Chapter Three
Another Update! Things are happening, people are meeting, Pokemon are growing stronger, and bonds are being forged. Again, any thoughts/criticisms in the reviews are more than welcome, as well as any suggestions or questions.
We meet the person we are supposed to when the time is just right - Alyson Noel
There are certain moments where it feels as though the universe itself is against you, as though Lady Luck herself has a personal qualm with you. Sometimes, it almost feels as though Arceus, in all his radiant & divine glory, has personally come down specifically to smite you for no other apparent reason besides the fact that he can.
For Robin White, Perhaps this was one of those moments.
Robin looked upon a giant red & purple Pokemon with two horns and dark yellow eyes standing far off on the other side of the clearing. He quickly identified it as a Scolipede, a ruthless Poison & Bug type behemoth of a Pokemon, standing at 10 feet tall and wide enough to make a Krookodile blush. Its shrill cry echoed through the forest's clearing and sent a group of Pidove in the trees fluttering away in terror as the low vibrations courses deeply through Robin. As Robin glanced back to his two Pokemon, he realized the danger the three of them were in, the fear of it seizing him.
"Well, that isn't good…." Robin said as he paled, his breath hitching as he tried desperately to keep calm, though his adrenaline spiked as he locked eyes with the monster. Its gaze reduced them to little more than prey, and its eyes looked hungry.
"We're leaving, now!" Robin paled, panic rising up and multiplying by the second as he hurriedly picked up his bag before frantically booking it in the opposite direction, fear swallowing his nerves as his animalistic instincts took over. His Pokemon needed no further instructions, and they zoomed back with him.
It only took 6 steps for Robin to feel the earth shake terribly from under him, accompanied by loud thumps as the bug-type Pokemon charged forward at them, sending shockwaves as it did so. His heart sank as he realized how fast the Pokemon was, built to nimbly chase down prey much faster than he was. Each footstep sent rumbles vibrating through Robin's core, letting him feel the monster approach from behind him, a fate almost worse than watching it.
Nothing but pure terror seized Robin at the feeling of Scolipede behind him, the thought of the monster revolting and terrifying all at once. The dread of the feeling that his life could end at any second, and that too at the hands of such a terrible monster, was too much to bear. As the monster surged forward, cold fear constricted around Robin's throat, suffocating him as he choked on his own breath in fear as though a Seviper had coiled around him.
Robin never liked Bug Pokemon (1).
Eevee and Purloin sped ahead of him, their natural speed by virtue of being Pokemon outclassing his own, though Eevee began to slow down in concern to try and keep an eye on him, but he knew there was no point. His legs burned as he tried desperately to force them to carry him as fast as they could, his feet tripping over themselves in haste. His adrenaline was coursing through him with such force he could feel the pump of blood being rushed all throughout his body, pushing him forward with one, singular focus: survive.
Yet even in the rush of survival, Robin knew there was no chance of success. Ten seconds of running and the Scolipede had already closed half of the distance between them, a mind-boggling achievement for a human. Eevee cried out in worry as if to try and shout at him to move faster, and even Purloin shot a glance back at him with regret. A cold sweat poured down his body as his knees bucked in fear, the weight of it all making his stomach feel ten times heavier and ready to come out as bile any second.
He made it to the edge of the clear where the trees began, and he hoped the thick forestry would protect him, but he was wrong. Moments later, the vicious Scolipede barreled through the trees as if they were made of paper, uprooting them with its monstrous strength as its horns began to drip dangerously with poison in anticipation.
Robin was sent stumbling backwards from the force of the blow, and he landed roughly on the ground as pain shot through his back. He heard Eevee cry out again, and he looked at her one last time, meeting her terrified, sorrow-filled eyes with his own, tears of terror and sorrow beginning to pool in his eyes. He didn't want to end like this, it was too much too sudden, and the weight of it came crashing down onto him.
Before he could call out to her in a vain attempt to tell her to leave (he could tell she wouldn't, but he needed to make her understand that he was already dead) something jumped up and slammed into the head of the Scolipede before biting down on it.
The Scolipede roared in pure fury and whipped the intruder off of its face before its insect-like mouth began twitching in anger, poison drooling & spewing all over from the great beast's maw.
Robin scrambled to his feet in disbelief to see a stalwart Stoutland standing before Scolipde, its stance determined and its eyes fierce. Moments later, a pack of 5 Herdier sprung out from behind it, forming a V with the Stoutland at the front. The Stoutland barked twice in some sort of command, and the Herdiers barked in response before springing into action, encircling the Scolipede.
With extreme speed, the pack of Herdiers encroached upon their large target, zigzagging in a circle and attacking at all angles, with their Stoutland leader charging straight ahead, its mouth ablaze in fire with what Robin identified as fire fang.
The Scolipede used its massive body to spin around and attack multiple Herdiers, catching two in its attack as its body slammed violently into them, sending the canines flying with a sickening crunch as they yowled in pain. Yet the other 3 jumped or ducked underneath, and they bit down hard in different areas.
Scolipede shook violently in agony, throwing them off before trying to skewer them with its poison-filled horns, but the trio of Herdier were too small by comparison and equally nimble, with the three of them pulling its attention in multiple directions as they ran around it. They threw sand attacks to cloud its vision and used quick attacks to dodge deadly blows with their augmented speed.
With the bug type's attention diverted, the Stoutland leapt forward and bit down with its fiery jaw, the flames of the attack spreading far across the beast once Stoutland's teeth sunk into the Bug Pokemon and burned its insides, with the three remaining Herdier following suite and launching less powerful but still effective fire fangs.
Scolipede's purple blood oozed out from the wounds as its bug exterior singed, with the flames instantly burning the wounds shut moments after, the pain causing the Pokemon's eyes to go bloodshot as it let out an agonizing roar that seemed almost more desperate than angry. Though the Stoutland and two Herdier jumped back in time, one of the less fortunate Herdiers caught a deadly poison tail as the Scolipede whipped its hulking body into it, violently smacking it into a tree and cleaving through the bark cleanly.
Robin watched in a mixture of horror, disgust and anguish at the sight, the sight of the bloodied bug Pokemon tearing through its enemies sickening. He almost puked, but Eevee nudged at him roughly, and he knew it was their cue to leave.
The Scolipede let out another shrill scratch as it scurried towards its new enemies, poison and spit spewing everywhere, and Robin shakily began running in the opposite direction. He turned to catch Stoutland's gaze and felt truly guilty. They had saved him and his Pokemon, and they were fleeing, leaving their pack to fend for themselves without his or his team's aid.
He couldn't do anything to help, and neither could his weaker Pokemon, but he still felt some shame as he locked eyes with the Stoutland, though the Pokemon seemed to understand, nodding at him in grim approval before barking loudly.
Robin ran & ran & ran, the motivation to never see that terrifying bug Pokemon again fueling his every move. Even after 7 minutes of nonstop sprinting, Robin could still hear echoes of the battle behind him.
Once he hit the 10-minute mark, he just couldn't keep running, at least not at the pace he had been going at before. The adrenaline slowly dissipated, being instead replaced with fatigue as the rush of survival left him. He leaned against a tree, panting heavily as he wiped off some sweat trailing down his chin. He always hated being sweaty, but that was the least of his worries now.
"Are you *pant* two alright?" Robin said in between gasps of breath. Eevee & Purloin looked at each other and nodded. Robin let out a sigh of relief as he slid down the tree and onto the floor. Eevee trotted up to him and nestled into his arms, a gesture he more than welcomed.
The fear of it all, the fact that he came so close to death, it was all sinking in at once. It felt like the trees were closing in on him, like the ground was trying to swallow him whole. He didn't feel safe, not even in his own skin, and the terrifying image of Scolipede sent shivers down his spine. He didn't know how deep of a mental scare this would leave….but he knew it was a deep one.
"That was way too close for comfort," Robin said as he held Eevee tight, shuddering at the thought of what could have been. Eevee nodded her head in agreement, licking at his palms in an attempt to soothe him. "I've never been a fan of bug types…."
