"Zangoose back off!"
The mongoose Pokemon retreated with a jump to the opposite side of the arena, creating space between himself and his opponent.
At the other side of the arena stood an Excadrill, its breathing unstable and with a visible crack on one of its claws, from which a few droplets of blood could be seen.
Zangoose wasn't faring any better, as he tried not to place much weight on his left leg, and had an eye only half-open.
'If we keep the same pattern of attacks, the Excadrill should eventually falter,' Hector hoped from his side of the arena as his eyes scanned both his Pokemon and his adversary's.
"Hone Claws, and go with Fury Cutter! Don't let him think!"
Without a second to waste, Zangoose brought his claws together, sharpening them as a Dark glow surrounded them.
Excadrill's trainer, a young woman with blonde hair so pale that it bordered white, didn't stay idle. "Excadrill, use Hone Claws too! Hold your ground and intercept with Metal Claw!" she commanded.
Excadrill groaned, and extended his claws, ready for another exchange.
A blur of red and white crossed the arena in an instant, clashing with the ground and steel type in an explosion of blinding white energy. Claw met claw, and with it came an ear-piercing shriek for each blocked or redirected attack.
Each collision brought a flash of light. Although brief, those made it difficult to see what was happening.
The cheers of the crowd became dull in the ears of the trainers as both Pokémon began a dance-like battle to land an attack on each other.
With each clash, the forceful impact caused visible distortions in the surrounding air, creating brief flashes of light that momentarily obscured the battling Pokémon. The sheer power behind each attack left no room for hesitation, each seeking to overpower the other.
However, to the trained eye, blind spots opened up every few strikes.
"Now, use Close Combat, focus on his left side!"
Zangoose needed but a moment to switch his attack pattern, changing the accumulated Bug Type Energy on his claws to a Fighting one all over his body.
"Shield yourself with Rock Slide!"
'What?'
Before Hector could process the command, Excadrill managed to summon rocks to his sides, creating a thick shield almost the size of his own body on the side Zangoose was aiming for, doing so at an Olympic speed.
"Zangoose, don't hesitate and push through!" Hector yelled, confident in Zangoose's ability to shatter the improvised rock-made barrier.
Without hesitation, Zangoose struck back, hitting the improvised rock shield once, causing a web of cracks to form. While still airborne, he lunged a second attack, the interval between one and the next near non-existent.
An explosive burst of thick brown bursts into the air, a millisecond after the attack landed.
The force of the impact sent a shower of muddied particles scattering in all directions, momentarily enveloping the battlefield in a chaotic haze.
'What the hell?! Was that– no, it was too small for a Sandstorm. Mud-Slap hidden in a Rock Slide?!'
Whatever it was, it didn't manage to stop the red-stripped Pokemon from landing his attack.
However, as soon as it dissipated, Zangoose was the only one standing in the arena.
Excadrill was gone.
The arena was barren, covered with cracks and small craters made by all the Pokemon that had battled that day.
As Hector's eyes scanned the Arena, he noticed a small bulk near Zangoose, and then it clicked.
'He used Dig.'
"Use Detect and stay on the move, do not stay still!" Hector yelled from the top of his lungs, desperation seeping in.
Zangoose followed the order religiously, zigzagging on the arena, mostly sticking to its border to take advantage of the barrier.
Each second felt like an eternity, as Hector waited for anything to happen, but nothing did. Instead, there was silence, even the crowd's cheers had come to a halt.
The Excadrill's trainer had her eyes on the arena, but none on the opposing trainer or his Pokemon. Her expression wasn't relaxed and droplets of sweat could be seen running down her face.
In an explosion of sand and dirt, the subterranean Pokemon emerged from the ground, a few feet away from Zangoose's location.
"Now, Sandstorm!"
'Wha-'
A sandstorm washed over the battlefield in a matter of seconds, engulfing both Excadrill and a surprised Zangoose.
It became clear quickly that something was off. The hazard was thicker than normal, allowing to see only silhouettes of the Pokémon more akin to shadows, and its reach was similarly way over the norm. Such a feat was a challenge to generate, even for veteran battlers.
