Hello, everyone, and welcome to Chapter 11 of Pokémon Journey: Hoenn!
Last chapter saw Nicola fight a losing battle against Corey, another member of the cohort who left Littleroot Town, in Rinshin Town, while we ended on a cliff hanger after James showed the others a flyer for… something.
Upload Date: 14th May 2017
Chapter 11: The Trainer School
Rustboro City, Hoenn
10:48am, 13th April 2006
There had been a brief cheer as James, Richard, Nicola and Will had passed a big sign by the side of the road welcoming them to Rustboro City. The route in from Rinshin Town had become gradually more urbanised as they'd been walking, so there was no doubt that they'd been approaching their goal.
Unfortunately, as James had quickly pointed out to the others, Rustboro City was a big place and they still had a long way to go before they were in the centre.
"I don't suppose they decided to put the gym closer to here, did they?" Nicola had asked.
"No, it's pretty much in the city centre," James had replied. Apparently, that was to make it more accessible to trainers coming from all different directions. And it could have been worse – it could have been located in the far north of the city.
There was another reason why they had to make it to the city centre as well…
Rinshin Town, Hoenn
5:51pm, 12th April 2006
"…What is it?" Nicola looked at the flyer James was holding out.
"Ooh? Some kind of battle tournament?" Richard grinned, reading the words at the top. "Taking place in Rustboro City the day after tomorrow, starting at noon."
"I figured this would be a cool way to get in some practice before we challenge the gym in Rustboro," James explained. "It would give us a chance to get to know our pokémon better and to fight all kinds of different trainers from around the Hoenn region."
"Sounds like fun!" Nicola nodded. "I'm in!"
"So am I!" Richard added enthusiastically.
"What about you, Will?" James asked.
"Sure, I guess," Will replied. "It would be nice to get some proper battle experience while I'm here."
"That settles it then!" James grinned. "Let's get to Rustboro City as soon as possible tomorrow and register for that tournament!"
Rustboro City, Hoenn
12:23pm, 13th April 2006
"…Huh? You've already registered the maximum number of participants?"
"That's right," the young woman replied, bowing her head in apology. "I'm really sorry."
The group were standing in the lobby of a large stadium in central Rustboro, talking with one of the receptionists. It turned out that the tournament had been very popular and all the available slots had filled up before they'd arrived. It was disappointing, to say the least.
"Don't worry, it's okay," James sighed as he backed away from the reception desk and turned back to the others. "Sorry, guys, looks like we can't take part after all."
"And they're even out of tickets for spectators as well," Richard added.
"Well, I guess that makes sense, given how many people are around here," Nicola murmured, glancing around. The lobby was pretty busy, but the streets outside were filled with countless other trainers too. The tournament had probably drawn every trainer in the north of Hoenn.
"We couldn't get into the pokémon centre in the city centre either," Will sighed. "We should probably hurry to find another one before it gets filled up as well."
"Yeah, you're right." James took another look around. "I guess we'll have to find something else to do tomorrow."
"We can train by ourselves." Richard assured him. "And with everyone one else focused on the tournament, we'll probably have a clear shot at the gym tomorrow!"
"Don't speak too soon!" James laughed nervously. "The gym might be fully booked as well!"
"It definitely will once all of these trainers are done with the tournament." Nicola shuddered. "I'd hate to be the gym leader right now."
"So, should we head to the gym next?" Will asked. "It'll be worth knowing where it is and the sooner you book slots for gym battles, the sooner we can get to work training."
"Yeah, let's do that." James nodded. As disappointing as it was that they couldn't take part in the tournament, he couldn't let it get him down. These things happened sometimes. Instead, they should focus on the gym battle.
As they stepped out of the lobby and back into the cool April air, James looked around at their surroundings. On the way in, they'd scarcely had time to pay the city any attention. The architecture here was unlike any he'd seen before – virtually all the buildings around them, from tiny stores at street corners to the tall apartment blocks towering over the streets below, were built out of distinctive white stone. Though weathering and pollution often dulled the colour to look more brownish, it was still an impressive sight compared with the bland, typical buildings of Petalburg City.
Like with Petalburg City, it would be easy for them to end up getting lost or, more likely given the large number of trainers in the city centre, getting separated. James didn't want to waste time out on the streets if he could help it. He'd already worked out where they needed to go to get to the other pokémon centre. Though it was a long way from the centre and it would take them a long time to get to and from it. The gym, on the other hand…
Richard, Nicola and Will had stopped walking and were looking back at him expectantly. He let out a sigh. "I get it, give me a moment and I'll work out where the gym is."
