Cutter opened his eyes, dim, early morning sunlight streamed through the blinds in his room, giving it an ethereal feel. He stifled a yawn as the corners of his mouth tugged upwards. Seventeen. He was finally seventeen. The day he could finally get a pokemon.
According to the Pokemon League, kids couldn't become certified trainers until their eighteenth birthday, but once they turned seventeen, the Pokemon League allowed future trainers to get their first pokemon. That way they were able to bond with their first pokemon before setting out on a journey across the region.
Back in his parents day, you could get your first pokemon when you were ten, but with the rise of the Rocket Movement, too many kids were getting hurt and, in extreme cases, dying, so the training age was moved up to the mark of adulthood.
Cutter loved hearing stories about his parents when they were trainers, escaping danger and defeating powerful pokemon. His parents met when they were young and traveled together for years before realizing they had feelings for each other. When they were young, they both denied that they would ever fall in love, but everyone they met said it was obvious that they already were.
"Cutter," called his mom from downstairs, "Someone's here to see you." Cutter's mother had never been an particularly excellent trainer. She was much better at making friends with pokemon than battling with them. Her pokemon were Cutter's best friends growing up.
"Coming!" he yelled back as he slid on a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, topped with a hardy vest before pulling on his hiking boots. He didn't even bother tying them as he stumbled out of the room and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time.
He sped into the kitchen and nearly knocked over his mother who was putting away a jug of Oran juice. "Oh, watch out," she scolded.
"Sorry," he smiled, hugging her. He pulled out of the hug and she looped her arm around his shoulder, turning him to face an unfamiliar elderly woman. She was small and wrinkly with steel-gray hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her face was emotionless, neither smiling nor unsmiling, but she didn't look like someone he would want to mess with.
"Cutter, this is Mrs. Grace from the Goldenrod Day Care," his mother explained.
Cutter beamed, his stomach fluttering with Butterfree. "Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Grace." He was barely able to hold in his excitement. He knew what was coming next. He had been waiting on this day since he had first heard his parent's stories when he was a child.
"And you as well young man. Your mother says you are 17 today, correct?" Her voice was softer than Cutter expected it to be.
"Yes ma'am!" Cutter squeaked, ecstatic. His mother had gotten the head of the leading Day Care in Johto to provide him with his first pokemon. What a mom, he told himself. He was sure he would be thanking her nonstop for the next couple of days, or weeks, or years, or maybe forever.
Her eyes twinkled at the excited boy but her hardened face remained the same. "And do you know what you want?"
"Oh yes. I know," Cutter beamed, his mind racing with all the pokemon he might want. "I've known for forever."
"Well, what is it?"
"A pokemon," Cutter said, his voice trembling slightly. He was struggling to keep his excitement to a respectful level, but the Day Care owner seemed to understand what he was feeling because she smiled understandingly at him.
"And do you know which kind?" she asked, her soft voice calming Cutter's nerves.
Any pokemon," Cutter told her. He knew that any pokemon could be strong with the right trainer, and Cutter planned to be that trainer.
"Well, I don't have any pokemon here with me," the old woman confessed. Cutter's stomach sunk, disappointment welling up inside. He was sure that he was going to be getting a pokemon for his birthday. But then what is she here for? Maybe to teach me about pokemon? Seems expensive to get her all the way out here just to teach me about pokemon. Any breeder could do that. Grace, upon seeing Cutter's downcast look, continued. "But, I do have an egg!"
"An… egg?" Cutter asked, his excitement returning, although more hesitant than before. His knowledge about eggs was limited.
"I have brought a pokemon egg. Your mother wanted you to be able to raise the pokemon from birth, and what better way to do that than with an egg? We agreed that it would be the best way for you to form the strongest bond possible with your pokemon. If a trainer is able to raise a pokemon from before hatching, the pokemon in the egg gets a feel of the one taking care of it. It's kind of like imprinting, but before they hatch. The pokemon will actually imprint once it hatches and that serves to further the bond. It will look to you like a caretaker, a mother of sorts. If the trainer and pokemon make that bond as soon as it hatches, it surpasses the bond that a trainer and a caught pokemon will have."
Understanding flooded Cutter's face and he smiled as his mind wrapped around the breeder's words.
The breeder returned his smile and gestured to a burlap satchel sitting on the ground beside her. She handed it to Cutter, who took it gingerly into his arms. "In that bag is your egg. When you pass by my Day Care in the future, stop in and show me how your partner has grown, if you don't mind."
"I will," Cutter smiled as tears of thankfulness filled his eyes. "Thank you!" Cutter called, but it was to empty air. The woman had already turned and let herself out.
