Author's Note before we begin:
This is a rewrite of my original version of the story. The plot I had planned is mostly the same, just more expanded than what I had. Also, I've changed Blake's starter, admittedly just because I wanted to.
Anyway, on with the fic. Enjoy :)
xXx
"Move it, Blake!" A young boy brown-haired with short spiky hair wearing a sleek, skin-tight black shirt clung to his every movement as he ran. He growled at his slightly taller companion as he ran next to the slightly to his left, shoving into him as they ran through the warehouse-like maze that was the Vermillion gym. The sound of their shoes squeaking against the linoleum floor could be heard as they attempted to outspeed each other.
Blake pushed him back, harder than he had been pushed in the first place, running just ahead with a laugh as the other boy stumbled.
"No, you move it, Trace!" Black said brushing a long black loc out of his face. His amber eyes were wild as he ran alongside Trace with a grin, hearing the sound of his green jacket rubbing against itself with every swing of his arms. "I'm gonna get there first, you may as well just quit slowpoke!" As per usual over the last six years that they'd known each other, Blake found himself in competition with his long-time rival/friend Trace Valdez.
The two of them had been friends ever since Trace's family moved to Vermillion City from some place called Pallet Town. Both of them had a competitive streak a mile wide and enjoyed challenging each other whenever possible. It didn't matter if it was something as mundane as their grades in the Vermillion City Pokemon Academy or their scores to acquire their Trainer licenses, the two of them stopped at nothing to one-up each other constantly.
And today would perhaps be the most important day of their young lives. The two of them had been eligible to start their journeys and receive a starting Pokemon of their own for a little over a month at that point, having earned their licenses to train Pokemon.
Their parents had paid the Gym Leader of Vermillion, Lieutenant Surge, an extra payment on top of the regular fee to receive their starters, and they couldn't have been more excited. The normal fee would get them a common Pokemon caught near Vermillion.
However, the extra fee ensured that the Pokemon they each received would be from a breeder. However, this meant that they'd been waiting an extra two weeks to leave on their journeys which annoyed Blake a bit as he wanted to get out there, but he supposed that it was a necessary evil. After all, the Pokemon he'd picked as his partner out of the list of choices he had was sure to be amazing.
The two of them were racing through the halls of the Vermillion Gym to Lieutenant Surge's office, both doing their best to outpace the other. Though Blake couldn't help but feel a bit of apprehension as they made their way there. After all, what if he and his starter didn't get along? Or what if its Pokeball had been swapped with another one and he got the wrong Pokemon?
However, he quickly shook these thoughts off, he didn't want to start his career as a trainer with doubts. He was gonna be the champion one day, after all, he had to move with confidence if he wanted his starter to recognize that.
Blake and Trace weaved in between the many Gym Trainees and challengers in the lobby, eventually stopping in front of the large, heavy, wooden door of Surge's office. The two of them looked each other in the eye briefly before both of them ran to it, struggling against each other to be the first to enter the room, eventually bursting through the door with a loud Boom!
The pair scrambled on the floor, rolling around chicken fighting, before feeling a pair of eyes on their backs. The two of them stopped their silly scuffle and got up, gulping as they faced Lieutenant Surge whose glare carried such overwhelming intensity that they could do nothing but keep their heads down.
"What are you two idiots doing!? Surge's voice boomed from his brown leather chair which creaked slightly as he stood up, casting a bit of a shadow over Blake and Trace. He cut an intimidating figure dressed in his green Ranger fatigues with graying blonde hair and electric blue eyes, fitting for an electric type Gym Leader. One of his powerful arms, the one he hadn't lost, rested on the desk in a tight, clenched fist.
"N-nothing, just fooling around, sir," Trace stammered, his voice tinged with feigned innocence as he playfully socked Blake in the arm, applying a bit more force than necessary. Blake winced, rubbing his arm with a forced smile. "Yeah, just having a bit of fun, old man," he chimed in, countering with an elbow jab to Trace's stomach, eliciting a satisfying exhale from his friend.
Surge was not impressed in the slightest, however, he simply pinched his nose and sighed, muttering something about kids and pains in his ass.
"If you two want to leave with Pokemon today I would suggest you cut the shit and sit down. Pretend to have some sense today will ya." The mountain of a man growled, pointing to the two gray chairs lined up in front of the desk before sitting down himself. The two of them forgot their earlier shenanigans and plopped down into the chairs with eager expressions.
Surge turned around in his chair and when he turned back around he had a black plastic case in his hand. He set the case down on the desk and unlocked the silver latch on the front, flipping it open to reveal two luxury balls.
Blake's amber eyes traced both of the black and gold balls hungrily. He assumed they were both standard issue, third-gen to be exact judging by the touchpad where the release button was. They were a bit more expensive than previous generations but the fingerprint recognition on the balls to prevent Pokemon theft more than made up for the price. One of them was labeled with a red sticker shaped like a flame and the other was labeled with a brown fist.
His attention was drawn back to Surge as the man spoke, "Alright runts, these two are for you. Larkin, the one on the left is for you. Valdez, yours is on the right. Take some time to get them acquainted with you and maybe they'll let you use them in battle today."
"Yes sir! Thank you." Trace said, bowing to the older man. "Yeah, thanks old man," Blake said, giving the man a two-fingered salute. The two of them snatched their respective Pokeballs out of the case. Blake rubbed his thumb over the fire symbol on his, feeling a surge of heat rush up his arm as he impatiently waited for Surge to let them go. This battle had been a long time coming and Blake was sure Trace was just as eager as he was.
"Whatever, you two can use Battleground Alpha, I know you're raring to go," He snickered at the joy on both of their faces, "When the two of you finish, you are to return to my office I can't let you two leave without signing all the proper paperwork, am I clear?" He said the last part with more emphasis so there was no confusion.
"Aye aye Lieutenant!" They said at nearly the same time, shooting each other a glare as they did so. They were about to get started again when Surge stopped them.
