Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai
Chapter Sixty-nine: Passing through the cherries
After waking up at their camp site on Route 29, Dawn and Kenny packed up and continued on their way to Cherrygrove City. After about an hour's walking, the reborn trainers had finally reached their destination. "So this is Cherrygrove City, ehh?" Kenny said as he looked around.
Dawn looked around as well, looked moderately impressed. "We ought to stop by the local Pokémon Center to have our Pokémon checked out. Especially considering how we caught one new Pokémon each last night, and both Pokémon in question are still in need of being rested." Kenny nodded in agreement, then proceeded to follow Dawn as she began to look around for the local Pokémon Center.
...
In short order, Dawn and Kenny found the local Pokémon Center, went in, and had their Pokémon be treated. While that was going on, Dawn and Kenny sat in the main lobby of the Pokémon Center, looking at the map of Johto that Dawn had pulled out. "So in order to get from here to Violet City," Dawn began, "We need to go north on Route 30, then get on to Route 31 and head west."
"Traveling through two separate routes," Kenny remarked, "That could permit time to let us train some of our Pokémon a bit."
Dawn nodded in agreement. She still hasn't evolved Muten or Kowalski, and now has Amy and Sticks added to that list as well. Dawn still wants Shalltear to learn and get Rock Tomb down before evolving her (Shalltear is already holding the Protector, she just needs to be traded to evolve then traded back to Dawn), and she needs to get Vegeta to learn Double Hit so that he can evolve, but that may take a while.
After mentally writing down the list, Dawn said, "I got a fair bit on my plate already when it comes to training my Pokémon."
"Yeah, I got some guys that I need to evolve as well," Kenny replied, "There's no way that some of the newer members of-"
"Oh, are you kids Pokémon trainers?" a random female voice spoke up, prompting Dawn and Kenny to turn and see a woman walk up to them. She was fair skinned, wore her dark golden blonde hair in the infamous 'Karen' hairstyle, and she wore a dark pink shirt, somewhat tight jeans, and shoes that looked trendy enough. She also wore a few bracelets on each wrist, two necklaces, and two pairs of earrings, one stud and one loop; one earring of each kind was in each ear, placed to be symmetrical with its counterpart in the other ear.
Kenny, immediately wary of this woman mainly due to her hairstyle, said, "Can... can we help you?"
The woman didn't respond to Kenny's question, instead chose to merely observe both him and Dawn as a pair. "...Hmm, yes, you two do seem old enough to attend Blackthorn City Academy, at least as first years."
Hearing the woman mention Blackthorn City Academy piqued the interest of the reborn trainers. "Oh, Professor Elm mentioned that school to us," Dawn said, "He told us of how he wrote a letter of recommendation a few years ago for a boy named Ideku."
This time, it was the woman who wore a look of piqued interest. "Ideku? Who's that?"
"His full name is Ideku Badorigo," Dawn explained, "According to Professor Elm, Ideku went missing a few years ago."
"Badorigo, you say?" the woman replied, now looking genuinely confused, as well as a tiny bit surprised, "I thought that Hisaro and Mitsuko had named their son Katsuku. Or is this Ideku boy from a different family that just so happens to also have Badorigo as a surname?"
Now Dawn and Kenny were at attention. "...Actually," Dawn went on to explain, "Professor Elm told us that the Badorigos also had a son named Katsuku. He just didn't tell us what the names of the parents were, only called them Mr. and Mrs. Badorigo."
The woman now had a look of suspicion on her face. "...Odd. For as long as I've known Mitsuko and her husband, they only ever spoke of Katsuku, as if he were their only child. But if what you kids and Professor Elm say is true, then Mitsuko has been holding out on the other women in Cherrygrove City and I on some potential juicy gossip material."
This new testimony from this woman who looks like a Karen but doesn't really seem to act like one has Dawn and Kenny even more suspicious of the Badorigo family, mainly the mom and dad who the reborn trainers now know are named Mitsuko and Hisaro. If what they are fearing is true, then it's possible that the Badorigo parents covered up the fact that Ideku exists at all. That would go a long way to explain how the woman before them, who apparently knows the Badorigo matriarch at least, has no idea about Ideku's existence.
