Mauday: I get where you're coming from, but I was 5'5 at 12 years old. One of my best friends was 5'10 at 12 as well (he's massive now at 6'7 370 lbs). It's definitely not common, but it is not as ridiculously rare as you make it out to be. I want this character to be even larger than my current build when fully grown, so I've got to start early! His starter Pokémon won't be the only Goliath in this story. After all, I can't have Reid looking too tiny next to Mirabelle ;)
Zalt: "Vaporeon, the Bubble Jet Pokémon, and an evolved form of Eevee. The composition of its cells is similar to molecules of water, and as such, can melt in water." The line about it's cells in particular tells me that it isn't just turning invisible. My interpretation, and what has been shown in the anime, is that Vaporeon is able to turn its body into actually water, but only when in contact with water. That restriction is what makes it not quite as OP as a Devil Fruit, like you were thinking.
Vitor & Circus: I'm glad to see that the chapter had such an impact. I felt pretty good about it when I was writing and love to hear that it hit the mark. Thanks for sharing!
BJJPanda: Mirabelle is a sweetheart, and she deserves the world.
AchillesI:So he will be, and you will be reading to follow along as he makes his way there.
Archlight & Blue: I love the recommendations. The final team has NOT been decided yet, so keep them coming. Unfortunately, while I love Lanturn, fish Pokémon are all but useless 95% of the time in the Pokémon world outside of the games where they fly on land. There's a reason that Ash never had a fish Pokémon. There's only so much you can do with them.
All other Commenters:Thank you so much for sharing about your interest in the story. I read every single one of your comments and have tons of fun doing so. Keep them coming!
Now, on to another chapter! This will be a bit of a cooldown after the previous chapter's madness, but we will get to know more of our newest team member. We will also see more of Goliath the Linoone! RIP sweet Zigzagoon. Who asked you to have such a low evolution level?
"Use Healing Pulse for now Chancy! Lightly, we don't want his ribs healing wrong before we set them!" Joy is hovering over my new Linoone as soon as his evolution ends. She gently shifts him on top of a stretcher provided by a Gym official, even as Chancy releases a faint pink energy into Goly's side. "He's in too rough of condition to even comfortably put him in the Pokeball. Chancy, keep that up as we transport him to the Pokémon Center!" She twirls to face the old Gym Leader as he just waltzes up. "Wattson! Return Jolteon and hand me her ball! That last impact was far too hard for her in that condition. Honestly, making her keep fighting after a forced revival with Wish; I'll have words for you soon, so don't expect to get away with that kind of reckless battling. I get that you were having fun with such a good battle, but you are supposed to be a role model here!"
"Wahahah!" Wattson laughs heartily and scratches the side of his neck as he complies with Joy's orders. The pissed-off pinkette is seriously scary. "Looks like I landed myself in some hot water this time. Wahaha!"
It's apparently my turn now, as Joy whirls on me with a face that would make Giratina cry.
"And you!" Her voice carries a boiling rage that is barely being contained. "I won't even get started on this now, because I have far too much to say and far too little time to say it. Especially if I want to save YOUR Pokémon, who YOU endangered!" I wince a bit when she jams her finger in my chest to emphasize her words. She is pissed! "I'm of half a mind to suspend your license for this. I can see that Goly was the one who wanted to push himself like this, but there's a reason Pokémon have Trainers. It's your job to recognize when he's going too far and teach him patience! It wouldn't be the first time a Pokémon crippled or even killed itself in the pursuit of strength, and it wouldn't be the last either!"
I can only hang my head in response to her words. I have no response. Despite that, I also know that I would do the exact same thing all over again if given a second chance, so any apology I give would only be lip service. How could I willingly want to stop the unbelievable amount of growth my partner Pokémon just went through?
"Tro." Mirabelle nudges my side with her head and croons in support.
"It's alright, Belle." I pet her along her neck. "She's just trying to look out for us."
Nurse Joy's eyes soften a bit at the young Pokémon's display, but she doesn't have the time to stick around. Instead, she turns to push the stretcher cart with Goly on it out of the Gym and to her own Pokémon Center. She leaves me with one last ominous warning.
"We'll talk soon." Then she's gone. Wattson and I both watch silently as she leaves, appearing similar to children waiting for their mother to leave the room after being chastised for fighting.
"Wahahaha!" With a loud laugh, Wattson turns to face me. "That is one scary young lady! That glare really zaps the spirit right out of you! Wahaha! Between you and me though," He leans towards me and lowers his tone. "That battle of ours was worth every bit of anger she might be feeling. I know she was just as excited as everyone else watching it, she's just not in a position where she can admit it."
"I don't know," I disagree with the carefree old spirit. "That rant seemed pretty heartfelt to me. What she said wasn't wrong either. There wasn't a need to risk Goliath's life for a Gym battle."
"Maybe not," He nods his head with a solemn expression. "But no Trainer worth his salt would have stopped that battle before its true conclusion. That was the kind of electrifying battle that might only come once in a lifetime for some Trainers. The kind of battle where you see both Pokémon growing stronger at a visible rate. Young Joy's anger and worry are real, of course, but so was her awe at the battle she just witnessed."
"You don't think I was just being greedy for Goliath to grow now, rather than having the patience to improve slowly but safely?"
"I think that you need to be at least that greedy," Wattson smiles kindly and gives me a knowing look. "Especially if you intend to reach the top while following the path that I believe you have chosen, Reid Redwood. As I said, battles like that one don't come often."
