Pokémon: Hoenn Travels.
-The Important Stuff:-
1) I am not at all affiliated with Game Freak nor Nintendo, or any other companies that write/produce Pokémon.
2) I do not own any part of Pokémon.
-A Waiver:-
1) This is not a direct steal from anything already Pokémon-related that exists, not the show or a game or a novel/book. It is my own creation, therefore I may bend the rules a little bit to fit my needs.
2) The names of Professors, Gym Leaders, and Cities were taken from Ruby Version.
Chapter Six:
New Plans
"I want you to stay, Rowan." Doug sat across from me in the Pokémon Center of Petalburg City. "I really need you to stay."
"What do I bring at this point, Doug?" I scoffed at him. We were seated in benches in front of the service counter. There was a glass coffee table between us where two, untouched cups of coffee sat. The nurse had been kind enough to bring them to us, but we had yet to drink from them. "I have been teaching kids for the last five years, not battling Pokémon."
"You're telling me that you have no faith in Luma? Or in Typhlosion?" He shot back at me, obviously incredulous at my proclamation. "I have seen them, Rowan. Even to me, they are impressive. I don't want to battle either of them."
"Doug," I hissed.
"I've never battled Luma, I know I will lose against her." Luma chortled happily from her seat beside me.
"Good man," she purred.
"And Typhlosion is the only Pokémon who has ever beat my Kangaskhan," he continued, still trying to pressure me.
"I am not doubting my Pokémon," I retorted.
"It sounds like you are, Rowan," he snapped, obviously irritated at me. "It sounds like you have no faith in them."
"Doug," I sighed.
"That's what it seems like, Rowan."
"It's not that," I assured him, "I have no faith in me."
He fell silent, then slowly leaned back in his seat. After a second, he scooted forward again and back to the edge of the bench. His mouth opened, but he quickly cupped his hands over his mouth. Finally, he shook his head and spoke. "Are you serious?"
"I have been a schoolteacher in a tiny, Johto city for five years, Doug," I explained to him. "The most stressful thing I have dealt with is parent-teacher conferences."
"Rowan," he groaned, running his hands up into his hair. "People like you don't lose their talents and skills, regardless of how long it's been. You don't forget something that you are so good at."
"Was I actually ever good?" I asked him. I had thought back over my travels several times and had decided most of it had been luck on my part.
"I really hope that's a pathetic attempt at a joke," he hissed at me and I shook my head. He swore under his breath. "Rowan, you were my runner-up. You beat everyone up until me and I fully believe that you would have beat me given a different set of Pokémon. If you had used Luma and Typhlosion and your Noctowl, you would have had me. You tried new things, which a trainer should always do, but your lack of skill did not cost you your victory, your battles were solid."
"Doug," I said gently. "That doesn't change the fact that that was five years ago. You have been battling and training and practicing all that time. I have not been."
"Ty and I have," Luma spoke again. Her eyes were on me and I looked down at her. "He and I battle each other every day."
"See," Doug waved at her, as though she proved his point.
"I told you I don't have any concerns with my Pokémon, Doug," I hissed at him, growing impatient with his pushiness. "I haven't been practicing, I don't know how I would deal in a high stress, high pressure Pokémon battle anymore."
"Come on, are you kidding me? You have fucking amazing problem-solving skills. You are always thinking on your toes."
I stared at him, but glanced down when I felt Luma rest her chin on my leg. I looked down at her, eyes were flicked upward and staring at me. You can catch more Pokémon if we stay, she reminded me, her voice singsong.
That is not a great reason to stay, I retorted, giving her a skeptical look.
We both deserve a break from the cold weather, she added. She was pleading with me with her eyes.
Luma, this isn't going to be a relaxing vacation anymore.
Rowan, we both know you want to stay. I really do commend you for trying to fight it and I appreciate your humbleness when it comes to your skillset, but stop with the doubt, and the pessimism, and the worry.
How?
Trust yourself.
I rolled my eyes at her response, laughing at it in my head. I think it's obvious that I have no trust in myself.
Then trust me.
My eyes stilled on her face. She held my gaze, she was radiating confidence. I do trust you.
Her eyes narrowed into happy slits as she moved off my lap and started to purr. I looked from her and up to Doug, he was staring at me expectantly.
"What did she have to say?" He finally asked, obviously knowing that Luma and I had just had a conversation psychically.
I slowly stood up off the couch. "If you'll excuse me, I have several phone calls I need to make if I am going to stay here." As I walked away from the seat I had just vacated, I heard Doug whisper to my Pokémon.
