Pokemon: Nuzlocke

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Chapter 10: If I take one more step, I'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been...


"Is this guy psychic?" I hear whispered behind me, as I crawl through some brush.

I didn't hear the reply, the sound of leaves and brush...brushing across me...drowning it out. 'Ah, there it is!'

My hand clasps onto a shrunken ball, the black and yellow glinting in the light that just barely filters through the leaves. I crawl back out, carefully maneuvering so my jacket doesn't snag too much.

"Look what I found!" I exclaim, holding the ball aloft.

"Yeah...how do you keep doing that?" Jessica asks, deadpan. "This is like the fifth time you've randomly found something under a bush. I mean that literally. Five bushes! I mean, Ultraballs are rare! Who just drops those?"

She has a bit of an eye twitch, so maybe I should tone it down a bit...I'll be the first to admit that maybe it was a bit weird, but every time Itemfinder activates, I can't just not look!

"Uh...I dunno? Sometimes I just get a feeling I guess?" I replied, dropping the ball into the hanging pouch from the hiking bag on my back.

The girl stared at me for a moment before shaking her head in confusion and continuing on. We'd only been walking for about 3 hours, but we had already managed to make it into the next zone, based on the rules of the Nuzlocke. I still didn't fully understand what it all meant, but at best I could at least try to adjust. Looking down at my C-Gear, I compared the map to what I could see all around us. We were slightly off the original path, but the map was adjusting just fine as we walked. The functionality heavily reminded me of Google Maps from my original life, but without an annoying voice telling me to turn left in two hundred feet.

One thing that I was coming to love about this world was just how full nature felt. There was a constant cacophony of noise around us, from Pokemon moving around, to making noises, even to distant sounds of battle. It was easy to just glance around, even without my abilities, and spot pokemon every which way. The woods here, as we approached the coast, were filled with Pokemon. From where I was standing, I could physically see three Pidgey, a Pidgeotto, seven Rattata, an Abra that disappeared before I could rush after it, and a Bellsprout. With my super awesome ability to see their names and stats, even through obstacles, I could see even more.

"You two looking to catch any Pokemon on this little trip?" I asked as we continued on.

"Well...I heard you can find Growlithe sometimes up on Route 6." Jessica said, glancing over at me. "We're a little further south, but you never know."

"Oh!" Jackie exclaimed, "I'd love to catch a Houndour or a Snubbull!"

"Why a Snubbull?" I asked curiously.

"They are adorable!" She said excitedly. "I've always wanted one...but they are a bit rare these days."

"Makes sense...I suppose I wouldn't say no to a Togepi." I replied. "I've always thought they were super cute."

"Oh my god yes!" Jackie says, grabbing my arm. "But they are SO rare. I don't think you can even find them in Kanto though."

"Oh really?" I reply, frowning.

"That's right," Jackie says, nodding at her sister. "Togepi can be found in Galar and Sinnoh. Though, they are rare there as well. I think your best bet is White Forest in Unova...but your chances of getting a visa to visit Unova is slim to none."

"Really?" I ask, "Why?"

"Why? Uh, the civil unrest? Where have you been?" Jessica asks, frowning.

"Apparently very sheltered," I reply, before spotting something in the distance. "Oh hey, you wanted a Growlithe, right?"

"What?! Where?" Jessica exclaims, whipping around.

"Oh...uh, it just went around that tree," I reply, pointing off to the left.

I couldn't just explain that I could see its name through the brush, so I thought that was a better explanation. I had no sooner spoken than she took off running in that direction, making a hellish racket through the woods. Jackie shrugged, before following along, with me taking up the rear of our little trek. As we rounded the brush, we could see her sister already throwing out her Pokeball, which exploded into red light that formed a Meowth, level 19. The Growlithe was only level 11, so I knew it wouldn't stand much of a chance. A few minutes later I was proven correct as her Pokeball stopped rocking, shrinking back down to its smaller size.

"YES!" Jessica yelled, jumping into the air. "Hell yeah, that was awesome!"

"Congrats!" I called out, snapping her from her victory dance.

"Oh, right...Heh. Forgot you guys were here." She said, as her sister facepalmed beside me.

I shook my head, smiling. Her excitement was pretty infectious. I didn't have any particular Pokemon in mind myself, but I'd have to keep an eye out for them. It was nice to have some company on this trip, so it was the least I could do.

BING! ITEM FOUND!

I reached out, snagging the Potion that just happened to be hanging from the branch right next to us, as Jessica and Jackie both blinked at me.

"But how?!"


Two days later we had made even more progress. Along the way, we'd fought some random wild Pokemon as we had plenty to choose from. Wanna know what is total hacks? I can see Pokemon names. I don't know every Pokemon, but being in Kanto I know a good selection…and that means I also know the types. Bug-type? Sending out Prophet and Pecking it into unconsciousness, or Kurama for some quick Embers. I'd leveled Prophet up to 16 in only the two days we'd been traveling, and even Kurama made it to level 12…Shedinja I didn't send out even once. Despite its seemingly helpful nature…the damn thing scared the shit out of me…The best part, however, by far…happened with Odin.

