Performance-Enhancing Items
Article 12
1. The use of performance-enhancing items or drugs in Pokémon battles is strictly prohibited.
2. Trainers may only use items that are approved by the Pokémon League and that do not pose a threat to the health or safety of the Pokémon. Any other items may not be used.
3. Random drug testing may be conducted to ensure compliance with these regulations.
4. Trainers who violate these regulations may face penalties or disqualification from future Pokémon battles.
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I've Been Around
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Episode six – The Silver Peaks, and the history of the Lumina region!
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The familiar scent of worn leather. The hum of the engine. The gentle chatter coming from the seats in front of her. Her little brother's head resting against her shoulder, his eyelids closed lightly as he had long since surrendered to sleep, despite promising her that he would stay awake for the entire ride.
The darkness outside the windshield loomed, thick and impenetrable. The road stretched out ahead like a path to the unknown, only to grow brighter by the incoming headlights. They materialised in the distance, flickering with an ominous glow. Risa's breath hitched in her throat as a gnawing sense of foreboding seeped into her bones.
With each passing second, the headlights grew brighter, clearer. The blurs of passing trees became vivid snapshots of despair. Panic surged within her. She opened her mouth to warn them, but her lips wouldn't move. Their car blasted off the road.
And then, in a jolt that echoed through her entire being, Risa's eyes shot open.
The girl bolted upright, her breath nothing but ragged gasps. Beads of sweat clung to her brow, mingling with the dampness of her tangled hair.
Disoriented, she scanned her surroundings, desperately trying to distinguish between the fragments of her dreams and the reality that surrounded her.
Slowly, her senses began to anchor her back to the present moment. The soft fabric of the tent caressed her trembling hands. A faint glow filtered through the thin green material, casting calming shadows across the interior. The chirping of Fledglings outside merged with the rustling leaves, creating a soothing melody to calm her nerves ever so slightly.
But it was the thunderous snoring emanating from the other side of the tent that pulled Risa fully into consciousness. She slowly craned her neck, peering beyond the curtain that separated her small haven from the adult's. Callahan lay sprawled on the ground, his snores loud enough to rattle the very fabric of their portable sanctuary.
The rumbling snores were as comical as they were jarring. For a little while, the blonde didn't even know how to react or what to feel.
Then, with an unreadable expression, the girl pulled herself out of the sleeping bag and used her feet to shove it away beneath her. She put on her necklace, tugged on her socks, grasped the tent's zipper, and crawled towards the other compartment in order to put on her boots. With that completed, she opened the final zipper to be met with the rich smell of pine needles and damp earth.
The forest stretched around her, bathed in hues of gold and green. The sunlight filtered through the swaying canopy and sprinkled her face and the leaves on the forest floor with golden speckles.
Taking tentative steps, Risa ventured outside, but not before zipping up the tent. It wouldn't do to have the man be licked awake by some kind of Pokémon that lurked around. She followed a winding path that led her closer to the sound of a gurgling creek.
As she neared, Risa caught her reflection in the rippling water. Her own image stared back at her—a face touched by shadows and light, set in a rather blank expression.
The same dream, over and over again, Risa thought as she squatted. They say that if you don't want to dream about something, you need to think about it a lot before going to sleep… So that's a lie, huh?
With nothing better to do, Risa splashed the cool water onto her face.
It was weird how accustomed she'd gotten towards them. The nightmares. When she first had them, she always would awake the entire orphanage with her screams. That was a long time ago, and by now she thought she could handle the phenomenon rather well. Although whether that was a good thing or not, she wasn't able to say.
She used to have so many memories of them. Why was it always this one that she saw?
No, she knew the answer to that all too well.
If only I hadn't fallen silent. If only I hadn't frozen up. If only I'd…
She squeezed her eyes closed, then opened them to display the same tired eyes she'd always had. It was better not to think about those things. Or at least, that's what she taught herself.
Flapping her hands a few times before she wiped them on her shirt, the girl followed the creek down with her eyes. It zigzagged through the forest, reflecting the orange sky and canopy above like a mirror. The sunlight danced upon the ripples, and she was sure she saw some Eevees drinking from it in the distance.
She thought back about the Pokéball that Callahan had offered her, then merely chuckled soundlessly and weakly. She was just about to turn away when the ears of the Eevees flinched. Not a second passed or they rushed into a nearby bush. In the distance came a little girl. She didn't even seem to have noticed the Eevees. Her eyes were only aimed at the flowers that lined the creek.
