Oscar was generally quite content to be like how everyone else was. No dreams of glory lurked in his heart, no bold aspirations drove him forward, he was just happy to enjoy a life out in the country, tending to the crops, watching the seasons pass by, and experiencing an idyllic childhood where the biggest challenge was getting his chores done and not letting his mom catch what mischief he and his Nincada could get up to around the family farm.
And then, out of nowhere, weird Professor Oobleck showed up at the farm, getting attacked by Spearows, and once Oscar and Nincada had chased the pests off, he'd thrust a Pokedex into Oscar's hands and proclaimed that he needed to go out to see the world and become the Champion of the regional Pokemon League. Oscar had tried to explain that, no, he had no interest in becoming the Champion, but before he could get a word in, his Uncle Ozpin appeared out of nowhere to declare that it was a capital idea and that Oscar should leave right away to get the eight badges so he might challenge the Elite 4. Further attempts at protest only attracted his parents' attention, who also agreed that it'd be wonderful to have another Pokemon Champion in the family and so…
Oscar had effectively been kicked out of his house and sent off on a globe-trotting adventure. To become the greatest Pokemon trainer alive.
Even though he was 14.
But… he seemed to have no other choice but to give it a shot, if only because… he didn't exactly have any other direction at the moment. His parents had made it pretty clear they expected him to return a Champion, and even if they were being unreasonable, he hated disappointing them. And he didn't exactly have any other plans on the road, so… might as well? Try being a Pokemon trainer and see where it took him? So with Nincada perched on his shoulder, he set off the long, long, very long, vengeful bird-infested road from the family farm to get to Valois where he'd heard there was a Pokemon Gym of some renown.
Fortunately, most of the route wasn't that bad, barring the various Flying-types that saw Nincada as a potential snack. Oscar began to get the querulous sense that he was the one protecting his Pokemon and battling wild ones more than the other way around, but he'd traveled into Valois a few times before on errands. But being a fairly easy trip meant that he had a lot of time to think, and all that thinking just brought him back to the same situation: that he didn't really have the firmest grasp on what, exactly, he was doing.
He knew… some of the basics of the Competitive Pokemon Circuit. But it was sort of like knowing the rules to any other sporting event—he knew the general outline, he'd seen big matches on TV, and he had a distressing lack of the specifics now that he actually had to know them. Like… where was the Gym? Valois was not a particularly large town, and yet, Oscar felt like he'd criss-crossed every street in the town already! And his "map" was useless, being little more than a cartoony doodle of the town rather than anything-
"Excuse me, are you lost?"
Whirling around in surprise, Oscar felt he'd normally make a more self-controlled response, even if he was lost in his maps as someone tried to get his attention, but that voice was the most musical, most angelic sound he ever heard, and as he turned, his eyes went wide to see the woman who'd reached down from heaven to try and give him some help.
Wearing a fashionable red jacket and beret was a woman unlike anyone Oscar had ever met before. He was not exactly… used to meeting strangers out on the farm, particularly not glamorously beautiful ones who seemed to tower over him with eyes like resplendent emeralds and hair like fire cascading down their shoulders. So when she addressed him, he made a less than dignified impression, stammering out, "I- I'm l-looking for the P-Pokemon Gym?"
"Oh, wonderful!" she said, clapping her hands together, "I thought you might be a Trainer, with your Nincada on your shoulder."
Nincada gave a happy screech at being acknowledged, somehow showing up Oscar in receiving attention from a beautiful woman without freaking out in spite of being a bug.
"You're quite the cutie, aren't you?" she teased, giving Nincada a scratch under the chin, "But you're looking for Jaune—he's the Gym Leader here in Valois—and you've picked an excellent one to start with!" Oscar tried not to wince at how obvious it evidently was that he was on his very first Gym. "He'll help you get started, but if you're looking for his Gym, here, you just have to…"
She gave Oscar the directions while Oscar tried not to let his jaw hang open, particularly after she put a hand on his shoulder to turn him around and point him in the right direction. Fortunately, this moment would be forever burned into his memory, just like the lingering scent of her perfume, so he didn't immediately forget her directions, even as he listened in a total daze, more focused on not seeming weird than listening, until he was finally able to shake himself out of the spell she had over him… and realized she was gone.
Was the last words he'd said to the most beautiful woman in the world a mumbled "uh-huh" after she asked if he understood her directions? Nincada gave him a teasing nod as Oscar grumbled off, heading off to face the first Pokemon Gym and… well, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Especially because, after following the mystery woman's directions (why hadn't he gotten her name? He knew he couldn't ask her for her phone number by why, oh why, did he not ask for her name?) he found out why he couldn't find the Gym.