'Did using Dig before Sandstorm make it more effective somehow?' Hector thought as he tried to identify his Pokemon amongst the sand mist. The faint shadows he had spotted earlier didn't stay still for long, one of them easily jumping in and out, apparently clashing with the other, making it easy to tell who was who.
"Zangoose use Sword Dance and keep Detect on, DO NOT LET HIM GET TO YOU!" Hector shouted, hoping Zangoose's keen ear wouldn't be impeded by whatever barrier the Sandstorm posed.
The trainer did his best not to panic. He had no ideas or backup plan if that strategy failed, so he had to hope for the best.
After a while, one of the silhouettes was no longer erratically moving in the sandstorm. Its movements became slow, sluggish, barely able to dodge the other one, clashing with it more often than not.
Eventually, there was no more dodging, only the clash of one Pokemon against the other, and it was obvious who had the upper hand.
Hector could do nothing but stare, powerless and without a way out.
When the sandstorm dissipated, two figures could be seen on opposite sides of the arena.
On one side was Excadrill with one knee on the ground and using one of his claws to support himself. His breathing was heavy and uneven, one of its eyes was close, and he sported a visible wound on his chest.
On the other side was Zangoose, sprawled on the ground, battered and bruised, with his chest barely moving up and down.
No words came out of Hector's mouth, no actions could be mustered, he could only stare.
He had lost.
He had failed his team.
The battle judge declared the winner and the crowd went wild, growing louder and louder, to the point where he couldn't stand it anymore.
He needed to get out.
Now.
With a sudden gasp, Hector jolted awake, nearly falling off of his seat. Feeling warmer than usual, he brought a hand to his forehead to clean up the sweat and proceeded to take off his jacket.
'Another of those…"
An abrupt bump in the taxi shook him away from those thoughts, and he looked through the windows, only to find nothing but clouds.
His eyes shifted towards his partner, who was deeply asleep face-up with one hand over his face, a slight twist to the side was the only sign of the earlier bump.
A voice came from the speakers on top shortly after. The sounds of wind gusts could be heard as well. They didn't sound very pleasant. "As we continue on our route, I'm pleased to inform you that we are now through the worst of the turbulence. The weather conditions ahead are improving, and we anticipate smoother skies for the remainder of our journey." The message ended abruptly, followed by another high pitch.
"The remainder of the flight should be relatively smooth. However, I recommend that you keep your seatbelts fastened. On that topic, I would also like to inform you that we will soon descend to our destination, Mesagoza. We are currently on schedule, and we anticipate landing at approximately 7:34 PM."
Same as before, another high pitch followed soon after, but no more messages came through.
By that point, Zangoose had been woken up by the noise, and he adjusted himself into a sitting position before adjusting his seatbelt.
Hector took another peek outside, but all he could see was a mix of white and gray clouds. The view remained that way for several minutes until the clouds dispersed, followed by the turbulence.
Both trainer and pokemon were presented with a nearly panoramic view of Mesagoza, a modern city surrounded by walls built centuries ago, reminiscent of ancient times. At the very top stood his destination: Naranja Academy, a structure peaking over every other in the city, only dwarfed by the mountains behind it.
"Looks impressive, not gonna lie."
"Zaa."
"Ah right." Hector quickly took his phone out.
Snap!
"Mom wanted pictures. Better get it now, doubt we'll get many chances later," he said as he took a few more.
The ferret pokemon only stared and nodded, knowing full well his trainer's mother's fascination with posting everything online. He was also a victim of it back in his younger years.
The duo kept their eyes locked on the view for a while longer before one of them lost interest. Hector opened up an app on his phone to double-check his plans for the next couple of days, while Zangoose kept staring through the windows. He didn't get to fly often.
He also liked staring at the clouds for reasons Hector has yet to discover.
No more than half an hour later, the taxi landed on the school's grounds, way faster than Hector had expected. Even with the heavy amount of traffic the city was experiencing due to classes starting in two days, they had spent little time idling in the air for permission to land.
