Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
OVA: Kanto Adventures 1
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Route 6, Kanto Region
Sitting on a bench across from a clear pond, Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière said nothing as she stared into its crystal blue waters. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, flocks of Pidgeys and Spearows flying around in search of food. They were joined by swarms of Butterfree and Beedrill who were coalescing around the trees, and in the tall grass she could see Rattatas, Jigglypuffs, Meowths, Mankeys, and more frolicking about. It was a peaceful, tranquil scene, but Louise wasn't feeling any of it. Instead, she was simply starring off into nothing, a single Pokéball in her hand.
"Louise?" a voice cut into her thoughts. Without saying a word, she turned her head over to look at her friend and travelling companion on the Pokémon Journey she found herself taking, a young boy her age named Saito Hiraga. There was a look of concern on his face, and his eyes constantly shifted between the Pokéball in Louise's hand and the blank expression on her own face.
Silence between the two trainers, then Saito softly continued, "Are you okay?"
Louise didn't say anything at first, then she nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Saito pressed on, not believing her in the slightest. When Louise didn't respond, he let out a sigh and shook his head for a moment before saying, "Louise, look. I know you lost, but—"
"I said I'm fine!" Louise barked, sending Saito back slightly. She then relaxed and released a breath before saying, "Sorry, it's just…"
"No, no. It's fine. I get it," Saito comforted her, then sat down on the bench beside her. Clasping his hands together on his lap and leaning forward to stare into the pond, he didn't say anything at first to let the atmosphere sink in. Once it had, he continued, "If it makes you feel any better, Lieutenant Surge is a good trainer. There's a reason why he's Vermillion's Gym Leader. Losing to him isn't something to be ashamed of."
Silence fell between the two trainers, and Louise refused to look at Saito as she stared at her lap, and the Pokéball in her hand. After a moment, Louise quietly said, "It's not that I lost, Saito. It's how, and everything it means."
Saito said nothing, for there wasn't anything he really could say nor ask. He was there, watching it all as it happened. Part of him felt that the result was one he expected, but that did little to comfort either him or especially Louise. Especially with how it happened in the first place, particularly to the Pokémon Louise was carrying.
He shifted his gaze towards the Pokéball, then quietly asked, "What are you going to do?"
Louise didn't reply, instead continuing to stare at the Pokéball. Then, without saying a word, she hardened her expression and tightened her grip on the capsule. Standing up, Louise pressed a button on the Pokéball to enlarge it, then threw it out over the water. It burst open, releasing a red stream that quickly formed into the body of a large Pokémon, a serpentine creature with dark blue scales, a yellow underbelly and spots trailing down its side. Four white, spiky dorsal fins trailed down its spine, and two white finds on each side of its face. The Pokémon had its eyes and jaw clenched shut, then it shot both open as it thrashed and roared at the top of its lungs inside the tiny pond, scaring all of the other Pokémon and even a few trainers in the immediate vicinity.
That was only to be expected. After all, the sight of an enraged Gyarados couldn't do anything less. But Louise wasn't scared, even if Saito couldn't help but flinch and take a step back. Instead, her thoughts drifted back to everything that led up to this point in her life.
Three months ago
Pallet Town
It had been a month since Louise had found herself being taken to the Kanto Region by the Legendary Pokémon, Arceus, landing in the small rural community of Pallet Town. While she still hated the exact circumstances behind her interplanetary trek, particularly being ripped from her home only to be interrogated then insulted, everything after that wasn't so bad. Louise had been lucky enough to be taken in a kind young woman named Delia Ketchum and her son Ash not long after she arrived. They gave her food, shelter, clothing, all without asking for anything in return. They simply it because she needed the help, especially once they learned about her situation. The fact that they believed her right off the bad was a massive relief, although part of Louise wondered what exactly the Ketchums had been through that let them believe her in the first place. Particularly Ash, who despite only being a year older than her had apparently been through things that even the most accomplished and worldly mage knight would be jealous of.
During that time, Louise had spent her days helping out Delia in her restaurant, taking orders and bringing food to customers. Admittedly, it had been hard at first and her pride had let to more than a few instances. But Delia was patient and kind, and eventually she managed to get the hang of it. Helping out in the restaurant wasn't something that Delia had her do. In fact, if she had her way Louise wouldn't be doing anything. Louise's pride, however, refused to let her do anything else, and Delia eventually compromised and let her help for a few hours a day. Outside of that, Louise occupied herself by learning as much as she could about the world she found herself in, and the fantastic creatures that called it home.
