Track 3 - Arabesque

"Where are we going?" Asa asked. The group had been walking for about thirty minutes, and they were no longer in Floccesy Town.

Alder lifted his arm and pointed in front of him. "The ranch! It's one of the best places to train! It's quiet, and you can focus. If we train in the city, then we're sure to draw attention."

One of the ranch hands noticed Alder and the group as they came in close. She was a girl, a year or so younger than Braedon and his friends. She wore jean overalls over a thick red shirt, and her blonde hair was pulled into two pigtails. She smiled and waved at them as they came in. A group of small Normal-type Pokémon surrounded her.

"Alder, it's nice to see you!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Sandy! You've gotten big! How's your family?"

"We're all good!"

"Good! These three are some new trainers from Aspertia City. They're going to join me for some special training today!" Alder explained.

Sandy played with her straw hat and examined the three trainers. "Oh yeah? Are we talkin' about the special training?"

"Yes!" Alder answered with a grin.

"Alright! We'll get to work!" Sandy responded. And with that, she turned and ran away with her Pokémon.

"What's happening?" Mariella asked.

Alder looked at the three and his wide smile got even wider. "My special training is an egg hunt!"

"Egg hunt?" Braedon wondered.

"We walked thirty minutes for this?" Asa muttered.

"My friend Sandy and her family are going to hide four Pokémon eggs around the ranch! There are three of you! If you happen to be the one to find two or more eggs, then you'll earn yourself a prize!" Alder explained.

The three friends eyed one another, and Asa let out an exasperated sigh.

"Let me guess, the prize is one of the eggs?" Asa asked.

Alder appeared befuddled. "That wouldn't be a bad prize, huh? But, no! The prize is a battle with yours truly!" Alder grabbed at one of the Poké Balls around his neck.

Mariella couldn't help but smile. "A battle with the ex-champion? That sounds really exciting!"

Asa crossed his arms. "You know, it makes walking thirty minutes worth it. Alright, I'll play your game."

"My first ever battle could be with a champion? I have to win this!" Braedon thought to himself.

Alder looked back to Sandy, who waved her arms over her head. Alder clicked his tongue and then eyed the three trainers. "Your challenge starts now!"

The three trainers didn't think. They all dashed in different directions. They knew that going the same way wouldn't be worth it, but they also had to keep an eye on each other. In a matter of seconds, they were far enough from one another, and their focus was now on searching for the eggs. They weren't quite sure what they were looking for, as they had only seen Pokémon eggs in slideshows that their teachers had shown them.

Braedon stopped running as soon as he was hit with a strong scent. He stopped and closed his eyes. It was a sweet and dusty smell. Braedon smiled and then looked around. He was in a small hayfield with a multitude of Pokémon. Mareep and Wooloo played with one another while Mudbray and Mudsdale ate some of hay.

"If I was hidin' eggs, this is where I'd do it," he said to himself. He began to peruse the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The Pokémon ignored him. They didn't see him as a threat, and they knew he wasn't a ranch hand, so they didn't bother him for food. He made sure to not get in their way though.

He stuck his feet to the ground and trudged through the hay, dragging it along with him. If it was on the ground, he didn't want to kick or step on it. But no matter how much hay he lifted off of the ground, he found nothing.

He then turned his attention to the bales of hay. There were many, some small and rectangular, and some that were large and cylindrical. Braedon looked in the spaces between the rectangular ones, finding nothing. He tried to move them, but they were a lot heavier than they appeared. He turned to the cylindrical ones, hoping that he'd find something snuggly tucked under them. But, no luck.

Then, he peered into the middle of the largest bale of hay. Sticking out of the center was an ovalur yellow object.

"Bullseye!" Braedon exclaimed excitedly.

Asa slowed as he continued through the ranch. He was uncomfortable with going through the fields. He would if he had to, but he wanted to avoid it at any cost. Instead, he walked around them, making sure to not step in any mud. He looked between the different vegetables, hoping to find an egg. He found nothing.

On the other side of the fields was a large brown barn. Asa didn't know a lot about ranch life, but he knew a barn whenever he saw one. He walked along the side of the fields. Had he seen Braedon or Mariella, he would have picked up the pace. He eyed his surroundings and fixed his blonde hair. Running had made it fray out in every direction.

When he reached the large barn, he noticed that the door was slightly cracked open. He heard no noise coming from inside, but he still decided to look into the bar slowly. The only light came from a few small windows and the doorway. He opened the door wide, finding a single Pokémon in the middle of the barn.

It was a small pink Pokémon that stood up on its hind legs. It had white wool around its neck and head, but the rest of its body appeared bare. It glared at Asa as he came through the doorway. To his surprise, the Pokémon stood guard in front of a blue egg.

"I figured something like this would happen. Flaaffy won't be too easy, but it shouldn't give us much trouble," Asa said as he drew out his Poké Ball. "Let's go. Tepig! Use Flame Charge!"

Tepig exploded from Asa's Poké Ball and then charged forward. He rammed his body into Flaaffy before quickly retreating slightly. The larger Pokémon keeled over but then stomped their feet. With an intimidating bleat, it released electric sparks from its wool.

"Dodge it!"

Using his speed, Tepig easily sidestepped out of the way of the shock. Flaaffy appeared surprised by the maneuver, and it repeated its shocking attack.

"Ember!"

Tepig jumped back and then snorted. He blasted small bits of flames from his snout, pelting Flaaffy repeatedly. The Electric-type put up its arms to try to defend itself, but that only left it open for Asa's next command.

"One more Flame Charge!"

Flames surrounded Tepig and seemingly propelled him forward. He rammed his body into Flaaffy one more time, who spun around before collapsing. The Pokémon didn't bother to get back up, and Tepig snorted in victory.

"Now we just need one more," Asa muttered as he picked up the blue egg. His eyes widened as he felt something moving on the inside.

Mariella came to a stop and tried to catch her breath. Her heart raced heavily, and she had worked up a sweat from running. She removed her black jacket and held it with one arm. She looked around and couldn't find Braedon or Asa anywhere. She sighed and then lifted her Poké Ball. Snivy was released from the ball and then looked up at Mariella. They both had the same color of brown eyes, something that Mariella liked.

"We're looking for a Pokémon egg! Do you think could help me out?"

"Sni-vy," the Pokémon answered.

The two were in the ranch's large pasture, and they were surrounded by dozens of Pokémon. Most of them ignored them and ate their food, but some looked intrigued by the newcomer's appearance.

"You look through the grass. If you see anything, let me know!"

"Snivy."

Snivy continued to sift through the grass while Mariella slowly walked around. She examined each Pokémon, doing her best to avoid all eye contact. She didn't want to start any sort of confrontation, but if she did find an egg, she knew what she'd have to do.

She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out her green Pokédex. To not disturb any of the Pokémon, she turned down the volume and started to scan everything. A lot of the Pokémon she had studied about, and most of the Pokémon on the ranch were common throughout Unova. The Lillipup and Mareep in particular were Pokémon that beginning trainers often caught.

But one Pokémon caught her eye. It was a Pokémon that many high-level trainers used. In the distance, a lone and very large Pokémon slept. It had long and bushy fur that Mariella couldn't help but want to touch. She scanned it with her Pokédex, confirming that it was a Stoutland. She inched in closer, hoping not to wake it, and then something else caught her eye.

Wrapped up in the long strands of Stoutland's fur was something round and red. Mariella's eyes widened, and she tried to scan it with her Pokédex. She received no information on any Pokémon, but her device did register it as what she was looking for.

"An egg," she whispered. She tried to take a step closer, but then Stoutland started to stir. Mariella froze with one foot in the air. She was prepared for a fight, but she wasn't prepared for a fight with something as strong as a Stoutland.

"Sni-vy," her Pokémon silently hissed from the side. He emerged from the grass and nodded toward Mariella as if to say "I got this." He focused and slowly released two thin vines from the collar on his neck. He extended them until they reached Stoutland. When he was only centimeters away from the egg, Stoutland shifted his body. He remained asleep.

Mariella and Snivy both were stunned. She felt as though her heart was going to rip out of her chest, but Snivy quickly collected himself and continued. He used one vine to make sure that the egg remained still while the other vine wrapped around the base. He lightly tugged, removing the egg from the bundle of Stoutland's fur. Slowly, he lifted the egg into the air and handed it over to Mariella. She smiled as she received the egg, and when she looked at Stoutland, who remained asleep, she felt a sudden surge of relief.

Snivy was quickfooted and returned to Mariella's side. The two turned and tip-toed away from Stoutland, doing their best to not disturb his nap.

When they were far enough, the large Pokémon opened one eye and observed them. He smiled, closed his eyes, and returned to his rest.

The three trainers all continued their searches. Roughly an hour passed, and the three had all been around the ranch once or twice. They did their best to avoid each other's gaze, but they did take note that all three of them each held an egg.

Braedon was beginning to feel the pressure, and after looking through every bale of hay more times than he could count, he felt as though he needed to take a different approach.

