xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Skyarrow Bridge, 8:45 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sitting against the guardrail of the longest bridge in the Unova region that connected Castelia City to the Pinwheel Forest was Keats, looking at the Ultra Ball he had used in the fishing contest the previous day. Holding it in both of his hands, Keats looked at the ball with uncertainty.
"What the hell even are you...?" Keats thought as he continued to look at the Ultra Ball. "Not a Water type... But still found you in the bay..." He said aloud to himself as he stood up from the railing.
Turning around, Keats looked down at the sea beneath him from the immensely long bridge. Shifting his eyes back towards the ball, he continued to contemplate what's inside of it.
"And of course, Rotom is still "power napping" when I need the dumb thing most... Can't even access anything right now because it shut off completely..." Keats thought with annoyance as he looked at his pocket where Rotom was currently staying inside. "Okay, okay." He said aloud to himself as he walked along the bridge towards Pinwheel Forest.
Reaching into his pockets, Keats pulled out Timburr and Pinecos Pokéballs and summoned them out.
"Pineco." Pineco said plainly.
"Timburr." Timburr said as he held his squared log over his right shoulder as the Fighting type and the Bug type followed their trainer.
"Okay, you two know we caught a new member, right?" Keats asked as he looked at his Pokémon as they walked.
"Timburr." Timburr said with a nod.
"Pineco?" Pineco said with a questioning tone.
"Yeah, so uhhhh... Here's the thing, I haven't opened up the ball just yet... And Rotom is still out with low battery." Keats explained as his Pokémon followed him along the bridge. "So..." He said as he stopped walking with Pineco and Timburr stopping as well. "Any ideas?" Keats said as he showed them the Ultra Ball.
"Tim-timbu." Timburr said with a headshake, unsure of how to answer.
Hopping forward, Pineco looked at Keats' Ultra Ball with an intense look in her eyes. Forming an idea in her head, the Bug type suddenly blinked her eyes rapidly in surprise and concern.
"Pineco! Pineco!" Pineco exclaimed frantically as she hopped up and down.
"Whoa! Whoa! What's wrong?" Keats said in surprise as he wasn't expecting the reaction.
"Timburr?" Timburr asked towards Pineco.
"Pineco! Cococo!" Pineco exclaimed as Keats looked at the two Pokémon with confusion.
"Timb-timb?!" Timburr said as he pointed his free hand at Keats' Ultra Ball.
"Really wish I could read minds so I can understand this conversation... Oh and to hear conversations between two different Tauros, that actually sounds like it'd be pretty hilarious." Keats thought as his mind went elsewhere.
"Timburr! Timburr!" Timburr exclaimed frantically, just like Pineco.
"Pineco! Pineco!" Pineco continued in an extremely concerned tone.
"What?! What is it?!" Keats said loudly as he continued to hold the Ultra Ball in his hand. "Hold on, you think you have an idea what's in the ball?" He asked.
"Timburr! Timburr!" Timburr said towards Keats.
"Pineco! Pine!" Pineco said as she jumped onto her front side.
"Whoa, whoa. Hang on a sec. Why are you trying to lay flat?" Keats said, confused.
"Timburr! Timburr!" Timburr said as he put down his log and then hopped down onto his chest, similarly to Pineco.
Keats, unsure of how to respond, proceeded to put his bags on the ground and followed suit with his Pokémon as he dropped onto his chest as he continued to hold the Pokéball. As he laid on the ground with his Pokémon, random passersby looked at Keats and his Pokémon making a scene on the walking path of the bridge.
"Okay? I'm on the ground. Now what?" Keats questioned.
"Timb! Timb!" Timburr said as he pointed at the ball.
"Pineco!" Pineco said as she rolled over to her side to look at Keats, trying to process what they're attempting to convey.
"...You're saying the Pokémon in the ball is laying down?" Keats asked.
"Timburr!" Timburr nodded as the Fighting type sweated.
"Pineco!" Pineco said as she shifted her eyes at the ball.
"I don't get it. They look nervous about a Pokémon that is laying down or... Flat..." Keats thought as he begun to form thoughts in his head before he begun to get an idea as to what his Pokémon were trying to tell him. "You... You think it's "you-know-who?"' He said nervously as he pointed at the Ultra Ball.
