Hey readers - here we are with the second instalment of the latest original episode : )
I really want to thank you guys after expressing my concerns in the last chapter regarding these Original Episodes of mine. There were some really lovely comments left in reviews, which I really appreciated so thank you. Also, to the reader who left several guesses as to the identity of the mysterious female trainer, I can confirm that one of your guesses was correct ; )
Now, let's get to the results of the latest voting topic. I really am over the moon to announce that the winner was... Zubat! I'm SO excited about this one! I've been hoping to get a Zubat since the original Nuzlocke since their evolution line are really good in these challenges if used correctly. I already actually have her name and introduction worked out too, one of the few Johto Nuzlocke Pokemon I can say that about, so I can't wait to get to that when I come to my Johto rewrite : D
Finally, I just want to say an ENORMOUS thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favourited, and followed this story. The support that has been shown to the story is amazing, and it means so much to me, so thank you : )
Please remember that Pokemon is not mine, only my OC's are : )
I hope you enjoy this chapter : )
Sweet Melodies, Sweet Rivalries - Part 2
Nolan's footsteps pounded against the forest floor, each stomp echoing his frustration as he stormed past towering trees and tangled underbrush, the vibrant calls of wild Pokemon drowned out by the furious thoughts swirling in his mind. In that moment, he was more like a thunderstorm than a mere human being, a force of nature itself as he continued smashing his way through the forest, his blood boiling in his veins and pounding in his ears. The golden haired boy still couldn't believe the sheer gall of that girl. Who the hell was she, a complete stranger, to tell Nolan what to do, not to mention how rude the manner had been in which that little... brat, had done it. And despite the somewhat calmer front he had managed to raise in front of his friends just before he'd left them on the promise of a little payback, the whole encounter had left Nolan utterly furious.
"The nerve of that girl!" the golden haired boy grumbled under his breath as he stalked through the forest, his face as hard as stone, "Telling me I can't capture a Jigglypuff, like she owns the whole forest! Unbelievable!"
Behind the up-and-coming Pokemon master, Meadow and Fang the Growlithe, trotted along after him. Both of them looked somewhat worried about how worked up their beloved human was getting.
"Bulba…" Meadow cooed softly in an attempt to soothe her irate partner.
"Growlithe…" Fang whimpered sadly.
It was more than a little obvious that neither of them like seeing Nolan as upset as he was right now.
The golden haired boy's scowled darkened as he hacked his way through a tangle of thorn bushes, still continuing his increased rant as he carried on marching through the woods in anger.
"It's just… I can't let some random stranger tell me what to do with my own team! A real Pokemon master would never allow themselves to be bullied in such a way!" Nolan kept up his tirade as Meadow and Fang struggled to keep pace with him, both still looking worried, "And Brock said I'm being immature! Can you believe it? Well he can let people walk all over him if he wants, but I'm not gonna do that".
The expressions of worry on both of his Pokemon's faces only intensified upon hearing those words.
Nolan squeezed his way between two towering tree trunks, and found himself in a small forest clearing. Sunlight with filtering through the thick canopy overhead, creating an earthy scene that was both calm and tranquil. And miraculously enough, it seemed that's suddenly stumbling into it was having soothing effect on Nolan's brewing temper. Taking advantage of the situation, Meadow and Fang both cautiously approached him and began gently nuzzling themselves against his legs. Nolan sighed deeply as he looked down at them.
"You two are right..." the golden haired boy groaned as some of the fight went out of him, his shoulders slumping and his tone and expression both softening slightly, "I'm being a bit grumpy, aren't I?"
Meadow and Fang nodded at him sadly. Nolan sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I'm sorry you guys" the boy said softly to the two small Pokemon, kneeling down and petting both of them on their heads, a small sad smile playing across his handsome features, "I'm not trying to bring the mood down. It's just... that girl kinda got to me. There was this… this bully when I was younger, and it just brought back all those memories. I swore I wouldn't let anyone put me down like that again".
"Bulba..."
"Growlithe..."
Sensing the note of genuine sadness hidden within Nolan's tone and expression, Meadow and Fang both began to nuzzle Nolan again, trying to comfort him. The golden haired boy couldn't help but smile warmly at their kind efforts.
"Aww... well now I'm feeling better already" Nolan said playfully, although he was surprised by how much he actually meant that, "Having you two and the others around always makes things alright".
"Bulbasaur!" Meadow whispered back in response, very happy and not to mention deeply touched by what her beloved human had just said.
"Growl! Growlithe!" Fang barked happily as he snuggled closer, clearly just as pleased by his trainer's words.
Nolan's smile only widened at the further show of affection from his two beloved Pokemon. The golden haired boy continued gently stroking their head for another moment, then he paused, a determined look on his face.
"And you know what?" Nolan exclaimed as he climbed back up to his full height and stood strong and proud, "I still want a Jigglypuff. Not just to prove that that girl can't just go around trying to walk all over people, but because I think it really would benefit our team. Not to mention, I always love making new Pokemon friends!"
"Bulba!"
"Growlithe!"
Excited to hear the boy's usual spark returning to him in the place of all this negativity, Meadow happily jumped up into Nolan's arms, whilst Fang barked excitedly and started licking his face. The golden haired boy couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm.
"Is that your way of saying you'll help me find one?" Nolan chuckled, but there was definitely an air of hope about him now.
Meadow and Fang both nodded in eager excitement.
"Awesome!" the golden haired boy cheered happily, giving them both a quick hug each, before he immediately got down to business, "But before we can think about battling a Jigglypuff, we need to find one first!"
Fang, eager to help and taking Nolan's words as an instruction as opposed to just a voiced thought, immediately took off running. Nolan was quick to put a stop to that though. He'd been down that path one too many times already, thank you very much.
"Whoa, Fang, hold on! Come back here, boy" the golden haired boy called out firmly to the adorable Puppy Pokemon, his tone incredibly stern, "We're not just gonna randomly search the entire forest and hope we get lucky. We need a better plan than that".
Fang whined sadly, but obediently returned to Nolan's side. The boy in question immediately began stroking his head.
