Chapter 1: Disappointing beginnings
"We broadcast this from the Johto National Arena, all across the world! The Silver conference Finals is coming to a near end!
The raging battle between these two fierce opponents is raging on with neither trainer losing any spirit! Crystal's Arcanine is taking a massive beating from the opponents Vaporeon but still won't lose no matter what! No matter how many water guns, hydro pumps or ANYTHING, it is useless getting this Arcanine to give up!"
'Use Flamethrower!'
"WOW The attack was so powerful it sent Vaporeon flying into a rock shattering it to pieces! Amazing! On top of power, Arcanine has speed, agility and defence all at his disposal! CRYSTAL has certainly done an …CRYSTAL…excellent job raising this …CRYSTAL… Pokemon…"
CRYSTAL!
Crystal was awoken by her brother to mark the first day of her Pokemon journey. In her small bedroom, him and his Kirlia came to shake her awake. Her fathers best friend over the years also paid a visit to see her off. Lance was a part of her family, if not by blood, then by trust.
She ran all the way downstairs, erupted in a fit of flames as the boys joked around with her, her father silently grinning along as he made everyone breakfast. Lance, making the most fun of her, as he always did but always finishing it off with, 'm'lady' or something ridiculous like that. Crystal always figured it was a joke.
Lance has been her fathers best friend as long as they could remember. The two grew up together and faced the league together. Lance staying in Kanto and Johto whereas her father went to four more regions before setting down back in Kanto, with his wive. Lance has been a very looked up to figure in Crystals life where she learned to battle from him and her father.
Crystal ran out of the house before eating and in only a crop top and shorts, her pyjamas. She exclaimed how powerful she was gonna be but finished it off my remarking how today was going to be her best day ever.
"She sure can get excited" Lance laughed to the figure leaning on the kitchen counter, dumping scrambled eggs into a plate.
The man sighed as toast sprung out of the toaster.
…
"Someone forgot to get dressed!" Jayson called from his bed room window, watching her run past his house
"Psh! I'm too excited for proper clothes!" She stopped in front of his house and started running on the spot
"At least wait for me, will ya!" He yelled from his room
"ahhhhhh just hurryhurryhurry!"
"Alright alright im comin" He closed his window and made her wait outside his house. But of course she couldn't stand still. She admired the wooden frame of his house, richly decorated in dark, fashionable colours and woods.
"James is waiting for me in Johto I can't keep him waiting!" She started running when she noticed Jayson get out of his front door.
"James James James. He's all you ever talk about" Jayson started running after her
"You'll love him when you meet him!"
"Maybe," he exhaled as he ran behind
"Don't be such a grouch, Jay" she started running up the long stairway, two steps at a time. He made a face at her.
They finally made their way up the stairs to Professor Oaks lab and knocked. Time slowly passed as the windmill on top of the laboratory slowly turned... until the door swung open.
"Welcome, guys! You ready to pick up your first Pokémon?" Tracey exclaimed
She gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes. "Yes, sir!" she exclaimed excited. Jay nodded behind her.
"Good! Since you, Crys, are going to go to Johto and start your journey there," He pointed inside, "We have Professor Elm on the line with three Pokémon you can choose from in the Johto region!" He led them idown the hall, "It was all Professor Oaks idea so you can thank him for that!"
"Woah" She peeked into the rooms as they passed door after door, "so where's Professor Oak?"
"He's getting the Pokémon for Jayson to choose from" The two teens shared a smile. Tracey continued guiding them to the room holding the two conversing professors
"So Professor Elm, here's the young lady I was talking about, Crystal!" introduced Professor Oak, as they walked into the room, talking to Professor Elm.
"Hi!" her enthusiasm continued to show
"Ah. Crystal." Professor Elm backed up to show her the three Pokémon. "Here are the three Pokémon you get to choose from today," She noticed them all acting excited "Totodile; the water type. Cyndaquil, the fire type. And Chikorita, the grass type"
"Wow they all look so cute!" The three Pokémon tried to look their best but she already had an idea in mind.
"Hmm… I choose Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil's face lit up and so did its back.
"Excellent choice!" The professor turned to them and returned all the Pokémon "I'll send him over right away" he walked out of the cameras shot
"While Professor Elm's getting everything prepared," Professor Oak started, "why don't you have a pick at these starters as well" Professor Oak released the Pokémon on a table to the side "Here are Squirtle, the water type, Charmander, the fire type and Bulbasaur, the grass type"
"Amazing! They look so cool in real life!" Jayson exclaimed, letting his boyish nature show
"Well," Crystal piped up, "if you came and helped the professor with me every now and again maybe this wouldn't have been your first time" she smirked and smile
"Hmm. I guess I'll just be surprised then" he returned the face she gave him. "I chose Charmander! The fire on his tail is sick!"
