Summary: Ending up in a world where monkeys can set things on fire and where weird bubble creatures can control dreams isn't quite a comfort. Especially as you end up not in a world you are familiar with, but rather a hell mode itself. (SI into Pokemon Reborn.)
Ame quickly shepherded the two of us out of the Starters' Room, handing us off to an assistant while she allowed Victoria in. Victoria seemed a bit surprised at my Starter choice, and as she walked in I waved at her and she waved back.
The next few minutes seemed to pass in a blur. Not the hazy, suffocating blur I was trapped in for the last few days but rather an exciting, active blur. The sort of blur which happens when you are completely immersed in your favourite activity. The assistant Ame had handed me off to was a woman around my age named Rachel who was usually appointed to help new Trainers get used to handling their Pokemon by giving a crash course on Pokemon Care. Which included how to feed them, groom them and general information on what to do to take care of them.
Watching the newly-christened Luffy was fascinating. He was just like a monkey from the old world, except when he wasn't. I could see him blow tiny embers into his food to cook it slightly before eating them, and how its movements were a bizarre cross between those of a human and those of a primate. He could stay upright like a proper human, but he seemed more comfortable in a slightly hunched over, ape-like posture. It somehow worked really well for my little fire chimp though, and just watching him eat and goof around was probably more fun than the last few days put together.
"Maintaining your Pokemon's fitness is of paramount importance," Rachel said as Luffy ran for a bit on a treadmill. He was panting but didn't seem that winded. "You're challenging the gyms right? You have to know how to take care of your Pokemon before and after fights."
"Can't Pokemon Centers and Healing Stations heal us up to full health?" I asked curiously. At least, that was how they presented it online.
"They can," Rachel admitted. "But you shouldn't be over reliant on them. Injuries tend to accumulate over time, and, without proper rest and personal treatment, a severe enough injury can be career-ending."
I could also hear 'life-threatening' alongside that.
"Hmm. You will be getting a Pokedex right?" She continued and I nodded at that. "That's quite a useful tool. And it's good that you're getting a physical version rather than using the app."
Ah, the Pokedex. In the games, as I recall, it was a convenient source for lore about the Pokemon you catch and important for players who liked collecting as many Pokemon as they could. Here, it's a bizarre cross between JSTOR, Wikipedia and Skillshare, all in a pocket sized device. It was the ultimate tool for both Pokemon Training and Pokemon Research, and getting one was morbidly difficult for your average bloke.
There was a more public version of the Dex in the form of the app which generally had much of the same functionality. You simply download the app on your Pokegear, Holo Caster or X-Transceiver, and it can do roughly 70 percent of what the physical edition can do.
The difference between the two lies in their specs and build. A Pokedex was a dedicated Pokemon research tool, armed with better computation capability and a number of facilities lacking in the app. Electric Discharge, Water Consistency, Plant Health… With a little tinkering from the Trainer's end, a Pokedex can study it all and provide detailed reports. And as for its computation ability, the Pokegear wasn't that bad in terms of speed and efficiency. The Pokedex outclasses it, that's all.
To compare it in old world terms, a Pokegear would be like a mid-range laptop. A Pokedex on the other hand is a high-end Custom PC with solid RAM, a very good Graphics Card and performance you'd expect from a device ten times the laptop's cost.
"Fire types are generally a bit trickier to maintain than Grass or Water types," Rachel elaborated as Luffy walked over to me. I raised him up, hoisting him on my shoulder. "You should constantly monitor their average temperature and if it gets too low, rush him to a Center. Moreover, they have a tendency to get violent or cranky sometimes, so you have to be firm and fairly strict as well," Rachel smiled, leaning in to pat Luffy on the head. The little monkey clattered cheerfully, leaning into her touch. "Fire Types are considered the most passionate type by many. They get easily excited or angry, and the Chimchar line is no exception. However, most Pokemon, and the Chimchar line in particular, are instinctively motivated by one sole goal."
"A goal? Like what?"
"To get stronger, of course. Well, they may not put it out that way," she clarified. "But the goal of most Pokemon is to get stronger. To avoid predators, to become leaders in their group, for more personal reasons… the pursuit of strength is important to almost all Pokemon from the most common of bugs to the powerful behemoths resting in remote areas."
"'Almost all Pokemon,'" I parroted. "Are there exceptions to what you're saying?"
