AN: Sorry for abruptly removing the last chapter. There were some parts that didn't make sense towards my character that I have fixed, as well as well as a follow up on some other news I wanted to bring in. I meant to post this last week but due to an injury I got from work really killed my motivation for a bit. Anyway, for those who celebrate the holiday. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
It was still dark when Andrew woke up the next day. Yawning loudly, he showered and got dressed before making his way into the lobby of the Pokémon center.
He was glad that the cafeteria had a do-it-yourself station, and he quickly made a bowl of cereal for himself and food for Eve who was still a bit tired.
Breakfast was a quick affair, and the pair left the center and made their way to route 22. Normally the path would be filled with the sounds of the local avian wildlife songs, but it was still too early for that, so they traveled in silence.
Noticing that Eve was lagging, probably from lack of sleep, Andrew quickly recalled her letting her get some rest before the day really began.
The trek was relatively quick which he was thankful for. He also noted that he got there roughly forty-five minutes earlier than the intended meeting time.
Throwing the Pokeball Eve appeared much more alert then earlier. "We got here a little earlier than intended so while we wait, I'll explain how Aqua Tail works."
"Now for Poison Tail, you secrete the poison from your skins pores or sweat glands, coating the outer scales with enough toxicity and force that you have a good chance of poisoning your target every time you strike. For Aqua Tail it's a bit different. I want you to focus on absorbing the water into those pores and letting it coat your tail similarly to your poison. On a normal basis you'll be able to absorb the water within the air and condense it onto your tail. But since it's your first time I want you to stick your tail in the water here and try to suck it in and strike. You with me so far?"
Eve hissed and nodded. "Okay, so what I want you to do is stick your tail in the water and strike the ground in front of you. But only strike if you feel that you've got enough, okay?"
Hissing in confirmation, Eve dipped her rattle in the water. She winced at the temperature but let it sink in about a foot and closed her eyes in concentration. Eve sat there for a solid minute before letting her eyes snap open and smacking the ground in front of her.
Nothing really stood out from the strike other than her tail was soaked with water. "Just keep going. Honestly poison and water are both liquids so this move will be relatively easy as long as you practice it just keep going for now."
She didn't respond the only indication that she listened was by dipping her tail in the water once again and began working.
While Andrew watched her progress, his thoughts strayed to the person he was supposed to meet. No one really stuck out other than Lance or at least one of his men. Maybe they found some evidence and wanted to inform him of what they found? Maybe it was to ask more about what he knew? He did say that in the games they had bases in Celadon City and Mahogany Town underneath the Game Corner and the Souvenir Shop respectively. In addition, Andrew also mentioned that the main HQ could possibly be based in Mt. Silver somewhere, but it was never confirmed since his knowledge on it was that the base was in an extremely rocky location.
A glow in his peripheral caught his attention. It disappeared just as quickly but Eve also noticed and continued with much fervor making him chuckle.
"You're doing great Eve. Just keep at it. I'm going to walk around the lake to see if whoever we're meeting may be on the other half.
She hissed and nodded in understanding as he immediately started walking clockwise along the lake. When he got to the other half of the lake, he did come across someone's things. It was a bag, a Pokeball belt which he noted one was empty, as well as a towel and some clothes.
Before he could ponder more on it a loud splash erupted from the water behind him. Alarmed, he quickly spun around and got himself in a defensive position.
His posture immediately dropped as his face turned positively scarlet. Before him was an extremely alluring woman who has light blue hair that was done in a ponytail and stunning cerulean eyes. What had him blushing was the bikini she wore that left little to the imagination.
Turning his head so fast he almost got whiplash. "I'm so sorry I didn't know you were there!" Andrew shouted pleadingly with his arms frantically moving.
Cerulean eyes stared at him unblinking in confusion before realization hit. A teasing grin wormed a way onto her face.
"Well, well. It seems I caught a little pervert. Did you like what you saw Andrew-kun?" She asked sultry and teasing.
The teen froze at both the voice and the nickname as his blush began to fade. "Wait a minute. Clair? What are you doing here?" He asked calming down and turning to face the gym leader of Blackthorn city.
A cheeky grin was on her face as she wrung the water out of her hair. "Waiting for you apparently. I expected you to be here in a half hour. I saw the lake here earlier and figured I'd go for a swim." She stated as she casually stretched.
As she did so, it revealed her modest bust with the minimal covering it had, making him blush. "A-Anyway, why exactly were you waiting for me though? Did Lance need something from me?"
