Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and I do not own the rights to Pokemon and do not claim ownership over Pokemon. The narrative I tell here is of my own design and is for entertainment and self-learning purposes. I am grateful for the opportunity to use this medium as a learning experience to improve my own writing. I am not monetarily profiting from this, only enriching my imagination.
Welcome to Chapter 3 of Pokemon Delta Edition! I can't wait to work on the next chapter I can finally get to what I've been envision while coming up with the concept for this story. We'll be seeing some aforementioned characters soon, their dynamic is going to be fun to write!
Without further ado, please enjoy the fourth installment of Pokemon Delta Edition.
The following events occurred on June 21st
Ch 3: Farewell, Vanide
After neatly folding all my clothes in my backpack and reorganizing my bag, it was about 9:52 AM. It was about time to wake up Ares, after a few grunts and moans Ares got himself ready and it was time to head off.
Walking down the stairs I saw that the stand Miss Cassidy said she was setting up was completed, with a huge sign above them displaying the words "Trainer Relief and Aid Organization", that was new. Miss Cassidy and the other Nurse were next to the PCs and Healing Stations with their back to the walls, there were stacks of unopened boxes behind them.
I could see people crowding around the stand as Miss Cassidy and the other nurse was handing out copious amounts of items ranging from food to clothes to Pokemon supplies.
As Ares and I got closer, we were getting pushed around as I heard Miss Cassidy and the other nurse shout, "Please don't crowd around us! We have enough supplies for everybody just make line up in front of me and Nurse Amelia! We'll wait until everybody is ordinate and situated!"
With that threat looming over everyone, begrudgingly trainers began to make up two lines. Ares and I hastily managed to make it somewhere near middle but got separated into different lines. I guess I would be seeing him in a bit.
The line was a bit tedious and moved at a snail's pace. I checked the time on my phone, 10:02 AM. I wanted to get to the Vanide Docks an hour early by 11:00 to do some sight-seeing. I guess I would have to resign to getting there by 11:30 or so.
After one monotonous wait, I got up to the front of the line by 10:16 AM. "What would you like Jonathon?", Miss Cassidy said in a kind voice. I was trying to figure what this whole "Trainer Rellief and Aid" thing was about it, next to the signs was a logo of a hand holding a Pokeball as if it were offering it to someone. "What is the Trainer Relief and Aid Organization, Miss Cassidy?", I asked.
Miss Cassidy began to turn around and grab a few boxes placing them on the table while she was doing this she said, "It's a Relief Fund that was founded a few months ago and it's sponsored by some of the top Trainers in Guardia. The Trainer Relief and Aid Organization or TRAO is a charity that hosts tournaments around Guardia and all proceeds from the tournament goes to giving care packages to help trainers out. Some of the cities began to endorse TRAO and now they send the supplies to Pokémon Centers to help distribute them."
Miss Cassidy opened up the boxes revealing lots of packaged clothes in one, the other had a plastic bag that had sandwiches, oranges, apples, carrots sticks, string cheese, a brand of healthy chips called Sudowoodo Sticks that did not harvest Sudowoodos, a milk carton and juice carton that varied from bag to bag. In the third box was supplies like potions and shrunken Pokeballs there were recognized there was regular PokeBalls, Great Balls, Friend Balls, Net Balls and some others that had saturated colors I couldn't recognize.
My backpack was already full as it was, and my satchel could maybe hold that lunch bag. Otherwise, I was pretty certain that was the extent of my weight and storage capacity. Miss Cassidy saw me hesitating and began to rapidly place items in my hands.
She dumped a lunch bag, a few Pokeballs, Great Balls, Friend balls, and was about to hand me a jacket but I tried to hand some of the supplies back stating," I don't think I can carry anymore, Miss Cassidy!"
She began to retrieve the jacket folded it back into the box and said," Well you can shrink the Pokeball by holding the button and put them in your pocket. You probably could carry the lunch bag in that satchel of yours and if you're already loaded with clothes the least you could do is take this."
She reached deep into the right corner of the box and put something on my head, almost slamming me onto the table. I should really try to stay out her reaching range, that was the second time Miss Cassidy almost pummeled me inadvertently.
I reached onto my head and felt the accessory Miss Cassidy put on my head.
