Another chapter in a week. So this is what inspiration feels like. Also, if you haven't already, please go check out my poll on my main page. Curious which starter, if any, you think would fit well with Joey. Expect several polls throughout the story as I have so many routes we can take but am horribly indecisive.
Chapter 2: To Train Them Is My Cause
Sunlight poked between gaps in the leaves above them, thin beams shining down through a thick canopy barrier as Joey led his starter on their walk around the farm. Since there were still two full days of weekend left to enjoy, Joey had made it his mission to show Teddiursa around his new home, much to the small bear's delight. The shade did offer a welcomed break from the sweltering heat everywhere else they'd visited, though if it had bothered Teddiursa, he wasn't complaining. He was too busy taking in all the new sights and sounds around every turn. They'd just finished showing off to the Mareep horde that had been eager to meet a new face, leaving Teddiursa's brushed fur a staticky mess.
Arcanine and Skarmory had also stopped by on their daily rounds to investigate the new resident, the larger canine Pokemon happy run literal circles around them. Grandpa Russ' Skarmory, on the other hand, simply took the opportunity to glare at its future challenger. Teddiursa tried to play it cool, puffing out his little chest until he fell flat on his back, much to the steel types amusement before it flew off, leaving both Joey and his Pokemon in a huff.
Other than the sound of leaves crunching beneath his feet and Teddiursa gleefully swiping at the intangible light behind him, the small grove was blissfully quiet. Joey knew they weren't totally alone and assumed the Caterpie swarm that called this place home were either napping inside one of the hollow trees or spying on them through the abundant foliage. A few Oddish rested peacefully against a large tree and an lone Ekans slithered in the brush. None of them would be much issue as all the Pokemon on the farm knew this tiny oasis was something of a safe zone, where any and all could take a load off without risk of harm.
It was also the perfect spot to begin Teddiursa's training away from prying eyes of his family. At first Joey had been content with working out in the open, but he couldn't help noticing how many eyes kept straying in his direction from the amused look of his grandfather to the worried glances of his own mother, prompting them to find another spot. Wendy had offered to let them train with her team, but Joey wasn't sure it would be the most productive use of their time. Even the weakest of her Pokemon was leagues stronger than his fledgling starter, not to mention he didn't think her current mindset of only training for their next gym match would be all that effective long term. He'd already caught her Meowth slacking off while Wendy had been focused on Drowzee and Pidgeotto.
Specialized training to beat a single tough opponent was one thing, but if that's all Wendy did, how would she handle the unexpected when it inevitable threw a wrench in her plans? He kept his opinions to himself, however, and led Teddiursa on an increasingly longer walk that served as a good warm up for what was to come next.
"Ok Teddiursa. This should be good," he finally announced after coming to a small clearing bathed in more light than anywhere else in the mini forest. Joey tossed his bag against a tree and with a wave called the normal type over to him. "Are you ready to start training?"
"Teddiursa!" His starter cheered, raising both small arms up to show off their equally tiny muscles. At least he still had energy to spare after the walk.
"Good," Joey nodded, pulling out a small slip of paper his grandfather had given him along with Teddiursa's pokeball, listing off its ability and move set. None were impressive, but then again, he wasn't much of a trainer yet either. "Remember, we've got one year until I turn ten, which means we've got one year to get you strong enough to beat Grandpa Russ' Skarmory. That's still a long ways off though and I've already started doing research on all things Skarmory to help us prepare. Before we even think about how to take that monster on, let's start by getting a handle on what you can do now. Then we can figure out where to go from there. Sound good?"
"Ursa!" His Pokemon cheered again, looking ready for whatever instructions Joey had prepared.
XXX
"Come on Teddiursa! Just a ten more!"
