Sorry for how long it took me to post this chapter! I'm trying to get better at writing in bulk but it's a slow process for me.
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Professor Birch's POV
I tapped away at the keyboard in front of me, much past the time when people should be awake, searching for a proper candidate that I trusted. Not that the time bothered me, this was a usual occurrence for a professor. I had a couple in mind, but I also had to take in what might fit well with H's personality. The Scyther seems to be quite a temperamental little case, I doubt he grew up in a proper home. Browsing the lists of up and coming trainers was quite a dull experience, though it was exciting to see what kinds of people there are walking around our region. I even considered that trainer from the Gym today, but I figured that he wouldn't want the responsibility of training a new Pokémon, let alone a Scyther. I estimated that our temperamental friend was about the strength of a beginning Starter Pokémon, so I looked at some of the new trainers on their journeys.
That's it! Speaking of new journeys, I remembered that my son had just started his Pokémon journey, but unfortunately his best friend had failed to get a sponsor. It was only a couple weeks ago that I had been chased up into a tree by the Poochyena who startled me, and I had to have my son save me using a Torchic from my suitcase. I'm still surprised that I managed to get that Scyther to listen to anything I said. He must've been too distracted by everything and everyone else to notice me being scared shitless of him. His blades looked to have much more wear and tear on them than typical young Scyther. Even for one that seemed to be a Lone Mightyena. He didn't seem to have any mannerisms typical of Scyther that lived in mantids, either.
I wonder if he even knows any moves he can use. I should make sure he does before letting him go on a journey. Brendan, my son, is an incredibly well accomplished trainer. He's gone and made it past the first two gyms already. His friend, a young girl named Alexa, is a perfect way for me to both accomplish her dreams and study the Scyther's case in a more natural environment. I also trust H's ability to not harm this trainer. While he has shown immense amounts of aggression and hostility in the past, I do firmly believe that he doesn't have what it takes to take another's life. He holds his blades too shallowly and too shakily to truly have the intention of death. Now, I can't say that Alexa won't get scratches or nicks from the Scyther, but that's what makes a trainer, is it not?
Having studied Pokémon ecosystems and habitats as a living, this is quite the interesting potential case that I have on hand. A Scyther presumably born in a sort of facility, based off of his tag, and seemingly not having grown up alongside other Scyther. I do wonder what these two's journey will entail.
Alexa POV
Why couldn't I qualify, huh? Brendan gets to go off and have his fun journey this year, while I'm holed up in this town for the fourth year in a row! Ughhh... I was laying in bed, frustrated at the world and slowly waking up. Getting out of bed and looking at the clock told me that it was about 8:30 in the morning. Groggily, I lumbered over to my PC to check up on the media, and flopped onto the chair. I was scrolling for a bit before I thought to check my email, knowing that there would be nothing intere- Hold on, is that an email from Professor Birch?! And why does it look so formal?
Looking at the cover of the email, the subject read "A Proposition", and the email address it came from was Professor Birch's business one. Something isn't right here. Why would he be contacting me? Let alone with some sort of deal? Did he accidentally send it to my email instead of Brendan's? I clicked on it, enlarging and reading the body.
Dear Alexa Albrum,
I understand how difficult it has been for you to get sponsored by someone these past couple years. As such, I have come forward to you with a sort of deal. I will sponsor you personally and in return I will request you on occasion to help me with some research projects. Your starting Pokémon will be chosen by me and you will have to record occasional updates for me on how you and they are doing.
Don't feel pressured to accept this if you do not wish to. I understand how some people can feel about their journeys being watched and/or documented, and it is perfectly okay if you do not wish to. It is also understandable if you want to not make this deal for the sake of me choosing your starter. Starters are big decisions and to have something like that chosen for you can hamper a trainer's bond with that Pokémon.
However, if you agree with the terms and still wish to take up this opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact me back. If you need time to think on it, you have five days to reply.
I eagerly await your decision,
Professor Nigel Birch
I was shocked into physical and mental silence. Was this serious? After all these years I have a perfect opportunity for my life goal, handed to me by the Professor? I sat there for a moment, considering what exactly was the catch with this. Surely he has to have some sort of reason to personally reach out about this. What's so special about this Pokémon that he has to ask someone to raise it?
Leaning back in my chair, I stared at the ceiling for a moment. So what if it's some sort of special case? I get to go on a journey! There's no way I can pass this up. Going back to the computer, I quickly typed back a response to him. I can't wait!