Trainer and pokemon jumped out of the taxi as soon as the pilot allowed them, picking up the already unloaded bags that had been carefully placed next to the cab.
Hector cracked his neck and looked around, having no clue where to go next.
"Figures that I'd need a map so soon," he said as he pulled out his phone.
Zangoose, who was carrying one of the bags, responded with something close to a sigh.
"Don't give me that look, I'm sure the cafeteria is still open. And I'm sure you're not the only one."
On his belt, the poke balls shook in response.
"I know you're impatient but I'd rather not show up with the entire team behind me. Etiquette is a thing, you know?"
Before leaving the landing area, Hector took a quick look at his phone. He had downloaded an app that contained a pretty detailed map of the school, with all areas of interest within, both academic and non-academic.
Luckily for him, the reception wasn't too far.
"Sir, may I have a second of your time please?" a voice came from the cab.
The pilot stood behind him, awaiting his response.
"Um, sure, what's up?"
"You are a trainer, correct? You have the looks of one."
Hector gave him a slight nod, which prompted a smile on the pilot's face. "Great. You see, our taxi company provides service all across Paldea and nearby regions. However, not all areas are covered." He handed a card to the trainer.
'Ah, securing more clients it seems. I guess they get a commission out of it.'
Hector accepted the card, albeit without much interest.
"That's my card and my direct number. I'm aware trainers tend to travel to remote places, and most cabs won't go there. I, on the other hand, have experience flying all across the region, and will rarely shy away from any request. I even have permission to fly in the lower levels of Area Zero."
"Ah, is that so? Thanks for letting me know, I'll keep it in mind."
Convinced he had gotten a potential client, the pilot returned to his cab.
Hector hadn't given much thought about his transportation around the region. He had no plans to visit the crater in the middle either. Plus, he was sure it was off-limits for regular trainers.
All he knew was from a documentary he'd watched a couple of years earlier, and what he remembered was that the zone was a huge mystery to the scientific community.
He made a mental note to do some minor research about it later. It might come in handy in the future. Who knew?
His thought process was interrupted when he felt something pull his pants.
Zangoose was staring at him, impatiently.
"Okay, okay, food. Let's get to it."
He put those thoughts away and headed towards the school's reception desk.
Calling the Academy big was an understatement. In truth, few words could properly convey its size. The school could easily fit around 30 or so mayor-sized stadiums within their main campus alone, and that was just Hector taking a shot in the dark. It could easily be bigger than that.
'No wonder they give you a map.'
After walking for a few minutes, trainer and pokemon reached the entrance hall, which looked more like a palace than an actual reception desk. A quick introduction and document verification were all he needed to get the keys to his room (which was another 5 minutes of walking) and his student card.
As much as he wanted to drop his bags in his room and unpack. His team was not of the same mind, and so he was forced to beeline to the cafeteria. It only took them around hour and a half to find the cafeteria, serve his entire team, and find a way back into the dorms.
Very little unpacking was done that day.
The next day, however, things were a bit busier.
"Okay so we have the day planned out," Hector announced as he looked at a physical map of the city he'd received from the reception desk.
Zangoose tilted his head to the side, letting out an unamused growl as he looked at his partner.
"Well, kind of. There are a couple of stores I'd like to check in the city, for supplies and stuff. Given the size though, it could take most of the day to cover all the spots. And tomorrow I wanted to properly explore the Academy, which should leave us with spare time for a training session or two. What do you think?"
"Zan," the pokemon replied and pointed towards his trainer's belt.
Needing little effort to understand him, Hector nodded. "I suppose we should take it easy in the first couple of days. Acclimating is important, but so is keeping in shape."
The pokemon nodded with little change in his facial expression.
"Time to do some tourism then." Hector quickly grabbed his phone and wallet from the nearby nightstand, before moving for the door. "Let's go."
After navigating the maze that were the dorms, dodging a particularly sketchy kid and her shroomish, and asking for directions, both trainer and pokemon arrived at the outskirts of the school.
The plan was to take a simple stroll through the city and visit some key points he had checked at home.
'We can get it done in a couple of hours, surely.'
