June 2nd, 1978, 0615
I blinked my eyes awake as my natural alarm woke me up like clockwork. Since I turned five and officially started training, I had been expected to rise with the sun every morning. Even though it was still early, I could feel the summer heat creeping into my tent. The inside of my tent was damp with condensation, and I could tell I had been sweating in my sleep.
I tentatively gave my body a whiff and grimaced at the sharp tang of sweat. I was going to make it a priority to rinse off before I ran into Ellie. I had a sinking feeling that it would be something she would never let me live down after my comments about her packing habits. I yawned and stretched my arms out over my head, trying to shake the sleep out of my body.
I could feel a few twinges of soreness shoot through my legs. Although I had been prepared for this, an eight-mile hike still had an effect. I quickly got dressed and took stock of my surroundings. The sky was clear, and I was going to be able to enjoy my morning routine with a beautiful view of a violet sunrise. I could hear Ellie snoring fitfully even from here. I stifled a chuckle, knowing how sore she would be from the first day.
I grabbed my pack and filled my water bottle from one of the side pouches; much of the hidden volume was dedicated to carrying clean water. It was relatively easy to find potable drinking sources, but there was no guarantee on a long excursion like this, so I had planned accordingly. I took a long pull from the bottle and headed towards the same clearing we had been training in last night.
Just because I was on the road didn't mean it was an excuse to neglect my own physical training. As I had told Ellie last night, the Seiichi was predominantly a military clan, including its people and pokémon. I wasn't as good as Sula or Kiriel, but I was still a decent combatant in my own right if the situation called for it. I had been trained in archery and hand-to-hand combat from a young age.
I slowly settled into the familiar routine, starting with a series of movements that progressed from static to dynamic stretches before culminating in a circuit of different calisthenics exercises. I could feel the slight soreness from the previous day dissipate just a few minutes into the workout. Although counterintuitive, working out like this helped the body recover from strenuous exercise.
I quickly built up a sweat as I let myself relax into the process. The familiarity helped me center myself for the rest of the day. As I finished, I took another pull from my canteen and headed towards the nearby stream to clean myself up. Nana and Eon followed suit silently while constantly checking the surroundings for any threats. While I had been exercising, they also worked on building up and maintaining energy in their bodies without actually expelling it.
Barring actual combat, it was the best way to expand their capacity to channel various attacks. We made it to the stream uneventfully, and I enjoyed the peaceful solitude provided by the sound of the gently running water. I didn't jump in entirely, but I wiped down my body as well as possible. As soon as I was sure I could pass the smell test I had previously failed, I had Nana turn up his ambient body heat to help me dry off. We returned to the camp, where Ellie still appeared to be dead to the world.
Using some wood I had collected the previous evening, I had Nana start a fire so I could begin preparing breakfast: green tea, oatmeal, and some dried meat. We would likely have the same breakfast every day for the foreseeable future. It wasn't anything glamorous, but it got the job done.
As I waited for the kettle I had set over the fire to boil, I decided to look at the map Sula had given me. It contained a spattering of notes for the region, including common pokémon in each area, the best place to eat out in each town, and other random observations that caught Sula's fancy as she traveled throughout Kanto her first year.
I was impressed with the amount of detail it contained. Ellie was right when she had said trainers hoarded journals like this; Sula probably could have sold this for thousands of Pokédollars had she wanted to, especially since she had taken off in popularity the last year.
The area we were in had little noted on the map; Pidgey, Venonat, Bellsprout, and Weepinbell were the most common, but there were occasional sightings of Venomoth in the evening.
Rattata and Raticate spread throughout the country since they could survive just about anywhere; they would make up most of my pokémon's diet during our travels, considering they were relatively weak and much more aggressive than their size warranted. From my experience, they often found themselves in losing battles with nothing to blame but their genetics.
As I looked at the notes, I mentally reviewed the route we were planning on taking. Starting in Fuchsia, we would travel east along the southern coast for about a week through moderate forest before hitting the eastern coast. Then, we would follow the coastline for a few days until we came to the junction between Vermilion City and Lavender Town.
