A/N: Thank you Kingv12 for the favorite and the follow. I really do appreciate it. I'm glad that you guys or girls are enjoying the story so far. I know there's not a lot of battles right now but I do plan on adding them in. It also seems like the majority of you are wondering if Brandon will catch a bug-type Pokemon because of Kelly's influence. Just keep reading :) Anyways, enjoy chapter 3 :)
Pokemon Journey: Indigo League
Chapter 3: Decisions
"Squirtle, water gun!" Brandon shouted.
"Caterpie, use string shot as an escape route!" The bug catcher countered.
Squirtle charged forward, unleashing a water gun attack. Caterpie countered with a string shot onto a branch and swung away from the water attack.
"Great job Caterpie. Now, use tackle!" The bug catcher commanded.
Using the momentum from the swinging, Caterpie launched itself at the turtle pokemon.
"Squirtle, wait for it," Brandon told him, watching the Caterpie. He waited until Caterpie was in range before issuing his next command. "Now, use your shell to stop the attack!"
Squirtle spun around, feeling the caterpillar pokemon smash into his shell. Understanding what his trainer was going for, Squirtle unleashed a close-ranged water gun, sending Caterpie flying.
"Great job Squirtle!" Brandon shouted. "Now, let's finish this with another water gun!"
Squirtle quickly aimed and fired at Caterpie, effectively ending this match.
"Caterpie, return," the bug catcher said, recalling his fainted Pokemon. He turned towards Brandon and offered his hand. "Your Squirtle is pretty cool. Thank you for the battle."
"Your Caterpie was cool as well. I wouldn't have thought to use string shot like that," Brandon praised the trainer while shaking his hand.
"Thanks. Well, good luck!" The bug catcher said, scurrying off into the woods.
Brandon decided to stop for a snack and sat down, Squirtle sitting beside him.
"Not bad for a second battle huh?" Brandon asked, taking a bite out of a pre-prepared sandwich.
"Squirtle," Squirtle agreed, eating half of the sandwich.
"Oh. I can't believe I didn't do this earlier," Brandon exclaimed, taking out his Pokedex. He scanned Squirtle.
"Squirtle, the tiny turtle pokemon. Water-type. When it retracts its long neck into its shell, it squirts out water with vigorous force," the voice chimes back.
"Squirtle!" Squirtle said proudly, after listening to the voice.
Brandon looked at the map on his Poketch. "Well, we have a choice to make. According to this map, we are about half a day away from Pewter City. We can set up camp or walk into the night and arrive near midnight. What would you prefer?"
"Squirtle," Squirtle replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Thanks, buddy," Brandon chuckled. He looked at the map again and then at their surroundings and decided. "We'll make camp shortly. Now, I have to find a spot."
Brandon got up and resumed walking, looking for a good camp spot. For the next few hours, he couldn't find one. The sun was starting to set when he finally found a decent spot. The only problem: Someone was already there. Brandon still approached the spot, hoping they could share it.
He saw a green tent set up, with a stove near the fire pit. There was a pot on the stove. He saw an Eevee sleeping beside the fire with Ava sitting on a log. She looked up when she heard the footsteps, letting a smile grace her lips when she saw Brandon.
"Howdy," she called out cheerfully, inviting them into their campsite.
"Hey Ava," Brandon greeted her, sitting down. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"Same," Ava laughed, offering him a cup of hot chocolate, which he readily accepted.
"Thanks," Brandon said, taking a sip. "I have a favor to ask,"
"You want to know if you can share the campsite?" Ava guessed.
"How did you know?" Brandon asked in shock.
"This is the only campsite around here," Ava chuckled. She got up and checked the pot. "To answer your question, yes. Yes, you can share the campsite, though you owe me a dinner at some point."
"Squirtle," Squirtle said, shaking his head amusingly.
"Squirtle seems to disagree,' Ava said, grinning.
"I'm working on it," Brandon responded to Squirtle, who just laughed. "Thanks, a lot Squirtle."
"I take it you just started?" Ava asked.
"Yeah. This is our third day," Brandon answered. "I think so far, we have done pretty well."
"That's good," Ava told him, checking on supper again.
"What about you?" Brandon asked.
"I competed in the Silver Conference last year," Ava told him. She began to dish out supper – mac and cheese – and sitting back down.
"That's cool. Where did you place?" Brandon asked, taking a bite.
"Top 32," Ava replied. "I decided to take a year off and just travel, which is why I am here in Kanto."
