Chapter Two - First Fight
A battle? Already? Makani thought, as she watched Empress and Vulcan eye each other down. The two Pokemon circled one another, Vulcan lightly billowing smoke out of his nostrils, and Empress puffing out her chest and glaring down at the fire mouse. She couldn't lie - they both looked pumped for a fight. Looking over at Matty, Makani saw him staring at her, hands in the front pockets of his coat.
"Well?" Matty impatiently asked. "You up for it? Or are you gonna back out?"
Makani shook her head, smiling softly. "Back out…? Not on your life! Empress, to my side, please."
Empress spat at the ground next to Vulcan, before moving over so she was standing next to her trainer. Vulcan growled and padded back over to Matty. Makani couldn't lie, Matty and Vulcan looked fired up, no pun intended. When it settled in her mind that this would be her first battle ever, she was suddenly overtaken by a desire to win. This would be the fight that determined who had the first upper hand in their newly sparked rivalry. Makani took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. Reaching into one of her pockets, she pulled out a piece of paper that had come with Empress's pokeball. It was a list of the moves she was currently able to use. Matty pulled out a similar piece of paper, quickly reading it over. He then folded it back up, placing it back in his pocket. Vulcan and Empress continued to growl at each other. It was clear that the two had some kind of rivalry of their own arising.
"So…" Makani coughed into her arm. "Who's going first?"
Matty blinked, before crossing his arms and staring at the ground. Makani hummed in thought, before suggesting, "I'll get you go first, Matty. Since Vulcan has the type disadvantage."
Matty's face twisted. "'Kani, have you learned nothing from watching league battles on TV? Type advantages don't always matter." Makani closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. Matty continued. "I will, however, take you up on your offer to move first. Since I lost a race and fell flat on my face twice today, I say it's only fair."
Makani chuckled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "If you say so…"
Matty grinned. He began lightly hopping from side to side like a Hitmonchan would when in a fighting ring. "Then let's get this show on the road already! Vulcan, use tackle!"
Vulcan breathed more smoke out of his nose, ecstatic to finally be fighting. The flames on his back igniting, he backed up a little, before charging at Empress. The Penguin Pokemon turned to Makani, waiting for her order.
Makani gulped. Her first ever battle had just begun. Even though she was determined to win… She suddenly felt very tense. Is this how trainers feel when in a battle? She realized Matty had called out the first move, and when she saw Vulcan charging at Empress, she gulped, before waving a hand.
"Empress, dodge! Then use bubble!"
Just asw Vulcan was about to strike, Empress sidestepped. Her beak opened, and a stream of bubbles poured out, hitting Vulcan and sending him flying back towards Matty.
"Vulcan!" Matty cried. "You alright?"
Vulcan shakily stood up, before nodding affirmatively. The two trainers met eyes. There was an air of tension around them, but they both wanted to win. The excitement of battle had begun to take over. A small crowd had gathered around them, watching the battle. It was no championship match, but it was always interesting to watch new trainers command their partners, just to see how well they do. Suddenly, some of them began to cheer. Some were cheering for Vulcan, while others were cheering on Empress. Makani and Matty smiled a little. They had never had anyone cheering for them before, and it just made their determination even stronger.
"Alright Vulcan, let's sprinkle some strategy in here! Use smokescreen!" Matty shouted, fist pumping the air. Makani watched in awe as Vulcan reared up on his hind legs, inhaling deeply, before blowing smoke out of his nostrils in excessive amounts. She covered her mouth with an arm, coughing a little. She looked around… Suddenly it was very hard to see. She could vaguely make out the shape of Empress standing in front of her, but Vulcan was nowhere to be seen.
"Listen closely, Empress!" Makani shouted to the little penguin. "We don't know where he'll come from!"
Empress looked around frantically. Where had that Cyndaquil vanished to?!
Suddenly, Matty's voice resounded through the smoke. "Vulcan, tackle!"
