Okay, I honestly should have seen this coming in regards to the Pokemon that won the poll, and yet, I'm not surprised. After all, it's a favorite starter for about fifty four percent of players choose Charmander, while only twenty four percent choose Squirtle, and twenty three percent go with Bulbasaur. I guess I'm one of those twenty three percent. But I digress, let's continue the story, shall we?
*I still don't own Star Wars: The Clone Wars!, or Pokemon. You know the drill.*
Last Time On Pokemon Red - Barriss' Redemption…
"Go ahead and choose first, Barriss." Geki insisted with a wink.
"Now think carefully before you choose." Oak advised.
Barriss looked back to the Pokéballs in front of her. During her time with her new family, she's learned a lot about the three Starter Pokemon for Kanto and has pretty much figured out that each one evolves into a Pokemon that is a powerhouse in its own right. But all she really knows is that they're different.
Bulbasaur is a Grass and Poison Type Pokemon that has well-rounded and balanced stats and is the easiest to raise among the three Starters. With time and the right amount of training, it will evolve from Bulbasaur to Ivysaur and finally to Venusaur, the Seed Pokemon. Venusaur relies on its above average Special Attack and Special Defense in a fight, rarely ever using physical combat. It's also capable of learning the two most powerful Grass Type moves in all of the planet: Solar Beam and Frenzy Plant!
But then there's Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. It's definitely one worth raising, as it learns a wide variety of moves that mostly focus on water power. As it becomes stronger, Squirtle will eventually evolve into Wartortle and finally into Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokemon. And while it boasts the greatest defensive power of the three starters, it won't be winning any marathons. It's species as a whole is almost as slow as a tortoise. Which makes sense… unlike the GIANT GUNS sticking out of its back!
And the final Starter Pokemon evolves from Charmander to Charmeleon and finally to Charizard, the Flame Pokemon. If Barriss is being totally honest, she would SO ride that into battle if she could! Though it would be tough to do. A fully grown Charizard is only five feet and seven inches tall. That kind of disappointed Barriss for a moment. She wanted to ride a dragon to burn the villages of her enemies, not hang out with it on the sofa. But she knows that Charizard boasts the greatest attack and speed out of the three starters and has quite the diverse moveset, ranging from the obvious Fire Type attacks to Flying, Normal, Steel, Dragon, and even Ghost Type attacks. However, Barriss also understands that Charizard has traded its great attack and speed for unfortunate frailty, essentially making them glass cannons. But they're so fast and agile, it might just overpower its enemies before they know what hit them.
Barriss sighed and shook her head. It's so hard to choose.
"I'm sorry, guys, but I just can't decide which of the Starter Pokemon I want. They're all incredible, so it's difficult to pick just one." Barriss said. "And besides that, I don't even know the first thing about Pokemon battles."
Professor Oak nodded in understanding. He too knows how hard it can be to choose one's first Pokemon. But he also knows that when you do choose one, that Pokemon and their trainer form a special bond that is near impossible to break.
"I understand your dilemma, Barriss. However, you shouldn't let a Pokemon's type or stats decide who your partner will be. Just go with what your heart tells you." Oak advised.
Barriss turned back to the three Poke Balls on the table, heeding the professor's words. What does her heart tell her to do?
Starting A Journey - First Pokemon Battle!
Barriss reached her hand out over the three Poke Balls, each one containing a Pokemon within. She closed her eyes and began to reach out with the Force, attempting to see which one of these beautiful creatures would bond with her heart. Eventually, her hand settled upon the Pokeball on the right. The one that contained the fire lizard.
"It looks like my ideal partner is Charmander."
"Ah, and I can see why. You see, when I met you the first time, Barriss, even though you were still a little coo-coo in the head because of the Dark Side of the Force infecting you like a virus, I could tell that your heart burns with the passion and energy of a red hot flame. Remember this Barriss: much like the waters of every planet, fire has the power to extinguish life, but it can also preserve life if used correctly." explained Professor Oak.
And the young Mirialan held on to every word.
"Now, why don't you go ahead and meet your partner for the very first time?" Oak suggested.
Barriss nodded and tossed the Poke Ball into the air, watching it open with an audible *POP* and releasing Charmander from the red and white sphere.
"Chaaarrr!" the little fire lizard roared cutely.
Barriss had big, sparkly, anime style eyes and a big blush on her face at the sight of the adorable little lizard, as well as the biggest grin she's had since childhood. She caught the little Fire-Type, being careful of the tail flame and grinned even wider as Charmander nuzzled her affectionately.