Purloin looked at him and nodded in resounding agreement, making a face that matched his own. Robin supposed it made sense, what with purloin being a dark type. They didn't take kindly to bug types, as their dark energies worked on a level of malice that was more spiritually linked to the context of humans and conventional Pokemon. Bug types were far too alien and distinctly different from the norm dark types derived their opposition from for them to be effective.
"They say Dark types don't like bug types much, so I suppose I must be a dark type, because I've really acquired a distaste for them now," Robin said with a slight smirk, his usual composure coming back to him thanks to Eevee's efforts. Though it was forced, Robin wanted (or rather, he needed) to slip into some sense of normalcy. If that required putting on an act, so be it. Purloin simply smirked in approval & agreement, showing some well-mannered and beautiful teeth in the process.
The three of them stayed there for a little while, with Purloin eventually snuggling up with the duo. Apparently, nearly dying as a trio melted what remaining ice between them was there, though Purloin loved to poke and prod Eevee cheekily in their embrace to annoy her. Robin even caught him sneakily stealing something off his belt a few minutes in, but the sly dark type only smiled happily at being caught before returning the item to him.
The three of them and their little mutual bonding over newly acquired trauma over a near-death experience with an apex bug-type predator was cut short by said apex predator's booming but distant screech. Pokemon battles didn't usually last this long. If Scolipede was still alive, then perhaps Stoutland was….
Robin shook his head as a shudder ran deep through his spine, not wishing to feel more guilty than he already did. The terror of staring down such a Pokemon, the cold dread he felt before the overwhelming existential fear of death…it was all too much for him at that moment.
"Well, enough of that," Robin said as he got up and dusted himself off, trying to regain his sense of self. "Let's not stay here any longer. I think I've seen just about enough of Route One, and I could use a bath right about now. We all probably could, come to think of it.."
His two Pokemon wholeheartedly agreed, with Purloin nodding his head, satisfied, whilst Eevee's tail wagged in excitement. The three of them hurried along, navigating their way back to the paved trail and away from the inner depths of the surrounding forest, and thus away from the more wild and strong Pokemon.
Robin wasn't too sure what Purloin was doing so far into the forest, although he supposed Purloin could be asking the same of him. He did ask him, but Purloin only shrugged, apparently confident he could escape if needed. Robin supposed it was only far, since Purloin did technically escape, and would have done so even quicker if the dark type hadn't hesitated due to his new trainer.
An hour of walking later, the three of them settled into a nice pace. Purloin prodded and teased Eevee, but would instantly put on a cute and charming front to lure Eevee into forgiveness, only for Purloin to start again. Robin suspected Eevee caught on, the brown-furred Pokemon's perceptiveness was a real gift, but she was probably indulging Purloin, likely because the exchanges were mutually enjoyable.
"You know…I never asked if you'd like a nickname?" Robin said as he turned to Purloin, the feline Pokemon nodding in the affirmative. "Unfortunately, I don't have the best of luck with names…." he said as he nervously chuckled to himself.
Purloin cocked his head to one side as they walked, waiting expectantly for a name. Robin could tell he'd judge him on his suggestions, the sleek Pokemon likely wanting a name befitting of his appearance. Robin hummed softly to himself as he thought.
He needed something that would work for a male Pokemon, but carried a softer, elegant tone that had a slight edge to it. Perhaps something less Unovan & more foreign? Robin thought perhaps a Kalosian name would work, but he decided against it. There was one student in his Nuvema Town School who transferredfrom Jhoto, and he remembered liking the sound of her name (2).
A quick search on the web gave him a wide variety of Jhoto names, and about 10 minutes in he found one he liked.
"How about Yuri?" Robin asked curiously. Purloin slowed his walk and looked deep in thought for a moment, feeling out what his opinions were. After a few moments, he nodded with a smile.
"Alright then Yuri, welcome to the team," Robin said with a smile before turning to Eevee next. "I still can't think of one for you Eevee. Maybe something will come to me when you evolve?"
Eevee nodded in understanding, not the least bit upset at having to wait for her new name. Robin got the sense that, like her new trainer, Eevee was rather understanding.
Another hour of travel later, and Robin saw a boy roughly his age sitting near a tent with a fire going. He had some standard travel gear on, nothing fancy, though he spotted Robin and smiled.
"Hey there! Are you training here as well?" He asked excitedly.
"Well, we're more so on our way to Accumula Town, though we're doing some training along the way," Robin replied. "Are you camping here?"
"Yup! I'm from Accumula town actually, but I've decided to spend a week here to train. It's my first day out here, actually, and things have gone great so far. I'm Josh by the way," He said as he extended his hand. Robin took it and shook his hand lightly.
"Robin," he said as he peered over Josh's shoulder. The camp was surprisingly well-kept for someone who apparently just started. He picked a good spot for camping, off the trail yet close enough to it that Pokemon likely wouldn't bother him, and he could catch a glimpse of travelling trainers whom he could battle.
Speaking of battle, Robin wondered if perhaps he should try camping for training as well sometime. The harsh reality of the wilds could be an excellent teacher, and help Robin better understand his Pokemon compatriots. A point for later consideration, perhaps.
"I'm assuming if you're here for training, you'd like a battle?" Robin said, hoping to get in some more practice. Perhaps a good battle would be good for him, knocking out what little fear lingered in his mind after the earlier incident.
Josh's grin turned into a full-blown smile at that. "Exactly! Are you down?"
Robin's friendly smile turned competitive instantly. "Absolutely,"
Josh kicked some dirt into his fire excitedly as they distanced themselves. Robin was excited for his first trainer battle with a stranger, and it happening so soon was the perfect opportunity to lick his wounds from his loss to Cheren as well.
"I don't think my Purloin likes losing very much," Robin called out with a cheeky smile, and Purloin matched it instantly. It seemed Robin was right on the money with that one. "My Eevee is a little tired, can this be a 1 on 1?"
Josh stretched his arms and fished for a Pokeball. "Sure," he said excitedly. "But you should know that we don't like losing either! Right, Deerling!?"
At the mention of his Deerling, he chucked out a Pokeball, and out came a green Deerling, its summer scent flowing over Robin & Yuri. Deerling were no stranger to Robin, he had seen them all around Nuvema town, their fur, scent and even moods changing with the seasons. Summer had them at their most energetic and fastest, Robin could still remember Bianca trying to chase one down when they were kids. She got pretty close too, from what he remembers.
"Yuri, time for your debut!" Robin called out with a smirk, and Yuri gracefully lept in front of him, seemingly eager to establish his superiority, much like his new trainer. This would be their first battle together, and Robin always believed in making good first impressions.
Still, he was a little nervous, though he was far too good at hiding it. No one else would be able to tell behind his confident exterior, but butterflies still fluttered in his stomach. He already lost to Cheren, to lose here too would be too much of a downer. Eevee seemed to somehow take note, though he didn't understand how. He thought he was doing a rather good job of hiding it, but it seemed nothing got past his eagle-eyed partner.
Josh pulled Robin from his thoughts as he launched his first attack.
"Deerling, double kick!"
Deerling jumped forward with great speed, its summertime form relishing in the improved speed that came with the warm, invigorating sunlight. It sped up to Yuri and pivoted cleanly to try and kick him twice, kicking up dirt as it did so, though Purloin nimbly ducked underneath it.
Deerling turned around and grated its hooves on the ground, kicking up sand for a sand attack.
"Jump out of the way!" Robin called, though Yuri was already in the middle of a lunge forward, and clapped his hands together with a shockwave, stunning Deerling mid-attack. Yuri stopped his assault and stared at Robin, confused by his original request and whether he was supposed to still follow it.
"Ah, never mind, just-" Robin started, though Deerling cut him off as it shook off the flinching effects and whirled around for another double kick, causing Yuri to deftly jump back.
It seemed that he and Yuri, whilst willing to work with each other, were a little more out of sync than they'd originally thought. Yuri looked to Robin, simultaneously a little apologetic for going against the order, but also disapproving at what Yuri believed to be an inferior command to what he had done.
