Chapter 30: Victory Beckons
A/N: There's a poll on my profile, please do fill it out if you read this. Essentially, while I already have my own (extensive) plans for the story/characters/relationships, I want to know what your opinions are on Ethan/Blake pairing. So, stuff that's already happened. No spoilers.
Knight was originally male, I messed up some details, so I've gone and corrected recent chapters to reflect that. Updated character & Pokemon profiles in next A/N. Correcting Ch 2 so that Silver doesn't say he's Giovanni's son. Also, I just completed a read through of the story so far, will be fixing formatting/grammar/spelling mistakes in a massive overhaul over the next month hopefully. Everything from time breaks (which used to be such a nuisance formatting, idk why) to misspellings, etc. Will be packaged in with a regular update so when you get the notification there IS new material to read.
30 chapters, 300,000 words. We're making our way there folks. Plenty more to come. I'm working as hard as I can to generate as much (quality) material as I can before I'm done with my work sabbatical, but hopefully I should be able to maintain a regular schedule even when I'm back to working. Anyhow, I do hope Y'all are enjoying this. Review if you want, follow/fav if you want the updates. Alfa19
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The water was lapping lightly against the shore as I stood near the edge of New Bark Town, looking out at Route 27. Taking out my phone, I connected to the town Wi-Fi and called Blake over. The familiar ringing tone sounded for a few seconds as I scrambled to get my earbuds in before she picked up.
"Hey Blake, how are the preparations going?" I smiled as she picked up, looking at the camera above my screen.
"Oh, you know, the usual chaos." She looked over her shoulder for a moment before turning back to me. "Clara finally settled on the cake and ordered it, so that's done, the flowers are mostly arranged, given we're in Ever Grande, and the catering is still a bit… uncertain."
"Well, at least it's progress?" I gave her a half grin before looking up at a Pidgey flying overhead.
"You're leaving New Bark today right?" Blake looked back at the phone, shuffling a few things around out of frame.
"Yeah, I'll head down to the Indigo Plateau the old-fashioned way – no flying. Once I've registered, it's off to Kanto, and then I'll be on my way to Hoenn soon."
"I can't wait for you to get here. This is going to be great." Blake smiled. "The dresses came two days ago, and I'm not going to show you, but they're exactly what we wanted."
"I'll take your word for it." I looked out at the waters moving about gently in the distance. "I'd better get going if I want to leave today, but I'll talk to you soon. Next time should be from out in Indigo City, once I'm all the way."
"Alright. Travel safe, and I'll see you soon."
With a short blip the call ended, leaving me to myself once more. I cast a glance down the walking path to the northern forests, thinking about my next steps carefully. Reaching a choice, I released Scizor from its pokeball and began walking, the steel type Pokemon keeping pace with me easily.
A quarter of an hour passed in silence as we made our way to the town border, walking up to the trees. A few flecks of snow were visible on the ground into the woods, still cold from the lack of sunlight or heat penetrating the leaf cover.
"We don't have to go in if you don't want to." I stopped and looked at Scizor, waiting calmly while the bug type looked at the entrance to what was originally its home, before it had left. Conflicting emotions flashed in its yellow eyes, little given away by its lack of a visible mouth. The steel type snapped its pincers rapidly, the way a human might tap their foot nervously.
Turning towards the woods, Scizor slowly began walking in, and I nodded to nobody in particular, following the steel type Pokemon into the woods. It led me down a path I was familiar with, having walked it many times while taking photos in the woods. Gnarled roots broke the surface of the earth as we walked, forcing me to take it slowly to avoid tripping and falling on my face. As we entered a deeper and deeper section of the woods, I let Scizor keep moving while I slowed down, releasing Lucario to keep me company while we waited. Inevitably, I almost lost sight of the bug type, resolving myself to keep walking slowly with the aura Pokemon.
Along the way, the path diverged from the one I knew, going deeper into the woods. There were no clearings here. I noticed Scizor stopped a good thirty feet ahead and came to a halt myself, watching from afar. Around the tight space it occupied, Pokemon were emerging from gaps in the trees. Scyther heads were sticking out of clusters of leaves, while a few bolder creatures emerged fully to look at Scizor in awe.
A cold breeze blew through the woods, upsetting the leaves and revealing just how many Pokemon there were. Countless green bodies occupied the woods, in the trees and on the ground, watching from above and hiding below as Scizor was approached by a few bolder Scyther. Clicking sounds rang from all angles as the Pokemon watching made themselves heard, watching the older Scyther stare down Scizor.
The exchange was inaudible; more likely it wasn't aural either. Scizor stood in the cold wind for minutes, communicating noiselessly as I watched on. Slowly, the scyther in the woodworks trickled away, disappearing back to their daily lives as Scizor was left with one Scyther standing opposite it. The two had locked eyes, and neither moved.
I took a deep breath as the unevolved form raised a blade. Scizor didn't budge an inch, nor did it raise a pincer. Watching carefully, the green bug lowered its blade gradually, slinking off into the woods. Scizor looked around before turning to me and walking back, leading us out of the forest silently. Once we emerged back into New Bark Town, I recalled Lucario, looking at the bug.
"Worth it?"
Scizor looked at me for a moment with its head tilted before nodding. With a calm smile, I recalled it and turned to the road, beginning the walk back to the house. The trip was only a few minutes long, leading me back to the house quickly. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing and locking it behind me again. Mom was in the kitchen, peering through the oven window with Lily as I waved and walked up the stairs.
The door to my room was slightly ajar, and I could see Typhlosion through the crack, sleeping on his bed in the corner by the window. My traveling pack was all made up again, lighter than it had been previously. I only needed enough things for my journey to Indigo City, and to Vermillion, but that wouldn't be particularly long. I had tossed a few extraneous things in the PC storage when I had gone to deposit the members of my team who wouldn't be part of the group of six going to the plateau. The egg container was sitting by Typhlosion, comfortable in the heat of the room.
I gently roused Typhlosion, waking the fire type from its light sleep and standing up. Pulling on my jacket, I shouldered my pack and slipped the egg into the bag after a quick reheat from Typhlosion. I cast a glance at the poster on my wall, taking in the sight for a moment. The image depicted the main stadium, set in a plain dirt battleground. Crowds filled the rafters, watching and cheering vociferously as they created an almost pixelated color spread in the background. A trainer was visible in the background at the far end of the stadium, in a battle stance commanding her Pokemon in battle. A Kingdra was out on the field in front of her, and the image had caught it mid Hydro Pump, body leaning forward and eyes alight as its snout pumped out gallons upon gallons of high-pressure water. Aquamarine spray and white foam danced around the edges of the attack, glimmering in the stadium lights at night as the Meganium on the closer side of the poster stood strong, a solar beam charging in its mouth as it prepared to counter.
"We're almost there." I whispered to myself, running a hand down the edge of the glossy poster, fingers feeling the cracks and tears in the paper that had developed over the years.
Everything organized, I flipped off the lights and stepped out the door, leading Typhlosion downstairs slowly until I was in the lounge. Lucy was sitting on the couch texting; mom and lily were fussing over a tray of cookies on the kitchen counter.
"I think it's time for me to head out." I walked over to the tray and picked up a cookie carefully, biting into it.