Professor Birch's POV
After I read Alexa's response, I decided to pay H a visit in the PokéCenter. I figured his recovery was on the way, but I figured that it was going well enough for me to capture him and finish off the healing process by the Center's healing machine. That thing works wonders. After getting properly dressed and cleaned up, I grabbed my lab coat and departed.
Upon making it to the Pokémon Center, I checked in with the Nurse Joy there and made my way back down the hallway I walked yesterday. As I reached the door, I took a deep breath and steeled myself before I knocked and walked in.
I looked at their face the moment I walked in, his eyes and brow locked into his usual, natural scowl. The moment he recognized me, however, a flash of various emotions fought a war over his features, and he eventually decided to just stare down at his bed.
"Hey there buddy. I found a person who wanted to take you on a journey." I announced, this time not having to force the smile on my face. Please don't go back on your word, please don't lash out at me, a thought in the back of my head muttered. His wings twitched as he thought over what I said.
"I'm gonna run you over a couple things about what your trainer will be doing with you." I said, giving him a smile as he looked at me. His jaw was tight and his green eyes had a complex emotion that I couldn't read. "Firstly," I started reaching into my pocket and pulling out an object, "This is a Pokéball. I'm sure you recognize it from around town and that fight." He nodded. "Good. These are used to transport and send out Pokémon, like you. Personally, I don't know what it's like inside of it, if you even are conscious inside of it. From what I've heard it's a different story for everyone. I do believe the way that it works is that you have a slight consciousness of your immediate surroundings and of your trainer's voice. However, it is possible that your trainer might not even keep you in your Pokéball. It is quite common here, where you are allowed one Pokémon outside of their ball, for trainers to keep their starter out of their ball." The Scyther I was explaining this to gave me an inquisitive look that caused me to make a double take on my words in order to understand what they were curious about.
"Oh right! A starter. A trainer's starter, or first Pokémon, is almost always the trainer's strongest Pokémon, but more than that, a starter is a trainer's closest partner and friend. If that bond is ever broken somehow, it is catastrophic to the trainer and Pokémon's life. It's a bond that exceeds any others in this world." He seemed slightly puzzled and looked away, but he shook his head and looked back towards me, seemingly ready to keep learning.
"Alright then. Next up is a trainer's potions. Potions are a type of chemical spray that is applied to wounds or cuts in order to rapidly heal the injury," I began as I watched his eyes think. "There are some that are more effective than others, but there is one thing in common between them. They sting like a sunnova whenever they touch your wounds. So, if your trainer ever pulls out an object like this," I pulled a small purple and white bottle out of my pocket, and he gave it a look of distaste. "Be prepared to have a little pain that could suddenly shock you. However, please do not get upset with them, as the pain only means that it is rapidly recovering your injuries. I mean, should the nurse have found you unconscious in that forest just a minute earlier, your recovery wouldn't have taken nearly this long." He adopts a curious look after I mention the nurse.
"No, unfortunately, I do not have the details about your finding. However, I will ask the nurse if you are interested," he nods. "Alright then, I'll make sure to ask her today. Our next topic will be communication. Fortunately, you will be able to understand the words of your trainer, however they will not be able to understand everything that you say. Please be patient with them, as it takes time for one another to become accompanied to each other. I do know, however, that through a strong enough bond, certain trainers have been able to understand their partners. I don't know the details of it, but if you two get along well enough, I'm sure you'll one day find out." I hope, my thoughts mutter. "A big part of the communication between the two of you is not only simply conversing with one another, but in a battle it is necessary to have trust in each other. A trainer doesn't simply order a Pokémon to do their bidding in a fight, and a Pokémon doesn't simply follow orders. It's a relationship of strategist and fighter, leader and friend. There's many ways to describe the bond between a trainer and their team, but much like a couple other things I've mentioned, the results vary." He seemed to perk up at this. I'm glad to have hopefully cured some worries for him. I was pretty sure that he never noticed the trainers' commands during the gym battle, he didn't glance at them even once, which is understandable. Being shown a spectacular battle with a roaring crowd makes it very hard to focus on the two small humans on the sidelines.