"Deerling, tackle!"
Josh called out, and Deerling rushed forward in a straight line with a powerful lunge, its green fur blurring in speed. Yuri didn't need to be told to dodge, and he did so yet again. Deerling had an impressive leap, but Yuri was far more dexterous and could swap directions much faster than Deerling's more linear speed.
Deerling bounced back and tried again, but this time pivoted mid-stride for a double kick.
"Tail whip!" Robin called, and Yuri purred in agreement, elegantly twisting out of the two kicks and whipping his tail into Deerling's back. Deerling stumbled back, but Yuri pounced on his prey instantly.
Deerling seemed slightly reserved in its attacks, likely more domesticated. Yuri was a wild Pokemon through and through, and his wild, predator instincts kicked in as he gleefully leapt on Deerling and unleashed a barrage of fury swipes.
"Deerling!" Josh called out in concern. Deerling bucked like a Tauros, but Yuri deftly maintained atop the Pokemon and continued to slash away, each cut releasing more summertime scents into the air, almost like freshly cut grass.
"Jump off!" Robin called, and Yuri again looked at him, puzzled, but reluctantly & curiously obeyed. His decision was rewarded as Deerling kicked up a large sand cloud for another sand attack, an amount that would have easily covered all of Yuri, blinding him and even immobilizing him for a time.
"Growl, then assist!" Robin called out, battle instincts kicking in as he licked his lips excitedly. Yuri did the same before gracefully flipping mid-air (kind of like Cheren's Snivy) and then letting out a low, feline growl with a bit of hissing. Josh called out for a leech seed, but Yuri's wild side was let out with his growl, causing Deerling to slow.
Deep down, Deerling could tell Yuri was from the wild, and his primal growl awakened the fear of prey. Purloin didn't typically hunt Deerling, but this one was. Yuri capitalized on the moment of weakness and jutted out his paw, which began to glow white. Suddenly, violet, ghostly winds shot out from his paw, washing over Deerling as it blew it back slightly.
As the winds poured over Yuri's foe, the ghastly gale seemed to spiritually damage Deerling as some sort of foreign, mystic energy eroded Deerling from the inside out, causing it to cry out and sink down onto its front legs in pain. Robin's smile grew in visible surprise. He had no clue where Purloin saw that attack, but he wouldn't complain.
"Deerling! Don't give in, use leech seed!" Josh called out frankly, but Yuri only needed an eager nod from Robin as permission to finish the job, tackling Deerling into a tree with a loud thud, ending the battle.
Josh recalled Deerling into a Pokeball instantly, and Robin happily pet Yuri in acknowledgment, the feline Pokemon purring happily with a smirk of accomplishment. They may have had a rough start in the battle, but they managed to work together in the end, and the results spoke for themselves.
"Thanks for the battle," Josh said as he handed Robin some cash, customary in all Pokemon battles. They hadn't synced their trainer accounts and registered the battle formally, so the money wouldn't transfer to Robin's account automatically, making cash necessary. "Deerling and I did come here to get stronger, so the practice was needed."
"Same with Yuri & I, this was our first battle together," Robin said, smiling slightly at Josh's shock, though he hid it well. He was proud, but he didn't have a reason to be rude about it.
"Well, you could have fooled me!" Josh said with a laugh. "I'd like to have a rematch sometime, to measure my progress. You're down for that sometime in the future, yeah?"
Robin turned back to Yuri, who lazily waved a paw in affirmation. It seemed he was playing the part of aloof superiority now that his victory settled in, and Robin just couldn't bring himself to get mad at the drama of it.
"I wouldn't mind a rematch sometime, battling wild Pokemon's getting old rather quickly.." Robin said, and Josh lit up.
"Sounds good to me! I need to even our score," Josh said excitedly, and Robin knew that feeling well.
"We'll see about that.." Robin said with a challenging glare, and the two laughed a little before exchanging numbers and parting ways. Robin and his new companions continued on their way to Accumula town, their new victory putting some much-needed bounce back in their step.
"Where did you see that little trick?" Robin asked as he turned to Yuri. "It isn't often you get to see a ghost Pokemon, much less watch its moves."
Yuri simply purred proudly as if to say there's a lot about me you don't know, and Robin found himself impressed. Assist only could allow the user to use moves at random that they have seen before (3), so Yuri must have seen some Pokemon use that attack before, which was interesting. There definitely had to be a story behind that, though Yuri seemed to enjoy keeping this a secret.
"A guy's got to have his secrets, I guess," Robin said, and Yuri purred in agreement. Just then, Robin got a text from Cheren, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing a little at it.
Where are you? Even Bianca's made it to Accumula town. If she's managed to get here before you, then I can only imagine what you've gotten up to. Please tell me this isn't like your last encounter with wild Pokemon back in 4th grade…
Eevee eyed the response curiously as he showed it to her, but he waved her off.
"I'll tell you about that little adventure some other time, but we should probably hurry," Robin said with a wink, and Eevee nodded, though she looked like she would ask about it later. She was clearly a very curious creature, much like her trainer. Regardless, they continued on the path, and made it to Accumula town within the hour.
Robin was greeted by the sight of Bianca and Cheren, both of them waiting for him at the end of the trail. Had they waited for him before entering into the town?
"About time," Cheren said lazily as he adjusted his glasses. He always was rather annoyed at waiting on others.
"Robin!" Bianca exclaimed. "Are you alright? You've never been more late than me, I was worried!"
Robin shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to admit he nearly died on his first day as a trainer. That little tidbit would stay between him and his two Pokemon until the day they passed on. Besides, he…..wasn't ready to face that again, and speaking about it would make the whole thing seem more real.
"Haven't you ever heard of stopping to smell the roses?" Robin responded sarcastically, donning his typical cheeky smile when he put on his patented mask of aloof nonchalance. An old defence mechanism, and one he's perfected over years.
"That's a rather odd way to say getting lost," Cheren said dryly. Robin merely waved it off.
"Forgive me for not being in a rush to get here, I for one was a little busy increasing my team. You did notice my new friend, didn't you?"
At that exact moment, Yuri popped out from behind Robin's legs and purred softly before laying down elegantly on the ground, putting on a little show. Good, Yuri clearly understood the situation well. Or perhaps he just liked to show off regardless. Maybe even a bit of both, actually.
Bianca's eyes lit up immediately"Oh wow! Look at how beautiful it is!"
"He, and his name is Yuri," Robin corrected sagely (and perhaps a little pointedly). Yuri perked up at the correction in affirmation, clearly taking to his new name happily.
"Well, no matter what his name is, he's gorgeous! Look at those perfectly shaped eyes, his soft fur, elegant tail…." Bianca trailed off excitedly as she began petting Yuri lovingly, almost smothering him. Robin smiled as though he was a Purloin himself, pride filling his smile that took a distinctly feline smugness. Perhaps Yuri was already rubbing off on him.
Cheren's eyes simply narrowed as he watched Bianca fawn over Robin's new Pokemon. "Of course he's beautiful, that's part of Purloin's strategy, to be deceptively cute and gorgeous to lure you in."
"Oh come on Cheren!" Bianca complained, almost offended on behalf of Yuri. "Do you have to be such a party pooper!?"
Cheren simply shook his head in response, whilst Yuri continued to engage with Bianca, purring and smiling happily.
"If you listened to me more often, things would go smoother for you. Case in point, you didn't even notice him steal your wallet, did you?"
"What are you-hey!" Bianca exclaimed as Yuri jumped away, wallet firmly encased in his mouth. Robin and Eevee simply laughed together. Bianca looked devastated at her betrayal.
"Charming and yet deceptive, that's very typical for Purloin. Again, this was an early lesson back in school…." Cheren trailed off in a lecturing tone. "Although, I guess in this case that description applies to both the Pokemon and the trainer."
