So, I wanted this chapter to be done like three days ago, but better a little late than a year late, I suppose. I'll readily admit I'm still figuring out how I want to pace this story, and I'm trying to make sure I give every character a chance or two to shine. So this chapter in particular is definitely more dialogue focused than I initially anticipated, but overall I think you guys will like it.
I also have to say, thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and followed. A part of me had forgotten how good it felt to see that 'views' counter go up, and especially to get people sharing their opinions on it. Keep it up, because all the interaction keeps my incentive to write more of this high. So if you guys wanna see more, you know what to do.
Also, I've posted this story on Ao3 now, so if any of you know someone who'd like a fic like this and they use Ao3, feel free to send 'em that way. The name is 'Gusto_on_Ao3' for anyone interested.
And of course, getting back to what I used to do, I'm going to interact with reviews I get when I can. So let's do that.
Guest: You're close. Gimme a chapter.
Pksmashbros: Well, glad to know the new version of the premise sits well with you. And don't worry, you'll get the answer.
So, with all that out of the way, let's get right to it.
Welcome to Chapter 2, my friends. Enjoy!
The first route is always a special occasion for any trainer. It is the start of a journey away from home, a grand step into a vast unknown world. It is a place to acclimate to the conditions they're going to be surrounded by, and to make some new friends who will join you on this major step in life.
Route 29 was that route for a certain nine trainers.
As Eddy and co. walked into the forested route just outside of New Bark Town, something about seeing this new path almost seemed ominous. Before them was a massive new trail to trek, and the only things they had to go off was Ryuji's preliminary info that this region was nearby Kanto. To some degree, it was terrifying, but at the same time, it was an adrenaline rush unlike any before. Here they were, ready to go, and nothing would stand in their way.
"WAIT!"
... Well, almost nothing.
Looking back, the crew saw Professor Elm running their way with all the speed he could muster. When he was finally in front of the party, Elm was breathing heavy already, but looked to the party with a certain conviction in his eyes.
"Thanks for slowing down, kids," he said between breaths, standing upright after he regained his composure. "I completely forgot something before I left, but... do you think you could do me a favor?"
A raised eyebrow was the first response he got, from Kevin in particular. "Uh, sure?" he said with his arms crossed, "What do you need, dude?"
"I just received an e-mail from a friend of mine, known as Mr. Pokemon," Elm explained, "He's always off finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. And this time, he mentioned Pokemon eggs, which are always an exciting discovery, but we're too bogged down by research to get it ourselves!"
"Wait a minute, Pokemon lay eggs?" Eddy questioned, "That's news to me!"
"Well of course they lay eggs," Ryuji replied, "They gotta try and keep the species going somehow."
To this, Eddy had no retort. He was still in the mindset of thinking of all of this as a game, and was probably going to be stuck in that mindset for a while. Yet knowing that there were Pokemon eggs excited him. This was a real world, and Pokemon didn't just pop out of the sky. Honestly he wasn't even sure if this was all a dream or not, but little details like that certainly helped to convince him.
And plus, that meant one other advantage if he had the answer to one simple question:
"Are they safe to eat?"
"A good amount of the bird eggs are."
"I'll keep that in mind. You haven't lived until you've tried one of my omelettes."
"ANYWAY," Professor Elm continued, "Do you guys think you could go pick up the egg in my stead?"
"Ugh! You mean we gotta come back here?" Sarah complained, much to the chagrin of Double D specifically.
"I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience, really I am. I would have asked Gold to do it, but that boy can't sit still for more than 2 hours. For all I know he could be all the way in Azalea Town by now."
"It is no trouble, Professor," Double D responded, "We'd be honored to assist you in your scientific endeavors."
"Oh thank you, children! Mr. Pokemon lives just north of Cherrygrove City. Shouldn't take you more than a day to get out there and back here. I'll see you once you've returned."
With nothing more to say, Elm walked back to the lab, leaving the group of nine to finally start on their journey. They'd now have to make a detour back here, but at the very least there would be no more interruptions on their part.
"With that outta the way," Ryuji declared, walking backwards to face the group. "Let's get this show on the road. Now that we're here, I'm certain you guys can catch all kinds of Pokemon to help make your teams."
"Catch Pokemon?" Nazz questioned. "Why would we do that?"
"To build a team to kick the Gym Leaders' asses!" Eddy said triumphantly. "We can have up to 6 of 'em at a time, so capture as much stuff as you can! You can get rich off winning those fights!"
"And as an added bonus," Double D added, "It helps to complete our Pokedex, helping in the research of people like Professor Elm and the incredible Professor Oak."
"And they're so cute!" Ed joined in, still hugging his Totodile, "And they grow into bigger monsters like the mutant sludge in 'The Teenage Sludge Hippie meets The Devourer'!"