"This is… this is just incredible!" exclaimed Barriss.
"It sure must be!" Geki said in agreement. "So, I'll go with this one."
"Ah, Squirtle's your choice then." Oak noted as Geki picked up the middle Poke Ball. "Is it because of its great defensive power? Or perhaps for a more poetic reason, like Barriss and Charmander?"
Geki laughed at his grandpa's way of thinking. Trust the old timer to think about Pokemon poetry even at a time like this.
"Nah, not for any sort of reason like that." Geki replied. "But since Barriss decided to choose fire, then I will pick water!"
He too threw his Poke Ball into the air and watched at the Tiny Turtle Pokemon was released and fell into his arms. He laughed as he hugged his Pokemon.
"Squirtle squirt!" squeaked the little turtle.
"You know, you kids can also give your Pokemon nicknames if you want." Oak suggested.
"A nickname, huh? Well, I want to at least give Charmander a name that's appropriate for its gender." Barriss mumbled.
"You can actually use your Pokedex for that. It will tell you the data for your Pokemon, including its gender and moveset." Oak informed.
Nodding at this information, Barriss took out her Pokedex and opened it up as she scanned her Charmander. It spoke in a mechanical male voice that slightly startled her, as she almost mistook it for a Separatist Battle Droid.
"Charmander, the Lizard Pokemon. It has a preference for hot things. When it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail. This Pokemon is a level 10 Male, and knows the moves Scratch and Growl. Its ability is Blaze: An ability that increases the strength of Fire Type attacks when the Pokemon is in a pinch."
"Okay, so you're a cute little boy." Barriss said as she closed her Pokedex and tickled Charmander's belly, drawing a laughing sound from the young Pokemon. "What do you say I give you the name 'Zeke'? That was the name of a great dragon on another planet many years ago. It sounds pretty tough, don't you think?"
The newly named Zeke nodded in approval at his new name, happy to have been given a name by his trainer. Geki had set Squirtle down on the ground and got over to the far side of the lab, a look of determination on his face.
"So, Barriss, what do you say we try our new Pokemon out?" Geki asked before declaring "Barriss Offee, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle right here and now!"
"Wha?! Here?! Now?! In the lab?! Are you crazy?!" gasped Barriss.
She didn't want to risk damaging or breaking any of the equipment in the lab as it would be difficult and expensive to repair or replace, but Geki didn't seem the least bit deterred.
"Relax, green bean," Geki said dismissively, drawing a 'That's not nice.' from Barriss. "Everything in here is highly durable, and even if it gets damaged, it'll repair itself as part of a new function they've begun putting into places like Pokemon Laboratories and Gyms. So we can go all out and not have to worry about a thing! Right, Squirtle?"
"Squirtllllleee squirt!" glared Squirtle with a confident grin.
Barriss still looked a bit unsure about what to do. She was glad that the lab wouldn't be destroyed if they battled in here, but she didn't want to risk putting Zeke in unnecessary danger by battling when neither of them are ready for such a thing.
But she was quite surprised when Zeke wriggled his way out of her arms and took a ready stance right in front of her, staring down Geki and his Squirtle as if instinctively knowing it was time for a battle. She still wasn't quite sure, so she had to ask.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Zeke?"
"Charmander, char-char!" he growled in affirmative.
Barriss still looked hesitant, but she knew that there was probably no use trying to talk her starter Pokemon out of it. So, she got herself ready and felt her Force connect with that of Zeke. Almost as if they were a part of each other on a spiritual level. She wasn't sure how that was possible, but she knew that she could feel herself growing more confident as Zeke got ready to fight.
She smiled and nodded with her eyes narrowed in challenge as she looked towards Geki, her now self-proclaimed rival.
"Alright, Geki! Since Zeke's not backing down, we accept your challenge!" Barriss replied.
*Play Pokemon Leaf Green/Fire Red 8-Bit Battle Music*
Professor Oak sighed at his grandson's behavior.
"Oh dear! So stubborn, as always!" he said to himself.
But he decided to suck it up and go with the flow as he watched Barriss and his grandson get ready to fight.
"Barriss! You've never participated in a Pokemon battle before, so I'll walk you through it. Up on that wall over there, there's a screen that shows your Pokemon's health as well as the number of Pokemon you have on your team. It's important to always watch how much health your Pokemon has left as opposed to your opponent's Pokemon. If your Pokemon's health drops to zero, you lose the battle and have to pay your opponent some prize money. But since this is your first battle and you currently don't have any money to your name, I'll pay for you if you lose." Oak explained.