"Man, do I owe you again, Luma."
"Make sure the hot tub has at least twenty jets," was her reply.
It had taken some time and some fancy wordsmithing on my part, but I had worked everything out for an extended stay in Hoenn. I had first called my mother, telling her that the lecture had been so successful that it was now requested that I partake in a lecture series across all of Hoenn. Once again, she bought the lie and asked me numerous questions about the lecture series. I straight out lied to my mother instead of just admitting to her the actual situation. After she asked her questions, she agreed to stay in Ecruteak with my Pokémon for a while and she assured me that if she needed to leave for some reason, she would transport them with her.
After getting my assurances from my mother, I contacted the Goldenrod Pokémon Academy, aiming to speak with a young woman named Catherine Ross. Only a year before, she had been transferred to my classroom to observe teaching a group of young students. Her intention was to be a Pokémon Professor, but part of that was learning to teach the youth. Now, she was nearing the end of her schooling and part of her educational requirements was an internship where she actively taught a class. I asked her if she wanted to take over mine for a couple of weeks. Absolutely delighted, as she had had no luck in any other teacher she had asked, she readily agreed. She even told me not to rush back, as she wanted to get as many possible hours as she could.
Lastly, I called Professor Evergreen, without telling Doug. I advised him that I had travelled to Hoenn and that I had come across a situation I now had to deal with, but that I had only two Pokémon with me. I asked him if he would be willing to drop whatever he was doing and transfer several more of my Pokémon to me. His answer caused me pause and when I hung up with him, my nervousness for the Hoenn region's situation had increased.
"What's wrong?" Doug asked as I neared him. He was still seated in the same benches I had left him at some time before.
"You have Phantom and your Steelix, right?" I asked him.
"Yea, why?"
"I just spoke with Professor Evergreen," I said, ignoring the annoyed expression that passed across Doug's face. "He advised that communications between Johto's transfer services and Hoenn's transfer services have been down for some time and that there is no estimated time for when they will come back up."
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Doug quickly forgot his annoyance at the mention of his father as his features belayed the defeat I had just felt moments before.
"The Pokémon we have with us are the only ones we are going to get to have," I had to assume I was confirming his fears. "We can get any more of our Pokémon from the Johto servers."
"Shit," he hissed, running his hands up into his hair. "I am stuck with this damn Steelix."
"Doug, that also means we don't have Pokémon to fly us anywhere, or to transport us across water, or knock down obstacles for us," I reminded him.
"Steelix can do that part, assuming I release him," Doug hissed, mostly to himself.
"Doug, we are literally doing this like we are brand new trainers," I snapped over his small tantrum about his Pokémon. The words fell over Doug, his expression serious. However, after a moment he grinned widely. "What about that is good news?" I hissed.
"We could go around Hoenn and try and beat the Gym leaders," he snickered.
I glared up at him, hoping to clearly convey the irritation I felt with him. "This is not some fun adventure we are on Doug."
"Oh," he cooed at me, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "It could be, if we make it so. Plus, come on, the Gym leaders need our funding. We'll pay to battle them."
I narrowed my eyes as I glared up at him, trying to decide how I wanted to reply. "Honestly," Phantom spoke before I had the option to. "I'm onboard for this."
I dropped my shoulders. "Of course, you are Phantom."
"Rowan," Luma spoke and I looked to her on the sofa she was still seated up. She met my stare with a toothy smile of her own. "I think we should do it too."
I looked from her, to Doug's Pokémon, and then finally to Doug. He offered me a confident smile and held his arms away from his sides, waiting for my response. I let out a long breath. "Let's go talk to Norman, see what we need to do."
"Yes!" Doug cheered, ushering the two Pokémon off the benches and to the doors. "Let's go get some fucking badges."
"I am going to laugh when you lose your first battle in five years to a Hoenn Gym leader," I barked after him as I followed the group to the doors of the Pokémon Center.
Only a short time later, we entered the Petalburg City Gym and made our way to Norman's office, where he was quietly seated. However, when he noticed Doug and I in the doorway, he dropped whatever he was working on and shot to his feet. "Mr. Evergreen, Ms. Eden. Please tell me that you have come to a decision."
"We're gonna stay," I assured him, walking into the office first. I sat down on the sofa I had previously occupied and crossed my legs at the ankle. I stared down momentarily at the heels that I wore. There was no way I was going to make it completely across the Hoenn region in them.
"Thank Mew," he sighed loudly as he slowly sank back down into his seat.
