A/N: Finally, getting somewhere besides introducing character dynamics! The team finally meets, the starters are obtained, and it's the first real battle! Which means the next chapter should be the battle, catching more Pokémon, and everyone saying their goodbyes. And finally starting the journey proper.
Chapter 4: A New Start
Joshua sighed heavily as he sat at a table in the library. It was ten o'clock, and he had missed the time for the scavenger hunt, because he left the house at nine o'clock.
He silently cursed his dyscalculia. It has always been a problem he had tried to mitigate, but sometimes it would come up in the worst ways. Like, having trouble reading clocks, or being slower in math than his peers. Now he was stuck at the library, with nothing to do.
All the other kids in the library were busy with their own things. Most children were reading chapter books silently to themselves, although others were reading picture books and admiring the illustrations. A few were doing work that obviously wasn't for school, since it was summer.
On the second floor of the children section of the library were where the computers were. All the computers were full of children playing games or doing work or looking up information. Joshua could hear their busy clicks from all the way on the ground level. Joshua laid his head down on his arms, staring at nothing in particular.
I could read a book, but that would involve finding something I like. Joshua mused as he glanced over at the bookshelf. To his surprise, he spotted a girl from his primary school. She used to sit next to him in Third Grade, and they got along decently well.
The person was a chubby and curvy girl with long white hair and bright green eyes. She wore a white shirt with black, fluffy trim around the neck and arm area. The logo on her shirt was a stylized Frosmoth in one half of a circle and a stylized Stonjourner in the other half. Her pants were made a blue fabric material with large snowflakes on them.
The person who was talking to his classmate was about the same height as Joshua and had blond hair with bright blue eyes. He wore a baggy green shirt with khaki pants. Although the boy was talking to Joshua's classmate, he wore a bored expression. He wasn't focused on her, and he obviously wasn't taking much stock in whatever she was saying.
Hmph! What a hotshot! He gets to meet the daughter of Melony, and that's his reaction? Most people would be begging to meet her. Joshua thought bitterly as he got up to say hello to his classmate. She should be around people who actually cared what she was saying.
But, as he made his way over to them, he heard a loud, feminine yell from the staircase as he passed by.
"Look out!"
It was too late, the person crashed into him and they were both sent tumbling to the floor. Grunting, Joshua waited for the girl to get off of him, as she squashed him with her weight.
"Oh, I am so sorry! I've been going through a growth spurt lately, and ever since then, I've been such a klutz… I just can't seem to find my foot," the girl explained as rolled off of Joshua. Picking himself up, Joshua turned to see the girl who fell on him. She gave him a sheepish, yet innocent, grin as she dusted herself off. Looking at her smile, Joshua noticed that she was missing a canine.
The girl had black hair with dark red stripes that ran through it and cotton candy pink eyes. She was wearing a floral pattern sundress and black slip-on dress shoes.
"Names Noiritta Daiku, I'm pleased to meet ya!" she said.
"Joshua Cornwall. The pleasure is all mine," Joshua said politely. Even though he was a little grumpy she fell on him, he wouldn't hold it against her. He was just glad she wasn't hurt.
"Hey, were you going to talk to Affray? 'Cause, I was just on my way over there as well."
"Who's that?" Joshua gave her a puzzled look. This was the second time he had heard the name.
"The prodigy. Don't tell me you've never heard Affray Audely! Brightest mind of our generation?"
"Well, since he wasn't on Case Study, no. So, what's this guy's deal?"
"He's the son of a very rich baron, and he's incredibly smart. Like I said, some call him the brightest mind of our generation. He is going to be going to year 10, having skipped all of key stage 3 and going straight to key stage 4. There are rumors that while doing key stage 4, he'll also be doing some college classes. So, he decided to do the minor league this year, because his birthday fell in the middle of the major league, and he doesn't want to put the league off until he graduated. Oh, and once he finishes high school, he going to attempt to get into the best medical school. He's already studying for the UCAT, and with his brain, he'd ace it. Also, he is a very pretty good fighter I heard."
"Oh, I see. He's just another rich, smart person. I bet most of that is just an exaggeration."
"Oh, he's not just rich and smart, but also kind! He's doing all this to find a cure for his sick brother, so he is absolutely amazing. I head, he'd give anything, even his life to cure his brother. Don't you think that's just amazing?"
Before Joshua could answer, another voice entered the conversation.
"Joshua, what are you doing here? I thought Raihan was giving you a Pokémon at home." the voice said.
Turning around, Joshua saw the classmate from before, and the boy was seemingly begrudgingly following her. His eyes didn't lock onto anything specifically, obviously he didn't care about any of this.
"Oh, no, I'm going to the lab in two days. Are you one of the people who's also going?" Joshua asked.
"Wait, you're going to get a Pokémon from the lab?" the other boy asked, his lips turning into a disgusted sneer. "I guess they give anyone those now."
Joshua clenched his fist and gave a near animalistic snarl. "What's that supposed to mean?! I deserve that Pokémon just as much as anyone!"
"No, you don't. Those Pokémon are only for those who have skills and talent. From what I heard, you have no skill or talent. You can't do basic arithmetic, you almost flunked out of key stage 2 due to your low math score, you're rash and get into trouble, and you're unable to follow direct orders. Does that sound like someone deserving of a Pokémon to you, because it doesn't to me. It sounds like your connections and dumb luck got you this far."
"Dumb luck? I'll show you dumb luck! When we get our Pokémon, I'll beat you in a battle with my partner!" Joshua threatened. He was boiling over with anger at the nerve of this person. Even if he wasn't the best at math, or anything to do with numbers, he was getting better. Obviously, the meaning of hard work and grit never penetrated this kid's brain.
"Now, now, boys, let's not get heated. What matters is we're going to get our Pokémon in a day, and that's super exciting. Affray, Joshua is a very hard worker and tries his best. I've seen him help injured Pokémon daily, and he is the first one to cry and share in a person's inner feelings when they feel hurt. He's such a kind and sensitive soul. Joshua, Affray is just being critical. Why don't you show him your strengths and set him straight? Maybe we can play a game to show him what you are good at." Joshua's classmate suggested.