Joey continued encouraging on the sidelines as Teddiursa pressed against the ground with his trembling paws, every inch of fur drenched in sweat. It was both cute and courageous how dedicated the young Pokemon was to finishing this last set, spurred on by his trainer and a few wild Caterpie that had come out of hiding to watch the show. This had been going on for nearly thirty minutes with Joey having Teddiursa alternate between running laps to long jumps and now a few sets of push-ups. These ones were harder than the first couple rounds as the small bear had to deal with some extra baggage going up and down with him. The rock on his back wasn't anything too substantial even compared to Teddiursa's diminutive size, but still enough to give a greater challenge.
Now for those uneducated in regards to the basics of Pokemon training, some might find this a tad cruel. In truth, Pokemon by nature were far tougher than most humans with even the youngest of their kind built for this kind of work. Given how dangerous it could be out in the wild, they had to be in order to survive. Newborn Pokemon only needed a few weeks before they could start training, allowing to control the monstrous powers most were born with or could later develop.
Joey had come across an article published by Professor Oak early into his career while studying about how raw, physical exercise was just as important as training specific moves and abilities when it came to raising strong Pokemon. It didn't matter how hard your team could hit if they were too out of shape or uncoordinated to catch an opponent, yet despite how obvious it sounded in hindsight, apparently many trainers old and new didn't get the memo until it was too late or not at all.
Maybe he'd remind Wendy of this before she headed out the following morning, just to make sure her team wasn't missing out. Joey ended his musing and called for a break when he noticed Teddiursa finishing up his last push up. Teddiursa munched on a few snacks Joey had brought with him while swapping between a bottle of water and his third jar of honey since breakfast.
"Feeling any better?" Joey asked after their lunch break had come to an end, finishing one of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he packed for himself. Teddiursa licked some honey from his paws and fist pumped the air with an energetic squeal for someone who'd just been worked to the bone. "Good, then I guess we can start practicing your moves now."
There was a sparkle in Teddiursa's eyes as he jumped to his feet, ready and more than a little willing to comply. In response, Joey reviewed his cheat sheet before leading Teddiursa over to the nearest tree. He couldn't wait to get his hands on an actual Pokedex so all this data would be recorded automatically, but for now it was all on Joey to track himself.
There wasn't much to memorize as Teddiursa only knew three moves: Scratch, Baby Doll Eyes, and Lick. Not the most intimidating list, but Joey knew they had to start somewhere. He also made a note of Teddiursa's ability being Pick Up, which simply meant he had a hyper sensitive nose. It did explain how Teddiursa had found where his mother hid the extra berry jars from her garden so easily.
Joey knelt down to eye level with Teddiursa, who stared back expectantly. "Let's start with Baby Doll Eyes. Give me your best shot."
That was a mistake as Teddiursa planted his feet and opened his eyes beyond what should be physically possible. Those adorable black eyes enlarged to fill his entire iris and sparkled, literally sparkled, like there was a piece of glass stuck in them. If Joey hadn't broken eye contact immediately, he was certain the look would have given him diabetes. There was almost a primal, instinctive need compelling Joey to cuddle Teddiursa like it was his own child and protect it from all harm.
Oh yeah, any foe who took the full brunt of that technique would definitely lose the will to fight or at the very least hesitate just long enough.
Deciding Baby Doll Eyes didn't need any improvement for the time being, they moved onto Teddiursa's more offensive attacks. Lick would have to be tested at a later time given it would be difficult to judge without an actual opponent and Joey doubted any of the wild or farm Pokemon would be interested in helping them, nor was he willing to test it on himself. Ghost type attacks didn't mix well with humans biology, hence why most people were naturally hesitant to be around them in the best scenarios. Even a weak Lick from a non-ghost type could still leave him in bad shape and being rushed to the ER on his first day of training wouldn't bode well for his potential future as a trainer.
Instead, Joey had Teddiursa focus on using Scratch against one of the larger trees in the grove, a command the normal type was more than a little eager to follow through. With a feral grin completely opposing his earlier cutesy nature, Teddiursa lunged at the tree and slashed his extended claws against its bark skin. The impact sent pine needles splintering off in all directions and left the tall flora with a shallow scar along its spine. A few Oddish let out impressed cries and a few Caterpie chittered in the tree above.
