Here is chapter 3! In this chapter, Koa will face his first gym challenge... How will he fare?
Changelog:
- Tweaked and clarified Koa's goal. As well as catching a legendary, he seeks to ascend Mt. Coronet, which is said to be cursed/forbidden
- Additional development for Hazard and Zubat
- Minor plot continuity adjustments
- Minor prose and a grammar
Hazard (Male Joltik)
Male Zubat
Getting to Oreburgh wasn't hard at all. He left Jubilife through the east gate, taking route 203 towards the Coronet mountains. In the distance, he could just make out a smaller series of mountains that extended from the Coronet Mountain range, creating a natural wall on three sides of Oreburgh City. Far in the distance, beyond the small mountains, the shadow of Mt. Coronet loomed, its peak disappearing into the clouds. Just looking at it gave him shivers.
Ever since the atrocities committed by Team Galactic, trainers and travelers had said Mt. Coronet was cursed. Terrifying tales of specters and visions assaulting the brave souls who tried to ascend to the peak. Or worse, trainers vanishing entirely, only to reappear days or weeks later with little memory of their time missing. Koa hated it.
Once, years ago, before Galactic, Coronet had been known as a place of proving. The bravest of trainers would ascend its peak as a test of strength. It was still dangerous, but not like how it was now. Now nobody had gone past the lowest levels ever since Galactic had fallen. Koa pulled his thoughts back down to earth and focused on the path ahead.
The route was fairly simple, mostly consisting of a long, winding path through spare woods, and near the end, a gentle slope leading to Oreburgh Gate, a passage through the mountains. He was still at least a day's journey away, though he was sure he could reach the passage by tomorrow morning if he kept a good pace. There was a small lake halfway along the route where he planned to rest, then set out early the next morning.
He hadn't been traveling for long when a blur of gray feathers rushed past him. A Starly landed before him and shrieked a challenge. Koa quietly took a pokeball from his belt. The opportunity was too good to pass up.
"Go, Hazard!"
Joltik emerged in a flash of blue light. Starly chirped in surprise and then flared its wings, and rose into the air, ready to fight.
"Use String Shot and immobilize it!"
A burst of sticky web shot from Hazard's pincers, wrapping around Starly's body and one of its wings. It fluttered its remaining wing furiously. Hazard jerked it to the ground.
"Now, Electroweb!"
A small glowing ball of electricity formed in front of Joltik. As he launched it, it spread into a wide web of crackling electricity, pinning the Starly down. Within a second, the Starly was knocked out. The web faded, leaving only the Starly behind. Koa took out an empty pokeball, ready to capture it.
Something made him pause, however. You already have a flying type. You should train him. He stared at the Starly, uncertainty gripping him. He would desperately love a Staraptor, yet... His hesitation cost him. In a moment, the Starly recovered. It blinked a few times, cheeped grouchily, then took off. Koa watched it go and groaned. Well, there would be plenty of opportunities to catch another Starly. He just wanted to catch the right one. Yeah! That was all. And when he did, he would release Zubat.
Satisfied, he continued on, allowing Hazard to remain on his shoulder. The little Joltik had taken to absorbing electricity from his Poketch after battles, but Koa made a note to pick up a battery pack next time he was in a city. Though his Poketch had a powerful solar battery, battery packs were more effective for pokemon.
For the next few hours, he traveled in peaceful solitude. The weather was pleasantly breezy, and a few wild pokemon even challenged him, which he fought off with Hazard's help. As the sun began to set behind the mountains, he spotted the glimmering surface of a small lake. Letting out a relieved sigh, he picked up his pace, reaching the lake just as the sky began to properly darken.
He dropped to his knees at the shore, splashing his face with the cool, refreshing water. Hazard took the opportunity to hop off his shoulder and check out the area. After Koa had enjoyed the water for a few moments, he sat back, resting his arms on his knees. Hazard returned and stared up at Koa expectantly.
"Right," he said, scratching Hazard's chin with a finger. "Time to make camp."
Once he'd set up his tent and sleeping bag, he sighed contentedly and leaned against a tree, taking a moment to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. About three seconds later, he sat up again. Time to train.
Hardly had the thought even crossed his mind when a light flashed and Zubat appeared from his ball. He let out a happy screech and did a little loop.
Koa rolled his eyes and shook his head, ignoring the smile that tried to tug at his lips.
Zubat screeched and flared his wings as if mimicking a battle cry.
Koa shook his head. "I'm going to do some training with Hazard so just... stay out of the way, okay?
Zubat looked slightly crestfallen, head drooping and body dipping in flight.
A sharp pain tore through his ankle and he looked down to see Hazard glaring at him, pincers clicking rapidly. "Ow! What's that for?" he said, glaring at Hazard.
Hazard chittered loudly and nodded towards Zubat. His gaze bore into Koa accusingly, and sparks danced across his fur.
"I have to release him soon," he hissed in protest.
Hazard stared at him, and Koa swore he detected judgment in all four of his blue eyes.
Koa sighed, finding himself frustratingly reminded of Blake chiding him. He turned to Zubat. "Sorry Zubat," he said. "I um... didn't mean to sound harsh. Right now I'm going to work with Hazard but I'll try and train you later, ok?" He glanced over at Hazard to see his reaction. The electric-type gave a nod.
