Chapter two is finally here my readers! First and foremost, I would like to apologize to those who were waiting for this chapter. I am trying to follow the update order I have set up in my profile and real life problems get in the way of writing. I just want to say that I am trying the best I can to get these chapters written and posted as fast as I possibly can. Furthermore, as I mention in my previous updates, I will be writing a new fanfic due to the request of a stubborn friend of mine. I hope that you will look forward to that as I will do my best as I have with my other fanfics. Now on with the chapter!
Chapter Two: Nidoking of the Forest
Times are peaceful in the town of Hemlock, a week after the retirement of their previous gym leader and the inauguration of their newest. Many of the townspeople were happy with their new gym leader, especially when they see him training hard with his pokemon and taking his position seriously. Others, however, have their doubts as he was still a new trainer whether he passed the trial or not. Some even wonder if the previous gym leader let him pass because he was his grandson but those doubts were quickly relieved.
Inside the Hemlock gym, Ryan was currently standing on one end of the battlefield with Nauxeon crouched in front of him. On the other end of the battlefield was a teenage boy with short brown hair and eyes. He wore a white t-shirt under a green vest, brown pants, and white shoes.
On the battlefield in front of him was a green pokemon that resembles a spider. It has black eyes with white pupils, a white horn on its forehead, and a pair of red mandibles. On the back of its abdomen are two black dots and a line that resembles a face. There is an additional line encircling the end of its abdomen. It has three pairs of yellow legs, each with a black band around the middle.
"Spinarak, use Poison Sting!" The teen ordered as the spider pokemon began to fire numerous glowing needles from its mouth.
"Deflect them with iron tail, Nauxeon!" Ryan countered, Naxeon giving his trainer nod before jumping towards the needles. Nauxeon's tail glowled before swinging it at the needles and knocking them away.
"String Shot!" Spinarak spewed out a long sticky thread that wrapped itself around Naxueon's tail. "Great, now reel it in!"
"Nauxeon, lift Spinarak and spin!" Ryan called out as the spider pokemon started pulling Nauxeon towards it.
"Naux!" With a powerful pull of his tail, Nauxeon lifted Spinarak off the ground before spinning as fast as he could.
Spinarak gave out weak cries with each rotation Nauxeon made. One could see that the spider pokemon's eyes were spirals showing that it was getting dizzy.
"Spinarak!" The spider pokemon's trainer called out in concern.
"Now toss it!" At Ryan's command, Nauxeon flicked his tail and tossed Spinarak into the air. "Finish it with Shadow Ball!"
"Nauxeon!" The poison Eeveelution opened his mouth wide as a black ball of energy formed. With a flick of his head, Nauxeon tossed it at Spinarak, which exploded upon impact.
"Spinarak, no!" Both trainers watched as the spider pokemon fell out of the smoke cloud the explosion made and hit the ground.
The referee quickly ran over to the fallen spider pokemon to inspect its condition. Spinarak gave a weak cry, spirals for eyes, before the referee raised his red flag towards Ryan. "Spinarak is unable to battle, Nauxeon is the winner!"
"Way to go, Nauxeon!" Ryan said cheerfully, kneeling down as his starter walked over to him and patted his head. "You and the others are getting stronger everyday."
"Nauxeon." Eeveelution replied, enjoying the attention his trainer was giving him.
"Spinarak, return." The spider pokemon returned his fallen pokemon to its pokeball before smiling down at it. "You did great, take a good rest."
"Thanks for being my training partner today, Keith." Ryan said appreciatively as he and Nauxeon walked over to the defeated trainer.
"No problem." Keith nodded in response as he pocketed Spinarak's pokeball. "Gotta help our town's new gym leader any way we can."
"I still have a long way to go." Ryan rubbed the back of his head, blushing modestly at being called gym leader. He looked around the gym as he recalled all the gym battles his grandfather had. "I may not be able to go on a journey, but this is still one step closer to my dream."
"Naux." Nauxeon nodded his head in agreement, his tail flicking excitedly.
"We should head to the pokemon center and get our pokemon looked at." Ryan said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two shrunken pokeballs. "They must be really tired after battling all day."
"Good idea." Keith nodded in agreement, moving to stand beside the ten year old gym leader as they walked to the entrance of the battlefield. "So what are your plans after this, Ryan?"
"Not sure yet." Ryan shrugged as they left the battlefield and walked down the halls of the gym. "I was thinking of checking the gym's circuitry for any faulty wiring." As if to prove his point, when they reached the front of the gym, the automatic doors didn't slide open for a few moments. "See, that would inconvenience challengers if the doors don't open."
"Yeah, that would." Keith sweatdropped when the doors did open and they walked out.
"He's doing his best." The moment they stepped out of the gym, Ryan and Keith saw two elderly men conversing with each other. "Don't you think you're judging him a bit too soon?"
"I'm just saying we should have waited until he had more experience as a trainer."
"Ryan has proven himself worthy of being our town's gym leader, though."
"Sounds like they're talking about you, Ryan." Keith said softly, Ryan nodding as they continued to listen to the two elderly men, unaware that they had listeners.
"He may have passed the trial, but it doesn't change the fact he lacks experience."
"He'll gain experience if given time."
"What if he's not ready when a challenger finally comes to the gym?"
"Don't forget that Ryan's been training hard since becoming our gym leader."
"And that's good, but I'm thinking about what if he gets nervous. He's never battled against someone outside of our town and they'll have pokemon that aren't poison types."
"Well, when you put it that way…"
"Let's go, Nauxeon." Ryan muttered, getting a worried look from his starter as he walked down the road to the pokemon center. The ten year old was a little sad to hear some people doubting his abilities as a gym leader, but he understood why they felt that way. 'It's not like I didn't know I lack experience as a trainer.'
"Don't let them get to you, Ryan." Keith said reassuringly, patting the younger boy on the back. "They're just old guys who don't understand all the hard work you put in."
"I know that, it's to be expected." Ryan replied as the giant red P on the pokemon center's roof came into view. He gave the older trainer a carefree smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "I did become a gym leader the same day I became a trainer, it's natural that people had some doubts."
"Are you sure, Ryan?" Keith asked, not believing for a moment that the young gym leader was unaffected by the elderly men's words. "Don't you feel a little upset?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." Ryan replied as they stepped into the pokemon center, looking down at Nauxeon to see the worry on his starters face. Ryan just gave a reassuring smile and patted Naxeon on the head. "It just shows I need to work harder until they accept me as gym leader."
"Welcome to the pokemon center." Nurse Joy greeted the two trainers as they approached the front desk. "What can I do for you today?"
"Can you check our pokemon, Nurse Joy?" Keith politely asked, pulling out Spinarak's pokeball and setting it on the counter.
"We just finished a practice match." Ryan added, pulling two of his own pokeballs while Nauxeon jumped onto the counter. "Can you see if they're okay?"
"Of course." Nurse Joy nodded, taking the pokeballs as a gurney is rolled over by a pink, ovoid Pokémon with stubby arms and dark pink feet. It has tiny eyes and three hair-like growths on each side of its head. The tufts of hair have dark pink tips. On the center of its belly is a dark pink pouch that contains a single white egg. "Chansey, can you take Nauxeon in for a check-up?"
"Chansey." The egg pokemon raised a stubby arm in affirmation as Nauxeon jumped onto the gurney. Nurse Joy set the pokeballs next to Nauxeon before Chansey wheeled the gurney into the operating room.
"We'll call you when we finish checking your pokemon." Nurse Joy told the two trainers before following Chansey into the operating room. She stopped at the doors slide open when a thought crossed her. "Come to think of it, a lot of pokemon have been getting hurt lately."
"What do you mean, Nurse Joy?" Ryan asked, he and Keith shared looks of confusion until another Chansey rushed a gurney past them. Ryan knew right away that on the gurney was a badly injured Victreebel. "What happened to that Victreebel?"
"It seems like a Nidoking is responsible." Nurse Joy replied, placing a hand on her cheek as a worried look was on her face. "It's been attacking any pokemon it finds in the Hemlock Forest."
"But why is it attacking pokemon?" Keith asked, confused as to why no one in the town was talking about it.
"No one knows for sure." Nurse Joy replied as another gurney with an Ariados wheeled past her. "The mayor decided to keep this a secret until Officer Jenny can figure out why."
With that said, Nurse Joy quickly went into the operating room to begin her duty as a pokemon nurse. Ryan and Keith decided to get something to eat in the pokemon center's cafeteria while they waited for their pokemon. While Keith ate his sandwich, Ryan just poked at his salad with his fork as he stared out the window. All his life, Ryan's loved poison pokemon and wanted to learn all he can about them. The thought of a poison pokemon attacking without reason didn't sit right with him no matter how many times he thought about it.
"I wonder why a Nidoking would just attack out of the blue like that." Ryan said thoughtfully, setting his fork down and resting his chin on his palm.
"Do you think it could be a territorial dispute?" Keith asked, finishing his sandwich and wiping any crumps off his mouth.
"Could be." Ryan lifted his head off his palm and faced Keith, his salad all but forgotten. "But it doesn't explain why it's still attacking the pokemon."
"Maybe you could find out." Keith suggested, getting a surprised look from the young gym leader. He got to his feet and held up a clenched fist, getting curious looks from other trainers in the cafeteria. "This is your chance to show everyone that you deserve the position of Hemlock Town's gym leader!"
"What do you mean this is my chance?" Ryan asked, feeling unnerved by the stares they were getting. "Let's not do anything rash."
"A lot of people clearly don't see the hard work you put in everyday, Ryan." Keith said sternly, lightly poking the young gym leader on the forehead. He leaned closer to Ryan until their faces were inches apart. "I've been working part-time at the gym for a while now, so I've seen all the training sessions you have with your pokemon."
"You're blowing this out of proportions just a bit." Ryan said, leaning back as far as his seat would allow. He felt a little uncomfortable by the stern glare Keith was giving him. "Everyone just needs time to adjust, that's all."
"So what you're saying is that it's alright that all those poison pokemon are getting hurt?" Ryan flinched when Keith suddenly backed away and pointed at Ryan. "While officer Jenny is wasting time trying to find the reason behind Nidoking's actions, it's still out there hurting more pokemon as we speak." Keith slammed both his hands on the table, causing the plates that held their food to clatter. "I thought you were aiming to be the world's greatest poison master, are you really gonna sit back and let a poison pokemon's name be dragged through the mud?"
"Well…" Ryan looked down thoughtfully, unsure of what he should do. He wanted to help, but the earlier conversation of the two elderly men flooded his thoughts. 'Maybe I'm not ready to be a gym leader.'
"Ryan, Keith?" The two trainers faced Nurse Joy as she approached them, holding a tray with their pokeballs and Nauxeon walking beside her. "I'm happy to announce that both of your pokemon have made a full recovery."
"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Keith said gratefully as he took Spinarak's pokeball while Nauxeon happily jumped into Ryan's arms. "We trainers would be lost without you."
"It was nothing." Nurse Joy gave Keither a smile before turning her attention to Ryan who ran his hand through Nauxeon's fur. She held out the tray that held Ryan's two pokeballs that contained his Grimer and Ariados. "You've done a wonderful job raising your pokemon, Ryan."
"You think so?" Ryan asked as he took his pokeballs and stared at them.
"Of course." Nurse Joy nodded her head, crouching down and setting the tray on her lap. She raised a hand and lifted Ryan's head so she could look him in the eye. "As I looked over your pokemon, I could tell you've raised them with tender care." She then patted him on the head and gave him a bright smile. "That's all I need to know you're turning out to be a good gym leader."
"A good gym leader, me?" Ryan looked back down to his pokeballs then to Nauxeon, who was rubbing his head against his leg affectionately.
It was true, Ryan always treated his pokemon with the greatest care when he trained with them. He made sure they didn't push themselves too hard and had healthy meals everyday. He even tries his best to find time to just relax and play with his pokemon after training. Never since becoming a trainer did Ryan mistreat his pokemon and he showed them that he would always be there for them. When he thought about the other poison pokemon getting hurt, Ryan couldn't bear to just stand to the side. He could never know if any of them could be the next pokemon he caught, but Ryan knew he couldn't worry about trivial matters such as if he was worthy of being gym leader.
"I've decided." Ryan suddenly said, getting the attention of Keith, Nurse Joy, and Nauxeon as he got to his feet. He clenched the pokeballs containing Grimer and Ariados before walking towards the pokemon center entrance. "I'm gonna stop that Nidoking and find out what's going on."
"Hold it." Ryan looked over his shoulder as the door opened to see Keith running after him with Nauxeon. He jabbed a thumb against his chest and gave Ryan a confident grin. "Don't think you're leaving me out of the action."
"Nauxeon." The young gym leader's starter nodded in agreement, his tail flicking back and forth.
"Thanks, I could use the backup." Ryan gave Keither a grateful smile and patted Nauxeon on the head. "And thank you Nauxeon, I know you'll always have my back."
"Naux." Nauxeon nodded his head again as he and the two trainers made their way to the Hemlock forest, unaware that they were being followed.
Ryan and Keith followed Nauxeon as he carefully scanned the area for oncoming threats. The poison eeveelution's ears twitched with each sound heard. Ryan and Keith also kept their eyes peeled as they looked around for the Nidoking and other pokemon. They jumped when the occasional pokemon popped out of the bushes but continued their search. Following close behind them were a few of the townspeople, two of which were the elderly talking about Ryan earlier.
They overheard a few trainers talking about Ryan's decision to go after the Nidoking and decided to follow. They may not be trainers, but it's an adults duty to make sure that the children of their town stay safe. While they have doubts about Ryan's ability as a trainer, that didn't mean they didn't care about him. They are just worried that the position of gym leader might get to Ryan's head.
"I know it's too late to ask this." Keith said, looking nervous as he's never gone so far into the Hemlock forest before. "But do we even know where the Nidoking is right now?"
"That's why Nauxeon is leading us." Ryan replied, his resolve unwavering as he kept his eyes forward. He smiled down at his starter who smiled back at him before returning to his task. "The moment Nauxeon hears Nidoking, he'll lead us right to it."
"Nauxeon." The poison pokemon was glad that his trainer entrusted him was such an important task. "Naux?" Nauxeon's ear perked up when they caught a distinct sound before looking back to Ryan. "Nauxeon!"
"You found it?" Ryan asked, getting a nod of affirmation from Nauxeon and nodding back. "Lead the way."
With that said, Nauxeon sprinted forth deeper into the forest, Ryan and Keith close behind. Seeing the sudden dash, the townspeople were quick to run after them, the younger men carrying the two elderly men. Due to Ryan always going into the forest to play with the poison pokemon, he expertly weaved over and under the uprooted tree roots. Keither had a tougher time, but was able to stay behind Ryan. The townspeople, on the other hand, were having far more difficulty and almost lost track of the two trainers.
Nauxeon quickly stopped before a brush of bushes and crouched down. Ryan caught up and did the same with Keith following soon after. Using his tail, Nauxeon pointed past the bushes with Ryan and Keith looking past them. Standing guard in front of a cave in a cliff face was a large, bipedal, purple Pokémon with distinct reptilian features. It has narrow eyes, large, spiny ears, fur-like tufts on its cheeks, and a short snout filled with pointed teeth. There is a long, venomous horn on its forehead and a ridge of spines down its back. Gray plates cover its chest and belly, and there is a gray, rounded spine on each elbow. Each hand has three claws, while each foot has only a single hoof-like nail. It has a long, powerful tail.
"There it is, Nidoking." Ryan said softly, being careful not to raise his voice and alerting the drill pokemon. He then took notice of the drill pokemon's size and his eyes sparkled with excitement. "And it's bigger than a normal Nidoking, how did it get to that size?"
"Hey, stay focused." Keith lightly bopped the young gym leader in the head while Naxueon sighed. "We're supposed to be investigating, remember?"
"Right, right." Ryan nodded, laughing sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head. "I can't help it."
"We know." Keith rolled his eyes, though a small smile was on his face.
"Nauxeon." Both trainers looked down at Nauxeon and saw he was pointing his tail at Nidoking.
Ryan and Keith shared a confused look before looking to where Nauxeon was pointing. The two trainers saw an insectoid pokemon whose body is varying shades of purple flying over towards the Nidoking. Its head and thorax are light purple, and it has bulbous, round light blue eyes, a small mandible, and a three-point crest on its head. Tucked close to its thorax are three pairs of tiny, whitish legs. Its abdomen is paler with several black, zigzagging stripes encircling it. It has two pairs of pale purple moth-like wings with thin black venation.
"It's a Venomoth." Keith and Nauxeon sighed when they heard the excitement in Ryan's voice and knew what was coming. "The tiny scales on its wings disperse various spores when they're flapped and make contact with the skin!"
Keith was about to scold Ryan again when the Nidoking saw the Venomoth fly by. It suddenly had an angry look on its face and let out a powerful roar before charging towards the Venomoth. Ryan and Keith were surprised by the sudden change in behavior as Nidoking raised a fist that suddenly burst into flames. Without thinking, Ryan jumped out of the bushes, Nauxeon quickly followed his trainer and got in between Nidoking and the Venomoth.
"Nauxeon, Shadow Ball!" Ryan ordered and Nauxeon formed the ghost-type move before tossing it towards Nidoking. The drill pokemon punched the ball of energy with its flaming fist, causing an explosion that scared the Venomoth away. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Nidoking was glaring at Ryan and Nauxeon. "Stop Nidoking, why are you doing this?"
"Ryan, that's dangerous!" Keith moved to assist Ryan when a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. "Let go!" Keith turned to face whoever was restraining him to see the townspeople that followed them. "You lot, why're you here?"
"I'm sure you have your reasons, Nidoking." Keith looked back to see that Ryan's hands were tightly clenched into fists. "But attacking other pokemon is wrong!"
"Is he really trying to talk things out?" The elder man that doubted Ryan's ability as gym leader shook his head. "This is what I was talking about earlier, he's not ready to be a trainer let alone a gym leader."
"Although." Everyone behind the bushes turned their attention to a townswoman who was watching Ryan. "Doesn't this situation remind you of six years ago?"
*Flashback*
The sound of panicked screams fills the air as the townspeople of Hemlock Town try to escape an out of control Nidoking. Its roar reverberates as it stomps around the stone paved road, releasing powerful orange beams randomly. The beams destroyed everything they came into contact with whether it be houses, fountains, or other man-made structures.
"Evacuate the civilians!" Officer Jenny shouted, blowing into a whistle as she guided the panicked townspeople in a single file line.
"Yes ma'am!" The officers under Jenny's command began guiding people in a similar fashion.
"Ryan, where are you?!" Ryan's grandfather looked around the crowd gathering within the gym for safe keeping.
Unnoticed by the worried grandfather, the four year old Ryan was already outside the gym, watching the destruction the Nidoking was making. In his arms was a brown pokemon egg with a lighter shade brown zigzag pattern in the middle. Ryan watched in awe and fear at the power Nidoking was showing with each move it used. The young boy couldn't help but notice the pain hidden beneath all the rage in the drill pokemon's eyes. Mind made up, the boy ran in the direction of the rampaging pokemon.
"Please remain calm, everyone!" Officer Jenny continued to guide the townspeople, keeping one eye on the rampaging Nidoking. It was then she noticed a young boy carrying a pokemon egg running opposite of the townspeople. "Hey, it's dangerous that way!"
"Ryan, what's he doing?!"
"Someone stop him!"
"Before he gets trampled!"
"Nidoking, stop!" Ryan called out, halting another attack from Nidoking who was now glaring at the boy running towards it.
Ryan never took his eyes off Nidoking's, who was now growling at the young boy. He took a step forward and Nidoking gave a warning growl. There was indeed pain in the drill pokemon's eyes hidden under the rage it was exhibiting. Even though he was scared, Ryan wanted to know why the pokemon in front of him was in pain. Hiding his fear and taking a deep breath, Ryan took another step forward while Nidoking stepped back. This continued with the townspeople watching on anxiously. Ryan's grandfather came out of the gym in time to see his grandson reaching a hand out to the drill pokemon.
Ryan never broke eye contact with Nidoking as he rested his hand on the drill pokemon's leg. Nidoking twitched at the physical contact and raised an arm to attack much to the horror of those watching. Ryan just smiled and slowly ran his hand over the drill pokemon's leg in a soothing manner. Nidoking halted its attack at the feel of the human boy's hand and watched curiously.
"Are you calm now?" Ryan asked, patting the drill pokemon's leg and smiled up at Nidoking. He continued to pet Nidoking as it lowered its arm. "That's a nice Nidoking."
"I can't believe what I'm seeing."
"Ryan's calming Nidoking down."
"You're in pain, aren't you?" Ryan's question caught many of the townspeople off guard as he stepped back. "Can you show me, maybe I can help."
Tilting its head curiously, Nidoking lifted its right foot, worrying the townspeople again. Ryan crouched slightly and tilted his head to get a better look. The four year old carefully inspected every inch of the drill pokemon's foot until he found the source of its pain. Ryan reached up and gave a strong tug getting a roar of pain from Nidoking. The townspeople prepared to come to Ryan's rescue when the roaring stopped. Nidoking looked down at its foot when it no longer felt pain and saw Ryan holding up a thorn. The drill pokemon looked back and forth from the thorn to the smiling boy before staring at Ryan. It let out a happy roar and the licked the boy getting a laugh in response much to the shock of those watching.
*End of Flashback*
The roar of Nidoking brought the hidden townspeople and Keith out of their reminiscence. When they looked back, they saw the drill pokemon charging towards Ryan and Nauxeon. Nidoking swung its tail at the young gym leader and his starter, making them jump apart to dodge. Nidoking charged towards Nauxon and raised a fist that burst into flames.
"Nauxeon, use Double Team!" Ryan quickly ordered, getting a nod from his starter as he crouched slightly.
Nauxeon glowed briefly before splitting into multiple Nauxeon that surrounded Nidoking. The drill pokemon halted its charge, looking around at the copies. The flames around Nidoking's fist dispersed and a large amount of yellow sparks crackled off its body becoming surrounded in yellow electricity. It then released a massive blast of yellow electricity from its body at the copies. Each copy vanished after being hit by the electric bolts until the real Nauxeon let out a cry of pain when he got hit.
"Nauxeon!" Ryan watched in worry as Nauxeon collapsed, yellow sparks crackling off his body. Nidoking slowly approached as Nauxeon struggled to stand back up. "Quick, use Shadow Ball!"
Nauxeon jumped into the air as he formed the ghost-type move and split it into four before releasing them. Nidoking's claws gained a green hue before jumping after Nauxeon and slashing at the spheres of black energy. Nauxeon tried to twist his body out of the way, but it was difficult due to being in the air. Nidoking roared as it slashed the final Shadow Ball and struck Nauxeon.
"That Nidoking's strong." Keith muttered under his breath, seeing the worry on Ryan's face as Nauxeon plummeted to the ground. "None of Nauxeon's attacks seem to have affected it."
"He should just give up." The elderly man said as he turned his head away, unable to watch anymore of what looks to be a losing battle. "As I thought, Ryan isn't ready to be a gym leader, he has a lot to learn as a trainer."
"You don't know anything, old man." Keith gave the elder a side glare before turning his attention back to the battle. Nauxeon fought to stand again while Ryan watched on with a conflicting look on his face. "Ryan's going to win this, just you watch."
"Nauxeon, you can't take much more of this." Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pokeball and expanded it. "Get some rest, return!" The pokeball released a red beam at Nauxeon, who jumped out of the way. "Nauxeon, get inside the pokeball!"
"Nauxeon!" The poison eeveelution fiercely shook his head in denial, his tail pointing at Nidoking then to Ryan. "Nauxeon, eon naux naux nauxeon!"
"Nauxeon." Ryan lowered the pokeball as Nauxeon continued to rant at him. The young gym leader knew that his starter was trying to tell him something, but couldn't understand what.
Despite his injuries, the fur on Nauxeon's back became spiky and fires multiple purple needles from it at Nidoking. The drill pokemon brought an arm to block the needles, not expecting Nauxeon to jump over and get behind it. Nauxeon quickly turned around as he formed an Iron Tail and struck Nidoking in the back of the legs. Ryan, Keith, and the townspeople watched in surprise as Nidoking finally fell to the ground.
"Nauxeon, that maneuver." Ryan muttered in disbelief as Nauxeon got in front of him. The poison never took his eyes off Nidoking as it got back up.
"No way." Keith was in equal shock as Ryan, getting curious looks from the townspeople. "They never practiced that yet."
"What are you going on about?" The elderly man asked impatiently, not understanding what's got the teen trainer so shocked. "Some details would be nice."
"That was a maneuver Ryan and Nauxeon were still developing." Keith explained, noticing that Nauxeon was giving Nidoking a warning growl. "It was meant to use Poison Sting as a distraction so Nauxeon can get behind and attack the opponent."
"You said they never practiced it, right?" A townswoman asked, getting a nod from Keith as she looked towards Ryan and Nauxeon. "Nauxeon must have trusted Ryan so much that it willingly used a maneuver without any practice."
"Can you still battle, Nauxeon?" Ryan asked, knowing that his starter must be feeling tired right now. Nauxeon just looked back and Ryan and nodded his head, wanting to continue battling with his trainer. Ryan nodded back and faced Nidoking, determination burning in both their eyes. "Alright, use Double Team!"
"What's he thinking?!" The elderly man shouted as Nauxeon made copies of himself again. Didn't he learn the first time?!"
"Of course he did." Keith and the townspeople were startled by the new voice and looked back to see Ryan's grandfather approaching them. "My grandson knows what he's doing."
"Now use Shadow Ball!" At Ryan's command, Nauxeon and his copies formed the balls of black energy.
Nidoking's body crackled with electricity again and released a massive blast of yellow electricity from its body at the copies. Each copy once again vanished after being hit until only the real Nauxeon remained. The bolt of electricity seemingly struck the poison eeveelution causing the townspeople to jump up from their hiding place. They and Nidoking were shocked to see that it wasn't Nauxeon that was hit, but the Shadow Ball that was now sparking with electricity.
"Iron Tail!" Ryan called out, getting a nod from Nauxeon as his tail began to glow and tossed the electrically charged ghost-type move into the air.
Nauxeon used that last of his strength to jump after the Shadow Ball, doing a few front flips before striking the ghost-type move. The Shadow Ball soared through the air at incredible speed as A light blue ball formed on Nidoking's horn. Then, multiple light blue beams were released, stopping the Shadow Ball and freezing it. Nidoking punched the frozen Shadow Ball, shattering it and was shocked when Nauxeon was in front of it. Nauxeon gave a cry as he slammed his Iron Tail onto Nidoking's head.
Nidoking collapsed to the ground from the force of the attack and Nauxeon backflipped away to stand in front of Ryan. The poison eeveelution was breathing hard from all the damage he's sustained. Nidoking pushed itself back up, not willing to be defeated so easily, growling at Ryan and Nauxeon. A roar was heard, not from Nidoking, sounding concerned as another pokemon came out of the cave.
