.—.—.
Kris had never slept easily. She had never mastered the ability to hit her head to the pillow and knock out immediately. When she did manage to sleep, the sleep was never great. It was from her father's side, her mom always said. Many hours were spent studying or reading or doing anything other than actually dreaming. Most nights she was lucky to get to sleep before the witching hours and to stay asleep until the sun rose above the trees.
That was all to say she was surprised when she was jostled from her sleeping bag by Maelstrom every morning since they had left New Bark Town. How the croc was waking up earlier than she was made her think he had to have the Early Bird ability rather than his Torrent. She slipped her hair into her usual hairstyle with the pack of black ties she'd packed from home and hastily threw everything into her bag. Maelstrom huffed as he walked alongside her down the Route once again.
Cherrygrove City was a pleasant sight on the horizon. Kris knew the city was one of the smaller ones in Johto but it was still bigger than New Bark Town. She had taken a few trips here and there with her mother when the house needed something they couldn't find in town. With her father deployed with the Rangers nearly year round in the farthest reaches of the wilds, it was up to the two of them for house maintenance.
Cherrygrove was the second furthest place she had ever been to. Second only after her single trip to Pallet Town in Kanto. Her class had had the privilege to visit Professor Samuel Oak's lab and ranch. Elm had escorted them around the pearl of scientific research in Kanto while prattling on about various topics that went right over her head. Thankfully Oak was there to make his former student's babble more coherent to the wanna-be trainers.
Kris stretched her arms out and took in the sun. The open grasses between New Bark and Cherrygrove were great for getting in some sunshine. Considering she'd barricaded herself in her room to study for the exam to get her trainer license, the light was much needed. Her skin didn't need to be any paler than it already was.
Maelstrom was getting antsy for more training. They'd covered his known moves, all three that there was, and Kris felt confident that the big jaw pokemon could perform them well enough. She wanted a jumpstart on gaining coverage for her starter's biggest weaknesses. She'd been planning on what steps to take with her first partner, her totodile, for years now. She could recite the water-type weaknesses and move set by heart.
"Mud-Slap is a ground-type move that'll give you a response to any electric-types that get close," Kris told Maelstrom when they stopped for lunch. "You should be able to pick it up without too much hassle. The hardest part will be getting the initial bump of manipulating ground-type energy that move calls for. Learning new moves without any experience with its type can be a bit challenging. Are you up to trying it when we finish eating?"
Mael nodded enthusiastically. His jaw added weight to his nod and for a moment he resembled the totodile bobble head she'd had on her desk since she was eight. The croc groaned and steadied his head with both his hands.
Kris frowned as the water-type rubbed at his neck. "You okay, Mael?" Maelstrom didn't nod, instead he hissed and prodded the neck muscles supporting his head. The trainer put away her ration bar and scooched closer to her partner. "Let me see your neck."
Maelstrom waddled over and offered his scaly neck to her. Kris giggled as she all but positioned him in her lap, the totodile flicking his red eyes to look at her. She lightly pushed his hands away and took his neck into her hands. He groaned as she massaged his muscular neck, using enough force to make sure he felt it beneath his scales.
The pokemon shuffled as he crooned from the pressure. He snapped his jaw immediately. Kris giggled. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. You're still very fierce, a big bad croc." She scratched at a caked on piece of dirt with her nail until it fell off in flakes. "Pokemon with big jaws or snouts, like you, sometimes get sore necks when you're young. Your muscles are weak enough that training or traveling for long stints of time make it painful to support your head."
Mael let out another light hiss at her words. The message was clear. He was not weak.
"Alright, message received. You're a big croc, so you don't need a massage." Kris waited for Maelstrom to let out a growling-whine before she continued her message once again. "Normally you'd have waterways to lessen the weight of your jaws or time to lounge around and rest your neck. Just let me know if it gets too much, we can take breaks."
The pokemon gave a relaxed nod of his head. This time he did so without a wince or a hiss.