Doug dropped to the sofa next to me, causing my seat to depress, resulting in me falling slightly toward him. "We had a question though."
"Anything I can do to help you both," he agreed.
"We want to challenge the Hoenn Gym leaders, figure that way at least they get some funding coming in and they get to battle as well," Doug said. "Anything we have to have in order to partake in that?"
Norman was shaking his head. "Just an able Pokémon."
"In that case," Doug jabbed his thumb at himself and then waved it back and forth between he and I. "We want to challenge you to a battle."
"At the same time?" Norman asked, and his tone of voice made it seem like it was an actually an option.
Because of his tone of voice, I naturally followed up with that exact question. "We can battle together?"
Norman was nodding. "Here in Hoenn it is standard practice to have two on two battles. If it's two trainers against one, the two trainers each call out one Pokémon and the single trainer calls out two."
I glanced to my right and at Doug. He was already staring at me, a bright and pleased smile across his face. "I suppose you want to do it that way?"
"It's always more fun with two," he retorted. I glanced from him and to Luma, who sat on the floor in front of me. She was rolling her eyes.
That was a double entendre. She informed me.
Oh, I am aware.
"So, same time?" Norman asked again, returning me to the previous conversation I had been engaged in.
"Yes, we would both like to battle you at the same time," I agreed.
He stood, waving for us to follow him. "I will call my secretary and we can work all the details out when she gets here. We can battle while we wait."
Doug and I left the office and positioned ourselves in the trainer's box on the battlefield just outside Norman's office door. The chairs and presentation equipment had since been moved and stored since we were last in the room. Norman, across the room from us, was chatting quickly on the phone. The conversation was brief and he hung up after only a few seconds.
He took his position in the box across the field from us and stared silently at us for just a few seconds.
"Two on two battle!" He finally announced, his voice reverberated through the cavernous space. "Each of you call out one, I will call out two."
"Hoenn Pokémon or the fighting couple?" Doug asked me, pointing down at Luma and Phantom at our feet.
"We aren't fighting," Phantom retorted.
"We just aren't speaking," Luma chuckled.
"Luma," he sighed.
"We literally just caught the Hoenn Pokémon," I reminded Doug. "We should wait until we have the chance to train them."
"I like the way you think," he grinned at me.
"Vigoroth! Slaking! Come on out!" Norman was tossing two pokéballs up into the air above him. They broke open simultaneously and the red beams formed down to the ground, shaping into two large, hulking Pokémon. One was covered in white fur and perched on its two back feet. It seemed far more agile than the second one, which was reclined on its side and yawned widely once it was fully formed on the field.
"Luma," I said calmly, waving out ahead of myself. Luma leapt daintily out into the field and sat down, wrapping her tail around her feet.
"Phantom!" Doug barked after I spoke and his Pokémon jumped out beside mine. He was immediately crouched, his tail lashing rapidly back and forth as he waited for the impending battle.
"Vigoroth, Scratch the Espeon!" Norman was instantly barking orders to his Pokémon. "Slaking, Yawn! Same target!"
"Whatcha think?" Doug asked me. "Each take their own Pokémon or focus on the same Pokémon?"
"Norman obviously got well-trained Pokémon, strong Pokémon, otherwise he wouldn't go on the offensive so quickly," I replied, before shouting an order to Luma. "Dodge!" She ducked out of the way of the incoming Vigoroth as the Slaking was reeling back, taking in a deep breath. I had a moment before his attack.
"But?" Doug pressed.
I looked up to him. "Our Pokémon are better," I stated matter-of-factly.
A crooked smile fell across his features. "So, we each take our own."
"I think so."
"I agree," he nodded, then finally gave the battle his full attention. "Phantom, while he's close, Faint Attack on the Vigoroth."
"Luma, take out Slaking with a Psybeam, stay away from him." I followed his command with one of my own. The Slaking was finally ready to launch his attack, which would result in Luma falling asleep. She reacted quicker as she planted her feet and the gem on her forehead flashed brightly. Her mouth opened as she called out, and translucent beams shot across the field and into Slaking. He rolled onto his back, seemingly forgetting his attack he had taken so long to prepare.
I glanced at Phantom, he had pinned the Vigoroth to the ground and was planting a vicious Bite attack to its face. It was scratching up at the Dark Pokémon in defense.
"Luma, Confusion."
Another Psychic attack sailed across the space between my Pokémon and Norman's, who still hadn't fully recovered from the previous attack. The undulating, nearly invisible attack collided with the sloth-like Pokémon with such force, that it was completely flipped onto its stomach and rolled out of the arena. It remained still and I watched as Norman recalled it.
