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 3: First students
I can't believe how immature I just acted. I could have handled that situation far better. I could have lied and told Victor I was looking for a Pokemon with a type advantage against his Scorbunny. I would've been able to change my Pokemon out for a far weaker one, and Victor wouldn't have felt insulted. Victor probably wasn't even a prideful person! I essentially told Victor that his Pokemon are too weak to fight mine!
I mean, it's true, but the facts remain.
I was the adult in that scenario. I should have acted like one.
I hope this event turns into Victor wanting a revenge match rather than something serious, such as dropping out of the Gym Challenge. Because if Victor drops out of the Gym Challenge, my knowledge of the game's canon goes out the window.
Speaking of Gym Challengers, Marnie and Gloria follow right behind me. The two following behind me itself isn't strange. We're both heading to Turrfield. Turrfield has the first gym they need to challenge, as Galar has a set order in how you can tackle the gyms. But what is strange is I can feel their eyes glued to my back. It feels uncomfortable.
I quickly turned around, the girls turning their heads to the side as if something caught their interest. Gloria was even whistling while doing it.
My eyes linger on Gloria for a second. It was a strange experience to see both Victor and Gloria at the same place. Maybe if Victor does decide to drop out, my game knowledge isn't completely worthless.
I resume my hike, noticing a clearing with a decent-sized pond. It would be the perfect spot for a break. Plus, I want to let Palafin out of his ball to stretch his fins. The only time Palafin was out of his Pokeball was back at the inn, and even then, the only place the dolphin Pokemon could move about was the inn's bathtub.
I turned off the dirt path and made my way toward the clearing. Once close to the pond, I grabbed Palafin's ball from my belt, tossing the Pokeball into the air, causing it to open and releasing Palafin into the clear water. The dolphin Pokemon lets out a happy cry as he swims around the pond, finally able to move as much as it wants.
"What of Pokemon is that?!" Gloria asks, not surprised that she follows me here as well. I turn my head to see the young girl coo at the sight of Palafin, her eyes sparkling at the cute Pokemon. I probably would have reacted the same if I saw an unknown Pokemon.
Hmm. Could future regions also be in this world? Could I explore the region of Generation Ten and beyond here? It's a fascinating thought, but I still plan to explore older regions before exploring a new one. Because if I decide to focus on the new Pokemon regions, I will never get around to traveling to the older ones.
I continued to watch Gloria gush about how cute Palafin was, and it seemed that Palafin enjoyed the attention as he began doing tricks, jumping in the air, and doing backflips and frontflips. He even did a high leap into a triple backflip, causing Gloria and me to applaud at the performance.
{Gloria's P.O.V.}
When Adam (I think that was his name) sent out a Pokemon, I was expecting to see another scary Pokemon like Volacorna, but to think he also had such a cute Pokemon with him took me by surprise.
The little Pokemon pops his head out of the water, letting a cute squeak that melts my heart. It even swam to me and let me pet its head.
Wherever Adam got him, I'm going there to get one for my own. There is no way I wouldn't want such a cute Pokemon.
"It's Palafin, the evolution of Finizen, a Pokemon from the Paldea region," Adam said. It hurts a little knowing I'm probably not going to be able to capture a Finizen or Palafin during my journey due to them being foreign Pokemon, but that just means I'm traveling to Paldea after the Gym Challenge.
"Are you from Paldea? You have mentioned the region twice." Marnie said, catching up with us. "Also, do you mind telling me about Paldea? I never heard about that region before."
"You never heard about Paldea?" Adam asks, his eyebrow raised.
Marnie shrugs at the question. "I never traveled outside of Galar, so there was no reason for me to learn about other regions. Besides, I'm positive people from other regions probably don't know about Galar's existence."
"Fair enough. Paldea is very similar to Galar in many ways. There's Pokemon, gyms, and trainers. Three things stand out from it. One is the Pokemon School. I can't remember if the name is Uva or Naranja Academy, but the crazy thing is people of all ages can enroll as students." Adam explains.
"Really? How old?" I ask. I'm a little curious about it. You don't hear about another region every day.