.—.—.
Maelstrom thumped his tail against the ground to catch her attention. Kris spotted what he intended immediately. A girl a few years older than herself was crouched on the side of the Route, knee in the dirt and examining something on the ground as her brown hair draped her like a veil.
Her blood raced. This could be their first battle. Route 29 was one of the shortest in Johto and there weren't many trainers to battle. The road to New Bark Town was only used by the trainers leaving said town towards their journeys, or if the rare trainer had business with Elm. The shortcut up towards Route 46 was useful too if the occasional traveler needed to head to Blackthorn City.
Kris cleared her throat as she approached. "Hi."
The other girl looked over her shoulder and smiled. Her eyes met Kris' and the New Bark trainer was surprised. The older girl was very pretty and not as road worn as she would have thought. "Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn't even hear you come up on me. Need something?"
Kris thought that there was really only one thing trainers did when they met on the Routes. "Are you up for a battle?"
The brunette blinked. "Oh, a battle. Sorry, but probably not. You seem like a rookie, so it wouldn't be much of a fair fight. How many badges do you have, I'm guessing zero?"
From someone else that might have sounded rude or condescending. Kris didn't think she meant it that way. The other girl had a very kind voice and a smile that put her at ease. "None yet, I was heading to Violet City for the Zephyr Badge."
The other trainer hummed and stood up, brushing the dirt from her knee. "Not a bad target. Falkner gets a wrap for being easy but he's no cakewalk."
"Have you fought him?" Kris asked.
"A while ago. I don't do the Gym Circuit anymore but when I did, Falkner had a nasty doduo he liked to pull out on stronger challengers. Took my tauros to trample it if I remember correctly. Oh, I'm Tuscany Week, by the way." The girl–a young woman, really–introduced with a wide smile.
"Kris Davis." She shuffled her feet on the gravel in frustration. The girl was nice, sure, but she had been hoping for a battle! "Any tips for him?"
"For Falkner? Well, don't underestimate him. Flying-types come in all sorts so it can be hard to prepare for him, honestly. Electric-types are always a good option." Tuscany provided. "What are you working with team wise?"
Kris let her hand fall to Maelstrom's head as he chomped the air. "Just Mael here. We only set out from New Bark Town a couple days ago."
Tuscany smiled at the blue croc. "Elm's brood, that's great. Well, you don't technically need two pokemon to challenge your first Gym. You can try your luck with just him but if he goes down then you'd have to forfeit."
Maelstrom thumped his tail defiantly. He wouldn't lose. Kris rubbed her fingers over the scales on the water-types neck. She'd learned it was a good way to calm him. "He's tough so I don't expect him to lose." That made Mael growl happily. "But I do have some ideas for team members in the future anyway."
Tuscany met her eyes and smiled slightly. Kris thought that she was a very smiley person. "Go on. Most trainers just set out and catch whatever they see."
Kris knew that. There were plenty of pokemon she had seen on the way to Cherrygrove. Pidgey and rattata and, the most surprising one, a lone plusle that sparked when it spotted them. She had some ideas for specific pokemon–every starting trainer hoped to stumble upon a larvitar that could grow to be a powerful tyranitar–but there was a criteria she held to. A criteria that a plusle didn't match up to.
They needed to be native to Indigo. It was maybe an odd prerequisite, she'd admit, but it was hers. Why go through the trouble of capturing pokemon to help her defend Johto when they themselves were foreign pokemon that had settled there? No, that wouldn't do.
Indigo pokemon should be on the team that would cleanse its League.
"Some types I have specific pokemon I want to cover. For grass, a hoppip or bellosom. For fire, a houndour or slugma."
Tuscany flicked some strand of hair over her shoulder. "For a normal-type? I only ask because it's my preferred type, what I specialize in."
Normal-type pokemon were common enough that Kris was spoiled for choice. "Not sure, there are a lot that are good additions."
