Ch6 - On the Road To Nacrene City
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I also don't own the DS. I only own my character
Reviews!
pratikchakraborty911
Thanks! Mienshao is likely to happen later on for a fighting type, Eelektross is likely to happen as well, Reuniclus is MY number one option, but I don't like any of the normal Unovan Psychics that much, so it could change. Kleavor is not a bad idea, if only Scizor wasn't 10x cooler and can Mega Evolve, then I would consider it. Crogonal isn't a bad Pokemon, but If I did do an Ice type it would likely be Beartic, but Ice types are kinda niche when I already have counters to what they are good for, so Ice might not even happen. Thank you for the continued reviews!
Barley Bread
Ferrothorn is pretty great, so I don't blame you for liking it so much. As for setting stuff up, its been done quite a lot in the Anime, mainly through Paul and his Drapion setting up Toxic Spikes. How spinning them away would work, I don't quite know, because I dont think I've ever seen that happen in the Anime. However, I'm sure I can find out one way or another. Thanks for the review!
TorrhenWintry
Another vote for Ferrothorn, and yeah it is definitely one of, if not the best, at least in Gen 5 to my knowledge. Thanks for the review!
StormWolf150
It definitely would be, since like said before, the main squad doesn't have designated tanks or support
Grass is good, but honestly I feel like Water is more than enough to handle ground
True, another one of Ferrothorn's many upsides
Definitely true as well. Ferrothorn is barely seen in fics as far as I know, though me personally I haven't seen Bisharp either
Thanks for the review!
Firem78910
I'm glad they work out, and it is likely that Hisuian Samurott will happen. I don't want to say for sure, cause things can change, but it is likely. Thanks for the constant reviews!
zubzilla
Ferrothorn now seems to be a popular pick since its in the running now, so it's definitely made me think more about it. Thats definitely one part of the appeal with Hisui Pokemon for sure. The thing about typing, and doing something like making the moves more powerful, is that it does make sense, but the Anime never touches on it as far as I know. Of course, if i'm wrong, then please let me know, but I am trying to stick as close to the Anime as I can. I will think about it though, but maybe that could just turn into STAB, so who knows. Thanks for all the reviews!
razorbackmike
Fair enough, and yeah I do want to keep the Team comp Unovan, but to me that means for the early game it will be only Unova Pokemon, but after like the 3rd or 4th gym Shawn will start catching Pokemon that can be found in Unova, I.E Pokemon in BW2, not just in BW. If it can be found in BW2 its fair game from my perspective. Thanks for the reviews!
markofigio
Well, Im definitely glad everything was up to par for the chapter, and yes, at least a couple of Shawns plans WILL fail, now how early and late this will happen I don't know, but things will go wrong for him at least a couple of times. Glad the chapter was good despite the length, since I am usually never sure about the quality. Thanks for the continued reviews!
Runeion
Definitely, Team Rocket was lowkey badass in Unova, even though the final showdown with them and Team Plasma was never aired. As for the plans, well, honestly you can barely call them that, but he does have plans, which is all that matters sometimes ig. Thanks for the reviews!
Neotac
Thanks! Glad the chapter was up to standards. Thanks for the reviews!
13stars
Huh? The vote is for steel type Pokemon, though I may have mentioned fighting type Pokemon in other places like the reviews or whatnot. Orange Islands is underrated, but as far as I know it was pretty good compared to other early Pokemon Animes, so good on you. That's fair too, if you don't grow up playing Pokemon constantly then it gets hard to know all of them, even if you don't play for only one or two gens. As for the fighting types, for now we are only doing fighting types from either Pokemon Black & White, and Black 2 & White 2, both the 5th Generation. Timburr/Conkeldurr are pretty decent Pokemon, Meloetta is a cool Pokemon but it is a Mythical, and all the rest of the choices are cool but not even available in Gen 5 since they are from Gen 6 & onwards. Despite that, it could be possible to catch more Pokemon after the main plot is finished, if this story is popular enough to warrant it. Thanks for the review!
Keldeox
Thanks! Glad everything worked out fine then. As for game characters, it likely wont happen. The most I might do is what I did with Shawn, giving someone the last name White or Black. Hilda and Hilbert are neat, but not necessary and since they weren't in the Anime, it probably wont happen. Thanks for the continued reviews!