"Actually, I think I know the perfect game we can play. I was looking to play it with someone here, but everyone else in the library said no…. So, since we're looking for a game to play now, how about we play Cheat? That ought to settle this," the black-haired girl piped in.
"Cheat?" all three echoed, staring at her. Joshua was clueless as to what that game was. He was more used to War and Go Fish; the games of choice at his primary school, and his side lessons.
"Oh, yes, it's simple. The object of the game is to lie. Starting from Ace and going up, we each place cards face down on the table, say what we put down, and how many we put down. The catch is, we can lie about what we put down. For example, say I put down two 2s, and the next person put down three 3s. If I have two 3s in my hand, I know they're cheating, since there's only four 3s in any given deck, and I would call 'cheat!' The challenger has to reveal the newly placed cards that were put face down, and if challengee is lying, they take the pile. If not, the challenger does. The first one to have all the cards loses." Noiritta explained.
"Oh, that sounds simple and really fun! It's like a game of outplaying everyone!" Joshua said, giving a toothy grin.
"I guess I can play. It will kill time, and then I can go back to studying. I still have to calculate my average walk speed to see what's the most efficient route is in the Wild Area." Affray said, stifling a sigh. Noiritta just gave him a baffled look, but whatever her question was, she just let it go in favor of playing her game.
"Right, by the way, I'm Noiritta. I don't think anyone, but Joshua knew my name. It's nice to meet you all!"
"My name Daphne. If Joshua ever calls me Daffodil, ignore it. He's bad with names and faces. He knows who I am, but wow is he bad with ever call me the right name."
All four children sat at an empty table, and quietly began to set up the game. Noiritta took out a pack of cards from her pocket and began to deal out the cards.
Joshua stared at his cards intensely, trying to think of a strategy. Should he tell the truth immediately, or throw everyone else by lying? Lying first was low risk. But, what if they suspected him of doing that? He narrowed his eyes, watching his opponents.
He has never won a game about deceit with his classmate. She could always tell when he was lying. Ah, I'll use that to my advantage. I'll make it look like I'm lying, and she'll call me out on it! Joshua decided as Noiritta finish dealing out the cards.
"Oh, can we play with this?" Daphene asked as she took a pretty, pink holographic business card out of her pocket. It had a cute Skitty on the west side of the card, and a Bunneary on the east side. At the top of the card was a Yamper chasing its tail above the words.
Even from just glancing at it, Joshua could tell it was from the cute Kitty and Bunny cafe. Each cafe had a different cute Pokémon theme, and the staff dressed up as the Pokémon. The business cards were also unique to each region and cafe, with Galar getting the pink card. The location would be signified by the Pokemon above the logo. So, a Yamper meant that this was gotten from the Turffield location. If you had no idea which location had which Pokemon theme, it was always in the lower bottom half of the card. Joshua had known some kids who loved to collect all of them, and whose goal was to collect every single variation of the business cards.
In Joshua's hometown, the theme was Indeedee, so the waiters and waitresses would always have on cute Indeedee horns and tails and their outfits were even modeled after Indeedee. He always loved the Indeedee themed treats, especially the cute cupcakes. Another thing Joshua liked was playing with the Indeedee that walked around the restaurant.
Maybe when I go to Hammerlocke I can visit it. Joshua mused.
Daphne placed the card in front of Noiritta. "It's so we know the turn order. I find it's better to have visual aids to keep from getting confused."
"Oh, sure! I often get confused with turn orders in games. Oh, and if I may comment on the card, the Yamper ice cream at the Turffield location is so delicious. It comes into your mouth a little sour, like lighting, but not too sour, but then it melts into a smooth, rich, texture that super sweet! When I went to Turrfield with my mum to watch a match, we stopped over there, and I couldn't believe they had a Yamper trained to take the orders from its human and give it to the chef. And I even got to play with one of the Yamper. It always such a beautiful experience to go to Kitty and Bunny!" Noiritta squealed as she looked through her cards. She picked up two cards and placed them face down.
"I put down two aces!"
Moving the card clockwise to Affray, he simply just looked through his pile of cards. "Kitty and Bunny isn't even that great. The person who runs it – I put down one 2 – is just using fancy tricks to draw people in. All it is cuteness and sweets. I think I'll pass on that." Affray moved the card to Joshua. Joshua hovered over his cards as he decided which two to pick. 3s were one of the easier numbers to identify, unlike 5 and 2 which looked similar to him. 9 and 8 were the worst, and whenever he had to do work, he would constantly get them confused.
"I think it's wonderful. Their sweets are so delicious, and you can just see how much love and care they put into each one. Each one is made specifically for you. The dedication to keeping in character is defiantly something to be admired and – I place down two 3s – and the costumes are so cute and lifelike. Their ears and tails even twitch!" Joshua argued. Out of the corner of his eye, Joshua could see that Daphne was studying him.
In order to deter her, he just kept his body facing towards Affray since he was talking to him. If Daphne caught a look at his face, she would immediately tell he was bluffing. So, he nonchalantly passed the card over to her, while still keeping his position facing away from her. Giving up, Daphne simply took the card.
"Well, I'm looking forward to going there too. My brother, Gordie, the one who brought me, promised to take me to the one in this town. Hey, Joshua perhaps – I place down two 4s – you can come as well. Melissa would love to have a special teatime with Gordie, and I heard a rumor from my big brother that she's in town to meet Raihan to get her starter. So, maybe all five of us can have a delicious afternoon right before we have to leave town?" Daphne smiled as she passed on the card.
"Oh, yeah, I'd love to go see Raihan fail to impress Melissa! Add Melissa's crush into the mix, and it's sure to be a fun night!" Joshua said.
Joshua and everyone continued to play with Affray eventually trying to call Joshua's bluff when he put down three 3s, but Joshua really did put down three, since he had lied earlier. Affray begrudgingly took the pile, but he didn't even acknowledge that he was outplayed by Joshua. The game went until noon, where Affray ended up being the winner, and Noiritta ended up being the loser.
"Well, that took longer than expected, but it was a close back and forth match! I hope to see you three at the lab in a day!" Noiritta piped up.
