G'day mates!
What's this? Two chapters in four days? (don't expect that happening again!)
This chapter just would not stop. I'd put it down and then have another bout of inspiration and pick it up almost immediately.
Also there will be a lot of random things that I have made 'fact' in this chapter, just by writing it. Some of it's for humor and some for waffling. Words just kept coming so I figure... fiction people don't have to read if you don't want to.
Anyway... Enjoy~
Disclaimer: Don't have it but... Give me! Give me!
—— @@ ——
The books were pretty basic.
I read through them within a week and then handed them to James to study. I helped him study when I could as well, but the books were, as I first thought. They were written for children.
The first book I read and one I was most interested in was 'The History of the Pokéball'. I thought it would tell me about what the Pokéball was made of and how it worked.
I was let down.
Most of the book talked about the history before Pokéball's were a thing, how humanity survived living beside wild Pokémon.
People didn't own their Pokémon the only way a pokemon worked with you was if you raised it from an egg, befriended it or you could convince it that you could be of use to it as well.
The animal like Pokémon (monster and/ or the field egg group if you will) needed the friendship or egg-rearing stipulation to work. This involved categories such as the dogs, cats, rodents, horses, and cows.
The psychic Pokémon loved the ability to learn and increase their intelligence alongside humanity. They were the most popular with people. Making them the most common human companion.
Surprisingly this sometimes included the ghost typing as well, but it was much more dangerous because of how unpredictable the type could be. They could turn and drain your life force if they grew bored of you.
Rock, ground, electric, bug, grass and flying types tended to either ignore humanity or not be bothered by it. They were just a part of nature. When humans started to utilise electricity, electric Pokémon started merging into their society, to intrigued to stay away.
Fire, water, ice and poison types were some of the most dangerous to humans. They didn't need anything from humanity and most were carnivores meaning; humans could end up prey.
Dragons and fighting types always needed a challenge. If someone could provide a way to meet that challenge then they would be loyal. But this was also conditional in that if the challenge went away, so too would the Poké. Sometimes cities were destroyed by a wayward dragon, looking for a fight.
Dark type Pokémon tended harass civilisation. The people feared them. They were likened to ghosts and phantoms that would take children left by themselves. The 'monsters of the night', if you will.
Steel and fairy types avoided humanity altogether if the could help it. Merging with nature until they disappeared from view.
It was a lot of generalisations and stories and didn't even cover Duel typing. From my understanding Duel types could go either way, depending on their nature, environment and treatment.
'Which should be true to any Pokémon not generalised into categories anyway.'
But still... Not exactly a children's story and definitely not what I was looking for.
The other part of the book was about the idea of the Pokéball (containment of the powerful creatures) and the implementation of them into today's world. It doesn't really explain the dramatic shift or what happened during the first Pokéballs. Just the before and after.
Either way it was a letdown of a good title, but and interesting read all the same.
The second book 'Caring for Your Pokémon and You' was better in content and for someone who hasn't lived with Pokémon before. It was a perfect introduction, in how to look after and care for pokemon.
Feathers and fur, skin and stone. It covered the basics of everything one needs to know about how to look after a Pokémon. Keeping your Pokés clean, working out dietary requirements, recommended exercises, and how to socialise them. Basically the most fundamental book on how to keep you're Pokémon happy and healthy.
There were a couple of things that I didn't agree with in the book but that was mainly me trying to work out things for dual types and such in my head.
Either way, great read! Great book. 9/10.
And finally the 'Trainers guide to training, 50 do's and don't's.'
The longest for last.
What a load, that one turned out to be.
Obvious didn't even begin to describe the advice written in those pages.
An example?
— don't bathe your fire, ground, and rock types with water.
...
...
... duh!
I don't know if this would be obvious to everyone else, but fire goes out under water. While rock/ground is eroded away, the reason we wash is to 'get rid of dirt'!
The only time you would purposely expose a Pokémon to its opposing element, especially one that could cause it's death, is when training and in unpredictable battles.
Another?
— Water types need water.
...
...
...
...
... again duh!
Water types can be categorised into three different types (I'm talking egg groups again), the amphibians, the fish(and like)and the crustacean (or everything else).
The amphibious can live on land and in the water, hence their definition. Most of these water Pokémon can swim but they breath air and not water, so they hold their breath. They also have a reservoir of water in their bodies, which can run out! They need to refresh and refill it to use their water moves.
