Pokémon Battles
The red and white Poké Ball flew from May's fingertips. Everything else seemed to occur in slow motion. With gleaming eyes, the twelve-year-old girl watched as the capsule device fell and fell. For those few seconds, everything ceased to matter. She didn't care where she was, what time it was, or what ever lied within that Poké Ball. This new sense of power was flowing within May's young frame. Something she witnessed so many times before, was now passing before her very eyes.
And then the Poké Ball split open. In the middle of the air, it expelled a vibrant light from its opened mouth. This light fell through the air, only to land upon the ground. It danced upon the ground for a few moments, which made May's heart shake and quiver. She had to cup her chest, or else she felt her very heart would burst through her ribcage.
The light took the form of a being. It was small; only about a foot in height. On two chicken feet, this being also stood. It couldn't have weighed much; May was sure she'd crush the poor being under her light weight entirely. What it lacked in its height and weight however, it sure made up for in looks. The Chick Pokémon was absolutely to die for! It was so extremely cute, May felt the urge to tackle it once it was released from its Poké Ball. In fact, she was about too, had she not remembered why she were here.
The man who was being chased by the Poochyena. He still had his back up to a tree, while the Bite Pokémon stepped closer and closer. But its cute little red nose took in the scent of something else. No, it wasn't the smell of human or grass, but instead of fire. Why was it smelling fire. The black and grey dog followed the senses of his nose, where he eventually turned around. His eyes fell upon the only other Pokémon in the forest who opposed him.
"Torchic!" the Chick Pokémon cried.
May felt her body tremble from the call. From her toes to her hair, she felt a heavy spasm of quakes. Her blue eyes traveled down to the grass at her shoes, slid up her red pajamas, then fell upon her outstretched fingertips. The Poké Ball she threw out returned to her hands, like some rubber band effect. She held the red and white capsule within the palm of her hands, enjoying the perfect sphere it was laid in. So many times, she would sneak around her home and grab her father's Poké Balls, only to be berated for it. But now, there was no one yelling at her to drop the item.
"I hate to be this way!" the man yelled, "But could you please HELP ME!"
Oh right! She was supposed to save this man! May wasn't known to be ditzy, but this was just such an awesome moment. She threw a Poké Ball, released the Pokémon inside, and then had the capsule return to her hands. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself with this belief, but May now thought she had taken her first steps to becoming a Pokémon Trainer. And that thought alone was enough to put May on a high she had never felt before. Mental high, that is.
That twelve-year-old girl gained a smile, while her blue eyes shined like sapphires. With her arm cutting through the wind, she gazed down upon the Poochyena and Torchic. That Chick Pokémon was under her command, right? But, crap, May had no idea how to actually command a Pokémon. She had only seen people do so on TV, even her father. Never once was she in the midst when someone commanded a Pokémon in nature. Not like this.
She began shaking in her knees as she pondered these thoughts. May began to wonder if she were good enough to fight partake in this battle. It was only a Poochyena, but that didn't matter when this was her first Pokémon battle. It might as well have been a Dragonite for Pete's sake; May had no idea what she was supposed to do. What moves did her Torchic know? What moves did that Poochyena know? What was she supposed to do in this situation? Should she attempt to fight and faint the Bite Pokémon, or should she simply help the man escape uninjured.
It didn't matter; the Poochyena made the first move. It ran toward the Torchic, catching both May and the Chick Pokémon off guard. The black and grey dog slammed into its enemy with a hard tackle. Torchic was thrown away, making May gasp in horror. This wasn't supposed to happen! To her surprise, and relief, the Chick Pokémon recoiled in the air. Flipping around, it landed safely on its feet, whilst skidding to a halt at May's side.
"ARF!" the Poochyena barked as it showered intimidation upon May and the Torchic.
Now what was she supposed to do? It was her turn, right? She needed to fight back, or else that Poochyena would attack again! Why wasn't the Torchic doing anything? Did it want to be hit again? It took her a few seconds to remember she was supposed to do something. The Torchic didn't know what to do, it relied on May to win this battle.
"Uh! Uh!" May stammered as she slowly began to clam up, "Torchic!" then it hit her, as her eyes grew wide, "Torchic! Use Scratch!"
