8 Years Ago
There was a knock on the door during breakfast. With a start, 10-year-old Caius looked up from his cereal and then quickly glanced at his Dad, before standing up in a hurry and dashing for the door.
His Mom had promised him she was coming home today! And he was sure that this was her! She'd said so, because today was his 10th birthday, and he'd get to finally, finally see her again after so long—!
"Mom!" he yelled excitedly as he opened the door, only to deflate a moment later as he stared at the Machoke with a quizzical expression in front of him carrying a small box.
Caius heard the thump-thump-thump of his father nearing the door, watched him take the parcel from the waiting Machoke and sign the delivery papers. He followed his Dad back into the kitchen, where they sat back down and faced their cereals in grim silence.
"Another present," Caius whispered, feeling his eyes well up with tears. The cereal before him looked soggy and unappetizing, and a second later a tear fell into them. Then another, and another, until Caius was bawling and his Dad had to pat him on the back. Then he started hiccoughing.
"All right, that's enough. That's enough, Son," consoled Caius' Dad. He brought him water and gripped his shoulder, "This isn't the way to feel on your birthday. Ten years old is a milestone achievement, you know," his Dad whispered in an attempt to make him feel better.
"I kn-know," hiccoughed Caius, "That's why Mom promised! She promised she'd be here today!"
His Dad sighed, "Your Mom... You have to understand, Caius, that she-she's busy, is all."
Caius' heart hardened, "But she keeps breaking her promises!"
"I know, Son, but she tries, okay? And hey, look! She even gave you a present! I bet it's something really cool, knowing your Mom."
This seemed to distract Caius from crying. He peeked at the innocent package on the table, his tears slowly coming to a stop.
"There's the birthday boy!" exclaimed his Dad, laughing. He nudged Caius toward the package and encouraged him to open it with an eyebrow wiggle.
With a helpless little, wet laugh, Caius gave in to his father's shenanigans and tentatively reached for the small-ish box. There was a note taped on top. Caius didn't bother reading it and tore open the box instead. With clumsy fingers, he opened the box to reveal a black and yellow ball nestled inside a hard plastic case.
"Wow," Caius breathed, impressed despite himself. His Mom had gotten him an Ultra Ball! A bit overkill for his first catch, but he wasn't complaining, "It's an Ultra Ball!"
His Dad, who was reading the note, frowned and said slowly, "I don't think it's just a ball..."
Caius wasn't listening at this point. With great excitement, he grabbed the shrunken Pokéball and enlarged it. After a small hissing sound, the ball grew in his palm.
"I wonder what happens if you press the button without anything in it?" Caius mused aloud.
"Wait—" warned his Dad.
With a soft click, the Pokéball opened. There was a flash of red light. Then, an inquisitive, "Beldum?"
"Oh Arceus," groaned Caius' Dad when he saw the silver Pokémon floating in mid-air, "How are we supposed to explain this to the neighbors? A beldum, really Carrie? A SHINY beldum? Is she out of her mind?"
But Caius was too delighted to care. He stared in awe at his first and newest Pokémon and declared, "I think I'll name it Silver."
Now
"Hello! Thank you for calling Tropius Travels and Tours! How may I be of service to you today?"
Caius balanced the phone between his shoulder and ear while he double-checked everything on his computer, "Hi. I'm looking to book a flight for Littleroot Town on the first of June?"
"And your point of origin?"
"Lavaridge."
"Travel time from Lavaridge to Littleroot is 6.5 hours without stopping to rest on the way. Rent for one Tropius is 1,500 PokéDollars per hour. So that would be 9,750 in total for passage from Lavaridge to Littleroot. Our well-trained, highly capable Pokémon can seat up to two passengers. Will you be reserving a Pokémon for the first of June?"
Caius grimaced at the price of the flight before he threw his trepidations away and told the nice woman on the line that yes, he will be reserving a Tropius for travel on the first of June, thank you very much.
"Great! What time would you like your Tropius to arrive?"
"12:30 AM, if one is available."
There were a few typing noises in the background before, "Yes! One is available for use at that time on the first of June. May I know the address of your point of origin? I would like to remind you that for a smooth landing and take-off, a clearance of 4 meters should be observed."
"That won't be a problem," said Caius as he rattled off the address to his house. Living on the edge of town had its perks.
"And done!" chirped the woman on the line, "Now we just need the payment of 9,750 and you'll be good to go!"
Caius told the woman his PokéBank ID Number and waited for her to confirm his payment.
"Your flight for 12:30 AM on June 1 has been confirmed! Your Tropius answers to the name Sally. Before I go, I would like to remind you that luggage must not exceed 30 kilos per person. Will that be acceptable?"
"Yes, it's fine. It's just me on the flight, with a Silph Co. Expandable Back Pack."
"Very well then. Will that be all, Sir?"
"That will be all."
"Thank you for choosing Tropius Travels and Tours! Have a good day!"
"Bye." Caius hung up. Then he sighed.
Silver chittered at him, nudging him in commiseration.
"I know, Silver, it just really hurts spending that much money in one go," Caius said, smiling ruefully at his friend.
The date was May 27. In just a few days, the Trainers's Circuit will begin. Caius was at a loss to describe what he was feeling. It was a mixture of excitement, nerves, and the desire to puke and/or poop. Either way, his stomach was in knots, but there was no denying that he was looking forward to the start of the circuit with great anticipation.
While Caius was mulling over his journey, there was a knock on his bedroom door before his Dad's head popped in his room with a bewildered expression.
"There's a package for you that just arrived. Did you order anything?"
"What?" Caius reacted with a frown, "No, I didn't order anything." Standing up, he followed his Dad to the living room where a large-ish box was sitting on the coffee table. His Dad's new Mr. Mime, Charlie, was curiously looking at it.
"It arrived just now. Charlie received it from a Machoke. There's no return address from what I can see," mused Caius' Dad, "But it's addressed to you."
For some odd reason, Caius was fealing a sense of deja vu as he neared the box and tried to open it. The flaps were sealed with some sort of tough brown tape, so he went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife and scissors and started hacking away at the seals on the package. When he finally opened the box, the contents revealed themselves to be a piece of paper, a back pack, and a tent.
The single piece of paper was placed on top of the backpack and tent, so it was the first thing he saw. A small, inconspicuous green "C" logo was printed on it.
Caius flipped the small piece of paper to look if there was anything written on the back, but there was nothing. His Dad took his turn looking at it, before he set it aside and they both stared at the brand new backpack and the collapsible tent.
