Pokémon – Thunder Yellow
Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader
Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri
Chapter 3: Taking the First Steps
For a Pokémon Trainer, the first day they set out on their journeys is always filled with life changing experiences. Although some of them believe that they already have all the skills they'll need in order to become successful Trainers, they actually hardly know anything at all. They stumble, make mistakes, and some of them even question if they truly have what it takes. As a result, it is during this first day that many rookie Trainers are truly tested to see if they have what it takes to continue on this path. This is the case for many, but it's especially true for young Takashi Nakamura.
It's been a few hours since Takashi, and his newly captured Pikachu, left Pallet Town to begin his Pokémon Journey and the young man was still coming to grips with the fact that he's now a Trainer. Although he was excited, as he was now able to try to reach his goal of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master, a part of him was also very nervous as well. After all, the only experience he has with interacting with other Pokémon is the few days he's been tending to his Pikachu as it was recovering from its injuries. Other than that, he didn't know anything else and that was weighing heavily on his mind as he continued walking.
Still, despite how nervous he was feeling on the inside, Takashi also carried within him a strong sense of determination. His desire to become a Pokémon Master has been burning inside him ever since he was a little boy. Now that the time has come in which he can strive to achieve it, he wasn't about to back down because of some doubts. Not only that, but he also had people supporting him like his mother, Professor Oak, and even Pikachu. With all of them backing him, Takashi felt that he had to continue moving forward, so as it too not let down their expectations of him.
"Alright…." He said, stopping for a moment to take in the fresh in. "Let's get to it. I better start off by checking to see where the closest town is."
Reaching down into his pocket, Takashi pulled out a small blue device that resembled a combination of a phone and a computer. This device is called a PokéGear and its one of the first things that his mother, Haruka, bought for Takashi prior to him starting out on his Journey. It comes with several useful functions such as a clock, a phone, and a map. With it, Takashi is able to see where he currently is and figure out where he needs to go next. So, after starting it up and setting up the PokéGear's map app, the young Trainer took the time to determine his next destination.
"Let's see…Apparently the closest place is Viridian City and it's about a day's walk from where I am now. I guess I'll head there first…but before I do."
Taking a moment to look out and examine the landscape in front of him, Takashi watched as a few forest Pokémon were busy interacting with one another. When they noticed him staring at them, the Pokémon became frightened and ran into a deeper section of the forest. Seeing them do that made Takashi realize that there was one thing that he needed to do before he could truly say he was a Pokémon Trainer; capture his first wild Pokémon.
As he examined all across the area for one, Takashi thought about which Pokémon he should try and capture. He always wanted to capture a Flying-Type Pokémon, but obtaining Grass-Type Pokémon was pretty appealing to him too. Then again, Takashi always wanted to capture a Fire-Type Pokémon as well. In the end, the young man couldn't decide on which Pokémon he wanted as he would be fine with any type. For Takashi, catching a new Pokémon simply means gaining a new friend and that, more than anything, is what he really wanted.
Eventually, as they continued to walk around, Pikachu suddenly stopped as it picked up something thanks to its sensitive hearing. Takashi stopped as well when he saw this and wondered what Pikachu happened to hear. He wouldn't have to wait long however as Pikachu pointed out to Takashi that there was something moving around in a patch of grass that was in front of them.
Upon getting a closer look, Takashi saw that the thing moving around in the grass was indeed a wild Pokémon. It had the appearance of a small purple mouse with red eyes and large buck teeth. When he saw it, Takashi recognized the creature as a Rattata, one of the Pokémon that he would usually see around Pallet Town. Realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to capture his very first Pokémon and truly consider himself a Pokémon Trainer, Takashi prepared himself and quickly grabbed one of his empty PokéBalls.
As Pikachu looked on at him, Takashi pressed the button in the middle of the PokéBall so that it would grow until it fully fit into the palm of his hand. He then took aim at Rattata as he continued to examine the area for any food. Once he was sure that he got a lock on the Mouse Pokémon, Takashi threw his PokéBall at it.
"Go PokéBall!"
At the very instant that Takashi shouted those two words, Rattata immediately perked up and saw both him and Pikachu. However, it was too late to react as the PokéBall proceeded to hit it right on top of its head. This caused the ball to open up and convert Rattata into a form of light energy. It then got sucked into the ball before it closed back up and landed on the ground. Once that happened, the PokéBall started wiggling across the ground as the button in the middle started flickering on and off.
At first, Takashi believed that he successfully captured Rattata and started celebrating about his accomplishment. However, as he continued to do so, Pikachu noticed that the PokéBall was wiggling around rather violently. By the time the electric mouse managed to alert its Trainer to this, it was already too late. The PokéBall burst open, releasing the light energy that quickly transformed back into the Rattata. It then quickly ran away from the area before Takashi could attempt to capture it again.
"What…just happened?" The young man asked himself. "I was sure that I caught it…but it broke free. How it do that?"
As Takashi attempted to figure out the answer to that question, Pikachu proceeded to pick up the PokéBall that its Trainer used and hand it back to him. Takashi then went on to thank his partner by gently rubbing the top of its head before going back to thinking about his problem. While he did so, Takashi felt something in his pocket and proceeded to pull it out. When he did, he saw that it was the device that Professor Oak gave to him before he left on his journey; a PokéDex.
According to what the Professor told him, a PokéDex contains useful information that will help him along his travels. Realizing that this is one of those times, Takashi decided to activate his PokéDex and go on to examine all of its features. After about a minute, he found something that involved the problem that he was facing and proceeded to listen in as PokéDex started explaining the issue.
