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"I challenge you to a pokemon battle."
Tyler turned, his expression one of shock, how had he managed to sneak up on him like that? The Pidgey besides him chirped happily and he glanced to the other trainer who already pulled out a pokeball.
"800 dollar wager?" he asked before throwing his pokeball in the air, the pokemon materialized into a small red fox with multiple tails.
He didn't really want to battle, especially after seeing that other pokemon ripped up, but the Rattata leaped out of its arms so fast he didn't have a chance to say anything. The other boy cheered and Tyler looked to Pidgey who was watching the battle. He shifted unsure what to do.
"Vulpix, use flamethrower!" Tyler watched, amazed, as fire began to spew from its mouth. Before thinking he called for Rattata to dodge it, and then to bite it. It had bit the Meowth right? The Rattata didn't listen, choosing to scratch at the other instead. The Vulpix jumped back and shook the hit off, but Rattata ran forward again, ignoring Tyler's command to scratch, and tackled it. The Vulpix jumped back in shock.
"Fire blast!"
It repositioned its legs and let loose a giant blast of fire, Rattata barely dodged and was left singed and burned, his purple fur brownish. He looked to its new trainer who seemed shocked before turning away again, he charged this time, using a super fang and left the other unconscious.
"Okay, Okay!" the other called out panicked, afraid the new trainer would let his Rattata keep attacking. He returned his Vulpix and threw the 800 on the floor, using the distraction to run away. Tyler picked it up, watching the retreating figure and put the money in his pocket.
"Uh, good job, Rattata." He said, slightly uncertain before taking in the pokemon's condition. He looked around, noticing all of the huts on the side of the giant volcano and a few buildings on the ground level.
"Let's head back to the shore, we can clean you up better there."
That night Rattata looked ready to continue, but Tyler was tired. Before he drifted he watched the Rattata zoom away and groggily got up, he sprinted after him when he realized he wasn't coming back, and Pidgey grabbed the backpack and followed.
"Woah…" He let out as he observed the Mansion, or what once was a mansion, the remains were burnt and tattered. He stepped inside, calling out for Rattata, but heard nothing in return. When Pidgey caught up Tyler had taken the backpack back and the flying pokemon flew lowly besides him.
"What's this?" He reached down to pick up a spray bottle he had bumped into and saw it still had some liquid in it. He put it in an empty pocket and continued. Pidgey led him upstairs and found another potion in the moonlight provided by a sizable hole in the ceiling. Before Tyler gave up and went back downstairs he had added a nugget and a burnz heal to his pack, as well as a fire stone.
He searched the ground floor and finally found Rattata scratching away as a piece of wall. He scolded the Rattata for running away, but pushed the board to the side. The Rattata peeked down before clawing at his pants. Getting the message Tyler picked him up. He was curious as to what was going on below, and slowly made his way down; Pidgey chose not to go and flew up and out of the mansion waiting on top but out of sight for him to come back.
He heard thumping and screaming, giggling and roaring laughter. He finally descended far enough to see what was happening; cautiously he slipped into the crowd slipping Rattata into his backpack for safekeeping.
He recoiled at what he saw. There were scantily clad strippers dancing, lights flashing and music thumping. There were drunk men calling for Ms. Mime to come over to them. He glanced over to the other side, when he saw another crowd of drunken men with water guns.
"Char!"
A pokemon wailed as the spray of water touched its tail, the fire going down slightly. The pokemon's eyes were wide and fearful but there were chains holding it in place. The men grumbled and cheered as another got close. Charmander moved its tail furiously, trying to keep it far away from the water shooting at it.
There was a man selling the water pistols and Tyler watched as men filled theirs and emptied it trying to douse the flame. Tyler stopped a random person to ask what would happen if the tail went out. The person laughed, inebriated, and patted him on the shoulder moving his lips to his ear.
"The Charmander family, they die when you put out the tail."
He suddenly needed to get this Charmander to safety. He felt like it was his duty. But how? He only had a Rattata that didn't listen to him and a Pidgey who wouldn't come down here. He suddenly felt sick. He left, ascending the stairs quickly. Pidgey was waiting for him on top of the second flight of stairs. He didn't leave the mansion, choosing to go back upstairs again and looking through the shelves of books. He'd go down in the morning, no one would be there then.
"Pokemon of Kanto?" he read aloud before taking that book and shoving it into his bag, scared that someone was watching and would get him in trouble.
"The fire breather and I?" He let his finger pass over the books.
"Training pokemon for experts." He pulled it out wondering if there was one for beginners. He picked up another opening it to see worn pictures, he put it back. Rattata was sitting on a table watching him, bored.
