" How did I get stuck in this mess?" Phillip asked himself as he walked past through the deep fog that clouded Route 5. One moment the place was clear as day. The next, a mist so deep you could cut it with knife appear out of the middle of nowhere and settled in. A pitiful state that Phillip found himself in now.
" Well," Black started. " First, you watched the anime and played the games. Then you accepted the challenge Gabriel gave you. And finally, you came here. In that particular order."
I meant recently.
" Then tough beans, kid."
Phillip groaned as he continued walking. It's bad enough he had to go through this, but now he had a sassy dragon in his head. He would say that nothing could be worse than that, but that would activate Murphy's Law and he knew better than tempt something like that.
Sometime walking in silence, Phillip saw a light up ahead. Hoping for civilization, he began sprinting towards the place.
Unfortunately, he found what he was looking for. And it still wasn't pretty.
Phillip found a kid with neat, brownish-green hair in a blue suit, brown shoes, and red tie running on a treadmill while surrounded by five other individuals in the same outfit. One of them was flipping through cards and asking a series of questions about Pokemon.
The kid answered two questions before stopping at the third, which read, " Which level does Pidgey evolve and what is the name of Pidgey's advanced stage?" Phillip could tell the kid knew the answer, but withdrawn to stop the increasingly harder questions. So, with that in mind, Phillip stepped forward.
" I can answer that question." The call brought the the attention of everyone to Phillip, who was right behind the questioner at the time.
The one giving that questions, a red head with spiky hair, sneered. " That question wasn't for you, punk. Go crawl back under the rock you came from."
The insult slipped in one of Phillip's ear and out the other. " Pidgey evolves at 18 and it's most advanced stage is Pidgeot. Now let the kid go."
No matter what was going to happen next, something did. The kid on the treadmill tripped over his own two feet and hit the ground. The kid told the other kids he was sorry and that he forgot the answer, something Phillip knew was a lie.
However, the red head said somethings that Phillip wouldn't just let go. " You call yourself a Pokemon Tech student? Well, we don't want to study with the likes of you."
Phillip appeared behind the red head and whispered, " I give two seconds to reconsider before I use your corpse as my newest punching bag." A killer intent sunk onto the group almost as thick as the mist.
That was Ash came running, seeing almost everything apparently, as he said, " Leave that kid alone!" He slid to a stop and asked, " What's going on here?!"
The red recovered from the disappearance of KI first as Phillip was surprised at Ash's entrance and said, " Nothing's going on here. Mind your own business. This is a private training session."
A green-haired boy spoke next. " There's no room in our Pokemon school for losers that don't even know Pidgey's evolved stage. We have maintain standards."
" Is that a fact?" The green-haired kid tensed as Phillip's voice called from behind him. He turned to meet Phillip's eyes, which was lit with a fire all it's own. " Those must be some low standards if you're still talking."
" You tell them!" Everyone's attention was, once again, shifting to Misty, who had appeared much like Ash did: from no where. " You better stop bullying that kid or you'll have to answer to us. Right, Ash, Phillip?"
Ash took up his bravado. " Misty, you stay out of this. Leave it to me!"
" You're right, Ash." Misty said in a tone that didn't give away her intention. " There's no reason for all of us to get into a fight." She tilts her head back with a knowing smile. " It's pretty brave for you to take all five of them by yourself."
Ash turned back to the group with a scared look, while Misty continued. " I'll just be standing here on the sidelines, cheering you on, waiting to drag your carcass away at the end."
Phillip groaned before stepping in front of the group, blocking their vision of Ash. " I'll take them, but only if they attack first."
The group looked tempted, but backed off, saying that they wouldn't fight and that it's for cavemen. They also said if they were to waste their time having a fight with " an insect like you" it would make their school's reputation drop. With all of that, they walked off. Ash was hit in the eye with the insult that flew over Phillip's shoulder.
Brock then appear from thin air, stirring a bowl of something, and said, " So those are the infamous Tech students."
" Tech students?" Ash asked, a question Misty replied. Pokemon Tech, or Pokemon Technical for the full name, is an advanced school for trainers. Misty pulled out a flier from her pocket for the school, but Brock pulled it out of her grip to read it.
The flier told them that the graduates of this school is guaranteed to enter the Pokemon League without having to go through the trouble of collecting badges. It helps exceptional students become powerful Pokemon Trainers within a time limit. It also told them that only the rich could afford the place as the tuition was much too high for those of lower classes.