"Now then, speaking of trainers, the next and arguably one of the most important aspects of having a trainer is training." His facial features lit up for a second, and his wings fluttered, but then a hauntingly grim look broke it as soon as it came. What could he have experienced...? "Now, I don't know what kind of training you've gone through already, but you will probably have a style specific to you." He looked down at his blades, eyes growing distant. Curious... I paused in my talking, gazing at him, wondering what he could be thinking about. After waiting about half a minute, I reached over and cautiously tapped the end of his left claw. He flinched as I retracted my hand.
"Sorry, sorry. I was just concerned about what was going on." I apologized, regaining my previous posture. "It'll just be this last bit of information, then you'll have the rest of the day to yourself." He looks back up at me, regaining his sharp stare and with a bit of determination in his eyes. "Wonderful. Now, your trainer should have a unique training regimen for you, training you in deflecting blows with either your hard shoulders or durable blades. Next would probably be stamina training and flying. Learning how to dodge quickly and efficiently is an excellent skill to have, especially for a species as fast as you." He gained a hint of pride in his eyes. "Then, of course, there's move training. I'm guessing that you know what those are, correct?" He nodded, but then got a look of contemplative confusion. "Don't worry about not knowing a lot, or any strong ones. They come with time, and your kind are known to be strong with the weaker moves, always finding a way to make them hit hard." I gave him a grin as I said this, and his mood seemed to lighten slightly.
Scyther POV
"Now, before I go," Professor Birch began, "There is one more thing that I actually wanted to learn about you. I guess 'test you for' is a better phrasing, though it does make it sound a little harsh." I didn't know what to make of his wording, but I dislike tests. "Could you stand up for me?" I dislodged myself from the Center bed and cautiously stood up in front of him. "Now, first thing's first, do you know if you know the move Fury Cutter?" The name was unfamiliar to me, and I just tilted my head. "Right, I guess you might not know the names of them if you were in the wild. Do you mind if I scan you with something? It's just a simple tool that allows me to better understand you. A PokéDex." He pulls out a small red pad out of his lab coat and then opened it up. I could hear a ding followed by a quiet voice come from it.
"Oh, perfect! It does appear that you know Fury Cutter. For a better description, it's a move that empowers a slash of your blades with Bug-type energy. This move in particular will strengthen its effect even more if you attack with it repeatedly." His words make a lot more sense now. It was a very recent attack that I learned, but yes, I do believe that I would be able to use that move. I look down at my blades, feeling for that familiar energy, the one that comes from my primal self. The energy that I can feel throughout my being and that drives me to live, to fly, to fight. The energy pulses inside of me, and right as it does, I see my blades burn green for only a sliver of a moment.
"Wonderful. It's incredible to see how well you're performing. Now then," he began, tucking the Dex back into his pocket and retrieving some kind of a wooden disc. The circle looks like it was just a slice of wood taken out of the trunk, the age lines still visible and bark lining the edge. "I'd like you to attempt to attack this piece of wood using a Fury Cutter." Looking back at him I can see his brow wetten, however it seems like he'll be safe, as there is a small rod on the back of the disc, making it available for holding at a distance.
"There's no catch or anything, it's just a simple test," he explained. "Go ahead whenever you're ready." I gave him a look, wondering what he was up to. Looking back at the wooden target, I took a step or two away before I pulled my right blade back and felt that same energy give a pulse again. It seemed to energize my strike as it shot forward suddenly, and then without warning my natural instincts kicked in, making my blade seem to home in on the grain of the wood. With unnatural accuracy my blade cut straight through the piece of log, cutting off a portion and leaving the other half in the hands of the professor.
"Wow!" he exclaimed as he retracted himself away from me rather swiftly. He muttered something under his breath and then pulled his PokéDex back out and entered something into it. He put the parts of the target onto a table in the room.
"Thanks for helping me with that," he expressed his thanks to me, "It would seem that, as a Scyther, your ability is Technician." I cocked my head. "To put it simply, you naturally have a talent for the lighter-hitting attacks. You can take something as simple as a scratch and make it hit harder than than most moves would. Your natural instincts will home in on a creature's weak points. So, congratulations! You're much like how I described your species, being able to take even the weakest moves and make them hurt hard." I grinned with pride at my newfound superiority. Did they have that ability too?—nevermind, don't think about it. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and when I looked back at Birch he had a strange look on his face.