This route was sparse besides the League-mandated ranger camps. However, there was a distinctive symbol that caught my eye; it looked like some type of hot tub that had a large golden star sticker stuck next to it. I surmised that it was some type of hot springs inn. They were a popular destination in the country for urbanites looking to get away for a few days. After that, It was just a short journey West until we reached Vermilion, the site of our first gym battle against Kuon, who specialized in electric types.
The first leg of the journey was undoubtedly going to be the hardest. Fuchsia was at the edge of Kanto and was relatively difficult to reach. It usually only saw a surge of trainers later into the season as they worked up the courage to challenge Kiriel. I hoped the Larvitar egg would hatch soon, as I planned on immediately throwing it into the grinder to prepare it for battle against the electric gym. Its ground-rock typing would severely hamper Kuon's options in the match.
The guide Kiriel had provided gave a breakdown of the Larvitar line's strengths and weaknesses; it apparently had great offensive and defensive stats but was solidly lacking in speed and had several debilitating type disadvantages we would need to prepare for. I would need Ellie's pokémon to help the Larvitar build resilience as we traveled.
I fished around until I found a journal to begin writing down the beginnings of a potential training plan for the soon-to-be baby pokémon. My strategizing was interrupted barely after I started by the sounds of my camping partner clumsily bumbling her way out of the tent. I put away my journal and directed my attention to the sad mess I saw before me.
Gone was the bright and chipper young woman from yesterday. Her auburn hair was strewn every which way, and her eyes had already lost the excited luster that had been so charming.
"I can't move; please help," Ellie groaned pitifully as she limped out of her tent towards the fire. "Caffeine, please. Do you have coffee?" she asked hopefully as she plopped heavily on the ground.
I shook my head vigorously. "I don't apologize for the inconvenience, but there is no coffee here. I do, however, have some tea for you."
I poured her a cup of the aromatic brew I had been working on.
Ellie was clearly unimpressed as she screwed up her face in distaste.
"Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has a small amount of naturally occurring caffeine," I explained defensively as I sat down to enjoy my cup of the precious liquid. "Coffee messes with your blood sugar levels, leading to a later crash. It also increases the amount of dilute urine produced in the body, which causes you to become more rapidly dehydrated, which is dangerous in hot summer weather like this."
I glanced up to find that Ellie was looking suspiciously my way. "What are you, some kind of doctor? Why do you even know that kind of stuff?" Ellie inquired as she reluctantly sipped her tea. "And also, you're doing it again. Stop talking so mechanically. It's weird," she insisted.
I shrugged, "This is just how things are in the clan. We're expected to maintain excellent physical health and be aware of the effects of various substances on our bodies. Kiriel strongly believes that pokémon take inspiration from their trainer; if you're healthy and focused, strong pokémon will follow. It's not like I have a lot of leeway to challenge protocol that has existed for decades in my family," I countered before I moved to change the topic. "How are you feeling today? That was a long walk for someone just getting into hiking."
"It's already hot. I want to shower. My legs feel like lead, and I want a cup of coffee," she complained.
"But…," she paused, as if considering her words carefully, "I still feel pretty happy, all things considered. I think this will be good for me!"
I chuckled at her simple breakdown of the situation. "I'm happy to hear that! I was worried you would be down for the count today, and we would have to wait for you to recover," I commented as I scooped up some oatmeal into a few camp bowls for the both of us. "Nana found a stream just north of here. It's not the same as a shower, but you can at least wipe your body down," I said as I handed her the bowl. "The water is still lukewarm, but it might as well be a fresh mountain spring in this heat. I already took a turn at the stream, so it's all yours to freshen up after we finish eating."
As she paused between bites, Ellie said randomly, "Your hair is so pretty for a boy! You must take excellent care of it. Most boys I know just keep it short and don't really do anything with their hair. I have to work really hard to make sure mine looks decent. It's such a hassle. I might as well shave it if every day is going to be like yesterday," Ellie mused aloud.
