Pokémon – Thunder Yellow
Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader
Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri
Chapter 6: The First Catch
"Excuse me…But you want me to do what?
When he was just a little boy there were two things Takashi Nakamura wanted to do once he became a Pokémon Trainer. The first is to achieve his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master, a dream he intends to accomplish no matter what. The second is to capture and raise every single Pokémon that exists in the world. This second dream stems from the motto that most Trainers learn just before they start off on their Journeys; Gotta catch'em all.
The two goals are seemingly impossible to achieve, especially the later as there are currently over 800 known Pokémon in the world, with the number only increasing as the years go by. Despite that though, Takashi still desires to accomplish this goal and his main reason for doing so is that he can be friends with all 802 Pokémon. As of right now, Takashi only has 1 Pokémon and that's his Pikachu. Now, as he and his little friend look on, Takashi may have the chance to capture his second Pokémon.
Following the incidents in Viridian City, in which he help put away a criminal named Bruce, Takashi and Pikachu managed to befriend a little Water-Type Pokémon named Froakie. Having been abandoned by its previous Trainer, Froakie spent its days roaming all of Viridian City as a mysterious, yet noble, Masked Pokémon who would protect those in need of help. It was during one of those encounters that it met Takashi and, just like with Pikachu, their two lives have intertwined ever since.
After helping Froakie deal with Bruce, as well as his Pokémon allies, Takashi and Pikachu have managed to successfully earn its trust and become good friends with it as a result. This was noticed by Haru, Froakie's caretaker, who desperately wanted to find a kindhearted Trainer who could properly raise and be with the lonely Bubble Frog Pokémon. Haru, believing that she found that Trainer in Takashi, a made a particular request to the young Trainer, a request that surprised him immensely.
"That's right…" She said with a warm smile on her face. "I would like for you to take Froakie with you on your Pokémon Journey."
Upon hearing Haru's request again, Takashi's eyes slowly lit up in confusion. Although he planned on capturing every single Pokémon in the world, Takashi believed that he would simply start off by catching common ones, like Pidgey and Rattata. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would have the opportunity to capture a Pokémon like Froakie this early in his career. Still, even though a part of him was excited about this, Takashi was mostly confused as to why this was happening at all.
"…Why me?" He asked her. "I mean…I'm just a new Pokémon Trainer and I haven't even been one for a week. Certainly there's someone more qualified."
"Are you saying that you don't want to have Froakie as your Pokémon?" Haru replied.
"No…that's not it at all. It's just…"
Scratching the back of his head for a moment, Takashi looked down and stared at Froakie, who was busy staring back at him and Pikachu. As the 3 of them looked at one another, Takashi thought about what Haru told him about Froakie's past. The Bubble Frog Pokémon has been through a lot, from being ruthlessly abandoned by its previous Trainer to roaming all of Viridian City by itself. It seemed almost too much to take, but Froakie kept pushing forward, not allowing himself to look back. Given all that, Takashi wondered if he even had the right to capture a Pokémon with such resolve.
As she waited for him to respond, Haru looked on at Takashi and could tell right away what was on his mind. She knew that he was debating on whether or not he should capture Froakie, which is something that she actually wanted him to do. This wasn't a request that could be answered immediately, as it would determine the fate of 2 individuals. She wanted Takashi to truly think about it, if only because she knew how he truly felt.
Haru knows that Takashi is an extremely kind person, one who isn't able to stand by when someone is in trouble. She knew this because she knew Froakie, who had a similar personality. Because of that, the old woman truly believed that not only were the two of them destined to encounter one another, but befriend each other as well. As a result, Haru knew that if there was anyone who could possibly take care of Froakie and raise it to be the Pokémon that it's destined to be, it's Takashi Nakamura.
Eventually, after spending about 10 minutes thinking about it, Takashi finally came up with his answer. He then proceeded to pull out an empty PokéBall that was attached to his belt and pressed the button in the middle in order to make it bigger. Once he did that, the young man then went on to stare at Froakie again before turning his attention back towards Haru.
"I'm…not entirely sure if I'm the right person for this, but I would to have Froakie with me on my Journey," He explained. "I'm sure that with it and Pikachu by my side…we can accomplish anything we put our minds too. However, I'll only capture Froakie on one condition."
"And what would that be?" Haru questioned.
Taking a moment to stare at the PokéBall that he was holding, Takashi knelt down to one knee and stare directly at Froakie. He then placed the PokéBall on the ground, right between the two of them.
"…I'll only capture Froakie if it truly wants to come with me. In other words, I'll let it choose."
Upon hearing this, Haru was both shocked and amazed by Takashi's decision. Normally, Trainers choose what Pokémon they want to capture and the Pokémon themselves don't have much of a say in the matter. However, in this instance, Takashi was taking away his ability to choose Froakie and instead gave that choice to Froakie instead. If Froakie wants to be with him then it will allow itself to be captured and if not then it won't do anything. In either case, Takashi would accept Froakie's choice.
As Takashi waited for Froakie to respond, the Bubble Frog Pokémon stared silently at him as it thought about what it should do. From the bottom of its heart, Froakie did in fact want to go with Takashi. There was something about him that made him different from all the other Trainers that it has encountered. He was kinder and more thoughtful, always thinking about a Pokémon's needs before his own. It's because of that mindset that Takashi was able to save Froakie's life during the incident with Bruce. It's for that reason that Froakie felt like he owed a lot to this young man and believed that going with him would, at least in small part, pay back that debt.
However, while did it in fact feel that way, Froakie still had doubts about leaving. It still carried the scars of being abandoned by its previous Trainer and although it believed that Takashi wouldn't do that, those fears persisted. Not only that, but Froakie was also concerned about Haru. Although it doesn't show it very often, Froakie is very appreciative for everything that she's done for it ever since they first met. If it left, she would be all alone and that's something Froakie was unsure it could allow.
With all of these factors running through its head, Froakie was unsure on what it truly wanted to do. So, in order to clear its thoughts, the Water-Type Pokémon grabbed the Frubbles that were on its back and used them to make its trademark mask. It then jumped off and fled from the area, leaving Haru confused and Takashi looking on as he watched it jump away.
