Chapter 8

Max, giving me a look over his shoulder, disappeared into the shadows, leaving me to wander back into school on my own. The corridors were quiet, as most of the students were all out on the veranda still, packed into the grandstands. I wondered where Ash was.

Now I had time to think, I realised just how tired I was. That battle had drained me completely, and my brain felt extremely sluggish. However, there was still something that could shake me out of my stupor. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out my new Pokedex.

Wondering how it actually worked, I decided I needed to test it out. I headed up to my dormitory, swung the door open and called out, seeing if anyone was at home. There was no reply, so I made my way into the lounge, sat down, and placed my poke balls down.

I released my Drillbur and Gengar onto the table, where they sat, watching me.

"Okay guys, take a look at this." I told them, placing the Pokedex on the table. "You know what this is?"

"Gar! Gar!" My Gengar announced, jumping up and down and waving its small arms.

I smiled at it.

"I'll take that as a yes. Thanks to you guys, we've won a Pokedex. It lets me see your potential moves, and characteristics. Let's try it out."

I held up the small camera over my Drillbur, and immediately the screen filled up with statistics and numbers. For instance, it showed me that my Drillbur was a male, was level 20, and could learn the move Earthquake at level 33. I did the same to my Gengar, looking at its potential moves and things very similar.

After a while, I felt clued up enough about my two pokemon, so I put them back into their balls, and left the room to find Max. I didn't have to look hard, as I crossed paths with him going down the stairs.

"Alright mate?" he asked, pulling his dragon jacket closer around his shoulders.

"You…you…" I could only stammer in reply.

He held up a hand, and smiled.

"It's really not what it seems like. He was just telling me some stuff."

"About what?" I asked frowning.

"Well, he's an informant in Team Plasma, so anything I want to know really."

I had just become even more confused than it was possible to be within a single second.

"What…what did he tell you?"

"Well…" he began, blatantly enjoying the attention I was giving him. "I suppose you've heard about the supposed 'Sacred Land'?"

I shook my head. I was wrong about being completely confused; I was now even more so.

"Basically, there is a Pokemon lore that somewhere within Kanto, there is a place where wild Pokemon live, but it is extremely unusual."

"How so?"

"Well, from what I was just told, any pokemon that has been exposed to that area can perform unusual moves. Not like teaching it things with a HM or a TM; they physically learn it by themselves. It also allows them evolve even when not levelled up enough. To put it short, it's so unpredictable."

When he had finished, I couldn't help but scoff loudly. It just sounded too silly to be true.

"It all sounds like a load of rubbish to me, mate." I told him.

He just looked back at me. It turns out he had a trump card hidden within his sleeve.

"Team Plasma has found it."

"They've what!?" I was so shocked. "Imagine what they could do with Pokemon so powerful that they can do any move, and evolve whenever they freaking feel like it!"

Max nodded in understanding.

"Exactly. They have to be stopped." I told him. I wasn't feeling brave at all, but I definitely wasn't stupid. I know something had to be done.

"Definitely. We're nowhere near strong enough though…there's no way we'd be able to take on the whole of Team Plasma and a load of really overpowered Pokemon. We'd get trashed." He said.

"Especially with only two Pokemon each."

He nodded, thinking about something. I asked him what it was.

"We need to see the Pokemon professor, and soon. And we definitely need more pokemon."

"Plus a quick way to get all out pokemon some experience." I added, also deep in thought.

He agreed with me, and suggested we went to see the professor right now. I nodded, and we made our way to his office. I knocked gently on the door.

"Come in." a voice said from inside.

I pushed open the door, Max following close behind me. The professor wasn't sat down in his chair by the fire this time, but was stood up by his pokemon machine, with a small green grass-type at his feet.

It turned around to face us. "Tree-cko!" it exclaimed.

The professor gave a hearty laugh, and smiled warmly. "It's okay Treeko, these people are students."

The pokemon seemed to understand, and visibly relaxed.

"So then boys, what can I do for you today?"

I looked at Max, and he told the professor all he had heard from his Team Plasma contact. After he had finished, the professor took a seat heavily, looking surprised, and very flustered.

"And you can back this up, Mr Davis?" he asked, looking at me.

I nodded. "It seems possible, professor. Whether or not this place actually exists, we have to do something."

The old man inclined his head in agreement. He appeared to have an idea already in his head. His eyes twinkled, almost as if he was a young man again.

"What should we do, professor?" Max asked desperately, removing his dragon jacket. He definitely meant business now.

The professor looked up, his face etched in a cross between boyish humour and a grave sadness.