"Excellent. The fire on his tail represents his life," Professor Oak stared him deadly in the eye, "If it dies out, so does Charmander," He looked back at the Pokemon and loosened up, "You will have to be extra careful, young man" Professor Oak returned the other Pokémon and gave Jayson Charmander's pokeball.
"All ready! I'll be sending Cyndaquil over now…" Said Prof. Elm, out of the cameras shot. After a bunch of noises a pokeball popped up in a mechanism under the screen.
"Awwwesome!" she yelped
Professor Oak handed her the pokeball and she immediately released Cyndaquil from his pokeball.
She bent down to face him, "Hi there, buddy. My name's Crystal. Would you like to join me on my journey?" she smiled at him. "Cyndaaaa!" Cyndaquil jumped into her arms, happily and started licking her.
She laughed, "I'll take that as a yes"
Jayson looked down at his Charmander, smiling up at Crystal. It crawled over to her and tugged at her pants. "Chaarr?"
"I'm sorry, hun, but Jayson's your trainer" Charmander turned his head toward Jayson.
"Sorry I didn't get the introductions down like Crys but my name's Jayson. Would it be alright if you stuck with me on my journey? It'll be fun!" Jayson smiled down at him. Charmander smiled at started jumping up and down.
"Cool!" He laughed
Professor Oak gave Jayson a Pokédex and some pokéballs and told her to get hers pokeballs from her father and her pokedex from Professor Elm.
She turned to exit the lab. "Thanks for everything, guys!" She ran down the stairs with Cyndaquil in her arms
"Don't forget to get your clothes!" Jayson called after her
"Yeah yeah!" Crystal turned around and ran back home
"Are you sure you want to send her on her own?" Tracey asked
"What do you think?" Professor Oak bended down to meet her "Does Crystal seem like the kind of trainer you'd want to be with?"
She let out a soft cry and an excited smile while jumping up and down
"What if someone tries to catch her?"
"I asked Crystals father to put her pokeball in the bunch of pokéballs he's supplying her with so there's nothing to worry about"
"…there's actually plenty to worry about…"
"You sure you can manage with such a little bag? What about your pads and your helmet?" her father ridiculously gesturing to her stuff
"But I'm wearing them" she stood and smiled
"Are you sure about that skateboard? It's gonna weigh you down" He complained again
"C'mon guys! I'm not running a marathon! I'm trying to have the most fun so let me do it my way" She stated as she stubbornly backed out of the front door to meet Jayson on his bike
"Are you sure you don't want me to fly you two to Johto? Or even to the city? There's a bunch of wild pokemon..." he stopped, realizing what he was saying
"C'mon dad, I'm not even gonna tell what was wrong with that!" She started skating away from the house. "Bye Mightyena, Gardevoir! I'll be back before ya know it! And we'll have a pokemon battle and everything to show you how strong I'v gotten!"
"Don't worry, sir, I'll be helping her out!" Jay called as well as he followed Crystal behind her, on his bike.
"Bye now!" Lance waved
"Bye! Can't wait!" Her dad called, trying to act excited but failing, earning a face from Aaron.
"Later, sis" Aaron grinned made a mini salute as his Kirlia waved at his feet
"Are you sure she'll be safe?" Ryu asked, uncertain of leaving her unprotected for so long
"Nope." Lance responded, grinning "Where's the fun in that?" Lance grinned at the man standing alone side him, glaring at him.
The two arrived in the city after a couple day of travelling and battling, eager to get onboard and rest as quickly as possible
"Even in that short time, you've really gotten powerful, Lava" She pet Cyndaquils head in her arms, earning a purr.
"You have too, Blaze!" Jayson said, returning his Charmander
"I still can't believe you're coming to Johto with me…" she hesitantly stated
"Fun, eh?!" he smiled down at her and biked in front of her face to look at her
"eh" she shrugged, rolling past him on her board
"It's time to meet this James guy you keep going on about," he followed her at an even pace
"James…" she started getting all googly eyed again. But then stopped at the sudden realization that something has been following them
"…but maybe I will like him. Never know" Jay pondered
She turned to look at him and shrugged, "Oh. Maybe," distracted
"Something wrong?" he peered down at her
"nah its nothing" she looked to the sea a the big ship along in the port "DAMN that's a nice ship. I hope we're taking that one, right lava?" She smiled down at him "Cynda!"
"I'm gonna go get my ticket, stay here, okay?" Jayson said riding off, leaving her in the middle of a busy port
she stared, "Sure!" uncertainly
She started up in awe of the ship and how expensive it must have been to get this ticket, knowing exactly how Jay was gonna pay for it. His parents.
