Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
Hello, dear readers! This is Carner speaking (writing?), and bringing you chapter 2 of Pokémon - Kanto Journey. A quick recap of the previous chapter: Mike and his friends Nathalie, Christopher, Tessa, Jane and Josh prepared for their graduation exam in Viridian City's Trainer School. They all passed the test, except for Josh. Mike's 'best friend' Mark also passed.
Viridian City Trainer School, Training Room
21 June 2008, 1:56 PM
Mr. DeNigro, professor Oak and Bryce had placed a table next to the training grounds. All three of them sat at the tables, with the six Poké Balls in their enlarged form in front of them.
"I'm starting to get really nervous now!" Nathalie shivered, "I know I did well in my theoretic exam, but I don't know if I'll be able to pull this off!"
"I know how you're feeling, Nathalie," Tessa sighed, "I guess we have to hope for the best now."
"Nah," Christopher grinned, "We'll make it the best."
"Christopher's right," Mike added, "There's nobody that's going to do it for us. We'll have to succeed ourselves."
"Let's just see which Pokémon we'll get partnered with, okay?" Jane said, "We'll see then."
Tessa nodded. "But let's all do our best anyway!"
"Ahem!" Mr. DeNigro announced, "Time to begin! I'll let the student that had the highest grades on her theoretic exam go first! Miss Willard, please step forward and pick a Pokémon!"
Nathalie smiled unsurely at her friends, before walking over to the table. She thought for a moment, but then picked the second Poké Ball on the right.
"You may release the Pokémon inside, miss Willard," Mr. DeNigro told her.
"Okay... Come on out!" Nathalie cried out, releasing the Pokémon inside. The Pokémon that materialized in front of Nathalie was not the Pokémon she hoped to have.
"Maaaan!" Mankey cried, waving its arms in the air. The Fighting-type looked at its surroundings, apparently disoriented.
"For the next person to step forward-" Mr. DeNigro started.
"Maaan!" Mankey interrupted him. This cry somehow seemed different from its previous one. It almost sounded like a battle cry. "Maaaaaan!" Mankey roared again, and without a warning, it used Karate Chop on the table, which collapsed. Oak, Mr. DeNigro and Bryce all fell to the ground.
That could have been funny, if it wasn't for all the Poké Balls that rolled over the ground. To make matters worse, all Pokémon appeared out of them.
"Nidooooh!"
"Veeee!"
"Eleee!"
"Maaaag!"
"Saaand!" the released Pokémon cried.
Mankey exited the room in his frenzy, and the other Pokémon quickly followed him. It all happened so quickly that nobody had the chance to pick up any of the Poké Balls and recall the Pokémon.
"This is a disaster!" Mr. DeNigro screamed, "All of you!" he pointed at the students, "Go look for the Pokémon! Quickly!"
They all nodded, and were about to leave as Oak called out to them. "Wait!" He ran over to them, and handed over small red devices. "These are Pokédexes, but I'm sure you already know that! If you come across wild Pokémon on the way, you might want to scan them with your Pokédex so that you know what to do with them!"
"Will do, professor!" Christopher quickly took a Pokédex and bolted, without waiting for his friends.
"Can't let him beat me!" Mark seemed to be the only person in the room that was still grinning. He rapidly followed Christopher outside.
The others were left in the dust. "We have to get going!" Tessa shouted.
"I know, but we can't just go alone, can we?" Jane yelled back, "I'm not really comfortable doing that!"
"We'll have to split up anyway!" Nathalie interrupted them, "Tess, Jane, you two take Route 2! Mike and I will go to Route 22!"
"What about Route 1?" Mike asked.
"The Pokémon can't get away if they go to Route 1!" Nathalie impatiently answered, "The only place they can go to is Pallet Town!"
"Oh, right," Mike sighed.
"Seriously, guys!" Tessa screamed, "We really have to go now!"
"Right!" all of them nodded, before heading out. Mike and Nathalie to Route 22, Tessa and Jane to Route 2.
Route 1
21 June 2008, 2:08 PM
Christopher cautiously walked through Route 1. He didn't know what to expect, so he was on his guard. Suddenly, he heard a cry not very far away from him.
"Maaaan!"
"That's definitely Mankey!" Christopher cried out as he ran in the direction the cry came from. When he reached the place, he saw that Mankey was cornered by a guy in a black costume. The costume had a big red 'R' splashed on it. Next to the man flew a bird Christopher recognized all too well. A Spearow.
"Team Rocket?!" Christopher cried, taking out his Pokédex, "You guys are still around?!"
