Chapter 2 - The Trainer School
Jubilife City, the largest economic and social center in the region, teeming with buildings of all shapes and sizes. A marvelous metropolis, so immense and full of history and opportunity that it would leave any traveler who ventured there speechless, including our own Katsumi who was extremely impressed by the beauty of this architectural wonder. Could easily compete with Goldenrod CIty or Castelia City, the latter of which aroused a strong feeling of nostalgia from him as he remembered his homeland and all the adventures he had with his team in Unima, another region that leaves you completely breathless.
After an intense training session, the boy arrived near the Pokemon Center where he could sign up for the region's Pokemon League, officially beginning this incredible adventure.
- We're almost there - said Nurse Joy, one of the registrars - You'd just have to tell me where you were born, the information is not very clear on that - she added, massaging her head visibly embarrassed.
- No problem, I was born in Nuvema Town, in the Unima's region - replied the young man with one of his best smiles.
- Very good! So, have you participated in other competitions similar to this one? - asked the woman, intrigued by the amaranth-haired individual with scarlet streaks standing in front of her, looking so mysterious and perhaps a little fascinating.
- Certainly, the League of my region and the League of Johto - he retorted, watching that woman with the pink confetti hair inserting the credentials and ending it all.
- Interesting! - she exclaimed - And how many have you won? - she asked even more curious.
-For now only the second one, but I hope to go back home once I finish my travels through the regions, who knows, in the meantime I might have acquired new techniques that could lead me to victory- declared the boy a little bitter. Losing in his own region was not something to be proud of for someone who called himself a coach. But hope was the last to die.
- And here's to you - she announced, handing the young man the pokedex used for registration - I wish you good luck and may your journey be full of amazing encounters and events - she concluded.
- Thank you so much. Oh, that's right, I almost forgot, do you know where I can find a trainer with a Squirtle? I'm told it should be around here. -
- Actually, he came by here over an hour ago, or at least I think so, he joined the league too, and I'm pretty sure you could find him in the trainer school next door - she explained, pointing to the building to the west that could be glimpsed through the windows of the center. On second thought, a good review wasn't a bad idea at all before walking towards the Oreburgh City gym, and there he would surely get information about the type of the gym and the pokemon used, and maybe something about the fighting style adopted, in short, he couldn't miss such a good opportunity.
- Perfect, thanks again! - exclaimed the boy as he walked towards the exit and waved goodbye.
- Good luck! I hope to see you again soon - added the girl, leaving our coach rather surprised by such a statement.
The young man looked at the structure in front of him, it was much more imposing than he could ever imagine and than he had glimpsed from the Pokemon Center: it was massive and covered with red bricks tending to pink to seem out of a painting, immersed in a pine forest whose trees competed in height with the building itself and protected by a strong grating, whose rods ended with points rather sharp and decorated with many motifs resembling pokemon. The architecture was a perfect combination of oriental and western style: two huge columns formed the facade of the institute, surmounted by sculptures very similar to pokemons, but with an aspect unknown to our boy and having respectively diamond and pearl shapes, while dozens and dozens of windows with magnificent arches and small columns stood out from the building like half-open eyes.
The garden in front of the entrance, although half-hidden by the sturdy iron gate, appeared in perfect oriental style, with streams, stones and granite sand, so white as to illuminate the surrounding area. A wide lane of marble tiles, with pink and greenish streaks, led up to the steps of the entrance and, all around, a magnificent lawn cut to the millimeter, on which the huge pines stood out, together with other varieties of less imposing trees, first of all some newly blossomed plum and cherry trees, which flooded the air with their heavenly scent. Bushes of colorful flowers stood on either side of the little road, some shaped to form small ovals and others left to grow freely, letting the green express itself in all its infinite tones and shadows, making a bank of quivering irises, or the soft pink haze of an azalea, stand out in contrast.
It was swarming with boys and girls, loitering in anticipation of the start of classes, or others engaged in training or fighting with each other. A crowd was gathered at the edge of the garden, intent on observing the clash between a Shinx and a Bidoof, although given its characteristics, the odds were not entirely in favor of the latter. It gave great satisfaction, being able to see how much passion and commitment they put into it, and that was how a real match should be, trainers and pokemon helping each other, giving all of themselves to achieve victory, further strengthening their bond.
Beyond that little Eden on earth, Katsumi had another vision once he found himself in the atrium. He had no idea that there was another marvelous sight waiting for him, though of a different nature than the previous one: huge and airy, with a circular architecture vaguely reminiscent of a temple. On either side were four columns of white marble, the same material of which the floor was made, but the vaulted ceiling was wooden and hung a magnificent glittering chandelier. It felt more like a castle than a school building.
