Pokémon Legends
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Pokémon League Challenge
"Chimchar use flamethrower!" the trainer called out to his Pokémon as it inhaled and expelled a massive stream of fire at its opponent.
"Shinx return," the enemy opponent said pulling out a poke ball and calling his unconscious Shinx back to the safety of its spherical home. "Hope you are happy you won you monster, could you at least have told your Chimchar to use a little restraint with that attack, it could have killed my Shinx."
Chimchar smirked as he ran back to his trainer and climbed up onto the trainer's shoulder, his trainer glared with a cold look in his eyes as he spoke to the loser of their bout, "if your Shinx had died it would've meant that it was weak and deserved to be put out of its miserable existence," he paused to bring out Chimchar's poke ball and returned him into it, "you were so proud of its strength, yet it barely even gave my Pokémon a challenge, to think that someone as weak as you possesses the coal badge from the Oreburgh gym. It seems that this gym leader will be even weaker if your skills managed to defeat him, I'll be league champion in no time at all with all of you weaklings walking around." The cold eyed trainer walked past his shattered opponent and continued down the road to his destination Oreburgh City.
The cold eyed trainer's name was Braden an average height man 20 years of age, he wore a red t-shirt with a black swayed jacked on top and an old looking coin around his neck with strange carving on it. Upon his black spikey haired head was a black cabby hat with a white stripe going down it. On his side was a brown backpack that hung by is blue jeans and black converse. Even though Braden was 20 his face showed the signs of a man aged from a rough life as well as his moustache and small goatee. Braden adjusted the strap on his shoulder and continued to trek down the road in silence for 30 minutes before reaching for his belt and grabbing a poke ball to release Chimchar to keep him company. "I think you've gotten stronger since our last battle little buddy," Braden said with a monotone voice
"Chimchar!" the Chimchar said looking a bit happy that his trainer finally complimented his hard work.
Braden stared straight forward and just walked for a few minutes before speaking again, "… I really wish I could understand what you say so that these group therapy sessions aren't so one sided, I feel like I've gone crazy for talking with you." Braden moved the sleeve on his jacket up a bit to look at a burn scar on his right arm. "Then again it was because I was a little crazy that you and I met to begin with."
Chimchar pointed ahead of them to alert Braden of the sign that said Welcome to Oreburgh City. Braden looked at the sign and smirked to himself as he began to walk a bit faster, "humph we're finally here little buddy, let see just how tough the gym leaders of the league challenge really are, return," he said as he returned Chimchar back to his ball to rest before the big battle they would soon face.
Braden stood in front of the gym where a sign hung that read: Gym temporarily closed all challenges postponed until further notice. "Tsk I come all this way and the leader doesn't have the decency to show himself to me," Braden said in an annoyed tone, "well I guess I have no choice, what else is there to do in this town while I wait." As he walked around Braden noticed a museum down the street, he decided to check it out since he was stuck in the town until tomorrow.
As Braden walked into the museum he saw many cases with fossils of what appeared to be extinct Pokémon, but it was hard to tell as many were vaguely shaped with no discernible features to hint at what they might have been. The only one that caught his eye was a skeleton of what appeared to be a flying dragon looking one that was being hung in the center of the building, Braden walked up and stared at the sign that said the skeletons name was Aerodactyl.
"So I see you are interested in fossils not many trainers ever care about the past," a voice said as it walked next to Braden, he turned to see who it was and saw a young man a few years older than Braden who was wearing a black shirt with gray pants and another grey shirt over the black one with gold strips on the sleeves, work boots as well as glasses and a red hard hat with a light on it. "It's amazing isn't it," the man continued, "That this beauty was once the king of the skies in its time, it's even more astounding that this beast was a rock type Pokémon. I find rock types to be fascinating Pokémon, sure they have their weaknesses but they continue to press forward and always face their opponents head on with rock hard resolve."
The strange man smiled at Braden as he extended his hand towards him, "but I am getting ahead of myself my name is Roark I am a miner at the coal mines in this town."
"Nice to meet you Roark I am Braden, sorry if I do not share your enthusiasm about these fossils, I was only looking at these before I went to the local inn to prepare to fight the gym leader in this town before I leave. This town does not hold any value for me beyond being the first step to becoming the Pokémon League champion," Braden said smugly as he turned around and began to walk out the door of the museum.