"Behave." He growled at the two of them. They both sat up straight and said nothing else. "Now get out of here and go have your little pissing contest." With a wave of his hand, they were permitted to leave. And leave they did, making their way to Battleground Alpha and talking to each other the entire way.
"You excited to meet yours?" Trace said, staring at the Luxury Ball in his hand. The two of them had been talking about their starters for months at that point. Blake knew way more about Trace's starter than he truly wished to, but he talked just as much so he supposed that he shouldn't complain.
"More nervous than anything else," Blake admitted, holding his own Luxury Ball up to the light. "But I know it'll come around. Besides I already paid for it, not much more I can do other than try to prove myself to it if it doesn't think I'm good enough."
"Ah come on, how could it not," Blake looked at Trace who smiled at him good-naturedly, "Anybody who can keep up with me can surely get a Pokemon interested in traveling with them."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Blake agreed with a smile crawling across his lips, "And when it sees how awesome I am we're gonna kick your ass all over Kanto." He giggled as he dodged a playful swipe to the head.
"As if," Trace said, rolling his eyes with a grin. "Speaking of being all over Kanto, which path are you taking? You never actually told me."
Blake paused for a moment, knowing the reaction he'd get from his friend before he even said anything. "I'm going through the Fuschia territory. I'm gonna take Koga as my first battle."
Trace's eyes widened at his words, "Dude, what? That's like suicidal, don't you know how dangerous it is out there? Most people don't go that way without like four badges minimum. And that's not even talking about Koga"
Blake couldn't deny the truth in his friend's words, after all, he too knew all about the reputation the area surrounding Fuschia City held. He'd heard many stories of trainer and Pokemon deaths from either the harsh weather conditions or other Pokemon far stronger than your average trainer could handle at the start of their journey. And then if you made it past all of that, Koga, leader of the Fuchsia Gym awaited. The Poison-type gym leader was so strong there were even rumors of him joining the Elite Four with Elite Four Lorelei's retirement.
But Blake didn't consider himself average by any means. The training season had started two weeks prior which meant, in his eyes at least, that he was behind and needed to catch up. No, not just catch up. He needed to excel. Those who made it to the finals of the Indigo Conference were trainers who pushed their Pokemon and themselves above and beyond their limits until they were strong enough to be the best.
And that was exactly what Blake wanted, to be the best.
"I don't care. I can't be the champion by going along the same path as everyone else. Besides I plan to stick to the path on the East, it's supposed to be somewhat safer at least." Blake said, stretching his arms with a yawn.
"Does your mom even know?" Trace said, eyeing his friend worriedly causing Blake to groan in annoyance.
"No. And I'm keeping it that way, I don't need her worrying about me more than she already does. She already doesn't want me to leave as it is." Blake answered, rolling his eyes, "Besides it's not like she can stop me from all the way in Saffron."
He looked over to see that Trace was still giving him a look which annoyed him further, "Look I can take care of myself alright. Besides, Mr. ImgoingafterSabrinaasmyfirstbadge I don't think you have much room to talk. Choosing the second strongest Gym Leader in Kanto as your first battle isn't insane to you?"
Trace smiled at that, "Just like you said, I can't be strong without challenging myself. I may not want to be the champion or anything but proving my strength has always been a priority to me. Why stop now? At least my path to power isn't borderline suicide."
"Touché."
The two of them continued to speak about their plans before they finally got to their destination. Battleground Alpha was Surge's personal training ground. It showed in the random scorch marks and cracks littering the barren field.
"Alright, how are we gonna do this? You wanna go first or should I?" Blake asked his friend, who looked to be thinking about it for a second.
"Well since you're offering~," Trace said with a smirk, "Guess I'll go first." He pressed the release on the luxury ball in his hand.
Blake watched with great interest as the two had agreed long ago to keep their starters a secret from each other.
The ball grew larger before opening up, releasing a bright ray of light. Instantly, a small humanoid Pokemon standing at around two and a half feet with three protrusions coming from its skull appeared. Its skin was gray with a violet hue and the bottom half of its body was covered in brown fabric or skin rather, that resembled shorts. It's stern golden eyes were focused on Trace intently
Blake recognized it immediately, tyrogue were highly sought after for their rarity as they were rarely, if ever, born outside of captivity. However, their evolutions were used relatively often in tournaments as they were all great picks for a fighting type on your team.
Blake watched with interest as Trace bent down to Tyrogue's level and started talking to it. He backed up a bit, giving the pair space.
"Hey there little guy. I'm Trace, I'm sure you know already but I'm your new trainer." Trace said to the fighting type who nodded intensely. "Good, so that means I can skip straight to telling you what my plans are. Not only do I want to compete in the Indigo League Conference in a year, but I also want to travel and see every part of the world available to me. If you come with me, I promise you'll gain all the strength and power you could imagine having, what do you say?"
Tyrogue stared into his eyes with its golden pair, silently appraising the offer its new trainer just made. This continued long enough for Trace to shift around awkwardly under the look it gave before finally, Tyrogue nodded yes.
"Good," Trace said with a warm smile, "I'm glad you made the right choice. We're gonna be great friends, I can tell already. Now, stand still and give me a second to scan you in."
He pulled his backpack off, holding it by the strap, and dug through it before finding what he needed. His Pokédex. It was a tablet-like device used as an index for all things Pokemon. Its case was a light blue color, which Blake rolled his eyes at. Of course, it would be blue, just nearly everything else he owned.
Blake took this as a cue to pull out his own Pokédex, which had a maroon case. He tapped the screen and activated the scanner, pointing it at Tyrogue, and waiting a few seconds for it to register on the screen. Eventually, it finished loading and images of various Tyrogue in action kicking and punching using varying stances appeared on the LED screen. Along with that was information about its species.
The lines of text the screen displayed were as follows:
Tyrogue, the scuffle Pokemon - Tyrogue love to fight and are famous for their eagerness to challenge any foe no matter how strong. When raising a tyrogue a trainer must establish a regular training schedule as they're often full of energy and get stressed if they're not training.