Hearing their explanations caused curiosity to well up in almost the entire party, specifically among the ones who had never played a day of Pokemon in their lives. While helping the Professor with his research wasn't exactly that tantalizing to the others, the idea of beating these 'Gym Leaders' certainly had its benefits. If their Pokemon could get stronger thanks to these fights, then that could lead to them getting more gym fights, which could lead to more money...
An especially nice prospect, as several members of the party looked to their pockets and realized they'd brought no money with them.
"I'm glad to see you guys paid attention when playing your game," commended Ryuji, as he looked forward. "So how about we show off what can be captured, then? Anyone want to help demonstrate?"
"Demon's trait?" Ed asked, "What demons?"
"No no, Ed," Double D immediately corrected, "Demonstrate. It means 'to show how something works'. Ryuji is asking for one of us to capture a Pokemon to show the others how it is done."
Ed's smile was practically illuminating at hearing that, as he rushed over to Ryuji. "Pick me! Pick me! New monster buddy for Ed!"
"Alright, glad to see you're eager, big guy," Ryuji said as he pried himself out of Ed's vice grip, "Now, let's go and find you something new to add to your team."
The older boy immediately took Ed into the tall grass, in which the two of them scouted the area. The others approached slowly as Ryuji gesticulated, wondering what the heck he could be explaining to Ed. Finally, once they were within earshot, a rustling in the grass was the first thing they heard, before Ed was pounced by his first wild Pokemon.
It was a small purple rodent, with a cream-colored underbelly and a set of large front teeth sticking out of its mouth. Its tail was tightly curled right at the end, and was waving around as it looked at Ed with its red eyes.
"Jumpin' Jehosaphat!" Jimmy declared. "What is that thing?" Pulling out his Pokedex when he remembered that the Professor told him to use it, the little Pokemon was scanned. Within a second, an entry came up, offering a brief explanation.
'Rattata, the Rat Pokemon
Normal Type
It eats anything. Wherever there is food, it will settle down and produce offspring continuously.'
"Ah excellent," Double D said, noting the familiarity of this Pokemon, "An early game Normal type such as Rattata seems like the perfect jumping off point to learn how to catch Pokemon."
"Cute little mouse!" Ed yelled out, calling his starter over. "Meet Ed's gator, and do battle in the arena of the dark roots!"
Totodile entered the field, and started to jump up and down at the sight of a new opponent. "(It's nice to meet you!)," Totodile said, "(Are you going to be our new friend?)"
Rattata took a defensive stance. "(Cut the crap! We're here to fight!)"
"(Aw come on! Why don't you be our friend?)"
"(You gotta beat me first!)"
Everyone watched this exchange between the two Pokemon, unsure of what to say or do, or even what was being said by either side. All they knew was that there was going to be a fight. But judging by that stupid grin Ed wore, he was okay with that.
"Totodile! Use your mighty Growl!"
On command, Totodile readied himself to growl, but before he could release this move, the Rattata slammed into his body. The force behind the attack knocked the croc off his feet, with the rodent now standing on his belly.
"Oh no! The Growl made the mouse attack with the might of a Cretan bull!"
"Actually, I think it's just faster than your Totodile," Ryuji explained. "Must be a decently high level Rattata then."
Totodile stood back up, looking his opponent in the eye. "(As I was saying... GROWL!)"
Unleashing an adorable little noise from his tiny throat, a blue aura surrounded Rattata, reducing his attack. One of Rattata's whiskers twitched in annoyance, as the rodent looked to his opponent, ready to pounce again.
"Take note everyone!" Ryuji called out to the rest of the party, "Your opponent isn't just gonna sit there and let you wail on 'em. And sometimes, you're gonna have to be willing to take a hit to get one off."
As he was explaining this, Rattata charged forward. However, this time Totodile was prepared, and eagerly sidestepped the strike. Thanks to his momentum, Rattata continued forward, giving an opportunity to be attacked.
"Scratch with your claws of the dragon!"
"(Wait, but I don't know Dragon Claw...)" Totodile said, still not used to Ed's overly bombastic nature. But after a split second it clicked, and he was able to get in a decently strong Scratch attack to the back of Rattata's head.
"Good hit, Lumpy!" Eddy yelled out as the Normal Type was left reeling, "Show that overgrown rat who's boss!"
However, the receiver of this attack was not as enthusiastic about it. Twisting back around, Rattata practically glared at Totodile, almost enough to make the Water Type think he was going to get paralyzed. "(I will bite your tail off!)"
"(Come and try!)" taunted Totodile, "(But my tail will not be taken so easily!)"
Taking that as a challenge, Rattata unleashed his next move. In a flash, he'd closed the distance between himself and Totodile, slamming his head right into Totodile's lower jaw, and sending the bigger Pokemon off his feet for the second time this fight.