"I didn't order anything like this," Caius said in bewilderment.
The backpack looked and smelled like new, and was made out of what seemed to be high-quality leather. There was a sheen to it that Caius recognized as water repellent coating. It was mostly brown with silver zippers, and when Caius put it on, it encompassed his entire back. It was sturdy, well-made, and felt just right on his shoulders. He shrugged it off and looked inside...
...only to find that the inside was much larger than the outside.
"Pinch me," Caius whispered, "I must be dreaming." His Dad moved closer to look at what his son was looking at so intensely, and hummed.
"It has space distortion technology," Caius' Dad said, gears turning in his head for the possible sender. His gaze quickly turned suspicious, "Do you think—"
"That Carrie sent me these? Probably," Caius said, coming to a similar conclusion as his father. Suddenly dispassionate, he picked up the piece of paper that was previously forgotten and turned to go back to his room. His excitement at receiving a backpack with space distortion tech dissipated as fast as a drop of water on a Slugma. His father followed him sedately, his wooden leg thunk-thunk-thunking on the floor.
Sitting before his computer, Caius quickly typed something up and looked at the results, "Yup— I thought so. It's from Macro Cosmos, the company Carrie works for."
His father was idling by the doorway with a conflicted expression on his face, "You know, Son, you should really call your mother "Mom" at the very least."
Caius sighed and slouched in his seat, "Not this again. Dad, she doesn't deserve the title. She hasn't been acting in that capacity since I turned 10."
"But she sent you Silver back then, and when I emailed her—"
Caius sat straight up and glared, "What do you mean you emailed her?"
His Dad sighed, looking defeated, "I may have emailed her about your PLE results."
Caius saw red, "You did what?"
"I thought—"
"Okay, Dad, first of all why would you still be contacting her in the first place? She's the one who made it clear she wanted nothing to do with us! Don't you remember everything we've done to try and get her back?!"
"I just told her about your PLE results," argued Caius' Dad calmly. "It was worth mentioning, and you even got a perfect score too. Any parent would be beyond ecstatic—"
"THAT'S JUST THE THING! SHE'S NOT MY PARENT! SHE STOPPED BEING MY MOM WHEN SHE CUT US OFF FROM HER LIFE! AND GOOD RIDDANCE!"
"Son—" pleaded his Dad.
"Throw them away," Caius said, his tone sub zero, his eyes chilled steel, "We don't need her charity."
"Son!" yelled his father, looking at him in dismay, "That bag is ten, no, a hundred times better than my beaten up Silph Co. backpack that I bought more than 20 years ago!"
"Beldum," said Silver timidly, "Dum bel dum."
Caius sighed in frustration, "Not you too, Silver! We don't need what she sent us! We already have everything!"
"You have a beaten up backpack, a beaten up sleeping bag, and beaten up supplies," said Caius' Dad tentatively, "Why don't you just use what your Mom sent you, son?"
With finality, Caius plopped on his bed and turned to his side, "I worked hard to have everything ready for my journey. It's proof of my self-sufficiency. We managed fine without her these past several years, and I'll be okay without her interference this time.."
Garrett stayed silent, fidgeting in the doorway.
Caius looked back at him pointedly, "I'd like to be alone now. Make sure to tell Charlie to get rid of all that junk."
When his Dad left and closed the door to his room, Caius closed his eyes and tried to sleep. It was his usual solution after something stressful happens to him: he'd sleep on a problem, and if, when he wakes up it still hasn't solved itself, at least he can tackle the problem with his battery full, so to speak.
"Wake me up in time for lunch, Silver," he said.
Within afew minutes, he was fast asleep.
When lunchtime rolled around, Caius exited his room to find his Dad sitting at the kitchen table with a grim expression on his face.
Caius braced himself.
"You know what, Son," his father started, "You're a hardworking kid. You don't ask anything from me, choosing to work hard to get the things you want, and I can't be more proud of you.
"You're stubborn—and sometimes this can be a good thing. But right now it's making you act really stupid."
Caius flinched. He was about to retort in anger when his father spoke again.
"I'm not finished," Garrett said, taking off the thin, wire-framed glasses from his nose, "Your Mom sent you tools that you could use on your journey, tools that you can use to make your life a little bit easier down the road. Why not just use it? Hm? What's wrong with using a brand new, Galar-exclusive backpack with space expansion tech? With using a new tent? The backpack you have now was mine, and it's more than two decades old, and you don't even have a tent! You're just bringing a sleeping bag with you! Is it pride that's stopping you? Is that it? Because we both know how stupid that is."
The more his father spoke, the more Caius could see the pros in using the gifts Carrie sent him. And he was right.
It was about pride. It irked, grated, to think that Carrie sent these things to him as some sort of prize for doing well. Like he was some sort of prized Furfrou that needed to be rewarded for performing a trick.
But Caius knew his father's stance on pride.
"Pride is not dignity," Caius whispered, halting his father in his rant.
"What did you say?"
Caius sighed, looked to the heavens, and repeated, "Pride is not dignity."
Garrett blinked, before he smiled a small smile, "Pride is loud, while dignity is quiet. Pride parades itself in the streets, while dignity humbly walks with its head held high. Pride comes before a fall—"
"—but dignity is the key to getting up and brushing yourself off. Pride does not bend, but breaks, while dignity sways, but never shatters," finished Caius.
"Good," said Garrett, "I'm glad that you still remember."
There was silence as both males pondered the situation.
"Mr. Mime!" interrupted Charlie, barging onto the scene with two platefuls of food, "Mr. Mime! Mimey! Mime!"
"Ah. I see Charlie has made our lunch," said Caius' Dad, "Sit down, son. Let's eat."
Caius did so in speculative silence. Silver floated out of Caius' room, his flight pattern looking for all the world as if he had just woken up.
"Beldum?"
"I'm here, Silver," Caius said, "Dad was just telling me to use the stuff Carrie sent over."
"Bel? Dum bel dum?"
Caius looked back at his Dad, who was looking at him hopefully, "Well. I hate it, but I have to admit not using the backpack and tent will be a complete waste. It looks like we'll have to repack everything to fit my new backpack."
Silver twirled in the air and babbled happily.
Caius watched his 'mon as he thought to himself that it was a good thing he loved his Dad more than he hated his mother, otherwise this would have been a more explosive argument. He wanted nothing to do with her, but if his Dad said he should use the things she sent him, then who was he to make his Dad unhappy?
"Besides," Caius grumbled darkly, "If Carrie wanted to waste that much money, who am I to stop her? What's done is done."