Tuscany smiled, again. "Good answer. Here, come look at this."
Kris did as she was beckoned and followed the trainer until she was looking over her shoulder as Tuscany kneeled on the ground. The same spot in the dirt she had seemingly been inspecting earlier had some marks in it. "Pokemon tracks?"
Tuscany nodded. "Yep. It's only the one, see how the prints are all the same size and depth? A younger pokemon that's left its mother. This time of year is when they start striking out on their own. A good thing, a momma ursaring is a sight to be feared."
Kris inspected the prints and didn't see any of what she was talking about. "It's a teddiursa? You can get all of that from the tracks?"
"Pretty much. See how the paw prints are round with two claws? I wasn't going to bother the little guy, but I can get you started on the trail if you'd like. An ursaring can be a valuable teammate, mine certainly is." Tuscany offered.
"What do you think, Mael?" Kris asked the water-type. The croc's red eyes stared at the tracks. He snapped his jaw and hissed in agreement. "We'll do it."
Tuscany reached for a pokeball on her belt and clicked it open. A flash revealed the quadrupedal form of a large feline. A red gem on its head caught the light of the sun as it purred. Its purr was deep and loud, shaking its throat as it bumped its head on its trainer's arm. "Hey, Persian. Would you mind picking up this trail with Odor Sleuth? It's a teddiursa."
Persian rubbed its cheek on her arm once more before putting its nose close to the dirt of the tracks. Its eyes glazed over and ears twitched as it took in a long breath through its black nose. It sniffed a couple more times before walking into the trees. Tuscany followed and Kris hurried to join them.
Mael's short but well muscled legs were scratched by the thorny greenery by the time the trail they were following came to its end. Kris stopped as Persian jerked its head forward. Tuscany ran her hand down the cat's fur and returned it to the pokeball it had come from. "Persian says the teddiursa should be up ahead. Follow the brush that's pushed aside and you'll get right to it."
Kris nodded. "Thank you, we wouldn't have found it without your help. Or Persian's."
"If you let me see that teddiursa when you capture it, we'll be even." Tuscany beamed.
That was a simple payment.
Kris pushed a low hanging branch out of her way as she continued down the path. A small patch of auburn fur was caught on a large thorn. She pushed through the last of the brush with Maelstrom by her side and saw what waited for them.
The smell struck her first. It was a sweet aroma that almost made her stop in her tracks. The scent was thick enough she could almost feel it on her tongue. There was a hint of fruit in the air, like a mashed berry cobbler her mother had made once. The scent put her at ease and she shook herself from the haze. "Don't sniff or smell, if you can."
A large patch of open ground was cluttered by berry bushes as a bipedal bear looked at the shrubbery. A berry patch, Kris realized. A perfect secluded spot away from prying eyes for a teddiursa to claim for itself. The mentioned bear cub picked a berry and smashed it into its mouth. It chewed quickly before putting its paw to its mouth to lick the juices it had splattered. Maelstrom chomped the air but was sure to avoid sniffing the intoxicating scent in the air. The crocodile bellowed a challenge as he approached the bear.
Teddiursa stopped its search for food as the totodile approached. Its eyes flicked between the water-type and the berries before grunting and stepping forward. The normal-type was the same height as the croc but bulkier. Kris pushed the hair from her face.
"Mael, Water Gun!" She ordered.
The totodile shot a jet of water that barreled forward. It struck the bear in the belly and caused it to grunt in pain as it charged the crocodile in retaliation. Its paws glowed a dull white as the three claws struck the scales of the water-type. The tedduirsa's paw scored down Mael's flank with Slash. Blue scales sprouted white lines as the move made the water-type hiss.
"You got this," Kris encouraged her starter. "Bite!"
Maelstrom dove his open jaw forward and latched viciously onto the shoulder of the little bear pokemon. The bear cub roared as its feet stomped on the ground. The earth granulated and the two fighters sunk deeper. Kris recognized the signs of Bulldoze before it was fully manifested. That was a surprise. "Mael, point-blank Water Gun!"