Risa was just about to continue her track back to her tent when the child finally looked up and, with a smile on her lips, skipped towards her.
"Say, miss, have you seen any red flowers?"
"Ehhh, not really no," answered Risa a bit taken aback, squatting down to get on the kid's eye level. "Why? Are you making a flower garland?"
"No, these flowers apparently cure every disease in the world!"
"Really now?" Risa forced a smile. "And who told you that?"
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Once at the camp, Risa took off Callahan's beret and smacked him with it over the head.
"You really got no shame, do you?" the girl said dryly.
"Hey, I'm already seeing someone for that!"
"Didn't do much, did it?"
By the time she had washed her face, Callahan had already started his usual morning routine: getting up, preparing some breakfast, spreading lies—yup, the usual routine. The man was sitting outside the tent. He was perched on a foldable cushion, with a makeshift kitchen arranged before him. The tantalising aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the sizzle of bacon, creating an enticing symphony of scents that wafted through the air and made her salivate. His face bore a gentle smile as he went back to the breakfast preparations, not reacting when Risa passed him and fetched a foldable cushion for herself and sat herself opposite him.
"How did you even met her?"
Callahan shrugged. "She smelled the breakfast. Saw her parents coming after her soon enough. She'll be fine."
"What time is it?"
"Time for breakfast. Bought ourselves a good decent meal to start our first breakfast with. Enjoy it, it will all be downhill from here."
Risa eyed towards the packs of cereal falling from the backpack. It was a special kind of cereal made for hiking, which had 400 calories in it. If it would be light on their stomachs was something which Risa highly doubted, but before she could question it, Callahan held out her cup and stuffed more than half of the bacon into it.
"Here you go."
Risa gave him a dry look. "That's more than you have."
"Well, you're still growing. And I need to watch my calories."
"Yeah," said Risa, "nice try."
She planted three of them into Callahan's share so they were evenly matched. Knowing it was futile to argue, the man rolled his eyes and gulped down his coffee.
"Hmmm… The aroma alone is enough to awaken the senses."
"I don't think you need that, seeing how your senses are probably still wide awake after the ruckus you made last night."
The guy flinched. He'd been constantly complaining about the cold. If it wasn't the cold, then he had a laundry list of complaints about the pillow, the inflatable mattress, and the list went on and on. At one point in time—Risa couldn't even begin to recount the hour—Callahan had contemplated putting on the camping stove in the middle of the tent to get a brief moment of warmth. It was only when she'd pushed the curtain away and reminded him of air poisoning that he grumpily buried his head back into his sleeping bag and fell asleep.
Risa sat herself cross-legged and started chewing some of the bacon, salivating at the rich taste that came from it. She didn't know from which type of Pokémon the meat came from, but it sure was tasty.
Risa licked her fingers and pointed at the path behind her. "I saw some Eevees down the creek, you wanna catch them?"
"Eevees?"
"The fluffy brown dog-thingies. Small. Long ears."
"Oh, those. No, I'm good. I need something stronger."
"And how do you want to beat that stronger Pokémon when we have nothing to defend ourselves with?"
"We got a knife."
Risa blinked a few times, making sure she heard him right. "Didn't you say you worked with the law?"
"If you spin the tale right, it goes right past animal cruelty and straight towards self-defence. You need to weaken them before they allow themselves to be caught."
Smiling wryly, the girl leaned a bit forth. "So you really want to kick one down until it finally doesn't move again?"
"What? Otherwise, it's the Pokémon doing all the hard work. If it's alright for Pokémon to beat on a thing until it faints, why isn't it alright when a human does it? Makes sense to me." He held a piece of bacon above his mouth before he let it fall down, and Risa wondered if he even chewed it. Still, he had a point, no matter how cruel it might be. And then again, it wasn't like they would be catching anything that could be considered remotely defenceless. He wanted a strong one. Taking into consideration that even the weakest of Pokémon were stronger than your average human, she wondered how that fight would go down…
With their breakfast behind their teeth, they packed up their tent and went at it again.
They took the path that led towards the northeast, leaving behind only footprints of their temporary haven in the wilderness.
The dense canopy overhead gradually thinned to allow sunlight a better access to their skin. Just a few minutes later, a thick layer of mist cloaked the sky, making the sun look like nothing but a faint white light bulb.