Barriss nodded to show that she understood. She knows from their stats that Zeke has the greater amount of speed as opposed to Squirtle, so this means that she has the first attack. But she has to plan this out carefully. She knows better than to just rush in without thinking and attack like a rampaging monkey. Ahsoka's done that more times than she can count in this crazy, mixed up war.
"Okay Zeke, let's start this battle off strong! Use Growl attack, and lower Squirtle's attack power!" Barriss ordered.
"Char… CHAAAAAARRRR!"
Visible sound waves resonated from out of Zeke's gaping maw and hit Squirtle directly, causing the Tiny Turtle Pokemon to stumble back as a red glow going in a downward direction shone upon the Pokemon. Geki didn't seem too worried, though.
"Gotta admit, that's a pretty good idea. Lowering your opponent's Pokemon's stats can make winning a battle easier for you. But still, it's not going to work! Because TWO can play at that game! Squirtle, hit Charmander with your Tail Whip attack and lower its defense power!" Geki ordered.
Squirtle did as commanded and cutely wagged its tail at Zeke. Needless to say, the little lizard's defense power was lowered a bit because of that. Barriss didn't like this. It looks like both of their Pokémon are evenly matched, having only two moves. But then she grinned as the battle got her blood pumping and massive amounts of adrenaline rushing through her.
"It looks like we're at a stalemate. Both of our Pokémon have only two moves each, we both seem to counter each other in lowering stats, so the only thing we can do is… ATTACK! HIT IT WITH YOUR SCRATCH ATTACK, ZEKE!"
"Char!"
Zeke rushed towards Squirtle with his claws poised to strike, forcing Geki to retaliate the only way he could.
"Squirtle, counter it with Tackle!"
"Squirtle, squirt Squirtle!"
The two Pokemon met in the middle as their attacks collided, causing both Pokemon's health bars to decrease closer and closer to the red zone. One minute, Squirtle would charge at Zeke and land a hit. And the next, it would be the other way around. Sometimes they'd dodge, sometimes they'd defend, never backing down and always giving it their all in every attack they used.
Until finally, both Squirtle and Zeke stood across from each other, panting in exhaustion. Squirtle had several shallow cuts on the unarmored parts of his body from Zeke's claws, and Zeke was covered in bruises from taking so many Tackle attacks from the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. Even Barriss and Geki were panting in exhaustion as they could feel their Pokemon's pain due to their connection to them.
"Looks like… we're… back where we… we started… huh?" panted Geki.
"Yes… a stalemate…" replied Barriss.
After they had both caught their breath, Barriss straightened out her posture and grinned. It seems like she got an idea that would help her possibly win this battle.
"What do you say, Geki? Last round?" she asked.
"Yeah. The final round, winner take all!" Geki replied before giving Squirtle a command. "Now, Squirtle, Tackle attack to finish it off!"
"Squirtle!" roared Squirtle as he charged.
But Barriss smirked. That was exactly what she was counting on.
"Quickly, Zeke, use Growl attack and follow up with Scratch!"
"CHAAAAAAAAARRRR!"
The sound waves hit Squirtle dead on, not only lowering its attack power, but also causing it to stop its attack due to hesitation. This gave Zeke the opening he needed to rush in and hit Squirtle with a final scratch attack, knocking the Tiny Turtle Pokemon on its back with anime swirly eyes.
The health bar on the screen for Squirtle went down to zero, signifying that Barriss won.
"We did it, Zeke! We won our very first Pokemon battle!" she cheered as she rushed to Zeke.
She carefully picked up Zeke and hugged him close as they celebrated, being very careful not to aggravate his injuries. Meanwhile, Geki just silently returned Squirtle to its Poke Ball and walked up to his new green friend. She and Zeke stopped their celebration as Geki patted Barriss on the shoulder.
"Good fight, Barriss. Looks like you won this battle. Though I don't like to admit it."
Barriss too returned her Pokemon to the small, spherical device and shook hands with Geki in a show of good sportsmanship. In the process, Geki handed Barriss her winnings from the battle. Sixty Poke Dollars.
"Well done, both of you! That was an excellent battle!" Oak praised. "Now, my assistant here will take both of your Pokemon and get them healed before you head off on your journeys. Remember, aim high as Pokemon trainers, and don't forget my request to fill in the Pokedex."
