Disclaimer:
Akeno: Ahem. I do not own Pokémon. If I did, the TV show wouldn't be so horrible. Also, I do not own anything that is protected by law that may appear in this fanfiction.
Terry: Hey, Akeno!
Akeno: What the…Terry! Don't you have a fanfiction to do?
Terry: Yeah, but it's kind of boring. And you left us at a completely unnecessary cliffhanger. Oh, and you said you didn't have anything fun to write up here, so you asked me to help you talk about stuff.
Akeno: Alright. Hey, why don't we review our reviews?
Terry: We only have one review.
Akeno: Whatever! Our review is from DJ Sandberry. He writes: "Well written story, though I was a bit thrown off by the whole "natural" thing. It made little sense, and it seemed like a desperate attempt at singling the main character from others. Keep up the good work otherwise." You make a good point there, DJ. First, thanks for the good review, and second, I'll explain. The whole 'Natural' thing is weird, yes, but the main character isn't the only one with that ability. In fact, although I will bring in new characters to have the 'Natural' powers, I've also made many powerful trainers within the game be 'Naturals'. And as for being confusing, don't worry; I'll explain it better in this next chapter.
Terry: Good enough for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go kick May's weak little Treecko.
Akeno: Right. What makes you think you'll win?
Terry: That's easy too. I'm the main character.
Akeno: Oh. Of course.
Chapter 2: The First Battles
As Torchic flew out of the Poké Ball, Terry smiled. He had everything going for him. He had the type advantage over May; and he was a Natural. He would win easily. But May was smiling too, as her Treecko assumed what Terry could only guess was an attack position. Did she actually think she could win? She had no chance.
"Don't let the fact that you're a Natural make you cocky, Terry! My daughter is very good!" Professor Birch yelled from the sidelines. Terry frowned. He had the advantage. What could May possibly do? But May was smiling wider now. She knew something he didn't. He growled in contempt.
"Let's go May! I don't care if you are good; I can't lose…I won't lose! Torchic! Jump five feet to the right and use Scratch!" he yelled. May giggled and shook her head.
"You have so much to learn, Terry. Treecko, shift your weight on to your left foot and push back to dodge; then, do a front flip and slam him with your tail!" Treecko did exactly that; when Torchic was in the final arc of the Scratch attack, Treecko pushed back, evading the attack completely. Then, he pushed forward, flipped over, and brought down his tail onto Torchic's head, causing him to fall to the floor, chirping in pain. Terry frowned.
"Just a flaw in the plan," he murmured, and then, louder, "Torchic! Fall back!" Torchic struggled to stand, and chirped a bit. Then, he turned and came back to Terry. Terry sighed.
"So Terry; had enough? My Treecko can do this all day if you want." She laughed. "But I don't think your Torchic wants to!" Terry grimaced. It was true; his Torchic had taken a powerful blow to the head. He'd have to rethink his strategy. What am I saying? I'm a Natural! I don't need strategy, he told himself.
"Torchic! Remember, you have the type advantage! Try an Ember attack!" Terry smiled. A grass-type Pokémon wouldn't last long up against a fire-type move. Torchic chirped quickly and let out a small blast of fire.
"Treecko! Shift your weight to your right foot and push to the left!" May yelled. Treecko did so, and dodged the fire attack easily. "Now! Use Pound!" Treecko nodded and came running at Torchic. Terry laughed.
"You've done this already, remember? Torchic, try Treecko's move! Shift your weight on your left leg and push back!" Torchic chirped and pushed back, hoping to dodge Treecko's blow. However, instead of flipping over to deliver the attack, Treecko spun around, gaining centrifugal force, before delivering the final blow, which effectively knocked Torchic off his feet with a sickening thud. Terry flinched. He looked around, and saw Professor Birch shaking his head and smiling. He doesn't think I can do this! I'll show him! Terry looked back at the battle, fury in his eyes.