"Don't look so down, buddy" the golden haired Pokemon trainer gently soothed the obviously disappointed Fire Type, a soft smile tugging at his lips, "You're gonna have a very important part in this".
"Growlithe!" Fang barked excitedly, perking up upon hearing that.
Nolan grinned at his little buddy's enthusiasm, before he got slightly more serious. The Puppy Pokemon quickly mirrored, sensing that what Nolan had to say next was important.
"Now Fang, do you remember when Mr. Tanga lent you to me, to help me find the missing Pokemon? He told me that Growlithe have an incredible sense of smell, and that you can use your nose to track things" the golden haired boy prompted the little Fire Type Pokemon to remember, and he smiled when Fang nodded his understanding, "And I read in one of my trainer magazines that once a Growlithe smells something, they never forget it. Is that right Fang?"
"Growlithe!" the Puppy Pokemon barked and nodded his head enthusiastically, clearly eager to help.
Smiling, Nolan fished his pokedex out of the back pocket of his jeans and flipped it open. Performing a manual search on the handy little device, Nolan smiled as he brought up an image of a Jigglypuff. The golden haired boy then knelt down and held out his pokedex for the Puppy Pokemon to see.
"Okay Fang, this is a Jigglypuff" Nolan explained as his adorable Fire Type Pokemon studied the image closely, taking in every detail about the creature that was their target, "Do you remember ever seeing one when you were living at the Day Care Centre? Did a trainer ever drop one off there to be looked after?"
Fang tilted his head to the side slightly, clearly deep in thought. Suddenly, he yipped and wagged his tail excitedly.
"Growlithe!" the Puppy Pokemon barked happily, obviously remembering a Jigglypuff from the days when Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni had been his guardians. Nolan couldn't help but beam at him. This was the lucky break that he'd been hoping for.
"That's brilliant! Good boy, Fang!" Nolan reached out a stroked Fang's fur again, earning himself a happy little purr, "Now think carefully, boy. Do you remember the scent of a Jigglypuff?"
Fang had to think again for another moment, before he barked and nodded happily.
"Perfect! I knew I could rely on you Fang!" Nolan praised, and the Puppy Pokemon beamed up at him, looking proud of himself, "Okay buddy, I want you to try and pick up that same scent here in this forest. See if you can track it down. Okay boy, seek!"
The Puppy Pokemon didn't need telling twice.
Fang immediately started sniffing the ground, his nose twitching. The small fluffy Fire Type quickly picked up a scent, and immediately dashed off into the forest after him. Nolan and Meadow both hurried after him before they lost him in the undergrowth, looking hopeful.
"I think this is really going to work, Meadow!" Nolan beamed down at his beloved partner as they jogged along.
"Bulba!" Meadow smiled and nodded cheerfully back at him.
They both returned their attention to the matter at hand when up ahead of them, quite suddenly and without any kind of warning whatsoever, Fang abruptly came to a halt. The Puppy Pokemon sat down at the base of a huge towering tree, barking proudly. His golden haired trainer and Grass Type teammate eagerly joined him in the tree's long, twisting shadow.
"Did you find a Jigglypuff, Fang?" Nolan asked with an air of hope.
Much to Nolan and Meadow's collective disappointment however, Fang shook his head. The Puppy Pokemon then gestured towards the branches of the tree with his paw, his tail wagging happily. Nolan noticed that the tree was full of Rawst Berries.
"Rawst Berries?" the golden haired boy arched an eyebrow as he correctly identified the small blue berries. He turned his attention back to Fang with a slight frown, "That's not what we're looking for, buddy. But if you're hungry, go ahead and eat some".
"Growlithe!" Fang cheered happily, reaching out with both of his front paws. When it became quickly apparent that he wouldn't be able to reach the berries though, the Puppy Pokemon soon began whimpering, "Growl..."
"Saur!"
Taking pity of her fellow teammate and friend, Meadow stepped forwards and held up her vines. Using the vibes, the little Grass Type Pokemon was able to easily brush them against the lower branches and knock a few Rawst Berries loose. They fell down to the forest floor in a gentle rain of fruit.
"Growlithe!" Fang barked gratefully, before he happily began munching on one of the berries. Smiling warmly, Meadow quickly joined him.
Whilst the two Pokemon were snacking on their Rawst Berries to try and make up for having their lunch break cut short, Nolan was stood of to the side, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The golden haired boy began to pace back and forth, voicing his thoughts aloud as he tried to come up with a new strategy.
"Maybe I need a new tactic" Nolan muttered to himself, chewing his lip thoughtfully, "If Fang can't track down a Jigglypuff, then…"
Nolan's eyes widened as a lightbulb went off in his brain.
"Wait a minute!" the golden haired boy gasped, spinning on his heel and staring down at all the fallen Rawst Berries that Meadow had scattered about, "These berries might just be the answer after all!"
"Saur?" her mouth full of a delicious Rawst Berry, Meadow glanced up at her beloved human in confusion.
"Lithe?" Fang looked equally as perplexed. The Puppy Pokemon became distracted by another Berry however and quickly went back to eating.
Nolan smiled down at them both.
"What if, instead of searching this forest for a Jigglypuff, we lure one to straight to us instead?" Nolan couldn't help but grin as the plan took shape in his mind, a little smug at his own brilliance, "Maybe with the right kind of food, we could use the smell to attract one! Then we could battle and capture it!"
Meadow and Fang shared a glance, shrugged, and went back to eating. Rolling his eyes at their somewhat underwhelming response, Nolan brought out his pokedex and began checking it for information about Jigglypuff's diet.
"Let's see here..." the golden haired boy's icy blue eyes raked over the information on offer, "It says here that Jigglypuff are most commonly seen eating Oran Berries in the wild".
Although he was pretty sure he knew what an Oran Berry looked like, Nolan didn't want to waste any time by accidentally looking for the wrong type of foliage. As such, he quickly pulled up a picture of an Oran Berry. A bright smile lit up his entire face almost instantly.