Cutter made eye contact with his mother and offered a thankful smile as he placed the bag on the kitchen table and loosened the rope holding it shut. Inside there was a glass tube with a layer of plush material at the bottom to protect the delicate egg that sat atop it. Sandy green with red and black diamonds wrapping the middle, the egg shone in the light from the window. It was about the size of a football, albeit a tad bit rounder.
He leaned down and leaned in close to the glass, wanting to get as close of a look as possible, staring at the egg in awe. Inside that egg is my first pokemon. My future best friend. My teammate.
After a moment of allowing her son his time with the egg, his mom broke the silence saying, "we're headed to lunch soon, Cutter, so brush your hair. And your teeth."
"Okay," Cutter replied, not taking his eyes off the egg. He was already in love and he didn't even know what pokemon it was.
xx
For Cutter, the next six months of waiting for the egg to hatch dragged on, but he tried to make the most of them. He got a job at a local farm to earn some money for his journey, and spent time with his parents to pass the time.
Cutter was sitting on his bed reading a guide on the various pokemon found in Johto when a sharp crack rang out around his room. Cutter looked around in alarm, afraid that local punks were throwing rocks at the house and had shattered a window, but his window looked fine. Then another, louder crack rang out. He swung his head around and saw that it was the egg. He leapt off the bed scrambled to its side, crouching next to the glass case that sat on his desk. Hairline cracks snaked across the snaky green shell, giving it a Spinarak-web appearance.
Seconds turned to minutes as the egg continued to hatch, but to Cutter it felt like an eternity. He remembered reading in a book that it would take some time for the baby pokemon to break the egg, but that it was imperative that they do it on their own.
Half an hour later a tiny brown appendage, the same color as the egg, broke through the outermost layer of the shell. As quickly as the limb had appeared, it disappeared back into the egg. Then it punched through the shell again. An arm? Cutter wondered. Cutter chuckled as he watched his new pokemon try and make its way through the shell.
Finally, the whole top of the egg shattered and a tiny horn the same color as the egg poked out. Cutter pulled the top of the glass case off and looked down into the egg. The skin that was visible so far was all the color of the egg, with the exception of what appeared to be black eyeliner underneath the eyes, which were not yet open. After another five minutes of struggling, the entire egg had broken open, along with the glass case, the embryonic contents spilling out onto his carpet. His mom was going to be furious, but that was at the back of Cutter's mind.
The small pokemon sat on the padding on which its egg had previously rested and slowly opened its little black eyes. A red, scaly diamond was set in the center of its stomach. Centering it were two smaller black diamonds to the left and right of it, appearing to be a place where the pokemon's sandy skin simply didn't grow.
"Larvitar," Cutter whispered, awestruck. He had mentioned Larvitar to his parents once or twice, but not often. He knew that Larvitar were one of the rarest and most expensive Pokemon eggs on the market. He knew because he looked them up at least three times a week, checking to see if he had saved enough to purchase one. Their final evolution was a beast called Tyranitar, were known for their awe-inspiring power and ability to wreak havoc both on and off the battlefield. Hundreds of years ago, Tyranitar were known to destroy entire villages simply because they were angry.
Cutter's family wasn't exactly rich, either, so how his parents afforded this future powerhouse was a mystery to him. He had truly been expecting a Spinarak or Sentret or maybe even a Tyrogue. Not only were those common, but they were easy to train. His parents had gotten him a rare, expensive, and difficult to train Pokemon. Cutter was ecstatic and knew that he was up to the task. It would be a long and difficult process, but Cutter was ready. He had to be. He couldn't let down the little pokemon in front of him.
An grating screech brought him out of his thoughts and back into reality. Larvitar was crying. Is he using Screech? Cutter decided that Larvitar was just crying, considering it was a baby.
"Hey, hey," Cutter cooed softly. He didn't want to scare the newborn any more than it already was. Slowly the baby pokemon looked to its new trainer and the crying quieted, then finally stopped completely, leaving the room still and silent except for the combined breathing of trainer and pokemon.
Looking up at Cutter, the Larvitar's eyes grew wider and it reached its stubby arms upwards toward him. Slowly and gently, making sure to make no sudden movements that could startle Larvitar, Cutter wrapped his arms around the newborns midsection, using one arm as support for its head and the other as a cradle. Its conical shape made it hard to hold so Cutter spent the next couple moments readjusting until he found a position that he assumed was more comfortable for both of them. Cutter found his arms growing tired because even though Larvitar was a baby, its body was made of dense rock.
Every adjustment Cutter made scraped his arms raw against Larvitar's sandpaper skin, leaving them raw and hurting. Cutter pushed the pain from his mind, instead focusing on the baby in his arms.
"There, there." Cutter stroking the smooth red belly of his newest friend and the Larvitar gurgled in response.
The two of them stayed like that for a while before the baby grew restless. Writhing and squirming around in Cutter's arms, he set the Larvitar down. As his new pokemon explored its environment, Cutter registered it in his Pokedex.