"When capturing a wild Pokémon, it's usually best to weaken it by having one of your own Pokémon battle against it," The PokéDex explained. "Doing this makes it harder for the wild Pokémon to escape a PokéBall and thus making it easier for it to catch."
Once he heard this, Takashi quickly realized his mistake and what he did wrong. Instead of having Pikachu battle against Rattata, he just threw a PokéBall at it and hoped that it would be captured. Since it was still at full strength, Rattata was able to easily escape from the PokéBall and flee the area before Takashi had the chance to try and capture it again. This caused Takashi to gently bang his PokéBall across his head a few times, berating himself for his mistake.
"So stupid…I can't believe I didn't realize that."
Takashi continued hitting himself with the PokéBall for about another minute before the pain caused him to stop. Once he did so, the young man let out a small sigh before turning his attention towards Pikachu.
"Oh well…At least now I know what to do next time. Which also means that I'll need your help, Pikachu."
Pikachu nodded its head in agreement and proceeded to bump fists with Takashi. It then jumped onto his shoulder as he prepared to continue looking around for another Pokémon to try and capture. As he did so, Takashi took the opportunity to also examine his PokéDex some more in order to learn any more tips about capturing wild Pokémon. Eventually, after walking around for another 20 minutes or so, both Takashi and Pikachu not only managed to spot another Pokémon, but a group of them.
The group of Pokémon were all Flying-Types that had dark brown feathers on their heads and light brown tail feathers on their back. As he attempted to get a better look at them, Takashi wasn't able to recognize who they were though. Fortunately for him however, the young man remembered about his PokéDex and proceeded to use it in order to figure out who these Pokémon were. Once the device was able to scan them, it then started talking to Takashi again.
"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Spearow eats bugs in grassy areas. It has to flap its short wings at high speed in order to stay airborne."
After his PokéDex finished explaining who they were and he put it back into his pocket, Takashi went back to examining the flock of Spearow. As they went about trying to find some food to eat, Takashi figured that now was the best opportunity for him to try and capture one of them while they were off guard. With that in mind, he turned his attention towards Pikachu for second and watched as the electric mouse nodded its head back at him, understanding what it needed to do. Takashi then watched as Pikachu quickly ran towards one of the Spearow.
Once it got close enough to one of them, Pikachu started letting out a few sparks of electricity from the patches on its cheeks. The sound of these sparks managed to catch the attention of the Spearow while it was attempting to devour an earthworm that was in it mouth. It then tried to quickly swallow the worm so that it could alert the rest of its flock of Pikachu's arrival, but Takashi was determined to prevent that.
"Here we go Pikachu!" He said with a determined look on his face. "Use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu let out a loud cry as it dashed towards Spearow at an incredible speed. It then slammed its body into the Flying-Type Pokémon, causing it to slide across the ground. When he saw this, Takashi nearly started jumping for joy as he was excited that Pikachu managed to connect with its attack. However, he quickly calmed himself down as he knew that the battle wasn't over yet. So, as he watched Spearow begin to pick itself up from off the ground, he responded by having Pikachu launch its next attack.
"Good work Pikachu! Now use Thunder Shock!"
Quickly complying to the request, Pikachu's cheeks started letting out several more sparks of electricity before finally releasing a powerful blast at Spearow. The Tiny Bird Pokémon tried its best to get out of the way of the attack in time, but was simply unable to do so and ended up getting zapped as a result. Once Pikachu's attack came to an end, Spearow ended falling to the ground, paralyzed for the electricity.
Once he saw Spearow lying on the ground, Takashi saw that now was his best opportunity to try and capture it. So, without wasting any time, he quickly grabbed the empty PokéBall that he used before and proceeded to enlarge it again. He then took aim and threw it at Spearow, hoping that this time he will be able to capture his very first Pokémon. However, as both he and Pikachu watched as the ball flew through the air, a gust of wind suddenly picked up and blew the PokéBall back.
"What the heck?!" Takashi said, confused by what just occurred. "Where did that wind come from?"
As he looked around the area, Takashi saw that the wind came from a few of the other Spearow, who all flapped their wings at the same time in order to blow the PokéBall away. All of them were extremely angry with the young Trainer for trying to capture one of their own and they were determined to make him pay for it. As a result, the Spearow all charged towards Takashi and started pecking at him relentlessly.
"Ow...Ow…that hurts, damn it!" Takashi screamed as he tried to fight off the flock of Pokémon. "Knock it off!"
Despite hearing his pleas, the Spearow kept on attack Takashi, refusing to let up for even a moment. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon quickly jumped it and tried to get rid of them with a couple of Thunder Shock attacks. Unfortunately, although it managed to get some of them, there were simply too many Spearow and Pikachu soon found itself under attack by the flock as well. Now both Trainer and Pokémon were completely overwhelmed and there was nothing they could do about it.
Eventually, as the Spearow flock continued on with their assault, something unexpected occurred that suddenly startled them. Somehow, a stream of red-hot flames appeared from out of nowhere and hit a few of the Pokémon. As they fell to the ground, all the other Spearow stopped what they were doing and turned towards of the direction of the flames. They then watched as another stream of fire headed towards them, prompting the Flying-Types to fly away before they were hit.
After the flock flew away, Takashi and Pikachu slowly picked themselves up and checked to see that they were both okay. Once they were to confirm that was indeed to case, the two of them then looked back and watched as another individual started walking towards him. He was a young man who seemed around Takashi's age and by his side was a Charmander, a Fire-Type Pokémon. Upon getting a good look at the individual, Takashi started to feel that he recognized him from somewhere.
