2BA Master
The Kanto Series
Chapter 1: A Journey's Start
The bright lights of the stadium illuminated the battle field, bathing the participants of the battle in warm light. Flashes from audience cameras flickered around the stadium's risen bleachers. Screams of joy and anticipation echoed through the night. Overhead, the full moon, surrounded by a mass of twinkling stars, looked down at the sight of the battle.
A young girl stood on a raised platform, a minimized red and white Pokéball in her right hand. A look of determination was set onto her young face along with a smug half-smile, turned up in the corner. Her bright meadow green eyes were narrowed and sparkling in excitement as she twirled her final Pokéball in her thin fingers.
Across the empty battlefield, stood a man in the platform opposite, a ball-cap atop a mess of black hair. He wore a black cloak across a pair of faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt. A pair of fingerless black gloves topped the outfit. The girl's grin widened as the Pokéball in her hand grew warm and expanded.
It was time.
"It's over, Champion! It's time to claim my victory!"
She smiled and launched the Pokéball toward the center of the battlefield where it snapped open in a burst of white hot energy. A large tortoise-like Pokémon erupted from the light and cried its name loudly. The crowd exploded in cheers and the girl felt her cheeks burn from smiling so much.
Her opponent, the Kanto Champion, smirked and glared at her with intense eyes. "Oh, really, little girl? You seriously think you can win this battle? You may have fought well up to this point, but that's all going to change." His left hand raised slightly and quickly lowered in a summons. A bright yellow Pokémon approached the edge of the platform from behind the Champion's feet. "Poor little girl. You're too young to understand, but you have no chance against... PIKACHU!"
The girl groaned suddenly as the crowd exploded in cheers and applause and quickly covered her ears against the noise, fighting the urge to be sick all over the platform. Her stomach did a quick flip and she shut her eyes tightly. Determination filled her veins and her blood grew hot under her skin. Her eyes widened and cut harshly to the man. "You think that just because I am young that I don't stand a chance! I will be a Pokémon Master by the end of this battle!" She held out a finger toward the Pikachu as it leaped into the center of the ring. "Blastoise! Hydro Pump!"
Her Blastoise roared loudly and inhaled, preparing for the strongest water attack his kind could muster.
"Mere child's play! PIKACHU, THUNDER!" The man cried and Pikachu leapt into the air, its red cheeks sparking dangerously. It cried its name loudly and the crowd roared. The two Pokémon released their attacks simultaneously. Electricity crackled in the stadium and the rush of water echoed off the stone walls.
The girl's eyes widened as the blast of the two attacks collided and caused a small explosion in the middle of the arena. She screamed loudly and covered her eyes from the bright light of the explosion. The boom that accompanied it rang in her ears and she shuddered. Her knees gave way from under her, and she fell to the floor of the platform.
Aquamarine blinked suddenly as she awoke from her dream of challenging the Champion of Kanto, half fallen from her bed and sweat running down her back. Outside of her window, the bright lights of the Viridian sunrise momentarily blinded her, but she brushed her meadow green eyes and allowed them to slowly adjust. She slowly looked around her room. The dark blue bubble wallpaper and shaded light blue lamps gave the room the impression of being underwater and gave her a sense of calm. She adjusted her white pajamas and kicked off her Goldeen bed sheets. Breathing a sigh of relief, she adjusted herself and crossed her legs under her. "Only a dream..." she muttered.
"AQUAMARINE STONE! Are you awake yet? You're going to be late!" The shrill voice of her mother fully snapped her from her grogginess and she glanced at the Starmie clock on the wall opposite of her bed.
8:36 AM.
Late. Shrieking aloud a the sight of the time, she quickly scrambled into a black skirt, white belt, teal tank top, and a pair of sneakers. She ran a brush through her slightly-longer-than-her-shoulders hair and threw it up in a messy ponytail. Dashing down the stairs, she ran into the kitchen, slipping a little on the tile. "Thanks, mom! See you later!" She quickly grabbed a piece of toast from the toaster and ran out the door toward Route 1.
A young man brushed his dark green hair out of his eyes as he glanced out of the second story window of the laboratory. His dark eyes lit up in child-like excitement at the sight of two young children walking up the pathway. "Gary!" he called out over his shoulder toward the office, "the new trainers are here!"