"Hey! I remember seeing some trees with these berries growing on them earlier today!" the golden hair boy said happily, pleased by how well this was coming together, "Maybe if we go back to that area, there might be a Jigglypuff nearby".
Meadow and Fang both stopped eating, and looked up at Nolan with somewhat doubtful expressions. Catching this, Nolan shrugged back at them in response.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" he smiled brightly, willing to give it a try even if it did turn out to be something of a long-shot, "Come on you two! Let's go!"
And so marching through the woods with a renewed sense of purpose, Nolan, Meadow, and Fang all headed back in the direction Nolan was sure he had seen the Oran Berry trees.
Their hope was practically palpable.
Meanwhile, in another part of the woods with the sounds of leaves crunching beneath feet, Team Rocket were trudging through the dense forest as well. Each member of the criminal organisation were a frustrated or his or her face. It was clear that Jessie, James and Meowth were all equally exasperated by their current predicament.
"Are you kidding me?! How did we lose those little twerps again?!" Jessie complained loudly, tossing her long magenta coloured hair back in irritation, "They were right in front of us!"
From his position beside her, James simply shrugged his broad shoulders, lost for an answer.
"I don't know, Jessie" the cyan haired man admitted, sounding just as frustrated with their current situation as his female counterpart did, "It's like they just vanished into thin air!"
Between them, Meowth snorted derisively.
"More like they're evading us because they know we still want to steal that one twerp's powerful Pikachu!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon scowled, his tail twitching, a sure sign of his agitation.
"I don't know, Meowth…" James sighed deeply, before he confessed a thought that had been playing on his mind quite heavily recently, "I'm honestly starting to wonder if this is even worth it. Is stealing one measly Pikachu really worth all this effort?"
The expressions on Jessie and Meowth's faces were absolutely priceless.
"James, what are you saying?" Jessie gaped at her co-worker and friend incredulously, scarcely able to believe her ears, "That Pikachu is no ordinary Pokemon! It's far stronger than it should be at its level! It's exactly the kind of powerful Pokemon we need for Team Rocket!"
Once again, James just shrugged his shoulders in response at her.
"Yeah, well... we keep losing to those twerps" the cyan haired man pointed out uneasily, clearly very ashamed not to mention embarrassed by their trio's recent string of defeats, "We've been chasing them for weeks now, and we haven't gotten anything to show for it. Maybe we should just forget about Pikachu and go after something else".
Meowth's entire face turned crimson, he was so increased by what he was hearing.
"Are you crazy?!" the furry feline creature hissed, his fur all standing up on end, he was so hopping mad with rage, "We've been after dat Pikachu for too long! Dare's no way we're giving up now! I'll steal dat Pikachu, even if it takes all nine of my lives!"
The cyan haired man knelt down slightly, trying to reason with the angry Scratch Cat Pokemon.
"Look, Meowth, if we don't steal a Pokemon soon, the boss might just fire us all anyway" James said uneasily, nervous at just the mere notion of such a horrible outcome occurring, "He's not going to be happy if we've wasted all this time for nothing you know".
A sharp, grating scoff slipped past Meowth's before he could even try to stop it.
"You think he'll be happy if he finds out dat we're giving up on Pikachu?" the Scratch Cat Pokemon sneered and shook his head, his claws raised almost threateningly, "We'll be lucky if he doesn't send us to da bottom of da ocean!"
"I... I know, I know" James sighed wearily, willing to admit that Meowth may have a point there.
Before the two males could continue their disagreement any further however, the woman at their side suddenly let out a short gasp of surprise. Her dark eyes narrowing, Jesse quickly threw out her arm to get their attention, pressing a finger to her lips.
"Quiet, both of you!" the magenta haired woman hissed at them, before she gestured through the trees at something on another forest trail, "Look who it is!"
James and Meowth both turned to look in the direction of whatever it was that had captured their female counterpart's attention. Their own eyes widened in surprise, and all of them - Jessie included - quickly scrambled to hide in some bushes so they could spy on the newcomer without being observed.
It was that Nolan kid.
One of the twerps they'd been chasing. He was walking through the forest with just his Bulbasaur and his Growlithe. There wasn't any sign of the three other twerps that he travelled around with, and more importantly, there was no sign of that little Pikachu either.
"Hey, look, it's Goldilocks!" Meowth whispered to his two human friends in surprise.
"What's he doing out here all by himself?" James couldn't help but wonder aloud, his tone and expression both containing a strong hint of confusion, "Why isn't he with the others?"
"Maybe dose other losers ditched him" the Scratch Cat Pokemon shrugged his furry little shoulders, unconcerned, "Or maybe he just got lost".
The other Team Rocket member hiding in the bushes with them allowed a small smirk to flash across her beautiful features.
"If that really is the case, then he's probably trying to find his way back to the others" the magenta haired woman smiled dangerously, a malicious glint shining in her eye, "You know, we could use this to our advantage".
James threw her a somewhat perplexed look.
"How do you figure that one, Jessie? the cyan haired man asked his female counterpart in bewilderment, "That Nolan kid doesn't have any Pokemon we want to steal".
"No, he doesn't" Jessie agreed, her cunning little smile still fixed firmly in place, "But he can probably lead us straight to one that we do want to steal".
The realisation hit James and Meowth like a thunderbolt.
"You mean…" Meowth trailed off slowly as he began to pick up on what Jessie was suggesting, "Goldilocks can lead us to Pikachu?"
"Exactly" the leader of the trio announced proudly.
James' face curled into a malicious grin, and it wasn't long before the expression on Meowth's face followed suit. And so together with Jessie, they all began to follow the unsuspecting Nolan through the forest, creeping as quietly as possible to avoid alerting him.
"This is our chance!" Meowth hissed in excitement to the others, "We're finally going to get that Pikachu!"
Failure was out of the question this time.
Emerging into yet another sun-dappled forest clearing, Nolan, along with Meadow and Fang, all looked around at their new surroundings. A pleased smile blossomed across the golden haired boy's handsome features, before he turned to look down at his two Pokemon companions.