"Pineco!" Pineco said frantically.
"Timburr!" Timburr said similarly.
"...Crap..." Keats said plainly as he looked at the Ultra Ball.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Pinwheel Forest, 11:03 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In an open patch of woods in the Pinwheel Forest, Keats' mysterious Ultra Ball was placed in the center of a trio of roadblock barriers. Nearby from it was Keats, Pineco and Timburr, sticking out from behind a tree with expressions of fear.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why did it have to be that freaky thing!?" Keats thought with sweat dripping down his face.
"Timburr..." Timburr said with caution.
"Pineco..." Pineco said nervously.
"Great, this is just great..." Keats said as his Pokémon looked up at him. "We get a third Pokémon for the damn PokéPotluck but it winds up being the murderous Electric and Ground thing I stepped on." He said while pulling on his face.
"Pineco..." Pineco said while looking at her trainer.
"Timburr. Timb-timb." Timburr said as he caught Keats' attention.
"I'm not sure what're saying until Rotom finally wakes up." Keats said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Rotom phone. "Which would be really helpful right now!" He screamed angrily at the phone before almost putting it away.
As he screamed at the Rotom phone, the screen suddenly turned on as Rotoms face appeared as the phone Pokémon floated up into the air and out of Keats' hand.
"Zzzzt. Energy at max!" Rotom said as it floated in front of Keats. "What'd I- huh?!" The phone Pokémon said as it turned its body and noticed the group was no longer on a small rowboat.
Looking around, Rotom made raised an eyebrow on its screen as it saw Keats, Timburr and Pineco hiding behind a tree and then glancing over at Keats' Ultra Ball in the center of a trio of roadblock barricades.
"...How long wazzzz I out?" Rotom asked towards Keats as he made an angry face at the floating phone.
"Gee, let me think- half a day?!" Keats shouted in anger as Rotom floated back slightly as Pineco and Timburr looked up at the phone.
"What happened to the fishing contest, zzzzt?" Rotom asked.
"Good news and bad news..." Keats said as he scratched his head. "The good news is that I am in the PokéPotluck." He explained.
"You actually did it, zzzzt?!" Rotom exclaimed in surprise.
"Why are you shocked by that?!" Keats replied, offended.
"Zzzzorry." Rotom said in embarrassment. "What did you rank?" The phone Pokémon asked out of curiosity.
"Eighth place out of eight contestants..." Keats said with a headshake. "Said I won on a technicality because I didn't catch a Water type." He said as he walked out from behind the tree with his Pokémon following suit.
'"Didn't catch a Water type, zzzzt?"' Rotom repeated in confusion as Rotom floated next to Keats as they both looked at the roadblock barricade around the Ultra Ball. "...Where did you get thozzzze?" The phone Pokémon asked.
"After you went to sleep in my pocket and I got told I won, I slept under a bus stop on that long as hell bridge connecting to these woods outside of the city." Keats said. "When Pineco and Timburr got an idea on what's in the Pokéball over there, me and Timburr ran to a construction site back in the city." He explained.
"...I need to take shorter "power napzzzz."' Rotom thought as it listened as Keats reached into one of his messenger bags and pulled out a yellow hard hat.
"So it turns out, if you walk onto a construction site with a Timburr, people assume you're a worker. Made it super easy to take these." Keats said as he dropped the hard hat on the ground and pointed at the barricades.
"...You zzzztole barricades?" Rotom said, bewildered.
"...I wouldn't say "stole," it's more like "reappropriated- gah!"' Keats said as Timburr made an embarrassed expression before Rotom got in Keats face.
"First the Pineco thing and then the forest fire and now you impersonated a construction worker to steal stuff!? How many times are you going to do outragous nonsense like thizzzz?!" Rotom said, scolding Keats as the phone got in his face.
"Gah! Uugh! Stop!" Keats said as he pushed Rotom away and rubbed his eyes in pain. "Ugh! Will you stop doing that?!" He complained.
"Only after you zzzztop with the spontaneous law breaking!" Rotom exclaimed in frustration as Pineco and Timburr shook their heads in a judgmental manner.
