AN: It's been a little while, but I hope the wait it worth it! Even though summer is upon us, I'm not going to promise anything as I am very slow ._ . But onto reviews!
Dabber2121, I'm glad this is still considered a good story to you. Sometimes, I can't help but find myself critiquing myself too much ;|. Faranon423, I like Flygon a lot so hopefully I'm able to let Paul's shine when it evolves.
Blaze2121, Thanks for the critiques, should be fixed now. Paul knows that his presence has already changed things, but certain events can still happen and Paul necessarily doesn't care to change that. Rhatch89, Thank you for your faithful reviews. I appreciate them all lots!
luffymonky26, Thank you for the review! I can tell you are engaged in the story and that helps a lot for motivation for me. Mega Evolution is indeed something Paul could go for although from what I've been trying to show, it's not something he necessarily has the resources for. Something special would have to happen for Paul to even obtain a mega stone.
Discord: [discord . gg / yARsw4UtaC]
Thank you guys so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please leave your thoughts in the reviews.
"Everyone regroup! It's time for us to move out again!" I called out to my Pokémon who were all working on their own moves again. While on the road, it's usually optimal to dedicate some time for training as long as you don't leave yourself time to travel at all. Since I want to keep everyone sharp, having everyone sort of do their own thing can lead to some fascinating results.
"K-Krow!" a feathered body of black flew by and landed on my shoulder, perching there.
"Raptor!" a larger feathered body flew to a nearby tree, taking rest there. Obviously it was my two flying types on the team: Murkrow and Staraptor. Staraptor has been trying to help improve Murkrow's flying strength and speed. Even though Murkrow has been with me for longer, Staraptor has the advantage of both evolution and being a naturally gifted flier.
From what I've seen of their training, Murkrow has trouble with pushing past the harder winds and performing crazy feats of speed in the air that Staraptor is able to do. There wasn't so much as a focus on particular moves in the air at the moment. Staraptor is handling most of the training after all and usually if the base stats of a Pokémon increase, the usefulness of a move increases too.
"Those were some fancy flying maneuvers you two were pulling off. Well done," I said, giving Murkrow a congratulatory scratch on his head, particularly the back of it. Staraptor merely looked on with pride, content with just the words.
Soon, I heard two sets of footsteps approaching fast, one having way more weight behind it than the other. Knowing who it was, I left a lot of space open for him to stop himself. "Hari-yama!" called out the formidable Arm Thrust Pokémon, flexing his hands while he told me that he had arrived.
Not far behind him was Electabuzz who has been attempting to up his speed and power with Hariyama. "Buzz!" he heaved hard out, announcing his return. Electabuzz was determined to improve as he wanted to match Monferno. His strikes had the experience behind them, but they lacked the special coordination that could be capitalized on with a creative battle prowess intellect. For now, Electabuzz opted to help his strikes become hard to recover from inherently, meaning a spark behind it.
In theory, this'll mean that paralysis will happen more often, but usually, it's a coinflip putting into account Pokémon's abilities, typing, and nature. All in all, it's more insurance for Electabuzz's strikes to be more difficult to deal with.
From behind me, I heard the remaining stranglers coming. From the trees, I saw Monferno show himself with a "Ferno!" announcing his return, followed by the quiet buzz of a certain bug Pokémon's wings.
"Scy." he said, quietly. Scyther seems to have adjusted and developed his own style of attack, that is, the stealthy attacker. He was sparring with Monferno, putting him on his toes against the speed of Scyther's blades. Monferno's acrobatics prove necessary for his safety when Scyther was getting hungry for a hit.
"Lux," spoke aloud the female of the group, followed by an orange-brown figure popping its head up from on top of Luxio. "Pinch!" announced the baby of the group, Trapinch. They were both watching the sparring with Luxio tending to Trapinch as if she was Trapinch's mother. It was a sweet relationship to lay witness to.
Clapping my hands together, I got all of their attention together. "So, we're going to get on the road again, so that means most of you all need to go back to your Pokeball. Don't worry, we'll sharpen your skills later, but for now, return," I said, leaving only Trapinch and Luxio. "You two can stay out for now. Luxio, please keep on taking care of Trapinch diligently."
