Okay, I took my time with this chapter, but it's done.
Before I say anything else, I'd like to apologise for some commotion around chapter 7. As far as I could see, it wasn't really available at first (it should work by now), and in an attempt to fix this (in vain), the story got updated without any new content, which might've caused some confusion.
Anyway, let's get back to the actual story. Last time, Marc went to Rustboro Lake to investigate rumors about a "monster", which turned out to be a carvanha that somehow ended up there. When he battled it, an... unwelcome guest arrived. Let's see how the story continues and how Marc deals with the last minor character before the first Gym battle.
I apologise in advance for all horrendous nicknames in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Marc stares at the scene in front of him in disbelief. Now he has to deal with this idiot who has accidentally flung himself into the lake.
Speaking of Sven, he is currently struggling to stay afloat, splashing around frantically. Oddly enough, he could just swim back to the footbridge, he just doesn't think of it.
Marc hopes that this guy isn't drowning. He really doesn't want to deal with this hassle more than absolutely necessary. He still runs over to the closest spot on the footbridge, just to be prepared. Fortunately, the bridge isn't too far away, so he reaches it quickly.
On his way there, Marc also keeps an eye out for the carvanha. It has swum towards the center of the lake, but now it directs its attention to Sven. After seeing his current state, it swiftly swims towards him. Not good.
Sven [in panic]: WAAAAH! No! Glurg… away!
Fortunately, Sven's frantic flailing makes it hard for the carvanha to get close to him. He manages to keep it at bay until Marc arrives and Phire chases the carvanha away with a well-aimed Dragon Breath.
However, Sven doesn't calm down just yet. Marc rolls his eyes.
Marc: Just calm down already and get over here! It's not that hard!
Yelling works surprisingly well in that case. Sven pays attention, and he quickly swims towards the footbridge and climbs onto it.
After catching his breath, Sven stands up, turns to the carvanha and strikes a self-confident pose.
Sven: Okay, I'll take it from here! As a skilled trainer, I shall take care of this pokémon, so stand back!
Marc stares at Sven in utter annoyance. His pokémon follow suit. Does this guy seriously gloss over everything that just happened?
Well, he sure does, and he sends out a wingull and a taillow.
Sven: Start it off with Water Gun, Win!
Win, Sven's wingull, which has been named after the first syllable of "wingull" as well as "win" as in "to achieve victory", attacks with Water Gun and hits, but the attack does hardly any damage.
However, Marc's pokémon have already weakened the carvanha significantly. Therefore, such attacks may suffice.
The carvanha attacks with Water Gun, too. It hits the wingull… with just as little effect as the wingull did before.
Sven: Oh, it's a tenacious foe! It's good that I, a battle-hardened trainer, am facing it! Win, try Water Pulse!
Win sends ultrasonic waves into the lake. Those waves churn up the water. As a result, a strong wave hurls the carvanha into the air.
Sven: Good! It's your turn, Tailhigh! Quick Attack!
Tailhigh, Sven's taillow, got its nickname because Sven thought taillow wasn't a good name for one of his pokémon, which are supposed to aim high.
As ordered, Tailhigh uses Quick Attack. It hits, but it flinches on impact. The unexpectedly rough skin of its opponent hurt it, which startles Tailhigh. It certainly isn't eager to attack again, so it stops for now.
This gives the carvanha the opportunity to counter. It uses Water Gun and repels Tailhigh. After that, it falls into the water again.
Sven [slightly angry]: What was that? Don't slack off! Keep at it with Wing Attack!
Tailhigh doesn't like this order, but it still obeys, flies down and slaps the carvanha timidly with its wings.
The carvanha is close to fainting, but it desperately fights back. It uses Bite, bites into Tailhigh's right wing and drags it into the water. After that, it lets go of Tailhigh and tries to swim away again.
Tailhigh is in trouble. The carvanha's Bite, its rough skin and the water have damaged Tailhigh's feathers. They are damp and tattered. On top of that, Tailhigh's wings hurt, and it struggles to stay afloat.