This time it was Clair's turn to be confused. "Did Oak not tell you?"
If this were the anime, you'd see large question marks over his head. "Tell me what?"
Suddenly loud hissing was heard, and they saw Eve had made her way over, probably hearing the loud splash and his yell. Right now, she was coiled with mouth wide open baring her fangs as her tail rattled furiously.
"Eve stand down. She's a friend." Andrew said trying to placate his starter intriguing the gym leader.
"Oh! Is that that albino Pokémon that was discovered? She's got such beautiful scales. I can only imagine how stunning she'd look when she evolves into an Arbok." Eve, after calming down realizing she wasn't a threat preened at the praise earning an amused eye roll from her trainer.
"Anyway, the reason why I was told to meet you was to give you this." Clair stated while drying herself off with the towel before grabbing a Pokeball from her bag and placed it into Andrew's hand who stared at it in confusion.
"I don't get it, why are you giving me this?"
A sigh escaped her lips while massaging the bridge of her nose. "I bet that old man wanted me to break the news then. You've been sponsored by Lance."
Hazel eyes widened. Shock, disbelief and anger flashed in his eyes. "What?! I said I didn't want to be sponsored. If I did, I would have taken the test to grab a regional starter! What the hell is he trying to pull!" He fumed.
Clair shrugged. "I have no idea what was going through his mind at the time, but he made the decision roughly four months ago and told me about it. I wasn't even aware you didn't want to be sponsored. All I was told was to bring him over to you since I have more free time." She stated pointing to the Pokeball in his hand.
He calmed down and looked at the Pokeball she gave him a bit bewildered. "Him?" Andrew asked questioningly before throwing the ball.
A pop was heard and what materialized stunned him. It was a Dratini which yawned loudly and blinked the tears away from its eyes.
"A Dratini? But why?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.
She handed him a note which he took and began to read. It was short, nothing too crazy but it got to the point making him sigh a little in frustration while scratching his head. 'I'm definitely calling him later about this.'
"While I appreciate his help, I would have preferred to catch one on my own efforts in the future. But I'll take him, I guess. Welcome to the family Dratini."
The Pokémon trilled happily at him making the boy chuckle at its affection. He quickly took his Pokedex out and began scanning it.
Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini's life energy is constantly building so it is always growing and can reach lengths of over six feet. As it grows, it sheds its skin regularly and hides behind a rapid waterfall during the process.
This Dratini is Male with no held item. He knows the moves Wrap, Leer, Twister and Extremespeed. His ability is Shed Skin which allows it to recover from harmful status conditions.
He blinked at the entry as he stared at the last attack. "Doesn't Dratini only learn Extremespeed if both its parents are Dragonite?"
Clair nodded. "Yeah, he is actually from Lance's most recent clutch. This guy is actually pretty mild compared to his siblings so he shouldn't give you too much of an issue."
"I see…" Andrew trailed off.
"What's wrong?"
Rubbing the back of his head, he sighed. "I originally came to this route to train and catch a Pokémon to help me beat Giovanni as my first gym badge. But being handed a Pokémon, one as rare as Dratini just doesn't feel right to me."
"Well, you're a sponsored trainer. I know it's not something you wanted but that is one of the perks. Tell you what let me help you train him before I leave. I've got an hour or two to spare."
"What? No. You don't have to-" "But I want to. Honestly, it's no big deal. I see no harm in it. What were you working on with, Eve, was it?" Clair said cutting him off.
He released a sigh of defeat. "I was planning on teaching Eve Aqua Tail first and Iron Tail. With her egg move being Poison Tail I figured they'd be easy for her to learn hence why I was planning on coming to the lake here. Eventually I'd start to work on Giga Drain so that she has a long-range recovery move against ground types. But if we don't make much progress with it, I'll switch our focus onto her Poison type moves by increasing her toxicity levels."
Clair hummed in approval. "Not a bad idea. Giga Drain might take some time, but I can certainly help. I don't own any Pokémon that know that move but I can help with the tail attacks."
She quickly snapped her fingers and from behind her a large Dragonair emerged from the lake startling Andrew while Eve got in front of him tail rattling loudly as she hissed at the large dragon while Dratini chirped a greeting to its evolutionary form.
"Sapphire here knows both moves. I can have her teach them how to properly use both moves. Iron Tail is typically easier to learn but you can do that second. The Dratini line naturally learns Aqua Tail so it'll be easy for him to pick it up and can help Eve point out the flaws in her approach. Hey Sapphire, can you help these two out by teaching them how to use Aqua Tail and Iron Tail for me?"