"Empress, look out!" Makani shouted as the shape of Vulcan suddenly appeared in the smoke, charging at Empress. Empress quickly snapped to attention and tried to dodge, but Vulcan was faster, and he slammed into her, sending the Piplup skidding across the ground. Vulcan retreated back into the smoke, and Makani's heart raced as Empress slowly pushed herself back up.
"You okay?" Makani asked, worried. Empress glanced back at her trainer, and nodded.
"Pip! Piplup!" She cried. Makani couldn't understand what she was trying to say, but it seemed as if she were gesturing to the smoke around them, and then she made a flapping motion with her flippers. Makani suddenly understood.
"Oh! You're saying we need to find a way to get rid of the smoke!"
That appeared to be right on the money, as Empress nodded her head. Makani began to think. How could they remove the smoke…? She remembered the flapping motion Empress had made. Maybe they could blow the smoke away…
"Vulcan, hit them again, tackle!" Matty yelled. Makani shook her head. Not this time!
"Empress, jump up in the air! Then flap your flippers, try to blow the smoke away!"
Empress was ready this time, and after a few hops to prepare, she leapt up high in the air, just as Vulcan had come charging through the smoke. He missed her by just a few inches, and he looked up, watching as the Piplup began to flap her flippers. At first, it didn't appear to be working… But then the smoke slowly started to move back! Makani let out a little cheer.
"Wahoo! Brilliant job, Empress!"
Makani could now clearly see Vulcan and Matty. Matty stood there, his mouth hanging slightly ajar. Then he laughed.
"Wow! Nice one 'Kani! Gonna be real, I didn't expect you to do that!"
Makani grinned ear to ear. Empress landed on the ground again, puffing out her chest. The small crowd around them cheered. This was proving to be pretty exciting for a first battle…
"Alright, let's try something else, then!" Matty looked at his Cyndaquil. "Alright Vulcan… Use leer."
Vulcan's head swiveled to face Empress. Then he glared, a menacing, white glow appearing around his eyes. Empress faltered, while Makani tried to remember what Leer did. Suddenly it clicked.
"Empress, prepare to dodge! Your defense has been lowered, don't let yourself get hit!"
"Vulcan, tackle! Full power!" Matty cheered. Vulcan began charging at Empress, who was still rooted to the spot. Makani jumped up and down impatiently.
"Come on Empress! Snap out of it!" She shouted. Empress heard her, and shook her head. But she was too late to dodge, and Vulcan slammed into her stomach at full force, sending her flying back. Makani let out a shriek of worry as her partner hit the ground. Empress struggled to get back up, there was a bruise forming where Vulcan had hit her.
"Empress! Can you still fight?" Makani asked, desperation on her face. Empress finally stood back up.
"Pip! Piplup, pip!" Empress barked back. Makani saw the same fire in her eyes that she had seen earlier. She sighed in relief, wiping some sweat from her forehead. Great Arceus above, this was intense!
"Alright Vulcan, let's finish this! Use Tackle, one more time!" Matty ordered. Vulcan let out a loud battle cry, before charging forward. Makani took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"Empress, listen closely. We can still win this!" Makani shouted. "When I tell you to, jump up in the air and use bubble, straight down!"
Empress nodded, watching in anticipation as Vulcan approached. Makani counted in her head. 1. 2. 3. 4…
"NOW!" 'Kani bellowed. Empress sprung up into the air, shooting a stream of bubbles directly below her.
"Vulcan, dodge to the side and then use smokescreen!"
Makani froze. Time seemed to slow down as Vulcan swiftly moved to the side, releasing another round of smoke. Empress was falling. She and Vulcan vanished within the smoke. She heard Matty shout something, but she couldn't tell what it was he said. She heard a loud thud, that brought her back to reality. The smoke cleared. Vulcan was standing in front of Matty, and Empress lay on the ground, swirls in her eyes.