It can't fly anymore, but it can't swim either. At this rate, Tailhigh might drown. It lets out panic-stricken cries, but Sven is too focused on the carvanha, so he doesn't even notice his pokémon's distress.
Sven [disappointedly]: Argh, dammit! Come on, Win, we got this! Follow it and…
Marc [interrupting, angrily]: What the hell are you doing?! Help your pokémon already!
Unlike Sven, Marc has kept a close eye on Tailhigh. He also watched the battle. To give Sven some credit, he did a decent job in Marc's opinion, but now he is convinced that Sven is clearly too focused on winning this battle.
Sven [in bewilderment]: H-huh? What are you talking about?
By now, Tailhigh sinks into the water, so Marc snatches its pokéball impatiently and activates the returning mechanism himself.
Meanwhile, the carvanha takes advantage of the confusion, dives down and escapes.
Sven [upset]: Hey, what was that for?! Now it got away! Besides, [snatches Tailhigh's pokéball from Marc] that's my pokémon! I don't know what's your problem, but you show up here even though you shouldn't, and you get in my way! That's not okay!
Marc [very upset]: That is not okay?! What about letting your own pokémon drown?!
Sven [in utter bewilderment]: Huh?! W-what do you…?
Marc: Yeah, you didn't even notice! So much for being a "battle-hardened trainer"! If you actually were a halfway decent trainer, you could've…
Sven [interrupting, upset]: Hey, what are you insinuating?! I'm a trainer with two badges, so I don't let any rookie call me a bad trainer! I'll show you the difference in skill between us! [points at Marc's pokémon] Win, Water Gun!
Before Marc can object (or react in any way for that matter), Win attacks Phire, who isn't prepared at all, with Water Gun. The attack itself doesn't do much damage, but it pushes him off the bridge.
Phire can't swim well either, so this is a serious issue. Marc becomes extremely enraged when he sees this. He immediately returns Phire into his pokéball to keep him safe. After that, he glares at Sven. That guy seriously shouldn't have done this…
Sven doesn't really pay attention to Marc, though.
Sven: Now the other one! Wing Attack!
Win charges at Robert and attacks her with Wing Attack. Robert tries to block the attack with her arms. It works to a certain extent, she doesn't take the full brunt of the attack, but it still throws her off balance and does some damage. Meanwhile, Win flies up again, retreating to a safe distance.
Marc: Fine, have it your way! [determinedly] Robert, get ready! We've planned for something like this. Use Hone Claws and wait for the right moment!
Robert follows the command and takes her battle stance. She keeps her eyes on Win, waiting for it do descend on her again. Just as Marc mentioned, he came up with some rough ideas as to how to deal with flying opponents after the "zubat incident" at Meteor Falls.
Sven: Good, let's do this again! Show him who's boss!
Win flies towards Robert again. Robert waits patiently until Win takes a strike at her with its wing. At that point, Robert uses Slash to deflect the attack.
This counterattack throws Win completely off balance. It crashes onto the bridge. On top of that, Robert's claws pierced its wing slightly. The resulting injury might make it hard for Win to fly again.
Sven [in surprise]: W-what?! No! [worriedly] Win, take off again! Get away from it quickly!
Marc: Quick Attack, before it gets away!
Win tries to lift off, but Robert manages to strike it before it gets away. The impact shoves Win away, but it manages to steady its flight.
However, Win has trouble flying thanks to its injured wing now. Marc sees this.
Marc [calmly]: What now? Your pokémon is injured. You should stop this nonsense.
Sven [determinedly]: Your complaints are nonsense! Win is perfectly fine! We never give up! We will win! Go, Win!
Win lets out a determined cry, but it comes with an undertone of worry.
Marc shakes his head when he sees this. He decides that he shouldn't continue this farce and returns Robert into her pokéball.
Marc [disappointedly]: Enough of this! It's just depressing to witness!
With that, Marc turns around and walks away. Sven wants to protest at first, but he quickly comes to the conclusion that he might as well accept his foe's "surrender".
Sven [happily]: Ha! That's another victory! There you have it, can't keep up with such a strong trainer with two badges!