"It seems you are the only trainers good enough here to have a chance. The gym leaders of Kanto are sure to help, but you must see them first and get their agreement."

I stomached the information, and turned to my friend. "It seems fine, we can do that."

Max agreed. The professor cleared his throat. He wasn't finished yet.

"And boys. Your pokemon need experience, and vast amounts. It is clear to me that both of you must take the pokemon gym challenge…"

I gulped loudly. My heart plunged into the icy depths of my stomach.

Shit…

"But when could we do that?" Max asked. "We're in school!"

The twinkle in the professor's eye shone through brightly. It was clear he already knew what to do.

"There are certain…rules…that can be bent. I am sure the headmaster will understand, especially when it comes to something as serious as this. Team Plasma must be stopped."

His eyes glazed as he looked into the distance.

"For too long they have ruined our land, and the special relationship shared between human pokemon. It is all for greed, they believe they are the only ones who should own pokemon, and so they do everything with a ruthlessness that can never be justified. Boys…" he said heavily, looking down at us. "The time has come for you to do something special. You must save this land, and all the pokemon within it."

"But why us?" I asked. I knew deep in heart that we were just normal students. Nothing differentiated us from every other student at the school. Apart from one thing…

"The skills displayed in the battle you just had are some that I haven't seen at this school for many years, not since when the last Pokemon champion attended here. It is a very rare occasion when a pokemon trainer comes through this area, and appears straight away destined for great things. This year, there are two of you! That fact can't just be ignored."

"I suppose so. But, I definitely don't feel special." Max said. I was surprised, he didn't seem like the sort of person who let thing get to him. But I'd let him off, this was a very different sort of occasion. "To be honest, Ash is a much better trainer than both us put together. If anyone's gonna beat Team Plasma, it's him."

The professor smiled in return. He didn't seem fazed by anything that had just happened within the last five minutes. It almost seemed like he was enjoying himself.

"Very true, Mr Harris. However, Ash needs to be refined as a trainer, he takes far too many risks, and despite the relationship shared with his Pikachu, he seems to have no time for any other pokemon. Until he is ready, the school shall keep him here. Now…"

It was clear the professor was coming to the end of this explanation.

"I have such strong faith in you, boys. The instant you stepped into this office, Mr Davis, I could tell you would grow to be a powerful pokemon trainer. Mr Harris, the skill displayed out on the veranda just then also informs me of the same thing. I know you can do it."

The kind words lifted my heart, and I felt encouragement flow thickly through my veins. I am ready!

"Thanks, Professor." Max smiled, seemingly as prepared as I now felt.

"I mean everything I have just said. Now! If you are to challenge the Pokemon gyms around Kanto, you will need some more pokemon! Two for both of you will not suffice. Where did you find your Magby, and Elekid, Mr Harris?"

Max looked slightly sheepish. He knew he had gone out of the school boundaries. "Well…behind the trainer pitches, there's a thick wood. A lot of rare pokemon hang around there. They seem to watch what happens in the school grounds."

"Ah, excellent. A curious pokemon is better than a docile one, as every good trainer should know. Do you have any other lessons today?"

We both shook our heads. We were only in our first year, so lessons tended to be very sparse, and basic. I didn't mind, the bond I had formed with my pokemon during the lesson, and the battle with Ash, definitely had improved. I felt a lot closer to them than I had done beforehand.

"Then I would advise you to head down to that spot now, and get catching. Time is running short, and I will send you on your journey at dawn tomorrow, before the rest of the school rises. It is imperative that no one sees you leave, not even the headmaster."

We both thanked him, and shook his hand graciously. Giving us a warming smile, he closed the door behind us. Max turned to me.

"Right, let's go get catching!"

We headed to the secluded spot. It was a small clearing in the huge forest, dotted with small lakes, and rocky areas. Using all our remaining poke balls, we got busy. Max managed to catch a Shellder, in a small icy patch of water by one of the lakes. Feeling slightly jealous, I watched on as he then captured a Seedot, to round off his four-pokemon team.

It was then my turn. And I got lucky. Big time.

Huddled in a small alcove, where a rocky incline met the mouth of a small patch of water was a Kabuto, looking up at me with two large white eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, I battled it with my Drillbur until it tired, and then I sucked it into a poke ball.

I needed one more. And luck struck again, as I stumbled across a Natu perched high up in a tree. I shook it down with my Gengar, and captured it successfully.

With our teams finalised, we trudged back to school under the night sky and fell straight asleep when he reached our dorm.

Tomorrow was the biggest day of my life.