May immediately cupped her hands over her mouth as she said that. What if that was the wrong move, and her Torchic didn't know the action? Then she'd fail and the Chick Pokémon would be hit. Instead, the Torchic ran toward its foe. Its cute blue eyes were slid inward, now appear to be icy dagger blades. The Poochyena struck first with its sharp fangs. To its surprise however, the Chick Pokémon leaped up and over. The hot bird landed on the side of the Bite Pokémon, where it struck with a bladed kick from its talons.
Torchic's scratch hit its foe, knocking Poochyena away. May watched with shining eyes as she watched the attack connect. The Bite Pokémon wasn't defeated, though it appear to be injured. Instead of falling out, the dark dog glared down upon its foe. May gazed at the death glare while she shook in her toes. That Poochyena sure didn't look nice, which was a redundant thought. Of course it wasn't nice, it was chasing that man down! Oh my! The man!
May gazed up to him. She felt so bad for almost forgetting he even existed! She just got so caught up in the Pokémon battle; that's where her attentions lied. But he didn't look as terrified as he was before. In fact, he appeared to be watching her and the Torchic she commanded. May shifted her gaze back down to the two Pokémon a few moments later, while her hands tugged down upon her coveted red bandana.
"ARF! ARF!" the Poochyena barked, "Poooochyyyy!"
"Torchic! Growl!" May commanded.
The Chick Pokémon suddenly began ruffling its feathers, while its blue eyes peered hard into its foe. The Poochyena was silenced by the gaze alone, though the next action made it quake in its feet.
"Tooooooooorrrrrr..." the Chick Pokémon growled viciously, despite its extremely small size.
The Poochyena's eyes dilated, as Torchic's growl spurred a fear within its body. It wasn't a particularly devastating growl, in fact, it was quite cute! May didn't know how she stopped herself from tackling the Torchic to the ground and hugging it to death.
The growl wasn't much, but it got the job done. To a larger Pokémon, it might have been nothing, but to that Poochyena, it was more like a roar. The Bite Pokémon started to shake on its four paws, as it listened to the Torchic's growl. Chasing the human around was fun, but the dog sure didn't expect this to happen.
Like the dog it was, the Poochyena suddenly turned tail and ran. It's calls of fear spread through the nighttime forest, where they eventually vanished between the trees and bushes. May felt her heart drop at the sight; why was it running away? She didn't even know Pokémon were allowed to do such a thing. Honestly, the twelve-year-old was having so much fun, she wanted it to continue. That's normal, right?
Maybe it was better this way.
To her bad her foe no longer wanted to have any part in this. May loss that battling high she had gained from the battle, and quickly became that timid young girl she was known to be. Even the Torchic she commanded went to being a bashful young thing. It hobbled left and right on its chicken legs, eventually making way to the twelve-year-old girl who commanded it. Gazing up, the Chick Pokémon stared long and hard into May's eyes; she did vice-versa. This was the being she owed her first Pokémon victory too, and he owed it to her as well.
May did something which was aching at her the very moment she saw the Chick Pokémon. She scooped it up in her arms, and hugged him close. Like the little girl she was, May laughed and giggled as the Torchic ruffled its body closer to her's. He was so incredibly warm, making the nubile trainer laugh even more. When she laughed, he laughed; they were slowly becoming like one another.
When the grass began to shuffle again, May and the Torchic gazed up to the man she just saved. He was an older fellow, one that was slightly fat in fact. He wore a lab coat, and other clothing befitting a man of intelligence. Walking toward May, he had a smile on his face, while his hand moved left and right.
"Whew!" he exclaimed, as he stood before May and the Torchic, "I was in the tall grass studying wild Pokémon when I was jumped. You saved me. Thanks a lot!" he sure was a spirited fellow, May could tell that much. He laughed a lot, even though he was terrified just a few minutes ago, "Wait... oh! Hi, you're May! Right?"
Now the twelve-year-old girl was scared. Who was this man who knew her name? She was only there for a day, and she had not run into this man. So, like the wise girl she was, May began to steadily walk back. She was always told to not talk to strangers, especially strangers who somehow knew her name. This wasn't a situation she should have been in.