"Alright, you two, listen up!" Nolan said excitedly, and once he was sure that he had both Meadow and Fang's attention, he quickly pressed on, "I'm pretty sure this is the spot where I saw those Oran Berry trees. Remember what I told you; they were near a big, jagged boulder that kinda looked like a Metapod".
He gestured towards the large, oddly-shaped stone in question.
"Bulba..." Meadow replied softly, the little Grass Type Pokemon nodding her head slowly in response.
"Growlithe..." Fang barked his understanding.
"Keep your eyes peeled, but stay quiet!" Nolan reminded them both, knowing that there was a need for stealth if they were going to pull this off successfully, "We need to be sneaky. If there's a Jigglypuff around here, then the element of surprise might be key for catching one".
Once again, Meadow and Fang both nodded their understanding.
"Look at this!" Nolan exclaimed happily as his icy blue eyes honed in on a small cluster of trees on the opposite side of the clearing, "I think that might be it!"
The golden haired boy rushed across the the base of the thick tree-trunk of the growth in question, scattering some fallen leaves as he went. Meadow and Fang both exchanged a hopeful glance before they joined their beloved human. All three of them stared up at the spherical indigo coloured berries hanging from the knotted branches.
"That's them!" Nolan's grin threatened to outshine the sun, and the boy just barely resisted the urge to jump up and down in excitement, "Oran Berries! Those are the ones Jigglypuff love to eat!"
Nolan reached up towards a particularly juicy-looking Oran Berry, but unfortunately he was halted before he could lay a finger on the desired fruit.
"Saur..." Meadow hissed at him, not angrily but with a definite sense of urgency. She lightly tugged on the ankle of the boy's jeans with one of her dark green vines, "Bulba, Bulbasaur!"
The golden haired boy glanced down at his beloved partner in bewilderment.
"What's wrong Meadow?" Nolan asked her, a small trace of impatience creeping into his tone. After all, if they had any hope of luring a Jigglypuff out of hiding to them, they needed those Oran Berries.
"Saur!" Meadow gestured with one of her vines, indicating towards something the upper branches of the tree.
Nolan looked up...
Then the golden haired boy's jaw dropped wide open in sheer disbelief.
"No. Way!" the young and upcoming Pokemon master gaped, his icy blue eyes growing to almost comical proportions as he stared up at the same thing that had captured Meadow's attention, "I can't believe it! There it is!"
It was true.
Adorable, round, and covered in a pretty coat of short pink fur, was none other than the Pokemon Nolan coveted the most in that moment. A Jigglypuff. A real, honest to God Jigglypuff, in all its resplendent cuteness. The little pink Pokemon was sitting on one of the higher branches, happily munching on an Oran Berry that it held in its small stubby paws.
It was perfect.
"We actually found one this easily?" the golden haired boy could only shake his head, scarcely able to believe his good fortune.
"Growlithe..." Fang murmured, clearly struggling to believe it himself.
"Bulbasaur!" Meadow smiled cheerfully. She was never one to look a gift Horsea in the mouth after all.
The smile that eclipsed Nolan's face was beyond dazzling.
"You guys, this is our chance!" the golden haired boy was practically quivering with excitement. It felt as though a flock of wild Butterfree were fluttering in his stomach, and the young trainer was a ball of nervous energy as a result, "Not only to make a new friend, but to show that rude girl from earlier who's boss! Now we gotta plan this carefully. How do we get that Jigglypuff to come down without scaring it away?"
"Saur..." Meadow frowned seriously, trying to think of a plausible solution.
Fang on the other hand, favoured a more... direct approach.
"GROWLITHE!"
The sudden bellow from their fluffy little friend made Nolan and Meadow almost jump out of their skins in alarm. Whipping around, the two partners were stunned when they saw Fang step forwards, his jaw wide open. And before either of them could even think about trying to stop him, the Puppy Pokemon unleashed a loud, powerful fiery blast. It was his Fire Spin attack, and it was heading straight towards the wild Jigglypuff.
BBBBOOOOOOOOMMMM!
"JIGGLY!"
With a shrill squeal, although it wasn't clear whether it was from the pain brought about by the swirling flames or more out of shock due to the surprise attack, the Jigglypuff was bounced clean out of the tree. Before it knew what was happening, the cute pink Pokemon was plummeting to the ground.
WHAM!
Nolan couldn't help but wince as the Balloon Pokemon quite literally face-planted the floor. It lay there, prone, face down for a few moments. Nolan turned to stare at Fang, his mouth agape.
"Fang!" the golden haired boy scolded in disbelief, facepalming, "I was hoping for a slightly more subtle approach!"
"Growl..." Fang just yipped up at Nolan, looking pleased with himself.
"Well at least you didn't set the whole tree on fire" Nolan muttered after quickly checking. The golden haired boy gave the adorable Puppy Pokemon at his feet a fond yet exasperated look, "Look, I know you're trying to help, buddy, but you can't just go around blasting fire attacks in the forest. We could start a fire by accident!"
"Growlithe..." Fang whimpered, looking contrite now.
Nolan smiled and knelt down to gently stroke the cute little Fire Type Pokemon's head. The Puppy Pokemon purred happily at the attention his beloved human was showing him.
"Still, you managed to get Jigglypuff down here" Nolan was forced to admit, giving Fang's belly one last affectionate rub, "Good boy".
"JIGGLYPUFF!"
Nolan, Meadow and the thoroughly contented Fang were all brought back to the present with a sharp bump uon hearing the shout. Glancing across the clearing, they saw that the wild Jigglypuff was now back on its feet. The Balloon Pokemon looked a little roughed up from taking the Fire Spin attack and the subsequent fall, but it had dusted itself off and was standing upright now.
It did not look happy.
"JIGGLY! JIGGLYPUFF! PUFF! PUFF! JIGGLYPUFF!" the adorable little pink creature screamed at all three of them.
Now Nolan was by no means any kind of expert on the subject of Pokemon Language, but he got the distinct impression that Jigglypuff was not welcoming them to the forest. When the Balloon Pokemon took a furious step towards them, waving its stubby little paws threateningly, this theory was further confirmed.