"Whoa! So fast!" Jimmy whispered from the sidelines.
"That rat's a diehard!" Kevin commented.
"That was Quick Attack, for sure!" Eddy said, remembering his own Raticate from the early game. "Sockhead, what Level does Rattata learn that?"
"I believe Level 7, Eddy."
That sounded about right to Eddy, who watched as Totodile stood back up, still as happy as ever. As Ed declared for one more Scratch, Rattata got a claw directly to the stomach, sending the beast back, clutching his stomach in annoyance. By the look of it, it might be weakened enough to-
"Alright, good Ed! You've weakened it enough!" exclaimed Ryuji, "Now, do you know what to do?"
Surprising everyone, Ed took out a Poke Ball, and eagerly explained it. "Throw the darn Poke Ball, Monobrow!" he declared, reciting something Eddy had once told him. And throw it he did. Ed leaned back and sent that Poke Ball flying with all the force his arms could muster...
Unfortunately, Ed was a boy able to summon up an unbelievable amount of force, and his grip on the device left a lot to be desired. Instead of heading toward the rat Pokemon, the Poke Ball flew far above their heads, and way off toward the mountain in the distance. By the time it was finally out of sight, everyone was just left dumbstruck, Ryuji especially by Ed's sudden display of strength.
"Sure hope that doesn't end up pinging some unfortunate climber on the head," he said with a sigh, "We're gonna have to work on that throwing arm of yours. Try with less force this time, Ed."
"Less force?" Ed questioned, pulling out another Poke Ball, as the Rattata stared off to where the first one was thrown. "Okay!"
This time, Ed tried to keep a firmer grip on the ball, which offered a bit of success. It flew much truer this time, actually managing to find its mark as it tapped against the Rattata's head. The Poke Ball opened up, a red energy surrounded him, dematerializing him as his energy was pulled right into the machine, closing again as it landed on the ground and shook once...
Twice...
Thrice...
And with a resounding 'DING!', the capture sequence was complete.
If Ed was happy before, this experience sent him over the moon. He immediately ran over and picked up the Poke Ball. "JOY!" he exclaimed with his eyes fixed on the home of his new teammate, "A new furry friend for Ed to share his gravy cakes with!"
"Nice one, Ed!" Eddy came over, inspecting the Poke Ball. "First catch of the journey, and it's all ours!"
"Well technically it's all Ed's," Double D corrected, happy to see his friend so excited, "And what a catch it was. A Level 7 Rattata is certainly an impressive opening."
"It was Level 7?" Ed asked, looking to Ryuji for answers.
"I doubt it," Ryuji answered, "Most Pokemon on early routes don't get that high. And besides, Rattata learns Quick Attack at like Level 4."
Double D was going to interject, but shut right up upon hearing that. Just another inconsistency with his own cursory knowledge, and another thing on the list of questions to have their guide clear up. At this rate, it was seeming like they'd have a lot of that, even before the day is over.
"I see," Double D said slowly, "Well, now we have a Rattata, and Ed should have a new entry in his Pokedex."
Ed tilted his head. "I should?"
"Of course, Ed. Like the Professor said while explaining the Pokedex, you can scan your own Pokemon to get further information about them. You should try it."
Ed pulled out his Pokedex, already covered in lint thanks to his pants pocket, and stared at the device, trying to figure out this hidden function. He tried a few different methods, including tapping it against the Poke Ball, holding it up to it, and finally pressing the button on the machine.
The last one seemed to do the trick, as the Pokedex finally opened up, and there were a bunch of different options on it. Double D came over to help Ed, and pressed on the screen, noticing the big icon labeled 'scan.' And with that, Ed's Pokedex finally took a scan of the Poke Ball before it, and gave them all the info they could need.
Rattata
Lv.4
Normal Type
Ability: Guts
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack
AVERAGE STATS
This elicited a raised eyebrow from the resident genius, as he noticed a list of 6 stats on the screen, like a graph chart that is showing off six specific categories: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. At the bottom of the graph, he noticed the numbers '0' and '255', as well as numbers on the other end of the graph, to represent what each bar represented on that specific scale.
"Curious," Double D whispered as he grabbed the Pokedex, "This device has data on the average combat capabilities of a Pokemon?"
"Looks like it." Ryuji told him happily. "Pretty good feature to have, I'd say. Sometimes you wanna know where a Pokemon lands on the Tajiri Scale."
"The Taji-what now?" Eddy asked, walking into the tall grass to see what there was to see.
"Add it to the list of things I need to explain," was Ryuji's only response. "For now, let's keep going, alright?"
The others nodded, some among them genuinely interested to see what they could catch.