"I see," I look down at Mirabelle's head as she nuzzles herself into my chest, completely melting from my persistent petting. "I suppose you're right. Our dream isn't so easy to reach that I can get there by playing it safe and passing up opportunities. I need to greedily devour every chance that comes our way."
"Wahahaha!" Wattson once again laughs from deep within his belly, before reaching out his hand to me. "That's the spirit! Reach as high as you can, young Reid! I, Wattson Tesson, became a Gym Leader to help guide young Trainers down the path they wish to follow. After that electrifying battle we just had, I'm absolutely certain of who you are, and who you will become! You have the talent to grasp the stars themselves and achieve that impossible dream of yours!"
"Thank you," I return his handshake with a firm grip. Somehow, despite never telling him my dream, I don't doubt that he knows exactly where I am heading. "That was the best battle I could have ever asked for to get my first badge. I doubt I will ever forget it."
"I don't think Jolteon or I will ever forget the day a kid on his first day of being a Trainer waltzed into my gym with a Zigzagoon and beat us. Not even if we want to forget! Wahahaha!" He releases my hand and digs in the pocket of his cargo shorts. His hand soon returns to me, this time holding a gray case and a small golden badge in the shape of a coiled wire. "Unfortunately, all fun times must eventually end. Let me wrap this shocking encounter up by presenting you with two items, as your reward. First, is a Technical Machine for Pokémon who are trying to learn how to manipulate Electric-type energy. The move it carries is Shock Wave." I grab the case from him, interested to know that TMs are a thing here. That was never something I had thought to research. "Second is exactly what you came here for. Challenger Reid Redwood, for your excellent battling ability and powerful bond with your Pokémon, I present you with the Dynamo Badge!"
"Thank you for an incredible battle, Wattson."
I take the badge from him with slightly shaking hands. The moment feels almost surreal. Having received this badge in the games so many times with no effort, I hadn't thought much of the Gym Circuit, to be perfectly honest. Even Ash never fails to get all eight badges, and I've watched that kid make some absolutely awful choices in his battles. As such, I had been subconsciously looking ahead of the Gyms and straight at the Ever Grande Conference. Only when we arrived at the arena today did I even feel any nervousness. Granted, we fought a much more difficult battle than the regular first Gym battle, but I've still never had a battle as worthwhile as this one. The rush of emotions and gratification having this one little badge in my hand is giving me is truly indescribable.
"Well, don't keep them waiting," Wattson's words return my mind to the present. "Everyone's waiting for you."
Only now do I notice that the arena is silent. The MC had been droning on and on throughout my entire conversations with Joy and Wattson, but his voice is nowhere to be heard now. My eyes strafe the still crowd, and for a time, I'm at a loss as to what to do. Then, I think back to Ash's Gym battles, and I realize what they want. However, I'm not here to strike a pose. Gratifying as the battle was, it was still only the first step along our path. No, I think I will make a declaration instead.
I lean down towards Mirabelle's head and whisper something to her. She looks at me with wide eyes for a moment, then a determined glint fills them. She nods to me and straightens up to her full height.
My mic, which had automatically turned off after the battle, is turned back on by my request. I put one arm around Mirabelle's neck, pulling her into a half hug, and raise the Dynamo Badge to the crowd with the other. My eyes strafe all the spectators, resting on my classmates and then on Mrs. Melda for slight pauses.
"My name is Reid Redwood!" I shout into the mic, my voice booming throughout the arena and through the cameras to the people watching from elsewhere. "My partners are Goliath the Linoone and Mirabelle the Tropius! Today, after taking the first step, I declare to you all that we are here! The Gym Circuit, the Ever Grande Conference, the Elite Four, the Champion, all of it: we are coming, and we're not going to stop until we've conquered it all. I don't care what you think. I don't care if you doubt us. I don't care about your preconceived notions of what we can or cannot do. We will walk down our own path, regardless of anything but our own will." I stop and smile as I think of how best to put my last words. "If you don't like that, just come and try to stop us. We'll bury you." I turn my mic back off and unclip it from my collar.
"TROPIUS!" Even Mirabelle roars out a challenge. She may be a bit shy, but her lust for battle is no less than Goly's or my own. After watching today's battle, that flame in her heart has become a blazing inferno.
I often complain about Goly being a little shit, but there's a reason he is the one who fate chose to be my partner. I'm a bit of a shit too.
The crowd is knocked out of their silence after my unexpected speech, and fervent cheers soon vibrate the air. It would seem that my "Trainer persona" has been set. I didn't make the speech to market myself, but it is undeniable that having a notable persona will attract more interest to my journey. That interest will come in the form of both fans and haters, but the attention is all that really matters. Attention means I can draw in viewers and fill up stadiums. The ability to do that means I will have the ability to make money. The ability to make money means that I will be able to draw in sponsors.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it!" The MC picks up on the rising atmosphere without missing a beat. "A passionate speech to follow up after a passionate battle! Reid Redwood has won the Dynamo Badge, and he has no intention of stopping there! Let's give a final round of applause for witnessing such a special battle from this brilliant young man!"
Thunderous applause once again fills the arena, even as I turn to leave.
All told, being a Trainer is still a business. Getting stronger and winning is, of course, the most important. However, making money and gaining support will only give me more opportunities.