"Son…" Garret sighed.
"Whatever, Dad." Caius shrugged and sat down at the table. "I'm over it."
"Mr. Mime!" interrupted Charlie, placing two glasses of juice on the table to go with their lunch. He then sat with them, placing his own plate on the table and digging in.
Beldum hovered, watching the humans and humanoid eat in curiosity. As a Pokémon who ate primarily steel and rock-type Pokémon or materials, the act of consuming meat never failed to fascinate him.
"Beldum? Dum bel dum?" Silver asked Charlie.
"Mr. Mime, Mimey mime mime," replied Charlie.
"What are they saying to each other?" Garrett asked Caius in a poor attempt to change the subject.
"Silver was just asking Charlie if he also needs to eat three times a day. Charlie answered that he doesn't have to eat three times a day necessarily, but he wants to."
Charlie the Mr. Mime was looking at Caius curiously now. In his own language, he chittered at Caius.
"Oh, it's not that I can completely understand you. It's just that being around Silver here, who's a psychic type, since I was 10, opened up avenues for communication that wasn't there before," Caius replied nonchalantly, "I understand psychic types the best because of some type of energy you all exude. This energy conveys your thoughts and emotions, and being with Silver for such a long time allowed me to tap into that energy."
"Mr. Mime!"
"Not really," replied Caius, "I'm sure a lot of other psychic type trainers can boast of a similar, if not greater, ability."
"Nevertheless, it's a pretty nifty skill to have," Caius' Dad said.
After eating lunch, Caius tackled his repacking with distaste. Just because he caved to his father's will didn't mean he had to like it.
Although... the bag was really good. And the tent looked to be high quality. He wasn't testing the tent out yet, though. He suspected, from looking at the size of the bag it was in, that it would be hard to put back in. It was roughly the size of his sleeping bag, meaning he could just attach it on top of his new backpack, so it must be folded pretty well in there. He was not unpacking that thing just to repack it again.
Caius set out on the task of transferring everything from his Dad's beaten up Silph Co. backpack to his new one. There was an instruction pamphlet inside the new backpack on how to use it. Apparently, you just pushed everything inside, and it could fit 200 kilograms of materials and weigh no more than 1-2 kg. The more he peered into it, the more he realized how large it was inside. He could, technically, put his tent inside the thing, it was a marvel of a backpack that used the same technology as a Pokéball.
Despite his displeasure, Caius could admit that Carrie had good taste. The backpack was not only fashionable, it was also functional.
With a chirrup, Silver asked him if he was finished, the inquisitive tilt to his energy conveying his question.
"Yeah, I'm done. All that's left is the preserved food and berries that I'll buy the day before we leave and that should be it."
Caius lifted his eyes from the bag he was perusing, his gaze landing on the Everstone choker around Silver's "neck". He reached out to touch it, and Silver turned, nuzzling into his hand. He was titanium hard and cold to the touch, but Caius didn't mind.
"Do you remember when we got this?" Caius mused, "It was barely 2 months after I'd gotten you. Dad had us go to the Pokécenter to have you checked out and fitted with it...
"He had it done because he was scared that you would evolve, because we'd been battling so much of the local wild Pokémon, and we kept winning," with a fierce grin, Caius let go and clenched the hand that was petting Silver into a fist.
"We'll keep winning this time, too," Caius whispered, relaxing the fist he made and turning his attention back to the backpack.
He zipped it up and put it on, marveling at its light weight. All that stuff, just fitting inside like that—it really was quite fascinating. Loathe as he was to credit Carrie with anything, even he could grudgingly admit that her gifts were useful.
After all, she was the one to give him Silver all those years ago.
With a soft scowl, he shrugged off his new backpack and set it down next to his bed. He was all packed. For now. He wasn't buying his food, berries, and emergency medicinal supplies until a day before leaving.
Now all that's left to do is wait.
As it usually does, time passed. Four days crawled by as Caius busied himself with the trivialities of his upcoming journey. He checked and rechecked his supplies, hovered over his father's physical therapy (he wanted to make sure Charlie was doing it right, which he was), was unceremoniously kicked out of his house on the 28th of May because he was pacing too much, took a walk around the outskirts of Lavaridge to calm down, before heading back to his house in much better spirits.
Finally, on the eve of May 31st, Caius sat on his bed and looked at the unassuming bag next to him, pondering its contents. He had everything. He was ready. Caius took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, Silver hovering nearby.
There was a knock on his door and Garrett poked his head in, "So. You're leaving on midnight."
Caius took note of his father's red-rimmed eyes and swallowed, "Yeah, Dad. I'll arrive in Littleroot around 6:30 AM, if we won't stop along the way."
"You should get some rest in the meantime. I'll wake you up," offered his Dad in a shaky voice.
"I don't think I can sleep at this point," admitted Caius as he ran his hand on what passed for Silver's head, "Too excited."
Garrett sighed and limped inside his son's bedroom. He sat next on Caius' computer chair as he beheld his 18-year-old son about to go off on his own journey.
"I remember my first journey," said Garrett as his eyes drifted, "There was no exam back then. As long as one was of age, they could apply to take part in the Trainer's Circuit and that was that. I met your mother in Lilycove while she was on her own journey. Looking back on it now, we were so young when we got married and had you."
Caius had never heard his father talk about his trainer days. He was unusually mum about it. So he listened with rapt attention as his father spoke again.
"Then, after the incident with my leg and the mess that happened afterwards, well... things with Carrie got worse and worse. I don't blame her for leaving a cripple like me," his father laughed depreciatingly.
A surge of fury rose up in Caius at the reminder of Carrie's abandonment, "Well, I do. It's her loss. I don't understand why you're still in contact with her. I bet she didn't even reply to your email and just sent us the stuff, right?"
Garrett sighed and placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "Sometimes, relationships don't always work out," he said, "And your mother is still the woman who gave birth to you, so treat her with a little more respect, why don't you?"
Caius sighed and shrugged his shoulders, dislodging his father's gentle hand, "You do you, Dad."
His father sighed back and was silent for a while. Caius, too incensed at the mention of his estranged mother, stewed quietly.
"I just want to let you know that whatever you achieve, I will always be proud of you," his Dad said, his voice sounding a little choked up.
Caius looked at his father, not even in his 40's yet, and scoffed, "I know, Dad," then he grinned mischievously, "Now that I'll be out of the house, you better go out and meet some lady friends to keep you company. you don't have a kid you have to look after, now. You're like a bachelor again. Go paint the town red when I'm gone, hm?"