"Some of the students are old enough to be your grandparents," Adam said. Adam pulls out his Rotom Phone and shows me a picture. "Here is the school's uniform." The picture has a little boy and a girl. The little girl is wearing a white shirt with a purple tie and shorts, while the boy wears a copy of the outfit, but his tie and shorts are orange. Also, both of them have wide-brimmed hats on their head.
A small giggle escapes when I picture Grandma and Grandpa wearing such outfits. And I can only imagine the embarrassment of sharing a class with their parents or grandparents.
"The second thing is the Great Crater of Paldea. It's a massive crater in the region's center, and people aren't allowed to enter it due to the aggressive Pokemon. However, I believe the region's professor is doing their research there." Adam continues. "And third is Terastallization, which i-" Adam cuts himself off, pulling from his pocket what seems to be a Pokeball, but it is black, with a hexagon button in the center. The Pokeball also has a strange glow. "It would be easier to show you than explain it."
Adam raised the black ball, a swirl of sparkling light being pulled into the ball like a vortex before Adam threw it into the air, opening when it was above Palafin. Several columns of crystals shoot out of the water's surface, quickly enveloping the cute water Pokemon. Before I could ask Adam if Palafin was safe, the massive mass of crystals shattered, revealing that Palafin was okay. However, I noticed some changes to the Pokemon's appearance.
The first is that Palafin's body is sparkling like a jewel. The second was something on top of Palafin's head. It looks like a fountain that's gushing out water.
Is this Terastallization? It's quite pretty to look at.
"Terastallizing a Pokemon has two possible benefits. I'm positive both of you know how a Pokemon that uses a move as its type is more powerful than it usually would be, right?" Both Marnie and I nod at the question. It was one of the first things I learned when learning how to become a trainer. "If you Terastallize a Pokemon into a type it already has, then moves of that type become even more powerful. Think of it in the form of a math question. Using a move normally is one apple, using the same move but with a Pokemon sharing that move's type is one and a half apples, then Terastallizing into the Pokemon's type makes that move worth two apples."
"You said there are two benefits. What is the other?" Marnie asks, her voice showing signs of intrigue. "Also, you need that black Pokeball to Terastallize your Pokemon, right?"
"Yeah." Adam holds out the black Pokeball. "This is called a Tera Orb. Think of it like your Dynamax Bands, except you don't need to be at a Power Spot to use it. It can hold one charge, and once used, you need to go to a Pokemon Center to recharge it, though there are other methods." Adam explains. "I already explained the benefits of Terastallizing into the Pokemon's original type. Now tell me, what would happen if you Terastallize a Pokemon into a different type?"
Both Marnie and I gain a confused expression. Terastallizing a Pokemon into a different type? All I think of is it boosts the power of foreign move types as if it were that ty-
My eyes widen at the implication of that statement. And Marnie seems to have the same idea, as her eyes are as wide as mine.
"It would become that type, wouldn't it?" Marnie said, voicing my thoughts.
It would be a powerful strategy. If you know your opponent was about to hit your Pokemon with a move type it's weak to, then you could Terastallize it into a type that resists or is immune to it. You can use Terastallizing for offensive or defensive purposes. Talk about flexibility.
As I ponder the effects of Terastallizing, my stomach lets out a loud growl, causing my face to heat up from embarrassment. I skipped breakfast because I wanted to shop for some last-minute supplies, which didn't matter as the shops had been empty since yesterday.
Adam and Marnie let out a small giggle, adding more to my embarrassment. "I was about to cook up some lunch. You and your friend are more than welcome to join." Adam offers.
"Can I?!" I can feel myself drooling a little. I know I'm probably coming off as a little rude, but I'm starving. Besides, my dad told me I should never pass on a free meal.
"Of course. However, you're going to help with the cleaning." Adam said. If washing a few dishes means a free meal, it's a good deal. "Do you want anything in particular, or are you fine with anything?"
"Would curry be okay? And can it be spicy?" I ask.
"While I'm okay with curry, can you make it sweet instead?" Marnie voicing her request.
"O-On second thought, I'm carving sweet curry! So, I'm good with sweet curry!" Sweet curry is fine, though I prefer spicy over sweet.