Blake wasn't able to see more than that, Pokeballs all had a unique ID programmed into them that a Pokemon could be identified with. The Pokedex was only able to give information about a Pokemon's move set, ability, and even gender if the Pokemon in question was yours.
"Right on! You seem like you're pretty strong," Trace said to Tyrogue who nodded with a smirk, "Your moveset ain't half bad I'd say. We're gonna work hard to teach you some more, though I'm sure you can't wait." This got an excited grunt from Tyrouge who started punching and kicking the air rapidly, which Trace applauded. It seemed that Trace and his starter would be getting along just fine.
Trace looked up at Blake who didn't fail to notice the look in his eyes. He supposed that it was time to release his starter. He nodded at Trace and backed up a bit. He tossed the luxury ball into the air a couple of times before finally catching it and hitting the release button, causing the ball to open up.
The flash of light that came after made Blake see stars, however after blinking a few times and rubbing at his eyes, Blake was greeted by the sight of the pokemon he'd been waiting on for nearly two weeks.
It was a little under 2 feet tall standing on all fours. Its thin coat of fur was a dark blue with a cream underbelly that seemed thinner than the rest. Four large red patches on its back stood out against the blue of most of its body. Behind the creature's heavy lids, Blake could see a hint of red.
It cocked its head at Blake with narrowed eyes. With a twitch of its snout, it burst into flames.
Blake watched as flames spilled from all four of the patches on its back, coalescing into a large cape of crackling flames that licked at the air around them, spilling dry heat around the room. Blake couldn't fight back the wide grin that threatened to split his face.
Blake's instinct was to leapt backwards but he fought it off, instead choosing to look on at Cyndaquil with glee.
Blake had always dreamed of having a typhlosion of his own after seeing the famous clip of Kalos' fire-type master of their Elite Four, Malva, using her typhlosion to defeat Leader Blaine's infamous magmortar, who had been a member of his team during his time as a member of the Elite Four.
So, when Blake finally got the chance, he managed to convince his mother to pay the insane amount that it cost to have one shipped from a breeder. If not for her career as a researcher for Silph Co, he may not have gotten one.
Cyndaquil hissed at Blake not quite aggressively, but certainly not sounding pleased. The flames on its back didn't rise any higher. However, they did continue burning brightly as it eyed him down.
"Hi," He began, taking a deep breath, "I'm Blake. Blake Larkin, it's nice to meet you."
Cyndaquil merely tilted its head.
"I'm supposed to be your trainer, starting today I'm supposed to leave on my journey." Cyndaquil hissed in interest at this.
"Uhhh Blake?" Trace said, eyeing the scene worriedly. Tyrogue looked at Cyndaquil with an interested expression.
"I have a dream- no, a goal. I'm going to be the champion of Kanto someday, the strongest trainer in the region," Cyndaquil's red eyes lit up at those words, "I want to travel across Kanto and earn badges from eight of the most powerful and experienced trainers around so that I can participate in the Indigo Conference. But to do that I need a starter."
Cyndaquil hissed in offense, the flames on its back rising.
"Sorry, sorry, you're right. Not a starter, I need a partner," Blake corrected himself smoothly, "Someone strong enough to stand beside me as we chase the goal of being the strongest."
Cyndaquil met Blake's eyes without a hint of its species' supposed timidity, flames still going. However, he could tell that it was listening to him.
Blake found himself staring back, letting his resolve spur him on. "I want that someone to be you if you're willing. I can see it in your eyes, you've got the exact attitude I'm looking for. If you come with me, someday you'll be the strongest typhlosion the world's ever seen. I'll make sure of it."
Cyndaquil's stare slowly began to lose some of its edge, seeming more curious than anything else. Blake held hope that it would come around, after all, he had to have it now. He'd have it no other way after seeing the look in its eyes as he spoke about his goals for the future. That desire to challenge yourself and grow strong was one he recognized all too well. After all, it was the same thing he wanted himself.
Blake waited with bated breath as Cyndaquil appraised him, red eyes seeming indecisive. However, after a few moments, the flame on its back settled down considerably, going from a bright blaze to a mere candlelight.
Though it still looked somewhat unsure.
"Tell you what," Blake said, looking up to meet Trace's eyes, seeing the unspoken challenge behind them. He looked back to Cyndaquil with an offer on his tongue.
"I know how I can prove myself to you. See that guy over there?" He said, pointing at Trace who waved at the two. Cyndaquil nodded in response. "This is my rival, Trace. He got a pokemon of his own today." Blake inclined his head toward Tyrouge who looked up with interest. "Why don't I prove to you that I'm worth traveling in a battle? Us vs them, what do you say?"
Cyndaquil looked at Blake then her eyes shifted to Trace. He looked at it with a quirked brow and a mischievous grin.
"Yeah come on, if you're not chicken that is. Your species are pretty timid, I heard." Trace said cockily.
This set Cyndaquil off, the red flames on her back flaring out intensely at that. She glared at Trace, who stepped back with a nervous grin.
Blake immediately stepped forward to diffuse the situation, "Hey, hey, hey. None of that, let's just calm down." He said with his arms raised. Cyndaquil's eyes shifted to him, softening somewhat.
"That pissed you off right?" He said, receiving a nod. "Well then use this opportunity. Let's beat him, together." He punched a fist into his other hand. Cyndaquil paused, the flames on her back dimming down before nodding.
He pulled his Pokedex out once again, "This is my Pokedex, I'm going to scan you so I can see how strong you are, okay?"
Cyndaquil stood up straight and puffed its chest out in response which made Blake giggle a bit before he scanned it into the device. Blake waited a few seconds before Cyndaquil's Information loaded up on the screen.
Cyndaquil, the fire mouse pokemon. The fire that spouts from its back burns hottest when it is angry. It uses this to intimidate foes. If it grows too tired, it loses the ability to summon flames.