Mael hadn't barely unlatched his jaw from the bear's shoulder as he spat the Water Gun at the normal-type's face. It jerked the bear's head back violently but effectively stopped its stomping. It held its head in its paws as it grunted in pain, too dazed to focus in its opponent. Kris palmed a pokeball, one of Elm's gifts, and aimed. She released the device with an overarm throw that sent the sphere spiraling towards the pokemon.
It struck the teddiursa on the top of the head, making it groan again as it was sucked into the capture device in a red flash. The little bear vanished and Kris held her breath. The pokeball fell to the ground. It shook once, then twice. The sphere wobbled in place on the ground.
It shook a third time and clicked. A successful capture.
Kris' face broke into a grin. "Mael, you were awesome!" Kris ran to her starter and all but pulled him into a hug. She let him go when he struggled and he proceeded to scratch lightly at the damaged scales on his side. The blue scales on his flank were scored from Teddiursa's Slash and a few had even been completely taken off. The remaining damaged scale would shed off and be replaced but they had to be uncomfortable for the water-type. Teddiursa's Slash was nastier than she'd thought.
The croc crooned as Kris rubbed his head. "Alright, I wanna get Teddiursa on board immediately. I'm going to release it, don't attack unless it attacks first."
The totodile agreed and Kris picked up the pokeball of their newest member. She breathed deeply as she clicked the release on the device.
Tedduirsa appeared with a groan. The fur on its head was damp still, the Water Gun having soaked it as well as sheared off some of the hair near its ear. Nothing that wouldn't grow back thankfully. Kris smiled when the bear only stepped back, no intention to attack yet. That was a good sign.
"Hi, Teddiursa," She greeted. "My name is Kris and I'm a pokemon trainer. This is Maelstrom, my starter. I know he roughed you up a bit. Would you like a potion? It'll help with your injuries."
The little bear was skeptical but nodded slowly. Kris shrugged her bag from her shoulders and rummaged through the side pockets. She only had two potions that her mother had given her until she could properly stock up in Cherrygrove City. The bottle was cool to the touch despite being in a bag under the sun. She offered her hand to the normal-type and it hesitantly stepped forward. She sprayed the purple liquid over its head, shoulders, anywhere that seemed even scuffed really.
"There, all done. You should be in top shape pretty soon," Kris said as she stowed away the rest of the potion. She'd spray it over Mael's injuries later. "Now that you're all better, I was hoping you'd join us. I plan on getting a lot stronger, and you fought Mael so you know he's tough. You can become stronger too if you join us."
The normal-type grunted and side eyed Mael. The bear rubbed its paws before nodding with a grunt. Kris grinned. "Great! Welcome to the team. Here, I'm gonna check you over with my device here. It'll let me get to know more about you and your moves."
Kris unclipped her pokegear and pointed the scanner at her newest partner. The blue device beeped and displayed all the information about Teddiursa she could ever need.
Teddiursa, the little bear pokemon. As they grow and winter approaches, teddiursa attack bug-type hives in search of honey and nectar. The sight of young teddiursa has been long considered dangerous; mother ursaring are known as fearsome battlers in defense of their cubs.
This specimen is female and possesses the ability Quick Feet, it knows the moves Slash, Bulldoze, and Sweet Scent.
Kris pursed her lips at the info. Sweet Scent explained the enamoring aroma she'd been inhaling. "Pretty good moves there, girl."
Mael did his equivalent of a scoff. Teddiusra rumbled as it–she, Kris corrected–raised a paw at the water-type as a warning.
"Well, girl, Mael has a name that sets him apart from the rest of the totodile of the world. Do you want a name too?" Kris offered.
Teddiursa thought it over for a minute before she growled an affirmative.