To the reborn trainers, the woman said, "Well thanks for informing me about this, kids. I've got a few questions that I ought to look into asking Mitsuko the next time I run into her." The woman then gave a single nod of her head before turning around and taking her leave.
After the woman was gone, Dawn and Kenny turned to look at one another. "Well now, it would seem that Ideku's parents hated having him so much that they're apparently going to great lengths to make it as if he doesn't exist, given that people in their social circle apparently think that they only have their first born son."
"We're going to have to look into this as soon as we have the freedom to do so," Dawn remarked. At around that point, the Nurse Joy got their attention to let them know that their Pokémon had all been rested. After collecting their Pokémon and doing some party rotating, the reborn trainers took off to head up along Route 30, so as to continue the trek on foot to Violet City and get in some training in the process.
Later that day, Dawn and Kenny got to about part way through Route 30 when they decided to take a camp lunch break. After they got everything sat up, Kenny got to cooking his famous camp out curry while Dawn began supervising some training. She had with her Shalltear, Souji, Muten, Amy, Kowalski, and Sticks. Dawn's goal before she and Kenny got to Violet City to challenge the gym there was to get the starter Pokémon to evolve into their next stages, and to get Shalltear to learn and get down Rock Tomb.
Hence why she had Souji; he already knew and had a very firm grasp of using Rock Tomb, so Dawn was having him give Shalltear the step by step. As for the starter Pokémon, Dawn was having them spar with one another. After about an hour and a half of training, Kenny called out that the curry was ready. Dawn told all of her Pokémon to take a breather and have lunch, to which all of them cried out in agreement.
"Shalltear looks like she's getting the hang of Rock Tomb," Dawn remarked, "But then again she's part rock type so it makes sense that she'd pick up learning Rock Tomb quickly. It also helps that I got Souji to help with Shalltear's training to learn Rock Tomb, given he not only knows it but he's also a rock type."
"Sounds legit," Kenny said, "So has she mastered it yet?"
Dawn gently shook her head in the negative. "Not yet, but she does seem to know what direction to go in so she can master the move. I think she'll get it down firmly before we reach Violet City." Looking over to where all of her Pokémon were eating, Dawn went on, "Something else I want to see happen is Muten, Kowalski, Amy, and Sticks all evolve."
"That'll give you Grotle, Prinplup, Charmeleon, and Quilava," Kenny said, drawing an affirmative nod out of Dawn. Shrugging, Kenny went on, "Well it shouldn't take too long to evolve them, especially if we keep camping out like this during our travels here in Johto."
Nodding once more to Kenny, Dawn then turned her attention to where all of her Pokémon sat. She figured that, if anything, Muten and Kowalski will be the first ones to evolve, given she had them for longer and they were on hand when she battled some of the gyms in Kanto, meaning they had to of gained some experience passively. Dawn would have to keep at it until she saw her newer starter Pokémon all evolve.
Dawn then turned her attention back to Kenny. "So what about you, Kenny?"
"Well obviously I've got to focus on raising Cermit, Endive, and Hoodini until they evolve," Kenny replied, "Hey, you think the gym in Violet City will be a good chance for them to get in some battle experience, my main man?"
"Kenny, the gym in Violet City uses flying type Pokémon," Dawn pointed out, "Your Pokémon you mentioned are a Bulbasaur, a Chikorita, and a Hoothoot. Only the last of those three wouldn't be entirely reckless."
Kenny snapped his fingers. "Damn it. There goes seeing Cermit and Endive battling in the Violet City gym battle to get me my first Johto gym badge. Oh!" Pointing at Dawn, Kenny went on, "I can still use Shallot and Juan!"
Dawn nodded in agreement. "Yes, those two would be far wiser choices to bring with you to your challenge to the Violet City gym."
"Well who all do you plan to use?" Kenny asked.