"Wahahaha!" Wattson's laughter follows me on my way out. "What an incredible kid! It seems that you know how to play the game, but don't expect that speech to make any of your other Gym badges any easier. I'll bet you just lit a fire under at least a few of my colleagues."
"That's fine," I respond lightly, still walking toward the exit. "Only when it's like that can I grow as much as possible. Nothing changes if they don't like me."
"Hmm, and where do you plan to go next?"
"Dewford," I don't try to hide my destination at all. "It's Mirabelle's turn."
"Well, good luck," His voice catches me just as I step through the door out of the arena. "I'll be keeping a close eye on your journey, Reid."
I walk out through the door and put the first step behind me. Time to face the real challenge: Nurse Joy.
Before I even leave the building, my Poketch rings with a call from my oldest human acquaintance in this world.
"Hi Tracy," I answer on the second ring. "Did you catch the battle?"
"'We're not going to stop until we've conquered it all. Blah blah blah. We'll bury you.'" Her voice is low and nasally in a mock attempt to sound like a caricature of an edgy teen. "I know that I picked the punkish outfit for you, but did you really have to go full emo there?" Her laughter fills the line.
"So you did watch it." My tone is even, but the tips of my ears are burning slightly. "You know as well as I do that I need to do everything I can to attract some sponsors. Putting on a stage persona as an arrogant challenger will bring at least a little more attention to me."
"Cope harder emo boy." Her words are harsh. "I can't believe you even pulled my sweet little Mirabelle into your edgy act. Her poor mother's so embarrassed." The joy Tracy is getting from teasing me like this seeps through her voice.
"Can you stop with the emo thing? It's not even close," I halt my words and take a deep breath to stop myself from being baited any further. "Anyways, did you call just to tease me?"
"Fine, I'll let you go; but that video's out there forever now, so don't think I'll let you forget." Her tone shifts away from the teasing lilt it had before. "I wanted to congratulate you. It's a huge deal to win your first badge, and it's an even bigger deal when your starter evolves. You just had both happen at once, so there are double the congratulations in order."
"Thanks," I respond with a low tone. "But Goliath is pretty hurt right now, so I don't think we'll be celebrating any time soon."
"After a battle like that, it would be weirder if he wasn't hurt." Her matter-of-fact response takes me a bit off guard. "You do realize that there was no reality where you were supposed to win that fight, don't you?"
"What are you talking about? Goly's been battling at the four-badge level for a while now," I reply. "This is just the next step up. I get that we were at a huge disadvantage, but there was more than just one method for us to win that fight."
I'm so engrossed in the conversation right now that I stop walking and sit down on a bench in the tunnel out of the stadium. I know that there will be at least a couple of reporters and journalists to distract me when I leave, so I wait out the conversation with Tracy in here first.
"The fact that you can say that speaks volumes of your ability as a Trainer," Tracy states. "Tell me this: why do you think Wattson chose Jolteon to fight you?"
"Jolteon was the one Pokémon on his five-badge roster that would give us the greatest challenge while still allowing us a fair chance at victory." I tell her what I had thought of at the start of the battle.
"Wrong," she shoots me down instantly. "He chose Jolteon to make sure that you lose without allowing for you to have any excuses, like not having any effective moves against a Magneton. He had zero intention of making that a winnable battle for you."
"No," I disagree. "That doesn't make sense. Early Gym battles are supposed to.."
"Teach young Trainers what they need to know to grow stronger." Tracy cuts me off. "Wattson saw a young kid who had done very well in unofficial battles and became overconfident because of it. That kid challenged his fully evolved fifth-badge team with a Zigzagoon and honestly thought he could win. What do you think Wattson would have decided that you needed to learn the most?"
I pause for a moment, but Tracy is content to let the silence sit for a while.
A kid with only unofficial battles and an unevolved pest Pokémon to his name. That kid registers for fight a battle against one of the best Trainers in the Hoenn region on his very first day as a Trainer. To make matters worse, he even asks to skip the beginner levels and battle against a member of that Trainer's advanced team. Looking at it from an experienced Gym Leader's perspective, I must have seemed like an immature kid with an ego that has been inflated to its bursting point.
"Humility." I give my answer to Tracy, who had been patiently waiting. "He would have thought that I needed to learn that I'm not unbeatable."
"Exactly," She confirms. "Not only that though, he would also want to teach you not to force your Pokémon into battles that will only get them hurt. After all, the fast pace that he was calling moves at was more like a competitive battle than a Gym battle." That one stung a bit.
"I see," My voice is slightly subdued. "Then, do you think I put Goly in too much danger?"
"What?" She sounds genuinely surprised by my question. "You won and Goly evolved. Doesn't that prove that he was wrong, and you understand Goly's abilities better than anyone else?" Before I can even retort, Tracy keeps going. "It's true that Goly got hurt, but there isn't a single high-level Trainer out there who hasn't had a Pokemon get hurt. That's how they grow. Reid, I'm going to be honest with you for a bit here." She takes a deep breath. "That battle was so beautiful that I genuinely cried. If anyone, and I mean anyone, tries to badmouth you or say that you're a bad Trainer because Goly got hurt, I'll seriously slug them. Be proud of yourself."
"Thanks, Tracy," I smile to myself. "I am more proud of him than you could know."
"Good," She replies. "I believe it. Just remember that he didn't get there alone. Now, it's my turn to go on patrol, so I gotta run, but I've got one more piece of important news for you."
"What's up?"