This cyndaquil is female with the ability blaze, which redirects oxygen supply to its fire when in difficult situations. It knows the moves ember, quick attack, smokescreen.
Blake whistled, much to Cyndaquil's satisfaction. Females of the cyndaquil line were pretty rare, and while her moveset wasn't incredibly advanced, it still had plenty of use cases which Blake's mind was silently calculating
Cyndaquil, while they were fast and had strong fire that they made use of in battle, were also somewhat unrefined in their first stage. Their evolutions came with their species' fireproof fur and the intense heat that fire types were known to produce passively as well as an expanded move pool. However, considering their opponent Blake was sure that they could do this if they tried.
Ember, quick attack, and smokescreen. He thought about how he could use these against their opponent.
"Fighting types are simple. Their biggest strength is their high physical prowess which makes them very effective up close. While tyrogue are weak by no means, they aren't physically unmatched," Blake muttered just loud enough for Cyndaquil to hear, scratching the base of his neck. Trace rolled his eyes but said nothing as he was used to his ramblings after nearly six years. "He'll probably have no defense against ranged moves. So fire attacks will be effective, and your speed will likely keep it on the defensive. But we'll have to be careful, the tyrogue species are known for their incredibly high reflexes. Smokescreen would likely-" He stopped, noticing the looks everyone was giving him.
Cyndaquil did her best to look as if she'd never been paying attention in the first place, but Blake had seen the apparent interest in her eyes. She has been listening to every word. He started to speak again, but Trace cut him off.
"Alright motor mouth, enough talk. We've got a battle to get to, yeah?" He said with a mock yawn, "At this rate, it'll be months before we leave."
"Oh, can it. Your loss will come soon enough," Blake said with a roll of his eyes before regarding Cyndaquil once more, "Follow my commands alright? I know Trace like the back of my hand and I can see more on the field from a distance than you can up close."
The fire type stepped in front of Blake with a nod, her back flaring up once again so intensely that he had to blink stars from his eyes. Her stance told him that she was ready to do whatever it took to win. He grinned giddily, anticipating the oncoming battle.
Tyrogue stepped in front of Trace punching a fist into his other hand with a stern expression.
"Finally," Trace said, stretching with a wide smirk on his face, "Now, let's get this over with. Region to explore, Gym Leaders to crush, and all that."
Blake squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, exhaling softly as he prepared for combat.
Cyndaquil snarled at her opponent, getting onto all fours.
"Remember my words from earlier. Quick Attack!"
His command was like a gunshot signaling the start of the battle. Cyndaquil's back flared up intensely as she charged forward with her head lowered, going straight for Tyrogue in a blue blur. Tyrogue grunted as Cyndaquil impacted his stomach, sending the air flying from his lungs as he was driven back by the blow. Cyndaquil landed on her feet drew in breath and unleashed a barrage of flaming ash. Blake took note of the way her flame dimmed considerably with the use of the move before it returned to normal. Tyrogue leaped out of the way and began making a mad dash for Cyndaquil.
"Counter!" Trace commanded with a grin.
Cyndaquil launched herself at Tyrogue once more, however, he simply stood still awaiting the attack. If one looked closely they would see the faint red aura that suffused his form. Blake's eyes widened as he called for Cyndaquil to stop her charge, however, his words were unbidden as she rammed into Tyrogue once more.
But, this time Tyrogue didn't move an inch, slamming a small, powerful fist into her stomach, causing her to cough up smoke from the force which sent her flying upwards.
"Way to go Tyrogue!" Trace cheered from his side of the field, "A couple more hits like that and we've got this battle in the back.
Gravity quickly caught up with her, and she came crashing into the stone tiles, coughing up a puff of smoke. Black could see the small bruise forming on her stomach as she got up, holding a nasty look in her eyes.
"Cyndaquil, you gotta listen to me alright? Remember, we're partners now, so trust me." Blake said to the fire type whose back grew even brighter in response. She turned her head toward him and nodded before returning her attention to Tyrogue.
The flames on her back flared brightly as she stared Tyrogue down. The fighting type threw a few showy jabs and kicks into the air idly, bouncing on its heels the entire time. It too sported a bruise on its chest, however, it looked like it could continue to fight.
Trace seemed to be bored of the lull in battle as he made his next call with a flamboyant punch to the air, "Mach Punch!"
Tyrogue sailed through the air at breakneck speed, too fast for Blake to make a call, and punched Cyndaquil in the stomach once more, though this time the blow was significantly less harsh. She coughed roughly as her flames dimmed a bit. Her eyes sharpened into a glare through the pain.
Blake smiled as he saw an opportunity.
"Grab him Cyndaquil!"
A snarl left her mouth as she managed to sink her now unsheathed claws into his arm. She used her other paw to slash Tyrogue across the chest, leaving red lines in his chest as well as his face before he struck her again, sending her skidding backward. Blake wasted no time with his next call.
"Ember, then use Smokescreen!" Blake called across the field, wanting to gain the advantage. Cyndaquil spat a volley of ash and fire at Tyrogue, landing a few on Tyrogue's exposed back causing him to cry out in pain feeling his skin burn. Before it could turn around to face her, Cyndaquil's flames extinguished and black smoke poured out, obscuring the battlefield. The only trace of Cyndaquil in the cloud was the faint flickers of flame he saw every so often. However, eventually, the cloud grew thick enough that neither Trace nor he could see through the oily darkness. Blake smirked when he heard the other boy groan in annoyance.
Blake's time in the academy taught him a lot. One of those things was the value of research. Many long nights had been spent learning about the cyndaquil species. And he'd be using that knowledge now!
"Keep the smokescreen up. Use your nose to find it, attack using your advantage." He said. Now he'd have to leave the rest to Cyndaquil.
"Keep an eye out Tyrouge, use Counter if you have to. Try to edge your way out." Trace commanded with a nervous look in his eye. Blake smirked cockily when he saw, feeling more confident in the fight.