"That's good because I can't handle spicy food," Marnie said. You would figure, with how she's dressed, Marnie would be the type to hate sweet stuff.
"You know I can simply make both, right? Besides, curry is one of those foods that tastes better the next day." Adam said.
I was about to tell Adam he didn't need to do that when Marnie grabbed me by my arm. "That would be nice. Gloria and I will make sure no wild Pokemon are nearby. If wild Pokemon were to snuff your cooking, things could become problematic." Marnie said as she started dragging me with her.
What's going on?
{Adam's P.O.V.}
I said nothing as I watched Marnie drag Gloria to a nearby cluster of trees, with Gloria being visibly confused by how Marnie was behaving. I don't need to be a detective to know Marnie doesn't fully trust me.
Not that I can blame her.
This world isn't the family-friendly game I'm used to. It's a proper world with both good and bad things. And if this world is anything like my old world, I can only imagine some of the stories starting female trainers heard about.
In Marnie's eyes, I'm a mysterious male trainer she knows nothing about. After my fight with Victor, she knows I have several powerful Pokemon. Marnie is worried about Gloria's safety because if I decide I want another form of payment for Gloria's meal, there is not much to stop me.
While I understand Marnie's worries, it doesn't mean that I like how she is comparing me to those scumbags. But rather than complain about it, I will simply prove I'm not like those people through my actions.
Besides, I'm glad they decided to leave me alone as I cook. I summon a large picnic table, a couple of burners, some pots for the curry and rice, and all the ingredients. I took my phone out of my pocket and looked up videos on how to make curry. It's strange how I can watch YouTube videos in another dimension, but I chalked that up to the fact I bought this phone through the [Shop]. As I watched the video, I decided to add something to the spice mixture to kick the curry up a couple of levels. I took out a rare herb from my bag. Putting something like this into a curry may seem stupid, but hey, what's the point of having them if I'm not going to use them?
I have plenty of extras, anyway.
{Gloria's P.O.V.}
"Marnie! You can let go!" I yank my arm out of Marnie's grip. I swear I thought she was going to rip my arm off with how hard she was pulling. "What's your deal?"
"That's what I should be asking you?!" Marnie aims a heated glare at me. "You just met this guy today and accepted his invitation?! You only know his name and two of his six Pokemon!"
"I don't see why it's such a big deal. It's just lunch. It isn't like I agreed to go on a date with Adam!" I yell back.
"You should still exercise some level of caution! Haven't you heard stories about how starting female trainers were taken advantage of?!" Marnie questions.
I have. My parents told me several of those stories when I told them I wanted to go on a Pokemon journey, and several scared me. "But that doesn't mean I shouldn't trust Adam."
I know it's a little naive, foolish even, but I want to be able to trust other people. I lived in Wedgehurst all my life, and everyone I knew was trustworthy. My family never locked their doors once, and not once somebody robbed us. I remember when a stranger opened our front door to return one of my dad's Pokemon that got out.
"I understand that you're looking out for my safety. But if I say Adam isn't someone I should trust because he is a guy or because I don't know that well, couldn't the same be said for you? You're from Spikemuth, and I heard stories about how your fans had a Pokemon Battle in the inn's lobby yesterday and how they tried harassing trainers. If I followed your logic, then I shouldn't trust you." Marnie looks ashamed by how I point out her hypocrite. "But instead of trusting the stories, I trust you. And because of that, I know you're a better person than some of the stories that paint you. You could have already left for Turrfield after the Gym Challenge ceremony, but you stuck behind to help me with my last-minute. When the shelves were empty from yesterday, you gave me some of your supplies. And even though you think taking up Adam's invitation for lunch was a bad idea, you joined because you wanted to keep me safe."
I know Marine is trying to protect me because she has good intentions, but I don't want to be unable to trust other people.
"Fair point. A lot of people think that the people who live in Spikemuth are no-good scum. However, it would be wrong to say that everyone who lives in Spikemuth is a good person." Marnie admits.
"Exactly. There are good people like you who live in Spikemuth. I'm not asking you to become Adam's friend or trust him without question. I just think we should give him the benefit of the doubt." I said.