"If I can get Shalltear to gain a firm grasp over Rock Tomb, I'll use her as one of my Pokémon," Dawn explained, "I might also be tempted to use Foamy. Neither has seen any action against gyms yet, so I want to see how they'll do."
Kenny nodded in approval to Dawn's plan of action. After everyone finished their lunch of cook out curry, they got back to training for a bit before they decided to pack it up and continue onward up Route 30. During said training, Dawn took note of how Shalltear was further and further gaining a firm grasp over Rock Tomb and, by the time Kenny declared that they ought to pack it up and get going, Dawn believed that all Shalltear needed at this point was to give the attack some 'oomph'.
She would still have Shalltear practice the attack when they camped out again later that evening, but Dawn felt that the only honest way to improve Shalltear's Rock Tomb was to evolve her onto a Rhyperior, but that would have to wait until after the reborn trainers got to Violet City and they can use the Pokémon trading machine to evolve Shalltear since she's holding the Protector. Dawn still wants to see her various starter Pokémon evolve, but that'll probably take a while longer.
Later that evening, Dawn and Kenny reached the point where Routes 30 and 31 met before turning to go west down the latter of the two in order to make their way to Violet City. Given how late it was getting, the reborn trainers decide to set up camp for the night. After the campsite was properly set up, Dawn got to leading her Pokémon through some more training while Kenny was cooking.
After about thirty minutes of observing Souji lead Shalltear through more Rock Tomb training, Dawn said, "Alright, you two. Take a break." Both rock Pokémon stopped and turned to look at their trainer. "Thanks for helping to walk Shalltear through learning Rock Tomb, Souji," Dawn said to her named Rampardos, "I believe her grasp on it is firm enough to be considered solid." Both Rampardos and Rhydon cheered as they were both to some extent praised.
Dawn then gestured for Souji and Shalltear to follow her over to where she had Muten, Kowalski, Amy, and Sticks sparring. "As for you, little ones," Dawn said, "Dinner ought to be-"
Dawn was cut off when Souji perked up before turning his attention in the direction of some wooded area on the one side of Route 31. Souji walked forward, his attention unwavering, as he let out a low throated growling grumbling. Dawn, not even questioning her Pokémons' instincts, promptly turned her attention that way as well. Dawn slowly raised a hand to get Souji's attention; he recognized that his trainer was getting ready to signal him to attack at a moment's notice.
Even Kenny, who had his (oversized) pocket knife out, saw what was going on and got ready to rush whatever was coming. To the surprise of the reborn trainers, what ended up coming out of the clearing in the woods was more of a who than a what. It was a fair-skinned boy who looked to be an inch or so shorter than Brock, but looked to be in the same general age group as the gym leader turned Pokémon doctor student.
This apparently mid-teens boy had medium-long brownish brunette hair that looked kind of messy. His eyes were also brown, and he wore a (rather) baggy sleeveless green hoodie that was fully unzipped, showing the dark but faded baggy pink men's shirt underneath. He also wore a baggy pair of tan cargo shorts held up with a belt, and he had on white socks under his (rather clunky looking) pair of red shoes.
Dawn and Kenny were able to tell just from a casual glance at this guy that he hadn't eaten in a while, given his face looked a bit thin. Once he was fully in view for the reborn trainers, he got about ten steps closer to them before he passed out, falling down to his knees and falling over face first.
Panic and concern for this mysterious teen's well being filled Dawn and Kenny before they ran right over to where he collapsed, collecting him and bringing him right over to their camp site.
...
Thankfully, Dawn and Kenny were able to rejuvenate their surprise guest, and even had him sit with them at their table as Kenny served him a (fairly heaping) plate of his cook out curry. Once he had eaten, the mysterious teen let out a breath. "Thanks for the meal," the teen said, "I might very well of died of starvation out here if it wasn't for you guys."
"Why haven't you been eating?" Dawn asked, looking and sounding genuinely concerned.
