I don't own Harry Potter, that belongs to the lovely J.K Rowling. I don't own Pokemon, for it is own by Game Freak, and created by Mr. Satoshi Tajiri.
This has been in my head for weeks. This is fanfiction, so that means it isn't cannon. Things happen, that the authors realize too late shouldn't be put down.
CHAPTER TWO
Sage grinned as Sterling bounced about in the clearing they had stopped in. Pidgey were flying, and Rattata were playing. It was all in all a nice day.
"Vee!" Sage looked up from where he was making lunch, and gasped. A small, golden-green colored Rattata was laying on it's side. Grabbing the Pokemon First Aide kit, Sage rushed over to help.
"Sterling, watch him. I'm going to pack up. He needs a Pokemon Center."
"Eevee." The Pokemon nodded, sitting down to watch Rattata. Once packed up, Sage scooped the small Pokemon up, and the three ran the rest of the way to Viridian City. An Officer Jenny took one look, and offered a ride to the center. Which Sage thankfully took.
"Your Rattata will be just fine." Nurse Joy said, coming out of an operating room. "She was just malnourished and a hint of poison that was already treated. I assume you just caught her?"
"She's not mine. Sterling spotted her when he was playing." Sage explained. "I couldn't just leave her alone."
"I understand." The woman smiled. "You may go in, and see her, if you'd like."
"I will." Sage paused in the doorway. "Is Kanto starting Contests, yet?"
"Yes, we are. Are you looking to enter? We have a Contest here in two weeks."
"Yes, I am. Gym Battles seem so brutal. I've always liked to show off Sterling's beauty." The Eevee preened happily at that. Sage laughed, moving into the room. Rattata looked up from where she was laying, and Sage smiled. "You're looking better already! I'm Sage, and this is Sterling. We found you in a clearing, unconscious. I'm sorry you woke up in an unfamiliar place."
"Ratta!" The Pokemon shook her head, trying to stand. Sage moved forward, petting her head. "Ta!" Rattata cooed, relaxing.
"Rattata, I don't want you to feel pressured because I rescued you, but would you travel with me?" Sage held up a Pokeball. "I'm traveling, and I think you'd be an awesome addition to my team. Sterling agrees, right Sterling?" The Eevee nodded, grinning in his own way. Rattata seemed to think about it for a while. "You don't have to say yes right away." The creature relaxed. "I need to go check in with my mom, and get my Contest Pass. I'll see you soon, okay?" Rattata nodded, and Sage left the room.
"Sage, I'm afraid you can't enter with just one Pokemon." Nurse Joy said once I got my pass. "You need two. One for the Appeal, and one for the Battle." Sage deflated. "You have a week and a half to enter, so don't worry so much." Sage nodded, a new determination entering his eyes.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Sage moved over to the phones. Delia answered on the third ring. Professor Oak stood behind her. "Hi, mama."
"Sage, baby!" The woman squealed happily. "You're in Viridian, then? How are you doing? Is Sterling okay?"
"We're fine, mama. We found a Rattata in a clearing, so I had to rush her here, so I couldn't look around for another Pokemon. I'm going back out now. I'm going to be in Viridian for a while yet."
"Huh? But what about Pewter City?"
"I'm not doing Gym Battles, mama."
"Why not?" The woman looked horrified.
"Kanto has Contests. I'm entering." The horrified look disappeared.
"Oh, I"m so proud of my baby! Now, are you changing your underwear everyday? Eating? Brushing your teeth?"
"Yes, mama. I'm doing everything to take care of myself, and my Pokemon." The woman relaxed. "Any news from Ash?"
"Ah! He's in Fallarbor Town! Do call him. He wanted to catch you before you left, but you were gone in such a hurry." Sage nodded, grinning.
"Thanks mama. I'll call him now." After asking Nurse Joy for the number for Fallarbor Town's Center, he waited impatiently for his brother.
"Sage! How are you? Have you caught any Pokemon yet?"