Sapphire nodded with a smile as she brought the pair of smaller serpents off to the side and immediately got to work by showing them what Aqua Tail looked like then chirped at them. Both nodded.
They repeated the action though for Eve her tail glowed briefly once more but fizzled out before she struck the ground again while Dratini didn't even get a glow when he tried. Eve hissed in frustration but a chirp from Sapphire caught her attention as the three got into a discussion.
While those three talked and practiced Clair pulled Andrew aside as well. "While their busy, why don't we talk. I can help teach you what I know about Dratini and how to properly care for them. Normally Dragon types are powerful Pokémon and are rather difficult to train. While Dratini have a milder temperament to the type, rivalled only by the Goodra and Drampa species, they still can be difficult to control. Dragons are a prideful species regardless of how easy going their temperament is and they all respect power and authority and they don't easily bow to another. So, if they ever see you bow or admit defeat to another you will lose any and all respect from them and they will not hesitate to ignore commands regardless of how gentle they can be." She said sternly.
He nodded in understanding as he then took a notebook out of his bag and began to write down any helpful information she could give. Clair then began to lecture on dietary needs which he was thankful for as well as how to properly groom them. That took roughly an hour. When they finished their talk about dragons they decided to check up on his Pokémon's progress.
"Hey guys how's the training been going. Make good progress?" Eve looked a little more drained than Dratini but responded with a pleased hiss while he simply gave a happy chirp. His Ekans went first.
Eve called the power of the attack without the aid of soaking her tail first. She got the glow of the attack though it was dimly lit and there was a minor waterspout circling it albeit incredibly slowly.
Dratini on the other hand, had a brighter glow, not by much but was noticeable. There was more water surrounding his tail but moved at the same speed as Eve's when he tried the attack.
Clair nodded pleased with the progress. "Good with that current level of control, you should be able to use it more frequently without issue. Just keep practicing with the moves and it'll come naturally. Alright Sapphire we've got one more hour before we head back to the gym. Now you can switch to Iron Tail since they've made great headway."
Sapphire cooed at Clair's touch and warbled in understanding while Andrew fed both Eve and Dratini oran berries from his bag.
Andrew watched them train while Clair went behind the bush to change out of her bathing suit and back into her normal clothes. It was only a couple minutes when she came back putting her hair into its normal style.
"By the way, why Giovanni and not Brock? He tends to be tougher and doesn't hold back you know. Even I struggled against him during the yearly meetings of Indigo where I challenged him to a battle."
"I know but I want to test myself and Giovanni is one who is blunt and honest which is something that I can respect which I know Surge does as well. This is something I want to do and even if I fail, then I'll simply return after I beat Brock and try again." As he spoke a challenging gleam was in his eyes.
"I see, I can lend some tips about how he battles-," "I appreciate it but no thanks. I'd rather learn through my own experiences. It's one thing to learn from someone how to battle. It's another to be told how someone else battles though." Andrew stated cutting her off.
An amused huff escaped her lips. "You're just being stubborn." At that he simply gave a cheeky grin which she responded by smacking him in the back of the head eliciting a yelp from the boy.
Andrew rolled his eyes. "Not only that though, but it should also be a learning experience for me anyway. His method of battle may be similar to other trainers I may come across in the future. Isn't that the point of going on a journey? I hate hand outs and receiving Dratini is a real slap to the face."
"Despite my love for reptiles, with my current mentality I'm ill suited to taking care or owning a dragon type."
Clair stared at him confused as to why he thought that only for an alarm to ring from her bag. She took out her own Pokégear and frowned.
"Looks like there's something going on back in Blackthorn. Sorry that I have to cut this short, but it seems that there is a territorial dispute that the others can't quell. Sapphire let's go!"
The Dragonair crooned as Clair climbed onto her back and the pair took off leaving the trio blink in shock at the speed.
Eve and Dratini both looked at Andrew with curiosity making him sigh. "I want both of you to continue practicing Iron Tail and Aqua Tail in a battle against each other using only those two moves. If one of you is using the one move, I want you to use the opposite. Eve do not use Poison Tail. This is to see how fast you can switch moves in combat. If the two of you can, try to alternate per strike."
"For example, Eve start up with an Iron Tail and Dratini you charge up Aqua Tail." Both Pokémon replied in earnest as their tails glowed respectively for the moves they called upon.
"Okay now both of you attack each other." Confused the two Pokémon's tails clashed against one another."