"Hey…I know you."
As if a light bulb suddenly went off inside of his head, Takashi suddenly remembered who this young Trainer was. Although he didn't know him by his name, Takashi did know that he was the same young man that he met when he was originally going to get his Starter Pokémon from Professor Oak. Not only that, but Takashi also remembered that this young Trainer was the one who took the Charmander that he originally wanted to choose as his own Starter. Just seeing the two of them together caused Takashi to wonder what things would be like for him if hadn't met his Pikachu when he did, causing him to have mixed feelings on the matter.
While Takashi continued to stare at the individual who just saved him, the young Trainer looked down at one of the fallen Spearow that his Charmander managed to defeat with its Fire-Type Attack. After pondering about it for a few seconds, he proceeded to pull out an empty PokéBall and throw it at the Pokémon. Right away, the Spearow was sucked into the ball and both the young Trainer and Takashi watched as it started wiggling on the ground. Eventually, the ball stopped moving and the light in the middle of the PokéBall stopped flickering as well, signaling Spearow's capture.
Once that happened, the young man then went on to walk right past Takashi and pick up the PokéBall that contained his newly caught Pokémon. He then pulled out a black PokéDex from his pocket and used it to examine the ball. When he saw this, Takashi was a bit confused and wondered what he was doing. However, before he could question him about it, the young man proceeded to put his PokéDex away.
"I guess you're good enough…for now," He said in a low tone of voice. He then turned himself around. "We're done here. Let's get going, Charmander."
Charmander nodded its head in agreement as it prepared to walk away from the area with its Trainer. Before they could get to far however, Takashi quickly followed after the both of them.
"Wait a minute!" He called out. "Please wait up!"
Getting in front of the two of them, Takashi waved his arms in front of the Trainer so that it would get him to stop. Unfortunately for him, the young Trainer and his Charmander completely ignored him and continued on their way. Seeing them do that ticked off Takashi a little, but he didn't let that stop him from trying to get their attention.
"Um…Thank you for saving me and my Pikachu back there…" He said as he tried to keep up with the Trainer. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up when you did."
"…You would have been killed."
Stunned by the Trainer's cold response, Takashi stopped walking for a second and stared at him as he continued to walk away. Given the quiet and stern expression on his face, Takashi figured he'd be a serious individual, but he never expected something like this, especially since he just helped him out. Even so, Takashi didn't let that stop him and so he quickly caught up with the young Trainer again.
"So…um…Hey, my name is Takashi. We met before…on the day you came to get your Starter Pokémon from Professor Oak. It's good to see you again."
Again, the young Trainer didn't respond to Takashi and just kept on walking away with his Charmander. This continued to bother Takashi a bit more, but he put up with it and tried one last time to spark up a conversation.
"You know…" He continued. "I was originally going to choose a Charmander for my Starter too…but you managed to take the last one before I had a chance. But that okay…I don't blame you for that. Besides, I managed to find a trusty partner of my own to begin my Pokémon Journey with…Isn't that right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu happily gave its Trainer a proud salute before proceeding to jump on his shoulder. As the two of them played around with one another, the young Trainer that they were walking with suddenly stopped. He then turned himself and looked at Takashi and Pikachu with an annoyed expression on his face. Just seeing him like that caused Takashi to stop messing around and focus on the young man.
"Look…" He said sternly. "I'm very busy and I don't have time to mess around with someone who can't handle a few little Spearow."
"Hey?!" Takashi replied. "You can't really blame me for that. I mean…there were about 12 of them and they were all attacking at the same time."
"You're right…The blame should really fall to your pathetic little Pikachu. What kind of Electric-Type Pokémon ends up losing to a Flying-Type?"
Upon hearing the young Trainer bad mouth his Pikachu, something within Takashi just snapped. He then proceeded to grab the Trainer by his shirt collar and glared at him fiercely. However, the Trainer wasn't too impressed by this display and simply stared back at Takashi.
"Listen here…I don't really care if you badmouth me, I'll just shrug that off. But no one is going to talk bad about my Pikachu…you got that?!"
The young Trainer remained silent as he continued to watch Takashi glaring angrily at him, but he quickly grew tired of this as well. He then grabbed one of Takashi's wrists before proceeding to flip him hard onto the ground. After he did that, the Trainer then went on to brush the wrinkles off of his shirt while Takashi's Pikachu quickly rushed over to his side. Once he finished, the Trainer then got ready to leave with his Charmander again.
"I don't have time to listen you're complaints. Let's go Charmander."
As the Trainer and his Charmander started walking away again, Takashi slowly picked himself back up and glared at the both of them. He wasn't about to let the two of them get away with this, especially after everything that both he and Pikachu went through during the last couple of days. Because of that, he quickly picked himself up before firmly stomping his right foot on the ground in anger.
"Not so fast!" He shouted. "If you think I'm going to let you get away with this…then you have another thing coming! I…I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle!"
The young Trainer stopped for a moment and turned his attention back towards Takashi. When he looked at him, he could tell that he was serious about challenging him to a battle. He could also tell that his Pikachu was just as determined to fight as well. At first, the Trainer wasn't about to go out his way to accept Takashi's challenge, considering it to be a waste of both his and his Charmander's valuable time. However, just when it looked like he was about to leave, he caught notice of something else. He saw that Takashi's hand was shaking.
Even though he was the one who made the challenge, Takashi was still pretty nervous as this would be his first official Pokémon Battle. Not only that, but he could tell that both the Trainer and his Charmander were incredibly strong, even without having to see them battle. This made him feel even more nervous, causing his hand to shake without him even realizing it. When the young Trainer saw this, a small smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Alright then…I accept your challenge," He said. "I'll show you just how foolish it is to challenge me…Sasuke Himura!"