"Ursa!"
"Good work," Joey acknowledged as he inspected the trio of thin gashes left by the proud Teddiursa's attack. "Now do it again."
For the next two hours, Joey and Teddiursa worked tirelessly on improving the simple attack, alternating focus between speed, power, and accuracy. The repetitive use of Scratch began to show some improvement to its power as the weak claw marks left on each tree they targeted began to deepen ever so slightly. Before Teddiursa could tire out, Joey had them switch things up by gathering a pile of small stones to use for more specialized target practice. One by one he'd toss a pebble into the air for Teddiursa to claw down, changing the speed and height each time so his Pokemon would have to be both fast and accurate to land a solid blow. It took some getting used to, but eventually Teddiursa got into a rhythm and was swatting away one rock after another, splitting some clean down the middle on more than one occasion.
By the end of it all, Teddiursa was a panting mess and even Joey was ready for another break before his arm muscles gave out.
"Teddi… Teddiursa," the small bear moaned as he lay flat on his back, soaking in the welcomed breeze that pushed through the dense leafage.
"Yeah, I know it's hard, but trust me when I say it'll all be worth it," Joey chuckled, leaning on a tree next to his bag. "Your Scratch really is looking a lot better for only one day of practice."
Teddiursa let out a growl of agreement, but didn't get up from his comfy bed of grass. Joey went into his bag for a towel to wipe the normal type down, but then remembered he'd brought something even better. "Hey Teddiursa," Joey called, grabbing the small Pokemon's attention. "You want to have some fun?"
"Teddiursa?"
"Think fast," he shouted and pulled a red ball from deep within his backpack. Teddiursa leapt up, fumbling to catch the incoming rubber sphere before it hit the ground. The Johto Pokemon stared at the toy clutched in his diminutive paws, then at Joey. "What? Don't you want to play catch?"
An uncertain whine escaped Teddiursa's throat as he still looked confused. It didn't take long for Joey to figure out the problem.
"No, it's not another training exercise. It's a game. You throw it back to me."
Teddiursa still looked unsure, but did as Joey said, throwing the ball with all his might back to the awaiting trainer. Joey then tossed the ball to Teddiursa, who giggled when he caught it this time. "I've been going on and on about all the work we've got to do, but I also know rest and relaxation are just as important. After all, you not some tool for me to order around. You're my friend. We're in this mess together, so I want to at least make sure we're both happy about it."
"Ursa!" Screamed Teddiursa as he jumped high into the air, bouncing the ball with a little spin of absolute jubilance. Joey laughed as their game continued well into the afternoon until his mother's Butterfree came to collect them for dinner. By the time she found them, both were covered in dirt and shared the biggest smiles she'd ever seen.
XXX
"Come on Joey. You can't just leave me hanging like this."
"Blame the school rules Nia, not me."
"Boo!"
Joey held back a grin as his friend spat at the ground on their way towards the school gates. Her long pink hair shook with the rest of her body, those piercing green eyes staring deeply into Joey's soul in some vain attempt to make him change his mind. When Joey held firm, all the air deflated out of Nia's chest.
"Oh alright," she finally relented, patting down her black skirt to undo all the creases she'd made. "I'm sorry, but can you blame me for being excited? You finally have a Pokemon of your own! Are you really sure I can't meet him now?"
"You know you can't," chided Joey without any real heat to his words. "The school only lets us bring our Pokemon with us if we promise to keep them in their pokeballs until recess. You've been bringing your Chansey to school for, what, two years now? Don't act like this is a shock."
At that Nia scoffed.
"Exactly. You've gotten to play with my Pokemon for ages now, so it's only fair you return the favor. At least promise you'll battle me during recess? Chansey and I are tired of creaming all the Pidgey and Rattata everyone else brings to class. It'd be more interesting if they actually trained their Pokemon or did anything other than constantly call for Tackle. Knowing you though, we might actually have to try for a change."
Now it was Joey's turn to smirk.