I looked up at her in surprise. I had not been expecting a random compliment. I was generally self-conscious about my hair since it was not the norm for boys my age. "Thank you. I appreciate the kind words. I feel self-conscious about it most of the time when I'm outside the compound since most boys my age just keep it short," I divulged honestly. "If I had it my way, I'd probably shave it and not worry about it. I'll happily shave your head for you if you're serious! But for now, hurry up and finish eating so we can pack. I'd like to get as much ground covered as we can today. The sooner we get onto the main route, the sooner we can start fighting other trainers."
"Yes, yes, I'm hurrying. We're just going to be walking all day anyway," she pointed out.
Ignoring her quip, I finished eating and started packing what I could while waiting for Ellie. Eon and Nana watched the perimeter after hunting for their morning meals, and Petal and River lazily ambled around the camp, following Ellie, looking for attention. In just a few moments, we packed our stuff and headed to the stream so Ellie could clean herself up. Ellie appeared to want privacy as she darted around the bend to find a good spot.
Privacy was all well and good, but I didn't trust that Ellie could take care of herself if something happened, so I gave Eon a few curt gestures to keep an eye on her.
My instincts were proven correct because I heard a shrill shriek from just around the bend where Ellie had headed just moments after I had issued the command.
"Mare! Get over here! There's a pokémon over here! It's big and blue, and it doesn't seem very friendly," Ellie screamed frantically.
I sprinted upstream towards Ellie and abruptly found myself nearly face to face with a medium-height bipedal pokémon walking steadily towards the sound of Ellie's shrieks.
It had spiraling loops of black and white flesh making up its torso and was topped with two bulbous eyes that were narrowed threateningly. I must have surprised it; its fists came up, and it swung at me immediately. Fortunately, I managed to jump back to avoid the strike.
As if to balance out my good fortune, I also happened to trip over a protruding rock in the stream and fell heavily into the water. As I fell, I determined where the Poliwhirl had been headed; Ellie and company were across the stream from me.
It looked like the Poliwhirl had inadvertently wandered into their impromptu bathing area. Ellie looked about halfway through her process; her hair was soaking wet, and she was stripped down to her underwear and a sports bra.
Stupidly, my hormones were able to make out that she was wearing what was colloquially known as 'granny panties.' I filed that information just in case I ever truly needed to defend myself from her incessant comments about how I spoke.
Ellie's eyes were wide in fear and concern. "Petal! Use Vine Whip," she shouted frantically.
As the large pokémon loomed over me, I finally felt a trickle of fear begin to make its way into my chest. Before it could grow into something more, I saw a flash of green blur towards me, and Petal stood defiantly between me and the Poliwhirl. Her usually benevolent mien was distorted as she bared her teeth and viciously growled up at the water type.
Just as I scrambled up and out of the water, Petal lunged forward, her vines extending with a crack as they made direct contact with the larger pokémon. The hit immediately drew blood, which caused the Poliwhirl to recoil in pain before taking a big breath and shooting out a line of hardened marble-like bubbles that splashed painfully across Petal's chest.
"Bulba. Bulba- Saur!" Petal cried out threateningly as she sprang forward again to repeat the same move. Once again, her aim was true, and the vines cracked violently against the wild Poliwhirl. It went down without any retaliation and quickly lost consciousness from the super-effective grass move before it could retaliate.
"Nice work, Ellie," I congratulated as I sloshed forward to examine the injured wild pokémon. I was soaked and subtly shaking from the close call but was trying to draw attention away from my reaction by staying as calm and self-assured as possible.
"You sure did a number on this guy, though; Petal has more power than I gave her credit for. Her reactions were quick, too. Thank you for your timely assistance," I said with a respectful dip of my head. The small pokémon brimmed with pride and solemnly nodded back.
Petal was clearly trying to play off the event like it was no big deal, but everyone could see that she was secretly very pleased with herself. River was clustered near her like a helicopter parent and was closely examining her to make sure she wasn't injured. Petal appeared to be enjoying the preening from the little croc.
"I didn't kill it, did I? Is it going to be okay? Ellie demanded. She was breathing heavily, and her dilated eyes were darting around in concern.
"He's going to be fine. He should be up again in a few minutes, so we should probably get out of here and back onto the main path before he brings friends. You hardly did any lasting damage. Wild pokémon routinely get into much more serious fights than a minor scuffle like this one," I said in as gentle a tone I could muster.