"Alright now Eve use Aqua Tail and Dratini use Iron Tail." The pair did so and clashed more. "See? Every time you guys have your tails away from each other start charging up a different move. In no case do I want you to use the move twice in a row."
The two Pokémon's eyes widened as realization hit them making the teen grin. "If it helps make it like a competition. If one of you is incapable of switching a point will go to the other. Eventually when the two of you get it down and get stronger we can upgrade this to three moves. Eve already has Poison Tail but Dratini doesn't have one yet. But you are capable of learning Dragon Tail as you get stronger. It'll be a fun game to play to test reaction time as well as power buildup."
Nodding in understanding Eve gave a challenging hiss which Dratini responded with narrowed eyes and cooed as they powered up Iron and Aqua Tail once more.
The exchanges were sluggish in the beginning seeing as they needed time to power up the moves per swing. Eve won the first two exchanges due to having experience with Poison Tail prior but Dratini was beginning to get the hang of it and won three more after before they started getting into a rhythm.
Andrew watched for a couple minutes before telling the pair to keep at it while he made a call. Neither responded as the two were too focused on their current task.
He chuckled before pulling up Lances' name on the Pokégear and hit the call button. It rang for several minutes with nothing but the sound of clashing tails behind him as well as the random hiss or growl of frustration.
"This is Lance speaking. May I ask who is calling?" A voice said over the phone.
"Hey Lance, it's Andrew. I'm calling in regard to a situation you put me in." Andrew stated in a forced cheerful tone.
He could almost hear the blink of surprise coming from the champion. "…excuse me?"
"Yeah, I recall saying I did not want to become a sponsored trainer, least of all from you. Care to explain as to why you thought it was a good idea? Also, news flash, that letter you gave Clair didn't explain shit other than you wanted another set of boots on the ground." Andrew ground out.
Lance sighed and Andrew assumed he was massaging his head. "Look I get that your frustrated but listen. You are at the end of the day a Faller, a knowledgeable one at that. By me becoming your sponsor I was allowed to put a tracking device in your Pokedex with Samuel's approval. No one but the three of us even knows about it which would be a major boon if you could investigate Rocket in person, despite not having the proper espionage training. The green button on the Pokedex is an additional feature that acts as an immediate SOS signal that sends it to me and Oak as the primary receivers while the other 13 pillars as well as my g-men are secondary receivers, depending on the distance they are from your current location."
"Your Pokedex is the first unique one made. It has a built-in camera with night vision and a recording function. I know that Oak asked if you could send audio or typed logs on discoveries you make on your journey that may further our understanding of Pokémon, but the new feature allows you to send me or the others video logs if stealth ops are needed. You don't need to take immediate action and take them down, but the forewarning is extremely helpful. An added notice will automatically be sent along with the video which is to send text messages to be the only response allowed back to help maintain your cover."
Now Andrew sighed. "I get that, but you could've just told me that and I would have accepted no problem. I'm more pissed about the spontaneous sponsorship and the Dratini. I didn't want the sponsorship for the sole reason of not wanting to being tethered to Kanto for another few years."
"And you won't be. In fact, I actively encourage you to continue traveling even after this year's Indigo League. The G-men are a covert operating group, and the International Police are an overt group. You'll be the first one to be somewhat of a bridge between both when necessary. Your travels and investigations are technically the employment necessary. Besides if Ash will be traveling soon then you'll be dealing with essentially what you called 'anime protagonist bullshit'." Lance explained somehow keeping a straight face even while saying it.
Andrew snorted at his words. "Alright fair."
"Now I've got a question for you. Why are you mad about me giving you a Dratini of all things? I thought you wanted and liked the species?" He inquired.
"I'm not truly mad. Mostly frustrated because I wanted the experience of truly catching one on my own. Eve is obviously the exception since I needed a Pokémon to start my journey with. I don't want or really like handouts was the biggest issue. Just being handed the first form of Kanto's Pseudo Legend seems like a dick move to other trainers."
He then quirked an eyebrow.
"Speaking of which, why didn't you just give the professor Dratini and have him explain the whole situation. Or better yet set up a video call so that you could have been present for the explanation. I would've been far more receptive if you guys explained prior to me leaving. My anger and frustration mostly stemmed from the spontaneous news… as well as me freaking out that I was given a god damn Dratini of all things." Andrew stated, while wincing with an apologetic grin on his face.
Lance chuckled at the teen's words. "That is true, but I figured you would want it to occur away from prying eyes. I can't speak for Samuel but I'm pretty sure he just wanted to surprise you."
