The cool breeze passes up from the southern parts of the region and brushes through the old wooden houses of Ecreteak City, there a slight creak to them as the shift in the wind. The streets are dark and lit only by small lamps adorned along the street and every other building. I walk down the streets and look up in wonder at them all. I had always read about Ecreteak, it supposedly hadn't changed in nearly 250 years, while the rest of Johto had modernized Ecreteak stood still in time. The only buildings that had been built in recent history is the new Pokemart and Pokecentre. Togepi sits sleeping in her carrier, she had really come on in the last week, she had even had her first battle against a Abra and won. It would be a long way but I think she will become a really strong member of the team. I had caught up with Ryan via video call and gone through my team with him, he was really complementary about my win against Whitney. He said it was impressive that not only I won on my first try but with Pokemon left. I tried to let it not go to my head but getting praise from him is always more important than others. He had offered to pay for a boat ticket that would have taken me from Goldenrod across to Cinewood as Ecreteak was currently without a gym leader, Morty had been promoted to an Elite Four Member in the rejig that happened when Lance and Callum split the leagues. Eusine had taken over for a small while but eventually wanted to return to his journeys of chasing legendary Pokemon, since then no one had been appointed yet. I rejected Ryan's offer as I had always wanted to visit and even if there was no gym leader I wanted to see if I could get the chance to battle the Kimono girls. They had set up a tournament of sorts where you enter in and depending on how many of the dancers you can get passed you get different prizes.
"So I think its down this way" I mumble to myself looking down at my phone
As I turn I bump face first into someone sending me to the floor, Togepi wakes up with the collision and begins to weep due to the shock
"Oh I'm sorry, I was looking where I was going" I say pulling myself up
"Calm down Togepi I'm sorry, go back to sleep"
The person I bumped into crouches down and hands Togepi a Chesto Berry, it chomps it down before promptly falling asleep.
"Oh thank you so much" I say smiling up at the lady
"You welcome young man perhaps you could assist me?" she questions
"Um yeah sure how can I help?"
"My name is Ms Raifort, I'm a teacher at the Uva Academy in Paldea, I am hear on a field trip with one of my students, however she has mysteriously vanished. She has done this before and frankly she can be a devil to find, would you perhaps assist me in trying to find her?"
"Of course I would be happy to help! Where was the last time you saw her?"
"We were admiring the Burnt Tower from a far, I was sketching down an illustration of it but must have been distracted and she skulked off"
"I see, did she mentioned anything she had wanted to see?"
"Hmmm, not as such, she had been craving to battle the kimono girls"
"Oh well that's where I was headed, we can go there together if you like?"
She smiles and nods
"More of that Johtonian hospitality"
"Oh I'm not from Johto, I'm from Kanto I on my journey here"
"Oh I see apologises, where from Kanto are you from?"
"Ah a small town near Fuchsia, Ayapen"
"Oh I have read about there, Articuno supposedly once attacked and ravaged the village" She says adjusting her neck tie which is in shape of the legendary bird
"Oh yeah, I read that once too. Seems a little far-fetched to me" I say with a laugh
"Perhaps, could you lead the way, oh sorry I haven't asked your name?"
"I'm Dustin"
"Pleasure to meet you"
Raifort follows along as I keep an eye on my phone to guide our way to the dance hall, we do stop every so often so she can look at the local sculptures. We eventually get to the dance theatre, there lots of cries and roars from inside as a battle is clearly taking place
"Skeledirge Torch Song!" comes a muffled cry
"Well Ms Poppy is certainly inside then" Raifort sighs before pushing herself in as I follow alongside
The stage is set up as a battle arena, there is a small wooden board behind that displays some of the Kimono girl faces, they are divided into three column, beaten, won and not participated. Currently there are three of the wooden plaques in won and then the rest are in not participated.
"Umbreon, Dark Pulse!"