"A day? You're getting a Pokémon as well?" Affray questioned.
"Yup, me mum and dad work to make replica suits of armor from Jangamo-o scales that are shed naturally. So, sometimes they work with Raihan since he is the Dragon Gym Leader, and last time he visited, he promised to give me a starter. He told me to meet him at the lab at 1:00 PM." Noiritta said.
"I guess we're all getting our Pokémon at the same time." Joshua said. "Well, I'll see you all tomorrow."
With that, everyone split and went their separate ways. Joshua decided to go home, so he exited the library and walked down the paved road of Wedgehurst. As he did, he could help, but notice all the people setting up their storefronts for the Star Festival. A variety of pictured were hung outside. On a flagpole was a young girl traversing the stars. The flagpole opposite to it had the picture of a young man doing the same. Hanging between the pole was a banner of Jirachi watching the two from a cloud with a sad look on its face. Every time this year Jirachi would connect the bridge of stars so that the two star-crossed lovers would meet.
People were putting up trees where people could put their wishing tags on them, so that Jirachi could see them. There was a rumor that Jirachi would come around pick which wish to grant. Sometimes it was for mundane things, like a new toy car a child desperately wanted. Other times, it was a big wish, like for someone to see a loved one that they got separated from. There never seemed to be a rhyme or reason to what Jirachi granted, just that he would always grant wishes that suited it. It was a fickle creature who did whatever it pleased.
Joshua looked up to see if he could maybe spot something in the sky that looked like Jirahci. He peered up and focused on the vast blue sky as Rookidee and various other Flying-type Pokemon soared by. No matter how hard he looked, there was nothing that looked like a star in the sky. Shaking his head, Joshua continued to walk and decided to just make a wish on the tree. He already had the perfect wish.
I will wish to have the best journey ever and show that cheating Eugene whose boss! I'll avenge Leon and I'll cement myself as the best trainer to ever live! With Nickit by my side, no one can stop me. Joshua vowed as he walked forward, ready to overcome every trial.
!*~*~*~*~*!
"I'm finally getting my Pokémon! Come on Raihan, use your Hustle ability!" Joshua exclaimed as he dashed ahead of Raihan. He wanted to get to the lab first, before everyone else. Then, he could at least claim that the first one there got to pick first!
"Woah, pace yourself Joshua. The Pokémon are still going to be there at 1. Take a breath and relax." Raihan warned good-naturedly. Raihan was giving Lilac a piggyback ride, who had wanted to tag along so that she could see Joshua off. Even though he officially left tomorrow, he still wanted to catch some Pokémon in the surrounding area. He had already planned his whole team out, and two Pokemon that he needed were near by.
"It's pointless. He's not going to listen to you. He's too excited." Lilac muttered as she watched her brother continue to quickly walk, boarding on running, towards the lab. He had stopped running, but he was still determined to make it there before the everyone else.
Soon, they reached a two-story house that painted a very light purple. It had a faded Pokéball above the mahogany door, and a vivid purple tilted roof. Attached to it was green house with vines growing on it. In fact, the front of the house had vines growing on its front of it as well.
"This is the Pokémon Lab? It looks so plain." Joshua commented as he studied the building. Next to the one-story brick houses, it stood out. But, put it next to buildings like the ones he has seen in the big cities, and it was just a simple house. He was expecting a glass dome or something square-like. Something that screamed this is a lab.
"Yes, Professor Sonia, Professor Magnolia, and Hop all work here. Professor Sonia specializes in Galar History, while Hop… umm… well… he actually just started, so he doesn't specialize in anything. Professor Magnolia specializes in Dynamax Pokémon, and their effects, but she's not here right now. She went to a science conference in Kalos that's being headed by Doctor Fennel." Raihan explained as he opened the door. When he did, two familiar voice came from the side room. Joshua immediately recognized them as Hop and Sonia.
"What did Professor Cedric Juniper say, Hop?"
"He said the feather was something unlike anything he's ever seen before. I second that. It's a Corviknight feather, but it's covers in a PBI. That's a substance that only Fire-Type Pokémon are supposed to have... It's what allows for Fire-Type Pokémon to cover themselves in fire without burning their fur, feathers, or scales. So, a Steel-Type like Corviknight shouldn't have that on its feathers..."
"Hmmm… You told gran about it, right? Did she have any input?"
"She told me to give the feather back to Joshua who should have Raiju look it over. Professor Magnolia also said I should go with Joshua, just in case."
"Well, we're all going to Motostoke anyways, so we'll be able to meet up with Raiju off the pitch. Luckily, he can't just skip it since he is the third Gym Leader this season. He's a little like Volkner where if he can skip out on a meeting, he will. So- Oh, when did you three arrive?"
Sonia was passing by the door with a whole stack of papers, her Yamper barking cheerfully at the new arrivals. She seemed a little surprised that the three of them had arrived early, but she quickly recovered and placed the papers on a nearby table.
"We weren't expecting you until 1, so we weren't exactly prepared to see you. You see, gran is gone, and so, we're taking over the research for everything. Thankfully there isn't a backlog, but with the feather Joshua found, we put everything on halt to look at it. But, we came up empty handed. We sequenced some of its DNA and found that it matched both Arcanine and Corviknight. Unfortunately, there was no Farfetch'd between them, which made it even more baffling. If it was naturally occurring, Farfetch'd would have to be the intermediate between those two. We search for signs of a feather mutation, but that came up empty because there was none. So, we asked gran for her input, and she said to go meet with Raiju," Sonia explained.
Joshua couldn't help but feel a little proud that the feather he found was so special. But, now, he wanted to know what it was and where it came from.
"Raiju? Doesn't he specialize in myth in his free time? Myths like Werewolves and Harpies? What does a feather have to do with whatever he specializes in?" Raihan asked, a little exasperated.
"He does indeed research myths outside of Legendary Pokémon, but those are inherently not true. Although, you're forgetting one little detail. Raiju also specializes in unique traits of Pokémon. But, to be fair, he's more a hobbyist than a scientist. Hey, Hop, maybe Gran is subtly suggesting you look into that? After all, Pokémon husbandry is still an emerging field and we still aren't 100% sure how traits, besides attacks, are passed down." Sonia called out.