"Oh! Wait, May!" he called as he noticed her steady retreat, "Oh. Right I didn't introduce myself," the older man suddenly leaped forward and took her hand into his. Shaking it up and down, he introduced herself, "My name is Birch. But everyone calls me the Pokémon Professor.
"Oh! Oh!" May suddenly said with enthusiasm, "You're Professor Birch!? You! You're Daddy's friend, right?"
"Yes indeed!" he said with a smile, "To unravel Pokémon mysteries, I've been undertaking research! Which was why I was attacked..." suddenly, the two heard a call echo through the nightly forest, "But, uh... this is not the place to chat," they gazed back at one another, "Follow me to my Pokémon Lab, okay?"
"Uh... okay..." May answered, while she unconsciously pulled the Torchic close.
Professor Birch smiled and nodded, though another Pokémon call ended that smile. Though he was a professor, it was obvious he did not like being attacked by the beings he studied. He held May's hand tenderly, and started off for Littleroot town again. But before forgetting, he let go of her hand to procure his bag, which still sat on the ground. Throwing it over his shoulder, he smiled an almost reassuring smile that said 'Now! I'm ready!' Then he began running off for his lab, forcing May to do the same.
…
"So May! I've heard so much about you from your father."
She almost didn't hear those words. May Ruby sat within the center of a building she could never dream of. There were so many weird machines around, and so many people who ran left and right. It all looked like one of her father's space programs. Even the Torchic, which still sat in her arms by the way, was enamored by the sight of all these mystical machines. For some reason, May suddenly felt so incredibly small.
"I've heard that you don't have your own Pokémon yet," Professor Birch continued, making May look back at him. He looked so ecstatic, his face was shining with life, "But the way battled earlier, you pulled it off with aplomb! I guess you have your father's blood in your veins after all!" when he said that, May couldn't help but to have a feeling of privilege run through her, "Oh yes... As thanks for rescuing me, I'd like you to have the Pokémon you used earlier," he smiled slyly, "Which is still in your arms, by the way."
Why of course it was in her arms, May just couldn't let go. He felt so good to hug! But the little girl suddenly realized the Professor's words. Did he just say she could have this little Torchic. May didn't believe it at first, and started to pant. That scared Birch enough to make him stand from his seat, though the twelve-year-old quickly calmed down. Her blue eyes gazed down to the Torchic, watching as its blue eyes gazed back. Oh! She was feeling as if her heart was about to burst from her chest! But, uh, what gender was it? May lifted the Chick Pokémon as she searched for the specific gender organs. Instead, she saw a tiny black speck on his rump.
"Hey May," Birch called, bringing her attention back to him, "While you're at it, why not give a name to that Torchic? I bet he'd like that a lot."
"He?" May answered, as her blue eyes moved back down to the Chick Pokémon.
For a few moments, she and he gazed into one another eyes. May saw her own reflection in the bird's blue eyes, and he saw his own as well. Once more, the twelve-year-old felt a burning feeling of connection to this Chick Pokémon. In one night, the two met one another, and battled against a wild Poochyena. What name befitted the being in her arms?
"Blaze..." May claimed, "I... I name him... wait..." she shook her head, as she lifted the Torchic higher, "I name you Blaze."
"Torchic! Torchic!" the Chick Pokémon replied with giddiness and excitement.
"I think he likes that name..." Birch commented sweetly.
Yeah. That was such a great name. Blaze. Torchic's were fire-types, right? It felt like one and looked like one, though to be honest, May has never been this close to a fire-type before. All her knowledge of them came from the TV, once again. But there was no way the Chick Pokémon was not a fire-type; it was too warm to not be one. Besides, the name 'Blaze' seemed to perfectly embody the little Chick. It was a strong word, which May felt was perfect for the Torchic. To her, he was a strong Pokémon.
The door to the lab suddenly flew open. Both May, Birch, and the various scientists within, moved their eyes to the exit. Standing in the doorway was a woman. Her face was red, and she was spitting fumes. She appeared to have recently awoken, for her hair was a mess, and she was still wearing her sleepwear. There was a little boy holding onto her hand, one who looked plain old tired. He was wearing green pajamas, while heavy rectangle framed glasses sat on his head.