Marc stops dead in his tracks and turn around again. Sven takes a step back when he sees Marc's enraged expression.
Marc: "TWO BADGES" MY FOOT, YOU DUMBASS!
After a second to regain his composure, Sven takes a confident stance again.
Sven [upset]: Who are you calling a dumbass?!
Marc: I'm calling a dumbass a dumbass! You're calling yourself a good trainer?! Your pokémon almost drowned before and you didn't even pay attention! If I hadn't been here, it would've died, you idiot!
This statement shocks Sven. He takes a look at Tailhigh's pokéball. Is that what happened? Frankly, he didn't pay attention to Tailhigh after it plunged into the water, so it could be that his pokémon was in peril without him noticing. However, that is hard to accept. In fact, it's so hard to accept that Sven didn't really take Marc seriously when he first mentioned it.
Marc: And now you're forcing your pokémon to battle, even though it's injured and in pain, [in disgust] just for the sake of your own pride! [upset] But you probably haven't even noticed that because you're too busy patting yourself on the back! Your whole charade is ridiculous, and right now, I'm doubting that you ever helped anybody! If anything, you're showing that these badges don't mean anything, and if you want to do something good for society, you should probably give these badges up!
Now that he vented his anger, Marc walks away without another word.
Sven is dumbstruck, so he remains quiet. Win flies down to him. Sven lets it land on his arm and inspects its wing. It is indeed injured, which is something he didn't notice. Or rather something he didn't even bother to notice.
On the next day, Marc sits on the shore again, at the very same spot. This time, however, he hasn't cast his fishing rod. He just sits there, being on the lookout for the carvanha in Rustboro Lake.
After around an hour of waiting, Sven appears and walks towards Marc. Marc would prefer to meet the carvanha, but it's not like this is his choice.
Marc's pokémon, who wait with him outside of their pokéballs as they did yesterday, are visibly displeased, especially Phire. To some degree, that's because of the almost-drowning the day before, but it's mainly because Marc is really upset about everything that happened between them, even though he doesn't show it that clearly. Right now, Marc sits calmly on the shore and tries his best to ignore the new arrival, but Phire knows him well, so he figures that this is just Marc's typical approach to dealing with bothers that he deems unnecessary.
Anyway, Sven comes closer until he's about three metres away. He seems strangely timid, which might actually be a good thing in the opinion of Marc and his pokémon. This way, he probably won't stay very long.
Sven: U-um, I… I have to say something. This… This is really awkward. I don't really know what to say.
Phire: Then leave!
Sven: I guess this has to do.
He suddenly bows to Marc, which is quite the surprise. Even Marc turns to him now.
Sven [slightly determinedly]: I have to apologise for my behaviour. Please forgive me my rash actions! [straightens himself, calmly] I… I checked Tailhigh yesterday after… [clears throat] Tailhigh was in very bad condition, which is undoubtedly my fault. I… was careless, and you were right. If it wasn't for you, Tailhigh might be dead now, [bows again, slightly determinedly] so thank you for saving my pokémon!
Marc just looks at Sven in silence for a moment, even after Sven straightens himself again. He still wants to get this conversation over with, so…
Marc [calmly]: Fine. Just pay more attention from now on! Pokémon deserve better than that.
Marc turns to the lake again. Sven, however, isn't finished yet.
Sven: Y-yes, you're right. My pokémon deserve a good trainer. [hesitantly] They are good partners, so I want to be a good trainer for them! That's an issue, because… I think that you were right. I'm not a good trainer, and my badges don't prove anything.
Yet another statement that's interesting enough to draw Marc's attention. Although things get even more interesting when Sven suddenly drops to his knees and becomes oddly depressed.
Sven: I… I'm actually a horrible trainer. I've been challenging Gyms all over the region for months now, and I lost time and time again. I managed to defeat Brawly on Dewford Island thanks to a type advantage, but it took me some attempts, even with some training. Since then, I lost at every single Gym no matter what I do. Wattson gave me his badge, but that's… that's just… because… [desperately] I can't even say it, it's too depressing!