"Lux, Lux!" she said, glad to be able to spend time with myself and Trapinch for longer than usual. Sadly, it'd be way too chaotic to have everyone out while on the trainer paths, so on days of travel, most of my Pokémon are lucky to be out 4 hours a day when there's hard terrain to tread. Most of their time with me is usually sectioned off until the end of the day, as I've set up camp then.
"Tra-pinch. Pinch!" happily squealed Trapinch who was usually the most cheery of the team now. She was a curious little thing with an excitement for anything new. Needless to say, she's a welcome addition to the team.
Packing up my bag and its contents tight, I said, "I know, I know. I said we'll get going, so we'll get going." Getting scolded by the happy Trapinch for being slow was not something I expected. Having all my things in order, I was led back onto the trainer path by Luxio with Trapinch riding on top.
(-)
Route 212 is, like other forested routes, long and expansive. If it wasn't for the designated paths, I'm sure rookie trainers would have a lot of trouble navigating through it.
Normally, I would take the time to explore and find some decent Pokémon to add to the team, but route 212 is mostly home to the usual mix of Pokémon. There are a few that would round out the team well, but I'm not going to go out of my way to find them.
The forest Pokémon in this route seem to be very friendly as I've seen many Starly and Budew watching silently on the side of the paths. Most of the time, Pokémon, unless in herds or high level, would not be so open to watching from so close.
Trapinch would let out a few sounds of excitement every time she'd see a wild Pokémon. It was weirdly cute to see something with as tough jaws as Trapinch open them in surprise all the time, but I guess baby Pokémon all have their charm in some ways.
Luxio was a diligent babysitter, many times shushing Trapinch, allowing Trapinch to settle down before getting wound up the next time she saw a wild Pokémon. As their trainer, there weren't any commands to be given out. We were just enjoying the sights.
Of course, while there were beautiful forests and big blue lakes nearby, my mind quickly strayed to other things or rather, more immediate plans. Pastoria City is my next destination and while this route is longer than most, I hope to make it there within at least 3 days. That'll leave me a little over a week until Staraptor will have to fly me over to Alamos Town.
If it's not obvious by now, the gyms can be completed in any given order. It's just that the more you go up the totem pole, the more powerful the gym leaders are. For example, any beginner trainer planning to face Volkner would be in for a world full of hurt. Volkner doesn't hold back when he fights challengers even if his laziness might seem to suggest otherwise.
That's not to say the other gym leaders don't hold back though. That is simply a testament to his prowess as a trainer. He's able to utilize Pokémon to the best of their abilities and his Pokémon trust him to do so. When it comes to the other gym leaders, they just can't get the same results.
Of course, every gym leader has more than just the Pokémon they use in gym battles. Usually, gym leaders have ridiculously strong teams backed behind them that they don't use in gym battles for obvious reasons.
Hearing some chatter up ahead breaks me out of my thoughts. Is it some traveling trainers or some wild Pokémon that I'm hearing?
The path opened up to a large field, leaving lots to be seen. The commotion appeared to come from 2 trainers talking to some people who had a stand set up. The setup seemed makeshift, as if it could be quickly packaged away. Don't know whether that is because the stand is mobile or because the stand is disposable.
Out of curiosity, I walked up to the stand to find the conversation up there taking a turn for the worst.
"So, if we leave our Pokémon here, then you'll give them all relaxing massages?" the young girl trainer asked, with innocent eyes upturned.
"Of course!" a voice that seemed oddly recognizable for some reason to me said, "Our special experts in the art of pressure poking the back will be sure to open up the gateways that will cure the aches and pains in your Pokémon."
I take a look at the person in question who was speaking and I find myself in front of a woman with an admittedly elaborate disguise. With a blond wig that hides the true color completely, and clothing that makes the woman seem like a humble store owner, Jessie of Team Rocket was not going to have her plot found out by anyone… except me.
There was a reason why no one could recognize Team Rocket. Their voices are very well hidden and their appearance could be considered indistinguishable from their normal forms. However, there was a hint in their voice and a flamboyant spark in the voice that made it easily recognizable to me. So, now what else to do, but directly confront this?