"Of course," she said with a smile. "Pokemon who are already strong enough to stand on their own power and achieve anything they want on their own. Pokemon who are so powerful that nothing is a threat to them. Pokemon who can control the forces of nature and the innate phenomena of the world."
"Legendaries, you mean," I said in realization.
"Indeed," she said, and suddenly, I felt very, very scared.
The atmosphere between the two of us had suddenly become a lot more awkward after that. Rachel had clearly not meant to ramble on like that, and she seemed a bit flustered at everything she said at that moment.
"Researching Legendaries is a side thing of mine," she said, her face tinted with red. "I think I made you uncomfortable for a bit there. Sorry about that."
"It's no issue. I'm fine," I said, but I was blank slightly as I scratched Luffy's head the way she indicated to me.
But I really wasn't.
Legendaries were one of the first subjects I researched in this world since my arrival. They weren't the all-powerful behemoths some Fanfics and other media back home tried to portray them as, but fallible, beatable creatures. Weaker legendaries, the likes of the Legendary Birds and the Eon Duo among others, could be beaten by strong enough Pokemon. And even the more powerful legendaries, those which could change tides and break continents can be defeated under the correct circumstances.
Notoriously difficult to defeat. But it was possible. Not quite the Gods as portrayed in the anime, nor quite the cheesable monsters from the games. A balance of the two.
It wasn't really their power which scared me, because I knew what I could expect from them. It was their status.
I wasn't a religious guy back on Earth. Not remotely. I liked the idea of faith well enough, and I appreciated how people can draw hope and inspiration from it. But I was a bit too lazy myself to follow any religion and armed with the excuse that I can find hope from myself, I refused it all, even if my peers and family were religious. I got away with it because God and/or Gods did not exist back there. Or if they did, they probably didn't care about us humans.
That cannot be the case here. Gods existed, and they weren't alone. They had a full Pantheon behind them. And in a way, that Pantheon is my enemy.
It was the way Rachel had phrased things which struck a core in me. The struggle of Pokemon to get stronger, better, faster, their relentless pursuit for more strength… I could relate to it. I'm in sort of the same boat after all.
But a legendary… a creature with powers and abilities innately potent enough to dominate the world. Masters of Dreams and Life and Death and the other fundamental facets of existence. A quasi-God in their own rights.
To know that I shared their world was strangely suffocating. A thought from one of the greater deities was sufficient to snuff out my short existence.
But it was also exciting. These creatures can be beaten. Gods can be beaten and brought down. It had been done before, by Dawn and Red and Brendan and all those other trainers who rose to the top. I had done it, if only technically..
Will I be even able to do this now? Maybe. But I need experience first.
My eyes turned down to my latest partner and friend. Luffy was seated on my lap stuffing his face with an apple of some kind, chewing it meticulously as if to relish its taste. Like most Fire types, the Chimchar line tends to be always hungry. Primarily because they require a constant source of fuel for oxidation to generate their flames, and their innate biology cannot sustain itself when their internal core gets too cold.
I patted his head quietly, enjoying the sensation of his warm fur against my palm. Luffy could be incredible, I already had a gut feeling telling me that, but he really needs training and experience.
Both of which, at the very least, I could start right here.
Ame had called us again after around a minute, and Luffy climbed on my shirt, perching on my shoulder not unlike the very famous mascot of this world. As I approached her, standing behind a counter arranging some objects on the table, I noticed Victoria off to the side and a Litten in her arms.
Luffy stared at the cat-like creature for a moment, and it stared back blankly. A staring contest raged between the two Fire-type Starters, and neither were willing to back down that easily.
"You took your time," I said, wryly, addressing Victoria, who seemed a bit embarrassed.
"Sorry. Seeing you with Chimchar made me rethink my decision a bit… and Litten wasn't the most.. cooperative Pokemon, you know. It was a bit hard to get him like this." She patted the fire cat on its head, causing it to meow in response. "Still, I think he and I are a good fit."
"That you are. Both of you have made excellent choices for your first Pokemon," Ame cut in. "And now I suppose it's time for you to properly start your Journeys, correct?"
Two identical sets of equipment were placed on the table. A pocket device which looked not unlike one of those old, foldable smartphones, a small case containing five Pokeballs, and a few other miscellaneous items such as the Gym Badge case and a water canteen.
"This is the Pokedex, as you must know," Ame said, pointing at the device. "Record data, check movesets, look up information, the whole lot. If you want to train strong Pokemon, having one of these is quite useful."