"Torchic! Slam your beak into Treecko! Use the Peck attack!" Torchic was on the ground, trying to get up, but couldn't. May sighed.
"I'm kind of sad I have to hit that Torchic when it's down; but a battle's a battle! Treecko! Do your stuff!" Treecko nodded, but Terry didn't know what to expect. Treecko came running at Torchic, and begin spinning; only this time, with his tail on the ground, kicking up dust as he went. At the end, he flipped towards Torchic in an elegant jump, and slammed his tail on the ground inches from where Torchic lay, sending him flying off with a chirp of pain. Terry winced. The cries weren't just of pain; they were also of disappointment. Torchic was disappointed in him…he clenched his fists into little balls…just because he was a Natural didn't mean he was better than anybody else! He had to fight just as much as May. He needed to get a grip on this battle. Professor Birch had told him not to get cocky. It was time to listen to him…and then, his head caught on fire. He felt it; power. The power he had felt just earlier that day. But this time, he wouldn't let it go to his head. He opened his eyes.
"Torchic; get up." There was an air to his voice; not cool and calculating like before, but calm and confident. "First, run towards Treecko." May smiled.
"You just don't learn, do you, Terry? Honestly, I expected better from a Natural; or at least something better from a gym leader's son." She smiled. "Oh well. It can't be helped. You'll learn the hard way. Treecko, Pound!" Terry felt a fire build up in him; it was his anger, his pride; what had almost made him lose this match. He shrugged it off. He didn't need anger. All he needed was his Pokémon.
"Torchic, jump to one side and slam into him." Short, sweet, and to the point. As Treecko jumped up to flip, Torchic braced himself, and as the tail came down, Torchic jumped to the left. No sooner had Treecko's tail connected with the ground when Torchic came running, slamming Treecko from one side. May flinched.
"Treecko! Bullet Seed!" Terry smiled. Finally, she had to resort to special attacks.
"Torchic, Ember." The blasts of fire quickly engulfed the seeds. Torchic chirped, and May gasped.
"Treecko! Get close and give him a Pound from the side!" Treecko ran, and began to spin like a top, adding the centrifugal force to his attack once again, but Terry had expected it.
"Torchic, run up to Treecko and give him a short-range Ember." Torchic chirped and ran up to his opponent. Treecko had been spinning fast, but Torchic just needed to find an opening. And then, when he spotted it, Torchic went running. He chirped right in front of Treecko's face, and before he could slam him away, Torchic sent a blaze of fire at Treecko's face. Treecko went flying, his head still on fire.
"I would suggest you call him back. He's a grass-type Pokémon, and won't last long like that," Terry said calmly. May looked at him angrily, but called Treecko back. Terry smiled, and fell to his knees. He still couldn't believe the Natural's power; he had no chance of winning this match until it had kicked in, and then he had owned the battle. Professor Birch clapped.
"Well done, Terry. You'll find, as you continue fighting, that the Natural's abilities will come easier and easier; soon they'll kick in automatically; and then, you won't even realize that you're using the Natural's power. And soon, the Natural's power won't take so much out of you; if you notice, you didn't throw up this time after the fight. As for you, May, you did well. But, you depended on Terry's cockiness to much. The second his Torchic lost faith in him, he realized his error, and you didn't stand a chance. You need to fight all people as if they were at their best, even when they're at their worst. Just because you're a normal Trainer doesn't mean you can't beat a Natural. Why, you almost did so right know!" He smiled. "You two are very skilled. You should start the League Challenge as soon as you are ready. Oh, and May. Ixios said that he wants to see you. I'll let him in." Terry frowned as Professor Birch walked away. As he opened the door, a boy about Terry's height and age with brown hair was waiting on the other side.
"May! What's up? How's your Treecko doing?" He had a warm, friendly voice, and seemed pretty happy. May laughed.
