Creation began on 09-11-23
Creation ended on 09-18-23
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Earning the Badge
Thud! Valerie's Spritzee fell at the paws of Shinji's Fletchinder, its combination of Trick Room, Gyro Ball and Moonblast failing to defeat the Flying Pokémon, who kept dodging.
"Fletchinder!" Komadori chirped and was suddenly aglow.
"Whoa!" Toji and Hikari gasped, covering their eyes from the light.
Shinji didn't expect this to happen at all today, but he found himself amazed that it was happening. His Fletchinder had gained a considerable amount of experience, and it was now paying off. As the glow ceased, his Fletchinder was replaced by a much larger bird that had a bird of prey aura to it, its wings outstretched and its eyes glowing with intense flames.
"Talon!" It uttered, and people felt the temperature rise up a couple of degrees.
"Whoa," went Shinji as he took out his Pokédex.
"Talonflame," Dexter revealed, "the Scorching Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Fletchling. Talonflame is capable of catching prey at incredible speeds while giving off showers of embers when facing its opponents."
But Shinji also found that, despite these facts being genuine, his Talonflame was different from a regular one. While the majority of Talonflame had a height of almost three-and-a-half feet, his was much larger, almost five feet.
"Komadori, you've got a growth spurt going on here," he expresses, still impressed that he managed to evolve.
"That is one big bird," said Antonio, amazed that he saw a Pokémon evolve in person.
"You said it," added Ritsuko, trying to comprehend how a Pokémon like this could grow large so quickly. Magnificent.
Valerie, having swapped her Sylveon for her Spritzee, forcing Shinji to sub his Eevee for his Fletchinder, found this Talonflame to be quite a sight to behold. With her Spritzee defeated, there was no doubt that her Sylveon could stand up to his evolved Talonflame, especially one this big. Still, she had to give it her all against Shinji and face him until the end.
"I got to give you props, Shinji," she praised her opponent. "Your Talonflame's the largest I've ever seen."
"The largest I've ever seen, too."
"Talon!" Komadori expressed.
Valerie then recalled her defeated Spritzee in sent back out her Sylveon; even if there was a chance that she would lose against Shinji due to his trained and incredibly tenacious Pokémon, she couldn't concede defeat out of fear. Her reputation as a Gym Leader wouldn't stand for this.
"May the best trainer be the last one standing, Shinji Ikari," she tells him.
"Can you keep going, Komadori?" Shinji asks his Talonflame.
"Talon!" Komadori responds, indicating that he could keep fighting after defeating Valerie's Spritzee. "Talon!"
"Alright, then, let's finish this!"
"Go, Shinji!" Maya, Hyuga, Shigeru, Asuka and Rei cheered for Shinji.
-x-
Setting his feet atop a mountain, Master looked at the land in front of him, observing the beauty that existed in Kalos.
"Beautiful," he says as several Fletchling fly in the sky above.
Flash! His perception shifted from the pretty scenery to one of chaos and devastation.
The land was on fire and many Pokémon were fleeing from a large beast in the air. All Master could make out of this creature was that it was black and red, appearing like a cross between an avian species and a draconic species, with large wings and claws.
"In the end, all shall perish to satiate my appetite for destruction," Master heard a malicious voice emanating from the creature. "This world is rich with life energy! My appetite shall be satiated by the fallen!"
Flash! Master's perception returned to the beautiful scenery he had been looking at before it changed to the nightmarish landscape he glimpsed.
Looking at his arms, the Mewtwo found himself shuddering at what he saw.
That…was a vision yet to come to pass, he realizes. Danger grows in this region. A darkness that sleeps beneath the surface of the ground, waiting for its time to awaken.
With only a glimpse of what was to come soon, all Master could do was wait and see what would transpire as time passed. But he would be here when it did transpire. Whatever that creature was, he would be there to help make sure that it couldn't cause great harm to the region. But if it was a Pokémon immune to Psychic-Type abilities, Master would have to rely on his other abilities.
-x-
"…Syl…syl…veon," Valerie's Sylveon collapsed on the field, scorched from Komadori's Flame Body ability after he used his Steel Wing attack for the sixth time.
