- Chapter 3: Trust is a privilege -
"I see… so the twins had started their journey? That's wonderful to hear. Though I am a bit confused on why Will went ahead of his sister when they usually stick together?"
The womanly voice from the laptop sitting on the table sounds somewhat worried. Professor Rowan stands in front of it with his arms behind his back. He gives her his reply.
"Well, Johanna insisted that Will would go on without Mia. This is so that the two will learn to not be so dependent on each other. Most trainers start their journey alone, after all."
"That works for those of this universe. Not from the one they come from." The voice replies. "I do see what she is trying to do. Mia is less confident than her brother. She doesn't do well with people and well…"
"They are polar opposites." Rowan has an idea on what the woman was going to say. "But I do agree with what Johanna is trying to do. On the brighter side of things… it's been a week so far. Mia should had wrapped up her lesson in Jubilife by now."
"But why wasn't Will with her? They started on the same day, so they should have meet up there. Does he even have a Trainer Card yet?"
"He received his earlier today." Rowan answers. "To answer your first question, Johanna scheduled their school hours differently. Mia is assigned eight to twelve. Will is one to five. How have they not found each other yet? Well… Will will try to explore the entire city. Mia would much rather stay at the hotel. It's quite amusing how well Johanna figured this out. But they'll find each other soon. They might stick like glue after that. I have a hunch they know they are in the same city. They just don't know where."
"It is strange. They don't even have each other's numbers." The voice sounds a bit concerned. "I don't want them away from each other too long."
"As I said before, they'll find each other." Rowan says. "You really worry about them, don't you?"
"Well, someone has to. Otherwise, they'll hurt themselves since the physics here are somewhat different from what they are used to. Though I am more concerned with Mia since she tends to have her head in the clouds. But she does have a Pokémon with her now. I should stop. It's not like me to be such a worrier."
"That is true. You make others worry instead," the professor jokes. "Have you been sleeping?"
"Professor..." The woman laughs.
"I'm serious now," Rowan says a little firmly. "You need to sleep. Your neck hasn't been... hurting you too much lately, has it? If you stress out too much, you'll become drained of-"
"I'm fine. I promise."
"No dizzy spells?" The professor has to make sure.
"No dizzy spells." Her response is assuring. "I know... my limits. The children... all my work is also towards them, you know?"
"Well, you're the one who found them. They opened the gates to new mysteries." Rowan says. "They should be heading to Oreburgh City soon. In no time, they'll reach Eterna."
"I'll be departing from Eterna soon, just so I can check on them." She says. "You haven't strayed from that research, have you?"
"You know me, Cynthia. I never shirk work."
"Silly of me to even ask." The woman chuckles. "Well, I'm glad to hear they are doing alright so far. It's-"
There is a sudden crash heard from the background.
Professor Rowan leans forward a bit. "Is everything all right in there?"
"I guess it's time for lunch. You know Garchomp gets a little worked up when she gets hungry. Ah… she already knocked over the bookshelf and- wait! Don't eat the ice cream! It's cold! You'll hurt your throat! No… no! Don't- Sorry professor! I have to run!"
The communication ends there. The professor can only chuckle at this. "She really can be a handful when she's not in the battlefield…" He turns around and walks away from his desk. "Lucas! Bring me my briefcase! We are expecting to meet with Sierra within an hour!"
- 0000 -
"When you battle in a special building, there is a screen that displays the status of your Pokémon." The teacher walks around the classroom. Many eyes are on her, studying. "For anyone that has a Pokédex, you can use it to check information about your Pokémon the same way. You'll notice that there are a few abbreviations that you may not be familiar with. They are easy to remember as long as you pay attention."
Meanwhile, sitting at the desk at the very back of the classroom - away from the other students who prefer to sit closer to the front - Mia is already going through her Pokedex. Checking the Pokémon's summary, she does notice a few odd letters merged together.
"The first thing you may notice is 'LV', which stands for 'Level'. What is a level? It's a measurement we use to determine a Pokémon's growth. The higher it is, the stronger they are. Levels tell you how much battling experience they have. It starts at Level 1, and it stops at Level 100. It seems they don't get any higher after that."
Checking Razorleaf… he's level 5. So he must had battled before...
"So… like a video game?" A boy asks.
"Well, if it's easier for you to remember, I guess you can see it like that. But it's nothing more than a measurement. Sometimes, a lower leveled Pokémon can take down one twice their level. It's all about wits, too. Remember that." The teacher says. "Next is 'HP'. You'll see that next to a colored bar. HP is short for 'Hit Points."
Mia can see that too. It seems Razorleaf's is filled up.
"It is also a measurement on how much a Pokémon can take. It is color-coded. Green means it's still able to fight well without much worry. Yellow appears when it falls at half, which is considered a warning. Red appears when they are hanging on by a thread. Another hit is most likely to knock them out. You will see this when you battle in a gym, or other places that uses this system. Keep that in mind."
A girl raises her hand. "How is it able to tell how much a Pokémon can take? Isn't it weird how it can detect when a Pokémon is near fainting?"
"Advanced technology is the answer. The battlefield constantly measures their condition. It's always accurate." The teacher explains. "Up next… you'll notice a label reading 'EXP'. It stands for 'Experience Points'. Once filled, a Pokémon will gain a level. It's all according to the gadgets. Truthfully, they are constantly gaining skills. It's easier seen than explained. This measurement system makes it easier for trainers to balance their party, and for matches to be more fair. Think of it like your age. Your age is a number, a measurement of how much you've grown. The bigger it is, the more experience you had in the world. Does that make sense?"
"That's why they tell you to respect your elders since they lived and seen a lot… right?" A boy asks.
"Right on point." The teacher smiles. "And finally, tell me, what is 'STAB'? That was lesson one. Does anyone remember?"
"When someone hurts someone else with a sharp object, like a sword?" A boy asks.
"Not that kind…" The teacher sighs. "Anyone else?"
