Colin thought. "Piplup, Bubble!" Piplup listened to Colin's command and fired a barrage of bubbles at Croagunk. Croagunk dodged the attack and launched purple needles at Piplup. Poison Sting, thought Colin. "Dodge, Piplup!" But the command came too late. Piplup was consumed by purple needles and could barely move after the assault.
Croagunk practically smirked as it sprinted toward Piplup and unleashed Mud-Slap after Mud-Slap.
One critical Mud-Slap had launched Piplup at Colin who caught Piplup, but the force of the impact had still knocked Colin over, sending his flat cap flying. Piplup was unconscious as Baz ran outside and returned Piplup to its Pokeball. "Colin! Take this!" Colin glanced back in time to see Rowan throwing a Pokeball at him and his assistant, Dawn, carrying Baz's Piplup into the Lab. "Well. uh...Go!" Colin, with no idea of what was in the Pokeball threw it in front of him. Shinx entered the field, prepared to attack. "Ready, Shinx?" Colin asked. Shinx looked back and ...did it smirk? No, Colin thought. Just being crazy again. "Shinx, use Tackle!" Shinx charged forward and barely missed Croagunk. Croagunk retaliated with a swift Poison Sting. But Shinx matched Croagunk's speed. The two Pokemon danced around each other luanching attacks, after attacks until Shinx caught Croagunk off guard and sent it flying backwards into a nearby tree. Colin and Shinx chased after Croagunk. But Croagunk was waiting for them, launching a devastating Pursuit on Shinx. The next few seconds were a blur to Colin. Pursuit, after Poison Sting, after Mud-Slap. Shinx had little to no leverage against the stronger Croagunk.
It seemed near fact that Shinx would lose this fight. All Colin could could do was watch as Croagunk mercilessly pummeled Shinx. Then the Peck hit. Piplup burst from behind a shrub along with Baz in a surprise attack. Croagunk reeled from the Peck and Colin saw his opportunity. "Here, Shinx!" Shinx caught the Oran Berry in its mouth and ate it swiftly. As hungry as it was hurt. At this, Colin smirked. What a brave little Pokemon, he thought. Croagunk had taken the place of Shinx as it was now being attacked by Piplup. Half connected, half missed. "Baz, I have an idea." Colin beckoned Baz over to him. "Coordinated attacks?", Baz asked. "Like out of a textbook.", said Colin. "Piplup, use Peck!" "Shinx, use Tackle!" Piplup used Peck as directed. Shinx, however, did not use Tackle. Shinx appeared to glow as it launched a new attack.
Spark, thought Colin. Interesting. The two Pokemon launched their attacks on Croagunk. Croagunk launched into a tree and slammed into it with full force with a cry of pain as it fell. Croagunk slid down the tree slowly. It was clear that Croagunk would not recover in time to fight again.
As if in pure instinct, Colin reached into his bag and pulled out a Pokeball. He would capture this Croagunk. Colin would know victory, for once. The ball lauched to the Croagunk, hitting square in its forehead. The impact knocked Croagunk to the ground, but before the Croagunk hit the dusty earth below it, it dissolved to red light and disappeared into the Pokeball. Again, Colin looked at the Pokeball as if he thought it would explode. One. Baz and Dawn, who had ran out as Croagunk hit the tree, were tending to Shinx and Piplup. Two. Rowan looked at the window at the group, especially Colin. Like myself in my youth, hought the Professor. Three. Shinx ran to Colin's side, almost like a childhood pet. The Shinx seemed to look at Colin with a feeling of admiration. Proud of its commander. Click.
Colin nearly fainted when he heard the click and the saw the sparkles of confirmation. Shinx jumped with joy at the fruit of its labor. Baz and Piplup were sitting in awe of their friend who had caught a Pokemon before they had. Dawn was...happy for Colin. To say the least. Colin walked/stumbled to the Pokeball and picked it up. Examining it, he realized he had just coordinated two Pokemon to take down one. Then he passed out. He woke with Shinx curled up on his chest, asleep. Baz and Piplup were both also asleep. He was back in the room? Ok. He saw a letter next to the nightstand he shared with Baz, addressed to him. It read as so: "Colin, I saw your performance earlier this evening. I must say, you did SPECTACULARLY! (here, a "you did it!" sticker with a Pikachu on it next to spectacularly) Croagunk was healed and is on your flat cap.
