Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Only the plot and characters belong to me. Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Inc.
A/N,
I'm new to fanfiction writing, but I have loads of experience writing Chinese novels. The main reason I'm writing this is to experiment with ideas and to gain more experience in writing. This story aims to add a more mature edge to the Pokémon series, while still bringing an engaging story which respects the canon.
My English may not be up to par with the other writers on the site, but I will improve, that's a promise. I hope that this story will garner reviews, and at the very least, PMs. I'm all for constructive criticism, but hopefully it will be constructive.
Now, the first chapter is all about character development. The action kicks in once I get the next chapter up and ready. Readers can expect updates every two weeks. And please review.
Darkest Dusk
Kyle glanced at his Quilava, and then at his opponent, Lyra.
Things weren't looking too good.
Quilava was strong, but he was facing off against a foe with more than just type advantage. Lyra's Feraligatr was a tough opponent. He would know, he helped during their training. Feraligatr may have took a few hits, but it was all from weakened fire attacks. His typing managed to protect him from serious harm. It was nothing compared to what Quilava had gone through.
Before he had more time to think, Lyra gave an order. "Feraligatr, Earthquake!" Feraligatr stomped at the ground strongly. As the ground began to shake, Quilava began to battlefield shaking. It would be a super-effective hit if Kyle didn't think of something soon.
"Jump, then use Flamethrower!" Kyle gave the most obvious order, he needed more time. The flamethrower attack should be able to give him maneuvering room.
Once Quilava was up in the air, Lyra smirked. "Still as predictable as always, Kyle," Kyle glanced at Feraligatr, knowing what was coming next. Lyra shouted "Surf!"
Feraligatr summoned a huge wave of water and rode it towards Quilava. Kyle glanced at his faithful Pokemon. The only hope now was to shoot the charged Flamethrower attack towards the huge wave, slowing it down, and weakening it in the process.
No, that wouldn't work.
Quilava was good at hiding fatigue. Even Kyle had trouble knowing how much more endurance Quilava had left. If only he could fly, like a kite, a plane or…
Or a rocket! That's it.
"Quilava, shoot the Flamethrower towards the ground!" Kyle gave the order.
Quilava learned through experience to never question his trainer's orders, no matter how strange it might be. He just had to trust Kyle, Kyle never disappointed him when it came to last minute comeback. He launched the blazing jet of flame towards the earth below. Once the attack hit the ground, Quilava was propelled through the air at high speed.
Lyra could only watch as Feraligatr's Surf attack missed. Kyle never failed to impress her, yet his main strategy was to exploit every loophole in every plan. Now Quilava was being propelled through the air by the force of the Flamethrower. While in the air, the fire-type had no control over his momentum, leaving him open for an attack.
"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" The water-type sucked in a gasp of air and prepared to shoot a highly pressured stream of water towards the opponent's Pokémon.
Quilava knew what to do next; he got ready and awaited confirmation from Kyle.
Kyle knew that Quilava had thought of the same thing. "Aerial Ace!"
Quilava held his arms and legs into his body. He began his descent from the sky, slowly gaining speed. As he passed the Hydro Pump, he did a back flip, dodging unscathed.
"Try to see where Quilava is and hit him." Lyra started to panic. She knew that Kyle had started to teach Quilava Aerial Ace, but she didn't expect him to master it so soon.
Feraligatr shifted the Hydro Pumps aim, yet it was all in vain, Quilava just moved to fast to target. Quilava smashed right into Feraligatr, causing the water-type to lose its balance. Feraligatr started to fall over, but it managed to stay standing.
"Wow, not bad Lyra, Feraligatr's stamina has sure improved," complimented Kyle.
Lyra smiled at the comment, but wasn't going to give up that easily. "Thanks, but this isn't over yet!" she replied. "Feraligatr, Waterfall!" Feraligatr started to cloak himself in water, readying an attack which could not only hurt Quilava when launched, but also protect himself from any physical attacks, due to the amount of water.