"Looks like it wants to battle" the golden haired boy observed, a sly grin beginning to grow across his handsome features, "Fang, you ready to take it on?"
"Growlithe!" Fang barked, his tail wagging happily.
Nolan's heart raced as he leaned against the rough bark of an ancient oak, watching Fang with unwavering focus. With each step that Nolan's adorable Puppy Pokemon took forwards, the golden haired boy felt a mix of anticipation and hope. This was more than just a battle. It was a chance to expand his beloved Pokemon family, and prove that they were ready for anything the wild might throw at them. As such, he focused his attention down upon the little Fire Type Pokemon, his eyes practically shining with pure and utter determination.
"Okay, Fang, you can do this!" Nolan called out cheerfully, hoping that just knowing that his trainer believed in him would encourage Fang to do his very best in the upcoming battle, "I believe in you!"
"Growlithe!"
Fang threw back his head and barked happily, his tail wagging like crazy in his excitement. It was obvious that the Puppy Pokemon wanted to do Nolan proud, and the golden haired boy's heart swelled with affection for him.
Nolan smiled warmly at his little buddy's enthusiasm, but his expression quickly morphed into one that was much more serious.
"This Jigglypuff looks pretty tough boy, but I believe you're tougher. You just can't afford to let your guard down" the golden haired boy warned the Puppy Pokemon, and one the little guy had he barked his clear understanding, Nolan quickly issued his first command, "Now Fang! Start things off strong with your Body Slam attack!"
And just like that, the battle got underway.
"Growlithe!" with a bark that sounded far too thoroughly overexcited, Fang charged across the forest clearing. His tongue was lolling out and his tail was wagging. The Puppy Pokemon was clearly looking forward to battling alongside Nolan.
Sadly for both parties concerned however, Fang's first attack would never hit its target.
"Jiggly!"
The wild Jigglypuff, in one simple fluid manoeuvre, showed exactly just how difficult and tricky this match was going to be for Nolan and Fang. Sucking in deep lungfuls of oxygen, the Balloon Pokemon's soft rubbery body inflated slightly, and before Fang could even get close to it, it floated up into the air and drifted lazily just out of reach. The end result was Fang grinding to a halt and barking angrily up at his opponent, who simply smirked back down at him.
Observing this across from the clearing, Nolan couldn't help but be very impressed.
"Wow, that was a pretty good dodge" the golden haired boy marvelled, but rather than be discouraged by the challenge this new evasion tactic posed it simply made Nolan even more determined to add this enigmatic Pokemon to his ever-expanding little family, "But you can do better boy! Now Fang, try your..."
But the rest of the golden haired boy's instruction didn't make it to his lips.
"PUFF!"
Nolan could only watch with his jaw hanging by his knees at what happened next. For quite suddenly, without any kind of warning or preamble whatsoever, the Jigglypuff landed back on the ground directly in front of Fang and began attacking him before the Puppy Pokemon even knew what was happening.
WHAM!
"Growlithe!" Fang yelped loudly, although whether it was from the pain of being struck or because he was merely surprised, Nolan couldn't be sure.
"Whoa! That was a strong Pound attack" the golden haired boy frowned thoughtfully, before he glanced down at his adorable Fire Type Pokemon, his tone and expression both riddled with deep concern, "Are you alright, boy?"
"Lithe!"
Fang quickly shook himself down as he pushed himself back onto his paws. He barked reassuringly at Nolan to prove that he was okay.
"Good, good" the golden haired boy heaved a great sigh of relief, before he quickly turned his attention back to the matter at hand, "But let's try a different strategy now boy. Okay Fang! Let's give your Bite attack a go!"
"Growlithe!"
And with just as much enthusiasm and spirit as he had shown at the beginning of the match, Fang happily pranced across the forest clearing. The adorable Fire Type Pokemon opened his jaw and revealed his small sharp teeth, clearly hoping to really think them into his opponent this time.
But once again, the wild Pokemon they were up against proved it was no pushover.
"Jigglypuff" the Balloon Pokemon yelled determinedly. Before the surprised eyes of both Fang and Nolan alike, the wild Jigglypuff tucked its arms, legs and even its ears inwards until it was curled up into a tight little pink ball. A ripple of light seemed to flash across its spherical form in a manner with Nolan was easily able to identify. After all, it was a move that the boy was very familiar with, considering that Xanthite also had it in her arsenal.
Defence Curl.
"This Jigglypuff is good..." Nolan muttered under his breath to himself, unable to help feeling deeply impressed by the fact that a wild Pokemon could deploy such a tactical strategy all on its own, "This is turning out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be..."
But there was no way that the golden haired boy was about to give up now. Seeing how good the Jigglypuff was hadn't weakened his hopes of capturing it. If anything, the Balloon Pokemon's skills had only served to make the boy even more determined.
"We need to up our game, buddy" Nolan said as he quickly turned his attention back to Fang. Much too the young trainer's relief, the Puppy Pokemon listened with rapt attention, clearly taking this very seriously despite his usual playful, somewhat immature nature, "Be careful with your fire attacks in this forest, but try your Ember attack. Aim for the Jigglypuff, not the trees!"
Thankfully, Fang actually heeded Nolan's warning for once.
"Growl...GROWLITHE!" Fang barked loudly as he took careful aim before opening his jaw as wide as he could. In a shower of red and orange blazing light, the puppy Pokémon Unleashed a flurry of white hot embers in the direction of his opponent.
"JIGGLY!"
This time it was the wild Jigglypuff who let out a shrill squeak of unimaginable pain. The Balloon Pokemon quickly covered its face with its tiny pink paws, but it was unable to shield itself completely from Fang's relentless Ember attack.
From his position on the sidelines, Nolan couldn't help but cheer in excitement.
"Good work, Fang!" the golden haired boy praised his little Fire Type kindly, causing the Puppy Pokemon to preen and look incredibly proud of himself, "At last we're getting somewhere!"
"Growlithe!" Fang barked happily.
The only being in the clearing that didn't seem quite so thrilled was the wild Jigglypuff they were up against. Looking distinctly annoyed, the cute pink creature huffed and got back to its feet.