"Oh ho you are here for a challenge, I see, well I happen to be a personal friend of the leader but he hasn't been feeling himself lately," Roark said as his face suddenly became sad, "He hasn't been winning lately and doesn't think he's cut out for the job anymore, he just doesn't seem to have the drive he once has when he first became the leader of this gym. I don't know how to help him out of this funk he's in."
Braden and Roark walked outside and stood staring at the sunset before Braden spoke, "I don't know much about the gym leader but what I do know is that if he wants answers, a battle will help him find the results he wants."
"But he isn't confident in his skills anymore, how would the very thing he isn't succeeding in possibly help him," Roark said with a frown.
Braden walked up to him and place his fist on Roark's chest, "because in a battle you clash, not only with Pokémon, but the trainer's ideals, hopes, and souls clash and all answers are made clear."
Roark smiled as he backed up a bit and bumped his fist with Braden's, "Then let's have a battle right here and now Braden, if you beat me then I can talk with the leader and get him to battle you where you can open his eyes like you have mine."
Braden was taken aback by Roark and the sudden fire in his eyes that flared up after declaring his challenge, but at the same time his heart began to beat faster as he felt that this trainer may finally provide the challenge he was waiting for since he began to journey. "Alright I accept your challenge Roark one Pokémon each first one who's Pokémon is defeated is the loser and the victor gets the right to challenge the gym leader," Braden reached for his belt and grabbed his Pokémon of choice, "Chimchar I chose you," Braden threw his poke ball into the air as it burst open in a flash of light, the light shot to the ground before taking the shape of the small chimpanzee shaped monkey known as Chimchar.
"Chim," Braden's Chimchar said as it energetically beat its hand on its chest to show it was ready for battle. "Chimchar huh," Roark said with a smirk, "I see you like a challenge, go Geodude," Roark tossed his poke ball and in a flash of light out popped a round shaped rock with arms that was levitating slightly off of the ground the rock's eyes were closed at first but then, as suddenly as it appeared, it's eyes burst open and it threw its arms to the side before exclaiming, "Geodude!" as it brought its fists up ready to fight.
"Well looks like your talk about rock types wasn't just for show, I don't need to hold back since rock types aren't too affected by fire moves. Chimchar use flamethrower full power!"
Chimchar inhaled deeply, the flame on its bottom grew to twice its size before he expelled a massive stream of intense heat and power.
"Endure Geodude," Roark commanded, Geodude crossed its arms in front of its face as the flames engulfed its entire body.
"Keep pouring on the heat Chimchar we have him right where we want him," Braden proclaimed confidently as Chimchar exerted more effort to create a bigger stream of fire.
"Geodude use rollout," Roark suddenly said as a rolling ball of flame began to approach Chimchar through the inferno accelerating with every passing moment.
"Dammit Chimchar get out of the way," Braden shouted
"You're too late full impact Geodude end it now," Roark exclaimed. Geodude slammed into Chimchar sending the Pokémon reeling back and smashing into the boulder behind it leaving and indent and knocking the little fire ape unconscious.
"Chimchar return," Braden said in a shaken voice as he slowly dropped to his knees shocked of what had just happened, "how? How could I have lost, what was I missing? What did my Pokémon lack? Why wasn't Chimchar strong enough to win?"
"Your Chimchar wasn't the one lacking in this battle Braden, the one who was lacking was you," Roark said as he called back his Geodude and stood in front of the kneeling Braden, "you only relied on power and did not trust in your Pokémon enough to use its abilities to the fullest, Chimchar could has easily dodge that attack if you hadn't forced him to use all his power on that flamethrower, instead of gaining the upper hand you gave me the opportunity to use your own power against you, it is still too early for you to challenge me for the coal badge."
"You….. you're the gym leader of Oreburgh," Braden said shocked to learn this fact.
"I owe you though," Roark said as he began to walk away, "you reignited my resolve to battle so you may challenge me again, but only once you have learned what it means to trust your Pokémon and see them as friends instead of tools, do not disappoint me Braden I have high hopes for you."
Roark walked away leaving Braden in the street staring at his poke ball. "I'm sorry little buddy," Braden said clutching his poke ball tightly, "I failed you this time…. but I promise you I will not fail again," Braden stood up with a fierce look in his eyes as he called out to the disappearing gym leader, "Roark!... I will win next time, look forward to acknowledging my skills and admitting I am stronger than you!" Braden then ran off to the Pokémon center to rest and heal his Chimchar.
"Hmph I can't wait," Roark said as he looked up to the starry night sky before entering the gym to prepare.
End Ch. 1