"Quilava, Quick Attack!" Quilava launched himself in a quick sprint, aiming for Feraligatr's head, which wasn't covered with water. Kyle always taught him to use any opening the enemy has to his advantage.
Feraligatr's attack was barely ready when Quilava the attack connected. Feraligatr fell back from the impact of the Quick Attack. Not wanting to see his trainer disappointed, Feraligatr attempted to stand back up.
Lyra looked at Kyle. This was only a sparring match; Pokémon could be pushed to their limits but the main idea was to improve the Pokémon's attacks and abilities, as opposed to knocking out the opposing Pokémon. It was the perfect time to stop, any more and Feraligatr would be injured more than they could heal with their medical knowledge.
Kyle nodded at Lyra. This was more than enough, Feraligatr was a strong Pokémon, but a few more hits could do more harm than good.
Lyra ran towards her Pokémon, applying potions to the scarred areas, healing them instantly.
Kyle did the same for Quilava. Quilava gave him a look that seemed to ask 'how did I do'.Kyle smiled. "You did great, I'm so proud of you." Glancing at Lyra, who has just returned Feraligatr into his Pokéball, he said: "Great work, you've definitely improved since the last battle."
Lyra gave Kyle a thankful look. "Thanks, but you're still better, I guess that I'm just not the battling type," It was true. Lyra's main interest was in contests. Her experience in battling was gained through Kyle's coaching and watching Kyle in gym battles.
"I wouldn't be so sure, if that Surf hit, Quilava would have fainted." Quilava nodded in approval. "Give yourself some credit, with that kind of power and grace, you'll win the grand festival for sure." Kyle never rubbed in a loss, it was just bad sportsmanship. Lyra did great, he had to admit that.
"Thanks." Kyle was just better at battling, she could accept the loss. She always focused on the grace and beauty of her Pokémon, rather than the raw power of their moves. She and Kyle made a good team, he taught her to battle, and she gave him a few pointers as well.
Looking at his watch, Kyle said "It's time for lunch, we're still far from Sunnyshore City, perhaps we should camp out here." They were on their way to the eighth Sinnoh gym, to get Kyle's last badge. It was still three hours walk away, lunch could wait, but after a battle like that, they both needed a break.
"Okay." replied Lyra, she definitely needed the rest.
It didn't take long to set the table. Both Kyle and Lyra weren't picky when it came to food.
They had already let out their Pokémon, Quilava and Feraligatr were napping on the rocky outcrops. Kyle decided to let them sleep, they needed the rest.
Kyle was making some soup. He wasn't much of a chef, but his food was better than anything Lyra cooked.
Lyra was out in the woods, probably training Glaceon. Her other Pokémon were playing with his. They probably needed to relax after a day of training.
Looking at them play, Kyle began to reminiscent on his past.
Most trainers challenge their local league on their first year. Kyle was one of these enthusiastic teenagers. At the age of 10, the youngest age to become a Pokémon trainer, he left New Bark Town with his very first Pokémon, Cyndaquil.
He ploughed through the gyms in Johto. His goal was clear, to win the Silver Conference. His Pokémon were trained, trained and further trained to the point of mastery. Gym leaders offered a challenge, but were barely an obstacle. When he finally defeated Clair at the Blackthorn Gym, he knew that he was ready, ready to be crowned Pokémon Master.
He got through the preliminary rounds of the Conference without breaking a sweat, then the semi-finals. Yet his opponent in the final round proved to be a tough foe.
What was his name now? Ah yes, it was Jordan. This 18 year-old man was from Hoenn, Kyle's battle with him was difficult, to say the least. Kyle's team was static, a well trained team of six balanced Pokémon, each's elemental type complementing the next one. His opponent had a team of six Pokémon Kyle had never seen before. He managed to exploit Kecleon's colour change ability before it managed to cause any harm, and by sheer guesswork managed to work out Shedinja's Wonder Guard. The battle seemed done; Kyle had three Pokémon remaining while Jordan had only one left. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.