Another boy raises his hand. "Are we going to learn how to fight with swords or spears?"
The teacher gives the boy an annoyed look. "This is a Trainers' School. Not a fencing or weapon school. If you wanted to learn that, you shouldn't be here. Now, please. The answer has nothing to do with any of that. Does anyone know? Come on. It's a must-know thing."
Mia sighs, and she mutters under her breath; "Same Type Attack Bonus…"
The teacher picked this up, raising an eyebrow and looking at Mia's direction. "That's correct. Are you participating today, Mia?"
She didn't think the teacher would head. Mia feels herself shrinking a bit, not exactly fond of the idea.
The teacher crosses her arms now. "You haven't participated all week. At least try today. You should speak up so that the rest of the class can hear you."
She doesn't want to try. Already she feels the pressure, and she hates it. She hates being the center of attention. Well, more like, it makes her very nervous. There's so many eyes on her. She can't just say 'no'. She's not that kind of person to say that to anyone besides her brother.
The silence is killing her. She speaks again, a little louder this time, but not very eager. "Same Type… Attack Bonus…"
"There we go." The teacher smiles, and Mia lowers her head to the table. "Basically, if a Pokémon uses an attacking move that is the same type as their own… it is more powerful. A fire type like Chimchar using Ember has a stronger Ember than another type using it. Does it make sense?"
A few heads nod.
"And finally, the most important rules of Pokémon that must always be remembered. You sink this into your head." The teacher says. "There are three very important rules everyone… not just a trainer… should know. Keep this in mind, and you will he a first-rate trainer in no time. The three rules are;
Rule #3: Pokémon can react to their master's emotions. Let it be happiness, sadness, or anger. They will channel that in battle. Be careful about your feelings. Never let them spiral out of control.
Rule #2: Pokémon are intelligent creatures. They can comprehend some human speech. Never assume they are ignorant.
Rule #1: People have weapons for a reason, but may it be avoided that they claim a life. To end a life using the power of a Pokémon is considered to be the most dishonorable and disrespectful thing a person can do. Even hardened criminals know that.
Mia heard that number 1 rule before. Johanna made sure she and her brother knew. It was highly unlikely any in this world would be killed by a trainer's Pokémon. It seems to be a sacred rule or something.
People avoid using Pokémon as lethal weapons as much as possible. Maybe it's why some carry weapons themselves… to avoid resorting to that.
Sure. People resolve most conflict with a Pokémon battle, but death by Pokémon is almost never heard of.
"Now then, students. A quick review." The teacher says. "What do we know so far?"
A girl raises her hand. Once acknowledged, she answers. "There are a total of eight gym leaders in Sinnoh. We need to collect all of their badges to get into the Pokémon League."
"Good." The teacher is pleased. "And what does the Sinnoh League consist of?"
"The Elite Four, and the Sinnoh League Champion!" A boy answers after raising his own hand.
"The people of the Pokémon league run the region, you could say. They are the most powerful and respected trainers." The teacher says. "It's common knowledge that the Sinnoh League Champion sits on the throne. Maybe one day… one of you will take that throne, and be crowned as the new champion."
"Are you kidding?" A kid is surprised to hear this. "Do you know how impossible that is?!"
"Well, you can't be undefeated forever." The teacher says. "That is your most important lesson. No trainer is invincible. Even if you are strong, there will always be someone stronger than you. Never become overconfident in yourself."
The students seem to understand. Some nod their heads in agreement.
"Well, I'm glad to see that no one disagrees. Now then, now it's time for a pop quiz."
Many groans and moans fill the room.
"Oh, don't. You'll like this one." The teacher smiles. "Everyone here will have their first official Pokémon battle."
"Whoa! Really?" A boy gasps.
"Yes! Finally!" A girl cheers.
Mia isn't as excited. While she had many exercises with Razorleaf, she isn't sure if she's ready for a Trainer battle yet. It took her until yesterday to stop calling Razorleaf by his species name. The Turtwig still tries to nip her ankles every now and then.
Razorleaf rests at the floor near her feet. He seems to be asleep, which is a bit inconvenient at the moment.
"Razorleaf." Mia taps him carefully. "Hey…"
The Turtwig opens his eyes slowly. They shift towards her, but there is no other response.
"You're ready for a battle?"
Razorleaf closes his eyes.
"What?" Mia is confused. She thought Pokémon enjoy battles. Why is Razorleaf not interested?
"Alright, Mia. How about you go on first? I'll pair you up with Johnny here." The teacher says.
Wait. Did the teacher see this and had her go first on purpose, or was this a mere coincidence? Mia just stares at her blankly before she finally makes a move, getting to her feet quickly so she won't feel so awkward. There's already so many eyes on her.
She looks down at her resting Turtwig. "Come on, Razorleaf. We should get ready."
Already, a boy wearing a blue cap is heading to the other side of the room. Razorleaf hasn't budged an inch. He would rather sleep, clearly.
"Razorleaf, come on!" Mia calls him, a little more desperate. She thought spending the week with him would have him warm up to her a little more, but he hasn't changed a bit. While she did learn how to handle Pokémon and the rules of training them… she still can't seem to figure him out.
The rest of the class just watch. A few of the students laugh at this, especially when Mia reaches down and tries to pick him up.
She is forced to draw her hands back when he tried to bite her hand. "Hey! C'mon, dude! You have to cooperate with me! Please?"
Eerr-raa-ee! The Turtwig chirps at her with an open beak, pushing her back further. The very sound he made sounds just like the cry that is heard from the Pokédex.
That means he's aggressive. Great.
Mia sighs and turns to the teacher. "Do I have to?"
"In order to get your Trainer's Card, yes." The teacher answers with a nod.
"But he- urgh." Mia doesn't know what else to say. She finally has enough, aiming the Pokéball towards him, she sighs and taps the top of it with a single finger. The button of the Pokéball glows blue.