Needless to say, the way down had quite the view of the city. Although there were a few sightseeing spots to each side, he didn't feel the need to stop. He could take the time to admire the view another day.
"At least we won't be skipping leg day here, right?" Hector jokes as he realizes they are not even halfway down yet. Zangoose only rolled his eyes and kept walking.
Something else he hadn't taken into consideration was how big of a pain in the ass the walk back was going to be, but that was a problem for future Hector.
After a solid 10 minutes of walking, they arrived at the main plaza.
Compared to other cities he had visited in the past, the Mesagoza Plaza-also called the historic center-was colorful but never to the point of it being an eyesore. Many of the stones that made up the main plaza had a color that represented each of the known Pokemon types—making a colorful circle, which had a rectangle-shaped arena in the middle.
Near the surroundings, stands, shops, people, and most importantly pokemon dominated the wide street with a dizzying amount of color and noise. Above, bird pokemon flew to and fro, most of them resting at the top of the nearby buildings and balconies, but a few of them carried packages.
Most of the food stands and shops were surrounded by chairs and tables for people and their pokemon to sit at and enjoy the day, selling all types of food, but mostly regional cuisine. One stand selling some rice-based dish had a Flamigo wearing an eye-catching black hat, while a store just a few spaces away had an energetic Chansey next to a table, displaying a great variety of baked goods.
The buildings close to the plaza sported a calm yet clean pastel orange color, pretty characteristic of the city, since Hector had spotted that same color in many other locations in the pictures he had seen. Nearly all of the buildings also had buntings hanging from house to house or nearby lampposts, overall giving the plaza a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Moving to one side of the plaza, making sure there weren't too many bystanders nearby, he reached for three of the poke balls on his belt.
Soon after, a bright red light shined in front of him, and 3 different shapes materialized behind him, with Zangoose standing not too far away from them.
It didn't take more than a second or two before this entire team stood in front of him.
Zangoose stood in the middle, with a Toxapex to his right, an Espeon to his left, and a young Flygon who was standing on top of a nearby handrail.
The trainer gave his Pokemon some time to acclimate to the situation. They were aware of the surroundings of their poke ball as far as he knew, but it was still not the same as seeing it for themselves.
Hector looked around to see if he had dragged any unwanted attention, but aside from a kid having an ice cream from afar, it seemed the spot he picked was perfect.
"Okay guys, as I told you earlier, I planned on taking a walk around town today to… you know, get used to everything. It's a new region, which means new people, new cultures, and new challenges. So yeah, a walk around would be a good starting point. What do you say?"
Needless to say, speeches were not Hector's strong suit, but his team was used to it.
Without much hesitation, Espeon calmly nodded and approached, standing next to her trainer.
"I knew you would like it," Hector smiled as he gently patted her head, which got him a low purr in reply.
His eyes then shifted to the dragon type, who was barely affected by the new surroundings.
"Flygon, why don't you take a look around? It's a good opportunity to get used to the winds in Paldea." The dragon type tilted his head to the side. "I won't ask you to keep a low profile. However, keep in mind that you're a rare sight in this region. A trainer or two might get brave if they don't know better."
Flygon scoffed at the thought, his eyes hardening. 'As if I'd let them lay a finger on me.'
Hector knew those eyes all too well. "Just try to stay within city limits, okay?"
The dragon type nodded to his trainer, before opening his wings and disappearing into the clouds.
Now Hector focused on, arguably, one of his most interesting team members.
"Do you feel like taking a look around as well? Although I have to let you know that we won't be looking into puddles or fountains to play around, we'll just be checking some sto-"
Before the trainer could finish talking, Toxapex pressed her poke ball, returning to it after being engulfed by a red light.
"Huh, guess that's a no." He placed Toxapex's poke ball back on his belt. "Not that I'm surprised. Let's go guys, there are a couple of places I want to check out."
Without further comments, Hector pulled his phone out and opened a map with locations of interest he had marked in the morning. They wouldn't have the time to traverse the entire city, so it was better to focus on key locations instead. Luckily for him, all the places he wanted to visit were in the western part of the city, so they wouldn't be walking too much.