"Go, Salamance!"
Jordan managed to eliminate Kyle's Meganium and Pidgeot without losing any hitpoints. Kyle's hope rested upon Cyndaquil's shoulders. Admittedly, Kyle's chances of winning were dramatically reduced now.
"Go, Cyndaquil!" Kyle threw out his final Pokémon. As Cyndaquil materialized, he flinched as he saw his opponent, a dragon which was more than a few times larger than the tiny, pint-sized fire mouse.
"Don't give in to fear, Cyndaquil. Remember that you're the best I've got." Kyle knew that Cyndaquil would win, if he managed to think of something, fast. Cyndaquil trusted him, and thus ignited the fire on his back.
Cyndaquil was no match for the dragon type. In either size or power, they were two worlds apart. Jordan seemed to know that too. He was going to end this.
"Dragon Breath!"
"Dodge it! Then use Flamethrower!"
Salamance shot an emerald jet of flame out of its mouth. Cyndaquil dodged, and prepared to launch a counterattack. Just as he opened his mouth, he was blown back by the shockwave emitted by the jet of dragon energy.
"Cyndaquil, no!"
"Zen Headbutt" Salamance's head began to glow brightly. Once it reached the point of blinding light, it began to fly towards Cyndaquil. Jordan was experienced, he knew better than to underestimate a trainer. This boy had to be strong to get this far. He didn't believe in luck, it was just too unreliable.
Salamance crashed mercilessly into Cyndaquil, head first, causing the ground to crack. When the dragon flew away, a small ashen figure was seen inside the crater, struggling to stand up. Jordan gasped as Cyndaquil got to its feet. How could he have taken that hit without fainting?
"What? Use Zen Headbutt again! Full power!" Jordan knew that if the attack hit, Cyndaquil would be out of the match.
Kyle began to panic, he knew that Cyndaquil was now close to the limit of his endurance, he had to dodge. "Get out of there! Hurry!"
Cyndaquil stood up, but instead of fleeing, began to glow in a white light. Salamance stopped the attack, and the sounds of cheering in the audience were temporarily silenced. This event wasn't very rare, but each time it happened, it was always a sight worth seeing.
Cyndaquil was evolving. His body began to change, undergoing a metamorphosis of mystical means. Cyndaquil's body became larger, as well as longer. When the light disappeared, what was once a Cyndaquil was now a Quilava.
Quilava opened his eyes, glanced at Kyle, and gave a grin.
The two had developed a certain kinship during their many months of travelling, Kyle bonded better with Cyndaquil than any other on his team. Kyle didn't have to check his Pokédex, he knew what Quilava wanted to tell him.
"Eruption!" said Kyle, calling out one of the strongest fire-type attacks available.
Quilava's flame upon his head turned itself into an inferno, a charged blast of heat which, when unleashed, could do serious damage.
Jordan was obviously surprised by Quilava's fast recovery and retaliation. Quick to respond, Jordan gave Salamance the order. "Quick, Dragon Claw!"
Salamance's claw turned purple, and he began the flight towards Quilava. He was fast, and let out roars which would intimidate even the fiercest of Pokémon.
Quilava knew better than to divert his attention to Salamance. He continued to keep the heat charged up at maximum power. His endurance was pushed to the limit. Eruption is an attack that does damage directly proportional to the user's current condition, therefore limiting the damage that would be done by Quilava. Kyle knew what to do.
Salamance was getting closer. His claw was now cloaked in an emerald flame, infused with dragon's power. A long range shot may not cause Salamance to take much damage, but a point-blank blast could just be able to bring Salamance down.
"Now!" Kyle knew that he had to time the attack perfectly. The trust between trainer and Pokémon was put to the test in battles like this. When a Pokémon had to concentrate on an attack, it relied on the trainer to give the command.
Quilava unleashed the volcanic blast of molten lava just as Salamance got into range. That was it, nothing could leave that blast unscathed, and nothing could possibly stay standing after that.