Sven writhes as if he's in pain for a minute while Marc and his pokémon watch him silently. It's not so much that they remain quiet out of empathy, but rather because Sven's confession weirds them out.
Sven [dejectedly]: I tend to brag about my badges and what a great trainer I am in front of novice trainers for my self-esteem, but at the end of the day, I think I'm locked in a stalemate. I don't know, what do you think?
Phire: Why would he think anything? Nobody here cares! So if you want to do anything useful, you can go somewhere else and drown in sorrow. [points at the lake] Or maybe in this lake. Now shoo, shoo!
In order to bring the point across, Phire gestures Sven to leave by waving him away with his arms. Well, it's pointless since Sven doesn't even pay attention to Phire.
Robert [slightly sternly]: Geez, you're not holding back, are you? You're way too salty! [slightly soothingly] Let the boss handle this! I'd say he's on a roll when it comes to dealing with these weirdos lately.
Phire [huffily]: Hmph, it's wasted on that guy.
With that, they all wait for Marc's response.
By the way, Marc tries to figure out what response might make Sven leave as soon as possible. Frankly, Marc has enough of playing counselor for all these people. Neither has he applied for such a job, nor is he even qualified for it, so he wonders why he has to do this for the second time within a few days.
Despite his lack of motivation, Marc tries to think of a good, actually helpful response. As it turned out last time, such reactions do the trick surprisingly well. In the end, he can only think of one answer.
Marc [dryly]: How should I know? I mean, maybe. Could be. At least it sounds like it. Have you considered quitting?
Marc's unexpected, cruel answer makes Sven fall over… in a quite comical fashion, to be honest. Robert is also a bit taken aback. Phire, on the other hand, is actually amused.
Sven: What's that supposed to mean?! What about some words of encouragement?! You know, maybe something about working even harder or something like that!
Marc: Yeah… I won't do that.
Sven: But isn't this the time where you share a deep moment and talk about the meaning of dreams and come to the conclusion to never give up and work even harder towards your goals, maybe in ways you've never thought of?!
Marc [in slight annoyance]: Geez, you read too many adventure novels or stuff like that! Sure, sometimes people have dreams that are hard to fulfil, work hard towards them and achieve them in the end, but sometimes they just suck at what they do and should quit before they get too invested!
Sven squats on the ground dejectedly. When he came here, he hoped that this meeting would be inspirational, but it turned out to be utterly depressing.
Meanwhile, Marc tries to figure out how he can get Sven to leave. He honestly has other things on his mind now, so he doesn't need a random depressed trainer around him. However, this issue might need some sensitivity.
Marc: What's this "dream" you're talking about anyway?
This question seems to make things slightly better as Sven stops lamenting, stands up and stretches his fist out towards the sky determinedly.
Sven: Well, do you even have to ask? It's to be the very best like no one ever was!
Contrary to Sven's expectations, Marc and his pokémon react to this declaration with a bored stare.
Sven [in surprise]: W-what? What is it? Isn't that what every trainer dreams of?
Marc [dryly]: Certainly not!
Sven: I… see? Wait, then why are you doing all this?! I mean participating in the Gym challenge. What's behind that?!
Marc [calmly]: My only goal is to train my brother so that he can fulfil his dream.
Sven thinks about that for a moment. So Marc is doing this for his family. Well, that's also a reason to…
Wait… He wants to "train his brother"? When have trainers started to train other humans? Now that he thinks about it, Sven can't make any sense of what Marc said. Well, that's thanks to a simple misconception, which Sven becomes aware of when he takes a look at Phire, who looks strangely proud and determined.
Sven looks back and forth between Marc and Phire, wondering what kind of odd bird is sitting in front of him.
Marc pays him no mind. He welcomes the silence and continues to look for the carvanha.
Well, for the time being, that is. Sven's bewildered stare turns out to be pretty unnerving. Marc sighs exasperatedly. He probably won't get out of this without going deeper into Sven's problems.
Marc: What exactly is that great about being "the very best like no one ever was" anyway? Why do you want that so badly?