Marnie still shows some doubt but relents with a sigh. "I suppose you have a point. Plus, if Adam did want to do something to us, we wouldn't be able to fight back against his Pokemon. I doubt teaming up together would be enough to beat his Volcarona. If Adam had some nefarious plan, there isn't much we can do against it."
While I don't like what Marnie says about Adam behind his back, she is right. Adam's Pokemon are far more powerful than ours, and that's a worrying fact if Adam does decide to harm us. But at the same time, the fact Adam has such strong Pokemon that he doesn't need to use trickery to force himself onto us, but the fact Adam hasn't done anything helps prove that Adam is at least a decent person.
"Let's head back for now. Adam should finish cooking. Or at least getting close to being done." I said.
"True. Besides, there doesn't seem to be any wild Pokemon around." Marnie looks around the forest, a frown on her face. "However, it's strange. I haven't heard any sounds of wild Pokemon when we enter this small patch of trees."
Yeah. It is a little strange.
"Maybe with all the Gym Challengers, they were scared off?" I said, unsure. "Either that, or several trainers captured several Pokemon living here, and those that remained fled."
"That's probably the case. It's still strange how quiet this forest is." Marnie said, causing me to shiver. Yeah, it's pretty eerie.
Marnie and I left the forest, seeing Adam at a picnic table with several pots cooking food. I notice several plates on the table, more plates than there are people.
"I'm planning to cook some curry for my Pokemon. Do you want to feed some curry to your Pokemon as well?" Adam offered.
"Sure," I said, letting Sobble out of his Pokeball. While I think Sobble would like curry, he would rather eat the sweet curry. Marnie let her Pokemon: a Morpeko, a Scraggy, and a Croagunk. Adam let out four Pokemon, one being Volcarnoa and three other Pokemon I have never seen before. When Adam was about to release his last Pokemon, he paused, seemingly hesitating to release whatever was inside the ball. Adam shrugs and opens the ball, revealing a Pokemon I know about.
Or I think I do.
It looks like an Arcanine. However, where the fur is usually orange and white, it is red and dark gray. Could it be a regional variant? I heard the Ponytas here have a different appearance and type than the ones overseas. So maybe it's the same for Adam's Arcanine, where his Arcanine is a regional variant from Paldea. Why Paldea? Because Adam had mentioned that region several times.
Adam notices my staring, giving me a small smile. "If you want to pet him, you can just ask. You don't mind, do you, buddy?" Adam said. While he is wrong about why I was staring at his Pokemon, it would be a lie if I said I didn't want to pet the Arcanine.
I calmly approach the massive Pokemon, touching the fur around his neck. It feels as hard as a rock but is warm to the touch.
"Is he a Fire-Rock Type?" I ask.
"Yes. This species of Arcanine is a duel type rather than a mono-type. These species are rare. Extremely rare even." Adam explains.
"I hate to distribute you two, but shouldn't we eat before the food gets cold?" Marnie said, already plating the food for herself and her Pokemon. No fair!
After Marnie and I helped give Adam's Pokemon their plates of curry (it's weird how outside of battle Volcarona is pretty cute. Same with Garchomp as well. Though it would be a lie if I said I wasn't a little scared giving him his plate.), the three of us take our seat at the picnic table, with me sitting next to Marnie and Adam sitting across from us. I pick up my spoon and scoop up some curry and rice. I can smell the intense scent of spices from the curry. My mouth begins to water. I put the spoon into my mouth an-
HOT!
I grab the plastic cup filled with soda that Adam gave me, downing its contents to put out the fire in my mouth. It's far spicier than what I'm used to. I can even feel myself sweating. But it didn't stop me from taking a second bite. Or a third.
This curry is super spicy, but the spiciness keeps pulling me back in despite how much my mouth burns.
I hear a moan next to me, turning to see Marnie audibly moaning as she eats her curry, her face flushed.
"It's that good?" I ask. Marnie snaps out of her food-induced trance, causing the girl to blush from embarrassment.
