Chapter 2:
A Fletchling Trainer
Location: Vaniville Town
Who knew that my second full day in the Kalos region would be the first day of my journey? I thought I'd change my fashion a bit today; I wore a red jacket rather than a blue one.
"Calem?" Mum said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Good luck. It's very brave of you, starting a journey in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar Pokémon."
I put my thumb up. "That's why I'm going! I got this Mum! Don't worry! As long as I have Chespin and the other Pokémon I'm going to catch by my side, then this journey should go smoothly! Not 100% obviously."
Mum hugged me. "Don't forget to give me a call on the Holo Caster every so often."
I walked outside my home where Rhyhorn gave some supportive grunts. "Good luck with your career Rhyhorn, but it's time for me to go." I stroked its hard horn. "Okay. Next stop, Santalune City!"
Location: Aquacorde Town
Back in Aquacorde Town, I saw Serena waiting on the same chair as yesterday.
"Calem!" she said. "Yeah, I know the others call you nicknames, but I'll just call you buy your normal name."
I blushed a bit. Already Serena understood me more than those stupid people who see me as a celebrity's son and nothing more. Not that nicknames had anything to do with it as I feel the same way about my other friends to. "So," I said. "Santalune City?"
"Well, yes. But you're not going to get very far with just Chespin. How about I teach you how to catch a Pokémon! Shauna's waiting for you!"
That sounded great! I took up the offer, and we walked north across the bridge to…
Location: Route 2
"Big C!" said Shauna. "Welcome to your first day on the journey!"
"Calm down Shauna," Serena said. "Okay Calem, watch closely. I'm going to catch a Pokémon."
Serena walked into the tall grass and ran around for a bit.
"What is she going to find?" Shauna asked excitedly.
Sure enough, something jumped out. It was orange, it was feathery, it was a Fletchling!
Fletchling (Passerouge)
#014 (Central)
Normal/Flying Type
Tiny Robin Pokémon
0.3 m (1'00")
1.7 kg (3.7 lbs)
These friendly Pokémon send signals to one another with beautiful chirps and tail-feather movements.
"Okay Fennekin, go!" Serena shouted, as she sent out her Pokémon. Fletchling flew forward and pecked at Fennekin.
"Look at that Peck attack!" I said.
"Now Fennekin, Ember!" Fennekin spat a flame at Fletchling. It hit and did about half damage to it. "That'll do. Fletchling, you're mine!" Serena threw a Pokéball at Fletchling and it went inside.
"Will she do it?" Shauna asked as we watched the Pokéball shake on the spot.
Then it clicked shut.
"Alright!" Serena shouted. "I caught… a Fletchling!"
"Congrats Serena!" Shauna said, as they gave each other a hi-five. "Alright, I'm gonna go do the same. I want to catch the cutest Pokémon possible. From there? Well, I don't know."
"You need Pokéballs first!" Serena said. "Professor Sycamore gave us each ten to use." She handed me and Shauna ten of the Pokéballs. "Remember to not go nuts. What if you find a Shiny and you're out of ammo?"
I thanked Serena. "Okay, watch me."
I walked into the tall grass and ran about. Then, something appeared! It was grey and had two long ears with brown marks on the end.
Bunnelby (Sapereau)
#010 (Central)
Normal Type
Digging Pokémon
0.4 m (1'04")
5 kg (11 lbs)
It has ears like shovels. Digging holes strengthens its ears so much that they can sever thick roots effortlessly.
"Okay Chespin, let's catch this!" I shouted. It was time for Chespin's first wild battle. "Use Vine Whip!" Chespin summoned some vines from its head, then whipped Bunnelby. It did almost half damage. That wouldn't do. Bunnelby came back with a Tackle. "Okay. One more Vine Whip!" Chespin used the move again. But it was a Critical Hit. Bunnelby fainted. "No Chespin! We were supposed to weaken it enough to be in a catching position!"
"Cheer up!" Shauna said. "Kalos has lots of different Pokémon! You didn't catch one, but maybe you'll catch the next one!"
I smiled. "Thanks. And Chespin, I'm sorry for snapping at you. We still best friends?"
Chespin forgave me. This was our first day together after all.
"Okay, I think I'm gonna go ahead," Serena said. "Tierno and Trevor are setting up camp in the Santalune Forest."
"I'll go with!" Shauna said. "Good luck with catching something Big C!"
I decided that I would be a little less frantic less time. So, I ran about in the tall grass. "Come on, something please."
Huzzah- a Fletchling appeared! "Okay Chespin, go!" I shouted. "Wait. Fletchling's a Flying Type!" Fletchling attacked Chespin with a Super Effective Peck. "You okay Chespin?" Chespin nodded to me. "Okay, give it a Tackle!" Chespin charged into Fletchling, bringing it down to yellow health. Fletchling came back with another Peck, almost knocking out Chespin. "Vine Whip! Let's get it into the red!" Chespin lashed Fletchling with a vine. "Hold on," I said, giving Chespin a Potion. It healed some health. I realized that if a Pokéball failed and another move hit, Chespin was done for. Another Peck later and I knew it was time. "Okay, let's do this. Fletchling, you're mine!" I threw a Pokéball at Fletchling who then went inside. "Come on, come on."
It clicked shut!
"I caught a Fletchling!" I shouted. "Okay, let's find something else."
I rummaged the tall grass once again. I was amazed that I was doing this. Unprotected, even a Weedle could be big trouble.
And speaking of Weedle, that's what I encountered next! It was long, yellow and had a small horn on its head.
Weedle (Aspicot)
#026 (Central)
Bug/Poison Type
Hairy Bug Pokémon
0.3 m (1'00")
3.2 kg (7.1 lbs)
Its poison stinger is very powerful. Its bright-coloured body is intended to warn off its enemies.