With the battle between the two of them now made official, Sasuke Himura proceeded to bring Takashi over to an open space so that their Pokémon will have plenty of room to fight. Once they arrived at said space, both Trainers proceeded to walk towards opposite ends of it. After they did so, Takashi and Sasuke then stared each other down for about a minute before the former turned his attention towards his Pikachu.
As he looked down at his partner, Takashi knelt down towards Pikachu and began gently petting the stop of its head. The electric mouse smiled at its Trainer's gesture, but could tell that something was off. Pikachu felt how nervous Takashi was about his first battle and even though this wasn't its first battle, Pikachu felt just as nervous. Even so, both of them knew that they couldn't afford to back down and so they quickly swallowed their fear and prepared themselves for what was to come.
While that was going on, Sasuke looked on at Takashi and Pikachu and once again smirked at how nervous they were. He then looked down at his Charmander and saw how eager it was to take the two of them down. Not wanting to waste any time, Sasuke ordered to his Charmander to race onto the battlefield and the Fire-Type Pokémon immediately did what it was told. When Takashi saw this, and saw the eager look on Charmander's face, he had Pikachu run out onto the battlefield as well. The two Pokémon then went on to stare each other down, trying their best to intimidate the other.
"So this is it…" Takashi thought quietly to himself. "I'm about to have my very first Pokémon Battle. I always thought it would be more exciting…but all I'm feeling now is a sense of fear. It's kind of pathetic now that I think about it…"
Eventually, as he continued to ponder about how he was feeling about this, Takashi quickly realized that he needed to put those feelings away for the moment. Right now, the only thing that mattered was defeating Sasuke and making him eat his words. To that end, Takashi decided to give this battle everything he got and to start off hard and fast.
"Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"
Pikachu nodded its head once it heard Takashi's command and began gathering a large amount of electricity from within its body. Once it had gathered enough, Pikachu then went on to release the electricity from the sacs of its cheeks and direct it right towards Charmander. However, despite seeing this attack coming right towards his Charmander, Sasuke doesn't even seem to react to it. All he does do is let out a small, yet cocky smirk as he gave Charmander his first order of the battle.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower!"
When Charmander heard its Trainer's command, it proceeded to take a deep breath before expelling a large stream of fire from its mouth. These flames were so powerful that it easily overwhelmed Pikachu's electricity and began making their way towards the Mouse Pokémon as well. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon quickly jumped out of the way, but the heat from the flames still slightly burned it.
As for Takashi, the young man was completely shocked by what he just saw. Even before he decided to battle it, he knew that Sasuke's Charmander was an extremely powerful Pokémon. However, after seeing its Flamethrower easily overwhelm Pikachu's Thunder Shock, the young man realized that Charmander's strength far exceeded his expectations. He also realized that he couldn't win by simply relying on Pikachu's electrical attacks. He had to go about this battle in another way.
"Alright then…" He said to himself. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Charmander!"
Again nodding its head in compliance, Pikachu rushed towards Charmander at an incredible speed. When it got close enough to the Fire-Type Pokémon, Pikachu then shifted directions and started running the other way. It then kept on doing this for quite a while, making it difficult for Charmander to get a lock on Pikachu's location.
While watching this take place, Sasuke quickly realized what Takashi was trying to have his Pikachu do. Even if Charmander's attacks are more powerful, those attacks are meaningless if they don't connect. As a result, Takashi decided to take advantage of Pikachu's greater speed and attack at the right moment. Though that tactic seemed pretty smart on paper, Sasuke scoffed at it and prepared to launch his next move.
"Stop it now, Charmander!" He declared.
Once Charmander heard Sasuke say that, the Lizard Pokémon focused itself and paid close attention to Pikachu's movements. It watched how Pikachu would jump away just before it made contact with it, hoping to confuse it with its speedy movements. However, even though Charmander couldn't keep up with Pikachu when it came to speed, the Fire-Type was able to see that its opponent was moving around in a pattern. Because of that, Charmander didn't have to expend any energy trying to follow Pikachu with its eyes as it already knew what it was going to do next.
Soon, after a few more seconds of running, Pikachu finally began making its way towards its opponent. However, just as it seemed that it successfully rammed itself into Charmander's chest, both Pikachu and Takashi were surprised to see that the Fire-Type actually grabbed it just in time. Now, with Pikachu now firmly within its grasp, a small smile appeared on Charmander's face as Sasuke quickly announced his next attack.
"Charmander, use Slash!"
Taking one its claws, Charmander started building up energy within them and Takashi watched as they started glowing a bright white color. He then watched as the claws not only grew longer, but sharper and more powerful as well. Once it finished building up enough power, Charmander unleashed a devastating fury upon Pikachu and the only thing Takashi could do was watch as his friend was being pounded.
"No Pikachu…!" He screamed. "You have to get away!"
Pikachu heard Takashi's words and tried to do everything within its power to separate itself from Charmander's vicious attacks. Unfortunately, there was nothing the little mouse could do. The power of Charmander's repeated attacks were so great that it didn't have enough time to recover. As a result, all Takashi could do was watch as Pikachu continued to be assaulted over and over again.
Eventually, after Charmander unleashed one more attack that brought Pikachu crashing down towards the ground, Sasuke looked over towards Takashi and saw how crushed he is about seeing his Pokémon being beaten down like this. Having proven his point, the young Trainer decided to finally end things and thus gave Charmander one final command.
