Pokemon ©1995-2012 Nintendo, GAME FREAK Inc, Creatures Inc.
Janera and all related creatures, items and landforms ©2002-2012 Obsidian Blade
Metone and all related creatures, items and landforms ©2002-2012 TopazSoarhire
Dictioy and all related creatures, items and landforms ©2004-2012 Articunomew
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly,
I'll do what it takes until I touch the sky.
So I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change,
And break away.
Out of the darkness and into the sun,
But I won't forget all the ones that I love,
I'll take a risk, take a chance, take a change,
And break away.
Wanna feel the warm breeze, sleep under a palm tree,
Feel the rush of the ocean.
Get onboard a fast train, travel on a jet plane, far away,
And break away.
Breakaway
performed by Kelly Clarkson
The hall the ceremony was being held in wasn't that large. Most of the space was taken up by a small pen which contained the ten young Pokémon who were about to receive their first trainers. As the ten winners entered the room, all attention became focused on them, from the media representatives to the small assortment of important public officials, both human and Pokémon. Eyes kept resolutely ahead, Sam led the way to the ten chairs near the front of the room which had been reserved for the winners. Walking along the row of chairs, he stopped at a chair third from the end, where his name was printed on a small card. Removing it, he sat down and looked at the other winners. To his surprise, Katrina sat on his left, seat of the second place winner. Nick was two seats to his right, sixth place. The quiet murmurings of the room fell silent as the ceremony began.
Professor Willow got to her feet. A short, thin woman, she had been a national representative gymnast during her younger years. Now, she was an expert on Pokémon Statistics, the study of how strong individual species of Pokémon were in comparison to others.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the twenty-first annual International League Pokémon Trainer Contest. This year, we had a number of impressive essays entered into the competition, but only ten were selected to receive the final awards." She paused for a moment as a spattering of polite applause broke out. Once it died down, she continued. "I would ask that all applause be held until the end. This year, we had a number of interesting essay topics, and these ten young people responded with thoughtful essays, outlining their views. This topics ranged from the conservation of traditional Safari Zones, to the limited research conducted on human abilities as opposed to Pokémon." She paused to clear her throat, taking a small sip of water from a glass on the podium, and then swept ear length brown hair back. "As I am sure our contestants and their future partners are impatient to begin the selection process, we will begin to announce the winners."
A man walked up the microphone, replacing Professor Willow. An eccentric looking man, Professor Bean represented Metone. Sam wasn't entirely sure what he studied, exactly, or whether he was a Professor in the traditional sense. Professor Bean had personally discovered many new Pokémon species in the Metonian Outback though, more than any other Professor, who would rely on the Trainers they watched over to find new Pokémon for them to study. It looked like Professor Bean hadn't shaved in a few days, judging from the beginnings of a beard forming over his cheeks. Leaning into the microphone, he spoke with an irritating drawl, probably played up for the representatives of the different regions. Sam's own family was from Metone, but had relocated when his mother had been offered the job of Gym Leader in Mist City. Psychic-type experts were rare enough that a league would pay a lot of money to get one. He and his family still had the remains of a Metonian accent, though Sam's was refined enough that most people mistook him for a member of other regions.
"In first place, we have Thomas of Snowpoint City, Sinnoh!" Professor Bean called out, his voice blasting from the speakers at almost deafening volume. Thomas stood and walked over to the pen of the baby Pokémon. Some had been sleeping, but all were awake now after Professor Bean's announcement. They seemed to inspecting Thomas as closely as he inspected them. He reached down, and Sam sighed with relief. Thomas had chosen Senvar, the dark type teddy-bear Pokémon which was native to Dictioy. He then walked up to the stage, his new starter in hand, where he was given a black backpack to compliment Senvar's elemental type.
"In second place, we have Katrina, from Pallet Town, Kanto!" Sam blinked in surprise, she was from Pallet Town? He quickly corrected himself. Pallet Town had grown quickly in the twenty years since Ash had become International Champion, to the point where it was now bigger than Pewter City, home to the first Pokémon Gym of Kanto. There were talks of Pallet Town being renamed, but those were only rumours.
Katrina walked resolutely to the pen, her blond and purple hair forming a stark contrast to her black clothing. Sam held his breath as she leaned over, paused and then continued. When she straightened up again, her hands were full of wriggling Mudkip. Sam bit down a wave of disappointment as she accepted her backpack, this one brown.
