Chapter 5
Edited revised longer Blue ray version.
As the bus entered the camp Jose stuck his face to the window. There were trainers battling each other and people marching with their pokemon. There was a pokecenter and a pokemart, moreover there was a Gym! Jose was excited about this last one so he asked another boy "Hey is that legit?" "Yeah, they just set it up. It says in Nintendo magazine that 'To help the war effort the U.S. government has invested millions in new Gyms." answered the boy reading off a magazine article. "Third badge here I come" thought Jose to himself.
They all got off the bus and got their packs from the bottom of the bus. "ATTENTION!" someone yelled behind them and they wheeled around. They saw a man standing there in front of them. "Hello there boys. I'm Staff Sergeant and Gym leader Biggs, but to you I'm sir. You will address me as such, yes sir, no sir." Biggs growled at them. They looked at each other but refrained from laughing. Too many war movies had taught them to do differently. "All right then, let's start with a little tour of the camp." All the boys started walking after the Sgt. but he turned around and frowned. "What is that? Listen to me. From the day you step foot in here onward you will only trot or march, run if you have to and never, ever, ever shall you walk. Is that clear?" Biggs squinted his eyes to add effect to the statement.
Jose started trotting with his backpack and everyone followed suit. "HA, that's more like it" said Biggs as he caught a ride on a golf cart. And so started their tour of the camp and their first day of training. "Over here we have the sleeping quarters. That's where you sleep. And here we have the training arena. Over there, that's the pokecenter and beside it the pokemart. Let's take a right here. There's the shooting range. YES, you will be required to learn to shoot, you might never shoot, but you have to know how. Come on soldier KEEP UP!" Biggs yelled as one boy fell behind fatigued. The boy looked up at him and called out his Doduo. He then jumped on it and ran alongside all of us. Biggs acted as if nothing had happened but then all the other soldiers started calling out pokemon to ride on. "Alright that's enough!" He yelled and everyone went back to trotting. "And finally the Gym. As you all know I'm the gym leader here and if you which to pass your training you have to get through me. I should warn you, I'm not easy."
After their tour had ended, they had to do four more laps and repeat where everything was until they learned it. That night Jose couldn't sleep. He was so exhausted that closing his eyes hurt. He heard a noise outside. He stood up and walked outside quietly. He saw the kid with the Doduo putting a saddle on it and wrapping his bags. "What are you doing?" Jose asked in a hushed voice. "Wow, don't scare me like that." The boy answered. "I can't take it man, I'm a lover not a fighter, besides I'm only sixteen, I lied so I could get in the Battle Tent and they drafted me. I'm going back home." "Are you crazy? You don't even know where we are; besides there are guards, and they'll follow you." Jose tried to convince him but the boy said "I live up north; all I gotta do is follow the North Star. Besides, I got my pokemon to help me along the way. See ya." He said as he waved goodbye and left into the night. Jose stared behind him. He wanted to do the same as that boy and leave. "Yeah, well he's got it easy, he's underage but I would have to run away for ever." He thought to himself.
The next day Jose was woken up at five by a trumpet call. "Man that's so old school!" Someone yelled. "Morning ladies, today we're going to resume your training, moreover today is your full check up. Alright come on out." Biggs said through a loud speaker. The soldiers came out and lined up side by side. "And now I'll leave you to Sierra." said Biggs as He walked away. "Hi, I'm corporal Sierra and you will refer to me as corporal. Now we shall inspect your pokemon. Take them out. Hundreds of white flashes shone as the trainers brought out all their pokemon. "Good. Let's see here… your Growlithe needs work, report to the training arena… Psyduck is pitiful, I would encourage you to evolve it report to the pokestore and purchase a water stone." "Hey wait a minute! You can't do that, you're just forcing pokemon to evolve or fight for your own purposes!" Jose spoke out. That was the one thing he couldn't tolerate, people misusing pokemon. The Corporal got really close to him and spoke with a mean tone "In case you didn't know, there is a war going on right now, people are dying, your precious pokemon are dying. So it's in the best interest of all to win this war as soon as possible to stop any more deaths." Jose stood there and bit his lip but said nothing. "What's this you brought a Treecko?" The Corporal asked making fun of Jose. He answered "He is young but I'm training him. Soon he'll be much stronger." "Let's hope so." Sierra stared at him and then walked off to continue her duty.
After the pokemon reviews were over, Jose was sent to the training arena to level up his Treecko. The training arena was just a closed ring where different trainers fought. Right as he got there two trainers were fighting, however this type of fighting was new to him. They combined their pokemon's attacks with their own punches and kicks. The show was spectacular, Blaziken and its trainer kicked with the same rhythm while Kadabra protected itself and its trainer. Kadabra then used Psybeam on Blaziken. The beam of psychic energy hit the fighting pokemon and sent it flying towards its trainer. They both fell outside the ring and were disqualified. Now it was Jose's turn. Jose jumped in the ring and called out Treecko.