"Spearow, the tiny bird Pokémon. Spearow has a very loud cry that can be heard over half a mile away. If its high, keening cry is heard echoing all around, it is a sign that they are warning each other of danger."
The man briefly locked eyes with Christopher, before turning back to Mankey and Spearow. "We've been spotted! Spearow, knock out Mankey quickly, then we'll bail! Use Peck!"
"Speaaar!" Spearow flew at Mankey, its sharp beak pointed forward.
"Mankey! Dodge!" Christopher shouted without thinking.
"Maaan!" Mankey roared as he jumped to one side, narrowly dodging Spearow's Peck.
"Mankey, if you want to get out of this, you'll have to work together with me!" Christopher yelled at him.
"Man?" Mankey looked confused for a moment, but then nodded. "Man!"
"Alright, Mankey!" Christopher commanded, "Start off by using a Karate Chop!"
"Maaan!" Mankey cried out. He ran over to where Spearow was, preparing for a Karate Chop.
"Spearow! Dodge!" the Rocket yelled.
"Speaar!" However, Spearow didn't react fast enough, and the Karate Chop hit its left wing. "Speaar!" it cried it alarm as it fell down to the ground.
"Don't give in, Spearow!" the Rocket shouted, "You're stronger than that!"
"Sp...Spear!" Spearow cried out, flying up again.
"Good, now strike 'em down with a Peck!" the Rocket called.
"Speaaar!" Spearow started charging at Mankey again.
"Use Leer, now!" Christopher quickly ordered.
"Maaan!" Mankey locked eyes with the Spearow and gave it an angry look. A sweat drop appeared on Spearow's head, but it kept charging forward. "Maaaan!" he cried out in pain when the super effective attack hit. He dropped to one knee, but only briefly.
"Use Scratch, now!" Christopher quickly commanded.
"Man!" Mankey leapt up and quickly scratched Spearow's face.
"Speaar!" Spearow let out a cry in pain, but got up again.
"Now use Karate Chop, Mankey!" Christopher called.
"Maaan!" Mankey charged at Spearow, ready to deliver a powerful chop to it.
"Don't let them, Spearow!" the Rocket shouted, "Use your Growl!"
"Speaar..." Spearow nodded as it let out a soft cry. However, it seemed to enrage Mankey even more.
"Maaaaan!" Mankey's eyes turned brightly red, and he let his fist come down on Spearow with incredible force.
"Speaaar!" Spearow cried in surprise, before collapsing to the ground.
"What? But how?" the Rocket questioned, recalling his Spearow, "Growl should have lowered Mankey's attack power!"
Christopher grinned. "See, that's where you went wrong. This Mankey's ability is Defiant. By using moves like Growl or Tail Whip, you only end up boosting its attack."
"Grrr... I'll remember this, kid!" The grunt pocketed Spearow's Poké Ball, and made a quick getaway.
Christopher looked at Mankey. "You made quite a scene in the school."
"Maaan..." Mankey looked to the ground, apparently ashamed.
"It's no problem, though," Christopher grinned, "Let's get you back to the school right now."
"Maaan!" He vigorously nodded, and followed Christopher to Viridian City.
Route 2
21 June 2008, 2:49 PM
"I'm telling you, Jane, I saw Nidoran run by here!" Tessa angrily barked.
"And what if it was just a wild Nidoran?" Jane huffed back.
"A wild Nidoran!" Tessa exclaimed, "Have you ever seen a wild Nidoran on Route 2 before? Have you?"
"Well, no, but..." Jane started, before getting interrupted by a Pokémon cry, "What was that?" she cried in alarm.
"We need to go check it out!" Tessa replied. The two of them ran through the tall grass. What they saw were Nidoran and Eevee, facing two black-suited men. Both had a red 'R' splashed on their outfits. Two Pokémon were facing Nidoran and Eevee. The first one was quadruped, and had a long tail and sharp front teeth. It was easy to recognize it as a Rattata. The second Pokémon looked like a cocoon. It had a weird yellow color. Both aspiring trainers took out their Pokédex.
"Rattata, the mouse Pokémon. Rattata is cautious in the extreme. Even while it is asleep, it constantly listens by moving its ears around. It is not picky about where it lives—it will make its nest anywhere."
"Kakuna, the cocoon Pokémon and the evolved form of Weedle. Kakuna remains virtually immobile as it clings to a tree. However, on the inside, it is extremely busy as it prepares for its coming evolution. This is evident from how hot the shell becomes to the touch."
"Kids?" the first man cried out in surprise.
"What are you doing here?!" the second man yelled, "Go home now! And remember that you haven't seen anything!"