"Whatever! Can we just get back to the matter at hand!?" Keats said as he pointed at the Ultra Ball as Rotom, Pineco and Timburr looked on.
"Pineco..." Pineco said nervously.
"Timburr..." Timburr said as he scratched his head.
"I was offline zzzzo I couldn't check what you registered to the PokéDex." Rotom said.
"Fully aware..." Keats said with half closed eyes towards Rotom. "But given that I caught it in the bay and it's not a Water type, there's only one thing that comes to mind." He said as he put his hands on his face.
"Pine-coco..." Pineco said towards Rotom.
"...You caught Zzzztunfizzzzk?" Rotom said in confusion and surprise.
"Yeah, I think I caught "Zzzztunfizzzzk."' Keats said while mocking Rotoms static speech. "But I'm too nervous to open it up and let it out because if I do, it will try and zap us all to death." He said with a furrowed brow.
"Hmmmm... Hold on a minute, zzzzt." Rotom said as its screen shifted into the one for the PokéDex. "Stunfisk is listed as number six hundred and eighteen so if I scan down to- huh?" The phone Pokémon thought as it scanned.
"Urrti..." Timburr said towards Keats as he folded his arms before turned towards the Fighting type.
"You worried too?" Keats asked.
"Timburr." Timburr said as he held up his log over his head, as if to give it to Keats.
"...You're a Fighting type, you love to battle but Stunfisk is too tough for you right now huh?" Keat said, attempting to interpret what Timburr was saying as he grabbed Timburrs squared log.
"Pinepine..." Pineco said next to Timburr as Keats looked at the Bug type.
"How about you?" Keats asked as he sat down in the grass.
"Pineco-coco." Pineco said as she turned towards the Ultra Ball.
"You want to fight Stunfisk but you're too nervous too..." Keats said, attempting to interpret Pineco. "I'm not cut out for this..." He thought as he scratched his head as Rotoms face returned onto the phone screen with wide eyes.
"Keatzzzz..." Rotom said as it floated down to where Keats was sitting as he handed the log back to Timburr.
"Stunfisk pop up in your thing as "registered to my PokéDex?"' Keats said while making air quotes with his hands.
"Nope... Zzzt..." Rotom said as Pineco and Timburr made confused expressions towards each other. "That means you didn't catch Zzzztunfizzzzk." The phone Pokemon said as Keats' eyes widened.
"...Huh?" Keats muttered in surprise as he stood up. "Wait, if it's not Stunfisk..." He said as he looked at Rotom before looking over at the Ultra Ball. "Then what did I catch?" Keats thought as he walked towards the ball.
Using his arms, Keats picked up one of the roadblocks and chucked it against a nearby tree. Reaching down, he picked up the Ultra Ball and stood back slightly to give him some room. Opening up the ball and emerging from the light, out came a surprisingly familiar dragon-like creature that stood roughly the same height as Keats with a red head with red spikes on top of a blue body with a yellow underbelly with wings and a tail with droplets of water falling off itself.
"Draaaghhhh!" The dragon-like creature bellowed as its roar echoed throughout the forest as its tail slammed into the other two barricades, destroying them as Keats stepped back slightly further.
"...Druddigon?" Keats said with confusion as he looked at the Ultra Ball and then back towards Rotom, Pineco and Timburr with puzzled looks in their eyes.
"Druuuuddd!" Druddigon roared once more as it wiped off some of the water off its body from when it was caught.
"...Uhhhh..." Keats mumbled as he looked at the Dragon type Pokémon that he somehow caught.
"Drudd! Druddigongon!" Druddigon exclaimed in an agitated manner as it stomped its feet.
"...Okay, Rotom? Think now's about time to translate?" Keats said as Timburr and Pineco stood in front of him. "Not afraid to fight this thing but you are of Stunfisk?" He thought as he noticed his Pokémon in front of him.
"Druddigon! Drudddrudddrudd! Gongonigon!" Druddigon exclaimed as it pointed at Keats, the husky framed trainer pointing at himself in bewilderment.
"Rotom?" Keats asked towards the phone.
"It'zzzz saying it'zzzz offended and angry at you." Rotom said, translating for Druddigon.
'"Offended?" For what? This is my first time seeing-... Wait..." Keats said before a thought formed in his head as he looked at the Druddigon.
"Druddigon! Drudddrudd!" Druddigon bellowed as it pointed at its head and then its tail.
"He's saying you peed on his tail and then did a poor job burying-... Oh, zzzzt." Rotom translated before coming to a realization as well.
"You're "that" Druddigon!? From back in the woods on Route 20?!" Keats exclaimed as he realized the Druddigon had followed after him as Pineco and Timburr looked at the Dragon type Pokémon, perplexed.
"Drudd!" Druddigon said loudly while pointing once again, confirming Keats' assumption.
"It actually followed uzzzz from near Floccesy Town?" Rotom questioned.
"Another angry Pokémon stalking me... Just what I needed in my life." Keats thought as he put both his hands on his head. "Why? Why are you following me?" He asked towards the agitated Dragon type.
"Druddigon-drudd. Gonigon-drudd. Druddigon!" Druddigon said as Keats looked at Rotom.
"After Stunfisk knocked him down and out, he was expecting a Pokéball thrown at it, not just being buried halfway up its body, zzzzt." Rotom translated as Keats looked on, perplexed.
"What?" Keats replied.
"Druddigon! Druddigon!" Druddigon angrily screamed while stomping again.
"After you left it in the dirt and didn't bother catching him, other Pokémon arrived after in a mass crowd and threw him out of the woods because they weren't afraid of him anymore. Zzzzomething about "losing its pride as a Dragon Pokémon" as well." Rotom explained, continuing to translate.
'"Losing its pride as a Dragon...?"' Keats thought as he looked at Druddigon. "So, after I put you in the hole, some other Pokémon in the woods evicted you because you seemed like an ass." He explained as Druddigon glared at him for the insult. "And now you're here... Why?" Keats said, unsure of what to think.
"Druddi! Druddigondrudd!" Druddigon said with an agitated tone.
"He wanted revenge against the Pokémon that knocked him out, so he flew away from the woods and followed after where you threw Stunfisk, zzzzt." Rotom explained. "But then he realized Stunfisk was after you, so he started following you in an attempt to run into it." The phone Pokémon continued to translate.
"...Well... It's nice to know we're not the only ones that Stunfisk has caused problems for..." Keats thought as his eyes shifted back and forth.
"Druddigon! Druddidruddi." Druddigon said.
"After you blew up Stunfisk in the harbor, he thought that hiding in the water of the Castelia City Bay would have lured it back out with you out in the open during the fishing contest, zzzzt." Rotom continued. "He went up closer to the surface while waiting when Timburr threw the Ultra Ball and ended up catching it when it wasn't paying attention." The phone Pokémon said, finishing up recounting the story Druddigon had.
"...So Timburr threw the ball and got a solid catch." Keats said as he looked down at Timburr, giving him a thumbs up.
"Pineco." Pineco said in an enthusiastic tone towards Timburr as Timburr scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon exclaimed as he pointed at Keats to catch the attention of everyone. "Druddidrudd! Gongon!" The Dragon type Pokémon continued.
"He zzzzayzzzz you owe him." Rotom said with a raised brow on its screen.
"What?!" Keats screamed with confusion. '"Owe him?" For what? Getting beat in two hits by a wild Stunfisk?" He asked as Pineco hopped forward towards Druddigon.
"Pineco. Pinecoco." Pineco said towards Druddigon.
"Druddrudd." Druddigon said to Pineco.
"Pineco." Pineco said with a nod as she hopped back towards Keats.
"What's up?" Keats said as he bent down towards Pineco.
"Pineco. Pinecoco-pine." Pineco said as Keats looked up at Rotom.
"Pineco says that Druddigon is willing to follow you if you can bring it to Zzzztunfizzzzk." Rotom said as Keats' eyes widened.
"...Are you serious?" Keats said with confusion.
"It's pride as a Dragon type has been tarnizzzzhed and it's your fault so it'zzzz saying you need to take it to Stunfisk." Rotom explained.
Raising an eyebrow, Keats looked at Druddigon as he stood up with the large Dragon type Pokémon folding its arms as Timburr and Pineco looked at their trainer with intrigue, curious about his answer.