Razorleaf's body glows a white-blue, and the light swallows him. His body distorts into a ribbon of light that is absorbed through the button of the Pokéball. Within just a couple of seconds, he is completely inside. The button stops glowing, and the capsule is lowered to her side.
The teacher gives Mia a puzzled look. She watches her head to the other side of the classroom.
Once Mia is at the other side of the wall, there is the fairly large blue rug. Perhaps the school doesn't need a real battlefield. It's not like the school's going to have super strong monsters fighting each other with wicked lightning bolts and five-pointed blasts of fire. Both can burn this building to ashes.
The screen that hangs from the ceiling turns on. On the screen is a box, with a 'mugshot' of Johnny's and Mia's heads. His is at the top right, hers at the bottom left. Beside that is a Pokeball marker that pulls up on the screen, informing how pokemon a person has. He has two, she has one.
Already, Johnny is waiting at the opposite end of the rug. His excitement returns once he sees her.
"Here are the rules." The teacher explains. "Since Johnny's Pokémon are in a lower level compared to Mia, he is allowed to use two. If a party is completely defeated, the victory goes to the one who still stands. Let it begin!"
Already, Mia dislikes this.
Johnny happily unclips a Pokéball from his belt. "Alright! My very first trainer battle! Let's go Budew!"
The Pokéball is thrown, and it opens, pouring out a growing mass of light. It merges into a shape and fades out as a shockwave. Standing in front of the boy is a green bud-like creature with a yellow face. The top of its head is the very head of a bud.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Mia wonders aloud.
To her surprise, the Pokédex hanging from her belt blinks and responds;
(Sinnoh Number 025.
Budew, the Bud Pokémon.
Its typing is: Grass and Poison. Sensitive to changing temperature, the bud is said to bloom when it feels the sun's warm touch.)
A few of her classmates gasp at the voice they just heard. One of them seem to know what it is. "Cool! She has a Pokédex!"
"What did it say?" Another kid wonders.
"Can I see?!"
"Focus, everyone!" The teacher claps her hands. "Let them battle. Mia, we are waiting on you."
Mia looks at the Pokéball in her hand. She doesn't even want to send him back out. "Please be nice…"
All she has to do is send the capsule to the rug with her underhand throw, but that alone seems daunting now.
After tossing the Pokéball, it bursts open, and her Turtwig comes back out. He seems a bit surprised, taking a quick look around before turning and glaring at Mia for forcing him away earlier. The trainer takes a slow step back.
The first Pokéball on each side has a picture of the Pokemon's heads. A grey box is displayed next to it… with a long green bar inside, labeled as "HP". It seems to be able to calculate how many hits a Pokémon can take, just as the teacher said.
Below each of their HP bars is a chart. Bullets of lables are texted as; Attack, Defense, Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense, Speed, Accuracy, and Evasiveness. They have six dots next to each name...
All of these labels! She has to know all of them?!
Johnny doesn't seem sure of he wants to carry this out, but he does. "Budew! Use Absorb!"
The Budew aims its bud towards the Turtwig, and it fires a single green speck of light that strikes him. Razorleaf steps away, completely startled. Immediately afterwards, small circles of green light is pulled from the Turtwig's body, absorbed into the Budew's.
Razorleaf shakes his head with a snort, looking at the Budew funny.
"What was that?" Mia wonders. She glances at the screen, seeing only a chip of his bar had fallen. It hardly did a thing.
The text below makes it obvious.
It's not very effective...
"Mia." The teacher calls her, getting her attention.
"Huh?" Mia looks at her quickly. Did she do something wrong?
"It's your turn."
"Oh!" Mia looks back at Razorleaf, who doesn't appear to like where he stands at the moment. Maybe he's just a little grouchy. She tries not to think too much of it. "Okay... come on. If we do this then we can probably win."
She pauses, and she quickly checks her Pokédex.
"There. Tackle!"
Razorleaf simply turns his head away.
"Huh?!" Mia stares at him in disbelief. She speaks desperately now. "Hey! Razorleaf, don't do that! We are supposed to be battling!"
The teacher doesn't address the problem, but her face shows that it does worry her. She turns to Johnny. "It's your turn."
The boy nods before he says; "Budew! Use Absorb again!"
Mia watches the Budew attack the same way it did before. Razorleaf is struck, and he grunts lightly, shaking his head. Another tiny HP is chipped away again.
This time, Razorleaf seems annoyed.
That might be good. He must be in the mood to fight, now. "Razorleaf! Tackle!"
The moody Turtwig crouches down and tucks his legs under his body. His shell glows for only a few seconds, and a wave of yellow-orange light flies from his feet and upwards.
Ree-ree-ree-ree-ree-ree! The sound was high pitched and climbing. The board displays yellow and orange arrows shooting upwards over Razorleaf's image. A single red arrow pointing upwards is next to "Defense".
What was that?
Razorleaf's Defense rose slightly!
"He used Withdraw instead?" The teacher is surprised. "He raised his Defense but... it does no good here..."
"Razorleaf!" Mia can't figure it out. Why would he use another technique, when he could have easily attacked the Budew? "No! That's not right! That's not what I told you to do!"
The boy carries on. "Use Absorb again!"
The Budew attacks again, and Razorleaf has enough. No order is given, but he moves anyway, tackling the Budew to the ground.
Budew squeals out a cry of pain. It does a lot compared to what Razorleaf took before. Budew's points fall a little under half, now colored yellow, just as the teacher explained before. Budew struggles to stand back up. Its green body appears a little bruised up already.
"Whoa... he's stronger than I thought..." Mia says quietly. Even though he did finally attack, it wasn't under her command... which is a bit disappointing to her.
The boy orders his Budew to use the same attack once again. It merely tickles Razorleaf... once again, and he ran the Budew again, knocking it off its feet and crashing violently to the ground. Budew is squeaking once again, but it sounds terribly weakened, and its cry silences afterwards. All of this happened without Mia giving an order.
Is that allowed?