His guidebook didn't exactly contain the most detailed maps – he wouldn't be able to find his way around the city using it – but it did highlight areas of key interest for trainers. This usually meant gyms and pokémon centres, though sightseeing spots and, occasionally, other points of interest appeared.
"It should be somewhere close, right?" Nicola asked, looking around.
"Yeah." James nodded, finding the stadium on the map and tracing a route to the gym. It wasn't too far. Hopefully, everyone else would be preoccupied with the tournament and it would be quieter elsewhere in the city centre. Snapping the guidebook shut, James led the way down on the side streets, away from the stadium.
It really didn't take all that long for them reach the spot the guidebook was directing them to. As it turned out, it really was quiet in the area around the gym, but James thought that it was completely understandable given what they found.
"Is this… really the gym?" Richard asked. "You're absolutely sure this is where the guidebook is sending us here?"
"I'm certain," James replied. "We already walked past several times and couldn't see anywhere else, could we?"
The source of their confusion was the fact that the building in front of them was clearly a school, there was no doubt about that. Its simple shape and the sports track to the left were pretty indicative, though the biggest giveaways were the students, all younger kids, running around outside and the sign by the side of the gate which read 'Rustboro City Summer Trainer School'.
Now that they got closer, James could see another sign which read 'Rustboro City Gym'. They must missed it when they passed by before. So, that meant they were definitely in the right place, but none of them felt like waltzing in there to ask about it.
"What should we do?" Nicola asked.
"Should we come back after school finishes?" Will suggested.
"That's probably at least two hours away," James sighed. "And if we leave, someone else might get in ahead of us."
"No, he's got a point," Richard said. "Given how hard it was for us to find this place, I doubt they're going to get lots of challengers."
At that moment, the group, who'd gathered to the right of the entrance behind the brick wall surrounding the school grounds to have their discussion, jumped in surprise at the sound of the gate suddenly opening. A smartly-dressed young woman strode through purposely, her brown pigtails flowing out behind her.
As she started to turn in the direction of the stadium, she suddenly noticed the group and spun around to face them instead.
"Ah!" She spotted the poké balls at their waists. "You four are pokémon trainers, right?"
"Th-That's right." They nodded in response, confused looks on their faces.
"Sorry this is so sudden, but could you guys do me a massive favour?"
"What do you need help with?" James asked cautiously.
"We were supposed to have an exhibition match here at the trainer school this afternoon, but the trainers who were supposed to come now can't make it," the woman explained. "Ah! Sorry for my rudeness – my name's Roxanne, I work as a teacher here."
The four trainers quickly introduced themselves in response.
"So, we just have to fight a battle?" Richard asked.
"That's right." Roxanne nodded. "It only needs to be a short two-on-two battle – nothing major, just something to show the students a proper battle."
"Well, we needed to do some training for our gym battles anyway, and we can't participate in the tournament." James looked around at the others. "What do you guys think?"
"I don't mind," Nicola replied.
"Same here." Will nodded.
"Thank you!" Roxanne cried gratefully. "You've really saved me!"
"Umm, I've got to ask though," Richard began. "Is this place really the Rustboro gym?"
"Oh, yes." Roxanne nodded. "In the evenings and at weekends, the school functions as the Rustboro gym. Did it confuse you?"
"Just a little," James replied with a grin.
"If you're looking to challenge the gym, then I'm afraid we're booked up for this evening, but tomorrow is completely free thanks to the tournament," Roxanne explained. "I can book you in as soon as possible tomorrow, though I wish I could do more…"
"Don't worry!" Richard quickly assured her. "We needed some time to train anyway!"
"Okay." Roxanne turned and started walking back through the gate. "If you'd like to follow me, I'll show you to the arena."
12:31pm, 13th April 2006
"This place is pretty impressive," Richard said as they settled down in the staff room to wait until the exhibition match. "I didn't know that there were schools specifically for teaching kids how to be trainers."
"You'll usually be able to find at least one in every region," Roxanne explained, sitting down in an armchair opposite him. "Anyone can become a trainer when they turn ten, but there'll always be some kids who just can't wait and want to start learning earlier."
"There's one in Kanto as well," James added. "In Viridian City."
"I didn't know that." Richard frowned.