"Not a chance!" Tessa yelled, "Eevee, Nidoran, are you ready for battle?"
"Nidooh!"
"Veeeee!" the two Pokémon cried out, hurrying over to Tessa and Jane.
"I'll command Eevee, you take Nidoran!" Jane quickly suggested, "Is that okay?"
"More than okay!" Tessa locked eyes with her opponents.
"Annoying kids!" one of the men yelled, "We'll send you packing home after we beat you into pulp! Go Kakuna!"
"Go Rattata!" the other man screamed in unizon.
"Nidoran, use Poison Sting!" Tessa quickly cried out.
"Nidooooh!" Nidoran concentrated, and shot poisonous purple needles at Rattata and Kakuna.
"Intercept it with your own Poison Sting, Kakuna!" one of the Rockets commanded.
"Kunaah!" Kakuna's volley of needles hit Nidoran's, and the two attacks canceled each other out.
"Your turn, Rattata!" the other man grinned, "Use your Quick Attack!"
"Rattaaah!" Rattata nodded, and dashed forward at incredible speed.
"Veee!" Eevee cried out in alarm as the attack sent her flying back.
"Don't give in, Eevee!" Jane screamed, "Counter with your own Quick Attack!"
"Veeee!" In a brown-and-white flash, Eevee disappeared. She hit Rattata in the stomach with a lightning-fast Quick Attack, sending Rattata flying.
"Adaptability," Jane grinned, "It's a handy ability to have."
"Nice work, Jane!" Tessa complimented her.
"Thanks, but I'm not done yet!" Jane shouted, "Eevee, attack Kakuna with Bite!"
"Veee!" Eevee dashed forward again, preparing to chomp on Kakuna.
"Kakuna, prepare yourself and use Harden!" the Rocket commanded.
"Kunaah!" Kakuna shined in a yellow color and Eevee jumped on it. She tried to sink her teeth in Kakuna's shell, but didn't manage to bite through. Frustrated, she landed on the ground again.
"Watch out, Jane!" Tessa cried in alarm.
"Too late!" the man cackled, "Kakuna, Poison Sting!"
"Kunaaah!" The poisonous darts shot by Kakuna hit Eevee right on the forehead, and she was pushed back by the impact.
"Now, Rattata!" the other man ordered, "Time to finish Eevee off! Strike using Quick Attack!"
"Rattaaah!" Rattata dashed forward, aiming for the dazed Eevee.
"Nidoran, use Scratch to block that attack!" Tessa called.
"Nidoooh!" Nidoran went to stand in front of Eevee to protect the latter from the attack. Rattata landed the Quick Attack on Nidoran, and managed to dodge Scratch by jumping out of Nidoran's reach. "Nidooh..." Nidoran grunted in pain.
For a moment, Rattata smirked at the two Pokémon, but then it started to shake. Purple streaks appeared between its eyes. "Rattaah..."
"What?" the man grunted in disbelief.
"Poison Point!" Tessa cheered, "Great work, Nidoran!"
Suddenly, the man's uneasy attitude disappeared, and he actually started smiling. "Or so you think..."
"What?" Tessa asked.
"Rattaaah!" A reddish glow came over Rattata, as the Pokémon stood back up on its four legs.
"What's happening?" Jane questioned.
"Use Quick Attack, once more!" was the only response they got.
"Rattaaaah!" Rattata ran forward and plunged through Nidoran and Eevee's defenses, hitting both of them hard.
"Veeee!"
"Nidoooh!" both Pokémon cried in pain.
"Oh no!" Jane shouted, "But how...?"
"Rattata's ability is Guts," the man in black revealed, "When it's getting weak, or when it's afflicted with a status condition, its attack is boosted."
"My turn now!" the other man yelled, "Kakuna, attack with Poison Sting!"
"Kunaaah!" Kakuna shot another volley of poisonous darts out of its shell, which aimed straight at Eevee.
"Nidoran, protect Eevee!" Tessa yelled.
"Nidoooh!" Nidoran jumped in front of Eevee and took the brunt of the attack. It didn't look too bothered by the attack.
"Now, Nidoran!" Tessa ordered as the attack died down, "Use your Tail Whip on Rattata!"
"Nidoooh!" Nidoran turned around to face Rattata, and cutely wagged her tail at it.
"Ratta?" Rattata let out, confused at Nidoran's actions.
"Eevee, Quick Attack on Rattata, quickly!" Jane commanded.
"Veeee!" Eevee dashed forward, ready to strike Rattata down.
"Rattata, dodge!" its trainer commanded.