The screen reveals Budew's HP bar falling to red and empty.
Beeeeeep...
The long beep tells everyone that the Budew is down. It is motionless, fainted, and unable to endure anymore hits.
Johnny recalls the Pokémon with a sigh. He swaps capsules a bit clumsily, just as green as every student, and he tosses it as hard as he can.
"Starly! Go!"
His Starly comes out, screeching loudly.
It seems Starly is a common Pokémon to start with, since they do live nearby. Mia thinks about trying to go for one when she has the chance. The first one she encountered... it was a bit rude.
She tries her luck again, sending her next command; "Tackle!"
But Razorleaf refuses to listen. He pretends not to notice.
Is he playing with her? This is getting nowhere!
"Growl, now!" Johnny yells, now going for the defensive. His Starly opens its beak and releases a loud but threatening screech that makes Mia and her Turtwig winch. The sound waves are powerful enough to ripple the air. How is it not breaking any glass.
It finally stops after a few painful seconds.
Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo!
The strange decreasing sound was in sync with the blue arrows that shot straight down over Turtwig's image on the board. It sounds tamer. At the same time, blue streaks of light rain from over the Turtwig to the floor. What does that mean?
Razorleaf's Attack fell slightly!
A single blue arrow pointing downwards is next to his Attack now...
This isn't good. If he won't listen to her, then what is she supposed to do? He is supposed to he obeying her, right? So why does he choose to ignore her? He hardly wants to look at her. He'll take food from her, he'll sleep near her, but it seems to listen to anything she has to say is out of the question.
She can't linger on these thoughts now. With a shake of her head, she tries again. "Razorleaf-"
He moves quickly, attacking the Starly with a Tackle. Starly is pushed back with a lot of force, and it takes a hard landing on the ground. It flaps Its wings to keep itself from falling. Afterwards, it shakes its feathers with a loud chirp. According to the board, its HP had dropped to half.
From how puffed up Starly's feathers are, the board must had measured this accurately. The starling Pokémon appears stressed or angry.
All this happened without Mia giving a single command.
Mia dislikes this. "Hey! I didn't tell you to do anything yet!"
"Starly, Tackle it back!" The boy's order is obeyed. His Starly springs from its feet and soars, attacking the Turtwig in the same fashion. Razorleaf is the one sent flying from his feet now. He cries out and hits the ground near Mia's feet. The board reveals that Razorleaf's HP dropped to yellow, near the red zone now.
Mia steps forward. "Just listen to me for a-"
Not waiting for an order, Razorleaf rushes forward and harshly takes down the Starly with a Tackle, along with its displayed HP bar. It hits empty. Starly's cry is weak, and its back slams on the rug. Several feathers fly free from its body due to the harsh crash. Razorleaf stares down the Starly that is now out of the count.
Beeeeep...
Mia places both hands on her forehead as she closes her eyes, groaning. This is not how she wanted to win.
The image of Starly greys out and Johnny's side fades out. A full image of Mia takes over the screen, with 'WINNER!' bolded red underneath.
"Oh, no! Starly!" Johnny gasps. He calls it back in its Pokéball, causing Razorleaf to lose balance and fall since the bird is no longer pinned under him. Upset, Johnny clips the Pokéball back in place.
A hand falls on his shoulder, belonging to the teacher that walked to his side. "You did well, Johnny. Remember, you aren't required to win. You won't win every battle. Remember; There is no such thing as a trainer who never loss in a single Pokémon battle."
"Right…" It's Johnny's only response to the support.
Mia just looks at Razorleaf, who seems to finally relax since no one else is trying to attack him anymore. As she calls him back into his Pokéball, she feels like she doesn't even deserve this win. She was hardly any part of it.
From the corner of her eye, a hand is held out. Facing it, Johnny's hand holds some paper money…
"Huh?"
"Your payment for beating me." The trainer drops a few bills in her hands.
She just stares at it. Is this what Lucas meant when he said she'll earn money in the future? Through winning battles? It sounds a bit wrong… but then again, Pokémon actually enjoy battle…
It seems like a handful… 90? 90 Pokédollars? It's a lot, so much more than what she earns from selling cookies within a week. All this from one battle?
Mia lightly pushes his hand away. "I can't take that."
Her decline surprises Johnny. "What? But you have to. You won. It's the rules."
"My Turtwig won. I hardly did anything. He won't even listen to me. I got lucky." Mia says, feeling even more defeated now that she has to admit. "Just... keep it. Okay?"
Johnny doesn't try to protest. He returns the money to his pocket, and he steps aside to allow the teacher to come between them.
"Most Trainers never turn down prize money." The teacher is somewhat impressed with Mia's mannerisms. She slips a hand in her back pocket. "You are quite honest. Hopefully, your Turtwig will recognize you as his master soon enough. You're only starting, and no one ever said it would be easy."
Handed to Mia is an envelope. It is stamped with a Pokéball symbol.
"Is… this my trainer's card?" Mia asks, unsure is she even deserves this.
"Open it."
Hesitant, she stares at the envelope for several seconds before she finally makes a move. She tries to peel the flap first, but she grows impatiently and tears the top right off, nearly spilling the card from inside. She catches it quickly, and she studies it.
It's a red hard card for sure, with a white symbol of a Pokéball for added decoration. There is an image of her smiling face.
That's why Lucas took that picture…
The card has her basic information on it, like any license would. The back is blank, with a single white rectangle. It must be for her to sign.
"I…" Mia looks back at the teacher. "Are you sure this is okay for me to have? I mean…"
"Don't be so hard on yourself." The teacher says. "Not everyone starts perfect. You'll get better with time. You have no reason to remain here. Go on."
She is led towards the exit, and she looks back. Johnny gives her a smile and waves, and a few other students do the same.
It is only the beginning. There is no reason to beat herself up yet, is there?
But, how can she not? Razorleaf clearly hates her.
- 0000 -
"Your Pokémon have been restored to full health! We hope to see you again!"