The other trainer with the Kadabra said, "Here are the rules, you have to stay in the ring. You have to battle everyone who comes to try to take the ring away from you."
"Great, how do I win?" asked Jose a little annoyed.
"Just don't loose." The trainer said with a smirk.
"Great now I got to battle a Kadabra, good grief." Jose thought to himself.
"Since you're new I'll go easy on you. He he he" The trainer said "So wait, wait, I can hit you and your pokemon?" asked Jose thinking quickly.
"Kid, everything's allowed here, it's a battle for survival." answered the trainer to deaf ears since Jose was already charging at the Kadabra.
"Treecko Pound him." Jose yelled as he and rushed towards Kadabra and Treecko Jumped at the trainer.
The opponent was confused, He didn't know if to hit Jose or Treecko, finally he decided "Kadabra use Confusion on both of them!" Jose felt dizzy and tired and fell on the ground. He looked over at Treecko and saw him walking around in circles. The effect passed and Jose ran over to his Pokemon. "Treecko snap out of it." He slapped his pokemon on the face. Treecko was back to normal. Jose then grabbed him by the tail and started rotating. He went around faster and faster and then let go of him. Treecko went flying towards their opponent and understood what it had to do. It turned around in the air and using the force of the throw pounded the trainer with its tail. The soldier was left unconscious and Kadabra didn't know what to do. "Treecko Quick Attack" Jose said as he jumped in the air. Both he and his pokemon hit Kadabra at the same instant and it went flying back several feet.
The spectators were impressed by this show of teamwork. One of the viewers was a captain that was to lead a Pokemon unit in battle. He stroked his beard and looked at Jose. Then in a flash of light Treecko evolved into Grovyle. Jose fell back exhausted. He lay there on the floor until a soldier stood looking down on him and said. "Are you going to fight or do I throw you off and declare myself winner." Jose stood up with a grin and recalled Grovyle. He sent out his Stantler who was as big as a horse. It had been a huge Stag and Jose had chosen not to kill it. Jose jumped on its back with renewed energy and said to the soldier "Yeah, I'll fight."
The added height of trainer and pokemon was a little frightening but the trainer called out his Makuhita. Jose talked in Stantler's ear and gave it some advice. Stantler snorted in agreement and stood motionless. "Um ok I'll start, Makuhita Arm Thrust." The fighting pokemon went at it and ran towards the Stantler. However, both Jose and the Pokemon Leered at Makuhita and it ran back towards its trainer scared out of its mind. "How can it be? You're normal type, I should beat you." Jose smiled at this fact and said simply, "Never underestimate the power of pokemon. Your Makuhita is too young and weak. Stantler use Psychic." The Stantler concentrated to use the learned move and its eyes began to glow white. Out of its antlers came a powerful wave of psychic energy that knocked out Makuhita and threw the trainer on the floor.
Jose stayed on the training arena all day other because after a couple of battles everyone was too tired to try and fight him. He hadn't known he was so good. He had struggled to win his badges because he got distracted trying to figure out the best move set. Now he just winged it with intuition and it was working pretty well. Finally, at night he went over to the pokemon center to rest his pokemon. There Corporal Sierra was dressed in a nurse's outfit and was treating a burned Oddish. "Wow, what are you doing here?" Asked Jose shocked to see the Corporal being so nice to a pokemon after her display the morning before. "Well I'm the nurse here. You're the guy from this morning aren't you? What's your name?" She asked "Jose. I'm here to cure my pokemon." He answered. He took out his injured pokemon and she patched them up. "So you don't have a little machine to cure the pokemon instantly like in the game?" "No, she answered. There are some things we still don't have the technology for. The best we can do is this or use a healing pokemon like milktank. You should rest and so should they. Stay here if you want, I'm leaving now." She walked towards the back of the center. Jose looked as she walked away. She was a very pretty girl when she wasn't angry. He thought about all of this as he fell sleep.
The next day he walked outside and someone already had claimed the ring. He didn't really care and didn't feel like battling for the whole day again so he walked around the camp. He came to the Gym and saw some trainers outside. He asked why they were there. They answered Biggs had beat them and had them doing guard duty for three days. Jose smiled but thought about loosing to Biggs and walked on. He walked up to a kiosk. "So what's this?" "This is where you choose what branch you want to serve in." answered the man attending the kiosk. "Let's see, scouting, infantry, heavy infantry, light cavalry, heavy cavalry…what's the difference between those?" he asked. "Well think of a Ponyta and a Rhyhorn." "Gotcha. Well, considering what pokemon I have, I'll go with light cavalry." "Very well, sign here and write your pokemon here." Jose did so and was then directed to an open space where a bunch of kids were playing football.
