Chapter 4: Welcome to Kalos
Location: Lumiose City, Kalos Region
Oliver let out a yawn as he stepped out of Lumiose International Airport. It had been quite a long time since he had been there, and it was pleasant to see all of the changes they had made. All of the old public phones had been changed to holographic ones, various shops had opened while others had closed down. Overall, it looked like a very welcoming place, which was important for travelers who were in and out of airports on a semi-permanent basis. The sun was shining brightly, making him shield his eyes with his hand for a brief moment. He spotted a flock of Fletchling flying overhead, mingling with a few Pidgeys and Taillow that were circling around the area.
Seeing Prism Tower in the distance reminded him of all the good times he had in the Kalos Region. It also reminded him of the sizzling battle he had within, against the Electric Gym Leader of Lumiose City. Seeing the damage caused to it during Team Flare's takeover had been repaired gave him a sense of calm. He started moving away from the airport, watching all of the vehicles for a moment before picking a random street, losing himself in the familiar yet foreign sights of Lumiose City. Cinnamon cooed happily as they passed by a bakery, the scent of freshly baked bread mingling in the air.
"Haah… I missed this, Cinnamon. Losing yourself down these streets, seeing all of the cafes and Plazas. Ahh… Unova may be my home region but I really love Kalos. There's just something about this place that is so welcoming," he said cheerfully.
"Vee vee!" she cheerfully replied.
It didn't take the Pokemon Trainer long to make his way into a nearby cafe, one that was thankfully Pokemon-friendly. He made his order and picked a table, releasing all 8 of his other Pokemon, who stretched their tired limbs, finding themselves in a foreign area they hadn't before. Aquamarine and Starfire were quick to jump onto the table, having spotted other Pokemon doing the same. Luna and Smokey remained by the foot of the table, while Sage and Bolt barked at each other, likely bringing up an old argument, one that Persephone was quick to get between.
A few others watched him, curious as to why he had so many Pokemon, others were muttering things under their breath. Likely, it had been that he had been recognized, but at that point, he quite didn't care. He was out on a new journey and he wasn't going to let the comments of old change his view on things.
"Alright everyone, we made it to Lumiose City, from here on we're going to be heading to Shalour City and meeting up with Korrina. Hopefully, she isn't too busy to help us get back into shape. Just because we're getting back into the swing of things doesn't mean we won't battle, one of our requirements to keep our sponsorship is to battle, at least 5 times a month. Given that there will be over 30,000 entrants in this year's Pokemon World Championships, 5 battles a month is feasible. I don't want any bellyaching or complaining, got it?"
He got cries of approval from his team, all of them glad to see their trainer and best friend back in high spirits. He smiled, giving them each a pat on the head. "That's what I like to hear. We've been out of it for a long time, so we need to do things right."
"Ahem."
Oliver jumped a bit, rapidly spinning around and being greeted by one of the servers, who had a smile on her face. "Sorry to interrupt all this, are you ready to order?"
"Oh uh, yes I am. I'll be having a strawberry banana smoothie and a blueberry muffin. And for the Pokemon some Oran/Pecha Berry Blend." he said, earning a nod from the young woman.
"Alrighty, we'll get that sorted out for you soon. Incidentally, you wouldn't happen to be the famous Eeveelution Specialist Oliver Quinn, would you?" she asked, making him sigh, nodding. She lit up a bit. "Wow, I didn't think I'd get to meet such a legendary trainer!"
"Pfft, legendary? The only thing legendary about me is how I melted down on national television and mucked up my chances to become the Unova Region Champion," he said, leaning back against the table. Persephone wrapped her feelers around his wrist, their warmth making him relax a bit. "There's nothing special about me."
"Are you kidding? Weren't you the guy who took down 9 Team Flare Grunts with just a Jolteon? Weren't you the guy who ended up taking down Drasna's Garchomp with a Leafeon at a disadvantage and with a burn?" she asked, looking past him at the Pokemon. Sage was sitting proudly, chest slightly puffed out, while Jolteon was chattering happily, making Aquamarine roll her eyes. "I'd say that is pretty legendary."
"I guess… that was back in our heyday, these days we're kind of out of it," Oliver admitted. She shook her head, placing her notepad in her pocket.
"I wouldn't say so, you just hit a rough spot. I've always wanted to be a Pokemon Trainer and train Eevees too, in fact, you were a big inspiration when I was growing up. Don't give up, you've got a loyal fan in me." she said with a wink, bowing briefly before returning to the kitchen. Oliver found himself smiling a bit.
"Hm… maybe Elesa was right, I think it was time to get back out there. It will certainly be interesting, that's for sure."
He reached into his pocket for his Rotom Phone, doing a quick search, finding the address to the Stone Emporium located in Lumiose. He nodded to himself looking at Sage, a smile on his face. "Hey Sage, are you ready to get a little stronger?"
"Leafy?"
"Elesa gave us some very special stones, I'd like to try them out as soon as we can. But in order to do that we need to get a special mount for you. Not only that but I need to get one for myself as well. We'll work hard to make it work right, but we'll be able to make it work." he said, giving his pokemon a pat on the head. Sage wagged his tail happily, all while Snow White looked at him, eyes narrowed in jealousy. Oliver noticed this, frowning as he knelt down before the ice type.
"I know it may seem as if I am giving Sage a bit more attention, but sadly Elesa wasn't able to get the other stone. But you don't have to worry Snow, the two of us will work hard to improve. All of us will. It's what we entered the PWCS for."
"Glaa." she merely said, looking away from him. He shook his head.
"Typical Princess, probably why she wears the name Snow White so well." he thought to himself.
"Hey, the Pokemon World Championships are on, I think Lance is having a warmup battle against Steven Stone!" a trainer said, causing the older of the two to look toward the counter.
"Hey miss quick, turn the TV on, the Championships are on!"
"Alright alright, hold your Horseas, I got orders to fill too you know," she said, setting down what she was doing. She dried her hands off as she grabbed the remote, turning the TV on and flipping through the channels until she was on the Pokemon Battle Network.