"Alright Charmander…" He started off. "End this with Flamethrower."
Charmander took a moment to look at its Trainer and saw that he was determined to end this battle right now. This prompted the Fire-Type to nod its head at him before slowly walking over towards Pikachu. Once it reached the electric mouse, and watched as it struggled to get back to its feet, Charmander took another deep breath. Then, just as Pikachu finally did get up, Charmander expelled a large blast of fire from its mouth and struck its opponent with it.
"PIKACHU!"
As he looked on in horror, Takashi watched as Pikachu was consumed by Charmander's flames and was sent flying by the force of its attack. Once Pikachu hit the ground, the young man rushed over towards his fallen Pokémon and saw that it was completely knocked out. This prompted him to tearfully cradle Pikachu within his arms, praying that his little friend would be okay.
Meanwhile, as that was going on, Charmander began making his way towards Sasuke. However, instead of acknowledging his Pokémon for winning him the battle, Sasuke simply said nothing. For him, this battle was nothing of any real significance and thus wasn't anything to get excited about. Knowing this as well, Charmander didn't say as well and simply stood there as Sasuke took its PokéBall and proceeded to return the Fire-Type back inside of it.
Once he did that, Sasuke prepared himself to leave and continue on with his training. However, before he got too far away, the young man turned his head back and watched as Takashi was still on the ground, holding Pikachu in his arms. By the time Takashi finally looked up at him, the two Pokémon Trainers stared at one another for a moment, each with a different expression on their face. Shortly after that, Sasuke turned back around and started walking away.
"Give up…" He said.
"Huh…?" Takashi's eyes widen slightly, confused by Sasuke's words. "Give…up?"
"You clearly don't have what it takes to be a Trainer. Give up…and save yourself the embarrassment."
With that said, Sasuke walked away and left Takashi to ponder about not only his crushing defeat, but he said to him as well. As sat there, trying to absorb everything that just happened, Takashi noticed that Pikachu was beginning to stir a little. Although the Mouse Pokémon hadn't regained unconsciousness, it was clear that it was in a lot of pain due to the damage it took. Because of that, Takashi decided to take Pikachu somewhere safe so that it could rest and recover.
After looking around for a bit, Takashi found a nearby tree and proceeded to sit right next to it before beginning to treat Pikachu's injuries. Thanks to his mother, Haruka, Takashi was taught several things that he would need to know once he left home to become a Trainer. Some of those things included cooking, cleaning, and of course tending to his Pokémon's injuries. Although a part of him knew that he would have to use what he learned one day, Takashi wished that it was during more pleasant circumstances.
Ever since he was a little boy, Takashi always believed that he had what it takes to be a good Pokémon Trainer. He believed that he would overcome any challenge that came before him and would eventually achieve his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. Takashi truly believed that and he also believed that with Pikachu by his side, there was nothing that the two of them couldn't do together. Unfortunately, after what happened today, that simply wasn't the case.
Not only did Takashi and Pikachu fail to capture a wild Pokémon on two separate occasions, the both of them were also thoroughly defeated in their first official battle together. This caused Takashi's mind to be filled with doubt. He started to wonder if Sasuke was right, if he should cut his losses and give being a Pokémon Trainer. Takashi really didn't want to give up, but after remembering how utterly beaten he and Pikachu were, he wondered if he really had any choice in the matter.
Eventually, as he continued treating Pikachu's wounds, Takashi looked inside his backpack for some more medicine. However, instead of pulling out a Potion, the young man found himself pulling out a small piece of cloth with a metal plate placed in the middle. On the plate was a symbol of a star. Although confused by it at first, Takashi soon remembered what this item was and who it belonged too.
"This…is dad's headband…"
Back when his father, Tatsumi, was still alive and he was just a little boy, Takashi remembered that his dad would always carry this headband on him all the time. He would also wear it whenever he entered a Pokémon Battle, believing that the headband would give him some extra strength. While those around him believed that it made look silly, like some character from an anime series, Takashi thought it made his dad look cool.
Just thinking about all this put a smile on Takashi's face and as he continued to look at it, he soon remembered how it got inside his backpack. Before Tatsumi died he entrusted the headband to his son and, while he was packing his things for his Journey, Takashi must've put it in his backpack by mistake. Looking at made him think about his father, but it also made him think about something Tatsumi said to him during another time he felt depressed.
Listen son and never forget this. Believe in yourself. Even if you get knocked down, beaten, or made fun of, don't ever give up on yourself…or what you're trying to achieve. If you say you're going to become a Pokémon Master…then commit yourself completely to that goal and don't let anyone say anything different. Believe in yourself, Takashi. But not in the Takashi I have faith in…and not in the me that you believe in either. Believe in the Takashi Nakamura who believes in himself…and in the strength of his Pokémon.
After he finished thinking about his father's words, Takashi realized that he was right. If he gave up now then everything that he's been striving for all his life would've been for nothing. No matter how bad he feels about what happened today, Takashi couldn't bring himself to do that. Takashi vowed that he would become a Pokémon Master and even if it took him the rest of his life he is going to achieve that goal. Because of that, as he firmly clinched his father's headband in his hand, Takashi let out a small smirk as he stared up high into the sky.
"Thanks…Dad."
As the smile on his face steadily grew bigger, Takashi heard a slight moan coming from right next to him and saw that it was Pikachu. The young man then immediately turned his little friend, pleased by the fact that it was beginning to regain consciousness. However, as it began to wake up, Pikachu steadily remembered its defeat at the hands of Sasuke's Charmander. This left it feeling quite depressed, believing that it let Takashi down.