"Jigglypuff!" the Balloon Pokemon let out a loud noise that was eerily reminiscent of a fierce war-cry.
Nolan would be the first to admit that what happened next caught him completely by surprise. In fact, the golden haired boy was left gaping like a Goldeen out of water by the attack that Jigglypuff pulled out of its bag of tricks.
"Jiggly!"
Curling up into a ball once more, this time the Jigglypuff wasn't going on the defensive like it had the last time it had moved its body in such a way. Instead, this type the Balloon Pokemon was very much going on the offensive.
Jigglypuff began to roll.
Rollout. Nolan quickly realised that this Jigglypuff knew the move Rollout. He recognised it from his time with A.J and his Sandshrew. Building up momentum with each passing nanosecond, it wasn't long before Jigglypuff became precious little more than a rolling pink blur. And then, with barely an imperceptible change of course, the rolling round Pokemon quite literally pummelled into poor Fang with all the grace and delicateness of a monster truck. The end result was inevitable.
"GROWLITHE!"
Nolan couldn't refrain from gasping in horror as the Puppy Pokemon was sent sailing through the air. With a sickening Thud that seemed to echo throughout the entire clearing, the small Fire Type hit the ground and collapsed, all sprawled out and looking dazed.
"FANG!" the golden haired boy screamed frantically in alarm, and it took every ounce of self-restraint Nolan possessed not to go racing across the clearing to collapse by his fallen Pokemon's side, "Fang, are you okay boy?! Do you want to stop?!"
He honestly wouldn't mind if Fang did. After all, Nolan was beginning to fear they might have bitten off more than they could chew with this opponent.
The Puppy Pokemon wasn't having it.
"Growl... Lithe!" with a tremendous effort on his part, the little Growlithe dug deep and managed to summon up the willpower to force himself back up onto his paws. There was no way that he was going to let his beloved human down. Nolan wanted that Jigglypuff in their family, so Fang was gonna make damn sure it happened.
From his position on the sidelines, Nolan couldn't help but grin.
"I'm so proud of you, boy" the young Pokemon trainer told his little buddy with deep affection, his eyes suspiciously moist, "You're determined to finish this. Okay, you can keep going Fang".
"Growlithe!" Fang barked happily, pleased that Nolan wasn't going to pull him out of this fight.
"But we need to be careful now" Nolan continued, his torn an expression both now carrying a tense warning, "Rollout gets stronger the longer it goes on. We need to stop it now if you want to keep fighting. This is a risky move in the middle of a forest, but let's try your Fire Spin attack. But for heaven's sake Fang, be careful!"
"Growlithe!"
Fang couldn't help but grin excitedly as he prepared to use what was arguably his strongest and definitely his most impressive attack. With his whole body becoming wreathed in intensely hot flame, Fang gracefully unleashed a small but powerful vortex of swirling fire.
The two powerful attacks, Rollout and Fire Spin, were set to meet each other head on.
Nolan tried his best to watch to see the overall outcome, but eventually the reds and oranges of the Fire Spin cast too bright of a glow across the clearing. The poor boy was forced to avert his gaze, lest he risk permanent eye damage. As such, he only heard the outcome of the collision of the attacks, as opposed to witnessing it first hand.
"JIGGLY!"
A shrill scream of pure and unadulterated agony rang out across the clearing. It was enough of an indication to tell Nolan what had happened.
Once the glow from Fang's Fire Spin attack eventually died down, Nolan was finally able to return his icy blue eyes to their makeshift battlefield. What he saw had the golden haired boy's spirits soaring. Not only had Fang successfully executed his fire type attack in such an inappropriate area without causing so much as one twig or leaf in the area to be damaged, but he had also successfully achieved the goal they had initially set out towards. Jigglypuff was lied out sprawled across the ground, no longer able to perform its perilous Rollout attack. Nolan smiled. It would appear that the risk of using Fire Spin in a forest had actually paid off for them.
"Jiggly..." the Jigglypuff whimpered in pain, now sporting a few scorch marks.
"Growlithe!" Fang barked happily, clearly pleased with himself for successfully turning the tables on his opponent.
Jigglypuff just glared at the Puppy Pokemon for a few seconds, before a small smirk grace its delicate features. Nolan saw the expression, but didn't have long to ponder on its meaning.
"Jigglypuff!"
Before the young boy or his Pokemon could react, Jigglypuff's wide eyes glowed with an intense blue light that seemed to shine out from the depths of its very soul. Seconds later, the same blue glow shrouded Fang's entire body. Thankfully, it didn't seem to do any damage to the small Fire Type, and after a few seconds the light disappeared. Nolan was confused for only one second before the realisation sunk in. He groaned as he correctly deduced what had just happened.
"Oh no... Fang, I recognise that move! It used its Disable attack!" the golden haired boy called out a warning to his adorable Puppy Pokemon, "That means your Fire Spin attack is out for a while!"
"Growlithe!" Fang whined in disappointment. He liked using that attack the best, so it wasn't fair that his opponent was blocking him from using it.
"Jiggly!"
Jigglypuff smirked in amusement at Fang's predicament, before it recovered enough from its brush with the Fire Spin spin to be able to go on the offensive again. The Balloon Pokemon hastily scrambled to its feet before charging towards its unsuspecting opponent. What happened next wasn't pretty.
WHAM!
CRACK!
THUD!
SLAP!
Nolan couldn't help but wince in sympathy as Fang took not one, not two, not three, but four harsh smacks directly to the face as Jigglypuff unleashed a very strong Double Slap attack. It came as no surprise when the small Puppy Pokemon staggered backwards and almost fell over from the downright brutal assault.
"Growlithe!" Fang yelped in pain, his cheeks looking red and swollen.
Nolan was about to voice his concern to Fang about pursuing this battle any further, but sadly he never got a chance to. Before the golden haired boy had a chance to utter so much as a single syllable, Jigglypuff smirked and took a step backwards, so that it was standing directly in the centre of the clearing. The Balloon Pokemon then did something that Nolan never would have predicted, but really should have.
Jigglypuff opened its mouth and began to sing.
