Dear Grandma,
I finally managed to make it to Pewter City, its been a little difficult to begin, the camping has been the hardest but I'll get there! Bulbasaur has managed to win a few battles and I've caught a lot of early route Pokemon. The sanctuary research lady said that she has never seen so many Caterpie be sent to the centre, they had to immediately release some but they still paid out my bonus so my payment card has about 25,000 on it currently so please don't deposit any more money, I'll be fine promise. I haven't added any more members to the team yet, Bulbasaur seems to be doing fine and is getting pretty strong already. I met up with two of the members of my mentor group too Fred and Mike but both have dropped out now, not sure why but they must have reason. I did try to call when I got to Pewter but it said you were out so I assume you were busy but I'll call when I get to Mt Moon centre. I haven't had to call Ryan yet but I'm looking forward to meeting up with him again soon! I'm in the Pewter gym waiting area at the moment so hoping I can get a badge.
Speak soon
Love
Dustin
I take the letter and make a few folds before slipping it inside the envelope. Bulbasaur sits besides me eating away at a small bowl. I place the letter back in my bag but will post it once I heal Bulbasaur after my gym battle.
I look around the waiting room, theres only a couple of other trainers waiting. There is an older kid who accompanied by his Sandslash and a younger girl with her Marill. The gym battles in the 9 major region work on a scaling basis. The gym leader will use different teams based on the experience of the trainer in question. For example, Brock has 6 different teams he uses with the weakest one being his Onix and Geodude, whereas his strongest team consists of Steelix, Golem, Kabutops, Omastar and Rhyperior. They also use the limiter belts, each gym leader Pokemon is fitted with a small thin belt made of a translucent material so barley seen. These belt lessen the power of the Pokemon who is wearing it, it sets their global battle level to a set amount. With no badges and a beginner both of Brock's Pokemon level will be matched to Bulbasaur global level which currently sits at 13. Regardless Brock is an experienced trainer having been Pewter city gym leader since he was 15 so the fight won't be a given even with a type advantage.
"Thank you for the battle"
I look up to see the latest challenger emerge from the battle arena clutching a tired Nidoran in her arms
"You did well, I would suggest a little more training on the outskirts of Pewter or go to the local battle club, you'll find plenty of trainers there" The old man says to her patting her shoulder
"Thank you Mr Brock, I'll do my best" Shes say happily before heading out the door
"Okay you three, which of you is Dustin?" Brock says to us all with a broad smile
"I am" I say standing up as Bulbasaur jump down to my side
"Ah another one from the centre, I'm in for another tough battle" He says with a laugh waving me into the battle arena
I nod and follow with Bulbasaur in close behind me
"So only one Pokemon? Any reason?" He questions
"I just haven't found anything I wanted to add to my team yet"
"I see, well I'd advise you to get some more soon as the challenge get harder as you go" He says
"Whose your mentor?" He asks as he pushes the arena door open revealing the huge rock field stadium
I stare in awe for a moment before clicking back to reality
"Uh Mr Stanton is"
He raises his eyebrows
"Ryan? Wow you lucked out" He says with a laugh
"I remember him walking into this gym for the first time with his Eevee and Nidoran, he beat me without Geodude and Onix putting a dent on either of his Pokemon" He says as he walks across the arena
"However"
He arrives at the opposite end of the stadium and tear his shirt off
"I won't allow you to do the same!"
I flinch while Bulbasaur tenses up ready to battle
"Show me how you face up to this titan" He says throwing out his first ball
Out emerges the huge goliath of Onix, it roars and I step back. I close my eyes and take a deep breath
"This is our first step, Bulbasaur I choose you!"
"Bulba" She shouts as she races out onto the field
"Onix use Rock Throw"
The huge snake slams it tail into the ground flinging rocks towards Bulbasaur
"Dodge it"
Bulbasaur dives to the side and dodges the rocks
"Headbutt!"
Onix flies I and slams it head into the ground in front of Bulbasaur send it flying back onto its back, It manages to flip itself over using it vine to quickly orientate.
