Pokémon Crimson Gold
Chapter 21: Fathers and Sudowoodos
Ethan and Bayleef continued their way to Ecruteak City in which they were.
"We're finally almost here!" Ethan couldn't help but exclaim.
Bayleef looked at Ethan and nodded happily.
Along the way, a girl, knocked down on the ground, she appeared hurt or even unconscious.
"Bay Bay!" Bayleef said trying to alert Ethan.
"Woah... everything alright?" Ethan came out and asked, scared she may have been seriously harmed."
Ethan started to shake her so she'd get up, and finally her eyes opened. She had orange hair and wore a white shirt and a red skirt.
The girl got up from laying down and began to talk.
"T-thank you, I was out cold, wasn't I?" The girl asked, she then looked at Ethan and her eyes lit up with amazement.
"Hold on, I know you! You're that Ethan Trainer! I saw you on Oak's talk show, a slice of life with Professor Oak!" The girl said, making Ethan smile.
"Hehe, I didn't realize I'd be recognizable," Ethan laughed.
"Of course, you're like a celebrity!" She laughed.
"Wouldn't that be nice," Ethan joked. "Well anyway, you're okay right, what happened."
"I'm fine, now I guess, I was just on my way to Ecruteak City, and I see this funny looking tree, and then it turns out it's not a tree," she said.
"Oh, its Floria by the way," she said reaching out her hand.
Ethan shook her hand, she had thin wrists.
"Anyways, you were saying?" Ethan asked.
"I was trying to get to Ecruteak, but then it turns out this tree I tried to cross was a Sudowoodo, and it attacked me, and now I wake up here!" She yelled.
"Well, Floria, why don't I help you." Ethan suggested, Bayleef nodding.
"You wouldn't be too bothered by it?" Floria asked.
"I'm a Trainer, I have to get to Ecruteak anyways to get my next Gym badge." Ethan assured her.
"So, any idea where this Sudowoodo went?" Ethan asked.
"Nuh-uh, it knocked me out then left I guess." She said, looking around.
"Bayleef, let's split up!" Ethan told her, "If you find a Sudowoodo call me, make sure not to go too far."
"Bayleef!" Bayleef agreed.
"Alright Floria, you can come with me or Bayleef if you want? You're not a Trainer, right?" Ethan asked.
"Hmph, well... no, but I'd like to be!" Floria exclaimed. "I'll come with you, if you don't mind."
"Alright, Bayleef, you be safe now!" Ethan told her.
"Bay," Bayleef agreed.
Ethan went along with Floria into the trees in search of this Sudowoodo.
"From the look of things, I bet we'd be able to reach Ecruteak without crossing this Sudowoodo," Ethan guessed.
"Y-yes, I'm sure." Floria said, with a sad expression on her face.
"What's up?" Ethan asked.
"It's just that, I really really want to be a Trainer. But my dad refuses to let me, we own a flower shop, in Goldenrod, but I hate it!" Floria said. "I know my fate is to be a Trainer."
"I'm sorry to hear that, I have an idea." Ethan suggested.
"W-what is it?" Floria asked.
"I'll catch you that Sudowoodo, what do you say?" Ethan told her.
"I-I'd love it!" Floria said. "You'd really do that!"
"Of course, well... I don't know your father's reasoning, but everyone should have the choice to be a Trainer or not." Ethan said.
"He says he doesn't want me to get hurt, he thinks I'm a baby. Like I can't take care of myself." Floria complained. "So instead, I have to continue the family business and sell flowers."
"I see, I get how it feels to have father issues." Ethan replied.
"Really?" Floria asked.
"Yeah, my dad's the exact opposite of yours though, he's always off on training trips and never home, he didn't even come for my thirteenth birthday." Ethan said with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Is your dad a Trainer?" Floria asked.
"A damn good one." Ethan said. "But maybe it's better to have a father that cares..."
"I don't know, not like that." Floria said.
It was then when walking through some bushes Ethan bumped into a weird tree looking thing. He readjusted his eyes to see it was Sudowoodo.
"Sudowoodo!" It spoke, warning Ethan to get back.
Ethan jumped back, not wanting it to attack, he grabbed Floria by her arm and ran a few feet back. He took her and they hid in the bushes.
"That's the one!" Floria said, Ethan letting go of her hand. "So, you're going to catch it!"
"Actually, you're going to catch it!" Ethan told her.
"W-what, but how am I!?" Floria said, surprised.
"You're going to borrow my Pokémon for this one, I'll coach you on battling." Ethan told her.
"Y-you're really kind," Floria said smiling.
"Sure, now here take it," Ethan said, handing a Pokéball.
"W-what Pokémon is it?" Floria asked, excited to be holding a Pokéball.
"That's Flaaffy, one of my strongest Pokémon, now throw the Pokéball and out he'll come!" Ethan replied.