"In third place, Sam of Mist City, Southern Island!" Sam started, slightly lost in his thoughts. Automatically he stood and walked over to the pen. The Torchic seemed to recognise him, as it released an agitated cry and attempted to tackle him, running into the side of the pen as it did. The Treecko did nothing other than lazily salute him from its position in a sunbeam. The other Pokémon were more curious in Sam though. When Sam reached a hand down into the pen, the baby Pokémon swarmed around it. Sparkid pushed under his palm for a head scratch, bleating in joy when Sam found the right spot. Monswoon curled its neck around his wrist when he moved past it, licking his hand gently before letting go. Qizret simply stared at him. Feeling a gentle probe in his mind, Sam extended his telepathic abilities, greeting the young Pokémon. It blinked in surprise, and then nodded its head, giving its own greeting. The Pichu was next. It grabbed his hand with its own paws, sniffing him intently. It gave a small cry of happiness, sending a small jolt into Sam which made his hair stand on end. Fantan ignored him from his position next to Treecko in the sun beam. The last Pokémon was the Frezint, who was still wearing Katrina's beanie. It looked at Sam solemnly, seeming not to remember who he was. When Sam reached for it, the Frezint started, scrambling back a little. Sam halted, wondering if that meant Frezint was rejecting him. Sometimes the Pokémon rejected the trainer at the ceremony. This wasn't often a problem, though last year the tenth place winner had been rejected by his Pokémon, spraying him with water when it had been handled a bit too roughly. The two had been left with each other though, for reasons that Sam couldn't remember.
Timidly, Frezint walked forward, into Sam's grasp, looking up at Sam through the small eye holes it had made in the beanie. Sam gently settled his hands around the young Pokémon, lifting him. Feeling the shift in altitude, Frezint instinctively flapped its wings. Realising he had taken an unusually long time in comparison to the first two, Sam walked up to the stage, receiving a backpack which was a strange shimmer that was both blue and purple. Sam looked at it, pondering the exact shade, but gave up. He returned to his seat, the Frezint on his lap, bag under his chair. The Mudkip patted Sam's leg a few times when he was seated, giving him a wide grin when he looked at it. Sam smiled back, while the Frezint was now beginning to tug at the chain on Katrina's pants.
The next two contests, from Holon and Janera, respectively chose Treecko and Sparkid as their starters. Sam caught Nick's eye, noting the disappointed look the other boy had. Now that it was his turn to choose, he walked to the pen where Torchic, Pichu, Qizret, Monswoon and Fantan still waited to be chosen. Nick chose the Pichu, and receive an electric shock for his troubles. By the time he had sat down with a golden coloured backpack, his previously flat hair was all on end. The next to choose was a young boy from Poligem, about eleven, who was rejected by Fantan. He looked on the verge of crying when the Monswoon seemed to choose him, jumping over the side of the pen to hug him. Crisis averted, the Fantan went to the next trainer, a girl from Metone. The ninth contestant chose the Qizret when it made the choice to talk to him, breaking the silence it had established with the previous winners. The final contestant was given the Torchic, and money to compensate for not being given a choice.
Professor Bean stepped down from the podium, his role in the ceremony complete. Now Professor Rowan was in charge. "Congratulations to the ten winners, may you meet success in your journey with your new friend." The audience began to applaud, and Sam felt himself redden slightly. He looked down at Frezint who stared up at him, giving a small shrug. Sam shrugged back, looking back up as Professor Rowan began to talk. Frezint began to gnaw on Sam's pinkie finger gently, as if inspecting him for taste.
"Due to increasing security demands, the International League has put into place a mentor program this year. Experienced Pokémon trainers have volunteered to be a part of this program, acting as a mentor and guide for our new trainers for the first stage of their journeys. Once they have arrived at their first gym, the Mentors may leave, or choose to continue their Pokémon journeys with the new trainers. I will now introduce the trainers. From Hoenn, we have Brendan and May Birch."
Sam's eyes focused intently at the two people who were walking up to the stage. Brendan and May Birch were twins, the children of Brendan Birch and May Ulysses, who were famous in their own right, Brendan Birch for his work in Pokémon Abilities, and May for being the travel companion of Ash Ketchum, and an Internationally classes contestant. Their children were considered serious candidates for important positions with Hoenn as Gym leaders and (rumours had it) an Elite Four position for May.