No. This can't be.
As the smoke cleared, Salamance was hovering right in front of Quilava, the Dragon Claw attack having absorbed the power of the blast.
"No," said Kyle under his breath.
Salamance slashed down, without mercy.
"No, Quilava!" Kyle rushed towards the field. Quilava let out a final, spirit-filled growl, only to drop down due to exhaustion.
Quilava fell slowly.
As Quilava hit the ground, the referee declared Jordan the winner, as well as the victor of the Silver Conference. Applause erupted around the stadium, possibly even the world.
Kyle didn't hear any of it. His focus was solely on Quilava's neck. Right where Salamance slashed was a deep cut. A bright scarlet droplet slowly melted away from the cut.
"I failed them all, Professor."
It was after the battle, at what time exactly, Kyle couldn't remember. As soon as the battle ended, Kyle had rushed straight to the Pokémon centre. Quilava was in critical condition. After a few hours operation, the medical team had managed to stabilize his condition. Looking at his unconscious partner, Kyle concludes one thing.
"I've failed them."
"No, you haven't dialed anyone. You did great, Kyle. A loss like this is something you should be proud of." The professor has seen many trainers fail, and they had all felt bad after the loss. However, none of them had come as close as Kyle had.
Kyle was on the phone with Professor Elm, the very same man who had given him Cyndaquil, therefore starting him on his journey. On his belt were five Pokéballs, Quilava was still in the Intensive Care Unit.
"It's still a loss,-" Kyle said as he was cut off.
"No, Kyle, by losing, you also learn something. You really should be proud of yourself. No ten-year old has ever come this close to winning a league, ever." The same lecture he gave other trainers was not going to work. Kyle was more mature than the others, forced by the absence of a father in his family.
Kyle had to admit, the professor made a lot of sense, but he came this close, one last obstacle to overcome, and he would have been the one to be crowned Pokémon Master.
Either way, losing wasn't what troubled him the most, and neither was what he lost, let it be pride or honor. It was why he lost.
His massive database-like knowledge of Pokémon was a massive asset in all his battles. He got this far through strategies, simple to complex, easy to hard. However, Jordan's Pokémon were entirely new to him. A few guesses cost him a lot more than he wished for, but he still preserved.
But Salamance, Salamance was pure power. Meganium's Light Screen shield didn't even hold up against his Dragon Breath attack, and Pidgeot's speed was hampered by the unexpected Stone Edge attack.
Kyle hoped that the professor would have an answer for him as he confessed. "I guess I just have trouble losing to something I didn't even know about."
"I would feel the same too, but your journey just passed its first year. Why don't you think about what you want to do next, you've got a whole life ahead of you," said Professor Elm. He added with a grin, "Don't waste it."
"Sure, thanks professor." Kyle turned off the phone and watched as the screen turned black. What did he want to do next? He walked towards the waiting bench outside Quilava's room.
His head felt heavy as the fatigue of the day kicked in. He still wonders how long he dozed off. He only came to his senses as the now recovered Quilava twitched his ear.
"Quilava?" Kyle's query was answered by a growl, followed by a nod. The sun had already rose outside. He must have slept through the night.
Replaying the events of the day, tears began to form in Kyle's eyes. He couldn't help but notice the scar on Quilava's neck. He hugged Quilava, thanking him for everything he had done. Quilava instinctively returned the gesture. The bond between the two was strong, very strong.
Kyle didn't notice the tall, strong figure approaching them.
"You're Kyle right?" asked a familiar voice.
Kyle turned to face the tall figure behind him. The same person who had defeated him that very afternoon was standing right behind him. He was wearing a casual T-shirt, as opposed to the jacket and overalls he wore during the battle.
"Yeah, I'm Kyle." He knew that this man was not going to rub in the wounds formed through the loss. He just didn't seem the type.
