Disclaimer: I own nothing of the properties within this story. All rights go to the creators and companies of said properties.
Beta by Slothful and Old man of the mountain
Chapter 1: A Teacher's Beginning
The gentle breeze. The sounds of tree branches moving in the wind, along with the sounds of wildlife nearby. And the feeling of the sun's rays hitting my face.
These things make no sense, considering I should be in my apartment!
I rose, seeing that I was no longer in my apartment but in an open field. Where the hell am I?
I can't be near home, because I see a lake and live nowhere near one. I doubt someone would kidnap me just for them to leave me here.
I reach into my pocket for my phone, feeling something brush against my wrist. I grab the object attached to my belt, finding it to be a red and white sphere that I, and probably most people, know very well.
A Pokeball.
It's in a shrunken state, being not much bigger than a grape or strawberry. I press the button in the center of the sphere, and defying all laws of science, expand to the size of a baseball.
My heart pounds as I toss the ball into the air, causing it to open and shoot a blot of white energy. The blot hits the ground and starts to take shape. The figure inside the white energy breaks its shell, revealing itself as a massive purple dragon who releases a roar as it swings its fin arms.
Holy hell. It's a Garchomp.
As the Mach Pokemon notices my presence, it approaches me. Oddly enough, I don't feel any fear or nervousness, even when the massive Pokemon lowers its head to look straight at me. I raise my hand, petting his cheek and touching the rough, reptile skin against my hand. The Garchomp let out a deep purr when I scratched his chin.
While I was petting the dragon, a screen appeared at my side.
[Trainer: Adam Gustav]
[Pokemon]
[Bag]
[PC Box]
[Shop]
That's all it says. I tap the Pokemon button with my free hand, seeing the classic game icons I'm used to.
Six Pokemon. The screen has the same layout as any Pokemon game has for showing your on-hand party. There's an icon for Garchomp in there. And one for Clodsire, Hisuian Arcanine, Volcarona, Palafin, and Meowscarada.
Those Pokemon are the ones I used for my Scarlet playthrough. I checked the PC Box next to see that not only the Pokemon in my Scarlet game file was there but the Pokemon from every Pokemon game I own.
My legendaries are missing, but that's of little consequence. I never really use them in the first place.
The bag is the same. Housing all the items, money, and treasures I gathered throughout my countless journeys in the land of Pokemon.
I open the shop last, seeing it selling goods for people and Pokemon. I purchased a chicken (though it was more likely a Torchic), and the object appeared in front of me, hot as if it just come out of the oven. I took a leg and gave the rest to Garchomp, who enjoyed the sudden treat.
As I munch on the leg of meat, I scan the surrounding area, seeing some small woods, more plains, a cliff with a pathway leading to a lower area, a lake with an island in the middle of it, and finally, a town with several chimneys producing smoke.
Motostoke City. It looks like I landed myself in Galar. Or rather, the Wild Area.
I'm not the biggest fan of the Wild Area, but it's certainly better than some places I could've woken up at. I could have woken up in a desert on Orre, a random island in Hoenn, or on the top of Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh. Any of those can be considered a death trap.
Now that I know where I am, the remaining question is, what do I do now?
I already have several hundred Pokemon, so I have no reason to go out to catch more, and if I do, it would be legendaries. Most of my battle-ready Pokemon are too powerful for any league. If I faced Leon right now, I would win. And effortlessly at that. Sure, battles could be much more like the anime, but even then, it wouldn't matter much. I know Leon's teams well enough to make counters. I have access to Mega Evolution and Z-moves, two things Leon doesn't have. Heck. I might even be able to Teralize my Pokemon at this point. The Blueberry Academy could, and it's in Unova! Of course, they need to use soil and water from Paldea and Kitakami, but I doubt I would have that issue. I also have Pokemon that are tournament-banned, like Palafin. So, I believe that I'm justified in why I feel confident.