"At least mine doesn't make me sweat like I just ran a marathon." Marnie fires back. "I don't understand how people like eating food that hurts their mouths."
"And I don't understand how people like sweet-tasting meat dishes." I counter. The two of us had a heated glare. Then I had an idea. "How about we try each other's curry choice? I try the sweet curry, and you try the spicy one, and we say which one we think is better?" I suggest. Marnie looks a little hesitant but nods.
We both quickly finished our plates of curry and got seconds, this time me getting sweet and Marnie getting spicy. I raise the spoon with the curry up to my nose and smell it. It almost has a fruity smell. While the scent is delightful, I still can't imagine sweet curry sauce would mix well with meat. I put the spoon into my mouth, flooding it with a fruity sweet taste. But somehow, I can still taste the bird meat. Neither of them is fighting each other for dominance, but rather, they are working together to heighten their flavor! The savory taste of the meat makes me want to taste more of the sweet curry roux, and the more roux I eat, the more I want to eat the meat!
And it may be because I ate the spicy curry earlier, but my mouth seems to cheer from the refreshing, sweet taste. I turn my head, seeing Marnie eating her curry. Marnie said she doesn't like spicy food, but with how she's devouring her curry, you would question if she was telling the truth. Marnie's face is incredibly flushed, and several beads of sweat roll down her face, but Marnie continues to eat the spicy curry.
Marnie and I soon finished our second plate of curry, feeling stuffed.
"So, which one did you like better?" Adam asks, a smirk on his face. My face heats up from the embarrassment of showing such poor manners in front of a guy, especially when that guy is quite good-looking.
Wait. where did that thought come from?
Marnie's face is also red, though I'm unsure if she was embarrassed like me or if she flushed from eating the spicy curry.
"I'm not sure which one is better. But I must admit both currys better than my mom's curry." I admit. I'm sorry, Mom.
Adam laughs lightly. "It helps when you can cheat."
Cheat? How can you cheat at cooking?
Adam holds out two leafed plants, probably herbs of some kind. One herb is reddish-orange, while the other is pink. Did he add those to the curry?
"What kind of plants are those?" Marnie asks, taking the herb from Adam's hand and snapping a photo with her Rotom Phone. Either she is going to look it up online to see if it was an herb and not some foreign drug or order some herself.
"They're called Herba Mystica. A unique type of herb that grows in a few select areas o-
"Of Paldea." Marnie and I said, looking at Adam blankly. We are going to assume whenever Adam talks about something we don't know, it's from Paldea.
"Yes. Those herbs are from Paldea. But the main thing about them is they provide different health benefits based on which flavor. The Spicy Herba Mystica boosts your metabolism and improves circulation to flush out toxins from your body. The sweet one is great for clearing stomach problems and lack of appetite." Adam explains.
"If they are so good for your health, why haven't I heard of them?" Marnie asks. I can understand what she is saying. Even if you know nothing about Paldea, if herbs like the ones Adam is describing exist, wouldn't they be in the news in stores? I can see people farming these herbs and selling them for quite a lot. Most health foods taste terrible, so there would be a massive market for these herbs as they make food taste great! Or at least the spicy and sweet taste good. I can't say how well the other flavors taste.
"Hey Adam, why did you come to Galar?" Marnie asks. "Originally, I thought you were entering the Gym Challenge, but you weren't at the Opening Ceremony, which means you're not one of the participants, so I'm wondering why you're here at Galar." I want to tell Marnie she was acting rude again, but I'm also curious.
"Nothing too special. I'm simply traveling the region and taking in the sights." Adam shrugs, taking a sip from his cup.
"You're a tourist? I figured you were some kind of professional trainer from another region who came here for a tournament." I said.
"Also, I don't think a suit is the best wardrobe for traveling," Marnie added.
"I didn't know dresses were good travel wear." Adam fires back, making Marnie's cheeks flush slightly. "But yeah, I'm a retired trainer," Adam admits. "The reason for this journey is to see the flowers."
"Flowers?" I ask, tilting my head.
