I woke up to Tec-chan's backpack's zipper sounds. I didn't want to move, so I just laid there on Snorlax's belly for about a half-hour before realizing that Tecy may leave me behind to go training again. I got up and changed into black skinny jeans and a dark brown fitted t-shirt before going down to breakfast with Treecko and Snorlax. I didn't have the heart to wake Trouble up just yet, but I'll remember to grab her a couple berries for her when she does wake up.
"Kali, over here!" Tecy waved me over to where she and her pokemon were sitting. I walked over there with my pokemon, apparently she grabbed a couple things for us already. "Where's Trouble?"
"She's still sleeping. I didn't want to wake her up- we were up pretty late last night." I explained. "Oh, Tec-chan!" I exclaimed, remembering what happened last night. "Trouble evolved!"
"Really? Into Vaporeon?" She asked. I frowned and shook my head.
"Nope, Umbreon." Tecy mouthed 'oh'. "Don't you need a waterstone to evolve Eevee into Vaporeon?"
"Well, yeah..." Tecy rubbed the back of her neck. "But you never know. I mean you might be able to get Vaporeon if you become friendly with your eevee in a watery area." I gave Tecy a flat look. "It's possible! You get Leafeon and Glaceon by training them near certain stones."
"Yeah, but you use waterstones to get Vaporeon." I told her. "Just like in the games."
"Maybe not. Not everything in real life is like the games! Like potions have 20 uses instead of 1."
"You counted how many times you use a potion before it runs out?"
"I'm making a rough estimate." Tecy corrected, "I'm not THAT bored."
"'Cuz you got me around, huh?"
"Yeah." Tecy smiled and rolled her eyes. "Never a dull moment with you around, Kali-chan."
I didn't appreciate the sarcasm, or being called 'chan' when I'm the older one. "I'm Kali-senpai, not 'chan'. Senpai." Tecy just shrugged so I changed the subject. "Tec-chan, what are we going to do now?"
"We need to get to Mauville, that's where the third gym is." She replied. "Only problem is that there may be boulders in the way, and we don't have Rock Smash- and even if we did, we wouldn't be able to use it. Not without the third badge."
"Well, just means we get an adventure, right?"
"Yeah." Tecy finished her toast with Pecha jelly and she stood up. "If everyone's finished eating, we can head out now. Hopefully we can get out of Lavaridge before it reaches 120 degrees outside."
"Is that how hot it was yesterday?"
"Roughly."
"Yeowch. No wonder why we were sweating like pigs."
"Tepigs, and they don't sweat." I gave Tecy a flat look. "Yeah, okay, you don't care. Let's go, we need to head out before it gets too hot." I nodded and grabbed a couple extra Pecha berries before heading out.
"So, which way should we go? Up the volcano or down the mini cliffs?" Tecy asked like there was actually an option. I started hopping down the cliffs, finding a gold nugget on the way to the bottom. I waited for Tecy, who was much more timid about jumping down the road. Once she finally made it to the bottom with me we continued to Mauville. We ended up in a couple battles, but the trainers were no match for the incredible awesomeness of Prussia! The only time we really had to stop was when we reached a couple boulders in the road. Tecy and I exchanged 'what now?' glances before I walked up to the boulders, finding hand and foot holds and climbed over the rocks. A familiar silver haired man stood on the other side with his Steelix. He looked up at me in horror as his pokemon smashed the rocks that I was on. I screamed, falling through the rubble. My fall wasn't far, but it was enough to knock the wind out of me. Steven was kneeling over me in a moment.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his grey eyes concerned. I glanced over to Tecy, who was biting her lip.
"I'm alright." I muttered after regaining my breath. "I just wish there was a mat or something for when I landed... ouch." I chuckled.
Tecy came over to us, walking through the rubble. "Hey, Steven. We're on our way to Mauville. Where are you headed?"
"I'm on my way through the desert, I'm going to catch a trapinch for a friend- and colleague- of mine."
"Who?" I asked, getting up and dusting myself off.
"Lance. He's a Dragon Trainer in Johto and he wants a Flygon."
"Then why get him a trapinch?"
"Trapinch evolves into Vibrava which evolves into Flygon." Tecy explained.
"Yeah. Exactly right." Steven nodded to Tecy.