"...No." Keats said with a wince in his face as Pineco, Timburr, Rotom and especially Druddigon dropped their jaws in shock.
"Druddigon!?" Druddigon exclaimed in an angry and confused tone.
"What do you mean "no," zzzzt?" Rotom asked.
"No, I don't wanna." Keats said as he shook his head at Druddigon. "Besides... I'm not so "sure" about this." He continued as he looked at the Druddigon with a contemplative face.
"Why? What aren't you "zzzzure" about?" Rotom asked in confusion.
"I'm just not... "Impressed" by this thing?" Keats said as he scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed tone as Druddigon looked at him in shock.
"How are you not imprezzzzzzzzed?!" Rotom questioned with a perplexed tone. "It's a Dragon type Pokémon! It'zzzz one of the strongest types you can catch in the wild!" The phone Pokémon shouted.
"...Yeah, there's the thing though... I don't really care much about Dragon types." Keats said with a shrug as Druddigons jaw unhinged in shock as Pineco and Timburr looked at the Dragon type as it just looked at its "trainer" in horror at his opinion of his kind.
"How can you not care, zzzzt?" Rotom said.
"I grew up in Kanto before moving to Johto with my sister. I grew up with only two existing Dragon type Pokémon I can recall: Dragonite and Kingdra. Growing up, I heard everything about the Dragon type trainers and gym leaders my sister would encounter like the dude who is the champion right now in Kanto. Literally only has a Dragonite and everything else he has in his team is not a Dragon type. I always thought that was lame." Keats explained, giving his opinion. "He's got a Gyarados and an Aerodactyl and a Dragonite. Nothing else? How is that a "Dragon type" trainer?" He continued to rant.
"There'zzzz other Dragon type Pokémon that exist, you know? Hydreigon? Flygon? Garchomp? He probably has one of them." Rotom explained.
"Yeah, but I grew up in a pair of regions that only ever had two and heard of people who claimed to be "specialists," but they always only had just one Dragon type. So, I don't know, I just don't think Dragon Pokémon are that cool." Keats said with a shrug as Druddigon was completely frozen solid in shock. "But I got a serious question, how'd Druddigon swim? It's not a Water type..." He asked towards Rotom.
"Druddigon has the ability to zzzzwim because it can learn the move "Surf."' Rotom said as its screen turned into an image of a Rhyhorn swimming in the ocean. "Pokémon that can learn "Surf" have the ability to swim in water, regardless of type or even knowing the move. Like Druddigon, Rhyhorn, Tauros-" The phone Pokémon continued until Keats opened his eyes wide.
"Whoa, hold up! Are you saying Tauros have the ability to surf in the ocean?!" Keats exclaimed in interest as a mental image formed in Keats' head of a Tauros riding on a surfboard on its hindlegs and sporting sunglasses and swimming trunks. "Okay, got an idea. Rotom show me how to release Druddigon from this Ultra Ball and let's go find a Tauros to catch!" He said in excitement as Druddigon looked up at Keats with a shocked and offended expression.
"...That'zzzz not how that works. Once you release the Pokémon from the ball, it stops working." Rotom said. "...And I don't think it's a good idea to release your newly caught Pokémon when you need it." The phone Pokémon thought judgmentally.
"So I gotta hold down the button on the ball and- wahh!" Keats said as he was about to press the button on the ball until Druddigon stomped over to where Keats was standing and slapped the Ultra Ball out of his hand and then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Drudd! Drudd! Drudd!" Druddigon exclaimed with tears forming on his face as he swung Keats back and forth.
"Rotom?! What's! He! Saying?!" Keats said as Timburr and Pineco watched Druddigons tirade.
"That you can't just throw him away like trazzzzh after all the trouble you caused..." Rotom translated as Keats pushed off Druddigons arms from his upper body.
"Look, I'm sorry for burying you in the dirt but it's not my fault Stunfisk knocked you out... In two hits." Keats said as Druddigon looked at Keats in shock once again.
Falling onto his knees, Druddigons body turned white from depression as Keats' comment did as much damage to him as a super effective move. Looking down at Druddigon, Timburr and Pineco approached the Dragon type as Timburr patted his head, avoiding the spikey horns around his skull.