"Sylveon is unable to continue," declared the referee to the spectators. "The winner is the challenger, Shinji Ikari."
"Way to go, Shinji!" Toji praised his friend.
"You're the best, Shinji!" Kensuke added in.
"Eevo!" Misato cheered as she climbed Shinji's back and head again.
"Eh-heh-heh," Shinji chuckled, feeling the exhilaration he felt when facing an opponent and achieving the desired outcome. "We did it."
Valerie recalled her Sylveon and walked over to Shinji as he examined his larger-than-normal Talonflame, which looked like it was a little bigger up close.
"You're very impressive, Shinji," she praised him. "Your Pokémon were incredible. How do you get them to become so strong?"
"I just…do right by them as best I can."
"Well, I'm glad you survived that situation with the Ghost Pokémon that was after you. I hope you reach the Kalos League and become the champion."
"Thank you."
Valerie then presented him with the sixth badge he coveted.
"The Fairy Badge," she utters, and he accepts it from her.
"We got the Fairy Badge, Misato," he tells his Eevee.
"Eevo!" She responded.
Now that he had his sixth badge, Shinji was two gym matches away from having all eight badges, and with this badge, his Pyroar and other Pokémon from this region he caught that were under level eighty would be more manageable until he had the remaining two badges.
"Congratulations, Shinji," went Fuyutsuki and Antonio to him.
"Thank you," he responded.
-x-
There was a feeling in the air that Ash couldn't shake off. It was only a few days ago that he learned something new had occurred in Laverre City that involved this Shinji Ikari dealing with a Ghost Pokémon that showed up to cause harm…and, on a deep and darker level, harm the Pokémon Trainer that was catching up to meet with him at the Kalos League. The most brutal thing that any of them could have ever heard was how the young man had nearly died because of a Pokémon he had caught coming back from beyond the grave due to its own dislike of the person that caught it…and then being saved by Xerneas.
"When you do meet with Shinji Ikari," Prof. Oak had told Ash, "it's anyone's guess as to which of you will be the stronger trainer after such an experience. But personally, I'm hoping that what nearly happened to Shinji hasn't shaken his confidence too much."
"Why would that happen?" Ash found himself asking back.
"Because it was his Ursaring that was stampeded on by your herd of Tauros that tried to get revenge on him. Of all the Pokémon he's ever caught in his career as a trainer, that was the only one that was beyond temperamental and aggressive. And now, it's trapped in the Old Chateau, unable to move on. But what it nearly did before it was defeated for good, that… That is a trauma that could take longer to recover from than a few days. Then again, Shinji's anything but an ordinary Pokémon Trainer. Still, when you two eventually meet, I will hope that this ordeal hasn't shaken him."
"If he's as great as you have suggested that he is, then it's unlikely that he'll be affected to a great degree by his most recent experience. I'm hoping that our match will be one for the Pallet Town history books."
"Heh-heh-heh! Yeah."
Except Ash had to consider that Prof. Oak was right about the trauma that this Shinji experienced from being viciously attacked by the ghost of his Ursaring. Just because one recovers from such an incident, it doesn't mean that they weren't affected in other ways by those involved. It reminded him of a crazy dream he had a while back where he was in a world where Pokémon didn't exist…and he felt miserable because of it. Or the day he started out as a trainer and Pikachu was attacked by the flock of Spearow; that was a memory that he couldn't forget about because it was traumatic. But if Shinji was as gifted as other trainers, he was likely to move on from this and become stronger because of it.
-x-
Shinji was surprised that Nurse Joy called Komadori a supersized Talonflame when he and the others returned to the Pokémon Center to have Komadori and Misato looked at after the gym match. It was quite the sight to behold of a larger-than-normal Talonflame that helped him win his sixth badge inside the Pokémon Center.
"You've been quiet since we got here," he hears Asuka say to him during dinner. "What's on your mind, Shinji?"
"Just thinking about changing my roster a little bit," he responds.
"Would this have anything to do with what Nurse Joy said about Komadori?"
"No. Just wanting to make sure that when we reach the Kalos League, five of my Pokémon will be from this region. I'm just not sure how to go about it."
