Chapter 3

Route 35, North of Goldenrod City

"Come on Marill! Get up and let's hit him with Bubblebeam!"

Marill: Lv. 18
Nature: Hasty
Potential: C-

The blue mouse Pokémon forces itself to rise, fighting past the scuff and dirt mark injuries on its belly that really indicate it should be staying down. "Mar! Marill!" He puffs himself up, "Mar!" The stream of cerulean bubbles that jet forth from the creature are impressive for a 'mon of its stature, but unlike the pressurized blasts you see from truly high-level Water moves, these just don't have the speed behind them to matter.

I sigh. "Dig, K. Rool." The desert croc is gone in a flash, only his tail and hind legs being seen for a second through the dust cloud. "And setup twice once you're down there!" I yell after the hole in the ground. "..this trainer has no tools to counter it." I mutter a bit morosely.

'Maybe if he hadn't wasted his Diglett earlier, but the kid didn't swap it out even when it was clearly fighting above its weight class.'

You know... in the games, there's enjoyment to be had in steamrolling over junior trainers. They're Exp bags. Yeah, sure, it can sometimes be annoying if you get caught in a Picknicker's or Bug Catcher's line of sight and they just "Have to battle you now!" when really you're just trying to get to the next route over, but there was still satisfaction in crushing a foe so completely.

I can feel K. Rool's anticipation as the Hone Claws sharpens his stats. His Dark nature instinctively pleased at the notion of subjugating yet another opponent.

'Now though, it's just boring. Where's the fun to be had in fights like this? Where's the challenge?'

The young man's eyes dart around the practice field, as though every patch of dirt could be a trap, before coming to a decision and throwing his hand out. "Defense Curl, Marill! We'll take the hit and then counter point blank with a Water Gun!"

"Power Trip."

The earth splits open behind the blue mouse as a snarling K. Rool emerges with an arm shining both white and violet. A protective sheen covers the Water-type as its Defense move activates but anyone with even loose knowledge of Pokémon math could tell you it won't be enough.

Power Trip. Move: Physical. Type: Dark. Base Power: 20. Effect: This move's base power increases for every boosted stat/stage the user possesses.

One Moxie boost for KO'ing the Diglett. Two Hone Claws, each upping both Attack and Accuracy.

Five increases to base power, combined with three stages up in Attack.

Even if one assumes half damage due to Marill's secret Fairy-typing, that's rather negated by the Pokémon being so deep in the 'yellow' already.

Plus, on top of it all, there's a 50% difference in their level versus ours.

In short?

The mouse never stood a chance.

"Marill!" It cries in distress, kicking up dirt and dust as it ragdolls across the field, tumbling over itself again and again, until it lands -firmly unconscious- at its trainer's feet.

"I…I lost?" The camper mutters in disbelief. His eyes wide and unseeing, as if unable to process that his starter was handled so thoroughly. "But..but we solo'd Falkner. I…I have a Gym Badge.."

"Gli! Gli! Gli! Gli!" Vlad snickers loudly from my shoulder. "Gli! Gli! Gli! Gli!"

K. Rool stands at centerfield, a smug grin firmly plastered on his face, taunting that he wants another challenger despite everyone present knowing this match was only a 2v2.

"Well that's that then I suppose." I announce, ordering Krokorok back to my side with a gesture. "What was the agreed amount? 240?" A fairly meager sum as far as Poké Dollars goes, it's not even enough to buy a Potion, but I suppose every bit matters.

"I..I haven't.." The young man begins to say, only for a third party to suddenly burst onto the scene.

"Ha Ha!" the newcomer -dressed as someone who works in a circus- heartily laughs with a swish of his cape. "I'll take on that debt! Double or nothing!" the performer takes a moment to juggle four Poké Balls about in his hands. "And on the subject of double," he launches two of the four balls out, letting a Voltorb and Magmar take to the field. "How about a proper doubles match while we're at it? Unless you don't think you have the coordination for it?"

Magmar: Lv. 24
Nature: Lax
Potential: B-

Voltorb: Lv. 19
Nature: Serious
Potential: D

I grunt a 'hmph' in my throat, trying to keep the smirk down. "Alright then. Back on the field K. Rool. It seems we're not done here yet.

North of Route 35 lies the Johto region's National Park. A lush, yet carefully groomed, municipal park that is...well, it's fine I suppose.

If flower beds and the sounds of chirping Sunkern in the morning are what relaxes you then I'm not gonna judge your journey, but it's just not quite my cup of tea.

The most exciting thing that goes on is three times a week, -Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday more specifically- the park is home to the Goldenrod City sponsored National Park Bug-Catching Contest.