Kris scrunched her nose and thought hard. "Honey?" No, that was bad. The normal-type thought so too. "Luna or Cresent, like the shape on your head?" The bear was unimpressed.
She tried a few more names that were all as terrible as the last. She decided a switch in direction was a good idea. Johto had a lot of old mythologies from the ancient peoples. If they could build sites such as the Ruins of Alph, they must have better taste in names than she.
"There were a lot of old myths and stories that the ancient Johtonians held to. A lot of traditionalist groups still keep them alive. One of the biggest is the story of The Nine Kings," Kris told the bear slowly. "The Nine were supposed to be the nine true rulers of Ancient Indigo, long before even the Legends were crafted by the Creator. The Seventh and Brown King was an ursaring that grew to be as large as a tower and was able to slash other pokemon–even ghosts–in half with a single slash of its paw. It was able to walk entire forests in minutes and claimed all of the land from west of Mt. Silver to the edges of the Ilex Forest. They called that ursaring Kesagake and it was the mightiest bear to ever walk Johto."
Teddiursa's eyes gleamed.
"It's a big name, do you think you can live up to it?" Kris asked, knowing her answer.
The normal-type nodded vigorously.
It was a proper name. A name with significant meaning within Johto, and now it was bestowed upon a pokemon that would help her reshape Johto's history once again.
The name was granted and Kesagake walked Johto's lands after so long and would reshape them as it once had.
It was perfect.
Kris felt alive.
.—.—.
Tuscany smiled when Kris joined her again. The girl squealed when Kesagake poked her head out from behind her. "Oh, it's adorable! I wish my Teddy was still as cute as you."
Kris stopped herself from snickering at the name. "Tuscany, this is Kesagake. Kes, that's Tuscany–she helped us track you down."
The bear cub grunted at that and turned her nose up at the older girl. Tuscany pouted before reaching for a pokeball at her belt. With a flash, a towering figure cast a shadow over the ground. It was a six foot tall, bulky bear that huffed when it was released. "Kris and company, meet Teddy! She was my first capture way back when."
Teddy the ursaring grunted. The towering bear was disinterested in them at first sight but tilted her head at Kesagake. The teddiursa mirrored the move and stepped towards the large ursaring. The massive normal-type dropped from two legs to four and put its snout close to Kesagake. Teddy sniffed deeply and then huffed a warm breath that blew back the fur on the cub's head. Kesagake inhaled deeply as Teddy licked her on the ear.
Tuscany approached her partner's flank and gave it three hard pats. "Ursaring are solitary except for when looking for mates. They'll spend months with their cub after it hatches, one of the longest for pokemon that don't fall into family units or packs. Very maternal creatures and all the stronger for it."
Kris watched Teddy all but pamper Kesagake, grooming the cub as Kes sat still and her eyes drifted closed slowly. The trainer giggled at the sight. "So, you specialize in normal-types?"
Tuscany shot her a grin. "Best type there is. They carried me through the Gym circuit and more battles than I can count."
"You don't challenge the Gyms, right?" Kris asked. "What do you do?"
"Me and my siblings are pretty well off, so we wander around. We all did the Gyms and went through the Silver Conference, so now we can all just do freelance work as we see fit." Tuscany shrugged. "I go where I'm needed."
A grunt drew their attention back to the two normal-types. Kesagake was grunting and trying her best to escape the grooming tongue of Teddy. Kris smiled as the cub stood up and marched to her side to escape the ursaring's attention. "Well, I think it's time for us to start back on the Route."
Tuscany nodded before beaming. "Oh, hold on!"
The older girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of pink fabric. A pink bow, Kris realized. Tuscany beckoned Kesagake forward. The cub glanced at Kris then back to Tuscany before finally stepping forward. The older girl's face was split in a large smile as she took the pink bow and put it around the round left ear of the teddiursa. She adjusted the bow a bit before backing up and admiring the pokemon.
"Aren't you just adorable!" Tuscany gushed at the now decorated bear cub.