"From Sinnoh, we have Maylene, on sabbatical from her position as Gym leader of Veilstone." More applause, with slight whistle. Sam nodded, impressed that the International League was going to this effort. "From Johto, we have Joey, also on sabbatical from his position as Gym Leader of Cherrygrove." Snickers sounded out among the applause. Wearily, Joey scaled the pedestal, seemingly used to the laughter. "And lastly, we have Violet Oak, from Kanto." A final round of applause, which Professor Rowan cut short by holding up a hand. "We would ask that each beginner trainer pair up with someone else among the group. A roulette will be held later today to assign a mentor to your pairing."
The ceremony began to draw to an end just as Frezint began to get more insistent in his chewing. Sam had a morbid flashback to Indy, his pet Growlithe, who also went through a chewing stage when much younger. The crowd then took a break for lunch, luckily for Sam, who now had three small puncture marks in the flesh of his hand. Once that was over, there was a media interview, and then the ten winners were given a few hours free time. The next day they would be released upon the unsuspecting region of Dictioy, battling their way across it.
Sam and Nick had decided to pair up, as their Pokémon seemed to get along well. The Frezint, now named Dirden and the Pichu, now called Sparx, were beginning to cooperate, with Dirden lifting the small mouse Pokémon to greater heights by flying. Sparx on the other hand was able to get into spaces that Dirden could not. Sam could envision that this would not end well for himself or Nick, but for now it was fun. The only issue seemed to be that Dirden didn't really want to listen to him, judging from the blank looks he gave the boy whenever he said something.
Now that Sam's Trainer Card had been activated in the International Database, he was allowed to use the high class PokéTrans he had brought with him from Southern Island. As he was leaving the bathroom where he had been replacing the earring stud he had before, he was nearly bowled over by Dirden who was in hot pursuit of Sparx.
"Hey." Nick said, looking at him from where he was stretched out on the lounge. "Is it working?"
"I don't know." Sam said slowly, prodding the small machine with his finger. "Hey Dirden, can you say something?"
"I will claim your life and use your hair to make a nest to attract chilly mates!"
Sam looked at Dirden in amazement as Nick burst into laughter. "Aren't you too young to be thinking about that?"
"Oh, you heard me..."
Sam shooked his head. "Anyway, it seems to work." He looked down at Sparx dubiously. "Too bad you won't be able to understand him for a while."
Certain Pokémon species seemed to have a strange ability to resist being translated. The majority of 'baby' Pokémon, such as Pichu, Azurill and Budew, fit into this category. There wasn't a scientifically explained reason yet, but the general consensus was that they weren't old enough to have a grasp of language, even their own. Adult Pokémon couldn't really understand them that often either.
"Yeah, I'll get by." Nick replied lazily, pulling a small pecha berry from his pocket. Sparx halted where he was, Dirden promptly knocking into him. Once he corrected himself, he joyfully ran up to Nick, climbing up the lounge chair to grab the offered pecha berry. Dirden looked at Sam expectantly. Glaring at Nick, Sam shook his head.
"Great, now I have a standard to live up to."
Nick shrugged. "Not my fault you don't have my raw Pokémon magnetism... And bribes."
Sam looked down at Dirden. "I don't have anything right now, but we can grab something when we go out shopping?"
Dirden nodded, seeming to accept this took flight, landing on Sam's shoulder. Sam hoped that this silence wouldn't continue. He had been talkative when he knew Sam couldn't understand him, but now he was just quiet.
"We should probably head out now." Sam said, looking at his new C-Gear.
Nick groaned, getting to his feet and scooping up Sparx as he went. Sparx squeaked in dismay as he fell over in Nick's arms, letting out a jolt that shocked both himself and Nick. A few seconds later, Nick had a stunned look on his face while his Pichu just looked confused.
"Are you ok?" Sam asked in concern. On his shoulder, Dirden let out a short snort which he assumed meant he was laughing.
"Yeah." Nick said, letting out a small groan. His body shuffled as he shook himself a little, throwing off the effects of the shock. "That wasn't fun."
"Chu?" Sparx said, reaching up and patting Nick as high as he could reach, which was only his collarbone.