"Keep an eye on your bank account, because I'm going to find a sponsor for you." Her words continue to catch me off guard, one after another. "I already basically am sponsoring you, since I gave you my precious little Tropius, but after that battle, I want to go all in on you. I don't have the money or space to do that myself, but the Ranger Corps encourages the growth of young Trainers to protect the balance between people and Pokémon, so they tend to give out sponsorships every now and then. The only trouble is that you need to be something really special for them to give you one without asking you to agree to serve. I'm going to try to convince them that you are."
"Tracy, I…" I start to respond, but I'm quickly cut off.
"Anyways, time to run. See ya when I see ya, Reid!" The call cuts off.
I'm left with a lot to think about as I step outside of the Gym and into Mauville's streets. Still, I can't help but smile. It feels good to know that you have someone on your side.
I step out of the Pokémon Center and into the nighttime streets of Mauville.
My head is light and buzzing with a slight ache. That pink monstrosity kept me there for hours. Literal hours of nothing but lectures upon lectures. I couldn't even leave, because she had Goly there with her.
The experience was, quite literally, torturous. She talked herself hoarse and had Chancy use Healing Pulse on her throat several times before she was done. Mirabelle, the coward, nagged me into returning her after a mere 15 minutes. I, on the other hand, was stuck there for around six full hours! She even pulled me into the back room to continue lecturing me as she worked on treating both Goly and Jolteon. I couldn't escape!
Honestly, I zoned out and began answering on autopilot after the first half-hour, but that didn't make the time go any faster. I barely remember anything she said, but the firm warning she left me with was repeated enough that I can recite it word for word.
"His evolution helped stabilize his condition a lot, but his internal organs are in a sensitive state right now. Belly Drum ruptured several organs and his broken ribs pierced a couple of others. Chancy and I have set everything in the right spot and healed everything nicely, but the healed tissue is thin. Any intense activity will cause his wounds to reopen. For one week, he is allowed nothing but rest. After that, he can begin light training and exercising, but no battling. I will immediately have your license suspended if I hear of you battling with him at all for the next month. You may travel within that time, as Goly doesn't need much more than rest at this point, but make sure that you frequently check in with the local Pokémon Centers and have him looked at."
One month without being able to use Goly means that Mirabelle will get all my attention in the meanwhile. This may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, as it will allow her a chance to close the very wide gap between her and Goly. Goly just proved himself to be a five-badge-level Pokémon, and that was before he evolved. Mirabelle, on the other hand, may not even be at the two-badge level yet.
A single month of training definitely won't get her to Goly's level after his eight months of hard work, but it will hopefully get her at least to where he was a couple of months ago. After all, a Tropius's base stats are much higher than a Zigzagoon's, so she should be able to reach that level far more quickly than he did. Also, her move set is criminally good for competitive battling.
As for Goly, maybe I can use this chance to force him to practice Rest. The overly energetic punk has refused to use the move at all outside of his regular sleeping time after learning it. I'm going to have to put off the start of my traveling for a week anyway. There's no way Goly will stay put like a patient should if we're surrounded by new things out on the path. No, it looks like I'm heading back to the orphanage for one more week. That's a bit embarrassing.
I take Mirabelle's ball off of my belt and release her onto the well-lit night street beside me.
"Tro?" She looks around cautiously but looks relieved when Nurse Joy is nowhere in sight. "Tropius!" She croons happily.
"Hey girl," I pat her head as I walk past her. "We're finally free from her, but we can't start our journey for another week." A weak cry of protest is her response. "I know, but Goly needs his rest. Instead, this time will all be about you, so I hope you're ready!"
"Tropius?" She tilts her head while walking alongside me.
"Were you excited watching Goly's battle today?" I ask.
"Pius!" Her head nods wildly. Cute.
"Well, that's going to be you next."
"Trop!" She snaps her face towards me with wide eyes.
"Yep, you will be the warrior who wins us our second badge!"
Her eyes light up, and I can see that burning desire to fight and win within them. It's the same desire that I saw in her down in the arena when she roared to the crowd. However, that fire dims a bit and her head hangs down. The confidence seems to leave her form.
"Tropius." Her tone sounds almost guilty.
"I know you aren't as strong as Goly yet," I speak as gently as possible, but I don't lie about where she's at. "That's why we're going to spend this next month doing everything we can to get you stronger. We've got eleven months until the Ever Grande Conference; that's the big fighting tournament that we're planning on winning. That means we can take our time earning the eight badges that we need, especially since we already got one on the very first day of the season."
"Tro?" She doesn't seem to understand everything I'm saying, but she did understand that I'm planning to focus on getting her stronger, so her expression settles into one of determination. "Tropius!"
"Exactly!" I clap my hand on her shoulder. "This will be a one-month-long boot camp, entirely dedicated to you. How much effort you put into it will be how much stronger you get from it."
The rest of our walk is filled with light-hearted conversation. Instead of going directly to the orphanage, we decide to head to the clearing for a nighttime training session. Both Mirabelle and I are still full of excited energy after today's Gym battle. We reminisce about the battle. We brainstorm what Mirabelle's ideal combat style might look like and what moves she would benefit from learning. We point out and laugh at various things we see on our walk, like the Marills and Corphish playing in a park pond.
If it weren't for the fact that it's illegal to catch Pokémon in the city parks, I'd be very tempted to catch one of them. Both Azumarill and Crawdaunt are among my favorite Water-types that can be found in the Hoenn region. Hoenn does have a lot of great Water-types though.