"It's a visor Jonathon, since you wear that ridiculously huge black coat this won't get in the way, I also thought that this might suit your style.", she said warmly holding up a small hand mirror.
I had to admit she had good taste; the visor was a jet-black except for the a small white Pokeball logo adorned in the middle. It seemed to meld with my short black hair pretty well, I was readjusting it and gazed at myself in different angles until Miss Cassidy said, "All right you Narcissus, you're holding up the line and I still got dozens of these boxes to allocate."
I stuffed the shrunken Pokeballs into my pocket and the lunch bag into my satchel. I stepped out of the way about to walk off and realized I'd almost forgot something. "Miss Cassidy?", I bowed my head," Thank you for everything, I'll be sure to pay you back one day!"
Lifting my head and I saw Miss Cassidy turn around to get grab another stack of Boxes for the other Nurse, "Don't sweat it kid, and good luck on your journey." She put the box down in front of the other nurse and turned towards me, wryly she said the iconic mantra, "We hope to see you again soon!"
"Bye Miss Cassidy and thank you again!", I gave her a wave and began to walk out of the Center, pulling out my planner and writing a check right next to it.
As I headed outside and put the planner away, I saw Ares leaning on the Pokecenter wall, chowing down on the sandwich. Ares took the last few bites on his sandwich and finally saw me standing in front of him. He began to drink the rest of his apple juice letting it hang from his mouth as he tossed the lunch bag in the nearest trash can.
"How did you eat that entire thing so fast there was so much eat in that thing!", I exclaimed.
Ares threw away his juice box and said, "Dude, you were talking to that nurse for like 10 minutes! If anything, I had way too much time to eat everything in this lunch bag." He tapped his watch, "It's 10:20 now, we should probably start heading down now if you want to make it."
I gazed at the placement of the sun, the Vanide Pokemon Center was in western section of Vanide and I was facing the direction of the sun. So, by turning myself 90 degrees to the left that would surely take us south. I had to double check to make sure another incident like yesterday didn't happen.
I adjusted my new visor and faced Ares, "Now that I know that were in the north side of Vanide City, we should head down this way and this will definitely take us south."
As we began walking across the street, Ares raised an eyebrow as if he were questioning my intelligence, "Definitely? I'm having difficulty believing that you actually lived in this town."
As we made our way to the Vanide Docks, I pointed out some landmarks to Ares that I frequented often. There was the Rusto Library named after Vanide's first gym leader in the 1940's who donated his earnings to improving infrastructure and local businesses. Miliverd's Park and Lake a famous landmark that was named after the second Guardian who stood their ground battling alongside a legendary Water Type Pokemon. Eugene's Ice Cream Parlor was a shop founded 15 years ago. Guardia was particularly cold this year, so ice cream wasn't a good business to be in. Thankfully, Eugene salvaged his business by improvising by selling hot chocolate instead.
I'd never been this far south, and I began to see familiar signs that I wrote on the directions for my makeshift map. Gansverd Boulevard, Hunsverd Street, Ryverd Ave and would you look at that Luverd Ave! The street sign stood there as the sun gave it a sheen, as if it was mocking me saying, "How could you have missed me! I've been here the whole time!"
"Jo, you're just glaring at that sign, we got places to be man! We just have to cross and we're at the docks.", Ares began to walk across and after a few seconds I released my glare resentfully following in suit.
It took an hour, but we finally made it to the Vanide Docks at 11:26 with 34 minutes to spare. Vanide Docks is actually a huge port but because of tourism, the most famous part of Vanide Port was the Docks so they gave it that name. To the left side of the port there was many warehouses with different colored shipping containers as high as the sky, the cranes were plucking out shipping containers from container ships. There were about 15 Dock Workers that were handling the cargo and the people getting close to the shipping containers. On the right side of the huge docking zone where ferries and cruise ships usually came to dock, there was a crowd of people that seemed to be circling around someone yelling hoarsely.
As Ares and I got closer to what the commotion was about there was a person that was dressed like with the color scheme of a strawberry. The boy who looked to be my age had green curly hair, a red vest with a black shirt, brown cargo shorts and brown hiking boots. The obnoxious boy was yelling with a Kalosian accent, "Come on cowards?! Anyone else want to step up to the plate?! Come get some!"