~ "Jigglypuff... Jiggly... Jigglypuff" ~
The small pink creature's tone was incredibly soothing, and despite the fact that Nolan's mind was screaming at him that this was just a trick, that the Jigglypuff was using its Sing attack on them both, the boy couldn't help it when he felt his eyelids beginning to droop lazily across his icy blue orbs. A soft yawn escaped him.
~ "Jigglypuff... Jiggly... Jigglypuff" ~
In the clearing across from the wild Pokemon that had caught their interest, poor Fang looked dead on his paws. The Puppy Pokemon let out an adorable yawn, just barely resisting the temptation to curl up into a ball and sleep the rest of the day away. Oooh... he so wanted to sleep, but he also didn't want to let Nolan down either. Fang's eyes began to close, almost against his will. Jigglypuff's lullaby was just so tempting...
"F-FANG!" Nolan just barely manage to stifle a yawn behind his hand as he pulled himself together enough to realise what was happening to them, "Snap out of it boy! Jigglypuff's using its Sing attack on us! We need to stop it, or we'll fall asleep! Try your Body Slam attack again. Jigglypuff can't dodge and sing at the same time!"
Fighting through the drowsiness that was threatening to consume his mind, Fang struggled but eventually managed to process Nolan's words.
"GROWLITHE!" the Puppy Pokemon barked fiercely, unable to help but feeling a little foolish for almost falling for his opponent's little trick. So angrily using what little remained of his dwindled strength, Fang raced across the forest clearing as fast as his paws could carry him, and managed to slam his entire body into that of Jigglypuff's.
"Jiggly!"
The wild Jigglypuff couldn't help but squeal in pain again as it took the force of Fang's Body Slam attack. And with every last ounce of the adorable Fire Type Pokemon's weight thrown behind it, it came as no surprise that it achieved the desired outcome.
Whimpering in pain as it sunk to the forest floor, Jigglypuff simply wasn't able to maintain its Sing attack, and the lullaby abruptly cut out.
"Good work, Fang!" Nolan happily cheered, proud of his little buddy for saving them both from not only embarrassment but from potentially losing out on this wonderful opportunity to expand their little family, "One more attack should do it, boy! Use your Ember again!"
"Growlithe!"
Excited to wrap things up now and hopefully make a new friend, Fang wasted no time in following through with Nolan's latest command. Opening his jaw as wide as he could, the Puppy Pokemon unleashed another flurry of white-hot embers that stung Jigglypuff immensely upon contact.
"Jigglypuff! Jiggly..." the Balloon Pokemon groaned weakly, curling its small body in on itself in pain as it fell backwards to the ground, despite all of its best efforts to get up and continue fighting.
Nolan couldn't help but grin. It was obvious that their target was greatly weakened now.
"Good boy Fang!" Nolan give his adorable Puppy Pokemon some well-deserved praise, smiling when the small fluffy creature preened happily under his kind words, "You did it! I'm so proud of you Fang!"
"Growlithe!" Fang's tail wagged happily when he saw just how pleased his beloved human was with him.
"I think this warrants a few extra treats at dinner tonight" the golden haired boy told his little buddy playfully, smiling warmly when he saw how Fang's eyes lit up in excitement at what Nolan had just promised. Nolan quickly got serious again however as he turned his attention back to the matter at hand, "But for now, let's finish what we started. It's time to try capturing Jigglypuff!"
"Bulba!"
"Growlithe!"
Both of the boy's Pokemon companions were very excited to hear him say that. Grinning widely, Nolan unclipped the last remaining empty pokeball that hung from his belt and took careful aim.
"Pokeball, go!" the excitement was clear in Nolan's voice as the red and white left his fingertips.
Together; Nolan, Meadow and Fang all watched in eager anticipation as the capsule device tumbled through the air, its course good. It was headed straight towards the adorable pink creature they hoped to add their loving little Pokemon family. It would only be a few moments until they would know one way or the other whether they'd been successful. The pokeball was drawing in closer and closer to the fallen Jigglypuff, and then...
And then a voice suddenly called out from the bushes.
"Oh no you don't!" the owner of the voice, a teenage girl judging by the pitch of it, out with an almost gleeful smugness, "Quick Pistol, use Water Gun!"
Before Nolan had a chance to place the familiarity of the newcomer's voice, something happened that had the golden haired boy's jaw collapsing wide open in horrified disbelief.
"SQUIRTLE!"
There was a loud guttural shout that sounded eerily reminiscent of a war-cry, before a powerful jet out water suddenly exploded out of the same bushes. Helpless to do anything to stop it, Nolan looked on in shock as the sneak Water Gun attack hit his airborne pokeball as it still tumbled towards the prone figure of Jigglypuff. The red and white orb was naturally deflected off course by the powerful water-based attack. It rolled harmlessly across the forest floor until it stopped by Nolan's feet. Jigglypuff most certainly had not been captured.
Needless to say, Nolan could not believe what had just happened.
"What the...?" the golden haired boy gaped down at his empty pokeball for a second like a Goldeen out of water, before he quickly glared at the bushes that interference had come from, his expression morphing into an angry scowl, "Hey, what gives?!"
Rustling of leaves met his ears, before the owner of the voice stepped out of the bushes to face him.
Nolan's jaw immediately clenched in outrage anger.
It was her. The same girl from before. She was here, and now she had just interfered with Nolan's capture. Oh, the golden haired boy was livid. He was downright incensed.
"I'll show you what gives" the girl sneered down her nose at him.
Also emerging from the bushes came the familiar form of a small Squirtle, presumably 'Pistol' if Nolan had heard the girl correctly. It wore an expression of equal cockiness on its reptilian features. It was obvious that the small Water Type Pokemon was proud of its handiwork.
"You again?!" Nolan barked, making no effort to hide the fact that this girl was most definitely not welcome here right now.
The girl's smug grin did little to ease the tension.
"Yep, me again" the girl's smirk was incredibly infuriating, but it quickly sharpened into a harsher, much more threatening expression, "I thought I warned you to stay away from any Jigglypuff in this forest. I told you that I'm going to catch one for myself".
