"Okay guys, let's go look for more friends!" Alex cheered as they walked out of the Pokémon Center after eating. They were heading over to Route 22 to look around, a few people suggesting to check it out.
"Char!" Sienna cried out pointing towards some rustling grass.
Moving closer to see, they saw that it was a male Nidoran, the trainer nearly squealing with excitement.
"He's so cute!" Alex giggled, knowing she was going to catch this Pokémon. "Alright, Sienna, let's…"
She barely got to finish her words when her Pidgey flew after the poison type, sending it flying, too far to catch as it ran away.
"Ansen!" she scolded before letting out a sigh. "I guess we'll just look around, bet we'll find another one. But no more attacking without my say so!"
Her words though went unheeded by the bird, as he continued to attack most of the wild Pokémon they encountered, including another male Nidoran.
Upon her third find, she tackled Ansen down, forcing him back in the Pokéball, getting pecked the whole time.
"You. Are. Not. Attacking. Right. Now!"
The moment she could, she threw a ball at the startled Pokémon, successfully catching it just as Ansen came back out.
Angry at being denied a battle, he started attacking his trainer, leaving her to run about to evade him. Several minutes passed before she got him to once more redirect his aggression on wild Pokémon.
"Nido?"
The poison type looked around when he was called out, looking at the angry bird chasing wild Pokémon and the happy lizard standing next to a disheveled girl.
"Hello, welcome to our…happy family, Lance," Alex introduced as she knelt down. She was really pleased to have found such a cute Pokémon.
"Nido!" he squeaked as he hopped into the girl's arms, seemingly happy at the arrangement.
"You're so cute and so small!" the girl laughed as she cuddled him, mindful of the spines. "But we'll help you get big and strong like Sienna and Ansen, what do you say?"
"Ni!"
"Atta boy!"
She gathered up her Pokémon, carrying Lance in her arms, going over to Route 1, feeling it'd be a little safer to train. Plus it was closer to the Pokémon Center than if they continued training around Route 22.
Almost right away when entering the field, they spotted a Rattata.
Excited, the trainer set her new Pokémon down, her other Pokémon sitting on the sidelines to watch. Surprisingly enough, Ansen actually stayed to watch than fly off to do his own thing.
"Alright, use Tackle!"
Alex watched as her Pokémon put up a good fight, exciting her of how awesome her new Pokémon will be.
However, the fight turned deadly when the rat Pokémon sank its teeth deep into the pink flesh and fur, breaking the skin.
"Lance!" she cried out when the Pokémon screamed in pain. She feared the worst, her body frozen in place, unable to make herself move.
She barely saw something run in, sending the purple rat airborne, crashing into a bloody mess several feet away from them.
"Ansen?"
At first, she thought the bird had jumped in to save her Pokémon, knowing how fast he is. But she was shocked to find it was Sienna who saved Lance. She stood where the Rattata had been, claws glistening with bits of blood as she panted, glaring at the lifeless body.
"Oh, gods… Sienna…"
The fire type turned, appearing upset at what she did, before both heard a small weak cry, snapping them out of their daze.
"Lance!"
Alex grabbed her Pokémon, returning Ansen and Sienna to their respective pokéballs, carrying the little one in her arms.
With all she had worth, she ran out of the grass and towards the Pokémon Center, feeling the Pokémon trembling with pain. He was breathing hard, fearing she might not make it in time.
"Hang in there, we're almost there," she begged as the building came into view.
"Oh my, what happened?" Nurse Joy gasped when Alex ran in.
Seeing the injured Pokémon, she called for a stretcher, placing Lance on it, the Chansey already carting him off for treatment.
"It…it was a wild Rattata," Alex answered shakily. "It tried to kill Lance!"
She couldn't hold back the tears as she fell to her knees, crying softly.
Nurse Joy gave her a sad look, staying behind as the other staff took care of the Pokémon. While the Nidoran 's injuries were pretty bad, they weren't fatal. Right now Alex needed someone to help calm her down.
"It'll be alright now," she comforted, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "While it was fast, his injuries didn't look that serious. He'll be good as new in no time."
"M-maybe I shouldn't have caught him. I should have thought it more through. He could still be a baby with how small he is."
"It happens, most trainers don't know much about the Pokémon they catch until they start battling or have them taken for treatment."
"R-really?"
"Yes, really. I've had plenty of trainers come in with Pokémon that are young."
"What should I do then?"
"If you don't think he's suited for battles, then you could have him sent to your house and made a pet or have him released. But I think after a good rest, he'll do much better. The Nidoran line is known for being a very sturdy species."