"Larvitar. The Rock Skin Pokemon. Larvitar feeds on soil, and after it has eaten a large mountain, it will fall asleep so that it can grow. This Larvitar is a male and it knows the moves Bite, Leer, Tackle, and Focus Energy. Its ability is Guts which increases the pokemon's attack when inflicted with a status condition. Larvitar is newly hatched." the Pokedex droned in its monotone voice.
"So you're a boy," Cutter said to himself. Larvitar cocked his head in confusion and looked up at his trainer. All pokemon have the ability to learn human speech, but pokemon babies, much like human ones, have to learn. Until they have been around humans for an extended period of time and grow to learn their language, there isn't much they understand.
Seconds passed and neither trainer nor pokemon wanted to be the first to break eye contact. Finally, Larvitar reached his stubby arms up toward his trainer, wanting to be picked up again. Cutter happily obliged, picking Larvitar up. He grunted with the effort of lifting the heavy pokemon. "Man, you're gonna make me stronger huh? You sure are a heavy little guy." Cutter knew that he would only be able to pick up Larvitar for the first couple weeks before the small pokemon got to be too heavy. Before evolution, Larvitar grew to be around 150 pounds and grew exponentially in their first couple weeks after hatching. By the time they set out on their adventure in six months, the Larvitar would weigh close to 100 pounds and Cutter wouldn't be able to pick him up anymore. After that, the next fifty or so pounds before evolution would come slowly. He had read that it took three to six months for Larvitar to evolve after they had grown out of their baby stage, which took about six months.
Larvitar got restless again, so Cutter set him down. Larvitar began to try out his feet and waddled around, falling down more than once as he taught himself to walk. Larvitar spent the next twenty minutes exploring Cutter's room, but every few seconds would look back at Cutter to make sure he was still there. Cutter smiled as his heart filled with love for the little pokemon.
Larvitar would explore the room for a minute and then return to his trainer's arms for another minute. An hour passed this way, back and forth, Cutter reading in his Pokedex all he could about his new partner, until finally Larvitar returned to his trainer's arms and passed out. The exhausted baby pokemon drifted off to sleep, and Cutter rubbed the Larvitar's red scales gently as he slept.
After a while, Cutter heard the front door open, then slam shut. His mother's voice rang through the house, "honey, your father and I are back!" Cutter didn't answer for fear of waking the newborn, which just made his mom yell back louder. "Cutter?" Another pause. "Cutter, don't make me come up there." Cutter bit his lip and gently tried to stand up and put down Larvitar at the same time, but he was too late. He heard his mother's feet stomping up the steps and he knew she would be upset that he didn't answer, but he figured she would get over it fairly quickly once she realized why he had stayed silent. "Cutter," his mother scolded as she swung the door open. Her eyes landed on the carpet wet with embryonic fluid. "WHAT IS THIS ME-," she cut herself off once she saw the previously sleeping Pokemon thrashing and screaming in Cutter's arms, scraping even more skin off of the new trainer's tender arms. Cutter struggled to hold the baby, finding him surprisingly strong for such a young pokemon. "Oh my. Cutter. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize…" His mother trailed off, looking apologetic.
"Hey. There's no use in crying like that. Shh," Cutter cooed to the wailing infant, rubbing the red scales on the infant's stomach, calming him. The Pokedex had assured Cutter that most of them enjoyed that, and it appeared that his Larvitar was no different. His mother stood there marveling at how her son was taking care of the baby.
"Honey, what's all that racket?" Cutter's father asked, walking into the room. as he He saw the newly hatched Larvitar and quieted immediately, just like his wife had. The two of them just stood there smiling happily at their son and his newborn partner.
"Goodnight, Cutter," his mother whispered as she kissed him on the head.
"Night mom. Night dad," Cutter said in a hushed tone as his parents left.
Cutter stood slowly and steadily and laid Larvitar down on his bed as comfortably as he could. He got all the pillows and blankets he could find from his closet and began making a makeshift bed. After he deemed the shoddy sleeping arrangement comfortable enough, he laid Larvitar down in it and covered him up before curling up next to him. The Pokedex said that since Larvitar were coldblooded they would need to be kept as warm as possible for the first month, and the best way to do that while also increasing the bond was to sleep with them. After that first month they were able to sleep outside of constant warmth and the trainer's embrace, but for now Cutter was happy to do it. He whispered his goodnights to his new partner, speaking to him softly. "Hey little buddy. How are you doing? My name is Cutter. You're my new partner and hopefully my best friend." The little Larvitar twitched in his sleep, completely unaware Cutter was talking to him. "You and me, we're going to be the strongest pair in Johto, you know?" Cutter smiled to himself and cuddled up as close as he could to the baby Larvitar. He closed his eyes, but before he drifted off he noticed the Larvitar pushing as close to him as he could. Cutter smiled to himself and wrapped his arms even tighter around his new friend.
