CHAPTER 4- Rivals in Rawst
Sebastian and Ken spent about two weeks in the wilderness until they reached the small town of Rawst. The weather stayed mild for the two rookie trainers, and they made it without any serious injuries or problems. They also made progress on their pokemon collections. After capturing a Seedot, Ken one upped Sebastian by capturing his own new pokemon, a Spearow. With two pokemon in their arsenals apiece, they both made their way to Rawst.
Rawst is not a large town in the Enkada region. In fact, it is amongst the smallest. It is a sleepy town, which recently acquired its own new, state of the art pokemon center, and has become a haven for the trainers who have passed by this area. Although the small towns here are not as popular among pokemon fanatics, it does include a few waterways and the Ridge forest, which has been a spot that many trainers who wish to capture bug or grass type pokemon.
Once they reached the town, the two teens quickly began looking for the pokecenter. It was not hard to find, as it was the only new building in the town itself.
"So how long do you want to stay here for Ken?" Sebastian asked.
"A few days is good, we can probably do some pokemon battles with others here to." Ken said. "Very eager huh?" Sebastian remarked, rolling his eyes.
Ken laughed and patted his friend on the back.
"You bet your ass I am. We did good on our first captures, why not do better in our first real battles?"
"Don't get overconfident dude." Sebastian replied back. "There are probably strong trainers in that center that will knock us around…." "And there are probably weak trainers we can beat the crap out of. Come on Seb it will be fun. Plus now we can fight if you want to!" Ken said with a big grin on his face.
"No way man, my pokemon would lose to yours, even I know that one." Sebastian replied, as Ken's grin began to fade. "Ok ok." Ken sighed. "But I still want to battle someone! Hope there are willing people in the pokecenter."
Moments later, they walked up to the tinted glass doors of the large, concrete building in front of them. The pokecenter itself was painted in a bright white color, with pokeball designs drawn all over the walls as wallpaper. The smell of fresh paint and hot food filled the air, and the cool wind of the air conditioner was a blessing for the sweating teens. Besides the typical healing center found in all of the centers that dot Enkada, it also had a trading station, a cafeteria, and a large number of dormitories for the tired trainers. All around them, there were trainers, both young and old, either talking, relaxing in the lounge or even feeding their pokemon. Dead in the center of the room was a bulletin board, filled with notices on trades, battles, and other little memos that passing trainers post there.
"Come on, let's get some food Seb. I'm starving!" Ken said, walking towards the cafeteria wing. "They got some pokemon food to give out to, lets go!"
"Um..no not right now. I am going to do something else first." "Ok, dude, ill be right back then." Ken said, walking into the cafeteria wing and getting in line for some food.
Sebastian began to walk towards the bulletin board, and began reading the many notices posted on it. Most were offers for trades and phone numbers for trainers, but there were some tournament notices. One in particular caught Sebastian's eye. He inched closer to the bulletin board, and lifted a finger onto the small print of the poster.
THE WORLD POKEMON TOUR (WPT) SIGNUP
The World Pokemon Tour is now registering for this seasons combatants.
Following categories are now available.
Tournament Rules
Prime Rules
Chance Team Matches
Baby pokemon Matches
Type Matches
2 V 2 Matches
Knockout Matches
Registration will occur in the following major cities. Ask your pokecenters for details:
Chesto City
Hondew City
Belue Port
Drash City
Salac City
Starf Plateau
Battles will be held at Salac, Chesto, Hondew and Starf Stadiums once all spots have been filled. Register today!
"Good luck surviving that tournament buddy." Said a deep voice.
Sebastian turned around and was face to face with a tall, dark eyed teen. He looked to be about 18 or 19 years old, wearing a faded leather jacket and a black shirt, perfect matches for his faded jean shorts and hiking boots. His black hair was tied into a ponytail, giving him an aggressive biker look. Over his shoulder was a backpack, and pinned on them were numerous badges. The boy then extended his hand out.
"The names Damon, Damon Nauls."
"Sebastian Caine." Replied Sebastian, shaking the boys hand. "Just starting out I see huh Sebastian?" "Um..yeah how did you know?"
Damon pointed to his backpack, "No badges yet. Only rookies have that basically." He stated.
"Yeah, well me and my friend just started two weeks ago." Sebastian replied, pointing to the cafeteria. Ken was now getting some pokemon food from the dispenser. Damon whipped his head around.
"Nice, you guys not traveling alone. That's good." He replied, putting his hands in his jean pockets, as if fumbling to grab something. "Where are you two heading?" He asked.
"Well, we plan to go to Liechi in a few days." Sebastian said. "We want to see if we can defeat the gym leader there." Damon nodded his head and began to chuckle for a bit.
"Good luck kid, the gym leaders are actually hard to beat." Damon replied.
"Well it looks like you have had no trouble with them." Replied Sebastian, eying the lustrous badges on Damon's backpack. Damon followed his eyes and grabbed his backpack on his shoulder, and brought it in front of Sebastian, showing the badges in full view to the younger teen.