"The Pokeballs and others are complimentary gifts we give to every new Trainer who comes here," she paused for an instant. "Victoria you're being sponsored by Kiki and Apophyll, so you'll be taking their ranching benefits, I assume?"
"Yes. That is what Kiki offered while I was training under her, and I accepted."
"Indeed."
"And you'll be taking ranching here, right Alex?" Ame asked, turning to me.
"The League is sponsoring me, so I assume that's the case," I said wryly as I fiddled with the Pokedex in my hands. I was itching to use it on Luffy straight away, but restrained the temptation. I'll get my time.
"That's correct. After your sixth Pokemon, any Pokemon you catch will be sent here. This place may be a bit small, but it's sufficient to handle any Pokemon you may catch. But unlike other Leagues, we have to impose a limit though."
"A limit?"
"Right now, you can send three Pokemon apart from your first six here. The number will go up the more Gym Badges you get your hands on, however." She said with a smile. "I assume the terms are acceptable?"
"They are," I said with a nod. I will probably be catching a lot of Pokemon over the next few weeks. Reborn was a big region, and there was no telling what I'd run into. Coupled with the fact that there were eighteen gyms (Just why?), all of which were needed to challenge the League. Which means having a big team would be pretty damn convenient rather than sticking with a set six.
"Well then, I think that's everything!" Ame said cheerfully. "There's only one thing left for you to do now, I suppose. A Battle!"
Wait what?
"Yes, I suppose that makes sense," Victoria said with a nod. Hang on, no it doesn't. I'm just starting, I don't even know how to battle!
Victoria turned to me. "So then, Alex, I challenge you to a battle."
My befuddlement seems sort of obvious from my expression, but I had to say it anyway. "Umm… is there some sort of cultural context I'm missing here…?"
"It is customary for two Trainers to battle each other when they choose their Starter together." Ame spoke, in an almost sagelike fashion. "Did they not do this in Unova?"
I racked my brains for a response. "Maybe? I don't know. I didn't exactly hang around in circles where we discussed that sort of thing to be honest."
"It's fine if you don't want to fight," Victoria offered. "We can always battle some other day."
I paused for a second. "No, I don't think I don't mind. I actually want to fight." I raised my hand to where Luffy was seated, as I patted him slightly. Excitement tinged my voice. "I want to see what we can do."
The practice field of the Grand Hall was located adjacent to the starter selection room, and it was large and roomy. As Victoria and her Litten went to the other side of the room, I raised my Pokedex, pointing it at Luffy. It beeped once, then twice before its screen was suddenly filled to the brim with text.
'This is… pretty verbose.' I noted as I skimmed through the text. There was a bunch of really interesting stuff there, but I didn't really need that so I pressed a button to the side. A condensed version of the same text then popped up, which was much more readable.
"Chimchar, the Chimp Pokemon.
The combusting gas in its belly manifests in the form of its fiery rear end. A faint flame is an indication of sickness. It is also very agile and can scale cliffs easily.
This Chimchar has the following moves: Scratch, Ember, Growl."
The basic kit. I was slightly surprised at Ember, but it did make some sense. Chimchar was a fire type and they did give the Starters elemental attacks later on.
"This Pokemon Battle between Victoria Marlowe and Alex Tektonius is about to begin!" Ame announced standing off to the side in the referee's box.
'Isn't she the Interim Champion or something? Shouldn't she be… well… busy?'
"Both trainers will be about to use one Pokemon each. The battle ends when either combatant is unable to continue." At that, Victoria tenses and Litten moves forward. Luffy does the same in response, entering the rectangular arena with a determined expression glaring at his opponent. I could see Litten growling a little as well.
The tension was considerable. Litten and Luffy knew each other, I think. They must have, being from the same lot of Starters. Perhaps there was some history there?
I shake my head slightly. I needed to focus. To concentrate. I couldn't give a bad showing here, or I'll let Luffy down.
"Begin!" Ame raised her hand, and the battle began.
"Litten, Scratch!" Victoria was the first to attack, and in response to her command, the Fire Cat leaped forward, rushing towards Luffy. I could see its claws glow slightly. Both our starters knew Ember, I assume, which leaves Scratch as our most viable way to do damage.
For a moment, it was as if everything had been frozen. My heart was pounding, its beats deafening my ears. The scene before me seemed to slow.
This was my first Pokebattle, wasn't it? It was happening too fast, it came too quickly. I had been here for what? A week? It felt shorter.