His rivalry with Trace had always pushed him when it came to knowing about pokemon. Whether it was about type interactions, move chains, or evolution theory, he did his best to know more than Trace and vice-versa.
One thing he'd learned in his efforts to outdo his friend was that while a cyndaquil's eyesight was somewhat bad until they evolved, their sense of smell was superb. That meant (if he was right) that she'd be able to smell the difference between the smoke and Tyrogue.
Soon, his proposition was answered as a flurry of flaming balls of ash flew through the air. Though Cyndaquil's aim hadn't been the greatest, he still heard a shrill cry from Tyrogue as he was presumably struck by several embers. Eventually, he heard another cry from within and several growls and yells within the writhing inky-black smoke as Cyndaquil ambushed Tyrogue from the darkness, slashing him across the back with her claws.
Hidden from either rookie trainer, their pokemon were locked in vicious combat. The both of them were covered in a myriad of scratches and bruises from the exchange. A burst of flame here, a punch to the side at super speed there, a kick to the chest, two heads crashing into each other, both of them were doing their level best to beat each other.
The both of them were very tired and breathing heavily by the end, glaring at each other the whole time. Tyrogue was suffering worse, however, as not only had he taken damage from the fight with Cyndaquil but the smoke she'd produced was solely affecting him and quickly as the ash from the cloud was draining the amount of air he had left.
Breaking the pause, Cyndaquil blurred toward Tyrogue, slamming her round skull into Tyrogue's forehead with a crack, grinning savagely as Tyrogue roared in pain. Holding his forehead, he growled as a dim red aura consumed him. Cyndaquil's eyes narrowed at that.
Though she couldn't see him all that well, she could smell the change after experiencing it firsthand. Her ear twitched as she heard feet rapidly approaching her. She shifted so that the flames on her back were pointed toward her target, and at the last minute, she let loose, flaring her back flame so high that the brightness could be seen from outside of the cloud which had slowly begun to dissipate.
Tyrogue slammed a red-covered fist into Cyndaquil's exposed back, receiving a faceful of flames as the fire type was launched away, bouncing off of the ground, going so far that she landed outside of the smoke right in front of Blake. He frowned seeing the combination of bruises littering her form and how dim her flames were.
He could see that she was still conscious however, though she wouldn't be able to fight much more judging by the way she struggled to push herself up, panting heavily.
However, to his elation, Tyrogue was worse off. When the smoke dissipated, Blake saw the fighting type lying face down looking just as beat up as Cyndaquil but unlike her, he was completely still.
They'd won!
"Way to go Cyndaquil! I knew you could do it!" He cheered to the fire type who looked bashful at the praise, "I'm gonna recall you now, we'll talk later I promise."
The fire type nodded tiredly before he pulled her dark Pokeball out and hit the button, recalling her in a flash of red light
With a sigh, Trace did the same, attaching his Pokeball to his waist. Blake smirked at him, but Trace cut him off, "Yeah yeah, you won. Good job, you big blowhard."
However, there was a genuine smile on his face that matched Blake's own. Blake laughed, "Oh, don't be a sore loser. It was a great fight, Cyndaquil surprised me. The Smokescreen play was a bit of a gamble but it worked out for us I guess."
Us.
He looked down at the luxury ball in his hand, feeling the warmth that brushed his skin as he rubbed a thumb over the surface. Cyndaquil was unrefined, uncontrolled, and a bit brutish but she had the potential. And most of all, she was determined. She'd make for a wonderful partner.
"Yeah? I have to admit it was pretty smart, the smoke probably helped tire him out too. I'll have to consider that next time." Trace said, looking to be deep in thought. "Well, it doesn't matter. You may have one this one, but we'll have plenty of time to train before the next fight, and then we'll prove who the top dog is."
"Well, I'll spell it out for you, it's gonna be me," Blake said, pointing a thumb to himself with his chest puffed out.
The two of them continued their childish bickering all the way back to Surge's office but quickly quieted down as they got into the hallway leading to it. Blake knocked on the door, receiving a gruff "Come in!". The two of them walked inside and sat down being greeted by the sound of Surge typing on the computer that sat on his almost comically large desk.
He took his hand off of the keyboard, cupping his chin with his hand, looking between the two as he did so. "Hmmm let me see…" He said, leaning forward. Blake wore a grin on his face, being used to the man's antics.
"Larkin won, but just barely." He said leaning back in his chair with a creak, smirking at the incredulous looks on the two young trainers' faces.
"When you're in the game as long as I've been you start to get a second sense for these things." He said, smirking as the two of them looked at him in amazement. "That, and I have cameras." He said, pointing to his monitor.
"That liar!" Blake thought, with a low-lidded look.
"But anyway, it's time to get you two all signed up. I've approved your trainer IDs, all you have to do is sign," Surge said, putting two large stacks of paper and a pen on the table in front of both Blake and Trace with a shit-eating grin on his face. Blake grimaced at the mountain-like stack in front of him but he quickly got to signing, signing his name on every sheet of paper in front of him for nearly 30 minutes, not even bothering to read the words in front of him.
"Alright, done old man, what now?" Blake said, wincing as he flexed his right hand which had begun to cramp.
"Hopefully no more writing," Trace said, shaking his hand,
"Nope, you're good to go. Good luck out there. And when you come back here for me I expect a good challenge out of you. Try not to disappoint, yeah?" Surge said to the both of them in his usual gruff tone.
"Tyrogue and I'll be back and when we do it'll be the best battle you'll get all season," Trace said with a glint in his eyes.
"Yeah right, you can't even beat me, I'm gonna Smoke Surge, and I'll do it better," Blake said, a playful shrug, snickering at the annoyed expression on Trace's face.
This started yet another of their disputes, however, Surge quickly put a stop to it, kicking the two of them out of his office. Literally.