Uber Ghidorah
Correct, and Mienshao is the first choice. Grapploct would for sure be OP though, especially after Journeys showed Bea and her Grapploct wipe Ash in the first battle. It would be fun to write, but it would be too much trouble to not only get it to Shawn, but also to make it not OP instantly. Thanks for the reviews!
Signalbeam
Glad you love the fic, I try to aim for that. Eviolite Bisharp would go crazy, which is one of the main reasons I think it would be more interesting than Lucario to an extent. As for Petilil and Lilligant, it could happen if everyone wants it to, kinda like people not wanting Lucario and more so wanting Bisharp, but I personally don't like Hisuian Lilligant that much, though the headstrong concept could happen with one of Shawns other Pokemon. Deino will come soon, but not very soon. Two Pokemon before the second gym is enough for now, and gaining too many too quickly will make each catch feel less special IMO. Thanks for the review!
Gamermisogi
Thanks! Hopefully I dont fall out of interest with the fic, because I do enjoy the writing process, even if it is difficult sometimes. Thanks for the review!
Fanboy101
I will try to get you more then. Writing does take time though, so patience is key. Thanks for the reviews!
Deem
It can happen, but not only is this fic Pokemon centered, but Shawn is barely human right now. Hes still amazed at how different the world is, and is taking it all in. However, there are some reasons why I would make a romance with a certain character, specifically dialogue in the games and Anime that make her seem more able to be romanced. Shawn is a dude after all, and no dude sees a pretty woman and wants to just be friends. It will take a while for that to happen though, so yall can take guesses at who I'm talking about. Thanks for the review!
Raidentensho
Well, glad the chapter wasnt bad at the very least. Sawk and Throh are pretty cool Pokemon, but not what I'm looking for with this. Single stage Pokemon are okay, but I would rather have Pokemon that can evolve at least once. Fossil Pokemon are not in the plans, but Tirtouga could be a cool addition later on. Thanks for the reviews!
Jeremy336
I'm happy the interactions were good between the two, even if there were only a couple. Bianca has a simple character, but an impactful one, so she will continue to be a recurring character even after she and Shawn split. Thanks for the review!
Zandaino-Nova-Ari
I did not know that, another reason to like Ferrothorn I guess. Gravity training would be pretty crazy, so that just adds to Ferrothorns résumé. Thanks for the reviews!
Thats it for reviews! I hope my responses helped as always, but before we begin the chapter, one last thing. I have revised Ch1 - Unova. I've already drastically changed how I write, and the clunky paragraphs in that chapter are unappealing and not fun to read. If you would like, check out the revised chapter and lmk how it goes. Now, let the chapter begin…
The next day, after a good night's sleep, Shawn and Bianca headed out from Striaton City. Shawn wanted to get a move on to avoid early Ash, and to have more time to train.
Bianca wanted to leave to get to the much bigger city in Nacrene, as well as her 2nd Gym badge.
Shawn checked his DS in private, and it said the trek to Nacrene would take about a week unless he rushed, which would likely end up happening with Bianca at his side.
After walking until about 3, the two stopped in a small clearing, with a field of tall grass on one side and trees on the other. Shawn prepared lunch while Bianca pestered their Pokemon.
"Oh you're such a cutie! And your claws are so clean and shiny even though you dig so much, it's so amazing!
Her current target was his new Drilbur, who seemed to get a bit red and looked away while she blabbered.
As Shawn watched, he thought about the differences between his Pokemon.
'So Oshawott is proud and confident, while Drilbur can barely take a compliment without getting shy. At least the shyness doesn't translate into battling, that would've been a big issue. That reminds me, what happened with Ash's Oshawott? Does he exist, or was he replaced by mine? I guess I'll figure it out in time, but it bothers me to think about it.'
As he thought, he decided that his stew had finished brewing, and it was officially dinner time.
"All right everybody! Dinner is ready!"
After he said those words, Bianca and their combined 3 Pokemon came over to the pot, where everyone got their share.
Bianca and Shawn sat beneath a tree beside their Pokemon, and as they started to eat, Shawn noticed movement over by the tall grass.
He whispered to Oshawott and Drilbur, who were both on his left.
"Do y'all see the movement in that tall grass?"
The two looked up, and at his words, noticed it shook for a moment, before it suddenly stopped.