Some unflattering remarks and curses were made under his breath making the champion grin from his side of the screen.
Shaking his head, Andrew returned his gaze to the screen. "Anyway, any news on any of the shadow organizations and the other Fallers?"
Red hair bobbed. "I've got good news and bad news which would you like to hear first?"
"Let's start with the bad news. Hit me."
"Well, I sent my men out to gather information on the bases in Mahogany Town and Celadon, but it looks like the bases were completely cleared out. Your information was spot on, and we did catch a few grunts, but they used cyanide pills. Either they were already planning on moving when we caught them, or they got a tip from somewhere which doesn't bode well for us since you were our source."
"That seems to be the only news here within the Kanto-Johto borders other than the attack on the Pewter City Museum last night."
Andrew stumbled in shock. "What?!"
Lance quirked an eye at the teen in confusion. "You didn't know? It was all over the news last night and its being covered right now in fact. It seems that they stole some paperwork as well as several fossils that were recently uncovered. They were slated to go on display, but it seems like Rocket had plans for them."
"If you guys are still going through the paperwork to identify what was taken, try to narrow it down to any information in regard to the fossil revival machine. Also, look into identifying those missing fossils. Those are the only things that come to mind when it comes to Team Rocket unless you guys were hiding something else in the museum that they wanted. Besides that, was there any other bad news?"
"The only thing that comes to mind is the lack of news on two of the other Fallers. In Sinnoh the Faller landed on the northwestern side of Mt. Coronet. Unfortunately, there were no traces of where the Faller went so we must assume the worst based off of what Gardenia told Cynthia. In Unova the Faller landed near Relic Castle. Elesa confronted and met with the Faller. Appearance wise she looks of Alolan descent and has a name similar to their culture. However, while under Elesa's custody she was found talking to some trainers and disappeared the next day."
"Since her disappearance Plasma has been even more active. More followers are joining due to the increased number of protests. Some have even resorted to racketeering and blackmailing civilians and trainers to forcefully release their Pokémon. Alder and their League has their hands full since the government is trying to gain more power."
He tsked in annoyance. "Politics. No matter where you go it's always an issue."
The champion of Indigo released a breathy sigh in agreement. "Yes but that is all we've got for the bad news at least. As for the others the Faller that appeared in Alola is making a name for herself. It was her along with Professor Burnet who tackled the Ultra Beast afflicting Lusamine last year and is currently working alongside them to find her husband while also researching a way back to your world if it is at all possible. Unlike you she seems to have retained her original age."
Hazel eyes blinked in surprise before grinning. "While I'll be damned, that's great! I'm going to assume that they are going to protect her from the Ultra Beasts so there isn't much to worry about there."
"That's correct. Now two others are those in Hoenn and Kalos. Steven helped the boy settle and is now currently traveling as a trainer. Same with the other boy. He was found by Grant, East of his city. From what I've heard, he's a bit out there and well… extremely crass. I think Grant was rather glad to see him leave if I heard right. The last one is a girl slightly older than you in Galar."
"Believe it or not, it was Leon's younger brother who stumbled upon her. Both of which are endorsed by Leon who supposedly is still trying to talk down Chairman Rose from using Eternatus. I haven't heard of any progress about Magma/Aqua pair, Flare or Galactic teams. I think the others are keeping their information tight lipped to prevent any leaks."
"That makes sense. If Rocket was able to glean anything from us, then they made the right call with the other organizations. Everything is still unknown of their capabilities."
Andrew then massaged his neck. "In all honesty, I don't know anything else that comes to mind. Now that we've got all that squared away, I believe that's everything. Do you have anything to add?"
Lance shook his head. "The only thing I can add is that if I learn of a situation near your current location I'll give you a mission briefing and upon investigation/completion I'll pay you for the task. Other than that good luck on your journey and your battle with Giovanni." Ka-lick
With the call ended he walked back to a now panting pair of serpents who were glaring at one another as they moved to clash once more.
"Alright you two that's enough. Who won the most?"
Eve perked up ad trilled. Dratini slumped his head in disappointment. "Hey now none of that. This was training. It's a learning game and nothing more. Let's get back to the Pokémon Center and get you guys healed up. But first we've got to give you a name little guy."
He smiled genially as the Dratini perked up with excitement. "Okay I've got a ton of names. I'll list them off and you tell me which one you like the most."
Nodding its head, Andrew began rattling off names until the tiny dragon cooed at one in particular making him smirk. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to choose that one. It's from one of my favorite book series. Welcome to the family Eragon."