Garett choked and Caius laughed.
When it was time to leave, the father and son stood outside their house to watch the tropius arrive. The huge grass and flying-type Pokémon had a metal plate around its neck that indicated that her name was Sally. There was a modern-looking logo that indicated she belonged to the Tropius Travel and Tours company on the plate. She landed with surprising quietness for a Pokémon her size, barely disturbing the dust around her stubby legs.
"Belduuuuum," Silver commented.
"Yeah, she is," Caius agreed.
The tropius huffed, and Garrett, used to his son's and his Pokémon's antics, merely turned to give Caius a tight hug.
"I want you to call every week, but don't worry about me," Garrett said before he let go of his son and told him to have fun.
Caius took the time to nod and reassure his Dad that he would call, and that he wouldn't worry about him. With a final nod to his teary-eyed father (honestly, the man was so sentimental), Caius turned to his first Pokémon and addressed it, "Silver, I'll be recalling you now." He raised the ultra ball Carrie had given him all those years ago and returned Silver for the first time in years. The ball looked brand new still, despite how old it really was, because Caius usually left it in its original container in his room, untouched. Now, however, he needed it for the journey, and to hide Silver.
Practically everyone in Lavaridge already knew about his first Pokémon, but he was leaving the safety of his home city for the first time in his life and needed the security. Caius has heard of Pokémon thieves, and he doesn't want to tempt them with a rare Pokémon with unusual coloring.
With a flash of red, Silver disappeared into his ball, and with another press of the button, it shrunk into a fourth of its original size. Caius clipped it to his belt and patted it, feeling oddly nervous without Silver out.
"Remember, Son, once a week, all right?" reminded his father.
"I will, Dad," Caius promised.
And then he turned towards Sally the tropius, who was patiently waiting for him, and carefully stepped on the strap, feeling a bit awkward as he sat on the saddle.
"Let's go, Sally," Caius instructed, and Sally gently rose into the air with flaps of its leafy wings.
"I LOVE YOU, SON, AND I'M ALREADY PROUD OF YOU!" yelled Caius' Dad as he rose higher and higher into the air.
With a small smile on his face, Caius shook his head at his sap of a father and adjusted the coat he was wearing, then made sure his backpack was snug for the journey. It was six and a half hours to Littleroot, and the journey has just begun.
Caius arrived in Littleroot a little after sunrise, or at least it felt like it. A lot of people swore up and down that flying on a rented Pokémon was an experience that they could live without, but Sally flew like a dream. Although it was cold due to the wind and the altitude, Caius felt that the view more than made up for the slight discomfort. He arrived in what felt like 30 minutes instead of 6 hours as he spent the entire journey marvelling at the sights below him.
Littleroot Town was smaller than Lavaridge, and it was surrounded by forests. Caius passed acres and acres of trees as he flew by on his way to the small town that was, somehow, the site of the Regional Pokémon Professor's lab. As they drew nearer and nearer to what Caius assumed to be the lab, he could see its gleaming steel roof and its larger size compared to the houses around it. It was situated in an area that seemed to be the edge of town, right next to a large, open field that stretched on as far as the eye could see. The field was littered with Pokémon of varying shapes and sizes, and random copses of trees dotted the otherwise flat piece of land. Caius thinks he can see a lake near the edge of the forest, but he's not very sure.
Sally landed as gently as she flew, and Caius disembarked from his ride with very little grace. He paused to thank the tropius and Sally indulged him by lowering her head, which Caius wasted no time in petting.
"Thank you for the ride, Sally," Caius whispered, before he let go and stepped back. With a huff, Sally straightened and once again flapped her wings. Very soon she was but a dot in the sky, and Caius turned to the doors of the lab.
When he neared it, the doors opened for him automatically, and he stepped inside and looked around. It seemed to be the reception area. Two open arches lead to different hallways on either side of a long, white desk. To his left, glass doors lead to the field he saw earlier. There was no one behind the desk, so Caius raised his voice and said, "Hello?"
There were slow footsteps from the arch to his right as a haggard-looking man in his mid-to-late 20's, wearing a rumpled white lab coat, approached him.
"Yes? What can I help you with? Where's Tina?" said the man, mumbling the last part to himself as he glanced away from Caius to the empty desk.
"Hi," greeted Caius cautiously. The man, one of Professor Birch's assistants, no doubt, looked like a very short lullaby would put him to sleep. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"Uhm, are you all right?" asked Caius.
With a depreciating smile, the lab aide waved his concerns aside, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. It's nothing some rest wouldn't fix. It's just that things have been extremely hectic with the start of the circuit. Anyway, you must be Caius Edric, one of the League kids for this year. Let me lead you to Professor Birch, he'll set you up."
The aide turned on his heel, wobbled dangerously, and walked away like nothing happened. Caius followed him with a careful eye on his gait. Forget a lullaby, a sharp whistle would make this guy faint.
The aide led him to the arch he just came from, which was a hallway that had several closed doors. He was then led to the door at the end of the hall with a plaque on it that read 'Professor Daniel Birch, BPS, Ph.D. R.P.P.' The tired-looking man gave it a sharp rap, then twisted the handle.
"He's in there with Brendan. The Professor hasn't left the lab in," and here the aide paused, sighing, "Two weeks, give or take a few days. So don't be surprised if you find him sleeping."
Then the aide shuffled away, walked to the door nearest the arch, and vanished inside it.
With a mental shrug, Caius peered into the office. It was by no means small. Rows upon rows of machinery sat on a shelf that covered the entrance. There was a gap to his right that led deeper into the room. Caius entered gingerly, noting the pristine white tiles underneath his feet, and called out quietly, "Hello? Professor Birch?"
When Caius rounded the end of the shelf, he peered beyond it and saw the esteemed Regional Pokémon Professor Birch sound asleep on a desk, his head on his arms as he slept. Sat next to him on a computer chair was a boy around his age with brown hair and an athletic build, his mouth open as he breathed deeply, eyes closed.
Caius stifled a snort and pondered if he should wake them. It was early. It wasn't even 7 AM. He was saved from making a choice, however, when the telephone next to the Professor's bent head rang shrilly. With a jolt, the man with brown hair and a white lab coat sat bolt upright and picked up the phone with a sleepy, "Hello? This is Birch."
Caius fiddled with Silver's shrunken ball as he politely tuned out the Professor's conversation, feeling awkward. When the Professor put down the phone, Caius turned to face him and found himself being pinned down by an inquisitive stare. The professor had noticed him standing there while he was on the phone, so Caius waved (rather lamely) at him and introduced himself.
