Chapter Two: Finally a Trainer
"OK, I'll take this Pokémon!" Bianca says, reaching around me to grab the first Poké Ball she can, which happens to be the one to the left. "Cheren, that one's yours!"
Cheren looks taken aback. "Hey, how come you get to pick out my Pokémon? Which one did you even grab anyway?"
Bianca doesn't give a response, instead opting to toss the Poké Ball into the air with a squeal of delight. It opens with a sudden flash of light, and I am forced to advert my gaze away from the brightness assaulting my eyes. Once the room is illuminated by only sunlight, I turn my head back to see a slim green Pokémon standing in front of Bianca. At first glance, he looks absolutely bored of the whole situation. However, he has a small snicker on his elongated face and his half-lidded eyes gleam mischievously. Snivy.
"Oh, never mind," Cheren says to himself, having made his way to stand beside me and glance into the box. "I wanted Oshawott from the start anyway." Well, you should have said something earlier.
"Everyone has chosen a Pokémon! ...So that's that!" Bianca adds after a slight pause. "Hey, I know! Let's have a Pokémon battle!"
"Wait, in here?" I ask skeptically. I am not exactly keen on having a Pokémon battle inside my bedroom. After all, I have seen the damage battles could cause. There is a reason that most battles take place either outside or in a specially-designed arena, after all. Even the smallest of Pokémon are capable of destroying a room within seconds.
"Yeah!" I am completely flabbergasted that Bianca doesn't seem to comprehend the consequences of the idea she has presented. This is probably her worst idea yet, and that's even counting that time when she thought it was smart to sneak up on a wild Patrat to cuddle with it.
"Honestly, Bianca," Cheren sighs, "even though they're still weak Pokémon, you shouldn't have Pokémon battles inside a house." Thank you, Cheren, for your unfailing logic.
"Don't be a worrywart!" Bianca buts in before Cheren can possibly continue into a lengthy explanation of why her idea is so horrible and every miniscule detail that makes it such a bad idea. "These little ones are weak, like you said. We have to let them battle so they'll get stronger."
Speechless, Cheren glances over at me as if he expects me of all people to come up with a reason her logic is flawed. That is his area of expertise, not mine. I hold his unwavering gaze and shrug. If Bianca wants a battle right inside my bedroom, I might as well give her one to remember. "Alright, I'll battle you, but only because it is my room that we're battling in."
"Yay!" Bianca cheers, happy that her idea wasn't able to be shot down. "It's settled, Mneme! Get ready for a Pokémon battle! Let's do this, Snivy!"
The Snivy, which had at some point crawled up to lie on her poofy hat, leaps up in the air. Executing a flip in midair, he lands solidly on his tiny feet. Show off. I chuckle. The Snivy seems to have just as much energy as his Trainer. I am sure that those two will complement each other nicely. "Okay. Tepig, let's go!" I say, tossing the Poké Ball up in the air. Since I expect the burst of light this time, I don't have to look away again. In front of me stands a stout orange and black Pokémon. She looks around with a confused look on her face. "Hi, Tepig. I'm Mneme, and I'm your new Trainer," I coo, kneeling down near her. The confused look vanishes to be replaced with curiosity as she approaches me. Her snout twitches as she sniffs my outstretched hand. "You ready for a battle?" I ask. Her black ears perk up in excitement, and she has that same mischievous grin as her opponent does. Something tells me she's going to end up causing trouble at some point in our adventure.
"OK, Snivy! Tackle!" Bianca yells. Snivy hops backwards before launching himself forward with his tail to get momentum. Before I can tell Tepig to dodge it, she skitters to the left. Unable to stop himself in time, Snivy rams headfirst into the potted plant near the stairs, sending it tumbling over. Bianca yelps in fright. "Ouch! I won't let you get away with that! Snivy, use Tackle again!" Despite having just collided into the heavy plant, Snivy instantly jumps back on his feet and makes a beeline towards Tepig.
"Dodge it and show them a real Tackle!" I call out to Tepig. Prepared for the green Pokémon, Tepig sidesteps to the right, letting Snivy slide into the TV, narrowly missing the Wii sitting on the floor. Tepig then rushes with an unexpected burst of speed for such a bulky Pokémon. She rams her head into Snivy, sending him into the chest. That had to hurt. "Tackle, one more time!" Unfazed, Snivy deftly leaps into the air as Tepig barrels forward. She skids to try and stop her forward movement, but only manages to slow herself as she knocks the dresser over on its side. Luckily, she barely manages to not get trapped underneath it.