"A Pokémon massage parlour. That's quite the service to be offering while on the road," I comment, my tone entirely casting my suspicion.
"A-ah, well," Jessie stammered while noticing my presence. She must recognize me from my time battling Ash. They're always stalking the guy for some reason, but why are they here now? "If you'd take a look at our respectable staff, your obvious doubt might change."
Behind the makeshift stand resembling an establishment, a curtain unveiled itself, revealing a tall man with neatly combed hair and an exquisite moustache. On the left of him was a seemingly short fellow with a mask and glasses, obscuring any real facial features. Obviously, it was James and Meowth in disguise, but honestly, with Meowth's confidence and James' prim and proper appearance, they pull off the look well.
Testing them, I ask, "What's wrong with the short guy's skin?" The two trainers next to me seemed a little surprised at my flippant tone, but what they didn't know was that I was saving their hides.
The question seemingly ticked Meowth off as in gritted teeth he said, "Yeesee here buddy, ehem, sir, unfortunately, I have a bit of a skin condition that is non-contagious so it wouldn't affect ya to be in my services." Parts of his disguise, more specifically his speech, were falling apart in more ways than one.
Jessie and James tried to salvage the interaction. "As our prestigious world class employee has explained, it's a tragic incurable disease that he can't get over, but he's thankfully stayed on the job to give quality service to the many Pokémon of the world," Jessie said in flowerful language and tone.
James added, "He's an inspiration to me, moving forward even with the adversity he faced. So, dear customer, that is why we show you our resolve to massage Pokémon for you!" Even with Meowth's agitation, he managed to strike a pose with Jessie and James who put on a rather sappy sob story in my opinion.
The two trainers on the other hand… "We'd like a massage for our Pokémon please, '' the young boy trainer said, the girl trainer nodding her head in agreement.
Before the boy and girl could hand over their Pokeballs, I quickly intervened. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," I said, loudly, throwing a pokeball between the trainers and Team rocket, revealing Hariyama.
"Hari!" the large Pokémon with just as large hands cried out, awaiting orders. While Luxio would be strong enough to handle Team Rocket, I thought having a large Pokémon like Hariyama would be a big barrier between the trainers and Team Rocket would make a bigger statement. Plus, Luxio needs to take care of Trapinch.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" the girl cried out, confused.
"Yeah, just because you don't like the place doesn't mean you should stop others from getting massages there!" the guy added.
Oh, their misunderstanding is understandable, but the reasoning is quite… odd to say the least. "I don't know what weird misunderstanding you two have of me, but I'm saving your hide right now." Pointing to a confused Jessie, I added "These 3 are a part of an organization that steals Pokémon from unsuspecting trainers. They were spoken of many times when I was in Kanto, with many of the natives there having select experiences with them. Team Rocket."
Jessie clicked her tongue and in a flash switched her clothes from her receptionist disguise to her white outfit with a red R. "How perceptive of you. Now would you mind telling me how a twerp like you found us out?" She stood there confrontational with James and Meowth, revealing themselves as well.
Maybe, I'll just see if this comment throws them off. "I can't believe you don't remember who trashed your 'Super Sinnoh Slinger Mark 1 A'. That Starly didn't come out of nowhere after all. By then, it was only picking apart your terrible disguises and recognizing your ugly mugs."
A tick mark appeared above all their heads as they exclaimed, "That was you!" before they collectively gritted their teeth at my insult. "Now you've done it, you little twerp. We're really going to have a fun time plucking your Pokémon from you," James said.
"I taut tha twerp was bad, but you really got me fired up to do some twerp extermination!" Meowth sputtered out menacingly.
Meanwhile, their bloodlust for me seemed like a speck compared to Jessie's as her anger went through the roof. "That's it Twerp! Usually, we play nice, but now we're not going to be pulling any punches. You hear that? The kid gloves are off! Tear the twerp up, Dustox!" Throwing out her Pokeball, the bug type Wurmple evolution appeared.
"Join her, Carnivine!" James announced, throwing his own Pokeball.