"You think I'm charming?" Robin said with feigned sweetness. Purloin hummed in agreement, the two of them enjoying the compliment equally, with Eevee only enjoying the whole thing even more. Cheren just rolled his eyes in response
"Yuri, how could you…" Bianca trailed off sadly, still baffled that such a beautiful and cute Pokemon would betray her so blatantly. It didn't help that Yuri seemed to be enjoying the fact that he so thoroughly duped her.
"Alright Yuri, pranks are fine, but Bianca's a good friend, and she needs her wallet," Robin said, though his tone was still light and littered with humour. Yuri turned his head in disagreement, and his smile grew wider when Bianca slumped even further.
Robin crossed his arms as his smile turned into a soft frown. Now this was getting to be a bit of an issue. Bianca was a dear friend, and he didn't take kindly to anyone, including his Pokemon, treating her poorly. Pranks were fine, hell he liked doing it too sometimes, especially to Bianca, but Yuri needed to know that it was only funny up until a certain line, and Robin considered permanent theft beyond said line.
Eevee didn't need to be told anything, as she read the room instantly and swiped the wallet from Yuri before things could turn sour, surprising the feline Pokemon. Robin smiled in pride at Eevee, and as Eevee gave it back to Bianca, the blond-haired trainer shot up like a sunflower on a new spring day.
"Awww, thanks Eevee!" She exclaimed before wrapping Eevee into a bear hug Robin thought was concerningly tight. Eevee's face also seemed more pain-ridden than joyful, but Robin wasn't about to ruin the moment.
"A Purloin suits you," Cheren said thoughtfully. "Though I'm surprised you, of all people, settled on a name,"
Cheren smiled at his own jab as Robin simply rolled his eyes. "And where's your new Pokemon? Or did you bore all of the wild Pokemon with your usual lectures?"
Cheren fished two Pokeballs out from his bag and threw them in the air in response. "Actually, I've caught two new Pokemon, since you're so curious."
Out popped a cute Lillipup with soft brown fur and a determined look, reminding Robin of the Stoutland that had saved him and his team. But it was the other Pokemon that interested him more.
It had a round & fuzzy body that was blue in colour, and a perfectly spherical red nose in the middle with a heart on it. Two black wings stretched from either side and flapped as it kept itself in the air, and the Pokemon, notably, had no eyes, though it did have some sharp fangs. Despite the fangs, the Pokemon still seemed to be more on the cuter side, all things considered. Hopefully, Bianca wouldn't strangle this one as well.
"A Woobat?" Robin questioned curiously, head cocking to one side. "Where'd you find it?"
"Her," Cheren corrected. "I looked at the trainer forums to see recommended areas to catch them, and there was a cave close by that people had been saying was a staple location to catch strong Woobat."
Yuri hissed slightly at the Lillipup, which prompted a soft but defensive bark in return. Clearly, the old Unovan wisdom that said to never pair a Liepard and a Stoutland applied to their pre-evolutions as well. Eevee got involved and calmed it down before it became an issue though.
"I'm surprised you went out of your way for it," Robin said as he circled around the Woobat thoughtfully. "I thought trainers typically viewed them as sub-par in the long term."
Woobat frowned a little at that, but Robin quickly corrected himself, since it wasn't his intention to make the Pokemon feel bad. "Of course, I don't think that really matters much, and the popular opinion usually isn't the right one, if I'm being honest, but I just didn't think you'd be interested in one is all."
"You're right at the last part, the popular opinion usually isn't the best one," Cheren said simply. "Woobat & Swoobat are underrated, and people's disregard for them is based more on stereotypes than facts. Psychic Flying is a unique typic that covers well, and its speed, as well as maneuverability, are both formidable. Its defences may not be particularly noteworthy, but if you're letting it get hit in the first place then you're approaching its fighting style incorrectly to begin with. Besides, Skyla famously has a Swoobat, and its win ratio is stellar. The trainer forums will wake up to its potential one day, maybe when I become champion."
Woobat squealed happily at her trainer's comments, and Robin smiled softly at it. He too had a soft spot for cute Pokemon, and he couldn't help but find Woobat a little endearing.
"He's caught two Pokemon and already thinking of being champion," Robin says sarcastically towards Yuri, who purrs in response. Robin didn't know a purr could be sarcastic, but he was learning all sorts of things today.
"Real confidence brings success, and it rolls off as naturally as it just did, not forced," Cheren said simply. "You should work on that."
Robin felt that hit and stick a little too close to home. From the outside, he was practically oozing confidence, but that was more his charisma doing the work than real confidence from the inside. Robin had to work and act to appear confident, but Cheren had it naturally. Leave it to Cheren to know his weaknesses.
Eevee seemed to notice Robin's face fall a little, because she quickly nestled next to him as if to say assure him Cheren's comment didn't mean anything.
"Guuuysss, you haven't even seen my Pokemon!" Bianca called out, and she threw out her Pokeball to reveal a cute grey Pokemon with large ears and a bushy, long tail.
"Meet my new friend Minccino! Isn't he just the cutest!?" Bianca squealed happily. "He was sleeping on a tree and fell right onto my Pokeball! Isn't that great? It's almost like it was meant to be!"
Minccino seemed to disagree because he instantly leapt at his new trainer and gave her a mouth full of fur with his tail, causing her to yelp and try and pry him off her.
"Minccino! We talked about this!" Bianca said through muffled cries of fur as Minccino continued his furry assault, clearly annoyed at the whole situation. Robin and his team just watched in amusement, whilst Cheren sighed loudly.
Bianca recalled Minccino after a valiant attempt to get him to calm down, prompting Cheren to recall his Pokemon as well. Robin reached for his Pokeballs to do the same, but decided against it. No need to keep them cooped up, considering they've been rather good company so far.
"If it's any consolation, Minccino is pretty cute," Robin said through a chuckle.
Bianca's face lit up."I know right! I can't wait for him to get even cuter when he evolves!"
"You'll have to manage him evolving first, which, by the looks of it, is going to be harder than you think," Cheren said pointedly. Robin simply blew him a soft raspberry in response.
"Ever the mood spoiler today aren't you, Cheren? Somethings just never change."
"Something did," Cheren responded simply. Robin urged him to continue. "You actually settled on a name in a timely manner for once, and a decent one at that."
"I can still help if Eevee doesn't have one yet!" Bianca chirped up immediately, and she was so genuinely enthusiastic that Robin couldn't bring himself to be irritated at the fact that she was only making Cheren's little quip stick even longer.
"Very funny," Robin said to Cheren sarcastically as he began to walk past the two of them. "Are we going to actually enter the town proper, or will Bianca & I be forced to hear some more lecturing from the teacher's pet?"
"Arceus as my witness, you could use some more lecturing," Cheren responded, though Bianca nudged him a bit before catching up with Robin excitedly. Cheren followed suit, and Robin caught a faint smirk on his lips, and Robin couldn't help but find one of his own taking form. Sparring with Cheren, whether figuratively or, more recently, literally, would likely never get old.
As the trio entered the town proper, they found themselves enjoying the town square. Accumula town was as Robin remembered it, beautiful, scenic, and peaceful. It matched Nuvema town's tranquillity but offered larger buildings and cohesive stone architecture throughout. Pokemon of all varieties enjoyed playing around its stone architecture and cobblestone roads, with a particularly high number of Lilipup playing all sorts of games. The town square featured a Pokemon centre, an assortment of restaurants, boutiques, and a large fountain with water pouring out from a statue of a Samurott in its centre, attracting many Pokemon to take baths and drink the water.
Accumula's beautiful scenery was in large part due to it being perched atop a valley of hills, letting residents and visitors gaze down below at the nature surrounding the town. This artistic scenery naturally flowed into a buzzing market square of boutiques, perfect for shopping, something Robin was sure they would make use of.
The three of them checked into the Pokemon centre, finally being able to rent rooms thanks to having active trainer licenses, and had Nurse Joy, who was extremely kind and courteous, check on their Pokemon with the help of a few Audino.
Minccino was soothed expertly by Nurse Joy (a simple head pat at a particular spot turned him into putty in her hands) and the other Pokemon went along with her. Yuri tried to steal something off her belt, but she laughed and expertly swatted his palm away. Robin's brows only furrowed deeper in disapproval, making Yuri grin even wider.