"No need for introductions, Caius, I know who you are," the Professor said, smiling at him, before he stretched and nudged the boy seated next to him.
With a start, the boy who Caius assumed to be Brendan Birch, the Professor's son and the person who took second place in the exams, woke from his slumber and blinked owlishly at his father.
"Whassit?" Brendan mumbled before he released a jaw-breaking yawn.
"Caius Edric is here," said the Professor as he nodded to Caius.
Brendan blinked slowly at Caius before he abruptly stood from his chair and grinned, "It's the first! Dad," Brendan turned, "We can meet our Pokémon now, right?! Right?!"
The Professor chuckled, "Yes, Brendan," then he stood and winked at Caius, "You can meet your brand new Pokémon."
"NEAT!" yelled Brendan with a fist in the air, then he turned to Caius and grinned at him, "I'm Brendan Birch, your fellow sponsor kid. Nice to meet you, Caius!"
With a small smile, Caius rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled his greetings, feeling shy.
"It's a bit early," said the Professor, "But since you both took first and second place, I suppose we can start with the selection process for your new, League-sponsored, tier-1 Pokémon." Then he searched his pockets for a sleek, metallic PokéPhone and checked the time. "Goodness it's not even 8," he mumbled, before he put his phone away and turned to address Caius, "Congratulations on getting first place in the PLE's, and a perfect score to boot. Because of your exemplary aptitude in the theoretical knowledge of Pokémon, the League has decided to award you with a tier-1 Pokémon (one of the Hoenn three), a state-of-the-art PokéPhone with a premium PokéDex application, 5 potions, and 5 ultra balls. Well, listen to me ramble. I'm sure you already read all of this in the letter the League sent you."
Caius nodded, and when he said nothing in response to what Professor Birch said, the man moved from behind the desk and led the way out of the room, "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the meet your Pokémon."
Brendan whooped and followed after his Dad, talking to Caius a mile a minute, "Dude, I'm so stoked to get my Pokémon! You know, I'll get 5 great balls instead of ultra balls. You're so lucky! May'll get 5 standard-issue Pokéballs."
"May?" Caius asked politely, "May Maple, right? Gym Leader Norman's daughter, the one who got third place?"
"Yeah, that's her! Oh. Speaking of which, I should tell Dad to call their house," Brendan mused. And he did just as he said. Loudly.
Caius winced at his volume in the otherwise silent hallway as the Professor led them back to the main reception area, into the other archway (this time the one on the left), and into another room. This one looked like a proper lab with all its dainty equipment, a large Pokémon scanner in the corner, and a steel table that held three inconspicuous-looking red and white balls.
An aide stood from behind a desk as they approached, black hair and lab coat in disarray, and greeted them, "Professor Birch, Brendan, good morning. This must be Caius Edric."
"Good morning, Harry," Birch replied, as Caius nodded at the aide. Brendan was practically vibrating in his skin, and he excitedly stepped closer to the steel table that had the Pokéballs, hovering with a manic expression on his face.
"I see someone's eager," Harry dryly commented, looking at Brendan.
The Professor chuckled, "He hasn't stopped talking about it for weeks."
"Well, they arrived just last night, as you know. I've checked each one and they're exemplary samples of their species," Harry said, moving closer to the table. Caius followed the aide as the Professor checked one of the monitors mounted on the wall, tapping it and reading the information on the Pokémon there. Caius spied the 'mon he was going to choose among the three on the screen, but couldn't read anything past its name and National Dex number.
"Thank you, Harry. I see no problems here," said the Professor, "I'll take it from here. Can you go tell Josh to prepare the kits for Caius, Brendan, and May? And notify Isabelle that her signees are here. God knows she's dying to have her documents sent to the League already."
"No problem, Professor," Harry said as he left.
"Can we please get on with it?" whined Brendan.
Professor Birch chuckled at his son and then stood behind the steel table, grabbing a tablet on a shelf next to the mounted screen, "All right. Let's begin."
"Finally," breathed Brendan.
The Professor turned to address Caius, "As the one who took first place in this year's PLE's, you will have first pick of the 'mon. Inside these Pokéballs are the Hoenn three: Mudkip, Torchic, and Treecko. I assume you're already familiar with them?"
Caius nodded, "I have decided on which Pokémon I'll choose," he affirmed, fiddling with Silver's ball, excited yet nervous.
Suddenly, there was a loud 'bang' as the door to the lab opened. Everyone turned to the newcomer as she panted by the doorway.
"I thought... we were gonna start... at 8?" she wheezed.
The girl had light brown hair that fell to her shoulders, a red, sleeveless shirt, and what looked like cycling shorts for an outfit. When she straightened from her hunched posture, blue eyes glared at everyone in the room in defiance, "I'm not late."
Brendan guffawed as Caius sheepishly smiled at her, feeling at fault for arriving as early as he did.
Professor Birch was smiling warmly at her as he motioned her inside, "Don't worry, May. You arrived just in time."
May perked up and walked deeper into the room, standing next to Caius and looking him over curiously, "So you must be the one who took first place in the exams," May extended her right hand, "I'm May Maple. I took third place. And I am not late," she addressed the last part to a still-snickering Brendan. Caius shook her hand firmly, smiling politely at her.
"I'm Caius Edric," he said simply.
"Well, now that everyone's here," Professor Birch said, "As I was saying to Caius, he has first pick of the 'mon. After he's declared his choice, Brendan will choose, and you will receive the last Pokémon, May."
May nodded, her eyes on the three Pokéballs on the table.
"Caius? Which Pokémon will you choose?" asked the Professor.
"I choose Torchic, Professor," Caius said. Then Brendan whooped, pumping a fist in the air, "And I choose Treecko! Mega Sceptile, here I come!"
"Mega Sceptile?" parroted Caius.
"Ah, yes. I nearly forgot. One of the perks you get for this year is a Key Stone and your chosen Pokémon's Mega Stone. Professor Sycamore from the Kalos Region has sent us these for his research. We'll be contacting him once you've met your Pokémon and received your League-sponsored kits."
Caius blinked, "What's a Key Stone and a Mega Stone?" he asked. May looked equally puzzled.
Brendan stared blankly at them both, "You don't know what Mega Evolution is?" he asked. Then, with a small 'aha!' gesture, he said, "Oh, right. I keep forgetting that research on Mega Evolution hasn't been made public yet."
"Indeed," Professor Birch said with amusement. Then he addressed Caius and May, "Professor Sycamore will be able to explain better. For now, here, please receive your Pokémon. Caius, you're up first," the Professor said, palming one of the balls on the table.
