"Nidorino, use Take Down!" A trainer exclaimed from one side of a battlefield, his pink skinned pokemon nodding, its foot clawing the ground a couple times in preparation before it charged, its opponent - a rock snake known as Onix - waited for its own trainer's command.
"Rock Throw!" Onix didn't waste any time, whipping its tail like a swinging sword, launching several rocks from it at its advancing foe. Though, with Nidorino's trainer calling for it to dodge, it had managed to swerve its path to avoid the rocks that fell around it, protruding out of the field like knives.
"This battle has everyone on the edge of their seats!" The announcer exclaimed. "In all my years of spectating the Champion's League for the United States, I can't say I've ever seen such a close fight! With each trainer here down to their last pokemon it is truly anyone's game!"
"Not anyone's! Mine!" The Onix's trainer roared, watching as Nidorino jumped and hit his pokemon, sending it to the ground as Nidorino stood on top of it. Its eyes looking to the cheering crowd proudly, sure it had won the battle. "We're not done! Onix, Iron Tail!" Everyone's eyes widened, the referee who had begun to lift the flag for the red trainer - Nidorino's trainer's victory, lowered it. The rock snake's eyes shooting open, its tail suddenly lifting into the air, flinging Nidorino who had nothing to cling to even higher up. Onix and its trainer sharing a look of victory as the rocks that littered the field shot back to the tip of its tail, glowing as Onix positioned it above the defenseless Nidorino before slamming it down. Nidorino's trainer shielding his eyes from the ring of dirt that the attack displaced, spreading throughout the field like the destruction did.
When the smoke settled, the referee had already risen the green flag for the other trainer's victory.
XXX
"Holy shit, that was intense!" Jason breathed, leaning back into his recliner. His head shaking slightly as he ran a hand from his short blond hair to his light skin. His brown eyes looking at the television. We could all see that he was actually entertained by the battle, despite everything he's ever mentioned concerning the fight while the commercials hyped it up was how easily he could have won it. He was hardly an inch taller than me, and last time I checked, an average frame and about average height did not win battles for you. The single pokemon he had wouldn't have lasted five minutes, and everyone aside from him knew it. Even as he reached for remote, eager to change the channel in boredom, we tried not to call him out on it.
"Wait! What about the after show?" Carter asked, his green eyes narrowed with a hand gesturing at the television. His veins threatening to pop out of his body as he practically glared at Jason, who only steeled his gaze in return. Carter's face becoming redder as time passed, making his short brown hair stick out more than before. I was half expecting them to fight again, it wouldn't be the first time, nor did I think it wouldn't happen. It was actually pretty entertaining to see the military kid go up against the cockiest of us, even if his lean frame took away the advantage that being taller by three inches would have given him.
"I think he's just going to skip it," Jordan replied, his short black hair and wide black eyes giving him a happy appearance, even as he tried his best to look stern and diffuse the fight. I just sat back in the chair and mentally laughed at the irony, the most built and physically intimidating member of our group was the one that disliked violence the most. It's like his body just wasn't on the same page, his entire arm lined with veins close enough to the surface of his dark skin that he always looked like he just finished working out. Lucky bastard.
"Are there any hot girls on it?" Carter just sighed, already knowing his point was defeated. "Then no. My house, my rules."
"This ain't even your house." Jordan countered, a half smile on his face. "It's technically your parent's house. Last thing Providence needs is you owning property. Rhode Island bad enough as it is."
"Get that technical bullshit outta here." I laughed.
"What's wrong with technical, Tom? You really want Jason owning something?" I just shrugged, slinking back into my seat as I rolled my blue eyes. Running a hand through my short dirty blond hair in defeat, letting a yawn escape my lips as I turned my focus to the television, Jason's constant channel flipping making it hard for me to focus on anything I was seeing since I wouldn't be able to tell when it would be replaced with something new. Times like this, I really wished I wasn't the shortest of the group, or that my skin wasn't pale, or my frame wasn't average. I wanted to be strong.
"You'll get over it." Carter shrugged, as if hearing what I was thinking. "Worst that happens is he mismanages his money and makes an ass of himself to the government. Win, win, really."
I zoned out after that, my mind just leaving me to travel to another world. A world where I wasn't sitting in a room with my friends watching the matches that would decide who was the greatest American trainer, but a world where I was a competitor. I had always had a dream like that, but every year when I would watch the matches, that dream would become almost unbearable for me to simply ignore. It wasn't an uncommon one, but it was a tough one, and people simply didn't have the time or the funds.
I couldn't speak for anyone else in my group of friends, but I had college. That, mixed with my parent's insistence that any Pokemon I got would have to wait until I had graduated otherwise I would be distracted. I never really bought that reason, I mean, nearly everyone I knew in high school had a pokemon and they did fine balancing the two. They even had extra cash sometimes from winning battles, but I never got the chance to even try, granted, I would be the one to get easily distracted and fail because of one, but only if they gave it to me during the school year. It's summer, I could handle it.
