The Second Badge: Team Galactic
Tenki walked out of the gym. He felt like a man, having his first badge. After running back to the Pokémon Center, he was ready to head out. With Castform on his shoulder, it was time to pick a route. He grabbed his Pokénav and opened up the map. Soon he realized something.
"There's no way to continue!" He said.
"Cas?"
"The map only has one outlet, and that's to the north. North of here there is nothing but grass and a large hill!"
"Cas!" Castform hovered down and pointed to the spot where Jubilife was.
"Oh, you are right. Looks like…Floaroma Town is north of Jubilife! We could just go there!"
"Caas!"
As Tenki began to leave, he saw Lucas also leaving.
"Oh, hi Tenki."
"Hi Lucas. Leaving? Did you get the Badge?"
"Yeah, got it earlier. Roark seemed frustrated."
Barry burst out of nowhere, running back through the cave. Before he did, he barely noticed the two standing there. He stopped and faced them.
"Tenki! Lucas! You two got the Gym Badge, huh?"
"Yep. Castform and my new Pokémon did me well!"
"Awesome! I'm headed to Eterna city now!" He nodded quickly. "Well, I best be going!" And he dashed off into the cave. Lucas smiled at Tenki.
"Nice seeing you! Maybe we'll run into each other some time."
"You too. Cya!"
Tenki ran back through the cave to Jubilife. He began to wonder why he hadn't gone to Floaroma in the first place, but quickly ignored his thoughts.
After resting in Jubilife for a few hours, Tenki got ready to leave. He also decided to stop by the mart before he left. To his surprise, they sold more goods. They must have scanned his Pokénav and found out he had a badge. Tenki happily bought some Super Potions. To his surprise, he could only afford four. Now he was clean out of Nav Credits.
"If you need more Credits quickly, you can always sell some of your things to us! We'll buy almost anything!"
"Oh, thanks. I'll remember that!"
Tenki began to walk north. What he saw amazed him. It was Rowan and Dawn talking to two strange people. They wore identical outfits and had identical hair, and even identical personalities. They were almost twins. The strangest thing was, they had blue hair, and their shirts had an odd "G" on them. As he walked closer, he heard one of them speaking.
"Now, now, now, now, now! Professor Rowan, you must comply. Hand over all your research findings. For free, naturally. Failure to comply will result in a painful time for your assistant."
Tenki couldn't believe what he was hearing. Who was this guy to talk to Rowan like this? Rowan saw Tenki and smiled as Tenki walked up.
"Ah, Tenki. Well? How is the Pokedex progressing?"
"Slowly right now…" Tenki said, worried about the blue haired men.
"Hm! That's Oreburgh's Gym Badge, I see. Hasn't Castform just hatched though?"
"Hey! Over here! Don't just ignore me!" The blue haired man said. Dawn sighed.
"Excuse me! I am talking with someone, you mustn't interrupt me!" Rowan said. Tenki smiled. "Please, Tenki, don't turn out like these men."
"Yeah, who are they?" Tenki asked.
"How can you not know who we are? Where have you been living all your life?"
Dawn laughed. Tenki and Rowan giggled lightly.
"Stop your laughing! Thanks to you, we must use force! We will make you regret insulting Team Galactic!"
"Galactic?" Tenki asked.
Rowan sighed. "You kids, give these thugs a lesson in civility, please."
"Let's battle together Tenki!"
"Sure. Sounds like fun!"
"This isn't about fun!" One of the Galactic Thugs said.
"Whatever." Dawn said.
"Go Glameow!" The first thug said.
"Stunky, you're up!" The other said.
Tenki stole a quick scan.
Stunky, Skunk Pokemon. 42.3 Pounds, 1 foot, 4 inches. It sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over a mile radius, driving Pokémon away.
Glameow, Catty Pokemon. 8.6 Pounds, 1 foot 8 inches. It hides its spiteful tendency of hooking its claws into the nose of its Trainer if it isn't fed.
Tenki noticed the Galactic member had a scar on his nose. Tenki couldn't help but laugh.
"Go Chimchar!" Dawn shouted. Tenki took this as a chance to also scan Chimchar, which he had forgotten to do earlier.
Chimchar, Chimp Pokemon. 13.7 Pounds, 1 foot 8 inches. It is very agile. Before going to sleep, it extinguishes the flame on its tail to prevent fires.
"Alright, Ponyta! Let's go!" He shouted, releasing Ponyta from its Pokeball. Dawn smiled when she saw him.
"Quick Glameow, Fakeout on Chimchar!" The thug said. Glameow darted forward and smacked Chimchar in the face with its tail. Chimchar looked taken aback.
"Chimchar, are you alright?" Dawn shouted.
"Okay Ponyta, Ember on the Stunky!"
"Paaaaaaaa!" Ponyta inhaled sharply and let out jets of fire at the Stunky. The Stunky moved quickly in a failed attempt to dodge it.
"Poison Gas on the Ponyta Stunky!"
"Stuu!" Stunky shouted. It turned around and let out a stream of gas. Ponyta quickly dashed out of the way. The thug grit his teeth.
"Ok, Ponyta! One more Ember on Stunky!"
The Stunky began to grow a bit irritated. The fire wasn't really hurting him that bad, more just irritating him.
"Focus Energy Stunky!"
Stunky began to glow yellow.
"What's happening?" Tenki asked Dawn.
"Now he's much more likely to land a stronger attack!"
"Glameow, Scratch Chimchar!"
Chimchar wiggled in pain. He hasn't had the chance to use an attack yet.
"Ponyta is doing all the work! Use Ember on him Chimchar!"
"Nice thinking!" Tenki said. Chimchar turned to Ponyta and spat flames. They became one with Ponyta's fiery mane. Ponyta glowed red.
"What is going on? Dirty tricks?" The thug said.
"Flash Fire raises Ponyta's attack when hit with a fire move! Now Ponyta, slam Stunky with another Ember!"
The fire spat by Ponyta was much more satisfying. Stunky flipped over, almost unconscious. It managed to stay on its feet.