"It's ok Sparx, I'm just not used to it." Nick reassured his baby Pokémon. Sparx sniffed a little, on the verge of tears, which cleared up the instant Nick offered him another pecha berry. "Ok, let's go." Nick said, ensuring he had his C-Gear on him before they left the Pokémon Center. They had taken the short walk to the Center, leaving the hotel in favour of spending their first night in a Pokémon Center. Some of the others had opted to remain in the private comforts of the hotel, some had not. Katrina had remained at the hotel though, from what Sam could remember, with her newly named Artemis in tow.
The best thing about a small town like Comed was that all the essential locations were close together. Only another two blocks from the Pokémon Center was a shopping mall, containing a Pokémart, as well as other normal shops. Their first stop was by the Pokémart, where they stocked up on some additional supplies for their Pokémon. The International League had supplied one lot of basic supplies, such as dried food and the like, but they were on their own past that. It was enough to get them to either Arw City, Romanc City or Rorroh Town, all three of which held Pokémon Gyms. Sam stocked up on some rare candies which were simple Pokémon treats which were highly nutritional, though didn't have the powerful properties that most people assigned to them. They very rarely have enough of an energy boost to cause a Pokémon to level or evolve. He also purchased some specialty clothing, using money he had received from his family before he had left for just this sort of thing. In the end, he had a trainer 'uniform' consisting of a light lavender shirt, over which he wore a blue, sleeveless, hooded shirt. He also wore full-length jeans, and just had basic running shoes, white and blue. An argument had escalated between Sam and Dirden when Dirden had wanted to claim an immense Lapras doll, an argument that only ended when Dirden was returned to his Pokéball.
Nick, on the other hand, seemed to be preparing for the worst case scenarios, stocking up on emergency first aid kits, campfire kits, books on Pokémon care and similar items. By the end, Sam was staring wide eyed at a stack of items that went from his knees to his neck.
"I am not helping you to carry those back." Sam said resolutely.
"Aw, come on!"
"No, you don't need most of that stuff."
"Come on, I'll give you a pecha berry!
"Do I look like a Pichu to you?" Sparx looked over in alarm, as if to make sure Sam hadn't changed shape.
"... In the right light, I'm sure you might."
Sam shook his head. "I'm gonna duck into a pharmacy, need some cleaning sprays for my ear."
"Come on, two pecha berries?"
Rolling his eyes, Sam left the store and headed to the pharmacy. Four empty Pokéballs clinked gently on his belt, he had gotten excited to at least be like a real trainer, as well as one Ultraball, just in case he saw some rare Pokémon out in the field. The trip to the pharmacy was quick, and the spray fairly cheap. It was only when he was leaving that he noticed anything unusual. A crashing sound rang out of the gap between the pharmacy and the next building, a female clothing store. Peeking his head around the corner, Sam was confronted with the image of a bushy brown tail waving from a trash can, its lid on the ground next to it, having made the crashing sound. Judging from the whimpers, whatever Pokémon it was was stuck in the bin. Walking over carefully, Sam looked cautiously into the bin. Hind legs waved at him, the whimpering turning into pained yelping. Giving a sigh, Sam reached into the bin, gently pulling on the small Pokémon who seemed to be stuck in some nameless sludge. The yelping changed from painful to terrified, and just as the Pokémon came free of the muck, its hind legs scored Sam across the forearm. He let go with a cry, instinctively clutching his arm to himself. The Pokémon looked at him quickly, before jumping from the trash can to the ground where it landed heavily with a thump. It howled in pain again, before taking off with a stagger. Sam frowned, trying to remember why that strange gait looked so familiar, before it hit him. Indy, his pet Growlithe, had run like that when he had hurt his leg. Whatever this Pokémon was, it was hurt, and almost certainly a wild Pokémon.