- Can I help you? - asked a woman sitting in the desk opposite - Are you a trainer? - Would you like to sign up? - Do you already have Pokemon? - Do you participate in competitions? Or maybe the league? -
The boy was overwhelmed by that amount of questions that he didn't have time to reply or utter a word, limiting himself to a nod of the hand. He had only been in the room for a few minutes, but he already looked like he wanted to leave, and that employee was visibly irritating him.
- It has been reported to me that I might find a boy named Tyler here. He should be in the company of a Squirtle - explained the boy calmly, crossing his arms over his chest.
- Oh...of course! I apologize for my behavior just now, I thought he had come here to sign up -
- No problem. So, where is he? -
- At the end of the corridor on the right, you can not go wrong - replied the young woman, pointing to a long passage full of classrooms, probably used for various types of studies and subjects related to the Pokemon world
- See, it was not so difficult, I wish you a good day - said the coach, showing off another of his dizzying smiles. He didn't like to do it, but it was the right alternative when it came to get something or calm someone, in short, another weapon to play in his favor, in addition to his mysterious charm and so special beauty .
Walking through it, he had the opportunity to see some classrooms full of students intent on studying "History and Mythology of the Pokemon World," "Importance of Type Advantage," "Breeding," "Pokeballs," "Useful Tools," "Berries and Remedies," "Evolutions," and so on, stopping in front of a mahogany-colored door that read "Pokemon Struggles," perfect, one of his favorite topics.
From that room came a myriad of different sounds and noises, probably a lesson or maybe a conference was being held, a hypothesis that was confirmed after hearing the unmistakable voice of our trusted mustache, Professor Rowan.
His face was there, perfectly illuminated by the light emanating from the big screen, facing an audience of young students, explaining them the principles and fundamentals on which every match is based, from the sportsmanship and commitment with which they face each other to the mutual trust that animates the hearts of the coaches and their creatures.
Katsumi snapped it open, entering nonchalantly and attracting the prying eyes of those present, including the one who had been handing him his Chimchar until a few days ago. After all, he had always been like that since he was a child, a mixture of cheekiness and arrogance, to exasperate his poor parents, but at the same time to allow him to go very far and discover things that no one would have ever dared to imagine.
- Well, look who's back! How's it going, Katsumi? - the researcher burst out and at that moment many background noises arose when hearing that name.
- I would say good - replied the young man.
- Katsumi? That Katsumi? - asked one of the students as he stood up.
After participating in both leagues, he had acquired a fair amount of fame, even overseas, but he would never have imagined that novice coaches could recognize him, this put him in a situation of intense discomfort, as fame was one of the things in which he would never recognize himself, in fact it was not even one of his primary goals.
- Exactly - continued the professor - A few days ago he wanted to start his journey from scratch, and met none other than the legendary Mesprit, a true marvel, the one who won the league of Johto, but alas, lost that of Unima - other astonished and admiring choirs flooded the room, while the boy mentally cursed the man for divulging too much information. The last thing he wanted was for these "idiots" to continue fawning over him. But why had he ended up in this situation? Oh yes, to deliver a stupid map to the "grand vizier of the decerebrates", at least that's what he would have called someone without a map in a region totally unknown to him.
- This was not necessary - declared the boy.
- Come on, there is no need to get upset - replied Rowan, amused by his reaction - In the future there will surely be other occasions...-.
- Excuse me - a voice coming from a desk located in the back of the classroom interrupted them, making the two-toned man's eyes rest on that figure that was slowly advancing towards him, he was of average height and thin build, although he was shorter than the coach by about four or five inches and less athletic, a thick mop of green hair tied perfectly in a ponytail with some unruly wisps framed his pale face - Since you are in possession of a good deal of experience, would you be so kind as to give us a small demonstration of your skills? It would be very instructive for them - the teacher explained, adjusting his thick glasses.
- Sounds like a great idea to me, after all, what better teaching than a good practical fight to properly assimilate the acquired notions - Rowan intervened again
- Actually, I would have something else to do - huffed the young man, but the hangdog expressions on the pupils' faces made him change his mind completely. He would hand over the map later, provided that when he returned, that as yet unidentified individual was still in the room.
- Hooray! - they exclaimed, getting a few dirty looks from the boy. Why did he always have to end up in this kind of situation?
- Excellent, then let's see... - said the man bringing a hand under his chin - Kirby, I choose you! - he shouted, pointing to a boy with short red hair sitting on the right.
- What am I, a pokemon? - he asked, bursting into laughter with the rest of the class.
The two of them went through the door to the right of the classroom, arriving in the back part of the garden, the one that could not be seen from the outside, settling in a field reserved for student fights, right in front of each other, as was the custom among trainers.
- Good luck kid, you're going to need it - declared the boy, taking the pokeball from his belt - Thank you, it's a real honor to dispute this fight with someone of your caliber - he replied, putting his hand on the belt as well. Even though it was a demonstration fight, a sort of training if you want to call it that, the tension in the air was quite palpable.