Before anyone knew it, an hour and a half had passed, filled with walking, battling, and a number of attempted captures. So far, no one in the group had any success besides Ed, but with every failure, they were getting a bit closer.
"Alright dude, use Water Gun."
Currently, it was Nazz' second try, this time with a Pokemon she learned was called Sentret. This little brown rodent had bumped into her by accident, and the moment she saw it balance on its tail, she was in love.
The water slammed into Sentret, who took the attack like a champ. Popplio approached slowly as her opponent returned back to his previous stance.
"(You're certainly a resilient one,)" Popplio said, her voice even-toned as she looked to the Normal type. "(I like you already.)"
"(Why thank you,)" Sentret responded, a bit surprised to be praised by a complete stranger. "(I've gotten into a lot of battles in my time.)"
"(Oh yeah? Then perhaps you'd like to put your experience to work for us?)"
Sentret froze, surprised both by the bluntness of the request, and by the request itself. It was true that he had been in a lot of fights, but his win-loss ratio was... well, completely terrible. He was practically a laughingstock among the trees he lived near, and hated that fact.
But perhaps, if he were to go with them, he'd be able to get away from it all.
"(I uh... I'm not sure,)" Sentret tried to play it off and act cool. "(I'm uh... pretty committed here. But maybe if you can prove your str-)"
"(Alright, well I'll just wait for my trainer to command another Water Gun.)"
"(NO!)" He exclaimed, "(I mean- well... nevermind. On second thought, that Water Gun before was plenty strong. I don't need any more proof.)"
"(Are you sure? Because there's no take backs.)"
All the while this was happening, Nazz was just standing there, watching and twiddling her thumbs while it looked like the two Pokemon were having a conversation.
"Um..." she hesitated, "So, should I throw the ball or...?"
From the sidelines, Ryuji gave her a thumbs up. "It's all part of the process. When catching a Pokemon, you gotta wait for an opportunity, whatever that may be."
While still unsure, Nazz decided to roll with it, and tossed her Poke Ball lightly. It tapped against the side of Sentret's stomach, and enveloped the Normal type with the light of capture. The ball fell to the ground and shook three times, before a familiar sound rang from the ball, signifying the second capture of this journey.
"Nice work, babe!"
Kevin stepped over, having watched the whole confrontation. "That was rad, catching that little thing."
"Aw, thanks Kev," Nazz said as she picked it up and let her new Pokemon out. "He's kinda cute, isn't he?"
"A lot of 'em are when they're at this stage in their evolution," Ryuji commented, pushing off the tree he'd been leaning against. "And if you train it up enough, it'll be strong as well as cute."
Hearing the word 'train' made Nazz look away. Thus far, she'd not been having too much fun watching these little guys beat each other up. She understood that they were resilient, at least from what the others had told her, but something about it just wasn't that appealing to her. Maybe it was something she'd get used to, or maybe it was just something that clicked with certain people more than others. She wasn't really sure.
But even if she was not that sure about battling, at the very least catching Pokemon meant she would have some adorable little traveling companions. So perhaps it wasn't all bad.
"So, how are the others doing?" Nazz asked, as they began to rejoin the others by the Route 46 entrance.
"Well, the Dorks haven't had much luck," Kevin said, slightly amused, "So much for being 'Pokemon Masters'."
"Hey, cut us some slack, will ya!?" Eddy barked back, as he picked up a Poke Ball he'd missed the last Rattata with. "It ain't our fault everything out here's so damn quick! And they run away, we're not used to that!"
"Though to be fair," Double D interjected, "Eddy's Poke Balls have had a much better trajectory with each passing throw. The only reason that last one missed was because Rattata decided to retreat, but thankfully the ball didn't break and we were able to salvage it."
"That's always good," Ryuji told them, as he noticed the afternoon sun up above. "And plus, it seems like you've been having your fun, given how much time flew by. At this point I'm tempted to say we take a break and have some lunch."
And as if summoned by the mention of 'lunch', a massive rumbling that nearly shook the ground around them emitted from Ed's stomach.
"Belly's empty, guys," Ed said, absentminded as ever. "Food for Ed?"
Everyone in the party was in agreement, as a nearly unanimous chorus of rumbling stomachs came together. Ryuji laughed at this, before placing down his bag.
"Alright, awesome. Once Rolf gets back, we can chow down. I think I might have some extra Poke Food in here..."
It took a few minutes to get everything set up, especially since they lacked anywhere to really sit, but the party had to make do. Dipping into their stocks of food, everyone started to eat, sending out their Pokemon for some fresh air, and a little bit of time to interact with one another. But there was one little problem, brought up by their guide.
"So, here's the deal," he explained, as he pulled out a small bento box and some chopsticks, "Unfortunately I only packed enough Poke Food for my Fennekin. It seems like until I can buy some more in Cherrygrove, you'll have to share your own rations with your new friends."