"Was any of that ever in question? Of course you'll be our first real opponent. I've been looking forward to it all weekend."
It was true. Joey and his Teddiursa had spent the entire weekend kick starting their training with Joey fully aware of this conversation being right around the corner. With how battle crazed Nia was he'd be a fool not to expect a challenge right off the bat. She was, after all, the top battler in their class amongst the small number of students who actually had a provisional trainer license and Pokemon of their own. The same couldn't be said for any actual school work, however, even when studying Pokemon was the main focus. That's when she relied on Joey and Gary to lend a hand.
For those classes, the status of top student was often shared between the grandson of Pallet's Pokemon Professor and the Paloo Ranch Prodigy. While Gary often secured the top grades when it came to tests on theory and Pokemon knowledge, Joey was able to usually claim higher scores on the more practical exams. This balance alternated as frequently as the sun and moon, not that either seemed to mind as the friendly rivalry kept both boys on their toes.
"Then you'd better be prepared to lose because I won't be taking it easy on you," a confident Nia boasted, flicking her bubblegum hair over her shoulder.
"And you should be ready to eat those…" Joey began when two loud voices drowned out his comeback. Sadly, they were ones he recognized quite well.
"I'm telling you it's not a dragon type."
"Yes it is! It's big and scaley and has wings. How could it not be?"
"Because Kanto only has one native dragon type Pokemon you loser. Next you'll be saying Growlithe is a dragon type because it breathes fire."
"Why you…"
"Oh not again," moaned Nia into an open palm. Joey turned with her to feast their eyes on Ash and Gary's latest argument as the pair marched forward, each trying to stay one step ahead of the other. Both wore t-shirts and jeans, but while one was a muted dark black and brown, the other's was a vibrant mix of green and blue with his iconic red hat completing the ensemble. Despite their clashing outfits, both shared the same look of animosity as they raced towards the school.
As they approached, Joey prepared himself with a strained groan, knowing this was just another daily occurrence when you were friends with Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak. Nia, however, moved to intercept.
"Ok, what are you two morons arguing about this time?" She asked like an irritated parent who'd been over this too many times. To be fair, that wasn't far from the case.
"Joey, Nia," Gary praised like they'd been sent from the heavens. "Finally people with more than one brain cell. Can you please tell Ashy boy that Charizard isn't a dragon type."
"Yes it is," Ash vehemently denied, throwing his arms around like windmills. "Tell him Joey!"
"Actually…" Joey started through a weak smile, making Ash's own falter at the trepidatious tone. "No it isn't."
"Wha…" Ash exclaimed like some big secret had been revealed. "But it's got to be. I mean look at it. What else could it be?"
"A fire and flying type you dummy," snorted Nia into her hand, not trying very hard to cover it up. "Didn't you pay attention to the teachers when they showed us one last year? It was all you talked about for a month."
"Well… I…" Ash tried to formulate an excuse, his face growing redder by the second.
"Told ya so," Gary mocked, his snickers joining with Nia's laughter. "Even a dunderhead like Nia knows more about Pokémon than you."
The laughter pouring from Nia ended instantly. Her newfound ire turned on the youngest Oak.
"Oh don't you start with me Gary or I'll have Chansey give you a taste of her Double Slap."
"I'm so scared," chortled Gary, not at all put off by her threat. He then shot Joey a knowing grin. "But I bet Joey's new Pokemon won't let you get away with that."
"That's right!" Ash screamed, his previous embarrassment replaced by his usual youthful excitement. "You got your starter last weekend. What kind of Pokemon is it? Can we see it? Pretty please?"
"Sorry Ash, but you know the rules."
It was much harder to turn Ash down than Nia what with his eyes fluttering like a kicked Growlithe pup. Behind him, Gary and Nia put their budding fight aside to share a laugh at his expense. "Don't worry," Joey was quick to add on. "I'll show you my Pokmon later."
"Oh, I can't wait!" Ash cheered in a mix of thrill and impatience.
