Second chapter of nonsense. :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon
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"The first thing we do is to get you to learn a Fire move," Beck declared enthusiastically, as he walked Igneous along Route 117. "And, of course, a Ground-type move to help you against all of Wattson's Pokemon."
The Numel plodded silently beside him, giving no indication that he heard. After finishing the Berry, he had regressed back to staring at the ground, looking away slightly. Beck wondered if the Pokemon had confidence issues…or perhaps was he just plain, ungratefully hostile?
Pokemon take a while to warm up, Beck chided himself. Stop whining and be patient.
The air was fresh and sweet, lushness blown in from Vendanturf Town. There were Trainers milling around the area, some dressed in sports attire and jogging. Two schoolgirls were by the front of the Daycare, one of them instructing the other in a loud voice.
Knowing all about the Locking-Eyes Rule, Beck decided to avoid them, skirting along the edge of a bush and into some tall grass to battle some wild Pokemon first, to test and hone the strength of his Numel. He shuffled through it for a while and it wasn't long before he startled an Oddish out of the foliage. It scrambled in front of him, small crimson eyes flashing in annoyance at the disturbance.
"Alright, Igneous," Beck said cheerily, after thinking for a moment and coming to the logical conclusion that his inexperienced Pokemon would not yet know a Fire attack. "Use Tackle!"
His Pokemon seemed to take a moment to process that order and in that time, the Oddish quickly launched an Absorb attack. The Numel blinked in confusion as vines appeared from the ground and wrapped greedily around him, trying to suck his energy out.
"Hurry!"
Igneous managed tear free of the tendrils before they could do damage and charge at his foe. The Oddish squeaked as it was sent smashing into a nearby tree. While Igneous turned back around, the Grass-type had recovered enough to land another Absorb. When the Numel quickly broke free again to attempt another Tackle, the Oddish attacked with Acid.
"Back up!" Beck cried. Igneous obeyed, his head pulling back, avoiding the corrosive purple liquid by a hair. There was an ever vacant expression on his face.
"Use Growl," he tried. Igneous let out a low rumbling sound, causing the Oddish to flinch and retreat a few steps. This allowed for the Numel to plow into it in a punishing Tackle. The small Oddish was thrown back once more.
Beck didn't allow it time to recover again. "Keep it up!"
Igneous sent the Oddish flying once again. This time, the creature managed to land on its feet as it fell. The Grass-type tensed as it prepared to launch another Acid attack. Beck glanced around frantically for something that would help Igneous avoid the attack.
"Dodge! Use the rocks as cover!" Beck called, hoping that he would be able to make it. The Numel scrambled behind some large stones which hissed with dull steam as the liquid landed on them. He shot out a moment later with surprising speed, landing a solid hit which stunned the Oddish.
"One more hit should do it," the boy encouraged. "Quickly—,"
As the Oddish was thrown back by the consecutive Tackle, it managed to lash out with its stubby legs enough to kick Igneous on the chin. The Numel seemed to let out something like a sigh as he froze and then abruptly toppled over.
The Oddish sailed through the air from the force, before managing to barely land on its feet.
Beck was left staring at his unconscious Pokemon in shock. He had thought Igneous looked fine. He had never imagined that the Numel had become so weak from taking a few grazing hits that one more blow would have felled him. But then, Igneous had maintained a perfectly blank look on his face the entire battle, not reacting at all to anything he had taken—nor did he sustain very noticeable wounds, making it impossible for Beck to realize just how much damage was done.
Beck then remembered reading somewhere that Numel were somewhat immune to pain. He winced, wanting to slap himself for forgetting such a simple fact. His own carelessness had caused his Pokemon injury.
Igneous stirred and attempted to rise.
"Good job," Beck mumbled, quickly returning Igneous to his Pokeball before he could injure himself further in moving too much. The Oddish seemed to be in somewhat better shape, shaking off its dizziness and stumbling back towards the bushes, where it was probably planning to hide itself, burying in the ground until it recovered. Beck frowned at it, the fact that he had lost against the first random wild Pokemon he encountered stinging quite a lot.
Almost as an afterthought, or perhaps in whimsical attempted avengement of Igneous, Beck hurled a Pokeball at the weakened Oddish. The capsule shot after it, hit it on the head with a solid sound, and with a loud zap, the surprised Grass-type was whisked into the Pokeball.
