"Alright, Lucius; final question, why do certain Pokémon need special stones to evolve?" Mrs. Smith asked with her usual smile.
"Earlier, these Pokémon who now need special stones to evolve used to evolve naturally; however, changes in their environment led to these evolutions becoming obsolete. They now need some energy in order to trigger the evolution. This happened due to various reasons," Lucius replied in a steady tone.
"Could you elaborate a bit? Give three examples of this phenomenon and explain thoroughly."
"Of course, we-," he coughed before grabbing his bottle and drinking some water.
"Apologies for that, so like I was about to say, a great example of an evolution becoming obsolete in the wild would be Gallade. Male Kirlia used to evolve into Gallade and females into Gardevoir; this was to avoid predation from Mightyena who were able to easily best the likes of Gardevoir, who was a pure psychic type long ago. Gallade was able to dispatch even packs of Mightyena."
"However, due to certain genetic modifications, Ralts, Kirlia, and Gardevoir had become Psychic/Fairy types. This made the role Gallade filled useless since Mightyena could be bested even easier by Gardevoir after their type change."
"The next two examples I want to use would be the domestication of certain Pokémon, Eevee and Growlithe in this particular scenario. While they used to evolve naturally without the need of any stones, due to their domestication by humans, it is now nearly useless for them to evolve as it makes them less viable and sustainable biologically. Eevee can still naturally evolve into Umbreon, Espeon and Sylveon depending on their friendship with their trainer which signifies that these evolutions are still biologically viable after domestication."
"Very well then, Lucius, you have passed your oral examination!" Mrs. Smith gave me my graduation certificate as the class began to encore.
Lucius sighed in relief; all the questions asked were tricky, sure, but they weren't too difficult for someone who was a student of Professor Augustine Sycamore and had researched Pokémon so much.
Passing this test meant that he could finally become a trainer; he had already completed the written test with a perfect score prior to this.
As Lucius biked back home, he was welcomed by his mother waiting near the Porsche of their villa.
"Lucius! Welcome back, honey. I'm not even gonna bother asking if you've aced your exam since the answer seems to be yes every time," Lucius' mother, Anathelia Castus, said with a slight chuckle.
"Eh, I wouldn't say aced, but I did well. There were a few hiccups here and there but nothing major went wrong either," Lucius responded.
"You're too serious sometimes. Come in, dad is waiting for you."
Heading upstairs, he found his dad relaxing on the balcony as he usually did on weekends.
"Ah, you've returned from school. Come and sit here," Henry Castus said while pointing to the chair opposite to him. "What's the plan now? Are you going to leave home and never come back?" Henry said in a sarcastic manner.
"O-Of course not! I'll visit you whenever possible, I'm not a heartless monster like you," Lucius responded in kind.
Henry laughed and said, "Jokes aside, I'm really proud of you son. Now, as is tradition for a trainer in the Castus family, you will be inheriting-"
"Not this again dad, I want to have a normal start to my journey. I don't want to inherit something which is as strong as an Elite 4 Pokémon. I'll think about it when I am near that stage as a trainer."
"You certainly overestimate the Spectre's capabilities, it hasn't seen true battle in half a century... but ultimately it is your choice and I shall respect it."
Inheriting strong Pokémon for an inexperienced trainer was never a good thing. After all, what was there to learn when your Garchomp simply manhandles every Pokémon at the beginning. The moment you start facing opponents around your power level, you'd be decimated effortlessly since you wouldn't have any sort of strategy or have developed the skill required.
THE NEXT DAY
Lucius woke up very early and made sure to get ready much earlier than needed too. This proved somewhat unnecessary since he was too early and just ended up waiting at home for two hours doing nothing at all. He arrived at the lab at about 9:00 A.M.
"Professor Sycamore-"
"Ah, Lucius, I was expecting you to come any time now. I'm sure you are excited to get your starter?" The Professor said with a gentle smile.
"Well, I uh- I definitely am," he stammered.
"Ordinarily, a trainer studying under me would be getting to choose between Froakie, Fennekin and a Chespin. But in this situation, an old friend from the Galar region sent me a special Pokémon to study and I believe you'd be the perfect candidate to give it to, unless you really want a Kalosian starter that is," Sycamore said.
"Well, can I get a look at it first though? This is a big decision I make and I sure don't wanna make a mistake while choosing my starter," Lucius replied.
Sycamore took out a Pokéball from his pocket and released the Pokémon. A short bipedal figure with grey and white fur; and a determined expression on its face stood in front of him.
"This is a Pokémon from the Isle of Armor of the Galar region, it is called Kubfu. It's a fighting type Pokémon which is known for its work ethic and determination."
"Kub-fuuu!"
Lucius pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Kubfu.