Zubat gave a high-pitched shree of delight and flew at Koa, nuzzling his cheek, his fluffy fur brushing Koa's skin. Koa patted him reassuringly. "You can uh... Watch I guess if you want though." He didn't see what difference it made since he wouldn't keep Zubat, but there was no harm in it either, he supposed.
With Hazard appeased, Koa set his mind to training. "Alright, we'll start simple," Koa declared, his enthusiasm rising. "We can help build up how much electricity you can store, since you can't produce your own. Eventually, you'll be able to go several battles without recharging! Sound good?"
Hazard's gaze lit up and he nodded.
Koa started by having Hazard practice his Electroweb and String Shot on a nearby tree, with brief rests in-between. After a solid hour of building up endurance with his attacks, Koa called it quits. The sky was almost completely dark, and the moon had risen. His stomach had begun to rumble so loud he thought it was a wild pokemon.
"Good job, Hazard!" Koa patted Hazard appreciatively. The small bug chirped in delight. After preparing a quick dinner for him and his team, his pokemon chose to return to their pokeballs to rest and he turned in for the night. His dreams were filled with legendaries and thoughts of climbing Mt. Coronet, only to be greeted by a giant Zubat instead of a legendary.
The next morning, he ended up waking so early the sun had barely risen. Too excited to go back to sleep, he decided to get an early start. He broke down his camp, then collected Hazard and Zubat's pokeballs. He decided not to bother waking them. They could always come out when they were ready.
The weather was pleasant again, and he found the journey flying by. He stopped only a few times, to watch Hazard challenge some wild Bidoof and a couple Starly, but didn't bother trying to catch any of the latter. As he'd told Hazard, 'after I catch Tyrunt'. Just to keep things simple. And give him extra training time with Hazard.
Sometime during the morning, Zubat emerged from his ball to tag along. Once, Koa saw him fly off towards a Kricketot to challenge it, but he busied himself watching some Pidgey get into a skirmish instead. Judging by Zubat's behavior when it returned, however, he supposed it must have won.
Halfway to Oreburgh Gate, Koa paused to gaze upon Mt. Coronet once again. Determination filled his heart before being soured by bitter anger.
Spear Pillar.
Unreachable. Cursed. All because of them. Visions of legendary pokemon swarmed through his head. He saw himself climbing the mountain, reaching Spear Pillar and meeting Sinnoh's guardian deities. Convincing them to trust humanity, proving to the world as well that legendaries could work with humans...
"We'll make it there one day, Hazard," he pointed towards Mt. Coronet. "We'll show the world. And we'll meet them. Dialga and Palkia." Perhaps even Giratina...
Hazard chirped. From somewhere behind, Zubat screeched his agreement.
Finally, Koa continued walking. As he drew closer to the mountain range, the ground sloped and Koa could see Oreburgh Gate not far ahead. A wide tunnel cut through the mountain. He knew that just on the other side was Oreburgh City, famous for its mines and museums. He'd gone there with Blake on a few occasions and was familiar with the city and its gym leader, who happened to be the son of Canalave's own gym leader, Byron.
A man wearing a police uniform stood outside Oreburgh gate, leaning on the cave wall. As Koa approached, he looked up. "Hey! You there!"
Koa gave him a questioning look.
"You see any shady characters around?"
"Shady characters?"
"Suspicious people. There's been some crimes committed lately in Jubilife and Oreburgh, and we're trying to track down the criminals responsible."
"Uh... Well I reported it already but I actually ran into a poacher on the road to Sandgem. A guy on a Zebstrika. But that's all I know sorry." He'd only seen a few other people out walking about, and none looked very suspicious. Although he supposed any criminal worth his salt wouldn't be very good if he looked suspicious.
The officer sighed and waved him on. "Ah yeah, that incident. Well, thanks for the heads up. Safe travels."
Koa took a step, then the officer held out his hand. "Hang on. Lemme see your Trainer's License."
Koa handed it over. The officer looked it over before handing it back. "Congratulations man. Good luck out there. Are you gonna try for the gym circuit?"
"Yeah. But I've got a lot of places to explore too." And a fossil to revive first.
The guard nodded. "I understand. Don't forget though, a lot of places require badges for entry if you plan to explore."
"Yeah, I know," Koa said confidently. "But I gotta build an awesome team first." He started towards the exit. "Have a good day," he called back.
"Same to you!" The guard replied.
The Oreburgh Gate path was long but turned out to be an uneventful walk. He only saw a couple of Geodude, which he was able to defeat a bit too easily to make it really worthwhile. He considered the guard's advice.
Truthfully, he'd always known he would have to take on the gym circuit eventually. Sure, you didn't need badges to catch legendaries, but gyms were very useful for training. After his experience at the Ore caverns, he was considering going for the gym circuit sooner, rather than later. He knew for sure that the highest levels of Mt. Coronet were restricted to all but the most accomplished trainers after all.
Until now he'd always somehow assumed that he'd build his perfect team first, but now that he was actually traveling that seemed unlikely. Perhaps after he got his Tyrunt, he would get it over with as he built his team. Eventually, the light at the end grew larger and brighter, until he emerged into Oreburgh City.