Umbreon jumps up and slams the red crocodile which I don't recognise, I try to scan it with my dex but as I only have the Johto and Kanto ones loaded up it doesn't recognise
"Um Ms Raifort, what's that Pokemon?"
"Oh not familiar with Paldean Pokemon? That is Skeledirge, the final stage evolution of Fuecoco the fire starter of the region"
"oh okay, thank you" I say before continuing to watch
"Skeledirge, Torch Song!"
Skeledirge rears up before firing off the bird on its head which slams into Umbreon sending it flying back, Skeledirge grunts before being enveloped in purple as Umbreon had clearly poisoned it earlier, it stumbles and falls unable to continue
"The challenger Poppy has won 3 battles in a row meaning they are the highest for today, there will be no more challenges to the leader board until tomorrow" comes a call from back stage while the Kimono girl returns her Umbreon and retreats
"Hey so does that mean I get the clear bell?!" The girl shouts after the dancer
"Clear bell?" Questions an older gentleman who walks up to the stage
"Yeah, it said if I won the challenge I'd win the Clear Bell"
"I think your mistake, the clear bell not been seen here for years, you win a Soothe Bell" He says looking confused at the girl
"What! Ah man Raifort going to be so mad when I see her"
"Poppy" Ms Raifort says coldly to the girl
"Ah!" she jumps and looks to the lady
"So when were you expecting to reconvene with me?"
"Ah you know we got lost, around the time you stop to get some chalk markings, I got pulled away by a rogue Jumpfluff" She says smiling weakly
"A rogue Jumpfluff" She snarks while I stand and smile very uncomfortably
She grabs the soothe bell from the gentleman and jump down in front of us
"Look I got a replica of the Clear Bell" She says trying to change the subject
She just stares at her coldly as Poppy begins to smirk more before turning to me
"Whose this kid?" She says looking me up and down
"Uh hi I'm Dustin" I say holding my hand out
"I don't shake hands, lets battle" She says sternly
"Uh well I"
"Thats a good idea I think, it would be a good insight for both you and Dustin, this can be the prize" Raifort says snatching the Soothe Bell
"What!? No I earned that?!" Poppy says angrily
"Yes and I am taking it as compensation for your misdemeanour, lets head back to the Pokecentre and get this battle started" Raifort says before spinning and leaving the dance theatre
Poppy glares at me before following, Togepi coos and laughs in her holder while I sigh
"Well they are both characters" I say before following after them
I speed after them towards the centre, the evening was starting to draw in and the old style lamp were beginning to be lit by the townspeople, we finally make it to the centre and the only battlefield is just being freed up so Raifort takes up a position as the referee and Poppy moves over to the far side of the pitch
Okay straight into it
I take up my side of the field and Raifort begins to speak
"One v One match, Poppy you will select your Pokemon first as Dustin will not be familiar with nay Paldean Pokemon"
"What how is that fair?"
"I didn't say it was now get to it"
"Fine, go Flamigo!"
The frail looking pink bird flutters down and lands on one leg, it squawks towards me
"Flamigo is a Fighting Flying type Dustin, your dex won't be able to scan it and that's all the information you will get from me" Raifort says
"Thank I think, okay Quilava go"
Quilava jumps down landing flaring its back fire up, Togepi calls out happily at the sight of Quilava, who calls back happily to it
"Begin!" Raifort says
"Flamigo, Swords Dance!"
Flamigo calls out as a row of orange swords surround it
"Quilava Rollout!"
Quilava rolls up in a ball and flies towards Flamigo
"Block it with Mega Kick!"
Flamigo eyes flash and slams it foot into Quilava who sent backwards skidding on the ground
"Acrobatics!"
Flamigo jumps and flies in slamming into Quilava whose still getting its bearing, its pushes back and it shakes its head refocusing itself
"Close Combat!"
Flamigo chases after it
"Use Dig to dodge!"