"Now, here's where I jump in. Fury Swipes!" Meowth shouted, his claws ready to cut me up.
"Carnivine, use Bullet Seed!" James commanded Carnivine, backing up Meowth.
"Dustox, you join in with Poison Sting!" Jessie added.
As the 3 attacks honed in on my person, it seems as if they've forgotten my companion. Decisively aiming to end this fast, I commanded, "Hariyama, use Hyper Beam!" Hariyama outstretched his arms as a powerful blast showed its presence before firing off, enveloping Meowth, Bullet Seed, and Poison Sting.
The blast landed back onto Carnivine and Dustox who then were pushed back into Jessie and James, enveloping all of them in an explosion that launched all of them away. Now that I think about it, that interaction happened without me hearing their motto. Eh, I must've really gotten them angry then. As a twinkle appeared in the sky, I ignored the cries of their other motto showing their defeat as I turned to the two trainers who I believe to be rookies.
"May this be a lesson to you, be careful with who you trust with your Pokémon. We wouldn't want anyone stealing your Pokémon, now would we?" Leaving the rhetorical question alone, I gave a "Good work" to Hariyama before returning him and setting out back on the trainer path with Luxio and Trapinch following behind me.
Or at least, that was the plan.
"That. Was. So. Cool!" The boy and girl trainer duo cried out in unison. The boy said, "You have to teach us some stuff. You're so strong!"
Not skipping a beat, I naturally gave my response. "I don't have to do anything. I already did enough saving you two from a very bad day. I'm outta here." I said, continuing my walk. After a few seconds, I hear rushed footsteps. It seems as if they're following me.
The girl walked over to my left and said, "You really are strong. I wonder if all powerful trainers have as bad of an attitude as you." She said it so matter-of-fact that I almost didn't take it as an insult. Almost.
"Hey, I doubt Champion Cynthia is mean. She seems very nice on TV," the boy defended the Champion. Oi, why is it that you're agreeing with her that I have a bad attitude?
Also, why are those two following me? "Don't you two have somewhere to be other than here, stalking and insulting me?"
"S-stalking?" the girl cried out.
"I-insulting?" the boy said, seemingly copying the girl's stutter.
Sighing, I give in and say, "I'll give you some quick tips, but you're gonna have to release your Pokémon so I can see them."
The two seemed to cheer up almost immediately as the girl said, "Really?" while the guy cheered.
"Really, but it has to be quick. What's your two's name by the way?"
"Oh, ah, well I'm Eydis and this guy is Alf." the girl explained, becoming more respectful now that I'm helping them out. "Uh, what would your name be sir?"
"Paul, now if you want some advice, you really should show me your Pokémon."
"You're really pressed for time, huh." Alf said, "That's alright. We'll release them so you can give us our advice super fast! Show yourself, Stunky!" Throwing his Pokeball, his purple companion let out a low growl of its name.
Eydis muttered an audible "Purple haired Jerk," before releasing her own Pokémon. "Spotlight on Glameow!" The catty Pokémon purred at the sight of its trainer, clearly showing their friendly bond.
Deciding to keep the quick pace, I bent a knee down to the ground and firmly said, "Your trainers want me to give them some advice and for that I'd like to take a look at you two to see how I can best do that."
The two four-legged Pokémon looked to their trainers for confirmation and so when they saw their trainers nod in affirmation, they quickly allowed me free reign to inspect them. Hmm this Stunky looks to be a little young. Maybe hatched around a year ago, two at most. Right, usually Stunky struggles with that.
I muttered some comments to Alf. "Your Stunky is young, so growth should be exponential with proper training. I'd say keep note to improve his endurance to both physical and special attacks, as well as improving his own special attacks. Those weaknesses usually get to many Stunky, so dealing with it should work to your benefit."
Moving on to Glameow, I immediately noticed that this Glameow was a bit older than the Stunky. It's fast development had already started. Unfortunately for it, however, that growth only benefited its speed. Everything else had to get worked on else it'd be too fragile in a battle.
