Author's Note: I just want you guys to know, starting this off, that I'm glad you decided to look here. ^_^ I would also like to note that this will *NOT* exactly follow the rules of the average Pokémon game or movie or show, fights between trainers will be one vs. one or double, yes, but in large battles there may be three vs. one wild or even more, making it possibly hectic, but hopefully not so much. Because in reality, not game reality, but logically thinking (yes, I know it's Pokémon ;) ), could a Ninetales single-handedly take down the all-powerful Lugia alone? No, it would take a lot of power, so you need multiple fighters. I know this is long, but I'd also like to add, Pokémon, to me, are not immortal and do not faint when they're hit extremely powerfully, but don't worry, I'm not going to make it violent or gorey, it just might not always be happy. Thank you for reading, please review after the chapter ^-^ Author's Notes will from now on go at the bottom. :) Enjoy.
*RING RING RING*
"Uggh…" I moaned, why was the phone ringing so early in the morning? "Do they know what time it is?" I questioned angrily before seeing the clock beside my bed, it read 12:30PM. "Oh, hell!" The sheets were off of my body in seconds and I swiped the pokégear from the bedside table and clicked the answer button. "Hello, this is Daniel, who is this?" My voice was firm as I answered the phone, although I had just woken up.
I recognized the voice from the other line quickly, although it had been about fifteen or twenty years since I'd last heard it. It was one of the Kimono Girls from Ecruteak City, one of the ones who had taken me to fight Lugia so long ago, as he had challenged me. She had, obviously, aged quite a lot since we had last spoken, and though I could not tell which girl she was, it was clearly one of them.
"Uh-huh…" I muttered into the phone, "Yeah… Yeah I get it… N- But- I haven't- It's been at least ten- No, I ca- Listen! I can't do that… Isn't there another trainer? I haven't done any fighting with them in so long, there's no way I can take down Lugia again after all this time… No? Nobody else? Absolutely no other trainer would be strong enough? Hmph… How do you kn- Oh, so you think he won't even battle unless it's a rematch… Shame? I don't think that has anything to do with it… Fine, meet me in Cianwood City, in front of the Pokémon Center and we'll discuss this there."
I slammed the gear shut and set it down on the table with more force than intended. I slid on a pair of faded black jeans, making them take the place of the gym shorts I had worn to bed. I slowly went down the stairs after donning a plain white T-shirt and royal blue baseball cap. I wore the hat to cover my matted hair, but it was torn along the bill in a few places due to the years of wear and tear. I had gotten it when I started my first adventure and hadn't gotten a new hat since, it was sentimental. Once I got downstairs I saw a sleeping Jolteon under the table in my kitchen, where he always was. Soon after I started my morning coffee brewing in the pot, I heard the familiar scratch of talons on the roof as my Pidgeot began to stir. A loud splash emanated from outside my window, which faced the small pond that lead to Victory Road and Indigo Plateau. Kingdra had woken up, most likely, an hour before and somehow always knew when I woke up. On the couch, in her nearly-arrogant, but not quite, attitude, lay my cream-coloured fox. She was a Ninetales, and one of my closest Pokémon. Outside, a place where there was never a loss of work for him, was my Rhydon. Professor Elm always needed help moving something and he found Rhydon to be a great help. Lucario used to be on my team as well, he was beloved by the town and they had known him since I'd gotten him as a Riolu.
Professor Elm had gotten him as a gift from a friend of his from Sinnoh, and entrusted me with him. He lived long and healthy, my only regret is that I spent less time training and battling, and a little more time with him, I hadn't realized he would not live to be as old as a Ninetales or Rhydon, my team relatively all had long life-spans in years, except Lucario. Lucario had been my closest companion, then Ninetales after him, they both followed me everywhere, and Ninetales still does, she is as energetic as the day she evolved from a Vulpix. Lucario was special to me, and the town was sad to see it happen, but more sad to see me in spiraling depression for the year to follow, it had been three years since it happened, and though I still missed him, I had accepted the fact that Lucario was gone.