"Rattaah!" Rattata jumped up, only to leave its belly vulnerable. Eevee's Quick Attack struck Rattata on exactly the same place the previous Quick Attack had hurt it. "Rattaaah!" it grunted in pain, falling to the ground.
"Finish it off, Nidoran!" Tessa called, "Use your Scratch!"
"Nidoooh!" Now it was Nidoran's turn to dash forward. She let her claws scratch over Rattata's face.
"Rattaah!" Rattata screeched in pain. It struggled to get back on its feet, but then the poison took effect again, and it collapsed to the ground. "Ratta..." it cried weakly.
"Oh no..." one of the men sighed, recalling his Rattata.
"Looks like it's up to me," the other Rocket grumbled, "And that's perfectly fine! Kakuna, use String Shot!"
"Kunaaah!" Kakuna cried as it fired a sticky string of web at Nidoran.
"Nidooh?" Nidoran cried in surprise as she got trapped by the attack.
"Oh no, Nidoran!" Tessa screamed.
"Our turn again now, Eevee!" Jane commanded, "Another Quick Attack, go!"
"Veee!" Eevee nodded before dashing forward.
The man smirked. "Do you really think you can break through Kakuna's defenses? Use Harden!"
"Kunaaah!" Kakuna's body glowed in a yellow color again.
"Stop the attack now, Eevee!" Jane called.
"Vee?" Eevee stopped running and looked at Jane, confused.
"Now use Tail Whip!" Jane commanded.
"Vee!" Eevee nodded before wagging her tail at Kakuna.
"And now use Quick Attack again!" Jane quickly continued.
"Veee!" Eevee quickly acknowledged the order by crashing into Kakuna at great speed.
"Kunaaah?" Kakuna cried in surprise as it was thrown back by the impact of Quick Attack.
"That Tail Whip..." the Rocket muttered, "No matter! Kakuna, Poison Sting, go!"
"Kunaaa!" A volley of purple poisonous needles yet again made its way for Eevee. However, this time she was prepared, and jumped out of the way.
"Great job, Eevee!" Jane called.
"Vee!" Eevee smiled.
"Time for us to join in, Nidoran!" Tessa grinned.
"Nidooh!" Nidoran somehow had managed to free herself out of the webs, and now stood next to Eevee.
"Nidoran, time for your Scratch!" Tessa ordered.
"And you use Bite at the same time, Eevee!" Jane called.
"Nidoooh!"
"Veeee!" both Pokémon cried in unizon.
"Kakuna!" the grunt cried out, "Use Harden again!"
"Kunaaah!" The bright yellow color appeared again.
"Nidoooh!" Nidoran hurled herself at Kakuna, scratching it mercilessly. The glow faded a little.
"Veee!" Eevee sunk her teeth in Kakuna's shell, and this time it did work.
"Kunaaaah!" Kakuna screeched in pain as it was thrown back.
"One last attack!" Tessa and Jane shouted in unizon.
"Scratch!"
"Quick Attack!"
"Veeee!"
"Nidoooh!" the two Pokémon acknowledged their orders, and struck Kakuna at the same time.
"Kuna..." Kakuna cried feebly as it landed in front of the grunt's feet.
"What just happened?!" the Rocket yelled.
"We lost against a bunch of kids that don't even have Pokémon yet?" the other one groaned, "This isn't working... Fall back!"
Jane and Tessa were patting Eevee and Nidoran for their good work, and thus couldn't stop the two Rockets. Tessa gritted her teeth. "Those crooks..."
Jane touched her friend's arm. "Leave them be, Tessa. Priority right now is to bring Eevee and Nidoran back."
"You're right, I guess," Tessa said unwillingly, "Nidoran, Eevee, let's go."
"Veeee!"
"Nidoooh!"
Route 22
21th June 2008, 3:27 PM
"Have you seen one already?" Mike asked.
Nathalie shook her head. "Nothing yet."
"Nothing here either," Mike replied with a sigh. He hoped that one of the Pokémon would have at least ran in this direction, so that they weren't looking for anything.
"By the way, Mike..." Nathalie started, but stopped mid-sentence.
"What's up?" Mike asked.
"What are you planning to do if you graduate?" she asked.
Mike looked at her. "Uh, challenging the League. Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing..." Nathalie muttered, holding her arm.
"Is something bothering you?" Mike asked.
Nathalie opened her mouth to reply, but then suddenly two Pokémon bolted out of the tall grass. Elekid and Sandshrew. They were quickly followed by two Pokémon. One was a small brown bug, with a nasty-looking stinger on its head. A Weedle. The other one was bigger, but had more or less the same body build as Weedle. It was mostly purple, but had a few yellow streaks. When Mike locked eyes with it, it hissed viciously. Both Mike and Nathalie took out their Pokédexes.