'Kani blinked. Matty and Vulcan cheered, and the crowd around them clapped. She was stunned silent. Matty and Vulcan… They were in perfect sync. Matty's reaction timing was incredible, and he had only received Vulcan over an hour ago. Makani walked over to her fainted partner, gently lifting her into her arms. Empress's eyes cracked open, and she made a sad chirping noise. Makani shook her head.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Empress… You did your best, and I'm so, so proud of you. That was amazing for your first battle." Makani pet Empress on her head, softy running her hand through her feathers. Empress looked at the ground, smiling softly. The praise from her trainer had somewhat comforted her. Makani asked Empress if she'd like to rest in her pokeball, but she denied, instead climbing up onto her trainers shoulder and promptly falling asleep.
Makani sighed as Matty walked over, holding Vulcan in his arms. Matty smiled, holding out a hand.
"Hey, that was a great first battle! You and Empress pulled some pretty cool moves."
Makani took his hand, shaking it. She forced herself to smile. "Yeah. And you and Vulcan were something else alright. He's a speedy little fellow, huh?"
Matty chuckled, looking down at Vulcan. "Yeah. Maybe with some special training he could turn that tackle into a quick attack!"
"Oh, I don't doubt it." 'Kani responded, wiping the remaining sweat from her forehead. "Well. A loss is a loss. I'll water old man Larry's plant's until tuesday. Might be for the best, anyway. It'll give Empress some good practice. You and Vulcan would probably burn the whole garden down."
Both trainers started laughing, and Makani momentarily forgot about her loss. Empress had tried her best, but Matty was always the guy who paid attention to strategy. On top of that, Vulcan was fast. Makani would just have to find a way to work around that for the next time they battled. However… Losing her first ever battle did still rattle her up inside a bit. Especially since she had the type advantage. She supposed that Matty was right. Sometimes, a type advantage doesn't matter. It's the strategy that makes the battle.
The crowd had begun to move away, some even congratulated them on a good battle. Matty grabbed Makani by her wrist, dragging her off down the street. As she was dragged off, she met eyes with someone from the crowd… A young trainer, who looked to be quite a bit older than her, and what she assumed was his partner Pokemon. A giant, green reptile-like creature with a leafy tail. A Sceptile, she figured. She should know, one of the Elite four members had one on her team.
Looking away from the boy, Makani turned her attention back to Matty. "Hey Matt!" She shouted over the noise of the busy streets. "Where are we going?"
"To the Pokemon Center!" Matty yelled back. "We should probably go and let our Pokemon rest up, and while we're at it we can call our parents and tell them why we're a bit late getting home!"
Makani couldn't argue with that. That sounded like a good idea… She looked at her watch. 3:37pm. She had left Cape Town almost three hours ago, and had told her parents that she'd be back as soon as she got her Pokemon. She hadn't expected time to go by so quickly. Her parents were probably worried…
Matty dragged Makani towards a large red building with a white pokeball symbol hanging above it. The doors systematically opened, and the two trainers entered a giant lobby area, where other trainers were chatting and exchanging information with one another. The walls of the building were a stunning ivory white, posters hung up here and there. Makani looked around the lobby, trying to see how many Pokemon she could recognize. A Budew. A Grimer. A Mudkip and a Squirtle. Upon closer inspection, the trainers of the latter two Makani recognized as two of the new trainers who were at the Research Center earlier that day. The Squirtle appeared to have gained quite a bit more confidence, and as she passed them, Makani overheard the two trainers discussing traveling plans.
There was a lot of noise in the Pokemon Center, and Makani almost didn't hear her friend talking to her.
"'Kani!" Matty gently jabbed her in the elbow. The young girl shook her head, blinking. They were standing at a reception desk, and standing behind it was a young woman with pink hair and lively blue eyes. She was wearing a pink nurses uniform, and standing behind her was a pink, chubby, egg-shaped Pokemon. A Chansey.
The Nurse did a little curtsey. "Hello children!" She said, rather chipper. "Welcome to the Pokemon Center! We can restore your Pokemon to full health here, completely free of charge!"
Makani smiled a little, gently pulling Empress off her shoulder. The Piplup stirred a little, but remained asleep. She gently placed Empress down on the counter, and twirled a lock of her hair.