After dusting themselves off, the two of them exited the gym and began making their way to the Pokemon Center. Vermillion, while not as big as Saffron or Celadon, was still quite large. What it lacked in skyscrapers and flashing lights, it made up for with its large seaport and bustling tourist industry. Though it was missing as the two of them passed by, normally the famous luxury cruise liner, the S.S Anne, would be docked in the port along with the other ships, however, it was currently on a trip through Kalosian waters and wouldn't be returning for months.
The two of them strolled through the crowd around them, carefully avoiding bumping into anyone on the way. As they walked past the Pokemon Fan Club, Blake shuddered at remembering "Mr. Pokemon". He was nice enough but a bit of a freak over his pet Pikachu. Seriously, who fawns over their pokemon like that?
Before too long, the pair reached Vermillion's Pokemon Center. The two of them entered the red and white building, greeting Nurse Joy whom they'd known for many years by that point.
"Ah Trace, Blake, how can I help you boys today?" The pinkette greeted them with a knowing smile.
"Hey, Nurse Joy. We need our pokemon healed, our battle got a little more intense than we thought it would." Blake said, with a smile as he placed Cyndaquil's pokeball on the counter.
"Yeah, what he said. Mine probably needs more treatment if I'll be honest." Trace said, handing her his own pokeball.
"Hm, I see. I'll get these two healthy and fighting fit for you. Let me scan your pokedexes please." Nurse Joy said, putting the balls onto a rolling cart behind her, "Chansey! We've got two more!" She shouted to the back. The two of them handed the nurse their pokedexes and watched as she opened the tab for their IDs.
After a moment the door behind her opened and a large, round, pink pokemon waddled into view. She saw Blake and Trace and waved, happy to see the two of them. Blake and Trace often helped Nurse Joy with odd tasks around the Pokemon Center and as a by-product, they were rather familiar with Chansey.
"Chansey! Good to see you. Still working hard I see." Blake said cheerfully, waving back at the normal type who clapped her hands and nodded happily before taking the rolling cart to the back.
"Alright boys, we'll have your pokemon up and ready within the next two hours. Check back in around 12." Joy said, handing the two of them their respective pokedex.
After that, the two of them decided to walk a bit, knowing that they'd be parting ways soon as they had to grab their things from their respective homes.
"It's time, yeah?" Trace said with his hands behind his head. The sound of wingull squawking in the distance could be heard as they walked toward their neighborhood.
"Yep, I've got a region to conquer after all," Blake answered, taking in his surroundings for the last time he'd have the opportunity, "You know what else you wanna catch yet?"
Trace pondered his question for a moment before answering, "I heard that there's a Growlithe pack roaming around Route 6 I might catch one but honestly I don't care as long as whatever I catch can keep up really. What about you? Heard Route 11 has a few decent picks."
Blake felt a bit apprehensive but answered anyway, "I'm…going scyther hunting." He said, cringing at the wide-eyed expression on Trace's face.
"Bro what? Are you trying to get yourself killed or something?" Trace said, stopping in his tracks. "Scyther are like, super rare for one. And two, I don't think Cyndaquil is equipped for something like that yet, even young scyther are known to be super dangerous."
Blake nodded, his excitement growing. "Well yeah, but all pokemon are dangerous on some level. Besides, by the time I manage to find one, I'm sure Cyndaquil will be ready. Worst case scenario it'll attack me, but I managed to get myself a Super Repel so I should be fine."
Trace's eyes went flat but he merely shook his head with an exasperated sigh, "Leave it to you to go after a scyther as your first catch. Whatever Steven Irkins, just don't get yourself killed, the Fuschia territory's already dangerous. You dying would take all the fun out of the conference."
"Oh, whatever," Blake scoffed with a grin.
The two continued walking towards their street, talking and laughing the entire way. The lively sounds of laughter and chatter that filled Vermillion's streets began to fade into the distance giving way to a sense of quiet ambience.
"I can't believe we're finally leaving on our journeys," Blake exclaimed, his eyes shining with determination. "It feels like just yesterday we were dreaming about today."
Trace chuckled, his excitement mirroring Blake's. "Yeah, it's been a long time coming. But hey, we've trained hard and studied as hard as we could, now it's time to put our skills to the test. We're gonna be legends, I can feel it."
The two eventually turned onto their street, parting ways for the time being as they went into their respective homes to gather their things.
Blake walked up the cobblestone steps of his childhood home, unlocking the door and stepping in, being greeted by the white walls and spartan design of his home. He went straight to his room to grab his bag, looking around to observe the place for the last time in a while. It was lightly decorated, with posters of trainers he admired highly being strewn across the walls. He never did develop much of a sense for interior design and his mother wasn't around much to teach him.
Blake's mother lived all the way in Saffron due to her work as a researcher for the Silph company. He stayed in the house she'd bought before leaving and had been relatively alone for the past two years of his life as a result, minus the random visits from Trace's parents and Surge who came to check on him often of course.
He continued on with what he came inside for, being sure to take stock of what he'd packed.
Map of Kanto? Check. Flashlight? Check. Clothes? Check. Camping supplies? Check.
This went on until he was satisfied with the items he had stowed away. It didn't take much time, his backpack came with similar technology to pokeballs much like most modern backpacks. Blake couldn't imagine having to carry all of his things without it.
He turned to leave, taking time to study himself in the mirror, tapping his booted foot. His dark skin, a remnant of his Unovan ancestry peeked out underneath the white shirt and green bomber jacket he was wearing. His amber eyes flicked upwards toward his hair, brushing his black locs back with his hand. He kept most of it in a ponytail which he thought made him look rather cool. Once he was satisfied with his assessment of himself he left his room and made his way to the front door.
Before he left though, with a furrowed brow he looked to his left at the large framed picture sitting atop the bricked fireplace in the living room. In the frame was a picture of himself as a baby, being carried by a man he recognized but had never met. His father was a man with startling white hair that he hadn't inherited, though his eyes were the same shade of amber that peeked out from Blake's eyelids. Blake had never felt that strongly about his father's death, after all, they'd never met. However, what he did feel strongly about was the way it had affected his mother.