"Amazing battle today, Reid. You've earned yourself a hardcore fan with that one. I never thought a Zigzagoon could be so cool, but I really hope you go all the way with him!" A number of times throughout our walk, we are called out to by some passersby. Whenever it happens, I can't help but feel that Mauville City has really come to be something like a home to me.
When we arrive at the clearing in the dead of the night, it's filled with a beautiful silence. We maintain that silence as we set the area up for Mirabelle's training. Soon, we are standing at the ready, eager to begin working off our built-up energy after today's excitement.
"Ok, Belle, today's training is going to focus on two things," I toss an Oran berry up and it is quickly snapped out of the air. "We are going to train your Harvest ability and try to learn Stomp." She mumbles something while chewing on the berry, but it's incomprehensible. "We need to keep improving your proficiency at Harvest until you can start growing Sitrus berries if you want to become a real terror to deal with, but that is likely going to be a long way off. Learning Sunny Day would help, but I don't know how to teach it, so that has to be shelved for now. Instead, Stomp is a move that should come very naturally to a Tropius and will cover your lack of options at close range."
"Tropius!" She nods in agreement, still licking the remaining berry juices off her lips.
"Good! Now focus on growing out as many Oran berries as you can. At the same time, you are going to stand up on your hind legs, then Stomp down as hard as you can on these boulders we rolled out here. Try to use that white energy you use with Growth to make your Stomp more powerful."
Without delay, the massive banana-dinosaur runs up to one of the boulders that comes up to my knee in height.
"Tro!" She then pushes off with her front legs to elevate her torso high in the air. "Pius!" She slams her front legs back down on top of the boulder with her full strength.
The ground shakes from the incredible impact of her weight on the rock and small cracks appear all over it. However, there was no Normal-type energy imbued in the attack. That was just her incredible weight and strength being used, not an actual Pokémon move. There's one other problem too.
"Tropius!" A pained cry rings out and Mirabelle sits on the ground. Her head leans down and blows puffs of cool air on her sore red feet.
Unfortunately, my research of the move said that the larger species of Pokémon all have to go through this when learning moves that utilize their weight such as Stomp, Body Slam, or Pound. Until they learn to reinforce the moves with type energy, they hurt quite a bit to use.
Mirabelle looks back at me with little tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. It's absolutely adorable and my heart melts, but I can't give in. As a Trainer, my job is to motivate my Pokémon to push through difficult things in order to grow stronger.
"It's going to keep hurting like that until you start using Normal-type energy to protect yourself. Will you give up?" She rapidly shakes her head and blinks away the tears. "You can help with the pain by eating the Oran berries when they grow, and using Leech Seed on some of the trees around here, but you just need to keep pushing until you can do it."
The young fruit Pokémon stands with a solemn expression and spits a seed at a nearby tree. She then turns to glare down at the boulder in front of her with vicious hatred. A great battle cry resounds throughout the forest as she leaps up and Stomps her front legs down upon the accursed rock once again. More small cracks appear on the rock. More little droplets of salty water appear in her eyes.
"Again." My voice is callus, not allowing the worry I feel to bleed into my tone.
This repeats until it's so late in the night, or should I say early in the morning, that we are dead on our feet. Even walking back to the orphanage feels like too much, so I grab the camping tent and sleeping bag out of my Silph bag and set up right in the clearing. The tent isn't big enough for Mirabelle to fit inside, so she sprawls out in front of it and pushes her head in through the flap. We fall asleep with her head on my chest, cradled in my arms.
The many rocks that have been shattered to powder attest to her success. A sweet aroma tickles my nose and lulls me into a deeper sleep, but I'm too tired to think anything of it. The same can't be said for the forest's Pokémon, as a great many of them follow their noses to our campsite.
"If you don't like that, just come and try to stop us. We'll bury you."
The young boy who just accomplished what many would call the impossible on his first day as a Trainer boldly challenges the world. His speech is punctuated by the roar of the young Tropius beside him.
Norman Maple watches the TV screen with much more interest than he had expected when his boy, Max, came into the living room and told him he needed to see Wattson's Gym battle. It's now a day later and his fifth time watching, but Norman still watched the battle from start to finish without skipping a single bit. He paused and rewound the video at times to analyze a certain choice either of the Trainers may have made.
He watches the Zigzagoon especially closely, noting how its abilities and power seem far beyond any other member of its species that Norman has ever seen. As a Normal-type specialist, Norman is incredibly familiar with the Zigzagoon line. Being the most commonly seen Normal-type Pokémon in the Hoenn region, he can confidently claim to be an expert on their species. As evidence, his own Linoone is widely considered to be the most powerful member of its kind owned by any Trainer in the world. Despite that, it's only a little bit stronger than the eighth-badge-level. His Linoone simply can't keep up with the members of his competitive team.
Norman, who is in consideration to become one of the next members of Hoenn's Elite 4, had come to the conclusion that a Linoone simply isn't capable of reaching the level of power required to be on the team of an Elite 4 caliber Trainer. That belief is currently being challenged by a twelve-year-old boy.
If anyone ever asked Norman if a well-trained Zigzagoon would be able to defeat an equally well-trained Jolteon, he would have said yes. However, that would have been reliant on the fact that the Zigzagoon's Trainer was a much better battler than the Jolteon's Trainer. On a field where all factors besides species are equal, Norman would have never even considered that the Zigzagoon could have a chance.