"Apologies if this is a little intrusive on your thoughts, H, but how come it seems like you don't allow yourself to have some pride?" I flinched at that. Do I not have pride? How can I, when I... when I did that to them. "Every time I see you grin or puff out your torso, you deflate just as quickly. I know that you can't tell me what has happened to you, language barrier and all, but I do need to know if you will be able to fight properly. If you can't take pride in a victory, then how will you become the strongest out there? How can I trust you to take care of this trainer and be the leader for the team that they'll build?" My head naturally drifts downward as he tells this to me. Suddenly I feel a slight impact on my forehead and I whip my head upwards. Birch had tapped me and was now giving me a calm smile.
"I'm not berating you, or putting you down. I just need to clarify what you're getting into. I need you to be ready. So show me that. Show that you can be the greatest Scyther there is." He extends a hand down towards me. I reach my blade up and allow him to grasp it at the base, effectively grabbing his hand back. He pulls, careful with how hard he does it, and stands me upright just next to him. Letting go, he begins to speak. "Now then, let's get you out of thi—" His sentence gets cut off by the door to my room opening, and the Nurse walking into the room.
"Pardon me for intruding, Dr. Birch, but his visiting hours are now over, it's quite late now. He'll be available next morning if you so desire." she announces, much to my ire.
"Well.. . alright then, guess that'll be happening tomorrow then!" I sulk at him, "Sorry, H, I'll be back to continue our conversation tomorrow." He walks out of the door and Nurse Joy shuts it behind him.
Tomorrow. My new world will start.
Professor Birch POV
My heart is still racing a million miles a minute as I cross a rope bridge to another tree. Why am I so fearful of him? No offense H, but I can't wait until I get out of your life. I must be causing him so much stress... I open the door to my temporary room here in Fortree. Professor or not, I'm too out of shape to be living here. Those ladders are a menace. Stepping in, I clap my hands and the lantern hanging from the ceiling becomes lit with a small flicker of flame. I'm still amazed by our advancements in technology from studying and researching Pokémon and their typings.
Walking up to my PC, I boot it up and check my emails first. I found the conversation I've been having with Alexa about starting her journey. I've been very cautious about giving her a license, mainly because: one, she was very quick to respond to the first email, which had me worried; two, she's probably failed applying to gain a license for the past four years for a reason; and three, because I want to make sure that she understands everything about being a trainer 100%. Not only do I want a safe environment for her, but also for the Pokémon she will raise. I would never wish upon someone the hurt of having a Pokémon turn on you, nor the pain of an incompetent trainer. I begin typing a response to her latest email, a question about how certain objects work in a Gym Battle, with hopes that she'll retain all of this information. I still need to finish my report on H, too. Wait, speaking of, I forgot to ask Nurse Joy about how she found him! Ugh...
I wake up as the bright light of the morning sunrise suddenly glares at me through the window. Another desk-nap kinda day, huh? I thought, scratching the dried saliva off my cheek. Getting up, I head to the bathroom in order to freshen myself up, comb my hair and beard, and then I pull out a fresh new lab coat out of my closet. I grab a cup of coffee before realising that I got a splinter in my palm from falling asleep on that wooden desk and promptly plucking it out. I had to pour a new cup of coffee since it got cold. Why do I have a feeling that today isn't going to go great? Going back to my bedroom, I open a drawer in my nightstand and grab the three small spherical objects inside of it. Two filled Pokéballs and one empty one.
I exit the tree-house, cup of coffee in hand and Pokéballs in my pocket. Going down the ladder, I release my Taillow from her Pokéball to watch me as I go down the ladder, my bad luck already impeccable today. I nearly dropped my cup due to the ladder swaying suddenly, but luckily I only splashed a gulp's worth of brown bean tea thanks to Taillow flying into me to stabilize me. Safely on the ground I sighed out of relief and decided to keep the little bird out of her ball, just in case. Lightly ruffling her head feathers, I head to the PokéMart to buy a couple extra Pokéballs, just in case. Afterwards, I'll head to the Pokémon Center to meet with H.
Just before I enter the Center, I recall my Taillow, thanking her for her time with me. Walking into the Center, I can see the pink-haired Nurse Joy working at the front counter. Hearing me enter, she looks at me and greets me.
"Good morning, Professor! Visiting the Scyther again today?" she greeted me as she did every day.
"Yep! Though unfortunately it seems to be the last time I'll be visiting this place for him." I say with a somber tone, though I know it's more of a happy situation.
"Oh, that's unfortunate. Are your studies taking you away for a while?" she questioned curiously. Grinning at her, I pull out an empty Pokéball as I respond.