"Bulbasaur use Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur bulb lights up green and fires a flurry of leaves at Onix, it connects with its head multiple times
"Now Leech Seed!"
It fires a seed from its bulb that connects with Onix's midrift and wraps around the snake
"Good strategy" Brock shouts out
"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!"
Bulbasaur whips out two vines and wraps up it around the horn on Onix head slamming it down the ground, it health bar drop to zero on the big screen in the background and it is automatically returned to its ball. I have a quick glance at Bulbasaur bar and it estimated to have around 75% of it health left
"Congratulations, making it past Onix is no easy feat" He says
"But can you handle this"
He throws out his second Pokemon and Geodude emerges
"GEO!" I t roars out
"Defense Curl"
Geodude rolls into a ball and shines bright white
"Bulbasaur use Growth"
It bulbs glows white and flashes over itself raising it attacks
"Hmph" Brock laughs to himself
"I can boost our stats too" I shout to him
"Who said I was doing it to boost our stats!" He shouts back
"Use Rollout!"
Geodude rolls into a ball and flies out towards Bulbasaur, it slams into its face and Bulbasaur flies backwards
I look to the health bar and it cut Bulbasaur all the way down to 25%
"Bulbasaur are you okay!?" I shout as it stumbles to its feet
"Go ahead Geodude"
It spins on the ground and flies towards Bulbasaur
"Use Vine Whip to block"
Bulbasaur quickly summons it vines and whip them in front of itself blocking the oncoming attack
Geodude continues to spin edging closer towards Bulbasaur
What do I do? I need to get one Razor Leaf and we should win but I need to make an opening
"Bulbasaur, fling it upwards!"
Bulbasaur manages to get it vines under it, it manages to throw it up into the ceiling causing it to slam into it
"Now Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur fires off another flurry of leaves as Geodude descends flattening the rock type, it comes down to the ground with a crash unable to continue
Bulbasaur pants heavily as Geodude is returned to its ball
"You did it!" I shout as I race out to the grass type and grab it up into my arm and spin it around
It calls out happily burying it face into my chest
Brock walks out calmly into the arena
"Congratulations young man, you dealt with that admirably. Alot of beginners panic but you were calm throughout" he says holding out the Boulder badge
"Thank you sir" I take it and place it within my badge case which I then slip back into my pocket
"May I see your phone?" He asks
I hand it too him a little confused
He scans it with his and hands it background
"I've just unlocked some Tms for you, whenever you visit a centre look for the green computers they can be used to teach your Pokemon new moves"
"Thank you!" I say returning Bulbasaur to its ball
"Where do you plan to head now?"
"Well Ryan said he would meet me at Mt Moon Pokecenter"
"I see, well if you hurry to the Pokecentre there's a bus that leaves at 5pm"
"Oh okay, thank you again!" I shout as I spring out the stadium
"Good luck on the rest of your journey!" He shout waving me out the door
"Your Bulbasaur is all healed up and ready to go" Nurse Joy says with a smile
"Thank you miss, can I ask you to post this please?" I say handing her the letter
"Of course, the bus is just outside and we've let your mentor know you should be at you arranged meeting spot this evening"
"Oh thank you so much!" I say grabbing Bulbasaur ball and racing out the door
The bus isn't too cramped, theres another boy with a Ekans and the girl with the Marill from earlier. I think about talking to them and asking about their journey but reconsider. Bulbasaur sleeps peacefully in my lap.
"You were great today, I'm really happy I picked you" I say as I pat her bulb causing it to stir a little
"We will add another team member soon to lighten the load for you don't worry"
I spend the rest of the journey looking out onto the routes, I see the intermediate and expert paths with lots of different Pokemon and trainers all journeying. Eventually we come to a stop outside the Mt Moon centre. I return Bulbasaur and then thank the bus driver and she tips her hat and I jump off. This centre is a little different to the ones in the town, it more of a log cabin than a building, there lots of different camping spots all set out with a high wire fence around it, there another smaller cabin with the front cut out next to a battlefield which is a branch of the Kanto battle club
"Psst"
I turn and look to where the sound may have come from
"Psst Dustin!"