This battle would have made him eat those words.
Wattson is an incredibly savvy battler. Norman knows firsthand how annoying the man can be to face in competition. He had obviously toned things down a bit since this was a Gym battle, for a kid's first badge, no less. However, he hadn't held back by much. No, Wattson fully intended to win that battle, enough to even skirt the rules a bit with that Moonlight revival. This was absolutely not a case where Jolteon's Trainer held her back and caused her to lose.
No, this is a brilliant young Trainer who pulled every last bit of potential out of an equally brilliant young Zigzagoon. Had the boy been partnered with a more powerful Pokémon, say a Zangoose for example, Norman doubts he would have even struggled against his fifth-badge-level opponent. Were the child blessed with such a powerful starter as the young Steven Stone was, Norman wouldn't even be surprised if a new champion was crowned in a few years.
Even so, the incredible speed that the boy's Zigzagoon showed itself to be capable of moving at will surely make him a threat to any who seek success at this year's Ever Grande Conference. If Norman isn't mistaken, which he rarely is about Normal-types and their moves, that was Extreme Speed which allowed the young Pokémon to seemingly disappear. He hadn't even imagined that a mere Zigzagoon could learn the epitome of speed-based moves. He's certain that none of his are capable of doing so.
Combine that kind of instantaneous speed with the incredible offensive boost that Belly Drum gives, and Trainers under the Elite level will be hard-pressed to stop him.
"You're still watching that?" Caroline, his lovely wife, walks into the room and takes a seat on the couch beside him. "That boy really is incredible though. To be that strong with a Pokémon like a Zigzagoon, I'll bet you're excited for the day he comes to challenge you."
"Hmm," Norman puts an arm around her shoulders. "That day is still a long way off."
"Maybe," His wife smiles gently at him, but he gets the sense that something terrifying hides behind that expression. "But you know what's coming up quite soon? The day your daughter leaves for her own Pokémon journey! So when will you stop hiding yourself away here and in the Gym and go spend some time with her? She's leaving in a week you know? Do you want her to be depressed because her father couldn't even find the time to say goodbye to her?"
"Hmmm," Norman looks at the boy's face for one last time before shutting off the TV. "Sorry."
"Is that all you have to say?" Caroline, usually so soft and kind-hearted, won't let up when it comes to her kids. "Go find her!"
As he leaves the room in search of his ditzy daughter, Norman spares one last thought about the boy with the Zigzagoon. No, the boy with the Linoone.
Reid Redwood. I will be waiting for you.
"Curse."
An eerie purple energy washes over Mirabelle's body and her muscles contract into tight knots. The stiffness this move induces slows her movement a good deal, but it also boosts her defense and allows her to put a little bit more power into her attacks.
"Dive down with Peck!" My opponent doesn't give us time to continue to boost our defenses.
The Taillow drops from the sky at a high pace, attacking with a super-effective move. This is fine though, I never expected them to sit around and wait for us to buff. Instead of panicking, I wait until the little bird is a mere ten feet away from making contact. Belle doesn't even flinch in the face of the super-effective move closing in on her.
"Intercept with Leech Seed!" The move is unnecessary against a foe with low health like Taillow, but this battle is meant as practice for Mirabelle anyways. I want her to get used to what will become her go-to battle style.
Belle's response is instant. After waking up from that first night's training session in the middle of a wild Pokémon dog pile and with the newfound knowledge that Belle had unknowingly learned Sweet Scent, we branched out our training into things that are more aligned with what her battle style will look like.
Along with training her proficiency with Curse, the speed at which she releases her other moves was a large focus of practice for us. A small yellow seed is spat out at high speeds, directly connecting with Taillow's right wing.
"Taillow, no!" The girl across from me cries out in distress. I somewhat remember her from class; I think her name was Wendy.
The tiny bird spirals out of control, its flight hampered by the seed which has embedded its roots into one wing. The poor thing's wings flap desperately to stay aloft, but I'm not about to let this chance go.
"Gust," My voice is calm. The rush of battle is there, but only barely. I don't feel any danger of us losing here. Without that danger, this is more like a practice session than a real battle. "Finish it."
"Tro!" Mirabelle stands up on her back legs and flexes her wings behind her. "Pius!" With a mighty push, she sends a powerful wind current toward the Taillow that was already struggling to stay aloft.
"Taillow!" The little bird's alarmed cry rings out as the blast of air hits.
The result is obvious. Taillow is tossed around in the wind like a ragdoll before heavily slamming into the ground. The Flying-type doesn't move. Mirabelle simply walks up to her downed foe and eats the Leech Seed with a satisfied groan.
"Taillow is unable to battle," The man acting as referee declares the knockout. Joy hasn't officiated any of my battles since the Gym. "Wendy, send out your next Pokémon."
"You did your best, Taillow," Wendy recalls her Pokémon and takes out a second ball. This is a one-on-two battle for Mirabelle to practice her stalling tactics. "Take the stage, Wingull!"
"Begin."
"Razor Leaf." I decide to pour on the pressure.
Mirabelle swings her entire head sideways to add as much force as possible behind the four bladed leaves she sends toward the seagull Pokémon.
"Dodge it! Fly up higher." Wendy responds exactly as expected.
Wingull manages to escape them but is now far above the field. Too far away to stop us from continuing to buff.
"We'll use that distance. Growth."
"Tro!"
