I do not own anything from the Pokemon franchise aside from my own Original Characters and any Original Plots I make.
It had been four hours after leaving Sandgem Town that Marcus encountered his first obstacle. He had been walking down the path through the forest that would lead him to Jubilife City, where he would make a pit stop, before heading on towards Oreburgh City, the site of his first Gym Badge, when a small, fleet-footed Pokemon fluttered into his path, bringing him, and by default Riolu, to a dead halt.
"PIIIIII!" The small bird screeched cutely.
Marcus wasted no time in whipping out his PokeDex to examine the creature: "Pidgey - the Tiny Bird Pokemon. It is docile and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, however, it can ferociously strike back."
Marcus calmly put his PokeDex away while keeping his hazel eyes focused on the small bird hovering in the air in front of him. He knew of the Pidgey species of course. Birds native to the Kanto Region but a good number of them had migrated to other places. According to the PokeDex, Pidgey weren't a violent species yet this one seemed to be an anomaly; it looked quite eager to engage in battle.
"PIIIII!" Pidgey screeched with fervor as it flapped its small wings and whipped up a harsh gust of wind. Marcus grit his teeth as he lifted his arm to protect his face from the wind billowing all around him, his clothes fluttering wildly. On his shoulder, Riolu let out a growl as he glared up at the Tiny Bird Pokemon.
"That was a powerful Gust attack..." Marcus breathed out once the winds subsided before a grin stretched across his features. "So you wanna battle, eh? Alright, Riolu, let's get this Pidgey!"
"RIOOLUUU!" The little jackal screeched as he began hopped down from his Trainer's shoulder, eager to wipe the floor with the bird that had attacked them. Marcus knew that Riolu was at a higher level than the Pidgey and had greater speed as well. That was something he would be using to his advantage.
"Riolu, use Meteor Mash!" Riolu howled as dense silver energy swirled to life around his right fist before he darted across the field, ready to pound the Pidgey into the ground however, much to Marcus' surprise, the tiny bird dove down with incredible speed and slammed into the little jackal, knocking him backwards. Riolu dug his fingernails into the ground to keep himself steady whilst Marcus narrowed his eyes at the Tiny Bird Pokemon.
"That was Quick Attack." Marcus murmured. Quick Attack was a move that guaranteed the user to strike first as Pidgey had done with Riolu. "We'll just have to work around that! Riolu, use Howl to heighten your attack power!"
Riolu tilted his head back and unleashed a sharp howl that echoed all throughout the area. A crimson light washed over his form as his attack power was heightened and the Emanation Pokemon smirked. Marcus wasted not a second in calling out the next move. "Finish it off with a Hidden Power!"
Energy erupted from Riolu's small body, taking the form of numerous small glowing orbs which he unleashed onto the Pidgey. The Hidden Power attack slammed into the Tiny Bird Pokemon and with a screech of pain, Pidgey fell. Marcus took his chance and threw a Pokeball right on the downed bird's head. Pidgey's form vaporized into red energy before being sucked into the open ball. The red top snapped shut with a click and the Pokeball shook. Once. Twice. Marcus' fingernails dug into his palm as he clenched his hand into a fist.
Thrice.
And with that the Pokeball clicked once then went still. Marcus' grin grew so large that it threatened to split his face in half. He pumped one fist into the air excitedly. "WE CAUGHT IT! YEAH!"
"RI, RIOLUUU!" Riolu cheered along with his Trainer as he jumped from one foot to another. Marcus ran forwards and picked up Pidgey's Pokeball. He pressed the center button and released the Tiny Bird Pokemon on the floor and it looked back up at him with sharp, curious eyes.
Marcus knelt down in front of the newly-captured Pokemon. "Hey there, Pidgey. My name's Marcus."
Pidgey chirped and Marcus couldn't help but smile as the small bird fluttered into the air, circled around him a few times before landing on his shoulder. Marcus laughed as Pidgey nuzzled its head against his cheek. He raised his hand and slowly stroked the tiny bird's neck, causing Pidgey to close its eyes and coo soothingly. With his other hand, he pulled out his PokeDex and bought up Pidgey's data. From the device, he learned that his newly-caught Pidgey was a female and knew the moves Quick Attack, Gust, Sand Attack and Tackle.