Braedon approached the nearby woods, and he took shelter in the shade of one of the trees. He placed his bag down and then sat next to it. He pulled out his water bottle and drank from it. He could have drank the whole thing in one go, but he felt as though someone was watching him. He turned to find Oshawott, mouth agape.

"You want some? You can't just make your own?" Braedon said. It immediately dawned on him how gross of a thought that was, and he offered the bottle to his Pokémon. Oshawott took it, and without any regard for his trainer, finished the rest of the water.

Braedon looked up at the sky. When they started their search, the sun was out, and it was bright. He barely ever could work up a sweat, but his pale skin did sunburn a lot easier than the average person. The cloudy sky gave him a sense of relief, but he felt safe in the shade of the trees. Oshawott looked up as well, not sure what Braedon was doing, but he wanted to copy his trainer.

Oshawott's eyes suddenly widened.

"Osha! Oshawott!" he cried out. He jutted out his tiny arms, pointing up at one of the branches.

Braedon's eyes squinted so he could focus, but then they quickly widened, just as Oshawott's did. "An egg! But, all the way up there?" The egg was light brown and lay in a small nest.

"Osha-oshawott!" his Pokémon exclaimed. He made a throwing motion in the direction of the egg.

Braedon laughed. "I bet I could toss you up there, but it might just be easier for me to climb. You wait down here, buddy!"

"Osha?" the Pokémon said, adding a slight tilt to his head.

Braedon was thin, but he had enough upper body strength to climb. He wrapped his arms around the tree and pulled himself high up enough to where he could grab onto one of the branches. He held on with one hand and then hoisted all of his body weight onto the branch. He found his balance by positioning his feet diagonally on the branch. Now he was within reach. He stretched out his arm and grabbed the egg.

"Osha!" the Pokémon shouted from below.

"Thanks! I am awesome!" Braedon exclaimed.

But the Pokémon's cries were not that of celebration. Instead, Braedon felt a sudden stabbing pain in his stomach. He lost his balance on the branch, and he fell backward. He gripped the egg tightly and held it to his chest. He hit the ground with a hard thud, but to his luck, he avoided hitting any of the roots. He winced from the pain, but he could hear a commotion. He laid still for roughly five seconds before his curiosity beat out the pain that he felt. He groaned as he turned, finding Oshawott battling off a Pidove, a Pokémon that he had already defeated a multitude of times.

With one anger-fueled Water Gun, the Flying-type was blasted away. It cried out and then retreated, leaving Oshawott and his trainer. When Pidove was out of sight, Oshawott ran to Braedon and tried to help him back to a sitting position.

"Got it," Braedon said while holding his ribs. "We win."

Oshawott looked at his trainer and then the egg.

"Osha."

"So, our winner is Braedon!" Alder exclaimed. He held up the two eggs excitedly before handing them back to Sandy.

After Braedon recovered from his fall, he made his way back to the ranch's gate. Once he presented the two eggs to Alder, Asa and Mariella were called back. Mariella appeared to be thankful that the game was over, and Asa was silent with rage.

"Which means, we get to battle! Are you ready?"

Braedon's heart felt as though it was going to rip out of his chest and potentially cracked ribs. "I'm ready! Let's do this!"

Alder pulled one of the Poké Balls off his necklace and held it tightly. "Now, I don't intend on going against you with my full strength. But, I never hold back, even with my most inexperienced of team members."

Braedon took in a deep breath and looked at Asa. "Hey, you mind playing referee for us?"

Asa scowled, ran his tongue across his cheek, and then stepped forward. "Yeah. Okay."

Braedon ran to the opposite side of the small grassy field. Oshawott waddled behind him and took his position for battle. Alder cracked his neck and then threw the Poké Ball into the air. A medium-sized Pokémon emerged. It had blue eyes hidden within a white mane. The lower half of its body was brown, and it had six stubby legs.

"Larvesta, the Torch Pokémon. Said to have been born from the sun, it spews fire from its horns and encases itself in a cocoon of fire when it evolves," Braedon's Pokémon chimed.

"That thing must evolve into Alder's signature Pokémon. If I remember correctly, Volcarona is a Bug and Fire-type. We have have the advantage, and with our new attack, we'll crush 'em!" Braedon thought.

"What do you intend on doing?" Alder questioned.

"We'll show you! Use Soak!"

Oshawott sneered and then sucked in air. Before Alder could give a counter-command, Oshawott blasted water from his mouth. It carried a light blue energy, and when it made contact with Larvesta, it seemingly did no damage.