White roots plant themselves into the ground and pump energy into the massive Pokémon. Belle's body begins to swell up in size. Her face scrunches from the strain of using two buffs at once.
"Stop them!" Wendy shouts. "Quick Attack!"
Wingull rapidly dives down, but the speed is nowhere near what Goly can reach. I can still easily follow Wingull with my eyes, and I know that Mirabelle can too. Since they were so high up, we even have time to react.
"Take the hit, then follow up with Leaf Storm." I call for Belle's most strenuous move. It's another unnecessary call, especially considering that she is already struggling to keep up her buffs, but that's the point. This isn't a difficult battle, so we need to push our limits in other ways.
"Tro!" Belle stands on her back legs once more and adopts a look of heavy concentration. Wingull zooms down and slams into her strong neck, but her hardened muscles from Curse almost completely defend against the blow. She doesn't even react. "Pius!"
Mirabelle glows green and slams her weight forward as Wingull disengages from her, trying to create some distance. Dozens of leaves materialize in the air around the fruit Pokémon and a mighty push with her wings creates a small green hurricane before her. Wingull frantically tries to escape, but the vortex is too strong for the unevolved Pokémon, and it is sucked in.
"Wingull!" Wendy cries out in defeat, knowing that her Pokémon won't be able to take such an attack.
Sure enough, when the winds clear Wingull is lying inert on the ground.
"Wingull is unable to battle." The referee calls out. "Tropius and Reid are the winners."
"Good try, Wingull. I'm sorry for putting you in a battle like that." Wendy returns her partner and speaks to the ball. "I should have known better than to battle the child prodigy himself. I just thought it might be possible if our opponent wasn't Goly."
"Mirabelle will catch up to him soon. She's just a bit young still." I put my hand on Belle's head as she nudges my side, crooning in joy at my praise. "This battle was good practice for her. Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out two 100 Poke bills and hands them to me. "Here's the prize money, have fun scamming other overconfident Trainers."
I don't bother saying anything else as she leaves. I ignore the light dig at me because she isn't entirely wrong. On the third day after my battle with Wattson, I began to look for battles for Mirabelle at the Pokémon Center. No new Trainers would battle me after seeing my Gym battle. As a result, I had to find a way to entice people to accept battles with me. My solution was to tell them all that I would be using my inexperienced young Tropius, and that I fully welcomed them to even use multiple Pokémon against her.
This earned us a wave of battles and waves of cash. Mirabelle's incredible ability to stall and heal meant that she won every battle that came her way. At times, she even battled several Trainers in a row as a result of her Harvest ability and Leech Seed combo. Her most impressive win was a one-on-four battle against a new trainer who went around catching everything he saw in the first couple of days of the season. Unfortunately for that boy, he didn't bother to actually train any of the Pokémon much after catching them. As you can probably imagine, his entire team crumbled before the stall queen known as Mirabelle.
"Great work, girl," I rub Mirabelle's neck and turn to leave the battlefield. "Let's go back and get some rest before we hit the road tomorrow. Joy said that Goly has the ok to do light exercise now."
That's right! It's finally time to start my journey in earnest! Goly's heavy rest week has ended, and I couldn't be more glad for it. You see, keeping Goly from running around is like trying to keep a Munchlax from eating. It can't be done.
The first night was fine since he was still exhausted from his battle. I let him out and told him to just practice using Rest while he sleeps. He did so without complaint.
Every night after that though: loaded with complaints. You see, Goly absolutely hates the move Rest. He learned it naturally a while ago, but he was never willing to stop running around and use it. I had thought evolving would help him mature past that, but it would seem I was wrong. Remembering back to that second night after the Gym battle still makes me slap my forehead.
It was a night spent at the orphanage, after returning and telling Mrs. Melda about how we need to stay in Mauville City for one more week.
Mirabelle and I are lying down in the room, completely spent after an intense day of training. She was working on her ability to layer buffs, Curse and Growth, while also using her attacking moves. I wasn't idle either. I spent the entire day doing cardio work in preparation for all the time I will be spending on the trail from here on out.
The result of such a day is that both of us are ready to hit the sack and pass out immediately.
I don't like to leave Goly in his ball overnight though, even if he has to spend most of the day in there to rest and recover. With the thought of giving him some fresh air, I let him out on the bed beside me.
A Pokemon slightly over twice the size of the partner I've grown used to materializes next to me. Where he used to be a puffy ball, Goly is now long and sleek. His brown button eyes are now a piercing sky blue, and his tongue no longer hangs out of his mouth in a silly expression. Overall, he looks like he has gone through a complete glow-up from a silly goofball into a serious and cool cucumber.
"How are you feeling, Goliath?" I pet his smooth fur lightly, concerned about his injuries. "Any better?"
"Linoone." His voice is also calm. A cool assurance that he is doing alright.
"Good to hear," I let out a relieved sigh. "Then you can get some more rest now." I should have picked up on how his eyes widened here. "Practice Rest while you sleep to heal up quicker. The sooner you heal up, the sooner we can hit the road."
After saying such, I pull the blankets up and rest my head on the pillow. I haven't closed my eyes for 5 seconds before all hell breaks loose. Goly performs a mad jailbreak attempt.
"Noone!" A cry for freedom, a la William Wallace, rings out in the orphanage, waking all inside.
Heavy movement on the bed informs me that Goly had gotten up and leaped off the bed. The sound of rapid footsteps leaving the room immediately follows.