"Ah what?" Eddy questioned incredulously, "What, ya didn't think to bring more?"
"Well let's be fair, I didn't plan to bring you guys until like 2 hours ago." Ryuji joked.
"Point taken," Eddy sighed, as he took his sandwich and split one half in half once again, "Yo Cyndaquil!"
The Fire Type perked up at hearing his name. "(Yes?)"
"Come over here, I got some food for ya."
Cyndaquil shuffled over, taking the piece of sandwich within his little hands, and placing the entire thing in his mouth. The flavor was certainly acceptable, and thanks to the content, it was rather filling.
"So, Rolfy boy, what'd ya catch out in that other route?" Eddy asked between bites. Rolf grinned at this, and asked "Do you not see the small rock with arms, Ed boy? That is Rolf's newest battling monster."
All it took was a look to Rolf's side, and there it was, plain as day. A Geodude, currently ripping into a few links of sausage. How he'd missed that, Eddy will never know, but now they had an early game Rock Type among them.
"Ah excellent!" exclaimed Double D, happy to see a familiar face. "I've used a Golem myself, and I must commend your choice. Their defensive prowess is something to be admired."
Rolf looked confused. "So, the small rock with arms can serve as a bastion for Rolf's livestock once we return?"
"Why certainly. It's strong stone armor should help to stave off even the mightiest of predators."
Rolf began to ponder this prospect, as he looked to his new ally. Perhaps a strong defensive monster would be a welcome addition to his team. After all, he knew practically nothing about this 'Pokemon' thing, and being able to fall back on the resilience of a Pokemon or two was not a bad idea.
"Then Rolf made a good choice in capturing this one," he declared, chomping down on a sub piled high with meat. "Rolf shall train this small rock with arms as a powerful member of his battalion."
"Speaking of, how'd you catch Geodude anyway?" Ryuji questioned.
"Rolf beat it in an arm wrestle."
Hearing that almost made Ryuji drop the piece of broiled fish he'd picked up. "Wait, arm wrestl- why were you arm wrestling a Geodude anyway?"
"Rolf is always looking for opportunities to prove his strength."
"I see," Ryuji said, finishing off the piece of fish he was still holding, "Well, I guess that's one way of doin' it."
"Wait, it is?" Eddy questioned. "So what, I can just arm wrestle a Pokemon and it'll join my team?"
"I think you're missing the point," the brunet replied. "If you wanna catch a Pokemon, one way is to earn it's respect. Or earn it's trust, whatever it was that Rolf might have earned. A lot of trainers do it, even some of the previous Champions."
"Really?"
"Hell yeah. If you trust each other, you'll go far in this business."
As rudimentary as this advice might have sounded, it struck a particular chord, and struck it particularly well. These Pokemon were their teammates, and dished out the commands given by the trainers. They had to work with each other, if they wanted any chance of beating the gyms; or more importantly, if they wanted any chance of beating the Kankers. They'll need to trust their teams, and they'll have to get to work on that as soon as they could.
"Ugh, get away from me, ya dumb bird!"
Especially considering it seemed like some among them would have a harder time at that than others.
Sarah's Rowlet was curiously staring at her, as she held her own sandwich in her hands. Unfortunately, the young Grass Type had not made any progress in getting his young trainer to warm up to him, as evidenced by her sneer of annoyance.
"Sarah, I'm willing to bet Rowlet's hungry," Ryuji offered, "Don't you think you should feed it?"
"What? No way! I gotta feed myself first!"
"Well of course, but at least give him something, why don't ya?"
"It's a bird, right? Can't it just catch a worm or something?"
At this point, no one in the group was enjoying Sarah's attitude. She hadn't been much an annoyance thus far, but now she wasn't even trying. They'd all given bits of their rations to the Pokemon among them, because now they were effectively their pets. Yet here she was, not even willing to spare a bit to hold her Rowlet over until they got to the next town?
"Come on Sarah," Nazz said with a frown, "Be nice to the little dude. He's your friend now."
"Ugh, fine!" She said, ripping off a piece of her sandwich and giving it to the Grass Type. "Stupid bird..."
"We'll see how stupid ya think it is when you gotta fly somewhere!" Eddy snapped. This caused Double D, Sarah, and Kevin to all stare at Eddy with confusion.
"... What?" He asked, finishing off what was left of his lunch.
"Seriously, dude, what's up with you defending the bird?" Kevin asked. "I thought you said you hated birds."
To this, Eddy shrugged. "Well REAL birds, yeah. But Pokemon birds are freakin' awesome."
"What's the difference?"
"You mean besides that bird Pokemon don't poop on your head and steal your cash?"