"She's a know-it-all." I muttered to him. "Probably knows more about Pokemon than a Pokedex."
"Uh... No. That would be my brother."
"Who?" Steven asked.
"My brother." Tecy explained. "He's high-functioning asperger's syndrome, which basically means that he's extremely intelligent and acts like anyone dumber than he is is an idiot." Steven nodded, though he probably didn't know what Tecy was talking about. I had some idea- I've met her brother before and I have no regrets on saying that I don't like him. "At any rate, we need to head down to Mauville." Tecy grabbed my wrist and started pulling me away.
"Nice seeing you, Steven!" I called back in his direction. He waved good-bye before walking out of sight. I turned to the front and saw a house off to the side with someone sitting in front of it. "Tec-chan! Let's go talk to them!"
"That's a trainer." Tecy frowned.
"So? I wanna battle!"
"I'd kinda like to get to the gym though..."
"C'mon, Tec-chan! It's on the way." Then I added, "Plus our pokemon need a warm-up before battling the gym, right?"
"I suppose." Tecy sighed. She released my wrist and walked up to the house. The man there noticed us approaching.
"Are you girls going to take the Winstrate House challenge?" He asked us once we reached the porch. The man was bald with bushy eyebrows (but not as bushy as England's) and wearing a shirt with a bonsly on it as well as khakis.
"Yep!" I announced with a big smile. Tecy shrugged but also agreed.
"Alrighty!" He pulled out two pokeballs and threw them at the ground in front of him. "Go, Taillow! Go, Zigzagoon!"
"Let's trash these popsicles, Trouble!" I shouted, letting my newly evolved pokemon out of her pokeball. Thankfully she was awake now.
"Of course, Trainer." Trouble's voice was dangerous and, by the look of the Taillow's face, she looked dangerous as well.
"Let's go, Havoc!" Tecy shouted, throwing her Mudkip's pokeball into the fray. Havoc glanced over at Trouble then away. He croaked something and Tecy giggled. "Don't worry about Trouble, focus and taking out the Zigzagoon, okey?" Havoc croaked again, probably 'ok'. The Zigzagoon's expression seemed to relax, hearing that he wouldn't have to deal with my monster of an Umbreon. I chuckled at that.
"Okay, Trouble! Use Bite!" I ordered. Trouble launched into the fray without hesitation.
"Taillow, use Wing Attack! Zigzagoon, use Tackle!" The man shouted to his pokemon. I glanced over to Tecy, no word passed between her and her pokemon. They nodded in unison and Havoc jumped into the fray as well.
Trouble launched at Taillow, teeth baring and the lust for blood in her eyes. Taillow tried to fly into the air but Trouble had grabbed her and bit down hard. Taillow fainted from the one attack, but it looked like Trouble wanted to eat it. Oh, Right! I almost forgot! "Trouble, come back!" She gave me a frown but came back anyway. I handed her the pecha berries that I grabbed at breakfast. Trouble started munching on the berries happily. Havoc and Zigzagoon were still fighting- Havoc spraying mud on Zigzagoon and then washing him off with water. Zigzagoon tried to endure the onslaught of mud and water but failed and fell to the ground, fainted.
"Wow. You two really did a number on me." The man said, calling his pokemon back to their pokeballs and going into the house. Our Trainer cards dinged as he shouted "Hey, we've got some challengers!" Just as he went inside, a woman with greying hair came out of the house. She wore a red business-like dress with a matching rose-colored jacket over it.
"Oh, I see, there's two of you." She frowned, "I'm afraid I only have one pokemon."
Tecy and I exchanged looks. She then motioned to me with a smile. "You can take this battle, I don't mind."
"Alright! Thanks Tecy!" I smiled, taking a step forward. "Ready, Trouble?" My Umbreon looked up at me, her muzzle sticky from pecha berries; she wasn't done eating. "Oh, never mind." I pulled out Treecko's pokeball, "Let's go, Treecko!"
"Okay!" Treecko smiled, landing on the grass.
"Go, Roselia!" The woman shouted, sending out a flower pokemon. I could see Tecy biting her lip slightly.
"Something up?"
"Roselia is grass/poison while Treecko's grass type. He's at a disadvantage." Tecy explained. "I'd recommend sticking to normal type moves, but Roselia might have poison point."