As Ares and I got into the circle I could see that we came at the tail end of a battle. There was a person with short brown hair on their knees cradling a presumed fainted Espeon. The boy that was dressed like a strawberry was striking a pose with his right hand in front of his face and his left hand supinated back, his Scyther was steaming a bit but had a menacing grin on its face. The Scyther seemed to be holding the same pose.
The green haired boy turned around, "Well does anyone hold a candle to my Scyther? To Hector Reginold Gardner?" Which I assumed to be his name. He pointed a finger at a few people behind him, and the crowd stepped back even further, as he walked around the perimeter of the inner circle of the crowd, Hector saw me and pointed his fingers at me with another odd pose. His left hand was in a finger gun directly pointed at me and his right hand was lifted above his head also in a finger gun. "Would you like to challenge me little boy?", as Hector said with a smirk.
I was about 5'7 and the guy seemed to be just a little taller than me and also around my age. I might have challenged him if I had Pokémon, alas I did not.
Before I could refuse his request, Ares stepped in front of me, "Alright you bizarre conceited strawberry, how's about you pick on someone who actually has Pokémon!"
"Well I was going to challenge everybody here, but it looks like I found someone with a spine!", Hector said happily as he put a right hand around across his face and his left hand on his waist. "Let me see if my Reggie is ok and then we shall commit to our duel!", the bizarre strawberry boy said as he went to check on his Scyther.
Ares looked perplexed like he was trying figure out Hector. I couldn't blame him I would have a hard time dealing with him too.
After Hector gave a pep talk to his excitable Scyther, they were both rearing to go and both pointed a finger and an arm at Ares who was holding both of his Pokeballs.
Ares seemed to be mumbling something about whether he wanted to use his "Lideo" his Litleo or "Pango" which he said he would've show me if he wasn't napping. The sleeping part made me think of a Snorlax but Ares said he named his Pokémon after trying to pronounce their names only to be cut short by getting attacked. So what Pokémon was Pango? I needed to expand my index of Pokemon.
Ares was deliberating while shaking his head trying to determine which Pokemon he would use. He put his Premier Ball away and tightly gripped the Ultra Ball for a few seconds and said, "Alright Pango its time you actually listened to me again!"
In a flash of light there was a Pokemon that was laying on its side like a Slaking but its coloration was black and white. I was looking at it from the back and "Pango" was mostly covered in Black spiky fur except for its head and stomach that were stark white and also spiky. I could barely see its white fluffy stomach with its black coat of fur that covered most of its back.
"Ever since you've evolved into a Pangoro, you've haven't been listening to me Pango!", Ares said vexed. "Can you at least fight this one battle for me today? You really loved to battle what happened to your fire when you were a Pancham?" Ares's Pangoro was still laying down with its head turned away from Ares.
"Well I guess you'd have to forfeit by default if you're Pokemon isn't willing to fight. Maybe we can find a real challenger who is actually up for a fight.", Hector said dejected. Hector's Scyther pointed at Pango said something along the lines of, "Scy Scy Ther Scy" and turned around.
That seemed to stir something in Pango and as he got up into a fighting position cracking its neck menacingly.
"Alright Pango! We're going to knock this flamboyant punk into next week! Let's go! ", Ares shouted excitedly as his Pangoro roared in agreement.
Hector shouted, "Since I only have my Scyther it's going to be a one-on-one battle! Do you agree to those terms?"
"That facilitates things! Pango let's give it all you got!", Ares clenched a fist in front of his face.
Hector was bouncing on his feet, "Let's do this Reggie, Double Team!" Hector's Scyther spilt into 5 afterimages and began to quickly circle around Pangoro. In retaliation Pangoro attempted to punch one of Scythers. Ares's Pangoro turned its waist and counterattacked landing an uppercut on one the Scythers as it poofed into smoke.
"Now let him have it with Fury Cutter!" The 4 Scythers closed in with its arms glowing green. "Pango flippin with the circle throw!", Pangoro quickly flopped to the ground laying flat on its back as all 4 Scythers ran into each other. Pangoro proceeded to grab all four putting them into a headlock, all Scythers disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving one behind. The Pangoro proceeded to roll back and threw the Scyther into the concrete with a crash.