"This is Torchic. As you already know, his final evolution, Blaziken, is a dual Fire and Fighting-Type. As is true with every 'mon, this one has immense potential to be powerful, if raised correctly. Are you ready to take on the responsibility of raising Torchic?" the Professor asked, his mien serious.
"I am, Professor," Caius replied, looking the Professor in the eye.
"Then I release him into your care," the Professor said, his seriousness dissipating as he smiled warmly at Caius, "This Torchic is male, and is quite combative. I recommend releasing him later outside."
Then Birch turned to his son (who was bouncing in excitement) and, taking another Pokéball on the table, said, "This is Treecko-"
"I'LL TAKE CARE OF HIM I PROMISE!" yelled Brendan, grabbing the ball in his father's hand and cackling in glee.
"Well," deadpanned the Professor as everyone watched Brendan do a victory dance, "I suppose that leaves Mudkip to you, May. This one is male with a rather docile temperament. May you both prosper in your journey."
May solemnly received her own Pokéball and nodded at the Professor, "I promise to take care of him, Professor." Then she smiled, "When can we meet them?"
"Let's all move outside for your first meeting with your Pokémon, the Professor said, placing the tablet in his hand back on the shelf and walking towards the door, "This room has sensitive equipment that might be damaged if things don't go well."
Caius saw May gulp in nervousness and looked contemplatively at his own ball. A combative Pokémon, the Professor said.
"Brendan, let's go meet your Pokémon outside," the Professor called his still-dancing son. Brendan stopped his shenanigans, and everyone followed the Professor back to the reception area, to the glass doors that led to the fields outside. The Professor scanned his thumbprint and peered into the small machine next to the door, presumably scanning his retina, and the doors opened with a small "whoosh".
"Tauros-proof glass, you know," whispered Brendan to Caius.
Everyone stepped outside and Caius noted the different Pokémon in the distance. There was a marshtomp napping by the small lake as marill and goldeen swam in the water. A pack of zigzagoon and linoon whizzed past, clambering on a couple of grazing tropius that barely noticed them. There was even a flock of tailow circling overhead. The sky was a beautiful periwinkle blue, and not a cloud was in sight.
"It's a perfect day to meet a new friend," May said, sighing happily.
"I'll let you all meet your Pokémon. Release them in an open area, but don't stray too close to the other 'mon. I'll be observing you all from here," the Professor instructed, crossing his arms and nodding at them, "Go on, then."
Brendan zoomed past all of them, cackling wildly as he sought his own spot to meet his Treecko. May looked around and decided that the spot by the wall of the building with its shade was the best place to release Mudkip, while Caius walked a bit further away from her (but still within the Professor's sight) to release Torchic.
Before he did, however, Caius released his starter first, and Silver appeared in a flash of red, looking around inquisitively.
"Hey, Silver, we made it," Caius said, petting the floating 'mon, "And we have our new partner with me. Are you ready to meet him?" he asked.
Silver chirruped excitedly, and Caius knelt with one knee as he pointed his new ball at the ground, "Come on out, Torchic."
With a flash of red, the orange chick Pokémon appeared. It flapped its stubby, downy, yellow wings, peering up at Caius with beady black eyes.
Caius felt something like curiosity from the chick, and an inner flame that burned with defiance. He grinned at the chick, pleased with his choice, and said, "Hello, Torchic. My name is Caius Edric, and I'm your new trainer. This is Silver," at the sound of his name, the shiny beldum introduced himself, "From now on, we're partners. It's nice to meet you."
The torchic tilted its head cutely at them, before it chirped, "Torchic!" and started hopping up and down in what Caius assumed was a dance. Caius could feel excitement and happiness from his new 'mon as it tackled him to the ground. With a bark of laughter, he fell on his back, lying on top of his backpack and held his new torchic as it wriggled in his grasp. They wrestled and play-fought for a while before a shriek from the distance interrupted them.
Caius turned to the source of the noise and saw May and her new mudkip glaring at each other. May's hair and bandana, and her red shirt were drenched.
"Huh, will you look at that," commented a voice behind Caius, "It's a shiny beldum."
Caius turned to look at Brendan, who had his treecko crouching on his bent arm. Brendan was looking at Silver with a gleam in his eye, while his treecko didn't move his eyes away from Caius, assessing him.
Brendan then turned his eyes to the distance and smirked, "Looks like May's not having the best time with her Pokémon. She's always been terrible at appeasing water types."
Both were silent for a while as they watched May say something to Mudkip, only for it to open its mouth and hit her with a water gun. It must have been a weak one, since May appeared unhurt (if wet), but it caused another shriek from May and for Mudkip to start shaking in laughter.
"Oh boy, she's gonna have a tough time of it if that keeps up," mumbled Brendan. Who returned his attention back to Caius and Silver. Caius, still laying on the ground with Torchic on top of him, gently scooped his new 'mon in his hands and stood.
Brendan was smiling at him, but Caius had the distinct impression that he wasn't pleased at all. This impression was further cemented when he spoke, "So, a shiny beldum, huh? Those are pretty rare. It must have cost your family quite a lot to get it for you."
Caius shrugged, "I wouldn't know. Carrie sent Silver to me as a gift for my 10th birthday," he answered succinctly.
Brendan blinked, then he glared at him, "You call your own mother by her first name? How much of an ungrateful brat are you?"
From his spot on Brendan's arm, Treecko clambered down to stand on the ground in front of Brendan. The lizard Pokémon stood in front of his trainer, his arms crossed and a severe look in his eye.
Caius felt his irritation flare as his gaze hardened. He glared at the nosy, judgemental brat who was jumping to conclusions, "All right, first of all, it's none of your business, second of all, you don't know jack shit about me and my situation, so I recommend you ease up on the judgemental bullshit for a bit. My father and I aren't rolling in money, and I haven't seen Carrie in person since I was 9. She sent me Silver as an apology on my 10th birthday, and then cut off all ties with us, despite our repeated attempts to get her back. So yes, asshole, I call her by her name, because she's not my Mom. Not anymore. So back off, buddy, and maybe don't judge a book by its cover next time."
Brendan blinked as he processed everything that Caius said, then, with a sheepish grin, rubbed the back of his head, "Oh. Sorry about that. I tend to jump to conclusions. But you wouldn't believe the stories I've heard about families bankrupting themselves just to get a beldum for their spoiled kid. It's been a trend ever since Steven Stone became Champion. Uh. Sorry to hear about your... er... parent," he said.