"Ixios! Nothing much. Treecko's doing great!" She smiled. Then, she remembered Terry standing right next to her. "This is Terry! He's a Natural; just got his Pokémon today, a Torchic, but he's already pulling it of great!" Ixios smiled.
"A Natural, eh? How's it going? Don't worry about the lack of power after battles; they go away after a while." He smiled a knowing smile, and Terry looked at him questioningly.
"You're a Natural?" he said carefully.
"Yup! Started fighting when I was eight years old. Took a lot out of me, but it was worth it. My starter's a Mudkip." He turned back to May. "May's always been jealous of me though. I came down because I heard she joined the Pokémon League. I joined a few months ago, but I told her I'd wait for her before I started out." He looked at Terry. "So, you're in the League too?"
"Yeah; I just joined a few minutes ago," Terry admitted, a little embarrassed.
"Well, my cousin here is a pretty good Trainer; I don't doubt you would be able to take him, Terry!" May giggled. Terry and Ixios both shook their heads.
"Not now, May. He's got to be wiped out from the match with you. I'll take him on in Oldale Town. Hey…Terry, right? You want to travel with us?" Terry shook his head.
"No; I'll only be a burden," he mumbled.
"Aw, Terry! Oh well. You should take some Poké Balls at least." May smiled and pulled some Poké Balls out of her bag. "Here! Five. You should know that you can only carry six Pokémon in your party, so with Torchic, that'll max you out! You can buy more in Oldale Town, though." Terry took the Poké Balls and smiled.
"Thanks."
"Well then, we'll see you in Oldale Town! C'mon May, we need to get you ready! And Terry, don't forget what I said! We will battle in Oldale Town!" Ixios led the way out of the stadium. Before they left, May turned.
"See you, Terry!" she said happily. Terry shook his head, and began walking out the door.
The next day, he was lacing on his new running shoes. His backpack was full with anything he might need, and his Torchic was completely restored. He wasn't feeling tired anymore, and he couldn't wait to get out and travel the Hoenn Region. His mother was still in bed; it was six o'clock in the morning. When he had told her he was going to take the Pokémon League Challenge, she had gone on about his father doing the same thing at his age, and yadda, yadda, yadda. He had zoned out a bit, but she had agreed to his going as soon as possible. He had left her a note saying he didn't want to waste any more time, and that he had set out. And, with a confident spring in his step, he set out for Oldale Town.
Very few lights were on in Littleroot Town at the moment, and the sun was barely starting to wake up. He would be on the road long before the sunrise. He began walking. He frowned; he had no idea which way was out of town, until he found a sign pointing him in the right direction. After following these signs, he found himself on Route 101, the route that would take him to Oldale Town.
After awhile, he was getting bored again. He had seen a few wild Pokémon, and he even tried to catch a Wurmple; but the sight of Torchic had sent him running. There was nothing to do. A few hours into the road, Terry had let Torchic out of his Poké Ball, and he was sitting on his head right now, chirping at this and that and everything else.
"Torchic! Please be quiet! You're getting a little annoying," Terry groaned. Torchic chirped an indignant sounding chirp, and Terry mumbled, "Sorry." They kept on walking like this for a while, but Torchic had stopped chirping so much. Soon, though, they came upon another wild Pokémon; a Poochyena.
The Poochyena looked very familiar; all except for a scar on its face and a slight limp in its walk. On closer inspection, Terry realized why it looked so familiar; it was the same Poochyena that had attacked Professor Birch, and it was growling. Torchic chirped a bit, and jumped down off Terry's head.
"Alright, Torchic. Let's fight him again; and this time, we'll catch him!" Terry smiled. After quickly looking at the surroundings, he knew he could win, and began a plan.
"Torchic! First, jump to the rock ten feet to your left!" Torchic did so, and Poochyena followed, as Terry had hoped. "Now, jump on to the rock and push back, back flipping over Poochyena!" Torchic chirped his response just moments before jumping on the rock. Poochyena growled and tried to clamber on, but couldn't. When he saw that Torchic was flipping back, he tried to turn around and bite him.