A small laugh spread through the group at this line from Eddy, who was replaying scenes in his head of his adventure through Kanto on the Game Boy. A lot of them involved one particular Pokemon, who just so happened to be the answer to their inquiry.
"But for real," Eddy continued, "It's all thanks to my Dodrio. That bird was so useful, 'cuz he let me fly to any town I needed to go to. And plus, he was an absolute powerhouse with Hyper Beam. I almost felt bad when I swapped him out for Zapdos, but at least he got me to the League."
Hearing this, Kevin nodded. It was strange to hear, but it kind of made sense, given he knew Eddy to be something of an opportunist. So if these Bird Pokemon were beneficial, then it only made sense that he'd actually start to warm up to them.
"Well, if they're that useful," Kevin said as he looked to his Treecko. "I oughta get myself one. Especially if we end up doing a lot of backtracking."
"That's certainly an option," Ryuji commented, "I've seen quite a few trainers who had some fun riding their Pokemon everywhere. And plus, it's a great bonding experience for both the trainer and the Pokemon."
"And plus then I could get places faster. I'd usually have my bike, but my chain broke last night."
"... I'm starting to believe we've come woefully unprepared." Double D stated abruptly. Ryuji merely grinned at this, closing the box that once contained his lunch, and standing back up.
"Yeah, probably," he said as he stretched slightly, "But hey, that's all part of the journey, ain't it? We'll make our mistakes, and some of them might suck in the moment. But as long as we learn from it, I think we'll be fine."
As the humans finished their meals, the Pokemon all stepped away for a bit to let them have some more idle conversation. Among them, several little conversations of their own sprouted, as Pokemon from vastly different regions got the chance to finally get to know one another.
Among one of the first to interact was Treecko, who stepped lazily over to where Cyndaquil and Chikorita were both discussing something.
Chikorita noticed her fellow Grass Type, and was very excited to finally meet him.
"(Oh hi,)" she said sweetly, "(You're that one Grass Type from Hoenn, right?)"
Treecko nodded. "(It's nice to meet you, little lady. You're with the guy in the hat, if my memory is correct. And this one is Cyndaquil, the one who lost the fight earlier.)"
Cyndaquil looked away, the defeat still fresh in his mind. "(I'd... rather not have that brought up again.)"
"(Oh come on, it's not anything to be ashamed of,)" Chikorita told him, "(I'm sure we'll all lose at some point.)"
"(You think so?)"
"(Of course, dude,)" Treekco commented. "(It's all part of getting better, ain't it?)"
It was true enough, Cyndaquil knew. Even so, that did not make it sting any less for him. He knew he wasn't that strong, but every failure on his part hurt his trainer as well. He couldn't have that, after waiting so long to be a Pokemon that was used for trainer battles.
"(Well, all ya need is a push in the right direction,)" Treecko continued, slinging his arm over the back of Cyndaquil. "(Maybe you and me could work together to get stronger, yeah?)"
"(... You'd do that for someone you've known for like an hour?)"
"(Why not? I mean both our trainers are on this journey together, so that means you and I are basically on the same team.)"
Despite his logic being very sound, doubt still clouded the Fire Type's mind. What if he ended up holding Treecko back as well? Could he handle being not only dead weight for his trainer, but for the Pokemon of other trainers too? Such an idea certainly scared him, but so did disappointing this new guy who was being so nice to him.
Quite the conundrum indeed.
"(Look, I don't need an answer right away,)" Treeko told him, helping to take that weight off of Cyndaquil's shoulders. "(Let's just take this journey nice and slow, yeah? One step at a time, and figure it out as we do.)"
"(That sounds great!)" exclaimed Chikorita, in a very singsong tone, "(That way we can get to know each other better!)"
Treecko nodded, and started to walk away. Once he was out of earshot, Chikorita looked back to her fellow Johto starter, and had a huge smile.
"(He seems really nice,)" she said.
"(Oh yeah,)" agreed Cyndaquil, happy to have an ally that was willing to help. "(Honestly, I'm glad for all this. I'd never expected we'd all get to go on a journey together.)"
"(I know right? And plus, our trainers are so fun to be around.)"
Chikorita looked back to her trainer, watching as Double D shared a slight bit of food with a Pidgey that had come to their little circle. The smile on his face and the way he treated even complete strangers was something about him that she already liked. It seemed like they'd be an incredible team, at least if her gut feeling was correct.
But that was a thought for later, as she'd been in a conversation before Treecko arrived.
Meanwhile, not too far away, Totodile and Rattata were currently getting acquainted with one another. It was awkward, at least for the Normal Type who had made a complete and utter fool of himself earlier. Once again, his temper had proven to be a hindrance, but thankfully, Totodile was still very happy to speak with him.
"(This is so cool!)" the Water Type declared, "(Not even on the journey for a day, and we've already made a new friend! Glad to have you on the team, Rattata.)"