I look around to see Ryan crouching behind a bush slightly off the path, he beckons me toward him darting his eyes around. I walk up and he continues into the forest a little bit. He smiles at me but puts his lips to his mouth, we continue a little more before we come to an opening
"Welcome to camp" He says in a hushed tone
In the clearing theres a small fire, two smallish tents pitched and a small cooler
Mostly importantly Ryan Espeon sits in one of the seats cleaning itself before spotting us and running up to Ryans shoulder. Espeon was the Eevee Ryan started his journey with, widely considered to be his strongest partner Pokemon
"For me?" I question
"Us, I thought we'd camp out together if you would like too" He responds taking a seat as Espeon now jumps down and wanders up to me
"Oh hello" I say standing quite stiffly
"You can pet her she doesn't bite"
I crouch down and pet the small cat on the head, she purrs out in happiness before returning to Ryan's shoulder
"Take a seat Dustin, I've got us some food, hope you don't mind sandwiches" He says with laugh
I walk up and take the seat opposite setting my backpack to the side of the chair
"Well congrats on the first badge, had full faith you would do it, Brock messaged me to say he was very impressed" He says handing me a sandwich pack
"Really, well Bulbasaur did all the work" I say nervously taking it from him
"Send her out, let her get warm"
"Oh of course" I say stumbling to grab her ball
I pop it open and Bulbasaur shakes itself off
"Good to see you again, your looking much stronger aren't you!" He says with his trademark booming voice
"Bulba Bulba" She calls out happily as I fumble in my backpack for her bowl
I find it and her food before pouring her a healthy portion
"Here you go girl" I say setting it down
She bounds up and begins to devour its meal
"So lets see your dex" He says holding his hand out
I hand him my phone and he hits the Pokedex app
"Nice work Dustin, you've caught 30 Pokemon already! Pikachu, Chansey, Weepinbel, Ekans. There some pretty rare ones on here too, not bad for only being out for two weeks"
"Uh thank you sir" I stammer out
"So how come we only have this one still on the team then?" He questions taking a bite of his sandwiches
"Uh well, I've just not found something that is a good fit yet"
He nods and smiles
"I like that, you know you need to find someone that compliments you and Bulbasaur. You're still early on so there's no rush. When I journeyed through Kanto I only had Es and Nidoking until after my third badge"
Ryan had come second in the Kanto Junior competition when he competed with a team consisting of; Eevee, Nidoking, Tauros, Magmar, Aerodactyl, Magneton, Hitmonlee and perhaps his strongest Pokemon Dragonite
"You'll know it when you find them, I can't really explain it but it just a feeling"
"Well I'll keep an eye out for it" I respond taking my first bite of the sandwich
"This is delicious!" I say almost devouring the rest in one bite
"I'm glad you like it, I didn't make it but I know a guy in Goldenrod who makes them and thought I'd bring it as a reward for you"
We sit silently for a bit while me and Bulbasaur devour our feast, he hands me a can of Lemonade to wash it down with
"I pleased to see you doing well, you and Louise is all I have left now" He says with a laugh poking at the embers on the fire
"What? 3 have dropped out now?"
"Yeah Jennifer has stopped to now, she got a little scared in Viridian forest and decided she might try again next year" he respond with a wry smile
"Oh wow" I say feeling a red hot feeling wash over me
"It happens but don't let it discourage yourself, you doing great so far"
"Thank you sir"
"I told you its Ryan please. Makes me feel old"
"How is Louise doing?" I question
"Very well, she on a slightly different path with the contests, she competed in her first contest in Alamaster town with Squirtle and her newly acquired Butterfree and came second so I suspect she will do well"
"She has a Butterfree already?"