"Relax Ashy boy. I'm sure Nia already challenged him to a battle during recess," Gary assumed, still ignoring Nia's heated glare. "You'd better put up a good fight Joey. Can't have any of my rival being weak after all. It reflects poorly on me"
"Pretty sure you're the weak one here Gary," Joey countered with a smirk of his own. "After all, Nia and I already have Pokemon and you don't."
Gary snorted. "Big deal. You two losers need a head start to keep up with my skill."
"Boys," muttered Nia as she stomped towards the front entrance as the first bell rang. "Well I hope those skills include explaining why we're late or else we'll all be stuck in detention."
Seeing Nia run ahead, all three boys chased after her, their fighting long forgotten as a collective fear of their teacher took over.
XXX
School went by in a typical blur as the many classes blended together. History, Art, Science, and Math along with their Pokemon related studies kept Joey and his classmates busy from the moment they sat down. During the short breaks between each session, Joey regaled Gary, Ash, and Nia with tales from Wendy's journey, something that attracted many eavesdroppers throughout the day. Ash was by far the most enthralled with a million questions about each Pokemon, place, or battle Joey touched on which earned him some light teasing from Gary, but most of his taunts were drowned out by other students who had similar questions until the brown haired boy gave up, much to Nia's amusement.
This continued throughout the day until Joey's class was finally released onto the field behind the school after their lunch break. The land behind the school was fenced in with teachers patrolling to keep away any dangerous wild Pokemon and the rowdy children inside. There was a playground filled with toys and more jungle gym equipment than a Mankey could climb, but many choose instead to run across the open field playing tag or hide and seek. Most students, however, dashed towards the small arena on the far side of the yard where two other kids pitted their Pidgey and Rattata against one another. Joey and his friends weren't far behind.
While they weren't the first or even tenth to arrive, Joey knew it wouldn't be a long wait for him and Teddiursa.
"Alright, who's up next?" One teacher who had volunteered to supervise today's battles called as Pidgey claimed victory over its landlocked opponent. Joey was quick to step forth with Nia at his side. This earned a chorus of chatter from the crowd.
"Joey's going up against Nia?"
"I didn't know he had a Pokemon. Is it from Kanto or Johto?"
"Is it new? Wonder what it could be?"
"No way he can win though. She's too good."
Everyone looked on in anticipation as, with a showy flash, Joey's starter appeared at his side and gave a loud shout to announce his presence. Unlike their first meeting, Teddiursa didn't shy away from the staring crowd, though he did shuffle close enough to grab Joey's pants leg.
"I've never seen a Pokemon like that before. Is it dangerous?"
"It's a Teddi… something, I think."
"Can I pet it? It must be soft, right? Oh, look at those ears!"
"It's so cute," another girl gushed as many more were quick to voice their opinions, though none louder than all the female students until one comment cut through the rest.
"What a lame looking Pokemon."
Everyone went silent when a scraggly looking boy pushed his way to the front of the line wearing dirty stained clothes and a bandage over his cheek. He shot Joey a sneer while juggling a pokeball in his right hand. "So this is the Pokemon I've been hearing about all day? What a letdown. I was hoping to see something cooler, not some girly plush toy."
"Don't talk about my Pokemon like that," Joey snarled in a voice not quite his own. He felt Teddiursa's grip on his pants leg tighten.
"Who asked you Brayden?" Nia shouted as she too stepped forward. "Or do I need to give you another reminder of what happened the last time you insulted my Pokemon?"
Brayden scratched the bandage on his face before scoffing. "That was a lucky punch. Your stupid pink blob barely won against my Geodude that time."
"But I still beat you just like every other time before it," she replied smugly. Her smile was sweet, but Joey knew it was full of venom. "I thought you would have learned your lesson by now."
"And I thought you'd have realized you're chances of being a real trainer are nonexistent," accused Brayden, pointing a crooked finger at the pink haired girl. "Nobody's ever heard of a Joy training Pokemon for battle. I bet you'll end up playing nursemaid sooner or later, so why bother pretending to be anything else? I'm sure your mommy already has a dress all picked out for you."
