Chapter Three: Speculate to Accumulate.
Jack felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach as he waited in the pokemon centre for Cyndaquil to wake up, Nurse Joy had wrapped it up in a small blanket and let it rest on the table next to Jack. Ruby's Bulbasaur was sat next to it, staring and Ruby herself was next to Jack. The only good thing that seemed to have happened today was the small meal that the pokemon centre had supplied them with.
"Look it wasn't your fault," Ruby tried to comfort him.
"It was... ah, look here." Jack pointed to a line in his book and read from it, "'Cyndaquil cannot learn Ember at a very young age, it must be taught, or learned during the course of it's life.'" he nodded and sighed, looking back at Cyndaquil, "I made an amateur mistake."
"Everyone does it now and again." Ruby patted him on the shoulder.
"Cynda!" the cry came from a newly awoken Cyndaquil, who looked shocked to find a Bulbasaur looming over it and dived under the table, cowering as the curious Bulbasuar poked it's head under from on top.
"Hey, Cyndaquil." Jack said kindly, slowly reaching out to pet the pokemon. Cyndaquil growled, making Jack retreat, "He growled at me!" Jack said in disbelief to Ruby.
"Maybe you're taking the wrong approach." The two looked away from Cyndaquil to see a trainer, in his mid teens, maybe sixteen or seventeen, he bent down and offered Cyndaquil some pokemon food, Cyndaquil looked up at the trainer and at the food, then slowly and hesitantly ate a peice. The fire mouse paused for a moment and started to eat eagerly. The trainer looked up, his hair was white, fairly short and spiked up, he had deep blue eyes and tanned skin and wore a blue shirt with a black vest over it along with black long trousers and white sneakers. "Shy pokemon usually like sweet food. You try it." he handed over what was left of the food and Jack, without asking questions Jack presented the food to Cyndaquil, the pokemon continued to tuck in, seeming to hardly notice that the food had changed hands.
"Who are you?" Ruby asked.
"Call me J.D, I'm a pokemon collector, so I know my stuff." he looked at Jack, who was cautiously patting Cyndaquil, "I saw your battle, that's a good Cyndaquil you have there."
"I know, it's just me." Jack replied quietly, leaving Cyndaquil to sit back in his chair, Cyndaquil then seemed to go and have a conversation with Bulbasaur.
"It's just your approach. With each pokemon you need a different battle style, to suit that pokemon." J.D explained.
"I suppose so." Jack said, lifting his head up.
J.D nodded and paused for a moment, then asked, "If I could use your Cyndaquil to battle with you, I could show you."
"That sounds good. But I don't have any other pokemon."
"I do." Ruby looked up from Bulbasaur who was sat on her lap making an odd purring noise, and continued, "We can fight you."
"Great." J.D bent down and put his arm out to Cyndaquil, "If you would, my friend."
Cyndaquil hesitated, and looked up and down at the trainer, Jack stared in disbelief as Cyndaquil crawled up J.D's arm and onto his shoulder. "Well what are we waiting for?" Ruby said, grinning and running outside, quickly followed by Jack and J.D.
"Cyndaquil? I want you to trust me." J.D petted the pokemon before putting it down, Ruby and her Bulbasaur were already prepared to battle. "You first."
"Bulbasaur, tackle!" Ruby went for a head on attack and Bulbasaur complied, charging at Cyndaquil.
J.D waited until the last second to give Cyndaquil it's order, "Jump over it!"
"It can't..." Jack tailed off as Cyndaquil leaped clean over Bulbasaur, landing right behind it, startling the seed pokemon.
"You assumed it couldn't." J.D grinned, "Now, tackle!" Cyndaquil did as told, getting a good, hard hit on Bulbasaur, sending it flying for at least five feet. Bulbasaur made a quick recovery.
"I think you ought to have learned this by now." Ruby grinned. "Vine whip!" two large vines erupted from Bulbasaurs sides and flew towards Cyndaquil, and, picking it up, despite it's struggling. "Throw it!" Ruby yelled. J.D did nothing.
"J.D!"
"I know what I'm doing." J.D cut Jack off. He waited for Bulbasaur to lift Cyndaquil over it's head, ready to throw it. "Smokescreen, straight forwards!"
Cyndaquil eventually managed a weak smokescreen, one without flames erupting from it's back, it was still a bit young for that. But the propulsion from the attack sent Cyndaquil spinning around, which made Bulbasaur's vine get tangled up, forcing it to release Cyndaquil. The startled Bulbasaur could do nothing before the smoke from the previous attack descended on it. "Now, use tackle from the air!" J.D yelled. Cyndaquil responded with an immediate and clever recovery from the air and ended up slamming straight into Bulbasaur's back. As the smoke dispersed, Cyndaquil could be seen next to Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil sat happily and proudly as Bulbasaur lay knocked out on the ground.
"Great job, buddy!" Jack yelled as Cyndaquil lept into his arms, it's win seemed to have boosted it's confidence significantly, as there wasn't a hint of fear on the it's face as it clambered up onto Jack's head. He turned to J.D, "How did you do that?"
"Cyndaquil is among the fastest of the starters. Notice that I didn't once use a direct attack." He smiled, "I'm going back to the pokemon centre."
"Why don't you come with us?" Jack asked, J.D shook his head.
"I'm staying here for a while, word has it there's a legendary pokemon that has been sighted around here, Raikou. I'd love to see it. But I might see you around."
"I'm sure we will!" Ruby interrupted, cradling Bulbasaur in her arms, it had woken up and was making it's usual purring noise. "And then," she grinned, "We'll have a rematch."
J.D laughed as he walked away.
Ruby turned to Jack, "I suppose we should set up camp, it's getting dark."
"Are you kidding? Night is one of the best times for rare pokemon!"
Ruby laughed and nodded, and the two began on their way to Route 30.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, reviews are appreiciated. J.D belongs to Kyte Nerox