Nolan's whole body was practically vibrating by this point, the boy was getting so worked up.
"And like I said before, I don't take orders from you!" the golden haired boy bit back, his face slowly turning a nasty shade of purple. He couldn't believe the absolute gall of this girl. How could she possibly believe it to be acceptable behaviour to interfere with another trainer's capture?! It was... it was outrageous!
The rude girl's look chilled by several degrees. She was starting to look as frustrated as Nolan himself was right.
"Listen kid, only fools think it's wise to cross me!" the rude Pokemon trainer sneered boldly, as if that was supposed to impress the boy on the receiving end of her arrogance or something, "Are you a fool?"
Scoffing, Nolan folded his arms. As far as threat went, that one was pretty weak. He felt no qualms about telling her as much.
"If you want to intimidate me, you're gonna have to seriously up your game" the golden haired boy responded coolly, giving the girl his best condescending glare, "I'm not easily scared, especially not by a... little brat, obviously trying to act tougher and more mature than she is".
His taunt had the desired effect.
"Just shut up and leave!" the rude girl shrieked, her cheeks reddening. It wasn't clear whether it was from her anger or if she was embarrassed by what her opponent had just said. Either way, the end result had Nolan smirking.
"Not a chance!" Nolan scoffed derisively, as if the girl was a complete idiot for suggesting such a thing. She didn't seem to appreciate it, judging by the way she gnashed her teeth together, "I found this Jigglypuff first. It was my Pokemon that battled and weakened it. I'm the one who's catching it!"
And with that declaration made, the golden haired boy knelt down and scooped up his fallen pokeball. He then stood up again, ready to take aim once more.
Unfortunately for Nolan however, the rude girl was prepared to let the matter drop.
"Not if you don't want to face the consequences, Kid" the girl sneered down at her nose at Nolan again, clearly attempting to intimidate him once more, "I can make your life a living hell, you know".
The golden haired boy scoffed. This little brat held no power over him.
Intent on making this irritating girl understand that he wasn't about to let himself be pushed around by the likes or her, or anybody else for that matter, Nolan turned his attention away from the Jigglypuff across the clearing and back onto the girl herself.
It only took a split-second, but the mistake had already been made.
Cleverly using Nolan's moment of distraction to its own advantage, the Balloon Pokemon was able to haul itself back to its feet, still exhausted from its battle against Fang. And whilst nobody was looking, the Jigglypuff inhaled deeply, inflating its soft rubbery body until it was floating a few metres off the forest floor.
By the time Nolan realised what was happening, it was already far too late.
"JIGGLY!"
Almost as if it was mockingly calling out a farewell to the lot of them, the Jigglypuff sailed higher and higher into the air. In a matter of seconds, the adorable pink creature was skimming the treetops, and it wasn't long before it drifted out of sight entirely, lazily riding the gentle summer breeze.
Down on the ground, Nolan was horrified.
"No!" the golden haired boy moaned in protest, his voice precious more than a feeble whine of utter despair, "It's gone!"
The horror quickly gave way to a rushing wave of burning anger, and Nolan rounded on the rude girl, his fury almost palpable. It must certainly did not help that the girl looked rather pleased with herself. She was obviously delighted by this unexpected outcome.
"YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Nolan yelled in her face, his tone heavy with angry accusation, "YOU JUST COST ME A CAPTURE!"
Nolan's outrage did little to faze the girl. If anything, it only seemed to amuse the little brat.
"Serves you right for getting in my way" was the rude girl's simple retort, her tone and expression both practically oozing with smugness, "Don't think you can pull this off again Kid. Next time, it won't just be a deflected Pokeball. I'll play even dirtier".
And with that dark threat made, the girl turned and simply walked away, leaving Nolan positively fuming.
Quivering with barely suppressed rage, Nolan fought down the urge to scream a few choice words after her, and instead just took on a determined, almost rigid posture. He clenched his jaw and his fists so tightly that the skin at his knuckles turned a stark white. His eyes took on a righteous anger that was somehow both boiling yet freezing at the exact same time. He was practically the personification of anger itself in that moment.
"I'll get that Jigglypuff yet!" the golden haired boy swore, both to himself and the world as a whole, "And I'll show her a thing or two whilst I'm at it!"
And that was a promise.
And that marks the end of another chapter : )
I think her stunt in this chapter shows exactly what type of character our mystery female trainer is XD Needless to say, Nolan won't take that lying down. The whole idea actually came from a review left a few months ago where the reader thought it would be more realistic to see Nolan actually fail a capture from time to time, since that hasn't actually happened in the story yet. I had to agree with that assessment, but having him make a clumsy mistake at this point in the story seemed too out of character, so this is what I came up with. Hopefully you guys like the tension building between these two characters as a rivalry is formed, and if anyone has any other suggestions like this, please feel free to leave them in a review for consideration : )
Anyway, enough about the actual contents of the chapter for now. Instead, let's move on to this week's voting topic, and I'm pleased to say that this one is going to be an Evolution Vote. I don't know why, but it feels like it's been ages since the last one : ) Anyway, the second vote is because I defeated Bugsy. This gym battle was fairly straightforward and easy. I took down Bugsy's Scyther with two of Slugma's Rock Throw attacks. I got a low roll on the first one, then knocked Scyther out with a high roll on the second one. This was super lucky because it meant that Scyther's Sitrus Berry didn't take effect. I then used Cyndaquil to clear out Bugsy's Metapod and Kakuna with a couple of Ember attacks apiece, more just so he had something to do since I haven't used him an awful lot so far in the Nuzlocke. Slugma keeps stealing the show, and poor Cyndaquil's thunder ; ) Anyway, the options for the Evolution Vote this time are: - Dunsparce, Lickitung, Wooper, Mareep, Togepi, Slugma, Goldeen and Zubat : )
And I think that's just about everything from me for this time. Thank you so much for reading this chapter and my story in general. I hope you are enjoying it all so far, and please consider leaving a review because I'd love to hear your comments and feedback : )
Until the next time, keep on reading : )