"But I was certain that Froakie would want to come with you…" Haru said, still confused by Froakie's decision. "I can't understand why it would leave."
"I'm sure it has its reasons," Takashi said, picking up the PokéBall he placed on the ground. "It probably believes that it has a duty to stay here and watch over the people of Viridian City. After everything it's done for others, I think I can understand why. Still…it would've been awesome to have a Pokémon like that by my side."
As Takashi spoke those words, the young man was silently gripping the PokéBall that he was holding in his hand. Although he told himself that he would accept Froakie's decision and he has every intention of doing so, it still hurt to be seemingly rejected. When Pikachu noticed this, the Mouse Pokémon felt bad and tried to cheer him up by gently rubbing against its face. Seeing his partner do that did in fact make Takashi feel a bit better, causing him to gently pet Pikachu's head.
Once he finished petting his little friend, Takashi once again stared at his PokéBall before shrinking it and placing it back on his belt. He then turned his attention towards Haru, who still seemed a bit mixed about Froakie's decision. The young man then went on to smile at her, silently telling Haru that it's alright. Upon seeing that smile, Haru started to feel better herself, causing her to smile as well. With that settled, Takashi decided that the time had finally come for him and Pikachu to resume their Pokémon Journey.
"Well…I think it's time we got going," He said. "I hope to see you again, Ms. Haru."
"…I agree," Haru replied. "I hope to see you too, Takashi. Good luck on the rest of your Journey."
Nodding his head, Takashi smiled at Haru one more time before getting ready to head out. However, just as he turned around, something interesting suddenly happened. From out of nowhere, a piece of paper flew through the air and struck him directly in the face. After being stunned by this for a moment, Takashi removed the paper from off of him and instinctively prepared himself to throw it away. However, just as he was about to do so, the young Trainer recognized something on the paper that instantly caused him to stop.
What Takashi saw on the paper was an advertisement for the Pokémon League, the competition he heard about while at the Pokémon Center a few days ago. Back then he was going to ask someone about it, but became preoccupied with everything involving Froakie and simply forgot about it. Now that he's seeing it again, those thoughts were now coming back and his interest in the Pokémon League returned as a result.
As Takashi continued to stare at the flyer, Haru walked over towards him in order to see what he was staring at. Once she reached him and said what was on the flyer, the old woman smiled again. She then noticed right away that Takashi was wondering about the Pokémon League and so she decided to tell him about it before he left to continue on with his Journey.
"The Pokémon League is an annual competition that determines who's the strongest Trainer in the entire Kanto Region," She started off.
Surprised by the fact that she was suddenly started talking about the League, Takashi jumped up for a second as he turned towards Haru. He was then about to say something, but Pikachu soon covered his mouth so that he wouldn't interrupt. The two of them then proceeded to listen as Haru continued on with her explanation.
"I've never competed in the League myself, but I do know \that in order to participate a Trainer must first obtain at least 8 Badges from a variety of Gyms sanctioned by the Pokémon League Committee. These Gyms are located all over Kanto and are run by powerful Trainers known as Gym Leaders, whose job is to test a Trainer and their Pokémon so that their strong and resourceful enough to compete in the League. If a Trainer defeats a Gym Leader then they earn that Gym's Badge."
While listening to Haru's explanation, Takashi gently placed his hand upon his chin as he thought about what he just learned. According to her, all Takashi needed to do in order to enter the Pokémon League is to simply travel around to where these Gyms are and defeat the Leaders who run them. Once he did that he would then earn their Badge and as soon as he had 8 of them he could enter the League. It all sounded pretty simple in the grand scheme of things.
"Alright then…" He said. "That doesn't sound too hard."
"That's what you think," Haru countered. "For starters, a Trainer only has from the moment the League ends until when it starts up again to collect the 8 Gym Badges needed to compete. That's only about a year and I heard that it's not easy to travel all across the Kanto Region in that time span. Secondly, I also heard that a Gym Battle only becomes more difficult as a Trainer collects more and more Badges. It's not as easy as you think it is…as thousands of Trainers from all over the world come to Kanto to compete and only a fraction of them are able too."
Once Haru finished her explanation she looked on at Takashi and watched as he slowly began to realize how daunting the task before him really is. She was right to say that it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it would be. In fact, as he continued to think about it, a part of Takashi became frighten at the thought of facing this challenge. However, while he did feel a bit afraid, Takashi also felt extremely excited at the same time.
As Haru watch a small smile appear on his face, Takashi believed that this was the opportunity that he's been searching for. In order to achieve his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, the young man knew that he would have to face a challenge such as this. Now that it's been placed before him, Takashi knew that he couldn't back out. No matter what obstacle that they had to face, both Takashi and Pikachu had every intention of overcoming them and the Pokémon League was no exception.
"Awesome…Now I want to compete in the Pokémon League even more! Could you please tell me where the nearest Gym is located, Ms. Haru?"
Upon seeing the determination that was on his face, Haru became a bit surprised by Takashi. Despite everything that she just told him, this young man was still determined to try and enter the Pokémon League. Not only that, but she could also tell that Takashi was looking even further beyond the tournament itself, considering it a stepping stone to reach his greater goals. Because of this, Haru couldn't help but be impressed by his resolve, even if it seemed like it boarder into the realm of overconfidence.
"Well…there was a Gym located right here in Viridian City," She stated. "But the Gym Leader left for some reason and the Gym's been closed ever since. Fortunately, there's another located in Pewter City. It's just beyond the Viridian Forest."
After hearing Haru say that, Takashi pulled out his PokéGear and used its map function in order to confirm what she said. He then saw that Haru was indeed correct and that Pewter City was indeed just beyond the Viridian Forest. If he left now he could possibly make it there in about 2 weeks. As a result, he quickly put his PokéGear away and prepared to rush off towards his and Pikachu's next destination. However, before he could get too far, Haru stopped him by grabbing onto the hood of his jacket.
"Hold it…Before you can challenge any Gyms you must first register to compete in the Pokémon League. You can do that at the Pokémon Center right here in Viridian."
"Right…then I'll head over there right now," Takashi said. "Thanks for the info, Ms. Haru."