"Already?" Lily looked up at me with eyes wide like a Growlithe, making me smile softly. I sighed and hugged her, picking her up for a moment.
"Yeah Lily, I've got to go, but soon you'll all come and watch me win the Silver Conference." I grinned and set her down, tickling her for a second.
She burst into a giggling fit as I took the minute to eat the cookie I had picked up before giving Lucy a hug. The older girl had put her phone down and walked over to the counter where I was standing.
"Lucy, you'll make arrangements for the three of you to come to Indigo City?" I raised an eyebrow as she nodded, smiling.
"Oh, don't worry, I've already got a house on Embassy Row." She crossed her arms with a wry smile.
"How'd you pull that?" Both my eyebrows went up in surprise. Embassy row was where some of the nicest residences in Indigo City were. While I was under no illusions about our ability to comfortably rent or own one, they were just plain difficult to get ahold of.
"It's called networking bro." She laughed and patted me on the back, taking a cookie for herself. "I've got a lot of friends in Unova, and they have some really well set up people there. Remind me to take you guys to Undella Town next time. Anyways, it's a friend's place out there, and she's not using it this year."
"Alright, glad to know you've got it sorted out." I looked over at the three of them. "I would like you to meet Blake while we're there, and I imagine we might end up at Steven's place for dinner at some point. It's too bad you couldn't make it for the wedding."
"Oh yes, it was so kind of him to send our invitations directly here. It's just that with the disruption this year has already had, we need to be here for Lily's school." Mom smiled, putting the rest of the cookies in a jar for later.
I stepped over and hugged her tightly, holding on for a moment.
"Bye mom, I'll see you soon."
"Please take care honey. Call us when you get there." She smiled and waved at me, watching as I approached the door. "Lily dear, get your bag, we'll go to school now."
I closed the door behind me with one last wave and began walking back to the waterfront. New Bark Town was very much a trainer town, more so than Pallet Town in Kanto, or Littleroot Town where Brendan lived, and it was that way for one very specific reason: route twenty-seven, and the Tohjo Falls. Crossing route twenty-seven was the only way to get to the Indigo Plateau gatehouse, and while you could fly as I had done with Drake, it had become a rite of passage for Johtan trainers to traverse the waters and to cross through the cavern housing the Tohjo Falls.
Samurott was easily up to the task, at the peak of its fitness, and we had decided a while back that we would do this together. There were quite a few times when instead of going the surfing route where Samurott could almost effortlessly carry me, I had elected to fly with Knight for convenience, and for flight practice, but this was something we would do, together.
I stepped up to the water's edge and released the Unovan Pokemon into the lake, smiling and carefully climbing onto its strong back as it barked assent. I rolled up the bottom of my trousers and took my shoes off tying them to my pack by their laces, socks stuffed into them. Samurott set off at a reasonable pace, sailing along.
Route twenty-seven was magnificent. It bore some resemblance to the route down from Blackthorn in the details, but much of it was different. To our left, the mountains rose up to the sky, a formidable sight. The rugged earthen face lined the edge of the lake, which stretched directly out east. Land covered in dense forests and crags formed the Eastern border of the lake, as well as a tree line directly ahead of us, cutting of the western half off the lake from the eastern half. A patch of land large enough for a few houses jutted out from the base of the trees, leading up to the cave entrance into the mountainside.
Samurott sailed over easily, setting me down on the ground and flopping up and onto it as I neglected to even put my shoes on, knowing what would come next. Treading carefully, I approached the cavern entrance and walked in, Samurott behind me.
Immediately, the roaring sound of the waterfall drowned out all else as it echoed throughout the caverns. To my right, a jagged stone wall rose up high, blocking off the easy path through the cave. To my left was a small pool of water, pouring out through subterranean passages into the lake. A rush of water fed it from the steep waterfall climbing up thirty feet along the cave walls to a cavern above us.
Samurott slipped into the water once more, waiting for me to get on and settle myself. I looked around and released Larvitar, letting the rock type form on the ground and take in our surroundings before speaking to it.
"Alright pal, so I know you like to eat rocks, and you need to if you want to evolve, so why don't you burrow a bit and meet us on the other side. We're going around this waterfall and down behind this wall." I gestured at it, showing the young Pokemon where we needed to go and where it should head to make sure it met up with us. "Eat your heart out and join us on the other side, most of our training will probably be once we're done with this three-day stint, but you've got some time to train."
Larvitar nodded once in understanding before taking a huge bite out of the wall and beginning to burrow its way in, disappearing in a few minutes. Once it was out of sight, I stepped over onto Samurott, settling myself onto his back again. Taking a deep breath, I held on tight as we approached the waterfall and Samurott tackled it, bounding into the water stream as I went vertical. I had been lying flat against the water type's body but suddenly I was facing the cavern roof it relentlessly fought against the water, swimming up the length of the waterfall slowly.
I gazed down in a moment of trepidation as Samurott put on an awe-inspiring display, fording the waters and climbing over the edge of the waterfall in a few minutes, leaving us at a U bend in the waters. Around the other side, it flowed back down to another lake, and to the other exit from the mountain.
"All right Samurott, let's get down this. Hopefully it'll be a little easier."
The water type look towards the sheer drop, gently paddling towards it as I held on tight once more, before going over the edge and following the water down. As we neared the bottom, Samurott released a guttural roaring sound, and the water swelled up from beneath it, changing our direction and guiding us safely into the lake at the bottom.
"Woah. That was something else." I shook my head as Samurott circled in the pool for a bit until a crunching sound slowly became audible. Over the roar of the crashing water, I heard a large crunch and chittering sound of sorts as Larvitar popped up out of the ground on the strip of land near the cavern entrance, looking at me expectantly. I smiled and recalled the rock type before walking off to the door, once again barefoot. I was fairly certain there was still more water ahead of us, another stretch of lake to cross.
Stepping out into the early noon sunlight, I spotted a small cabin out by the trees, nestled in a corner. Heading east was another stretch of lake, running between the trees and the mountainside.
I approached the cabin, treading softly on the grass. A small sign on the door marked it as the Tohjo Rest House, 'A place for weary travelers to rest'. I looked at it for a moment before turning back to Samurott.
"Well, we haven't been going too long, and I'd say we're not that weary, but what do I know." I shrugged and turned towards Samurott, who had already slipped back into the water, ready to keep going.
"How about we have a quick lunch and I step inside here to see what's going on just before we continue. We might as well stop now rather than later." Samurott looked at me before barking once.
"Do you want to fish or do you want some of the food I brought?" I looked at the water type as it dove under the water and then bobbed up again, repeating the motion twice more.
"Alright, you do you." I watched Samurott disappear into the water and took my pack off. I slipped my shoes on, feeling that I should probably wear them for a bit if I was going to step inside. Rifling about in the pockets of my bag, I pulled out the sandwich I had packed for the first lunch. Fresh food was always nice when you were just setting off from somewhere.
Sitting by the lakeshore, I slowly ate my lunch, watching Samurott dive in and out of the water. In the beginning it was just underwater for a while during which time it ate, but after that he was just fooling around, pulling off all sorts of jumps and tricks.