"Well, this is only my opinion, but you should keep Komadori and Leo in your roster. You have two different Fire-Type Pokémon with one being an aerial acer in case you need air support. Then, there's your Gogoat."
"Otona. But that leaves room for two other Kalos Pokémon."
"Maybe that Tyrunt you caught and, uh…what about that Pokémon with the keys hanging on its body that floats around?"
"Klefki? Maybe, but the Klefki I caught doesn't seem like…a fighter. I may try my luck with Trevenant. It could be a fighter."
"Trevenant?"
Shinji took out his Pokédex and brought up the Pokémon he was considering.
"Trevenant," went Dexter, "the Elder Tree Pokémon, and the evolved form of Phantump. By using its own roots as a nervous system, Trevenant is able to manipulate trees in its vicinity to capture those that harm forests."
"A Ghost/Grass-Type," Shinji added.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, yes, it is a good Pokémon with potential, but…after what happened to you…"
Shinji raised his left hand to his chest as if reacting to a phantom sensation.
"I'm not entirely over it, Asuka," he tells her, "but I'm not letting it stop me. Besides, that was one Ursaring. If I ever encounter another one in the future, it wouldn't be like the one I caught years ago."
That was when Asuka realized something else that had been overlooked because of everything else that happened.
"Shinji," she speaks up, "how many years has it been since you got here?"
Shinji used his Pokégear to check the date and announced, "just a little over five years."
"That would make you and Kensuke…almost twenty by now here."
"It's past the summertime, so, yeah, I'm nineteen now."
"You are just full of surprises. Your birthday passed and I didn't know."
"I don't really make such a big deal about it. Although, Katsuragi, she makes a big deal about it because she's the celebratory type."
"Your Jynx likes to celebrate your birthday?"
"Every holiday there is. When she's at the house, you should see it on Christmas. It looks like something out of Neon Town in Kanto or that city in Nevada in the the US."
"Vegas, Shinji."
"Yeah."
"Still, it's a good thing. Happy Birthday to seeing you again."
Shinji smiles at being reminded of being another year older in this world that became like his home. Yeah, he wasn't over what happened, but he would get there in due time. Looking at badge case to admire his badges, he sighs at how, in only half a decade, he came this far since the day he appeared and encountered his Eevee, becoming one of the most talented of Pokémon Trainers of the generation. That was the closest he had ever come to dying, even though it was only for an instant, but it wasn't a fate he wanted to experience again.
"On second thought," he says, "I'll work on my roster for after we reach the Kalos League. In the meantime, I'll just train the Pokémon I caught in this region as I prepare for the next gym match in the next city."
"And where is your next gym match?" He hears Misato ask him from behind.
Shinji puts his badge case away and takes out his map of the region.
"Here," he reveals, pointing to a spot on the map. "Anistar City."
"Ooh! Looks like a good place to visit," Asuka says.
"Yeah, it is. They have a special sundial there."
"What kind of Pokémon does the gym leader specialize in?"
"I hear they use Psychic Pokémon," they heard Hanmyo say.
"Yeah, they do," Shinji responds.
"So, you'll need either Ghost or Bug-Type Pokémon to face this gym," Asuka says. "Maybe it would be a good idea to train the ones you caught earlier here."
"Yeah."
He was six badges down in his goal to reach the Kalos League…with only two left to obtain. He wasn't going to let any obstacles impede him from his ambitions.
To be continued…
A/N: Well, here you have it. The part with Shinji's current age in the Pokémon world was a little random due to the question I had to have one of the characters ask. Because so much time had passed between Shinji arriving in Kalos and the time he spent in Unova collecting Pokémon and badges there. At first, I was going to make Shinji twenty, but then I realized that he was fourteen when he first showed up in the Pokémon world, and Kensuke showed up some time later and spent nearly four years with him until he was pulled back to his body in the Eva world, which would've made Shinji a little over eighteen. So, yeah, he's currently nineteen in the Pokémon world, which means he's had five years to become the person that he is, and he still has room to improve before he meets with Ash and they have their battle.