"Fletchling, come out!" I shouted. "Peck it!" Fletchling flew down to Weedle and pecked it in the face, doing a lot of damage to the poor thing. Then, Weedle fired a purple spike at Fletchling. "That's Poison Sting!" I yelled. Fletchling was poisoned. "Oh no. Okay Fletchling, one last Peck! We can take this thing out!" Fletchling pecked at Weedle once more, defeating it.
"You, okay?" I asked Fletchling. Fletchling was bubbling from the poison. "Here, take this." I took out an Antidote and fed it to Fletchling who was right as rain in no time. "You did great! Keep up the good work!"
Shortly after this, I came across another Pokémon. It was brown and spiky with a bushy tail.
Zigzagoon (Zigzaton)
#012 (Central)
Normal Type
Tiny Raccoon Pokémon
1'04" (0.4 m)
17.5 kg (38.6 lbs)
It walks in a zigzag fashion. It's good at finding items in the grass and even in the ground.
"Okay Chespin, go!" I shouted. "Vine Whip!" Chespin hit Zigzagoon with a vine that brought it down to yellow health. Zigzagoon came back with a Tackle. "I'll catch this to. Go Pokéball!" Zigzagoon went in. It shook once, twice… and broke free. It hit Chespin with another Tackle. "Let's try a weaker move. Fletchling, go!" I recalled Chespin for Fletchling. Zigzagoon used Growl upon Fletchling's entry, lowering its Attack. Little did Zigzagoon know that that is what we wanted. "Peck!" Fletchling pecked at Zigzagoon. It was in the red health. Zigzagoon used Tackle on Fletchling, but Fletchling was holding up. "Let's try again!" I threw another Pokéball at Zigzagoon, and it went inside. "Come on…"
It was caught!
"Two in one day!" I said. "This is going great!" Not only that, but I was outside the entrance to the Santalune Forest. "Here we go…"
"Stop!" A Youngster has spotted me. "Hey! You're the son of Rhyhorn Racer Grace right?"
"Shut up!" I said. "I'm a Trainer!"
"Then you can't run from a Trainer battle!"
Calem Vs. Youngster Austin
"I choose, Zigzagoon!" Austin shouted, sending out a Zigzagoon of his own.
"And I choose Chespin!" I replied.
"Tail Whip, Zigzagoon!" Zigzagoon wagged its tail cutely. This caused Chespin to lower its Defense.
"Vine Whip!" I shouted. Chespin whacked Zigzagoon with its vine, doing about half damage to it.
"Now use Tackle!" Zigzagoon slammed its body into Chespin. Chespin took a lot of damage.
"Another Vine Whip!" Chespin used its Grass Type attack once again, almost knocking out Zigzagoon.
"Tackle!" Zigzagoon pummelled into Chespin a second time, this time dealing a Critical Hit.
"Chespin!" I yelled as Chespin fainted. "Good job, you deserve a rest. Zigzagoon, go!" I shouted.
"Tackle!" Austin's Zigzagoon used Tackle on my Zigzagoon, and Zigzagoon survived.
"Tackle it back!" Zigzagoon rammed itself into Austin's Zigzagoon back. I had won.
"Okay, you can go onwards to Santalune Forest."
Thanking the Youngster for the battle (but not for what he said beforehand), I went into the undergrowth.
Location: Santalune Forest
The Fletchling chirped in the depths of the deep, dark woods. Trees were around me in all directions. Only small bits of sunlight were able to pierce through the treetops and slay the ground. I saw my friends at a makeshift campsite.
"Hey!" Serena said. "We've got a tent for everyone!"
I ran over to find the camp set up, with my own one included. "Thanks guys!" I said. "Which one is mine?"
"The blue one!" Tierno pointed out. "But we won't hit the hay yet; let's start a fire." He pointed to some sticks that were piled on the ground.
"They're awfully damp," I said picking one up. They felt a bit heavy and wet.
"It's all I could find," Serena said. "There was a rainstorm the day before you arrived, and woods takes a long time to dry here. But we can try. Come out Fennekin!" Serena sent out her Fire Type. "Ember!" Fennekin fired a flame at the sticks; it didn't do anything. "Oh. I guess they are a bit wet. We'll go without anyway; don't want to risk a forest fire."
"Aww," Tierno said. "I brought these." He took out a plastic bag full of plump marshmallows.
"We can still roast them!" Trevor said. "Serena, tell Fennekin to radiate some heat!"
Serena adjusted her pink hat. "Okay then. Fennekin, radiate some heat!"
Fennekin's tail got warmer. It was soothing.
"Let's dig in!" Tierno said, getting some (still wet) sticks off the ground. He put a marshmallow on the end of five sticks and gave one to each of us. We cooked it over Fennekin's tail.
"So Big C, caught anything?" Shauna asked.
I sent out Fletchling and Zigzagoon. "I never thought that I would be catching Pokémon this early. I just thought Mum would make me continue her legacy as a Rhyhorn Racer. I'm not mad at her for being successful, but why am I always in the limelight? Because of a genetic connection?"
"Calem," Serena said.
"No, hold on. I want to live my own life, but instead Mum has to go to her races and take me along. I'm not even interested in them, why am I to watch?"
"Calem!" Serena shouted.
"You know what? I'm glad I'm seeing the world! As long as I'm treated as a Pokémon Trainer, not the son of a Rhyhorn Racer. Is that too hard? In fact, some kid outside the Forest today? That's the first thing he brought up! How about he tries being in my shoes for once!"
"CALEM!" Serena yelled. "Your marshmallow has burned!"
I looked at my marshmallow, which was now on fire and melting. "Whoops," I said.
We all just laughed it off. I was on a journey now, and that is what it's all about.