"Glameow, stop this! Scratch!"
Glameow shot forward and scratched Ponyta. Ponyta growled in response. It seemed to really irritate him.
"Screech Stunky!" The thug ordered.
Stunky let out a whimper. It was too weak to make any noise.
"Finish off the poor Stunky then Chimchar!" Dawn shouted.
Chimchar shot burning embers at the Pokemon, knocking it unconscious. The thug returned the Pokemon unhappily.
"Two on one now." Rowan said. "You should give up. Don't cause your Pokemon any more harm."
"Not on your life, old man!"
"Fine." Tenki said. "Ponyta, Ember."
Glameow got hit hard. It began to breathe heavily. Without being ordered, it scratched back, in the same spot as before. Ponyta walked backwards.
"Finish it Chimchar, Ember!" The Glameow collapsed. The thug returned it. Tenki returned Ponyta and Dawn returned Chimchar.
"How is this even possible? The two of us losing to children?" He said, putting the Pokeball away.
The other turned to him. "This won't do. Retreat, the mission is a failure."
Tenki laughed as his Nav Credits increased.
"You leave us no option. We will retreat for now." The first one said. "We shall do so because Team Galactic is benevolent to all."
"Or you're upset you lost…" Dawn said as they ran north.
"That lot…they call themselves Team Galactic." Rowan sighed. "When Pokemon evolve, they seem to release some type of energy…however, I believe that it's a mystic power far beyond our control. But Team Galactic seems to be studying that power's potential. They want to know if it can be used as energy for something."
"Hence trying to take your research." Tenki said.
Rowan nodded.
"Tenki, did you know?" Dawn asked "The professor studies the evolution of Pokemon, too."
"I had a hunch." Tenki said.
"Regardless, they ran off, and there is no need to worry any longer. Regardless, thanks to you two, a crisis was averted. I appreciate it." He smiled. "Incidentally, Tenki. Kudos to you for your battling skill."
Tenki smiled. "Thanks, Professor."
"Well, I wish you success in your adventure. Don't forget to scan those Pokemon."
Tenki smiled. "You got it, professor."
Rowan and Dawn walked south, probably back to Twinleaf town. Tenki walked back to the Pokemon center to heal his Pokemon when he was cut off by a rather large man.
"Oh, that was very good. Nicely done! Truly excellent!"
"It was nothing." Tenki said blushing. Castform let out a giggle.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm from Jubilife TV! I'd like to give you something for letting me witness that smashing battle!"
"Oh yeah?" Tenki asked. The man handed Tenki a heart shaped box. Tenki smiled awkwardly.
"No, it's not like that!" The man said. "Contained within that Fashion Case…you will find a whole spectrum of chic Accessories and tasteful Backdrops! Dress up your Pokemon and watch their appeal grow!"
"Um, I'm not really into…"
"And, right now the TV station is offering its facilities so visitors can dress up their Pokemon! There are also prize giveaways, too! Please do visit our TV station!" With that, the man walked away.
"How about that Castform? Prize Giveaways."
"Cas!" Castform said in excitement.
At the Pokemon center, while Ponyta was being healed, Tenki took the opportunity to update his Pokétch. He hooked it up to the Pokemon Center PC. There was an Update. It began to install. After it finished, Tenki went to the app by pushing the buttons. It was called the Memo Pad. Tenki pulled the pen out of the watch and began to doodle down notes. Quite handy! Ponyta was returned to him. He figured it was time to visit the TV station.
The building was fantastic. Well-furnished and clean, Tenki walked around in his dirty clothes like an outcast. Eventually, he was a man in front of a room. He walked up to him.
"Aren't your Pokemon fabulous?" He said. "Would you like to dress one up?"
"Sure. I hear there are prizes?"
"But of course!" He stepped aside. "When you are done, I'll snap a picture and show off your beautiful Pokemon to the world!"
Tenki found the room small, but easy to use. Using his new Fashion Case, he set up a Night City background. He made do with what he had, and put assorted puffy balls on Castform's head. Castform seemed to enjoy it. Castform floated out and the man took a picture.
"Ooh, nice work! Let's display the photo right away!" He smiled. "What do you wish to title it?"
He looked to Castform. He smiled in delight.
"How about…delight?"
"Delight…" He said. "Castform seems rather happy! Well I hope he enjoys his outfit!"
"So? Prizes?"
The man grinned. "I think you deserve one. Here." He handed Tenki a Piplup mask. "It's for accessorizing."
"Piplup, Huh?" Tenki took the mask and looked at Castform. "Didn't expect this to be the prize."
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Tenki left and headed north. It was just as he remembered it, but this time, he noticed a small cave. A small sign outside of the cave read "Ravaged Path". Tenki shrugged and entered.
There were two paths. One was blocked by a single large, but easily breakable, rock. The other path had two, but a spot where one probably used to be. He figured that maybe Dawn, Lucas, or Barry broke it down. He shrugged again and walked on. Another exit to the cave was apparent. Tenki shrugged and walked out. Only now did he notice how dark it was getting. It was still the same day he arrived in Sinnoh. While trekking to Floaroma town, he battled a few trainers. Nothing he couldn't handle. Along the way, he scanned a two new Pokemon.
Cherubi, Cherry Pokemon. 7.3 Pounds, 1 foot, four inches. The small ball is not only full of nutrients, it is also tasty. Starly try to peck it off.
Wurmple, Worm Pokemon. 7.9 Pounds, 1 foot. Often targeted by bird Pokémon, it desperately resists by releasing poison from its tail spikes. Tenki recognized this one from home.
Tenki rested in the Floaroma Pokemon Center. He awoke early, and set out. He decided to explore the town a bit before he continued on.
There were large trees around a small house. There was a small sign that said "Pick Berries for free!" Tenki went ahead and picked a berry. A lady walked up to him.
"That's an Oran Berry." She said. "It's beneficial to a Pokémon's health." Tenki walked over and picked a berry from the other tree. "That one is a Cheri Berry. It's good for muscles. Relaxes and rejuvenates them."