Gary Oak stepped out of the office and closed the door behind him. His dark brown hair had fallen over an eye and he smirked at the enthusiastic artist. "Yeah, yeah, Tracey, I know. I'm going." He slowly made his way to the staircase and straightened his lab coat. "Every couple of weeks, it's the same old thing. New trainees from all over the region, coming to this little town to get their first Pokémon and start their journeys." He paused on the stairs when his eyes came across a familiar picture. His grandfather, the first Pokémon professor in his family, was standing outside of the ranch at the back of the lab, smiling warmly at the camera. Two young boys were sitting on the gate that housed the Tauros, Scythers, Rapidash, Pinsir, and Nidoran families. The first boy was smiling underneath a red and white baseball cap with a green design on the front. He wore fingerless gloves and was giving the camera a victory sign. The second boy had a mop of messy brown hair and dark eyes. He had his arm around the first boy and was holding a shrunken Pokéball in-between his index and middle fingers and thumb.
Gary's eyes misted over a little and he grinned, wiping away unshed tears. "Well, not that I can really blame them, huh, Ashy-boy?" he recalled, tapping the face of the first boy in the frame. "Grandpa would've been proud of you. Of both of us."
Gary was snapped out of his memories of his former rival by the sound of the front door of the lab being pushed open and a young girl's voice accompanying it. "Hello? Is anyone here!"
He sighed and continued to the bottom of the staircase. He turned the corner and came across the two new trainers talking. It seemed that they had yet to notice him, so he took the time to observe and size them both up.
The first trainer was a girl with violet hair pulled into two matching low ponytails at the base of her skull. They were each tied back with light purple bows. She wore a pair of hip-hugging blue jeans and a white belt. Her torso was covered with a light purple tank top that matched the bows in her hair. The tank top cut just above the bottom of her ribcage and a white and violet vest covered where the shirt left off. A pair of white and purple goggles donned her head and her short bangs were pushed away from her face. On her hands, she wore a pair of fingerless white and purple gloves that matched her goggles and vest perfectly and on her feet, a matching pair of comfortable looking sneakers. By her feet, a matching purple and white backpack sat, crumpling in on itself slightly. She had her arms crossed over her chest and blew a large pink bubble impatiently.
The second trainer was a be-speckled boy with blue hair, dark enough to be considered either indigo or black. He fidgeted nervously and adjusted his black and dark blue backpack from one shoulder to the other. He was dressed casually in a dark blue t-shirt with black pockets on the arms, a pair of dark denim jeans with a black belt, and a pair of black sneakers with dark blue laces. "Maybe we're too early?"
The girl groaned softly at her companion and blew a second bubble, letting the smell of the bubblegum waft in the air for a second before she popped it in her teeth. "Don't be stupid, Cyan! The professors at the academy said Monday morning, 9:00 AM sharp! If being five minutes is being too early, then they're all idiots."
Cyan shifted in agitation and glared at the girl out of the corner of his eyes. "No need to be hostile, Lilac. I'm just making an observation." He pulled his glasses away from his eyes and wiped the glass on his shirt.
"Yeah, a stupid observation. Just because there doesn't seem to be anyone around doesn't mean we're too early. It just means this stupid professor is late or something."
Gary cleaned his throat and adjusted his lab coat. "Actually, this stupid professor has been behind you for quite some time." He smiled in satisfaction as the two trainers spun around on their heels. Lilac released an undignified squeak and swallowed her gum.
"Professor Oak!" She turned a bright scarlet and cast her eyes down to the floor. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean...!"
Gary shrugged. "Hey, kid, it's fine. Don't worry about it." He placed a hand on the two ten-year-olds shoulders and led them to the back of the lab. "I was under the impression that there would be three of you from the academy."
Cyan stifled a laugh and replaced his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "The third graduate is Aqua. I wouldn't doubt if the girl got some kind of late start or something. She tends to sleep in when she's excited and anticipating something."
Gary chuckled to himself and sighed. "That sounds like a certain someone I know quite well. Anyway, while she makes her way here, what do you say to getting started? We'll start you off with your Pokémon, and then we'll set the two of you up with your very own Pokédex." He smiled as he led the two new trainers into the back room.
Aqua stared up at the lab and brushed tears from her eyes. A clock tower from a distance away chimed the noon hour, reminding Aqua just how late she really was. She would have been just a few minutes late, thirty at the most, if it weren't for Route 1's dense forest areas and high grasses. What should have been a twenty minute run turned into three hours of wandering around a very short route, completely and totally lost. And to top it all off, by the time she had gotten to Pallet Town, Aqua realized that she had left her backpack sitting on her kitchen floor, complete with her trainer's license in the front pocket. Without that license, she wouldn't be able to get her first Pokémon from Professor Oak. She sighed and kicked a small stone by the front door, giving up on focusing on the past. She grunted in frustration and sank down to the ground nearest to a grand flower bed, wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face in her thighs. "This royally sucks!" she whispered, brushing more tears from her face. "At this rate, I'll never become Champion."