"Reggie quick attack!", the Scyther ricochet off the concrete and vanished for a bit. Appearing in front of Pangoro landing a clean shot on its stomach pushing Pango a little bit back. Ares swiped the air with his hand, "Pangoro use Work Up!"
Pangoro slammed his foot onto the Concrete surprisingly not cracking and began to bellow as it swung its arm wildly. The crowd was now backing up trying to not get in Pango's arm range.
Hector threw one hand into the air pointing at the sky "Reggie now Quick Attack ascend!"
The Scyther buzzed its large wings and flew at Pangoro in a flash of white light. Ares yelled, "Pango now slash at it!"
Just as Pangoro was about to land the blow, Hector's Scyther soared above Pango heading straight up, the whole crowd all turned their heads up watching as the Scyther was shooting up into the sky.
The Scyther began to slow down and fall, flattening its wings using gravity to increase its velocity. Hector's Scyther was plummeting from the sky with its arms crossed like a glowing green meteorite. Hector shouted on the top of his lungs, "Reggie use Double Team! Maneuver around the Bullet Punch using your doubles!"
As the Scyther was swooping down, it spun in a circle for a second then it began splitting up the Scythers were all diving and rotating around each other in ring formation. Two of the Scythers changed their trajectory and began to fly around Pangoro aiming its sides. The crowd was galvanized, shouting in anticipation.
The other three remaining Scyther were coming at Pangoro like a thriple speeding missile using each other's drag propelling themselves faster. Hector looked up at Sycther crossing his arms in an X, the Scythers seemed to catch this message and all five put their arms in an X with their arms glowing green in the process.
Are's Pangoro stuck its middle finger flicking it back and forth taunting it to attack it, Ares then said "Pango now don't let him pass you! Follow up with a Bullet Punch to cloak yourself in a flurry of blows! The Pangoro was punching so hard it was creating gales adding to the strong winds that Scyther was also creating as it was approaching at Pangoro like a rotating green Twister.
"Now Reggie, with starburst my friend! Fury Cutter from above!", Hector said lifting both of his hands into the air in excitement. All the 3 Scythers in front of Pango vanished, the one coming from the right poofed into smoke as the real Scyther was attacking from the left at Pangoro's exposed side.
While squinting from the severe gust, I saw a glimpse of both Pokemon landing each other's attacks simultaneously, Pango managed to land one bullet punch on Scyther but Pangoro was completely getting the full force of the Fury Cutter. The Scyther somehow made it behind Pangoro. Both Pokemon were heavily breathing, Pangoro landed on one knee and Scyther remained standing.
The air billowed once more and then went still. Hector wickedly smiled shouting, "Now for the finishing touch, with Fury Cutter charged up attack it while its back is turned!" Scyther flew at the Pangoro and brought its arm down on it.
Pangoro turned to the right still on its knees and grabbed Scyther's arm with its large left paws somehow stopping the Fury Cutter by slowly grabbing it. The Scyther seemed surprised and couldn't move its arms as it struggled attempting to futilely fly away. "What happened to my Scyther's Fury Cutter it should have worked!"
"Now! With your free arm Pango before it can get away, One Handed Bullet Punch!", Ares punched at the air as he shouted his command.
The Pangoro gave a smirk, its paws emitted a gray light and Pangoro began punching a flurry of blows knocking Scyther back and forth like a tether ball. After a full minute of Bullet Punches, Ares exclaimed, "Alright its done Pango!" Pangoro halted and let go of the Scyther as it slumped to the ground with a thud.
Pangoro turned around and crossed it arms giving Ares a nod, which he reciprocated. Hector ran up saying to Scyther, "Reggie! Speak to me!", as Hector bent down and gently lifted Scyther's head. The Scyther weakly said, "Scy…. ther…" and fell unconscious. Hector said, "You did good Reggie, now rest…"
Hector pulled out a Friend Ball and returned him in a red flash of light he frustratingly shouted, "Reggie was stacking up those Fury Cutters that last one should have blew your Pangoro back!"
"Pango's favorite move is Taunt, he usually flips the bird to activate it though." Ares patted his Pangoro's arms and said, "Fantastic work Pango, that was a good tactic baiting him into using the move again while you were prone!" Pango grunted sounding like he disagreed with that statement.
Hector dropped to his knees and began pounding his fist on the concrete, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Goddamn it!"
