I was sitting beneath an unusually large oak just outside Violet City. I dangled my feet in a shallow stream while listening to Cyril talk. He was the only other one there. It must have been sunset, based on the colours in the sky. Cyril was talking about some mystical purple Pidgey that would grant wishes to those able to catch it.
Then everything went black.
Cyril, the stream, and the surrounding trees disappeared. The ground turned brown and rock hard. There was nothing to see save endless blackness, yet I knew I wasn't alone.
A breeze tickled my arm. A particularly strange breeze. A breeze that was warm, warm like breathing...
I spun around to find myself face to face with a red eyed Raikou. I could see beyond its giant fangs to stare down its muscular throat which was lined with thousands of razor sharp claws.
Then the beast jumped at me. It started clawing and digging at my face while screeching psychotically. All I could feel was fur and claws.
Slowly distant laughing filled my ears. I tried to call out for help but my vocal cords wouldn't work.
And then I woke up.
"What the- Get off!" I yelled as I swiped Nyx off my face.
"Mur mur mur," she laughed as I tried to gain focus. Vulcan and Albus were also on my bed, laughing hysterically.
"What time..." I started to mumble, looking around for a clock.
Priya was either still asleep on the top bunk or already up. The two other trainers who we were sharing a room with were already gone. Wait, I was sure Deimos had slept in the middle of the floor.
"What time is it?" I asked more tangibly with a stretch. At the same time the door started swinging open.
"Time to get up, lazy bones," said Priya brightly as she entered with her young Torchic on her shoulder. "You've got a Gym battle to get to."
"No I don't," I said as I rolled my eyes. "You go first, then I'm after you at noon."
"Yeah, and it's 11 now. I've already earned myself this little beauty," Priya said with a wide grin. She held out a silver badge in her hand.
"You went already... You won already... It's 11... IT'S 11!"
I was suddenly wide awake as I jumped out of bed. I grabbed my clothes and ran out of our room and down the hall to take a shower. I was maybe in there for five minutes at most before I pulled on my clothes and ran back to the room. My brain was moving too fast for me to keep up.
"Need Pokémon. Food. Gotta feed Pokémon, too-"
"I fed everyone before I left. Your Tropius is outside having a bit to eat and stretching with Ferno," Priya interrupted. "And here," she shoved a paper bag in my hand. "Now grab your Dex and Pokéballs and lets go!"
I returned Vulcan, then Nyx, and was about to call back Albus when I paused. Albus was on the floor beside Artemis and a new Pokémon. No, not new; evolved. The youngsters were admiring the much taller Fire-type that was standing on its hind legs beside Priya. The top of his head went up to the top of Priya's hip. His ribs had a few bandages and, judging by his messy fur, he had clearly been in a battle recently. However, it looked like he'd already been healed.
"Is that-"
"Yep, Spyne evolved into a super awesome mega powerful Quilava," Priya said proudly.
"Quil," Spyne barked with a smirk. Out of the corner of his eye he looked down at the shorter observing crowd before he ignited the flames on his head and rear. This earn him a loud cheer from the infants.
"Tobius, your Gym battle..." Priya reminded.
"Oh, right!" I stammered as I returned Albus, grabbed my stuff, and ran out the door.
In front of the Pokémon Center awaited Ferno and Cyril. I returned Cyril before hopping on Ferno, behind Priya. She returned Spyne and made sure Artemis had a good grip on her shoulder before she had Ferno take off.
He didn't run at full speed, but we still went plenty fast. We were staying at the Center closest to the Gym so we were there in a couple minutes; just enough time to shove a few slices of toast from the paper bag into my mouth.
"Alright, go and let the receptionist know you're here," Priya said.
"Right," I said as I dismounted.
I ran up to the receptionist's desk. There was a different girl with bright green hair and large earrings this time.
"Umm, I have a battle at noon," I said awkwardly.
"Oh, the 12 o'clock. Name and Pokédex?"
"Tobius Wright," I replied as I handed my Dex over. She plugged it into her computer, nodded, then returned it.
"Great, just proceed up to the top floor at 5 to 12. The elevator's over there. Best of luck to you," she said with a smile.
I nodded and went back outside. Priya was happily playing with Artemis. Ferno and Vulcan were out of their Pokéballs as well.
