Saga of the Five Regions
Ch.4: Getting Some Ruffleted Feathers!
We rejoin young Dante Haradin, arriving at Cherrygrove city with his Totodile Hyp and his new Pokémon, Ursus. He inhaled the sea air as he walked into the Pokémon center. Saying hello to the nurse Joy present and the Chansey, Dante walked to one of the videophones, and dialed his mother. He wanted to show her the choice he made with Hyp along with Ursus, though there was no way he was going to tell her about HOW he caught the strange Teddiursa. As he started the call, the stoic face of her Blastoise Gauge greeted him.
"Hey there Gauge, how's Mom been? Not worrying too much has she?" Gauge shook his head curtly, as if saying "not much, but she is". "Mind getting her for me? I need to talk to her." Gauge plodded off, coming back with Dante's mother. "Hey Mom, how's the home life been?"
"Dante!" his mother said, "Good to hear from you son. You aren't hurt are you? You are aren't you? Oh I knew I shouldn't have let you leave, stay right ther-"
"Mom! I'm fine, I just called with a progress report. I got a Totodile from Elm. Come on up here Hyp, say hi to my mom." Dante looked down to see Hyp waving his arms at him, wanting him to lift him up. As Dante put him in front of the monitor, his mother fawned over the little Totodile, Hyp blushing with each of her compliments. "Okay Hyp, I think you've gone through enough torture for now. Oh, mom I also caught my first Pokémon! Mom," Dante said, letting Ursus out of his Pokéballl, "Meet Ursus." The Teddiursa gave a small wave and smiled.
"A Teddiursa huh? Well, it does look strong honey," Dante's mother said, "Though it seems slightly strange. Are those cracks on its moon and gray claws?"
"Yes it is. I saved it and its mother from some Pokémon traps, and after the mama Ursaring went berserk on a poacher, she allowed me to capture him and bring him on my journey, just as long as I went back and visited." His mother was skeptical at that, Dante knew it, and he hoped that she would let it be for now.
"Well alright honey, I'm happy your Pokémon are so cute!" Dante paled at the mention of that word around Ursus. As The Little Bear powered up a Dynamicpunch, Dante grabbed him and pulled him back before he could punch the screen.
"Ursus, calm down, she didn't know! Mom, please don't call him that. The last person to call him that was a nurse Joy in the Pokémon center on the way here, and I think she still has the claw marks on at least 40% of her body." His mother looked at him like he was crazy to catch him, but saw the look in the Teddiursa's eyes and knew its life was rough. She apologized, and taking the opportunity, Dante said goodbye and turned the video off.
Glad to be done with that, Dante was about to walk out the door when it opened and a man running in crashed into him. "Hey, watch where you're go-" suddenly he noticed this man looked very familiar. "Oh, whoops, sorry Professor Elm, I didn't know it was you. What are you doing in Cherrygrove by the way?"
The somewhat clumsy professor stood up and straightened his glasses, saying "Dante, good to see you again so soon. I'm actually here to pick up a package sent to me form a friend of mine in Unova. I see Hyp is looking well. And is that a Teddiursa? Your first caught Pokémon I presume?"
Dante nodded, saying, "Yep, this is Ursus. Come on buddy, don't be shy, he's a friend." As Ursus walked out from behind the boy, Elm looked slightly shocked at its unique features.
After a lengthy explanation of how Ursus was caught (and a promise from Professor Elm not to tell Dante's mother), they walked out of the Pokémon center to see a Pidgeot with a satchel around its waist. Elm walked up and caressed its head feathers. "Hello Bluster, did you get my package from Nick?" The Pidgeot nodded, opening the satchel with its wing. Elm reached in, but he began to strain, saying between weezes, "Ugh… Dante… Little help please... *weeze* this crate is heavy." Dante dipped his hands into the satchel and helped the Professor hoist a large crate out. Putting it on the ground, Dante stood up, rubbing his back in pain, knowing that it was probably the worst of it, hopefully…
Standing back up, he stepped up to Bluster and pulled one of his favorite treats, a sweet and spicy Pomeg Berry from his pocket, and held it out to the Pidgeot. "Hey Bluster, buddy. You want a Pomeg berry? I have a feeling you'll like this." He got his answer as the Pidgeot happily ate the berry.
"Dante," Elm asked, "How did you know that Bluster liked sweet and spicy berries? Oh, and before I forget, your mom told me to give you this." And with that, he reached once again into the satchel and pulled out a black fedora with a red skull on the side of it, the skull having two Cheri Berries in its mouth, and gave it to Dante.