"Amazing, Steven Stone's Aggron is still as tough as nails! Despite everything it has resisted, Lance's Dragonite isn't giving him an inch! Though this is a warm-up battle, these two trainers are giving it their all. It's no wonder both of them made it so far into the Masters 8!" the announcer said, clearly excited as the battle went on.
Oliver watched the battle intently, swallowing the lump in his throat as the two Pokemon on screen fought with everything they had. "Those two are Pokemon Masters, two of the best trainers in the world. That's what we'll be going up against if we ever make it to the Masters 8."
"Well you seem intent on this battle." the waitress said, as she returned with his order, 9 neatly stacked bowls of food each in color-coded bowls. She expertly placed them down, not spilling a single bit of food onto the floor. "Do you like those two?"
"I think they are both awesome trainers. I'm mostly studying them because I entered the Championships myself. One day, I might find myself on the opposite side of one of them, and I want to be ready for that."
"Oh I see, here I thought you were waiting for the Lumiose City Conference again. Do you think you have what it takes to make it to the Masters 8?" she asked, causing Oliver to look at his team, who all gave him confident looks.
"Yes, we have what it takes. We'll train hard and push past our limits and then some, who knows? Maybe the next time you see us we'll be in Wyndon Stadium." he said, earning a smile from the young woman.
"That's what I like to see, never give up. You'll always have a fan in me, I'll be back with your order in a bit, sit tight okay?" she asked. He nodded, his eyes returning to the television screen.
"I'm getting really excited about this, we will work hard. We'll make it to Wyndon Stadium and face off against the winner of this tournament. We've got to."
xxx
"Augh… it's so bright!"
"Char Char,"
"I'm not a wussie, Charmander, sheesh. We've been in a metal tube for the last 9 and a half hours. What do you expect?" Adrian said, stretching his arms a bit as he made it out of Lumiose International Airport. He took a deep breath, sighing contently... "So, this is Kalos?"
The city was beautiful, far more beautiful than he had been expecting. He waited for the cars to go by before he started walking forward, eventually breaking into a sprint. He ducked and weaved through the people around him, finally leaving the airport. Finding himself in one of the many streets of the Kalosian Capital, Adrian was quick to lose himself. The many sights, scents, and sounds were enough to give him sensory overload. Finally coming to a stop, he found himself staring at the distant Prism Tower, the largest and most iconic location in the entirety of Kalos.
He felt himself getting excited, and quickly reached for his Rotom Phone, starting a Livestream without hesitation. "Hey, hey, hey, peeps. Adrian is back online and look at where we are, the beautiful Kalos Region! It was a long flight here but we finally landed. Now that we're here we can begin our journey in earnest!"
A few people around him looked his way, all of them curiously staring at this young man who was speaking into a floating phone. He didn't mind, rather he welcomed the views. "First order of business is to go and challenge the Lumiose City Gym Leader to a battle! My number 1 partner and I already won a battle so we've got this!"
Charmander sighed audibly, her trainer was much too energetic for her at the moment. She let out a cry as she was forced to grab onto his shoulder to hang on. "Char Char!"
"No time for breaks, Charmander! We gotta get as much battle experience as we can before we begin this!"
As he turned the corner, he ended up bumping into someone, a girl far younger than him. The two fell to the ground with Charmander timing her jump perfectly, landing a few paces behind the two. The younger girl growled as she pushed Adrian off of herself, glaring at him.
"Jeez, don't you look where you are running, idiot?"
"Obviously not, I can't see around corners!" the young man retorted, glaring at the girl. She seemed to be around his sister's age and had a look of annoyance on her face. He sighed, holding his hand out as he stood up. "I'm sorry, kid. I'll look out in the future."
"Yeah, you better. You could have hurt my Pokemon by slamming into me like that," she replied, reaching for her pochette where her sleeping Dedenne was. "What has you so excited anyway?"
"I'm on my way to the Lumiose Gym so I can whoop the Gym Leaders butt! I need training if I'm going to make it to the Masters 8 after all!" he said, a look of pride on his face. Rotom was still hovering around him, streaming the whole encounter. "Me and my partner Charmander here are ready to defeat everyone in our way!"
"Char char." the fire type cried, arms crossed in annoyance at her trainer. The girl looked at the pair, holding back the urge to laugh.
"You think you can take on the Lumiose Gym Leader with a Charmander? I doubt you would get past his Magnemite."
"I totally would! The two of us already beat another trainer, we're totally ready for this."
"You think you might be but the Gym Leader is way too strong for you. Believe me, I would know this better than anyone," the blonde girl replied. "If you want to defeat the Gym Leader, I recommend catching some Pokemon and training them up, maybe earning a few other Gym Badges beforehand. If you really are aiming to make it to the Masters 8, you'll need a lot of training."
Adrian frowned. He really wanted to defeat the Gym Leader of this city and prove to himself that he had what it took. But if this girl was saying he wouldn't be able to beat him, he'd have to take her word for it. He could tell she was experienced just by looks alone. He deflated a bit, looking away from the girl.
"Alright, you might be right. The last thing I want is to jump the gun and get myself into a situation I can't handle." Adrian replied, scratching his neck. "Any suggestions where I could go? Or even catch a Pokemon?"
"Well, Santalune City is a good place to start, Viola, the Gym Leader, trains Bug Types so your Charmander will do good against her. But her battles are 2 on 2 so you'll need to catch something. As to where you can catch something… well that depends on what you want, I can't really suggest anything."
"I want something strong and badass! Something that could take me to the Masters 8 without much trouble!" the boy boasted, eyes sparkling. "Something like a Gyarados or a Dragonite… no! A Salamence! Those are so freaking cool!"
"A Salamence? Well, Bagon do live in this region, they make their homes in the Coastal part of the Kalos Region," she replied, reaching for her phone. She opened the map application, tapping on it for a moment before showing it to the young man. "Here you go, Route 8 and the surrounding parts of Ambrette Town are your best bet at finding a Bagon. They're really rare though so you might not get lucky."
"Route 8 huh? Rotom, set a route toward Ambrette Town would you?"
"Bzzt, Ambrette Town has been added to your list of locations. Incidentally, the Ambrette Aquarium is holding a special contest for up-and-coming Pokemon Trainers, the winner will receive a Pokemon Egg!"