The rodent nodded. "(Well, good to be here, I guess. You're certainly a tough opponent.)"
"(Well, you're no slouch either. That Quick Attack hurt.)"
"(Heh, yeah... sorry about threatening to bite off your tail, by the way.)"
Totodile looked confused at this, but kept his sickeningly bright grin. Rattata was already sure this croc was the type who didn't take anything seriously.
"(It's just, sometimes my temper gets a little out of control, and I can end up overdoing it. I hope you can forgi-)"
Before he even got to finish that thought, two light blue arms were wrapped around him, almost crushing him with the sheer force behind the Johto starter's bear hug.
"(IT'S OKAY!)" Totodile exclaimed, "(You're my buddy, right?)"
Just like earlier, the adrenaline within the Normal Type began to spike. But this time, he was able to keep himself under control, as he simply agreed with the statement, before telling his newfound friend "(But if we're going to be buddies, I think we need to set a ground rule.)"
"(What kind of ground rule?)"
"(Keep the hugs to a minimum, ESPECIALLY as you evolve. I don't know how big you'll get, but if this is how strong you are now, I don't think I wanna risk getting crushed to death.)"
Hearing that, Totodile let go of Rattata, and looked away in embarrassment. He knew he was strong, but accidentally hurting a friend was something that terrified him. All he wanted to do was make his friends smile, and sometimes that demanded he restrain himself.
So probably best to start now.
"(Well anyway,)" Rattata started, trying to remove the tension from the situation. "(Wanna go hang out with our trainer?)"
"(Sure!)"
With that, their discussion ended, as the two Pokemon headed over to their numbskull of a trainer.
And only a short distance away, another conversation began. This time, it all began with their resident Alolan Grass Type. Much like earlier, his eyes were set on his trainer, who seemed to already be regretting her decision to come here. Rowlet watched intently, almost as if he was expecting something to happen. What that something was, no one was sure, not even Rowlet himself.
The only thing that managed to pull his attention was when he heard a familiar set of footsteps, virtually unheard unless you were Rowlet, and had grown up with them.
"(How are you doing, Litten?)" He asked, as the black and red cat sat beside him. "(Acclimating so far to this new region?)"
"(It's cold,)" Litten answered simply, "(Far colder than Melemele Island ever got.)"
"(Quite. And yet not unbearably cold either. The perfect climate for a rousing journey, I'd say.)"
Litten rolled his eyes, still rather unenthusiastic about the prospect of a journey. His annoyance was then compounded when Rowlet went back to staring at his trainer, who was currently whining about something or other.
"(Seems like you drew the short stick, my friend,)" Litten told him. "(Do you think you're going to be okay over this journey?)"
"(Oh, don't worry about me, Litten. I believe my trainer will do great.)"
"(Really? Come on, she's a total brat. What about that makes you think she'll be 'great'?)"
When Rowlet didn't give an answer, Litten sighed. He knew his friend was like this, but even after years of friendship, it was still utterly confusing. He lived by his own set of logic, answering questions only when he was ready, and moving in his own rhythm.
But finally, an answer was given, and it was about as vague as you can get.
"(I see potential within her, Litten.)"
"('Potential'? Really?)" Litten deadpanned, refusing to let his irritation overtake him. "(How about you just say what you mean?)"
"(Oh, but I did.)" Rowlet replied, as he turned to face the Fire Type. "(I see something within her, a great potential that can be unlocked. I couldn't describe it to you if you asked me, but I'm sure we'd both know it when we see it.)"
"(Well... if you say so. I just want you to be safe, old friend.)"
A hearty chuckle escaped from Rowlet's beak. "(Don't worry. I know what I'm doing.)"
As he said this, an emphatic cry of "Back to it!" could be heard coming from where their trainers were. Glancing that way revealed that they were all standing once again, and clearly ready to continue on. With that in mind, Rowlet noticed the other Pokemon approaching their trainers, and decided that it was time for him to join back up with Sarah. But the conversation was still fresh in his mind.
'(Litten, you worry too much,)' Rowlet thought, as he made his way over to be returned to his Poke Ball. '(The journey has only begun. There is much time for her to grow.)'
Not even half an hour later, and the party was already making their way through the final stretch of Route 29. Their feet were starting to ache at this point, but the battles were starting to become quicker and easier to figure out, as Ryuji's suggestions and hints started to crystalize within their minds.
They'd just finished up one last battle, this between Double D's new Pidgey and another wild Rattata. As the rat fled from the scene, Pidgey flapped its wings in victory, and Double D watched this display with pride.
"Another successful confrontation, gentlemen." Double D told the others as he readjusted his hat. "And some much needed experience for our newest companion."
"Fantastic," Ryuji told him. "You guys are pretty quick learners."