Floria stood up, staring down the Sudowoodo. "Okay, I just have to throw it right, Go Flaaffy!" She announced as she threw the ball.
"Flaaffy!" Flaaffy shouted upon being released. He turned to see Floria, who he had of course never met before, and was unsure as to why she was commanding him.
"Flaaffy, it's me Ethan." Ethan said, getting up from the bushes. "This is a friend of mine I just met named Floria, can you help me to teach her how to battle?"
Flaaffy smiled at Floria before focusing his attention on the posing Sudowoodo.
Ethan pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.
"Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokémon. Although it always pretends to be a tree, its composition appears to be more similar to rock than vegetation."
Sudowoodo let out a screech, trying to intimidate Flaaffy.
"It's a good Pokémon Floria, now command Flaaffy to attack, he knows Thunder Shock!" Ethan said.
"A-alright, man this is going to be cool, Flaaffy, please use Thunder Shock!" Floria said.
Flaaffy listened and blasted the Sudowoodo with a Thunder Shock, doing little damage to it.
"Sudowoodo!" Sudowoodo yelled shaking it off.
"Awe, it didn't do much damage!?" Floria reacted.
Sudowoodo grabbed Flaaffy's shoulders and smashed him in the head with a terrifying Rock Smash, sending Flaaffy to the ground.
"I thought for sure Sudowoodo was a Grass Type, but it says here in the Pokédex that it's a Rock Type!" Ethan said, starting to feel a little uneasy.
Sudowoodo leaped and tried to hit Flaaffy with a Rock Smash, but Flaaffy leaped back and dodge it.
"Flaaffy!" Flaaffy yelled, panting.
Sudowoodo was angry Flaaffy dodged, it once again let out a screech.
"W-what other moves does Flaaffy know!?" Floria asked.
"Oh, Take Down!" Ethan told her.
"Flaaffy, Take Down!" Floria exclaimed.
Flaaffy instead charged his fist with a charge of fire, smashing straight into the Sudowoodo, causing an eruption of smoke.
"Woah, Fire Punch!?" Ethan exclaimed.
"Is that a good move!?" Floria asked.
"Yes, but, maybe not in this case..." Ethan said, realizing fire was weak to rock.
"Type disadvantage huh, well we still have electric type moves right?" Floria asked.
The smoke cleared and Sudowoodo was fine, the move only did minimal damage.
"Oh, Confuse Ray!" Ethan announced, feeling relieved he remembered the move.
"Flaaffy, Confuse Ray please!" Floria asked.
Flaaffy listened and shot a ray at Sudowoodo, causing it to wobble and stumble around.
"Alright, it's time, if a Pokémon is confused it'll be easier to catch!" Ethan told Floria, handing her a Pokéball.
"A-alright, Sudowoodo, you're mine!" She announced.
Floria pulled her hand back and threw the Pokéball at the stumbling Sudowoodo, instantly catching it in the ball.
The ball shook three times, before blinking, signifying the Sudowoodo was caught.
"Alright! Sudowoodo was caught!" Floria said, clapping her hands.
"You did it!" Ethan said as she handed back Flaaffy's Pokéball.
He walked up to Flaaffy congratulating. "You did really good boy thanks!" He said as he pet him.
"Flaaffy!" Flaaffy said proudly.
"Hehe, congratulations on your first Pokémon Floria!" Ethan said as he returned Flaaffy.
Floria walked up to Ethan, holding her Pokéball. "I-It's all thanks to you Ethan, n-no boy has ever done something so nice for me before." She said with a slight blush.
"Really..." Ethan said, catching on.
It was then before anything happened that a man came in, he looked middle age, and mad.
"Floria!" He yelled.
"D-daddy!" She said, surprised to see him, hiding the Pokéball behind her back.
The man took notice of Ethan and scoffed. "Oh so you think just because I tell you you're not allowed on a journey you can hang out with some boy!?" He yelled, staring at Ethan.
"Daddy! He's not just some boy, he helped me catch a- ne...never mind." She said, still hiding a Pokéball behind her back.
It was then when Bayleef entered from the bushes, she had heard what the man said about Ethan and was grump about it.
"Awe, it's a wild Pokémon!" The man freaked.
"I-It's not wild, she's my Pokémon!" Ethan told him.
"You don't talk boy, if I ever catch you with my daughter again, I'll kill you!" The man said, snatching Floria by the arm and taking her.
Floria looked back at Ethan once before turning back, leaving with her dad.
"Hehhh..." Ethan sighed, he turned to Bayleef and pat her on the head.
"Dad's... can be tough huh," Ethan said, lost in thought.
"Bay..." Bayleef agreed.
"Hmph, Floria huh, I hope one day she can make it." Ethan said, putting a smile back on his face.
"Alright Bayleef, on to Ecruteak!" Ethan announced.
Ethan and Bayleef left, continuing their venture to Ecruteak.
Maybe we'll find out more about Ethan's father as the chapters continue, we'll see...