AN: I've recently started a new Naruto fanfic called Dark Science. Although that has been getting much more attention, I still intend to finish this story, as it is based on an idea that's been roaming around in my head for a long time. Silver Fang is very close to my heart.
Until noon, I had challenged and defeated a few trainers in Striaton City to get some cash, a small portion of which I used to eat lunch at a trainer restaurant. Trainer restaurants allowed people to bring pokemon with them, which normal restaurants didn't allow (since pokemon were pretty destructive).
When it was about to become noon, I rushed to the gym, and slammed open the doors as I reached a few minutes late. I walked in, trying my best to ignore the many stares coming from a lot of the remaining challengers.
"Well, that makes 50," Cress said, a bored expression on his face. He was standing with the other two gym leaders atop the podium across the room. "Now listen up everyone! The first place trainer of the preliminaries gets to skip this round, leaving us with 50 people. You will all pair up in the next five minutes. Your pairs will then be assigned a gym trainer or gym leader, who will guide to a location to do battle. 13 pairs will have to wait for the first 12 pairs to finish up before starting their matches."
I hung my head, remembering the times we had to pair up in school. I couldn't have Ray with me in every class, so in the ones where I was alone, I had to make do with the leftover kids; usually the ones who didn't do any work and stared at other kids creepily with bulging eyes.
I looked up to see nearly everyone trying to pair up with me. There was a lot of shoving to get near my position near the front door. A mid-teen boy ran up to me out of the crowd and put on a baby-doll face. "Please me my partner?"
I raised an eyebrow, thinking for a second that I might've been popular. That thought vanished easily. Instead, I realized that since I got in by luck, and I came late, I was probably going to be considered a noob.
As a few more prospects came near, I said, "I'll be with you." I was pointing to the girl with the Poipole, who was standing alone in the corner, glaring at the crowd around me.
The girl suddenly blushed, and everyone around me started complaining. I shrugged, running to the girl. She didn't say anything, and just continued to glare at me.
"Eh sorry that just popped out of my mouth... but sure can we fight?" I said.
The girl cracked her knuckles. "I'm okay with wiping your sorry butt across the battlefield!" Despite her harsh tone, her voice was soft and lilting.
"One minute left! If you don't have a partner at the end of the minute then you're immediately disqualified!" Chili yelled. Several people paled and started running around frantically.
Unfortunately, everyone was paired up in time. I was hoping one of the gym leaders would watch my match, since I had been a special guest of theirs, or something like that. Instead, we were assigned a gym trainer; an uptight waiter who held his pokeballs atop a circular platter. And we were in the second half of battles, so we would have to wait another two hours before getting to do our match.
"Young children, sit down on a table and don't get up. The only exception is for the restroom," The waiter said, his head tilted upwards in an indifferent manner. "I will be in the kitchen. If you need me... too bad."
We watched as he left for the kitchen, and I took a seat at a table and looked at the girl. She grumbled, then took a seat oat the same table, opposite of me. The table was circular and had a white tablecloth atop it, along with neatly arranged glasses, forks, knives, and a few condiments.
"Now what?" I asked.
"Screw you," the girl said, pulling out a phone. She started furiously swiping on the screen after a few minutes. Probably a game.
I kicked back my legs and relaxed in the comfortable seat, but I was still pretty bored. Why couldn't we train? I decided to just bend the rules a little. I threw all three of my pokeballs.
"Everyone, I have to sit here for the next two hours. You guys have to stick together, go out, and train or something. Come back in around one and a half hours," I said.
My pokemon looked at me with confused expressions. At least, Grime and Monotone did. Aack was pretending to sleep. I sighed, remembering his crippling mental condition, and said, "Monotone and Grime, you two go. Aack can train with me in my seat."
My first two pokemon nodded and bounded off as I lifted my Slowpoke onto the table. I was wondering if I had made the right decision.
"Honestly, a Slowpoke? A Slowpoke? Which idiot would train that?"