Ash gained his first rage and yelled for the location of the school. With that fog lifted as a voice spoke that the fog simulation battles were now complete and the next class was for snow competition secrets, something that Phillip couldn't get.
The kid that stayed back with them sighed. " Oh well. I guess tomorrow they'll turn me into a snowman again."
Ash asked the main question: " Do they treat you like this all the time?"
" My friends are only trying to help me."
" Don't call those people friends." Phillip told the kid. " They may teach you, but punishment is always the best way."
" Says the kid who forced his first team to run for years to come as to teach them."
Shut up, Black.
The kid was still trying to defend the people from before. " But they helped me learn that Pidgey evolves to Pidgeotto at Level 18, learns Whirlwind at Level 21, Wing Attack at 31, and as it's level raises, it learns various tricks after evolving into Pidgeot. It can fly up to 1200 meters and speeds up to Mach 2."
Phillip grinned. " I knew you knew the answers, but couldn't tell why you didn't answer."
" Sometimes, I make believe that I don't know all the answers. Because, if I do, they make the question all that much harder. But I have to stay here at Pokemon Tech. My mother and farther worked hard and saved money so they could pay to send me to school here."
The kid sends a glance over to someone under a tree, an old man still in the Tech uniform. " You see that guy over there? He's an upperclassman. The classes are so hard here, some students are held back for many years. Everyone's too ashamed to go home without getting a diploma. That guy: he's in the beginner class like me."
Phillip groaned. " Just tell me what this school is about."
" Well," The kid started, pressing a forefinger to his chin. " A beginner has the same qualification as someone with two badges. The intermediate class has the classification of four, and the advanced students has the same as six. If you graduate, you can enter the Pokemon League without traveling around to collect the badges." He brought the attention back to the older guy. " The guy's in the beginner class, but he's so much older than everybody else in the class, the kids don't bother to help him like they help me."
" What do the teachers say about that kind of help?" Misty asked.
" They don't even know about it, or ,if they do, they pretend not to."
" Well I for one think this is a violation of student's rights that must stop immediately, if not soon!" Ash said before leaning slightly forward to try giving an intimidating look. " I want to meet the student in charge of this system and I'll see that it stops!"
The kid began ruffling through his coat and pulled out a picture. There was a pretty girl with reddish-brown hair and fair skin talking to another girl with orange hair and similar skin.
Ash and Brock grew blushes and happy faces that would make any pervert proud. Phillip moved away from the two and from the picture.
Misty leaped away from the picture to give the kid a stern look. " If she's making your life miserable, how come you're carrying her picture around?"
" I hate how she treats us, but I like the way she looks." Ash and Brock agreed with that logic. Misty gave those two a permanent ear-ache.
Phillip took the picture away from viewing pleasure for his own purpose. He's glad he received a face first. He never had an easy time recognizing names, but faces were the opposite.
Phillip looked over to the kid. " Could show us where she is known to go to chill?" The kid nodded and walked towards the school, Misty stomping behind him and the boys not so far behind.
_Scene Change_
The group took an elevator to a room stocked with arcade video games. The walls had a pale tan tint to it while the floor was green tiles with a shine to them.
Joe, the kid Phillip found, walked in telling them about the girl in the picture. " Giselle always practices here by herself. Even if you beat her in a fight, it won't matter to her. At the Tech, it's your skill as a Pokemon Trainer that counts more than just one battle."
" I'm fine with that." Phillip stated. " I'm just going to set the bets, win, and change this thing completely."
" Giselle is the top beginner at the Tech. That means she's better than people with three badges." Joe told him.
" I didn't train my Pokemon to level 29 just to be smack-talked by you." Phillip stated. " I will win this."
" If you have only two badges, you wouldn't beat me, much less Giselle. And I'm at the bottom of my class."
Misty moved everyone out of the way to see Joe's face. " I learned how to be a Pokemon Trainer at the Cerulean City Gym! Are you saying you could beat me?!"
Joe sat down at a game and started it. " Ah, Cerulean City. Water Pokemon."
" How'd you know?"
A Pokemon with a yellow, bell-shaped body appeared on the screen of the game. It had a green leaves poking out from either side and a brown hook at the top of it's head. The rest of it was hidden by it's back. A Starmie appeared on the other side.
Joe answered when the yellow Pokemon attacked. " I always beat them on the simulator. See?" The Starmie flickered at the attack before dropping through the bottom and disappearing.
Misty was steaming. " What is this? A simulation is one thing, but this is real life." She pulled out a Pokeball. " Let's battle!"