"Keatzzzz, I think you're making things worse..." Rotom said as the phone Pokémon and Keats looked down at the pitiful sight of the Dragon type Pokémon shifting into a fetal position on its side.
"Oh come on." Keats said as he kneeled down to look at the emotionally destroyed Druddigon. "Aren't you Dragon types supposed to be so full of "pride" that stuff like what I said doesn't bother you?" He continued.
Following Keats' words, Druddigon proceeded to dig into the dirt in front of him to make a hole. In a moment of sorrow, the Dragon type Pokémon placed his head in the hole like Keats did to him before and just dropped the dirt in his hands on top of his head as he laid there, depressed.
"Guess not..." Keats thought as Pineco and Timburr looked at him. "...Thoughts?" He asked towards his other Pokémon.
"Burrtim..." Timburr said as the mole-like Pokémon scratched his head.
"Timburr doesn't know what to think about this situation, zzzzt." Rotom translated.
"Pinecoco. Pinepine." Pineco said towards Keats.
"And Pineco says that we should bring Druddigon along because we should help him." Rotom explained as Keats looked at his Bug type Pokémon before sighing.
"...Fine." Keats said as Druddigon looked up at Keats as the dirt fell off his head. "Come on Druddigon, get up." He said as he stood up as Druddigon got up from the ground with Timburr and Pineco looking at the pair. "Okay... This is a lot to take in, but I seriously need a third Pokémon and you went inside my Ultra Ball so I'm officially your trainer... Agreed?" Keats asked as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"...Druuuuuu..." Druddigon muttered as he looked at Keats before extending his arm as well and accepting Keats as its trainer.
"I'm not exactly a "good" trainer but I'll take what I can get." Keats said.
"Good thinking then to go to the Pinwheel Forezzzzt for training." Rotom said as Keats looked at the floating phone.
"Huh? Oh, no I didn't come out here for that. I just felt like getting out of the city because of all the dumpsters and benches I've been sleeping in, and I didn't want that dumb thief to see me in public." Keats said with a shrug as Rotom begun to shake with rage.
"...Oh come on, zzzzt!" Rotom exclaimed as Keats and his Pokémon stepped back in surprise. "We need to train! How else are you going to get more movezzzz or beat Carter?!" The phone Pokémon ranted as Keats raised an eyebrow.
"...What was that about "moves?"' Keats replied.
"Movezzzz, Pokémon can learn up to four moves to use and they have special abilities to help them improve their odds in battle." Rotom explained in an exasperated tone. "I seriously have to explain this zzzztuff..." The phone Pokémon thought, annoyed.
"Pokémon can learn more than four moves?... I always thought the four moves they learn was all they got until they evolved?" Keats said in an honest tone as Druddigon, Timburr and Pineco looked at Keats with surprise and confusion.
"That'zzzz not how it works!" Rotom screamed loudly.
"Alright, jeez! Stop shouting!" Keats shouted back.
"Zzzzo-zzzzorry. It's just getting frustrating that I keep needing to tell you all this..." Rotom said as Keats scratched his head.
"Whatever, just tell me about the "move" thing." Keats said.
"With enough training of your Pokémon, they'll learn new moves, just like when Pineco learned "Pin Missile." And when they develop more moves, you can swap around the moves to make a move set for each of them that will better help you as a trainer in battles with other trainerzzzz." Rotom explained. "Moves can be learned through proper training against other Pokémon in battle or with a "visual aid."' The phone Pokémon continued as Keats looked the phone with confusion.
"What do you mean "visual aid?"' Keats questioned.
"Pokémon learn from other Pokémon using moves that they are confirmed to learn, zzzzt. They can also do it from watching videos their trainer can show them." Rotom said. "Before my line of PokéDexs came out, people used to get discs and show them to Pokémon on DVD players to teach them certain moves but nowadays, I can just look up certain movezzzz via the web." The phone Pokémon explained further as Keats looked at Druddigon, Pineco and Timburr.
"...You know, that would've been nice to know a lot sooner." Keats said with annoyance. "So, with a bit more battles, I can just change their moves to whatever they have at their disposal... Hmmmm..." He thought while trying to comprehend what Rotom was telling him.