xx
Cutter was awoken two hours later by the screams of the baby. He jerked upright, fearing for his life, not knowing the cause of the screaming. His heartbeat slowed when he realized it was only Larvitar crying. Cutter sighed and picked up Larvitar, muttering to it, humming, anything to get it to stop crying. After five minutes, it was silent again. Cutter waited, just to make sure it didn't wake back up, but before he could put Larvitar back in its own bed, he drifted to sleep as well, cradling the baby in his arms.
xx
The sun was shining through his window and Larvitar was crying again. Cutter opened his eyes and looked groggily around, confused as to why he was on the ground and why his arms were burning. His eyes fell to the baby pokemon in his arms and it all came back to him. He looked over at his clock. 7:21, it read. "Great," Cutter muttered, "Saturday, and I'm already up." His tone was sarcastic, but he was as excited as he could be. His first day with Larvitar. He laid the Pokemon back on his bed, brushed his teeth, applied some ointment to his raw forearms, and got dressed, putting on a long sleeved shirt to protect his arms from Larvitar's rough skin.
He picked up the small Larvitar and carried him downstairs, eager to begin their first day together. His mother and her Clefable, setting the table, greeted him with a smile. "Good morning honey! How did you sleep?" The bipedal pink pokemon chirped at Cutter, presumably her own version of a good morning.
"Great," mumbled Cutter, the tired in his eyes showing, but his smile genuine.
"How is your Larvitar doing? Did you give it a nickname?"
"Give him time to breathe, Les. The kid just woke up and by the looks of it, he didn't get the best night's sleep," His father chuckled as he walked into the room. "I remember those days. Trust me Cutter, your nights only get shorter from here." Cutter's father, unlike his mother, was an excellent trainer back in his day, even making it to the finals of the Silver Cup once. The backbone of his team, Ledian, sat on top of his father's head. Ledian were typically seen as very weak pokemon, but somehow his father had seen potential in the Five Star pokemon.
"Larvitar is good. And no, no nickname just yet. He did manage to scrape up my arms pretty bad with all of his thrashing, but I'm fine."
"Oh that's great honey. Just great." Cutter spent the next twenty minutes eating breakfast and talking to his parents about when he would start his journey with Larvitar and where he planned to go and everything in between. Cutter finished breakfast and made his way to the door. "I've got to go. I'm sure Larvitar is hungry, so I'm going to find him some food."
"Do you know what he eats?" questioned Mr. Robinson.
"Yes sir," Cutter declared before dashing out the door, Larvitar in tow.
"Alright then. You take care," his dad said to no one. "That boy. He needs to slow down."
"He takes after you, you know." Cutter's mom smiled as she kissed her husband on the forehead.
"That's what scares me Les," he smiled, his eyes worried.
xx
The next six months went by in a blur. Larvitar's horn grew, its skin toughened up, and they even began to work on fighting. Larvitar was young, but it was strong. The two of them may not win every battle right off the bat, but they certainly would be able to hold their own.
"Larvitar," Cutter panted as he slowed from a run to a walk. "We leave tomorrow, you know. We've spent the last few months working hard, but tomorrow is the day we really get started. Are you ready?"
"Laiir," Larvitar grunted, nodding his head in agreement.
Cutter smiled and scratched the rock type behind its horn. "Well, it's getting late. What do you say we go in and get to sleep? We've got an early morning." Larvitar's responded by turning and running toward the house. Laughing, Cutter chased him.
xx
Cutter woke up early the next morning, ready to begin his adventure. He hopped off his bed and gently shook Larvitar awake. Larvitar sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes, sand littering the already dirty carpet. Larvitar's constant shedding made it basically impossible for Cutter to keep his room clean.
Cutter quickly dressed himself in a pair of running tights, for protection, khaki shorts, a compression shirt, also for protection, a t-shirt with his hardy hiking vest, and his hiking boots. He picked up his backpack and quickly sifted through it, making sure everything was there. He knew it would be, having already put all of his clothes and supplies in the storage balls the night before, but it still felt reassuring to check anyways. Once he was satisfied that he had everything, he headed out the door, Larvitar at his heels.
"Larri," Larvitar trilled excitedly. Cutter wasn't sure who was more excited to start the adventure, him or his pokemon.
"Good morning honey," said Cutter's mom as he reached the kitchen. "And happy birthday. It's a special day," His mother said with a wink, waving a spatula as she spoke.
"Thanks mom!" Cutter said as he gulped down a glass of milk.
"Lar!" Larvitar exclaimed with the same passion as his trainer.