Once again, Marc manages to calm Sven down. He takes a moment to think about the question.
Sven [contemplatively]: Hm… I don't think there is a particular reason. I mean, people want to be the best, don't they? I honestly can't imagine that anyone wouldn't be allured by that. I mean, what could beat standing at the very top and being revered by everyone?
Marc doesn't answer, at least not right away. To be honest, he can easily imagine what Sven apparently can't.
In fact, he has never really got the appeal of this whole "being the very best" ordeal. Sure, if you do something, you want to do it successfully, but why would you do anything just for the sake of doing it better than anyone else? You know, without any bigger goal in mind.
Well, Marc figures that he can't relate to this motivation because he's never been interested in fame, wealth or anything like that. However, that thought doesn't exactly "inspire" him.
Meanwhile, Sven continues to think about Marc's question.
Sven: Well… There is something… When I was a kid, and my father got me Win from a journey, I thought that flying on my pokémon's back – high above everyone else – would be the coolest thing in the world. And if I do that, I shouldn't just do it literally, but also metaphorically! So I've aimed to soar high up in the sky on the path to mastery!
Marc: So that's it? To me, this sounds as if you just wanted to work together with your pokémon and added some fancy extras to that goal.
Sven: Well, I guess… that's also a way to put it. I want to work with them, that's true, so I want to become a strong trainer. I mean, what else is there to do?
Marc: Well, a lot of things? You'll probably find a job easily if you just search for it.
Sven [in surprise]: Huh?! Really?!
Marc squints his eyes. He can't believe what's happening right in front of him. Is this guy serious? Does he seriously have no idea how many different jobs there are that involve pokémon? Well, it seems like it…
Marc [slightly exasperatedly]: Of course! Like… What do I know!? You could become a deliveryman or something. Aerial transport is an important field of business, and they'd certainly need trainers with flying pokémon.
Sven thinks about it for a minute. He was so focused on the "obvious" solution/choice of profession that he has never thought about alternatives. But it makes sense…
Such a job would work, too. He has come to the conclusion that he won't succeed as a professional trainer. He would only disappoint his pokémon. A new goal would be welcome...
Sven: You know, I think you're on to something here! I don't know if this will work, but I think I'll try to change my perspective! [determinedly] For the sake of my pokémon and our future, I'll try to find a new goal for us to pursue!
With that, Sven strikes a determined pose yet again.
Sven: And who knows… Maybe I'll become the very best deliveryman like no one ever was!
And there he goes, walking away at a good pace. Marc isn't sure what to think about this. He probably just recruited a courier… Well, the postal service or whatever company will hire Sven might be glad about it.
At the very least, Marc can turn his full attention to the lake now. He still has to take care of the carvanha. He has to figure out what's up with this carvanha, or else this issue would keep bothering him.
Huh… That's interesting. Ask and you shall receive. Marc has just turned his gaze towards the lake, and he immediately spotted the carvanha. Oddly enough, it is swimming directly towards him.
The carvanha was hiding behind a floating piece of a tree trunk the whole time. It noticed Marc early on, and it has been observing him from that position the whole time. Now it comes out of hiding and swims slowly but steadily towards the shore.
Marc's pokémon immediately react and take battle stances next to Marc. Phire is about to attack when Marc stretches out his arm in front of him.
Marc [sternly]: Wait! Don't attack it! Not for now, at least. I want to see what will happen.
The pokémon are confused, especially Phire, but they trust their trainer's judgment to the point that they don't attack. Instead, they wait while being ready to jump in if the carvanha shows any signs of aggression.
It doesn't come to this, though. The carvanha approaches the shoreline calmly (yet cautiously) and eyes Marc curiously.
Marc [softly]: You don't want to fight, do you?
The carvanha's eyes widen. It didn't think that Marc would figure this out so easily.
But he has. When he returned to his room at the trainer dorms the day before, he contemplated on his encounter with the carvanha. He hadn't really noticed it at first, but when he thought about calmly, he realised that the carvanha hadn't seemed aggressive when they had first met. In fact, it had actually seemed interested.