"Where's Atria and Deimos?" I asked as I released my team.
"They got beaten up pretty good," Priya replied with an unusual amount of ice in her voice. "Don't let yourself get distracted."
"Right," I said. "So what Pokémon does he have?" I knew the Leader was Falkner and his Pokémon of choice were Flying-types.
"Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. You learn more by having to deal with surprises."
"What do you mean 'even if you knew.' You just fought the guy."
"Gym Leaders have dozens of Pokémon," Priya said with an eye roll. "The whole reason they check your Dex is to make sure you're signed up in the League and to check what level trainer you are."
"So, how many badges I have?"
"And how strong your Pokémon are. Your Dex gets updated information from the Pokéballs every time you return a Pokémon."
"Oh, cool," I said.
"Nervous yet?"
"Not even a little." That was a lie.
We'd done a lot of training in the past couple days. Cyril had become quite the fan of Stomp, though it would be difficult to use against Flying-types. Vulcan was still having trouble summoning Dark or Dragon-type energy, which meant Dragon Dance and Crunch were still out of the question. Luckily his control over Ancient Power was getting better every day. Nyx was all around good. She'd grown bored of Astonish (much to my own delight) and no longer used it.
To our great surprise both my Togepi and Priya's Torchic were little power houses in the making. While watching Vulcan practise his Flamethrower endurance, Albus had joined him and started copying his motions. We thought it was cute, my little Togepi playing pretend, until flames started spitting from his mouth. A Pokédex scan later revealed the little guy to know Charm (expected, but still weak when used), along with Flamethrower, Tri Attack, and Nasty Plot (unexpected, but still unusable). Like Vulcan, he still had to master the moves he'd inherited.
Similarly, Artemis knew Scratch and Growl (expected, but still too young to use properly), along with Agility and Night Slash. Priya wondered out loud if there was a connection between the Torchic's energy and love to run with its yet unmastered Agility.
"How about you guys? You all ready?" I asked my team.
Nyx didn't respond as she was apparently too busy preening herself but Vulcan and Cyril roared and bellowed happily. Albus, who was sitting at Cyril's feet, looked at the two then gave a cheer of his own.
"You're going to need a lot of training," I said to Albus, kneeling down and rubbing him on the head. "How about you watch from the stands with Priya and Artemis?"
Albus looked downcast for a moment before Cyril's large head came down to Togepi level. The giant Pokémon whispered something to Albus, which caused him to immediately jumped up with a short "Pii." Cyril lifted his head and nodded, Albus mimicked him. When the Togepi turned to me his smile was back. He then got distracted by Artemis and ran over to play with her.
Pokémon were weird.
...
"So, this is your first Gym battle, huh? Just so you know, no Gym Leader will ever go easy on you. You and your Pokémon must truly earn the Violet Gym Badge," Falkner called from his side of the battle field.
I nodded at him as I looked around. We had ascended to the roof of the Gym building. The battle field was circular and very large with stands all around. However, there was no audience. During the elevator ride Priya had said this Gym Leader preferred having no crowd. I didn't like being a spectacle so that made me rather happy. There were a few robotic cameras around. I could request my battle not be shown on public television, but then I wouldn't earn any money. Aired Gym Challenges were how the leagues made most of their money.
Priya sat in the stands not that far from me. On her sides sat Ferno and Spyne, while Albus and Artemis were in her lap. The youngsters looked the most excited about the battle.
The one thing that was starting to worry me was the ever darkening sky. I hadn't noticed it in my haste to get to the Gym, but now the clouds were looking increasingly ominous. Falkner looked up to observe the sky as well, but he didn't say anything to suggest that bad weather would put our battle on hold.
I nodded over to the referee to let him know I was ready to begin.
"This will be an official Gym battle between the Violet City Gym Leader, Falkner, and the challenger from Saffron City, Tobius," the referee called. "Both will use three Pokémon each, only the challenger will be permitted to substitute his Pokémon. When I say so, both sides will release their first Pokémon and the battle will begin. And GO!"
"Take to the air, Hoothoot!"
"Go, Cyril!"
Cyril landed heavily on the ground while the Hoothoot flapped its tiny wings to keep itself at eye level with its opponent.