"They are?"
"Mhm," Nurse Joy nodded, giving Alex a hug as she helped her to her feet. "Why don't you sit down? I'll have someone bring you some water while I check on, Lance was his name?"
"Okay…" she sniffed.
"If you'd like, I could take your other Pokémon if they need any treatment too," Nurse Joy offered.
"Oh? Right…"
Alex handed the woman the pokéball holding Ansen but hesitated with Sienna's.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing, sorry about that. Lance getting hurt like that…it really scared me."
"That's understandable, but you won't have to worry. He's in capable hands."
Nodding numbly, the young girl handed her starter's ball, watching as they were taken for healing as well.
Going over to one of the chairs, she sat down, drawing her knees up, resting her forehead on them. She wasn't sure how much time passed but hearing her name called, she looked up to see the glass of water had been left at some point.
Before getting up, she took it, taking a long drink, not realizing how thirsty she was. Afterward, she stood and went over to the front desk.
Despite the nurse's comforting words, she feared the worst until seeing the bright smile on the woman's face. It sent a wave of relief through her, allowing her to breathe easier.
"They're all healed up," Nurse Joy explained as she handed the balls back to their owner.
"Thank you," Alex smiled, bidding the woman goodbye as she went outside.
Finding a bench to sit at, she took it, calling her Pokémon out to see them, Lance especially.
There were a few bandages where he had been bitten, but it looked like it was more to protect the tender flesh than conceal an actual wound.
While she hadn't been told he couldn't fight, she was hesitant after what happened.
"L-Lance?" she started, the Pokémon nibbling on some grass.
"Ni?" he chirped, ears twitching as he turned to her.
"I'm sorry that you got hurt. I should have been more careful and had Sienna or Ansen with you than so far away. I understand if you're upset with me. I'll also understand if you don't want to battle anymore if you prefer to go back home. I could even send you to my house and be a pet. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind and could help me fill out the paperwork."
"Chaar?" Sienna gave her trainer a concerned look.
"It's the same for you two as well. If you ever feel like you don't want to fight or don't want to be with me, let me know. I want you guys to be happy."
"Charmander, char!"
The fire lizard hopped up on the bench, wrapping her tiny arms around Alex, giving her a hug. Alex couldn't help but smile, more so when Lance tried climbing up to join. She reached down to pick him up, laughing when he started licking her face excitedly.
"I'll take it that you two want to stay?"
Both Pokémon gave out cheerful cries.
"What about you, Ansen?"
The bird gave a huff and surprisingly perched himself near her. Ansen wasn't an affectionate Pokémon, Alex could see that, but the short time she's had him, she could tell by his actions that he seemed to like being with her. It was that or he simply enjoyed the chance to beat her up at any chance he got. Plus, he really did seem to enjoy battling and likely would enjoy battling gyms if he stays.
"You guys are great," she smiled, hugging the affectionate Pokémon.
"Ni! Nido, ni!" Lance started chattering, hopping out of her arms.
"Lance?"
Alex watched as he sat in front of her, gesturing his front paws down the path leading back to Route 1, the Pokémon quickly running up to her legs, tugging on her pant leg.
Sienna was beaming as she hopped down, grabbing her trainer's hand, trying to get her up as well.
Getting what they were doing, Alex gave them a smile, "Alright, if you want to get stronger, then we'll try again."
She got up, following the two back to the outskirts of town, Ansen flying overhead them.
Once they were there, Lance dove into the grass to search for an opponent to fight, eager to get stronger.
In his excitement, however, he didn't hear his trainer calling for him to slow down. He only did when he found a Pokémon, freezing in place when seeing it was a Rattata.
The poison type barely had time to react when the rodent lunged at him with a cry, viewing him as a threat to its territory.
Lance dodged several tackles, his mind going into a panic as he looked for his trainer or the others. Tripping over a rock, the Pokémon let out a cry, fearing the Rattata would get him.
Just as it made another lunge, a flash of orange shot between them, revealing to be Sienna as she chased the rat away. Once certain they were safe, the fire Pokémon led him back to where Alex and Ansen were.
The young girl let out a gasp when seeing they were hurt, Lance more so, she took them back to the Pokémon Center for treatment.
However, instead of giving up, Lance seemed more determined to get stronger, wanting to go back out to the grassy fields to train.
While she couldn't understand his exact reason, Alex was willing to let him train, the others by his side should he need it.
"Ni!" Lance let out a victorious cry.