- May the best man win, and now, begin! - exclaimed the man and in a short time appeared the inevitable Fire Starter and a Kricketot, an insectoid creature with a rounded shape, with a thick yellowish collar around the neck and a chocolate-colored bulge on top of the head, from which protrude two long pairs of black antennae that end with a curl, another pokemon of the first paths, on the other hand what we could expect from a novice trainer, beetle type, strongly disadvantaged against one like Chimchar.
- Go with Scratch! - ordered the two-colored, and the chimpanzee pokemon with a momentum projected itself towards him, hitting him repeatedly and forcing the boy to resort to the move known as "Bide", very peculiar but requiring time to be applied, for this he would have to resist a little more, on the other hand, Katsumi could have won with a single supereffective attack, but humiliating that boy was not really in his intentions, although under the circumstances, he could not afford to prolong the fight any further,As a "BIde" it was a foolproof move that caused a lot of damage if not also knocked out Pokemon not yet evolved or with poor physical defense, as in the case of the chimpanzee. He had to find a solution quickly.
- Thunderpunch! - exclaimed the young man, astonishing everyone present. Although it was an egg move and learnable by every specimen of that species, to observe a Chimchar of just two days old having at his disposal such a versatile and powerful move was something quite unusual in those parts. The little chimpanzee electrically charged its left paw, violently impacting against the insect, helpless and motionless due to the accumulation of force, making it move backwards a lot. There was only one round left and then he would release a considerable amount of energy.
- You've reached the end of the line - the student sneered - Let's finish with Bide - But the beetle didn't move an inch, on the contrary, small discharges appeared on his body. What could have happened? The students gave each other confused looks.
The answer was quickly said, judging by the smug smile on the face of the Nuvema Town trainer, it was something he had certainly calculated in detail
- You see - began the professor, who followed the challenge with great interest, attracting the attentions of his pupils - Thunderpunch is a physical move of type Electro that not only causes damage, but also allows a small chance to draw a comfortable paralysis, useful for cases like this, but it's like playing Russian roulette, Katsumi was very lucky. -
- Chimchar are you ready? - the starter nodded firmly - Perfect! Finish him off with Ember! - A small hot flame hit the opponent pokemon, making it fall to the ground exhausted, winning the victory and giving the audience a great show.
The young man approached the scarlet crouching at the beetle's feet, spraying him with a potion, a very useful tool for healing one's creatures.
- You were really good. If it wasn't for that paralysis, you would have won the fight - declared the boy, extending his hand.
- Yes, well, I certainly couldn't hope to win against someone like you - replied the other shaking his hand. That was also the beauty of this kind of activity, the sportsmanship and mutual respect that came with it.
- A truly "delicious" performance! - exclaimed the teacher, frantically clapping his hands - Allow me to present you with a prize for taking up some of your time and for the victory achieved - continued the man, handing the young man a diskette, one of those famous MT, who knows which of those amazing moves it contained.
- This is the "Return" move, and it was a decision taken together with the Professor to give it to you, because of the skill and the bond you have already established with your starter - explained the man. - You don't need me to explain how it works, given your vast experience - concluded the teacher while glancing at the boy who was exulting as never before. Although he had accumulated a lot of experience, winning in matches, even if they were unofficial, excited him as much as the first time, and then that was a move that would be fundamental for the construction of his team.
- So where's Tyler? - asked the boy, despite the setbacks, he certainly hadn't forgotten his main mission and wished he could get away quickly instead of babysitting.
- Ah, yes, he arrived this morning and like you he has very advanced knowledge on various topics, I wouldn't expect otherwise from someone who comes from the Kanto region, the birthplace of some of the world's most promising trainers -
This last news left him rather indifferent, having already guessed from the type of starter adopted. So where could someone who uses a Squirtle come from? Certainly not from Unima or Johto or even from here. He wondered what kind of trainer he was, whether as he understood and talked to his pokemon or if he was a prodigy in combat. What was certain was that he aroused a lot of curiosity.
- So? - pressed the boy tapping a finger on his folded arms, he hated wasting time.
- I think at this moment he is following "History and Mythology of the Pokemon World", two classrooms before ours, you could attend it too, maybe you'll discover something that will be useful in your journey - concluded the man, taking his leave and returning to his daily classes.
As a child he loved the mysteries that surrounded his region, and encouraged especially by Professor Aurea Juniper, he delighted in trying to discover them all, and it was during one of these explorations that he had the encounter that totally turned his life upside down, so much so that he hasn't been the same since that fateful day.
With his heart in his throat and full of those memories, Katsumi returned to the building, in search of this boy who still looked mysterious, and why not, follow the advice of that strange professor.