"Nice. I'll be sure to remember that."
"Here. Have this." She said, handing him a blue berry. "It's a Chesto Berry. It's very soft, so Pokemon will eat it asleep. It has quite a bit of Caffeine and wakes Pokemon up."
"Wow, thanks."
Just as Tenki was about to leave, he saw two Galactic members up north blocking a path. He ignored them and continued on east.
Along his travels, he saw many different Berry Trees, picking the Berries. He picked a Chesto Berry and another Pink Berry. As he walked, a little girl appealed to him.
"Help, help, Trainer! Please, I want to see my papa."
"Huh? What's the matter?"
"My papa and I lived at the Valley Windworks."
"You used to live there?"
She nodded. "But then a whole bunch of people dressed like spacemen came…"
Tenki sighed. "Is that so?"
"They kicked me out, and they're making my papa do something. Please Trainer! I miss my papa!"
"Yeah, of course. Is Valley Windworks this way?"
As he walked, he saw two more Galactic members blocking a bridge. It seemed he would need to solve this problem at the Valley Windworks first anyways. As he walked up, he saw enormous windmills spinning. He saw another Galactic member standing by the door. As he walked up to the door to enter, the Galactic member spoke up.
"Don't you dare go into the Valley Windworks. I got ordered to keep everyone out if they're not part of Team Galactic."
"Really?"
"Don't even try…" He said with a bit of aggression.
"What are you going to do to stop me?"
"Well, I'm bigger than you." He said.
"Well, my Pokemon can spit fire." Tenki said with a grin.
"Fine!" He shouted. "Go Glameow!"
"Ponyta! You're up!" He shouted, releasing his Pokemon. This Trainer didn't have a scar on his nose. Maybe the Glameow was treated better.
"Glameow, Fakeout!" Glameow dashed forward and smacked Ponyta in the face with its tail. Ponyta showed distress.
"Ember Ponyta!" Tenki shouted. Flames smashed into Glameow.
"Growl Glameow!" The man said. Ponyta seemed unaffected by it.
"Another Ember Ponyta!"
A lasting burn made an impression on Glameow.
"Scratch Glameow!" Glameow struck Ponyta, leaving three red marks. He began to grow irritated.
"Finish it with a tackle Ponyta!" Tenki ordered. He did so, knocking the Pokemon unconscious. The man returned Glameow and grunted.
"Yeah, like I'm really supposed to win with a Pokemon like this."
Tenki frowned. It wasn't even his Pokemon! No wonder he didn't have a scar.
"Now move out of the way."
"Isn't that just great. Getting owned by some kid. But you can't do a thing if I lock myself in with the Works Key!"
"What?" Tenki asked.
"That's right, the other Works Key's not here!" He laughed "My cohorts in the flower patch have the other one!"
"So there are two keys, and you are telling me where it is?"
He ignored him. "Hahaha! In that sense, I'm no longer the loser!"
"Ponyta…" Tenki said and Ponyta growled. The member yelped in anxiety and dashed in, locking the door. Tenki tried opening it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Well, to the Flower Patch then. I'm assuming that's back in town, yeah?" He asked Ponyta. He shrugged. Tenki smiled and returned him.
Tenki walked up to the path that the two Galactic members were blocking. To his surprise, they weren't blocking it anymore. Instead, they were interrogating a man. As he walked up, he heard them shouting.
"Enough arguing!" The one on the left said. "Hand over that sweet Honey!"
Tenki wasn't sure if he heard that right.
"Do as we say! Team Galactic will have that Honey!" The other grunt said. Tenki shook his head. He said Honey. Either Team Galactic wanted some honey, or these two Galactic members were deeply disturbed. "We must have it to attract Pokemon in great numbers!" Attract. That's all Tenki heard. He let out a sigh. The Galactic members noticed him. The turned around.
"Hey! This kid is a witness! What'll we do?" The first one asked.
"We don't need the brat running off to get help…"
Tenki laughed. "Help? I don't need any help taking care of you two snobs."
"What? How dare you insult Team Galactic?" He smiled. "Go Stunky!"
"How unoriginal. Alright then, Ponyta has a knack for taking our Galactic members." He said, releasing Ponyta. "Ember." He said flatly. Ponyta shot flames at Stunky.
"Focus Energy!" He said. Tenki grit his teeth.
"Another Ember!" Ponyta glowed red as he shot the fire out. It was a lighter color and much larger. Tenki began to call these types of attacks "Critical".
The Galactic member deflated as he returned his Pokemon. "This is why I'm gunna be stuck as a Grunt forever…"
"Is that what you are in Team Galactic? A grunt? Well I take you out with such ease, it makes sense."
"Quiet! I'm up next! Battling you right after my cohort weakened you gives me the edge!"
"Not really, all he did was use Focus energy and faint."
"SILENCE!" He shouted. "Zubat!" He shouted as he released his Pokemon.
"Ember Ponyta." He said. Ponyta spat fire. It burned the Zubat. It was already losing its spirit.
"Zubat, Leech Life." The grunt said. Zubat landed on Ponyta and bit. It sucked out blood. Ponyta quickly shook it off.
"Enough of that Zubat. Finish with an Ember please." Tenki said. Ponyta shot fire and the Zubat collapsed. The Galactic Grunt returned his Pokemon and sent out another Zubat. "How eager of you to lose. Ember Ponyta."
The Zubat spun around in flames. "Leech Life!"
"How repetitive. Ember Ponyta." Tenki said in boredom. The Zubat collapsed. The grunt returned his Zubat. "I want a promotion so I can get some better Pokemon…"
"Well, well, well. A child defeats the mighty Team Galactic." Tenki said returning Ponyta. They ignored him.
"That brat's tough! Like, really, really tough!"
"Are you kidding? All I did was use Ember."
"Tougher than I can put into words, and I know a lot of words."
"Do you know the word Ember?" Tenki asked.