Caius sighed as Silver buzzed angrily at Brendan, who was looking increasingly contrite as he wearily watched the incensed Pokémon. He couldn't sense any ill emotions from the other teen, just a smidgeon of guilt and a lot of embarrassment, so he let it go. He breathed out slowly, and said, "I apologize as well. I overreacted to your probing. I was expecting this kind of response to people about Silver, especially since beldum and their line aren't found in the wild here in Hoenn, but I suspect Silver was caught in Galar, which is where Carrie works. They're not so rare over there."
Brendan once more processed what he said and Caius could feel even more embarrassment from him. The teen groaned and covered his face with a hand, "Now I feel like an asshole for judging you."
Caius smirked, "Don't worry about it. You're not the first one, and you won't be the last."
"Which is so wrong, now that I think about it. Urgh," Brendan groaned as Treecko patted his knee in consolation.
"I'm sorry. Again," Brendan said.
Caius shrugged, "Apology accepted."
Both boys grinned at each other before another shriek from May distracted them. She was now drenched from head to toe and was not looking happy about it.
A sharp whistle from the Professor had all three teens gathering near the entrance. Caius recalled Silver again, speaking to him in a low voice, and kept Torchic outside his ball. May recalled Mudkip with a glum expression. Torchic remained snug in Caius' arms and Treecko had climbed up on Brendan's shoulders and was sat on his trainer, clinging to his neck.
The Professor was talking to May about how first impressions were usually bad for Trainer and Pokémon, especially Pokémon that were captured against their will. Birch was encouraging May to continue working on her relationship with Mudkip as she hung her head despondently. Then he turned to Caius and Brendan and congratulated them on their friendly interactions with their own Pokémon.
"Let's head inside so you can receive your League kits," the Professor declared, looking at his phone for the time, "There's also some paperwork Isabelle wants you to sign, and some reporters are waiting to take some photos and get an interview."
That made Caius pause, blinking after the Professor and the others in confusion, "Reporters?"
"Yes," the Professor affirmed, "It's tradition, at this point, for the League-sponsored teens to get an interview with the press before the Trainers' Circuit."
Caius balked. He was not prepared for this, "Can I skip that part?"
The Professor laughed as he led them back inside the building, "You can certainly try, but I wouldn't recommend it. These people have a better nose than a growlithe for a story."
Professor Birch led them to another room back in the building, this one looking as pristine as the lab, but with arranged boxes instead of displayed lab equipment. Harry was there, looking at a list. Another aide was standing idly by as a woman in a pencil skirt, glasses, and her black hair in a low ponytail looked down at a tablet. When they entered, all three looked up at them. The woman in the pencil skirt stood from the office chair she was sitting on and smiled politely.
"How went the meet and greet, Professor?" Harry asked, looking at May's drenched... everything. May scowled at his question.
"I'll leave that to your active imagination, Harry," the Professor said jovially as he clapped his hands and stood behind a table with six boxes. There were three larger boxes and three smaller ones, arranged so that the smaller box was on top of the bigger one, and color-coded. There were red, green, and blue boxes placed in a neat row before them. Caius stood in front of the red boxes, already guessing which ones go to whom.
"All right. I assume you already know which one is yours? The reds go to you, Caius, the blues to May, and the greens-" started Professor Birch.
Brendan was already reaching for the smaller green box and tearing into it gleefully. It opened to reveal what Caius assumed were a Key Stone and a Mega Stone, although which was which, Caius wasn't sure.
"-to Brendan," the Professor intoned, too late to stop his son from grabbing his gear. He sighed as everyone watched Brendan put one of the stones-the smaller one- into the light. The Professor turned to the other aide and instructed, "Josh, go get a tablet and contact Professor Sycamore for me. Now should be a good time to introduce everyone to his inventions... not that this one over here needs it," the Professor mumbled the last part to himself, giving his son a censorious look that Brendan expertly brushed off.
"Will do, Professor," said Josh as he did what was asked.
"I ask that you all be a little patient as we wait for Professor Sycamore," Professor Birch said, more to Brendan than anyone else, "He might be too busy to take our call."
Josh held up the tablet with a handsome man in his late 30's peering at them. The man behind the screen smiled when he saw them and spoke with a Kalosian accent, "Bonjour! It is time for ze orientation, yes?"
"Ah, Professor Sycamore," greeted Birch as he turned to face the tablet that Josh was holding up, "I hope we're not interrupting you."
"Non. Not at all," Professor Sycamore waved off Birch's concerns and smiling, albeit tiredly, at all of them, "I 'ave just finished orienting ze trainers from Kanto, zey are- what is ze word- zealous, yes? at ze prospect of using zeir own Key Stones."
Professor Birch nodded, "I bet they are. Brendan here was too excited and opened his own package from Kalos prematurely. I hope you don't mind," the Professor said, sending his son a look. Brendan, for his part, rubbed his neck and looked contrite, putting back the Key Stone he was holding in its proper place.
Professor Sycamore merely chuckled, "It is tout bon- what is zat word?- all good. Ah, forgive me. My Common is not very good zis late in ze night."
"Then let's skip the pleasantries and get on with the orientation, so that you can get your rest. Professor Sycamore, if you will?" Birch said, gesturing to the future trainers before him.
"Ah, what is zat phrase in Common? Zere is no rest for ze wicked, yes? But all right," Professor Sycamore said, adopting a serious mien as he spoke, "Please open your package from me, young trainers from 'Oenn. I can see zat you, wiz ze blond 'air, and you, Brendan Birch, 'ave chosen Torchic and Treecko for your own. Zat leaves the young miss with Mudkip."
Caius and May opened their packages when instructed, and Caius beheld two stones sat in a velvet box. One was small, the size of a marble, and the other was larger than it by a considerable amount. They were both perfectly spherical. The larger stone was pinkish, with a red inner flame and black accents, while the smaller stone was multicolored, its colors shifting with every angle.
"These are Caius Edric and May Maple, Professor Sycamore," Birch introduced. Caius smiled and nodded politely, while May waved with a small grimace, no doubt still conscious of her drenched state.