With that said, Takashi quickly rushed off for the Pokémon Center with Pikachu following close behind. As she watched him leave, Haru took a moment to think about Froakie again before imagining it running alongside both Takashi and Pikachu. This prompted her to go and find the Bubble Frog Pokémon in order to try and convince it to leave with Takashi. Because of that, Haru temporarily closed down her bread stand and walked off into the direction that Froakie hopped off too.
A little while after it left to go clear its head, Froakie was busy sitting on top of a small building in the middle of Viridian City. The little Water-Type Pokémon would usually come to this spot often, either to spot people who were danger or to simply think about something quietly to itself. This was a case for the later, as Froakie was still debating on whether or not it should go with Takashi and Pikachu. It was a big decision and the Bubble Frog was still wondering on what it really wanted to do.
When it was first abandoned, Froakie was emotionally crushed, so much so that it felt that it couldn't really trust anybody afterwards. Even when it was found by Haru and taken in by her, that distrust still remained and for a long time, Froakie believed that feeling would never go away. However, while that feeling still persisted for most of the people it knew, Froakie couldn't say that it distrusted Takashi.
These last couple of days with him has allowed Froakie to see firsthand that Takashi Nakamura is indeed a trustworthy individual. He's willing to give his life to protect what's most important to him and that's something that Froakie not only respected, but admired as well. Because of that, Froakie simply couldn't understand why it was still having doubts about joining him. Eventually though, Froakie realized what was causing its hesitation. It wasn't Takashi who was causing it, but rather Froakie itself.
Froakie was afraid, but not of Takashi nor of his ability to take of it. Instead, Froakie was afraid that it wouldn't be a good enough Pokémon for him instead. Somewhere within the depths of its heart, a part of Froakie believed that the reason its previous Trainer abandoned it was because of its own weakness. The Water-Type did everything within its power to prove itself to its old Trainer, taking all kinds of abuse as a result, but simply couldn't measure up in his eyes. It's because of what happened that Froakie silently feared being weak, as it was that weakness that caused its tragedy to begin with.
As the Bubble Frog Pokémon continued to sort out its own feelings and insecurities, it soon noticed something back on the streets. Taking a closer look, Froakie saw that the thing it noticed was none other than Haru, who was busy looking for it. Just looking at her caused Froakie to once again remember all the good things that Haru has done for it. The old woman gave it a home when nobody else would and treated it with the upmost kindness and respect. Froakie owed a lot to Haru and again wondered if leaving her was truly the right thing to do.
While thinking about this, Froakie also took notice of something else going on. From a corner that Haru just walked past, Froakie saw both Nidoran and Koffing. The two of them haven't been seen since they fled from the battle against Bruce and Froakie wondered if they were up to no good again. Because of that, the Water-Type prepared itself to jump down and prevent them from messing with Haru. However, just as it was about to do so, Froakie stopped when it saw Haru turn around and look at the two Poison-Type Pokémon.
"Oh my…" She said to them. "Look at you two. I can tell you're starving. Here, I think have something you can snack on."
Looking into her purse, Haru smiled and proceeded to pull out two loafs of bread that she had on her. She then presented both loafs to Nidoran and Koffing, who seemed genuinely surprised by her kind gesture. At first, the two Pokémon seemed unsure on whether or not to accept this, but they ultimately relented when both of their stomachs started to growl loudly. Upon eating the bread, both Nidoran and Koffing smiled gleefully as it was the most delicious food they've ever tasted in their lives, causing Haru to smile in return.
Once she saw them finish eating, Haru walked over towards Nidoran and Koffing and went on to gently pet both of their heads. Having heard about the misadventures that the two of them cause, along with their partner Mankey, Haru wondered what would motivate them to go out their way to cause so much trouble. However, after looking at them just once, Haru realized the real reason behind their actions. The Pokémon were just like Froakie was in the beginning, very lonely.
Although she didn't know the exact reason behind their loneliness, Haru could tell that Nidoran and Koffing were simply desired a life of happiness and companionship. However, most the people in Viridian City didn't want anything to do with them, causing the sadness they felt to turn into anger and jealousy. Because of that, they lashed out at the citizens, wanting them to experience the same pain that they felt. Haru understood their pain as she believed, if she hadn't been there for it, Froakie might've done the same thing. It's for that one reason that Haru decided to do something about this.
"Say…Why don't the two of you stay with me."
Upon hearing Haru's kind offer, both Nidoran and Koffing looked at her with utter shock. However, the one who was most surprised by this was none other than Froakie, who's eyes lit up and jaw dropped. It then immediately jumped down from the building it was standing on and stepped in between Haru and the two Pokémon, surprising them all. Haru then looked as Froakie began expressing its disapproval of this choice of hers.
As Haru listened to her little friend, a small smiled slowly began to appear on her face. She then went on to gently pet the top of Froakie's head, causing the Water Pokémon to stop its rant. Having spent so many months dealing with Nidoran, Koffing, and Mankey, Haru knew that Froakie distrusted them and that allowing them to stay with her could be a big mistake. However, although she knew that this choice could possibly end up costing her in the long run, Haru decided to put her faith in Nidoran and Koffing, just like she did with Froakie all those months ago.
"Listen Froakie…" She said to it. "I understand why you're upset about this…but can't you understand where I'm coming from? I can tell that these two have been through a lot, just like you. For so long now, they had nowhere to go and could only rely on themselves to look out for one another. Sure they made some mistakes, but it wasn't entirely their fault. Everyone deserves a second chance in life Froakie…just like you received a second chance."
After listening to Haru's speech, Froakie calmed down a bit and thought about what she said. It then turned around and looked at Nidoran and Koffing, who nervously looked back at it. Right away, the Water-Type could tell that the two of them were not here to fight and that they were strongly considering Haru's offer. Not only that, but Froakie also noticed something different about Nidoran and Koffing. It saw that the two of them were considering changing their ways.
For what seemed like the longest time, Nidoran and Koffing lashed out at the world because of the poor treatment they received. However, doing that didn't change anything for them. It only caused people to hate them even more and even Pokémon like Froakie had to take care of them. One cannot stop injustice with more injustice and one cannot stop hatred with more hatred. It's a never ending cycle, one that can only end through kindness and compassion. Haru realized that and offered that same compassion to Froakie when it really needed it. Now she wanted to do the same thing for Nidoran and Koffing, who not only needed it but also longed for it.