"And there was one in Violet City in the Johto region too," said Nicola. "My friend and I used to go there every summer!"
"I noticed that some of the students were quite young…" Richard glanced out the window. Though all of the students were younger than them and most were probably about eight or nine, there were some who were barely older than toddlers.
"Some kids like to start early," Roxanne explained. "Or, rather, their parents want them to. There's no harm in having a bit of extra preparation, right?"
"Fair enough, I guess." Richard turned back to face the others. "So, what sort of things do you teach here?"
"Mainly pokémon care," Roxanne replied. "Things like how to keep them properly groomed, how to decide what food to give them, how to treat battle injuries, and so on. We start off simple for the younger kids, but the older kids get a more challenging curriculum."
"There are other things as well," James added. "I attended a short course last summer before we went to the Sevii Islands so that I could learn some basic medical care."
"That's another thing we offer as well." Roxanne nodded. "And then there are other practical skills such as map reading, cooking, pitching tents, and so on."
"That was what it was like for me," Nicola added. "I haven't had a chance to show it yet, but I'm pretty confident with my cooking skills!"
"I've learnt that stuff as well," said Will. He looked over at Richard. "I'm surprised you managed to survive this long without attending a trainer school."
"Well, just learning things in the trainer school isn't the same as experiencing it in real life," Roxanne explained. "And most parts of the region are much safer now than they were fifty years ago, so there aren't really any risks for new trainers, even if they have no formal education."
"Hey! What's with the assuming that I didn't learn anything?" Richard cried indignantly. "Sure, I never went to a trainer school, but I did learn things like basic first aid and putting up a tent!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean to assume!" Roxanne smiled apologetically at him.
"Are you open all summer?" Nicola asked.
"Until the end of August, yes." Roxanne nodded. "Why? Are you thinking of enrolling?"
"A-Ah, well, I'll probably still be travelling then," Nicola replied. "I was just curious."
"Well, if you ever change your mind, I can assure you that this is the best trainer school in the Hoenn region. I once studied and graduated from here as well!" Roxanne declared proudly.
"Still, it must be a strange setup, being both a school and a gym," said James. "Does the gym leader work in the school as well, or are the two completely separate?"
"Oh, the school and the gym are very much combined. The gym leader works here as well," Roxanne said smugly. "But I should warn you: she's no pushover!"
"Glad to hear it!" James and Richard both grinned.
"I-I'll try my best!" Nicola cried.
"Oh! Look at the time!" Roxanne suddenly noticed the clock on the wall and jumped up. "I need to help call the kids back to class! Can you guys go and wait by the arena? We'll be along as soon as class ends!"
"No problem! See you in a bit!" Richard called after her as she left.
"…I suddenly feel a lot more nervous," Nicola sighed.
James jumped to his feet. "Well, let's focus on the exhibition match for now! How are we going to do this?"
"You mean who's fighting who?" Richard asked. "Should we draw straws?"
"I was thinking that you and I could battle each other," James replied. "It'll be more interesting for the kids to watch if it's between two experienced trainers."
"Yeah, it'd be boring if we flattened them!" Richard grinned.
"Well, sorry for being weak!" Nicola cried indignantly.
"On the plus side, we can watch and learn." Will shrugged. "Let them make all the mistakes in front of the crowd!"
1:16pm, 13th April 2006
It was surprisingly tense in the practice arena as Roxanne arrived and led the kids in. James had fought in front of crowds before and he'd done demonstrations for Nicola in the past as well, but for some reason he was feeling particularly conscious of all the eyes on him and Richard as they stood facing each other.
Roxanne introduced them to the kids, telling them where they were from and that they'd kindly agreed to give a battle demonstration. The fact that they'd both competed in leagues before was mentioned too. She then turned back to the two of them and laid out the rules again: two-on-two, no substitutions. The battle would be over when one side had no pokémon left who could battle.
"Are you both ready?" She looked between the two of them.
James and Richard both nodded as they reached for their first poké balls.
"Begin!"
James was quick to throw out his first poké ball. "Go, Nulin!"
The wingull cried loudly as he burst out of the ball and started hovering in the air.
"Go, Chena!" Richard called.
Chena materialised on the ground and adopted a combat stance, watching Nulin warily.
"Start off with Water Gun!" James ordered.
Nulin quickly fired a blast of water towards Chena, the speed and suddenness of the attack catching him off-guard and knocking him back.