As the last remnants of the woodland retreated, the landscape slowly changed before their eyes. The foliage gave way to a cosy landscape, where mist gently caressed the rolling hills and left dew on all the tendrils of grass that they passed. The air carried a delicate fragrance of blooming flowers which were sprinkled all across the hills, but the flowers themselves were all obscured. In the distance they could see the SilverPeaks, the foot of the mountain called the Mistveil Valley being their destination for today. The mountain base seemed, as the name would suggest, to be fully cloaked in a thick layer of mist.
With each step, the damp grass beneath their feet released splotching sounds, and despite the mist making it nearly impossible to look far ahead, they did always see the faint silhouette of the SilverPeaks in the far distance, giving them a clear indication that they were making good progress.
With nothing to distract his thoughts, Callahan slowly started to think what to talk about. He didn't have to think long, as Risa asked him a question.
"So what do gym leaders do, exactly?" Risa asked while locking her hands behind her head. "Besides battling trainers? I mean, why do it? Do you get money from the government, or does everyone get to open a gym whenever they want?"
"Honestly? I don't have the faintest clue. Only thing I know is that every place with a minimum of five hundred inhabitants is required to have a gym. At least when the government declares it hostile territory. It's probably so they have at least one person who's capable of standing up to all the Pokémon when the going gets tough. They might also have them to promote tourism, which would explain why Pokécenters don't charge anything for their services. It'll make traveling around much more appealing, and safer as well."
"Talking about safety," Risa pondered, "what do you know about our destination? The Lumina region? Any fancy tales you're willing to share?"
Callahan's eyes began to twinkle.
"Oh, here we go," Risa said to herself jokingly as a small smile played on her face.
"It all began long ago," Callahan said dramatically while he began to walk in front of Risa, walking backwards to maintain eye contact. "As you've probably learned in biology class, we humans weren't always full grown humans," Callahan said as he made hand movements fitting of a teacher. "You see, at first our predecessors were primates, Aipom to be precise. Through battles, most Aipom evolved into Ambipom, but a small group didn't evolve. This went on for generations! Gradually, they aged, growing older and older, taking on more humanoid features as their family tree progressed. And after countless years, a span of time so vast that it's even hard to fathom, we naturally became what we are today – humans! This also explains why, although we stem from Pokémon, we don't have any powers like spewing water, shooting leaves, breathing fire, or all that jazz, because we originate from normal-type Pokémon."
"Yeah. I learned that in the eighth grade, alright. What has this to do with the Lumina region?"
"Ah, here comes the good part," Callahan said while rubbing his hands. "Most Pokémon are stronger than us, but humans became much smarter, and our ability to wield weapons turned us into the natural enemies of almost all Pokémon. We learned how to use handmade weapons. We started to grow our own crops, so we didn't have to move around. We established small villages that we could easily protect. These villages grew into cities, populating at a rate that was unlike any species before. This all happened around two thousand years ago. So, Pokémon and humans have fought since the beginning of time. This region is quite safe because of the limited amount of dangerous Pokémon that inhabit these parts, but the Lumina region–well, that's a different tale altogether. Oh, could you pass me my water bottle?""
Risa complied, teasing, "Wonder why you got thirsty all of a sudden, sir. It's almost like you've been talking for quite a while?"
"har-har, very funny," Callahan chuckled, taking a big sip before he continued. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the Lumina region. Roughly eight-hundred years ago, the Pokémon in the Lumina region began to attack human villages, combining all their power to eliminate 'the major threat' that had to be dealt with." Callahan skipped around, throwing punches in the air, acting as if he was part of a massive battlefield.
"The major cities in the Lumina region couldn't handle the ferocity of the Pokémon all by themselves. They began to talk with each other, forming the PAP-pact. All cities, except Greenhaven, joined this alliance. They constructed roads, connecting the cities. United, they fought side by side for a century. Until six-hundred-years ago..." Callahan's tone turned ominous, and his movements became more intense.
"The Lost War erupted– all human settlements, every, little, village, outside of the greater cities were levelled to the ground by Pokémon. The highways they built were destroyed. Major losses on both sides. A big hit for humanity. All Pokémon, even the once gentle ones, began to turn against the humans!"
Callahan walked off the road, jumping onto a small grassy hill as he began to mimic a general.