Quilava burrows away and hides as Flamigo whiffs at hitting
We got stay away, two more hits and we are done
"Quilava, come up and dig as many holes as you can!"
Quilava pop up and creates hole after hole
"You get Flamigo can't be hit by those attacks, it'll just fly away"
"We're not trying to hit, Now Quilava use Flame Wheel in and out of the holes!"
Quilava jumps down speeding down and back out another creating a haze of fire all over the field, Flamigo blindly looks around getting hit by waves of heat
"Now hit it!"
Quilava comes out and hits it square
"Grab it with your wings!"
Flamigo bears the hit before wrapping its wings around Quilava stopping it place
"Close Combat!"
Flamigo slaps and kick Quilava up into the air who can't defend itself as it is still balled up, it flies up still spinning.
"Quilava, Flame Wheel full speed!"
Quilava drop to the floor and spins on the floor sped up by the Close Combat, it flings itself forward slamming Flamigo sending it fling backwards. Quilava lands on all fours and roars as Flamigo begins to get up, Quilava begins to light up blue and white
"Interesting development" Raifort says under her breath
Quilava burst with energy and re-emerges as it newly evolved form
"Typholsion!"
"You evolved!" I shout and Togepi shouts and claps in happiness
"No way! Flamigo we need to finish this quick, Acrobatics"
Flamigo dives forward
"Down one of your holes!" I shout
Typholsion dives down
"Now lets finish this, lets try your new move, Eruption!"
The ground lights up orange with power and bursts the ground slamming Flamigo on all sides both there's and explosion, the smoke clears and Flamigo is out unable to go on while Typholsion stands happily in front of me
"Great work Typholsion!" I shout running out and hugging him
"Ty Ty!" it roars back happily
"Unlucky Flamigo, don't worry about it" Poppy says crouching down next to her fallen Pokemon
"Excellent work the pair of you, I can see why Nemona and Geeta think highly of you Poppy and Mr Dustin, expertly done I can also see why you faired so well in the Junior Kanto competition"
"Thank you but when did you figure that out?"
"I checked your profile on the walk over, my Gengar can be very stealthy in scanning when it wants to" She says as a Gengar pops out of the ground behind me
"Ah!"
"Congratulations, you are really skilled" Poppy says holding her hand out
I take it and shake it too
"Man, Nemona gonna be upset that I lost a battle, plus Auntie Daisy said if I didn't lose a match she have something special for me" she says hunching over
"Auntie Daisy?" I question
"Yes Ms Poppy Aunt is well renowned Pokemon Ecologist, she has her hands in a lot of conservation sites around the world and I believe she is with Ryan the world champion"
"Your Daisy niece?!" I shriek taking everyone by surprise
"Uh yeah not another Ryan fan boy" Poppy says rolling her eyes
"No uh, Ryan is my mentor when I started in Kanto, Daisy came to my moms, uh she can to a few events. She really helps me"
"Oh, yeah she did mention a Dustin, didn't put two and two together" Poppy says shrugging
"But I thought you were just finishing your journey in Sinnoh?" I questions
"I was, I got permission from the Academy to do it as part of my treasure hunt, I got to the quarter finals of the Sinnoh League conference"
"What as in the juniors?" I questions
"No, Lily of the Valley conference, I really thought I had a shot of going the whole way and battling the Elite Four" She says calmly
"Wow you must be strong"
"Here scan my profile you can check it out later" She says sending her phone up in the air
I scan it and it accepts the profile
"Are you part of the Junior World Championship?" I question
"Oh yeah forgot about that we could have made this an official match, yeah I ranked 89th currently"
I feel the blood leave my face and go white, if we had made that an official match and won I would have jumped up hundred of places but I shake it off and forget
"Oh wow you defiantly are strong then" I say with a laugh
"As are you Dustin congratulations on winning this" Raifort says handing me the Soothe Bell
"Oh no, its Poppy she's earned it I don't want to take it" I say before Poppy hold her hand up
"Take it, like a trophy and when I win next time I'll take it back from you, plus it will help with evolving that one" She says pointing to Togepi who sleep soundly in my pouch
"Sure you got a deal"
I spend another hour speaking with the pair, they are both very interesting. They are here to research the legendary beast trio as supposedly in the Paldea region there have ben sightings of weird versions of them turning up. They had been sent out as part of research by the Naranja Academy to look into things hence why Poppy was so set on getting the Clear Bell an item said to summon Suicune. After while they head off as they were heading back to Paldea the next day so it was an early flight. I say my goodbyes and head off for my room at the centre.