"Use Howl!" Richard shouted as Chena regained his composure.
The poochyena nodded and howled loudly. With another prompt from Richard, he suddenly lunged forwards and sank his teeth into Nulin. The latter cried out in pain.
"So that's the attack you were practising earlier!" James grinned. "Nice work on perfecting it!"
"You sure you have time to be complimenting me?" Richard grinned back. "Use Tackle!"
Chena, having let go of Nulin, now surged forwards again and slammed into him directly. The wingull was thrown back, landing on the ground with a crash.
"Is it over already?"
"Wow! That poochyena is strong!"
"I feel sorry for the wingull…"
"Come on, you can keep fighting!"
Various whispers and shouts emerged from the crowd of kids as Nulin picked himself up and took off again. He was a bit battered and bruised, but was otherwise still good to go.
"Guess it's time we got serious too!" James nodded at Nulin. "Use Wing Attack!"
With a cry, Nulin plunged towards Chena, who made a last-minute jump to one side to avoid the attack, landing smoothly. He immediately charged towards Nulin, only for the wingull to sweep around and attack him from the flank. Chena was knocked back, but James and Nulin weren't finished there.
"Use Supersonic!"
Nulin quickly obeyed, emitting a high-pitched noise that echoed around the room. Everyone grabbed their ears, while Chena whimpered as the sound disoriented him.
"Use Bite!" Richard called.
Chena obeyed. Giving himself a shake, he started charging towards Nulin again. However, he misjudged his final leap and ended up crashing to the ground. Nulin, safely above him, fired a blast of water down at the prone poochyena before diving down to finish the job.
"Use Tackle, right above you!" Richard shouted.
Chena, his fur sopping wet, pulled himself up and, with a powerful leap, slammed into the descending wingull. There was a startled cry as the two pokémon toppled back down to the ground, Nulin landing with a thud on his front, while Chena landed softly on all fours.
"Wingull is unable to battle!" Roxanne announced. "Poochyena is the winner!"
The announcement triggered a series of cheers from those kids who were supporting Richard and boos from those supporting James.
"Nulin, return." James held up the wingull's poké ball and recalled him. He reached for his second and last poké ball and hurled it out. "Go, Charka!"
Charka let out a roar as he emerged and swung his flame-tipped tail from side to side impressively. There was a collective gasp of awe from the audience at the sight of a rare pokémon from another region.
"Looks like James will easily win this round," Nicola said to Will as the two of them on the opposite side of the arena to the audience.
"It'll probably be harder than you think," Will replied. "And there's also Naro to worry about as well."
"You don't think Richard will use Dish?" Nicola asked.
"A bit too much of a gamble," Will replied dismissively. "Besides, Richard will probably want to leave a bigger impression on the audience."
"That's… probably true."
Back on the battlefield, Richard grinned over at James. "Don't think that you've already won this round! I've still got some tricks up my sleeve!" He nodded at Chena. "Use Tackle!"
"Don't think that I'll let my guard down!" James called back as Chena started a very unstable-looking run towards Charka. "Use Smokescreen!"
In an instant, Charka had expelled a cloud of thick, black smoke which filled the battlefield. Chena's already unstable charge was completely derailed – as he charged through the smoke, he lost his footing and crashed to the ground.
"It looks like you're still a little wet after the fight with Nulin!" James called over as the smoke cleared. Charka was a short distance away, flames already licking his lips. "How about we dry you off?"
Charka immediately shot a burst of flames at Chena, quickly engulfing him. He managed to stagger to his feet, his fur now sooty and scorched instead of soaked and dripping.
"Finish up with Metal Claw!" James called.
Charka didn't need telling twice. He rushed at Chena with surprising speed, his right claw turning to steel. He slashed from the poochyena's right side, sending him flying back towards Richard. He landed in a heap and groaned helplessly.
"Poochyena is unable to battle!" Roxanne announced. "Charmeleon is the winner!"
There were cheers and boos from the kids, as well comments such as "so that's a charmeleon?" thrown in, as Richard recalled Chena.
"Are you ready for this then, James?" he asked, pulling out his last poké ball. "I'm not going to hold back!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" James grinned back.
"Good! Go, Naro!" Richard hurled out the ball. It arced through the air, spinning wildly as it struck the ground. With a pop, it burst open and a ball of shifting energy emerged. It rearranged itself into the hulking shape of a nidoking, attracting even more awed looks from the audience.