Once I was through with my sandwich, I recalled the water type for a bit, walking up to the door of the cabin and knocking. I could hear conversation through it, and sure enough, someone opened the door in a minute. An old man with grey hair and squinting eyes came to the entrance, looking me up and down.
"Come in, come in, rest a bit." He ushered me in, gesturing to a dinner table off to one side of the room where two other people closer to my age were sitting.
"Thank you." I stepped forward and sat down at the table, nodding to the two other people there. To my left was a girl with platinum blond hair tied in a ponytail with bangs at the front and almost paper white skin, sitting in an orange and white blouse. A pair of round glasses with thin gold rims sat folded on the table in front of her, next to her mug.
Across from her sat a guy with choppy brown hair, wearing a light blue sweater and jeans. His brown eyes were calm and collected but his fingers were restless, drumming random patterns into the wooden table.
"I'm Old Man Ferdinand, but you can call me Nando. Welcome to my rest house! I welcome travelers from all over to sit for a little while and exchange stories over drinks. What can I get you? We have coffee, cocoa and tea." The old man smiled, his blue eyes twinkling as he waited.
"Oh, I'm fine thank you. I appreciate it though. My name's Ethan by the way." I smiled politely as he crossed his arms.
"Nonsense! You'll have something, come on!"
"Alright, I guess I'll go with cocoa." I smiled weakly before I caught the blond-haired girl shaking her head with a small smile.
"We tried that too, but he's kind of insistent on giving everyone drinks." She extended a hand out in greeting, waiting for me to meet her in the middle. "My name's Anita, nice to meet you."
"Ethan, it's my pleasure." I shook her hand, her pale fingers cold. A shiver ran down my spine at the feeling of the cold touch, both unsettling and exciting.
She must have caught the surprise on my face, because a smile stretched across her pale, heart shaped face before she looked at me and replied.
"My hands are always cold; everyone has that response." She laughed lightly as I nodded, a small twinkle in her blue eyes. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it."
"Klaus." The choppy haired boy nodded at me, still drumming his fingers.
"Nice to meet you." I cast a glance over at the kitchenette in the corner where the old man was preparing a cup of cocoa. "Where are you two headed?"
"Indigo City. Got to register for the Silver Conference." Klaus grinned, looking at me. "You too?"
"Yeah, where are you coming from? I'm from New Bark." My smile got just a little bit wider as my lips curled up at the edge. These were my kind of people.
"I'm from Mahogany Town." Klaus grinned, mirroring my excitement. "See, you know that when you run into people registering almost a month and half ahead, you're in good company. I really hope we get to take each other on once we get to the conference."
"You know it. What about you Anita, heading to Indigo City?" I turned toward the pale haired girl as she raised her mug towards her lips, drinking carefully.
"Actually, I'm on my way back. I'm from Olivine, so I set out a while ago, I just got there quicker than I thought I would. I figured I would enjoy the scenery on the way back." She smiled as the old man came back.
"Here you go my boy, hot cocoa." Old man Ferdinand set a cup of cocoa with a bit of whipped cream and sprinkles in front of me, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "So, tell me, are you on your way to Indigo City?"
"Yes, I'm just heading there to register for the silver conference." I repeated what I had told the other two earlier, slowly sipping from my mug.
"Well congratulations my boy, making it to the Silver Conference is no small feat. Have you journeyed through northern Johto?"
"Yeah, I was up there a few weeks ago. It's some harsh terrain. It is gorgeous though. The whole valley south of Blackthorn is almost paradise." I smiled as my mind drifted back to the days spent walking down the route in such a relaxed manner.
"Yes, yes. Oh, one moment please, I believe that's my phone." He got up and scurried off again, making for the other end of his living room where he sat down at a desk by the landline.
"So, you two looking forward to it?" Klaus adjusted his sweater, still shifting.
"How could you not?" Anita's lips curled up from the edges in a wry smile as she wrapped both her hands around the steaming mug in front of her. The sky-blue nail polish decorating her fingertips matches her eyes, both standing out against her almost porcelain skin.
"I can't wait for it to get here." I grinned. "Although at the same time its going to be… new... I've never battled in front of a crowd before, and those crowds are massive."
"Performance anxiety?" Anita's grin was hidden behind her mug as she looked at me, meeting my eyes and almost causing me to choke.
"Not that I'm aware off. Most of the battles I've bene in have usually been just the contestants though. Maybe a gym battle with two or three people around, or someone officiating."
"Fair enough. I didn't mean anything by it, though it's good to know." Her small laugh was accompanied by a smile before she put her face in her hands for a moment, looking up after taking a breather.
"I don't think it'll be too bad. Once we get into it, we're battling you know." Klaus replied contemplatively, fingers still drumming.
"That makes sense. I guess it'll just be a novel experience." I tilted my head to one side as Klaus's drumming sped up, a consistent, fast paced rhythm.
"There are two hundred and fifty-six trainers out there – theoretically – who all stand a chance at becoming this year's Silver Conference champion, and three of us are right here, right now." Klaus grinned, looking around the table.
"What would you bet that one of us will come out on top?" I looked at him with a grin as his eyes widened momentarily, lighting up on the inside.
"That, is an interesting bet." Klaus folded his arms and scrunched up his eyebrows as he thought about it. "A very, very interesting and ego boosting bet."
"I'll take you on it." Anita looked at me with a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye.
"Oh really?" I raised an eyebrow. I leaned forward, both elbows in the table.
"Stakes or no?" Klaus interjected, putting both palms face down on the table.
"Not really, but if one of us wins, the three of us are celebrating together after. Deal?" Anita looked me in the eye, that twinkle just a hint of the fire in her eyes.
"Deal." My grin couldn't have been wider as I sat with the two of them. Honestly, I hadn't interacted with that many trainers who would be my peers at the conference over the course of my journey.
"I hope you've enjoyed your rest and your drink." Old man Ferdinand came back from the other side of the room, sitting down at the table slowly.
"Yes, I have been enjoying it, thank you so much." I gave him a warm smile as he beamed wide, looking around the table.
"I think I'm going to head out, but thank you very much Nando. It's been nice to stop here and chat." Anita stood up and took her mug to the sink, rinsing it out.
"Oh dearie, you didn't have to do that. So kind of you. Safe travels."
"I think I've got to head out as well if I'm to get to the next place on time, but thank you for all your hospitality." I bowed my head politely as he shook his head. I quickly went over and rinsed my mug out in the sink.
"Nonsense, travelers are always welcome here. Have a good journey my boy."
"Thank you." I stepped out into the sunlight again, joining Anita out by the water's edge. She was standing by the water, checking her phone and brushing a few of the metallic feathers on her Skarmory's back as she straightened its saddle out.
"Have a safe trip." I waved at her as I released Samurott, ready to head off.
"You too. Don't be a stranger." With a small wave, she climbed onto Skarmory.
"Do you want to keep in touch?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned around on Skarmory's back. An indescribable look sparkled in her eyes, complimenting the wry smile curling the edges of her lips up.
"Here." She walked over to me and pulled a marker out of her bag, taking my arm and scribbling something on it. "Send me a letter if you want too, otherwise… … It's not that long until the Silver Conference. We can catch up over there."
Turning around, she bent low, arching her back and stretching her blouse before Skarmory pushed off and took to the sky, flying west.