"Don't let him, Torchic! Slam your foot on his head!" Terry hoped that worked; it didn't. As Torchic brought his foot down, Poochyena skidded to a stop, and once Torchic was on the ground, he tackled him. Torchic chirped.
"No!" Terry frowned, thinking of what to do next. "Torchic, use Focus Energy!" Torchic nodded. Focus Energy was a move that Terry had found in the Pokédex, which supposedly raised the critical attack of a Pokémon. He hoped it did. Torchic closed his eyes and began to glow. The ground underneath him cracked, and the energy emitting from his body caused rocks to slowly lift off the ground. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, with fury blazing. The ground shifted, and the rocks hovering in air exploded. He chirped softly, lowly, but it was a chirp filled with rage.
"Now, Torchic! Slam him hard!" Torchic simply nodded. As he pushed off the ground, it seemed as if a ball of pure energy was skimming across the field, cracking the ground as he went. Poochyena whimpered and tried to turn, but halfway through, Torchic connected with his flank. As Poochyena yelped, Torchic kept moving, pushing him farther and farther until they hit a tree. Torchic jumped up, and as Poochyena was bouncing off the tree, Torchic kicked him into the ground. Poochyena let out a loud yelp and fell silent. Terry had heard a cracking sound, and could only assume that a bone was broken. He pulled out an empty Poké Ball and threw it. Poochyena was sucked into the ball and slowly, the ball began the catching process. Poochyena struggled a bit, but in the end, fell still. Terry smiled, picked up the Poké Ball and frowned. He pulled out his Pokédex, looking for something. On one side, it had two extendable cords, one labeled 'TM/HM', and one labeled 'Poké Ball'. He pulled out the Poké Ball cord and hooked it up to the Poké Ball. A screen popped up.
"Pokémon: Poochyena. Would you like to: 1. Check Abilities 2. Check Status 3. Check Pokédex Entry"
Terry selected number 2.
"Pokémon: Poochyena. Status: Gender: Male. Afflictions: Broken Bone, Right Leg; Left Eye, badly damaged; Limp. Suggested medication: Full Restore; Full Heal; Pokémon Center Treatment."
Terry sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, and Oldale Town was still a whole day away. He hoped Poochyena could make it that long.
The next night, he was standing in front of the Oldale Town Pokémon Center, tired, hungry, and very, very annoyed. He had practically run to the Pokémon Center, having to dodge a few Zigzagoons, some Wurmples; and once having to kick a Poochyena out of his way. Every few hours he had checked on his Poochyena's status; first it had suggested a Full Restore, Full Heal, or Pokémon Center Treatment. Then, it had recommended a Full Restore or Pokémon Center Treatment; a Full Heal would be useless. It had continued like that until now, where it only said Pokémon Center Treatment, and then the word URGENT in large red letters next to it. He walked up to the Center's doors, and they opened automatically. He smiled as he went inside.
It was a cheery place. Soft music was being played in the background. The lobby was astounding; it had plush benches, large, flowering plants, PCs, telephones, and two TVs; one was showing Hoenn News, and one was a talk show with a short, freckle-faced kid and his Machop being interviewed. At the end of the lobby were three hallways, each with a sign overhead. The hallway leading right said 'Cafeteria; Pokémon Training Room; Pokémon Relaxation Facilities' on it, the one leading left said 'Bedrooms; Trainer Facilities', and the one leading forward said 'Pokémon Treatment Center; Nurse Stations'. Terry went down this one, and saw a nurse behind a counter smiling at him.
"Hello! Would you like to heal your Pokémon?" she said cheerily. Terry nodded.
"My Torchic is probably tired; and my Poochyena is suffering badly. His status says 'Pokémon Center Treatment URGENT'," he said. She smiled.