"Yeah, she's a little hoarder to be honest, she already has a team of six. It a little different with contest though because there lots of combos and team work that needed for appeals so having lots of Pokemon is beneficial"
I look down and feel the red hot feeling again
"Hey"
I look to see him and Espeon looking at me slightly concerned
"Don't go doubting yourself based on others, this is your journey and you do it your way. Don't start thinking because Louise has lots of Pokemon that you should do the same. Follow your head and heart and you'll be fine okay?"
I feel the feeling float away as quickly as it came replaced with a steely feeling of determination
"Thank you Ryan" I say shooting him a smile
"Thats the spirit" He says before checking his phone
"Oh two seconds..Hello?"
I hear a feminine voice talk down the phone to him
"Oh I'm with Dustin, sorry did I forget to text" He says with a laugh
The voice come back slightly vexed and louder
"I'm sorry Dais, I should be back in the morning, Dustin won his first badge so I wanted to give him a camping treat"
It continues slightly more calm this time
"Okay I'll make sure I am back by 9 no problem, sleep well" He says
The voice continues and the line cuts
"Want a tip? Always tell a lady where you're going before you go" He says with a laugh
I smile and laugh back
We sit around the fire for around another hour, Ryan tells stories from his journey through Kanto, he recounts his battle with Brock which sound much different to the story Brock alluded to earlier, he also talk about how he caught his Krabby and how he traded a shiny Chansey he caught for the Dratini that would become his Dragonite
"And Sophie now a Pokemon nurse in Unova and Chansey is her number one partner" He finishes as his phone begins to buzz
"Oh wow, 10pm I talked for a while didn't I?"
"It was cool don't worry" I respond as Bulbasaur coos in my lap
"Right we best head to bed your tent is on the left, you are welcome to keep it once we are done too"
"Are you sure it look expensive?"
"Of course, I bought all of you one but now I have a surplus, I'd give you a spare but it would be a lot to carry"
"Well thank you" I say
I brush my teeth and before changing into my pjs in the tent, I unzip the sleeping bag and crawl in and beckon Bulbasaur to join who snuggles in at my chest
"Night Dustin!" I hear a shout from the other tent
"Goodnight!"
I worry that I will struggle to sleep however after a few blinks I fall into a deep slumber. It feels like the night passes very quickly and in no time I can feel the heat of the sun beating down on the tent. As I come to I can hear the muffled voice of Ryan, I change quickly waking Bulbasaur up and dart out the tent
"I know I said I'd be back by 9 but Dustin was still sleeping and I couldn't just ditch him, I'll be back as soon as I can okay?" Ryan says holding the phone slightly away from his ear
I can hear muffled from the phone YOU BETTER before it beeps to signal the line is cut
"Ah well I'm in trouble when I get home"
"I'm sorry I should have been up earlier Ryan!" I say apologetically
"Oh don't worry about it, I would have been late anyway, I need to pick her up a gift on the way home, just have to be a little more expensive now" He says scratching the back of his head
"Oh ta da!" He say holding his hands out towards his packed up tent
"Oh I can take that one, I can unpitch this one" I say
"No you get going don't worry about that, there a bag there two with some more sandwiches in, should be enough to get you through to Cerulean"
"Ryan are you sure doing this much is okay?"
"Of course, Agatha gave all her students 50,000 to their payment card so this is nothing"
"Well thank you again" I say fitting the tent bag to my bag and grabbing the bag of food
"Okay, I'd say get though to Cerulean today, catch a couple more of the Pokemon in the cave to widen your dex and their a bus that leaves every 30 minutes at the next exit, you can either take that or camp out at the other centre at the other end. If you get there after 6pm I'd camp as you might struggle to get a good room in Cerulean" He says waving his arm around as he speak
"Okay, well thank you again. When will our next meeting be?" I question
"Vermillion is the plan, I'll get a notification when you are on the way, I'll give you a call to arrange it this time rather than just whispering to you from the undergrowth"
I nod and set off with Bulbasaur in tow towards the cave entrance
"Hmmm, I have a good feeling about that one Es"
Location: Mt Moon Pokecentre
Current Party:
Bulbasaur (Lv15) Female
Attacks
Tackle
Razor Leaf
Vine Whip
Leech Seed