"Never say never, Ms. Stone," an unfamiliar voice called from behind her.
She quickly spun around and gasped at the figure in white. Leaping to her feet, she brushed the remaining tears from her face and swallowed nervously. "Professor Oak?" she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.
Gary nodded and stepped aside to reveal Lilac and Cyan standing in the doorway of the lab. "Your friends told me that you might be late. Unfortunately, I had to start without you."
Aqua smiled softly at her two friends and then looked back up to the Professor, her smile melting off and replaced with a frustrated frown. She brushed her skirt free from the dirt and grass and crossed her arms over her chest in aggravation. "I would've made it here on time if I hadn't gotten lost on the way! Route 1 is more complicated than I thought and a lot less easy to manage when you're by yourself and still half-asleep!" Suddenly, the second part of Gary's speech processed and she turned to her two friends. "Wait a minute, you guys got your Pokémon already?"
Gary chuckled as Cyan and Lilac held up two tiny red and white Pokéballs. "They most certainly did, and now that you've finally arrived, I can give you yours as well. Oh, and as for your trainer's license, don't worry about it. Your mother called and explained the situation to me. I had her fax over a copy and everything has been registered." Aqua's eyes lit up and she briskly walked inside. She bit her lip and made eye contact with Cyan who gave her a weak smile. Lilac, however, avoided her gaze and blushed a little.
Gary led the trio to the back room and flipped on a light switch, bathing the room in soft white light. Aqua gasped as a raised circular dais came into view with a solitary Pokéball sitting comfortably in a round groove etched into the dais. "Is... Is that my Pokémon?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling in anticipation.
Gary nodded. "It most certainly is, and I think you'll be very happy with it."
Aqua approached the dais and held out her hands toward the ball. Her fingertips brushed against the cool metal and the red coat of paint on the ball sparkled under the light. Releasing a nervous breath, she picked up the ball and it snapped open in a burst of white energy. A small Pokémon cracked out of the ball and formed on the floor near Aqua's feet.
"Bulba!"
Aqua's eyes widened in fear, the normally meadow green darkening like the ocean before a storm and she took a nervous step backward toward the doorway. She made a small squeak in the back of her throat and felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her body trembled and she took a nervous step back. "N-no..."
Gary, who didn't notice Aqua's reaction to the small grass-type, smiled widely. "Yep! Bulbasaur is an excellent starter. He's the pre-evolution of Ivysaur and Venusaur, a great starter against both the Pewter and Cerulean gyms, and a loyal friend. I'm sure you two will make a great team!" Gary glanced at Aqua out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "Um, Aqua? Are you okay?"
The small Bulbasaur cocked his head toward his new trainer and growled curiously. "Bulba?" he cooed, and took a hesitant step toward the girl.
Aqua screamed and darted quickly behind her two friends, visibly shaking. "NO! GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAY! GET IT AWAY! I DON'T WANT IT!" Tears streamed down her face and she shuddered in fear. "NO! Anything but a Bulbasaur! Anything! I'll take a Magikarp over a Bulbasaur!"
"Aqua?" Gary said hesitantly, finally noticing her distress. "Aqua, what's wrong?"
Cyan bit his lower lip and turned toward Gary, putting himself between the Bulbasaur and his friend, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for comfort. "Professor, Aqua has... issues with members of the Bulbasaur family."
Lilac gently placed her hand on Aqua's other trembling shoulder and turned to address Gary as well. "She was attacked when she was younger by a hostile Bulbasaur. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to get over that fear."
Gary frowned in confusion and sighed after a couple of seconds, finally understanding what the problem was. "Aqua, that was just one Bulbasaur. I'm sure that you know that all Pokémon have different natures. This one is still a baby, and he seems to really like you."
Aqua narrowed her eyes and turned a cold glare to the older man. "I don't care if it likes me or not! Just because this isn't the one that attacked me doesn't make me any less afraid of it!" She turned toward the Bulbasaur and regarded it coldly. "I didn't want you! I wanted a Squirtle! I want to be a water Pokémon Master! I don't want anything to do with your species!"
Bulbasaur's dark onyx eyes widened and then fell toward the floor, filling with tears. He turned toward the dais, hanging his head and walked up to the empty Pokéball that had fallen to the floor. He head butted it and in seconds, in a burst of white energy, he had returned.