After it stopped, two small, thin, green looking objects slowly started reaching out, to what Shawn figured was his cooking station, since they were in a clearing.
Shawn quietly told Bianca, "Don't make any sudden noises or movements. Whatever Pokemon it is, we don't want to scare it."
Shawn slowly got up, and walked about halfway to the food he had ready, before speaking in a moderate voice.
"Whatever Pokemon you are, I will give you some food, no need to steal it."
In Shawns mind, however, he knew very well what Pokemon this was, and he was beating himself up for not noticing where he was earlier.
'Damn! It's not some huge deal, but I should've realized this is right by the spot where Ash and his group found Snivy while she stole their food! I really need to watch more of the Anime to avoid being unaware, there's just too much for me to remember from watching it only once.'
While he thought, the Snivy in the bushes seemed to be still, before the vines quickly retracted.
Shawn walked to his stew, before quickly preparing another bowl, and slowly putting it down in front of the bushes.
The vines reached back out, and snatched the bowl into the grass.
Shawn smilled, glad his food was to steal for.
"If you need seconds just let me know, there's plenty."
As soon as he said that, the bowl reappeared, empty, and being held up by the vines.
Shawn laughed at the gesture, amazed that Snivy had already finished the bowl of food. He spoke as he refilled the bowl.
"You can have as much as you need! Just let me know when you need more!"
Bianca, who had been confused the whole time, finally realized what had happened.
"Oh my gosh! What Pokemon is that?! Why does it like your food so much? Where did it come from?"
As she questioned him, Drilbur and Tepig just continued eating, seeing the situation had been taken care of. Oshawott however, stayed alert and continued watching the bushes, ready to strike if needed.
Lunch finished without incident though, and after Shawn packed everything up, he looked toward the bushes where he presumed Snivy still was.
"Alright, we're heading off for now. You're welcome to come along if you want food, but we won't be staying in one particular place, so expect a lot of traveling if you do join us."
While he spoke, he was still deep in thought.
'Well, we got through lunch without issue, so I guess Snivy isn't hostile to me. I think she is strong, but never evolved, even in the Decalore Islands. Maybe she doesn't want to evolve, or maybe it was Ash's fault. After all, Oshawott never evolved either, and Tepig only evolved into Pignite. His Unova team was severely lacking in power due to the lack of evolutions, and strong Pokemon in general. Tepig was using Ember until the end of the first season, Snivy never learned any new moves if I remember right, and Oshawott only learned one new move, Hydro Pump, until right before the League. It honestly makes me consider trying to catch Snivy, but I already have plans, and she probably wouldn't let me, since she only went with Ash because she saw firsthand that he cared for his Pokemon.'
Regardless of his thoughts though, they had to get a move on, so on the road they went.
The next time they stopped, it was about 7, and it was dinner time. Shawns book of recipes was not a very large one; however, his book of flavors was. He could have his berry stew be sweet, spicy, tangy, basically whatever kind of flavor you could think of.
His only limitation was he couldn't use meat, since it would be ruined by lack of proper storage if he brought any with him.
The stew didn't seem to be getting old to anyone though, so he wasn't too worried about it. He would, however, have to get some recipes from Cilan next time he saw him, just to ensure that he would have a deep enough bag of recipes to prevent anything getting too repetitive.
While he let the stew brew, it was training time. Bianca usually just napped or got on her Xtransceiver and talked with people, who he presumed were her friends. Sadly, she would not join in for training time.
When he found a decent, nearby clearing, he released Oshawott and Drilbur.
"Osha!"
"Bur!"
Shawn smiled as he responded.
"Dinner will be ready in a while, so in the meantime we train. Oshawott, Razor Shell is strong enough for now, we just need more experience to truly make it a fighting style. Today, work on your speed through laps, and practice how quickly you can draw your blade."
Oshawott nodded, before going to the other end of the clearing, still in sight.
Shawn turned to Drilbur, who seemed impressed at how quickly Oshawott had gotten to work.
"As for you, the first thing you need to work on is your power. Scratch, Fury Swipes, Dig, and Mud Slap. Not a bad set of moves, but you will be a Steel type when you evolve, so you need at least one Steel type move. The best move for you to know is Metal Claw, so what I want you to do is to use Scratch and Fury Swipes on the surrounding trees, and eventually the rocks, to increase the power of those moves, and prepare you to learn Metal Claw."
