A/N: Good evening. After the last chapter, I knew I wanted to have a relaxing chapter. Sorry if there's not alot of action but I wanted to dive deeper into Saul and Ava's thoughts and back stories a bit more, to help flesh them out. Next chapter, we will see more action, I promise that. Until then, enjoy :)
Pokemon Journey: Indigo League
Chapter 28: Camping
"Well, this is it for us," Lisa says, stopping at their car. "What an eventful few days."
"It has been," Fred agreed. He loaded up their new bags in the trunk. He closes the trunk before looking back at the three friends. "So what's the plan?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Brandon replies, looking at Saul and Ava, who both shrug. "Guess we will have to figure it out."
"Just stay safe, all of you," Lisa comments, pulling them all into individual hugs. "What happened to Kyle?"
"He left last night," Ava explains, adjusting her the straps on her new bag. "Odds are, we will see him around sooner or later."
"Call us when you get into the next Pokemon Center alright?" Fred says.
"We will," Brandon says, hugging them again. Lisa and Fred enter their car, waving goodbye as they pull away, leaving the three of them alone.
"Well," Brandon says, adjusting his new bag. It felt stiff against his back but it was better than his old bag. The clouds are starting to roll in, giving them a break from the scorching sun. "We have to decide which way to go."
"So we can go towards Lavender Town or towards Fuchsia City right?" Ava asks, pulling out her physical map. Saul and Brandon nod, looking at the map as well. "I think we should work our way up towards Lavender Town, through Saffron and Celadon before looping down towards Fuchsia."
"Makes sense," Brandon says. He looks at Saul. "Where is your next surf meet?"
"There's one in Fuchsia City, Seaform Island and Cinnabar Island," Saul says, looking up that information on his silent rotomdex. "The one on Fuschisa City will happen in five weeks time."
"Five weeks, umm," Ava says, studying the map. "I'm not an expert on a Kanto Map, but it looks like we can make it down to Fuchsia City in five weeks if we go towards Lavender Town through route 12. If we take route 13, we will hit Fuschia City in about three to four days."
"But we would be there too early for the meet," Saul says, also studying the map."It would make sense to go up then."
"It would," Ava nods.
"But will you get enough training in?" Brandon asks Saul. "Once we turn towards route 8, it looks like we won't be around a lot of water for Mantyke."
"That is a good observation," Saul says softly. "I'm sure we can find bodies of water to train on."
"If you are sure, then let's go through Lavender Town then," Brandon says after a moment of thinking. "The only thing will be getting back to Vermillion City once the gym reopens."
"We can always take the bus back," Ava says, pointing to the bus depot. Brandon sighs at not seeing it before. "Since we have decided our route, let's head on out."
Ava leads the way towards the open fields of eastern Vermillion City. There is hardly anyone around as the trio pass through the fields. The occasional Pidgey caws in the distance or the occasional Rattata runs in between bushes but nothing really noteworthy happens.
"Here we are," Brandon huffs, setting his bag on the ground. "Eastern Kanto."
"Are you tired already?" Ava teases him, taking a sip from her water bottle.
"Just not used to this new bag," Brandon says, rolling his shoulders. He takes out his water bottle as well and takes a sip. "It will take a day or two to break it in."
"Agreed," Saul agrees, also placing his bag on the ground. He takes out his water bottle and takes a sip. "But on the bright side, we will be walking beside the water. The scenery will be great."
"Agreed," Ava nods. She places her bottle in a side pocket on her bag. "We should get going if we want to cover some ground today."
Saul and Brandon nod before grabbing their bags, adjusting them for comfort. They took a left, heading north on route twelve.
The route itself is a coastal path, following the ocean. Trees and bushes sporadically pop up, providing the occasional shade but for the most part, it's just a pathway beside the ocean. At times, the trio can feel the cool mist hitting them, giving some relief to the hot afternoon.
For a couple of hours, they walk in a comfortable silence, each thinking about different things, when Brandon's stomach growls loudly. The group chuckles.
"Guess we can stop for a break," Ava says. She points to a spot with a picnic table and a garbage can with a fire pit close."That looks like a great spot."
"Agreed," Saul says. The trio set their bags down before Ava begins to dig around her pack for food.
"While you do that, I want to train a little," Brandon says, summoning his team.
Wartortle and Joltik both stare at Tangrowth before looking at Brandon. Nidorina looks at Brandon as well.