Gary frowned at the girl and picked up the discarded ball. "Oh, Aqua, really! You know, some day you'll look back on this day and realize you're acting like a spoiled brat! You need to realize that Bulbasaur has already been registered to you, and you should be grateful that he wants to go with you! And until you realize that, you will never be a Master!"
Aqua narrowed her blood-shot eyes at Gary and snatched the ball from his hands. "I don't want it! I don't want something that I won't be able to train because I'm afraid of it! You... You're just an idiot! I wanted a Squirtle!"
Gary, who didn't have much patience on a good day, jut his chin out defiantly and stared down at the girl. "Well, if you had gotten here on time, you would have been able to choose Squirtle as your starter, but seeing as it took you three hours to get here, you'll have to take what you can get!"
Aqua grit her teeth. "You...! You are such a...! I hate you!" And with that, she dashed out of the room toward the front door. She burst through the door and slammed it as hard as she could before taking off into the forest that made up Route 1, ignoring the dark clouds as they made their way across the skies.
Thunder crackled loudly above Aqua's head as she turned a corner. Shortly after she had entered Route 1, she had gotten hopelessly lost, for the second time that day, and above all that, it had started to downpour. Her teal tank top was covered with mud and grass stains from falling and slipping so often. Her legs were completely bruised and she had caught the palm of her left hand against a sharp rock, effectively slicing it.
Grunting in frustration, she trudged through the tall grass, ignoring the slap of her wet hair against the back of her neck. "This SUCKS!" she cried loudly as another clap of thunder made the forest shake. The lighting strike that accompanied it illuminated a dark mass between a few trees and Aqua brushed her face free from the rain. She quickly made her way over to the small cave and pushed her way deep inside. Finally free from the storm, she sat down, hugged her knees to her chest and began to cry.
"Just because I was late doesn't mean I have to be stuck with the one Pokémon on the face of this planet that I'm afraid of!" She brushed a few loose tears from her cheeks and hugged herself tightly to keep warm. "And to top it all off, I'm alone, cold, hurt, lost, and hungry and all I want to do is go home!"
A gently shake near her hip made her gasp in sudden surprise. She glanced down and saw a small white and red Pokéball attached to a groove on her belt. "What the-?" Suddenly, the dim cave filled with a bright light and Bulbasaur burst out of the ball, landing a couple of feet away from her.
He froze in shock at the view of tears on her face and glanced down to the floor of the cave. "Bulba?" he whispered softly, looking up at her from the corner of his eyes.
Aqua glared at the small grass type and turned away from him. "I really don't want anything to do with you, so why don't you just get out of here?" She regarded him out of the corner of her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
Bulbasaur looked over his shoulder at the entrance of the cave and sighed softly. Nodding, he made his way toward the entrance and was about to step outside when a bolt of lightning struck a tree right outside. "BULBA!" he cried and sank to the floor of the cave, throwing his small arms over his eyes. He began to shake in fear and whimpered softly.
Aqua bit her lower lip and cut her eyes to her knees. She turned back to the small Pokémon carefully and held out her hand. "Okay, okay, so... It's kind of storming out there, and that last bolt was pretty close. Maybe, it'd be better if you stayed in here. Just until the storm is over! And then you can leave!"
Bulbasaur looked cautiously back over his shoulder toward Aqua and smiled weakly. "Bul..." he whispered. Carefully, he made his way back toward her, maintaining a good two foot distance so that he wouldn't scare her and sank into a cold corner of the cave, resting his head on the front of his paws.
Aqua crossed her arms over her chest and hugged her shoulders, trying to get warm. "I mean, I still hate you and all, but I took an oath when I got my license! And I won't leave a baby Pokémon to fend for itself in the wild during a brutal storm like this." She closed her eyes tightly and shivered from the cold. "Mew, it's cold in here. Stupid drafts..."
Her eyes snapped open and widened when she felt a small head rubbing against her leg. She looked down and saw Bulbasaur curling up next to her and look up with dewey, scared eyes. His body was shaking, and even though she hated to admit it, with another body next to her, she did feel a bit warmer.
She glared at the little Pokémon and rolled her eyes, breathing out a scared sigh. "Fine. I guess you can stay there for a bit if it makes you warmer." Nervously, she adjusted herself a bit and closed her eyes. The storm outside made her feel sleepy and she soon felt herself drifting.