'Kubfu, the Wushu Pokémon. It trains with vigour to perfect its moves. The moves it masters determine the form it takes when it evolves. If Kubfu pulls the long white hair on its head, its fighting spirit heightens and power wells up from the depths of its belly. Kubfu are exceptionally headstrong Pokémon who aren't even afraid to get into fights they would surely lose if they believe what they are fighting for is a just cause.'
Height- 80 cm (2'7")
Weight - 17 kg (37lbs)
Gender- Male
Ability- Inner Focus
"So, according to the Pokédex, Kubfu has branched evolutions. If I am interpreting this correctly," Lucius said.
"You're half correct, while it evolves into Urshifu no matter the style of moves it uses, the type of Urshifu differs based on its moves," Sycamore replied.
"Well, I've never seen a Kubfu in my life and I've seen a lot of Pokémon during research and watching battles. I'd reckon it's pretty rare, right?" Lucius questioned.
"Extremely rare, this Pokémon is only found on the Isle of Armor and nowhere else. It's so rare that I am pretty sure this is the only Kubfu in Kalos right now," Sycamore affirmed.
"Well then... would it not make more sense to give it to a veteran trainer and not a rookie?"
"With all the talent and knowledge you possess, you are hardly a rookie, Lucius. You are a generational talent. Plus, most experienced trainers wouldn't have much time to properly train and research it anyway," Sycamore added.
Lucius crouched down and began slightly petting the Kubfu, who seemed to be enjoying the attention and tried to playfully bite his fingers. "Yeah, I think I'll take up the task."
Sycamore nodded before handing Kubfu's Pokéball to Lucius.
"Oh, I've already registered you as a trainer, so you don't have to worry about doing that yourself," Sycamore said before giving him his Trainer ID. It was a digital device which showed you all the information you would need in a Pokémon journey. It could also be linked to one's Pokédex without much issue.
Lucius bid farewell before heading back home to say goodbye to his parents and also get some essentials.
After he reached home, he was greeted by his parents who sounded both proud and sad at the same time. He got pulled into a group hug which lasted nearly 10 minutes and by the end of which, everyone was pretty teary-eyed.
Lucius went to his room to wash his face and then pack all the essential items.
"Lemme see... I'll need ten Pokéballs, five potions, ten repels, some Poképuffs, some packaged food and... that should be it."
He bid his parents goodbye a final time before finally heading out.
He pulled out a digital map on his Pokédex.
Alright so, right now I'm in Aquacorde Town, heading south is useless since Vaniville Town doesn't have anything interesting for me to do, the only way to go is north to route 2.
"Alright Kubfu, let's get going. If we are fast enough, we should be able to reach Santalune by evening."
"Kub!"
Lucius and Kubfu jogged at a moderate pace through route 2, he saw a lot of little kids playing with their Pokémon, playing games and interacting with the wildlife.
Wait, I should probably check out what moves my Kubfu has. I should also check how intelligent he is.
Lucius stopped for a bit and asked Kubfu to pause as well.
"So, Kubfu, can you understand what I'm saying, at least to a certain degree?"
The Pokemon swiftly nodded.
"Hmm... so could you show me some of the attacks you know? Use that tree over there as a target."
Kubfu went up to the tree and used his fists to put a decent dent into the tree.
That is... Rock Smash, I believe.
Next, he used his arm like a blade and created a small incision on the bark.
That must be Aerial Ace.
Lastly, he winded his head back and hit the tree with it causing it to shake a little while also injuring itself a bit.
That is Headbutt.
The Kubfu returned while rubbing its forehead which had gotten bruised due to headbutting the tree.
"That was a really nice display there Kubfu! You are really strong," Lucius said as he retrieved a potion from his bag and applied it on Kubfu's head.
I think it's the right time to reward him.
Lucius took out a pokepuff and fed it to Kubfu who was overjoyed by the treat and started rubbing his head against Lucius' hand.
I should think about convincing some Pokemon to join me. I guess feeding them pokepuffs and being friendly with them should be mostly enough.
Lucius was opposed to the normal method of catching Pokemon; he felt it was wrong to force a wild Pokemon to fight for you and force it out of its home. Convincing seemed far more ethical, in fact it was starting to become the norm for many trainers to try and convince a Pokemon to join them rather than actually catch them.
Nothing here catches my eye... I guess I'll just head up north for now.
Lucius had a few Pokemon in mind, but the route he was in didn't have much that he believed was worth spending time convincing to join his team.
Lucius turned around as someone slightly tapped his shoulder. "Huh-"
A tall teen that looked only slightly younger than him with brilliant white hair and cyan eyes interrupted, "Hey there, Can I ask you a question?"
Lucius resisted the urge to say that he already had asked a question and instead nodded as a sign of approval.
"What is that Pokemon you have? I've never seen it in my life."