"Don't worry too much about it, pranks and theft are signature traits of almost any Purloin," Nurse Joy had said. When he asked how he could teach Yuri the concept of limits and crossing a line, she simply laughed and shook her head as if Robin was too innocent for this world.
Cheren & Bianca made it very apparent that they found his bewilderment at that very funny.
Within an hour, they received their Pokemon and the trio went off, Bianca exclaiming how she wanted to shop at all the stores, and Robin agreeing enough to force Cheren to accompany them.
Unfortunately, Robin was pretty disappointed when the fourth clothing boutique in a row said they didn't carry anything for men (4), meaning the two boys would have to sit there again and wait for Bianca. Robin was fine to watch her pick things out, but the majority of the fun came from selecting options for himself as well.
"Bianca, how do you plan on packing all of these clothes? This is extremely impractical," Cheren said as he sat on a chair, bored.
"I haven't bought that much!" Bianca complained as she picked out another (fashionable, Robin had to admit) dress. Unfortunately, he also had to admit that Cheren was right about this.
"Cheren's got a point about this one.." he said slowly. "I packed pretty light, all things considered. I was only hoping to get one or two pieces for the road, we can't afford to travel very heavy."
Bianca looked like she had deflated at the news. Cheren's nagging was to be expected, but if even Robin was conceding to a restricted wardrobe, then it meant Cheren was actually right.
"We could buy some smaller trinkets for our new Pokemon?" Robin tried, and Bianca shot back up with happiness. At least she was predictable. Of course, this only leads to Bianca buying an ungodly amount of trinkets for her new Pokemon. When questioned, she'd simply say that they'd need to look as gorgeous as can be if she ever wanted to enter a Pokemon contest.
Robin actually agreed with that, and so after a nice visit to a cafe where trainers could eat with their Pokemon looking down into the forest, Robin picked up a few things as well. Toys that could be chewed that would clean the teeth to a pearly white, clothes made to gently soften and detangle the fur of his new compatriots, and a few other things of that nature. Yuri tried swiping something from one of the stores, earning a dull slap at his paws from his new trainer, causing Yuri to hiss lowly at him.
By the time their day had concluded, Cheren retreated to his room almost instantly. Apparently, he didn't enjoy perusing Accumula Town's famous boutiques nearly as much as his two friends. On his way out, Robin said something about stopping to smell the roses again, whilst Cheren only responded that they should be spending more time smelling the forest and training, especially if Robin wanted to beat him.
That definitely got him thinking, but when he posed the idea to his new Pokemon as they entered their room for the night, both of them had protested, apparently wanting to spend more time in Accumula town, Yuri especially seemed keen, likely still amazed at human settlement.
Robin conceded, and so he called his Mom (and left out the part where he nearly died) before finally taking that bath he had been wanting. Eevee & Yuri decided to join them, and he enjoyed a quiet bubble bath with them before heading to bed.
He had hoped for pleasant dreams, but all that awaited him were vivid memories of that monstrous Scolipede.
By the trinities (5), he truly did hate bug-type Pokemon
The next few days are a blur as Robin begins to grow accustomed to his new life. Mornings now begin with Eevee forcefully waking Robin to bask in the sunlight she seems to enjoy so much, followed by Yuri playing sly pranks on him for his amusement. Robin would dish it back in return if he wasn't always so groggy in the mornings, and often this just led to Robin taking shelter with Eevee, cuddling up by the sunlight.
Their first day after their arrival went by like a blur. Cheren booked it instantly for the forest they came from, no doubt to train all day, whilst Bianca and Robin spent more time sightseeing. They dined in cafes, took their Pokemon to some spas, and even attended a local concert.
Music, Robin realized, was a core feature of Accumula town. Street musicians were everywhere, and there was never a moment where there wasn't some form of music playing. This often involved Pokemon as well, such as one performer and his team of singing Pidoves, a performance Bianca & Eevee had adored.
Robin and Bianca enjoyed their day immensely, as did their Pokemon. It felt nice to spend some time enjoying Accumula town and bonding with his Pokemon. Yuri still kept trying to swipe things from people, and Robin was getting more and more frustrated at his lack of restraint, but this only seemed to embolden Yuri further.
At the end of the day, however, Robin caught sight of a stall owner purposefully making a little girl lose a game for a stuffed Audino so that he didn't have to give it for free, and Robin gave Yuri full permission to swipe the toy when nobody was looking.
Watching Yuri in action was almost mesmerizing, the way he leaned down to the ground with laser focus, streamlining his body as he entered a keen sense of awareness and stealth. He picked a perfect moment where every onlooker was doing something, waiting still for an exact moment when the stars aligned to get everyone's attention away from the direction he intended to go, and at once he pounced.
It was so quick, and so bafflingly smooth that Robin, even though he was actively watching and anticipating it, nearly missed the whole thing altogether. Yuri leapt up in one clean motion and swiped the Audino before ducking into an alley instantly, making Robin and Eevee follow suit.
Robin took the stuffed toy and tracked down the little girl before gifting it to her, accepting a tearful hug and smiles from her parents.
"There's such a thing as a time and a place," Robin had said in a lecturing tone to Yuri. "And this was definitely the right time. There are wrong times too, and if you only do these things at the right time, not only will I let it slide, but I'll actually help, too."
That seemed to get Yuri's attention. Robin couldn't tell if he fully got Yuri to understand, but there was (hopefully) progress.
The day concluded with Robin and Bianca happily leaving their last concert with their Pokemon after a night of dancing, and the next day began with Cheren leaving early for training. Only this time, Robin followed just an hour later.
Yuri had wanted to stay longer, but Robin had convinced him that they should train as well. "You wouldn't want to lose to Cheren's Lilipup, would you?"
That seemed to work well, and Eevee helped him out as well. Speaking of Eevee, she was proving much easier to handle. She was cheerful and loving, but attentive and astute. She was always watching something, usually Yuri or Robin himself, and that left Robin feeling very seen.
It was nice, in a strange way. He was often quite the observer as well, something not many people could tell about him, so he found it fun to point things out to Eeevee and find out that she was also paying attention to them as well. The two of them found that Yuri seemed to prefer to steal things distinctly silver in colour, and also that Bianca always fidgeted with her new beret when she was nervous.
As for the training, Robin realized he had absolutely no idea how to raise Pokemon, and that included training them. He didn't even want to bother trying to teach them new moves, since he had no idea how, so he scrounged the trainer forums for advice. After about 30 minutes of reading, he settled on having the two of them spar against each other, broken down with 10-minute rest periods and physical exercise like running every now and then.
A rivalry between the two of them began to form rather quickly, and Robin noticed that whilst Yuri seemed more accustomed to battle, it was Eevee who won more often than not. She'd predict Yuri's movements, correctly guess his attacks, and was just overall too attentive for Yuri to sufficiently hit, even if Yuri was the faster one of the two.
Robin occasionally shot out commands to one of them, though he made sure to give an equal number of commands per battle to both sides so as to not make them feel he was picking favourites.
The day ended with Robin and Cheren discussing how training was going, with even Cheren apparently a little confused as to how to go about actually training Pokemon. Theoretical knowledge was great and helped get them started, but their lack of any practical knowledge was showing.
The next few days went on like this, with Cheren & Robin training in the woods whilst Bianca continued to soak in everything Accumula town had to offer. Bianca did tag along with Robin once, and the two of them trained together, though neither of them could get through to her Mincinno.
They battled three times, with Robin not losing a single one, though Robin could see Tepig was improving, something he made sure to tell both the Pokemon and his trainer. Bianca and Robin also decided to explore the forest a bit more, travelling as a team emboldening them to be a bit more adventurous, leading to many wild Pokemon battles that served as great practices for both of their Pokemon.