"First off, you all did great at the tournament," Brandon praises them. "But we still have work to do if we want to go far in the Indigo League. And that starts with increasing training sessions, starting today."
"Nidorina," Nidorina nods.
"Wartortle," Wartortle nods.
"Tangrowth," Tangrowth nods, not used to his new body.
"Joltik," nods, though he's not looking at Brandon. It's quite apparent he's still mad at Brandon, something Brandon notices.
"This session, I want Wartortle to work on your accuracy and range of water pulse. Nidorina, I want you to focus on dodging. Joltik, we need to talk alright? Let's do it!"
Brandon walks towards Joltik, who still isn't looking at Brandon. Brandon chuckles, sitting down beside the small spider Pokemon.
"You're still mad I recalled you?" Brandon asks him softly. He's aware that Saul and Ava also bring out their teams.
"Joltik," Joltik nods.
"Do you know why I switched you?" Brandon asks him. Joltik doesn't answer him. "You weren't in condition to battle anymore. It's my job as a trainer to make sure you are healthy."
Joltik turns his head slightly to look at Brandon.
"You are a very capable Pokemon," Brandon praises his newest Pokemon. "You are very helpful, kind and I admire your fighting spirit but understand, when I switch you out, it's because I want to make sure you are safe."
"Joltik?" Joltik asks, turning completely around to face Brandon.
"I'm proud to call you my Pokemon," Brandon tells him. "To watch you grow has been a pleasure. Watching you trying to free Zapdos was amazing to see. However, just know that I will withdraw you, if it appears you can't battle anymore. I need you to be alright with that. Do we have an understanding?"
Joltik walks over to Brandon and rubs his leg affectionately. Brandon grins, reaching down to pet his head. Brandon then stands up.
"Joltik, I want to work on your string shot, more specifically to see if we can get some distance," Brandon says. He points to a tree branch. "Aim for that branch. I'm going to check on the others."
Brandon strolls around to Nidorina, who was hopping back and forth. Brandon watches her, still trying to come up with a battle style that suits her. It's apparent she loves close combat, as demonstrated in her win. Brandon scratches his chin and pulls out his Pokedex to see if there are any moves he can teach her to compliment her style. He likes the sound of body slam but that might be a little much for her right now. Maybe just getting her to improve her attacks right now would be the best thing.
"Great job Nidorina," Brandon says, stepping towards her. "You are getting better at dodging but I can see that you are more of a brawler. You prefer to straight up attack right?"
Nidorina nods, not breaking her jumping. Brandon smiles at her willingness to get stronger.
"That's great to hear," Brandon says. "It was awesome how you took control of that fight against Pikachu. To be honest, Pikachu's speed surprised me."
"Nido," Nidorina nods her head, agreeing with him.
"I'm thinking we should work a little on your speed as well," Brandon suggests. "That way, we aren't surprised like that again."
"Nidorina," Nidorina nods, still not breaking her jumping.
"Try this," Brandon says, watching her for a few seconds. "Every tenth jump, use poison sting. We can work on releasing it quicker."
Nidorina nods. On the tenth hop, she releases a poison sting attack in front of her. At first, the distance wasn't there, with poison sting only landing about three feet in front of her. Narrowing her eyes, she tried it again. This time it went a foot further. Brandon smiles before waving goodbye to her and joining Tangrowth.
Tangrowth looks awkward, trying to hop like Nidorina. Brandon takes out his Pokedex, scanning his new Pokemon.
"Tangrowth, the Vine Pokemon and the evolved form of Tangela. Grass type. Tangrowth has two arms that it can extend as it pleases. Recent research has shown that these arms are, in fact, bundles of vines," the dex chimes back.
"Wow, look at you Tangrowth," Brandom says warmly, putting away his dex. "When we first met, you were shy. You have grown through the short time we've been traveling. You are coming out of your vines and that's really awesome to witness. And thank you."
Tangrowth smiles and brings Brandon into an embrace. He goes back to his dodging exercises but is really awkward about it but Brandon could have sworn he was slower though he's not sure.
"Don't worry," Brandon says, patting him on the back. "You will get used to your new form in no time. Now, I want to see an ancient power."
Tangrowth nods then summons rocks from above him. Brandon watches as the rocks fall harmlessly to the ground. He nods, impressed at the move and how well Tangrowth can handle it. He began to get ideas on how to use it.
"Remember when you were training releasing stun spore as you were hopping?" Brandon asks Tangrowth. Once Tangrowth nodded, Brandon went on. "Do the same thing but with ancient power."