Despite all the capitalized letters in its title though, it's really not as big a deal as it sounds.. Unofficially Saturdays have apparently become a 'kiddie league' where parents come out to let their six year olds catch Caterpies and Tuesdays get so little foot traffic that the prizes are never anything better than an Everstone or perhaps a three pack of Great Balls.

That leaves Thursday -which coincidentally happens to be today- as the one competition a week with real prize support behind it and enough competitors for the organizers to let Pokémon like Pinsir or Scyther out into the field.

Entry fee is admittedly pretty low at 500 Poké Dollars but…eh I'm just gonna pass. There's nothing really for me to gain from it.

What's the best scenario? I miraculously come in 1st against all these long-time regulars and get to walk away with this week's Grand Prize of a Sun Stone?

A Sun Stone of all things. How many Pokémon across all regions can that even be used on? Like five? Not to mention that the only two Indigo even has access to are Bellossom and Sunflora.

'If one had to make a list of fully evolved 'mon's who've never offered anything to the competitive scene, it'd be difficult to imagine something even lower than the Sunflower Pokémon.'

A slight digging in the earth attracts my notice and I smile at a Nincada that pokes its head out at me, vibrating its whisker-like antennas curiously at what it no doubt thought was the feeling of a fellow Ground-type.

"Sorry little guy," I kneel down to scratch under his chin with one finger. "No new Pokémon here. Just little old me."

Relations with Kalos may be shaky -which is putting things kindly-, and Sinnoh is hardcore xenophobic isolationist, but Hoenn is a long standing ally. Trade is regular. Inter-region passports are easy to get, and our respective Elite Four's regularly travel to the other for exhibition matches. It doesn't surprise me that some Gen III Bug's may have found their way here. I doubt any imported Volbeat or Illumise will ever make the leaderboard of this weekly contest but it doesn't change the fact that they are out here.

'That does remind me. We need to find time to detour to Hoenn at some point. Just a trip long enough to pick up a decent Baltoy. A teleporting Claydol would round out the team nicely. Numel also exists I suppose, but without access to its Mega, the idea of Camerupt just doesn't excite me. Swampert would be good…heh who am I kidding? It'd be amazing. But friendly relations or not, every region's pretty protective of their 'starter trios'. It'd never happen.'

"Hey you!"

I turn my head towards the shout and spot a young girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen in years of age, jogging her way up to me. "Yes?"

She finishes her sort of half-sprint and adopts a battle pose. "Are you the guy who beat that pompous idiot Irwin? The one that's always juggling and swishing around a big stupid blue cape?"

I stand, letting the Nincada bury away. "And if I am?"

A fire burns in her eyes. "I knew it! I was training for my rematch, but if you're the guy who thrashed him then that makes you my new goal post! What say you to a match, right here, right now? No items. No swaps. First to three knockouts is the winner!"

I smile. "Sure, I'm game."

"Yes!" she pumps her fist. "Let's show him what we got! Go Cubone!"

Route 36

I scowl at the back of my youngest team member.

I thought we were passed this.

He'd been doing well in our team exercises. His confidence was rising. Vlad wasn't a kind taskmaster by any measure, but I really thought that Gligar's tough love of putting him through the paces was succeeding in getting him to come out of his shell.

He'd leveled up more than a few times. He even had the courage to speak up and admonish K. Rool when he felt the Dark-type was being a little too aggressive in his dealing with opponents.

As I said, I thought we were passed this.

"Shadow Punch." I ordered again.

The diminutive Ghost wavers in indecision. His hands wringing together nervously while his knob-like knees seem to almost shake beneath him. Meanwhile the wild Yanma across from us buzzes threateningly, warning violence should we come any closer.

"Simon!" I snap, shouting his name out as 'sea-moan', an homage to the man he's named after. "I said! Shadow Punch!"

The blue golem-like Pokémon glances back at me, his entire being radiating uncertainty, anxiety, though when he turns back to the Bug, his fist does flare with the purple smoke of Ghost energy.

Yanma snaps forward with a Quick Attack! "Gol! Gol!" Simon yelps in a panic, losing his grasp on the attack and kneeling into a ball with his head in his hands. The white streak slams into him center-mass…and then simply passes through as though it were empty space.

"Ya?" The Bug tilts its head, a bit confused as to what just happened. It doesn't let the feeling last though, choosing instead to reorient itself and simply switch targets. That is, focusing on me rather than the Ghost it missed.. "Yanma!"