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot Professor Magnolia doesn't hold back on finding paths for people," Hop said sarcastically. "At least it's better than how she told you to go on a journey to look into the history of Galar. Well, I guess doing field work is better than being cooped up in a lab all day…."
Coming from the side room, Hop emerged with his white coat all lop-sided. Joshua noted the fact Hop didn't look like he had gotten a good night's sleep. He couldn't help but wonder if this feather was really that exciting. If so, he wanted to know the truth about it even more.
"Alright, Eugene and Freya should be here soon since they're picking up Daphne and Affray. I already gave Nickit the clean bill of health, it passed its temperament test, and it's at the appropriate power level to be considered an official starter. Same for Dreepy and the rest. Although… I question Eugene's choice on his starter pick, but hey, he went all out and breed it with its hidden ability and an Egg move, so it's at least a fantastic Pokémon. In the meantime, let's have some tea." Hop suggested.
Everyone nodded and moved into the side room to have some tea. Sonia poured everyone a cup of some hot tea, pouring her own last. Sitting down to join the others, Sonia sat close to Raihan, and the two began to have a side discussion that Joshua couldn't quite make out. Sighing with content, he found himself a nice, cozy place against the wall, and he allowed his thoughts to drift off.
Joshua marveled at the lab. It truly was beautiful how the organic plant life fit in with the cold, hard technology. Usually, people were drawn to one or the other, but Joshua had always found beauty in both. Plants and nature gave life, while technology enhanced it. The best example he could think of to exemplify this was the Power Spots. They had given life to the region of Galar, but now, they needed help so neither Galar nor the wonderful anomaly of Dynamaxing would die out. Joshua was sure that with more research into the Power Spots, people could find a way with technology to fix the power crisis and restore Power Spots to their natural glory.
Sipping his sweet tea leisurely, he continued to watch the leaves of the flowers sway back and forth. He was knocked out of his trance when he heard the door squeak open and he turned his head to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Noiritta who arrived next.
She had no one else with her, and now she was wearing an outfit that was much more fit for traveling. He hair was done up in a ponytail, and she had navy blue jeans and wore a short sleeve shirt that had a Noivern guarding a horde of fruit as if it was precious gold. She wore blue and white sneakers as well, and had a bright pink traveling bag.
"Ah, perfect timing Noiritta, we were just drinking some tea! Join us," Raihan waved her over, and with a shy smile, Noiritta walked over.
"Oh, hey Raihan. Hello Joshua. It's a pleasure to see you here again," Noiritta said smoothly as she took a seat beside Joshua, taking her bag off.
"Likewise, Noiritta. Are you excited to be getting your first Pokémon?" Joshua asked.
"Raihan, they're talking like old people… I think Joshua finally found his weird match friend person," Lilac said a little mockingly. Joshua rolled his eyes, and playfully swiped at the back his sister's head. He actually connected lightly, but that just made her give a mock cry and hide behind Raihan. "Raihan, Joshua hit me!"
"Joshua don't hit your sister," Raihan said flatly as he continued to drink his tea.
"Tattletale…" Joshua muttered, and shot his sister a sideways glare. Out of the side of his eye, he caught Noiritta stifling a chuckle. "What are you laughing for?"
"You and your sister are quite adorable. I never really had a little sibling to tease me and play with me, so I kind of always envy these sorts of family dynamics. At the farm where I grew up, the only living creature I ever played with were Jangamo-o, and they don't like playing normal games. They like to battle. A lot. So, of course, I was always dragged into referee the battle," Noiritta said.
"Speaking of your family, where's yours? I would expect your mum and dad to walk you to the lab today," Raihan questioned.
"They went to a conference headed by the historical preservation society. Usually I would go with them, but they didn't want me to miss my first Pokémon, so I had to come here al-" before she could finish, Lilac interrupted her.
"Great! Then you can come over and have a sleepover with us! Since you're here by yourself, it would only make sense that you could come over. Can she come over? Please Raihan?" Lilac begged as she gave Raihan a puppy-dog look.
"Yeah, sure. She can even come with us for desert at the Kitty and Bunny Cafe, if she wants. I'm supposed to be looking after her while her folks are out of town anyways," Raihan rubbed Lilac's head, making her chuckle gleefully.
"Oh, I would love to come over! I've never had a sleepover though! Nor indoor play dates. Nor have I actually been over at anyone's house… Actually, this is all so new for me… Oh no, what if I do something wrong..." with a slightly nervous look, Noiritta looked over towards Raihan, but Joshua noticed it was actually slightly to his right. Raihan just gave a comforting nod, almost as if saying everything would be fine. Nodding slightly, Noiritta turned her gaze back to Joshua and smiled. "Alright, I think I can manage though, even if this is all new."
Joshua couldn't help but stare blankly at her. In a manner of seconds, she went from being nervous about the whole ordeal to becoming oddly calm. Feeling his curiosity get the better of him, he began to wonder if she still had an imaginary friend. Joshua had one when he was younger, of course he knew it wasn't real, but having someone to talk to when he was upset always helped to sooth his emotions. Maybe the same was happening here.
"Who's next to Raihan?" he whispered.
"His Fylgja. I've been able to see and talk to them ever since an accident that happened to me when I was little. That one is named Flitter, and he takes the form of an Incineroar. Incineroar are known to be a little extreme, feed off the crowd's attention, get fired up when fighting strong opponents, and love the attention of kids and young Pokémon. From what I've seen, minus the violent nature, Raihan reminds me exactly of an Incineroar. The only Pokemon I can think of that can match him is maybe Volbeat. They always like to share in a little attention. Especially from Illumise," Noiritta whispered back.
"Fylgja? They can talk? I thought they just represented someone in dreams."
"It's a tad more complicated than that, but they basically are their own entity that are connected to people. They're born in a different dimension and are able to link up with people in the dream world. I met them a long time ago, but I was sworn to secrecy."