Blake didn't think she'd ever really recovered from his death. From what he'd heard, the two of them had been inseparable and when he died she had begun to get rather distant from everyone around her. As soon as Blake had been old enough, she'd left him alone for the most part making their relationship a bit awkward. Not to say that she didn't take care of him though, after all, she had provided him with everything he needed or wanted over the past ten years including Cyndaquil.
He continued leaving the house and made his way to the Pokemon Center where he decided to wait for Trace.
xXx
After waiting another hour or so, Trace arrived at the Pokemon Center. The two of them retrieved their pokemon before making their way to the city's square as they were going in opposite directions.
They eventually arrived at the square, surrounded by other citizens and fellow trainers alike. They kept walking, idly watching a meowth and machop chase each other as they passed by. Eventually, they stopped at the city founder's statue.
The stone carving depicted a tall man with long, wild hair and a feral grin, surrounding him were an Electabuzz, an Arcanine, and a Golduck. The engraving in the plaque that was attached to it read 'Akane Kaneko'. In school, Blake had learned that the man had almost single-handedly managed to hold off forces from Saffron in a battle in the area that was now called Route 6 before dying heroically.
Neither saying anything, Blake and Trace stood there for a bit before Blake spoke up. "So, this is it, yeah?"
"Afraid so, buddy," Trace said with a sad look that mirrored Blake's.
"You know, Trace, for all our random arguments and antics, I can't say I'm not gonna miss you. Just a bit though." Blake said with a small grin.
Trace punched him lightly in the shoulder before smiling warmly, "Right back at you, loser. Let's try to meet up in a couple of months. You're taking on Erika as your second badge right?"
"Yep," Blake said simply, wanting Trace to go on.
"Alright, so we'll meet up in Cerulean then? Around hm…the beginning of October?" Trace said, looking toward the east where he'd be going.
"Sounds good to me. Take care of yourself, alright man?" Blake said, pulling him in for a hug.
"Yeah yeah, that goes for you too. Don't want another Poliwhirl incident right?" Trace said with a cheeky grin, hugging his friend back.
"Oh, whatever." Blake scoffed. Of course, Trace would coincidentally forget he'd been the one to put him up to it. How was he supposed to know it would break out of the ball and spray him down for trying to catch it?
"Later?" Blake said, reaching a fist out for Trace who bumped his own against it. "Later." The other boy said with a grin before turning toward his destination, joining the crowd around them. Blake did the same heading toward the east.
"And make sure you're training hard. I'm going hard for our rematch!" He heard the other boy shout. He grinned before turning back and shouting, "You can count on it, next time it won't even be close."
"Yo kid, quit yelling." A random man passing him said with a scowl.
Blake rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, continuing to walk.
With that the two parted ways. Both of them were determined to face whatever challenges awaited them on their paths. Blake looked to the horizon with a smile, before looking down at his belt. Route 11 wouldn't know what hit it.
Blake made his way through the city limits, eyes tracing the wilderness outside the gate. Quite a distance ahead of him, he could see several other trainers. However, before he could challenge them, he had something to do. He found an area that seemed pretty remote and removed the lone pokeball at his hip.
In a flash, Cyndaquil was released from her pokeball. The fire type yawned as she took in her surroundings before her eyes settled on Blake. Cyndaquil regarded him with a nod, her fiery cape flickering in the wind. Her bright eyes peered at him through heavy lids, lacking the edge that they'd held before.
"Good to see you Cyndaquil. That was a great battle earlier, yeah?" He offered.
Cyndaquil nodded with no hesitation.
Blake crouched down to her level, making sure to keep eye contact. He figured she'd appreciate it, after all, they were supposed to be partners.
Blake smiled. "So, you think I'm good enough to keep going with?" He asked, worry creeping into his mind as she stared at him.
However, his concerns were quickly assuaged as Cyndaquil nodded with a bark.
"Good. I'm glad. Real glad. I told you I'm going to be the champion one day," Blake declared, "That means from here on out it'll be a hard road. We'll be fighting trainers and other pokemon with decades of experience over us. And eventually, we'll face the Champion, Lance, and his team of dragons."
Blake saw a spark behind her eyes at that.
"I can't promise we'll always have a good time, and I can't promise we'll always win. But I'll be damned if we don't try."
Cyndaquil stepped forward getting close enough for him to touch her. A wide grin stretched across Blake's face and feeling daring, he slowly reached a hand out. Cyndaquil's eyes narrowed, however, she allowed the hand to make contact. Blake softly stroked the fur on her head which elicited a low purr from her as she leaned into his touch.
"Champions," Blake promised. Cyndaquil chirped her agreement.
xXx
Blake released a wide yawn with stretched arms as he trudged along with Cyndaquil in tow. His legs were beginning to tire and Cyndaquil herself had been stumbling along for the past hour and the constant flame on her back was now barely embers.
"Alright, I think it's a good time to stop. We're both beat." He yawned with a hand over his mouth. Cyndaquil snarled in protest, "Oh, hush you. You know you're tired, you're barely standing upright."
They'd decided to take it easy on their first day traveling. Though Route 11 wasn't lacking in trainers to battle, Blake had wanted to make as much headroom as possible. After all, he'd be cutting through the forest to get through to Route 12. Catching a scyther certainly wouldn't be easy and maybe just a teensy bit dangerous but it was another pokemon he'd wanted ever since he was little and he was willing to accept some risks if it meant he'd get one.
But that was another adventure for another day, after all of that walking the two of them had tired themselves out.
"You think you can get us a fire started? We'll just rest instead of training. We can start in the morning," He decided. He took a glance around the area he'd found. Route 11 was a mostly sparse dirt-covered area with dense foliage surrounding it on both sides. The clearing within the trees he'd found wasn't that large, but it would do as shelter.
Cyndaquil's eyes sharped as she sucked a breath in, the flame on her back flaring up weakly before dying almost immediately. She sagged even more, exhausted from the effort but Blake was sure her sheer determination would keep her on her feet.