Aqua groaned a little and stretched the kinks out of her muscles. Fresh sunlight streamed through the opening of the cave and the smell of fresh grass and wildflowers wafted in on a warm breeze. Rubbing her shoulders a little, she stretched her cramped legs up and brushed against the soft bulb of her Bulbasaur. She looked down at the sleeping creature and her heart gave a little jolt in fear, but it quickly settled.
Staring at the small Pokémon, she bit her lower lip and stretched out her fingertips toward the creature. The pads of her fingers brushed against the Bulbasaur's forehead and he purred softly in his sleep at the touch. She felt her heartbeat slow to normal and she smiled. "You aren't so bad, I guess," she muttered. Feeling a bit braver, she let her palm rest against the top of his head, feeling him breathing slowly. "At the very least, you kept me warm during that awful storm. I guess I owe you a thanks or something."
Bulbasaur opened an eye and smiled up at her. "Bulba..." She smiled softly at him and stretched a bit further. Bulbasaur followed her example and walked slowly toward the mouth of the cave. With one last look back at her, he smiled and his eyes twinkled sadly. "Bul..." He sighed and turned back toward the tall grass, steeling himself for the long road ahead; a road he would have to travel alone since his trainer didn't want anything to do with him.
Aqua watched as the Pokémon took a step out of the cavern and felt her heart constrict. "Bulbasaur... Wait." The word was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She knelt down and grabbed the small red and white Pokéball and looked at it intensely. "Look... This is just gonna take some time, okay? Last night was the first time I could even get close to one of your kind since the attack. I'm just... scared, but I don't want to abandon you." She looked up at the small creature and smiled. "You are my Pokémon, right? And if I don't have you, I'll never be able to battle the gyms, and I'll never get badges, and I'll never beat the Elite Four. I... I need you, Bulbasaur. Even if I'm terrified of you, I need you."
Bulbasaur cocked his head at her and gave her a curious stare.
"I mean, I know I said some awful things yesterday, but... I'm okay now. I-I think, anyway. I was just angry and scared and tired and hungry. But now, well, I'm still scared and tired and hungry, but I'm not angry anymore. I should be fine." She held out the ball in her palm and glanced at it. "If you don't want to be my Pokémon, that's fine too. I'm giving you the option. You can either leave now and find a family out there to take care of you... or you can come with me. It's going to take time, but if you can be patient with me, I really will try to get over this fear." She sighed softly and looked down at the creature nervously. "What do you say?"
Bulbasaur glanced at the ball curiously and then back to the girl. Her lower lip had been caught between her teeth and she was chewing it gently. Sighing, the creature walked slowly toward her and nodded, a wide smile appearing on his face. "Bulba," he whispered.
Aqua grinned and tapped the front of the ball. The gentle energy extended out and caught Bulbasaur in its warmth, sucking him into the ball. Aqua sighed and minimized the ball to a comfortable weight and clipped it into her belt. "Okay, so that's done. Now to find my way home."
Cyan, chewing his thumb nail nervously, paced in front of Aqua's house. Behind him, a small orange Pokémon with a flame-tipped tail watched him curiously, making soft noises with every breath. "This is getting ridiculous, Lilac! She's been missing since last night, and that storm... I'm getting worried."
Lilac, who was busy playing a game of Pokémon cards against a small turtle-like creature sighed, set her hand down on the ground so her opponent couldn't see her cards and turned toward the be-speckled boy. "Cyan, will you relax! I mean, if anything, Aqua has found herself a little safe hide-a-way and is probably still asleep. You know just as well as I do that she loves thunderstorms. Besides, water is her favorite element. Eventually, she'll find her way back home, and when she does, we can all take our first steps together. Meanwhile, just calm down and stop that pacing! You're starting to drive me nuts!"
Cyan turned toward his friend and glared at her. "And you're driving me nuts just sitting there playing that stupid trading card game! Our friend is missing!"
Lilac stood and returned the glare. "Hey! You're the one who introduced me to this game, you creep! And Aqua is old enough to take care of herself!"
Aqua chuckled to herself as she rounded the corner and approached her two friends. Bulbasaur followed behind her happily. "Are you two fighting again?" Cyan and Lilac quickly turned toward the girl and rushed up to her.
"Aqua! You're okay!"
"I knew you would be!"
"But that storm!"
"I told you she'd be fine!"
"You didn't know that!"
"Oh, will you just shut up?"
"Make me!"
Aqua held up her hands in front of her. "Hey, relax you two, and I'll let you know what happened." She paused and glanced down at her Pokémon who smiled widely back up at her. "Okay, so long story short, me and Route 1 don't get along. Got lost in the forest, found a place to crash for the night, me and Eros have made peace, fell asleep, woke up, and made our way back here."