"Then, a year later, the humans retaliated, they started a war–The War on Pokémon. Humans tried to take back all of their lost land. Each city dispatched a large military unit. With all these soldiers and weapons combined it was the largest military force that was ever organised to this day! The fields turned black from all the soldiers that moved from city to city. Like a giant river of men!"
Callahan jumped down from the rise, marching next to Risa. "It took humanity four years to regain control of tiny parts of the Lumina region, they started from Harboria and went forth from there. Everything went smoothly, all according to plan, until they reached Underhaven…" His voice went dark. A cloud passed, casting his face in shadows.
"That night… all soldiers were killed."
Risa was captured in his tale. "W-what happened?"
"They never figured that out. Something had slaughtered everyone it came across. No one escaped. But as soon as it had appeared, it had vanished. Never to return. The entire army had been reduced to dust in the span of a single night. There was no escaping the Pokémon now. People began locking themselves up again in the major cities, those that had gigantic walls to shield them from evil. Barely any transactions were being made– it was nearly impossible. Air transportation between tamed flying Pokémon became the norm. Some brave couriers dared to travel on foot… just like us…"
Suddenly, Callahan's voice turned upbeat. His pace turned into a leisurely stroll. "That brings us to forty years ago, thus around five-hundred years later from that dreadful event. There was an invention that changed the world as we knew it: the grand invention of Pokéballs. For the first time in history, people were able to befriend Pokémon without having to dedicate years to train them," he pointed towards Risa, "like we used to do with dogs, you know, the ones you used to take for a walk before!"
Risa's face turned sour. "Yeah, please don't remind me..."
Callahan laughed as he prepared to finish his tale. "And that brings us to the present– where we now live happily next to Pokémon, coexisting in peace. At least in the Fula region, that is. We live in the most peaceful of times." Callahan coughed in his fist. "It's true that some countries are against the usage of Pokéballs, like Greenhaven. Their logic ain't so weird; after all, they didn't join the PAP-Pact in the first place. They are lefties, nature lovers, spreading peace and love," Callahan said as he did his best hippy expression. "Still, I can't really make fun of them… Maybe… they did make the right choice."
Risa raised an eyebrow at him.
"They were spared from the Pokémon attacks. They didn't play a part in the war and weren't attacked by Pokémon, since they had blended in with the grass-type Pokémon. They were… almost accepted by all the Pokémon. Without using Pokéballs. If you look at it realistically, Pokéballs can become something of an evil… especially because Pokéballs, and the capturing of Pokémon, can essentially lead to the mass production of an insanely powerful military force unforeseen before– capable of not only beating all Pokémon, but also ruling over all other regions… A power that could destroy the world."
Risa swallowed thickly. Callahan had fallen silent; both pondering the future.
The sun was already setting behind the western hills, and the landscape was growing darker and colder, like the life was being drained from the area. They had gotten ever so closer to the mountain. The gigantic structure lay still far away, hiding beneath the darkness and fog that haunted the place. It was a fog that, like a grey sea, swirled over the wide grasslands that now stretched before the two. There were Gogoat and Skiddo grazing around and drinking from the five separate streams that originated from SilverPeak, and it wasn't until long when they were startled away by a certain intruder who splashed his entire face inside the creek, drinking so much that Risa feared there would be nothing left for the rest of them.
With their thirst drenched, the two marched on for three more hours. It was taxing and cold. By now, the two were shivering from the cold, which had slipped and settled all the way into their heads and making them feel tired and feverish. Their eyes hurt from squinting through the fog. Just when Risa was about to call it quits and set up the tent, they saw something.
On top of a hill, through shrouds of mist, shone many square windows, yellow and red. They were the windows of the Mistveil Pokécenter.
It was in the unusual shape of a tent, carved out of timber. Its roof was marked with red paint, and carved in front of the door was a giant Pokéball. The glow that came from the windows illuminated the area around it, and both of their lips curled into a relieved smile as they saw that behind the building laid the first sign of rough rocks.
They had almost reached the foot of the mountain.
With one final push, the two walked for half an hour until they finally stood in front of the Center.
The two of them trudged through the automatic doors, the warm air coming from the airco enveloping them like a comforting hug. The interior was bright and inviting, with soft lighting and colorful benches scattered throughout. The wooden walls were painted in warm hues of yellow and blue, and posters of various Pokémon species dotted the walls.