Fish (or fish-like) Pokémon obviously need to swim. They have gills and need to breath water, to live. They can breath air but it is uncomfortable for them to do so for too long. Some can learn to battle on land but they struggle, until they can learn to manipulate the water in the air they are essentially a 'fish on land'. Duh...
And finally the crustaceans (or aquatic invertebrates e.g. jellyfish, coral, crabs etc). They don't struggle to battle on land or in water, but they still need to be able to absorb water to grow and be healthy. It gives them harder shells, bigger bodies and stronger appendages.
So yeah, no duh, Water types need water!?
I'm just saying I don't think I needed to read that book. It did let me refresh on my basic science and biology lessons from my past life memories. Still knowledge is knowledge I guess and it is for kids sooo... whatev's.
I did learn a couple of things.
— ground types don't like flying.
With the exception of gligar's evolution (if that can be considered flying), and the ground typed dragons, most ground types are scared of heights. As long as their 'grounded' they're fine but they tend to panic when lifted higher than 30ft off the ground. Some react worse, to heights, than water.
— flying types have issues with caves.
Not so much the ground, or even the types that live in the caves. It's the confined space they don't like. The have mild claustrophobia. While the cave bats are fine, other flying types (especially bigger bird-like ones) need to have the space to 'stretch there wings'. Deprived of flight, their reactions can be pretty varied depending on the individual. Some just panic, others hyperventilate and others still become depressed.
Anyway the book was filled with facts that I don't think I needed to read about it, and probably would have worked on my own, learnt from the anime/and games or already deduced from my own logic...
In conclusion: I think I would have been just fine without the studying that one.
Still...
Time to move on I think.
Time for some tor- Er- I mean training! It's about time I introduced DeVil to some form of workout! Lazy pup needs to move.
"DEVAALLL~ WHERE ARE YOOOU~???"
—— @@ ——
'I think he might be hiding from me? My tone of voice must have given me away...'
"DeVil I know you're in here... you left a trail."
A very obvious trail of soot coloured paw-prints that led to a room not far from mine. He must have heard me coming down the hallways, calling him, and fled. Entering the quite room, I noted the furniture in here was covered with white cloths. This room hadn't been use in awhile but it was still clean. Well not now... soot dusted the room in a few different places.
"Come on Val! Don't you wanna be a big bad Houndoom some day?" I called, turning toward one of the covered tables, when I heard a sound.
A black nose, followed by a red-orange snout appeared from under a soot-stained white cloth.
"One with fur so dark you'll blend into the night, all but invisible..."
Some black paws with silver cuffs shuffle from cover.
"And with horns that will rend solid steel...and teeth that will tear scales from dragons..."
Val's ears perked the sheet up. His eyes were still covered but I could tell I was convincing him.
"A demon so strong, his bark will terrify even the fiercest of legends..."
The sheet slipped a bit more revealing his large eager eyes.
"Come on boy, we've got some training to do."
A bark and my pup jumped up.
"Great! Then let's get tor-eerrr-aining!!"
The Houndour looked like he wanted to go and hide under the sheet again.
—— @@ ——
"Right so what moves do you know?"
He looked at me blankly.
We had proceeded into the garden for this experience. The sun was nice and warm, and the sky was a clear blue, above me and my pup.
'Man what I wouldn't give for access to Bulbapedia right now... or a Pokédex. Do they even have those out now?'
But I didn't have either...
'I'll have to look on the bookshelves at school, Monday, to see if they've got anything on the Houndour breed. I know my parents won't have anything current about Pokémon moves or even Pokémon in general in their library. I have been brought up here, I would know...'
Houndour (and by extension Houndoom) wasn't a Pokémon I had ever used in my game team before. Growlithe and Rockruff sure. Even had a Poochyena for the full play-though of Ruby once. The last game I played (Sword on the Switch) I even had both a Nickit and a Yamper on my team for most of the game...
And their evolutions. I didn't just play the game without evolving them.
I just never really used Houndour before.
Guess-work it is for now then...
"Well you're part fire type so Ember first right? I'm gonna say most fire-types start with that move. Ember attack on the wall!"
DeVil turned to face the wall of the garden where I'd gestured. He paused for a second or two, before he opened his mouth the fired a bunch of smallish glowing embers at it. There was quite a bit of heat and it seemed like a pretty intense move when it hit. When he finished, there was a blackened patch on the slate-gray stone.
"Good job! That was pretty good for such a young pup!" I smile and scratch him behind the ear.
'Well at least I think so, I haven't seen any others IR(S)L yet...'