Tangrowth nods, and begins to hop again back and forth. Every tenth hop, Tangrowth releases an ancient power, working on releasing the attack faster.
"Great. Work on that. I want to go see Wartortle," Brandon says. He turns around and walks towards Wartortle, who is working on his water pulse.
Brandon stands there, watching Wartortle repeatedly releasing water pulse after water pulse. With each release, Brandon could swear he can see improvement though it's very small. Brandon smiles, walking over to Wartortle.
"How are you doing Wartortle?" Brandon asks his starter Pokemon.
"Wartortle," Wartortle answers him.
"That's good," Brandon replies. "Keep up the great work Wartortle. With every water pulse fired off, I can see a small improvement."
"Wartortle," Wartortle says, feeling discouraged.
"Hey, that's not a bad thing," Brandon says, trying to cheer up his partner. "In fact, that's a great thing. Improve a little each day and before you know it, you will master water pulse."
"Wartortle?" Wartortle asks Brandon, his face brightening.
"We have a long way to go before the Indigo League," Brandon nods, smiling. "Mastering moves will take time. Just keep at it."
Ava watches Brandon as he walks and talks to each of his Pokemon with a smile as she flips the grilled cheese in the frying pan. She turns towards her team. Umbreon is playing with Omantye and Growlithe. They are playing some sort of tag game.
Her eyes linger on Omanyte. She remembers him mastering roll out to save Growlithe. She couldn't be prouder of him. It also means he's ready to learn more though she has to remember that he's still an infant. She watches him play with Umbreon and Growlithe before turning towards Growlithe.
She is her new addition but she's blended in well with everyone's Pokemon. She's playful, always wagging her tail, always looking to play but fiercely loyal, as demonstrated on the ship. During her appearance in the Underground tournament, she showed tremendous improvement in such a small amount of time. Ava smiles, watching her Pokemon, before turning towards Umbreon.
She remembers the day she caught Eevee. Poor girl was shivering in the snow when Ava came across her. At first, Eevee refused help before she succumbed to the cold. Ava was able to rush her to the Pokemon Center in the nick of time. Ava left the next morning to register for the Silver Conference when Eevee found her. Ever since then, they have become inseparable. Eevee insisted she travel with Ava when she came to Kanto. Now, Umbreon has become one of her closest friends. Something she doesn't take for granted.
She gives Brandon a sideways glance, while plating the grilled cheese. When she first came across him in Viridian City, she instantly knew he was a rookie trainer. Even after their battle, he was trying to console her, after admitting she didn't know how to train Eevee. After everything with her family, she doesn't trust very easily, but something about this boy made her trust him a little. She developed her first crush on him. But after traveling together, she now sees him in the same light as Jason.
She puts the plates on a picnic table as she shifts her attention to Saul, who is currently napping underneath a tree. In the short time they have traveled together, Saul has become a friend. Not as close as Brandon and her but someone whom she's starting to trust more and more. She had to laugh silently at the thought. She didn't trust very easily yet in the short time traveling Kanto, she trusts two people.
"Food's ready," she says, raising her voice, as she fills the dishes for all the Pokemon. Everyone rushes towards the table, eager to eat. She grins, sitting down.
"How's training going?" She asks the guys.
"I didn't really train," Saul explains, chuckling.
"Yeah, I kinda noticed," Ava teases him, eating a slice of tomato.
"It's been a rough few days," Saul shrugs, winking at Ava. "I apologize for nothing."
"I get it," Ava says, before turning towards Brandon. "I noticed that you seem to have a training regiment with each of your Pokemon."
Brandon nods and swallows his food before answering. "I feel like I got a good grasp on their battle styles. Now comes the part of trying to hone them."
"Glad to hear it," Ava says, beaming at him like a proud sister. "If you ever want a training match, let me know. I will be happy to battle you."
"Same goes for me," Saul says, finishing his plate quickly. He pushes the plate away from him before leaning back and almost falling. He forgot he was sitting at a picnic table. "Oops."
"I've done that before," Ava chuckles, also finishing her plate.
"That hit the spot," Brandon says contently, stacking his plate on top of Saul's. "I almost don't want to move now."
"I'll get those," Saul says, as Ava reaches for the plates. "It's only fair since you made lunch."
"Thank you," Ava says gratefully, watching Saul gathering the plates and begins to wash them. Yungoos, Pikipek and Mantyke are helping to put away things into Ava's bag.