Go ahead and finish Phantom's battle too, I thought to her, returning her wicked grin as she spun around to face Phantom. She shot a quick Psybeam in the direction of the nearly unconscious Vigoroth, successfully knocking it out. It too was recalled by Norman as Luma pranced past Phantom and back to me.
He shot her a glare as she passed. "I had that," he muttered.
"You're welcome," she replied, sitting beside me.
Norman had crossed the empty space of the field and came to a stop in front of Doug and I. "I'm not surprised," he chuckled, "but thank you for the battle and I will present you both with the Balance badge." He produced two small, metal badges from his pocket and held them out on his palm to us. I felt nostalgic as I reached out and took it from him, quietly thanking him.
They'll look good displayed in your classroom like your other badges, Luma thought to me and I nodded in agreement. I safely stored it in my satchel, in a small side pocket.
"My secretary should be here by now, we'll get everything signed and paid for and you two can head to Rustboro City," Norman continued, clearly not waiting for mine nor Doug's response.
"What's in Rustboro City?" Doug asked. He was pocketing the badge he had just earned as well.
"Aside from another Gym, Rustboro has the highest crime rate in Hoenn currently. They'll be able to advise you on your next move for dealing with this recruitment," Norman assured us and then waved us toward the front door of the gym, where a young woman stood. I had to assume it was his secretary. "Let's get you finished up here, so you can move on."
Outside of Petalburg City, leading toward Rustboro City, was a dense forest with tall trees bursting with leafy growth in numerous shades of vibrant greens. The area was aptly named The Petalburg Woods. I was surprised to find that the path that cut through the woods was very natural. It wound around trees, making tight curves. There was a short edging made of rope and wooden spikes that the rope was tied around that marked the edges of the path, as it was otherwise hard to see.
Sunlight was doing its best to penetrate the thick canopy of greenery, but the leaves prevented most of it. As a result, a hue of dark green light was cast across the ground in the forest, with small patches of light splattered about wherever the leaves broke slightly.
Doug and I had entered the area some time before and with the density of the foliage, I was grateful for the long-sleeve button-up I was still wearing. The temperate had dropped several degrees within the shade.
"You're still down, you know?" Doug commented, chuckling as he did so.
I threw a slightly perturbed glance in his direction, and shrugged. "You are awfully concerned for a man so confident he is going to win."
"Well, I want you to put up a fight. Don't just hand me the victory."
Give me two seconds, then throw a pokéball off to your left. Luma's thought invaded my mind as she lithely jumped off the trail behind Doug and I and disappeared into the thick underbrush of the forest. I pursed my lips, stopping in the middle of the path and facing Doug. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared up at him.
He stopped as well and met my irate expression with a pleased smile. I arched my eyebrow up at him before reaching into my bag, grabbing a red and white sphere and tossing it into the woods where Luma had jumped off into.
His eyebrows came together in confusion as he glanced in the direction I had thrown the pokéball. He and I both waited, equally as tentative as each other, though I did my best to hide it. After a few moments passed, Luma appeared, carrying the pokéball in her jaws. She came to my side, dropped the sphere in my hand, and sat down, staring up at Doug.
"Two to two," I commented, holding the ball up toward Doug. "Happy?"
He looked from my face to the ball. He pointed at it. "How do I even know that there's a Pokémon in there and that you and Luma aren't just playing fetch to mess with me."
I scoffed, giving Doug a playfully perturbed scowl. "My goodness, an overconfident winner and a sore loser? You're the whole package, Doug." I tossed the ball up and it opened, forming a small, blue and white bird Pokémon on the ground in front of me. It was also unconscious from Luma's overly powerful attack. I recalled it immediately and slipped the ball into my satchel.
I brushed past Doug, continuing down the path and in the direction of Rustboro City. I could feel Doug slowly follow after me, but as we walked, he continually ducked off the path and into the brush to find more Pokémon. It doubled the time we spent in the woods and every time he would reappear on the path, swearing, I would laugh which would garner me a glare from the man.
"No luck?" I asked on his third tumble out of the bushes. He slowly stood, brushing himself off and clutching a pokéball.
"Depends," he retorted, holding the ball up between he and I. I glanced down at it, then flicked my eyes up to his face. He was standing very close to me, brandishing a bright smile that was making my stomach flip. I did my best to keep my expression apathetic. "Do duplicates count?"
"No," I immediately laughed at him. "They don't."