However, I have no interest in challenging Leon for his seat as Champion of Galar. The people of Galar treat the champion and gym leaders more like athletes and celebrities than strong trainers. And I prefer not to be hounded down as the guy who defeated the undefeated champion. I'm in a whole new world! I want to explore it! Not be hunted by the press!
Plus, all the duties tied to the position make it even more unappealing. Yearly tournaments, talks about sponsorships, and having no private life just kill any possible interest in becoming a champion. Someone else can have that fancy collar. I will be chilling on the beaches in Alola.
I returned Garchomp to his ball and called out Arcanine, who seemed to be in a pouting mood. He must have seen me giving Garchomp the chicken. "I will give you and the others a treat in a minute. Think you can take me there real quick?" I ask the rock dog, pointing towards Motostoke City. Arcanine sees where I'm aiming, nods, and lowers himself so I can climb on him.
The fur is quite interesting to feel. It's hard, like stone in some places but soft in others.
And boy, he is fast. There were moments I was positive I was about to throw off his back if I didn't tighten my hold. Once we got close to Motostoke, I returned Arcanine to his ball. His appearance will draw in too many questions.
But man, the difference between this Motostoke City and the one from the games is like night and day. But that's to be expected. This place is a living, breathing world, not a game that had its development rushed to keep the anime, card games, toys, and plushes going.
And I'm not going to complain about the difference. It means traveling the world has genuine value. I don't even know which region to travel to first!
For right now, I have to settle with exploring the town. Besides, I promise Arcanine him and the others treats later. My first stop was the Pokemon Center. Because what better place to ask where is where than there?
As I entered the building, I was surprised to see how busy it was. People are crowding the market section of the center as if today was Black Friday. I made a small prayer for the poor souls working there as I proceeded to the healing center, which was surprisingly empty. As I approach the healing center, I see the familiar pink head of Nurse Joy.
"Is a sale going on or something?" I ask the Pokemon nurse.
"No. Everyone is just getting ready for this year's Gym Challenge." Nurse Joy asks cheerfully, but her eyes tell me how tired she is. "Everyone wants to buy as many potions, camping gear, and other stuff as possible before the Gym Challenge starts."
"I can see why it's so busy." It looks like I'm right around when the game starts. However, the possibility of this year's Gym Challenge being a year before Hop and the Player's journey began or this is the first Gym Challenge with the Player as the champion exists. "What a time to visit Galar."
"You're not taking part in the Gym Challenge?" Nurse Joy asks in surprise.
"Nah. I'm simply traveling to different regions to see the sights and enjoy the culture. And I heard Galar is known for their curry." I joked, drawing a giggle from the nurse.
"Whenever people outside the region, it's because they wanted to enter the Gym Challenge to fight Leon or to experience Dynamax. I never heard anyone coming to Galar for curry." Nurse Joy giggles some more, her smile more genuine than the practice one I saw a few minutes ago.
"There's more to a region than the Pokemon league and its champ." I smile back. "But man, talk about bad luck. I was hoping to ask you about some places to eat and a place to sleep while I'm in Motostoke."
"Oh? Is that how you ask a lady for a date where you're from?" Nurse Joy teases.
"No, I'm genuinely asking. Though I won't complain about a date." I fired back. "I would love to treat you to a cup of coffee as you tell me what places to visit in the city."
"While I would like some coffee right now, I don't see myself being able to get away from here today." The nurse lets out a disappointed sigh. "But I will tell you there is an inn close by. It's the Budew Drop Inn, it's a nice hotel with good service. However, it might be troublesome to get a room tonight. Because several Gym Challengers live outside Motostoke, the Budew Inn might not have many rooms. So, I recommend you head straight there to rent a room before they're gone." The nurse grabbed a pamphlet from the side, showing me it was a town map. After giving me the directions and the map, the nurse sent me to the inn. I offer her a quick 'thank you' and follow the directions.
I could have lived without the platform ride, though. I nearly fell over when the thing started to ascend. What's wrong with taking the stairs?!