Mia takes the Pokéball from the nurse, and she gives her thanks before leaving.
Now, all that needs to be done is to catch her first and very own Pokémon. Question is; Can she pull it off without getting into trouble? Maybe if she doesn't have much luck in battling… she can at least catch a Pokémon… but where to go?
She checks her town map, which pins her current location. She moves the cursor a little further North...
Route 204.
A charmingly natural path that wanders past many ponds and groves of trees.
The Ravaged Path was hewn through a rocky overcropping. It is a shortcut that leads straight to Floaroma Town.
She'll head there.
Putting the device away, she takes the road that leads straightforward. No turns have to be made, so getting lost is no concern. The sight of many buildings does interest her. As she crosses another block, what truly catches her eyes is a huge building with a giant screen displayed. What is on the screen makes her gasp.
No way.
She changes direction and rushes across the street just to get closer. Soon enough, she stands right in front of the place. The double doors slide automatically to let people in and out. But, she doesn't care about the inside. It's the screen that is more important. She tilts her head back, watching the person on the screen.
The tween girl has the same colored hair as Johanna and Lucas, only it is long, reaching past her shoulders. She wears a flowing white dress, and she has a Piplup jumping in front of her, spitting out a great number of beautiful bubbles.
A commentator is heard from the speakers, speaking proudly and excitedly. "And once again, the great Pokémon Coordinator Dawn makes her spotlight in the Beauty Contest, on her way to the Master Rank! She is close to competing against the Beauty Champion, Fantina! What do you think about this, Dexter?"
A voice of an older man replies. "Well, you know what they say. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. After seeing today's performance, I must say that Dawn is a perfectly ripened apple indeed! I am looking forward to her next performance!"
"Well, you hear it from Dexter himself, folks! We hope you tune in for the next contest premiering next week! It may not be a Beauty Contest, but we hope you'll find the next performance… cute! Get it? Because that's the category! Hahaha!"
"Your jokes fall just as flat as your poffins, Dan. People are watching!"
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" The reporter laughs. "That concludes today's special update on the Pokémon Contests! Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week, same time, same channel!"
The screen changes to commercials, but Mia hasn't moved yet.
So now she knows Dawn isn't here. Sounds like she was busy with her competition, and it seems she won again. She'll have to tell Johanna later, but knowing her, she probably already knows this.
Mia stands there a bit longer, but she is spooked as she hears a voice from behind her.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do we have here? A Pokémon Trainer walking around in Jubilife, but without a single Pokétch on her!"
Mia turns around, seeing a businessman man occupied with three yellow clowns. It's… a bizarre sight, actually. What's going on here?
"Pardon me for coming to you so suddenly, but I just can't help but notice you carry a Pokédex. You have such a wonderful gadget, but not one of my famous Pokémon Watches? Oh, no, no! This is simply unacceptable! I am required to hand out a free one to every Pokédex-carrier under Professor Rowan's request! I nearly missed you! That would look bad in my name!"
Mia is a bit suspicious of the stranger. He singled her out from a distance. He is aware of how rare a Pokédex is. She feels the need to protect it.
Or maybe, she's putting too much thought into this.
Still, she can't just stare at him, looking silly. She finally speaks, sounding a bit naive. "Oh… I had no idea. I was never told about that…"
"Well, now you know! As I always do, in order to get one of my watches, all you have to do is answer three of my clown's questions correctly!"
This is sudden. "Wait… I just-"
One of the clowns interrupt by stepping forward. "Question 1! Does a Pokémon grow by defeating others and gaining EXP Points?"
"Well… yes but-"
"Ding-dong! You are correct!" The second clown cheers. "Question 2! Just like Pokémon types, do the moves also have types?"
"They do…"
The third clown jumps for joy. "Ding-dong! Correct! Question 3! Can a Pokémon hold an item?"
"... They can?" Mia wasn't sure about that one, actually. The school did say Pokémon can eat berries in a battle, but holding items?
"Ding-doooong!" The three clowns spin around once. The businessman claps his hands, amused by this. This sight would be laughable if the situation didn't feel so awkward.
"Wonderful! You answered the three questions correctly!" The man praises her as he pulls out an object from his suit pocket. "And for that, her you go! Just as promised, a free Pokétch for you to use! It's on the house!"
The object is placed on her hands. It is the size of a watch, but it's strictly digital… touchscreen digital, actually. Tapping it makes it light up. Right now, it displays the current time. It's near dusk.
It's mostly white, outlined with pink, and a pair of red buttons on the right side directs the pages up and down. It has applications… such as a calculator… a display of her Turtwig? That's… neat?
"As the President, I am constantly thinking of new applications to add, so whenever you have the chance, stop by my business to get an update!" The man smiles. He hands her his business card now.
The Pokétch Company.
Pokémon Watches for the World!
"My business is just pass Jubilife TV. Four red flags, you can't miss it!"
Maybe she wants to miss it.
He suddenly pauses and looks at his left, spotting someone walking pass. "Hold on there, young man! I have a wonderful item you must try out!" He is on the move, with his three clowns behind him.
"... What just happened?" Mia asks herself, feeling a bit awkward now. She has a new watch now… that was given to her thanks to the professor. So far it seems Rowan has an odd way of handing her things, even outside of Sandgem Town.
Equipping the watch to her left wrist, she resumes her path down the street until she sees the distant trees and grass. She walks down the steps and stands on a dirt path. She has arrived on the route she was going to, before the interruption.
Just as the map explained, it is a pleasant place to be. At her left and right side are small ponds guarded by white fences. There seems to be a few Pokémon swimming in there, but they are too deep for her to try to identify.
Ahead is a large patch of tall grass, and across that leads to a cave on a grassy cliffside. She will search the grass to catch a Pokémon… and maybe the cave as well.
It looks a lot easier to do on television.