(Baz, no doubt) Shinx was in a bit of a fluster after you fainted, so its currently staying with you. Stop by my lab before you leave town so we can talk about some...
urgent topics. Best Wishes, the Professor (written under Rowan's title was AND DAWN in big, sparkly letters) Colin smiled to himself, to Baz, to Shinx, and to his flat cap, whcih held his first ever Pokemon that he had caught.
Early that morning, Baz woke up Colin again and the two set out for the Professor's Lab. Baz was still coming down from yesterday's adrenaline rush. The conversation during the walk to the Lab was mostly Baz gushing from what little of the battle he saw. Colin kept up with either rolling his eyes, going "Yeah, it was kinda cool.", and "really?" Rowan must've seen them coming, because he greeted them at the door. "Well, I see Shinx recovered nicely. As did Piplup.", said Rowan smiling. "Yeah." Baz and Colin had said this at the same time, then looked at each other. "So you have Croagunk, but i need to ask you something, Colin. In private." Baz understood and, noticing some Krabby down at the beach, ran to fight them.
Rowan's office was small and simplistic. A computer, a voice chat module, and several bookshelves with stores of knowledge and ancient legend. Not much else. After a small amount of time, Rowan sat down and said,"Now, you and Shinx work well together. Have you considered taking Shinx with you?" Colin flashbacked to yesterday: Shinx and Piplup fighting Croagunk, Shinx learning Spark, Shinx's resilience in battle against Croagunk, and Shinx curled up in a blue and black ball on Colin's chest. Rowan cleared his throat. Colin had involuntarily pulled out Shinx's Pokeball and was staring at, as if looking at Shinx through the ball. "So?" Colin looked at Rowan, with his cloudy blue eyes, and said, "Well, Professor...I haven't really thought about all that much but don't you need Shinx until you get more Pokemon?" Rowan chuckled while saying "A Pokemon Professor does not need actual Pokemon to study Pokemon, Colin." Colin retorted with, "If you really don't mind, both Shinx and I would love to travel with each other." Rowan smiled, "Excellent."
Rowan and Dawn saw the two out to Route 202 (according to the sign Colin had seen). "GOODBYE!", exclaimed Dawn as the two walked forward. "Best Wishes to the both of you!", said Rowan. Professor Rowan and Dawn were walking back to the Lab when Dawn spoke up and said, "Professor, didn't you say the Day Care Man called and said the new Pokemon were ready to be picked up when they came into town?" Rowan looked at his assistant and said, "Well, I didn't want to burst Colin's bubble. You see, I wanted to show him what it's like to be a trainer for the first time. And I suppose Baz needed to mature a bit too." Rowan looked proud of himself after he stopped his speech. "You for got to tell me to pick them up again, didn't you?", asked Dawn. "Absolutely.", responded the Professor. Colin reasessed his first two days of his journey: Baz and Piplup, Cyrus, dawn, Rowan, Croagunk and Shinx and smiled. He and Baz were walking down the entrance to Route 202. As he was walking Colin looked at Baz and Piplup, his badge case, his Pokedex, his Bag, and finally, his Pokemon: Shinx and Croagunk. After walking for a while, Baz and Colin looked at each other for a while. After a few minutes, Colin spoke up and said, "So are we just traveling together now?" Baz looked comically offended. He responded with, "Unless you don't want to deal with Me and Piplup." Colin rolled his eyes and said, "I guess we're stuck together now." "Yeah." Baz responded as Piplup climbed on Baz's head, slowing Baz down. Colin looked at Baz and Piplup. "Made for each other.", muttered Colin as they walked down the road, excited for the journey ahead.