Because he'd walked past it twice.
He didn't really know what he was expecting, a big, boxy building that'd hold a traditional gymnasium? A stadium where matches could be spectated? But what he was looking at seemed more like a Pokemon Daycare than anything—a big, grassy park with various fenced-off areas where he could see a Aggron napping, the massive steel tank of a creature seeming only suggested to be "fenced in," or the little pond where he saw a large, dark-winged bird splashing about, before looking up, it's red eyes peering at Oscar through a heavy metal helm.
Was he supposed to fight all this?
Nincada seemed suddenly apprehensive as well, his claws digging into Oscar's shoulder.
"Don't clench too hard," he grumbled, heading up to what looked like the main building, "I don't really have that many shirts in this pack, and if you poke a hole in the shoulder…"
It was an empty threat, but right now, Oscar wanted to assert the few things he could try and control as he made his way through the winding path to get to the main building… which might be a barn? Any other time, this would feel like a nice stroll through a park, almost zoo-like if it wasn't for the fact that none of these enclosures seemed sufficient to contain the Pokemon within, but right now, Oscar was thinking about how imposing they all were, looking like they could accidentally crush Nincada like… well, like a bug. Maybe he'd just talk to Jaune and… ask for advice, some… tips on how to get started and registered rather than challenge him. He could just-
"What's this?" a distinguished voice suddenly boomed from beside Oscar as he reached for the door, "I daresay, I think we may have a Champion in the making!"
Unfortunately, lightning did not strike twice, and instead of a beautiful woman, this time Oscar found himself accosted by a portly older man with a carefully styled gray mustache that wobbled on his face as he spoke… much like his rather rotund belly wobbled as he made his way over to Oscar.
"I'm… Oscar Pine," he said, sticking out his hand, which the man absolutely crushed in his grip, "a-and, owwww, I don't know about being the Champ-"
"I'm Peter Port!" the old man said, as though Oscar was supposed to know him, "I keep my eyes open for the next great Pokemon Champion, so that my experiences might benefit the next generation of Pokemon Trainers! And believe me when I say this, but you have the look of a Champion to me! Why, look at your Nincada!"
He, of course, flexed as though he hadn't been cringing in fear a moment ago.
"I believe he has the spirit of a warrior in that buggy body of his! And really, for all the nonsense you might hear about EVs and typing from your more… accredited Pokemon experts, if you've been listening to Glynda," he said the voice with a sudden scowl before his tone switched right back up to wildly cheerful, "nothing in this world replaces the heart of a champion! And your Nincada looks to be practically overflowing with spirit! Why, I once knew a young man, no older than you, who set out with an unevolved Pikachu to take on the best trainers of the whole world! Not merely content to conquer one region, he set out to…"
Oscar was swiftly getting the impression that Mr. Port was not about to stop talking any time soon.
"Ah, ahem?" he asked, trying to interrupt an anecdote about how the Western Vacuan Charizard's smaller tail-flame made it critically underrated in… someone's something in some year before Oscar was born. "I was wondering if you… knew anything about… Mr. Jaune? The Gym Leader?"
"Oho, my boy!" Mr. Port said, slapping his knee, "So eager for battle, such a bold and noble lust for combat! I can see it in your Nincada's eyes, it wants to sink its claws into the flesh of its foes and taste their life's blood!"
Nincada, really proving itself to be a glutton for attention, drank it in, extending its claws in a fearsome display that would surely intimidate any of the roots it normally sank into.
"But you see," he continued, "Those who challenge Jaune Arc, the chivalrous cuirassier of Valois's most esteemed Gym, find that the truest battle is not fought by claw or beam, turned all too easily away by impenetrable armor, but within the battlefield of the mind!"
"Like a tactician?" Oscar asked, putting it together in his mind. So this Jaune Arc was a smart, crafty type… wait, wasn't he supposed to ask about types? Wasn't that a big part of how Pokemon battles went in the competitive scene, where it wasn't just about-
"Ohohoho, you've got much to learn!" Mr. Port laughed, this time slapping Oscar hard across the back, making Nincada eeep, "There are battles that can't be bested by force of arm, and-"
"Peter, please!" a warm voice cut in, "I think our visitor doesn't need to be overwhelmed with so much drama!"
Oscar looked to see a man coming out of the side door, his sleeves rolled up and his arms covered in dirt and nicks from… whatever he'd been doing. He had a kind face, though, frame by a messy shock of blond hair, and he was in the process of saving Oscar from further conversation with Mr. Port. But he didn't seem to be the Gym Leader, looking more like a laborer than a… chivalrous… cuiran… the thing Mr. Port called him, but he might give some good insight into who Jaune Arc was.