After my shaking ride, I made a B-line towards the inn, seeing the great golden statue of a knight holding a sword and a shield. I still wonder how the legend of the game's box legends goes from two Pokemon with a sword and shield. To a pair of brothers with a sword and shield. To a single person. But considering how Sonia found a missing piece of Galar's history in a restaurant, with the owner buying it in an antique market, anything can go. Galar's history classes must be a fun time.
I walk up to the stairs and enter the lobby, seeing the well-dressed receptionist standing behind the front desk.
"Welcome to the Budew Drop Inn. How may I be of service?" the male receptionist asks.
"If possible, I would like to rent a room for one night, preferably one that's okay with me having my Pokemon out." I don't want my Pokemon to spend all night in their balls if I can help
"You certainly can, sir. do you mind if I ask what kind of Pokemon you have?" The receptionist inquires.
"Large Pokemon. All of them are in their final stage of evolution." I answer, earning a wince from the man. "Is that a problem?"
"No, sir. While we have rooms suitable for big Pokemon to wonder about, those rooms will require a higher fee to rent." the man explains.
I can understand the logic as to why it would cost more to let larger Pokemon roam free. The bigger the Pokemon is, the bigger the mess it leaves behind. I can only imagine how much hair a Pokemon like Liepard leaves behind.
"That's not an issue. I will be paying with cash." I said. The man was surprised but didn't say anything. He explained I needed to make a down payment before I could have the room key. I guess somebody did what I was doing but didn't bring enough money when they checked out.
However, that isn't an issue for me. Besides, what is the point of having money if I don't use it?
I pull out the requested amount, causing the receptionist's eyes to widen. The man took the bills, pulled out a marker, most likely a marker to detect counterfeit bills, from his desk drawer, and swiped the bills with the counterfeit marker. I don't know if the man was doing this because he was suspicious about the money's authenticity or if this was standard procedure when handling cash payments. After a complete minute of silence, the man finished checking the money and gave me a bright smile.
"Everything is in order, sir." The man gave me a professional smile. He turns around and grabs a key hanging from a key rack. "Here is your key to your room. Regrettably, you can't enter your room as the inn's cleaning staff are in the middle of cleaning." The man explains.
"That's fine. I can wait." I brush it off. "But if I'm going to wait, do you have any magazines about this city? Today is my first time in Motostoke, and I want to know what places I should visit."
"Of course, sir." The receptionist left his desk and led me to a sitting area right across from the desk. "We have plenty of magazines, pamphlets, and brochures about our fine city. I will inform you when you can move into your room. And once again, thank you for choosing Budew Drop Inn for your stay." The man finishes his sales pitch and returns to his station, leaving me alone.
I took out a pair of earbuds I had bought earlier and started listening to an audiobook as I began to comb through the magazines. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much to do in Motostoke. Most of the restaurants here claim they have the best curry in Galar. I know that curry is Galar's signature food, but there needs to be some variety. You can only eat curry for so long before you get sick of it. Outside of that, there's nothing special in terms of eateries.
Oh. This magazine talks about a smoked barbecue place not far from the inn. Barbecue does sound good. I can practically smell it now.
Wait. Why does it smell more like burning than smoking? Also, doesn't it feel a tad hot all of a sudden?
I lower my magazine to see a small fire roaring before me. I respond appropriately to the situation before me.
"SHIT!" I yell adequately, rolling out of my seat and looking around for a fire extinguisher. After finding one, I grabbed it and pulled out the pin, pointing the nozzle at the flames as I squeezed the clamp, causing the fire extinguishing foam to come out and put out the flames.
What the hell caused that fire?
Once the shock of being a couple of feet from a fire wears off, I notice several sounds of something colliding against something. I turn to the source to see a young teen boy and an older, overweight man with face paint.
Well, that tells me where I'm at in the game's lore.
But now I'm having a word with a pair of idiots who thought having a Pokemon battle in the middle of a hotel lobby was a good idea.