Sam took off after it, trying to ignore the throbbing in his forearm. He glanced at it quickly, grimacing as he saw three deep scratches. If the Pokémon lived on the street, they were likely to get infected as well. Pushing that thought from his head, he chased the Pokémon, steadily gaining on it when it dashed up a dark alley and out of sight. Sam stopped as he reached the mouth of the alley, panting slightly from the run. He took a step towards the end of the alley when a strong wind blew at him, accompanied by a crack of thunder. The Pokémon he was chasing ran past him as fast as it could, giving Sam a brief glance of it. It was an Eevee, fairly young from what he could tell. His attention was brought back to the alley when a thin mist poured out of it, coalescing into cloud-like Pokémon. It was a Nymbis, a water/flying cloud type. Usually they didn't come down this low, especially in a colder region like Dictioy, but it sometimes happened. It sparked ominously, slowly approaching Sam. He backed away, looking around wildly for something to help him, when he recalled the events of that moment. He snapped Dirden's Pokéball from his belt, releasing the small dragon type. Dirden quickly took assessment of the situation, from Sam's now dripping arm, to the Nymbis. Opening his mouth, a blast of frigid air soared between him and the Nymbis, forcing the Nymbis into a thicker form to try and prevent its body from turning to ice. Sam groped at his belt, pulling at another Pokéball. Dirden was at a disadvantage here, since Nymbis couldn't be hit directly, nor would it be easy to freeze it. The only option was to catch it or run. Blindly, Sam threw the first Pokéball he felt, mentally swearing to himself when he saw a flash of yellow, black and white... The Ultraball.
It sailed through the air, right on target, a skill Sam had learnt during the Advanced Training class. He expected it to go right through the cloud, but was surprised when the Ultraball froze in midair. The Nymbis turned red, into the energy form that Pokémon became when a Pokéball was involved. In less than five seconds, it was over. The Ultraball had made short work on the capture, being far more suited to Pokémon much stronger than a Nymbis.
Sam grinned as he looked down at the Ultraball, before memory rushed back to him. The Eevee! Grabbing the Ultraball with his good hand, he breathlessly turned to Dirden. "We need to keep going. Can you fly? I don't think i can carry you."
Dirden answered by spreading his wings, taking flight. Sam turned on his heel, running up the passage the Eevee had gone. He emerged into an intersection of alleys behind the mall, surrounded by trash cans and litter. He looked around in confusion, before the quiet sounds of whimpering reached his ears. He turned, walking down the right alley, the shortest, stopping when he came to a bin at the end. The Eevee was curled into a ball, shaking violently.
"Hey, it's going to be ok." Sam said quietly in a gentle voice. He crouched down to the Eevee's level. Dirden fluttered overhead, gently bringing himself to the ground with a light thump. The Eevee didn't respond, except to keep whimpering. Looking it over, Sam found the source of its pain. An ugly wound, tinged green around the edge and sluggishly bleeding was on the Eevee's left foreleg. White could be seen in the wound, bone. Sam's eyes widened, as he realised the extremity of the Eevee's wound. The running had likely weakened it severely, and the infection was being spread through the Eevee's bloodstream. Sam hesitantly reached out his arms, the scratches burning to remind him the existed. He stopped for a moment, before gently touching the back of the Eevee. It responded far faster than he anticipated, turning to bite down on his hand. He bit his lip to contain his yell, knowing this would make it far worse. As blood welled around the Eevee's teeth, he opened his mouth. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Dirden, can you please help me?"
Dirden padded forward, looking down at the Eevee. "Greetings Fox of the fields. You have my word that this human will not hurt you. If unnecessary pain comes to you, I will take it upon myself to defend you."
The Eevee looked at Dirden with wide eyes, its jaw slackening slightly. When Sam unconsciously tried to shift the hand away, the Eevee tightened its grip.
"I only want to help you." Sam said, trying to think through the fog of pain in his head.
The Eevee held on for a few more seconds, before letting go, sinking down on the ground, eyes closing halfway. Sam reached forward again, picking the Eevee up and taking care not to bump its wound. Then he stood, looking down at Dirden. "Thank you Dirden. Would you like to return to your Pokéball?"
"I will escort you and the Fox to the Pokémon Center. I must keep my word that you will not unduly hurt her." That stung, and Sam inhaled, trying not to cry after the pain and that particularly jabbing remark.
"Ok. I'll try and go as fast as possible." He said coolly, turning on his heel. He knew he shouldn't be angry at Dirden, he was of equivalent maturity to a nine or ten year old human, but he had effectively said that he didn't trust Sam, breaking an illusion that the boy had that your starter was meant to trust you without question. Sam was a friendly boy, it hurt when people suspected him without a reason.
Dirden swooped past Sam, leading the way out of the maze of alleyways. He could frequently loop back around to look at the Eevee, but that stopped when they left the alleys and into the open air. Inhaling heavily, the throbbing in his arm turning into a constant burn from the rubbing against the Eevee's filthy fur, Sam began to run towards the Pokémon Center. He thought he heard his name being called, but a pounding in his head pushed that thought away before he could pay much attention.