"Well, then," he shrugged, tossing the ball up into the air between us. Instinctually, I held my hands out and caught it as it started its descent to the ground. Doug had taken several steps away from me and was continuing through the woods. "I guess that Wurmple is for you."
I stared at the sphere for a moment before tucking it into my bag as I hurried after him. "Doesn't that mean I am ahead?"
"Nah, you get the Pokémon, I get the point." Doug chuckled over his shoulder, looking down as I came up beside him and slowed my gait. I was doing my best to ignore the painful cramp in the arch of my foot from my shoes.
"Now you're making up rules." I gently shoved his shoulder and though he stumbled, it wasn't really hard enough to make him lose his balance. "Desperation is not a good look on you."
"And yet, I am the one winning," he snickered.
"I am going to start making up rules too," I told him. "Like now every Pokémon I catch counts as two points."
"Oh, bull-shit."
I laughed in response, but didn't otherwise speak. The forest had started to thin and I could see a break in the tree line as the path straightened out ahead of us. Doug seemed to notice it too, and since we were both ready to be out of the woods, our pace quickened.
The tree line finally broke and we found ourselves in the bright afternoon sun. I let out a deep breath, turning my face up toward the light. I could feel Luma slink around my ankles and spread out across the ground, purring loudly. I was pleased with my decision to stay, I wasn't ready to deal with a foot or more of snow just yet.
Ahead of us, the path widened and slowly turned into a brick-paved road. It led up a hill and at the top, I could make out tall buildings constructed of steel. The sunlight glinted brightly off the metal and glass of the buildings.
The heat slowed us down slightly. My shirt was sticking to my back as we finally entered Rustboro City proper. The brick walkway was wide and well-maintained. There were numerous business buildings, including the PokéCenter, the Rustboro City Gym, and the Rustboro Department Store. As we passed by the front doors of the tall store, I noticed several securities guards standing right outside the doors. The walkway wound through the buildings and headed toward the edges of towns, where modern looking homes were built against rocky edges and the distant tree line.
My foot cramped again as we walked into the PokéCenter and I fought the urge to take my shoes off. I handed over the pokéballs to the nurse, staring out the glass front window as I waited for her to bring them back to me. My eyes were glued to the department store and a sign right outside the door.
Come inside for all your goods! Pokémon goods! Food items! Clothing and shoes!
My eyes were stuck on the last exclamation. Clothing and shoes. My feet cramped again.
"Ma'am."
I turned and took my Pokémon from the nurse as she called to me. She then took Doug's. "I am going to head over to the department store," I told him, pointing out the window at the building. "I'll meet you back here in just a few, okay?"
"What do you need?"
I didn't want to admit that my feet hurt, especially after Doug had asked me numerous times about my footwear, so I opted to lie. "I am going to need more pokéballs if I am going to beat you," I said and gave him a coy smile when he threw a glare down at me. "Be right back."
"Do I have to go?" Luma chirped from the sofa she had made herself comfortable on in the lobby of the center.
I laughed at her as I shook my head. "Of course not."
I crossed the short distance between the PokéCenter and the department store and entered through the ground floor. I found it to be a large, open lobby. In the very center of the massive space, there was a circular help desk with numerous people stationed at computers within the desk. Behind the desk on the far wall there were two elevators. I made my way to the elevators, finding a directory board in front of the doors. I hit the up button as I glanced over the directory. Clothing stores were on the sixth floor.
I stepped into the elevator as soon as it arrived on the ground floor, excusing myself past the many people who were exiting the machine. On the climb, several people boarded and left the lift. Once on my floor, I too got off the elevator and slowly meandered around the expansive floor stacked with rows and rows of shirts, pants and shorts, skirts and dresses, and every kind of shoe imaginable.
While it would have been easy for me to overthink my options and meander around the floor for hours, I opted to pick the first thing that came to mind. Jeans and t-shirts with flat-soled sneakers. I bought several options of each, hoping if I didn't have enough there would be a place for me to wash them or buy more.
After purchasing the clothing, I asked the friendly cashier who had assisted me if there was some place I could change. She readily pointed me to the bathrooms, either on this floor or on the ground floor. I took her advice and rode the elevator back down to the ground floor, finding the clearly labeled restrooms at the edges of the expansive lobby. After changing, I hurried from the store and back to the center.
I sighed loudly as I walked into the center and over to back satchel, which I had left with Luma. Glancing around, I didn't spot Doug in the immediate vicinity. She chortled happily at me as I tucked my newly acquired clothing into the bag and threw out the plastic bag they had been in. As I straightened up, my hair fell in my eyes and I made one more decision for ease of travel.