"Like Trainer, like Pokemon," Mrs. Robinson laughed. "Your father really wanted to be here to wish you well, but he got called in today. Something about a breach in security at the lab. Anyway, these gifts are from the both of us. Just know he loves you." She placed a box wrapped with red and gold cellophane paper on the table in front of him and kissed his forehead gently before returning to the dishes.
Cutter tore into the paper, revealing a large cardboard box. He ripped open the top of the box, and inside were five Pokeballs, a great ball, a storage ball, five Potions, a super Potion, and a small tub of berries. Cutters jaw dropped and tears welled up in his eyes, thankful for the gift. "Wow mom. Thank you." He wanted to say more, but he feared he would cry if he kept talking, so instead he sprung up and wrapped his arms tightly around his mother, startling the skittish Clefable that was picking up his plate at the table. "But how did you afford the great ball? They're very expensive."
"It isn't every day your only son turns 18 and starts his pokemon adventure," she said with a wink. Everything in the gift were invaluable to trainers, especially the storage ball. They were a relatively new invention, but they were like pokeballs for items, storing up to sixty pounds of inventory per ball. Without them, trainers wouldn't be able to carry around everything they need.
Cutter pulled a poke ball out of the box and turned to his starter, his face plastered with a grin. "Larvitar, I haven't officially caught you yet, but I need to so that you are officially my pokemon. And I promise that you won't be in this ball for long, just long enough to register you as my pokemon." Cutter paused, letting Larvitar grasp his words. "So, what do you say?" He was confident Larvitar would agree, but there was that second of unknown that had Cutter's stomach turning with apprehension.
"Larri," Larvitar grunted with a confident nod, although Cutter saw his eyes glimmering with fear and anticipation. It seemed that they were both feeling the same thing. Cutter gave Larvitar a comforting smile and pressed the ball to Larvitar's forehead, sucking him into the ball with a flash of red. The ball wobbled for a moment in Cutter's hand, but quickly came to a rest, dinging its completion. Larvitar was Cutter's pokemon. Cutter released Larvitar and rubbed the Pokemon behind its horn, eliciting a warm grunt from his new pokemon. "Are you ready to start our adventure?" Cutter asked, his voice trembling with excitement. Larvitar smiled and nodded, sending a shower of sand onto the floor.
His mother sighed at the mess and said, "Be careful honey. There are lots of dangerous Pokemon out there."
"I know mom," Cutter sighed. They had been over this a thousand times.
"You're going to New Bark Town, right? That's only a week's walk if you don't get sidetracked. Then you have to come back this way anyways. I swear, Cutter James if you don't stop in and say hello on your walk back through, I'll kill you. I really will," she said, her voice catching in her throat and her eyes threatening to overflow with tears.
Cutter smiled sadly at his mother. As excited as he was to get out on the road, ,he hated seeing his mother cry. "Mom. I'll be back in two weeks, I promise. And I'll stay the night here on my way from New Bark Town to Violet City."
"You promise?" She asked, tears streaming down her face.
"I promise," Cutter said as he pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you Mom."
"I love you too," she sniffled, pulling out of the hug and pushing him toward the door. "Goodbye honey." Cutter turned and he and Larvitar walked out of the door, ready to start their adventure, his mom following them out and waving her last goodbye.
As Cutter and Larvitar neared the edge of Cherrygrove City, Cutter looked back at the quaint town that he had grown up in. Larvitar just looked up at his trainer curiously. He just shook his head, a tear in his eye. He wiped it away and turned around and they began their journey.
xx
Forty-five minutes later and they approached the edge of the woods, marking the real beginning of their journey. "Well Larvitar, this is it. Are you ready?"
"Lar," Larvitar agreed.
"Alright then, let's go." The outskirts of the woods were bright with the morning light and the sun streamed through the leaves, dappling the ground. The further in they got, the darker the forest became, until finally the only source of light came from the thin beams that the dense forest above let in. The two of them, trainer and pokemon, walked in silence through the wooded area.
"Hey buddy, what do you say we work on some of your moves?" Cutter asked during one of their water breaks. It was a little before noon and they had been walking for almost five hours, only pausing for water or to listen when they thought they heard a pokemon nearby. "I don't want to run into a trainer in here and you not be prepared to battle."
Larvitar nodded, a grin on his face. he had been waiting to learn how to do more than just tackle and bite, but he was patient with his trainer, allowing him to go at his own pace.
"Let me check the Pokedex," Cutter said, pulling out the mobile red pokemon encyclopedia. "I know what moves you can learn, but let's see which ones we should focus on first." Cutter scrolled through Larvitar's information, making note of the moves he could learn early on. "Looks to me like the first moves we're gonna be learning are Sand Attack and Rock Throw. Those are both pretty basic," he said, pocketing the Pokedex in his vest. "You'll have them mastered in no time."