"Weedle, the hairy bug Pokémon. Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis."
"Ekans, the snake Pokémon. Ekans curls itself up in a spiral while it rests. Assuming this position allows it to quickly respond to a threat from any direction with a glare from its upraised head."
"What's a proboscis?" Mike wondered.
"It's Weedle's nose," Nathalie told him.
Just then, two men in black came running towards them, but stopped when they saw Mike and Nathalie. Mike recognized the big red 'R' on their uniforms.
"Team Rocket?" he cried out.
"We've been spotted," one of them said calmly.
"Is that a problem?" the other one asked, while still looking at the kids.
"Not at all. Ekans, attack!" the man commanded.
"You too, Weedle!" the other man called.
"Oh no!" Nathalie screamed, "What do we do?"
"Simple," Mike groaned, "Only one option. Elekid, use Thunder Shock!"
"Eleee!" Elekid took on a fighting stance, and fired a small jolt of lightning at the approaching enemy Pokémon.
"Kanssss!" Ekans hissed as the Thunder Shock connected. It was hurled back.
"Weedle, keep going!" one of the men ordered, "Fire a Poison Sting!"
"Weeed!" Weedle pointed its stinger at Elekid, and shot poisonous purple needles out of it.
"Eleeee!" Elekid cried in pain as the attack connected. He stumbled backwards for a moment, but then regained his balance. "Eleee!"
"Nathalie, no time to waste!" Mike said, "The time to battle is now! Command Sandshrew!"
"R-right!" she stuttered, "L-let's go, Sandshrew! Use your Scratch!"
"Saaand!" Sandshrew sprang forward, scratching Weedle's head.
"Weeeed!" The small Pokémon was thrown to the ground.
"You're stronger than that, Weedle!" the Rocket yelled, "Use Poison Sting!"
"And you use Poison Sting as well, Ekans!" the other man commanded.
"Weeeed!"
"Kansss!" Two volleys of poisonous darts were shot at the unfortunate Sandshrew.
"Saaand!" Sandshrew cried in pain as he was hit. Poison Sting wasn't very effective on Ground-type Pokémon, but a double attack still did quite some damage. As the attack stopped, purple streaks appeared between Sandshrew's eyes. "Saaand..." he cried weakly.
"Oh no, Sandshrew!" Nathalie screamed in horror at the poisoned Pokémon.
"Pull yourself together, Nathalie!" Mike yelled at her, before turning back to the battle, "Elekid, use Leer, then follow up with Quick Attack!"
"Eleee!" Elekid glared at his two adversaries, who backed off a bit in fear. Then Elekid dashed forward at incredible speed.
"Weeeed!"
"Kanssss!" the two Pokémon cried in pain as Elekid dashed through them.
"Eleeee!" Elekid boasted proudly as he stood behind Weedle and Ekans.
"Great job!" Mike cheered, "But don't give them a chance to recover! Thunder Shock!"
"Eleeee!" A small electric jolt was fired at Ekans again.
"Out of the way!" one of the Rockets yelled.
"Kanssss!" Ekans quickly slithered away, narrowly dodging the Thunder Shock.
"Great job! Now use Bite!" the man commanded.
"Kanssss!" Ekans lunged at Elekid, preparing to chomp down on him.
"Use Sand Tomb!" Nathalie suddenly yelled.
A sand twister engulfed Ekans from beneath, trapping the surprised Pokémon inside. "Kanssss?"
"Saaand!" Sandshrew cried proudly.
"But it's not over yet!" the other man told them, "Weedle, String Shot!"
"Weeeed!" Without warning, Weedle shot a sticky string of web at Elekid.
"Eleee?" Elekid cried in surprise as he was engulfed by the web, unable to move.
"Great!" one of the Rockets grinned, "Break through Sand Tomb, Ekans!"
"Kanssss!" Ekans's hissing could be heard from inside as it started to shoot Poison Stings at the sandy walls surrounding it.
"We have to take down Weedle before Ekans can break free, Sandshrew!" Nathalie ordered, "Use Scratch!"
"Saaaand!" Once more, Sandshrew let his claw scrape over Weedle's head.
"Weeeed!" The small Pokémon was hurled at the sand vortex, which it broke right through. The Sand Tomb disappeared.
"Now let's go!" one of the men laughed as Ekans broke free.
"Saaand..." Sandshrew looked at Mike and Nathalie, and both trainers knew that he was getting tired. The poisoning was starting to take its toll.