{Victor's P.O.V.}
What's with these Team Yell guys?! I shouldn't have to battle to check myself into a bloody hotel! If they want to support someone, there are better ways to do that!
"Scorbunny! Use double kick!" I yell out for my starter to use the new move he just learned, planting his foot into the side of this guy's Zigzagoon, which my Pokemon quickly followed by another kick. I was a bit shocked that the attack landed. That little guy was a speedy one. It completely dodged Scorbunny's ember attack earlier.
The black and white Pokemon landed with a thud, clearly being knocked out by my partner. The Team Yell guy returned his downed Pokemon to his ball. At least that's over.
"Oi! You guys will get revenge for me, won't you?" The tub of lard moves back as one of the two women of the group of four walks forward.
"Of course, mate. What better place to battle than a hotel lobby?" The woman, who is dressed similarly to the man, said. Oh, come on!
At least she isn't yelling into a trumpet horn like the last guy.
I look down at Scorbunny to see if he can continue battling. To which my partner Pokemon gives me a smirk and nods that he is ready for action.
The woman reaches for her Pokeball, ready to send her Pokemon out to fight.
"Hold it!" an older voice yells. The guy looks a few years older than me. He seems around Sonia and Leon's age.
Also, how isn't he sweating a storm in that suit?
"Hey! Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to barge into other people's business?!" The Team Yell woman screams in the man's face, but he doesn't flinch.
"I don't want to hear that from people who thought a hotel lobby is an appropriate place for a Pokemon Battle. I don't care why you two are fighting, but it ends now. If you continue, there will be consequences." the man threatens, but the Team Yell woman doesn't seem afraid, probably because of her mates cheering her on in the background.
"Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?" The woman asks, her tone saying she doesn't believe in his threat.
"Then I will have to file a formal complaint to Rose, the chairman of the Galar Pokemon League, about how the Gym Trainers of Spikemuth are harassing Gym Challengers." the cheers suddenly stopped as the man declared his threat. "Once Rose learns you're giving the trainer you're supporting an unfair advantage against her rivals, that trainer will lose her right to continue the Gym Challenge, and Piers, Spikemuth City's gym leader, will lose his position. And with proof of causing property damage, you or Piers will be fined in the hundreds of thousands to millions of PokeDollars."
"P-Property damage?! What are you even talking about?!" the woman asks in a panic. I guess this guy was right about them being Gym Trainers then.
The man points behind him, showing us a coffee table covered in white foam.
"During your little fight, that table caught on fire." Uh oh. My bad. "Luckily, I put it out before it grew too big. But consider what would happened if I didn't. People naturally watch Pokemon Battles, not only for entertainment but also not to get in the crosshairs. So, it would be possible for that fire to continue growing and causing more damage. And that would be the best case."
The members of Team Yell begin to look nervous, one of them wiping his brow and smudging his face paint from how hard he's sweating. The guy then walks past the Team Yell member he was threatening and pulls out a thick stack of bills.
"I'll be paying for the damages on your behalf if you lot leave. Now." The man's tone tells the grunts they are better off if they nod and accept the deal.
"That won't be necessary." A new voice said. A young girl wearing a pink dress with a black leather jacket walks towards us. "As you stated, the Gym Leader is responsible for his Trainers' acts." The girl said. I don't know her name, but I certainly have seen her before. After all, Team Yell printed her face onto their banners. "Please forward the bill to Spikemuth City Gym Leader." the girl said, grabbing a piece of paper and writing something down. It was most likely a Rotom Phone Number.
"You should also call your brother. I have no doubt Piers already knows his trainers are cheering you on, but I doubt he realizes the true extent they're willing to go." the man said, picking up his money. "It's shameful when a child has more sense than an adult." the man insults the Team Yell members without looking at me.
If Team Yell's face weren't already red, I'm positive they would have been from the shame and embarrassment they're feeling.
"I will call my brother about how they behaved, but it doesn't mean they were the only ones at fault." the girl said, facing me. Ah, crap. "He also took part in the Pokemon Battle. Therefore, shouldn't he also be held accountable? After all, he owns the Pokemon that caused the damage."