"What did you say?" growled Nia and Joey knew Brayden had crossed a line.
"Like you know anything about being a real trainer," Gary snarked, for once using his cocky attitude for good as he came rushing to Nia's defense. "If you did, you'd know Joey's Teddiursa evolves into Ursaring, a real powerhouse any trainer would be lucky to have. And there's no way Nia's going to be a Pokemon nurse."
Nia placed a hand over her chest, touched by the support until Gary finished speaking. "She's way too much of a thug to take care of anything."
"Thanks a lot," she grumbled, her comment ignored as Ash shouted over her.
"And like you're any better than the rest of us," he commented with an accusatory finger of his own. "At least we don't get kept after school for our bad behavior."
Brayden rolled his eyes at Ash's attempt to zing him.
"Please. Like I'm going to be lectured by the class clown. You barely qualify as a student, let alone a future Pokemon master. If you didn't hang around with Oak's grandson all the time, I doubt you'd even be allowed a Pokemon at all."
"I do not follow Gary everywhere!" Ash denied. "And I will be a Pokemon Master. Just you wait and see."
"That'll be the day," Brayden kept laughing and a few other students decided to join in, making Ash's face darken considerably. "Like you or farm boy over there have any chance of being Pokemon Masters."
"Watch it you…" Joey started, but was cut off by Brayden as he continued.
"I mean it's to be expected. After all, isn't it true both your fathers were such terrible trainers that they ran off in disgrace? That's what my dad said. I bet you two will end up battling bums just like them."
There was a collective inhale as the crowd's muttering kicked into overdrive. Gary and Nia's faces paled while Ash began to shake uncontrollably. Joey felt the hot pressure in his face scream for blood and the whole world flashed red. Their teacher, who'd been busy tending to the tuckered out Pidgey and Rattata for their trainers, finally noticed what was going on and began wading through the sea of kids to reach them before the verbal joust escalated any further. None of their reactions compared to Teddiursa, however, as the little bear jumped off of Joey, growling and snarling at Brayden with a ferocity indicative of his evolved form. Before he could recall his Pokemon, the resident adult managed to intervene.
"What's going on here?" He demanded, oblivious to what started the commotion. He then saw how aggressive Teddiursa was behaving and turned his frown on Joey. "I know you just got that Pokemon, but you need to keep it under control. Otherwise I'll have to revoke your privileges of letting it out on school grounds."
"But that's not fair…
"Brayden started it…
"What a load of…"
Ash, Gary and Nia all began shouting at once, making it hard to fully understand what any of them were saying, though Nia got scolded immediately for the one swear their teacher caught amongst the gibberish.
"Teddiursa's not out of control," Joey argued with his teacher, who gave him a skeptical look. "He's just excited to battle Brayden's Geodude. Right Brayden?"
Teddiursa calmed down enough at hearing Joey speak to give him a curious look. All of the other students began muttering again, turning to Brayden who smirked back with unearned confidence.
"You bet," the boy concurred and looked at the confused teacher. "We were just about to call you over to serve as our referee."
The teacher glanced between the two boys for a moment before sighing and telling them to approach the field. Brayden wasted no time sauntering up to his battle box, enjoying the cheers of support he received from those closest to him.
"Sorry Nia, but I guess we'll have to battle later," he whispered to the pink haired girl on his way.
"Don't worry about it. Now go kick his ass Joey," Nia spat into his ear as she pushed him forward.
"You got this Joey," shouted Ash from the sideline.
"Yeah, show him at why you're worthy to be my rival," added Gary in his own unique way.
Joey nodded at them as he told Teddiursa to get ready and the little bear Pokemon took a few tiny steps onto the battle field.
"Ursa," he growled at Brayden, though the boy didn't show any signs of concern.
"Let's see how your toy deals with a real Pokemon," he shouted before releasing his starter onto the field.
From the pokeball, which Brayden threw needlessly into the air, emerged a brownish boulder with bulging arms on either side of its body. They were muscular with five-fingers each, clenched into fists that pounded at the ground. Rocky eyebrows protruded over trapezoidal eyes and wide mouth that took up most of Geodude's face, letting out a battle cry that Teddiursa answered with another low pitched growl. Brayden then needed a minute to retrieve his pokeball that had been lost in the grass around them, much to the class's amusement.
"Alright children," the teacher announced, gaining everyone's attention when the dirty boy returned. "This will be a one on one battle between Teddiursa and Geodude. It will end when one Pokemon is unable to battle. Are both trainers ready?"
"Ready," Joey and Brayden shouted in unison.
"Geodude. Dude!"
"Teddiursa!"
"Then begin!"
Brayden wasted no time calling for his Geodude to use Tackle and the living boulder charged right in. It floated over the ground towards Joey's side of the field, though not at any alarming speeds.
"Dodge it," Joey shouted and his starter responded without delay. Teddiursa was quick to leap aside as the rock type soared passed, weight and momentum causing it to skid wide after realizing it had missed.
"After it. Tackle it until it stops moving."
Geodude nodded and chased after Teddiursa at Brayden's command. Joey had expected this. He'd watched Brayden battle before and every time the boy relied on brute force to win. Only Nia's Chansey was tough enough to meet it head on, something Joey wasn't about to test with Teddiursa.
"Keep moving. Don't let it catch you!"
Teddiursa complied and jumped away before Geodude could crash down where he had been standing. Their weekend workout hadn't done much in terms of strengthening Teddiursa yet, but the Pokemon was quick enough to stay one step ahead of Brayden's, repeating this action several more times much to Brayden and the audience's disappointment.
"Come on. Fight back."
"What are you a coward?"
"Lay off him," screeched Nia over their complaints. "I'm sure Joey knows what he's doing."
Joey appreciated the vote of confidence, but in truth he was still figuring that out. His early bravado aside, the matchup wasn't favorable. Geodude were known for being as strong as they were tough, able to be launched out of a cannon without any injuries. To make matters worse, Teddiursa's Scratch attack wouldn't do much against its rocky exterior. Still, he knew they wouldn't get anywhere by only running away so Joey decided to go on the offensive.
"Get behind it and use Scratch," Joey instructed after Teddiursa dodged another Tackle. With an affirmative grunt, Teddiursa raked his claws against Geodude's exposed back, knocking the rock type off balance a smidge.
"You think those puny claws can do anything to my Geodude's shell?" laughed Brayden. Joey and Teddiursa growled as one before the battle continued with Teddiursa evading all of Geodude's attacks while retaliating with a well-timed Scratch to minimal results. All Joey could hope for was a battle of attrition where they dealt enough damage overtime to secure victory. It seemed to be working as the small marks left from Teddiursa's claws began to add up, but the Geodude was sturdy as they come. The same could be said for Joey's starter, though the little bear cub was breathing heavy and his dodges were closer than before.
Joey's confidence in his plan was put to the test, however, when Brayden did the unthinkable and called for another move.
"Show everyone how strong you are with the new move my father taught us. Use Magnitude!"
Joey felt as though the world turned to jello as Geodude raised its fist high before slamming it into the ground. People shrieked as seismic waves ripped the field apart, breaking one section of the fence to splinters. Many students looked for something to support themselves, though like Joey most failed and collapsed onto the ground. Even Teddiursa was sent tumbling onto his back when the shockwave reached him.
"Brayden!" Cried their teacher as he leaned against the fence post. "You know the rules against using moves like that on school grounds. Do it again and your disqualified."
"Whatever it takes to win." Joey heard Brayden shoot back as he tried to flip onto his stomach. He barely had any time to adjust before hearing his opponent call another move. "Tackle and pin that loser down."
"You cheat!" Ash declared amidst the uproar. "At least wait for Joey to get up first."
Joey scrambled back to his feet, but it was too late as Geodude slammed into a disoriented Teddiursa, using both muscular arms to hold him against the ground. Try as he might, Teddiursa couldn't break free and was pummeled by one Tackle after another as Geodude raised itself high, then dropped down on poor Teddiursa's stomach. Nia was looking ready to march onto the field and give Brayden another bruise, but Gary held her back.
Blood pounded in Joey's ears with every impact Teddiursa took, his pained cries drowning out everything else besides Brayden's laughter. There had to be something they could do, but Joey didn't see a way to free Teddiursa from Geodude's hold. They'd be licked for sure if he didn't come up with a plan and fast, otherwise conceding might be the only way to spare Teddiursa any unnecessary…
"Teddiursa use Lick!"
The words came out of Joey in a sudden burst of inspiration. Some primal force in his head demanded use of the move, despite never having trained with it, but for some reason it just felt right.
"You want your Pokemon to what?" mocked Brayden along with a few supporters. "Are you really that desperate? A little saliva isn't going to do much, so just give up before Geodude… Geodude?"
Brayden's taunt turned into a question for his own Pokemon as it froze mid attack, twitching like it had suffered a sudden chill. The rock type rolled off Teddiursa, not moving except for the look of disgust spawning all over its face. "Geodude what's the matter with you? Keep attacking!"
"It can't," Gary called from the sidelines, his know it all grin bigger than ever. "It's paralyzed by the ghost type energy of Teddiursa's Lick attack."
"Ghost what?" Brayden shouted, confused and by extension angry.
"Which means it's our turn to strike back," Joey announced as Teddiursa, battered and bruised, rose to his feet. "Let's finish this bud. Scratch attack, full power!"
"Ursa!" The little bear Pokemon roared and ran forth with his claw engulfed in a burning white light. All of Brayden's crying couldn't stop Teddiursa from slashing Geodude with all his might, sending the rock type rolling across the battle field, coming to a halt in front of their stunned teacher. One look at the dazed Pokemon was all he needed.
"Geodude is unable to battle. The winner is Joey Amara."
The explosion of screams was deafening as the entire class got swept up in the heat of battle. Ash and Gary danced alongside one another, forgetting their love/hate rivalry for the time being as Nia punched the air in satisfaction of her honor being restored. Joey tuned out most of the comments as he watched Brayden return his Geodude with a scowl.
"Whatever. You got lucky, that's all," he stewed before disappearing into the frantic crowd. Joey paid the insult no mind as he knelt down next to an exhausted Teddiursa as the bear licked his fur back into place.
"Good work out there," Joey praised, placing a hand on the Pokemon's head. "You were amazing bud."
"Teddiursa," moaned his starter, waving off the praise in leu of a more important question. Joey snickered and nodded.
"Sure. All the honey you can eat."
Teddiursa seemed satisfied with that answer and allowed Joey to return him for a well-deserved rest, something Joey was looking forward to once he found a way to escape his new adoring fans as they swarmed the field to offer their congratulations.
XXX
So I'm curious what you think of Ash, Gary and Nia (especially her) compared to my last version? People made it very clear Nia needed some improvement, so here's my new take on her. She's the daughter of the Pallet Town Nurse Joy.
For anyone interested about the battling bums comment, it's kind of how I picture some people abusing the trainer system. They don't want to go back to normal society and its boring responsibilities, but alredy failed as trainers and had their spirits broken, so they do the bare minimum to keep their government stipends and just travel around battling to get by. It's kind of like Brock's dad, but in some ways better and worse. Maybe I'll go into more detail at some point, though in Joey's case it would definitely be the latter.
Also, since this analogy just came to me, the way I picture raising Pokemon is like if we could capture wild animals in our world. Imagine how expensive feeding a bear and a tiger would be on a daily basis, let alone housing them in your one bedroom apartment. My mind wanders to the oddest things sometimes.
Feel free to drop any questions or comments. And we'll see you next time!
Joey's Team:
Teddiursa- Scratch, Baby Doll Eyes, Lick