A Pokemon Journeys AU following Sword/Shield game with twist
Mentor! Ash
"Hey, you!" Ash paused and turned. He saw a boy who resembles Leon a lot. Ah, must be his little brother then.
"Yes, me?"
"Yeah. You." Leon's brother nodded. "I challenge you to a battle!"
A battle huh.
"Sure thing!" Ash smiled. One hand reached to a familiar and old Pokeball. "One for one, no substitute?"
"Yes!"
"Well, I think that spot is good." He pointed at the clearing not too far from them. "Oh, by the way I'm Satoshi."
"I'm Hop and I gonna be the next Champion!"
"My name is Satoshi Ash Ketchum and I'm going to be Pokemon Master!"
Ash's eyes widened, before a nostalgic smile broke out on his face. Based on Pikachu's purring, he knew his partner thinking the same.
It feels so nostalgic, yes?
"Then I'm honored to fight you, Mister Future Champion."
He saw Hop's eyes widened, and Ash offer him his most sincere, beaming smile. The boy certainly didn't expect this. Ash knew. He had been in Hop's shoes before. He understood perfectly what Hop feels right now, the determination he has, and the desire to reach the top. He understood. Very much.
And if he can become Champion, then surely Hop, too, can do it.
Blinking, Hop pinched his cheek, and then smiled. "Yes! I'll show you a great battle!" He shouted. "You won't regret it. I guarantee it."
'Certainly'
~X~
Hop can felt his heart pounding under his ribcage. He can hear the blood rushing like a river after a storm. He practically can feel adrenaline building up and making him restless. Every seconds feel too slow and too fast.
He will have his first battle. His First battle! The most amazing and defining moment of a trainer... except when choosing a starter, but details! And what's more, when Hop declared that he will become a Champion, Satoshi didn't laugh. Didn't told him it was impossible. Didn't offer blank encouragement while silently saying that he can't make it because his brother is the Undefeated Champion. No.
Satoshi just smiled and sincerely believed he can do it. Hop can feel it.
That pumped him and made him even more nervous.
"Okay." Satoshi nodded. "This is should be good enough. Shall we start?"
"Yes!" Hop rocking his heels back and forth. "This is gonna be awesome! Go Wooloo!"
His trusted partner, his very first Pokemon, the greatest gift from Lee, bleated cheerfully. Just as excited as Hop.
"Hop? I'm new to Galar. Do you mind if I scan your Pokemon?"
Hm? "Oh no. Not at all."
"Thanks." Satoshi took out something. Huh? Was that a Pokedex? Man, Hop doesn't know someone still uses a Pokedex. Most people use Pokedex app on Rotomphone nowadays. Or maybe that's just Galar... or Satoshi is those old gen who prefer original thing. Oh well. Not his place to critique.
"Alright. Normal type, is it?" Satoshi nodded, and instead of commanding Pikachu like Hop expected, he took out an old Pokeball, worn by age, weather, and usage. "Come out, Swellow." A blackbird with white feathers for the underside and red on the face come out.
Hop uses Pokedex app to scan it. Swellow. A flying and normal type native to Hoenn. And certainly it was not recent capture.
"You can have the first move."
Hop gulped. There is it. "Wooloo. Start with tackle."
Wooloo bleated and began rolling forward. Without even being told, Swellow fly up and avoid the attack entirely.
Well. No problem.
"Swellow. Peck. Aim at Wooloo's face or legs."
Damn! "Wooloo! Use Growl!"
An endearing rumble comes out from Wooloo's throat, Swellow's attack weakened due to how cute it was. Combined with Wooloo being an adorable critter, well, it certainly is effective. Hop knew it perfectly well. But he also know it was not enough.
"Defense curl."
Wooloo curled in and when Swellow's attack collides, it only send Wooloo rolling away.
Ash hummed. "Defensive style, huh? I can do that. Swellow, Toss Wooloo up, will you?"
Hop doesn't like the gleam on the Pokemon's eyes. His hunch was proven right when Swellow grab Wooloo by the fleece and began taking to the sky. It flipped upside down and threw Wooloo up. It then catches Wooloo when the Normal-type fell down, only to toss it up again. Hop pressed his hands to his mouth, silencing a scream that almost escape his lips. Calm down calm down. Don't scream. It's Wooloo! If it was literally any other pokemon this would be bad, but this is Wooloo.