One, two, three—clink.
Beck blinked at the silent capsule on the ground, stooped to pick it up. He stared at it in surprise for a moment before realizing he now had two injured Pokemon on hand, and then fleeing back to Mauville.
Fortunately, Igneous did not show discouragement despite his loss against the Oddish, who was now his teammate. Unfortunately, he did not show any encouragement either. He did not react too much to anything that Beck said.
Despite that, they were doing pretty well—they had adopted an efficient strategy to fighting other wild Oddishes, success which shot up greatly when Igneous learned Ember.
Beck was just beginning to feel better about himself, when he walked out of the bushes in a careless manner and was pinned down by a Pokemon Breeder.
"Your Pokemon looks strong," the Breeder declared, raising a Pokeball in challenge. Beck knew he had already locked eyes, and was forced to reluctantly send out Igneous.
"Go! Whismur!"
The round purple creature appeared in a flash of light, quivering where it stood. Despite its helpless appearance, Beck knew it was still deadly; he once had a neighbor who kept one and that thing could get loud.
"Keep your distance," he called to his Numel. "Use Ember!"
Igneous took in a breath and blew out a stream of small glowing cherry-colored specks. The Whismur whimpered as the hot coals pounded against it.
"Whismur, use Uproar!"
That was what Beck had feared. The Whismur began to wail, the sound waves pounding mercilessly through the air, causing nearby trees to sway with the force. The boy covered his ears as he shouted above the din, "Ember!"
If Igneous was pained by the noise, he didn't show it. He hissed a stream of sparks against his foe once more, causing it to scream even louder. Immediately after though, the Whismur's howls turned into whimpers. Beck spotted a bright red mark on its side where the Ember attack had hit—it had been badly burned.
"Quickly, use Tackle!" Beck shouted. He smiled triumphantly, as Igneous smashed into the Whismur, sending it skidding into the dirt. The Pokemon Breeder frowned a little, but switched out to a Zigzagoon.
Beck stared at the new Pokemon for a while and his eyes drifted to his opponent's belt. To the boy's horror, there was not two or even three Pokeballs there, but six. His heart sank. There was no way that Igneous and his newly captured Oddish would be able to defeat six consecutive opponents like this.
"Zizagoon, use Quick Attack!"
Igneous was forced back, as the raccoon Pokemon streaked forward with blinding speed. Beck watched his Pokemon with concern, having no idea how badly injured he was, by the earlier Uproar attacks. Should he stop the battle? Or was Igneous still able to easily continue?
As he deliberated, the Breeder took the opportunity to attack again. This time, Igneous stumbled and Beck decided that was enough.
"Okay, okay, I give," he called, readying some of the cash he had on hand to surrender as prize money. He still had Oddish in reserve, but it was impossible to win even then, in a two-to-six match.
The Breeder looked rather smug and stepped towards him, hand outstretched to accept the money.
"What are you doing?" someone suddenly snapped from behind them. Beck whirled around and spotted a girl standing there, her arms crossed. She looked to be about a year or two older than him, dressed in flowing, all-black clothing—black furred boots, a black skirt and a tank top with a short-sleeved silky sweater over it. Her long flowing hair was a startling shade of magenta, a color which matched her plaid messenger bag.
"That's pretty dirty," the girl declared, her silver eyes flashing like a beam of starlight. "A battle of six-to-what? One? Two? How can you bully new Trainers like that? Don't admit defeat yet,"—she was addressing Beck now—, "Those who give up early won't make it to the Elite Four!"
Beck blinked, because her statements had just contradicted one another. How was he not to give up or admit defeat when it was a six-to-two battle?
"Oh it's you," the Pokemon Breeder said, a crestfallen look on his face. He sounded irritated. "Look, all because you beat me doesn't mean you can—,"
"You can't just beat up on new Trainers with six Pokemon," the girl retorted coolly, gracefully whipping out her own Pokeball. "You're not the only one with a full team. Do you wish learn that again?"
The Breeder looked clearly affronted now. "We've improved from last time," he said angrily. "Don't underestimate us!"
Beck could only stand there, absolutely bewildered, as the Pokemon Breeder turned his Zigzagoon against the girl. She smirked, sending out an Umbreon. The elegant black Pokemon let out a bark of excitement.