"Would you mind healing my Piplup…?" She asked. Nurse Joy nodded. "Of course I don't mind, dearie! This is my job after all!"
Joy turned to look at Matty. "Want me to take a look at your Cyndaquil, too?"
Matty nodded in response, placing Vulcan down on the counter next to the unconscious Empress. Nurse Joy smiled at them. "This shouldn't take too long. Their injuries don't look too bad. I'd say about 20 minutes, tops."
Makani pulled the lock of hair she was twirling back behind her ear. "Thank you very much, miss!"
Matty and Makani then decided that now would be a good time to call their parents. A little nervous, the young girl punched her family's home number into the video calling system. Tapping her foot worriedly, Makani waited for someone to pick up. Soon, her mother appeared on the screen. Her earthly brown eyes were clouded with worry.
"Makani, dear!" She shouted. Some of the other trainers in the room glanced over at her, and 'Kani tugged her hoodie collar a little bit in embarrassment. Her mother continued.
"Where have you been! It's been almost four hours, surely picking up your Pokemon shouldn't have taken that long?"
"Well…" Makani started. She began recounting the events. Having lunch with Matty, nicknaming their Pokemon, and finally, the battle. Explaining what happened during the battle, Makani looked a tad bit disappointed. She and Empress were nowhere near as coordinated as Matty and Vulcan were. Maybe she should've paid more attention to the strategies those hot-shot league people used…
"Sounds like you've had quite the day." Her mom murmured. "So you're currently at the Pokemon Center?"
"Yes, mom." Makani confirmed. "Empress should be back to full health soon, and then Matty and I will make our way back home."
Her mother let out a long, weary sigh. "Alright dearie. Dinner should be ready by the time you get home." She smiled. "I can't wait to meet your partner Pokemon."
Matty and Makani parted ways at the entrance to their hometown. Cape Town was a nice little seaside town, with a marketplace and colorful banners hung up everywhere. Just outside the town was a sprawling beach. It was a popular place, because watching the sunset upon that beach is said to be one of the most beautiful things one can view.
As she walked back towards her house, Empress sleeping soundly in her arms, Makani replayed the day's events in her head. She made a mental note to start thinking of a strategy to overcome Matty's quick timing and precision. It wouldn't be easy but… She groaned. Maybe diving straight into a battle after only just receiving her Pokemon was a bad idea. Looking down at her sleeping Piplup, Makani shook those conflicting thoughts out of her head. This was a happy day. She smiled softly. Yeah. Yeah, today was a happy day. She had received her partner Pokemon, her new best-friend for life. She was sleeping soundly in her arms. And although she had botched her first battle… Makani finally realized. She had fun. Her smile grew wider, and a little skip appeared in her step.
She finally came to her street. She lightly tapped Empress on the head. The Piplup woke up, groggily rubbing her eyes.
"Pip?" She tilted her head. Makani placed her up on her shoulder. "We're home, Empress."
Empress looked around the empty street, mesmerized by the soft lights coming from within the houses. It was dead quiet, as it had taken the trainers quite a while to walk back home. It was almost completely dark out, the last traces of sunlight quickly vanishing over the horizon. Makani's house wasn't anything too special. It was made of dark oak wood, two stories tall, with decorative plants hung up all over it. On the front porch, a large purple cat-like Pokemon was sleeping. It had a Yellow underbelly with yellow spots covering it. This was Mally, Makani's mother's Liepard.
As she walked up the stairs towards the door, Mally cracked open one eye, staring at Empress. Empress stared back. Slowly, Mally rose to her feet, padding over. She sniffed Empress, curiously.
"Llliiieee?" She purred. Makani pet her on the head, scritching behind her ears. "Hello, Mally! Holding down the fort alright, girl?"
Mally purred louder in response, before stalking back over to her bundle of blankets on the front porch. There was a loud creak as the front door opened, and Makani's mother's head poked out. Her face lit up upon seeing her daughter, and she flung the door completely open, running over and embracing Makani in a tight hug.