"Larrii," Larvitar yelled, excited to get some good moves under its belt.
How to go about this? Cutter wondered, pacing around the small clearing they had stopped to take a break in. "What we could do is practice Rock Throw by having you tear off chunks of smaller rock from larger rocks, but there aren't really any rocks here to do that with," he noted, looking around and seeing only shrubbery. "And if there are no rocks around in your battle then that won't work. We need to work on your ability to pull rocks up from under the earth. That'll be a little bit harder, but worth it in the end, I think," Cutter muttered, at a complete loss. "With Sand Attack, you just throw sand at your opponents to blind them, and considering your body is constantly producing sand, that should be simple enough."
Larvitar just stared up at its trainer and Cutter pulled the Pokedex back out, and looking at Larvitar's page again. "It also says here that you're able to form rocks using your body. Do you know how that works?" Larvitar was silent. "I'll take that as a no," mumbled Cutter. "Let's try pulling from the earth after we try from your body I guess. Although that might be harder to create rocks rather than pull up already existing ones," Cutter rambled, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about, even though the only one around was Larvitar. "Alright. Let's go with Rock Throw first. Try tightening your core. Focus. Really focus. Try and create a rock." Cutter realized he sounded like an idiot, but no one was around to hear. "Hold your hands out in front of you and focus all of your energy into the spot between your hands. Make a rock appear." Twenty seconds went by. Then thirty. Nothing. Cutter studied Larvitar as it focused, walking around his starter, looking him up and down, not really knowing what he was looking for.
A minute went by before he got an idea. "I've got it!" Larvitar stumbled and fell, startled by Cutter's sudden outburst. "You know those holes in your sides? Try focusing all your energy there." Larvitar began to focus again, this time on the black gaps in his side like Cutter told him. Another twenty seconds went by and then thirty. Out of the holes a brown haze began to seep out. Cutter smiled and pumped his fist silently, but he stayed quiet, not wanting to break Larvitar's concentration.
Larvitar, sensing that something was happening, began to put everything his little body had into procuring a rock. "LAARRI," Larvitar roared, procuring a sound larger than Cutter thought the small pokemon could make. Then followed a pop and a small thud. Larvitar opened his eyes and looked up at his trainer. Cutter was happier than Larvitar had ever seen him. Larvitar looked down and by his sides were two small rocks, each no larger than a golf ball. But still, he had done it. They might be tiny and weak and not capable of doing any more damage than causing a bruise, but still Larvitar had done it.
Cutter knelt down to his partner, and pulled the sandy Larvitar close to his body, hugging him tightly. "You ready to try again?" Cutter asked, releasing his pokemon from the hug. Larvitar nodded and stepped back, ready to do it again.
xx
After about an hour, Larvitar had managed to create rocks the size of baseballs, but Cutter wasn't ready to stop there. "Alright Larvitar, time for phase two in learning Rock Throw. I know you're mostly focusing on forming the rocks, but now you need to work on actually throwing them. So as soon as you know that the rocks are as big as they're going to get, give it one last push, grab the rocks before they leave your side, and throw them." Cutter had no idea if this was going to work, but it was the best idea he had.
"Lar," Larvitar agreed. Larvitar closed his eyes and began to focus again, concentrating harder than ever. Larvitar gave it one last push and swung his arms forward to grab the rocks, but there were no rocks for him to grab. He looked up at his trainer, confused.
"You missed them. They fell before your arms got there. But that's okay! Try again," Cutter said comfortingly and patted his trusty partner on the head.
Larvitar took a deep breath and began to focus everything he had into his core. He gave it one last shove and scooped up the rocks to throw them, but once again, they weren't there. He looked back to his trainer to see what he was doing wrong. Cutter just shrugged his shoulders, as bewildered as his pokemon. "Let me watch from the front and see if I can figure out what's going on."
Cutter stepped to the front and Larvitar began to focus again. He put everything he had into his tiny core, pushing out the brown, rock forming haze. He swung his arms and, once again, nothing. He looked up at Cutter who was smiling. Larvitar cocked his head in confusion, slightly angry that his trainer was laughing at his failure.
"I figured it out! You're closing your eyes. You've got to keep them open so you can see what you're doing. Let's try it one more time. You're going to get it this time, I just know it." Larvitar kept his eyes open and on the brown haze leaking from his body. Larvitar grunted and swung his arms, this time catching the newly formed rocks. Cutter cheered and Larvitar tossed the rocks in the air in celebration.
"That was great Larvitar!" Cutter exclaimed, laughing, before adding, "you just have to remember to throw the rocks!" Cutter reached down and rubbed Larvitar's head, eliciting a contented hum from the Rock Skin Pokemon. "What do you say we try one more time, and then we can take a break? Try hitting that tree right there," Cutter added, pointing to a tree right off the path about fifteen feet away.