"I figured foregoing food for myself for a bit while I was back home in Johto," the teen began to explain, "Exploring all around to see what all might of changed while I was gone, in favor of saving money to make sure my Pokémon were fed, was a good idea."
Both Dawn and Kenny sighed. "So you cared more about making sure your Pokémon were able to eat than making sure you got to eat," Dawn reasoned, "Although it's good you very clearly sincerely care about the well being of your Pokémon, foregoing even the necessary amount of care for your own well being isn't going to do you any good in the long run."
"Also," Kenny added, "If you did end up starving to death out in the wilderness of Johto, who's to say what'll become of your Pokémon?"
The mysterious teen let out a sigh. "...I see your point. But it's just..." He sighed once again. "...My Pokémon are basically the only loved ones I have."
"Your only loved ones?" Dawn said, sounding mildly worried, "What do you mean?"
The mysterious teen gently shook his head. "...My family hated me, simply because I was born. It wasn't my fault it happened. After all, who can honestly say that they were in complete control of their creation and birth? But I was nothing more than an unwanted burden to my parents, and some kid to compete against for anything extra for my older brother."
The pieces fell together into place in Dawn's head quickly. "...Hey, this might be a long shot, but bare with me on this one," Dawn said, getting the teen's attention, "Would your name by any chance be Ideku Badorigo?"
The teen's eyes widened a bit out of surprise. "...How do you know my name?"
"Wait a minute," Kenny exclaimed, "He's Ideku?!"
Dawn got Kenny to settle down, then proceeded to explain to the now identified Ideku how she was able to guess who he was, as well as tell him what all she and Kenny knew about his situation. Ideku inhaled through his nose before exhaling through his mouth. "...Yes. That all sums up what all has happened in my life."
"You say you recently got back to Johto," Dawn said, "Where were you?"
"Traveling the world, going from region to region," Ideku explained, "Meeting new people who could potentially become friends. Finding people who, similar to me, have been scorned by everyone else. Then, I feel that through that gathering, I'll find the people who will be more family to me than my actual family ever was or tried to be."
Dawn and Kenny weren't quite exactly sure what to make of that, but Dawn did know what to say next. "Ideku, just because your own flesh and blood saw you as nothing save for a drain on their wallets doesn't mean there's no one worried about you," Dawn said, "Professor Elm is worried about you. Your Pokémon who are at Elm's lab are worried about you. There are people who have never met you but have heard of you and want to meet you."
"I can even name a few people who would love the chance to battle against you who is clearly a skilled trainer from what we've gathered," Kenny said, "You'd be surprised how easy it'd be to find a bit of common ground with someone by being a worthy opponent."
Ideku chuckled a bit. "...I suppose that you have a point there. I can't meet those people, have those battles, get back to those I have already met, if I starve to death."
"Do you have any food for human consumption on hand?" Kenny asked, "Because if not, then I'm certain my main man Dawn here would agree to join me in sending you off with some snackage for when you take off."
Chuckling a bit out of embarrassment, Ideku admitted, "Actually, I have no human food on hand. The curry you gave me was the first food I've had to eat for myself in a while." Dawn and Kenny rolled her eyes and laughed out loud respectively before getting out some various snack food items, and handing all of them to Ideku in a bag.
"And for the love of frig, don't forget to take care of yourself," Kenny scolded mildly.
Ideku nodded once in confirmation before getting up. After thanking Dawn and Kenny, for the food and for basically saving his life, Ideku took off. Before he was out of sight, however, Ideku turned back around in the direction that Dawn and Kenny were in. "I hope we can meet again someday!" Ideku shouted before turning back around and walking off, heading in the direction of Violet City.
After Ideku was out of sight, Kenny said, "Well he was just as nice of a-" Kenny stopped short, a look of shocked realization on his face, before he exclaimed, "Damn! We forgot to get some contact info out of him so we can send it Professor Elm's way!"
Dawn scoffed in bitter realization, knowing that Kenny had a point. "...Although even if we didn't forget, I don't think the odds of getting contact info from Ideku we can give to Professor Elm were all that good. But at the very least, we can tell Professor Elm that Ideku is alright and alive."