"Leaf Blade," I called.
"Hypnosis," Falkner said with a smirk.
Cyril charged at the Hoothoot with his giant leaves glowing. I knew Grass-type attacks were less effective against Flying-types, but I hoped size and strength would prevail. The little bird wasn't even as big as Cyril's head.
Unfortunately, as Cyril approached striking range the Hoothoot's move hit. Its eyes glowed with Psychic-type energy and, next thing I knew, Cyril was stumbling backwards before he fell heavily to the ground.
"Peck," Falkner said.
"Cyril, get up!" I shouted.
The small bird started pecking at Cyril's head as my Pokémon snoozed. I debated switching out but figured it would have been useless. I could easily accumulate a team of sleeping Pokémon.
"Cyril, you have to get up!"
"Swift!"
The Hoothoot gained some air and shot rays of Normal-type energy that looked like stars at Cyril. I was beginning to wonder how one could sleep through that as he began to move.
Cyril's eyes opened and he pulled his front wings over his face to prevent the shower of stars from hitting his eyes.
"Hypnosis!" Falkner repeated.
"Gust, blow that feather ball away!" I shouted.
As the Hoothoot's eyes started to glow once more Cyril started to beat the air with his wings. The Gust was too strong for the little Hoothoot, who tried to flap its pathetically small wings as hard as it possibly could but was still blown backwards.
"Swift!"
"Razor Leaf!"
Spiralling leaves fought stars. Many collided and burst apart in mid air but several still hit their target.
"Get above it, Cyril," I called.
"Don't let it higher then you, Hoothoot!"
Cyril took off, flapping its wings hard to climb above its opponent. The Hoothoot flapped its own wings to try to maintain its vantage point. It was fairing surprisingly well, its head inline with the Tropius' waist, until sly a flap from Cyril with a small Gust was too much for the small creature. It fell downwards a ways before it caught itself and tried to catch up.
"Swift!" Falkner ordered as he flicked his bangs. He knew Hoothoot wouldn't be able to catch up.
"Stomp, then Leaf Blade!" I called.
Cyril let gravity take over as he fell into the star-like attack. The Hoothoot stopped its attack in an attempt to get out of the way of the giant feet but didn't expect the Leaf Blade that came down upon its head. Both Pokémon sent up a small cloud of dust as they heavily landed; Cyril on all fours and Hoothoot under a Leaf Blade wing.
Unsure of what to do, Cyril made a rumble in his throat as he looked over at me for direction.
"Umm, let it up I guess. But keep up Leaf Blade, just in case," I offered. Cyril nodded and backed up warily.
Nothing shot out of the ground when Cyril removed his wing. The Hoothoot lay there, knocked out, in a slight indent in the field.
I almost did a happy dance. Cyril was delighted as well. He stomped the ground twice with his front feet and let out a deep, resonating bellow.
"Return, Hoothoot," Falkner said as he raised a Pokéball and called back his Pokémon. "Very good. I didn't expect a Tropius from a trainer of your level. I must say, I'm impressed with how you two preformed. Too bad this next flier will be too much for you to handle. Go, Quickwing!"
From the thrown Pokéball emerged a Pidgeotto. It called out its battle cry before flapping its wings to ensure it was far above Cyril's reach.
I knew it was hopeless to expect Cyril to be able to catch a trained Pidgeotto. I'd have to wait for it to come close first.
"Gust, keep it away from you," I called.
"Quick Attack," Falkner said with a flick of his hair.
The Pidgeotto shot at Cyril with near blinding speed and struck him directly in the head. Cyril stumbled backwards, trying to shake off the hit. The Pidgeotto didn't miss the opening and struck Cyril in the head once more.
The second hit did it for the Tropius who started beating the air with much more force then it had previously used. I was momentarily encouraged until I saw the Pidgeotto climbing higher into the air by easily riding the Gust. The attack didn't faze it in the slightest.
"Razor Leaf," I shouted.
"Gust," Falkner said with another smirk.
The spinning leaves were directed perfectly at the climbing Pidgeotto, but the bird spun to face them and started flapping is own wings. For a moment the Razor Leaf seemed to hang in the air before it was redirected. Some went outwards but most of the leaves hit Cyril along with the Gust.