Fortunately for Pikachu, its Trainer didn't see it that way and proceeded to gently rub the top of its head. It then looked up at him and saw that Takashi was smiling. In reality, Takashi wasn't upset with Pikachu for losing at all. Instead, the young Trainer was actually proud of his partner.
"It's okay Pikachu…" He said. "You did the best you could…and that's all anyone could ask of you."
While continuing to pet Pikachu's head, Takashi thought about the battle against Sasuke and Charmander. Despite the fact that it wasn't that long ago since he first saw him, Sasuke has grown incredibly strong. The way he commanded his Pokémon was extremely impressive and the strength of his Charmander was just as impressive. Although he didn't want to admit it, Takashi knew that both he and Pikachu were outclassed in that battle and that Sasuke and Charmander were the stronger team. Still, despite coming to that realization, Takashi refused to let it stay that way.
"Listen Pikachu…" He continued, looking the Pokémon right in the eye. "We're weak. There's simply no getting around that. We're weak and that's the reason why we lost. Still…this isn't the end. We're going to get stronger, Pikachu. Even if it's just a little bit at a time…we'll get stronger. Then, when we met that Sasuke guy again, we'll be the ones who win. It's not going to be easy and I can't do it alone…so will you help me Pikachu?"
Taking his hand, Takashi extended it out towards Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon then looked at it for a moment before looking up at Takashi. Despite the fact that they lost and the two of them were still very weak, Takashi believed that, with enough time, they could become much stronger. Just hearing him say that brought a smile on Pikachu's face, slowly restoring its confidence. Because of that, the Electric-Type gently nodded its head towards Takashi before places its paw upon his hand.
Once Pikachu did that both it and Takashi shook hands, signifying the promise they just made to get stronger together. After that, Takashi then allowed his little partner to hop upon his shoulder before grabbing his things and continuing on his way to Viridian City. As he walked, Takashi decided to put his desire to capture a wild Pokémon on hold for a moment. Until the time came he believed that both he and Pikachu have grown a bit stronger, Takashi will focus on building their strength and not capture any Pokémon.
Soon though, as Takashi continued thinking to himself, Pikachu looked towards the horizon and saw something blocking their path. When it alerted Takashi of this, the young man looked on and saw that it was a wild Spearow. However, it wasn't just any Spearow but the same one that Pikachu battle when they first encountered it and its flock. From the expression that was on its face, Spearow was upset about how Pikachu attacked it and was determined to finally settle things with the Mouse Pokémon.
Upon seeing this, Takashi and Pikachu faced one another before nodding their heads in unison. The two of them knew that this was the chance they needed to redeem themselves after their defeat earlier. Not only that, but there was always the chance that Spearow might call for the rest of its flock if the two of them decide not to battle. Unwilling to let that happen, Takashi let Pikachu off of his shoulder before proceeded to grab his father's headband. He then went on to take off his hat before going on to tie the headband around his head.
"Okay Pikachu…Let's do this!"
Letting out a loud cry, Pikachu's cheeks started giving off a few sparks of electricity just as the Mouse Pokémon started running towards its opponent. In response, Spearow quickly took the skies and began making its way towards Pikachu as well. As the two Pokémon were about to collide, Takashi proceeded to make his first move of the match.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Responding immediately, Pikachu greatly increased its speed and rapidly closed the distance between itself and Spearow. Although surprised by how fast Pikachu was running, Spearow reacted just in time and managed to avoid the attack by flying up into the air. When he saw that, Takashi immediately realized that he was in trouble due to the fact that Spearow could fly while Pikachu could not. Even so, he wasn't about to let that stop him.
"Don't stop Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"
Nodding its head, Pikachu stopped running and began firing off several small blasts of electricity towards Spearow. Unfortunately, due to its superior mobility, Spearow managed to easily avoid all of Pikachu's attacks. The Flying-Type Pokémon then dove straight towards its opponent and managed to strike Pikachu with a barrage of Peck attacks. Although the attacks weren't all that powerful, the repeated strikes were quickly and gradually beginning to take their toll. Because of that, Takashi knew that he needed to do something quick before it was too late.
As he tried to come up with an idea, Takashi started to recall his battle against Sasuke and his Charmander. During that battle, Charmander managed to block Pikachu's attack by catching it at the last second. Taking inspiration from that, the young Pokémon Trainer decided to use a similar tactic.
"Pikachu!" He called out. "Stay where you are!"
Managing to separate itself from Spearow from a moment, Pikachu turned its head towards Takashi, wondering what he could be thinking. However, after seeing the determined look on his face, the Mouse Pokémon decided to put its trust in its Trainer. With that, Pikachu stood its ground and braced itself as Spearow started flying towards it again. Once it got close enough, Spearow managed to strike Pikachu in the gut with another strong Peck attack.
"Alright Pikachu, stay strong and grab a hold of Spearow!"
Once again nodding its head, Pikachu gritted its teeth as it tried to withstand the power of Spearow's assault. It then used its tail to stop itself from being pushed by its opponent before grabbing a hold of it. As soon as Pikachu did so, Takashi was able to make his next move.
"Now, use Thunder Shock before it can get away!"
Again complying too Takashi's command, Pikachu used all of its strength to unleash a powerful burst of electricity. The power of the attack managed to deal a great deal of damage towards Spearow, prompting the Flying-Type to use all of its strength to break free of Pikachu's grip. However, despite managing to get away, it was clear that Spearow was in a lot of pain, evening the odds in the battle.