"Maybe I zzzzhouldn't have to tell you any of this!? Didn't you look up all those articles when you were in the park you nearly burned down!?" Rotom asked as Keats scratched his face.
"I was mostly learning about types back then, how was I supposed to know you wanted me to look up that stuff too?" Keats said.
With the face on its screens twitching, Rotom floated over towards a tree and got behind it as Keats and his Pokémon looked on.
"Gaaahhh!" Rotom screamed in frustration behind the tree as Keats and his Pokémon stepped backwards to not be so close to Rotom as it shook with rage.
"Calm down dude..." Keats said with his hands up.
"This is zzzzo frustrat- huh?" Rotom said in agitation before turning around and noticed a pair of creatures approaching the group.
Both creatures looked like humanoids made of rocks wearing white martial arts gis with black belts but with no shoes. One was thin, tall and blue whilst the other was shorter, larger and red, both sporting three fingered hands and black noses.
"Sawwwwwwk!" The blue rocky humanoid exclaimed.
"Throoooooh!" The red rock humanoid shouted.
"...Who are these numbnuts?" Keats said as he pointed at the two martial artists made of rocks.
"Hold on." Rotom said as it floated over to scan the pair. '"Sawk, the Karate Pokemon, a Fighting type. The sound of Sawk punching boulders and trees can be heard from all the way from the mountains they train."' The phone Pokémon said as it scanned the other Pokémon. '"Throh, the Judo Pokémon, a Fighting type. It performs throwing moves with first rate skill. Its belt grows darker from the sweat it gives off from many battles."' Rotom said as it finished reading off Sawk and Throhs PokéDex entries.
"They look like nerds..." Keats said casually as Druddigon, Timburr and Pineco looked at the pair of Fighting types.
"Sawk! Sawk!" The wild Sawk exclaimed as it pointed at group.
"Throh-oh!" Throh exclaimed as well.
"Translation?" Keats said as he looked at Rotom.
"They're saying that our "constant shouting" is dizzzzturbing the sanctity of their training." Rotom said.
"Well sorry if the woods are too cramped to not overhear things!" Keats exclaimed in frustration.
"Sawk! Sawk!" The wild Sawk said as it pointed at Keats.
"What now?" Keats asked towards Rotom.
"It's saying that you need to be quieter if you want to keep this open space for yourzzzzelf." Rotom translated as Keats' eyes widened.
"...That a threat?" Keats questioned as he looked at the pair of Fighting types with an annoyed expression forming on his face. "Why don't I go over there and-... Wait a minute." He said angrily as he started to roll up one of his shirt sleeves before coming to an idea in his head.
"What izzzz it?" Rotom asked towards Keats. "He's gonna come up with another "bright" idea, isn't he...?" The phone Pokémon thought with irritation.
"I just had an idea... These guys are training right?" Keats said as he turned towards Rotom and his trio of Pokémon. "Well, why don't we ask them to train us?" He said with a look of enthusiasm at the idea.
"That's a terri-... Actually... That almozzzzt sounds like a good idea." Rotom said in an attempt to condemn the plan before realizing that it might work. "If they're already training one another, helping us out might be beneficial for them too by giving them more diverse opponents, zzzzt." The phone Pokémon continued as the Sawk and Throh overheard.
"Bingo!" Keats said cheerfully.
"Pineco!" Pineco said as she spoke as Keats looked at her, Timburr and then lastly, Druddigon.
"Zzzzhe says she agrees with idea." Rotom translated.
"And to help with getting them on our side, I'll tell them to help us in their native tongue!" Keats said with a smile on his face as the Pokémon looked at him with confusion.
"...What doezzzz that mean?" Rotom asked.
"I'll talk like they talk to help ease them in." Keats said as he walked over to the Fighting type pair. "Ahem..." He muttered while clearing his throat.
"...Thizzzz is gonna go over poorly." Rotom said towards Keats Pokémon who looked on with confusion at their trainers' strange actions.
'"Sawkwk Sawkwkas Saw."' Keats said towards the wild Sawk as the Pokémon made a shocked expression. '"Throhoohoho Thrthrthroh Oh."' He said towards the Throh who responded with the same look of horror forming.