"Thanks for the battle this afternoon, you're going to win the Champion League, I'm sure of it." Accepting his loss, Kyle gave the man the congratulations he deserved.
"Thanks. I'm most amazed by the bond between you and your Quilava. There seems to be a certain spark between you two." Jordan continued, "I believe you two have been travelling since the beginning, am I right."
"Yes." Kyle replied while rubbing Quilava's head. Quilava growled in satisfaction. "I never saw it as strange though. I always thought that the bond between trainer and starter would be the strongest.
Jordan could see that this young boy was intrigued by his point of view. "That's true. However, I notice that you have bonded extremely well with your Quilava, as your other Pokémon." His words were sincere; he has never seen a trainer bond this well with his Pokémon, never mind a young boy like this.
"Really?" Kyle looked up, as Quilava did as well.
The older trainer nodded. "Yes. The same bond is what made Quilava evolve." He gave the boy a smile. "It takes a long time to nurture this bond, but when maximized, Pokémon will be pushed pass their maximum potential."
Jordan sat beside Kyle and Quilava. He could see that the two were extremely absorbed in what he had to say. Quilava lied lazily on Kyle's knees. "It took me years to understand this, but I never managed to master it." Jordan looked straight at the boy, and said "you should be able to, I know it."
Kyle never knew what to say. Here was the trainer who defeated him, telling him that he could be better. Nothing could possibly cheer him up more. Neither did he expect the trainer's next offer.
"How would you like to go to Hoenn?"
They've practiced this for a long time. They had to get this right.
"Glaceon, use Barrier."
Glaceon, upon hearing Lyra's command, focused here energy on creating a shield around her body. In moments, her body was covered in a topaz aura.
Here comes the hard part. "Glaceon, Quick Attack."
This was a complicated maneuver. Barrier is an attack meant to increase a Pokémon's defense. The combination Lyra was practicing required Glaceon to break free from the boundary of the shield, while still maintaining it.
Quick Attack isn't the fastest move, but Kyle's tutoring managed to make it just fast enough for what Lyra had in mind. Sometimes.
Glaceon made sure the shield would hold, the unleashed a burst of blinding speed to leave the shield. Once she got out, Glaceon braked gracefully. Right behind her, was the slowly dissolving aura, still in her shape.
Timing was everything here. Lyra's earlier attempts failed simply because she gave the next command too quickly, or too slow.
Now!
"Blizzard!"
Timing the shot just perfectly, Glaceon breathed in and unleashed a blast of sub-zero temperature air. The attack centered on the blurring figure, then wrapped itself around the shape.
"Ice Beam!"
Their most recent attempts have failed because Blizzard was only in gaseous form. Ice Beam, as Kyle said, could sublimate, giving Blizzard a solid form.
"Let's hope this works," said Lyra under her breath.
Glaceon fired off a ray of sapphire energy from her mouth. The zigzagging beam approached the form of gas and crashed straight into it.
The result was absolutely beautiful. Where Glaceon stood at the beginning now stood an ice copy of her. The sunlight's rays shone through the translucent ice, causing it to shine as if it was almost alive.
Glaceon looked at her masterpiece. Satisfied with herself, she allowed herself a calm, victorious grin. She finally did it, practice does make perfect.
"You did great, Glaceon." Lyra said as she walked towards the fox-like Pokémon. Lyra was always proud that her Pokémon managed to effortlessly present themselves with a grace and beauty which was wholly engrossing.
Lyra never expected to get this far, she was now well on her way to becoming a top coordinator.
She always had a dream, to be a coordinator. She always found herself amazed by how coordinators managed to make their Pokémon shine, bringing out the best in any one of them.
However, she wasn't without her faults. She has a bad case of stage fright. Her previous experiences were things she didn't want to talk about. It was a weird merger of personality and ambition.
She was a year younger than Kyle. They were both childhood playmates, possibly the best of friends, but that was all it was, and all it would be.