He finally beat his very first opponent without help! He was exhausted, of course, the fight wasn't easy, but he did it and he was proud.
It took them days before he could be trusted to handle fighting on his own without immediately jumping in and it was paying off.
"You did great, Lance!" Alex cried out, running over to hug him. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Char, char!" Sienna cheered happily, relieved to see him getting stronger.
"Ran!" Lance squeaked excitedly as he nuzzled his trainer.
The poison Pokémon felt so happy with all the praise, he barely noticed himself being carried back to the Pokémon Center for a well-deserved rest.
He knew that if he can continue winning, he'll continue getting stronger. And if he does that, not only will Sienna no longer have to protect him, but he can do the protecting for both her and their trainer! The thought made the Pokémon smile as he nuzzled in Alex's arm.
As the training continued, there were some Pokémon that proved more aggressive than what they were used to. Not only did they try to attack Lance with the intent to kill, but took aim for Alex as well.
Sienna would retaliate against any she could get as did Lance. Any too fast for either, Ansen surprisingly came to their aid.
"Lance, look out!" Alex shrieked. She made to run towards her Pokémon when spotting a Rattata running for him. "Behind you!"
He turned to see the purple rat running, letting out a cry as he jabbed his horn into its side, the appendage glowing briefly.
Throwing the rodent aside, the poison type thought he killed it before it twitched and soon got up, running away. Seeing how much stronger the Nidoran was, some of the other aggressive wild Pokémon that had been in the area backed off.
"W-was… Was that Horn Attack?" Alex stammered. She was in awe of what she saw, a relieved smile forming on her face. "That's amazing! You're going to be as strong as Sienna and Ansen soon!"
"Nido!" he squeaked happily, jumping into his trainer's arms.
Eager to prove his strength more, Lance hopped down, spotting a Rattata. He wasn't as afraid of them as he used to be now that he was stronger.
On the girl's command, he charged at the rodent with his horn aimed low.
As several days passed, Alex could see her Pokémon were getting much stronger, Lance especially. Not only was he getting stronger physically, but his confidence grew the more Pokémon he defeated.
"Ni?" Lance chirped softly as he shook his body after fending off another Rattata.
"Something wrong?" Alex asked, kneeling down to her Pokémon.
Finding no signs of immediate damage, but did see a strange substance leak from some of his spines. Concerned about it, she pulled her Pokédex out, having it do a quick scan, reading that Lance had learned Poison Sting.
"That's right, you're a poison type," she murmured. "Why don't you practice aiming Poison Sting at some rocks? We don't want to accidentally poison someone until you learn to control it properly."
She remembered reading about poison type Pokémon in school.
Most normally already know how to secrete venom, but those that don't are either due to a birth defect or their venomous glands haven't fully developed. When the glands are developed, they would practice either on each other, rocks, even decaying trees.
"He must have been really young when I caught him," she murmured softly.
It made her concerned about taking him from any family he had, but thinking back, if he really did have a home, he would have been with them. The Nidoran line is known for being protective of their young, Nidorina and Nidoqueen especially. They likely would have attacked her if they were near.
That in mind helped her feel a little better about catching him. Whether he was an orphan or got lost, being with her, he's a lot safer than trying to fend for himself.
For the next couple hours, Alex had her Pokémon practice controlling his Poison Sting on any rocks and occasionally a fallen tree.
She made a mental note to buy extra antidotes in case Lance ever poisoned her or the others by mistake, even any new teammates.
Looking at the sky, realizing it was getting rather late, she recalled everyone, wanting to get back to Viridian with the available daylight.
"Calling it for the night?" Nurse Joy teased when the black haired girl walked in.
"Yeah, everyone did really well, Lance especially. He learned Poison Sting today."
"That's wonderful, be sure to carry some antidotes if you aren't already."
"I will."
"That's a good girl. I'll take your Pokémon to heal them while you get dinner for yourself and your Pokémon."
"Thank you," Alex smiled as she handed the balls over.
About ten minutes later, she heard her name called, going to the front and picking her Pokémon up.
Taking them to her table, she called them out so they could eat with her.
"I was thinking we should start training in a new spot tomorrow. There's only so many Rattata and Pidgey we can battle before things get to easy for us. What do you guys think?"
"Char! Charmander char!"
"Nido ni nido!"
"Glad you agree," Alex giggled as she turned to her third Pokémon. He showed no sign of acknowledging her question but felt he heard her. "What about you Ansen?"