Their faces contorting into ones of anger, Sawk proceeded to slam a glowing open right hand into the skull of Keats that dazed him before Throh proceeded to duck down and extended its left leg into Keats' right shin, causing him to fall down onto his back in pain as he clutched at his leg.
"Ahh! God, damn it! Agh! What the hell was that for?!" Keats said as he rolled around on the floor as his Pokémon approached him on the ground.
"...You have any idea what you juzzzzt said to them?" Rotom said with a bewildered expression as they all looked down at Keats.
"What did I say?" Keats asked from the floor as he continued to rub his leg.
"You zzzzaid; "Your grandmas remind me of an oil refinery television."' Rotom said, translating Keats' strange statement to the wild Throh and Sawk. "And you said the same thing to both of them which makes it even more zzzztrange how you managed that..." The phone Pokémon continued.
"What the hell does that even mean?! That doesn't even sound like a real insult!" Keats exclaimed in frustration and confusion before getting back to his feet.
"Regardless, you managed to take a "Karate Chop" to the zzzzkull and a "Low Sweep" to the zzzzhin, you've taken more damage than your Pokémon recently..." Rotom said as Keats glared at the floating phone.
"Ugh, fine." Keats said with annoyance. "Hey! Rockheads!" He said towards the noticeably offended Sawk and Throh. "You both are training here in the woods, right?" Keats asked.
"Sawk." Sawk said with a nod and crossed arms.
"Throh." Throh said with its hands on its hips.
"Well... We could use some help." Keats said towards the Fighting types. "There's a tournament in the city on the other side of the bridge and we're participants in it... And we have no chance of winning whatsoever because I'm not particularly good at battling..." He explained towards Sawk and Throh as the red rock humanoid scratched its chin in intrigue. "So... Can you please help us with some combat training?" Keats said as he got on his hands and knees and bowed before the two Fighting types like a student towards a master in an effort to appease them.
Noticing her trainer's action, Pineco hopped over to where Keats was and proceeded to flop onto her front side to appear like she was bowing as well. Putting his log down, Timburr sighed as he walked over next to Keats and Pineco to bow as well. Looking on with a twitch in his eye, Druddigon shook his head in a display of pride.
"Get over here and bow you useless Dragon!" Keats said as the word "useless" practically jabbed the Dragon type in the chest with emotional damage as Druddigon hung its head in shame and walked over to bow down as well as Throh and Sawk looked at one other.
"Throh-oh." Throh said as it looked at Sawk as Sawk nodded in response towards the bowing group.
"Sawkwk-awk." Sawk said as the pair of Fighting types smiled towards Keats and his Pokémon.
"Rotom?" Keats said as he turned his head towards the floating phone.
"They zzzzaid they will help train us!" Rotom exclaimed in a delighted tone.
"Thank god!" Keats said as he got up from the ground with Druddigon and Timburr followed suit. "Oh, here you go." He said as he picked up Pineco to get her back to an upright position. "...Okay... Let's get the beatdown going..." Keats said as he scratched his head with his Pokémon showing expressions of readiness.
I... Was expecting someone else to be in that Ultra Ball. A certain... Flatfish? Jeez is that Dragon one mess of pride and despair. And now he's Keats' problem! Now with one more Pokémon to his team, he has all he needs to make it through the PokéPotluck tournament but with his lack of skill in battling, his chances are still slimmer than anyone else participating. Can the pair of wild Fighting types help Keats close the gap in his war against Carter in five days? Only one way to find out. Till Next Time!
Keats' Pokémon:
1. Pineco. Gender: Female. Ability: Sturdy. Moves: "Pin Missile," "Self-Destruct," "Tackle," "Protect."
2. Timburr. Gender: Male. Ability: Guts. Moves: "Karate Chop," "Slam," "Focus Energy," "Scary Face."
3. Druddigon. Gender: Male. Ability: Rough Skin. Moves: "Slash," "Dig," "Roar," "Dragon Tail."
Authors Note: (I have been very sick lately, so writing has been rough for me. I will also shamelessly admit that the reveal of Druddigon in the Ultra Ball was actually the fourth or fifth decision I had for the reveal because I could NOT be able to figure what could work best for me as the writer and what happens later in the story.)