"H-Hello, sir!" he began cheerfully, "I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader here, th-though I could also…" his words dropped off as the man smiled at him.
"Well, I suppose the first thing you should know about the Valois Gym Leader," he said with a laugh, "is that he's me. I'm Jaune, and this is my Gym." Oscar blinked in surprise. He… he didn't look like a guy who could command a giant steel dinosaur to crush all before him, but maybe he was good at faking his foes out? "From the looks of things, you're a new trainer?" Jaune asked, giving Oscar a critical eye, "Hmmm, I do have a low level team for assessing beginner trainers, but… you did sound like you were interested in something else…"
Nincada raised his claws in a threatening manner, showing how ready he was to throw down. Only for Jaune to smile, raising his hands peaceably.
"We can have a League Battle, if that's what you'd prefer, of course," he said with a laugh, "But my Gym offers another option—you complete my weeklong course on proper care and treatment of Pokemon while on the Gym Circuit, and I give you my badge."
"It's… that easy?" Oscar asked, his eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Ohhhhh, I wouldn't say easy," Jaune grinned back, "But if you want to get out there and be a Pokemon Trainer, you're gonna learn in a hurry that you want to know how to keep your Pokemon in their best state. So… what do you say?"
Oscar felt the ground rumble as the Aggron behind him stretched in a yawn powerful enough to flatten Oscar even if he did know how to command Pokemon in battle, so it seemed…
There was really only one choice for him.
Gently removing the dirt between Nincada's claws with a small brush, Oscar marveled at how much work it took to take care of what was, effectively, a local garden pest.
"Very good," Jaune said with a nod, "Your Nincada is primarily a subterranean Pokemon, but bringing it on a journey like this means that the dirt that normally covers its shell isn't going to encounter a lot of digging-friction, so it's easy for grit to get stuck in its joints and start irritating your Nincada. But you're also going to want to give it plenty of opportunities to dig, particularly when dealing with hot, dry areas—moist dirt helps keep your Nincada properly hydrated. But in a pinch, a spray bottle can help keep his carapace moisturized."
Oscar nodded, trying to keep up with everything Jaune was saying. Over the past week, Oscar had been put through a crash course in everything Pokemon. And not the things he thought he needed to learn—they'd only moderately discussed battling. Because so much more was about taking care of Pokemon. How they slept, how much sleep they needed, what kind of conditions they needed for sleep, proper temperature and humidity—a real bear for Bug-types like Nincada—as well as caring for basic illnesses and health concerns. And then the food. So many things to consider for a Pokemon's diet, a lot more than the considerations Oscar was taking for his own!
But as Jaune had pointed out… one of them was going to be engaging in intense, competitive, physical labor. And that member of the partnership was going to need to be at peak performance if he wanted to win. But as he brushed Nincada's hard-to-reach spots, he had to wonder…
"And this is all mandatory?" he asked.
"Not mandatory, no," Jaune replied, "but when traveling with Pokemon, you want to take your precautions and not get careless with caring for them. Because if they get an infection, or start to really struggle with the climate, you're going to see problems start compounding in a hurry. And that can really hurt your Pokemon, not to mention…"
He sighed, obviously speaking from a place of personal frustration.
"People go out on their journey with a half-dozen different types all theoretically optimized for combat, which might work out if we were in a white room where all your Pokemon were magically being cared for," Jaune lectured, "But the work in keeping a Fire-type, a Water-type, and a Bug-type comfortable, not to mention optimized for combat, in a dozen different environments… it pretty quickly wears a trainer down! But on the flip side, if you learn from your Pokemon and help take care of them, they'll carry you in return."
Oscar looked down at Nincada, gesturing towards where there was some more dirt caught in his joints. He definitely understood what Jaune was saying, and he was definitely leveraging it as Oscar went back to brushing.
"But once I, um, once I start catching more Pokemon," he said, ignoring Nincada's jealous objection that he might want other Pokemon than this specimen of buggy perfection, "How do I know how to handle them?"
"It's tricky," Jaune agreed, "and I wouldn't recommend traveling with more than three active Pokemon while you're still starting out. League Gyms select their teams based on your badge count, and they'll keep their teams fairly low for low badge count trainers, so you don't have to worry about us overwhelming and outnumbering you until you've got your footing. It's also why a lot of trainers monotype—particularly the Gyms!" he laughed, "Oh, when you've gotta keep four or five separate teams in fighting shape, having a diverse type spread will eat you out of house and home! Believe me, I only have a couple non-Steel types here, but they cost as much annually as the full rest of them! You have no idea how finicky a Stufful can be when it comes to its food." He shook his head, regretfully. "But you don't have to monotype—keep an eye on what environments you found your Pokemon in, and do what you can to keep them comfortable when you leave those zones. And trust your Pokemon—if you reach out to them, they'll let you know what makes them happy."