"Well I should certainly hope so. After all, Ed, Eddy, and I all come here with previous experience under our belts. And unless the typings of Pokemon are vastly different from what we know, I'm certain we'll be fine."
This elicited a laugh from their new friend, who replied simply with "Well, lucky for us, Cherrygrove City is within sight." He pointed behind where Double D was standing, and the brainiac's attention was brought right to the sight that made his day thus far.
It was a rather small, oceanside city, but already he could see the marks of this new world. A Pokemon Center and Poke Mart, he assumed by their specific coloration in contrast to every other building within the area. A sure sign that they were in the right place, and of course, another milestone in their journey.
Double D had wanted to say something, but was cut off immediately by Eddy rushing off in that direction. Impatient as ever, it seemed, as he jumped off the ledge and booked it to the town. Taking this as their sign, Ed rushed over as well, with the others following at a much more leisurely pace.
"Is he always that eager?" Ryuji questioned, as he began walking with the rest of the party.
"It's more like he's always gotta be first." Kevin explained. "Dorky's always been like that."
"I see... well at least that means we'll keep a consistent pace, if we have him to keep us going."
Kevin looked to Ryuji as they hopped down the ledge. "You always look on the bright side so much?"
The red-eyed boy shrugged. "What point is there in being down about the little things?"
"Rolf agrees," chimed in their resident farmboy. "The Ed boy's excitability is a very respectable trait. The thirst for adventure is very powerful, and has not been felt by Rolf since I crossed the sea with my Great Nano."
"Hopefully this journey will change that." Ryuji told them, "But for now, let's just get to the Pokemon Center. I can answer your questions there."
A collective nod in agreement was the party's response, as they sauntered on into the new city. Ryuji himself let them go ahead, waiting behind to ponder a few things. Looking back, he saw Mt. Silver in the distance, and smiled. The mountain looked so beautiful from this angle...
'Today went nothing like I expected it to,' he admitted, if to no one else but himself. 'But it's been fun so far. These new guys seem so interesting, so animated.'
Grabbing the Poke Ball at his waist, he smiled at the small device. It had only been a couple of hours, but being on a journey awakened some old feelings from deep within. It had been a long while since he'd had the chance to make new friends, and now he had a whole region to explore with a whole cast of them.
And yet, some part of him felt like this might end badly.
'No no...' he told himself as he tried to shake that thought. 'This'll START badly. I have no idea how it'll end.'
And knowing that made him somewhat intrigued to see. And so, with an extra bit of resolve in his mind, Ryuji started to jog over toward Cherrygrove City. The rest of his group was already there, and by the looks of it, the 3 Eds were already giving the others a little speech of their own. They'd only be in this town for a short while, that much he knew, but there was still so much to do.
And so much he was sure he'd have to explain.
PARTY DATA:
EDDY
Cyndaquil (Male)
- Level 6
- Ability: Blaze
- Quiet Nature, Alert to Sounds
- Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen
ED
Totodile (Male)
- Level 6
- Ability: Torrent
- Jolly Nature, Somewhat of a Clown
- Moves: Scratch, Leer, Water Gun
Rattata (Male)
- Level 4
- Ability: Guts
- Adamant Nature, A Little Quick Tempered
- Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack
DOUBLE D
Chikorita (Female)
- Level 6
- Ability: Overgrow
- Gentle Nature, Good Endurance
- Moves: Tackle, Growl, Razor Leaf
Pidgey (Male)
- Level 3
- Ability: Keen Eye
- Sassy Nature, Scatters things Often
- Moves: Tackle
KEVIN
Treecko (Male)
- Level 6
- Ability: Overgrow
- Lax Nature, Thoroughly Cunning
- Moves: Pound, Leer, Absorb
ROLF
Chimchar (Female)
- Level 6
- Ability: Blaze
- Naughty Nature, Mischievous
- Moves: Scratch, Leer
Geodude (Male)
- Level 3
- Ability: Sturdy
- Careful Nature, Loves to Eat
- Moves: Tackle, Defense Curl
NAZZ
Popplio (Female)
- Level 5
- Ability: Torrent
- Calm Nature, Often Lost in Thought
- Moves: Pound, Growl, Water Gun
Sentret (Male)
- Level 2
- Ability: Run Away
- Bashful Nature, Likes to Fight
- Moves: Scratch, Foresight
SARAH
Rowlet (Male)
- Level 5
- Ability: Overgrow
- Brave Nature, Likes to Relax
- Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage
JIMMY
Litten (Male)
- Level 5
- Ability: Blaze
- Hardy Nature, Quick Tempered
- Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember
RYUJI
Fennekin (Female)
- Level 9
- Ability: Blaze
- Mild Nature, Mischievous
- Moves: Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember