Rustboro City: A rather large city by Hoennian standards. It's always sunny here, and many intellectuals call it home. One notable thing about the city is the Hawkian Corporation, an eagle-owned business dedicated to improving life with technology and researching the latest Pokemon phenomena, whether it's Mega Evolution, regional variants, Hidden Abilities or Dynamax in other regions. Usually, the city is busy and booming with activity, but after dark, things start to slow down.
Not a single Taillow flew in the dark starless sky. However, two Zubat flocked to a fountain in the middle of the city.
The group walked towards the tallest building in the city. Frank pulled a holographic gradient card out of his pocket and swiped through a card reader to get inside. The card reader dinged and a key unlocked the door inside.
The first floor was decorated very elegantly for a supposedly tech-based company— plenty of glass tables, countless paintings imported from other regions, even a glass exhibit you could walk over! Tank took a peek at the glass floor: lots of fossilized plants, some stones with vivid gradients. He noticed how many of the stones were round, had a blue-green swirling gradient and black shreds of pigment in the middle. Hmm….
The group traveled up the stairs and towards the second floor. They stopped in their tracks when an even taller eagle approached them. The avian's feathers were bright red, with blue and white trim on his wings and tail. He wore a classy blue suit and a black fedora with a neon green band. His voice was deep and harsh on the ears, like he smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.
"Do you bastards realize what time it is?!"
He scolded the younger animals as he shook a finger at them.
He grabbed an Ultra Ball from the band of his fedora and almost threw it into the air before being interrupted.
"Don, Don, I can explain!"
Frank guarded the younger boys with one arm while pulling a Poke Ball out.
"Oh, it's just you"
Don stopped in his tracks before scolding the other eagle.
"Frank? What are you doing here? It's eleven thirty at night! And for Arceus' sake, stop smoking in my business, will ya?!"
Frank rolled his eyes as he flicked the cigarette into a nearby trash can.
"Y'all know each other?"
Benedict asked them.
The two eagles looked at the chicken, then at each other, then at the other bird again, before they gave a hearty laugh.
"KNOW EACH OTHER?!"
Don still laughed as he smacked the other eagle on his upper back.
"You crack me up, little bird. Frank's my nephew!"
"Yeah, that's why I told you three about his business"
Frank cleared things up with another laugh. "So, Don, how's that Empoleon holding up?"
"He's quite fine. Still getting used to Hoenn weather"
Don held the ball in his wing.
"But that doesn't matter right now. Frank, who are these kids, and why'd you bring them over?"
"Well, they're new trainers, and I found them lost in Petalburg Woods"
Frank explained what had happened earlier.
"I fought two Cottage and Pastel grunts, they were trying to get silk from a group of Ariados. The Pokemon are better now, but it got dark, and I didn't want these boys ending up like Belladonna. That reminds me. You wouldn't mind if the four of us spent the night here, would you?"
"Of course not!"
Don gave another hearty chuckle.
"I was a rookie once too, you know! Come on, I'll show you three your room. Frank, you should probably heal your Pokemon first"
"I know, I know"
the shorter eagle snarked. "I'll get on with it!"
While Frank went to another room to heal his party, the trio got into their room for the night. Tank and Benedict took off their backpacks and placed them near the door, while Kidd took a good look at the decor—a red and black painting similar to a Durian Durian album, some fluffy white rugs that resembled Flaaffy wool, and a small white vase shaped like a Croagunk on the wall. Oh, great, just great, there's only two beds here. Which one of them is gonna sleep on the floor tonight-
"Dibs on the couch!"
Benedict yelled as he flopped onto the purple and white sofa near the door. He pulled his Rotom Phone out and shut it off for the night, then undid his shaggy ponytail.
Well, that solves one problem.
Tank stretched as he laid on the bed closer to the window
"Well, this is nice! Our first day as trainers, and we already made it through two cities!"
"Yeah, but…."
Kidd sighed as he slid his boots off, revealing blue polka dot socks. He set the shoes down next to the nightstand between both beds.
"You know what I wouldn't mind doing tomorrow though?"
"What is it?" Tank asked his friend.
He was already buried underneath the thick covers of the bed, his ears poking out of the covers.
Kidd unzipped his jacket and set his scarf on the table
"I wouldn't mind checking out the Pretty Petal Shop in the morning. I think Mudkip would like it too"
"Yeah, that'd be nice…."
the rhino mumbled before he fell asleep.
Kidd looked over— oh, Benedict fell asleep too, with his Rotom Phone flat on the floor.
The goat looked up at the plain white ceiling and thought to himself before falling asleep as well.
"To think that just a few weeks ago, I was stuck leaving Lumiose City. And now here I am, sleeping in somebody else's place, with two of my neighbors. I think I'm liking this trainer thing so far…At least Marie isn't here to blame me for her own problems. But why didn't Merlot take me in? I would've been fine with that. But I still don't know what I want to even accomplish. Or what Mudkip wants either? I hope that petal shop might give me a clue..."
Throughout the night, the trio found each of themselves wrapped up in a heavy dream.
-The Spectacular Performer-
Countless animals looked on in aniticpation, awaiting Kidd's next move. He stood on a white stage, striking an elegant pose. The goat wore a princely blue and white military uniform with tall boots, a gold sash across his chest, and a white cravat neatly tied at his neck. He held a silver sword up in the air and hollered
"Swampert! En garde! Waterfall!"
A massive purple aquatic Pokemon stood in front of him. It summoned a wave of water and scaled the cascading water without a problem, muscles throbbing with each climb. The crowd roared in excitement. Several audience members tossed roses at his feet. He gracefully bowed after the red and blue roses stopped falling. The goat picked one up and tucked it in his uniform pocket.
A loud voice shouted to the audience
"Our most evergrand winner- Kidd Chavignol!"
Kidd bowed before the audience
"Thank you, thank you all!"
- A Field of Hollyhocks-
A hen ran through an endless meadow of colorful flowers. Her long feathery hair blew through the wind as she chased after two blue mouse Pokemon. A disembodied voice stopped the girl in her tracks. She tripped on a small flowery bush and winced as she fell on her knee. The hem of her dress got torn up.
"Do you have what it takes to join them?"
"Yeah, I DO!" the hen shouted at the voice. She got back on her feet and smoothed out her blue gingham dress "I'll show you I'm worthy! Now give me a chance, you coward!"
"Prove yourself then" the voice calmly explained. "Hollyhock"
-I'm Finally Home-
Cherry blossoms danced in the air.
A dark blue rhino walked across the bridge, holding onto the rail with his life. His face was tired, yet the rest of his body could carry on. He was still dressed in olive green fatigues, except the left pant leg was rolled up to his upper thigh. His black prosthetic shined underneath the sky, scars trailing up what remained of his leg.
"Dad?"
The older rhino turned around to face Tank. The paler rhino had countless Pokemon trailing behind him, all gathered in a crowd.
"Son? Is...is that you?"
"Yeah" Tank placed a hoof on the rail. "I missed you dad!"
The next morning...
The sun slowly rised in the sky while the three trainers slept peacefully. Poochyena broke out of his ball and loudly howled, causing everyone else to wake up with exhausted groans.
"Aw come on!" Tank complained as he threw the white covers off himself.
"Poochyena, what is it, boy?"
The dark-type leaped onto the bed and gave his trainer an affectionate lick on the cheek
"Oh! You hungry?" Tank asked, his voice growing higher pitched. "Aww is someone a hungry boy? Who's a hungry boy? Who is? You are!"
Kidd stormed into the bathroom with a heavy slam while Benedict got ready for the day.
"If he hogs the bathroom all morning…." the chicken groaned under his breath as he searched his pockets for a spare hair tie. Finally, he found one at the very bottom of his right pocket.
Someone knocked on the door.
"You boys awake already?"
Don hollered, his voice echoing through the walls. "I got breakfast on the way!"
"You do? Thank you sir!"
Tank called out to him.
Twenty minutes later, after the group finished getting ready for the day, they stormed downstairs and towards the largest glass table.
Frank sat on one end with a cup of warm tea in his hands. A fresh cigarette hung from his beak. He sipped from the dark green mug and watched as the boys sat across from him.
"You three sleep well?" he asked.
"No way"
Kidd shook his head, obviously lying so all eyes weren't on him.
"Yeah, we did" Tank nodded. He held up a Poke Ball that slightly rustled.
"Until my Poochyena woke me up" he laughed.
Don walked into the room. Instead of the suit from last night, he wore a long red robe with a black rock band shirt and green plaid sweatpants. He had a huge tray being carried behind him by a foreign Pokemon. This Pokemon was a dull teal bell-shaped Pokemon with bright red eyes, a hollow body and two appendages crossed nearly behind its body. It used its psychic abilities to float the tray, making sure nothing would fall off.
"Bronzong, the table please"
Don instructed his Pokemon.
"Zoooooong"
The steel type gingerly placed the tray onto the glass table. Without being commanded, Bronzong returned to its Ultra Ball.
The food looked and smelled delightful. Everything was placed into small bowls or plates in a red and white triangular pattern. There were bowls of steamed white rice, miso soup with freshly cut green onions and small bites of tofu, pickled vegetables and shredded kelp, and grilled Water-type fillets.
"Now, let's eat"
Don said as he sat down closest to the wall.
The guys grabbed some chopsticks and dug into their food. Frank set his tea down to eat the pickled vegetables first. The crunchy and salty taste was incredibly satisfying in his mouth.
Benedict and Don went for the rice first, too busy devouring their food to say a word.
Kidd picked at the unfamiliar fillet with his chopsticks
"Hmm…."
"Hm? Kidd, you never had a Hoennian breakfast?"
Tank asked him before gulping down his miso broth. The tofu and onions had been cleared off already.
"No? It's not that, it's just that I don't know what Pokemon this is"
Kidd kept prodding at the fillet.
It was bright red with little pink streaks in the middle.
"Oh, that? It's just Magikarp!"
The rhino reassured him after he finished slurping down his soup.
"They're overpopulated here in Hoenn so eating them's okay!"
"Over...populated?"
Benedict asked in between bites of pickled vegetables.
"Yep!" Tank said.
"My dad said that so many trainers want the perfect Gyarados, that they breed constant Magikarp and release the imperfect ones into the wild"
Kidd sighed in relief. He was afraid he was going to eat something harsh on the palette, like Milotic scales or Sharpedo fin! Now that he knew what it was, he dug in anyways. The fillet was fresh with a hint of Nomel Berry juice on top for acidity.
Frank groaned in satisfaction as he finished his meal. He grabbed his cup of cooled down tea to relax. The boys thanked Mr. Hawkian for their meal.
"It's no problem, boys"
Don grinned as he got up from the table. "Anyways, what are you doing today in Rustboro?"
"Well I'm gonna go get my first Gym Badge"
Benedict explained to him. "I'm hopin' to challenge the Elite Four"
"Interesting. You know, my son's the current Champion here in Hoenn" Don admitted offhandedly, his stoned face not changing, until he chuckled happily
"Steel-types just run in our blood. Except for Frank. Using Flying types like the pink Mareep of our family"
"I'm right here, Don"
Frank deadpanned as he put on his long coat.
"So, why'd you choose Flying-types?"
Tank asked him.
The younger eagle went dead silent. He lit up another cigarette, looked away and filled his coat pockets with his hands
"It's complicated"
was all he said.
Don facepalmed
"Frank, I already told you last night. Please stop smoking on my property"
Frank stayed silent.
He grabbed his bags and furiously stormed out of the place.
"Well, he wasn't always a Flying-type trainer, boys" Don explained to the boys, his strong wings crossed in front of his body. "And a smoker either. He only took that up a couple months ago"
Several years ago…
It started as a trip to Pastoria City in the Sinnoh region. A gift for Frank's fourteenth birthday. The two cousins had stormed off to check out the Great Marsh. Everyone else was outside, having a picnic until-
"Gunk?"
A small blue bipedal frog Pokemon approached the two eagles. She was eyeing up their open-faced smoked Goldeen sandwiches, intrigued by the delicious smell.
"...Come on, scram. I said, SCRAM!"
Don dismissed the unfamiliar Pokemon.
"I knew we should've stayed back in Hoenn"
"Nonsense, Don!" Another eagle his age, one with pitch black feathers and bright blue eyes, laughed it off. "These little guys are Pastoria's mascot! And besides, Frank's gonna need a Pokemon soon. We should catch him one sometime"
"I'm fully aware of that, Clint" Don shook his head in disapproval.
"But Croagunk isn't a Steel type. And I already bred a perfectly fine Beldum for him to start with!"
"You're ridiculous, Don"
Clint scolded him.
"Just because you forced Apollo into the same type as you doesn't mean you can make my boy follow your footsteps!"
"I didn't FORCE him"
Don snapped. He stood upright and slammed a fist on the table
"He asked for one and I gave him exactly what he wanted!"
"And just like that, my younger brother caught that Croagunk for him anyways"
Don finished his anecdote, his wings folded together.
"She was a fine Pokemon"
Kidd thought to himself
"Was? Maybe that means she evolved or was released or...or worse?!"
"But that's all in the past now. You three should get going already, it's a fine day out"
The boys nodded then rushed out into the city. The place felt even bigger than it was from last night. Trainers walking up and down with several Pokemon, several Taillow and Swablu flying around one of the houses.
"I'm gonna check out that place over there!"
Tank pointed to one of the nearby houses.
"Hey, I'll join ya!"
Benedict grinned as he followed his friend to the house in the middle of the city. They both knocked loudly on the door. An orange monkey wearing a blue happi coat answered them. The primate had a round yellow Pokemon behind him.
"Can I help you boys?"
"Yeah, we're new here in town!"
"Interesting. Hey. You guys ever traded Pokemon?"
"Hm? No, not yet"
Kidd sighed and walked alone. The stone tiles were cold as he stepped on each of them. He took note of a tall green and beige building with a grey sign near the door. The sign read
"Pokemon Trainers' School: We'll teach you anything about Pokemon!"
"A trainer school?" Kidd asked as he looked at the establishment. "Maybe teaching is my calling…" he mused to himself. He could imagine it now— him in a sharp suit, offering Pokemon to students so they could learn first-hand about battling. But bad memories of fourth grade filled his mind- the first few weeks were fine, but the thoughts of his teacher made him shudder. She was so nice at first, but she changed one Friday and ruined his life. Enough of that, Kidd, he reminded himself. You went to therapy to forget about that!
Just think about that dream from last night with the performance...
Benedict and Tank walked behind him.
"Hey Kidd!"
the rooster hollered, snapping the goat out of his trance.
"Look what Tank just got!"
Tank released a rotund yellow and blue Pokemon from a Great Ball. The fighting-type caused the ground underneath him to echo.
"It's a Makuhita! Isn't he awesome?"
"Interesting" Kidd held a hoof up to his chin and looked up and down the round bipedal Pokemon. "Where'd you catch this one?"
"Catch? Oh no, I got him in a trade!" Tank shook his head and eagerly explained. "So the guy in that house we went into? He was looking for a Slakoth. BUT lucky for him, I had two of them on me, so I traded him the older Slakoth!"
"Oh" Kidd nodded along.
"I was gonna go into the trainer school, you guys wanna come with me?"
"Sure!" Benedict said as he walked closer to Kidd. "Besides, Torchic needs to evolve anyways if I want a chance at that gym!"
"And I could learn tricks on better catching!"
Tank bounced on his tiptoes.
The trio entered the school. It was a simple one-room schoolhouse with many shelves, a few desks, and one other student at her desk. Huh, no teacher yet. Kidd took note of her appearance: she was a pink goat with pin straight brown hair in a long low braid. Her uniform was bright blue and designed in a Western style, and her glasses were big but transparent enough that her dark eyes and freckles were visible.
The group found some seats inside and got comfortable.
"So" Kidd leaned over to face the other goat. He winked and pressed an elbow against the table, propping his head up
"What did you come here to learn?"
"Oh!"
The pink goat got flustered and adjusted her glasses as she stammered.
"W-well, I c-came to l-learn more about my Ralts"
"Hey I got a Ralts too!"
Benedict yelled from the other side of the classroom.
"Are y'all goin' for Gardevoir or Gallade?!"
Kidd turned around and snapped
"Benedict! Do you have to butt into every conversation?!"
"What?" Benedict shrugged and laughed.
"Y'all CAN tell a lot from a trainer dependin' on which Pokemon they evolve one to!"
"You- you can?" the pink goat asked him.
She had done extensive reading before on Eevee, sure, but evolution and personality factors for other Pokemon? That was new...
"Well, yeah!" the chicken perked up.
"Like with a Poliwhirl! Trainers who go for Poliwrath are WAY more impulsive while Politoed trainers are more chill. An' trainers with Beautifly are-"
"I can tell that you four are in for some solid education"
The four animals faced the front of the class to see who interrupted them. A sheep walked into the building, her puke green skin and baby blue fur standing out against the beige walls. Her eyes were flat and emotionless, despite all the hot pink eyeshadow caked on her upper eyelids. Her face was covered in obnoxiously huge freckles and her mouth was large. She wore a sleeveless purple dress and a small denim cardigan.
"Now" the ewe sat down, with her legs crossed and her face unchanging. "I should introduce myself to you all. My name's Mrs. Cashmere L'Amour, but you may call me Cashmere. I've been teaching here for several years. In fact, one of my first students is now the gym- ugh, what?"
Tank lowered his raised hoof
"Can we see your Pokemon? This IS a trainer school after all!"
Cashmere sharply glared from the nerve of this kid. She bluntly explained to him
"…I don't have any. You don't need a Pokemon to learn about them, after all. Now"
She continued her introduction, glaring at Tank like she wanted to throw him out of the building already
"As I was SAYING!
When it comes to Pokemon, not all of them are exclusively about battling. Some, like Ditto, are more suited to breeding. Larger ones like Pelipper or Corviknight are used as travelers. While others, like Pikachu or Eevee, are usually used as companions instead due to their weak sense of battling…"
Tank yawned as she kept droning on and on. This sheep didn't really care about Pokemon, he thought to himself. He could tell by her monotone voice yet condescending attitude. This was a stupid idea, he thought to himself. But if he left, she'd roast him alive.
"…..Hmph"
She felt her phone go off.
Cashmere left the room without a warning, leaving the others to their devices.
Finally!
Tank stood up and released Treecko from his ball.
"Enough of what SHE had to say! You guys wanna battle or what?"
He asked everybody else.
"Oh heck yeah!"
Benedict hollered excitedly as he got Torchic out.
"Well, i-if it will help my Ralts and I"
The pink goat stammered before letting her Ralts out. She tightly held onto her Poke Ball after releasing her starter into the classroom.
"Fine. I'll do it too"
Kidd flipped his hair as he released his Mudkip. She did a triumphant flip as sparkles released from her ball.
Benedict and Tank ran to one side of the room while the two goats walked to the other side.
"I forgot to ask you" Kidd held both hooves with the other goat. "What's your name?"
"W-well, I'm Velma" the pink goat smiled a little, blushing slightly from how forward the other goat was. "Velma Jaffe"
"Come on, Kidd!"
Tank stomped his foot against the carpet.
"Quit flirting and get to battling!"
"He wasn't flirting with her!"
Benedict facepalmed.
"Oh I'll show YOU!"
Kidd yelled back after he stopped holding Velma's hooves. "Mudkip, Water Gun!"
"Muuuuuud-"
Mudkip arched her head back and a ball of water pooled in her open mouth.
She stood on her back legs and blasted the water across the classroom.
"Kiiiiiiiip!"
Torchic yelped as it got hit by the stream of water.
He stood still and shook the offending substance off his feathers.
"Sorry, buddy" Benedict tried to reassure his Pokemon.
"Now, use Scratch on Mudkip!"
Torchic boldly dashed across the room, white sparks flying off his body. His feet sharpened as he ran faster by the second. Papers and pens flew around the room as he picked up the pace.
"Now, Treecko! Quick Attack!"
Tank shouted.
Just before Treecko could attack, the door slammed open.
Cashmere stood in the doorway with narrowing eyebrows, a cold scowl and a nasty sneer.
"What do you hooligans think you're doing?!" Cashmere screamed at the students. Her pink eyes were burning in fury as she stomped into the classroom.
The four animals paused in their tracks. They returned their Pokemon safely, afraid that the sheep would hit one of them in a fit of rage.
"Ma'am, please-" Tank tried to defend himself and his friends. "We were just battling and-"
"That is NOT how we learn in my school" she harshly scolded him. "In MY trainer school, we don't just resort to ONLY battling. And now look at this! My school is a MESS because none of you had any patience OR respect for me AND refused to learn MY way! Arceus CHRIST you're all messed up! I swear, your parents should've hit you more if I knew you'd all be this disrespectful!"
Kidd shuddered from her rant. Hit more?! Talk about backwards...Well, there goes that dream of teaching.
"Please, miss!" Benedict begged, his wings clasped together. His heavy accent slipped away
"We'll stay after class, we'll clean the whole school top to bottom! Just give us another chance!"
"I don't care how much you want another chance, you... you disrespectful assholes!"
Cashmere screamed at the three boys. She furiously dragged her hooves against the chalkboard. The students cringed from the grating noise.
"Thanks to you, I have to spend forever cleaning all this mess up!"
She hissed and pointed at the door.
"You three are no longer welcome here anymore. Now get out"
"B-b-but miss-"
Kidd tried to argue back but got hollered at instead
"I said get out NOW!" Cashmere slammed her hoof against the wall, leaving a large dent.
The three boys groaned in annoyance. Benedict angrily slammed the door shut after Tank and Kidd left the building.
"What a jerk!"
Tank complained as he stormed down the street.
"Just because our Pokemon like to battle doesn't mean she can treat us like that!"
"Yeah" Kidd sighed in defeat.
"Well, I guess we just need to move forward to the next city"
Benedict didn't move an inch
"Yeah, I don't think so."
"Huh?"
Kidd and Tank turned around.
"Y'all both saw what happened inside!" the bird ranted to his friends. He had fiery determination in his eyes
"I don't even care that I got kicked out! I NEED to win another battle so I have a chance against the gym leader!"
"Face it, Benedict" Tank tried to reason with him.
"You're just gonna have to tough the Gym Battle out with Torchic"
Benedict facepalmed into both hands
"I don't feel ready yet!"
he blurted out
"Heck, I didn't evolve either of my Pokemon yet…"
"Dude, just TRY it already" Tank begged him.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"Y'all is right" Benedict got determined
"Now follow me!"
He yelled as he sprinted towards the gym.
The bird swung the door wide open while his friends tagged along behind him.
The trio gasped in surprise from how gorgeous the place was. The first half of the gym was neatly arranged into a small museum. A few exhibits on the right side featured glittering rocks and minerals, while the left side had a glass display of the Hoenn region. The walls had plenty of fossils embedded in them. Some fossils resembled feathers or jaws, while others looked like a dome helmet or a mysterious swirl.
"Hey! Champ in the making!"
The trio turned around to face another animal: a brown monkey with a cream face and hands. He wore a long sleeved blue shirt with a white t-shirt layered over it, a matching blue cap, and green pants. A tag was attached to his cap, reading 'Porter' in shiny bronze gold.
"Welcome to the Rustboro Gym"
Porter ran up to the group with a friendly smile.
"So, tell me, which one of you lads is challenging the gym today?"
"That'd be me"
Benedict shook hands with him. "Can y'all tell us more about the Gym?"
"Why, I sure can!"
Porter bowed after the handshake. He pointed at the small museum as he explained to the new trainers
"This gym is both a dedicated museum and a fine battling place. See all the exhibits? Those belong to Coco, she's Rustboro's gym leader. She specializes in Rock-types, which are known for being very durable. BUT Rock-types don't do well against Grass, Water, or Fighting types. Oh, I almost forgot this-"
Porter pulled out a Fresh Water from a blue cooler and handed it to Benedict
"Here. Do you feel at home yet?"
The bird took the water bottle and stashed it in his backpack for later
"Sure do. Thanks so much, y'all!"
"It's no problem,"
the monkey assured him "You got this, champ!"
Benedict rushed through some of the exhibits and stopped at the end. He saw another trainer positioned near the Hoenn map— a brown hamster with interesting beige marks on his face. The short and stocky rodent wore a delightfully outdated outfit; a brown and orange poncho with a gold lunar necklace, acid-washed bell bottom pants, and chunky black platform shoes.
"You think you're tough enough to take on Coco?"
he called out to his opponent.
"Yeah, I know I am!"
Benedict shouted and grabbed a Poke Ball and tossed it in the air.
"Come on OUT, Ralts!"
Ralts delicately floated onto the museum floor, like a fairy landing in a field of flowers. He placed a hand on his chest, saluting like a prince.
"A Ralts huh? Well color me surprised. Geodude, come on out, thump!"
The hamster tossed a Poke Ball into the air and released his Pokemon; a brown boulder with a furious face and muscular arms. The rock Pokemon roared and flexed its arms.
"GEOOOO!"
Tank popped out from behind a Chargestone Cave exhibit. He turned his Rotom Phone on silent before scanning the unfamiliar Pokemon.
"Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. A rock and ground type. The longer a Geodude lives, the more its edges are chipped and worn away, making it more rounded in appearance. To their dismay, Geodude are frequently used by Rhyperior as cannon fodder."
Kidd whispered to his friend
"Well, at least he's not pitting Torchic against one of those"
"Yeah, he's just thinking with his gut, where you think with your heart"
Tank nodded as they watched the two animals battle.
Kidd scoffed and bonked Tank on the nose
"Just because I was nice to one girl doesn't mean I'm some casanova wannabe that hits on every Nurse Shizue in Hoenn!"
Tank rolled his eyes
"Sheesh, sorry!"
"Whatever. Let's just watch the fight"
Kidd turned his nose up.
The hamster squeaked at his Pokemon.
"Geodude, Tackle!"
Benedict punched the air with his left wing
"Ralts, Confusion!"
Ralts' helmet flipped upwards as he summoned magenta waves of energy. The burning pink light blasted through the air, glowing under the museum lights.
Geodude flinched as the waves flung its body backward, knocking it against one of the boulders.
"Not bad" The hamster called out.
He crossed his arms
"But even with your skill, Coco's light years ahead of you.
Geodude, Defense Curl!"
"Geo-DUDE!"
The Geodude curled itself into a tight ball, its skin hardening like a diamond from the pressure.
"Confusion again!"
Benedict cried out. He snapped his fingers "And aim for the gut!"
Despite the green helmet blocking his eyes, Ralts looked on in determination. His arms glowed purple as he blasted another pink energy ball at Geodude's underbelly, smiling to himself as the impact forced Geodude to uncurl and land on the ground with a heavy thud. Fortunately, the museum floors were built to withstand any Pokemon battling inside.
The rock Pokemon groaned pathetically, unable to get up.
"Aw man!"
the hamster sighed in disappointment. He picked his Geodude off the floor and returned him to his ball
"Well, congrats on the win! You think you can handle any more?"
"Oh, I know I can!"
Benedict beamed in confidence. He high fived the hamster
"Thanks for a good battle!"
"It's no problem. I can tell that you and Ralts are unstoppable"
The rodent grinned as he handed a few Poke Dollars to him.
After Benedict stashed the money in his pocket, he ran towards the other half of the gym. A larger animal, a brown elephant with shaggy long fur, blocked him in his path.
The elephant asked his challenger
"Think you got what it takes to take on Coco?"
Benedict gulped. This guy was at least twice his height! He looked closer at the elephant's face; unlike most elephants he saw back in Unova, this one had massive white tusks protruding from his face. The elephant wore an open grey blazer, white button-up shirt, black pants, white slippers and a yellow leopard-print necktie.
"I sure do! Y'alls friend was such a cakewalk"
Benedict flashed a cocky grin.
"Well let's see about THAT"
The elephant snorted.
"Geodude! Arise, fuzzers! ARISE!"
"Torchic, let's go!" Benedict tossed his Poke Ball up in the air.
Both trainers released their Pokemon for battle.
Benedict jumped up and shouted
"Torchic, Ember!"
The elephant pointed up in the air
"Geodude, Tackle!"
Geodude curled into a ball and catapulted itself through the air. Torchic yelped and coughed small flames as the other Pokemon threw him across the museum.
"Come on, buddy!" Benedict encouraged his Pokemon "Get back up and blast it with Ember!"
Torchic growled as he stood back up
"Torrrrrrr-"
He clawed at the ground, snarling at Geodude.
The elephant snorted
"Rock Throw!"
"Geooooo..."
Geodude held its hands above its head, summoning a large boulder in between its palms.
"DUDE!"
Geodude roared as it hurled the boulder through the air, effortlessly knocking over Torchic like a bowling pin. The rock exploded into dust, revealing that Torchic fell over from the impact, obviously unable to battle.
Benedict went quiet. His blood turned cold as he returned Torchic to his ball.
He shook his head clear, then released Ralts without a word.
Ralts cried out as it floated onto the floor, ready to battle again.
"Use Rollout!"
Geodude tightly curled into a ball. Its' body hardened as it rolled with incredible speed, darting through museum exhibits like a pinball in a pinball machine.
The rock type Pokemon hurled itself into the air, torpedoing onto Ralts like a falling bomb.
More dust exploded in the air, revealing that Ralts completely passed out from the attack.
Benedict jumped up in surprise. He felt like a Pelipper that flew into a swarm of furious Vikavolt. He looked down and shamefully returned Ralts to his ball.
"Sorry, man, but I win this battle!"
The elephant placed a hoof on his own chest, turning his head up in pride.
"No hard feelings, right?"
"Yeah, no hard feelings" Benedict sighed, looking away from the other trainer. Uncomfortable numbness flooded his body "Um, I need to head out"
He stuffed his Poke Balls into his backpack, clutched the straps then turned around and stormed out of the gym. His heart paced against his chest as he sprinted to the outskirts of Rustboro City. Somewhere near Route 104, his hair tie flew out, leaving his hair to carelessly flow in the wind.
"Benedict, wait!"
Tank cried out as he ran towards his friend.
Kidd sighed
"Hopefully he didn't run off too far…"
Benedict grabbed several rocks from the Petalburg Woods entrance. He stormed through the forest and found the tallest tree possible. He dropped the rocks near his feet. The bird glared at the tree in front of him. Anger flowed through his body, replacing the numbness. Why did that stupid Geodude have to sweep his team! Was he being too careless?!
He picked up a rock and chucked it at the tree, feeling relieved from the way the rock snapped some bark off.
He continued pelting the tree with each rock, calming down with each snap and shatter of the tree. Scraps of bark fell off, but in the end, it didn't matter to him. The only thing Benedict cared about was letting out his stress, away from his companions.
Until the final rock hit something completely different.
It wasn't bark, or leaves, or even dirt. It was a poor Ariados who crawled down to see the commotion. And then that last rock smacked it in the head, leaving a throbbing red bump. The bug-type hissed at this- this selfish prick! White foam dripped from its fangs, splattering against the grass and dissolving several patches into dirt.
Ariados' eyes glowed lime green as it spewed a white string from its horn. Benedict backflipped in an attempt to avoid the sticky string, but tripped on one of the rocks he threw earlier. The spider Pokemon successfully ensnared the trainer, yanking the remaining thread to tighten its grip.
Benedict tried to reach for his Poke Balls but with no avail. He shoved the balls in his backpack earlier, but his wings were tightly bound to his sides. So this is how his life ends, he thought. Not taking on the Champion, not sacrificing his life to save somebody else. Only becoming Ariados food...
Meanwhile, outsid of Petalburg Woods…
Tank and Kidd ran down Route 104, calling out for their friend in both directions.
"Benedict! Where are you?!"
"Come on Benedict! I know it sucks losing a battle but you can talk to us about it!"
The duo stopped when they heard yelling from inside the woods
"That's gotta be him"
Tank said before charging into the woods and stopping in his tracks. He picked up a red feather from the ground. It looked smooth and silky, just like Benedict's long red hair.
"Hey, wait a minute! I got an idea"
He released Poochyena from its ball.
"Alright Poochyena" he commanded his Pokemon as he held the red feather to its nose
"I want you to find this trainer by his scent. Can you do that, buddy?"
"Pooch!"
The dog Pokemon yipped in glee. He took the feather in his mouth and ran into the forest. Tank eagerly followed him while Kidd trailed through another path in the woods.
Somewhere in the heart of the Petalburg Woods….
Benedict wriggled around as the Ariados pulled his prey through most of the heavy woods. He tried to kick away the string, but failed due to the string's slippery coating. Leaves and branches smacked across both trainer and wild Pokemon. Ariados scaled up a tree and lept through the forest's canopies.
"Hey! Y'all don't wanna eat me!" Benedict shouted to the Pokemon.
"Trust me! Chickens ain't very tasty!"
But alas, Ariados was apathetic to its prey's shouting. Maybe the high energy would make it taste better?
It jumped to another tree before being stopped by some loud barking. More food?
The bug-type crawled down, still apathetic to Benedict's frantic yelling.
So this was the cause of the commotion- just a mere Poochyena. The wild Ariados hissed at the pesky pup.
"Hey, great job!"
Tank cheered as he ran up to his Pokemon.
His happy demeanor changed on a dime when he saw the Ariados furiously glaring at him.
"Hey! Let go of my friend already!"
"Ariiii…."
The spider Pokemon's fangs turned purple as it glared lower.
"Ados!"
It cried out as it bit at Poochyena, indigo goop dripping onto the tree's bark.
Poochyena backflipped and barely avoided the bite.
"Hey, you're getting the hang of it!"
Tank cheered his Pokemon on.
"Now, Poochyena, use Bite to break its string!"
Poochyena barked and shook his head no. Instead, he formed a small ball of fire in his mouth and swallowed it. The dark-type howled as it charged at Ariados' legs, clamping down with a more powerful bite. Flames shot off its jaws as it landed one last bite against its' abdomen.
Ariados hissed in pain from the burning bite. The sheer amount of strength forced its' string to break, freeing Benedict from its clutches. The spider Pokemon scuttled behind the tree and took off for another part of the woods.
Tank ran under a branch as Benedict fell through the air. He easily caught his friend, holding him with one arm under his knees and the other under his upper back. He lowered his arms to let his friend step down and shake any dirt, branches and leaves off.
"Thanks for savin' me!' Benedict smiled, blushing hard from being saved. He pushed some hair behind his shoulders
"Y'all wouldn't believe how rough it was out there"
"Aw it's no problem!"
Tank felt relieved. "I'm just glad you're okay"
Kidd finally reached his friends, panting heavily from all the running he had to do
"What'd…. what'd I miss?!"
"I was throwin' rocks to calm down, and" Benedict explained. "I accidentally hit this Ariados, an' it tried to kill me! So, Tank had to come in an' fight it off with his Poochyena"
Tank kneeled down and picked up his Poochyena
"Yeah, he was a good boy. Weren't you?"
Poochyena yipped in joy, overcome with praise.
"Well I just found an easy route back to Petalburg" Kidd pointed at a small clearing in the endless sea of trees.
"You guys still wanna head back to Route 104?"
"Sure!"
Tank picked up his Poochyena.