"Cyril, get in the air and use Gust like that bird did," I ordered.
Cyril nodded and opened its large wings to fly into the air.
"Now you're a sitting Psyduck," Falkner said smugly. "Aerial Ace!"
Cyril was barely a few feet off the ground when he was struck in the head again, this time by a much stronger attack. As he landed heavily on his side and I was sure he was knocked out, but still he pulled himself to his feet. His movements were sluggish and the Pidgeotto struck him with another Aerial Ace in the ribs. These birds knew how to take advantage of their opponent's weaknesses.
I saw the Pidgeotto adjust itself to attack again. "Cyril, Leaf Blade when it comes at you!"
"Do it, Quickwing," was all Falkner said.
Cyril's leaves glowed green and turned into blades as the Pidgeotto shot right at him. Cyril swung his green weapons at the bird, who was diving at him from the front. I was sure Cyril was safe until Quickwing altered its movements ever so slightly. It managed to fly between Cyril's Leaf Blades and deliver an Aerial Ace right in Cyril's front, just below his neck.
As the bird flew away there was a moment where time seemed to stand still. The Grass-type energy evaporated and Cyril just stood there, eyes wide and mouth open as if he was silently screaming out in pain.
Then he fell, heavily.
"I told you," Falkner said as I returned my Pokémon. There was a deep growl from the stands, though I couldn't tell if it was from Ferno or Spyne.
"Go, Nyx!" I called as I threw her Pokéball.
"Murkrow!" my starter cried out as she emerged from the white light.
Nyx flapped upwards and observed her opponent with a slightly tilted head. The Pidgeotto was bigger then her and had a much larger wingspan, but that didn't stop her from starting to laugh. I was pretty sure she was thinking about the many Pidgey and Pidgeotto she had bullied while we travelled on Cyril's back.
"Mur mur mur mur mur!"
Both Falkner and Quickwing looked thoroughly irritated at her guffaw.
"Confuse Ray!"
"Gust!"
Nyx was too busy being rude to see the Gust come at her. The Pidgeotto had flapped upwards first so the attack threw my Murkrow into the ground.
Nyx didn't like that at all.
It occurred to me just
"Krow," she cawed when the attack ceased. She then flew as fast as her wings would permit in the direction of the Pidgeotto. Her eyes glowed dark purple before a beam of the Ghost-type energy was launched. I was actually surprised it hit.
"Pid?" Quickwing blinked in confusion for a moment and then tried to shake itself off.
"Feather Dance!" I ordered.
"Quick Attack!" Falkner called.
The Pidgeotto flapped once to gain the speed it wanted but it directed itself several feet to the left of Nyx. It missed my Murkrow and went beak first into the ground; clearly injuring itself.
With another chuckle Nyx threw black plumage at the fallen bird. The feathers stuck to it, even when it flew back into the air.
"Aerial Ace!" Falkner called, his voice full of annoyance.
"Wing Attack!" I shouted.
The Pidgeotto tried to fly upwards but hurt itself in the attempt. It looked as though it had forgotten how to fly. Nyx made a call that sounded like a 'nah nah' taunt as she flew at her opponent from behind. Her critical hit sent the Pidgeotto face first into the ground. Again, she let her laughter fill the battlefield.
"Again!" I called, absolutely ecstatic about my pending win.
Again, as the Pidgeotto tried to get up my Murkrow's wing struck it in the back of the head and sent it face first into the ground.
Nyx barely had enough time to climb into the air and laugh before Quickwing, now back to its senses, shot off the ground and flew to the opposite end of the field.
"Get it with Drill Peck!" I called.
Falkner didn't make an order as Nyx flew over to the waiting Pidgeotto. She then gained some height before she dove at the bird with a spin.
"Now! Go and Roost!" Falkner yelled quickly.
The Pidgeotto barely dodged Nyx as it flew to the opposite side of the field and landed. The reason I often relied on Wing Attack over Drill Peck was because the latter was harder to bring one's self out of. Luckily Nyx was a ways above the ground as her target had been in the air, so it was easier, but she still couldn't gain balance and redirect herself before the Pidgeotto was finished.
Where Quickwing had landed was close to me. There, it closed its eyes while its feathers started to glow. I could almost feel a new strength within the bird as it opened its eyes.