Standing outside the cave was a large, bipedal blue pokemon similar in appearance to Nidoking. Its body is encased with extremely hard scales that seem to serve as protection from any attack. It has a blunt snout, narrow brown eyes, and large ears with brown insides. There is a small horn on its forehead, a single spine on each ear, and a line of toxic spikes running down the length of its back. Each hand has three short claws and each foot has two claws. Its lower jaw, the front of its abdomen, and two plates on its chest are cream-colored. It has a thick, powerful tail.
"A Nidoqueen?" Ryan said questioningly, him and Nauxeon sharing looks of confusion. They watched as Nidoqueen approached Nidoking and they began to converse with each other. "I wonder what they're saying."
Tilting his head curiously, Nauxeon limped over to the two drill pokemon, getting a warning growl from Nidoking. Ignoring the growl, the poison eeveelution addressed Nidoqueen, asking what was going on. While Nidoqueen responded to Nauxeon, Ryan slowly approached the three poison-types. Nidoking quickly got in front of Nidoqueen, ignoring its own injuries, and glared at the young gym leader.
"It's alright, Nidoking." Ryan said placatingly, holding his hands up to show he didn't have anything harmful. "We don't have to fight anymore." He got on one knee and slowly removed his backpack. "After seeing Nidoqueen's concern, I can only guess that you were only trying to protect her, right?"
Nidoking watched the human boy carefully as he slowly removed his backpack and set it in front of him. The drill pokemon cautiously approached the backpack and sniffed it but smelled nothing. Nidoking watched the boy reach into the backpack and pulled out a bottle that it knew was a healing item trainers use on pokemon. The two drill pokemon shared a look, conversing with their eyes before nodding in mutual agreement. They then got behind Ryan and started to nudge him into the cave with Nauxeon close behind.
Keith and the townspeople made to chase after them until Ryan's grandfather stepped in their way. "Hold on, let's just wait here and see what happens."
Ryan and Nauxeon looked around the cave cautiously as Nidoking and Nidoqueen guided them down the corridor. Nauxeon kept all his senses on high alert and was prepared to protect his trainer at a moment's notice. They eventually reached a large room filled with many pink and light blue pokemon. Ryan knew right away that they were Nidorino and Nidorina, the pre-evolve forms of Nidoking and Nidoqueen respectively. He noticed that a large group of them were gathered in a single spot with looks of concern. Looking up at Nidoking and getting a nod, Ryan approached the group, being careful not to step on any of the other pokemon. When he got to the concerned Nidorino and Nidorina, Ryan saw a pair of sickly looking pokemon laying on a pile of leaves.
On the left is a small, quadrupedal, rodent-like pokemon. It is pinkish purple with darker patches. It has large, spiny ears with teal insides, oversized front teeth, and red eyes. Ryan knew that this pokemon was a male Nidoran, the pokemon that eventually evolves into Nidoking.
On the right is a small, quadrupedal, rodent-like pokemon. It has large, spiny ears; oversized front teeth; red eyes; and a pair of whiskers on each cheek. It is light blue with several darker blue spots. There are two white claws on each of its paws. Its back is covered with small toxic spines, and it has a small forehead horn. Ryan also knew that this pokemon was a female Nidoran, the pokemon that eventually evolves into Nidoqueen.
"Is this why you were attacking the pokemon?" Ryan asked, looking over his shoulder to Nidoking before feeling both the Nidorans heads. "That's a high fever, they need medicine." He looked towards Nauxeon, who already had his backpack dangling on his tail. "Thanks, Nauxeon."
Nidoking and Nidoqueen watch Ryan carefully as he takes out a small mortar, pestle, and a few plants. They watched curiously as the boy began to grind the plants into a paste while Nauxeon kept an eye on the condition of the two Nidoran. Ryan nodded in satisfaction and reached into his backpack again to pull out a bottle of water and a small container. He popped the lid open to reveal it was filled with pokemon food that was softened and mixed some of the paste into it.
"Alright, hope it hides the bitter taste." Ryan muttered until his breath as he took out a spoon and scooped some of the pokemon food. He held the spoon out towards the female Nidoran while the surrounding pokemon watched anxiously. "Here you go, this'll make you feel better faster."
The female Nidoran weakly lifted its head to sniff the food on the spoon before opening its mouth and taking a small bite. Ryan and the surrounding pokemon watched with bated breath as the female chewed as the boy fed the male Nidoran next. Both pokemon had looks of disgust but still swallowed and Ryan gave them some water to wash the taste out. Ryan continued to feed the two sick pokemon until there was no more and were now sleeping peacefully.
"They should be fine now." Ryan said, using the leftover water to wash everything before placing them in his backpack. He zipped it closed and slung it over his shoulder before facing Nidoking. "All they need now is rest and they should be fine by morning." Nidoking and Nidoqueen shared looks of relief before Ryan lightly patted the male drill pokemon's leg. "So no more attacking every pokemon that comes near, okay?"
The two drill pokemon shared another look before looking down at Ryan and nodded in agreement. They then guided Ryan back outside the cave, Nidoking suddenly stabbing its horn into the wall. Ryan and Nauxeon stared in surprise when Nidoking pulled back and an oddly colored stone fell out. The drill pokemon picked up the stone and handed it to Ryan. After examining the stone, Ryan discovered that it was a moon stone. The young gym leader could only guess it was Nidoking's way of saying thank you. Ryan accepted the moon stone as they reached the cave entrance.
"Ryan!"
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise when not just Keith, but a few of the townspeople suddenly surrounded him. Their voices overlapped one another, making it difficult to make out what they were saying. Concern was clear in their overlapping words, especially when the townswomen kept prodding him for injuries. Nidoking and Nidoqueen watched the boy that helped them for a moment before returning into the cave.
"What are all doing here?" Ryan finally asked, trying to escape the prodding he was experiencing.
"We heard what you were going to do, young man." Ryan winced at the reprimanding tone in one of the townswomen's voice. She crossed her arms and Ryan rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "You almost gave some of us a heart attack when we thought a repeat of six years ago was going to happen."
"I'm sorry." Ryan apologized, still rubbing his arm as Nauxeon placed a comforting paw on his leg. "I just wanted to prove I could be a good gym leader."
"What made you think you weren't?" A townsman asked, confused as to what possessed the young gym leader to do something so reckless.
"Keith and I overheard a couple of the elderly men talking." Ryan replied, not noticing a few of the townspeople were looking at the only elderly man among them. "I know I'm still a new trainer and lack experience." He tightened his grip on his arm before looking up at the townspeople, resolve burning in his eyes. "So I thought I could prove myself by resolving the problem with Nidoking."
"Why was Nidoking attacking all the pokemon, Ryan?" Ryan's grandfather asked, choosing now to make his presence known to his grandson.
"Nidoking was just protecting its family," Ryan replied, recounting everything he discovered from why Nidoking was attacking the pokemon to the pair of sick Nidoran.
"To think you found all this out yourself." The elderly man approached Ryan, relieved that the boy was alright. "I'll admit it, I might have been wrong about you, Ryan."
"No, you were right." Ryan said back, surprising the elderly man and the townspeople. He held up a clenched fist to show his unwavering resolve. "Today showed me I still have a long way to go as a trainer and gym leader." He looked down at Nauxeon and patted his head. "But I'll do the best I can with my pokemon."
"Well said, Ryan." Ryan's grandfather nodded, a proud smile on his face before addressing everyone. "It's getting late, so I think it's time we return to town." He then turned his attention to Nauxeon, who was trying to stay standing. "And it's time for you to pay Nurse Joy another visit."
"Grandpa's right, Nauxeon." Ryan said, pulling out Nauxeon's pokeball and expanding it. "Get some rest, you deserve it."
"Naux." Nauxeon nodded in agreement before being struck by the red beam that sucked him into his pokeball.
Ryan stared at the pokeball as his grandfather began to lead everyone out of the forest. He thought back to the battle with Nidoking and the mistakes he made. Deciding to use today as a learning experience, Ryan ran after the townspeople. He knows he still had a ways to go as both a trainer and a gym leader, but Ryan is determined to learn everything he can. He will use each mistake to learn where he went wrong so it won't be repeated. The path to being a pokemon trainer is a long and full of challenges, but like others before him, Ryan will walk down this path to fulfill his dream of being the world's best poison master.
Now it is time to reply to some reviews.
Karsap: That it is, and I would like to thank Regicide who helped with most of what was originaly written.
St Elmo's Fire: Thank you kindly for you input and I will try to keep them in mind as I continue to write my fanfics. Also, thank you for clarifying the correct use of blonde as I could never figure which is the correct term for a man or woman.
jppokemon99: I'm glad to hear that you loved it and that you enjoyed my OC being a type specialist protagonist.
Darkmaster10000000: Happy to hear that you thought it was a good story. Here's the next chapter, I hope that you still think that it's good.
ZetsuKing: Here's the next chapter as requested, I hope that you enjoyed reading it. Also, the order in which my fanfics will be updated is in my bio. If you're ever curious in which another of my fanfics is going to be updated, please go there.
DragonBladeB5: Thank you for giving it such a high rating. While I appreciate your input, I would like to kindly ask you to put your opinions in the correct reviews as to avoid possible confusion in the future. This way, others who read the reviews won't be confused as to what other reviewers are talking about when characters not mentioned in the fanfic appear in said review.
Thank you all for your patience and I look forward to seeing you again.