Now, with Pokémon clearly exhausted, Takashi knew that the next exchange of blows would be the end. As a result, he tried to come up with a strategy that would allow Pikachu to achieve victory. While trying to do so, an extremely upset Spearow decided to finish this by diving towards Pikachu at an incredible speed. It then started spinning its body around like a top, becoming a make-shift drill in the process. Knowing that Pikachu would lose if Spearow managed to connect with its attack, Takashi decided to take a gamble the plan he just managed to come up with.
"Pikachu, make your way towards a tree!"
Acting right away, Pikachu quickly looked around the area until he finally found a tree. It then used Quick Attack to swiftly make its way towards it. Once it finally arrived, Pikachu watched as the spinning Spearow was about strike it with its powerful beak. It was at that instant that Takashi made the call that would decide this battle.
"Now…Jump!"
After waiting for precisely the right moment, Pikachu quickly jumped and managed to avoid Spearow's attack. Not only that, but by doing so, Pikachu caused Spearow to ram itself right into the tree. This resulted in not only Spearow being dealt some serious damage, but the Tiny Bird Pokémon also found itself unable to move as its beak was stuck within the tree.
When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon turned its head towards Takashi, who simply nodded in response. The both of them knew that if they were going to win this battle then it has to be now. Because of that, Takashi tighten his headband even more before having Pikachu launch its final attack.
"Now Pikachu…use Quick Attack!"
Nodding its head at its Trainer, Pikachu turned back towards Spearow and watched as it continued to free itself from the tree. Once it finally managed to do so, Pikachu immediately sprinted towards its opponent at a blinding speed. By the time Spearow turned itself around, Pikachu had already closed the distance between them and there was no time for it to get away. As a result, Spearow found itself being slammed into the tree again, this time with enough force to actually put a small hole in it.
Once Takashi saw this he immediately made his way towards Pikachu and Spearow in order to get a better look at the both of them. When he finally reached them he saw that although it was a bit injured, Pikachu looked like it could still battle some more. However, the same couldn't be said for Spearow as Pikachu's final attack completely rendered it unable to continue. Because of that, a large smile quickly appeared on Takashi's face as it knew what this meant.
"We…did it…" He said to himself. "We Won!"
Letting out a loud and heartfelt scream, Takashi quickly made his way towards Pikachu and gave his partner a big hug. At first, Pikachu was a bit surprised by how sudden this hug was, but quickly accepted it and responded with a hug of its own. After that, Takashi went on to place Pikachu onto his shoulder before taking his headband off of his head. He then nodded at the head piece for a moment before placing it into his pocket and putting his hat back on his head.
Shortly after this, Takashi and Pikachu turned their attention back towards Spearow and saw that it was beginning to stir again. Although the thought of catching the Flying-Type crossed his mind, Takashi told himself that both he and Pikachu still needed to improve some more before bringing on the next member of their team. Because of that, Takashi decided to do something else instead and proceeded to pull a Potion from out of his backpack. He then sprayed it on Spearow, allowing the medicine to take its effect on the Pokémon.
Right away, Spearow was surprised by Takashi's action and was confused by he would go out of his way to heal it after the battle that it just had with Pikachu. Once Takashi finally finished tending to Spearow, he turned and sprayed his Pikachu with the Potion before putting it back into his backpack. He then turned to face Spearow again with a small smile on his face.
"Thanks for the great battle…" He said. "Let's battle again someday."
Upon hearing him say that, Spearow's eyes lit up. Takashi wasn't trying to trick it or anything when he tended to its wounds. He simply wanted to make sure that it was okay and that it didn't suffer any lasting damage. Not only that, but he also thanked it for the battle that it had with Pikachu. This surprised Spearow as most the humans that it would encounter would try and capture it and the others of its flock. Because of that, Spearow stared at Takashi and Pikachu for a moment before nodding at them and flying away.
While watching Spearow fly, Takashi could tell right away what the Pokémon was trying to say when it nodded its head at him. That nod was Spearow's way of saying that it was thankful for the good battle as well, so much so that it wouldn't call for the rest of its flock for help like it would normally do. This put another smile on the young Trainer's face as he felt, even if it's just a tiny bit, that he took his first step towards achieving his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. With that, he turned to face Pikachu again.
"Alright partner…Let's get going."
Pikachu smiled and nodded its head in agreement. It then happily sat on his shoulder as Takashi continued walking down the path towards their next destination.
Viridian City, a small urban area that's about a day's walk from Pallet Town, is place widely known as the City of Evergreen. This is due in large part to the massive forest that's just beyond the city, which became known as the Viridian Forest. For beginning Pokémon Trainers, this place is usually one of their first stops on their Journey and will usually spend their time here resting and preparing themselves for the greater challenges that lay before them.
This was the case for two Pokémon Trainers named Kyle and Amy, both of whom reside right here in Viridian City. The two of them have been Trainers for about a month and they spent that time preparing themselves as they got ready to finally leave home and venture out in to world with their Pokémon. During their last day in Viridian City, Kyle and Amy were busy relaxing in the park, enjoying the peaceful sights of their hometown as it will be a long time before they could enjoy it again.
"So…what are you going to do once you're on your Journey?" Kyle asked Amy as he ate an ice cream cone.
"I'm not sure…" Amy responded, eating her own ice cream cone. "But I'm thinking about challenging the Pewter Gym. What about you?"