The first thing Sam saw when he went through the doors of the Pokémon Center was an unusually long line. It seemed that everyone in town must be here to have their Pokémon checked all at once. He paused momentarily at the back of the queue, confused as to what to do.
It was Katrina who came to his rescue, running in the door just after Sam. Taking one look at him, and his cargo, she pushed him gently forward.
"Move people!" She yelled in a loud voice which betrayed her size. "Coming through! Unless you're injured like this guy and Pokémon, move!" A few turned around, angry looks on their faces, but moved quietly aside when they saw Sam and the Eevee. By the time he was at the front of the crowd, his mind was blank and his arm throbbing. The next few minutes were a blur, with the Eevee being taken gently from his arms and Sam being led to the general treatment area. While most Pokémon Centers weren't equipped to deal with serious human injuries, minor ones could be dealt with. He came to when he was being made to sip a creamy drink by a Chansey. His eyes narrowed down at the drink. He had tasted the egg belonging to the Chansey line only once, after being treated in a hospital after an operation, but it wasn't a taste you forgot easily. As it slid down his throat, he sighed in relief as a pulse of warmth spread from his stomach outwards. The Chansey handed the cup to his good hand, bringing out a needle and some surgical thread. Sam winced as he saw them appear, and focused on his drink. Thankfully, the drink also blocked the pain receptors, so Sam went through the process of having his cuts fixed without noticing. His bitten hand was similarly bandaged up, and within ten minutes, he was carried to the room he and Nick had reserved that morning. Dirden hadn't been present since the Eevee was taken, most likely to watch over it.
Giving a sigh, Sam looked up at the bunk bed above him. He wasn't getting off to a good start with Dirden, he thought darkly. It was only the first day though. Only the first few hours even, but it was still bothering him. When the door opened, he looked over, seeing Katrina, Nick and a second girl in the doorway. Nick was carrying several bags, which he dumped on the floor wearily.
"Where did you g-?" He asked waspishly, stopping as he looked at Sam's bandaged right arm. "What happened to you?"
Sam made a face. "Chasing injured wild Pokémon. Sorry about ditching you, did you get everything you needed?"
Nick nodded, coming closer to the bed. When he knelt down besides the bed, Sam could see Sparx napping within the hood on Nick's shirt. "Yeah, had to skip some things though, when it looked like you wouldn't be coming back."
"So what happened?" Katrina asked, entering the room with the other girl in tow, who looked both terrified and curious. The Sparkid wobbled after her, still seeming to have issues with walking. It bleated loudly up at the girl when she got too far away, breaking into an alarmed stumbled until it could lean against her.
"I was leaving the pharmacy," Sam started, when the Sparkid sneezed, a small torrent of flame scorching the floor and leaving a small mark. It jumped back, having scared itself. Shaking his head, Sam continued to relate how he had found the Eevee stuck in the trash can. He stopped when he got to the part about the Nymbis, having forgotten about it.
"Damn, just a sec." He sat up, instantly regretting it as his vision swam before him. Nick leaned forward, steading Sam and turning him slowly so that he could lean against the wall. With his good arm, he reached around his body, to find the Ultraball. Of course it's on my other side. Sam thought, before snaring it with the tips of his fingers. He clicked the button on the front of the Ultraball, enlarging it, before clicking it again. The Ultraball opened, a blast of red energy pouring out and forming into the fluffy cloud form of the Nymbis. A small face had appeared towards the front of it, made out of the bumps and ripples in the densely packed cloud.
"Hi." Sam said. The Nymbis turned to him, confusion still evident on its face. "Um, I'm sorry about before, I didn't mean to disturb you." That seemed to spark its memory. The Nymbis shuddered, turning a dark colour. "But can I explain myself before you go shocking me?"
The Nymbis advanced, and then stopped. The darkness in its mass faded, and with an odd shudder, it nodded.
"Thanks." Sam said, smiling at it. He continued the story, telling how he had found the Eevee and its injuries, and managed to bring it to the Pokémon Center. He neglected to tell them how Dirden had reacted, not wanting to admit to others that his first Pokémon didn't trust him.
