Pokemon Journey: Indigo League
Chapter 4: Reviving a Helix
Brandon stifled a yawn as he sat up in the bed. It was still relatively early in the morning but something told him to get up. He looked around the room and spotted Tangela staring up into the orange sky. Curious, Brandon got out of bed and joined his newest Pokemon.
"Couldn't sleep?" Brandon asked Tangela, sitting down beside him.
"Tang," Tangela shook his head.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Brandon wondered.
"Tangela," Tangela again shook his head, not taking his eyes off the sky.
"I understand," Brandon said. "If and when you are ready, we are right here for you."
Tangela looked over at Brandon with a curious look. "Tangela?"
"You are a part of this family now," Brandon explained to the Vine Pokemon. "We will always have your back."
Tangela didn't say anything but the look in his eye told Brandon everything. Tangela wasn't used to having friends or a family, which is why he was shy around him earlier. Tangela has been alone all of its life, as soon as it hatched. What Brandon was telling him was new for Tangela.
"I understand we will need to earn your trust," Brandon said softly. "And we will."
"Tang," Tangela nodded and stepped back into the room. With another look at Brandon, he went to sleep in the chair.
Brandon smiled as he laid back down and soon joined them in dreamland.
"Anything you want to do today?" Ava asked, eating her breakfast.
"Maybe just sightsee?" Brandon suggested, sitting across from Ava at the table.
"What about training for your gym match?" Ava questioned.
"I'll do it later today," Brandon told her. "I want Tangela a chance to recover before training him."
"That is smart," Ava nodded approvingly. She took out a pamphlet and leafed through it. "We could always check out the museum."
"That sounds good," Brandon said. They quickly finished their breakfast and soon were outside the Pewter's Museum of Science. They (begrudgingly) paid the admission and were inside the packed place.
Brandon looked around in awe. He has heard of the place but he never had a chance to visit the place. According to the receptionist, there are two floors to this big place. The first floor held the fossils of different Pokemon from all over the world. The second floor contained a space exhibit, something he was looking forward to. Brandon brought out Tangela and Squirtle, while Ava brought out Eevee.
As a group, they walked around the first floor, looking at all the different fossils that had been discovered. Brandon stopped and stared at the old amber fossil, which is said to revive Aerodactyl, a ferocious flying Pokemon that terrorized cities, at least, according to the legends.
"This is cool to see," Ava said, looking at them all. "It's neat that this place has fossils from all over."
"Yeah," Brandon agreed, walking through the rows of fossils. "I wonder how they revive the fossils."
"For the larger ones, we have a lab on Cinnabar Island," a voice said behind them. "We can do smaller ones. In fact, there should be a demonstration if you want."
Brandon and Ava looked behind them and saw a tour guide, who had a warm smile on his face, though his eyes were telling a different story. Brandon, Ava, Tangela, Eevee, and Squirtle fell in step with the tour and were guided to a big spacious room. The walls were lined with bookshelves full of various books with a few machines near the back of the room. In the middle of the room was a table that had a fancy machine on it, with a female scientist standing behind it.
"Good morning everyone," the lead scientist said, her lab coat open, showing a white t-shirt underneath. She had on protective gear. "Today, we will show you a simple revival. I will need a volunteer."
Ava stepped forward, who then was guided around the table. She was given a lab coat and protective gear.
"Hello," the scientist greeted her. "What is your name?"
"Ava," Ava responded.
"Well Ava, I'm Sarah, the lead scientist for this lovely museum," Sarah introduced herself. She placed a helix fossil on the table. "Today, we will be reviving Omanyte. This species has been extinct for a long time, so we are doing what we could to preserve them. We try and revive one or two per year, to allow them to get accustomed to our lifestyle."
"Ok. What would you like me to do?" Ava asked.
"Once Omanyte is revived, he will have temporary blindness," Sarah explained. "I will be busy operating the machine. I will need you to keep Omanyte calm and relaxed. Can you do that?"
"Sure thing," Ava said.
"Now, folks, today is just a small demonstration of what we do," Sarah told the group while placing the fossil underneath a light. "With your continued donations, we can preserve many different types of Pokemon. So please, if you are able to make any donation, that would go a long way. And without further ado, let's revive Omanyte."
Sarah inputted some codes on the PC and soon a bright light was seen enveloping the fossil. As the light diminished, a yellow-shell blue tentacle Pokemon is seen. It began to panic, not being able to see anything when it heard Ava's voice.
"Hello Omanyte," Ava said softly. "I'm Ava. It's nice to meet you."
"Om?" Omanyte asked, focusing on the voice.
"You are in Pewter City," Ava replied, seeing Sarah indicting to keep talking to it. "You must be scared?"