I look up Poppy profile that she had shared with me
Name: Poppy
Age:16
Home town: Celestic Town, Sinnoh
Appearance: Poppy is a lively and energetic young girl with a petite frame and short, curly auburn hair. She typically wears a bright green cap, a white T-shirt adorned with a small grass-type Pokemon emblem, denim shorts, and sturdy sneakers. A small backpack carries her essentials for Pokemon adventures, and she always has a notebook for jotting down observations.
Personality: Poppy is a curious and enthusiastic Pokemon trainer who approaches every day with a sense of wonder. She is known for her kindness and compassion towards Pokemon, often taking the time to understand their behaviours and needs. Her love for nature and Pokemon is inherited from her auntie, Daisy, who is a Pokemon ecologist. Poppy is also quite resourceful and inventive, always finding creative solutions to challenges.
Background: Growing up in Celestic Town, surrounded by the rich history of Sinnoh, Poppy developed an early fascination with Pokemon theology and their connections to legendary Pokemon Her auntie, Daisy, is a renowned Pokemon ecologist who studies the interactions between Pokemon and their habitats. Daisy's passion inspired Poppy to become a trainer and explore with a keen eye on the natural world. She is renowned battler and is able to compete on a high level even at her age
Starter Pokemon: Piplup
"Wow she has a lot of Pokemon, she has a full 6 team of Pokemon from Paldea and Sinnoh" I mumble to myself scrolling through things
As I do my phone begins to buzz, it shows the face of Oscar with his Poliwag on screen, I smile and answer
"Hi Oscar how are you?"
"Dustin, I need you to trade with me!"
"Uh right okay, why?"
He stares down the phone at me vibrating with energy
"I need your help to evolve my Poliwhirl, my friend Kieran back in Kitikami can't do it and his sister is a pain"
"Uh sure, set it up"
It take about 3 minutes as Oscar send me his Poliwhirl and I send him Lapras, the ball drops into my hand and I reconfigure it before sending it back to him
"Got it, yes!"
He pops the ball open and the newly evolved Politoad drops out jumping foot to foot clapping happily
"Yes! Thank you Dustin! Sorry to call you abruptly"
"It okay, how are you?" I question
"I'm great, look at this!" He says holding up his badge case showing off 6 badges
"Six!? Thats great!"
"How many have you got?"
"Four at the moment, I just beat Whitney"
"Whitney! You beat her!" He exclaims grabbing the phone
"Yeah" I say scratching my head
"Thats amazing I heard that no one on the junior competition has beaten her in like nearly a year"
"Your defiantly worthy of being my rival"
"Thanks we will have to cross paths soon and battle again" I say happily
"For sure, where about are you at the moment?"
"Cinewood, I wanted to evolve Poliwhirl to help against Jasmine gym next, I'm heading back to Kitikami for two weeks though, it Grandpa's birthday"
"Oh I see, that's nice, well maybe I can catch up and we can battle in Blackthorn?"
"Sounds like a plan! I'll see you soon Dustin, I wanna get some training in before dark" He shouts waving off and the call clicks off
I gulp, I'm a bit behind at the moment but I'll catch up, plus beating someone as skilled as Poppy was a big step today. Johto Junior Championship and then the World Championship, I'm coming for everything.