She always felt sad that Kyle lost in the Silver Conference. She always thought that Kyle would emerge victorious. She never expected Kyle to come visiting her, with a smile on his face. She couldn't see a shadow of grief in Kyle's eyes.
Kyle was there with a proposition, on she would find hard to resist.
"You're starting on your journey this year, right?" asked Kyle. She just celebrated her tenth birthday two weeks ago, just as Kyle won the semi-finals of the Silver Conference.
As she nodded, Kyle continued. "You've always wanted to be a coordinator, right?"
Kyle was one of the few who knew about her dreams. Why bring up the subject now?
"How about following me to Hoenn?" Kyle asked. He knew for sure that Lyra would agree, she just couldn't resist the chance.
And sure enough, she did. That was the gateway to her dreams. Contests wouldn't be held in Johto for years to come, and Hoenn was the birthplace of Pokémon Contests. The choice was made before she even knew it. Asking for permission was easy, and so was her choice of starter. The Totodile was just too cute to ignore. It was pumped full of life, and would eventually become Lyra's best Pokémon.
She knew her goal, to win the Hoenn Grand Festival. Kyle's goal was the unclear one. His training regime was focused more on getting closer to his Pokémon than improving their battle capabilities. He also battled many trainers, caught many Pokémon, and spent more time training his newly caught Pokémon, which he sent back to Professor Elm nearing the end of their short-lived, yet fruitful training.
What's complicated is that Kyle challenged gyms, but wasn't going to challenge the Ever Grande Conference. What's the point in collecting badges, or even going on this journey in the first place?
Lyra never understood, "Why not?" she asked with curiosity.
"You'll understand soon. Trust me."Always the secretive one, Kyle let her find out the answer for herself. Lyra now thinks that Kyle expected everything to unfold naturally.
She eventually understood. Her first contest was a massive failure. Stage fright combined with inexperience literally brought her to her knees. She didn't even get past the appeal round. If not for Kyle, she wouldn't have continued.
"You know, contests are more about the Pokémon than the trainer." Kyle said to her when they camped out the night after the contest. Kyle saw her showing herself off, rather than Totodile. It wasn't clear to him on how contests worked, but he was sure that the Pokémon are what's meant to be shown off.
"What do you know?" Lyra was still embarrassed about her debut, throwing tantrums were part of the acceptance.
"I know that you've fallen, you just need to stand back up." Kyle said with a smile. "I've fallen too, you know. Even when you keep falling, you make it a step further."
Lyra looked at the Kyle who was barely a year older than her. It seemed that there was more than just a year's difference between them. Kyle was obviously the more mature of the two. He had a different mindset to everything.
"Thanks," said Lyra, letting the tears flow. She never understood how Kyle could say the right things, at the right time. Kyle just had the fast thinking mind that made people feel good to be beside him.
" I'll help you with your combinations , if you need me." Kyle pulled her up. She never knew how to thank Kyle. He helped her a lot, and eventually, she won her first ribbon, the Slateport City Ribbon.
She got better in contests, and while she lost in her three grand festivals, she knew that this was the year she was going to emerge victorious.
Kyle wasn't going to try the tournament because he didn't want to win it, he wanted to ace it, and he wanted to win without breaking a sweat, without making his Pokémon face another loss.
And somehow, Lyra knew that he was going to do it. He definitely was going to win.
In a meadow, both of them were playing.
An evil smile the one who watched them. "Now."
A blur leaped from of the tip of the nearby hill. After a moment's stunned silence, a nightmare broke loose.
A/N
That's chapter 1, hope you liked it. If you did, spread the word. If you didn't, leave a comment or PM me, telling me what I did wrong, and how I can fix the flaws.
I love writing, that's just what I do. This fic will be completed, that's a promise. I'm currently getting closer to the exams, but I can guarantee you an update by 16th of October. Even so, I might just update earlier, the next chapter is almost finished, I just need to finalise it.
Once again, thanks for reading, and please review. I read all of them, even if I don't reply to all of them. It'll be a lot of help.
Xuan Yin.