"Odin, Focus Energy, and Double Kick!" I yelled, as soon as the Meowth rounded the corner.

I was of the opinion…don't fix what isn't broken, and what wasn't broken is Focus Energy and Double Kick. Half the time, anything two or three levels lower than Odin would be knocked out if it landed a critical hit on the first shot. I liked those odds.

The Meowth was one of the lucky ones, managing to hang on after the quick one-two kicks from Odin. It tried using Scratch but Odin was much too fast for it. Add in his weight, and ability to smash through the brush easily, while the small cat-like pokemon was getting tangled, and this fight was an easy one.

"One more Odin, finish it off!" I call out, and he complies, knocking the Meowth ass over heels, sending it rolling into the brush.

Battle Over

Billy Lvl 7 +14 exp (369 exp till Level 8)

Odin(Nidoran) Lvl 15 +172 exp

Level up! Odin is now level 16 and needs 580 exp to level up again!

Odin has learned Fury Attack!

"Good job Odin!" I called out, as the battle ended and the experience he gained was accounted for.

I couldn't remember the particulars for Fury Attack but I figured I would figure it out eventually. I looked over my shoulder at Jessica and Jackie, who had been cheering Odin on, as I grabbed Odin's Pokeball from my belt.

ALERT! YOUR POKEMON IS EVOLVING!

There is a blinding flash of light from behind me, causing me to whip back towards Odin, even as the alert started flashing incessantly in my view. Odin was glowing, waves of energy pouring off of him, the grass swaying away from him with each pulse.

"Oh my god!" one of the girls says from where they were watching.

"Odin…" I whisper, watching as my little friend began to grow.

He took a step towards me, stumbling slightly, even as his body seemed to grow with the pulses of energy.

The bright white grew even brighter as Odin called out "Ni-Nidoran!", loudly, loud enough to almost hurt my ears, before he seemingly exploded in light so bright I had no choice but to cover my eyes with my arm. The light lasted several seconds before at last, it faded away.

"Nid…Nidorino." Odin said as I laid eyes on him at last.

He'd doubled in size, perhaps as much as tripled. It was up to my waist now, his back spines wickedly sharp, a sheen of wetness to them. I could tell from the weight of his steps that he was heavier now as well.

"Odin…You evolved." I said, running forward, unable to stop myself.

I threw myself onto him, hugging him tightly. I couldn't help it, I was just so proud of the not so little guy anymore. Jessica and Jackie were cheering, running over as well.

"Oh my god, Billy!" Jackie squealed. "He's beautiful!"

"I didn't realize Nidorino get so big…" Jessica says as she pulls out her C-Gear. "Hmm. It says here they can get up to about three feet tall. I'd say he's about that…probably weighs 40 pounds at least."

I release him finally, pressing the button on the Pokeball at last. "Rest now bud, I'm sure that was tiring."

As he is absorbed back into the ball, I can't help but smile. Now THAT was an experience I'll never forget.


"Billy!" I hear whispered nearby, but in my sleep, I don't react.

"BILLY!" Someone yells, causing me to jump with a yelp.

"What?" I ask, looking around the tent.

Both Jessica and Jackie are awake, and a quick glance at my C-Gear tells me it's near 3 am. "What's wrong?"

"Just wait for a second," Jessica says.

A moment later I see what she means, as the darkness of the tent is interrupted with a wash of light, that seems to sweep through the area.

"The hell is that?" I ask, but don't expect an answer.

"We don't know…" Jackie says, a little fear creeping into her voice.

"Should we go look?" Jessica asks, her eyes wide in the darkness, as the light sweeps through again.

I contemplate it for just a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, we gotta right?"

It only takes us a few minutes to pack up, having quickly learned the ins and outs of packing a large tent. As we did so, the light passed through the area several more times, seemingly appearing every 30 or so seconds. We start heading in that direction, moving slowly and carefully as we were still in the woods. After about half an hour of walking, a loud sound grew ever louder, as we crested the top of a large hill, we finally spotted what was making all the light.

"Is…is that a lighthouse?" Jackie asked.

I nodded, before realizing she probably couldn't see me and replied, "Yes, yes it is."

We had also discovered what the noise was. Our time in the forest was at its end…we'd found a beach. There was a mild sense of Deja Vu, but I ignored it. What I couldn't ignore was the sudden pop-up.

EVENT NOTICE!

'Mystery At The Lighthouse'

I frowned slightly…The last event had left a bad taste in my mouth, but I managed to ignore that as well.

"Let's investigate, shall we?"

Our walk down the beach was rather peaceful, the few Pokemon I could see sleeping peacefully. As I gazed out into the ocean, I could see plenty of Magikarp, and Poliwag swimming in the darkness. It was thankfully a short walk to the Lighthouse, and we quickly found ourselves at the door.