"Thank you," Ava says with a warm smile.
Soon the trio are back on the road underneath a cloudy sky. All the Pokemon have been returned to their respective balls. Saul looks out over the calm water. His mind goes back to Hau'oli City receiving Mantyke when he decided to follow in his father's steps. He remembers watching her swim for the first time, excited to finally be able to participate in surf events. His father, instead, signs him up for the Kanto Tour, giving him basic lessons before putting him on a plane to Kanto.
On the way towards the airport, he ran into Pikipek, just out of the blue. She was just flapping around when a ball sucked her in, completely surprising her that she didn't fight back.
He remembers using Pikipek to capture Yungoos, who was causing mischief at the airport. Turns out the little guy was starving and only wanted food, something Saul is starting to regret now. His funds are dipping low because of the amount of food he has to buy for Yungoos.
Boarding the plane, Saul was excited to come to Kanto. He trained at Viridian Lake before traveling up to Pewter City and meeting Brandon. There, he traveled to Cerulean Lake before again running into Brandon and Ava near the Underground Path. It was he who asked to travel with them. Truth be told, it was because he's homesick.
At home, it was him, his parents, brother and sister. His siblings all did the Island Challenge but he wanted to do something different. After talking to the surfer, it became clearer. The hard part will be telling Ava and Brandon, whom he regards as really good friends, that he will be going back to Aloha after Cinnabar Island Surf Meet. He suddenly stumbles, not watching where he's walking.
"You alright?" Brandon asks, reaching out to help Saul.
"Yeah," Saul says sheepishly. "Guess I was too busy thinking and not watching where I was walking."
"Understandable," Brandon chuckles. He looks at the map on his Poketch. "Looks like we are about halfway to Lavender Town. How about we set up camp for the night?"
"Sounds good," Saul agrees. He points towards an ideal spot. The spot looks over the water yet has three trees surrounding an opening, almost like they are providing a barrier. "That looks like a great spot."
"Good eye," Ava says approvingly. She places her bag down, rolling her stiff shoulders. "I made lunch. I'm not making supper."
"I'll make supper," Brandon says, pulling out some dishes.
"Oh great," Ava mutters, pulling out the new four person tent.
"What's wrong?" Saul asks her, while Brandon just sends her an eye roll.
"You will find out soon enough," Ava grumbles with a grin.
"Yes, I know I'm not a great cook," Brandon says, starting to cook pasta. "But like training, practice makes perfect."
"Unlike training, we have to eat it," Ava says, sticking her tongue out at him.
"It can't be that bad," Saul says. Ava just raises an eyebrow at him. "Right?"
"Just be thankful this is your first meal cooked by him," Ava teases Brandon.
Brandon huffs dramatically as Ava and Saul finish setting the tent up. Soon, dinner was served. Saul twirled the pasta on his fork, eyeing it apprehensively, much to Ava's delight and Brandon's chagrin. Saul puts the fork into his mouth, making a face when chewing it.
"We need to give you some cooking lessons," Saul says, washing down the pasta.
"Cooking was never my strong suit," Brandon says sheepishly.
"It's a hard skill to obtain," Saul says. Ava nods behind Saul. "Best to start easy, like soup."
"You can ask Wartortle how my soup is," Brandon admits with a laugh. "Right Wartortle?"
"Wartortle," Wartortle nods with a cheeky grin towards Brandon.
Brandon yawns. He sees everyone else yawning. Together, they quickly cleaned up before going to bed.
Team Listings:
Brandon Adams:
Wartortle - Male, Torrent ability. Knows Water Pulse, Ice Punch, Withdraw, Rapid Spin
Tangrowth - Male, Leaf Guard ability. Knows: Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Growth, Ancient Power
Nidorina – Poison Point ability. Knows Growl, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Fury Swipes
Joltik – Male, Compound Eyes ability. Knows: Shockwave, Electroweb, String Shot, Bug Bite
Ava Mcarthur:
Umbreon - Female. Synchronize ability. Knows growl , Quick Attack, Double Kick, Snarl
Omanyte - Male. Weak Armor ability. Knows: Withdraw, Constrict, Rollout
Growlithe – Female. Flash Fire. Knows: Ember, Bite
Saul Raymond:
Yungoos – Male. Unknown Ability. Knows Tackle, Sand attack, Leer
Pikipek – Female (Shiny). Unknown Ability. Knows Peck, Growl
Mantyke – Female. Water Absorb. Knows: Tailwind, Water Pulse