Cyan glanced at the girl curiously. "Aqua, who is Eros?"
She smiled and crouched down next to her Bulbasaur, hesitated for just a second, and then scratched it behind the ear. "My Bulbasaur of course!"
Lilac opened and closed her mouth a couple of times in shock, a choked sound making its way past her throat. "B-But... You named him?"
The dark haired girl shrugged. "Yeah, I know that I told you guys during our last test that I didn't think I was going to give my Pokémon nicknames, but I was thinking last night that it might actually be a good idea. Gives it a more personal touch, you know?" She sighed a little and stood up, brushing a few patches of dirt that had made its way onto her clothes from the previous day. She winced a little when the gash on her hand came in contact with her skirt. "Anyway, I know its late, and I know you guys wanted to wait for me before we all started our journey, but I really need a shower or a new change of clothes or something before I make my way back to Professor Oak. I was so upset yesterday because of the whole Bulbasaur thing that I didn't get a chance to get my Pokédex."
Cyan smiled and knelt down to where his backpack was sitting next to his Charmander, and ruffled through it for a couple of minutes. "Actually, Aqua, you don't have to go all the way back to Pallet. After you ran out of the lab, the two of us talked to him and he agreed that since we were all planning on starting together anyway, we could just give you your Pokédex when we saw you." He pulled out a small, thin red computer with the symbol of the Kanto League on the front and handed it to the girl.
Aqua smiled and took the computer, gently turing it over in her hands, taking extra care not to hurt herself any further. "Kickin'," she whispered and looked toward her two friends. "Well, since that drama is over, what do you two say to a battle?"
Lilac grinned and glanced at Cyan. "I don't know what that thunderstorm did to you last night, Aquamarine, but I like it. Single match, you and me first and then you can challenge Cyan. We already battled each other before you got here, but I'd love a chance to beat you like I beat him."
Cyan scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Bragging does not a lady make, Lilac. Besides, you barely won. If that last attack hadn't been a critical hit, I would've beaten you."
Aqua stifled a chuckle and shook her head. "You two are sounding like an old married couple more and more every day." She giggled when her two friends turned a bright scarlet and looked away from each other. "Anyway, Lilac, I accept your challenge. My Eros against your..."
"Cannon, my Squirtle."
Aqua felt her heart deflate a little and anger seeped into her veins. "No way! You got the Squirtle! Lilac!"
Cyan sighed and looked back toward Lilac out of the corners of his eyes. "Told you she'd be upset."
Lilac smiled sheepishly. "Aqua, I'm sorry, okay! I didn't even think about it until after Squirtle had been registered to me! Cyan had just gotten me so mad because he chose the Charmander and..."
"Oh no! Don't you dare bring me into this one! You know perfectly well that I wanted Charmander from the very start. You were the one who couldn't decide back at the academy which starter you wanted."
Aqua crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her two friends, sending most of the anger toward Lilac. "Whatever." She huffed angrily and looked down at her Bulbasaur. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get over it, won't I, Eros? Can't act like a spoiled little child for the rest of my life." She pointed at Lilac and glared darkly. "But don't think that Eros and I are going to go easy on you just because you chose Squirtle. In fact, I think we're going to pull out all the stops, Lilac!"
Lilac chuckled nervously and her Squirtle approached the makeshift arena. "We'll just have to see, won't we, Aqua? Cyan, wanna ref this battle?"
Cyan nodded and the three got into place. Aqua and Lilac stood a couple of feet away from each other and Cyan made his way to the center of the two girls. "Okay, one on one battle. Squirtle versus Bulbasaur. The rules are simple. The winner will be the last Pokémon standing. Battle for experience only, no cash. GO!"
Aqua smirked to herself. "Okay, Eros. I may have wanted Squirtle to be my starter when this whole thing began, but you have the type advantage. Let's win this thing." Bulbasaur nodded and crouched into a low position, ready to strike. "TACKLE!"
"Cannon, Tail Whip!"
"Bulba!"
"Squirtle squirt!"
The two Pokémon raced each other, a blur of green and blue, and their attacks came through. Bulbasaur's tackle hit its mark perfectly, the green Pokémon's head making contact with the soft underbelly of the Squirtle's shell. Squirtle stumbled a little and shook its head clear of the dizziness. It quickly spun around and shook its curly tail at the other Pokémon. Bulbasaur's dark red eyes followed the movement in an almost hypnotic state, but quickly shook the feeling off.