Kris thought it looked a little odd, but the cub seemed to appreciate it.
Kes batted at the ribbon with her paw, very pleased with her new look.
.—.—.
Cherrygrove's stone pathways and cement streets gradually replaced the dirt and gravel of Route 29. Kris' ankles were thankful for the more level ground of the city. The pathway from New Bark had been washed out and filled in so many times over the years that it was sloped on more places than one.
The Pokemon Center of Cherrygrove was one of the smaller facilities of its kind. The League-backed healthcare facilities were a great resource for any trainer in modern Johto. Free pokemon care, lodging, and access to the League database were great assets for trainers, rookies or otherwise.
Kris was quick to get her pokemon check in with Nurse Joy. The kind woman took the two pokeballs with a smile and promised them back before long. Neither were injured in any serious manner but with Kes being a fresh capture, it was best to have the professional give her a once over. Mael was just sore from his first bout of true traveling and the weight of his head. Joy promised to take a look at his neck to make sure nothing was wrong but confirmed that it was normal for young pokemon like him.
Kris figured she'd get some of her shopping done while her pokemon were checked over. She made sure her pokegear was tightly secured. The device was her one connection to her trainer account and all the money in said account. It was more valuable to her than anything else in her possession–at least it was while her team was not on hand.
She waved at the clerk as she entered the Cherrygrove PokeMart and grabbed a green basket for her shopping. She took a quick glimpse of the list she'd written over the course of the trip from New Bark Town. Potions and revives were at the top of the list, as were the essential necessities such as food for her and her team. A few poison cures would be good purchases once she got closer to Azalea Town.
Kris wandered the isles and grazed items off the shelves like she imagined a miltank did on grass. Her basket was half full when she finally walked down the pokefood aisle. Her own ration bars were easily marked and she put two boxes of them into her basket. When she began to ponder on which type of food to get her team, she was more hesitant. After ten minutes she had walked up and down the aisle until she had read every bag of pokemon food, treats, feed, and kibble thrice over.
She'd thought so much about training and journeying, prepared for every challenge they'd need to surmount and the best possible order in which to challenge the Gyms.
Yet, despite all of her prepping, she'd still forgotten to research what food to buy.
The PokeMart was lined with every thing a trainer needed, which Kris was mostly happy for. But it also meant that there were a thousand different brands of pokefood that all seemed to be the exact same with only minor differences. But Kris knew that minor differences mattered in the world of pokemon training, even a vitamin or supplement left out of a pokemon's diet could be important.
A hand tapped her on the shoulder. The New Bark trainer turned and came face first with a boy. The boy was around her age with red hair that split around his face and framed it as he craned his neck down at her. "You're in the way."
Kris blinked before moving out of his way, mumbling an apology. The boy walked past her and nabbed a bag of food off the shelf. A picture of a miltank eating grass was on its front, large letters labeling the feed as a herbivore mix sourced from local farms. The redhead visually checked over the bag before moving past her again and back toward the register.
Kris cleared her throat. He looked like he knew what he was getting, better than she did at least. "Excuse me?"
For a moment, she didn't think he'd stop. He did stop, though, and looked over his shoulder. She felt her throat go dry as their eyes met. His eyes were dark, black pits as he squinted at her. Friendly was not the right word, but hostile wasn't quite right either. She wet her lips and continued. "You're a trainer, right? Do you know what a good feed would be for a totodile and teddiursa?"
The redhead frowned. "Why would I know? How would you even know if I am a trainer or not?"
Kris frowned. That was unnecessarily rude. She pointed at the pokeballs clipped to his belt, two capture devices snuggled into their clipped-on magnetic slots. Her belt matched his in all but color. "Pokeballs on your belt plus being inside a PokeMart getting pokefood equal pokemon trainer."
He huffed but smirked as if what she said was a good joke. "Sure, you can call me a trainer. Why would I help you?"