"Sounds… complicated. So, they're individual beings that everyone has a link to, and they can only be met in the dream world? That raises a lot of questions. Like, why are they born looking like Pokémon instead of humans? Why does everyone have one? Why are they linked to certain people? When a human is born, are they born at the same time? Do they even have parents? Are their population and ours the same? Why do they choose to protect us?"
"I-I don't know the answer to any of those questions. Well, except why they look like Pokémon. They're a part of the myths Raiju studies, and all those monsters are shapeshifters. I don't know about the other myths existing, but I saw these ones for my own eyes. It's possible the others might exist, but I highly doubt that. It's more likely that someone saw multiple Fylgja, and just made up stories based on those Fylgja. So, those Werewolves? They were probably a Lyconroc Dusk forme Fylgja that turned into a human before someone's eyes. It's likely all of those myths just originated from Fylgja. The Fylgja's special power is the ability to take the form of the Pokémon that represents the person they're linked to. Of course, they do have a true form that's not that a Pokémon, but I don't know what it is."
"I see… So what form is my Fylgja taking since you can see it?"
"Well..."
Before she could tell Joshua, the door opened again and Eugene, Affray, Daphne, and a girl Joshua had never seen before entered the lab. Glancing up at the clock, it was just one minute to 1:00 PM. Joshua quickly gulped down his tea, having lost interest in what his Fylgja was. He'd eventually find out anyways when he went to the Wild Area to sleep by The Gateway Lake.
"Well, it seems like we're all set. I'll get the Pokémon ready!" Hop said before rushing to the other side of the lab to finish preparations, his lab coat still in a disarray.
Joshua couldn't help but watch Eugene and the new girl. He still wasn't too thrilled about Eugene, but he guessed the new girl was the Freya the adults and Hop were talking about. So, he wanted to know more about her and her relationship to the others.
Affray and Daphne were having a little hushed conversation that couldn't pick up on, but Joshua picked up on Eugene's conversation loud and clear.
"Hey, Freya, do you want to bet on who will pick who. My money is on Affray picking my Pokémon. I think it suits him perfectly," Eugene cooed.
"Uh, I don't know. Your Pokémon is a little unpredictable. I mean, I don't even know why you thought that would be a good starter Pokémon. You could have picked a non-Galar Pokémon, but no, you had to pick a Pokémon from Galar..." the girl bemoaned, rolling her eyes. She had bright pink hair and deep hazel eyes. She wore a long pink dress and black dress shoes.
Eugene waved her concern off. "It's fine. It's a powerful Pokémon, and Hop said it had a good temperament for an official starter. Besides, I breed it for compatibility, so the quirks of its species nature should be minimized. I bred it with the friendliest Raichu possible as a dad and socialized it with others as soon as it hatched."
"In other words, you basically are conducting an experiment to see if you can breed a friendly nature in one generation. Ladies and gentlemen let's see how this blows up today," Freya remarked sarcastically.
Eugene shot her a glare, but Hop came back before he could give her a retort.
"Okay, everything is set up. You can bring the children over." Hop said, motioning for the others to follow. Excitedly, Noiritta hurried after Hop. Affray and Daphne follows along with Eugene and Freya, while Joshua lagged behind them all. He wasn't excited to be in the same room as Affray, again. It didn't take long for Sonia to notice that she was even getting there before Joshua.
"Nervous?" Sonia asked, as she looked back at Joshua.
He just shook his head. "No, I just want to get this over with."
Hop stood in front of a long wood table with three Premier Balls on them, each one in their shrunken down form. The fourth Pokémon was kept in a Quick Ball. Hop cleared his throat as he looked at the people in front of him.
"Noiritta, Joshua, Affray, and Daphne, you're all about to embark on a new journey. The Gym Challenge is something that will push you to your limits. Even if it is just the minor league, the battles ahead of you won't be easy. And you'll need skill and determination to make it through the battles. But, you'll also need to trust in the partners that you'll be receiving today. They're all looking forward to meeting their new trainers, so let's get to it!" Hop said with a grin. Picking up one Premier Ball, he casually tossed it into the air, and it shot out a bright white light. From the light emerged a Nickit, the very same one that Joshua caught.
Joshua couldn't help but smile as Nickit focused its attention on him, giving him a knowing smile.
The next Pokémon that Hop released was a Clobbopus. It looked over at Freya in confusion, but then it focused on the kids. It narrowed its eyes in scrutiny, almost as if it was mulling over who would be the best trainer for it. Joshua knew Clobbopus were smarter than most, so there was always a possibility that if a trainer didn't impress it, it might just reject the trainer.
The final Premier Ball held a Hatenna. Joshua couldn't help but notice as Daphne froze in place. Joshua couldn't help but feel pity for her because the rumors about Hatenna and its evolution line were honestly horrifying.
But, this Hatenna just seemed to be confused, as it tilted its head. It gave a small coo as it waddled over to Daphne, looking up at her. Using part of its hair, it curiously touched her shoe, which just spooked Daphne even more. Letting out a little squeal of terror, she darted behind Affray to hide. Instead of giving his normal disdainful look, Affray gave a more sympathetic look as he watched the Hatenna tilt its head in confusion.
"It's okay, Daphene. She seems like she's curious about you. Hatenna isn't showing its normal stress behaviors, so I don't think she has her species' aggression towards emotions," Affray observed. He gently picked up the Pokémon and patted it on the head. The little Pokémon began to coo as Affray continued to stroke its blue hair. "It's not going to hate you, Daphne."
"A-are you sure? I heard they're quite vicious..." Daphne murmured. She looked at the Pokemon as it watched her from beneath its long hair. With a long breath, Daphne closed her eyes, and reached out her unsteady hand. Hatenna twitched its antenna as she got closer, seemingly curious about how she would perceive it. Soon, her hand connected with the Pokemon's temple, and she began to move her hand in slow, uneven strokes. Slowly opening her eyes, Daphne watched as the Pokemon bowed its head, allowing her to pet it.
"Hatenna!" it cried joyfully.
"I think it likes you Daphne. Maybe it wants to be your partner?" Affray suggested. He placed the Hatenna and it ran to Daphne's leg, nuzzling up against her bright blue pants. With a long pause, Daphne let out a heavy breath.