"Let's go Stark—Dark Pulse!" the girl shouted, pointing forward like she was ordering a cavalry charge. The Umbreon sprung forward, unleashing a ring of black energy that streaked towards the Zigzagoon. The poor creature had no chance to dodge. The black mass was shot in such a way that it was not able to jump high enough.
A moment later, the Zigzagoon thumped back down into the dirt, unconscious. The Pokemon Breeder, looking frustrated, sent out an Aron next.
While all of this was happening, Beck hurried over to Igneous and asked him if he was alright. The Numel nodded solemnly, but the boy gave him a Potion anyways. The Pokemon held still as the wound medicine was sprayed over the many tiny bruises visible over his flank.
By the time Beck looked back up, the Breeder was recalling his last Pokemon. "You have good Pokemon…" he muttered grudgingly, as he fished a handful of cash from his pocket.
The girl tilted her head in a dignified manner. "You can give that to him." She pointed to Beck.
"Eh?" said the boy, looking up in confusion.
"After all, you're the one who forced an unfair battle on him," she said sternly to the Breeder, who rolled his eyes briefly, but walked over to Beck with the money. The young Trainer hesitated, but accepted the prize money.
A moment later, the Breeder had stalked off, probably planning to avoid Beck and other newbies like him from then on, for fear of random veteran Trainers interceding.
"Breeders and their full teams," the girl sniffed as she walked over, her Umbreon loping by her side. "I remember how one jumped me once…that was a while ago and in a different region, but still." She smiled kindly at him. "Hi! Are you a new Trainer?"
"Yes," he said politely, remembering his manners. "I'm Beck, and I've just started my League challenge…Thanks for helping me out."
"No problem," she replied with a warm grin, absently flicking away a stray strand of her dark-pinkish hair. "My name is Sabriel. I've been a Trainer for a year, but I've only recently started in this region. I moved here from Johto."
Beck shook her extended hand. "Are you challenging the Hoenn League then?"
"Yep. I have two Badges! Say," she said brightly. "Since we're both out for the League, what do you say to traveling together with my friend and I?"
Beck thought she was referring to her Umbreon by "friend", and was surprised to see her call over another girl who appeared to be walking by. For a moment the other girl seemed to be ignoring Sabriel, and it took several tries for her to finally reluctantly walk over.
"This is Sarah," Sabriel said cheerfully. "She doesn't talk much, but she's very good with directions!"
"But I don't talk much," the girl called Sarah reiterated, a faint undertone of sarcasm in her voice.
"Ah…right," Beck said, unsure of what to say to that, reaching out to shake Sarah's hand as well. She was shorter than Sabriel and very slight, like a wind could blow her over. Her pale wintergreen eyes were half-closed and slightly sulky, her chestnut colored hair short and neat.
"Are you challenging Wattson?" Sabriel asked. "Why don't you train with us instead of those Breeders? That's one of the perks of traveling with friends—you can improve without bankrupting each other." She laughed lightly and knelt down to greet Igneous. "Hello there."
To Beck's surprise, the Numel lifted his head and seemed pleased to be stroked there, an almost friendly sound rumbling from him. Beck stared at Igneous before smiling back. "I'd love to travel with you guys. We could use some training for Wattson."
"That's great!" Sabriel straightened and turned to look at him. "Why don't we start now? Sarah, why don't you fight—Beck, was it?—with one of your Pokemon?"
The other girl shrugged and Sabriel seemed to take that for a "yes" and so Beck turned to face her. Sarah had three Pokeballs at her belt. She plucked one out and tossed it lazily onto the ground.
"Go, Furret," she said in a flat monotone, like it was mantra she had grown weary of hearing.
The Long Body Pokemon appeared in a white burst of light, tan colored fur flashing. Beck studied the Furret for a moment and ordered Igneous to use Ember.
"Furret, use Return."
The Pokemon was gone like a brown bolt of lightning, seemingly charging right into the spray of Ember. But every single speck of the Fire move hit the ground with a sizzle, missing their swift target. Igneous looked just as bewildered as Beck, his eyes unable to follow the fast movements of the blur that was his opponent. A moment later, the Furret reappeared with blinding speed and began pummeling Igneous on the head with its paws.
"Growl!" Beck cried, "Then use Tackle!"