For a moment, he did nothing, eating his meal until he was full. When he finished, taking one last drink from his bowl, he looked at her. The bird gave a gruff sound that sounded like he agreed as well.
Next thing Alex knew, the Pidgey flew above her, flapping his wings hard, creating a powerful Gust.
"Ansen! Not in here!" she cried as everything around them was blown into the air.
Trainers nearby let out startled screams as they tried to shield their food or any Pokémon that were light and could have been blown away.
When the finished, Alex gave the bird an angry glare, "Maybe instead of working on getting you stronger, I should focus improving your manners!"
Ansen ignored her as he let out a yawn and fluffing his feathers a bit before fluttering towards his ball that had fallen to the floor. He calmly pecked the button, having figured out how to work it and went inside.
"Ugh… You're such a stubborn Pokémon!" she huffed as she got up to pick her stuff up and anything else. Sienna and Lance joined her, the latter mostly eating any edible food that fell to the floor.
Thankfully the nurse was aware of her Pokémon's attitude and was used to rowdy Pokémon sometimes going off without warning.
However, Alex could hear some trainers making rude comments about her inability to control her Pokémon, causing her face to turn red.
"I've heard plenty of stories of trainers raising Spearow and have difficulty with them, but never with a Pidgey…" she sighed. Looking over, she noticed a man picking things up as well, having her walk over. "I'm sorry about my Pidgey."
"Its fine, he seems pretty strong compared to most I've seen in the eastern part of Kanto."
"Really?"
"Mhm… He likely had family members from one of those flocks before ending up here."
"Even so, I wish he'd listen to me better."
"Does he listen to you at all?" the man asked with concern.
"Only for battles," she sighed. "But not much in anything else, like with what happened. He'll sometimes attack me too, though it might be out of revenge for catching him."
"Sometimes Pokémon are like that. They can sometimes have a pretty stubborn attitude. I've dealt with quite a few myself," the man chuckled as he picked up the last of the fallen food.
"Jolt!" a scarred up Jolteon barked. It made its way over to the pair of trainers with a big smile on its face.
"Hey, buddy," the older trainer greeted. He knelt down, rubbing the Pokémon's face gently.
"Is that your Pokémon?" Alex asked in awe.
"Yeah. This is Henry."
"He looks really strong."
"He is, I've been training him for quite a long time ever since he was an Eevee."
"I hope I can get my Pokémon really strong too."
"I'm sure you will. Are you thinking of taking the League challenge?"
"I signed up for it recently."
"That's great to hear. So are they your only Pokémon?" he asked, gesturing to Lance and Sienna as well as Ansen's ball.
"They are, I haven't gotten to explore anywhere else for a Pokémon."
"No worries, but you might have some trouble facing Flint though."
"Who's that?"
"He's the current gym leader in Pewter City. He races rock type Pokémon."
"Oh, and all of my Pokémon are weak against rock types…"
"No need to get bummed out now," the man reassured, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "There are other ways to beat rock types."
"That's true," she nodded, recalling her battle with Azure and his Squirtle.
"If I can suggest something, try to get yourself a Caterpie at Viridian Forest or near it at least."
"Caterpie?" she blinked before it dawned on her. "That's a great idea. Once they evolve into Butterfree, they'll learn Confusion!"
"Exactly," he laughed. "I'm guessing you've seen some then?"
"My mom owns a few from her days as a Pokémon trainer."
"Then you know how tough they can be."
"Yeah, thank you for suggesting it though, I really appreciate it," Alex smiled. "My name's Alex by the way."
"Nice to meet you, name's Steven," he grinned. "And it's no trouble at all. I don't mind helping new trainers if I can." Stifling a yawn as his Pokémon let out loud one of his own, Steven gave her a sheepish grin. "Guess it's time Henry and I hit the hay."
"I should sleep too," Alex nodded, giving Ansen's ball a glare. "Of course, Ansen beat all of us, sneaky little fluff ball."
Steven let out a laugh, causing her to smile at his good nature, "I'm sure he'll settle down the more you raise him."
"I hope so," she sighed, "night, Steven."
"Night, Alex."
Alex - Pokémon 3 - Badges 0 - Deaths 0
Team:
Sienna - Charmander
Ansen - Pidgey
Lance - Nidoran M.
In regards to Steven, he is NOT Steven Stone from Hoenn. The name was random when thinking him up. Not sure whether I want to change it or keep it as is.
Same when I named Lance, it was a random moment, but it stuck as I even make jokes about it.
If you enjoyed this, please leave a review and any helpful critique that may better improve the writing.
