Chapter Two

[1 April- 2:45p- PalletxViridian Route One- Near Viridian Gate]

Will and his two Pokemon, Vulpix and Eevee, walk through the forest-like route for over an hour and a half, battling various Caterpie found along the way. The gate was coming into view around the final turn, causing Will to call back his Pokemon. As he got a good look at the gate, he also noticed a shimmering down near the pond. A Caterpie evolving into a Metapod. The new Metapod's trainer, a young blonde, looked up at the newcomer carefully.

"Hi." Will says, walking over to the pond.

"Hello." she replies, "Caterpie are quick to evolve into Butterfree given time." Will takes his Pokedex out of his pocket, scanning the creature.

"Metapod, the evolved form of Caterpie. A steel-hard shell protects its tender body. It quietly endures hardships while awaiting evolution."

The girl puts her Metapod back in its pokeball. "You have a Pokedex as well?" she asks, revealing hers to Will, both of their green eyes fixated on the other.

"Yeah, from Professor Oak." Will replies. "I'm Will, by the way."

"Liz Carmichael, future Top Coordinator." Liz says with confidence. Will's mind clicks with what the Professor had said.

"Liz!" an unknown voice calls from the gate. A familiar-faced blonde male steps into the light.

"That must be the other twin." Will thinks, putting away his Pokedex.

"Coming, Ryan." Liz says. "Nice to meet you Will." Liz skips off toward the gate.

x

"Who was that?" Ryan asks.

"His name's Will. He seemed pretty nice." Liz replied.

"Just another opponent." Ryan says, turning into the city.

x

"Hmm…" Will says, walking toward the gate himself. "That's a pretty clever idea. Twins; Top-Coordinator and Champion respectively."

Walking through the gate, Will finds himself looking down upon an afternoon day in Viridian City. The Pokemon Center is within range, and Will sets off to make that his first stop. Along the way, he also notes where the PokeMart is.

[1 April- 3:20p- Viridian City- Pokemon Center]

"These are just some minor injuries." Nurse Joy declares from behind the counter. "I'll have them treated very soon." Will thanks the woman generously, to which she replies that it is her duty. Will looks around the Pokemon Center for a bit, looking at the various bookshelves before finding the phones. He picks up the receiver to call his family.

"Hello? Oh hi, Will!" his older sister Clarice says from the other end, appearing on the video screen. "Mom, Dad, it's Will!"

"Will?" a voice in the back calls. Will's mother, a thin, brown-haired woman, enters the picture. "Hi honey!"

"Hi guys!" Will says smiling. "I'm in Viridian City."

"Slowbro. I was there nearly an hour before you." Clarice says, getting a scold from her mother.

"Dad's not here, he went over to the neighbor's." his mother says.

"Clarice, let me tell you that it rained for over an hour."

"That reminds me, you forgot your umbrella." Mrs. Anderson adds.

"Don't worry, I got another one." Will says, presenting Oak's umbrella to the camera.

"Have you caught any new Pokemon yet?" Clarice asks.

"I have a new Pokemon, but I did not catch it." Will replies. "When I was in Pallet, I ended up at Professor Oak's lab and he gave me a Pokedex," Will flashes the red device to the camera, "and he also gave me an Eevee that I helped retrieve from the forest. They're with Nurse Joy at the moment." Clarice gives him an astounded look.

"Lucky." She says, her Gallade creeping up behind her. "I never even saw the Professor on my first time through."

"It sounds like your first four hours have been very exciting." Mrs. Anderson intrudes. "Be safe."

"You don't even know the half of it." Will admits, waving at his sister. "I will, Mom." The phone disconnects and Will hangs up the receiver. He then takes a seat and waits for Nurse Joy to return with his Pokemon. Leaning back, he starts to drift into a nap before a 'ping' sounds. "Mr. Anderson, your Pokemon are ready."

Will jumps out of his chair and heads to the desk.

"Fighting-form." Nurse Joy assures him as she heads off to the back, leaving the tray of pokeballs on the table. Will takes the two and puts them inside his vest pocket.

"Oh, excuse me!"