The Numel, ignoring the hits to his face, let out a low grumble, making Furret pause enough to be surprised by the Tackle attack. Igneous attempted to Tackle again, but the Furret rolled out of the way with practiced agility and flashed behind him, aiming for the Numel's back.
Igneous was most likely rapidly weakening, but Furrets were light and fragile. Beck knew if he could land another Tackle or Ember, it would be slowed down enough to be taken down before Igneous was.
"Turn around! Use Ember!"
Igneous, with the red-hot coals sparking to life in his mouth, whipped around with surprising speed and managed to spew the attack into the Furret's face. The Long Body Pokemon let out a startled squeal and backed away. Beck shouted the order, but Igneous was already throwing himself at his opponent, Tackling the Furret into a nearby rock.
"Good job!" Beck called, a bubble of excitement rising in his chest over the victory. Their first victory. Sarah snorted lightly, glancing away, as the Furret sheepishly rose and shook itself out. The Pokemon tilted its head and looked over to its Trainer, but Sarah merely shook her head lightly. Beck's attention was brought away from their exchange, when Sabriel's voice rang out like a silver bullet in the air.
"I think you're ready for your Gym Battle!"
That was a little too sudden. "What," said Beck, turning and staring at Sabriel in disbelief.
She smiled at him confidently and repeated her earlier statement. "I think you're ready! Your Numel doesn't have the best defenses, but it has an advantage most inexperienced Pokemon don't," Sabriel explained, looking impressed. "It's not afraid to battle or get hurt or get down and dirty. You'll surprise anyone with its scrappiness. Sarah! You're the expert at this—when do you think his Numel will learn a Ground-type move to use against Wattson?"
"Magnitude is the first Ground move that Numel learns," Sarah drawled without looking at either of them, seeming uninterested in speaking with anyone at all. "Personally, I think it's a worthless move because of its unreliability."
Sabriel ignored her negativity and said brightly, "Alright, Beck! We can train until your Numel learns Magnitude!"
"That's probably going to take a long time," Beck pointed out, unwilling to be a burden. Sabriel winked at him, fishing into her backpack.
"Not if we use these."
Beck recognized the blue wrapped in her hand immediately. It was round and simple and unmarked, but it was most definitely a Rare Candy. "Th-that's…"
"Don't ask me how I got these," Sabriel said airily, tossing the Rare Candy into the air and then catching it again. "But I have a lot and I'm perfectly willing to share. Have one?"
Beck backed away, even though he wasn't the one eating the Rare Candy in any case. "That's cheating—I can't—,"
Sabriel leaned forward and Beck could see the lid of her bag jammed with the blue wrappers. Where on earth had she gotten so many of the rare item?
"Oh come on," Sabriel moved forward and offered the unwrapped candy to Igneous—who immediately took the treat from her outstretched hand.
"Wait!" It was too late, though. Beck watched, stricken, as his Pokemon swallowed the candy.
"It's just one level," Sabriel was already digging into her pocket for a second Rare Candy. "It's not like it does any harm. It just speeds things up."
Beck looked over to Sarah for help, but her face was impassive and indifferent. He didn't think she had been using Rare Candies on her Pokemon considering that her Furret had been beaten, but apparently, Sabriel had.
It wasn't until Igneous had eaten the second Rare Candy that Beck moved in to stop the process. He bit his lip, taking Numel by the head and pushing him away from the girl. Sabriel stared at him and for a moment, Beck thought he saw something dangerous flash in her eyes.
"Whatever," Sabriel said in an easygoing manner after a moment, leading Beck to believe he had imagined it. She shrugged cheerily, and not taking out anymore candy. "Your Numel's already close to learning Magnitude now anyways. Just hit a few more things and it'll know it."
Beck could say nothing to that, so he remained silent.
"Back so soon, Beck?" Wattson asked heartily. "Let's see them, then!"
"See what?"
"All the Pokemon you've caught, of course!"
Beck pointed to the Numel, who stood silently next to him, and then to the other Pokeball at his belt. "I have Igneous, and an Oddish."
The old man stared at him for a moment and then laughed again. "Only two? I see! You're confident! Well, you have right to be with your excellent Typing advantage. Alright, then—let's what you've got. Go, Electrike!"
The green Electric-type burst out of its capsule with an enthusiastic howl. The Electrike wagged its stubby tail, seeming to be waiting and Beck realized that Wattson was giving him the first move.