"Quick, Drill Peck," I called to Nyx as she followed the Pidgeotto.
"Aerial Ace, and make it a good one," Falkner ordered.
The Pidgeotto took off, aiming an Aerial Ace right at Nyx. My Murkrow wasn't about to take that lying down. With the familiar flip of her wings she spun her body, turning herself into an avian drill aimed at the Pidgeotto.
They collided. They became a mess of black, brown and tan feathers as they fell to the ground. Both Falkner and I waited breathlessly to see who got up, but neither moved.
I looked over to the referee who was using his flags to indicate it was a draw. Both Pokémon were knocked out.
"Return," Falkner and I said in unison. Our Pokémon both disappeared into their respective capsules.
"So, here we are," Falkner said, holding up another Pokéball. I did the same. "Just down to our last. Now, go Wisewing!"
"Go, Vulcan!"
Vulcan appeared with a roar. I was surprised but pleased to see it wasn't friendly Vulcan. No, I could tell by his eyes he was my vicious yet obedient fighter. The friendly Charmander brain was being suppressed. Vulcan's lips were pulled back in a silent growl to reveal sharp fangs. He held himself as if ready to pounce while his tail waved slowly behind him; its flame unusually large.
Its flame.
My attention was suddenly drawn to the sky. I'd absolutely forgotten about my previous weather observation in the heat of the battle. It was dark. The temperature hadn't dropped that much, but there was no question in my mind that it was going to rain. I'd have to get this over with quickly.
In the air a Noctowl had appeared. It glided back and forth in front of Falkner on silent wings.
"Hypnosis," Falkner said calmly.
"Smokescreen," I called.
Vulcan's unusually acute senses responded immediately. He released black smoke from his mouth that obscured his body. The Hypnosis was useless.
"Flamethrower," I called.
Was that a drop of water on my head?
"Dodge and Defog," Falkner ordered.
A Flamethrower shot out from the blanket of smoke. The Noctowl was able to avoid the flames before it started beating the air. The smokescreen immediately dispersed.
And it was starting to drizzle.
"Reflect, Wisewing," Falkner ordered.
"Flamethrower!" I said.
With little more then a slight tip of its wings the Noctowl slid out of the attack's way. As it did it began to faintly glow.
Then it started to rain.
To a trainer or most Pokémon it wasn't the worst downfall. I was drenched pretty quick and was wishing I had an umbrella, but there was no wind and it wasn't that cold. Wisewing had to flap its wings more to keep itself aloft but it didn't look too bothered.
Vulcan wasn't so lucky.
In a second he went from mighty beast of flames to cowering candle creature. His eyes returned to normal as he pulled his tail under his chest and whimpered. It was as if his confidence had been literally washed away. He looked back at me with large pleading eyes.
"Well, well," Falkner said with a smirk. "What are you going to do now? Your Pokémon is all but useless by the looks of it."
Vulcan looked at the ground; emotionally defeated. He closed his eyes and looked like he was about to turn around and approach me when a cry caught his attention. Both him and I looked over to the stands to see a very grumpy Priya sitting with Albus in her lap. Evidently, she'd returned her own team so now my audience consisted of just her and my Togepi.
And it was Albus who was calling out. The little Togepi was saying something and waving its arms, occasionally jumping up. I had no idea what it was saying but I did notice a renewed brightness enter Vulcan's eyes.
Then he was struck.
On an order I'd missed the Noctowl dove at Vulcan and used Mud-Slap right in my Charmeleon's face. Vulcan stumbled back and aimed a Flamethrower at the bird, but it climbed into the safety of the sky. Vulcan tried to rub the grime from his eyes but it wouldn't all come out.
"Flamethrower," I called.
"Up, Wisewing."
Tail still hidden from the elements, Vulcan blew a stream of flames at the ascending bird. Both he and I were surprised to see how much weaker the flames were. His usually powerful attack was lacking in strength and didn't have its average reach. The Noctowl was high enough to not have to worry about fire.
Vulcan was starting to shiver.
"Okay Vulcan, we can do this. Ancient Power!"
"Char," Vulcan called as his eyes began to glow and an orb appeared in front of him.
"Confusion!" Falkner called.