All I ever see scrolling through Facebook or Twitter were people talking about their recent success in their jobs or training their pokemon, only adding to my desire and jealousy about it. I wasn't alone though, with Jordan also lacking a pokemon, but while mine was forced, his was because he was just being too lazy to get one. I wanted to change things though, for all of us.
"The league this year is kinda garbage." Jason commented, still flipping through the channels when I regained my senses. "I mean, one good match? Come on."
"Like you could do better?" Carter countered.
"Duh. I could kick ass if I did it." He smirked. "Way better than your Ekans. Shit hasn't even evolved yet."
"Dude, you only evolved Chimchar recently... Not like Ekans is a battler anyway, he's my pet!"
"Well, whatever it is, Monferno could beat it, and anyone else," Jason declared, flashing his usual cocky grin.
"I'd like to see that." Jordan added, chuckling. "Your Monferno is nice and all, but he wouldn't last two seconds against either of the pokemon we just watched."
"Nope. It'd lose in one attack. Hell, Tom and Jordan could beat it, all they'd need is a caterpie or something stupidly easy to catch!" I shook my head, unsure of how to take that. Training was pretty common as a whole, but despite Jason's talk, he was far from a professional who could make a living solely off of battling other trainers. It wasn't an age thing, with the regions around japan filled with trainers that are age ten doing that very thing, but experience wise, he wasn't there, none of us were. Everyone kind of just accepts that and won't even try to do it, but if those kids can, we could. The only thing that probably really stops people is the travel, but here we were, in the golden age of youth where doing something like that was actually a valid option.
"Hey, guys, guys, guys!" I exclaimed, repeating myself to get their attention before they broke out into argument. "We should do the league challenge!"
I had expected unanimous nods of approval, not confused faces.
"What are you talking about?" Carter asked. "We can't just up and leave. Well, I can't. I have to go to some fort every month for a weekend since I'm reserves. Plus, you got college don't you?"
"And you aren't even allowed a pokemon," Jason replied.
"Fuck that," I replied, "look. I have a whole summer to get the feel of it and figure out if I can do it or not, okay? We can go, do our shit, see if we can make it to the pros, if we can't, no harm done, be back by August." They looked like they needed more convincing, but I could tell that they were slowly coming around. Time for me to use my gift of gab. "I'll prove my parents wrong, because if we can, I won't have to worry about college ever again. Besides," I began, pointing to Carter, "can't you just go to whatever fort or base or whatever you're nearby and do it there? We can plan it all out. Look, come on, guys. We're all nineteen, when kids in those regions around japan do this at age ten! What do we really have to lose here aside from some time?"
"Well, nothing." Jordan answered. "I'll go, but I need a pokemon, and some money."
"Ask your mom, she gives you anything you want." I explained through gritted teeth.
"Don't be hating on my grind."
"Shit, I'm in." Jason agreed. "You guys could use someone amazing on your side."
"Fine," Carter replied, relenting. "I'll have to make a few calls but I think I can do it. I'm not missing out on this. You got us. We're going on an adventure. I'll drive."
"Shotgun!" Jordan practically yelled. Jason cursing that he missed his chance to call it.
It took a second for everything that had happened to sink in. It was actually the farthest thing from how I had expected the day to go, but not in a bad way. It was actually the greatest thing that I could say to have ever happened to me. I was going on an adventure! I was going to be a trainer! I was going to go home and pack and get a pokemon sometime after being yelled at!
I was going to find my place in the world, I knew it.
Authors Note: Okay, not my best story, or my most interesting, or even my most promising. This story, is more or less, one to just have fun with in that light hearted spirit of adventure with a group of friends around new places type of thing. Least, that is how is will start, I don't know what turns it might take in the future, but if my other stories are any indication - darker themed.
Anyway, its depends on if you guys like it or not if I continue, but as of this moment I'm planning on it. So, as such, I am need of OC's. Not all of them for big roles, but they are available. For instance, Gym Leaders. You get to chose the location, the gym rules, they type of pokemon they train, and create the leader. It's all up to you. Just PM me with the location of the gym, city and state, and the type that you wish to train. The rest I will explain in more detail on the form I send to you.
I am also in need of Rival's for my characters. Depending on how much I like the character, the more detailed and realistic, the more I am bound too, the more important role they will play. PM me for a rival role and I'll send the form for that as well.
This story isn't the Field Trip remake, but rather a sister story that occurs within the same universe, which I am planning to have the two cross paths, so make these characters as great as you can and you'll be bound to see them play parts in both stories!
Until next time, later.
Edited on June 15th, 2014