With that in mind, Froakie turned back towards Haru for a moment before seemingly preparing to allow her to walk towards Nidoran and Koffing. However, at the last moment, Froakie noticed something else from the corner of its eyes. Surprised by what it saw, Froakie grabbed a piece of its Frubbles and threw it at the thing it saw, who easily jumped out of the way. When it came back towards the ground, Froakie frowned as the thing it saw was none other than its old enemy, Mankey.
Having spent the last couple of days in hiding following its most recent defeat, Mankey has spent that time reflecting on its life, just like Nidoran and Koffing had done. However, unlike the two of them, Mankey had no interest in wanting to change its ways or be friends with anyone. All Mankey desired was getting vengeance on those who wronged it and the first one it planned on targeting was none other than Froakie.
As Mankey prepared itself for battle and Froakie braced itself to combat it again, Haru quickly realized what was going on and decided to do something about it. Because of this, she stepped in between the two Pokémon before any fighting could begin between them.
"Stop it!" She declared. "There's no reason for you to fight. Can't you see that doing that will lead to nowhere?"
Froakie tried to get Haru to move out of the way, knowing that she could get hurt if she got to close to Mankey. However, the old woman didn't care about getting injured. All she wanted to do was to try and help Mankey and to rid it of the pain that was devouring its soul. Because of that, Haru pulled out one last piece of bread that she had on her and offered it out to Mankey as a sign of friendship. Unfortunately, Mankey returned Haru's kindness with a Low Sweep attack, knocking her painfully towards the ground.
Seeing her friend get hurt like that nearly sent Froakie over the edge and it would've attacked Mankey in a rage if something else didn't happen first. What happened is that both Nidoran and Koffing ran up to Mankey and tried to convince it to stop. In the beginning, it was Mankey who gave the two of them a sense of purpose after they found themselves all alone. Even though following it caused them to make many wrongs, both Nidoran and Koffing were grateful to Mankey and thus wanted to repay it by showing the Fighting-Type that they didn't have to fight anymore.
Sadly, despite its friends protest, Mankey wasn't going to stand by and be lectured. If Nidoran and Koffing were going to stand in its way, then they're no better than Froakie. Because of that, the Pig Monkey Pokémon started attacking its former friends, showing them no mercy. This finally caused Froakie to step in as it no longer stand by and allow Mankey to continue doing this. Upon seeing that, Mankey stopped its brutal assault and once again engaged in a battle against its hated enemy.
As the battle between them finally commence, Mankey attacked Froakie with all the speed and power that it could muster. After everything that it's been through and all the hatred that it held, Mankey needed to destroy Froakie, if only to validate that it wasn't wrong in taking this path of revenge. However, no matter how hard it tried or what attacks it used, Mankey wasn't able to land a significant blow on Froakie.
With its injuries completely healed and having learned from its previous battles against it, Froakie was now able to fight against Mankey more effectively. However, perhaps more importantly, Froakie was fighting for something more important than revenge. It was fighting for others and that, more than anything, gave it the strength needed to overcome its foe once again. Eventually, the battle seemingly came to and after Froakie blinded Mankey with some Frubbles, after it attempted to attack with a Thunder Punch. It then knocked the Pig Monkey Pokémon onto the ground, standing right on top of it.
Upon being defeated again, Mankey's anger finally reached its boiling point. It tried to attack Froakie while it was pinned down, but the Water-Type simply used its Frubbles to immobilize its limbs and keep it from moving. Once it did that, Froakie thought about finishing Mankey off so that their constant battles could finally come to end. Fortunately, just before it do that, Froakie suddenly remembered what Haru said to it earlier.
Everyone deserves a second chance in life Froakie…just like you received a second chance.
After remembering those words, Froakie stopped itself from launching its final attack. If it continued, the Water-Type knew that it would be no better than what Mankey is now. That's not what Froakie wants to become and the Bubble Frog knows that what Haru and Takashi wants it to become either. Because of this, Froakie decided to stop fighting and thus got off of Mankey and began walking back towards Haru and the others.
As Mankey watched Froakie walk away, something snapped within its already fragile state of mind. Seeing its enemy, the one it hated the most, take pity on it caused Mankey to experience an anger and a shame that it never experienced before in its entire life. This resulted in something unexpected happening to the Pig Monkey Pokémon, something that quickly caught Haru's attention.
"Froakie…Behind you!"
Turning around, Froakie watched as a sudden change started to occur with Mankey. Its body started to glow a bright blue and white color and its body started to change shape. When this transformation finally came to an end and the glow surrounding its body faded away, Mankey looked a bit different than it did previously. Its arms and legs had a stronger build to them and around its wrists and ankles were metal shackles. However, its biggest change was its hands, which now resembled large boxing gloves. When Haru saw this, the old woman instantly realized what just happened.
"Mankey…it just evolved into Primeape…"
Evolution is a phenomenon that occurs with roughly 90% of all the Pokémon that currently resides in the world. When it happens not only does a Pokémon's physical characteristics change, but their strength as well. In truth, when a Pokémon evolves it's no longer the Pokémon that was previously. This was the case for Mankey, who's now the far more dangerous Primeape.
With its new strength, Primeape was able to easily break free from Froakie's restraints and pick itself up from off the ground. When Froakie saw this, the Bubble Frog Pokémon attempted to prepare itself for another battle. However, just it did so, Primeape suddenly appeared behind Froakie, its evolution greatly boosting its speed as well as its power. It then punched the Water-Type right in the job, causing it to slam into a nearby wall.
After shaking out the cobwebs from that attack, Froakie attempted to counter by firing its Bubble Attack at Primeape. However, by just using its boxing glove hands, the Pig Monkey Pokémon was able to block the attack. It then dashed over towards Froakie, attempting to strike with a fierce Low Kick. Froakie tried jumping out of the way, but Primeape anticipated this and brought Froakie back down with its Karate Chop attack. Once it did that, Primeape then assaulted Froakie with a barrage of fierce blows, each one becoming more and more devastating.