"Right next! Most Pokémon start with a normal type physical attack move. Let's try and see if you have one too, Ok? Tackle! No? Um Scratch... Quick attack maybe... err... Pound?"
He just looked at me blankly, shaking his head no at each suggestion.
"Nothing huh? Alright moving on then. Next would be status boosting and de-buffing moves. Let's try self-boosting ones first."
He rumbled at me with a tilt of the head. I took that to mean "what are you even talking about?"
"Well... moves that either, increase or decrease, you're own status or that of you're opponent. Usually at this stage they don't really leave any damage. So let's try a self-buff moves first ok... um..."
Blank...
I don't really have a good memory for these, I would always delete them early in game to make room for more damaging moves. Let me tell you, I was not a tournament player.
"Right so, umm belly drum?" I look at him but nix the idea quickly, embarrassed. "Er no that's for big gut Poke's I think. Umm... Defense cu- no again, rounder Poke's for that one."
He was watching me and I was becoming a bit flustered.
"Er- Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong... you're dog first so probably Howl or Growl right?" I can't remember which one does what though...
The young hound barks again and turns.
'Alright got something then.'
He proceeded to howl. Loudly. A tinge of red aura, slowly rising, surrounded him.
'Right I think red is attack so, boosted attack. And obviously Howl not Growl. Ok good to know!' I stick my finger in my ear for a second, trying to get rid of the slight ringing.
"Sweet! Right do you think you know any others? Hmm... Harden's out two I think. Right what about double team?"
He shook his head.
"Er- um... focus energy?"
Another grumble and head shake.
"Ok well that's all I can remember off the top of my head. Let's try opponent de-buffs... Tail whip?" I looked at his tail, "eh probably not..."
He looked at his own short tail, flicking it but turned with another negative.
'Well it lowered my defences. So cute!'
"Ok um what is that one Rattata uses? Is it Glare? Sneer? Leer?-"
He barked again, interrupting my thoughts.
"Leer?"
He turned his head and his brow lowered, his eyes glowed surrounded with an eerie blue glow.
'Ok um I think blue is Defense, so de-buff defence. Right we're getting somewhere.'
Well that's three moves. Probably all the natural ones he's got at the moment, still we should try a couple more things.
"Right just a couple more to try then! Right let's think Dog again... Um Oder Sleuth and Bite maybe? Let's test out those."
I picked up a stick from around the edge of the yard. The gardeners hadn't been here this week to clean up yet.
"Go ahead and bite down on this."
He sent me a confused look but did as I said and bit the stick.
He broke it but there wasn't any black aura or anything so I wonder if he had Strong Jaw as an ability or maybe... wasn't Bite originally a normal type move? Still he didn't look like he put that much effort into it, so maybe Pokémon were just that strong... that was something to worry about... later...
"Ok not the move I think... Well, close you're eyes I'll hide this-" I hold up the destroyed piece of wood to Val's nose "-somewhere and you find it ok?"
He makes a rumple in his throat and wags his tail. To me this meant: "I'm ready! Let me at 'em!"
"Good. Eyes closed!" I walk around the yard for a minute and place the broken stick on the ground, moving away. The grass was long enough that it was hidden enough visually.
"Ok DeVil go!"
He sniffed the air moving around the space, but there wasn't really a pattern to his movements. He did eventually find the piece of wood, but I don't think he used the move to do so. It was just a bit too slow and he didn't even follow the path I had walked.
"So a no-go on that too. Well last one that you might know before we move onto testing if you have any egg moves. Lets try Smokescreen!" Most fire types could do this one too, and it was a good move that they used a far bit in the the anime.
He grumbled and shook his head.
"Oh? Ok... no again huh?" Well that sucks a bit.
"Houn, Houndour" he spoke to get my attention and opened his mouth. A slightly purple tinged gas bubbled out of his agape maw. It wasn't very dark so it wasn't smokescreen, and being purple meant it might be a poison type move.
"Um is that Poison Gas?" He closes his jaw and shakes his head, the gas fades away quickly. Obviously this one hadn't been mastered yet.
"Ok, haze?" Negative again. 'Yeah that one's a blackish colour anyway, I think.'
"Smog?" He barks and jumps up.
"Ok that's great four moves! Smog, Leer, Howl and Ember. A nice basic set. Let's see if you've got any egg moves next?"
'I can't remember but I think it's the dad who gives the egg move, and the mum who dictates the Pokémon's breed?'
