DISCLAIMER - I DO NOT, AND MOST LIKELY NEVER WILL OWN POKEMON.
Chapter Three - Perfect plans become beautiful accidents
Entering Oldale Town was a relief. Riley really enjoyed the one on one time with Nick, but she also knew a hot shower and a real bed was the better option. They quickly made their way to the Pokemon Center, where Riley turned over who two friends to Nurse Joy. As they waited for her Pokemon to be looked after, they went to the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat.
Riley hadn't realized until this moment how hungry she'd been. She grabbed a Tauros burger, some pasta, french fries and some cookies and made her way to the booth. As she approached, she remembered why being in public with her Uncle was always an experience. There must have been ten trainers surrounding him, asking him anything and everything about Pokemon and how to train. He politely answered as many questions as he could handle. When he was beginning to grow tired of the attention, Riley cleared her throat and approached. He politely asked the crowd to leave so he and his companion could enjoy lunch.
As they sat and enjoyed their food, Nick mentioned a piece of technology Riley was unaware of.
"Riley, have you ever heard of the GTS?"
She hadn't, and was embarrassed she may not know of something every trainer would use.
"It's a newer piece of technology that connects trainers all across the world. With this system, people can place pokemon they've caught, and post them for trade. If you ever find yourself looking for a specific Pokemon, but are unable to find one in the wild, you may want to give it a shot. It also has a secondary function, which I find to be more exciting. What do you think trainers do with Pokemon they can't train?" he asked.
He noticed her mouth was full, so he continued. "If you caught a Pokemon, and found out you were allergic to it, what would you do? Sure, you could release it. You could donate it to a laboratory, but who knows what use it'd serve there, or if it'd be truly happy. With the GTS, there's another option. You can deposit your Pokemon into the PC, and trade it randomly with a trainer anywhere in the world for a Pokemon they've encountered similar issues with. With the newest update, you can also type a message for the Pokemon's new trainer. If it was too difficult because it was too strong for it's original trainer, that'd be good information to pass along. If it preferred to be a pet, and not a battler, that'd be good to know. Regardless, you can send it to a new home, where a wanting trainer can work with it to be it's best self."
Riley couldn't imagine ever voluntarily giving up her a Pokemon of her own, but she'd soon find out it's something that every trainer encounters.
"Nick, have you ever had to get rid of a pokemon?"
"Actually yes, the Aron you battled earlier was what I received. The pokemon I traded was a Pokemon I'd had for a decade. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite able to battle in the higher end battles, and became despondent. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't train. He was miserable. So I did the only thing I could, I jumped on the GTS, searched out someone looking for a grass type Pokemon, looked at their gym record, and selected a trainer."
Nick teared up, giving Titus away had hurt him far more than he let on. It was his first and only grass type Pokemon, he vowed he'd never have another.
"That Tropius was my closest friend of any Pokemon I've caught, other than Buddy. But I couldn't give him what he needed. I actually got an update from his new trainer, they traveled to Kanto, and they are currently gym trainers with Erika, as grass type specialists. Sometimes the right thing is the hardest thing imaginable. I saw Titus battle on League TV, he was far more powerful than any time he spent with me, and he looked truly happy. That's what matters, we are trainers, but we aren't Gods. These are living creatures, and they depend on us to keep their best interests at heart."
Riley was unsure how to process the news, but she knew if it came to it, she'd ask Nick for his help to find a good fit for her pokemon.
After lunch, they retrieved Riley's Pokemon and decided to call it a day. Riley checked into her room, released her pokemon and laid in bed. Joy hopped up and laid in Riley's arms, while Kek curled around her feet. Even though it wasn't intended, Riley fell asleep, and slept peacefully through the night.
The next morning Riley rose early and jumped in the shower. After brushing her teeth and getting dressed, she decided to head out for a quick stop before meeting with Nick to continue their journey.
Her destination? A secret little cave off of route 103 she'd heard mentioned by a few trainers in the Pokemon Center. after a quick 15 minute walk, she saw the small opening in the side of the cliff, and entered. With a click, her flashlight brought the dark, damp cave to life. As she looked around, she spotted what she was looking for.
A chubby yellow little sumo like Pokemon came into view. Riley popped her pokedex open "Makuhita, the fighting type pokemon. Makuhita has a tireless spirit, and will continue to get up in battle until rendered unconscious."
