I realized how crazy I was acting during the Prologue, so I'm gonna be totally calm. I hope you liked the Prologue, and here is Chapter 1!
Chapter 1
"Ripples on the waves
Battles on the brain
Can you ease my mind?
Can you feel the strain?
"Carry me across the sea
Carry me to days gone by
Let me feel what I felt then
Let old passions fly
"Love the ones you have lost
Love the times you knew
But new life has come along and
It needs your love too
"Rippling waves will bring me home
Back to where life starts
Rippling waves will bring with me
My beloveds' heart
"Rippling waves, rippling waves
Rippling waves of love"
The group of carolers finally finish "Boy and his Lapras". It was considered a heartwarming song that they sang around their 7th gym leader's birthday, Pryce.
Thank the lord Mew. The teen starts to walk away from the combination of carolers and townspeople. While the voices of the carolers weren't totally terrible, uplifting songs just make him sick. It reminds him too much of Kanto, the region next door that he was born in. Carolers bombarded the streets of Fuchsia City much like the presentation he just witnessed in Azalea Town.
He passes by a kid and shoves him a little. The younger kid gets the idea and they walk over to Slowpoke Well.
"What do you want at this hour? It's our leader Pryce's birthday, ease up a bit!" the kid says.
"Your leader, not mine. My seventh gym in Kanto belongs to Blaine, a different old guy. He had to relocate to the Seafoam Islands because of a huge eruption there a few years ago. Now are we done with facts? I want an Apricorn Box," the teen replies straight-up.
"I told you earlier this week, man. My stock doesn't come in until Thursday!" the kid says, being as laid-back as someone could.
"I offered three gold Pokedollars! As rare as those get, it's enough to buy me a whole team of Pokemon!" He was really getting ticked off; the dealer guaranteed him anything he wanted for enough money. "In fact, one gold Pokedollar could buy me five Apricorn Boxes."
"We can talk tomorrow, Finn," the younger one says. He starts to walk away.
"You're a fraud, kid! A fraud!" Finn yells at him.
I can't rely on anyone in this messed-up hellhole.
Finn walks around the big crowd around the gym. Bugsy's voice could be heard just through the conversation and light singing.
"... and that's how the Caterpie fit through Pryce's gym door!"
Finn shakes his head as even the carolers stop singing to laugh.
"And finally to begin the Azalea Town Bug Contest! First prize gets a set of pristine Ultra Balls, ten silver Pokedollars, and a Pokemon Egg bred at the Daycare Center nearby holding a bug-type Pokemon!" The leader takes out a whistle from his shorts the shape of a Slowpoke. After a noiseless blow, four Slowpoke appear from behind Finn.
"Slow!" one of them shouts. It whips Finn off their path with its tail. Bunch of Slowpoke bullies.
On a royally made scarlet cushion lays a pale purple Egg with a yellow spot near the top. As stupid as Finn finds Bugsy, not even he could leave a bare Egg on a cushion.
A puffy egg-white pillow lay inside a cylindrical glass case. It seems to Finn as comfortable, but being a claustrophobe didn't help the small and compact part. A golden lid holds an odd Pokeball it its holder.
"Oooooh!" the kids cheer.
"Aaaah!" the adults cheer.
Bugsy intercepts the crowd's admiration. "Kurt has recently created a new type of Pokeball called the Bug Ball! As cheesy as the name is, it was on such short notice. It is skilled in catching any type of bug Pokemon and will only hold them. We hope to improve on this, but the prototype is right before your eyes! The winner will get to hold their hatched Pokemon in that ball!"
The four Slowpoke stop at Bugsy after cutting through the crowd. Some of the kids reach for it in an attempt to feel the cushion.
"Now down to the deep stuff. As you all know, we only host these competitions when new rules are being placed in the Universal Laws," says Bugsy, piquing Finn's interest. "Last time the curfew of 8 PM to 7 AM was placed. The new rule is as said: All trainers must have a Trainer Card with picture, Trainer ID, and parts of their birth certificate to legally train and journey with Pokemon.
"But now on to the fun stuff! If anyone would like to join in now, they are welcome."
After a short period of silence, except for the shuffling of feet up to the gym door, a single voice calls out from the crowd.
"Me!" Finn runs up to Bugsy. His acting isn't totally up to date, but a young, hurried teen passing through towns is his usual. "I would like to enter! My name is Clark."
"Just Clark?" one of the bug enthusiasts asks from the little line up front. "What a loser," he whispers to his friend.
He's calling me a loser? These guys are full of themselves. Finn smiles politely and joins the line. The line has seven people, including him.
"Okay, Clark. Now, the first challenge is questions. First question: Name all the bug Pokemon evolutionary lines you can catch on routes 30-33 plus Ilex Forest."
This question was easy for him. With an advanced education back in Kanto, Finn easily answered the questions. One of the contestants, Gordon, got ruled out because he didn't even list one bug Pokemon, just water Pokemon. Finn mostly copied from Wade, who would've won the round if he said "Paras", not "Palas". "Caterpie, Weedle, Spinarak, Pineco, Ledyba, Heracross, and Paras," Finn had said.