"Om," Omanyte replied and began crawling towards the voice. He was slowly able to see shapes. Sarah nodded at Ava, telling her to keep talking.
"I'm currently touring around Kanto," Ava told it. "I'm excited to learn more of this region, to learn of its history."
Omanyte blinked its eyes and was finally able to see Ava. He crawled up her arm -which tickled Ava – and nestled on her shoulder. Ava chuckled and rubbed his shell. Sarah was watching the entire thing and made the decision.
"Go ahead," She told Ava. "He will be happy with you."
Ava smiled, took out a Pokeball, and tapped Omanyte on his head. It wiggled a few times before the ball clicked. Ava brought it back out as Brandon scanned it.
"Omanyte, Spiral Pokemon. Water/Rock type. This Pokémon is a member of an ancient, extinct species. Omanyte paddles through the water with its 10 tentacles, looking like it's just drifting along," the voice called back.
"Please take good care of him," Sarah told her as Brandon joined her. She turned towards Brandon. "Welcome young man. I take you are a friend?"
"Yes," Brandon replied.
"Sarah, if I may ask, why did ask me to help?" Ava asked, still a little confused.
"The work we do with revivification is groundbreaking," Sarah explained, powering down the machines. "We only do 1 revivification a year per Pokemon, to allow said species to get accustomed to our way of living. We are talking about Pokemon that have lived thousands of years ago."
"Right," Ava said, following along with the explanation so far.
"We also do one a year because we don't want to upset the current ecosystems," Sarah said. She mentioned for Brandon and Ava to follow her. "Normally, I would have one of my aides with me but today, he is on Cinnabar Island. The reason why I asked for your help is that I can see that you are a traveler, am I right?"
"I am," Ava replied.
"I am hoping that Omanyte will learn about the current world by traveling with you," Sarah explained, leading them up to the second floor. Brandon looked around the exhibit, which was a single room packed with models and explanations. In the middle of the room, though, was a moonstone, or a part of a moonstone. Sarah saw him looking at it.
"This moonstone originally came from Mt. Moon itself," Sarah explained, walking towards the display. "Legend has it that when Pewter City was first being built, some workers accidentally dug into Mt. Moon and disturbed the rock type Pokemon living there. There was a swift attack until a small tribe of Clefairy intervened and saved the workers."
"Oh wow," Brandon said, listening intently to the story.
"Yeah. Some details were fuzzy after that but somehow, Pewter City was able to obtain moonstone and has had it on display ever since," Sarah told them.
"So traveling through Mt. Moon will be dangerous?" Brandon asked.
"Not entirely," Sarah told him, leading him to a map on the wall. She pointed out the interior of Mt. Moon. "We have made improvements over the years to all of the cave systems in Kanto. For each cave, we have made a single route that extends safely through a mountain. Now, however, if you want to explore a cave, you can but you need certification to go deeper, where it gets more dangerous."
"That's what those colors are for?" Ava asked, looking at routes that were colored green, yellow, and red.
"Correct. The green routes are for the beginners," Sarah explained. "The yellow routes are for the more experienced cave explorers, and red is for the advanced explorers. It takes a while to gain access to the red routes, for good reason."
"So each mountain/cave system in Kanto has this?" Brandon asked, not seeing other places on the map.
"Correct," Sarah confirmed. "We don't have a map of those since we only deal with Mt. Moon here. But you can check on those maps in their respective cities. For instance, Cerulean City will have the interior map of the Rock Tunnel."
"That's awesome," Brandon replied. "Do I need a map to travel through Mt. Moon?"
"It wouldn't hurt but I do know we have an app for that," Sarah said, pausing for a moment. She took out her Poketch and searched for it. "Ah. Here it is. OKEL app."
"Do I need to install it?" Brandon asked. "And what does OKEL stand for?"
"Not really," Sarah told him. "I mean, we have a map at the entrance of Mt. Moon and the map app has a basic version, but it would be helpful since the app adds the interior maps for the other caves in Kanto. OKEL is the Kanto Explorer's League. A team designed to explore the depths of caves/mountains."
"That is pretty cool," Ava replied. "I believe Johto has a chapter as well, or something similar."
"Correct. The Johto Explorer's League," Sarah nodded. "Since Kanto and Johto are connected, it made sense to extend the team into each region. I do believe other regions have similar teams, but I am not 100% sure. Are you two taking part in the gym challenge?"
"Only Brandon is," Ava replied. "I'm taking a break from it."