Naro let out a loud roar as he finished materialising and stared across the battlefield at Charka.
"Alright, use Horn Attack!" Richard called, not wasting any time.
Naro nodded and raced across the battlefield, lowering his head as his horn glowed a bright white colour. Charka was prepared though and easily dodged the rampaging nidoking.
"Use Fire Spin!" James ordered.
Charka nodded. He fired a jet of flame at Naro, which wrapped itself around him and trapped him in a fiery tornado. As James issued his next order, Charka quickly followed up with a powerful burst of flames that engulfed Naro. Though the combined attacks left plenty of scorch marks, the nidoking apparently shrugged it off and stood ready to receive his next order.
"Use Poison Sting!" Richard called.
Naro roared and charged again, this time his horn glowing a sickly purple colour.
"Use Smokescreen!" James was quick to order a counter strategy.
Charka quickly threw up a cloud of smoke to conceal his position, but delayed too long on moving. Naro ploughed through the smokescreen and Charka along with it, sending the charmeleon flying back. Despite the heavy blow, Charka quickly pulled himself together.
"Use Metal Cl- Wait!" James suddenly changed his order. "Use Flamethrower!"
Charka nodded. He fired another burst of flames towards Naro, who ducked down low to avoid the worst of the flames before shooting forwards with his horn glowing white. This time, Charka was prepared. He knew from years of training against him that the nidoking's right eye was his dominant one. If he went to the left, then he could take advantage of a momentary blind spot as Naro tried to readjust.
Putting this plan into action, he made as if to run to the right before suddenly changing direction at the last second. He narrowly avoided Naro's huge legs and stood directly at his exposed side.
"Use Metal Claw!" James shouted approvingly.
Charka didn't hesitate. He'd already known that James was planning that strategy. He moved as soon as James started speaking. In an instant, he raked Naro's flank with his claws. Naro roared in pain and attempted to swat him away, but Charka had already anticipated it and stepped back out of reach.
"Hang in there, Naro!" Richard called. "Go defensive for a bit!"
A small grin tugged at James' lips. Richard favoured heavy, brute force attacks when fielding Naro and started every battle with a series of these attacks designed to break the opponent quickly. If he couldn't break the foe quickly, then he started to lose confidence and fell back to defensive tactics. Naro was still tough, but wearing him down with quick attacks while he stayed defensive was far less risky than having him charge.
"Use Fire Spin!" he ordered.
Charka quickly obeyed, shooting a jet of flame towards Naro. As his opponent was caught up in the vortex, he raced forwards and slashed with claws, scoring another direct hit.
"Now use Flamethrower!" James called.
Charka jumped back from Naro and fired a burst of flames at him. The nidoking roared in pain again as he was engulfed by the flames.
"It's all or nothing!" Richard called. This was his preferred approach when it was clear that his opponent was overcoming his defences. "Use Double Kick!"
Naro started to storm forwards towards Charka, who glanced quickly back at James for direction.
"Use Molten Claw!" James called.
There was a murmur of anticipation among the crowd of kids. Even Roxanne looked curious. None of them had heard of such an attack before.
Charka nodded and immediately fired a burst of flames at his steel-coated claw, staying remarkably calm as Naro thundered closer to him. The instant the metal was heated enough to turn red-hot, Charka leapt at Naro. However, before he could swing his claw down, Naro stopped himself with one foot and put all his momentum into his other, kicking Charka in the chest with all his might.
With something between a gasp and a choke as the wind was knocked out of him, Charka was thrown back. He landed with a loud thud. Lifting his head and seeing Naro continue his charge for the second kick, he started scrambling at the ground to try and pull himself up again.
"Use Flamethrower!" James yelled.
Charka abandoned his attempts to get up and shot a powerful burst of flames at Naro. The nidoking let out a surprised cry and stumbled backwards. As the flames cleared, he toppled to the ground with a crash. He remained still as Charka uncomfortably pulled himself to his feet.
"Nidoking is unable to battle!" Roxanne announced. "Charmeleon is the winner! Both of Richard's pokémon are unable to battle, so the match goes to James!"
"Woo!" James cheered, punching the air in celebration as the audience clapped. "Great work, Charka!"
The charmeleon wearily gave him a thumbs-up in response before collapsing to the ground.
"It's been a while since you've been able to use your full strength, hasn't it, Naro?" Richard sighed. "You almost had him – next time for sure!"