"Eh, not interested in that, hatching eggs takes too long. Alright, thanks for the directions, little girl, sorry about bumping into you!" Adrian said, brushing past her and racing up the street. She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.
"I am not a little girl! I'm fourteen, you idiot!"
"Bonnie, there you are. Who are you yelling at?" Serena asked, causing the girl to whip around, her ponytail swinging around her shoulder.
"Some asshat who knocked me to the ground. He wanted to battle my brother but I told him he'd get creamed. Oh yeah, his Rotom Phone said something about a contest in Ambrette Town. They're giving a Pokemon Egg to the winner, are you interested?"
The honey-haired girl pondered her options for a moment before shrugging. "I dunno, I was thinking of heading to Coumarine City. Azure Bay is known to be a beautiful habitat for Water-type Pokemon. If I want to compete against Lisia, May, Dawn, and Zoey, I'll need my own Water type."
"Hm… that is true, though you could catch something by the beaches of Route 8," Bonnie said, shrugging. "Oh well, if that's what you wanna do then I won't stop you, but I'm going after that egg. Who knows? It could be something really cool!"
Serena sighed, feeling her smile waver a bit. "So I guess our big journey won't happen after all huh?"
"Don't be sad, sis. Though I wanted it to be a bit later, it was going to happen at some point. I still need to gather the last few badges I need after all. But don't worry, I'll keep up with you and video chat whenever I can." she said cheerfully. Serena nodded, hugging the blonde girl tightly.
"I know, we both have dreams to achieve, it isn't the first time I'll be traveling alone. Besides, I'm not really alone, I'm with my Pokemon," she chirped, reaching for her phone. "Since you'll be heading to Ambrette and I'll be heading to Coumarine, how about we meet up in Shalour City? We can say hi to Korrina while we're there, and catch up with Gurkin too."
"Sure, that would be awesome, we can have a battle too. We'll have to stay sharp if we want to get far in the Championships, even if your main goal is the Circuit League." Bonnie said. She held her hand out, a grin on her face. "Au Revoir, Serena, see you soon!"
"Au Revoir, Bonnie! Good Luck on your journey, don't get too strong though, I want to at least have a chance against you!"
"Hehehe, no promises." her friend replied with a wink. They high-fived, sharing one last hug before parting ways. It was bittersweet, but Serena knew it wasn't the last time they'd see each other.
xxx
"So, did you enjoy the flight?"
"Hell no I didn't, you said it would be fun, turbulence isn't fun!" Lisa cried, earning a genuine laugh from Nessa. The raven-haired trainer covered her mouth with her hand.
"You'll have to get used to it, Lisa. If you are going to be participating in the Circuit League, you'll have to get used to flying. I'll admit, the other regions are beginning to adopt a flying Taxi service like in Galar, but they can't fly to other regions," she replied.
"Flying Taxis would be really convenient in Johto, my mom complains all the time about having to take a boat to Goldenrod City. I have every complaint ingrained in my mind,"
"They'll be established soon enough. Regardless of that, now that you are here you'll be able to start out in earnest. In order to get to Coumarine City and Azure Bay, you'll need to head to Lumiose City's Route 13 Gate. From there you'll head north through the badlands, you should be able to reach Coumarine City in a few days." Nessa said, earning a nod of understanding from the young woman.
"Alright, I'll commit that to memory. If anything I'll have Rotom guide me there."
"Excellent, it was nice getting to know you, Lisa. Maybe in the future, once you are well established in your training the two of us can have a battle. Of course I won't make it easy on you and if it's in Hulberry, I'll give you a run for your money,"
"I'll hold you to it, Nessa. Thank you for everything, and for your advice, it really will help me start things on the right foot." Lisa said cheerfully, shaking her hand. "Good Luck in your future endeavors."
The pair parted ways, with Lisa taking a hold of her phone, focusing on the route she was set to venture on. Having left the airport, she paused for a few moments to look at the distant Prism Tower, feeling jittery at the sight of it. She still couldn't believe she was in Kalos.
"This is all so surreal, being all the way from home, to train Pokemon of all things. I never thought I'd actually be here." she thought, taking a shaky breath. She reached into her pocket for her Pokeball, releasing Eevee from within. "Look Eevee, we made it to Lumiose!"
"Eevee!" her partner cried, sniffing the air around them. The breeze picked up, bringing with it the wonderful scent of freshly baked goods and coffee. This reminded Lisa of just how hungry she was. She let out a giggle.
"We should probably find a cafe for a quick bite, huh? Do you think we can find Lumiose Galettes somewhere?"
The brown fox yipped happily, causing her trainer to smile. "Alright, let's get to searching."
Just as she was about to take off in search of a cafe, she got a notification on her Rotom Phone, causing her to reach for it. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw what it was. "An Official Message from the Pokemon World Championships?"
Clicking on it, she saw that it was a Livestream, the match between Monarch Leon and Kanto/Johto League Champion Lance was just about to begin. Lisa looked around for a moment, ducking into the first cafe she found, keen on watching it. She almost bumped into a trainer who had been heading out, his focus also on his Rotom Phone.
"Ladies and Gentlemen this is what you've all been waiting for, the 6-on-6 title match between the reigning Monarch, world champion Leon, vs the joint Kanto/Johto League Champion, Dragon Master, Lance. These two have duked it out in the past but now is the time to see them in action.
This battle is going to be one for the century folks, and with its conclusion, the new season for the Pokemon World Championships will begin. And with 35,659 participants, it promises to be one of the best seasons! Now let's go to the battlefield where this battle is about to start!"
"Excuse me, Miss, are you ready to order?" the waitress asked, causing Lisa to tear her gaze away from her phone.
"Oh uh, yes. Do you sell Lumiose Galettes here?"
"I'm so sorry, Miss. Those are sold on North Boulevard, there isn't a particular cafe that sells them. By now they're likely all sold out, they're really hard to get a hold of sometimes. But we can offer you anything else. Freshly baked bread, donuts, muffins, coffee, smoothies, even some food for your Pokemon."
Though disappointed, Lisa shrugged it off, giving the young woman a smile. "I'll have a blueberry muffin and a strawberry smoothie. Oh and an Oran/Pecha Blend for my Eevee here."