The sights of Oreburgh all blurred together as he rushed through the city, his mind fixated on the only building that mattered. A massive steel and glass building that took up the northeast portion of the city - The Oreburgh Mining Museum. He burst through the door and skidded to stop. Roark himself stood just inside, talking with a woman in a lab coat. After a few more seconds, the woman nodded and walked away. Roark turned and noticed him.
"Roark!" Koa blurted. He hurried over to the gym leader.
"Hmm. Koamaru, isn't it? I remember your cousin, Blake. You live in my father's city, right?" Roark asked.
Koa nodded.
"What brings you out here? On another trip with Blake?"
"Nope!" Koa said proudly. "I got my trainer's license. And I found a Jaw fossil!"
Roark raised his eyebrows. "Incredible! A Jaw Fossil? Tyrunt are native to Kalos, so it's very unusual to see one here in Sinnoh. May I see it?"
Koa handed the fossil over. Roark turned it over slowly in his hands, nodding. "An excellent specimen indeed. More than good enough for revival."
"Sick! Can you do it now?"
Roark handed the fossil back and shook his head. "I'd love to since I've never had the pleasure of seeing a Tyrunt, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. Tyrunt are very tough, stubborn pokemon, and hard to train. Unless you have at least two gym badges, then you'll have to wait."
Koa gritted his teeth, suppressing his frustration and disappointment. He'd come all this way for nothing? No. There was something...
"Fine. I challenge you to a battle!"
Roark chuckled. "Very well, if that's what you want. But I warn you, I won't be going easy on you. Meet me at the gym. And I suggest you prepare well." Roark gave a brief wave before striding out of the museum.
"We're gonna defeat him, Hazard. Then we'll beat another gym. Whatever it takes to get Tyrunt." He glanced down at Hazard, who clung to his shoulder, then at Zubat, who dutifully hovered a few feet behind him. If he didn't get Tyrunt, then all his efforts in the caverns would have been for nothing. Clenching his fists, he stomped out of the museum, straight to the gym, and burst through the doors.
Rocks, rocks, and more rocks greeted Koa. The gym almost seemed to be carved from it, with various gym trainers and their pokemon lounging around. Koa only had eyes for one trainer, however. He spotted him almost immediately, at the far end of the gym. Roark had his arms folded as he stood beside a steep incline that led up to the battlefield.
Koa strode across the gym, ignoring the surprised murmurs of the gym trainers. "Alright let's battle!" he called as he approached.
"Are you certain you're prepared? I can wait as long as-"
"I'm ready. I want this badge."
Roark gave a nod and led him up the slope, effortlessly scaling the steep incline. Koa jogged after him. He slipped once, but regained his balance and continued.
Finally, he stood at the top. A large arena stretched out before him, Roark at the far end. Another man in miners' clothing stood to the side. The referee, Koa guessed. The miner spoke up. "This will be a one on one match! Koamaru Averon of Canalave vs Roark of Oreburgh! The challenger is free to use up to six pokemon, the defender will use three. Substitutions are allowed. Please choose your pokemon."
Koa pushed away a flicker of fear. Three pokemon? He could have sworn Roark used to use only two. And Hazard was weak to rock types. He swallowed and took a breath. There was no going back now. Besides, Roark was regarded as the first in the gym circuit. Koa felt sure he could handle him.
"Let's show them how it's done! Go Hazard!" Hazard sprang from his shoulder and hissed in challenge. Koa swore he saw Roark quirk an eyebrow at the choice.
"Boulder, show them how tough we are." Roark tossed out a pokeball, sending out a Geodude.
The referee stepped over to a button on the wall and pressed it. A glowing barrier flashed around the open side of the arena then faded. Koa recognized it as one of the safety measures implemented to prevent heated battles from damaging gyms.
"Battle, begin!" The referee called.
Roark crossed his arms. "First move is yours, Koa."
Koa stared at his opponent. This Geodude looked much tougher than the ones he had fought at Oreburgh Gate. But it couldn't be that much harder, right? Against those Geodude, a few doubly effective Absorb attacks were all he needed.
"Hazard, use Absorb!"
"Dig!"
Before Hazard could make a move, Geodude disappeared underground. Hazard froze, eyes darting wildly around the field.
Koa realized what was happening too late. "Underneath-"
Geodude erupted from under Hazard, launching him into the air with his fist. Hazard squealed as he fell.
"Rock Throw!" Geodude began to materialize a large rock in front of it.
Koa stared, his mind whirling as he tried to think of a counter. A moment later, Geodude hurled the rock. It smashed into Hazard, sending him flying into the barrier. He fell to the ground with an unceremonious thump. Slowly, Hazard got to his feet. He was battered and worn, and Koa guessed he could only take one more hit like that.
"String Shot!"
Hazard gathered his strength, then rapidly fired a blast of sticky webbing, binding Geodude tight.
"Now use Absorb!"
Hazard's eyes glowed red, and tendrils of energy began to flow from Geodude to him.
"Break free and use Rock Throw!" In a surprising display of strength, Geodude tore through its bindings. It looked weakened but clearly could still go on. A large rock materialized in front of it.
"Dodge!" Koa cried.
The warning came too late, however, and the rock crashed into Hazard, sending him flying back. The attack proved too much for the small bug, and he collapsed.
The referee gestured towards Roark. "Joltik is unable to battle! Roark wins the first round."