"Actually it might be his last day here too, since the trainer I picked out for him is ready," she gasped in surprise as she started to congratulate me, but I stopped her. "Save the congrats for H, he's been through a lot from what I can tell, plus his trainer's not the only one to have been getting ready this whole time. I think H is just as ready to begin a lifelong journey as Brendan, and now Brendan's friend, was. I'll bring him out after I catch him. After that said and done I'll put him inside of the Healer and let him rest in the ball for a bit, injury free." I finish, allowing the Nurse some time to think about her goodbye as I walk to H's room.
Approaching the door, I take a deep breath to steel my nerves, and knock.
Scyther's POV
Knock, knock. I heard the telltale knocking of the door, signalling someone to walk in. My heart was pounding inside of my body, my wings were unable to sit still and I found myself doubting whether I should really do this. Is it really worth it to trust another human? But I couldn't bring myself to ignore that inner calling from inside of me. A drought brought about by seeing that fight that other day, only quenchable by untapped power.
I didn't even notice the door open nor did I notice a person walk in. It was only once the person knocked on the door did I come out of my thoughts, looking over at the now-noticed Professor Birch. He had on a brown shirt, his usual lab coat—though it did have some kind of brown-colored spot on one side of it—and he had on a pair of pants made with a strange blue material.
"Good morning, H! Are you excited for today?" he excitedly asked. I took a moment to ponder it, then slowly nodded to his question. He seemed to expect this kind of answer, as he just nodded back with a hum.
"Well, I suppose we should get the worst thing out of the way first, if you want?" I nodded my head, not sure what the worst could be. "Great," he replied, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sphere, which I recognized as a Pokéball. "Now, I don't personally know what it's like to be inside of a Pokéball, but the one thing I do know is that for a successful catch, which is the goal here, you need to not resist whatever happens inside, okay?" I slowly nodded my head, suddenly suspicious of the small ball. He lifts it up, level with my head and takes a deep breath.
"Okay, here goes. In 3... 2... 1–" The whole world disappears in that moment, replaced only by a sudden flash of light and complete darkness. The darkness presses in on me, and I can feel a slight constricting feeling, like a small Ekans is coiling around every part of my body. The feeling of the ground shaking a single time occurs and it's at that moment that I completely forget the words of the professor. I struggle against the strange and unpleasant feelings as I panic in the darkness. I can feel myself pushing against something, like a thin rope. Pushing harder I can feel a little something snap, or give way. One more push and suddenly light re enters my vision. I'm back in front of Birch. My nerves calm down and suddenly I remember what he said. Did I fail? Am I stuck in this sterile white room forever now?
"Well it's fortunate that I got extras," Birch starts, wincing a little. "Do you want to try again H?" he asks considerately, pulling another red ball out of his pocket. I look at it for a moment, steeling my nerves and staring at that white button. I dislike that constricting feeling and the shaking, but if I ever want to answer that call, I must endure them. Reaching out, I tap the button with the tip of my claw, and then darkness once more. That feeling of constriction returned, and as I started to wait the first shake happened. The light ethereal clasping of the darkness seemed to intensify to a more uncomfortable grabbing everywhere. I could feel the world shake once more. Suddenly I got a flashback to when I first came into this world. A flashback of an egg and hatching. I'm just in another egg. I told myself, quieting my rampant nerves. A warm, unbinding, not shaking egg. I can hear my poor, poor siblings beginning to hatch just outside. Three quakes. The tightness makes me cough as it wraps harder. Then, suddenly, nothing. Everything stops with a click and then suddenly I can smell the outside world. I can feel myself get picked up. Is this what it's like to be in these balls? It's... surreal. An experience unlike any other. When what I assume is Birch's hand touches the ball, I can feel a strange sort of connection. I don't get any time to ponder it as I rematerialize back in front of the professor.
"Congratulations H!" he greets me, a big, stupid grin on his face. "Now, there's just a couple things next that I want to do. The first thing that I'll be teaching you about are a Pokémon Center's healing stations. Unfortunately for this you have to be in the Pokéball, however, let's walk you out first." I nod curiously at him as he turns around and opens the door. Beckoning with his arm for me to go first, I exit the room for likely the last time.
Exiting the hallway, I'm suddenly surprised by the Nurse having a bright smile on her face and walking towards me. She unexpectedly wraps her arms around me before retracting away quickly. Needless to say, the shock on my face made her laugh.