Kris was over this conversation and this guy's attitude. "I was just asking. If you don't know then just say that and move on." She turned her head away from him, looked back at all the options of pokefood and sighed. The other trainer walked off, his shoes tapping the floor as she heard him walk to the register. "Some people…"
"Yes, some people indeed." The voice startled her and made her jump slightly and turn towards the newcomer. A man of considerable age was smiling with a gnarled wooden cane under his arm. " Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
Kris wondered how she didn't hear the man considering the giant cane he was using. It looked as though it would clack on the linoleum floor. He was an older man, far older than the redhead trainer, and shorter than his voice made him seem. "It's okay."
The man smiled cheerfully and lifted his cane from the floor. Kris watched as he used the end of the stick to point at a large bag of pokefood on the shelf. "That'll be what you'll want, dear girl."
Kris inspected the bag he pointed to. The art on the front had a magikarp on a fishing line and it looked entirely too happy to be caught. "I need this?"
He chuckled. "Oh, sorry. I listened to your discussion with that boy. Rather brisk, wasn't he? It was a totodile and a teddiursa you needed to feed, yes?"
The knowledge that she'd been watched as the redhead brushed her off made Kris redden. "Just those two."
"Very good!" He tapped the magikarp bag with his stick. "This is a local brand sourced from the waterfront here in Cherrygrove! It's mainly composed of wild caught magikarp and an assortment of–frankly too many–berries. Magikarp and berries are the perfect diet for both a totodile and a teddiursa. It adds in every vitamin a growing pokemon needs while still being an affordable option. It's what Elm sources for his own totodile population, so yours will be used to it."
Kris' face showed her surprise and the man chuckled. "Sorry, dear girl, but there aren't any totodiles in these parts, I'm afraid. Any trainer coming into Cherrygrove with one must be one of Jack's."
Kris blinked. That was an informal way to speak of Johto's foremost pokemon professor. "You know Professor Elm?"
"Ah, yes, we keep in touch. I met him when Samuel–sorry, Professor Oak–took him on as an apprentice. Jackson Elm was a good student, though he's always been as scatterbrained as a hare." The cane clicked on the floor as the man leaned his weight onto it. "Dear me, I haven't even introduced myself! Archibald Orion Poketramlimon III!"
Kris wasn't even going to try to pronounce that. The shelves would start floating, she suspected.
"Most people refer to me as Mr. Pokemon," Archibald said with a cheery chuckle. "Mine is a rather extensive name, I'm aware. My family was never one for subtlety."
Mr. Pokemon was an odd nickname but far easier to say. "Well, thank you, sir."
He waved her off. "Bah! Elm is one of Oak's and you're one of Elm's. No thanks necessary."
Kris smiled. "Well, thank you anyway."
Mr. Pokemon chuckled. "In that case, your welcome, dear girl. Come, grab that bag and let's head to the front. I can pay for it this time."
"Oh, I couldn't ask–"
"A good thing that I am offering," he said with a flourish of his cane. "Insisting even. It's the Cherrygrove generosity!"
The bag was heavier than she expected but Kris tossed it over her shoulder. With the pounds of pokefood secured, she scrambled to follow the eccentric fellow.
.—.—.
Mr. Pokemon waved goodbye as they both went their separate ways. "Until next time, dear girl. Be sure to visit me when you loop back around Johto."
Kris promised she would. Mr. Pokemon was an eccentric man, no doubt about that, but he was kind. And, apparently, very well connected. Being personal friends with Samuel Oak and Jackson Elm was not a small connection in Indigo. Every trainer knew the pillars of the League. Samuel Oak was often spoken in the same breath as Champion Lance, an inspiring figure that trainers aspired towards.
Kris didn't hold much love for Lance Wataru. He was the Indigo Champion before Blue Oak defeated him, he was Red's First Elite when Blue took over Viridian, and the Champion again when Red abdicated. It was Lance that should have stepped in when Red was burning Johto, and it was Lance that should have condemned him afterwards. Lance did neither.