"Eros! Tackle again!"
"Cannon, you too! Tackle"
The two Pokémon glared at each other and charged, running into each other at the exact same time. They both fell to the ground, small scratches forming on their bodies from the dirt. Simultaneously they stood, glaring at each other. For a moment, neither moved, but soon Squirtle's legs gave out and he collapsed back to the ground.
"Cannon!" Lilac screeched, rushing to the aid of her turtle Pokémon.
"Cannon is unable to battle! Eros is the winner!" Cyan called out from the sidelines. Aqua jumped up happily, giving the air above her head a victory punch. Cyan made his way over to the Bulbasaur, and pulled out a small purple spray-bottle from his pockets. A couple of quick spurts of it on Bulbasaur's bulb and soon he was as good as new. "Okay, Aqua, you won that one. But now it's my turn to battle you."
"You did well, Cannon." Lilac whispered, taking a small yellow prism off of her belt and fed it to the blue Pokémon. Within seconds, his eyes had opened and he grinned. She smiled softly and picked up her revived Squirtle, heading to the center of the arena to take over for Cyan. "Good job, Aqua. I'll ref this one."
Bulbasaur and Aqua stood ready to go as Cyan made his way over to where Lilac had stood for her battle. He motioned for his Charmander to come forward. He smirked when everyone was in place.
"Okay, same rules as the first battle. Last Pokémon standing wins." Lilac called. "BEGIN!"
"Eros, use Tackle!"
"Charlie, use Scratch!"
The two Pokémon proceeded to race each other. Charmander made contact first, swiping his claws against the bulb on Bulbasaur's back. The small green Pokémon cried out and attacked, throwing his small, slightly heavier body, into the fire lizard. The two tumbled over each other for a second before separating, waiting for their second orders to come from their trainers.
Aqua stared at Cyan for a second before bursting into giggles. "You named your Charmander Charlie? Cyan, couldn't you have been more original?"
"Thank you!" Lilac called from the sidelines. "That's what I said!"
Cyan blushed a little and glared at his two friends. "Hey! At least my Pokémon has a name that makes sense! I mean Eros and Cannon? What kind of names are those!"
Lilac smirked. "I was thinking about the last evolution of my Squirtle: Blastoise. He's got those two cannons on his back!"
Aqua smiled as well and crossed her arms over her chest. "And Venusaur? Venus? The roman goddess of love? Well, I decided to name my Bulbasaur after Eros, the roman god of love!"
Cyan groaned and threw the palm of his hand against his face. "Arceus, why do I hang out with girls?" Lilac and Aqua burst into a set of giggles.
"Oh, come on, Cyan. You know you love us!" Lilac called.
Aqua smirked at her two best friends. "Yeah, one of us more than the other, though, huh Cyan?" She giggled when the other two trainers turned scarlet.
"Oh, shut UP, Aqua! Charlie, use scratch again!"
Charmander leapt from the ground and rushed toward Bulbasaur who had been busy watching the back and forth between the three trainers. Unfortunately, he was too slow to move out of the way in time and ended up being clawed across his flank.
"BUL!" he cried in pain.
"Whoa!" Aqua cried. "Cyan, not fair!"
"All's fair in battling, Aqua, and in case you forgot, we were in the middle of one."
"Oh, I didn't forget. Eros, tackle!"
"Charlie, one more scratch!"
The battle resumed and Bulbasaur got one final tackle in, slamming himself hard into the Charmander. Unfortunately, he was tired and his energy was low, and the last scratch attack was too much. Bulbasaur groaned and fell to the ground.
"Eros is unable to battle. Charlie is the winner!"
Aqua groaned and rushed out to where her Bulbasaur had fallen to the ground. She gently rested her hand on his head and smiled when he opened his eyes. "Bul?" he cried softly.
"Hey," she whispered. "It's okay, Eros. You did really well." Her hand slowly traveled across his forehead and gently rubbed the bulb on his back. "I'm glad to call you my Pokémon."
"And on that note..." The three trainers looked up to find Aqua's mother standing in the doorway of the house, hands on her hips. "You three better not have trampled my flower beds with that battle you had."
"No, Mrs. Stone," Cyan and Lilac muttered at the same time. Aqua shuffled her feet nervously, but otherwise stayed silent.
Aqua's mother sighed when she finally saw her daughter. "And as for you..." she said, her dark brown eyes narrowed toward her only child. "Aqua, honestly. If you hadn't run out of the house yesterday, I could have driven you to Pallet. And look at you! You're a mess! And what's that on your hand? Are you hurt? AQUA!"