Riley new this was fate. "Joy, ready yourself. When you feel ready, I want you to use Icy Wind, but don't let up. We need him frozen solid to have a chance." The chubby seal pup readied herself, and with a puff of her chest, released the icy breeze. Ice clashed with the chubby fighter, who fought furiously through the winds, but Joy would not relent. After almost a minute of non-stop ice, Joy's energy was drained. She finally relented to regain her strength, and as they looked up, saw the yellow pokemon encased in ice.
Riley primed her pokeball, and fired it at the sumo. As the light enveloped the Makuhita, the familiar anxiety kicked in. Shake. Shake. Shake. Suddenly an explosion of light, and the Makuhita was free. Before anyone had time to react, a second ball hit the pokemon. Shake. Shake. Shake. With another flash of light, the Makuhita was free. He didn't wait for another pokeball this time, and lunged at the human trying to tame him. As the Makuhita barreled at the girl, a torrent of water struck its side, pushing it into the cave wall. Another pokeball was thrown. Shake. Shake. Shake. CLICK. Riley was relieved. She was happy to have gained a friend, but more importantly, she escaped without injury.
Riley collected the pokeball and navigated her way back to the cave entrance. As they walked out into the sun, she released Kek. She explained to he and Joy they'd need to be ready for anything. She took a deep breath, and released her yellow sumo.
With the familiar flash of light, the Makuhita appeared. In an instant, he was on his guard. He leered at the two Pokemon, and then the human that captured him.
"Hello, I'm Riley, and I'm a Pokemon trainer. I sought you out specifically because I know Makuhita are brilliant fighters, and hoped to convince you to join my t..." Riley couldn't finish her indoctrination, as the Makuhita leapt at the girl. Before her companions could come to her aid, Makuhita dropped a Karate Chop on the poor girls arm. Crack. She fell to the ground, in unbelievable pain.
The Sandile tackled the sumo, and tore viciously at it's chubby flesh. Bite after bite, until the Makuhita was unable to continue. Riley rolled and reached for the pokeball, returning the rebellious monster.
With her Sandile and Spheal at her feet, she slowly made her way back to town, knowing she'd get an earful. As she entered the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy saw the condition of the girls clothes and immediately whisked her to an examination room.
Ten minutes later, she was laying on a bed, being treated by a Blissey. The bone had been painfully reset, and the Blissey was now mending the fracture. It'd heal in minutes, but the pain would remain for a few days.
Nick paced incessantly in the hallway. He was told it wasn't a serious or life threatening injury, but those words meant nothing to him. RJ was in his charge, and he let her get hurt. He didn't even know how it happened, or why she went off on her own. All he knew was he failed her.
The door cracked open, and Nick rushed towards it.
"You can see her now, her treatment is almost complete." Nurse Joy had a way of soothing frantic trainers, but even her legendary demeanor couldn't calm the manic Champion.
Nick entered the room and saw Riley laying on the bed. The Blissey was just finishing the repair to her arm, and readying to leave. Riley sat up, bracing herself for the yelling she rightfully deserved. To her surprise, Nick wrapped her in a hug and apologized over and over again. It was his fault she went out alone, he kept saying.
Finally, Riley tried to explain to the Champion. "Nick, this is not your fault at all. I woke up early, knowing you'd still be asleep, and snuck out of the center. I heard two older trainers talking about a Makuhita that wiped out their teams, and knew I had to try and defeat him. I know I'm fortunate, I was handed my starter from the Champion of Hoenn. I was raised around exotic and rare pokemon. My dad is a famous adventurer, and my Mom is a top breeder in the region. What have I ever done on my own?" Her eyes pleaded with Nick, hoping he'd understand.
"Riley, I wish you'd have told me. I'm proud you can see you live with a privilege most will never experience, and I'm proud you want to do this on your own. But you've been a pokemon trainer for TWO DAYS. What made you think trying to defeat a Pokemon that routed more experienced teams was a good idea?" While he meant what he said, he couldn't help but admire the girl. It took bravery to make the attempt, even if it was a misguided attempt to prove herself.
"You may have failed in defeating the Pokemon, but you survived with a relatively minor injury. Thank the heavens you were so close to a town, that would have been far worse if we were in the wild."
With a sly grin, Riley presented the pokeball. "Who said I failed? The Makuhita is right here. The only reason I was injured is because I released him so shortly after the battle, I didn't even have a chance to ask him to join my team before he attacked me. Joy and Kek were with me, but the Makuhita was too quick."
Now Nick understood why the girl was so calm. She hadn't failed in her mission, she had simply underestimated the fighting type.
"Well I'll be, look at you RJ!" The fear and worry was replaced with the exuberant pride of a loving uncle. "What are you going to do with him? You haven't imprinted on him, so releasing him wouldn't be a bad idea. He's clearly to strong for you currently, and investing time on a strong and stubborn pokemon will take away from the development of the rest of your team."
Riley had already made her decision, she was going to post in on the GTS. She hated to admit it, but maybe her Dad knew more than she gave him credit. Turning over a pokemon did hurt, but it hurt much less knowing she was in control. What did know is she wouldn't be sending it to any random trainer though, she had a specific goal in mind. "I'm going to post in on the GTS with a couple requirements. First, it must go to a fighting type specialist. Second, the trainer must have completed the first half of the gyms, proving they can handle a challenge. Lastly, in return I'm asking for ANY Pokemon the trainer feels would be fair trade."
The girl had thought it out, that's for sure. Nick had one question though.. "Why not ask for a specific Pokemon you desire? I know how much you love Magmar, maybe request one of those? Or how about a Ralts? A psychic type would help you communicate when I'm not around. I still have two young Pokemon with me, and you can pick a random ball if you'd prefer that."
Riley knew she couldn't force a Pokemon to be part of her team. Especially a psychic pokemon. She needed to capture one on her own, and earn the respect to truly build her team. The pokemon she received would need to be something that needed love and attention, the breed mattered little to her. One thing she knew for certain, she wouldn't be receiving another handout from the Champion, she'd see this through in her own way.
With that, they left the exam room and thanked Nurse Joy. From there they headed over to the computer banks, preparing for her maiden voyage on the International GTS.
As riley deposited the Makuhita's pokeball into the slot, she penned a letter to the would be recipient.
"Hello. My name is Riley, and I regretfully must pass this Makuhita on to a more deserving trainer. He's too strong for my team, and I can't give him the attention and training he requires. I know he's tough, he was frozen in a block of ice for thirty seconds, and broke free from my pokeball. And then another. I will warn you, when he was returned to his ball, he had just finished attacking me, and getting chomped on by my Sandile, so he may be a bit cranky when you receive him. Please give him the chance I couldn't. In return, I ask of you only this. Whatever pokemon is sent back to me, please choose it with care. I'm a new trainer, so a young pokemon would be best. But more importantly, a pokemon that needs attention and care of a new trainer. I don't care if it's common or rare, I don't care what elemental type. I only care that you think I'm worthy of the pokemon. Thank you, Riley."
And with that, she finished the requirement section for the trainer receiving her Makuhita, and logged off.
With one last pause, Riley rose from her seat and gathered her bag. It was time to set forth to Petalburg, it was time to move on.
As Riley waited with Nurse Joy, Nick picked up some supplies for the next leg of their trip.
With the party restocked with supplies and healthy Pokemon, they began to head west on route 102. It was an uneventful trek, other than a handful of battles with wild Pokemon, only one thing of note occurred the entire route.
As Riley was walking with her Sandile, she felt a buzz in her pocket. Her Pokedex had received a message. Her Makuhita had been traded. She was excited, she was scared, but mostly she was preparing herself for what a third Pokemon could do for her team. She was nervous, but she was excited, she'd done the right thing and believed that Karma would see her rewarded.
As they approached Petalburg, Riley had noticed something different about Joy. She began growing a fuzz on her face. When she asked Nick about it, he smirked.
"I won't spoil the surprise of when, but your bond with Joy and her training has helped her grow stronger. That fuzz is the first sign Joy is getting closer to evolving. Contrary to what the cartoons and stories tell you, a flash of white and newly evolved Pokemon happens towards the end of their changes. First you'll see differences in coloring, hair growth or loss, or changes in the shape of their bodies. That flash is the energy stored as they grow being expelled, and with that, the final significant change is complete."
Riley was thrilled, not because she was going to evolve a Pokemon, but because she had proof she was doing something right. With this knowledge, she confidently walked into the Petalburg Pokemon Center, and turned her Pokemon over to Nurse Joy.
As her team was being healed, she cautiously walked over to the computer bank. The memory of that having to hand over Dash and Chip to the Professor flashed in her mind. But this time she smiled, she provided a better life for a Pokemon, she'd done her duty. Now the question was, was she really ready to receive another pokemon?
Riley logged into the GTS, and received the prompt. Enter Trainer ID to receive this pokemon. She paused, this was it, her last moment of trepidation. She entered her trainer ID and received a message.
"Hello Riley, this is Pat. Thank you for the opportunity to raise your Makuhita. I was touched by the thoughtfulness of your message, and knew that he was going to be special. So in return, the pokemon I've sent over comes with a similar request. I work for the Kalos emergency response team, and two weeks ago I was called to an incident. I'll spare you the details, but I discovered this little guy hidden in a corner, locked in a cage. He was clearly abused and malnourished. He wouldn't let anyone approach him, so we needed to bring in an Alakazam to use hypnosis before we could capture him. Our Alakazam was able to calm the pokemon down over the past two weeks, but I don't have the time to bring him along. Please take care of him, he's a truly special pokemon. Respectfully, Patrick. P.S. I've loaded my pokedex info to this message, so it should now be on yours. Please update me with how his growth goes, I'll do the same with the Makuhita."
As she closed the letter, the alert came. "Pokeball ready for pick up at front desk." This was it, the moment of truth.
With Nick by her side, she made her way back to Nurse Joy. She retrieved her two Pokemon first, and then was handed a black and yellow pokeball. Riley quickly thanked the nurse, and took Nick outside, around back to a calm grassy area.
With Pixel, Kek, Crixus and Chroma all waiting eagerly, Riley aimed her ball, and released her new friend. The red light appeared, and with a flash, all that was left was a black and yellow bipedal lizard. Riley scanned him with her Pokedex. "Helioptile, the normal and electric type pokemon. The frills on the side of it's head help generate electricity in sunlight."
Riley had never seen this Pokemon before. As she stared, marvelling at her knew lizard, the familiar tingle lit up Riley's mind.
"He'd like you to know he'll only communicate with me. He trusted a human, and was beaten daily. My advice, send him back, he'll never fully trust you." Crixus wasn't one to mince words, but that hurt her.
"Hello Helioptile, my name is Riley, and I'm a Pokemon trainer. That handsome fellow is Kek, he's my Sandile. And that beauty is Joy, my Spheal. We are working to become a strong family, and I specifically requested a Pokemon that could use the love we can provide. I know you don't trust humans, and I can't blame you. All I ask if you give me a shot, I may surprise you." She paused, hesitant to push the issue. Her arm still had the dull ache reminding her what happens if she loses her focus. After a couple of minutes, the Helioptile focused on Riley, hard. He walked slowly towards her, and bowed. He was offering his head to be pet, a sign he was willing to try.
Riley was ecstatic. Now, she just needed to come up with a name fitting such a wonderful creature. "How would you like the name Asher? It means the blessed, or happy. I'm truly blessed to have you on my team, and I'm extremely happy. I think it's a great fit, but it's your decision. If there's something you'd prefer, you can tell Crixus and I'll make it so. Waiting, waiting, waiting... "Asher is acceptable." A young, quiet masculine voice whispered. And with that, he had withdrawn from communication. She smiled, it's a start.
As Riley and her team sat in the grassy swath behind the Pokemon Center, Nick spoke up.
"Riley, you have a choice to make today. As you know, every gym in Hoenn has a preferred order they should be challenged. But, the league also knows it's not always practical to have someone from Evergrande travel to Rustboro to begin their gym challenge. Our solution was this. Every Gym Leader has four teams, a 1-3 badge team, a 4-6 badge team, the 7-8 badge team, and their Champion level team. This provides you the opportunity to either take the traditional route, and battle Rustboro first, or seeing as we are just down the road, battle the Gym here."
Riley hadn't even considered attempting a Gym challenge this early. She'd only been training four days! But, this gym was also a normal type gym, giving her the opportunity to battle lower level common pokemon. She'd heard stories of the Slaking and Vigoroth that led the higher end teams, and they were not to be trifled with.
"Nick, would you be opposed to staying here for a couple days and helping me train? I think I'd like to challenge this gym first, but I'm not sure I'm quite prepared. I've only had one trainer battle." Riley was truly seeking guidance, how do you know if you are ready?
Nick agreed, and checked them into the Pokecenter for another three nights. Two days of training, and with some luck, the last night for celebration.
"I think it'd be best if you head back down Route 102 about a mile, and see if you can scrape together some trainer battles. I've got a few matters to attend to today, but I'll be ready to train tomorrow."
And with that, Riley made her trek east, ready to test her mettle against trainers of her level.