There are other people hanging around, and some appear to be training their Pokémon. Mia wonders if they have the same problem she is; Trying to have their Pokémon listen to them. Maybe it's just her. She seemed to be the only person in Trainers' School to go through that.
"Hey! You! Trainer!"
Sounds like a kid. Turning to her left, there is a boy a little younger than her standing there, clutching a single Pokéball. He looks like he's trying to be tough, it could be funny.
"I'll battle you with the Pokémon my dad gave me!"
Why wasn't she expecting this? Of course there would be people who would want to battle her, even if she doesn't want to. But it's not that she is in no mood to try… it's just that Razorleaf…
No. She has to keep trying.
"Alright. I guess we can battle." Mia unclips her own Pokéball, and she gives it a good toss. Razorleaf is summoned, and he looks back at her, somewhat curious.
"Awesome! I'll show you how tough I am!" The boy tosses his Pokéball eagerly. "Go! Magikarp!"
Once it comes out…
...it helplessly flops on the ground.
It's a red fish with white fins, orange whiskers, top and bottom fin… a fish doesn't fit to fight on land, does it? No. Many can. But not this one. Mia heard enough about this Pokémon.
"You… can't be serious." Mia says in disappointment. She checks her Pokédex;
(Sinnoh Number 023.
Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon.
Its typing is: Water. A Magikarp living for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though.)
This Pokémon is known to be the most useless of all.
"Does… does your dad love you?" Mia is actually concerned for the boy. Her question only confuses him.
"Does he? Of course he does! He gave me this Pokémon on my birthday!" His answer seems to sadden him. "I've tried training with it but… it's hard. All the kids kept laughing at me. But one day it'll become big and strong, and no one will laugh then! Just you watch!"
She would love to give him encouraging words, but she doesn't know what to say. He's going to have a real difficult time trying to do that.
"Come on! You have to battle me! I promise that I'll do my best!"
"Alright." Mia agrees, a bit reluctantly. "I'll battle you. Let's go, Razor-"
Her Turtwig has already walked further down the route without her.
"Hey! Razorleaf! You can't just walk off on me like that! We have to battle!" Mia calls him. To her frustration, he keeps walking. She looks back at the boy before looking at Razorleaf, a little conflicted. After several seconds, she growls. "I'm sorry, but I can't exactly let him wander off, or I'll be without a Pokémon!"
As she runs off, the boy calls after her. "But you could just return him inside the- aww…" He isn't heard. Letting out a sigh, he looks back at his flopping Magikarp. "Don't worry. Someone else will pass through."
Crossing the wild grass is semi-terrifying with Razorleaf already at the other side. Every rustle makes her freeze up, but it only makes the gap between her and Razorleaf larger. She forces herself to keep moving to prevent separation, and thankfully, she makes it to the other side without any-
Heavy flapping makes her scream and jump back, falling to the ground. A Starly chirps noisily and flies overhead before heading off to the skies.
Mia sits up quickly, watching the Starly shrink away for only a couple seconds. "I'm starting to hate those things…"
Razorleaf stands at the very entrance of the cave. He doesn't move any further, tilting his head. Hearing his approaching trainer makes him turn around.
"Okay, look." Mia begins, pointing a finger at him. "What you ain't gonna do is run off on me like that. You're supposed to stay close to me. What if that Starly decided to attack me?"
Razorleaf turns away from her, facing the cave now.
"Seriously?" Mia sighs. She walks to his side. "What's your problem with me? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
While she doesn't get an answer, she does take notice of the ground sign nearby.
Ravaged Path.
Razorleaf takes a step forward.
"Hold on!" Mia quickly says, making him freeze. "Don't go in there without me."
Despite what he was told, Razorleaf begins to move again.
"I said don't go!"
He stops again, looks back…
… and he breaks into a run inside.
"Hey! S-stop!" She didn't expect that. She chases after him. "You can't leave me! You're supposed to be protecting me!"
Her voice carries inside. Mia slows down once she stumbles on a rocky path. The cave she stands in isn't pitch black, but it isn't bright either. It's hardly silent. There is water flowing inside, and she can smell it… but she doesn't see it anywhere. There is also faint screeching… but trying to pin the location is impossible as well.
It seems Razorleaf decided to stop moving for now. He has his head tilting back… he's looking up, and his eyes are fixed there.
What is he looking at?
Mia lifts her feet to climb the awardly rising land. As soon as she looks up, she is nearly intimidated by the number of blue hanging bats she sees. Their ears and frontal wing flaps are purple, which seems to blend well in the dark. She would have never noticed them if her Turtwig didn't see them first.
But what are they? She saw a few before, but they fly past her home during the night. The question slips out her mouth before she could stop it.
"What are those Pokémon?"
Blirr! Blirr!
The beeping from her Pokédex gives her a heart attack.
(Sinnoh Number 028
Zubat, the Bat Pokémon.
Its typing is: Poison and Flying. It checks its surroundings and location using reflections of the ultrasonic waves from its mouth.)
The noise disturbed the Zubat, and they stir before their screeching becomes louder. Razorleaf gives his trainer an angry glare.
"Aw, man…" Mia steps back as they start to drop one by one. The increasing numbers tells her it's impossible for her to try to fend off against. "Razorleaf! RUUUUUUUUUN!"
For once, he actually listens, but only because he doesn't like the idea of being chased. They both sprint for the exit, but the swarm begins to flood the area. They are forced to stop, and the bats begin to stick themselves on them. Their sinking teeth hurt like she is being pinched by a bunch of angry preschoolers. It's a horrible feeling, and she wants it gone.
Her screams filled the cave as she swings her arms and spins, only managing to throw a few of them off. A heavy slam against her legs knocks her to the ground. Her bookbag saves her head from taking a heavy impact on the rocky surface.
Mia sits up quickly, surprised to see Razorleaf with his stubby feet against her legs. He turns away and faces the crowd.
Did he just help her?
Razorleaf lunges himself at many Zubat, tackling them left and right. They seem to bite hm with every chance they get, but he remains on his feet, even as his movements begin to slow. Mia is expecting him to try to be defensive at some point… but he keeps attacking.