"You're correct. That young man's Pokemon had caused the fire, but the fire wouldn't have happened in the first place if your brother's trainers didn't prevent people from checking in." The man argues. Yeah! It's their fault. "I'll admit that he could have gone about it better, such as threatening them to call the police, but I'm positive that he will never have a Pokemon Battle inside unless battles are allowed." The man turns to me, his ice-cold eyes staring me down. "Am I right?"
I tried to swallow some spit, but my mouth turned bone-dry from his stare. I nodded so fast and hard that I was surprised my head didn't pop off my neck.
After that, the Team Yell member left quietly, and we were able to check into our rooms. As Hop and I were walking, we decided to talk about what happened in the lobby.
"Were those Gym Trainers? Their outfits don't look like the standard uniform for Gym Trainers." I look at my buddy and rival, Hop, who just shrugs.
"Maybe. Not many trainers make it to compete in the Champion Cup. I think the most I have ever seen is four trainers making it. Most trainers get stuck at Circhester, the gym before Spikemuth, so it would explain why nobody recognizes them." Hop explains. "I'm more interested in that other guy."
I could make a joke, but I decided against it.
"Was it because he dropped a mountain of cash as if it was nothing?" I ask. I thought only a thing you see on TV.
"No. It's because that guy feels like Lee." At first, I thought Hop was joking, but his tone says otherwise. "I don't know how to explain it, but that guy has an aura as strong as Lee's. Maybe even stronger."
If this came from anybody else, I would think they're being overdramatic. But this is Hop, who dreamed of beating his brother, the undefeated champ, ever since he was a kid. Hearing him saying someone is just as strong, if not stronger than his idol, can't be brushed off.
"You're worried that he's one of our rivals." I state. I can understand why. Everyone we met in this inn was Gym Challengers, so the possibility of that guy being another one isn't zero. "Are you planning to quit if he is?"
Hop gives me a short laugh. "No. It just means I need to train harder!" He said with a giant smile. "How can I not get fired up at facing such a strong trainer? If I'm afraid of something like that, I wouldn't be able to call myself a trainer!"
Now that sounds more like Hop.
"That's right! It doesn't matter who we have to fight! We'll beat them!" I said, giving my friend a high-five.
But I still wonder one thing.
Who was that guy?
{Marnie's P.O.V.}
I sigh as I hang up the Rotom Phone, feeling a headache starting to form.
Just as the man in the lobby said, my brother knew about his trainers coming out to cheer me on for the Gym Challenge, but he had no idea about them harassing my rivals.
Thankfully, the bill for the damages done to the inn wasn't that expensive, but for a Gym like the one in Spikemuth, even a small bill like that can be very costly for my brother. My brother told me he would call back all his trainers before they pull something like this again. However, my brother sounded rather angry. When I asked why, he told me he discovered plans to close the gate of the city, making it so people other than me couldn't challenge my brother, meaning they would be unable to complete the Gym Challenge.
I lay down in my bed as I tried to relieve my headache. We should consider this a blessing in disguise. Had we not stopped Team Yell's plans, things could have snowballed out of control. My brother could have lost his position as Gym Leader. I would get kicked out of the Gym Challenge. I doubt I would be allowed to take my brother's place as Spikemuth City's Gym Leader like my brother wanted.
Then there would be the lawsuits.
I could hardly imagine how many fines a stunt like that would cause. Rose would pull away any funding he's providing the city. Her brother would have probably been in debt for the rest of his life.
And Spikemuth would collapse.
Spikemuth already has it rough. And if Rose learns that its Gym trainers are providing their Gym Leader's younger sister an unfair advantage, going as far as to close the town off to anyone else, Rose will take their Gym privilege away.
Spikemuth's Gym is the only gym that can't Dynamax Pokemon. So that means it wouldn't be an issue to move the gym somewhere else. Unless you live in Spikemuth, that is. And if that's the case, you're royalty fucked.