Pokémon, or Pocket Monsters, lived all around the world. There were a 151 species native to the Kanto region alone, and they had captured her imagination ever since Ash had taken her over to Professor Oak's ranch to visit his Pokémon. Seeing all those creatures, and the relationship they had built with the people of Pallet Town, it reminded her immensely of the bonds between a mage and a familiar. Only somehow more than that, and not just limited to one. It was also from Ash that she learned of Pokémon Battling, and the Pokémon League. That was when she knew what she was supposed to do. She had been sent to the Kanto Region to 'prove her worth' to Arceus. By becoming Pokémon League Champion, she would prove her worth.
It was a decision that Ash was very enthusiastic about in supporting. While he himself wouldn't be able to travel with her, as he was currently participating in the World Coronation series while helping another boy his age named Goh with something called Project Mew, he did do all that he could to help Louise prepare. Ash taught her about the various types and their matchups, various strategies born from his own experiences, and above all else emphasized that there was no such thing as a strong or weak Pokémon. All Pokémon, even if they started out weak, could become strong. It was a philosophy that Louise readily agreed with, and took in with gusto.
But now today was the day. After a month of learning all that she could, today was the day that she would receive a starter Pokémon from Professor Oak, a friend of the Ketchum family and a world-renowned Pokémon researcher. Perhaps the most famous in the world, if Ash was to be believed. Louise had had to earn the privilege of obtaining a starter from Professor Oak, which involved weeks of tests, personal essays, and one-on-one interviews. Plenty of people both her age and much, much younger took part in these tests, but in the end only three managed to make it through and earn Professor Oak's recommendation. It was herself, a young, quiet girl her age named Leaf, and a boy a year older than her named Saito. Louise hadn't interacted with Leaf all that much, as Leaf was somewhat like Tabitha in that she liked to stay by herself most of the time, but the same could not be said about Saito.
Unlike Ash, Louise and Saito did not get along at first. Born and raised in Pallet Town, Saito had little to no patience for Louise whenever her pride and temperament got the better of her. This led to constant arguments, especially when Louise's lack of what was considered to be common knowledge came to the forefront. Eventually, however, the two were able to move past their differences, and by time they were set to receive their starters they had both become friends and had decided to travel together.
Both had woken up early that morning, eaten their breakfasts and already had their bags packed before making their way to Professor Oak's lab. Leaf had beaten them to the punch, grabbed her starter and left before they arrived. But that didn't matter to Louise. She had already decided on her starter well before selection day, and before long she and Saito had chosen their starters and were now at the edge of town.
"Louise, I've packed you enough food for the next week," Delia declared as she fussed over Louise one last time. "Call me once you get to Viridian City. I want to know you got there safely."
"I will, Mrs. Ketchum," Louise replied, smiling as she adjusted the straps of her backpack.
Delia nodded back, then quickly added, "Oh, and make sure you change your underwear every day."
"Mom!" Ash protested as an embarrassed blush crept over Louise's face. In the background, she heard Saito snicker, and an annoyed growl escaped from Louise's throat.
"Oh, hush you. I had to tell you the same thing multiple times when you first started," Delia pointed out, and an embarrassed blush erupted over Ash's face as well.
"I know!" Ash reminded her. Now Louise couldn't help but chuckle, and soon the moon lifted. Clearing his throat, Ash looked at Louise and, with a smile on his face, told her, "Good luck, Louise. Sorry I can't go with you, but I look forward to seeing you at the Pokémon League. You're going to go all the way, I can tell. You too, Saito!"
"Pikachu!" Ash's Pikachu added, standing atop Ash's shoulder as he gave both new trainers an excited wave of his paw.
"Thanks, man," Saito replied, giving Ash a slight wave.
Louise smiled at the Ketchums, then quickly hugged them both and quietly said, "Thank you, for everything."
Delia and Ash smiled and hugged Louise back. They remained that way for several minutes which seemed to stretch into eternity. But, eventually Louise had to break away. Together with Saito, they bid her caretakers farewell, then set off down Route 1. They initially started off on a brisk pace, but Louise wasn't nearly as strong as Saito so they had to slow down considerably after a few hours. Eventually, they came upon a small river cutting through the forest around noon, and they both decided it was as good of a place as any to stop for lunch.
"Kappa, mind filling up this pot for me?" Saito asked his starter Pokémon. The Squirtle happily obliged, and using Water Gun fired from his mouth quickly filled the pot with water. From there, Saito began throwing in chopped up vegetables and precooked meat to create a stew, and an alluring aroma quickly filled the air.
"Hmm, that smells good," Louise admitted as she sat by the river bank, a fishing rod in hand as she stared at the red and white bobber floating atop the water. She had picked up on the hobby while at Pallet Town, and while at first thought it was boring, eventually she came to learn that just sitting back in relative silence was relaxing and enjoyable in its own right. It didn't hurt that there were Pokémon that she could catch by fishing, either.
