Chapter 7: The First Johto Challenge

Kevin entered Violet City in his new disguise through a different entrance. However, Kevin realized that transforming took more out of him than he thought. It was only night, and he felt like he had stayed awake for three full days.

We need to rest, Duo-Cevan said tiredly. Let's get a room in the Pokécenter.

We need to get the quick treatment to give back our lost energy. However, it might be suspicious if we walked in there disguised as a human and asked for quick treatment.

Hmmm…

A minute later, a Scyther, battered and weak, could be seen limping up to the main entrance door. Nurse Joy walked from the back room to the desk before she saw it as it weakly pushed its way through the door.

"Scyther…" it said, attempting to keep its balance as it stepped through the front door.

"Oh my!" Nurse joy said as she caught the toppling bug. "You look like you lost one too many battles!"

The Scyther fainted in her arms. Nurse joy dragged the Pokémon to the desk and hit the intercom button. "I need a stretcher out here, now!" she shouted.

A girl came out from one of the bedrooms to the front. "What's going on?" she yawned. She stopped halfway in her yawn when she saw what Nurse Joy was attempting to carry. "Nurse Joy! What happened to that Scyther?" she looked around. "And where's its trainer?" she added.

"Miss, could you help me out?" Nurse Joy asked the girl as the stretcher came out. "I need some assistance in getting this Scyther onto the stretcher."

As the girl helped Nurse Joy, she asked again. "Where's its trainer?"

"I don't know," Nurse Joy answered. "I saw it limping up to the front door. It's almost as if this Scyther doesn't have a trainer."

"That's odd," the girl commented. "I'm a Pokémon watcher, and I have never seen a Scyther approach humans like this before. This is very strange behavior indeed."

Nurse Joy walked through the door to the medical rooms and left the watcher wondering. However, Joy herself didn't get to the intensive care before the Scyther let out a human-like moan.

"I need… quick treatment," it said.

"Huh?" Nurse Joy looked at the Scyther. "Did you just say that?"

The supposed Scyther suddenly revealed its identity by uncovering his arms. "Don't worry about… my wounds…" he said. "Just give me… the quick treatment. I'm… so tired…"

"Kevin?" Nurse Joy exclaimed. She stared at him. "What are you doing here?!?"

"Don't… ask questions…" Kevin said, nearly fainting from fatigue. "Just give me… quick treatment…"

*                                  *                                  *

As soon as Nurse Joy activated the machine, Kevin could feel his strength slowly returning.

"How soon do you think your strength will return?" Nurse Joy asked.

"A quick healing from this, recovering from my wounds, and a nice rest and I'll be as good as new," Kevin answered tiredly. "I'll need to rest in here, though. I can't recover all of my energy unless I rest on this until morning."

"How did you gain those wounds? Did you lose a battle?" Nurse Joy asked, inspecting his arm.

"I had my Scyther slash me a few times. Sure, it hurts, but I can just heal them myself."

"Was that so you could fake pain in place of your tired state?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Yes." Kevin, now that his strength was somewhat regained, healed his wounds with a Recover. "If you don't mind, could you leave the machine on? I think I'm so tired I'll need to rest until morning."

"But you'll take up all the space on the machine!" Nurse Joy pointed out.

"How many people will need it at this time of day?" Kevin stated as a counterpoint.

Nurse Joy tried to argue a little more, but before she knew it Kevin had fallen asleep in their conversation. It wasn't until late in the morning when Kevin finally woke up with his strength fully restored. Getting up from the machine, he quickly used a computer nearby, grabbed the Pokéball that appeared, then quickly disguised himself as a Scyther and walked out from the back door.

Nurse Joy, after tending with a visitor and his meal, noticed Kevin coming out. "Well, feeling better already now, aren't we?" she asked him, acting a little surprised.

"Scyther!" Kevin said, agreeing.

"Good. Well, since you are healthy enough, you can go back to the wild," Nurse Joy said. "Thanks for coming here for my help!"

The girl who had also seen Kevin come in noticed him leaving. "Is he healed already?" the girl asked Nurse Joy. "Wasn't he seriously wounded?"

"Well, he was… but I guess he isn't anymore."

"Strange that a wild Scyther would come in here and ask for your help," the girl stated.

The visitor suddenly seemed to choke on his food, but managed to spit it out. "Are you all right?" Nurse Joy asked him in concern as she dashed to him.

"Yeah," the man answered, coughing a few times. "I'm fine. But what you said startled me. Did you just say that was a wild Scyther?"

"Yes," the girl answered. "In fact, it came in last night. It was in serious condition, so much that it collapsed in Nurse Joy's arms."

"And it didn't even mind?" the man asked.

"No."

The man glanced at his watch. "Uh-oh!" he exclaimed. "I gotta run! It's late!" he immediately got up from his seat and dashed for the door.

Both women stared and blinked. The girl finally broke the silence. "Last night and this morning has made my record books for strange occurrences," she said.