I slung my hair up and back, tying it off in a sloppy ponytail as Doug reappeared in the lobby.
He was staring downward, but as he looked up and his eyes landed on me, he froze mid-stride. He blinked a few times before speaking. "You changed."
"Oh, yea," I agreed. "While I was over there, I realized they had clothing too. Thought it might be easier for me to get around an entire region like this." I gestured down at my newly acquired outfit.
"Makes sense."
"He likes the look, more you he thinks," Luma told me, still laying across the sofa cushions.
I looked from her to Doug. His lips had compressed into a thin line and his eyes suddenly couldn't leave the floor. "Thank you for that Luma," he finally mumbled. Then he cleared his throat and forced his eyes up to me. "What do you think? Police station or Gym Leader?"
"Why police station?"
Doug's shoulders heaved up and down. "I assume if anyone is going to have information on a bunch gang activity, it's gonna be the police."
"Police first, then gym," I decided and he nodded his head. "Ready?" I phrased that question to Luma, who agreed by standing up and jumping off the sofa. I grabbed my bag from the sofa, slung it over my chest, and followed Doug from the building. We talked quietly about the scenery we walked past as we tried to find our way to the police station. Rustboro City was busy, like Goldenrod. There were people, lots of people, all of whom were moving quickly. Several times I got nudged or pushed by shoulder of a passerby and didn't get so much as an apologetic grunt in my direction.
Doug and I walked from the south end of town, where the center was located, and to the north end, not finding a sign of the station, an officer, or the station itself. We stopped near a fence, which marked the edge of the city's limits and glanced back into the bustling crowd behind us.
"I don't really want to go back in," he sighed. "People are rude here."
"Oh, come on," I giggled, nudging his upper arm gently with my closed fist. "Find your inner Doug from all those years ago and be rude right back."
He groaned in response as his entire upper body sagged heavily. "It takes so much effort to be that rude."
I laughed in response, closing my eyes and covering my mouth with my hand. As I opened my eyes, I glanced away from Doug and over to our left. A pathway led along the fence line, behind several buildings, and toward the east end of Rustboro City. It wasn't so much the pathway that stopped me, it was what I saw happening on it.
"Doug." I reached out to my left, where Doug was standing, and waved in his direction. My eyes didn't leave the two shadowy figures that I saw conversing some distance away from us.
"Ow, Rowan, that's my ribs." He grabbed my hand to stop my prodding, but fell silent a moment later. I assumed he was seeing exactly what I was. "Go see if you can talk to him," he muttered. "I am gonna go wide and try and cut off his exit."
"He has like three exits, Doug," I hissed.
"Well, Phantom will take one and I will take the other," he retorted as he moved away from me and back into the crowd of Rustboro denizens.
"What about the third?" I shouted after him.
"You cover that," he waved at me before breaking into a jog. I swore under my breath and then, as nonchalantly as I could muster, began to head down the alleyway and toward the two male figures who were still talking.
As I got closer, I could tell one was wearing a red cap pulled down over his eyes. His dark, wild hair stuck out from under the hat in all directions. He wore a black shirt with a sleeveless, red jacket over it and black, slim-fit pants with heavy duty boots. The person he was talking to, the person with their back to me, was more casually dressed. He was young too, maybe a teenager, but more likely younger. He was wearing a bright yellow t-shirt over baggy jeans. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder and was holding his hand out toward the other, older man.
The red-clad man suddenly noticed me. His head lifted, his lips tightened into a fine line, and he swore. "I gotta go, kid." He turned and darted away from me. I now saw a large, white letter 'M' emblazoned across his back. I watched, hoping to see Phantom or Doug bring the man to the ground, but he made a clean exit and disappeared around the corner of a building. I had to assume the thick throngs of people had stymied Doug's movement.
The other kid turned, and jumped when he saw me. He tucked his hands behind his back, bringing what looked like a piece of paper with him. "What was he telling you?" I asked immediately.
"Nothing, nothing. It was just stuff for Pokémon trainers," he quickly told me, his voice climbing an octave as he obviously lied to me. I noticed now that his t-shirt had an image of a small, yellow mouse-looking Pokémon on it. I almost thought it was a Pikachu.
I waved down to Luma at my side. "Lucky for you, I am a trainer."
"No, no. New trainers, not old ones."
The word stung a little bit. I hadn't been called old except by angry seven-year-olds, and what did they really know? I wasn't even sure if he was referring to my age or how long he assumed I had been training Pokémon.