To give a bit background: The carvanha was released by its trainer, a member of Team Aqua who was on a mission around Rustboro City. The grunt simply abandoned the pokémon in Rustboro Lake.
Since then, the carvanha has tried to get close to bypassing humans, but their immediate reaction when seeing such an unfamiliar, dangerous-looking pokémon has always been either fleeing or fighting it. Nobody seemed to notice that those fierce-looking eyes actually had a soft expression.
When the carvanha hid from Marc's view, it was scared that he would attack it again. However, after witnessing his conversation with Sven, who fought with Marc yesterday, the carvanha wondered if he really would. After all, he seemed to help this other human (albeit a bit reluctantly), even though they were former enemies.
Marc: Sorry for attacking you yesterday. I was a bit rash. You should stop scaring people around here, though. It will only cause you trouble. I can help you if you want.
The carvanha is pleasantly surprised by Marc's attitude towards it. It crawls out of the water, trying to get closer to Marc. Needless to say, it has a hard time moving completely out of its natural element, but it makes it to the spot directly in front of Marc and looks up. It seems quite happy.
Marc [slightly contemplatively]: Well, what to do, though? I guess I should take you to the Ranger Association. They should bring you back to your natural habitat. I think it was somewhere in the large forest area in the east…
The carvanha averts its gaze before Marc can even finish his last sentence. It suddenly looks quite disappointed.
Marc [in surprise]: Huh? What is it? You don't want to return?
The carvanha shakes its head determinedly. Well, it's more that it wiggles its body from side to side because there's not much difference between its head and its body…
Anyway… The carvanha has been searching for a home, not for a way home. When it tried to get people's attention, it didn't do so because it wanted their help to get back to its natural habitat. It wanted to be taken in.
It's a rather long story, but the carvanha has grown quite fond of humans. You could say that it wants to be loved, which is actually a surprisingly accurate description… and the problem. This particular carvanha is… let's say a bit sentimental.
In fact, it is so sentimental that it started to creep the members of Team Aqua out. At the very least, it annoyed them. Since it isn't even extraordinarily strong, Team Aqua decided to get rid of it. In order to cause some havoc while they're at it, they just abandoned it in Rustboro Lake.
This incident certainly disappointed the carvanha, but it didn't discourage it for long, so it tried to befriend any human who stayed long enough near Rustboro Lake. However, the constant running away (not to mention the recent change to outright aggression) was really disheartening.
Long story short, the carvanha feels lonely, and Marc notices that to some extent.
Marc [hesitantly]: I see. I guess I won't do that then… But what to do? [reassuringly] Hey, no need to feel down. We'll find something! [pats the carvanha's head briefly] ARGH…
Marc pulls back his hand and clutches it with his other hand. He didn't take the carvanha's rough skin into consideration. Even this brief touch left some small grazes.
However, the carvanha probably feels even more pain. Marc's reaction reminds it of all the times other humans touched it – always unintentionally, by the way. They usually got annoyed.
The carvanha has desired some contact for a long time. When it was with Team Aqua, it often saw the grunts petting poochyenas or mightyenas. It wanted the same treatment, but it never received it.
When Marc sees the sad expression on the carvanha's face, he is unsure as to what to do. Well, he has an idea, but it seems utterly stupid.
He sighs deeply. He honestly can't believe that he is about to do this, but he can't bear seeing a pokémon being so sad, especially when he basically promised to help it.
Therefore, he begins to stroke the carvanha's head affectionately.
This startles the carvanha, so it looks at Marc with a very surprised expression. Marc just smiles at it.
Marc: Hey, I told you not to be sad, didn't I?
The carvanha is just speechless and doesn't even move an inch. It can tell that Marc's smile is forced. Stroking its head and back has to be painful. Yet he does...
The carvanha focuses on the feeling of Marc's hand on its head. So this is how it feels like... So soothing...
After about a minute, Marc stops and resumes thinking about what to do with this carvanha. Judging by its reaction and general behaviour, this pokémon really wants a trainer. A loving trainer who takes care of it.