As Haru looked on with a concerned look on her face, both Nidoran and Koffing were unsure on what they should do. Just now, Froakie defended them even though it usually saw them as an enemy. Even now, as it continues to be pummeled by Primeape's vicious assault, Froakie refuses to give up and continues on fighting to protect them and Haru. Upon seeing this something suddenly came over Nidoran, causing it to dash over towards Primeape. Shortly after it did that, Koffing proceeded to do the same thing.
Just Primeape was about to launch one more attack on Froakie, Nidoran and Koffing proceeded to use all of their strength to knock it away from the Water-Type. When it saw this, the Pig Monkey quickly knocked away its former friends and prepared to make its way back over towards Froakie. However, Nidoran and Koffing again opposed it, refusing to allow this to continue. This led to a battle between them which, unfortunately, only ended up angering Primeape even more.
By the time Froakie managed to recover somewhat, the Bubble Frog Pokémon watched as Primeape easily beat down both Nidoran and Koffing with hardly any effort. Seeing Primeape do that to its former friends angered Froakie greatly, but it knew that even if it were to join Koffing and Nidoran in the battle, it wouldn't mean much. Because of that, the only thing Froakie knew it could do was at least draw Primeape's attention away from them and back towards itself. With that in mind, Froakie fired another barrage of Bubbles at Primeape.
The bubbles went on to hit Primeape in the back of its head, causing it to stop attacking for a moment and look back towards Froakie. Once it saw him, the Fighting-Type stopped what it was doing and slowly walked towards its foe, just what Froakie wanted it to do. As Haru and the others looked on, Primeape clinched its right fist and proceeded to gather as much electricity as it could into it. Once it built up enough power, Primeape prepared to strike the final blow against its enemy. However…
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Suddenly, from completely out of nowhere, Pikachu appeared and went on to tackle Primeape with such speed and strength that it caused it to fall to the ground. Once that happened, Pikachu then made its way over to Froakie, checking to see if it was alright. After it saw that it could still battle, Pikachu turned back around and prepared itself as Primeape picked itself back up, infuriated by the Electric-Type's sudden appearance.
"Whoa Mankey…you sure have gotten fat."
Turning their heads, Froakie and the others looked on as Takashi appeared and was standing right beside Haru. He then went on to help the old woman up from off the ground before placing her somewhere so that she can rest.
"Takashi…?" She said, confused by his sudden appearance. "What are you doing here…I thought you were heading for the Pokémon Center."
"…I was," Takashi told her. "But I somehow got the feeling that something wasn't right and I decided to come back. Good thing I did."
Looking over at Primeape for a moment, Takashi knew right away that it had evolved from the Mankey that he faced a few days ago. Although he's never seen a Pokémon evolve before, the young man does know enough about evolution from talks with both his mother and Professor Oak. Because of that, Takashi went on to pull out his PokéDex and used it in order to find out more about the kind of Pokémon that Mankey evolved into.
"Primeape, the Pig Monkey Pokémon and the evolved form of Mankey," The PokéDex said. "Fury increases Primeape's blood flow and powers up its muscles. Its intelligence drops sharply during a rage. Primeape is a Fighting-Type Pokémon."
Once his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi put it back into his pocket before turning his focus back towards Primeape. As he watched it throw a temper tantrum, Takashi couldn't help but snicker to himself as Primeape's attitude was exactly like the PokéDex said it was. Although the Pokémon was quite strong in its rage, it was also becoming rather stupid. Still, despite finding that a bit amusing, Takashi knew that he had to get serious and thus prepared himself for the worst.
Eventually, Primeape finally managed to pick itself back up and it immediately began racing towards Pikachu in a blind fury. It started things off with a Karate Chop, but Pikachu managed to avoid it by sidestepping out of the way. The Mouse Pokémon then dodged out of the way of a Low Sweep attack by jumping high into the air. Once Takashi saw this, he smiled as he knew he had an opening.
"Now Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"
Nodding its head after hearing Takashi's command, Pikachu fired a blast of electricity from its cheeks and directed it at Primeape. The attack struck the Fighting-Type, dealing it a significant amount of damage. However, Primeape's rage and its desire for victory allowed it to overcome any pain that it was feeling. Once it was successfully able to endure Pikachu's attack, Primeape rush over towards it in order to continue its assault.
As the battle progressed, Takashi realized that things wouldn't get anywhere at this rate. Even if Pikachu is able to avoid Primeape's attacks for now, it would only be a matter of time before his partner's endurance runs out. Once that happens, Pikachu would be defeated and Primeape will go back after Froakie and the others. Takashi couldn't allow that to happen and so he needed to figure out a way to bring this battle to an end. Eventually, an idea entered his head that could allow him to do just that.
"Pikachu, stop where you are!"
Shocked by this statement, Haru, Froakie, Nidoran, Koffing, and especially Pikachu turned their heads towards Takashi and wondered just what exactly is through his head. However, after seeing the smile that was on his face, Pikachu instantly understood what its partner wanted and nodded its head as a result. Pikachu then stood still and braced itself as Primeape struck it with a powerful Mega Punch attack.
The power of Primeape's Mega Punch was devastating, so much so in fact that Pikachu nearly passed out from the sheer pain of the attack. However, after remembering Takashi's smile and his confidence in it, Pikachu refused to allow itself to fall. It then went on to grab onto Primeape's fist and, as much as the Pig Monkey attempted to shake it off, Pikachu kept on holding on. Once he saw that, Takashi turned his attention towards Froakie.
"Froakie…" He said to it. "While Pikachu has Primeape preoccupied you to use Bubble. Hurry before it's too late!"
Froakie looked on at Takashi with a confused expression on its face. Given the state that Primeape is in, its Bubble attack wouldn't cause any damage to it at all. It was same with Pikachu's Thunder Shock and so Froakie couldn't understand the meaning behind this. However, just like with Pikachu, Froakie noticed the look of confidence that Takashi was giving it. Just seeing that look gave Froakie a strength that it never experienced before, prompting it to comply too his request and fire its Bubble attack.
Like with Pikachu's Thunder Shock attack earlier, Froakie's Bubble managed to do a bit of damage to Primeape, but wasn't enough to take it down. However, the purpose of the attack wasn't to defeat Primeape, but instead make it wet. Takashi needed Primeape to get covered with enough water so that his next move could give him the results that he wanted. Once saw that was the case, Takashi made his move.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock…This time with your power!"