Drilbur seemed amazed by his knowledge, just looking at him in awe, before he turned and got to work. Of course, as always, Shawn got to work as well. This time though, not just physically, but mentally as well.
'Metal Claw is not a bad move at all, however, I will need to figure out if there's a better move to use. I know Iron Head is an option, but because the moves are actual moves, and not just picking between what has the most base power and/or best effects, it's difficult to choose. Iron Head has more natural power, but it takes away control from Drilbur, because he won't be using his limbs, so he can't be as flexible, and if he gets his head stuck while using the move, it's game over. The only substitute for Metal Claw I can think of is Meteor Mash, but I'm almost 100% sure that Excadrill could NEVER learn that, even in later generations. Maybe I could make it work since I'm in the Anime though, but for now I need him to at least get Metal Claw down before I should worry about upgrading anything else. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.'
Another thing Shawn was worried about was the Arc DS, specifically the ? option. He hadn't thought much about the Arc DS at all, just taking it for what it was, a gift literally from the god of this world. However, the ? sitting at the bottom left of the screen had started to bring his curiosity to a high, and he was hoping that it would soon reveal itself to him. He had also been taking the DS for granted, not watching much of the Anime, even though he should be.
It should be said that Shawn was NOT worried about any trainer that could cross his path, which was both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, there wasn't anyone who he would run into anytime soon that could contest against him if he kept training. On the other hand, if he kept that mindset, it would eventually come back to bite him, in the form of a certain evil team and their plans that he had partially forgotten.
Shawn knew this, but had refused to change so far. He knew Team Rocket was way more serious than they had ever been in this anime compared to any other, and that their biggest plans involved Legendaries, like the Landorus and Tornadus, and even their smallest ones involved large scale Pokemon theft.
If there was one thing he WOULD remember, it was to not trust Meowth, not for the life of him. That cat was a little too good at acting for him, and therefore he would make sure the Ghost Train plot would not even happen if he ended up involved.
After about an hour of hard training, dinner was ready.
Shawn waited to see if Snivy would come back, but she was nowhere to be seen this time. They were settled in a small clearing in the forest, surrounded by trees, so it wouldn't be hard for her to hide. However, since dinner was ready and she hadn't revealed herself, Shawn assumed she had just decided to not come along.
After dinner, as he was about to clean up, he heard a rustling noise come from behind him.
He looked behind, then up at a tree, and through the darkness, with the aid of their campfire, he could see Snivy sitting on one of the branches, with an unreadable look on her face.
Shawn smiled as he prepared a bowl for her.
"You could've told me you were there y'know, I would have got you some as soon as you came."
The Pokemon just responded by looking away from him, then reaching out her vines.
Shawn couldn't contain his laughter as he handed the bowl over
"Well, I'm glad my food is good enough to come all this way!"
Once again, Snivy just turned away from him as she ate.
To him, it was more of an act of lack of trust, rather than embarrassment, which is probably what most would think it is. Snivy, as far as he knows, is an experienced Pokemon, and isn't as green as one would normally think after watching the anime.
While Snivy did only rely on Attract, it's much more than any other wild Pokemon Ash caught, which shows her intelligence. It's also Ash's fault that she lost so many matches, like against Clay's Excadrill.
Yes, it was a stronger Pokemon, and even with the type disadvantage Excadrill proved itself stronger than Snivy, but Ash only ever relied on Attract, the same attack Snivy did as a wild Pokemon. If Attract didn't work, he kinda just threw moves around until it worked or Snivy got knocked out, which is NOT what any Pokemon deserves. Ash had his smart moments, but most of his battles were filled with dumb ones, and his Pokemon were the victims of those moments.
Snivy deserved better, but Shawn didn't want to break cannon more than he would in the future. Perhaps when he met Ash, he would try to make some sense to him, prove to him how stupid he was being, even this early on Ash was doing stupid things, like the Striaton Gym battle.
As he refilled Snivy's bowl, he couldn't decide her fate. If he were to try and catch her it would fuck up cannon, or would it? His Oshawott seemingly replaced Ash's, but as far as he knew that Oshawott could still exist, just a backup for Professor Juniper. If he knew how much Arceus had planned for his arrival then maybe he would try his luck and see what happens, but he didn't want to change what Pokemon Ash caught.