"Thank you, I do try my best," Saito replied. Louise didn't reply, only giving her friend a grateful nod as she continued to concentrate on the bobber. It was twitching up and down as the slow-moving current gently carried it down stream. Not too far, as the line was taut, but Louise kept an eye on it all the same.
"What'cha going for?" Saito asked as he stirred the pot.
"Don't know," Louise replied, reeling the line in slightly. "Just going to wait and see what comes up."
Saito looked at her for a moment, then nodded in acceptance before going back to making dinner. A comfortable silence fell over the campsite, with neither trainer willing to break it. Then a gust of cool wind passed over her, making Louise involuntarily shiver. A moment later, however, a gentle flame was held up to her, and Louise smiled as she turned to her own starter Pokémon.
"Thank you, Charbon," Louise said to her starter, a Charmander with golden scales instead of orange.
Charbon was considered to be a Shiny Pokémon, a particularly rare specimen of her species that led to her being highly desirable by collectors. Many had attempted to obtain her over the months ever since she hatched from an egg, but Professor Oak wouldn't allow it. His constant refusals didn't prevent offers from coming in, and unfortunately so many were focused on getting Charbon for themselves that no other starters were chosen. This led to Charbon being ostracized by the rest of her pack, and it wasn't until she and Louise met that a true connection was made. Louise couldn't lie and say that she didn't see herself in Charbon, and supposed that was the reason why they bonded so quickly. She would've preferred naming her something more elegant and powerful, not simply the word for charcoal in her native tongue. That was something Kirche von Zerbst would've done, but Charbon didn't like the fancier names Louise came up with.
Her concentration was then broken as she saw the bob dip below the water. A moment later, the line was violently pulled, and Louise shot up to her feet as she pulled the rod back.
"Oh, I got something!" Louise shouted, pulling and reeling in the Pokémon that was frantically splashing about. She felt Charbon pull against the back of her jeans, trying to help her, and Saito stopped stirring the pot of food to come over.
"Come on, reel it in!" Saito encouraged her, a smile on his face as he eagerly waited beside her.
Straining the muscles in her arms and back as much as she could, Louise fought against what had to be a powerful Pokémon given how much resistance it was giving. Every so often, it would violently jerk away and threaten to take the pole with it. But Louise refused to relent, continuing to pull the struggling Pokémon closer and closer. The words of encouragement from Saito faded into the background, and soon only herself and the Pokémon on the line existed in her world. Louise put everything she had into what she was doing, and inch by inch the Pokémon was reeled in to the edge of the river.
Finally, after several minutes of struggle, Louise pulled a large, orange-scaled fish out of the water and onto the grass. It flopped about uselessly, and as she breathed heavily in and out she looked upon the Pokémon in wonder. But the same couldn't be said for Saito, who let out an audible groan.
"Oh man, it's just a Magikarp. Thought it was going to be something cooler," Saito complained, throwing his head back.
"A Magikarp," Louise muttered in awe, but Saito shook his head fervent.
"No, don't act like it's impressive. It's a Magikarp, as in the weakest Pokémon in the world," Saito insisted as he kneeled next to the still flopping Pokémon. "Throw it back, it's not worth it."
Rather than accept the advice, Louise gasped in offense as she turned to face her friend. She said, "How can you say that? You saw how much struggle it took just to reel it in. That is a strong Pokémon!"
"…No, no it isn't, Louise. You just lack upper-body strength," Saito dryly replied with a half-lidded stare.
"Hmph!" Louise grunted as she puffed out her cheeks in irritation. Looking down at the still-flopping Magikarp, Louise then declared, "Well, I don't care what you think! This Magikarp is strong, I know it!"
"Yeah, when it evolves," Saito quickly protested. "But it takes, like, forever to get there because Magikarps can't do anything. It's not worth your time, Louise. Trust me."
Louise stared hard at her friend, then without saying a word stubbornly pulled out a Pokéball and pressed it against Magikarp's body. It was sucked into the capsule, which shook for a few moments before clicking. Saito stared at Louise for a moment, then released a resigned sigh.
"Of course you did," Saito groaned while Louise and Charbon celebrated the first addition to their team.
Two Months Ago
Mount Moon
"Come on, Leviathan! You can do it! Use Tackle!" Louise ordered her Magikarp, who eagerly complied with the order. Slapping his tail against the rocky ground as hard as he could, Leviathan launched himself through the air and slammed against the opposing trainer's Geodude. The attack did absolutely nothing, and both the Geodude and the Hiker using it could only stare blankly at the angry Magikarp glaring at them.
"…Geodude, use Tackle," the Hiker commanded. The Geodude acted immediately, slamming its rocky body against Leviathan and sending the fish flying back into a rock.