As Primeape, still blinded by rage, started slamming its body repeatedly into a nearby wall, Pikachu managed to hear Takashi's command. Because of that, the Pokémon gathered all the power that it could muster and unleashed it in one powerful electric attack. The power of the attack was so devastating in fact that Primeape stopped trying to attack Pikachu as it started screaming in agony.
Eventually, after about a solid minute, Pikachu finally ran out energy and ceased its attack. This allowed Primeape to finally throw it off before eventually falling towards the ground. Thankfully, before Pikachu could do the same, Froakie threw some of its Frubbles towards the ground and used them as a make-shift cushion. This allowed Pikachu to land on the ground without sustaining any damage.
Once Froakie walked over towards Pikachu and helped it back to its feet, both Pokémon looked over towards Primeape and waited to see what was going to happen next. Nidoran and Koffing, defeat still being injured from their previous assault, proceeded to do the same thing. As all 4 Pokémon waited, Takashi nervously looked on at the scene, unsure what was going to happen. Did his plan work or did it fail? In the end, the young Trainer didn't know and thus waited. Eventually, after a while, everyone got their answer.
Primeape, despite being gravely injured, managed to slowly pick itself back up. It then started to glare at Froakie and Pikachu before slowly making its way over to them. At first, the two of them thought that Primeape would attack and so prepared themselves to counter. However, just when it seemed like Primeape was about to attack, the Pig Monkey Pokémon finally lost consciousness and fainted right in front of Pikachu and Froakie. The battle was finally over.
With their opponent defeated, Takashi let out a giant sigh of relief. He then walked over towards Primeape and proceeded to tie it up. Once he made sure that it could no longer move, Takashi then walked over towards Nidoran and Koffing. At first, the two Pokémon assumed that the Trainer would go after them next. However, that wasn't the case at all as Takashi simply petted the two of them before smiling at them both.
"Good work you two," He said. "I saw how you two were trying to defend Froakie during the battle. That was very brave…and very kind."
Upon hearing Takashi's kind words, both Nidoran and Koffing were immediately overwhelmed by emotion. The two Pokémon then started crying as this was the first time anyone had treated them so kindly before. Having sensed that was the case, Takashi could only smile as he continued to pet them for a few more minutes. Once he finished, the Trainer then walked over towards Froakie and Pikachu. He then proceeded to pet both of them.
"Great job guys," He said with a smile on his face. "It's thanks to you that we were able to win against Primeape."
As Pikachu smiled as Takashi continued to pet it, Froakie simply stared at Takashi as the Water-Type Pokémon started thinking to itself. Once again, Froakie was saved thanks to Takashi's timely arrival and it's because they worked together that they were able to overcome another powerful opponent. Because of that, Froakie once again wondered if it was alright for it to join Takashi on his Pokémon Journey, especially since it was obvious that a bond has formed between them.
Eventually, after watching Takashi smile at it, Froakie finally made its decision on the matter. With that, it looked back at Haru for a quick second before proceeding to jump towards Takashi and climb onto his waist. It then proceeded to knock down on of his empty PokéBalls towards the ground before jumping back down and staring at him. Upon seeing all of this, Takashi was left a bit confused by what was going on.
"Froakie…what are you…?"
"I think it's rather obvious," Haru said as she walked towards Takashi. "Froakie has decided that it wants to come with you, Takashi."
"...But earlier, I thought it decided that it didn't want to leave," The young man said as he looked towards Haru. "Isn't that the reason why it left earlier?"
"That's what I thought as well…but given everything that's happened just now, Froakie has decided that it's truly wants to be with you. After all, you can't deny that the two of you work well together."
Upon hearing Haru say that, Takashi looked down towards Froakie, who was still staring intently at him. He then recalled the battles that they fought together and knew that Haru was right. Together with Pikachu, Takashi and Froakie were able to push back their opponents and the former believed that if they stick together then they could become even stronger. As a result, Takashi gently nodded his head towards Froakie as he picked up the PokéBall that he placed onto the ground and enlarged it.
Once he had the PokéBall in hand, Takashi prepared to throw it at Froakie, but the Bubble Frog Pokémon stopped him before he could. It then took a moment to look towards Pikachu and proceeded to throw a piece of its Frubbles at it. Although a bit confused, and slightly angry, by this gesture, Pikachu instantly figured out what Froakie wanted to do first. What the Water-Type wanted was to battle against Pikachu and, to highlight this to its Trainer, Pikachu looked towards Takashi and began releasing sparks from its electric sacs. Upon seeing that, Takashi instantly figured out Froakie's intentions and proceeded to nod his head in response. He then went on to grab his father's headband and tie it around his head before looking back towards Froakie.
"Alright Froakie…" He said with an eager look on his face. "If that's what you want, then I won't hold back!"
After tossing his hat towards the side, Takashi watched as Froakie and Pikachu began staring each other down. As they did so, the two Pokémon silently waited to see which of them would make the first move. For about a minute, neither one of them made a move and the air around them became quite tense. However, while Froakie was able to silently keep its composure, Pikachu couldn't bring itself to wait any longer and thus started rushing towards its opponent.
"Pikachu, let's start things off with your Quick Attack!" Takashi commanded.
Agreeing with its Trainer's suggestion, Pikachu instantly picked up the pace and began dashing towards Froakie at an even greater speed. Upon seeing that, Froakie realized that it wouldn't have enough time to get out of the way and thus it went on to grab a few of its Frubbles. Once it had enough, the Bubble Frog Pokémon placed the Frubbles in front of it and used it as a shield against Pikachu's attack. Although the force of the blow was enough to push Froakie back, its makeshift shield managed to reduce the damage it sustained by quite a bit.
When Takashi saw this, the young Trainer was instantly impressed by Froakie's quick reaction to Pikachu's Quick Attack, which only fueled his desire to add this incredible Pokémon to his team. As a result, he quickly made his next move.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"
At the very instant Pikachu stopped running, the Mouse Pokémon jumped into the air and fired off a blast of electricity from the electric sacs from its cheek. Although fast, Froakie to see this attack coming and used its impressive jumping ability to successfully avoid it. Although a bit shocked by that, Pikachu didn't lose its nerve and quickly followed up by firing off a barrage of Thunder Shock attacks. Unfortunately, just like the first time, Froakie was able to avoid it.