"Well, Brandon I wish you luck," Sarah told him. An idea popped into her mind as she went through her clipboard, pulling out a form. "Since Ava got a partner, I think I will give you an option of a fossil as well. Currently, we only have an Old Amber on hand, but we might have more in the coming weeks. You don't need to decide right now but I can book you an appointment for our Cinnabar Research Lab since you should be heading there eventually."
"Oh wow, thank you," Brandon said, not sure what to say. "I will get back to you if that is alright."
"That's fine," Sarah told him with a smile. She handed him a card. "When you are close to Cinnabar Island, let me know. I will fly down and do the revivification myself."
"Again, thank you," Brandon repeated.
"My pleasure," Sarah said. She looked at her watch. "Well, I should get back to work. Good luck Brandon with your gym challenge and take care of Omanyte Ava."
Sarah nodded to them as she entered an "Employees Only" door. Brandon and Ava decided to head back to the Pokemon Center. Brandon was eager to start training while Ava wanted to get to know Omanyte better.
"Do you know anything about the gym here?" Ava asked, looking through the leaflet she acquired from Nurse Joy. They were back in the Pokemon Center, sitting on Brandon's bed.
"Only that the leader specializes in rock types," Brandon answered.
"That should make it easier for you then," Ava stated, sitting back in her chair.
"You should know -while yes type advantages are good- gym leaders are known to have strategies for them," Brandon pointed out.
"Good," Ava said, a smile on her face. "Glad you know that."
"You were testing me," Brandon stated, his eyes narrowing at her.
"Hell yeah, I was," Ava said, laughing now. "Even if I am the more experienced trainer between us, I just won't give away the answers. You have to learn things on your own."
"Makes sense," Brandon replied. He began to think. "I can't remember what Pokemon he used against Kelly though."
"Would that make it easier?" Kelly asked, watching him.
"No," Brandon immediately responded. "I'm glad I don't remember. It allows me to come up with a strategy freely, rather than come up with a forced strategy."
"From our battle, it seems like you have a start with Squirtle," Ava told him.
"Right," Brandon nodded. He took out his Pokedex and looked through Tangela's information. He saw that he knew absorb, bind and stun spore. "I still need to see how Tangela battles, or even if Tangela battles."
"You have some time to figure it out," Ava said, getting up and stretched. "I'm headed for a shower and going for a bite to eat. See you down there?"
"Of course," Brandon said. Once Ava left, Brandon jumped in for a quick shower as well and joined her for a bite to eat. He found himself wandering to the practice field and stepped onto the pitch. He pulled out Squirtle's and Tangela's Pokeballs and called them out.
"Hey guys," Brandon said, kneeling. "Tomorrow, we will be taking on our first ever gym. I realize this might be nerve-wracking but know this. We are in this together, no matter what."
"Squirtle!" Squirtle responded.
"Tangela," Tangela echoed though more timidly.
Brandon smiled at Tangela but didn't say anything. He figured he needed to show Tangela, rather than tell. "Let's try a little training before bed. Normally, we start the day with a small run but today was an exception. Actually, gym match days will also be an exception as well. Tonight, I just want to get a sense of your style Tangela."
"Tangela?" the Vine Pokemon asked.
"It'll be a practice match between you and Squirtle," Brandon answered him.
Suddenly, a white-bodied Pokemon with a pink-tipped tail appeared in front of Tangela, scaring the Vine Pokemon. Curious, Brandon brought out his Pokedex and scanned it.
"Mankey, the Pig-Like Pokemon. Fighting-type. An agile Pokémon that lives in trees. It angers easily and will not hesitate to attack anything," the voice called out.
"Looks angry alright," Brandon muttered, putting away his Pokedex. He saw a small group of people gathering around. At his side, Squirtle was about to step forward when Brandon halted him.
"I appreciate it Squirtle, but this is Tangela's fight," Brandon said, looking down at his partner. He looked back up at a frightened Tangela, who was trying to put distance between himself and Mankey. Mankey was content with just standing there, taunting the Vine Pokemon.
"Tangela, it'll be fine," Brandon called out reassuringly. "We're right behind you. You got this."
"Tangela," Tangela said in a shaky voice but he did stop moving, though he was still scared.
"Let's start with a bind attack!" Brandon shouted.
Tangela sent out his vines in a halfhearted attempt to grapple Mankey, who leaped out of the way. It began charging at Tangela, raising her fists.
"Tangela, dodge it," Brandon called out.
Tangela tried to dodge but Mankey came in with a scratch, sending Tangela rolling back a little. Mankey then proceeded to unleash a series of scratches on Tangela, wounding the Vine Pokemon.
By now, this battle had drawn in more people, including Forrest, the gym leader. He was about to call out a Pokemon when Ava spoke up.