"We're done for here…let's get back to the Valley Windworks." They said to each other. They ran off.
A key lie at the old man's feet. He picked it up. "Oh, what's this thing? They seem to have forgotten it…it's a Works Key…"
"Yeah, they aren't the smartest, are they?" Tenki said. "Mind if I take it?"
"It's of no use to me. You may as well have it." He said happily, handing over the key. Tenki slipped it in his pocket. "Thank you! You surely saved me. Those goons were trying to rob me of my sweet, sweet Honey."
"Can you not say it like that please?" Tenki asked. "I'm assuming you mean actual Honey right?"
"What other kind of Honey is there?" He asked. Tenki put his hand over his face. "Anyways, I need to thank you! This sweet, sweet Honey!"
Tenki got an odd look as the man reached down…and handed him a jar of real Honey. He let out a sigh of relief. He grabbed the jar and put in in his bag.
"Slather that Honey on a sweet-smelling tree. It might attract Pokemon."
"Gotcha." Tenki said. He turned and walked away, his destination set on the Valley Windworks.
The key slotted in. The door opened up. Tenki removed the key and put it in his bag. He walked inside. Immediately, the grunt from before noticed him.
"What? No way! You have the key?"
"Yeah, I kinda just found it." Tenki said.
"Locking the door was meaningless! I am the loser in this after all!"
"Not just this…" Tenki said.
He frowned. "This is no time for self-pity! I've got to alert the Commander!" He ran off. Castform looked around the Valley Windworks.
"Reminds me of home." Tenki said. "Where you came from." Castform smiled. Tenki continued on. It was time to find the little girl's father.
There were several grunts along the corridor. When Tenki asked about the little girl's father, they simply ignored him and battled. Tenki quickly took care of business.
"Oh, this is not fun and games! This is proper work, I tell you!"
"Collecting electricity from the Valley Windworks…that's our mission."
Eventually, Tenki encountered a Galactic member who wasn't just a clone of the first grunt he'd ever seen. She was wearing a female version of the same outfit and had short red hair. Next to her was a man with gray hair and glasses who looked rather old. Behind him was a man in his twenties wearing glasses. He looked just like the scientists from the Weather Institute. The lady was yelling at the grunt that locked the door. She noticed Tenki as he walked up.
"I'm one of the team Galactic's three Commanders."
"Maybe you will actually be a challenge." Tenki said with a giggle. Castform also giggled.
"No, wait. That's one of four commanders."
"Glad to see you aren't good with numbers." Tenki said.
"Caas…" Castform said in a hushed laugh. She got irritated.
"My name is Mars!" She shouted. "We've been trying to create a new world that's better than this one…" She said.
"Like Mars?" Tenki asked. He giggled again with Castform. She ignored him.
"People have shown little understanding about what we do. You don't understand either, do you? It's a little saddening."
"I'm sure you are crazy, nothing wrong about that."
"How about we have a battle to decide what we should do next?"
"Fine by me. Ready Castform?" Tenki said.
"Cas!" He said with determination.
"If I win, you leave. If you win, we, Team Galactic, will leave!"
"You got it!" Tenki said.
"Zubat!" She shouted.
"Don't waste any time!" Tenki shouted as Zubat formed. "Powder Snow!"
Castform blew ice at the Zubat. It must have been especially cold, because the Zubat collapsed to the ground, completely immobilized.
"It was frozen!" The grunt said. Mars shot an icy glare to the grunt. He quieted down.
"Don't give it a chance to respond! Another Powder Snow!" Tenki shouted. Castform landed a critical. The Pokemon seemed to lose its consciousness. Mars grunted and returned the icy Pokemon.
"Purugly!" She shouted. An ugly huge cat formed. Tenki stole a quick scan.
Purugly, Tiger Cat Pokemon. 96.6 pounds. 3 feet, 3 inches. Evolved form of Glameow. It binds its body with its tails to make itself look bigger. If it locks eyes, it will glare ceaselessly.
"Don't worry Castform, it only looks big!"
"Fakeout!" Mars shouted. The all-too familiar Pokemon lumped forward and smacked into Castform, dazing him. The Purugly was fast for its size. "Scratch!" Mars shouted. It clawed into Castform. Tenki grit his teeth.
"Powder Snow Castform!" He shouted. Castform spat ice. Purugly seemed completely unaffected by the ice. Tenki let out a deflated sigh.
"Another Scratch!" Mars shouted smiling. Castform spun around after being hit.
"No! Castform, tackle!" He shouted. Castform flew forward, piling into Purugly. It seemed to do more, but still nothing.
"Scratch again Purugly!" Purugly sliced into Castform. He began to lose energy.
"Tackle Castform!" Castform lazily floated towards Purugly. It quickly moved out of the way.
"Finish it with Faint Attack!" Mars shouted, laughing. Purugly's claw glowed purple as it cut into Castform. He failed to float any longer. Tenki ran out and picked him up. Purugly hissed as Tenki ran out. Tenki returned to his position.
"It's not over…" Tenki shouted. "C'mon Ponyta!"
"Scratch!" Mars shouted. So quick. Ponyta had been scratched too much.
"Flame Wheel!" Ponyta became enveloped in flames as it rammed into Purugly. This Pokemon seemed to have too much defense!
"Faint Attack!" Dark claws dug in.
"Flame Wheel!" Purugly seemed fine. Then, Purugly's tail harbored a berry to its mouth, where it consumed it.
"Scratch!" Ponyta nearly collapsed.
"Flame Wheel!" Tenki felt like he was wasting his time.
"Finish it with a Faint Attack!"
Ponyta collapsed. Tenki returned him. Mars returned Purugly.
"Now leave! We have worked to do!"
"What if I don't leave?"
The grunt stood up. "Not so tough without your little Hoenn Pokemon, are you?"
Tenki ran out, the Grunts laughing as he left. He returned to the Pokemon Center, quickly healing his Pokemon. He wasn't going to lose another battle with team Galactic.
