"A one in eight thousand chance, and it's my first catch!" Stephan was still sounding insanely giddy. And to be fair, who wouldn't after catching a Pokemon of a different color? Especially when it was one's first catch.
Ryan clapped his friend's shoulder, and was about to congratulate him, when something stopped him. He had felt the ground begin to shake under his feet. And as the seconds ticked by, the shaking became far more intense. Ryan then looked to his friend, giving Stephan a look of great concern. That look being returned, and in that moment the two came to an understanding. Whatever it was that was causing the ground to shake beneath them, the two needed to get away as fast as possible.
For the safety of their Pokemon, the two boys withdrew them into their Pokeballs. The two then turned tail, and began to run. At that point, the ground was shaking so bad at that point, that they had nearly tripped over their own feet.
"Don't know what that is, but I'm not sticking around to find o-OHHHHHHH SHI-!" The ground had split apart at Ryan's feet, and he felt something hard under his feet. He was quickly launched into the air. Higher, and higher, Ryan rose into the air. If he wasn't terrified by just what it was that had launched him into the air, he would have found the view to be rather nice. And then he looked down. It was a very, very far drop down. Something that he was sure he wasn't going to survive.
And then he began his descent. Wind whistling past his ears so loud, that he didn't even hear the scream that had left his mouth. The ground was quickly approaching, and an unheard stream of curses that would shock Samuel L. Jackson left his mouth. And then, Ryan felt something grab onto his backpack, halting his descent abruptly. Utterly shocked at having been saved from being a pancake, Ryan looked up and saw an olive drab green bird, with the straps of his pack in its talons. "...Skarmory?"
He wheezed his words out, partially having lost his voice when he had been falling through the air moments ago. The steel bird gave an affirmative squawk, and with a flap of its wings, lowered Ryan safely to the ground. Stephan ran up to his friend once he was back on solid ground.
"Sweet mother of Arceus, are you alright!?" Stephan was wide-eyed in a mixture of shock, horror, and relief. He embraced his friend, after Skarmory let go of Ryan's pack straps.
"...I think I need a new change of pants… but I think I'm okay…" Ryan wheezed out with a weak laugh. It earned him another embrace from his friend, which he returned after a moment. "So… what was that…?"
"It's one angry Onix." Stephan began, and pointed towards just what it was that had launched Ryan into the air. The massive rock-like snake, had half of its body out of the large six foot hole it had made when it burst from underground. "I'll handle this. Right Chikorita?"
"Chii!" The small grass Pokemon had a determined look in her eyes, and she quickly bound towards the angry rock Pokemon. Stephan followed quickly behind, Pokedex in hand to check Chikorita's stats and whatever moves she knew.
Chikorita: OT Stephan Sanderson. Moves: Tackle, Sweet Scent, Vine Whip.
"Right then! Since rock Pokemon don't like water or grass moves, let's start with Vine Whip!" Stephan commanded. Two vines sprung forward from the small seedlings, the both of those vines smacking the Onix across the face. The large rock snake let out a roar like a wounded Tauros, and turned its attention to the small determined grass Pokemon.
The Onix reared back, aiming to squash the little Pokemon with its massive bulk. Until…
"Cindaquill, Smokescreen!" A small black orb of smoke launched through the air, hitting the Onix in the eyes. Blinding it, and causing its Tackle attack missed Chikorita by several feet. Shocked at that, Stephan whirled about. Ryan having recovering from his near fatal experience, and he and his Cindaquill decided to join in.
The two friends nodded at one another, before simultaneously commanding their Pokemon.
"Ember!"
"Vine Whip!"
Cindaquill shot out small flames from his mouth, hitting the Onix in the face. Ryan knew it wouldn't do much, but rather use that attack than risk his little guy getting hurt by using Tackle. However, the vines that slapped across the Onix's face, that was a rather powerful blow. So powerful in fact, that it knocked the Onix out of the hole. It created a large gouge in the earth, when it was sent tumbling away, causing several Ratatta and Sentret to scatter away.
"I got this one mate!" Stephan held an arm out across Ryan's chest, and Ryan stepped back. A red and white Pokeball flew out of Stephan's hand, and the Onix was enveloped in a bright white light.
1.
2.
3.
Click!
"And that takes care of that." Stephan let out a sigh, before retrieving the Pokeball that contained the newly captured Onix. His Pokedex chimed, letting him know that Onix's data had just been added to his Pokedex. "Let's get out of here, before more of those show up."
Not keen on being flung into the air once again, Ryan was very quick to agree.
The two made their way towards Cherrygrove City. Stephan having run out of Pokeballs, after adding Sentret, Ratatta, and Spearow and Pidgey to his team. Aside from his Geodude, Ryan had only added a Pidgey of his own.
"You're really dead set on completing the Pokedex." Ryan clapped Stephan's shoulder good-naturedly. His own Pidgey twittering happily on his shoulder.
"Yep. I told you I was gonna do it." Stephan gave Ryan a thumbs up, as the two set foot into Cherrygrove. The first thing that Stephan did was to drag Ryan straight into the Pokemart. He needed to restock on Pokeballs, and Ryan followed suit. Though it wasn't like he had much of a choice.
After their shopping, Ryan went next door to the Pokemon center. He was going to let his companions get a small rest in, before continuing on. Reading the latest issue of Trainer's Monthly that featured Cynthia, the popular champion of the Sinnoh League, Ryan was reading the article that was the interview with Cynthia, when something caught his eye. A boy with red hair, and dark clothes. Shocked, Ryan looked up from the magazine. Yet in the next moment, the young red-haired man was gone. "Was that…?"
"Excuse me Mr. Marshall." Nurse Joy chimed in from behind the desk she sat behind. "But your Pokemon have been fully restored."
Setting the magazine down, Ryan crossed over to recover his three occupied Pokeballs. Cindaquill popping out of his, and scurrying up onto Ryan's shoulder. Something that made Nurse Joy giggle, and smile.
"Your Cindaquill seems quite attached to you."
Giving the little fire hedgehog an affectionate pat on the head, Ryan couldn't help but smile. "He's a good little guy. Thanks again Nurse Joy." He then left the center, giving his Cindaquill an Oran Berry to munch on, which he did happily.
"All set?" Stephan asked. He was standing just outside the recovery center, tossing a Pokeball into the air, and letting it fall back into his hand. He seemed impatient to get back on the road, but that was normal for Stephan.
"Yeah… hey, you didn't see a guy with red hair pass by did you?" Ryan fixed his friend with a curious look, only for Stephan to shake his head. "Weird, I could have sworn…"
"What, do you think he's back?" Picking up on who Ryan was talking about, he regarded him with the same curious look Ryan had given him.
"Maybe…"