'However, if I do let Ash catch Snivy, she will remember me, and if I convince her to be with me, I could trade Ash a "better" Pokemon, or just one that's more rare. Not sure how Ash would take that, but I don't want Snivy to suffer after it already left another trainer for not being good enough, training wise or personality wise. Ash is a good person, but not a good trainer, while at the very least I'm a decent person who can train very well. I think I'll wait and see if Snivy makes a decision first, and if she decides to stay alone I'll respect it and let Ash catch her.'
The Snivy in question was staring at him as he packed up everything, probably debating whether or not to truly trust the young trainer. Even though she had finished eating, she stayed up in the tree looking down at him, watching everything he did.
Once Shawn had everything packed up, he looked up at Snivy.
"Goodnight Snivy, it's getting too late to justify staying up. Long day ahead of me tomorrow, and you too if you think my cooking is actually worth it."
The Pokemon just hmped at him, and leaned back in the tree.
"Snivy!"
The next day, Shawn and Bianca immediately got on the road, no breakfast. The reason why is Luxuria Town, a town on the road to Nacrene City, and it's only notable in the Anime because it's where Ash suffered his second loss to Trip in their second battle, which was somehow a 5 on 5, only ten episodes in.
For the two travelers, it was a nice break from the woods and constantly worrying about every little thing, from food to supplies to if you were lost, to just getting to sleep in a bed again. Shawn refused the last one though. He had decided, with Bianca protesting, that they would only stop in town to eat and restock, then set off again after they had run errands.
After they ate lunch, Shawn had to restock on berries. Things like Oran berries were not very expensive, and even Sitrus berries were barely more expensive than apples. It honestly shocked him how inexpensive high quality ingredients were, a far-cry from his previous world.
The most appalling part isn't the price though, it's the lack of understanding around what the berries do. To most people, they just energize your Pokemon a bit more than normal.
Like, what?!
Sitrus berries should 100% be more valued than that, since they restore a percentage of health, rather than a set amount, like oran berries. Even Leppa berries were only looked at as a weaker version of Oran berries, health restoring, rather than their true stamina restoring properties.
It honestly made Shawn a little upset that it was such a big belief that berries were only small boosters, when they were actually crazily good for enhancing one's Pokemon. He wasn't going to complain too much though, since it gave him an easy edge over most normal trainers.
After his restocking trip, he and Bianca, who had finished way before him, since Luxuria wasn't even as big as Striaton, headed back out on the road.
The Arc DS said that it would be about 2-3 days to Nacrene from Luxuria depending on the speed of travel, and with Bianca, he would definitely go with 2.
Along the road the two talked, and Bianca surprisingly didn't bring up anything about her home life, about her father specifically. While Shawn didn't necessarily expect her to bring it up, he was sure it would happen eventually with how much she loved to talk. She mainly only talked about Pokemon though, which ones were cute, which ones were scary, and honestly Shawn was fine with that. He was more than happy to indulge Bianca with his Pokemon knowledge, especially of Pokemon outside the Unova region, which was not common knowledge with how isolated the region is from everywhere else.
At every stop Oshawott and Drilbur continued to train, but Snivy stopped following them, which Shawn took as her giving up on Shawn and going back to her original spot she camped out at.
The two trainers would forget about the mysterious Pokemon though, as they were met with the bright lights of Nacrene City, and soon, the Gym Leader Lenora, Normal type specialist.
Shawn was excited though. He would finally get to test himself against one of the gym leaders Ash had struggled against - it was time to fully compare himself to canon Ash, and hopefully, see just how far ahead he was.
End!
Hope the chapter was up to par, it took a little longer to write the worldbuilding parts, and Snivy was a random thought that turned into a whole debacle. Let me know your thoughts on what Shawn should do about it, and a decision will be made.
VOTE
Lucario - 3
Bisharp - 8
Ferrothorn - 5
Ferrothorn is now in the running, and yall have jumped on it immediately. Ferrothorn is not a Pokemon I have any feelings about, as I have never used it in any playthrough, but I am absolutely fine with putting it in this fic if thats what y'all want.
Thoughts on Snivy? Was the chapter too thought based? Was the worldbuilding good? How will Nacrene City go? Please, review and let me know what you think of the story and this chapter. Have a good one!