Koa's shoulders drooped as he returned Hazard and whispered an apology. It was over already. He was about to turn and leave when he remembered he still had one more pokeball. With a grimace, he took out Zubat.
"Go Zubat," he said, unenthusiastically.
Zubat emerged in a flash of white light and fluttered about the field, looking confused.
"Seriously?" Roark called. "A Zubat? Now you really don't stand a chance." The comment sounded more like playful taunting than a jab but Koa felt a rush of annoyance.
"We'll see," he muttered angrily. His anger boiled over, and he wished he could charge across the field and fight Roark himself for the badge. He'd probably have better odds, too.
"Boulder, Rock throw!"
It hurled the rock straight at Zubat. Koa stared at Zubat, unable to muster the drive to give him a command.
"Dodge," he called finally.
At the last second, Zubat whirled out of the way, only getting his wing grazed. Koa felt torn between anger and apathy. He didn't believe it was possible to win with Zubat, but he felt angry that he hadn't even beaten Roark's first pokemon.
"Wing attack?" Koa realized he still didn't know all of Zubat's moves. Nor did he particularly care. He wasn't keeping Zubat as a battler, so what did it matter?
Zubat's wings glowed and he dived with surprising speed, striking a solid blow on Geodude. It slid back, grunting in surprise. Roark quirked his eyebrow but remained silent.
"Dig," Roark said, his voice confident.
"Absorb," Koa said, after a moment's hesitation. He remembered seeing a Zubat in a cave use it once. Hopefully, this Zubat knew it.
Zubat opened his jaws wide. Red energy emerged, drawing out the Geodude's energy. With a practiced roll, Geodude shook free of the attack and dove underground. Zubat fluttered above the hole uncertainly, his ears swiveling to between his trainer and the hole.
A second later, Geodude erupted from the ground behind Zubat. Zubat's wings glowed as Geodude raised its fist. The two moves collided in the air, creating an explosion of energy and wind. When the dust had settled, Geodude lay fainted. Zubat looked injured but was still airborne.
Koa's eyes widened. He'd expected Zubat to faint after one hit.
The referee's voice echoed through the arena. "Geodude is unable to battle. Koamaru wins the second match."
Roark folded his arms and nodded. "Not bad, Koa. But you'll need a lot more than that to beat my next pokemon!" He selected a pokeball from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it onto the field.
A massive, towering Onix exploded onto the field, roaring its dominance.
Koa covered his ears, fear trickling into his heart.
Roark gestured dramatically to the hulking beast. "Rocky, use Screech!"
A deafening, high pitched cry rang across the battlefield. Zubat crashed to the ground, squealing in distress.
"Rock Throw!"
"Dodge, Zubat!" Koa yelled, his ears still ringing. Either Zubat hadn't heard or chose to ignore him. Either way, the fight was over moments later when Onix's boulder smashed into him. With a sigh, he recalled Zubat. "Unbelievable..." he muttered under his breath.
The referee raised his hand. "The match is over. Gym leader Roark is the winner!"
Roark returned Onix, then crossed the field to Koa. His gaze was sympathetic, but firm. "You started strong, but you can't just rely on a single pokemon. Your Joltik wasn't anywhere near strong enough or tough enough to handle multiple pokemon in a row. Especially at a disadvantage. And your Zubat was-"
"I know!" Koa snapped. "Look, clearly, I made a mistake. No need to rub it in."
"I only-"
"Just stop. Hazard and Zubat need rest. And I have other things to do than stand around here all day getting lectured." Without waiting for a response, he turned and stormed away.
As he exited the gym, guilt consumed him. Roark had always been a friend to him and Blake. Still, he didn't need to hear all the ways that he failed. All he'd asked for was help reviving his fossil. So what if he didn't have any badges? That didn't mean he couldn't tame a Tyrunt. For a moment, he considered sneaking into the museum and doing it himself, before dismissing the thought. No need to become a criminal. Not yet anyway, he thought jokingly.
After healing his pokemon quickly at the pokemon center, he stocked up on supplies, then found a quiet spot near the edge of town. He needed to figure out where to go next. Taking out his two pokeballs, he sent out Hazard and Zubat. Hazard gave him an apologetic chirp and nuzzled his ankle.
Koa chuckled and stroked his fuzzy body. "It's alright buddy. You did your best. I should have trained you better before fighting Roark, especially since you were at a disadvantage. And I should have researched him. I didn't realize he had three pokemon." He mentally cursed himself for not looking up Roark's third pokemon while he was at the pokemon center. Oh well, he could do that later.
Hazard chittered and scurried up his arm, nuzzling into his neck. With that settled, Koa whirled on Zubat, who had perched on a rock nearby.
"You! I didn't even want you on my team. And today's battle proved you don't have what it takes." He frowned. In a slightly quieter tone, he continued. "It's my fault for not releasing you sooner. I'm taking you back to the pokemon center and releasing you." Even as he spoke the words, a pang of guilt flickered through him. He'd thrown Zubat into a battle he was utterly unprepared for. Whose fault was that?
Zubat chittered in alarm and fluttered in circles. Koa tried to brush him away, but he remained undeterred.