Against his word, he returned to the Valley Windworks. He couldn't let that little girl down. He was a fool to all of the Grunts. Ponyta growled at them, scaring them off. He returned to Mars. She glared at him.
"What kind of scumbag goes back on a deal?" she asked him.
"No, you said I had to leave. I did. You never said I couldn't come back."
She sighed. "Whatever, let's get this over with. This time, you leave and never come back."
"Fine." He nodded.
"Let's see you fail again. Zubat!"
Zubat appeared. Castform floated off of Tenki's shoulder.
"Powder Snow!" Castform spat snow at Zubat. This time, Zubat didn't freeze.
"Bite Zubat!" Zubat darted forward, sinking his teeth into Castform. Castform spun, knocking Zubat off.
"Finish the Zubat off Castform! Powder Snow!"
The Zubat collapsed to the ground. Mars returned her Pokemon. "That was expected. Purugly, you're up!"
Just as expected, Purugly opened up with a Fakeout. Then followed with a Faint Attack.
"Tackle!" Tenki shouted. Still, Purugly seemed unaffected.
"Scratch!" Castform seemed about to lose hope.
"Tackle!" Castform mindlessly rammed into Purugly.
"Finish it up! Faint Attack!" Castform collapsed. Tenki picked him up.
"All right!" He shouted, "Ponyta!"
Ponyta formed out of the white light. He seemed angrier than normal.
"Calm down Ponyta!" Tenki said. "Remember the battle with Roark?"
"Pown!" Ponyta howled.
"Faint Attack!" Mars shouted. The claws dug into Ponyta. He neighed.
"Growl!" Purugly showed no fear. Tenki became worried.
"Scratch!"
"Another Growl!"
"Keep up the scratches!"
"Try to intimidate it Ponyta!"
It was obviously working, because Ponyta seemed to withstand the attacks better. Eventually, Ponyta seemed eager to fight. Tenki could tell.
"Ok, let's do this then!" Tenki shouted. "Flame Wheel!" As Ponyta slammed into Purugly, it became burned. It once again, ate a berry. However, Ponyta clearly had the advantage. Mars gasped.
"Scratch Purugly!"
"You're running out of time, Mars!" Tenki shouted. "Use a final Flame Wheel!" Finally, Purugly collapsed. Mars returned her Pokemon.
"This can't be? I lost…to some brat?" She sighed. "Well…I messed that one up! That's all right, though. I quite enjoyed our battles."
"My, my. Lose to a child, will you?" The old man to her side said. "But, no matter. We've collected plenty of electricity. With the power we obtained, we can do something quite spectacular." He grinned evilly. "It seems quite obvious to me, Charon, the genius even the boss recognizes. Now, Mars, we should be going."
"Will you shut it!" Mars shouted. "The boss is the only person in the world who's allowed to order me around! You can keep quiet around me! You only joined us recently. Don't think you're so important!" She turned back to Tenki. "I guess it's time to say good-bye and leave for the time being!" In what seemed like an instant, they were all gone. The man in glasses walked up to Tenki.
"Team Galactic…they were saying they had to gather Pokemon and energy no matter what."
"Yeah…"
"It was for creating a new universe, or so they claimed."
"They must be crazy." Tenki said. "You can't just create universes."
"Nothing they said made any sort of sense to me." He smiled. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for you saving me."
"Don't mention it." Tenki said.
"I can finally see my little daughter again!"
Almost on cue, the little girl dashed towards him. She must have seen Mars, Charon and the grunts running out and dashed in. "Papa!" she shouted "Yuck! Papa, you're stinky! Go shower now, stinky!" She said, holding her nose.
The scientist looked around quickly. "Oh, sorry! Ahaha! They had me working nonstop!
"Thank you, Trainer! You made those bad people go away!" She told Tenki. "I think the balloon Pokemon will come visiting again!"
As Tenki walked out of the Valley Windworks, wondering what the "Balloon Pokemon" was, Looker ran up to him.
"As, yes. It is you, yes. I have heard that Team Galactic appeared at this power plant."
"Yeah, it wasn't a problem." Tenki said smiling.
"Well then…I am too slow. I'll go investigate inside!" He ran inside. In a moment, he shot back out. "Magnificent! Yes, it is! What you have said, it is all true indeed!"
"I wouldn't lie." Tenki said.
"Superb! Though you are young, you are a Trainer though and through! Very well! I shall pursue the culprits!" He began to walk away. "I have received tips that the Team Galactic hideout is in Eterna City. To there, I must be off!" He darted off without saying goodbye.
Tenki returned to the Pokemon Center for the night.
It was now Tenki's third day in Sinnoh. He had obtained one badge and stopped the odd Team Galactic from taking over a wind power plant. And he had 2 Pokemon.
He set north on the bridge that was previously blocked by the Galactic Grunts. He was glad he could call them Grunts. Along the path north, he battled various new trainers. Many talked about the Eterna Forest. He encountered new Pokemon along the way.
Pachirisu, EleSquirrel Pokemon. 8.6 pounds, 1 foot 4 inches. A pair may be seen rubbing their cheek pouches together in an effort to share stored electricity.
Shellos, Sea Slug Pokemon. 13.9 pounds, 1 foot. Beware of pushing strongly on its squishy body, as it makes mysterious purple fluid ooze out.
Roselia, Thorn Pokemon.4.4 pounds, 1 foot. Evolved form of Budew. The more healthy the Roselia, the more pleasant its flowers' aroma. Its scent deeply relaxes people. Tenki recognized this Pokemon from back home.
Aipom, Long Tail Pokemon. 25.4 pounds, 2 feet, 7 inches.
It lives high among the treetops. It can use its tail as freely and cleverly as its hands.
In the grass on the way, a strange Pokemon presented itself. It looked red with a life ring around its neck. It had two tails that constantly moved. Blue patches appeared on its shoulders. It was drinking from the river. Tenki stole a scan.
Buizel, Sea Weasel Pokemon. 65 pounds, 2 feet, 4 inches. It spins its two tails like a screw to propel itself through water. The tails also slice clinging seaweed.