"A girl, huh?" Marcus said as he put away the PokeDex. "Welcome to the team, Pidgey." The Tiny Bird Pokemon chirped happily as Marcus stroked her neck a bit more before taking out her Pokeball and recalling the Tiny Bird Pokemon. He glanced down at Riolu and smiled, scratching his starter's head a bit. "You should rest as well, Riolu."
"Riolu!" The little jackal barked in agreement and gave Marcus a brilliant smile as he recalled the Fighting-Type Pokemon. After clipping both Riolu and Pidgey's Pokeballs to his waist, he stood to his feet and continued through the woodlands that would lead him to Jubilife City.
It took another several of hours or so for Marcus to reach Jubilife City. He had encountered many wild Pokemon along the way and battled them off with Riolu and Pidgey, as it was a good way to keep experience. Riolu had already proved himself a capable fighter while Pidgey, while not as strong as Marcus' starter, could simply Quick Attack her way through the wild Pokemon.
To say Jubilife City was big would have been the understatement of the century. It was easily the largest city in Sinnoh. All of the biggest industries in the region were here; industries such as the Poketch Company and Jubilife TV. Skyscrapers rose from every corner of the city and the streets were filled with seas of people; citizens and tourists alike.
Marcus managed to make it through the crowd of people and into the Pokemon Center - a large red-roofed building where Trainers often came to heal their Pokemon. The sun had set hours ago and the silvery moon began its watch, casting a silvery glow through the starry night sky. Marcus made his way over to the counter and registered himself in for the night. He grabbed his room key and also handed his Pokemon over to the pink-haired Nurse Joy.
After that, he grabbed some dinner from the mess: a cheeseburger with a side of curly fries and ketchup, before making his way into the room and turning in for the night.
The next morning, Marcus left the Pokemon Center with both Riolu and Pidgey in perfect health and after making a pit stop at the Poke-Mart to purchase a few potions, he began to make his way out of the large city. He had only walked for a few minutes however, before he spotted a tall man in a brown trench coat walking towards him. Marcus hesitated for a short moment before continuing to walk. He was hoping that the man would walk around him but that did not happen. Instead, he halted right in front of him with his face filled with surprise and awe.
"WHAT? No, no, no! My disguise was perfect, I blended in so well with the environment! How did you do it?! How did you unmask me as a member of the International Police?"
Marcus blinked in confusion. "Uh...I didn't, sir. I'm just a Trainer and happened to run into you."
The man smirked. "Heh, you claim that you're a meager Trainer, but I sense that you must be something more. You recognized instantly that I was someone extraordinary. That is why you spoke to me. I must say, your observational capacity is fearsome even to me," he said taking a long enough pause for Marcus to wonder if the man was insane. "Now that I have no secure cover, let me introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite member of the International Police. My codename is Looker. We've received reports of a potential terrorist organization known as Team Galactic to be stealing Pokemon and scientific items from all over Sinnoh. The Pokemon League requested our aid in executive enforcement and so here I am, conducting visual surveys of the public and trying to catch anyone suspicious. It's in big cities like this that the worst attacks happen. Assuming you truly are a Trainer, may I ask you of a favor?"
"Sure." Marcus replied, still feeling a little nervous around the strange police officer.
"Thank you. I want you to take this." Looker said and handed him a blue device with some sort of tracking mechanism on it. Marcus gingerly took it into his hands and Looker continued. "Use this to stay in contact with me and inform me of any mysterious happenings."
Marcus nodded though inside his head, he was thinking: What did I get myself into?
"Good, now I'll be off. I wish you luck on your journey!" Looker called as he bolted North and out of his view. Marcus blinked once more and stared at the place the police officer had just been standing.
"What just happened?" He said to no one.