"This might be harder that I thought... how many Pokémon are even in the same egg group as Houndour/ Houndoom. Probably heaps... and then there's also how many moves that might be possible... ugh... if I at least new who your dad was I could make some guesses." I drag my hands down my face.
"Houndour." Val barks again and I split my fingers to look through them.
"You know you're dad? Did he teach you how to use your egg move?"
Growling and a motion of the head that moved left and right. I hadn't seen this gesture before but I could guess what it might mean: "eh so-so" or "maybe, maybe not."
"Well it's a lead what have you got for me?"
He opened his mouth again and his fangs glowed a faint red. Fire started to lick the edges of his teeth.
"Fire fang!" He barked a positive.
'Well not the best move considering his weaknesses.'
He barked once more and opened his mouth again. 'Another one? I thought you could only have one egg move?'
Pfft-'Maybe his dad was loaded too.'
This time he seemed to struggle with summoning the correct energy... after a few minutes his teeth produced a yellow tinge. "Yellow... Electric? Thunder Fang too, wow!"
He seemed pretty proud now.
'I'm pretty proud too, this move was much better for handling at least one of his type weaknesses. And two egg moves wow!'
"Good boy!"
Another growl and a bark. 'Three eh?!'
"Alright... what's this one?"
He didn't open his mouth this time, but he did start flexing his muscles, after a moment he stopped and glanced up, looking a bit disappointed in himself. There was no glow of power or anything so I don't think he really knew how to gather the right energy for this one yet.
"Don't worry! Two is awesome, three is amazing! You'll get it perfect eventually and I'll help you." His expression cheered up a bit.
"But what move is that one?"
He flexed again. "Muscles? A fighting type move?"
He barked positively. "Ok. Fighting type, Fighting type... hmm... bulk up?" Head shake. "No? Um Double kick?" Negative again.
'Well that was a long shot.'
"Hmm, counter?" He barked but shook his head. "Close but no?"
Counter? Returning the move maybe?
"Revenge?" He barked twice but shook his head again. Much warmer this time...
'What's the move Growlithe can learn?'
"Um...Reversal?" Val barked wagging his tail.
"You're so awesome Val! Seven moves! And five different types! You're gonna be the best Houndoom ever!"
Val's red-orange muzzle darkened to a purer red, he looked down obviously a bit embarrassed, but the grin on his face told me he enjoyed the praise.
Praise-lax.
"Anything else?" He gives me a head shake.
"Right next then! Now that we know what you can do, move wise we are gonna start working on your base stats. First we will focus training on balance and defence. Then we will work on speed and endurance. Finally intelligence and attack. We won't work on your moves just yet ok? I feel the basics is what wins most battles. So are you ready?"
A high toned bark was the reply.
"Good! Cause it will be hard! You might wanna quit before it's over!" I warned.
Val's replay was a sharp bark with a shake of the head. I took it to mean: "No way am I gonna give up!"
"Excellent you will need that drive to succeed in my training. To keep trying when you think you can't. To go to higher than any Houndoom has gone before. Are you willing to put in the work!" I was getting a little too invested my speech.
But the pup was just as excited bouncing and barking with agreement.
"Will is what you must have. The will to learn. The will to practice then perfect. The will to suffer but endure. The will to never give up! The will to stand up against the odds, and do so over and over and over again! The will to win. Are you ready to gain your WILL!"
A loud, high pitched bark bounced over all his other noises, confirming his opinion on this hyped up monologue. I interpreted it as: "Yes! Let's Go!"
"Right then. First!..."
He was still jumping and barking waiting for the first of my instructions.
I smile and the pup slows to a stop.
My smile widens, more teeth than usual showing. Val's ears droop, his mouth closes and his tail stops wagging.
"Let's try something to test out your endurance and defence first." He lowers his body a bit as I lean in, his ears now pinned back, tail tucking, positioning himself for fight or flight.
DeVil's eyes enlarge as I speak two more words clearly, and without pause.
"Bath time."
—— @@ ——
Hey! Hey! Hey!
I wasn't that cruel! I had just recently confirmed my suspicions about water and fire, so I wasn't going to drop my fire puppy in a lake.
I'm not that heartless!
Truthfully, I'm quite taken back that he seemed to think that's what I was going to do...
Where's the trust?
I brought a quarter-filled, bucket of water outside into the sun, and knelt down in the sandbox before calling over DeVil. I hoped the sand would absorb any extra drops that fell to the ground.