The second question was slightly harder than the last. "Name all the evolutions of your given Pokemon." Bugsy picked cards from a bug-catching net to assign Pokemon to each person. Finn only started to listen when Bugsy said, "Clark and Weedle."
By the time it was his turn to speak, the hiker Anthony had gotten ruled out because he didn't know that Pineco evolved into Forretress. "Its basic form is Weedle, obviously, then Kakuna, then Beedrill."
The only truly messed up part about the competition was Bugsy's affection for Liz, the only girl ever, as Bugsy stated, to join the competition. He covered her mistake of Heracross's line by saying, "Sometimes, as none of you may know, Pinsir do evolve into Heracross." It was a very unconvincing lie, but the people listened to Bugsy no matter what.
The third and final question was actually an easy one. "Name one attacking bug-type Pokemon move." The bug catcher Don was ruled out because he said String Shot, a move to lower the foe's speed.
Wade said, "Leech Life," very smugly. Easiest way to win, jerk, Finn thought. After Bug Bite and U-turn were taken by Albert and Liz, respectively, Finn was forced upon Beedrill's signature attack Twineedle.
At the end of Round 1, Finn had the most points with three. Wade and Albert had two points, winning only the second and third questions. Liz had one point because even in Bugsy's attraction, he couldn't totally cheat by giving her a point she didn't deserve.
After the first round, Bugsy reset all of the points. Round 2 is where all the fun is at, though. "Battle time!"
Bugsy appears from his gym carrying four Pokeballs. Each one has a bug Pokemon that the competitors were assigned to. Bugsy throws a Pokeball with a Weedle peering through the translucent top at Finn.
No. Freaking. Way. Is he gonna make me battle with a stupid little Weedle? Just because some hat decided for me? Finn looks over at Liz. Her Heracross flexes its thick arms through the Pokeball top.
"When I open these doors, everyone will calmly walk inside my gym and watch as the four trainers fight. Pairings are: Liz versus Wade and Albert versus Clark," Bugsy explains.
Finn looks at Albert. A Ledyba smiles through the Pokeball. Easy. Poison it and keep using String Shot.
Azalea Town's residents walk into the bug gym and fill the lobby. "Just wait a sec as the battlers get ready," the gym leader prompts. "Hurry, guys-and girl," a wink at Liz, "go set up."
Finn walks with Albert. "Sorry, Clark, but your Weedle is dead meat. Ledyba knows Comet Punch."
Shit! Finn thought that all the Pokemon around the gym were weak since his Pokeball held a Weedle, not a Beedrill.
Finn watches the room fill with spectators. "On your marks!" Bugsy exclaims. "Start!"
"Ledyba, go!" Albert screams at the top of his lungs.
"Weedle," Finn says hopefully, "I choose you!"
He zones out on everything else. Loud cheers turn into quiet whispers yards away. "String Shot!" he calls.
A thin, silky white string shoots from under Weedle's nose. It keeps Albert's Ledyba stuck to a thick tree. "Poison Sting, Weedle!"
"Supersonic!" Albert yells in a panic. Rings of yellow-white energy shoot from Ledyba's mouth. Little purple splinters shoot from Weedle's pearly white stinger.
The stingess shoot through the rings of energy and stab Ledyba almost everywhere. The rays strike Weedle and he tumbles back a little.
"Albert's Ledyba seems to be poisoned by Weedle's stingers! On other news, Liz from Violet wins above Wade from Violet," Bugsy MC's.
Now everyone's eyes are on Finn and Albert. "String Shot Ledyba's mouth shut," Finn commands.
Weedle instead squirms into a wall. "Hang on, Ledyba," Albert encourages. "Comet Punch the string!" Ledyba struggles under the String Shot until it finally breaks lose. With her six stubby arms, Ledyba flies to Weedle.
"Weedle, hear my voice. Focus on my voice!"
"Wee wee..." he replies. A huge WHOOSH of air sends Weedle to the other side of the field.
"Poison Sting!" Finn screams.
At the last second Weedle yields his rear stinger. Ledyba, already hurting from the Poison Stings in her body, throws a fist at him.
"LEDYYYYYY!" she screams in agony and pain.
"No!" Albert howls.
"YES!" Finn screams.
Albert's Ledyba flies straight into the ceiling. Albert sprints to catch her.
"Clark from..." Bugsy looks at Finn.
"Um, Goldenrod." A bad lie, yes, but Finn isn't quick on his feet.
"Clark from Goldenrod wins above Albert from Azalea!" Cheering everywhere.
"Return, Weedle," Finn calls. He's not so useless after all.
But instead of returning, Weedle shines a bright white. Uh oh, Finn thinks. If he evolves, he actually will be useless against Liz!
A Kakuna stands in Weedle's place. "Awww," the crowd says admiringly.
Evolve again evolve again evolve again...
"Kaku!"
"Awww!" the crowd continues.
After Bugsy hands both Liz and Finn a Full Restore, they take their positions.
"Kakuna, don't fail me now!" The familiar red light erupts from the center button of Finn's Pokeball.
I'm doomed...