Nincada chittered in agreement. Oscar gave him a side eye—so far on this journey, all he'd done was perch on Oscar's shoulder, get complimented, and now he'd gotten pampered in various ways for a solid week. He had a feeling Nincada was getting quite well versed in what made him happy.
"It's a wonder anyone's able to do the circuit…" Oscar murmured.
Jaune nodded. "Most people don't get much further than one or two badges before they realize that it's not like it is on TV or in the video games. These are living creatures who are dependent on your care and compassion, and that means work if you're gonna start carting them around the continent! …except for Magikarp," he added, "Those things can survive anywhere, I swear."
"But the people who do get all eight badges," he asked, "Are there any tricks you know, things that made it easier?"
"I wouldn't know," Jaune shrugged, "I never actually finished the Circuit."
Oscar looked at him in disbelief. "But… you're a Gym Leader?" he awkwardly ventured, "Aren't you guys supposed to be… the League's experts on Pokemon battles, and that means…"
Jaune laughed. "Oh, I have a competitive team, and anyone who comes by is willing to challenge me by the traditional means—got a mean Lopunny that people always underestimate—but you don't actually have to complete the Circuit to be a Gym Leader. I got the office for my distinguished work in the care and breeding of Pokemon—there's a lot more to the world of Pokemon than just battling, you know!"
"Oh!" Oscar gasped, "I didn't mean to-"
But Jaune just laughed. "No offense taken," he said with a grin, "When I was younger, I wanted to be the Champion. Set out on a grand adventure to complete the Circuit, but while I was traveling, I pretty quickly found out that there's a big difference between keeping Pokemon and traveling with them—never mind the battling!—and I got concerned about my Pokemon's health and comfort. That started to sidetrack me as I practiced more and more to get to better understand my Pokemon, and Pokemon and general, and then…" he shrugged, "After a point, I realized I cared a lot more about helping Pokemon than being the Champion. That's the real reason most people drop out after a few badges: they find something else that's their real passion. But by that time, I was respected enough, and… had some help, for sure, in the League, and so I got offered a Leader position."
Oscar took a moment to ponder what he meant. In terms of his own experiences, Oscar hadn't been given a choice on going out to be Champion, he'd really just been told he was getting kicked out of the house. He hadn't thought that there were other options available for him other than just… heading forward until he'd taken enough lumps that he either got good enough to be competitive or had to admit he couldn't keep going any further.
"Alright then, with that," Jaune said, flipping through the papers on his clipboard, "I can certify that you're fully competent in the care, feeding, transportation, and treatment of your Pokemon, with a current specialization in Bug-types." He chuckled to himself, adding, "I'll let her know about that," before continuing, "And as such, you've passed the full criteria I have for successfully completing the Valois Gym!"
He held out a small metal pin in the shape of two yellow crescents.
"I present to you the Juniper Badge, named for the hardy plant that adapts to harsh, hostile terrain, and reminds us that life can grow through difficult circumstances. Take it, with my sincere congratulations and fond hopes that you complete the Circuit and get your shot at becoming the Champion!"
Taking the badge in hand, Oscar felt how small and yet… how weighty it felt on his palm. His experience with Jaune had been nothing like what he'd expected of a Pokemon Gym, but it had been work, and this badge felt like it carried that labor within it. More so… this was the official start of his journey, his first badge, already one eighth of the way there. And he felt… felt a moment of confidence. Jaune had shown him that he could still choose what he wanted to be on this journey and Nincada… looked up for whatever the world had to throw at him!
"I can do this," he quietly whispered to himself, taking the badge and pinning it to his League Registry.
"I don't doubt it," Jaune replied with an encouraging smile, and for the first time since he'd started this journey… Oscar really believed it.
Thanks to Renarde for feedback on this chapter, and a special thanks to the members of my Discord, particularly Blue Phantasm for helping hash out what kind of teams fit the RWBY cast!
Trying my hand at something different, doing a PokeRWBY story here. I see it less of a crossover and more a RWBY story with Pokemon, if that distinction makes any sense, but I also want to try a few things with Pokemon for a story. Like having Gym Badges be a bit more "at the Leader's discretion" than necessarily the same format for each battle, and have explanations for why everyone doesn't have a full team of diverse types—it's too expensive! Opening with Jaune was a good way to set the tone of what I'd like to do with this fic, but if you're looking for Pokemon battles, don't worry; not every chapter will be like this. In fact, in the next chapter, there's going to be a proper showdown for the Badge, as Oscar faces down Kuroyuri's Serene Psychic Master!