Kenny nodded in agreement, then pointed in the direction that Ideku took off in. "And we saw him take off in the direction of Violet City. We can ask around when we get there tomorrow if anyone saw him pass on through." Dawn nodded in agreement, glad that they now had at least some good news in regards to Ideku. With that out of the way, Dawn and Kenny spent the rest of the night just relaxing, until it was time to pack it in and go to sleep.
Before she fell asleep, however, Dawn was thinking about the situation that Ideku was in. Hated by his parents simply because he was born, always doubted, always disfavored while his older brother Katsuku got literally everything that their parents were able to spare. Ideku was even forced by his parents to give up a shot at attaining further glory solely because he had defeated Katsuku in order to get that shot in the first place.
And now Ideku, after having ran away from Johto for more or less the last few years or so, almost starved to death in a misled aim to make sure there was food for his Pokémon, who he views as the only loved ones he has left. Hisaro and Mitsuko Badorigo were walking textbook definitions of what it means to be terrible parents. Dawn, right as sleep started to take her, bitterly wished that some manner of karmic punishment would strike Hisaro and Mitsuko for what all they've done to make their own son's life as much of a hell as possible.
But there is a precedent for such lowlifes to occasionally get away with their misdeeds scot free, Dawn realized as her last thought before falling asleep. She just hoped that this was one of those cases where the guilty party gets what it has coming.
Dawn and Kenny were up the following morning, gathering all of their stuff before hitting the road. They actually got up at the crack of five in the morning, so they were able to hit Violet City just a few hours later. "Wow, so this is Violet City," Kenny said as he looked around, "Let's head to the Pokémon Center so I can swap some Pokémon in and out of my party."
"I'm also going to need your help in evolving Shalltear," Dawn said. She was a little annoyed that she hadn't been able to get any of the unevolved starter Pokémon she had to evolve before she and Kenny had reached Violet City, but she supposed that these things took time. She was confident that, now that she was focusing on it, she'd be able to at least see Muten, Kowalski, Amy, and Sticks all evolve once each while she and Kenny were in Johto.
Kenny nodded in agreement as the two reborn trainers made their way to the local Pokémon Center. After they had their Pokémon checked over, Dawn and Kenny did a back and forth trade that saw Shalltear evolve into Rhyperior, using up the Protector in the process. Once Dawn and Kenny had their respective original Pokémon back, they both did some party rotation to be prepared for their upcoming challenges to the Violet City gym.
"Hey Dawn, you think we can take on the gym leader here?" Kenny asked when the two reborn trainers were alone.
Dawn shrugged. "I know that the gym leader here in Violet City is Falkner. But whether he'll use his initial challenge party from the games or his party from the anime is beyond me." Dawn gave Kenny a serious look. "Let me go first, I'll scout out what he has so you will have an idea on what you can expect when you take him on."
Kenny gave Dawn a salute. "Lead the way, captain." Dawn sighed and proceeded to lead Kenny out of the Violet City Pokémon Center. Soon, both of them would be aiming to challenge Falkner for their first Johto gym badge each. But with things being unknown at the moment, Dawn was not going to count on things to be entirely predictable. But with the party she had with her, she felt that she could handle whatever Falkner would whip out against her.
END, CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
Author's notes;
This chapter serves mainly as the introduction slash first appearance of Ideku, who will be having some prominence later on in the story. Aside from that, Dawn and Kenny got some training in, then made their way to Violet City, where they both got their respective parties ready for challenging the local gym. They'll be banging on Falkner's door in the next chapter, so keep your eyes peeled to see how things will go down.
Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Cyrus (male Staraptor), Shalltear (female Rhyperior), Foamy (male Pachirisu), Souji (male Rampardos), Tsukune (Palkia)
Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Zarbon (male Machamp), Hoodini (male Hoothoot), Shallot (male Glaceon), Juan (male Pikachu; libre), Kermit (male Politoed), Black (Giratina)