In an instant Vulcan lost control of the attack as he lost concentration. The eerie Rock-type attack exploded as he gripped his head in pain. Up in the air the Noctowl was twisting its head while its eyes and forehead feathers glowed magenta.
"Keep it up," Falkner called.
On the ground Vulcan was still trying to concentrate enough to use Ancient Power. Finally, a glowing orb was created, which he directed at the bird. Unfortunately, the Noctowl slid out of the attack's way with ease.
Vulcan roared, clearly in pain because of the rain and full of frustration at the perpetual mind pains he was feeling. His muddy vision wasn't making anything better, either. He punch the ground and closed his eyes, it almost looked like he was going to cry.
Then he snapped.
His flame brightened and his eyes darkened. Something, or the accumulation of everything, had sent him back into fighter mode. He roared, but not like I'd ever heard him roar before. This was louder and more frightening, like a dragon.
He started stomping feet and flexing his claws. He let his tail swing behind him, exposed to the elements. Its flame was so hot that rain sizzled into steam before touch it. His body became covered in what could only be described as purple-blue electricity and blood red steam.
Then he stopped. An evil grin like I'd never seen played upon his lips. Still ignoring the rain on his tail, he inhaled deeply before exhaling a new Fire attack.
Wait, was that Fire?
From his mouth shot purple-blue 'flames,' though there was something distinctly not Fire like about them. Within the blue and purple colourings were faint traces of 'electricity,' identical to that which had surrounded Vulcan's body.
The Noctowl must have been frozen with fear as the attack came because it didn't move. The attack was unhindered by the rain and easily reached its target. Wisewing shrieked in pain as it was consumed before forcing itself to fly away.
Then Vulcan chased it. I'd never seen him move with such speed. He was locked on his target as he sped after the bird, easily keeping pace with it. The Noctowl flapped its wings harder and changed directions but Vulcan easily followed on the ground.
Then he jumped. Vulcan might as well have flown through the air as he came at the Noctowl. As he jumped he easily summoned another Ancient Power in front of him, slammed the energy with his tail, and hit the Noctowl directly in the stomach.
Both Noctowl and Charmeleon landed on the ground, though the Noctowl landed head first.
"Wait," I called to Vulcan. It looked like he was going to attack again.
"Chrrrr," Vulcan growled at me. He turned his head and seemed to be debating something as he looked into my eyes. He wasn't debating whether or not to listen, was he?
"Roost, Wisewing," Falkner ordered.
The Noctowl got to its feet and started to glow. Vulcan's attention snapped back to the bird as it did so. He seemed to grow angry at the sight of the glowing feathers. Vulcan charged, mouth open wide with teeth glowing with Dark-type energy. The Noctowl tried to fly away but Vulcan was still moving unusually fast and he easily grabbed the Noctowl around the shoulder with a Crunch attack.
The Noctowl went limp.
"Okay Vulcan, it's over now. You won," I cheered in a very fake voice. Truth be told, I was a little afraid of him. I suddenly understood all the protests against giving Charmander to new trainers. Sure, Charmander were great, but here was a real beast.
Vulcan dropped his fallen opponent and looked at me. He took two steps towards me, his expression looked confused. I was more concerned with his still Dark teeth.
"Th-the rain, Vulcan. Your tail," I stammered.
Vulcan stared at me for a moment longer before he started shaking his head violently. He sat down, still shaking his head, and gave out a very scared sounding "Meleonmmm." Then his eyes opened, and they were back to normal. He gave me a large smile before remembering his flame and the rain, and pulled his tail against his body. He was shivering violently now, and started whimpering a moment later.
"Falkner's last Pokémon, Noctowl, is knocked out," the referee shouted. "And the winner is Tobius Wright!"
Vulcan brightened as he heard, though his eyes looked oddly sunken in and his tail flame was minuscule. Nonetheless, he looked at me and waved his free claw happily.
I smiled and returned him to the safety of his Pokéball. Joy on account of my first Gym win was trying to take over, but my feelings of worry and confusion wouldn't leave my brain.
"I knew you'd win," Priya said, appearing at my side while I was still distracted. At my feet Albus was pulling on my pant legs, demanding I pick him up.