"No biggy." I replied. "Hear that, Treecko?"
"Yeah, I heard. Want me to use pound?"
"Sure. And pound that sucker until she's sleeping."
"Um..." Tecy stifled a chuckle. "Roselia's a guy."
"Whatever." I shrugged, after a moment I asked. "How do you know that, anyway?"
"The way he glared at you just now." She chuckled.
"Ah."
Treecko came at Roselia, fist raised to pound. The Roselia held his red flower to block and came in with poison sting. Treecko jumped back, hand at his side. I guess that sting really hurt. Tecy frowned. "Poison is super effective against grass." She explained. I think I know that, Tecy. I've played the games before. I was about to order something else but Treecko was already pounding Roselia again. "Remember, you gave Treecko the order to 'pound that sucker until' he's 'sleeping'. Treecko is still obeying that order."
"I remember." I frowned at Tecy.
"Okay..." She held her hands up in defense. "I'll shut up then."
Treecko pounded at Roselia again, and Roselia used poison sting again. Treecko came back, but he looked sick. I turned to Tecy. "Is he poisoned?" Tecy glanced at me and nodded. "Treecko, come back!" I looked over at Trouble. "Wanna take this?" She gave me a 'did you really just ask me that' look. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Go on out there!" Trouble jumped to her paws and passed Treecko into the fray. "Trouble, use bite! Treecko, come over here." Treecko did so; his face seemed a little purple. Yep, definitely poison. I pulled out and antidote, Treecko opened his mouth, and I sprayed some of the medicine into his mouth. He swallowed and his face settled back into a healthy green color. "Better?"
"Much better!"
Trouble had finished biting the Roselia. "What now, Trainer?"
"I like it more when you call me Kali."
"Okay, Kali."
"Bite again." I told her. Trouble nodded and ran back into the battle. Roselia seemed nervous as Trouble charged at him, he held up a rose defensively but I could see him shaking.
"Poor guy, scared to death of a big, mean, Umbreon." Tecy smirked. I chuckled as well as Trouble bit down on the Roselia's arm. Roselia cried out in pain, Trouble bit down harder and Roselia used his other arm to beat down on her nose. Tecy let Charmeleon out of his pokeball, the large fire lizard sat down in the grass and watched the fight as well. He growled something to Tecy, to which she replied, "I let Kali take this battle, otherwise I would've let you fight."
"Okay, Trouble. Finish him off with swift!" I ordered her. Trouble nodded and little stars appeared in front of her that were then launched at Roselia. Roselia fell to the ground after that attack, Tecy sniggered. I gave her a curious look.
"Roselia touched a star..." Tecy replied with a smile. I gave Tecy a 'what?' look. "You know? Mind and Majesty? DarkHunter touched a star..." I still didn't get it and Tecy gave up. "Nevermind. Forget it."
"Well, I'm quite impressed." The woman said, our trainer cards dinging again. She called her pokemon back and went inside, "These girls are very strong!" Trouble swelled with pride.
A girl with black hair and wearing a cute school uniform came out of the house. "You beat Mommy and Daddy? Wow, that must mean you're tough. But I'm tougher still!" She winked.
"Is that a challenge?" Trouble asked, tensing for battle.
"It sure sounded like it." I nodded, to Tecy. "Did that sound like a challenge to you?"
"Oooh, yeah!" Tecy grinned. "Ready, Charmeleon?" Charmeleon jumped to his feet and growled with a big grin on his face. "Alright then, head on in there!" Charmeleon ran into the battlefield right after Trouble.
"Go, Marill! Go, Numel!" The girl shouted, sending out the named pokemon.
"Charmeleon, use Mega Punch on Numel!" Tecy ordered.
"Trouble, use Thunder Fang on Marill!" I shouted. Tecy glanced over at me, eyebrow raised and a smile on her face. "What? Everyone knows electric's good against water. I don't need you to tell me all the match-ups."
"Just most of them." Tecy smirked. I gave her a flat look, but I knew she was right.
"C'mon..." The girl muttered, bringing Marill back into its pokeball. She pulled out another pokeball. "Go, Shroomish!" The mushroom pokemon came out of a pokeball, caught Charmeleon's grin and gaze. The little grass pokemon was totally intimidated.