"Maybe I am new." I spotted Doug jogging up behind him.
The kid laughed. "Ok, well I gotta go, Lady."
He turned to dash away and ran smack into Doug's chest. Doug caught him and then held fast to him, resulting in a loud squeal escaping from the boy.
"Where's the other one?" Doug looked to me and asked.
"Ran about three minutes before you turned that corner," I told him.
"He tell you anything?" Doug held up the arm of the kid, who still seemed slightly shell-shocked.
"No, but the guy gave him something."
Doug lowered the kid's feet back to the ground and leaned down to look him in the face. "What did he give you?"
"Like I told her, nothing!" He quickly lied to Doug as well, his voice shaking with nervousness.
"Give it to me." Doug held out his other hand.
"Just take it from him, Doug," I retorted, growing tired of the kid's antics. This was why I would never teach children over the age of ten. They were too difficult. "You're bigger and stronger."
"I have to be nice, Rowan, otherwise it's bad publicity!" He barked back at me.
I stared at him silently for a moment, my expression slipping into an annoyed glare. I finally looked away from him and to the kid's back. He had a piece of paper clenched tightly in the hand of the arm that Doug was not holding onto. I reached forward and snatched it out of the kid's hand, he shouted at me. "In case you haven't noticed Doug, no one knows who you are here."
"Who is he?" The kid, now with his free hand, pointed at Doug's chest.
"See," I muttered, waving a hand at the kid. "Let him go, I got what he was given." I waved the paper and headed for the end of the alley, back the way I had come.
"Wait, I need that!" I heard the kid scream after me. I heard Doug tell him to get lost before following after me.
Exiting the alleyway and standing back out in the sunlight, I unfurled the piece of paper the kid had defended so strongly. It was a small poster. It was the image of a city at night by the sea with large, white words filling a majority of the space.
"What's it say?" Doug asked from over my shoulder.
"Are you a trainer? Do you want better, stronger Pokémon? Join Team Magma in Slateport City on the adventure of a lifetime!" I read off the flier.
"Team Magma?" Doug echoed. "That's one of the gangs, right?"
"Where is Slateport City?" I asked him as I looked up to his face. He was shaking his head. "I think we need to go there next."
"Yea, I think you're right. Maybe the Gym Leader can advise us the quickest way to get there." He set a hand on my shoulder and led me back into Rustboro. We once again had to traverse the entire distance of the city to go back to where the Gym was located.
Once we entered the massive structure, I found the inside to be quite barren. The seats were metal bleachers overlooking a sand-filled arena. The walls were a bare stone and large torches and braziers lit the space.
As we walked down the steps that led toward the arena, a door opened and the sounded reverberated throughout the entire gym. A young woman walked into the center of the arena just as we stepped into it.
She was a slender woman, with long, dark hair that she wore pulled back in a low ponytail. She wore a blue dress, the top of which looked like a suit and a skirt that stopped mid-thigh. She wore red tights and black shoes. Her girlish appearance was a stark difference to the barrenness of the gym.
"Hello, and you are?" She asked us as we neared.
"Doug and Rowan," Doug answered for us both, gesturing to himself and then to me as he said our names.
"You are a little old to be trainers, so what are you here for?" She crossed her arms firmly across her chest.
"A few reasons," he answered.
"Is one of them a battle with the Gym Leader?" She asked, suddenly producing a pokéball from behind her back.
"Yes, but that is not the most pressing-" Doug's response was cut short when she tossed the sphere into the air and it broke open. I was surprised when a Geodude appeared, I had been expecting some exotic, Hoenn Pokémon. "Ok," he muttered. "Battle first."
"Two on two?" The gym leader asked, her eyes bouncing between myself and Doug.
"Yup." I finally spoke as I took my place in the trainer's box opposite of the young woman. Doug joined me and as I looked up to the side of his face, I could tell he was quietly seething. "How would you like to do this battle?" I asked him.
He glared silently across the room as she summoned a second Pokémon. This one I didn't recognize, but it was a short, solid Pokémon with a rocky, blue body and a large, reddish nose protruding from its face beneath dark black eyes.
"Ok, well I am going to use Ralts, because she's been training with Luma and she seems ready to handle her own," I explained to him as I called out the small Pokémon. She appeared on the field in front of us, her skirt swaying softly as she stared ahead of her and at the leader's Pokémon.
"She pissed me off, I am ending this quick," Doug continued to seethe, grabbing a pokéball and flinging it out in front of him. The sphere cracked and Steelix's form filled the gym. The Pokémon let out a loud bellow as he fully formed.