"Huh… that's the same order I got from… never mind, I'll bring that out in a jiffy. You'll have to find a place to sit, everyone is watching that title match so it'll be a bit cramped. I apologize," the waitress said with a bow, causing Lisa to wave her hand.
"Oh no, it's alright. I don't mind standing if I have to, besides I need to watch this match too, maybe it'll help me with my own journey," she said, pocketing her phone as she turned her attention to the television. The Waitress excused herself in order to bring the slip to the kitchen.
"Gyarados, don't let up, use Hyper Beam!" Lance shouted, the giant crimson sea beast rising high over its opponent, a swirl of dark violet energy gathering in its mouth.
"Cinderace dodge it and when you get close hit it with Electro Ball!" Leon countered.
Gyarados let out a fierce roar as it fired the pulsing beam toward the bipedal rabbit Pokemon, who easily dodged it. Cinderace ran forward, jumping into the air as it formed a crackling ball of electrical energy on the tip of its foot and with a cry, it kicked it forward straight into Gyarados's face. It let out a scream of pain as it fell backward, electricity racing across its body.
"Gyarados can you continue?" Lance asked, concerned over his Pokemon. It gave a loud roar, pushing through the pain to face its adversary. "Alright then, let's keep it up, use Dragon Rage!"
"We can do this, Cinderace, wait for it to fire its attack and then get in close with another Electro Ball!"
"Leon is so cool, he isn't even afraid of Gyarados!"
"Cinderace is awesome too, Ah! I wish Scorbunny was the regional starter here in Kalos, I want one so bad!"
"Do you think Lance can win this thing? Gyarados is tough but it's losing to a fire type."
"Who knows, even if Electro Ball is effective, it isn't getting the same type of attack bonus it would if an electric type was using it. We'll have to wait and see, remember Lance has both Dynamax and Mega Evolution to call upon."
"I thought he could only use one, not both?"
"Well yes, just one. But if he Mega Evolves Gyarados then he isn't going to be able to Dynamax any other Pokemon."
"I am so lost by all this," Lisa thought as she kept her eyes glued to the screen. She looked down at Eevee, who was busy playing with one of the strands of hair framing her face. "I should start watching some contests. That way I can get the hang of it all."
At the same time, Adrian was making his way toward the northern exit of Lumiose City; he had been forced to end his stream to watch the title match. He was completely entranced by it, watching it intently and memorizing everything he saw. The battle had moved quickly, with Lance returning Gyarados and taking out Cinderace with his Aerodactyl. Dragonite had brought down Rillaboom and Inteleon had taken out Dragonite and Salamence, leaving Lance with few pokemon he could counter with, thus forcing him to return Gyarados to the field.
"Alright Lance, I think we've waited long enough. Let's give all of our fans round the world a battle that'll be seared into their minds forever." Leon said, earning a smirk from the Dragon Master.
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
Leon held his Pokeball up, returning his ace, Charizard, into its Pokeball. He held it out, the band around his wrist glowing brightly, the light being absorbed into the Pokeball. Adrian watched in amazement, not knowing what was going on. Leon adjusted his hat as he threw the ball high into the air. "Charizard, Gigantimax!"
"Whoa what the heck is that?" he cried out loud, almost bumping into a lamp post, though with a timed tug from Charmander he was able to avoid it. She peered down at the screen, her eyes firmly locked on the Charizard on screen.
This one grew bigger and bigger until it hardly resembled itself. Large orange flames erupted from its maws, the flame on its tail glowing three times as brightly. A swirling cloud of red energy appeared above it as it let out a roar. Lance had used the same technique on with his Gyarados, having it grow to 3 times the size it once was.
"Look at that folks! Monarch Leon has Gigantimaxed his Charizard, and Lance has responded in kind by Dynamaxing his Gyarados. These two titans are going all out and nothing can stop them! The crowd is going wild here in Wyndon Stadium and all around the world! The true battle has just begun!" the announcer shouted, his infectious energy echoing through the speakers, hyping up Adrian as he walked.
"That Charizard is so cool! Charmander, let's train hard so one day you can be like that Charizard!"
"Char char," she said dismissively, feigning interest, though there was one thing in her mind now. She needed to become as strong as that Charizard, that way she'd prove herself to all those trainers who rejected her back in Pallet Town.
"Charizard, G-Max Wild Fire!"
"Gyarados, Max Windstream!"
A blazing pyre erupted from Charizard's throat as it launched the searing flames forward, taking the shape of a phoenix as it flew around Gyarados. It let out a roar, a swirling stream of flying-type energy cutting through the flames. Yet despite that, the attack managed to connect, entrapping it in a swirl of flames.
"Push through it, Gyarados, counter with Max Geyser!"
The giant water type fired a swirling beam of water at the fire type, which connected, causing the creature to howl in pain. Steam filled the battlefield from the clash, causing the two Pokemon to lose partial sight of each other. Leon merely smirked.
"You won't get me with those cheap tricks, Charizard, Max Wyrmwind!"
"These two Giants are giving it everything they've got. What a show of power, neither is giving an inch as this battle continues heating up! Who will come out on top?" the announcer cried out, the cheering of the crowd echoing through the speakers.
"Oh man, this is getting intense," Serena muttered, as she leaned back on her bench, holding her phone tightly in her hand. Sylveon was sitting beside her, partially on her lap as she stared at the screen. Her feelers were wrapped around her wrist, the honey-haired girl munching on some potato chips she had gotten. "I've never seen Leon battle before but Lance always defeats everyone who stands in his way,"
"Sylve?"
"Who do I think will win?" Serena asked, earning a nod from her pokemon. She tilted her head a bit in thought, tapping her chin pensively. "If I'm being honest, I think Leon will win. I don't know what it is but I just feel like he has this battle."
"Syl."
"It's just a gut feeling, that Charizard seems pretty strong. Remember the last one we saw? It was tough as nails. If any Pokemon can pull off a win, it's a Charizard. It's no wonder a lot of people really like it," she said, placing another chip in her mouth.
"And there it is! Charizard has managed to defeat Gyarados! With this victory, Lance is down to his final Pokemon! Will he be able to pull off a win?"
