Chapter 3: Nidoran
The wasteland was eerily silent, something the lone trainer hated. Usually, the sound of something could be heard in the far distance – a wild Pokémon or raider. Although the man wasn't keen on taking on raiders, especially after what had occurred back at the Pokémon Centre, the silence was unnerving. Pokémon battles were easy, particularly against wild ones. But going up against the human with a gun made things unpredictable.
The young man was hoping the silence would continue, perhaps until they'd reached safety. The lone trainer's Sandshrew, however, could sense danger up ahead. The creature's ears began twitching as they drew closer. The young man was aware of his Pokémon's discomfort. Knowing it was unsafe in the open, the two found a rock to hide behind. The lone trainer carefully peeked over the large rock.
It wasn't obvious to the eyes, but a purple figure could be seen hiding behind the foliage of a tree. The lone trainer wasn't sure what he'd just spotted. So, he dug deep into his backpack and found binoculars. A closer inspection revealed the hiding Pokémon to be a male Nidoran. To the lone trainer's surprise, the Pokémon appeared not to be mutated. There appeared no signs of abnormality. The young man knew something was up. The wild Pokémon had to have a quirk of some sort. It was rare to find anything pure like the Ditto he'd retrieved earlier.
"We might as well catch it," the lone trainer decided. "Ready for battle?" he asked his Sandshrew. The Pokémon nodded his head as if trained to do so. "Be careful, though. We've no idea what this Nidoran has up his sleeves… metaphorically, that is." The lone trainer wasn't sure why he had to add that. The Sandshrew certainly didn't understand the concept of sleeves.
The lone trainer waited back behind the rock; peeping over the large stone to get a glance at the action. With his binoculars in hand, the young man was able to get a good view of the battle and make sure his Sandshrew didn't get into trouble.
The Sandshrew crawled up into a ball and began to roll towards the Nidoran. The wild Pokémon was unaware of the approaching Pokémon. It instead looked up at the trees, trying to work out a way to reach the few remaining fruits. It didn't take long for the Sandshrew to reach the Nidoran – the other Pokémon still unaware of the posing danger. The Nidoran remained transfixed on the tree. The Sandshrew focused its energy, preparing to strike its opponent with its poisonous claws. The Pokémon could feel the poison pumping into the glands of its claws. Ready to strike, the Sandshrew slashed down onto the Nidoran. Regrettably, the poisonous scratch barely touched the other Pokémon. The Nidoran leapt out of the way.
It turned out the Nidoran was more aware of its surroundings than he let on. Panicking, the Nidoran began to flee. The lone trainer, however, wasn't going to allow this Pokémon to get away. The young man could sense potential in the creature. Perhaps instead of one Pokémon defending, he could have two.
Even the Sandshrew had barely touched the Nidoran, the poison was starting to work, causing the opposing Pokémon. Another strike would do the trick, he thought.
"Do another attack!" the lone trainer yelled. "But don't do poisonous claw! Just do a normal scratch attack!"
The Sandshrew seemed to nod as if understanding the instruction. Crawling into a ball again, the Pokémon began to roll towards the Nidoran, making up ground from the Nidoran's head start. The lone trainer decided to leave the safety of being behind the large rock and sprinted to follow his Pokémon. The Sandshrew had caught up with the Nidoran; taking a scratch at the opposing Pokémon. This was enough to knock the Nidoran back, giving the lone trainer an opening to throw a Pokéball at it. The young man had plenty of practising catching Pokémon, so aiming wasn't too difficult. He aimed his shot and threw, hitting the Nidoran. The Pokéball opened, and the Nidoran body was absorbed into the ball. The centre of the Pokéball glowed, telling its user that something had been caught. The lone trainer picked the Pokéball up. His Sandshrew seemed proud of itself.
"We better get back," the young man remarked. "The sun's beginning to set. We don't want to be out while it's dark."
He reached the safety of the hideout just before the sun was beginning to set. He'd found an old bunker built before the bombs fell, which served as a sort of base of operation. He climbed down a metal ladder, slamming rather loudly onto the floor.
"You're back?" a young girl asked.
"It's me… bro," the lone trainer clarified. "I need you to sit up for a moment."
He sat down beside his sister. He instructed her to place her hands out. She knew it was going to sting, but they'd gone through this all before. The young man positioned the needle. The girl took a deep breath as he injected the medication into her.
"So, what's the Pokémon you caught?" she asked.
"How'd you guess?" the lone trainer replied.
"You've that look on your face," the girl explained. "You know, the one you have after you've caught something. What is it?"
"Nidoran," the young man answered. "I think he's metal claws or something. I'll need to train him to find out."
"Can I see him?"
"Nah," the long trainer replied. "You need to rest. We'll find out what this Nidoran can truly do tomorrow."
The girl frowned. But she knew her older brother was right.
"Night," the girl remarked.
"Goodnight to you too," he said with a smile
The Sandshrew yawned and then proceeded to crawl up into a ball next to the sleeping Purrloin. The lone trainer sat down on the couch. By now, his sister had drifted off to sleep. He was, on the other hand, unable to relax. The battle with the Nidoran may have exhausted him, but adrenaline was still pumping in him. Finding his iPod from his pocket, the young man plugged himself in. Maybe listening to a few tunes could help him drift off to sleep. He always found heavy music far more relaxing than lighter music.
Tomorrow he'll begin training that Nidoran, the young many decided.