Tenki had to have it. It must have been water type, so Tenki chose to use Castform.
"All right Castform, attack the Buizel with a Water Gun!"
The Buizel heard and quickly reacted. It shot forward with a Quick Attack. Castform spun around in confusion. Then he shot a ball of water, barely affecting the Buizel.
"Castform, Tackle!" Castform body slammed the Buizel, forcing it to lose its balance. It toppled down, and quickly punched Castform with a purple fist. Tenki was ready to catch the Pokemon. He reached into his bag and pulled out a Net Ball. He only had one.
"You're mine Buizel!" Tenki shouted, hurling the Net Ball at Buizel. As soon as it made contact, Buizel turned into white light, shrunk, and disappeared. The Net Ball dropped to the ground. Tenki waited for the familiar shakes.
1 Shake…
2 Shakes…
And…
3 Shakes!
The familiar sound of a click sounded. Castform leaped in joy! The team had caught a Buizel! The team now had 3 Pokemon.
With a team half full, Tenki continued to the forest. A trainer outside the forest told him about it.
"This forest will lead to Eterna City." He told him, "But many Poison-type Pokemon live in the forest. Since Poison-type Pokemon are the only type without any sort of Legendary Pokemon, they need to use their defensive abilities well."
Tenki sighed "I'm all out of antidotes."
"That's all right; it looks like you have Pecha berries. They are good for a Pokémon's blood and freshen it up."
"Oh, perfect." Tenki said, holding the Pecha berry from earlier.
As soon as Tenki entered the Forest, it got dark. The trees above filtered out the light. Tenki wondered why the things on the Forest floor didn't die without sunlight. Castform looked uneasy.
To Tenki's surprise, there was a lady at the entrance that looked worried. As Tenki walked up to her she smiled.
"Hello, my name's Cheryl. And you are…?"
"Hello, I'm Tenki. This is my partner Castform. We're from Hoenn."
"Caas!" Castform said, excited to meet someone new.
"Well I'm sincerely glad to meet the two of you." She smiled at Tenki. "Tenki, may I ask a big favor of you?"
"Huh?" Tenki asked.
"I want to get through this forest, but I'm afraid of doing it alone. I've heard that there is a sinister group of people called Team Galactic about."
"Oh really?" Tenki said with a smile.
"I think there'd be safety in numbers. Please, may I go through with you?"
"Absolutely!" Tenki said with a smile.
"Great!" Cheryl said, "I'll keep your Pokemon in perfect health!"
"Perfect!"
New Pokemon in the Forest.
Cascoon, Cocoon Pokemon. 25.4 Pounds, 2 feet, four inches. Evolved form of Wurmple. It never forgets any attack it endured while in the cocoon. After evolution, it seeks payback.
Silcoon, Cocoon Pokemon. 22 pounds, 2 feet. Evolved form of Wurmple. It wraps silk around the branches of a tree. It drinks rainwater on its silk while awaiting evolution.
Beautifly, Butterfly Pokemon. 62.6 Pounds, 3 feet, 3 inches. Evolved form of Silcoon. Despite its looks, it is aggressive. It jabs with its long, thin mouth if disturbed while collecting pollen.
Dustox, Poison Moth Pokemon. 69.7 Pounds, 3 feet, 11 inches. Evolved form of Cascoon. Toxic powder is scattered with each flap. At night, it is known to strip leaves off trees lining boulevards.
Psyduck, Duck Pokemon. 43.2 Pounds, 2 feet 7 inches. Overwhelmed by enigmatic abilities, it suffers a constant headache. It sometimes uses mysterious powers.
Meditite, Meditate Pokemon. 24-7 pounds, 2 feet. It always trains deep in mountains. It levitates when it heightens its spiritual power through meditation.
Buneary, Rabbit Pokemon. 12.1 pounds, 1 foot 4 inches. Its ears are always rolled up. They can be forcefully extended to shatter even a large boulder.
Cheryl also had a Chansey.
Chansey, Egg Pokemon. 76.3 pounds, 3 feet, 7 inches. Evolved form of Happiny.
A kindly Pokémon that lays highly nutritious eggs and shares them with injured Pokémon or people.
As the two neared the exit of the forest, Cheryl let out a happy sigh.
"Oh! There's the exit! I'm so relieved…we finally got here. I would've never been able to get through this by myself."
"It wasn't a problem." Tenki said, blushing.
"Thank you so much, Tenki! This is my token of appreciation. Please accept it!" She said, handing him a small bell. As it tingled it made Tenki feel happy.
"What is it?" He asked her.
"It's called a soothe bell. It makes Pokemon happier if they are holding it." She said with a smile. "Thanks again Tenki!" She said, leaving the forest. Tenki waved goodbye as he realized he was exiting the same way. "I'm sure we'll meet again somewhere! Bye for now!"
As Tenki left the forest, light pounded down. He and Castform squinted in the light. They soon adjusted and made their way to Eterna city. Along the way, they picked several berries and battled some fishermen. The Pokemon he encountered were only water-type.
Magikarp, Fish Pokemon. 22 pounds, 2 feet 11 inches. A Magikarp living for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though.
Goldeen, Goldfish Pokemon. 33.1 pounds, 2 feet. Though it appears very elegant when swimming with fins unfurled, it can jab powerfully with its horn.
Finally, Tenki arrive in Eterna city. His first destination was the Pokemon Center. Along the way, however, he noticed a Galactic Grunt. He walked up to him.
"Hey, you! Yeah, you, Trainer!"
"What do you want?" Tenki asked sourly.
"Errr…it's ok. Never mind. You look tough." He said dryly. "I won't take…um, I'll just let you keep your Pokemon. Carry on!" Tenki shrugged and walked into the Pokemon Center.
After getting all refreshed, Tenki headed to the Mart to buy some supplies. To his surprise, he had over 12000 Nav Credits! He hadn't checked since he spent them all, they sure piled up quickly.