"See these badges?" Damon said. Sebastian just nodded, as the older teen continued to speak
"It took me four years to get them all. I'm still two short of qualifying for the Elite Four. Don't take gym trainers lightly, Sebastian. Trust me, they are one of the reasons a lot of trainers fizzle out in the end."
Sebastian didn't know what to say to the stranger lecturing him. He didn't want to come off arrogant or rude to the guy, as he was trying to help him.
"I can tell you one thing then," Sebastian said as he was eying the different colored badges on Damon's backpack, "I don't plan to fizzle out anytime soon."
Damon just smiled and said. "I like your spirit. Maybe we should battle sometime." "Well you look like your experienced…ill get whipped." Said Sebastian.
"Never say that dude, that just shows weakness. You'll never win battles that way." Damon then motioned for Sebastian to follow him. "Come with me dude, let me teach you something." He said, as he turned around to head out of the pokecenter. Sebastian looked confused for a second, and then grabbed Damon's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks and turning him around for a second.
"Wait one second Damon. I want to get my friend. Is that ok?" He asked him, turning towards the cafeteria wing. "Ok, I'll wait here then. Be quick though." Said Damon.
Sebastian just nodded and walked into the cafeteria. The tables were filled with trainers and pokemon alike, all eating the food that the center provided. Nice spaghetti dishes and garlic bread for the trainers, and some pellets for the pokemon themselves. The trainers were engaged in a lot of conversation to, most of them comparing their pokemon and talking about their experiences they have had, and even a few trying to flirt with the fairer sexes. He looked around for Ken, but the sea of trainers made it hard to spot his friend. Suddenly he heard a noise above the rest of the chatter.
"HEY SEB! OVER HERE!" Ken shouted, waving his arms in the air. Sebastian looked and just sighed, trying to hide his embarrassment from the trainers around him that actually looked up to notice his name being called. He walked closer to his friend, as he was busy stuffing his face with thin spaghetti noodles.
"Could you be any louder?" he asked Ken.
"Sorry dude, I needed to get your attention." He replied, grabbing the garlic bread on his tray. "Here want a piece?"
"Oh yeah, sure." "He took the bread and began to eat it.
"I also got us enough pokemon food to last a while, so we should be good food wise for them." Ken said, spinning some spaghetti with his fork and putting it in his mouth.
"That's awesome dude." Said Sebastian. "Anyway, there is this guy outside, his name is Damon. Seems like a nice guy, and he wants to show me some tricks in battling. Want to come out with me?" Ken stopped chewing his food and looked up at his friend.
"Dude that sounds a bit shady. How do you know he won't rob you or something?" "That's why I wanted you to come Ken! Come on if anything, he will show us something new so we can actually compete in the gyms."
"Oh come on man, the gyms are probably pushovers. Every year a ton of trainers face the elite four, I'm sure we can take them." Replied Ken.
"Then prove it to me." Said another voice. Both boys turned around, and saw Damon standing there. "Sorry Sebastian, I got tired of waiting."
Ken stood up, and faced Damon eye to eye. "So your this Damon guy huh?" Ken asked.
"I am, nice to meet you. And your name is…"
"Ken. Ken Wesker."
"If you think your so good Ken, face me in a battle outside."
"Don't mind if I do then." Said Ken, who quickly turned and began to storm outside.
"KEN…Ken wait!" Sebastian yelled at him, trying to stop his friend. "Dude he will beat you horribly. It's not worth it."
"You kidding man?" Ken snapped back. "It definitely is worth it. I am going to whip this asshole bad!"
Damon just chuckled to himself "So cocky…so easy…I like that Ken." He said calmly.
The teens went outside into the street. It was about one in the afternoon now, so the streets were bare with the exception of a few bag ladies and young businessmen going back to work from lunch. A few trainers, who heard the commotion that Ken and Damon started, followed them outside to view the battle.
"Simple rules Ken, one on one, no substitutes. You go ahead and pick yours first." Said Damon.
"Fine, let's go for it." Said Ken, grabbing one of his active pokeballs. "Kick some ass, Spearow!" The ball opened, and the tiny bird pokemon came out flapping, its wings making it hover in the air.
"Ok then, go for it Amp!" said Damon, who threw his own pokeball out. Then appeared a Flaaffy, standing upright on its two pink legs.
"You nicknamed it? Dude no one nicknames their pokemon anymore!" scoffed Ken. Damon just laughed back at him. "Your move first Ken."
'Ok…he has an electric type…damn this is not good…' Ken said to himself. On the sidelines, Sebastian saw his friend already struggling.
'This battle is over already.' He thought to himself, 'I hope Ken has a plan if he can win it.'
"Ok Spearow, got to avoid contact, so for now fly up high and growl at the Flaaffy." Ken said. "Speeer…" the bird pokemon cried, as it began to flap harder, going higher into the sky. It then opened its beak. "SPPPEEEAARRROWW" it shrieked, the deafening sound reaching all of the trainers on the bottom. Sebastian covered his own ears 'Damn, that's powerful.' He thought to himself. He looked and saw Damon's Flaaffy, who seemed to be undaunted by the sharp cry Spearow made.