"What are you gonna do, squish them?" I asked.
"That's the plan," Doug hissed.
"Geodude! Nosepass! Rock Throw on the Ralts!" Roxanne was screaming orders to her Pokémon while Doug and I discussed our plan.
"Ralts!" I interrupted Doug's continued complaints about Steelix as I shouted to my Pokémon who had two boulders flinging in her direction. "Teleport behind Steelix!"
My Pokémon's form rippled as she slowly dissipated from view and reformed behind Steelix's massive tail coiled on the ground. The boulders from the two rock Pokémon smashed into the ground, crumbling into smaller pieces.
"Why do they go after my Pokémon?" I hissed to myself.
"Really not sure," Doug hadn't forgotten his crusade against Steelix, "mine is a way bigger target."
"Battle, Doug." I shot an annoyed glare up at his face, ignoring as Roxanne ordered another attack, this time actually ordering her Pokémon to target Steelix. Her Geodude slammed his body into Steelix's base and Nosepass, the strange, blue Pokémon, threw another boulder across the field. Neither had any effect on the large snake.
He waved dismissively at me. "Yea, yea. I got it." He sighed loudly and faced the field. "Steelix, Slam. Both of them if you can."
Steelix roared and raised himself slightly. I watched as my Ralts hurriedly ran away from him and closer to me to avoid accidental damage. Steelix then flung himself toward the ground. As his body struck the dirt floor, dust kicked up and obscured my view. I brought my hand up, covering part of my face as I waited for the stadium to clear. I coughed and waved my hand back and forth in front of my face, as if I was going to help clear the air.
Doug's Pokémon was slowly wiggling itself back into an upright position. It looked no worse for the wear, however both of Roxanne's Pokémon were sprawled across the ground. Steelix roared triumphantly as it threw its head backward and toward the ceiling. Though strong, I still found the Pokémon incredibly creepy.
I happened to notice a subtle movement of blue on the ground past Steelix. Nosepass was still conscious, ever-so-slightly. "Ralts!" I called to my Pokémon, who was immediately attentive. "Confusion on the Nosepass, to finish it off!"
Ralts reacted quickly, throwing her little arms over her head as she focused on Roxanne's weakened Pokémon. An aura formed around the Pokémon, though hard to see since the blue of the aura was almost the same color as the Pokémon, and Ralts effortlessly knocked the Nosepass onto its back. And there it stayed.
"Well done," I cheered my Pokémon, and she faced me, squeaking happily.
Steelix was already returned to his pokéball before Roxanne recalled both of hers. I was expecting a miffed reaction from her for being beaten in a single attack, but instead, she hurried across the arena with a huge smile on her face.
"How did I not recognize you!" She was shrieking when she got closer. "I have seen so many of your battles on television, Mr. Evergreen!"
Doug released an audible grunt as Roxanne threw herself into his chest and hugged him. She muttered a quiet apology as she released him a second later. "It's alright," he assured her, but took a step back from her regardless.
"I can't believe I got to battle your Steelix!" Roxanne was still squeaking. "I always thought they just up-played his strength on T.V., but he really is that strong. That was awesome!"
"We appreciate the battle Roxanne, but we actually had another request," Doug began to speak. I still wasn't used to his polite approach to things.
"Oh, badges!" Roxanne interrupted him again. She dug into her pocket, producing two simple metal badges. "The Stone Badge, thanks for the battle!"
Doug and I each took one as he attempted to speak with her again. "We were hoping to get your help with something."
"Oh? What's that?" Her expression became inquisitive.
"We were actually asked here by Cornelia Rowe to help with some trainer issue your region is having," Doug began to explain, but a loud sigh escaped him as Roxanne interrupted him again.
"Oh, I definitely have been having trainer issues. You guys are the first battle I have had in weeks! That's why I was so excited and jumped right in. I do wish it had lasted just a little longer."
I snickered softly as I watched Doug try to collect himself and maintain his patience. I opted not to help, it was funnier that way to me.
"Roxanne. We need to get to the police department in Rustboro, can you tell us where it is?" He finally barked over her. He cleared his throat when her eyes, large and almost scared, landed on his face. "Please?"
A grin returned to her lips. "I can do better than that! I can show you where it is, come on!"
"Great," he sighed. The woman was already trotting from the arena and toward the exit of the building.
Doug and I followed slowly after her and I laughed again as we walked. I felt his eyes land on the side of my face. I met his stare, still giggling. "You actually squished them," I said.
He shrugged. "Man of my word, Rowan."