Almost crashing his way through the front door, he looked around. Instead of seeing any Scyther, he saw something else that sparked his interest: a man in a black suit and cape with his hood off. Guessing where this black-suited man was heading, he determined this person was walking toward the Violet City Gym.

*                                  *                                  *

Once inside the Gym's front doors, Kevin threw back on his hood and transformed from Barks's form. Wow, Kevin commented, I must have lost more energy total than I thought! It feels like I've earned more than I should have!

It could be because of our training, Duo-Cevan concluded. However, we still have to be careful and conserve our energy. This transforming can drain us.

"Welcome sir, to the Violet City Gym," a man came up to him. A Pidgey cooed on his shoulder. "I assume you are here to have a challenge with our leader Falkner?"

"Yes, I am indeed. Is he aware of who his challenger is?" Kevin asked.

"Only if you tell me who you are," A voice behind Kevin answered. Turning around, Kevin saw another man, this time with a hoothoot holding on his shoulder. Holding a fierce look in his eyes with an indifferent facial expression, Kevin guessed right away that this was their leader.

"You must be Falkner," Kevin said. "I am a man from Kanto. However, people don't know where I come from. They don't know where I went, either."

"I don't quite understand, sir," Falkner answered, "but I will not fight a challenger who will not state his name."

"May we enter a less public area? The front door is not where I would like to state it," Kevin said.

"Very well, then, we shall go into the elevator."

*                                  *                                  *

A few minutes later, Falkner and Kevin stood within the elevator, moving up to the top floor. "Now will you tell me your name?" Falkner asked impatiently.

"Sorry. I am a man who was a champion of Kanto over nine years ago. However, I had 'disappeared' for some unexplained reason. Now, nine years later, I have come out of hiding to reclaim my lost past."

"That story almost sounds familiar," Falkner said, thinking. "But I can't quite place a bird's talon on what I've heard it from."

"Well, perhaps my name should clear it up… People refer to me as The Lost Trainer, but you can call me Kevin."

"Kevin?" Falkner seemed to light up in his face. "Of course! The Lost Trainer Kevin! Do you have any identification to prove this?"

Kevin immediately showed his Pokédex to Falkner. "This should be more than enough," Kevin said, "simply because it not only provides my picture before my change, but it's the old variation of the Pokédex."

"Wait… what change?" Falkner interrupted.

"Oh… I guess I should have told you sooner." Kevin pulled off his hood. "I'm now a hybrid of my Scyther."

"Great feathers of a Pidgeot!" Falkner jumped back from Kevin into a wall of the elevator. "You're not human?!?"

"I was… but after someone 'tampered' with my DNA, I've become this," Kevin stated. "Calm down, Falkner. Seeing a hybrid isn't half as scary as facing an angry one. Be glad that I can't use myself in any official matches, as I am capable of performing any possible move known to me."

After a little more explaining to calm Falkner down, the elevator door opened, now that they had arrived on their floor. Kevin found himself looking into the face of the sun.

And into the faces of many trainers.

"Students, do not be alarmed," Falkner said, walking past Kevin, even though he was slightly stunned. "I wish to introduce someone that was believed to have disappeared from Kanto over nine years ago." Falkner motioned his hand to Kevin. "Students, meet the Lost Trainer of Kanto, Kevin."

The students, however, were nearly frozen in place from seeing Kevin. In fact, if it weren't for Kevin's psychic messages to calm the students, they would've panicked.

"My students seem to be used to your presence," Falkner stated.

"Oh, I'm quite a charmer," Kevin joked, grinning slightly. "Don't worry, they won't run. They're young enough that they believe my comforting messages through my mind."

"I see…" Falkner answered. "Well, shall we set up?"

*                                  *                                  *

"So… A scientist who created a Pokémon clone worked for you into getting his Scyther and somehow made Kevin a hybrid?" The Psychic asked. "This is interesting… Finally, the fool loses his most trusted—"

"However, he got it back," Patrael interrupted. "Giovanni threw it to Kevin in hopes of getting him to keep his Loyalty."

"Kevin pledged his Loyalty? Surely he didn't just do it for no reason!"

"Unfortunately, it was for two reasons, one of which was his Scyther," Patrael answered. "Giovanni refused to give it back after the week had passed. After two weeks in the power suit, somehow he managed to get free. He became so powerful by then… well, that would explain why I'm here."

"Ahh, so you were relieved of your position from Team Rocket…" the Psychic said.

Suddenly, Patrael's phone began ringing. He pulled it out and flipped it open. "Yes?" he answered.

"Patrael! It's Axim!" he heard. "I've found him! I've found Kevin!!"

Patrael jumped up from his seat. "Where are you?" He asked eagerly.

"I'm posing as a window washer for the Violet City Gym," Axel replied. "I'm on the top floor, and Falkner is preparing to fight Kevin. I can't see what's going on, but I'm hearing the commotion!"

Patrael covered the mouth part of his phone. "Are you sensing him right now?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" the Psychic asked. "I've been tracing him ever since he left the Pokécenter!"

"He's been in the city for how long?" Patrael asked.

"Longer than you think," the Psychic stated. "The first I sensed him was this morning."