"Oh this guy? He's a Kubfu, I got him from Professor Sycamore. He did say that it was quite a rare Pokemon from the Galar region's Isle of Armor so it makes sense that you haven't seen it."
"A rare Pokemon huh... then do you mind a trainer battle? I actually saw you train a bit earlier and was impressed by your Kubfu. A three versus three with no switches. My name's Noah by the way."
"I'm Lucius and I accept your conditions." Even though I only have one Pokemon with me.
The two trainers moved to a less crowded area in the route and stood opposite to each other. Noah pulled out a Pokeball and out came a quadruped with two small horns and a grass necklace on its brown and white body.
"Skiddo!"
"Kubfu, quick use Aerial Ace! Avoid its horns and try to attack from the rear or the sides."
Kubfu dashed forward and Aerial Aced Skiddo on its right foreleg causing a slight cut.
"Skiddo, ram into it with a Tackle!"
Skiddo charged towards Kubfu with his horns pointed forward, Kubfu nearly dodged it but the horn slightly grazed the left side of Kubfu's cheek.
I see the win condition now.
"Alright Kubfu, use Rock Smash on its head and Aerial Ace to finish the job!"
The Skiddo, who was still trying to balance itself after its Tackle, was hit immediately with a Rock Smash on the side of its head causing it to fall down. A final Aerial Ace to the abdomen rendered it unable to fight.
"That was good, but Skiddo is my weakest Pokemon. Let's see how you stomach this one!"
Noah sent out a blue serpentine Pokemon with large eyes and slight protrusions coming from both sides of its head.
"Drati-Ni!"
Damn, he has a Dratini! Wonder how he got that.
Lucius ordered Kubfu to Headbutt Dratini on its nose, which looked like a weak spot.
Dratini fell back due to the impact of the Headbutt before quickly getting up again.
"Dratini! Use Twister!"
Dratini sent out a strong wind emanating draconic energy at Kubfu who took the brunt of the attack and was pushed back.
"Kubfu! Use Rock Smash!" Lucius ordered with the realization that Dratini totally outmatched him.
Kubfu tried to use Rock Smash but was swiftly taken out by another twister.
"Alright! One down, send your next Pokemon!" Noah exclaimed.
"...Uhhhh, that was my only Pokemon." Lucius replied.
Noah looked at him with a puzzled look on his face, "Why did you agree to a three versus three then!? I would have used my ace against you in a one versus one instead."
"Yeah, I don't really know why I agreed to that. I guess in my mind I was trying to beat your whole team with Kubfu which wasn't realistic at all. Also if Dratini isn't your ace... then what is?"
Noah released a fuzzy bug with blue eyes and a shadowed face. It had a white mane on its upper half and a brown lower half. It had several red, slightly twirly horns on its head.
"Lar-Vesta!"
"Holy crap dude, how do you have so many rare Pokemon?" Lucius asked completely bewildered and with his jaw on the floor staring at the Larvesta.
Dratini were rare, but not exceptionally so. Larvesta on the other hand, were almost impossible to find.
"Well uh... My dad bought them for me, the Dratini and Larvesta at least, I did catch Skiddo in this route earlier today."
After a bit of small talk, Lucius came to know that Noah Laurent was from Lumiose City, the capital of Kalos. The Laurent company was a top high-end store for buying rare and precious items related to Pokemon battling like evolutionary items, mega rings and mega stones. The two parted ways after exchanging their phone numbers.
Lucius potioned up his Kubfu, who was really sad to lose the battle.
"Kubfu, you did amazing! The way you took out Skiddo was incredible. You only lost to Dratini because it was much more experienced than you and you were already weakened by the Skiddo earlier."
Kubfu still didn't seem to be satisfied with that. It motioned Lucius to follow him into the forest.
"You wanna train in the forest? Sure thing."
Kubfu nodded, and the pair entered Santalune Forest after a couple of minutes of walking. Santalune Forest was decently large and jam-packed with trainers; it was the perfect place for newbies to train. It was also a place to catch some decently strong Pokémon.
Lucius got into battle with a multitude of trainers, most of whom were wielding Scatterbugs, Pidgeys, Caterpies, Weedles, and Fletchlings, along with the occasional Pikachus.
Kubfu was able to beat most of these Pokémon without a hitch. Lucius did refuse any money offered to him since it felt wrong to take money from younger kids who were only battling for sport when he was an actual certified trainer.
Plus, it wasn't like Lucius had given that Noah guy any money on losing, not that he had asked, but it seemed hypocritical to take money now. Even though any money he could give to Noah would be like pennies to him.
"HEY YOU! YES YOU! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? I AM JOEY, THE KING OF SANTALUNE FOREST, AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!" A youngster not older than 10 yelled.
Holy shit, can you keep it down a bit?
"Stop screaming, kid! If a battle is what you want, then I'm down."