Ellie sighed in relief and nonchalantly finished getting dressed. She either didn't care I saw her in a state of deshabille or was too shaken to care. "Fine by me," she said while she surprisedly picked up the Dratini egg from where it had fallen. She stormed past me back in the direction of the main path as she roughly tugged on the remains of her clothes, ignoring that they were getting soaked in the process. Her pokémon hastily struggled to keep pace. I followed suit, ordering Eon and Nana to scout ahead so we could avoid any further surprises.
We made it back to the main trail without any further incident. We settled into a comfortable pace for the day, traveling primarily in comfortable silence as the sun rose higher into the sky. Ellie had to return her pokémon early on as they didn't have the stamina to keep up with our much longer strides. I made a mental note to encourage her to keep them out longer; they would never get stronger if she constantly babied them like that. We didn't stop for lunch, relying on dried meat and trail mix prepared for long journeys like this.
Ellie didn't complain, and I was impressed by her adaptability to what was undoubtedly a hard shift from her regular lifestyle. I had been hiking all summer with Sula, so I had thought myself resilient to the heat.
But it was hot. Really hot. I was dripping with sweat and finally decided to forgo my usual tunic and go shirtless to cool down. It was a calculated risk, as much of the path had moderate tree cover.
I consulted my map and realized we were getting close to an outpost; it wouldn't have a full pokémon center or anything like that, but it would have a small aid station manned by a pokémon ranger.
They were required by law to be placed at least every thirty kilometers along wilderness routes to try to mitigate at least some risk for trainers. Deaths were rare, but they did happen.
"Okay, I need a break," Ellie breathed out heavily. "It is hot as balls out here! I'm literally dying. Can you at least talk about something to distract me?" Ellie was soaked with sweat to the point that she looked about the same as she did while taking a makeshift bath earlier that morning.
She sat down heavily with a sigh and started guzzling water as quickly as possible, completely ignoring the water spilling over her neck and chest.
I gulped at the sight. "I was actually just about to tell you. We're getting close to the first checkpoint out of Fuchsia City; they're spread along the coast to Vermilion. They should have food and water so we can take a break there, and we might even be lucky enough to find someone to battle," I added excitedly.
"Of course, that's what you would think about," she said as she rolled her eyes. "I am excited to see an actual pokémon battle, though, like trainer against trainer. I've seen videos online and on TV, but I think the real thing is probably a lot different than I imagined."
"It's definitely an adrenaline rush. The hardest part is trying to stay calm and make the right calls so your pokémon doesn't get injured for no reason. I'm excited to battle someone that isn't Kiriel or Sula," I admitted. "I've actually never even won a match, so I don't know what to expect from someone outside of the Seiichi."
Ellie stared at me with her mouth agape. "You've never won a match? Like at all? They didn't even let you win when you were just starting?"
I shook my head and confirmed, "Not a single time. The women in my family are ruthlessly competitive, even against a twelve-year-old. Their pokémon are stupidly strong. Poor Nana and Eon here are far more resilient as a result," I said with pride, stroking Eon's lustrous fur that was unfortunately matted with brambles.
Eon had been trotting alongside me the whole time. She leaned into my hand, purring gently, "Vee, vee," she cooed.
"You too, Nana, I know you're there," I called out to a thicket of brush ahead of us. Nana popped his head out playfully before continuing forward to scout. "Nana is very diligent. It's hard to get him to take a break besides pulling him into a pokeball against his will," I added.
"That's hardcore, man. My dad isn't much of a battler, but I know he would've let me win at least once. I guess it makes sense why Nana and Eon seem like little soldiers with lives like that," Ellie commented with pity as she shook her head slowly.
"Don't feel sorry for them," I snapped. "They do this of their own volition. I don't think they would have this any other way, and neither would I. I don't want anyone to look down on me and let me win. I'd rather lose every single time. Wins don't make you stronger; losses do."
"Okay, okay. Don't take everything so seriously. Jeez. I'm sorry for feeling sorry for you guys," Ellie said apologetically and held her hands up deferentially.