Alder's eyes widened, but he did not appear nervous. "An interesting technique. Use Ember!"

"Fire back with Water Gun!"

The two Pokémon unleashed their long-ranged attacks. The multitude of embers crashed into the stream of water, but as Braedon had hoped, the stream of water overtook the small bits of flame. It continued down the grassy field and battered into Larvesta. This time, it appeared as though Alder's Pokémon had taken damage.

"That's right! With your Pokémon losing its Fire-typing, it no longer can boost its attacks! What do you think about that?" Braedon said as he proudly crossed his arms.

Alder appeared conflicted, as though he wanted to teach Braedon a lesson but he didn't want to rain on the young trainer's parade.

"Tackle!" Braedon shouted.

Oshawott slightly squatted before he bounded forward. He stuck out his shoulder, preparing to drive it into Larvesta as hard as he could.

"String Shot," Alder ordered calmly.

Larvesta opened his mouth and immediately released a straight shot of sticky web. The web connected with Oshawott, stopping him in his tracks.

"Flame Charge!"

Fire surrounded Alder's Pokémon, and then he rocketed forward, seemingly carried by the flames. He connected with Oshawott and knocked him back, burning the sticky web in the process. Slowly the embers died down around Larvesta's body, but he now moved as though adrenaline pumped through his veins.

"You'll regret freeing us from those webs! Water Gun!" Braedon ordered.

"Osha!" his Pokémon cried out. He bobbed his head back and forth before he released the straight stream of water from his mouth. The water collided with Larvesta, but Alder's Pokémon didn't react.

"Wait, what?" Braedon muttered. "No way! It's not doing damage because of Soak!"

"Amateur," Asa said with a groan. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "You took his Fire-type attack bonus along with his weaknesses! You are making us look like fools!"

Braedon glared at him but then quickly refocused on the battle. "Then, we'll win by other means! Tackle!"

"Struggle Bug!"

The two Pokémon barreled forward as quickly as they could. Before they could connect, they both lowered their bodies and then lunged, smashing into one another. They held out for a while, but Larvesta's size was simply too much. Oshawott was thrown, landing hard on his backside.

The Water-type groaned. But then, a light blue aura started to emit from his body. He gazed at his arms, confused as to what was happening.

Braedon looked at his Pokémon, and even though it appeared like the battle was nearly over, he couldn't help but smile. "Torrent time, baby! Oshawott, blast him with Water Gun one more time! Full power!"

"Fight back with another Struggle Bug!" Alder commanded.

Oshawott quickly jumped to his feet, took in a deep breath, and then blasted a much stronger stream of water from his mouth. Larvesta charged forward once again, meeting with the blast. But this time, Alder's Pokémon lost out. He was thrown into the air and came crashing down in front of Alder's feet.

"Yes! We did it!" Braedon exclaimed.

Alder cocked his head and then grinned. His Pokémon began to stir before it shifted its body into an upright position.

"That didn't finish it?" Braedon said with a gasp.

"String Shot!" Alder ordered. "Keep that mouth closed!"

Before Braedon could react, Larvesta spit the sticky straight web from his mouth, connecting with Oshawott's face. The Water-type started to screech and scratch at the web, but it was useless. He was trapped.

Alder put his hands on his hips and then grinned. "Now, finish this with Flame Charge!"

Larvesta's body was enveloped with flames. He took one step before he rocketed forward. He crashed his body into Oshawott once more, making the Water-type tumble backward. Oshawott rolled into Braedon, and then his body went limp.

The battle was over.

Braedon looked down at his Pokémon. He was unsure of what to do. It was his first battle, and he lost. Asa was sure to give him grief, and Mariella was going to pity him. He didn't want either of them.

"Braedon," Alder said, cutting off Braedon's thoughts. "You are a fantastic battler. Have your Oshawott rest."

Braedon nodded. He pulled his Poké Ball from his belt and then let the red light absorb Oshawott. He held the ball tightly, trying to release some of his frustration.

"You need to remember that the key to Pokémon training is enjoying it. It is okay to have rivalries. It is okay to be competitive. But, if you are not in it for fun, then there is no reason to be in it," Alder exclaimed. He turned to Asa and Mariella. "You two as well! Maybe next time, I'll be battling one of you two."

"I won't lose," Asa said with a cocksure grin.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So, this took me a year to write. Not necessarily the chapter itself, but getting to the chapter. My last year has been so busy, and I've had no time around my computer. This year, I have a lot more time to relax, and writing is my main way of relaxing. I hope that I can really focus in and finish this story.