"You're finally home!" She cried. She grabbed Makani's face with one hand, looking her in the eyes. "Thank goodness, I was getting worried!"
Makani looked at the ground, a frown on her face. "Yeah… Sorry for the late return. That battle lasted longer than I thought it would. I didn't mean to worry you…"
Her mom shook her head, relaxing. "No no, it's fine, dearie." She smiled wearily. "You are a trainer now, after all… And now that you've got a Pokemon, you should be able to take care of yourself. And speaking of your Pokemon…"
She turned to look at Empress. Her mom reacher out, tenderly petting the Piplup on the head. "This must be Empress." She cooed. "She's absolutely adorable, dear."
Makani grinned, pleased that her mother approved her choice. She knew that her mom would approve, no matter what, put she always was drawn towards the more popular and cute ones. Piplup fit both those categories, but Makani didn't choose Empress because of that. She chose her because of her sheer spirit and personality.
"Thanks, mom." She replied. Empress had crawled down into her arms again, and Makani absentmindedly began rubbing her head. "But I'm hungry from all the walking… And I'm tired. Empress is probably hungry, too."
Her mother nodded in understanding. "Of course. It's been a long day for the both of you. Let's go get some food in you."
They entered the house, shutting and locking the door behind them. THey were now standing in a small but cozy corridor. Photos and drawings of different people and pokemon hung from the walls. The walls themselves were a dull but warm yellow color. Like an old, worn-out piece of paper. Makani followed her mother down the corridor towards the kitchen.
"Your dad stopped by, earlier. He picked up some pokemon food for Empress, but he had to go back to work. He'll be back early tomorrow though, so don't worry." Makani's mom suddenly said, turning back to look at her child. Makani smiled a little. Her dad was a kind, hardworking man. He worked in the police force, and was out most of the time, seeing as he was a high rank. That didn't mean that he doesn't make time for his family, of course.
Dinner went by quite quickly. A bowl of soup with some freshly baked bread to dip in it. Empress was chowing down on the floor beside her. The Pokemon food that her father had bought was some kind of high-quality brand, and Empress seemed to be enjoying every single bite. Dinner also went by without much conversation, Makani having explained most of the days events to her mother back at the Pokemon Center. Besides, she was tired. And Makani doesn't do well in conversations when she's tired. After dinner, she helped her mom with the dishes, hugged her goodnight, and then did her nightly routine. Brushing her teeth, and putting on her light blue pajamas with little Horseas on them.
Flopping down on her bed, she sighed in relief. Her feet were killing her from all the walking she did that day, and she was utterly exhausted. Empress was lying down next to her, already out like a light. Makani pulled her navy blue quilt over both of them, getting comfortable. She wrapped an arm around Empress, pulling her to her chest. Turning off her night light, Makani closed her eyes, and let the sweet embrace of sleep claim her.
She slipped into nothingness, with a smile on her face.
A young boy walked into the Pokemon Research lab, his trusty Sceptile close behind him. He whistled, hands in his pockets as he approached the Professor, who was deep in her paperwork. After she noticed the boy, Begonia looked up, a surprised look on her face.
"Oh, Oliver! Back so soon?" She inquired. Mara, Begonia's Maractus, entered the room carrying a tray with tea on it. Upon noticing the towering Sceptile, the little cactus waved an arm in greeting. Sceptile waved back in response, grunting.
The boy, Oliver, smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Errands got done quicker than anticipated." He pulled up a chair, sitting across the room from Begonia. "I do thank you for lending me your Staraptor, though. Windrider is fast, but nothing beats the speed of your Sally."
Begonia chuckled, shuffling her finished paperwork into a neat little pile. "Still, even with Sally's speed, I didn't think you'd finish the tasks so quickly. You have to be one of the best assistants I've ever had, young man."
"Aw gee, professor…" Oliver blushed lightly in embarrassment. "I really couldn't have done it without my team. They were a huge help."