Joe grinned as he stood. " You'll be sorry." The group relocated to the middle of the room, where an orange mat was spread out for a Pokemon battle. Joe moved to one end and Misty went to the other.
" Why do you two have to battle?" Ash asked.
" Butt out, Ash!" Misty hissed. " I have the Cerulean City Gym's reputation to defend! And I'm going to defend it!" Misty tossed out her Starmie while Joe summoned that yellow Pokemon from the simulation. Now with it's front to him, Phillip could see it's gaping mouth and beady eyes.
Phillip's Dex, which was in his hand within a second, told him all he needed. " Weepinbell: The Flycatcher Pokemon."
The battle was too quick for Phillip's tastes. Starmie shot a Water Gun blast at Weepinbell and all it had to do was look pretty and look defeated when sent spiraling into from the attack. Joe looked stunted from the results, asking how a grass-type would be beaten by a water-type.
That's when Giselle came in. " It's because your opponent's is from the Cerulean City Gym. It has more experience battling. You should have known that. You're an embarrassment to the whole school."
Phillip pressed his forefinger to the base of his chin before pointing the same finger to Giselle. " So you're the one who playing bully here."
Giselle sneered. " Bully? Such a nasty word for what I do for this school. I simply make this school's reputation as the best stay that way."
" What ever you call it, it's bullying. Plain and simple." Phillip lowered his posture for a second. " Anyway, I'm here for a reason and I aim to please."
" Really?" Giselle asked. " What could you want with blessed, beautiful, humble me?"
" First off, you're humble in nothing. So you can stow that one away. Second, I've seen the bullies the people here are becoming due to you're rule, and I'm here to low that rate to zero."
" I don't know what you're talking about." Giselle said. " I just want to help my classmates to become the very best they can be. To teach each other, respect each other, and insure the Pokemon of tomorrow."
" Gag me." Phillip replied.
Giselle glared. " Alright, ruffian. I'll battle you here and now."
Phillip grinned. " Good." In a blink of the eye, Phillip was beside Giselle, whispering. " Here's the deal. I win: You stop telling the kids to force lower classmates into the endless torture of either physical or mental pain. I lose: I leave here and never return."
Giselle wasn't please apparently. " I stopping helping or you leave? That doesn't seem a fair gamble, now does it."
" Deal with it. There's nothing else I'll give you."
" I could just decline the challenge."
Phillip's face became ridged. " Then I'll stay here, and every time I find someone treated like Joe, I'll send the bully back in a body cast."
Giselle tensed and relaxed. " Then I guess I have no choice, do I?" Phillip jumped back and landed directly on the other side of the arena mat. Giselle picked a Pokeball from a rack to her left and tossed it forward.
A bumpy-skinned, gray-brown Pokemon emerged. It had two arms out at it's sides, but another two were tucked close to the body. It's had two feet planted on the ground, but not real legs to go with it. Along with all of this, it's eyes and mouth looked painted onto itself.
" Graveler: The Rock Pokemon"
Phillip placed his Dex back into his pocket and summoned out his Pidgeotto.
Giselle smirked. " Rock vs Flying. You're never going to win with on."
" I've done it before, I'll do it again."
Without a word for it's trainer, Pidgeotto seemed to know what to do. It flew as high as it could and stayed there for a second
Graveler jumped up to close the distance, but Pidgeotto dodged to the side with unparalleled agility. Graveler used two of it's arms to get a grip into the ceiling and spread his tucked away arms our for a spinning strike. Once again, Pidgeotto was too fast to be struck, as it flew back more to avoid the blow.
Graveler leaped forward this time, making Pidgeotto do a dive to avoid, and Graveler chased after just by dropping down. Pidgeotto made the 90 degree angle needed to avoid Graveler's falling form and to keep it's speed going. Graveler tried jumping several times to squash Pidgeotto, to no avail.
Phillip was grinning now. I thank Gabriel for making my link to my Pokemon today.
" I didn't think I was ever getting that. Thank you for the thank you."
I'll focus on that later. Phillip thought as Pidgeotto nearly missed getting trampled on by Graveler, courtesy to the confusion the thoughts were giving.
Graveler continued to stomp around as Pidgeotto was zooming across the ground towards Phillip. Phillip kept his grinned as they grew closer still. Once they were at least a foot away from him, Phillip jerked his head up, causing Pidgeotto to jerk upwards and Graveler to jump forward to Phillip.
There were a collection of gasped and even Giselle yelled at Graveler to move, but there was no time for that. Graveler was going hit Phillip anyway.