Aqua winced as her mother cried out her name and shut her eyes tightly. "MOM!" she whined and blushed darkly. "You're embarrassing me in front of my friends!" She chanced a look at her two friends and moaned when she saw both of them try to cover up a wide grin. "Besides, it's just a scratch! And Route 1 hates me!"
"Aquamarine, really," Mrs. Stone sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Just..." She sighed again and looked at her daughter. "Just forget it. Go upstairs and shower. When you come down, we'll fix your hand."
Aqua's blush darkened and moved to her neck and she groaned, pushing past her mother and friends into the house, followed closely by Eros.
Aqua sighed and shook a towel through her hair, drying it properly. Her bare feet padded gently as she walked down the stairs. Eros smiled gently as he followed his trainer, shaking water off the back of his bulb with every step.
"So, a Bulbasaur?"
Aqua froze on the last step at the sound of her mother's voice coming from the kitchen. The sounds of glasses clinking gently and running water in the sink made their way to her ears.
"Yeah. Lilac here decided that she wanted Squirtle, so that left Aqua with Bulbasaur."
"Really, Mrs. Stone, if I had known how badly Aqua was going to react to getting Bulbasaur, I would have just let her have the Squirtle! I didn't mean for her to end up getting hurt."
A sigh. "It's not your fault, Lilac. Aqua just needs to learn how to manage time better. If she had just gotten up with her alarm clock or waited for me... But that's in the past now. I mean, I know that she really wanted a Squirtle, but I think she's happier than she's letting on with her Bulbasaur. And he seems really happy to be with her."
Aqua looked down at Eros and her eyes widened. He was staring up at her with sparkling onyx eyes and giving her a wide grin. "Is that true? Are you really happy that I'm your trainer?" she whispered and Eros nodded gently. Tears threatened to spill and she smiled warmly. "Well, I'm really happy that I'm your trainer too, Eros."
"Mrs. Stone?"
"Yes, Lilac?"
"I think they'll make a good team. I think the only reason Aqua got hurt yesterday is because she was afraid of caring for a Bulbasaur. I think she's finally ready to understand that the attack on her six years ago has nothing to do with other Bulbasaur."
"I think you're right. My little girl is slowly growing up, isn't she?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"I think all three of us are growing up a little bit."
"Cyan..."
Aqua grinned to herself, scratching Eros behind the ear. She leaned down to him and whispered in his ear, "You'll soon discover that those two are so adorably oblivious to each other's feelings it's teeth-rottening sometimes." Eros looked up at her, a soft chuckle vibrating in the back of his throat. "And, on that note, Eros, I think it's time to make an entrance." She stood, draped the towel over her shoulders, took the last step off the staircase, and made her way into the kitchen.
Lilac turned from staring at Cyan, a light dusting of a blush on her cheeks, to watch Aqua make her appearance. "Well, look who finally got out of the shower. Did you save some water for the fishes, Mermaid?"
Aqua playfully narrowed her eyes at her friend. "You know I hate that nickname."
The other young girl shrugged innocently, smiled and took a sip from a coffee mug. "So, sue me. You're more mermaid than Misty Waterflower is."
Cyan rolled his eyes. "Anyway," he replied, stressing the word. "Now that she's finally cleaned and healed, can we finally get started on our journeys? We're already a day behind."
Aqua smirked at her friends and nodded. "I just need to do a little last-minute packing and then I'll be all ready to go."
Aqua's mother rose from her place at the kitchen table. "Actually, sweetie, since you were in such a rush yesterday, I took the opportunity to pack some stuff for you already." She reached out for an ordinary looking navy backpack and held it up to her daughter. "I went out yesterday afternoon after I talked with Professor Oak, and got you enough supplies to last you until you get to Pewter City, at the very least. There's some Pokéballs in the side pocket, and a couple of antidotes and potions. I packed you a couple of changes of clothes and even got you a sleeping bag that folds up really tightly for when you can't make it to a city by nightfall. There's also a first aid kit in there in case you get hurt, and I also picked up a PokéWalker for you, in case you need to call me. Professor Oak, Cyan and Lilac's numbers are already programmed in there."
Aqua looked at her mother, tears touching the corners of her eyes. "Mom," she whispered, touched. She smiled in determination and took the bag from her mother. "Thanks, mom." She turned to her two friends and winked. "So, you two ready?"
Cyan and Lilac shared a smirk, nodded, and proceeded to rise from their places at the kitchen table.