"Hey loser, go screw yourself," Aack said.
My eyes widened and I looked at the girl to see her reaction. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have a pokemon translator.
"God, it's noisy as well," she complained. "Just return the fatty."
I reddened. "Hey, wanna do a battle while sitting on these seats! One on one, my Slowpoke versus a dumb pokemon of yours!"
The girl hesitated, but only for a split-second. After that, she smiled. "Why not?" She released a Blitzle.
"That's a type advantage! I can't believe you have to rely on that to win!" I said, crossing my arms.
"I really have to do this?" Aack said, turning to me.
"I will win! I will win!" The Blitzle said in a high pitched voice, prancing around. The electric horse pokemon had an intense voice crack.
"Hey pony, go screw yourself," Aack said with a bored voice.
The Blitzle stopped prancing and turned to look at Aack. "Hey Slowpoke, I could destroy you in a race if I wanted! I'm so fast, even a Tornadus would have to applaud me!"
I decided to add more conflict between them to encourage Aack to want to battle. "Hey Blitzle, how come your trainer chose her Poipole for the gym race and not you?"
The girl blushed. "You have a pokemon translator!"
I nodded, smirking. "Yeah, of course. Any trainer worth their salt has one. I'm surprised you don't."
The girl got up from her seat, fury evident in her eyes - but just then, the waiter came out of the kitchen. "Hey girl! Sit down!" he yelled, running to our table.
The girl sat down. I smugly watched as he lectured her on listening to gym workers and to not always be a rebel. The girl was glaring at me the whole time, but that just made the experience even better.
Eventually, the waiter walked away, cursing under his breath. Once he was back in the kitchen, I looked at the Blitzle. "My question still stands."
"What race?" The Blitzle asked, titling its head.
The girl huffed, and returned her pokemon. "I'll call off the battle."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
The girl crossed her arms. "Because."
I sighed and rested my head on the table. For the next few hours.
It was finally time to battle the girl. We were in a large clearing in a forest, and the waiter/gym trainer/referee/nuisance was standing off to the side. The girl and I each had a Beast Ball at hand.
"Begin!" The referee said, clapping his hands for impact. He then went on a phone call.
I released my Poipole at the same time as my opponent. It was a showdown of who had a better Poipole.
"Monotone! Move #2 spamming!" I commanded. Move #2 was Growl.
The girl didn't give any commands, and instead just grinned. I raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. As Monotone started using Growl, the battle was already turning in my favor. It was possible her Poipole only used special moves, but she wasn't gaining any advantage from not doing anything.
As this happened, the waiter put his phone back in his pocket and pointed his gun at the girl. "You are a shifter, young lady. I'm afraid you will come with me," he said.
The girl looked at him and paled. Then she looked at me. "Let's defeat him together!"
I raised an eyebrow. I didn't want to get myself in any trouble; after all, the waiter didn't seem to be interested in kidnapping me. However, I knew that if I wanted friends, I would have to be nice.
So, going against my nature, I released my two other pokemon, and said, "Avoid the gun, and bring down the waiter! Rip him to shreds! MURDER! HA HA!" I yelled, starting off uncertain but going crazy at the end. I guess some of anger at the waiter had seeped in.
The girl had four pokemon of her own released and in front of her. The waiter balked, and pointed his gun at Grime; however, Grime had leaped already and bit the gun, splicing it in two.
Then a bright white light suddenly appeared from the area, and the other pokemon backed off, not sure what was happening. A few seconds later, a Mightyena and several bleeding hunks of flesh were found where the light had been.
I nodded. "Well, that meets the randomness quota for the day."
Sorry the chapter is shorter than usual, the next one will be larger than usual in order to make up for it.
Chapter 18 MC/age/pokemon changes:
Grime evolves in a Mightyena.
.-.-.
Monotone - Peck, Growl, Acid, Venoshock
Grime - Tackle, Snarl, Odor Sleuth, Bite
Aack - Yawn, Tackle, Confusion, Water Gun