"When I began as a trainer, I rushed from one city to another, challenging the gyms, but I never stopped to enjoy the scenery. I wondered how many incredible sights and cultures I never experienced because I was rushing towards my goal. So, I decided to stop being a trainer and become a simple traveler to see the sights my younger self foolishly ignored." Adam explains.
I lean back in my chair and ponder what Adam just said. What Adam said is true. When I left Wedgehurst at the start of my journey, I made a straight line toward Motostoke. How many things had I flat-out ignored? How many Pokemon did I overlook because I wanted to reach Motostoke faster? If I hadn't rushed, would I have captured my first Pokemon? How different would my journey have been if I slowed down a little?
A sudden idea popped into my head.
"Adam, how long have you been a trainer?" I ask.
Adam cups his chin. "I would say ten years. Maybe more."
My lips twist into a smirk. Adam has a decade's worth of experience and appears to be a good person. The fact he is planning on traveling the region makes what I'm about to ask easier, as it wouldn't interfere with his original plans.
"Say, Adam, would you teach Marnie and me about Pokemon?"
{Melony's P.O.V.}
"Good afternoon, Nurse Joy," I yell to the pink-haired nurse.
"Good afternoon to you as well, Melony." The nurse smiles. "How is Gordie? It's dreadful what happened to him."
My cheerful mood dampens slightly at the reminder of my son's condition. "He's doing fine. He's still upset about how he's unable to fulfill his duties as Gym Leader in his condition." I sigh. While my and Gordie's relationship has been tense since he decided to be a Rock-Type Gym Leader instead of an Ice-Type one like I wanted, he's still my son. And he is a son that I'm damn well proud of. Not many people would be able to do what he had done.
"Please tell him that I'm hoping he gets better soon, but I doubt you came for a pleasure visit." Nurse Joy said.
"And you would be right." I pull a Pokeball from my jacket pocket. "While doing my morning patrol, I caught myself a cute little Delibird, and I was hoping you could give it a check-up and its shots."
Whenever you catch a wild Pokemon and don't send it to the PC, the league highly recommends bringing it to a Pokemon Center to check for parasites or if it's carrying eggs.
I released the Delivery Pokemon onto the countertop. I never got a good look at the Pokemon when I caught it, but now that I am, I notice how oddly smooth its body is. Then again, it was playing in the snow, so the ice and snow could cause its feathers to stick to its body.
Also, the bag on its back isn't white like it usually is, but rather blue. The bag also appears to be filled with water.
When Nurse Joy pulls out a needle for Delibird's shots, the tiny Pokemon turns to see the large needle, causing his head to pop off. As in, its head pops up like one of those old cartoons Gordie used to watch when he was a kid.
We were silent for several seconds before Nurse Joy looked at me, her face in stunned disbelief.
"You saw that too, didn't you?" Nurse Joy asks. The Delibird lets out a cry that sounds strangely robotic.
What kind of Pokemon did I just catch?
{Bea's P.O.V.}
I quickly cured the poison that my Machamp was affected by that strange Pokemon. I glance at the fallen Pokemon, seeing its purple body, long limbs, and wickedly long claws.
I was out training with my Pokemon in preparation for future Gym Challengers, only to be attacked by this strange Pokemon. It looks like someone took a Sneasel, stretched its limbs, and dyed it purple.
I continue staring at the down Pokemon, expecting it to get back up. I reached into my pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball, tossing it at the defeated Pokemon. Once the ball makes contact with the purple Pokemon, red energy covers it and sucks the Pokemon into the ball. A loud click rings after the ball shakes three times, signaling a successful capture. I picked up the ball, which contained my new Pokemon.
In the corner of my eye, I saw several Sneasels, but just like my newly caught Pokemon, their bodies were purple. They seemed to notice my gaze as they turned tail and fled.
I look at the Ultra Ball in my hand as a single thought crosses my mind.
What kind of Pokemon is this?
Author's Note
Several people told me not to use OC Pokemon, some even giving me good reasons, so allow me to tell you all that I won't be using OC Paradox Pokemon. But I want to mention an artist named Xezeno, who has made several drawings of robotic Pokemon.
Also, Gym Leaders are getting new Pokemon!
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 to hang out.
/DYqC3uNfbt