"Let Brandon handle this," Ava told him. Forrest turned towards her but after a nod from her, he lowered his ball. Brandon sent her a grateful nod before addressing his injured Tangela.
"Tangela, you can do it," Brandon told him encouragingly. "I told you this morning we are all behind you, no matter what. I realize you might not have had that in your past, but you have to trust me when I say you do now."
Tangela sat up and stared at Brandon before shifting his gaze towards Squirtle, who was giving him a nod. Tangela looked at Ava and Eevee, who also gave him a friendly nod before turning his attention back onto Brandon, who wore that same reassuring smile. He felt a warmth spread throughout his vines as Tangela climbed back to its feet, glaring at Mankey. In the background, the crowd began to cheer Tangela on.
"I knew you can do it," Brandon shouted. "Mankey is fast, so we need to wait for a chance to strike."
"Tangela!" Tangela replied, focusing on Mankey.
Mankey sprang towards Tangela with its fists again, ready to strike again but this time, Brandon was ready.
"Sidestep and grab a hold of Mankey's right fist," Brandon commanded.
Tangela just barely sidestepped the attack, which momentarily shocked Mankey, and released a vine, wrapping Mankey's fist.
"Great job. Now absorb!" Brandon yelled.
"Mankey!" Mankey cried out, feeling some of her energy being drained as she desperately tried to break free. She began flailing her legs, which knocked Tangela back and releasing her fist. Super angry now, she began to get pumped.
"That looks like focus energy," Brandon muttered to himself. "We need to finish this fight quickly. Alright, Tangela, use stun spore!"
Tangela unleashed a series of an orange powder, hitting Mankey as she began to charge. At first, it didn't look like it worked but Brandon could see a speed drop.
"Now's our chance. Grab Mankey's arm!" Brandon shouted.
Vines encircled Mankey's arm as she tried to jab at Tangela. With a mighty effort, Tangela sent Mankey flying (and crashing) into the ground, ending the battle.
"Great job Tangela," Brandon said, coming over to the Mankey. He knelt and sprayed a potion on her. "And you battled well Mankey."
"Mankey," Mankey answered, looking sad.
"Why not join me, Mankey?" Forrest said, stepping forward. "You battled well and I could use that on my team."
Mankey looked up at the Forrest before she nodded. Forrest tapped a Pokeball on her forehead before it clicked as the crowd clapped for Tangela.
"Thank you Tangela," Forrest told the Vine Pokemon. "I love your fighting spirit."
"Tangela," Tangela replied.
"This Mankey is known around these parts," Forrest explained to Brandon and Ava. "Whenever trainers are training, she would drop in and challenge them, defeating a lot of the trainers."
"She's pretty tough," Brandon admitted.
"Thank you for stopping her," Forrest said, extending his hand.
"Actually, I think we should be thanking her, right Tangela?" Brandon said, shaking the man's hand.
"I take it that Tangela is a new Pokemon for you?" Forrest asked as the crowd began to disperse.
"Found it poisoned underneath a tree yesterday," Brandon explained. "I was going to train it a little before taking on the gym tomorrow."
"Ah, so you are a gym challenger," Forrest said smiling. "Well, I look forward to your challenge then."
"Well, I should go get Tangela checked out so he can battle tomorrow," Brandon said.
"Of course," Forrest nodded. He nodded to them before leaving the fields.
Brandon recalled Tangela and Squirtle before rentering the Pokemon Center. He quickly got his Pokemon checked out before walking with Ava up to their rooms.
"Thank you, Ava," Brandon said, pausing at his door.
"For what?" Ava asked, confused.
"For stepping in and stopping Forrest," Brandon told her. "That battle is what Tangela needed but we couldn't have done that without your help."
"Glad to help out," Ava said. She opened her door. "Good night Brandon."
"Night Ava," Brandon said, stepping into his room and closing the door. Within minutes, he fell asleep with his first gym match tomorrow.
A/N: Thank you for the follow Featherfishy. I really do appreciate it. There was a lot in this chapter. Ava got a brand new partner, Tangela got some confidence, and Forrest, the gym leader, also got a new Pokemon. Bet a lot of you were surprised at that twist huh? I hope anyway :D. Also, I went back and edited chapters 1 and 2 for grammar and spelling mistakes. Nothing really changed much but thought you guys should know. I will be using the Sword and Shield Pokedex on PokemonDB. As for Kunoichi69's question, I would imagine, with the exception of Galar, most other regions Pokemon would have come to Kanto somehow (whether Kanto trainers leaving Pokemon with Professor Oak, breeding, etc). That being said, I will focus more on Kanto Pokemon but there might be one or two Pokemon that are originally from a different region. Next week, we will see Brandon's first gym match. Have a great week :)