"Yes?" Nurse Joy asks.

"I know that Gary isn't here, but where is the Gym located?"

"Down the road almost all the way back, and up on the ledge." Nurse Joy replies while making arm motions in the appropriate directions. Will tries to remember all of them, and heads out of the building and in that direction.

x

"Down the road and to the ledge." Will says fifteen minutes later. "Ah ha!" he says, spying a strangely shaped auburn-colored building. Standing in front of the door are two blondes to which Will remembers very clearly.

"Closed?" the boy calls out in distaste. "What does Old Man Blue have better to do?"

"He's in Sinnoh at the moment." Will answers, approaching the pair of twins.

"Ryan, this is Will." Liz says.

"Pleasure." Ryan says, looking over to Will.

"And to you." Will says, feeling a shade colder than he did before.

"Well, this sucks. No gym leader, no battle." Ryan decrees. "Maybe you would like to have a little match since Blue is feeling blue."

"Again, he's in Sinnoh probably doing research or something." Will says. "Sure, why not?"

Ryan drops down the low cliff onto level ground with Will and each takes his side, with drawing pokeballs.

"Go, Charmander!" Ryan says.

"Eevee, come on out!" Will calls. The Pokemon appear on the field, ready for battle.

"Charmander, let's go with an Ember attack!" Ryan calls out, Charmander expelling fire from its mouth toward Eevee.

"Eevee, evade it, and then use Quick Attack!" Will says. Eevee jumps aside then accelerates toward Charmander.

"Char-" Ryan tries, but the attack already hit its target, sending Charmander back a ways. "Smokescreen!" Charmander emits a thick smog which encompasses the battlefield. "Now, Ember attack!" Charmander jumps into the smog, locating a coughing Eevee and blasts fire in a direct hit, launching it out of the smoke.

The smoke begins to clear, and on its own action, Eevee directs another Quick Attack at the creature, sideswiping the fire Pokémon. "Now, turn around and use Tackle!"

"Charmander, Ember!" Ryan says. Eevee lands a hit only to be blasted back by a scorching flame. Will takes out his Pokedex.

"Other moves…" he mutters, calling out another Quick Attack which misses. "Ah!"

"Charmander, Ember once more!" Ryan calls.

"Evade and use Take Down!" Will calls. To his disdain, Eevee moves the wrong direction and gets a full face of Ember, unable to launch his attack. "Eevee!"

"Ember again!"

"You can do it, Eevee. Take Down!" Eevee grunts, but jumps out of the way of the fire and takes dead aim at Charmander's midsection. The forceful attack sends them both backward leaving Eevee on top of his opponent. "Great, now use Sand-Attack!" Eevee sprays an array of sand into Charmander's eyes, leaving it squirming around the battlefield. "Take Down again!" The attack knocks Charmander down, but leaves Eevee under fifty-percent.

"Charmander, Smokescreen!" Ryan calls, frustrated as the smog fills the middle of the field again, this time with Charmander outside of it as it tries to clear its eyes.

"Eevee, get out of that stuff!" Will calls, watching his Pokémon pop out of the top of the cloud. "Now, hit that Charmander again with Take Down!" At the last moment, Charmander spins to the left, eyes clear, causing Eevee to crash into the ground. Charmander then fires an Ember at Eevee.

"Take Down, then Quick Attack on the way back!" Will calls to the other side of the field. Attack number one sideswipes, but Quick Attack lands right in a distracted Charmander's back.

"Ember!" is uttered as Charmander attacks from behind. Eevee pants on the ground after the attack.

"Come on, you can do it, just one more attack!" Will says. "Take Down!" Charmander lowers its guard for just a moment, but long enough for Eevee to land a direct hit on him. After the attack, however, Eevee rolled over, knocked out by the attack.

x

"Well done." Liz says sarcastically. "Eevee is unable to battle. Victory to my brother."

x

"Eevee, return." Will says, calling his Pokemon back.

"Well, that was entertaining." Ryan says

"This will be more than just entertaining." Will replies. "Go, Vulpix!" The ball in midair releases the fox-like fire-Pokemon.