"See? I told you, Leon's got this in the bag," she said, rising to her feet. She tossed the empty bag of chips into the nearby trash can, grabbed her bag, and slipped it on around her shoulders, making sure it was secure. "Alright, Sylveon. We have a long way to go if we want to reach Azure Bay. So let's get a move on."
"Sylveon!"
xxx
Oliver took a deep breath as he pushed off the wall, the battle between Leon and Lance had finished only moments ago. The reigning Monarch had retained his title and had defended it valiantly. With the ending of that battle, the new season of the Pokemon World Championships had begun, and the entering trainers would have to work hard to even make it up to the Masters 8. He pocketed his phone, already knowing where he was going.
"Alright Cinnamon, if we want to make it to Shalour City, the quickest way would be north through the Badlands. It'll be faster to make it through Coumarine City than going through Cyllage."
"Vee vee!" the small fox cried, wagging her tail happily. She was excited to be traveling again.
It didn't take him long to reach the gate that would lead to the Lumiose Badlands. It was a desert region north of the capital city, filled with a myriad of ground types. The Kalos Power Plant was also located here, thousands upon thousands of solar panels had been installed, helping to provide electricity to the northern half of Lumiose City. It was a Geo-Electric plant as well, so the entire area was just hot. He didn't like it the first time he had ventured through Kalos but he'd have to go through it again if he wanted to reach Coumarine City.
The air-conditioned breeze of the Lumiose Gate left the second he passed through the doors. It was bright and sunny, the sun had moved down quite a bit from when he had arrived. It was mid-afternoon and the skies were a clear blue, with nigh a cloud in sight. Grasping his bag straps, he started moving forward, climbing the natural stairs that led up to the desert. The dusty path stretched out for miles, with nothing but sand and dried ground as far as the eye could see.
Oliver briefly glanced back, seeing the outer wall of Lumiose City nearby, the tall buildings making him question if he should take the long way through Cyllage City. But before he could weigh his options, he heard a scream, causing him to act. Cinnamon gave out a cry as she struggled to hang on to him.
He came to a stop, spotting a young girl swinging a dried stick at a Trapinch, who was trying to bite her. The orange pokemon was dodging the stick left and right, its sharp maws snapping loudly like metal with every bite it threw. He also noticed an Eevee by her feet, who was trying to stand its ground but was clearly too young and inexperienced to do anything. He reached for one of his Pokeballs, throwing it up without hesitation.
"Snow White, Ice Beam!" he cried out. The ball snapped open, releasing the ice-type eeveelution, her body glowing for a brief moment as she took aim.
"Glaceon!"
A beam of cold energy shot forward, striking the Trapinch on the back. It immediately turned around, digging its paws into the ground before it disappeared. Oliver looked around for a moment, Snow White's ears twitching as she tried to listen to its movements.
Oliver snapped his fingers, causing the glaceon to jump back just in time for the Dig to miss. He smirked. "Now, Snow White use Iron Tail!"
The glaceon let out a cry as she planted her paws firmly against the ground, jumping high into the air, tail aglow with steel-type energy. She spun around mid-air, bashing Trapinch across the head and sending it flying. It let out a cry of pain before scurrying away, jumping into a mound of dirt.
"Great job, Snow."
"Glaceon," she replied, holding her head high, trying to look as regal as possible. Cinnamon muttered something under her breath, shaking her head. Oliver meanwhile moved toward the frightened girl, who was still holding the dead branch in her grasp.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm okay. That thing won't come back, will it?"
"No, I don't think so. Ground types don't like ice types very much," he said, rubbing his neck. He checked her over, but aside from a few dirt smudges and a light cut on her leg, she looked fine. "Let me guess, you were wondering what it was and ended up entering its Arena Trap?"
"No, I was just looking at my phone trying to see if I was on the right route. Suddenly the ground beneath me just gave in and that thing is trying to eat me. I landed on my ass and it almost bit me between the legs!" she cried, growling as she stared at the direction the Pokemon went. "You almost made me sterile you stupid runt!"
Oliver coughed into his fist. "Erm… well do be careful. Trapinch live around here because it's dry and arid. They have spats with the local Diglett and Dugtrio so the ground might be loose in places."
His gaze fell down to her feet where an Eevee sat, looking rather shaken up. He knelt down before it, holding his hand out only for it to back away. "Whoa, I don't mean any harm, I just want to make sure you are okay."
Cinnamon was quick to step in, sniffing at the frightened Eevee. Snow White joined in as well, looking her over for a moment before licking her cheek. The girl looked at the interaction, very impressed.
"Wow… my Eevee doesn't really get along with other Pokemon and she's shy around people. Your Pokemon managed to calm her down and earn her trust," she said, running her hand through her hair. "I should have been more aware of my surroundings, I'm still kinda new to all this."
"To traveling?"
"Mhmm, and training. I sort of just got to the Kalos Region, hehe," she said, a sheepish look on her face. "I'm Lisa, what's your name?"
"Oliver, it's nice to meet you, Lisa," he replied with a handshake, looking down at her Eevee. "I'm gonna be honest with you, Lisa. Maybe coming to the Lumiose Badlands wasn't a wise idea. If you are a newbie trainer then a place this hostile might be too dangerous. You need another Pokemon at least, maybe a Water type or an Ice type."
"Well, I was on my way to Azure Bay to catch one. This really sweet girl named Nessa told me this is the fastest way to Coumarine City. I just wasn't expecting that thing to want to bite my ankles off."
The young man nodded, tilting his head a bit in thought. He was heading to Coumarine City himself, though he was passing through. This girl was still quite green and he wouldn't feel right just leaving her to her own devices. He placed his fist in his open palm, nodding.
"Alright, I'm heading to Coumarine City myself, it wouldn't be right to leave a young lady stranded here by herself. It isn't my first time venturing through Kalos, so I don't mind accompanying you to Coumarine City. How about it?"
"Wait, you're willing to travel that far with me?"
"Sure, why not?"
"But we just met."