"Ah, oui. It is nice to meet you," Professor Sycamore said, smiling at them. Then he went back to explaining the stones, "Zat smaller stone is called a Key Stone- it is an instrument zat resonates wiz ze Mega Stone, and will cause your Blaziken, Swampert, and Sceptile to Mega Evolve. Mega Evolution is a mysterious phenomenon first observed 'ere in Kalos, but we discovered zat what is needed for Mega Evolution is a Key Stone, and the Mega Stone for each corresponding Pokémon. Mega Evolution is a non-permanent change in your Pokémon that will boost their power for a short period of time. We 'ave observed it 'appening most often in ze 'eat of battle, or in life-threatening situations. 'Owever, Mega Evolution does not merely occur because a Key Stone and a Mega Stone is available. Zere are more factors involved zat we are still trying to research, which is why I 'ave decided to expand my research to a broader scale.
Beneath zat velvet layer is a bracelet zat you attach your Key Stone to. It 'as built-in technology zat will transmit to my lab 'ere in Kalos if you 'ave managed to successfully trigger a Mega Evolution. Alzough I suspect it will not be active for a while, in your case. I give you zese tools so zat you may reach greater 'eights of greatness wiz your Pokémon, in exchange for ze valuable knowledge every Mega Evolution will give me," then Professor Sycamore paused to cover his mouth as he yawned, "I am afraid it is getting very late 'ere. If you 'ave any questions, please send me a pokémail. I will reply to all relevant questions once I 'ave gotten my rest."
"Then we won't keep you, Professor," Birch said. They all bade their farewells as the screen the aide was holding flickered black.
"That was the esteemed Professor Sycamore, of the Kalos Region, the premiere Mega Evolution researcher in the globe. You'll find no other with his expertise on that topic. I'll give you his email later," Professor Birch said.
Caius himself had his own questions but was willing to wait for further information.
"Now, on to your League kit," the Professor said, gesturing to the larger boxes. Caius moved to open his after Brendan and May opened theirs. Nestled inside his box were 5 ultra balls, potions, and a smaller box with a red Poképhone on the cover. Caius opened the box for the phone and marveled at the sleek device. It was surprisingly thin for something so powerful.
Caius glanced at Brendan's and May's phone to see that they had gotten green and blue phones respectively. Brendan was ooh-ing and ah-ing at his device, comparing it to his current phone, while May was pouting at hers, mumbling something about not liking the color.
The professor explained that first, second, and third place got ultra, great, and regular pokéballs in decreasing order, and 5 standard potions. The potions were kept in little glass vials, in a bag that strapped them to keep them from jostling around and possibly breaking.
"If you're done examining your kits, Isabelle here has a few things for you to sign, and then we can move on to your interviews," said the professor, "Make sure to set up your new Poképhones. The PokéDex App installed in them will act as identification as well as an encyclopedia. Don't forget to scan the balls you have received with the app to register whatever you catch as yours."
The three of them fiddled with their phones in silence. Caius booted up his phone and was met with the Hoenn League insignia, and then the set-up screen. It asked for his name and details, a scan of his face, and a voice recording (for voice recognition, he presumed) before it blanked out and he was met with the phone's home screen. Caius tentatively raised his new gadget to his face for the facial recognition feature, and it unlocked immediately when he had positioned it properly.
"Cool," he whispered.
He then tapped on the PokéDex app and looked at his details there. The League had already registered him on the phone, and he winced when he saw his photo. In it, he was grimacing, his washed-out blue eyes were huge behind his black-rimmed glasses, and his blonde hair was in disarray. He didn't look his best. He looked scared and uncertain. Sighing, Caius looked at his details and raised a brow. The information read:
Name: Caius Edric
Age: 18
Birthday: January 23, 20XX
Address: Lavaridge, Hoenn
Trainer ID: HN-813267312
League Affiliation: Sponsored Trainer, Hoenn
League Rank: Rookie, 0 Badges
Battles Won: 0
Battles Lost: 0
Total Battles: 0
Notes:
-Valedictorian, Lavaridge Special Education Center
-Valedictorian, Lavaridge National High School
-1st Place in the 20XX PLEs
Registered Pokémon:
1.) Beldum, Tier 1
Curious, Caius scanned Torchic's pokéball and went back to his trainer details. Beneath his Registered Pokémon, listed as number 2, was Torchic, Tier 1.
He had so many questions.
"Uh, Professor?" Caius said, looking at Birch with a troubled expression, "Other people, fellow trainers, that is, won't be able to access my information, right?"
"Well, they certainly can, if you have an official battle with them. Your data is transferred as an official challenger, and they'll be able to see your information once you agree to challenge each other. And yes, that includes your Pokémon roster," the Professor said, raising his brow, "You don't know this?"
Caius flushed, "I've never had a phone before, nor downloaded the PokéDex App. And all my battles with Silver, that is, my first registered Pokémon, have been with wild Pokémon and never with other trainers."
"What?" Brendan butted in, "You've never had an official battle before?"
Caius shook his head, "No. My Dad wanted me to... uhh... not rub in the other kids' faces that I had Silver."
"Ah yes, your beldum," nodded Professor Birch.
Brendan looked at his dad in surprise, "You knew about it?"
May was frowning at Caius as the Professor answered, "Of course. It caused quite the fuss in customs several years ago, in... the year 20XX, I believe? Around the time Steven Stone became Hoenn Champion. Has it been eight years? Wow," the Professor mused, then, shaking his head, said, "As I recall, it was a gift from family of his in Galar. It was caught legally, and they're much more common in Galar than in Hoenn, so I saw no reason to stop Caius here from getting it."
Caius blinked at this information, "I... thank you for letting me have Silver," he said quietly.
The Professor merely waved his thanks away, "All part of the job, Mr. Edric."
"But still," Brendan said, "You haven't been in a single official Pokémon battle before, Caius?"
When Caius once again shook his head no, Brendan grinned fiercely at him as his Treecko dropped to the ground in front of him, sensing his trainer's intention. As Treecko posed aggressively, Torchic squirmed in his arms and eventually fell to the ground. Torchic flapped his small wings and seemed to glare at Treecko.
"Then let's make it official!" with a wide sweep of his arm, Brendan pointed dramatically at Caius and declared, "I challenge you, Caius Edric, to a one-on-one official Pokémon battle! I put 500 down as my wager! What say you?!"
Caius' look of surprise vanished quickly as he heard the terms of the battle. Heart pounding, he grinned ferally back at Brendan and said, "I accept!"
Caius heard Professor Birch groan and May mumble an insult under her breath at Brendan, but he was too excited to care.
His first official Pokémon battle was about to begin.
A/N:
*arrives late with Starbucks*
Hi! I would like to credit lightningwarrior215, whose story "The Natural" inspired me to keep going. I'm warning you now, Caius will have all the Pokémon I wish I had while playing Emerald and Pokémon X, and you'll hate me for my choices hahaha.