"Oh, how could I say no to that…. It's still a little scary, but I guess I'll try my best to train it..." Daphne concluded as she picked up the Hatenna, giving a nervous smile as she did. "U-uh, I-I think t-t-the best n-name for h-her is B-Buttercup!"
"Okay, then I pick… him," Affray said, pointing at Clobbopus. Clobbopus opened its eyes wide, before nodding. It clambered over to Affray and looked up at him, its eyes still studying him. After a few moments of silence, the creature finally extended one of its arms in a welcome gesture, and Affray shook it.
"Clob, clobbo, clobbopus," it said.
"It's nice to be your partner. Let's work hard together." Affray said. "You'll probably want a name, so how about Rhubarb? It's a plant name, but it's also what actors do to make it seem as if someone is having a loud conversation. Although, in certain parts of Unova apparently, they use it to describe a heated debate."
"Ah, that would relate to your name too, Affray?" Noiritta exclaimed cheerfully, but it only earned her a glare from the young boy. She apparently didn't understand and continued. "I think it's cute to have two names that pair up so well. A name that means a heated debate and a name about a fight causing a public disturbance fits so well together!"
I thought Affray sounded pompous and pretentious, but geeze, how much did his parents hate him to come up with a name with that meaning? Joshua thought. Well, at least I'm named after a king… Or, that's what my dad keeps telling me at least. I honestly have never heard of a king named Joshua. Even when I look it up, I never came across a king with that name.
To Joshua's surprise, Affray let the slight go and just rubbed Rhubarb's head. "It doesn't matter what we're named. We're going to work well together, isn't that right Rhubarb?"
"Clobbo, clob, clobbo!" Rubarb said, putting his arm to his forehead as a mock salute.
The last Pokémon left for Joshua was Nickit, the exact Pokémon he wanted. Without hesitation, it bolted over to him and leapt into Joshua's arms. It licked his face eagerly and whined in delight.
"Niii!" it chimed.
Joshua laughed as its ticklish tongue coated his face in saliva. "Alright, alright! I pick you, Nickit! And since we're all giving the Pokémon nicknames, I have the perfect one for you! Purswipe!"
"Purswipe? What kind of name is that?" Noiritta questioned.
"Oh, I thought of it while waiting to get Nickit. It comes from purse and swipe. Because Nickit is known for its thieving ways, and a lot of times purses are the things that are stolen, I thought Purswipe was a cool name for him," Joshua explained as he rubbed Purswipe's head.
"Actually, Nickit is a female," Hop corrected.
"Okay! Well, it's a cool name for her. And as soon as we get out of here, we're going to catch ourselves some new teammates!" Joshua exclaimed, raising his new Nickit high into the air.
"Nii, ni nickit!" Purswipe agreed.
"Really?" Affray scoffed. "I bet I can guess what Pokémon you'll two will be catching around here. It's quite obvious."
"Really? What Pokémon would that be?" Joshua challenged, bringing his Nickit closer to his chest. Purswipe hissed at Affray and raised its hackle as it glowered at Rhubarb. Rhubarb narrowed its eyes and readied a fighting stance, as it returned the fierce look.
"Why would I tell you? Then you'll just try to prove me wrong. No, I have a better idea. I'll tell Daphne what you catch. Then she can accompany you, and when you catch the Pokémon, she can tell you I was right," Affray said.
Sonia and Raihan both exchanged a concerned look, while Eugene watched curiously. Daphne sighed and held her face in her palm. Noiritta, on the other hand, had her sights on the Quick Ball that held her Pokémon.
Gritting his teeth, Joshua aimed a defiant glare directly at Affray.
"You're on! But, before that! I challenge you to a battle! I want you to be my first opponent!" Joshua ordered.
"Nickit." Purswipe said flatly, glaring at Affray.
Just as Affray opened his mouth to answer, Hop gave a little cough to interrupt the two's spat.
"Yes, yes, that's all well and good, but do you two think you can hold off on the grudge match for a little bit? Noiritta still needs to get her first Pokémon. And then I need to install the Pokédex on your phone. After all that, you two can battle outside so you don't wreck the lab," Hop said rubbing the side of his head in frustration. He was giving a nervous, tired grin, and two boys immediately tore their gazes away from each other and towards where Hop was.
"Sorry, Hop," Joshua and Affray said simultaneously.
"Alright, now for the last partner Pokémon," Hop said, taking the final ball off the table and clicking the button in the middle. From a bright blue light with yellow polka-dots, a Dreepy emerged. It gave its signature grin and floated from Pokémon to Pokémon, shaking its little green fin at them. Buttercup tilted its head at it, Purswipe purred and nuzzled its cheek, while Rhubarb just stoically nodded at it.
Finally, it floated up to Noiritta and licked her face, before giving a giggle.
"Dree eeepy!" it chortled before resting on her head, sticking its fat tongue out.
"Hmmm, I think I'll name it… Flitter!" Noiritta determined. Joshua blinked. He recognized that as the name she gave Raihan's Fylgja.
Perhaps she just wanted to name it after Raihan's Fylgja. Joshua figured.
"Congratulations everyone! You finally got your starters," Sonia gave a smile as she looked at everyone. She gave a gracious smile directly to Hop. "And you did wonderful for your first time, Hop. You can breathe now, by the way."
Hop exhaled loudly, seemingly not even noticing he was holding his breath. Joshua couldn't help but smile at his unease. It must be nerve-wracking giving Pokémon and advice to kids who you were barely older than. Personally, he had only had to do it once, and it was just as nerve-wracking because he had to teach math to smaller kids.
"I was breathing Sonia. And we're still not done. We still have to update their Rotophone and install the Y-Comm app. Then we'll be all done." Hop said.
"Oh, our little Hopkin is growing up! He has a lab coat and everything! I bet he helps with some really complex science experiments soon!" Freya teased.
"Yeah, next thing you'll know, he'll be growing a beard and gray hair! We'll have to call him Professor Hopkin soon!" Eugene said, joining in on the fun.