"Hey, my lucky fedora! Thanks professor!" he said, sticking it onto his head. "And as for the berry thing, well, I don't know, I can really just tell what type of berries a Pokémon likes, its weird. By the way, what's in the crate? A rare fossil? Pokémon eggs? Oh oh! A new type of Pokédex?"
"Even better Dante! I had my friend Nick from Unova give me the best Cheri berries ever! Perhaps you can help me with this?" Dante sighed, grabbing a crowbar Elm took from the satchel, he was shocked and surprised by what he saw.
There were no Cheri berries, only a little bird Pokémon. Its head was covered in fluffy white down with a grey patch of normal feathers around the eyes. The grey feathers adorned the rest of it's body except for its feet, which had small black talons on each of its 3 toes. On its forehead was a single large feather, red on the bottom half, white on the top. It also seemed to have an extremely full stomach.
As Elm looked in, he Jumped back and screamed like a little girl, "MY BERRIES!"
Dante looked back in the box and back to Elm, asking, "Hey Professor, what the hell is that?" pointing at the crate.
"Well Dante, that is a Rufflet. Other then the name and the fact that the entire species is made up of males, I don't know much about it. Wait... Dante, can I see your Pokédex?" Dante grabbed his Pokédex out of his pack and gave it to the professor, who then put a small SD card into a slot on the Dex. "Here Dante, I activated the international Pokédex. With this, all Pokémon from any region can be identified. Why not try it out?"
Dante nodded, taking out the Pokédex and scanning the Pokémon, he turned Voice mode back on as it whirred to life and said, [Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon. Rufflet will challenge any opponent without fear, even those much larger or stronger then itself. These battles help it to become stronger, and its bravery is legendary throughout the Pokémon world.]
"Rufflet huh? This is interesting. Heeeeeey buddy," Dante said, picking the Rufflet out of the crate, "Someone really likes Cheri Berries huh?" As he finished that sentence, the Rufflet realized that it was in the arms of a stranger, so it flapped its wings and started pecking at his hat. "Hey! Ow, OW OW OW OW! Get off me you damn bird! Hyp, intervention!" Hyp nodded, and aimed a Water gun at the Rufflet, hitting it dead on and knocking it to the ground. It got back up almost immediately and flapped its wings furiously, creating a gust blowing back Hyp and knocking him into a tree. The Eaglet Pokémon then flew to the tree and began preening its feathers.
Dante's eye twitched as he let Ursus out of his pokéball, saying, "Ursus, see that Pokémon in the tree? Rock throw, now!" Ursus nodded, picking up a rock on the ground, aiming, and hitting the Rufflet dead on, knocking it off the tree. It got up, angry and flew with great speed straight at Ursus, a trail of light going behind it. "Shit, Quick Attack, move!" It was too late as it hit Ursus dead on, moving him back but not blasting him back. "Now, Dynamicpunch!" As the rainbow energy charged around Ursus' fist, it slammed into the Rufflet's head and caused a mini explosion. When the dust cleared, Ursus was standing tall (about as tall as a Teddiursa can stand…) and the Rufflet was stumbling around, visibly confused. "Yes, he's confused! Now Ursus, Rock throw again!" This time Ursus grabbed the ground, and pulled out a rock chunk that was much bigger then the normal. Ursus admired his work for a moment, and then chucked it as hard as he could at the Rufflet.
Said Pokémon shook its head and snapped out of its confusion just in time to dodge the huge chunk of earth thrown at him. It then blew its wings and kicked up a large amount of dirt and dust, and when it cleared the Rufflet was gone. "Damn!" Dante said, scratching the top of his head. "Where did he go…Wait, top of my head? HE TOOK MY HAT!"
Professor Elm later described the look Dante had in a single word: Rage. He'd seen A herd of stampeding Tauros. He'd seen a Charizard with a sore throat. Nothing, however, prepared him for the sheer rage that Dante had for that bird."Where. Did. It. GO!" Suddenly, Hyp piped up, pointing into town at the Rufflet, his hat in its talons. It looked back at them, chuckled a little, a somewhat cynical grin in its beak, and perched on top of a building. "Okay, boys, saddle up! It's game time. Professor Elm, got any tips for me?"
"Well," Professor Elm said, "According to the Pokédex, Rufflet is a Normal/Flying type, so Ursus seems like the best choice. However, if Hyp knows any Ice moves that might help as well."
"Well, Hyp doesn't know any, but he could still help. Alright boys, let's go!" Hyp and Ursus cheered, and they ran into town after the Rufflet. As he ran through the town however, he noticed multiple stands somewhat knocked over, people's hair disheveled, and even a berry vendor pouring sand out of his boot. Dante stopped and looked at the man, who said, "Let me guess, you're looking for a weird-lookin bird Pokémon with a big feather on its forehead? That little shit ate all my Cheri Berries, and then covered the rest of my stand in sand and dirt! If you catch that thing, keep it the hell away from my stand!"