"Larri," Larvitar grunted as he began to create the rocks. He gave it one last push, grabbed them, slammed them together creating a rock the size of a cantaloupe, and launched it at the tree. The rock landed several yards short of the intended target, but still, Cutter couldn't have been prouder.
"That was it Larvitar! That was so amazing! Next, we'll work on your accuracy, but for now, let's take a break. I'm tired and I didn't even do anything."
xx
Cutter and Larvitar rested for a little while next to a pond in a small clearing before Cutter decided it was time to move on. They travelled on through the dim forest for another two hours, not seeing any other trainers and just working on Larvitar's Rock Throw as they went.
Larvitar had not only doubled the size of each rock, but his accuracy was nearly perfect. Sand Attack was looking great too, but that was an easy move to conquer, considering Larvitar just had to push the sand from off his body.
Cutter and Larvitar stepped into a clearing framed with trees when a voice called out "Hey! You there!" Cutter looked up, startled. In front of him, across the clearing, was a boy about his age. "Let's battle."
"Okay. One on one?" Cutter asked the boy, surprised at his abruptness, but maybe that's just how trainers were.
"Yeah. I'll have you know I just started on my adventure yesterday, but I've already got three Pokemon," the kid boasted.
Cutter rolled his eyes. He knew that more pokemon did not equal more strength, especially early in one's journey. "Come on over here and let's get this show on the road," Cutter called out, ignoring the kid's obvious taunt. "You ready Larvitar?"
"Lar," the little Pokemon replied, holding up a clenched fist.
"We gonna start or what?" The boy asked, readying a pokeball in his hand.
"I'm ready when you are?" Cutter countered confidently.
"Let's see you beat this!" The kid yelled as he threw the pokeball into the air, and in a flash of white light appeared an Elekid. Cutter looked from the pokemon to the trainer in confusion. Didn't this kid know that electric wouldn't do anything to ground types? Then again, he was just a beginner, and not all beginners were destined for greatness like he was.
"Liika," The Elekid sneered as electricity crackled between the prongs on its head.
"Larril," Larvitar countered, swinging his horn as he stepped forward, issuing a challenge to the small electric type.
"Larvitar it's bigger than you, but don't let that scare you," Cutter called to his starter. "I'll let you make the first move."
"Big mistake, cause my first move is also going to be my last move." So he's cocky, Cutter noted. "Elekid, Spark!" The small yellow pokemon windmilled its arms, building up electricity in its fur as it ran towards Larvitar. It was surprisingly fast for such a bulky little pokemon, but Cutter knew just what to do to counter it.
"Larvitar, we've been working on your speed for a while now. Wait until it gets closer, then jump!" Larvitar readied himself as the Elekid closed the gap between them. "Now!" shouted Cutter when Elekid was close enough. Larvitar grunted in response and flung himself to the side, stumbling but remaining on his feet. He regained his balance and turned to the Elekid who had tripped. "Now, stay back from it and Sand Attack!"
"Elekid, another Spark!" Elekid began swinging its arms again, running towards Larvitar.
"Larvitar jump out of the way again!" At the last second, Larvitar jumped out of the way, but one of Elekid's swinging arms connected with Larvitar, slamming him into the ground. The electricity itself didn't do any damage thanks to Larvitar's ground typing, but the force from the blow still did.
"Larvitar, get up and use Rock Throw!" Cutter bit his lip and let out a breath as Larvitar stood up shakily, but okay. He was made of rock, so even a relatively hard hit from a strong Elekid wouldn't do much.
The other trainer seemed to know that Rock Throw would do a lot of damage to an untrained Elekid so he had to act fast. "Elekid get in close." Elekid sprinted towards Larvitar, windmilling its arms to build up electricity. Larvitar began to focus and a brown haze seeped from within his small body, creating rocks as quickly as he could.
Elekid was fifteen feet away and Larvitar was still forming the rocks. That'll have to do, Cutter figured. He waited a half second more for Elekid to close in more before yelling "Now!" Larvitar gave it one last shove, the rocks almost doubling in size from the last burst of effort. As they began to fall, Larvitar caught them and slammed them simultaneously into the face of the Elekid who was right in arms reach of Larvitar. Elekid flew back a few feet, and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Realization of Larvitar's washed over Cutter and he ran over to his starter and embraced him, trying to pick up the heavy pokemon but failing, resigning to just a simple hug. "You did it buddy! You did it!" Cutter was laughing, overcome with joy at his first win.
"Good match," the other trainer said begrudgingly, handing over the allotted amount of prize money after he recalled his Elekid to its Pokeball.
"Hey you too," Cutter smiled, glad the boy wasn't taking the loss too hard. "That Elekid of yours is strong. What's your name, by the way?"