"We need to finish this quickly, Elekid!" Mike called, "Use your Thunder Shock!"
"Eleee!" Electricity ran over Elekid's arms and body as he shot another jolt of electricity at Ekans. This time, the Pokémon didn't have the chance to dodge.
"Kanssss..." the Pokémon cried feebly, collapsing to the ground.
"Alright, great job, Elekid!" Mike cheered.
"Eleeee!" Elekid nodded and grinned.
"Do you think this battle is over already?" the other man snorted as his companion recalled Ekans, "Weedle, strike with Poison Sting!"
"Weeed!" A volley of poisonous darts was launched.
"Elekid, dodge!" Mike ordered.
"Eleeee!" Elekid quickly jumped to one side, deftly evading the Poison Sting.
"Now, Sandshrew!" Nathalie chimed in, "Strike with your Scratch!"
"Saaaand!" Sandshrew rushed forward and scratched Weedle's face again. The impact sent it flying. Weedle landed in a heap in front of its trainer.
"Weeed..."
"You can't be serious!" the man said in disbelief, recalling Weedle.
"Grrr... Bail!" the other man yelled. Both Rockets made a quick getaway.
Mike was about to go after them, when he heard Nathalie call out to him. She was kneeling next to Sandshrew, who had collapsed on the ground. Mike had completely forgotten about the poison. Elekid and he quickly ran over to Nathalie and the weak Sandshrew.
"What should we do, Mike?" Nathalie asked, beginning to tear up.
"Pecha, Oran or Sitrus Berries could help, but I don't think there aren't any around right now," Mike told her, "We need to get to the Pokémon center immediately!"
Just as they were about to leave, they heard someone call out to them. "Hold it!" Bryce suddenly jumped down from a tree, landing in front of a startled Nathalie. He held two berries in his hand, one pink, one blue. "Feed these to Sandshrew, and he'll feel better."
Without a word, Nathalie quickly snatched the berries from Bryce's hand, almost stuffing them in Sandshrew's mouth.
Mike looked at Bryce. "Thanks. If it wasn't for you, then Sandshrew would have been- Wait, how long exactly have you been around?" he suddenly realized, cocking an eyebrow.
Bryce grinned. "Long enough."
"And you didn't bother helping us against those two bandits?" Mike asked in disbelief.
"Relax," Bryce replied, "As soon as we'll get back, I'll tell you two everything. But Sandshrew needs to feel better first."
Nathalie looked up. "It seems to me like that problem has been fixed."
"Saaaand!" a revitalized Sandshrew cried out, waving his arms in the air.
"Good," Bryce smiled, "Time for us to go back then!"
Viridian City Trainer School, Training Room
21 June 2008, 4:01 PM
When Mike and Nathalie entered the training room along with Bryce, Elekid and Sandshrew, they saw that everyone had arrived already. Not only Christopher, Tessa, Jane and Mark were already there, but Mankey, Nidoran, Eevee and Magby were too.
"Where have you guys been?" Christopher asked, "All the others have arrived at least a quarter of an hour ago."
"Give us a break!" Nathalie said, slapping his arm, "Elekid and Sandshrew weren't easy to find! And to make things even worse, we-"
"Ran into some Rocket grunts?" Tessa chimed in, finishing Nathalie's sentence.
"Yes," Nathalie replied, dumbstruck, "How did you know?"
"Apparently, everyone of us got attacked by grunts," Jane answered her question.
"Wait, what?" Mike said.
"There's more, though," Christopher continued, "Mark and I were on our own, and we were both attacked by one grunt. We also only had one Pokémon with us. Tessa and Jane were attacked by two grunts, and with two Pokémon at their side."
"We also had two opponents," Mike muttered, "Coincidental."
"Maybe a little too coincidental," Nathalie added, glaring at her big brother, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"
Bryce walked over to Oak and Mr. DeNigro, as if that explained everything. Sandshrew and Elekid followed him.
"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Mr. DeNigro called out to the students. As soon as they all fell silent, he continued. "Good job on managing to retrieve the Pokémon. But I think all of you have already figured out that this whole quest had been a trick. I'm sorry to say that this was all staged. The so-called Rockets were actors, as were their Pokémon." He made a gesture with his hand, and suddenly six people entered the room, dressed in black suits with a red 'R' on it. One carried a Kakuna in his arms. They were quickly followed by a Rattata, Ekans and Weedle, and in the air flew two Spearow.
"I'm sorry for this little act here," Bryce grinned, "If you are to blame anyone for it, then blame me. It was all my idea after all."