"Don't worry, Gramps. You can count on me!" Geki replied.
"I'll do my best too!" Barriss added.
*Later That Same Day…*
Watching as Barriss walked away from Pallet Town and on to Route 1 were two individuals. One of whom was a Sith Pureblood wearing a black and red version of Lord Kallig's clothing, minus the mask, and had six Poke Balls clipped to his belt.
The other was a hooded figure who looked human, though you can only tell because their mouth and chin are still visible under the hood. And like the Sith, he also had six Poke Balls clipped to his belt. However, the hooded cloak this individual was wearing was open just enough to reveal a black T-shirt depicting a popular Kaiju known as Godzilla rampaging through Tokyo as he fought against Battra.
"So, DJ... You think she has what it takes to become champion of the Indigo League?" the Sith asked.
DJ looks to his friend and answers, "She has potential, that much is clear. It is deep and strong, but it can only be achieved if she truly works with her Pokémon. To conquer any fear inside of her, to gain the strength to stand on her two feet... but the humbleness as well to realize that there is more to being a Champion than merely winning battles.".
The Sith warrior looked to his friend and then back at the retreating back of Barriss. He could remember it all so perfectly. Back in the days when he too was a serious Pokémon trainer and had started out in Littleroot town in the Hoenn region. Of course, his starter Pokémon was Torchic which later evolved to Combusken and finally to Blaziken, the Blaze Pokémon. The two of them had been much like Barriss is now. Ambitious and confident enough to take every challenge they came across in stride.
Reaching to his belt, the Sith took out a single Poke Ball. One that looked slightly older than the others and was painted so that the top half was a darker red while the bottom half was black. And the black line in the middle was painted lavender so it would stand out. He wondered when things all changed. When did he decide to stop battling as a serious Pokémon trainer, no longer using the Pokémon team he raised and won the Hoenn League with. Blaziken, Mightyena, Manectric, Flygon, Ninjask, and Milotic.
The Sith sighed and shook his head. Dwelling on the past wouldn't solve anything for him. Instead, he turned to DJ and asked the million dollar question for this particular situation.
"Do we go after her and monitor her progress? I sense several Jedi making their way towards the planet."
DJ looked around, his senses also telling him that indeed several Jedi were making their way towards the Earth. While his senses were not honed sharp like his friend, at least he still was able to detect them. He answered, "We go after her and monitor her progress. I have faith in her capabilities and decision, but I would like to be there in case she comes to a crossroads that she needs help with.".
He respected and valued freedom of choice and all, but he knew that all beings needed assistance & guidance when the time called for it. And also that choice was a double-edged sword, if one had the knowledge to see the subtle but strong distinction.
DJ was also a former Pokémon Trainer, once loving the thrill of battle and learning along the way. But that was years ago, and now is content to just see the next generation take their turn at being Trainers. And offer council and guidance when it called for it.
The Sith nodded, understanding his friend's intentions and reasons. Plus, knowing the Jedi, they'll likely be bringing Clone Troopers along for the ride. And since Barriss doesn't have her Lightsaber anymore and most likely won't have her Pokémon fight using lethal force, she'll be defenseless if they decide to try and arrest her again.
With that plan in mind, the two began to walk after Barriss from a safe distance while masking their Force energy signatures so they wouldn't give themselves away. Besides, the Sith has been wanting to travel through Kanto for some time now in order to catch some new Pokémon, if only to help Professor Birch with his own research.
*To Be Continued…*
Alright, that's the end of this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it and hope to see some good reviews for it. Now, before I go, I want to thank DJ Rodriguez for roleplaying the last part of this chapter with me. Thank you, DJ! Also, I have a new poll up that I'd like you all to vote on.
Poll Question: In my story, An Arc Jinchuriki, should I have Jaune's Biju actually evolve from the Yamata no Orochi (the Eight-Headed, Eight-Tailed Snake) to the Eight-Tailed Spinosaurus?
Poll Options:
Yes, but draw us a picture
No, keep it the way it is
Also, here are some questions I'd like you to answer if you don't mind.
Do you want Barriss to travel with any Jedi that might become Pokémon trainers?
What starter Pokémon do you want these Jedi to start with? (Ahsoka, Anakin, Mace Windu, and Luminara are the winners here. Please try to stick with starter Pokémon from Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow versions.)
And finally, do you want me to include Mega Evolution?