"I mean, I was thinking more like a phone number or something." I said to myself as I watched her fly away, disappearing from view quickly as Skarmory picked up speed. Shaking my head, I turned towards the lake, climbing aboard Samurott and tying my shoes to the back of my pack.
"Alright buddy, let's do this." Samurott set off as I rolled my pant legs up, trying to avoid getting them wet when I didn't need to. We continued on for a half hour or so until we reached another patch of land with a cluster of trees. Looking around, I noticed that the path forward was on land, running along or over the water. I could make out a wooden bridge in the distance, a fishing bridge without railings of any kind.
"Alright pal, I think we're good on water travel for now, but this has been such an important part of our journey together." I patted Samurott's shell helmet before recalling the water type and walking on once I had my shoes on. The air was almost entirely still in the valley as I began my walk down the plains, walking my way there. Route twenty-seven wasn't often busy by virtue of the fact that it led to the Indigo Plateau, but I had no doubt there would be a lot more activity once we got closer to the end of registration season.
Hours passed as I continued on my way, crossing bridges and mountainside paths as I made my way closer to Victory Road, step by step. It had been maybe four hours that I had been going before I ran into another trainer. I had been spending bits of it traveling with my team and some of it on my own, and this was one of the latter times as I stepped onto another bridge.
Standing by the edge of the bridge, watching the sun as it approached the horizon, was another male trainer. With the gentle breeze blowing it was almost cinematic, with the light falling on his face and his rough brown hair rustling slightly in the breeze. His pale red jacket was open and fluttering ever so slightly, his hands in the pockets of his khaki trousers. From what I could see his jaw was somewhat squarish, and his eyes looked light.
As I stepped on the bridge, he turned to face me, clearly feeling the change in weight on the bridge, giving me an intense look that faded into an easy smile.
"Were you waiting there for someone to come along?" I asked, breaking the ice right away.
"Oh no, I was just watching the sunset. I haven't seen another person here for hours." He brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes. ". I just felt someone else step on the bridge."
"Oh. Alright. Sorry to bother you." I nodded and adjusted the shoulder straps on my pack.
"Don't sweat it. Ready for the silver conference?" He smiled at my incredulous look, shaking his head. "Come on, you're heading down route twenty-seven by foot with six pokeballs on your belt. It's a reasonable assumption."
"Well… yeah."
"Calahan Ingram. I'll see you there. Unless you want a friendly battle right now?" He extended a hand, waiting until I grasped it and shook, doing my best to match his firm grip. He was a few inches shorter than me, but he more than made up for it in muscle.
"Ethan Photon." I stopped to think for a moment, looking at him. "Where are you from Calahan?"
"Cianwood City if it makes a difference. You can just call me Cal, by the way." He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Where are you coming from?"
"New Bark Town. Honestly, I haven't seen another trainer stop and take in the view in a while." I remarked, looking at the sun.
Out in the distance it was setting to the backdrop of a pink sky, the dimming orange exuding a comfortable heat that was just barely palpable through the cold winter air. It was an amazing backdrop, kind of a perfect setting for the final stretch of a journey through Johto.
"I feel the same way. Back when I was out there traveling, I don't think I ever stopped to really take in what I was looking at. Kind of regret it now, but here I am." Calahan looked to
"I'll make sure to stop and look around sometimes."
"You never answered my question by the way."
I turned back to him and thought over it for a minute before replying.
"How about this, if we run into each other in Victory Road we'll fight, otherwise we hold off until the Conference." I extended my hand again, holding it out for him.
"Sounds like a plan." He clapped it and shook, letting go after a moment before turning back to the sunset. "I'm going to stick around here a little longer. See you next time."
"See you next time." I continued down the path until the sun had set, eventually settling on a fairly broad patch of land to pitch my tent and stay for the night, right at the bend between Route twenty-seven and route twenty-six, heading north to the gatehouse.
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The morning after next…
Route twenty-six had been a mostly uphill trek occupied by a few Ace trainers keeping an eye on the region. For the most part they had left me alone, one older man stopping me to check that my team and I were alright to travel. I had already passed two cabins the previous day where they seemed to stay in between their rotations.
Rising up in the distance at the top of the hill road I could see the gatehouse, with its red walls and glass doors standing out against the greenish mountainside. The beaten path had slowly transitioned to pale yellow bricks, the final indicator that you were there. Victory was almost within reach.
A hundred meters down the path I could see another person, not wearing the Indigo Corps uniform. As I approached, she came into clearer view. It looked to be a girl poking around the shrubs near the side of the road, looking for something. I continued until I was much closer before speaking up.
"Hey, are you looking for something?" She sprang up with a start, looking around until she spotted me standing twenty feet away.
"You haven't seen a pair of sunglasses somewhere along the path, have you?" She asked, adjusting her skirt.
"No, are you missing them?" I cast a glance around, looking at the side of the road.
"Yeah, I think they fell out of my pack somewhere along the road. I haven't really deviated from the path, so they have to be somewhere here. Would you mind helping me look for a few minutes?"
"Sure. What do they look like?" I set my own pack down and began looking around the shrubs on the other side of the road.
"Dull gold frame, large reflective-ish yellow lenses." She crouched and began moving aside the shrubs again as she looked. "Thank you. I'm Michelina by the way."
"No worries, and I'm Ethan." I began moving aside bushels and trying to find the lost sunglasses along the side of the road.
Around fifteen minutes later I felt something cold under my hand. I reached in with my other hand to shift the bush I was poking around in, and caught sight of a pair of sunglasses lying underneath the bush. Dull gold frames with yellow lenses. I carefully pinched them by the bridge and pulled them out of the shrubs, dusting them off.
"Hey Michelina, I found them!"
She turned around, standing up and clapping her hands. "Oh, thank you so much!"
I handed them off to her and watched as she put them on her face, the reflective yellow tint complimenting her wavy brown hair, small face and narrow frame.
"You heading up to the gatehouse?" I asked, waiting as she picked up her pack.
"Yeah, do you want to walk together?" She turned towards the north and pointing off into the distance.
"Why not." We set off on our way, walking up the road together as clouds obscured the sun.
"Where are you from?"
"New Bark Town, what about you?"
"Mahogany Town. Ever been there?"
"Yeah, I stopped by to fight Pryce." I grinned as I remembered the old man and the gym battle in Mahogany Town. "Met a few other people there then continued on my way. I'm guessing you've been through New Bark Town if you came here."
"Yeah, it's a nice little town." She shrugged, "I don't mind the warmer weather down there. It's quite pleasant compared to Mahogany."
"Yeah, but summers get quite a bit warmer." I shrugged as we neared the gatehouse, stepping through the sliding glass doors.
It was just as I remembered it. The two security desks lined the side walls of the corridor, each manned by a guard standing behind the manila countertop. The same red carpet carried down the way to the end of the gatehouse.
I stepped up to a guard and took my badge case out, passing it over to him for inspection. The gruff man's mustache twitched as he accepted the container and opened it carefully, scrutinizing each and every badge.
"You may pass." He returned the case to me, handing it to me and letting me pass as Michelina handed her own over, being waved through quickly.
"I've got to stop here for a bit and meet someone, but I'll catch you in Indigo City!" She gave me a small wave and walked down the eastern corridor to the Kanto gates, leaving me to make my way past the crossroads and down the northern corridor.
A pair of statues flanked the doorway at the end of the hall. To my left was a statue of a Rhydon, standing tall and proud with its chest puffed out as it guarded the gates. To my right stood a statue of a man with a scar down the right side of his face and short hair. A cloak hung over his shoulders, half open from the front as he watched the corridor silently for eternity. The first champion and his Rhydon. I bowed my head out of respect before looking at the doorway and the inscription above it. Victory Beckons.
'Victory Road beckons indeed.' I stepped through the doorway and continued down the darkening corridor for twenty feet before I emerged on the other side in a large cavern.
Weak light spread throughout the cavern from crystals and small holes in the ceiling, keeping everything alight, just barely. The interior of the cave wasn't level. Where I was standing, I could see pathways fifteen feet below, riddling the cavern floor even as large rock formations stood at the same height I was currently at. A plank bridge spanned the gap between two areas of level height in the distance, the reddish wood the only warm color in the entire cave.
I released Typhlosion, waiting for the fire type to form next to me before I began walking through the caves, taking advantage of the naturally worn paths up and down between areas of different elevation rather than trying to climb everything.
"We're in Victory Road Typhlosion. We're almost at Indigo City, and then we can register for the conference and make our way onwards until it starts." Typhlosion growled happily, back alight with a few small flames as we continued down the path through Victory Road.
"We're walking the same path that every trainer takes through here to get to the league. It's kind of insane to think about." I stuffed my hands in my pockets as we continued on our way, watching the occasional Golbat flutter about the ceiling. "We're literally walking in the footsteps of champions."
Typhlosion almost laughed at that, making a barking sound somewhere in between a snicker and a laugh as we stopped on a boulder so that I could take out the egg container and we could reheat its base. While we sat, I removed some Pokemon food from my bag, along with a can of noodles, setting about heating up my food with some of Typhlosion's fire while the fire type ate its fill.
"I guess I should take that as a good sign huh." I sat there eating, watching the Golbat flutter about and mess with each other. "We started out trying to get here, and we're so close. It's crazy to think that it's been over a year that we've been together." I scratched Typhlosion behind the ears as he lay down by my side, watching the surroundings while I finished my meal and packed the empty can into a bag of trash to be disposed of properly in Indigo City.
"Come on, let's get moving again, we should make some progress so that we can get there on time." I stood up and put the egg container back into my pack, nestling it carefully so that nothing would happen to it before I continued on my way along with Typhlosion, walking through the caves. We crossed the entirety of the first cavern without many disturbances, reaching a ladder at the far end that took us down into the second cavern.
This one was far more level than the first cavern, although it still had a few ups and downs of its own. Releasing Typhlosion again (I had recalled it because honestly, we couldn't figure out a good way for Typhlosion to get down a ladder otherwise), I looked around and examined the terrain we were in. Once I had a good sense of what the path might look like I released Larvitar again, watching the young Pokemon form my legs.
"Hey pal, go ahead and eat your heart out. Take the time to get all the nutrition you need to evolve." Larvitar didn't quite disappear into the earth as it had the last time, back in the Tohjo falls, but it did walk up to the side of the cavern, picking and choosing chunks of rock to consume.
Taking a few steps forward, I hopped off the ledge we had emerged into, before noticing a trainer standing a dozen feet ahead of me.
"Hey, do you want to battle?" He extended a pokeball. Blond hair that covered his ears was mostly brushed back. Typhlosion's fires cast a dim glow over his features, highlighting the sharp, triangular jaw locked tight as he waited for my response.
"One on one." I replied, reaching for a different pokeball on my belt.
"Alright!" He waited until I had mine in my hand and we made some space between the two of us, creating a clearing of sorts where we could battle.
"Noctowl!" he released his Pokemon and waited for me to make my move, watching Larvitar in the background.
"Electabuzz!" I had tossed the pokeball at the same time as him, but luck of the draw gave me the advantage in this case. I grinned and readied myself for the battle. No doubt his Noctowl would be strong though, quite possibly stronger, despite the typing.
"Air Slash!" The other trainer called out from afar, watching Noctowl take flight, rising high before rocketing down towards Electabuzz.
"Discharge!" Electabuzz caught the command, wind milling its arms to build up charge before releasing a massive shock into the surrounding air that caught Noctowl a bit. The flying type swerved to avoid the electric type attack, aborting its own Air Slash in the process.
"Extrasensory!"
"Light Screen!" Electabuzz pulled up the shimmering wall of energy but the blast of psychic energy pierced it, flinging the electric type back into the wall with tremendous force. Larvitar had stopped poking around, and stood in place, watching the ongoing battle as it munched on a few of the rocks it had collected. The younger Pokémon's eyes were wide with awe as it observed the escalating tangle between the two Pokemon.
"Electro Ball!" Electabuzz took the initiative and blasted off a rapidly charged sphere of electric energy, following it up quickly with another. If there was one skill that was common to every member of my team, it was the ability to quickly fire multiple blasts of a single attack in succession. It was so damn useful.
Electabuzz was still working on it, not quite up to the level of Specter's multiple shadow balls, or Lucario's triple aura spheres, but it was good at aiming on the fly and sending both attacks on different trajectories so that you had two different attacks to avoid.
Noctowl flew out of harm's way quickly, glaring at Electabuzz as it collected itself, looking for an opportunity to strike. The large avian flapped its wings menacingly and hooted, looking extremely annoyed.
"Confusion!" Noctowl's eyes began to glow as it screeched and blasted a focused quanta of psychic energy at Electabuzz.
"Shock Wave!" Electabuzz blasted off the lightning quick attack, one which's technique ensured it found its lightning rod (the intended target) every time, taking the brunt of the psychic attack in order to get the hit off.
The electricity singed Noctowl's feathers as the bird screeched, its flapping wings spreading the smell of burning as it dove immediately, the silvery glow on its wings an indicator of Steel Wing incoming.
"Thunder Punch!" Electabuzz ducked of the way, getting clipped on its left arm as it sacrificed some mobility in order to reach out and grab Noctowl's leg, slamming a sparking fist into the bird's gut.
Noctowl was tossed backwards unceremoniously, landing on its back before it managed to flutter into the air again, watching Electabuzz carefully. Neither Pokemon wanted to make the first move, but each knew they could get the other.
"Thunderbolt!" Electabuzz blasted off an arc of electricity, clipping Noctowl's wing as it screeched and retaliated with Psychic, knocking Electabuzz back once more and into the wall again.
"Light Screen!" I called out preemptively, watching the fight go on. Electabuzz pulled up the shimmering shield as Noctowl aborted its attack from afar, watching the electric type and its tactics.
"Moonblast!" The other trainer called out, watching Noctowl charge up a shimmering pink energy and fire it off at Electabuzz. The attack ripped through the shield and poured over Electabuzz. The energy didn't feel warm like a fire attack, and its wasn't distinctly psychic or normal type, so it must have been the fairy type native only to Kalos.
"Electabuzz! Shockwave!" Electabuzz retaliated as the outwash of the attack faded and the light died out, blasting Noctowl with another round of electricity to deal it a hefty blow. The electric type's breathing was slow and heavy as it put a hand on its knee, watching Noctowl carefully. Both Pokemon were weakened, and close to losing out, and we knew it.
"Air Slash!" The other trainer called out, spotting Electabuzz's belabored breathing and capitalizing on Noctowl's superior speed.
"Discharge!" Noctowl covered the distance fast enough to land the blow without having to abort it like the opening clash, but Electabuzz did manage to release a discharge into it just as it tried to get away, holding onto Noctowl's talons. A small explosion filled the space in front of us with smoke as I spotted Electabuzz's collapsed form on the ground, recalling it immediately.
Noctowl fluttered over to its trainer and collapsed on the ground in front of him, flapping its wings a few times to clear the smoke before lying down. The other boy reached down and whispered kindly to his Pokemon before recalling it and walking over to me.
"Julius Archambault. That was a great battle."
"Ethan Photon. Thanks for it, it was really fun." I shook his hand and nodded, continuing on my way with Larvitar and Typhlosion as he stayed behind, presumably to heal his Noctowl.
Once we had put some distance between ourselves and Julius, I stopped and set down my pack, pulling Pokemon medicines out of it so that I could treat Electabuzz. When I released the electric type, it had regained consciousness, but the bruises and fatigue were still there.
"Hey pal you fought extremely well. You're making great progress!" I carefully applied the potions and sprays to its back slowly, healing some its wounds immediately and setting the others in the restorative process. "I'm proud of how far you've come."
Electabuzz looked at me and nodded, looking pleased, if tired. Once I was done with all the medicines, I recalled Electabuzz, giving it time to rest as Larvitar approached me, shaking its fists and swinging them at the empty air.
"You want to fight?" I laughed and patted Larvitar on the head. "Well I guess we can start your training soon. Tell you what, I won't avoid run ins with wild Pokemon, and you can have a battle then."
Larvitar nodded, looking in every direction before running off towards a stray Golbat wandering around the cave.
"Oh, you meant right now. Well. I guess there's nothing wrong with that." I shouldered my pack and hurried after Larvitar, catching up to where it was facing down a lone Golbat. The poison type was more than a little annoyed at having its day interrupted by an earthbound youngling of all things, and Golbat tended to be a nuisance to trainers everywhere when journeying through caves, so I wasn't feeling terrible about picking a fight with it as is.
"Alright, Larvitar, pay attention and listen to me so that we can make this work."
I quickly removed the Pokedex from my bag and scanned Larvitar, appreciating the gift from Professor Oak as it listed the moves that Larvitar currently knew. How it did that, I had no idea, but it was useful.
"Alright Larvitar, use Dark Pulse!" Larvitar steadied itself and complied, blasting dark type energy out at Golbat. I have to admit, I was more used to the scale and intensity of the battles the rest of the team was getting into these days, so it was a little bit relaxing to be back to dealing with the basics.
Golbat screeched as it took the blow, before diving down and trying to attack Larvitar head on. Now Golbat typically aren't the heaviest Pokemon, so this wasn't exactly the best move, especially against a rock and ground type. Weighing barely more than half of what Larvitar did, Golbat's quick attack did manage to shove it back and injure it slightly, but not much.
"Larvitar, Rock Slide!" Larvitar stamped its foot into the ground twice and a cascade of rocks from a nearby ledge hurled themselves along the ground and at Golbat, two of them clipping the flying Pokemon before it fluttered out of the way of the move.
Golbat screeched violently and its eyes lit up as it tried to use confuse ray. The slow-moving pulses of ghostly energy left its eyes, dancing in a nonlinear, unpredictable path as they tried to make their way to Larvitar's eyes and hypnotize it.
"Look down!" Larvitar immediately complied, determined to win, and from watching the battles and the training, it knew that meant listening. Between the lack of direct eye contact and the boulder Larvitar moved in front of itself, the attack washed out, leaving the ground type free to attack.
"Alright, one more dark pulse!" Larvitar used the dark type attack again, dealing another blow to Golbat and sending it careening in the air. Sensing its impending defeat, the poison type made the wise choice of flying away, leaving the young rock type animatedly shaking its little fist at it.
"Awesome work Larvitar. Your first battle! I'm proud. I have no doubt you're going to make it far when we work together!" I leaned down and gave Larvitar a small high five, teaching it the gesture before we continued on.
A few hours later, and we settled down to make camp for the night inside the cave. Typhlosion kept our spot warm while I pitched the tent and Larvitar continued to eat a few rocks, bringing a few smaller ones over as well to bound the makeshift fire pit.
Once I had everything set up, I removed some food for Typhlosion and myself, warming up my own dinner atop the flames while the two Pokemon occupied themselves with eating.
"Taaaaar." I turned around to see Larvitar lying on the ground on its stomach, next to a half-eaten rock. The rock type looked almost sick, like I'd seen some of my friends back in New Bark Town after overeating and feeling the effect catch up to them.
"You okay buddy?" I put my can of soup down and stood up, brushing my trousers off so that I could walk over to it.
"Laaaaaaar." Larvitar rolled over onto its back with a loud plop, facing the ceiling. Its expression was lazy and content, but a little unwell.
"You eat too much?" I asked with a small smile, stopping in place as Larvitar nodded slowly. "It happens sometimes."
"Lar." With another groan, Larvitar rolled onto its stomach again, plopping its face into the ground.
I turned around to make it back to my soup when a loud snapping sound caught my attention. I turned back to Larvitar, immediately shielding my eyes as a whiteish silver glow took over the Pokémon's body, gradually wiping out all the visible color.
The air around us stilled as the shining white light surrounding Larvitar intensified, expanding its reach until it enveloped a space large enough to fit me into. A lone Golbat (possibly the same one from earlier) fluttered over to a nearby rock, sitting down to watch the goings on. The light had spread horizontally, along the ground where Larvitar was lying down, but as the energy intensified, filling the air with a buzzing sound, the shining envelope of energy wavered and shifted until it was more vertical, around five feet tall and a few feet wide.
I stood still, digging my feet into the ground and shielding my eyes with my hands as the radiating energy pulsed outwards, trying to propel me backwards as pebbles skittered along the floor, carried along by the air currents flowing outwards from Larvitar. The earth itself shook and a deep rumble echoed throughout the cavern as glow brightened even further.
I had both arms around my eyes, holding them there until I felt the push on me subside. Slowly, I lowered them, letting myself see the receding bubble of energy as the glow settled down. It contracted and dimmed until it coated only the Pokémon's form, highlighting its new body.
Typhlosion relit the fire as the glow died entirely, casting Larvitar's newly evolved form in light so that we could take it in and see the product of the evolution. Standing around four feet tall, its body was an ellipsoid oriented vertically, with two horn like stubs where its legs had originally been. Thick blue armor plating covered it entirely, and a spiky mask hid all of its face with jagged protrusions outwards, except for eyeholes and two black cavities above them, revealing bright red eyes staring back at me. A deep rumble echoed in the cavern, originating from within its shell. Taking a breath, I removed my Pokedex and scanned it again.
Pupitar, the Hard Shell Pokemon. Its armor possesses a strength similar to that of bedrock, and it relies on levitation as well as earth and rock type terrain manipulation to move. Pupitar is the second stage of the evolutionary line of Larvitar, the cocoon stage. After consuming enough rock and gaining enough strength, Larvitar evolves into Pupitar for a pseudo incubation period where its body digests and processes all of the consumed stone. Pupitar develop their strength and burrow through mountains and caves, only evolving into Tyranitar upon completing the pseudo incubation period – provided they have developed enough strength to fuel their own bodies. Pupitar are only found in Mount Silver in the wild in Indigo.
"Woah." I looked over at Pupitar where it was levitating near the cavern wall. "I guess all the stone eating paid off. Don't worry pal, we'll definitely train you up and get you to that final stage, so you can be a Tyranitar." I patted its head as it neared, feeling the tough shell encasing it.
A deep, happy rumble sounded from within it, almost echoey in its own right. Typhlosion walked over and examined it, before growling in approval and laying back down.
"Well, I guess we can plan some of your training out like we have for the others now." I sat down and pulled out my notebook, making a new section for Pupitar, just like I had for all the others. "Alright, let's do this."
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The next afternoon…
Typhlosion walked by my side, having just come out of his pokeball again after I climbed up yet another ladder. The cavern was flooded with light from an exit to my left, illuminating most of the room. I began to walk to the exit, my heartrate palpable and my excitement growing with every step as we walked closer and closer to the exit.
"Ethan!" I whipped around to see who was calling my name in the middle of Victory Road, Typhlosion standing up on his hind legs.
Standing by the ladder (having just climbed up by the look of it) was none other than Klaus, the boy with choppy brown hair from old man Ferdinand's house out on Route twenty-seven.
"Oh hey, you caught up to me!" I smiled and waved from afar as he traversed the mostly flat cavern, approaching.
"I challenge you to a battle!" He pointed a finger at me triumphantly, instantly getting my blood going. "We've made it to the end of Victory Road, what better spot."
"Alright, but only one on one for now. I'm too excited to spend much more time in here." I grinned and pulled a pokeball off my belt, readying myself to challenge him.
"Sounds good to me." He picked a pokeball of his own and got ready to toss it out. "Three, two, one, go! Weavile!"
"Lucario!" I tossed the water type's pokeball out, releasing it and watching as Klaus's grin dipped just a little
"I thought you wouldn't send out Typhlosion since I already saw it." He looked at Lucario carefully, evaluating his options. "I think it's safe to say I didn't anticipate that though."
"Aura pulse!" I neglected to communicate telepathically. This wasn't the time to give away all my secrets. Weavile ducked out of the way, slipping between the trio of blasts Lucario had fired with ease.
"Bone Rush!" Lucario leaped forward, slamming the attack into Weavile, only for it to jump up and avoid it, jabbing Lucario's back somewhat ineffectively with a Night Slash.
"Double Team Weavile!" The ice type blurred its motions somehow, before splitting into four, dispersed across the field.
"Lucario, take it out!" This was one trick that rarely worked on Lucario. While substitutes and duplicates could attack and visually appear to be the real deal, they didn't hold up when it came to aura.
Lucario flung an aura sphere at the correct Weavile immediately, sending it running as the clones faded out of existence. Weavile ducked and dodged around Lucario's attacks, avoiding every single hit from the fighting type – most of which would be devastating to it.
"Extremespeed!" Lucario disappeared in a hazy blur and slammed into Weavile before the ice type could react, getting tossed back against a boulder.
"Weavile, Agility!" Weavile's technique fizzled into action as a dull pink glow surrounded its body and the dark type bounded around the open space with even greater speed. I gritted my teeth, frustrated at the display of agility that left us a little bit vulnerable. We were out in the open, and we were slower right now.
|\/|~^-_-_-^-_-_-^~|\/|
Months earlier…
I stood behind Lucario, watching the aura Pokemon pant heavily as it paced, eyes on its counterpart. The other canine stood about a hundred feet away, poised, calm and unfatigued. Rain was pouring down on us from above, and this was one of the few times we weren't afforded luxuries. The storm was sending gallons upon gallons of water splattering down against the rough white stone of the plateau, making the ground slick and forming puddles in spots.
"Fight Ethan! Don't just stand there, fight!" Steven roared from the other side of the field. He was as composed as ever, standing here in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a waistcoat over it. To his credit, he wasn't entirely safe from the rain either. A bit of magnificent psychic manipulation from Metagross was shielding his clothes, but his hair and face were taking the full brunt of the storm.
'Extreme speed might work.' I stood there and waited as Lucario picked up the message, waiting for the right moment before it leapt into action.
Steven's Lucario sidestepped the attack, bounding out of the way. Unable to change direction quickly or decelerate well on the wet surface, Lucario crashed into the psychic barrier, falling to one knee.
"This is over!" Steven recalled his Lucario and waited until I had recalled mine, walking over through the downpour as I stood there, head towards the ground. He neared me, stopping a few feet away and crossing his arms as I stood silently.
"What are you doing wrong there? Chin up." I raised my head to look at him, meeting his hard gaze as water dripped down my face, from my soaking hair to the bottom of my chin.
"I'm not strong or fast enough to keep up." I admitted, meeting Steven's eyes as he asked the question of me.
"What can you do to remedy that?"
"I can train."
Steven pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, sighing before looking back at me.
"Why do you think we're out in the pouring rain without umbrellas or proper kit of any kind?" Steven looked at me again and crossed his arms again, watching my expression carefully. Something told me he wanted the right answer this time.
"…. Because there's a lesson I'm not getting." I sighed internally as the realization sunk in. There had been a sense of frustration with some of my battle tactics when I had been training with him, and Steven had clearly tried to work on other deficits as much as he could without explicitly addressing this one. I guess his implicit lessons had been intended for me to pick something up with this.
"Not everything has to be an attack. You need to start incorporating strategic techniques into your battling more to give yourself a leg up."
"Like using surf to create a distraction, or create spray?" I had been trying to keep my expression blank, but my lips curled into a frown with that statement. I had already been using tricks like that, exploiting what I could to give myself an advantage.
"That is something of it, but you know that part. You have some ways to go, but you know how to make that work to an extent, and you're developing it. That's good." Steven shook his head, sending droplets everywhere as he pinched the bridge of his nose again.
"No, what I'm talking about are moves like Protect, Light Screen and Reflect. Agility, Double Team, Swords Dance, Dragon Dance. Stun Spore, Poison Spore, Bulk Up, Sunny Day, Rain Dance. All of these, and countless more, are perfectly valid techniques that can help you in battle. Let's be real, you couldn't have beaten Lucario here. But if you had used Swords Dance and gotten some of the extra Strength and Defense that it brings, Lucario might have been able to forcibly dig a heel into the ground with ease and redirect itself when using extreme speed, instead of sliding and crashing into the barriers. If you're going toe to toe with someone else, it can make the difference."
"Using Rock Tomb to form a protective barrier, or using earth power to hide underground, or blasting aura sphere against aura sphere, these are all valid ways to defend, but they're a lot more strenuous and slower than a simple protect. They have their uses, tactically and otherwise, but don't neglect the other techniques. Don't let them become a crutch either, but don't neglect them. They're not worthless, or beneath anyone."
"I don't want you reliant on them, you'll see Clair in Blackthorn use Dragon Dance over and over, but you can use them to your advantage nonetheless. Lance will use them. Trainers at the conferences will use them." Steven gave me a hard look. "I want a plan from you by tonight, about how you're going to galvanize your training and incorporate these supporting techniques into your teams move sets and into your battling."
"Yes sir."
"Now go take a hot shower and get into warm clothes before you get hypothermia." He gestured towards the campsite. We started to walk as the rain continued to pour, Steven remaining silent until we had almost reached the campsite.
"Don't get me wrong Ethan, you've been a good learner, and you will excel, but you need to get a grasp on this. Give yourself every advantage possible in a fight when it matters. Don't show your hand if you don't need to, but use the advantages you have."
|\/|~^-_-_-^-_-_-^~|\/|
"Swords Dance!" Lucario's ears twitched before it moved in position, performing the technique required and drawing on the energy to unlock that strength boosts that Swords Dance brought.
Klaus's smile drooped just a little as he registered the technique, watching Lucario take in its surroundings.
"Extreme Speed!" Lucario rushed forward, slamming into Weavile again and tossing it back against the wall.
"Psycho Cut!" Weavile slashed its claws forward, sending blades of psychic energy careening at Lucario. The fighting type sidestepped two of the three blades, the third landing on the side of its torso and knocking it backwards. Lucario grimaced and put a paw to the wound.
"Close Combat!" Lucario took the command and went with it, leaping forward and slamming an opening blow into Weavile with immense strength; before either of us could blink, the fighting type had unleashed a flurry of blows into the dark type, beating it senseless and tossing it back to the ground.
"Weavile, return!" Klaus recalled his beaten Pokemon and grinned at me. "Man, that was intense. To be fair, I didn't expect to win that one. Good fight."
"Thanks Klaus, you too. You really did push us up to the end." I walked over and shook his hand.
"I hope we get to duke it out properly in the conference."
"Yeah, that would be awesome. You want to head out of here and go to the Pokemon center?" I gestured towards the cavern exit, merely fifty feet away at this point.
"Yeah, let's get out of here. Been in this cave long enough." Together we walked to the end and stepped out of victory road and into the open air once more.
It looked like we were facing West, as the setting sun dominated the pinkish blue sky, casting a warm glow over the tree line in the distance. We were immediately next to a Pokemon center, conveniently placed for trainers just arriving from Victory Road. Without further ado, we walked in, entering the familiar space.
This Pokemon center was markedly different in capacity, but similar in style. The lack of need for many rooms eliminated much of the building. The front desk was much larger, with multiple nurses' stations and expanded medical facilities behind to cater to the needs of the hundreds of trainers who would occupy the trainer village, and it wasn't even the only Pokemon center around. At the moment though, there was only one nurse. It would get busier in May.
"Hi, could I heal my Pokemon?" I handed over my ID card and my Pokemon to the nurse for a quick scan, stepping aside to let Klaus do the same.
Once I had my ID back and both sets of Pokemon were taken over for checkups, I walked up to the nurse again, waiting until her Chansey had commandeered our Pokemon.
"Excuse me, where do we have to go to register for the Silver Conference?" I asked her.
"I can take care of that right here. ID please?" She smiled warmly and reached a hand out, accepting my card once more. "And your badge case."
I stood there with baited breath as she opened the case and examined the eight badges in it, scanning my card and typing away for a few moments before she handed both back to me.
"Congratulations Mr. Photon, you're registered for the Silver Conference. The opening day for registered trainers is May 6th. When you come and check in for the silver conference, you'll receive a residential assignment in the trainer village here along with the rest of the schedule." She brushed aside a lock of pink hair. Classic conspiracy theorist Nurse Joy clone. Although since we were at the Indigo Plateau, they might argue that she could be one of the originals….
"And well done, not many people beat Clair and come here." She smiled and gestured for Klaus to step forward. I went and took a seat on one of the couches by the TV while Klaus registered for the conference. I turned to the screen and looked at it, listening to the weather man's report on the upcoming week.
"Expect light showers throughout south eastern Johto for a few days as the storms from the western seas send some clouds over on the Jetstream. Western Kanto can expect a dry week, but north eastern Kanto should be expecting low temperatures and high precipitation through the next couple of days."
Klaus came over and sat down once he had sorted out his own registration and his Pokemon, casting an eye to the TV.
"What are you up to next?" He lay back on the couch, stretching his feet out.
"I think I'll probably just fly back to the gatehouse and head over to Viridian City once we're done here. I'm going to save the exploring for the May. Kind of want to keep the magic intact." I shrugged, looking over at him.
"Probably going to stay overnight and fly out in the morning. Head back to Mahogany and rest for a week or two."
"Fair enough. I guess I'll catch you in May." I stood up as the nurse waved me over, holding out a tray with my pokeballs in it.
Accepting them and thanking the nurse, I stepped over to the PC to shuffle about my Pokemon before walking out the door with a small wave to Klaus. Once we were out in the open air, I cast a glance down the road into the trainer village. Shops, cafes and restaurants lined the sides of the road, occupying the main street. All the way down, I could see where the trainer village ended and the main city began, leading up to Indigo Stadium in the center of the city.
I released Knight and climbed onto his saddle after a quick hug, taking to the sky rapidly. Knight followed my directions easily, flying south at a comfortable pace as the sun set further, until we reached the gatehouse. Once we were there, we diverted east, flying over the western reaches of Kanto. An old, decorated road with individual check posts for the eight major Kanto Gyms heralded the way to the Indigo Plateau. Lakes dotted the plain grassy terrain between the gates where guards typically stood at attention to check trainers' badges as they crossed through Kanto to make it to the Indigo League. They went right up to another gatehouse at the southern end, the main doors opening onto a pale brick road leading further east.
Once we had found the road, it was an easy flight over it until we crossed the border into a small city surrounded by lush forests. A river ran east to west across the Northern half of the city, bounding the Viridian Gym that we had seen on TV. Houses and shops were scattered all around, with the blue and red roofs of the pokemart and the Pokemon center easily visible even at night. It was a bit like New Bark Town, but more active and more organized. I guided Knight down until we were in front of the Pokemon center, setting down on the road outside quietly.
"Well Knight, we made it to Indigo City. We're registered for the Silver Conference." I smiled and hugged the dragon again before returning him and walking into the Pokemon center. I must have looked incredibly tired as the nurse looked at me kindly, asking if I wanted a room immediately.
"That would be great." I smiled weakly and handed over my ID, checking in and then making my way down the corridor until I found myself outside the door of room 127.
Unlocking it, I stepped inside, and looked around. it was a small room with one bed and a side table with a lamp on it. a window with blinds decorated the outer wall, behind the headrest of the bed. The lamp was on, but the rest of the lights were off.
"Perfect." I set my bags down and locked the door, quickly changing into more comfortable clothes before releasing Typhlosion and then carefully removing the egg container from my pack.
"Hey pal, do you just want to keep the egg out with you tonight?" I pulled the standard Pokemon bed out from beneath the twin bed I would sleep in and moved it over, letting Typhlosion lie down in it before carefully taking the egg out and placing it by Typhlosion. The fire type put a paw on the egg, letting the warmth from its body soak into the soon to be hatchling as I lay down in bed and the fatigue hit.
"Good night pal. Talk to you tomorrow."