"If you insist." Ryan says. "Charmander, smokescreen!"

"Vulpix, Quick Attack!" Will says just as fast. Even through the new smog, the attack lands without a hitch. "And again!" Vulpix tries again, this time just a sideswipe, leaving it vulnerable.

"Charmander, use Ember once more!" Ryan calls, but sees that his Charmander is panting. Opening its mouth to fire, Vulpix pounces on the pause, unleashing another Quick Attack." The smog clears to reveal Charmander knocked out.

x

"Well isn't that something?" Liz asks. "Charmander is unable to battle. Victory to Will." Over within the trees on the right side, two figures appear, watching the match.

x

"Well well." Ryan says, amused. "He has a fight, everyone. Go, Pidgey!" Ryan exchanges his Pokemon, revealing Pidgey to the field. "PIdgey, use Quick Attack"

"Vulpix, Ember attacks, go!"

The evasion proves useful for Pidgey as it avoids the constant attacks on its way to hitting Vulpix square. As it flies away again, Vulpix tries again, scorching the birds tail. As a result, the bird drops, but turns around and heads straight for Vulpix.

"Quick Attack right back at it!" Will calls to his Vulpix. The two Pokemon collide, and then blast backward from one another, Pidgey landing to recover. "Now Vulpix, Fire Spin!" Vulpix opens its mouth and sends a projectile ring of flame at the bird.

"Pidgey, take flight!" Ryan calls, the bird avoiding the attack. "Use Gust!" The winds pick up as Vulpix rolls backward in the wind.

"Quick Attack!" Will orders to combat the wind. Vulpix gets a good jump at the bird, but is denied when it swoops above it, leaving Vulpix falling to the ground.

"Quick Attack!" Ryan orders, sending Vulpix into the ground at double the force.

"Latch on!" Will suggests, being crafty. Vulpix clamps its front paws around Pidgey's leg, causing it flying problems. "Ember, full blast!" The ember pierces through a layer of feathers, forcing PIdgey to the ground. Both Pokemon take a moment, both having sustained injury.

"Vulpix, Fire Spin!" Will says, Vulpix immediately springing into a successful attack. "Now, while it's trapped, Quick Attack!"

"PIdgey, get out of there!" Ryan calls in an almost desperate tone. His wish was not granted, Pidgey getting piledrived into the ground once again.

"Vulpix, now use Ember!" Will calls, landing another direct hit on the trapped Pidgey. The Fire Spin effect dissipates, Pidgey flying straight into the air.

"I must do something." Ryan says. "Pidgey, use Gust!" Vulpix does its best to stand its ground. "Now use Quick Attack, and get ready!" Will looks on with concern.

"Evade!" he calls, not trusting Ryan's motive. Quick Attack enters within a foot of its target when Ryan speaks again.

"Lift Vulpix into the air!" Ryan calls as the hit lands. Pidgey, with considerable struggle, lifts the fox into the air by a tail. "Now drop him!"

"Makeshift Seismic Toss." Will concludes. "Vulpix, everything you've got into an Ember!" Vulpix raises its head, firing hit-miss as both Pokemon crash into the ground, Pidgey still holding onto Vulpix.

"Do it again!" Ryan says, now with a suspicious smile on his face.

"I think that's enough!" Will says, watching Pidgey strain to get up into the air.

"Shut it!" Ryan says. "PIdgey, crash him again!" Pidgey makes it into the air, Will not ordering an attack, but ready to intervene if necessary.

x

"Night Slash!"

x

A black strand of energy crashes through the two Pokemon as they begin their descent. Both crash, knocked out.

"What the?" Ryan asks, looking around but seeing no one. "What did you do?" he asks in anger.

"I did nothing, I swear!" Will defends, truly not knowing where the attack originated. "Vulpix doesn't know any move like that." Liz descends the ledge.

"Enough. This match is a draw, and the attack came from there." She says, pointing to the trees. Ryan looks over to the woods while Will checks his Vulpix and returns it to its Pokeball. Ryan turns, recalling Pidgey. "Liz." Liz calls out her Squirtle, sending it into the wooded area to find the intruder. Five minutes later, it returns with no visible leads.