"Don't forget about the other Pokémon!" Oak added, "All of them were looking forward to it as well!"
"I knew it!" Nathalie shouted. She looked like she was about to attack Bryce. Meanwhile, the others had brought up their Pokédexes to scan the Pokémon they hadn't fought.
"Indeed, it was Bryce's idea," Mr. DeNigro added, "But professor Oak and I both agreed that it would be a good test to see whether you'd be really suited to train Pokémon. Shouldn't you have realized it by now, this was actually your battling test. Instead of having to battle each other individually, you had to work together to beat all the Rockets."
"Well, most people battled together," Bryce shrugged, looking at Mark and Christopher, "You two were so quick to run off. Nonetheless, you did a great job. And that goes for all of you."
"Hold on, hold on!" Tessa held up a hand, "So you're saying that all of this was staged? Mankey's rampage, us finding those Pokémon and bringing them back?"
Mankey climbed up on Mr. DeNigro's shoulder, widely grinning. "I'm afraid it was, miss Wainwright. Mankey here is a way better actor than I had imagined, though."
"Maaan!" Mankey's grin grew even wider at the flattery.
"So now that all that has been revealed," professor Oak said, "It's time to let you know who of you will graduate and who won't." The students must have looked afraid, but Oak smiled. "Mr. DeNigro couldn't believe it himself, but you all pass."
For a moment, not a word was spoken in the room. All the ex-students looked at the professor, at Bryce, at Mr. DeNigro in shock. Then hell broke loose.
"We all passed?!" Jane cried out.
"I can hardly believe it!" Christopher yelled, "Well, I did believe I would pass, but I never imagined all of you would as well!"
"Why, thank you very much!" Tessa snapped at him.
"I'm so happy, I could burst from joy!" Mike exclaimed.
"Y-yeah!" Nathalie cheered, but somehow it sounded a little forced to Mike. He wasn't the only one to notice it. Tessa, Jane and Christopher all stared at the girl. "W-what's the problem?"
"Er-hem," Mr. DeNigro cleared his throat, "I know how happy all of you are currently, but I'm afraid I have to ask you to be quiet for just a few more minutes." He paused. "First off, those Pokédexes are yours to keep. They will be invaluable tools in your journey, so always carry them with you."
"More importantly," Oak continued, "This is also the moment for you to decide on your starter Pokémon." He stuck a hand in the lab coat he was wearing, and took three Poké Balls in their small form out. "Come on out!" he commanded, enlarging the Poké Balls and throwing them in the air.
The first Pokémon to appear was quadruped. Its color was something in between blue and green, and it had a huge green bulb on its back. The second Pokémon was bipedal. Its color was orange-and-red. The tip of its middle long tail had a flame on it. The third Pokémon was also bipedal. Its body was blue, but most of it was covered by a yellow-and-red shell.
"Oh!" Nathalie cried out in delight, "Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle?!"
The others knew the Pokémon as well, but they took out their Pokédexes anyway.
"Bulbasaur, the seed Pokémon. Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. There is a seed on its back. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger."
"Charmander, the lizard Pokémon. The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely."
"Squirtle, the tiny turtle Pokémon. Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds."
"Incredible!" Tessa piped up, "These will be our starter Pokémon?"
"Hold your horses, Tessa," Christopher said, "Those are only three Pokémon. There are fi- six of us."
"That's true..." Tessa frowned.
"That's true, Christopher," Mr. DeNigro agreed, "But those aren't the only starter Pokémon. Introducing the other choices..." He waved at Nidoran, Eevee, Mankey, Magby, Elekid and Sandshrew. "Nine Pokémon for six trainers. Three of these Pokémon will stay behind."
"Moreover," professor Oak added, "Your choice is priority if you used the Pokémon in your exam. So if there's any trainer who wants to claim the Pokémon they used as their partner..."
"Dibs!" Mike and Mark both yelled, before glaring at each other.
"So, you two have grown quite attached to Elekid and Magby, hm?" the professor smiled, "Rules are rules. Elekid, Magby, are you okay with that?"
"Eleeee!"
"Maaaag!" the Pokémon cried happily before running over to their new Pokémon.
In the meantime, Jane had walked over to Eevee. "Um, I'd like to have Eevee as my starter Pokémon, professor..."
"Jane Arlan, wasn't it?" professor Oak asked, "Well, don't be shy. It looks like Eevee is already quite comfortable around you anyway."
"Veeee!" Eevee let out a cry of happiness.
"And our three other trainers?" Mr. DeNigro asked.
Christopher looked at Mankey. "As much as I enjoyed our battle, Mankey, I'm afraid my choice has already been made."