"Okay guys, it's…" Hector mumbled before taking a look at the map once again, "This way, there's a shop I want to visit, should be nearby."
With much of a hurry, man and Pokemon began their small 'tour' around the city.
Although he was concerned about unnecessary attention, rarely anyone bothered to give him a second look. For better or worse, Zangoose and Espeon were not exactly Pokemon worth turning a neck for. He didn't like that line of thinking but was grateful for it nonetheless.
The first two shops they visited were focused on local specialties. Hector was aware he was far from a good cook, but his team depended on him for food. So any ingredient that could make the food more appealing was always welcomed. Not only that, he spotted a couple of cooking guides in there as well.
'Might have to buy one of those later.'
The next stops leaned more on cultural interest than anything else. A couple of bookstores that Hector used to buy a travel guide for future reference, an accessory shop that sold unique rotom-phone cases, and a farmers' market showcasing some of the most common and rare products from the Western Province.
They also did some window shopping as they moved from place to place. Not that Hector cared much about fashion, but he knew Espeon enjoyed it. Although Paldea didn't seem to have such a large Pokémon fashion.
Their last stop was the oldest Pokemon center in the city, which was conveniently located in the western part of the city.
The architecture of it matched most of the surrounding buildings and its size was fairly larger than most, but aside from that, it was the same as others. Regardless of its age, the to and fro of people, showed it was used like any other Pokemon Center.
"I'm almost glad to see there are still 'normal' Pokemon Centers around here," Hector said in mild relief. "Those Poke stops don't give me the same vibes, you know?"
Espeon let out a gentle chime in return, as she stared at the door of the Pokemon Center.
"No, we don't need anything, I just wanted to take a look. It seemed like a city landmark worth checking out on this side of town. We can buy souvenirs later, and in a different part of town, we got no pressure there."
On their way out, however, Hector couldn't help but notice that this Pokemon Center had a community board near the exit.
It was uncommon for Pokemon Centers in major cities to have one since announcements were almost purely advertised on their website. It was mostly used by centers in small towns or ones with small populations.
"There's no harm in checking what's going on around town, right?" he said mostly to himself while approaching.
The board was full of announcements, ranging from corporate offers and cultural events to crayon-drawn posts about a lemonade sale or a lost item. The community board covered a good portion of the inner wall, and even then it was almost fully covered. It truly encompassed what a community board was meant to be, messy and hard to read.
Hector's eyes skimmed through the board, seeing if he could find anything of interest but nothing managed to catch his eyes.
His Pokemon were also looking at the board, albeit with mixed reactions. Zangoose had little to no interest, with his eyes half-open. Espeon, on the other hand, took her time on postings that seemed fancy enough for a second read.
"Let's see here…" Hector began mumbling to himself, "event posters, announcements, schedule changes for stores, lost and found, another job posting, Bombardier migration information, TMs sale on the weekend, Mezagoza biannual cook…"
His eyes stopped on what seemed the odd one out. An official announcement from the Paldean Pokemon Rangers.
Dear members of our community.
It is with deep concern that we bring to your attention a grave matter affecting the safety and well-being of the local pokemon. As of the last few months, we've received multiple reports and sightings of poachers within our region. After careful investigations, we can confirm that one or many poacher groups are working within our borders, posing an immediate threat to the diverse and unique Pokemon species that call this area home.
Stay Vigilant
What You Need to Know:
Poachers are actively targeting Pokemon within the areas boarding The Great Crater in the West and North provinces.
Their methods can vary, however, ground traps and pokemon of their own have been spotted at their disposal.
They're more active during the night when they capture and mobilize their cargo.
How You Can Help:
Report Suspicious Activity: If you witness anything unusual or encounter poachers, report it immediately to local authorities.
Know Your Wildlife: If you notice a noticeable change in the local wildlife, report it immediately to local authorities.
Spread the Word: Inform fellow trainers and community members about the poacher threat.
Engage if Necessary: If you're an officially recognized trainer by the Paldean Pokemon League, you're within the power to enforce the law, however, we advise caution.