Just then, a ten year-old boy, Alex, bounded down the steps. He had his mother's brown eyes, but my chestnut brown hair. He looked at Jolteon, his face full of happiness and readiness to take on the new day, "Mornin' Sparks!" His enthusiasm astounded me each morning, and the electric dog happily obliged to walk over and rub against his leg. The boy gave a small whistle and called, "Here, Dash." Ninetales instantly woke from her 'sleep' and ran to the boy, who patted her head in return. Since he could talk, Alex had remembered the names of all my Pokémon, by nickname even. He used to go over them out loud to himself, Rhydon was Charge, Kingdra was Bubbles, Pidgeot was Flit, he had known Lucario as nothing but Defender, in fact, he never even knew that Lucario, as a Pokémon, could be called something else. His name wasn't a pleasant or fun one, but I always felt it fit him.
John, my older brother, followed Alex down the stairs moments later. He and I looked a lot, but were extremely different in other ways, it was the detail between us that people used to confuse and mix our names up. He had moved in soon after Alex's mother died of child birth, it was a hard time for all of us, but John helped me get through it and has helped watch over Alex since. He grabbed himself a cup of coffee, just as I had, and began to sip. "Mornin' Danny."
"Mornin' John, how'd you sleep?" I asked, making small talk as we sipped. He merely shrugged while Alex entertained himself with Dash and Sparks while we spoke. "John, do you remember, about twenty years ago… When Lugia challenged me?"
John nodded, he was surprised, but didn't show it, seeing as the Lugia story was one I didn't like to discuss and rarely brought up. It made me feel like I was trying to boast, so I just pretended like it didn't really happen all that amazingly.
"Well," I began, "One of those Kimono girls called me this morning… He's back… She thinks he wants a rematch, I doubt it, but she won't let me not go."
John sighed, it had really been twenty years since my Pokémon saw any real challenging battle, but he still didn't like it. "Dan, you can't possibly… He'd be stronger…"
"I have to. I just need you to watch Alex today and maybe part of tomorrow, okay? I'll be back." John nodded, knowing that I wouldn't take no for an answer. I set my coffee down and approached my son, "Alex?" The boy looked up, mindlessly petting Dash and Sparks and nodded with a raised eyebrow. "I have to go out for a while, I'll be back tomorrow or the next day, okay bud? Dad's got some business to take care of." I smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Okay! Just be back before the professor gets any starter Pokémon, I don't want you to miss me getting mine!" He was eager, almost bouncing up and down with excitement, and I could tell.
I rubbed his head and laughed, "Alright, I won't." I smiled and opened a drawer in the counter; it contained the pokéballs I hadn't used in years for my Pokémon. I held up one and Sparks disappeared into the ball and Dash instantly bolted to my side, knowing what was going on. I snapped Sparks's ball on my belt before going outside. Two more balls withdrew Bubbles and Flit before they were snapped to my belt as well. Finally, I entered the lab, and added Charge to my belt, a team of five to fight Lugia, I barely felt ready. "Professor," I asked, trying to get his attention.
Prof. Elm grinned when he turned around and saw me, "Daniel! Great to see you, thanks for all the help that Charge gives us, it really improves progress around here."
"I have to… Go take down Lugia again. One of the girls called, she wouldn't let me get out of it, and she thinks he's here for a rematch, but that's not what I think. I don't know though, I'm going to meet them now." I was reluctant to go, and Professor Elm didn't seem too happy by the news either, but he understood why.
I walked out of the lab with a goodbye and withdrew Ninetales before releasing Flit. "Flit, can you still get me to Cianwood?" The Pidgeot nodded and called its name into the sky before allowing me to mount and grab some feathers on his back. Seconds later, he bolted from the ground to the east. I spent a few moments getting used to the ride again, we were on our way. I didn't want to be going through all of this again, but I feared what Lugia would do if I didn't fight him.