"Same with me," Tessa apologized, "Sorry, Nidoran."
"Maaaaan..."
"Nidoooh..." both Pokémon looked sad as Christopher and Tessa made their way to Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle.
"I've always wanted to train one of your kind, so this is perfect," Christopher grinned, picking up Squirtle.
"Squiiiirt!" Squirtle grinned back.
"And I've made my choice as well!" Tessa exclaimed, reaching out for Charmander.
"Chaaaar!" Charmander cried happily, jumping in her new trainer's arms.
Bryce walked over to Nathalie. "And you, sis? Haven't you decided yet?"
Nathalie punched Bryce's arm. "Don't push me! I'm still thinking!"
"No, you aren't," Bryce stated calmly, "You have made your choice a long time ago. You just don't want to say it because you're afraid to hurt Sandshrew."
Nathalie looked at her older brother, rage burning in her eyes. She then turned to Sandshrew. "I'm sorry, Sandshrew. He's right."
"Saaaand..." Sandshrew looked at the ground for a moment, but then faced Nathalie again and nodded, understanding her decision.
Nathalie then proceeded to walk over to professor Oak's only remaining starter. "Bulbasaur... Would you like to come with me?"
"Bulbaaah!" Bulbasaur nodded vigorously.
"Then that's settled!" Bryce exclaimed, earning himself a dirty look from Nathalie, "Now, that you have both your Pokémon and Pokédex, the only thing you still need are Poké Balls!" He walked up to all the six new trainers, handing all of them five Poké Balls.
"Remember, you can only carry six Pokémon at a time with you!" Mr. DeNigro warned them. All trainers nodded understandingly.
"Hey, I have an idea!" Tessa grinned.
"I can already guess what you're thinking about," Christopher grinned back.
"How about we all have a Pokémon battle?" Tessa asked, "Our first battles as trainers, against each other! What do you think?"
"Count me in," Christopher replied, "Squirtle, do you agree?"
"Squiiiirt!" Squirtle smirked.
"I'm in as well!" Mike exclaimed, "Ready, Elekid?"
"Eleeee!" Elekid waved his arms around, causing electricity to crackle in the air.
"And we accept as well!" Jane smiled, "Don't we, Eevee?"
"Veeee!" Eevee nodded.
"Nathalie, Mark, what about you?" Tessa asked.
"I'll pass," Mark said smugly, "Unlike you guys, I have interesting things to do, and stronger opponents to take on. Later."
"I really can't stand that guy," Mike mumbled, seeing Mark and his new Magby walk away.
"Pay him no mind," Tessa told him, "In fact, why did I even invite him?"
"I'd like to sit this out, if you don't mind..." Nathalie said shyly.
Mike, Christopher, Tessa and Jane all looked at Nathalie. Then Christopher turned to Mr. DeNigro. "Is it okay if we use these fields for our practice battles?"
Mr. DeNigro smiled. "Of course. I'll be happy to be the referee, even!"
"And I'll be the referee for the other battle," Bryce stepped in, "By the way, who's going to battle who?"
"Christopher battling me wouldn't be fair," Tessa said, "Water has a type advantage over Fire."
"On the other side, Chris battling Mike wouldn't be fair either," Nathalie chimed in, "Electric-type Pokémon are strong against Water-types."
"That leaves only Jane as my possible opponent," Christopher concluded.
Jane smiled. "Alright, Eevee and I accept your challenge!"
"Veeee!" Eevee cried defiantly.
"I guess our decision has been made for us!" Mike grinned at Tessa.
"So it has!" Tessa grinned back, "But I'm not going easy on you!"
"Wouldn't want you to!" Mike called back, "Ready, Elekid?"
"Eleeee!" Elekid smirked.
"Let's do this, Charmander!" Tessa smiled.
"Chaaar!" Charmander cried, locking eyes with Elekid.
"I'll be the referee for the battle between Mike and Tessa," Bryce quickly said.
"Then I'll ref the match between Jane and Christopher," Mr. DeNigro shrugged, "Trainers, if you're ready, take your places!"
The exam has ended, with all of our students passing! Whoever expected that, please raise your hand! Not only that, but everyone has picked a starter as well! In the next chapter, Mike will be facing off against Tessa, while Jane will battle Christopher. Who's going to win? Place your bets now!
No, but seriously. From the next chapter onwards, the actual journey will start, so that's something to look forward to. I think. I hope.
Mike's team:
Elekid:
- Male
- Electric-type
- Ability: Static
- Moves: Thunder Shock, Leer, Quick Attack