"Snivy, use Leer!" Snivy, who has for the whole battle been keeping that bored expression in its eyes, suddenly glares at Tepig. She reels backwards into the trashcan, knocking it over as well. Even I flinch at the look he gives her. That glare rivals even an Arbok's.
"Tepig, let's finish this now! Tackle!" Tepig, who only moments before had been frightened by Snivy, now glares at him as she flings herself at him. Snivy leaps up just as Tepig propels herself into the air as well. She slams right into him; he flies right into the table. The table is flung right at my desk, landing sideways on it after just grazing the monitor of the PC. Snivy lays limply over the PC, his eyes now swirls, indicating that he is unable to continue battling. I have just won my first battle.
"The Pokémon on both sides did their best!" She looks longingly at me. "Wow...Mneme, you're gonna be an awesome Trainer someday, I can tell! No doubt!" Even though she has just lost, it seems she doesn't care one bit. She's just really happy that she had her first battle, win or lose. That's Bianca for you.
"Uh..." Cheren, who I have completely forgotten about in the heat of the battle, now stares around the room. "Bianca, would you take a look around?"
We both turn to look at what had once been my room. It looks more like a disaster area now, and it's as if a hurricane came through followed by a tornado. Also with an earthquake, for good measure. "Wh-whoa!" Bianca exclaims. She probably hasn't even noticed that her Pokémon and mine had been knocking just about everything over. The only thing that isn't a mess is the Wii, which still looks as if it hadn't been moved in the slightest during our battle. How that managed to happen is a mystery that may never be solved. "Wow! Pokémon are amaaaaazing! So little, but so strong! I'm so glad that I get to have a Pokémon!" She then probably sees the wide-eyed expression on my face, because she suddenly has that look of embarrassment again. "Oh. Um, sorry about your room, Mneme."
"You...are completely hopeless." I stare at Cheren, shocked at his cold statement. I know he always spoke what was on his mind, but this is certainly a first. One look at Bianca tells me that his comment hurt her more than anything else. Tears brim at her eyes, and her lips form into a pout.
"Cheren!" I snap. I certainly do not want to see Bianca crying and hurt, especially because of something her friend said to her. "How could you say such a thing?"
Cheren's eyes widen, as if even he is shocked by the words that had just come out of his mouth. "Bianca, I..I'm sorry." My mouth drops down to the floor. As I said, getting him to apologize for saying something is like trying to find a Zorua. I guess the Zorua has just been found. "Here, I'll restore your Snivy for you." He pulls out a yellow rectangular object from his jacket pocket.
"A Revive? Where did you get that at?" Bianca asks. I find myself wondering the same thing. Revives are not easy to find because of how much they cost to produce, which makes them much more expensive than they should be. It's much more convenient to go to the Pokémon Center and heal fainted Pokémon as opposed to buying a Revive in a store.
"My dad gave it to me when he found out I was getting a Pokémon," Cheren replies. "I don't think he would have thought I would use it so soon, but that doesn't matter." He places the Revive on the grass type. It is quickly absorbed into Snivy's unconscious body, and his eyes flutter back open. Noticing his Trainer nearby, he rushes over and climbs up to curl up on Bianca's hat. "Mneme's Pokémon needs to be fixed up, too." He pulls out a Leppa Berry out of his bag and hands it to me. What all does he keep with him? "It's amazing that you won without your Pokémon's losing any energy, which is called HP. But you used some of the moves' Power Points, or PP, though." I try my hardest to stifle a chuckle, but I am unable to hold it in. "What is it?"
"Nothing. Just you being your nerdy self," I reply with a grin. I hold the berry out to Tepig, who takes it, places it on the floor, and proceeds to torch it with fire out of her snout. I yelp and just as quickly Tepig stops trying to burn the house down. She tilts her head sideways in confusion at my sudden outburst. "Oh yeah, she roasts berries...I totally remembered that," I say, chuckling. Bianca bursts out laughing, and even Cheren snickers. Meanwhile, Tepig stares at us as she slowly munches on the berry that is the cause of our laughter, probably thinking we are all crazy or something. She wouldn't be wrong there.