As the battle between the two Pokémon continued, Takashi noticed that Pikachu was gradually more and more exhausted due to all the energy that it was expending trying to hit Froakie. As for Froakie, even though it was tired as well, it was able to conserve more of its energy as it was using it to evade, not attack. However, the Bubble Frog Pokémon knew that things wouldn't get anywhere if things stayed that way. With that in mind, Froakie waited for its opportunity and it soon found it when Pikachu stopped attacking in order to catch its breath.
Once Pikachu stopped moving, Froakie proceeded to fire a large barrage of bubbles from its mouth and directed them at its target. When Pikachu saw them, the electric mouse quickly picked itself back up and attempted to avoid the bubbles. Unfortunately, Pikachu was too exhausted and even though it managed to evade some of them it wasn't able to avoid them all, resulting in it taking quite a bit of damage.
After Froakie finished its initial assault, the Water-Type then went up to dash towards Pikachu while it was still woozy. As it did so, Takashi noticed that Froakie was preparing to strike its partner with its Pound attack. Knowing that Pikachu couldn't afford to take any more damage, Takashi attempted to get his Pokémon back in the fight.
"Pikachu, snap out of it!" He yelled. "Froakie's coming at you!"
Even though it was still a bit shaken up by Froakie's Bubble attack, Pikachu managed to shake it off to notice the Water-Type's oncoming Pound attack. As a result, Pikachu quickly ran up and attempted to intercept the blow with its Quick Attack. Unfortunately, just when it seemed like the two Pokémon were about to collide, Pikachu suddenly dashed right past Froakie. The confused Mouse Pokémon then looked on as it was now surrounded by a large number of Froakie clones, an obvious effect of its Double Team attack.
By the time Pikachu got a grasp of the situation, Froakie pounced and proceeded to barrage the Electric Pokémon with a barrage of swift attacks. Although it tried it best to evade some of them, Pikachu was eventually overwhelmed and sent crashing towards the ground. It was at that moment that all of the Froakie clones vanished, leaving only the original.
As he looked on, Takashi watched as Pikachu was struggling to pick itself back up from off the ground. If things continued on like this, the outcome of the battle would be obvious. Even so, despite the situation that he found himself in, Takashi wasn't about to give up. When Froakie saw the determination that was in the Trainer's eyes, a small smile appeared on the Pokémon's face. It then dashed back over towards its opponent, preparing to continue on with the battle.
By the time Pikachu managed to pick itself back up, it saw that Froakie was right on top of it, ready to strike with another Pound attack. Jumping back a bit, Pikachu managed to successfully avoid the strike, but Froakie quickly followed up by using its Double Team to create another barrage of clones. Now surrounded again, Pikachu struggled to find the real Froakie while the army of Water Pokémon prepared to fire large barrage of their Bubble attack. However, it was at the precise moment that Froakie launched its attack that Takashi made his move.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock…and fire it everywhere!"
With the attack only a hair away from making contact with it, Pikachu gathered all the power that it could muster and released it in one incredible blast. The electricity spread throughout the entire area, destroying not only the oncoming bubbles, but also the Froakie clones as well. This left only the original remaining and only it tried its best to avoid the attack, it was ultimately struck down by Pikachu's electricity.
Once he saw Froakie fall towards the ground, Takashi let out a small sigh of relief before looking over at Pikachu and giving his partner a thumbs up. Pikachu, although happy by its accomplishment, quickly focused itself as it saw that Froakie was beginning to pick itself back up. The Mouse Pokémon needed to launch one more big attack if it wanted to win this battle. Because of that, Pikachu looked towards Takashi, who nodded his head in response.
"Alright Pikachu…let's finish this with Electro Ball!"
After hearing the command, Pikachu got on all fours and began building up all the power that it could muster into its tail. By the time Froakie finally got back up, the Bubble Frog watched as a large up of electricity was beginning to form just above its opponent's tail. Knowing what kind of damage the attack could do, Froakie used all the strength it had left to fire the large barrage of bubbles that it could muster at Pikachu. However, it was at that precise moment that Pikachu finally launched its own attack.
At first, when the two attacks collided, they seemed to be evenly matched in power. However, Pikachu's Electro Ball slowly began to overpower Froakie's bubble barrage. Despite trying its best to keep the attack at bay, Froakie soon found itself on the receiving end of a massive blast of electricity that sent it flying. Upon hitting the ground, the Water-Type did its best to get back up, but was unfortunately too exhausted to do so.
Once it saw that Froakie could no longer battle, an exhausted Pikachu turned towards Takashi and called out to him. When heard his partner's call, Takashi nodded his head and proceeded to pull out an empty PokéBall and enlarge it. After doing so, the young man closed his eyes for a moment before taking aim and throwing the ball as hard as he could.
"PokéBall…Go!"
As Haru and the other Pokémon looked on, the PokéBall quickly made its way towards the fallen Froakie and went on to strike it right on the temple of its forehead. This act not only caused the ball to open up, but also convert Froakie it a mass of red light energy. The energy then went on to get sucked into the PokéBall before it closed up and landed on the ground. Everyone then watched as the PokéBall started wiggling as the button in the middle started to flicker on and off.
While waiting to see what will happen, Takashi started to recall all the events that he's been through since he first arrived in Viridian City. As he did so, the young Trainer focused on all the events that involved both, Pikachu, and Froakie. This recollection reinforced his desire to add this incredible Pokémon to his team and so the young Trainer silently prayed that his PokéBall would successfully capture Froakie. Eventually, after about another minute, everyone watched as the PokéBall stopped moving and suddenly let out several glittering stars.
At first, Takashi was a bit confused as he was unsure about what just happened. However, upon looking at Haru and seeing her look at him with a nod of approval, a large smile quickly appeared on his face. He then quickly made his way towards the PokéBall that contained Froakie and held it firmly in his hand. Tears then started to form around both of his eyes as Pikachu walked over and jumped onto his shoulder. The two of them then went on smile at one another before Takashi went to take the PokéBall and raise it high into the sky.
"Yes!" He exclaimed. "I caught a Froakie!"