"Congratulations on your recovery, Scyther. I'm proud to see you go," she said after her chuckle. "Though you might not've been conscious all the time or even thought of me the same, but I always thought of you as my own Pokémon." Her words suddenly struck me like a gout of fire. I never realized before how much I had been expecting her visits, and after the talks with Birch about how much Pokémon mean to a trainer, and vice versa, it hit me harder how much this meant to her.
"Ever since I found you unconscious just outside of town, I've searched for your trainer. Once Birch mentioned to me that you were likely wild, I couldn't help but pity you. And eventually it got to the point that I saw you as one of my own," she finished, head angled downwards in embarrassment. For a moment I couldn't control my body. And in that moment I wrapped my own arms carefully around her.
The next while went past like a blur. After a moment I was recalled to the ball and put into this strange machine. Upon being put inside, the little remaining part of my injury completely disappeared and I grew exhausted from the procedure. The machine seems to sap all energy available in the subject and uses it to repair wounds. From what Birch explained afterwards, it requires the Pokémon to be in a Pokéball and though the procedure works like magic, it can be dangerous to those with lots of injuries and even fatal to those on death's door. I still do not know what that connection I felt earlier was. After two or three hours of rest, Birch released me once more. Light returned to me, the ball still dark even with my other senses still active. I was only slightly surprised to be outside in a small field. I recognized it as the field that I've only heard discussion of behind the Pokémon Center.
"Welcome to the field, H!" Birch announced, spreading his arms before stuffing them into his lab coat pockets. "We're just gonna be doing a couple of mock battles!" I flinched at the last word, I thought this was going too well for me. They're going to make me do it again—
"Don't worry, we won't be fighting to hurt, nor should we really even be leaving a scratch on each other if things go alright, that's what the mock is for!." We? Each other? "Allow me to introduce you to your spar-mates for the day." He takes out two Pokéballs out of his pockets. I could smell life from them. He has other Pokémon? He points them downwards, materializing a pair of creatures onto the ground. One turns into a small bird that is coated in a down of navy blue with a red face that extends down into a white belly. The other being that appears is a small blue, white, and orange creature with a dorsal fin on its head and a flipper-like fin as a tail. Neither of them came higher than the thin part of my leg, where a human's thigh would most likely be. The first creature let out a bird's call, while the second one made a noise like a mix of a squeak and gurgling, which could be best described as a pitiful battlecry.
"This here is Taillow," he gestures towards the bird, "and the other is a Mudkip. I don't technically own Mudkip, much like I don't own you, it's a part of Professor Duties." He says with a chuckle. "Now, more on what you'll be doing here. What I've planned is just a small couple exercises where first you'll be seeing who can touch the other first without a trainer, just your intuition, then you'll see what it's like to have a trainer working in tandem with you. After that we'll just play a small game of tag against each other until it gets late. I'll let your trainer know tonight that you're ready and to expect our arrival at their town soon." It was a lot of information for me to process, but I got the jist of it.
In the backyard we were in, there were 3 arenas, very similar to but much smaller than the Gym's arena. Two stone slabs on each side acting as Podiums with the rectangle segmented into two squares. After clarifying with Birch, I made my way over to the arena. He said something to one of the Pokémon that he released and when I turned around to look, the Taillow was flapping its way towards me, heading to the arena. Birch himself followed at a slower pace, recalling the Mudkip creature. Me and the bird went on opposite sides of the arena. I raised up my blades into a threatening position, sinking lower and separating my dimensions into a fighting stance. The Taillow raised itself up off the ground before spreading its wings farther, ready to take flight. My flicking wings and threatening movements stopped in an instant as my mind flashed back to scenes of another Scyther, gleaming attacks flashing, deep green blood, and green stained blades. I came back to reality as I heard a loud noise directly in front of me, and I saw Birch there, hands outstretched. He had clapped.
"Are you alright there, bud?" he asked concernedly, "Are you sure you can do this?" I stared at his face for a moment, my brain catching up to current events. I'm not there. This is safe. Birch is watching, he's been trustworthy, right? I nodded with a shaky affirmative. He stared back at me for an uncomfortably long time before standing up—I didn't realize I was on the ground—and looking towards Taillow, who was now next to me with a look of concern on her face.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she questioned, catching me by surprise.
"Oh, I-I can hear you." I said slackjawed.