"Hey, Cheren!" Bianca says after finally catching her breath from laughing so hard. "How about you battle, too? With all you know, I'm sure you can battle without turning the room into a disaster area like I did!" If it had been from anybody else, I would have thought that she was being very sarcastic or at the very least trying to be mean with it, but Bianca doesn't have a sarcastic bone in her body. Or a lying one, for that matter. Her statements are always genuine ones.
"I believe you're right! It'll be no problem for me to keep the room from getting any messier," Cheren replies.
"As if it could get any messier," I add, grinning to show I meant no harm by it.
"Besides, it's not fair if you two are the only ones who get to have fun battling!" Cheren continues, completely ignoring my comment, as per usual. "It's decided. You'll be my opponent, Mneme, in our first Pokémon battle!"
"Wait, why me?"
"Snivy still needs to rest up from his fight," he says as if it is the most logical thing in the world. Snivy is fast asleep on Bianca's head and doesn't seem like he will be getting up for a while. As for me, I think it is only because of our childhood rivalry combined with the fact that he believes he can defeat me with the type advantage his Oshawott has against my Tepig.
I'm not about to let that stop me from winning, though. "Okay, as long as Bianca's alright with that."
"It's OK!" Bianca replies. "Snivy needs his rest anyway. Besides, Tepig looks like she wants a fight." She has a point there. Tepig definitely looks like she is itching for another fight, and her front hooves are pawing impatiently at the floor.
"Let's see what you can do, Oshawott!" Cheren calls, tossing his Poké Ball up in the air. In front of Cheren sits a plump white and blue Pokémon holding a ivory-colored seashell in his paws. The Oshawott grins up at Cheren and jumps up on his feet. "It's time for our first battle, Oshawott." At this, Oshawott turns to face Tepig, a confident look on his face that is just adorable. Tepig, who has stopped trying to tear up the floor with her feet, glances up at me.
"Alright, Tepig, let's try a Tail Whip!" Tepig looks at me for a second and tilts her head in slight confusion, but doesn't question my strategy...or lack thereof. She wiggles her springy tail in a manner that I think is the cutest thing ever. Now I understand how Tail Whip can possibly lower an opponent's defense. Oshawott just seems as confused as Tepig.
"I've finally become a Trainer..." Cheren muses, "Everything starts from here! Oshawott, Tackle!" Similar to Snivy, Oshawott pushes himself forward with his tail and rams head first into Tepig's side. I cringe as Tepig flies backwards a few feet before digging her front hooves into the ground to stop herself.
"Now, Tepig, let's show them how it's done! Tackle!" Having righted herself, Tepig plows sideways into Oshawott, sending him flying as far as she had. Somehow, Oshawott lands right on his feet. For such a rounded Pokémon, he definitely knows how to land.
"Use Tail Whip, Oshawott," Cheren counters. Oshawott waggles the bottom half of his body in his attempt to "whip" his tail. It is cute, I have to admit. Not as cute as Tepig, mind you, but cute nonetheless.
"Keep on the offensive, Tepig!" I call out. Tepig is quick to oblige, flinging the startled Oshawott back, and yet again he lands on his feet. How does he keep managing to execute these perfect landings?
"Tail Whip, now!" Oshawott yet again starts waggling his body in hopes of making Tepig stop charging towards him. Unfortunately for Oshawott, Tepig remains unfazed and continues her charge towards him. One more time Oshawott is sent flying back. This time, however, he plops on his back, and the scalchop skitters behind him a few feet. Oshawott tries to push himself back to his feet, but faints from the battering he has taken.
"Ah! So that's a Pokémon battle!" Cheren exclaims, showing much more emotion than usual. I am glad, though, that he is thrilled by our battle, even if it isn't even half like what we would watch on the television. "I made a strange blunder in my first battle, but this feeling I have..."
"You? Feeling? Since when?" I grin apologetically. I just can not pass up such an opportunity to finally say it.
"I'm finally a Trainer," he continues, once again ignoring my half-hearted insult. "But first, we'd better go apologize to your mother about this messed-up room." He walks calmly down the stairs, and he doesn't seem at all concerned that my mother might just have a heart attack because of how much of a mess it is.