Duh-doo, duh-doo, duh-doo, duh-doo.
The low beeping is coming from her Pokédex, and the led is flashing red. Mia sits up, noticing the flashing. She quickly opens the device, seeing how HP bar had fallen to red. The sight alone scares her.
"Razorleaf!" Mia calls him as she quickly stands. "You can't fight them off! We have to go!"
He keeps flinging himself, but he is missing more, and he's moving clumsily. His eyes appear crossed… what's wrong with him?
Whatever it is, she doesn't want him getting anymore hurt. She takes off her bag and sets it down in front of her, going through the pockets quickly. The Zubat attack her, but she has to ignore them. Her fingers brush against a smooth surface, and she pulls it out.
A potion.
Wasting no time, she rushes over to Razorleaf and throws herself on top of him to shield him from the angry Zubat.
Why does this remind her of something from what she saw on television once?
She aims the grey nozzle towards the bite wounds covering Razorleaf's body. Pressing it back, it begins to spray, coating his skin in seconds. Miraculously, his injuries fade away like magic.
Razorleaf knocks her away angrily, and he cries out, displaying his frustration. He makes a dash and jump, only to miss the swarm and hit a wall instead. He pulls back and shakes his head, and he finally pulls himself together. The Zubat swarm around them again. After a few more Tackles, they have enough, and they start to fly off.
Mia crawls over to her bag again, and she growls at herself as she begins to search it. "Why didn't I pack a first aid kit in here? I need some band aids…" She feels a round smooth surface. Quickly, she pulls out a tiny ball… a tiny Pokéball.
Looking back at what's left of the swarm… well, there is no swarm. There is a lone Zubat struggling to stay airborne.
"Annoying thing…" Mia grumbles as she presses the button, causing the Pokéball to grow in regular size. She gives it a good toss, half-expecting it to miss. It nearly does, clipping the wing. The capsule opens up, and the Zubat glows blue and is pulled inside against its will.
The Pokéball hits the ground with an odd pong sound. The button glows a bright yellow as the capsule rocks once.
Eermp. The Pokéball makes a sound, fighting to stay closed. It shakes again.
Eermp.
Eermp…
It stills, and it clicks. The button glows green before fading.
The cave is strangely silent now, with the exception of the flowing water. It's not until a few seconds later when the led light of her Pokédex flashes yellow this time. Mia carefully opens it, seeing the image of the Zubat displayed.
She is just now realizing it has no eyes. Gross.
(Would you like to nickname the caught Zubat?)
She actually caught it. It wasn't planned but…
Her eyes remain glued on the text. She has two simple choices.
Yes or No.
After all the trouble, she only caught it because she can't exactly carry on with a Turtwig that keeps running off on its own. Now that the swarm is gone, she feels exhausted and just wants to sit down. Her words come out as honest thoughts.
"I don't even like you."
She hardly tries to think of anything. She types in a few letters and forms a word.
"Batty".
Probably the laziest name anyone can give a Pokémon, but she doesn't care. After confirming it, it is registered. She shuts the device close and releases it, allowing it to hang free once again. Her hand rubs the back of her head as she looks back at Razorleaf, who simply walks past her. "Not even a thank you? I kinda helped."
Her only response from him is a snort.
"C'mon… can you be nice to me for one second?"
Seeing no point, and too tired to try to argue, Mia decided it's time to try to leave the place. Feeling lighter than normal, she remembers she had put her bag down. She locates it in no time, and she walks over to it, all while glancing to make sure Razorleaf doesn't try to run off again. However, the bat attack seemed to give him second thoughts now. He takes notice of his trainer taking her time, so he sits.
Grabbing one of the straps, she pulls it from the ground, or at least she tries. It took a lot more force than normal. She nearly falls when the heavy weight seems to cut in half, but something behind the bag does fall with a quack.
Wait. Quack?
Her eyes fall on a yellow duck-like creature with a huge lighter-colored bill and webbed feet. It tilts its head, looking at her with its dopey eyes. Its face is blank, hard to read.
Held in its tiny clawed hands is a Pokéball it must had took from the bag.
Mia nearly chokes. She knows what it is. "Is that a Psyduck?!"
Blirr. Blirr.
(Sinnoh Number 043.
Psyduck, the Duck Pokémon.
Its typing is: Water. Overwhelmed by enigmatic abilities, it suffers a constant headache. It sometimes uses mysterious powers.)
"I know what a Psyduck is!" Mia snaps at the Pokédex. It's then when she realizes it has a Pokéball.
It raises it over its head out of curiosity.
Mia doesn't know what to do, and she nearly panics. "Gah! No! p-put it down before-"
It slips from its grip, and it hits its head. The Psyduck grips its head immediately, appearing to be in pain. At the same time, its body glows, and it is sucked inside the Pokéball.
It hits the ground and shakes, before stilling with the green glow.
"Did… did the thing just…?" Mia slowly reaches down and picks up the Pokéball. Her Pokédex begins to glow again.
(Would you like to nickname the newly caught Psyduck?)
"Man, I didn't even want the darn thing!" Mia yells at the device again. "Leave me alone!" She slings the bag over her shoulder and heads off to anywhere. She hardly cares anymore. She's too frustrated to think.
She continues walking until she finds herself blocked by a rock that is cracked up. It stands at her height, and she sighs.
(Would you like to nickname the newly caught Psyduck?)
It has the nerve to ask her again. She growls and kicks the boulder, only to instantly regret it as intense pain tears through her toes. She bites her tongue to hold back a scream.
Razorleaf just stands there, staring at her and huffing, annoyed with her attitude.
- 0000 -
Inside the Jubilife Pokémon Center, Mia has the PC on, and Johanna is displayed on the screen.
"So, you caught yourself a Zubat and Psyduck, huh?" Johanna's smile is bright, even through the screen. "Two new friends on the same day! That's good!"