For more information on interested trainers, please contact your local ranger station.
We implore every member of our community to take this matter seriously. Your cooperation is vital in ensuring the safety of our pokemon companions and the preservation of our shared environment.
Thank you for your immediate attention and commitment to the protection of our Pokemon.
Sincerely,
Marcelo, Ranger General of Paldea.
"Poachers? I guess this shit happens everywhere," Hector said aloud. He couldn't remember if this was ever much of a problem in Unova. Rarely did he keep up with the news.
Zangoose let out a low snarl after hearing his trainer, making his disgust of the news clear.
"I don't blame you. God knows what happens to those Pokemon afterward. If this issue hasn't been solved by the time we're out there, we'll be sure to keep our eyes open just in case."
That seemed to calm down Zangoose a little, who nodded his head in response.
Aside from that post, a few others regarding TM sales got his attention. He made sure to write the address of the store and the phone number in case he wanted to check those later. While he was in no dire need of TMs, checking those out wouldn't hurt them.
The way back was uneventful, for the most part. A confrontation took place between students on their way up. It was between some kid and another group with biker helmets and weird googles
When he thought about it, though, he realized he had seen more than a few students with that same getup in the city. Was it a popular fashion trend in the academy?
'I was never a fashion guy anyway.'
Either way, the conflict ended fairly quickly with another student intervening, with a teacher or two following behind. As one would normally expect, battling in public spaces was not permitted, especially if it was students, and even worse if it was in front of the school. There was certainly a lesson about common sense to be learned there.
Hector stood in the corner of one of the many training fields the academy had to offer. He reserved one the day before, expecting to have trouble securing one, but luckily for him, there was close to no demand at that time of the year.
The white lines that delineated the boundaries of the training area were fresh, no more than a couple of days old, and by the looks of it, nobody had used it since then. 'Good' he thought as he made some markings of the ground in preparation for the day's routine.
Alongside him stood his entire team. This time, no one was allowed to miss the activities, although that was rarely an issue.
"Okay, the area is slightly smaller than the standard size but we'll make do," Hector announced as he stood up. "We'll just do some warm-ups, nothing too serious or innovative today. We haven't had a serious battle in a while, it's important not to stay idle too much."
He approached his team, and as he did, Zangoose handed him a booklet he had been holding the entire time.
"Thanks, buddy," he said after accepting it. He opened and looked for a specific page with ease, reading its contents with relative speed. "Okay so, first things first. Espeon your physical is due, we haven't performed one in weeks, followed by a Light Screen test. Zangoose and Flygon, we will continue working on your stamina and Toxapex…" he almost hesitated near the end, "Want to try Terastallization?"
A grin made its way to her face, spikes framing an expression of excited anticipation.
"I'll take that as a 'yes' then."
With all being said and done, Hector placed the book in his backpack and moved to the side of the training area. At the same time, he also took a small plastic container that looked like a potion, and an analog watch which he quickly wrapped around his wrist.
"Okay guys, let's get on with it. Flygon take up to the skies, follow the drills we were working on last time." Not a second later, the dragon type took flight, leaving only a cloud of dust behind. "Well then, huh, Zangoose you take the back of the field. Toxapex you wait there. Once I'm done with Espeon we will proceed. Sounds good?"
Toxapex gave him an excited gurgle in return, which he took as a very impatient 'yes'.
However before Hector could properly start a review on Espeon, a voice could be heard from afar. Loud and clear.
"Hey!" A girl called out. "You're the trainer with the Flygon, right? Let's battle!"
Yo, lazy author here. Sorry for the delay, I had to get my shit together. In case some of you might be wondering, yes, I changed the name of the fic, the last one didn't resonate with me but I'm much happier with this one.
Hopefully, this chapter felt a bit better to read pace-wise, I'm trying to avoid making chapters too slow. And yes, this means I'll make the 'academy phase' short, we're here for the journey after all. I also got the full team revealed this time around, I doubt I could've kept it hidden for more than one chapter. Thanks for your time, and I hope to see you in the next one.