Koa groaned and reached for Zubat's pokeball. Zubat screeched in alarm and dove into the pokeball, knocking it out of his hand. "What the heck!" Koa yelped. He gave a resigned sigh. "Look, Zubat. I'm sorry." Zubat stopped flitting about and hovered in front of Koa.
"I never should have even caught you in the first place. And I definitely shouldn't have thrown you into that battle. You weren't ready and I didn't even try to help you. That wasn't fair to you," he sighed. "But... you're not part of my plan, so you can't be on my team."
A jolt of electricity shot through his body, making his fingers tingle. "Ow!" He looked down at his shoulder to see Hazard glaring at him. Realizing his words, Koa tentatively patted him. "I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't mean you. Besides, you still fit into the Plan, sort of."
Hazard's fur fluffed up and he continued to glare at Koa. Koa withdrew his hand and sighed, looking at Zubat again. Perhaps Hazard had a point. Truth be told, Zubat was a nice pokemon. Loyal and eager too, it seemed. But you didn't make it to the top or catch legends with 'nice' pokemon. He needed a strong team. It was the only way...
"Okay, fine. I'm not catching a Starly until after I get Tyrunt, so you can stay for now."
Zubat screeched happily.
"But, as soon as I do, I'm releasing you. Or sending you to stay with Professor Rowan. Got it?"
Zubat shrieked and did a loop, then landed on his head. Hazard buzzed with annoyance from his shoulder, clearly not fully satisfied with the decision. Koa did his best to ignore him.
"Well, the next step is Eterna City." He paused for a moment, contemplating. The fastest route would have been going north and taking the Bike Path. Unfortunately, the Bike Path required a bike, which he did not have. That left one other option: Backtracking to Jubilife, traveling north to Floaroma City, then continuing north through Eterna forest. The trip was at least a week, probably more, since Eterna Forest was huge, and difficult to navigate.
Oh well, at least he could get in some good training for Hazard. The route featured plenty of weak pokemon, as well as some water types, so Hazard could build up endurance.
Tall grass tickled Koa's legs as he followed Route 204 north. With every inhale of breath, he could smell a faint sweet scent of flowers, carried on the southern breeze. The trees all around had been cleared to make a straight forward grassy path. Small ponds dotted the area, giving the route a calming feel.
He'd been traveling for the better part of a day and a half, and in the distance, he could just make out the cliff face that signified the start of Ravaged Path. The quickest route to Floaroma town. The walk had been pleasant, but prosperous as well. A few weak wild pokemon even gave him the chance to train Hazard a bit.
As he waded through a patch of grass towards the entrance to Ravaged Path, a spot to his left rustled. A brown furry pokemon emerged, followed by a young girl.
"Hey there!" she called, waving at him. "Wanna battle?"
Koa sized her and her Bidoof up. "Sure!" he replied.
Hazard could use the chance to train against something that he didn't have a super-effective attack against.
Koa grinned and took out Hazard's pokeball. "Go Hazard!"
Hazard emerged onto the path with an excited chirp. He and the Bidoof locked gazes for a few seconds.
"Start with String Shot and immobilize it!" Koa called.
Hazard sprang earnestly into battle. In just a few minutes, Hazard managed to use smaller size and speed to slip through the Bidoof's rather impressive defenses and immobilize it long enough to deal the finishing blow.
Koa cheered as Bidoof was recalled. "Nice job, Hazard!"
Hazard chirped happily and discharged a few sparks triumphantly, his eyes flashing with smug delight.
Bidoof's trainer returned it, then nodded. "Your Joltik is pretty impressive. Here, a little reward from Bidoof and I." She handed him some poke, which he accepted, then bid the trainer farewell. After she had gone, he took out the battery pack he'd bought in Jubilife, allowing Hazard to recharge himself. The device had cost him a pretty penny, but it was worth it.
"Alright, take a good rest. We'll be at Ravaged Path soon, and I want you ready to battle." He took out Hazard's pokeball and returned him. Standing up, he continued down the path. As he walked, he spotted a few trainers, some having battles or training, but didn't challenge them. He wanted Hazard to save his strength for Ravaged Path, after all.
Koa pressed on, emerging from the grass at the entrance to Ravaged Path. He strode inside, the light behind him fading. The main area of Ravaged Path was fairly straightforward. A staircase sloped steeply upwards to a path that curved to emerge on the top of the cliff. Unlike Ore cave, which had yet to be fully mapped, thanks to Onix's and such, Ravaged Path was no more than a small cave with an underground lake. Just as he ascended the stairs, a Geodude leaped from a ledge above, barring their path. A grin spread across Koa's face. Perfect. Training time.
As it turned out, Hazard was able to take out the Geodude fairly easily. Using a combination of String Shot and Absorb, he wore it down rather quickly. From there, it was simple to finish it with Bug Bite.
Despite how easy the battle was, it did give him some confidence for his eventual rematch against Roark. In the back of his mind, he was already trying to figure out a strategy to beat him. Of course, it would be a cinch once he caught his Tyrogue. They were known to hang outside Eterna, and he could catch one after fighting Gardenia. A short time later, he exited the cave to the upper half of Route 204.
From here he knew it was a fairly straight shot, past some trees and through some patches of overgrown grass. At the pace he kept, he figured he could make it to Floaroma by tomorrow morning. He only saw a few other people along the route, which didn't surprise him. Floaroma wasn't a very large town, so there weren't many travelers.