"Oh, shut it you two! I'll be more accomplished then you will be Eugene! Plus, that will be Professor Sequoia to you, since that is my last name. Anyways, I only barely lost to you Eugene, and I took down Raihan, who, mind you, is as strong as a Champion. And, Freya, I even beat you in the Championship. I think that you could at least give some respect. Besides, what are you currently doing with your life," Hop sassed.
"Oh, yes you did, beat me Hoppykins. And to answer your question, I'm going back to school soon, so there's that. I'm going to study to be an engineer so I can help fix this energy crisis. Zacian has already approved of it, but for the time being, she wants to roam around Galar with me. I mean, it is still the summer, so I'm not opposed to it," Freya explained.
"Weird. Eternatus said he wanted to travel Galar as well. He said he wants to see what kind of people currently live here. Hey, Hop, what about Zamazenta?" Eugene questioned.
"He said he wanted me to trust my judgment. And my judgment is to watch you, Eugene. I don't trust you not to stick your nose into these kids' business," Hop said.
"Me? Oh, you wound me little Hopkin! I would never do anything to disturb a person's journey," Eugene said sarcastically.
Rolling his eyes, Hop focused his attention back on the children. "Alright, ignoring those two blokes over there, and let me update your Rotophone."
Taking the phones, he quickly took out his own phone and began to fiddle around with it. In a matter of minutes, he handed the kids back their phones.
"Okay, everything is downloaded!"
"Thank you!" all the kids said, as Hop handed the kids back their phone.
Looking at his Rotophone, there were two new apps that Hop installed. One had a picture of a very old school Pokédex and had the words "Pokédex" underneath. Next to it was person-like figure with two wi-fi bars above its head, and underneath it was the words "Y-Comm."
"Great! We're all done! And it's only," Hop glanced at the clock, "1:45. Which means you have the rest of the day to bond with your Pokémon."
"Right, and remember, the train will leave at 9:00 AM sharp at the earliest tomorrow. Its destination will be Motostoke, and Eugene and I will be leaving on that train, so don't be late. Hopefully it won't stall at the Meetup Spot this time… Ugh, that four-day trek was no fun," Freya said.
"What are you talking about, Freya? That four-day trek was so much fun! And we caught a lot of Pokémon, so I would say it was worth it!" Eugene chimed in.
Joshua walked over to Raihan, who was whispering with an air of giddiness to Sonia about something. Joshua couldn't hear, but he knew it wouldn't take long for either one to notice him, so he just waited. Sonia began to chuckle in response to something Raihan had said, before she noticed that Joshua was watching them.
"Oh, hey Joshua. Are you ready for your first battle? Actually, that reminds me that I have gift for all the new trainers. Uh, I guess I'll give it to you after your battle." Sonia said. Joshua couldn't help but grin a little at the thought of a gift. He always loved to get gift, and he wondered what kind of gift Sonia had.
"After the battle, I'm going to the Pokémon Center to meet up with Melissa and to sign you up to continue your IEP. You can come with me if you want," Raihan offered.
"I'll take you up on the seeing Melissa offer. I want to see Melissa again, since she used to be my babysitter. Although, I'm not so thrilled about this whole IEP thing. I don't need extra classes from Teacher Josie," Joshua said.
"Oh, no! You're not getting out of your classes that easily. You still need a lot of help, since you still don't know your right from left, how to read an analog clock, mix up number, and you have oh, so, many math related problems. Just take the help and do the classes every time you go to a city. I promise, it won't be that intrusive."
With a sigh, Joshua just nodded and left the lab. Soon, Affray and Rhubarb exited after him, seemingly ready to start their battle. Glancing at Purswipe, who was wrapping its paws around his arms, Joshua saw it was bristling with vigor and ready to fight whatever was in front of it. Giving a confident smile, Joshua put down his Nickit and stepped behind it, ready for a battle.
Affray just stepped behind his Clobbopus, and both boys stood ready to face each other. Their eyes locked onto each other, and Joshua could see the cold, indifference of Affray's blue eyes. He was going to make sure Affray had a battle to remember, so he couldn't look at him like that anymore!
Soon, the lab door opened, and everyone else began to file out; including Hop who were waving two shrunken Premier Balls in his fingers.
"Seems you two forgot something. You can't exactly have Pokémon without Pokéballs to keep them in. Noiritta, can you referee since you have some training in this? Your parents did send you to a referee camp one summer, right?" Hop asked as he tossed each boy their respective Premier Balls.
"Right! I can do this!" Noiritta exclaimed as she raced to be between the two boys. Looking at each one she raised both arms towards the boys. "Okay, this will be a one-on-one battle, using the official Pokemon League rules! That means four moves for this battle! Once four moves are declared, they are to be used for the rest of the battle. The battle is over once one Pokémon is unable to continue or someone forfeits! Because Nickit is the fastest species here, Joshua will get the first move! You two may now begin!"
"Alright, Purswipe Quick Attack!" Joshua ordered, and his Nickit covered herself in a white aura before beginning to zigzag, disappearing from place to another place in quick succession. It was movements were too fast for even Joshua to follow.
"Counter it with Feint, Rhubarb." Affray commanded. His Clobbopus quickly side-stepped out the way before Purswipe could land a hit on it and disappeared from views. Surprised, Purswipe let out a squeal and slid to a halt as she tried to stop herself. She rapidly began to check her surroundings for the missing Pokemon. But, Rhubarb suddenly reappeared in front of Purswipe and raised its fist.
"Jump backwards!" Joshua called when he saw Purswipe was too distracted looking to its side to notice the Clobbopus. Just as Rhubarb was about to bring its fist down, Purswipe leapt back, without even check in front of her. The fist hit the ground, narrowly missing Purswipe and sending up a pile of dust.
Nickit narrowed her eyes and crouched, ready for her next order. She kept her eyes trained on Rhubarb and bared her teeth, ready to attack. Joshua looked at Clobbopus, and then to Purswipe, wondering what to do next.
"Joshua! Did you even check its move set before sending it out?" Daphne called out, snapping his contraction.