"Amp, use your thunderbolt attack and bring down that bird!" Damon said. "Flaf" the sheep replied, as its tail tip began to glow a bright yellow. Soon, a lightning bolt shot out of it, and went right towards the flying Spearow.
"SPEAROW DODGE IT!" cried Ken. The bird pokemon zigzagged in the air, desperately trying to avoid the electric attacks.
"Keep up the barrage Flaaffy. Tire it out." Said Damon. He then turned to Ken, "not bad so far, but not good enough Ken." Ken just glared right back, his face red with anger. "Spearow, use your quick attack!" "Speearr.." it squawked, and began to move faster than the lightning Flaaffy was shooting out of it's tail. It was flying around the sheep pokemon, going faster than anyone can see. Spearow then tilted its body back, and rammed into Flaaffy's chest beak first, before flying back upwards into the air. The electric type staggered back, in some pain with the direct hit in its chest.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT YEAH!" Ken shouted. The other trainers around them were clapping at the display of strength the spunky bird pokemon showed. Sebastian as well as impressed.
"GO KEN!" he was cheering out to his friend. Damon's smile began to fade a bit.
'This kid has some balls…but that won't help him in the end.' He thought to himself. " Amp, get ready for another hit." "Flllaaaafffy!" it replied, obeying its trainer as it stomped both of its feet on the ground like a sumo wrestler, standing its ground and watching the Spearow carefully in the sky.
"Staying put huh? Easy prey then." Ken boasted. "Spearow, give him another quick attack!" The bird pokemon flew up high once again, and once again was moving faster then the eye could see.
"Good…just like I predicted." Damon said under his breath. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. After putting them on, he looked down at his pokemon.
"Flaaffy, lets make it sunnier out here, Flash it!" he said sternly.
"Flllaaaafff!" the pokemon cried, as its tail glowed again, and this time a flash of light filled the already bright sky. Sebastian, as well as everyone else watching the battle, shielded their eyes with his arms from the blinding light. 'I've never seen such a bright flash before.' Sebastian thought to himself. With one eye closed, he used the other to look at Ken, who like everyone else was blocking the flash attack with his arms.
On the battlefield, the bright light also blinded Ken's Spearow. It stopped its descent and fluttered back into the sky, trying not to look at Flaaffy's glowing tail. Fortunately its keen bird eyes adjusted quickly, but Flaaffy already negated the quick attack.
"Perfect Flaaffy, use your cotton spore!" Damon commanded. The pokemon began to twist and shake itself, its entire body moving in a strange rhythm. Then parts of it woolen fleece began to fly off of its body, and floated towards Spearow. "Oh no…. QUICK SPEAROW, DODGE IT!" screamed Ken, but it was too late. The cotton hit Spearow dead on, sticking all over his body. It tried to flap it wings…but struggled to stay in the air. Soon it landed on the ground, and began pecking at the cotton stuck on its wings. Damon was grinning from ear to ear, as he got ready for the next attack.
"Ok Flaaffy, give it to him now, use iron tail!" cried Damon. Flaaffy bent down on all fours, and began running towards the grounded Spearow. Its tail began to glow brightly as it ran towards Spearow and lifted it high in the air. The glow faded and it suddenly looked like a metallic spike sticking straight out of his body.
"SPEAROW, GET BACK IN THE AIR!" cried Ken. "Speeeer" it cried back, as tried to fly once again, but even after pecking the cotton in his wings, it struggled to get back in the air. Flaaffy was to quick for the bird pokemon, and with a swipe of its tail it smacked Spearow dead on in its head. The Spearow went back right at Ken's feet, and couldn't get up. Ken looked crestfallen, and pulled his pokeball out of his backpack.
"Spearow return." He sighed. His head was turned down, realizing he was defeated. Damon was smiling again, and removed the sunglasses on his face before returning his Flaaffy into his pokeball. He walked up to Ken and put his arm on Ken's shoulder.
"You still got a lot to learn buddy, but you did good your first time." Damon said, trying to console the blonde teen. Ken shrugged him off and walked back into the pokecenter. "KEN WAIT!" Sebastian shouted out to his friend. Sebastian began to run toward his friend, but Damon blocked him with his arm.
"Let him go Sebastian." Damon said, "He needs some time to cool down." Sebastian looked back at Ken, as he entered the pokecenter. "You both got a lot to learn, but if he has the potential to become a master, you probably do to." Sebastian turned his head to Damon, a quizzical look on his face.
"What do you mean Damon?" he asked him. Not sure if that was a compliment or a challenge.
"He took on an electric type with a flying type, and actually did some damage. Not only that, but he was outmatched by experience and strength, but could of won the battle if he changed some of his strategy. Only master trainers would have the balls, the power and the brains to do this, and if he can do it, so can you. That is why I want to challenge you next." Damon said. "So right now, one on one, no switch outs. Do you accept or not?" he asked him.
Sebastian just looked straight at Damon, and then looked back at the pokecenter. Through the glass doors he could see Ken going straight up to the counter, handing Spearows pokeball to the nurse there. He then turned back to Damon, who was still staring at him, waiting for his response.
"Yes, I accept your challenge. Let's do it." Sebastian said.