"Alright then…Takashi Nakamura of Pallet Town, will you please hand me your PokéDex so that we may complete your registration?"
Shortly after he successfully captured his very first Pokémon in Froakie, Takashi proceeded to make his way over to the Pokémon Center so that both it and Pikachu could recover from their injuries. Shortly after they were taken away to be treated, Takashi then went out of his way to ask Nurse Joy for help in registering for the Pokémon League Competition, which the kind nurse happily agreed to do.
Once Nurse Joy took hold of Takashi's PokéDex, she proceeded to insert the device into a laptop on her front desk and then started typing. As she was doing so, Takashi watched the computer screen fill up with all sorts of information that he didn't quite understand. After about a minute, the computer the displayed a picture of his face before its automated voice then started talking.
"Takashi Nakamura from Pallet Town has successfully been registered to compete in the Kanto Region's Pokémon League. Number of Badges currently in possession – 0. We wish you the best of luck!"
Once the computer finished talking, Nurse Joy then went on to remove Takashi's PokéDex from her computer and hand it back over to him. She also proceeded to grab two items, a small book and case, and hand them over to the young Trainer as well.
"Well, you're now officially registered," She said to him with a smile. "Please take this handbook, which contains all the information you'll need about trying to enter and eventually compete in the Pokémon League. As for the case, you can use it to hold all the various Gym Badges that you'll collect throughout your Journey."
"Right…" Takashi said with a nod. "Thank you for the help, Nurse Joy."
After taking the items that Nurse Joy presented to him, Takashi proceeded to look at both of them very intently. These items, specifically the Badge Case, symbolized one of the goals that he needed to accomplish if he wished to become a Pokémon Master and Takashi had every intention of doing just that. With that in mind, Takashi went on to place the Badge Case into his pocket and the handbook in his backpack before going on to shake Nurse Joy's hand.
Shortly after that a bell could be heard throughout the entire Pokémon Center and, upon turning his head, Takashi happily looked on as Nurse Joy's Chansey walked out, pushing Pikachu and a PokéBall on a gurney. Once they reached him, Pikachu happily jumped off the gurney, allowing Takashi to catch and happily his partner. The two then embraced for a few moments before Pikachu went to place itself on its Trainer's shoulder. After that, Takashi then went to nod his head towards Chansey.
"Thanks again for help Pikachu, Chansey. I truly appreciate."
The Egg Pokémon happily nodded its head towards Takashi in response to his kind words. It then went on to grab the PokéBall that was on its gurney and handed it towards the young Trainer before leaving to tend to some more injured Pokémon. Once they were alone, Takashi and Pikachu took a moment to stare at the PokéBall, knowing that contained within it was their brand new friend, Froakie.
Even though it's been a few hours since he first captured Froakie, Takashi was still trying to come to grips that he successfully captured his first Pokémon. It was almost too hard to believe, but it's true. Froakie was now a part of his team and, together with Pikachu, Takashi believed that he's truly taken the first step in becoming a Pokémon Trainer. This caused the smile that was on his face to grow a bit bigger as a few tears started to form.
After wiping those tears from his eyes, Takashi went on to thank Nurse Joy again before both he and Pikachu left the Pokémon Center. Once they were outside, Takashi went out to open the PokéBall that contained his newest partner and watched a flash of light energy erupted from it. Upon hitting the ground, the energy quickly transformed into Froakie, who now rested and fully recovered. Takashi then knelt down towards the Water-Type, looking at it right in its eyes.
"Froakie…" He started off. "Before we leave, I want to make you a promise. Although I haven't been a Trainer for very long, and I know I'm going to make a lot of mistakes along the way, I swear to you that I'll never do you wrong. I'll work as hard as I can so that both you and Pikachu can become the strongest Pokémon that you two can possibly be. So…if you're with me, put it there."
Taking his hand, Takashi extended it out in front of Froakie and waited to see how the Bubble Frog Pokémon would respond. As he waited, Pikachu went out of its way to jump off of his shoulder and gently place one of its hands on top of his. Upon seeing that, Takashi gently smiled at the Electric-Type before looking back over at Froakie. Eventually, after about a minute of waiting, Froakie let out a small smile of its own before proceeded to place its hand on top of both Pikachu's and Takashi's.
With that gesture, a strong bond was formed between all three parties as each of them were ready to embark on an incredible Journey together. Shortly after they all raised their arms high into the air in pride, both Pikachu and Froakie went on to hop on both of Takashi's shoulders before the young man got up and proceeded to make his way out of Viridian City. As they walked, the three of them reflected on their time here and promised to return sometime in the near future. Soon though, after about an hour of walking, the group finally reached the city exit and it was here that they encountered Haru again.
After stopping to greet her, Takashi watched as Haru smiled at him and his Pokémon before slowly walking over towards Froakie. The old woman then went out of her way to gently pet the top of Froakie's head, silently expressing both happiness and sadness that has come for them to part. In response, Froakie gently rubbed its head against Haru's hand, its way of thanking the old woman for everything she's done for it since they met. Once Haru finished, the old woman then went on to looked back towards Takashi.
"Well Takashi…" She started off. "It's time. I wish you the best of luck throughout the rest of your Journey."
"Thank you," Takashi replied. "I'll do my best…and you have word that I'll take great care of Froakie."
"I know you will."
With a slight nod, Haru let out another small smile before gently stepping aside. With the path towards his next destination now open for him, Takashi proceeded to take a deep breath before confidently walking with both of his Pokémon by his side. As she watched them leave, a small part of Haru wondered if Froakie will be alright. However, those worries were quickly put to rest as she knows that her little friend will be just fine with Takashi and Pikachu by its side. With that, Haru let out a silent nod before making her way back to her shop.
"Good luck Froakie. I'll be rooting for you."
Chapter Preview
With his adventure in Viridian City over, the next stage of Takashi's Journey now bring him to the Viridian Forest. While there, he's challenged to a Pokémon Battle and is eager to get his first victory with Froakie by his side. However, while Froakie has joined his team, Takashi and the Water-Type are not entirely in sync as battling partners. Can the two of them get on the same page or did they make a mistake in joining forces?
Next Time, Chapter 7: Under the Twinkling Stars