Suddenly, a ball of dust passed right in front of Jose. Through the smoke he could see a Rapidash and some other pokemon. They stopped a few yards away, came back, and looked at Jose. "Boys looks like we got us a new recruit." Said the one who looked like their leader. "Hey, aren't you the one who stayed a whole day in the training arena?" "Aren't you the one that lost first?" Jose answered to the Kadabra trainer that was now riding a Dodrio. "Well, just so you know things aren't as easy here in the cavalry unit." The boy said angrily. "I'll get used to it." Jose retorted. "Do you even have any pokemon you can ride?" said their leader trying to keep his team's honor. Jose didn't answer and took out Stantler. The pokemon stood up to the Dodrio's height. Jose got on it and moved toward the group. They said "How about a little race?" He nodded and they all got in a line. They decided to race from where they were to a line of trees where a forest started.
"On my signal." Said the boy with a grin. "Ready, GO!" He screamed as he rushed forward. "Fool he doesn't even have a saddle." said the leader of the gang to them as they left Jose Behind. Then Stantler leapt over all of them and started rushing forward darting from side to side. "How did he do that?" A boy yelled "Grrr Dodrio Pursuit!" "Rapidash Agility!" The trainers tried to catch up to Stantler but it was just too fast. Instead of running it bounded and with each jump it left the other pokemon far behind. Finally, Jose made it to the tree with enough time to spare so he hid the rope he had used to tie himself to Stantler. "We sure got them good." Stantler nodded in agreement; sweat pouring down its sides. When the other trainers reached the forest Jose smiled at them "Oh, there you are!" The trainer with the Rapidash walked over to Jose and held out his hand. "Welcome." He said "I am Charles." The Leader shoved his Dodrio between them and said "And I am William." He stretched out his hand towards Jose and looked at him firmly. Jose looked at him and said "You know that's two times I've beaten you." William's face turned beet red as he growled trough his teeth "Beginner's luck."
Jose kept training with the cavalry unit switching between Ponyta and Stantler and learning how to form up and use attacks while riding. All through his stay at the camp he thought about when he would face Biggs. He decided to do so on an early morning thinking that Biggs would still be sleepy. That was not so and when Jose entered the gym all the lights turned on and shone on him. "Well, well, you are one of the few that haven't faced me yet. I was beginning to think you would chicken out." He hard Biggs voice but didn't see him. "I'm here now. What are your rules?" Jose shot back at him. He came out from the shadows and said "Simple, two pokemon, double battle." Biggs threw his pokeballs and out came Camerupt and Magcargo. Jose thought about it and smiled. He brought out his Wartortle and his Sandslash.
Jose started the fight with a Watergun from Wartortle. "Magcargo use flamethrower." Yelled Biggs. Jose hid from the flames behind Sandslash and Wartortle Withdrew in its shell. "Hiding the lot of you huh? Fine, Camerupt use Earthquake." The walls trembled and Jose thought the whole place was about to collapse. Finally, Biggs gave up on the attack. Jose took this chance. "Sandslash Slash Magcargo, Wartortle Water Gun!" As for him, Jose took off running towards Biggs. At the last minute He propelled himself off of Sandslash's back with his fist outstretched and punched Biggs in the face. Wartortle knocked out Camerupt in one hit with its watergun. The slash attack was not too effective. Jose turned on the Magcargo and told Wartortle to use bubble as Biggs held his bleeding nose. The attack hit the Magcargo, which ran away…very slowly. Jose and his pokemon stared in amazement at the struggling Maccargo and laughed. "What did you me punch for soldier?" Biggs asked wiping his nose. "Oh-oh, that's the way I learned to fight in the training area." Jose said, "Go run five laps!" Biggs yelled "Yes sir." Jose said recalling his pokemon as he started to run. "And here, here's the badge for this gym. Wear it proudly. NOW GET TO IT!" Biggs said as he threw the badge to Jose. He caught in in the air and looked at it. He smiled and ran off.
As their time in the camp came to an end, they held a parade to show off everyone's skills. Everyone wore their best uniforms and their pokemon were in top shape. "And now the light cavalry." Sounded a megaphone while Jose and the rest of the cavalry marched out. He felt proud of his Stantler. He looked at his unit. There were many Rapidashes and Ponytas. There were Doduos and Dodrios.
The days passed and all the trainers readied themselves for the storm to come. They had gotten through training but they were going into war.