He pulled out an envelope, the envelope had a disk in it, the disk had nothing but a faded number 25 on it. Turning it over he almost put it back, but something told him to keep it, the yellow tint seeming too valuable to put down.
"The Paper Pokedex 1 of 5." He paused at that one, taking it out. He flipped the pages, seeing vivid creatures and names beneath them as well as pages of facts. He found two three and five as well but not the fourth. He paused, scared, as he heard the people leaving. Would anyone come up here? He held his breath and his Rattata snuggled on his lap falling asleep.
It quieted down after what seemed like forever and our trainer dozed off into slumber.
…
He stayed in the dirty mansion, reading about pokemon and their abilities. He didn't understand most of it, he had a feeling it was something you had to get the hang of, but he understood things better now. Apparently some pokemon could create water from air, or thunder from their bodies. Some, like that Vulpix he fought, could create fire and there were so many other things that could happen. He was able to identify the fire stone, potions and burnz heal he found
At two or three in the afternoon he headed back down to see if he could break that pokemon free. This time, both his pokemon were by his side.
"Hey Charmander, it's me again, I brought you some food." Tyler watched as a younger girl, maybe fourteen, approached the pokemon, it looked away from her and she frowned. "I'm sorry about what they do to you; I promise I'll get you out one day."
"Why can't we?" He interrupted her and she turned, shocked and scared before realizing his question and that he was on her side. He wasn't Char's trainer then.
"He was caught with a pokeball, so he's bound to that trainer. He can't willingly move more than like 500 feet from him or be someone else's."
"So we just need to steal the pokeball?"
"It's not that easy." She rested her hand against the bar and the Charmander licked it as it sat to accept the food. "They torture him every day; I wish I could do more." She paused "I don't have a pokemon of my own, and even if I did, I'd never be strong enough to fight to win him."
"Do you know who owns the pokeball?" She shook her head and he looked towards Rattata. "Could you find out?" The pokemon nodded with arrogance and the Charmander eyed the man warily, she suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Why? Why do you want to free him?"
"Because it's not right." She knit her brows together staring at him and his pokemon.
"But you're a trainer."
"Yes, well no, well I don't know. I've been in two battles, both times my pokemon did all the fighting, and I think it's terrible what they're doing, or that pokemon are getting killed like it's nothing."
"I don't trust you." She said bluntly and he had no retort. They stayed silent for a while and she did not say anything else. Eventually he got the clue and left, but he still stayed in the mansion. He promised he'd read some more but he took a nap and when he woke it was too dark to see.
"Rattata are you sure you have the owner's scent, I don't want to risk losing you for that Charmander." The pokemon nodded, his tail twitching, before scampering away. Tyler wandered down again after a few minutes, trying to blend with the crowd. He found himself sitting at one of the tables, glancing towards the wailing Charmander before directing his attention towards the entertainment once more.
He noticed that no other pokemon seemed to be out, but many people there had one or two pokebals with them. One trainer, an older man with spiky a gray beard but no other hair, had five. Tyler noticed the trainer kept looking his way and wondered if he had been caught. He turned away; the girl was no longer at the pole but the table next to him, straddling someone's lap. The pokedollars flew into her clothes quickly and he found out she was the one called Ms. Mime.
He left soon after, knowing Rattata was leaving too; at least he hoped that Rattata listened to him about the time. He did, and the two of them met at the top of the second staircase, Pidgey still perching on the table he left her at her head tilted with curiosity.
"Did you find it?"
"Rat." it yipped, and Tyler took it to be in the affirmative, although the sour look after told him he probably couldn't do much else.
"Smart pokemon, kid." Tyler turned around, shock clearly written on his face. The man in front of him was built and tall and Tyler knew he was going to lose this fight. He could barely throw a punch, much less a good one. There was no way he could win. He took a step back, noticing the pokemon by the others feet, it was an Eevee evolution, but he couldn't remember its name. It seemed to have a mane and glared at his Rattata who stepped up to be in front of Tyler.
That's right, he didn't have to fight, his pokemon would fight for him. He glanced between Rattata and the other, it seemed more even but he didn't really know enough to say for sure.
"Not better than my Flareon though." He glanced down at her; she didn't take her eyes off the other, who began to eye her back. Flareon growled and Rattata bared its teeth. The older man laughed at his luck, it looked like another pokemon could fall into his lap now.
"I'll tell you what, I'll wager my Charmander for your Pidgey."
…
It was common practice now. Wagering money or pokemon or even political titles over battles, when one has faith in a pokemon there is little that wouldn't be bet. Pokemon die all the time, getting more from a battle seems perfect, especially when wild ones are hard to encounter when not in the ocean or forest. Will he do it? Could risking a pokemon be worth freeing another, but what will happen to Pidgey if he loses?