Instead of heading straight to the gym, with a bad feeling in his gut, he went north to investigate Team Galactic. Barry ran up from behind him, colliding with him sending him, Barry, and Castform chaotically all over the ground. Barry sat up.
"Hey, Tenki!" He shouted, helping him to his feet.
"Cas…" Castform said, irritated.
"You came to see the Pokemon statue, right?" Barry asked.
"Well, no, I actually…"
"I'll take you there!" Barry told him, quickly rushing off. Tenki shook his head and followed. Barry was standing up at the statue. It looked like a giant Pokemon. Scanning it didn't produce fruitful results. There was a man with spikey blue hair standing in front of the statue. Barry gave Tenki an awkward look.
"What the…"
The man started talking aloud. "…So, this is Eterna's Pokemon statue. Shaping our world are time and space in an intertwining spiral." He briefly paused. "Revered in Sinnoh are the Pokemon of time and space. Sinnoh's myth…its truth needs investigation…" Then he walked towards Tenki and Barry. When he was face-to-face with the man, he spoke. "Pardon me. Stand aside." Tenki moved out of the way. Both Barry and Tenki looked at him as he walked away. Eventually, Barry looked towards Tenki.
"Oh hey! When we smacked together, a brilliant flash of inspiration came to me!" He shouted, "An easy way to become a great Trainer! Yeah, that! All right. Listen close…" Tenki grew bored. "Make certain all your attacks hit! Avoid enemy attacks for sure!"
"Of course!" Tenki shouted with sarcasm.
"You do that, you'd never lose! You'd be the invincible Trainer!" Barry smiled. "Anyway, go check out the Pokemon statue. See you around!" He said, and they darted off. Tenki walked up to the statue and tried scanning it again. Still, nothing. There was a spot on the base of the statue that seemed cleaner than the rest. Maybe a plate of some sort had been planted there. Tenki returned south. Another Galactic Grunt stood by some bikes. He noticed Tenki walking.
"Hey! You there, kid! Stay away from that Pokemon statue!" He shouted.
"OK, you Galactic Grunts are really starting to irritate me…" He said with anger.
The Galactic Grunt seemed frightened and stopped talking.
Tenki decided to walk back the way he came before. As he walked, a blonde lady walked up to him.
"Oh, that device you have…" She said, looking at his bag. "It is a Pokedex? Wow, it brings back some memories." She said happily.
"Does it now?" Tenki said happily.
"Pardon me, but what's your name?" She asked.
"My name's Tenki, and this is Castform. We're from Hoenn." He said.
"Cas!" Castform said happily.
"OK, hello, Tenki, Castform. I'll be sure to remember that name." She smiled warmly. It made Tenki smiled just seeing the smile. "My name is Cynthia. I'm a Trainer, just like you." She nodded quickly. "I've been studying Pokemon mythology lately, just out of curiosity." She looked behind her at the statue. "Here in Eterna City, there is a statue of an ancient Pokemon. Have you seen it already?"
"Yeah, just earlier." Tenki said.
"According to myth, it was an extremely powerful Pokemon." She put her hand on her chin. "Who knows? You may encounter something like it while you're traveling with your Pokedex." Then she smiled and pepped up. "Oh, I know! Try using this! It should be helpful." She grabbed a disc out of her bag and handed it to him. He held it in his hands.
"What is it? An HM?"
"For Cut. You can use it on the field too." She smiled again. "It will let you go places that were previously inaccessible to you, places blocked by small trees. That's important for filling up your Pokedex, isn't it?"
"I suppose." He told her.
"Then luck be with you, young Trainer!" She began to walk away, when she turned around. "Oh, there's one last thing! Please give my regards to Rowan! I know he's the one that gave you the Pokedex." Then, she walked away, waving goodbye.
Tenki saw the gym at the south edge of town. A blonde girl wearing a small green shirt saw him approaching. When he walked up to the Gym, she spoke to him.
"Hi! I'm Gardenia! I'm this town's Gym Leader!" She nodded quickly. "My last challenger was this awfully speedy young guy. I think his name was Barry. He told me about you. He described you will with your little Castform!" She looked him up and down.
"I'm Tenki, then." He said, shaking her hand.
"He said that another challenger's on the way, so that made me antsy! At my Gym, no one gets to battle with the Gym Leader, me, until the end. The challenger has to beat all the other Gym Trainers first."
Tenki smiled. "Let's see if you are more of a challenge than Roark of Oreburgh!"
"I'll be waiting for you in the back, Tenki. Don't disappoint me!" She said, rushing into the Gym. Tenki and Castform smiled, entering the gym.
The Gym was fun to play around in. A rotating-flower-clock rested in the center of the Gym. Whenever Tenki defeated a trainer, the clock would move significantly. Then, Tenki would be able to get to another Trainer, and after defeating that one, the clock would move again. Within no time, Tenki stood before the excited Gardenia. To his surprise, there were no Pokémon he didn't recognize. He didn't get any new scans in.
"You maaaaaaaaaaade it!" She said happily. "Can we start our battle now? Oh I'm excited!"
"Yeah!" Tenki shouted happily.
"Ok then. I'm Gardenia, the Grass-type master! When I first saw you, I had no doubt that you'd get to me without a problem! And I was right! You have a winning aura about you…" She jumped in joy. "So, anyways, this will be fun. Let's have our battle!" She grinned happily. A real challenge! Go Turtwig!"
Tenki smiled. Another familiar Pokemon. It was the Pokemon Barry had. "Castform, you got this one, right?"
"Cas!" He shouted.
"Alright! Ember Castform!" Tenki shouted. Flames shot at Turtwig. The fire scorched the Pokémon, burning it. Tenki jumped in success.
"Reflect Turtwig!" Gardenia shouted. Turtwig grunted, and a small barrier appeared around him. Tenki scratched his head. "I see you are confused. Now, any physical attacks you use are weakened."
"Good thing I'm not using physical attacks then!" Tenki shouted, "Another Ember Castform!"
Turtwig began to lose energy. "Razor Leaf Turtwig!"