Bianca starts. Surprisingly, she remained silent during our entire battle, likely watching with her entire being. "Oh! I'd better come too!" she says, rushing off behind Cheren and leaving me alone in the disaster zone that was once my room. I wait a moment to collect my thoughts before following my friends down the stairs.
This is certainly going to be hard to explain.
And here are the first battles of our adventure! I know they're still a bit short, but when the Pokémon fighting only know Tackle and Leer/Tail Whip, the battles can get boring real fast if not done well. And I will never trust myself enough for that. Heck, I don't even really trust myself to write good Pokémon battles in general, so yeah. That's what I'm going to work on within this story. Also I have no idea how Revives work so if it's wrong let me know!
I honestly debated whether I would read reviews or not for this story. I know last chapter I told people I was perfectly okay with it, but then I started to doubt myself, because I didn't want to lose my motivation at the same place I did before. I steeled myself, though, and said "I'll read them all, no matter what." And, because this is how I am, I do reply to each and every review, no matter what. So, let me do just that!
mardoche: Hello to you as well! :)
Mega Espeon: It really is an interesting name. I wish I could remember how I came across it. It'll come to me at some point, I swear. As for Tepig, I actually did not have the choice. As I explain a little in the trivia, I was playing a mild version of a nuzlocke, and one of the rules was the starter chosen is based on the last digit of the Trainer ID. Mine was NUMBER, hence why I chose Tepig (so I guess in a sense it was left up to chance!). If it had been my choice, I would have been one of those people who chose Snivy. I'm just naturally drawn to grass type starters and never give much thought on the movesets. In fact, Chikorita is my favorite Pokémon and has been since I was young. That being said, when I end up doing my White 2 story like I plan to, I don't use Snivy then either, even if that one isn't based on actual gameplay. Also, thanks for the favorite and the follow!
Fire4Heaven: This actually isn't my first Pokémon fanfic; it's my fourth. And I have heard of this type of thing happening, and actually had to deal with Farla on Don't Forget Me. I had been warned about it just before that happened, and it actually made me laugh because of how obvious it was that they only read the first chapter and didn't even read the author's note, where I clearly state that I wouldn't be doing entirely journal entries the entire time. Talarc and The Reeds of Enki are ones I hadn't heard before, so thank you for that in case they're the ones who do it this time. In regards to what might be complained about, I know I need to come up with a somewhat better summary (I meant to before, but haven't exactly figured that out yet), but those other two main ones are complete nonsense, especially when the Pokémon names are capitalized in official sources. I personally won't go blocking them, because sometimes it's amusing to see those reviews, as I found with Farla. I don't let them get to me, because I know they're like that to pretty much everyone, and I refuse to let negative reviews impact me if they don't offer actual constructive criticism and isn't just pure bashing for the sake of being hateful.
Also thank you for the favorite ChanStarX!
Trivia:
-As I sort of mentioned above, my actual gameplay was originally based off a less-intense version of a nuzlocke. No Pokémon die in my "variation" of sorts off of that variation. It had its own weird rules I came up with to see if I could possibly put myself through a real nuzlocke. Needless to say, I can't.
-That line where Cheren is saying about HP and PP? Yeah, I never saw that and never even knew about it until I was trying to see what Pokémon Cheren had on his team, and I kind of just found it. You never see it in the actual game though because it only happens if your Pokémon didn't lose any HP, which is apparently impossible. I threw it in here because I like to think of Cheren as a nerd of sorts, and it just fits.
-I obviously did not manage to keep all my HP in the actual battle I had with Bianca. Quite the opposite, in fact; it was a critical-hit Tackle fest, which is why the room is such a mess now. The battle with Cheren is as you see, more-or-less.
-Yeah, at first I didn't understand at first how Tail Whip would lower an opponent's defense whatsoever.
-I'm going to be having the Pokémon act in certain ways based on their natures. I feel that the natures and possibly the characteristics as well help give the Pokémon personality. My Tepig has a Impish nature in my game and a "sturdy body", whatever that may mean. I had a random generator to decide what natures opposing Pokémon from "important" Trainers would have as obviously it doesn't tell you that. Bianca's Snivy was Naughty, and Cheren's Oshawott was Bold.
Well, I better stop rambling and go explain this mess to Mom.