"Do you plan on challenging gyms again?" Brandon wondered.
"I do," Ava responded. "I just needed time to figure out things."
"So Eevee isn't your first Pokemon?" Brandon asked, finishing his bowl.
"No. She's actually my newest Pokemon," Ava explained. "I left my team with my parents. Eevee decided to follow me to Kanto."
"If I may ask, why choose Kanto?" Brandon asked.
"It was the closest region," Ava shrugged. She collected the dishes and placed them in the makeshift sink. "This way, I am closer to home when I am ready to go back. You must be excited though. Your first gym match must be coming up."
"Yeah," Brandon said, getting up to help with the dishes. "Squirtle and I are training hard."
"Good," Ava said with a smile as she washed the dishes. "Challenging gyms isn't easy, though I don't think I need to say that."
"So I heard," Brandon replied easily, drying the dishes.
"Let me guess. An older family member?" Ava asked as she finished washing the dishes.
"Kelly, my older sister," Brandon confirmed. "She's currently in Kalos though she did come back to see me off."
"That's nice of her," Ava said, emptying the basin. She began to put away the stove. "To stop in the middle of her travels to come home. You two must be close."
"We're really close," Brandon replied, drying the basin. "I feel like I can talk to her about anything."
"That's good," Ava said, turning her head away from Brandon briefly, a look of sadness passing over her face. She immediately put a smile on her face as she finally sat down to rest. "Family is important."
"She taught me a lot," Brandon said, looking up at the sky. The sun had set, showing a clear, starry night. Beside him, Squirtle fell asleep. Brandon fetched a blanket and placed it over top of him.
"I see that she gave you a really important piece of advice," Ava said, watching Brandon with a smile on her face. "For many new trainers, they only care about winning. They only set out to collect the strongest teams they could."
"Kelly mentioned that to me," Brandon told her. "She said that a lot of her battles came down to willpower, something you don't get if you don't have a strong bond."
"Exactly," Ava nodded. "I can already see the bonds forming between you and Squirtle. That will go a long way."
"Thank you Ava for allowing us to share your campsite," Brandon said, fetching his sleeping bag. "It's been a long day. I'm going to turn in."
"Sounds good," Ava said. She got up and entered her tent.
Brandon settled down on the ground, next to Squirtle, and soon sleep overtook him.
"Come on Squirtle, only a couple of feet left," Brandon encouraged, running alongside Squirtle. The crisp morning air providing a nice breeze. They got up early enough before Ava and Eevee and went on their early morning run.
"Squirt," Squirtle said, jogging alongside his trainer. He was enjoying the quiet when he spotted what looked to be a pile of vines. At first, he disregarded it but something told him to look closer and sure enough, he spotted a Pokemon and ran towards it, calling out to Brandon. "Squirtle!"
Brandon looked around and saw what Squirtle was talking about. He ran towards the Pokemon, reaching it at the same time as Squirtle. He swiftly knelt to examine it, his eyes going wide. It was the same Tangela that he saw in Viridian City. He could tell he was poisoned and slowly succumbing to it. Brandon quickly scooped it up and sprinted back towards the camp.
"Good for.. what's happening?" Ava asked quickly, noticing the Tangela in Brandon's arms.
"Looks like he or she was poisoned," Brandon quickly explained, setting it down on his sleeping bag. He got his backpack and looked for an antidote. Finding it, he quickly sprayed it on the Tangela and sat back. "Squirtle found Tangela resting near a tree."
"That poor thing," Ava said, immediately began to make something to eat. "I have some soup heating on the stove."
"Thank you," Brandon told her. He quickly changed into his traveling gear and sat beside the Tangela. Curious about it, Brandon took out his Pokedex and scanned it.
"Tangela, the vine Pokemon. Grass-type. Hidden beneath a tangle of vines that grows nonstop even if the vines are torn off, this Pokémon's true appearance remains a mystery," the voice told him.
For the next few hours, Brandon sat by Tangela's side while Ava tore down the campsite. There was no improvement in Tangela's health, which worried Brandon. He kept looking at the map on his Poketch, trying to determine the best route. Should he go back to Viridian City or head to Pewter City? Which would be the fastest?
Ava, after checking on both Brandon and Tangela, suggested they should leave and head towards Pewter City. Brandon nodded and carried the vine Pokemon, keeping a damp cloth on its forehead. Still, there was no improvement in Tangela's health. Finally, Ava spoke up.