"So? Don't you know it's way more fun to travel with a friend? Besides it's like I said, these parts can be rough on new trainers. I wouldn't want you or your Eevee to get hurt. Not only that, but as an Eevee trainer myself, I can help you get adjusted to battle. Cinnamon could use a sparring partner." Oliver said cheerfully. Lisa glanced down at her Eevee, giving her a firm look.
"What do you think, Eevee? Are you up for it?"
"Vee!"
"Alright, we'll be happy to have you with us, Oliver. I don't have any money or anything so I can't really-"
"You don't need to pay me, I'm happy to have company. I can show you the ropes since I'm kinda starting out myself. I've been out of training for a while so we're in the same boat." Oliver said, frowning.
"Oh… did something bad happen?"
"Yeah, but it's something I don't wanna talk about right now. Anyway, if you are ready to go, we can start heading out. With a good pace, we should make it across the badlands by nightfall." the older trainer said.
"Awesome! I'm so excited," Lisa said, scooping Eevee into her arms. Oliver did the same with Cinnamon, glancing down at Snow White.
"I want you to stay out as well, Snow White, just in case anymore Trapinch or Diglett get close," he said. She merely nodded, licking her paw without a care in the world. "Whelp, let's get going."
"So, would you mind telling me about yourself? If you are comfortable that is."
"Yeah, I don't mind at all. I'm from Striaton City, but moved to Nimbasa after my second round at the Unova League…"
xxx
"Good job, Charmander! Go in for another Dragon Tail!"
The fire lizard moved forward as fast as she could, jumping high into the air, tail aglow with draconic energy. She brought it down on the wild Gible, causing it to scream in pain. Adrian let out a chuckle as he pulled a Pokeball from his pocket, rapidly expanding it.
"Alright, Go Pokeball!" he cried, pitching the ball at the Pokemon with all of his strength. It sailed forward, striking the side of Gible's face before it was absorbed into it. It fell to the ground, shaking wildly to and fro. Adrian, Charmander, and Rotom watched with bated breath, hoping it would stay in.
Sadly, the Gible broke out of the Pokeball, looking rather angry at the trainer. It let out a roar, causing Adrian to cover his ears, his own cries of surprise being drowned out by the attack. When he was able to hear again, he saw the Gible was gone, an empty Pokeball where it had once been. The rookie trainer knelt down, taking the useless Pokeball into his hand, frowning.
"Great, just great. I didn't know Gible were that tough to catch," he said, tossing the broken ball aside as he turned to his partner. "Don't worry, Charmander. You did a great job."
Though disappointed, she decided to just look away, her arms crossed as usual. Adrian swiftly stood up, facing his Rotom Phone with a grin on his face. "Not to worry dear viewers! I'm sure I'll catch something out here. This place is huge!"
Looking around, there was nothing but rocky terrain as far as the eye could see. In the distance, there was a bit of greenery visible but it was so far it would take a long time to reach it. He took a drink of water from his bottle, giving some to Charmander to cool off before resuming his walk.
"Well, at least we're getting some battle experience. Since I wasn't able to battle the Lumiose Gym Leader I need to do something. Rotom, what's my Championship Ranking again?"
"Bzzt, you are currently ranked 13,456 out of 35,685 participants."
"Yeesh, it's gonna take forever just to make it to the Great Class." he groaned, shoulders drooping a bit. "But we will give it our all, I promise you! We are going to become world champions! I just know it!"
"Char char."
"Charmander, why do you always gotta be like that?" he asked, glaring at his partner. She merely rolled her eyes, gesturing around them with her claw. "What? You think we could have done better?"
"Char."
"And how would you have battled that Gible? Hm? You have just as much battle experience as I do." Adrian replied, only being ignored by the fire type. "Wise ass."
The young trainer was quite surprised by how well he could understand his partner. She had a rather arrogant personality and thought quite highly of herself. The fact she looked away from him and gave him attitude let him know everything he needed to know. There was no doubt at one point she was a sweetheart of a Pokemon, but being ignored by so many trainers must have soured her attitude.
"Bzzt, Adrian there's an oasis up ahead!"
"An oasis? Oh, that's gotta be a pretty sight!" he said, breaking into a sprint. "Come on guys!"
Charmander forced herself to run, struggling to keep up with her trainer. They moved through some rocky paths, ducking through a few boulders. It didn't take them long to reach the end of the path, coming to a stop before a wonderful sight. There was a lake of pure fresh water in the center of the endless wasteland. All around it, lush green grass along with fruit-bearing trees could be seen. There were hundreds of Pokemon there, splashing in the water, enjoying the fruit, and just hiding from the sun. Adrian was quick to grab his Rotom Phone, changing the camera and zooming in to see everything.
"Look at this, you guys. All of these Pokemon are here, relaxing in this area. It's so cool to see so many types all setting aside their differences to survive. And check out the surrounding areas, nothing but rocks and dust as far as the eye can see. They must have come here from miles away just for a drink of water. I didn't think the desert could be this harsh." he said, briefly glancing at his screen. His eyes grew wide when he realized he had 20 concurrent viewers.
"Wow, look Charmy, we have 20 viewers!" he said softly, allowing his Charmander to climb onto his shoulder and look at his phone screen. She felt rather proud of her trainer, of course, she wasn't going to show it. She just continued looking out into the distance, looking at the Pokemon within the Oasis. "Now if only we could get them to subscribe."
"Char char," she said, patting his shoulder. His phone suddenly buzzed, flying out of his hand.
"Bzzt bzzt, Adrian, you've received a challenge!"
"A challenge?"
"That's right, those participating in the Pokemon World Championships issue challenge battles through the application. Only those in the Normal and Great Class may do this, as those in the Ultra Class are predetermined. These Normal and Great Battles can happen anywhere. The challenger is a young woman named Serena Yvonne."
Adrian coughed loudly, breathing raggedly. "S-Serena Yvonne, the current Kalos Queen Serena Yvonne?"
"So it would seem, would you like to accept the challenge?" the device asked, only to be swiped from the air, the boy looking at the request. He saw Serena's profile, seeing she was ranked 17,584 in the Championships.
"Okay Rotom, accept it for me."
"Understood, the request has been accepted. The battle shall be held in 20 minutes at the Kalos Power Plant." the device said. Adrian quickly shifted cameras, holding the device up as he looked directly at it.