"Wait!" I jerk up to a sitting position. "Goly you idiot! You're going to make it worse! Come back here!"
"LINOONE!" Goly's spirit of freedom won't be chained by my words. He doesn't even slow down as he shouts back at me.
"Damn it, Goly! It's one week! Just one," I hop out of bed and run to the door in my pajamas. I stop to look back at Mirabelle, but she remains dead to the world: Too tired from today's training to be phased by Goly's shenanigans. I turn back out the door and sprint after my runaway wounded patient. "You're supposed to be above this crap now!"
Mrs. Melda stares at me with an arched eyebrow from the top of the stairs as I sprint down the hall and out the front door. I fail to see the faint smile that she covers with her hand. Instead, my eyes are focused on the hint of a white and brown tail I see turning the corner all the way down the street. He really has gotten much faster after evolving, even when injured.
The next hour is a mad chase fueled by all my tired rage. There isn't much that will get me more cranky than being interrupted by something trivial just as I'm about to go to sleep. A wild goose chase in the dead of night fits the criteria though.
After a half hour of fruitless running, I sit down on the sidewalk cement and attempt to use my brain in its current state, clouded by the need for sleep and my pissed-off mood.
Goly is far too fast for me to catch him by chasing now. He was always faster than me, but it's no contest now. He runs as fast as a car on the highway, and he does it with no need for acceleration time. Honestly, most of my chase until now had been me blindly running until I catch a glimpse of him, then cursing at him as I sprint toward him before he disappears from my sight once again.
No, if I want to catch the bastard, I need to think of where he might go. Now that I'm actually using my head, the answer is obvious to me.
Goly is a complete little shit. This clearly hasn't changed after evolving. What does every little shit do after they get or do something cool? They brag about it and lord it over everyone who hasn't done that cool thing.
There's a pack of local Zigzagoons that Goly has gotten rather close to during the past eight months here. Goly and the pack leader hit it off nicely from their first meeting and bonded in a manner that only trash pandas can. They scavenged the local restaurants' trash cans for food together. That was the start of a long and mutually detrimental relationship.
Goly frequently snuck out at night to meet up with the pack. Once together, the pack taught Goly where to go to scavenge the most interesting garbage, like shiny spoons! Goly would, in turn, teach the pack some of the moves he had learned. Not long after, a dozen Zigzagoon, each capable of creating about half a dozen illusionary clones of themselves, began to terrorize the street vendors for food.
Anyways, now that Goly has evolved, I know for a fact that they are the first ones he wants to show off to. That little punk definitely wants to brag to them all about how great he is. He totally would.
With my course set, it doesn't take long to arrive at the Zigzagoon pack's hideout, tucked into a dead-end alley.
Sure as shit, an all-too-smug-looking Linoone is strutting around the center of the hideout, posing this way and that. Surrounding him is a ring of 13 smaller Zigzagoons, each with starry worship in their eyes. Goly notices this worship too if the stupid smile on his face is anything to go by.
I watch for a little longer as he mimes out the entire battle with the Jolteon, omitting every single instance where he took damage.
"Zig!"
"Zigzag!"
"Zig!"
After finishing his little solo performance, the Zigzagoons close in on him and appear to beg for something.
"Noone." Goly appears reluctant and looks to the side, but the multitude of worshiping eyes appear to sway him. "Linoone!"
"Zigzagoon!"
"Zigzag!"
"Zigzagoon!"
Cheers break out in response to his agreement and I can't help but wonder what they asked. I don't need to wonder though, as it becomes clear soon enough. When I see what he agreed to, I get pissed off all over again.
"Line!" Goly stands on his back legs and starts to pull Normal-type into himself. This idiot's about to use Belly Drum.
"Goliath, you had better stop that now before I decide to keep you in your damned Pokeball for the rest of this week!" My roar fills the alley and attracts 14 pairs of wide eyes to me.
Goly halts his gathering of energy and turns to run.
"Don't expect to even see another poffin for a year if you run again." My voice is low and cold, contrasting my earlier shout of anger.
"Lin."
Goly knows I'm pissed, but he also knows he can't run. As such, he's stuck in place with three feet on the ground and one front leg raised. He remains that way as I slowly walk toward him. The Zigzagoon pack silently parts before me. They all know me well and still carry a bit of trauma from the day they joined our stamina and agility training session.
When I am directly above my runaway Rushing Pokémon, I realize that I didn't think to grab his ball when I left the room. Not trusting him to walk himself home without distractions, I squat down and lift Goly up into my arms. I drape him over my shoulder so that he is looking behind me and I'm cradling his bottom.
He wiggles a bit in protest at being treated this way in front of his friends, but a side-eye glare from me immediately stills him. I return all the way back to our room in the orphanage like this. I even crawl into bed and fall asleep still holding him tightly.
Reid Redwood
Badges: 1
Pokémon: 2
Goliath (Goly)
Linoone
Abilities:
Gluttony, Pick Up, Quick Feet
Moves:
Headbutt, Take Down, Dig, Pin Missile, Iron Tail, Extreme Speed, Covet, Flail, Protect, Rest, Belly Drum, Double Team, Growl, Sand Attack, Tail Whip
Mirabelle (Belle)
Tropius
Abilities:
Harvest, ?
Moves:
Razor Leaf, Gust, Leaf Storm, Leech Seed, Curse, Growth, Stomp, Sweet Scent