"That's nothing we can't handle!" She giggled and took his Poké Balls from him. Then, she hooked them up to a machine and began running the healing program. After a short while, she nodded. "There. Your Pokémon are completely healed. You should go eat, and then take a bath and go to sleep. Tomorrow, I recommend you take both Torchic and Poochyena to the Pokémon Relaxation Facilities, and maybe take them to the Training Room. Now, good night!" Terry nodded, and walked away after telling the nurse 'Thank You'.
In the cafeteria, there were a few trainers here and there, some eating alone, some eating together, some eating with their Pokémon. They were all having a good time. Terry walked over to the area where the food was being served. A cute nurse was behind the counter. She gave Terry a bottle of Miltank Milk, straight from the MooMoo farm in Johto, some chicken, which she swore wasn't Swellow, and buttered bread. He walked over to an empty table and began eating.
"Terry! What's up?" He almost choked on his chicken-not-Swellow. He knew who it was even before turning around; Ixios. He turned around, dreading what he'd find. Ixios had said he'd take him on in Oldale Town. Ixios was smiling and May was behind him. They had trays of food as well. "When did you get here, man?" Ixios asked.
"Uh…about seven minutes ago," Terry replied. Ixios sat down on the side opposite Terry and May sat down next to him. Ixios took a large bite of his chicken. May shook her head in exasperation.
"Did you catch any Pokémon, Terry?" she said sweetly. Terry nodded.
"A Poochyena," Terry said. Ixios swallowed and took a chug of his milk.
"I got a Wurmple, and May here got a wimpy little Zigzagoon," he said. "Anyway, you should get a shower. Once you're ready, come to the rooms. You should probably get some rest." He downed the rest of the milk and smiled. "Good milk," he commented.
Later that night, Terry was lying in his bed. He couldn't get to sleep; too many things had happened in the last few days. He found out that he was a powerful Pokémon trainer even though he had never touched a Poké Ball before in his life; he was miles away from home; he was confused and alone. He had no friends in all of Hoenn other than May and Ixios, and−
"Get up." Terry shot up in bed, and saw Ixios standing over him.
"What are you doing?" Terry hissed. Ixios shook his head and walked over to the door.
"Get dressed, and meet me in the Pokémon Training Facilities." Terry looked at him, puzzled, and Ixios laughed. "You didn't think I'd forgotten about our fight, did you? I had to trick May into thinking we weren't going to fight. We need to talk." Ixios left, and Terry cursed underneath his breath. After getting dressed, he began walking towards the Pokémon Training Facilities, wondering what Ixios wanted. After stepping inside the Facilities, he whistled. The entire place was designed to look like a natural Pokémon environment, with a small field, a pond, some rocks, a miniature desert, and high cliffs. It was just as impressive as Professor Birch's Stadium. Ixios was sitting on top of one of the large cliffs, and was smiling.
"Tell me, Terry. What did my uncle tell you about being a Natural?" he asked.
"He told me that I had talents; that I could connect with my Pokémon, and that my strategies will usually work," Terry replied. Ixios shook his head.
"But did he tell you why?" he shot back. Terry frowned. It was true, Professor Birch had sounded pretty confusing. Most of it hadn't made much sense.
"No." Ixios nodded.
"I thought not. Why don't I explain it for you?" Ixios smiled. "You see, it's in our DNA. One tiny link in our genetic code is different from those in other people. Naturals are what they are because of random fluctuations that take place during the development of our chromosomes. When Pokémon fight, they emit different waves of energy, which react with our DNA, changing it. When that happens, we become, in a sense, that Pokémon. We become genetically linked to that Pokémon; and so, we gain their instincts. Pokémon fight naturally in the wild; humans took up Pokémon battles as a test of our courage and friendship, so obviously they are better fighters than we are. When a Natural links with a Pokémon, we become better than we should be, normally, as humans." Ixios paused for a breath, and Terry began trying to understand what he had said. It made some sense…he thought.