"This just in, CharmanTsun fans, I just got my first challenge! I did already win my first battle but this is nothing like battling my sister. If I win, I'll go up in rank. I have to win lots of these if I even want to taste the Great Class Rankings!"
"Shall I set a course for the Kalos Power Plant?"
"Yes! Come on Charmy, we need to go there yesterday!" he cried, breaking into a sprint down the path. Charmander hung on for dear life, mouth closed tightly.
"Ugh… Charmy, what an annoying nickname." she thought to herself. She opened her eyes, gazing at her trainer's smiling face as he ran, tilting her head a bit. "Well, it could be a worse name… I kinda like it. Charmy… Charming, the perfect name if I say so myself."
It was a good thing Adrian didn't fully understand PokeSpeak, or else he'd find out just how truly conceited his partner was.
xxx
It had been a long time since Serena had come to the Kalos Power Plant. It had gotten even larger than before, with large fields filled to the brim with solar panels. She remembered Clemont telling her about the new additions at the Plant. Along with anti-radio technology that would protect the Electric types, they had made security a whole lot tighter. That would prevent organizations like Team Flare from waltzing in to steal energy. The Power Plant itself was operating at near max power, and a third addition was currently being built. It was all in accordance with new laws passed throughout Kalos, to spread energy all through the region, being centrally managed by the Power Plant. Supposedly, it was to put less strain on the systems already in operation. Lots of people thought it was a way to take more money from customers.
Serena didn't quite care about the politics of it all. She just liked seeing places like this, filled with so many strong pokemon. It was a mechanical marvel, and she was sure if Clemont was there, he'd be telling her weird facts and trivia about its construction. She smiled a bit as she remembered the lemon-haired boy.
"I miss that idiot. The brief meetings we had in Prism Tower reminded me of how much I miss traveling with him and Ash. Maybe one day in the future we can go to another region together. That would be fun." she thought to herself. Of course, she remembered Ash and the fact that he had someone special in his life. Though she had told herself she'd move on, she still felt a twinge in her heart whenever she thought of the boy. "Oh Ash… maybe if I had gone with you to Alola, the two of us would be together instead."
"Oh wow, Rotom wasn't kidding, it really is the Kalos Queen!"
Serena looked away from the power plant for a moment, staring at the path leading out of the Power Plant. There stood the boy she had sent a challenge to, Adrian Avereux, the only trainer who was in the area, according to the Rotom Phone at the very least.
"Oh, Hello. I'm sorry to trouble you. I just needed a bit of a distraction and my team could use a warm-up."
"Pfft, you? Troubling me? Never, I mean you're the Kalos Queen, it's an honor to even be in your presence!" he said, going as far as bowing. He straightened up, clearing his throat. "So uh… how does this work, exactly?"
"I'm not sure. Admittedly, I entered this tournament to get more battle experience. My main goal is to enter the Pokemon Contest Circuit League but well… I'm flat broke." she said, a sheepish smile on her face. "Battling other trainers earns you money so I'm hoping you don't mind the battle."
"Ah… of course," he said, closing his eyes for a moment only for them to snap open. "Wait, you can make money from battling?"
"Yes?"
"That's so cool!"
Before Serena could say anything else, a loud buzzing filled the air, causing the pair to look up. They noticed a lime green device slowly approaching them, hovering a few feet above the ground. The pair noticed it had a familiar-looking face, along with what looked like a projector on the front. It looked around the field for a moment before speaking.
"Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! You have been approved for an official Pokemon World Championship Normal Rank battle! Today's battle will be between the reigning Kalos Queen, Serena Yvonne from Vaniville Town, and her opponent will be Adrian Avereux from Celadon City." the drone said loudly.
Its projector activated, showing a profile of the pair along with two Pokeballs. "I shall be your referee today, Drone Rotom! Today's battle will be a two-on-two Pokemon battle, substitutions will not be allowed between challengers, is that understood?"
"Those terms are good with me, Drone Rotom!" Serena said cheerfully, looking across the way at Adrian. "Are they okay with you?"
"Oh uh…" the boy scratched his cheek as if debating something mentally. "Sure, yeah, those terms are a-okay!"
"The battle will begin with both trainers calling their first Pokemon to the battlefield. Whenever you're ready!"
"Pancham this will be our first championship battle, let's give it our all!" Serena cried, throwing a Pokeball high into the air. It erupted in a bright blue light, releasing the captive Pancham to the field.
"Cham!" it cried in greeting, adjusting the glasses on his head as he looked across the field. Adrian held his arm out, tugging on his beanie.
"Alright Charmy, battle cry!"
"Chaaar!" the fire lizard roared, landing on the battlefield with a firm look.
"Challengers… battle… begin!"
"Pancham, use Stone Edge!" Serena called out, urging her Pokemon on. The small panda jumped high into the air, slamming his fist into the ground. Large blue stones erupted from the ground, causing the area to shake as they headed straight toward Charmander.
"Quick, Charmy dodge them as best as you can!" Adrian returned, gritting his teeth as he watched the glowing stones. Charmander ducked and weaved trying to avoid them only for one to appear underfoot, sending her flying up. "Charmy!"
"Arm Thrust!" the Kalos Queen continued, not missing a beat. Pancham spun his arm around, it glowed bright orange as he flung himself toward the starter Pokemon. Adrian merely smirked, snapping his fingers.
"Dragon Tail, Charmy, let's go!"
"Char!"
She spun around, her tail glowing brilliantly as she aimed for Pancham's head, striking him hard. The dark type cried in pain, slamming into one of the rocks he had summoned. "Follow it up with Ember!"
"Pancham quick, Dark Pulse!"
"Pancham!"
He pulled his joined hands back, thrusting them forward. The dark orb burst into a coiling beam that cut through the sparkling embers, hitting Charmander dead on. A small explosion enveloped the pokemon, launching her down to the ground.
"Charmy no!"
"Finish her off with Arm Thrust!" Serena commanded. Pancham launched itself forward, pulling his glowing arm back before clobbering the charmander across the face, sending her flying across the ground. She landed in front of Adrian, completely defeated.
