatures, and that's something to be excited for.
Not that they would have even a slight chance to beat a creature like that, but he'd hope to snatch up a recently hatched or young one. A suitable sparring partner for Squirtle, and hopefully to start filling up the empty slots in his trainer-belt.
Pavement meets with his sneakers expectedly, stumbling out of thoughts as he finds himself following the paved trail into the heart of Viridian.
Gary knows the city almost as well as the small town he'd been brought up in, mostly thanks to his gramps active work and the partnership with the different Item-marts located all over.
It's the closest thing to such stores you'd get, Pallet didn't have any despite hosting the regions most renowned expert. Speaking of shopping, he really needed to restock tomorrow. Food mostly, and perhaps some Potions if they had some in stock.
Gary kicks at the pebbles cluttering the paved road he's following, each bounce echoing harshly in the quiet of the night. He's not seen more than a handful of other people since he'd gotten to the edge of the city - yet he's pretty sure most sane individuals would be sleeping at this hour.
Unfortunately, he's still got another stop for today before he can sleep.
Gary takes a good half-hour to reach his destination, navigating purely on past memory to locate it in his exhausted state. It works, mainly because it's a terribly large and illuminated building.
The swish of the glass doors sliding open allows the pleasant temperature of the Pokémon Center to wash over the Oak heir, and he allows himself a sigh of relief. It's empty, save for the pink-haired woman lazily turning the page of a magazine at the counter. At his entrance, Nurse Joy perks up, marking whatever page she'd been at and stashing it away under the counter.
"Welcome to Viridian City's Pokémon Center!" Words spoken with a bright smile, full of life despite the time of day. "How may I help you?" Her expressive eyes full of questions unsaid as to what a ten year-old would be doing out at this hour.
It's with yet another sigh of relief that he unloads the heavy pack he'd carried around for several hours, uncerimoniously dumping it on the tiled floor below, flashing her a tired grin. "A room, whatever's left. And uhh-" He has to stop and ponder for just a few more seconds through the haze of exhaustion as to what his second errand was.
Gary blinks once, recollecting himself. Right, Squirtle.
He unhooks his partners container with practiced ease, handing it over the counter. "He's exhausted, figured he could use some rest after the week we've had."
Nurse Joy nods understandingly, though pausing after a few seconds after she'd thoughtfully put the spherical container on a tray fit for six. A Chansey collects it soon enough, carrying it off through the double-doors behind. "Name?" She inquires, eyes glued to the computer in front.
"Gary Oak."
If she's surprised by his name, it doesn't show. "Well, Mr. Oak - your Squirtle should be as good as new tomorrow." Though a small smile does tinge her features momentarily. He merely stares, dumbfounded.
"How did you-" He's cut off immediately.
"The professor has already registered you in our database, very thoughtful of him I must say." Oh.
He scratches his brown locks in slight embarrassment. However, his attention doesn't trail off for long as she continues. "Also, I regret to inform you that the Viridian Gym has been through some reconstructive efforts as of late." He recalls overhearing his gramps talking about it a few weeks ago. It's still going on? "I'm required to inform every trainer that passes through these doors, as I know some have travelled here for just that. We apologize for any inconvinece this might have brought with it." It sounds awfully rehearsed, but he gets it.
He hadn't even thought about visiting a Gym yet, to be completely honest. "Oh." He's not quite at that level. "Thanks for the heads up." It's best to just be polite about it.
An apologetic smile meets his awkward one, it disappears as she reaches over to her right where he can see several keycards upon a cedar-esque wall, numbers below. "Room 12, just down the hall." A more maternal smile appears upon her features, leaning over the counter as she points down said hall to his right.
The Oak heir nods, offering up his thanks with a brief smile as he accepts the keycard. Squatting down to put his back through one final stretch of torture, he rises with some difficulty.
It's with clear sympathy that Nurse Joy speaks up, somewhat concerned. "Should I ask Chansey to carry it for you, Mr. Oak?"
He shakes his head, waving her concerns off with a free hand. "No- no, I'll be fine." If it wasn't through sheer will, his legs would be shaking.
Shaking her head, finding it somewhat humorous as she politely covers up her amused smile. He'd imagine he makes for a sorry sight.
"Rest well!" She calls after him, and he waves back over his head.
A bed awaited him, and even better,
Sleep.
Merely dumping this here to see if there's interest/gain some much needed motivation.