"So…we get the instincts of the Pokémon, and we can fight better?" he ventured. Ixios thought about that.
"Yeah, in a sense." He jumped down off the cliff and stretched. "Now, we fight. I need to see if you are skilled enough to take on the Pokémon League challenge. There are many Naturals on the path to victory, and if you can't beat me, then you might as well go back home and train for a while." Ixios' hand went to his belt and whipped out a Poké Ball. "I'll give you the advantage, though, and send out my Pokémon first. Go, Mudkip!" With a quick flip of his wrist, the Poké Ball flew and sent out a small, blue Pokémon with orange cheeks. Terry frowned. He couldn't send out Torchic now; Ixios was forcing him to send out Poochyena. Terry sighed, and pulled out Poochyena's Poké Ball.
"Go, Poochyena!" Ixios nodded. Then, he smiled.
"Mudkip, Water Gun!" Ixios commanded. Mudkip nodded tartly and shot a jet of water at Poochyena. Terry flinched.
"Poochyena, dodge to the left and use Growl!" Poochyena dodged the Water Gun by an inch and let out a fierce growl. Mudkip winced for a second. Ixios smiled.
"Mudkip, get closer, and use a widespread Water Gun!" Terry frowned. What, he thought, is a widespread Water Gun? Either way, I don't want to stick around to find out!
"Poochyena, dodge to the right this time, and try a Tackle!" Poochyena nodded and turned to run to the right, but Mudkip was to fast. In a split second, he was in front of Poochyena, and with his mouth spread wide, let out a Water Gun. "Poochyena!" Terry yelled, but when the water cleared, Poochyena was almost completely unharmed. Ixios laughed.
"A widespread Water Gun isn't an attack used to cause damage; only to keep the opponent from running away. Now, Mudkip, use a high pressure Water Gun!" Ixios barked. Terry gulped, but before he could yell to Poochyena, Mudkip was attacking again. This time Mudkip's mouth was in a tight O. The water shot out fast and hit Poochyena straight on the forehead, causing him to fall to the ground, whimpering in pain.
"Dammit!" Terry muttered. He felt the power rise up inside him again; Poochyena's emitted energy was affecting him. Thinking quickly, he thought of a plan, and smiled. "Poochyena, charge!" Ixios shook his head.
"Won't work, Terry! Mudkip, Tackle!" Mudkip began charging, ready to meet Poochyena headfirst, but to Terry, Mudkip looked as if his feet were made of lead.
"Poochyena, do you remember what Torchic did to you the second time we fought you? When he tried to kick your head and you almost bit him?" Terry asked. Poochyena barked; he did remember. "Good! Do what we did to you that time!" Poochyena nodded, and instead of slamming into Mudkip, he jumped over him, and began to run towards a large rock off to one side of the field. Mudkip followed like a sheep going to the slaughter. Poochyena led him right up to the boulder and jumped on. As Mudkip tried to get on, Poochyena flipped over backwards, and, landing directly behind him, slammed him into the boulder. Mudkip fell off, and began to stand up.
"Mudkip! Get up and use a high powered Water Gun!" Ixios yelled. Terry growled.
"Don't let him! Bite his leg, Poochyena!" Poochyena and Mudkip both nodded. Poochyena bite hard on Mudkip's front leg, and Mudkip hit Poochyena with a high powered Water Gun on the side of his head. Poochyena yelped in pain, and flew off of Mudkip's arm; but took part of his skin with him. Poochyena lay on the ground, out cold from the blast of water to the head, and Mudkip lay against the boulder, crying in pain as blood poured from his torn leg. Ixios sighed and called him back; Terry did the same.
"It's a good thing we're in a Pokémon Center, eh, Terry?" Ixios said. Terry nodded. Ixios shook his head. "You beat my Mudkip; my strongest Pokémon. All I have left is my Wurmple, and you have a Torchic. You're probably going to win; but who knows? All I know is that I'm going to fight till my last Pokémon. Let's go!" He put Mudkip's Poké Ball back and pulled out a new one. "Wurmple! Go!"