"Charmander is unable to battle, the winner of the first match is Kalos Queen, Serena!" Drone Rotom announced, causing Serena to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Great work, Pancham, that was wonderful!" she said, holding her arms out to catch the small panda, hugging it tightly. Adrian merely knelt before his partner, looking away with a frown.
"I let you down, Charmy. Sorry for getting you hurt, return for now," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Shit, what do I do now? I only have one Pokemon!"
"Trainer Adrian, please send out your next Pokemon."
"I… I don't have one."
"Huh? But I thought you did, why'd you agree to the rules?" Serena cried, an incredulous look on her face.
"I don't know, I just wanted more battle experience."
"If Trainer Adrian cannot produce a second Pokemon to battle then I'll have to announce a winner. The battle goes to Serena Yvonne, the reigning Kalos Queen. Congratulations on your Rank Ascension." Drone Rotom said.
Both trainers' Rotom Phones beeped loudly. Serena looked at her profile, seeing her number lower by 5,000 points, bringing her down to 12,584. Adrian on the other hand went up by 5,000 bringing him over 18,000. He physically deflated, groaning loudly.
"Ugh… no way, I'm even further from the Great Class now!" he cried, falling down to his knees. "Oh, why must you be so cruel with me, Pokemon World?!"
"I apologize, but Pokemon Trainers who lose and or have to forfeit a battle due to technical difficulties or lack of Pokemon are awarded a penalty. Please read up on the official rules and regulations before challenging a fellow trainer or accepting a challenge. This concludes today's official battle, I hope to be your referee again in the future!" Drone Rotom said before taking off.
Serena watched the drone slowly disappearing into the distance before approaching the rookie trainer, kneeling down in front of him. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine, I'm just disappointed in myself. I should have just rejected the battle. I'll admit, it was only my second one."
"That was your second battle? You did fairly well for a second battle, far better than I did, that's for sure." the honey-haired girl said, still hugging her Pancham tightly. "I couldn't even tell you were a rookie!"
"That's because I've been studying. Before I was a trainer I went to normal school and was studying to be an engineer. But my family… Well, let's just say, everyone in my family is a trainer. My father and mother were trainers and my older brother challenged the leagues. My sister is a Top Coordinator, I was just the normal one in the family. I guess I just adapted quickly to things,"
"You'll get the hang of it, but maybe you shouldn't jump the gun and agree to things. You should probably read the rules for the Championships as well," she said, rising up to her feet. "Well, I have to go. I'm heading to Coumarine City, good luck with your travels."
"No wait, Miss Kalos Queen." he cried, grabbing a hold of her hand. She looked down at him, a look of concern on her face. "I'm a total rookie and you seem to be so much more experienced than I am, even though we're around the same age. Do you think I could travel with you for a bit? Just until I catch another Pokemon."
Serena was surprised by his request, not expecting him to ask that of her. She remembered the time she left home all on her own, having walked all the way to Lumiose City without a Pokemon. Those days when she was starting out were the most important to her, especially because shortly after she met up with great friends that made her journey that much more memorable. She could have easily said no, but that wouldn't be like her. She smiled, giving him a nod.
"Sure, it would be my pleasure to travel with you. It's a lot more fun traveling with a friend than it is by yourself," she said, reaching for her Phone. "There's a Pokemon Center on the other side of the Badlands, we can take your Charmander there so she can get checked out by Nurse Joy. Any idea what you want to catch?"
"A Bagon, I want to train a super awesome Salamence!" he said cheerfully, making her giggle.
"So you'll be heading to Ambrette Town for that… wait, if you want a Bagon why are you on Route 13?"
Adrian blinked a few times before grabbing onto his beanie, pulling it down hard. "What do you mean this is Route 13? I thought this was Route 5!"
"Nope… Route 13 is known as the Lumiose Badlands, it connects to Coumarine City. You went in the wrong direction."
"Arceus-dammit," he mumbled, sighing. "Well, I'm already here. Too late to turn around and it wouldn't be right to make you go to Ambrette Town."
"It's alright, we can still go after your Bagon! We'll have to go to Ambrette Town the other way around, through Cyllage City. Pokemon have been migrating a lot recently, so who knows? You might get lucky and find a Bagon closer to Coumarine." she said, glancing at the time, realizing just how late it was getting. "We should get going, we can make it to the Pokemon Center by sundown if we're quick about it."
"Okay, you take the lead then, Miss Kalos Queen!"
"Please, just call me Serena. All my friends do, come on, there's a road this way, it's the quickest way," she said, taking the lead.
Adrian followed along, looking back at his Rotom Phone, which had still been streaming everything. He flashed a peace sign to the camera, grinning. "Alright everyone, it seems we're on our way! Thanks for watching, I'll be streaming again soon!"
Serena looked over her shoulder for a moment, eyes widening. "Wait, you were streaming?"
"That's right! My goal is to become a Top Streamer, so I decided to join the World Championships. Not only because I want to stop being the Normal one in the family but because I think the idea of streaming my journey is super cool." he said, looking at the stream that had ended. "Wow look, I got 10 new subscribers! Finally, I hit 15 subs!"
He clicked the chat for a moment, reading one of the few comments left behind. "Ha, look at this loser, not only did he get creamed but he got beat by the Kalos Queen. Hopefully, if he's ever on fire she'll piss on him and put it out."
Adrian stared at it in confusion. "Why the hell would someone say that?"
"Ahahaha, I don't know! Don't focus on those mean comments, focus on the journey ahead! Let's get a move on, ahaha." she said, forcing a grin onto her face. Though weirded out, he shrugged, pocketing his phone.
"Sure, and with that, Adrian takes his first true steps toward stardom! I'm so excited!"
The Kalos Queen sighed, the fewer people she had to explain that comment to, the better. She just hoped that wouldn't rear its ugly head again. And just when she was beginning to forget it again.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story. It's been a rough few days for me, I just haven't been able to write anything substantially good. I dunno why it is, maybe I'm outgrowing writing. I blame writer's block. Thanks for the support, it means a lot to me that you are reading my stuff. All criticism is valid, good and bad. Hopefully, you all liked this chapter, I had fun writing it. See you all soon.