"Wow." Katrina murmured, sitting next to Sam. "I wonder what happened to it? I mean, an Eevee isn't the kind of Pokémon you just dump in the streets." When Sam gave her a confused look, she continued. "Eevee are rare Pokémon. I guess this one could have been wild, but that wouldn't explain why it was in the city. Eevee prefer open fields, I think." The Nymbis gave an odd rumble, shaking its body in another nod. Katrina nodded back. "And if that's the case, then the Eevee must have escaped from an abusive trainer, and pretty recently. She didn't look that old."
"It's a girl?" Sam asked, frowning.
"Yup."
"Ah." Sam answered. "Fair enough. Did the Nurse say anything else?"
Katrina shook her head. "All she told me and Hope-" She indicated to the Sparkid trainer, who looked horrified at being named openly. "That it was a miracle the Eevee had lasted as long as it had. Its injuries were pretty bad."
"Her trainer couldn't have done it, could they?" Sam asked, worried. The Nymbis gave another rumble, shaking its body. "Oh, I'm sorry." Sam smiled apologetically. "I caught you before so I could get to the Eevee. Did you want to be released?"
That one seemed to give the Nymbis some thought. It shrank inwards, becoming a compact ball of cloud.
"I just became a trainer today." Sam added, wanting to give the Nymbis the full story. "But I'm heading out tomorrow," He looked quizzically at Nick, who shrugged." Or the day after to begin a Pokémon journey. You're welcome to come?"
The Nymbis remained like that for a few, long seconds, before swelling out again, giving a nod.
"Really?" Sam asked excitedly. "You want to come?" Nymbis nodded. "Awesome! Well, welcome to the team then!" Sam grinned at the other humans. "Um, I guess I should think of a name for you then."
"How about Zeus?" Katrina suggested perkily. "It's the name of the ancient Pokémopolis King of the Gods. He was often depicted as a man who could change form. In battle, he would throw lightning bolts."
The Nymbis seemed to think for a moment, nodding its consent. "Zeus it is. Welcome to the team." Sam said again. "Now, you guys reckon I can get up?"
The collective looks he received from everyone, including Zeus, made him shrink down. "I thought not." He muttered to himself.
Pokédex:
Chansey, the Egg Pokémon
Chansey is a kind Pokémon who shares its egg with those who are sick or injured. Because of this, humans and Pokémon alike have laws in place to prevent members of this evolutionary line from being attacked.
Evolves from Happiny, evolves with high happiness to Blissey
Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon
Eevee is a unique Pokémon that can adapt to its environment by changing its form and abilities when evolving.
Evolves in a variety of ways.
Growlithe, the Puppy Pokémon
Growlithe are very loyal and won't move unless their trainer commands it. While loyal to its master, the Growlithe will drive away enemies by barking and biting.
Evolves wth the use of a Fire Stone to Arcanine
Pichu, the tiny Mouse Pokémon
Despite their size, Pichu release bursts of electricity that can shock even humans. However, Pichu are unskilled at controlling their electricity, and sometimes release it by accident when surprised, or when laughing and shock themselves.
Evolves with the use of a Thunder Stone to Pikachu
Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon
Treecko are able to climb smooth vertical walls and use their thick tail to attack opponents. Since Treecko build their nests in large trees it is said that those trees will live a very long life.
Evolves at Level 16 to Grovyle
Torchic, the Chick Pokémon
If attacked, it strikes back by spitting balls of fire it forms in its stomach. A Torchic dislikes darkness because it can't see its surroundings.
Evolves at Level 16 to Combusken
Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon
Mudkip uses the sensitive radar receptors on its headfin to determine what's going on around it. In a pinch, it can remish enough power to crush rocks.
Evolves at Level 16 to Marshtomp
Azurill, the Polka Dot Pokémon
Azurill is able to throw its tail like a lasso, using the momentum to move about. Its tail is filled with nutrients necessary for growth.
Evolves with high happiness to Marill
Budew, the Bud Pokémon
In winter, it keeps its bud closed to survive the cold, but then opens it again in the spring. It lives alongside clear ponds. It scatters pollen that induces harsh sneezing and runny noses.
Evolves with high happiness to Roselia
Nymbis, the Cloud Pokémon
Due to its misty state, this Pokémon is rarely caught. Members of this species have been known to follow humans who are in a bad mood, raining on them.
Evolves into a variety of Pokémon, based on its region. Most common evolution is Stratas.