"No, I was going to head out after checking on an ill Rattata I helped."
"You're already heading to Pewter City?" Brock, Ash's long term traveling companion asked.
"I'm staying in Viridian for a couple of weeks."
"Huh? Why?" Ash demanded.
"Because I'm entering the Contest."
"Really? I didn't know that Kanto was doing Contests." A girl, who had to be May, said in surprise.
"Same here. Apparently they just started."
"I hope you do well, little brother!"
A few minutes later, Sage was in the healing room, talking to the Rattata about contests. Nurse Joy kicked him out after an hour or so. With a fierce determination, the boy went out to Route 1 to look for a new Pokemon.
Sage dodged a Pin Missile from a Beedrill. Sterling, who was fighting Sage's grip, protested. They had just been practicing Shadow Ball and Tail Whip, which knocked down a tree in the Beedrill's nest.
"No way in hell we're facing them again, Sterling!" Sage dropped when a Sand Attack came from out of nowhere. A Poochyena appeared, jumping out of a bunch of bushes in front of Sage and Sterling. Once the Beedrill left, Sage relaxed, looking at the Pokemon, who grinned, dancing around him gracefully. "Do you want to come with us?" The Pokemon barked in agreement.
Sage pulled out a Pokeball, and the Poochyena caught himself. Sage quickly returned to the Pokemon Center to heal the Pokemon. With a week until the Contest, he needed his Pokemon at tip-top shape. He quickly left to Register at the Contest Hall.
"Oh, you're new!" A woman with salmon colored hair said, appearing behind him after he signed up. Sage flinched, looking at her.
"Y-yeah. I'm Sage."
"Solidad. Is this your first Contest?" The boy nodded shyly. "Well, it really isn't as scary as it seems. Just have fun out there."
"Thanks." Sage grinned.
"Oh, thank goodness you're still here!" The woman who did the registering came out, looking at Sage. "Nurse Joy called, Rattata is ready to leave." Sage nodded, and she left.
"I've got to go."
"Of course."
Sage left quickly. Rattata was indeed ready to leave the Center. She was bouncing around, sniffing things in curiosity. She cooed when she spotted him, racing up his side to rest on his shoulder. Sterling huffed, sitting at his trainer's feet.
"Does that mean you want to travel with us?" The Pokemon nodded happily. "Do we need to battle or do you just want to be caught." Sage held up the Pokeball, and the Rattata danced away. "Okay, lets go out back, yeah?" Sage grinned at her as Sterling took a battle stance. "Use Quick Attack! Follow with Yawn!" The Quick Attack missed, but Yawn hit. Sage lobbed the Pokeball at the sleeping Rattata and it captured her. "Yes! We got a new teammate!" Sage called her out, and gave her an Awakening Potion. "Welcome to the team, Sparkle. Meet Sterling, and this is Shadow."
"Poochyena!"
"Eevee!"
"Rattata." The three started to play around.
"Now, since I didn't have you in time to register for the Contest, you get to watch what we are planning on doing, okay?" The Pokemon nodded. "Shadow, you're up. Use Shadow Ball, and Iron Tail!"
Using his Tail Whip, Shadow bounced multiple Shadow Balls against each other. Instead of exploding into smoke, they popped like bubbles, and sparkles showered the group. Sage and his Pokemon were startled out of cheering by clapping.
"That was very well done." Solidad said, smiling. "How long have you been practicing?"
"I've always liked Contests, but wasn't sure if Kanto had them. Mama doesn't want me too far from home during my first trip. I've had Sterling for two years, though."
"Well, I look forward to facing you in the finals." The woman left a stunned Sage behind. The boy turned to his Pokemon.
"We're going to win this, guys."
"Welcome to Kanto's very first Pokemon Contest! I'm your host, Lilian Meridian! With me is Raoul Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Viridian's very own Nurse Joy!"
"I can't wait to see all the wonderful Pokemon, and the trainers who care for them." Nurse Joy smiled.