Sharp leaves shot out, slicing across Castform. Castform did its best to recover quickly. It was a great attempt. Turtwig collapsed in pain and the burn lit up. Gardenia used a Super Potion on Turtwig. That meant that if needed, Tenki could do the same.
"A Powder Snow Castform, go!" Castform shot out chilly breath, slamming Turtwig, but not helping the burn one bit. Tenki owned this battle. Castform was so much quicker than the grassy turtle that he was having no trouble. "Another Ember!" Turtwig began to fall down again.
"Another Razor Leaf!" Gardenia shouted out in fear. Castform took the attack without any fear.
"Finish it off Castform! Ember!" The flames consumed Turtwig, and it fell down, unconscious. Almost on cue, the reflect disappeared. Gardenia smiled as she returned her Pokemon.
"What excitement! Hoenn Pokemon really are strong!" She pulled out another Ball. "Let's see your type advantage guide you through more! Cherrim, your turn!"
A new Pokemon appeared before Castform. It had small pink feet below is full purple coat. A green leafy top produced a stem, the same color as its feet. Tenki stole a quick scan.
Cherrim. Blossom Pokemon. 20.5 pounds, 1 foot, 8 inches. Evolved form of Cherubi.
If it senses strong sunlight, it opens its folded petals to absorb the sun's rays with its whole body. This Pokemon was dependent on the weather, just like Castform.
"Now Cherrim, Leech Seed!" Gardenia shouted. Green seeds shot out of the stem on top of Cherrim, attaching onto Castform. They attached but did little else.
"Ignore it Castform! Ember!" Castform spat fire, scorching the leafy purple Pokemon. No pain was shown, it was impossible to tell without seeing a face. Then, the seeds turned red and Castform howled in pain. Small blue lights flew away from Castform and fused with Cherrim, obviously healing it. "Castform, are you alright?"
"Cas!" Castform howled.
"Magical Leaf Cherrim!" Gardenia shouted. Glowing leafs appeared and shot towards Castform. After enduring the hit, Castform exhaled deeply.
"Ember Castform!" Another shot of fire shot towards Cherrim. It simply moved out of the way. Then the Leech Seeds knocked Castform unconscious. Tenki ran out, and picked up Castform. "You did awesome Castform, just rest." He said, placing him on his bag.
"Cas…" Castform said weakly.
"All right Gardenia! You were right, type advantages can only go so far!" He reached into his bag. "So I'm trying something a little odd…"
"Yay!" she shouted.
"Buizel, your turn!" He shouted, releasing his beloved Buizel. He had trained him much from his capture.
"I see! Maybe you will luck out! Well then let's continue!" She smiled. "Grass Knot Cherrim!" The purple Pokemon dashed forward and tripped Buizel with its stem. Buizel collapsed without a fight and lost consciousness. Tenki's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"No!" He shouted, returning Buizel. "Well that's ok. I wasn't counting too much on Buizel anyways. Go Ponyta!" Tenki shouted, releasing Ponyta.
"Back to fire attacks, yes?" She asked.
"Flame Wheel Ponyta!" Tenki shouted. Ponyta covered itself in flames and dashed into Cherrim, badly scorching it. It fell over, but got back up. It was impossible to tell if it was hurt or not except for the burns on its cloak.
"Magical Leaf Cherrim!" Gardenia shouted in excitement. It shot out the familiar shining leafs barely effecting Ponyta.
Gardenia took this as a chance to use another Super Potion. Tenki wasted no more time.
"Ember Ponyta! Follow up with another Flame Wheel!"
The combo of attacks knocked the Cherrim unconscious, as far as Tenki could tell. Gardenia returned the purple Pokemon and smiled. "Wow! What a strong team!" Then, she held out another ball. "But it's over now! Roserade, show this challenger we mean business!"
Another new Pokemon formed. It looked like a fancy Pokemon, holding bouquets of roses. Tenki snagged a quick scan.
Roserade, Bouquet Pokemon. 32 Pounds, 2 feet, 11 inches. Evolved form of Roselia. Each of its hands contains different toxins, but both hands can jab with near-fatal power.
Tenki smiled. The Pokedex also told him that he had now compiled three complete evolutionary chains of Pokemon. He slipped the Pokedex away, ready for the battle.
"It's not over yet!" Gardenia shouted. "Grass Knot Roserade!" The Pokemon shot forward, tripping Ponyta with a leafy hand. Ponyta collapsed, writhing in pain.
"Quickly Ponyta! Flame Wheel!" The collision with Roserade nearly knocked it out. Roserade revealed a yellow pear-shaped berry in its bouquet, eating it. Ponyta neighed. Tenki ran up, applying a potion. Ponyta neighed again, eager to fight. Roserade followed up with a Grass Knot, more ineffective than last time.
"Magical Leaf Roserade!" Gardenia shouted. The leafs sliced into Ponyta, hurting badly. Ponyta was on his last thread.
"Flame Wheel Ponyta! Now!" The Flame Wheel did it! It slammed Roserade against the wall, knocking it unconscious. Gardenia returned her Pokemon and sighed. Tenki returned Ponyta, happily. Castform floated up smiling.
"Amazing! You're very good, aren't you?" She said, walking up to him. "I might've said it before, but you're really tough! Wasn't it hard for you to raise your Pokemon to be so good?"
"I guess it comes naturally." Tenki said blushing.
"Well, in recognition of that, I proudly grant you this!" She smiled, handing him the Forest Badge. He smiled as he grabbed it and slotted it into the case.
"All right! My second badge! I'm one fourth of the way there now!" He smiled happily and shook Gardenia's hand.
"Now, with your skill, maybe you can explore more, and expand that Pokedex of yours." She smiled. "And this is a personal gift, from me, to you!" she handed him another TM. He slotted it into his bag. "It's Grass Knot! You saw it in action! It does more damage the bigger the Pokemon is! You can imagine how helpful that is!"
"Thanks Gardenia! I'll be sure to come back and visit sometime!"