Nervousness chilled my veins. A command. I have to give a command. Luffy, like all other young Pokemon reliant on their Trainer, was waiting for an order to act.
But what? The tools a young Pokemon had were limited, and dodging wasn't exactly an option. It was a skill which was learned, rather than something which could be done on command.
So the only option was…
"Ember its face, Luffy!" I declared, pointing straight at the rushing cat. On cue, Luffy reeled back its head before it lurched forward, a plume of flames rushing through its mouth.
I could feel the heat from the attack from where I was standing. That was the weakest fire attack? I could only wonder what the more advanced techniques were capable of.
Litten stumbled back, clearly surprised by the attack. There were burn marks on its face as it tried to recover. Although I doubted that the Fire Cat had actually suffered that much damage at all. It seemed more surprised than anything, and that was enough.
That was my opportunity.
"Now! Scratch the shit out of it, Luffy!" My heart was pumping and it was easy to get into this. Vulgarities aside, Luffy immediately leaped into action, jumping closer to Litten and slashing it with sharpened nails.
"You do the same, Litten!" Victoria jumped in, trying to counter my move. Her Starter pulled himself back slightly before lunging and Scratching back. A furious flurry of Scratches came from either side at the center of the field. Their paws slapped against each other, as they tried to overwhelm the other, many of their Scratches not hitting the mark or missing just slightly.
Honestly, apart from the whole Battle aspect, watching this was kind of cute. But then I could see it; Luffy was losing this bout.
Despite our early initiative, Litten was faster, maybe just so. But that was enough to make the difference here. With that slightest of edges, Litten was getting more hits in and I could see the effect it had on Luffy as he flinched in response.
Something needed to change. And fast.
"Pull back, Luffy! And then Ember!" I quickly commanded. Luffy took a moment to register the command, but then immediately jumped back, spitting flames as he did so.
Litten hesitated for a second but then pursued immediately, its claws glowing as it prepared to strike again.
The vague frame of a plan was forming in my mind, as I moved to my next order. "Luffy, Scratch and then jump bac-"
"It's your turn, Litten! Ember!" Victoria cut in.
Shit. I had forgotten about her, and I had forgotten Litten could do that.
I hadn't finished my order but Luffy did get the message, so it jumped in nonetheless. Only to get a mouthful of flames spat at its face.
My Starter seemed to halt for a second, before glaring at his opponent, pulling a hand back and scratching Litten's face before jumping back. The sheer determination of my Starter was a bit… startling.
A new perspective was forming in my head regarding this fight. Litten was superior to Luffy when it came to speed, and it probably narrowly edged out in terms of attack power. But Luffy, not unlike his namesake, had better stamina and more raw determination than his opponent.
So I suppose I would have to bank on that, right?
"Pull back and wait, Luffy. Let him come to you. Watch him carefully," I carefully ordered. I would rely on Luffy's endurance from here on. He leapt back, glaring at Litten who glared back.
Victoria hesitated but made no order. And neither did Litten make a move. The standoff held for a few seconds, and the tension was palpable. And when I could see my counterpart, standing on the other side of the field make a move, I mirrored it.
"Ember, Litten!"
"Match it!"
A wall of flame formed between the two combatants, obscuring the other from view. I could tell that Luffy's Ember was somewhat less pronounced, probably due to my later command, but he was holding his own for now.
Victoria said something to her Starter from behind the fiery wall, but it was hard to tell what. Naturally, I made my move as well.
"Move to your right, Luffy!"
The Chimchar drifted as it leaped to the right, narrowly dodging the emerging Litten as it pounced from the flames with glowing claws. It staggered slightly, and that was where I could see opportunity.
"Scratch it! Don't let it recover!"
Litten had overcommitted to that attack and was unprepared as Luffy leapt on him. A barrage of scratches subsequently landed on the Fire Cat, as it was pushed back further and further, my Starter not letting it get up at all.
Until finally, the dust cleared and Luffy was standing triumphantly over his fallen foe. He let out a shriek of victory as Ame raised a hand towards us.
"Litten and Victoria are unable to battle! This makes Chimchar and Alex the winners!" she declared cheerfully. I saw Victoria sigh as she approached her fallen Pokemon.
She picked up the fainted Litten who stirred at her touch. Holding him in her hands, she smiled softly. "You did good, Litten. Take a rest now."
At that, I became aware of Luffy and his injured state. I lifted him up into my arms, and he winced slightly from the scratch marks over his body.