Ares returned his Pangoro and ran up to Hector grabbing his arms, "Hey, you need to stop before you injure yourself!"
Hector attempted to punch the concrete, but Ares preventing him from doing so. Hector eventually conceded and stood back up. "Sorry I wasn't mad at you I was mad at myself.", Hector says apologetically.
Ares let go of his hand and said, "Hector you were amazing man, I've never seen a Scyther so well trained! Usually Pango squashes Bug Pokémon like an... insect but your Scyther was something else. You were fantastic out there, don't get mad at yourself for that!"
Hector grabbed his left bicep with his right arm and tilted his head forward a bit, "No I wasn't mad at that, I needed the money to pay for the gym fee that's why I was challenging people…" Hector pulled out his wallet and pulled out all the money he had, "I only have ₽1200 and I need ₽2000 for the Vanide City Gym…" Hector seemed to be crying now, "I'm supposed to give you a quarter of my earnings so here's ₽300…" As he turned away Ares grabbed his arm, "Look if you really need the money, I've saved up quite a bit, I already payed my fare for the gym so here's ₽1500. The extra ₽500 was for impressing me with that Fury Cutter Meteorite."
Ares held the money in front of Hector waiting for him to take it. "But I lost the battle, I don't deserve it…", Hector replied defeated. Ares pulled Hector's arm, put the money in his palm, and closed his hand saying,"Well in my book if you learned a thing or two then that's a small victory."
Hector collapsed into Ares's shoulder and began crying into it, while muffled I could hear Hector say muffled, "Thank… you… so… much…" and he descended into bawling. Ares was perplexed and began tentatively patting Hector's shoulder, "Strawberry dude, you're going to get my shirt wet and I just washed it…" Ares was trying to gingerly push away Hector but it seemed like he was clinging to him, "Alright just cry it out man, I'll just wash my shirt again later."
From the distance I could hear a horn being blasted and saw a ferry fast approaching, I guess my ride was here. The crowd began to disperse and were lining up awaiting the ferry.
I walked up to Ares still with Hector sobbing into his shoulder, Ares turned to me"Looks like your ride is here Jo, I guess this is where we part ways."
I was getting a little sentimental and gave Ares a hug, he had watched and cared for a stranger like me without hesitation, despite knowing him for a few days he felt like a very close friend. "Thanks for everything Ares, I'll be sure to pay back your kindness."
Ares was now patting both of our backs saying, "Ok, this is getting out of hand guys, you're both weeping into my shoulder and hugging me, this is too much physical contact. Please stop…"
Ares was trying to nudge me off until he said, "Look the people are getting on the ferry now! If you don't go soon, you'll have to wait for the next one in 4 hours! Hahaha, please let me go."
I released my hug, "I mean it Ares, thank you man."
Ares was trying to rapidly gesture his arm at the boat the best he could, "Hurry up Jo! The last few passengers are getting on; you need to go now!"
I began sprinting towards the line getting there last in line. One of the beefy sailors that was monitoring the line said, "fee and ID?"
I gave him the rest of my money and showed him my High School ID, "Is that the only form of Identification you have?" I pulled out my letter from my coat's inner pockets and handed to him. The sailor was mumbling it as he read the letter, his eyes looked surprised as he got to a certain part of the letter, after finishing it he said, "Oh, I guess that works welcome aboard!
I got up the walkway and ran to the stern of the boat waving at Ares and Hector down below, it seemed like Ares was trying his best to wave at me and also shake off Hector. Eventually Ares somehow convinced Hector to walk with him while still clung onto him, I watched as their vibrant hair faded into the distance as they exited the port.
I heard the sailors hoist up the walkway and a few minutes later the engine roared which startled me. As the boat picked up speed, I tried to grab the rails on the back for balance. All the water kicked up into the air splashing me in the process as the engine was picking up speed, The sea spray was getting all over my face. I pulled down my new visor attempting to avoid the spray from getting into my eyes.
I was once again cold and alone, this was already turning out to be another bad departure.
Hello to all you amazing readers out there! This concludes the prologue, I'll have to go back and scrub the prior chapters for more errors before I work on the next arc. Thank you to all the readers that have kept up with me for so long, I'm looking forward to seeing your feedback. Have a wonderful day and see you later!