Seeing her made Professor Birch grow extremely terrified. He began sinking back in fact, as if this would save him from her rage. It didn't, of course.
"BIIIIIIIIRCH!" the woman roared as she marched her way up to him, "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!"
"She's right here!" Birch replied as he sank lower and lower, "I swear Caroline! She's right here!"
Mrs. Ruby moved her eyes over, where they sat on May and her newly acquired Torchic. The mother quickly pulled her daughter close, holding her in a hug of near constricting proportions. Seriously, May was almost suffocated, while poor Blaze was stuck between the two.
"May Ruby!" her mother cried, "What in the name of Lugia are you doing here!? It is twelve o'clock at night, missy! You should be in bed!"
"But... mom..." May mumbled through her muffled lips.
"But nothing young lady!" her mother growled, "What are you even doing outside this late at night! You are going to bed immediately! Oh, when you wake up in the morning, you are having such a long talk with your father!"
She grabbed May forcibly by the shoulder, and started tugging her off. The twelve-year-old girl, not knowing what to do, merely followed with Blaze still in her arms. All Birch could do was shrug weakly from behind; there was no escaping Caroline's level of rage.
"I'll visit you tomorrow, May!" Birch exclaimed, "Take good care of Blaze while you're at it!"
"Blaze?" Caroline questioned as she came to a stop.
Her blue eyes fell upon her daughter's arms, where she saw the warm Torchic within. All Caroline could do was cock her head at an angle. When did that Chick Pokémon get there? Only moments later, the mother began to fret.
"Oh no!" she cried, "Not May too!" she looked to the ceiling and cried out, "Why does my family have to be filled with Pokémon Trainers!?"
…
"Chic! Chic! Torchic!"
Blaze hopped up and down excitedly, as he sprouted small flames from his sharp beak. He constantly found himself reaching for the hand of the girl he had come to know. May constantly moved the limb up and down, watching as Blaze leaped in vain for her touch. He was such a cute little Pokémon; the twelve-year-old couldn't stand it.
Back in Johto, the Ruby children were disallowed a pet, especially a Pokémon pet. May didn't understand why though; Blaze was an absolute blast to have. He was always chirping cutely, and running left and right. Not to mention the fact that he was warm to the touch! May didn't know she could love something so fast!
But on a different point, she felt kind of sad. The first Ruby child longed for a battle with Blaze again. After last night's incident, she was grounded however. Her mother did not like how she ran off like that, though May didn't know why. Once again to compare things to Johto, May was often allowed to roam around the city of Goldenrod freely. She didn't do so however, probably because she lacked friends to actually enjoy time with.
Stuck in her room, May played with Blaze. Fortunately, her mother did not take the Chick Pokémon away from her. Blaze remained in the room with his new trainer, hopping up and down as happily as he pleased. May wondered if the Torchic wished for a battle himself; after seeing him in action, she knew he didn't want to be stuck at home. Fortunately, her prayers were answered.
"May!" Mrs. Ruby called from downstairs, "You and... uh... darn what's his name again? Oh right! You and Blaze come downstairs!"
May found this odd, her mother punished her to the entire day in her room. But it was unwise to ignore her mother's commands, if the twelve-year-old intended to escape further punishment. So May picked Blaze up in her arms, and quickly ran for the door. Since she wasn't going anywhere, the child still wore her pajamas from the earlier night, though her gloves and belt now sat on her desk. She made way down the stairs, only to stop and tie her bandana down on her head. Then she started moving again.
Coming to the home's den, May found her blue eyes falling upon her mother, of course, and that man from last night as well. He was a surprise; the twelve-year-old thought her mother wouldn't allow him to come by. After all, Mrs. Ruby was quite angry last night.
"Ah! May!" Birch said enthusiastically, "I was just talking with your mother, May. You see I cam to a realization last night upon watching you battle against that Poochyena last night," he moved closer, "If you work at Pokémon and gain experience, I think you'll make a darn good trainer!" his smile didn't diminish, even as he pulled back, "My kid, Brendan, is out on Route 103 studying Pokémon. I was thinking, it might not be a bad idea for you to go see Brendan. What do you think?"