The Dragon Master was Johtonian through and through, a Blackthorn native born of the Wataru clan. Kris loved Johto, she loved her home region with her entire heart. That didn't mean she had to love every person in or from it. Lance was a strong trainer, a skilled leader, and a competent head of the League. His dragons were as iconic as his cape, his matches with domestic and foreign Masters were made spectacles, and the battles with other Champions were awe inspiring.
Kris didn't like Lance but she could respect him. Johto and Kanto both needed a firm hand after Red's Rampage, a hand that Lance provided.
In comparison, Samuel Oak was everything Lance was and more. A powerful trainer, an intelligent researcher, a wise mentor to many, and a public figurehead through and through. Kris had wished more than once that Oak was Johto's key professor rather than Kanto's, but he was Indigo's all the same.
The Pokemon Center was busier than when she left it which wasn't saying much. Cherrygrove was not much of a city despite the name, tiny in comparison to the larger cities of the region. Though when compared to the megacenter that was Goldenrod City, most cities failed to live up.
There were only a few destinations in her journey she looked forward to as much as the expansive metropolis of Goldenrod. Being from the tiny New Bark, Kris looked forward to what the biggest city in Johto could offer.
Nurse Joy offered Kris her two pokeballs when she walked into the Pokemon Center. She accepted the capture devices and deposited her pokefood into her room before heading out back to the training grounds. She wanted to leave for Violet City the next day and some training with her team would be good. She didn't think they were ready for Falkner just yet, but they would be. There would be more trainers along Routes 30 and 31 that she could challenge. Not having even had a firsts battle yet was starting to weigh on her.
The New Bark trainer thumped into a wall and stumbled backwards. The wall she had run into also yelped as she stepped on his foot and he recoiled backwards. She caught her balance and immediately tried to apologize. "Sorry! Are you okay?"
The trainer huffed. "Watch where you're going!"
Kris sighed in annoyance as she recognized the redhead from the PokeMart. This guy was something else. "Sorry, I didn't see you."
A high pitched trumpeting sound caught her attention as a small blue elephant nudged its trunk on the redhead's pant leg to make sure he was unharmed. The redhead sighed. "I'm fine. Keep your eyes forward next time. Come on, Phanpy."
The long nose pokemon trumpeted and marched after its trainer.
Kris looked at the phanpy. The ground-type looked at her in return and an idea crawled into her mind. "Hey, do you want to battle?"
The redhead stopped his stride and looked at her. Phanpy trumpeted as its trainer considered it. "How many badges?"
"Well, none yet," she said.
The other trainer rolled his eyes. "At least beat Falkner before you challenge me. I don't have time to waste on dumb battles and stupid questions. If you can't even buy your own food then I can't see a battle with you being worth my time."
Oh, so he did recognize her. "Fine. I'll beat Falkner and then I'll find and beat you too."
The redhead scoffed and began to walk away. "Good luck with that."
Kris frowned. "Hey, what's your name?"
He paused before answering. "...Silver."
With that, he marched away and Kris was left alone
He could have asked for her name in return at least. Kris scoffed and began her trek to the training fields again with one thought on her tongue. "What an ass."
.—.—.
Chapter two in the bag. You know I forgot there was a move called Uproar too? Coincidental name overlap, I promise. I rewrote a few parts of this so many times because Kris sounded too…Radically Nationalist? Well, still does a little bit.
Kris' current team:
Maelstrom (Male Totodile)
Kesagake (Female Teddiursa)
Next Chapter: Aerial
Reviews are appreciated.
AquaHelia: Thanks for the kind words. Destructive battles like those you listed have always interested me when they were explored afterwards. On Kris and Lyra's rivalry, I basically flipped a coin on whether it was Ethan or Lyra that took that spot haha. We'll get more on their rivalry in the future.
Gouravsilentreader: Thank you!