"You might need to catch it," Ava said, walking beside Brandon, worry on her face as well.
"I don't want to catch it without knowing if Tangela wants to come with me," Brandon told her.
"It might be the only way to save it," Ava pointed out. "For whatever reason, Pokeballs seem to slow down poisons."
"Really? I didn't know that." Brandon exclaimed, still watching Tangela.
"They have made improvements to Pokeball technologies over the years," Ava told him. "By catching Tangela, you might just save its life."
Brandon still wasn't sure about it but eventually saw the wisdom in Ava's words. He pulled out an extra ball and tapped the Tangela on the head and watched it get disappear in the ball. It wiggled a few times before it clicked, signaling that Tangela was now part of his family.
"I understand that might not be how you wanted to catch your first Pokemon," Ava said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But you did the right thing."
"I hope so," Brandon said, looking up. "Come on, let's get to Pewter City."
Pewter City, the small, quiet town that was nestled against Mt. Moon. Normally, it was a quiet town but with the start of a new season, there were a lot of trainers roaming the sidewalks, waiting to challenge the gym. Today was no exception, as Brandon and Ava sprinted down the sidewalk towards the Pokemon Center. They entered packed the building with Brandon immediately went to the counter.
"Nurse Joy, Tangela was poisoned. We've tried everything to cure it but we can't. Can you please help him?" Brandon asked, out of breath and putting the Pokeball on the counter.
"Of course," Nurse Joy immediately said, taking the ball and gave it to Chansey. "We'll do everything we can to heal it back. In the meantime, would you two like to wait in the waiting room?"
"Do you have any rooms available?" Brandon asked.
"You guys are in luck," Nurse Joy said, looking at the PC. "We have 2 rooms available. Would you guys like to book them?"
Brandon looked over at Ava, who nodded. "We will, thank you."
"Can I see your trainer cards please?" Nurse Joy asked. Brandon and Ava both handed over their cards and Nurse Joy quickly entered their information into the PC. She handed them their room cards with a smile. "All done. Rooms 365 and 364 are yours."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ava said. "How long do you think we will hear about Tangela?"
"Unfortunately, I can't answer that right now," Nurse Joy replied a hint of sadness in her voice. "We'll do whatever it takes though."
Brandon nodded and stepped away from the counter. He looked at Ava, not sure what to do here. Luckily, Ava knew.
"Come on," Ava said, leading Brandon towards the stairway that leads up to their rooms. "We won't hear anything right now. We should go get changed and freshen up."
Brandon entered his room – which was brown colored with a bed, desk, chair, PC – and placed his bag near his bed. He quickly went for a shower and soon was ready to head back downstairs. But he wasn't ready for that just yet. He sat on his bed, thoughts swirling around in his head.
His main thought was on Tangela, his newest Pokemon. He has complete faith in Nurse Joy but how did Tangela get poisoned like that? And will Tangela resent him for catching him without his permission? He heard a knock on his door.
"It's open," he said, still sitting on his bed.
"Hey, just wanted to check in," Ava said gently, stepping into the room. She was dressed in a blue flannel shirt with jeans. Her hair was again put into a ponytail.
"Think I will be alright," Brandon said, adjusting his red hoodie. "Just thinking about Tangela."
"Look, you made the right call," Ava said, sitting on the bed beside him. "No matter what happens, you saved his life."
"I know that," Brandon said quietly. "I just hope he will pull through."
"Nurse Joy and Chansey are excellent at their jobs. They will make sure Tangela will get the help it needs," Ava said, trying to cheer up Brandon. "Meanwhile, we have a whole new city to explore."
"We?" Brandon asked, looking at her.
"Yeah, we," Ava stated. "If it's alright with you, I would love to travel with you. You are a pretty cool guy."
"Umm, sure," Brandon replied, completely surprised by the request. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting that."
"Always expect the unexpected," Ava chuckled. "Now, come on. We have some things to do while we wait."
Brandon nodded and got up. He left his pack but grabbed his Pokeballs and locked the door. He followed Ava back downstairs but paused when he saw the phones.
"I'm going to call my folks if that's alright," Brandon said, pointing towards the phones.
"Sure thing," Ava said, following Brandon towards the phones.
Brandon punched in the house's number and within 3 rings his mom answered. She smiled when she saw her son.
"Brandon!" Lisa said. "How are things going?"
"Going good thanks," Brandon answered her. "We're currently in Pewter City."