Oliver scratched the side of his head. "So… You handed out the starters today?"
"Mhm." Begonia hummed in confirmation. "All the Pokemon went to some pretty promising trainers." Oliver opened his mouth, ready to say something. Begonia looked as if she knew what he was going to say, and quickly beat him to it. "Don't worry. Jay received their starter with no complications."
Sighing in relief, Oliver relaxed in his chair. "That's good. I was worried they would be late."
"Well they weren't. If anything, they were early!" Begonia chuckled. "And it appears as if they're going to follow in your footsteps. I checked up on them after the ceremony, and they seem to be getting along just fine with their Treecko."
Oliver grinned, looking up at his Sceptile. "Well, whaddya know! Looks like the little guy's taking after us, Lucky!"
The Sceptile, Lucky, made some kind of laughing noise. Begonia then looked at Oliver, placing her hands in her lap.
"So, Oliver. What brings you here at this time of night? Surely you'd wait until morning to tell me you've returned? It's almost closing time for Arceus's sake!"
"Well, you see Professor. I was gonna wait 'till morning." He stood up, pacing. "But I witnessed one heck of a battle today! And the two trainers battling… I'm certain that they were new!"
"Oh…?" Begonia's interest peaked. "What Pokemon were they using, if I may ask?"
"There was a young girl with a Piplup, and a young boy with a Cyndaquil." Oliver shook his head. "And let me tell you, they were going at it, alright! The young man had a grasp on how to use strategy and he and his Cyndaquil were in perfect sync! The girl was a bit slow with her Piplup… But they performed amazingly as well. She figured out how to remove a smokescreen without use of a move! They also both seemed to care for their partners a lot…"
"Ah. I believe those two would've been young Makani Skylar and Matty Wilson." Begonia grinned. "They must've battled after I left… Darnit! Maybe I should've stuck around longer. Would've loved to see that battle for myself."
"They have a lot of potential, Professor." Oliver leaned against a wall, tapping his foot. "Not gonna lie, they remind me of some old friends of mine, ahah."
Begonia fidgeted with a pen, clicking it on and off slowly. "Hmm. You think they might be able to help with our... issue?"
"Perhaps. It's still too early to tell." The young boy closed his eyes, deep in thought. "Besides. An old acquaintance of mine from Jhoto just returned to me. I feel that he will be of great assistance to us."
The Professor nodded. "Alright, then. We won't involve them. Not until they're stronger. And smarter."
Oliver nodded back, in agreement. "Yeah. Besides, they're young. We shouldn't involve them unless they somehow get dragged into it by force. They should be allowed to enjoy their journey without any burdens."
"I agree." Begonia sighed, standing up. "Well, anyway, we should keep an eye on them. But now, It's closing time. I'm tired, Mara's tired, you and Lucky are probably tired, we can discuss this in more detail in the morning. Then… You can introduce me to your old friend."
Oliver grinned. He unclipped a black and yellow Pokeball from his belt, handing it back to the Professor. "You might want to take Sally back."
"Oh!" Begonia laughed. She placed the ball in one of her labcoats pockets. "Thank you. I'm going to make sure she gets an extra large portion of pokemon food tonight."
"You better!" Oliver responded, walking over to the exit. Lucky lumbered close behind him "She worked herself down to the bone today!"
Oliver waved a farewell to Begonia, before finally walking out of the Research Lab, stretching and letting out a loud yawn. He looked up at Lucky, a cheeky grin on his face.
"So, pal. What do you say we go meet up with our old buddy? He came all this way for us, the least we can do is give him a proper welcome back to the team."
Knowing all too well about who his trainer was talking about, Lucky nodded. It had been a long time since they had seen this friend in question. It would be good seeing him again.
Especially since he could help them a whole lot with their current… Issue.
The boy and his Sceptile walked off into the woods surrounding Foundation City, down towards an old, ancient area that very select few were granted access to. As they left, the lights in the Research Lab shut off, and all was silent at last.