"Terrance. I'm from Cianwood but I got my sister to teleport me to Cherrygrove this morning. Since Cianwood is an island, I didn't want to start from here. I just started my adventure yesterday."
"Cool! I'm Cutter. I got started this morning," Cutter told Terrance, happy he had made a new acquaintance.
"You just started this morning and Larvitar already has a Rock Throw that strong?" Terrance asked incredulously.
"Yeah!" Cutter chuckled. "I'm just getting on my feet. But me and Larvitar are pretty tired. I think we're going to call it a day and bed down here for the night. Do you want to join us?"
"Sure," Terrance said, smiling, making Cutter smile back. He was glad he didn't have to spend his first night out in the wilderness by himself, even if he wouldn't admit that to the boy. "I'm pretty tired, and I know Elekid is too." Cutter pulled out a can of beans and Larvitar walked to the water's edge to find some stones. Terrance released his three Pokemon and began searching through his bag for some Pokemon food.
"Spinarak and Zubat. Nice!" Cutter said, gesturing towards Terrance's other two pokemon.
"Sure are," the other boy beamed. "Cutter, meet Spinarak and Zubat. I caught Zubat last night. Then I caught Spinarak this morning while she was still asleep. It seemed unfair, but I figured, hey! I'm a new trainer. I need all the help I can get." He laughed and scratched Spinarak on the back gently.
"True!" Agreed Cutter. He wouldn't admit it to Terrance, but he was jealous that the other boy had more than one pokemon.
After talking for some time, the boys settled down to sleep. "Larvitar, do you want to sleep out with me or in your Pokeball?" Cutter asked, even though he already knew the answer. Larvitar curled up on the ground next to Cutter's sleeping bag and Cutter smiled, petting his rocky friend. "Goodnight buddy."
xx
A few hours passed when a sharp crack from the forest woke Cutter up. He was immediately alert. The last several months of sleeping with a baby pokemon taught him how to wake up quickly. He looked around, trying to figure out where the sound had come from, but his eyes couldn't make anything out in the darkness. Larvitar had awoken as well and was glaring at a dark spot in the tree line "What is it buddy?" Cutter whispered to the Larvitar.
"Larrri larv," the Larvitar grunted softly. However how well Cutter had grown to understand Larvitar's sense of speech over the last six months, he still had no idea what they young pokemon was saying.
"Do you want to go check it out?" The Larvitar nodded in response so Cutter crawled out of his sleeping bag as quietly as he could and began to creep towards the bushes, flashlight in hand ready to be turned on when Larvitar gave him the signal.
"Larv." Cutter flipped on the flashlight, but nothing was there.
"I guess it's gone. Oh well. Let's get back to sleep." And with that the two partners laid back down. Cutter drifted off almost immediately, but Larvitar stayed awake for the next several hours, determined to keep his trainer safe from whatever threats the forest might offer.
Cutter and Larvitar woke the next morning less rested than they would have liked. It was their first time sleeping outdoors, and it was not nearly as glamorous as Cutter hoped it was going to be.
He pushed himself up to a sitting position and threw his arms up over his head, stretching and letting out a yawn. He glanced over at where Terrance had been sleeping the night before, but the tall, red-headed trainer as gone. "Oh," Cutter said glumly. He had been looking forward to travelling with the boy, at least for a little while. "Oh well," Cutter muttered as he rubbed Larvitar behind his horn and the small rock type pokemon cooed with pleasure.
He stood up and began packing up his things, not wanting to waste too much time in one place. He was ready to get going.
"Hey Cutter!" Cutter swiveled around as he was rolling up his sleeping bag and saw Terrance emerging from the forest's edge across the clearing.
"Terrance! Hey! I thought you had left us," Cutter called back, a smile on his face.
"Naw, I just went to take my pokemon to eat. I went into the forest because there's more food for my pokemon there. Zubat and Spinarak both like to catch their own food." The boy shuddered slightly.
"Oh yeah. Larvitar just eats rocks, so he's pretty easy to feed! But I'm sure it'll be more difficult when we get into more urban areas." Cutter finished rolling up his sleeping bag and placed it neatly within a storage ball next to a map of Johto and a journal.
"So I was wondering if you wanted to travel together?" Terrance suggested. Cutter didn't reply for a second because he had half a granola bar in his mouth, so Terrance quickly added, "just to New Bark Town. From there we both go our separate ways, but for now, as early trainers, it's usually best to travel with someone?"
"Yeah! I was going to suggest the same thing!" Cutter smiled, happy that he and Terrance were on the same page.
It would be nice to have a friend, Cutter decided, even if they only stuck together for a little while.
xx
Hey guys! So I'm currently going through and editing all of the chapters! Hopefully these edits made it better! Thanks for keeping up with the story and I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Like, review and subscribe! PM me if you have any questions or thoughts!