"You're right, Ixios. We're Naturals. We can't stop just because the odds are on one person! Go, Torchic! Show him how we fight Pokémon Battles!" He put Poochyena back and sent out Torchic. Torchic chirped for a few seconds, but was soon focused entirely on the battle. Terry could feel the power he had felt earlier fall for a second, then rise up higher. Torchic was sending off giant waves of energy; and Terry could feel each of them. "Torchic! Get in close and use a Peck!" Torchic chirped in agreement and began running. Ixios braced himself.
"Wurmple, use a Poison Sting!" Wurmple twirled around and sent out a blast of purple out of two stingers on his butt. Torchic dodged them easily and got ready to use Peck, but Ixios smiled. "Wurmple, now use a String Shot!" Wurmple sent out a long, sticky string out and wrapped Torchic in it. Torchic struggled against it for awhile, but couldn't break loose. "Now, keep tackling him until he gives up!" Ixios commanded. Wurmple nodded and began slamming into Torchic from every angle. Terry thought of what he should do. He could take out the String Shot with an Ember, but that would only take out the string; it wouldn't do anything to Wurmple, and then he'd just do it again. Unless he could boost his attack…
"That's it! Torchic, use a Focus Energy! Give it all you've got!" Torchic chirped and closed his eyes. Terry could feel all the energy around Torchic being absorbed and stored. And then, Torchic let it all loose. The energy cracked the floor, and left a dent in the floor. Some of the rocks in the field flew away, and even Terry was pushed back a bit. Wurmple had been blasted away, but was still in range of a well-shot Ember. Before Ixios could say anything, Terry yelled, "Torchic! Use a high pressure Ember!" Torchic nodded, and Ixios looked at him in disbelief. That's right, Terry thought, I'm using your technique against you. Torchic's beak opened ever slightly, but Terry could feel the awesome energy stored inside. Then, a jet of fire streaked across the field, scorching everything in its path, burning the string covering Torchic, and hitting Wurmple so hard that he was blasted away before he caught fire. As Wurmple writhed on the ground trying to put out the fire, Ixios smiled.
"Wurmple, come back." Wurmple was sucked inside the ball. "You're good, Terry. Very good. Let's go; you need the rest." Ixios smiled and walked away without saying anything else. Terry's knees shook, and no matter how hard he tried, he could keep standing. He fell to his knees, exhausted beyond measure.
"Torchic, return," he called, and sucked Torchic back into his Poké Ball. Terry walked slowly to his room, and collapsed.
When he woke up the next morning, it was late. He yawned, and stood up; he had been so tired that he hadn't taken off his clothes. There was a note beside his bed.
Terry,
You are a good Pokémon Trainer. I think you have the potential to go places. The next city on your path is Petalburg City, on Route 102. You should head there. May and I are going to pass through briefly, but you might want to stay longer, because your father is the gym leader there. I'm sure we'll meet up at Rustboro City. You have to go there; it's where you'll get your first gym badge. I hope we'll get to fight again soon, and May also wants a rematch, so you better keep training and catching better Pokémon, because we won't go easy on you!
Ixios
Terry sighed. So they had left without him. He shook his head. He really needed to get a friend, or an acquaintance, or at least someone he could travel with. After going to the Pokémon Treatment Center and healing Poochyena and Torchic, he adjusted his bag, made sure he had all his Poké Balls, and began walking out of the Pokémon Center. The next time he would walk in one he would be in Petalburg City; and hopefully he would be stronger than he was now. He knew that he had beaten Ixios that night, but he also knew that he would need to train. He couldn't get cocky, or he would never be able to challenge the Elite Four. He smiled, took a deep breath, and began walking through Oldale Town in search of Route 102.