"Well of course you can. Did you hit your head one day?" she mocked, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
"No, just haven't met anyone but another Scyther before." I replied as she looked at me incredulously.
"Really? No one? Not a single Pidgey or Wurmple? Nothing? What have you eaten then?" she prodded.
"Well, I guess I saw a couple at the gym while they fought, but I didn't hear them talk. And I ate—" What did I eat? I had no clue. I just ate the meat that was handed to me. Then in the Center it was some sort of strange, oddly tasty pebbles. "I, I don't know. I just ate whatever they gave me. I have no clue what kind of meat it was but it was basically the only thing I ate before the Center picked me up." I stammered out.
"Whatever they gave you?" she quietly asked.
"I... I don't want to go into it." I said, finally standing up out of the sand. "I want to fight, I need to get over the past, so let's do this mock thingy." They huffed and muttered something, but then answered.
"Well alright then, if you're the one wanting it. Remember, don't let me touch you and try your hardest to hit me. I won't go easy on you though!" They said with a competitive spirit. I enjoyed them. In response I grinned at them as they returned to their side of the arena. Getting back into my fighting stance, I cleared my mind of any and all thoughts other than the ones right now. Birch began to speak.
"If both sides are ready, then begin in three, two, one, begin!" At the last word we both sprung into action. Taillow took to the skies while flapping her wings as hard as they could go, releasing a gust of wind that pushed me back with surprising force. It didn't seem to hurt, but it distracted me for long enough for them to begin diving down out of the sky. They approached at alarming speed and it took all my power to throw myself out of the way. My wings flicked to life and rose myself before I could smash against the ground.
Planting my feet securely, I could see Taillow going for another divebomb, which I was ready to dodge. I wasn't ready for another gust of wind that I didn't see them throw out. They aimed it for my feet which swept them out from under me and forced me to fly into the air to avoid becoming either a projectile or a sitting Psyduck. This left me more open than I was on the ground due to my inexperience with flying. I managed to spot the small bird closing in on me at the edge of my vision and as I tried to figure out where to dodge, I ended up performing an erratic up and down movement. This caused them to overcorrect and miss me.
I can't get an attack in! I turn back towards them, catching them lashing their wings out and sending another whirlwind at me, which I manage to fly out of the area I was in before it would hit me. My wings are tiring, too, I can't keep this up. I see them loop back around, preparing for another divebomb. Idea! I wait for them to come for me as I pull another erratic movement. They soar towards me and at the last second I pull up—scratch!—and their beak grazes against my exoskeleton. With a sigh I slow down the fluttering of my wings and lower myself to the ground.
"Good job!" the bird called out to me, delight in their tone. "You performed considerably well for your first time fighting a different Pokémon!" Professor Birch approached at that moment, giving me a very similar praise that the bird did. How was that mess praise-worthy?
"Incredible work there, H! Even if you used a little bit of a risky tactic at the end there." I looked at him surprised. Had he realized what I was trying to do? "Going in for a Quick Attack against the slower Peck is a very impressive strategy to think of in the intense moment, however it wouldn't have worked as well since you hesitated on using it—not that it's a terrible thing to do, but sometimes you need to jump the gun and trust your gut." Is that what having a trainer is like?
"Now then, let's do this again, however I'll be giving you directions." My pride diminishes slightly as he says it. "Think of it as having someone there to help you, a level-headed rational thinker paired with you who doesn't have the time to think of something as there's an enemy leaping at you." I nod at him, looking back to the arena. "Are you ready, Taillow?" She nods and chirps an affirmative. Birch stands on the stone slab on my side of the arena as me and Taillow take our positions. "Now, normally a trainer would release you from a Pokéball and you would have to be ready to fight the moment you're out. However, seeing as you already had a rest inside of it, I think you'll be fine without that practice for now." I turn and nod to him. "Alrighty then, let the battle begin in three, two, one, begin!"
Once more the moment the last word leaves his mouth, we spring into action, however, "Get ready for the whirlwind!" Leaves Birch's mouth, and I remember the bird's strategy. Much like before, the gusts go straight for my legs, and they nearly get swept out from under me.