I pulled out my Pokeball. "Nice work, Luffy. We have more work to do later I suppose," I said, my tone more tense and strained than Victoria's gentleness. Luffy yawned as I tapped his Pokeball on his forehead, causing the Fire Chimp to turn into a red light and be returned to its pocket-sized abode.
I stared at the red-white ball in my hands for a minute, tracing its contours by hand. It was warm now that it had been filled, and I could feel its warmth through my glove. It felt alive in a way and full of life. With a little bit of force, it shrank down to its smallest size and was promptly placed on my belt.
"You were really good, you know that?" Victoria said as she and Ame came closer. "Litten made one mistake and you were ready to take charge. You're going to go very, very far."
I was a bit flustered at the praise. "I really don't think it's that special."
"It was! Taking advantage of the mistakes your opponent makes is one of the number one rules in Pokemon battling," she insisted. "Well, I think I'll go and have Litten healed. Then I'll probably leave for Apophyll after finishing off the tasks Kiki had put me on." She looked at me eagerly. "You should come and visit! For someone who's training a Pokemon who would end up as a fighting type, it's perfect for training."
"I'll consider that," I responded carefully.
"I would like to fight you again some time. You should have a look around the city as well," she suggested. "They say that it's hard to find wild Pokemon out there, but that's not really true. You just have to look for them really hard."
A bigger team… I was initially thinking of looking for more team members outside the main city, but if I was to challenge the gyms right here, then looking for more Pokemon right here should be ideal.
"That was a really good match, both of you," Ame said as she approached. There was a relieved look on her face obscured by her delighted expression. "Alex, what are your plans from now on?"
"Build a team, train them up, and take on Julia," I said promptly. "She is the First Gym Leader right?"
"That's right," she nodded. "I will have to go, however, so this is goodbye for now. Official business has arrived, probably another suspect for the Train incident. But before that— Victoria, a word?"
They waved at me and bid farewell, and I waved back. Suddenly, I was on my own again. On my own and prepared to start my—
"Oof!"
And I had promptly walked into someone. I found my balancing slipping as I winced in surprise and slight pain, finding myself on the floor.
"Heyy~ You okay, cutie?" I heard someone speak from above me, someone very distinctively male.
I looked up. A strange guy was standing in front of me, offering me a hand to pick myself up. I took it and, as I rose, I could see him in greater detail. He was shorter than me by nearly a full head and looked rather feminine. He had long purple hair, most of which was tied in a ponytail, and long bangs over his face. There was lipstick as well, and I noticed nail polish on his fingers earlier too.
"You're pretty cute!" he said, causing me to be brought down to earth.
I blinked at that. Instinctively, I replied the only way I could— "I like…girls…?" I said unsurely. But my shaky answer seemed to only amuse him as he broke into peals of laughter.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, I was only kidding around~" he said, grinning. "I'm Cain. And you are?"
"Alex. Alex Tektonius," I said, offering a hand to shake which he accepts. I find his grip to be surprisingly firm.
"So, Alex… you must be a new Trainer then?"
"I am. And you?"
"I was looking for Ame, actually. I've come here to resi-... to take a restart for myself," he said, quickly amending his prior statement. "Wasn't she here just now, in fact?"
"She was. She left with Victoria on some official business, I think."
"I see," Cain sighed. "Welp, meeting with her is gonna take a while." He then eyed the Pokeball on my belt.
And before he asked the question, I knew what he was going to ask.
"Say… How about a Pokemon Battle?" he said, his lips twisting into an eager smile. "Just to kill time."
A/N: Chapter 3 is out! And we face our first rival in Victoria. I think I liked Victoria the best out of three rivals because I thought her design was kind of cool. But it is sort of shame of how little screen time she got, vanishing for that middle portion of the story.
I'll say it right of the bat, Alex is going to have a big team, maybe around 20 or 30 Pokemon. Not every member of his team is going to get the development they deserve, but I am hoping to flesh out each member and make them somewhat unique.
World-building is going to play a big role in this story. A part of my aims for this story is to add depth and realism to the Pokemon World while also balancing it with Pokemon's more whimsical aspects. This involves fleshing out things which don't usually come up in a Pokemon fanfiction. (You'll see.)
Finally, I really appreciate peop le who comment and criticize. I am not a perfect writer, but I would like to think of myself as a decent one at least. Reviews allow me to improve with time.
Thanks to cat_and_crow from AO3 for beta-ing for me. You've been great help. And good day to the rest of you.