"You've had such a different life than me that it's going to take a minute for me to adjust to how hardcore your life has been. I just got thrust into this and barely know anything about pokémon besides how cute they can be. If it weren't for my parents' divorce, I would've never gotten talked into any of this. I would've been comfortably sitting back in Goldenrod with my mom."
She shrugged her shoulders in apathy. "My dad ended up getting custody of me due to the income from his job, but he was forced to move for the JTP, and my ass just got dragged along. Watching the project stall out after he put so much into it was heartbreaking. When he came to me with the plan he cooked up with your dad, I just didn't have it in me to refuse, especially since it was partially my idea.
He legitimately thinks this whole thing will work perfectly and fix all his problems. It's a stretch, but whatever. I'm here!" She stood up and brushed off her pants before readjusting her backpack. "Let's get to this break spot!" Ellie said with a dazzling smile that was at odds with her words.
I nodded slowly, unsure how to react to what she had just shared. I chose not to press the issue and began hiking again in silence.
True to my word, we wandered into the ranger camp in just a few more minutes. It could have been more developed. There was a smattering of small cabins scattered around a large clearing to the north of the trail. Much to my surprise, we weren't the only ones here; there was a rowdy group of teenagers circled around a roughshod arena in the middle of the clearing, watching a match.
I could feel my adrenaline kick in with excitement. I was finally going to get to battle another trainer my age! "C'mon! Let's go check it out! I didn't think we would see anybody here. Let's see if we can get in on something," I exclaimed, heading towards the arena as Ellie reluctantly tagged along.
As we got closer, I assessed the ongoing battle; a Meowth lunged toward an opposing Venonat. As it closed in, the fluffy purple bug pokémon violently shook itself, emanating a cloud of yellow spores; as the Meowth closed in, it inadvertently inhaled, causing its muscles to lock up as the paralysis set in. It jerkily attempted to continue its swipe but fell flat on its face as its trainer groaned in frustration.
"Nice job, V, use Psybeam," its trainer called out. The pokémon glowed with a pale pink light as a purple beam shot out of its forehead to hit the helpless cat pokémon. The Meowth cried out in pain before fading from consciousness as the psychic waves relentlessly assaulted it. The losing trainer pulled out a pokéball and recalled the downed pokémon. He shook his head in disappointment before walking up to the center of the arena.
"Good match," the Venonat's trainer remarked coolly as she shook hands.
"Man, I really thought I had you that time, Dani! Your Venonat is so fast with her Stun Spore," the losing trainer complimented before shaking hands in the center of the arena. After the match, the two trainers exchanged a handful of small bills before returning to their respective sides of the arena.
"What are they doing?" whispered Ellie, surprising me as she leaned close to catch my attention. "Paying up," I answered, "it's common practice to bet on the match's outcome during trainer battles. Sometimes, it's small, like 50 pokédollars, but it can go up as high as long as both trainers agree. Depending on your badges, Gym Battles can pay up to 100,000 for an eight-badge match."
Before Ellie could respond, the trainer who had just won the match shouted, "What are you two whispering about over there? Got something to say?" she said icily.
She wore gray hiking pants with a cream-colored linen collared shirt hung loosely over a teal undershirt. The outfit was quite stylish and made her look very adult-like. She seemed like she might be a year or two older than us. Her dark blue braid was draped stylishly along her shoulder, and she had cold gray eyes that immediately conveyed her intensity. Her pale skin was nearly translucent, and I wondered how she maintained that with all the sun most trainers saw.
Frankly, she was stunning. I could feel myself tense up with nerves as I psyched myself to reply. As confident as I was about many things, attractive young women were not one of them. Ellie was an exception since it was a clan assignment. That somehow made me immune to any charm she might otherwise have. Lucky for me, I thought in relief.
I took a breath and stepped forward. "Not much. I was just telling my friend how fortunate you were that your opponent had no idea what he was doing. Clearly, your Venonat was baiting the Meowth in for a spore attack. Care for a match? 500 for the winner? Two pokémon each?"
"You're on," she growled with a fierce grin before stomping off towards her end of the arena as the onlookers fizzed with anticipation.