Marc: Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but are you looking for a trainer? I mean, a human that you can live with? If so, I'm not sure if I can find you one, but I could try.
The carvanha snaps out of its trance and answers with an expectant look at Marc. He figures that this means yes.
On second thought, it might actually mean a bit more than just that…
Marc [in surprise]: Wait… Do you want to come with me specifically?
The carvanha nods excitedly. That really leaves no doubt…
Marc leans back and thinks about it for a moment. After what happened when he captured Robert, he has become very reluctant to capture other pokémon. In fact, he has never really considered catching another pokémon, fearing that he might tear said pokémon away from its home.
However, if the pokémon in question wants to come with him, there's no reason against it. Marc still has the Ultra Balls that his aunts gave him, although he didn't want them initially because of his aforementioned doubts about catching more pokémon.
Marc [smiles]: Well, if that's what you want, who am I to object?
The carvanha takes a brief look at Phire and Robert. Both pokémon are a bit surprised by this turn of events, but they accept their trainer's decision and smile at their new "comrade".
Seeing that it is welcome, the carvanha smiles happily.
Marc's expression, on the other hand, becomes sour when he realises something.
Marc: I guess I have to give you a nickname, don't I?
Marc shudders at the thought. He still doesn't get the appeal of nicknames, and coming up with them seems like a hassle…
Yet he probably has to give his new pokémon one sooner or later. Adriana would certainly chew him out for not giving it a nickname, and he'd rather avoid that.
Not to mention that the carvanha really looks forward to getting a nickname. Needless to say, it has never received one, but it has seen trainers calling their pokémon affectionately by such names, and it wants to share in this experience.
Phire is a bit curious as to what idea Marc will come up with, but that's it.
The only one who's a bit worried is Robert. She has flashbacks to the time when Marc gave her a nickname… She's still salty about it. Fortunately, this carvanha is indeed male, so Marc will probably avoid the pitfall Robert has in mind by default.
This obviously doesn't help Marc coming up with a name, though. He sits there for several minutes, staring at his carvanha with a puzzled expression. Ugh, what a pain…
After a while, his expression suddenly changes as if he has an idea. This impression is reinforced when he puts his left fist into his right hand.
Marc [slightly determinedly]: Bartholomew!
His original pokémon stare at Marc in shock and disbelief. They need a few seconds to fully grasp how terrible Marc really is at the whole nicknaming thing.
Phire: Are you even serious, Bro?!
Robert: Boss, don't get me wrong, but you totally suck at this! You honestly need to work on that…
They take a look at the freshly baptised Bartholomew, who begins to shed tears.
Robert [in slight annoyance]: Dammit, Boss, you even made him cry!
Bartholomew [happily]: This is so wonderful! I will treasure this moment for the rest of my life!
Phire and Robert [in utter bewilderment, synchronously]: HUUUUUUH?!
Update on Marc's team:
Phire/bagon - Lv. 19
Robert/zangoose - Lv. 21
Bartholomew/carvanha - Lv. 15
And that's that. Another chapter is finished.
Marc got his third team member, Bartholomew the sensitive carvanha. I've also updated the information about his team on my profile page. Also, in case you're wondering, Phire and Robert haven't grown a level so far despite some battles because their opponents were so weak so far - a little issue arising from the fact that they're kind of overleveled at the moment. They're supposed to be close to leveling up, though.
I actually think about giving Sven a little cameo later on, something to show what will happen to him. If I really do that, it'll be when Marc is at Slateport City.
The nickname "Bartholomew" was inspired by the Phineas and Ferb movie "Across the 2nd Dimension". It won't stay forever.
You might've guessed this from mentioning Team Aqua, but this story is supposed to take place at the same time as the events of the games. There will be more hints/cameos about this every now and then. I'll also "play" a little with the timeline of the events, but you'll see what exactly will happen.
By the way, I will go with the Emerald version of events as far as the canon evil teams are concerned, so Team Magma isn't up to anything good either in this story. Just saying to prevent future confusion.
Little preview: The actual Gym battle is getting closer. It's time to get ready! Maybe a bit training with the new team member might help?