As they approached the front desk, Nurse Joy greeted them with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center," she said cheerily. "How can I help you today?"
Callahan leaned heavily on the desk, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. "We've been traveling all day, and we're in need of a place to rest for the night. Do you have any rooms available?"
Nurse Joy nodded sympathetically. "Of course! We have several rooms available. Let me check for you." She turned to her computer and began typing quickly. "Here we are. I have three rooms available for the night. Would you like the rooms or the capsules? The capsules, of course, are free of charge."
"The capsules will do," grunted Callahan, sending a knowing look to his partner. They would have to travel a lot more than this, and he had no clue how much the prices would differ overseas. The receptionist merely smiled and rattled away on her keyboard. "Alright. May I ask your names?"
"Callahan and Ri-"
Risa dryly tapped her boot two times against his.
"-Rebecca!" Callahan said quickly. It was probably better if she'd use a fake name, if not to make things easy for the police.
"And do you intend to stay at the other Pokémon Center up at SilverPeak tomorrow, or will you be exploring the area?"
Risa rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the tiredness that threatened to overwhelm her. "Yes, please," she said, her voice sounding small and weary, and her mind hardly aware of what she was saying.
"Why do you want to know all that?" Callahan asked, somewhat suspicious.
"Oh, nothing. It's just a safety precaution. The road up ahead is very dangerous, so we always send a search party if our guests haven't arrived at their designated time." Her head disappeared again behind the screen. "And that is that. Please inform the receptionist at your arrival."
Nurse Joy handed them two keys with numbers on them and gestured down the hall. "Your capsules are down the stairs to the left. Just let me know if you need anything else."
They each were too tired to say thank you; a tired smile was all they could muster.
The companions slumped their way down the stairs, the sound of their footsteps echoing softly against the walls. The wooden stairway creaked relaxingly, and the heat was just the right temperature for comfort. As they approached the sleeping quarters, they could see that it looked like a capsule hotel, with two twin-sized capsules stacked one on top of the other. They tiptoed further inside, the darkness immediately making Risa switch on her phone in order to find their beds.
The capsules that they found were small but cosy, with a thin mattress and a soft, woollen blanket. The walls were made of a soft, flexible material that provided a sense of privacy, while still allowing the faint snores of those around them to filter through. There was just enough space for them to sit up and stretch, and a modest drawer carved into the capsule's structure offered storage for their backpacks and essentials.
Callahan used his key to open the drawer that matched the number of his capsule and dumped none-too-gently his backpack into it.
Callahan and Risa quickly said goodnight and crawled into their respective capsules, the comfort of the beds a welcome relief to their soles. As they lay there, listening to the sounds of the Pokémon Center humming quietly around them, they both felt their bodies start to relax. The warm air, the soft beds, and the knowledge that they were finally able to rest for the night was a welcome comfort after a long day of travel.
With a contented sigh, Callahan stacked his clothes near his feet, shut the blinds, locked the capsule, and let himself drift off to sleep. Despite the challenges they would face on their journey ahead, for now, they could rest easy, knowing that they were safe and well-cared for.
He needed to be well-rested. After all, tomorrow, he would catch his very first Pokémon, but the sleeping man knew nothing about that yet.
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A/N: Yes! I've always dreaded, just dreaded this chapter like you wouldn't believe! Out of all the chapters, this is the only one that purely focuses on them walking around and spouting all the exposition that you'll ever need for what comes ahead. I think it came out more enjoyable than I expected.
I can also say with confidence (having already written about 40 chapters in advance,) that everything will be more action packed from here. We're finally getting outta the 'tutorial-island' and out of the prologue: the Fula Region arc.
See you all on Monday, my friends!
I wonder what kind of Pokémon he's going to catch… (although the Power of Us movie already spoils it *cough* *cough*!)
Ps. Fanfiction is really glitching out a lot the past two weeks; chapters being deleted and then reappearing, rewrites being reverted, traffic stats not functioning properly, etc. I truly hope it doesn't happen again this time, but if that does appear to be the case, I would HIGHLY recommend following this story on Spacebattles dot com until these problems are fixed. So, if this story doesn't show up on the list or if chapters are missing, simply search for 'Spacebattles I've been around Sidiko' on Google, and you'll be able to find/read the new chapter without any issues. Same day, same time.