"So you will be challenging the gym today?" Lisa asked. Behind her, Fred came onto the screen.
"Not today. Probably in a few days," Brandon told her. "Mom, Dad, this is Ava, a new friend."
"A pleasure," Ava said, nodding to them.
"Nice to meet you, Ava," Fred said, waving to her. "Glad to see Brandon has someone with him. You can call us Lisa and Fred."
"Thank you, Fred," Ava said. She stepped a little behind Brandon.
"So Brandon, did you catch any Pokemon?" Lisa asked her son.
"A Tangela. That's why we are at the Pokemon Center right now," Brandon answered.
"Oh, dear. What happened?" Fred asked his son.
"Not sure. Squirtle found it lying on the ground poisoned. Ava was the one who suggested I catch it," Brandon explained.
"Well, I hope Tangela gets better," Lisa said. She pulled out a tray of cookies. "Have you spoken to Kelly yet?"
"Not yet," Brandon said. "I will try her later."
"Wait a bit," Lisa told him. "She was about to enter some sort of cave at the moment."
"Sounds good," Brandon said. He got an idea. "Would you guys like to come to Pewter City and see my first gym match?"
"We would love to," Lisa said, smiling. "Do you know when you want to challenge it?"
"I'm thinking in a few days," Brandon said, thinking. "It all depends on how Tangela is feeling."
"Sounds good. Just let us know," Fred said. He looked over at the stove. "Looks like dinner is ready. Good luck!"
"Thanks, Dad," Brandon said, waving goodbye. "Love you guys."
"Nice to meet you, Ava," Lisa said before turning off the videophone.
"They are nice," Ava said, leaning against Brandon's chair. "And to invite them to your first gym match. Not many trainers would do that."
"I've always had that idea in my mind," Brandon said, getting up. "I was hoping Kelly would be around but I understand. Sounds like she's doing alright in Kalos."
"Have you guys had a battle yet?" Ava asked.
"Not yet. Kelly promised that if I place in the Indigo League, we will have a full battle afterward," Brandon said, walking towards the counter. "I want to check-in and see if there is an update on Tangela."
"Nurse Joy, sorry to ask again, but is there an update on Tangela?" Brandon asked hopefully.
"We have managed to isolate the poison," Nurse Joy told him with a smile. "With this information, we are confident that Tangela should be back to full health in a couple of hours."
"That's a relief," Brandon said, feeling a weight leaving his shoulders.
"Please don't let your Pokemon get into that condition again," Nurse Joy said sternly.
"It wasn't him," Ava said quickly. Nurse Joy eyed her, waiting for an explanation.
"We found Tangela poisoned underneath a tree," Brandon explained. "We did everything we could. Antidotes, food but nothing would break it. It was Ava's idea to catch him to help."
"I see. Sorry if I jumped to conclusions," Nurse Joy replied, regret in her voice. "You have a smart friend. If you didn't catch him, who knows what would have happened."
"So I have been told," Brandon said, a smile forming on his face.
"Come back in 2 hours," Nurse Joy told them. "We should have a definite answer by then."
"Thank you," Brandon said gratefully, leaving the counter.
For the next few hours, Brandon and Ava hung around the Pokemon Center quietly. They tried small talk but Brandon's mind was elsewhere understandably. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nurse Joy called him over to the counter.
"Great news Brandon," She said with a gentle smile. "Tangela will make a full recovery."
"That's a relief," Brandon replied.
"Chansey," Chansey said, bringing out Tangela's Pokeball.
"Thank you Chansey," Brandon said, taking the ball. He bowed again before heading outside, Ava following. Once they were in a secluded place, Brandon brought Tangela out.
"Hello Tangela," Brandon said warmly. "Glad you are feeling better."
"Tangela," Tangela replied, shyly.
Brandon knelt in front of Tangela, looking him in the eye. "Look, I want you to have a choice. I caught you to save you but since you are now ok, I will leave the choice up to you. I would love it if you traveled with us but I won't make you. If you choose to leave, I completely understand. And please, don't think you owe me anything. I want you to make the choice based on what you feel."
Brandon stood up and backed away from the vine pokemon. He was serious. He wanted Tangela to make the decision. For Tangela's part, he searched Brandon's eyes, looking for anything that would tell him anything. Truth was, Tangela felt indebted to him but at the same time, he understood that Brandon doesn't see it like that. Finally, Tangela walked and stood by Brandon, choosing to stay with him.
"Welcome to the family officially," Brandon said, smiling down at him.