"Igneous, Ember!" The boy ordered. The Numel spat a barrage of glowing red, which his opponent swiftly dodged. The canine skidded backwards, legs tensing and crouching down in preparation for counterattack.
Beck could already foresee the Quick Attack coming—for that was the only thing Electrike could use against Igneous. "Igneous, get ready!"
Wattson ordered the attack.
Igneous waited, a half-closed and sleepy expression on his face. Beck was unable to follow the movements of the swift Electrike, but he knew that Igneous was—all the training sessions with Sarah and her lightning-fast Furret had paid off.
Just as the Electrike was about to collide with its target, Igneous threw himself forward, using his superior bulk to topple the startled canine over.
"Now, use Magnitude!" Beck cried, though he winced while saying it. Even though Igneous had eaten only two Rare Candies, it still felt wrong to be using a move that had partially come from that...
The Numel stomped on the ground. The floor quivered lightly but it was still enough to knock the weakened Electrike rolling. The canine hit the far wall and did not rise again.
"Impressive," Wattson exclaimed, as he withdrew his Pokemon. "Been training, eh? I see why you're so confident. Alright, I won't play around. Go Magneton! Magnet Rise!"
Beck had been expecting that and he shouted for an Ember at the same time. Igneous raised his head, and in a well-practiced maneuver, let out a spill of flaming bullets at the Steel-type.
The metal Pokemon looked surprised to take the Fire move to the face and let out an alarmed beeping noise.
"Ember again!"
But Magneton was faster. Wattson called, "Use Supersonic!"
Beck didn't hear anything, but suddenly Igneous's gaze went from vacant to cross-eyed and slightly frantic. Instead of using Ember, he stumbled forward a little and bumped into the wall.
"Oh no," the boy muttered, as he realized his Pokemon had become confused. He knew he couldn't afford to have Igneous knocked out—he hadn't even bothered to get to know the Oddish he had caught, let alone battle with it. "Snap out of it, Igneous! Use Ember!"
The Numel didn't react to his voice and Beck feared he would hurt himself again. Wattson took the opportunity to attack with Sonicboom. Igneous did not even flinch as he was struck by the attack and instead seem to focus his drooping eyes onto the enemy. After a rather ponderous pause, the Numel unleashed an Ember attack.
The Magneton once again had not been expecting that and blared in alarm as flames coursed through its body. It spun a little, seeming panicked, and landed onto the ground.
"Igneous—!" Beck shouted, hoping that he would be lucky even though it was unlikely. "Magnitude!"
Somehow, through the confusion, the Numel heard and comprehended and then executed. The ground shook furiously, throwing the boy off balance. When the dust cleared, Beck dared to peer upwards and see Igneous calmly standing over the fallen Magneton.
Another rumbling sound echoed through the air; this time it was Wattson's laughter. "I see! I've underestimated you, Beck. You've done well with that Numel."
"You won?" Sabriel asked, looking perfectly delighted. "See? I told you that you can do it."
Sarah offered no congratulations, merely shrugging and nodding when Beck showed her his first Badge.
Beck smiled uncomfortably, looking between both of his traveling partners. Sabriel met his gaze evenly, her eyes seeming to be full of joy over his victory.
Wrong. That look in her eyes was wrong. Somehow.
She's not who you think, a voice hissed in his head, and Beck blinked uncertainly. He hesitated, thinking once again of the Rare Candies stocked so casually in Sabriel's bag. Where had she gotten all of them? Who was she? Did she steal the Rare Candies…?
Beck shook his head quickly, wiping away those thoughts. Now he was just being ludicrous and paranoid. Perhaps Sabriel came from a rich family, or had simply been exceedingly lucky in her travels. It wasn't right to suspect her of any random crime that came to his mind.
"Hey Beck? We're headed for Fallarbor Town. Why don't you challenge Flannery next?"
Sabriel was looking at him expectantly. Beck returned her smile, nodded wiping away the last of his ridiculous doubts, and went with them as they walked towards the next destination.
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Random people are introduced. Yay. :D
So yeah...I'll be updating fairly quickly this week, but starting next week, I have STUFF, so the updates will slow considerably to, like, a chapter every week or two. Or three. Something like that.
So ya. Thanks for reading and have a nice day~ ^.^