"Leviathan!" Louise shouted in worry, holding her fists up near her face.
The Hiker, noticing this, sighed and hung his head before saying, "This is starting to get sad. Please, kid. I know you have two other Pokémon on you right now. Just switch to one of them so that this is fair."
"Listen to him, Louise," Saito called out, leaning against the cave wall while crossing his arms across his chest. He knew, by this point, that Louise wouldn't listen, but he felt the need to say it regardless.
"No, not until Leviathan is done!" Louise insisted. The Hiker looked like he was about to protest, then out of the cloud of dust came Leviathan, flinging himself back through the air and into Geodude with another Tackle. Seeing this, Louise let out a cheer and cried out, "Yes! Keep it up, Leviathan!"
"I still can't believe you named a Magikarp 'Leviathan' without even knowing what it evolves into," Saito grumbled under his breath. He had tried, numerous times, to explain to Louise what Magikarps evolved into, but he only got so far as to say it was tremendously powerful before Louise stopped listening. By this point, he had given up on trying to explain to the stubborn girl, and instead was resigned to just watching the train wreck unfold.
Back and forth, the battle went as Leviathan and Geodude traded blows. Rather, Leviathan would attack, get absolutely nothing for the effort, then Geodude would retaliate with an attack that would actually do damage. It was a pitiful display on his part, yet just like his trainer, Leviathan refused to back down. If there was one thing Saito had noticed ever since Louise had caught Leviathan, it was that it had gone from a useless fish to an angry useless fish. Louise's constant training and encouragement of his own strength, even in the face of reality itself telling her otherwise, had infected the Magikarp. It was now a flopping ball of rage and defiance, not unlike Louise herself. Saito would've thought it was amusing, if it wasn't so pathetic to watch.
Eventually, reality reasserted itself, and after a final blow Leviathan had finally lost consciousness. Louise cried out in anguish, then declared how she was going to avenger her fallen Pokémon and released Lapine, her female Nidoran, onto the field. Unlike Leviathan, Lapine, made short work of Geodude with a few well-placed Double Kicks, granting Louise the victory she craved. After the Hiker awarded Louise her prize money, he departed the group to trek further into the mountain cave, leaving Saito and Louise behind to heal her injured Pokémon.
"You did great out there, Leviathan. You had that Geodude on the ropes, I know it!" Louise encouraged, and the dejected Magikarp looked up at her with an appreciative gaze. Saito wanted to say that Leviathan was far from putting anything on the ropes, but after Louise wrapped her arms around Leviathan's body in a tight hug, he couldn't find the heart to do so.
"You did great, too, Lapine," Louise added as she carefully petted Lapine's head, making sure to avoid the Nidoran's toxic spikes. Lapine smiled and leaned her head into Louise's palm, an adorable sight that Saito couldn't help but smile at.
Around them, his own team of Pokémon kept careful watch of the surrounding area, with Kappa and Charbon at the forefront. Every so often, an Ember or Water Gun would shoot out, driving off the swarms of Zubats that called Mount Moon home. Saito's Pidgey, Tsubasa, was standing on top of a large rock, using her keen eyesight to keep track of any Zubats who got too close. There were so many of them that Repels didn't do much to drive them off. At the very least, they were getting plenty of training in by doing so. Saito then noticed a Clefairy walking through the area, with his own male Nidoran, Doku, hastily running over to it. Rather than challenge the wild Pokémon to a battle, however, Doku immediately began shamelessly flirting with the Clefairy. She looked at him blankly for a moment, then turned around and began walking the other way without saying a word. Doku sadly watched as the Clefairy left, yet another rejection to add to his portfolio. From the corner of his eye, Saito couldn't help but notice Lapine give Doku a slight, irritated glare, but soon Doku had picked back up his spirits and went back to keeping the area secure.
Happy that they weren't in any danger from wild Pokémon, Saito and Louise continued their rest for a few more minutes, then together got up and continued their trek through Mount Moon.
One Hour Ago
Viridian City
"Ah-hah! You can't be serious! You honestly think that little baby Pokémon is going to beat me?" Lieutenant Surge mocked as Louise released Leviathan out onto the field, intending to face him off against Surge's Raichu in their one-on-one battle.
"Leviathan is going to beat you! I just know it!" Louise insisted, and Saito could barely watch the massacre that was about to unfold.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Originally, Louise was going to use Lapine against Surge. While she didn't everything about Pokémon, she wasn't completely ignorant and knew that sending out a Water-type against an Electric-type Gym was a recipe for disaster. Then Surge, while out on a morning jog, that happened to chance upon them, noticed Louise training Magikarp, then laughed when she started insisting he was strong. That had ticked Louise and Leviathan off to no end, meaning them beating Surge with just Leviathan alone had turned into a matter of pride.
Surge scoffed and shook his head, then adopted a much more serious expression as he said, "Alright then. I'm about to teach you, kid, the first lesson in warfare: don't let your pride get ahold of you. Raichu, put this baby down with Thunderbolt!"
Eagerly leaping into the fray, Surge's Raichu let out a cry as a thick, yellow bolt of electricity arced through the air towards Leviathan. At the last second, Leviathan managed to bounce himself out of the way, then carried the momentum forward with several more bounces before landing a tackle onto the Raichu. Thanks to months of constant training, the blow managed to actually make Raichu stumble back. Not much, but Louise smiled at the victory regardless.
"Quick, follow up with Flail!" Louise ordered.
Leviathan eagerly complied, jumping on top of Raichu and thrashing about. Raichu was hit a few more times, and while damage was clearly being done, it wasn't enough and he was able to throw Leviathan off of him. He then attempted to retaliate with another Thunderbolt, but once again Leviathan was able to bounce out of the way then deliver another tackle.
"Alright, I've had enough of this," Surge grumbled, then threw out his arm and called out, "Shockwave!"
Raichu smiled wickedly, then formed a glowing blue ball of electricity right in front of his chest. From that orb shout out a thin beam of light-blue electricity that moved too fast for Leviathan to dodge.
"Leviathan!" Louise shouted, and Saito winced as the super-effective blow made the Magikarp cry out in pain and agony.
"That's enough," Surge calmly ordered, and at once the stream of electricity ceased. A slightly smoking Leviathan fell onto the ground, breathing heavily and on the verge of losing consciousness. All he could do at the moment was breath, his chest rising and falling as the Magikarp laid there in pain.
"No, come on! Get up!" Louise begged. Leviathan tried to push himself off the ground, but he barely got a few inches before falling back down again.
On the other side of the field, Surge closed his eyes and shook his head, saying, "It's over, kid. Your Pokémon is in no shape to keep fighting. He never was to begin with. Just give up, lick your wounds, then come back here with another Pokémon who can actually fight."
"Leviathan can fight! He-!" Louise tried to protest, but an angry Lieutenant Surge cut her off.
"No, he can't! Not as a Magikarp!" Surge shouted, sending Louise back slightly and making Saito wince at his tone. Surge continued, "I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm saying it because it's the truth. It doesn't matter how much you believe or encourage your Pokémon if it physically cannot do it. You are not doing your Pokémon any favors by telling him he can be something that he can't. In battle, a smart commander only assigns tasks that a soldier can actually do and has been trained for. The same applies for Pokémon trainers. You have to be realistic."
Louise was silent at first as she stared at the Electric Gym Leader. Her gaze then shifted to the still struggling Leviathan, and the world around her seemed to fade away into darkness. She clenched her fist and grit her teeth as rage bubbled up from inside her. Not just at what Surge was saying, but from what everyone had been telling Louise her entire life. How she could never do anything right, how she was just a Zero and should only do what she could 'realistically' do.
"You're wrong!" Louise shouted back, causing Surge to raise an eyebrow and Leviathan to look at his trainer in surprise. "People have been telling me that Leviathan is useless. That he can't do anything just because he's a Magikarp. But you are making the exact same mistake they did! It doesn't matter that he's a Magikarp, I know the truth! Leviathan has a power deep inside him, just waiting to be unleashed, and when it does he's going to prove everyone wrong! That he's a powerful Pokémon, worthy of respect!"
Louise narrowed her eyes and stared defiantly into Surge's, then declared, "And I'm going to help him get there, every step of the way. That includes beating you."
Surge stared silently at Louise, crossing his bare, muscular arms across his chest. He had a slight look of respect at Louise's conviction on his face, but when he looked at Leviathan he still shook his head and sighed. Leviathan himself, however, was looking at his trainer with surprise and awe. Tears were threatening to spill out of his eyes at the steadfast belief his trainer had in him. Belief that no one else shared. Her words sparked something inside him, with a newfound strength, Leviathan forced himself to start moving again. Using his tail, he slapped the ground to bounce himself up into the air, turning so that he would face Raichu. His opponent was surprised that Leviathan was still moving, as was Surge, but Louise let out a cheer.
"See, I told you!" Louise shouted. "Leviathan and I refuse to give up! We're going to see this through to the end!"
Surge looked at Louise, then scoffed, shook his head, and said, "You got spunk, I'll give you that. It's not going to help, but if you want to keep going, I'll play along. Raichu, finish this with another Shockwave."
Raichu immediately began charging the attack, forming yet another ball of light-blue electricity in front of himself. Seeing this, Louise yelled, "Leviathan, hit him with Tackle before he can attack!"