Another day, Robin retired in early to treat his Pokemon to another night out in the town, which proved absolutely worth it, as the dim lights illuminated the night air of Accumula town in a way that only enhanced its stone architecture. Robin realized then that the town was rather old, and it echoed of a time long since passed, said echoes faintly whispering down Accumula town's cobblestone road and winding alleyways.
The day after, Cheren and Robin trained together, which proved extremely helpful. Cheren shared a lot of knowledge Robin was missing on the more theoretical side of things, which helped out a lot, and Robin, along with Eevee, helped Cheren better pin down some of the tendencies his new team members had in battle.
Lilipup and Yuri sparred constantly, and they seemed pretty evenly matched, only making the two of them more opposed to each other. Robin had to admit that Yuri would often be the one to initiate any conflict with Lilipup, the desire to annoy and quarrel with the canine Pokemon seemingly built into Yuri's very DNA. Eevee and Snivy got along decently, with Eevee managing to get Snivy to respect her in a way that let Snivy deem her worthy of his time.
Robin also tried to have Yuri showcase every Pokemon move he had ever seen with Assist, but Yuri tired out long before he exhausted his options. Robin had written down every single move, but when he realized the move pool was too large to bank on anything in any real strategy, he gave up.
Ember, string shot, ominous wind, magical leaf, bubble beam….the list kept going. The sheer variety of it was astounding, though it made sense, considering Yuri was a wild Pokemon. He'd probably seen all kinds of moves in his life.
Dispersed between wild Pokemon battles, solo training and training with Cheren, was battling against actual trainers as well. There were a surprising amount of them willing to battle not just found within the forest but also in the town proper too. Robin battled a chef, a musician, a painter, an accountant, and those were just the people he battled who weren't upstart trainers who planned on challenging the league in full like himself.
A full week passed, filled with the joys of Accumula town and the grit of training, with Yuri and Eevee growing immensely. Robin couldn't help but feel proud of that. Amidst the sightseeing and shopping with Bianca & training with Cheren, Robin also felt a bit of anticipation bubble up inside him.
He & Cheren were due for a rematch soon, he could feel it. Try as he might, he couldn't shake off the more boyish, primal need to measure himself to Cheren, hopefully, to even their score. So much of their relationship was built on equality and mutual respect, and Robin would make sure to keep fighting in order to maintain that, especially in the eyes of Cheren.
"We should head out for training later than usual today," Cheren said on their 8th day, earning a curious look from Robin. What could be more important to Cheren than training?
"I've heard there's some sort of event at the square," He continued. "Something about the relationship between man and Pokemon. It could turn out to be useful."
"Sounds a bit too poetic for your liking," Robin said slowly as he considered it.
"Well it sounds just poetic enough for your tastes then," Cheren responded simply, and Robin couldn't disagree with that. "Any reservations about it?"
Robin shrugged simply, showing his indifference. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Besides, I'm always down for a little deviation in routine."
"You mean you're averse to a consistent routine," Cheren retorts.
"Only because repetition bores me," Robin fought back. "Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over?"
"Only if you expect different results," Cheren said as he swiped through his Pokedex and began walking. Of course, if he was going to take time off from training, he'd familiarize himself further with their journey. Expecting anything less from him would be, well, insanity.
"Then I'm definitely insane, because I've been trying to get you to stop being such a stuck-up for years, and we both know how useless that is."
That earned another famous roll of the eyes from Cheren, but no response, since apparently the Pokedex was more engaging than Robin was. Typical. Well, if he was going to lose himself in his Pokedex, Robin could just call on his new friends, and unlike Cheren, Robin was sure they'd love to indulge him.
Before long, Robin, Cheren and Eevee (who Robin let out when Cheren went silent) made their way to the town centre near the fountain. Robin was carrying Eevee atop his head, and he enjoyed the squeals of delight at the new perspective. Robin could only imagine how many interesting things she was able to gleam, perched atop his head like that.
"What are these flags?" Cheren asked, and Robin looked around to see that there were indeed many flags all around the square, including a large podium that had seemingly been constructed overnight for the occasion. Onlookers gathered, and Robin spotted a bunch of men and women in what he could only describe as honest-to-good knight outfits.
The flags and their outfits all bore a blue lightning insignia with a large "P", with the colours black and white surrounding it. Men and women militarily filed up onto the stage, blowing trumpets and other instruments as they took their place.
Robin found it all a little amusing. It was gaudy, sure, but Robin certainly wasn't someone who'd complain at theatrics, and he was a bit of a drama queen, though he'd deny it vehemently if anyone, particularly Cheren, said it to him.
"We of Team Plasma," one of the men in the middle of the formation starts loudly, "thank you all for your attendance. We now welcome the honourable Lord Ghetsis, our leader, to give a few words on our noble cause and his enlightening vision!"
Some people, including Robin, clapped out of politeness, though it was a confused clap that clearly was done out of formality as opposed to any support. Though he clapped, Robin's eyes narrowed.
"Hard to take them seriously in that getup," Cheren muttered.
"Looks can be deceiving?" Robin said, though it came more out more as a proposition than sagely wisdom. Why couldn't he shake the feeling that they were being watched? He could feel a pair of eyes bearing down on him, the tingling buzz of being watched shivering down his spine. Yet try as he might, he couldn't locate the source…
Then, a man in a long, regal robe took the centre of the stage, his hair long and lime green, with the collar of his robe forming a crown around him. Even his hair seemed to fan out slightly behind him, cutting a more regal figure.
However, his regal stature and mannerisms were offset by an eyepatch and a scar, confusing the whole thing. He walked with a large sceptre sporting the Team Plasma logo, and he extended his hands out as he began to speak. Atop the stage, he spoke above everyone else, requiring everyone to look up above at him. Robin wondered if that was intentional.
"Welcome, everyone. Thank you once more for your attendance," The man begins, and Robin notes his voice is smooth yet powerful, carrying a sense of gravitas and weight to it. When he spoke, you were meant to listen.
"My name is Ghetsis, the leader of Team Plasma. Today, I would like to give a small speech on a subject that may be quite new to some of you, perhaps even offputting or revolutionary at first, yet it is nonetheless an important discussion to be had. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to reflect on the concept of Pokemon liberation."
Murmurs broke out in the crowd, confusion fully overtaking the crowd as whispers flooded throughout the crowd like a river after the dam had broken. Cheren, too, seemed completely caught off guard.
"Pokemon liberation?" Cheren whispered incredulously, his tone slipping into judgemental at a pace so quick a Zebstrika would be envious. Robin, unlike the others, said nothing, listening keenly as his eyes narrowed even further at Ghetsis. Something wasn't as it seemed, but he couldn't tell if it was negative or positive. Perhaps both?
"I'm sure that many of you have been told that people and Pokemon are inseparable, partners that have come together because we want and need each other. Indeed, this message has been baked deeply into the consciousness of our society, with the Unova region in particular priding itself on this ethos."
Everyone nodded as he went on. It might not be spoken about in such plain and blatant terms, but most Unovans implicity understood these things as facts. Unova thrived in its diversity in cooperation, and that extended most deeply with the relationship between humans and Pokemon. It was the Conkeldurr that helped construct buildings, the Liligant that helped filter the city air, and the Audino who helped heal the sick.
In return, it was humanity that helped integrate Pokemon into the wonders of human society, letting them gain access to shelter, security, and partake in the joys that came with domestication. You couldn't find a more happy Jigglypuff than at a concert, for example, and that was by design.
Human history was predominantly rife with conflict, with most of history being characterized by survival in opposition to Pokemon. Yet over time, human society had evolved to live not only in cohabitation with Pokemon, but in cooperation as well, and there was a sense, particularly in Unova, that this was the peak of how things could be.
"However," Ghetsis continued, perhaps a little predictably, but nonetheless shockingly. "Is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that we humans only assume this to be true? Think, for a moment. Humans are born free, but Pokemon? Within our society, Pokemon are subject to the selfish whims of their masters, and they are selfish primarily because they are commands, given by humans acting as masters with complete dominion over their Pokemon."