"That was… intense," Nicola gasped.
"Yeah." Will nodded. "One day, I'm going to be strong enough to go head-to-head with them."
James and Richard walked to the centre of the battlefield and shook hands.
"What does that make the score now?" Richard asked as he gripped James' hand.
"I think, 15-12 in my favour?"
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Looks like I've still got a way to go before I overtake you!"
"I'm ready anytime!"
"Alright!" Roxanne called, turning to the crowd of kids. "Who has a question for our trainers?"
2:04pm, 13th April 2006
After a lengthy question-and-answer session, the kids had been taken back to class and the four trainers, by this stage pretty exhausted, had been led back to the front gate by Roxanne. James, Richard and Nicola were all relieved that they didn't have gym battles that evening.
"Thank you for today!" Roxanne bowed her head gratefully. "The kids really enjoyed themselves and I'm sure they learned a lot from watching you."
"It wasn't a problem!" James replied with a smile. "It was fun reminding Richard that I'm still the better trainer!"
"Keep believing that if you want!" Richard grinned. "That way it'll be even more satisfying when I next beat you!"
"I guess we should head off and find the pokémon centre," said Nicola. "I'm looking forward to having a rest."
"Yeah, Charka and Naro need a chance to rest as well," James sighed. He pulled out the guidebook and started trying to locate the pokémon centre again.
"Remember to be here on time for your gym battle slots." Roxanne reminded them. Before taking back to the front of the school, Roxanne had taken note of what slots James, Richard and Nicola had wanted for the following evening.
"4 o'clock onwards, right?" Richard double-checked.
"That's right! Make sure that you aren't late!" Roxanne smiled at them.
"We need to make sure that we get as much training done as possible," Richard sighed.
"Yeah, we should get going," said James, finding the pokémon centre on the map. "Thanks for today, Roxanne!"
"No problem!" Roxanne waved as they started walking off down the street. "I look forward to battling you tomorrow!"
"Sure!" The others waved back as Roxanne disappeared back into the school grounds. They continued walking down the street for a few seconds before suddenly looking at each other.
"…Huh?!"
So, no gym battle this week I'm afraid. And no tournament either. Unfortunately, life turns out that way sometimes, but I like to think that the group at least got something out the events of this chapter. Even if James and Richard must be feeling pretty stupid right about now…
I was originally planning on having two exhibition matches (one between James and Richard and the other between Nicola and Will), but timing constraints meant that I had to axe the second battle. Besides, I don't want to overload you with battles before the gym battles against Roxanne.
Anyway, feedback is, as ever, more than welcome. Please let me know if you found any errors or anything you thought could be improved.
Until next time!
Team Listings:
James Burton:
Active:
Charka (Charmeleon): male, naïve, often scatters things, likes sweet food, fire type, Blaze ability, knows Fire Spin, Smokescreen, Flamethrower and Metal Claw.
Kacha (Pikachu): male, modest, sturdy body, likes dry food, electric type, Static ability, knows Thunderbolt, Agility, Slam and Thunder Wave.
Nulin (Wingull): male, impish, highly persistent, likes sour food, water-flying type, Keen Eye ability, knows Growl, Water Gun, Supersonic and Wing Attack.
Richard Winter:
Active:
Naro (Nidoking): male, mild, sturdy body, likes dry food, poison-ground type, Poison Point ability, knows Horn Attack, Megahorn, Poison Sting and Double Kick.
Chena (Poochyena): male, docile, capable of taking hits, eats anything, dark type, Run Away ability, knows Tackle, Howl, Sand Attack and Bite.
Dish (Lotad): female, gentle, capable of taking hits, likes bitter food, water-grass type, Rain Dish ability, knows Astonish, Growl and Absorb.
Nicola Hewitt:
Active:
Kipa (Mudkip): male, quiet, somewhat vain, likes dry food, water type, Torrent ability, knows Tackle, Growl, Mud Slap and Water Gun.
Mushy (Shroomish): female, calm, likes to relax, likes bitter food, grass type, Effect Spore ability, knows Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore and Leech Seed.
Will Burton:
Active:
Toya (Squirtle): male, modest, very finicky, likes dry food, water type, Torrent ability, knows Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble and Withdraw.
Turkey (Taillow): male, mild, alert to sounds, likes dry food, normal-flying type, Guts ability, knows Peck, Growl, Focus Energy and Quick Attack.