"Ride the winds up!" Birch calls out, and as he says it, I spread my wings and redirect the wind into carrying me higher into the air. I hear the familiar whistling of a dive bombing bird, and as I go to dodge, Birch says "Quick Attack to your left!" I do so, and the moment I do, I can hear Taillow pass by my right side. I can use an attack to dodge? I guess it does make sense. "Quick Attack after it, it may be faster naturally but you can keep up!" Turning, I get Taillow in my sights and begin a pursuit after them, bounding forward through the air with what would look like a four-legged predator pouncing on prey, my claws wreathed in an ethereal white light. Suddenly, without even realizing it, I became within arm's reach of Taillow, and reached out with my arm—suddenly they shot forward, and looking at them more carefully I could see them coated in a white light of their own.
"Quick! Retreat! Come back down Scyther!" I could hear Birch yell, and as he said it I used my next Quick Attack to lunge downwards, falling closer to the ground. The Tiny Swellow Pokémon lunged after me, just barely missing me by an inch, now falling towards my torso without a plan of action. Her look of surprise was amusing to me. "Now!" Birch shouted. My blades shot forward and wrapped behind the Taillow. I had a grin on my face as I tapped her back with one blade. I let go of her as I shouted out in glee, "Got you this time! Hah—ACK!" and then I crashed against the ground, landing not-so safe and sound.
"Oh Arceus! Are you alright there?" Birch asked, running forward to me. I looked at him, peeling myself from the packed dirt arena, and nodded. I couldn't feel anything wrong. "Phew, thought I had reinjured you the day before your departure. I forgot that you haven't had much training in flying yet. Sorry!" He apologized, as Taillow landed safely next to me.
"Man, you're bold," she started "I get that he told you what to do, but that takes some courage to just power through like that. I didn't even get to surprise you with my new move." I just chuckled in response.
"Well, do you feel alright enough to play tag with Taillow and Mudkip?" he asked, making sure I was alright. I just tilted my head towards him. What is tag? "Oh, right. Taillow, will you explain what tag is to him?"
"You don't know tag?!—well I guess that makes sense. Alright, so..."
After Taillow taught me tag, me, her, and Mudkip all played it for an hour. Birch didn't let us play for that long because he wanted to make sure I was up to shape and ready for tomorrow. I also found out a little more about Mudkip. He's a docile little fellow, though he had a habit of brute forcing things. Turns out that's more of a Mudkip natural thing to do, which I was told by Taillow. Speaking of taillow, since they are the Professor's typical carry-around, they've learned quite a lot about Pokémon as a species, mainly through the professor ranting or staying up late studying, forgetting to put her ball away. I didn't realize how important I was to the professor until Taillow mentioned how late he was up every night.
When the hour finished, Birch recalled the three of us, and told me to get some rest. Apparently time flows slower inside of these Pokéballs. Before I drifted off, I made a decision to investigate that strange connection I feel while inside of a ball. After what felt like half an hour, I wasn't getting much leeway on figuring out what it was. I thought of it as a string, and whenever I would pull it, I could feel something shift around me. I could hear outside better, I could smell the trees and outdoors more clearly, and, sometimes, if I grasp it hard enough, I could see a glimpse of light from the outside world. There was one moment where I could see the greens of grass and the many different colors shifting in the sky as the sun set. I didn't dare tear it away from wherever it came from, not wishing to possibly break the ball considering what happened the last time I struggled inside of here.
It was only once I was slipping unconscious that I noticed that the colors seemed to be very muted, and the perspective much higher than my usual.
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Welcome to the end of the chapter! Sorry if that was an abrupt ending, I found myself in a situation where it kinda just kept running on and on. Please don't forget to leave some reviews and to favorite the story! Also please point out any grammatical errors or any way to make the story feel better! Thank you so much for your time! I would really like this story to not flop because I am going to put a lot of my time into it. By the way, any and all reviews that I get I will try my hardest to respond to them, whether it's a section at the beginning/end of a chapter, or me messaging you personally. If you dislike the idea of me putting you on a chapter please mention it! See you next chapter!
P.S. If it wasn't clear, Pokémon-to-Pokémon speech is going to be "Italicized like this" I hope it was clear enough in the story.
P.P.S. I doubt any of you have actually read my other story, but Alexa is a recurring character and name. However, this is simply a character design reused rather than left behind, since I abandoned that story. The character will probably be different than she was going to be in the other story and, hopefully, will not be forgotten like that story was. Still debating on if I want to rewrite those stories, but now I doubt I will be. I would also like to mention that yes, although I use the name Alexa a lot in my stories, it has no connection to me in real life.