Releasing a cry, Leviathan launched himself back into the air and slammed his scaly body into Raichu's face. The attack broke his concentration, causing the Shockwave to harmlessly dissipate. But, a moment later, Lieutenant Surge ordered his Pokémon to send Leviathan flying back with Slam. Using his long, whip-like tail, Raichu struck Leviathan and send him flying back. He bounced and skidded along the dirt-covered floor, the attack taking a lot out of him. Yet, despite his injuries, the prideful Magikarp refused to relent and forced himself back up to face Raichu.
The newfound strength Leviathan found within himself doubled as he heard Louise continue to cheer him on. If only to live up to her faith in him, Leviathan rushed forward yet again. Each time he got close to Raichu, however, he was sent back with yet another Slam. It quickly became obvious that Surge, in an attempt to prove his point, was dragging the fight out longer and thereby showing that Leviathan couldn't possibly succeed. That only served to enrage Leviathan further, and he continued his relentless assault on Raichu. Not just to win, but to prove Surge wrong.
As he flew through the air, aiming towards Raichu, he was struck yet again, this time in the face. He landed hard on the dirt, forming a small crater. Pain coursed through his body, and the world became a blur. Muffled voices could be heard, with Surge insisting to Louise that she return her Pokémon and forfeit while Louise herself was begging him to get back up. Leviathan listened to his beloved trainer, and forced himself off the ground yet again. When he did, a strange, ethereal sensation overwhelmed him as his body began to glow. His senses seemed to swirl and expand, his body growing larger and denser. Around him, the voices stopped as everyone watched in amazement, and when the sensation ceased, Leviathan suddenly found himself looking tall over everyone in the gym.
The newly evolved Gyarados stared down at a suddenly nervous Raichu, and Louise let out a cheer as she cried out, "Yes! I knew it!"
Leviathan looked back at his trainer and smiled before returning his attention to Raichu. His gaze narrowed, and a low growl escaped from his throat before he roared at the top of his lungs. Whatever dismissal Surge had was suddenly gone, replaced by a firm realization that he had an actual fight on his hands. Saito, meanwhile, could only blanche as he watched the battle pick back up, and his hands fell to his side.
"What have we done?" Saito muttered as Leviathan, once an overly aggressive Magikarp and now an extremely aggressive Gyarados, launched his head forward to try and clamp down on Raichu with his powerful jaws.
Raichu managed to dodge at the last second with a powerful jump, firing off a Thunderbolt as he flew back. Ignoring the pain, Leviathan rushed after Raichu, eager to finish the battle and achieve victory. Louise, without even issuing commands, simply kept cheering her Pokémon on, viewing it as the culmination of everything she believed in and had been striving towards. The arena quickly started sustaining severe damage as the powerful Gyarados unleashed attack after attack on Raichu, who desperately kept dodging and firing off electrical attacks whenever he could. When Leviathan's tail slapped from midair, sending him crashing into the dirt, the air was knocked out of his lungs while his body plowed a small trench in his wake. Raichu only stopped a few feet from the edge, but as he tried to push himself back up Leviathan was already on him.
"Use Quick Attack to retreat!" Surge immediately ordered, and Raichu complied as he zipped away in a blur. Leviathan's face slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt and rock, then he reared himself back and roared into the heavens.
"Ah-hah-hah! That's right, keep running!" Louise laughed maniacally, her energy fueling Leviathan as he rushed after Raichu. "You can do this, Leviathan! Prove him and everyone else wrong!"
Leviathan roared in response, thrashing his body around in an effort to defeat Raichu. So caught up in the moment, however, Louise didn't notice what Saito and Surge did. Gyarados were naturally one of the most aggressive and powerful Pokémon in the world, one that sparked legends in nearly every region. After experiencing nothing but hardship as a weak and worthless Magikarp, Saito supposed that it only made since that once one evolved it wanted to kill everything. But, just as that rage made it a powerful force of nature, it almost made Gyarados nearly uncontrollable at times. It was all too easy for them to be consumed by their wrath, and many an inexperienced trainer found themselves overwhelmed. Combine that with Leviathan already being an aggressive Magikarp, it was a recipe for disaster.
Something that was unfolding before their very eyes. Leviathan's attacks were becoming more chaotic, less controlled and more easily telegraphed. He was falling into the very same trap that so many Gyarados fell into, and Louise didn't even see it. Surge did, and the experienced soldier was already shouting commands to his Raichu in order to take advantage of the situation. Saito tried to call out to Louise, but Leviathan's roars drowned out his voice.