"Okay," Marcus began as he looked down at the map in his hands. Riolu was sat on his shoulder, looking down at the map as well though how much he understood, Marcus wasn't entirely sure. "We are still around two days away from Oreburgh City. We might have to camp out tonight and tomorrow night. It'd also be nice to catch some more Pokemon."
"Rio!" The Emanation Pokemon barked, hopefully in agreement.
Marcus put away his map and continued on his merry way with his partner on his shoulders. It would take around another day or two for them to arrive in Jubilife City. Marcus really hoped he found some Pokemon to add to his team. Back in Jubilife City, he had learned that the Oreburgh Gym Battle was a three-on-three. He had Riolu and Pidgey but he still needed one more Pokemon.
It had been at least fifteen minutes before Marcus came to a sudden stop. A few feet away from him a bush was rustling. Then from it, stepped out a small canid Pokemon. It had orange fur with black stripes running along its back and legs. The fur on its muzzle, chest, belly, and tail was colored beige, as was an additional tuft of fur on top of its head.
"It's a Growlithe!" Marcus gasped, recalling the pictures of the dog-like Pokemon he had seen from all the books he had read. Growlithe would make a fine addition to his team. He could use him in his Oreburgh City Gym Battle. He also knew how powerful their evolved forms were. Marcus quickly pulled out his PokeDex: "Growlithe - the Puppy Pokemon. Growlithe is a Pokémon with a loyal nature. It will remain motionless until it is given an order by its Trainer."
Marcus put his PokeDex away then examined the Growlithe for a few more seconds before turning to Riolu, who was still perched on his shoulder. "Let's catch this Growlithe! What do you think, partner?"
"Rio-lu!" The Emanation Pokemon exclaimed, eager for battle, and jumped off his shoulder. It was then that the Growlithe noticed them and almost immediately, arched its back, growling and snarling. Its fur glowed a faint orange; a sign it was ready for battle.
"Riolu, use Quick Attack!" Marcus began and Riolu shot forwards with the speed of a rocket and slammed into the Puppy Pokemon with great force. Growlithe yelped in pain and stumbled back from the biting blow but regained it's composure quickly before launching it's counterattack. It darted forwards and slammed into the little jackal with a surprising amount of force. The Fighting-Type yelped as he was sent skidding across the ground. "Riolu, are you okay?"
"Riooo..." The Emanation Pokemon growled as he pushed himself to his feet and nodded at his trainer, before turning back to Growlithe, awaiting further instructions.
"Alright, Riolu, let's bombard it with Hidden Power!" Glowing orbs of raw energy erupted around Riolu and he thrust his paw forwards, sending them rocketing towards the fire puppy who began dodging each of the energy orbs with skill and grace. But Marcus was planning for this. With a smirk on his face, he shouted, "Riolu, hit it with a Quick Attack!"
It certainly turned out to be a surprise for the Growlithe. Riolu quickly ceased his Hidden Power and rushed in, slamming his entire body into the Fire-Type. The Puppy Pokemon let loose another scream as it was struck again by the same attack. It prepared to ram the Fighting-Type with a powerful tackle again but Marcus wasn't going to let that happen.
"Finish it off with Hidden Power!" A second wave of glowing energy orbs at such a close range was more than the Growlithe could handle. The fire pup was sent crashing into one of the many trees that lined the pathway and showed no signs of getting back up. Marcus took his chance then and there and threw a Pokeball at it. Like Pidgey had, Growlithe's form vaporized into red light which was then sucked into the red-and-white capturing device. Marcus waited with bated breath as the Pokeball shook once, twice, thrice and then clicked and finally went still.
Marcus whooped loudly before he walked over to the Pokeball and picked it up. He felt a sudden weight on his shoulders and turned his head to see Riolu resting there. Marcus grinned at his Starter Pokemon. "We did it, partner! Well done!"
"RIOO!"
Marcus then pressed the center button on his newly-caught Pokemon's Pokeball and released the Pokemon within. Growlithe appeared on the ground in front of him. The small fire pup tilted its head cutely as soon as it saw Marcus. Injuries from the battle it had gone through were still present but it didn't seem to hold anything against Marcus or Riolu.