"I-If you think this is enough," don't stutters! "T-then you're wrong. H-height was ne-never a problem w-with Wooloo!" Wooloo can fell from great height and will be fine. Their fleece was the reason why. "Wooloo. T-tackle!"
When Swellow tossed Wooloo up, his faithful Pokemon uncurled and heading down to the Flying-type. Gravity is their best friend because Wooloo rammed at Swellow. Stunned the bird.
Hop said Tackle, not Headbutt. Ah, well, at least he scored an attack.
Both Pokemon quickly righted themselves. Wooloo using its fleece to landed and rolling safely in the ground, while Swellow quickly flapped its wing.
Satoshi whistled. "Impressed. That fleece is thick body armor and a safety balloon in one package. How about this? Swellow, Quick Aerial Ace."
Swellow vanished, and a second later Wooloo was thrown back past Hop and hit a tree with so much force, it broke through several branches before failing with a loud THUD.
"Wooloo! Are you ok?!"
Wooloo bleated in response, standing up on shaky legs. Several twigs and broken shrapnel stuck out from its fleece. Ouch. That gonna be a pain to fix later. But at least Wooloo is ok! Right. "This is not over yet, Satoshi!" The rule didn't state out of boundary means auto-forfeit, and there's no set boundary, so as long as Wooloo still standing and Hop didn't recall it, they're still can fight! "Wooloo! Roll and jump! Then Headbutt!"
"Baaa!"
Ash smiled and relaxed his stance. "Swellow. Dodge with Double Team!" DANG IT! Wooloo hit the afterimage! Not the real one! "Finish it up with Wing Attack."
With a loud crack as if the sound barrier was broken, Swellow descends down. THWACK! Swellow's wing collided with Wooloo's head. Stunned the Normal Type and knock it out cold with swirly eyes.
"Return, Wooloo. You do good." Hop recalled his Pokemon. "You're really strong, Satoshi! That Toss was amazing!" And creatively-cruel. That Sky Toss doesn't look fun. Being tossed up and down and not knowing if you will be caught or not is NOT fun. Still, in battle, that was an acceptable tactic. No foul no harm. "How did you come up with that?"
Ash smiled and recalled Swellow after a congratulating croon. He then said, "Well, aren't Pokemon supposed to able to do things they aren't supposed to be?"
What does that means?
"I mean, tossing is not even hard. Especially if you have arms or limbs that can act like arms. You just need to be strong enough to lift weights."
Well, true... Too bad Wooloo can't do that... but Grookey certainly can! Oh, and Fling! It was basically throwing hold object at Enemy—
...wait! Does this means Hop can teach Grookey Fling without spending money on TM? YES! THOUSAND TIME YES! BOOYAH! AND HE'S NOT EVEN ATTENDING THE ENTRANCE CEREMONY YE— "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"W-What is it? Poachers? Team Rocket? Trap? Wild Pokemon? Legendary? Apocalypse?!"
"Where did that last two come from? No!" Seriously? Who the hell expect an Apocalypse? Grimdark thought, much?! "I'm gonna be late! We're gonna be late!"
"...late for what?"
FOR FUCK SAKE, IS HE SERIOUS?! "The Entrance Ceremony! What else! Damn! The train better had not departed yet!" If he had to wait for the next one he gonna be late and if he late then he might not be allowed to join and this gonna embarrassing Lee, especially after he trusts Hop with Endorsement! Damn damn damn!
"Ah." Satoshi nodded and throw out another Pokeball. This one is brand new. A Dragonite come out. "Climb up. We'll take you there."
"Really? Thanks a lot!"
Satoshi helped Hop climb Dragonite, before he climb and sat behind Hop. As if ensuring Hop won't slip and fell off. "Dragonite. Take flight. Hop, can you direct us where to go?"
"Yes." Rotomphone has a Map App to helped Trainers get around. And since they use air route, "Go straight to the north. Wyndon's landmark is the Rose Tower. A giant skyscraper tower."
"Let's go."
Riding on Dragonite's back to Wyndon Stadium, Hop can't help but grin widely.
His story had just began, and it start out AWESOME!
TBC