Rushing around the arena, dodging whenever he could, Raichu bombarded Leviathan with electricity. He absorbed the blows in an effort to get to his opponent, but he was unable to get to him. After this happened a few more times, Louise started to finally get the sense that something was wrong, especially when Leviathan angrily roared and began wildly thrashing his body around in a violent fashion.
"Leviathan! Leviathan, calm down!" Louise begged, but Leviathan either didn't listen or couldn't hear her in the first place. He continued his relentless assault, ignoring Louise's pleas as he attacked Raichu with abandon.
Surge, meanwhile, nodded to himself in understanding, then said, "Raichu, give that Gyarados everything you got. Use Thunder!"
Leaping high into the air, Raichu cried out and unleashed the most powerful and vibrant bolt of electricity Louise had ever seen. It struck Leviathan in the mouth as he lunged towards his opponent, and he roared in pain as the electricity coursed through his body. He thrashed about in pain, trying to fight through it to get to Raichu, but Raichu refused to relent. After several moments, it proved to be too much for the Gyarados to take, and he fell back down onto the dirt as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Lieutenant Surge and Raichu is the winner!" Visquez, Surge's protégé, backup gym leader, and the referee for the match, called out, and Louise could only stand there silently and motionlessly as she stared at her fallen Pokémon.
Now
Louise watched as Leviathan continued to thrash about in the pool, spraying water in every direction. Beside her, Saito had his all three of his Pokémon out, just in case the enraged Gyarados moved to attack them. He was terrified, as were his Pokémon, but Louise knew he had no reason to fear. Neither did she, and she calmly stepped out into the water towards her Pokémon.
"Leviathan," Louise quietly said as her Gyarados continued to thrash in rage. Pursing her lips, Louise more forcibly repeated, "Leviathan, look at me."
At once, Leviathan stopped moving and turned to face her. But he didn't make eye contact. Instead, he stared into the water, pointedly avoiding her gaze. Louise's heart fell at the sight, and it was all the confirmation she needed. Leviathan wasn't angry at her, or anyone else. No, his anger was something Louise was all too familiar with. Especially before she arrived at Kanto.
Leviathan was angry at himself. Knowing that, Louise softly placed her hand on his face, and Leviathan let her turn his head to face her. She stared into his red eyes, then smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's going to be okay."
He said nothing, but closed his eyes as Louise gently placed her forehead against him. Trainer and Pokémon stayed there, a sea of tranquility in the eye of a raging storm. Only then did Saito let down his guard, and although he didn't know what would happen next, he knew deep down that everything would turn out alright.
One week later
"Back again so soon?" Lieutenant Surge said as Louise confidently stepped back into the Viridian City gym.
"I can't win the Pokémon League without beating you," Louise pointed out, marching straight to the trainer box and pulling out a single Pokéball while Saito went to the stands. Joining him were two other boys, one of whom Surge recognized from a battle he lost years ago. Ash had grown considerably since then, but yet was easily identifiable with his baseball cap and ever-present Pikachu. That loss had sent Surge on a journey of his own, one he only recently returned from. It was obvious to the former Unovan soldier that Louise had been training with Ash for the past week, making him stand on guard.
Surge let out a faint chuckle in anticipation of the battle to come, and said, "Well then, I hope you put the last week to good use."
"I assure you, we have," Louise said, narrowing her eyes as she enlarged her Pokéball. Surge did the same, then both trainers threw them out over the battlefield at the same time.
"Raichu, you're on deck!"
"Leviathan, I choose you!"
Both the Raichu and the Gyarados emerged onto the field, staring each other down and daring the other to make the first move. Seeing this, Surge raised an eyebrow and looked at Louise before asking, "Trying this again? You do remember what happened last time, right, or are you still letting your pride get the better of you?"
"Oh, I remember exactly what happened," Louise admitted, pointing her arm towards Surge defiantly. "But don't think that just because you won last time doesn't mean you'll beat us again! Leviathan and I have been training all week, and we're going to win!"
Not quite believing her, but respecting her conviction regardless, Surge let out a faint smirk and said, "Alright then, let's have it your way. Raichu, start things off with Thunder!"
Raichu released yet another cry and a surge of electricity arced through the air towards Leviathan. Unlike last time, he didn't move towards the attack, instead staying perfectly still.
Louise then ordered, "Ground yourself!"
Leviathan drove his massive, thick tail into the dirt, his tailfin completely disappearing, just as the Thunder hit. The electricity, much to Surge's shock, travelled down Leviathan's body harmlessly as it was directed into the dirt, his tail serving as a lightning rod. Both Louise and Leviathan smiled dangerously, and despite himself, Surge couldn't help but chuckle. Especially when he glanced at a proud Ash Ketchum, telling Surge exactly who taught the girl the familiar tactic.