I raise an unimpressed eyebrow at the dragonfly Pokémon zooming my way with harmful intent. It's certainly an aggressive little bugger. Pun somewhat intended. With an almost casualness to the action, Vlad drops down from my shoulder to intercept and KO's the Lv.12 Bug with a single bonk to its head.

"Ya.." Its eyes turn to swirls. "Yan..ma.." it exclaims weakly before drifting slightly to the left and passing out in the long grass.

I sigh. "Simon, come here."

The Golett doesn't move. He's standing in the center of the path with his head hanging low. He knows he's disappointed me, but more than that I think he's disappointed himself.

My voice softens. "Simon, it's okay buddy. Just come here." With slow trudging footsteps the Ghost/Ground type shuffles his way over to my legs, his face downcast the entire time. "Gol.." he whines, pressing up against my side once he gets there.

"It's alright buddy. You did fine." I whisper to the saddened Pokémon, rubbing my hand comfortingly along his head. "We'll keep working on it. You'll get 'em next time, okay?"

"Gol.." he nods along sadly.

Golett: Lv. 33
Nature: Timid
Potential: S

I've witnessed over a dozen tournaments. I've been in the crowd for expedition fights between real Elites. I've had at least two hundred trainer battles myself, and I must have seen thousands of Pokémon in the wild.

Out of every single one of them, Simon alone has had S rank potential. Until I encountered him, I legitimately thought 'A' was the top of the pyramid. 'S' was only something I playfully mused to myself about existing among the Legendaries. Even Lance's strongest Dragonite, whom I briefly put eyes on during a publicity stunt at last year's Silver Conference, doesn't crest beyond A+ territory.

'Level 33 already. He's outpacing K. Rool despite not even battling. I know I've theorized rank affects growth speed but that's more than a little outrageous.'

"Gli! Gli!" Vlad's call brings me out of my thoughts. I follow his gestured claw and see a veritable horde of Yanma buzzing from the treeline. Dozens if not hundreds of them.

They do not look pleased.

'Tch. And I thought Yanma were supposed to be rare around here… it must be a swarm. Damn it! Aren't they supposed to issue public warnings when stuff like this happens!'"Vlad, go nuts! Sow chaos in their ranks until they back off!" I bark, something which my little hellbat throws himself into with devious glee. "Everyone else, we're on defense!" Three Pokéballs snap open from my belt. "Take down anything that gets close. Maximum prejudice!"

Route 37, Just South of Ecruteak City

Okay, surely there's a joke in here somewhere. There has to be.

This is essentially the only place in Johto where one can regularly find herds of Stantler. Sure, occasionally you'll see a lone male who has wandered away, striking out on its own in some other part of the region, but for the most part this is the place.

The only person currently here besides myself, is a lone psychic by the name of 'Nathan' who's doing some one on one training with his only Pokémon, a Girafarig.

Girafarig is a Normal/Psychic type, and until I think Gen VI with the introduction of Oranguru, it was the Normal/Psychic type. The only one in the Pokédex.

What is unknown to Nathan -who I want to say as an aside keeps trying to smugly impress me with his ability to levitate pebbles- is that not only do both Girafarig and Stantler have secret evolutions that the people of Johto are ignorant of, but Stantler even evolves into a Normal/Psychic type!

I'm watching this unevolved giraffe take down Stantler after Stantler, its trainer boasting about his "amazing" psychic talent all the while, and I just. Can't. Think. Of. A. Joke.

A sharp rustling at the forest's edge whirls me around, 'And that damn Sudowoodo is still stalking me!'. It's not even doing a good job of it! It's playing by red light/green light rules and just freezes in place whenever I put eyes on it.

"What! What do you want!" I shout at the Rock-type for what has to be the fourth time. "A battle? Do you want to be captured? Are you looking for a Berry handout, what!"

The 'mon stays perfectly silent. A devoted actor to its craft. Posing among the brush as if saying 'Silly human. There is no Pokémon here. I am a tree. Trees cannot answer you. Trees cannot even speak. And that is what I am. A tree. Perhaps were I not a tree, we might converse, maybe even share a dialogue. But alas, tis not to be. For I am now, and unfortunately always have been, just a tree.'

A hand runs over my face in exasperation. "...I swear to that damn llama god if you come into my tent while I'm sleeping then I'm gonna have Grundy chuck you across the nearest mountain."

The tree does not respond.

For it is a tree.

And trees cannot speak.

A/N: This site's had some pretty weird errors in its time but I've never had one this confusing. It auto deletes Krokorok's name unless I space it out. I have to type it "K. Rool" with that stupid space in the middle or it just..becomes nothing. Why do you suppose that is?