The more that I think, the more painful my headache becomes. My brother's trainers can go a little too far with their support for me, but I didn't realize how extreme they're willing to go. As I think about what could have happened, my gratitude for that man in the lobby increased.
It doesn't erase my feelings of annoyance at him. If we ever have a battle, I'm going to beat him.
I roll out of bed, deciding to get something to eat before bed. As I put on my shoes, I heard a knock coming from my door. Oh right. Gym Challengers have to share a room.
I open the door to see a young girl my age wearing a pink button-up dress with a gray hoodie over it and a Tam O'Shanter hat on her head.
"H-Hello! My name is Gloria!"
{Rose's P.O.V.}
The Wild Area is one of Galar's many prized possessions. No other region holds so many species of Pokemon in one place like here. This hill with a tree on top is another part of the Wild Area.
However, I didn't come to gaze at its beauty.
Galar is facing a crisis. This region faces a crisis that nobody but a selected few knows about.
Galar will run out of energy in a thousand years.
I know that it's ridiculous to worry about a problem that would occur long after I and all of my loved ones are dead, but it's more complicated than that.
Ten years ago, the time we expected Galar to run out of energy was ten thousand years in the future. In a decade, we cut our time limit to a tenth of what it was.
The time frame we have is nothing more than hopeful thinking. A deadly illusion that can and will damned us all.
So that's why I've been pouring countless time and funds to solve this problem. I turned to natural energy. I tried using electric Pokemon to power generators. I called other regions for help. I attempted to see if we could gather energy from space!
But no matter what I tried, everything failed. Because the energy gathered was insignificant, our technology can't do such feats yet, or people simply don't see a reason to bother.
Galar was dying, and I'm the only one who seems to care.
So, I began looking into drastic measures.
The Darkest Day. That day almost caused Galar's destruction, but in a comedic twist, it also gave Galar the energy to Dynamax Pokemon and become the cornerstone of our daily living.
I can't believe that I'm seriously considering it. To make the Darkest Day happen for a second time. But sadly, it seemed to be the only option.
But today, something strange happened.
Our energy detectors went berserk. Several of them broke because of the massive energy spike they detected. After some hours of recovering data, we found the source of the energy spike.
This simple, unassuming hill in the Wild Area.
I bent down, touching the barren dirt, and brushed my finger against the grass. The grass turns into dust the moment my finger touches it.
It was here. I don't know if it was man, Pokemon, or something unknowable, but it was here.
I've no idea where the energy source has gone, but I will find it. No. I must capture it.
The very fate of Galar's future ride in the balance! There is no room for failure! Whatever the source behind this energy is my last hope! Galar's last hope!
Because if this fails, I will have no choice.
I'm willing to become a monster if it means protecting Galar, its people, and its future.
{Adam's P.O.V}
"It's finally done!" I cheer, stretching my arms. I finished making a list of places I plan to visit while I'm in Galar, them being Turffield to see the Turffield geoglyph, Hulbury for the food, Hammerlocke to see the castle walls, the ancient mural in Stow-on-Side, Ballonlea and Glimwood Tangle, and ending the trip with the Champion Cup in Wyndon.
There is nothing too exciting on the list. The biggest things would be Hulbury's food, Glimwood, and the ancient mural, as Bede will destroy it soon.
I looked at my Pokemon, who were all asleep after eating their fill. I guess it's time for me to bed myself.
I slip into the comfortable bed, cuddling up against the sleeping Clodsire.
"This is bliss." I mutter out as a powerful wave of sleep washes over me.
Author's note
I'm not going to apologize. Here is my first non-gamer fic. The power is more like the menu from your usual Pokemon games plus the Supermarket power from Campfire Cooking in Another World (I highly recommend that anime).
Also, being the champion must suck.
I'm also part of the SGO server, so if you want to join and chat, here is a link
/wd3tUYWVCd
I also started my server for anyone who wants to ask me about my fics or just to hang out.
/DYqC3uNfbt