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT! LET'S GO!" Joey said, still screaming at the top of his lungs.
How do people like this guy even fucking exist...
Lucius and Joey took positions opposite to each other, and Lucius healed up the few wounds Kubfu had suffered till then.
Joey smirked and released a Vivillon from his Pokéball.
Now that is a difficult matchup for Kubfu... Though a loss here would be possibly disastrous for Kubfu's morale, so I have to try my absolute best.
Lucius was someone who wasn't particularly saddened by a loss, but Kubfu sure was. The previous loss against Noah had already taken a hit on Kubfu's mental. Lucius was going to try his absolute hardest to win since a loss here could be a huge setback for Kubfu, who had nearly regained his confidence after beating so many trainers.
"Kubfu, close down the distance! Don't let it get too far and try your best to dodge its moves."
"VIVILLON! USE GUST! BLOW IT AWAY!"
Kubfu dashed forward, skillfully evading Vivillon's Gust, and had jumped onto the Vivillon and brought it to the ground.
"Quick! Use Aerial Ace on Vivillon before it blows you away!"
Kubfu used an Aerial Ace on Vivillon's right wing, causing a tear. Vivillon was momentarily stunned from the fall before getting blown away by a super-effective Gust.
Vivillon was now barely able to fly; its left wing was the only one still operational after the Aerial Ace.
"VIVILLON ONE FINAL BLOW! USE PSYBEAM!"
Kubfu, who was a fighting type and thus weak to psychic attacks, was heavily disoriented by Vivillon's Psybeam.
"Kubfu! Snap out of it! One more Aerial Ace will do the job here!"
Kubfu was able to break free from Psybeam and quickly jumped onto Vivillon and finished it off with another Aerial Ace.
"VIVILLON! COME BACK! YOU MAY HAVE WON NOW, YOU DAMNED TRAINER, BUT NEXT TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT!"
Joey rushed off as Kubfu stood victorious.
Lucius applauded Kubfu as it struck a winning pose by showing its teeth and gesturing a thumbs up.
"Great job, Kubfu! At this rate, we'll be able to beat Viola and get our first gym badge in no time."
"KUB-FU!"
Still haven't found anything cool to make a part of my team though...
Lucius didn't want to just catch whatever random Pokémon he saw; he wanted something with potential. Many people rationalized how any Pokémon could be strong depending on how they were trained, but in reality, even the strongest Raticate was well... ultimately still a Raticate. It wasn't really like you could beat Biology.
Suddenly, something came to his mind. Why don't I try to convince a Flabebe or a Floette to join? Shiny stones are expensive, but Florges are absolute powerhouses. Plus, it's not like it would take too much effort.
Lucius approached a flower patch since they were where Flabebe and Floette generally hung out at.
He put a Poképuff just a bit further away from it and backed off a good distance.
Curiosity got the better of some of the fairy types who slowly floated towards the treat. Lucius put another treat, this time right next to him.
Most of the Flabebes and Floettes were too scared to get near him; they enjoyed their share of the puff and went back to their flower patch. Fortunately for Lucius, an inquisitive Floette started approaching the puff near his leg, and Lucius sat down on the grassy field and made sure to look as magnanimous and approachable as possible.
The Floette took small bites of the puff and looked at Lucius with a wary gaze.
"Hey little gal, you don't have to worry about me at all; you can enjoy eating that Poképuff, it's all for you."
"Flo-ette?" The Pokémon responded in a somewhat confused manner.
Lucius made sure that he was thinking about happy thoughts since fairy types could sense your emotions. After a short while of eating, the Floette started slowly approaching Lucius.
It started floating around him with her white flower in hand. It blew a fairy wind around Lucius, which looked like fairy dust.
I think this is a token of friendship from Floette.
"Alright, I guess this makes us friends forever then, doesn't it?"
Floette landed on Lucius' lap and let him smell her red flower.
"Your flower smells amazing, Floette," Lucius said as he gently patted her finger with his hand.
Lucius spent around two hours gently playing with the Floette, giving her some treats, and petting her.
This is the right time to ask...
"Hey, Floette... I am a Pokémon trainer, if you want to become my Pokémon and travel with me, then," Lucius paused for a bit, retrieving a Pokéball from his bag. "Simply touch the white dot in centre and you will become my Pokemon, you don't have to choose now and if you choose not to come with me, that is still fine. We will be friends regardless. If you ever want to come here after joining my team, then you can simply ask. If you ever feel like leaving my team, I shall release you."
Floette looked back at her flower bed, weighing between the two options. After a bit of deliberation, she slowly floated towards the Pokeball. A faint red light was emitted as she touched the centre dot of the ball engulfing her inside. The Floette was caught without the ball shaking at all.
Lucius sighed in relief, he had finally caught his second Pokemon.