"Uhh, not really..." Joshua said sheepishly, getting his phone out and pointing it at Nickit. A picture of a Nickit came up on his phone, and it was then that Joshua noticed that his Nickit looked slightly different. It wasn't much, but she had fluffier fur then other Nickit and her fur was a lighter red, closer to that of Arcanine's fur.
Below the picture was a wheel of potential stats and next to the wheel was its nature. Underneath the stats were Purswipe's moves. Above the Nickit picture, which was contained in a blue circle, were little moving sprites of a Nickit, on the east, with the word "dam" under it and an Arcanine, on the west, with the word "sire" under it. Next to the Aracanine's sprite was a white exclamation mark in a red circle, which signified there was some information there. Joshua decided to ignore it for now.
Purswipe's nature is Mild, and she currently knows Howl, Quick Attack, Tail Whip, and Beat Up. Her strongest stats are Special Attack, Speed, and Special Defense, in proportion to the other stats. She also has the ability Unburden. Joshua summed up before putting his phone away.
"Howl, then follow it up with a Quick Attack!" Joshua ordered. Purswipe darted away from Rhubarb, giving a clear, sobering howl that rattled the sill, warm air. A red aura appeared around Purswipe, but soon dissipated. On a dime, Purswipe turned around and headed back towards the Clobbopus, a white aura now surrounding her frame.
"Rhubarb! Meet it with a Rock Smash!"
Rhubarb shifted to a defensive position, waiting for Purswipe to come at it.
"Up!"
Purswipe shot upwards, and Rhubarb shifted its position to try and block any incoming blow. It angled its white glowing fist at the Purswipe's underbelly. Wiggling her tail, Purswipe aimed its body at Rhubarb's head, and in a lightning quick movement, it brought itself down on Rhubarb's head. Rhubarb didn't even make a pained noise as Purswipe crashed into it. Instead, it raised its fist and brought it directly under the Nickit's stomach. Crying in pain, Nickit was launched backwards from the super-effective hit. It hit the ground with a soft thud, and it cried out weakly.
"You know, Nickit has a weak defense stat. There's no way it can stand up to a Clobbopus's attack. Honestly, you're just hurting the poor creature," Affray said.
"Well, there's no point in just giving up! Purswipe and I will give it our all before we admit defeat! We're going to beat you and win the title as Champion together! No matter what! Come on Purswipe, let's go!" Joshua commanded.
Purswipe growled and slowly rose to its paws, roused by the fierce words from its owner. Joshua watched as it stood on its shaky legs, ready to strike again.
"Oh please. Do you really think you can win against Eugene with that Pokémon? There's nothing unique about it. It's a Route 1 Pokémon who can't really stand up too much of anything. Even the Indeedee is strong against could probably take it out without much difficulty. The Nickit species is useless in battle. They just look cute. And to prove it, Rhubarb, end this. Power-Up Punch," Affray ordered.
Rhubarb swapped its stance, and quickly charged towards Purswipe, its fist glowing a bright orange. Purswipe snarled as it hunkered down in place.
"Go behind and strike!" Joshua ordered.
Purswipe gave a cry of acknowledgement, and jumped upwards, using Rhubarb's head to get more air before turning around midair. Rhubarb paused in surprise, but that was just enough time for Purswipe. With another Quick Attack, it shot itself forward, and struck the Pokémon right in its back. Purswipe bounced off the from the impact of hitting the squishy body and slid slightly back. Rhubarb lurched forward a little but held firm.
"Feint," Affray simply said, and before Purswipe could move, Rhubarb disappeared.
"Nick?" Purswipe gasped, looking around for its opponent.
Joshua spotted Rhubarb appear behind Purswipe, but before he could say anything, Rhubarb used its fist to hit into the side of its face, sending Purswipe careening across the dirt ground, kicking up dust as it tumbled. It finally landed on its belly about a foot away. She laid painfully still as she stopped moving.
Walking closer, Noiritta crouched down beside the Nickit, watching for signs that she was unable to continue. Slowly, Noiritta rose and raised her hand towards Affray, who had his arms crossed.
"Nickit is unable to battle. The winner of this battle is Affray," Noiritta announced.
Joshua's new Pokémon:
Nickit [Name: Purswipe] [Gender: Female] [Description: She has a lighter red fur, closer to that of a Growlithe or Arcanine, than most of its species, as well as slightly fluffier fur] [Sire: Arcanine] [Dam: Nickit] – Knows moves up to level 5 + Howl/ Mild nature/ Unburden ability
Affray's new Pokémon:
Clobbopus [Name: Rhubarb] [Gender: Male] [Description: Looks normal] [Sire: Grimmsnarl] [Dam: Grapplot] – Knows moves up to level 5 + Power-Up Punch and Sucker Punch/ Adamant nature/ Technician ability
Noiritta's new Pokémon:
Dreepy [Name: Flitter] [Gender: Male] [Description: Looks normal] [Sire: Milotic] [Dam: Dragapult] – Knows moves up to level 5 + Dragon Tail and Sucker Punch/ Modest nature/ Clear Body ability
Daphne's new Pokémon:
Hatenna [Name: Buttercup] [Gender: Female] [Description: Looks normal] [Sire: Raichu] [Dam: Hatterene] – Knows moves up to level 5 + Nuzzle/ Quite nature/ Magic Bounce ability
Additional Tidbit: Fylgja are supernatural beings from Norse mythology that are known are spiritual guides or guardians. They usually take the form of an animal, and they appear in dreams to represent people. They can appear in the waking world, but that usually is a sign of impending death. The fylgja usually represents a person's personality. A sly person would be seen as a fox or a loyal person a dog.
In this universe, they appear as Pokémon in dreams and the wake world, but if they do, it's an omen of death. The form the Fylgja takes is usually based off a person's personality. In very rare instances, a certain Fylgja individual is shared among a certain family and is passed down from generation to generation. In Galar, there's a tradition among the people where sometime during their lifetime, they sleep by a lake called The Gateway Lake. For some unknown reason, people see their Fylgja in their dreams and are able to talk to them when they sleep near The Gateway Lake. Some individuals are able to see Fylgja in the wake world, and even interact with them. Noiritta is one such individual.