"Technically a win," Falkner said as he approached. "Though, if I had a say, this definitely wouldn't be yours." He opened his hand and offered a silver badge. "This is the Zephyr Badge, proof of your victory at the Violet City Gym."
I took the badge and examined it, water continuing to shower down on us. I picked up Albus so he could see it, too.
"And what do you mean 'if you had a say?' " Priya asked in an icy tone.
"That Charmeleon needs training," Falkner shrugged. "Pull that in the third or forth tier and you'll be disqualified for sure."
"Tiers? Disqualified? What?" I asked, trying to understand what they were saying and worry about my Charmeleon at the same time.
"I'll explain later," Priya said to me before turning back to the Gym Leader. "Just give him his TM and money so we can get out of this blasted rain."
"Right this way," Falkner said.
As we followed him back to the elevator I examined Vulcan's Pokéball with my free hand. Albus reached over and pulled the Pokéball into his grip. The Togepi rubbed his face against the surface and stroked the Pokéball. I smiled at him, but frowned at the Pokéball.
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Author's Note (just skip to part about Stonekipsta):
Feels good to be back, I was working on my other fics, Playing with Fire : A Feather Head Extension, and Salvation, then I was feeling uninspired to write. But now I'm back!
If anyone is curious, no there is no significance to the dream. I just included it because almost the same thing happened to me. I was having a normal dream, then birds started clawing at my face. It turned out one of my pets had got out of her cage and was standing on my face.
Anyone feel like you missed something. Just incase, I post Priya's Gym battles in another fic (Playing with Fire : A Feather Head Extension). Why? Well I've found that when I read fics in which two or more of the characters are in Gym fights, sometimes it gets redundant. Especially with my take on the Pokémon World; Gym Leaders are 'loyal' to their region and the Pokémon found within the region: to an extent. This will especially apply to the first of the Gym Leaders. As such, you see similar Pokémon being used (eg. Hoothoot, Pidgeotto, Noctowl rather the Pidgey, Noctowl, Fearow). This way, I don't have to worry about boring you readers, especially those who just really want me to get to the war. Plus, I like looking at Priya from a POV other then Tobius'. Tobius wouldn't have noticed Spyne's blue eyes. So, yeah.
One last thing. I recently saw a movie trailer for a film that comes out in September. Its called Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga Hoole. I'm going to say this now, I know nothing about the film, nor the books it was based on. From what I can tell about the movie, the characters are all owls who are looking for the Guardians to save their world. The books have been around for a while, so some might think I'm ripping them off (Flying-type trainer looking for the Guardians). This is not true in the slightest, I'd never heard of the books until recently. Ever since chapter 9 (as I stated at the end of it) I've known where this fic is going. I just wanted to say that now, before the movie comes out and people might make that assumption. And yes, I am definitely going to go see it. If you haven't been able to tell, I love birds.
Oh, not last thing. Okay, so a lot of you know Stonekipsta as the awesome reviewer. Well, check out Stone's awesome new/first Poké-fic, Rocket. Oh the greatness it will be! Hehe, but seriously. Nyx commands you. Or maybe Albus, b/c he's the one with Metronome soon. Though Deimos and Spyne are the most intimidating. However Vulcan has his moments too... Anyways, check it out.
Pokémon Team Run Through
Tobius
- Nyx the Murkrow (female)
- Vulcan the Charmeleon (male)
- Cyril the Tropius (male)
- Albus the Togepi (male)
Priya
- Atria the Vulpix (female)
- Ferno the Arcanine (male)
- Deimos the Houndour (male)
- Spyne the Quilava (male)
- Artemis the Torchic (female)
Thanks, as always, to my lovely reviewers. You guys rock my socks; Stonekipsta (you know you're awesome), Scarlet Pikechu (thanks for the point out, still have to get to that one), Nyx Lover, OceanSpiral (I'm so behind on your fic), Define-originality (have to get caught up on your fic,too), Kai-Chan94 (you constant reviews are awesome), Alternate Lopunnu (alternate?), Seedlo (yeah, I'm pretty bad an editing my own stuff unless I leave it for couple days then go back to it, but by then I want to work on the next chapter), and WildCroconaw (glad you like Albus).
Thanks to new reader Yuki Kurmori (yay, new readers!).
And I'm done.
~ Syz