Brendan. He was that kid with the white hair, right? The one who thought she couldn't be a trainer because she was a girl. Just thinking about him was enough to make May get angry. If he saw her last night, he wouldn't have said those words to her! And what did Birch want her to do? Go and see him? Well nope!"
May crossed her arms with Blaze still in them, and turned away. She wanted to have nothing to do with Brendan.
"Oh don't be that way! You should go and meet my kid!" Birch claimed.
"Oh there you go again!" Caroline growled, her blue eyes peering deep into Birch's soul, "You're sending children off to Entei knows where once again! Well not my daughter! You let her decide on her own!"
Caroline had a point. It wasn't in Birch's place to decide, it was in May's. If she wanted to face Brendan, then she could very well do so. But if she did face him, this would be her first step into the world of Pokémon. There would be no going back.
But, if Birch insisted on her going. Besides, she really wanted to put that know it all boy in place! So, with one eye opened but still in a glare, May Ruby nodded toward Birch.
"Great!" the Pokémon Professor stated, "Brendan should be happy, too. Get him to teach you what it means to be a Trainer! He's been doing so for quite some time, I'm sure you're bound to learn something from your battle! Heck! I'm sure the both of you are!"
"May!" Caroline groaned.
"Mom..." May said instead, "Professor Birch. I'll... uh... be right back..."
She then whisked herself upstairs. Dropping Blaze upon her bed, May began to switch from her pajamas. She withdrew her clothing which sat within her closet. Tossing them upon her bed one article at a time, the twelve-year-old girl worked quickly. Her mind rushed with a myriad of thoughts, all pertaining to her quest toward Route 103. She knew the Route was nearby, seeing as how Route 102 was directly above Littleroot town. Or maybe it was Route 101 which was the staring route of Hoenn. Okay, May didn't know her Hoenn Geography well yet. She really needed a map, honestly.
Before long, May was dressed and ready. Her red bandana was on her head, along with her red shirt, black shorts, white undershirt, sneakers, and of course her gloves. The twelve-year-old gazed at herself in the mirror, while she breathed in and out heavily. Route 103, it sounded so far right now. Like it was an entire world away.
May's heart began to race as she thought about it. Did Professor Birch expect her to make her way toward the route all by herself? A roam that far, in the forest no less, sounded so impossible. May didn't know if she could do it on her own.
"Torch?" Blaze said as he ran up on his talons.
May gazed at Blaze through her mirror, where she felt re-energized. Why of course she could do this! Her father was a Gym Leader! Not only that, she was May Ruby! She had a reputation to uphold. Well, more like craft. She couldn't uphold something that didn't exist yet. Besides, she needed to put that fool Brendan in his place. If he could go up to Route 103 by himself, then she could as well!
"Chic?" Blaze said again, while May's hand reached away.
She withdrew a Poké Ball from her belt; Blaze's Poké Ball. Boy were Poké Balls such mystical items to her. How did they catch and seal Pokémon within their small bodies? It was obvious to May that Blaze wished not to return to his Poké Ball. Fortunately for him, she didn't want to put him in one either.
"Let's go, Blaze!" she ordered as she scooped him up into her arms.
"Torchic!" Blaze answered with glee.
Maverick Talks!
Normally when I do these things, I have a lot to say. Not so much here, though. I mean, this story is pretty self explanatory. It's a novelization of Pokemon Ruby, for Pete's sake. Honestly, I don't read many novelizations, and most of them either break canon, or flat out never end. But not this time! I vow to end Pokemon Ruby!
So yeah, this chapter chronicles the moment in the first game where you, as the character, finally get your starter by saving Birch. If he's a Professor, why is he getting terrified by a Poochyena, anyway? Oh well, guess I'll never know. Unlike in the games however, May faces the Poochyena at night, instead of the day. Then again, you could technically face the Poochyena at night, it's just impossible to tell thanks to Ruby's lackluster day/night cycle. Seriously, it sucked in comparison to Gold, Silver, and Crystal's.
So, next chapter, May has her first taste of a Pokemon Battle with a fellow trainer. You'll have to wait and see that one, however.
Just so you guys know, I'm replaying Ruby while writing this story. It helps me get things right and authentic!
Maverick Kay Prime