"Yeah. I kinda need to heal my Pokemon"
Benedict awkwardly chuckled. "An' to get a rematch against that guy"
"Then let's go"
Kidd turned around and pointed at the clearing.
"Follow me!"
The trio headed through the familiar woods, no annoying Nincada or more aggressive Ariados to harass them through the way. Amazingly enough, Tank didn't bother trying to catch a single Pokemon. Once heading out of the woods, they looked around so their eyes could get used to the glaring sun again.
Kidd walked to the Pretty Petal Flower Shop while his friends tagged along. He knocked twice on the door
"Come on in!"
a voice called out to him.
He slowly opened the door and walked into the flower shop. The trio looked around at the calming aesthetics of the store; a dozen tables with various colorful flowers and shrubs propped up on top. A TV played in the corner. A grey bear with blond curls stood next to a cream serpentine Pokemon with vivid pink and blue scales on its tail. The announcer's voice boomed across the flower shop
"And Klaus Zeusian of Sootopolis City wins today's Beauty Contest! This is his twenty ninth contest victory as of this year, but certainly not the last one he'll have"
"Hello, hello!"
Leif happily greeted the boys with a smile that could warm even the coldest Ice-type.
"I'm so glad to see you three could arrive at my happy little store"
"So what all do y'all sell here?"
Benedict asked him.
"Glad you asked!"
The sloth was still as perky as ever.
"I sell all sorts of plants! Berries, trees, flowers, you name it"
"What about that plant?"
Tank pointed at the corner of the brown and green counter. A small round blue and green Pokemon slept peacefully on top, a snot bubble inflating and deflating from its face.
"Oh no no no"
Leif shook his head. "My happy little Oddish is not for sale, thank you very much!"
Kidd walked over to one of the plants and gently felt the leaf. Maybe gardening was his call, he thought to himself! He could have Mudkip do the watering, some Ground-types for tilling soil, an Electric-type to fend off any Bug or Flying types, a Fire-type to use Sunny Day to make things grow…
"Y'all got any good plants that could help for battlin'?"
Benedict asked the shop owner.
"Well, not quite plants, young man, but I have these"
Leif bent down to pull out five Oran and three Sitrus Berries from a basket. He gingerly placed them on the counter.
"If you give these Pokemon Berries to hold before battle, they'll restore their health in a pinch" the sloth explained to the new trainers.
Benedict looked down at the berries. He held one of the Sitrus Berries in his hands. Maybe this could help him bounce back in battle; have his Pokemon eat one in a pinch. That'll show that trainer he faced off against in the gym!
"How much is all this?"
he asked Leif.
"Just twenty-five happy little Poke Dollars please"
Leif closed his eyes and calmly smiled. The sloth clasped his hands together, his long claws pressed against the backs of his paws.
The two boys looked at each other, nodded, then Benedict handed over the Pokedollars.
Leif cheerfully thanked the duo while they gathered their berries.
"Hey, Kidd! We're done here, y'all want five more minutes?"
Benedict called out to his friend.
Kidd rushed back to the duo.
"No, I'm fine, thanks"
"Alright"
Tank waved to Leif
"Seeya later!"
"Take care now, boys!"
Leif waved back as the trio left the small store.
"Hey, look!"
Kidd pointed next to the store. Several small trees grew in a brown patch of soil.
The trio walked over to the trees to check them out. Tank leaned down to read the small sign
"Please help yourself to more happy little berries- Leif Ross"
"Don't mind if I do!"
Benedict said as he picked off a few berries from the tree. He grabbed three pink heart-shaped berries and two round red berries with long green stems.
Kidd looked at the berries and held one in his hoof. It felt firm, not quite ready to pick.
"Hmm..."
"Y'all thinkin' of somethin'?"
Benedict asked his friend after he finished grabbing some goods.
"What?"
Kidd shook his head. He blushed angrily and looked over at the flower shop instead
"No!"
"Sheesh, sorry I asked"
Benedict shrugged and rolled his eyes
"Hey, where'd Tank run off to?"
The duo looked over next to them. Huh, where DID he go?
Tank crept through the foliage, parting the grass to take a better look at a wild Pokemon. Treecko sat on his left shoulder, watching for any funny business.
"Come on..." he whispered as he watched a wild Wingull perch on a boulder. He grabbed an empty Poke Ball and hurled it over the grass, watching as it whacked Wingull in the face.
"Gull!"
Wingull yelped and smacked the ball away into another field. It flew off to the Rustboro outskirts, looking around for something important. Tank and Treecko chased the stray Poke Ball, finding that it had captured another Pokemon instead.
Tank picked up the Poke Ball and scanned it with his Rotom Dex
"Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon. A grass-type. If it senses danger, it scatters spores from the top of its head to protect itself. Trainers in the Unova region love using its spores for more recreational purposes"
"Recreational purposes, huh?" Tank asked to himself. "Hey, I should bug Benedict about that!"
"THERE you are!"
Kidd cried out as he ran towards the patch of grass.
Tank popped out from the field
"Oh, hi guys!" he waved. "Guess what, I was trying to catch a Wingull, but I got a Shroomish instead!"
The trio turned around to face an angry voice yelling through the route.
"Oh, there's the jerk who's tried to steal my Wingull!"