Once the sun started to set, he made camp for the night. Hazard seemed content to remain in his pokeball, so he let Zubat out to stretch his wings. For the whole evening, he did his best to preoccupy himself, leaving Zubat to his own devices. His conscience gnawed at the back of his thoughts all night, until he finally fell asleep.
The next morning, he awoke to a strange weight on his chest. Blinking his eyes, he opened them to see Zubat nestled against his chest, sleeping peacefully. Or at least, he assumed he was sleeping. Zubat's lack of eyes made it hard to tell. Watching it, he almost pitied the poor creature. Yet he also respected the uncommon stubbornness it displayed. Almost unconsciously, he reached up and stroked it gently between the ears. Its blue fur was extraordinarily soft and fluffy. A small smile began to creep across Koa's face.
After several moments, he sat up slowly. Zubat gave a soft squeak and fluttered into the air, shaking its head. "Time to go, buddy." Zubat screeched excitedly and began to fly about. He seemed so happy. Koa decided to let it stay outside its pokeball. Floaroma town was close anyway, so he wouldn't be flying far. He packed up camp, then released Hazard to travel on his shoulder.
A few hours later, he spotted Floarama's infamous wooden arches, which had been built only a few years ago. They marked the entrances to the town and added to the flowery, bright feeling of everything.
As he passed under the arch and into Floaroma town, he was assaulted by a mix of earthy and flowery scents. Floaroma town consisted of groups of small, quaint cottages with large fenced-in gardens all around. Just inside the town walls, to his right, was the pokemon center, and just north of that, the Pokemart. Directly beside the Pokemart, he saw the town's most well-known attraction. The Pick-a-Peck of Flowers shop.
Hazard scuttled off his shoulder towards the shop, eyes gleaming eagerly.
"Man I guess you guys must be pretty hungry," Koa mused. He'd run out of fresh berries not long ago. Now would be the perfect time to stock up.
Hazard trotted ahead, up to the flower shop. A young lady who was tending a berry plant noticed him.
"Hello there!" she said cheerfully. Her hand shot out as she tried to pet him. Hazard chittered in alarm, his fur fluffing, and nipped her. "Ouch! What was that for?" She shook her hand and frowned.
Koa hurried over to the woman. She shot him a glare. "Is this your Joltik?"
"Yeah-"
"Well, you should teach that thing some manners! What a beast."
Koa clenched his fists. "Maybe you shouldn't just touch other people's pokemon!"
"Hmph. Just keep that thing away from me. I don't want it trampling my plants."
Hazard shot her an angry glare as he returned to his perch on Koa's shoulder. Koa glared at her back, wondering how a pokemon as tiny as Joltik could possibly trample anything.
"Don't worry Hazard. You're not a beast, and your manners are fine," he murmured. He stepped inside the shop, a bell above the door chiming as he walked in. Zubat darted inside after him, then landed on his head. He sighed, not bothering to shoo it away.
"Hello, welcome to Pick a Peck of Flowers!" A young woman behind the counter greeted him cheerfully. A Roserade stood beside her, watching them. "Can I help you?"
"Well I want to get some berries for my pokemon," Koa said. His voice trailed as he stared at a sign behind the lady, detailing the different berries they carried. He realized he had no idea what kind of berries his pokemon liked. Most pokemon would eat Oran berries, but they usually had a favorite as well.
"Is it for that adorable little Joltik?" the woman asked. "And Zubat I assume?"
Koa nodded.
The lady smiled. "A Zubat? I'd definitely go for a Pecha berry. They usually love sweet things. As for the little guy..." She tilted her head and tapped her chin. "You look like you'd like something spicy, wouldn't you?" she cooed.
Hazard nodded delightedly.
"Rosy, bring some Pecha berries and Tamato berries please."
Koa suddenly remembered the honey tree where he first found Zubat. "Actually, can you add a jar of honey as well? I think my Zubat acquired a taste for the stuff."
At the mention of Honey, Zubat perked up and shrieked happily.
The Roserade nodded and disappeared into the back of the shop. A few moments later, she returned with three packages balanced expertly in its hands. She placed them on the counter. One contained a few Pecha Berries, the second Tomato berries, the final one a jar of honey.
"200 Poke!" The saleswoman said.
Koa dished out the money, then purchased some sandwiches for himself from a nearby cafe. Then he led his pokemon to some picnic tables near the flower meadows and sat down to enjoy his meal.
As soon as he opened the jar of honey, Zubat screeched and attacked it voraciously. Koa laughed at the display, watching as the little Zubat practically buried his head inside the jar. Hazard made a strange noise he could only assume was some kind of laugh. Zubat was rather sweet, he supposed. He would almost be sad to see it go. Almost. Shaking his head, he set to enjoying his own lunch.
After he finished eating, and his pokemon finished their meals, he headed for the east gate, towards Route 205. If he continued east, he could reach the famed Valley Windworks. Valley Windworks was only a half hour or so outside town, making it a suitable place for training. He could stay there a bit, before heading north for Eterna Forest.
Once he reached the Windworks, he paused to take stock of the area. A wide open grassy expanse spread out before him, with a paved road leading to the gates of the actual Windworks plant. In the distance, Windworks river wove around the factory before flowing back to the west.