"Remarkable to be here!" Mr. Sukizo stated, also smiling.
"We have many Contestants, but only one Ribbon. I wonder who will win?" Raoul Contesta state calmly.
"Lets begin! Up first, coming from Pewter City, is Solidad!"
"Slowpoke, come on out! Use Yawn, followed by Water Gun and Psychic!" The Bubbles from Yawn surrounded the now ball of water, making it look like a planet. "Now!" Psychic was used to collide the bubbles and water to make them explode. A light mist was the result, causing a rainbow. Solidad bowed with her Pokemon.
"What a beautiful performance by the lovely Solidad!" Lilian said excitedly. "What did out judges think?"
"Simply Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo said, smiling as he gave out a 95 score.
"That Slowpoke is very well taken care of. The beautiful sheen to his skin means that his trainer spends time applying lotion. The performance was breathtaking on it's own." She gave a 95 as well.
"It was breathtaking. As expected from Lady Solidad." The woman blushed brightly. A 95 was the answer of her score.
"Wow, that will be one hard score to beat!" Lilian said as the woman took her leave.
Coordinator after Coordinator went up. Sage waited anxiously for his turn.
"Now, coming from Pallet Town, home of Professor Oak, is Sage Ketchum!" The boy walked out calmly as possible with a shy smile.
"Time to dance, Shadow!" The Poochyena appeared, spinning before he touched the group. "Shadow Ball followed by Iron Tail!" Just like in practice, the Shadow Balls collided, showering the area in sparkles that looked like space was sprinkling down.
"That Poochyena is very well tamed for a Pokemon who is freshly caught." Nurse Joy stated, smiling as she voted a 90.
"Simply Remarkable!" 85 from Mr. Sukizo.
"Nicely done from a Rookie. I cannot wait to see what he pulls next." Finally, a 85 from Contesta.
"That means our Rookie gets a score of 87. Hopefully it will be enough to get him into the next round!" Sage left the auditorium, and to the table of refreshments.
"Sage, baby!"
"Mama?!" Sage yelped as the woman pulled him into a hug. Many of the coordinator's his age snickered, but the older ones smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see my baby preform for the first time!" Sage sighed. "I want to meet your new Pokemon!" The woman demanded. So Sage called them out. "How adorable! Do you know what Sterling will evolve into yet?"
"No. We haven't decided yet."
"Sage, you have a very rare team there." Professor Oak said, startling the boy.
"Professor, I didn't see you." The boy laughed, "and I know that it's rare. I mean three shiny Pokemon?" Heads turned at that.
"And now it's time to announce those who are moving on to the battle rounds!" Lilian called, getting everyone attention.
Solidad was first, which wasn't surprising. More and more people appeared. Sage felt like crying when his picture appear in the last spot.
"We'll continue onto the battles after a short lunch break."
After eating lunch, Sage faced off with opponent after opponent, winning all the way until the final round, where he would face of with Solidad. The two shared a smile before calling out their Pokemon.
"Time to dance, Sterling!"
"Come out, Pidgey!"
"Use Quick Attack followed by Shadow Ball!" Sterling was moving so fast, that many copies of himself were seen. The Shadow Ball attacks made their marks.
"Fly up high, and use Feather Dance!"
"Use Secret Power to block!" The feathers floated down harmlessly around the Eevee. "Sterling, use Hidden Power and Rain Dance!"
"Use Sunny Day, followed by Heat Wave!"
"Double Team! Use Wish!"
"Rest, Pidgey!" Before either could command further, the timer went off. Both turned to stare at what seemed to be even points.
"Oh my, do we have a tie?" The computer blinked, and Sage's picture appeared. The boy sank to his knees in surprise. Sterling jumping into his arms caused the preteen to let out a laugh.
"We won, Sterling!" The boy giggled, standing up. A few minutes later, he was presented with his first Ribbon. Solidad shook his hand, and Delia pulled him off to celebrate.