"I wonder who turned this on?" Jackie asks, "It wasn't on last night? We weren't so far away that we wouldn't have seen the light, right?"

"I don't know…that's a great question."

"May I help you?" A disembodied voice asks, starling us.

"GHOSTS!" Jessica screams, jumping.

"What? No, I…Look up!" The voice says again.

We look up, spotting the camera pointing down at us.

"Oh…" Jessica says sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Hi, sir! We saw the lighthouse light from the woods, and came to investigate."

"Ah…" The man's voice says, a frown you could almost hear. "You have terrible timing, but it can't be helped."

As he finishes speaking, the door begins to open, the two halves sliding open to reveal a middle-aged man.

"My name's Bill," He says, looking down at the watch on his wrist. "I-"

"Oh my god, you're Bill!" Jackie yells, causing all of us to jump.

"Wait…Bill as in the inventor of the Pokemon Storage System Bill?" I ask.

"That's correct, yes, among a few other things." He replies, again glancing down at his wrist. "I'm sorry kids, but I need to run. As I said, terrible timing."

"Wait, no, can I get your autograph!?" Jackie asks, pulling out a Pokeball. "I'll use it to catch something rare in your honor!"

"Not right now, how about you guys come back in the morn-" He begins to say before he's interrupted again, but this time without a single one of us saying a word.

There is a loud call, a sad keening noise that echos across the landscape, easily heard for miles and miles.

For some reason, something about the sound triggers a memory for me, and I suddenly realize where I know this lighthouse from. I turn away from the door, looking towards the Ocean, as the lighthouse light sweeps by once more.

"Oh…" I whisper. "Oh my fucking god."

"Huh?" Jessica asks, turning as well to see what has caught my attention.

"Shit…" Bill whispers, turning and running towards the ocean.

I can't say for sure what triggered it, but I knew then I needed to follow, that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Bill was quick, but I was right behind him as he made it to the edge of the land, a steep fall awaiting any that went too far. I could hear the girls coming up behind us, sliding to a stop nearby. The loud keening came again, as the large shadow grew even larger, standing as tall as the Lighthouse was, even from where it stood in the ocean.

"Dragonite," I said aloud, causing Bill to look down at me.

The massive Pokemon was far larger than I remember from the Anime, clearly having continued to grow. The light swept over it once more, showing its colors, which were standard, if perhaps a bit darker than normal.

"What is that?" Jessica whispered. "I've never heard of anything like it…"

"That's Dragonite…" Bill whispered. He fell softly to his knees in the grass, staring up at the gigantic creature. "I've waited over 15 years for this moment…"

As the creature sang, its sad wails echoing across the landscape, Bill began to talk.

"It cries because it's alone…The only one of its kind…" Bill says, watching the magnificent creature. "I've tracked it for over 25 years, and not once has it ever found another of its kind…My last chance to study it was ruined, and I've been waiting ever since to see it again."

"It's beautiful," I reply.

"It is…I had hoped I could help it, so many years ago. That I could study it, and find more of its kind…but Team Rocket ruined that chance…I wish it had understood that I only wanted to help." Bill explains.

I don't know what to say to that, so I stay silent, watching the giant Pokemon as it finally makes it to the mountain. It looks down at us, its glowing eyes studying us, still singing its sad song.

"It's different somehow…" Bill says, listening closely. "It's not a song of loneliness…it's a song of loss."

I listen as well as the Dragonite sings now, a feeling deep in my chest as the vibrating air passes over us. He was right…what this Dragonite sang wasn't loneliness. It was loss and longing.

"I'm sorry Dragonite!" Bill yells, causing us all to jump. "I wanted to help you, I'm so sorry that I couldn't!"

The Dragonite sang, seemingly unhearing before finally its massive arm reached out, slowly, slowly inching forward, till it was only a foot away. Bill reached out, resting his hand against its massive fist. I could see tears in his eyes, and I knew that what he felt was the regrets of a man who thought he'd failed. After a moment it withdrew, turning, slowly, back to the ocean. We watched in silence as it made its way slowly back to the sea, disappearing beneath the waves.

Bill looked down at us, studying us closely. "Please…don't tell anyone about the Dragonite? I fear what could happen to it if anyone else knew."

I nod, swearing myself to silence. Jessica is nodding as well, but Jackie is staring past Bill, mouth agape. I follow her eyes, spotting what she did, and I'm not afraid to say that a chill swept through me like I'd been dunked in ice.

"Bill…" I say, pointing behind him.

He turns, gasping loudly, as surprised as we all were. Sitting just a few feet behind him, clearly dropped by the giant Pokemon, sat a perfectly normal-sized egg.

"I think, Bill, that Dragonite understood after all," I said into the silence, as he slowly, carefully picked up the egg.

EVENT COMPLETE!

'Mystery At The Lighthouse!'


A/N: Why yes, the anime is in fact a part of my story. Don't forget to review! Also, check out my profile!