"Glameow would benefit from being able to spar with Alf's Stunky. While Glameow is older and stronger in some respects, Stunky's natural advantages with his movepool would give Glameow a challenge. Glameow looks to be able to be as swift as most other ones, but like them, they aren't much better at anything else. Massive strength training for attack and defense is my recommendation."
Eydis nodded obediently, letting my words sink in before she said, "So, just train a bunch?" Her tone suggests that she was confused by my advice. I assume it's because she thinks there's some sort of trick to getting stronger like most.
"Er, I may have phrased that wrong for you to think that," I admitted. "Specialize your training so that each selective part can have significant change. Take for instance, Glameow's movepool. Glameow naturally does not learn a lot of powerful attacks. Even evolving would only be a slight upgrade movepool wise. Your best bet would be to try to teach Glameow some attacks yourself to have a larger and stronger variety of attacks."
Taking a breath, I turned to Stunky. "As for Stunky, some of its dark attacks can be brutal, complementing the lasting effects of its poison moves. It would benefit from having more moves, but it's less necessary. Stunky could act as a sort of test dummy for Glameow's attacks which would help Stunky grow his base stats as he would naturally grow older and stronger."
Paul tried to wrap up his brief lecture. "Pokémon trainers training is a rather obvious piece of advice, however, I think it's a very important piece of advice that many ignore. Most either go about training all along or neglect it, so here's some rules to follow: Don't skip out on training or halfheartedly do it unless you plan on getting poor results and respect your partners so that you'll have faithful ones on top of strong ones."
Alf bright-eyedly said, "Wow! Is that how your Hariyama got so strong?"
"It's how all my Pokémon get strong. As you can see here," I say signalling Luxio over, "This is Luxio, another one of my Pokémon and she is catching up to Hariyama's strength and perhaps will exceed him." Luxio let out a murmur, detailing her desire to exceed him firmly, but I ignored it and instead pointed out the baby of the team.
"The one on Luxio's back is the newest member of my team, Trapinch. While she may not be anywhere near developed enough to get strong, she's dutifully watching over everything that comes her way, so that when she'll be able to get strong enough, she'll know how to." Trapinch let out a happy chirp, somehow, making Eydis coo at her.
"Aww, she's adorable! Can I hold her?" Eydis asked.
I shook my head. "I doubt you could comfortably. Trapinch may look small, but those looks are deceptive. Anyway, I gave you two your advice, so that's it for me." Turning from them, I continued on the path right where I left off with Luxio taking the time to bid them farewell, Trapinch copying Luxio nodding her head as well.
Eydis seemed angry about my dismissive departure as she shouted, "You're still a jerk, even if you're less of one than I thought you were!" Is that supposed to be good?
Alf, on the other hand, optimistically shouted a much happier goodbye, saying, "I hope we meet again sometime soon!" He must be the one in the group that keeps the grumpy one in check.
In any case, I gave the two no further thought as I continued on the path to Pastoria City.
(-)
It wasn't long until the plains turned increasingly wet as bodies of water started coming into sight. According to the map, the trainer path would take a turn up ahead, guiding on a bridge over a river. However, before that was already reflecting in my eyes.
A large building with fancy fencing seemed unusually open for a big building like that, but it was entirely intentional. What lay inside was a large estate cut off from everything giving it a certain charm that is unmatched in appearance.
It was an unique structure in the Pokémon that held no lore of the powerful ancients, but nevertheless seemed important. It was…
The Pokémon Mansion.
The Pokémon Mansion was owned by Mr. Backlot, a big name in the Pokémon world, being the owner of many Pokémon parks in the world that are very accommodating to trainers and Pokémon alike.
It was admittedly a little ways off the path to actually get here, but I couldn't help but be curious about this place. If my memory is correct then this place was actually the place where Dawn gets her Swinub. Well, I don't care to mess with that.
While my shoes made moves to turn away from the mansion, my eyes were drawn to something happening near the mansion. Red hair. And not just any red hair. It may be a little hard to make out from this distance, but the hairdo looks similar to one person. Mars, a Team Galactic commander.
My stance is firm as my mind races. Is this a situation where I can interfere? Should I interfere?
What's the move here?