Until a power wind rushed downwards and slammed Graveler back into the ground. The force was so strong, Graveler was lifted into the air on the rebound.
That was all the time Pidgeotto needed.
A blur past Phillip's left ear, and suddenly Graveler was higher into the air. Another blur pasted Phillip's right ear, and Graveler was even farther up. Within time, Graveler was rising at a steady pace and nothing was seen providing the effort.
And for that matter, what happened to Pidgeotto?
Giselle was too worried about her Pokemon's distress that she hadn't noticed the sudden disappearance. Phillip, however, knew exactly where Pidgeotto was, and he was watching it in action right now, slowly lifting Graveler to the ceiling with a endless barrage of Quick Attacks.
Giselle slowly realized the reasoning, but by then, Graveler was already at ceiling and Pidgeotto's hit zone had reduced to Graveler's chest area. Regardless, she screamed her order. " Graveler! Reach out and grab!"
At the word reach, Phillip's thought's had already called a counter. Graveler's distance from ceiling increased for a fraction of the time, but Graveler's action missed in time. Carrying the same momentum from the Quick Attacks, Pidgeotto ripped through Graveler's guard and landed a powerful Wing Attack.
Graveler couldn't remain conscious after this, and fell with a heavy thud. Giselle slumped to her knees with shock written on her face. " H-How-"
Phillip answered. " Pidgeotto's entire strategy is to get faster every second of the battle. This includes stalling out it's opponent until the opponent is too tires to attack back. I just let Pidgeotto follow that until it found a good time to attack, which mostly the time when it's a blur to everyone and their mother, or when I jerk my head."
Phillip walked over to Pidgeotto and rubbed it's head, causing it to coo. " It knew that Graveler was on it's tail, so Pidgeotto followed the movement I gave to evade it's wrath. The wind that hit Graveler wasn't a Gust at all, just turbulence for the increasing speeds. At that... well, you know."
Giselle looked down before getting up to hold out her hand. " I'll honor our deal."
Phillip walked forward to shake the hand, not firmly so to not cause discomfort to her. " I've changed it during the battle to be honest. I want you to help people find their weaknesses and help them fill in the blank instead of just pushing them down a blank road. Maybe then you'll have people become stronger."
Black chuckled from Phillip's head. " Says the boy that caused monks to shiver in their sleep for what you might do next."
Shut it, you over-glorified lizard.
" Hey!"
" Deal." Phillip looked back to Giselle, who still looked sad.
Phillip couldn't have that. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I just wanted to point out that there are other ways to help instead of being cold to them."
Giselle nodded. " I'll try."
" That's good and all, but that didn't have the effect I was hoping." Phillip said with his own frown. " What would make you happy?"
Giselle was shocked again. " W-what?!"
" Not a hard question, I'm just asking." Phillip noticed her face shift back to a frown. " Frown again and I'll tickle you."
Her face instead transformed to terror. " You wouldn't."
Phillip sighed. " I know I wouldn't, but I have limited ideas to make girls smile, so there."
Giselle looked thoughtful. " Well-"
Unfortunately, the communication was broken there when smoke began rising from the floor. Phillip groaned at this. " Why do I have to keeping meeting these two?"
Giselle coughed a bit at the smoke and growled. " Who has the nerve to do this?!"
Two voices carried through the smoke. " Allow us to reintroduce ourselves."
To protect the world from-
Now, unfortunate for Team Rocket, Phillip wasn't too keen on hearing something anymore than once. So, with his arm stretched out, Phillip sent the team flying into space with a lariat.
Phillip's yell followed them to where ever they were going. " Do you idiots have anyone else to bother?!" He sighed and turned back to Giselle. " Sorry about that. What were you going to say again?"
Giselle huffed. " Sorry. I can't remember anymore." Phillip was disappointed in himself again. He messed up on getting valuable information for girls again.
" Never mind then." Phillip stated. " I guess I'll have to make up for your sadness some other time."
Giselle smiled again. " Oh, it's alright. It was a selfish reason to do so."
Phillip groaned. None of that made him feel any better on the subject. Nevertheless, everyone gave there partings: Joe was going home to retry his adventure through the trail-and-error way with his first Pokemon, Giselle stayed back to follow her new regimen as top beginner, Ash, Misty, and Brock followed down the path they were looking for from the beginning, and Phillip found his own route, and walked down it with his lonesome.
That's a wrap!
Please leave constructive criticism as it will be greatly appreciated
Let the rants begin!