"Charmeleon, Fire wheel on Shroomish." Tecy ordered, "Then slash down on the burned areas- if the fire wheel doesn't make him faint." Charmeleon nodded and leaped out at the little mushroom pokemon, his arms on fire. Charmeleon spun around, releasing the fire in a wheel form at shroomish, catching him on fire. The little pokemon fainted. Trouble cleared her throat, reminding me that she still wanted to fight.
"Oh, right." I glanced to Numel, then to Tecy.
"Numel's Fire/Ground. Water would be the best against it, but Ground would also work."
"And I have neither." Trouble frowned.
"Would Dark work?"
"Assuming you mean dark type and not DarkHunter, yes, it would work, but it wouldn't be super effective." Tecy replied. I gave her a flat look.
"Of course I meant DarkHunter, Tecy. Sheesh." I chuckled.
"Oh, well, in that case, no, he wouldn't work." Tecy replied. I shook my head with a smile.
"Numel, use Magnitude!" The girl shouted, seeing that we were distracted. Tecy snapped back into attention, eyes on her pokemon.
"That's not a good thing, is it?" I asked.
"No. That's a very 'not good' thing." Tecy replied.
The ground beneath us shook as Numel cried out. Charmeleon jumped in the air at the last moment and avoided the attack (causing Tecy to sigh in relief) Trouble; however, got hit full-on by the attack. She flew a few feet toward me but got up quickly and went back to her spot. Charmeleon growled something to her. "I'm fine." was her response, though I was surprised that there was no malice in her voice.
"Trouble, frustration!" I called after her.
"Frustration is a normal type move." Tecy muttered.
"Would it work?"
"Well... yeah, it would."
"Then it doesn't matter."
Trouble walked calmly up to Numel, her body glowing with a black light and a blood lust in her eyes (which is pretty creepy, even from where we were standing) and she released her frustrations on Numel. It wasn't as powerful as it was last time against Makuhita, but it was enough to make Numel faint.
"I... I lost?" The girl sniffled. Tecy and my trainer cards dinged as the girl went inside, crying.
"I feel a little bad for the kid." Tecy muttered, holding her hand to her mouth.
"Well, she was the one who challenged us first." I replied, also feeling bad for making her cry.
An old lady with grey hair in a bun and wearing a blue and black Kimono came out of the house, she didn't seem happy. "You made my granddaughter cry! I'll spank you for that! Prepare to lose!" She sent out a Meditite and no other pokemon.
"It's your turn, Tec-chan!" I smiled. Tecy nodded and stepped forward.
"Want to take care of this, Charmeleon?" She asked. Charmeleon nodded. "Alrighty. Charmeleon, ember and slash at burns." The fire lizard jumped into battle.
"Meditite, detect!"
The Meditite protected himself from the first ember, but the second caught him on fire. Charmeleon slashed down at the blackest areas ruthlessly.
I noticed Trouble settle into the grass next to me, her head resting on her paws. Treecko also saw this and decided to use her as a chair. Trouble turned to face him, glared slightly, but made no move to force him off of her. "Aww, that's cute." I cooed at them. Trouble gave me a flat look and Treecko blushed slightly.
"I can't believe it." The old woman said, bringing her fainted Meditite back into his pokeball. Tecy's Trainer card dinged. "You've beaten the Winstrate House challenge. For that, I'll give both of you an HM." The old woman stepped down from the porch and handed both of us a brick red HM. "The HM contains Rock Smash, but you'll need the Mauville gym badge to use it outside of battle." The old woman stepped back onto the porch before looking back to us. "Please, do visit sometime." Then she disappeared into the house.
"See, Tecy? This was worth our while." I smiled, nudging her in the side.
"Yes, actually it was." Tecy nodded, putting the HM in her bag. "Let's head down to Mauville now." I nodded, putting my pokemon back into their pokeballs and headed down the big hill into Mauville.
(A/N Tecy: DarkHunter is a supervillain from one of my other (original) stories who tried to touch a star and almost burned to death because of it. It's an inside joke/slam to tell someone to touch a star, and swift throws stars at people... The reference was lost on my friend so I don't think anyone would get it anyway, but there it is. I thought it was funny.
Anyway, LOTS of pokemon battles and also running into Steven. Aside from the lost inside joke, my friend was pretty happy with this chapter; even if she fell three feet or so off a rock.)