The crowd hushed slightly at this, likely considering his words. Ghetsis paced as he spoke, giving his speech, in conjunction with his mannerisms and hand gestures, a rhythm to it that lured you in. He was a very good orator, Robin realized.
"Pokemon are inherently different from humans, they are beings with, frankly, unknowable potential. They are living beings that we have much to learn from. Can anyone disagree with the wisdom that exists within the Pokemon world?"
Robin could see people shaking their heads in the negative, accepting the fact that Pokemon were indeed creatures worth respecting, and thus, learning from. Robin didn't disagree either. He had learnt so much from Riolu as a boy, and he continued to learn from him even after his passing, with the passing of time only giving more context to Riolu's wisdom.
"Tell me, then. What is our responsibility to these beings?" The crowd broke into murmurs again, and someone confusedly said "Pokemon liberation?"
"Exactly!" Ghetsis said, much like a parent feigning excitement for their child finally grasping the correct answer. "We humans have built a society on the backs of Pokemon expressly without their consent, and we continue to use them to fuel our society regardless of their opinion. We think ourselves fit to own and act as masters to them, the poor creatures. It is only if we liberate our Pokemon, if we free them from the shackles we have forcefully placed on them, that we can be true equals. After all, how can Pokemon and Humans be equal partners, if one is forcefully subservient to the other? Pokemon don't enter our homes and take us to their society, yet that is exactly what we do to them."
Everyone in the crowd hushed, stunned by Ghetsis and his speech. It sounded all so preposterous, so antithetical to the very fabric of their society. It was easier to imagine the world ending than the complete liberation of Pokemon from humans. The very notion seemed almost unnatural.
Yet was it truly? Robin allowed himself to think for a moment, and he couldn't say Ghetsis was correct, of course not, that would be against everything he's ever been taught, so, of course, he couldn't be correct, obviously….surely.
Yet he wasn't particularly incorrect either. Robin had caught Yuri today, and just like that, he had upheaved Yuri's life out from under him. If the roles were reversed, the league would dispatch to find the missing human in moments and detain the Pokemon responsible. Was that truly fair?
"Ladies and gentlemen, I leave you all with this; I implore you to consider the true relationship between people and Pokemon, as well as the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."
Just like that, Ghetsis bowed deeply, and the stunned audience lightly claps, once more out of obligation, and Ghetsis, as well as his knights, stepped off the stage, collecting all of the flags from the surrounding area, and left.
Ghetsis shook the hand of someone who Robin thought was the mayor of the town before leaving, and Robin continued to ponder on Ghetsis' words. It was true that their society entirely depended on Pokemon, and that necessitated their capture. Yet Pokemon seemed to enjoy working with humans, Robin had seen it firsthand, so it couldn't be wrong, could it?
Or could it be something like Stockholm syndrome, where they learn to love their capture? Could….could Pokemon be conditioned to like something that was inherently harmful to them? Was human society inherently harmful to Pokemon?
Robin's initial reaction was no, but then his later response was a meek maybe, followed by a more thoughtful no again. Perhaps it was possible in the abstract, but really, Pokemon liberation? It was a momentous achievement in history when Pokemon and humans began to work in tandem, undoing that would be disastrous.
Although Ghetsis might say the cooperation Robin thinks of is really thinly veiled subjugation, and Robin could see the logic there as well, even if he didn't yet fully agree. Not to mention, for whom specifically was this cooperation a monumental achievement?
"What a waste of time," Cheren said with a roll of his eyes, shaking Robin out of his thoughts. "People and Pokemon help each other out. We are interdependent, it isn't one-sided."
When Robin didn't make a comment, Cheren continued. "And here I thought this might actually be helpful. Robin, don't tell me you're actually considering his message?"
Robin hadn't expected Cheren to be so fiercely opposed. It was understandable, but did he truly not see any of the merits of Ghetsis' points? Even if Robin didn't totally agree, blind opposition in reaction was something he didn't fully expect from Cheren.
"No…" Robin began slowly, which didn't seem to help as Cheren only narrowed his eyes. "I don't agree, but there are some worthwhile points worth considering."
"You're too charitable," Cheren said simply.
"Or maybe you're too dismissive," Robin said simply. "I wouldn't go so far as to advocate for, what was it, Pokemon liberation? But there's usually a bit of truth in well-thought-out beliefs like this one, otherwise, it wouldn't be well thought out. Didn't you find it the least bit thought-provoking?"
"Is it well thought out?" Cheren challenged. "If you thought about it long enough, it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Prior to how we are now, humans and Pokemon were at each other's throats, which is infinitely worse. Would he really want to go back to that, after we've improved so much?"
"I think the rationale is that it's only an improvement for one side," Robin said, and Cheren looked like he had said something blasphemous. "Again, not that I agree, per se, but that would be the argument, and it's an….interesting angle, if nothing else. I won't be giving up my Pokemon any soon, but maybe I'll be a bit more receptive to them."
"You don't need a radical concept like Pokemon liberation to inspire a bit more kindness in trainers," Cheren said simply.
"Fair enough, though I still think it's a mistake to be so reductive about this. Either way, as I said, I won't be relinquishing my Pokemon, but I've gained a new perspective on things, I suppose."
Eevee dropped down from Robin's head and stared at him, seemingly as deep in thought as he was about this. Robin suddenly had a deep curiosity for what she thought about all of this. Her perspective was far more valuable than anyone else's, in Robin's opinion. Just what did she make of all of this? Did she feel Pokemon needed to be liberated? Did she need to be liberated from him?
"Not all perspectives are worth considering," Cheren said.
"Yes, you're right about that one," Robin said as he leaned down towards Eevee, the two of them examining each other, with Eevee yipping softly to him. "But they don't need to be discarded on the sole basis of challenging the status quo either."
Robin and Cheren turned when they heard some clapping behind them, only to find a sole boy behind them, around their own age (perhaps a tad older), smiling faintly at them (or, more specifically, Robin in particular).
He wore a baseball cap that was black and white, and he had long, silky green hair, some of it tied to keep it neat. Its colour was also lime green, much like Ghetsis', yet this person's hair was both much more healthy and vibrant than Ghetsis'. He wore brown khakis, a black T-shirt, and a white button-up overtop, accompanied by a variety of jewelry. It was definitely a look, and one Robin found impressive. He was certainly rather stylish.
Additionally, he had a cute Zorua on his shoulder, its fur shiny and its colours vibrant, the mark of a truly healthy Pokemon. It nuzzled deeply into his neck, and eyed Eevee meekly.
"That's a really nice perspective to have," the stranger said softly, though he spoke so quietly, and also so fast, that Robin barely heard it. He stepped closer as he began to look towards Eevee. "Just now, your Pokemon was saying-"
"Hold on a second," Cheren butted in, his voice mildly annoyed. "You're speaking too quickly. And what's this about Pokemon….talking? That's an odd thing to say."
The stranger seemed saddened for a moment, his face pouting slightly in a mixture of sadness and wistfulness. "Yes, they are talking," He said simply, as though it was a basic fact akin to the need to breathe to live. "So you two can't hear it either? That's sad."
If that last bit was supposed to be condescending, it failed, because he genuinely did seem sad at that. Well, he seemed to be pitying them a little, which was a little patronizing, but it was offset but the sadness in his eyes. Robin had a hard time reading this person, which was extremely rare since he's usually extremely good at these sorts of things.
It was made even more confusing by the fact that he had by far the most expressive face ever, with his emotions written clear as day on his face. That this only made it harder for Robin was a paradox he had no idea how to understand.
Eevee seemed to be trying to make heads or tails of him as well, though she had taken to him a bit more than her two human companions, for she smiled at him brightly. He returned the gesture, as did the Zorua, and Robin felt as though the three of them were having a private conversation the other two people present weren't privy to.
"My name is N," he said simply after a moment. Robin wondered if that was his true name, or just cover. Who names their child a single letter? Perhaps it stood for something longer? Even then, why shorten it to a singular letter instead of just a standard shorter N name like Nate or something?