The praise doesn't make Mia feel any better. The day was long, her arms are covered with bandages she got from the nurse… and she just wants to sleep. She responds, not sounding proud at all. "Johanna… a swarm of Zubat attacked me. The Psyduck just walked right up to a Pokéball and caught itself… which I thought wasn't possible. I didn't exactly earn those. I didn't want them, either."
"Well." Johanna crosses her arms. "Being a trainer isn't all about just capturing your favorite Pokémon, you know? Stop frowning so hard. You're going to scare away a Ralts."
Those words are enough to make Mia fix her face. She takes in a deep breath and sighs. "I'm sorry. It's just that a lot happened today. Razorleaf won't even listen to me. You once said being a trainer is supposed to be fun, but so far it feels like work."
"Well, it is work. But you're just making it more of a burden than it's supposed to be." Johanna replies with a small laugh. She seems to understand her pain. "You think you're the first? Dawn had a rough first day, you know. She came right home because she had fallen into a bush while riding a book. And Lucas? He and his friend got ambushed by wild Starly after I told them not to wander in the tall grass."
"Well, yeah. But that was on their first days. It's been seven, and Razorleaf is being so mean!"
"Or maybe you just don't understand him yet." Johanna points out. "Pokémon don't accept their trainer overnight. You can't expect to be flawless with this day one. Even famous Pokémon Trainers had a rough start, believe it or not. Just take my advice, will you?"
She might be right. If Johanna can keep a Glameow in its place, maybe Mia can do the same. She's just a bit too impatient about the entire process.
"The Zubat and Psyduck you dislike… they can sense that. They won't like you either, so I suggest you change your view. They belong to you now. If you take good care of them, they'll look after you in return. You may see them as trouble now, but there will be a day you'll love them to death. I know you."
"Yeah… you're right…" Mia says softly.
"I'm glad to hear that you made it this far. You have your license, you caught your first Pokémon, and you won your first trainer battle… listen. Even if those things didn't go as planned… you learned something from them. You will get better over time. One day, you might even have a nice battle against Lucas!"
"I'm not sure if I am looking forward to that or not." Mia says with honestly. Her answer nakes Johanna laugh again. She's always been so cheerful. Maybe it's why Mia always finds herself talking to her when she feels down.
"Well, I do have some good news for you." Johanna says.
That's something she needs to hear. Mia leans closer to the screen. "What is it?!"
"I know you have your town map, so you probably already know this. But the closest gym from here is located in Oreburgh City, West from where you are. All you need to do is cross Route 203 and Oreburgh Path, and you'll find yourself there. I suggest you train at the local mine there to get to know your party better. Bonding time! Doesn't that sound fun?"
"I hope it will be."
"Pick yourself up. This is called progress. We go through it everyday." Johanna says. "You need to focus on your journey, and find some answers. You didn't fall from nowhere for no reason, you know."
Mia knows what she is referring to. There is only so much that can be said through the phone. "I know. I'll be going soon."
"Get some rest. You look exhausted." Johanna says. She leans back and holds out her arms. Jumping to them is Glameow, who swipes a paw at the screen with a mew. "Want to say bye, Glameow?"
Glameow squeaks a meow, and Johanna waves.
Mia waves back. "See you!"
The communication is cut off.
She stares at the blue screen for several seconds before choosing the option to turn it off. "I feel like this would be a lot easier if Will was with me…"
She can't worry too much about it. He's fine.
She'll be fine.
- 0000 -
A gloved hand slams on a desk, knocking the items that sit on top of it. The person leans over a laptop. Their body language displays their anger. Their voice is low and intimidating, belonging to a woman. "Where the hell is he?! I need answers!"
A voice from the laptop is trembling slightly. "Please forgive us, sir! We don't know where he is! The last time we saw him, he was passing Jubilife! We couldn't attack him with people around!"
"At this point, I don't even care if there are children around!" The woman snaps at the laptop. "I want that egg back! You catch that little brat, and drag him right to me!"
"We are doing everything we can! Whenever we do find him, he slips away from everything we throw at him! We tried using our Pokémon, but he's too strong!"
"I don't want to hear anymore excuses…" She growls. "If I have to go deal with him myself, I'm cutting your paychecks in half!"
She slams the laptop shut, and she remains still, breathing a bit hard from all her yelling. Her fingers rake across her shoulder-length silver hair as she tries to ease herself. Once she calms down, she walks away from the desk and towards a large room.
Upon entering, noises of many creatures are silenced by her very presence. They cannot be seen due to many blankets that layer over cages.
She approaches a small cage and flips the cover back. A few Starly are inside, and they screech in panic. They beat their wings, which constantly strike the cage. As soon as she opened the top and reached inside, they move further back, pressing against each other, trying to stay away from the hand.
A Starly is snagged by the feet and rudely pulled out. The cage is slammed shut. The captured Starly flaps violently as it tries to fly away, but it's impossible. It's terrified cries are ignored by the woman. She carries it down a long hall until she stops at the entrance of a tall and big open space.
The woman speaks firmly. "Salamence."
A low growl is heard. Heavy footsteps come closer with every second, until the flat-finned, blue head of a dragon comes out from the darkness. Its long neck stretches as it turns its head for a quick look at things. Its curved and massive red wings stretch out as its long blue tail sweeps across the ground. After a short stretch, it lowers its head towards the woman.
She holds up the panicking Starly, and she tosses it in the air.
It tries to fly off, but it's caught by the Salamence's jaws instead. Its painful cries are silenced after another chomp. The dragon tilts its head back and devours the Starly within seconds. Its small body can be seen sliding down its red throat.
She gives him time before speaking. "I hope you're in the mood to fly soon. We might have to go hunting for a wandering teenager."
Salamence snorts as it lowers its head. It is stroked now, and it lightly nudges the black visor across her face.
"He's going to regret taking away that fortune."
To be Continued in Chapter 4!