She ignored Jay's request, tied her board to her backpack and started walking around and examining the ship. Her walk led her to the end of the wooden deck, starring at the beautiful sea and the water type Pokémon swimming by. She quickly noticed that she was alone and tried to run back to the crowd but a group of young trainers stopped her. They were throwing their pokéballs up and catching them with a nasty look on their face.
"That's a nice looking board you got there, 'lil lady" They started to surround her, "And quite a unique Pokémon. I never seen one o' them"
"Well maybe if you had enough money to get on this ship, I'm sure you'd see more just like him" She back talked, quite agressively and tried to walk away but they stopped er. I don't have my father's Pokémon to protect me anymore so I need to make do with what I have and fend for myself now…All I have is Cyndaquil… she thought, re-examining her situation.
"Quite a sassy mouth for such a little girl" The same one started cracking his knuckles and slowly walking closer "The name's Rawth"
"Little? I'm seventeen. And Rawth? It sounds like your barfing when you say that. Rawwwwwth. See?" she laughed, sticking out her tongue, his friends sort of giggled along but shut up when he glared at them.
She tried to make her way out of the group but they stopped her again and pushed her to the ground, Cyndaquil jumping in front of her. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked,looking down at her
She got up quickly, "That way" and pointed to the ship entrance, noticing people were starting to board the ship
"Board. Now. Then you can beat it"
"You sure? I mean it's pretty crappy. I use it in forests and everywhere I'd say it's pretty old. It'd probably break on you, man," she tried to bargain her freedom
"Cut the crap and hand it over"
"eh no thanks" she looked down at Cyndaquil who seemed ready for a battle 'Cynda!' "How about a battle for it?" she grinned
He laughed at her, "Your loss," He gripped his pokeball.
"I win, you leave me alone. You win, I had over the board and I can 'beat it', alright?" she bargained
"Sure, whatever you say, brat" The threw his pokeball. "C'mon out Raticate"
'Raaaaaa!' It cried. Lava got a little intimidated but didn't back down
"Use Hyper Fang!" It ran towards Cyndaquil but it was far slower.
"Dodge it!" He quickly moved out of the way "Now Ember!" The quiet flames erupted in Raticates face, sending him flying towards the edge of the small dock.
"Come on get up Raticate, you can't let such a wimpy Pokémon beat you! We just started!"
"Rah!" It was just as aggressive as its trainer as it jumped to its feet
"Now scratch the little brats pokemon!" he pointed to Cyndaquil
She was too busy looking into the crowd, looking for Jay, to tell Lava to counter. Her carelessness got Lava sent flying across the dock.
Rawth laughed and regained his confidence "The board's as good as mine now!"
She looked at her pokemon and knew she needed to get Jays attention
"Smokescreen!" The docks erupted in a dark cloud of smoke; surely it would catch his attention. "Now use Quick Attack!" All that could be heard was Raticate's screech and he flew out of the smoke.
"Come on Lava!"
She tried to run out of the smoke but a Weezing blocked her path. The smoke was quickly blown away by a Pokémon. A Fearow was flying over the Weezing.
A small laugh came from behind her, "Not so fast, runt, you're really pissing me off. Maybe I'll just steal your ticket, your Pokémon and not to mention your board there. That'll show you not to mess with people you can't handle!"
She gritted her teeth and really wished she had her dad's Mightyena with her… She remembered the Mightyena getting her out of many situations similar to this one, and worse. She regretted not catching any Pokemon in the forest. Even Jay caught a Pokemon before they left their town.
"Weezing use sludge bomb! Fearow, Peck!"
The Pokémon were definitely more powerful than the Raticate they defeated. Lava wouldn't be able to stop them… But they could at least try.
"Lava use Ember!" Lavas ember was easily defeated but at the very last moment, the ember transformed into a flame-thrower and was surprisingly an even match for the two attacks but Lava couldn't keep it up and was eventually blown back, towards the sea. She jumped to catch Lava as she returned him to his poke ball but ended up sliding off the wooden dock and into the sea.
The soft soothing water, burned her skin and she knew she had to get out as soon. The water was slowly making her weaker and weaker, she was slowly losing consciousness, not realizing how heavy her board on her bag made the swim up.
On the impossible struggle up, a hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her to the docks as she was drifting off.
Jay started cussing at the individuals who only laughed at her misfortune, not realizing it could have ended her life.
Her vision started failing her, only able to make out blobs; immersion in water always having this affect on her.
Jay made his Charmander battle the two opponents pokemon with a wild Eevee that happened to be following him
He tried to reasure her in his arms but her eyes slowly closed as her body weakened into darkness