"You got it pal." Dante ran off, then stopped, looking around for the building Rufflet perched on. Hyp, who was next to Dante, suddenly perked up and jumped to the right. Dante didn't know why until he was hit dead on with a Quick Attack. As he was knocked to the ground, he noticed the Rufflet was now wearing his hat, and sticking its tongue out at him. it was only for a moment as it was knocked off Dante's stomach by a large rock. Ursus smirked, throwing a rock up and down in his hand. The Rufflet got up, a determined look on its face, as its claws grew in a strange light. "Hmm, Hone Claws… I'm likin this one even more." It shot at Ursus, dodging every rock he threw, and finally getting in front of him and slashing him multiple times with its talons. "AND Fury Swipes? Oh, you are so mine! Ursus, get him off you!"
Ursus backhanded the Rufflet back, and then hit it with a Scratch. Rufflet flapped its wings furiously, blowing Ursus back into a tree. A tick mark appeared over his head as he started throwing rock after rock at the Rufflet, the eaglet dodging everything and sticking its tongue out at ursus. Said Pokémon roared in anger and readied another rock, which for some reason was glowing orange. As he threw it, it went twice as fast as normal, and pegged Rufflet straight in the head, knocking it to the ground.
"I don't know what that was Ursus, but hit it while it's down, Dynamicpunch!" As Ursus charged up another attack, the Rufflet bravely got to its feet, and charged it again, faster then Ursus could swing, and knocked the little bear out cold. "Ursus! Damn, return!" As he returned Ursus to his ball, Hyp stepped up to the plate. "Ready for your battle debut little buddy?" Hyp nodded his head, and then looked shock and pointed at the Rufflet. It was glowing a yellow hue, its wounds closing up and its energy returning. "Oh shit, it knows Recover too? Hyp water gun!" As Hyp hit the Rufflet head on, it endured through it and sped through the spray with a Quick Attack. "Hyp, tail whip!" Hyp managed to turn and nail the bird square in the head with the spikes on its tail, knocking it off course and right into a tree. It stumbled backward, and right into Hyp's waiting jaws. "Now, Hyp, Bite down!" Hyp complied and chomped down on the head of the Rufflet, and the Rufflet cried out in pain. Hyp let go and blew another large Water Gun, knocking it into a tree once agin, the Rufflet beginning to glow yellow once again.
"Aww hell naw! Not this time!" Dante threw the Pokéballl at the Rufflet, hitting it dead on and pulling it inside. It shook left and right, when suddenly it beeped. Hyp jumped up and down, happy as could be, and Dante laughed at his antics, and said "Awesome job, Hyp, I'm proud of you!" Hi-fiving Hyp and thanking the still KO'd Ursus, he let the Rufflet out of its Pokéball, which somehow still had Dante's fedora on his head. "Okay buddy, you gave me quite a lot of trouble." As Dante tried to take his fedora back, the Rufflet pecked at him. "Well, someone seems attached to my fedora. And you are quite the courageous little Pokémon. If you'd like, I'd like to call you Cour. How does that sound?" Cour flew up and landed on Dante's head, putting the hat back on, then landing on the ground next to him, nodding happily "Well then, Cour it is! Welcome to the crew." After heading to a Pokémon center and healing Ursus up, he ran again into Professor Elm, this time on Bluster. "Hey Professor Elm! I caught the Rufflet!"
"Well that's great Dante! Did you give it a name?" Professor Elm said, somewhat proud of Dante.
"I named him Cour, but there is something weird that happened. Ursus threw a rock, but it glowed orange and flew twice as fast. I'm pretty sure it wasn't Rock Throw, but what was it?"
"Hmm…" Elm said, "That might be Smack Down. It's just as strong as Rock Throw, and it makes Flying types susceptible to Ground-type moves." Dante nodded, thinking about what he could do with such a powerful attack. "Though it seems that Ursus is using the rock as a medium. Most Pokémon that use Smack Down form a ball of energy. I'd suggest trying to get Ursus to lose the medium, could make Smack Down much more powerful. Well, I have to get going, I guess I'll see you another day Dante. Come on Bluster, let's go!" As Elm flew away, Dante walked down the road towards Violet City with his new friend Cour.
Yes, Its Johto, yes it's kind of filler, shut ya faces. Cour will keep his love of mischief throughout the series, don't worry about that. And as for the Houdoom burn, it will be a mainstay throughout the series due to the Pokédex entry. I will be taking some of them seriously, not just Houndoom. Which ones, you'll find out later :3 Thank you for reading, so please review this bad boy.