Typhlosion were a force to be reckoned with among pokemon, trainers in the Indigo territory often compared them to the formidable charizard and magmortar species. However, what set them apart and perhaps was the reason it was less popular than them was the source of their flames. Unlike charizard and magmortar, whose flames burned constantly even in their base forms, the typhlosion line operated on a different principle. The strength and intensity behind their flames were inextricably tied to the amount of stamina they had left. That, and their oxygen levels. The unique spots on their back weren't just for show; they had a direct connection to their lungs making oxygen intake important for sustaining their fiery prowess.
For a cyndaquil, building on their endurance levels early would be crucial if they wanted to produce the devastating levels of firepower they had access to in their later stages. The more stamina they had, the fiercer and more powerful their flames would become.
Blake knew that it wouldn't be an easy thing to work on, but it'd be worth it in the end.
His legs screamed at him as trudged around the clearing, gathering sticks and twigs in his arms for a fire. Cyndaquil watched him closely with a tilted head, seemingly trying to understand the task he was doing before a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head.
She headed to the middle of the clearing with narrowed eyes and now-unsheathed claws and started trying to dig a firepit in the middle. Blake was surprised that she knew what to do, then again he'd heard that before pokemon were issued as starters they underwent a degree of conditioning, so he couldn't be too confused about it.
"Appreciate it," he replied with gratitude. In response, Cyndaquil emitted an unusual chirping noise as he dumped the sticks into the hole with a grunt. Her red eyes lit up at the sight of dry wood as she jumped in the middle of it, wading through the sticks and branches as if she were a magikarp in water. Her scarlet eyes closed and a burst of dry heat began to waft through the air. Blake watched as smoke began to trickle upwards and unsurprisingly the branches caught.
Cyndaquil jumped out of the pile with a squeak, being sure to shake the embers caught on her fur off before they could burn her. Blake giggled much to her ire. He couldn't wait for her fireproof fur to come in. The pair sat next to the fire for a bit watching the flames devour the firewood. It took a bit but eventually, they began to rise, glowing bright against the dark backdrop.
Blake grabbed his bag, reaching inside, pulling a bowl and a hefty bag of pokemon food - this sent a shock of pain through his back and legs - wincing as he poured Cyndaquil a bowlful. Cyndaquil perked up at this and inched closer. Though she still looked utterly exhausted, her movements seemed less stiff and her back flames flickered lightly.
Blake pushed the bowl of food closer to her with a, "Enjoy," Before pulling his own food out, a regular trainer meal, and quickly preparing it, though after taking the first bite he knew he'd be grabbing something else when he made it to Fuschia - Why was the sauce so watery? - The Alfredo he was eating wasn't exactly inedible though, so he finished the last bite and sighed, crumpling the container and putting it in the box, sliding them into a random compartment. He was too tired to clean it up, his legs still ached and he didn't think his eyelids had ever been heavier but there was always tomorrow to get to it.
Cyndaquil had finished eating long before him, curled up on the ground with a perked ear as Blake spoke, "We'll be cutting through the forest to get to Fuschia, there should be plenty of bug and grass types for you to train up against."
Cyndaquil churred in agreement, head raised at the mention of training. "We're taking on Koga for our first gym - he uses poison types. Your flames will be useful against his grimer or koffing, his nidoran may be a bit tougher I think." He wrinkled at the thought, "We might have to spend some time looking for our next teammate though. It'll be hard, but scyther are found in the forest sometimes."
Cyndaquil grunted in response.
"I always said I'd have a Typhlosion and Scizor on my team someday. I guess it's kinda childish, but I'm not quite ready to give up on that one yet." Blake admitted, receiving a strange look from Cyndaquil.
"But our next teammate can honestly be whatever as long as they've got the same drive to win that we do," Blake said, grinning at the fire type. "I need a team of pokemon fitting for a champion - like you."
The fire type nodded, spitting a small bolt of flame into the air with a yawn.
Feeling that this was a good time to ash, Blake turned himself toward the fire type and asked her a question.
"Would you like a nickname?"
Cyndaquil blinked, a wisp of smoke gently wafting from her nostrils. The fire type pondered for a moment, tilting her head thoughtfully, and eventually emitted a contented churr. Blake's face lit up with a smile as he reached into his backpack, whipping a thick black notebook out. He'd been plotting on a cyndaquil since he was eight so he had quite the list, he opened the book and began to throw names out.
"Ember?"
Cyndaquil snorted, and Blake smirked. "Right, that's one of your moves - Blaze? Torch? Fyre?"
She shook her head for all of them. Blake pouted, running through a few more - Scorch, Flare, Arson - but she wasn't happy with any of them. As a matter of fact, she was looking less and less pleased by the minute.
Blake stopped and really looked at his friend.
She had shown him her strength, as well as her ability to adapt to his plans. They weren't the strongest pair in Kanto, but he could certainly see their potential together. The battle with Trace had shown him his path. Cyndaquil would be the pillar of his team, his ace, the strongest in the world.
As he looked into the campfire, he made a vow to himself. They would become Champions and burn the rest of the competition to cinders.
That was it, wasn't it?
"Cinder."
Cyndaquil glanced at him.
"Cinders are typically the remnants of a fire, admittedly they're pretty small - Kind of like you," He laughed much to her chagrin, "But with enough time, even the tiniest cinder has the potential to evolve into a blazing inferno," Blake mused. He took a moment to contemplate this while gazing at the campfire's flickering dance within their tranquil clearing. He imagined himself, older, next to a tall, powerful typhlosion. He imagined a team far stronger than any other. He saw Trace, Surge, and all the other challengers he knew he'd face on their road.
He imagined himself as the Champion, sitting on his rightful throne.
"We'll become Champions and burn the rest of the competition down to cinders."
Cinder's flames burned bright.
xXx
That's the first chapter of Boundless. If you enjoyed it, be sure to leave a review and follow the story so you don't miss the next one.
Till next time ;)
-Noxx