"We should probably get back to the Pokemon Center." Will says, checking his watch. Ryan reluctantly gives up on the search and agrees.

x

[1 April- 4:45p- Viridian City- Pokemon Center]

The trip back was mostly silent. Liz asked a question or two about Will's origin, but Ryan remained bitter. Will was also slightly annoyed at Ryan ignoring Pidgey's strain.

"Welcome back." Nurse Joy says, greeting them.

"Hi." Ryan replies, being short.

"Back so soon, Mr. Anderson?" she notes.

"Had a match." Will explains, the nurse nodding.

"Which was interrupted rudely." Ryan points out.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Nurse Joy said, taking the four pokeballs into the back.

"We should have another match down the road. Maybe one without an intrusion." Ryan suggests.

"Absolutely. We can find out who would have won." Will says, treating it as nothing major.

"Great." Ryan says, taking leave with his sister. As soon as they are out the door, Nurse Joy pops back up behind Will.

"Between you and me, I cannot wait to see those two finally get out of the city." Nurse Joy says quietly.

"Do they live here or something?" Will asks.

"Mm." Nurse Joy affirms. "Their parents own the Trainer House down the road. It's the big battle club of the city. Now, the girl, Liz, she's alright most of the time, but when she loses, look out. You won't have to worry much about her though, unless you plan on entering contests."

"Yes, she introduced herself to me as 'future Top-Coordinator." Will says. "I'm not really big on the contest scene."

"Lucky you."

"And Ryan?" Will tries.

"He's just a bit arrogant." Nurse Joy says, smiling at a passerby before dipping low on the desk. "But ever since Christmas they have been on and on about this day. The day they can finally get out and 'take the world by storm! Top-Coordinator and Champion, every region, whoo!' I swear, they need reality checks."

"And if they have the talent to back it up?" Will suggests, considering that his match with Ryan was well fought sans the ending.

"God help every person they lose to." Nurse Joy says, standing up straight as newcomers pass through the doors. "Welcome to the Pokemon Center."

x

[1 April- 7:00p]

"I must insist that you wait until morning." Nurse Joy pleads with the two blondes.

"We want to get out a few hours before we camp." Ryan says, snatching up his Pokemon from the tray. The bags on their backs said everything about that they were preparing to do. "Mom and Dad are perfectly fine with it. We're done with dinner, so we can go."

"Just. Be Safe." Nurse Joy says. "And pitch a tent at ten at the latest." She calls as they clear the doors. Will sits on the couch watching the events unfolding. "Ugh!" Nurse Joy vents in frustration. "Good riddance! You don't need to be going out into the forest in the middle of the night because you're impatient and daddy said yes."

"If it comforts you, I'll be waiting until morning to leave." Will says from the couch.

"Ladies and gentlemen! One sensible novice in the room." Nurse Joy announces to the empty room. "Your Eevee and Vulpix should be fully healed in the morning."

"Oh no, I've already forgotten my umbrella at home and took refuge under a tree in a thunderstorm." Will admits, then thanking Nurse Joy for the update on his Pokemon.

"Yes but you've learned." She replies. "You are welcome to stay the night here. There are rooms in the back."

"Thank you very much." Will says, grabbing his bag. Nurse Joy shows him a room in the back with a bed and a desk.

"Any time, dear."

x

[2 April- 5:00a- Viridian City- Near Route 2 Gate]

The sun was preparing to rise over a calm Viridian City, and barely making it through the canopy of the forest where Ryan and Liz Carmichael were sound asleep in their tent.

The local Elder stood on the back porch of his house, drinking his coffee. Taking a long slurp, he looks out onto movement near the gate.

"Bit early for a start, isn't it?" he says to himself curiously. Taking another drink, a Pokemon comes into view, causing him to drop his glass and run back inside in fear, screaming.


AN: Viridian City's Nurse Joy is going to be one of my favorite side characters. Will has made acquaintance with a set of twins, Ryan and Liz, who will play role in his adventure. And in their meeting, a strange attack from an outside party cancels out their battle. Next time, Route 2/Viridian City/Route 3.