Suddenly, Zubat gave an ecstatic screech, launching himself off his head. He flew straight towards a small golden leafed tree on the side of the road. He latched onto the bark and began licking it delightedly. Koa rolled his eyes and chuckled. Well, as long as Zubat was distracted with his honey, he could work on Hazard some more.
Koa singled out several small rocks scattered in the area. "Alright Hazard, let's keep working on your electricity. Rapid-fire Electroweb on those rocks."
Hazard sprang off his shoulder and began launching Electrowebs at the rocks. At first, it could barely last five minutes without a recharge. Koa continued working with him for the next hour, however, stopping to allow him to recharge.
According to the Pokedex, by discharging all their electricity and then recharging, they could slowly expand their storage capacity. Pretty soon, Hazard was able to last longer and longer without a recharge. Koa guessed he could go at least fifteen minutes. That would be more than enough to last in a battle against Roark.
Feeling satisfied, he let Hazard rest for awhile. In the distance, he saw Zubat flying about, dipping and diving through the sky. As he watched, he couldn't help but marvel at how well the Zubat had adapted to sunlight. He also noted his agility, which seemed beyond that of an average Zubat.
Looking a little closer, he realized Zubat wasn't just goofing off, however. Was he... training? Curious, he continued to watch. Zubat would spiral through the air, pull off some acrobatic tricks, then pause to open his jaws and fire a soundwave at a small tree. It looked like he was trying to use Supersonic. Each time he did it the waves of sound spread out across a wide area and dispersed quickly, not even reaching the tree.
Koa frowned and narrowed his eyes, watching carefully. Apparently the hit against the poacher's Marowak had been a lucky shot, since he seemed to struggle with consistency now. "You know, you barely open your jaws when you use Supersonic, but if you open them wider you can make your attack stronger."
Zubat paused, hovering, and stared in Koa's direction. Then he did another loop and fired a wave of sound energy at the tree, this time opening his jaws much wider. The soundwave carried several more yards this time, visibly rattling the sapling. Koa smiled to himself before turning back to Hazard. "Good job today, buddy." Hazard chirped appreciatively, then looked pointedly at Zubat.
Koa gulped and shifted awkwardly. "Uh... Nice work, Zubat."
Zubat shrieked happily and landed on Koa's head again. Koa held back a sigh. It occurred to him he was beginning to grow used to the Zubat's presence. After a good rest, he started towards Route 205 once more.
The walk to Eterna forest was nearly two days from where he was, but he was looking forward to it. Route 205 was a simple route. The first bit consisted of a beautiful flowered meadow, shifting into grassy plains and small canyons. He traveled in relative peace for several hours. He battled a few trainers with Hazard and won most of them. That evening, he made camp at a spot where the canyon split, and the land met the bank of Windworks River.
As usual, he set out early the next morning. He hoped to make it to the edge of Eterna by nightfall. According to the maps he'd studied, there was a small cabin just outside the boundary of the forest. It served as a rest stop for weary trainers. If he could reach it, he could rest there and get a solid start on Eterna Forest tomorrow morning.
He hadn't been walking long before he spied a young boy in a purple tunic, instructing his Meditite to attack a tree. The Meditite would summon an attack, then strike the tree. Over and over, they repeated the motion, not unlike the training he did.
As Koa approached, the boy stopped and whirled to face him. His eyes darted to Zubat before breaking out into mocking laughter. His Meditite stopped training to mimic him.
Koa clenched his fists and strode up to the boy, stopping less than a foot away. "What's so funny?"
The boy pointed and laughed again. "A Zubat! How pathetic indeed, to use such a weak, common pokemon."
His body tensed, and he felt his nails digging into his palms. "Excuse me?"
Meditite made a strange noise, and the boy chuckled. "You heard me. Weak. Common."
Koa punched him in the face. "No one calls my pokemon weak!" he spat, breathing heavily.
Zubat screeched at the boy, who crawled to his feet, a hand clamped to his nose. "How dare you attack me in such a manner?"
"How dare you talk to my pokemon like that?" Even though he didn't intend to keep Zubat, he wouldn't put up with anyone insulting his pokemon either.
The boy pushed himself to his feet, still holding his nose. "You're just... mad cause it's true!"
"How about your Meditite vs my Joltik? I'll show you what power looks like."
The boy laughed. "No way! Your Joltik looks almost as pathetic as your Zubat. Almost. It doesn't prove anything unless your sad little Zubat can beat my Meditite." The Meditite grinned cockily and smirked at him.
Koa balked. He highly doubted Zubat stood a chance against the Meditite. Hazard could probably handle it. But Zubat was weak and inexperienced. Still, his pride (and Zubat) had been challenged. If he backed out now, he would be a coward. "Fine," he growled. "What's your name?"
"Kody," the boy replied arrogantly. "With a 'K'. Meditite and I are going to become the greatest Psychics ever."
Koa rolled his eyes. "Alright Zubat, get ready to fight."
Zubat launched himself off Koa's head and took up a battle stance, hovering a few feet above the ground.
Koa glared at the boy. "If I win, you admit that my Zubat is awesome. And give me, say, 200 poke."
"What if I win?" Kody demanded.
"You get the satisfaction of knowing you're right. And 200 poke."