"Oh-ho, looks like we got a proper battle on our hands," Surge eagerly said as a smile erupted over his face, a sentiment that Raichu shared.
Both parties stared at each other for a moment, neither moving or saying a word as they dared the other to make the first move. Then, at the same time, both shouted orders of their own.
"Raichu, Slam!"
"Leviathan, use Crunch!"
The Pokémon followed their trainers' orders immediately, rushing towards each other for a mighty clash that shook the gym to its very core.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! This is the start of a new occasional side project we intend to do with Outsiders. Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this to life.
Similar to my Elseworlds stories for Hunters of Justice, say hello to the Outsiders OVAs! These OVAs, much like Elseworlds, will explore different facets of the Pokemon universe and how Familiar of Zero interacts with them. For our first OVA, we wanted to explore the question that inspired its creation: What if Louise had gone to the Kanto region, and one of her Pokemon was a Magikarp. We're very proud of how this turned out, and you can expect to see more as time goes on. The updates will be intermittent, and aren't canon to the actual story, but given the existence of the Pokemon Multiverse, you guys can consider these OVAs to be glimpses into it.
Each OVA will be organized into distinct sections, such as Kanto Adventures for the Kanto-set OVAs. Outsiders OVA: Kanto Adventures 2 would be set in the same timeline, whereas Outsiders OVA: Johto Journeys 1 would be an entirely different timeline. Things like that can be expected.
I'm glad you guys all enjoyed the Halkegenia episode, and that Henrietta's arrival to Kalos was an unexpected but welcome surprise. We wanted make it both completely understandable yet at the same time be a complete blindside. Judging by the reactions, it seems that we accomplished our goal.
Now, some people have wondered why we went with Henrietta and not anyone else. Say Siesta or Kirche or Cattleya, among others. Truth be told, we actually considered many people when starting the planning for this episode months ago. Our intention was to have another FoZ character be brought into the main cast, as we felt that one of the weaknesses of this story was that there was more than enough Pokemon but not enough Familiar of Zero. Adding another FoZ character would help alleviate that. But we couldn't just pick anyone we wanted, or God forbid choose everyone. That would be far too many characters for us to handle, not to mention given the state of affairs at the time of Louise's disappearance the number of people who would actually, genuinely care about Louise herself enough to go over to Earth can be counted on two hands. That isn't even including all the Pokemon the characters would get, and yes that means Henrietta is going to be getting Pokemon. Not a full team like Saito and Louise, but she will be getting Pokemon of her own.
We managed to quickly narrow down the options to a handful of people. Namely, Professor Colbert, Cattleya, Kirche, Siesta, and Henrietta. Ultimately, we went with Henrietta, but all of them had their advantages and disadvantages to bringing them over. Colbert, with his scientific curiosity and more modern mindset, would be astounded by everything Kalos represents, and the relationship that would form between him and Professor Sycamore would be a sight to see. But, while he would be more than willing to jump across worlds for his student, there wouldn't be a whole lot of in-story reasons for him to stay with Louise on her journey in favor of studying Pokemon with Professor Sycamore. I wanted the character who came over to join Saito and Louise's party, so Colbert was quickly dropped. Cattleya was more seriously considered, especially after Mew cured her. She would easily go with her sister, and exploring her travelling about the world and experiencing what she never possibly could before would be amazing. The problem, however, was that taking away Cattleya from Tristain and her family so soon after Louise's disappearance would be cruel, and Mew would both recognize that and would bring her family over as well. While that could easily lend itself to a Valliere reconciliation arc, we run into the massive problem of character bloat. All four members of the Valliere family, giving them their own arcs and agency, alongside any Pokemon they caught, would be too much to handle. So, Cattleya was dropped. Then we get to Kirche. Kirche, while she could easily slide into the rival role in the story, and have an arc where she and Louise become genuine friends, ran into the issue of overlapping with both Louise and the rival she already has. She would easily try going for the Pokemon League, which made her risk feeling redundant in the overall story. So, Kirche was dropped. Finally, we come to Siesta. Siesta was admittedly the closest one to come over, second only to Henrietta. Her in-universe backstory of her family coming from the Kanto Region meant that an arc of reconnecting with her homeland was easily in the cards and interesting to explore, even if her party role was that of the travelling nurse. We even considered bringing Siesta over with Henrietta, but sadly the issue of character bloat forced us to choose Henrietta instead, as we felt that the arc she offered was both best done right at this very moment (the others can come after Louise returns to Halkegenia) and was the best arc overall.
I hope that answers any questions regarding our thought process there. The next update will be an actual chapter for the story, and I think you guys are going to enjoy the arc we have planned for Henrietta. There's a lot in store. Let us know what you all think, and I hope you enjoy!