This wasn't really about getting the puppy squeaky clean after all. It was a way to train up resistance, work on endurance and bond.
... and I wanted to see how he would react to water. Not because of his typing or breed either, specially his reaction. What does he do when water makes contact with his fur.
But DeVil didn't seem to want to come over.
"Come on boy! It's training! There isn't even a lot of water, look!" I tip the bucket showing him it's minimal content. "It's not even cold, it's been sitting in the nice warm sunlight for a while!"
That was a little bit of a half truth. The bucket had been sitting in the sun... when I found it... the water was from the tap. But I had filled it with warm water knowing this might help, so there's that...
He crept closer eventually stepping into the sandpit.
"It's alright, I'm not going to tip the whole bucket on you or even use a sponge just the water I collect on my hands alright?"
He finally relented and moved closer, reluctance in every muscle.
"Good boy." I give him a scratch before dipping my hand in the water. He watches me at first but grits his teeth and closes his eyes as I move closer.
I touch the back of his neck first. He flinches at the touch but doesn't try to dip away. He opens his eyes, seeming surprised.
"Not so bad then?"
I dampened my hand again, this time pat his snout. He keeps his eyes open this time, not looking away. He doesn't flinch this time either. His grin/ smirk surfaces.
"See easy!" I scratch his ears again.
He barks. A couple of drops of warm water rolling off his snout.
I dip my hands in the bucket again, this time touching his side close to the chest. I rub my hand into his fur a bit now, pushing the water closer to the skin. He takes a step back but doesn't look to uncomfortable or hurt, just a bit annoyed.
'Maybe because his typing is dark first it doesn't bother him as much as if he were purely fire type?'
"I'm gonna keep going ok?" He frowned now, but nodded.
I continue for a while, emptying the bucket eventually. His fur is now damp and spiked up in some places. Now he looks bothered. He doesn't look like he's suffering or anything, but he's definitely not happy.
"Right that wasn't to bad was it?"
He snorts and grumbles, looking at me annoyed, but shakes his head.
"Well we'll try more water next time yeah? Maybe you can even get clean."
His eyes open wide. Betrayal leeks from his pores.
"Why are you feeling betrayed? Look at me! I thought I was getting you cleaner, at least a bit. Now I'm the one who will have to take a bath."
It was true. My hands, arms and clothes now had an oily black muck smeared over them.
I should have remembered that fact. That when there's more dirt than water in a mix, it turns to mud.
So apparently when washing a soot-covered, fire-puppy with a quarter-filled bucket of water you end up covered in a sooty-watery-muddy combo. I bet there was even some on my face and in my hair.
He looks at me, with a choking bark.
"Are you laughing at me?" I squint my eyes.
He laughs a bit more, before standing up and staring at me.
"Satisfied?"
He grins.
"What?"
There's a glint in his eye. One I'm liking less and less by the second.
"No..."
Wait that grin is definitely more of a smirk.
"Doon't..."
The glint darkens, becoming something sinister.
"Don't you dare."
'Oh he dares.'
He shakes his body vigorously, causing everything left on his coat to splatter all around him.
Including all over me.
"Damnit..."
His choking bark returns, full-ball.
—— @@ ——
Yo everyone!
Wow that's a long one!
Do you think I've made my Houndour a bit OP? I'm not sure if it's possible to have more than one egg move or not. Anyone know for sure?
I'm making it possible in this fic, but only cause the character's parents are rich so they probably got the best money could buy anyway.
I've looked it up (on bulbapedia) and there is one Poké that appears in all the egg move -Er- slots (moves?) I'm using. And that Pokémon is... da da daaa...Stoutland. Which is another Poké I never used in game...
IRL - means 'In Real Life' for those who don't know. I added and 'S' for Second...
Also reference beneath for the stat boosting and de-buffing...
Attack - red
SP Attack - red-orange
Defence- blue
SP Defence- blue-green
I'm pretty sure the games go 'red is boost and blue is de-buff for whatever stat is being targeted', but I wanted it clearer so... I think I made this up? (Is it? Not a hundred percent. As I said I didn't keep stat-only changing moves around long and I've read a lot of fiction)
For other status's I'm gonna be using the description of what the move does more than a visual 'glow' but the glows will be coloured with...
Speed - yellow
Accuracy- Purple
An example would be "... BLANK was slowed down by string shot..."
Do you like some of the facts I made up? Some I used real facts (as real as I could find) and others I created assumptions from facts.
Hope you like~
Toodles!