"Well, my name is Cheren, and this is Robin," Cheren said slowly, clearly a little weary. Robin didn't quite share his suspicion. This new person was…..odd, sure, but he seemed interesting in his own way. He almost felt….connected to him, somehow, in an odd, past life sort of way, kind of like Deja-Vu. Had he seen N before? Why did he, or rather, this whole conversation, seem so familiar? Why did it seem as though….as though he's already seen this happen?
Cheren jabbed him a little, waking him from his thoughts again. It wasn't terribly noticeable, but Cheren had long been accustomed to Robin's occasional spacing out into his own dreamworld, so he knew what to look for.
"I plan on challenging all the gym leaders and entering the league. My goal is to become the strongest trainer in Unova and take the title of champion from Alder," Cheren said after it became apparent to him that Robin was still intently taking in N.
"Become the champion, eh?" N said as he regarded Cheren. He frowned suddenly. "That means you're going to encapsulate many, many Pokemon into Pokeballs for that, no?"
The thought of that only made his frown deepen in more sadness. "I'm a trainer too, but I can't help but wonder…are Pokemon truly happy that way?"
Though he was speaking to Cheren initially, he asked that question after turning to Robin instead, who seemed much more receptive to what he was saying. Robin took in his words honestly, and thought on them for a moment. Cheren seemed less inclined to indulge N in his thoughts, though.
"Well, I can't speak for all Pokemon," Robin started cautiously. "But, I can say that I think my Pokemon are happy so far. There haven't been many serious complaints on their part as far as I'm aware."
That didn't seem to make him any happier, which stumped Robin. On second thought, why was he so invested in cheering N up? He typically only did this with Bianca, and he quite literally met N just a few moments ago. Still, something about his sincerity in his emotions made Robin want to steer them into happier places. And again…why was this all so familiar?
"How can you know for sure, if you can't hear their voices?" N said, his face scrunching slightly in confusion. Robin wasn't too sure how to answer that, but he tried anyways.
"I don't think you need to share a language to understand someone," he shrugged honestly. N brightened when he said "someone", though he couldn't really parse why. "If they aren't happy, I think they'd have made their displeasure known to me, right girl?"
Robin petted Eevee, and she yipped a bit in response. Robin's eyes sized up N, looking him up and down, before he and Eevee shared a look of understanding. Instantly, Robin's eyes narrowed in anticipation, and Eevee smiled eagerly.
"Of course," Robin continued, once more slipping into his aloof, somewhat theatrical voice he put on when slipping into a more characterized version of himself. "If you don't believe me, we could always battle and find out."
N was a trainer by his own admission, so Robin assumed he'd be happy to partake in a Pokemon battle, but, apparently, Robin had made a blunder, as N's mouth slipped into such a sad & deep frown that Robin wondered if he had personally offended him. Even his Zorua seemed to droop at the challenge.
N shook his head. "I detest Pokemon battles," he said strongly. "Pokemon are my friends, and I hate the idea of forcing friends to battle, especially for the sake of settling our personal scores."
"A Pokemon trainer who hates battling?" Cheren asked, incredulously, his face an expression one would wear when someone said or did something truly sacrilegious. Just about everything N was saying went entirely against Cheren's worldview, and the clash was becoming very apparent. "That's an inherent contradiction."
"Maybe, but that's how I feel," N responded resolutely. Robin couldn't help but respect his conviction.
"Well, Pokemon battles are how I've come to understand my Pokemon and the Pokemon of others," Robin replied honestly. He had no issue engaging with N, and he almost enjoyed challenging him. "Some of us aren't so blessed as to be able to 'hear their voices' as you put it. Battling is the way we mortals do it."
Robin was slipping more into his charming & witty side, perhaps a bit of sarcasm and authority would whip N into something other than disapproval or sadness, the two emotions he's been swapping between during this entire conversation, save for confusion and brief moments of….intrigue(?) peppered in occasionally.
N seemed mildly amused by Robin's performance, which was a start. A smile was much more flattering on his features, or just about anyone's features really. Eevee seemed to take his lead as Robin began circling around N, with the small Pokemon trailing behind him and mirroring his goading look.
N looked to Eevee, then back to Robin, then to Eevee again, then to Robin, then to Eevee one final time before he settled into a softer smile. "It seems Eevee does want to battle after all," he said softly.
Robin raised an eyebrow as if to tell him to go on, but N missed the gesture completely. He must not get out very much, Robin mused.
"Although I really do hate Pokemon battles, I want to hear your Pokemons' voices even more," N said, voice rising slightly. Suddenly, the same fire that often takes over Robin flashed into N's eyes as well, and it washed over Robin in a way that almost made him shudder.
He felt seen, with all focus squared intensely and passionately onto him from N. The feeling was suffocating in the most exhilarating way possible, and elicited the exact same look from his own eyes. Far be it for Robin to flee from the first sign of passion, perhaps this would be more interesting than he initially thought.
"Eevee seems to want a battle as well, and her wants come before my own," N said, and Robin grinned wildly in anticipation. N met his gaze and smirked in equal measure. If N didn't like Pokemon battles, he seemed to be at least enjoying the human rivalry aspect. It was strangely exhilarating, seeing N in particular act this way, after his softer, mysterious demeanour from earlier.
"What a gentleman," Robin drawled with a smile, his eyes never leaving N's. N made a low whistle, and out from a bush came a Patrat. N knelt down and whispered something to it, and the Patrat nodded before squealing happily.
It then squared off against Robin at once, taking a fighting stance. Did N just tame a random Pokemon and convince it to fight on his behalf? N simply smiled wilder at Robin's bewilderment. Even Cheren seemed stunned, his jaw hanging slightly open in a way nobody but Robin would notice.
"I told you, Pokemon are my friends," N said happily. "I really don't want to make friends fight, but I'm doing this just for you. Well, you and Eevee, anyways."
Something about that statement made Robin feel more appreciative and content than he thought it should, but that's probably because that meant more to N than he could really understand. Robin was getting the distinct impression that nothing was as it seemed with N, and he thinks that in both the best and worst way possible all at once.
An inherent contradiction, an enigma, yet that summed up N perfectly.
"Alright then, let's have some fun!" Robin said wildly, coming out almost as a soft growl, and Eevee yipped in response.
And what fun it was.
(1) - Robin never liked Bug Pokemon
Not a big fan of bugs IRL. Not to the degree that Robin will come to hate bug-type Pokemon after his near-death experience, but over-dramatizing certain traits for better storytelling can't hurt.
This is not a comment on whether or not Robin will come to use Bug types, he has just started out not liking them. This may or may not be subject to change, the jury is still out on that one.
(2) - There was one student in his Nuvema Town School from Jhoto, and he remembered liking the sound of her name
I know from Gen 1 to Gen 4 they are all based on regions of Japan, but Jhoto gave me, by far, the most amount of Japan vibes. Yuri is a Japanese name IRL, so in this universe, Jhoto most closely resembles Japan, and their language is thus similar. If you read someone speaking in the language of Jhoto, hear it as Japanese in your mind (such as with Kalosian and French).
The name Yuri is after my favourite Fire Emblem character, who also reminds me a lot of a Liepard.
(3) - Assist only could allow the user to use moves at random that they have seen before
There are, of course, limitations to this. No matter how many tomes Yuri hypothetically watches Palkia use spacial rend, he will be unable to draw it in assist. Assist can let Yuri use moves he otherwise would be unable to learn, but even assist has its limits.
As to what those limits are…I'm not totally sure yet, but legendary moves are off-limits. I'd assume things like Megahorn is also off-limits since he literally doesn't have a horn for that.
(4) - Robin was pretty disappointed when the fourth clothing boutique in a row said they didn't carry anything for men
This is my way of complaining. The amount of times I and a group of men and women decide to go shopping, only for it to turn into all of us guys waiting around because the stores don't carry mens items, is mindblowing.
The idea that men won't shop at boutiques is stupid. Make the clothes available, and I'll come.
(5) - By the trinities…
Now just what trinity of Pokemon could this be in reference to…? There are actually quite a few legendary trios, after all.