"Hey there, Growlithe!" Marcus greeted, his voice filled with warmth. Growlithe stared at him for a moment longer before approaching cautiously. Marcus, knowing the behavior the Puppy Pokemon was exhibiting, having read about it in books, allowed Growlithe to sniff his hand. The pup duly did so and then barked, wagging its tail happily as a sign that it liked Marcus.
"Well, there you go." Marcus murmured happily. "Welcome to the team, Growlithe."
This is it! This is it! This is it!'
"Are you the Oreburgh City Gym Leader?"
It had only been a few hours since he had arrived into Oreburgh City and after getting his Pokemon patched up from all the training they had done, he had immediately made a beeline for the Pokemon Gym. It was almost evening time. The sun had sunk so low and it cast an orange glare across the sky. Marcus now stood before the large Oreburgh City Gym - a building made entirely of jagged stones. It was fitting since the Gym Leader was a Rock-Type specialist. Speaking of the Gym Leader, he was standing right in front of his Gym's doors, staring at Marcus with amusement, probably because he was breathing so heavily. Marcus had ran here all the way from the Pokemon Center which was across the city. He had seen posters of said man all around the city so it was kind of stupid of him to ask if he was the Gym Leader.
"That's right, I am." The reddish-brown haired man clad in mining gear and a pair of glasses answered with a warm and welcoming smile. "How can I help you?"
"My name is Marcus," Marcus exclaimed as he held up a fist and smiled eagerly, "and I'd like to challenge you for a Gym Badge!"
The Gym Leader kept his smile as he nodded. "And I'd be more than happy to accept your challenge. My name is Roark, by the way. Come. Follow me."
Marcus kept his nerves cool as he was led inside the Pokemon Gym. A part of him was quite glad that Roark wasn't wasting more time than necessary. They went through the waiting room and then entered a vast room with a battlefield and stands erected for any spectators. The battlefield itself was littered with rocks which again made sense considering what type of gym this was. Roark led him down to the battlefield where he had Marcus stand on one end while he walked over to the other. On the side of the rocky battlefield was a long green haired man - most likely the referee. Roark gave him a nod and he stepped forwards.
"The Gym Battle between..." He trailed off uncertainly, realizing he didn't know who Marcus was.
"Marcus Rowan from Sandgem Town." Marcus supplied helpfully and the referee nodded in thanks. The Gym Leader looked a little surprised at his last name but didn't comment on it which Marcus was grateful for. He was here to win a Gym Badge, not to talk about his grandfather or brother.
"The Gym Battle between Marcus Rowan from Sandgem Town, and Roark, the Oreburgh Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side will have the use of three Pokemon, and the battle will over when all of either sides Pokemon are unable to battle! In addition, only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon!"
"Are you ready to go, Marcus?" Roark asked from his end on the field.
Marcus took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. He was ready for this battle. His Pokemon were ready for this battle. They had all trained hard on the road to Oreburgh and hopefully their training would bear fruit.
"I am!" Marcus called back, his voice firm and resolute.
Roark nodded as he pulled out a Pokeball and tossed it high into the air. "Alright then! Let's go, Geodude!"
"Growlithe, let's turn up the heat!" Marcus called, throwing his own Pokeball into the air. Both devices snapped open and unleashed bursts of light that materialized into their respective Pokemon. Growlithe and Geodude both glared at each other as Roark smirked and Marcus clenched his fists.
'It's time to win my first Gym Badge!'
Yahoooo! Pidgey and Growlithe have joined the team! Those two are some of my favorite Gen 1 Pokemon! I also scrapped the whole Hisuian Pokemon idea as I just wasn't capable of putting it into my story. I'm sorry if I've disappointed anyone.
Current PokeDex Update
Pokemon Trainer: Marcus Albert Rowan, PokeDex Number: SI519VI976
Badges: 0
Pokemon in Possession: 3
Riolu
Pidgey
Growlithe