Just as Kyle was about to answer his friend's question, the young man heard something strange and turned his attention towards where it was coming from. Amy, though confused at first, went on to do the same and watched as something came out from a grassy bush. What they saw was two small Pokémon, one that resembled a small purple rabbit with spines all over its body, large front teeth, long ears, and dark red eyes. The other Pokémon looked like a fusion of a pig and a monkey with light brown fur, red eyes, and prehensile tail with a curved tip. Upon looking at the both of them, Kyle stood up as he knew what they were.
"Cool…a Nidoran and a Mankey!"
Having seen these two Pokémon before while reading a book, Kyle became extremely excited over the fact that they were standing right in front of him. He then quickly realized that he had the opportunity to capture them and add them both to his team. As a result, the young man quickly pulled out a PokéBall that happened to contain one of his Pokémon. He then proceeded to press the button on the ball, causing it to expand until it could completely fit in the palm of his hand.
Before Kyle could throw the PokéBall however, Amy went on to grab his wrist and stop him. This prompted Kyle to look at her with a confused expression on his face, but the young woman simply turned her attention towards the two Pokémon. When Kyle did the same he saw that both Nidoran and Mankey weren't focused on him and Amy at all. They were instead focusing on the food that they had in their possession.
"Can't you see…?" Amy asked her friend. "These little guys are clearly starving. How can you even think about capturing them when they're like that?"
Amy let out a small sigh, obviously disappointed by Kyle's thoughtless actions. She then went on to put her ice cream down for a moment before going into her backpack and trying to search for some Pokémon Food. When he saw her do that, Kyle started to feel bad and went on to do the same thing. Unfortunately for the two Trainers however, both Mankey and Nidoran went on to snicker quietly to themselves once they saw both Kyle and Amy distracted.
Acting quickly, Mankey rushed over towards the two ice cream cones and grabbed them both in each of its hands. Once it had them, Nidoran then went on to grab any more food that it could find before running off with its partner. By the time Kyle and Amy finally found some Pokémon Food, the two of them saw that not only were the two Pokémon were gone, but so was their food. It was at that moment that they realized what just happened, prompting them both to immediately chase after the two Pokémon.
"Hey, get back here you thieves!" Amy demanded.
"Give us back our food!" Kyle followed.
Kyle and Amy tried their best to catch up to Nidoran and Mankey, but it obvious that they were simply too slow. The Pokémon were naturally more agile and are body to push themselves much harder than a human. Because of that, they were able to widen the gap between themselves and Kyle and Amy very easily before finally losing them entirely. Unfortunately for Nidoran and Mankey, there was one who could keep up with the two of them and this individual quickly, yet quietly, chased after them.
Eventually, Nidoran and Mankey stopped at a nearby alley and went on to eat the food that they managed to steal. They started off with the ice cream and although it was melting, it still tasted very good. However, before they could dig in and eat all the other food, something suddenly rained down from the sky and landed in between them. Upon a closer inspection, Mankey and Nidoran saw that it was a rather soapy substance. This prompted them to look up and they saw that a small, masked, Pokémon was staring down at them both.
As Mankey and Nidoran wondered who this Pokémon could be, the Masked Pokémon quickly got to work and jumped down to confront the two of them. It then rushed over towards Mankey at an incredible speed before knocking it down with a powerful slap of its hand. Seeing this prompted Nidoran to run over and charge towards the mysterious Pokémon with the large horn on its head. However, the Masked Pokémon simply jumped out of the way, causing it to crash into Mankey.
With both Pokémon down, the Masked Pokémon went on to take a deep breath as it waited for the two of them to stand. Once Mankey and Nidoran finally did manage to get back up, the Masked Pokémon exhaled and unleashed a large barrage of bubbles from its mouth. These bubbles were incredibly dense and upon making contact with the two thieving Pokémon, promptly knocked them down to the ground, rendering them both unconscious. Once the battle was over, the Masked Pokémon made sure that all of Kyle and Amy's belongings were present before jumping away like some kind of ninja.
By the time Kyle and Amy finally managed to arrive the two Trainers were shocked by what they were seeing. Both Mankey and Nidoran were knocked out and all of their stuff, with the exception of the ice cream, was still there. While the two of them were somewhat relieved by this, they were mostly left very confused by this sudden turn of events.
"What's…going on?" Kyle and Amy thought to themselves.
Meanwhile, as the two Pokémon Trainers slowly started to gather their things, they were unknowingly being watched the Masked Pokémon. It silently observed them from on top of a large roof and pleased that they managed to find their stuff. Once it determined that they had everything, the Masked Pokémon then went on to jump from roof to roof towards its next destination.
While all of this was going on however, there was someone else observing this particular incident. Standing in the shadows, this individual looked on as it watched the Masked Pokémon jump away from sight. Just seeing it caused him to let out a small, yet fiendish smile before proceeding to walk deeper into the darkness.
"Finally…I've found it."
Next Chapter Preview
After having a bit of a rough start, Takashi and Pikachu are slowly progressing through their Pokémon Journey and they soon arrive at their first stop; Viridian City. Once there, the two of them not only encounter the mysterious Masked Pokémon who resides in the city, but also another Pokémon that seems very familiar. Just who are these two Pokémon and what are the intentions of the mysterious individual who was watching the Masked Pokémon from the shadows?
Next Time, Chapter 4: The Boy and the Frog – Part 1
Announcements
Spirit Reader: Hey guys, this is Spirit Reader with a quick announcement. It's been a long time, but here's chapter 3 of Pokémon – Thunder Yellow. I know it's a long time coming and I want to thank all of you for waiting for as long as you have. Although I can't guarantee that there won't be another long hiatus like this, I'll try my best to make them less frequent. Until the next chapter comes out, please tell me your thoughts with a review. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time this is Spirit Reader signing out!