The boy mused for a moment before nodding. "Alright fine. I'll show you just what a mistake you made with a weakling like that. Go Sai!" Meditite hopped forwards and took up a fighting stance.
"I'll give you the first move," Koa said, smirking.
"Your loss. Sai, use Confusion." A wave of blue energy surged towards Zubat.
"Confuse it," Zubat dodged and opened its jaws, firing a nearly invisible soundwave at Meditite. It struck Meditite, who began to teeter.
"Wing attack!" Zubat dived down and struck Meditite, knocking it back.
"Come Sai, let us finish off this foolish Zubat! Use Hidden Power."
Sai began to charge a ball of energy, but his concentration slipped and it exploded, knocking him into a tree. Zubat dived down and struck him again with Wing Attack. Sai yelped and slumped to the ground.
"Finish him!" Koa cried. Could he actually get lucky and win this?
"Counter with Psyshock." Sai shook his head, clearing it, then launched a glowing bluish orb.
Koa didn't even have time to process what was happening, and neither did Zubat. The attack knocked him out of the air, and he crashed to the ground, stunned.
"One more time Sai." The second Psyshock hit Zubat, sending up a cloud of dust from the force of the impact.
"Zubat no!"
Zubat gave a groan and tried to rise.
"See! Just as I predicted, your Zubat is weak." The boy smirked and Sai gave a taunting cry. As much as he wanted to, Koa couldn't bring himself to make a retort. Was Kody right?
Zubat made one last attempt to fly. To Koa's surprise, he let out a defiant shriek and charged Meditite with Wing Attack.
Kody remained unfazed. "Confusion, slow it down."
Meditite's eyes glowed blue, and a blue glow surrounded Zubat. Zubat briefly halted midair before being slammed unceremoniously into the ground, unconscious.
Koa's shoulders sagged. He returned Zubat, then paid out the money he owed.
"Ha! See, I was right," Kody gloated. "Zubat is pathetic." He strutted off, his Meditite floating after him.
Once he had gone, Koa released Zubat again. He gave it a potion to heal it, then sat on the ground and sighed. Zubat fluttered to life and stood up awkwardly, then slowly landed in his lap. He squeaked sadly and ducked his head, almost as if he was ashamed. Koa stroked his furry blue head thoughtfully.
Zubat had lost, unsurprisingly. What did surprise him was that he should have fainted much earlier, after the first Psyshock. The fact that he survived the second shocked Koa even more. And then... he reflected on the battle, how Zubat bravely tried to keep fighting anyway. Even when he was exhausted. Despite how he'd rejected Zubat constantly, he had clearly put everything he had into the battle. Another thought occurred to him, one he'd tried to avoid thinking about. Technically, Zubat was his starter. Not Joltik. It was the first pokemon he acquired after becoming a licensed trainer.
A trainer's starter was special.
Confusion brewed inside him. His head said not to keep Zubat, regardless of what it had done. Zubat could be flighty and hard to train, books said. Evolving them to Crobat was time consuming and the exact triggers were unknown. Yet... Rowan's words echoed through his mind. "Remember not to limit yourself. Unexpected occurrences always happen during a trainer's journey." Even after he'd gotten angry at Zubat after their loss to Roark, it had persisted. For him.
A knot tightened around his throat. The words he wanted to say formed in his head, but he couldn't get them out. Still cradling Zubat in one arm, he dug his fingers into the earth. An uncomfortable heat rose in his face.
"Oh Zubat, I'm sorry!" he blurted out. Once he started, he couldn't stop. "I've been an awful trainer to you. You fought so hard for me and I didn't even care."
Zubat perked up slightly, lifting his head as if staring straight at Koa.
Hazard chirped encouragingly from his shoulder as if to say 'about time'.
"This whole time I've been thinking what a terrible pokemon you are, but I'm the one who's terrible. I should have been training you to bring out your strength. A good trainer works with his pokemon, no matter what. But instead, I doubted you, and ignored you, an-and dismissed you and-" Koa took a deep breath.
"Can you forgive me, Zubat?" The words shook as they came out, and his heart twisted. Why would Zubat even forgive him, after he'd been so harsh?
Without hesitation, Zubat shrieked happily. He flew into the air, doing a little loop before landing on Koa's head.
Koa blinked. Then laughed and patted him, grinning from ear to ear. The tension in his heart lifted. Even if he didn't deserve Zubat's forgiveness, he vowed to make it up to him. By the legends themselves, he would help Zubat become strong, no matter what. "Now that that's settled, how about a nickname?"
Zubat squeaked amiably.
"Hmmm... let's see. Flutter? No, that's dumb. Dracula? Too cliche. How about...Echo?"
Zubat gave a delighted screech and nuzzled against his cheek.
"Echo it is then." He glanced happily between his two pokemon-no, partners. A surge of pride flowed through him. They weren't part of the Plan, but they were good. Besides, there were still 4 more slots on his Plan. It just needed a bit of adjusting. "Now, it's time for some hardcore training! Roark is too tough to beat right now, but Gardenia is a grass-type gym leader. The two of you should be able to handle her pretty easily."
The only obstacle standing in his way now was Eterna Forest.
Koa has finally accepted Echo as his starter and his pokemon. But this is only the beginning of their trials...